A/N: Sorry it took a tad longer to get this installment out. I'm very excited for the next few chapters to come out (29-31). They're one of the main ideas I've had since the very beginning of this journey. So I'm very interested to see what you think may happen, or what you think at all so comment pretty pwease! I beg of you!
"Now why don't you enlighten us to your little plans dream freak?" I poke the ring leader aggressively in the forehead. Paired together, the large group of cultist didn't stand a chance against Fuegoleon and I working together as one. One by one they fell like flies until there was only one left: the creep that's been manipulating my dreams for sometime. After the group fell Fuegoleon was able to capture the jerk with his Leo Palma spell. "Come on spit it out, I don't have all day. If you haven't noticed its fucking freezing up here." The guy refuses to talk though. He only keeps laughing at our questions. It kinda creeps me out actually.
"It doesn't appear he's very forthcoming. We'll just have to take him back to headquarters for questioning Ember." I hear Fuegoleon say from behind me as he looks through the guy's grimoire.
"Aw come on! You were soooooo talkative during the fights jackass. What's holding you back now? Cat got your tongue?" I ask the guy, making sure to get really close to his face. But he still seems unwavering. I sigh, falling back on my butt. Everything this guy has put us through hasn't been very fun. He was one that helped Helia released the sickness upon the town and it nearly ended up killing my captain along with the entire village. The guy then was apparently in charge of my horrible nightmares which caused me to seek out this mountain top, all in hopes that he could kill Fuegoleon in front of me and break the completed seal releasing Helia. But obviously his plan went to shit when we teamed up together.
"You could always just give him one of those awful tasting potions of yours."
"But that would- hey wait a minute!" I look behind me at the lion who merely smirks a minute. "If that was a jab at my potions.... Well.... aright then." The wind continues to whip around us, reminding us of the high mana region we were currently in. "How are we going to even get him back to interrogate? It's not like we can just roll him down the mountain side. Wait-can we?" Fuegoleon merely sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose at my suggestion. The mysterious guy starts laughing again. "See he even likes the idea!" I jab my thumb at the guy behind me.
"No. We can't just treat prisoners like-"
"Hahaha! She's here! She's really here! Mistress I did as you said!" The guy starts yelling into the wind. It looks like he finally lost it. I scramble to my feet, running to be by my lion's side. Something about this guy doesn't seem right.
"I think he's lost it." I whisper to Fuegoleon who nods in agreement.
"Mistress! Please I just need a taste of your power please! I'm your eternal servant! You're magnificence knows no-" His voice starts to gurgle and a look of horror crosses his face. Blood quickly starts to pour from his eye sockets, nose and mouth as he tries to call out to his mistress. The same thing starts to occur to the multiple unconscious lackeys surrounding us.
"Holy shit! What the fuck is that magic! Dream freak, stop it! It's seriously gross and Halloween is over! Stop it!" I yell at the guy as I hide behind Fuegoleon, daring to peak out from around him to see the horror occurring. As soon as it began it's over. The guy is dead, along with everyone in his group and we have no answers. The guy falls to the ground with a loud thud as the Leo Palma spell is released. We slowly walk up to the body, blood still pours freely from every opening this guy has. I'm actually shocked at how much blood there is in such a short amount of time. Using my foot I slowly turn the body over before squatting down to get a better look at the sudden cause of death. "Was there anything in his grimoire that could do with this?"
"Not that I could see for the brief moment I had it. Those last words though, he was talking to Helia before he died. Could she have something to do with his death?" I start examining the corpse, his blood has already frozen from the extreme cold. I don't sense any magic behind this attack, nor any underlining disease that may cause his blood vessels to suddenly burst at the high altitude.
"I wouldn't put it past her. Though this death seems a little too quick for her usual methods. If it was her, she must not really want what ever information they had to get out. Either way I think dream freak is still going to be haunting my dreams. What a way to go." I shiver as my mind replays the guys last moments. Even if he was our enemy, I wouldn't wish such a horrible death on any one especially if it means the guy's soul is now in Helia's grasp.
