Work Text:
Energy vibrated in the air, electrifying it and falling on the couples swirling on the dance floor.
Tally felt every little part of her body pulse with power, charged to the limit. She felt it in the music, which seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. She felt it in her mind, pleasant and throbbing, guiding her movements. She felt it in her muscles, tense and almost itchy with anticipation.
The tempo of the music slowed and Tally knew that this twist and change would be final, so she couldn’t help but close her eyes.
Her hands, guided by the power of the magically charged music, found support in someone else’s arms. She felt the soft fabric of the clothes and the well-defined muscles beneath her palm at the same moment that the strong, warm hands of her new dance partner grabbed her gently around the waist.
The last note of the music sounded and faded away. It was replaced by excited sighs, laughter, and hushed conversations, but Tally couldn’t, wouldn’t, force herself to open her eyes.
Because she was afraid to open them.
She knew who would be standing in front of her, she had known it for days, everyone knew it. Her sisters, her mother, the Imperatrix. Gerit Buttonwood was destined to end up in her arms, or rather, she was destined to end up in his. A perfect match for an inexperienced girl, a charming boy who chose her before Beltane even started.
But no one asked Tally if that was what she wanted. And deep down she knew she didn’t want him at all.
Her heart was beating hard in her chest as she tried her best to control herself and not show the person in front of her how out of breath she was. Her body was tense with both anticipation and, quite surreally, fear.
She knew she shouldn’t really be afraid of anything. The dance itself was an otherworldly experience, the magic was vibrating through her body, guiding her and directing her movements to the rhythm of music Tally had never heard before. It was an incredible power that enveloped her and promised her the pleasure to come. The power that told her from the first notes of the music that she had nothing to be afraid of and that she would be well taken care of.
And Tally wanted that promise made by the Reel to be fulfilled. She wanted this pleasure to come.
She wanted to believe that the Reel wouldn’t let her down and would pair her with someone who was right for her, who would take care of her and give her what she desired. Even if it meant it would be Gerit.
But now, still dazed by this soothing promise, she didn’t want to open her eyes and let this vision fade away the moment she looked into his dark eyes and saw his disturbing smile.
She felt the warmth of the hands that rested on her waist through the light material of her canary dress. Even though they had barely moved since the end of the song, as if their owner was as reluctant to move as Tally was, she could still feel their slight twitch, as the person clearly wondered whether to continue holding her or letting her go.
“Craven…” A voice that was definitely not Gerit’s uttered, and the uncertainty could no longer keep Tally from opening her eyes.
Because she knew immediately that that raspy, low voice belonged to none other than Sarah Alder.
Blue eyes stared at her with a mixture of astonishment, which seemed to be slowly leaving them, and genuine delight. Under the intensity of that gaze, at such close proximity, Tally immediately felt her body heat up, and a dark blush spread from her neck to her face.
It took a moment for her to fully realize why those blue eyes were suddenly so close and what situation she actually found herself in. All the feelings that had been building in her body throughout the dance suddenly had to be forgotten and replaced with purest panic which paralyzed her from head to toe.
“General Alder! I-I don’t…” she stammered, removing her hand from Alder’s shoulder as if it had burned her, and tried to take a step back, but the strong hands prevented her from doing so. “I don’t now how… what—?”
Tally stopped abruptly as the last bit of surprise disappeared from the blue eyes, and instead something else appeared in them, something that Tally, in her shock and confusion, was unable to recognize or name.
Alder’s eyes darted to the side, around them, alert, as if she was scanning for a potential threat. However, she didn’t have to worry about curious glances, because of course it was Beltane. Everyone was focused on each other and most of the couples, mainly those who had already finished their make-out session, had already left the dance floor.
Alder’s eyes shifted back to Tally.
The warm hand finally left Tally’s waist and quickly, but gently, intertwined itself with her numb fingers. It was so surreal, holding hands with Sarah Alder, that Tally’s mind went blank for a moment.
“Come.” She heard a quiet, but not commanding, murmur. It was more like Alder asking her to move, to finally leave the center of the dance floor.
Blue eyes lingered on her for a moment, as if checking if she was alright, then she pulled her towards the forest.
Tally followed, keenly aware of the warm hand that still held her own and the trembling of her legs that wanted to give out beneath her. But, to her relief, she managed to stay upright and keep up with the General.
Alder led them, and Tally took this moment to try to wrap her mind around what was happening and to calm the pressure building in her chest. Her eyes were fixed on the woman in front of her, on her perfectly straight back clad in a dark vest with nothing underneath, on her hair cascading over her bare shoulders, and her mind was racing.
