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Sunderland Magic Ch. 01

By: classymissm



Her eyes followed the red liquid as it flowed through the coiled plastic tubing and entered the glass collection beaker that was sitting on her laboratory table top. She needed 5 more milliliters of the stuff and then she could analyze its magical content and complete her thesis. Alison was a 24 year old master's student at the University of Sunderland and was apart of the first wave of bio-magical researchers that the kingdom of Sunderland had ever had. Wishing to stick to the traditional view that magic was a deep seated ability inseparable from the soul, most of the population refused to believe that there was a biological basis for their special abilities or that magic could be analyzed, quantified and experimentally manipulated. 

But Alison was about to prove them all wrong. The red liquid that was painstakingly dripping into the glass beaker was what she called Potion de feu, and was actually an extract of her own Fire magic. It had taken her four years to determine the "fire gene" and then get it copied and expressed outside a human host. She had used bacteria as the amplification medium because they duplicate so fast, and it had taken her at least 6 months to find a bacterium that wouldn't spontaneously erupt into flames. 

Alison was exceptionally proud of her work, and thought it was incredibly important for the future of her society. She was most excited about its potential use in magical medicine. The four elements each had aspects of the body that were under their jurisdiction to heal, but if a doctor of a magical element couldn't be found promptly it could lead to the life-time injury or even death. There was currently an Earth doctor shortage and people with weak bones and digestive issues were feeling its repercussions. If her project was successful, however, the magic needed could be bottled and a doctor of any element could use it. 

She was so convinced that this was possible that she had encouraged her fellow graduate students to attempt to do the same thing for the Air, Water and Earth elements. Unfortunately, most people thought she was crazy to attempt her project, and since she also suffered from an extreme lack of funding, no one was interested. 

Much to her pleasure however, two year ago a young Air warlock named Braden Matthews had taken her up on the offer. He even came with his own source of funding; all Alison had to do was share her lab space. With the knowledge that she'd already acquired from the Fire gene, Braden was able to quickly catch up to where she was with his own Potion de l'air. It had taken a little tweaking though, for while her bacteria had been flammable, Braden's enjoyed levitating. 

And so, he was at that very moment attempting to recapture bright pink bacteria cultures that were flying around the room. He eventually admitted defeat and came to stand behind Alison as she worked, looking over her shoulder to see how the Potion de feu was coming. 

"Do you think they make seat belts small enough for E.Coli?" Braden asked. 

"Hmm, I don't think so Braden, but I look into it for you." She giggled at the visual of bacteria driving tiny little cars but before she could tell him about it he spoke, 

"I don't think I have ever heard you giggle before, Ali. It's really cute." Her cheeks instantly blushed and she quickly turned back to look at her equipment. "Aww, don't be embarrassed. It suits you." 

She had no idea what to say to that, so she figured a change in subject was in order. 

"You might want to choose a different medium for your Air bacteria cultures. I think if we used a more gelatin-based medium they wouldn't be as likely to float away. It's not as good as a seat belt but it might work." 

He was silent for a few moments and then replied, "Yeah, you're probably right. I'll try that first thing tomorrow. Have a good night Ali, and don't stay here all night like you usually do. You don't really need beauty sleep, but I hear it's good for you anyway." 

She had let him walk away after his last comment and now stood frozen, completely confused. Braden had shared this tiny lab space with her for the last two years, and he had been nothing but strictly her friend. They cussed around each other like sailors to vent their frustrations, and he was constantly teasing her like she was his little sister. The only other time he had commented on her laughter was when he told her she snorted, and then pushed her nose us so she looked like a pig. But then in the space of the last 5 minutes he had flirted with her twice—that was what flirting looked liked right? What the hell was going on? 

Inevitably she had ended up staying at the lab until late because she had to wait for the experiment to end, analyze the extract, ensure the extract's safety and then clean up. It had been past 10:00pm by the time she finally crossed the threshold of her apartment. But it was only 10:15 when she passed out on her bed naked, having been too tired to put pajamas on after getting her clothes off. 

*****

Alison was startled from her sleep. She wasn't exactly sure why, but she felt odd, on edge, like she was waiting for something she desperately needed. The clock on her nightstand read 5:00am, and she groaned at the thought that she only had 3 hours until she was to report back to the lab. She flopped herself back down onto her pillow and spent what felt like forever trying to force herself to go back to sleep. That proved to be a useless endeavor. 

Alison was restless and anxious. She felt tingles in her arms and legs as if tiny fairies were dancing along her skin. But most noticeably and frustrating of all was the heat that was radiating from her core. As a Fire witch she was used to heat, but she was not used to this. This was an all-consuming blaze that licked at her moist center and refused to be tamed. She felt like if she was touched at all she would break apart. The images from the dream she had experienced earlier slowly started to filter back into her mind. There, there was the man that she wanted to touch her, the man she wanted to help break her apart. 

He was a tall man, about 6'3'', with broad, strong shoulders that led down to the muscular arms he had crossed in front of his chest. He was leaning against the black-topped laboratory bench, wearing nothing but a white thigh-length lab coat and a smile. 

Alison groaned as she felt a hand travel down her stomach, past the small thatch of curly brown hair, and into her wet folds. It was her own hand that was touching her in reality, but she envisioned it to belong to her sexy lab partner, who had now pulled her naked body against his hard chest and positioned her against the benchtop. 

Her lover was silent but possessing. Capturing her mouth with his own and running his callused hand down the sides of her full breast, across her flat, toned stomach and further downward toward her soaking pussy. His tongue found entry into her mouth at the same time that his fingers found entering into her tight sheath. She let out an involuntary gasp and he delved deeper into her mouth with his tongue, seeking out hers. His fingers were slowly but rhythmically pistoning in and out of her and a tiny moan escaped her with each thrust. 

The heat inside of her was growing hotter. Her knees were growing weaker and she had to wrap her hands around his neck to prevent herself from falling. She felt his thumb rub against her clit and she tore her mouth away from his so that she could release a low, guttural moan in response. She was climbing higher, closer to climax with each brush of his thumb, and her hips began to move against his hand, begging him to pump harder, faster into her. 

The hand that he had placed on her waist to hold her against him slowly crept up her side and began massaging her full breast. He was gentle but strong and the slow kneading sent sparks of electricity down her spine. She felt like she was leaving her body, like she was stepping outside herself, but when his warm, moist mouth closed around her erect nipple, she slammed back into her body and shattered in orgasm. She was weak and shaking when she came back to consciousness and all she could hear was an annoyingly loud buzzing noise in her right ear. 

She opened her eyes slowly, hoping to see Braden's broad chest, but instead she was greeted by the sight of her own lonely bedroom. With a sigh of disappointment she reached over to her alarm clock and hit the snooze button, hoping for just five more minutes with her dream man. 

*****

Never had a Wednesday been that particularly difficult to get through. She had arrived late, having snoozed for an extra 30 minutes, and when she finally arrived Braden was already hard at work at the desk that ran along the back wall of the room. When Braden heard her footsteps he looked up from his research and smiled. That smile was the exact same one she had envisioned last night, and he was once again wearing a lab coat; this time, however, he was also wearing pants. Just the thought of the illicit things she had done with her dream-Braden had her moistening between her thighs and growing increasingly embarrassed at being in his presence. 

The rest of the day continued in a similar fashion. Every time he brushed against her while attempting to maneuver around the lab machines and equipment, her pulse would race and her skin would tingle. It was a very long and frustrating day for her, but not unfruitful. The preliminary analysis of the Fire extract she had done the previous night had been promising, and today she had found solid evidence that this extract contained the Fire molecule she needed. She was now working on organizing the next step in the research process: experiments on mice. She wasn't quite sure if she was ready to have fire breathing mice running around the lab, but she was incredibly thrilled with the fact that her project had finally gotten to this stage. 

Braden was also having an excellent day by the looks of things. His extraction equipment was set up and a silver liquid was slowly beginning to flow through the intricate tubing. Now if I could just quit thinking about jumping his bones every 5 seconds, this day would be amazing, she thought to herself. As if hearing her internal thoughts Braden turned her way. She immediately blushed and busied herself at her desk. 

"You've been staring at me all day Ali, and then when I look at you you turn away and blush like a school girl. What's up with you?" 

"N-nothing's wrong with me Braden. I'm sorry if I'm being odd. I'll stop. I promise." Braden purposefully walked toward her and spun her chair around 180 degrees. Resting his hands on the arm rests, he leaned down to whisper into her ear,

"Oh, but baby I don't want you to stop." He said in a silky voice that caressed her from head to foot. You've been looking at me all day like you want to push me up against a wall and have your way with me and I am more than willing to fulfill your desire." 

The only warning they were given was a small popping sound and then the papers she had been holding in her hands went up in flames. She squeaked and dropped them to the floor. Braden quickly stamped out the small fire that his words had elicited from Alison and then turned to see her backing away from him. He followed her until she bumped into the side wall of the lab and he placed his hands on either side of her head, trapping her there. 

"W-what are you doing? We can't do this Braden we work together, we see each other everyday." 

He leaned down placing small kisses along her neckline until he reached her earlobe and softly nibbled on it. 

"I've wanted you for a long time now Ali. God you're so fucking sexy and you don't even know it. You have the sexiest hair," he said as he threaded he fingers through the silky, chocolate-colored tresses. "When you pull your pony tail down and shake your hair out after a long day and only I'm left around to see you...god I have to keep myself from bending you over the table and taking you right there." 

"You like my hair?" She asked. 

"Its one of the many things I like about you Ali, I also enjoy your eyes, and your nose and your checks..." He continued to list off all of Ali's features, kissing each one as he went down the list, purposely avoiding her mouth. 

She squirmed against him as he kissed down her neck and slipped his hand inside the collar of her lab coat so that he could push is off her shoulders. With a sigh she brought her hand up to still his, 

"We can't do this Braden. At least not here. Not now." Her eyes were wide and starting to tear from frustration. It was incredibly hard for her to ask him to stop. She wanted him. She wanted him so badly she ached. But they were still at work and today was a very important day in the project; they couldn't just ignore their breakthroughs so that they could have mind-blowing, earth-shattering sex. 

He reluctantly pushed himself away from her and rose to his full height. "So you agree that we could and should do this some other time?" he asked wickedly. 

"Oh god yes." She hadn't meant to sound so desperate, but she was skating on the edge of sanity. He chuckled and leaned down to quickly place a kiss on her cheek before turning back to his work. 

"You won't get away from me that easily next time little one. You got lucky." 

She felt a shudder pass through her and she smiled as she pried herself away from the wall. She sat down at her desk and tried to concentrate on her new mouse project, but for the rest of the day her mind was actually filled with thoughts of all the naughty things she could do to make Braden moan her name. 

----------

This is my first attempt at fiction, so any constructive comments are appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Sunderland Magic Ch. 02



Alison had arrived at the lab the next day at 8:00am jazzed to see Braden and ready to start her day with him. The early the morning she had once again been woken up from a steamy dream about him, and she was anxious to turn it into reality. She was seriously sexually frustrated and had decided that today she was actually going to do something about it. 

