Chapter 6 -- Life After College

With cap and gown in hand, Dave made his way across campus to the Georgia Tech basketball arena, McCamish Pavilion. Though he did have the highest grades in his graduating class and was valedictorian, he declined to do any public speaking at the graduation ceremony. All the same, he had been invited to meet with the guest speaker for their graduation beforehand, though it had not been disclosed to him who that was. Behind him, Cindy, Maddie, and his parents speculated as to who this mystery person could be, but Dave figured it would be some self-important donor rather than anyone of substance. They soon arrived at the arena and checked in at the security desk.

"Name?" asked the guard.

"Dave Brighton. I was told to be here at ten this morning."

Checking his list, the guard replied, "Yes, here we are. President Peterson is waiting for you in room 186. This way, please."

Dave rolled his eyes as he followed the guard down a hallway. President Bud Peterson was an intelligent man, to be sure, but he also had attracted an enormous amount of controversy in recent years. During the wave of sexual assault allegations that had recently swept the nation's college campuses, Peterson had decided to take swift and decisive action against many of the accused students, suspending them of his own accord without due process. To a Libertarian like Dave, this was inexcusable for two reasons. Most obviously, it deprived an individual of their right to a fair hearing and a presumption of innocence until proof of guilt. But worse than that, Dave lost respect for Peterson because he had decided to take law and order into his own hands. He had no experience in law enforcement or criminal justice, but decided that the allegations alone were enough to suspend students arbitrarily, rather than waiting for the actual police investigations to conclude. Most of the students at the center of this ended up being reinstated and even won civil suits against the school for the actions taken against them. Ever since then, Dave refused to trust the man. Still, he put on as pleasant a face as he could muster as they entered the room.

"Mr. David Brighton, welcome," said President Peterson. "We're so glad to have you here today."

"Glad to be here. Gotta get the piece of paper I busted my ass for, after all," Dave retorted.

"And an accomplishment that piece of paper is," Peterson chuckled. "I'd like to introduce you to the man who will be addressing your graduating class today."

Dave's eyes went wide as Peterson stepped aside and revealed another man behind him. He was not tall, coming up to about Dave's chin, but his sharp eyes and slight grin gave him an air of confidence. He was of Chinese descent, and his weathered face seemed to brim with wisdom and experience. To a scientific and political junkie like Dave, the man was instantly recognizable.

"David, this is our guest speaker-"

"Dr. Steven Chu?!" Dave exclaimed.

"I think he's heard of me," Steven remarked to Peterson.

Though he had served four years as Secretary of Energy for the Obama administration, that was merely the cherry on top of Steven Chu's career. His greatest accomplishment had come over two decades before he took office in the White House when his team won the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their work in using lasers to trap and cool atoms was unparalleled at that time, and in Dave's mind, still ranked as one of the coolest scientific achievements of his lifetime. As big a nerd as Dave was, he had to admit to being a little star-struck.

"Um... wow, Dr. Chu, this is so unexpected," Dave began, trying to keep his babbling under control. "I never dreamed the guest speaker would be someone of your caliber."

"You're too kind, thank you," Steven replied, extending his hand. As Dave shook it, Steven held firm for several long seconds, eying Dave closely all the while. "You must be an incredible talent to be the valedictorian of your graduating class, young man. I presume all has gone according to plan for you?"

"To be honest, I just try to take things one day at a time," Dave said.

"Bullshit!" Cindy said through a cough.

"Younger sister?" Steven asked with a grin.

"Yeah..."

"I have a younger brother, myself. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em."

"True. This is my sister, Cindy Brighton. She's a freshman here, majoring in psychology," Dave replied, turning to his sister.

"A pleasure, Dr. Chu."

"Likewise. And who is the second lovely young lady?"

"This is my girlfriend, Madison Adams."

"Call me Maddie," she said with a smile.

"Delighted, Maddie. And these two must be the proud parents, yes?"

"Yep. John and Sara," Dave's dad replied.

"I've read some of your son's papers, he has an incredible mind," Steven said.

"Yeah, always thought he was a little odd," John chuckled.

"If he's anything like me and my brothers, he's just getting started," Steven winked. "So, you're familiar with my work, is that right, Dave?"

