Torquere

Biker Moon by BA Collins Almost a full moon tonight. Once he'd loved full moons, riding out in the country on his Harley with his buddies. If it was bright enough, and you were stupid 1

enough, you could turn off the headlights and ride by moonlight alone. Dave glanced up once at the bright moon, then wished he hadn't. This headache was going to be a bad one. They didn't usually come on except in the daylight or around bright lights at night. His eyes had adjusted to the dark already. He wandered aimlessly until he found himself by his Harley in the garage. Gathering dust for months. He swung a leg over and sat down. His '79 Road King brought back old memories: good times; Derek, Johnny and the rest of his army buddies. Then the headaches had started. He'd pulled away from his friends as the pain got worse, made him cranky and pissy. "I'm sorry, Mr. Backus. You have an inoperable brain tumor." The memory of the doctor's words lashed him, making him lean over the handlebars, grieving for his life. He didn't blame Wendy for leaving him. He'd given her a share of his business and sold the rest to his best mechanic. He had enough to live on for a couple years, more than he'd need. He wasn't going to spend his last days in a fucking hospital all drugged up. Pain lanced through his skull. He was so tired of this shit. By morning, he'd be hiding in his fucking room, puking into a bucket until there was nothing left, trying not to make a noise even then. A beam of moonlight hit the chrome handlebars as he shifted on the seat. More pain. Fuck it. I'm going out and I'm gonna find a tree and just end it all. Or maybe…Yeah. Riding without headlights, he might make the ten miles to the Gilford Falls, the tallest cliff waterfall in Vermont. He could just shoot off the cliff at ninety, and it would be all over. Nobody hurt but him. 2

Dave got into his leathers, still where he'd left them on the back of the bike. He went to put his helmet on and laughed, threw it away. He wasn't going to see a fucking cop tonight. A pair of sunglasses, and even the moon wouldn't faze him. If his head didn't hurt so much, he'd have to laugh at wearing sunglasses at night. It was a perfect late summer night -- just a little chilly, normal for late August. He turned down the old logging road, keeping the RPMS down so nobody would hear a bike out in the woods and wonder what the fuck was going on. He reached the end of the logging road and stopped to check for anyone coming on the main road. The last thing he wanted was to commit suicide while some teenagers were getting it on by the waterfall. Nothing. Quiet. He could see the parking lot from here. Empty. Okay, asshole. Do you have the nerve to finish this? His fingers trembled as he started up the bike. He patted the old Road King apologetically. She was gonna get wrecked with him. He revved up and spun out until he hit pavement, making the wheels squeal and lay some rubber down as they finally caught traction. He wouldn't be needing new tires ever again. The moon hit the speedometer as he entered the park doing about fifty. Any faster and he'd never aim between the posts to the one un-fenced part of the park. The moonlight was awfully bright in the park. Too fucking bright, even with sunglasses on. More pain. NO, dammit! I am finishing this! Dave squinted his eyes almost shut and raced forward. Even brighter. Something was there, in the light, right in front of him. Shit! There were people in that light. Where the fuck had they come from? He was not hurting anybody to take himself out, damn it all. He swerved left, skidding. 3

He'd never have a chance to do this again if he ended up in the hospital. He pitched sideways as the bike hit a curb. Darkness followed. He hoped it was the permanent kind. *** Riana staggered as they exited the magical gate that had taken them from the Keep of the Moon to… this place. Her magic was scrambled despite her careful preparations. Night time, full moon, though she could tell even at first glance it was not Phalan, the moon they worshipped. Something drew near, roaring, at great speed. A stinking demon of some kind, growling in a rising pitch, a couple of dim red eyes and the gleam of metal at its head. "Lady Riana -- that demon has a rider!" Sudril drew his sword. Of course the idiot formal fae used her title even at this critical moment. A man in leathers rode atop it, his eyes hidden by dark lenses. Only a demon fearful of the Moon would need those at night. Riana tried to re-order her spells. The power still lay there. She missed a piece of framework. The pain of misdirected magic ripped into her side like a knife of red hot silver. The monster cut to the right, rocking wildly as if the rider and the beast fought for dominance. It stank like sulfur yet more noxious. The beast struck something and pitched to the side, spilling its rider off.

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"Cast your magic while it is confused, my lady!" Sudril ran to the attack. He might be formal to the very death, but the holy warrior of the Moon never hesitated. The beast seemed hurt. Its roar diminished, sputtered strangely and stopped. "It -- it is not a monster at all, Lady! It is but a machine of some kind!" Sudril circled the thing warily. Riana could barely stand from the pain of the magic backlash. She drew her own sword and followed him. It was a wheeled cart of some strange kind. Perhaps a demon had animated it and the rider's fall had deranged the spell? "Where is that rider, then?" "Here, lady. He seems unconscious." Sudril kept his weapon out and ready. It could be playing dead. A big man in black leather gear sprawled on the grass. He had pale skin and a shaved head. His jacket had a vest over it with livery, skulls and weapons and a flag. Perhaps he was a soldier in some hellish army? The surroundings gave the lie to that thought. It was a peaceful park where travelers might contemplate the beauty of the waterfall that roared nearby, with neatly trimmed grass and fences to keep children from straying too close to the edges of the cliff. No. Kingdoms plagued by hellish armies did not maintain little parks. Once Calana had had such places. She'd taken Litha to one by the lake when things were better. No, idiot, don't think of your child, stay focused! "I think he is a veteran soldier, my lady." Sudril knelt and indicated that vest. "Those look like decorations, honors below his flag." "Could be. Well. He's big, but he doesn't look too dangerous -- not even armed. Heal him. We need to find out where we are!" Riana sheathed her sword, staying upright with an effort. 5

