《Conquest Of The Fallen: Dark Dominions》


 Chapter 1: Liliths Gambit

    [?? Exile Of The Gods ¨C ELUVEITIE.]


    Israfel Bl¨¹dthirste, a blood Prince of [Hel realm] lifted his golden eyes to the colonnades of ck pirs that framed the Colosseum''s arena.


    This was to be his battleground for the night''s spectacle¡ªgrandly grim, with not an ounce of humanity in the eyes of the gathered crowd. Luckily for him, there was no day in Hel. Night was long and constant.


    The stadium held over a hundred thousand seated horned patrons, eager for the blood and death to begin already. As Rafel stood behind the heavy metal gates leading into the arena, he could see clearly the bloodthirst rising up the various levels of the Colosseum, like thick smoke from a burning corpse.


    Thousands of demons awaited his entry. His name already rang out their lips into the dismal red sky above.


    "Hail Israfel! Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste. Blood. Give us blood. Give us some fucking BLOOD!!!" They yelled.


    Rafel beheld silently the wraiths, floating like sentient shadows up above the seated wave of other demon factions. There were the Hellbabies on the lowest tier of the stadium, screaming for blood with the Bonereavers whose angr heads were misshapen and bald.


    The middle level of the Colosseum sat the Reapers, the Maulers, and Berserkers, all of them C-rank and above. Slitted crimson eyes stared out onto the sands as the twelve-feet devils knocked their knees together in impatience. The fingers tapping on their legs were contorted, with ws dripping in ck poison that stung harder than the tail of one of Magda''s pet scorpions.


    Rafel raised his strange amber eyes still. Up to the topmost rung of the arena where the true patriarchs sat.


    The Fallen.


    This was his ss¡ªor at least he hoped it would be if he could graduate his status as Apollyon, level up into the Supernatural [S-rank] tier where the Hell Principalities were currently seated.


    Rafel was yet a Hell Lord. And though being the only Apollyon to ever exist in Hel''s sordid history, the distinguished Burning One, he could not mount the tier of The Fallen. That was where the bosses sat. Bosses like his Aunt, Lilith, and his two uncles, Asmodeus and Lucifer. And yes! The Lucifer.


    It didn''t hurt to have the legends of Hel as family. Not at all.


    As seventh in the Infernal Bloodline, Rafel was birthed ny nine percent Fallen. He had no idea where the other six before him went but clearly only he had survived been born in a pool of literal fire.


    "Thed''s special," Many did say when he was born. He was cradled like a gold dragon''s egg until his skin, burned ck from theva pool healed into a lively pale pallor.


    Pale is fucking tan in Hel, and so he was beautiful.


    His wet nurses, a bunch of devoted cow Subi, did marvel at his attractiveness. Even as a wee babe, Rafel was healthy. And though he was birthed in the ckest pits of the Abyss itself, he looked as one who was pulled from the loins of an archangel. Upon sight of his polished red hair, he was named Israfel.


    Bl¨¹dth?rste came in some dayster when he''d strangled the Hellcat provided him as a Familiar.


    Bl¨¹dth?rste, being Hebrew for Bloodthirsty.


    Rafel''s birthright was 10, 000 souls to his name, a generous gift from Uncle Lucifer to his simple novice arcane rune. Even a full-grown B-rank Mauler wouldn''t boast a myriad souls. However, this didn''t mean Rafel was pampered.


    Growing as a young Hell Royal, he didn''t much give a fuck about family. His parents, he did not know. Nor did he care. In Hel, no one gave a shit about mortal proclivities like that. Living century after century guaranteed a Hellion was most likely going to fuck a member of his or her immediate family at some point.


    Lord Morningstar had many of his daughters as Courtesans. You wouldn''t know if they stood together in a room, because they looked exactly the same age¡ªgive or take a few hundred years. A perfect hellish couple. And so Rafel, as soon as he left sucking on the tits of his favorite Subus, at six, was pushed for the first time into the Arena.


    His first adversary had been a Hellhound, a Hellbaby not even Rank C. Still formidable for a six-year old though.


    Every Hellion present that night remembered the little redhaired Apollyon severing the neck of the hound like a twig, breaking every single limb afterward, and then proceeding to suck out the poor dog''s crimson aura into his. The crowd roared, "Little Lord Bloodthirsty!"


    And the name stuck.


    Rafel currently had over a million souls to his arcane rune, which appeared as a pendant-like tattoo over his left breast. Against his heart that he had heard beat not once. It was not muchpared to Uncle Asmodeus'' half a billion. But it was a lot more than the strongest Grim Reaper could boast.


    Being entered into Hel''s high society by reason of birth came with its excessive, sinful privileges.


    Rafel lost his virginity at ten in a tent by a redke to six Subi¡ªnot excluding his wet nurses. Rafel remembered their breasts as prodigious. He remained by theke for many nights,mitting to utter adulterous fuckery, and thinking no wonder the adult Princes made excuses to slip a Subus into their bedchambers every other minute.


    Fucking was great. But blood...blood was an unquenchable thirst of his.


    Rafel lived for the moments at the Arena. In the bloodied center of violence. Chaos in the demonic scarlet eyes as thousands of devil factions watched him decimate an entire n of Bonereavers or shatter to bits the hammer heads of Maulers. He felt the glory of death iparable to any other hellish pleasure.


    But the surface on the other hand? Earth was a different matter entirely.


    Rafel Bl¨¹dTh?rste had never visited. But he''d heard stories.


    He admitted he couldn''t care less about the other details of their bright world save that of thesses whose skin were milky white, not cherished blue like that of the Subi or deathly pale like his Aunt Lilith.


    It was no secret to his revered family of Principalities where his inclinationsy, which was to ascend to the Kingdom of Eldoria; thend of the golden sun, enchanting witch magic, and green fertilends. It was Lilith who felt mostpassionate about his dreams.


    And so when she''d offered a trade, saying,


    "Dear Israfel, I know how much you delight in the realm of those feeble mortals. I did live up there for a while as you know. I can tell you there''s nothing fascinating about them¡ªtheir untainted blood maybe. But nothing else.


    However, I see in your beautiful eyes you seek to journey there. Perhaps...to fuck their women, see if they break! So, how about a familial Quid pro quo? You help me take out a little problem in the Colosseum, and poof, I portal you to the surface."


    Rafel didn''t have the frame of mind to say no.


    His Aunt was Lilith Firstborn, one of the greatest Principalities. A Fallen a hundred times his age. She held up a card to his face at her speech. It glowed purple with a dreary halo.


    It was her gambit.


    Lilith was one of the few who had the ability to grant him tenancy on Earth. To deal him one of her fancy deathly cards.


    She had made her y. It was his move now.


    As it turned out, her ''little problem'' was the me-breathing Beserker, Agaliath.


    Agaliath was a B-rank Hell Lord. He was Lilith''s favorite hitman¡ªamongst many. And sure, his Aunt could easily grant him the card without fuss or favor, it just wasn''t in the nature of any Hellion, great or small, to be generous.


    Rafel had no idea what the fuck Agaliath had done to piss off the Queen of the Night. It could be anything from owing a meagre soul to not licking her clit right. Who knew why Principalities did what they did?


    Once, Moloch the Destroyer had poured his deadly acid melt on an entire Reaper family just because the fourteen year old granddaughter refused him a one-night stand.


    Unfortunately for Agaliath, Lilith had chosen Rafel to be her Champion.


    Now, Agaliath was powerful in his own right. Ten feet of solid red muscle and eyes that could detect the weak point on any object. But Rafel was Hell''s current Champion.


    665 consecutive wins in 665 battles.


    His kill streak was frightening.


    To Rafel, the Berserker on the other end of the opposite gates was the only thing between him and the fantastical Empire of Eldoria¡ªand their creamy chicks.


    He blinked once behind the steel doors as the announcer for the games stepped out onto the arena. A smattering of entrails left by the loser in the previous fight dragged on the sands. But the announcer, a Familiar called Staplehead didn''t seem to mind at all. He stepped right into the bloody mess, squishing the rush of intestines under his heavy ck hooves.


    Rafel noticed the Familiar had a long battle-axe for a head.


    His cut was very trim too.


    "Looking sharp, mate!" He joked to himself.


    Finding the breastte of his shadow armor, Brimstone, Rafel stroked the onyx metal, reveling at the feel of cold iron. "I was born for this. I was born for metal. I was born for blood!" He pumped into the air thick with soot.


    Some demons must''ve staked a poor sod to a pyre nearby.


    The Colosseum smelled like burning flesh.


    "From the left side of our charge," Staplehead began his announcement. "We have a Titan!" The gates began to grate open. "A Beserker. We have AGALIATH!!!"


    The roars from the crowd were sorry at best.


    Above, Agaliath''s power rank shimmered into the air as arge screen glowed amber in the open area.


    [PROWESS: B-rank Beserker.]


    [ARCANE RUNE: 6 000 souls.]


    [SYSTEM: Scarlet me Breath. Mammoth''s Death Paw. Ability to see weak points.]


    [WEAPON OF CHOICE: Spiked Club.]


    [KILL STREAK: 143/143]


    [PATRON DEITY: Jaeger.]


    [RANK: Nil.]


    The demon, Staplehead, announced again as Agaliath pranced the arena. "This adversary needs no introduction. He is a true contender. He is our current Champion. Our Apollyon. With six hundred, and sixty five consecutive wins, let the horns re for Hell Lord ISRAFEL BL¨¹DTH?RSTE!!!"


    Rafel watched in mild amusement as the entire stadium rocked to their feet, stomping webbed feet and hooves to his entry. As he stepped out from under the raised gates, the dull red sun glinted off his armor. Up above, his battle status shimmered gantly for all to see.


    [PROWESS: Rank A Hell Prince.]


    [ARCANE RUNE: 1 090 000 souls.]


    [SYSTEM: Shadow Wielder. Gray Serpent Symbiote. Runic Summoning System. Ability to shape shift into ck Death Behemoth.]


    [WEAPON OF CHOICE: Longswords, curved des.]


    [KILL STREAK: 665/665]


    [PATRON DEITY: Atropos.]


    [RANK: Hel''s Apollyon.]


    Beyond, across the blood-soaked sands, Agaliath roamed his end, trying his best not to look up at the red glinting light of his adversary''s prowess. He wondered how such a mortal-looking fellow much smaller than he, could weave such a distinguished power system.


    The games announcer, Staplehead moved to say something else but someone in the flood of spectators angrily tossed him what appeared to be a skull¡ªwhat passed for a drinking goblet among the hellions.


    "Fucking let them fight already, you axe-headed cunt!" A yell boomed out. "You''re giving me blue balls here, prick!"


    Beside the yelling demon, a red-skinned Subus with one horn broken and her big tits out remarked amicably as she stared forward at Rafel in his shadow battle armor. "Hellhounds fuck better than these lot out here. But Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste now? I hear he''s demented. I don''t care if he''s fucking retarded. Crazy sex is the best sex.


    Bet he has the cock of a Centaur devil!"


    Rafel was spared the lewdmentary as a particr figure rose on the highest levels. It was his Aunt, Lilith. And beside her, at her right, were both uncles, Asmodeus and Lucifer. The noisome din quieted at her rise.


    Tonight, Lilith was wearing purple skin. She could change her skin color to whichever she wanted, sensual red or erotic caramel or ghastly translucent¡ªdepending on her mood. It made the Wailing Widows insane. Her midnight gown streamed behind her as one of her nine hundred ves bent prostrate at her feet.


    Lilith climbed up his back like it was the most normal thing to do. And even when her heels dug into the man''s back, drawing blood out hismoner''s cloak, all he did was bite his lip.


    With a single resounding p, she began the fight.


    "DIE! YOU FUCKING PRINCELY CUNT!"


    With a great bellow, Agaliath fell on Rafel, charging like a hell-bull. The single horn protruding out the center of his forehead sliced through the air in a double aerial attack with his club.


    Rafel easily sidestepped both blows. Not even bothering to parry the hits, he plunged both his swords into the sands of the arena, watching them stick and stand straight. Now behind a shocked Agaliath, he said, "Let''s make this quick now shall we? I have an engagement tonight I can''t miss."


    "You slippery fucker!" Agaliath turned in rage. But he was two secondste inshing out.


    Rafel grabbed hold of his giant Beserker head, pulling him down to his level and cracking his head in a ghastly sound that made the spectators roar in disbelief. Agaliath''s trunk limbs dropped. His spiked club met with dirt. His head turned a frightening 360, red eyes lifeless. He crashed to the arena on his knees, before Rafel.


    "Bloodthirst! Bl¨¹dTh?rste! Bloodthirst!" The crowd chanted.


    Gripping hold of his jaw, Rafel ripped the Beserker''s head clean off his neck. With his bare hands. Fresh cold demon blood doused him like a fountain.


    In the midst of a roaring hellion fanclub, madly fucking each other in bloodlust, he raised his amber eyes up above levels of ensuing orgies to the Principality who had demanded the kill. What was it she''d said again?


    Right.


    "Quid pro quo!" Israfel mouthed to his Aunt.


    Up above, his infernal system lit with a reddish slurping sound, upgrading his arcane rune to a million and ny six thousand souls, Agaliath''s levy added to his. His new kill streak, 666.


    Later that night, in a hollow cavernous room far away from the Colosseum, on the high perch of Lucifer''s dark castle, Rafel stood in the pale luminance of the room with his two uncles and aunt. Lilith had the glowing purple card in her hand again, and flipped it into the air with a cold smile.


    "Well, a deal''s a deal, Dear Israfel," she said.


    The card burned brightly in the air, spinning with an iridescent purple shine that brightened the entire room for a few seconds, before dulling mildly. In the ce of the flipped card stood arge door.


    A portal.


    It ebbed with energy as Lilith''s purple runes danced around it.


    My way to Eldoria, Rafel mused.


    "Before you go, Israfel¡ª" Lord Morningstar said, turning everyone''s attention to handsome raven-haired Lucifer. "A gift for you. She is one of my favorites and trust me when I tell you, I will miss this one."


    At first, Rafel almost thought his Uncle spoke about an object until when out from the shadows fringing the room stepped an exquisite blue creature. Her skin glowed with her mana. Her horns were proud on her head and curved into a ck circle above her midnight flood of hair, very much like a crown.


    "A Subus." Lord Asmodeus put in, as if it wasn''t already very much evident.


    The body of Rafel''s new ve was shaped for pleasure. Curves every fucking where.


    Lord Lucifer touched a hand to her full, warm ass. "Treat her well. And don''t say your uncle never did anything for you." He winked smartly.


    Lilithughed heartily into the room. "Please, Lucifer. You have many more beautiful concubines where this one came from."


    Outside the dark Castle which Hell''s royalty stood, pet wyverns floated up in the distant gray skies, plucking at the dozens of bodies which kept falling in through the storm clouds. Mincemeat for the torture birds.


    Rafel looked to the portal, his shadow armor exchanged for a simpler nightshade cape.


    "I have arranged for an estate for you." It was Lilith speaking. "Though you may be entering into the mortal realm, I do not intend for you to suffer as one. The Eldorian Empire is quite wealthy, so you''ll be fine. Locate the ce they call Emberfall.


    You are its new Earl."


    Lilith stopped speaking for a while, a deeper light entering her violet eyes as she regarded her nephew. Rafel was staring at the portal with wide eyes.


    "Are you sure about this, dearest?" She asked.


    At her tone, Rafel turned to her. He saw the sin cloaked behind mere affection in her eyes. He remembered justst night, when Lilith had grabbed his cock, squeezing like a vise with her hands and choking herself on him. She''d jerked him off, milking all he could onto her face and smiling wantonly as she rubbed his cock head all over her face.


    ¡ªjust before the gambit.


    "I''ll be fine," he said back with a mischievous grin. Then he turned to the blue-skinned Subus, his new ve. "What is your name?"


    Her voice was like someone poured honey down her throat when she replied.


    "Aya Naamah, Your Grace."


    "Nice name."


    Grabbing her hand, Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste for the first time took a step out of Hel.


    The cold waters of an earthlyke immediately swallowed their forms as he walked through the purple shining door. Ake in the mortal realm, of the fantastical kingdom of Eldoria.

 Chapter 2: The Emberfall Estate

    [?? Rock You Like A Hurricane ¨C Scorpions.]


    THE NUANCES OF RAFEL''S DEAL with Lilith filled his head as he swam up to the surface of theke, which the portal had opened into.


    "A hundred years, Apollyon." His Aunt had chirped, her naked breasts sliding against his chest. "A hundred years, and you''re back to Hel. Not a second more."


    Below Rafel, the portal still hung open at the bottom of theke. He watched it shimmer, the silvery runes fading, beforepletely winking out. The magical doorway vanished and frigid water covered over the space where it once was. Hel was gone. And he, Rafel the Bloodthirsty, Hell''s Champion was entering into this new mortal world as an Earl.


    The oblivious mortals didn''t know what wasing to them.


    [Ding!] His infernal system chimed.


    [PROWESS: Earl of Emberfall


    ARCANE RUNE: 1 096 000 souls


    SYSTEM: Unchanged


    WEAPON OF CHOICE: Nil


    KILL STREAK: 666


    RANK: Mortal Earl]


    Just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished in the cold streams underwater. Beside Rafel, Aya Naamah swam without moving her arms. Her sensuous body did the strokes. She slithered upward through water like an eel. The Hell Lord openly stared.


    "You want to see a glimpse of Heaven, my boy? Have a Subus suck you off!" Uncle Asmodeus usually joked.


    Only it wasn''t just a joke. Subi could suck the life essence right out of a man. Literally. Their power ranking rose the harder they were fucked. And the strongest Subi were usually ved to the Principalities. Strong enough that Lord Morningstar''s top ve, Vashti, was S-rank.


    Almost impossible for a Subus to attain. But Lucifer had fucked her to Supernatural.


    Aya was the first to break surface and stepped onto the river bank bare feet. Rafel broke out shortly after.


    The first thing he noticed was the smell.


    Fresh.


    No stench of carcass on the wind. No underlying fragments of ash. Winds that swept sulphur up the nose, and breaths that burned down to the lungs. Just clean, fresh air. Rafel took in great gulps of it, marveling at how the temperature of the surface could ease the tension off his bones like Lilith''s nimble fingers during a massage. The breeze against his wet hair smelled of flowers.


    He had never smelled flowers before.


    In fact, the mere sootless oxygen in Hell went for the price of a Novice Arcane Rune [30 souls].


    There was a moon above, pale as a Reaper''s skin after collecting a soul. And it was full. The light pouring down made theke''s cold water glimmer and shimmered off the bank, moist with the rising tide. Aya held out a hand to Rafel.


    "Your Grace." She offered to pull him out.


    Standing above him, Rafel tried not to stare at the way the soft material of her gown clung to the mounds of her tits and ass. It held snugly between her legs and Rafel wondered if she knew and was just ying naive, or totally ignorant. Since she was a Subus, he opted for thetter.


    Taking the hand offered, he climbed out to the bank. His feet sank into the brown damp earth. And Rafel marvelled at the feel against his toes. The dirt wasn''t stained in crimson or infested in maggots for once.


    He towered over Aya. And she looked up at him with clueless amber eyes.


    The innocence in them could betray her promiscuity to a mortal.


    It was awkward. This was new to Rafel. He''d never had a personal sex ve before. A woman ve. A Subus ve. Lucifer''s hellish castle did have its stewards and dungeon attendants, but those were mostly ugly, unsexual wraiths and Wailing Widows.


    None so fine.


    Aya Naamah was...stupefyingly hot.


    [Ding! System detects a sinful craving.]


    No shit.


    Rafel dropped her hand, cool to the touch like the river. "Thank you. Can you change the color of your skin too?" He said. "We don''t want to shock the mortals. Not yet."


    Aya nodded.


    "And what color would His Grace prefer?"


    Rafel thought fast, a particr fantasy ying into his head. "Light. Light-skinned."


    In the shadows of his grand goth bedchamber in Hel, Rafel would summon in the nearest Subus to attend to his lust as soon as the fantasy entered his head. One night, he could long to suckle on the stupendous white breasts of his Aunt Lilith. Another night, he may desire for some good old skullfucking¡ªwhich his dear auntie may also be open to provide.


    Hell was a ce to enact the darkest, twisted, repressed fantasies.


    He did favor the asional bronze-colored nymphet. But he would admit tonight, on the asion of ascending to the surface, he desired something between. The lovely mix of white and brown.


    Before his eyes, Aya went from a smooth ocean blue to a shade of caramel. And then lighter, but not quite white. "My Lord does approve." She tweeted, reading his smile. And held theplexion. She was fair as the butter of a baguette.


    "Perfect." Rafel said.


    Just then, he heard the sounds of an approaching carriage, rumbling down the forest path that passed before theke. The sound of dry leaves crunching under the wheels sent the crickets chirping. It was deep in the Woods at night, so it had to be a farmer making ate journey back to his vige. The trees whispered in the cool ambiance as Rafel drew into his shadow self.


    ck gold runes danced over his shoulders and head as he pulled mana from his system, melding into the darkness of the bank untouched by moonlight.


    "We need that carriage, Aya. Do your thing." Hemanded.


    ...And he became one with the umbra of a tall, standing Willow.


    Aya Naamah stared at her Lord Master weave into the shadows fringing thekeside. The darkness made him invisible, even to any lurking demonic eyes. She could feel him though. More than the need to fuck him just to up her power level, was the one to fuck him¡ªjust because.


    Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste was a devilishly handsome man. He had the ruthless looks and wicked eyes she could sink into. An infernal nce any Subus would be stupid to shy away from. If she could get away with it, she would take him in her mouth this very night. To blowjob an ugly Hellbaby just to feed was one thing. But to perform aggressive fetio on Hel''s Apollyon?


    Her rankings would skyrocket!


    Lord Morningstar''s was the only aristocratic cock she''d ever had. And how he loved to pat it against her pussy.


    Fucking the divine-level Hell Principality was the only reason she was this young and A-rank already.


    Her entire body throbbed at the mere thought of squeezing an Apollyon inside her. The only Apollyon. She would make it work even if he was a stingy lover. But the re in his savage yellow pupils told her he wasn''t. Dominant, yes! But stingy in bed, nah!


    Her redhaired Lord Master couldn''t be stingy even if he tried. All nes of him turned her on. Her system already screeched to be fed.


    A good, long, and sweaty feed.


    Aya blinked, letting go of her immoral thoughts when the carriage Rafel had spoken about entered her purview. It was a simple wagon make. Wooden wheels and a steel cart atop.


    Silently, she padded two steps away from the river bank. The spot where she stood made cold waterp up her tiny ankles whenever the tide came in. On seeing the light-skinned beauty casually standing before the glimmering water, the carriage''s owner, a returning farmer, dragged unceremoniously at the reins. The wagon of farm produce peeled to a swift stop.


    "Dear Lord God!" The farmer eximed.


    He stepped down the carriage with wide eyes. All his possessions were forgotten in that instant. And he couldn''t for the life of him notice the fiery eyes that stared out from the shadows.


    He was dazzled. Enchanted. Lost¡ªin this strange, beautiful woman.


    Aya had lost her horns too, pulling them into her head when she''d changed skin color. She looked fairly mortal.


    "My Lady, are you lost?" The farmer started for her. The respect in his words didn''t reach his eyes. Lecherously, he gawped at her,mitting her fat ass and wide hips to memory forter.


    "I''m afraid so, kind Sir." Aya yed at her lips with a forefinger.


    The seduction was kindling. Almost suicidal.


    The farmer had reached her and glued his eyes to her wet blouse where her swollen nipples begged at his lips¡ªor so he thought. It was the cold air of earth that had made Aya''s breasts heavy and taut.


    "I seek a ride to Emberfall, kind Sir, if you would be so inclined to help a distressed damsel."


    "The haunted estate?" The farmer''s lips quirked up. "It''s right ahead. But I''m afraid it would cost ye. You see, beautifuldy, the Woods are a dangerous ce to be at night."


    ''Right back at you, mortal.'' Rafel sniggered in the darkness.


    "What cost?" Aya replied, feigning innocence. "Take it. Take whatever you may want."


    Unbelief melted the purity from the farmer''s eyes as he roughly grabbed two handfuls of herrge breasts. "Oh fuck. These tits. These fuckin'' tits." He massaged roughly. "What''s a respected Lady doing alone out in the middle of the Woods, huh? Well, you''re gonna get it!


    You''re gonna get it so bad. Fuck me!"


    The farmer lowered his head, his salt-and-pepper hair brushing Aya''s cleavage as he pushed apart the tease of her gown. His mouth immediately sought out her rose peaks and his tongueshed out in earnest.


    "Yes!" Aya hissed like a serpent. "Take those tits. Suck on them. y with them! Yeah, fuck. Just like that."


    It didn''t matter that her sex partner was a stranger in the bowels of a dark forest at midnight, her eyes still glowed rich indigo. Her lust system was receiving a significant spike. This little session with the mortal wouldst her until she could make Lord Master fuck her with his massive cock.


    The farmer was moaning, now on his knees before Aya at the river bank. He was grasping her ass, roaming, fondling, groping. He squeezed hard on every soft curve of her.


    Perched by the grappling roots of the Willow tree, wrapped in a cloak of night, Rafel allowed the man only two minutes to indulge his lust. And then in a movement only Aya''s demonic eyes could catch, he clicked his fingers for her to end it. However she saw fit.


    Aya nodded once, lowering her eyes to her sexual worshipper below, who now had one of her legs propped up on his shoulder, sucking on her toes.


    "As much as you are an eager lover, servant. I''m afraid this menage hase to an end."


    Before the man couldprehend her words out of his sexual haze, Aya, with a single finger tipped back his forehead. The farmer''s head fell back with a great cracking sound. And when his stiff body met with the river bank, his neck was boneless, twisted to a fatal angle.


    Rafel sauntered out of the shadows to Aya.


    "Nice work!" Hemented, regarding the fresh corpse with a wry smile.


    Aya blushed and corrected her gown, pulling the ck material back over her swaying bosom. Rafel gave the body one final look before kicking it into theke. It soon rose to float over the silvery water, the head facing up, the body, down. In the rising mist, rigor mortis was quick to set in.


    "A Reaper will be here soon enough to collect." Rafel remarked, climbing into the carriage.


    "Hiyah!" Aya took the front driver''s seat, pping the reins and urging on the horses.


    Quietly, Hell Lord and Subus rumbled away. Before long, the forest was silent again, the corpse of the poor farmer left floating under the wan moon.


    The ride was short. The farmer had been right. Emberfall was straight ahead. And in half an hour, Aya found the forest path opening into a wider gravel road that led up to high wrought-iron gates. In yataghan lettering above was the smelted name, EMBERFALL.


    70 000 acres it was.


    ...of misty, ghost field that seemed to effect its own dismal weather.


    Aya led the horses up to the Manor in the distance. Several other buildings were scattered along the residential line, but she guessed this was the Earl''s Keep. It was thergest of the bunch.


    The Manor was colossal. Astonishingly huge. And would be described as beautiful if not for the lugubrious undertones. The artifice was marvelous. A fa?ade equal parts pretty and goth. But silencing its grand exterior was the feel that something or someone who lived here wasn''t entirely human.


    It was haunted alright. By them!


    Since it was Lilith herself who had picked Emberfall, Rafel wasn''t surprised when the carriage pulled under giant fat ckstone pirs with the sculptures of grim gargoyles atop, staring out as if wendigos were just about to emerge from the thick mist beyond.


    It was a tall young woman who answered the door.


    Aya was just about to rattle again the golden dragonhead knockers when the double doors were pulled open from inside. The girl behind it was slender, of a svelte figure, which she hid expertly in her crisp trousers. Her hair of pure silver was shaved on both sides, the middle gelled back in a boyish coif. Her catchy blue eyes were seductively human and shimmered like water in a bowl.


    A sharp gaze like a Hellhound''s. It could scorch the skin right off a cadaver.


    "Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste!" The girl spoke with a linguistic tone. "It''s a pleasure to have you here at Emberfall. I am Coraz¨®n Mortimer, your faithful Chambein. I will also be anything else you desire."


    Cora nced with respect at the entity gging the tall doors. The man was even more intimidating in person. She had heard stories. Beautiful horror stories.


    "¡ªAnd you must be Mistress Naamah. Please!" Coraz¨®n waved them in.


    Rafel looked around in the imposing interior of the Emberfall Manor. The decor was red. Shades of it to soften the walls. But still, expensive royal red. His favorite.


    Coraz¨®n and Aya bonded instantly, making small talk as Rafel roved silently in the wide foyer. Lilith didn''t tell him she was gifting him a Castle. The Emberfall Estate was a lordly signory. He didn''t care to wonder who the previous Earl was or what he had done to piss off The Fallen that not even one of his oil paintings graced the walls of the house.


    Pity, Rafel mused.


    His Auntie had made good on her deal.


    Emberfall was luxurious.


    Rafel turned on his heel from the intricate ssh of golden light across the Kevlir tiled floors, resplendent, as if cleaned with a cat''s tongue.


    "So, you''re one of Lilith''s pets then? A human servant?" Rafel enquired.


    It wasn''t unlike his Aunt to keep a few mortals handy. She hadn''t quite gotten over them after living amongst them briefly in thest millennia. But Cora''s reply shocked Rafel.


    "I''m afraid not, Your Grace. I merely practice the Dark Arts. Her Eminence, Lilith Firstborn, Lady of the Night, is Matriarch of my coven. And so, I am utterly grateful to hold presence with her most beloved nephew. It is my sincere honor to serve you, Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste."


    A mistress of the Dark Arts was not ''mere'' anything. In fact, the highest of levels, the Supreme Sorceress was A-rank Hell tier, and could even attain Supernatural status in death if a Principality gifted such an Epic Arcane Rune. Sorcerers were the strongest arcane users of the mortal realm.


    Inwardly, Rafel was d he had one as a Chambein. A Knockout too. He said nothing though.


    Rafel would be the first to admit he had many enemies. Juggernauts of Imperial Hel with vengeful spirits who felt he owed them a pound of flesh for killing their loved ones in the arena. Take Agaliath''s seven concubines for instance. Two of which were Wraiths. So it didn''t hurt to have extra ammo around.


    Who knew when Agaliath''s Hell Bride would suddenly appear over his roof, demanding blood?


    "Weapons System?" Rafel asked, starting out across the luminous foyer.


    "The Manor is upgraded to a sentient Haunting ability. We have dungeons for trespassers underneath. A keep for Hellhounds a mile away. A pool of crocodiles to keep off the mermaids. And a small kingdom of fairies in the orchard. All of whom have sworn fealty to you.


    The arsenal rating of the Manor is ranked moderate. Spears, shields, ck daggers, and swords. Most umon. Some rare. Few, legendary." Coraz¨®n replied intelligently, walking with Rafel as she talked. "Is this about your Brimstone armor, Your Grace?


    You left it behind in Hel. I can have it''s like fashioned here. But you''ll have to level it up to its legendary status."


    [Ding!]


    [WEAPON SYSTEM RANKING: Common - Umon - Rare - Hallowed - Blessed - Legendary - Epic - Divine.]


    "Thank you, Cora," replied Rafel. "That is thoughtful. Do that. And while you''re at it, get your fellow coven brethren to up the Wards. Aya and I slipped through it easily. We do not want any unspoken-for intruders now, do we?"


    "No, Your Grace." Coraz¨®n stopped and bowed at the foot of the grand spiral staircase. "Once again, Your Grace, wee to Emberfall!" She said.


    Rafel nodded, sneaking a smile over her Tomboy appearance. "I''ll be in my chambers."


    Aya and Cora stuck to the foot of the stairs, watching him ascend. His gant strides did not go unnoticed to both women. It was at the top that Rafel turned. A hand gripping the gilded banister, he beckoned to Aya Naamah.


    "Well,e on, ve!"


    This time it was Coraz¨®n Mortimer who sneaked a smile under the Earl''s roman nose, as the fair Subus rushed up the stairs after him. Cora could smell the sex in the air already.

 Chapter 3: Fairy Demands—Kill Me A Striga

    [?? Lacrimosa ¨C Mozart Requiem.]


    HIS GRACE, ISRAFEL BL¨¹DTH?RSTE, the new Earl sat in arge baster-white wfoot tub filled halfway up with warm water doused in red rose petals. The crimson juice of the flowers seeped into the milky water, like blood flowing freely from a ruptured vein. Rafel smiled in the bath. He would have it no other way.


    Behind him, Aya Naamah was on her knees, bent over the tub. She had in her tiny hands his slick wave of red hair. Damp with water, she squeezed softly before reaching out to pick up the carefully folded towel beside her.


    "His Grace has such beautiful hair," sheplimented. "Long and red and full, like a lion''s mane. Might I apply the scented oils to it?"


    "Go for gold, ve!" Rafel let out as a deep purr.


    He was still smiling. Behind, Aya blushed at his used of the word, ve. To the gorgeous Subus, there wasn''t a term of endearment finer. To be called a Hell Lord''s ve was the wish of every of her kind born into Hel''s society. Rafel knew this and happily humored her.


    She took his loosened manbun in her hands and poured out a syrupy fragrant oil from an expensive crystal bottle. She began to massage into his scalp, and Rafel sighed in the tub.


    Unfortunately,st night, nothing had happened. No sooner had he stepped into his room was he fallen on the great Alexandrian bed, the lights winking out in his head. Aya had been briefly put out, but quickly padded to the four-poster, pulling byzantine sheets over her Lord Master and drawing the curtains so he could sleep undisturbed.


    Nevertheless, she was undeterred in her pursuit of a deep hunger only he could salve.


    "Such a nice curve." Aya remembered thinking to herself when she had stolen a final nce at the upshoot of Rafel''s erection. "He would hit all the angles perfectly, bringing utmost pleasure and superior rise in my rankings."


    She just had to have him.


    Presently, Rafel studied her in the long oval mirror which he had ordered be ced strategically in front of the bathtub. She treated his hair like it was a beam of sunlight caught magically by fairies.


    Rafel did admit he liked what he saw in the mirror. He wasn''t narcissistic. He didn''t see himself as such. Because he''d known the man himself¡ªNarkissos of Greece. Men had been self-lovers long before Narkissos decided it was way better to fuck himself than have another person do it. Either way, Rafel was beautiful.


    And beauty was a thing he admired.


    The door to his grand bathroom with the shiny opal walls received two raps from behind.


    "Come in!" Rafel called, groaning in delight at Aya''s wonderful ministration.


    The door peeled in soundlessly, and Coraz¨®n stepped in. She walked forward until she was standing just beside the mirror Rafel was staring at. When he turned his amber eyes to her, a wicked smile yed at his red lips.


    Cora looked extra spicy this morning. Maybe a little androgynous for his tastes, but the appeal was there. Her proud white top further brought out her blue eyes. She reminded him of the Germanic warrior Shield Maidens. Lovely folk, those lot! They fucked like champs.


    Coraz¨®n didn''t look him in the eye as she spoke.


    "If His Grace would prefer, I could wear skirts instead."


    "What!" Rafel smirked. "Please no. I rather love the pantaloons. I can stare at your pert arse in them."


    Cora smiled a bit at his joke. She wasn''t rebuffed. The Earl was a red-blooded Hellion. Flirting was their nativenguage. Rafel on the other hand found her Tomboy tendencies intriguing. At least she knew her ce.


    Cora wasn''t garrulous or masculine. She was just her.


    Besides, Rafel mused that it didn''t hurt to imagine her with the perfect little pussy under her dark pants. Imagining the swish-swish rap of the figure-hugging denim between the crack of her butt gave him great dark pleasure.


    "Nope. I like you just the way you are." Rafel finished.


    It took a while for Coraz¨®n to school her blush. And when she did, she began a detailed exnation of the Earl''s schedule for the day.


    "I''ve employed the services of a Rank B Knight, my Lord, for sparring sessions should you need it. Several virgins from the neighboring vige of G¨±ndlheim have also been procured to up the Blood Bank. You have no meetings set up for today. But this arrived early at dawn for you, Your Grace."


    Coraz¨®n paused in her speech, handing over a small letter with an unbroken seal of gold.


    "It''s a letter...from the Queen."


    "The Queen?" Rafel sat up in the bathtub, water sloshing down his body, and his ginger hair dropping from Aya''s grasp.


    He tore at the letter. And both Coraz¨®n and Aya tried not to stare at the movement of his glistening biceps and the push of a massive penis bobbing in the rosy water. The Earl was well-endowed, thought Cora. Right now, she was the thirsty one. Not for blood though. But for hot, salty cum.


    She cleared her throat. "What does it say, Your Grace?"


    Aya Naamah rose from behind and moved to stand beside Coraz¨®n. They watched the Earl in silence, waiting for a response.


    "Apparently," said Rafel a beatter. "I''ve been invited to ate evening soiree the Queen is hostingter today. I''ve been listed as the Enigmatic Earl of Emberfall."


    Rafelughed darkly, passing over the thick ck invitation card to the young women. Coraz¨®n regarded the card with a wry eye. Sure, it was addressed to ''The Enigmatic Earl of Emberfall'' in pure gold cursives.


    "His Grace has already made an impression on the Eldorian High Society in just a night of his ascension." Aya remarked. "Will you be attending?"


    Rafel thought of it a moment. It was yet early to traipse around fickle mortals. But not too early to up levels by raising his power ranking. Leaving Hell for earth, he had forfeited for a hundred years his Rank as Apollyon. Thankfully, he still had his system, Arcane Rune of over a million souls, and his divine infernal bloodline.


    Devil knew he couldn''t afford to be without a bloodline in the mortal realm!


    A Hell bloodline costed an astronomical round figure of 10 000 souls. And that was just a Rare one.


    Rafel had a million souls stipend, and sure he could visit the Mage shop here on earth to purchase the necessary items to make leveling up easier¡ªperhaps another legendary armor like a Phoenix Gold one. But no. Rafel believed in earning his artifacts in blood.


    If it wasn''t born of blood and battle, the wielder was not worthy.


    So he much preferred to fight and murder his adversaries to im theirs. Years in the arena of Hel taught him to love blood as much as his next breath. Bl¨¹dTh?rste wasn''t just a name. It was him.


    Fuck the Mage shop!


    But to answer Aya''s question, Rafel lifted his eyes to both women. "Yes. I will be attending," Rafel said. "If the Queen of Eldoria wants a meet with the Enigmatic Earl, a demon is what she''ll be getting."


    Rafel watched Coraz¨®n smile darkly. The witch!


    "It''s seven hours till the set time. Should His Grace change his mind, I could make it seem like the letter was lost in the wind, or that it never even left the Royal Castle." Cora offered.


    Rafel rose from the water with a lopsided grin. "As much as that brings me grim joy, dear Coraz¨®n, this is one party I''ll have to attend."


    Cora looked down the majestic ripples of the Earl''s giant stature, scented water sweeping down his legs in shiny pebbles as he stepped out the bathtub. He towered over her, and she was tall. His cock, potent and girthy pointed straight ahead. Aya was holding out Rafel''s crimson bathrobe but she didn''t offer it.


    Not yet.


    Rafel stood fully nude before both women.


    "Does His Grace desire anything first?" It was Aya who spoke. She stared tantly at his erection, heavy and slimy in drying suds.


    "Is my ve offering?" Rafel chuckled.


    Neither Coraz¨®n or Aya replied.


    "Fetch the nearest virgin to my bedchamber. I require a blood feed." Rafelmanded into the sshy bathroom. Then he collected the bathrobe over Aya''s frozen hands, pounding out with an enjoyablescivious grin splitting his handsome face.


    Two wet cunts needed his attention right now. He could smell their need in the fucking wind.


    But Rafel would make them beg for it. He would punish them. The fucking beautiful she-devils! He was nothing if not a sadistic motherfucker.


    Dusk came quickly to Emberfall. And with Coraz¨®n Mortimer waving out the towering double doors of the Manor, Rafel rode out in his new and improved carriage with his trusty Subus at his side in the plush interior. The carriage was a fine one. Rafel had no idea just how rich he was.


    But Cora had mentioned something about the Legatus of Rocasus, a nearby military state asking him for a loan to fund his armies.


    Rafel put it at the back of his mind to considerter. Investment in warfare was a good line of thought.


    During the ride, he turned his eyes to his date for the night.


    Aya Naamah.


    The evening breeze filtering in through the open windows caressed the d¨¦colletage of her low-cut midnight one-piece. But it didn''t need to emphasize anything about those tits. She had some pretty nice knockers.


    Sitting asely as she was, no one would ever guess she was Lucifer''s former pet adopting a mortal visage. No horns. No blue skin. No dripping pussy.


    Rafel himself was gantly dressed, courtesy of his river eyed Chambein. He loved the obsidian cks and button-down he wore underneath. But the high-cor overcoat atop, framing his broad shoulders, he did not. It made him look chivalrous. He wanted to say no in the ornate walk-in closet just an hour ago, but the look of adoration in Coraz¨®n''s eyes shut his lips.


    The carriage ride was mostly silent with Aya squirming on the seat, crossing and uncrossing her legs.


    "A Subus could never sit still without something shoved up there." His uncle used to joke. Which of them now, he couldn''t remember. But he''dughed every single time it was said. He still grinned, even now in the carriage.


    Another hourter, the carriage pulled up to a suede red carpet about a mile long, leading up to a smashingly majestic vi. It was white. All glorious white. Even down to the magnolias somehow creeping on its outer walls. It was the paradox to his own Manor.


    The party was already in full swing when Rafel and Aya walked in through the brown oakwood doors ajar, to a room so white it blinded the eye for a minute.


    Rafel instantly regretteding here.


    "The shit I do for these mortals," he gritted under his teeth, rubbing his temples.


    He ached for a dark spot. A shadow. Something. Anything he could slink into and vanish, teleporting back to the Manor and Emberfall''s sprawling darkness. But nothing. There wasn''t a fucking shadow anywhere.


    The room was lit in a thousand candles. And the chandelier above was like a burst of starlight.


    Elegantly dressed Lords and Ladies of Eldoria swished about, making hushed conversation with the asional bawdyughter ringing out. The moment Rafel walked in, all eyes turned. He had been in a few seconds but his footfalls were so silent none in therge room noticed immediately.


    But when they did, they all did a one-eighty with their long aristocratic, powdered necks, turning to stare.


    The women''s eyes glued to the frankly terrifying six foot six beast of a man who seemed to encapste somehow all their fantasies and nightmares in one hulking body. His ttering red hair and ruthless yellow eyes didn''t help. The men''s eyes, on the other hand, were all for Aya Naamah.


    No surprise there.


    Thinking this was the opposite to what he usually felt when being stared at by thousands of hordes in the arena, Rafel deftly sought out the most dimly lit corner of the room. He settled himself beside a tall pir and pulled out the small bottle from his coat''s inner pocket.


    Many in the room would think it a Gentleman''s alcohol. But it was actually a virgin''s blood, graciously filled from a torn jugr by Coraz¨®n thirty minutes before his leaving the Manor.


