Wrong Side of the Bed - Ch. 15

Saoirse gently held Elva's side as she turned her back towards the sitting room. Feeling slightly dizzy, Elva comfortably leaned into her Mistress as she was led to a sofa. She sat down before Saoirse with a soft thud and eagerly took a sip of the delicious wine with a wide grin as her chest warmed up. Saoirse eased herself into the cushion with a heavy sigh as she took a large drink from her glass. "Your mother, she's nice," Elva commented as she noticed a growing fragrance that nearly made her feel hungry.

Huffing again as her head fell back, Saoirse gratingly replied, "They are. Too nice, sometimes."

When Saoirse didn't say anything else, Elva tried to ignore the light commotion behind them to ask, "So, she said her mo—"

"They, Elva," Saoirse sternly interrupted while covering her eyes, "please don't be rude."

Brighid jubilantly called from the kitchen, "I don't mind, dearie, but thank you for thinking about me!" Melodramatically hunching over, Saoirse held her face and grumbled before drinking the rest of her wine. As Elva watched the glass lower, it quickly filled as Brighid stepped up to them carrying a pinkish plate wafting a delectable scent. "Here you are, little doves," they joyfully commented while setting the dish on a wooden table before them and handed each of them a smaller dish.

After Elva took her dish, she watched her Mistress reach out first to eagerly take one of several brownish wedges and a few yellow slivers from a pile. Before she took any, Elva curiously inquired, "What is this?"

"Soda bread and cheese," Brighid answered as they collected some on their plate and sat in an adjacent armchair.

Looking at Saoirse as she ate the two together with a satisfied grunt, Elva cautiously took a piece of warm bread and nibbled the end. Quickly taking a bigger bite after sampling the tasty morsel, Elva moaned as well while she reflected, 'This is delicious!' Reaching for a slice of cheese before she finished chewing, Elva quickly bit into it and sighed as the smooth texture and mild flavor added to the comfort of the bread.

With a pleased groan as she reached for more, Saoirse inquired, "What cheese is this, gouda?"

Answering with a grunt of approval as they nodded, Brighid first covered their lips before excitedly saying, "Yes, dove, your favorite! I thought Elva would enjoy it too!" Turning to Elva, Brighid asked with a wide smirk, "What do you think, little light?"

Her mouth full with a fresh bite, Elva smiled while she thought, 'It's wonderful!' When she noticed Brighid wasn't replying, Elva flinched and chewed quicker before swiftly swallowing. After drinking the rest of her wine to wet her throat, Elva bashfully repeated, "I-it's wonderful! Thank you, Brighid!"

Chuckling as Elva's glass filled again, Brighid promptly replied, "You're quite welcome, dear. And please, there's no need to be so formal. Feel free to call me mother."

Saoirse began choking on her food as she held her mouth closed. Wide eyed before swiftly drinking the rest of her wine, Saoirse gently shook her head while she implored, "Please don't."

Brighid's cackling heightened as they took a sip of their own cup. "I'm teasing, dove. Please relax a little."

"I am relaxed," Saoirse insisted in a fluster as her glass began filling again, "you are the one being an instigator!"

Laughing Saoirse off, Brighid remarked, "I am not! I only want little light to be comfortable, dove."

"Just," she anxiously stressed, "don't make her so comfortable, please." Seemingly defeated, Saoirse slumped over and cradled her head while nursing her drink.

Looking back at Elva with an amused chuckle, Brighid remarked, "You were asking about my mother. Yes, she was a witch, as my dove mentioned." Taking a drink with Saoirse as she groaned, they continued, "Roisin. She was brilliant, taught me all the witchcraft I know, even if I can't perform it well. I suppose her passing wasn't so unexpected for a mortal of her time, but I still miss her so. Saoirse never had a chance to meet her, unfortunately." Looking down as their eyes finally turned sullen, they quietly commented, "Perhaps if she were still with us, Saoirse's transition would have been, well—less—"

Grunting with their pause, Saoirse tiredly tried to halt them, "Mother."

"I'm sorry, dove," Brighid curtly remarked, "but do you want to explain more about yourself today or do you want someone else who understands some of what you went through to give you a break?"

Huffing as her eyes shut and her head fell in resignation, Saoirse conceded, "No, you can—explain." Grabbing another few slices of cheese, Saoirse silently slumped back and gulped some wine before munching on her food.

