Arianna & Henry: Broken Magic
Read this if you want something cozy, emotionally satisfying, and fantastical. It’s a second-chance romantasy with two people who mean well. The sex is mainstream, and there are a lot of shorter sex scenes peppered throughout many chapters. My take on magic is slightly unusual—you might love it or you might think I’m taking the piss. But who doesn’t want an aura you can see? Anyway, there are a few solid battle scenes between witches and vampires, a lot of feel-good family vibes, and some light social commentary. Available on Amazon here.
Please check out excerpts from Arianna & Henry below. I’ve included Chapters 1 and 2, as well as a spicy excerpt. I hope you enjoy!
And just in case you want to purchase the full novella already, please click the button below.
Chapter 1 ~ Henry Returns
Frigid wind cut into Arianna, as she pulled the heavy oak door open. She crossed her arms, gripping her biceps, hiding how hard her nipples had become underneath the thin, white cotton nightshirt she wore. With a shiver, Ari frowned at the man who had pulled her out of bed, an hour before her alarm would have.
“Henry.”
“Arianna.” Henry bowed his head, pulling off a dark wool beanie to reveal light brown hair, infused with grey, gelled into a tidy arc. He had a broad, square face and sharp hazel eyes, which flashed with gold in the low porch light. Long lines carved down around his mouth, matching crow’s feet and wrinkles carved across his forehead. He was stocky, with layers of heavy muscle, thick legs, and broad shoulders that stretched the seams of his dark grey peacoat. His work boots rattled the floorboards of the old porch, as he scuffed off the snow. With a frown, Henry noted Arianna’s shivers. “May we enter?”
Ari nodded, stepping aside.
“Thank you.”
Henry slipped past her into the house, motioning for his companions to follow. Once all three witches had entered, Arianna closed the door, cutting off the cold December wind. The entry hall was quiet and gloomy, its latent energy wafting in pre-dawn repose, an aimless drift. Arianna had lit a handful of brass sconces on her way down, which cast shadows on the gold striped wallpaper and made the crystal chandelier sparkle with orange coals. A polished, cherrywood staircase curled up the rotunda, fading into a murky third floor, where Arianna and her son had their suite of rooms.
“We weren’t expecting you until this afternoon,” Ari said, frowning down at the two inches of cleavage she couldn’t hide behind her crossed arms. She was petite and a little plump, with heavy, round breasts that jiggled when she walked and squished flat without a bra. Her short, curly brown hair had fallen loose, framing a heart-shaped face, with milky white skin and a dusting of freckles. She had wide blue eyes, like the ocean on a cloudy day, rimmed by long, dark lashes. Her soft pink lips had settled into a pout, the perfect little bow drawn tight.
Henry leaned in for a hug and the corner of his mouth quirked up. His arms wrapped around Arianna, pressing her face into the cold, scratchy wool of his peacoat. Although Henry wasn’t particularly tall, he was bulky. It made her feel small.
Ari sighed. “Thank you for coming, though.”
“You’re welcome.”
She turned her attention to Henry’s companions, a slim black man with curling grey hair and a tall, blonde witch who carried a sword on her hip. The man, Philip, was one of Henry’s closest advisors, a clever, steady witch that specialized in research and strategy.
“It’s good to see you,” Arianna said, pulling Philip into a quick embrace. “Thank you for coming.”
“Certainly. I only wish the circumstances were more agreeable.”
“I know.” Ari frowned. “I guess we can discuss it more later, once you’ve set up.” She turned to the pretty blonde witch, offering a smile. “I’m Arianna. It’s nice to meet you. Please be welcome in my home.”
The witch nodded, her dark blue eyes assessing the room. “Thank you. Tove Olsson. I am special operations.” She turned to Henry. “We shall bring the bags in?”
“Yes. To the study, in the back.” Henry gestured to the open doorway under the stairs. The living room was filled with the shadows of furniture. A doorway loomed to the right, which led to the study. “Philip knows where.”
“Yes, sir,” Philip replied, as he and Tove went back outside to retrieve the first round of bags.
Shivering, Arianna walked to the coat closet. Its door was carved with a pastiche of birds and flowers, cheerful and entirely out of place in the winter. Ari tugged her blue cashmere wrap off its hanger. Slipping the garment over her shoulders, she kept her back to Henry.