    Rafel was lost in his head for a while, slurping calmly on his bottle of blood¡ªhe didn''t need it to survive like a vampire, but he loved it, taste and all¡ªwhen a scent like sunflowers and pixie dust, mixed in a healthy dose of fresh rain assaulted his senses.


    "If it isn''t the enigmatic new Earl I''ve been hearing so much about."


    Rafel had to actually look down at the tiny voice. The woman it belonged to wasn''t tiny though. The part of her irises which should be white was unearthly gold. And Rafel instantly knew she was a Fairy. Not the minuscule ones that breeded in his backyard, but the Fae.


    The Queen of Eldoria was Feyfolk.


    She kept talking, her eyes raking his stature slow in open amusement. "Pity...the former Earl. Poor bastard leapt to his death from the Rocasian cliffs. I never liked the man anyway." She lowered her voice. "¡ªheard he preferred cock to pussy."


    Rafel smiled at this for the first time. And the Queen joined him in it.


    So that was how the former Earl met his end. Pity indeed. Suicidal souls were the top currency of Hell.


    "Anyway," the Fae Queen continued. "I am Giselle Nova Imperia. Pleased to make your acquaintance." She held out her hand which Rafel promptly kissed, earning him a sh of sunlight magic in her eyes.


    In Hel, he would never the fuck kiss a woman''s hand. But this was the mortal realm, he understood. There had to be exceptions for a Fae Queen anyway.


    Queen Giselle had skin like snow, heavenly white and spotless. She looked like she was birthed by clouds. And when she gestured to her right, Rafel found his eyesnding on a simr looking lovely woman. The Lady had green eyes full of sin.


    "This is Delia. Or as the masses call her, Countess Penderghast, proud Mistress of the vi in which we stand." Giselle introduced. "She hosts the liveliest parties!"


    Rafel nodded to her. He didn''t kiss her hand.


    "Walk with me," said the Queen, leading the way out into a dark courtyard nked by blooming tulips. Behind, Aya Naamah followed silently. And Rafel found the Fae Queen''s eyes straying to his ve one time too many.


    Giselle stopped below a high archway. Night had fully set in and a full moon parted the corridor in beams of silvery light. "I require a favor," she said, not mincing words.


    Rafel sighed beside her.


    What was it with powerful women and assuming he could take care of all their problems?


    First, Lilith. And now, what was her name again? It had to be treason to forget a Queen''s name.


    "What kind of favor exactly?" Rafel looked down at Giselle''s golden eyes.


    "Nothing much. Just a Striga."


    Aya Naamah chortled behind, a few meters away.


    Exactly! Rafel thought. A Striga was a half-wolf oddity. C Rank, but what itcked in strength and system, it made up for in ferocity. Hellions bet good money to witness a Striga and Hellhound fight to the death. It was rather...bloody.


    "Might I ask why a Fairy needs to do away with a Striga?"


    "No, Earl. You may not." replied Giselle. "You will find the creature at the vi''s backyard, about thirty meters or so from the wards about the house. Handle it discreetly. The Countess is my friend and I would hate for a bloodthirsty shit to crash her party."


    "And pray tell, Your Majesty, why would I do this for you?" Rafel pushed his face near hers.


    Giselle briefly cowered under his smouldering gaze but quickly caught herself. "I hear you have certain...abilities. And you''re new here. You''d need someone to show you around. Who better than the Queen of thend?


    Do this for me, Your Grace, and you might just get yourself a girlfriend for life. You want into Eldorian High Society? Kill me a Striga!"


    A girlfriend, huh?


    Rafel turned over the request in his head. Giselle was right. He did need someone to show him the ropes around here, and Giselle Nova Imperia was his best bet into Eldorian high society. Plus, she''d said favor. It endeared her to him.


    It wasn''t quid pro quo like with his Aunt.


    Rafel didn''t do favors. But for this gorgeous, golden-eyed Fairy...


    "Alright." He muttered.


    "Thank you!" Giselle chirped ebulliently. Then surprised him by leaning in to kiss his impable jawline. She skipped back into the party hall like a teenager.


    Just how old was she anyway, he wondered.


    Once the Queen was gone, Aya slid out from the shadows which she lurked in. Her shapely hips were entuated in the ck satin of her dress and the moon settled it''s light in pools on her cleavage.


    "What are we doing, Your Grace?" She stopped at Rafel''s side, where he stared off into the rolling hills beyond.


    Rafel breathed in deeply the night air which had turned cold. Queen Giselle thought her ask wasn''t profitable to him¡ªat least not directly. But it was. Killing a Striga would up his rank from Mortal Earl to something significantly higher. Since Striga were notoriously dangerous, the Infernal system recognized it a real rare level threat.


    He''d get to swallow up all the souls the half-wolf had eaten and perhaps gain the Hallowed pelt Striga armor. It wasn''t Brimstone, but it was a start.


    Rafel turned from looking out to Aya Naamah, replying her question.


    "¡ªKill a fucking Striga, I guess."

 Chapter 4: Fey Blessing

    [?? Smooth Criminal ¨C Michael Jackson.]


    GISELLE NOVA IMPERIA LAUGHED TO something a braggart Baron was saying. The man''s reflecting golden eyes was undoubtedly faerie. He was her kind. But theughter didn''t reach her eyes. Her smile was quick to dissolve as her gaze rounded the corner to the windows nking the glittery hall.


    Out of the corner of her eyes, she gazed out into the maleficent darkness without, taking a soft sip of her flute of fine Eldorian ale, fabled milk of the gods, as she tried to remain calm and pray to her Wan gods for the safety of the Earl who she might just have sent to his end.


    Giselle knew very well there was a loathsome creature out there. But she didn''t know exactly what species.


    She had only said Striga because it was the first thing that came to mind after she''d seen the shing wmarks in the Woods. She hoped it was nothing bloodier¡ªfor the Earl''s sake. She rather liked the man. Even now, she could see the faintly hued silhouette of he and hisely missus, she assumed, stalking out the grounds of the vi to the spot she''d described.


    "Heaven help them!" The Queen muttered under the rim of her wine flute.


    In the darkness outside the Penderghast mansion, Rafel the Bloodthirsty strode with his ve a few steps behind, down the trimmedwn field that marked the vi''s backyard. The mana in the air dropped the moment he passed over the wards. But then rose again, considerably, when he approached the shadowed treeline Her Fey Majesty had luxuriously pointed them to.


    Whenever the ambient mana level of a ce rose, it signaled the presence of a formidable magical creature.


    Mages didn''t emit mana unless they were locked in battle and using. But say a unicorn? These creatures with magic inherent in them gave off mana like a crystal ball''s radiation. An Archmage could discern the type of creature just by sensing the ambient energy it gave off.


    Since Rafel was no Archmage, he settled with opening his [Third Eye], an epic level ability that granted him visual ess to everything from veins in the earth crust to leylines of magic. Still, as he looked with the greenish vision, he could not draw conclusion.


    However, he doubted a Striga could give off this kind of essence.


    "Look sharp." He called behind to Aya Naamah as they neared the only structure in the thicket of trees.


    It was an abandoned ramshackle Cabin barely standing up straight in the arctic gale. The wooden door was loose nks and hung off its shingles, creaking eerily whenever the wind picked up.


    Rafel looked down, honing the hunter skills he used in Hell when chasing a bounty, to findrge foot imprints in the sand. Gingerly, he lowered the polished shoe of his right foot into the print. The holepletely swallowed it in. And Rafel knew only few men had his bulk.


    So this wasn''t a man.


    He lifted his foot away, noting that the footprints were all spiked at the toe area, like the prints of a wolf. They all showed movement going into the Cabin. But noneing out.


    Rafel stopped walking altogether about ten feet away from the creaking door.


    Aya moved up to take his side.


    Opening his Runic Summoning System, Rafel called for his weapon. But unlike in the arena with Agaliath, he didn''t summon double swords. This time, he pulled out from thin air, his [Demon Grasp] sieving through the mortal ne¡ªa huge broadsword which had length almost as tall as Aya.


    The de of it was double-edged and dripped with deadly swirling ck, doused in the venom of his Serpent symbiote. A single cut demanded fatality. Its middle was run through with a fiery dip that med the entire sword when he wished.


    Rafel let the [Hallowed] broadsword fall to the earth, and merely dropping to the dirt gave off a resounding echo. Sands danced up at his charcoal shoes. Beside him, Aya marveled at how her Lord Master was able to so easily wield a weapon that was clearly her weight in one hand.


    "Alright, then!" Rafel raised his voice towards the Cabin. "You better being out, or I aming in."


    When nothing but the wind moved, Rafel grinded his teeth. He was not going to be made a fool of by a C Rank shit.


    "STRIGA?!" He yelled.


    His voice boomed in the forest, scattering crows perched up in the tall trees, reaching all the way to the vi to turn a few heads.


    Rafel soon heard a scratching sounding out from the Cabin, like the noise of a great beast rising in the looming darkness. "There you are," he scolded grimly.


    "I am no fucking Striga, you hornless arse-wipe!"


    The returning voice was deeply monotonous. More of a roar actually.


    Striga didn''t fucking talk, mused Rafel. They were incapable of sounds other than shrieking and growling.


    Rafel stood solid on his heels as he heard the sound of heavy footfalls on the wailing floorboards. The ursed silhouette of a beast emergingpletely ripped out what remained of the Cabin''s door. And out, into the vestiges of the full moon spearing in nted rays through the forest canopy, stepped a great magical creature.


    Hint! It was no fucking Striga.


    The entire Cabin shook in it''s foundations, crumbling behind it. The cold wind blew the wave of dust into shimmery moonlight.


    Rafel''s mouth was fallen open.


    "Er, Lord Master!" Ayamented with wide eyes. "That is¡ª"


    "A Sphinx."


    Rafelpleted for her.


    As if on cue, the Sphinx let out a strange great yowling. It sounded equal parts bird screech and lion roar. It''s wings fluttered in the clearing, mighty feathers raising up a whirlwind.


    Are you shitting me? He cussed in his head. He would have words with the Fey Queen on his return.


    "Yes! I am a fucking Sphinx!" roared the creature. The way he used the word ''fucking'' sounded like he actually meant ''royal''.


    Rafel didn''t know which he hated most in Sphinxes. Their metaphysical egos, or their damned ability to talk. And the gilded fucker had called him an arse-wipe!


    A Sphinx was a Superior B-rank. It was held above the Beserkers and Maulers, because coupled with its Hell Origins, it had pure untainted magic running in its literal gold veins. It was a creature of destruction and creation. This, made it special, distinguishing it above the other Rank B Hellions. A Sphinx could also fly up to the mortal realm like...whenever.


    They weren''t limited to just possessing humans like most demons. They had grand names like Agrippa and Ashurbanipal.


    Sphinxes were demigods.


    Some of The Fallen even favored them as symbiotes aspared to dragons. And when bonded with a Principality, they became Divine level attractions.


    Rafel was grateful this very one was unbonded. Else, he''d have to summon one of his Uncles ¡ªwhich he''d hate. Still, the animal pranced around like the forest was his nest.


    Knowing it would annoy the creature, Rafel took a step forward, lunging the broadsword up his shoulder. Spills of darkness swarmed him from the weapon''s oozing steel as he chided the Sphinx.


    "You know, Birdy! The only reason a golden ass motherfucker like you would be rutting around on the surface is when there''s no bond. I sense...mommy issues? So what is it, you grew up as the runt of the nest and no one wanted you? Or," Rafelughed. "¡ªYou licked your arse too good those whose would''ve adopted you probably thought you were retarded.


    I''m tired of Sphinxes thinking they''re more of lions than birds. Dragons... Now, dragons are the real deal."


    "YOU LITTLE SHIT!" The Sphinx screeched, further cementing Rafel''s assessment.


    When he caught the I-told-you-so look on Rafel''s face, he rushed out the clearing, golden wings pping, to wipe the smirk off the demon''s fucking face.


    "Fuck you, fatherless whoremonger!"


    The Sphinx threw all of his might in an aerial attack, shooting out with his colossal lion paws. Using the ability, [Lightning Streak], Rafel easily dodged the deadly descent. He appeared to the Sphinx''s eye as a red blur that vanished before his great pawsnded.


    When the Sphinxnded, turning about to search for its adversary, he found Rafel a small distance away, still with a cocky smile. On one shoulder was his fire-breathing broadsword. On the other was his lovely Subus.


    The Sphinx shook the dust off its feathers, saying, "I will wipe the grin off your shitfaced head. I will pluck apart your bones one by one. And then, I will take your sexy Subus and show her just what leonine cock Sphinxes possess."


    Rafel let the Sphinx go on with his talk. Lowering Aya carefully to the ground, he only smiled. It would be polite if not that he showed no teeth.


    "Take cover, sweetie." He addressed Aya who nodded and scampered off behind the nearest tall tree.


    Stepping forward, Rafel let loose his broadsword, brandishing it in the air as the mes roared across the metal,shing out like a bonfire into the night. When he spoke, his voice thundered with the sound of many voices. The marching of a demon horde. He spoke as [Legion].


    "I love the Sphinxes for one thing," said Rafel. "They embrace death with pride."


    His eyes glowed crimson, liquid fire shooting out the sides and dripping down his cheeks asva tears. Seeing the infernal mana nearly bursting through the Earl, the Sphinx rushed out in haste to finish the job. Paws pounding the earth like four hammers, it opened its mouth hungrily for a pound of red Apollyon flesh.


    Rafel let hime, shifting to the side at the veryst second.


    The blow met with air.


    Before the Sphinx could catch himself to attack again, Rafel grabbed hold of both gigantic wings, lifting therger-than-life creature with [Ethereal Fist], a great crimson haloed hand that extended from his free left arm, lifting up the Sphinx several feet high into the forest.


    Rafel twirled it around, giving it a shake several times for good measure, before mming it back down in a bone-breaking crash that uprooted some trees.


    Aya jumped behind the tree where she stood.


    She watched Lord Master climb the severed wing of the magical creature. Still beautiful gold, even in death, the Sphinx coughed up flecks of gilded blood shiny like spun sunlight.


    "Fuck you, Apollyon!" It choked out.


    Rafel''s broadsword descended the next second with a fleshy thwack, decapitating the beast in one strike. "No, you Birdy bitch. Fuck you!"


    Out from the headless jerking body of the Sphinx came pouring out gallons of liquid gold. It was like a damned river. Rafel was drowned in it. The fool couldn''t even be bothered to bleed red, thought Rafel. He knew Adventurers, greedy for riches, who had lost head seeking out Sphinxes in their mountain nests for just a tap from a torn artery.


    "Your Grace!" Aya Naamah was at his side with the speed of a Dragonfly. "Are you okay, my Lord?"


    Rafel hopped off the Sphinx''s still body, rubbing off the most of drying gold from his face.


    "Yes," said Rafel to Aya''s concerned pretty face.


    Lord Master required a reward for his grand fight, the Subus mused. A big-ass reward!


    Rafel and Aya still stood by the Sphinx''s headless body when a secondter, runes began to ascend from the corpse. The glyphs went up in a saintly aura, dancing as letters of pure gold in the air. It was the Sphinx''s mana and essence, leaving its dead flesh to seek out the deathbringer.


    The golden runes began to swarm round Rafel''s body, dusting him in celestial colors.


    [Ding!] His system chimed abruptly.


    [Bloodline detects an astral rise in rankings.]


    [ADDITIONS TO SYSTEM


    SPHINX ARMOR


    Color: gold


    Level: Epic


    ARCANE RUNE: + 400 000 souls, and 1 Origin summoning charm.]


    "Well, shit!" Rafel gloried aloud.


    This leveled up his Arcane Rune to approximately 1.5 million souls. That was a lot in the mortal realm. And now, he could happily add Sphinx Killer to his resum¨¦.


    [Ding!]


    [RANK: Earl (Beast Tamer)]


    When Aya took his gold-bloodied arm and nestled into his chest, Rafel didn''t stop her. He was in a good mood.


    Since the Sphinx was not of the mortal realm, its corpse immediately dposed into bright fragments that dispersed in the wind. The gold, however did belong to earth. And so it remained, yet another bounty for Rafel to im.


    "Let''s get to the Queen, shall we?" Rafel smiled down to Aya.


    Giselle Nova Imperia was already waiting by the shadowed back corridors of the vi. Seeing the Earl and his missus appear out the treeline afar off, she squinted into the darkness. Therge man appeared to have an uncanny glow to his frame. Something that wasn''t there before.


    If anything, Giselle was happy he was alive as she hurried out the yard to him.


    It was near midnight as Rafel approached, and he noticed a few of the hundred windows in the vi were now dark, with curtains drawn. Several of the partygoers must have retired then. He soon found the Queen herself flying out in her blinding gold regalia to him, her profile strangely stark and beatific as she rushed out across the field.


    They met in the middle.


    The moon hid briefly behind a dense cloud.


    Giselle paused, stopping herself from hugging him.


    "Your Grace! You''re okay. Thank the gods!" She sighed. When Rafel didn''t smile, she added. "I''m sorry?"


    Rafel looked at her hard and she noticed his face powdered in gold flecks. His eyes still held an infernal crimson glow. To Rafel, the gods had fucking nothing to do with his victory.


    "That!" He pointed out behind him. "¡ªwas no fucking Striga."


    Queen Giselle regarded him with apologetic eyes.


    "I''m sorry," she said again. "I thought...what was it?" She turned to Aya.


    "A Sphinx, Your Majesty." Aya replied formally. But her tone was curt.


    "Fuck! I''m so sorry." Giselle kept saying.


    But when her eyes roamed back to Rafel, she viewed him in a new light. The man had battled a Sphinx and he was barely sweating.


    Shit! Now she knew he was not just an Earl.


    One had to keep an entity like him close.


    "May I?" Giselle suddenly said.


    Rafel had no idea what she meant to do, but he nodded to her golden pupils.


    The Fey Queen leaned in, lifting on the tips of her toes, nting a kiss on his lips.


    Her mouth was soft and when Rafel breathed in, he smelled mulberries and sunshine. Giselle errantly licked at his lower lip¡ªeven though for the spell she had cast it was not needed¡ªbefore pulling away.


    Rafel narrowed his eyes at her impromptu liplock.


    "It''s a blessing. A Fey Blessing. Whenever you''re in danger, I will be able to feel you. It also grants me ess to your location at such time, and to see through your eyes if the situation demands." Giselle exined.


    Wow! Rafel contemted.


    An Epic Sphinx armor.


    1.5 million souls.


    And a Fey Queen''s Blessing.


    All in one night.


    He was such a smooth criminal among these lot.


    "There''s a gift for the Crown''s coffers about ten feet from a copsed Cabin in the forest. A gift," Rafel stressed. "...for Her Majesty."


    "Well, thank you, Your Grace." Giselle picked up her skirts, dipping daintily.


    "My pleasure, Your Majesty."


    "I do hope to indulge it the next time we meet." The Queen flirted.


    Turning his head with a cold smile, Rafel nodded once and started towards the front of the vi where his carriagey. Giselle didn''t stop staring at his gold-painted apparition until he vanished from her view.


    At Dawn, when shemanded her guards to fetch the ''gift'' the Earl had so generously donated, she found a Sphinx''s loot. But not just any loot, its entire fucking essence. The gold filled three carts and two drums.


    "To the Earl of Emberfall!" She found herself toasting with a smile in privacy.

 Chapter 5: Queen Of The Night [18+]

    [?? Move Your Body ¨C Sia.]


    IT WAS EARLY NIGHT IN EMBERFALL the next day when arge purple portal shimmered onto the far northern grounds of therge estate. The doorway had silver runes spinning around it''s entire length, and a mere momentter, a moon-white carriage burst out of the portal, crashing onto the carpet grass in the mild darkness.


    In the violet luminace from the portal, Lilith''s curvaceous form was lit, standing in her Hel chariot of dark silver.


    Her midnight gown flowed down her tall figure down the back of the chariot like ck viscous blood on a corpse.


    "Yes! This is the ce, Menus!" Lilith spoke to her pet for the night, the Ghostrider whomandeered her chariot. The demon nodded his ming skull head as she continued. "This is my nephew''s abode on the surface. I can feel him, can you? Ugh, Menus!


    Loose the fucking me head, shall we?


    The mortals easily faint with fear at our true forms. You don''t see me walking around as a thirty feet Titan now, do you?"


    Menus, the Ghostrider, and the four Hellhounds pulling the chariot were quickly transformed by a whispered word of dark sorcery into a bald man in a crisp turtleneck and four hulking ck horses.


    "There we go, my pet! Now onward to the Manor." Lilith apuded. "I would love a bite of the Earl tonight."


    Rafel was bent over a desk of books in the spacious study of the Manor when his Aunt was suddenly ushered in by a red-faced Coraz¨®n. Rafel was quick to turn when the scent of dark roses which only bloomed in Hell''s torrid weather, unique to his Auntie alone, filled his nostrils.


    "I''m sorry, Your Grace. I didn''t know she wasing¡ª" Cora was apologizing at the intrusion.


    "That will be all, servant!" Lilith dismissed her with the back of her hand.


    Coraz¨®n bowed somberly, potent worship radiating in her blue eyes. It happened every time she witnessed the Matriarch of her coven. Lilith Firstborn was an intimidating six feet tall of pale sensuous curves and buxom MILF temptation.


    "A¡ªas you wish, my Queen." Rafel''s silver-haired Chambein stammered, quietly shutting the door behind her at her exit.


    "So, you haven''t fucked since you came here." Lilith began without preamble, settling herself into the plush love seat opposite Rafel''s reading desk.


    "I''m not going to ask how you know this." Rafel returned. He tried to avoid the sh of her thick white thighs spilling out the slit of her ck gown.


    But there was no avoiding the Queen of the Night. She was everywhere. Literally.


    Lilith smiled. "Oh you don''t need to, baby. The unsatisfied ridge of your cock tells me enough."


    Rafel gulped under her intense violet eyes. His Aunt was the only woman who made him feel some type of way about his masculinity. She could get a rise from him like a mountain. And could milk the rise like a fountain.


    "Aya Naamah!" Lilith called out the door. "Come in here."


    When the Subus walked slowly in through the door into the Study, Lilith regarded her stoically. "Where the fuck are your horns? Show me some fucking horns."


    Aya pulled on her system, generating the gilden lust sprouts that were tantamount to her antennae for sex. Her skin took on again it''s rich ocean-blueplexion. She was a Hellish beauty.


    "Now, go to your Master!" Lilith ordered in a stern voice. "I want to see you suck his cock. What the fuck are you doing? Don''t fucking walk! Crawl to him. Yes!


    On your fucking knees. Like the little pussy slut you are. Get into character. I want to see that big juicy cock in your mouth, spreading those tiny whore lips of yours.


    The brainless lot of you?" Lilith cussed. "...leaving my nephew here with a prominent erection. I want his dick sucked every time he wakes up. Before he sleeps at night. Any time he gets fucking wood! He mustn''tck for a good nosh."


    She pped hard on the crawling subus'' fat ass, earning a moan from Aya. Rafel stood shocked still by his chair. The books were still open before him but long forgotten.


    "¡ªsuch a big ass," Lilith remarked, pping Aya''s bottom repeatedly. "Yet you can''t take some fucking dick in it. You kneel and swallow his cum anytime he wants you to, hear me?"


    "Yes, Mistress Firstborn." Aya crooned, turned on beyond her wildest dreams.


    This was why they were called The Fallen. They gave it. And they gave it good.


    Aya Naamah had reached Rafel''s feet and stopped on her knees below him. Her Lord Master''s eyes were dark with lust as he stared down at her. Her face was perched directly over his zipper.


    "Same goes for you out there by the door." Lilith addressed Coraz¨®n, who had been leaning by the Study''s walls, not thinking she was being seen. "Yes! You, my faithful worshipper. You may dress however you want, but the Earl owns your body. Your tits, your pussy, your fucking ass. Everything!"


    Behind the door, Coraz¨®n rubbed her body against the door''s surface, finally admitting to herself that she was wet as fuck, and would need something to fill the ache between her legs.


    Big.


    Fast.


    Heavy.


    Oh, how she wanted to be in the room with her goddess? To stare into Lilith''s dark grace, knowing she would do anything the female Principalitymanded. Even slit her own throat.


    In the room, Rafel pulled slow at his zipper, teasing the bulge of his cock all over Aya''s face. "You want this? Huh? Tell me how much you want it, ve?"


    Aya Naamah was in tears from lust. It streamed down her cheeks in earnest. Her pussy was so wet she could feel trickles down her inner thighs.


    "I want this cock! Your Grace. I want your beautiful fat penis. In my mouth. I want you in my throat. Choke me!


    Spank me! p me! Drill me! Spray me filthy! I''m a dirty fucking Subus! Use me.


    Take this pretty pink lips. Fuck my mouth! Let me taste your cock. Give it to me! I want it. I want it so bad!"


    "Yes! Atta girl!" Lilith chirped with a coy smile from her pose on the sofa opposite.


    Her legs were spread on the armrest, milky thighs high and exposed. Her hand was busy.


    Rafel didn''t pull down his pants. But he lowered the zipper. Dipping his hand in, he pulled out a giant monster whose swell bordered on the edge of painful. He held it over Aya''s face, tapping it against her nose and lips, and hissing like a cobra when she closed her eyes, moaning on her knees.


    "Yes! You dirty ve. Smell that dick. Smell that fucking dick all over your fucking face. How do you like to talk now, huh?


    Open up for me, whore! Open up." He held up her jaw with one hand and pped the sides of her face with the other.


    Aya parted her lips. But Rafel growled. "Ah, wide! Wide. Wider. Wider!


    Good girl."


    When Aya''s lips formed the perfect rotund circle, he slowly pushed in.


    She gagged. He didn''t stop pushing. Even when he hit the back of her throat. And further down. He knew she couldn''t breathe. That was what made it so hot.


    He kept himself in, crouching over and pulling her between his legs so he could go even deeper.


    Aya clutched his thighs for support, making wheezing sounds and scratching at the dark fine material of his cks.


    "Oh fuck." Rafel groaned low when a drabble of saliva from her mouth dripped down between the space at his bare feet.


    He stayed inside her mouth, for a few greatly erotic seconds, with her forehead glued sticky to his abdomen.


    When he finally set her free, his cock bobbed out her mouth slimy and dirty. Aya let out a cough and her tiny hands clung to his knees. Her face was red, her eyelids were blotchy, and she made no move to wipe off the spittle slipping out the corners of her mouth, down her neck to her ample cleavage.


    "Fuck her mouth, baby." Lilith whispered in a serpentine voice from the sofa.


    Her string underwear had been pushed to the side and her fingers patted light smacks on a perfect pink slit. Frankly, Rafel had seen nothing finer.


    "Go on, young one." Lilith urged. "Take that fucking pretty face and don''t let her back until she''s swallowed all of your seed. I want to watch you fuck that gorgeous face. Your cum, blinding her eyes and dribbling down her tits. Go on. Fuck that sexy mouth!"


    Lilith''s words were the kindling. Rafel''s desire was the rage.


    Clutching Aya''s head with both hands, he slid into her mouth again and began pounding a crazy rhythm.


    Slurp...


    Slurp...


    Slurp...


    Aya Naamah was receiving a paramount spike in her System. Seeing this, she grasped onto her Lord Master''s legs like a vise, working her throat until he was fully seated in there.


    "Shit." Rafel watched her pump her head, up and down below.


    When she let her eyes fall open and the ethereal depths met his own, Rafel could take it no more and clutched the table for support as her head bobbed against his pelvis. He shot into her in great spurts. Hot cum, with a ferocity that made his legs weak.


    Aya held him close, allowing him to lift her to a higher angle where more of his seed emptied into her. It was like hellfire down her throat. Burning.


    Rafel jerked, releasing a few more times before he finally copsed onto his reading seat. The books atop his desk were a mess of sticky pages.


    "Fuck!" Rafel smiled.


    Aya followed her Master with her mouth mped around him, her throat fat with his cock still down there. She was now on her feet, but bent at the waist over his seated frame. Her luxury braids had loosened and she didn''t pull back until she was certain she''d taken all of him.


    Only then did she slowly ease back. The movement was sensitive and Rafel bucked on the seat.


    Aya did give her Lord Master a prime view of her messed up pretty face where a long line of jizz now crawled down the bridge of her nose. She lifted a finger to bring it to her lips, smiling as she sucked.


    "What do you say now, Subus?" Lilith addressed adjacent her.


    "Thank you, Master," said Aya.


    Rafel felt if there was a heaven, this was it.


    "Now get out!" Lilith fired in a seductive purr. "It''s my turn."


    Aya Naamah stood silently, padding back the way she''de, and the door to the Study clicked shut about three secondster.


    "Look at me, baby." Lilith spoke to Rafel in a calmer voice once Aya was out of earshot. "I want you to look at this."


    Rafel watched, stunned breathless, as Lilith pulled three of her long, manicured, ck-painted fingers from her pussy. And then she stood, closing her legs and walking to him.


    "Suck!" She said, cing those fingers to his open mouth.


    Rafel reveled in her taste, and while he yet licked off her pussy juice with his tongue, Lilith leaned down and shimmied out of her string underwear. She pulled out her fingers and deftly plunged the panties into his open mouth.


    "Smell that pussy, baby. Smell how wet you make my fucking pussy."


    Rafel offered no resistance when she pulled him up by the scruff of his gray shirt, dragging him back to the wide sofa with her.


    Lilith bent over the couch on her belly, lifting up her ck gown to pool at her waist, and giving him herrge round ass.


    "Now fuck your auntie, baby. Fuck her good and hard."


    Lilith giggled when Rafel fell on her ass with a great growl. Spreading her robust ass cheeks, he dived straight for her core. He was a starving man. A demonic soul with a deadly hunger. Rafel opened her up to his eyes andshed his tongue at her pussy and hole,vishing liquid attention that left Lilith ripping at the beige of the love seat.


    "Ahh, baby. Yes, right there, baby. You lick it good. Uh-huh! You love that ass? Smell it.


    Smell that fucking ass. Ohh...fuck me..."


    She went shivering on his face, shaking her ass as Rafel''srge hands massaged and spanked her without remorse.


    "Mmmhmm. Yes! Fuck yes! Baby, oh baby. Fuck!" Lilith buried her face in the sofa''s warm cushion.


    She was riding his face. Rafel had buried his tongue in her ass and was driving her crazy. From the nub cresting her slit to the crack of her bottom, he had doused in kisses. Her pussy and assy glistening before his eyes. Rafel inhaled deeply and loudly as Lilith''s second orgasm imed her supple body, her long legs shivering and her hips gyrating into his face.


    Her pussy made pping sounds with his tongue.


    "Yes, baby. Now fuck that ass. Please fuck me. Pretty please..."


    Rafel rose from his squatting position and clutched Lilith''s hips. He needed to be deep inside her, maybe even more than she herself desired. Grabbing onto the waves of her raven hair, Rafel mmed into her ass.


    He didn''t bother to go slow.


    Lilith was so wet she deserved every single hard ten inch.


    He watched, mesmerized, as his Aunt stretched on the sofa, fluid like a goddamn serpent as she bent her back to make herself more pliant to his thrusts. "Yes. Ohh, baby! Take it. Take my fucking ass."


    Rafel kept one hand to her hair. Lifted the other and pped her shaking ass hard.


    "¡ªspank me like that." Lilith squirmed under his hold. "Just like that. Fuck yeah." Rafel was pounding hard, a sheen of sweat on both their bodies. It dropped from Rafel''s exerting abs onto her arched back. And Lilith began screaming. "Fuck yes.


    Baby. I''ming. I''m fuckinging! I''m¡ª"


    Rafel couldn''t hear the end of it as Lilith sent her face again to the sofa. But this time, Rafel was ready and drew her up by her hair.


    "Don''t fucking hide, love. Let me hear it. Give me those fucking screams! Cum for me. Cum for me, auntie. Yes!


    Clench that tight fucking asshole. Let me see those fucking juices. That fucking squirt! Like a fucking river. Yessss¡ª"


    Lilith was shaking all over. The man behind her was her champion, both in battle and bed. His words brought out all the woman in her. Lilith would never free herself like this with any other person.


    As Rafel spoke, she saw in her head, his amber eyes, his taut biceps, his heavy cock wedged inside her with no space whatsoever, his pelvis grinding against her ass, their scents and pleasures and panting mixing eclectically.


    And she burst into mes.


    Quite literally.


    As she screamed out her pleasure, cumming with the ferocity of a volcano, blue mes erupted over her pale skin as Rafel kept thrusting, even as she squirted from her pussy all over the sofa, dampening the floors too.


    If Rafel had been a mortal, he would be ash by now.


    But her Apollyon was unrelenting. He gave and gave until her climax was just one long series of orgasms, one after another.


    When she felt him tense and go rigid in her, Lilith brought up a hand to her face, pulling back her frazzled hair. "Let me see." She looked back at him as he pulled out of her ass.


    The sound her insides gave off was dirty wet.


    Lilith turned around and sat on the sofa, spreading her legs so he could stand between them. Seating at the couch''s edge, her mouth leveled up to his cock. She licked her lips with a slow smile, knowing he knew what to do.


    Rafel lifted a hand to hold up her face to his. Keeping eye contact, he jerked himself off on her exquisite goth features.


    "Some tits, baby?" Lilith enquired rhetorically, before lifting her hands to drop the hem of her gown, releasing full creamy breasts that swayed in the candlelight. "There you go, my Apollyon."


    She held them up as an offering, and Rafel abruptly ejacted at the sight of her taut, peaked nipples.


    He poured kegs. All over her face and breasts.


    He just had to close his eyes. It was too much.


    When he finally opened them, Lilith had her lips around his cock. She sucked silently on the veiny pulsing length, toying her tongue over the bulbous head. Her beautiful voluptuous body was messy with milky substance.


    Lilith pulled back an inch, stroking him to a rest.


    "Aren''t we d I visited, my dear?"


    Rafel couldn''t reply. Because he couldn''t speak. But he heard Aunt Lilith''s resounding melodic bubbles bounce round the candlelit Study, and back again.

 Chapter 6: The Siege of Frostholm

    [?? Sympathy For The Devil ¨C The Rolling Stones.]


    PALE SUNLIGHT FILTERED INTO the dungeon deep under the Emberfall Manor. They were no windows in the cavernous space and the only light came from the torches hung off the stone walls. Rafel stood in one of the hollow rooms. His eyes seemingly stared out at nothing as he breathed in the musk of damp rock and metal.


    But even more permeating, that of free running blood.


    Beyond the savage light of Rafel''s yellow eyes, dangling a few feet away on chains before him was a Vampire. The bloodsucker hung off the rotund ceiling of the dungeon by his legs, turned upside down. His chest area was a mess of bruises and cuts, and a long bleeding gash ran down from the point of hisid penis above his abdomen to the drop of his un-beating heart.


    The vampire was yet alive, fully nude but for the strips of his expensive scarlet doublet that marked him as a Viscount.


    "P¨CPlease, Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste...have mercy. I''m sorry." The vampire viscount begged.


    Rafel looked to his side at Coraz¨®n, the only other person in the coppery smelling dungeon.


    "What did he do again?"


    Cora''s eyes leveled on the blood-stained chains winding round the vampire''s shackled body in fury. "Caught the bastard trying to steal from our Blood Bank, Your Grace," she replied.


    Rafel sighed.


    Gods! Seriously?


    This was why she had woken him up at dawn, before even the crows on his estate''s grounds cried. Dawn¡ªwhen he''d been looking forward to dissolving for at least two more hours in the abundant flesh of Lilith. Rafel remembered the room smelling mildly of a Cathedral''s incense, just as he pulled up his pants to answer his Chambein''s persistent knocking.


    The sun was barely up.


    Fuck!


    If Coraz¨®n wasn''t looking so lush in her riding pants, he would strip her and punish here right here.


    Her blue eyes were streaked in wispy silver of her dark magic, and Rafel knew the chained vampire hade to his Waterloo, Viscount or not. Only a crazy cunt would steal from a Hell Prince.


    "Make it quick!" Rafel dismissed with a toss of his hand, already walking out the stone chamber.


    "Please, please, my Lord Grace. Don''t leave me with her. SHE''S FUCKING CRAZY!" The Viscount was yelling as Rafel made his exit.


    Just as Rafel began to ascend up the steps that led back into the Manor, he heard a bloodcurdling wail, and then utter silence. Gone was the vampire. In a few hours time, Eldoria would be missing a particr bloodsucking Viscount. His fucking ash would fertile my orchards, mused Rafel darkly.


    He didn''t me the vampire for trying. His Blood Bank was well stocked.


    Multiple shelves of bottled virgin blood in his Manor''s mini bar was like waving Heaven''s Ambrosia in the face of Lucifer. You just had to expect a reaction.


    As Rafel cleared up from the dungeon into his Landing, determined to rouse his Aunt for a sweaty early morning session as soon as he got back into his chambers, he was abruptly confronted with the sight of the Queen herself lighting up his entire foyer like the Seely Court in her dazzling fairy swagger.


    "Well, shit. There goes my quickie!" Rafelined under a breath.


    Giselle Nova Imperia turned from her ce beside Aya on spotting the Earl emerge just in time with the sunrise. His ruddy hair glowed in effect. The Earl''s missus, the light-skinned one had been keeping herpany.


    "Oh, Rafel. There you are! Good morning! Your lovely confidante here said you were busy, but I''m a patient woman. Grab a coat, will you? I''m taking you out." The Queen greeted.


    Rafel stomped towards the curving staircase. He disliked greatly the condition of blue balls. The Queen''s outing better be good. "She''s my ve," he growled offhandedly as he began his climb, making the Queen turn to nce at Aya with a brighter eye.


    Giselle was surprised when the beauty nodded erratically. Then hopped after her Master.


    She smiled to herself, expecting nothing less.


    Aya Naamah quickly drew Rafel a warm bath, and ten minutester, the Earl was marching down the spiral staircase again. He heard the sound of pping wings just as Coraz¨®n, fresh from staking a vampire, pulled open the double doors of the Manor in swinging gusto. Queen Giselle stood by the tall pirs,rge bird shadows cast on her petite fairy form.


    "My Griffins!" Giselle introduced, petting the great birds.


    ''Her Griffins'' had golden beaks like daggers. And were the size of three carriages stacked atop one another. Rafel nodded. And the one closest to him ruffled its gray feathers and crooned at him. Rafel had heard of Griffins in Hel, but up close, he remarked they were spectacr creatures.


    It made sense that the Fey Queen''s Familiar was one.


    "Shall we, Your Grace?" Giselle held out her hand.


    Rafel boldly mounted the seat strapped to the back of the grey Griffin, even though he had never ridden one before. But he''d ridden a Hell Dragon, so he thought, how hard could a Griffin be? Giselle was impressed and her eyes showed it as she swiftly leaped onto the back of the white one.


    "Cayat!" Shemanded the giant birds in Fey tongue.


    And they leaped up, wings spreading in a grand bow, climbing hundreds of feet into the air in speed and splendor that marveled Rafel, threatening to untangle his red mane. When he peered down, the greatness of Emberfall was no more than a stretch that fitted his open palm.


    They were thousands of feet in the sky.


    Flying through the clouds, Rafel closed his eyes and enjoyed the earthly golden sun.


    "Where are we going?" He yelled to be heard above the sound of the rushing wind to Giselle, who was in the lead.


    "It''s a surprise!" She called back,ughing in the wind, her blonde hair whipping into the sun''s slow ascent. She was in her element. Skyward. Fey. Free.


    Rafel noticed the air grew colder as they flew across stretches of field. And soon green ntations gave way to idle whitends of snow.


    Before long, the Griffins swept down the expansive nimbus they were flying above, ducking below the clouds to clear into the view of a city. The closer they got, the more Rafel noticed the little defects invisible thousands of feet in the sky.


    First, this city''s skyline was like a post-apocalytic world''s.


    Burned brick buildings.


    Misshapen Brownstones.


    Perpetual dusty atmosphere.


    Where the hell were they?


    Giselle''s silver Griffin took the lead,nding at the helm of a proud stretch of armies nking the city''s walls. The host werepletely epassed roundabout the poor state. No way in. No way out. A siege, perfectly executed.


    Rafel noticed the trimmed lines of the infantry as his gray Griffin alsonded close to Giselle''s.


    The host was thousands of thousands, sweeping out as far as the eye could see. Eldorian banners breezing with the wind every partitioned century. A General of the army swiftly marched close at their smoothnding, and bowed to both Giselle and Rafel. He addressed the Queen.


    "Your Majesty, wee. They refuse to surrender. Our cannons are prepared. We are ready to tread them to dust. The city is ripe for the taking, at your order."


    Giselle Nova Imperia caught Rafel''s open staring and began her exnation.


    "Wee to Frostholm, Your Grace. The northernmostnds of Eldoria. And as you can see, it''s a fucking mess of a rebellion. My great-grandfather as a gift to his best friend offered him thends of the North. But now, apparently, its current Lord refuses to pay the tribute owed to a ''puny Fey''.


    The independence of Frostholm, I can deal with. Not paying taxes, alright! Who fucking cares? I''m rich already. But this treachery has also inspired one of the western states, Rocasus, to want to secede. That, I will not tolerate.


    So here we are...war. Messy as always. The Lord of Frostholm is an egotistical prick and will not surrender. Because of this, I will bring him and his sanctimonious city to their knees, in blood and in fire.


    I am not my great-grandfather. I made no pact. I owe no debt..."


    Rafel regarded the speaking Queen in new light.


    Giselle was your typical Yandere.


    Rafel could sense her madness. Beyond her innumerable armies, the city of Frostholm was already withered. By the northern cold and by the months of long battle. The siege hadn''t helped. Faces of hungry citizens stared out through cracks in the high walls.


    A moat with frigid water surrounded the city, and Rafel could see that for a while it had helped to keep back the encroaching fright of Eldorian military.


    But now, the bridge was fallen and a clear path to the city''s gates open wide.


    Thest line of Frostholm''s defense shivered behind those gates.


    "...considering your bloodthirsty inclinations, I thought you''d want to be here for this." Giselle finished.


    "You thought right," said Rafel. "I might invite a friend though."


    "Bring all chaos hither," Giselle replied. "Fuck this cold fucking city."


    At Giselle''s tant fury, Rafel didn''t mention the loan that the Legatus of Rocasus had asked him to fund his own approaching war with the Queen.


    Are those fucking elephants?


    He blinked, forgetting his train of thought when the mammoths trumpeted amongst Giselle''s army, already ready to stomp into violence and death. With a great feminine scream that reminded Rafel of the wailing of Banshees in Hel, Fey Queen Giselle Nova Imperia gave the battle cry.


    "ONWARD TO FROSTHOLM!!!"


    Rafel felt the knowing thunder of war in his bones, drumming in tune with the crash of horses hooves as the thousands of Eldorian knights rushed out onto the bridge. With a single wave of hand, Giselle sted the gates to smithereens. She didn''t even need to whisper a word of sorcery.


    With wide frightful eyes, the watchguards of Frostholm''s towers met their end as the ricochet from Giselle''s spell casting sted across the walls roundabout the city, cutting with a fearsome wind that ripped bricks right out of each other.