"I am," he replied. "I still remember finding as many articles about your laser experiments as I could back when you won the Nobel Prize. I ate 'em up like candy!"

"But that was in 1997! You couldn't have been more than... four or five, even two years after I won the prize!"

"Told ya he was a little odd," John interjected again.

"Thanks, Dad," Dave grumbled. "But yeah, by the time I turned five, you were my hero."

"Oh, my. Hero? That's a heavy word to live up to," Steven said.

"Don't worry, you're not my hero anymore. I can't bring myself to idolize anyone in politics. Nothing personal," Dave laughed.

"Admittedly, a wise policy," Steven nodded. "I knew I was taking some risks in accepting the Secretary of Energy position, but I felt it was an opportunity to do good that I could not pass up."

"Understandable. I can't fault you for that," Dave agreed.

"I understand you have some grand interviews upcoming," Steven remarked.

"Yeah, the Department of Defense wants to look into the new stabilization system I've been working on for low altitude aircraft. It's only theoretical at this point, but I think I could get a prototype working within a year or two."

"You may be onto something big with that," Steven agreed. "I still have a friend or two over in the DOD, even with the new administration. I'll put in a good word for you."

"Wow, I'd appreciate that! Thank you!"

The group chatted along those lines for some time. Soon, it was time to begin the graduation ceremony, and Dave went to find his seat on the floor of the arena while his family made their way to the gallery. As he found them among the crowd of families there that day, Dave couldn't help but smile at how things had changed in three short weeks. Where his mother previously wouldn't have even thought to pay much attention to Maddie, she now sat right next to her, chatting like they were old friends. Dave surmised it was due in large part to Maddie's judgement of Dr. Iger's character. Anyone with an intuition that strong had to be genuine, and Sara was beginning to realize that.

The ceremony itself was unremarkable and identical to almost every other graduation across the country. There was the standard spiel from President Peterson, who was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos; a sizable portion of the student body still resented him for his actions during the sexual assault investigations. Dr. Chu's speech, on the other hand, was nothing short of inspiring. He drove home the point of never resting on one's past accomplishments. Celebrate them appropriately, but then move on and look to the future. He opined that, had he rested on his early success, he would never have been driven enough to begin the laser research that won him a Nobel Prize. Likewise, if he had rested on that achievement, he would never have been offered the role of Secretary of Energy. The standing ovation he received lasted well over five minutes.

After receiving his diploma and turning in his rented cap and gown, Dave rejoined his family, which now included Sam, Regina, and Riley. The group adjourned to Maggiano's Little Italy for the celebratory family-style dinner. Dave never expected much in the way of graduation gifts, but his family came through for him in any case. Sam and Regina gave him a check valued far more than Dave ever thought they would give, blowing him away with their generosity. Riley had found a brilliant talking greeting card, one where Homer Simpson taunted Bart and Lisa about having to go to school while he got to stay home. That got the table erupting in laughter. Sara's gift was the largest by far: a queen-sized quilt made of Dave's old t-shirts. She had been working on it in secret for months. But Dave's favorite gift was his class ring, which he received from his dad. Sam and John's dad hadn't been a wealthy man, but he saved away enough to give both his sons something when they came of age, a class ring for John and a signet ring with the family crest for Sam, since he didn't attend college. John wanted to continue that tradition for the next generation.

"You guys are too much," Dave said, overwhelmed by their kindness. "And speaking of rings... there is something I've been wanting to ask Maddie for some time now." Turning to his girlfriend, he continued, "Maddie, I think everyone knows how happy you've made me. In the short time we've known each other, I've come to understand things that I never dreamed I'd be able to understand. Before you, love was just a series of chemical reactions in the brain, as far as I was concerned. But now, I realize it's more than that. I honestly can't imagine my life without you." As the table fell dead silent, Dave slid out of his chair and down onto one knee. "Madison Adams... will you marry me?"

Maddie gasped at the sight of the diamond ring Dave pulled from his pocket. "Oh, my God... David." Seeing him still awaiting her answer, she at last breathed, "Yes. Yes, David. Nothing would make me happier than to be your wife."

