Chapter Four #4

“My grandpa isn’t going to hurt you,”

Charlie assured him. “You’re safe here in Ilamanthe.”

Ivy made a skeptical noise. “Sure, boss.”

After dinner, we had a short lesson in Elvish before Eddie told us we were free for the rest of the evening and it was a good idea we get some rest.

One of the rooms in Charlie’s suite had been converted into a mini-greenhouse for Sprigs. The little guy was enjoying jumping from leaf to leaf, sunbathing underneath the heat lamp. He gave us a squee as we went by, and I waved back.

Oberi wanted to fly around the city and stretch her wings. I watched the phoenix go as she leapt off the balcony, soaring over the palace towers as her white feathers contrasted against the sunset sky. Charlie leaned against the balcony, and I smiled as I observed the wind brush back his hair.

“How do you feel about being a prince?” I asked.

Charlie shrugged. “I’m torn. Some of this is great. I get to be part of a big family, one that has a noble cause and all this history.”

His shoulders slumped. “Then, at the same time… it’s also a lot to take in. Sometimes too much.”

“It’ll get easier. It’s only the first day,”

I promised.

“I don’t know if it will. My grandpa makes it sound like there’s a lot of responsibility. If I had grown up with this, it might’ve been easier, but I’ve been thrown into it.”

The setting sun cast rays across his darkened expression as he added, “I don’t like my dad, but when I see things from his perspective, I can understand why he ran away. Even though I would never leave, because I do want this. It almost scares me… how easily I’m willing to do bad things for the family. My dad wasn’t comfortable with it, because he grew up in Forevermore and never had to be that bad person in order to survive. I have. If my grandpa were to ask me to do something morally reprehensible for the family, I’d do it, because I’ve already done bad things, and I wouldn’t flinch. I don’t know if that makes me a bad person… and honestly, I don’t really care if it does.”

“It’s okay to be conflicted.”

I took his hand. “Maybe you’ll become sure of yourself once you spend more time here.”

“Maybe.”

Charlie turned toward me and took both of my hands. “Let’s forget about it. I have a present for you.”

“A present? Where’d you find time to get me a gift during your busy day?”

“You’ll see.”

Charlie led me back to our bedroom and in front of a large floor-length mirror. He pressed his hand to it, and a portal began to open. “There’s a panic room on the other side of this wall that only I can get into. It’s meant to be a safehouse for us if there’s an emergency, but I had a better idea for it.”

I wheeled through the portal and into the room. An enormous smile spread across my face as I took in the area. In the middle of the room sat a king-sized bed with restraints attached to each of the posts, along with a bar overhead that had been drilled to the ceiling. On the wall hung all kinds of toys— whips, chains, rope and ribbons.

A dresser sat beside the bed. I went to it and began opening drawers. Vibrators, rabbits, cuffs, blindfolds and other toys were laid out on the velvet pillows within the drawers. Everything in the room was shades of black and green, and burning black candles hovered in the air as the only light.

“You turned it into a secret sex dungeon.”

I was absolutely delighted. It was better than Christmas morning.

“I knew you’d love it.”

Charlie’s grin was just as eager as mine. “The best part is— it’s soundproof.”

“So I can scream as loud as I want?”

“Even louder, baby girl.”

I found a set of black lingerie in one of the drawers. I’d never worn anything like this for Charlie before. This was going to be fun.

I unzipped my tracksuit hoodie. “Want to help me get dressed up?”

“As long as I get to touch you.”

Charlie knelt before my chair. He slipped off my pants before his fingers caressed my legs gently. He pulled the lingerie bottoms over my legs and adjusted them around my ass, taking his time to touch my smooth skin. The panties were lace and had an opening at the bottom so I didn’t have to take them off in order to fool around. There were straps that crisscrossed over my ass, and they matched the bra, which I fastened around my breasts. The top had slits for my nipples, too. I had never felt more alluring.

“I feel sexy.”

I shook my hair around my shoulders, which fell in waves. I knew I looked hot.

“You’re always sexy.”

Charlie explored the lingerie. I shivered at his touch as his hands wandered everywhere, discovering where there was lace and where there was bare skin. I gave a small yelp as Charlie lifted me out of the chair.

He carried me to the bed and sat me down. “You’re to do everything I tell you to, understand?”

“Absolutely.”

