“Problem?” Vortigern asked.
“Some of my soldiers are missing,” Guthrie answered, leaning forward to rise.
“Relax,” Vortigern insisted, pouring another round. “They retired to their room. I had a student lead the way. If I’d known you were coming, I would have been better prepared. As it is, I only had two rooms to offer you. I’m afraid your soldiers will be sleeping together tonight.”
“You’ve offered more than expected,” Guthrie noted. “Agro will hear of your hospitality.”
“Don’t bother. He won’t give a shit.”
Guthrie swallowed a smirk then downed his drink. “Well know that your kindness wasn’t lost on my comrades.”
“They looked weary,” Vortigern replied, sweeping his gaze across the room.
“You wouldn’t know it now,” Guthrie laughed. “I need to rein them in.”
“I’m surprised you refrain from joining them. Or does a man of your status get enough fun in camp?”
“A man of my status doesn’t know the meaning of the word.” Guthrie stood and turned to his host. “But a soft bed, I can appreciate.”
“I’ll have one of my girls show you the way,” Vortigern allowed. “Let your comrades play. We’ll lull them to sleep soon.”
Guthrie scanned Vortigern’s aura, looking for a hint of betrayal, but the man had proved himself an ally on all accounts. Even the deal had gone down smoothly. His best soothsayers, he claimed, were away on a job, but he offered the best of those in his reserve.
“Then I’ll let them play,” Guthrie agreed. But before following a young student from the library, he interrupted Token’s fun and placed him in charge of those staying up.
The scotch hit Guthrie’s head as he navigated the institute’s hallways, but he wasn’t so impaired he felt comfortable being alone with a scantily-clad witch who’d barely reached puberty. To Vortigern’s credit, Guthrie hadn’t seen any teenage witches thrown into the sexual games taking place in the library, but he had no doubt the institute held ugly secrets beneath its fancy surface.
“This is it,” the young girl announced, motioning down a hallway with two doors. “The first room is for your soldiers; the second is yours.”
Guthrie headed for the second door without looking back. He didn’t much care for children and had no desire to talk with one.
Being a man of few indulgences and accustomed to the fact, he hadn’t considered what his chamber might look like, so he entered the room without the slightest anticipation. Then he stumbled to a stop.
There, in a room bigger than the boss’ tent, and on a bed bigger than any he’d slept on, lay two naked witches – Lynette and another woman, a student, who was spread open and moaning as Lynette’s fingers pumped inside her.
“There you are,” Lynette greeted, her hand surfacing as she rose from the bed. “Look what I found.”
Guthrie glanced between the temptation on the bed and the one walking toward him. “Where did you find her?”
Rolling her eyes, Lynette reached up, hovering wet fingers an inch from his lips. “Relax, Guthrie. She was eager to play along when our host made the suggestion.”
“So this was all Vortigern’s idea.”
Lynette ignored his sarcasm and moved her fingers closer. “Taste her. I know you want to.”
Guthrie’s lips parted, his tongue moistening as it slid over his teeth, but then he grabbed Lynette’s wrist and looked at the witch on the bed, who’d begun stroking herself in Lynette’s absence. The wrist in his fist squirmed, but he didn’t ease his grip as he spoke, his voice strained by undeniable arousal. “How old is she?”
“Twenty. And she likes being told what to do. Don’t you, sweetheart?”
The woman writhed under her own hand as she cooed an agreement, and Lynette yanked her wrist from Guthrie’s grasp so she could return to the bed. “See? All we’re missing is you. Now stop being so damn uptight and get over here.”
Lynette buried her face between the woman’s legs, and Guthrie watched while pulling Silestra from his sleeve and shedding his clothes. After sending the snake on its way, he approached the bed and looked down at the student’s face. She was nearing orgasm and probably wouldn’t be able to recall her own name, so Guthrie didn’t ask. He didn’t want to know.
She peaked, and Lynette emerged from her thighs, barely giving the poor girl time to recover before taking her by the hair and directing her mouth to Guthrie’s pleasure. Once the student was set to task, Lynette stood on the bed, her face slick and shiny as her eyes drew level with Guthrie’s. “How is she?”