Dave immediately stood and scooped Maddie into a tight embrace, swinging her around a time or two for good measure. The rest of his family smiled and applauded at this, as did the onlookers in the restaurant. After a long kiss, Dave took Maddie's left hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. As they took their seats once more, Maddie felt a hand touch her shoulder.

"Welcome to the family," Sara whispered. "Please, take good care of my son."

"I promise," Maddie whispered back. "He means the world to us both."

*****

As he sat alone in his hotel room, Dr. Mark Iger checked his watch. "Seven-thirty... still half an hour until my appointment arrives. Plenty of time."

Remembering where David Brighton's apartment was located from his reconnaissance outing earlier, Mark locked on to that location and teleported there. Standing at Dave's front door, he placed a hand on the handle and sent a pulse of his aura through the structure, almost like a dolphin's sonar. When the aura pulse returned to him, Mark could see many things about the apartment, but most important was that nobody was home at the moment. Teleporting inside, he began to inspect the living room, as he detected that it had been flooded with magical energy. Further analysis indicated that it was a general protection spell that allowed the free practice of sorcery within the room without bringing any harm to the structure. He strolled down the hallway, sizing up the apartment as he went, before finally arriving in the bedroom.

"Ok, about eight hundred square feet ought to do it," Mark muttered to himself.

Mark summoned the appropriate amount of magical energy and placed his hand on the wall, allowing the energy to envelop the entire apartment. After a minute or two, every wall and ceiling had been saturated with an observation spell. With this, Mark would be able to see and hear everything that went on in the apartment for the next month, the duration of the sabbatical he had taken from church. Moreover, his skills were such that the spell would not be detected unless someone was specifically looking for it, and even then, only if they were looking for a spell cast by Mark. He knew the mission depended upon his intel, since the secretary would not authorize direct action without further information. This infuriated Mark to no end, but he was still Mark's superior. His labors completed, Mark teleported back to his hotel room. Almost as soon as he arrived, a soft knock came at the door.

"Right on time," he grinned.

After checking the peephole, Mark opened the door to find a petite nineteen-year-old brunette waiting for him. He eyed her up and down, taking in the skimpy black dress and matching stiletto heels she wore with great interest. If she was as fresh underneath all those clothes as she appeared to be, this was going to be just what the doctor ordered, Mark thought. His poor prudish wife couldn't keep up with his daily needs. He'd have left her long ago if she wasn't from one of the most prestigious sorcery families in the country. But alas, her father came with powerful connections, forcing him to tolerate the subpar sex life.

"Are you Mark?" she asked with a flirty grin.

"I am. Come in, my dear," he replied with a sly grin.

"Thanks. I'm Whitney." After sending a text on her phone to her handler, she continued, "It's just standard protocol, but I do have to ask: are you a cop?"

"No, I'm not. And I'd never lie to a pretty thing like you; I'm a man of God, after all."

"Fantastic! Here's hoping I can give you a religious experience of my own," she said with a wink. "So, it's $500 for the first hour plus $200 for every half hour after that, or $2000 for the night."

"An hour should be plenty, thank you."

"Awesome. And, of course, I do need payment upfront."

"That won't be necessary," Mark said, placing a hand on her shoulder and probing her mind. "You'll receive your payment when you leave."

Whitney blinked twice before replying softly, "That's not necessary, sir. I'll collect my payment when I leave."

"Splendid! Well, if you'll show me what you've got hidden under that dress, young lady, we'll get started..."

*****

Dave and Maddie arrived back at their apartment from the graduation dinner, still stuffed but elated at the day's events. Not only had Dave graduated Summa Cum Laude, but he had also proposed marriage to Maddie over dinner. She was happier than she had ever felt in her life. After the tragedy of losing her father, everything seemed to be going right for her once more.

"Dave, I cannot tell you how happy I am," Maddie sighed, plopping onto the bed. "Soon, I shall be 'Mrs. David Brighton'. Oh, how exciting!"

"Couldn't agree more," Dave replied, lying next to her. "Ohhhh, so stuffed..."

"Indeed. I daresay I've never eaten that much in one sitting in my whole life. And in my time, we would often eat five or six times a day!" Maddie giggled.

