Chương 28: Friends. With benefits.

Ch 28: Friends. With benefits.

The silky fabric Isa wore was sliding against Felix's skin as she moved. The hardening nipples of her big, soft breasts pressed against his chest. She eventually stopped and lay her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I've always been a dutiful daughter," she said.

"Disciplined. But I can't stop kissing you. You make me feel like a different person." He couldn't figure out if he was absolutely thrilled. Or maybe guilty about Cici. Was he horny? Starving? About to pass out? Only time would tell. Whatever Isa was feeling around him, he definitely felt a kind of push and pull around her. Was it because he was a fire mage and she was a 'water pool'? They were opposites in more ways than one.

"I…don't want you to stop," he said.

"But…" He wanted to murder whatever part of him was feeling guilty about this.

"They brought me a fire teacher. A woman named Cici. Er, Lady Mashet. From the Spotted Isles. We've…been getting closer. In the last few days." How did you delicately say 'she gave me a blowjob and she's really great, but it's not like we're married, and if I have to pick one of you, I pick you?' Isa looked at him and…grinned. Whatever she understood from his 'subtleties', this was definitely not the reaction he was expecting.

"I'm not surprised. She's very beautiful and charming. That's why I sent for her." He tried to say something clever. Instead he just gaped like a fish. Isa covered her mouth and shook with a laugh.

"I went to school with her, Felix. We're friends. I knew what all the boys thought of her, and I thought…" She shrugged.

"Since I couldn't be with you, I thought I could at least give you a beautiful thing. Someone else to… comfort you. I'm glad you're getting close." He looked between Isa's brown eyes and shook his head. She'd done that for him? For no reason except to take care of him? Sent another woman to… what? To his bed? He sat up and wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her in to kiss those thick lips again.

She didn't resist in the slightest, lips wrapping around his tongue as she sucked and licked and moaned at the contact. He was officially jabbing her with a growing erection now. When their lips parted she kept her face against his and kissed his cheek before looking down with a shy grin.

"So how close did you get? Did you make poor Cici deal with… that?" He blushed. Hard. He was still blundering over some kind of response when Isa ran a hand over it through the thin fabric.

"I won't pretend I'm not jealous. But she's a fire pool and you're a powerful fire wizard. When you're finished training you'll probably have to pick three or four to serve you. Some married men pick kin." Her hand wasn't exactly stroking him, but it wasn't completely still either.

"But wizards and pools who aren't kin always become lovers. Touching each other's souls so much…it can't be helped."

"I don't care about any of that," he said, staring into her eyes.

"Cici…she's great. But I thought being with you was impossible. It was just…I've never…it's you I want." Isa rammed into his lips and moaned, her reaction sending warm waves through his body. Touching her was like some kind of drug. He was desperate for that hand to move between his legs, to start ripping off her clothes.

"I want you, too," she whispered.

"But…I can't have you. Not yet." The fire inside him just about lost its shit. He sympathized.

"Then you might want to move your hand," he said, trying to keep calm. Isa bit her lip as she took it away.

"Sorry. I…can't help myself."

"Trust me, I don't mind. But maybe explain how 'not yet' gets turned into 'yes more' before I explode." Isa grinned and was clearly fighting the same lust he was. She took a deep breath and licked her lips.

"I have to talk to my father. Our family. They'll have their own thoughts but…" she looked away and played with her hands.

"Female rulers are rare. When it happens they usually marry the most powerful wizard they can find. To give their children a strong chance at the same. To build for the future. And to protect them from their enemies." If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

"I'm a powerful wizard," Felix said instantly.

"Super powerful. I have a soul stone to prove it and everything." Isa laughed and ran her fingers down his face.

"I'll suggest it. But now I need you to go back to your studies and show everyone just how powerful. I don't know what will happen, but…" Her face turned more serious.

"But there are things happening on the isles. There's change coming and my family will have to be ready."

"Do you mean because of the attack?" Isa nodded.

"That and other things. There'll be an inquiry. A trial between the houses. We have procedures for these things and all kinds of politics and who knows what else is coming."

"OK." Felix let out a breath.

"So go back to training with the kids. No problem. How long are we talking?" He glanced at his own erection.

"You know, out of curiosity." Isa laughed again and kissed his temple, letting out her own sigh.

"I don't know. I wish I did. I'll push father and make my case. But half the house saw you out in the square. You were amazing. Surely they'll see just how important you could be, to have a wizard and a warrior both…" She trailed off and looked at him with a frown.

