A Dangerous Legacy Pt. 21

Author's Note: Thank you, dear reader, for bearing with me on this long journey. A total of 191,500 words in this story are wrapped up here. This has been the story of Anna's coming-of-age in a dangerous time for all magic. The trials of her conscience, the pull between love and duty, and the challenges of trying to fit into a world she doesn't understand conclude here. For those of you interested please let me know if you would like to hear Malachai's story or anyone else's. As always, thanks fdor taking the time to read this, and for your votes and feedback. Enjoy!

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Chapter Twenty-Two

What can I ever say about killing ten queens and twenty sorcerers? Well, Malachai took care of the sorcerers. Ten lives on my conscience. And the vampires, I must never forget the vampires. They were already there on my conscience, but would come again in the future. I was now a mass murderer. Well, I guessed that meant I was a real queen.

Somewhere along the way I had gone numb, compartmentalized. After breaking down with Malachai, king of sorcerers, once my sworn enemy, now by treaty and deed my friend, I had gone into a new plane of consciousness I had never known I possessed. I had glimpses of it as a child, the ability to escape a painful reality.

But I knew from past experience it would come crashing in on me, and I wanted to fall apart with the men I loved. If I could be reborn in their arms, I could do what came next to secure magic.

At least for the moment I was brimming. My power felt not only exponentially greater, but as if were a factorial of my former store. Malachai shimmered with his own. As horrible as our deeds had been the magic put a strange swing in our step.

We returned to the study in his suite and it was strangely quiet. "How long until we have to..." I trailed off, vaguely indicating the whole necessary uniting magic literally thing.

He smiled. "Take the night, but we should move quickly. It will take nine months for results."

I shuddered at that. Children...never a desire, never a worry for me, but now a child was necessary. All I could believe was that when the time came I would face that challenge. Hey, at least I could afford an army of servants for midnight bottle feedings and round the clock diaper changes. Kids had their own charms, but those were not among them.

"Then there's no time to waste." I opened to door and froze.

Horus lay on the floor prone and surprisingly pale, the sorcerers and council were nowhere to be seen, but I heard muffled cries from the bedroom. In another the cries, squawks, and squeaks of familiars rang out. In the main room my wolves and Malachai's dragons were bound together, held by magic, looking drugged and drowsy.

Holding them was Marcus, the second oldest of my council.

"Oh, what fresh hell is this?" I was pissed, my magic simmering with rage. Only Malachai's hand on my shoulder stopped me.

"Wise, oh worthless king. Make any sudden moves and they all die. I have bonded their life forces to the magic bearers, Horus here powered the spell. You can bring people back from the dead, but you can never get them all, Anna."

"Wanna bet?"

"Anna, caution here." As Malachai spoke our magic blended for a second, the feeling intense, arousing, and mega-powerful.

I will cover but you must free your council. We will keep him busy and they must stop Marcus.

There was no time to question his logic, it was a plan. I felt him begin to cover and sent my magic out to the other council members.

"What is it you want?" I asked Marcus, trying to sound bored.

"We read the treaties on your desk, sorcerer. We cannot allow magic to be united! It was never meant to be as one! There must be balance!"

I examined my nails as I began pouring magic into Shin-Zan and Valerius who felt weak, pulses thread. "I don't know. I was never much a Taoist, I'm more of a Voltaire kind of girl."

"It was created as two it must remain two! Now you will destroy those treaties and turn from your course or there will be revolts."

"You and what army?" I asked flippantly. Malachai was the master of the tough guy silent stare.

"Sebastian. Did you think he wanted the wolves freed just for the sake of sugar and spice and all things nice? What a fucking moron! With them free our numbers could multiply faster, and with the dragons crippled the sorcerers would be no match.

"War would allow us to dwindle their numbers down to those we could control!"

"Rule the world, yawn," I said flippantly. Seriously, after all I had just done to save lives this asshole wanted to slaughter nearly half and then what?

"Exactly," Marcus growled.

Why did so many bad guys want to monologue? It was great for stalling but I felt the council members in the other room were at full power, so where the hell were they? Behind my back I circled my finger to Malachai, signaling him to keep going with the cover. I turned my attention to Horus who seemed to be hovering awfully close to death.

"So you're going to what? Rule the world? Subjugate humans?"