They laid there in silence for quite some time, still too full to do anything in the realm of lovemaking. Still, it didn't matter to them, knowing they had their entire lives ahead of them to enjoy each other. As Dave stroked Maddie's soft auburn hair, she rolled her head on to his chest and kissed him softly on his neck.

"Dave, I... I don't want to wait. I know your parents said to enjoy our engagement and not rush into anything, but I don't want to wait any longer than necessary to become your wedded wife. I don't need a grand event for our wedding; all I want is you, your family, and Dr. Fellows from the Wesley Foundation to marry us. Please, I want to marry you as soon as possible."

Dave scratched his head at this. "Why the rush, Maddie? I'm not going anywhere. And it's not like that much will change. We'll still be living here, making love every night, you'll still make dinner for us, I'll still help with your sorcery training. Why so soon?"

Maddie explained, "All my life, I've been dreaming of the man I would one day marry and bear children for. It was ingrained within all women in those days. Then, with the untimely deaths of Father and Sir James, I feared all my dreams were for naught. But now that I'm here in this modern world, surrounded by strong women who can choose their own way in life, I feel the irresistible urge to choose what I want for my own life, and that is you, my beloved. I want to marry you, not because it is what is expected of me, but because you are the man I've dreamed of for so long. I know not what my place in this modern society will be, but I know my desire is to be at your side as your wife, no matter where we may go."

With a soft smile, Dave tilted his head down and kissed her forehead. "Ok. We'll get married as soon as we can, within reason. But I do have one request before we do."

"What is that?"

"That we wait until I have a solid job offer," Dave replied. "After all, your father betrothed you to Sir James with the understanding that you would be safe and well taken care of in Camelot. I didn't know him, but it sounds as if he loved you dearly and wanted the best for you, and I would think he would want me to live up to that. He wouldn't want you marrying some poor college graduate with no job prospects. But once I do have a job offer, we'll get married. Deal?"

She gave a melodramatic huff, saying, "You men. Always thinking so logically."

"Yeah. Why do you keep us around, again?" Dave grinned.

Maddie said nothing, but spread her hands to about seven inches apart.

"Figures. I'm just a tool for your pleasure," Dave teased.

"Certainly not! You're also arm candy," Maddie purred. "Now, if we cannot marry until you have found work, we'll need to ensure you are well prepared for your upcoming interview next week." Leaning close, she whispered into his ear, "And I can think of nothing better to prepare you than a restful night's sleep. Know of anything we could do to ensure you sleep soundly?"

At that, Dave needed no further encouragement and attacked Maddie with a flurry of kisses and touches. Their bedroom soon echoed with the sounds of their giggles and moans of pleasure. All the same, Maddie's plan may have backfired, as Dave was still wide awake an hour later, satiated for the moment, but as energized as ever. As Maddie dozed in and out of consciousness next to him, Dave began to examine the class ring he had received from his dad. Oddly enough, he noticed that the blue stone in the middle was of an identical size and color to his Channel. Getting a crazy idea, he checked a few pages in his Incantus before beginning to focus on the ring holding his Channel. As the book had said, the stone itself was the source of all magical potential, whereas the ring was nothing more than a metal ring. True, Merlin had enchanted it to be able to change its shape, but it possessed no innate power of its own. As Dave drew upon his aura, Maddie sat up next to him, her gorgeous nude form a distraction all by itself.

"Is everything alright?" she yawned.

"Yeah, I had an idea. I'm going to transfer my Channel into my class ring," Dave explained. "I just read about it in my Incantus."

"Oh, that would draw far less attention than a dragon ring, wouldn't it?" Maddie giggled.

"My thoughts exactly. Ok, here we go."

Focusing on the metal bands of the rings, Dave willed the prongs to loosen a bit, allowing him to levitate the stones in the air. Thankfully, they were exactly the same shape, and it only took Dave a few seconds to secure each stone in its new home. He then noticed that the dragon ring now held a stone with the GT emblem of Georgia Tech on top, but it was a simple task to remove that logo and place it on the surface of his Channel. The transfer complete, he placed his new ring on his hand and performed the spell that bonded the ring to him, ensuring it could never be stolen.
"Perfect," he said with a smile.

