The next week passed in a haze of detailed promiscuity, and Julie didn’t want it to end. Ever. Every night, they engaged, and sometimes, throughout the day. Julie noticed that when other people went about their activities, the desires didn’t take hold. In Kam and Lily’s presence, it roared back to life like emitted pheromones destined for only her. In gluttony and greed, she drank. She exhausted every waking moment with Lily.
On the morning of the following day, Lily came to her room, stirring the younger from slumber. Lily disrobed and pulled her into the bath. “Kam wants to play with you again,” she said with a smile.
“What? Now?”
“Tonight, if that’s alright?”
Giddy, Julie nodded. “Sure.” Her head swam in Lily’s presence.
“We need to make preparations, then.”
“What preparations?”
Lily held up a razor and Julie frowned. “I’ll be gentle, but it pleases him,” she stated, before shaving Julie smooth like her, using Kam’s shaving oil and lather. “He’s taken a liking to you,” Lily assured her, relentlessly, that she was fine with their relations, almost to the point of emphatic.
Late that night, she presented Julie to her husband. Lily attended from a chair while Kam took her, just the two of them, which became a common occurrence and made the wife happy. If Julie was truthful, she preferred when Lily was there, watching. She always kept eye contact and divined a connection to Lily while she made love to her husband. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Julie thought this strange, but Lily achieved gratification, and when pressed, the older woman placated her worries.
On the second night, after Kam chased Oblivion, Julie pressed Lily. “Why do you stop me? Do you not like me?”
Lily blinked and smiled. “Oh, I like you just fine, but our time together isn’t about me, it’s about him. My husband’s pleasure and happiness is the most important thing to me. Whatever he asks, I do. He likes you.”
“How do you know?”
To this, Lily only smiled. Instead, she countered. “Which do you prefer?”
“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “You. Him. Both? What about you?”
“I prefer men, but I like women, too, I’m just selective.”
Julie took it as a compliment and decided not to press any further.
There were several sides to the quiet, well-muscled man. Hours spent as a blacksmith in Ralloc toned him though he hailed from the Forgotten Isles. He didn’t speak much, but when he did, only soft spoken words meant for his wife passed his lips. Julie received her fair share and savored his adoration.
In her room, alone, he was soft and gentle in his indulgence, and other times he almost hurt her, just shy of the threshold of pain. At times, he’d please her orally before copulating; sometimes, he desired the same of Julie. Repeatedly, he took Julie from behind in ways she was sure most men did not. Slow and gentle, she learned Kam’s penchant. She tried to please him, remembering the ease in which his wife mastered his passions. Lily seemed to enjoy watching Julie struggle.
The first time he took her in this manner, it caught her by surprise. Lily, aware of his intentions, either by facial expression or in the way he carried himself, warned against his want.
“She won’t do it; she can’t.”
Julie looked between the two, her head swimming. “I want to.”
Lily laughed. “You don’t realize what you’re asking.”
“Will it please him?”
With a solemn face and a slow nod, Lily answered, “Very much so.”
“Then, I want to.”
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” Julie breathed without hesitation.
“Then, you’ll need Rakette for this.”
Julie took the herbal compound. A few moments after downing the dosage, she felt all her sexual desires heightened. A kiss from Lily sent chills arching through her body, her pupils dilating. Satisfied that the herb took hold, Lily let Kam have her. She was never far from Julie during the newest encounter, making sure she received as much satisfaction as Kam did.
Afterward, she asked Lily about the experience. The older woman chuckled and said, “Kam’s an Islander. You’ve never heard about them?” She waved the question away, “I’m not sure how much truth there is to reputation, I never asked. Who knows, maybe its a cultural thing. I’ve done worse.”
Curiosity piqued, she desired to inquire further, but Lily’s face made her come up short, knowing the timing wasn’t right.
Learning, Julie watched the couple from the edge of the bed, her head swimming with magelust. Each night Lily would teach Julie something new, things that would take her years to discover on her own.
On the third night, after Kam’s nightly dose, Julie posed a line of questions similar to the night before but tweaked it. “Why are you okay with your husband taking me?”
