Shownotes
[18+] Justine’s been given a choice - leave and not know, or stay and find out the truth about magic. What secret will be revealed, and will Justine find what she longs for?
Today’s story is the second and final part of “The Witch of Whatcom County” by Kristina “Orrery” Tracer, who has two published novels, available for purchase at Furplanet, and Nickylion aka Ko Bunny, who writes as a hobby over on Furaffinity. Witch of Whatcom County is Ko’s first published work, and you can find more of their stories on Furaffinity.
Read by Dirt Coyote, lately of twitter dot com.
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https://thevoice.dog/episode/18-the-witch-of-whatcom-county-by-kristina-orrery-tracer-and-ko-bunny-part-2-of-2
Transcripts
Today's story concerns adult subject matter for mature listeners.
Speaker:If that's not your cup of tea,
Speaker:or there are youngsters listening,
Speaker:please skip this one
Speaker:and come back for another story another time.
Speaker:You’re listening to Pride Month on The Voice of Dog.
Speaker:This is Rob MacWolf, your fellow traveler, and Today’s story is the second and final part of
Speaker:“The Witch of Whatcom County”
Speaker:by Kristina “Orrery” Tracer,
Speaker:who has two published novels, available for purchase at Furplanet,
Speaker:and Nickylion aka
Speaker:Ko Bunny, who writes as a hobby over on Furaffinity. Witch of Whatcom County is Ko’s first published work, and you can find more of their stories on Furaffinity.
Speaker:The impulse to ascribe any queerphobia to closeted shame and internalized self-loathing is not without its problems
Speaker:—it puts all responsibility for LGBTQ
Speaker:oppression
Speaker:ON the LGBTQ community,
Speaker:for one thing—but it cannot be denied that closeted resentment can and does fuel jealousy of those who are free, and denials of the authenticity of queer lives and experiences.
Speaker:Another way that magic,
Speaker:esoteric religiosity,
Speaker:and unorthodox spiritual practice
Speaker:line up as a functional metaphor.
Speaker:Last time, Justine,
Speaker:a writer from the magic-skeptical magazine Inquiry,
Speaker:accepted an invitation from the purported witch Helen.
Speaker:Hoping to debunk reports of her sorcery and powers,
Speaker:Justine was instead
Speaker:confronted with own past,
Speaker:and an offer she wasn’t prepared for.
Speaker:Read by Dirt Coyote,
Speaker:lately of Twitter dot com.
Speaker:Please enjoy “The Witch
Speaker:of Whatcom County”
Speaker:by Kristina "Orrery" Tracer
Speaker:and Ko Bunny, Part 2
Speaker:of 2 Her words unfolded in my mind like a lotus blossom.
Speaker:There it was, plain as day,
Speaker:a communication that told me exactly what it meant in a way that,
Speaker:no matter how I twisted it,
Speaker:it looked twisted.
Speaker:It was a naked admission that she had no proof, could offer me nothing but a chance to believe,
Speaker:and wanted to extend that offer anyway.
Speaker:It was, in short, a crystal-smooth surface that denied any of Inquiry's tricks’ purchase,
Speaker:and it had come completely without warning in the middle of an interview under a tell-all contract.
Speaker:Anything but a yes or no would be seen as a dodge.
Speaker:Refusal would mean it was my fault if she failed to produce, because I refused to let her.
Speaker:And acceptance... that,
Speaker:Inquiring Minds,
Speaker:was out of the question.
Speaker:I tried to stall.
Speaker:"How can I agree in good conscience if you can't tell me what you're doing?"
Speaker:Helen nodded. "That's a fair question.
Speaker:I can tell you that I want Ren to rub my shoulders and nibble on my ear while I try to coax you past your caul
Speaker:so I can read your mind.
Speaker:It'll work best if I can hold your paws while he does it,
Speaker:but that's entirely at your comfort.
Speaker:I can't tell you what you'll experience—I don't know how strong your shielding is
Speaker:—but I can tell you that's all I'll do without another check-in.
Speaker:Do you consent to be part of that?"
Speaker:That sound you just heard, Inquiring Minds,
Speaker:was the trap snapping shut.
Speaker:Inquiry never denies a precondition.
Speaker:I rose from the couch
Speaker:again and nodded.
Speaker:"Yes, I do." I held out my paws as she did before,
Speaker:left pads up, right pads down.
Speaker:The lioness held up a claw, then curled her paw as she did before.