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Sudril hoped Lady Riana knew what she was about. The man might have skills and weapons they couldn't even imagine. He laid his hands on the man's shoulders. Could he summon healing power in the light of a strange moon? Knowledge came to him with the glowing silver light. The man had knocked himself out, needing only a slight nudge to awake. But his mind… pain chased pain, as if he bore a demon in his mind. Sudril could feel the reddish glow. He could break that cycle of pain, give the man release from suffering. He reached in with his power and cut those tendrils of pain apart. A little more healing and the man would awaken. The stranger groaned and mumbled strange words. "I thought we would understand them, Sudril? We cannot finish the Goddess' task unless we can talk to the local people!" Riana asked sharply. "We should. Perhaps he speaks several languages?" Sudril said hopefully. His lady partner needed healing herself, from that fierce frown. He might have to hold her down to do it. Holding her down could lead to other activities. No, idiot. She is still mourning Yvan! "Ohhh… fuck me." The words were coarse but understandable. "You are not hurt." Sudril snapped. Big and brawny, the man might be some kind of barbarian. He should keep ready for battle. He should not be staying close enough to touch. His body ignored him. He wanted that touch.

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Even by moonlight, the man's eyes were a brilliant blue. He blinked twice. "Hunh. My head doesn't hurt. That's cool." "Did he bang his head on something?" Riana asked. "No. He has a demon egg there. I have stopped the cycle of pain for the moment." Sudril watched the big man carefully. "A what?" The man sat up slowly. "A growth, soldier. Your people are advanced enough to have machines that propel themselves. Surely you have heard of the growths that take over whole bodies and kill people?" Riana asked. "Ah, yeah… cancer. What do you mean, my people?" His gaze whipped between them, settling on Sudril at last. "You… holy shit. You ain't human." Sudril bowed ironically. "I am Sudril, warrior of the Moon and healer, fortunately for you. This is lady Riana, Archmage of the Seventh…" "Oh stop with the titles, Sudril. They won't impress him!" Riana cut him off. "I'm Dave Backus. Not a soldier. Veteran. That's all done with." Dave said slowly. "Ah… I'd argue about you being from somewhere else, but I fucking saw the flash and you appeared out of nowhere. I'd just checked out this fricking park, and it was empty." "The park is empty. Why were you riding into it, and so fast?" Riana asked. "Had my reasons. They seem pretty stupid right now. Head doesn't hurt anymore." Dave felt his shaved head as if he could tell what was going on inside it. Sudril thought about the man's path. He'd come straight up that road… aimed through the gap and out over the cliff. Surely that fall would kill him. "No. Seek healing, not death!" 7

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Ten minutes ago, it made sense. I'm gonna die pretty soon anyway. My head hurt so bad I just wanted it to stop. No matter what it took." Dave stood up slowly. He must come from barbarian folk, with that great height and his pale skin and bulk. Just as Yvan had. "Oh! No!" Riana took the man's shoulders in her hands as if to stop him. She had to stretch onto her toes to reach his shoulders. So she'd always done to harangue Yvan when they disagreed. The man's blush was visible even by moonlight. "Uh… miss… I'm not gonna jump. Really. My head doesn't hurt right now. You two are the first good thing to happen to me in months. Even if I'm hallucinating you." *** The little oriental chickie Riana smiled at that. "I have often been called a villain's nightmare, but never a hallucination, Dave." Maybe only part oriental. She had light brown skin and long black hair. Her clothing looked like a dress, but on second glance, it was more armor than clothing. She filled it up pretty nice too. He wouldn't mind seeing how much of that was her and how much was the armor. "You are not dreaming." Fangs flashed as Sudril smiled. Black, black skin, pointed ears and fucking fangs. Yellow eyes that glowed like an animal's. His proportions were just slightly off from human. The dude was fully armored, right down to a codpiece with such realistic molding on it that Dave had to look away. Fangs and all, the guy was hot. Tall, a little slender, but muscled and graceful. 8