"That's amazing!" Maddie agreed. "Do you think you could do something similar with Merlin's medallion?"

"I can sure try. What'd you have in mind?"

Gazing into her emerald Channel on the medallion, Maddie said, "Perhaps a bangle of some sort. This just doesn't feel very feminine."

"I can work up something like that. Here, may I see it?"

Dave concentrated for several minutes, working the metal of the medallion and chain into a solid bracelet for Maddie. As there was more material than he needed, he focused on compacting and fusing some of the molecules together, creating a very sturdy piece of jewelry. At the end of it, he held a shiny silver bangle in his hand, smooth all the way around and contoured to fit Maddie's wrist with no slippage. In the center sat her Channel, its distinct green color giving the bracelet a striking appearance.

"Perfect fit," Dave grinned as he slipped it onto her wrist.

"Not the first time you've said that today," Maddie giggled, kissing him on the lips.

Grinding his cock against her pussy, he growled, "And won't be the last..."

*****

"And there you are," Mark sighed, depositing the last drop of his semen into Whitney's pussy.

"Unh... I'm not normally allowed to let guys do that..."

"Don't worry about a thing. Nothing bad will happen," Mark said in a soothing voice.

"Oh... I'm not worried about a thing. Nothing bad is going to happen," Whitney replied automatically. Seeing the hour was up, she stood and began to gather up her things. "Ok, that's $500 for the hour, Mark."

"I believe you're mistaken, young lady," Mark said, probing her mind once more. "I paid you when you first arrived, remember?"

She blinked twice, then replied, "I'm so sorry, I'm mistaken. I remember you paid me when I first arrived."

"Wonderful. You have a good evening, my dear," Mark grinned, closing the door behind her. "Whore," he muttered once she was gone. "Soon, your kind will receive what has been coming to you since the beginning. If only my sharing of God's Word with you could be enough to save you..."

Mark then found some more comfortable lounging clothes to put on. As he relaxed on the bed, his observation spell alerted him that Dave had arrived in the apartment a little while ago. Closing his eyes, he concentrated and began to see and hear everything that was happening.

"Oh, my... I should have expected such sinful fornication from you, David, but I had hoped for better from Madison. Tsk, tsk... such a pity." Seeing the couple engrossed in their amorous activities, Mark peered into what the observation spell had picked up since they first arrived, finding that they had spent some time in conversation. "What could that mean? In her time? Camelot? Merlin? This makes no sense..."

Slipping out of his trance, Mark summoned his Incantus and began to skim the pages until he reached a section entitled Lineages of Sorcery. Every Incantus the world over was linked in some capacity. None were all-encompassing, but virtually every one of them connected back to Merlin in some way. While the rest of the world thought the tales of King Arthur mere legend, every modern sorcerer owed their tutelage to Merlin; the man's methods and success had revolutionized the way apprentices were taken and trained. As such, Mark's Incantus would show him some of Merlin's sorcery tree even if Mark had no direct connection to the man.

"Here we are. Merlin, the greatest of Sorcerers," Mark read aloud. "Born in 850, died in 932. Preferred element was earth. Known apprentices: Morgan le Fay and... David of Brighton?!"

Mark couldn't believe his eyes. David Brighton, the boy he had known since he had been a lad in Kindergarten, was listed in the Incantus as an apprentice of Merlin. He at first thought it might be a mistake, but then thought better of it. Every Incantus has an autonomous nature, allowing one to update itself with new spells that are used against its owner and even provide information on sorcerers they have met. Merlin himself had likely never recorded this information, as David's years of apprenticeship were listed only as 932, the year Merlin died. Still, Merlin's Incantus must have recorded the information on its own for future generations, and Mark knew better than to doubt the information provided directly from the past experiences of an Incantus.

"David, David, David... you've been keeping secrets from me..."

*****

Maddie's plan worked to perfection. She made a concerted to give Dave the ride of his life every night that week, even debuting a sky-blue nightie she had purchased from Victoria's Secret with her first paycheck from the library. With the frequency and ferocity of their lovemaking, it was a wonder that Dave didn't knock Maddie up out of wedlock, and even then, they only succeeded thanks to a contraception spell Dave had developed. But after a solid week of this, Dave felt more rested and energized than he had ever felt in his life, and it showed in his interview with the representative from the Department of Defense. He was offered a job on the spot, to begin after his pending nuptials and honeymoon. His entire family was excited, but none more than Maddie.