Speaker:She tugged silently at the air,
Speaker:and upstairs I heard a gasp,
Speaker:followed by the rapid patter of hindfalls.
Speaker:The thumping grew louder, and then Ren stuck his head into the room.
Speaker:"Mistress?" "Rub my back,
Speaker:pet." Helen's words were soft,
Speaker:but they still cut through the music.
Speaker:"And nibble my ear.
Speaker:ear." The rabbit nodded and hustled behind the lioness.
Speaker:She moaned quietly as he put his paws on her back.
Speaker:She tilted her head back to meet his muzzle,
Speaker:and he grazed his front teeth lightly along the edge of her ear.
Speaker:Even that light touch was electric;
Speaker:the chemistry between them,
Speaker:even fully clothed,
Speaker:was palpable despite the camera.
Speaker:He knew just where to touch her to make her squirm.
Speaker:Her tailtip shuddered every time his teeth touched the small copper-colored hoops at the base of her ears.
Speaker:He murmured to her between nips,
Speaker:that same alien whisper,
Speaker:and her whole body trembled at his touch.
Speaker:It was only three minutes according to the video before she held out her paws to me again,
Speaker:but it felt like an
Speaker:hour. In that time, my thoughts bounced rapid-fire back and forth between the scene unfolding before me,
Speaker:and memories of the Club in college.
Speaker:How I'd tried to convince people of my wings.
Speaker:How Ren's claws rolled along Helen's back
Speaker:and the lioness shuddered with every light prick.
Speaker:How hurt I was when nobody believed me,
Speaker:despite believing each other.
Speaker:How the rabbit grinned around her ear while she purred,
Speaker:low and throaty in return.
Speaker:How angry I was at the time I'd wasted trying to make friends at the Club,
Speaker:how stuck-up they were.
Speaker:True Believers and frauds, the lot of them.
Speaker:I took Helen's paws in my own,
Speaker:left pads up, right pads down.
Speaker:Her paws clenched down,
Speaker:and reflexively
Speaker:I hung on. Ren's claws pressed into the lioness' back and her whole body shook. "You did a Tarot reading just before you quit the club.
Speaker:Three nights after Samhain.
Speaker:Star Reversed, Eight of Swords Reversed,
Speaker:and Death. You took that reading as a sign
Speaker:and tried a working.
Speaker:When it failed, you quit.
Speaker:quit." She jerked her paws out of mine.
Speaker:"The wings were never the end goal.
Speaker:It didn't matter what form they took,
Speaker:only that you could soar.
Speaker:soar." In that moment, Inquiring Minds,
Speaker:I felt like I was going to die on the spot.
Speaker:I don't know how she knew what she knew, but she did.
Speaker:There's no point in denying what she said,
Speaker:and that I started sobbing when she said it.
Speaker:"I'm sorry." Helen's words came gently through my tears.
Speaker:"We both are. I tried to warn you what I was going to do,
Speaker:and I knew I needed to coax you past your shields,
Speaker:but I thought you'd be resisting more.
Speaker:I pulled way too hard.
Speaker:hard." The lioness' voice trembled;
Speaker:she was audibly close to breaking herself.
Speaker:"I am so sorry. Nothing I say will make up for that,
Speaker:but I can at least acknowledge your hurt.
Speaker:I see it and I'm sorry.
Speaker:Do you need some space?"
Speaker:I felt her step back, a tangible pressure being released as she moved.
Speaker:"Let me step out for—"
Speaker:"Wait." I drew in a sharp breath.
Speaker:"I said yes. You asked twice, and I said yes.
Speaker:yes." The tears of shock were passing,
Speaker:followed by a deep longing.
Speaker:Helen's words, however much I wish she hadn't said them on camera,
Speaker:had shaken something loose in me,
Speaker:some memory of the fantasies of my youth.
Speaker:I don't know how she heard about them;
Speaker:I don't think I'd ever told anyone about them,
Speaker:even the members of the Club.
Speaker:I'd mentioned the spell,
Speaker:but never the reason for the spell.
Speaker:Now, here it was in front of me,
Speaker:undeniable. Even if she'd stopped there, I probably would've believed.
Speaker:"My editor will try to deny it,
Speaker:but I brought that on myself.
Speaker:myself." Helen nodded and took her seat again;
Speaker:as she did, Ren sunk to his knees beside the chair
Speaker:and bowed his head with his paws on his knees.
Speaker:She stroked his neck absently,
Speaker:petting the back of his ears and shoulders as she talked.