This incessant desire was interrupting her sleep and due to the late hours she kept, on most nights sleep was a rare commodity, so disturbing the little rest she did get was intolerable. The restless evenings were beginning to take its toll on her energy level, and if seducing Braden was the only way to pay her sleep-debt, well then so be it. Alison had decided that she was going to tease him throughout the day until he snapped and dragged her to his apartment, where they would have wild, animalistic sex all night long. 

Thinking about this new, intense response to Braden had Alison somewhat confused, how the hell is it possible to go from being just friends for 2 years to wanting to rip each other's clothes off in less than a week? But she was not about to question the fates as to why she and Braden were pursuing this now and not two years ago. All that mattered at that particular moment was getting the guy naked on a bed. 

Much to her disappointment, however, when she entered the lab Braden was not there yet, and as she made her way to her desk she saw the message button on her phone blinking; somehow she just knew that the message she was about to hear would not make her very happy. 

"Hey Ali it's about 6:00am right now and I'm currently on my way into the capital. I'm sorry this is such late notice but obviously this means I'm not going to be working in the lab today. An annoying family thing came up and I have to take care of it ASAP. I'm not sure how long it will be before I'm back in Sandria, I'm guessing not before the weekend. I hope you have a good day and feel free to call me if you need to discuss lab stuff. Take care." 

"He must be fucking kidding me." Alison said aloud to herself. She had spent an hour this morning getting ready for him. She was wearing make-up and earrings. She had actually blow-dried her hair then curled the ends so they were all bouncy. It had been part of her seduction plan, she had wanted to slowly take her pony-tail down and have her hair bounce around her shoulders. 

Insensitive jerk! Like I would actually believe that he's having family issues. Braden hadn't missed a day of work since she'd hired him and he certainly never talked about his family. This had to be about her. He was obviously have second thoughts and wanted to get away from her for awhile. He got carried away yesterday, that's what happened. And now he's realized that he never really wanted me in the first place. "Well I'm certainly not about to call him."

^*^*^*^

She had somehow managed to get through the day and was heading home when the lab phone range. She instinctively reached out her hand to answer it, but hesitated before picking it up. What if it's Braden? What would I say to him? What if it's not Braden and it's your supervisor making his monthly check in?  She heard the click of the answering machine picking up the call, and then the sound of her father's voice filled the room. 

"Hey honey, it's Dad I was hoping to catch you before you went home. I'll try to call you on your cell phone too. I have excellent news for you. I talked to King Medeas today about your research and he was very interested. He wants to bring you to the capital to talk about it and see if it would be a good investment. You'd have to give a presentation to his advising council but I'm sure you could handle that. Well, call me when you get this. We'd need to arrange this pretty soon if it's going to happen."

His message ended and 15 seconds later her cell phone began to vibrate in her lab coat pocket. Without thinking she flipped open the phone and began to speak, 

"I would love to come to the capital Daddy; it's so exciting that he wants to speak with me. Do you know what this means? This could be the break my research needs. This could be it Dad!" 

"Umm. Ali, this isn't your Dad, its Braden. I was just calling to check to see that the day went all right and that you didn't blow up the lab while I was gone. What's going on though? Who wants to meet with you?"

She was still pissed about him freaking out and leaving and wasn't sure if she wanted to tell him the exciting news. But she had to concede that her work was his work too and he deserved to be apart of it. 

"My Dad talked to King Medeas today while they were at the senate about our research, and he wants me to go to Lavere to talk with him about it."

"The king invited you to the capital?" He asked. His voice sounded odd, like it was straining to conceal his true emotion. She figured he was just as excited as she was but couldn't express his joy where he was. 

"Yeah, I need to discuss it with my Dad, but hopefully I could go next week. This would be an excellent time to go because I'm in between research stages. But I'd want you to come with me. You did half the work you deserve to be able to present it." 

"In all honesty I don't think I should. I'm missing two days of research as it is and I've never been a particularly good public speaker. I'll leave this one up to you."

"Oh, ok." She replied. 

"Hey you know what Ali, I need to run. My brother is giving me grief and I have to go deal with him. I'll talk to you tomorrow." And with that he hung up. She wasn't quite sure what to make of their conversation. He had not reacted quite like she had thought someone who devoted two years to a project would have. And since when did he have a brother?

^*^*^*^

On Friday, she was sitting at her desk where she was working on her presentation to the king and staring at the two vials of magical extract that she had move in front her for inspiration. Her mind had been a little scattered since her talk with Braden yesterday. They weren't a couple, they weren't even dating but the thought of him intentionally skipping town because he couldn't stand to be around her made her nauseated. And then to top it all off he didn't even want to be included in the presentation. Did I drive him away? Will he even come back to work here?

She suddenly felt a draft flow through the lab and figured that someone had kicked the air conditioner up. Maintenance had always thought that if it was summer outside they had to make it freezing inside, and so she walked to the coat closet near the lab's main entrance to retrieve her sweater. 

However, before she could get very far she felt the draft spontaneously change directions as if to follow her through the room. She stopped and instead of feeling a continuous flow of air pass by, the warm current spiraled around her. She had a suspicion of who was responsible for this strange occurrence, but when she felt her pony tail loosen and her long hair being whipped around in the breeze she knew for certain that it was Braden. The breeze was warm and comforting and as she breathed it in she could detect his spicy masculine aroma. A sigh escaped her and she closed her eyes to revel in this feeling of closeness with Braden. All the fear and anxiety she had felt yesterday about Braden's abrupt departure left her. He misses me; he wants to be close to me. Maybe the guy really does have an annoying brother. 

She walked back to her chair and she smiled when she felt Braden's air magic following her. She actually found that having him around, even in this way, was helping her to concentrate on her work and she proceeded to spend the next 30 minutes diligently working on the presentation. 

Eventually, however, the calm breeze stopped simply encircling her and as if it was bored and looking for entertainment, it began to explore. She felt the breeze once again flow through her hair, past her neck and under the lapel of her coat. She giggled at his playfulness but then gasped as a chillingly cold current passed by her nipples, causing them to instantly stand on end.

Bastard. She thought. She had no way of retaliating against such treatment; fire wasn't a long distance element. The breeze warmed and then traveled down her stomach, swirling briefly through her belly button and then continuing on to its desired destination. 

"Jesus Christ" She cried aloud as the breeze entered her folds and found the small nub of flesh at the top of her slit. A single eddy current formed, and its velocity increased as it encircled the bit of flesh. As this assault continued she began to moan and writhe in her chair. She slapped her hands against the desk when she felt a second and third air circle form, both going in opposite directions. God this is incredible. I never knew this was even possible. 

She had been so on edge for the past couple days that if this treatment continued much longer she would cum all over her lab chair. She was already incredibly wet and her need for Braden had increased 10-fold. As if answering her need, she felt additional warm, moist currents of air form and flow over her body. The currents passed up and over her thighs, across her breasts, down her arms and between her toes, all while the three eddy currents at her core continued to circle her clit and randomly change directions. 

Her nervous system was overloaded; the sensation was too much and she began to hump her hips into empty air. Her grasp on the edge of the desk was turning her knuckles white, but if she didn't hold on that tight she would have bucked herself off the chair and onto the floor. 

"Oh god, yes...Oh god...Oh god." She had to pull her lower lip between her teeth to prevent herself from screaming out and then felt herself succumb to the barrage of pleasure. Her orgasm had her shaking from head to foot, so she decided to keep her eyes closed and leaned her head back until her breath eased and her pulse slowed. 

"God that was fucking incredible." She said to herself after awhile. But while she wasn't expecting a response, she got one. 

"I'm glad you thought so little one." 

Her eyes flew open at the sound the familiar voice. 

"Braden?"



Sunderland Magic Ch. 03



"God that was fucking incredible." She said to herself after awhile. But while she wasn't expecting a response, she got one. 

"I'm glad you thought so little one." 

Her eyes flew open at the sound of the familiar voice. 

"Braden?"

"Yeah it's me Ali." His voice was raspy and husky sounding. She bolted out of her lab chair and began to pace back and forth in front of the desk.

"This is so embarrassing." She said meekly, looking down at the floor and playing with her fingernails. "I can't believe you just saw that." Even though she knew that Braden had been responsible for the air-induced orgasm, she was still embarrassed at being caught in such a position. 

Braden waited for her to pass by him again and then reach out for her arm, pulling her so that she stood in front of him. He ran his fingers along her temple before tucking a stray hair that had fallen from her pony-tail behind her ear. 

"You have absolutely no reason to be embarrassed. You were so beautiful just now. I've never seen you let your guard down before, and seeing you completely let go was incredibly erotic." 

Braden was throwing off strong sexual vibes, letting her know that he truly meant it. But if she still had any doubts about his level of arousal the large bulge in the front of his jeans put them to rest. She stepped closer to him, placing her fingertips on a bottom of his shirt. 

"So did that little magical display earlier mean you missed me?" She raised her left eyebrow and playfully smiled at him. 

In response to her question he grabbed the hand playing with the button and positioned her arm so it draped over his shoulder, bringing her flush against him and causing her breasts to press against his chest. He let out an almost inaudible sigh and then bent down, placing his head in the crook of her neck, nibbling and teasing the sensitive skin he found there. 

"That doesn't suffice as an answer you know." She teased. 

His next words were slightly muffled since he had released her hair from its confines and now had his face buried in the chestnut tresses. "Yes, I missed you. I wish I hadn't left. I rushed back when you said you might not be here next week; I couldn't stand the possibility of not seeing you before you left."

While the majority of her earlier fears had been relieved, she still wasn't sure if she could believe his words. She had to see his eyes to be sure, and so she took hold of his sun-kissed brown hair and stared into his light blue eyes. 

"Do you mean it?" She asked "You wish you'd never left?"

"Yes, it was awful without you." He replied without hesitation. 

"Good, because if you ever do that to me again I'll singe your chest hair off."

He was taken slightly aback by her sudden intensity but when he started to respond he was cut off. 

"You think you were miserable?" She asked, removing her arm from around his shoulder and using it to emphasize her points. "Yesterday was agonizing! I was so horny I couldn't stand it. I had come in here expecting the day to end with us in bed together and what do I find? You are 90 miles away and not even caring that you left me in such a state of arousal that I couldn't stand still! And then after spending another night so sexually frustrated I felt like jumping out of my own skin, you send that damn air current to do the job you should have been doing yourself! So I repeat, if you leave me in a state like I've been in for the past two days ever again, I'll remove your body hair with fire."

His was quiet after she finished. She was breathing hard and her hair was now haphazardly framing her face. Alison was usually a very rational, collected person and having her snap at him was quite a surprise. This was a new Alison; a wild, passionate Alison. She could barely glimpse the corners of his mouth rising before he lunged for her, pushing her against the desk and taking possession of her mouth with his own. As he held her in place with his hips, he brought his hands up to cradle the sides of her face so that he could push his tongue into the warm cavern of her mouth. He continued to savagely kiss her until he felt her completely give in to the assault and bring her hands up to the back of his neck. 

