“I forbid you to play with my body.”
His boisterous laugh grated on her nerves, yet she felt compelled to stare at his fingers stroking his erect nipples.
“I don’t think so, because, you see, this feels kind of good.”
“If you don’t cut it out, I’ll make you.”
“How?”
Very easily. She had his body now, his big muscles, his strength, and nothing could prevent her from restraining him. She didn’t have to, as he dropped his hands and strode past her toward the lagoon.
“Come on, Ariana, let’s enjoy this place.”
“You can be so childish at times.”
Although she was only able to see his back as he reached the shore, she felt certain the teasing grin hadn’t left his face.
“In that case, I’m a hot child in need of refreshing.”
He entered the water without glancing back, intent on having a good time. Fully dressed, heavy boots constricting her feet, she pursed her lips at the sight of her former body wading into the pool.
The early afternoon mildness bore down on her while she recalled suffering from the heat almost all morning. She’d been the one complaining about the weather after all, and he had been considerate enough to take her to this cool, secluded spot. She might as well use the opportunity.
Pushing away all consideration of modesty, she began undressing while he swam toward the middle of the lagoon. Her clothes fell one by one until she stood naked in the warmth of the glorious sun.
Just being in the nude refreshed her, especially when a mild breeze gently tickled her limbs. She took a few steps toward the glittering pool while he dove head-first into the waters. As soon as she started walking, her balls swayed and her penis bobbed, driven by the movement of her legs. How did men put up with these dangling pieces of flesh and uncomfortable motions?
Still, she resisted the urge to cup her genitals and, instead, closed the remaining distance crab-like. Then she saw him break the surface, droplets running down his veiled face. He brushed back the mass of his hair to look at her and his eyes widened a little as she reached the edge of the small lake.
“By the Mighty Gods, I’m a damn handsome man.”
His smug grin and vivid expression of self-satisfaction twisted her insides, but he didn’t seem to notice her peeved wince as he carried on studying himself from neck to toe. Especially his private parts.
“No wonder you’re so desperately attracted to me.”
At some point, she’d have to get her hands around his neck and strangle him, or wipe off the smirk that didn’t suit her personality but distorted the face she had lost. Maybe she would tie him up and gag him so she could enjoy a moment of peace, a valuable instant without hearing his constant sarcastic remarks.
She chose to ignore him. Chin up, she waded into the shallow pool until the water covered her shoulders. She felt the sun on her cheeks, the glistening liquid closing in around her and she let herself float. Oddly enough, life didn’t seem so real from down here, and her future not so tenebrous. Then she shut her eyes in a hurry as something pulled her down from below.
She coughed as she emerged, blind, nose and throat burning from lack of air. Spitting water, she was welcomed by his annoying laugh while she rubbed her lids and attempted to focus.
“What’s with you, Cameron? Are you trying to kill me now?”
He giggled like she used to when something struck her as particularly funny. He might have been robbed of his lordship but, even as a woman of pure magic, he retained the tendency to savour frivolous games.
“Oh, don’t be such a stuffed pelt. Here, take this.”
With a large grin on his face, he splashed her. She’d seen it coming this time, and her swift response took him by surprise. Drenched by her spattering, he spat water out while she moved out of his reach. She had bigger arms and hands now, and she could drown him in a wink. Somehow, he didn’t seem to care.
Swimming faster than a fish, he pounced on her. She lost her balance as he grabbed her shoulders from behind to bring her down. His will to dominate was so strong that, in spite of her giant size and bulging muscles, she went down like a dead weight. How in the Creators' names did he achieve that? He let go as soon as her head plunged underwater, and she kicked the bottom to bounce upwards.
Lungs itching with lack of air, she wiped her face before glaring at him. He stood in front of her, long hair concealing his shoulders and the top of his cleavage, a satisfied grin playing on his lips.
“Ha, ha, I got you. So, who’s stronger?”
His good-humoured taunting finally brought out her smile. Strange as it was to look at her own face and listen to her own voice, she was becoming used to this peculiar fact. Probably because he now inhabited her body.
Funnily enough, she didn’t really see herself every time he moved or talked as much as she perceived him. What would her shaman have to say to that?
“I guess you win.”
He winked at her. She kept on smiling, but planted her feet firmly in the bottom of the lagoon and waited until he turned round. When he did, she tackled him with all her might to heave him underwater. She had no idea how many pounds she weighed, but he went down in a wink. Before he could regain control of himself and retaliate, she swam, scrambled, and ran to the shore.
She glanced back as soon as her feet touched solid ground. As her balls and penis still swung from her mad dash, she watched him trying to catch up with her, but the rivulets of water dropping over his face impeded his advance. Good for her. Yet she took a few careful steps back when she saw his breasts break the surface of the pool. He stood up to walk the rest of the way.
Did he view her stunt as funny or was he angry at her? She couldn’t tell as his impassive face didn’t betray any emotion. He simply came toward her in no particular hurry, his wet body reflecting the sun’s heat.
