-Jaonah-

With his fingers laced loosely through mine, Oleander led me up a curving set of stairs on our right. Upstairs was a long hall lined with doors. As we walked, I found myself on the terrace I had seen earlier, and I chance a look down out of vague curiosity. My cousin, unsurprisingly, was seated in a plush armchair with a young woman on his lap and two others at his sides, entertaining all of them at once. It took a moment more of searching to find Lorant, and I was surprised to see him in a secluded corner of the room, with none other than Satella curled up in his arms. How very like him to seek out the only elvin lass available.

“Ahem.” Oleander called my attention, pushing open one of the ivory-painted doors, which stood starkly against the black walls. “Shall we?”

“Of course.”

The room he led me into was larger than I might have imagined, its main feature being a large, silk-covered bed on the far wall. I observed the space as Oleander locked the door behind us, finding a counter to my left, which held chilled bottles of wine, glasses, and a few select food items. To my right was what appeared to be a closet, closed off by a thick velvet curtain.

“Is it…impolite to ask what I’ll be paying for your time?” I ventured, glancing toward Oleander. “Whatever the cost, I’ll be happy to pay it, of course! I thought you might ask for your payment before we go any further, and I don’t want to give you the impression that I won’t respect it.”

From what I could see, the smile on his lips looked like one of amusement. “I appreciate your candor, my lord, but as I mentioned before, I am a very special Flower. You see, this”—he touched the edge of his shining gold mask—“means I have the freedom to set my own price. On that note, would you prefer that I leave it on?”

“Not at all,” I answered quickly, eager to see him without it. “If you’re comfortable with removing it, please do.” With a slight nod, he did as I asked, setting the gleaming accessory aside on the counter and revealing the loveliest man I’d ever seen underneath. Humans often praised my people for our ‘beauty,’ but I’d never met an elf who compared with Oleander. His features were so soft, his eyes gentle but fully engaged, and there was something quietly enigmatic behind that smile. More fascinating all the time.

“We can discuss payment later.” He sauntered toward me and reached for the ties of my mask as well, pausing for my consent. I nodded, so he easily slipped my mask off to discard it. “That’s possibly the least interesting part of the night’s proceedings, as I see it.” His arms draped over my shoulders to draw me into an embrace, and I swallowed hard as my hands came shakily to rest on his waist.

“I suppose,” I conceded, undeniably distracted as he pushed my hair back behind my ear and leaned down to run his tongue slowly up the length of it. Spirits… When he raised his head to meet my eyes, I was struck again by his beauty and asked without meaning to, “May I kiss you?”

“There’s no need to be so formal, Jaonah,” he told me. “Do with me what you will. For the night, I’m yours.” The phrasing of his offer was too tempting not to accept. With only a moment’s hesitation, I leaned in and pressed my lips to his, raising my head slightly to compensate for the difference in our heights. Oleander took in a deep breath and tilted his head to meet me, letting his lips part so that my tongue could slip past them. He still tasted faintly of wine, and the soft moan that passed from his mouth to mine sent a delicious chill of intrigue through me.

When he drew away for a breath, fingers sliding up the back of my neck and into my hair, he purred, “And I would be lying if I said this was purely for your benefit.”

“Oh?” Warmth of a different sort spread through my chest as I held him closer still, trying to memorize the feeling of his body—surprisingly solid despite his willowy frame—against mine. “What do you mean?”

“I suppose you wouldn’t know it, having been in Vallerie for only a short time now, but sincerity like yours is in short supply,” he explained, his tone fading from seduction to reflection as he trailed brief kisses along my neck. “It’s refreshing, to say the least. Rilleaud has too many secrets, too much to hide.”

“Might the same be said of you?” I mused, and he chuckled against my skin.

“You have no idea. It’s safe to say no one in our fair country knows its many secrets better than I do.” That seemed quite a claim for any one person to make, and I began to get the impression that Oleander was much more than a simple courtesan. That likely should have made me wary of him, and maybe it did to a point, but I had already professed my interest in him despite any danger it might come with; that interest had yet to fade.