    The walls fell, and her armies fell upon Frostholm with deadly wrath.


    Those not crushed to pulps by the demolished walls were swiftly decapitated byshing swords. Heads rolled. Limbs flew. Women screamed.


    It was utter chaos.


    A horrorful pige.


    And the moat fringing Frostholm soon ran red with the blood spilling down the city''s edge.


    Rafel watched a minute of the ravaging battle in utter voyeuristic delight before leaping high into the air himself. Though he only jumped with a simple force as any other man, the push of his [Mutant Kangaroo] ability carried him the seventy meters across the bridge.


    It seemed like he was flying.


    In the air, Rafel roared to his system.


    "Equip Sphinx armor!"


    [Ding!]


    [Sphinx armor equipped!


    Level: Epic.]


    When he crashed back to earth, he created a massive crater in the city that sent shockwaves in all directions. When the smoke and dust cleared, Rafel stood in a gleaming golden armor. The helmet was the shape of a bird that glinted in the dusky sunlight. He stood eight feet tall, made bigger and stronger by the lion magic inherent in the Sphinx armor.


    This was the friend he had promised the Queen.


    The first fool to attack had his skull crushed to a bloody stter as Rafel held his head at armslength, grasping, and squishing like a lemon.


    The brainy bits of blood dripped down his fingers, which were now more of talons.


    Rafel, lifting his demigod helmet, beheld a priest kneeling on the altar in a church half sted by the cannons. It was one of the few buildings in Frostholm not grounded. Rafel mocked the Priest''s mumblings.


    "Your God can''t save you."


    With [Dragon breath], he sent a sh of plutonic hellfire to the church. The decimation happened in a split second. It was so quick that the ash following still took the shape of the standing church and kneeling priest. Until the north wind turned, dispersing the remnants of a man who was dead before he could even know it.


    Rafel proceeded to swim in more mortal blood. To Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste, crimson just was never enough.


    Giselle herself walked in the charred ruins of Frostholm, smiling to herself when she spied a woman being forcefully spitroasted by a bunch of her soldiers. The men had only their fleshy cocks ripped out in haste from their armor. The act of rape itself was in tandem with all the chaos going on about.


    Giselle lifted not a single finger to help the screaming, thrashingss.


    At least she''ll get some before her eventual death.


    She soon came upon the spot where her General had lined up the royal house of Frostholm in a single line.


    Mother, Father, children, all on their knees in the bombarded ash of their city.


    "You''ve got some fucking balls, I''ll give you that!" Giselle mocked the Lord of Frostholm.


    When the greying man looked at her some sort of way, like she was nothing more than a petnt child with an Archmage''s wand, she hurled and spat in his face.


    Beside him, the Lord''s wife sobbed. The chubby Lady of Frostholm closed her eyes not to see as monks of her city were dragged to stakes and used for javelin practice byughing soldiers before set aze in putrid fumes. She would close the eyes of her children too but her hands had being tied behind her back.


    "Oh, poor, poor Lady. Are you crying? Aww! I''m sorry," Giselle jested. "Did I just kill every one in your fucking city? Yes, I did, you hag!


    And I''m just about to do the same to you! You should have cried and sucked your husband''s cock to take my offer at integration. Now look what you''ve done!"


    The Queen spread her arms out at the rising smoke winding up from the city, ck like fingers in the sky.


    Looking up to Giselle, the Lord of Frostholm stammered through bleeding lips. "May God have mercy on you. Because the devil won''t!"


    Giselleughed maniacally. "Oh I know the devil. I fuck him every single day."


    Then she turned to her guards, giving her order for execution. "Drown them all, in their fucking moat."


    The battle¡ªif it could be called thatsted eight hours. It was mostly the Eldorian host shitting and pissing in the Frostholm scums mouths. Some times literally. The drowning of the entire royal bloodline of the city brought it to its end.


    Giselle was dishing out finalmands to her War General when the pping of wings above her signaled Rafel''s arrival. She kept talking as hended, his golden Sphinx wings perching at his back.


    "¡ªkeep the survivors marching in the snow. I don''t care if it''s fucking winter here. Also, get Carmelegno down here. Fly him on one of the Griffins if you have to! I want an oil painting of this view, devastating ruins and all, in my Throne room within a fortnight. It will serve as example to future traitors."


    The War General bowed reverentially to her and moved off to attend hermands. Giselle turned with a smile to the giant demigod beside her.


    "I rather like your friend, Your Grace! Or, what should I call you now, Bird man?"


    She knew it was Rafel under the epic armor. His red hair fell down his back out the eagle-head helmet.


    "Thank you foring." She added. "It was nice to have someone to annihte a dynasty with. I really have to know now if you fuck as hard as you fight."


    When Rafel caught sight of her quivering lips, he too smiled. "I guess we''ll see about that, Your Majesty. Now, can we leave? I need fucking wine."


    "Sure!"


    The Queen whistled, and her Griffins came tumbling down the ashy sky.


    As Rafel rode back to his Manor on sweeping gray wings, he peeped the long line of the survivors from the end of Frostholm; the wounded and dying, all in chains, kin to kin, marching straight for the gates of Eldoria.


    It was early evening by the time he hopped off the Griffin''s back on the grounds of Emberfall. The animal nudged him with its beak and Queen Giselleughed, waving goodbye to the Earl who now seemed best friends with her Familiars.


    Rafel was so grateful to find his Aunt still present. Lilith was semi-nude, on her back, sunbathing in front of the Manor.


    "Auntie...I need you!" Rafel called just as his system shot up a message.


    [Ding!]


    [Upgrades identified!]


    [ARCANE RUNE: 2 000 055


    RANK: EARL (WARLOCK).]


    Rafel smiled grimly.


    He had just murdered 500 000 people.

 Chapter 7: A Beautiful, Soaked Mess

    [?? Set Fire To the Rain ¨C Adele.]


    "STUPID EARTH WEATHER!" LILITH MURMURED in her sleep. Rafel watched her lips curl in mild annoyance as she turned this way and that on the bed beside him. He smiled. She waspletely naked in his bed, and when she stirred, the pillows of her breasts that had once cushioned his head at the start of night caught on the wan lighting of his bedchamber.


    Such delightful boobs!


    One thing no one knew about The Fallen was that as beautiful and powerful as they were, they were also quite mundane. Asleep right now, Lilith seemed almost too human for a Hell Titan. The etherealvendar glow that normally shimmered over her skin was invisible to his eyes.


    [Ding! Gift received!] The telltale ping resounded in Rafel''s head.


    [One Divine Amulet from Hell Principality, useful only in extreme cases of injury or certain death.]


    He didn''t need to ask his system to whom the gift came from. Shey right beside him, nude in creamy wonder underneath his crimson sheets. Aunt Lilith always gifted him whenever they fucked. Rafel felt the ease and satiation he normally felt in his loins following a good intense session was gift enough.


    But Lilith still gave. Always.


    It was not that she regarded Rafel as a gigolo but more like a token to a Hell Lord who was well below her [S-rank.]


    Rafel didn''t mind. He didn''t mind one bit. Fucking a Hell Principality was on many a demon''s bucket list. He got such a sensual deity, who mortals practically worshipped, for free in his bed.


    Lightning crashed repeatedly outside, and for few moments the bedroom was brightened in yellow glow, drawing Rafel''s mind to the reason why Lilith felt so ufortable in her sleep.


    It was raining.


    A storm more like.


    It had started towards the end of their fifth bout or so¡ªas Rafel was hammering down Lilith who had been face down on hisrge bed, t on her belly, with legs crossed at her ankles as he pounded from above. From the smothering cold gale that had threatened to rip his dark drapes right off, Rafel knew it was going to be one hell of a hail.


    "You fuck like a Titan," he remembered Lilith whispering just as the first discs of icy rain pelleted the Manor.


    With her long goth nails bnced over the plunging V of his cum gutters, Lilith had fallen asleep. Rafel couldn''t. He had being awake for hours now, listening to the biting sounds of rain and sweet breaks of thunder. It had to be about five o''clock in the morning now, but the usual blue skylights before dawn was exchanged for the gray terror of the rolling storm.


    Sighing blissfully, Rafel rose from the bed, not bothering with a shirt as he padded out the room. He turned one final nce to the six feet, inked goddess amidst his sheets with a proud smile.


    Lilith looked perfect. Her raven hair ended in thick locs, cascading down the green-ck tattoo of her Dragon Symbiote on her back. It was no tattoo though. The beautiful swirl of dark ink was an alive, breathing creature who could shift positions on her body as it wished.


    One night, it could be her thigh. Another, her wide hips.


    Rafel almost didn''t want to leave.


    But he was thirsty.


    In the shiny corner of his home bar, Rafel did forego the small bottles of blood in preference of therger caps of the famed Eldorian wine. He poured into a ss tumbler, taking the drink with him toward the sound of melodic singing he could hear wisping around from the pool house.


    "Oh, my beautiful ve." Rafel grinned to himself. The scratches from Lilith''s nails on his broad back, love nicks, shined in the light as he moved.


    Rafel came upon the pool house, which extended via a low blue roof from the Manor''s Landing, in short moments. And sure enough, he found Aya Naamah, in the midst of the blue waters, her light skin fading and ying with candlelight, her lips moving in a melody that could throw sea captains off the decks of their ship.


    She had a siren''s voice.


    The song she sang was a folk tale, known to all in Hell. The lore of Orpheus and Eurydice.


    Rafel watched her swim in the pool for a while, listening to her words of tragic love as the rain drummed in stato outside. He took sips of his wine. And when he was done, he calmly settled himself on the grand piano which was five feet in front of the pool.


    Aya''s serenading voice took Rafel back years past, to his beginning fights at the arena. As his fingers nimbly keyed out the blessed chords to her music, shes of him sweeping through dirt and blood in the Colosseum danced before his eyes.


    Though it was the rim of his wine cup he should see, Rafel instead beheld the flying heads, the final wails, the skinned faces, the breaking limbs, the burning running diators, the roaring crowd, the delight of Hel.


    He should feel sorry. He wasn''t.


    Their music ended with an amazing flourish and Rafel let the piano ring out in length as Aya lowered her operatic voice. When the song came to its conclusion, the both of them heard ppinging from the side.


    Rafel and Aya turned to find Coraz¨®n in the shadows. She leaned against the doorpost, smiling and cheering at the Earl''s rendition.


    "You are a man of many talents, Your Grace!" Cora remarked, starting for the grand piano. "You fight. You fuck. You y music?"


    "Hey! Shouldn''t you be in bed?" Rafel abruptly stood up, letting the lid fall on the piano.


    He didn''t fail to notice Coraz¨®n had on a pair of shorts instead of pajamas. Her long legs were for ages.


    "It''s already mornin'', Your Grace. The storm today is unforgiving, and the rain deceives the eye. My rm went off three minutes ago. I was about to hop in the shower when I heard such beautiful music. I must say, Your Grace, you and Mistress Naamah are quite the duet. I should host a small party at Emberfall soon.


    The Queen would drop her panties if she heard you y." Cora said to Rafel.


    She noticed his withdrawal at her mention of him ying publicly, but he said nothing to stop her.


    Coraz¨®n was still smiling. She stood now a feet away from Rafel.


    A ssh sounded as Aya swam for the edge of the pool. She began talking as she slithered in the water.


    "Ah yes! I heard Feyfolk are suckers for good music. Especially folk songs. Something to do with their wild nature I guess. But you have only seen Lord Master y the piano..." Aya fluidly stepped out from waves of water. She was gloriously stark naked as she drew up to the ledge.


    "...wait till you see him sing."


    Coraz¨®n did admire the Subus'' soft curves for a second before she turned her blue eyes to Rafel.


    "Really, Your Grace! You sing too?! I would love to hear you sing with your deep voice. Will you sing for us? Please sing for us. It may not be today.


    But any other day."


    Rafel''s jaw was tight and he shot Aya a look. She promptly lowered her gaze, giggling to herself when he wasn''t looking, as she drew on a colorful cashmere robe. The smouldering pits in Rafel''s amber eyes said it would be a cold day in Hel before he sang¡ªfor anyone.


    And Hell didn''t have cold days. Except when Lucifer or Moloch decided they wanted an experience of earthly weather. And even then, the cold was never just cold. It was icy and biting, rattling many demons teeth and king their bat wings stiff.


    "Here! Refill my cup!" Rafel held out his cup to Aya, growling.


    The Subus collected it with a waist dip and Rafel felt the urge to order her to walk naked to get it.


    Aya was walking out inpany of Coraz¨®n when a proficient loud banging caused them to freeze by the ss sliding doors that led out of the pool house. They both stopped in their strides, sexy hips pausing in their sashaying. With round eyes, each woman turned to Rafel.


    "Expectingpany, Your Grace?" Cora asked.


    "No." Rafel shook his head. He pushed one hand into the pocket of his dark jeans.


    "Her Eminence?" Cora asked again, meaning the goddess sleeping upstairs, Lilith.


    "No."


    Immediately, at Rafel''s response in the negative, Coraz¨®n began chanting. She pulled on mana from her surrounding, calling dark magic to her.


    "Lightning and Frost, To heed my call you must!


    Thunder and Blizzard, Hear thee summons of a wizard!


    To churn as a demon''s frightly face, To burn as a Titan''s dark grace!"


    The air in the room spiked with a charge of magic that raised up the silvery hair on Cora''s head. The blue in her eyes glowed until it shined out brightly from their sockets. Electricity hummed over her skin and it looked like her sleeping shorts was on fire.


    Blue fire.


    This new breeze blew out all the candles in the pool house for a second. And fresh fire zed in Cora''s open palms. Blue and raging, same as her eyes. Only then, did the candles reignite, as if by some invisible hand.


    Rafel stood, with his hands still in his pockets, impressed.


    The banging on the Manor''s doors had not dwindled in fervor. The storm made the sounds harsher. The knocks were insistent and impatient. Whoever was behind the doors were either running from trouble. Or seeking one.


    "Your Grace, I humbly ask that you remain here while I go find out who this intruder is. We''ve had the bloodsucking thief just a day past. Perhaps, this trespasser is like he. Strong, but stupid. The wards set up around the Manor are terrible towards any threat. Whomever is out there is not human."


    While Coraz¨®n was yet speaking, Rafel bounded past her, already through the sliding door of the pool house. With balls of me in both open palms, Cora rushed out with him into the expansive foyer, calling with worry.


    "My Lord Grace! You should stay back for pro¡ª"


    But Rafel had already grabbed the ornate gold handles of the Manor''s double doors, pulling in with no hesitation.


    Rafel was no chicken. Pussy neither. He wasn''t about to be one now.


    A great cold and rushing gale swept in as the doors flew open and lightning shed terribly in the ck skies. The entire world was hallowed in eerie purple for a split second. And then darkness swiftly fell again. The following thunder made the doors rattle in Rafel''s hands.


    There''s no one here.


    Rafel stared out mutely across into the rain shing beyond.


    He was tall. So he didn''t see the figure crumpled at his feet, shrouded in mystery and an oversized coat.


    Not until Aya pointed down.


    "Lord Master? There!"


    When Rafel followed the path of her stretched hand pointing below, the redhaired Earl found the most delicate bundle of clothes staining the baster of his concrete steps with muddy water.


    He let go of the door handles, regarding the bundle with narrowed yellow eyes.


    He had no idea if it was male or female. For that''s how he deigned to address this bundle. As ''it''. For a human could not break through his wards, he thought. This entity smelled like grass and embers, and had certainly walked a great mile in the rain. It''s clothes were sodden stuck to its lean figure.


    It was wet to the bone.


    The rain outside was furious. Flogging even.


    Rafel didn''t think a less determined soul could survive an hour of the storm.


    If the beating rain didn''t drive it to Charon''s boat,  the whipping cold surely would.


    "Hey! You!" Rafel gave the bundle a small shove with his feet.


    It whimpered at the contact. And the freezing touch on contact with his toes made Rafel wonder how this person had survived hours in the rain.


    Slowly, the bundle of dirt and sludge lifted from its crouch by the Manor''s steps. First thing Rafel noticed in it''s rising was the pear-shaped mounds on its chest, peaked by tips the rainwater had glued to its slumping frame.


    The next and most revealing, was the eyes.


    Green as Gaia''s fucking arse.


    Greener than the sea floor.


    Green like forever.


    Rafel nched.


    ''It'' was a she. A smashing fraulein, by the looks of it.


    It was a beautiful, soaked mess.


    "Help, please. Help me, Apollyon." She croaked.


    And then she slumped forward again on the steps. This time, she went still.


    She had fainted.


    It was the Apollyon bit in her sentence that got Rafel. This rain-soaked Belle, who Rafel hadn''t stopped believing was a monster had called him by his Hel Rank. The young woman knew him not as Earl, but as Hell Lord.


    "Get her in. Clean her up. Give her some bone broth. Let her sleep. And when she''s awake, bring her to me!" Rafelmanded to Coraz¨®n.


    The blue spurts of fire winked out from Cora''s hands as she swiftly bowed to Rafel.


    "Yes, Your Grace."


    Aya Naamah was the one who gently keeled over and lifted up the small bundle of female to her shoulders. She wielded the girl like a nket above her, noting how frail she was. Whatever the young woman was running from, it was a big one¡ªto make her risk death in this cold.


    Aya turned and started across the resplendent foyer to the stairwell beyond. She left Cora to close the doors and follow after her since Lord Master was already turned and walking quietly for his piano again.


    Soon enough, sweet harpsichords echoed into the Manor from his music.


    Coraz¨®n paused by the open door, looking over the Earl who had his head bent, fingers pushing at keys his eyes didn''t look down at.


    Rafel stared into the rainy night.


    But from his rigid poise, Cora knew not to ask any questions. However, as she climbed up the grand staircase after Aya, she was certain of one thing¡ªthat the girl who had showed up this stormy night was not human. Because if she was, then she''d be in a heap of ash by the Manor''s wrought-iron gates, killed by the dark wards on Emberfall.

 Chapter 8: The De Vriés Legacy

    [?? Crimson and Clover ¨C Tommy James.]


    IT STOPPED RAINING TWO HOURSter. And by noon, a balmy sun shined full and rosy in the skies. The blue of the heavens were cleaner. The air was fresher. The woody smell of moist earth and mildew pervading the Emberfall Estate.


    It was in this terraformic silence that Ravenna de Vries opened her eyes from a long sleep that seemed like ages of shut-eye.


    Long darkshes fluttered as she blinked teary green eyes to her surroundings. Firstly, this wasn''t her room she noticed. Not the rundown attic her graciousdy boss at the Rhobine Inn pitifully rendered her. Nope! Not at all.


    This room, the chamber she woke up in, was built with so much finesse it was hard for her to conceive the idea of living in it. It wasrge and furnished grandly, and had a rotund feel about the walls. So that when she sat up on the monstrous bed, it felt like she stared out from the perch of an eagle''s nest.


    "Fuck me." Ravenna sighed. The bed dipped as she slipped for the edge.


    She rarely cussed. But this very moment demanded it.


    This had to be the kind of Baroque architecture the authors of Fairytales did sketch above their stories. The scarlet drapes by the long windows swished in the fresh breeze and rainy mist filled her lungs. nting beams of sunlight lit the room until it glowed like an angel''s halo.


    She would know a thing or two¡ªabout angels that is.


    Since her father had imed they had descended from one themselves. Just before he''d disappeared into thin air, leaving her with a long scroll of debts, her only inheritance his worn enigmatic journal. And like a shovel to horseshit, the blood debt on her head, the reason she hade running at midnight in a frosty storm to the new Earl who lived in a literal haunted Manor.


    "Isn''t my life just peachy?" Ravenna mocked sarcastically. "Yeah! Just fucking peachy."


    "Who are you talking to?" A sudden voice called.


    "What! Fucking hell! You don''t spring up on a person like that." Ravenna nearly fell in her step, turning to spot the light-skinned busty girl who she vaguely remembered carrying her up on her shoulders like she was a sack of apples.


    She frowned mildly.


    Aya Naamah was unperturbed under her emerald stare and sat in suchdylike posture by a bamboo rocking chair close to the bed, on the opposite side. That was why Ravenna hadn''t seen her in her awakening.


    Ravenna watched the young woman who had nursed her out her cold with wary eyes. She was skinny, admittedly. But not skinny enough that a girl her age could toss her off her shoulder.


    Unless. . .these was one of the types her daddy spoke about that made people call him crazy.


    A Hellion.


    The woman looked like it. And there was something about her eyes. It made Ravenna want to touch her hands over the peaky mounds on her chest, cup them, and see how full they really were, aspared to her own smaller breasts. It was a hypnotism. An aura.


    Just how big were her boobs anyway?


    It looked pretty tight over her blue kimono.


    "Hi! I''m Aya. Aya Naamah, Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste''s ve."


    Ravenna squinted at the lush babe who now stood in front of her. "His ve?"


    "Yes." Aya paid no mind to her scoff. "Want some more bone broth? Lord Master insists you are well and good before you enter his presence. Though I mixed in splices of mandrake root and herb elixirs into your broth, I''d like to know if you''ll still be needing rest. Will you?"


    "Eh, no. I don''t think so. But thank you...for everything." Ravenna replied.


    She was dazzled when her nurse smiled. She had a beautiful smile. The healing elixirs must be why she felt so dandy all of a sudden after a whole night of shivering. But she was eager to meet this ''Lord Master'', whom everyone around here seemed to worship.


    "Where is er...the Earl?" Ravenna couldn''t bring herself to call him Lord Master yet.


    "His Grace is in his Study. If you''lle with me, this way." Aya replied, moving for the bedroom''s door. Outside, Ravenna was confronted with the taller Tomboy who she was certain didn''t like her. Her blue eyes grew colder when Aya added, "This is Coraz¨®n. She will take you on from here."


    "A¨CAren''t youing?" Ravenna found herself asking.


    Aya shook her head. And Cora said stiffly,


    "Come on, runt!"


    "Hey! It''s Ravenna!" She called after the taller woman who was already walking down the wide hallway. "Bitch," she muttered under her breath.


    Cora did pause, her elfish hearing ability catching on Ravenna''s subtlement. She said nothing, but the ghost of her smile sent warm feelings down Ravenna''s spine. The Tomboy had a model figure, and her voice was light as the wind. She was a girl after all.


    What was it with this ce and its sexy, scary, mysterious people? Ravenna wondered.


    In a minute, they soon came by a looming brown door which was on a higher storey of the Mansion. Cora lifted up her right hand, just about to knock when a hard voice called from inside.


    "Come in, Coraz¨®n."


    Ravenna would''ve thought the personality within was a dragon from the graty, deep bass she heard. But then, Cora pushed in, offering her the open door. Ravenna first caught the smell of juniper, a fragrance earthly and wild. And then, the musty smell of old tomes. It reminded her of her lonely trips to the Eldorian Library.


    Then she looked up, and her jaw dropped straight to the floors.


    In front of her stood a man. Only he didn''t look mortal.


    His size was astonishing.


    He stood by a fourteen feet aisle, picking a book. And he was half the height. His clothes were cut from spider''s silk. ck. Crimson. Gold.


    He exuded finesse and allure. Whenever his fingers moved over pages, Ravenna felt her stomach drop even lower. His side burns had a trim cut. And his hair...


    Oh his hair! It was glorious.


    Spills and spills of red. He packed it up in an aristocratic manbun. But strands still made their way down to brush against his high cor. If it came loose, Ravenna could imagine a flood she could sink her hands into and forget the world of pain and lies.


    The Earl was the most beautiful creature she''d ever seen.


    "Your Grace! I present the runt." Coraz¨®n introduced.


    Her words sparked a fresh dose of anger and embarrassment in Ravenna, who suddenly wanted to look as good and cute as she could be for this big fine man. She fiddled with the robust sleeves of her long shawl, over a small shirt and big sweatpants, the dry clothes Aya had changed her into.


    "It''s Ravenna de Vries, Sir." She adopted a regal dip at the waist, failing miserably.


    Thankfully, the Earl didn''t notice.


    "Ravenna is a beautiful name." Heplimented. But his eyes were still on the aisle in front of him, studying, searching for a certain book. Ravenna found herself wishing to see his eyes. Finding the hardback which he sought, the Earl plucked it off the shelf and turned to her.


    "Fuck me!" She croaked. She couldn''t help herself.


    His eyes were like moltenva. Pools of fire. It singed across the distance to her. No human had those kind of eyes.


    For the first time in seventeen years, Ravenna de Vries felt something. It was mostly sparks in her vision. But also a humming between her legs.


    She watched therge man walk to her. The book in his left, he stretched out his right hand. It was a polite contrast to the ruthlessness in his yellow eyes.


    "Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste, Earl of Emberfall. Nice to meet you, Ravenna." He smiled wickedly at her gaping mouth. "¡ªAnd no, I will not fuck you."


    "What!" Ravenna turned her head away, blushing furiously.


    The hot ones were always the assholes!


    "Sit! I have some questions!" Hemanded in a voice that held indifference for her emotions.


    As Ravenna settled in afy sofa before him, she struggled to avoid the fluid movement of him crossing an ankle over his knee. His polished charcoal shoes shined in the Study.


    Fuck him, anyway! She thought. She''ll be out of his fancy Manor soon enough and will forget all about his ripped body. But his hair and those fucking eyes!


    Sheesh.


    Rafel on the other hand, as he sat looking over the frail human girl was contending with persistent notifications from his system.


    [Ding!]


    [Sin of Lust achieved!]


    [Ding!]


    [Desire to drink human blood!]


    [Ding!]


    [Arousing female in close proximity!]


    [Ding!]


    [Spike in sexual alignment!]


    [Ding!]


    [Lolita! Get her!]


    [Ding!]


    [Don''t be a fucking cuck. Get that pussy!]


    Rafel gritted his teeth. His system didn''t really say that, did it?


    "Now, Little Raven. Tell me about you, and why you showed up wet and panting at my doorstep." Rafel leaned back on his own executive ck seat.


    Ravenna''s face went red and smoke shot out her ears.


    She was Ravenna. Not Little Raven!


    "You know what? I don''t need to tell you squat! I''m tired of you rich assholes thinking you can say and do anything you want to anyone, and get away with it. Fuck you and your fucking Manor! I''m leaving!" Ravenna stood sharply to her feet. "And it''s RAVENNA.


    Not Little fuckin'' Raven. Goodbye, Your fucking Grace."


    She turned for the door but was met with Cora''s unsmiling face.


    "Get out of the way, you dyke bitch¨C"


    Her words were cut out when Cora''s backhand swiftlynded on her cheek. The force of the connection sent her falling right back to the couch. Ravenna was forced to blink a few times, rubbing at the side of her face.


    The bitch pped her.


    "You will be respectful to His Grace," said Coraz¨®n, unremorseful.


    She lifted up green eyes warm in tears when Rafel leaned close from his plush seat to her.


    "I don''t think you get this, Little Raven. But you are not going anywhere. Not until you tell me what I have on my hands by allowing you, a branded soul, into my home."


    He pulled from his front pocket a pristine handkerchief. The fiesty ze dulled in Ravenna''s green eyes as she collected it, dabbing lightly at the corners of her eyes.


    The p did hurt. But what was more interesting was that she actually loved it. The sting across her cheek left her panting breathlessly. Rose bloomed on her neck. But nodding respectfully, she sat back from her sprawl and began to exin it all.


    "My father was Thebault de Vries, an expert cartographer and potionmaker who had worked for the Queen. Until about twelve years ago when my mother died, and he imed she was killed by a Unicorn. He was considered mad since everyone knows unicorns don''t kill. They signify peace and pure magic, and whatnot.


    Anyway, he was fired off the Queen''s Court. And became a frencer. We lost our standing with high society. Our Brownstone in the city. Our wealth dwindled. And we had to move to one of the coastal viges.


    My father kept making his potions to which he made meagre earnings. I helped too. But it all went to shit when the drinking started. Then the gambling. I hid away all my savings, but it didn''t matter. Our house was the size of a barn, a little cottage by the sea.


    He found the pig''s purse everytime,mitting what little I''d saved up to profitless adventures in the hope of regaining his title.


    But how can a kingdom trust a potionmaster who ims unicorns drink blood and eat hearts?


    He never stopped trying to prove it.


    And then one day, I came home to find him smiling wide with a ze in his eyes, saying he''d found a way. Apparently, his way was a demon who had promised him knowledge beyond the mortal mind, a triple dose of his lost fame and wealth, and wordly pleasures like nothing seen on earth.


    Good ole daddy never asked the price.


    That evening he went out...and he never came back.


    Now I just assumed it was one of his usual drinking bouts and he was slumped out in piss in a pub by the ports. But no. He wasn''t.


    It''s been three years now."


    Ravenna fell silent. And Rafel leaned back in his seat. The girl had being through a lot. Twelve years plus an additional three, taken away from seventeen was two. She had lost her mother at two years old. Her sod of a father wasn''t in the picture.


    And when he was, he was foggy-headed.


    He understood now her fiery demeanor. She''d had to grow up fast.


    Her father had made a sour deal. But more importantly, who was this demon?


    Rafel looked to her tiny form. "Did you get the name of this demon?"


    "Yes, Sir." Ravenna replied. "It was something grand I think... Mephistopheles."


    Shit! Rafel shifted in his seat. The de Vries legacy was fucked.


    The de Vries'' were notable in Hel for making solid deals with important Hell Princes. But never with the likes of Mephistopheles. He was a cunning, maniptive bastard, and could persuade the legs off a cow. That was his entire MO. Meph could be best described as the god of deception.


    Unfortunately, he was S-rank. He had Divine Runes for [Corruption] and [Temptation].


    That came in handy in battle when he could transform into a thousand different foes, equally powerful and real. A one-man army.


    Mephistopheles was a shit you''d avoid stepping in. He''d rip you off, and then rip you up!


    "So since your father''s disappeared," said Rafel. "Mephistopheles came to collect from you."


    Ravenna nodded somberly.


    "But how did you know toe to me?"


    "My father''s journal. He did write, ''When the Jester appears, seek out the Apollyon''. You, Sir, fit the description to a T."


    "I see." Rafel brought a hand up to his jaw to think.


    One thing he wasn''t going to do was send Ravenna out there to her death. He didn''t yet know why, but he loved looking into her sparky green eyes. Mephistopheles was a great adversary. But should Rafel take him out, nothing would stand between him and the [Supernatural] Rank.


    He convinced himself that he had to level up in the eventual battle against Meph, just to ascend Hell rank¡ªcertainly not to protect the lovely Little Raven.


    He managed to convince himself thus.


    "The Little Raven stays," Rafel said to Cora.


    "I don''t like the runt, Your Grace." Coraz¨®n offered back.


    "Then keep an eye on her. Smack her around if she gives you lip. It seems like she likes it anyway. Get Aya to fetch her a new wardrobe of her desire, and anything else she needs. She is not to step foot beyond the warded grounds. Treat her like family.


    The de Vries are good friends of Hell." Rafel instructed with calm precision.


    Coraz¨®n bowed to him. "Your Grace."


    Then she turned, pulling up Ravenna by her thin arm and dragging her out the Study. "Let''s get some flesh on you, runt."


    "We are just about the same age, you know that right." Rafel heard Ravenna chirp back to Cora who didn''t act like she heard, just before the door shut with a click behind them.


    At their exit, Rafel turned his gaze down to the book of Eldorian History he had picked out for the evening. But flipping the brown pages, all he could see was a particr pair of hot green eyes.


    No woman had ever interfered with his thoughts. Not even Lilith.

 Chapter 9: Catfight

    A WEEK PASSED SWIFTLY following Ravenna''s arrival to the Emberfall Manor. His Grace, Rafel was particrly grateful that the Principality, Mephistopheles, hadn''te yet to collect on his blood debt. Rafel rather liked having the Little Raven around. Though she always acted like she despised his monicker for her, her green eyes lit up every single one of those times.


    For no one had ever cared enough about Ravenna¡ªto bother with a nickname.


    She was simply that pretty teenager with the tight ass at the seaside pub where she''d worked. She knew her boss would be worried. But only for a day or two. The winds of change blew gorgeous nice girls like her, with so little as an ounce of ambition, in one direction only.


    The brothels.


    In Ravenna''s world, you''d find many ass pretty as the Eldorian sunrise butcking the fortune of being born into nobility skirting the outer streets of the city, beckoning to strangers in skimpy outfits, calling from high balconies, cupping their assets and promising the wayward eye that a paradise bloomed right there in their milky bosoms.


    "Come have a taste, me fine man!" She''d heard girls her age, but twice endowed in bust, call from alleyways.


    Growing up to this very reality made her of a pragmatic mind, approaching the world expecting no favors. And so, to have a man stupidly wealthy and grandly wild as the Earl take interest in her was unimaginable. Rafel himself didn''t know his godly status in her eye. Throughout the week, he avoided her mostly and took every asion he could to miss the striking path of her emerald pupils.


    "System! Stats!" Rafel called that morning as he walked into the wide dining area.


    Candles still flickered as he settled himself at the head of the long table. It was a minute past six o''clock. Rafel was an early bird. But Emberfall was a secluded property, and in such alpine glory, the sun rosete and dimmed early.


    [Ding!] A rattling filled his head as arge screen, high as it was wide, filled the space over the burnished breakfast table.


    [Infernal System, reporting to Rank A Hell Lord!]


    [Current Status]


    [Armory: Sufficient in Battle, namely;


    One Epic Sphinx battlecoat derived from in adversary.


    One Divine Resurrection Amulet, gift from Rank S Hell Queen.


    Three Legendary Dragonscale chainmail, also gift from Rank S Hell Queen.


    One Blessed Fey Charm, gift from Fairy Queen.


    Weaponry, collectively Hallowed, can be pulled at will from pocket dimension.]


    [No new updates at this time!]


    [Infernal System Report ended.]


    Rafel watched the bright screen for a while. Then he nodded and swiped at the air. The shiny notification letters blended into the air until the space over the table was nk again.


    Rafel drummed his fingers on the burnished table. His current system was sufficient for battle. But not sufficient for a battle against Meph. Whatever was keeping The Fallen at bay, Rafel prayed it kept him longer. Right now, the only arsenal of his Rafel mused could stand a chance was his,


    "ck Death Behemoth." He spoke aloud.


    And he hadn''t used that frankly horrifying version of himself since he was twelve and some Bonereaver bullies had tried to rape him in a grimy alley.


    He only called on Behemoth at severe asions of need.


    Rafel''s fingers stopped tapping when he heard sounds of approaching feet. Coraz¨®n cleared into the dining area, and he smiled. She too, was an early bird, built for the role as Chambein which she held.


    "Good Morning, Your Grace." She greeted, grinning.


    The uniformed stewards behind her moved to begin arranging silverware of ready breakfast on the long table. All their heads were bent and none looked on the omnipresent stature of the Lord of the Manor.


    "One of these days you''ll forget yourself and call me Rafel." He teased.


    "No. I won''t." Coraughed warmly.


    Then she walked calmly towards Rafel''s seat at the head of the table. Leaning down, she bent over his sprawled legs. "May I, my Lord? Her Eminencemanded before her departure that I always ensure your sexual needs are met every morning and evening."


    Rafel smiled, lifting a hand to her waist as she leaned over him. He ran his palm over the gap of skin showing between her sky-blue top and tight silk pants. She was warm there.


    "Is this really obedience to Lilith''s instructions, or merely an excuse to touch my cock?"


    "Can''t it be both, Your Grace?" Cora returned close to his face.


    "Oh, Coraz¨®n!" Rafel inhaled.


    Cora was loving the path hisrge hand had taken to her ass and she let him feel behind to the dip between her legs. Since he hadn''t refused her, she put her hand slowly down to his thigh, feeling up to his penis.


    He was big and hard, his cock meaty against his thigh.


    "I¨CI''m sorry, my Lord," Cora croaked.


    "Don''t be." Rafel squeezed her pert bottom, whispering close to her face. "The fucking air makes me hard."


    "Should I fetch Aya? Or if you prefer, I can take you in myself. I don''t promise it''ll be good as hers but¡ª"


    Just then, Ravenna walked in, yawning loudly. She was still in her chosen pink pajamas and moaned delightfully, seeing the table already arranged in a breakfast gallore. Jars of honey and milk, hot tubs of chocte and vani. A basket of sliced bread loaves. Boiled eggs in holders. Tea kettles of pure gold.


    Porcin cups and saucers. And a vase of freshly plucked water lilies.


    When her squinty eyes zoned on Rafel at the head of the table, Cora bent over him, his hand palming her ass, hers gripping scandalously over a tent in his cks, her green pupils zoomed in earnest.


    "Do I even wanna know?"


    "No." Rafel growled, angry at the interruption. Somehow, thest thing he wanted was for Little Raven to see him as a sex-crazed person.


    He pulled Cora''s small hand off his swollen dick at the same time she turned to Ravenna. Her blue eyes spitting fire, Cora lifted up and red at her.


    "You know what I think? You might as well know what''s going on. We all here at the Manor do WHATEVER it takes to keep His Grace happy. We love him and love making him happy. We don''t strut around like some vainglorious princess with her head in the clouds, wishing this was a fairytale and some dashing prince is going toe save her.


    Hate to break it you, Princess. This isn''t a fairytale. Everyone in Emberfall is your literal nightmare, down to the fucking pups you y with at the kernel, thinking they are cute Rottweilers but are actually savage, man-eating Hellhounds. Everyone here has a job!


    You don''t see us prancing about in fluffy pink slippers wishing the world were gay and bright, Princess. Or should I say, ex-princess?"


    Coraz¨®n had been walking as she spoke, and now stood fuming in front of Ravenna¡ªwho she had a good three inches over. All the sleep was gone from Ravenna''s eyes, and Rafel behind them put his fingers to his temples.


    One would think a week would have being ample time to settle their differences.


    "Here we go again." He sighed into his hands just as Ravenna shot up to her tiptoes tosh out at Cora also.


    "So you think you''re better than me, is that it? I''m the spoilt brat who doesn''t know how to do shit. I''ve been cleaning after myself since I was five. Fucking five years old! But look, because she likes pink, then she''s got to be a princess, huh? But you...you are the strong, tall one.


    The lighthouse in the gale?" Ravennaughed into Cora''s face. "You think you''re a fucking frigate, huh?! Tell me, is that why you wear trousers all the time. You want to be a man¡ª"


    "I have no desire to be a man!" Cora huffed, fuming.


    Ravenna pushed her face into Cora''s, smirking. "Could''ve had me fooled. Bet you like to fuck girls too! When was thest time you had something in your pussy? Something that wasn''t your own hand?"


    In that moment, Coraz¨®n''s eyes sparked literal blue fire and she lifted her hand to strike Ravenna across the face.


    "Don''t you dare! Don''t you fuckin'' dare do it." Ravenna spat, ducking under the force of the raised hand and hiding out her face under her palm.


    "ENOUGH!" Rafel roared at both women.


    Aya Naamah rushed in at her Lord Master''s booming voice, and was confronted with a tense breakfast table. Cora''s hand froze mid-air and she gently lowered it to her side.


    Rafel was on his feet. His amber eyes were troubled as he began speaking,


    "Just three women! I have just three women in this house. And yet, I can have no fucking peace? Uncle Asmodeus has five hundred. Five hundred women! And I don''t hear them screaming off at each other at fucking breakfast.


    All I wanted this morning was a nice cup of tea before I go out with the Queen to this little party in the Woods that she''s having. But no, you guys can''t even let me drink in peace."


    "I''m sorry." Ravenna lowered her head.


    It was Coraz¨®n who walked back to Rafel''s towering form, taking his hand and kissing it. "I''m sorry, Your Grace. Forgive me. Since you are going to see the Queen, should I package a light brunch pack for you to go along with?"


    Rafel pulled his hand away from her. In silence, he pushed back the chair and began walking out the dining room. He was not smiling.


    "I''ming with you, Lord Master!" Aya called, hurrying out behind him.


    "No, you''re not!" Rafel turned back with a growl. "What you will do is stay here with these two and keep them from fucking ripping out each other''s hair. Tie them up to a bedpost if you have to. I expect to return to a peaceful home this evening. Understand?"


    He looked around to all three beautiful young women. They all nodded.


    "Good." Rafel turned and was out the door before any of them had the chance to apologize again.


    He ignored the dinging of his system''s notifications in his head as he strode purposefully to his armored carriage, determined to forget this morning by dissolving in whatever debauchery the Fey Queen had nned. It had to be some serious hedonism if she was picking the forest as a venue. Feyfolk! Try as they might, the wild was their home.


    In the silent opulent dining area of the Manor, the three women regarded each other with guilty eyes. And Coraz¨®n rushed to the high windows just in time to hear the reins p on the horses and His Grace''s carriage rush out the grounds, taking the forest path north.


    "Happy now?" Aya mumbled in the silence.


    It was only when Rafel was ten kilometers deep in the Woods with much-needed serenity roundabout that he leaned back in his carriage''s seat and allowed his system''s notifications to slide through his mind''s eye.


    [Ding!] It chimed.


    [Three horny females in close proximity!]


    This was ten minutes ago.


    Rafelughed aloud as his ride rumbled along a sloshing creek in the forest.


    Silly him for scolding them. He should have bent them over and spanked their full arses one after the other. Nothing sparked hotter passion than some fiery argument.


    "Shit." Rafel berated himself. "I could''ve being in a very passionate foursome right now if I''d yed my cards right."


    Always listen to the System! He mused. Well, thank fuck he was heading straight for yet another fierce Fairy beauty. Rafel shifted in his seat to ease the fat prod of his erection against his pants. This time, he was determined to let go to some good ol'' hardcore fucking.

 Chapter 10: Wildling [18+]

    [?? Legendary ¨C Bon Jovi.]


    RAFEL SMELLED GISELLE NOVA IMPERIA before he actually saw her. It was the scent of a hill, filled with diverse flowers in full bloom, that swarmed up his nose as he maneuvered past a certain tall Cedar tree. It nearly made him blush, smelling her so open and out there for everyone within a one-mile radius.


    "Told you he''d make it!" The Fey Queen weed Rafel with an arm wrapped into another Lady''s. Both women were smiling.


    Rafel recognized the other Lady as the Countess, Cordelia Penderghast. He looked around, seeking her husband.


    "Your Majesty. My Lady." Rafel greeted.


    The mortal realm''s traditions were rubbing off on him. He behaved like an actual Gentleman now.


    "We are so d you could make it!" Giselle chirped in a syrupy voice.


    Rafel nodded somberly, his mind going back to about a kilometer away where he had being forced to abandon his carriage since there was no more road to follow. He had left his driver with the horses and carriage, moving on into the Woods on foot by himself.


    It was the single marking¡ªthe shape of a crescent moon topped by a great branched tree, that he had spotted engraven into the bark of the first tree that had let him know he was in the right ce.


    Or at least, on the right track.


    He had followed several other simr markings, all symbols of the Fey Wan lore to this very hidden location in the Woods. It was deep in the forest, only essible by wings or by a damned good Tracker.