"I'm sorry I left you like I did," He breathlessly said between kisses. "but I was miserable too, baby. Why do you think I came to you through my magic? I needed to be close to you."

Her response was an unintelligible rumbling and she pulled his head down further towards her so that she could gain better access to his mouth. He placed his hands on her hips, roughly pulling her against him, grinding his hips into her. Her breath hitched, and her hands moved seemingly of their own volition to the top button of his shirt. 

"I need you Braden." A shutter ran through him and she was startled to see his eyes flash silver with desire. 

"I'm going to make you so hot, baby. I'm going to make you burn." He grabbed her by the hips and lifted her so that she was sitting on the desk top. He leaned his head down to rest on her forehead and stared into her eyes as he asked, "Do you remember what fire has to have to burn Ali?" 

"mmm, what's that?" She asked, somewhat distracted by the heat that was rising throughout her body. 

He growled his response, "Air." 

And with that they frantically began to pull each others clothes off. He swiftly relieved her of her lab coat and pulled her blouse off equally as fast. While he was easily disrobing her and had already move on to getting rid of her shoes, the stiff buttons of his shirt were giving her issues and she started to roughly pull on them, whimpering in frustration. He took sympathy on her, quickly undoing the buttons that remained and throwing the shirt to the floor. He was wearing a plain white undershirt and she stuck out her lower lip when she saw it. She needed to feel his skin against her hands and run her fingertip along the muscular ridges of his stomach. He laughed when he saw her facial expression and after freeing himself of the offending garment, he leaned back down and caught her quivering lower lip between his teeth. 

She sighed in relief when his chest was exposed; it was a thing of beauty. Braden was the perfect shade of golden brown that made skin look soft and delectable. She pulled away from Braden's mouth and started trailing kisses down his neck and onto his chest. She loved his pecs; they were dusted with fine hairs that had been lightened by the sun and they offered the perfect amount of firm resistance to the worship she was giving them with her mouth. Her exploration of his chest continued and eventually she found her way to his nipple. She had heard guys were just as sensitive there as women, and so she encircled it with her tongue and then gently pulled on it with her teeth. She heard an audible gasp come from above her, and then she was pushed away from him. 

"Enough of that. I'm the one who should be doing that to you." In order to make that very thing happen he reached around her back and popped open the clasp of her bra. He slowly removed the white cotton garment by gliding it from around her back, past the sides of her breasts and down her arms. What had been underneath her bra made him moan in appreciation. Her breasts were exquisite. They were round and full, located high on her chest. Flawlessly smooth skin covered the perfectly shaped mounds, and he ran the back of his fingers over the top of one, feeling its smoothness. His caresses were making her breath harder to come by, and her rose-colored nipples stood out achingly hard and erect. 

"Stop teasing me Braden. Touch me. I need you to touch me." Fulfilling her request, he cupped one hand around her right breast, gently massaging it before using his thumb to flick her nipple back and forth. She felt a rush of pleasure flow from her chest down her spine and into her core. She was growing increasingly wet and her need to be joined with Braden was growing stronger. 

"That feels so amazing, baby." She said in a ragged whisper. 

She wanted to make him feel just as amazing as she was and so she stroked her hand down his stomach to the top of his jeans, looking directly into his eye as she did so. They once again flashed silver as she popped open the button and lowered the metal zipper. She pushed her hand down his jeans and under his boxers until her hand came into contact with his throbbing erection. She encircled his member with her hand and slowly started to stroke him. He closed his eyes and released a guttural moan as she used his own pre-cum for lubrication and began to increase the speed of her pumping. 

"Jesus Christ Ali" He let out a drawn out, low-pitched "ugh" and then pulled her hand out and held it down against the desk. Using his other hand he yanked off his loafers, pulled down his jeans and boxers and then kicked them across the room. He was now completely naked and staring at the half-clothed Alison with a ferocious hunger. 

"Strip." He demanded. She could see a slight shaking run though his broad shoulders and decided that now was her chance to tease him like she had wanted to yesterday. He deserved to be teased after what he did. She hopped off the desk and moved away from him so that at least two feet was between them. She started her striptease by running her hands through her hair and the down her neck. She stopped at her breasts, kneading them gently and pinching her nipples between her thumb and forefinger. 

"Ooo!" She cooed as she felt pulses of electricity run through her breasts and a fire swell in her centered heat. 

"Oh god Ali, you gotta stop that…please." His eyes were glued to her fingers as they continued their journey down her abdomen and to the button of her jeans. She slowly undid them and pushed them to the floor. She turned her back to Braden to place her jeans out of the way. Cocking her head to look back at him, she saw that his chest was heaving with each breath and that sweat was breaking out along his hairline. He was very close to snapping, and she wanted to push him over that edge. So she winked at him and then pushed her panties down, bending over as she did so. She was now completely exposed to Braden, and before she could get her second foot out of the panties, she felt Braden behind her. He wrapped his arm around her waste and pulled her up so that her back was against his chest. 

"That was very naughty Ali. Do you know what happens to naughty girls?" 

"No." She replied turning her head to look into his eyes. "But would you like she show me?" 

She both felt and heard the low growl in his chest and then found herself pushed face down on her desk. One of his hands had found her breast while the other was traveling down her body to find its seat in her soaking pussy. 

"Did you enjoy teasing me you little wench? You are so wet it's incredible." She pushed back on his fingers as they slowly enter her and she began to whimper as he increased his speed. Between the hand on her breast and the hand between her thighs she was at her limit; she needed him in her now. 

"Oh god Braden. Fuck me. Fuck me right now." 

"Yesss." He agreed, and removed his hand from her, only to replace it with his dick. He rubbed his cock up and down her slit a few times, making sure to tease her clit before positioning himself at her entrance and pushing into her. At first he seemed to be keeping the pace slower so as not to hurt her, but she didn't want to be protected, she wanted to be fucked. She began to thrust herself back against him, meeting each of his stokes halfway. 

"Harder baby…faster." She demanded. And he immediately picked up the speed slamming into her with such ferocity that he had to hold her still. She could feel his balls slap her clit with every thrust and she was steadily spiraling toward her release into ecstasy. 

"That's it!… just like that Braden, just like that…fill me with your huge dick!" 

Her words drove him to plunge even harder, even faster, but after several more thrusts, he pulled out of her and flipped her over so that she lay on her back. He picked up her long legs and wrapped them around his waste, and then without waiting any longer he drove himself back into her pussy. He was losing control. He was close to the edge and she was right there with him. He was furiously pounding into her, and she had extended her right arm above her head to keep from bumping into the wall. Her left arm was frantically trying to grasp hold of the desk for support but all it was able to grab was papers. In desperation she roughly pushed everything out of the way and onto the floor. 

Alison felt Brandon reach a hand between them to find her clit. He circled the nub with his thumb over and over and soon she felt her vaginal walls constricting against him. She reached her hand up to pull on her own nipple and then she exploded. Her back arched off the desk and she screamed his name. She could feel the waves of contractions pulsing through her vaginal walls and they squeezed Braden to the point where he could no longer hold on to his control. The tendons in Braden's neck stuck out and his face turned bright red. She felt him expand inside of her and then he thrust quickly three more times before pumping thick ropes of his semen inside her. 

Exhausted after his release he collapsed against her, cradling his head against her shoulder. Realizing that if he stayed this way he could hurt her, he attempted to get them into a more comfortable position by moving them to the floor beneath the desk. Braden reached across the floor to grab his shirt and draped it over her before pulling her close against his side. Alison let out a sigh of contentment as she lay cradled to his chest and within minutes they were both asleep. 

^*^*^*^

Alison woke to a weird sensation pooling around her back. It was both cool and hot at the same time and caused her skin to tingle. She slowly opened her eyes and was greeted by the sight of Braden gloriously stretched out next to her. The image of Braden's naked chest immediately made her forget about the annoying sensation.  We need to get moving; we can't stay on the floor all day long, she thought to herself with regret.  Braden hugged her closer and slowly opened his eyes. 

"mmm, I wish we could stay just like this all day. That would be spectacular." He said as he slowly stroked the skin of the thigh that was thrown over him. 

"Yeah until the janitor comes to empty the trash and finds two naked people on the floor." 

"Ha, Steve could use a good pick me up. I hear he doesn't get much as home." 

Gross I never want to think about Steve having sex.. 

"Even an guy like Steve deserves to get some lovin' every so often." 

"I guess so." I'd still prefer not to think about Steve's sex life while I'm wrapped around my hot, hard-bodied lover. 

"Is that all we're going to be? Lovers?" Braden asked.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Ali you just said, 'I'd still prefer not to think about Steve's sex life while I'm wrapped around my hot, hard-bodied lover.' So is that all we are? Is this just going to be physical to you?" 

"No, of course it's not. But Braden, umm, I didn't say the thing about us being lovers out loud." 

"What?" 

"I thought it. I didn't say it."

"Oh," Braden repositioned himself so he could look directly at her face. "I guess I need to come clean about something Ali. It's not a huge deal but you probably have the right to know."

"What's that?"

"I'm a pretty high level Air warlock; I can pretty much manipulate air in everyway possible. When I was younger I discovered I could hear people's thoughts. It's a rare talent even for advanced Air elementals. I don't listen all the time; I learned how to turn it on and off. But I do have to confess I was listening to yours on Wednesday." 

"Oh my god! Are you kidding me? You bastard!" She jokingly slapped him in the arm and started to try to move away from him. He grabbed her hand and held her even tighter. 

"Well I restrained myself from doing it for two years, and I think waiting that long makes me a pretty decent guy. Plus if I hadn't we would still be ignoring our feelings and we would be clothed and upright right now." 

"Well I guess you have a point." She giggled at his supposed chivalry and smiled with joy over the fact that they weren't upright. "Hey, if you are such an all powerful Air elemental why are you working in a research lab? I thought the government conscripted all the upper echelons of Air for recon and surveillance? Plus with your strength and fitness I would have thought you'd be a perfect recruit." Braden had slightly stiffened at the mention of the government but had quickly relaxed again. 

"You're right, and I was approached, multiple times actually. But I was able to make a deal that allowed me to do what I wanted: finish school and do research. I wanted to use my brain, not just my body and magic." 

"Oh how sweet, they let you be all nerdy and crap instead of being a soldier. That's cute." 

"Nerdy? That's rich coming from a woman who can recite pi to the 57th digit." 

"Oh you are so nerdier than I am. You were the one wanting seat belts for bacteria." 

"Yeah, but who was the one who envisioned them driving cars? That would be you my dear." And he smacked her bare butt with his hand for emphasis. 

"Not fair you can't use my own thoughts against me! I don't have that kind of retaliation power." She tried to squirm her way out of his hold, and he started tickling her. She squealed and jerked, curling into a ball and rolling around on the floor. They continued to play with each other for a few minutes before Braden came up onto his knees to catch is breath. 

