“You alright?” Tonya asked, slowly sticking her head through the door to Will’s room.

Janie was sitting on the bed using her rosary like a worry stone. She wasn’t even sure why she still wore it, but somehow it was comforting. At the very least it gave her hands something to do while her mind was having trouble focusing. “I’ll be fine,” she answered. “I just… didn’t enjoy the conversation.”

“Yeah, it was a little weird,” Tonya shrugged. She came in and looked around. Will’s room took up most of the second floor of the lighthouse, but that didn’t mean it was large. The lighthouse wasn’t designed to be spacious, and Will was an unfortunate combination of not being particularly tidy, and being a collector of all kinds of curiosities. At best, his room looked like someone had crammed a large bed and a few dressers into the back room of a museum. Currently, it was worse. When he’d packed to leave, he’d been in a hurry and hadn’t worried much where the things he left behind had ended up. Quite a few of his belongings were rather haphazardly strewn around. Calling the state of the space ‘cluttered’ would be putting it mildly.

“Alright, I take back what I said about Will being refined,” Tonya snarked. 

Janie laughed, letting go of some of the tension she was carrying. “He has his moments, but in general…” she gestured around the room. 

“At least he cleans up nice,” Tonya shrugged. She prodded a pile of mouldering clothes with her foot. They looked like they’d been stuck together with red tar, burned, and then left in a wet pile. “What the hell does he do up here?”

Janie sighed, smiling in spite of herself. “Bella accidentally… well, she lit him on fire.”

Tonya’s eyes went wide. “Oh, I have to hear this story!” She skipped across the room excitedly and plunked herself down on Will’s bed next to her.

“I didn’t see it personally,” Janie said with a small shrug. “From what I understand, Bella was trying to work some sort of spell, lost control of it, and it discharged the energy to the nearest grounding ward, which happened to be painted on Will. The ward overloaded and lit his shirt on fire.”

Tonya’s eyes were still wide but her smile dropped. “Bella really drilled it into my head how dangerous that can be. I guess that’s not as funny as I thought it would be.”

“When I showed up, Bella and Captain Vex were slowly cutting away at Will’s body hair to get… whatever that stuff is that Bella uses to paint sigils on people… off of him,” Janie continued.

“Oooohhh, that’s why his cock hair was trimmed all raggedy!” Tonya grinned again. “Never mind, that is funny.”

Janie was a bit taken aback by Tonya’s uninhibited words, but she was still amused. She hid a small laugh behind her hand. “I’m sure it has mostly grown back by now.”

“Once we get the mirror fixed, we can ask,” Tonya winked at her.

It was Janie’s turn to be surprised. “We can fix it?”

“I think so,” Tonya said. “The anchoring sigils are carved into the mirror’s frame, and those aren’t broken. As long as the other mirror isn’t broken-”

Janie stood up abruptly. “Of course! A new mirror would work the same as the old one! We have to-”

“Relax, I already talked to Caine about it. He has that merchant guy looking for one that’s big enough,” Tonya said, putting her hand on Janie’s arm. “Besides, it’s the middle of the night. Where do you think we’re going to get a mirror right now?”

Janie let herself be pulled back down to the bed. “True,” she said, disappointed. “It’s just as well. I am not supposed to leave anyway.”

“Nope,” Tonya said. “So settle in. Me and Caine’ll take care of everything.”

“I still barely know either of you,” Janie said. “I don’t understand why you’re taking such risks on my behalf.”

“Bella told me to take care of you, so that’s what I’m gonna do. Caine is Will’s friend. He’s taking care of Will’s stuff for him while he’s away. Besides, we both kinda like you,’ Tonya grinned.

“I wondered why Caine had another set of keys to the lighthouse. I didn’t even know there was another set of keys.” She stopped, looking sideways at Tonya. “Wait. Will’s stuff? You think I-” She couldn’t bring herself to say it.

“Close enough,” Tonya shrugged. “The Teach gang sure thinks so.”

The reminder that her proximity to Will was why she was in hiding was more than enough to prove Tonya’s point. She sighed. “True.”

“Don’t pretend you don’t like it,’ Tonya nudged her with her elbow.

“Like what?” Janie blinked. She couldn't think of a single thing she liked about the whole situation.

“Thinking about being Will’s,” Tonya explained. “I remember that speech you gave about not wanting any other men but him.”

“That doesn’t mean her owns me,” Janie said firmly.

“Suit yourself,” Tonya shrugged. “I’m going to go check on Caine. You alright sharing the bed, or should I find a place downstairs?”

“Sharing is fine,” Janie said, a bit distracted. Her mind was wandering. In spite of her protests, she found the idea of belonging to Will very comforting, and realizing that disturbed her quite a bit. As Tonya headed for the door, Jania laid down gently, taking care not to be rough with the wounds on her back. It had been a long night, but now she wasn’t sure if she could sleep.

______________

“Lay down,” Bella said, giving Will a gentle push. “It’s easier for me to control the ritual when I’m on top.”

Friday scooted back to make room in the middle of the tent and Will lowered himself between them and rolled over. Bella wasted no time straddling him. She put her hands on his chest and settled herself down, smiling and looking satisfied as her labia ground down along his length. The heat coming from her was impressive. He rolled his hips and she rocked back and forth, grinding on him, spreading her wetness along his shaft.

“Alright, give me a second,” she said, putting her fingers onto the sigil in the center of his chest. She smiled at Friday. “This is great work. The geometry is excellent, and all the emblems and numerology are in exactly the right places.”

“It is only a conduit and a containment ward,” Friday shrugged, settling herself in to watch what Bella was doing. “Him breathing was the only complication.”

“Oops,” Will snarked.

“Men are easier than women,” Bella commented, lifting her breasts with her forearm and bouncing them a bit. “Tits move around too much.”

Friday snickered. “Particularly, yours.”

Bella reached over and bounced one of Friday’s own impressive breasts. “Just wait until you have to work on yourself. These things are going to make you so mad.”

“Just have to invite you to help, I,” Friday said with a suggestive smirk.

Bella’s eyes flashed with a desire that went beyond purely lustful. “I’ve always wanted a coven.”

