Southern Circle - Pt. 01

Steeling herself, she set the goblet on the nightstand and wedged her fingers beneath the elastic waistband of his sweats and pulled them down, allowing his erection to spring free. Although Fiona had seen it before she still gaped in amazement at its size and girth, and for a brief second was tempted to mount it again and feel it pleasantly stretching apart her sheath. But that would surely wake him up, and even if he didn't mind she was sure Aiden might have a few questions as to the motivation behind this second coupling.

I hope his sisters know how lucky they are, or are about to be, she thought as she ran a single finger along his length, before dismissing her lustful daydreams with a sigh, reaching for the chalice. Her pleasure was done for the night, now it was down to business.

Holding the cup in both hands, she held it directly over Tim's exposed and fully elongated member, then carefully tipped it over, spilling the contents direct over the crown to dribble down the sides. By the time the last drop had slid over the side Tim's entire shaft was covered from tip to root in the glistening fluid, and even his scrotum was covered in a glistening film. Fiona watched as the concoction seemed to be drawn into his skin as if by some invisible force, until his entire groin area was once again dry. Tim twitched and shifted a bit, but did not awaken.

Satisfied that her job was done, and done well, Fiona pulled up Tim's pants and grabbed a spare blanket from the closet and threw it over him, switched off the lamp, left the room and shut the door, heading back to her own where Aiden was probably already asleep. Her brother had balked at her plan when she'd revealed it to him, insisting it was a terrible thing to do to any man for any reason and arguing it pushed the boundaries of what their Order allowed.

Pushed, but did not break, she had at last forced him to concede, even though he wasn't happy about it. She wasn't either, but this was a special and desperate case. If Tim wasn't brought around, and quickly, their people and a lot of others could be facing an end which would be neither quick nor merciful. Besides, why among all the other possible choices, would the elders assign Aiden and Fiona the task of feeling out Tim, to find out if he was a worthy candidate, if they didn't want her to use her unique talents and specialization to do everything possible to ensure that he was a suitable contender? She reasoned.

But all of that did nothing to assuage the guilt gnawing at her insides as she laid down beside Aiden and turned out the light, the last thought in her mind before slipping into sleep was that it would all be worth it, and that in time Tim would understand and appreciate what she'd done.

Because if he didn't, he would most likely kill her.

Tim awoke the next morning feeling more refreshed and rested than he had in weeks. He sat up in bed, stretching the sleep from his limbs before walking over to the window and pulling open the curtains to let in the bountiful morning sunshine. He opened the window and was immediately hit with a gust of warm spring air, carrying with it the scent of honeysuckle. He inhaled deeply and smiled. Despite his problems, it was great to be alive.

There was a knock on his door. Tim moved over to open it, finding Aiden standing on the other side. "Good morning, Tim, I trust you slept well?" he asked courteously, voice betraying no emotion.

"Very well, thanks," Tim replied, trying to hide his awkwardness as images of him and Fiona together last night still burning in his brain.

"Glad to hear it," Aiden replied, in that unerringly calm voice. "I just wanted to let you know that breakfast will be served in half an hour, if you'd like some before you head out."

Tim nodded. "Yeah, that would be great, thanks. Oh, and Aiden," he added as the innkeeper turned to go. "Um, about last night, with Fiona, well, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for things to go so far."

Aiden shrugged, as if Tim was apologizing for knocking over a water pitcher. "I knew the particulars of Fiona's...responsibilities before we bonded, so there's nothing for you to apologize for. Plus I consider you a friend, Tim, so that made it easier as well, certainly a lot better than some of the other...situations I've had to turn a blind eye to over the years. So, let's just consider the incident forgotten, alright? I'll see you downstairs," he said before making a hasty departure, leaving Tim to wonder just what kind of other 'situations' Fiona had been involved with.

Tim showered and dressed quickly, taking his bag downstairs and leaving it in the lobby so he wouldn't have to go back up for it. As he made his way into the dining room he could smell the aroma of pancakes and sausages on the griddle and his mouth watered. A table nestled in a bay window to the right had been set with plates, cups and silverware. Fiona was seated in a chair bordering the window, reading a book. She looked up as Tim approached, flashing him a grin almost as bright as the sunlight pouring in. "Good morning!" she said cheerfully. "Aiden will have breakfast out in a minute, but if you'd like some juice or coffee now I can run get you some."

"I can wait," he said, sitting down across from her. "Right now, I want to talk about last night. Did that really happen, you and I, together like that?"

Fiona nodded, a dreamy expression floating through her features. "It sure did, and it was wonderful. Although you did seem to space out there towards the end, and then you blacked out completely. I knew I was good, but I didn't think I was that good! But anyway, Aiden and I took you back to your room after."

"Um, right," Tim said, scratching the back of his head, still trying to figure out how in those last few seconds he'd hallucinated Fiona as his younger sister Teagen, which had intensified his climax to the point of unconsciousness. It disturbed him so much he was going to ask Fiona about it, then decided against that idea, and instead attributed it to finding out about the siblings' incestuous relationship and then watching them be together just prior. Telling Fiona that he had been thinking about another woman during their intimate moment now would only upset her, and ruin an otherwise enjoyable experience. It was a one-time incident, and even though the thought of it now made him shudder, he vowed it would never be repeated. "Well, I guess you don't know how skilled you really are," he said with a wink.

