Page 86 of To No End

My breathing grew more ragged as I let my imagination carry me away into this illusion.

The feather continued to roam downward across my body and the thin fabric. I felt my legs clench together, tightening from the ache deep in my belly as I thought of the male with the Nightwing feathers. I pulled the dark fabric to the side, exposing my bare leg and the dip along my hip. I ran the feather along this sensitive area over and over, letting the ticklish feeling send electric surges down my core.

I licked my lips with want, feeling my palms grow sweaty as they gripped the chair. I would not allow myself to open my eyes or become distracted with thoughts of how Trace might be feeling. That was not the assignment.

I moved the feather farther inward and gently glided it across my sex, causing my legs to tremble. When I could take the teasing of the feather no more, I mouthed the word, “Trace.”

I opened my eyes when I realized I hadn’t mouthed the name in my thoughts but had done so out loud, a mere whisper for all to hear. No one reacted, except Saryn who had a fiendish smile on his face. My cheeks were already turning bright red with embarrassment as I looked up to see Trace, wide-eyed and jaw tight. He stretched and flexed his fingers in and out of fists, trying to release the frustrated tension my fantasy and illusions caused him.

I looked down the aisle again to see if anyone else had noticed my awkward mistake. Most of them were concentrating on their assignments, but I swore I saw a flicker of something on Varro’s face before he turned to look back at Gia.

After a few more minutes passed, Saryn walked menacingly behind the males’ chairs, placing himself behind Cairis first.

“What did our sweet and innocent little Nori have to show you, Cairis? Did she please you, or get under your skin?”

The thought of those two doing anything like this made my lips curl in disgust. They were as platonic as it got.

Cairis gritted out his answer with a hint of venom.

“In her illusion, I was a High Lord, head of my household, respected by all of the staff. Servants at my beck and call. She presented herself as a Madame. A collector of beautiful females…fanciful, exotic, submissive, all types. She brought them to me as a gift. They were all for me—”

Cairis was cut off by the sound of Saryn clapping and praising Nori.

“Well, well, dreamweaver, looks like you have quite the knack for reading people. Abundance, power, and respect. You read Cairis like a book. Splendid.”

Nori frowned at Cairis, a pleading look seeking forgiveness for exposing him that way.

Saryn moved on, stepping behind Varro and placing his hands on both his shoulders.

“Gia, dare I say you make a stunning redhead. Golden boy, what did our shifter sweetheart have in store for you?”

Varro’s glance flickered briefly in my direction before returning quickly back toward Gia.

“I was at sea, and in the distance, there was a beach. I could faintly make out the shape of a maiden. Long, dark brown hair, her skin almost pale as snow. A stark contrast to the deep blues of the sea and the warmth of the sandy beach surrounding her. I sailed furiously toward her for what seemed like forever. She called to me like a siren’s song. No matter how far I sailed, I could not reach her. The distance never closed the gap. I could never truly make out her face. She had to have been a mirage, but I could not bring myself to stop sailing toward it.”

“Very interesting,” Saryn commented. “I like it. Longing, a sense of freedom, yet feeling trapped. Wanting something unattainable.”

Gia just smiled at Varro knowingly, but he did not return any reaction.

I’d become horrified with the fact that thus far I was the only one who’d used an overtly sexual illusion. Not manipulation, deception, or persuasion.

The embarrassment warmed my cheeks as I prepared for Trace to oust me in front of everyone. Saryn stepped to the side, standing behind us and waiting for him to unveil what I’d shown him. I took a deep breath, my nostrils flaring in preparation for his words to recount the vision.

“I was shown a female.” He paused before continuing, “She was very beautiful, bathed in moonslight and wearing very little clothing. In her hand, she held a single Nightwing feather. She ran it all along her body, remembering the way her lover had made her feel. When she could take no more of her longing and teasing, she aimed to please herself.”

When he stopped, I took a sigh of relief thinking he’d end it there, but he didn’t. For some reason, he turned to his left—towards the group, or just Varro, I was unsure—and said, “She called for her lover, by his name.”

He didn’t say what the female looked like, but he didn’t have to. It was obvious, and I wanted to crawl into a cave and hide for the next century. I kept my eyes locked on him, unable to turn and face the looks of the others. Surely, they heard me whisper his name earlier, and he’d all but confirmed the rumors at this point.

“Cress, ever the brave one amongst your lot. I have to give you credit, I didn’t think you had it in you to go straight for seduction and to use a Nightwing… The attention to detail in your creativity is impeccable. It’s almost as if you knew exactly what would make Trace feel special.”

The tension in the room turned palpable and I couldn’t bring myself to take Saryn’s words as a compliment.

“And this is why kingdoms have crumbled over queens and courtesans. Males are simple creatures, easy to read. Well done, ladies. Now, let’s keep this going and make things more interesting with a partner swap. I like to keep you on your toes, after all, with fast thinking and less planning. Rely on instinct!”

All of the males stood up while the females remained seated, pushing them each down one partner while Trace made his way back to the other end where Nori sat. Face-to-face with Varro after everything that had just transpired was almost worse torture than I’d experienced with the Vesper.

I gave Varro one last look that begged,Please, go easy on me, before he closed his eyes and I followed suit.

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