“I imagine that must get exhausting.”

“Oh, never fear, my lord. It takes much more than that to exhaust me. We’ll see whether you’re up to the task yourself.” As he spoke, he was unclasping my cloak to let it fall from my shoulders, distracting me significantly from the unexpectedly pensive side of our conversation. Taking my hands from his waist, he led me to the bed to sit at its edge with him. “Now, if I’m not much mistaken, I was promised a demonstration of your magic. Will you give it to me now?” The sly smirk on his lips said he was choosing his words carefully and intentionally.

“Yes, of course.” I now worried I might have talked up my skills too much. If I failed to impress him, I wasn’t sure I could recover from the embarrassment. With an absent gesture, I conjured a handful of tiny, multicolored light motes, then tossed them into the air to let them float thoughtlessly through the room. Another flick of my hand put out the candles and sconces along the walls, leaving the space dimmer but arguably more romantic.

Oleander’s eyes sparkled with fascination as he hesitantly reached for one of the lights and caught it between his hands to inspect it. The blue glow it cast on his face made him, if possible, even more charming—or perhaps I was just flattered to see him admiring my spellcraft. When he glanced at me, however, his smile quickly faded.

“Is something wrong?” I asked, suddenly afraid I’d upset him somehow.

“No, no. It’s likely a misunderstanding on my part. I just thought…” He tilted his head to one side, and I realized he wasn’t meeting my eyes but was scrutinizing my skin instead.

“Ah. You were expecting to see my straits,” I reasoned, and he smiled almost bashfully.

“Is that what you call them? Satella would never tell me. She’s always a bit reserved on the subject of magic. Is it something you prefer not to share with humans?”

“No, it’s often quite the opposite,” I laughed. Most elves I knew would take any opportunity to ‘share’ their magic with humans if it meant a chance to flaunt their power. “But simple spells don’t require us to channel magic from another source. If that’s what you want, I’ll need to do something more…involved.”

“That’s quite an intriguing offer, my lord. I would love to see more, if you’re willing to show me,” he agreed. Steeling myself for courage, I took his hand to lead him closer, drawing him into my lap to straddle my legs. Oleander’s eyes widened, but he seemed pleased with my boldness. “Is this what you meant by ‘involved’? Now I’m even more curious.”

“No, this is pure selfishness on my part,” I confessed, and he rewarded my honesty with a laugh. Sliding my hands lightly up his thighs, I went on, “You told me you’ve rarely seen elvin magic. Have you ever felt it?”

His eyebrows jumped upward at the suggestion. “I can’t say that I have.”

“Would you like to?”

His expression said that he was skeptical but curious. “I think I might.” Resting his weight against my legs, his hands on my shoulders, he asked, “What will you do to me, my lord?”

“You wanted to be exhausted, didn’t you? I intend to do just that.” I raised my head to capture his lips for another kiss, and while his attention was there, my grasp on his hips tightened as I called on my magic.

Small bits of magic, the kind we used in our everyday lives, were simple enough to be fueled by our own energy alone. More complex spells, however, had to draw fuel from elsewhere. My people’s unique ability to tap into the flow of natural magic around us at any given moment allowed us to weave spells others couldn’t begin to attempt.

As my magic poured into him through my hands, Oleander’s body heated, his breath and pulse quickening until he was forced to break away from me for a gasp of air. Even as he was struggling to catch his breath, I could see the flush on his cheeks, the haze in his eyes. “This is… You’re doing this?” he panted.

“Is it too much?” I asked softly. The intended effect was to excite him, but for one who wasn’t used to the experience, it might easily be overwhelming. “If I’m making you uncomfortable—”

“No, no,” he argued quickly. “I like it.”

His pale eyes had wandered down my neck, and he deftly unlaced the top of my shirt to see the patterns illuminating against my skin. Those lines served as channels for ambient magic to flow through us—hence our calling them ‘straits’—and just as each elf’s spellcraft was unique, so too were our patterns. Mine were currently glowing a warm yellow from the heat and pleasure I was sharing with Oleander, and he ran his fingertips lightly over them, fascinated.

