Chapter 1 🌶️
Skull, the gray cat Allen had gifted me, was sprawled across the back of my chair as I skimmed through a book I’d already read at least five times. The reread— or, honestly, the halfhearted skimming wasn’t for pleasure. We were supposed to find the Decaying Tree, and I had no idea where to even begin.
Grace, on the other hand, was buried in proper research with General Stella. Allen and Roddrick usually spent their time sparring, since most people assumed Roddrick’s black wings marked him as cursed.
But he wasn’t cursed at all— just fearless, stubborn, and, in his own way, brilliant.
My quiet reading was shattered when Allen and Roderick thundered into the cottage, both loudly declaring themselves the victor of their latest match. With a sigh, I closed the book and set it aside.
Skull barely stirred as I gave his head a fond pat before heading to the kitchen.
“So, who won?” I asked, mostly to stir the pot.
“Me, clearly!” Allen announced with smug pride.
Roddrick chuckled. “I can’t kill my future king, so I let you have the last round.”
“Sore losers always make excuses,” Allen tsked, and I couldn’t help but snicker at how easy it was to wind them up.
Allen leaned casually on the small kitchen island, flashing me that infuriating grin. “Fig, darling, what do you have planned for the rest of the evening?”
I sighed. “Just going over a few more books from the castle’s library— again.”
Allen smirked. “Perfect. Take a break— come with me.”
Before I could argue, he caught my hand and tugged me out the front door, across the garden, and into the little shed we’d built not long ago. Though meant for storage, it had quickly become home to Allen’s frankly ridiculous collection of weapons and sparring gear.
As soon as he pulled me inside, he shut the door and pressed his lips to mine. I laughed into the kiss, throwing my arms around his shoulders as he trailed playful kisses across my cheeks and down my neck. Warm tingles spread through me, pulling another breathless laugh from my chest.
“Babe—” I half-whined, half-giggled at his antics.
He pulled back just enough to grin at me, eyes bright. “I got us something special.”
“Oh?” My interest sparked immediately, and I followed as he crossed to the workbench.
From beneath it, he drew out a pouch and carefully unwrapped a bundle of parchment. As the folds came away, faint glimmers of light slipped through the cracks, dancing against the dim shed walls. When the final layer fell back, my breath caught.
“No way…” I whispered, eyes wide. Nestled in the paper were the most beautiful shimmer shrooms I had ever seen, their glow soft and otherworldly, as if they had been plucked straight from the heart of a dream.
“Shimmer shrooms are rare!” I gasped.
“Oh, I know.” Allen’s grin turned smug as pride lit his eyes. “I worked very hard to get my hands on these.”
“How?” I asked curiously, leaning closer to the glowing fungi. Their pale blue and violet hues pulsed softly, the light spilling across my fingertips like moonlight caught in water.
“I grew them,” he said with a smirk.
I snatched one up and held it accusingly in front of his face. “Liar.”
Allen only laughed, ruffling my already messy hair. “No, really. I grew them— because I knew how badly you wanted to try them.”
With a thrill of anticipation, I popped the shroom into my mouth. A delighted groan escaped me. “Just like the books…”
The taste was sweet and crisp, like biting into a perfect apple, the texture firm and clean like celery. Nothing about it was unpleasant. If anything, it was everything I’d hoped for.
Allen plucked up the second one and ate it with a satisfied smile.
Within moments, I couldn’t stop giggling. The potency hit fast, and soon the two of us were collapsed on the shed floor, touching each other’s faces like we were rediscovering them for the first time.
Face-touching turned into tracing the edges of clothing, which naturally turned into tugging those layers away altogether. We laughed at each other between kisses, pointing out freckles, scars, and blemishes like they were treasures instead of imperfections.
“Everything feels so bright,” Allen whispered, wide-eyed, his fingers lacing with mine.
I giggle. “So soft,” and I reach my hands down low, brushing past his cock that was already standing at attention for me.
Our afternoon turned into a psychedelic touching event. I would brush my hands on his body and he would touch me back in the same spots. Soft moans escaped my lips as his hand brushed against my nipples and clit.
Allen was more restrained in the noises he made, inhaling and exhaling with relief at my every touch.
But I couldn’t take it anymore— I needed him, even if everything was a bit wavy and colorful with every move. I pushed him down to his butt from his kneeling position, then to his back. He had the biggest grin I’d ever seen on his face as he looked up at me.
I laughed the whole time it took me to slowly turn around, my heart beating hard in my chest and my body wobbling in slow motion. I straddled his legs and scooched myself back a bit, letting his hard cock rub against me. I resisted making any noise until I sat down and he was inside me. I exhaled and groaned as he entered me. His hands clung to my hips as I wiggled down on him, then slowly brought my rear up and snapped back down.
“Again,” he asked in a demanding voice, struggling to keep his composure as he sputtered the word, followed by a few noises of satisfaction.
Eventually it became a constant rhythm of rocking and bouncing up and down on Allen.
He sat his body up without pulling out of me and wrapped his arms around me, kissing my shoulders, neck, and back. Then he whispered in my ear, “My turn.”