    "I''m also d I could make it." Rafel said, looking past the Queen to the other liberal souls gathered.


    "He''s funny." Cordeliaughed, patting her friend''s hand.


    There was no visible shelter of any kind in sight. But there were tents. It was a kind of camp. A boar hung off sturdy sticks over a fire, roasting. Long-haired Fae sat in a circle and traded stones in a game. A young girl and an older man were kissing feverishly by a tree.


    A pot steamed over a kindling firece.


    Queen Giselle moved close to Rafel. She spoke softly. "Like what you see? Here, Your Grace, we can be free. There are no little birds listening in. No walls with ears.


    Here, in the forest, there is no boundary of wealth that separates us. No tide of conventional vows. Now of what should be. And against what shouldn''t."


    Rafel watched the Countess kiss at Giselle''s neck.


    "Here, my ravishing Earl, we do as we please."


    Rafel nodded. Now he got it. It was simple.


    They came here to fuck. Drink. And fuck again.


    The Queen of Eldoria couldn''t be seen hosting orgies at the Pce now, could she?


    A girl with red dreads walked close to their group, handing over a small bundle to the Queen. Giselle collected, immediately pushing it out to Rafel.


    "Here!"


    Rafel narrowed his yellow eyes on the cloth she held out. It was a simple white tunic. He didn''t like white. "Are you dressing me now, Your Majesty?"


    "Please, humor me." Giselle touched a palm to his chest. "I only ever see you in ck. Pleaaase..."


    At her singing hum, Rafel deftly lifted his hands to his clothes. He pulled on both ends, ripping it cleanly at the middle, from seam to hem, right off his body. Then he stood a second, gloriously darkly naked.


    "Wow!" The Countess stared openly.


    Heads turned from the camp to spy on the tall endowed male and Giselle quickly handed over the tunic. You are mine, her movement seemed to say. Mine!


    "So, what''s the story there? I thought you have a ve for these things." Giselle enquired softly, her golden eyes trailing down to the ridge of hard flesh marking Rafel''s groin.


    "It''s been a long morning," he replied.


    "Well, we have to do something about it now. Don''t we?"


    All Rafel did was smile. Giselle smiled back, hers wider and flirty. She pulled her hand from Cordelia''s and began walking down a trail that led a distance away from the main camp. The Countess briefly went back to fetch a jar of ale and Rafel followed the dance of Giselle''s hips in her own silvery shawl until they came by an area dusted in golden-red leaves.


    Arge tent sat in its middle. The beams that held up the gilded curtains were high and big.


    It wasrger than the others. To the side, Griffins hopped and yed on the forest floor.


    "You see, Your Grace...there are no interruptions," said Giselle moving for Rafel until she was flush against his bigger self. Something about knowing she had nothing underneath the white billowy robe made the appeal lusher. She melded into the woody ambience. And when Rafel gazed down at her, the wind in her hair, she was transformed into her truest nature.


    A faerie, wandering through the Fall trees, beautiful and animated.


    Giselle leaned into Rafel''s chest. "Are you going to keep staring¡ª"


    But he cut out her next words, when he grabbed her and shoved her into the nearest tree.


    She giggled as his grasping arm slid up to her neck. His fingers curled around her throat. Rafel growled as she squirmed, her back to the tree, making her soft breasts bob underneath the white dress. It was translucent and he could make out the pink topped nipples pushing out through the material.


    "Touch them, Earl." Giselle dared him with her eyes.


    And Rafel ripped away at her dress, dragging the tatters down to her waist. He first groped her tits, which were heavy in arousal. When she moaned, rubbing into the tree''s bark, he pinched her nipples, smacked her breasts around a few times, and choked her harder.


    "Mhmm." Giselle moaned. And Rafel swiftly turned her around to face the tree.


    He pped her ass until the red of his palm was obvious through her white dress. Giselle pushed out her hips for more, bending at the waist and wing at the tree bark. Rafel enveloped her with his huge frame, turning her head with a big callused palm to kiss her roughly.


    "I smelled you the moment I walked out that treeline." He growled in her ear. "You smell like fucking peaches."


    "Uhmm! I don''t care how I smell." Giselle moaned, rubbing her ass into his groin. "I want your cock. I want it now. Please, don''t tease. Mhmm, just let me grind on it like that.


    Take me anywhere you want. Can I taste you? I want to taste you..."


    She moved her little hand behind to touch Rafel''s dominant crouch pricking her. But he pped it away.


    "Who''s your best friend?" He breathed down her neck.


    "C¨CCordelia, I guess," Giselle was panting, between the tree and Rafel''s solid shadow. "Why?"


    "Your release depends on how soon she can get here." Rafel rumbled in a wicked voice.


    "Why?" Giselle shivered, asking again.


    "¡ªbecause I rarely fuck one woman."


    Just then, the sound of leaves crunching on the forest floor entered their ears as the Countess, Cordelia Penderghast, cleared into view.


    "I got the wine, babe¡ª"


    Seeing her friend in such subdued pose beneath a giant man brought a spot of pink to her cheeks. But Rafel didn''t spare her a moment to blush. He knew she was married, but he didn''t care.


    "Come here." Hemanded low.


    When Cordelia took her time in walking slowly to him, he dragged her close. She bit on her lip to subdue her moan and he swiped the bottle of wine from her grasp. The jug hit the dirt but neither one of them bothered to look down at it. Turning Giselle around, Rafel drew her to him, kissing her hard and picking her up with one arm.


    And with the other, he grabbed Cordelia''s wrist, pulling her behind them, straight for the tent.


    Once under the grand military-style canopy, they took turns trading kisses.


    Rafel pulled his cloak over his head. Giselle undressed Cordelia, her hands clutching to the firm tits on her friend once the loose gown was out of the way. She grasped at the brte''s full breasts, sucking the nipples into her mouth until Cordelia was arching into her face.


    Rafel dragged her away, mming Giselle''s face down into the crimson bedding as he kissed Cordelia instead.


    "Don''t move!" He barked.


    Giselle watched out the corner of her eyes as he put two of his fingers into Cordelia''s mouth, ordering her to suck, and then coated with her friend''s saliva, he slowly pushed them into her asshole.


    "Oh fucking gods!" Giselle bucked up.


    "Grab her wrists." Rafelmanded Cordelia who quickly took hold of Giselle''s both arms, folding it back behind her as Rafel began fingerfucking her ass.


    Every move and sound he made was utterly dominant.


    "Such a fucking tight ass. You''ve never had anything up here, no? Your Majesty, huh?" He spanked her when she shook her head, quivering at the lewd wet sounds against her insides. "I thought as much," said Rafel. "This ass is mine now. You can have any FEMALE lover you want loving up your pussy¡ªat mymand.


    But this, this is my fucking ass. Say it, wildling!"


    "I¨CIt''s your fucking ass," she croaked, her forehead sweaty against the bedding.


    Rafel looked to Cordelia who was staring with such potent lust at him.


    "I see you licking your lips. You want this cock?"


    She was just nodding when he dragged her head down to the thick bulb. Cordelia was a woman already crazy in lust, and just a musky taste of him spiked her to insanity. She choked herself on him, going down deeply and wheezing from his girthy length. Rafel had to pace her out so she wouldn''t bruise her throat.


    Cordelia gobbled him up as beneath them, Giselle was writhing from all the wanton sounds.


    "Ahh...fuck!" Cordelia coughed when Rafel pulled her up by her damp brown hair, leaving a trail of sticky saliva from her lips to the swollen head of his erection.


    He pulled his fingers from Giselle''s ass and shoved it into Cordelia''s open mouth.


    At that moment, Giselle tried to rise but he mmed her back down on the bedding, spanking her for good measure.


    "Kneel over your friend." Rafel spoke in a dark voice.


    He watched Cordelia crawl and bend over Giselle, rubbing on her back with her slick body. Her breasts and belly met with Giselle''s skin and the Queen beneath moaned and arched for her.


    "Now, we fuck." Rafel thundered.


    He slid first into Giselle, since she was the most needy. After a few thrusts, followed by her first squirting orgasm, he switched to Cordelia. He had to rise on his feet when taking the buxom Countess. The sexual sounds each woman made at the pping of his cock was different. Echoes of passion that ascended up the trees and nature around them.


    But whenbined, it was some truly beautiful music.


    Cordelia''s own force of climax was overwhelming. She bit down on Giselle''s neck, fucking the queen from behind with her own fingers, and forcing her to cum again for the second time with her. Their bodies were leaking sweat. The crimson bedding which held their throuple was soaked. Giselle no longer smelled of flowers. But of Rafel.


    And Cordelia.


    "Yes, again. Ahh, fuck yes. Make mee again. Please make mee. Yes! With that hard fucking cock.


    Fuck my ass! Fuck it. Fuckkkk!"


    Just as Rafel pounded into Giselle who was screaming out her third orgasm, he leaned down top at Cordelia''s ass. Her hot taste coated his face as he sank into her fat pussy, whipping her with his tongue until she was riding his face, together with her friend who was riding his dick.


    They both stiffened as one, their orgasms shattering their frames as they lifted an inch off the bedding, freezing a second in the air to shoot spurts of female pleasure behind on him.


    He was awed at the synchrony of their climax.


    They kept squirting. Moaning. Shivering. Rafel let them ride his big body as they willed. Giselle used his cock to her utmost ecstasy, calling his name over and over as she quivered in little sensitive jerks.


    "Ohh, Rafel. You fuck so good. I knew it. I fucking knew it! I knew you''d be a good fuck. Fuck yes.


    I want that pussy juice all over your abs. Yes, that fucking cream. Gods! Look at your skin."


    It was five long minutes before the women came down from their sexual high. They had been fucking for the better part of two hours. Rafel himself had cum jerking off to their twerking asses. His semen was syed all over their behinds, from Cordelia''s ripe fleshy waist, down to the glistening slit on Giselle.


    The Fey Queen turned to see him all doused and gleaming in their cum. Squirting on the Earl had left him shiny and bronze. Giselley under the impressive arc of his cock, yfully licking at his balls and smiling post-coitus.


    Her friend, Cordelia, still desiring a taste of the virile Early beside Giselle but drew up on her elbows to suck Rafel down to her throat, licking off theirbined taste from the V wonder muscle-lining his narrow hips.


    Rafel knelt on the bedding with a satisfied grin.


    Each one of them had being fucked beyond words. He was a naked god above them. He looked down upon both supine women, admiring his handiwork for a moment before leaning toy down on the bedding also.


    He gathered them into his arms.


    His eyes were closed when Giselle''s lips brushed against the hollow of his throat.


    "Have you ever fucked a Queen before?"


    "No." Rafel replied.


    He wasn''t going to be an asshole and finish his statement, because what ended it was along the lines of, ''But I''ve fucked a Goddess.''


    It was true. Fucking a Fey Queen?


    Whew!


    Lilith would be proud.


    Even as a soothing sleep imed him, the refreshing gale of the forest wafting in to cool their bodies, Rafel could almost see Uncle Lucifer''s pale arm, outstretched and patting his shoulder in pride.


    ''Attaboy! You''ve done Hel proud.''

 Chapter 11: The Fixer

    [?? Not Afraid ¨C Eminem.]


    RAFEL SLEPT IN THE WOODS that night. Ande morning, by the time the camp of wildlings were rousing from sweet night''s slumber and the Fey Queen from recurring dreams of a particr redhaired lover, Rafel was just about making his way through the creaking gates of Emberfall and into the perpetual mist of his lordly estate.


    Climbing out the splendid onyx carriage, Rafel figured it was a good enough punishment to let the women in his house sleep without him for one night. Let them entertain themselves for a change.


    No sooner was he through the doors than Coraz¨®n, the one he least expected, flinging herself right into his arms. She hugged him hard.


    "My Lord Grace, we missed you. I missed you, dearly! Please don''t ever leave us like that again. Her Eminence would y me alive and curse me into a Wailing Widow if I ever lost sight of you. I''m sorry for my actions, if it drove you to seek out quieter ces. I should be the bigger person.


    Please forgive me." And then she pulled back. "You smell like fairy...did you¨C"


    "I thought you just resolved to let me have peace." Rafel stopped patting her back and Cora''s grip loosened around his shoulders.


    He pulled away from her, walking in and she swiftly shut the high doors. Rafel was moving through the expansive foyer which had the red-gold theme of a dragon''sir¡ªit was Aya Naamah who dictated themes for every week, when Cora osted him again.


    "It''s either you had a fun woody experience with the Fey Queen or you puppy-rolled amongst dandelions, which is it?" Cora''s blue eyes were starkly shining as she asked.


    Rafel didn''t reply immediately. He stopped by the spiral staircase leading up to his private wing of the Manor. And once Cora was within a feet of him, he dragged her to him with a force that wobbled her feet. One strong arm snaked itself about her tiny waist, and the other held firm on her long, swan neck so she couldn''t speak.


    Rafel''s amber eyes drew mes of carnage as hemanded darkly,


    "Lilith may have instructed you to keep tabs on me. But I am Lord of this Manor. The Bloodthirsty One. Remember that! While I favor your androgynous looks and high intelligence, I can easilypel you to be nothing more than a mindless bodybag. I give the orders around here.


    Not Lilith. I am Emberfall. I go wherever I want. I stay however long I desire. I FUCK whomever I want.


    I don''t want no more questions of where I''ve been or what I''d done upon my return. And don''t try to ce a location spell on me. I will find out. And you will be punished. You are my Chambein, Coraz¨®n Mortimer, and I feel your worship. But I can take care of myself.


    I ascended from Hel. Now, get Aya to my chambers! Walking barefoot in the Woods has left the soles of my feet chaffed."


    Rafel smiled down to Cora. "No more questions, love, okay?"


    She nodded humbly, and Rafel put a hand to her cheek, lifting her face to his. Her lips were parted. And when he dipped low, his kiss wasn''t sorry or tame. He took her mouth forcefully, plunging his tongue in and tasting her lips fiercely.


    Five seconds after, he pulled back. And Cora''s lips were left raw and pinkened. She stood shivering in his arms. Rafel knew all his dominant talk had turned her on. He didn''t need his System to tell him that. Cora never wore a corset, or the fancier brassiere, so Rafel''s long fingers skirting her ribs could feel the sweet underboobs outlining her small shirt.


    Girls with tomboy physicality like Cora needed a confident Alpha male to spark any type of sexual interest in them. Rafel knew all the sugar points to poke her.


    It was working.


    "Well, hop to it, Coraz¨®n." He released her, grinning at her flushed cheeks. And when she was two steps across, he sent arge palm to her ass. The force made her jerk on her tiptoes, but she continued walking, chewing her lip to a smile she couldn''t hide.


    Rafel watched her swanky gait, reveling in the cuteness she hid under all those boy pants. Cora was the kind of girl who threw high-fives with the soldier boys down at the harbor for the Queen''s Navy. But take away all those clothes, and you''d find an angel, creamy, slender, and pink, waiting on you to just give her some good loving.


    Smiling to himself, Rafel turned and started up the stairs.


    He was sitting on a high chair in his Master bedroom, reading from a particr scious script of gossip that frequented the Eldorian newspapers, when Aya appeared with a bowl of warm water and a clean white towel draped across her left arm.


    She settled herself on her knees at his feet, greeting.


    "Good morning, My Lord."


    Rafel closed the paper as she picked up one of his legs. He stared down at her as she pushed his trousers up above his ankles and dipped his foot in the bowl. He rubbed her head, patting her and loving the feel of her midnight hair against his palm.


    "Morning, ve." He greeted back. "When was yourst feed?"


    Aya, knowing her Lord Master wasn''t talking about tangible food, replied in effect. "Frankly, it''s been a while. I could request your permission to hit a tavern up in that vige, G¨±ndlheim. But I suppose its going to take at least four of them to get me going. Perhaps, this evening, I could strip-dance for you and we''ll see if I garner your favor for some good fucking.


    I do not desire some pub fuck. Bond me. Mate me. I know you won''t give me to anyone else. I''ll be a good little waifu. Anyways, shit!


    I''ll probably just have to kill those four farmers."


    Rafelughed out loud. Aya Naamah, always an impressivepany.


    He was about to say something when the sound of an explosion tore through the house.


    VROOOM!


    THWAAACK!


    BANG!!!


    It sounded like the strike of great thundering meeting with hard rock. It caused the whole Manor to shiver in its impact.


    Rafel jerked off the chair to his feet, just as another hit again.


    KABOOOOM!


    The deep red curtains in his opulent suite flew so high they brushed the domed ceiling. Aya was also on her feet now, and had to clutch the nearest bedpost for support as the Manor rocked again in the crashing thunder. Rafel stood tall. When the seismic waves halted, he barreled out his room and down the Landing.


    He met with Coraz¨®n and Ravenna in the foyer.


    "What the shit is going on?" He called to Cora.


    "It''s the Wards, my Lord," she replied.


    "What''s wrong with the fucking wards?"


    Coraz¨®n sighed, the impatient fury in Rafel''s eyes spurring her on. "We have an enemy at the gates, Your Grace. A-rank, by the looks of it."


    VROOO...TRAAA...BLAM!


    The whistling fury of a descending air strike sounded a short second before the air was rent in another explosion. Thedies lunged for something to grasp onto as the Manor quaked. Rafel didn''t bother. This wasn''t his first rodeo. Many of his opponents in the arena used tectonic shifting to difit their enemies.


    The house was doing its best to hold still. Expensive flower vases crashed to the floor. The mini bar keeled over, hundred of bottles shattering on impact and the fine wine running over. The aisles of books in his Library area was toppled and scriptsy upturned everywhere.


    The house looked like a hurricane blew over.


    Rafel gritted his teeth. "Do we know this bastard?"


    "No, Your Grace. But I don''t doubt it''s one of the Princess''s friendse to collect on her father''s debt." Cora replied. "The wards won''t hold for long, my Lord."


    "No shit." Rafel strode out, kicking the doors open and pounding down the steps.


    The women rushed out after his long strides, Aya yelling for him to be safe. Rafel stopped a good distance in front of the Manor''s great rise, barefoot on the trimmedwn that marked the estate''s grounds. Hisrge Rottweilers barked furiously in the west area. The air smelled like sulphur and ash, and up above, the skies were thick ck with rolling fierce lightning clouds.


    The wind blowing in from the forest was sharp and cold. Rafel inhaled deeply. This was the first time Eldoria hade close to looking like Hel.


    Whoever was behind the wards was no joke.


    Rafel sent his eyes across the long grassy distance to the line where the invisible hex of sorcery kept back intruders. Just beyond it, he made out the grimy hairy forms of huge Minotaurs. About two hundred of these beasts stood behind the wards.


    Rafel watched as they lifted up their horned bull heads as one, and then when arger, shrouded figure in their midst lowered a raised hand, they all attacked the wards as one.


    BOOOOOM!


    [To be continued!]

 Chapter 12: The Fixer [II]

    . . .BOOOOOM!


    The same explosion as before echoed into the ck sky. The earth shook visibly and Rafel cursed under his breath.


    "Smelly hybrid cunts."


    Rafel never did like Minotaurs. You couldn''t get a single one of them to wash. The half-man half-bull oddities were mercs sold in Hel''s ck market to the highest bidder. They would soon turn to murder their own master if his adversary doubled their asking price. But something about the giant entity in the middle told Rafel this group of Minotaurs weren''t working for money this time.


    He could see the warbling of the witch magic spread over the dome of invisible cobwebs that kept the beasts at bay.


    Suddenly, spotting Rafel too, the man in the center of the lunging Minotaurs drew back his shawl and Rafel growled low at the frightful white eyes.


    Typhon.


    Typhon was known in Hel as the Lord of Monsters. His shapeshifting abilities were to infinity. He could be a dragon. A viper. A cricket. A grey wolf.


    And what was worse was his capacity to mix them into each other; a malformation of a serpent with the head of a lion, or a cheetah with the tail of a scorpion.


    Typhon was A-rank, Immortal, and like Rafel, lived for only one thing.


    Blood.


    He was Hel''s Fixer.


    Finally, a worthy adversary, Rafel mused.


    "Let down the wards!" He called back to Cora.


    She regarded Rafel a moment before doing his bidding. Lifting up her hands, blue light shimmered at her fingertips as the dome surrounding the manor crackled and dissolved.


    Rafel''s amber eyes already zed in fiery delight, anticipation of blood-borne war making him grow a few inches taller to seven feet. "You know what to do with the Little Raven," he said again to Cora.


    When the witch lifted her glowing hands again, this time a summoned whirlwind lifted Ravenna right into the air, carrying her across back to the Manor in a whistling speed and shutting the door behind her. Her banging could be heard. But the house wouldn''t let her out.


    "Good. The battleground of demons is no ce for a mortal." Rafel said.


    And together, himself and the other two women took their stance.


    A Hell Lord. A Subus. A Dark Witch.


    From beyond, Typhon stretched out his monstrous spear, whose arrowhead poured inky ck poison.


    "BRING ME THEIR FUCKING HEADS!" His roar tore across the grounds to Rafel''s ears who stood with ease.


    The horde of Minotaurs immediately rushed out. They weren''t two hundred. They were a thousand.


    SCREEEEECH!


    Their bullheads frothed as they leapt and skipped across the darkened frontyard of the Manor. The grass under their hooves were ttened to ash and noises of terror filled the air. It should be noon. Yet the sky was dark as twilight.


    "Equip Sphinx armor, embedded in one Dragonscale chainmail." Rafel spoke to his System.


    The Minotaurs were now upon them, and he dodged the first one''s club, pping the head right off the smelly fucker''s neck, just as his system chimed and his body began to glow.


    [Ding!]


    [Sphinx armor and Dragonscale chainmail equipped!]


    Rafel''s transformation sent golden light spewing all across the battlefield, and behind him Coraz¨®n and Aya Naamah fought with the feral intensity of Valkyries. Aya''s horns were out. She was full, untarnished blue. So was her long serpentine tail that shed at the heads of iing Minotaurs.


    Her ws were long and ck, and when she leaped up to the air, several severed limbs followed her descent.


    Coraz¨®n was whispering. Words no one could understand. But she was covered from head to toe in a halo of ocean blue. Her eyes were streaked like an angel''s. And liquid blue fire poured from her hands. Any of the huge Minotaurs stupid enough to go close to her haloed form was quickly absorbed in her dark light and incinerated on the spot.


    No longer were the Manor''swn clean and green.


    It was ckened by dirt. And reddened by monster blood.


    As Rafel waited patiently in his gilded Epic armor for Typhon to reach him from his prancing over, he dealt single blows to the horned beasts that dared take a swing at him.


    He punched one in the face, and his fist went right through his skull, crumbling bone and brain matter in a wet squelching sound.


    He punched another in the chest, and when he pulled back his hand, a beating hearty in the hollow of his palm.


    Minotaurs were not his level at all.


    Typhon on the other hand, was endgame.


    The Lord of Monsters finally reached Rafel and halted ten feet away. He had a good two foot over Rafel even though the Earl in his Sphinx coat stood at eight feet tall. Both men were giants.


    Typhon was ten feet, and built across like a damn mountain. He had legs big as tree trunks and arms of solid muscle that put steel to shame. He had on only darkbat pants stained in patches of drying blood, and behind him flowed a great ck cape. It breezed in the cold wind like a Pirate ship''s g.


    Typhon regarded Rafel with blinding white eyes, the spear at his side broader and heavier than three conjoined swords.


    "You think your suit of armor is going to save you, Hell Prince?" Typhon smiled sinisterly, glowing in red demon mana. "My Master, who I''m sure you already know¡ªas you currently have his property stowed away behind your luxurious mansion, spared no expense in gifting me all the runes you one-percenters use as an advantage over us. Your arena tricks won''t work on me.


    Unless you n on calling on Auntie dearest toe save your skinny ass, I suggest you make peace with earth, because today is thest you''ll ever see of it. Very few of my foes manage to make my cock hard before a fight. But not you, Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste. The moment I saw you... such a beautiful man by the way, I immediately knew you were the one. The one who''d make me finally cum on the battlefield.


    Just seeing you in your golden armor right now has me sprung. Nowe on, little Hell child. Come and make my day!"


    Rafel said nothing. He had heard tales of Typhon. A necrophiliac. A Hellion with one of the most twisted minds ever. Who got hard only by fighting in death duels, and in the asion of his eventual win, he would fuck the corpse of his in opponent, rising to ejacte on the unmoving body.


    It had brought patrons of the Colosseum great roaring pleasure to witness this utterly vile act.


    "Thinking of how I''d fuck your dead body?" Typhon teased sickly. "I see the girls too behind you. Damned good fighters, have taken out about half of my horde. They''ve got tight arses now, don''t they? Come on, you can''t tell me you''ve not fucked¡ª"


    Rafel sent his sword to Typhon''s face.


    "SILENCE!"


    He was aiming for his ck lips, but his sword de nced off the man''s cheek.


    Typhon grinned and struck out too with his spear, missing Rafel''s neck by mere inches. The force field following his attack pushed Rafel back five feet.


    The two A-rank Immortals engaged in a ghastly one-on-one battle, with Rafel fencing off or dodging each one of Typhon''s deathly blows. His hope was to tire out the man. He didn''t underestimate him. Seeing this, Typhon mmed his spear''s end into the dirt and drew dark mana to himself. His huge body folded in on himself, muscles overrun by shadows and his flesh growing in horrendous mass.


    Out from the darkness of grave shapeshifting came Typhon, as an elephant with its trunk, a cobra.


    All 15ft of the horrifying mammoth rushed out across the battleground to Rafel, stamping limbs of fallen Minotaurs and ttening heads and arms along the way.


    Cora dove away from its path as it lurched for Rafel, its trunk spitting venom. Rafel was able to evade the serpent''s bite but not the massive leg of the elephant that kicked him square in the belly, sending him high into the air to a dangerous fall that had him rolling a few more metres in the dirt.


    "LORD MASTER!" Aya yelled.


    She moved to help but was swarmed by a fresh troop of hairy Minotaurs.


    [Ding!] Rafel''s system chimed.


    [Armor system: Critical.]


    [Dragonscale defense: at 10%]


    "Shit." Rafel pulled off his winged helmet.


    He lifted up with strain off the cold earth. His ribs hurt. Typhon had some huge power backing his punches.


    A Charm.


    Only a Charm from an S-rank Principality could pummel through his Epic armor. Rafel looked down to where it was cleaved in the middle. Typhon after all did mention something about his Master sparing no expense in gifting him the runes to take him out.


    Typhon had shifted back to himself and was walking for Rafel. He was wearing an evident smirk.


    "Surrender the girl, Hell child, and I promise I''ll go easy on your corpse."


    Rafel stumbled to his feet, seeing his opening now that Typhon was mostly normal. "You and I both know I won''t," said Rafel.


    And before Typhon could react, he equipped his Serpent Symbiote telepathically.


    [Ding!]


    [Hell Serpent Equipped!]


    [Force: Cosmic Race.


    Level: Ninth Lunar Circle.


    Bite: Immobilizes Opponent for thirty seconds.]


    With a burst of infernal red mana, the seemingly fragile tattoo on Rafel''s back sprouted into the air, sweeping across for Typhon. Before the Lord of Monsters could react to the wicked swift assault, the great snake wrapped itself around his huge frame, breaking a few bones in the process.


    And then came the bite.


    The Hell serpent lunged, straight for Typhon''s open neck.


    The Lord of Monsters began to convulse, before goingpletely still. Rafel knew this was his moment and shouted behind to Coraz¨®n who was cleaving apart a Minotaur''s head.


    "Send up a Dark Shield!"


    Once he saw the ck hexagonal shadow rise up between he and the part of the Manor where Cora and Aya stood fighting, he smacked his hands together and shot out both fingers, calling upon his secret Hell art.


    "Apollyon sma Torch!"


    He screamed on top of his lungs. Instantly, he lit like a beacon, glowing and glowing until he was a star on the earth. Still, mana kept flowing into his body. Behind the shield, Cora had to avert her eyes as he burned and radiated like a supernova.


    And then, just when he couldn''t get any brighter, he exploded.


    KABLAM!


    It was a terrifying st. It rocked Cora and Aya on their feet. The shattering light burst forward in all directions, incinerating everything with even a drop of demon''s blood. It obliterated the remnant Minotaurs to passing ash. And when it passed over Typhon, still frozen from the Hell serpent''s bite, it yed the skin from his bones, exposing red raw muscle.


    But the sma beams kept shooting out from Rafel''s glowing body, dousing the Lord of Monsters in wave after wave of celestial cosmic me.


    Eventually, nothing remained.


    When the great light calmed, Typhon was gone, smothered to dust, and all that rose from where he stood were the stumps of his feet, cut cleanly by the sma energy at the ankles.


    Even his ash wasn''t recovered as the wind drove it skyward into the forest.


    It was aplete annihtion in the battlefield.


    No adversary remained.


    The dark skies soon began to clear and slivers of sunlight pierced through the cold gloom.


    The moment Cora was certain all of the sma had radiated off the estate, she hurriedly lowered the shield and ran for the deep burned crater where she hoped her Earl still was. She found Rafel in the ck hole, surrounded by heaps of hissing Minotaur flesh, burned to a crisp. His Grace was naked.


    If not that he had being birthed from a pool of Hellfire himself, he too would be ash.


    But he was whole. Healthy. Pale. And beautiful. His red hair swarmed down his neck and torso and Cora admired him a moment.


    Aya was quick to appear, inpany of Ravenna who stretched out a long ck cloak to Cora. The silver-haired witch kneeled beside him and gently ced the robe over Rafel''s shoulders. His skin was hot to the touch and nearly singed her palms.


    "My Lord?" She moved forward to meet Rafel''s eyes. "You did it, Typhon''s gone."


    Rafel lifted his amber eyes with a glowing smile that made all three women blush. His skin still sparkled with residual mana and Ravenna couldn''t help ogling his nudity.


    "No," said Rafel. "We did it."

 Chapter 13: A Strange General

    RAFEL HAD A SPRING in his step when he awoke early the next morning. Since the fog that usually rolled in at about midnight in Emberfall stayed until dawn, ''early'' was about nine o''clock. The antique grandfather clock from the Manor''s Day Room chimed as Rafel was humming in the shower.


    It was a good morning.


    How many could boast of facing off a Rank A demon warrior, winning, anding off unscathed?


    Unfortunately, his System wasn''t feeling the uproarious joy he was. One would think destroying a formidable adversary like Typhon would grant Rafel an astronomical rise in power levels. But no. In addition to being a necrophilic sicko psycho, Typhon was also a stingy prick.


    The son-of-a-bitch had already gambled his death cards, so that when Rafel killed him, all of his runes and A-rank glory were speedily returned to his master, Mephistopheles.


    Meph had so wrung out the demon Lord, Typhon, that Rafel didn''t see a single soul coin in the aftermath of the battle. His only trophy collected was an ancient [Druid Script], ranked [Hallowed] which could not be used at his current [Warlock] level.


    He''d hidden the locked script in his pocket dimension, same ce he used for all his weapons, keepsakes and beloved souvenirs¡ªlike Agaliath''s forehorn.


    But Rafel didn''t mind.


    A good name in Hel was more valued than ten thousand souls. Any fool could buy himself a [Blessed] Arcane Rune. But the name Bloodthirsty? Hell fucking no! He was Champion of Hel. The Crimson Death.


    The Burning One. Bringer of Blood. Seventh from Lucifer. Nah! Rafel was good. He had a pretty good guess that his name was top on the ckboards of many underworld pubs, lucky winners who had bet on him winning the fight against Typhon cashing out.


    He could almost see the smiling gamblers, roaring their good fortune, smashing together jugs of stale whiskey, and grinding on the nearest Subus by the dirty, ckened brick walls of alleys.


    Besides, all the thanks he needed for ying the Lord of Monsters had being right there in Ravenna''s eyes at his victory. The green in her eyes was so potent he could paint a savanna off the emerald pools.


    Stepping out the shower, he heard womenughing.


    Rafel grabbed the nearest shirt and trouser pair he could find, rushing out to the source. The kitchen.


    The air was light, rich in excitement, and the sun sshed in through the floor-to-ceiling crystal windows as he walked in. Rafel paused at the entryway, admiring thedies. They were smiling about something.


    Cora stood by the long shined ind countertop, a bowl of robust dough in her hands. She was mixing. And both Ravenna and Aya stood at her sides, staring in.


    "What are we celebrating, girls?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest and walking over.


    "Victory!" Cora lifted her eyes up to his first. "Victory, Your Grace."


    Aya popped a bottle of white wine, filling up four sses. As they clinked together, she toasted, "To killing fucking Minotaurs!"


    "Aye!" Rafelughed along with them.


    And then when his cup was empty, he teased, "At least one of you knows how to cook. I must admit, I wasn''t expecting it to be Coraz¨®n."


    "Hey! I can cook too." Ravenna chipped in. "It''s pretty much a given when you grow up without a mom."


    Aya only shrugged. Subi were average with a pot. But phenomenal at other things...


    "I gave the servants the day off, I hope you don''t mind, Your Grace. I felt we needed the privacy to celebrate as inner circle. I''m baking. The muffins and cake should be ready before noon. Then, we can fully sink into your smashing victory against the Lord of Monsters¡ªhowever as you please." Cora told Rafel.


    By her left, Aya was bent over with her elbows on the ind''s top. She rolled her hips this way and that, making her big ass all the more obvious in her tiny cashmere shorts.


    "Get this thing outta my face!" Cora spanked her with augh.


    Aya jerked with a giggle, and Ravenna blushed. Rafel viewed them with a satisfied smile. Finally, they were all getting along.


    Though he would love to hold his light-skinned ve down, bent over the ind''s edge, grip her hair and push her shorts down to her knees, stretch aside her panties, p that ass a few more times, and proceed to dutifully pound her pussy. . . Ravenna was in the room. And so he stuck to imagining.


    Just then, the doorbell rang.


    Cora wiped her flour-dusted hands to get it but Rafel held up a hand.


    "Where do you think you''re going, youngdy? I''ll get the door. You stay here and cream that up good and nice. Make sure you ther the icing all over. I like my sugar."


    Rafel left all three women blushing and open-mouthed as he slipped out the kitchen.


    Was he still talking about cake?


    Not really.


    [Ding!] came his system.


    [Update Notification!]


    [Rank: Earl (Warlock)


    Rank II: Earl (Pussy Wetter).]


    His system had to be joking. [Pussy Wetter] wasn''t a level.


    [Ding!]


    [It is on earth! Infact, ording to my intelligence, very few mortal men attain this rank in their lifetime.]


    Hmm, Rafel thought. This was true.


    He reached the doors in a minute and calmly pulled them open.


    Rafel was immediately confronted with the contrasting images of two well-dressed military men. The one in front was rail-thin, gaunt, at most 5''11. The one behind was stout, had a severe moustache, and boasted 6''3. The lean one, who frankly should be theckey, was the one with the silver eagle upon his shoulders.


    Both men removed their green caps on seeing Rafel.


    The mustached Aide began introductions.


    "The Lord Commander of Her Majesty''s Western Regiment. Governor and Legatus of Rocasus. General Ian Noguri."


    He was about to go on but the rail-thin man held up a hand to stop his taller, bulkier aide. "Please, Your Grace, call me Ian. I sent you the letter about a fortnight now."


    Rafel nodded with a small smile, easing the men''s rigid backs. "Yes, the General! Doe in."


    Rafel heard the women clutter pans and chat in the kitchen as he led the military visitors into the opulent innards of the Day Room. It was gold from chandelier to carpet. Sunlight literally painted the walls. The many open windows overlooked the northern grounds where the scent of blooming citrus blew in from.


    As Rafel settled the men into plush couches and small talk about the Empire''s borders and affiliates, he let the General do most of the talking. His mind however turned to other things. Particrly the small draft which the inquisition into the General''s background had turned up.


    Parents, middle ss. Graduated top of his ss at Her Majesty''s Military Academy. Rose in ranks quickly to be General. Soon appointed military Governor of Rocasus, a trendy western state famous for its inclusive culture of magical factions.


    Everything about the man screamed loyalty. So why the hell did he want to go to war? Against a Fey Queen?


    And he was human, Rafel sniffed.


    Strange.


    Frankly, he expected the Legatus to be a brawny, bulky, egoistical misogynistic braggart. From Giselle''s point of view, that was how she''d described the Rocasian General. But the man sitting across from him was small inparison, soft spoken, had doe eyes, and looked like he fished for a living.


    Ian Noguri was a strange General.


    Rafel noticed the man had stopped speaking and recrossed his legs on his sofa as he said,


    "You have a distinguished air, General. I like it. But tell me, why should I donate such a grand sum to this enterprise of yours? The endgame is to enter into battle with the Crown, is it not?"


    Rafel squinted when the General smiled slowly, like a wisened old crone.


    "Your Grace, I mean no disrespect but you are young. You look to me about twenty years old."


    This time, it was Rafel who smiled. Eighteen years in Hel was hundreds on earth. Rafel took his first breath when men still wore leaves as skirts and grunting was the only form ofmunication.


    But he said nothing, letting the General finish.


    "Eldoria is a realm blessed in gold, but cursed in secrets. Everything here is not as it seems. Your donation to my campaign is an investment into the future. I only seek the welfare of a free Rocasus. The Queen may seem like she has stability and prosperity shooting out her gilded arse. But a fart''s still a fart.


    It''s the same promises her father, his father and those before him gave. The same lies. The same generation. Why should an entire Empire consisting of several thriving units of witches, faefolk, human, elf, and mermaid, be ruled over and over by one single bloodline who consider themselves the ster race?


    The Nova Imperia dynasty have ruled Eldoria since it was a tiny camp by the sea. Mermaids and mortals forged this city. Not the fairykind. We simply want back a share of what''s rightfully ours. I will only suggest this to the Queen. And if she refuses, that''s when your moneyes in.


    It will fund my armies to rival hers.


    If blood is the price of war, then shall money be of consequence?


    A new Eldoria shall be born. And you, Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste are being offered a frontrow seat to its rise."


    Rafel listened to the General without saying a word.


    What could he say? Giselle was his friend. A lover. They had destroyed an entire city together. Drowned the Lord of Frostholm along with his whole family. Together.


    Did Ian not know about this?


    Here he was, trying to seed doubts into Rafel''s mind. Feykind were powerful, with ancient Druid bloodlines that dated centuries past. Pure elemental magic flowed in their veins. But they wouldn''t force anyone under their heel. Would they?


    When Aya appeared with offered wine, Rafel clinked sses with the men. And minutester, as he walked them out, he said offhandedly,


    "You''ll get your funding, General. Safe travels."


    But Rafel already knew he would tell Giselle.


    He could y both sides. For now. As a Hellion, he was invincible. ''You can''t hope to murder Death, son. It''s not in the cards!'' was his Uncle, Lord Morningstar''s favorite mantra. But what was even more chilling was General Ian''s admission.


    Everything here is not as it seems.

 Chapter 14: Mutant Priest

    [?? Monsters ¨C Ruelle.]


    CORA WALKED OUT WITH THE CAKE just as the Legatus and his Aide were leaving. "What was that about, my Lord?" Aya voiced from beside her. Rafel engaged his eyes to the backs of the soldiers and replied, "Nothing significant. Mortal business as you know, ve, can be a trip. I have decided to assist the General, Ian Noguri in his quest to overthrow a ruling dynasty.


    That was he, and his aide." Aya smiled when Rafel winked at her.


    She and Lord Master had gotten closer over the past few days. He sweetly called her ''pet'' and ''ve'', terms of endearment any mortal may see as weird. Let the realm of Eldoria fight their wars. Even if the entire kingdom were to burn, Emberfall would be untouched. A haven. A dark Eden.


    However, she knew Lord Rafel had a n. He always did. General Ian Noguri just knew only his part in it.


    "Can we celebrate now?!" Cora called loudly.


    She proceeded down from the Day Room to a darker lounge area with banquettes arranged against the dusky walls. This room was shrouded in candles and dancing shadows. Grinning, Rafel and Aya followed her in. He noticed his pet had a tub of pickled ice in her hands. Three bottles of fine Eldorian red wine waited on a ck-ss table as he sat.


    Lowering the shelf of cake beside the bottles, Cora sank also into the banquette nearest to Rafel''s with so much feminine grace it actually amused Rafel.


    "Why does His Grace smirk?" Cora blinked, catching on it.


    "Nothing. Just nothing." Rafel opened his legs for Aya to kneel between them. "Sometimes you behave like a girl. Other times...you don''t."


    Cora only smiled. "Should my Lord ever feel the need to confirm if I''m a girl, he''s very wee to."


    She rubbed her ass sensually into her seat, and a secondter, they all burst outughing. Rafel was still smiling when Aya served him a ss with two ice cubes sloshing within. Taking a small sip, he turned his eyes down to her.


    "Where is our Little Raven?"


    "In her room, my Lord," came Aya''s soft reply.


    "Ah! So that''s why the cake is missing a huge slice?"


    Coraz¨®nughed. "My baking is second to none, Your Grace."


    "I see that, love. Fetch me a slice, pet. On your knees!" Rafel ordered low to Aya, emphasizing on thest part.


    When she returned with a tiny creasing on a paper te, Cora stood from her end, walking over to Rafel''s side and sitting beside him, sidling close until her ribs brushed against his side. She fed him the cake from her long, blue-painted fingers. As the icing met his lips, Rafel growled low at the cold sweetness.


    "You like, Your Grace?" Cora licked at her thumb, right after Rafel.


    "Very much," he admitted. "I''m loving this celebration."


    Cora grinned. And below, Aya ced her small hand on the bulge lining her Lord''s blue cks. She began rubbing casually. With Cora still feeding him cake off her fingers, Rafel rxed into the pampering from both women. Aya rubbed some more before finally stemming the courage to pull down Rafel''s zipper.


    He offered no resistance. And she put her hand in, pulling out the heavy meat of his cock.


    It was nicely girthy in her palm and Aya became entranced as she stared at it, turning it this way and that, ying with it with her fingers.


    She let it rest a moment and it bobbed right back up.


    "Umm," she sighed. She could never get tired of this view.


    Cora, blushing in spite of herself doused her fore fingertip in icing from the cake before putting the same finger down on the broad nob of Rafel''s cock. She rubbed the sugar all over him and he jerked.


    "Fuck, Coraz¨®n!" Rafel grabbed her by the throat.


    She giggled, spooning his side, halfway into hisp, and with a blue gaze full of lustful fire, she looked down at Aya, ordering the Subus for the first time.


    "Lick it!"


    Aya Naamah promptly dove down, the pink velvet of her lush tongue sweeping out to run over the sides of Rafel''s cock. Up to the tip. She coated him with icing everywhere. And then she went down deep on him, taking him in her mouth until his length gouged out her cheek.


    Aya shook her head on him, Cora''s hands guiding her.


    "Uumm, soo good," she muffled against Rafel''s groin.


    Cora pressed her head down. "You beautiful ve! You like your Master''s cock, huh?"


    Sheughed when Aya gurgled.


