Southern Circle - Pt. 01

He trailed off, suddenly remembering where he was, who he was with. "Whoa, sorry," he said as he took a deep breath, trying to clear his head. "I kinda started rambling there, didn't I? Say, or is it getting warm in here, or is it just me?" he asked, fanning himself with the collar of his polo, trying to change the subject.

But Fiona was having none of it. "No, it's fine," Fiona said encouragingly, "please go on. It was with Riley that you first what?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry...I can't get into that. It's not something that most people would understand, and could get both Riley and I in a lot of trouble if it became known."

"Tim," Fiona said, her voice deep with compassion and understanding as she clasped hands with Aiden, "surely someone as smart as you must have figured out by now that Aiden and I, well, don't have a conventional sibling relationship either, whatever that even means. We're lovers, pledged to each other as husband and wife." Aiden nodded wordlessly.

And there it was, the elephant in the room Tim had been trying to ignore just painted itself hot pink and started tap dancing. "Oh, um, okay,...he sputtered like an idiot as he tried to formulate a response. I mean, I admit I, uh, sorta thought that, but I wasn't sure. I don't mean to be rude, but why? Is it...is it because he's not affected by your abilities?"

"In part," Fiona answered. "I won't deny, being able to be with someone without having their life story constantly blaring in your head is wonderful, but even without that, I believe I'd still have ended up in love with Aiden. No one's ever understood me better than my brother, no one more supportive or able to make me laugh like he can. He's my rock, everything I've ever wanted in a man and life partner, and I wouldn't give up what we have for anything," she said, pecking her brother on the cheek.

"Uh, okay. So why just come out and admit it to me? Aren't you afraid I might rat you out?"

Fiona shook her head. "If I had even the slightest sliver of suspicion that you'd do that, I'd never allowed you to get so close to us, to see us as we really are. But I knew from the moment I first met you, Tim, that you're no snitch, more like a kindred spirit with whom our secret will be safe. Just like any secret you share will be safe with us, right Aiden?"

"Of course," her brother replied, clasping her hand. "Not only because we like you, Tim, and you hopefully like us, but there's also the mutually assured destruction angle, you know? But I pray it would never come to that."

Tim nodded, what they said made sense. Besides, it was a secret he'd kept bottled up from everyone, even Teag, and it was still something he thought about all these years later. It might feel good to let it out to someone, especially to someone who would understand. "About eight or nine years ago there was an unplanned incident, I want to be clear on the unplanned part. Riley and I were alone at home, and we began grappling for the tv remote, and then before I knew it we were feeling each other up.

"And not just light petting either," he continued, the words seeming to flow easier. "I'm talking hot and heavy all over, as much as it could be with our clothes on anyway. And I didn't touch her, you know, down there. I don't think. A lot of it's a blur, but I do remember that I reached up under her shirt and squeezed at her breasts through her bra. It was the first time I'd ever touched a girl like that, at least one that was, you know, practically a woman. Anyway, after several minutes of this is when it happened."

"When what happened?" Fiona asked in a voice husky with lust as she felt her brother begin to stroke her thigh under the table, obviously as turned on as she was at Tim's confession.

Tim shifted in his seat. "I um, think I made Riley...you know...get off."

Fiona's mouth dropped. "You mean you made your sister cum, without touching her down there?" she asked, flabbergasted. Not even Aiden, with his considerable talents, had been able to drive her over the edge without at least directly touching her pussy. Riley must have been really turned on, not that Fiona could blame her, judging on how good her brother looked now.

Tim lowered his face, feeling it burn. "I'm not really sure, I just know that she gasped, fell to the floor and trembled for a minute, and at the time I was afraid she might be having a seizure. I was about to call an ambulance when she stopped, sat up, and kissed me. I don't know why she did that, but it was my first kiss from a girl."

"Of course she kissed you!" Fiona exclaimed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, feeling that familiar heat building in her groin, every word their guest saying stoking the flame. "Tim, you gave your sister the best gift a man can bestow on a woman, the gift of true pleasure, perhaps her first real taste of it. So what happened then?" she asked, eager to hear more.

"Nothing, our aunt came home so we scrambled back to our seats."