Speaker:"Thank you for recognizing that.
Speaker:That's hard work.
Speaker:That doesn't make up for the hurt,
Speaker:regardless; nothing can,
Speaker:unless you permit it.
Speaker:No-one can demand grace;
Speaker:it must be given freely.
Speaker:If you choose not to give it,
Speaker:I'll accept that." I shifted on the couch and shook my head slowly.
Speaker:My thoughts felt lost behind a thick fog.
Speaker:Something had just happened that...
Speaker:that I couldn't explain.
Speaker:In all my time with Inquiry,
Speaker:I had never expected
Speaker:this to happen. I always believed the people I'd interviewed were frauds.
Speaker:I might not have
Speaker:always been right about that
Speaker:—I might never have been
Speaker:—but I thought I was.
Speaker:My self-righteousness
Speaker:was my armor against what I'd been doing,
Speaker:and something had slipped right past that.
Speaker:Try to imagine, just for a moment,
Speaker:how that felt. Put yourself in my position
Speaker:and consider how having that revealed to me in that moment of vulnerability
Speaker:had to have felt.
Speaker:I would never wish this feeling on anyone,
Speaker:except that I think everyone has to have it,
Speaker:or something like it,
Speaker:at least once in their lives.
Speaker:It's the kind of moment that changes you.
Speaker:It changed me. "I forgive you,"
Speaker:I said. I offered her one paw.
Speaker:"I don't know why I do,
Speaker:but—but I do." I did.
Speaker:And no, I couldn't explain to you why,
Speaker:because you weren't there.
Speaker:But I was, and at that moment, I did.
Speaker:I could see the way Helen and Ren looked,
Speaker:the way they spoke,
Speaker:the way they were so open about not caring
Speaker:whether they had to justify anything,
Speaker:because they truly
Speaker:believed. And because of what they'd done
Speaker:—what private, personal knowledge they had seemingly acquired
Speaker:—I had to accept at least the possibility that, yes,
Speaker:Helen Cressida had read my mind.
Speaker:"I believe you." After high school,
Speaker:I never thought I would say those three words again.
Speaker:"Can you do it?" Helen grimaced.
Speaker:"Yes, but." She held up one paw and shook her head.
Speaker:Her other paw tugged on Ren's collar, making the rabbit squirm.
Speaker:"This isn't simple like mind-reading.
Speaker:I'll need to manifest more of myself if I'm going to help you do the same.
Speaker:That means a much more intense sexual experience.
Speaker:experience." She hesitated, then looked down at the ground.
Speaker:"Blame Bixby, I'm going to need you to be an
Speaker:active participant,
Speaker:not just an observer.
Speaker:This isn't something I can just do to you.
Speaker:If you want it, you have to be more than willing;
Speaker:you've got to be engaged.
Speaker:engaged." She looked away. "I could try to show you on Ren, but—"
Speaker:"No." I shocked myself with the word.
Speaker:"I'm not going to get this close
Speaker:and then have to live with watching it happen to someone else.
Speaker:If it's going to be anyone,
Speaker:I want it to be me.
Speaker:me." I was engaged.
Speaker:I was energized, Inquiring Minds.
Speaker:I wanted this more than anything I could explain.
Speaker:I had the chance to redeem ten years of bitterness and touch
Speaker:a fantasy I knew
Speaker:impossible. Call me weak or vulnerable.
Speaker:It was exhilarating.
Speaker:I truly didn't know how I'd cope with discovering I'd been deceived at this point,
Speaker:but I didn't care.
Speaker:"I want it," I repeated.
Speaker:"I consent." Helen Cressida held my world in her emerald-green eyes.
Speaker:Those five or ten seconds that were their own eternity.
Speaker:She looked down at her pet,
Speaker:then tugged gently on his collar.
Speaker:"Apprentice." The word's impact was instant.
Speaker:Ren drew in a sharp breath and straightened his back.
Speaker:He tried to lift his head, but his neck still listed slightly.
Speaker:A loose smile spread across the rabbit's muzzle.
Speaker:"Yes, Magister?" His voice was a breathy singsong,
Speaker:a bow sliding on a cello string.
Speaker:Trance, I realized,
Speaker:and suddenly my cheeks flushed and I felt a warm tingle deep inside me.
Speaker:"Prepare our guest.
Speaker:guest." The mage rose from her chair and removed her top hat.
Speaker:"I'm going to prepare the workshop.
Speaker:Follow with her." "Yes, Magister.