Lily smiled. They bathed together, Julie leaning back into the wife. Candles burned low, and a small fire crackled in the fireplace. “Kam loves me and always has. He’s good to me. I was a prostitute in my youth, a choice done for various reasons I’d rather not get into at the moment. He bought out my contract from the establishment’s owner and married me. He loved me for a long time and always treated me with respect. For that, I adore him. Sometimes, he’d buy me for a night or even a week so I wouldn’t work, and he never partook of me unless I offered it. I swear, he’s the last of the gentlemen in Ralloc.”
She paused in her story, and Julie turned around. A myriad of expressions flickered across Lily’s face: solemn, shame, heartache. She continued. “At times, I feel guilty for all the men I slept with in service to Lord Brenton, but Kam never once complained. It must’ve been hundreds of men, thousands, countless. After a hundred, I quit tallying; I didn’t want to know. I felt shame, allowing myself to become a whore, even for the best of intentions. Life deals unfairly, to say the least.
“Occasionally, I find him another woman to enjoy, so I don’t feel so guilty about my past,” she said, her face changing from depressed and aggrieved to something more like endearment when she looked at Julie.
“But he never asks,” she clarified, “and he’s never ran around on me, never does anything to me unless I want it. He worked hard to save up the money to buy my contract, years worth of savings, and worked even harder to buy me a house and allow me to travel, visiting whatever family will still accept me after my profession. How can I not love a man like that? How can I not try to please him in any way I can? How could I refuse to make him happy?”
She smiled. “Almost every woman I found for him, he turned away, and he’d only join if I was involved. Afterward, he told me he never wanted to see the girls again, even the ones he turned away. So each time, the search became harder.” She sighed. “He’s only been with two other women since we married, and each of them only once, but he’s never taken them by himself, not like you. You’re the first, which is how I know he likes you.” Lily kissed her, and she felt the passion beneath. “You should come to Ralloc. You could stay with us.”
Julie beamed, her chest warm with amorous feelings. “Maybe.”
Since Lily’s tale, Julie saw Kam in a new light. He had his faults, but who didn’t? Even with his drug addiction, he was never once vile with either of them, and she loved the way he treated his wife. Julie was envious of Lily and the near-perfect man she married. Would Julie be able to find a man like that? Kam accepted Lily for what she’d been, seeing her beauty when others abused her. Julie found it hard not to love him herself after hearing the story, but couldn’t discern her personal feelings from Lily’s, unsure if they were genuine or if they bled over like the lust.
Lily gave Kam free reign to visit Julie anytime he wished on the condition of Julie’s approval. A few times during the early afternoon,he came to her room, and she eagerly welcomed him. His visits varied, pleasing her with his mouth and she him, with frantic, sweat drenching passion mingled throughout. A particularly exciting moment occurred when he didn’t disrobe her, but pulled her small clothes down and entered her, a salacious, taboo, hurried act. She enjoyed those quiet moments with him. No matter which way he took her, he always released his seed inside her. Lily supplied a steady stream of dewgrass for pain and swelling, but towards the end of the week, she took it less and less.
When Julie and Kam weren’t exploring each other in isolation, Lily and Julie entertained each other, mostly after Kam passed out, but that didn’t mean they didn’t spend time together during the day. Lily taught Julie the knowledge she acquired from her profession and hungrily observed Julie practicing on Kam. She instructed Julie how to achieve an orgasm regardless of what Kam did to her. The process required a bit of mental concentration on her part, but she was grateful for the experience.
Though explained, Julie only made the connection through magic. She didn’t believe Lily at first, but when she witnessed Kam and Lily the next night, she reached her climax several times, making Julie a believer. The oddest part, a second sight overcame her, a sight with magic. Lily’s aura turned different colors, especially in states of extreme bliss. Julie matched the color of crimson to Lily’s sexual climax; she glowed brighter and brighter, knowing it was real every time. She never faked with Kam. And with Julie, Kam always shifted to a shade of blue, but she kept that knowledge to herself.
Lily’s specialty in Lord Brenton’s establishments was oral stimulation, and she showed Julie the varied techniques. By the fourth night, Lily trained Julie how to bring her husband to his culmination.
“The secret to having a great married life is to have a great sex life, and to do that you got to keep an open mind,” Lily advised. “As long as you are clean about it, you should always be willing to try.”
Each time that the blacksmith came to her, either privately or with his wife, Julie strived to be Lily’s equal, to emulate her in every lecherous manner. Once, the magelust proved too strong and made her sick. With Lily, she could control her apparent yearning if she chose. When she and Lily came together, it was by choice. Adding Kam into the mix, a crazed compulsion dominated, and she was helpless to controlit. Nor did she want to.