Because seeing Alder like this, so close, understanding what it meant that it was her and not someone else who was walking her off the dance floor— it was like… Where the hell was Gerit? Why was she even thinking about him when her wildest dreams were becoming a reality? Or was it still a dream?
It certainly seemed like a dream, one that she never believed would come true because Tally was sure it was next to impossible.
Because how? How on earth did the power of Beltane decide that it was Tally who was the right person to spend that night with Sarah Alder?
There were so many better matches for the General of the Army, starting with the Witchfather himself, who came to Fort Salem for this very purpose. His job was to ensure that the General made the most of the night, he was a guarantee that she would finish Beltane recharged and powerful, satisfied.
And now, somehow, that role had fallen to her, Tally Craven.
She wasn’t disappointed by it, no, definitely not. It was like experiencing her deepest desire, one that she had never dared to voice out loud, one that she had hidden deep in her heart for years. Because it was always just a silly fantasy, one she never even thought could come true.
And that scared her.
Because who was she? Nothing special, a first-year cadet who had only recently begun to discover her abilities, which she still couldn’t control half as well as she should have. She wasn’t High Atlantic, she had no experience, she had nothing to offer the most powerful witch to walk this earth.
Dread started to build in Tally’s chest.
Her thoughts began to swirl. She didn’t know what to do now, she didn’t know what would be expected of her. She didn’t know where Alder was taking her, she didn’t know if she was even aware that Tally had no experience. Or maybe Alder was so mad at her for—
“Here we are.”
Tally’s thoughts came to a halt and her mind went blank.
She tore her gaze away from Alder’s back and looked around, taking notice of her surroundings for the first time. A soft sigh escaped her lips and her eyes widened, reflecting the light shimmering around.
Ahead of them, far away among the trees, the sun was already setting, announcing that night would soon come. The long, last rays of sunlight fell towards them but didn’t reach them as darkness slowly enveloped the forest. This made the little lights that floated around in the air brighter than they were at the beginning of the evening, creating a magical, and quite romantic, atmosphere.
Lights floated everywhere, between them, high between the trees and their leaves, and low in the grass. They illuminated the blankets and pillows spread on the ground, which looked soft and inviting. A surprisingly pleasant shiver ran down Tally’s spine as she looked at that makeshift bed, fully aware of its purpose.
She looked away, feeling a blush creep onto her cheeks, and realized she didn’t recognize this part of the forest. They were far from the main clearing, from the laughter and conversations that reached them from somewhere far away, muffled.
Considering how private the General was, it made sense to take them to a place where there would be no prying eyes, but Tally was still deeply impressed by the charm of the place. More importantly, the Biddies weren’t here, she realized with a sudden wave of relief. Just the two of them and the magic of the energy-charged forest.
The thought should have taken some of the tension from Tally’s shoulders, but somehow, within a second, she felt another wave of anxiety wash over her as this fact became her new worry.
She was deep in the woods alone with the General of the Army, with Sarah Alder, and it was Beltane—
Alder let go of her hand, which Tally only now realized she had been holding this whole time, and waved towards the pillows.
“Please make yourself comfortable.”
Tally felt her cheeks burning, but she obeyed and, trying to do it as gracefully as she could, sat down on the other side of the blankets. They were indeed as soft as they looked, and the pillows that lightly touched her back only tempted her to lie down and sink into them.
Meanwhile, Alder slowly lowered herself to the ground, moving much more elegantly than Tally, and Tally found herself unable to take her eyes off the woman in front of her. Her eyes ran over the exposed, well-defined muscles of her tanned arms, over the vest that hugged her torso tightly, leaving little to the imagination. Her gaze lingered for a moment on her cleavage, and lower, on the outline of her breasts, and a wave of heat spread over Tally’s body, almost making her squirm.
Her gaze quickly moved to the side and her hands found the hem of her skirt and began to play with it to calm her racing thoughts. She felt Alder’s eyes on her and knew she was being watched, and that alone made her hands shake.
Why was she so nervous? She was so excited for Beltane, why couldn’t she—
A warm hand covered her trembling one, and Tally’s eyes immediately shot up to two blue dots that were staring intently at her. She felt her heart leap into her throat as she realized how gentle that look was.
“Cra— Tally.” Alder’s voice was soft, no, velvety as she said her name, and it made the hairs on the back of Tally’s neck stand to attention. “Relax. There’s nothing to be nervous about, I promise.”
Tally looked into those eyes and saw nothing but sincerity in them. She felt something warm settle in her chest and try to spread further through her body. She tried to relax, to let the feeling linger, but the knowledge that it was Beltane, and that she was alone with Alder, came back to her like a boomerang.