Speaker:Magister." Ren rose and motioned towards me.
Speaker:"Follow me, please.
Speaker:please." He walked with strange precision,
Speaker:as if his movements were being controlled.
Speaker:His glassy-eyed smile, however, persisted.
Speaker:He held his arm out towards me,
Speaker:inviting me to take it.
Speaker:He didn't even react when I clenched his elbow.
Speaker:He glided towards the front door and pointed towards my car.
Speaker:"Retrieve your offering.
Speaker:Come to the door.
Speaker:Wait two minutes.
Speaker:Knock three times and I will let you in.
Speaker:in." He bowed, then ushered me outside and closed the door behind me.
Speaker:My gut, Inquiring Minds,
Speaker:spent the whole two minutes twisting.
Speaker:I stood on the porch,
Speaker:waiting with bag in paw for the moment to knock.
Speaker:I counted the seconds out loud, sagging with relief as the last one ticked past.
Speaker:Three sharp raps later, and the door opened to pitch black.
Speaker:An arm reached out from the darkness;
Speaker:on the insides of the elbow, wrist, and fingertips glowed circles of golden light.
Speaker:I took the offered paw,
Speaker:then stepped back across the threshold, into the dark.
Speaker:The door closed behind me,
Speaker:plunging me into
Speaker:inky blackness. I held fast to Ren's paw as he guided me up a flight of stairs and down what felt like an impossibly long hallway in the dark.
Speaker:Ahead, I could just see a faint glow,
Speaker:similar to the light coming from the designs in the rabbit's fur.
Speaker:"Take the food and drink from the bag,
Speaker:and hold them in your paws.
Speaker:Walk directly forward,
Speaker:towards the light.
Speaker:light." It was Ren's voice in that
Speaker:willowy sing-song again,
Speaker:yet somehow deeper,
Speaker:more resonant. "On the ground you will see a triangle, circumscribed by a circle.
Speaker:Place the food in the triangle,
Speaker:the drink between triangle and circle.
Speaker:Step back, and wait.
Speaker:When you are ready,
Speaker:eat the food and enter the ritual.
Speaker:When you wish to stop,
Speaker:drink the beverage, and the ritual will end.
Speaker:Any effects which linger
Speaker:beyond that point will be entirely
Speaker:your choice. Do you understand?"
Speaker:"I think so?" I rolled the words over and over in my mind.
Speaker:I didn't want to want this.
Speaker:I grabbed the candy and soda and dropped the paper bag.
Speaker:"I— Yes. I understand.
Speaker:understand." A light snapped on overhead,
Speaker:a single bulb, illuminating a spot on the floor.
Speaker:I approached, and there was a circle glowing on the ground, with a triangle shining inside of it.
Speaker:I put the Nutterbar in the center,
Speaker:and the can of Nesbitt's in between two of the glowing lines.
Speaker:The unnatural light flickered against the wrapper and the can,
Speaker:lighting them up in eerie shades.
Speaker:I opened my muzzle to speak,
Speaker:but Ren didn't say anything about talking.
Speaker:I wondered if it would
Speaker:shatter the illusion,
Speaker:but something kept me quiet as I stepped away from the center,
Speaker:out of the ring of light.
Speaker:Around the room, one by one,
Speaker:candles began to light themselves.
Speaker:Each flickered to life, holding my gaze just long enough for the next to catch my eye,
Speaker:until I'd turned completely around.
Speaker:The candles illuminated a large soft cushion
Speaker:that lay within an even larger circle inscribed on the floor.
Speaker:It was then that I saw it;
Speaker:a line of light running from Helen's wrist
Speaker:to Ren's chest. It was, at any moment,
Speaker:as long as it needed to be;
Speaker:taut or slack as Helen seemed to will it. Ren sat cross-legged and naked at the edge of the cushion,
Speaker:with Helen at the center.
Speaker:Both held hands together,
Speaker:their eyes staring past each other.
Speaker:I stepped to the edge of the circle,
Speaker:but Helen's eyes snapped open and darted in my direction.
Speaker:I froze, and she turned back to Ren.
Speaker:"Apprentice, attend me.
Speaker:me." Their hands dropped
Speaker:and Ren leaned forward as Helen lay back.
Speaker:"I call upon the Phoenix and the fires of transformation!
Speaker:We offer you this gift of pleasure,
Speaker:of passion, and of love.
Speaker:Grant me the means to soar,
Speaker:that I might open the hearts of others!"