"So, what brings you folks here? I hope you don't want me to take you to my leader!" Hallucination or not, what the fuck. Dave's head didn't hurt. Not one bit. He felt high -- so good he wanted to grab them both and kiss them for stopping it. Or maybe just because they were cute. Sudril smiled at the little chickie. "Yes, I know, you said Phalan would send us help!" Riana flung her hands up. "When my husband was murdered last year, the killers fled through a gate. They took with them a gem, the Fire Moon, an opal the size of my fist." "So you think they came here?" Dave couldn't imagine people from their place would blend in very well. Well, maybe in Vermont. Between the hippies and the tattooed kids down in the cities, fangs and funky skin might pass. "Why?" "This is where Lady Phalan sent us." Riana smiled at him. "As to why, I do not know. I suspect they seek to perform some evil magic with it, to suck its power out and transform it to the ends of the Fire goddess. The Fire Moon is the only one of Phalan's great tokens that bespeaks the realm of fire." Sounded like religious bullshit or some kids' fantasy movie. His head still didn't hurt. "I do not think he believes us, Lady." Sudril cocked his head at Dave. "No, you look like a man very much grounded in the physical." Riana bit her lip, looking up at him. He might be imagining shit, but if he saw that smoking look across a bar he'd have been sure she was interested. "I think I can manage a demonstration." Sudril frowned. "Let me heal you first, my lady. You are injured." 9

"No, no, I'm fine!" Riana shook her head and winced. "Bull." Dave grabbed her gently by the elbows. "Don't try to tough it out, babe. Let him." "Oh, very well!" Riana gave in much quicker than he expected. "Keep hold of her, Dave. I suspect trickery!" Sudril leaned across Dave's arm. He whispered something. His yellow eyes went silvery, then threads of silver light followed his hand to Riana's forehead. "Hmm. Spell construct injury. Very fine, my lady!" Riana slumped in visible relief. "I did not want to waste your power." Sudril gave a disgusted sigh. She must be a hard case. "I saw that. Your eyes turned silver and your hand kind of… collected moonlight in it." Dave touched Sudril's hand, still resting on Riana's forehead, glowing a little. Sudril put an arm around him. "Few people see that, Dave. Lord Phalan's blessings are subtle." Dave didn't know what to make of that. How long since anybody had hugged him? Even through his leather jacket and vest, Sudril's grip was strong and reassuring. Damn. Riana pulled their hands down with both of hers and kissed his hand and Sudril's. "Blessings on you, Dave. Now, flirt on your own time, gentlemen!" Dave stiffened. The three of them were practically in a group hug and he didn't want to stop. Maybe it was the euphoria of being out of pain. Or maybe they were just that hot. "Do you think he only flirts with me, lady?" Sudril smiled without showing his fangs.

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"Ah… oh dear! I suppose not." Riana heaved a sigh. She hadn't let go of their hands yet. "Lady Phalan is like that on Midsummer's night!" "It isn't midsummer." Dave said slowly. "Not if you mean the shortest night." "Oh? It must be! That is the only night they can do their spell!" Riana pulled away. "That was two months ago. Biggest full moon of the year and midsummer at the same time. The pagans were in heaven." Dave vaguely remembered that night. He'd taken one look at the moon and run to puke. *** She hadn't touched anyone since Yvan died. It must be that Dave was big like Yvan. And like Yvan, he could deliver the most appalling news without batting an eyelash. She had assumed that the murderers would be bound by the same calendar as their own world. Her stomach knotted. If she didn't return the Fire Moon, she'd never see her daughter again. "Gods, Sudril, we're too late!" Riana buried her face on Sudril's shoulder, trying not to cry. "Lady, shh." Sudril clasped her with his free arm. "Too late?" Dave shook her shoulder gently. "Talk to me, you two." She couldn't. All she could see was Litha's face, pale and worried, standing among the red robed Fire cultists while they made their demands before the Imperial Court. "My lady's daughter is held hostage by the cultists of the Fire Goddess. We must give them the Fire Moon. That is why we are here." Sudril said gravely. 11

Riana gave up and sobbed. Would they kill a little girl for her mother's failures? The alternative was almost worse, to allow her little talented daughter to be raised in that evil. Litha was only six. She'd become one of them. Someone Riana would have to kill someday. "Fuck. Then we gotta find it." Dave squared his shoulders. "We?" Sudril said softly. "Yeah. We. I'm not a holy warrior or paladin or whatever, but I'll beat up assholes any old time." Dave said fiercely. Riana sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Pardon my weakness." "It's okay." Dave leaned over and hugged her. "I just remembered something. Something happened back in June, a big explosion downstate. Let's get on back to my place and find out more." "Er. On your demon?" Riana looked at the thing, inert yet still threatening in the moonlight. "Now be polite. She's a grand old lady, and you're gonna be riding with her." Dave shook his finger at her with a faint grin. "Grandmother always told us to be polite to demons. My apologies!" Riana said carefully. "It’s not a demon. Just a mechanical thing." Sudril turned to inspect the cart. "Does run on fire, though." Dave crouched and inspected his mechanical steed. "Okay. Got to do a couple little things here." Riana felt much calmer. Dave might not have magical power, but he could inspire hope. Perhaps they could still succeed. *** 12