She shifted uncomfortably, but she didn’t take her hand away from under Alder’s warm one, even though her touch seemed to burn her skin. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it certainly made her thoughts even wilder.
She swallowed and tried to focus on the lights around them, which were becoming more and more visible in the gathering darkness. Their slow, lazy movements had a calming effect on her racing thoughts.
She took a deep breath, trying to pull herself together.
“General, I…” She swallowed again as the words seemed to refuse to leave her mouth and forced them out, “I’m sorry, General. It’s just… There must have been some misunderstanding—”
“Misunderstanding?” Alder repeated, interrupting her. Her head tilted slightly to the side and her gaze seemed to be boring into Tally. “Why would there be any misunderstanding?”
Tally wanted to remove her hands from Alder’s grip, but the woman wouldn’t let her. Long fingers wrapped tighter around her, holding her in place, but not so tight that Tally felt like she couldn’t pull away if she really wanted to.
The blue eyes never left Tally’s face, showing that Alder was still waiting for an answer, but she didn’t push and gave her all the time she needed.
It was strange to see the General being so patient with her, Tally, who was the very reason her evening wasn’t going the way it should have. She sighed and closed her eyes, not wanting Alder to see the tears in them if they accidentally appeared while she forced out the next words.
“Because I-… I have no experience and…” She said quietly, almost in a whisper, not wanting her voice to crack. “I-I won’t give you what you expected from tonight. I’m so sorry, General…”
Her voice finally cracked and she closed her mouth. There was silence, a moment of perfect stillness, and the hand covering hers disappeared. An unpleasant shiver ran down Tally’s spine. She wanted to close her eyes tighter, feeling the burning sensation building behind them, but then…
Then she felt the same warm hand brush a stray hair from her face and then gently stroke her cheek. Her breath hitched and when she opened her eyes, she looked straight at Alder, who was suddenly much closer than she had been a few seconds earlier.
“Tally…” Her voice was tender, patient, and Tally wanted to melt at the sound of that tone. “The Reel is a promise to experience the most powerful night of the year, with the person who will fulfill this promise.” Alder said, and Tally realized that she had described almost exactly what she had just felt while dancing, and her chest tightened. “If the Reel has decided that you are that person for me tonight, I’m sure I’ll get exactly what I need and want, even if we just talk for the rest of the evening.”
The warmth that had previously appeared in her chest now managed to spread further throughout her body, flooding her with a wave of relief and gratitude.
“A-are you sure? General, I don’t want to disappoint—”
A thumb landed on her lips, cutting off her words, and she swallowed again, feeling the heat spread violently across her cheeks.
“Sarah.” Alder said, her thumb lightly tracing the curve of her lips before leaving them. “You can call me Sarah tonight, Tally.”
Tally’s mind short-circuited and the next words came out of her mouth before she could even think about what she was saying.
“Only tonight?”
Her eyes widened, and at that moment she wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow her, but then a low, warm chuckle filled the space between them. Her eyes widened even further, this time in wonder, as the blue ones sparkled with genuine amusement.
“For now, let’s focus on tonight and make the most of it, Tally.” Alder purred her name and Tally felt her cheeks heat up again. “And I promise you, you won’t disappoint me.”
Alder’s hand stroked her cheek for a moment longer before she withdrew it. Tally immediately felt the absence of her touch, empty and cold, and she leaned forward, chasing it. As if her thoughts had been taken over by something else, something primal, she caught Alder’s retreating hand in her own.
Her heart sank when she saw Alder freeze for a moment, but the woman relaxed just as quickly and didn’t pull away any further, letting Tally hold her. Tally’s heart started again, pounding hard in her chest as she lowered their hands to her lap. A strange sense of excitement began to build in her body, warm and expectant.
She looked into those bright eyes and felt courage rising within her. Alder seemed really open to her presence and didn’t seem to mind at all, and Tally was starting to realize it.
But still…
“How can you be so sure about the Reel?” She asked, still a little anxious. “Has it never really made a mistake before? What about Witchfather and…?”
Tally paused, not knowing how to finish this question. She knew that Witchfather was Alder’s usual partner, but she didn’t want to sound nosy or desperate by asking about him and their relationship. Alder, of course, understood that immediately.
Tally watched those full lips curve upwards and felt hypnotized by them, not for the first time.
“No, the Reel has never made a mistake before, there is no room for that.” She said and moved her hand so that she could stroke the back of Tally’s hand with her thumb. “Because Reel knows our deepest desires, Tally.”