Speaker:The rabbit began his ministrations,
Speaker:head between her now parted legs, lapping at her cleft.
Speaker:Helen brought her paws to her breasts and began to tease them.
Speaker:Her clawed feet gripped the bag and she let loose a low moan.
Speaker:I gaped at the lovers;
Speaker:they were the ones wantonly fucking before me,
Speaker:and yet I felt like the one on display.
Speaker:I stared at them,
Speaker:the heat deep between my thighs rising,
Speaker:and that's when I saw it
Speaker:it, Inquiring Minds.
Speaker:I watched as the feline claws on Helen's paws stretch to
Speaker:become talons, long and sharp,
Speaker:before the paws themselves shed their fur to reveal
Speaker:scaly avian claws beneath.
Speaker:Her body was changing,
Speaker:right before my eyes.
Speaker:An unnatural fire lit within Helen's eyes, glistening and flickering in the darkness.
Speaker:She took a deep breath in,
Speaker:and the light grew brighter.
Speaker:She exhaled, and it spread over her muzzle.
Speaker:Where the fire passed,
Speaker:her fur seemed to burn away,
Speaker:trailing off into sparks.
Speaker:In the fire's wake,
Speaker:tan feathers unfurled.
Speaker:Those small flickers gathered across her lips,
Speaker:and then a beak, broad and curved at the tip,
Speaker:sprung from the flames.
Speaker:The flame poured down her neck and chest,
Speaker:changing her fur into feathers
Speaker:before fading out across her shoulders.
Speaker:Helen paused at this point,
Speaker:as did Ren. He pulled away from her and sat back up,
Speaker:waiting. The newly-formed gryphon lifted herself up with a grace that I can only describe as
Speaker:unearthly. She stood up off the bag,
Speaker:a mix of bird and lion now,
Speaker:waiting as Ren took her place within the center of the circle.
Speaker:She knelt down in front of him
Speaker:and whispered something into Ren's ears.
Speaker:He looked back up at her
Speaker:and nodded. The former lioness straddled
Speaker:Ren's waist, spreading her legs to press her sex against his muzzle.
Speaker:The bunny began to lap eagerly,
Speaker:nuzzling inside her while she cradled her breasts and teased her nipples with the sharpness of her new talons.
Speaker:I began to hear whispering,
Speaker:all around the room.
Speaker:Helen and Ren continued their fornication as the fire from before shone again in her eyes.
Speaker:This time it traveled down the length of her spine,
Speaker:splitting and circling just beneath the shoulder blades.
Speaker:With a cry that echoed through the shadowy room,
Speaker:Helen released her breasts
Speaker:and held her arms wide
Speaker:as two magnificent wings burst forth from the circles of flame.
Speaker:Her feathers were the deepest black,
Speaker:spattered with iridescent blue that formed
Speaker:eyes that seemed constantly watching as she flexed them.
Speaker:Helen stood up slowly,
Speaker:her new wings tucked behind her.
Speaker:Ren rolled off the cushion with the liquid grace of an expertly crafted marionette.
Speaker:He stood opposite Helen,
Speaker:and slowly they began to walk clockwise around the circle,
Speaker:one arm outstretched toward the other.
Speaker:The newly-made gryphon spoke, her voice ringing out in the space.
Speaker:"Phoenix, keeper of the flames of transformation—"
Speaker:"—we thank you for your gift.
Speaker:gift." Ren picked up as soon as Helen's stopped,
Speaker:the two speaking as one.
Speaker:Helen resumed immediately afterward.
Speaker:"Help us now to show others the way.
Speaker:If their body be willing and their heart open,
Speaker:let them eat of their offering and be changed, that they might too soar.
Speaker:soar." They stopped, a full circle back where they were and turned towards the food in unison.
Speaker:With a deep breath in,
Speaker:they both pressed their paws to their chests.
Speaker:Then, with a heavy exhale,
Speaker:they seemed to push something towards the edge of the circle.
Speaker:A wave of light and heat jumped from their outstretched arms and rose above the cushion.
Speaker:The light circled the Nutterbar three times,
Speaker:then disappeared into it with a shower of sparks.
Speaker:Ren turned to me
Speaker:and spoke with Helen's voice.
Speaker:"The offering is prepared.
Speaker:When you are ready,
Speaker:eat, and join us within the circle.
Speaker:circle." I checked the wrapper when I picked up the offering,
Speaker:but it was still sealed, just as before.
Speaker:Absolutely nothing about it had changed in any way I could tell.
