Page 71 of Condemned

Chapter Twenty-Six

Hands wrapped overeach other and feeling immensely grouchy, Takk sat slouched over at the back of the room on a pile of crumpled hull. He watched them approach Avalon, while keeping a wary eye on the developments.

He’d made the announcement—they would be keeping her, and she’d agreed to stay. Omage was therefore no longer an option.

All his fears about the dangers to them and her, he’d not mentioned those again. Whether that was wise, he was no longer sure.

They approached as if she were the queen and they the subjects.

He knew their gifts. Zo’s in particular he expected to shock this little thief girl. It might amuse him, might distract from having blurted out his fears to her. That had been unexpected. He hadn’t meant to.

“Damn,” he sighed. Why had he done that? She’d somehow drawn the ugly truth from him.

“We were going to give our gifts to you, Ava.”

Ugh, there was Zo with his new name for her.

“But we thought this through, and you don’t get them until we are home, at Takk’s farm and mine.” Kondio gestured toward Takk.

Now why had they decided that? Another delay?

“That’s okay.” She shrugged, blushing as they began to undo the fastenings on her clothes, and she twirled away until Timin caught her and dragged her back into the middle. “Hey. This is a little sudden. Won’t we get cold and—”

And then she snagged her hands and claws in Zo’s inky dark hair, for he’d latched onto her breasts and was sucking on her. Or biting. Something she liked anyway, Takk figured.

The three mauleons surrounded her and slowly pulled her to the clothes-carpeted floor. Enthusiastic sex followed, with limbs snaking and flailing, people crawling over one another, humping, and cocks going here and there. The groans and moans became louder, throatier. Choking sounds surely meant someone was fucking her mouth.

Takk stood. He shook his head, trying not to scowl at the orgiastic activities before him but failing. Her scream of joy signaled the first orgasm and the mauleons’ butts were working overtime, thrusting away at her.

Nothing for him here. She only had three holes anyway. He was never going to be an accessory to a female. He adjusted his clothes then walked away, informing them as he skirted the pile, “You have thirty minutes before we ride onward.”

They were finished and cleaned up, barely, in time. He let Zo have her with him again, and headed out, leading them toward the other side of the mountain.

* * *

With the girl by hisside and doused in that lemony perfume, Takk headed for the front of the stable, where a large rectangle of muted yellow light flooded in, framed by the rolled-back doors.

“Takk!” Kondio sang out. He was undoing the strap running under the belly of his florse prior to stripping off the heavy saddle. “Is it true you already signed that contract and we got paid for her?” He caught the reins to steady his beast. “So we got to stop and terminate that contract here before we head home?”

“We do have to terminate it, legally.” Waiting for Avalon to catch up, Takk halted. “Doing that now. This shouldn’t take long to clear up. I never took their money, so the contract was never finalized.”

“Take care.” Zo advanced and clapped his shoulder, nodded to the girl. “And take good care of her. Tell them we have better, dirtier uses for her than their ceremonial table.”

“I will.” He restrained himself from eye-rolling or swearing.

Zo cocked his head. “Lost your sense of humor?”

“Not yet. Come.” He grabbed the girl’s hand despite her foul look. “No scowling at me. You know better.”

The temple of Omage was a ten-minute stroll down the main street. The florses needed rest and feeding after the grueling last day coming down the range. Everything here was Omage this or that, he noted as they passed the shops with their signs.

Omage Tea House. Omage Pet Shop. Omage Law Office.

He’d stopped at the latter already after reading the letter left for him at the Post and Message Office.

The priests thought it best if he brought their sacrifice to them ASAP, as a ceremony was due to be performed tomorrow. How had they known he and his troop had arrived in town? Perhaps they had a cadre of informers.

Once they saw he’d not accepted payment, he could tear up the sale doc.