    Rafel stopped nibbling into Cora''s neck when he felt eyes on them. He pulled up his head and impassioned yellow eyes widened when he caught Ravenna standing by the entrance into the Lounge, staring at the subus between his knees, sucking him off like her life depended on it.


    Her entire youthful face was red. Her rare saintly beauty evident.


    Rafel abruptly lunged to his feet.


    Pop! His cock sounded wetly, as he suddenly pulled out of Aya''s mouth.


    Confused, the curvaceous raven-haired she-devil spinned around to see the source of the interruption. Ravenna shivered barefoot. Her sex scent was open to Aya and Rafel''s demon senses.


    "What is it?" Rafel near shouted, unceremoniously pushing his straining cock back into his pants.


    It couldn''t zip up so he left it that way.


    Ravenna wrung her hands, averting her eyes from his fierce ones. "I f¨Cfound a crow pecking at my window. This was strapped to its thigh. I believe it''s a message from the Queen by the golden seal on it."


    Rafel bounded for her and snatched the strip of paper from her grasp. He growled low as he tore at the seal, reading its contents in a second.


    ''Dear Earl, this is Giselle. We need you at the bank of the Nokmaar. There''s been an incident. I need you, Rafel. Godspeed.''


    The letter was simple. It conveyed exactly the right amount of urgency.


    Sensing his cock still sprung like a damn fist below, Rafel quickly spun to face Cora who was now on her feet also. He only nced once at Aya who was wiping at the corners of her mouth with her sleeve, and Ravenna, who frankly had never seen a sight so brutally erotic in her life, before swiftly focusing on his dark witch Chambein.


    "I need a swift dressing, Coraz¨®n. The Queen has requested my presence at Nokmaar."


    Cora nodded, knowing exactly not to ask questions. Emergencies like this spared no time for info dumps. "What colors are we thinking, Your Grace?"


    "ck and gold," came Rafel''s solid reply. "Make it loose around the crotch."


    Cora nodded, immediately pushing out two fingers and rolling her wrist in a circr motion in front of Rafel. Blue light shimmered in the air, glowing with magic all over his body. Invisible threads of obsidian spun out of thin air, coating his tall silhouette.


    And by the time Cora stopped waving, Rafel stood crisply dressed in dark pants, a darker grove shirt, overdone in a gold-embroidered trenchcoat, its high cor brushing the back ends of Rafel''s ginger hair.


    She took the liberty of spicing up his feet in bold alligator-skin boots.


    "I hear Nokmaar is swampy," she offered. "Godspeed, Your Grace. We will remain at Emberfall, and await your return."


    "Thank you," Rafel said, slinking into the shadows in the Lounge.


    His [Shadow Self] was already equipped, and pulling on dark mana, he retreated into the shadow realm of sentient ckness he controlled, portalling straight to a ce he had only ever seen as a blight on the Eldorian map.


    The bog of Nockmaar.


    Rafel arrived in record time. Two minutes. For a journey that was supposed tost two day''s ride by horse.


    He rematerialized into the long shadows cast by a massive Weeping Willow with gnarly roots sunken into the moist ground. Quickly looking around, he found the small riverine town covering the left area, with taverns bearing CLOSED signs up their windows, and little wooden cabins along the muddy street paths.


    Nokmaar was built near the River Nokmaar, hence its name. A river that was ck as death and rumored to eat it''s own fishes. Only crocodiles swam in its depths.


    Rafel walked away from the Willow tree, taking the shortest route into the vige. He soon found apany of the Gold Cloaks, the Queen''s Royal Guard, by the swampy bank of River Nokmaar. He moved straight for them. The armored knights cleared the way for him as he approached, and Giselle, seeing him, rushed out, stopping just short of hugging him.


    "Thank the gods! You''re here early. I know I asked on short notice, but thank you for doing this, Rafel. It means a lot." The Queen said into his chest.


    Giselle''s long golden robe swept the ground in her train and the ends were dirty with mud.


    "So, what do we have here, Your Majesty?" Rafel spoke loudly, adopting a formal tone and pulling her little grasping hands from his chest.


    Giselle briefly stumbled on her feet but quickly caught herself. She followed behind Rafel who was already moving to the line of frozen corpses, covered with makeshift nkets in a sorry mess by the ck river''s bank.


    "I so hateing here!" Giselle kicked her feet in the dirt.


    She watched quietly as Rafel bent low, looking in his brooding element as he pulled back the body coverlet on the first corpse.


    It was a man.


    The face was astonishing. White. Pale, pleading eyes that saw nothing.


    Something moved just underneath the skin.


    "What happened here?" Rafel asked again.


    "I was hoping you could tell me, Your Grace," Giselle replied. "All I got few hours ago was a call about a Wan Temple in Nokmaar whose Vicar had gone mad. I arrived to these drowned bodies. We are still pulling out others from the deep, but River Nokmaar is not the kind you swim in. So we have taken to hang back and let the crocodiles spew out the ones they can''t eat. Body count is at 18 so far.


    The Vicar''s entire congregation it seems.


    So, what do you think it is?" Giselle observed Rafel with a studious gaze as he dropped the nket, rising to his feet.


    "A mutation." Rafel said simply.


    "A mutated Priest? How did youe of it?"


    "There are sh marks on the neck of the first victim. A huge chunk of his torso missing from where the Crocs got him. But he was already infected before he hit the water. He just had to die for the virus to take over. Hence, the drowning."


    "Infected? Is the virus in the water?"


    "No. This is a disease not from earth. It''s Hellborn¡ªwhich is why I''m guessing your Gold Cloaks have had little luck catching the culprit. In the body of our beloved Vicar is the original mother host. The infection of a ck Rose can only be extinguished by Hellfire. From Hell it was born, and only a weapon of Hell can destroy it.


    The Vicar must burn. Along with these other bodies. We find him. We end this."


    "Oh, we''ve already got him."


    That made Rafel turn back to Giselle.


    "Where is he?"


    All around, few watching townies and Gold Cloaks watched the Queen and the taller, mysterious Earl engage in a private dialogue. It was mostly whispers, but everyone was eager to be done with the rank of death fucking up the already sour river.


    They kept watching as Giselle led Rafel a short distance away from the bank of the ck river to the sturdy rise of gray rotting wood that served as patronage to the faithful worshippers of Nokmaar. "He waited for all his congregation to gather before infecting and drowning them," Giselle said. "There he is!"


    She pointed to the closed doors of the Temple where Rafel found a lean man nailed to the very wood of the chapel.


    He was punctured in the wrists, ankles, every visible joint Rafel could see, his throat, and also several lining his forehead. It was an appalling sight.


    Despite the man still being in smart crimson priestly robes, his body was nothing holy. He looked like a nt demon had possessed him. Or like he was being digested by a carnivorous tree. Half his crucified body was a ghastly mess of vegetation leaking out his skin.


    His fingers were shrubs. His legs were roots. One eye socket was busted, and in its ce bloomed a single ck rose flower. His body was serrated in oozing bark that leaked green pus down to the damp earth.


    Rafel heard one of the proselytes retch in the corner.


    There were many reasons Hellions weren''t allowed in the mortal realm. This was one of such.


    Hell blood and mortal blood did not mix. And when it did, the offspring was frightening. Like the nt-ridden body of this mutated Priest.


    Fuck knows where he''d gone to get bitten by a ck Roserva!


    "Right! Let''s get this over with."


    Rafel began walking close to the nailed man.


    "Careful!" Giselle called, a safe distance behind. "He pukes!"


    ''I know,'' Rafel was tempted to say. But he couldn''t get infected. He was not mortal. It was both his boon and his woe.


    Rafel stopped walking a feet away from the horrifying crucifixion depicting both man and nt in a messy hybrid. "Whoever you are in there, I am sorry," Rafel whispered. And then he clicked his fingers. Red hot me shot up into his open palm. People around gasped as he sent his palm towards the mutant priest, hurling the ball of me to the chapel.


    The me struck the foot of the wooden Temple, kindling rapidly like peat doused the building. It was no ordinary fire. It was Hellfire. And the smallest spark was like aet, obliterating all in its path. It consumed both crucified priest and infected building in roaring intensity. The inferno burned and burned, iming the whole chapel in giant mes that lunged up to the grainy sky.


    "Toss them in!" Rafel ordered the Gold Cloaks, nodding to the line of corpses.


    Giselle moved to his side, and both of them along with the entire swampy vige of Nokmaar watched as the hurled bodies thrown in seemed like added fuel to the furnace. The fires burned until the earth around the pyre was hissing and giving up steam.


    Rafel''s body was warm with the radiance and he stood a good twenty feet away.


    Half an hourter, and the fire was still going strong. Giselle was glued to Rafel''s side. He looked down at her petite form. For all the divine magic within her, the Fey Queen was encased in a frail nature.


    "You shouldn''t being to these kind of ces without backup." Rafel spoke softly to her.


    "Well, I''m d I have you." Giselle returned, folding the more into him.


    Rafel sighed and looked back into the fire. He knew when Giselle was distracting from a topic. She had rushed to a scene of potential death, just to save a muddy stain of a town. Now, Rafel might not know what exactly the Nova Imperia dynasty might have done to piss off General Noguri. But he was sure of one thing. The Queen did care about other factions in her Empire.


    Whether or not she cared enough to go to war, was another matter entirely?


    Rafel settled his amber eyes on the crackle of thepping mes. One thing that was constant in his life¡ªFire.

 Chapter 15: Girls Fight Club [GFC]

    [?? Dangerous ¨C Michael Jackson.]


    "THERE''S A MATCH TOMORROW NIGHT at the city. You shoulde." Giselle said to Rafel as he hopped down the back of her white Griffin. The Queen had offered to give him a ride from Nokmaar back to Emberfall, and Rafel was delighted for another long windy flight through the blue Eldorian skies.


    "What kind of match?" Rafel narrowed his eyes at her. He didn''t trust the glint in her golden pupils.


    "A Cage Match."


    "Boxing?" Rafel coughed.


    "Female kickboxing to be exact!" Giselle leaned in from her ck fitted saddle on the Griffin''s back. The movement made her scarlet riding pants ride up her waist and Rafel got a very good glimpse of beautiful ass crack. "It''s underground. Exclusive to the truly sick at heart. Those with fucked up minds. A dirty dueling, fighting to the point of nakedness.


    And whole lotta bloody! Right up your alley. It''s the kind of fun we don''t talk about in Ball rooms or Court domains. This is street talk. Top tier depravity¡ªand I''ve got us VIP tickets."


    Giselle smiled, a darkness entering her eyes. It reminded Rafel of her look in the battle of Frostholm.


    "Shit." He shrugged. "I''m in. You ced bets already?"


    "Nope," Giselle replied. "The current Belt-holder is a savage crocodile hybrid. The woman is built like a fucking dinosaur. There''s no challenger, yet. So all bets are open."


    Rafel patted the soft silver feathers on the Griffin''s neck. "What happens if no one challenges?"


    Giselle put her hand on his. There was that smile again. "Then the underground overlords would flood the cage with as many chickens as they can find. Either way, we get our bloodbath. And they draw in bank. Everyone leaves happily."


    Rafel fell silent a moment, his quick mind thinking. Giselle was right. Kickboxing was right up his alley. And women too? Damn! He was so in.


    Nothing stirred his cock harder than witnessing girls in tight spandex ripping at each other and delivering knockout punches. He didn''t think the mortal realm had the capacity to indulge, or even enjoy such hellish delights.


    This was good.


    But for the issue at hand now. He needed a Challenger?


    The Croc woman Giselle spoke about had to be some serious fucking bitch for no one to stand up to her. He wondered how many she had killed to im the belt of such infamous Underground fight club. Her hybrid nature surely helped her. But Rafel didn''t want to go watch them throw helpless ''chickens'' at her, no less than he liked facing off Hellbabies in the arena. He needed the real deal.


    Chickens in street ng represented all the motherfuckers who owed the gang overlords and thus, were ved away into fights they''d certainly die in. Like this one. Their debts payed in their death. But it was the big fights that Rafel lived for.


    Boss bitch vs Boss bitch, shing in blood and ruthless rage!


    Showmanship drew the crowds, and Rafel got that the overlords would throw in the chickens as long as it satiated the bloodthirsty patrons. But not him. To Rafel, there was no honor in pairing off a tiger with a rodent. All bets were off, as the winner was already certified.


    But a tiger with a bull? Now, that was a fight worth watching.


    Giselle mentioned it was still twenty fours to find a Challenger. Someone equally violent and deadly, with no qualms whatsoever about busting some teeth. Someone worthy. Rafel smiled in that instant, inspiration hitting him like a kiss from Lilith.


    He had just the perfect opponent for the reptilian kickboxer, and she lived right in his house.


    The Eldorian Queen caught on the Earl''s rugged smile. "What are you thinking?" Giselle quipped. "Do you have someone in mind?"


    "Uh-huh..." Rafel said, grinning in sinister delight. He began to describe his Challenger, his eyes glowing as he already saw the terror a sh of the two would unleash upon the underground world of illegal fighting. "Tall. Blue eyes. Slender. Introvertive¡ª"


    He didn''t need to finish.


    "The Tomboy?" Giselle raised her eyebrows.


    Rafel nodded.


    "Good choice," she added, picking up the gilded reins on her white Griffin. Neither Rafel nor Giselle said anything else. But he smiled, and she smiled back. "See you tomorrow night, Your Grace!"


    The Queen blinked once at him. And then she ascended into the sky. pping white wings blew cool forest wind all over Rafel, his trenchcoat whipping in the gale as he stared up until the lovely form of Giselle was melding beautifully into the big blue skies.


    "See you too." He turned for the Manor.


    "So, what do you think?" Rafel said to Cora fifteen minutester in the grand space of the living room, adjacent his chambers. He stared lovingly at her, and she had her eyes lowered, the blue in them obscured from his gaze.


    She stood an angel in his presence. Before him. Tall. Blue eyed. Slender. Reserved.


    His Challenger. The one who would pluck the belt off the waist of the Croc woman and end her long-running reign of underground kickboxing.


    But Rafel understood Cora was still mortal. He was giving her a choice.


    "Oh, Coraz¨®n," he stood up from his sofa to walk to her. cing both hands on her arms, he rubbed tenderly, the sincerity in his eyes stark. "You don''t have to do this. I would never put you in harm''s way. You could stay by my side and we could just watch. Either way, I''m fine¡ª"


    "It''s not that, my Lord." Cora''s sudden quiet voice interrupted Rafel. "It''s not that at all. Infact, it is opposite that."


    She lifted her eyes then to his. And Rafel gaped in awe. Her big blues were shining. She looked like a kid with a popsicle. Her stare was so bright it was almost crazy. A maniacal light that filled her as she began to excitedly purr,


    "I would LOVE to fight for you, Your Grace, in this Cage Match. I am honored that you thought of me to be your Challenger. I promise I will bring the head of this reptilian bitch. I''m so happy right now. This is like...one of my life''s goals! Her Eminence would gift me a boon for doing this.


    Not to mention the sheer pleasure I''d derive from seeing you watch me fight. Can I kiss you, my Lord. Fuck! Please, can I kiss you?"


    Rafel was just nodding his reply when Cora dived into his arms, clutching his shirt in her fingers and taking his mouth. Rafel let her in and her tongue swept into his mouth. Cora licked dreamily at his lips, and he held to her small waist. When she pulled away, her cheeks were pink and the horn-rimmed sses spotting her eyes were up her forehead.


    She adjusted the spectacles on her face.


    "Thank you, Your Grace for this. I would offer right now to go on my knees and¡ª"


    "That won''t be necessary, Coraz¨®n." Rafel grinned, pleased at her hot nerdy look.


    "In this fight, is anything off the table, my Lord?" Cora asked.


    "No rules, love. No rules," came Rafel''s baritone. "You will need an alias."


    "I already have one," the sexy witch replied. "VIPERA!"


    Rafel rolled around the word in his head. And then smiled. "You''re not new to this, huh, Coraz¨®n? Vipera! I like it." He cupped her bespectacled face in both hisrge palms, looking right through the lens into her ocean eyes. "You are perfect, Coraz¨®n.


    Just perfect."


    Cora was feeling all sorts of things under the smouldering fire of Rafel''s gaze. Prime of all, was pride. She would not disappoint His Grace. Even if thest match with Bloody Mary had nearly cost her her life. This was going to be different.


    Now, Cora had something to live for.


    Fuck that Croc bitch!


    Rafel smiled into the eyes of his Challenger, unaware of her own thoughts. For the ruddy Earl did not know that once Coraz¨®n Mortimer was the great Vipera, legendary kickboxer and underground Flyweight champion. Once, before she became [Dark Witch], she had fought the crocodile hybrid, Bloody Mary.


    This Cage Match was a Cage Re-match!

 Chapter 16: Cage Fight!

    [?? Thunder ¨C Imagine Dragons.]


    BLOODY MARY was born Mary Atwell. The peeped gossip was that she was the bastard daughter of a fine Noble Lord. But not so fine now was he, caught engaging in bestial rtions with a fucking reptile. Mary was born with a look that cut out her future for her. And it sure as hell wasn''t a pretty slice.


    She had no surviving midwife that she knew of. Everyone called her cursed¡ªwhat with her scaly skin, forever changing body temperature, and huge red eyes. Not to mention her tail. Yep! There was no hiding that one. She did a few jobs in the lower levels of the undercity to survive.


    Mostly, she was a circus freak in some wannabe magician''s show.


    But it got better. Or worse, is it?, when she climbed for the first time into the ring.


    Her spectators didn''t give a fuck what she looked like. They didn''t care for her raggedy slimy green hair which looked like shebed it every morning with a lizard''s ribs. The grave world of underground fighting only cared for one thing.


    Blood.


    You could be a damned jaguar with just an ounce of mortal blood for all they cared.


    The more animal, the better.


    Overlords got payed. She did too. And the crowd got some fucking blood on their faces. Everyone won. Except the poor bastard on the opposite side of the ring, who would always leave her fights in a sodden bodybag.


    Mary Atwell, due to her extreme physical abilities destroyed all of her adversaries, quickly rising in ranks from the pits where the cannibals lurked, to the higher but no less bloody heights of the box ring in the Girls Fight Club. No one messed with her. She was the thunder. Lightning, and the fucking thunder.


    And for her savage bloodcurdling KO''s, she became known as Bloody Mary.


    This was the brief history of the Flyweight champion Rafel hadpelled off a nearby serving girl. He stood currently pacing one of the side rooms in the boxing arena, a hollow cubicle where the fighters were dressed and pumped up by their managers before entering the main hall of a bloodthirsty waiting crowd, and further into the ring.


    Rafel was having second thoughts of sending his beloved Chambein into the ring with such a literal animal. Bloody Mary was a [Crocodile Girl]. Very few survived her punches. Much less, those razor teeth. Any attack made to her had to be executed with wicked swift speed, with enough heavy force backing it.


    "Why the hell is she in the Flyweight division, anyway?" Rafel continued pacing, worry etched into his ruffian looks.


    It was the night of the fight. And though he hated to admit it, time had flown pretty quickly since Cora had epted to be his Challenger. The wrestling overlords of the infamous ring had been informed and right outside on the huge glinting billboard thirty feet in the air, the aliases,


    [BLOODY MARY] vs [VIPERA]


    [BLOODY MARY] vs [VIPERA]


    . . .shimmered in blood-red neon lights.


    Giselle was at the moment in the inner dressing room with Cora, having her fitted with her kit for easy movement. Rafel had introduced Coraz¨®n to the Queen, and Giselle was more than happy to work her fey magic on the taller girl. Even though Cora had assured Rafel this wasn''t her first time in the ring, the Hell Lord was still unsure.


    Rafel had battled literal Dragons in the arena, sometimes just for the fucking fun of it. HE had done it. Not someone he cared about. Rafel was quickly learning, he didn''t like caring!


    It made his head hurt.


    No wonder mortals aged so quickly.


    Even now, he could hear the noisome din of the crowd outside, in anticipation for the big game. Two notable names in the world of underground dirt fighting, shing in a cage match, with no hope for escape save death. It was only normal he worry for his Chambein. Cora was a beautiful young woman, with the loveliest snow skin and bluest set of eyes.


    He would hate to see Bloody Mary''s ws tarnish it.


    Aya Naamah and Ravenna were also at the event. Ardent supporters of Coraz¨®n. They waited outside with the expectant crowd, buckets of popcorn bnced on theirps as fireworks danced around the ring, preparing the spectators minds for a good bloodbath. Rafel knew his subus ve wouldn''t miss a good catfight for any reason.


    Fighting and Fucking were almost synonymous in her world.


    Ravenna de Vries however, he was learning loved to rumble just as dirty.


    Everyone from Rafel to his girls and Queen Giselle had bet on VIPERA. A whopping five and half mil. Ravenna''s weight in gold. Their bets tipped the odds which ranked in favor of BLOODY MARY, eight to one. Whoever so much as put a nickel on VIPERA stood to experience a windfall.


    Rafel was still worrying, picking at the fine tufts of his red hair slicked back in a ponytail that gave him the look of a Crime Boss, when the stic door to the inner closet pped open. Cora came padding in, Queen Giselle behind her.


    Rafel turned to them in his crisp ck Hades suit.


    "You look divine." He smiled at Cora. "Hey look, so I asked around about Bloody Mary, and the talk isn''t good. I can call it off, the whole thing! They can send in the fucking chickens. I don''t bloody care. But you.


    . .not you."


    Knowing how hard it was on Rafel to express any type of feeling, Cora helped him out. "It''s alright, Your Grace. I want to do this. I''m ready. You should know, this isn''t my first dance with Mary."


    Rafel nodded, his amber eyes questioning. But he didn''t ask.


    He looked over Cora, once again. Her short silver hair was kept back in a t sheen. Her blue eyes twinkled on his when he passed by them, and his gaze dropped to her hands. She had strips of white cloth around her knuckles to her wrists, the kind worn under gloves. Her pear breasts were kept from slipping and sliding by apact sports bra, and blue spandex shortspleted her ensemble.


    The tights ended at her upper thighs, framing her wide hips perfectly. Rafel was in awe, seeing her hourss figure truly for the first time. So this what was she hid down there in all those baggy boy clothes?


    Her bare feet were in the same strip coverlet as her hands.


    Vipera was ready.


    "You should also know, that Cora here refuses the Fae runes for immediate healing I tried to weave on her. The crowd wouldn''t even know it was there. It would save you spare seconds of wincing in pain. Change your mind yet?" Giselle said in the dressing room.


    Cora shook her head.


    "Well," said Rafel. "You may have refused Her Majesty''s help. But you are not refusing mine." Moving as he spoke, Rafel pulled smoothly a hidden switchde from the front pocket of his suit jacket. Both Cora and Giselle watched as he flicked out the knife.


    Swish! Cold shiny metal glowed in the small area.


    "¡ªThat woman out there has scales for skin. Dagger teeth. And a fuckingrge tail. Did you see her tail? Cuz I''ve seen it. It''s stupendous.


    This isn''t a fair fight. But I will make it one."


    Rafel put the knife''s de to his wrist, pulling a straight line over his delicate pale skin. Blood immediately pooled on the slit, fresh and sparkling.


    Cora found herself licking her lips. But she shook her head in protest.


    "I don''t need your blood, Your Grace. I can take her on my¡ª"


    "Like fuck you need my blood!" Rafel boomed back. "I''m not letting you get skinned out there because you''re too heady on being vampiric for a second. This will even the fight. It''ll take moments to kick in so it will go unnoticed. And don''t worry, we''re not breaking any rules. This is a Cage Match in an illegal underground fight club.


    There are no rules to break. Now, drink up, Coraz¨®n!"


    He held up his bleeding wrist to her mouth.


    Cora cupped his forearm and lowered her head. Her lips met with his skin and softly her tongue licked at the pooling blood. At his taste, her initial reluctance melted away. She beganpping at his wrist, slurping on his life essence, squeezing his forearm, demanding more.


    Cora wondered if she was some closet vampire, and didn''t know it. Her own appetite for Rafel''s blood astounded her.


    Rafel allowed her a full minute to drink before calmly pulling his hand away. He wiped at her stained lips with his thumb. "There you go, love. Now, Bloody Mary''s got nothing on you."


    Giselle, who had been watching all along was open-mouthed when Rafel''s slit wrist sew together of its own. There wasn''t even a remnant scar.


    "Just who are you really, Earl?" The Queen sighed into the dressing room.


    Just then, a polite knock sounded outside the door and a blonde serving girl peeped her head in. "Donnie says it''s showtime!"


    Rafel nodded, swaying to Cora''s side as the Blonde shut the door. Giselle carefully unfurled the shy red cape she had ordered be made for Cora. It was a custom make, and fit her fighter alias perfectly, in its rich blend of crimson and ck.


    A monstrous V was inscribed in a heavy metal ck scrawl behind.


    Giselle put it over Cora''s shoulders and the Challenger slipped her arms in. Rafel lifted his hand, dragging the cowl over her head and leaning in to kiss the top of her head.


    "Alright, Vipera! Give her hell!" He chanted, meaning it literally.


    The crowd went wild as the Ring Announcer took the stage. They were cheering. Singing. Laughing. Screaming. All sounds produced such a proud noise that it bounced off the many alleys in the city.


    Taverns were full of people, as the auditorium was full of crowd. Those without tickets to the match dutifully settled themselves into bar stools around Rank C Mages who weaved spells that brought the game to them.


    It was a kind of shimmeryrge screen that showed various good angles of the ring. In realtime. A LIVE recording. Many pubs across the city boasted one or two of such Mages, looking to make a buck on helping out the people''s needs.


    In the very dome of the host game, the illumination in the auditorium dimmed, the spotlight focusing on the man in the penguin suit who stood center of the ring.


    He had a silver [Voice Amplifier] rune dangling off the left side of his head. The crowd quietened their banging as he lifted up his hands.


    "Tonight is¡ª"


    "YEEAAAHHHH!!!" The crowd roared, excitement firing their bones. They were unable to sit still. Unable to let him finish his sentence.


    "TONIGHT," the suited announcer began again. "IS THE NIGHT. The finale of the season. A death duel only seen once in months! Tonight, we have two household names. Coming in from the northern corner of the arena, we have our reigning Champion!


    FLYWEIGHT BRUISER! THE REPTILIAN AMAZON! With teeth sharp and long-running as gears on a grinder, biceps heavy and brutal as an iron bat to the head. Give it up folks, for the woman of the hour. A CROCODILIAN SPECTACLE! THE SHE-GIANT!


    BLOOOODY MAAAARY!!!"


    "RAAAAAARGH!" The crowd went wild.


    A trumpeting fanfare and fireworks exploded in the auditorium and controlled mes shot up the corners of the ring, firing in tune to the uptown beat that was near leveling the entire hall.


    People were jumping on their seats. The crowd was a wave of heightened emotions.


    Anger.


    Lust.


    Madness.


    "RAAAAAARGH!" One man kept roaring.


    "YEEAAAHHHH!" Another screamed, veins nearly popping in his head. "BLOOOOD! GIVE US FUCKING BLOOD!!!"


    The Announcer wasughing as the infamous Champion began to prance out her corner. There was nothing remotely feminine about Bloody Mary. She was all muscle and scale. She was also seven feet tall. Her toes ended in ck ws, and her humongous green tail swished behind her, flogging the air with whooshing sounds.


    In their seats, Aya turned to give Ravenna a look.


    "Shit. That''s no woman. That''s a fucking beast."


    She was right. Bloody Mary''s face was scaled up to her forehead. She took off her swamp-green cape as she entered the ring and hefting herself onto the lowest of the ropes, she deftly sent out a shrill roaring.


    "RRAAAAGH!" In her open mouth was a dentition that belonged to the body of a reptile. Straight deadly incisors. All of them.


    "BLOODY! MARY! BLOODY! MARY! BLOODY! MARY!" The chanting made the walls shake.


    The Announcer let Bloody Mary step down to the ring before he began again. "And over here in the southern corner, emerging a ck widow from the shadows of Hel itself, we have a returning Legend. A true Greatest Of All Time!


    A time spent away from the arena behind her, she is returning to the Ring in vengeance and fury, to im what was lost to her years ago. I''m sure you all know her, for she needs no introduction. She is the POISON IN YOUR VEINS. THE TERROR THAT MAKES YOU SCREAM AT NIGHT! HIDE UNDER YOUR BED! SHE IS LADY COBRA!


    THE VIXEN VENOM. HOLD ON TO YOUR JAWS ON THIS ONE. I GIVE YOU, VIIIPEERAAAAA!!!"


    Aya Naamah flew out her seat in that instant, yelling the loudest. "FUUCCCKKKK YEEAAAHHHH!"


    Patrons in the hall were literally skyrocketing out their seats, leaping up to get a better view as everyone was screaming and jumping. One thin man had tears leaking out his crazy eyes. He tore at his clothes. "I love you, Vipera. I FUCKING LOVE YOU!"


    "VIPERA! VIPERA! VIPERA!"


    It was aplete standing ovation.


    Rafel was amazed. Humans were after all surprising.


    Just before Cora dashed for the ring, he patted her back in a caress. "Get her, Champ!"


    Roaring followed her red cape all the way into the ring. She didn''t hop on the ropes, or yell. The people were doing it for her. And Cora briefly thought the building might just copse on all of them. The introductions were over. As the prim Announcer slinked away, there was a hastiness to his feet as he rushed for safer grounds.


    A grating sound apanied the crowd''s frenzy as the huge chain box began to lower onto the ring from the dome above, imprisoning the two female fighters. And the crowd yelled even louder.


    The Cage Match had begun.


    There was one catch to the fight. The cage tonight was connected to a livewire. Any contact with the gray metal warranted mild doses of electricity.


    Everything and anything was intended to incite pain. The Overlords of the underground were sadistic fucks.


    Rafel and Giselle settled themselves into the seats Aya had saved up for them just as the bell rang.


    [DING! DING!]


    [FIGHT!]


    A horrible robotic voice called.

 Chapter 17: Cage Fight II—Boo, Bitch!

    [?? Hit Me With Your Best Shot ¨C Pat Benatar.]


    BLOODY MARY threw the first punch. It was a deadly round arc that would knock the wind out of a bull. Cora, seeing this made no move to block it out, and instead, she executed a smooth backflip, slipping away from the attack.


    "Yes! Atta girl!" Rafel chimed from his seat, causing the three women nking him to smile.


    Cora was lighter on her feet. She had agility and endurance going for her. She had the mind to test out Bloody Mary''s. Run her a mile. Tire her out.


    "We meet again, butch!" Bloody Mary insulted, swiping and missing again at Cora who was dancing on her heels, annoying the reptilian amazon.


    "Eh," Cora shrugged her shoulders. "I''m pretty sure I get more dick than you."


    "You lesbo dipshit!" Bloody Mary roared, stomping the ring with her heavy foot so hard Cora jumped on her end. "I will rip wide your stupid little mouth."


    Cora dangerously came within reach of her, smirking. "Quick question, Mary! And just between us girls, do those scales of yours reach down to your vagina? I mean I''m not judging, but some scaly pussy is pretty mean, innit?"


    "AHHH!" Bloody Mary twisted her face in the most gory mask, trying to capture Cora in her wed hands.


    Cora was nimble, evading her. Her n was working. They were already ten minutes in, and Bloody Mary was already looking weary. She on the other hand had not broken a sweat. All the muscle mass was beginning to strain on her giant opponent, and Cora was taking advantage of it.


    Rafel watched rxed in his seat, smiling as Cora ran circles around the taller, meaner, greener She-hulk.


    "I get pussy! I get cock!" Cora was still teasing. "What do you get, Mary? Huh? Blue vag?!"


    "Come here!" Bloody Maryshed out with an angle Cora wasn''t expecting. Her tail!


    For the first time, her blow connected with Cora, hitting her square on the abdomen. The crowd watched Vipera yelp as she was sent flying to the cage. It immediately shocked her, and she fell to her knees before the electrocuting fence.


    Bloody Mary saw her chance. And leaped a wide berth into the air, towards Vipera. She sent her heavy right arm in a descending blow to Cora''s head. Itpletely ttened the Challenger to the ring, knocking the wind and some teeth out of her.


    Cora spat out red, trying to rise. But Bloody Mary kept her sandwiched between her huge bulk and the electric cage. She began throwing punches. Hit after hit. Cora''s slender frame collided heavily with the cage, her back hitting the links and the hot metal sizzling her skin.


    "Damn it, love! Get up!" Aya lurched to her feet, scrunching her nose at the crowd which was suddenly no longer yelling Viperia.


    Praises for Bloody Mary rang out. The giant swamp bitch was holding Cora up in the air by her throat, wringing her scrawny neck.


    "Where''s your funny little mouth now, cunt?" Bloody Maryughed at the stray blood dripping out the sides of Cora''s lips and her nose.


    With one great muscled arm, she threw Cora up in the air, and while she was still in it, Bloody Mary swiped out her fat tail, catching her square in the torso and sending her straight across to the other end of the ring.


    Cora crashed into the solid chain cage, shuddering as it sent shockwaves all over her body.


    She fell to the ring, numb.


    "Mary! Mary! MARY!" People''s hands were up in the air, wailing.


    Yells were flying out from all corners of the dark auditorium.


    "Pull out her hair!"


    "Gouge her eyes!"


    "Rip out her fucking tits!"


    "Shove your fingers in her ass!"


    "Rim her! Spank that tiny ass!"


    "Chomp on her leg!"


    Bloody Mary walked to Cora, picking her up by her gel of white hair to mock in her face. Sheughed evily into Cora''s dimmed blue eyes, one of which was now bloodshot. "Hear that, dyke? It''s all for me, the chanting! They love me. It''s a shame I''m gonna have to give them what they want.


    I beat you once before. And now, I''ll beat you again. But first, let''s give the crowd some ass, shall we?"


    She lifted a hand to the top of Cora''s blue spandex shorts, pulling it roughly down to her knees.


    Giselle closed her eyes as the crowd broke out like thunder on sighting Vipera undressed to her ck nylon panties.


    "MORE!" They screamed in their seats, panting like dogs for more naked flesh.


    Ravenna looked away from the sight, and Aya Naamah looked like she wanted to shoot a hole with her eyes into Bloody Mary''s skull. "Come on, Cora. Come on!" She urged her friend silently.


    Rafel didn''t blink in his seat. For some reason, the Hell Lord was unperturbed.


    "Give it some time," he said to ease Aya. "This is the best part."


    Just as the words left his lips, Bloody Mary lifted her wed hand again to drag off Cora''s remaining dignity. Out of nowhere, everyone was stunned as Viperia struck out with her knees, mping firmly on Bloody Mary''s huge arm with her thighs and twisting back with all her might.


    A resounding crack echoed from the ring. And a secondter, Bloody Mary''s right arm fell limply to her side, broken, hanging off by the flesh.


    Her grip on Cora''s hair loosened and Cora dropped to the ring like a cat,nding on all fours. Vipera was back.


    "You little shit! You broke my arm!" Bloody Mary squealed.


    The crowd burst intoughter, and in the face of embarrassment, she lunged at Cora with her free left. Cora''s right hand went up in a blur, catching Bloody Mary''s heavier fist on her knees, an inch away from her face. Slowly, she pushed it to the side. And out from a tangle of fallen silver hair, ming blue eyes lifted to Bloody Mary.


    "Boo, bitch!"


    Vipera sent out a sharp fist, lightning fast and breaking like thunder. It arced straight for Bloody Mary''s groin.


    BOOM!


    A shock wave erupted at the fury of the punch, radiating outward in a gust of cold air.


    "OOH!" The crowd gushed, taken back by the force of it.


    Bloody Mary went flying across. Her huge green body cut right through the cage, leaving a massive hole in the electric box as she sailed into the line of frontrow seats. The crowd parted like a wave as she crashed, demolishing easily a dozen seats in her splinteringnding.


    Cora stood in the center of the ring with zing blue eyes, rising to her feet like a Phoenix in the wreckage.


    "Damn!" Ravenna gasped.


    Rafel calmly smiled in his seat. "There! That''s my Champ!"


    His blood had begun to do its work. Pure, undiluted Apollyon blood. Coraz¨®n, aka Vipera, now had all the infernal gods of the underworld working in her favor. She stood reborn from ashes and blood. An avatar of Hel.


    "FINISH HER! FINISH HER!" People drummed on the edge of their seats.


    Cora, without a smile, stepped out the wide dent created in the cage, hopping down the ring to stride towards the sprawled figure of Bloody Mary on the broken seats. She picked up the scaly Amazon by the damp ends of her green hair, dragging her back to the ring and throwing her in.


    Blood Mary doubled over, still reeling from the powerful blow to her crotch. Shey, moaning on the ring floor, eliciting long bouts ofughter from the watching crowd.


    "Let''s see how you like getting naked!" Cora fumed. She ripped at Bloody Mary''s tight onesie which gave room for only her tail.


    Curled against her body, the serpentine mass could do nothing to prevent the onught of Cora''s hands. Cora tore at her clothes, tearing it off in the middle and proceeding to drag the tatters off Bloody Mary even as the giant woman folded in on herself.


    It was full nudity. Mary''s big breasts were in tandem with her size,rge as melons on her chest. Her scales reached the tops of the fat boobs but didn''t cover over her cherry nipples.


    The men in the crowd guffawed. "Mamazon!" Some lunatic yelled.


    But Cora wasn''t done. She kicked at Bloody Mary''sp, forcing her to spread her thighs. And when her tail moved away from between her legs, a perfect cream slit was revealed. Mary''s pussy was fatter than normal, but other than that, no scales in sight. They stopped short of her calves.


    "Holy shit!" Ravenna turned away her eyes from the lewd sight.


    Mary''s human pussy glistened with sweat of the fighting and up the apex of her thighs was a narrow triangle of dark-green pubic hair.


    She closed her legs quickly, falling back into a foetal pose.


    Now Cora would pity her if she didn''t know already what Bloody Mary was capable of in the ring. Same as everyone present.


    "Well, what do you know? You do have a clean vagina." Cora taunted.


    Bloody Mary spat in her face as she drew near. The crowd had their thumbs down at the ring, signalling how the match should end. "KILL! KILL! KILL!" was the single word flying out every mouth.


    "Now, what was it you said earlier?" Cora whispered into Mary''s ear. "Oh! I remember. Something about ripping wide my stupid little mouth. So, how about you eat your own words for a change, instead of chickens, huh?!"


    Cora yelled, grabbing Bloody Mary''s jaw in both hands. She ignored the dagger teeth piercing her palms and put her fingers into the open reptilian mouth, pulling her lips wide until the skin tore and peeled off at the sides, all the way to her earlobes.


    Bloody Mary shrieked in pain.


    Cora let go, her handsing up bloodied in both saliva and sanguine. Bloody Mary''s head dropped to the ring floor with a dull thud and she closed her red eyes, cradling her ck jaw and shivering from the humiliation and pain.


    And Vipera stood tall in the defeat of her longtime adversary. She granted Bloody Mary a mercy. She didn''t kill her. But tearing her mouth open was such a violent unexpected act that it pacified the crowd''s bloodthirst.


    As the Announcer dove back into the ring, lifting her hand up and pronouncing her as the new Champion, Cora looked across the plus-size, muscly tits and ass on Mary towards the cruel pair of yellow eyes in the crowd.


    Rafel was not screaming and hugging like the rest of them, but his pride in her was palpable through the distance.


    "I GIVE YOU THE NEW FLYWEIGHT BRUISER CHAMPION, THE VIXEN VENOM, VIIIPEERAAAAA!" The Announcer stretched his voice.


    It waster after the fight that Rafel approached Cora in the dressing room, in the midst of fans waiting to shake her hand. He healed all of her injuries, using [Spirit Touch], easily swiping a hand over her body. Cora felt all the pain in her aching bones vanish like the cuts on her face.


    "You didn''t need to do that, my Lord." She blushed.


    "Yes, I did," said Rafel kindly. "You made me proud, Champ!"


    Coraz¨®n kept blushing as she signed the backs of shirts¡ªand to her surprise, boobs. She kept smiling on the carriage ride back to Emberfall. And still smiled muchter on, in her sleep.


    In his dark bedchamber, Rafel was asleep when the feel of something hot sliding pleasurably over his dick made him stir amidst the fine scarlet sheets. He heard the ruffle of a pulled nket, the pleasure around his cock intensifying, and soon enough, wet sucking sounds.


    Slurp...


    Slurp...


    Slurp...


    Rafel grinned in a mild haze.


    Could this night be any more eventful?


    He hadn''t yet opened his eyes. A grave mistake on his part.


    "You were so beautiful in your suit tonight, my Lord. So regal and ssy as you sat in the darkness. I wished you on me, in my mouth, many times during the fight. Let me do this for you. Fuck my mouth. Take me as you will." A female voice was saying.


    He heard the words from below. But something wasn''t right about the voice.


    Aya didn''t talk with an ent. No one did in his house except¡ª


    Rafel''s eyes flew open.


    He peered down to bright green eyes looking up at him, young pink lips wrapped tight like a bow on his heavy cock. An angelic face. Confirming his suspicion, Rafel leaped off the bed with so much force it shook.


    His penis was slimy and thick with running veins as he struggled for something to cover himself with.


    "For fucks sake! Ravenna!" Rafel boomed angrily.


    It was the first time he didn''t call her Little Raven.

 Chapter 18: Off To Boarding School

    RAFEL STOOD PAINED in his bedroom. He desperately searched for something to say. Anything. What was wrong with this girl? Matter of fact, what was wrong with him? On any other night in Hel, with any other girl who dared pulled some groupie shit like Ravenna just did, he would be aggressively shoving his cock down her throat, making her beg for more.


    . .not feeling as though he just propositioned his Uncle, Lord Morningstar''s favorite, Vashti. The urge to rip at something whitened his knuckles.


    Rafel turned with simmering rage to address the youngdy.


    "Get out!"


    Ravenna blinked. She stood at the side of his looming bed, her fingers twined, rocking on her feet. "Excuse me?"


    "I said get out." Rafel dared to meet her jaded irises.


    The passion he saw in their depths nearly made him drag her back down on her knees to give her exactly what she wanted. But for some stupid unknown reason, he seemed to have cultivated some sort of moralpass overnight. Why else would a person with his kind of sadistic mind think twice about getting some good head from a woman whose green eyes could conjure a forest?


    Fuck these mortal energies rubbing off on him!


    Rafel treated his sudden attention to morality as some kind of problem he needed to be rid of. He resolved to ask himself when he''d suddenly cultivated the ability [Moral Compass], a cuck kind of power in his mind.


    Ravenna still hadn''t left the room. He watched her take some steps closer until she was right in his face. Her cute button nose red and her green eyes glowed. She began speaking as a woman shaken with a mix of lust and anger. A devastatingly richbo to Rafel.


    "You''ll let Aya Naamah suck your cock. You''ll even let Coraz¨®n, who I''m pretty sure is gay. But me? No. You think your dick is some kind of divine phallus, don''t you?"