"How do you move so fast? I saw it back at the bridge, but I guess I thought it was some foreign thing. But now we know you're a fire and water wizard…and that you don't know any spells. That…makes no sense." Felix shrugged.

"Don't know. Just always could. I use mana and just…pull it into my body. Makes me strong, fast, all of it. It's not like a spell or anything. Though now I can use my fire mana and I don't need to find a source. Which is pretty damn handy." Isa shook her head.

"But…fire doesn't do that, Felix. Neither does water. It would have to be earth or air." He raised an eyebrow and she took a deep breath.

"There are air and earth spells that increase strength and speed. That can harden the body or create bursts of power. But you can't channel those. You can't use that kind of magic." He grinned, not sure he cared at the moment. And reality required no advocate. He could do it, whatever she said. He wrapped his arms around her and tried to avoid his cuts. He took one of her knees and pulled it beside him, turning her to face him as her legs spread over his lap.

She gave a little gasp as he hugged her in and kissed her again.

"I guess I'm a mystery. Now how long do you figure we have before Cara breaks down that door?"

"I can't," she practically whined.

"Not yet. You're only torturing us."

"Is that what you call this?" He laughed and ran his hand down her back, making her moan as he gripped her perky ass. He just about melted at the feel of it in his hands, some combination of soft and firm and incredible. But she was right. If he kept going he might not be able to stop. He turned to the side of the bed, stood and picked Isa up with a squeal, setting her down on the tiles.

"Alright. I've waited my whole life, I can wait a little longer. I'll study. You get convincing. And if you need any help, I'm happy to burn something. Also I can move small cups of water back and forth like a ten year old now, so, there's that." Isa grinned and hugged him. Neither of them seemed willing to pull away. He felt her fingers sort of dig in. She spoke without looking up at him.

"You know… you don't have to wait. You should…get closer to Cici. It would be a coup for our family if you could bind her as your fire pool. And…if I have to share you, I'd prefer it was with a friend." Felix processed that, then forced her back so he could meet her eyes.

"Uh. Bind her? And no, I don't need that. I don't want you thinking about me with some other woman. I know how I'd feel. I'd never hurt you, Isa, not for any reason. You understand?" She smiled and got on her toes to kiss him again, wiping a finger across his lips.

"It won't hurt me. I'm only jealous because I want you. I told you, you'll need pools, even when we're married. They'll be like concubines. And you'll have to take Cara, too, as my guardian. It's customary and otherwise she won't have anyone else. You'll have to get used to such things if you want to become a proper island lord. It's our culture." He just about choked on his spit. An imaginary vision of the little blonde bodyguard naked flashed before his eyes. He desperately fought it down.

But he saw no reason in the world to challenge what Isa was telling him.

"Let's just call that a 'future problem'. But what did you mean about bonding?"

"A wizard's soul…" Isa shrugged.

"It imprints on a pool of any mana type except his own. It happens when you draw mana, but it even happens when you touch. The more powerful the wizard, the more easily the bond can happen. Usually it's temporary. But…"

"But I'm fire, and so is Cici. Doesn't that mean I don't bond her?"

"But you're also water," Isa said.

"Which means if you draw enough mana from her, or just touch her enough, you can permanently mark her pool. After that, she becomes yours by law, and obligation. You'd have to take care of all her needs for life." Felix cleared his throat, thinking just what sort of needs the bold fire pool had. He was also somewhat shocked he was getting comfortable enough to ask what he was about to ask his…future potential wife.

"By touch, are you saying I should…"

"Lie with her," Isa said, a little pink touching her face.

"It may not happen the first time. You'll have to…" she looked back and forth.

"The more chances the better, you understand? And then you won't be lonely and suffering so much. And you can focus on your studies. And show my family you're starting to understand your duties. And come to them with your very own, highly desirable fire pool." His duties? Yeah, real tough responsibility. Felix shook his head, feeling like the luckiest man in the world. To think not very long ago he actually wanted to escape. He wasn't sure when the idea had disappeared, but it had.

His only concern about the outside world now was getting his father and bringing him here.

"Isa," he said, giving his hopefully bride to be one last kiss before he met her eyes, "Whatever happens, I promise am going to study very, very hard." Isa grinned and hugged him again. They just stood there in each other's arms as Cara knocked at the door and cleared her throat.

"I can hear literally everything, by the way," she said as if lying on the ground.

"There's a big crack at the bottom. Also I can easily unlock this door." Felix winced, a bit embarrassed. Isa just shook against him with a laugh.