Speaker:The Nutterbar tasted of cheap chocolate and artificial banana,
Speaker:with a bit of peanut butter thrown in to bind it together,
Speaker:just like any other.
Speaker:Licking the inside of my muzzle, I strode towards the circle.
Speaker:Helen and Ren smiled as I approached.
Speaker:"You might wish to shed some of your clothing before you enter.
Speaker:enter." The gryphon cocked her head backwards slightly,
Speaker:"This may not exactly be easy on your wardrobe.
Speaker:wardrobe." I hesitated, but she had a point.
Speaker:I shed my pants and shirt
Speaker:at the edge of the circle,
Speaker:but. I kept my underwear and bra on just in case this was still some sort of
Speaker:elaborate prank or blackmail,
Speaker:and I stepped over the chalk lines
Speaker:and onto the cushion.
Speaker:"When you are ready,
Speaker:turn to face my apprentice.
Speaker:Take a deep breath
Speaker:and look at him. See how relaxed he is.
Speaker:How empty he is. My empty vessel,"
Speaker:Helen's voice was right
Speaker:in my ear, her breath on the nape of my neck,
Speaker:"For this to work, you must be
Speaker:as relaxed and open to the changes we're about to weave.
Speaker:Do you remember your square breathing from the Club,
Speaker:Justine?" Mutely I nodded
Speaker:and Helen continued,
Speaker:"Then count with me as you breathe in,
Speaker:two, three, four. Hold,
Speaker:two, three, four. Out,
Speaker:two, three, four. Hold,
Speaker:two, three, four. Breathing,
Speaker:relaxing, opening your mind and body to the magic,
Speaker:that you might soar.
Speaker:Feel the spirit of the Phoenix
Speaker:in this place. We have called out once already for the gift of flight.
Speaker:We extend this call again,
Speaker:with a new offering
Speaker:of pleasure." Helen stepped forward onto the cushion, as did Ren.
Speaker:He looked at me, his eyes glassy and distant.
Speaker:His paws raised, but then he hesitated.
Speaker:"May we touch you?"
Speaker:the gryphon asked quietly.
Speaker:"Nothing will happen,
Speaker:unless you will it.
Speaker:it." I took a deep breath
Speaker:and nodded, and the rabbit began to caress my chest and tummy.
Speaker:As his paws went about their work,
Speaker:so too did Helen's,
Speaker:tracing my arms and shoulders.
Speaker:"I think my puppet would like to kiss you.
Speaker:you." I looked up at Ren just in time to see him smile and slowly lick his lips.
Speaker:"Would you like that?"
Speaker:Helen's words nudged me past my nervousness.
Speaker:I took the initiative
Speaker:and leaned in to kiss the rabbit.
Speaker:His muzle parted,
Speaker:and I opened mine to him,
Speaker:inviting his tongue to press against my own.
Speaker:I could feel the heat of the gryphon behind me
Speaker:and the rabbit in front of me growing.
Speaker:The warmth welled up inside me;
Speaker:my shoulders went slack and knees trembled.
Speaker:"You are in control here.
Speaker:here." Helen's voice was in my ear,
Speaker:though her talons were still at my shoulders.
Speaker:"Explore as you wish. Feel the warmth and pleasure of the Phoenix's fire as it guides you.
Speaker:Let the heat inspire you,
Speaker:thoughts of what is replaced with what could be,"
Speaker:I sunk down onto the cushion in front of Ren.
Speaker:His cock dangled freely in front of me
Speaker:and without a moment's hesitation
Speaker:I opened my muzzle
Speaker:and took him into me.
Speaker:He was already aroused,
Speaker:still slick from his previous effort.
Speaker:His shaft bore an earthy, almost smoky musk,
Speaker:the kind of scent that wafts from the coals after a campfire.
Speaker:I began to bob up and down, sucking him slowly and listening to him moan in pleasure,
Speaker:lost in the moment.
Speaker:Helen whispered in the background.
Speaker:Her talons stroked along my arms, teasing and pulling at my flesh.
Speaker:The world seemed to pulse and shudder,
Speaker:shrinking to a few points:
Speaker:the gryphon's talons,
Speaker:the rabbit's paws and cock,
Speaker:and my muzzle and shoulders,
Speaker:burning hot beneath their touch.
Speaker:We knelt in congress with each other, Ren and I,
Speaker:with Helen working her talons upon my back.
Speaker:Their touch left a trail of warmth that grew with
Speaker:every thrust and moan between the three of us.
