Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94582 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94582 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
“We both swore to the High Priestess that we’d do the sacrifice,” he pointed out. “I don’t break my promises.”
“All right.” Sky nodded. “Then let’s go.”
And with a final wave at Neen’ya, they left to go back down the curving stone corridors to the Sacred Chamber.
THIRTY-SIX
SKY
Sky thought about trying to talk to the big Kindred, but she didn’t know what to say. It seemed a pretty fair bet that she wasn’t yet ovulating, which meant that Torin was going to be the one who got pierced, just as the book had suggested.
It seemed a very normal thing to her, that she would soon be penetrating him, but it was clear that the idea was alien to the big warrior. Sky swore to herself that she would make it as easy and pleasurable as she could for him. In the short time they’d been working together, she had come to care for him much more deeply than she would have thought possible.
She also craved him—the thought of making love with him was intoxicating. The idea of filling him while she breathed in his warm, spicy scent and fisted his thick shaft was incredibly hot. She wanted to hear him moaning for her, begging for more, wanted to feel him give himself completely as he shot his seed for her. The very idea made her pussy hot and wet and her nipples hard with anticipation.
But she knew she couldn’t enjoy this unless she could help Torin to enjoy it also. There was a gland inside most males—both Serpentine and Mammalian—which gave great pleasure when pressed or rubbed the right way. And it just so happened, that Sky was an expert at finding it and working it correctly. She’d never failed to make a male she was fucking shoot for her and she was certain the big Kindred would be no exception.
I’ll make this good for him, she swore to herself. No matter what else happens, I’m going to give him more pleasure than he’s ever felt before. It will be something to remember me by, since we’ll be going our separate ways once we catch the killer.
Speaking of the killer, she was beginning to wonder if he was in the Shrine at all. They had been almost everywhere and had yet to see him. Maybe he was in disguise and was waiting until the evening to come out?
Sky wasn’t sure but she promised herself she and Torin would be guarding the High Priestess and her acolytes when that time came. For now, though, they had to offer the sexual sacrifice they had promised.
There was nothing else they could do.
THIRTY-SEVEN
TORIN
Torin was determined that he was going to endure this. He was pretty sure at this point that he was going to be the one getting penetrated—if he’d had any doubts, the damn Book Which Writes Itself had been there to dispel them. In his head, he kept seeing the words that had appeared on its yellowed pages again and again…
“You will be pierced. You will endure both pleasure and pain. The experience will change you.”
But it’s not going to change me, Torin told himself fiercely. Because I’m not going to let it affect me. It doesn’t matter if Sky’lar straps on a phallus and shoves it inside me and fucks me with it—I’m going to remain stoic—set apart from the pain.
He’d had to endure torture before, during his work in the Elite Espionage Corps and making his mind go away to another place—a more pleasant place— was a common technique for him. There was a certain tropical beach on Phobos Beta that he favored for this purpose—it had pink sugar-sand and clear purple waters with shakka palms rustling overhead.
Torin was certain he could take himself away to the beach during this experience just as he had when he was being tortured. And when it was over, he simply wouldn’t think about it. Everything was going to be fine.
He hoped.
They reached the immensely tall double stone doors of the Sacred Chamber and Torin saw they weren’t the only ones here this time. There were several other Serpentine Couples waiting, like people in line at an amusement park on Earth.
Only instead of waiting to ride an attraction, we’re all waiting to either fuck or get fucked, Torin thought grimly, then tried to push the thought away.
“Is this the third group?” Sky’lar asked the Serpentine woman ahead of them as they joined the line.
“Oh, yes it is.” The woman turned to face them but Torin saw no outline of an egg under the scales of her abdomen. Her husband turned too—he was a head shorter than her and rather thin and small, even for a Serpentine.
“Hello,” he said pleasantly. “Are the two of you fucking for pleasure or procreation?”
“Oh, er, we’re not quite sure yet,” Sky’lar said awkwardly. “It depends on if one of my eggs is ready to fertilize or not—I’m told the priestess on duty can tell me.”