“I didn’t know magic could be used this way.” He sounded a bit breathless as he shakily struggled out of his blouse and tossed it to the floor. His musculature was more defined than I would’ve expected from someone so slender—but the sight of so much bare olive skin, now starting to shine with sweat, effectively limited my commentary. “I’ve…never felt anything like it.”

“It’s yours, beauty.” I ran my tongue up his chest to taste the salt on his skin, eager for every aspect of him I could have. Even feeling him shiver in my arms excited me more. “As long as you stay close to me.” I myself was surprised at how earnest the words were, how helpless I had become. I hardly knew this man! Yet I was entirely sincere in my desire to see him satisfied; despite the fact that I was the one paying, I would still have done anything he asked if it would please him.

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“You’re spoiling me, Jaonah,” he said, entangling both hands in my hair. “How cruel that I only have you for one night.” Again, he kissed me, and the feverish warmth of his body against mine had me quickly heating up as well. The effects of my magic seemed to have robbed him of some of his bravado, leaving him leaning heavily against me and moaning for more. His hands made quick work of my belt and forced my tunic off over my head, forcing our kiss to break for a moment. Not for the first time, I began to feel self-conscious, knowing my body was hardly as lean and refined as his—but he seemed satisfied nevertheless, wetting his lips, eyes roaming hungrily over my form.

My lips met his throat and worked down to his shoulder with warm, open-mouthed kisses and soft bites. His hair smelled of something crisp and botanical, jasmine or orange blossom, bright and intoxicating. With his breath falling hot against my ear, it was that much harder to think of anything other than how badly I wanted him, and I found myself leaving a mark at the base of his neck in my fervor. I likely should have asked before marking him, but the way he leaned into my touch and tugged my hair to pull me closer said that he wasn’t offended.

“Wait,” he started, pushing away enough to sit at my side and tug his boots off. For the sake of convenience, I did the same, but I got distracted as I caught sight of the dagger still strapped to his calf. As hard as I tried to ignore all the mystery about him and focus on my main purpose for being there, I still wondered exactly what he meant in calling himself ‘a very special Flower.’ “Ahem.” Unbuckling the sheath to toss it aside along with his boots, he moved back farther on the bed, deliberately posing against the plush pillows to display his svelte body and edging his fingertips just under the hem of his trousers. “Would you like to help me out of these?”

“Very much,” I answered plainly, crawling closer to put my hands to work unfastening them. Even while he was still half-clothed, I could see how aroused he was already—from my magic? Our kisses? Difficult to say, but the knowledge was gratifying nevertheless.

My tugging at the laces must have been hastier than necessary, as he observed knowingly, “And I’d heard elves had such patience.”

“Only compared to humans, who have none,” I countered. Hooking my fingers on the edge of his breeches to slowly work them downward, I dropped my head to outline the shape of his hipbones with my tongue.

“I…I suppose anyone can be tested if he’s teased long enough.” Resting on one elbow, Oleander tilted his head back and combed his hair away from his eyes with his free hand, shivering at my touch.

“Is that what I’m doing?” I inched his trousers down further still to let my tongue explore the dip that led between his legs. The heat from my spell had since faded from his skin, so I slid one hand up the center of his stomach and chest to call it back, drawing another low moan from his lips.

“Jaonah, please.” Each time he said my name, my patience eroded a bit further. At this point, there was little left to wear down. Rather than argue or concede in words, I simply bent to his request and worked his pants down and off, taking his underclothes with them to leave him bare, flushed, obviously desperate for my attention. As if I needed any further encouragement. When I leaned down to run my tongue up the length of his erection, he took in a sharp gasp and gripped hard at the sheets beneath him. “Oh.”

“Was this not what you were asking for, beauty?” Maybe I enjoyed the idea that I might overwhelm him a bit. I felt quite sure I could contentedly spend the entire night exploring every inch of his body with my mouth and not lose interest for a moment.