"Alison!" He had just noticed something that may his heart chill. She was covered in a metallic-red substance, and now that he got a good look at himself, he could see that he was covered with it too. 

"Shit, what is this stuff?" She frantically asked, having just noticed the red- liquid herself. Slowly it dawned on her what it must have been. She had placed the extract vials on her desk earlier this morning for inspiration, and then she had pushed everything off the desk while she and Braden were having sex. She leapt to her feet, frantically searching her desk for the vials even though she knew they wouldn't be there because the broken glass remnants were now in Braden's hands. He had found the vials broken and leaking their contents on the floor a few feet away from where they had been sleeping. The extracts had mixed and that mixture was now coating their bodies. 

Alison began to shake. What is going to happen? Are we going to die? Are we going to be freaks? You can't mix fire and air! And suddenly she began to cry. Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes and fell down her checks, making small rivers of despair. She felt Braden tug on her hand and pull her under the standard issue safety shower that every lab in the building was required to have. He was saying something but her mind was so gone with fear that she couldn't understand him. He pulled the metal ring, causing a cascade of water to fall around them, and as he scrubbed at her skin she distinctly heard his voice inside her head. 

God, it's not coming off. I can't lose her now. Not now, not ever.



Sunderland Magic Ch. 04



Braden and Alison had immediately gone to the University Hospital after scrubbing off as much of the extracts as possible. The two had decided not to disclose exactly what had happened to them, but they had still been seen by every elemental doctor and given a full workup. It had been close to midnight by the time they got out of there, and the doctors hadn't been able to find anything physically wrong with them. Every organ system was functioning normally, and there was no reason to believe they would suffer any lasting bodily harm from what had happened. Magically, it was different story. Slowly characteristics of the other's element would slip out, and it was hard to control an element that hadn't been with them all their lives. 

They were driving to Braden's apartment when he first discovered his new powers. He was crossing through a four-way stop sign when the person on the right didn't seem to be stopping. Braden had pointed his finger and snapped at the car as if to say, "stay." The friction of his fingers meeting caused a spark to form, and then his hand was engulfed by an angry red flame. 

"Fuck! Fix it Alison!" He yelled. She immediately grabbed his hand with hers, taking control of the fire with the palm of her hand and closing her fist to damp it out. He was shaking and clearly stunned by what had just happened. He had luckily been able to keep hold of the steering wheel with his left hand but he was frightened by what would have happened if Alison had not been so quick. 

"Shit Ali, I'm never going to get used to that. Does it do that all the time? I just snap my fingers and everything goes up in flame?" 

"Just like the Air magic, you have to learn to control it. It will come. You've had 25 years to get your Air reigned in, it's not going to happen inside a day with Fire either."

"At least you already have control over the dangerous element. I'm not going to be able to be left by myself if I don't get a grip on this soon."

"Well Fire may be dangerous physically but believe me Air can be just as exasperating. I know way too much about all those nurses in the hospital now. Sally cheated on her boyfriend and doesn't know if she should tell him, Jessica wants to quit her job and move to Utheria, because the people there aren't 'stupid, ignorant assholes', and Cynthia wants to get a puppy because she gets lonely at night. Oh, and all three of them desperately want to fuck you. While I know women are going to want to sleep with you because you're all sexy and stuff, I don't want to have to hear them talk about it in explicit detail." 

"Hmm, yeah finding the block for that is kinda hard, you have to find a way to seal your mind. It's almost like a constant force-field and then you let it down when you do want to hear what's being thought. If it makes you feel any better, I almost punched out the Air doc in there. He was thinking about some very dirty things he wanted to do to you. I had wanted to make sure that he wasn't picking up on the small breezes you were throwing out, but he wasn't really paying attention to your actions while he was listening to you breathe. I swear to god it took all my self-control to not send him flying across the room when he looked down your shirt."

She reached over the consol and took his right hand. She wanted to make sure he hadn't burned himself, but mainly she just liked having the weight of it in her lap. She gently caressed the reddened flesh with her thumb, and they continued to drive in silence before a question hit her. 

"Do you think we can mix the magics? I know that if Air and Fire meet in the right way it will cause an explosion, but can we do that now? And since Air is a long distance magic, do you think we can use Fire magic from a distance too?"

"I don't know. We are our own test subjects on this one. It would be a pretty powerful weapon if we could. We could cause explosions miles away. There's a park near my place; we can go there tomorrow and test stuff out if you want." He pulled back his hand, taking hers with it and placed a kiss on her knuckles. 

"That's a great idea. You have a fire extinguisher right?" She asked, thinking about what happened earlier. 

"I thought that's what I had you for." 

^*^*^*^

So early Saturday morning had found Braden and Alison standing in an empty field that was surrounded by trees and sectioned off from the rest of the nature reserve that was near Braden's apartment. They had decided to spend the night with each other because Braden's lack of control over Fire made it too risky for him to stay by himself. That, and the intense fear they had felt earlier had them both hesitant to leave the other's side.

The morning began with them taking turns walking each other through the basics of their elements. They quickly discovered that they had all the abilities of advanced Air and Fire elementals, most likely because Braden and Alison were each advanced in their own element and the stuff they were exposed to was extracts of their own magics. The problem facing them now was control. Braden could easily produce fire balls, but if he wasn't extremely careful they would grow too large in size and Alison would have to step in to contain it. Likewise, Alison could produce incredibly powerful air vortexes but she couldn't control their direction. She had already uprooted a few trees because if it. 

Alison was unsure about what this meant for her research in the long run. It was fantastic that they were able to successfully acquire another elemental skill, but would this really be of practical use now? She had expected to create topical creams or pills for patients; she had never considered it possible to give doctors additional elements. Who knows what the long term affects of possessing multiple elements would be? Suffice it to say she would have to give this a lot more thought. She still planned on meeting with King Medeas though. She now had definitive proof that she wasn't crazy, and she planned to get as much funding as she possibly could. Whether she would tell the king about the accident or that she could now control fires outside her visual range, she wasn't sure. 

They had returned to Braden's apartment for lunch. It was a very masculine residence, with maroon walls and leather furniture. His front door opened into a small hall that led to a spacious living room. Mahogany shelves lined the left-hand wall of the room, and an antique globe stood in the corner. His couch and stuffed chairs were arranged to center in front of an elegant flat-screen TV that hung on the wide, back wall of the room. To the right of the TV was a door that led to the back half of his apartment where his kitchen, bedrooms and office were located. 

Having finished eating and taking showers to clean up from the morning's exertion, Alison and Braden were curled up together on his couch watching a made-for TV movie and mindlessly letting the day pass them by. 

"I talked to my Dad while you were in the shower." She told him during a commercial break. "My meeting with the king is scheduled for Monday. I'll need to leave for Lutheria tomorrow. Are you sure you won't reconsider coming? I shouldn't just leave you here."

He drew in his breath as if to immediately respond, but then stopped and thought further about his answer. "I'll be fine on my own for a couple days. I promise to keep a fire extinguisher next to my bed." 

"You wouldn't have to be a part of the presentation you know. You could just come and stay at my father's estate with me. I'm sure he would love to meet the guy I've been working with." She really wasn't ready to be away from him yet. 

"I really think its best if I stay here, hun. Someone needs to keep an eye on the lab, and plus, we need to get started on re-making the extracts we lost."

"Hmm, that's true I guess." She said, conceding to his decision. "But I will miss you." She nuzzled further into Braden's chest and then turned her attention back to the movie. 

^*^*^*^

Her father's estate was really a small complex that was a part of the larger royal castle structure and contained a main house, a garden and a guest house. Her father was Senator Richard Morris, and since he was currently working on a peace treaty with the Utherians, he was often in the presence of the king. When she had arrived there late Sunday afternoon, she was told that he was in a meeting with King Medeas and his advisory council and that she should not expect him back until very late. Not having her father home to greet her, she took the initiative of making herself comfortable in the room that was always hers when she stayed with him. 

It was a nice-sized room, with soft lighting that made the light pink walls glow and allowed her to see the dust particles floating in the rays of light that were coming in through the balcony windows. A white four-poster bed was covered with a frilly, pale yellow comforter and was pushed against the back wall. Long windows framed the bed and looked out onto the front yard and to castle beyond it. 

She settled on her bed with her legs crossed and began to look over her notes for her presentation tomorrow. She had brought her lab notebook with her and had made Braden make copies of his Air stuff too. Since Braden refused to come, she had to quickly become an expert on everything he did. Thinking about him made her miss him, and with a sigh, she closed her eyes and flopped down onto the bed. 

She felt her mind being pulled to the door of her room, and then down the stairs and out into the wide circle drive of the main house. The scenery began to speed up and she was moving past the castle gates, through car-packed streets and out onto deserted country roads. A whirl of green and brown surrounded her until she once again saw the blurred images indicative of a city. The streets began to look more familiar and she suddenly was in front of Braden's apartment building. She glided up stairs and didn't bother to stop before she entered his apartment. 

She found him lazily spread out on his couch watching a basketball game and occasionally sipping from a beer. His hair was ruffled, as if he had run his hands though it in agitation. She wanted to let him know that she was there but she didn't quite know how to do it. She didn't want to risk creating a breeze because she might lose control of it and destroy his apartment. She looked around for something that might help her. Then, inspiration struck. On the table in one corner was an arrangement of black candles that were various heights and sitting on golden bases. She concentrated on centering her Fire magic and then started lighting each wick. 

It took Braden awhile to notice the burning candles, but when he did he started and jumped from the couch. 

"Alison?" The candles were immediately blown out and then just as quickly they were re-lit as if to confirm that it was her. 

Alison? What are you doing here?  He thought, hoping that she could hear him. He let the shield down that prevent others from reading his thoughts and focused on trying to hear Alison's. 

I was missing you and started thinking that it would be nice to see you, and then suddenly my mind was zooming through the air and now I'm here. 

 Wow, that's really advanced Air magic, baby. You are really getting the hang of this. He sat back down on the couch, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. In no time he was able find her in her room, and passed a breeze over her to let her know he was there. 

This is very odd. She thought. Can I ever just mentally talk to you? You know like telepathy stuff? Or is it always just going to be us reading each others minds?

I'm not sure, He responded. I'll carry a candle with me just in case.  

They had been talking for over an hour, when she heard a car door and knew that her father had finally arrived home. 

Hey baby, I gotta go. My dad just got back from his council meeting. I will be sure to talk to you tomorrow, and let you know how everything went. 

Ok, but Ali promise me one thing. 

What's that? She asked. 

Promise me you'll be careful. 

^*^*^*^

Much to Alison's surprise her father hadn't arrived home alone. Running down the stairs to greet her father, Alison had been pleasantly shocked to see her sister there as well. She learned later that her father's meeting had actually ended much earlier and that he was late because he was picking up Alexa from the airport. Alexa was 20 and currently attending Sunderland's finest music conservatory.

"Ali!" Her little sister was so excited to see her she threw her suitcase to the floor and rushed to embrace her. "It's been way to long Ali; I have so much to talk to you about!" 