“You’re welcome to go into to the study,” Arianna said, fiddling with Jason’s peacoat, straightening the hanger. “Also, I’m sorry that the Carriage House isn’t ready. We weren’t expecting you until later today. But you’re welcome to use the guest bathroom on the third floor, if you want to take a shower or something after your flight.”
Henry moved, until he stood right behind Arianna, his aura pressing gently into her space. His energy was dense and powerful, heavy blue smoke that curled and stretched, slow fractals sliding through the æther around them. Arianna’s aura was fiery, searing and crackling, sucking in energy and erupting bright geysers out through the air. She’d trained it to keep a polite distance from others, since her strong magical ability could sometimes be disconcerting. Henry had always appreciated her power, though, even when she had felt like it was too much to handle. Her aura fizzled, crackling as it maintained the boundary against Henry’s slow tide.
“How are you?” he asked, his voice a low rumble behind her.
“I’m fine.” Arianna turned, chin up, meeting Henry’s hazel eyes. Her stomach fluttered. It was something about the way he stood, too close, too intimate, but seemingly unaware of her discomfort.
His face was grim. “There’s a vampire in your basement.”
“Yes, there is,” Arianna replied, forcing herself to adopt a neutral tone, even as she wrapped the sweater tighter around her shoulders. She could feel Henry studying her, tracking her. Ari’s cheeks flushed, making the spray of freckles across her little button nose darken. She bit her lip. “Everything is fine. You’re going to help us, and my grandmother is also on top of it.”
“True.” Henry crossed his arms. “But you were the one who caught a vampire yesterday.”
“I know. I can’t believe it.” Arianna shook her head, bright blue eyes wide, looking away, off to the side. “But I did okay. I mean, I’ve been practicing, training the Circles, like we discussed. Our clan has a responsibility. And I do, too, with Jason here.”
Henry’s jaw tightened. “It’s my responsibility.”
“This is my family home.” Arianna hugged herself, feeling the soft cashmere on her skin. “There’s plenty of security here. It will be fine once the vampire’s out of the house.”
Henry frowned.
A jumble of bumps and creaks emanated from the third floor.
“That’s Jason,” Ari said.
“I know.”
“I can go get him.”
“No. He’s coming down.”
The thumping moved to the top of the stairs and turned into a cascade of speeding footfalls. Hooking his hand on the banister to swing round, Jason flung himself at Henry, bright red snowman pajamas streaking through the air.
“Papa!” he shouted. “I didn’t think you would be here until this afternoon.”
Henry swept his son into a hug. He ruffled Jason’s light brown curls, while the boy snuggled into his neck.
“We wrapped up early and caught the red eye.”
“From LA?”
“Yes.”
“Did you banish the ghosts?”
Henry nodded. “We did, and their energy dissipated.”
“Hey,” Philip called, opening the front door. “To the study, right?”
Ari nodded. “Yeah. I’ll show you.”
She led the group through the living room and into the study, a combined weapons and game room that included the first floor of the tower. As they entered, Arianna triggered light and heat spells, illuminating the green jungle-patterned wallpaper. Deep leather chairs ringed a brick fireplace and exotic taxidermied animals decorated the walls. An eclectic collection of weaponry, including guns, swords, and ballistics, was displayed in cabinets and glass cases. Through the windows, the Carrolls’s snowy backyard stretched wide underneath the dark morning sky, a large patio followed by a hill, which sloped down to the frozen creek and a small forest. The Carriage House was just visible to the right beyond the creek, in front of a high brick wall that guarded the property.
“We’ll set up the workstation here,” Henry said, gesturing to the open space in front of the back windows. “Philip, would you please set up the lab in the tower? Use the game table. Then bring the weapons downstairs. Arianna, I’ll need the vampire’s phone, clothing, and any other belongings he had when you brought him in.”
“He’s still wearing his clothes.”
Henry frowned.
“We searched him. He had a knife, a switchblade. But that was it. I have his phone, though, and his Apple Watch, and a few other things.”
“Okay. Did you search the phone yet?”
“I couldn’t unlock it.”
“I told her we could use his face even when he’s sleeping,” Jason said. “But Mom didn’t want to.”
Arianna raised her hands in defense. “I didn’t want to get that close for too long. That’s why we didn’t take his clothes.”
