Jak nods.
‘That’s assuming you want to stay with us,’ he says quietly. ‘If you wished to break the bond, make a new life away from all this, from us, you need only say. Dane can do such a thing.’
She looks taken aback.
‘Is that…what you want?’ she asks carefully.
I surge forward, taking both her arms in a sure grip.
‘No,’ I say forcefully. ‘It’s not what we want.’
The others shake their heads.
‘But the binding can be broken,’ Locke murmurs. ‘You have the right to choose, Bryn. We want you with us, but we understand if you want something else, a new life in the Light. We could ensure it.’
But she’s already shaking her head. ‘No, I don’t want that. I want to be with you. All of you.’
My relief is palpable and, as I look at Jak and Locke, I see the same in their faces.
Our little human wants to stay with us. Thank the Gods.
When we head back to the Library to get a little sleep before the sun rises, my heart is lighter than it has been in a long time. I take Bryn to my room. Jak and Locke both look like they want to join us as I close my door in their faces, but I want some time alone with my female. I want her close. I don't want her in some room alone, unable to get to her if I need to.
I’m tempted to play with her, but as I slip into my bed beside her, my exhausted little human is already asleep so I content myself with simply holding her close instead.
The morning comes too soon, and I wake with a yawn. I breakfast with my female, and then I makehermy breakfast, letting her whimper and writhe on my tongue for a good long while before I allow her to find her pleasure.
When she's sated, only then do I slake my own lust in her tight little cunt, letting the golden piercings of my cock rub her to ecstasy again. I hold her by her tiny throat and am surprised that she seems to like it when I squeeze it just a little.
It makes me wonder what else my little human would enjoy, and I decide that when we know what the future holds for us, I'll spend a bit of time finding out exactly what other games my little human might find pleasurable, both in my bed and outside it.
Just before we leave Kitore, we go up to the mezzanine to say goodbye to the First Scholar. We find the witch there, perusing the book that Jak gave to her. It's full of sketches of Dark Realms beasts, I see as I look over her shoulder, and she glances back at me.
‘They didn’t come,’ she says, looking perturbed.
‘Perhaps our information was wrong,’ Jak replies with a sigh. ‘Apologies for all this, Vie.’
She says nothing for a moment, but then stands. ‘We will remain vigilant, nonetheless. Are you leaving the city already?’
He nods. ‘But have you thought on what we spoke about yesterday? Is there a place in the Light where we might be hidden?’
‘There are places,’ she answers vaguely. ‘Come to me if you have need, and I will aid you. All of you.’
Jak bows his head. ‘Our thanks, First Scholar.’
‘You’re my friend, Jak, I’ll always help you if I can. Thank you for bringing Bryn to meet me.’ She grins. ‘And for this.’ She tapsthe book lightly. ‘There’s a wealth of knowledge here, and you know that always softens me.’
I look down at the ageing parchment under her finger that she speaks of with such reverence, great shadowy beasts etched with care upon the page. I frown as I notice the other pictures, clearly showing the best ways of slaying them, mostly with fire, which I already knew. She sees where my eye strays.
‘Have you seen any of these before?' she asks me with interest.
'One or two,' I say vaguely.
I point at one. 'That one. Tenth circle.'
'Did you kill it?' she asks.
'Wasn't there to kill it. I was just passing through. Fire would have done it for that one,’ I point at the tentacled breast at the top of the page, ‘but it doesn’t always work.'