Sudril's eyes were glued to the huge human's back. Dave had thrown off his jacket to work on his machine. Every muscle showed through the thin shirt he wore underneath. Riana also seemed fascinated. Dave was far too much like Yvan. Brutal and direct, yet careful. Yvan had taken him nearly by force that first time, but he treasured the memory. Tied down and his magic restrained, but tenderly cherished like a prize, his rear entrance plundered with such care. After that night, Sudril had gone to him whenever Yvan hinted Riana was distracted with duty. They'd been together the night before Yvan was murdered. He'd demanded a promise from Sudril, almost as if he foresaw his death. Terrible oaths bound him to protect Yvan and Riana's daughter, things Sudril should not have promised, bound as he was to the service of Lord Phalan. A touch brought him back from that guilty memory. Dave's fingers brushed Sudril's hand gently. Even that was like Yvan's caress. "Hand me that wrench?" Sudril suppressed a sudden urge to pull away. Riana was watching. Did she know he'd slept with Yvan behind her back? No. She knew he liked men, had smiled at him as if to encourage him. "What?" "The silver thing." "Sorry. Lost in memory, my lord." "Good memory or bad?" Dave asked. "Ah. Mixed. As most memories are." Sudril dared not say more, handing Dave the silver tool. *** 13

The ride home took five minutes. The roads were deserted. He'd never expected to see his house again. Dave almost felt like it was new again, watching Sudril and Rianna inspect it. At least he kept it neat. He didn't have to be embarrassed. Except maybe about having to explain plumbing. Dave left Riana behind to explore the wonders of flush toilets and went to see if his computer was still working. He'd hadn't dared even turn it on for months. It turned on like he hadn't ever stopped using it. Internet and everything. Now, what had happened in June? Right. The new biomass generator in St. Johnsbury had blown up. Well, partly blown up. It had just come on line, and now they were picking up the pieces. Arson. They were blaming radical tree-huggers. "Got it." "You keep a book in that… machine?" Sudril knelt next to Dave to inspect the laptop. "Ah. No. I'll explain sometime. I can find stuff out here. Read news, look stuff up." Riana came back, her face pink. "So far I like this world. Hot water from a tap!" Sudril snorted. "Who is the child of the spoiled rich?" She couldn't get pinker, but Dave guessed she should be. "What news, then?" "So, back in June -- on Midsummer night, somebody blew up a power plant that burns woodchips to make heat and hot water." Dave brought up a photo of the plant. The center of the building had exploded, leaving a pattern like a crop circle in industrial debris. "My lady. Look at the glyph it makes." Sudril indicated the damaged areas. 14

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"That is the symbol of the Fire Goddess' most destructive aspect." Riana said grimly. "They perverted the use of the Fire Moon past my worst nightmares. "Meaning?" Dave asked. "Some one of them has gained powers as a fire mage. He will slowly go mad from the change in his mind." Riana said through clenched teeth. She wanted to hit things, throw a lightning bolt up into the sky at the futility of it all. They'd wasted the Fire Moon for someone to gain a few magic powers. "So you can't get it back? Did they use it up?" Dave asked. "The Fire Moon is too powerful to be destroyed by any mortal." Sudril shook his head. "How can you be sure?" Riana asked. "Why do you think I serve the Lord Phalan, Riana?" "I don't know." "I was part of the fae rebellion that took the powers of Moon, Fire, and Sun together to try to overthrow the Emperor." Sudril said. "We failed. I surrendered and was allowed to become a sworn servant of the Moon." That explained so much. "So you've seen this done before." "Oh yes." Sudril winced. "The fae who took on the powers of Moon, Sun, and Fire did not go mad. They did become mighty." "Then we can still get the Fire Moon back." Riana's relief was overwhelming. There was hope of seeing Litha again. "Cool. Well… Hunh." Dave's machine had changed its screen, from pictures to text. 15

To her vast relief, she could read it. His government had taken over the investigation from the local authorities. The writer seemed very angry about that. The agency called 'ATF' seemed secretive, but they had a local office. "Crap." Dave shook his head. "Dunno what we can do about it now." "Go to that office and investigate," Riana said promptly. "Bad idea. You sure they haven't gone home?" Dave asked. "No. We would not be here if this was the wrong place. Lord Phalan guided our travel," Sudril said. "Crap. Well, that's going to be a hoot." Dave's face went blank for a long moment. "Okay. This is what we do." *** Sudril gestured to Dave and Riana to join him at the side door of the large brick building. Hard to believe a government that could blow up their world but not have guards to keep thieves out. Riana's hands crackled with electricity as she tricked the door into allowing her in. It opened silently. Dave took a deep breath as if he'd been holding it. "In we go." A stairwell led upwards. He stopped at the fifth floor. "Here." Sudril listened at the door. "I hear no movement." Dave waved at Riana. "This one is alarmed too." She smiled grimly and called on her power. Electricity was one of her specialties. Apparently all devices on this world ran on it. The door snapped open. 16

