Conjuring the Flesh Read online

  Ander couldn’t help smiling. Whether fate or simple good fortune, joining Thane’s band had transformed him. He was no longer a simple musician, an ornament to entertain customers in a brothel. They had sworn to bring down the zamindar, and Ander had pledged himself to the cause. The task would have seemed impossible had he not seen the art’s power with his own eyes, felt it with his own flesh. He squirmed as he thought about the magic Thane fashioned out of pleasure.

  “What’s on your mind?” Sorel asked. The curly-haired youth looked into Ander’s eyes, perceptive as always. “You’re not worried, are you? You’ve already proven you can contain pleasure long enough to touch the kei.”

  Ander reached over and slipped his fingers around Thane’s hand. “I’m just thinking how fortunate I am.”

  Thane rolled to his side and traced the ridges of Ander’s abdomen. Then he wrapped his fingers around Ander’s erection and gave it a leisurely stroke. “No luckier than us,” he said. “I know how you feel. And you know how I feel. Or you will, when we renew our bond.”

  Ander shivered as Thane fondled him. The hardest part of the art was keeping lust at bay long enough to weave the spells that warped reality and conjured magic. But at least the struggle was with pleasure, the opposite of the blood magic used by the zamindar’s sorcerers. He sat up and turned to his lover, spreading his legs wide.

  Thane matched his position, putting his legs around Ander’s slender hips and pulling their bodies close. They sat crotch to crotch, erections touching, while Nicolai and Sorel applied sandalwood-scented oil to their backs.

  “We’ll use trance smoke this time,” Thane said, running his hands along Ander’s sides. “A mild form, just enough to help you slip into the kei easily. But you’ll have to concentrate to maintain control of your body.”

  “Remember to use the mirrors,” Sorel said. “Sensations are confusing when you’re deep in a bond. The mirrors will help you see what you’re doing.”

  Ander nodded, his eyes half-shut as he returned Thane’s caresses. “Will this be the same as last time, then? We’ll share everything we feel?”

  “It’ll be harder. You’ll have to be more active this time. But don’t worry. I’ll let you know what to do.”

  Nicolai picked up a robe and wiped his hands while examining their glistening bodies. He looked satisfied. “Too bad I can’t paint. You two would make a fine illustration in the gramarye curiosa.”

  Sorel knelt beside the brazier and sprinkled dried leaves over the coals. Aromatic smoke filled the air, sweet and pungent at the same time. Ander felt lightheaded as Thane leaned forward and gently pushed him onto his back.

  “As always, the art starts with love. Kiss me.”

  Their lips came together, brushing lightly, as their bodies flowed together along their full lengths. Ander’s hands slid over Thane’s broad back, then down to his buttocks. Hard muscle bunched beneath his fingers as the mage ground against the slippery ridges of Ander’s midriff.

  He looked up and saw Thane’s reflection in the mirror above them, his body moving with powerful deliberation. The smoke was thicker now, wispy purple strands floating through the air. Desire surged, and he felt his heart racing. “Roll over,” he murmured. “Let me show you what I’ve learned.”

  Thane cooperated quickly, rolling onto his back. Ander crouched next to him and slid his hand from Thane’s neck down to the navel. Hard flesh tensed beneath his fingers. He swung around and positioned himself to straddle his partner’s head, then bent down and took a deep breath before taking the head of Thane’s cock between his lips. He held himself motionless, gently tugging the sensitive flesh before letting the smooth shaft slip into his throat.

  Thane put a hand on Ander’s hip and pulled him lower. Sorel reached between them and angled his erection down. It slid into the wet heat of Thane’s mouth in a single smooth glide.

  Ander began to undulate, sliding his cock between Thane’s lips as he sucked. He fell into an easy rhythm and forgot about the kei, forgot about the fragrant smoke swirling around them, forgot about the two youths crouching beside the cushion. He closed his eyes and ignored everything except the warm glide of lips over his flesh and the satisfying hardness of Thane’s phallus in his throat. His balls pulled tight against the base of his cock, and his legs began to tremble.

