Page 34 of Tyton: The Spider and the Dragonfly (Tyton #1)

C

allie stood shakily at the entrance to the suite wrapped in the softest blanket she had ever felt and held in place by Talia’s arms. She had never seen a suite before.

Hexaline lights glowed a soft, warm amber from the corners and most of the room remained covered in shadow, but even so, Callie could tell it must have cost more money than she would ever see in her lifetime.

“Did you get them to use the linen sheets this time?” Talia asked, hope sparkling in her voice.

“I did, but don’t get too used to them,” Sesi warned playfully. “I doubt we’ll ever be able to get any more.”

Callie did not know what linen was but she wanted to feel it against her skin.

Sesi pulled the covers back from a bed half the size of her flat. They were so thick! It reminded her of the marshmallow coat they had made her wear in the cold.

Talia sat on the mattress and then drew Callie in so she could sit on the edge and lean against her at the same time. Sesi appeared with a bottle of water. Callie hadn’t known she could be this thirsty.

Sesi’s fingers pressed into her stiff neck, places she hadn’t known hurt.

“You were so good tonight,” she felt Talia whisper against her ear, followed by the muted nuk of tiny kisses trailing along its shell.

In all of her life, she had never felt so cared for. So loved , even if it was just aftercare. Tears trailed down her face, but no-one seemed alarmed. Talia simply placed kisses in the spots that Sesi had just left and they allowed Callie to come down gently.

Callie understood subdrop. After a scene with Brin, there would be an aftercare space, usually a dark room with comfortable chairs and a few blankets, but not much else. She would cry, sob even and Brin would hold her, stroking her back until she had recalibrated, like going through a withdrawal.

This felt so much different. Maybe because she had never been so deep in subspace or because she had never had two partners before or because this was the most luxurious aftercare space she had ever seen.

The drop did not feel like drugs leaving her system.

It felt exhilarating. Like she was falling into something.

Like the panic and exultation of throwing yourself backward onto a trampoline from a high place, only in slow motion.

Her brain was tired of dissecting her feelings, so she focused her attention on her lovers.

Talia’s breath against the nape of her neck.

Sesi’s fingers prodding the muscles beneath her collarbones.

She wanted to reach out and kiss her, but her body was too exhausted to respond to her commands.

She would sit and be adored by these two women, their object of worship, for now.

Callie was so tired, she couldn’t even find the energy to feel guilty about it.

Talia lay her in the middle of the bed and Callie allowed the linen to envelop her.

God, this felt so soft , she thought before Sesi climbed in, kneeling beside her.

She pulled Talia across Callie and kissed her like she had earlier this evening – with a hunger Callie hadn’t understood.

How long had these two been circling each other?

Apex predators that couldn’t decide who was more apex? And only wanted each other?

Watching them kiss was a very different experience than being kissed by them.

The way Talia’s jaw flexed, trying to reach deeper into Sesi.

The way Sesi’s tongue snaked, trying to pull Talia into her.

Brows furrowed and fingers fisted into skin, as though wrath would fuel them further.

Brief moments of surrender and bliss only to be supplanted with a renewed fervour.

Talia broke the kiss with a self-satisfied smile. “You need to be gentle, or she’ll take days to recover.”

Sesi only growled in return. Callie didn’t think Sesi was used to being chided. Talia shot out a hand and fisted Sesi’s hair. Sesi’s expression grew murderous.

“You can have me – you just need to be nice.”

Instead, Sesi bit her forearm, leaving a row of teeth marks. Talia didn’t flinch. Her other hand brushed against Callie’s cheek, tucking an invisible strand of hair behind her ear. Callie sunk into her touch.

“She misses us,” Sesi mused, slipping into the sheets to cradle Callie. Talia did the same and slid her absurdly long leg across Callie’s waist. Sesi wrapped her fingers behind her knee and cinched them all together.

Callie felt Talia’s warmth flood against her hip.

Sesi turned her cheek to claim her mouth and then returned to Talia’s leg.