After promising her father that she would catch up with him later over a game of chess, Alison dragged Alexa upstairs so they could talk. Alexa was lying across the foot of Alison's bed with her long auburn hair fanned around her while Alison propped herself up against the headboard and began to ask her questions. 

"So how is life at the conservatory? Is that theory class still giving you problems?"

"Oh, no it's a thousand times better now. It's by far my favorite class." Alexa had complained about her upper division theory class every chance she got, so the switch in opinion was surprising. 

"Why the sudden change?" Alison asked. 

"Well I got a really awesome tutor for it." Alexa was staring at the ceiling, but Alison could see the smirk that was beginning to form on her lips. 

"Let me guess, the tutor is a guy." 

"You know me so well." Alexa said, turning to smile at her sister. "He is by far the sexiest man I have even laid eyes on. He is tall, like not just taller than me, but like super tall. And he's all dark and mysterious and gorgeous." 

"What's this dark, mysterious, gorgeous guy's name?" Alison asked. 

"Damien Brice. He's a fourth year, and God, I would give anything to date him. Not only is he helping me to not flunk out of school, but he's the lead guitarist and founder of the school's hottest rock band. He named it Levanthal's Paradox and he is so hot when he plays." Alexa had by that point move to sit crossed-legged on the bed. "I want to have his babies, and not just one or two, like 10. He's beautiful; the man needs to procreate." Alison was highly amused by her sister crush and had to fight back her desire to laugh.

"You should probably tell him that. I'm sure he would love to hear that you are planning on having 10 of his children in the future." 

"You kid, but it's gonna happen. I can feel it." Alexa was an Earth witch, and when she said she felt like something was going to happen, it usually did. "How about you Ali? I've never seen you seem so calm and happy before. I'm surprised you haven't made me listen to your boring presentation like a million times already." Alison grabbed a small throw pillow and threw it at her sister. Alexa blocked it with her hand and continued to press her. "So, come on spill." 

"Well. There's a guy. You remember Braden? You met him when you came to visit me last year." Alexa looked up and to the right, trying to remember. 

"The hot guy who was totally digging your chili?" 

"That is the most disgusting euphemism I have ever heard. Where on earth did you hear that?" Alexa giggled and flopped down on her side. 

"Sarah heard it from her co-worker, and it was so disgustingly amazing we obviously had to start using it on a daily basis." 

"Well obviously. Anyway, to answer you question, yes that's Braden. Well, he and I are kinda seeing each other now, and I really like him. Like really, really like him." 

"Aww, I'm so happy! I was so worried that you would die an old maid and I'd never get to be a maid of honor." Alexa laughed out loud at the offended look that Alison gave her. "Just kidding. I'm a shoe-in to be Sarah's maid of honor, so it wouldn't really have mattered." Alexa shrieked as Alison began to play fight with her, and soon the two girls were tickling and hitting each other with pillows. When they were exhausted and lying on the bed, breathing hard, Alexa became serious for a moment. 

"Good luck tomorrow Ali. You really deserve it. I really am proud of you and how smart you are."

The rest of the night passed quickly for Alison. After her talk with Alexa, she had beaten her dad at chess of few times before turning in for the night. Her rest was peaceful, dreams of Braden giving her comfort for the day that lay ahead. 

^*^*^*^

Braden had not been able to sleep that night. Thinking about Alison facing the king made him feel like he was just punched in the stomach. He was well aware of the interest that Medeas had in Alison's work, and he knew for a fact that the king had not just recently taken interest in the biomagical field. In fact, it had been about two and a half years since the king first heard about it. Whether Alison knew it or not she was about to be horribly exploited, and unfortunately there was nothing Braden could do to stop it. He had been called to the capital earlier in the week so that he could be told to his face that if he warned her at all he would never see the end of their harassment. This arrangement was the reason he had never pursued Alison before, but eventually he just couldn't take it anymore and he had to be with her. 

He had been instantly smitten with Alison the very first day they worked together. While she was classically beautiful, she also had a penchant for making horrible biology jokes. While showing him the supply fridge where they kept all the solutions for their experiments she had said with a sense of humorous regret that she wished she was DNA helicase so she could unzip people's genes. At that moment he had known that he would eventually fall for her. Not telling her she was being used and letting her walk into their trap had been the hardest thing he had ever had to do. She would never trust him again when she learned his part in it. She may even kill him when she found out, but he couldn't help it; it was either he turned over her research or he turned over his life.



Sunderland Magic Ch. 05



The room Alison had been led to was quite intimidating. Lined with dark wooden shelves filled with antique books on the kingdom's history the room took on a musky, old-library smell. She had been told to sit in the chair to the immediate right of the head of the large rectangular table that dominated the meeting room. The table was long enough to seat at least ten people per side and had small green-shaded lamps running down its middle. 

Alison's stomach growled and she could hear the echo reverberate against the high, arched ceiling of the room. She was beginning to regret skipping breakfast earlier, but at the time she had thought she would vomit if she ate the pancakes her sister had made her. She was incredibly happy Alexa had decided to come, even if her culinary skills were somewhat lacking. Alexa had been a pleasant distraction from both the presentation and missing Braden the night before. She had forgotten about the presentation for hours, and the twinge in her chest over missing Braden had been slightly relieved. Alexa's school ran all year, but every six weeks they were given time off to 'find inspiration'. Alexa had been on such a break when their father had called to tell her about Alison's exciting news, and being the good sister she was, she had decided to come to the capital for moral support.

Alison jumped when she heard the large double doors of the room open. She could smell the tea before she saw it and was glad that the person entering the room was a kitchen maid named Beatrice and not the council. She was still getting control over her nerves and would need to get used to the ominous room before she would be able to professionally give her speech. The stout, older woman offered her a cup of tea and then began to carefully place cups and saucers emblazoned with the royal crest at each seat. Alison was so nervous she had finished the tea before Beatrice was even halfway done with the table. Alison had finished her second cup by the time Beatrice had properly arranged the tea pitcher on its warming plate surrounded by bowls of sugar and jars of honey. And by the time Beatrice had carefully arranged the outlines and notes that Alison had so meticulously prepared for everyone, Alison had had her fourth cup. 

After insuring that everything was properly in its place, Beatrice nodded farewell, and Alison was once again left to her solitude. Five minutes passed in silence, and then five more. Alison started to feel the effects of having just downed fours cups of tea and grew concerned that the king would frown upon her needing to use the restroom during the middle of the meeting. So she stood and walked towards the door, looking around her as if she was breaking some unspoken code to stay where she was put. As quietly as she could, she opened the door and step outside the room. She had no idea where the nearest restroom was but she thought that if she just chose a direction she would eventually run into someone and they could tell her where to go. She decided to head to the right and made her way down a crimson carpeted hallway. Portraits of nobles and royals hung on the wall and sporadically a bust of an historic general or war hero would appear. She had been walking for a few minutes when she heard a voice coming from a room whose door stood slightly ajar. She knew she shouldn't eavesdrop in the castle, but the man was talking so loudly she couldn't help but overhear him, or at least that is what she had told herself later that night. 

"What have we heard from Aster? Has our venture been fruitful?" The voice that had asked the question was mid-ranged and obviously belonged to a young male. She would have considered it seductive if it wasn't for the raspy, airiness that accompanied it. 

"We received a letter from him two days ago. He had been pleased with his troops; the struggle over the border town had gone as planned." 

"Excellent." The first voice replied. "And what of our other project?"

"Taken care of milord. Your father is in a meeting with her as we speak."

"Very good Stephan, very good. Find a way to keep her in the capital for the time being. She will be most useful." 

"Consider it done milord." 

Alison heard footsteps approach her from inside the room, and she quickly ducked behind the nearest stone bust, hoping to remain unseen. The man who emerged had hair so short he almost appeared bald. He was of middle height and stocky build, and his thickset frame and broad shoulders awkwardly filled out the black suit that was common issue for members of the security staff at the castle. Luckily for her, his dark eyes had remained focused in the direction of his issued task, and once she had heard the man's footsteps fade away into the distance, she was able to safely leave her hiding spot. Her shock at what she had overheard had caused her to momentarily forget why she had been out in the hallway to begin with. After another few minutes of searching she had found her original destination. Upon exiting the overly decorated ladies room she suddenly realized how long she must have been gone, and quickly made her way back to the meeting room.

^*^*^*^

By the time she had gotten back, the council had arrived and was waiting on her. Embarrassed, she respectfully curtsied to King Medeas before re-taking her seat, intentionally avoiding the gazes of the other men by playing with her fingernails. 

"My dear there is no need to be shy." The king then turned to Beatrice who was standing against the bookshelves, "See that Ms. Morris gets a cup of tea. She looks flushed and the tea should do her some good." Focusing back on Alison, he continued, "Now my dear, why don't you tell us about your research. We are all very interested in what you have to say."

Alison did not immediately notice that the king had directly addressed her, for Beatrice had been standing next to the stocky man she had just seen exit that room. The man was standing with his arms clasped behind his back. He suit coat lay unbuttoned and she could make out the hilt of a pistol holstered to his side. What do these people want with me? Why do they need armed security here?!? The silence in the room had snapped her attention from the security officer, and she realized that the king had asked something of her. The king was a tall, muscular man in his late 50's, with dark hair that was fighting with all its strength to combat the grey hairs threatening to usurp it. He stared expectantly at her, and looking into his eye, she saw that even if he wasn't the king his mature handsomeness and self-possession would have captured everyone's attention in the room. 

Realizing that the king expected her to begin, Alison rose from her seat and stood so that she could clearly be seen. 

"Umm..." She nervously began. Every seat at the table was filled, and there were even more people who stood along the walls, anxious to hear her speak. Not wanting to make a poor impression, she pushed down the fear she that had started to rise inside of her and began her speech. "Good morning. My name is Alison Morris and I'm here today to talk about my work in the emerging field of biomagical research. I've been working on this project since I was an undergraduate student at the University of Sunderland. I had been taught my freshman year that biology stopped where magic began and I just couldn't believe that..." She continued to speak for over 30 minutes about how she had managed to find the Fire gene and the steps she had taken to isolate and express it. She then briefly discussed Braden's work and concluded with the next steps in the research process and their hopes of eventually applying it to the medical field. 

"That is most impressive Ms. Morris, especially for one so young. You are truly a remarkable woman." King Medeas motioned for her to re-take her seat and opened the floor for questions. The king's advisors bombarded her: Could this be done with Water and Earth as well? How long does it take to make these extracts? Could they be mass produced? How long would testing on mice take before you could move on to testing people? What kinds of side-effects could possibly result from exposure? And so on and so forth. Not wanting to let on that from personal experience she knew exactly what would happen if people were exposed to the extracts, she had only one answer for them, 'I don't know yet. More research is needed.' Sensing a pattern in her responses the king finally interrupted the council's inquiries. 

"Well, I very much like what I've heard here today. It seems incredibly promising. I am sure we can come to an arrangement that would be equally beneficial to us both. Let's set up a meeting for Friday where you and I can discuss the budget and future of this project."