“Oh gods there’s two of you now,” Will said in mock horror.

Bella ground harder on his cock. “Oh yes, poor you.”

“Need a third, we,” Friday said with a predatory grin. “Two is not a proper coven.”

“I have an apprentice,” Bella suggested, biting her lip as she rocked her hips, grinding Will’s shaft against her most sensitive places.

Will shook his head, imagining adding Tonya to the mix. “I’m going to end up a shriveled husk.”

Will suddenly understood what cackling was as the two witches erupted with laughter.

“Bella,” Jack said from the next tent. Her tone was beginning to slide from assertive to pleading.

“Yes,” Bella asked over her shoulder.

“I am not going to be able to wait much longer,” Jack said. She was straining, but trying not to sound like she was. Will found himself amused at her efforts, and enjoying the fact that she was being frustrated. He was trying his best not to allow himself to think negatively about Jack, or enjoy when she was unhappy or uncomfortable, but in this situation, he decided to allow it. He grinned like an idiot.

“Hold on!” Bella said, a bit frantic. She reached between her legs, lifted Will’s cock and positioned him at her entrance. “I can’t make a distance connection while I’m drained. I gotta build up some-” Her words cut off as she groaned, sinking down onto Will’s shaft. Will lifted his hips and dug his fingers into her thighs. Her wet heat enveloped him, and he could feel her internal muscles fluttering along his length. Before she could adjust to having him inside her, her eyes went wide. She let out a small squeak and tensed like she was trying to squeeze him out, her body trembling. “Oh… That was… fast. Alright,” she said breathlessly, still not releasing her tension.

“Did you-” Will started.

“Shh,” Bella said, putting a finger to his lips. Then she moved her fingertips on the sigil in the center of his chest and concentrated, Next she touched her own sigil with her other hand. “Oh spirits, I needed this,’ she muttered. She lifted herself a bit and then rocked her body down again, grinding her pubic bone against his and stirring his shaft inside her.

Will felt a faint tingling pulse spread along the sigil drawn across his body. As the brief wave hit the smaller sigil drawn between his hip bones, he swore he felt his cock get harder. It was like a small surge of energy had passed through him, and was entering Bella through his erection. 

Bella arched her back and bit her lip. “There.” She let out a few heavy breaths and rocked her body on Will’s cock, pushing him deep inside with every small bounce. 

“Did you just-?” Will asked, surprised and amused.

“Almost,” Bella smiled. “I managed to hold back.”

“Why?” Will asked.

“Had to use the energy to start the ritual,” Bella shrugged.

Friday’s brows rose. “You power your rituals by denying yourself climax?”

“Well, I can. Thankfully, I don’t often need to,” Bella explained.

“That’s good. Not sure I would want to pay that price every time,” Friday chuckled.

Bella laughed along with her. “Me either. I didn’t want to keep Jack waiting.”

“Like hell,” Jack said, sounding strained.

“I just gave up mine so you could have yours sooner,” Bella said, her voice teasing but firm. “Be nice.”

“Bella, I really don’t know how long I can hold out here,” Jack gritted.

“Fine,” Bella sighed. She turned her attention to WIll. “This may feel strange.” Then she laid down against him, bringing their sigils closer together. Friday’s eyes went wide, and she put a cautioning hand on Bella’s shoulder. Bella stopped, giving Friday a reassuring, lusty smile. “It’s alright.”

“I thought you said not to touch them?” Will asked.

“I’m not going to,” Bella said, looking a bit devious. Their chests and pubic bones were close together, but not touching. Will could feel a strange heat beginning to build, and a pulsing wave traveling through his body. It was faint, but definitely noticeable. 

“That is dangerous,” Friday said, concerned.

“Right now, there’s almost no energy in the transfer,” Bella shook her head.

Friday thought for a moment, then her eyes went wide. “You’re drinking the buildup!”

Bella nodded, holding herself in place, rocking her hips gently. “It’s hard, but a great way of boosting the amount of energy when you are working in small amounts.”

Will followed most of what they were talking about. He’d picked up enough magical theory just from being around Bella that he was able to fill in the blanks reasonably well. He glanced in Jack’s direction, an evil thought passing through his mind. 

“What?” he asked, trying not to grin.

“When the grounding wards get close to each other, they try to ground each other,” Bella explained, rocking on his cock slowly, holding her position close to his chest. Her voice was breathy, and full of strain. “That basically means they try to steal each other’s energy. When that happens, they actually start pulling ambient energy from around them too. It can quickly cause an overload if it gets out of control, but I’m draining the buildup into myself. It’s not something I can sustain long, and I can’t draw in energy fast enough to compensate if the buildup gets out of control, but in very small amounts, with strong enough wards, it’s a way of getting a boost at the beginning of the ritual.”

“Clever,” Friday said, relaxing again.

“Less talking, more witching!” Jack said sharply from the other tent. Her voice sounded even more strained.

Will snorted, trying to keep from laughing out loud. 

“I’m going as fast as I can, Jack!” Bella snapped. “I just used everything I could pull from my own orgasm to start this. The ritual is active, but Will and I aren’t fully linked yet. Everything’s just dumping into the wards right now. I can’t finish the connection without drawing in more energy first.”

“I’m either going to need to cum, or stop very soon,” Jack said through stained teeth.

Bella bit her lip and rocked her shoulders, brushing her swaying breasts across Will’s chest. “She’s so demanding.”

“You were the one who invited her,” Will reminded Bella.

“Had her wound up and on edge for half an hour, you,” Friday added.

“Longer,” Jack growled from next door.

“Impressive,” Will said quietly, enjoying their faces being so close together. “You’re the only one who can get her to wait for anything.”

“I know,” Bella grinned proudly. She gave him a quick kiss, then sat up again. The strange throb coming from the sigils on Will’s chest stopped. Bella reached out and hooked Friday by the neck, pulling her into a hungry kiss. Will’s erection throbbed as he watched the two beauties hungering at each other’s mouths. When Bella gasped for air, Friday dipped her head and latched onto one of Bella’s rosy nipples. Bella gasped again. “Yes! There. Don’t stop.”