Fiona sighed in disappointment, feeling some of the ardor seep out of her body. Another beautiful and life-changing moment ruined by bad timing. If their aunt had only arrived a half hour, even fifteen minutes later... "So what about after? Surely that wasn't the only time? And surely you and Teagen shared something similar?"

"No," Tim said firmly. "Later Riley and I talked about it, and we both agreed it was a mistake, and that we would never speak of it again. Thankfully she promised not to tell our aunt, who probably would've shipped me off to military school. That's why I was extra careful with Teagen, to make sure nothing like that ever happened with her."

"But what if you and Riley were wrong?" Fiona pressed, "What you two experienced that day could have been the start of something wonderful, something beautiful that few are fortunate enough to experience in their lifetimes, had you both had the courage to pursue it. But it's not too late, you--"

"I don't think so," Tim said flatly, cutting her off. "Look, I'm glad that you two have found a way to happiness, and perhaps it works for you in the lives you've chosen for yourselves. But out there, in the real world, it just wouldn't work even if I thought it was acceptable idea, which I don't, not at all. I love my sisters as sisters, and I promised my dad before he passed that I'd look out for them, not take advantage of them in the worst way imaginable. And besides, the way things are looking for me now I don't have anything to offer any woman besides a life of welfare and trailer parks, so why bother?" he asked bitterly.

She opened her mouth to argue, to tell him he was looking at everything all wrong. But that would do little good, she realized. So instead, she uttered a few unintelligible words under her breath and waved her hand in front of her, causing Tim to freeze like a statue. "Well, brother, what do you think?" she asked, already suspecting his answer.

Aiden sighed heavily. "As a guy, he's alright and I wouldn't mind grabbing a pint with 'im sometime. But on the other hand, he's got more baggage than an overloaded tour bus that suffocates all his good points and makes him and his family decidedly unfit for our purposes. How could the elders even consider him a viable option?"

"Because they don't have many choices left, and they're running out of time."

"Still don't see why they can't entrust it to us," Aiden huffed.

Fiona rolled her eyes. "We've been through this, Aiden. It has to be someone outside the family, and even though we're like fifth or sixth cousins to them it still counts. Plus he has four sisters. Four sisters, Aiden, and that's just to start. There hasn't been the potential for a Circle this strong since...since ever that I know of. This could be our chance to end the threat that's been hovering over us for so long at last."

"Well that may be, but you heard him as well as I - even though he's being all polite about it, I think he's more than a little repulsed by our relationship, sis, because that thing with Riley and now Tabitha has got his mind all muddled when it comes to women and relationships that he couldn't see the truth now if it stripped naked and sat on his head. I'll admit if he's made to see reason that family would be a potent Circle, but can it be done? Or do we tell the elders to keep lookin' for other prospects?"

Fiona bit her lip, considering. Aiden was right, this would be a tough nut to crack, but oh, what a big, fabulous nut it would be if they could! And the rewards showered on Aiden and herself would be immeasurable. She knew Tim wasn't totally averse to the idea of incest, her instincts and his own words confirmed that. It had simply been buried under layers of guilt and misguided morality, just like others she'd met. But unlike many, he'd already had a taste of it and knew firsthand how sweet it could be. She just needed to find a way to tear through all that stifling nonsense and help him see the truth, as he had for a brief moment all those years ago.

She was briefly tempted to use a temporary compulsion spell, just lasting long enough for him to make a move that would likely be eagerly reciprocated, but ruled it out immediately. The first rule of their society was that all had to be done by the free will of everyone involved, especially when it came to forming a Circle. Besides, after what Tim had been through recently with that Tabitha wench, what he needed right now was a gentle nudge to get him on the right path, she mused, not a rough shove that would most likely send him plunging off a cliff. And then, just like that, she had a plan.

She turned to her brother, as Tim continued to do the best impression of a seated mannequin in history. "I think I have an idea, but it'll involve me doing a future cast on him. If you're okay with it, that is."

Aiden's eyes popped. "A future cast, on him? Are you sure he's worth it?"

