“When we bonded, I…well, I’d never really done anything with people before…” she whispered. “Oh, I’d watched them, and I’d talked to them loads, but until you let me bond you, I’d always been an observer. Our emotions are different to yours.”
“They’re, well… when we have our ability to absorb mana burned out, we lose a lot of the highs and lows. We still feel, but just not as much. When we bonded, I felt your emotions so strongly, and I… I wanted to feel that myself.”
“Okay, that’s all right, Oracle…” I whispered, continuing to stroke her back, and trying to keep my voice level while imagining the things I’d like to do to someone who burned emotions out of a sentient creature and enslaved them to a fucking Tower for eternity.
“So… I…”
“It’s all right Oracle, just tell me,” I asked quietly, already fairly sure of what was coming by now.
“So, I made a connection to you that was deeper, I…I didn’t know what I was doing! I could have hurt you, and I just…I…”
“No, you couldn’t have hurt me. Remember, the bond prevents that,” I said firmly. “You did what you thought was best for us, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but I… I wanted…”
“Even if you wanted it, that doesn’t make it bad, but explain it for me, please,” I said, still holding her.
“I made our emotional connection deeper. It’s helped to heal some of the damage that the Spellbooks, and well, your life, did to you. You were alone for so long, and betrayed so much, so you didn’t trust people very much. I… I helped you to relax.”
“Okay, now tell me the downside.” I didn’t feel any different, but would I know?
“It’s made our emotions feed off each other!” she cried out. “I don’t know how to fix it!”
“Feed off each other?” I asked, but even as I said it, I knew what she meant. I’d already had issues with my temper, and it had been getting worse. Breaking Lorek’s arm was only one example. I’d been keeping my rage under control so far, but only just. If Oracle hadn’t hit those guys in the cage with a lightning bolt, I would have. And I had to admit, if only to myself, I wouldn’t have been as gentle. I’d have used fire.
“Every time you’re angry, I get angry; then you get angrier, and so do I! With the sex, I want to try it, I want to enjoy you, and have you enjoy me, but just thinking about it means suddenly, it’s all I can think of! I could have killed those people, I could have…what do we do, Jax?”
Oracle wailed, sitting back in my arms to stare at me, her eyes puffy from weeping. She pulled at her long hair, making it come away in clumps. I stared as her body began to change before my eyes, going grey, her face draining and her body twisting.
She drew in upon herself, becoming a strange, ugly, little, naked, half-starved creature, and I swallowed hard.
“Oracle?” I prodded, and the little figure looked up at me, a bright red spark deep in her eyes as she focused on me.
“I should be an imp,” she said despondently. “I don’t deserve to look pretty.” Despite it all, I had to stifle a laugh.
“What did you do to yourself?” I asked, and she shrugged, looking away. I couldn’t help but think of a petulant teenager in full swing, and just like that, the spell was broken. It started low at first, a shake in my chest, but inside of a few seconds, I was laughing openly.
At first, Oracle was clearly angry, but as I roared with laughter, she slowly began to see the funny side, until she was hitting me and shouting about how ‘it just wasn’t funny’ while giggling. After a few seconds, she grew in size and leaned in for a kiss.
“Ah, Oracle?” I stopped her, leaning back a bit.
“Yeah, Jax?” she asked, hesitant as I clearly felt differently about kissing her.
“Think you could change back?” She started, looking down at her hands, and then burst out laughing properly.
She gave herself a little shake, and she was back, growing to full size, seated atop my lap on the little sofa thingy. She was stunning again, long black hair down to her waist … and she was also still naked.
I coughed. Free of the emotions we’d been sharing, it was a lot easier to concentrate on things, but still… she was beautiful, naked, and straddling me.
We kissed slowly, but when she drew back, I realized our hands hand been a lot less busy than last time, and we gazed into each other’s eyes for a long moment before I broke the silence.
“I need to figure all this out, Oracle. We’re bonded, so it’s for life if we cross this line. I’m not ready for that, not until I know how I feel properly, so can we cool it a bit?” I was painfully aware that I was close to catapulting her across the room if my belt broke with the pressure it was under, ‘Mr. Happy’ desperate to ‘meet’ her as he was.
“I understand,” she whispered, leaning in to kiss me one last time. “But as you say, Jax, we’re bonded for life, so…”
“Oh, I know, this is a fucked-up situation in every way, and believe me, I want to. Damn I really, really, want to, but…”
“I can see your mind Jax, your past… and the rage you feel when the strong force the weak, but I’m neither. Just consider that I’m your bonded companion. I’m not really a woman; I can take any form, but I’m still me. I’m not going to change how I feel about you, and I won’t get jealous if you want to play with others… well, not much… and we could always…” She trailed off, looking anxiously at me.
“Seriously, Oracle, don’t finish that sentence.” I took a deep