  A hand caressed the back of his neck. “Easy,” Nicolai said. “It’s the smoke making you forget your goal. Open your eyes and see what you’ve done.”

  Ander opened his eyes. Red haze colored his vision. Startled, he saw the glow was coming from Thane’s body and his own; they were already touching the kei. He stopped his movements and let Thane’s cock slip from between his lips. Then he pulled back and rolled onto the cushion, his head swimming from the effects of the trance smoke.

  Thane didn’t give him time to get distracted. “Clear your mind,” he said as he moved between Ander’s legs and poured scented oil into his palm. “Learn from your flesh. It will lead you.”

  Ander squirmed as Thane spread sensitizing oil into the crack between his buttocks. “It’s working,” he said, panting. “I feel everything. I think my skin can even taste the smoke.”

  Thane slid a finger through the well-oiled opening. Ander gasped, trembling.

  “You’ll learn to feel smoke. To hear light, smell sound. In the kei, anything is possible.” He rotated his finger gently, loosening the tight muscle, then slipped a second finger inside Ander’s body. “But don’t worry about learning, for now. Just experience it fully. Understanding will follow.” He took his time, making sure his entry would bring only pleasure, before positioning the head of his slickened cock between Ander’s buttocks and waiting for a sign.

  “Go ahead,” Ander said, his eyes half-closed. “I’m ready.”

  Thane pushed forward, joining their bodies together against only the slightest resistance.

  Ander threw his head back, ecstatic, as the long phallus eased into him. The slippery oil, blended with herbal extracts, increased his control over his body at the same time it magnified his sensitivity. “You feel so good inside me,” he said softly. “Like we were made for each other.”

  Thane made a slow withdrawal, as leisurely as his penetration had been. “Perhaps we are meant for each other.” Smiling, he began to move in a relaxed rhythm.

  Ander milked Thane’s cock, relaxing as the shaft penetrated and tightening as it withdrew. Watching the wonderment fill Thane’s face as pleasure spiraled was as exciting as the silky glide of hard flesh inside his body. His cock twitched, drooling slick fluid beneath the dusky glans. He heard something like distant music, and then, when he was briefly distracted by the elusive sound, he felt a slippery caress stroking the length of his erection. His eyes opened wide.

  “It’s happening! I’m starting to feel what you’re feeling!”

  Thane nodded. “You renewed our bond quickly.” His voice was a throaty whisper. “I feel your sensations too. All of them.”

  He began to move faster, barely pausing at each end of the stroke, keeping the steady slide of his phallus perfectly controlled. Nicolai and Sorel gently pulled Ander’s legs wider, opening him to deeper penetration. The red halo outlining their bodies began to sparkle with bright points of white light.

  Ander moaned as he fought to keep sensation from overwhelming him, his back arching in time with Thane’s movements. Coordinating with his lover took no thought; they moved as one body, pleasuring itself as shared sensations echoed between them in an intense loop through their bond.

  “Don’t get lost in it,” Sorel said. “Look up, into the mirror. Seeing your body will help anchor you.”

  Ander looked at the mirrored ceiling. Their joined bodies, slick with oil, shimmered with red light. Thane’s cock shone like burnished copper every time it emerged from its slippery sheath. Sorel and Nicolai crouched like muscular acolytes on opposite sides of the leather cushion, each holding one of Ander’s legs in a powerful grip. Points of light receded to infinity as lamp fl
ames echoed between mirrored surfaces.

  As Sorel had said, seeing as well as feeling allowed him to regain his orientation, though he still felt the slippery grasp of a clenching muscle stroking the length of his cock, the bunching of strong muscles in his buttocks and back, the glide of a thick phallus deep inside him. He basked in the intense stimulation. Then he started to lift his hips again in time with Thane’s thrusts, but by watching the mirror, he was able to tell his own body’s perceptions from the sensations flowing through the bond. He shifted and squirmed, squeezing Thane’s shaft from different angles, feeding their mutual pleasure. Thane groaned with appreciation, his thrusts repeatedly stroking the place inside Ander that yielded the greatest pleasure, the bond unerringly guiding him with sensations instead of words.