She stared at him. His skin shone golden, along with his long hair that captured beams of light. His round breasts perked up and followed the rhythm of his walk, nipples stiff from their stay in the water. While his curvy hips swayed with each step, so did his glistening, curly bush.
And something happened to her.
Her mouth dried up. As she gaped at his beautiful appearance, an odd, warm feeling spread through her, and her body hardened. She had to break eye contact with him. She had to look down.
The long dick attached to her groin had gone from flaccid to wide awake. Its head pointed to the naked woman coming forth from the lagoon, and its shaft thickened to a startling growth. Mind blank, breaths coming in quick succession, she watched the unsettling protuberance.
“Dear Creators, what’s going on?”
His burst of laughter disturbed her concentration. She glanced up to find him standing close by with a pleased expression on his face.
“You desire me.”
“No, I don’t.”
“As you wish. But tell me then, why do you think men get erections?”
“Because they...”
Her deep voice trailed off. In spite of her total disbelief, she couldn’t deny the length and stiffness of her dick. Yet having the proof right in front of her eyes didn’t make the situation right.
“It can’t be. I’m not really a man.”
“But like it or not, you’re in my body now, and my blood runs through your veins. I guess you should know that I tend to react to a beautiful woman like you, especially when she’s naked.”
She needed air. It was bad enough to have to walk around with a penis and a pair of nuts between her legs, but this unsought and uncontrollable erection topped it all. She glared at him while breathing through clenched teeth.
“Make it stop.”
“I can’t.”
He grinned and chuckled right before he made a motion as though he was tipping an invisible hat.
“But good luck with that.”
Her hard-on didn’t seem to abate as her gaze travelled from his sparkling eyes to his arousing mouth. Sha
king her head in a denial gesture, she closed her eyes to shut out the obvious sight of his amusement.
“Cameron, this isn’t funny. What can I do?”
“I’d suggest you wait. It will pass with a little time... Unless, of course, you might want to act on it.”
Wasn’t that helpful and at the heart of the matter? Lids flying open, she shot him a furious look.
“Is that all you have to say? That’s the extent of your help?”
“Come to think of it, I believe I could get dressed.”
“Do it then. What are you waiting for?”
“Yes, my lord. Right away, my lord.”
His mischievous grin fuelled her ever growing annoyance. As he sauntered away and picked up his clothes, she realised her irritation tampered with the desire she refused to feel. She looked like a man, but she'd never be one.
A surge of anger coursed through her and she latched onto her testiness while also going to fetch her garments. By the time she put on her shirt, pants, and boots, her erection had dwindled to the size of a manageable lump.
He spread the non-ripped blanket onto a stretch of dry pebbles, and took out some of the food bought at the marketplace. She came to sit next to him while a loud noise stirred within her stomach. Although hungry, her unexpected arousal still nagged at her mind and she wondered about his feelings as she took the piece of bread he handed her.
“Do you also feel desire for me? I mean, with the warrior way I look now.”
“The thing is, I don’t really see myself when I look at you. I did at first, but it’s more or less gone. Most of the time, the only person I see now is you. So to answer your question, I think I wouldn’t put it past me.”
Well, she got her answer, didn't she? Even though she shared his opinion on how they viewed each other, the idea of being aroused by her own body didn’t sit well with her. Nor ever would. Belly rumbling, she bit into her chunk of bread instead of dwelling on this perturbing matter.
The sun beat down on them, clouds drifted on the horizon, and the blue and almost green waters of the lagoon rippled lazily under the mild breeze. She admired the breath taking scenery while eating. As her new stomach needed more food to feel full, she took longer than him to finish her meal.
He efficiently packed up a few stray items, checked their swords, fed the horses, and tied his cloak and her coat onto their backs before letting them amble toward the lagoon to assuage their thirst.
They drank with slurping noises while he refilled their water skins in the clear stream running from the main lake. Her belly finally happy, she got to her feet and stretched with satisfaction.
“Where are we going now?”
He pointed toward the way they had come.
“Rangers’ Fall was one of the last towns before we reach the mountains. We’ll probably have to sleep in the wild tonight, and it will get much colder.”
“That’s a pity. I like this weather. How far is it to the place where the leader of the resistance said we have to go?”
“I can’t say for sure. I think we should get close to the Shrouded Mountains by tomorrow evening. After that...”
His shrug told her they’d have to ride and see. She took a long, last look at the glittering lagoon before joining him by the stream. The horses had finished drinking and neighed with impatience. They didn’t care about their destination, so long as they got the chance to stretch their legs.
She swatted a fly as they retraced their steps toward the main lake. Spring was definitely on the way, and although he’d warned her about cold weather, she had trouble imagining she’d spend the night with her teeth chattering. Then again, he knew much more about the Shrouded Mountains than she did.
She got on her mount while he checked the strap along his horse’s side. As she waited for him to finish the task, his whole body stiffened. She knew in a wink that there was nothing she could do.
His face turned white. Hands pressed against his ears as if he tried to shut out a skull-piercing shrill, he collapsed onto the pebbled shore.
