Talamia's gentle, even breathing lightly tickled Jake's chest. They had fallen asleep together hours before, but Jake only needed an hour or two of rest each night, and he had exhausted poor Talamia. With their limbs so entangled, he had not seen a way to extricate himself without waking her, so he gazed into her exquisite features and lost himself to introspection.

In the brief time since he had possessed this power, he had made mistakes; that, of course, must be expected. But there was only one thing he truly regretted-- one thing he felt ashamed of.

Pauline. She had possessed her own life-- albeit a shallow, perhaps unfulfilling one-- but it was hers. And he had torn it away from her. He had destroyed what she was and what she could have been for nothing more than a fleshy pleasure he could have gotten willingly, even eagerly from Courtney or Tina. Power implies responsibility. How many times had he said that, even as he was raping Pauline's mind?

Talamia shifted slightly in her sleep. Jake absently caressed her hair as he pondered what he should do about Pauline. And what he should do about himself? He remembered the saying about absolute power, and it was chilling to think that he might be in danger of becoming something he would hate.

Eventually he knew there was only one person who could advise him. Sighing, he began the attempt to get out of bed without waking his new concubine, not really expecting success but determined to give it a shot.

He didn't even get one arm completely removed before she stirred. "What time is it?" Talamia murmured sleepily as he finished getting up.

"It's early. Go back to sleep." Jake whispered to her. Damn. Oh well, at least he was up. Talamia rolled over and did as he suggested.

Throwing on his bathrobe, he tiptoed downstairs before making the call. Focusing his awareness on the thread of ether that was his bond to Ykir, he sent a pulse of summoning.

In only a few seconds, the pulse returned, and with it a message: 'A moment--I will come'. Jake poured himself a glass of milk and sat at the kitchen table, waiting.

About three or four minutes later, Jake felt the Ether gather itself and coalesce into the image of a man. Ykir stood before him, taking in the surroundings before sitting down across the table from Jake.

"I'm glad you called me, Jake. I was going to contact you in a few days myself, regarding this 'Elemental Mage' thing. Is that what you wanted to talk about?"

"Er, well--no. Actually, I was looking for some advice regarding power. I'm afraid of getting corrupted by my power. I mean, I have nothing to stop me from doing whatever I want. How did you stop yourself from becoming a tyrant?"

Ykir blinked in surprise. "Well, Jake, I guess the best answer I can give you is that I didn't." Jake frowned in confusion. "There was a time of several centuries, when I first realized my power, that I was considered to be the "Dark God", if you will. Almost all legends regarding Ahriman, Satan, Lucifer, Loki, Hades, whatever, had some basis in fact, and that basis was usually me, although most often several times removed. Stories do have a way of changing with the storyteller.

"But there's a flipside to that. Being creatures of ether, such as we are, means that there is a necessary balance within you. Total Evil, just like Total Goodness, would feel very unnatural for either of us. Even back then, I had as many people worship me as I did revile me. The best way, I found, to avoid either extreme, was to avoid as much contact with those unlettered country bumpkins as possible. That's about the time I decided on secluding myself from most of humankind's affairs."

Jake considered this for several moments. This was disturbing, but not necessarily bad, news. Finally, he began to speak. "I can't afford corruption, not in this day and age. Look how far humankind has come. If I became like that, caring for nothing beyond my own pleasure, all that has been accomplished in the name of humanity could be lost. I have a responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen; not only to myself, but to those I care for, and who care for me." Jake sighed. "I guess it's still up to me to find the way."

Ykir laughed. "It was never any other way, Jake. You've got to realize that you are one of two people in the world that is truly responsible for how everything turns out. This world is our playground and our laboratory. The Grand Experiment! It is here that you will mature into whatever you can become, and all those who help or hinder you are really nothing of consequence." Ykir's face changed. "And that leads perfectly into what I wished to discuss with you."

Jake's eyebrow rose. "You mentioned my Elemental Mages. Do you have a problem with them?"

