Academ: Book and Curse

Story by ReynartWrites on SoFurry

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#2 of Academ

An odd rumor circulates the school of a seller of books in a wagon who can give you just what you need. Curious about the prospect of such a thing, Mara investigates and finds rather a rather interesting set of books but it is fine that she can't afford it. There are other ways of paying.


An academy sat at the edges of a kingdom tucked into a region that flowed with cool air kissed by a boreal presence that grew more intense during the winter months. The academy itself was built of old stone and bricks spread across a large enough area to look like more of a small borough rather than a campus. Woods surrounded the academy with a trail leading through the middle connecting it to a town that flourished under the gifted knowledge and expertise of the academy's students and staff. Technologies that were often seen only near the center of the kingdom or from traveling merchants lined the streets of the town. Arcane lights captured in lanterns hanging on poles that did not need to burn and weren't hot to the touch, gears that turned mechanisms and crystals that powered them among other things. The town itself also served as a good place for trade as these technologies not found often in this part of the kingdom sold rather well and traveling merchants were all too eager to take a few with them to other places. Despite being so far away from the center of the kingdom and even further away from places heavily steeped in the influences of a church, the academy still kept many of its bricks in place thanks to funds coming from particular pockets. Of course, nothing could be so perfect.

In the campus and near the front gate, a wagon had been parked connected to a large round insect with a hard shell split in segments. The side of the wagon held an opening that served as a kiosk of sorts where students wandered looking for answers to their curiosities. Typically, the students walked away with a book or two in arm, and the merchant within counted a few more coins. Rumors had quickly bustled through the school that someone was selling books near the entrance of the academy both rare and mundane but the students that had bought from the merchant were all deeply satisfied with what they had received. They said the merchant had just what they needed and all books that had been sold could not be found in the academy's grand library. This caught the attention of a particularly curious student by the name of Mara. She was a plum-furred feline with bright pumpkin eyes and currently, she strode through the courtyard of the campus from the dormitories with an academic hunger glinting in her gaze.

Even though she mostly sequestered herself to her quarters or other places where she could focus, Mara couldn't help but overhear other students outside of her door talking about an odd merchant. She had been instructed by her sponsor and mentor to seek the rumors of students of a wagon parked in the school and thus find herself with something able to impress the masters that hated her nameless existence. If the books they were selling were truly unique then she needed to see if that merchant had anything for sale that could be used. Another curiosity was the fact that the merchant was said to bring out books that were often catered to the particular tastes of the student asking but that surely must have been an exaggeration.

Mara found herself at the entrance of the school and saw that she was the only one there. The wagon was more modestly sized than she had been anticipating and it was held together with darkened wood that seemed to almost take on a hue of red underneath the sunlight. She approached the opening and ran a hand along the makeshift shelf, shuddering as she felt a latent power licking through the wood itself. There were enchantments whispering on the wood but they felt different. Whatever flowed through the wood seemed to cling tightly to the material but at the same time, it reached out toward her digits, curling around them and threatening to pull her toward its presence before she tugged her paw back and away from the wood deciding to keep her inspections to the surface of the wagon.

"Hello there! I can tell you the type of wood it is or perhaps you're more interested in the deeper aspects of this thing." Said a voice from nearby.

The feline student jolted from the surprise before turning her head toward the opening in the wagon. A rather tall fox of some sort greeted her with a small smile and deep tired black eyes that were touched by circles beneath. Their fur was bright white but the large hand waving at her was black as ink along with a few markings on their face and ears. A heavy poncho covered them from neck and below to parts hidden in the wagon, a scarf resting beneath their chin.

When she recovered from her initial surprise, she smoothed down her student's robes and cleared her throat, "I was admiring them on my own time and while I can't say that the wood isn't pretty, it was the magic that I was interested in."

Part of her expected them to shrug her off and simply state that it was beyond her understanding but the odd merchant ran a claw along the wood gently and spoke, "I have a number of wards placed on the wagon itself to guard against attack but their making is a bit odd. They aren't your typical enchantments because they were made from a curse and therefore cling to whatever I put them on until they are dispelled. Doing so for me is as easy as breathing but for others, it is like unraveling woven material only to find another weave waiting for you. If you look closely, you can see the spell intertwining together."

