Welcome to Capricious by Julie Cox, a Texan tale of love and magic. NSFW.

A new chapter appears every Tuesday. This week is Chapter Fourteen. Listen to the audio version at Nobilis Erotica here!

Chapter 14

 

After the chupacabras were dead, the dust settled slowly and reluctantly, as if it relished the sudden burst of activity and yearned for more. Only stray pebbles dribbled down the cliff, which was now unrecognizable. Luke stood and shook himself, sending a new cloud of dust into the air. His magic spent, he was a weary, sag-eyed version of himself. Orson caught him before he fell and looped his arm around Luke’s waist, draping Luke’s arm over his broad shoulders.

“Lean on me,” he said.

“Like usual.”

“That was one hell of a show.”

“What can I say, Allison is a demon in the sack.”

“Let me see your back,” Cormick said, ripping the remains of Luke’s tattered T-shirt off. Glen moaned empathetically behind him, and for a moment Luke had a vision of another trip to the hospital, another round of disability and sleeping on couches. Then Cormick said, “Stars above, Glen, it’s just blood. Stop being so dramatic. Put your head between your knees.” Luke felt cool fingers on his back, exploring the new wounds. “Phew, you’re lucky. These are little more than scratches. I don’t think you’ll even need stitches. A few places the old wounds are unhappy about the new ones, but you’ll be fine, soon as we get you bandaged up. I’ll be surprised if you miss a single day of work.”

“Well hallelujah!” Luke said, grinning over his shoulder at Cormick. “I’ve played as much Tetris as I can stand for one lifetime.”

“What happened?” August said as his horse pushed through the nettles and underbrush. “I heard crashing and felt a burst of magic–”

“Luke went off on them,” Cormick said with a lopsided grin. “Damn fool animals took on a satyr on his own turf.”

“I couldn’t have done what I did anywhere else,” Luke said. “Might not ever be able to do it again, actually. I feel as drained as a kitchen sink. And I couldn’t have done it before Allison, uh, charged me up. I’m gonna have to find someone else to fill me up at least a little before long. Allison will be asleep all night and most of the day, I imagine–I took a lot out of her.”

“How does it work?” August said.

“How does what work?”

“Charging your magic. A talisman? A ritual?”

Luke laughed. “I’m a satyr, what do you think? I feed on lust. Someone gets horny around me, I get a boost.”

August swung off his horse, strode forward, and kissed Luke. Luke was startled and made a high-pitched squeak of protest, but the lust-magic seeping into him soothed his soul, like water on cracked earth. He relaxed into the kiss, reminding himself that it was just for the purpose of magic. He didn’t have to want it or enjoy it to get something out of it. Only those around him had to want it. He tried to forget who he was kissing. What he was kissing. In his myth-folk form, he’d be kissing air–August’s real head was a skull under his arm. Luke focused on the mortal part of August, which was at least palatable. He parted his lips, letting August’s tongue dip in and out of his mouth. August tasted like tea and smelled like horse and leather and earth.

Luke breathed in deep, surprised to like the way August smelled. He’d expected an expensive cologne, or aftershave, or hair product, not a natural scent so close to his own heart. His body responded, much to his chagrin. He didn’t want August to touch him, and he wanted even less to enjoy that touch, even when it was necessary. Still, pleasure rippled through him like a warm wind. It was possible that he was feeling someone else’s pleasure, not his own. His magic didn’t always work like that, but occasionally it did, especially when he was unwilling. The magic didn’t like to be denied.

As soon as he had strength enough to stand on his own, he put his hands on August’s chest and broke off the kiss. August’s hands had found his waist, and he didn’t want them to find anything else. He cleared his throat and looked down at his feet. They looked like human feet now, in the full dark, not a satyr’s cloven hooves. “Uh. Thanks.”

August looked him up and down, a nearly sinister smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. “My pleasure,” he murmured, turning to mount his horse.

“How’d you know that I’d let you do that? I haven’t been with a dude in years, I don’t exactly talk about it much.” Somewhere in the dark nearby, Orson snorted.

“I didn’t. Until you let me.”

Luke chuckled. “Bastard.” He walked ahead of the horse and rider back down the path toward his house, leaving Cormick to relate the details of the fight to August. Glen stuck close to Luke’s side, the way Sootie did when she was feeling particularly vulnerable or especially protective. He wondered which way Glen was feeling after such a night.

The walk back was easier, the forest seeming to part before the party. But then, the forest was more Luke’s now than it had ever been before, down past its roots, to the heart of the mountain. Luke was refreshed, able enough to function until he had a chance to recharge fully. The thing was, though, he was pretty sure the magical energy he’d soaked up hadn’t come from August, if the ghost was even capable of producing the sort of life-filled energy on which Luke subsisted. He doubted it. No, the magic he’d soaked up had the distinct flavor of lustful fae.

* * *

Can’t wait for the end? Get the entire serial now in one ebook for just $6.99, or paperback for just $14.95! Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the author: Julie Cox is the author of Chasing Tail and numerous short stories in Circlet Press erotica anthologies. She lives in Texas with her husband, children, and ever-expanding menagerie of animals on their farm. She runs a small online yarn business and teaches yarn spinning. She has numerous stories published with Circlet Press and elsewhere.

[wp_eStore_fancy2 id=14]