The gleam in his eyes told me check and check. "Kenneth will be my puppet, the king of witches. Malachai, if you want to survive you will do as I say."

"Er, so it seems I'm unnecessary to this whole process."

Whatever Marcus had begun to say he froze and then smiled the most bone chilling evil smile I had ever seen. "Oh, do not worry overmuch. You will willingly give your magic to Kenneth."

"And why would I-" There came a crash and Malachai covered me in a tackle.

The sounds of magic flinging, of familiars crying out filled the room. Diego was there, licking my face and a heart-wrenching scream tore through the air. Suddenly my wolves were there, pulling at Malachai and I was swept into Andre's arms.

"Anna! Are you all right?"

I nestled into his arms, nerves frazzled. "I'm fine, what just happened?"

"Majesty, we have slain Marcus for his treachery," Shin-Zan called out.

"You must absorb his magic quickly. I do not know the next of his line offhand," Valerius said.

"He has none," Shin-Zan said quietly.

I looked at the group. Malachai and his three most trusted sorcerers, Horus, my oldest subject, and Valerius and Shin-Zan all that remained of a council that had been together over a thousand years. Counting me there was four of each.

I pulled back and kissed Andre who nearly devoured me, but not in passion, no, it was near panic. Before I could respond to the council Pierre pulled me into arms and gave me a smacking kiss, then passed me to Julian who kissed me softly.

I wanted to be alone with them more than anything in that moment, but there was work to do.

I looked to Kenneth who seemed shocked and wary. When at last his stormy eyes met mine I knew he had no part in Marcus desperate attempt to thwart the all-consuming changes coming.

"I know," I said to him with a smile and turned to Malachai, nodding to indicate the others.

"The treaty balance?"

"Would you have it that way?"

I nodded and he smiled.

"Shin-Zin, Valerius, you must be the ones to absorb Marcus' magic. Will you take it from me?"

As they stared at me, stunned, I spooled the magic and life from Marcus. I did not let it join my own, but instead let it ride my magic, glossing over mine like a fluid shield. I felt it for a second. He was old, had been old when Rome was founded in the fields he used to work. He'd been there when Caesar refused to abandon his guardianship, there when he died for it. he had met Cleopatra, he had slept with Theodsia before Justinian had ever met her.

Once at a mere century in age his magic had taken him to the moon to learn its secrets. Why had never thought of that?

My mind snapped back to Malachai's suite and I wiped a tear from my eye. "All right." I flung my hands out to the two council members and Marcus' magic flung into them. He had not been a bad man, so, as Malachai had taught me, I sent his soul on to be reborn.

And something about that deflated me. I watched as the great power, older than Valerius', younger than Shin-Zan's, swept into them.

"Everyone, please let Malachai and I rest. We will likely share all of our journey with you. But where as it has been only thirty minutes since we disappeared and Marcus lost his goddamn mind, it has actually been two weeks for us of constant trials. I know you are all breathless with anticipation-"

"Anna?" Malachai said. "Go."

"Thank you." And my magic brought my lovers, Jerry and Liv, and Diego back to my suite.

The other two wolves smiled, understanding I wanted privacy, and found Diego's leash promising to be back soon.

I was shaking, nervous as hell. For two weeks I had convinced queens to sacrifice themselves, even Sigrid, the woman they all loved in their own strange way. She had asked about them, did care for them, but confessed not the way I did. Suddenly I knew I could tell them no details of my time away culling magic.

"I can't talk about it. It's changed me in ways that scare me, even though I know it was the right thing. Please, tonight, can you just make me forget?"

Three very different expression regarded me, but Pierre and Julian acquiesced to Andre's decision. He held out his hand and when I took it led me to the bedroom. Desperate to feel their warm flesh, the comfort of their love, the oblivion of their passion I used magic to remove our clothes.

Andre made me sit on the bed and stood over me. Goddess, they were all so beautiful. Looking at them one could assume they were odd special forces their bodies were so muscled, but Julian's artist's eyes were soft and dreamy, Pierre's good humor was barely tempered, and Andre's steel core looked like a banked fire at the moment.

"Anna..."

I knew he was asking. Gentle or soft? The concern was touching but I wanted it to be like it always was. I wanted to feel their unrestrained joy at their own freedom. So I just laid back and smiled. "As you like it."