Mara hadn't expected the explanation but it only gave her more questions. She stared at the wood and urged her eyes to see beyond the physical until she spotted black lines flowing and twisting together, radiating an odd power that she couldn't grasp. When she looked back at the merchant, she asked quietly, "What is that?"

In return, they chuckled, "Ink. Cursed stuff that follows my will and intent. Both my Heart and Mind. It is shaped by what I write or weave with it and then given life by my intent as I said. Before you ask, I don't even really know why it works that way and I've been coming here to the academy on occasion for examinations that usually end up in professors throwing their claws up in the air and grumbling about odd afflictions that make no sense."

A myriad of questions danced in her mind but the merchant had cut off one of her significant ones and that had been enough to bring her back down to why she was there. Shuffling in place, she breathed out, "Right, well, I'm not here to learn your secrets. Much as they interest me, I'm here for books. I've heard that you know exactly what students want and that your stock is rare. So here I am."

"Ah, a discerning customer looking to see if rumors are true and if I can at all interest you. I've already got your interest with what afflicts me and what protects my wagon so now all I need to do is provide the correct book." The merchant chuckled and leaned out just a bit, eyes staring down at her while they hummed, "Though, I'll say I don't really know what students want. I only take a guess what I think they might need and usually, those guesses are pretty good! Now, what is your name?"

Mara looked at the fox for a few seconds before crossing her arms, "You first."

Without pause, they answered, "Wel."

In kind, she inclined her head, "Mara."

With introductions finished, Wel brought a hand to their chin, one digit resting beneath it as they stared at her and began to mutter, "Everything has led me to believe that you are inquisitive. The fact that you could feel something on the wood so easily means that you are talented as well. If I am right, as a student you probably wish to excel above everyone else. An unfortunate reality is that others may underestimate you so, perhaps I have a few things I think you could use but I would rather show them to you within the safety of my wagon." They straightened out as their hands clasped together, "So, would you join me? I promise what I have to show you is both dangerous and educational."

Her eyes watched the fox with a mixture of surprise and wonderment. Did they have some sort of magical sight? Or was their intuition that good? Regardless, even the offer to see a dangerous book gave them enough reason to nod quietly in agreement. Wel's smile grew as they pulled up the shelf and shut the opening to the wagon. She soon heard a door opening and Wel whistling to call her over. Mara walked around the back of the wagon where an open door awaited. Urged by curiosity and excitement, Mara stepped into the wagon without a second thought and shut the door behind her.

Surprise registered on her features as she noticed that the wagon seemed bigger than it did on the outside. There were shelves and shelves of books along a wall, each lined by a few straps to keep them from falling off during bumpy roads most likely. There were more than just books though. Chests sat beneath the bookshelves along with various ink pots held in a similar manner to the books on shelves. Mara could feel the subtle hum of magic curling in the air, like a pleasant buzz welcoming her home. Artifacts were strewn on the other wall ranging from wands to other various little things that drew her interest along with one of her paws before she stopped. It would be rude to touch without permission. When she turned her attention to finding the merchant, Wel was standing near what looked to be a small bed pushed against a wall.

With a grunt, Wel dragged a chest from beneath the bed, "Here we are. If you look on the shelf there you'll see a book with a heart and a sword through it. That's an adventure novel with a lot of little romantic twists and tingles. I'm sure you'd like it so if you're interested in that feel free to pull it off the shelf while I uh, get this damnable thing out."

While they muttered something about the unfortunate weight of books, Mara's cheeks flushed with warmth as she looked to the shelves and retrieved the book Wel had recommended. It was just a stupid romance novel but one that she hadn't seen before and one with adventure and odd things. She stared at the cover for a few seconds before putting it under her arm and turning her attention back to the fox just in time to see them opening the chest.

"Here we are...So, you see. There are many books that are too dangerous for me to keep because they contain powerful magic or because they threaten our world in some manner with their knowledge. I donate many of these books to particular folk in the academy I trust." Gingerly, they reached into the chest and pulled out a heavy tome with green binding surrounding it, "And this little tome is something I think you'll appreciate. Powerful magic contained within considered too dangerous for a student most likely and a series of spells keeping it closed. I've undone the wards a few times and read it myself but the wards keep it closed. It was most likely put there as a mental exercise and warning for whoever was going to learn from it."

Mara's eyes grew wide as they turned toward her and presented the book for her to get a better look. She could not resist reaching out with a free paw to touch the cover, magic sparking from within. There were wards on it just as they had said but Mara was confident she could unravel them. Quietly, she asked, "What's in it?"