Speaker:I felt a tug at my waistband and heard the gryphon's rising trill behind me in wordless question.
Speaker:I closed my eyes, gave Ren's cock a lick inside my muzzle,
Speaker:and nodded. She tugged down my panties,
Speaker:letting the arousal-slick fabric pool around my knees.
Speaker:Her talons then continued their work,
Speaker:the heat from them rippling down my arms and sides,
Speaker:tingling at the joints and at my smallest fingers.
Speaker:Helen breathed in deeply,
Speaker:her talons steadying me,
Speaker:and then as she sharply exhaled I felt something warmer than flesh slide inside my sex.
Speaker:A moment later, Helen's thighs pressed against me
Speaker:and I moaned against the rabbit's shaft.
Speaker:The tingling and warmth swelled faster now that Helen had joined.
Speaker:It wasn't long until I couldn't hold back the rush of pleasure within me.
Speaker:"Close." The word was awkward around Ren's shaft;
Speaker:I didn't want to stop even to ask to slow down.
Speaker:Every part of me was aflame,
Speaker:nerves alight and crackling with arousal.
Speaker:"Ready for the magic?"
Speaker:the gryphon asked.
Speaker:I groaned and nodded,
Speaker:and her talons left my back.
Speaker:"Phoenix, we beseech thee!"
Speaker:Helen's hoarse cry carved a channel through the heat.
Speaker:"Take this offering of pleasure,
Speaker:and with it grant this seeker the power
Speaker:to soar!" Helen and Ren spoke in unison,
Speaker:their voices crackling in ecstatic joy.
Speaker:With a groan, Ren filled my muzzle with his smoky seed,
Speaker:and I felt something hot spasm deep inside me.
Speaker:A shudder ran through my body,
Speaker:but the sensation vanished in that moment.
Speaker:I don't know how else to describe it, Inquiring Minds,
Speaker:but I felt the deep joy of orgasm
Speaker:not in my sex but searing through my
Speaker:arms and sides. A momentary pain tugged at my sides,
Speaker:followed by the snap of elastic as my bra straps split.
Speaker:I let out a cry of surprise only to hear a high-pitched screech.
Speaker:I opened my eyes and stared at the two new leathery wings
Speaker:sprouting between my arms and sides.
Speaker:I held up my paws,
Speaker:curling my spindly fingers and twisting them.
Speaker:A shockwave of pleasure rolled up my left side
Speaker:and I threw back my head and squealed.
Speaker:I glanced back to see the back of Helen's claws just brushing against the thin membrane.
Speaker:"They're sensitive when they first grow in.
Speaker:in." The gryphon flexed her own with a quiet shuffling of feathers.
Speaker:"Be gentle with them."
Speaker:"You... you can see these,
Speaker:right?" My tongue felt too big,
Speaker:like I had to fight to get the words out of me.
Speaker:My wings—my wings
Speaker:—could feel every
Speaker:air current, every vibration.
Speaker:"They're real." The last word came out in a harsh whisper;
Speaker:I didn't dare say it too loudly.
Speaker:My stomach churned.
Speaker:I just cast a magic spell.
Speaker:After ten years of telling myself it couldn't happen,
Speaker:it did. "How...?" "You opened yourself to us,"
Speaker:Ren said quietly, caressing my other wing.
Speaker:"An open mind and heart is all it takes.
Speaker:A willingness to let the magic happen.
Speaker:happen." I swallowed. I couldn't tear my eyes away.
Speaker:My cheeks felt wet and I
Speaker:wiped at them with one paw.
Speaker:The wing brushed against my cheek
Speaker:and layers of intimacy
Speaker:revealed themselves inside my head.
Speaker:"I want this. I can't not have this.
Speaker:How... how do I say yes?
Speaker:How do I keep them?"
Speaker:"Remember the drink,"
Speaker:the mages replied.
Speaker:Ren pointed at the can
Speaker:of Nesbitt's sitting just outside the center of the circle.
Speaker:"Drink and let the ritual bring together your head and heart.
Speaker:heart." Helen and Ren slid from me as I staggered to my hinds.
Speaker:The mess they left upon my fur dripped onto the floor,
Speaker:blurring the circle as I flew as fast as I could towards the Nesbitt's.
Speaker:The tug and resistance of my new wings
Speaker:—my wings—harried me as I sailed towards the can.
Speaker:It hissed as I cracked it open,
Speaker:then upended it into my muzzle.