Heaven was my reward. I closed my eyes and was surrounded. It was Pierre's lips that found mine and his tongue slid as he cradled my head close, his other hand teasing my breast. My other nipple was treated to Andre's rough bite, the raw sensation deliciously intense. My hands were pinned beneath their bodies and I knew that was the way we all wanted it.

God, two weeks without them was the longest I had gone without seeing them since we'd met. I was desperate, my hips arching in a plea that Julian finally answered, but not how I assumed. I felt his long fingers spreading my legs and anticipated his mouth, but instead in on smooth motion he settled between my legs and thrust his long cock deep inside me.

I was shocked at the invasion, he'd for one breathless moment of wondering. He held inside for the span of time it took to try and reconcile knowing I had wanted it but never expected it, and then it was a hard ride.

I bit at Pierre's lips and he chuckled, and Andre settled into a harsh suckling. It was desperation of the soul more than arousal, but I built quickly. I wanted my hands free to touch them, feel them, to touch every hard swell and line of their bodies, but I was helpless.

My orgasm swept over me like a storm flooding parched earth. Julian rode me through it and I heard the chorus of three masculine grumbles of approval as I screamed into Pierre's mouth. Julian kept going, moving faster and faster until I heard his panting breaths above the sighs and moans coming from us others, increasing in tempo and then he came.

His orgasm brought my own and the force it made my body almost bow in half, but they all pressed me back. Smashed into the mattress I shook with the force of the pleasure. My entire body ached from Andre's mouth branding my breast, his hands stroking me as did Julian's, Pierre's hot kiss making me dizzy. And just when it past Julian's long fingers began to gently swirl my clit.

The press of our bodies became slick with sweat as Julian brought me twice that way while he ejaculated. I felt it deep inside me and almost sobbed with the pleasure, but Pierre would not let me go. Soon he was breathing in my air and giving me his until I was truly dizzy, and all too soon I felt Julian leave my body.

I barely remembered to clean myself with magic before they moved, and now it was Andre who claimed me in a bruising kiss. Julian's mouth on my breasts was tender, and he let me lift my left hand freely so I could caress him. He was so warm, lean, his muscles long and hard. I shivered and then felt Pierre's mouth on my pussy the same instant his hands began to massage my thighs.

Andre's hand was gentle as it thrummed the breast he had so ravaged and I moaned, undulating my body, egging for more, begging silently for all their passion. I opened my eyes to the dark room but found instead Andre's hazel eyes almost glowing. Kissing with my eyes open was strange, but undeniably intimate. It was every bit that as much as Pierre's quick swirls and delicate flicks that brought me to a gushing climax.

Before the ripples of aftershocks had left my body I heard his deep voice. They moved me then, hands and mouths leaving and I cried out, ":No!" but they just laughed.

"You know the words we want," Andre whispered into my ear as Julian pulled me up to my knees and turned me.

"Please!"

Pierre suddenly grabbed me, pressing me back against him, palming both my breasts and cleverly teasing my nipples as he bit and suckled at my neck just below my chin. I shivered with burning desire even as Pierre lifted me with ease and set me down near the foot of the bed. Before Andre was laying on his back.

Quickly I realized what he wanted as I watched Andre lazily stroke his cock. "Oh. Oh!" I didn't need much prodding and feel forward. I love this, taking his cock deep into my mouth, and now I could touch him, feel all that leashed power.

Pierre brought me to my knees and then his insanely thick cock was working its way inside me. Once he was seated Pierre began thrusting, stretching me, making my pussy burn with need. I surrendered and let his rhythm drive me up and down on Andre's cock. God, this was so sweet, but I wondered where Julian had gone. Still I was surrounded and filled by hot, hard male and the pleasure claimed me as its own.

Andre's hard cock tasted so sweep as I lapped up the weeping juices from it. Beneath me the giant man rumbled in pleasure, his hands clinging to my head, fingers digging through my hair. I relished the power even as Pierre passionate thrusts made me a slave to the need he aroused.

On and on we went as I tightened up, my tired body renewed as I clawed my way to climax. As soon as it hit Andre jerked me back and with my hands I brought him to climax with me. Pierre groaned but kept going as Andre's cum splashed my chin, neck, and the tops of my breasts. He kept going as I wailed through my own climax, so much shorter than his, and Pierre's tempo sped up.