Wel tapped the cover while holding it with one hand, "Spells, alchemical concoctions, theory outside of the influence of any government body. The knowledge of a hedge witch like myself but much more in-depth. There are even a few whispering words of summoning in here. Most likely, this is knowledge that your professors wouldn't want you having but my gut tells me that you'd be fine."

When they eased the book toward her, Mara carefully took it, mind working through all the possibilities of things that they could find before a thought occurred, "How much?"

"Ahah, how astute. The book in your arms there isn't too much, three lefs but the magical tome? A pearl."

She sucked in a breath while looking down at the rare book in her hold. There were some that would ask for much more than that but even one single pearl was a lot to her. Mara had already spent a pearl on several supplies and forwarded a bit of it to future tuition and now she found herself without enough coin to add up to that. She wasn't poor by any means but a pearl was something much higher than what she usually had. Opening her mouth, trying to figure out something to say, Wel brought a hand up to stop her.

"You can't afford it." They said with a small smile pointed at her. She flinched before offering the green bound tome back but Wel pushed it back toward her with a digit and hummed, "Let's trade then. What do you have to offer that you think values three lefs and a pearl?"

Mara furrowed her brow, eyes focused on the binding of the book while she tried to think of what she had as a student that would be worth anything, "For a tome like this, I would trade so much if I had the option. My own grimoire is incomplete and I am nothing but a student. My personal library is small and cannot compare to anything like this." Her cheeks then flushed with color beneath the fur as she remembered something and muttered, "But I have sold one thing for a single pearl before."

"And what would that be?"

The feline cleared her throat, "My body."

When she looked up at Wel, she expected them to laugh, she expected them to take the book and tell her to take her silliness out of their wagon but they didn't. Wel simply rubbed their chin while fixing her with a serious look that faded into a smile as they shrugged and said, "Sure. Why not?"

"Really? You're not going to lecture me about my body? Not going to tell me that I'm in over my head?" Asked Mara with a raised brow.

Wel shook their head, "No. I felt like you were a capable student and by the fact that you took that little romance novel, I'm guessing you're no stranger to these things or at least have an interest. Now let me take those for a moment so we can get started."

Mara raised a brow while Wel took each of the books gingerly to set them in the chest, "Not even a lecture on the dangers of magic? Surely you'd get in trouble with someone for handing me this book."

"I can think of a few instructors and staff members that would talk my ear off to no end but they've also given me permission to sell my books here and not one student I've trusted with a dangerous book has come to harm with what they've seen and learned."

The feline sniffed and looked to the side while crossing her arms, "I'm not used to being given such trust or respect. There are those who look at my stature, my quiet nature, and other things and think that I am weak or that I am missing some sort of critical knowledge. There are flaws that I need to iron out but still, I would prefer it if I wasn't faced with scrutiny and even disdain when presenting my ideas or even just existing."

One corner of the fox's mouth tugged up just a bit more to make a smirk, "And they are proven wrong time and time again and the ones with pride are the ones that get upset when they are proven wrong."

Mara scoffed and sat at the edge of the bed, "You suggest that they are wrong and because you are a student they feel like you are trying to unseat them from their place of pride and power."

Wel gave her cheek a poke, "Please, they're just jealous that you're young and already this smart. Plus, a few of them might be compensating for something."

The gentle nudge of her cheek along with the thought of a few high and mighty instructors flustering about due to a particular type of pride began to crack her expression until she was smiling and then snorting, "Brave words for someone about to unveil their own pride."

"Ahah, brave words for a girl who will have her lips on that pride and her every move controlled."

She shuddered and looked at them, her chin lifting as she huffed, "I'll have you know that I'm not easily frightened. If you supposedly are a good size then I can handle it without a problem and if you're rough, then good."

A touch at her shoulder brought a cool spike through her body as their voice touched her ear, "Good because I think for the value of our trade that it is only fair that I get to use you all I want until I am done."

"Hah, is this the type of deal that you offer everyone that buys books from you?"