Tally felt like her heart was beating faster and her cheeks were turning bright red again. Something fluttered in her stomach and she felt a tingling sensation somewhere lower. No, she must have misheard…
The woman seemed to sense her still strong uncertainty, because she lifted their intertwined hands up and placed a gentle kiss on the back of Tally’s hand. She didn’t notice the effect it had on the poor cadet because she then turned to reach for something behind her.
“Tally, your presence here, and not Witchfather’s, is exactly what I wanted and expected.” When she turned again, Alder’s eyes flickered over Tally’s face, as if searching for something, and a small smile curved her lips. “And if you didn’t want to be here with me, I’m sure Reel wouldn’t allow it.”
Finally, at that moment, Tally noticed that in the woman’s hand rested a beautiful wreath made of daisies, pansies, and other, most delicate flowers that Tally could not name. All of them as yellow and vibrant as her dress, matching it perfectly.
Blue eyes fell on Tally again, almost glowing in the twilight.
“May I?” Alder asked, raising the wreath towards Tally’s head.
Utterly dumbfounded, Tally nodded and lowered her head, allowing Alder to place the flowers on her temple. Their scent enveloped her, making her feel like she was in a field, with the sun touching her cheeks and the pleasant summer warmth caressing her body. Peace and bliss descended upon her mind, like the tightest, safest embrace.
She could immediately tell that there was Work behind it, and that it was powerful.
“What is that?” She asked slightly out of breath, carefully running her trembling fingers over the soft petals.
Blue eyes seemed to catch the light and sparkle with satisfaction at her immediate wonder.
“It’s a flower crown, of course.” Alder replied with a smile as her fingers traced the wreath on Tally’s temple, adjusting it slightly. She felt another wave of something pleasant flow through her body as she heard that low voice and felt Alder’s musky scent so close. “They have a lot of different meanings, but where I come from… We didn’t have the Reel. During Beltane, we made wreaths and placed our blessings in them.” Alder’s eyes become distant for a moment, but quickly refocused on Tally again, serious yet tender. “Such a wreath was given to the person you wanted to spend Beltane with, to show that your intentions were sincere. If this was indeed the case, the chosen person could feel it.”
Tally felt like her heart skipped a beat. The power emanating from the flower crown on her head was indeed powerful, there was no denying it. It electrified her body like the music during the Reel, sending a pleasant hum of magic through her body but not overwhelming her. On the contrary, she felt that her mind had become clearer and sharper, and the tension and uncertainty from earlier had almost completely disappeared, now replaced by something…
By something else, something thick and full of anticipation, building in the pit of her belly.
She felt a new, strong wave of feelings towards the woman who sat across from her and looked at her with that gentleness in her eyes, which did not fit the usual image of the General commanding an entire Army, and who was adjusting the flower crown she had made for her.
Their eyes met, and for the first time Tally didn’t look away immediately, admiring the blue.
Bright as the clearest sky, but at the same time dark as the deepest ocean. A storm was gathering within them and magic was cracking at their edges, something Tally knew only she could See. Those eyes, usually seen from a distance, always told her how powerful Sarah Alder was and how much greatness lay within that lean body. But now they were telling her that she was human too, and that she was capable of showing emotions when she didn’t have to hide them.
Pure joy swelled in her chest at the fact that she could experience it, that she was allowed to see it and understand it, and a rush of excitement coursed through her body, making her muscles tighten slightly with the sudden arousal.
She felt like she might explode from the feeling, strong and warm, spreading further and further through her body.
“Umm… Gen— Sarah?” Tally began, correcting herself quickly and immediately feeling pleasure at the way the woman’s name sounded on her tongue.
“Yes, Tally?”
Tally swallowed and suddenly felt a little shy, but at the same time there was this pleasant pressure building in her stomach at the thought of what she wanted to say— what she wanted to do.
“So… you said it would be fine even if we did nothing else but talk tonight?”
Alder looked at her calmly, her smile still warm and content, as if she was happy at the mere fact that Tally was no longer as scared as before.
“Yes, that’s exactly right.”
“But… it is Beltane…” Tally whispered, her gaze darting from Sarah’s eyes to her full lips and she felt herself getting hot again. She looked away quickly, but Alder noticed, of course she did.
A small frown appeared between Alder’s eyebrows and her hand rose towards Tally again, as if to reassure her.
“Tally, I really don’t want you to feel pressured—”
“But I want to kiss you!”
Tally slapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes widening in horror as she realized what she had said and how she had said it. “Shit, I-I’m sorry, I…”
Alder moved slowly, leaning a little closer and placing hand on Tally’s knee.