Their times together didn’t always involve the bedroom. By day, Lily and Julie strolled the streets, peering into windows of shops, debating on becoming patrons. Julie, with her limited wardrobe, cycled through her robes quickly, having them laundered each day. When Lily saw this, she dragged Julie into a tailor’s shop and fitted her for two new sets. Madam Elaine, the establishment’s owner, fulfilled her the order with deft magic. Finding a fellow mage, Julie queried her profession.
“You could be a master wizard or higher in Ralloc!”
“I’ve been to Ralloc,” she said, her tone sharp. “I tried my hand at becoming a high wizard, but my heart wasn’t in it, never has been. I’d rather follow my passions. I can’t be a master wizard of tailoring in Ralloc, but I can be a master tailor in Far Point.” She moved to the back room to fill the order, and Lily sidled up to Julie.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“Is that what you want? To be a master wizard?”
Julie shook her head, moving through the rows of folded clothes and fabrics. “I just don’t want anyone to take control of my life.”
Lily smiled. “Hun, I think everyone wants that.” She stopped by the section of underclothes, her eyes roving over the selection. With a tug, Julie came close, and she questioned. “Which do you like?” Julie felt the blushing heat flower her face, but she said nothing. Lily picked up a pair of salacious, black silk undergarments. “Kam likes black. You should wear this for him.”
“No,” Julie voiced in a rush, turning redder. “You should wear them for him.”
The other laughed, a merry mirth. “Please, I have so many at home.” Lily methodically shifted through the section, unfolding whichever caught her fancy before putting them back. Madam Elaine returned after a while, bringing the two sets of robes to the counter. “Right, then, that’ll be two sets of linen robes with inner and outer. Total is forty scepters.”
Lily gave her an admonishing look. “Come now, the most people ask is fifteen scepters per robe.”
Madam Elaine nodded. “Oh, aye, but most cannot tailor a set within ten minutes of you picking out which ones you like. Speed, dearie, equates to the extra charge.”
Lily nodded and smiled. “True.”
“Anything else?”
“Just this,” Lily said, tossing up the black silk undergarments.
“No!” Julie protested, reaching for them.
“Hush,” Lily insisted, holding her hands away.
“Excellent selection,” Elaine commented. “It’ll make your husband quite happy.”
“That’s what I’m counting on,” Lily cooed, suppressing a smile.
“Silk undergarments are forty-five scepters. Eighty-five scepters total.”
Lily doled out three silver chips and received five copper bits in return. Madam Elaine thanked them, and the girls left arm in arm.
“I wish you didn’t,” Julie commented once they reached the busy street. Guilt rankled her from lack of having anything to give in return. Having sex with Lily’s husband only compounded the issue.
“You need to stop worrying so much,” Lily chided her. “I’m a giver; giving makes me happy.” She leaned in closer. “So, try to be a little excited.”
Julie smiled. “Okay, I’ll try. Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome, my dear.”
A flicker of darkness clouded the young woman’s face. “Please, don’t call me that.”
Perplexed, Lily frowned. “What? What’s wrong?”
Julie shook her head. “Someone I used to know called me that.”
Without another word on the subject, they walked down the road, finding a small café, taking a seat, and ordering. Their conversation, small and idle, comments on the food or past experiences until Julie broke the routine. “I want to go to Ralloc with you.”
With fork lowering to her plate, Lily paused mid-bite. She beamed at Julie and finished her mouthful. “Really? Do you mean that?”
A pang of sadness entered the young girl’s eyes. “Yes, I want to, but I can’t.”
“Why not?”
Julie let out a sigh. “You’ve told me about your past, but I haven’t told you about mine. The trouble is, I can’t remember my past. For me, this week with you, this will be my past. I woke up not too long ago, but it seems like an eternity. I don’t know who I am, where I come from. Do I have a family? Who knows my real name?”
Lily brushed a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, her elbows resting on the table. “But your name is Julie.”
“Is it? When I woke up, that’s what he called me. For all I know, my name could be Rebekah.”
“Who’s he? A lover? Husband?” Julie shook her head and waved the question away. Lily pursued. “Is he the one that used to call you dear?”
With a sidestep, the younger woman continued. “I want to come back with you to Ralloc and start a life, but I can’t. You’re the closest thing I have to a friend. In time, I could call you sister or more. These last few days with you have been amazing.”