“No, I do want it,” he admitted without hesitation, “but my patrons aren’t typically so, ahem, generous.” Hearing the way he moaned, seeing the look of honest desire on his face, I couldn’t imagine what sort of patron could not be interested in eliciting this reaction. Glad to know he appreciated the treatment, I kept to it, knelt between his legs to glide my tongue over the firm heat of his manhood. Hoping to push him further, I took it inside and pressed down to swallow his hardness completely until he was panting for every breath and writhing against the bed. Still, the longer I concentrated on satisfying him, the more I realized how much it was affecting me as well; within minutes, I was so hard and wanting that each heavy beat of my heart throbbed between my legs.

“Oleander?” I breathed, drawing away to wipe my lips.

“Hm?” His eyes were clouded, and he almost seemed dizzy—though undoubtedly interested in continuing—as he looked to me.

“Do you have, er…?”

He must have realized what I meant, as he laughed softly at my apprehension. “You weren’t so shy a moment ago, my lord. You should find what you need in there.” He nodded toward the counter on which our masks rested, where there was a drawer I hadn’t noticed before. Inside, I found a variety of contraceptives and, more to the point, a vial of pale yellow liquid, presumably an oil of some sort.

Gesturing at the drawer, I glanced back at Oleander to ask, “Would you like me to use one of these? I want you to be comfortable.”

Lying on his stomach, he watched me with his head resting in one hand and an amused smirk playing about his lips. “I’m hardly concerned about carrying your child. But if you like, go ahead. Whatever brings you back to me fastest.”

Then I’m not the only one who’s impatient. I quickly joined him in bed again, trying not to be bashful about his nudity or my own obvious excitement. Before I could awkwardly ask him to do so, he pressed back onto his knees so that his upper body still lay splayed against the mattress but his hips were easily accessible. “Do you intend to keep teasing me?” he asked, half-lidded eyes meeting mine over his shoulder. “Or will you give me what we both want?”

“Y-yes. Of course.” Despite realizing that wasn’t an entirely appropriate answer, I moved forward nevertheless, pulling the stopper from the vial I’d found and wetting my fingers with slick, sweet-smelling oil. It wasn’t exactly the same as the solution we used in the Empire, but I supposed it would fulfill the same purpose well enough. Trying to put aside my anxiety, trying not to get distracted by the heart-stoppingly intimate sight in front of me, I slid my oiled fingers against Oleander’s entrance until he shivered and lightly pressed back toward me, prompting me to slide one finger inside.

The heat of him immediately sent a chill down my spine, as did the low moan he let out. I’d never been with a human before, so I hadn’t realized exactly how much hotter than me he would be. My arousal throbbed harder at the thought, forcing me to concentrate on preparing him so that I could have him as soon as possible. Each moment of friction turned his breathing heavier, and soon he was rocking his hips back against my hand in a steady rhythm.

“More,” he urged, almost pleading, and I was helpless to deny whatever he asked. Sure to be mindful of his comfort, I slid a second digit in and pressed against the softness of his walls to make sure he was ready to go further. Based on his reactions, he didn’t seem to be in any pain; in fact, he was at least as eager as I was myself, hands grasping tightly at the sheets, face buried against a pillow to quiet himself. Spirits and heavens, he truly is perfect.

“Can I—?”

Before I could finish my question, he was already nodding fervently. “Yes. Please.”

“Would you…lie down?” I wanted to see his face. I wanted to see his eyes. I did not want to explain that desire. But mercifully, he didn’t ask me to. Rather, he turned to face me, deft hands unfastening my trousers and tugging the front of them down enough to free my own swollen manhood. Wetting his lips, he took the vial of oil from me and used it to wet his hand, then stroked me with skill enough that my legs began to feel weak. There was a part of my mind that said I should have taken my time in enjoying all of his skills, but a much larger, much louder part insisted that nothing was more important than being as close to him as possible, as quickly as possible.

He stoppered the bottle again and set it aside, then draped his arms around my shoulders to draw me into another deep kiss. While I was thoroughly engrossed in seeking his tongue with mine, he pulled me downward to lie on top of him. “Now,” he breathed into my ear, nibbling at its tip and sending another shock of pleasure through me. Without the will to argue, I carefully positioned myself at his entrance and began to press inside, relishing the gasps and whimpers he let slip as I moved. At some point, more by instinct than conscious thought, I hooked one arm under his knee to press it back against the bed, opening him up further so that I could go deeper, and Oleander let out a ragged groan to reward me.

