Chapter 2253

"Because Grace feels there are no other options,that's why. I suspect she knows Maeve is manipulating her but knows she has to play along anyway."

Amber stretched out her bare legs in front her, her toes intentionally poking at Daniel's crossed legs."Brian said the fact that nothing else attacked us after Maeve exposed herself to you..."

"Exposed? Good choice of word..." interruptedJasmine with a smirk.

"... means she was done playing with us. Thanksfor that visual, Jasmine."Amber used her toes to pinch Daniel's thigh with surprising strength.

Jasmine giggled.

Daniel yelped and swatted at Amber's foot, just missing.

Amy chuckled."Well, I can't wait to see the Night fae lands. I've always wondered what they'll be like. If they're anything like Grace, just

imagine how wonderful it will be!"

Daniel was certain they were not going to be pleasant people but kept the thought to himself. Grace escaped for a reason.

They fell into an easy silence until Bitty announced supper was ready. They all rose to collect their share. Bitty called out for Jennifer and the others. It was a comforting, repeatable moment in their daily existence. The Circle had come full circle and found peace.

Daniel was on watch alone with Amy in the wee hours of the morning. They had what Jason called the middle watch, from midnight until four in the morning. They had established a good rotation amongst the nine of them with some nights allowing a couple of them to sleep uninterrupted the whole night through.

It helped that the witches could perform a simple ritual to set a magical tripwire around their camps. Anything alive crossing the line would alarm the others silently. It had proved invaluable in the Wilds, preventing a few midnight assaults on their camps, mostly from overly large insects.

Amy had Daniel's hard cock in her hand and stroked it absently. Daniel was gently circling her clit. They found it helped them stay awake. Plus, it was fun. And rewarding. And made the watch go by faster.

"Your cock is larger, Daniel," said Amy absently.

"Yeah, it's weird, isn't it?"

"You think? It was like twelve inches long. Nowit's more? Another inch? And thicker. How is that possible? I'm not complaining, mind you."

"Dunno. I hope it stops."

"And the volume of cum, Daniel? How? It's morethan your balls should be able to produce!"

"Bitty says it's mixed with mana. Cum plusmana."

"Yeah, I heard her. Jasons got like a ton of hermana vials on him. He's drinking it down all the time. He's addicted, I think."

Daniel shuddered and moved his mind away from that particular image."Can we not talk

about that?”

"Sure, hon,"Amy replied, staring rapturously athis engorged cock in her hands."I really do admire your cock. I love that I can have it anytime I want. I remember not that long ago, watching you from afar and wondering, always wondering, what it would be like to be with you. Now look at us."She moaned when Daniel fingered her a little, pushing inside her.

They grew quiet listening to the sounds of the normal forest around them. It had always been deathly quiet in the Wilds. Back in the Realm, they could once again hear birds and insects. The cadence of cicadas, the chirping of birds, the rustling of mice in the grass, had all returned and sounded incredibly loud after the Wilds. Jasmine said the plants were speaking once again, and it wasn't only Daniel who looked at Jasmine weird when she said that. Bitty had frowned.

"Thank you, Daniel," murmured Amy, andsnuggled closer to peer down at her hand gently stroking Daniel's cock. Pre-cum lubricated it and made it easy. Every now and then she would rub her thumb over his cockhead and

Daniel would gro an quietly and speed up how he jilled her clit and pussy.

"For what?"

"For everything. Look where I am now."

"Sitting in the woods after midnight shamelesslyjerking off your boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend? Is that what you think you are tome?"

"Yeah, aren't I?"

"No Daniel. You aren't."

"I'm hurt, Amy."

"You're my lover."

"And?"

"My confidant."

"And?"

"My world, Daniel. You're my world."

"And you are mine, Amy Albright. My world andmy stars."

Amy froze and stopped stroking Daniel's cock.

"Amy?"

"Shh!"

Daniel shut up and listened. He didn't hear anything. Not a sound.

Amy whispered. "It's too quiet."

Daniel realised the sound of insects was gone. He stood up, his cock flopping in front of him and dripping pre-cum."Awake!"he cried out. "Wake up!"

No sooner had the words escaped him when the camp alarm was set off, sending a powerful pulse through him. To those sleeping, it would instantly awaken them and have them ready to fight.