Easily, he pulled out, and I exhaled as he flipped me to my side and raised one leg up, resting it against his chest and shoulder, my foot right by his face. He kissed the side of my foot and smirked at me as he straddled my other leg on the ground and thrust deep into me. Over and over he did this, and I let out squeaky little moans each time he went deep.
I felt my body relax as I laced my fingers with his and tilted my head back, moaning out, “Oh gods— yes, like that.”
I could hear the smirk in his voice as he pulled out and said, “Ask for it nicely.”
I whined, and with pleading eyes said, “Allen— my love, please, just a little more.”
“Little more what?” he said in a pant as he pleasured himself, waiting for the words he wanted to hear me say.
I smiled coyly and said, “Please, love, help me finish and cum in me.”
He laughed a little, and I saw stars as he thrust back into me. His warmth filled me and he thrust a few more times. My moans escalated into a small cry of pleasure as I came all over his cock.
When he pulled out, I felt empty but whole as he lay next to me and said, “Your eyes are like a deep ocean.”
I laughed softly and whispered back, “Your eyes are pretty too.”
He scowled playfully. “How so?”
Rolling onto my back, I stretched my hand toward the ceiling of the shed. “Because they remind me of lush fields of spring grass.”
He sputtered a laugh. “Spring grass?”
I gave him a playful shove. “It’s hard to describe the light green of your eyes without sounding dumb,” I whined.
He kissed my forehead, and I smiled at him as he murmured, “You described my eyes perfectly.”
After a few long moments of lying there, talking about how we might rearrange the bedroom setup, Allen finally fumbled back into his clothes. I followed suit, though the lingering effects of the shimmer shrooms made the task feel more complicated than it should have been.
Allen produced two small vials that shimmered green and handed me one. He took his quickly, slapped the sides of his face, stretched his arms, and declared, “Instant sober.”
I uncorked mine and sniffed; the smell was heinous. “Gods, what is it?” I asked with a displeased scrunch of my nose.
Allen laughed that wholehearted laugh of his. “Moss juice.”
I sighed, remembering the passages I’d read about how many different kinds of moss could be made into juices to create instant relief and sobering elixirs. So, down the hatch it went and I gagged dramatically.
Allen pulled me into a hug, and we walked out of the garden shed with his arm wrapped snugly around my waist and me grinning like a fool as I reached down to give his firm buttocks a squeeze.
When we entered the house, Roddrick was still there, eating fruit from the bowl on the counter and skimming the book I’d set down earlier. He looked up when we came in and said, “Looks like you had a good talk.”
I scowled at him, sat across from him, and changed the subject instantly. “Find anything helpful?”
He smiled a sad smile. “Not really — but no harm in looking again.”
I sighed and grabbed a fruit, chomping down and making a juicy mess. Allen handed me a napkin and I wiped my face. “Well, at least tomorrow we can start healing some of the land again with the new water-transport wagons.”
Allen leaned on the table. “About those wagons — great in theory, but I have a better idea.”
He motioned us into the small study filled to the brim with books and scrolls. The only clear spot, was the table with a map and markers: he pointed to a river north of the destroyed lands. “This river flows down; maybe we can manipulate it to flood the decayed land.”
“If we dig trench paths and build a dam, I can try to will the water to follow the trench right to the decay,” I chimed in.
Roddrick studied the map intently. Allen smiled at me as he leaned forward on the table. Then Roddrick spoke up. “It could work.”
Allen straightened and looked at Roddrick, and so did I. “Report our new plan to the Queen and ask her if we can post jobs for it. She’s going to ask about payment…” Allen grumbled. I spoke up, “Payment could be food while they work and a protected place to camp, so they don’t waste time traveling to the dig site.”
Roddrick smiled sadly. “They’ll want coins.” I frowned, then perked right back up. “One moment!” I yelped and ran into Allen’s and my bedroom, pulling out the satchel of jewels and coins Roddrick had given me before I left the Fae territories.
When I rushed back into the study, Grace and Stella were there too. Grace was perched atop a stack of books like a stool, and Stella leaned on her affectionately. They’d been close lately. I shook my head to clear it and dumped the pouch onto the map table. Roddrick grinned a shit-eating grin; everyone else went wide-eyed and stunned.
“Can we sell it for enough to afford a few workers?” I asked eagerly.
Allen picked up the ring Sorren had once given me; Grace dangled the necklace Maximus had gifted me. They both looked awed as the light caught the pieces and made them glimmer. Then Roddrick spoke the blunt truth.
“Jewels from the Fae — yes, you can sell them for a high price. Or the Queen might take them and front the coin to pay workers. I’m sure she’d like some of her family heirlooms returned.”
My jaw hit the floor at the omission he’d just mentioned. “Which pieces?” Allen asked, more calculated than anything. Roddrick separated the items that belonged to the royal family’s heirloom stash — that included most of the things Sorren had given me. The pieces Maximus gave me were simply expensive, he explained, but could still fetch a fair price at market and pay a few extra people.
“I think it’s best we take it to the Queen first.” I hurriedly shoved everything back into the pouch and handed it to Roddrick. He paused, stunned. “I trust you to tell her the new plan and offer this as payment.”
Allen smirked. “If you don’t, I’ll rip your wings off.”
Roddrick started laughing; Grace physically cringed, Stella laughed, and I rolled my eyes as Roderick—task in hand—hurried off.
