CHAPTER 11

Naia's fountain turned into a rush of water as she pumped hundreds of gallons of liquid into the cistern that Tink had built. Below his feet, he could actually feel his magic migrating away from them and traveling beneath the house.

A collective cheer rose from the front yard. Though he couldn't see what was happening there, he was certain it was similar to what he saw in the back. Amymone's tree creaked as all of its leaves opened at once, showering them in tiny lights that looked like butterflies. The flowers in the back all bloomed at once, each one emanating its own unique musical note. More lights emerged from the foliage and faded away on the breeze as the land came to life.

"More," Amymone cried, but this time it was at Naia. "More water!"

As Naia pumped more water into the cistern, Mike pumped himself into Amymone once again. She let out a low moan, and the roots of her tree shifted about. Though he had no desire to pursue another orgasm, it felt good just to be inside of her, to cling to her sturdy frame and just enjoy the feel of her body against his.

"You weren't kidding," Amymone muttered, then looked over at her sister. "I'm all tapped out. That was definitely not the short end of the stick. Holy shit!"

"More tree jokes? Seriously?" When Mike pulled out of Amymone, he was surprised that he didn't see any of his come follow. He assumed she had absorbed it all, which didn't surprise him.

"Oh, please." Amymone pushed herself to a standing position, then turned to face him while adjusting her gown. Her nipples were, in fact, shaped like tiny acorns. She grabbed his cock and gave it a playful squeeze. "You're not one to talk. After all, you're the one who brought all the wood."

Mike groaned. "Please, no more," he begged.

"You're saying you want me to leaf it—" she never finished her statement, because Naia had summoned a jet of water to hose her down. Both of them laughed, and Mike couldn't help but join in as he put his pants back on.

🏡🏡🏡

Mike checked the time on his phone and smiled. The party for the equinox was apparently going to roll well into the night, and he couldn't be happier. The setting sun cast long shadows that had draped themselves over the garden, but many of the magical flowers had started glowing. It was like looking at a field of stars in his own lawn, truly a sight to behold. They had already chased off a couple of people who had wandered in while everyone gathered. Mike had mentioned to Tink that it was time to put a locked gate in the front yard.

Beth was currently dancing with Sulyvahn. He wasn't sure if she had seen him when he came back, but she was clearly having a good time with the dullahan and he was very reluctant to butt in.

The centaurs milled about with food and drink, and it looked as though anyone able to come was there. Even Dana had come out to visit—after finishing up a project for the centaurs in January, she had turned her attention to the giant mechanism on the third floor. Last year, the shadow had unlocked a mysterious door on the third floor to reveal an observatory with a dilapidated telescope inside.

Mike hated that room. The few windows it had were boarded up from the outside, but when they had tried to open the large sliding wall that allowed a telescope to see the sky, it had been to a place of absolute darkness, though it was still the middle of the day. The observatory was meant to view a place that wasn't here on Earth, and it frightened him to think about what might be looking back when they finally fixed it up.

Still, it gave Dana something to do, and though he hated the room, he never felt like he was in danger while in it. The door had to be removed, because nobody was certain what the password was to get in, and it didn't seem like it could be opened from the inside. Now it just sat on the floor of the room, and Tink could often be found studying its inner mechanisms to try and figure out its secrets.

There was movement down by the lions, and Mike headed to intercept the newcomer. He assumed it was another jogger, or someone out for a walk that wanted a closer look, but paused when he saw a man in brown pulling a dollie laden with a sizable wooden box on it. The party cooled rapidly as the man walked past everyone, all of them holding still as if not to be seen.

The delivery man looked confused for a few seconds as his eyes slid over everyone, then finally landed on Mike. "Mr. Radley?"

"That's me."

"Great. Would you like me to bring this inside, or...?"

"No, you can just leave it right there, please." Mike wasn't expecting a package, and was immediately suspicious.

"I mean, I can, but..." The delivery man looked around again. "Isn't this a wedding reception?"

"It's just a rehearsal dinner." Lily slid up beside Mike, her arm going around his waist. The succubus gave him a tight squeeze. "For two people who are very much in love, isn't that right, Mikey-bear?"

She pinched his cheek hard enough that he winced.

"Yeah, well, I might be having second thoughts." He moved toward the delivery man, who set the crate down. "Sent away for a new wife, this must be her. Hope she has enough air in there."

Lily laughed obnoxiously, and the delivery man just shrugged and held out his tablet for a signature. After getting one, he took his dollie and left, leaving Mike and Lily standing over the box. The party livened up again, but the random interloper had definitely put a damper on the mood.