As Bella writhed on Will’s shaft and held Friday’s head to her chest, Will felt something strange. It was a bit like the earlier throb from the sigil on his chest, but… reversed. Bella put her hands on Friday’s shoulders to steady herself, closed her eyes, and concentrated on working her magic. Her hips rolled, but her breathing was steady and controlled. There was a rhythm to it. Bella whispered some kind of incantation under her breath in a language Will didn’t understand. He’d heard the N’madi tongue enough to recognize it but he still only knew a handful of words, mostly from overhearing Bella swear. 

After about a minute, she drove down hard on his cock and held herself there, triumphantly. “Mine,” she growled. The sigils on her chest pulsed, and then the sigils on Will’s chest followed. As he watched, the faint pulsings synchronized. 

“Done,” Bella breathed. “Spirits, I love that feeling. Jack, you’re next.”

Will felt a strange sensation along the glowing markings, something new, and a bit uncomfortable, like being tickled. He wanted to squirm, and brush away the feeling but he knew better than to do anything unexpected during a ritual. He kept his hands on Bella’s hips.

“Oh, I feel that,” Jack said from the other tent. 

“Good,” Bella said, letting out a labored breath. “Almost got it… there.” 

Will felt the tickle fade into the rest of the faint pulsing feeling, synchronizing with the energy that was already running through the sigils.

“Quinn, you’re nex- Wait. You’re… already linked,” Bella was obviously confused. 

“I am always connected to my Mistress,” Quinn rumbled, his voice muffled by Jack’s body.

“Well that makes it easy,” Bella grinned. “I’m ready. Give her what she wants, Quinn.”

“Mistress?” Quinn asked.

“Yes!” Jack hissed. 

Five seconds later, Jack repeated herself. Her orgasms were never loud, but this one was certainly audible. Bella, Friday, and Will sat motionless, smiling and giving each other amused, impressed looks, as Jack strained and mewled and tried to keep herself contained while she came. The first one sounded the biggest. She tried to hold in her voice, but she was too pent up. Her breath exploded out of her with a long, low moan. Will could feel a surge in the ward on his chest. A dim light lit the sigil up, and then faded quickly. Jack took a breath, trying to quiet herself again, fighting her own release, but it carried her away again. Her small grunts pulsed from her lungs until she couldn’t hold back again. Another low throb of energy and light hit the ward on Will’s chest. “Oh gods,” Jack whispered. Will heard something strike the tent cloth. A braid? A flailing hand. Then Jack was keening again. She wasn’t trying to hold it in anymore. She didn’t have the energy. She still wasn’t loud, but the strain in her voice was gone as she finally let herself go. Eventually, she ran out of breath.

“No more,” she whispered. “Too much.”

Friday was the one who started clapping. The other two quickly joined.

“Very funny,” Jack said weakly when the applause died.

“Very impressive,” Friday replied.

“No kidding,” Bella said. “I was pulling in the energy as fast as I could, and it still overflowed. I usually only have a spillover with male orgasms.”

“A metaphor, there?’ Friday chuckled.

“Hardly,” Bella protested proudly. “I never lose a drop of the real stuff.”

Friday laughed, but looked impressed.

“Is that what that feeling in the ward was?” Will asked.

“Mmmhmm,” Bella nodded. “Jack tried to overload an empty ward.”

“I did not,” Jack denied half-heartedly. 

“I guess you were just really pent up,” Bella teased.

“And who’s fault was that?” Jack retorted, starting to recover from her blissful ordeal.

“Mine,” Bella grinned. “And I should do it more often. You’re fun to tease.”

“Wonderful,” Jack deadpanned.

“And I feel better already,” Bella added. “You just gave me a lot of oomph.”

“You’re a succubus,” Jack muttered.

“Hardly,” Bella scoffed. “When a succubus drains the energy from an orgasm, they don’t stop until you die.”

“I might be dead,” Jack said. “I certainly can’t move.”

“Quinn, bring her back to life,” Bella ordered.

“Oh gods!” Jack exclaimed with a breathy groan. Whatever Quinn was doing, it seemed to be working.

“Your turn,” Bella said to Friday.

“Can you make the connection with me while they are adding energy to the ritual?” Friday asked.

“Sure,” Bella said. “I’ll just stop taking in energy while I do it. The wards can absorb it, then I’ll open the flow again once you’re connected. As long as Jack doesn’t have another life-threatening orgasm, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

“No promises,” Jack said, her voice starting to sound strained again as Quinn built her up to another crescendo. 

“I’m going to have to get you to practice orgasm denial,” Bella said over her shoulder.

“Like hell,” Jack scoffed.

Something shifted in the feel of the sigil on Will’s chest. The low throb became a static buzz, like a subtle vibration. It tickled a little. The sigil began to very faintly glow again.

“Very skilled at energy manipulation, you,’ Friday said, impressed. “How did you not need to speak?”

“The words are just to focus the desire and intent, right? You don’t need it when you know what you want and how to get it,” Bella shrugged. “I was talking earlier when it was complex, but this part’s easy.”

“I suppose,’ Friday said, seeming like she was considering things she never had before.

“This is different from how you do it?” Bella asked.

“Much,” Friday nodded. “A conversation for later.”

Bella nodded, then reached over and gently touched Friday’s chest. A brief pulse of light traveled through it, then faded. “Done. Do you want to try the reconnection yourself?”

Friday’s brows raised. “Won’t that risk your ritual?”

“No, we aren’t doing anything precise,” Bella said with a shake of her dark curls. “Sex is a stable energy source, and all we are doing is moving it around.”

“Alright,” Friday said, still sounding a little dubious. She closed her eyes and breathed, centering herself. Then she opened them again, concentrated, and said a word in her native tongue. 

The tickling buzz Will had felt earlier started again. It was like static along the markings on his chest. The static had a faint rhythm to its pulse. He watched Friday concentrate, breathing slowly and repeating some kind of quiet mantra. The tickle built in power, and slowly changed its rhythm.

“That is… really strange,” Jack said from the other tent. 

“It will pass, just ignore it,” Bella said. 

“Apologies,” Friday said. “This is not so easy for me as Bella makes it look.”