Gentle pecks were planted on her neck before she suddenly felt pointed fangs pressing through the fur, barely touching the skin. She clamped her mouth shut to stifle her response as Wel pulled their mouth back, warm breath accompanying the words, "Only the ones that are cute and have an interest in this sort of thing. You can always tell me to stop too. I could instead make a deal with your sponsor or even ask the academy to pay for the books on behalf of a student. I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

Instead of answering, Mara got up and took a step away from the bed, paws grasping her robes. She paused for a second, gathering her confidence while shutting her eyes. It wasn't so much that she was afraid to bare herself to a stranger and complete this transaction but instead she was frightened that Wel would find her not attractive enough once her robes were off. Dwelling on those thoughts would only bring her closer to anxiety and so she instead clasped onto the feelings that had come when Wel hadn't belittled her. It was surprise mixed in with a pleasantness that swam through her as she tugged her robes up and off of her head, revealing the rounded curves of her waist and thighs.

When her digits were about to push through her underwear, a strong grip pressed around her rear, Mara breathing out, "Not even going to let me get undressed?"

Again, she felt their mouth begin pecking at her neck, this time moving up to one of her ears as they breathed out, "Sorry, I couldn't help but grab. You're cute and I love this rump of yours."

Her cheeks burned at their words and their touch, a shaky sigh flowing from her mouth, "Are you trying to romance and seduce me or are we making an exchange?"

Wel's digits squeezed just a bit tighter on her rear, their lips planting one last kiss on her ear along with the words following, "Perhaps both."

With that, they let her go and went back to sit on the bed leaving Mara to try her best and ignore what they had just said to her. Digits that refused to stop trembling looped through the waist of her underwear, tugging them down all the way until she could step out of them. When she turned around, she did so in time to see Wel casting off their scarf, the poncho soon following revealing a heavy set of balls and a sheathe. An ebony tip poked free of the sheathe and kept on growing the more they stared at her, the more those eyes drank in every detail of her body. She obeyed with one of their digits beckoned for her to come closer, both of her paws resting on their thighs as she lowered herself to her knees knowing exactly what to do.

Mara brought her mouth over the tip of their growing cock, eyes shut while her digits trailed through the fur of their thighs, coming down and around until she was grabbing both of their balls. A hand came down atop of her head, claws grazing through the fur behind her ears while their cock continued to grow against her lips, Mara moving her head back further and further until it was fully erect. She then took her lips away to open her eyes and get a good look at what she was dealing with. Certainly, Wel hadn't been overcompensating for anything as they had said and she loved the sight of it, loved the way they didn't question her, or prod her about her certainties. Only one question, one warning and they took her word for what it was. One paw remained under their heavy orbs while the other trail up to grab onto their shaft to start pumping up and down slowly.

While her digits moved over the shaft, her mouth planted pecks along the inner thighs until she moved toward the balls, her tongue coming out as she met them. Embarrassment, shame, and concern were far from her mind as she had a task to focus on; besides, Wel's groping had given her enough confidence to understand that they found her attractive even beneath the clothes. That was enough for her mouth and paw to do their jobs while her mind focused on trying not to drown in the heat of the moment.

A firm touch grabbed one of her ears, tugging away from her duty of glazing those balls with her tongue causing her to wince. The sparks of pain she felt did nothing to stop the excitement throbbing in her heart. Mara's lips ended back at the tip of Wel's cock, the message clear as their hand returned to the back of her head to press. She opened her mouth wide and pushed her tongue against their shaft while both of her arms moved to lie flat Wel's thighs. Mara had suggested that she liked it rough and normally that came with a lot of concern about her stature, her demeanor, and more but Wel had seemingly respected her words and hadn't belittled her. It was time to see whether or not they followed through.

Both of their hands moved to grasp onto her head before dragging her down. It started out slow enough, their ebony girth pushing inside of her maw inch by inch until she thought that their talk of using her until they were satisfied had just been a bluff. She might've pulled back and asked them to actually treat her roughly but her mental grievances were silenced as her nose suddenly met their crotch. She gagged around the length pulsing in her throat, digits balling together into fists but remaining flat atop of Wel's thighs. Her head was kept down all the way with her chin pushed against the balls, those strong hands keeping her down all the way. Mara tested the waters a bit and tried to pull back but she couldn't budge an inch and the fox even growled at her attempts. Shivering, breathing carefully through her nose, Mara waited until Wel began to use her throat.