“Of course,” Lily gave a malicious grin. “I’m astonishing in bed.”
This caused Julie to laugh, but her eyes misted. “No, I’m not talking about that. You’re everything I could want except one thing, and it’s something I can never have with you.”
“What can’t you have with me?”
“Power.” The finality of the word rested between them.
“What can power bring you? What’s it worth? More than me and Kam?”
“It’s not worth more than you and Kam, but it’ll benefit my life.” Julie shook her head, blinking back her welling emotions. “There’s so much you don’t understand.”
“Then, tell me. Help me understand.”
Julie took a bite of the cake sitting before her, chewing to acquire time. Swallowing, she continued. “You awoke me to a life I never fathomed. A friend, shopping, sharing stories—where I’m going, I’ll never have this. But at the end of my journey, it’s what I want. Does that make sense?”
Lily nodded. “Very much. It was the same feeling when I first met Kam. At the end of my road, I wanted someone like Kam, but I knew along the way, I had to sacrifice immediate wants for the ultimate desire.”
Julie set her fork down. She couldn’t finish the cake. The next few words made her sick to her stomach. “Returning to Ralloc with you is my sacrifice.”
“Oh,” Lily said, deflated. In a rush, she asked, “Is it Kam? Was he rough with you? Did he hurt you?”
“No, no,” Julie smiled, shaking the ludicrous questions away. “Nothing like that. Kam’s an adoring man, and I’d be lucky to have someone like him. And there’s nothing wrong between you and me. Your offer severely tempted me for a time. I nearly faltered, but I started something, and I need to finish it.”
Worried, Lily inclined forward. “Are you leaving now? I thought you were leaving tomorrow.”
“I don’t want to leave, but tomorrow, I have to.”
“Kam said since you’ve yet to accept the offer, it meant you weren’t going to come home with us.”
“I’m sorry.”
Crestfallen, Lily reclined. “Is this goodbye?”
Julie’s chest tightened. “Do you want it to be?”
“No,” came the immediate reply.
“Neither do I.”
“Good,” Lily sniffed, sitting up. “Kam’s taking this hard. He really likes you.”
“You don’t think….”
“That he loves you?” Lily shrugged. “Now? Probably not. In time? Maybe.”
“Does that worry you?”
Lily smiled again, “Not at all. In time, I hope you learn a simple truth: it is possible to love two people at once. One day, if you come and live with us and he grows to love you, it won’t make his love for me any less. If all three are there for each other, we’ll be stronger together.”
I don’t know if that’s the life for me.
Julie tilted forward. “The most important question is: do you want me in your life?”
Lily placed her hand on top of Julie’s. “Without reservation. From what I see, I like. I think you’re holding back, and while I may not understand the what, the why is evident. If you wish, keep your secrets.”
The word secrets sent a chill down Julie’s spine, harking back to the book Judas gave her in the swamp. She was the Bearer of Secrets, another affirmation that she made the right choice in leaving. She stood precariously on the edge, tempted to abandon everything and stay with Lily. But the seduction of friendship couldn’t overcome her vow.
I’ll never be weak again. I’ll never be helpless.
“Will you join us tonight?” Lily broke into her thoughts.
She blinked. “Yes, if you want me to.”
“Good,” Lily said, standing. She left three bits of copper on the table, more than enough to cover their meal. Julie pulled up beside her as they exited, Lily snaking her arm into the younger’s. “Will you take Kam now?”
“What about you?”
She shrugged, a coy smile on her lips. “Someone’s got to start packing, and Kam can’t fold clothes worth a damn.” Julie deliberated. “Oh, please,” she pressed. “It’ll be the last time with you for a while, excluding tonight, of course.”
“Will he be up for it?”
“Wear the black undergarments I bought you, and he will be.” Lily laughed, and the younger shared her smile. “Go on ahead; I’ll send him to your room. Make him happy.” Julie took off, and Lily shouted to her. “Wear the black!”
An hour later, Kam entered her room. His gray eyes took her in; the black silk hugged her form, and he hungered for her. Since this was the last time she and Kam had privacy, she wanted the time memorable. When he neared her, her tentative touch found him eager and she kissed him, standing on her toes. With slow movements, she undid his sash.