“Was Ruth there?” Henry asked.
“Not when I brought him in. It was just me and Raven. Ruth and my grandmother interviewed him last night, though.”
Henry nodded.
“Here, Papa,” Jason said, handing Henry a large computer monitor that he’d pulled out of one of the hard travel cases.
“Thanks. Pass me those chairs, too, please.”
Jason ran over to the stack of folding chairs and brought back a pair. Henry banged them open while Jason plugged the monitor in. After a minute, the computer booted up and Henry logged on.
“Papa,” Jason said, pointing at one of the computer screens. He had a Minecraft Band-Aid on his finger. “Is that a spell? In your email?”
Henry looked over Jason’s shoulder, then nodded. “It’s one of Philip’s prototypes, for a new tracking charm we’re developing.”
“How does it work?”
“Open it, and we’ll see.”
Jason clicked on the email. The email text included the spell’s versioning information as well as technical specifications. There was a photo attachment at the bottom.
“Watch the æther when you open the attachment,” Henry said. “Humans won’t see it.”
The picture was a black wolf silhouetted on a green background, Henry’s family crest and the logo for Liðeovin, the magical security firm Henry’s grandfather had founded. When Jason clicked the photo, a small gold cloud floated out from the computer screen. It curled and spread, thinning into a barely perceptible mist. Arianna watched it settle on Jason’s skin, then slide, like smoke, over to Henry. After a moment, the pale gold glow disappeared.
“Go tell your mother a secret,” Henry said, patting Jason on the back to start him moving.
“What kind of secret?”
“Anything. It’s not specific, by design, so we can test it.”
Jason bit his lip, then leaned over to whisper in Arianna’s ear. “I ate Grandmother’s almond candies last week and Papa covered for me.”
Ari chuckled. A fine gold mist apparated around her, soaking into her skin, although she felt nothing.
“Wow,” Jason said. His dark blue eyes were wide, peering into the æther, looking for any more visible signs of the spell.
“You mother is charmed now, too,” Henry said. “Anytime a target that has been charmed shares a secret with a new person, the spell will tag that new person. If my team gets close enough, we can track the tags and identify the target individuals.”
“Except, in reality, the charm wouldn’t be triggered by just any old secret, right?” Arianna asked.
“Correct,” Henry replied. “Usually, we are trying to identify a specific group, or follow everything related to a specific event. The spell also degrades quickly, so we have to move fast once it’s been activated.”
Jason nodded, scratching his chin. “How do you find people after they open the spell?”
“When the person opens the email, the spell does a one-time pull of GPS coordinates and sends it back to us. We go from there.”
“Do you know why it degrades quickly?” Arianna asked.
Jason shook his head.
“You know that spells require three things—energy, a weave, and a caster. Energy comes from the æther around us, or from our life force. In your father’s spell, the energy is actually pulled from the computer, as a little power surge, that doesn’t quite trip the circuit breaker. After the charm attaches to a subject, it becomes parasitic and lives off the host. Now watch.” Arianna waved her hand, finding the charm’s subtle weave as it flowed around her and forcing a surge of power through it. The spell flared with bright gold. “Do you see how I can manipulate the charm? Its pattern is simple, like most spells. In most spells, witches are the caster. We funnel magic through our bodies, using our auras. But for this spell, computer code triggers the initial energy surge and activates the charm.”
“Why doesn’t burn out the computer?” Jason asked, frowning down at the desktop.
“We designed the tagging charm to be efficient, so it doesn’t need much to activate itself,” Henry replied.
“How long will it last on me?”
Henry scratched his chin. His face was cleanshaven, with a strong jaw and thick neck. He was wearing a navy-blue sweater, which stretched across his muscular biceps and shoulders. “Probably a day or two. It depends on a few factors—the weather, the target’s activity level.” Henry sat down on a folding chair and pulled Jason into his lap. “We need to connect to the basement security cameras. That’s the portal. Do you know the login?”
“Yes, Papa.” Jason grabbed the keyboard and started typing.
Henry turned to Arianna. “Is Lillian here now?”
“No, she had a breakfast meeting downtown.”
“I’m in,” Jason announced, pointing at the screen, which displayed half a dozen video feeds from the Carrolls’ basement. “Look—there’s the prisoner.”