  Thane slid his hands behind Ander’s knees and leaned forward, pressing his legs up along Ander’s sides and pulling his hips off the cushion as Nicolai and Sorel sank back on their haunches. His fucking slowed. A swirling ball of energy materialized above them as the leisurely strokes sent jolts of ecstasy through their bodies. Gold with green streaks, it pulsed in time with their heartbeats. “We’re one now,” he whispered, his lips nearly touching Ander’s. “Do you feel something, beyond the pleasure?”

  “Like we’re floating in darkness, but there’s a light inside us. What is it?”

  “Touch it with me. Then you’ll understand.” He lowered his head, and they kissed. At the same time he pulled his phallus partway out, so the tip rested against Ander’s most sensitive flesh, and began a series of short jabs. Shuddering pleasure coursed through their bond, and the first jet of his ejaculation flooded Ander’s body.

  The shock of Thane’s orgasm surging through their bond triggered Ander’s own shattering climax. A fountain of semen gushed between their hard bellies. Again and again, in perfect synchronization, they emptied their seed.

  The sphere above them sizzled with an influx of anima. It changed from gold to blue and expanded to the size of a large melon. Rainbows of light blossomed around the mirrored chamber as the manifestation of the kei stabilized.

  Ander was limp with reaction to the wrenching orgasms. Thane’s sweaty body pressed down on him, heavy and hot. He didn’t withdraw until they both caught their breath.

  Sorel and Nicolai stood, their bodies shining in the sphere’s coruscating light. “Roll over, Thane,” Nicolai said as he slipped his thumbs under the top of his loincloth. “We’re aching!”

  Thane rolled to the side while Nicolai and Sorel slipped out of their meager silk garments. Their cocks were rampant, upthrust and drooling.

  Ander propped himself on an elbow as Sorel knelt by his side. His erection speared up from his groin, curving so the glans almost touched his navel. Ander caught the strong scent of his excitement. He leaned forward and captured the slippery head in his mouth.

  Sorel’s back arched, and his muscles went rigid as Ander’s tongue tickled the sensitive skin where the glans joined the shaft. A jet of semen filled Ander’s mouth with earthy flavor as the cock slid deeper. He caressed Sorel’s tight balls as the rest of the ejaculation emptied itself deep in his throat. Nicolai was equally primed, gasping as his release flooded Thane’s mouth.

  Sorel tousled Ander’s hair affectionately, then pulled back. The four collapsed on the cushion in a tangle. Wisps of blue smoke drifted around them, playing games with the glowing sphere. Ander pondered the ball of energy while they caught their breath.

  It’s a part of me, my anima joined with Thane’s. Maybe I can learn the art after all. Here was final proof that he had the capacity to become an initiate. He leaned against Thane as the mage’s arm circled him protectively.

  They rested while the last of the specially prepared leaves burned to ash. As their senses returned to normal, they began to stir. Ander wasn’t surprised when Thane was the first to wriggle free and roll to his feet. He was a relentless worker.

  Thane stood beside the cushion, hands resting on his hips. “Maybe I should paint a picture of this. I’d call it When Mages Turn Twenty. I’d use it as a caution to initiates, warning them what happens if they let themselves start aging.”

  Nicolai gestured with a rigid middle finger, then curled up with fluid grace. He put his hands on the floor beside the cushion and smoothly pushed himself into a handstand. After a few seconds he launched into a series of back flips, narrowly missing several mirrors and lamps as he crossed the chamber. He came to a stop next to the door and gave Thane a sunny smile.

  “You’re welcome to paint me if you can keep up with me. Last one into the bath has to wash Thane behind the ears!” He tugged the door open and darted out of the room.

  Sorel got to his feet. “That sounds like a job for you, Ander.” He patted Thane on the butt, then followed Nicolai.

  Ander could tell from Thane’s grin that his barb had achieved exactly the desired result. He got to his feet and put an arm around his lover’s waist. They strolled across the mirrored floor, content. When they reached the door, Ander turned and nodded toward the sphere of energy still hovering above the leather pad. “How long will it stay? Do we need to do anything with it before leaving?”