Chapter Thirty-Four
She rushed to him and knelt at his side. He appeared to be sleeping. She briefly toyed with the idea of fetching one of their water skins and splashing water over his face, but his middle finger twitched.
Heart pounding in her chest, she stilled and watched him slowly open his eyes. A white layer seemed to cover them, similar to a thick veil keeping dust off a fragile object.
“Cameron? Can you hear me?”
Aware that he’d stepped into the realm of the Ancients like she had done twice before, she wondered where the temple was. For him to pass out like she used to when she still possessed her magic only meant there had to be a shrine somewhere nearby.
He sat up. The sight of his milky, glazed eyes sent a shiver down her spine. She hadn’t minded losing consciousness to fulfil a higher goal when she still owned her body, but looking at him entranced was a whole different story. A much scarier story.
His spirit was gone for the time being, and she found herself alone on the shore of a lake with two horses as sole companions.
She drew long breaths to quieten the beats of her pulse and took hold of his hand just as he got to his feet without seeing her.
Prompted upwards, she followed his lead like he had in the Shrine of Fate and the Shrine of Destiny. When he mounted his horse, she did the same.
They circled one end of the lake for a while until he abruptly changed course. Pretty soon, they were galloping across a vast, barren plain, with low hills far away in the distance.
She figured the horses must be exhilarated to ride full speed into flat, open grounds, but she didn’t share their excitement. The faster they went, the more cramped her belly turned as she started to believe she wouldn’t be able to keep up with the mad gallop.
Then she’d lose him.
What would she do without him when she didn’t even have the slightest inkling of what direction they’d taken? She ignored the pumping of her heart and tightened her hold on the reins.
Hours passed, or so it seemed. Had she also left behind her sense of time? The notion appeared unlikely as she noticed that the low hills in the distance now looked much closer. Bigger. Higher.
Temperatures had certainly dropped since their wonderful swim in the lagoon and, to her left, the sun was beginning to decline. Could she be facing the Shrouded Mountains already?
A river ran along the plain now. A runnel at first, it grew into a large stream with every league they put behind them. On the other side, trees and underbrush gave a nice change to the plain scenery.
She wished for the ride to end. A chilly wind whipped her face and stiffened her fingers around the bridle. Wherever they were going, he had endured the shrilling noise from a very long distance. He slowed the pace all of a sudden and veered to the right, straight toward the foaming river.
Thanking all the Mighty Gods for answering her silent prayer, she followed him slowly across a narrow, wooden bridge spanning the water. They may not have reached their destination but, however short, she was grateful for the respite anyway.
The big hills disappeared from view while he led them through the wooded area on the other side of the bridge and into a vast, grassy glade. A temple stood in the centre, looking ancient and abandoned in the midst of the surrounding, lively plantation.
Although deep lines cracked the outer walls, the old construction appeared solid enough to be entered, or so she hoped.
He dismounted, and she hurried to keep up with him. She hadn’t gone through all this trouble to lose sight of him now. Leaving the horses to their own devices, she strode inside the temple after him.
Dust flew off when they trampled the stone floor. She wriggled her nose as a strong, mouldy odour floated past.
Arms stiff along his sides, neck as straight as his back, face pointed at the shadows engulfing the room, he resembled a dead body kept upright by the sheer will of a hidden presence.
Her soul ached at seeing
him in this condition. As the thought of him staying like this forever crossed her mind, her heart began to palpitate quicker. She’d go into the shadows for him, but she needed to have him well again.
He walked toward the back of the room, and disappeared through a low opening. She trailed behind him, but had to duck to avoid banging her head. Either the Ancients used to be smaller in size, or gigantic men like the Lord of the Clans had been very few.
The next room vanished into obscurity, cut off from the light of day. Whether he was able to see in the dark, or he didn’t need brightness to find his way, Cameron got swallowed up by shadows.
She fumbled along the wall, doing her best not to panic, but recalling instead their passage in the first temple. When she found the pointy end of a torch, she lit it with his flint.
She'd feared to find herself in a small, gloomy cave. As it happened, she couldn’t have been further from reality. She stood on a square landing, surrounded by empty space. Although there must have been stone walls around, the light from the torch didn’t appear to be intense enough to reveal them.
Her booted feet rested at the top of a staircase, spiralling down into nothingness. In all likelihood, the Ancients had built the shrine underground. She leant over the flimsy handrail and peered into the dark, but she could barely make out his slim shape going down the stairs. For the love of the Creators, why wouldn’t the Ancients let him wait for her?
A gust of stale air brushed past her. Torch held high, free hand gripping the dirty railing, she carefully put her right foot on the first step leading down into the black abyss.
Her first thought was to focus on the number of stairs to stave off the alarm growing inside her, but she lost count after twenty-five as he vanished from her sight for a brief instant.
Huffing from anxiety as well as a palpable mustiness in the air, she hastened her descent until she reached the bottom of the staircase. The flame of the torch settled down as soon as she touched solid ground.
The feel of a floor under her boots relieved her anxiety. She darted her eyes around, looking for him, searching the gloom for any clue as to her whereabouts. When she spotted him, her muscles loosened up.