    Rafel squinted in the mild candlelight. "It kind of is. I can bestow gifts on the magical creatures I sleep with¡ª"


    "That''s not what I mean, and you know that, asshole." Ravenna balled her tiny fists at her side, a movement almostughable to Rafel. "What''s wrong, Your Grace? Am I too young all of a sudden? A child! From what I hear, Jailbaits are your kind of attraction. You love you some young pussy, don''t you?


    That''s why you call me your Little Raven, ain''t it? Tell me, LORD MASTER! You can''t deny it. Your cock was the girth of my wrist. Everyone wants to fuck the sixteen year old. Everyone!"


    Ravenna''s taunting struck a nerve. He''dugh if anyone else spewed such words, buting from her lips, Rafel felt anything but humor. Something deep inside him twisted at the thought of ever defiling this girl. Just who the fuck was Ravenna de Vries? She must be some [A Rank] Sorceress to hide herself sessfully from his [Cyclops Hell Eye] and enrapture him thus.


    He belonged to no woman. No woman.


    [Dragon girls], [Cat girls], Horned Subi, Tattooed Sprites, and a smashing MILF underworld Goddess all fought for his attention. No mortal female would im his heart. Never!


    Rafel thought hard. He needed time. Time away without the alluring sight of her eyes to corrupt him. How to get it though? A sudden idea sparked in his brain, and the friction in his briefs rescinded a little. But he wasn''t going to take lip from the sassy human girl.


    "GET OUT!" Rafel roared.


    Ravenna shivered under his frightening amber gaze, but held still. Rafel was a second away from bending her over the edge of his bed and spanking her so hard she''d see stars, when his mansion helped him out. Using [Haunting] ability, the Manor creaked, rearranging its floors in Rafel''s suite.


    The tiles abruptly moved around, the ones under Ravenna''s feet lifting and carrying her, sweeping her away until she was by the door which opened of its own ord. The sentient house tossed her out of Rafel''s room.


    He heard her murmur through his door. "What the fuck? Stupid haunted house! If you won''t fuck me, Your Grace. I''ll find someone who will."


    Herst words cut Rafel sharper than a Bonereaver''s axe to his heart would.


    Alone in his grand chambers, Rafel yelled, "System! Updates!"


    [Ding!] A lulling chirp followed through. And Rafel found himself staring at a glinting screen no other person could see but he.


    [Only One Update at this time!]


    [Blessing a Rank B Dark Witch with Hell Blood, by the name of; Coraz¨®n Mortimer, has deemed a worthy ascension to the rank of Hell Anointer.


    Therefore, new Upgrades are as follows!]


    [Rank: Earl (Hell Anointer).


    ss: BLESSED.


    Abilities: Able to gift other underling magical creatures with weapons, runes, and devices from your own pocket dimension. Also, able to read the PROWESS of whatever creature, its magical faction or species.


    Other System Rankings remain the same at this time.]


    [Update finished!]


    The holographic crimson image customized to his Luciferan bloodline dimmed out, and Rafel dropped heavily to the bed. He was yawning wide when the tall slenderness of Cora appeared at his bedside. Rafel looked her over but didn''t sit up. He hadn''t heard here in.


    Coraz¨®n had never seen Rafel so unbothered to do a thing, and quickly began to speak her mind about it.


    "Your Grace, is anything the matter? I saw the de Vries'' girl pounding to her room as I climbed up the stairs. Was she disrespectful again? I could make her fall asleep for several days if it would curb her smartmouth. I hate to see you like this, my Lord. Something disturbs you."


    Cora tried lowering her hand to the impressive arc of his crotch but Rafel caught her fingers, shaking his head. Cora let her hand fall away.


    "If you won''t speak to me, Your Grace, perhaps, I should get Mistress Naamah? Aya is a Hellion like you and might understand some things which I don''t."


    "No," Rafel finally said. "It''s nothing, Coraz¨®n. Nothing I can''t handle." He sat up on the bed, patting the side of it which was promptly filled by Cora. Turning to face her in their simple nighttime clothes, Rafel met the reassuring strength of her ocean eyes before he began to speak again.


    "We might have a problem with our Little Raven."


    Cora took his hand, kissing his wrist palm-up. "What problem, Your Grace?"


    "She''s horny." Rafel said simply. "¡ªand as you know that won''t do in a house full of. . .people like us."


    "A Subus, a Witch, and a Hell Lord? Ipletelyprehend you, Your Grace. I mean, the girl is only sixteen. Turns seventeen by the month''s end. I get it. What does His Grace have in mind?" Cora smiled warmly.


    Rafel squeezed Cora''s soft hand in his, turning out to look into the goth decor of his spacious bedchamber. His eyes glowed bright yellow as he spokemanding words into the silent night. "I have a n. Aye, Coraz¨®n! I do. It involves a ship, and a school."


    Rafel and Cora exchanged dark grins in the bedchamber.


    [?? Let Her Go ¨C Passenger.]


    Early at sunrise the next morning, Ravenna de Vries awoke to find herself sailing. Yep! She was sailing, alright. Her petite self, her bed, and everything had been bundled onto what appeared to be a moving ship. She rose on wobbly feet, flip-flops pping to peer out the small cabin''s window.


    Seagulls swarmed the wide waters. Dolphins heralded their passing. Her room rocked from time to time.


    "What the shit?!" Ravenna put a hand to her mouth, rushing for the loo.


    She retched into a toilet bowl that opened straight to the sea. Sailing and Ships had never been her forte. Just what the fresh hell was the Earl and his band of mystery concubines up to now, she wondered. Besides, how the hell had they managed to maneuver her onto a ship without her opening an eye?


    Cora! The name sang into her heart.


    Realization dawned. That bitch!


    "She must''ve drugged me. Although, a Sleeping Spell sounds more like her." Ravenna spoke into the small mirror in the cabin''s bathroom, speedily brushing her teeth and cleaning herself up. Bundling her tresses of midnight into a long ponytail that teased her spine, she hurried out the bathroom, exchanging her pajamas for arge ck cardigan and ck jean shorts.


    She kept the flip-flops.


    Ravenna hurried along, her body and brain of one mind to yell at the high-and-mighty Sir Rafel Bl¨¹dTh?rste, for literally kidnapping her to the sea. As she pushed opened the cabin''s wooden door and ascended the steps for the deck, she was thinking maybe she shouldn''t have been so sassy to his facest night.


    But oh well, it was already done.


    Ravenna forgot all about yelling when she found Rafel.


    He stood by the metal railing across the forehelm of therge ship. His glorious red hair breezed in the wind like the white sails above him. His hands were folded behind like a Priest. A very hot Priest. He stared out into the ocean, and Ravenna followed his charming gaze into the endless blue waters, desperate to see and also admire that which he did. All she saw was birds shitting from above.


    Ravenna didn''t even notice Cora who stood at Rafel''s side in her worship of him, until the dark sorceress spoke.


    "Oh! You''re awake. Good."


    Ravenna''s fury returned, enveloping her daydreaming and she rushed to the railing to meet both of them. Her green eyes were fair and undiminished against the smooth rising waves.


    "What did you do to mest night? And where are you taking me?" She stood up on her toes to match Cora''s height.


    The blue-eyed kickboxer only smiled, amused.


    "Easy there, firebird. Contrary to what you think, I didn''t cast a spell on you. You slept all through the carriage ride to the ship this morning. I guess you are not as opposed as you''d like to Lord Rafel''s touch, as he himself carried you up the docks to the cabin in which you awoke.


    As for where we are going, it''s called the Isle of Corynthia. One of the few gging the north marina territory of Eldoria. And it is to be your new school."


    Ravenna paled. "Wait! My what?"


    "Ah, look! There it is. Such a wonder, innit?" Cora continued like she hadn''t heard her.


    She pointed across the chilly waves to a tiny ind and Ravenna followed the path of Cora''s blue nails to the high towers of a monstrous stone menace in the horizon of the isle, which screamed dark wizardry at all of her insides.


    She turned her green eyes to Rafel, who hadn''t said a single word since the sailing began. The look on his handsome face was conflicted. He wanted her out of his hair, and then he didn''t. Rafel would be first to admit he''d miss a certain fiery beauty stomping to his wing every now and then. He wasforted a little by the thought that she''d be back by winter.


    Winter, was three months away.


    And she''d be seventeen by then.


    It made Rafel darkly happy.


    "But wait? School?" Ravenna was speaking fast. "I''m guessing this is the kind of private, elusive, slightly haunted kind of boarding school that rich kids go to. What of the fees? Expenses must be astronomical if it has an entire ind to itself. I can''t hope to pay you back, Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste.


    What about my clothes? Uniforms? Anyone?


    Shit. Are you guys hearing a word I''m saying?"


    Ravenna frowned when Cora and Rafel both had the guts to look amused at her iling. As they neared the sandy beach of the ind, Cora finally replied.


    "All expenses you may consider have been taken care of. You will be cr¨¨me de cr¨¨me here. You are the Ward of the Earl of Emberfall, grand benefactor of this school. And as for your clothes, you will find a fresh wardrobe in the room allocated to you in your dorm."


    Cora turned with angelic blue eyes to Ravenna as the ship pulled to a grant harbor on the ind. "If there''s nothing else, Little Raven. Wee to the Isle of Corynthia!"


    A delightful trip by a triad of winged horses, all sparkling white, led them through a mild cultured forest to the high silver gates spelling the acronym, [C. A. W], along with the embossing of a gold swan with a crooked wand in its beak.


    The symbol of the school, Ravenna guessed.


    They climbed off the horses by a grand circr fountain showcasing a mermaid holding a goblet which spewed the crystal water, and as Ravenna watched the magical beasts gallop and leap into the air, she turned her eyes from their graceful takeoff to the administrative quarters of the school which loomed just beyond.


    It was immense. Stories and stories, and windows and windows of history. Magical history. It was it''s spires she had seen from the ship''s deck earlier at sea.


    "WOW!" Her lips fell open.


    The ck towers stretched for the gray skies rolling by. The weather was like that of Emberfall. Gloomy. Eerie. Communicating the paranormal and supernatural. It had more massive stone buildings which looked centuries old to the east.


    A long bell tower. A great Cathedral. The same acronym, [C. A. W], Ravenna found emzoned in mighty engraving as they docked into the ckstone archways that led into the building.


    It was pure goth beauty.


    Loads and loads of money had been, and was being spent on the school.


    Shit! Ravenna thought.


    She had a dream like this once. But she''d never thought she would get to live it.


    An overwhelming sense of loyalty to Rafel took over her as she continued gulping in the silent gray hallway they trode. She could not imagine the purses of gold plus connection it took to get her here. And the man had managed it overnight?


    The corridors were expansive, with amber magicmps as illumination. Wide enough to drive four carriages through side by side, and extending forward to infinity. The floors were tiled an evergreen mosaic,plementing the high domed celestial ceilings, and shined, and the sound of their boots echoed deeply into the silence of mountain stone.


    Sheesh! Ravenna mused. The school was everything she predicted. Rich as fuck. Weird. And beautiful.


    The halls loomed like a Reaper could just appear and snatch you out of thin air. And no one would even know.


    A great manyurels hung across a high wall dedicated to trophies alone, and shielded by a ss that sparkled like water running through a creek. Gold trophies. A few silver. But no brass.


    Ravenna found herself staring at the same acronym, [C. A. W], for the third time.


    Sensing her need for exnation, Cora stopped with Ravenna at the magnificent 40ft ss disy to exin.


    "This is [C. A. W], dearest! The Corynthian Academy for Witches. A most notable and noble institution for all magical factions. Faefolk.


    Mermaid. Demon. Beastlings, werewolves and their like. Witches, like us. Only the pick of the crop in Eldorian nobility go here.


    Alumni include the current Queen of the realm, Giselle Van Imperia, and seventy percent of her entire court. The next generation of power and wealth are being groomed within these hallowed walls. The children of Dukes, Admirals, and Counts, who''d otherwise be wanking off in their bedrooms are sent here to be something.


    The Corynthian Academy for Witches is Legacy. Dynasty. And Prosperity."


    "Woah!" Ravenna''s green eyes wererge on theurels.


    Rafel grinned from the side. It was working. His n. His Little Raven would be so upied in school work he''d be free to conduct his business with a sound mind. Level up, and such. And he didn''t need to bother about Mephistopheles reaching her here.


    [C. A. W] was a Ninth Level Magical Institute blessed with Wards that came straight from the Archangels themselves. It would take a trinity of [S Rank] Principalities to break though. Meph had no chance.


    The sound of clicking heels on the resplendent floors reached their ears, and Ravenna swiveled around to find a striking mature woman in a shy skirt suit sauntering in. Her heels were six inch and fire. She was tall, bespectacled, and walked with the sort of confidence that came with over eight figures in the Eldorian Treasury.


    Ravenna knew such gait. Rafel had it. It was the walk of money.


    The approaching woman was Headmistress of the [C. A. W], Dr. Nicara Shetty.


    "You didn''t bring me here out of the good graces of your heart, did you?" Ravenna asked of Rafel, earning a scoff from Cora.


    Rafel tried to smile polite. But it came out wrong. His amber eyes leveled on the approaching woman doctor, and held, even as he replied Ravenna.


    "Good graces, my dear, I do not have. You should know that by now. You said your father was one of the greatest potionmasters. Well, this is your chance to regain your family''s legacy and name. You are hope, Ravenna de Vries. Do not make me regret this."

 Chapter 19: Headmistress Shetty

    [?? I Gotta Feeling ¨C The ck Eyed Peas.]


    "MY LORD GRACE! Wee to the Corynthian Isle and its Academy!" Dr. Nicara Shetty greeted. Rafel admired the woman when she went down in a waist dip showing respect. In her heels, it took ballerinalike grace to pull it off.


    Many women in the worldckedmon sense for the chain ofmand. Rafel got that mortal men could be fucking pussies¡ªand thus some weren''t worthy of such regard. But in his world; Hel, earth, and beyond, no woman was his equal. Even his Rank S Fallen deity of an Aunt, knew hismanding Alpha energy, and respected him for it. She knew when to back off.


    Seeing this primal feminine quality in the Headmistress endeared her to him.


    He did like the Good Doctor.


    "This must be your Ward, Your Grace. She''s beautiful. Nice green eyes." Dr. Shetty remarked, stepping forward to take Ravenna''s hand in a mild shake. She adjusted her ivory sses over her straight nose before turning back to Rafel. Smiling at his rugged tall shadow, she continued,


    "Will His Grace be joining us at the Academy?"


    Once again, Rafel''s mortal visage betrayed his true immortality. No doubt the doctor was seeing him as a young man no more than twenty, new into his grand inheritance of Emberfall.


    Rafel shook his head as he replied. "No, Doctor. I''m afraid not. Other matters of priority await me at the estate."


    "Well, I mustn''t keep you then. Shall we step into my office to finish up the signature? As I''m sure you already know, Your Grace, these magical matters must be appended with a pinprick drop of blood. All Mage contracts require a seal of life." Nicara exined.


    "Yes Doctor, we shall. Lead the way please!" Rafel returned, and then turning with a final nce, he spoke directly to Cora. "Get her settled in her dorm. And meet me in the Headmistress''s office when you''re done. Godspeed, Miss de Vries."


    With that said, he turned and walked after the clicking of Dr. Shetty''s obsidian heels.


    As they turned a round corner into yet anotherbyrinth of spacious silent hallway, Rafel decided to use his new system upgrade on her. The one that let him view the other avable Systems and Rankings of nearby [Supernaturals].


    Nicara Shetty was one hell of a Knockout. Rafel stared shamelessly at the shapely outline of her ass in her skirt suit from behind her. He was sure she knew of it. But it wasn''t his fault. It was right there, in his face. Even a nicer man would engage his eyes.


    And he was not¡ªnice.


    Frankly, Rafel had never seen auburn hair so straight before. His was unruly, but Dr. Shetty''s red hair was full and glossy, dropping straight down in a prim ponytail whose end tickled the small of her back.


    Nicara Shetty had the attractiveness of the native tribes rumored to be the first colonizers of the isles. The ones whose hair could grow a mile long and had skin tempered by the elements. A rich supple bronze. Even now, Rafel could see the ancient heritage of her forest tribe disyed in the Doctor''s warm choctey skin and generous curves.


    She had health and vigor radiating over every inch of her brown-tan skin.


    And instantly, Rafel knew she''d be a fiery lover.


    A screamer.


    Blood surged low and full, stretching his pants.


    [Ding!]


    His system glinted a holographic image in his face with the feedback. Amand he had sent telepathically. When inpany of people, Rafel had learnt to issue instructions to his System without moving his lips.


    [Request For Rankings On Personality within Purview, on disy now!]


    [Name: Nicara Shetty.


    Species: Female.


    Magical Faction: Wild Shape.


    Subss: WereTiger.


    Rank: A-rank.


    Mana Level: Currently Hallowed.


    Abilities: Shapeshifting into Tiger form. Stealth. Feline Healing factor. Night vision. Predator Instinct. Very fertile hybrid, capable of conceiving quintuplets.


    Deadly maternal proclivity. Expert contortionist. Two centuries old.


    Current Feline System: Headmistress of Mage Academy.]


    [This feature is granted by ess as Hell Anointer]


    [Request delivered! Message Over!]


    [Ding!]


    [You have used Blessed Ability for One All-seeing Eye, therefore have been granted Three Rare Silver Shields, avable in Pocket Dimension.]


    [No further Updates at this time!]


    Huh? Rafel raised his eyebrows as the glinting screen faded away. He focused solely on the part about the Doctor''s abilities. She was a WereTiger, who knew? He had an inkling though. All the Wild Shapes were ruthless lovers.


    Werewolves didn''t do vani. They fucked like animals, their beast halves taking over during sex.


    It helped that they healed wicked fast, so w and fang marks left by frenzied lovemaking were near invisible post-coitus.


    Rafel had never fucked a Wild Shape before.


    "Lucky me!" He couldn''t help saying aloud. He kept his voice to a whisper though. Wild Shapes had acute perception.


    It would seriously tamper with the dark thoughts going on in his head right now if Dr. Shetty found out about his n. His n to seduce the Headmistress of the Corynthian Academy for Witches. He had to tread lightly though. She could be ferocious if it didn''t go as nned. But if it did...holy hell!


    Rafel would have a gorgeous catdy purring on his dick.


    Nicara''s Office had a gray door, and matching gray walls on the inside when they walked in. It suited the woman''s tastes. Lavishly decorated with otherworldly finesse. And arge assuming mural of a Woodscape in full moon light filling the wall behind her ornate desk, so that when she sat, the moon''s shine hovered right above her head.


    She showed Rafel the seat opposite her, and he settled in.


    "I''ll be quick, Your Grace, so you can return back to your ship." Nicara said as she swept around the polished top of her desk to his side, bending over to ce the documents needing his blood stamp before him. "The sea can be terrible towards evening."


    Rafel only smiled as she pricked his thumb with the needlepoint of her special pen. He put the spot of blood, which showed, over the line marking the Guardian annex of the page.


    Rafel had no intention whatsoever of returning to his ship anytime soon.


    "There! All done, Your Grace." Nicara lifted his thumb away from the page.


    She pulled out a tissue to clean off his fingers but Rafel stopped her.


    "No," he toned low. "Lick it off."


    Dr. Shetty''s eyes narrowed behind her sses at the young man sitting before her. The very ravishing Earl whom she''d had to hide her fangs from, for they had shot out into her mouth at the most attractive sight of him earlier. She was Alpha of her tiger pack. No man gave hermands. But this man?


    Something about him just made her want to obey.


    And Nicara found herself lowering her head to his hand and taking his thumb through the red seam of her lipsticked lips.


    Rafel grinned at her submission. The seduction had begun.

 Chapter 20: The Good Doctor [18+]

    "LIKE THIS, YOUR GRACE? You want me to suck your finger like this? Mhmm." Dr. Nicara Shetty rolled her tongue over the tip of Rafel''s thumb, licking off the bead of blood. In the next second, the skin waspletely healed. She didn''t release the finger though.


    Rafel was the one who gently pulled it out her mouth. It popped shiny with her saliva, and her plump lips pursed a sexy, sexy smile.


    Looking on Nicara who leaned by her ass on the edge of her desk, her hands behind her, palms t on the burnished tabletop, her legs crossed at the ankles over her expensive heels, Rafel mused that he might just be the one who was being seduced.


    The bespectacled woman exhibited such allure in her carefree poise against the backdrop of her grand office.


    She was one fine nerdy cat.


    The female Doctor bit on her bottom lip when Rafel dragged his chair closer to the table, scooting to her.


    "You must have a lot of lovers, Doctor?" He admitted.


    Nicara tossed back her red ponytail with a heartyugh. "And why do you say that, Your Grace? You''re not wrong though. I''m the only female Alpha of the six tiger packs existing this side of the Empire. I do notck for propositions if that''s what you mean."


    "I just hope I''m not stepping on any toes, or should I say¡ªtails. . .by doing this." Rafel put his hand on her knees, slowly sliding up her lush thighs, taking the satin of her tight skirt with him.


    "Would that stop you though?" Nicara smirked.


    "Nope," Rafel droned back. "It wouldn''t."


    [?? Wobble Up ¨C Chris Brown ft. Nicki Minaj, G-Eazy.]


    The Doctor''s red lips stretched out to a full grin and she let Rafel''s hands engage the creamy insides of her thighs. He brazenly pinched on her skin and she moaned softly.


    "I have had many lovers over the years, Young Master, but never a demon."


    This made Rafel pause to look up at her.


    Nicara waved a hand, smiling. "I tasted your blood. Feline Instinct? And besides, you''re a six foot four eighteen year old, looking the way you do. Go figure."


    Rafel grinned at her, starting his hands up herp again. His path shifted toward the heat of her shut thighs. Laying back her head, Nicara spread her long legs for him. The tip of her ponytail brushed the top of her desk as she smiled down at him, encouraging him with her soft brown eyes.


    Rafel put his hand to the apex of her thick thighs, feeling into the warm flesh. His palm met with panties liquefied.


    "Fucking hell, woman," he gasped.


    The urge to rip away her underwear and taste her shook him on his seat. The Doctor was wet as fuck. And she kept smiling. That pretty mouth of hers making him crazy.


    Nicara had leaned over and was rubbing at the massive parab tenting his trousers too. The petted each other heavily for some seconds, breathlessly groaning into each other''s faces, lips teasing but not quite kissing.


    "Can I see?" Dr. Nicara enquired, her irises hot behind her sses, directly on the outline on Rafel''s erection.


    He moved to pull out his cock. But she stopped him with her hand. "Please, let me!"


    Nicara''s hands weren''t shaky, naive, or shy as she pulled down his zipper. Rafel lifted up slightly on the seat so she could drag down his ck trousers. She pulled off his briefs with it, drawing it straight down to his ankles.


    "Fuck me!" Nicara hissed through her lips. "This is some huge demon dick. Such a fat cock!"


    She took Rafel in her hand, putting her gorgeous face to hover over his engorged penis. And then she drew saliva into her mouth, letting it drop from a height of a few inches, erotically, to the broad head of his cock.


    "Ohh." Rafel rocked in the seat as the spittle dribbled down the sides of him.


    Nicara began pumping his shaft with both her hands, fisting his girth as he lifted slightly on his chair. His own hand was lost between her thighs, and she clenched her legs firmly on his palm so that he couldn''t withdraw it even if he tried. Her heat and musk coated his palm, up to his wrist.


    Rafel pushed deeper under her skirt, dipping his palm into her panties. Her scent rose into the fragrance of her office, suddenly mixing sex withvender.


    Her pussy was warm against him and Rafel cupped her roughly.


    Nicara squirmed on the edge of her office desk, her own hands nearly falling from her handjob. "My Lord?" She choked.


    "Enough forey!" Rafel thundered in a voice hardened by passion.


    Nicara did not let go for a moment his cock as she stood to her full height. She pulled off her ivory sses, and executed apletely fluid bend at the waist. Spreading her heeled legs, she dipped down, still standing, to take him into her mouth.


    She tried to suck on his prominent nosh.


    Rafel grabbed at her throat in a dominant reflex, halting her descending lips.


    "No time for that, Doctor. My Chambein would be in here any second now. Turn around and grab the edge of your desk. Grab it like your fucking life depends on it!" He instructed in harsh sexuality.


    Feeling theplete animalistic energy rolling off Rafel, Nicara shivered as she turned around. She was a bit too slow for his liking, and Rafel shoved her into the table, face first into the smooth dark pinewood surface. Nicara grasped the edges, and Rafel mmed her down again until her midriff was t, and all of her matronly hips spread for his wicked eyes.


    She was already shaking her rump for him, twerking. A bitch in heat.


    Rafel pped her ass with an unforgiving palm, so hard Nicara jerked against her desk.


    He grabbed at the ends of her navy skirt, ripping it from the split upwards. The sight of her ample choco flesh spilling out robustly into the mild lighting of her office made Rafel spank her ass a few more times. He groaned out his delight as she rubbed against his palm.


    "Such a fat ass on you, Doctor. Tell me, how do you have such a delightful rump. You must get dicked down a lot, huh? Tell me, you fucking whore?! Well, it''s my turn now. I''m gonna have this fucking pussy any way I want.


    This wet dripping cunt.


    Show it to me. Show me that fucking pussy!"


    Nicara''s suit skirt was in ripples at her waist and Rafel shoved aside her soakedcy underwear to expose a perfectly narrowed slit. She had soft reddish curls running up and out of sight. Her delicious female scent hit Rafel the more, and he deftly spanked her ass in punishment for it until she saw God.


    Nicara was clinging to the desk''s edge to keep on her feet.


    Her panties kept getting in the way and Rafel ripped itpletely off. He leaned across to shove it in her panting mouth. It subdued her whimpering.


    "Spread your ass. Spread your fucking ass!" Rafelmanded.


    When Nicara''s hands shakily pulled apart both handfuls of her lush fat ass, Rafel leaned close and drowned his face into the pping cheeks. He inhaled so deep Nicara shivered, unable to resist riding his face. Rafel pulled back after a while. He spat in her pussy, lifting a hand to grasp her ass. With two of his long fingers, he thrust into her hole.


    He added a third, and Nicara''s pussy creamed his hand. He began a slow pump, making such sinful sounds that the entire office gave off the heady smell of sex.


    "Not such a good doctor now, are ya?" Rafel pumped faster into her pussy, spitting and thrusting with his fingers.


    The beautiful brainy ones were always the freakiest. Rafel loved it.


    His cock was like a spear jutting from his groin. And gently, he pulled out his fingers, making Nicara spit out her panties and bite down on her fingers to subdue her moans. He ran his fingers up her sexy mature flesh to push it through her lips.


    "Here! Smell that pussy. Smell your fucking sex. Smell it!"


    Nicara sucked on his fingers crazily, hissing out her need in a purr. Her fangs were out, deadly canines pointing downward. Her ws raked at the desk''s paint, peeling off timber and ink. She was half changed. Rafel should be scared. But he wasn''t.


    He was turned on the more.


    "I want your cock, Young Master. Lay it thick inside of me. Fuck this wet pussy! Take me as you will. Take me hard. Tear me open.


    I won''t break, I promise. I want to feel you¡ª"


    "Quiet, tigress!" Rafel softly pped her cheek.


    He pulled out his fingers from her mouth. And cing each hand at both sides of her wide hips, he gently angled her over his cock. Like she was about to sit on him.


    "Sit on it!" He instructed. "Slow. Go slow."


    Nicara closed her legs to keep the sensation strong. And then she gingerly lowered herself down on Rafel''s raging strength, inch by hard inch, until she was fully impaled on him. He filled all of her. All her nerve endings were shot, and she felt intensely every twitch or jerk of his cock within her.


    "Oh fuck."


    "Holy shit."


    Rafel and Nicara rasped at the same time, in a breathy exhale.


    Grabbing her hips, he pushed her up slightly so he could stare at his dick slide out of her pretty slit. The sight was so erotic as she lifted up just to the hilt of his cock before he mmed her back down, throbbing deep into her core and producing a spurt of liquid that further lubricated their contact.


    "Now ride it." Rafel whispered into her back pressed against his chest.


    As Nicara began moving slowly up and down on his cock, Rafel noticed she was still in her heels and her silk white blouse. Her lovely breasts spilled out the double D cups of her bra, and she clutched to her bounteous flesh as she gyrated and rolled her hips on him.


    Rafel grinned. He pped her ass. "Ride it like you fuckin'' mean it!"


    "I¨CI mean it, Young Master." Nicara stuttered. "But I''ll cum too quickly if I go any faster. I want to enjoy your fat cock. Who knows when next I''ll get to fuck a demon?"


    Rafel grinned some more. The Doctor was cute. If he were anything like his Uncle Asmodeus, he would be making her into his concubine short of ejacting into her mouth.


    Nicara was near jumping on his dick. Her ass made pping sounds against his muscr thighs, as she lifted up high, easing him out of her, only to plunge back down, sinking him so deep in her Rafel felt her insides squeeze him.


    Rafel reclined against his chair to allow her milk her pleasure.


    But when she leaned back on him, giving him a taste of her sweaty tan skin, digging her ws down into his thighs, rolling her ass on his crotch, and purring his name so sweet in her tiger roar, Rafel lunged to his feet, taking her up with him.


    "Young Master Rafel. Raf¡ª"


    Before she had time to finish her sentence, Rafel mmed her down on the desk''s top like before, thrusting into her in his own vigorous rhythm. Unlike the good doctor, the demon Earl didn''t much care foring too soon. He was going to fuck this cute [Cat Lady] to oblivion.


    Rafel clutched to her hips. He threw up one of her legs to the pinewood surface, changing the angle to match his pounding. Her ass was shaking and her tongue hung out as she let her moaning roam free in the office. Rafel did hear some growling too.


    He listened to the scratching of her heels as her legs wobbled on the expensive chrome floors.


    "I''m cumming, Young Master. I''m cum... I''m cumming!" Nicara screamed out, a shiver starting at the tips of her sharp ears to run down her spine, shaking her whole body.


    Rafel was shocked when she abruptly turned around with him still inside her. "Cum inside me, Young Master. I want to feel your seed bathe my pussy. Fill me up, Your Grace. Fill me up." She held Rafel to her.


    It was her eyes that eventually did him in.


    Rafel sent his head into her spilling breasts, groaning into her cleavage as he shot load after load of hot sperm into her. She came again with him. Her extended ws ripped at his back, and Rafel heard the sound of his skin ripping, followed quickly by a stter of blood that doused the wall of her office in a diagonal pattern.


    His blood.


    The slice of pain shot the both of them into the stars. Rafel spasmed continuously into her embrace, her soft body romancing his. Nicara held him in, her fangs raking his corded neck muscles, her legs linked behind his calves, red heels scraping each other as she guided them both into a universe that blotted out the shape of her office.


    "Fuck me." Rafel groaned. He suckled her swollen pink nipple as he came down from his climax.


    Both of them were still half dressed. He, with his pants down around his ankles. Her, with her skirt up her waist.


    The gods of the Underworld did him a mercy as Cora didn''t appear until he was putting up his clothes to an assumption of modesty. It was then his faithful Chambein barged into the office.


    "Your Grace, Ravenna is fully settled in her dorm and¡ªOh?"


    Cora paused when she sighted the Ginger fresh Headmistress pulling her panties up her thighs like it was nothing.


    Cora''s blue eyes roamed over the destroyed desk in the office, the general confusion of the grand area, and the ssh of blood on the left wall. She sniffed at the air. It was His Grace''s blood.


    Just what kind of fuckery had this kinky nerd engaged her Master?


    Dr. Nicara Shetty was slowly observing Cora too as she licked at her fangs, satisfied.


    "I will keep an eye on your Ward, Your Grace. And perhaps, if it sits well with you, you could visit from time to time," she said.


    "Thank you, Doctor," Rafel replied with a grin. "And I''ll keep that in mind."


    He took Nicara''s hand in a final shake. Underneath all this new formality, his cock was still wet with her. That was what he loved about fucking. It bridged dialogue faster than words.


    Cora reached to Rafel with narrowed blue eyes. "We should be on our way, Your Grace. It''s afternoon. If we leave immediately, we can get to Eldoriannd by nightfall."


    "Yes. Yes, Coraz¨®n." Rafel turned. "Where''s the ship?"


    "At the mooring, my Lord," she replied.


    Rafel was walking out the gray door of Dr. Nicara Shetty''s Office when his system pinged with a new notification.


    [Ding!]


    [You have received one Epic Beast Controller Charm!]


    [Gift from Feline Headmistress of the Corynthian Academy for Witches.]


    [Charm is usable on all creatures within a five mile radius, arboreal, aquatic, and terrestrial life forms.]


    Rafel smiled all the way, as he and Cora rode on the backs of silver Pegasi, to the ship that floated in the grim dark waters surrounding the isle.


    He was getting famous with the women. And leveling up too.


    What could go wrong?

 Chapter 21: Sea Monster

    "MANN THE FUCKING SAILS, YOU FLACCID PECKERS!" The ship''s Captain roared to his crew.


    Rafel could almost feel the spittle spray of the man''s mouth from where he stood at the helm of the NEPOLITA, his favorite frigate. Her awning was tight and slender, just the way he liked.


    The Captain was arge man with the signature eye patch. He truly had one eye. An ex-Pirate¡ªbecause Rafel seldom employed the heroes into his fold. He didn''t trust the kind of man without some viiny to boast of.


    The Captain currently clutched his red hat under the crook of his muscly left arm. With his right, he pointed and barked. The reason he shouted and cussed was because they had been caught in a storm. Apparently, the north wind had blown in sooner than expected.


    While the man was roaring, he dutifully kept his hat under his arm lest the whipping wind pluck it out and send it sailing into the cold waters about.


    "Where''s thepass, wiener? Give me the feckingpass?" He yelled to his first attendant, standing nearby.


    As they struggled in just which direction the wind was taking the ship, Rafel looked up from his ce by the secure railing to the immense clouds above.


    The skies were cold and ck, full of dense lightning nimbus. It loomed over them like the fist of an angry Titan. Rafel should know. He was one¡ªthat is if he ever chose to transform into his Behemoth form. His original demon form.


    The great stern of NEPOLITA was being tossed like a child''s toy amongst these endless waters. She was steered by invisible hands of a sea goddess.


    It was going to rain. Hard.


    And they were caught in it. No backing out now.


    Rafel hoped it was only the rain that loomed in the rapidly encroaching darkness, not for his sake, but that of his ship''s mortal captain and crew.


    Just few seconds of him thinking this, the sky broke apart like a burst barrel. The heavens were rent asunder and shattering discs of icy rain came rushing down. nting pellets collided like pebbles with the deck of the ship. Rafel stood in it, unbothered, as the host of his crew scampered about for dear life.


    Coraz¨®n soon appeared at his side, arge umbre unfolded and held over the both of them. She kept it from being torn apart by the gale with the force of her magic. The sea''s rage was no contest for dark sorcery.


    Rafel stood in silence with her for sometime as the tempest dragged the ship far out from the way that led home to Eldoria. The Captain''s cussing was futile against the sharp frosty winds. But everything really went up a notch, when one of the crewds lifted his watery eyes up to the ocean, gazing northward.


    His pale skin was littered with goosebumps as he pointed out, stricken in equal parts horror and cold.


    "W¡ªWhat is that? At sea?!" He yelled.


    His frantic voice drew everyone''s attention to him. And the skittering dozen men struggling to keep the ship from capsizing paused in their hustle to mill around the young man.


    "What ails ye, boyo?" The Ship''s Captain red with his blonde hair stuck to his face.


    "There!" The boy pointed again. "In the waves. Monstro Magnificus!" He added in his native dialect.


    All aboard NEPOLITA stared out as one, Rafel included. Immediately, swears, curses, and gasps filled the rain. Fear, seeping out more than any other emotion.


    "Good gods!"


    "Dear Heavens!"


    "Gaia''s tits!"


    "Fucking Hell!"


    "What the shit is that?"


    Rafel stared along with the stupefied attendants of his ship, NEPOLITA, to the colossal rolling mass of what appeared to be a serpent''s tail, rushing in circles through the water beyond like a shark rounding its prey. It was a sea serpent. A gigantic python hidden partly underwater by the high cold waves.


    Rafel couldn''t see the end of it from their short distance away. But the extent of its circling tail was enough to tell him that he was dealing with a megalodon of the ocean.


    A sea monster. And the mysterious thing it circled got clear in the rainy fog as the ship was dragged closer to it by the errant gale. Rafel began to doubt the appearance of a storm being coincidental.


    His red-caped Captain breathed clouds of frost in the artic aquatic temperatures, struggling to stay steadfast in his soaked boots while his crew of pale men shivered by the posts they clung to, dehydrated by the sea water but forcefully swallowing more gulps of it. Rafel couldn''t afford to pity them as they neared the massive water hole which the anaconda''s swirling had deepened in the sea.


    It gaped like a great watery abyss, swirling erratically, pulsing with strange dark mana, and pulling every sorry thing great and small into the open mouth to the deep.


    The mighty ship was little more than a paltry contraption against the maic force of it.


    Rafel beheld sullenly in the tempest as his dear favorite, NEPOLITA, gravitated to the frightful hole in the sea. The rushing wind threw pebbles of ice at them as the hull collided with other fragments of simr frigates, destroyed into nothing but remnant nks and floating bloated blue bodies.


    All around them in the misty waterscape, great cyclones tunneled the air, reaching up to the sky in their ferocity.


    The ship headed straight for the plunging waterfall, into a trench that was like the sky god had reached down to punch a hole in the ocean.


    [?? Bismarck ¨C SABATON.]


    Just as Rafel was contemting just how many of his crew he could save by teleporting away with his [Shadow Self] ability, for he knew the ship was already lost, the sea serpent seemed to notice them. Seeing this new bande to their Waterloo in itsir, the monster stopped circling the thing at the center and began slithering with rushing speed toward them.


    Rafel stared forward, wanting to know what mystery toy had such a great horror so upied.


    He found the thing in the massive liquid crater to be a small dinghy madepletely out of ice. Blue magic runes of an underwater faction shimmered around the structure, keeping it afloat in the storm.


    A young woman sat in the dingy, her long blue hair wet and glued on her but glowing with the mana her system was using at the moment.


    This far out at sea, only the mermaids survived the great pressure of the deep.


    Sure enough, Rafel saw her tail sparkle and swish in the hail. It was elegant, of grand scales, more beautiful and desirable than that of a dragon. Certainly more lovely than that of Bloody Mary. Whew! Seeing the mermaid cling to her small pad for survival, Rafel got why the sea serpent was circling her.


    This creature was ethereal. As ancient as the demon and celestial race. They were the first Lords of the earthly void. A mermaid''s blood was an ambrosia with [Regeneration] qualities. Her scales were an [Epic] battle armor on the open market. And in the deathly ck market, mermaid or merman tails were sold for a hefty sum as those mummified on stakes were rumored to attract riches.


    And who didn''t want to be rich?


    Everything about the water tribes made them coveted. And so merfolk were now an endangered species in Eldoria.


    Since his arrival on the mortal realm, this was the first Rafel saw of one. And she was on the verge of being eaten alive by a sea python.


    "Ay! Ay-ay!" Rafel sucked in his teeth. "Isn''t she lucky we showed up?"


    The sea monster was barreling straight for them. The ship''s hull vibrated with the iing assault. Only Rafel, and Cora beside him stood on the wet deck like it was sunny out. Cora''s magic had kept out the winds and hail. Rafel stood dry as hay under the rolling skies.


    "Yes, my Lord. It would seem so. Though we are the unlucky ones." Cora replied.


    Rafel smiled grimly. "No, we aren''t, Coraz¨®n. The men with the shriveled balls behind are. You think this sea monster would require a sacrifice?"


    BOOM!


    THRAAAAAC!


    The water serpent collided with the hull of the NEPOLITA, and Cora didn''t get her chance to reply immediately as the entire ship rocked from stern to sail. The banners came crashing down, staking the poords squirming on the deck into the hard wood. Blood gushed out across the deck.


    Desperate for survival, many men turned to rush down into the cabins at the lower level. But the serpent''s body had crashed a giant hole into the ship''s wooden side. Cold water flooded the hull.


    NEPOLITA would be submerged in seconds.


    "MY LORD GRACE! HELP US! We are but mortal men. Don''t just stand there! Do something, please!"


    It was the Ship''s Captain, eyes wild and crazy at the beam jutting out from a young man''s open mouth. His severed tongue iled at the end of the stick, dead eyes open and unblinking. He begged Rafel, but seeing not even a backward nce from the Earl, the Captain resigned himself to his fate.


    He turned to the gangnk dipping out the edge of the ship and walked to it. He held his red cap solemnly in his hands. His cloak breezed in the frigid winds.


    "Ye would never have a taste of me flesh, you sodden sea monster. To hell with ye!"


    And then the Captain jumped, surrendering himself to the ocean.


    It was just a moment before the sea serpent lunged out of the water, revealing more than it''s ck corrosive tail this time. Its entire length was hundreds of feet long, extending, twisting, like tentacles on an octopus. As Rafel watched it, he discovered it was actually more of a centipede, with thousands of tiny hairy arms running along its sides.


    Waves rushed down its immense slippery body and with the humanoid hands, it plucked the crew not staked or drowned from off the ship''s deck, plunging them three at a time into its wide mouth. It gulped, swallowing them whole.


    It was then that Cora was finally able to reply Rafel''s question earlier.


    "Aye, Your Grace. I think the water tribes might have sacrificed to this entity. But Gulpers get greedy. I wouldn''t be surprised if it kidnapped the little mermaid over there.


    This kind of unholy cross between centipede and anaconda species is what happens when stray dark mana spills into the ocean. Frightful hybrids as such are born of the eerie radiation. Oi Vay! Should we be on our way then, Your Grace?"


    Cora tutted as the monster wiped its many arms drenched in human blood. No one was left on the deck save them. It turned with six red eyes on its basilisk head for them.


    "No, Coraz¨®n." mes entered Rafel''s eyes. "We kill it."


    Just as he finished speaking, the monster lunged with its many weird arms for them. Rafel, quick as light, pulled from his Hel pocket dimension one of the [Legendary] silver Shields gifted him by the Headmistress of [C. A. W], Dr. Shetty.


    The monster''s arms met with the shield in ancing blow that would send any other man careening across the deck. But not Rafel. He parried off the monster''s many reaching hands, pulling Cora into himself until they were both behind the shield.


    And then he activated his crimson [Titan Grasp].


    It appeared as an infernal giant arm, shooting out of his back to ascend dozens of feet into the shing rain. In deliberate action, Rafel controlled therge red arm, closing it into a fist. He punched the anaconda in it''s snake head.


    Four of the six red eyes immediately winked out, blinded by the fury of Rafel''s blow.


    The serpent screeched out in pain. It turned, hurrying out across the water, trying to dissolve back into the sea. Apparently, it was just learning that it had underestimated Rafel.


    "Oh no you don''t! Hold this." Rafel said to Cora, pushing the magic shield into her hands.