Talia pressed her lips into the back of Callie’s neck, causing the soft down to rise to attention.

Sesi’s hand slipped across her stomach. She knew it had found it’s place beneath Talia when her breath hitched against Callie’s skin.

Talia’s fingers held fast to Sesi’s shoulder, pulling her deeper.

Sesi delved into her mouth, but Callie could tell she was holding back.

The cobwebs of fatigue had been chased away, but Sesi still refused to push her.

Talia ground into Sesi’s hand and against Callie’s leg, measured panting against her neck.

“You’re such a good girl,” she breathed. The praise flooded her.

Talia came undone and Callie felt every morsel of it against her skin. It was the most seductive thing she could experience amidst a night full of them. Desire washed over her, but two hands slipped across her chest and held her fast against the linen.

“Thank you,” whispered Talia, her head burrowed into her neck. Sesi’s fingers stroked her hair. Callie couldn’t ever remember falling asleep so quickly.

Callie had never awoken in a bed this large.

Or soft. Indentations in the mattress on either side of her brought back the memories of what had happened.

Callie bit her lip at the thrill of it before tempering her expectations.

She tiptoed out of the bedroom, unsure why she was worried about making noise. The other two were already awake.

“We need to talk.” The haze of red sunlight skimming the horizon illuminated Sesi’s silhouette. Her white silk robe held onto the light, framing her with a disturbing glow. A bloody dawn that had come unnaturally late.

Talia poured herself a Koffi and sat, folding her legs underneath herself and leaning back into the sofa.

“About rules?” Callie asked. She hoped. A week ago, she hadn’t known anything about anything. And now she was in a poly…something? Or maybe last night was just for fun. Oh God , she started to spiral. She shouldn’t have presumed.

Talia patted the spot beside her. Callie dug her fingernail against the pad of her thumb to calm herself. They were acting too nicely for her assumption to have offended them. Talia draped her arm around Callie like falling satin as she crumpled into her. Callie nuzzled into the scent of her skin.

“Shh.” Talia petted. “You’re still coming down. We’ve got you.”

Sesi drew a long breath and sat, cross legged on the plush carpet in front of them.

“No,” she shook her head. “No rules. If you feel the need to break whatever rules you were thinking of, we won’t stop you.

” Sesi drew the backs of her fingers across the taut skin of Talia’s shin.

“We need to talk about the deal I’m about to make, but I need both of you to agree before I do. ”

“You’re sure this can’t wait until she’s recovered?” Talia chided.

“What sort of deal?” Callie asked, sinking lower against Talia’s chest. Talia hugged her tighter.

“One that Talia refused unless you were part of it.”

Callie furrowed her brow and turned to look at Talia.

“It’s way too soon,” Talia’s contralto in the morning felt even deeper. It almost rumbled against her ears.

“Yes, but we both know the situation. The decision needs to be made soon. Sesi stole Talia’s mug and sipped with a wink. Callie made a face. Talia rolled her eyes.

“I do need to ask,” Sesi handed Talia her mug back. “Did you refuse to participate without Callie because you think she’ll refuse?”

Talia slipped her fingers around the warm ceramic.

“No.” She took a deep breath. “I can’t say that I’m ready, or that I even really know what to expect, but I’ll do it.

” Talia skimmed her fingers across Callie’s hair, like she was comforting herself.

“It’s not just about payback. If she’s even still alive. ”

Callie enjoyed this comfort immensely and the last thing she wanted was for it to end. But she couldn’t deal with being on the outside any longer. “This feels really weird. Can you tell me what you’re talking about?”

Sesi’s warm eyes found Callie’s. “It’s an absurd request. I know. One that I broughtto Talia, and she said yes as long as you were involved.”

“Because without you,” Talia kissed the top of Callie’s head, “there is no Sesi and me.” Talia stared longingly at Sesi. “It wouldn’t make sense without her.”

The revelation ignited a spark of joy in Callie.