"Friday?" She asked, quickly becoming alarmed. Why keep me here? What do they really want with me?

"Yes, we'll meet right here; let's say around 9:30 Friday morning." 

She couldn't argue with the king, and so she was forced to consent to staying in the capital for four more days. Alison was then quickly shown out of the room, put in a rather fancy looking golf cart and driven back to her father's estate. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Her father was not home when Alison arrived, which for once she was grateful for. She was in desperate need of some quiet time to contemplate what just happened. Not even bothering to go inside the house, she took the small stone pathway that twisted around the back of the main house and headed straight for the gardens. She loved her father's garden. Tall green hedges sectioned off different areas that all had their own unique theme. Her favorite section was the lily section and whenever she visited she made sure to stop by and take a nap on the cushioned bench that was found there. It was luxuriously relaxing to simply lay there and breathe in the scent of flowers and fresh air. 

Today, however, her mind was in a whirl and even meditating on her favorite bench didn't seem to be helping. The men she overheard in that room wanted to keep her around for whatever they were planning, but what was it and how did she fit into that plan? She felt incredibly vulnerable and wished that she had insisted that Braden come with her. She knew she wouldn't be questioning her safety if Braden was lying on the bench with her, securely holding her. 

It was then that she remembered the cryptic warning Braden had given her the night before. She had found it incredibly odd at the time that he had told her to be careful at the meeting, but the excitement of seeing her sister had made it slip her mind. Was this why I needed to be careful? Am I really in danger here? 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Braden had spent the majority of the morning anxiously pacing in front of his couch. He had contemplated going into the lab to work, but he was half-way out the door when he realized that he would get nothing done and his living room had more space to walk out his frustration. He had started pacing when the meeting was scheduled to begin and had continued to do so for the next two hours. 

He had thought about spying on the meeting, but in the end had restrained himself from doing so. The people he hated most in the world would all be in that room and he didn't know if he could control himself from attacking them right then and there, even if Alison was in the room. So he decided to wait for Ali to contact him. He had moved all the candles he had in his apartment to his living room and stared at them each time he passed by, waiting for her to send him a sign that she was waiting to mentally talk to him. 

After another fifteen minutes of inane pacing one of the candles lit. Braden's heart lurched, and he had to calm himself before he grew too excited over the flame. It wouldn't be the first time he accidentally lit one of the candles himself out of frustration. He expectantly stopped guarding his mind and reached out for Alison. Alison had not yet learned to protect her mind from the invasion of others, and when he found her, it was obvious that she had not expected him to be there. 

"God, I wish Braden was here. He would protect me. He would take care of this. Why do they want to keep me here? Will they ever let me go home?" 

Upon hearing her frightened and pleading voice Braden's heart began to pound in his chest and he had to sit down on the floor before his knees gave way. I should be with her! I should be there to protect her from whatever the bastards did to scare her so badly. He was shaking from anger that those people had done something to her and from guilt over having been the one to help put her in that situation. He sat on the floor trying to compose himself and figure out what to do next. It took over an hour before Braden was able to rise and put his newly formed plan into action. He was done hiding from his past. His past decisions no longer just threatened his own life; they now put Ali's life in danger too, and that was unacceptable. His agreement, while seemingly noble at the time, was a self-serving one, and it was high time he set it right. It would break Alison's heart, and he would never see her again, but she would be safe and that was all that mattered. 

His plan was to head to Lutheria first thing in the morning. However, before he left he would need to stop by the lab one more time to ensure all the specifics about how to make the extracts were safely placed in the laboratory vault. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Alison hadn't realized that she had fallen asleep until she woke up to the sounds of her sister bellowing her name from somewhere near the entrance of the gardens. 

"Alison! Are you out here?" 

Alison made an unintelligible grunt in reply to Alexa's question and yawned, stretching her arms above her head, trying to wake herself up. 

"Alison? Where are you, you silly woman?" Alexa continued to yell for her sister. Apparently Alison had not gone unmissed when she didn't immediately return to the house.

"I'm over here, Alexa. Quit yelling." A few moments later Alexa's tall, lean frame appeared at the entrance of the sectioned area.

"How long have you been out here Ali? I thought you were supposed to be done hours ago?" Alison swung her feet down from the bench and sat up running her hands through her sleep-tangled hair. 

"I got out of the meeting around noon. I came out here when I got back to think and must have fallen asleep. I'm sorry if I worried you and Dad." Alexa crossed the square alcove to join her sister on the comfy bench. As she sat down she saw for the first time Alison's puffy red eyes and her checks covered with dried tracks of tears. 

"Oh my God, Ali have you been crying? What the hell happened in there today?" Alexa grabbed her sister's shoulders and pulled her into a hug. 

"It's a really long story Alexa can I tell you about it later?" Alison asked, as she pushed herself away from her sister. 

"No you can't. You have to tell me now. I can't stand to see you upset so I have to know what happened so I can help you fix it." 

"You're going to pester to shit out of me until I tell you aren't you?" Alexa grinned slightly and nodded her head. 

"Well duh Ali. So save us both the trouble and just tell me now." 

Giving into the inevitable, Alison proceeded to tell her sister all about the meeting and the creepy conversation she had overheard. But she didn't stop there. Once she began to talk about the questions the council had asked her, she couldn't help but tell Alexa that whole story about spilling the extracts and mixing magics with Braden. Sharing her secret with someone other than Braden was immensely therapeutic and she just couldn't stop herself from revealing every detail. When she was done Alison held her breath to hear what her sister would have to say. 

"Hmm...well I have to admit that I'm very disappointed in you Ali. I can't believe you intentionally deceived me. Last night you said you were seeing Braden not that you had already slept with him." Her obviously fake distress gave way into amusement and she playfully nudged her sister in the arm "With all seriousness though. I'm glad you're ok and not hurt by the mixing of the magics. That's crazy that you can do all that stuff now. You will have to show me you new skills sometime. I have a few ex's that you could practice setting on fire from a distance if you wanted to. As for those creepy men, you'll just have to been extra careful from now on. I hate it that there are people out there who want to use you. Do you think we should tell dad about it?" 

A small disturbance at the entrance of the alcove drew the girls' attention and prevented Alison from answering her sister. Rupert, the butler was standing there apparently waiting to make an announcement. 

"Mistress Alison, Mistress Alexa, your father has sent word that he will be spending the night at the castle and that we should not wait for him. Thus, dinner will be served in ten minutes." 

"Thank you Rupert. We will be in shortly" Alison said. After Rupert left, Alison turned back to Alexa, "Please don't tell anyone about me or Braden, including Dad. I'll tell him when the time is right. We are still learning so much about this and we could be in real danger if the public found out about us. We are worried about the implications this may have. If word got out about us, chaos could erupt all over the place over people wanting more than one element themselves." 

"You can trust me Alison. I may be a flake about somethings, but when it comes to the safety of my older sister I would never do anything stupid. As far as I am concerned this conversation remains here with the lilies." Alison let out a noticeable sigh of relief. It was such a weight off her shoulders to have another confidant in the matter. She suddenly became aware of how hungry she was, having not eaten all day, and stood up, moving in the direction of their dinner. Alexa joined her sister and the two women walked side by side towards the house. 

"After dinner perhaps we could go to a nightclub." Alexa suggested. "I've been dying to check out the night life here. It's one of the reasons I decided to come to the capital. After all, I am on break from school; I have to live it up somehow. Plus, dancing always makes me forget my concerns. It would be good for you after a day like today." 

"You know Alexa, I'd really rather not..." Alison recognized her sister's famous, 'I won't be swayed from my goal' expression and decided not to fight her. Who knows dancing in a room full of hot, sweaty people may be just what she needed. 

~*~*~*~*~*~



Sunderland Magic Ch. 06



When they had originally arrived at Club Vicio Alison was sure that she had made a poor decision and would be miserable for the rest of the night. The club used to be a large three story house and so the club boosted some unique features, like crown molding and banister stair cases. There was a large dancing room on each floor for rock, techno, and hip hop. The club also boosted a room with darts and pools tables, three bars and many dark hallways and corners in which to discreetly hook up. The close proximity of so many people felt slightly overwhelming, but after a few drinks and being forced to the dance floor by her sister, Alison began to relax and start having fun. 

While Alison was finally letting loose, there was another development that could possibly ruin their evening. Alexa had met a reasonably cute guy in the pool room and had danced with him once. But when she made her goodbyes to him and tried to go to another room, he followed her. And he had been continuing to follow them for the last two hours. Now, they were currently in the hip hop room trying to avoid him and actually enjoy dancing. 

"Oh my god, there he is again. Like seriously, I am so not into the stalker-type. I can't believe we're going to have to move again." It was obvious that Alexa was beyond irritated with the guy and the interruption he was causing to her night. 

"Come on. Let's go get a drink and then head to the rock dance floor. We haven't been there for a while" Ali placed her hand on her sister's shoulder and gently pushed her toward the bar. "And if he follows us down there I will set him on fire for you." Alexa grinned and her spirits lifted slightly. 

"You're the best sister ever." 

When the girls arrived in the rock room they were surprised to see it so packed full of people. An hour ago when they had been there, it was the least popular room, but now it was wall-to-wall people. They squeezed and pushed their way through the crowd and finally found a location where they had a reasonable amount of personal space. They also had a great view of the stage, which proved to be good for Alexa. An announcer came over the sound speaker and began to introduce the next act. 

"How are you feeling tonight Club Vicio?! Well I hope you're in the dancing mood, 'cause if these next performers don't get your heart pumping and your body moving then you're dead! Please welcome to the stage the newest band to rock the sound waves of the kingdom! Levanthal's Paradox!!" Cheers and screams filled the air but none were louder than Alexa's, who was jumping up and down with excitement. 

"Holy shit! He's here! I had no idea they were playing here tonight! I didn't think they would be performing like this over break. Melodic Records must have finally agreed to sign them." Alexa grabbed Ali's arms and started dragging her even closer to the stage. The band came out from back stage and the man who was obviously Damien Brice stood behind the lead microphone with a guitar strapped across his shoulder. Alison had to admit that her little sister had good taste. He was, as Alexa had described him, totally dark, mysterious and gorgeous. 

"Good evening to you all," Damien said in greeting. "We are thrilled to be with you tonight. So let's get this party started shall we?" The drummer counted off the beat with his drum sticks and then an intricate, fast-paced rhythm was established by the guitarists and bass player. It was obvious to Alexa from the moment Damien had spoken that his element was Water. His voice was smooth and had flowed over the audience like a gentle rain. Now that he was singing and the song was picking up intensity, she felt like she was in the middle of rapids. It was exhilarating to just listen to it. The man obviously had a large amount of musical talent. 

"You certainly know how to pick 'em. I see what you were taking about earlier," Alison leaned in to comment to her sister. 

"So help me Ali. If you go after him I won't hesitate to hurt you, even if you are all super magical now." Alison had never seen her sister so possessive before. Still, there was more to Alexa's crush than she was letting on to. It ran deeper than him being really cute or musically talented. Ali was starting to realize that her sister might actually have fallen for the guy. 