“No, that’s alright, everything’s alright.” She said, looking closely at Tally. Her voice seemed a little strained, deeper, but Tally couldn’t notice it, focused on her closeness and the frantic beating of her own heart. “If you really want it, if you’re sure about it…”
Her words trailed off as she looked intently into Tally’s face, searching for confirmation, to make sure. Blue eyes sparkled in a way that was new, unfamiliar to Tally, but that certainly made her feel things.
She felt her heart speed up again, beating violently against her chest.
“Do you want it?” She asked, her voice more uncertain than she intended, slightly out of breath.
Alder blinked and her eyes dropped to Tally’s mouth, and Tally couldn’t help but swallow and lick her lips nervously.
The blue darkened in an instant.
“Very much so.” Came the hoarse reply, and Tally felt a wave of pleasure rush through her body.
A wave that washed away any last doubts and pushed her forward.
When their lips touched for the first time, it was as if the world flashed with a thousand colors beneath Tally’s eyelids, and something thick and hot spread across her lower abdomen and pooled between her legs.
The kiss was slow and exploratory at first. Alder carefully ran her long fingers through Tally’s red hair, pulling her closer but not pressing, giving her space to find a good angle or pull away if she chose to. Tally sensed it, but she knew she had no intention of backing down, not when she could feel her body reacting, not when she was fighting the moan that wanted to escape from her throat. Not when she finally got what she wanted.
And now all she wanted was for the pleasure that was building in her body to swallow her whole.
Her tongue pressed against Alder’s lips and the woman eagerly parted them, inviting her in, and the kiss was no longer so peaceful. Tally’s body yearned for more and she leaned forward into Sarah’s arms, who responded by pulling her closer. Warm hands ran up her back, around her waist, and, probably accidentally, grazed her breast, and Tally could no longer hold back the moan that finally escaped her throat.
Suddenly the touch of the hand withdrew, disappeared, and Tally wanted to whimper at the loss as she felt Alder gently pull away from her, creating distance.
“Tally, wait…”
No… Did she do something wrong? Did she go too far?
She opened her eyes and immediately found the answer to these questions. She looked into those blue ones, darkened with desire, clouded with what Tally knew was pleasure, the same pleasure that coursed through her veins, through her muscles, and gathered between her legs, and she knew she hadn’t done anything wrong. On the contrary.
She also knew why Sarah had decided to stop, and her heart swelled.
If she weren’t so aroused, if it weren’t for the throbbing between her legs that demanded attention, if it weren’t for the power that was welling up in her body and begging for release, she knew she would cry from the pure emotion she suddenly felt for the woman in front of her.
Instead, she closed the distance between them again, bringing their faces closer and leaving just enough space so that she could comfortably look straight into those blue, otherworldly eyes.
“The Reel promised us both the most special night…” Tally said, her lips inches from Alder’s, their quickened breathing mingling. “For me, it meant that my mark would finally shine.” She swallowed thickly as she saw the dark pupils dilate, almost completely consuming the blue. “And I still wish for it to happen. Tonight.”
Tally was sure Alder’s breath hitched before she crushed their lips together again. She parted them, allowing Sarah’s hot tongue to slip into her mouth and draw another moan from her throat.
She didn’t know how or where she found the courage, but in the next moment she reached between their flushed bodies and grabbed Alder’s hand. Without breaking the kiss, she led her to her knee, then higher, to her thigh, under the hem of her dress, deeper, deeper between her legs, to her center, where—
“Ah…!” She gasped into those swollen, full lips, breaking away from the kiss and arching her back to chase the fingers that traced lightly, too lightly, over her soaked underwear.
She felt a low growl, a rumble, escape from Alder’s chest as her free hand found Tally’s waist, grabbed her, and pulled her on top of her.
“You have to understand, Tally…” Alder panted into her ear as her mouth traveled up Tally’s neck while her fingers hooked into her underwear, but hesitated before pulling them off, “that your mere presence here is something I wished for and that satisfies me completely. But making you mine…”
Her voice cracked, as if the very thought stirred something inside her that overwhelmed her. Her shaky breath on Tally’s neck made her squirm in her strong arms. Although she didn’t want to lose the contact, Tally pulled away slightly and looked at the woman, eyes clouded with desire.
“I’m already yours, Sarah.” She said with a conviction so strong it was on the verge of pleading. “Now I need you to show me what that means.”
Energy crackled in the air, and somewhere in the distance, a faint rumble of thunder rolled across the sky.
Strong hands grabbed Tally around her waist and before she could blink, she felt herself sink into the soft pillows. Alder’s dark, lean figure loomed over her, her blue eyes glowing in the dark, hungry and lustful yet attentive and devoted, and Tally knew, knew better than anything else, that the Reel had fulfilled its promise.