He heard Jason draw his sword, and Brian murmuring a light spell.

Daniel looked to his right just as Grace appeared beside him.

"It went quiet, Grace," he said."Then thetripwire went off."

"Shut it. Listen," growled Grace.

They looked out from their camp, situated on a plain where several boulders lay clustered. Grace had said they were left behind from a glacier from eons past. Their fire had been long put out, and the stars illuminated their moonless night perfectly well for someone like Grace to see anything around them.

Daniel saw movement in the corner of his eye but when he turned to look, nothing was there. He turned on his site and gasped when he saw Quinten Cuirass stalking toward them. Daniel pointed at him, "There! It's Quinten!"

Grace looked where he was pointing, growled, and leapt forward high into the air and descended on Quinten's position. Quinten raised his sword to block and then Grace's palm struck the blade, a white light burst from the sword blinding them all.

Grace tumbled quickly to the side. Brian cried out the end to his prayer and a circular white light appeared hovering in the air over the camp, growing brighter until the night turned into day.

"Quinten!"shouted Daniel."You bastard!"

Quinten grinned at Daniel, and he looked rather insane and feverish."Daniel Davies!I've been looking for you!There you are!"

"What are you doing here?"growled Daniel.

"Loki insisted I meet up with you. Finish upsome unfinished business. I've been waiting for you to emerge from the Wilds."

Daniel watched Grace creep up closer to Quinten from behind. Quinten had to know she was there, but he didn't seem to care. Jason approached with Brian but stopped well outside Quinten's sword reach.

Daniel felt Jasmine and Amber form up behind him with Amy.

"Loki?" asked Daniel."I don't see him."

Right then, Loki stepped out from behind Quinten. He hadn't been there a moment ago. Daniel shuddered seeing it. Loki had seemed to pull away and stretch from Quinten until he solidified.

Later, Daniel and the others couldn't describe what Loki had looked like with any certainty. Grace said he had no true form. He was the Trickster and took whatever form suited him and his purpose at the time.

Daniel seemed to think he looked a little like Quinten. Except shorter. Thinner. He had eyes that swirled constantly. He also remembered feeling like he was about to fall off a cliff the entire time. Like everything bad was just about to happen. That sinking feeling of failure.

Grace said that was Loki's power. Chaos and mayhem.

Loki spread his arms wide."Daniel Davies!We meet in person! Finally!" He sounded like Quinten.

"What do you want, Loki?" asked Grace frombehind him.

"Oh, nothing much. Just a little righteousrevenge is all. Daniel here ruined decades of effort to paint myself as benevolent. All ruined in me re weeks by someone as useless as a lowly human."

"A lowly human spell ca ster with a powerfulcircle of witches," added Jason. Daniel nodded thanks to him.

Loki's face and eyes went through a rapid series of transformations. From joy to anger to hate to love. The problem was those emotions were felt by all of them. Loki projected his insanity to those around them. Daniel felt like he was going crazy.

Daniel felt Amber's hand slip into his robe's pocket and pull out the spell book. "What do you plan to do?"

"Do?" chortled Loki, and he did a strange littledance. "Do what I always do!Whatever the fuck I want!"He chittered, giggled, and spun around.

Quinten was grinning and trying to dance like his master and failing completely.

"The gods will be very angry with you Loki," saidGrace, her voice calm and reasonable. To Daniel, that tone sent shivers down his spine. Anyone who knew Grace knew that violence usually followed when she spoke that way."You cannot meddle directly with the world."

Loki whirled around to face Grace."Says who?"

Jennifer stood beside Brian. Their breastplates sh one with the penis symbol."Says Syn."

Loki bent over laughing and slapped his knees. Watching Quinten making the same motions was disturbing."Syn? Really? She has no power over me! She knows it! I am without law or rules. I am LOKI!Try it!Try something on me!I dare you!I DOUBLE DARE YOU!"

Jennifer chanted something Daniel could not understand. The words left his memory on hearing them. Jennifer pointed at Loki and shouted the last words. A ray of light burst from her finger and struck Loki in the chest. With his site, Daniel could see the light, like water, splash off Loki and disperse into the night.