“You’re doing great. We’re fine,’ Bella reassured her. “Take your time. I’m gonna…” Bella trailed off as she put her hands on WIll’s shoulders and started rocking her hips harder, enjoying not needing to concentrate.

About a minute later the pulse of the static matched its rhythm to the pulse already moving through Bella’s ritual. As soon as it did, the tickle ended, and the pulse running through the sigils felt a little more powerful. 

“Excellent!” Bella grinned, slowing her rolling hips back to the teaching churn she’d been keeping up since she first straddled him.

“You felt it?” Friday asked.

“Yes,” Bella smiled. “Can you still?”

“Faintly,” Friday nodded. “It is hard to tell where my own part of the flow is.”

“Well, that is what we’re going for,’ Bella grinned. “If you feel yourself get out of sync, let me know.”

“Bella,” Jack said from the other tent.

“Again?’ Bella laughed. “What is he doing to you?”

“His fingers are magic,” Jack said, her voice half-muffled again.

“Fingers!?” Bella laughed. “That was all from fingers?”

“I’m going to…” Jack muttered

“Do it,” Bella encouraged. “No more holding back. Give me everything.”

Jack groaned and shuddered again, finally managing to keep herself mostly quiet. A pulse of energy passed through the wards and Bella smiled like a cat with feathers in its mouth.

“That felt… different,” Jack said breathlessly. “Not nearly as strong as it felt like it was going to be.”

“I told you I was going to take it,” Bella said, trying not to laugh.

“That much?” Jack complained.

“I let you keep most of the first big one. Had to, really. Trying to absorb all that would be like trying to drink from a waterfall,” Bella said, sticking her tongue out in the direction of Jack’s voice. “I gave mine up for you, now it’s your turn.”

“I’m glaring at you,” Jack huffed.

“Don’t be greedy,” Bella tisked. “I’ll make it worth your while at the end.”

Jack snorted. “I suppose I’d better fill you up quickly.”

“Mmmm. Fill me up, lover,’ Bella giggled.

Will lifted his hips, reminding her that he was, in fact, filling her up. She laughed. “I meant her.”

“You can see how I might be confused,” Will smirked. 

“Nope. You’re going to have to explain it. Lots of detail,” Bella grinned, grinding down on him a bit more forcefully.

Will grabbed her hips and rocked his own upwards, thrusting deeper into her, forcing her to put her hands on his shoulders to keep herself steady. 

“I love the way you explain things,” Bella groaned.

Will’s hips slapped into Bella from below, keeping her unsteady as she straddled him. She let her head hang, her hair spilling over her shoulder and tickling his body. She loved the feeling of his shaft pistoning into her, and now that the ritual was connected and stable, she could afford to let herself go a bit. 

The energy they were generating was slowly siphoning into her. She still had to be careful with the speed of the flow though. There were a lot of factors to consider. 

One was how much she could actually pull in at a time. She was a slow and steady sort of girl, but that required a fair amount of concentration. Now that they were all connected, the magic wanted to move between them. It was trying to equalize itself. Manipulating how that equalization happened was the foundation of any energy transfer ritual. With two people it was easy. With five it was significantly harder. She had to adjust the flow rates for all of them at the same time, widening the flow when there was an orgasm, and restricting it afterwards to allow for another buildup. She was essentially creating a dam to choke back a river so that she could redirect it into her own personal reservoir. 

Next, there was the effect of the drain on the participants themselves. Contrary to Friday’s earlier joke, the sexual energy she was draining was not a metaphor. If she opened the floodgates and drained everything that they were putting out, they’d all end up feeling unsatisfied and unmotivated to continue. Sex was all about build-up and release, and if she drained the energy faster than it was building up, they’d all just end up frustrated in the bad way. The rate of flow needed to fit the amount of energy being generated. If the people in the ritual became unsatisfied, the rivers of energy would run dry, and the ritual would collapse. It was a safe way for a ritual to fail, but subtle. When sex started to feel unsatisfying, or people started disassociating, it could be like quicksand. By the time they realized they were in it, it would be too late. There was nothing more important for a sex-based ritual than making sure everyone was mentally present and enthusiastically enjoying the process. 

The last factor was the wards. If the rate she could draw energy into herself was slower than the rate of buildup, the ward sigils would soak up the extra energy. Too much and they would overload. In this ritual, there were five separate rivers of energy all flowing into the same dam. With five separate wards involved in this interconnected ritual, there was a lot of protection against spillover. An evocation reaction wasn’t likely, but it was still something she needed to be careful of. 

What all this meant was that she had to carefully control how much energy her ritual was transferring at any given time. She needed to increase the flow when someone had an orgasm, and then narrow it again to allow for another build-up. With one partner it was relatively easy. With four, it was a lot to keep track of. She wasn’t about to admit it to everyone, but she was nervous about Quinn. She’d never done a ritual like this with someone who wasn’t human. He was a naturally magical being, and sometimes different magics interacted strangely with each other. Ideally, she would have liked to do a small test ritual with Quinn alone, but there wasn’t time before morning. Also, she wasn’t sure how to bring that idea up with Jack. The invitation of ‘help me with a ritual from the relative privacy of your own tent’ was an easier sell than ‘hey, I have an idea for an orgy ritual, but we might all explode, so first I need to voyeuristically drain your green boyfriend of his energy while he jerks off?’

That was why she’d gone overboard with the interconnected wards. Each one acted like a levy, supporting the others if there was a flood. Teasing Jack, building her up, making her wait, and finally letting her finish was as much about testing her own defenses as it was about getting Jack to lower her own inhibitions. Everything had worked the way Bella had hoped, so it was time for the next phase of the ritual.

Bella slowly lifted herself off of Will’s cock with a small, slightly disappointed sigh. Will looked at her, waiting for an explanation. 

“Now that the sigils are active and connected, I have to keep focused,” she explained.

“So you can’t be the center of attention anymore?” Will teased. “You poor thing.”

“And no one but myself to blame,” Bella said with an exaggerated pout.

“Just going to watch, you?” Friday asked, running her fingers down Bella’s back.

