That was enough for me. Our simultaneous climax thundered through both of us, and the pleasure of feeling my seed pumping into her filled my senses. Then, there came a deepening and widening of my awareness. There was a swirling vortex of blue light joining me and Cara, and I felt strongly the presence of the Ironside Persona, and the Kitsune Persona.
And there were more. In the shadows around the two Personas, there were others whose shapes I couldn’t make out. Were they other Personas? I didn’t think so. It was more like they were spaces where new Personas could go. Spaces in a collection, with Ironside and Kitsune in the center, in pride of place. I saw lines of tall figures, like statues carved of stone, tall and imposing in the shadows. There were mythical creatures, great warriors, and strange beings which seemed neither human nor animal. In one long, shimmering moment, I saw at last the full potential of my power to bind Personas. It was limitless.
The vision passed. Cara turned and reached up to put her arms around me. We collapsed together onto the soft warmth of the sleeping mats. We kissed again, our sweat mixing on our lips and making the kiss salty. She rolled on top of me, then lay her head on my chest, making contented noises as she snuggled in. I reached out and pulled a blanket over us, then wrapped my arms around her.
Chapter Eleven
We slept all night. When I woke up it was very early, and the sun was just climbing over the rim of the clifftop to illuminate the valley outside. I stood, and Cara rolled over and wrapped the blankets snugly around herself, then sat up, yawning. Her hair was wild about her head, and she smiled at me as I walked over to the bowls of water, picked up a cloth, and washed. The cold water made me catch my breath. I felt awake, looking forward to the day.
“Did you see the vision of all the Personas?” Cara asked sleepily as she watched me washing.
I turned my head quickly to look at her. “Yes,” I said, surprised. “Did you see it too? I thought that was just me.”
She shook her head, slowly. “I saw them. Ironside and Kitsune were very clear, but there were others, thousands of others, just waiting to be found. They were mysterious, tantalizing, like faces seen through a curtain.”
I looked at her in amazement. “Cara, you realize what this could mean?”
“No...” she said, then trailed off as understanding began to take shape. “You... you don’t mean... you think I can...?”
“I think this might mean we can share Personas! This must have been what the Keeper was talking about!”
She jumped up from the bed, her naked body confidently on display. In the morning light, she was magnificent. She stood, gold hair artlessly flung over her shoulder, her hands on her shapely hips. I ran my eyes up her long, graceful legs, past the blonde tuft of hair between her legs, over her round, pert breasts, her toned shoulders, and her elegant, pale neck. When I found her eyes, she was smiling wickedly at me, and I felt myself growing hard just looking at her.
I glanced toward the window. “It’s early yet.”
“It certainly is.”
The sun was well over the horizon when we finally made it downstairs. Our excitement at the prospect of sharing Personas hadn’t stopped us getting involved in another session of passionate lovemaking, this time without any magical events at the climax. When we had both satisfied each other again, we ate the meal of pickled vegetables, crisply fried meat, sweet red fruit, and soft, savory boiled grain that had been laid out for us the night before. Cara dressed in her leathers and weapons again, and I opted for the civilian outfit aspect of the Kitsune Persona.
We went downstairs and out through the main part of the house into the wide courtyard out back. Though surrounded by elegant gardens, the courtyard itself was clean brushed earth. The old servant, Win, was there, and he greeted us cordially.
“I will go fetch my master,” he said. “I am sure you all have much to discuss.”
We were left in the courtyard alone. We were both itching to try our new ability, but not quite sure how to go about it.
“Can you feel the Personas?” I asked.
Cara screwed up her brows in concentration. “Yes, it’s strange, it’s like they are hovering just out of reach of my mind.”
“Reach for one,” I urged her.
“I’m trying,” she said. “I can’t get a grip on it.”
“Which one are you reaching for?”
“The Kitsune Persona.”
A flash of intuition revealed it to me. “No, hold on, perhaps you can’t because I’m wearing it. Try the Ironside Persona instead.”
“Ah! That would make sense,” she said. “All right, I’ll try... Oh!”
It was amazing to see the transformation from an observer’s perspective. White and blue light flashed through her, and her leather armor shivered and transformed. As I had suspected it might, the Ironside Persona manifested in a different way for her than it had for me. It was still a suit of armor, creamy white enameled metal surfaces and gold trim around the edges of the plate, but instead of being a full body suit, it left some of her skin exposed. Her taut belly was uncovered, as were her shoulders and the tops of her breasts. The metal plating was sculpted close to the shape of her chest, just covering