“There he is,” Henry confirmed. They all squinted at the picture of a stone-walled cell, complete with bare mattress and metal toilet. The vampire lay on his back, eyes closed, hands clasped over his chest. He was wearing a black t-shirt and ripped black jeans.
“Can I come and interrogate him with you guys, Papa?”
“No,” Arianna replied. “Are you crazy?”
“Mo-om,” Jason whined. “I’ve dealt with vampires before, you know.”
“I’m aware,” Ari replied, shooting Henry a disapproving look. “But this isn’t the same. Those were friendlies. This one is definitely hostile, and he’s making all sorts of threats. You can watch us from up here, maybe, until Grandfather takes you to go to school. But that’s it.”
“I agree.” Henry sighed. “We don’t want him to catch your aura.”
Crossing his arms, Jason pouted. “I’m not going to be a kid forever.”
“True. But you’re only eight years old right now. And you do a lot more than most eight-year-olds.” Ari caught Henry’s eye, warning him not to contradict her. She knew that Henry had grown up in the late 1800s, in the Alps, when life was harsh and uncomfortable. By the time Henry was Jason’s age, he’d already killed half a dozen vampires and sent two dangerous witches to the noose. It was a bit extreme for someone so young, but nobody in Henry’s family had ever believed in sheltering their children. Although Arianna trusted Henry to keep their son safe, she didn’t like the idea of Jason going out on jobs anytime soon.
Henry wisely kept his attention on the screen, scanning the AI highlights, noting the vampire’s movement and style.
Jason pouted. “Are you going down to the dungeon now?”
“As soon as we get a cup of coffee,” Ari replied. “And as soon as I put on some real clothes.”
Henry perked up, hazel eyes sparkling as he scratched his chin. “Hm. You don’t think it’s appropriate? I think it’s a nice fantasy…”
Ari blushed. “Henry, please. Jason is right here.”
“He knows who made him.”
Arianna covered her face.
With a grunt, Jason stood up, heading towards the kitchen. “It’s okay, Mom. I’m not interested in that kind of stuff. I’ll make the coffee.”
Chapter 2 ~ Interview with a Vampire
The basement was dim and cool. Weak light filtered in from narrow, high windows, casting shadows on the wine collection and pantry. Crates of apples, onions, carrots, and potatoes harvested from the garden were piled along the far wall, and bunches of dried plants hung from the rafters. The space smelled like musty vinegar, with sweet threads wafting from the herbs. It reminded Henry of being young, holed up in a stone house, buried under two meters of snow, reading van Goethe while his sister played Beethoven on the piano. He clenched his jaw, pushing the memory away.
There was a vampire in the building. That vampire was threatening his family, endangering his son. Henry’s overwhelming impulse was to destroy the creature, to burn its body black and throw the crust into Boston harbor. But there were rules, that he’d helped to establish, that were his responsibility to enforce. He and his team would conduct an interview, investigate, and move the vampire to a more secure facility.
Philip and Tove flanked Henry, standing at attention, since they had caught his wary attitude. Arianna seemed more oblivious, although Henry knew she wasn’t an idiot. She was just frustratingly good at hiding her emotions, at glossing over his concerns. Her wide blue eyes were clear and innocent, her pretty pink bow mouth was set in a pout. She’d changed into a magenta pink cardigan and skinny jeans, which emphasized her tiny waist and plump, round ass. Henry knew Arianna’s bra size was a 32D and that she wore size 26 jeans. He couldn’t stop himself from watching her breasts jiggle as she crossed her arms.
Henry cleared his throat. “Has the vampire been sedated the whole time?”
Arianna nodded. “Since we captured him, except for when my grandmother spoke with him.”
“Did he say anything notable?”
“Just what you’d expect. Typical anti-woke vampire rhetoric—the kine are weak, witches are oppressive, the old guard has got to go.”
Crossing his arms, Henry rebalanced his weight. “That’s in line with what we’ve heard in other places.”
“Yeah, it’s problematic. But it’s also kinda sad.” Arianna wrinkled her nose. “He’s a threat, but still…I don’t know.”
“Hmm…You caught him yesterday afternoon, you say?”
