Love and Fortune Ch. 07

"So," Eleni replied to Ben. "What was that about a goddess?"

They were seated at the dining room table, with a delicious spread of breakfast hors d'oeuvres laid out in front of them. It still amazed him, how the French socialite always seemed to have such sumptuous arrays of food and drink at the ready; on no morning since Ben had arrived at the estate had Eleni not been ready to provide a feast for them all. As she waited on him to elaborate, her bare foot nudged gently at his leg beneath the table, teasing his knee and making him smile.

He sipped his hot tea before replying. "Kind of a lot to explain."

"I imagine we can handle it." It wasn't Eleni who replied, but Yuki, who strode in from the doorway to bring in a basket of fresh biscuits. Her face was radiant as usual, her smile curious and kind. "Does it have anything to do with those bracelets of yours and Lenore's?"

"It does." Ben returned Yuki's smile, and felt a subtle thrum from his bracelet. "The bracelet's power? Turns out it's her power. Zawadi -- she's a goddess of love and fortune. The charms and symbols on our bracelets? They're sacred to her. She's the one behind the magic that led me to you all."

Shaheen leaned in from his left. "And she can speak to you in dreams?"

"Among other things, yeah." Ben felt comforted -- not just by their attention, but by their total acceptance. Just as readily as they'd warmed up to the magic itself, it seemed they accepted the revelation of its progenitor deity.

The black girl winked. "Sounds like the kind of goddess I can get down with. Hot woman? Likes sex and romance? Mmm, hope she stops by my dreams someday."

"She mentioned telepathy, too," Ben went on. "And goddess-magic on demand. She said I'd have her 'guidance.' The way she talked about it... seems like I'm supposed to just sort of 'tune in' and then she'll help me direct how things go for us."

"Whoa," came Lenore's voice, from just outside the doorway. "Talk about a religious experience. Wait... you guys aren't gonna start praying and chanting, are you? I mean, not that I'd mind being part of your coven."

Ben laughed heartily at that. "Oh, she's not that kind of goddess. Zawadi prefers a different kind of worship." As if on cue, right beside him, Shaheen started to tease under the table with deft fingers. And from across the way, Eleni joined in with her foot again. He knew their touches were deliberate; he didn't have to guess where their minds had gone. "So uh, anyway..."

"Keep talking, loverboy," Shaheen replied. "What is it you are now, then? A holy vessel? And we're, like, your sexy priestesses?"

"More or less." He shifted in his chair, his jeans becoming rather restrictive. "The word Zawadi used was 'devotee,' but she said I could just as soon call myself 'her high priest' if I'd prefer. I'll... figure that out eventually."

"Amusing." Eleni's foot slipped upward, reaching as high as his thigh. "To think, all along, this has been the work of a goddess."

"That doesn't change anything, does it?" Ben asked.

"Not at all," she replied. "In fact, I think knowing about this... Zawadi, only makes it all better. It means I now know who to thank for sending you my way. Giving me this incredible new life, filled with love and excitement and magic..." She smiled fondly at him. "Rarely before have I thought of myself as spiritual, but now? My thoughts will be entirely occupied with worshipping Zawadi as best I can -- by serving you, and everyone else in this circle."

A thrum from Ben's bracelet seemed to confirm that Zawadi herself, from some other plane both distant and intimately close, had overheard that declaration of devotion. "I'm glad you feel that way, Eleni," he spoke in turn.

"Oh, I think we're all on the same page here." It was Aimee who'd spoken this time. "I can certainly speak for myself, anyway. Whether it's the bracelet or a love goddess or just you, Ben, I can damn well say I've fallen for you. No need to fret that it's ever going to change."

Alicia chimed in just as fast. "Couldn't say it better. Ben, you're my perfect match. And if some higher power arranged this? Then I'll believe it -- because this definitely feels like heaven."

Ben felt arms embracing him gently from behind; Moka's presence, sensual and comforting as always. "What else matters?" she inquired, her voice a melodious murmur. "It's magic and love and worship all at once. All we need to worry about is how to enjoy this forever. Right?"

Sensing Zawadi's magic around him, amplified by the words of his lovers, he felt a deep reassurance that everything they'd declared was true. He also recalled bits of the goddess's words from the dream. Explanations of his gifts. Promises of endless happiness. "I think we're going to be able to enjoy a whole lot, yes," he replied.