He’d get no protest from me tonight. I wasn’t in the mood to be a brat. Right now, I just wanted to please him.

Charlie rummaged through the drawers, until he pulled out some sort of expandable stool. As he unfolded it, I observed that it was big enough for one person to lay under, and had two thick elastic straps with a slit in the middle. There was a handle on the top of the stool to grab, though I wasn’t sure what it was for.

“What’s that?”

I asked curiously.

“It’s a surprise. No more questions.”

Charlie placed the stool beside the bed, then began undressing. As he slid out of his clothes, I observed him hungrily. We’d messed around after we’d left the Institute, but we could never be as crazy as we wanted to, because our friends had been around. Now that we were in this secret place, we could do whatever we wanted, and nobody would know but us.

Charlie sat on the bed. “Lie back.”

I did so, lying beside him. He reached into a drawer at the bedside and pulled out a small device that was shaped like a budding rose. He turned it on, and it began to vibrate.

Charlie propped up my legs, then placed the vibrator directly on my clit. Holy hell, I swear, the world opened up when that happened. Sending me to a new dimension. The vibrator used air to suction onto my clit, and pulsed intensely. I usually had trouble distinguishing what was pleasure and what was just sensation during my spinal injury, but I had no problem knowing just how good this device felt. The effect was similar to Charlie’s tongue. It was like he was giving me oral. I became dizzy, and fell into a lull as Charlie’s other hand rubbed the inside of my thigh.

The moment I was about to go over the edge, he moved the vibrator from my clit to one of my nipples. The effect was just as delirious. Damn if this wasn’t an amazing tool. He alternated from my nipples to my clit until I was writhing on the bed, before he drew the vibrator away.

“Don’t edge me right now,”

I begged. I was way too close to getting off.

“I don’t want you to come until you’re on top of me,”

Charlie said lowly. “Be my good girl and behave.”

I was confused. I hadn’t been on top since my spinal injury. It’d just been too difficult, because my legs couldn’t hold me up anymore.

Charlie set the vibrator aside. He leaned over to grab the stool, then set it so the legs of the stool were on both sides of his hips. He lifted me onto the chair, and as I sat down on the elastic straps, I finally got what he was getting at. Charlie adjusted my legs, and a thrill of exhilaration went through me as I imagined the possibilities.

Charlie adjusted himself, and I used the elastic straps to sink down. Delight exploded throughout my senses, and Charlie gave a sharp hiss. I realized that he was inside me, I was on top, and with this chair, I could ride him as much as I wanted.

This sex stool was my new favorite accessibility aid. I realized what the handle was for; it was posed in front of me, right before my breasts. I grabbed it, and used my arm strength to pull me up and down. The elastic straps I was sitting on helped me to bounce, and I found I could use them to adjust my position and go deeper without any effort. I didn’t have to rely on my legs at all!

Charlie gave a moan, and I became completely invigorated. I used the sex chair to move on top of him, sinking down on him as far as I could and picking up speed.

Charlie let out a ragged gasp and managed to force out, “Slow down, pidge. You’re going to get me off.”

“That’s the idea.”

I let out a wicked cackle, before giving a moan of my own.

“I want it to last. Go slow, now.”

A command, not a request. I slowed up and used the chair to take long and teasing strides instead. Charlie fumbled for the vibrator and pressed it against my clit. My eyes rolled back, and I had to resist every urge in my body telling me to fuck him faster as I forced myself to follow Charlie’s order. I felt an orgasm build and release, and as I clenched around him, Charlie made a gasping breath.

“A little faster,”

Charlie said, and I increased my pace. Charlie continued using the vibrator on me and reached up with his other hand to pinch and twist my nipple. I let out a soft sound and enjoyed the feel of his hand on my breast as we became entangled in the moment. I rode him for a long while, and changed up the angle, so I was taking him in deeper. As his dick rubbed against my g-spot, I swore, my body began to elevate.

“Faster,”

Charlie ordered, and I fucked him as hard as the chair would allow. I felt his release building quickly, and at his excitement my own began cascading, too. He fisted his hands in the sheets as he came, and I went right after, fireworks exploding behind my eyes as the world turned into a dazzling array of colors and light.

I had to take a few minutes to catch my breath. My arms were burning from lifting me up and down, but damn, it had been worth it.