"I would never do that to you. Plus, I have my own guy to be obsessed with." As Alexa began to relax and turned her attention back to the stage, Alison couldn't help but wonder what that guy was currently up to. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Braden pulled into the lab's parking lot around midnight. It wasn't unusual to see multiple professors' cars still parked outside this late at night. In fact, the complete lack of other cars seemed strange. After parking and cutting of the engine of his truck Braden headed in the direction of the lab. He had to pass through multiple checks points. In fact the elevators that led to Alison's fourth floor lab wouldn't even work unless you had the proper ID card with you. 

Once in the lab, he switched on the lights and took stalk of the mess they hadn't addressed after their fateful coupling. They had taken the time to clean up the mixed air and fire extracts, but that was it. Books and papers were strewn across the floor along with glassware and office supplies.

"Note to self: no sex in the lab," Braden thought allowed. He then set to work cleaning up the mess. After completing his plan to confront these bastards he probably was never going to see this place again. For some reason he needed to let Alison know he truly cared, and cleaning the lab seemed like one way he could start to do that. 

After about twenty minutes, Braden began to organize all the documents that described how to make the extracts or what they could do. The last thing he grabbed was his lab notebook, and then he headed to the vault room at the end of the hall. Each lab group had a vault that they could store confidential or particularly vulnerable documents or compounds in. They could even change the temperature of the vault if the contents inside needed to be kept a low or high temperatures. Usually the extracts themselves would have been stored in the vault, but since they had been smashed on the lab's floor, that was no longer an issue. What was an issue was insuring that Simon Newgate and his cronies never got their hands on how to makes the extracts for themselves. If the power that he and Alison currently possessed was used for Simon's purposes, there was no telling what terror would be unleashed upon the kingdom. 

Braden had been lost in his train of thought about what he needed to do first in his plan to confront Simon, so he didn't originally register that voices could be heard coming from the vault room. Once he did catch on, he was immediately put on the defensive. He pushed himself against the wall next to the room's entrance. Closing his eyes, he pulled himself mentally around the corner using his Air magic and spied on the men he found there. There were two of them dressed in all black from head to toe. Black masks covered their faces, and hand guns were holstered around their waists. Braden immediately noticed the butt of the gun of one of the two men; a single silver snake was coiled around itself until it formed a figure eight. Simon's symbol, the one he took upon himself when he started this whole crazy push for power and domination. There was only one reason Simon would have sent men into the lab's vault in the middle of the night: the extracts. They thought they were still here, because that's where months ago Braden had told them they would be. 

At least I didn't tell them the code, Braden thought just before he felt a fist collide with the side of his head. His mental connection rushed back into his own body and his eyes popped open to see the barrel of a gun pointed at his head. 

"I'll be taking those from you know." A third man said as he reached for the documents. Braden attempted to stop him but he was still disoriented from the blow to his head. Stephan, the man Braden recognized as Simon's right-hand man pick up the documents and stuffed them inside his leather jacket. "Now if you would follow me into the next room, there is a safe I'd very much like you to open for me. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Levanthal's Paradox had the entire audience shaking their asses and dancing with enthusiasm. Alexa and Alison were facing each other with their arms over their heads, moving back and forth to the pulsating beat. When the song ended, Alexa began to look around at the huge crowd to see their reaction to the band. It thrilled her soul that so many people liked Damien's band. He worked so hard and it was paying off for him. What she didn't like were the throngs of girls who vied for Damien's attention. Horny Bitches. 

Along the back wall of the room she saw the man who had been stalking her either. Her irritation began to rise, but with one gesture he made her heard drop into her stomach. He had reached up to touch his ear and was speaking. It was obvious that he was communicating with someone on the other end of a micro-earpiece. Alison, he was here for Alison. He hadn't been following her at all. 

His eyes traveled across the room and she followed them as well. In the left hand corner was another man, who was behaving similarly. His hand went up to his ear, and it was obvious that he was looking for someone. Well not just someone, them. Alexa turned back to her sister, trying to maintain a calm demeanor. Drawing attention to themselves right now would not be a good thing. 

"Alison. I hate to have to say this but I think we're in trouble." Alison immediately stopped dancing and focused her attention on Alexa. 

"What are you talking about?"

"Look over my shoulder, but be casual. See the man in the black shirt in the corner?" Alison's eyes scanned the wall and widened when she saw the man. 

"Yeah. What about him?"

"I think he is here for you. I think the stalker guy who I danced with was actually following you. I saw him talking on an earpiece and then the other guy responded. They're obviously looking for someone, and I think it's you." Alison's face filled with panic and her eyes locked on Alexa's. If she was important enough to send men after, there was most likely more than two people here looking for her. The song that the band had been playing come to an end, and Damien began to introduce the next song. 

"This song is called "Fire in Her Eyes" and it's about this amazing girl I know back at school named Alexa." Alexa gasped loudly and drew his attention her way. "Holy crap Alexa, Alexa Morris is that you?" 

~*~*~*~*~*~

While Alexa was staring dumbstruck up at Damien, Alison quickly turned around to find the men who were looking for her. If they knew enough to know where she was, they most likely knew that she had a sister named Alexa and the last name Morris. This was not really the best time in the world for Damien to be dedicated a song to her sister. And sure enough neither man was where she had last saw them. Instead they were moving through the crowd, converging on them. 

"Shit, Alexa was gotta move. You can talk to him later. Come on." She grabbed Alexa's arms and yanked her toward the exit. She tried to duck and weave between people, hoping to throw her pursuers off a little. If they could just make it to an open location Alexa could hurry the process up by jumping them to a safer location in the building. As long as an Earth witch could touch an organic substance, she could jump back and forth between locations. 

"Alexa, Alexa you gotta jump us to the balcony." More people were moving in their direction, and this time it wasn't just men, there were a few women who were dressed like clubbers, too. "When we get to the hall jump us to the balcony upstairs, ok." Alexa nodded her head as if she understood. The band had started the song, and dancing bodies made it even more difficult to maneuver through. Alexa slowed as if torn by the desire to stay and listen to the lyrics, but Alison pulled her even harder in response. She did not want to be caught by these people. 

Finally they made it past the last group of dancers and spilled into the open hallway. Alison counted five people following them, but she was sure there were more. One of the women, a water witch, formed a bubble in her hand. She was going to try to trap them inside it. 

"Jump, Jump, Jump!" Alison cried hugging her sister tight to her body. She felt Alexa clutched her firmly and then a sensation like being squeeze through a tube of toothpaste hit her body. It was uncomfortable but not painful and when it stopped, she felt herself fall on her butt to the wooden third floor balcony. 

"We have to get out of here," Alexa said. "We could call Dad's security detail." No, they couldn't. Alison no longer trusted anyone even remotely connected to the government. The only person she trusted to get her out of this was miles away. She decided to try to contact him to ask him what she should do, but when she reached out to him mentally all she felt was his pain. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"I'm not going to ask this again. Give us the combination of the vault." Braden was being held by two of the henchmen while the third paced in front of his, examining his gloved fist. 

"Fuck you, Stephan." Stephan's response was to drive his fist once more into Braden's stomach. Braden doubled over and groaned. 

"I really didn't want to do this but I guess you leave me no choice. You're pretty little lab partner is by now in the custody of my best men, and on her way to meet Simon as we speak. All it would take is one phone call and she would be in so much more pain than you are right now." Braden eyes narrowed and flashed silver. He felt murderous over the prospect of them hurting her. 

"We both know you won't hurt her. You need her for your pathetic plans." Stephan just shook his head and chuckled. 

"You're correct that we need her, but all we need if for her to be alive, not whole." Braden struggled against his captures wanting to attack the man in front of him with his bare fists. But he had to reign in his emotions. He was really the one with the upper hand here. They had no idea that the vault was currently empty or that Braden now possessed the power of fire. However, if he used his new power he'd have to kill these men. Simon could never know that not only could the magics be extracted singularly but they could be combined to form even greater weapons than he could have hoped for. 

"Fine. I'll give you the code. But don't you dare touch her." 

"You are not in a position to be making demands right now Braden. And I've seen the girl. She is a fine piece of ass. If I ask Simon nicely he'd probably let me play with her a bit before he put her to work." It was with that comment that Braden knew he couldn't let this man leave here alive. He closed his eyes and attempted to look defeated while he ran off the ten digit number, but he was really trying to center himself. He was going to need a lot of control for what he planned to do next. 

The minute Braden heard the beeping noise that indicated a successful code entry, he formed a fire ball in each hand and then used his Air magic to hurl them at the faces of the henchmen holding him. Stephan, who had been opening the heavy vault door, turned at the sound of their screams only to be met with a fire ball heading straight toward him. He was a Fire warlock himself and simply grabbed the ball in his first and extinguished it. 

"Well look at you. Seems the pretty little bitch was keeping information to herself. Why is that an Air elemental can now throw fire balls?" he rhetorically asked himself right before he hurled one of his own at Braden. Braden moved out of its main trajectory, which was his chest, but was grazed in the shoulder. He was about to return fire when he was knocked to the ground. A water blast from one of the other men had hit him squarely in the chest at full force and it felt like needles were piercing his skin. He heard Stephan darkly laugh, cock the gun he now had pointed at Braden, and then rattle off a report to the main compound.

"ContactSimon. Let him know that we have just been informed of a very interesting development involving the girl. Have her prepped from interrogation when she is collected. Full report to be given upon return." Stephan approached Braden and knelt over him. "Now would you like to tell me why that vault is empty or should I get that information from Alison later tonight?" Fury coursed through Braden and an impulse shot through him to get to Alison as quickly as possible. He had to take care of this situation and get to her. 

"It's empty because the extracts are gone. I destroyed them," Braden spat out and then used an explosive air blast to knock the men backwards. Braden rose to his feet as the other three fell to the ground, and he whipped up an air cyclone around each one. He then used an air current to move them toward the vault door. Fire balls and water blasts came at him from inside the cyclones but he was able to dodge them. With one final push he got all three men inside the vault then quickly shut the door. He was reluctant to leave the documents with Stephan, but he was locked inside a vault that only had enough breathable air in there for one man to last two hours. To make sure the men didn't escape he dialed the temperature down to negative fifteen degrees. Between the lack of air and the cold exposure, they shouldn't last long. His main concern now was getting to Alison. She was actively being hunted and he had no idea where she was. He reached out his mind to her and felt a surge of relief when he heard her answer him. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Alison? Alison where are you? Alison sat straight up at the sound of Braden's voice in her head. She and Alexa had been jumping all over the night club. Alexa was only powerful enough to jump a relatively short distance, and the club was surrounded by concrete on all sides. Which meant they would have to leave the club on foot, and if they did that they would most likely be caught. Right now they were relatively safe in the coat check closet on the first floor. 

Braden? Oh my god, where are you? Are you hurt? What's happening? 

Those are my exact questions for you too baby. I'm fine I'll fill you in on the details of my night when I see you. I'm heading for the capital as we speak. Where are you? 