Up and down her head began to move, gradually at first as if to test a few things before the pace picked up. Her mouth was nothing but a sex toy in the hands of the merchant, her legs squeezing together as she thought of that heavy girth making it difficult to breathe shoving into her pussy. There were too many partners that thought of her as weak, thought of her as too small to handle this type of treatment and she loved every second of it despite the soreness already gathering in her throat. Her mouth was brought back just enough to allow Wel to get up and start thrusting down into her throat instead of tugging her head. Their movements kept on getting rough, faster and the base of their shaft seemed to swell with every thrust until she felt the full weight of the knot slapping against her lips over and over again. For a moment, she thought that they might try to force the knot into her maw but instead, the fox eventually stopped, resting the bulbous base against her lips while the rest twitched down her throat.

Each throb sent another wave of heat down her form making her wonder whether or not they would be cumming in her mouth. Another few twitches and Wel pulled back enough to place the tip of their shaft on her tongue, warm seed shooting out in heavy ropes that stained her mouth. Mara swallowed every drop given, shuddering as the salty bitterness escaped down her throat creating a warm spot on her gut. When they finished, Wel pulled out and slapped their still firm shaft onto her cheek.

Mara breathed out, "Am I done?"

An answer came in the form of strong digits grabbing the fur of her head, squeezing tight and yanking her up and bending her over the bed. She gasped as her rear was swatted, digits moving to wrap around her tail to squeeze and tug while the fox positioned themselves like a feral beast behind her prepared to breed her. Mara steadied herself, lifting her hips and breathed out, expecting them to pound inside of her at any moment.

"How you holding up, princess?" Wel's voice came above her.

A deep frowned touched her features, "Well, I was doing just fine until you opened your mouth and called me that stupid name."

Wel chuckled and wrapped an arm around her body, lips pressing to her neck while they muttered, "Sorry, you're just that beautiful. A regular gem."

Her cheeks flared with renewed heat as she snorted, "I guess I can forgive you...Regardless, I'm fine and good to go whenever you are."

Their arm around her body moved so their claws were brushing along her chest, "Call out fae if you need me to stop."

Before she could question the odd choice of safe word, Mara felt the tip of their canine shaft spreading her wide. She tried again to feel for the words but instead groaned as a sizable chunk of his cock embedded itself within her. Her paws pressed against the bed trying to keep herself up but their weight suddenly bore down on her and she felt the rest of that shaft kiss inside of her until the still swollen knot slammed against the outer lips of her pussy. Mara cried out, ignoring whatever was on her mind for the pleasure rocking through her body. It didn't take long for Wel to pull back to start pounding inside of her over and over again, the hand at her chest moving around to her shoulder to hold her down while the other dragged those strong claws down her back. The claws didn't break through the skin but occasionally dug in, keeping her frozen in place while their hand trailed around to her rump. Mara's toes curled, her eyes shut tight as she felt her insides being spread over and over again. That knot kept on slamming against her, pushing and stretching her slowly bit by bit, and soon enough it would be able to lock her into place with Wel. She wondered whether or not they would listen to her if she asked for them to pull out and such a thought brought a shudder down her spine. Were they feral enough to use her without remorse, to not even listen to the safety word that they provided? It was a fearful thought but full of arousal and darker fantasy that had her squirming and mewling for more.

Mara's orgasm struck her first, her insides clenching tight as her excitement carried her over into a gushing climax. She groaned, ears pinned back, eyes opening wide as she felt their thrusts growing even more intense. Taking a chance, she peered back at Wel and trembled at what she saw. Their mouth was hovering near her neck, their claws appearing somehow sharper while the black of their hands seemed to encroach further and further up their arms. The energy in the air seemed to take on a different tone entirely as well, her heart racing as she realized something else was happening. Whatever it was, Wel didn't seem to care as they continued rutting her. The ink on their hands seemed to curl around her back and shoulder causing her to gasp as she felt the magic sparking between them. With one more push, Wel's knot slammed inside of her and she couldn't even think of the logistics behind telling the fox to pull out.

One shot of sticky cum poured out into her pussy followed by many more. Each twitch of their shaft produced more and more kept securely inside of her thanks to the stopper provided by the knot. Mara planted her cheek on the bed, mind growing blank with heat and arousal, each spread of cum inside of her adding another layer to that warmth. What brought her out of that miasma of pleasure were fangs pressing hard on her neck. She yelped and trembled, pain blossoming from the fangs digging beneath the fur clearing the fog away as warmth trickled down her neck. When Wel finished, they let go of her slowly, pulling their fangs away once their hands were off of her.