Sesi sighed. “It wouldn’t” she conceded. “But it also feels like dropping this on her after knowing each other for such a short amount of time is equally ridiculous.”

The joy was quickly replaced by the burden of responsibility. She couldn’t even keep Brin from tumbling into depression, and now she had two girlfriends? And if she left, they would also fail as a couple?

Sesi saw Callie’s expression change and decided to rip the band-aid off. “We’re asking you for an egg.”

Callie looked up at Talia. “Why? We’re too old to have kids.”

“You are. And Talia is. I’m not.”

Callie narrowed her eyes.

“I’m definitely older than twenty-four,” Sesi laughed. She rolled her neck from side to side, trying to think of how to explain this as succinctly as possible.

“A few billionaires in the early 2100s figured out how to make an organelle that produced nanoids independently, but could also be manipulated to execute external commands. Their presence underpins almost all interfacing. Cyberware. Biosig sensors. DocPods. Without them, you can’t use any of it.

The downside is that nanoids accumulate in the body and eventually overrun a foetus’s defences against being perceived as a parasite by the mother. ”

“Can’t you just command them to not attack the foetus?”

Sesi shook her head. “Not without shutting down the mother’s entire immune system. The Natalists found that out the hard way.”

Talia winced at the mention of the Natalists.

“So, no babies after twenty-four.” Callie concluded.

“Right.” Sesi confirmed. Talia kept trailing her fingertips across Callie’s short hair.

“The good news,” Sesi continued, “Is that the DNA for the organelles is self-contained. If we remove it, it can’t pass it on.”

“In women.” Talia added.

“Yes, that’s a whole other issue, but you’re jumping ahead.” Sesi flicked Talia’s leg.

“And the bad?”

“Sperm cells are too fragile and we haven’t trained proper lab technicians in so long that no-one exists who can do the procedure without a DocPod or AI assisted lab tech, none of which work without the organelles.”

“You want to have my baby?” The words felt incredibly bizarre coming from her lips.

“And Talia’s. In exchange, we’ll get the current location of the Natalist labs. Their DocPods can extract eggs.”

“Also, I’ll get to kill a bunch of the fuckers,” Talia added, a hint of wicked delight in her voice.

Callie had forgotten that as gentle as they were with her, murder was a way of life for them.

And now they were asking her to have a child with them.

Talia could feel Callie’s pulse increase and she held her tighter.

“If you say no , nothing will change between us,” Talia reassured her.

The juxtaposition of violence and care made her head hurt, even as she remembered that she had killed two people herself.

“You’d give up your chance at revenge for me?” Callie couldn’t fathom it. “Why?”

“You really don’t know?” Talia asked. Callie’s wide-eyed stare was the only response she got.

“Because you’re good .”

“And not just a good girl .” Sesi joked. Talia kicked her.

“Sesi and I are both incredibly fucked up. Sesi practically raised herself and I escaped a cult. Can you imagine us two with kids?”

“But I don’t know anything about raising kids,” Callie protested.

“That’s not what she means,” Sesi interjected. “Look at how Talia behaves when she’s around you. She’s practically tame.” Callie thought she might have heard a growl in Talia’s chest. Sesi laughed. “See? She didn’t even threaten to kill me.”

“Our kids” God, did that sound weird, Callie thought. “Our kids won’t be able to use cyberware. Or DocPods.”

Sesi shook her head. “No. But in a few generations, anyone who can will be dead, whether we have kids or not.”

“So, you’re putting the fate of the species on me?”

Sesi looked away. Callie lay her head back down on Talia’s chest. For a full minute, the only sound was her breathing. Callie tried to detect any hint that Talia might be pushing her one way or the other, but her breathing remained steady. It really was her decision.

How could she bring a child into this world? What would the world even look like in a few generations? Wouldn’t they just fuck it up again? Or could this really be the start of something different? Of making amends?

Callie sat up, strengthening her resolve. “How long can I think about it?”