Chapter 22: Illia: Witching Hour❤
Illia:
Serica pulled free from me for the fourth time that evening. I clasped her wrist. Our pairing had broken, but my newfound respect for the up-and-comer had not.
The sun had long since set, and my night-time friends frolicked in the street outside, playing keep-away from the torches and street-lamps of our home.
Despite Serica's thoughts of me as a quiet caster, my magic was anything but. Internally I heard and spoke with all of my little helpers. I loosed the window, and Serica's breeze pulled past me in a huff.
"Suit yourself bitch."
As I leaned over the window-ledge their soot eyes followed me. They called with voices like echoes, "Illia!", I waved back, "Good-evening!"
Serica was already dressed and exiting the door. She'd soon be in position, leaving me just enough time to gather my force. That fourth session was over-zealous on my part, she was rougher when she couldn't feel every thrust through my mind, and I was a sore disheveled mess.
"Ill, you're so naughty!"
"She's cute!"
They of course were privy to the events of the day, having watched from rafter perches and hidey-holes.
"Enough of that," I gave the window-ledge a light smack, "Today was all business."
They didn't push the issue, thank goodness. They certainly could have, but my girls understood how troubled I felt. They had to be aware of Regis's transgressions, but they would never let me know. Shadows hid, revealing what someone did in the dark was beyond them.
"What's the game?"
"Yes, what are we playing!?"
"Catch the toad, but I've got some special rules tonight," I hung a piece of parchment reading "Home Base" from the window, "You all have to hold hands, and one of you must remain in contact with Home Base at all times."
"Ooh fun!"
"A prize for the catcher?"
I finished reapplying my green-black lipstick, "You really think you'll catch me this time?", their void-black forms pooled beneath the window, kept at bay by a flickering candle on the bed-side. One of their hands snaked across the room, slow and trembling, and then snuffed the small flame between its fingers as I hopped from the window, rolled across the ground, and rushed to the protection of a street-lamp, "Gotta be quicker than that!"
They rushed, emboldened, an inky hand sat firm on the "Home Base" parchment, and a daisy-chain of black bodies linked onto it, weaving an tightening circle around my island of light, drawing closer as the lamp choked and sputtered, I jumped a link of arms and bolted for the next lamp as the first went dark. I carried on like this, wrapped in their laughter, and dipped into an alley.
Windows along the way provided framed escapes from the onslaught, each blacking out moments after I leaped into it, we gave the manor a wide berth and approached it in a spiral. A cold hand managed to grip my heel and I shed it, then the other, continuing barefoot on my way.
"So close!" One shouted.
"We have to work together, get ahead of her!" Came from another.
My legs still held a weak wobble from my time with Serica. Normally these minor shades weren't able to lay a finger on me, unless I let them. They noticed their edge, and pushed, the next window-light in my path blinked out ahead of me and I went stumbling, breath ragged, as cool fingers ripped a garter down my thigh.
I hadn't the time to reward my catcher tonight. Though their soothing touch would serve as a balm, Serica and Areli waited. I wove a shadow-bramble behind me, to prick at their forms and buy me some time, and felt my hold on Reilin unravel, the girl was stirring, and I'd likely have to let her walk to see this night through. Hopefully that wouldn't cause any issues.
I didn't like to keep people under for too long, prolonged exposure led to dark dreams, and she'd already been through plenty enough.
"She's getting crafty!"
My shaded trail neared its culmination, the rear wall of the manor's garden, as planned, there was a gap in the patrol. Serica's Wind ripped through the leaves of an ornamental cherry-tree to inform her of my arrival as I made my way up the wall on conjured vines. Three of my pursuers circled me and yanked at my dress's hem, my breasts came free and the fabric drug from my feet. Night air kissed at my nipples. I refused to quit, and pulled myself over the rough stone wall.
Excited shrieks and giggles rose as I landed on my knees in dew-drenched grass on the other side. The space was soaked in silver moonlight, a practical defense woven against shade-weavers like myself. My pursuers peeked over the wall and pouted.
"We've got all night."
"You've got to come out sometime."
The piercing lunar lamp overhead made my skin crawl, naked and exposed, I crawled beneath the cherry-tree and lay back against its trunk to catch my breath, "Time out... You all did so good."
They were in position, and despite their promise to hound me, I knew their attention wouldn't last. With trembling fingers I sided my thong and rolled fingertips along the crest of my sex. They took turns, rolling along their chain to perch on the wall and watch.
The night's silence persisted, punctuated by my soft sighs and the gentle squish...squish...squish of my probing fingers.
"She's so pretty..."
"Illi, please come out and play with us..."
Bells didn't ring, guards didn't shout. Serica was inside, navigating a trapped maze. I didn't let myself dip too deep into my throes, just enjoyed the sensation of my fingers palpating sore slick flesh.
Her girth had made me weak in front and back. I suckled my fingers, her essence still coated me, mixed with my own, the taste carried the same Dawnlight heat of our faded union.
I felt a twinge of uncertainty. With what she now knew she could ruin me. I had her promise, but it rang hollow now that I couldn't check in on it. My stolen shades grinned, adored me for what I'd done. They couldn't tell a soul, I was safe with them. Serica could, would even, if given a good enough reason. I'd watched as she'd balked at and avoided the knowledge. It was part of her in those hours, and now it was just a fact rattling around her head.
My onlookers were too many, one would have likely been too much. Girls like Reilin desperate to shed their weakness. When I'd started it had felt like a favor, like I was freeing them. Now I watched them go about their lives, dragging false shadows stuffed with roots and tendrils, missing what had made them happy and whole.
Those parts of them now littered the streets, a throng jealous of flesh. I played with them out of pity, they deserved more and I gave them what I could.