Under A Velvet Cloak Read Free Page A

maiden.”
    “Still-”
    “You are really concerned,” he said, frowning.
    “I confess it. I want-your love-yet I fear it. I don’t want to scream or cry and make you regret it.”
    “I think this is unnecessary,” he said, rummaging in his pack “But it’s something you need to know anyway, to help girls who have similar concerns.” He brought out an object. It was a small figurine, a plump bare woman. “This is an amulet, an ancient love goddess, carved from a mammoth bone, imbued with magic. I suspect women have used it to facilitate love for twenty thousand years.”
    “An amulet? Is this a matter of faith?”
    “Faith never hurts, but no, this is real magic. A woman puts it in her love channel at night, and it matures her internal configuration, so to speak, making her capable of handling almost any size or shape of male member. Try this tonight, and you will have complete confidence.” He handed it to her.
    Kerena studied it. The thing was, yes, about as long and thick as an erect male member; it would no doubt fit, if she applied it firmly. But it was hard and irregular, surely uncomfortable. She distrusted it. “I don’t know.”
    He shrugged. “There is surely no need. I was wrong to suggest it.” He reached for the amulet.
    She snatched it away. “No, I’ll try it. I want to know. As you say, if I am ever to advise a wary girl.”
    “As you wish.” His mild amusement remained.
    That night she tried it. She put the figure to her cleft, expecting discomfort, but discovered that its touch in that region generated immediate warmth and moisture. Encouraged, she poked it at her vagina, and it slid inside, summoning further warmth and moisture. Soon it was all the way in, with only the base outside, not uncomfortable at all. She had more room in there than she had thought, or it had caused her to expand.
    She left it there, basking in the muted pleasure of it. And dreamed of having sex, over and over. The amulet not only made her ready, it made her want it for itself.
    She removed it in the morning, cleaned and pocketed it. Morely seemed to have forgotten the matter, as he did not ask for it back.
The hell he’s forgotten, girl! You have already made him desire you, but he doesn’t want to demand it, so he’s letting you come to him when you’re ready. This will make you ready sooner.
    The fact was, Kerena was already more than ready; she was eager, thanks to the amulet. But she fathomed that Morely was not yet ready, perceiving her as still a bit young. So she bided her time, awaiting the right moment.
    They traveled from village to village, entertaining and educating the villagers, making a living. Kerena learned the multiple minor ways of magic and superstition, making sure she knew them apart even if the villagers didn’t. Meanwhile Morely did teach her the techniques of extrapolation and interpolation he had mentioned, broadening her mind. She soon discovered that when she learned a fact, she pleased him somewhat; when she learned a technique, she pleased him more; and when she learned a better way of reasoning, she pleased him greatly. He liked her to be savvy as well as talented.
    Men like him are rare treasures,
Jolie remarked.
    He also taught her rudimentary magic of the elements: fire, water, air, and earth. Her nature as a Seeress hinted at her larger potential, and this was part of that: the talent for invoking the inherent magic of nature. She was an eager student.
    The right combination of focus and spell could ignite tinder. “But mask it with a spark from a stone,” he advised. “Do not let others know you can do such invocations. Some have very negative attitudes about it.”
    “Like the church,” she agreed. “Though I don’t understand why.”
    “Because it wants to have control of magic,” he said. “If too many others learned to do it, they would no longer need the church for spot healing or miracles.”
    Another focus and spell would cause water to flow from the