"Indeed." We stay on the mountain top a little while longer, taking notes of anything peculiar on any of the fallen enemies before burning their bodies. The last thing we did before starting our descent back to earth was destroying all traces of the magic circle that allowed me to venture to the underworld and save Alec's soul. The descent was quicker than the climb but it would have been quicker if Fuegoleon let me follow through with any of my suggestions. I didn't think they were that absurd. I mean we were on a snowy mountain side, who wouldn't want to go sledding down to the bottom. It would be much quicker than walking, but Fuegoleon was quick to point out how clumsy I was, making sure to emphasize I would probably run the sled into a tree or off a cliff accidently. I hate to admit it, but he was most likely right. By the time we make it to the base of the mountain the sun has started to set, but we decide to push forward and get back to the portal's location so we don't have to camp out for the night. Finally we make it back to base, utterly exhausted. Slowly we drag our feet through the empty hallways in to the elite wing where our bed awaits.
"Do you think it's over?" I ask, running the comb through my wet locks. Fuegoleon steps out of the bathroom, towel around his waist. Silently he makes his way to the dresser to get his clothes for the evening after just completing his shower.
"I don't know. That enemy seemed too weak to be the mastermind behind Helia's plan. I also doubt that this was what Alec's warning was about. Perhaps there's something greater at work." Fuegoleon tells me before letting out a long yawn himself. I'm sure he's more exhausted that I am. I walk over to the bed, pulling down the crisply made sheets for us to climb in under. I'm more than happy to snuggle under the covers, next to my own personal furnace. Even though it's just the start to winter, the mountain has made me eternally sick of the cold. I'm already ready for spring to get here.
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"A trip to Raque? But isn't that the resort town for nobles? I can't afford that, I spent extra this month on my potion supplies. I wanted to send extra to the villages because flu and cold season is practically here."
"It is. But don't worry about the cost. I wouldn't make you pay. Besides my family has a house down on beach, so you don't have to worry about hotel costs." Fuegoleon tells me as he runs his hands through my hair. I snuggle in closer to him, looking through the brochure he's given me as part of tonight's reading assignment.
"But why?"
"Think of it as a winter vacation. You've been complaining about the cold for a while now. Besides I think we could some alone time that didn't involve missions. We've done a lot over the last few months. I have the place reserved for us starting tomorrow."
"Mhmmmm, that sounds wonderful. I'm always down for some beach time. But did you ever stop to think I maybe complaining about the cold to have an excuse to be closer to you?" I say, my voice heavy with innuendo. I lean my head back, planting a brief kiss upon my captain's lips.
"You know you don't need an excuse for that." He says before leaning back down to continue our night time session.
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"Ooooo look! There's snow cones over there! Oh! Oh! But there's ice over there! Oh my lord! Is that a frozen margarita she's got? It's 10 in the morning but I want one! Come on!" I grab Fuegoleon's arm pulling him with me to the various food vendors scattered across the beach. Leo had already run a head of us, claiming to see some sort of body building strength competition down on the boardwalk. Originally it was just supposed to be a vacation for Fuegoleon and I, but Leopold insisted on tagging along, claiming that practicing his magic near the sea would only help him get stronger.
The first day we arrived at the vacation house was spent getting acclimated. Seeing as Fuegoleon and Leo have been here multiple times, it was more like me getting acclimated to the beach house. I strain to call it a house because the place is still so large that I got lost for half a day coming back from the bathroom. When I finally found Fuegoleon he had fallen asleep on a lounger outside next to the Olympic size pool that over looked the nearby ocean. Why someone would put a pool next to an ocean, I'll never know.
So on the start of day two I decided to pick up a more lively scene and drag Fuegoleon to the public beach. It wasn't hard to get Leo to follow us, after all where Fuegoleon went, Leo was usually soon to follow. Normally I would have been content with the peace and quite the Vermillion family's private property gave us, but something in me really wanted to experience all the different things the public beach had to offer that a private one couldn't. My favorite food and drinks (although there were private chefs at the beach house to provide this, but it was all too fancy for my taste), people watching, surfing/paddle boarding lessons, sand building competitions, the list goes on.