“Oh no, I’m going to participate, but I’m going to be focusing on other people’s pleasure, not my own,” Bella gathered her hair behind her head and re-tied her headscarf to keep it all out of her face. In the faint lantern light, on her knees with her hands behind her head and mystic symbols faintly glowing on her body, she looked otherworldly. “I just need to be able to keep my head clear when things get complicated.”

“Now I see why you invited me,” Friday smiled.

“Starting and stopping all the time can make for a very frustrating ritual,” Bella admitted while she reached across Will and started pulling the blanket away from Friday’s waist, slowly unwrapping her. “And this guy has a habit of being deliberately distracting.”

Jack snorted from the other tent. “He truly is a monster about that.”

“It’s a gift,” Will grinned.

Friday raised up to make Bella’s job easier, then grabbed the blanket to tug Bella forward unexpectedly. Bella’s eyes went wide as Friday caught her before she toppled forward and gave her a hungry kiss. Will lay on the ground, happily watching the pair of kneeling beauties make out over his body. From the next tent over, they could hear Jack starting to make more small, strained noises as Quinn once again brought her closer to the brink.

“Brought me to be sacrificed to the monster, you?” Friday said, her lips nearly touching Bella’s as she spoke.

“Well, you’re not exactly chained to a rock,” Bella breathed.

Will laced his fingers behind his head and stretched contentedly. “Rawr.”

“Rawr?” Bella laughed, giving Will an amused look. “That’s the sound monsters make?”

“This one does,” he shrugged.

“Here, monster,” Friday lifted her leg and pivoted, maneuvering her thighs over Will’s head. “Feast.”

Will reached out and grabbed the Doctor’s soft hips and ass with claw-like hands, pulling her close enough to taste. He gave her freshly shaven womanhood a long, slow lick from top to bottom, gently splitting her folds. She had a slightly spicy taste, like a hint of ginger. She took a long, satisfying breath in as Will’s tongue worked. She settled deeper, closer, becoming more comfortable resting herself right on his mouth. Then she gasped as Bella latched onto one of her dark nipples. She cradled Bella’s head in both hands, enjoying the warm, wet sensation of two mouths on her. “Mmm. Being devoured, not so bad.”

Will felt a hand begging to stroke his cock. He was fairly certain it was Friday. If it was Bella, she was using a different technique than usual. Slow pulls worked his length, squeezing on the upstroke, and gliding on the downstroke. Then he felt another hand cradle his balls and give them a soft, rolling massage. Having the two witches work together to give him a handjob was a novel sensation. Not as good as sex, or a mouth, but still very nice. He focused on what he was doing, letting his tongue make circles around Friday’s inner folds. Up one side, down the other, circling her opening and brushing across the bundle of pleasurable nerves at the top. 

As his tongue rounded near her opening, Friday said “Careful, you.”

“What did I do?” Will stopped, suddenly a bit worried.

“Nothing,” Friday assured him. “Found my maidenhead, you. Just be careful not to damage it.”

Will’s brows rose as he gently set his tongue back where it was, feeling along and paying closer attention. Sure enough, he felt something a bit different than usual. An extra fold of skin, along the bottom of her opening, partially covering it. He became instantly careful, slower and more delicate with his licking.

Friday laughed. “Not made of glass, I. Maybe stay just above it.”

Will adjusted his target area and confidently continued licking and circling. There were no words for a while, just a chorus of heavy breaths, gasps, and small moans until Friday’s thighs tightened on either side of Will’s head. “Been excited watching. Love anticipation, I. Getting close already.”

“Go ahead,” Bella whispered against her lips. “Give it to me.”

Will redoubled his efforts. He latched his mouth to the top of her slit and sucked, drawing her clitoris out of its hiding place just like Bella had taught him. Then he circled it with his tongue, making obscene sucking and slurping sounds as her mounting shakes and jerks threatened to pull her free of his mouth. 

“Great spirits,” Friday breathed, her eyes wide. “Quite good, he.”

Bella nodded, her forehead touching Friday’s. Both her hands cupped the doctor’s heavy breasts and rolled her nipples in her fingers. She gave them a squeezing pull that caused Friday’s whole body to tense. The shot of pleasure that raced down her spine was enough to set off the chain reaction Will’s tongue had primed. She had enough time for another surprised gasp, and then she was paralyzed. There was no crying out, violent movement, curses or praise. She didn’t breathe, move, or make a sound. She just locked eyes with Bella and went still.

Will briefly had the impression that something was wrong, but he kept going, sucking and licking as Friday held herself rigid. She was suddenly like a living statue, every muscle taut beneath her plush curves. The sigils across her body swelled with faint light as Bella transferred the power of her orgasm through the ritual and into herself. Finally, Friday relaxed all at once with a heavy sigh. “Spirits, that was good.”

“Strong too,” Bella grinned. “Need a break?”

“Oh no,” Friday shook her head. “Want more, I.”

Bella laughed. “Maybe I was wrong about who the monster is.”

“More than one kind of monster,” Friday smirked. “Hungry, I.”

Her thighs left the sides of his head as she moved to one side of him. She’d wanted to suck him while he continued to lick her, but she knew bringing the sigils on their chests too close together could be dangerous, so it was better to take turns. She had a lot to learn before she was confident enough to try the trick Bella had used earlier.

She gave Will a predatory smile, threw her locks off to one side, and lowered her head. Will watched her thick, soft lips engulf his cock. Hungry was the right word for her technique. She gave head like she was ravenous. Wetness quickly spread down his entire length as she let herself drool along his shaft. Her hand moved like an extension of her mouth, creating a slick, gripping, sucking sheath for him. She took him all the way to the back of her mouth, every time taking him as far as she could go without gagging. She gasped and choked and slurped, making enthusiastic, contented vocalizations as she worked.

“Holy fuck,” Will muttered.

“Good gods, what’s happening over there?” Jack asked from the next tent, sounding equal parts curious and concerned.

“Come see,” Bella taunted.

“Ah, no. I don’t… think I can do that,’ Jack said awkwardly.

“Then I guess you’ll never know,” Bella said with exaggerated sadness, hoping to defuse Jack’s mood turn with humor.

Jack didn’t answer. The anxious pause was filled with the sounds of Friday’s voracious blowjob. For a while, there was no other sound but the obscene, wet slurps and gags.