Fiona nodded. "I am. From just being this close to him I can sense his aura is powerful, one of the strongest I've seen. If I can give him some insight into what's awaiting him, then perhaps it will get his mind off the past and focused on the future, thus allowing himself to be more open to the possibilities it holds. It may take a little time, but my heart tells me this is the right course."

"We don't have a lot of time, Fiona. The longer our society goes without an effective Circle, the more vulnerable we are. Don't forget what happened the last time we delayed too long in establishing one - we were almost wiped out. Perhaps it would be better to cut our losses here and find a more suitable family."

"I haven't forgotten, brother, but it'll take a lot less time and effort to win over Tim and his family than it will be to find a viable alternative. And considering how long it took the elders to hone in on the O'Connors, I really have to wonder if there even is one. And despite his issues with Riley and possibly the other elder sisters, I can sense that the bond between Tim and his younger sister is still strong, so that's the connection I'm going to direct my efforts on developing and encouraging. Then once that union has been forged, the rest should fall into place."

"That's assuming that this Teagen feels the same way about her brother that Riley did before they, shall we say, called things off," Aiden pointed out.

Fiona smirked at her brother. "You speak as if the past is dead, or that Riley was the only one touched with the fever for Tim," she said cryptically.

Aiden cocked an eye. "It seems that you heard something in our new friend's words that I didn't. Care to enlighten your sibling as to what?"

"Call it woman's intuition. But there's no time to explain now, dear brother, just know that the youngest sister is the key to making this work, and with your blessing I'm sure I can make it work."

He considered a moment, then tipped his head. "Alright, Fiona, I'm in. If you say this is the best option, then I'll support it."

Her eyes brightened. "So you're okay if I do this?"

He hesitated another moment before shrugging. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't have some misgivings, but how could I say I love you and not be a little bothered? But as you say, if this isn't cause to use a future cast, I don't know what is. Just don't go making a habit out of it, alright?"

Fiona grinned, rubbing his shoulder. "Don't worry, my love, you know that no matter what I have to do for our people, you're always gonna be first in my book, now and forever. And if things go as planned, I won't have to do things like this much longer," she promised, leaning in to kiss him deeply.

"Alright," he said when they broke apart. "Well, I guess I'll go read a book or something until you're done," he said, making to get up only to find her hand on his wrist. "No, brother, please stay. I have more than a future cast planned for our guest, for which I require your direct and immediate presence," she said, eyes afire with lustful mischief.

"Now come on, help me move him before the spell wears off."

Tim came to with a start, his first thought as his mind cleared was that he was no longer in the dining room, but rather in another bedroom at the inn. A large canopied bed dominated the space, draped with green sheets trimmed with gold. He himself was sitting in a large overstuffed easy chair positioned in front of an ornately carved fireplace, a gentle blaze crackling within. Whatever wood was burning filled the room with a sweet woodsy scent that Tim didn't recognize but did nothing for the cobwebs in his head, its soft orange glow the only luminescence in the room.

Fiona and Aiden were seated in a matching chair across from him - Aiden in the seat, his sister hanging off the armrest. Fiona had changed out of the baggy jeans and loose blouse she'd been wearing earlier, and was now clad in a lacy black nightgown that barely reached her thighs, over which she wore a sheer robe of the same color, both of which did little to hide what Tim could now see was a shapely and well-defined figure, the swell of her breasts proportioned to the rest of her body in a way he found extremely appealing.

But it wasn't just her clothes that had changed, it was her entire demeanor. Before she had seemed curious, playful, and bubbly in a way that played up her delicate features. That all was still there, he supposed, but now it was overlaid with something else. Maybe it was the flickering light of the flames, but her expression, her entire body, glowing in the light of the fire, seemed to exude a smoldering sensuousness that demanded to be appeased. Both her and Aiden were staring at him intently. "Oh good, you're awake," Aiden said, "for a second there I was thinking we might have to employ more extraordinary measures to get you around."

"Sorry, between being on the road all day and that good wine, I must have nodded off," Tim said, stretching, continuing to study his surroundings as he tried to ignore the siblings' burning gaze and Fiona's new getup, uneasiness beginning to creep into him. "So where am I, anyway?"