"To put it succinctly, Jake, yes. I thought long and hard about what kind of power I should give the mortals, putting nearly a century into experiments of all kinds, testing what worked best with what... I won't bore you with the details. I do believe I hit on the best method. The problem is, you've given these new followers of yours enormous power, and then you're going to have ambitious, greedy little fools running amok. Are you aware that you've made the talent of an Elemental Mage able to be passed down genetically? You've completely removed the screening process that a practitioner goes through! It means there is no such thing as hard study and discipline bringing power. Now it's what you're born with!"

Jake gathered his thoughts for several moments before speaking. "That is certainly a valid way of looking at it. Yes, I am aware that I made the gift to be hereditary. There were reasons for what I did, and to be totally truthful, I did it to counter some of your work.

"Point one: the ambitious and greedy part. Do not think for a moment that your 'practitioners' aren't exactly the same way. The only thing that holds them in check is fear of reprisal from the Council--a government, of sorts, comprised of their peers. I have Barrachus working on the same kind of thing for the Mages. By the time there are Elemental Mages in existence that I do not exert direct control over, several generations will have passed, and those loyal to me will keep the younger ones in line.

"Point two: the running amok part. All second- generation Elemental Mages will have the same limitations on their power as my loyal subjects. Loyalty and obedience to me will be built into their very being. They will not be physically capable of betraying me; unlike my first generation, who still have the capacity to consciously reject my authority, future Mages will be born with loyalty to me as an integral part of their existence. This will make anything I disapprove of, such as 'running amok', anathema to them.

"Point three: the screening process. I've got to tell you straight, Ykir--yours just doesn't cut the mustard anymore." Ykir started in surprise at that comment. Jake went on. "The rules they operate under are outdated, some to the point of being medieval. All they do is play against each other for social and sexual advantage. They're little children who have learned their magic by rote. Barrachus was telling me yesterday that magic was a tame science. Everyone knew what could and couldn't be done. Well, I've put some of my own magic into the mix. That which was stagnating has been given a flush-- I think my people are going to make the magical lifestyle interesting again.

"Lastly, I don't understand how you can tell me that corruption in me is more or less unavoidable in some degree and yet in the same breath condemn the 'mortals' for hanging themselves with their own proverbial ropes. If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen, but I think I can control it. This could be the beginning of the transcendence of the human race." Jake sighed. "What will it take to convince you that this idea of mine might be a good thing?" he asked frankly.

Ykir stared hard at him for a long while. Jake met his considering gaze with a steady one of his own. Finally, he spoke. "I thought this lunacy was something you did for the sake of assisting your plot of vengeance. I see now that considerably more thought was put into it." Abruptly, Ykir stood up from the table, pushing the chair into the cabinet. "Lunacy and genius are often difficult to tell apart. I will watch what happens for the next few centuries before I make any conclusions. Like I said before, this world is our laboratory--we need to experiment if we are going to learn. Take care not to let any grow too powerful. Even with your obedience built in, they could still rise against you--if they thought it was in your best interest. Until later, then..." And with a casual wave of his hand, Ykir faded into nothingness.

The elaborate design channeled Ether directly into his body. He gloried in it; the sensation was ecstasy. Gradually, the feeling faded as his body grew accustomed to the influx of energy. Silently, the man sighed, slightly disappointed though he had known the euphoria would not last. Many Seers had compared the Touch to an orgasm, an analogy that was maddeningly accurate, except that sex was nothing compared to the mind-blowing pleasure of the Touch. Seeing no more reason to delay, he focused his awareness through the translucent glow in the back of his mind, meticulously shaping the spell he desired. He had done this a thousand times, and this time would be no different, but still he methodically double-checked his spell's structure. A single mistake, and it was death, or worse. Everything was perfect. He let the Ether flow into his construction.

The pentagram in the center of the room started to glow. It was over twenty feet across; one could see the energy slowly flow inward from its perimeter. The bright green luminescence it emanated washed out the vivid colors of the various tapestries decorating the walls. It was time. Willing his body to move, he slowly made his way to the center of the pentagram, taking great care not to let a single part of his naked body touch one of the glowing lines. That, too, could be death, and a painful one.