Charlie appeared stunned. He took a few moments to recover before he helped me off the stool, then put it away. He reached into a mini-fridge sitting on the dresser, which was stocked with water bottles. He gave me one, then took a couple of long drinks himself. “Hell, it feels like we ran a marathon.”

He winced, before he added, “Poor choice of words. Sorry.”

“It doesn’t bother me,”

I said. “You don’t get offended when I tell people we saw something.”

“I guess not.”

He got a bottle of lotion from the dresser drawer. “Lie on your front.”

I turned over onto my stomach, and Charlie began rubbing my back. I almost didn’t know what I liked more— the sex, or the aftercare. Even when sex wasn’t particularly dominating, Charlie always spoiled me after. I think he liked taking care of me as much as I enjoyed being pampered by him.

As Charlie massaged my shoulder, I sniffed, and my lip quivered. I had tears in my eyes, though I tried to hide them away.

“Pidge, you crying?”

He turned me over and wiped a bit of wetness away from my lashes.

“What you did was very thoughtful,”

I said shakily. “I never thought I’d get to have sex in that way again.”

“It’s not like I didn’t get any enjoyment out of it,”

he said, amused.

“Yeah, but… you wanted to make sex accessible for me. How’d you even think of it?”

“I know it’s a little weird, but I had Eddie’s help setting this place up,”

he confessed. “I sent him with a list of stuff to get, and the chair was one of the things he suggested. It’s a tool he and Alistair have used. He thought it’d be helpful for us to have one of our own.”

I didn’t think it was weird. On the contrary, I thought Eddie was being very kind, to be so open in order to help us. “Even if it wasn’t completely your idea, I’m still touched. You remembered that I loved being on top, and you came up with a way to make it happen.”

“Of course I did,”

Charlie said, and he tucked me into his chest as he kissed the top of my head. “I’d do anything to make my pidge happy.”

I knew he would. This room was made for us, but he’d created it for me.

“It’s wonderful,”

I replied with a sigh. “Our little sanctuary.”

“I think this room needs a name,”

Charlie said. “That sounds about perfect. Our Sanctuary.”

I snorted and put a hand over my mouth. “It sounds like we’re screwing in a church.”

“What we do in here is holier and more sacred than anything in any church could be.”

Charlie reached over to pull me on top of him. He gave me a light kiss, and I rested my head on his chest.

This place was our Sanctuary. We had tools we could use here that would make our time together truly ours. Nothing had to be missed, or left out.

Now that we were free, we could experience every aspect of our intimacy together, like any other couple would. There didn’t have to be any barriers in our way. It made me dare to think we could just be… normal.

Though I cast that idea aside almost instantly. Now that we were part of the Elven mob family, normal would be something we’d never get a shot at ever again.

As the days passed in Ilamanthe, Charlie and I were kept busy with royal duties and growing our magic. We had demigod practice every single day, and it was made clear to us that harnessing our abilities to their fullest extent was our most important task. Charlie’s team was looking into the vampire key, but so far, they hadn’t found anything conclusive that could lead us to where the key might be.

One morning, while Abigail was curling my hair, she said that my family wanted me to visit for lunch. I kissed Charlie goodbye, then left him to go practice mirror portals with his grandfather. Opal, Marina, Abigail and I hurried off to the suite where my family was staying. Kallie didn’t come, since she was in a meeting with a couple of Elven diplomats about fae relations, and I didn’t want to bother her.

Oberi walked beside me with his head held high. Each day, Oberi wore an even bigger and more ridiculous hat. Today’s hat was in the shape of a large mushroom, with a bunch of little mushrooms stacked on top of it. It was wholly obnoxious, and I knew that’s why he loved it. He had his own personal room now in our quarters that was solely devoted to his hat collection, and I’d never seen him so happy.

A servant opened the door for me to my family’s suite. The area was set up like a full-size condominium, with a kitchen, living room and all. Mama was at the stove, working on her famous Italian. The Elves were amazing chefs, but not even they could measure up to Mama’s cooking.

Alana was sprawled out on the couch with her tigress Familiar, Zareen. She practiced Water magic by making a stream of water spin in mid-air. Maverick tinkered with tools and mechanical gears at a desk nearby, though the project was so jumbled I couldn’t be sure of what he was working on. Daddy sat in front of the widescreen with a black cup of coffee. He watched the latest updates on the supernatural news with a scowl.