“She’s sucking his cock,” Bella finally explained.

Jack choked on her laughter. “Gods dammit, Bella,” 

“I don’t think you understand. She’s really sucking his cock.” 

Jack sighed. “That was my guess.”

“I’m… really impressed.” Bella continued. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to impress me with a blowjob?”

Jack laughed in spite of herself. “Yes it sounds very impressive, but I really do not need a full report.” 

“Well, you did ask,” Bella shrugged.

“Only because she sounds like she’s eating thick soup with no hands,” Jack deadpanned.

Bella snorted. “And you say I have no decorum.”

“You don’t,” Jack said simply.

“True, but it’s mean to say it,’ Bella huffed.

“Always like this, they?” Friday asked between strokes.

Will shrugged. “Sometimes they’re asleep.”

Friday laughed around his erection, barely missing a beat. Bella repositioned herself and brought her talented fingers to Friday’s slit. The doctor’s happy moans of pleasure joined the debaucherous cacophony.

“You sure you don’t want to see this?” Bella asked as she used her fingers to gently roll Friday’s clitoris.

“I’m rather… busy at the moment.” The tension in Jack’s voice was unmistakable. 

“Don’t forget to tell me when you get close,” Bella reminded her.

“Of course, love,” Jack breathed. 

Jack’s words caught Bella a bit off guard, and she glanced at the wall of the tent. Jack was imperial nobility. It was just a figure of speech. Wasn’t it? A pang of nostalgia ran through her. She smiled even though she felt a bit sad, then took a breath and pushed the feelings aside. Dwelling on the past wouldn’t help anything, especially not right now.

Watching the competition between the two ‘monsters’ in front of her was a worthy distraction. Friday arched her back to make Bella’s job easier. Her round backside made an impressive silhouette in the dim light. Bella found herself fantasizing about watching Will take her from behind. Or doing it herself with Rocky. Forbidden things always had a temptation for her, and she found herself hoping she could be a part of whatever ritual Friday had in mind for her deflowering. 

“I’m ready again,” Jack said, her voice full of strain.

Bella continued idly playing with Friday, but focused her attention inward. “Go ahead.”

Jack took a few long, deep breaths, and then groaned her way through another orgasm. Bella drank in the release, and then narrowed the flow as Jack came back down from bliss. Her internal reservoir of magical energy was filling up nicely.

“I need you to fuck me,” Jack said quietly from the other tent. Quinn murmured something. After a shuffle of bodies and blankets, Jack let out a noise of tense pleasure. In the other tent, they could hear Quinn’s long, slow strokes as Jack and Quinn’s bodies met

“It’s about time,” Bella commented.

“You’re godsdamned right,” Jack said between breaths and thrusts. “I truly hate waiting.”

“But it makes the rewards so much more satisfying, doesn’t it?” Bella asked, her fingers continuing their flicking and rolling as she adjusted the energy flow again.

“No,” Jack said tersely. 

“Aw. Well, I appreciate your sacrifice,” Bella teased. “I could come over and help make it up to you?”

Will hadn’t expected her to say that. His tongue forgot what it was doing for a moment. At first, he had no idea which outcome he wanted. So many different thoughts and emotions swirled in his head, but the strongest one, and the most surprising, was that he wanted Jack to say yes. 

There was a long pause. The heavy rhythmic sounds of Quinn’s strokes stopped. Building anticipation joined the sounds of Friday’s wet ministrations.

Will hadn't lied when he said he would help Bella fix things with Jack. The two of them together was a critical piece of a lost sense of normal that he strongly wanted to get back to. In that moment, he found that his stubborn grudge, and all his questions, and the memories of the worst years of his life were overshadowed by simple nostalgia. Bella and Jack together felt right to him. It wasn’t up to him though, and he knew what Jack would say, and why.

“No.” Jack finally said quietly. “You need to concentrate.” Her measured tone betrayed just how much she was forcing herself to sound normal.

Will sighed, glad that Friday’s thighs were blocking his face so Bella didn’t see him roll his eyes. In spite of all the self-awareness she’d claimed to have learned, she clearly hadn’t broken her habit of self-sabotage. 

“True,” Bella conceded. It was the answer she’d expected, and it had served its purpose. Now it was time to avoid the quicksand. “I suppose it’s best that I stay here. If I join you, we might all explode. You’re even more distracting than Will.”

“Ha!” Will said from between Friday’s legs.

“Nobody is more distracting than Will,” Jack huffed. 

“You are,’ Bella teased. “Everything about you is distracting. You don’t even have to try.” 

“Well, then it’s not on purpose!” Jack protested.

“Remember the first time I read your cards?” Bella asked.

“Of course. It was The Lovers,” Jack admitted.

“The whole reading collapsed after one card,” Bella continued. 

Jack sighed. “Because you got distracted.

“Because you bit me!” Bella exclaimed.

“Alright, I admit that was quite the lesson in the dangers of witchcraft,” Jack said begrudgingly.

“The card caught fire!” Bella glared.

“Yes, but-” Jack began.

“And you swatted it out of my hand onto the bed, and then dumped a glass of wine all over it,” Bella continued.

Jack laughed, knowing she’d been beaten. “Completely ruined my nicest sheets.”

“Now who’s the monster?” Will teased.

Jack let out a dramatic sigh. “Rawr.”

Friday laughed so hard she choked and finally had to stop sucking. Bella pet Friday’s hair while she stifled her own laughter.

“This is by far the most entertaining ritual I have ever been a part of,” Friday mused, slowly stroking Will’s shaft.

“Are you laughing too?” Jack asked.

“Yes, Mistress,” Quinn rumbled.

“At me?” Jack asked pointedly.

“Apologies, mistress,” Quinn answered without a hint of chagrin.

“Sorry Quinn,” Bella giggled.

“I know what you’re doing, Bella,” Jack said, her tone suddenly colder.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” Bella said, hoping she sounded convincing. She felt a pang of nervousness dance through her, and some excitement. She knew that tone. Jack was always reserved until she felt challenged. Bella had been worried this whole idea wouldn’t work because of how Jack’s reservations might mix with the complex feelings she had for Bella and Will. Bella had gambled on being able to tap into Jack’s love of a challenge. The long build-up, the teasing, the offer to join, the story about the cards, it had all been to try to draw out Jack’s other side. 