  “It’ll be stable for an hour or so. After we’ve washed, we’ll store it in a hearth crystal. I have plans for it.”

  They entered a passage leading to the bathing chamber. Fine tapestries lined the walls, interspersed with oil lamps in niches, and a soft rug protected their bare feet from the stone floor’s chill.

  “What kind of plans?” Ander asked. “I thought you used the spheres for things like light globes and fire starters.”

  “We do. But this is a new blending. Your anima and mine, together in a manifestation for the first time. It will have properties different from any other blend.”

  Ander found the idea appealing. “I remember reading about every blend being different. But I thought the art depends on how you use anima, not how you make it.”

  “You’re partly right. But every mage and his anima are unique, so blends created by different pairings will vary. The blending is part of what makes the art such a challenge.” He gave Ander a strong squeeze. “And it’s why we keep looking for new initiates, like you. New initiates mean new magic.”

  “And new lovers,” Ander said as he returned the hug. “That’s what I like about the art. Sex for love, not for money.”

  “We were lucky to have found you.”

  Ander nodded, again wondering if more than luck might have been involved. They entered the washroom. The chamber was lined with rose-colored marble and was dominated by three large terraced pools. Water from a hot spring flowed from a spout into the top pool. A sluice on the pool’s opposite end created a waterfall into the pool on the middle terrace, and another waterfall splashed into the lowest pool. Stairs along the front of the pools provided access.

  Nicolai and Sorel were already in the central pool, standing under the sluice and washing each other with eucalyptus-scented soap. Water splashed off their strong bodies as they scrubbed each other. Ander and Thane joined them beneath the downpour.

  “I thought you two had gotten lost,” Sorel said. “Or more likely, gotten lost in each other’s slippery fingers.” He began to wash Thane’s genitals with a soapy hand. “I love watching you together. What a sight! It’s a good thing Erik and Skorri weren’t there. We wouldn’t have been able to keep them off you.”

  Ander scooped soap from a niche and lathered Thane’s back with it. “Sounds like fun. I’ve heard of their prowess.”

  Thane sighed. “A few short weeks and his modesty has vanished. Sorel, you and Nicolai have a remarkable way of bringing out the debauchery in new initiates.”

  “I was already horny when I met them,” Ander said. “I think that’s why they liked me.”

  Nicolai grabbed him from behind. He squirmed strongly but couldn’t wiggle out of the northerner’s grip. Nicolai took a few steps to the deep end of the pool and dropped him in. “We liked you because you were such a shy
beauty. Or so we thought. Maybe you just knew the best way to seduce us, yes?”

  Ander found a submerged ledge and settled onto it. He leaned back, arms propped behind him on the pool’s marble rim, and gave Nicolai an innocent gaze.

  Sorel laughed. “I wager he could seduce anyone he wants. He even ensnared Thane.” He settled into the water beside Ander and beckoned for the others to join them. “Take a rest, Thane. At least for a few minutes. We’ve been too busy repairing damage done by the damned cuirassiers. We need to think about what the zamindar will do next. We won the battle but not the war.”

  Thane’s expression turned serious. “Good counsel, as always.” He and Nicolai took seats on the pool’s opposite side. “We destroyed the zamindar’s device, at least. I think it must have been one of a kind. They were using everything at their disposal just to get it working.”

  Sorel nodded. “I think you’re right. But they’ll surely build another. Especially if it was meant to preserve the zamindar’s life. He’ll do anything to gain that power.”

  Thane’s scowl showed his agreement. “We have to stop him. But how? A direct attack could never work. No force we can gather could match his guards. And our attack through the kei worked last time only because they weren’t expecting it. They won’t make that mistake again.”

  “Maybe we could deprive them of the materials they need,” Sorel suggested. “Those crystals they were using, they must be rare. If we could find out where—”

  “Did you feel that?” Ander surged to his feet, his eyes wide. The others looked at him mutely.