Achantina Tavern was comfortably occupied when Jack arrived. Snailgirls hovered over their tall tables picking through still-moving appetizers and plates of fruit and foliage. They didn’t require chairs like humans, and the high barstool that Jack retrieved for himself was a newer addition. Pitchers of fermented dew flowed freely, reddening the cheeks of many of the tavern’s patrons.

The other—and arguably more important—adjustment that Jack had made upon his arrival to Molluscia was his shoes. Snailgirls left a trail of slime on every surface, a necessary lubrication for them to travel. To make it easier on themselves in their hometowns, a duo of snailgirls had developed a level flooring made from the leaves of a species of plant native to Molluscia. The leaves repelled water, which meant the girls could keep the floors lubricated and travel faster indoors. Food stayed hot, drinks stayed cold, and patrons went home happy.

For Jack, it meant he’d fallen flat on his ass the first time he’d stepped inside the Achantina. Like slipping on a lake of ice. It had taken a mixture of magic, some insect intelligence, and elbow grease to refashion his boots, designing them to counteract the floors.

He set his barstool at their usual table. The legs worked a bit differently than his boots, holding to the floor with more rigidity, like magnets. Lina, a regular waitress at the tavern, appeared at his table with a tall tankard of dew in the span of seconds. She wore a laced white top tucked inside a dark brown corset, showcasing her generous chest. A layered skirt dangled from beneath the bodice, and a leather belt hung loosely around her hip, her pack at its center. Her chestnut hair was pulled back into a tight bun at the top of her head while her long bangs cascaded over her right shoulder in loose ringlets.

Lina was the first snailgirl to sneak a love dart into Jack’s flesh. He watched her more carefully now.

“Alone tonight, Jack?” She carefully placed the tankard in front of him and dropped her hands to her sides. Her warm smile was welcoming, but it didn’t make him any less wary of what her fingers were up to.

Hands to yourself, Lina. “Skye and Mia are coming. We had to clean up after the crane.”

Lina’s eyes widened, and her mouth formed a small o shape. “The three of you caught the crane? Alone?”

“Not just caught. It’s long dead.” Jack gestured toward the door but didn’t take his eyes away from Lina. “Plenty of gear will come out of what’s left.”

“That’s a huge relief. Kris will be happy to hear it, too.” Lina toyed with one section of her bangs, her stare pensive.

“Has she been back to work yet?” Kris owned the tavern. A blunt, no-nonsense woman with a great laugh if you could get one out of her. Jack liked her.

“No. I hope just knowing that it’s gone will help.”

“Yeah. Me, too.” One of the casualties from the crane was Kris’ sister. She hadn’t taken it well. Jack pulled a stack of Shells from his pack and slid them to Lina. “Mind getting the usual started? The Party should be here soon.”

Lina nodded, pulling herself from her thoughts. “Of course, Jack. Wave if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Lina.”

She excused herself to check on the other tables and make her way to the kitchens. Just as a precaution, Jack discreetly felt around his neck and sides. No pinch, no sweats. She knew better than to dart him when Skye and Mia were around. So long as he could avoid her until they arrived, or any other wandering eyes for that matter, he was golden.

To his immense relief, he’d barely had time to enjoy his drink before Skye and Mia appeared in the doorway. Skye had exchanged her combat attire for a more comfortable get-up—a tight black tank top that hugged her chest and waist, stopping just above her navel. Ivory skin peeked through the gap between her shirt and frayed skirt, and her scarred, toned arms were bare beyond a selection of leather bracelets and chains that she’d collected over the years. More belts than she needed were strapped around her skirt, crisscrossing in haphazard patterns with different conchos and rivets adornments on each one. With her green-streaked hair and dark makeup, she stuck out from the rest of the snailgirls like a sore thumb. Jack loved her aesthetic, though she’d have to work for a compliment like that.

Mia was dressed more simply. She’d picked out a lacy white dress with puffed sleeves and ruffled edgings. White ribbon zigzagged over her abdomen, hugging the fabric close to her curves. Two sections of her ruby-red hair were braided back on the sides of her head, tied off with a white ribbon, while the rest bounced around her shoulders. A simple gold chain around her neck matched a bracelet with a heart-shaped pendant on her left hand. Jack had given the bracelet to her for her nameday—Skye had threatened to gut him if he tried to pull the same with her.

Jack waved them over, and Lina brought two more mugs of dew.

Skye eyed the waitress warily as she left to retrieve their appetizers. “She didn’t dart you, did she?”

“No. I think you’ve officially scared her off.” Jack took another swig and grinned. “Though, I do have to wonder why you’re so protective.”