    His [Titan Grasp] retreated into his back. And quickly from the pocket dimension again, Rafel pulled out a saintly arrow and bow, made of the most pure gold. It was ranked [Blessed], and it glowed with angelic white light.


    To Cora who stared at him, Rafel seemed to just reach out into thin air, these arcane weapons suddenly appearing in his grasp.


    With a great uracy, Rafel nocked and pulled back the arrow.


    Rich golden light began gathering at the tip of it. The bow thrummed with mana, picking up more energy from his own demon core. Rafel let the golden pulse of magic gather until he was shining like a burst of sunlight on the sinking ship. The entire deck of NEPOLITA was bathed in this rare divine essence.


    Ten secondster, he let loose. And the arrow flew straight and blinding as lightning, brightening the gray clouds above as the streak dove directly for the retreating head of the sea monster.


    The golden streal struck the serpent''s face just as it turned to the onught, right between the remnant eyes. Its entire head immediately exploded.


    Bloody bits of meat and bone went flying everywhere,nding with sshes into the sea.


    The colossal headless body crashed into the water with so much force that it rose a wave.


    Cora held up her hand, whispering magic.


    "Up from the me of Hel, a voice doth a dragon fell. As a sinner of a heart without repent, burn with infernal light this ursed serpent!"


    The body of the sea monster instantly lit aze in the water. The fires raged into the rain, until the surface of the ocean was a steam of charring flesh. She had summoned [Hellfire], the kind many waters could not quench.


    Cora and Rafel watched the sea snake burn until there was nothing left. Rafel put away his quiver and shield as Cora steered the loose nk of the destroyed ship they were floating on to the dinghy of the mermaid.


    The hole in the sea was gone. The skies had begun to brighten. The rain had stopped. To any ship that would pass in a few hours, it was like chaos had never seen the horizon, except for the hundreds of frozen bodies and the full capsized frigate of NEPOLITA slowly making their way to the dark bed of the ocean.


    "Who are you?" Rafel spoke to the mermaid without preamble.


    "Someone who owes you her life," was all the blue-haired woman replied. Before she turned and hopped into the calm waters, her tail sparkling like a beacon as she swum away.


    "A thank you would suffice!" Cora yelled to the disappearing tail.


    Rafelughed, pulling Cora to him on the nk. He spoke softly into her neck.


    "Forget it, love. I like the mystery there. Something tells me we haven''t seen thest of her. Come, Coraz¨®n! We must be heading back before the sky spills enough light to hinder our travel."


    In thest vestiges of the stormy night, Cora embraced Rafel, tighter than was needed as he equipped his [Shadow Self]. The two vanished from the nk in a gust of darkness as Rafel teleported them right into one of the many dark corners behind a tasteful curtain of his bedchamber.


    Their ''travel'' from the deep northern marina of the vast Eldorian sea to Emberfall had taken less than a second.


    Rafel released Cora and undressed for bed.


    Admittedly, he was tired. Moving from a sumptuous office fuck to battling a sea monster in a storm was one hell of a day. His eyes were quick to close on the bed. And sometime during the night, he heard the door to his room creak open and the patter of small feet on his floorboards.


    He smelled Coraz¨®n and Aya Naamah reach his bedside.


    Quietly, they climbed in.


    Rafel was sure they prayed he wouldn''t wake up as they spooned him from both ends. But he was awake alright. However, he was d for the bundles of female warmth filling his hands. And so he let them stay. Just for one night, he persuaded himself.


    It was daylight behind his shut crimson drapes as Rafel pulled the nket over himself and the two women. He smelled the scent of sulent plucked apples and cold misty snow until his infernal mind let of all battles and depravity.

 Chapter 22: The Bone Huntress

    [?? Monster 2.0 ¨C Jacob Banks ft. WESTSIDE BOOGIE.]


    A FULL WEEK passed in Emberfall since Rafel sent Ravenna de Vries by ship to the Isle of Corynthia to be schooled in the kingdom''s elite Academy for Witches. He spent most of his days in the Manor''s study, acquainting himself with the maps of the Eldorian realm¡ªvast as it was. His nights he spent in bed, recuperating from the battles of thest moon.


    Just a month on the mortal realm, and Rafel had fought in a war, flown on Griffins, killed a Sphinx, exploded the Lord of Monsters, and rescued a mermaid. He loved these little adventures. Eldoria provided a prime magical atmosphere where all factions thrived.


    He loved fighting alongside his beautiful sidekicks. He had a horned Subus. A Dark Witch bonded to a goddess of the Underworld. And a Fey Queen. He had sessfully leved up to [Demon Anointer]. Thus, Rafel felt a stay-at-home moment was well deserved.


    Plus, it was Fall.


    The trees thick around the Emberfall Estate were reddened by me leaves that littered the grounds. His pet Hellhounds, threerge disguised as Rottweilers, happily bounded everytime during the windy evenings. The gamekeeper fairies bonded to Rafel''s lordship always struggled with their leash.


    It was one of such evenings. And Rafel sat in front of the double windows overlooking theke behind the Manor, in a rocking bamboo chair. Pelicans waddled in the still blue water as he picked up reading sses from the small cushion to the side.


    He could smell the aroma of roasting muttoning from the massive kitchen a storey below.


    Cora''s sultry voice apanied the chefs, hurrying them along so dinner would be ready on time, "Blu, get to mixing the tomato paste. Hope the onions are well ringed? Don''t let them out the pan until they are good fried and golden. Yinhua, let the potatoes steam some more. Yes, I know this is your domain. But I''m the taster here!


    Antonio, I think the oven needs a little more heat. His Grace likes his meat browned and soft.


    Yvonne, keep the mayonnaise sparingly over the sd. We don''t need a case of diarrhea, thank you. So...I think that''s all, people. Good job everybody!"


    Rafel''s hellborn perception made it seem like he was right there in the room with them. Cora''s voice was clear right down to the pitch. He could almost see his Chambein in her voguish breeches, intimidating the poor cooks with the attractiveness of her blue eyes and bleach-white hair.


    He smiled into the silence of the study, adjusting his reading sses.


    Ravenna''s first letter from boarding school had arrived today.


    Rafel would sooner offer himself to a Dragon''s breath than admit it, but he missed her. She was the life of the party around her. Aya Naamah tried to spice up the broodiness himself and Cora werefortable with, but she wasn''t the kind of perky little creature like his Little Raven.


    If she hadn''t sucked his cock impromptu, Rafel would have let her stay.


    "Much ado ''bout nothin''!" Rafel whispered to himself.


    He picked up her letter, unfolding it. The seal was a luxuriant primrose. It spoke of the trendy taste of her school. Rafel broke it and began reading. The room was bright enough with oilmps and sunlight. Ravenna''s handwriting was like she wrote with a fiend''s finger.


    It was scraggly, but legible. Beautifully goth.


    Her letters were like a drawing, figures of tiny creatures running across the paper scroll.


    She wrote thus,


    [Greetings, Your Grace!


    ¡ªShit. Who am I kidding? Good Evening, Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste. How are you faring these days? Is it also Fall there at Emberfall? Here on the isle, it is.


    The leaves little the school grounds beautifully and we get a heavenly sight of migrating doves each morning.


    I have met and made two friends, Percival and Brunhilda. You''d like Percival. He''s your kind of man. A viin.


    He too ruthlessly charms all the females he meets.


    I am eternally grateful for the chance you''ve given me among these lot. Words cannot describe it. You know I mean it. Coming up from fuck all, being among these rich kids would make my father proud. He''d probably shit his pants at the sight of my uniform.


    They serve us whole turkey for supper. Did you know that?


    The oxtail stew is nearly better than Cora''s steak deluge¡ªplease don''t tell her I said that.


    Everyone here is entitled. You''d kill at least ten each day if you were here. A bunch of little shits, gossiping in the robust dark corridors or wanking off behind closed doors. And sometimes not. The only thing Brunhilda seems to love above studying the history of past Fey Kings and warrior Queens is being an indifferent voyeur to the teenage boys jerking it in their socks.


    She says they secretly watch us in the showers, so it''s only fair. I believe her.


    Brunhilda''s mother is Countess Penderghast. I believe you know her. Percival''s parents are the Queen''s immediate cousins. And no, I do not kid you! They are half siblings. Pure blood Fae.


    It makes Percival hot cake among the hellcats of the Academy.


    I''ve fallen in love with the Isle of Corynthia. The school is amazing. And for the first time, it doesn''t hurt to act my age. Thank you for this, sir. Few people lift their heads in ss when my surname is mentioned during roll call. The de Vries legacy is near forgotten.


    But I hope to revive it soonest.


    How is our silver-haired kickboxing champion, Coraz¨®n? I miss our catfights¡ªyou can tell her this. I trust Aya Naamah is keeping you satisfied down there. I won''t ask. I do miss Emberfall. Even C.A.W in its rich misty glory cannotplete.


    I miss you guys.]


    Rafel paused his reading when the light in the room dimmed a bit. The sun was setting. He casually reached out a hand to bring a ssmp closer to his reading nook.


    "Much better." He leafed through Ravenna''s letter again. In his eagerness, his mind conjured up her tiny voice saying the very words to him. Suddenly, she became the imaginary beauty sitting across from him and talking in the quiet Study.


    ". . .For our Elven History 101 ss, we are studying the lore of the Bone Huntress. Have you heard of her? Well, as the Legend goes, Annabelle''s mother was a wildling killed by an Elk. Since stags are considered to represent a good hunt, Annabelle''s ims were dismissed.


    No one believed an Elk would intentionally attack and kill a person.


    Just like no one believed my father when he said a unicorn horned my mother to death.


    These magical creatures are totems of the ancient magical dynasty, we are taught. Stags, and unicorns, and Griffins; they don''t hurt humans. Typically. But I''m starting to think there is more. Though I was two years old when it happened, I believe my father.


    He was a drunk and a gambler, but never a liar. He couldn''t manage it.


    My teacher on the subject, an actual elf with pointy ears and long white hair, actually thinks my ardent interest in her lecture is because I love her ss.


    NOT!


    I like her, but damn! I''m here to restore my family''s name. So I figure studying the Bone Huntress''s lore, at the same time conducting underground investigation with Percival and Hilda is to kill two birds with one stone. As one of her favorites, my elven teacher indulges me.


    As the story goes, Annabelle retreated to the Northern woods. And there she hunts the caravans that pass through. Only the little daughters are spared, and she takes them to her eerie cottage deep in the forest. As for the rest of the family, the vanish without a trace. Her armour is said to be the bones of her victims, nging like bottles down her neck.


    Annabelle is an Immortal like you. Rumor is, she haunts the vige of G¨±ndlheim everyst moon before winter. G¨±ndlheim is under your patronage, isn''t it?


    Anyway, I''ve got to go now. The bell just chimed for supper, and there''s no frickin'' way I''m missing the porridge yams and steamed vegetables being served this evening.


    My regards to everyone at Emberfall. And. . .I think of that night often, of what would''ve happened if you hadn''t stopped me. Despite what you show to people, Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste, you are a good man. And that''s not because you didn''t fuck me.


    Your loyal ward,


    Ravenna de Vries.


    PS: Headmistress Shetty sends her ''love''. Whatever did you do to that poor woman, Rafel? She''s a tigress¡ªjust saying."


    The letter ended in that sentence. And Rafel found himself turning the paper around for more. There was nothing else. He pored over the part where Ravenna signed her name. The letters were extra gnarly over there.


    Your loyal ward? Huh?


    Rafel stroked his chin. The Corynthian Academy was making his fiery Little Raven into a Lady after all. But he didn''t want her toodylike. Else the entire ind would burn.


    This was why Rafel liked having Ravenna around. Conversation flowed freely with her. With just this letter, he knew the basics of how operations ran at the [C.A.W]. This Bone Huntress of a woman though?


    Rafel figured it was a shot to check her out. She was an Immortal like him so she''d make a formidable opponent. He could level up besting her inbat. Not to mention, if there was truth to her admission about an Elk murdering her mother, there was a likelihood of it being linked to the murder of Ravenna''s mother too, Eleanor de Vries.


    It could help with her investigation.


    Rafel squeezed the letter in his grasp. When did he go from caring only to ascend ranks to caring about a particr green-eyed lolita?


    But he couldn''t stop himself.


    He was smoothing back the letter when Cora softly walked into the study room. Her blue eyes fell on his reading nook and she blushed. Rafel was one hell of a beautiful man, extra lush with those gold-rimmed sses framing his amber eyes.


    "Your Grace, dinner is served." Cora offered with blooming cheeks.


    It was sundown outside. And Rafel took a while to respond. Lifting his gaze up to her, she colored some more as he pulled off the spectacles and rose to his feet.


    "Thank you, Coraz¨®n. Shall we?" Rafel smiled.


    Cora held the door open for him. And as they descended the stairs to the set dining area, Rafel turned to catch Cora staring. He thought nothing of it. His allure astounded even Lilith. Speaking directly into the ice of her irises, Rafelmanded.


    "I would need something else of you, love?"


    Cora looked to Rafel, enraptured. "Anything for you, Your Grace."


    "Percival of the Van Imperia house, parents are cousins of the Queen. Brunhilda Penderghast, her mother''s the Countess. Get me everything you can on those two. If they have sinned, Hel would have a record of it. Enquire of the unholy scribes! I want to know where they shit and who they fuck.


    Everything, Coraz¨®n. Everything."


    "It shall be done, my Lord." Cora''s blue eyes shed determination.


    When Rafel cleared into the wide dining area, Aya Naamah was already seated. She stood at his arrival and bowed. Rafel took the head of the table. Cora sat left of him. Aya took his right. Cora made a small joke and they allughed.


    Satisfied with the two beauties surrounding him, Rafel smiled darkly into the candlelit room of a finely set supper.


    No one was going to fuck with his Little Raven. Not even the Bone fucking Huntress.

 Chapter 23: Hunting Party

    THE QUEEN OF ELDORIA, Giselle Van Imperia received a [Summoning] in her castle from Emberfall a few days after Rafel got the letter from Ravenna. His summons appeared as a glowing message in the green crystal ball she usually used for seances with her necromantic Familiars.


    [Care for a Hunt?] It said.


    [Bloodbearer: Lord Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste.]


    Rafel was not one to y with words, and Giselle smiled at his short message. She weed any chance at adventure with the Earl. And so it was, Giselle attended his summons and currently found herself in his presence at the forever foggy ambiance of the Emberfall Estate.


    Very few men directly messaged her¡ªand lived. But for Rafel''s call, she was ready to answer. After all, they had lived through the battle of Frostholm together. Nothing joined two dark souls like cold-blooded murder.


    [?? I See Fire ¨C Celtic Woman.]


    "Tell me why we''re doing this again, Your Grace?"


    Giselle Van Imperia huffed on her feet, her question directed at Rafel who stood just beside her. Her golden irises rose at least six inches to meet with his fiery ones.


    Rafel, Giselle, the Countess Cordelia, and Aya Naamah all stood on the wide steps leading up to the Manor. The fall breeze ruffled scarlet leaves on the grounds beyond. They all waited on Cora to appear with the Hounds. The Hellhounds. Today, the underworld pets wouldn''t need to disguise as foreign Rottweilers.


    Giselle had arrived inpany of her best friend, the Countess some moments ago. If they were having a hunting party, Cordelia was more than eager to join in. Besides the view of a handsome Hell Lord was an added perk.


    It was Hunting Season.


    And both Cora and Aya had refused vehemently to be kept at home while they went and had all the fun. If Rafel was heading a hunt, it meant it wasn''t for deer. Who would wanna miss that?


    "Rafel?" Giselle urged, prompting his reply.


    "We are doing this because, Your Majesty, the Bone Huntress is not just some Legend. She is as real as any of us. A millennia ago and mortals ssified your kind as myths too. I hear she haunts the vige of G¨±ndlheim, capturing poor travellers on their way through the Woods.


    ''Tis thest moon before winter tonight, and her hunt will be at its peak..." Rafel didn''t mention the part about him doing it for Ravenna. "It is a good night to hunt the Huntress."


    Giselle turned to share a smile with Cordelia.


    "Just to be clear, we''re hunting a person?" The Countess asked.


    When Giselle nodded, she sniggered into the Queen''s body. "Oh goody!"


    The thrill of adventure already stoked the women''s blood. Giselle fondly remembered thest time they had gone venturing into the Woods with Rafel. What a delightful outing it had been? Outdoor fucking in a tent!


    Sharing Rafel with her best friend had drawn them even closer, redefining the boundaries of their rtionship. Giselle took Cordelia''s hand and looked out to the waiting caravan of about six carriages; their hunting troop for the night.


    "I can hardly wait, Delia," Giselle murmured into her friend''s ear.


    She smirked at the Countess, her gilded eyes flirting with Rafel''s wild stature. "You think we can convince a quickie out of him during the ride? I mean it''s been a while, you know?"


    "Oh, I know!" Cordelia returned.


    The two women sneaked secret giggles when Rafel nced their way, narrowing his eyes.


    "What the hell are you two smiling about?"


    "Nothing, Handsome." Giselle flipped her long golden hair. However, the erotic message was clear in her eyes.


    She wanted to fuck.


    Just then, Cora walked out the high doors with Rafel''s gray military-style trenchcoat,pleting his [Reaper] hunting garb. Like him, all the women had a simr gothic dress code; all of them wearing pants to effect easy movements. Rafel was lost in a buffet of hips and ass. It was splendid.


    He put out his arms so that Cora could wear the tunic onto his broad shoulders.


    "Shall we,dies?"


    Rafel held out both his arms like a Chaperone entering a Ball. In his fine tweed jacket, he enchanted the gazes of the four women. They took his offered courtesy, two women to each side of him, and he led them to the waiting caravan.


    Rafel mounted the biggest carriage which was at the center of the cab train. It was spacious enough for all of them, with avishly decorated interior and pulled in front by four hulking bears. The hunting beasts had cost Rafel 50 000 [Umon] souls.


    Rafel settled into the cabin, on a long seating area. He was briefly amused when Coraz¨®n and Aya rushed to take his sides on the couch before Cordelia and Giselle could manage it.


    The Queen politely smiled with her friend before taking the seating area opposite Rafel.


    Four women crushing hard on him on a two hour ride, what could go wrong?


    A sticky silence reigned for a bit.


    It was Giselle who broke it. Her taunting voice was clear as the caravan began its journey.


    "So. . .have you fucked him too?"


    "Excuse me!" Cora paled at the Queen''s stroking eyes.


    Giselle shrugged. "Just saying! I mean I know the ve has been fucked. It''s clear written all over her sexy thick body. I also have enjoyed the rough dominance of the Earl, with Delia here too." Giselle took her friend''s hand in the moving carriage. "¡ªAll I''m asking is if you''ve fucked him too, Champ.


    Have you? You know because you''re a lesbian and everything.


    I wouldn''t fault you if you like to suck dick every now and then. I mean Rafel''s cock is pretty¡ª"


    "I would stop you there, Your Majesty." Cora chanted. "And if I may speak freely...I am only as sapphic as what you and Her Grace, Cordelia have going on."


    Giselle didn''t stop. "Good answer, Tomboy. But I know you enjoy eating pussy."


    "I DON''T¡ª"


    "Alright, cool your jets everybody. We are out to hunt an Immortal ver, not ourselves." Aya Naamah spoke softly in her tiny honeyed voice. Her look however shined with the power of her [Rank A] elemental Lust System. Once a concubine of the Lord Morningstar himself, she was not to be yed with.


    The carriage fell silent, but Rafel''s lips were trembling with barely restrainedughter. He felt grandly amused seeing the women try to get along. But he''d bet a Bonereaver''s head no one teaches the proper Lady on how to react when the hunk you''ve all fucked is locked in the same room with you.


    The ride from Emberfall to G¨±ndlheim was a short one. They took the route farmers often did to transport their merchandise to the trade market further south. And Rafel hailed the moving caravan to a stop when they reached the colossal line of gigantic mangrove trees that signaled entry into the Northern woods.


    The domicile of the Bone Huntress.


    It was nightfall and the full moon was just beginning to show its rion white face.


    Rafel stepped out the carriage and dished out instructions to his four-woman hunting party.


    "Coraz¨®n, release the hounds. They can attain their true forms. No mortal would be caught dead this far north from the vige tonight. Aya! You''re with Cordelia. Giselle, you move with Cora.


    We are divided into three parties thus. Never break away from your partner, no matter what you think you see or hear. Always keep a distance of ten metres across from the nearest duo.


    Though I admit you all are here of your own ord, I would see no harme to anyone of you. Is that clear?"


    All four women nodded.


    "Good. Everyone to their positions. And remember, the Bone Huntress is our prime target. Capture only! I would have words with her."


    Rafel was thinking entirely of his Little Raven off in boarding school as he withdrew his [Blessed] silver bow and arrow from his pocket dimension. He heard the footsteps of Cora some distance across as they all walked into the canopy of monstrous and gnarly rooted forest trees.


    The hunt was on.


    "Equip Dark Hunter Ability!" Rafel whispered to his system.


    [Ding!] It chimed a secondter.


    [Dark Hunter Equipped!]


    [Level: Epic (Savage Adventurer)


    Totem: Night owl


    Matriarch: Athena


    Abilities: Three-sixty night vision. Shadow flight. Eye of Argus. Echolocation. Lunar Revitalization.]


    Just as Rafel''s thick boots padded into a muddy hole, the Hellhounds rushed out in front of him. Their gray furs had being exchanged for midnight bark muscle. Their red eyes shone in feral brutality. Their howling ascended high into the dense dark forest.


    Only one name filled their intelligent hellish hive mind,


    Annabelle, the Bone Huntress.

 Chapter 24: Season Of The Witch

    AS RAFEL SLITHERED through the northern woods, he was aware that he dived deeper into the forest. The sun didn''t reach this part of thend. It was like this was a realm different from Eldoria altogether. The grasses grew taller than a man, and the leaves broader than the palm of his hand.


    At every few ces, he turned a circle to look around. He checked out the area behind him and across to make sure one of the dancing shadows about had not materialized flesh and swallowed any one of his women. The forest was dark and menacing.


    "Talk about haunting, the northern woods are a ghostly ce. Why would anyone travel this ce at all?" Cora spoke these words in whispers to Giselle.


    But the woods held the only essible path to the vige of G¨±ndlheim to any travellering from the south. The townies had learned to move light and in packs, making their journey in Spring or Summer, but never ever in winter.


    Rafel held up his hand, signaling a stop to everyone''s tracks as his ears picked up on an eerie singing voice.


    He was wearing his full [Dark Hunter] mode and the dark lyrics swarmed into his ears. It stung like wasps on fresh wound. What the fuck kind of creature sang this badly?


    It didn''t take long for Cora and Giselle, Aya Naamah and Cordelia to hear the acidic voice too. They moved their fingers to their ears.


    "What the shit is that?" It was the Queen. She swatted at a ckfly hovering over her cheeks.


    "Be still!"


    Rafelmanded. He immediately cloaked all their forms in his [Invisibility Cowl], using ten soul coins of his Arcane Rune. His Dark Hunter shawl shimmered cold obsidian as he and the four women melded into the immense shadows of the trees. Rafel held his breath and waited for the footsteps he had heard approaching to manifest into a person.


    A secondter, a running child came tumbling through.


    A [Bat Monkey], a Rank C familiar usually bonded to halfblood druids, was the child''s pet. It swung high above on the tree branches which winded all over the forest, forming an imprable cobweb pattern to any thing attacking from above. And its twines were like aerial bridges.


    The bat monkey followed the child''s movement. It was the child who was singing. Dark hair hid out the eyes. It''s clothes were simple and streaked in mud. It was impossible to know the child''s gender.


    Fingernails that looked uncut since birth were now more of ws and the kid''s singing voice could shatter ss.


    This half-blood''s song was about death.


    "When the leavese tumbling o''er the rolling hills, you know ''tis the season. When the crows screech and are made fat with the abandoned apothecary, you know ''tis the season. When men sleep and dream of red skies. . .when children sprout horns and brides wander into coldkes, you better know ''tis the season.


    ''Tis the Season of the Witch."


    The weird child ran right past the bough where Rafel stood, still singing its grim tune. It stopped a short distance away and looked back. It''s dark hair, stained with humus fell away and totally colorless eyes were revealed.


    The child''s gaze was pale like the moon''s.


    It stared at Rafel''s location like it could see him right through his [Invisibility Cowl].


    Just like that, it smiled, revealing dirty razor teeth.


    "What ye seek, Apollyon, is that way! Careful now, for ye may find more than ye bargain for. For the night in this woods is long and full of terrors. Get ye and yer doves out while ye can!


    Get ye out while ye can!!!"


    "Who are you?" Rafel yelled.


    But the child was already vanished further down the tendrils of wet foliage, singing away his dark melody.


    "Are we in trouble, Your Grace?" Cora appeared at Rafel''s side. Giselle, Cordelia, and Aya fringed her sides.


    Rafel turned to touch her cheek. "Nay, Coraz¨®n. Not on my watch. But we are close. I reckon that child is one of the wood sprites."


    "He could easily be five hundred years old though, couldn''t he, my Lord?" Aya asked.


    "Yes, he could. Sprites are most always cursed with youth. But innocence, not so much. Come on!"


    Rafel took Cordelia''s hand and started forward across the wet forest again.


    They soon came by a clearing made of a single bamboo shed. It faced another structure, which was longer and wooden. A dormitory, only itcked style¡ªand fucking reason. Who''d build a hostel in the middle of dark sprite territory?


    Rafel immediately headed straight for the small cottage.


    "Look!" Giselle pointed beside him.


    Rafel followed the path of her hand to find little children walking out the wooden dormitory. They came and came, until they were milling all around. Rafel stopped counting at thirty. Their clothing style differed. Some ancient. Some contemporary to the Eldorian age.


    A particr child even had on a bear''s hide as it''s only covering.


    Yet, they all looked the same age.


    Not a day older than ten.


    And they were all girls.


    "What the fuck ce is this?" Cora swelled with visible rage.


    Rafel pulled his eyes from the many girl children. Their gazes were round with inquisition. Just how long had they been here? With a hard voice, he boomed orders for the women to follow.


    "Giselle, you stay here with Cordelia and try to figure out what''s going on with the kids. Aya, you''re on lookout. Cora''s with me. Scream if you see anything you don''t understand. Anything at all."


    Rafel withdrew a long silver arrow from the quiver behind, at his back. He nocked it and started forward to the cottage. Cora followed at his side, her hands warm with blue mana glowing at her fingertips. Both were ready to let loose at the sight of any weirdness.


    "Hey, Handsome!" Giselle called to Rafel. He turned back to look at her. Her golden eyes shimmered with something profound as she finished. "¡ªplease don''t be a hero."


    Rafel smiled. "That''s a given, love."


    On reaching the tiny door at the entrance of the bamboo cottage, Cora blew open the doors with a gust of cold air. Someone instantly jumped to stand from the old rickety bed inside that squeaked from the weight.


    The house was small. Bedroom and living room were one and the same. Rafel squinted into the darkness.


    "Fuckin'' trespassers!" Rafel heard the person cuss from inside.


    The voice was distinctly feminine.


    Immediately, his Hellhounds barreled through the open door just as Rafel let loose his silver arrow. It streamed out quick and bright as lightning. Rafel heard a yelp and the crunching sound of hound teeth against flesh.


    "For fucks sake! Hey! Stop it! You smelly fuckers! Get off me. Fuck."


    The hounds didn''t stop. Rafel and Cora watched with hands raised to let loose again as the three hell dogs dragged from the cottage a whimpering female. The first thing Rafel noticed was her hair. She was blond as daylight.


    Her hair was glorious, cascading down to the very earth. It soiled the ends of it and Rafel wanted to pack it in handfuls just to keep it from getting dirty.


    He tightened his hand on the string of his bow instead.


    Cora dropped her hands, her magic simmering away as she moved closer to the hound woman who knelt struggling with the Hounds. Her wrist was bleeding.


    "Annabelle?"


    The Blonde lifted up her eyes. It was like the forest child''s. White without color.


    "How do you know my name? Who the hell are you? Tell your fucking dogs to stop biting! This is my favourite dress you''re ruining here."


    Rafel looked over the said favorite. Her fashion sense was missing a few hundred years. She really was an Immortal. Ravenna''s letter had been urate in predicting her look. She had bones dangling down her neck as a protective armor¡ªit was perhaps the only reason why Rafel''s arrow hadn''t pierced skin. She also had her fingernails like ws dripping down her hands.


    But the rest of the legend. . .was just Legend.


    The Bone Huntress wasn''t frightful.


    She was fucking beautiful.


    Rafel knew he was fucked. What was it about mortal women and their striking looks?


    Cora shooed away the hounds and assisted Annabelle to her feet. Just then, Giselle inpany of Cordelia and Aya arrived with about thirty young girls bundled around them. Like Annabelle and the wood sprites, all of them had pale eyes.


    It was like they were blind. Only they saw.


    "The girls are okay. They are not hurt. I don''t think they were kidnapped either. They even call Annabelle Mama." Aya exined.


    "This is why I never trust legends," Giselle added sharply.


    "I should join you more on your little adventures." Cordelia clipped.


    Rafel didn''t believe the Bone Huntress was totally guiltless. You can never be too sure with magical creatures, especially Immortals.


    Rafel loosened the chains circling his waist cowboy-style and bounded for Annabelle.


    "Hey! What ''re ye doing?" She jerked against him.


    She was half his size and height. Rafel easily tackled her. He ced the chain about her neck and fastened it. She kept whining in her ented voice as he moved, pulling her behind him. She was dragged and wrestled with the clippers around her throat.


    "Let me go, you redhaired giant. I''m an Immortal, I''ll have you know. I could summon wood sprites to sing you a song of death. You cannot do this to me! What the fuck are you guys doing? Stop him.


    Can''t you see what he''s doing to me." Annabelle turned her eyes to Cora and Giselle. They slid further to Cordelia and Aya.


    "...oh I see, you''re all his concubines, huh. Well, let me tell ya. I ain''t gonna be one of yours. You can take your Alpha energy and shove it up your¡ª"


    Rafel tossed her into the back of the carriage.


    He gathered the four-woman hunting troop around him and began speaking.


    "The Hunt is over. We''ve got our prey. Is any of you hurt?"


    Giselle smiled at Rafel, crooning. "Aww! The viin doth care. We are fine, Your Grace. Very much so. I''m sure I speak for all of us when I say this has been an experience."


    Rafel nodded.


    "It has. Please, Cora, ride with the Huntress. If she gives you sass, release the Hounds on her. Aya, you''ll be with Giselle and Cordelia, watching the girls in the other cab. We can''t leave them here. Once we get back to Emberfall, we''ll figure out what to do with them.


    I will ride in front, to keep out the wood sprites from attacking."


    The women obediently bowed, all moving to their positions.


    "Hey, Ginger Giant!" Annabelle called, rattling her chains. "Where ya taking me?"


    "MY DUNGEON!" Rafel mmed the cage in her face.

 Chapter 25: Gypsy

    ? [#dominationy #giantess #greenwoman]


    TEN HOURS LATER, Rafel stood in the long cavernous space of his underground dungeon at the Manor. The basement cubicles were once diligent mining pits for Tiffany ss and shards of the damask gems still glinted from various ces in the stone walls. Several holding cells lined this particr floor, extensive chain manacles protruding from the high domed ceiling and below from the cave rocks.


    The dungeon was built to hold any type of magical creature. Be it a ming charcoal fiend. Or a roaring furry wendigo.


    Torches flickered on strategic points all over the walls. It casted dewy orange light in relief, making the shadows loom and dance.


    "She''s calmer now, My Lord," came a tiny voice left of Rafel.


    It was the little male pixie he had put in charge of the affairs of his dungeon. A demon had to have a state-of-the-art holding facility for some good torture. After all, he was hellborn. There was no forgetting his infernal birth or bloodline. Nor did Rafel want to.


    The pixie spoke about Annabelle, the Bone Huntress, who was now resting soundlessly in her own stone prison. Her long blonde hair was a waterfall that streamed out all around her. Rafel wasn''t sure the girl had put a razor orb to it in all her decades lived as an Immortal.


    He stared quietly through the metal bars to her.


    The poor woman had screamed herself to sleep. At the end, Rafel didn''t even need the Milk of the Poppy Cora had suggested to dull her ramblings. It was clear his golden-haired ve hated chains. To have another Immortal bound under his home must be something, Rafel mused.


    He kept watching the heaving of her small chest in sleep.


    Annabelle was straight as a pitchfork. No meat on the girl.


    Now Rafel liked his women with some flesh. But what the Bone Huntresscked in figure she made up for in face. The girl had a face sculpted in the magic of the divine. She was pretty like a demigod. Offspring of god and man.


    Rafel turned his thoughts after a while to the Eldorian Queen who had left his dungeons for the surface not too long ago. Giselle had ridden out on her Griffins with Cordelia in tow. ounting for the bird''s flight speed, she''d probably be at her Castle now. Rafel got the brief vision of the Queen in her luxury showers, sponging out the dirt of adventure with her gilden loofah.


    Suds slippery down her golden flesh. Perhaps, the Countess under the streaming rain with her. Their hands roaming, searching, pleasing¡ª


    "She will be fine, My Lord," came the pixie''s tiny voice again.


    Apparently, the little fairy male had mistaken Rafel''s interest in his acquired ve.


    Rafel quickly exined the situation of things to the tiny man who pped his glowing butterfly wings arcoss Rafel''s wide shoulders.


    "I do not care for the Blond other than for life to remain within her until as such time as she woulde in my presence to exin herself and answer my questions. If she tries to escape, you are free to use whatever methods you consider humane to keep her shackled."


    Rafel used the word, humane, loosely.


    ". . .and also pay attention to her sleep. See if she mutters anything about how she and those forest girls came to possess the strange pale eyes."


    "Yes, My Lord. As always, your wish is mymand." The pixie bowed heartily.


    The thirty girl children who had ridden out from the northern woods with Rafel and his hunting caravan were currently being housed in one of the dormant summer houses owned by the Countess. Cordelia had been more than happy to offer her services when Rafel asked, seeing as her own daughter, Brunhilda was off schooling on a wispy ind.


    Rafel had ulterior motives for drawing the Countess closer. It would grant him more insight to the House Penderghast. More insight to Brunhilda through her mother. More insight to the friends of his Little Raven.


    Just then, Cora descended into the dungeon, holding a coal miner''smp in her hands.


    "Your Grace, we have a visitor. You must see this." She called across to Rafel.


    "Who is it?"


    "Bloody Mary. She waits in the Day Room."


    Bloody Mary, huh? Rafel thought. He didn''t see thating.


    With a final nce at his new sleeping ve, Rafel turned around, shadowspping at his expensive red doublet. He followed Cora''s lead up the stone steps and into the Landing of his Manor.


    His visitor was right where Cora said. In his Day Room.


    Adorned in vases of rich tumbling tulips¡ªwhich had to be shipped from the foreign isles surrounding Eldoria as per the fall weather, the room was gloriously bright as Rafel walked in. Cora excused herself to go attend to the preparations for lunch. Aya entered the room just as she was leaving.


    Rafel pulled off his doublet, set it expertly on the back of his boss chair and turned to regard his visitor.


    "Well, well, Mary Atwell, to what do I owe the pleasure?"


    The woman was just as he remembered her. She was finer though. She had this new rich glow to her skin Rafel hadn''t noticed before. To be fair, back then, she was getting her ass beat in the ring. But now, as the infamous femme crusher sat before him on a sturdy cane chair, Rafel perused her form admiringly.


    Mary sat stiffly with her legs closed. The wound of her ckened jaw had healed. There were no scars. It was like she hadn''t had her mouth ripped open. Her long hair was packed up in a neat bun. Half of it was green streaks, but it wasn''t dye.


    She had a cute parting in the middle. It made her cute.


    She was still her usual giant self. It was obvious even in her sitting position.


    But she wasn''t imposing big. She was sexy hot big.


    A fleshy ripe Amazon.


    She had jade rings dangling down her ears, a nose piercing, a side lip piercing, and a silver gangster chain dangling into her very impressive cleavage. Her scales glistened like multicolored 3D tattoos from her fingers up to her wrists and winding up her forearms.


    Her ws gleamed obsidian, sharpened and glossy with a fresh manicure. Her fingers were tapping nervously together.


    On her feet were nice ck wedge shoes.


    She wore a light shirt with left nothing to the imagination. Her huge breasts assaulted themon mind. Her skirt was a wraparound, green like her hair. It flowed like spilled honey to her ankles, but the side slit ran way up to her upper thighs. Her ensemble was valley chic. She had the soft sexual thing going for her.


    Rafel stared at her body. She was like a fountain of desires.


    A ''more than you can handle'' spectacle. Her hips curved wonderfully on either side of her, and herrge round ass filled the seat. The material of her skirt was silk and it clung to dangerous ces. Rafel bet the chair was feeling it.


    That fat ass everywhere. Goddamn!


    She even had a lick of coal eyeliner framing her slitted reptilian eyes. As she sat, she sat warmly and quietly. Like a Sub. A secret submissive. Rafel knew the pose all too well. A woman like her, all seven feet and with curves for ten hands would be delightful to dominate.


    Mary Atwell was Gypsy blood.


    Rafel smelled it in the air.


    "You still haven''t answered my question, Mary. To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked, settling into his boss seat opposite her.


    "I b¨Cbrought a peace offering, Your Grace," she stuttered, handing Rafel a vermillion conch.


    He turned it over.


    "A rare sleep-inducing weapon? Thank you."


    His show of gratitude surprised Mary. But her calmness surprised him just as much. She was part ferocious crocodile for shit''s sake!


    When the silence began to stretch, Rafel let the conch drop into his pocket dimension. If Mary was shocked at the disappearing of her gift, she didn''t show it.


    "Your jaw, it''s a fine heal. Regeneration, no?" Rafel asked.


    Mary nodded. "Yes sir. I found a Rank B Druid in the city."


    "Must have cost a lot?"


    "It did actually, yeah. Five purses of my fine Eldorian gold. The idiot sorcerer even requested a blowjob too."


    "I''m guessing you shed teeth?" Rafel joked.


    Mary and he ended upughing and she smiled.


    "Yeah, I did. I ain''t gonna suck off no sixty-year old dick and still pay the due. Druids suck ass!"


    Rafel smiled with her. Before his expression turned serious.


    "Does it still hurt? Your mouth?"


    "No, sir." Mary shook her head. "Why?"


    Rafel smiled again. But this time, it was touched by cold lust. Since he and Aya Naamah, who had been standing behind Mary all this while were bonded as Master and ve, Rafel spoke through their telepathic connection.


    "Aya, fetch me the ropes, will you? The red ones."


    [DO NOT FLIP TO THE NEXT CHAPTER¡ªSKIP IT IF YOU''VE GOT A WEAK STOMACH!]

 Chapter 26: Reptilian Slut [18+]

    [?? Bounce ¨C Ruger (Nigerian Artiste).]


    RAFEL''S SLAVE SUCCUBUS, Aya Naamah was dressed to kiss and kill¡ªliterally, in her midnight thigh-high, heeled boots. Her tight Lycra pants flowed into the glossy onyx shoes. A matching dark corset framed her curvy body. Her motions invited a deep dark hunger. It was at this moment Mary began to notice what was going on.


    Aya''s pencil heels clicked softly as she moved across the Day Room, pulling the drapes and shutting out the light.


    Mary shivered in her seat. She could stand and run far, far away. But she didn''t.


    When Aya appeared at her side once more, she had in her hands circr folds of a long crimson rodeo rope. She clicked softly toward Rafel, leaned sexily over his executive seat and handed it over. Rafel smacked her ass as she walked back.


    The Day Room was now the Night Room. All curtains were shut. The only luminance was candle light. It mimicked the light of a glowworm. Lime green and scarlet, sshing the snowy walls of the room in exotic color.


    Rafel, who was formerly seated stood from his ornate chair. He rose to his full rugged height with his amber eyes darkened. He looked upon Mary as a dragon would a mountainside full of spotlessmbs.


    ''Prey,'' his dark thoughts whispered. ''Thismb is lost to its herd.''


    Now Rafel had heard about liberalism among the gypsies, their ideologies of free living and zen lifestyle second only to that of the Fey. But really, how liberal were they though? He was about to find out.


    "Equip the Bo Horseman role." He called aloud.


    The erotic silence of the room swallowed his baritone. Rafel was speaking to his System. He faced Mary seated quietly and modestly in her chair. Behind her, Aya was Rafel''s silent aplice¡ªin her dark spandex outfit with her single full braid brushing her left hip.


    "What. . .what is a Bo Horseman?" Mary quaked.


    Ayaughed softly. "You''ll see."


    On her feet, Bloody Mary would''ve had a good foot over Rafel at seven feet. But at the moment, his Alpha energy dwarfed her, rooting her under the intensity of his bright eyes. Rafel smiled darkly.


    "You ever fucked a horse, Mary?"


    She shook her head, blushing fiercely.


    "No?" Rafel continued. "But surely you have fantasized about it¡ªall that meat sliding deep and satisfying to fill you up, much better than any man''s. Because we all in here know, Mary, that up against yourrger pussy, ten inches is small. But a good fifteen. . .and we''re golden.


    Aren''t we?


    Well Mary, buckle up for the ride. I''m about to give you exactly what you need, some heavy horse dicking!"


    Mary clumped her legs tighter in her seat. Rafel''s dirty words turned her on more than it astounded her.


    He was right. In her case, it was all about the size. The biggest mortal man''s penis was smaller than her wrist. It wasn''t her fault. She was half-Titan. Up against her giant kin she''d be delicate, but in a roomful of humans, she was huge.


    For her to truly orgasm over the years, she admitted to putting some pretty ridiculous things up there¡ªlike thatrge brandy bottle that one time at the wrestling after-party.


    But what Rafel was offering...


    [Ding! System Request Confirmed!]


    The red holographic image that shimmered into the room cut off her thoughts. It was Rafel''s infernal system glinting with the disyed message on a floating screen. This time, everyone could see it.


    [Ding!]


    [Jack Bo Horseman Role Equipped sessfully!]


    [Cost: 15 Hundred soul coins.]


    [yer changes in session. . .]


    [?? Wanted Dead Or Alive ¨C Bon Jovi.]


    Mary watched with wide reptilian slits for eyes as Rafel''s clothes underwent a ttering fashion era dynamic; his official tailored cks dissolved into a dark husky-brown denim. Chestnut trousers styled into a cowboy''s. His clean shoes were exchanged for hard boots with silver spurs. They glowed in the candlelight.


    His crisp shirt vanished off, spewing a golden masculinity muscled outward. Abs that contracted harder with each breath. Loins of a god.


    And finally, his red hair shimmered, as it was styled back into a luxuriant ponytail. A ck felt hatpleted his western delight. The green ck tattoo of his sentient serpent symbiote sprawled from his left forearm to his broad back slithered like ancient runes on his fair skin.


    He was beautiful. With the redsso collected from Aya in grasp, it seemed like Rafel had just stepped out of a time capsule. A sexy, sexy cowboy. A redhaired rancher. A golden mountain man. Wanted every fucking where!