Daddy was always glued to the news stations these days. I was worried it was turning him into a different person.

“Oh, good, you’re all here,”

Mama said as she set garlic bread out on the table. “Ez should be along soon.”

Not a moment after she said that did my brother waltz in. Tahoma squeezed through the door behind him. The peryton had to tilt his antlers in order to fit through the door, even though it was wide. The moment she saw him, Marina gave a squeal and went tottering toward my brother.

“There’s my big girl.”

Ez reached down and lifted Marina on his hip. She gave a happy squeal.

Ez kissed Opal, and added, “And there’s my sweet girl.”

Opal blushed, and I smiled. Opal and Ez were so cute together, and Ez did such a good job of taking care of Marina. Daddy side-eyed Mama, but she didn’t say anything.

None of us had sat Ez down and had a private conversation about where his relationship was going with Opal. I was waiting for Mama and Daddy to bring it up, but so far, they hadn’t. I thought it was pretty weird, seeing as how Ez was already acting like a dad to Marina. I figured they’d tell him to slow down or something, but nobody mentioned anything. I guessed we’d have to see where it led.

“This looks wonderful, Mrs. Mitoh,”

Abigail noted as she rolled up beside me, taking a napkin and putting it on her lap.

“I made more than enough. Take whatever you wish,”

Mama responded kindly.

Abigail got along well with my family, which was good for her, because I would’ve fired her if she didn’t. Alana enjoyed her company, and I trusted my sister’s judgment, so I let my walls down with Abigail just a little.

Throughout lunch, we talked about what everyone was doing in Ilamanthe. Mama and Daddy were doing their best to hold the tribe together with the other chieftains, while Alana and Maverick were getting accustomed to the schools in Ilamanthe.

“What about you, Ez?”

I asked as I finished my plate. “I haven’t seen you around much.”

“I’m studying healing full-time. The Elves have a really intensive medical program, and I’ve immersed myself in it. I don’t have time for much else,”

Ez stated.

“Ava, have you stopped by to see Maddie yet?”

Daddy asked, abruptly changing the topic. “She’s been waiting for you.”

“I’m a princess. I’ve been busy.”

The excuse was flimsy. I’d been avoiding going to see my aunt, because I wasn’t sure what she’d tell me next about my prophecy. I knew that’s what it had to be about. She wouldn’t summon me for a friendly catch-up.

“Hm.”

Daddy made a face before he stood up from the table. “We have a surprise for you, peanut.”

People hadn’t stopped spoiling me since I’d become princess, and I found it delightful. “Ooh, what is it?”

I asked eagerly.

“It’s waiting outside.”

A little while later, I found myself sitting by the side of the cobblestone street outside. The palace had a garage area to store vehicles in order to get around Ilamanthe. My gaze instantly jerked to the side when I saw a beautiful red sports car turn the corner. It was low to the ground, with big fat tires and an engine that roared so loud it made my heart stutter.

“No way?! You got me a car?!” I yelped.

“An adaptable car, one you can drive,”

Daddy clarified.

“Yeah! Me, Dad and Bren have been working on it!”

Maverick added eagerly.

The car stopped in front of me, and Bren got out. He was a friend of the family, married to Chieftess Vanessa. He’d owned a shop for sports cars in Kinpago. I guessed he’d transferred his business to Ilamanthe after the Elementai had fled California. I couldn’t believe he’d put this together for me.

“The look on your face is priceless,”

Bren noted with a chuckle. “Definitely worth it.”

Maverick hopped up to the car and began explaining everything. “It has sensitive electronic controls for the fitting brake, and accelerator controls to the steering wheel, so you don’t need to use your legs to drive. You can control everything with your hands. The accelerator is like a motorcycle’s, and there’s a knob on the steering wheel so you can steer with one hand, while controlling the speed with the other. It also has a rotating driver’s seat, to help you get in and out, and a specialized space for your wheelchair.”

“It can also convert to regular controls, just in case you need someone else to drive,”

Daddy added.

I figured I’d be driving some big-ass handicap van the rest of my life, and would never be able to tear up the roads again with a fast vehicle. I started blubbering. “I can’t believe you did this for me!”

“We know you love going fast,”

Maverick replied. “It was so much fun to work on!”