Skye sputtered into her mug, her face turning pink. She inhaled and took a swift drink as if she’d meant to choke on her ale all along. “Lina should just know her place, that’s all.”

Mia looked between Skye and Jack with wide eyes. “Her place? What do you mean?”

Skye slammed her mug down on the table and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Nothing. Forget it.”

Jack chuckled. As much as he wanted to needle Skye further, she was clearly uncomfortable. “So, the bird is dead; the town is saved. What do we do with the Shells?”

The girls exchanged looks. Mia fiddled with the heart pendant as Lina brought their appetizers. A bowl of wriggling insects for Skye and Mia, and an order of cooked frog’s legs for Jack. They were like eating fishy chicken wings if he didn’t think about it too much.

“Go ahead, Mia,” Skye said once Lina was out of earshot. For as brash and abrasive as Skye could be, she always had a soft spot for their [High Priestess].

“Well, I’d like to see the ocean,” Mia said, twisting her bracelet around her wrist. “I haven’t been since I was little.”

“I’ve never seen it,” Skye admitted. She plucked one of the wriggling grub from the bowl and popped it into her mouth.

“Really?” Jack recalled his trips to California and one unplanned visit to Florida. The beach was a place he thought everyone should be able to experience just once. “How would we get there?”

“There’s a tortoise that’ll go from here to Pomacea, then one from Pomacea to Haliotis. But it isn’t cheap,” Skye explained, snagging another larva and a swig of dew.

Jack had traveled by tortoise with the girls twice. Snailgirls managed to stick to the shell without an issue, taking turns sleeping on its back as needed. However, without a way to adhere to the tortoise like the rest of his Party could, Jack used the shelved lip of the shell as a seat, held in place by an awkward series of ropes.

“We haven’t been to either of those places together, right?” Jack asked.

“No,” Skye replied through her mug.

“More villages?”

“Yes! Pomacea is in a big lake! It’s amazing!” Mia exclaimed. Her eyes glimmered with joy. “I’ve been there twice. The girls live underwater, but they built a town on the shore for visitors to stay.”

Lina brought their meals, passing them around the table with expert precision.

“Have you been there, Skye?” Jack chewed on the end of a frog bone, then moved to his sautéed…something. He’d been too afraid to ask.

“Yeah. It’s all right.” Skye shrugged. “The expensive part of the trip is the tortoise to Haliotis. It’s a week from Pomacea, and the trip is pretty damn dangerous.”

“I thought you said you hadn’t been,” Jack countered.

“You may not believe it, but word travels fast around here,” Skye snapped. “Maybe there is something we do that’s faster than you.”

“Skye,” Mia chided gently, nudging her with her shoulder. She turned to Jack. “I’m sure you’ve noticed; there are a lot of girls that travel in and out of Lymnaea.”

“Yeah. I think I’ve been darted by every girl in Molluscia,” Jack replied. Travelers usually found him before he found them.

“Pft. Far from it.” Skye laughed. She drained her mug and waved to Lina.

Mia cleared her throat. “A-anyway, Lymnea is kind of in the middle of a lot of big cities. So, we hear a lot of stories about traveling. Even if we haven’t been there, there’s almost always someone here who has.” She picked at her salad, occasionally grabbing one of the wriggling appetizers as a chaser.

“Makes sense.” Jack had heard plenty of tales of other countries in Vegas. But that was a fast-paced city with bipedal humans, cars, airplanes, and trains. Not snailgirls on tortoises. Their mobility still seemed so limited.

“Haliotis is made up of pools spread out along the coastline. Each one has a different district—residential, shopping, adventurers. You name it.” Skye took a drink from her freshly delivered tankard. “When the tide goes out, us land-dwellers can visit.”

“The salt water doesn’t hurt you?” Jack wondered aloud.

“We should drink plenty of water while we’re there, but otherwise, we’ll be fine,” Mia said brightly. “We couldn’t live in it, of course, but it’s safe to visit.”

“Okay. I’m guessing Pomacea’s like any other town? We can pick up Quests if we need the extra cash?”

“We shouldn’t need too much extra cash.” Skye’s words were beginning to slur. She called for another drink, and Jack didn’t bother stopping her. She’d certainly earned it. “Unless you plan on gambling it all away.”

“You’re deeper in your cups than I was in my gambling, Skye,” Jack challenged with a grin.

Skye’s eyes widened, and her lips pulled into a thin line, quirking up at the corners. “Seems someone else here doesn’t know his place.”

“Oh? I—shit,” Jack cursed as the familiar pinch sunk into the curve between his neck and shoulder. How Skye managed to move without him seeing, he couldn’t say.