A hot breath touched her ear, "How you holding up, princess?"

Mara had an irritated reply ready even in her sore afterglow but yelped as Wel placed their foot on her ass and yanked their knot out with a wet pop. With a hiss, she answered, "Absolutely in love with this treatment...Minus the nickname."

Wel chuckled, "Good...Might've bloodied your neck a bit. You can have my scarf if you'd like."

"Might be a good idea to save me a bit of embarrassment." She then mumbled, "Mind if I ask a question?"

"Go ahead."

She felt gentle lips planting pecks along her back causing her to shudder while she spoke, "What magic was that?"

The fox hummed as they continued to kiss, "I was going a bit feral there so my ink responded to my desire and intent, restraining you. Lucky it didn't curse you with fertility."

Mara coughed, "Can that happen?"

"It can but I'm careful. Even like that, I was keeping tabs on what the ink was doing and what I wanted."

She thought for a moment before speaking aloud, "Can I examine you someday?"

Cool shivers ran up her spine as Wel's tongue came out to flick just beneath her tail, "Magically? Maybe. I'm not keen on letting others treat me like an experiment but if I come to trust you enough, certainly. That being said, there are already a few at the academy examining me."

Mara purred at their gentle treatment of her body. When their lips pulled away from her tail, she got up slowly, thankful for their hands on her shoulders helping her steady herself. Her thoughts were turning toward grabbing her clothes and finishing this little transaction when they suddenly closed their lips over hers. Mara's eyes grew wide before they settled as dreamy halves, body trembling while she brought her paws up to hold onto their arms. Lips melded together before parting to let their tongues dance and twist, her body being pushed back just a bit by the force of the fox's kiss. When the kiss stopped, the fox planted a soft peck on the spot where they had bitten her neck.

"Now I'm satisfied." They said with a purr.

While her cheeks were burning and her heart was pounding against her chest, they both got dressed, Mara putting the warm scarf around her neck to cover the bruise beneath her fur. The soreness radiating through her body at several parts was more satisfying than anything and the stickiness dripping down her legs was a constant reminder of what they had done.

While ignoring the feeling of her heart throbbing, Mara cleared her throat, "If I require your trust then I suppose I'll have to purchase more from this store to have more chances at talking to you. Perhaps uh, with breaks in between."

Wel quirked a brow, a small smile tugging at the corner of their mouth as they pulled the two books out from the chest, "I'm glad you remembered that you are supposed to purchase things from here because I swore you were about to forget about these."

Her cheeks went from hot to sore with embarrassment as she reached out and grabbed the books, "Yes! I mean, no. I didn't forget! Rather, only momentarily. Regardless, I will speak to you another time and...Perhaps I will write letters. Now that I have met you, it would be easy."

The fox chuckled and sat on the bed, one leg crossing over the other at the knee while they tilted their head, "I'd be happy to receive anything you sent. Good luck with your studies...And try not to cause too much trouble. Oh, feel free to stop by even if you aren't going to buy anything. It'll be nice to have a pet that wanders in looking for love and knowledge."

Mara thought about telling them to shove off, that she wouldn't come for such a base reason but she looked at them for a moment and muttered, "You know. My dorm is on the ground level of the building. Twenty-nine. I leave my door unlocked during the night sometimes."

They fixed her with the same look but something bubbled beneath, something that gripped at her heart as their words came, "I'll be sure to visit during the nights I stay here. It'll be fun, being the monster that visits you, corrupted and strange."

Though a shudder ran through her body, Mara spoke firmly, "I don't know if you're just teasing or not but some part of me thinks that you calling yourself a monster is more than just a play...You've got some sort of curse, an affliction but you're no monster. That being said, if you want to show me what that ink can do and what you can do when you're pretending, then go ahead. I told you already I like it rough."

Wel chuckled, "As you wish, princess."

Normally, she would have told them to stop calling her that but that smile of theirs grew on her own face and she simply rolled her eyes before striding out of the wagon with two new books in her arms. One of them, something relaxing she could perhaps read tonight to ease herself into a gentle sleep. She certainly didn't think she could work herself into arousal with such soreness but then her mind crossed to the danger of that magic curling around her arms, the feral ferocity of Wel at her back and as she headed toward the dorms, Mara weighed the value of temperance.