Finally he reached the center, and carefully sat down in a yoga position. Only here, with this spell, with the right kind of Touch, could one's mind truly expand beyond the prison of the flesh. With the practiced skill of decades of self-training, his awareness smoothly escaped into the Ether.

Time passed. The smooth, regular breathing of the man in the pentagram continued undisturbed. Minutes eventually turned into an hour, and the hour into four. Finally, with a long, shuddering sigh, the man opened his eyes. Unseeing with his mundane vision, he gasped at the truth laid bare to his second sight. Ykir had lied to them! They had been deceived! The boy called Jacob Bourque was already in the prime of his power, and grew stronger with every passing heartbeat! It was so obvious now why the Dreck had failed. If an army of the detestable monsters were sent, there would still be little chance of success.

But there was still hope. He did not become a Seer of his caliber by throwing in the towel at the earliest signs of failure. Jacob Bourque could still be destroyed. It simply had to be done by subtler means... As the pentagram's glow gradually faded, the naked man sitting in the center began to chuckle. There was a way. Already the inklings of a plan were coming to mind.

Dawn found a pensive Jake staring out his kitchen window. His fears were somewhat assuaged by his talk with Ykir, but he still had to be careful. Pauline was now a permanent member of his household, and the only one that had been given no choice in the matter whatsoever. That kind of thing could not be allowed to happen again.

He had plans to make. There was his desire for him to find his father's murderer, and the promise that he made himself about changing the whole apprentice system of the magic users. Jake realized he had begun to feel impatient with how slowly things were moving. He wished there were some way of speeding up Barrachus' work, but he realized that doing so could seriously hinder the Elemental Mage's abilities in the long run. Barrachus knew what he was doing-- well, he knew better than Jake did, that was certain.

Jake's supernormal hearing detected the light footfalls of someone above. Before she made it to the stairs, he knew it was his mother. She was coming down to start making breakfast for Jake's rapidly growing harem. She didn't mind. She didn't mind anything anymore. Jake sighed, feeling the bitter frustration of helplessness. He could do no more for her without changing her into someone else.

With a blank face, she moved mechanically about the kitchen, ignoring Jake's bemused stare. Eggs came out of the fridge, along with milk and orange juice. Bacon out of the freezer, along with sausage links and waffles. Busily she moved about, her expression never changing, all the while preparing an obviously large and elaborate meal.

Jake watched with surprise. Courtney must have told her to prepare for a lot of people this morning. He had made Courtney sort of the unofficial house administrator, and had instructed his mother to obey her as well. It made sense that she had put their mother into this role. She probably cleaned the rooms, too-- like a live-in maid.

Jake's mom was forty-two, but looked more like thirty. He supposed her magic had given her that longevity, and probably contributed to her firm, athletic figure. She was blonde, with gray eyes and high cheekbones-- it gave her a strong yet aristocratic look; several of his friends joked that she would look great in a black leather bikini, with a riding crop in one hand and a dog collar in the other, but Jake had always laughed them off.

Jake had also noted that his mother was wearing a short beige dress designed to accentuate her legs and ass, and a generous application of makeup and perfume. This made no sense to Jake, but he did suddenly realize that his mother was an extraordinarily attractive creature, especially for a woman in her forties. Knowing that he could sample that fine ass at his discretion caused the heat in his groin to grow rapidly.

Jesus, Jake, what are you thinking? That's your mom! He thought frantically to himself. The horny part of him replied, Yeah, but only her body. Admit it Jake, my boy, the fact that she's your mom just adds to the taboo excitement of the whole thing. Besides, you already fuck your sister on a regular basis!

But that's different! His rational side argued. She wants it as much as I do!

Your mom won't care! His horny side shot back. She'll do anything you tell her to, and not feel the slightest bit embarrassed or humiliated. There's no logical reason not to take her any time you want and you know it. You're just hung up on the social implications of it all. Get over it and get yourself some of that ass!