A couple of low lights had been left on, more than enough to navigate by. "We're looking for a locked storage room, I think. They keep evidence pretty well secured." Dave motioned for them to split up. Sudril sidled through strangely familiar offices. Apparently bureaucrats were much the same everywhere. Something shifted behind him. Sudril felt a knife at his throat. Then gripping arms. "Don't fucking move." A man's voice hissed into his ear. The knife pricked Sudril's neck as he slammed the man's arm away and spun the opposite way to add his opponent's momentum to his own punch. The man dodged most of the force, throwing a punch in return. Sudril blocked. This was no bureaucrat. He was a fighter, fast and skilled. "Shit!" Dave appeared in the doorway. "Freeze, asshole!" Something clicked loudly. "You're not getting it this time either, fucker!" The man raised his hands slowly. "This time?" Riana appeared beside Dave. Their faces were concealed by dark masks, as was his own. Illusions could be broken. The man pressed his lips together. "You will tell us." Sudril picked up the fallen knife, dreading the need for this. The knife would do. This had to be fast. It would be the more brutal for that. "What're you… no. He's not our enemy. You aren't gonna hurt him." Dave snapped. "What?" Their prisoner stared up at Dave in confusion. 17

"We are here to recover the gem, but we are not the villains that exploded that power plant." Riana said firmly. "Oh sure, you're the good guys from this 'Calana' place the prisoner's been babbling about. Yeah. Pull the other one." The man's jowled face twisted in disgust. "In fact I am." Riana yanked her mask off. "I am Archmage Calana, enemy to the Fire Goddess. The Fire Moon belongs to my temple. Where is it?" "Holy… your eyes are glowing." The man staggered back a step. "It's… shit. No. I can't tell you." "You will." Sudril promised. He tested the knife with his thumb. Sharp enough. "Stop! You are not torturing him, and that's final." Dave growled. "Look. What are the fuckers doing?" "You don't know? Why are you chasing them?" "We need the Fire Moon." Riana's eyes glowed even brighter. "You will tell us." Sudril knew what she was going to do as the glowing traceries of power appeared. "What?" Dave jerked as the man slumped down to the floor limply. "I said…" "He is not hurt." Sudril caught Dave before he grabbed Riana. "You fuckers." Dave snarled. "You were gonna cut him -- and now she's raping his mind!" "He will not even remember it. We can leave him unconscious and unharmed. Is that not what you wanted?" "I guess." Dave didn't sound convinced. He would no longer trust them. It had to be. They had to find the Fire Moon, or he would be foresworn. Only thus could he retain any honor. 18

"This has become even more complex." Riana let the spell fade. She turned and gaped. "Flirting? Again?" Sudril let go of Dave as if he were red hot. "No!" "Not a chance. I was trying to stop you," Dave said, his face blank with rage. Riana made a face and held her hands up. "Please, he is not hurt! This was the only way that good and loyal man could be made to help us!" "Yeah. What did you find out?" "Much. They are only one agency of several tracking our enemies. They have a prisoner in a place called 'Langley'. The Fire Moon is in another place altogether. They fear it." Riana slumped against a desk. "What are they doing?" "Gathering weapons and knowledge, stealing money and killing people. They have done terrible things already: hurt innocent people, taken hostages; set off bombs merely to scare people." "Terrorists. God, I hate that shit.” Dave clenched a fist. "So, now what?" "I don't know. This man only pretended to be of the ATF. He is from some other agency. His agency tracks strange occurrences. He feels that the villains are still in Vermont, in the depths of something called the 'Kingdom'." *** Dave sighed. He'd overreacted and blown it. They were desperate but not assholes. Well, maybe not. Sudril had been prepared to cut the guy. "So this is gonna be complicated."

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"Very. It is going to take a little time to sort all this out in my mind. So much knowledge…" Riana rubbed her forehead. "We should leave. Let’s arrange him as if he fell asleep in a chair." Sudril suggested. "You okay, Riana?" Dave asked. "I will manage." "Let's go." Dave got his arm around her. "Not just yet." She turned on a laptop as if she'd been doing it all her life and hacked right in. She had all the passwords and everything. "There. Their cameras have had a peaceful night. No one entered. Now we may go." Dave kept expecting something to happen, but they walked out clean and quiet. His missions had never gone this easily. He took a circuitous route home, down Route 91 two exits farther than he had to, then back on side roads to his place. Riana curled up in a ball as Sudril settled her on Dave's couch. "They… they have to be stopped." "Lady, our only duty is to retrieve the Fire Moon." Sudril took her hand. "No. They are using the power of Lady Phalan and the Fire Goddess to do terrible things here, Sudril. We cannot just steal the Fire Moon back and go home." Tears streamed down Riana's face. "We must!" Sudril leaned closer. "No, Sudril. Even -- even if they keep Litha forever, we cannot let them rampage through this world as they will." Riana's voice broke. Shit. The kid was a hostage. "Is there a deadline?" "No, but this could take years, Dave!" Riana whispered. "Hey. We can do it. Don't be so discouraged." Dave knelt in front of her and took her hands. 20