“Skye!” Mia squeaked, looking back and forth between the satisfied [Void Walker] to Jack. “You said you’d warn him next time!”

“Whatever. He owes me,” Skye said.

“Dammit, Skye,” Jack grumbled, finishing off his mug and waving down Lina for another. He’d have to drink fast if he wanted any more.

The love darts resembled tiny needles no longer than a couple of inches. The girls pulled them from behind their ears at their hairlines and aimed for the throat or hips of their victim. It didn’t hurt much—just a small pinch like getting a shot—before dissolving beneath the skin. Sometimes, if he’d had one too many to drink, Jack didn’t know it’d even happened until it was too late. The problem was what came next.

It started as a slow trickle of warmth from the area he’d been darted, like taking a straight shot of whiskey and feeling it run through his veins. Then it messed with the senses. Things tasted better, the setting took on a golden sheen, and he could smell the faint perfumes off of Skye, Mia, and any girl that walked past their table. Everything was so sensitive; even a slight breeze against his skin made him shiver.

Jack looked at Skye, and it was like answering a siren’s call. His gaze flickered over her body, drinking in every inch. The rising and falling of her chest, the hint of flesh showing beneath her tank top, what was hidden beneath that skirt—   

Skye smirked. She knew exactly what he was going through—she’d done this countless times before.

“Better add yours if you want in, Mia. We don’t have much time,” Skye said, tracing the lip of her mug with one long finger, then sucking away the drops of dew.

Jack’s breath caught. He wiped his face with one hand and groaned.

“B-but— I d-don’t—” Mia stammered, blushing furiously.

“Go ahead, Mia. At least that’ll make this worth it,” Jack growled.

Skye cackled. “Big words for a man leering at me like his next meal.”

“Jack, are you sure?” Mia whimpered.

All I’m sure about right now is where I want Skye’s mouth. Images of a naked Skye in a dozen erotic positions flashed like a slideshow behind Jack’s lids. His trousers tightened uncomfortably, and a trail of sweat slid down his spine. “Yes, I’m sure.”

“All right.” Mia slid a dart from behind her ear and gently slid it into the dip of his shoulder.

Every erotogenic sensation doubled down. The air felt heavy and thick, impossible to breathe. Mia’s soft skin and sweet voice joined Skye’s hot tongue and low growls in his salacious visions. If he opened his eyes, seeing them right there in front of him only gave a realistic weight to the fantasies.

“Lina,” Jack called, breathless, waving down the waitress.

Lina off-loaded a round of drinks to another table before answering his call. Has she smelled that good all night? It only took one look at Jack’s flushed face to know what had happened. Mia’s furious blush and Skye’s smirk weren’t helping.

Lina rolled her eyes. “You couldn’t get him home first?”

“Sorry,” Mia squeaked.

“You’re one to talk, Lina,” Skye countered. “You got a key or not?”

“Don’t get your tail in a twist. Here.” Lina fished an iron key with a red ribbon from her pouch. “The red room’s available.”

“Great, thanks.” Skye snatched the key from Lina’s hand.

Lina hesitated. “Jack, I don’t suppose you have space—”

“No. We don’t.” Skye pushed her plate to the edge of the table.

“Thank you, Lina,” Mia murmured, unable to meet the waitress’ eyes.

With one last long look at Jack, Lina nodded and returned to her other tables.

Jack felt ready to claw his way out of his own skin. He wanted to rake his hands through Skye and Mia’s hair and down their backs. He needed to hear them scream. After draining his mug, he grabbed a bag of Shells and dumped them on the table.

Skye clicked her tongue and picked through the coins. “See, this is why we’re poor.”

“Because you dart me before I can pay?” Jack grumbled, then licked his lips. His mouth was parched, and beads of sweat gathered on the back of his neck.

“You need to be more careful with counting your Shells,” Skye finished smoothly, taking her sweet time in fingering each coin before setting it in a pile.

Mia leaned sideways and touched Jack’s arm. “Are you all right?” Her hazel eyes were so wide and clear. The pout of her lip shimmered in the glittering lights, and her posture gave him a perfect view down her thin dress.

He hissed in a stream of air between his gritted teeth. “I’m fine. Perfectly…fine.”

“All settled,” Skye said with a nod, topping the pile of Shells with a final coin. She held the key near her face and shook the ribbon. “Shall we?”