“Yes,” Arianna replied. “We had a tip off from one of the Circles that they’d felt dark magic at a homeless camp, over the river in Cambridge near the BU Bridge. Raven and I went to interview the residents. We felt him immediately—feeding—literally right there, in broad daylight, thirty feet away from half a dozen witnesses. Granted, they were pretty tired and it was pretty cold, but he was basically in public. Getting him was easy, though, because he was so distracted. I put a spell into the vortex and he inhaled it in along with all the other energy. I blacked out his thalamus.”
“Good job.”
Tove scoffed.
“I know I was lucky,” Arianna replied, hugging herself, looking down at the floor.
“You did well,” Henry said.
“Vampires are formidable opponents,” Philip added. “Even for those of us with experience. An ambush is a reasonable strategy.”
Tove’s blue eyes narrowed. Her aura swirled, a harsh grey cloud that turned into mist at the edges. “Fast, strong, brutal, cruel. Vampires are the witches’ predator. They are not meant for untrained women to engage.”
“Tove.” Henry’s voice held a hint of warning.
Tove ignored him. She and Henry had slept together when she first joined Liðeovin, four years ago. He’d ended the relationship after a few months, seemingly without drama. Still, Tove was often irritable around him. For the most part, Henry had chosen to ignore any friction, although now he questioned the value of that permissiveness. The blonde witch stared down her nose at Arianna. “They are parasites, selfish super-humans, driven by hunger, without remorse. Their care is not to kill, but to drain the life, until it is too weak to resist, until the kine are in submission. The lightly gifted must be careful.”
Arianna’s eyes flashed. Her aura sparkled with red lightning. “I am not lightly gifted.”
“I’m sure that’s not what Tove meant,” Philip said, gaze flickering towards Henry. “Vampire magic is instinctive, and their feeding vortices can be powerful. A witch must simply protect herself.”
Arianna’s mouth dipped into a pout, while Tove clenched her jaw.
Henry rolled his shoulders. “The prisoner’s name is Rex. Our goal is to understand if he’s a lone actor or part of a group. We can assume his clan isn’t sanctioning his recent activity, but it would be good to understand why they haven’t intervened to stop him. Then we need to ID his feeding grounds, his nest, whether he has a harem or shares one. We will follow up on the electronics after we interview him, and arrange a meeting with his clan leader and the Boston Elders.”
“I know my grandmother is following up through the Praetor’s office,” Arianna said.
“Good. How’s your rapport with the prisoner?”
“Not too bad. He hates me on principle, but not specifically, I think.”
That made Henry smile. “Okay, you’ll introduce us, then act friendly. Philip, you’re also friendly. Tove, challenge him. I’m alpha.”
Arianna and Philip nodded, while Tove shrugged, her face shifting into the neutral mask she intended to wear during the interrogation.
Henry opened the door to the cells. “Let’s wake him up.”
***
The Carrolls’ prison was small, with just three cells arranged along the north side of a narrow stone-walled corridor. Each door had a steel core, wrapped with a lattice of precious metals that channeled and guarded against different types of magical energy. The same metals formed complex patterns engraved into the stone walls, creating a protective cage around each individual cell, as well as the entire lockup. The spells were powered by a magical current that ran beneath the hallway, drawn from a wide network of roots that stretched deep beneath the neighborhood.
When they reached the vampire’s cell, Arianna stepped forward. The sleeping spell looked like a translucent silver blanket, sunk into the vampire’s skin, directing his neurological activity. A long silver cord ran from the spell to a larger magical root, pulling power from the prison network. Usually sleeping spells could be maintained with the subject’s own life energy, but because vampires were zoéotrophs, their auras disrupted self-sustaining spells. Henry watched as Arianna severed the power cord. Her aura picked at the spell’s bright silver weave, fiddling with its balance. Tiny fibers of energy zipped into the air and the scent of magic rolled over them. It was like heat, a soft wave, tingling through his aura.
The vampire started to wake. His aura condensed first, changing from a dark grey haze into a vibrant purple sinkhole, swirling and licking at the space around him. His pale blue eyes opened and he ran a hand through his short brown mohawk. Like many vampires, Rex was impossibly handsome, with perfect white teeth and a square jaw, high cheekbones and a straight nose. A little over six feet tall, he moved like a predator, muscular frame shifting with grace, as he pushed himself to sit upright on the thin foam mattress.
“Witches,” he said, his voice unhappy.