Sighing and shaking their head, Brighid continued, "When I found Saoirse after what happened between Meranlynx and Aileene, the poor thing had somehow flown all the way to Jerne—Éire more or less, if you're familiar with the name of our homeland—quite a ways away in the Outer Key. I'd never been much of a healer, but—" As they paused and took a drink, Brighid's tone became more careful when they continued, "Well, five days without proper attention caused a great deal of scarring. Regardless of her injuries, changing Saoirse's biology afterwards wasn't easy—and it didn't go as planned either."

First glancing at Saoirse, who quickly ate her food and eagerly drank more, Elva cautiously asked, "What—didn't go as planned?"

Brighid's grin faded as they answered, "Changing Saoirse from an incubus into a succubus. We thought we wrote the spell correctly, but it wasn't painless and—had side-effects." Before Elva had a chance to ask, Brighid answered, "Saoirse lost her natural energy in the process and for a long time—a very long time—"

"Four centuries," Saoirse tiredly whispered before taking a large drink of wine.

Elva guessed Brighid didn't hear as they continued, "—she felt constant agony from her physical changes. All she wanted to do was sleep, but that was hardly easy. She experienced other side-effects too—Oh!" they suddenly hooted before standing up and setting their plate down. Rushing into the kitchen just before there was a strange ting, Brighid exclaimed, "The cake is ready!"

Elva hardly questioned when her glass slowly filled after she took another sip. Her sight seemed fuzzy as she glanced back to the platter and took another few slices of cheese. Saoirse also reached forward as Elva cautiously asked, "What were the other effects?"

Heavily sighing as she slumped into the sofa, Saoirse took another drink before tiredly answering, "Well, the transformation didn't change me quite like I'd hoped. Only incubi have horns, but instead of losing mine, they grew longer, just like my wings. My pheromones were brand new to me and, not only did I still have my aphrodisiacs, they smelled different and plagued me at night." As she glared at her glass, Saoirse remarked, "For so long I smelled raspberries all day—and it was hardly relaxing—while with the moonrise it felt like the fresh scent of lavender drove my desire mad."

"Mad is putting it lightly, dove!" Brighid corrected her from the kitchen. "You couldn't stand to have anyone around you, especially me!"

Huffing before she mutely retorted, "You don't need to put it so bluntly," Saoirse quietly continued after taking a large drink. "But I'm not sure if that was worse or how sharper my mind reading became. I used to be able to control whose thoughts I read, but afterwards—" Gently rubbing her temples, Saoirse chugged the rest of her wine before pointing out, "Do you hear the songbirds outside?" Turning to the wide portals before them, Elva quietly listened to their light chirping while observing the warm, dimming sun before nodding in agreement.

"All they sing about is fucking." Before Elva could look confused, Saoirse elaborated, "Having sex, being one. That's all they ever sing about! I thought frogs were bad when I first heard them, but the birds are so much worse!" Groaning as she drank more of her filled glass, Saoirse finished, "It's so distracting!"

Returning with three new platters, Brighid tiredly remarked, "I thought I needed to be careful with my thoughts when Saoirse had to look me in the eye. Oh, the things that cross your mind when you think no one is listening."

Saoirse quietly grumbled as she took a dish while Elva scrambled to put down her nearly finished plate and glass first. Elva examined the multilayered item before she noticed strawberry slices within the white, fluffy layers. "What is this?" she asked while picking up the metallic fork.

Already cutting into theirs, Brighid answered, "Strawberry shortcake," before eating a large mouthful.

Hardly needing convincing after watching Saoirse eagerly consume her portion, Elva tried to collect some on her utensil and sampled it. She instantly moaned in pleasure while biting into the soft cake, savoring the new, sweet flavors with a wide grin as the strawberries blended in. "This is delicious!" Elva remarked before quickly taking her next bite.

With a pleased hum, Brighid soon replied, "Thank you, little light. I'm sure Saoirse can make it for you again sometime." They ate their delicacy in relative silence until Brighid commented, "It's so nice we're able to talk, Elva. I never got the chance to meet Saph or Aileene; Meranlynx kept me out of Saoirse's life after he started training her. Oh, and to think you're a witch of Éire and a disciple of Brigit."

Quickly finishing her mouthful, Elva held her questions back as he tried to explain, "Well, I-I guess I'm a witch, but Móra wasn't able to teach me much Wiccacant before—she—" Elva shyly looked away before she could finish; the pleasant warmth that muddled her thoughts kept her from feeling as anxious about remembering.