Apparently making Quinn laugh was Jack’s tipping point.

“You do,” Jack said, sounding like sweet poison. “You know exactly what I am talking about. You’ve been doing it since you first asked me to join you.”

Bella’s nervousness surged. “You’re right,” she admitted. “Should I not have?”

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be,” Jack said. “I’ve missed you too.”

Bella blushed. She hadn’t expected Jack to be sweet. That wasn’t usually how she responded to being teased. “Well, good-”

“You are baiting me,” Jack said. Her voice was even, but full of fierce challenge.

Bella grinned. There she was. This was the Jack she wanted.

“And?” The witch asked.

“And fine,” Jack answered. “You want a monster, I’ll give you one.” There was a rustle of blankets and skin as Jack and Quinn repositioned. “You know what I want,” Jack said in a throaty whisper.

“I do,” Quinn said. “But you must speak it.”

“Permission granted,” Jack said fiercely. 

“There you are, Jack,” Bella said quietly. “I’ve missed you.”

“Your wards are nice and strong, right?” Jack asked sweetly.

“Yes…” Bella blinked.

“Good,” Jack said simply.

“You know I was joking, right?” Bella asked, sounding more serious than she had a moment earlier.

“So we probably won’t all explode? Even if you get distracted?” Jack asked.

“Of course not,” Bella said reassuringly. “There are five interconnected wards. Honestly, it is probably overkill, but I wasn’t sure how Quinn’s involvement would-”

“Let's find out,” Jack said. “Quinn, I want you to fuck me hard enough they feel it.”

______________

“We need to talk, old man,” Tonya said, hopping up on Will’s table and letting her feet swing.

Caine was pouring himself a drink from Will’s sideboard. He gave her a suspicious look over his shoulder. “There’s never been a good conversation that started like that.”

“We gotta figure out what’s wrong with us,” she explained. 

“Us?” Caine asked. “I’m fine.”

“The hell you are. You died,” Tonya said pointedly.

“Happens sometimes,” Caine shrugged. “Wasn’t exactly my fault.”

Tonya rolled her eyes and sighed. “Look, I said I was sorry-”

Caine waved her off dismissively, taking a long pull of his glass. He coughed a bit and gave the glass a judgemental look. “He can afford the good stuff, but still drinks rotgut rum.”

Tonya took his glass and sampled it and shrugged. “Wait, what do you mean it happens sometimes? Dying isn’t usually repeatable.” She downed the rest of the glass.

“It is for me,” Caine said as he poured himself another glass. 

Tonya held out the glass she’d claimed. “So you were already a zombie?” Caine opened his mouth, but didn’t get a word out. Tonya’s eyes went wide. “I fucked a zombie!?”

Caine gave her a long, flat stare. 

“What?” Tonya asked. “I think it’s an important thing to know.” She waved her still empty glass at him.

Caine put the decanter on the table next to her and sat down in Will’s big chair. “Was this really what you wanted to talk about?”

,Tonya poured herself another drink.“Not originally, but it sure as hell is now!”

“I’m not a zombie. I am perfectly alive. For me, death is temporary,” Caine said flatly.

“Why?” Tonya demanded.

“I made a deal with the devil,” Caine deadpanned.

Tonya’s eyes went wide again. “Really?”

No,” Caine sighed. “Just feels that way sometimes.”

“How many times have you died?” Tonya asked, leaning in on one arm, clearly intrigued.

“Twelve,” Caine said. Then his eyes narrowed and he glanced over Tonya’s shoulder. “Fine. Thirteen.”

Tonya looked over her shoulder, confused at what he had seen. There was nothing there. She gave him a suspicious look, but barreled on with her questioning. “How?”

Caine shook his head. “Nope.”

“Seriously?” Tonya demanded. “You’re just not going to tell me?”

Caine took another drink and pointedly didn’t answer.

“You’re awful,” Tonya glared. 

“I can live with that,” Caine shrugged.

“Clearly!” Tonya pouted. 

“How about we get back to the other thing?” Caine asked.

“It’s sorta related, don’tcha think!?” Tonya snarked in frustration.

Caine looked confused. “Not really. You blew up and killed me. I got better. I guess you’re lucky I was the one you blew up, but beyond that, they don’t seem related.”

“You don’t think whatever weird magic is going on with us now has anything to do with whatever weird magic you already had going on?” Tonya asked sarcastically.

“No,” Caine shook his head. “I took a look. There’s definitely a new enchantment, but it doesn’t seem to be interacting with any of the other stuff.”

“You took a look?” Tonya asked, suspicious again.

“At my aura,” Caine explained. “Or whatever you call it.”

“You can see auras?” Tonya blinked. “I thought only inquisitors could do that?”

Caine took another drink and made another face at his glass. “They usually can, but they aren’t the only ones.”

“What the hell are you?” Tonya asked.

“A zombie,” Caine smirked. 

“I’m going to blow you up again,” Tonya glared. 

“Wouldn’t advise it,” Caine chuckled, gesturing around with the remains of his liquor. “This place isn’t an old fortress like Mary’s. You go off here, you’ll bury us all.”

Tonya bit her lip worriedly and looked around. “Alright, good point.”

“Anyway, I have someone looking into what’s going on with us and this new enchantment. She’ll figure it out,” Caine finished his glass.

Tonya looked surprised and a little worried. “Who?”

“That’s another trade secret,” Caine shook his head. 

“I’m going to figure all this stuff out you know,” Tonya glared. “Not telling me just makes me want to know more.”

“Once you figure it out, you’ll be proud you did it on your own,” Caine smirked.

Tonya gave him a pouty, flat look. “I’m starting to understand why so many people killed you.”

“See?” Caine smiled. “Figuring things out all by yourself.”