Though he still had some latent concerns over their abrupt marriage, John recognized the look in Dave's eyes as the same one John had had when he and Sara were engaged. Not even wild animals could have kept him away from his bride-to-be, and John recognized that they had put together an excellent plan to budget their earnings and merge their lives seamlessly once married. Such levelheadedness told John that they knew what they were doing and that they wouldn't need help or support from him. Still, he and Sara discussed a wedding present for Dave and Maddie, and finally decided to send them on an all-expense-paid honeymoon to the United Kingdom. Maddie had secretly been wanting to see how her homeland had changed in the last millennium for some time, so this worked out perfectly.

In spite of the short notice, Cindy came through as Maid of Honor just as one would expect, putting together a fun night out for Maddie and some of the other girls from the Wesley Foundation. Dave had picked Jerome for his Best Man, to no one's surprise, but the two of them much preferred a quiet night in, rather than a raucous bachelor party. At last, a week after Dave's interview, their wedding day arrived. Though the guest list was small, consisting of family friends and Maddie's friends from the Wesley Foundation, the tiny gathering room in the Westley building was filled to capacity. Dave stood up front with Jerome and Dr. Fellows, awaiting the arrival of his bride. Soon, the door at the back opened, and Cindy began her walk down the short aisle, followed by the lady of the hour.

"Holy shit," Dave breathed.

Maddie was nothing short of breathtaking. Her dress was a bit old-school by modern standards in that it had long sleeves, but it still fit Maddie's style perfectly with an off-the-shoulder neckline. It flared out at the bottom into an elegant gown, far from the poufy princess dress Maddie had wanted at first. Dave was struck by the perfect balance her dress represented: she was equal parts Madeleine of Saxon and Maddie Adams. As she arrived at the front of the aisle, it was all Dave could do not to have his way with her then and there.

Plenty of time for that later, he thought.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..."

*****

Maddie trembled with excitement, clutching her husband's hand as the hotel elevator rose. The entire day had been a whirlwind of emotions, from the nerves before the wedding ceremony to the relief when it was at last over and done with. There had been unexpected bumps along the way, such as Dr. Fellow's forgetting to say "you may now kiss the bride," but in the end, everything had been exactly as she had hoped. A simple wedding ceremony with a few friends and family, a casual reception, and then an intimate evening alone with her husband. Of course, that final part was just getting started. They had enjoyed a wonderful dinner alone at the Buckhead Diner, and were now arriving at their room for the night at the Westin. Once at the door, Dave opened it and, before Maddie knew it, had swept her up in his strong arms and carried her in.

"My hero," she giggled.

"And now, no getting rid of me," he grinned.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Though there were plenty of amenities to explore in their spacious room, both Dave and Maddie had only one thing on their minds: consummating their marriage. As he placed her gently back on her feet, Maddie grabbed her bag that had been brought up by the front desk earlier.

"I'll be right back," she purred, pecking Dave on the lips.

"Ok..." he sighed happily.

As Maddie disappeared into the bathroom, Dave stripped off his suit jacket and dress shirt. After kicking off his shoes and pants, he relaxed on the bed in his underwear, trying to calm his nerves before Maddie returned. He had no idea why he was so nervous; they had made love many times before, after all. What was different about this time? Of course, he knew it was because of what tonight meant. This was their first time making love as husband and wife, literally the first night of the rest of their lives. If he hadn't been nervous, he'd have been braindead! Soon, he heard the bathroom door creak open, and the sight that emerged rendered him speechless.

"I'm ready, Dave," Maddie cooed.

Dave's eyes widened at the sight of Maddie in a skimpy white babydoll, her generous breasts almost bursting from within the garment. She wore no garter or stockings, as she sometimes had in her previous times donning lingerie, but a pair of silk G-string panties were more than enough to ignite Dave's imagination. Maddie sauntered around the room for a few moments, staring him in the eyes all the while. She turned this way and that, showing off her every curve for her husband, before at last crawling towards him from the foot of the bed.