"Like we already haven't." Aimee's face turned coy. "More, though? I could get on board."

Ben found himself musing about possibilities. About how far, exactly, his abilities as a devotee might be able to take him... and his lovers. How much influence, now, would Zawadi grant him? If his power increased with time, as the African deity had promised it would, then what kind of fantastic power would eventually be his? He wondered if the limits of human physicality would even matter, once he was in full control over the magic -- if his mind and the charm around his wrist would allow him to manipulate reality around him as he wished.

What that would mean for his sex life? He could only imagine.

Lenore was the last to speak, with timidity in her voice, but also a clear, adventurous curiosity. "I wonder if Zawadi could tell me more about this." She held up her wrist, showing off her engraved charm. "I mean, since you and I share magic now... and we've shared some pretty magical moments already... then this goddess must be looking after both of us. I wonder if she could help me learn to use this thing the way I need to."

The thought of that sparked his interest. Lenore had come into his life with a bit of her own magic, and even before he'd spoken to Zawadi last night, he'd hoped to help her learn to understand it. Perhaps now, with a patron goddess on call, they could both benefit.

"If anyone can teach us both, it'd be Zawadi," he agreed.

"Can you ask her? Like, right here and now?" Lenore inquired. "I'm... not sure how it works, but I'd love to hear her guidance, even if you have to relay it."

It seemed reasonable, though the thought of having to mediate between mortals and the divine made him feel a little nervous. Ben took a sip from his teacup, then settled it on its saucer. Focusing on the bracelet around his wrist, he called out silently to the goddess -- the words in his head more a feeling than a voice. Not a moment later, as a familiar presence arose in his mind, he sensed a reply.

"Such a delight to hear from you so soon, my devotee." The words seemed to sound directly in his ear; he barely resisted looking around to find the source. "Ah, and here you are, with all your own devotees around you. Has your morning been pleasant?"

He didn't have to speak aloud in return. As he focused, Zawadi's response became clear as day in his mind. "Yes," he answered her -- then found himself sweeping his gaze across all seven of his women, gathered close and fully attentive. He smiled, reassuring Lenore. "She's here with us," he said out loud. "I'll, um, act as the intermediary between us."

But Zawadi's voice cut right back in. "Not necessary," she confidently spoke -- and at once, every one of the women perked up, some gasping, some grinning, all wide-eyed and wowed. Ben smiled as he realized that the goddess's message had reached their minds too.

"Whoa," Shaheen said, stunned but smiling. "Okay, then. Voice in my head. This is... this is definitely a thing."

Zawadi's voice rippled out with gentle laughter. "Might as well make the communication easy," she explained. "Ben shouldn't need to convey my words to the rest of you. If you all desire commune with me, then that's easy for me to accomplish. As simple as one of your mortal world's group phone calls."

Aimee laughed merrily. "Nice to meet you, Zawadi."

"And you as well, my lovely. Oh, my. Being connected to all these beautiful minds is like swimming in an ocean of pure, divine pleasure. Such diverse beauties! Such intense emotion, radiating from you all." The goddess let out another lilting laugh, and the sound tickled Ben's senses. "Ben, my champion, the assembly of these women around you pleases me in ways that you cannot know."

"Consider me flattered," Yuki purred. "So, you're..."

"African goddess of love and fortune," Zawadi replied. "Yes, darling. And I've watched all of you from the moment you've each entered the fold."

"Seems we've got ourselves a guardian angel," Moka commented. "Or... should I say guardian goddess?"

"You could call me either," Zawadi laughed. "Just don't feel you have to think of me as some faraway being. I'd rather you considered me a close friend. I want intimacy and connection, just like you. And speaking of close connections, I'm quite intrigued by the other bracelet-wearer in your fold."

Lenore blushed visibly at that. "Oh, wow," she murmured.

"Thought I wouldn't notice? Lenore Larkin, I've kept you under my protection since you found that charm."

"I remember how it called out to me," the pale-haired girl replied. "That was you, wasn't it? And then, knowing just what to do and where to go after I got the bracelet -- that was you too? You guided me to Ben."

"I called, yes," explained the goddess. "And I guided. But it was your choice to pick up that charm, Lenore. Your decision to follow the pull you felt. You might've done otherwise -- but you listened to your intuition. What you now have, you gained for yourself by taking risks and facing danger. And now? Both you and my charm are in the best possible place."