Tonya pivoted on the table, crossing her legs and sitting directly in front of Caine. Her nightdress stretched across her knees and lifted a bit, giving Caine a faint but direct view between Tonya’s legs. She didn’t seem to notice how exposed she was. Caine pointedly looked, making no effort to hide what he was doing, then looked back up at her face again. Tonya rolled her eyes. “Like I care! You want to look, go ahead.” She lifted her nightdress to give him an unobstructed view of her smooth womanhood, stuck her tongue out at him, then pushed her dress down between her thighs, hiding his view again. 

Caine barely held in a laugh and rubbed his forehead with his hand. “What were we talking about?”

“Whatever this enchantment thing between us is,” Tonya said flatly. “It’s making me crazy.”

“Because you were a pinnacle of sanity before?” Caine smirked.

Tonya glared. “If I can’t blow you up, I’ll just have to hex you. I’m a witch. I can do that,”

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Caine asked.

Tonya took a haughty sip off her drink. “Sure seems like a good idea right now.”

“I guess that’s one way to test whatever’s going on,” Caine said thoughtfully.

“What?” Tonya said with furrowed brows.

“We might learn a lot from seeing how an unexplained magical connection reacts to one of us being hexed. I’m no expert. Don’t you essentially craft them on yourself and then transfer them to someone else?”

“Pretty much,” Tonya noted. “That’s why you need stuff like hair or fingernails.” She poked him in the shoulder with her stockinged foot. “Or something more direct.”

“Wonder if you’d have an easier time hexing me now?” Caine scratched his chin.

“Let's find out,” Tonya said with sarcastic sweetness.

“Might just loop right back to you though. Or hex us both,” Caine mused.

Tonya stared at him for a few moments, then flopped to her back in frustration. “You are the most frustrating person I’ve ever met.”

Caine chuckled. “You’re not the first person to tell me that today.”

“Nothing about this makes any sense,” she said to the ceiling. “I can’t cum with anyone else. Or even with just myself! And when you make me cum, I blow up!” She stretched her legs out and hung them off the table right into Caine’s lap.

“Definitely strange,” Caine agreed, eying Tonya’s feet with a mixture of amusement and indulgence. 

“Why? What does that?” Tonya thumped a tiny fist into the table to punctuate her feelings on the subject. “Is it happening to you too?”

Caine put his cup down and picked up one of Tonya’s feet. She lifted her head enough to give him a suspicious look. He started slowly digging his thumbs into her arch. Her eyes went wide and her mouth rounded in unexpected pleasure. She laid her head back down. He squeezed her whole foot with his strong hands. “No. Nothing like that. I’ve just felt… tired.”

“Poor you,” she said bitterly.

“I don’t get tired,” Caine continued.

Tonya snorted. “Everyone gets tired.”

“Not me. It’s part of why I don’t stay dead. Usually, I’m only tired after I die, or when I get really badly hurt. Whatever this is with us feels similar. In the hot springs, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to come back. I thought I might not have enough energy.” 

Tonya looked at him again. “You might have died for real? Because of me?”

Caine shrugged, continuing his foot rub. “I didn’t know. I managed, but ever since I’ve felt like I could sleep for days. Except for when we were… together. That made me feel… normal, at least for while we were doing it.”

“What the fuck?” Tonya propped herself up on her elbows and shook her head. “So fucking me makes you not tired?”

“Sort of.” Caine’s brows furrowed in thought. “I’ve been thinking about how it all played out. My… let’s just call it energy. It’s not easy to replenish. There’s a lot of it, so I don’t have to worry about it often. Whatever went wrong with Bella’s ritual wiped me out. Then, when we were in the hot springs, I went from feeling completely drained, to... back to normal.”

“So you’re better now?” Tonya asked, curious and concerned.

Caine moved his thumbs to the ball of her foot and dug in below her toes. She closed her eyes and made a small noise of pleasure. He shook his head and continued. “I’m drained again.”

“Why?” Tonya asked.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out,” Caine shrugged. “It’s happened twice now. Same thing, both times. I cum. You cum. Boom.”

Tonya’s mouth opened wider. “You came too?!”

Caine raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. Does that matter?”

“Yes it matters!” she grinned. “Orgasms are powerful energy releases. Transferring magical energy through sex is easiest and strongest during orgasm, especially from a man to a woman.”

“Huh,” Caine grunted.

“It sounds like you just… gave it all to me,” Tonya said happily, thrilled to have figured out something new.

“And that made you blow up?” Caine raised an eyebrow.

She grinned. “Yup.”

“Alright,” Caine nodded, sounding dubious but not really having any other ideas. “That still doesn’t explain why, or even how. It just tells us more about what’s going on.”

“It gives us something to work with,” Tonya shrugged. “Want to try it?”

“What?” It was Caine’s turn to look suspicious.

“An experiment,” She nudged him with her other foot. “It sounds like as long as you don’t cum in me, you won’t make me blow up.”

“You really are crazy,” Caine shook his head. He trapped her other foot against his chest and started working on it.

“Why not?” Tonya asked excitedly. “You said yourself, it happened the same way twice. We just have to not do that again.” She took hold of the hem of her nightdress and started tugging it inch by inch up from where it was bundled between her legs, exposing more and more of her creamy thighs.

Caine eyed her wanton display with amusement and caution. “This is a terrible idea.”

“Why does getting you to fuck me always have to be a godsdamned argument?” Tonya said flatly. “We both know how this goes.” She tugged her nightdress up to her waist, fully exposing her smooth mons and her reddened nether lips. Her hand dipped between her legs and started gently stroking, teasing herself open and giving him an inviting look full of promise and challenge. “You protest, we call each other names, and I annoy you until you give in.”

Caine stopped rubbing her foot and gave her a flat look, trying to ignore her shameless display. “You left out the part where you ignore everything I’m trying to be cautious about.”

She shrugged, then quickly peeled off her nightdress, letting it fall to the floor in a pile. “I figured that was lumped in with annoying you.” 

Caine leaned back in his chair. “Sounds like we already did everything on your list.”

She slid her feet down the outsides of his thighs and slithered off the end of the table until she was straddling him. “So how about we skip to the end?” she asked, sliding her hands up his chest.

He trapped her hands and gave her a long-suffering look. “You are the most uppity-”

“Yup,” she agreed, then sealed his lips with hers.