"Holy fuck," Dave breathed, his eyes glued to the jiggling breasts approaching him.

"You like my little surprise?"

"Uh huh..."

"I had hoped you might," Maddie winked. "I read an article about that last little bit, teasing you by prancing 'round the room at first."

"Sounds like very educational material," Dave replied, stripping off his undershirt and boxer briefs.

"It was. And in truth... I have one further surprise for you," Maddie admitted, biting her lower lip.

"If it's anything like the first one," Dave chuckled.

Rising up onto her knees, Maddie, slipped her fingers into the waistband of her panties and began to slide them down. Dave's eyes widened once again at seeing that she had shaved her pussy completely bare for him. Maddie soon discarded the panties, but Dave was too mesmerized by the welcoming sight before him to notice.

"I read that many men enjoy this, and that it might be pleasant for me, too. Do... do you like it?" Maddie asked in a nervous voice.

Getting a gleam in his eyes, Dave took Maddie by the waist and playfully pulled her down onto her back. "Let me show you my thoughts on that," he said, planting a passionate kiss on her lips.

What followed was a series of orgasms that Maddie thought would never end. Dave had already become quite adept at pleasuring her, but the lack of any pubic hair heightened the experience in two major ways. First, Dave's efforts were uninhibited, allowing him easy access to her most sensitive areas. Second, and most important, Maddie's entire mound was now exposed to Dave's direct touch, sending her already powerful orgasms into overdrive. She could only grip the bed sheets as Dave's tongue worked its magic, chaining her climaxes together so fluidly that Maddie was afraid she would go insane from sheer pleasure. At last, she could take no more, and she had to push Dave's face away.

"That was... incredible!" Maddie heaved, still out of breath from her screaming. "Like nothing I've ever felt before!"

"If you think that feels good, just imagine how you'll feel when I do... this."

Maddie's eyes bulged as Dave slid his cock into her soaked tunnel, sending her into another squirming orgasm from its mere introduction. He kept his thrusts moderate for a while, allowing her to finally regain some semblance of self-control and become more of an active participant. Now fully in tune with each other, they made love for over an hour, never needing to utter a word. Dave remained on top for the most part, though Maddie did push him onto his back near the end and rode him to a final few orgasms before he blew. They never once considered any other positions; this was a night of pure intimacy, and both wanted to maintain as much eye contact as possible. There would be plenty of time for kinkier sex later. At last, they collapsed into each other's arms, exhausted and content beyond belief. Dave's chest heaved as he caught his breath, though the feeling of Maddie's breasts squished against his chest made that quite difficult.

"If you hadn't been a virgin when we met... I'd be wondering who taught you how to do that," Dave said with a smirk.

"I should say the same to you, lover," Maddie giggled.

Pulling her in for a kiss, Dave replied, "That's husband, now."

"Of course, husband of mine," Maddie smiled. "What's our plan for departure?"

"Well, our flight to London leaves at seven tomorrow evening. I did check with the front desk, and they're fine if we hang here at the hotel a while past the normal checkout time; they won't charge us an additional night."

"That's so kind of them! But... that leaves us with half a day with nothing on our schedule," Maddie pouted. "Whatever shall we do with our time?"

"I can think of a few things..."

*****

"It's exactly as you thought, Ben. He's incredibly strong."

"How strong, Steven?"

"More powerful than either of us. It was unreal to feel his strength."

"Wow... how did he become so powerful without us knowing?"

"I can answer that," Mark said, entering the room. "Dr. Chu. Mr. Secretary."

"Mark, good of you to join us. What have you learned in your reconnaissance?"

"I have learned that neither David Brighton nor Madison Adams are who they appear to be, not by a long shot," Mark began. "As they have already used sorcery to circumvent the law in some way, I placed an observation spell on David's apartment, listening to their conversations for a while. In the two weeks that I've watched them, they have made frequent reference to some things that make no sense at all. Madison keeps mentioning how things were 'in her time' and David seems to always refer to Camelot."

"Odd," Steven nodded.

"Oh, it gets better," Mark continued. "With such frequent references to Camelot, I decided to check my Incantus for any possible answers. What I found was startling, to say the least. Have a look."