Arianna countered with a pleasant tone. “Good morning, Rex. We have a few more questions for you. This is Henry, Philip, and Tove, from Eowyn’s Pack.”
Rex frowned, focusing on Henry. “I know him.”
Henry cocked his head. “But I do not know you.”
The vampire shook his head, frown deepening.
Henry turned to his lieutenant. “Philip, please set up the restraint.”
Philip stepped forward, with a calm, focused look on his face. He swept his hand through the air. A soft, shimmering gold net appeared inside the cell. It wrapped around Rex, settling on his skin and shrinking like plastic wrap in heat, binding his limbs. After a moment, the vampire stood mummified, body locked inside an intricate golden cage. His aura had been contained as well, compressed beneath his skin. Rex adopted a stoic expression, but Henry could see how tightly he clenched his jaw, how hard his muscles strained as he tested the magical bonds. Philip motioned again and the cell door slid open.
“I’m sorry you find yourself with us today,” Henry said, his tone conversational, his hands loose at his sides. “Can you tell me what happened?”
Rex frowned, narrowing his eyes, as they slid from Henry to his companions.
“This lovely witch captured you while you were feeding?” Henry prompted.
Tove chuckled, pulling Rex’s attention as she leaned against the intricate stone wall, arms crossed. “Her. Fat and slow. It is embarrassing for you, is it not?”
Rex scowled. “I was distracted.”
“What drew you to the homeless camp?” Henry asked.
“What do you think?”
“It’s quite a risk to feed in public, in broad daylight.”
With a smirk, the vampire shrugged. “She wanted it.”
“The victim is a part of your harem?”
Rex scoffed. “Fucking harem. She wanted to fly, wanted some vamp juice. I let her have it.”
“I don’t believe that,” Arianna said. “She was basically unconscious. We Narcaned her afterwards, just in case.”
Rex shrugged.
“What were you doing before you went to the camp to feed?” Henry asked.
“Nothing. Just fucking around. Driving.”
“Alone?”
Rex frowned. “Naw. I’m not a loser.”
“Where were your friends when you were feeding? It doesn’t seem like there were other vampires there.”
“They weren’t there.” He paused, looking to the side. “I don’t fucking know.”
“No?”
Rex’s eyes glinted. “Naw.”
Henry studied the vampire, watching as his aura spiraled, black smoke billowing behind a golden weave. “Why did you split up?”
“I don’t know.”
“It wasn’t to feed separately? To each find a victim?”
Rex shrugged, but his aura had started moving faster, vibrating as it pushed against Philip’s restraint.
“Was it a challenge?” Arianna asked. “To find a victim and kill them in broad daylight? Why would you do that?”
The vampire’s nostrils flared. “Witches. Fucking idiots. The only way to survive is to thrive. We will reclaim our place in the world.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means whatever the fuck you want it to mean. Your time is coming. You think you know. But you know nothing.”
Henry stepped forward, pulling a shattered black iPhone out of his pocket. “We have your phone. I expect we’ll get most of what we need to know from that.”
Rex clenched his jaw.
“Hold still.” Henry swiped the iPhone’s broken screen and held it up to Rex’s face. With a few more taps, Henry changed the passcode. “We’ll find out who your friends are. We’ll find out where you live and where you hunt.”
“Fuck off, slayer.” Rex spit.
With a dissatisfied grumble, Arianna crossed her arms. Her lips turned down into a pout. “I just don’t believe it. It’s so risky to feed in public. And you were going to kill her. She’s still at Mount Auburn recovering. Why take a risk like that? Vampires in Boston have never done that before.”
Rex looked down. His aura mirrored the action, turning into a dark waterfall that broke against his golden cage. “They deserve it.”
“But why?”
“They fucking did it to us. You think you live in a civilized age. The kine are more savage than we’ll ever be. You’ll see what happens.”
Henry frowned, tapping his finger on the back of Rex’s broken iPhone. “All right. That’s enough for now. We’ll have more questions for you later.”
They waited for Arianna to reinstate the sleep spell, levitate Rex to the mattress, and lock the cell door.