Lenore nodded. "I know. And I hope you know how grateful I am for that." She paused. "And... I guess I wanted to ask you something else."

"What, my darling?"

Lenore cleared her throat; everyone at the table listened just as intently as Zawadi. "I wanted to ask if you knew any of the history of this charm. Ben can trace his back to the shaman who made it. But mine? It was going to be part of an auction. I've been wondering who had it before. Where it might've come from. And if... it might be worth anything to know about who owned it first."

There was silence for a while -- enough for Lenore to begin to doubt herself, or regret the question. But Zawadi spoke soon enough, and her tone was sobering. "I can, indeed, speak of the past of your charm," she said. "It's an unfortunate one. That bracelet has spent many years with people whose uses for it have been far from benevolent."

That surprised Ben. It probably shocked Lenore the most; she'd grown attached to her bracelet, and to be told that it had once belonged to someone so villainous must've hurt. But Zawadi was quick to assure her: "No, Lenore; your bracelet is not cursed or evil. You're the rightful owner now, and the most worthy in decades. It's not stained. It's just the tale of the charm that is a grim one."

"Will you tell us?" Ben asked, eager to know but almost worried about what Zawadi might reveal. Would learning about the bracelet's origin darken the brightness of its effects? Was it information they'd be better off not knowing?

"I see no reason to keep it a secret from you all," Zawadi confirmed. Then she paused again, as if gathering her composure. "I'm sure you know that my ancestral homeland has... a long history of exploitation. Inhumane treatment by your world's powers. The lands of my people have seen wars. Conquests. And there, too, lies the sad story of this bracelet. It was looted among other art and artifacts of my worshippers by an invading warlord, snatched as a spoil of conquest. Later, it was sold on the black market, changing hands. I could not stop the effect of its magic, even as it came to benefit cruel owners. For many dark years, the power of luck lay with the undeserving, and it aided more than a few wicked men in their misdeeds."

"Oh, no," Eleni muttered, shaking her head. "That's awful to hear. Magic like that, in such terrible hands? I've seen the power it can bring for good. To think of that power used for evil instead..."

"There was no helping it, I'm afraid," the goddess affirmed. "And to be unable to interfere was like torture to me. I never revealed myself to any of those corrupt souls; they didn't even know my name, or the secrets of the culture their little treasure of good luck came from. To them, it was only an exotic artifact whose power could not be denied. It turned battles in the warlord's favor. It helped a mob boss subdue his rivals. It brought profit to those with no moral fiber."

"How did it get to the auction yesterday?" Aimee asked.

"Its last few owners were members of a family of wealthy financiers. Those greedy, ruthless stockbrokers passed it back and forth to manipulate the market, thinking themselves masters of wealth. When the last one died unexpectedly, unable to pass it on to a successor of his choosing, his estate held an auction of his valuables -- and that's when you found it, Lenore. You saw something in it that all its past owners didn't, and you gave it what it had needed for decades: a bearer who would put it to good use.

"That, my dear Lenore," she continued, "is why you will have my profound thanks. You became my brave vessel when you took the charm and ran. You were my way of preventing my magic from being sold off to the highest bidder -- someone likely equally as bad as those who came before. I rewarded your bravery by drawing you toward my chosen devotee -- to this man with a soul so pure, so filled with compassion and care. Now you're going to be rewarded even further for your courage. So long as you wear that bracelet, I shall guide and protect you as I do with Ben. Embrace your desires. Live your fantasy. You're safe now under my watch. Enjoy the life of pleasure that you've found."

The pale-haired woman smiled. "I'll wear my bracelet with pride, then," she stated, "and I'll use it well."

"A toast to Zawadi, I say," Eleni cheerfully announced. "She's brought all of us together and allowed us to find bliss beyond anything we ever thought possible. What do you all say?"

As if on cue, Yuki -- who no one had even realized had departed the room -- came back around with an ice bucket, filled with eight champagne glasses and a bottle of pink bubbly. "I had a feeling this occasion would call for something special," the Japanese woman giggled, setting the glasses out on the table.

"It's like you can read our minds, darling," Eleni praised, leaning in to stroke Yuki's cheek lovingly. She accepted the first glass Yuki poured, then raised it in a salute. "To Zawadi," she echoed, "goddess of love and fortune."