"Y-you don't understand! If I leave her there, they'll corrupt her, my little daughter; she's only six!" Riana said fiercely. "She's your kid. I'll bet she's got a little stubbornness like Mom." "You taught her, my lady. I taught her, even Lord Yvan took a hand in her education." Sudril spoke slowly, as if trying to convince himself. Riana shivered. Dave hugged her. Screw it. She needed it. "We should… make plans," Riana mumbled into his shoulder. Dave got his arms under her. "No. It's three a.m. You're going nowhere but bed." Sudril sat back, his face averted, as Dave got to his feet. "I-I will stand watch." "On what? Nobody's gonna sneak up on us here. On your feet and march," Dave snapped. He was a little surprised when the fae did as he ordered. Dave carried Riana right up to his bed and set her down on the wide mattress. His worse self suggested that hey, it was a California King. All three of them could sleep -- or something -- there. He backed off. "Now you just…" "Don't leave, Dave. I don't want to be alone tonight." Riana begged. "I'll never sleep with you in the bed, lady." Dave shook his head. "I know." Riana gave him a hopeful smile. "Please?" Sudril smiled at them, but there was pain in his eyes. "I will use the other bedroom." "Where the fuck do you think you're going?" Dave grabbed him by the shoulders. 21

*** "Dave, no." Riana said softly. "He does not…" "Bull. How the fuck long have you two been friends?" Dave demanded. "Forty years and more," Sudril supplied while Riana was still sputtering. "Don't you think it's about time you figured shit out?" Dave heaved Sudril toward the bed. Sudril landed on the bed next to her, his eyes wide. Nobody could do that to Sudril unless he let them. He was far too fast. "You two are a pair. Too polite to ever even ask if the other one wanted it?" Dave glared at both of them, hands on his hips. "Sudril?" Riana had a sudden, wild hope. It didn't make her miss Litha less, didn't make their situation any less horrible, but surely she'd have known if he did want her? She reached a hand out to him tentatively. Sudril clasped her hand and nursed it to his lips. "Long ago, you said you did not mate with fae." Riana gasped in indignation. "I-I did, but I was angry at you! I didn't mean it! You said you'd only slept with men before!" "That is true." Sudril smiled. "You are the only woman I have ever wanted." Riana swallowed hard. He was old. She couldn't be the first, she was hardly beautiful. Not fae. Stubborn and sarcastic. Dave's jacket hit the floor with a thud. He stripped off the thin shirt underneath. "By rights I ought to leave you to it. You've waited a long time. But I ain't that much of a saint." 22

"Good. Otherwise I would have to wrestle with you and I might lose." Sudril stood and began to remove his armor hastily. "Out of that stuff, Ri, or I'll rip it the fuck off." Dave had his wide leather belt in his hands. Riana gasped and began to struggle with her robes. Her fingers were not cooperative. Sudril wanted her. How could she have not known? Dave wore no armor. He was naked before she'd even gotten her outer robe off. Riana lost words. He wasn't Yvan. Yvan was bigger and hairier. But goddess, they were alike in some ways. His manhood, standing proudly, was just as big, veined and pierced with a gold ring. "Never seen one of these before?" Dave flicked his manhood, grinning. "N-no." Riana gasped, pushing her boots off. "Nor so many tattoos!" Dave gazed at his colorful assortment of animals and demons and patterned shapes and shrugged. "It was fun to do." Sudril laughed. He sounded wild, almost drunk. "If you enjoy pain, Dave!" "What's that?" Dave turned around to stare at Sudril. "It keeps my mind on the path of chastity." Sudril indicated the denial harness around his manhood, which indeed lay quiet, unlike Dave's. She'd had no idea he wore one. Dave dropped to his knees to look it over. "Ow fuck. That has spikes, dude!" "Cut it off. I am done with chastity." Sudril held out his knife.

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"Uh. Okay. Oh, it's locked." Dave carefully cut the leather apart. He threw it aside and gave Sudril back his knife. Then he took Sudril's manhood in his mouth. *** Sudril clutched Dave's head. The sudden pleasure after denial was almost more than he could bear. It had been months. He felt his manhood filling, lengthening and becoming hard. No pain. Yvan had never freed him of his harness, only loosened it so it would not injure him. Dave was not Yvan, would not ask him for pain. Pleasure must be enough for tonight. Sudril rocked his hips, finding that Dave could take him deep, even down his throat. Sudril knew pleasure. No man had ever done better, sucking, licking when he backed away to breathe, nipping lightly with dull human teeth. "Goddess." Riana was flushed all over, her hands straying over her own body as she watched them. "Onto the bed." Sudril pushed Dave back. "Sure." Dave climbed up after him and went right back to what he'd been doing. "Come here, woman." Sudril tugged Riana closer. "Oh! What happened to 'lady'?" Riana held him off, her eyes laughing. "That was the harness talking." Sudril growled and took her lips. She tasted sweeter than honey, with lust and fear and desperation. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing her flesh against his upper body. So soft and warm, her curves molded against him, everything he'd ever dreamed of.