***
Back in the pantry, planted between two baskets of potatoes, Henry crossed his arms. “Philip, let’s dig into Rex’s phone. Focus on Signal and the other messaging apps. I want to know who his friends are and where they’ve been spending their time. Some of what he said, the specific phrases, I’ve heard elsewhere. It’s enough of a pattern now that we can’t ignore it. Tove, once Philip identifies a few potential hotspots, you and I will start scouting, interviewing the locals. We’ll pick our targets, where we think the vampires are most likely to hit, and go back tonight after dark. We can’t count on seeing vampires during the day, despite Arianna’s experience.”
Tove and Philip nodded.
“I’ll get on it, sir,” Philip said, taking the phone. “What about the prisoner transfer? I’ve been coordinating with the local Curiata detention center, but they’re dragging their feet. They don’t have a large facility out here, just a dozen cells. Apparently, it’s full. We’re not the only ones bringing in rogue vampires, and there was an issue with a cult last week that they’re still sorting out. They have an overflow facility out in Natick, but it’s going to take a day or two to set up. I think it’s just a warehouse they’ve retrofitted.”
Henry rubbed his forehead. “I’ll follow up with Lillian to see if she can do something about it.”
“I can bring it up,” Arianna said. “I’m having lunch with her.”
“Okay. I’ll send her a message with the specifics. Keep me updated.”
Arianna bit her lip, looking up at Henry with her wide blue eyes, framed by dark lashes. “What are you going to do tonight? Capture another vampire?”
Henry shook his head. “We’ll follow them. We need to develop a better understanding of the situation, where Rex and his friends live, where they hang out. Legwork like this can take a few days.”
“Do you think it would be possible for me to come with you tonight? If you’re just following people around?”
Henry paused. Arianna’s request surprised him. Although she had always been curious and willing to learn, she’d never shown much aptitude for his vocation. She’d always been more of an administrator, and had taken a position as liaison to the Boston Circles when her grandmother became Praetor Bostonia ten years ago. Since Covid, Arianna had done a good job of responding to the escalating tensions with the vampire clans, but she’d always been sheltered from violence. It might be valuable for her to have more experience, to understand more about Henry’s work. He could minimize the risk by carefully scouting where he’d take her, by being prepared. If Henry wanted to start bringing Jason to work with him soon, Arianna needed to agree. This could be a good opportunity.
“I’ve been training the Circles,” Arianna continued. “And I’ve developed a lot of defensive spells. I know I’m not very experienced, but I’m not an idiot either.”
“All right.” Henry nodded. “We’ll go out after dinner.”
Chapter 11 ~ Together Again, in the Library (Spicy Excerpt)
…
“Are you mine, Henry?” Ari whispered.
“Yes.”
She savored their kisses, licking Henry’s lips, sucking his tongue. His cock strained against their clothing, jammed between her thighs, long and hard, with a bulbous head. Ari rolled her hips, rubbing her clit along the thick rod. She let out a long, soft breath. Slick liquid stained her panties. Her pussy lips parted, gasping, aching for Henry to fill her.
Arianna stood. She removed her pajamas and pulled off her panties. Her hair hung loose, covering her eyes, until she pulled the curls back with the hair-tie from her wrist. When she lifted her arms, her breasts pulled up and her petite figure stretched, elongating into a milky hourglass. She’d shaved her dark brown pubic hair into a triangle, which trailed down into a pale cleft, her pussy lips swollen and glistening.
Biting her lip, pushing through a little spike of anxiety, Arianna watched as Henry undressed. His muscles glistened in the firelight, bulging biceps and strong quads. He had light brown chest hair, laced with grey, which trailed down his rippling abs. His face was square, with deep lines carved around his mouth and crow’s feet framing his hazel eyes. As he settled back into the armchair, Henry rubbed with his naked cock with strong, blunt fingers.
Arianna knelt down in front of him. Henry’s cock was long and girthy, slightly curved, with a large vein running along the bottom. Arianna licked him, from his balls to his cleft, her tongue warm and slick. He tasted delicious, salty and bitter, with precum glistening. His balls felt swollen and dense, too big for Arianna’s slim fingers. Tugging at the sack, she stretched his foreskin, pulling it down, making the head of his cock bulge. Dripping with saliva, Ari met Henry’s eyes, watching them burn with golden light. She swallowed him slowly, keeping her throat loose, until her lips touched his balls and tears glimmered on her long, dark eyelashes. When she released him, thick strands of saliva dribbled from her lips. Ari spread the liquid everywhere, all over Henry’s cock and balls, massaging him with her lips and tongue and dainty fingers.