Brighid softly shushed Elva as they said, "I'm sorry, dearie. I didn't mean to bring up something so delicate." Quickly shifting the subject, Brighid mentioned, "I taught Saoirse Wiccacant when she was younger. Such a poetic language, I wasn't surprised how much she enjoyed it after her interest in Saph's poetry. It's a shame our connection to witchcraft is so tied to our wiccan blood or Saoirse would be a natural, I'm sure."

Elva finished her last bite of cake as she interjected, "I-I'm sorry, who is Saph?"

Looking back at her with a confused glance, Brighid remarked, "The Poetess. Surely Saoirse has sung you some of their lyrics by now! They're all Saoirse would sing when she was growing up, though after—"

"Mother," Saoirse insisted as she set her plate down. "Can you please allow me a little privacy! I'll—talk about Saph myself, so please, just—continue." After picking her glass back up, Saoirse glanced away before taking a large drink with a deep blush.

Leaning back into their armchair, Brighid said, "Sorry, dove. I only meant to say their mother tongue is quite beautiful, and you took it up well after you met them." Brighid looked back to Elva before she remarked, "I'm sure Saoirse will be a wonderful mentor to teach you Wiccacant, but if you ever wish to talk with someone else who grew up on Éire, I want you to know you can always reach out to me. I can perform a little more witchcraft than Saoirse, so perhaps I can provide some ass—"

"Mother!' Saoirse practically shouted, nearly spilling her wine as she lurched forward. "Please. Elva and I only have a one week contract, so—please don't make her so comfortable yet."

Elva felt her heart sink a bit while she reflected, 'Not even a week, now.' After taking a drink, she watched Brighid's expression turn indifferent as they closed their eyes and sipped from their glass.

After a drawn out pause, Brighid glanced over Saoirse before giving Elva a curious look. With a sly smile and a quick wink, Brighid looked at Saoirse and inquired, "Just a week?"

Saoirse glared at Brighid while she replied, "That's what we've agreed to." Carefully bringing her glass to her lips, Saoirse asked before taking a drink, "What are you insinuating?"

"I'm insinuating," Brighid quietly stated, "that for a girl that will only be here a week, you were awfully eager to get your tail wet."

Spitting out her wine and choking before wiping her mouth, Saoirse swiftly stood up and shrieked, "Get out!!"

"What did you want me to say?!" Brighid implored with a shrug as Saoirse pushed them out of their chair. "It's been flicking from under your dress all afternoon! Did you not notice your hair was natural?!"

Glancing at her locks for only a heartbeat, Saoirse gaped before directing them towards the entry hallway and repeating, "Get out!"

Elva struggled to stand up through her daze to see them pass around the corner. 'Oh, Brigit,' Elva reflected with a heavy blush as she stumbled after them, 'I suppose her tail did get wet when she—'

Shuddering and feeling needy as she began to recall, Elva only snapped up to continue her pursuit as Saoirse loudly insisted, "I didn't ask for your advice! Get out!"

Rounding the corner as they reached the door, Brighid persisted, "At least take these; you'll run out of canvas soon!" They pushed a few tiny bottles into Saoirse's dress and added with a giggle, "And those are for if you doves need to sober up soon!"

"OUT!!" Saoirse screeched as she threw the gateway open and pushed Brighid through.

Before falling from her hazed view, Brighid quickly urged, "Move your ring instead of fiddling with it so much!"

The exit slammed shut as Saoirse gruffed and leaned against the wood. She seemed to relax as Elva approached, but she gradually fell to her knees before turning around, slamming her back flat against the gateway. Tiredly sighing as she held her head and brought her knees up, Saoirse quietly asked, "Are you sure you don't want to find a more competent Mistress?"

Feeling her heart throb, Elva held her hands and insisted, "Please don't ask me that." Even as Saoirse held herself tighter, Elva came closer and persisted, "I don't know where I'd be if it weren't for your help and kindness." When she reached Saoirse and knelt in front of her, Elva warmly embraced her to add, "And, I don't regret—anything that's happened between us, Mistress Saoirse. So, please don't worry about me so much."

Saoirse sighed before she tilted into Elva's hug and whispered, "Just, don't regret saying that later."

—Spoiler—

I hope everyone is feeling a little more relaxed, because we only have a little more exposition before the sexy-times return! What about Saoirse's relationship with Saph is so personal that she won't talk about it in front of her mother? Elva learns about Saoirse's first love and self-discovery in Chapter 16: Kitten.

—End Spoiler—