“This will be our last time together,” she said in breathy tones, kissing him. “Take me like you would your wife.” She lowered to her knees, encouraging him to do as she asked. Kam twitched at her swirling, indulgent caress.
“Are you sure?”
From below, Julie could only nod; trepidation and exhilaration trembled through her. She stood and turned, pulling her soft silk garment down, bending over for him. Massive arms draped across her diminutive back; his velvety tongue explored her before he entered her. He adhered to her wish and took her vigorously. Through the haze of pleasure, she couldn’t perceive where he ended and she began, her flesh tight around him. At some point, Lily entered the room, finding her husband deep in her. Sheets entwined through her legs, both husband and lover glittered with sweat. A thrum of bliss churned through her, his ardent fingers thrilled her responsive body.
With halting movements, Kam reached his pinnacle inside her. His kisses trailed down her spine, unsheathing himself. Quivering, Julie pushed herself off the bed. Kam wrapped her up in his arms, kissing her fiercely, taking her breath. His hands snaked down her slick back, squeezing her buttocks. When he broke away, she panted, almost falling out of his embrace. Lily stood nearby, holding his clothes, and she received a kiss of equal passion. Once Kam left, Lily, with a knowing smile, proffered two servings of dewgrass.
They spent the rest of the afternoon in each other’s company, which later included Lily, and it passed filled with wishes and warm conversation. Looking back at the past week, Julie used most of her time with Lily, and the majority in acquaintance rather than promiscuity. Even if the lust never brought them together intimately, Julie found she enjoyed the older woman’s companionship; Lily was the other part of her missing soul. She’d never had a friend like her, and she’d never forget her.
Lily opened Julie’s eyes to a life of new and distinct possibilities, something that’d never happen under Judas’s tutelage. Perhaps, had she studied under Madam Meristal Raviils, she would’ve learned something similar, but she still held doubts. Unfortunately, Meristal only had eyes for Judas, and that was good for her, but not for Julie. She seemed wound too tight to come close to Lily’s free spirit. Julie envied the nonconformist lifestyle. Fervent hopes of joining her in the future kept Julie from sinking into a bleak melancholy.
After Kam had drifted off to sleep that night, Lily walked Julie to her room, coming inside. Both laid on the bed; Julie curled up in Lily’s embrace, her back to her. In the forgiving darkness, Julie bared her soul and spoke of the Corridor of Cruelty and what she experienced, recounting Mr. Pleasure and all the sick, sadistic things he did. Recalling the depravities, how he broke her, how she didn’t care anymore was cathartic. The book promised to lock her feelings away, and the bond held true. She spoke with impartial reflection, but inside, a preferred hollowness dwelt.
The desolation made her weary. She doubted the point of life devoid of simple pleasures until she found Lily.
Julie spoke in slow, modulated tones, scarcely above a whisper at first. She relived the nightmare with halting words. The massive knot in her chest eased, and the words poured out. In a way, talking eased the burden, but she wished that she could forget altogether. By the time she ended her tale, tears drenched her as Lily held her tight, weeping with her. The book failed to block the mental trauma or the scars the Corridor left.
Lily slept in her bed, holding her.
When Julie awoke the next morning, she noted Lily’s absence. She knocked on their door, but an older woman with a sour-looking expression answered instead. Julie searched for them in the common room, but they were gone.
Returning to her room, she gathered the last of her possessions to stuff in her pack but inside, folded parchments caught her eye. In haste, she unfolded it, excited.
Dearest Julie,
Our paths crossed but for a fleeting moment. Though your journey pulls you away, you’re never far from our minds and hearts. With sadness, I shared the pain of your tale, and with a broken heart, I leave you before you wake. Should you ever come to Ralloc, our door is always open to you as a friend or as a lover.
Yours,
Lily.
Detailed instructions for finding their house came on the second page. Ralloc was a massive metropolis, and without her words to guide her, she’d never see them again. Though sad they left without a goodbye, a part of her was relieved, knowing it’d be so much harder face to face. She couldn’t ignore the strong impulse to abandon her quest, and in the end, was glad she didn’t put herself in that position.
Her possessions gathered, she left the room without a backward glance, determined. She took her last complimentary meal alone, eating only half before she, too, found no reason to stay. A pang of emptiness rumbled in her chest with Kam and Lily gone.
Pack slung over her shoulder, she left Far Point—and the brief, erotic life she lived—behind.