"This is our room," Fiona said in a sultry voice as she rubbed at Aiden's chest. "You're special, Tim. Not many people have seen our inner sanctum, even if they do stumble in here by accident because they've had a little too much to drink," she said, going with the story she'd concocted to help their plan along. It was easier for Tim to think he got here by accident than hear he'd been dragged into their quarters.

Tim felt his face burning, thinking he, in trying to make it back to his room, had wandered in here by mistake, just when the siblings were getting ready to... "Oh my god, I'm so sorry," Tim mumbled as he tried to stand, but when he did a wave of dizziness hit him, and he fell back into the chair. What was wrong with him? He hadn't had that much to drink. "I'm sorry," he repeated, "just give me a minute to get my bearings and I'll be out of your hair."

"Actually," Fiona said, "we had hoped that since you were already here, that we might make you an offer."

"An offer?" he asked, brain still swimming in fog, "what kind of offer?"

"You expressed an interest in having me look into your future. Are you still interested in that?"

Tim perked up. "Yes, very much so."

"Alright. But as I said before, future casting is not easy. In exchange for my services, there is a price I must ask of you."

Tim frowned. "Well, I still have quite a bit saved from my internship, plus the pendant. I'm sure together that should be enough."

Fiona shook her head. If he's willing to give up all his worldly wealth, he must really want this. Good, she thought. No, it isn't a matter of want, he needs this, she reconsidered. "I'm not interested in your money, and as for the pendant, that is for someone more worthy than I to receive. No Tim, in exchange for a glimpse into what is to come for you, all I ask is that you grant me one small request."

Tim was relieved. He wasn't comfortable with parting with what was left of his savings or the piece of jewelry, though for the latter he couldn't quite figure out why that was. But he did want to know what was ahead, if anything. "Alright, what is it?" he asked, expecting that maybe they wanted him to do a writeup or something along those lines to promote their inn, since that topic had come up at dinner when he mentioned he was an English major.

"I want you to watch Aiden and I make love."

Tim was glad he was already seated, otherwise he'd be gawking at the pair from the floor. "I'm sorry, I think my brain is still a bit muddled. It sounded like you said you wanted me to watch the two of you together in bed."

"That's exactly what I said," Fiona replied, smiling mischievously. "Although if we're being technical, I don't think we'll make it all the way to the bed."

Tim looked to Aiden, searching for the shocked and outraged outburst expected of any man who'd just heard his woman make a proposal like Fiona just had. But her brother just sat there with a slightly bemused look on his face as he watched Tim's reaction. "Dude, are you really okay with this?" Tim asked him, bewildered by this entire situation. "I mean, you heard what she's asking for, right?"

Aiden shrugged. "I'll admit it's a bit unusual, but when you're with a woman with special gifts like Fiona, you learn to adjust when necessary, and this time I believe it's very necessary. Besides, I know that whatever Fiona does in the practice of her calling does not affect what she and I have together."

He looked back at Fiona. "Why? Why ask this, of all things?"

"My reasons are my own, just as your reasons for requesting a future cast of me belong to you," she said, toying with one of her long dark bangs.

He took a deep breath. "What happens if I say no?"

"Then you go back to your room, and Aiden and I resume our night together. You won't get your reading, but no one's going to force you to do anything you don't want to, Tim. I have simply named my price, now it is up to you to accept or refuse it, just like with any other transaction."

He considered. On one hand, he really wanted that reading. Ever since the fiasco at school, he'd had nightmares of his future self waking up alone in a dingy studio apartment before heading off to flip dead cow bits at a fast-food joint. To know that something, anything besides that dismal fate awaited him was worth almost any price. But was it worth this price, watching a brother and sister have sex? To watch any couple together was disgusting, but siblings? That was beyond reprehensible.

Wasn't it?

Just then Fiona shifted herself, crossing her legs and causing her robe to lift somewhat, allowing Tim a better view of them. They were long, smooth, and thin, oiled to a lustrous sheen the way Riley's had been that day when he'd run his hands along them. Suddenly he felt something stirring in him, something that had been lying dormant, suppressed and forgotten ever since that moment he'd read Tabitha's note. It now welled within him, suppressed and held back for too long, and he felt a twitching in his groin.