His rational side was silent, surrendering the field quietly. Already feeling guilty as hell but excited beyond belief, he got behind her as she began scrambling eggs over the stove and pressed his hardon against her tight ass. She didn't react. Slowly Jake rubbed himself against her, the bulge in his robe perfectly fitting at the crevice of her ass cheeks. Still, she made no reaction as she continued to stir the eggs.

"Mom?" Jake asked, sliding his hands from her hips to her chest.

"Yes, Jake?" His mother responded, still stirring. Jake's hands reached around and cupped her D-size breasts.

"Would you mind if I fucked you?" Jake asked, squeezing and massaging those soft mounds. Jake could feel the nipples harden, and although he knew it was a purely physical response to his stimulus, it was still erotic as hell.

"Of course not, Jake, if you want to. Do you want me to undress?" She might have been discussing the weather for all the emotion that was in her voice.

"No, that's all right. Finish up those eggs and put them to the side." They were almost done anyway, so it was only a matter of a few minutes before she put the eggs down, shut off the stove and turned to her only son, looking calmly into his eyes as she waited for his next command.

Jake was so hard he was aching. Slowly he reached down to the hem of her dress and hiked it up to reveal a pair of matching beige panties. With the dress up the panties came down, exposing a nicely trimmed blonde bush above a fresh-looking pussy. It was dry, of course. His mother wasn't excited at all, just doing what she was told. He didn't care.

Glancing around quickly, he spied the cooking oil nearby and instructed his mother to apply a little to his dick and her cunt. Without a word, she complied, opening his robe and rubbing the Weston all over his swollen member, then taking a little more, she rubbed it all around her lips and into her recesses. As soon as she had lubed them up sufficiently, she guided his cock to her opening, and he thrust in.

The first thing he noticed was how smooth she felt, warm and slippery and smooth. She hadn't had sex for a while, at least since dad had died, and probably longer than that; this meant that she was surprisingly tight, as well.

Responding to a quick mental command, she swiftly wrapped her legs around Jake's thighs, supporting her weight with her arms around his neck. With his strength, it was easy maintain that position as he slid in and out of her. She didn't make a sound as he fucked his mother against the stove, the aching pressure in his cock driving him wild.

It was over nearly as quickly as it began. Jake almost collapsed as he released a torrent of cum into his accepting mother. Gasping, it took a few moments for him to recover before he slid out of her and told her to carry on. Without a word, she slid her underwear back on and straightened her dress, and then started cooking the sausage and bacon. Jake went upstairs to shower. He had never really thought of his mother as a likely recipient of his sexual attentions, but now he found the taboo associated with this form of incest to be highly arousing, and he knew he would have her again.

As the hot water rushed over him, sloughing off sweat and cooking oil, he thought about corruption. Was this excitement he felt a symptom of a terrible disease? For some reason, he didn't think so. Incest was a purely social stigma, and Jake did not feel constrained by the rules of normal society. No one was hurt in his enjoyment of his mother's body-- not even his mother, who under normal circumstances probably would be.

Jake lifted his head up to feel the hot water cascade across his face. He chuckled. Every time he tried to do some serious planning, his horniness interfered. He had to keep focus. The trail of his father's killer was already cold. That was his first priority...

Jake nearly leaped out of his skin when someone grabbed him from behind. Twisting about, he found himself looking at Talamia's nude form stepping into the shower with him.

"Hello, lover," she murmured sensually, with the same "come hither" look that Courtney liked to use. Then, as if realizing something, she blinked. "I mean, My Lord. Did you sleep well?" Her hands caressed Jake's muscular arms and shoulders as he chuckled.

"Sleep? You hardly gave me a choice. First, you drive me to the point of utter exhaustion, then wrap yourself around me so tightly that I can't get away. Yes, I slept well. Yourself?"

She smiled lazily. "That was the best night's sleep I've had in a very long while. I truly believe I'm going to enjoy being your concubine. Are you up for some," she arched her eyebrow as she took in the length of his body, "... exercise?"

Jake laughed. "Tempting. Very. But I have work to do." He looked at her intently. "And so do you."