Umm...I'm in a coat closet in Club Vicio. There are henchmen here who are trying to get to me. I don't know if they are the king's men or not but I don't want to stick around to find out. 

Get out of there right now. Those men are dangerous and they will not think twice about hurting you. 

Alison and Braden's conversation was cut short by the sound of foot steps outside their closet. Alexa quickly moved to embrace her sister, so that all she had to so was jump the minute it was indicated that she would need to. Suddenly the door was opened to reveal the coat check girl holding a woman's sweater to be hung up. While the girl was not a threat, the man standing on the other side of the hallway leaning against the wall was. His eyes lit upon the two sisters huddled together on the floor of the closet, and immediately he informed the rest of his team to their location via his earpiece. 

"Shit! Go Go!" By the time Alison had finished her words she found herself in a new location. They were sitting on a couch in what was obviously the backstage lounge of the club. A table with food and drinks was set up next to the door and there were a couple and couches and plush chairs with clothing and guitar cases on them. When the doorknob turned, Alison tensed and clutched Alexa to her more tightly, but the smooth voice of the person entering calmed her immediately, it was Damien. 




Sunderland Magic Ch. 06



"Excellent set guys. Really good work tonight." When he was done congratulating his band members, he started entering the room. He immediately saw Alexa and Alison on one the couches and his eyes flared wide. He turned to address the other guys, who had yet to enter the room. 

"Hey can you give me a few minutes alone. I need to talk to someone in private." Although they pretended to grumble about it, the four other members happily let him have the time. Damien then hesitantly moved towards the girls, raising his hand to scratch the back of his head. "What are you doing back here Lexa? I'm sorry if I embarrassed you with that song. I didn't mean to make you run from me. I'm..."

Damien was cut off by Alexa jumping to her feet and rushing to embrace him. She curled her arms under his and clutched his shoulders. He staggered slightly but soon righted his balance and wrapped his arms around her as well. 

"Lexa what is it? What's going on?" Alexa raised her head to look at his face but every time she started to try to explain she'd stutter and have to start over. Eventually, Alison rose and walked over to them. 

"There are some really bad people here who have been trying to find me. We don't have time to explain in detail but we need to get out of here right away. That's why we ran, not because of your song. She was heartbroken she didn't get to hear it." Damien's eyes snapped to Alison's and he tugged Alexa closer to him. 

"Who would be after you? We need to call the police." Alexa started to frantically shake her head against his chest at the suggestion, and finally managed to form words. 

"We can't call the police, they could tell the king, and it's his men who are after us." A look of confusion and shock passed over Damien's face. 

"Why would the king want you? I don't understand." Just then, there was a knock on the lounge door and a big, bald man stuck his head inside. 

"Hey D, just wanted to let you know that we're heading out of her in ten. So say goodbye to your lady-friends unless their coming with us." Damien was looking directly at Alexa when he said, 

"They are coming with us and the three of us are leaving right now. We'll send the limo back for the rest of the crew but we need to get out of here." The man started to argue that surely he could wait ten minutes for the rest of the gang, but Damien was already moving towards the exit with the girls. Two body guards flanked them as they walk toward the back entrance and then got into the limo that was waiting there. 

It took them fifteen minutes to reach the brand new condo Damien's record company had bought for him in the city. The space was spectacularly luxurious, with a color scheme of white, silver and black. The girls immediately curled up on the incredibly comfortable black couch, while Damien went to get the some tea to calm them. While waiting for his return, Alexa turned to Alison, 

"I'm not entirely sure yet whether I want this night to be a dream or not. On the one hand I found out that Damien cares about me at least enough to dedicate a song to me and on the other we were chased around a club by royal henchmen." Alison smiled but her thoughts started to drift in their own direction. Her night wasn't over yet; it wouldn't be until she knew that Braden was safe. She must have tuned into him through her thoughts because she soon heard his voice in her head. 

Baby, what happened? I lost you and I've been worried sick. She had been worried sick as well. But hearing him now helped her to start to relax. 

I'm fine now. Alexa's friend Damien got us out of there. We are at his place now. 

Can you trust this guy? What do you know about him? Alison had to laugh because at that moment Damien seemed more than trustworthy. He had brought their coffee and was sitting next to Alexa. His arm was draped around her shoulders and he was asking her question after question about her current situation. It was more than obvious that he was worried about her. It was also obvious that he more than just cared for the girl. Maybe her sister really was going to have ten children with him. 

I'd trust the guy with my life. Hurry up and get here. I need to see you before I can relax. 

I'm on my way baby. You can't possibly know how worried I've been about you. Somehow Alison doubted that. When she had felt him in pain either it was like a spear was slicing into her gut. She needed to be with him, to sooth him, but she had no idea where he was or who was hurting him. It was the worst feeling she had ever had. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

The sun was starting to kiss the horizon when Braden finally found himself at Damien's condo. Damien's guard had apparently been informed of his arrival and let him without too much hassle. He was anxious to get to Alison, and when he entered the condo he just dropped his bags at the entrance and began his search for her. She proved rather easy to find as she was curled up in an overstuffed chair in the living room. Her arm was folded on the arm of the chair and her head rested on the back of her forearm. Known Ali, she had probably tried desperately not to fall asleep. As he walked closer to her, he saw a note laying on the coffee table addressed to him. It was from Damien, instructing him that their room was upstairs, the third door on the right. Wanting to get into a bed a soon as possible so he could wrap himself around her, he gently picked her up, cradling her against his chest. She began to stir and mumble incoherently at the sudden jostling of her body. 

"Shh, baby, I'm just moving you to our room upstairs. I'm here now; there's nothing to worry about." Alison tensed and her eyes immediately popped wide open. She stared at him for a few seconds and then melted in his arms, apparently satisfied that he was real. 

"Oh Braden, I've missed you so much. This has been the worst day ever! I don't know what's going on. I'm scared but I'm so happy you're here." Braden used the arm that was supporting her back to clutch her even closer to him. 

"I won't let anyone ever hurt you. Ever." Braden then turned and headed up stairs to their bedroom. 

Not even bothering to turn on a light, he gently placed her on the bed and then started to take off her strappy high-heels. They were sexy as hell, but he could tell they probably hurt like hell too. So he gently massaged both feet for a few seconds trying to loosen them up from the bondage they had endured all night. 

"Mmm baby that feels really good. To the left and a little harder though...yeah like that." Alison was practically asleep again but she bit her lower lip between her teeth and Braden was instantly hard. He was always aroused when he was around this woman but hearing her moan, and ask for him to touch her harder made his cock stand at attention with impatient expectation. But she was so tired and had been through a horrible ordeal. His dick would have to wait. All he really needed to do right now was sleep beside her. He quickly stripped her of her dress and got her into one of the t-shirts stocked in the chest of drawers against the wall. His own shirt and pants were removed, and he tucked himself and Alison under the covers, holding her close to him so that his body surrounded hers. He placed a hand between her breasts then closed his eyes to sleep. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Alison vaguely remembered being moved upstairs in the wee hours of the morning, but being met with the full reality of feeling Braden's warm body next to hers had her wide awake and eager to talk to him. Braden, however, was still asleep, lying on his back and softly snoring. She was tucked into his side, with her head on his shoulder and her leg thrown across his thigh. She lifted her head to get a better look at him. He seemed so peaceful when he slept. He held tension in his forehead when he was upset or worried but right now it was relaxed and she had to fight the temptation of running her fingers from the middle of his forehead down the bridge of his nose. His body was exposed from the chest up and she marveled at how muscular and toned he was. However, his perfection was flawed by bruises along his stomach and chest and a burn on his shoulder. Braden had been in some sort of fight yesterday, and she planned to discover what happened as soon as possible. 

Alison let herself become aware of the rest of her body. His hand was spanning her waist, and her thigh was resting against his hard shaft. When she felt that, excitement immediately coursed through her. She had always wanted to do this and now she actually had the chance. Snaking her way under the covers, she positioned herself across his lower legs. Then she reached inside his boxers and pulled out his thick shaft. She smiled and ran her hand up and down its length a few times. She began by licking the tip, circling it first clockwise and then counterclockwise. She ran her tongue around the ridge between his shaft and the head before taking the entire head inside her mouth. She took as much as she could, and then began to bob up and down, while at the same time running her free hand up and down the length of him. After a moment, she felt the muscles of his legs jerk and heard him moan deeply before the covers around her were whipped away. Braden stared down at her in awe and then lifted his hand to run it through her hair. 

"Good morning to you too baby." 

"I missed you," Alison took her mouth away long enough to say. 

"Mmm, I can tell, but I missed you too so get up here." He pulled her away from his dick and positioned her so that she lay on her back, with him resting on his forearm looking over her. He ran his hand down her cheek and used his thumb to gently massage her temple.

"You are so beautiful Ali. I'm so fucking happy you are safe." Alison reached up to drag him toward her and kissed him deeply, letting all the emotions of the past day seep into it, letting him know how happy she was that he was safe too. Braden ran his hand under her night shirt, cupping her breast and gently kneading it. Alison pulled away from him, her breathing starting to get ragged. 

"Off," she said. "Take it off." Braden didn't have to be told twice and quickly pulled the t-shirt up and over her head. Instead of returning his mouth to her lips though, he used his tongue to caress the curves of her breast and circled closer to the pink tip in its center. When he found his target, he nibbled gently on it, sending a jolt of energy down Alison's spine. He used his free hand to encircle the other breast and then took turns switch off between kissing and massaging each breast. Alison's moans soon filled the room and she placed her hand on the back of his head, keeping him pulled into her. Her hips began to move of their own accord, and a carnal need was building inside of her. She took his free hand and directed it beneath the band of her panties and into her wet slit. She was already soaked from his ministrations and he moaned around her nipple when he felt how aroused for him she actually was. 

"Braden I can't wait any longer," Alison said as she buck against the fingers he had pushed inside her. He used his thumb to stimulate her clit and she moved her hips, fucking his hand. But she wanted more; she was filled with a great need for him and it was starting to overwhelm her. He lifted his head and his eyes were dark with passion. He roughly took her mouth with his own, using his tongue to massage hers. Then with incredibly speed he pulled her panties down and off her legs and shed his boxers. He returned for her mouth as his positioned himself between her wide spread leg and then pushed himself inside her. 

They both let out low, guttural groans. Her head fell backwards in ecstasy and he slowly pulled out of her, before plunging back in and setting off with an uncontrollable thrusting. Her hips rose to meet him and she clung to his shoulders for support. 

"Harder baby. More!" she cried aloud, feeling herself edging closer toward completion. Always the eager lover, Braden pistoned into her faster, plunging deeper with each stroke. "I'm there baby. Oh God! Yes!" Alison climaxed around his cock and he soon followed her, bucking his hips and releasing himself inside her. Braden pulled out and collapsed on his side next to her, pulling her closer him. The two began to drift off to sleep, utterly content to just lie there together. And they would have stayed that way all day, if it wasn't for a distraught Damien bursting into their room an hour later. 

"She's gone. Lexa's gone!"