I paused a moment, fully buried within him, and finally realized that he was trembling. “Are you all right?” I asked, pulling away just enough to meet his eyes.

“Yes,” he panted, nodding weakly. “Yes. I’m fine. I-it’s…quite a lot to take in.” He laughed airily at that, but although he seemed distracted, he didn’t look to be in pain. “Just start slowly.” I had little choice, as I needed a moment to recover from the sight of him alone. Blue-sheened hair clung to his neck and splayed against the pillow behind him, gray eyes shone in the dim light, soft lips panted as he tried to adjust, and I was faintly aware of some inexplicable stirring in my chest that had nothing to do with sex.

Going slowly, as requested, I drew my hips back to pull out, and the friction was smooth enough. Then I pushed forward again, into incredible heat, and he sighed as I filled him. Back out, slow and gentle. Back in, deep and purposeful. Slowly, Oleander’s shaking quieted, his breathing quickened, and his hands curled into claws to grasp my shoulders.

Dropping his head back, he moaned out, “Yes. Faster.” I obeyed without question, marveling at the perfection of his body and the sweetness of his voice. Each thrust came with not only heat and motion but a breathless moan of encouragement from his lips. When I found just the right spot somewhere within him, he tensed and arched tightly, crying my name out into the still air of the room.

“Spirits,” I sighed without meaning to, and he let out another breathy laugh. After that, he made what must have been a conscious effort to use my name every so often, having realized how much it affected me. I likely should have regretted making my weakness so obvious, but it wasn’t as though he didn’t already have me firmly wrapped around his finger.

The heat picked up with my pace, and although his skin was growing dewy and sticky against my own, I refused to draw away for a moment. I reveled in the excessive warmth, in his saline taste when I kissed him, in the exhausted pitch of his voice. I tried to recall the spot I’d struck before that he’d reacted to so strongly, pressing his leg higher and testing one angle, then another until I found exactly what Oleander needed.

“Gods!” he yelped when I struck it again. And again, and again until his fingernails were dragging hot, red lines up my back. “Jaonah! Please—I can’t! It’s too much. If you—if you don’t—”

“Do you think I don’t want you to come, beauty?” I threaded my fingers through his raven hair, tilting his head upward so his eyes would meet mine, and told him honestly, “Nothing would please me more. Come and let me know I’m providing what you need.” I caught his lips with mine for a deep, fervent kiss, and within moments, his moans pitched higher and his hips bucked against mine as he finished, wet heat spurting against my stomach. His body tightened so from his orgasm that I needed only a few more deep strokes to reach my peak as well, spilling my pleasure deep inside him while he whimpered against my lips. Every individual sensation combined with all the others to form a moment that was nothing short of heavenly.

When finally we were both finished, I took another beat to enjoy the sight of him as he slowly calmed: the flush of red on his cheeks, the pink of his lips, the inexplicably thoughtful look in his eyes as they gazed into mine. If I thought he was beautiful before, he was utterly arresting now. Carefully, so as not to hurt him, I drew out to lie down at his side. But he surprised me by moving back into my arms as soon as I had readjusted my clothing, curling up against my chest and letting out a slow sigh of contentment.

“I’m…glad your travels brought you to Vallerie, Jaonah,” he said quietly, fingertips ghosting along my bare arm. After a moment’s hesitation, he added even more softly, “I do wish we could have had more time.” He buried his face against my shoulder, and soon his breathing had turned deeper, slower. I must have exhausted him as much as I had myself. Although it would’ve been nice to carry on our conversation, I couldn’t honestly say that I regretted everything else we’d done.

“Yes,” I agreed, running my fingers lightly through his hair once more. “So do I.” As I slipped from consciousness, I found my mind echoing the sentiment he had expressed earlier: How cruel that I only have you for one night.