"Relax, the food isn't going anywhere. Why don't we find the place to set everything up first then you can get your food. If memory serves, it's over there." He says moving forward to a large cabana near the ocean. It's got a sectional sofa placed in the shade while lounge chairs are right outside in the sun. There's even a little kitchenette for food prep/storage. There are several long white linen curtains tied back to posts around the whole thing, it all screams money to me. Yet again we are at a beach resort for nobles. We set down the supplies I've brought, but it appears that the place has been fully stocked with everything we may need a head of time. "What are you looking for, everything is right here." Fuegoleon asks walking over to the kitchenette's counter. There's a basket containing sunscreen, lotions and the likes while another basket contains a variety of fresh fruit.
"Sunscreen."
"Like the one right here?" He asks pulling it out of the basket. I squint at the label before continuing the search in my bag.
"No. I need like spf a billion, I'm so pale. I guarantee as soon as I take this cover up off kids will start running, screaming that the beacons have been lit. That's how pale I am.... Ha found you!" I pull out the canister of sunscreen I've formulated myself. Kicking my flip flops off I open the canister and start liberally applying the stuff to every visible patch of skin.
"You over exaggerate. I've seen all of you and you're not that pale." Fuegoleon says, coming up behind me and grabbing me by the waist. I squeak out loud from being startled.
"Yeah in bed. Indoors or outside at night. Not in the blazing sun. Trust me, Thalia used to say I could deter ships I was so reflective. Help me will you pretty please?" I ask him, handing him the sunscreen and taking my white coverup off to reveal the army green bikini I'm in. He complies with my request and starts to cover my back in a protective layer of sunscreen. Afterwards we switch places. By the time we just about finish Leo returns, trophy in hand.
"Look! There were some pretty strong guys there but nothing compared to me! I'm the champ- hey! What are you doing! Give that back!"
"After you put on sunscreen. Now hold still Leo!" But he wiggles away from my grasp. He runs around the kitchenette using the island as a barrier between us.
"No way am I putting any of that gross stuff on!"
"It's just fucking sunscreen! Now man up and get over here, your brother already put his on!" I yell at the cub as we chase each other around the island.
"No means no! I don't need any!" He cries as I jump over the island in attempts to close the distance between us. He starts running down the beach with me hot on his trails.
"Come back here you ginger! You're going to get burned and then you'll get skin cancer! I am not taking care of you when that happens!" With a mighty leap I grab onto Leo's braid yanking him down to the ground with me with a loud thud. "You are such a kid." I mutter as I force the sunscreen over face.
"Alright, alright mom! I'll do it myself! Now get off!" This is how the rest of the day's antics went down. Leo would run off somewhere while Fuegoleon and I spent time relaxing together. First it was with a game of giant size chess. Then Leo would come back to show off his victory for some sort of contest and I would have to chase him down to remind him to reapply sunscreen. Then he would run off again and we would find something else to do, like paddle boarding. Leo returned again in need of something else he didn't know was needed (water, food, more sunscreen). Quite frankly I felt like Fuegoleon and I were his parents on that beach.
When made it back to the beach house, Leo never came out of his room after taking a shower. My hunch was he fell asleep, tired from running around all day in the sun. This left Fuegoleon and I to enjoy a peaceful meal on the patio, watching the sun set.
"Do you think he'll be okay if we just happen to wander away from him tomorrow at the festival?" I ask, taking a sip of my glass. We were currently planning our itinerary for the rest of our vacation. Luckily for us there was a festival tomorrow in Raque which we were planning on attending. It would most likely be another public outing as a couple, but with having to babysit Leo today I was a tad worry about leaving him alone at the festival.
"He's fully grown. You didn't have to keep watch over him today either. You should have just let him get sunburned. Perhaps he would have learned his lesson then." Fuegoleon says, putting down his silverware, his meal fully finished. I twirl a strand of hair around my finger. With all the salt water we've been in today, it's extra curly.
"Easy for you to say. I'm in charge of the squad's health meaning I would have to taken care of his idiotic burn. Just call my overbearing behavior preventative care if you will." I take another long sip of my margarita, finishing off the contents before getting back up to head into the kitchen to refill my glass. Fuegoleon follows me in, bringing his own glass with him. I start collecting all the ingredients for a fresh pitcher of drinks.