Fiona beamed at the praise. "Thanks, Tim! I know it was in the line of duty and all, and I usually don't allow myself to get too caught up in such things," she purred, and he could feel her foot rubbing against his leg, "but damn, you were amazing! And you're such a fascinating man, despite your hangups. If I weren't with Aiden..." she trailed off, suddenly remembering herself, the foot withdrawing as her eyes went wide as she looked around, but her brother was still in the kitchen. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have done that, shouldn't have said--"

"Don't worry about it," Tim assured her. "It was a fun experience for both of us, and we'll just leave it at that. And of course anything said or done between us, stays between us."

The tension drained out of her, and she smiled wanly. "Thanks Tim, I appreciate your discretion."

"So, what did you see last night?" Tim asked, seeking to change the subject, "when you did your future cast. You said you saw something incredible."

She tipped her head. "I did. But Tim, there's something you need to understand about the future, yours in particular. It's, oh, how to describe it? Maybe think of it like a fully-stocked kitchen, with all kinds of ingredients that can be put together in all sorts of different ways to create all kinds of dishes. But the ingredients are our decisions, which affect the final outcome, or recipe, if you will. Does that make sense?"

Tim nodded. "Yeah, in a strange way, it does. So what kind of dish do I end up creating? Is it a filet mignon dinner with all the trimmings, or an expired tuna sandwich with stale chips and a limp pickle?"

"That's just it, Tim. Your aura is much larger than any I've ever encountered, and I saw many possible dishes, I mean futures, for you. There were so many and they were moving so fast and blurring together I couldn't make out many details, but from their size, scope, and intensity one thing is certain - no matter what path you take, your life will be highly significant and impactful to this world."

Tim frowned. "That could mean a lot of things, good or bad. Can't you be any more specific than that?"

Fiona shook her head, wanted so much to divulge everything to him right here and now, so that he could make the choices that would lead to a happy future for him, and her, her brother, and their people as well. But she couldn't yet, not without undoing everything. She had to trust that with the nudges she had given him, that he would come to them on his own. But wait, she thought, a thought flashing in her mind. There was one more tidbit she could offer that might help...

"There is something else," she added. "Around many of your possible futures I sensed love. Not just ordinary love - deep, burning, passionate love that most are lucky to even get a taste of in their lifetimes. But you could have it in buckets, should you choose wisely."

He perked up at that. "Really? I don't suppose you could tell me who, or at least where or when? I'd hate for my dream woman to walk by and miss her."

Fiona smirked. "Who said I was talking about just one woman? I'm sorry, Tim, but all I can say is that this summer is going to be a watershed moment for you, one that will shape the rest of your life and the lives of many others. Be open to any and all possibilities, no matter how unusual and unconventional they may seem to you at first. And it may be clichéd and corny as hell, but when in doubt, listen to your heart."

Tim nodded. He had intended to argue with Fiona, pressing her for more details that he was certain she knew, but in the end remained silent. She had told him enough, that basically whatever he did, his life would be significant in one way or another. There was something better waiting for him beyond his current murky circumstances, and that was enough to lift his spirits immensely. Besides, she had more or less admitted he was the best lay of her life, and she had more or less fucked him into unconsciousness. If that wasn't an ego boost, he didn't know what was. "I understand. Thanks Fiona, for everything."

Soon after Aiden came out in a chef's hat, wheeling a cart laden with pancakes, sausages, syrup, fresh berries with whipped cream, coffee, and juice. They enjoyed a leisurely breakfast together, chatting and laughing like old friends, and Tim couldn't help admire what Fiona and Aiden had together, the closeness and joy they shared. Even though it violated most legal and moral codes on earth and he himself considered it repugnant and would never, ever consider it.

But if that was the case, that voice whispered to him, then how come you can't get the image of Teagen astride you out of your mind?

When breakfast was done and the dishes had been cleared, Tim stood with Aiden and Fiona in the living room/lobby of the inn, saying goodbye to the two people who he now felt were close friends, even though he'd just met them yesterday. Fiona hugged him, Aiden shook his hand and then he was back in his car, making the last leg of the journey home.

The siblings stood on the porch, watching Tim's car disappearing down the driveway towards the road. "The elders contacted me this morning, wanting our opinion on Tim," Aiden said quietly.

"And what did you tell them?" his sister asked.

"That with the gentle prodding my brilliant yet highly unorthodox sister gave him, the prospects of Tim and the O'Connors forming a strong Circle were quite high. Of course, they then asked me what kind of 'prodding' you gave our guest."

Fiona winced, bracing herself for the worst. "And? What did they say?"

Aiden chuckled. "Believe it or not, they agreed with your reasoning and all the measures you took. You know, desperate times and all that. They were actually quite impressed with your, and I'm quoting here, 'resourcefulness and ingenuity.'"

Fiona let out the breath she'd been holding in. "Really? That's wonderful!" she said, kissing him. "You see? You need to learn to trust your sister's instincts!" she said, poking a finger in his chest and doing her best impression of an admonishing schoolmarm.

Aiden laughed. "Indeed, maybe I--" He was cut off by the sound of his phone pinging, the ringtone signaling it was a text from the elders. He pulled out his phone and opened the message, his face darkening as he read it.

"What does it say, brother?" Fiona asked, her concern returning.

"It seems our enemies are moving faster than we anticipated. We're going to have to speed up our timetable."

"Then that means..."

"Yep. I hope you have a few more tricks up your sleeve, Fiona, because we're going to be taking a little trip."