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She yelped into his mouth. Sudril looked down along her body. Dave had snaked his hand between her thighs. Dave gazed up, face crinkled in amusement. *** Dave kept after both of them until he felt Sudril's balls pulse against his chin and Riana began to struggle like a mad woman in the fae's arms. He backed off slowly and then let go. "Now, you two. I want to watch!" Riana lay there, gasping in pleasure. "Oh, but…" Sudril didn't need to be told twice. He sat up and rolled the chickie onto her back, then leaned over her. "I am not going to ask this again. Shall I take you?" "Y-yes." Riana relaxed under him, her thighs falling apart. She was so turned on her pussy lips were swollen and shiny with her own come. Sudril braced himself over her and sank into her with one long shove. He had a big dick, and she was tight from her orgasm. Dave hoped it was okay. Riana screamed and then wrapped her legs up around Sudril's back to pull him tighter. Dave relaxed and put his hand on his own cock. They deserved to do it first. Dummies. Sudril clutched her around the shoulders and went for it, fucking her hard and fast. She urged him on with cries of pleasure, pulling him closer. Dave reached a hand in between them, wanting to be closer. He could just reach her pussy and feel the big cock stretching her open. Sudril slammed her into the mattress again. Dave rubbed his thumb on her clit and felt her squeeze down. She screamed like a banshee. 25

Sudril followed her with a roar like a big cat and bit her right on the shoulder with those sharp teeth as he came. Dave lay there in horror. Fuck. That was blood. His ears rang. He'd inspired her to squeeze the fae's cock half off, and he'd bitten her. Now what? "Ow. Did you have to bite me that hard?" "Yes." Sudril didn't sound a bit apologetic. "I know how hard it is to get blood out of you!" Dave wanted to escape. Holy shit. "Don't fear, Dave. I knew this would happen." Riana craned her neck to look him in the eye. "You are not biting me, dude." Dave yanked his hand from between them. "Then you must fuck me." Sudril's eyes glowed silvery. The deep set of puncture wounds healed as Dave watched. "Are you a fucking vampire?" Dave wasn't sure he wanted that. "No, no. It's just… instinct. I suppose a very long time ago, fae men bit women to show ownership or something like that. Now they just enjoy it." Riana wiggled closer to Dave, her face pinched in worry. "Blood… I dunno. That's nasty." Dave didn't want the night to end, but he wasn't sure he could get it up again. "We should have warned you." Sudril sighed. "How can we reassure you?" Riana asked, squirming to touch him. She felt good. Damn good. Little, but soft and round in the right places. Her hand drew his cock out, gently at first. "I will not need blood again from her tonight." Sudril ran his dark hand over Riana's hip. "If you take me, my urges will be lost in submission." 26

Damn that would be hot. The thought made his cock come right up. "He would like that." Riana smiled, stroking his cock gently. Sudril leaned closer and tugged on the gold piercing. "Indeed." Dave gasped and felt pre-come spurt out at their touch. "You sure you want me to run the show?" "I could go either way." Sudril didn't let go, tweaking the ring back and forth, painful, delicate little movements. "Oh… holy shit. I almost don't want you to stop that!" Dave writhed, enjoying the flashes of pain, while Riana still pumped his cock with both hands. Pleasure. Pain. He was going to lose his mind. *** Riana leaned forward and licked Dave's juices from her fingers, then from Sudril's hands. She knew exactly how Dave felt. She'd known it would hurt. Pleasure amid the pain. "Choose." Sudril didn't give Dave a chance to think. His fingers kept moving, tweaking the ring in Dave's manhood back and forth. Dave pushed their hands away. "I want top. I'm gonna fuck you hard to make up for that little stunt." Sudril smiled, showing his fangs. "As hard as a human can, at any rate." Riana bit her lips. Now that was more like her Sudril: arrogant and mocking, pushing his opponent to rage to keep them from thinking. Or perhaps he wanted to goad Dave to give him pain. 27

Dave laughed. "Not playing, man." He leaned past her and into a drawer at the bedside. "I'm even gonna use the lube." Sudril rolled and got between her legs, face down with his hips over the edge of the bed. "As you wish." "Sudril?" Riana gasped. "I have wanted to taste you for a long time, my love." Sudril nuzzled between the lips of her pleasure flesh. "Oh, yeah. Eat her out while I widen you up," Dave ordered. Riana hadn't enjoyed it when Yvan did that. His beard irritated her sensitive flesh. Sudril was so different. His skin was smooth as silk except for his warm wet tongue. She gasped and squeezed her breasts. "Gods!" "Oh yeah." Dave worked his fingers at Sudril's rear entrance, one and then two, shiny with some kind of grease. Sudril gave a little groan. His hips moved in rhythm with the fingers invading him. "I can't wait. Keeping eating her out. We're all gonna get off." Dave pulled Sudril up to kneel on the bed. *** Big hands on his hips. Almost like having Yvan back. Sudril groaned and braced himself for Dave's manhood. He wanted that, wanted even the pain. But this was different. He had his mouth buried in Riana's flesh, suckling and licking and making her whimper. Different and better. No new guilt to rip at his heart. Dave moved slowly and gently, despite his words, and eased his manhood into Sudril's body. 28