Pierre let go then with a roar slamming into me until he swelled so much he could not longer move and then his hand returned to my clit. While he still came he brought me again and at last Andre softened. I let go of his cock but gripped his hips for stability as I came. My throat was raw as he brought me three more times and only magic soothed the hurt as I spiraled deep into pleasure.

Pierre was so thick, stretching me impossibly, and the constant knife-edge of pain made the pleasure so dark and sweet, hard-won and much-relished. When at last he stopped I was weak and plaint, a doll in their arms as they turned me.

"Anna, please, clean yourself," Andre whispered.

I did and Pierre and Julian moved me up until I straddled Andre. Hungrily he claimed me in a kiss as I felt Julian kneel behind me. I knew what was to come then, a second round, and it thrilled me even as I used magic to relax my body.

His lubricated long cock slowly entered my ass and pushed in as I pushed out until he was seated. I cried out as he immediately began to move, the dark vortex of forbidden pleasure claiming me. Only when I heard a hitch in his breath did he stop and then Andre pressed me against his cock, miraculously hard again. Together we worked until Andre's fat cock was at my pussy, then pushing inside. I was breathless and when he was seated I was filled, stuffed to the brim. I couldn't possibly come again, I thought distantly, and yet the growling need in me for more pleasure would not be denied.

They did not move as Pierre climbed to the bed, standing. Spreading his legs wide he stood before me, hand working his cock. I licked my lips, transfixed by the action right in front of my face. I looked to him, then down at Andre, and finally over my shoulder at Julian. "I love you all so much."

Their responding calls of love rang true and sweet, and just like that I knew. This was my home, they were my home, my future. Whatever deeds I had done were my sins to bear, but in the light of their love and the heat of their lust I was reborn.

Then Pierre gripped the headboard behind him, arching his back, offering his thick cock, and I took what I could into my mouth, my hands braced on Andre's shoulders for balance. I remembered myself and used magic for stability so I could grip his cock, almost too wide for my mouth, and then Julian began to move. Beneath me Andre thrust up slightly, undulating his hips, scraping again and again on my g-spot.

I was lost then, the ride was slower this time, a gentle burn that grew with impossible leisure until my entire being throbbed with climax. They all joined me, filling my body with their cum, splashing onto my breasts. I screamed with it, and then Andre's fingers were on my clit while Pierre and Julian worked Pierre's cum into my breasts, teasing my nipples, and the next orgasm came without pause.

When the tremors left us we collapsed and magic cleaned us all. I wanted to do the girl thing and open my heart, tell them about this rebirth, detail my love for them, but I felt so whole, so peaceful that sleep instantly claimed me.

***

The treaties had been explained in full over breakfast, bare details of Malachai's time and mine given to the others, and then it was time. Nadine, Francine, Andre, Pierre, and Julian refused to meet our eyes as Malachai and I left the hotel restaurant. Kenneth nervously met mine as Alessandra fled the room, and the rest watched knowing what we were doing was momentous.

There was no avoiding it.

We had decided to use an empty room and now Malachai and I sat on the bed, both of us slightly nervous.

"Malachai," I began, "we are friends, yes?"

"Yes."

"And you know that I do not love you as more, yes?"

He smiled, understanding and patted my hand. "Nor I you, but that does not mean this need be cold and dispassionate. Passion is necessary for our aim."

I gulped. A child. I had faced death, the darkness of my soul, and borne the weight of the world and yet this scared me most. The one thing I thought denied me in my life, the one thing I thought I never desired. I could only nod.

"Malachai, when this is all over, I will help you find love. Before the magic greys for us all, I want to see you happy."

He raised a dark brow but did not say anything. Instead he leaned over and kissed me softly, a kiss like a boy would give to a girl, hesitant and full of affection. I put my arms around his neck and it changed to a kiss between a man and woman.

It should have felt strange, but in my twenties when casual sex had been such a large part of my life lust with a stranger or friend was a safe route that I had often enjoyed. No, what gave the only tinge of strangeness was knowing our goal. I knew the magic I had to do and as we kissed did it, then pushed the thought from my mind.

Before Malachai had promised me domination, guessing the newly discovered submissive in me, but now he was gentle, almost hesitant. I pulled back, breaking our kiss and held his shoulders as our eyes met. "Malachai, you know as well as I do this is the only time we will do this. After I do my duty here and with...well, after all this I will love my wolves until the end of time and no others."