Speaker:I let out a choked gasp as I dribbled the last of the soda into my muzzle,
Speaker:then dropped the can unceremoniously onto the floor.
Speaker:The world around me throbbed,
Speaker:a rush of hot air buffeting me as I dropped to my knees in supplication and desperation.
Speaker:I held up my paws, expecting to see those already familiar wings running back from my wrists.
Speaker:Simple vulpine paws met my gaze.
Speaker:The scream that followed that revelation
Speaker:was undeniably my own.
Speaker:No hint of the bat remained.
Speaker:I pounded the hardwood floor with my fists
Speaker:again and again, until I felt a paw on my shoulder.
Speaker:I turned and scuttled backwards,
Speaker:expecting to see the lioness again.
Speaker:Instead I looked straight into the eyes of Ren,
Speaker:focused and present.
Speaker:Helen stood behind him,
Speaker:arms and wings folded with a look of concern.
Speaker:"I—It didn't stick?"
Speaker:I sputtered out, "But
Speaker:—but you promised!"
Speaker:Helen shook her head and knelt down beside me,
Speaker:"I said we would cast the spell,
Speaker:and we did. You saw the changes;
Speaker:so did we. There are many reasons why it could have failed.
Speaker:Magic requires belief.
Speaker:It requires sacrifice.
Speaker:It requires that you do the right thing for the right reasons.
Speaker:Something within you said no,
Speaker:and the spell respected that boundary.
Speaker:boundary." I looked up at her through my tears,
Speaker:and her expression softened.
Speaker:"I think some part of you,
Speaker:long closed off, is now open,
Speaker:but only a part. You're going to have to discover the rest for yourself,
Speaker:and try again once you do.
Speaker:do." The interview ended quickly after the ritual.
Speaker:I gathered my clothes and stumbled out of the workshop,
Speaker:directly onto the porch.
Speaker:After what had happened,
Speaker:it was almost anticlimactic,
Speaker:a metaphysical what did you expect?
Speaker:I only realized after I'd left that I'd forgotten my second camera.
Speaker:I didn't go back for it;
Speaker:I had too much on my mind.
Speaker:Two weeks later, the aftershocks of my experience still ripple through me.
Speaker:I've had two crying jags,
Speaker:and I've scheduled my first therapist's session in years.
Speaker:I emailed Ms. Cressida to get her final approval for this exposé.
Speaker:The next day, the empty wrapper and can showed up on my desk,
Speaker:along with the missing camera,
Speaker:a single black-and-blue feather,
Speaker:and a written note.
Speaker:Helen approved the article without revision,
Speaker:asking only that I get back in touch when I felt ready.
Speaker:I called her number,
Speaker:but it was disconnected. Whatcom County
Speaker:records show the house as having once belonged to L.
Speaker:Bixby; it was foreclosed fifteen years ago,
Speaker:and has stood vacant since.
Speaker:Further emails to the address bounced.
Speaker:Her webpage is offline;
Speaker:The Wayback Machine can't find it.
Speaker:Inquiring Minds, I have a confession.
Speaker:I wanted it, and I don't think I deserved it.
Speaker:I helped take that moment,
Speaker:that sensation, from so many people since I started work here.
Speaker:I can't do that anymore.
Speaker:I have to give that hope back to the world if I'm ever going to feel worthy of experiencing that dream again.
Speaker:I can't keep working here if I want to be true to myself.
Speaker:I can't keep my job and follow my calling.
Speaker:Let this, then, be my line in the sand.
Speaker:Effective immediately,
Speaker:I resign from Inquiry.
Speaker:This will have been my last hit job on others' pursuits of personal truth.
Speaker:I can't tell you what to believe, Inquiring Minds.
Speaker:I can only tell you
Speaker:that I have become
Speaker:a True Believer. Blame Bixby. [If
Speaker:anyone has information as to the whereabouts of Justine Lejeune, please email the Inquiry leads team.
Speaker:She left her trash and a painted
Speaker:crow's feather on my desk before she left.
Speaker:—M. Josephson, Senior Editor,
Speaker:Inquiry.] This was the second and final part of
Speaker:“The Witch of Whatcom County”
Speaker:by Kristina "Orrery" Tracer
Speaker:and Ko Bunny, read for you by Read by Dirt Coyote, lately of Twitter dot com.
Speaker:As always, you can find more stories on the web at thevoice.dog,
Speaker:or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker:Happy Pride,
Speaker:and Thank you for listening
Speaker:to The Voice of Dog.