They shuffled up the ramp to the second floor. Jack struggled to keep his hands to himself—especially when Skye’s fingertips brushed his lower back or Mia reassuringly touched his shoulder. When they reached the top, Skye moved to the front of the line and found the room with the matching red ribbon nailed to the door. With a quick flick of her wrist, she unlocked the handle and pushed inside. Mia waved a grouping of fireflies inside, and the flittering bugs took their place inside the empty lamps. Their golden glow threw the occupant’s shadows against the wall.

Jack slammed the door behind him and spun the lock until it clicked into place. He tore his tunic over his head, tossing it to the floor, before moving toward the girls. Snatching the hem of Skye’s tank top, he yanked it over her arms and neck, throwing it to join his discarded tunic. She hadn’t bothered wearing a bra.

“Were you planning on this all night?” Jack growled, eyes locked on her smooth chest and dark nipples.

“Maybe.” Skye trailed her fingers down his chest with a lascivious smile.

Every nerve in his body felt like a live wire—triggering with the barest of touches. He shivered. He raised his arm to knead Skye’s breast, but she caught him by the wrist a hair’s breadth from her skin.

“I’m in charge, remember?” Skye purred, tongue still thick with alcohol.

Jack grunted in frustration. “I don’t recall agreeing to that.”

“That’s because you’ve forgotten your place.” Skye nibbled at his fingertips, and he gasped. “Now turn around.”

Jack frowned but did as she commanded. He wasn’t in a place to argue. Mia was there to greet him, her face flushed and breathing fast. Her quivering hands dropped to his belt buckle, and she worked at the latch.

“Why so nervous?” Jack asked, cupping Mia’s delicate face in one hand.

“I’m…I’m not nervous.” Mia bit her lower lip and raised her hungry gaze to meet his. Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. “I’m excited.”

The trace amounts of rationality he’d held onto after the darts vanished with Mia’s voice. As soon as she loosed his belt and fly, Jack stripped her dress over her head and divested her lacy bra. He slid one hand to the small of her back and the other behind her neck before enveloping one hard pink bud with his lips. The sweet taste of her skin and breathy moans made his heart race. He could feel her heartbeat beneath her chest and the goosebumps rising along her flesh.

“That’s a good boy, Jack,” Skye said behind him, discarding her skirt before yanking Jack’s trousers and underwear to his ankles.

He drew away from Mia to free his feet and kicked his trousers to the side. Mia tilted his chin upward, locking her lips to his. Her tongue traced the line of his mouth, and he let her in, drinking in her scent.

They began wrapping him at the same time.

It was a slow, methodical process. Beneath their skirts were more than just their sexes; the outside fringes of their bodies secreted a specialized lubricant that prepped both the giver and receiver in a mating ritual. They wrapped Jack’s lower half in their warm folds, rocking against him while covering him in a slick, viscous liquid.

Mia’s body cradled his cock, soft skin caressing and sliding without resistance while covering him with slick secretions. With each rotation of her hips, the plush lips of her cunt teased against his tip. When he tried to angle his hips to penetrate her, she outmaneuvered him and continued the tantalizing dance. Jack groaned into her throat, massaging her breast with one hand while the other clung to a fistful of her hair. Fuck, just let me in.

“I told you that you’re too fast,” Skye whispered into his ear. “I can feel you trying.” She wrapped her hands around his chest, pressing herself against his thighs. “You should let me go first.”

Jack broke his kiss with Mia. “Then why… why make me turn this way?” he asked, his words catching in his throat when Mia paused, then restarted.

“So, Mia can hold your legs.”

 He furrowed his brow. And then he felt it. A long, slick appendage separated his ass cheeks, sliding her lubricant around the untouched flesh.

“Skye,” Jack hissed. “You’re not serious.”

“If you hate it, I’ll stop.” She bit into his shoulder while Mia kissed and licked at the curve of his neck. “But something tells me you won’t.”

A shuddering throb ran from Jack’s head to his toes. Mia wriggled her hips, sheathing the head of his cock inside her yielding body. She churned him slowly, never allowing him to fully bury himself in her.

Mia released her wrap, sliding forward, welcoming him deeper until her hips kissed Jack’s. White spots speckled Jack’s vision, and his teeth sunk into her shoulder. She moaned in bliss, then reached inside Skye’s wrap and gripped the backs of Jack’s thighs.

“I’m waiting,” Skye purred.

He was dizzy and starving with need. Skye could do whatever she wanted so long as she let him come. “Fine,” he breathed.

“Good.” Skye chuckled as the appendage plied at his opening.

Is that a damn tentacle?

“I’ve wanted to do this for a long time.” Skye inched forward, and the slithering limb penetrated him. “You’re mine, Jack.”