"You're still thinking about work? We're on vacation. Take a break for once." He says taking a seat on the opposite side of the kitchen island. He watches me intensely as I start preparing ingredients.
"Like work didn't cross your mind at all today either. I know you Fuegoleon Vermillion." I say pointing the knife at him that I was using to cut the limes with. He arches an eyebrow giving me "the look" before I continue cutting limes. "Don't think I didn't notice you calling Randall to check in when I was getting ice cream." The last thing to add to the pitcher is the tequila. I measure out what the recipe calls for and dump it into the pitcher. We both take a glance at what's left at the bottom of the bottle before I decide to just pour the entire thing into the pitcher. It was vacation after all. "Was today's volleyball tournament not enough for you?" I ask pouring our freshly made drinks into new glasses.
"I'm surprised you willingly participated actually." I grin widely. That's right I did the unthinkable and willingly tried my hand at a volleyball competition when Leo challenged Fuegoleon on the court. But I wasn't very good at the game. I got smacked in the face with the ball a few times when I got distracted by some cute puppies walking along the beach front. But I just couldn't help myself from looking. Their cute little furry butts and the adorable ears and the tail just made me want to scoop them up and run away with them. Instead I got scolded for loosing my focus during the game.
"Ah well I thought I'd try but I'm not very good at it. My nose still hurts from that ball." I mumble, walking around the island to sit next to Fuegoleon, nursing my newest drink. The last few rays of daylight leave the horizon as night time comes into full swing. The sound of waves crashing on the beach front fills the room.
"Well then you're just going to give it your all when we play again tomorrow. That's the only way you're going to get better. You've got to show the ball your true firery passion for the sport!" He clenches a fist in front of himself determined to play another game, but I don't know against who. Between him and Leo there's no one left on the beach who even stands a chance against them. But his resolve is adorable none the less.
"But why do I got to practice the stuff I'm bad at?" I pout putting my drink down on the countertop. Slowly he turns to down at me. I don't know if it's the pitcher of margaritas we finished off at dinner or the vacation vibe, but I've been feeling more suggestive ever since we step foot into Raque. "I mean, why can't we practice something we're both good at? Hm?" I ask, grabbing his fist and placing his palm flat against my cheek. I close my eyes and sigh. Everything just seems so perfect here. The relaxing sound of the waves, the warm air, the smell of sea salt. I wish we cold just stay at the beach town forever.
He chuckles before leaning down and placing a sultry kiss upon my lips. I lean in reciprocating kiss. We've done this a million times before but it doesn't stop it from making my heart skip a beat. Feeling teeth grazing my bottom lip, I allow him entry. Our tongues dance together to a familiar song that only we can hear. I wrap my arms around his neck sealing my body against his. His hands roam down my side, slowly as he takes his time to memorize every curve, every movement my muscles make. His hands come to rest on my butt giving it a light squeeze. I squeak in protest, but any sound is muffled by the kiss.
"Should we find somewhere more private to practice? Leo is bound to come looking for dinner when he wakes up." I whisper, breaking the kiss for the briefest of moments. Fuegoleon gives the briefest sigh before grabbing my thighs and hoisting me upwards. I wrap my legs around his waist in response as I continue where we left off in our heated kiss. It's not long until we make it through the hallway and past the doors signifying the entry to the bedroom. I don't even hear the click of the door as it closes. All I'm focused on is the contact our skin has and the resulting tightness in the bottom of my stomach. The heat, the desire that I'm feeling is not one unbeknownst to me, nor is it unfamiliar to him.
The creak of the bed's springs hits my ears as Fuegoleon lays me down amongst the many pillows and blankets before climbing on top of me. His hands roam down my sides, slipping off the light robe I have on, exposing my bikini from earlier today. His lips soon follow the same path his hands took but I can hear a frustrated grunt from him as he realizes the fabric is in the way. I reach upwards, pulling on the string holding my top together, allowing the it to become untied and effectively thrown across the room.