With everyone's drinks poured, the eight lovers bound together in bonds of love and luck and magic toasted the deity of their new faith. The first sip Ben took was sweeter than anything he'd ever tried before. "Thank you for all of this, Zawadi," he thought toward the goddess.

"Don't thank me," came the African deity's sultry reply. "Fuck them for me."

Whether the others heard that last request or not, Ben wasn't quite sure. Either way, he could tell by his girlfriends' expressions that soon enough, whenever they decided, Zawadi's command was going to be followed to a tee.

He couldn't wait to get started.

The living room played host to their first rounds of morning fun. Ben soared over peak after peak with each of his lovers, kissing and tasting and touching and exploring, with everyone's pleasure ramping up further with every bout. In the back of his mind, Zawadi's presence never ceased, her spirit lingering close and ever-vigilant, ready to spur any magic needed to enhance the eroticism.

Though the goddess didn't speak directly, Ben more than understood when something he did pleased her. "That's right," she seemed to whisper without words, deep within his mind, as he settled on the couch and pulled Aimee close. "Take her. Make her yours." Up against the wall with Shaheen, Zawadi's conceptual banter encouraged him as he sank into the dark-skinned beauty; as her leg locked around him and her fingernails stroked his back, his patron deity's praise reverberated. "She's a goddess in her own right. Enjoy every inch. Show her how you worship."

For a long while, he retreated into a world of skin and lust and pleasure. The sounds of moaning were music to his ears, the taste of his lovers' lips and flesh a banquet he feasted on to his heart's content. As his women climaxed again and again in ecstasy, his bracelet thrummed with satisfaction. Their rituals more than pleased the goddess.

After the rutting wound down, the day at the estate went on in a relaxed, joyful manner. Everyone broke off and freely did their own thing for the following hours -- recuperating, eating, relaxing by the pool, browsing the manor's library. It was liberating for all involved, knowing they could pursue their own interests and still be back together before long. Time didn't seem as vital or important anymore; there would always be plenty of time for shared activities later.

Ben rather enjoyed the one-on-one time he got with some of his lovers in the meantime. For a while he strolled through the gardens with Moka, listening to the Colombian beauty reminisce about places she'd visited with her family and the serenity she found in nature. With Lenore, he explored more of the house, showing her all the wonders she hadn't yet discovered -- the fitness center, the billiards room, the media lounge with its theater-sized screen.

He met up with Aimee in the kitchen not long after, finding her bikini-clad and prepping a light lunch on the granite island. She told him her plans to sunbathe a bit with Yuki, and invited him to join in. Soon the three were lounging comfortably near the pool. Their casual conversation went from topic to topic. Aimee mentioned college classes she'd been taking before she'd gone on a break to save up money working as a barista (before, of course, magic had interfered). Yuki mentioned two sisters of hers; Ben hadn't heard her bring up any family since meeting her, and found himself intrigued.

"I ought to go visit them in the city soon. They live with their own little families there. My sister Eriko has twin boys. And Haruka and her husband just bought their first house. She's gonna be so thrilled to hear I found my own happiness with you all." The honey-blonde Asian grinned. "Heh, if there's one thing you ought to know about Haruka, it's that she's pestered me for ages about finding a boyfriend. Bet she'd be impressed if I brought you along on my arm."

"I'd be happy to tag along anytime," Ben replied with a smile.

"How about you, Ben?" Aimee chimed in. "Any family of yours around? We could pay them a visit, too."

It all came back in a rush: the plan he'd made yesterday to reconnect with his cousin Belle. With the revelations of the goddess and all their morning fun, he'd almost forgotten what he'd promised himself. As if to reassure him, the wooden beads on his bracelet pulsed with warmth.

"Belle," he said aloud, and both women glanced up at him with inquisitive looks. "My cousin. I promised myself I'd get in touch with her soon. Wow, I'll have a lot to catch her up on."

"No time like the present," Yuki offered. "There's no way she wouldn't be happy to hear from you. Give her a ring. It'd make her day."

He nodded. "Actually, you two wouldn't mind if I break off right now and give her a phone call, would you?"

"Don't be silly." Aimee reached over and stroked his chest. "Do your thing, lover. You know where we'll be when you're done."