“Yes.” Henry groaned.
He gripped Arianna’s dark, curling hair, mussing the short ponytail. Her eyes were watery, her soft pink lips stretched around his shaft. Henry thrust deep into Ari’s throat, pushing over her palate, scraping her molars. He held it until she gagged, then pulled out. With a grunt, he thrust again, cutting off her airway. Ari let him enjoy her, let him restrain her while he fucked her mouth, suppressing her gag reflex, holding her breath. Her pussy queefed, open and hollow even as Henry’s cock filled her throat. Arianna gagged. She hacked, expelling Henry’s cock, falling to her hands and knees on the floor. Her heart was pounding, she felt lightheaded, slobber dripped onto the floor. A small laugh escaped her throat, as she looked back up at Henry.
“Oh, Arianna,” he rumbled. “Come here, princess.”
Henry hooked his hands underneath Ari’s shoulders and lifted her off the floor. He pulled her into his lap, so that she straddled him, with his cock nestled between her ass cheeks. He pulled gently at her hair this time, tugging her head back, arching her spine. Ari’s hips opened, her pussy dribbled. With one long stroke, Henry impaled her. Ari gasped. His cock was so big. It stretched her pussy, pulling the delicate skin when he thrust, crushing her swollen lips. Arianna’s muscles quivered, fragile, bruised. Panic flared, filling her chest, closing her throat. She whimpered, unable to stop her body from shaking.
“Henry…”
Henry pulled Arianna close, pausing when his long nose pressed into her cheek, when she felt his warm breath on her lips. He was still inside her, still filling her pussy, making her belly tremble. Tears dripped off of Arianna’s lashes.
“Ari. Little witch.” Henry kissed her. His saliva was sweet, with an earthy undertone, like truffles. “You have always been mine.”
Henry’s cock was so invasive, so dense and hard, so satisfying. Releasing a long breath, Arianna rolled her hips. Henry’s cock pushed into her g-spot, massaging the slick ridges, making her shiver. Ari’s aura slowed, spinning with soft light, electricity frozen like snowflakes hanging in the æther. Henry reached around to tickle her asshole, spreading his spit, dipping his middle finger inside the puckering orifice. Ari’s pussy turned to water. Henry’s thighs slapped against her ass as he thrust, cock driving up into her belly. She threw her head back and pulled his other hand down between her thighs. As Arianna rocked, Henry pushed her closer to the edge, turning her aura into a buzzing swarm.
“Yes. Henry. Make me come.”
Henry’s finger in her ass forced Arianna to stay relaxed, to stay soft, even as he set her clit on fire. She came. Pleasure spilled out like lava, burning and sweet, beyond her control. The orgasm lasted a long time, fading into soft peaks, until Arianna collapsed. She let Henry hold her, stroking and kissing her sweaty skin.
“Thank you,” she whispered, touching Henry’s cheek.
Henry smiled. “You’re welcome.” He shifted, holding Arianna’s hand up and guiding her off his lap. “Now turn around.”
Ari smiled, looking over her shoulder as she bent over the armchair. Her ass was round and jiggling, the pale skin chapped red, split by a deep, dark crack. Ari rose up onto her tippy toes and wiggled, offering the best angle.
With a chuckle, Henry grabbed her ass cheeks and spread them, until Ari’s pussy turned into a gaping hole, sucking at the cool air, spewing hot liquid when she queefed. Henry toyed with her, dipping his fingers in, smearing his cock through her crack, spreading slick pussy juice. He thrust, plunging deep. From behind, Henry’s penis felt thick and long. Ari’s pussy hole tightened. She moaned. Henry built speed, sending hot waves rippling through her body, reverberating in the air around her. Her toes left the floor as Henry gripped her hips and pounded. He shouted, pulling out, spewing cum all over her ass in a shower of hot liquid. Ari moaned, stretching forward, elongating her neck and spine. Henry’s cum slipped down into her crack, warm and wet.
Sinking to her knees on the floor, Arianna rested her head on the leather seat. She waited for Henry to get a tissue and let him clean her. When he was done, he pulled her onto his lap again, facing the fire. Arianna snuggled in his arms.