"That's better" I hear him say before his mouth descends on my nipple. He lightly bites and pulls on it with his teeth. This causes a moan to pass my lips as I arch my back. With a free hand he pinches and rolls other nipple. The rougher he gets the more I crumble under his touch. His methods never cease to arouse a response from me. My legs squeeze around his middle as I try to satisfy the rising heat in my core. Although the slick fabric of our swimming suits causes an undesired barrier, the additional friction gives rise to my ever growing need for him. The more I grind against him the greater his own need grows. My hands make their way to the top of his head as I slowly push him down needing some sort of release. But he grabs my hands pinning them above my head as he looks up at me. "They stay here. Think of it as a test of.... self control." He says before leaving a trail of kisses down my naval.
I gasp loudly in surprise as he grabs my legs and pulls them onto his shoulders. He wastes no time pleasuring me. His attentiveness is one of the things I love the most about him. He gives my wet folds several slow long licks before plunging his tongue into my cavern. I bite my lip and nearly tear a pillow apart as I'm forced to keep my hands above my head, lest he stop his ministrations. But not hearing me call his name adds fuel to the fire and he steps it up another notch, curling his tongue to stimulate every nerve within me. As he savors the flavor of my essences my toes begin to curl and every muscle seems to scream as I'm pushed to the edge. Fuegoleon seems to notice this as his grip on my thighs becomes tighter and I realize his eyes are focused on my expression while he continues his exploration. Finally I can't take it any more.
"Fuegoleon~ Fuck! Please~ I'm going to~" The knot explodes and with it a steady stream of my juices are released. Fuegoleon laps up the rest of my flavor before lifting his head and licking off the remains off his lips and chin. My body still quivers as the feathers from the pillow I've ripped apart start to settle down around us. With half lidded eyes I look past the valley of my breasts, into his lavender eyes. The look he gives me I know all too well. We aren't done yet.
With my legs still on his shoulders he moves upwards, sealing my lips with his. I can still taste the unique salty flavor on his palette. As I explore the full flavor of his mouth he reaches downwards, releasing himself from his swimming trunks. I have just enough time to grab another pillow above me as he roughly shoves himself inside of me. He holds my ankles on his shoulders as he thrusts deeply, the restriction of my hips no longer a hindrance on the depth he can achieve.
"Fuck! Fuegoleon~" I cry out loud, arching my back to close any small distance we may have had. The bed squeaks repeatedly under the full force of his penetrations. His breath becomes more and more labored as he maintains this intense pace.
"Ember~" He moans my name before placing one of his hands down next to my head for stability. The other remains on keeping my ankles on his shoulders. His head bows slightly, creating a curtain of vermillion hair around us, separating us from the rest of the world. My moans continue to increase in frequency and intensity. His member filling me fully like a breath of fresh air. Then that breath turns into a gust as he hits the perfect spot, causing me to come to reach completion another time this evening. My small frame shakes, as the immense pleasure fills me from head to toe, hitting every nerve in my body. The sound of his name on my lips seems to fuel him even more as he pummels into me, enjoying the tightness my warmth has on him. His grip on my ankle tightens, and soon he follows suit, reaching climax himself. The deep sound of my name rolling off his lips as he finishes sends chills down my spine.
For a minute we stay where we are, catching our breaths and coming down off our euphoric high. I whimper slightly as he withdraws himself from me and slowly lowers my legs back down, before taking his place next to me. His arm snakes around my middle, pulling me towards him causing me to rest my head on his chest. His heart still beating profusely from our activity.
"Finally! Thank God! I was sleeping! Go to bed!" I hear Leo's muffled complaints. Fuegoleon and I try to choke our laughter down at the grumpy teen. But we quickly fail, allowing our laughter to be freely heard. Soon my eyes tear up from the belly aching laughter I'm producing. I totally forgot he chose a room right next to us. How unfortunate for him.
"Should we try practicing again?" I snicker.
"NO!NO MORE PLEASE GO TO BED!" Leo yells, and we start laughing again at Leo's expense. He was the one insisting on joining us in Raque after all for training. It was in this moment that everything felt right though, Fuegoleon's loving embrace, the feeling of being content, the smiles that graced our lips. Everything was perfect the way it was. I only wished if I would have known what horrors awaited us in the near future so that I would have stayed awake longer to savor this moment in time.