Sudril groaned. So good. His muscles accepted the invader like welcoming a hero home. The gold ring hurt a bit, as did the human's sheer size. Not more than he could take. "Now move!" Dave thrust home and slapped Sudril's buttocks hard. Sudril hadn't expected that. He growled despite himself. "And don't bite the lady!" Dave did it again. Riana had yelped as if he had bitten her. "No, no, he didn't…" "Good. Waggle that narrow little fae ass!" Dave kept slapping, a laugh in his voice. Each slap moved Dave's manhood in his body. Sudril pushed back and forth between them, pained and pierced and half smothered in Riana's flesh. "Come on. I want her to spurt in your face!" Dave reached around and grasped Sudril's manhood in his hand and pumped it. Sundril was going to come any second. Sudril suckled on her, nipped and licked and flicked his tongue back and forth desperately. "Oh goddess!" Riana shouted. She squeezed his head between her thighs and flooded his mouth with her pleasure. *** Riana went nuts for Sudril, her whole body red and sweating, jerking back and forth and whining between her yells. Sudril clenched down his ass too. That was it. He was coming. 29

Dave gave it up, hammering him and pumping Sudril's long cock hard to help him along. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" He hadn't dared to have sex in a year, thanks to the headaches. This was better than he'd ever imagined. If he never got it again he'd die happy. Everything in the world narrowed down on how tight and hot and wet that ass was, and he came with a long shout. He caught himself on his arms and leaned there for a bit, panting, aftershocks tingling through his cock every time Sudril shifted. "Relax, dude." Sudril finally sank down flat. Dave staggered off for a towel. He had to lean on the wall in the bathroom to clean himself off. But his head still didn't hurt. Not one bit. He came back in with towels for them. Sudril had curled up with Riana. Damn they made a cute couple, big and little, white and black. "Thank you." Riana reached out for a towel. "No, thank you. Best time I've had in years." Dave sat down on the bed. "See? The blood wasn't so terrible after all!" Riana smirked at him. He winced. "Did you have to remind me?" "Brat mage." Sudril growled and used the other towel on himself. "You haven't called me that since we first met!" Riana smiled widely. "It was too close to a pet name for a lover." Sudril answered. She sighed. "I suppose we should try to sleep." Dave hit the light switch by the bed. "Oh yeah. Good thing I kept the bigger bed." He crawled in with them and leaned on Riana's soft shoulder. 30

***

Riana woke feeling overwarm. Ah. That was because she was squashed between two men. Who had Yvan had invited to their bed last night? Then memory hit. Sudril's body pressed against her back, and Dave's muscles warmed her front. They were trapped in a strange place of godless wars and mind numbing bureaucracy and information sharing. Dave grumbled slightly and flexed, stretching like a huge cat. "Damn. It wasn't a dream." "No. Could you have imagined us?" Riana asked. "Wouldn't have dared." Dave patted her rear end. "Though, fuck, my head does hurt a bit this morning." "I did not heal you, Dave." Sudril said softly. "I am not sure I can. For now I can stop the pain." Riana sighed. At least they could give Dave a few months of normal life before the demon bolus consumed him. "Surely Lady Phalan can heal that if you perform a greater healing ritual, Sudril?" "Lord Phalan may not be listening to me soon. We are not below his moon, Riana." Sudril heaved a deep sigh. "Wait. You call him Lord and Riana calls him Lady. What's up with that?" "Barbarian. Our god is above such things as gender. We call him by whichever honorific pleases us!" Sudril answered in his usual calm reproof. "Our power still works, Sudril. I think Phalan still listens." ***

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Sudril nodded as if he'd been reassured. Phalan would stop listening to him soon. Staying to fight Yvan's murderers would mean betraying his solemn oath to protect Litha. He would do as Riana said, to protect the innocent of this machine-ridden world. Do the greater good, whatever personal harm it might cause. He had found love at long last. Riana cared for him. He could let himself love her as he wanted. A month or a year, he would take the consequences as they came. "We can try the healing at the dark of the Moon." "Dark healing is dangerous, Sudril." Riana squirmed to lie on her back and see his face. "The Lord's dark side is best at healing hidden things." "Two weeks of this? Mixed in with running around hitting bad guys? I can take that." Dave's voice vibrated with amusement. "It might kill you, Dave." Riana turned to him. "I could fall off my bike tomorrow and die. I will die in six months on the outside, if you don't." Dave gave a shrug. "Bring it on!" "Dave is the help we were promised, Riana." Sudril put his arm across both of them. Riana gasped. "Oh! You did not specify closely, did you?" "Only fools and brat mages constrain a god with words, Riana." Dave threw his big arm over them and squeezed. "Do not squish me!" Riana protested in strangled tones. "Yes, all right, I agree!" "Good. Because the next thing you were going to get was a spanking, brat." Dave loosened his hold only slightly. Riana's eyes lit up. "Promise?" 32

Biker Moon Copyright © 2012 by BA Collins All rights reserved. No part of this eBook may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address Torquere Press, Inc., PO Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680 Printed in the United States of America. Torquere Press, Inc.: Sips electronic edition / September 2012 Torquere Press eBooks are published by Torquere Press, Inc., PO Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680

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