Jack winced, then gasped as Mia lifted his legs around her hips and drew him deeper inside of her. Skye drew closer, her shaft invading further. Their sleek lubrications would have let her shove a fist in if she’d really wanted. It was a tight fit—tighter than Jack inside of Mia. He squirmed against them, torn between the pleasure of Mia and the discomfort of Skye. Just as he was ready to tell Skye to stop, the limb’s heady end massaged against his prostate.

“Ngh!” Jack couldn’t hold back his cry. His body pulsed and twitched as if Skye had tipped him over the edge, but he hadn’t orgasmed. It was a sensation he’d never experienced before. “R-right there,” he rasped.

“Oh? You want me to stop?” Skye teased, thrusting against him again.

“Fuck! No!” He wrapped his legs tighter around Mia, relishing the soaked depths of her body.

“Say please.”

“Skye, b-be nice,” Mia stammered, kissing Jack on the cheek. Her lips felt cool on his face.

“No.” Skye snapped, then clawed her fingernails down Jack’s back. “Say it.”

Being held between his girls and used like a toy should have emasculated him or, at the very least, embarrassed him. Maybe it was the darts, maybe it wasn’t. Jack had already started to memorize every detail of the encounter. “Please don’t stop, Skye.”

“See? Was that so hard?”

“No, but…I—” Jack breathed. Mia’s body teased and tightened, welcoming him deeper every time she exhaled. “You’ve got me on the edge.”

“That’s why we darted you, remember?” Skye said, her breath hot on his ear. “Give Mia all the seed you want. We’re not going anywhere.”

The climax washed over Jack, curling his toes and numbing his lips. Mia leaned back against her shell, still slowly pumping him in and out while Skye continued to fuck him from behind. The dart’s effects ran hot in his blood, keeping his cock rigid and his libido unchecked. Sweat dripped from his spine and dampened his hair. He held fast to Mia, living for her moan-tinted gasps, and relaxed into Skye’s advances.

Mating with snailgirls wasn’t a race; it was a marathon.

Their darts kept him going until they were satisfied. It took hours to bring them to orgasm, and they would wrap him anew whenever necessary. Having both Skye and Mia move and play with him as they wished was a different exertion than Jack was used to—less physical work but submitting to the girls was its own mental gymnastics.

Though, the longer he remained sandwiched between them, the easier it was to let himself be used.

The wet, erotic noises of their coupling echoed in the walls and Jack’s ears. Skye dragged him into another climax, then a third. In the thick haze of pleasure, he lost track of time.

“I-I’m coming!” Mia squealed, her back arching and grip tightening.

“Come for me, Mia,” Jack murmured.

“Together, then,” Skye said.

Jack shook his head. “I don’t think I—”

Skye sped her rhythm, and Jack gasped. “You sure about that, Jack?”

Not anymore.

“Harder, Jack! Please!” Mia begged.

Jack pushed his knees against her shell and plunged into Mia, bucking against her with the last of his strength. Skye held fast, echoing his movements. Mia’s convulsions and delicious cries thrummed beneath his skin. Skye’s climax exploded inside him, and he reciprocated inside of Mia, quivering as he finally felt the dart’s effects evaporate. The girls secreted a kind of antidote to their own love darts, but only when they orgasmed.

Hell of a way to keep your partner around until the end.

Mia and Skye gently moved Jack to the sole futon in the room, disentangling their bodies before setting him down.

“You didn’t have to carry me,” Jack grumbled, planting his feet on the mattress and pushing himself up to the pillows.

“Next time we’ll drop you on the damn floor, then,” Skye said, lying down on his right as Mia took his left. Their shells remained parked at the edge of the futon, adding colorful swirls to an otherwise brown room.

“Skye,” Mia laughed, turning to face Jack. “Holding you like that was fun,” she murmured, brushing a strand of his dark hair away from his face. She blinked, then blushed. “I-I mean, if you liked it. I’m sorry if you didn’t.”

“I think I did.” Jack yawned, reaching for one of the stacked blankets on the futon’s side. “Still figuring that out.”

“Did I push you too far?” Skye asked in a rare moment of genuine kindness.

“No. I enjoyed that. Maybe too much.” Jack flicked the blanket from its folds and rested it over the three of them. While they usually slept standing up, the girls enjoyed cuddling him while he slept. He wasn’t about to tell them no.

“No such thing as too much enjoyment,” Skye countered.

Jack chuckled and kissed her forehead. “You would have been right at home in Vegas.”

“Mm. I’m still glad you came here instead.” She wrapped an arm around his waist.

“Me, too!” Mia exclaimed, earning her a kiss on the cheek.

“That makes three of us.” Jack closed his eyes and listened to the sound of their breathing as he drifted off to sleep.