Mark opened his Incantus to the section on lineages, pointing to the passages detailing the life and career of Merlin.

"Merlin... wait, does this say what I think it says?" Steven asked.

"It does. David Brighton was a student of Merlin."

"How is this possible?"

"I'm not certain. I've known David all my life, ever since he was a lad. His parents possess no magical capability, and I believe them when they say he is their natural child. This, of course, rules out David being a visitor from the past, but he has somehow gained the ability to travel through time all the same."

"Impossible! Time travel has been banned for generations!" Steven protested. "There is not a sorcerer alive who even knows how to travel through time anymore!"

"Apparently not," Mark grimaced. "Somehow, Dave traveled back in time, learned sorcery from Merlin, and brought this girl back with him. I have been developing a theory as to what's going on here, but first I must know, Dr. Chu, exactly how strong was David when you met him?"

Steven sighed before saying, "I have never encountered one as strong as this young man. It would not be a stretch to say that his potential is the highest of any sorcerer in the world, and which now makes sense with his apprenticeship to Merlin."

Mark continued, "Mr. Secretary, if I may, I have formulated a plausible theory. I don't know how David managed to travel back in time to start with, but once he was there, it's clear that Merlin sensed his potential and desired to train David himself. By Dr. Chu's own admission, David's power far exceeds any known sorcerer in the world today, and I don't think it's a stretch to say that this natural power combined with Merlin's tutelage to make David powerful enough to even surpass his master. Remember, the Incantus states that David was Merlin's apprentice in the year 932, the very same year Merlin passed away under mysterious circumstances. I do not know if David is directly or indirectly responsible, but his presence as Merlin's apprentice in the very year Merlin died is far too much to be a coincidence. David had to have been somehow involved in Merlin's death."

Steven snorted at this. "Preposterous. I have only met David once, but he certainly did not give off the aura of a killer. I think your assumptions are born of a deep-seated dislike you harbor for the young man. And besides, he passed all the background checks thrown at him by the Department of Defense. If he had been involved in Merlin's death, I'm certain the personality profile would have revealed something."

"David and I have had our disagreements in the past, but everything I've hypothesized is within the realm of possibility; even you must admit that, Dr. Chu. But of greater concern is Madison, if that is even her real name. All the information I've gathered points to the fact that she was a citizen of Camelot in the year 932. Regardless of what happened between David and Merlin, it cannot be denied that those events resulted in Merlin's death, after which David made a dangerous and reckless decision to bring Madison back to our time with him, possibly doing irreparable damage to history in the process. He allowed his sinful lust for that girl to take place of his better judgement. In spite of how much we don't know, we know enough that we must act now!"

"So, what would you propose? Attack him out of nowhere?"

"It's our only choice," Mark said, lowering his head.

"It most certainly is not our only choice," Steven spat. "And it's unconstitutional, besides. David is still a United States citizen and has every right to due process if he has, in fact, broken any laws."

Turning to Ben, Mark pleaded, "Mr. Secretary, the time to act is now. We cannot delay any longer, for doing so places our entire world in danger. If we are not decisive, this boy's actions could create a major paradox in the space-time continuum! That is, if he hasn't already done so."

He paused a moment to consider. "Where are they now?" he asked at last.

"They just left the country this evening, off to England for their honeymoon."

"It's out of the question, then."

"But Mr. Secretary-"

"Enough! I'll not sanction an attack on a United States citizen without hard evidence, and I certainly won't do so on foreign sovereign soil! I'll take the information you've obtained and try to discover the truth of all this, but I won't believe your suppositions until you present some facts. This matter is closed, Dr. Iger. And you are not to follow them to England under any circumstances. Is that clear?"

"I... yes. I understand, Mr. Secretary," Mark managed through gritted teeth.

"Good. That will be all, Dr. Iger."

After a moment's hesitation, Mark turned on his heel to leave. As he went, he and Dr. Chu exchanged intense glares of anger. If looks could kill, the both of them would have dropped dead then and there. Once Mark was at last alone in the hallway, he seethed at the way the meeting had gone. Why wouldn't they believe his warnings?