    The roley was very effective.


    Mary''s legs trembled.


    [Ding! Bo Horseman Role ready for use.]


    More notifications from his system.


    [ATTRIBUTES¡ª


    Physicality: 88


    Strength: 90


    Endurance: 92


    Fluidity: 96


    Stamina: 89


    Libido: 98


    BDE (Big Dick Energy): 99.]


    [Origin: Sin System CLASS III Roley.]


    [Favorite Conquests: Two Rank B Subi, H Tirnanoc, Lilith Firstborn.]


    The system notifications held awhile before the glinting screen faded, dimming out into nothingness.


    Mary gasped audibly. Now she knew what a Bo Horseman was. It was a fantasy roleying character. A sensual edge very few of the magicked male poption could boast of. To answer the shimmery lust in her eyes, Rafel lowered his hand to grab what he was packing beneath his fly.


    "A solid fifteen inches ready to go. Sufficient enough for you, Mary?"


    The woman couldn''t even reply.


    She was busy thanking all of her Gypsy heritage for leading her to Emberfall.


    Rafel tipped the hat with a finger and shed at the air with hissso.


    SWISH! The whips cracked.


    "Come here, Naamah!" He summoned his ve.


    Her heels clicked elegantly on the vacuumed floors as she made her way out from behind Mary''s seat to him. Rafel kissed her full and deeply on the mouth. He tasted her until Mary was parting her lips from her chair, yearning also for the feverish connection. Rafel didn''t satisfy her whimpering.


    Rather, he led Aya to the wide map table across.


    He sat at the edge of it and glued his luminous eyes to the ripe outline of her full breasts, stretching her stane blouse. Aya stood in her Lycra suit, all mounds and valleys on disy for his eyes, before him.


    "Feed them to me."


    Rafel''s voice moved around the room several times. And Aya put her hand up to her blouse''s straining zipper, dragging it down slowly, releasing fleshy tension.


    Zrrggggh. . . Zrrggggh


    It came down lushly. Her fair Choco skin everywhere. She wore nothing underneath and cupped herself to Rafel''s pink lips. He took into his mouth her offered breasts. A hot cave. He sucked the enticing peaked tips of her.


    "Mmm. Yes, Master. Ahh, fuck. Take them." Aya''s head fell back as she moaned. "I want my tits all wet for you. This caramel pears slobbered up in your face.


    Pinch¡ªbite them. Whatever you want. . .ohh fuck yeah! Like that."


    Aya''s hand was quickly snaking down to Rafel''s swollen crotch and he pulled his face up from the creamy swells of her bosom. He pped her hand away.


    "Ah-ah! Not for you today, ve. Don''t be greedy. Let another bitch have some dick."


    He denied her. Rafel himself doubted Aya, his fun freaky Subus could take on fifteen inches. He would not go there yet. Bo Horseman was specifically ordered for Mary; the silent voyeur watching behind.


    Rafel fluidly pulled up from the long tabletop''s edge. He gripped Aya by her single long braid, pulling her behind him to Mary''s position. Aya was biting on her bottom lip to hide her smile, to keep from showing she enjoyed herself too much. She made no move to cover back her spilling boobs.


    Rafel''s desert boots thundered across the smooth wooden floorboards and his silver spurs jingled as he stepped in front of Mary. He released his hold on Aya and stared down hard on the gypsy hybrid.


    "You sit like such a good girl, Mary. Even have a matching name. But you''re not!" Rafel roughly tore at his fly. "¡ªyou''re a bad, bad girl. Open your legs."


    Mary''s cotton skirt rode up her legs, the split in it showing plenty of her thick pale thighs as she let them drop apart. Rafel stepped in between her legs.


    He held up his monster [Bo Horseman] cock to her face and let her salivate over the fantastic arch. He teased it right before her slitted eyes, watching the green depth go darker and more serpentine. He patted the sides of her face with it. He let it bob up and down her nose.


    Mary knew not to touch. And even if she tried, Aya was behind her, holding her wrists down.


    Rafel rubbed the shiny pink of her glossed lips with his thumb. He reveled in their softness.


    "Drop your shirt."


    Mary was ready for any and all of hismands. Aya let go for a beat and she quickly drew down the hem of her soft wear. Her breasts were just as Rafel remembered from the fight night. Beautiful. Spotless. Milky round, with just the right amount of squeeze.


    Totally grabable. Perfect for a titty fuck.


    It astounded even Aya. And Subi were rarely marveled by sexual prowess. They were top of the sex chain.


    Rafel took the girthy fifteen-inch cock in his left hand and stroked. "Make her open!" He spoke directly to Aya. His ve quickly petted the sides of Mary''s cheeks from behind until the woman dropped her lips. Her face were rouge from all the pping.


    Rafel slid easily between the seam of her lips and seated himself deeply within her throat. As anticipated, he could only go halfway in.


    "Hold up your breasts, let Master have some titty fuck," Aya''s honeyed voicemanded Mary.


    She read Rafel''s thoughts cleanly. Once Mary cupped herself, forming a hollow with her cleavage, her upper body became the mother lode of Rafel''s prime passion. He thrusted from herrge tits to her open mouth. Aya held Mary''s head down to his strokes. Her saliva flowed freely down her lips and chest, making the sliding far too smooth to go slow.


    Mary didn''t mind being used.


    Rafel fucked her mouth and breasts that way for a while before pulling back to drag her head down and impale her face for a few breathless seconds on his dick.


    When he released her toe up for air, her face was full crimson and her slitted eyes was so reptilian it was scary.


    Rafel grinned. She was wet and ready.


    "Ready for some sweet deep horse fuckin'',ssie?" He adopted a western entmon among the Equestrians.


    Before Mary had a chance to articte a reply, he pulled her up by her jet-ck hair, fisting the natural green streaks in them. And he turned her around fast to face the chair. He pushed her on the seat on her knees. He dragged her thighs apart. He ripped at her skirt from split to seam. He dragged the cotton remnants down her legs.


    He flung off her thong: smelling, licking, pping her ass. He angled his horse cock and jammed into her so hard the chair rocked with her, scraping the floors.


    "Umm!" Mary rasped. She clung to the head of the chair for dear life. For the first time, a living breathing man had filled her without space.


    Rafel growled like a wolf at her lubrication. Mary was wetter and smoother than an eel in a fisherman''s hand. He felt the squish and tightening of her pussy like his own heartbeat. This was the only thing that could satisfy a giantess. Horse dick¡ªor its equivalent.


    She held onto his shaft so tight Rafel had to struggle to pull back every single time.


    How long had this woman gone without some intense fucking?


    Rafel bent her back on the seat, starting a rhythm that he wouldn''t dare on a human woman. The pping sounds of his toned pecs against her gigantic ass were fleshy and frenzied. Rafel''s cowboy hat was fallen off his head to the legs of the chair.


    Mary was a screamer and a feeler. And so Rafel had to bind her with his redsso and Aya held up her long hair which was loosened and falling down her slick back.


    She was bigger than Rafel. Her sheer size was obvious even on all fours, and as Rafel gripped her wide hips to m into her deeper than the previous, she was almost too hot to handle. Almost.


    Rafel dominated her like a pro. No woman would everin of his stamina. None.


    He bent a little at the knees behind her, so he was driving upward and forward at the same time. He spanked her big ass like it was hisst fuck of the century. Her creamy flesh was everywhere. It demanded his ps. And Rafel was eager to deliver. The fact that Mary was bigger and he still managed to dominate her spurned their desire into madness.


    At a point, they were just crazily holding on, trying to keep back the fireworks just one second more.


    PAH!


    PAH!


    PAH!


    ...the sounds of Rafel''s torso against her huge white butt. He fucked her raw, doggy, still in his ck cowboy jeans and boots.


    "Fuck me. How are you this fucking tight?"


    That was Rafel''s final deration before he could take her gigantic super hotness no more. As he heavily jerked and shot loads into her, Mary rolled her hips against his sweat-dripping abs. Rafel clung to her hair. Her face. Her bouncing tits. Her rolling ass.


    Everyrger piece of her.


    Just when he pulled out, the force of Mary''s climax sent his cum rushing out of her. She bent back a delirious arc, squirting a rushing fountain onto Rafel''s brick hard torso. She wet him till his pants were soaked. Still, Mary kept jerking and spasming, her wrists tied in fine rope, immobilizing her to surrender all her lust and satiation to the redhaired Dom behind.


    Rafel stood in a puddle when she was done.


    "Naamah, anything to add?" Rafel raised one thick auburn eyebrow.


    Aya, Mary''s second Mistress slowly smiled.


    "Just one thing, my Lord."


    And then she slowly turned Mary over and pulled her down on her knees into the puddle of her own squirt. Rafel stood intrigued in a corner of the room and watched as Aya shimmied out of her Lycra pants until her hips were free. She spread out her heeled legs, pushed apart her ck panties and deftly pulled Mary under her.


    Then she peed.


    The trickle poured right into Mary''s mouth, dripping out the sides of her lips.


    "You don''t swallow cum? You swallow pee." Aya offered simply.


    Rafel was so surprised he started to p. What a wonderful domination duo they made?


    Mary knelt in a puddle of her own making, her mouth full of erotic pee. But brightening her eyes was more fulfilled fire than Rafel had seen on her in the ring. She was a most perfect reptilian sub slut.


    [Ding!] The notification lit up in his head.


    [Fresh Updates to Infernal System!]


    [New Bo Horseman Conquest: MARY TIDELAND ATWELL.]


    Just as Aya leaned down behind her to loosen the binds, Rafel spoke to Mary the words she so desperately sought.


    "You are forgiven."

 Chapter 27: First Of Her Name

    AS THE SILVER FROST of theing winter whispered from the deep cold north into the winds of the city, the Governor of Rocasus presented his case of partiality, nepotism and prejudice against his state to the Royal Court of Eldoria. His key witness to the Queen''s alleged war crimes, the entire city of Frostholm was already experiencing its snows.


    Her mountains were white and the Keep''s recovering skyline was an endless pale of crusty ice.


    Naturally, for such insurmountable usations to her authority as Queen, Giselle Van Imperia demanded a hearing. A letter of rebuttal just would not do this time around. Rumors had circled of the brewing tensions in Rocasus. She had ordered her knights, the Gold Cloaks, drive west into the Rocasiannds to ease them into her sanctions¡ªwhile keeping an ear out for truths to the ongoing revolution.


    However, what Giselle hadn''t expected was the appointed Governor, a ster General in her army to confront so brazenly with this appeal.


    It was always the ones you didn''t expect, wasn''t it?


    The Eldorian realm was a monarchy but several established parties existed to provide checks and bnces toward Royalty. Prime of these parties was her Council. Her Majesty''s Council. So named in her titr honor but anything else.


    Immediately the letter suing her for wrong judgement and genocide¡ªand every other fucking stupid idea of viiny the Rocasian revolution had nested in their little heads, arrived in a gilded tray to her chambers, Giselle sharply thought of Rafel.


    He was her Crimson Knight.


    If anyone could brave the wolves of a war crime allegation ande out unscathed, it would be the Apollyon of Hel, Lord Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste. The man grinned into the destruction and waste at Frostholm''s end. The very battle she was now being questioned for. He was the coldest man she''d ever met.


    He beheaded a Sphinx, for her. He ughtered an entire city, for her. He massacred thousands, for her. She knew Rafel would just as certainly incinerate the entire Council. . .for her.


    She sent out a letter inviting him to the Hearing just as quickly as when she''d received hers.


    ''You''ve been served, Your Majesty.'' Giselle remembered clearly the inscribed words highlighted below the inquest for her summoning to Court.


    The Council deliberations had been set for thete evening, just before dusk, as the sun painted the Eldorian skies a ssh of melted gold. The citizens of her realm were invited to listen in to the debate.


    Hundreds of Nobles and Gentlefolk now sat in the long pews across from the dais of her Throne room. Their collective eyes shone with a mixture of fear and inquisition. The woman before them all was still the Queen after all, and a Fae at that. The Faeries were once worshipped and sacrificed to as Elder gods.


    Giselle Van Imperia sat as regal as the sun in her throne of ivory and oveid gold. Her long royal robes shimmered in the same glittery assault of silver and blond. Her golden eyes leveled on the softly whispering crowd. Her tiara glinted with a massive bright diamond and her golden hair reflected the shine of it.


    People were talking in murmurs but Giselle payed them no mind. People would always talk. Any position of power demanded gossip.


    At the docket closest to the baster steps leading up to her throne, sat the intiff.


    The treasonous fuck, by Her Majesty''s mind.


    Giselle cut knives at the Governor of Rocasus with her eyes. He was inpany of his aide, and against the bulkier military standard, the Governor was wimpy. The polished stained ss windows of the Throne room''s great dome sshed all within in dazzling spectacles of color. The multitude were a rainbow of hushed voices. Every magical faction was being represented this eventide.


    Yet, the Fey Queen''s irises pinned on her user. What made the tiny fucker think he could confront her this way publicly? Demand an exnation for her actions? She was Queen! She didn''t need to exin shit to anybody. It was in the fucking rights to rule.


    Just because she''d murdered a bunch of selfish assholes that had iting, eh?


    The north keep of Frostholm had been made of pussies. A smellier ignoble cunt had ruled them. She offed the bastard not just because he threatened her authority, but the Lord of Frostholm had iting a long time. Giselle had been more than happy to drown him in his beloved moat, feed him to his gators.


    The sorry fuck of a man!


    In Giselle''s mind, people didn''t usually know what they wanted. As Queen, she was their gray matter. She did the thinking. It made her erratic when they made excuses to think for themselves and conduct little alley revolutions like this.


    Frostholm had been the match. Rocasus was the me.


    Giselle looked through the gathered crowd for her redhaired lover. He would always standout in a room, so after a quick nce she knew he wasn''t present yet. Giselle decided to cut him some ck. Their hunt for the Bone Huntress had been only two days ago. Speaking of...she should be making a special visit to Emberfall with the Countess to perhaps collectively cool their jets with the Earl.


    Not being bungled into her seat to answer for some action she would repeat in a heartbeat.


    The moment Rafel walked in, she felt him.


    Shadows seemed to coalesce around his tall form as he made his way to the darkest furthest booth of the throne room. His ruffian looks were sharpened and made more mysterious by his high cor trenchcoat. He was inpany of Coraz¨®n and his pretty ve, Aya Naamah.


    As Rafel settled into the pew, he looked up through more than a hundred feet of distance to Giselle''s golden seat. He nodded to her. A brief allusion to let her know; he was in her corner.


    ''I would burn this entire Castle down, only give the word.''


    In his infernal eyes, Queen Giselle Van Imperia knew she had won the case even before it began.


    Rafel had just ushered Mary Atwell, his new Gypsy sub into one of his darker rooms to sleep out her exertion when Cora came in with Giselle''s letter. A warm bathing from Aya''s divine handster and he was rushing through his estate grounds in his gothic carriage, riding for the great castle of Eldoria.


    Mary would be waiting when he got back. But the matter of Giselle''s court hearing couldn''t. Rafel would''ve teleported into the Throne room but the idea of startling the mortals changed his mind. He didn''t need toplicate matters for his friend.


    As he watched Giselle in her magnificent throne, he was impressed. She was surreal, literally ethereal. It was his first time in the outstandingly grandyers of the Eldorian seat of power but even thevish luxury of real gold, silver, and intricate diamond could notpare to the glory of the Fey Queen as she perched rxed in her opal seat.


    This was an inquisition into the battle at Frostholm. Rafel could ascertain that much from the secret nod General Ian Noguri sent him from hisinant docket. He was the intiff.


    The motions of the Rocasian Governor were bold. He had gotten his funding after all. A very generous donation on Rafel''s part.


    He knew he would be crazy to tell Giselle.


    "Mortals are funny." Rafel heard Aya''s soft whisper from his left.


    He knew what she was thinking. In Hel, none of the Fallen would be caught dead on scrutiny by a lesser Hellbaby. A Hellion would be utterly fucking mad to use a Principality, much less use them publicly and motion for a ''Hearing''. Hel''s Hierarchy was simple. You were either fucking powerful or not. If the General were ying by Hell''s chessboard, this move would be suicide.


    If Moloch the Destroyer liquefied an entire Bonereaver family for refusal to submit their jailbait daughter, and no one said a word, this would just be a wastage of good bloodsport time in Hel.


    Mortals were funny. Indeed.


    Rafel perused the throng of those seated on pews in front of him. He made out the Countess, Delia in the forefront of the long benches. She stared at the General like he had maggots shooting out his ears. The closest person to her had sharp ears.


    An elf.


    Rafel also saw Mages in their long hats. Merfolk with their tails transformed to legs. A few of his horned faction; those that had managed to pay their primage out of Hel. The Throne room spoke of the inclusion of all bloodlines into the Eldorian society. Rafel was delighted at this. In Hel, they were all one long line of depraved sick tormentors.


    After a minute passed, the ruling moderator of the Hearing, a chubby man in ssesrger than his eyes hit on a gavel to gain the dome''s attention. A hush fell over the crowd.


    "The intiff this evening; the Legatus of Her Majesty''s Western Regiment, the Governor of Rocasus, General Ian Noguri! He stands using Her Majesty of war crimes of genocide and endemic impropriety of bias among native magical and nonmagical factions¡ªnot excluding humans. He pleads a case of public apology and peace talks with the suffered parties, and possible impeachment of the Queen. . ."


    "What?"


    "Ooh! Low blow."


    "That''s harsh, innit?"


    "Quite ballsy, I''d reckon."


    At the people''s flying reactions, the moderator banged his gavel to quieten the din. And then he continued.


    "The Council demands silence in the Throne room! Her Majesty has presented herself in good faith before this ve, and thus is entitled to a defense. The evidence presented by the intiff, General Ian Noguri includes the known massacre of Frostholm, murder of the city''s entire royal family, and the painting of Camerlengo; THE LAND PEACE FORGOT."


    The chubby moderator pointed to the wide fifteen foot mural gracing a spot on the pristine right wall, just above the Queen''s oil portrait. Everyone turned to it, gasps filling the air. Apparently, they had all thought nothing of the bloodshed and utter chaos depicted in the painting; they only now realized that the city¡ªTHE LAND THAT PEACE FORGOT, was Frostholm.


    Rafel narrowed his eyes from his position. He avidly remembered Giselle ordering the painting be made that day on the battlefield. Several horrifying scenes of pige and dismemberment were visible.


    "What kind of Queen murders her people and makes a trophy of it, to hang on her own fucking Throne room?" It was General Ian. He stood shaking with anger on his feet. "¡ªThat is no Queen. She''s a filthy wildling whore, and doesn''t deserve to rule a pub full of drunks!"


    Thunderousughter broke out all across the Throne room. The people were nodding and conversing out loud.


    "AYE. HEAR! HEAR!" Someone yelled. "Fuck the wilding whore!"


    The person who yelled though hid his face. In this he was wise. Rafel could sense the wrath ripping off Giselle. Her fingertips sparkled with cosmic fire she was on the verge of releasing into the masses. Shit could go sideways pretty quickly. The moderator too must have seen this because he began banging his gavel repeatedly, pounding from the podium which he stood at.


    "QUIET, PEOPLE! The Council demands silence! No final judgement has been made in this deliberations. All citizens are advised to keep their reservations to themselves. Or else be excused from the Hearing''s proceeding. General: you will do well to keep seated until when spoken to, or be held in contempt by the Council."


    The moderator adjusted hisrge spectacles on his pudgy face, allowing General Ian to nod his understanding before he moved on.


    "We now bring to the realm''s light the case of the defendant, in person of Her Majesty, Regent of the Nine Realms and Fey Keeper of the Seely Court, Light of Eldoria, Beacon of the Isles, and Daughter of the Elder Gods, First of Her Name; Giselle of House Imperia!


    Her Majesty pleads not guilty to the charges. And demands instant withdrawal of the case, followed promptly by penitence on the part of the intiff. Royal immunity to death penalty applies."


    The General scoffed at this. But the moderator ignored him.


    "...and so let the debate begin!"


    The Rocasian Governor, General Ian Noguri stamped to his feet immediately. He first bowed elegantly to the crowd in his smart military regalia before pleading his case. It was the same idea he had sold Rafel some weeks ago at Emberfall.


    "For hundreds of years, THAT Crown has been on the head of one Van Imperia cun¡ªheir after another. Hundreds of years! And while I suppose it''s nothing if you''re an Immortal mana-possessing Faerie, it is SOMETHING to the humans. The merfolk. The Wild Shapes. The mages.


    The witches. All of us! Those under your rule. Those who you say contribute nothing but offspring to your kingdom.


    We are your ves. Your consorts. Your ARMY! Your nation. Yet you belittle us. You subject us under your idealogies of liberalism and the greater good.


    You pull apathy at ourins. You fling us the pennies we need, just enough to thrive. And when we work too hard, you throw us little bones asurels.


    WE DESERVE MORE!


    The other magical factions are infrequently included in Council appointments. And as for the humans, you indulge us only to fight your wars. The highest rank a Nonmagical can attain is a General, made manifest in my current position. Thest Queen to marry outside her Fae dynasty was five hundred years ago.


    I, General Ian Noguri approached Her Majesty politely some years back to include mortals into more than just ceremonial affairs of the Realm. Sheughed in my face. Literally! I requested a right to grant Rocasus independence to rule ourselves and manage our territories. She threw me a LITTLE BONE: made me General of the state to shut my mouth.


    Well, now, Her Majesty has a choice: FREE ROCASUS OR FEY BLOOD WOULD RUN TRULY WILD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CENTURIES!


    In truth, Feyfolk are no more than proud inbred megalomaniacs. Our revolution is true. Free Rocasus!"


    One could hear a pin drop in the Throne room as the Legatus took his seat. Giselle was smiling when he looked up. Ian''s face went grave at her mockery. Case in point. Her look of total indifference brought grim fear to the eyes of many. Even if she didn''t personally murder the General for this, she would outlive him.


    She''d outlive them all.


    It was a brief pulse of time before Giselle replied the usations. She did not rise to her feet.


    "I DO NOT, and WILL NEVER apologize for my actions in Frostholm, for whateverissez-faire attitude you think I give off, and certainly not for my fucking painting!


    Let me be blunt, General. Humans are weak. You can''t propose to hold positions of real authority in a magical empire full of fantastic creatures like Eldoria. You wouldn''tst a day. If a Griffin doesn''t chop your head off, a Pegasus would pounce you to death. It isn''t ego or belittlement.


    IT''S FUCKIN'' EVOLUTION!


    Tell me¡ªall of you who are so eager for a revolution, yelling FREE ROCASUS! everywhere; when was thest time a pack of feral werebears attacked some vige, or a band of pirates our beach?


    When?


    This is because they know a Fey sits on the throne. They fear our Empire. Because of the magic. Because of the mana. Because the SUPERNATURAL exists. The first mortals to settle into thesends knew this and crowned the first Van Imperia King.


    A Fey.


    Hate it all you want but we provide stability. We provide protection. Peace. And prosperity. All of you ungrateful little shits would be dead long ago if not for us. .


    ."


    "Ooh!!!" The crowd fell back with an emotional wave.


    "Yikes! She''s on one." Someone hushed out.


    [?? Girl On Fire ¨C Alicia Keys.]


    It was then Giselle stood to her feet. Her golden eyes bled gold down the sides of her face and mes erupted all over her billowing regal robes. White mes. Gold mes. Cosmic ethereal fire. She stood on fire, a raging daredevil, as she ended her defense in a shocking twist.


    "Nobody likes war, General. And I personally take suggesting it as an act of Treason. You have made false allegations against the Crown. You have twisted evidence to suit your ims. You have disposed publicly of your ns underway to depose your Queen. Therefore, in light of the unity and continued peace of the Nine Realms, I disband this Hearing and forbid the Council to rule.


    . .and use you, Legatus Ian Noguri of sphemy and treason.


    As Queen, I strip you of your position as Governor of Rocasus and General of my Western Regiment. You are to return your ranks and honors to the Fort immediately! Rocasus will remain an integrated state of Eldoria. You, Ian, for conspiring to topple a ruling dynasty in bloodshed are issued the sentence for any Usurper:


    DEATH!"


    Ian couldn''t believe his ears. The tables were turned. "Can she do that?" He was saying to anyone who would listen.


    But everyone was looking on the ming Queen, aze in celestial light. Who would dispute such raw power?


    Giselle was not done yet, and continued.


    "However, contrary to what you think¡ªstripped General! I am not a monster. I will give you a chance to fight for your life. I give you the choice of TRIAL BY COMBAT. Name your Champion!"


    The moderator banged the gavel and the entire hall was so quiet Rafel heard Cora''s soft breathing beside him. Ian kept quiet for a long while, before bursting up to his feet. His face was red and he looked twenty years older, turning him about sixty. He ripped off the gold eagle epaulette on his shoulders and made the most grotesque re toward Giselle.


    "Fuck you, Fey wench! I''ll fight myself."


    Giselle didn''t flinch at his direct insult. She replied smoothly, her next words drowning the whole Throne room into pity for the fired General and his revolution¡ªdead before he could even fight his war.


    "Very well, Ian. You are your champion. I on the other hand name as my champion the Earl of Emberfall, Lord Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste."


    "Shit. He''s fucked." Countess Cordelia chuckled to herself.


    The moderator pounded his gavel onest time, saying, "The duel is set at dusk tomorrow and shall hold on the grounds of the Castle''s sparring theater. Failure of any party to show up is instant execution. THIS COUNCIL IS DISMISSED!"


    The ex-Governor and fallen leader of a revolution, Ian Noguri, fell in a heap to his seat. Giselle sashayed out the Throne room. He put his fingers together in thought, and when his eyes zeroed in on the man he was to fight tomorrow; the giant man seated in the furthest, darkest corner of the pews, Ian nched in his docket.


    Rafel sent him a look of pity.


    ''I''m sorry, General.'' His amber eyes seemed to say.


    For Ian Noguri was a dead man walking.

 Chapter 28: The Light Of Revolution

    RAFEL RUSHED OUT THE THRONE ROOM after Giselle. Leaving a puzzled look on the faces of both Coraz¨®n and Aya, he muttered a bassy,


    "I''ll be back."


    And disappeared into the throng of milling people by the hall''s wide exit. All who had watched the proceedings were shocked at the oue. Many tavern owners amongst the crowd smiled with yellowed beer dentition, happy for the fresh gossip that would bring an eager wave of patrons to their pubs tonight. One thing Eldoria as a realm unted more than its gold was its gossip.


    A penchant for scious hyperbolic stories. And while people talked, they also drank.


    Cora''s hand met air as she watched her Lord Grace''s back vanish into the escaping boisterous crowd. In the mostly empty throne room behind, the intiff, Ian Noguri was nowhere to be found. For the humiliated General, tomorrow might very well be hisst day alive.


    Rafel caught up with Giselle on a long straight corridor with huge baster pirs. He rushed out across the stone statues fringing the arches and grabbed at her from behind.


    The Queen hissed and turned. She was surprised. Rafel mmed in her into the nearest pir. She was lifted several inches off the floor to meet with his smouldering eyes. His fire burned.


    "What the fuck was that in there?" Rafel growled into her face.


    Giselle''s guard, two armored Gold Cloaks, were shocked at Rafel''s stealth in falling upon them and moved to interfere with his manhandling of the Queen. But Giselle held up her hand.


    "Nice to see you too, Rafel," she teased. She drew closer and inhaled against his neck. Rafel wasn''t appeased.


    "Giselle. . ." He stressed.


    She lifted her head up. "What, Rafel? I¡ª"


    "What was that in there? You, naming me as your champion? I don''t like surprises. I don''t like drama. You know that."


    Giselle''s golden pupils moistened in apology. "I''m sorry. I am, really. But I wasn''t going to fight in a Trial bybat myself. You wouldn''t want me to, would you?"


    When Rafel turned his head away, she touched his jaw softly to draw his eyes back to her. He was not her soldier. He was not her hero. She knew that. Rafel was a delicious brooding viin. Giselle liked him cold: she opted never to make the mistake of coaxing chivalry out of him again.


    "I''m sorry," she apologized some more. It softened him. "¡ªI could make it up to you."


    She tried to pull him into one of the nearby rooms, atched storeroom, but Rafel held back. He eased her off the pir and his big warm body, dropping her to the stone floors.


    "See you in the theatre tomorrow, Your Majesty." Rafel bowed and neatly turned on his heel, walking away.


    "See ya!" Giselle called to his back. She tried to garner some final attention from him. He never turned in the corridor. Giselle sighed between her two Gold Cloaks.


    "Shite." She had struck a nerve.


    As Rafel rounded back to his lovely confidant¨¦s, the Throne room was hollowed out of all life, empty as a monk''s temple carved into a mountain. Everyone was gone. Coraz¨®n and Aya waited for him by the steps below, next to the parked carriage.


    Rafel hurried to them.


    "Are you okay, Your Gra¡ª" Cora started to say but Rafel picked her up and tossed her into the lush interior of the carriage.


    Aya went in next. Both women wereughing as he bundled in after them. He was warm as a wolf. He tickled Cora, and a giggling Aya scooted out of his reach. Cora nestled into his heat, her cheeks red from all his tickles. She loved these little sneak peeks into Rafel''s yful sides.


    He was a man with a thousand shades. Figuring him out was part of the fun.


    "Stop it, Your Grace. I¨CI''m gonna pee on myself." Cora was squirming in hisp.


    "Pee away, love. Grrrhh..." He grabbed at Aya with a fake growl, pulling her in too. "What''s for dinner tonight, huh, Coraz¨®n? Grrrhh¨CGrrrhh."


    Rafel blew air bubbles into her bare stomach. Both women wereughing so hard they couldn''t reply. The carriage soon started its ndestine journey back to Emberfall. Rafel kept the women in his arms, touching and ying with them; anything to distract from what was certain to happen tomorrow at dusk.


    He would kill an innocent man. Why did it worry him so?


    [?? Battle Hymn of the Republic ¨C Eugene Ormandy and The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.]


    By evening the next day, the amphitheater hosting the Trial was filled to the brim an hour before the duel was set to begin. Word had spread from the night before like wildfire. Rafel could thank the many pubs in Eldoria for that. People eagerly engaged excited conversation as they imed all levels of the rotund open air stadium.


    It was a view all the way up to the purple heavens. With about an hour untilplete nightfall, the setting was the best. The weather nice and windy. A summer feel and a wistful ambiance.


    Rafel stood behind a shut door at his corner of the theatre. Coraz¨®n stood with him, ever so loyal. He stared, amused, at the bands going hard at their musical instruments to cheering folk. Everyone happy in their own fan circle. Once Rafel''s name had been mentioned in the taverns'' innards yesternight, it was like Hel all over again.


    People had heard of the mystery warrior Earl, the one who was trainer of the kickboxing Flyweight champion, Vipera the Vixen Venom.


    Being privy to his squire''s ster performance in the ring, the crowd of underground gamblers and overlords now furiously took to the bleachers, very ready for the promise of some action. Bets were being ced¡ªin secret though, as Her Majesty was present on the uppermost rung inpany of her train. Even though Giselle secretly bet too:


    [5 000] Eldorian gold on Rafel.


    A couple of men were near fighting across a particr level, as their argument about who''d win had escted into full-on fist exchanges. Cackling women were their umpires.


    Anyone would think it was a prime diator finale, and not a Trial.


    "One would die. One would live. Whom shall it be, pray tell? The rider of the white horse, or the reaper on the gray serpent. Tell me if ye cipher it, uptownie," the bards sang lesiastically.


    Cora held onto Rafel''s hand behind the door.


    "You pity him," she said matter-of-factly, speaking of the General all the way across the sands on the other end. Ian Noguri was probably getting his final hugs and kisses from family.


    Rafel suddenly felt like the Grecian legend, Achilles. And Ian, his Hector.


    In the end, there would be no victor and none vanquished.


    Cora mirrored his thoughts exactly with her words. "I see you have on only a Common armor for the Trial. Give him a fighting chance and an honorable death. That much the man deserves, Your Grace. And in the end, don''t let him suffer. Make it quick."


    Rafel nodded, squeezing Cora''s hand as the entrance horns red.


    "Thank you." He smiled wanly at her.


    "15 Grand!" Cora said abruptly.


    "What?" Rafel''s hand paused at opening the door.


    "I bet 15 Grand on you, Your Grace."


    Rafel shook his head, smiling as he pushed open the wooden gate and stepped out into glorious evening sunlight and a roaring, chanting crowd. "Blood! Blood! Blood!" Their voices were the thunder in his veins. The fire in his bones. He picked up his intentional [Common] spear he purchased at [2 000] soul coins from the [Arcane Shop] and started a slow run across the sands.


    Rafel didn''t bother waiting for the opening gong to sound.


    "Yeah! Get him!" The whole stadium vibrated with fresh energy.


    [Ding! System Alert!]


    [No weapons system or armour activated! Requesting immediatemands.]


    But Rafel kept running.


    "Nope. It is as it should be, System." He mused in his head.


    Rafel was determined to give the crowd all the glory they wanted by seeking out the arena this evening, and also giving his opponent a worthy Nordic end. It was all about showmanship tonight. Rafel sought to put out such a dramatic disy that would mask out the terror of bloodshed. Hence, his simple weapon and armor.


    He picked up speed as he neared Ian Noguri, studded in a shiny brass chainmailplete with its helmet.


    Rafel lifted his spear ten times slower, in a speed Ian could follow but wouldn''t seem too obvious.


    "RAAAAAARGH!" He yelled for effect, leaping a wide arc into the air and striking out aerially for Ian. All the while, he aimed for the man''s shield.


    [?? Car Show ¨C Das Sound Machine (Pitch Perfect 2 Performance).]


    Still, Ian staggered with the force of Rafel''s blow. The man was half his size for fucks'' sake.


    When Rafel was close enough to him that he was certain the crowd couldn''t make out his moving lips, he edged near and said,


    "Hit me as hard as you can. Wound me if you will. We only met once before privately, Ian Noguri, and in the brief hour of our meeting I learned you are a man of honor. Thus, in your death, General, I would see you made a Legend. The Elder Gods await you in the Hall of the Valiant, Legatus! For the glory of Rocasus!"


    Ian lifted his small eyes to Rafel''s infernal ones, and he smiled. epting his death with brave finality, he began swiping and shing at Rafel with his sword, uttering deep words that resounded like struck metal into the hearts of everyone looking down upon the fight.


    His following words were as a prophecy, beautiful and poetic. A hero''s final moments.


    "Behold my eyes, all you who look from above.


    Behold my pride, dear heavens. Behold my message. Behold my song, ye listening ears. Behold my fight! Look upon this gangly form and see in it the true valor of man. A hero is not made by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart.


    Behold in my eyes, the Light of Revolution. Once lit, an unquenchable fire it shall burn until the night is bright and blessed in it. FOR THE GLORY OF ROCASUS! FOR THE GLORY OF A FREE STATE! FOR THE LIGHT OF REVOLUTION!


    HIYAAAH!!!"


    Ian thrust his final jab and missed Rafel''s neck by seconds. Rafel saw in it his resign and in an effort to make him look as good as possible, he parried the hit,ncing the sword with his spear and sending it flying across. The longsword struck the sand smoothly,nding on its de and standing in the sands.


    Rafel turned the spear in a series of crafty air strokes swiftly and struck out like lightning while Ian''s eyes were engaged.


    SROOOCC! A squishing sound was heard.


    "Ooooh!!!" The crowd went back as a unanimous wave at the surprise death blow. All people everywhere went silent as Ian dropped to the arena on his knees.


    Rafel''s spear was sunken to the hilt in his chest. He had made sure to puncture the heart quick and hard.


    Ian removed his helmet and with hisst breath, the Rocasian Revolutionary drew Rafel close to him.


    ". . .keep the armies, you''ll need them," he croaked.


    And then, he fell t on his face. Ian was dead before he ever hit the earth.


    Blood flowed freely out his bleeding heart. The sands of the theatre sucked it in like the ocean absorbing light. Rafel offered the fallen General a moment of silence before pulling out his stuck spear.


    [Ding! One Rank B Mortal Knight in.] His system informed. Rafel was only half listening.


    [Upgrades confirmed!]


    [ARCANE RUNE: 1 890 002 souls.


    RANK: Earl ¡ª MANSLAYER. Sessful Ascension into Second Celestial Circle.


    GIFTS: One full Legendary Wolf Pelt Armor, alias the Winter Demon.]


    The General had killed in his entire life less than quarter the lives Rafel had taken in the single battle with Frostholm. How?


    The Theatre was chanting his name, but Rafel''s ears were mute. He kept reying Ian''s final words in his head. ''Keep the armies. You''ll need them.'' He found himself wondering if toward the end, the General had being right. Just like Hector. At least he''d made a hero out of the man.


    He could see the Legend spinned for years toe: GENERAL IAN NOGURI: LEGATUS OF ROCASUS, FALLEN NOBLY IN BATTLE.


    Up on the stands, Giselle Van Imperia was on her feet, pping erratically, her golden eyes flitting like a beaver''s. Rafel looked from her to the dead man on the sands. Then back again. Suddenly, he didn''t trust the Queen anymore.

 Chapter 29: Kidnapped By Mermaids!

    IAN NOGURI''S HEAD hung from the city''s high gates for several days. A scroll writing was hammered into ce beside his head by the Gold Cloaks who had strung up the head. The message was clear enough that one didn''t need to rise up on tiptoes to read it.


    [Do not fuck with Her Majesty!]


    It was a disturbing deterrent against other revolutions, and even the Temr Abbot who usually called down rain and hail ''pon the sinners of the Capital tempered his preaching. No one wanted to be the bodyless head peering out with fly-infested blue lips at the carts of traders rolling in and out of the city.


    Even those who weren''t at the Amphitheater now knew of the story. It was a good story,plete with the tragic Nordic end. Nothing incited a legend more than a great man matyred for the cause. Rafel got his wish. Ian Noguri''s few remaining loyalists made him into a sculpture.


    They buried what they could find of his body which had been tossed down the Helmsley cliffdrop. Nowadays, they met secretly with little air signs as markers.


    To hang a General''s decapitated head off the city''s walls was the cruelest shame. The rot was slow as the first fingers of winter was just showing. But somehow, when people lifted their eyes to it, it was their re in the storm¡ªat least to the Nonmagicals.


    Rafel, on his return to Emberfall copsed into his byzantine chambers often always shrouded in darkness.


    "Aya Naamah. Bring our whore in!" He invited loudly.


    And some ten minutester, his lovely ve sauntered in pulling behind her a taller, enhanced gypsy. Mary Atwell only had a pair of tight boy shorts covering her pronounced hips. Her long tail wrapped her body from her t belly upward to the generous swell of her breasts. Aya dragged her in by her new cor.


    Throughout the night, Rafel and Aya took turns dominating the reptilian beauty. She sucked his cock. She rode him. Aya fisted her. Aya sat on her face. And once, Rafel tied her up to the antichrist St.


    Andrew''s cross he had in a corner of his gothic suite. By the time he moved to touch her an hourter, good Mary''s shorts were soaked.


    Sometime at midnight, Rafel turned in therge bed to find Aya and Mary curled naked into each other, Aya''s head resting in her sumptuous cleavage. Her fair skin was a lively contrast to Mary''s milkplexion. Her crocodile scales glinted in the mild light.


    Rafel did admit seeing a bunch of shadows traveling by his window that night. Like ninjas. Only curvier and semi-nude. But whether it was the feeling of being loved up by two of the hottest females alive, or the satiation of empty balls, Rafel chalked up the silhouettes now tiptoeing behind his long crimson drapes as sexy figures his mind had conjured up to lull him back to sleep.


    Rafel soon heard eerie singing. And he did fall asleep.


    He felt one of the female shadows fall over his face and something prick his neck. Between the brief opening and closing of his eyelids, he made out the starry vision of four women and a man. All of them were ethereally beautiful. Underwater beautiful. And it was actually one of them who was singing.


    A siren.


    Their clothes constituted just strips of beach wear one might wear to go for a dip. Their long hair was wet. Their eyes shimmered in blue water magic.


    Mermaids!


    His sexy ninjas were mermaids.


    Why can''t I fucking move? Rafel''s senses were dulled, both by the singing woman and the injection of wolfsbane into his system¡ªthe kind specifically bottled in syringes for whales.


    Rafel tried to turn on the bed, to reach out for Aya, to scream for Mary who''d rip these fish people apart with her crocodilian ferocity on awakening. But he couldn''t move. He was immobilized. The single merman in the stealthy group bundled Rafel up in the immense white nket of his own sleep, hefting Rafel up to his broad shoulders.


    The merman was built powerfully. With the girl singing to keep Rafel hypnotized, the mermaids started out the same way they hade; silently through the curtains and out the window. They were kidnapping him.


    Rafel blinked and blinked and tried to focus his system to engage, but it was really impossible under the voice of a siren.


    Fucking mermaids! He cussed in his head¡ªjust before he sumbed to the inspiring music and cked out.


    By morning, when Aya awoke, she just thought her Lord Master was up and away on one of his morning jogs around the estate. After all, Ravenna was to be back from the Isles of Corynthia today, and knowing just how much the ck-haired canary affected Rafel, she knew he would want a clear head for when the ship bringing his Little Raven home boarded.


    The Corynthian Academy for Witches were giving a brief vacation through the long weeks of winter.


    "Just for a fortnight, Ladies and Gents!" was Headmistress Shetty''s promise to them.


    Aya left Mary asleep in the bed and proceeded to the wide crystal bathroom to begin her morning like any other day. She maneuvered a few bread slices from Cora''s kitchen harangue, dodging her friend''s pping hand. She descended into the dungeon base to check on their prisoner: Annabelle threw daggers at her with reinvigorated moon eyes.


    Finally, Aya ensured the Hounds were fed their daily dose of rabbit¡ªalive.


    She petted the giant Hellborn dogs as they crunched flesh and licked at blood.


    They were all waiting; Aya Naamah, Coraz¨®n, and a few choice stewards of the Manor by the docks north of the Eldorian sea, the ports closest to Emberfall. In the horizon was a gray menace of cold and Aya surreptitiously rubbed at her arms. Winter in Eldoria was no joke, and being a child of fire, she was new to it.


    The great ship bringing in tides of the [C.A.W] students from the misty isle was barely anchored before Aya heard Ravenna''s screaming. She stood at the helm of the approaching frigate. She was waving wildly. She was willowy in a flowing blue frock. The cold wind in her hair and clothes, she resembled a wind sprite upon the gale.


    "Aya! Cora!" Ravennaughed excitedly.


    It had been a long month away. Her hair was longer now. ck as the smooth pebbles in a dragon''sir.


    Once at home in Emberfall, Ravenna could no longer hold in the question bubbling on her lips, ever since she''d docked. She had tried not to show she cared that Rafel wasn''t present at hernding.


    "Where''s His Grace?" she asked promptly.


    "Oh! His Grace, huh? They have made a Lady out of you after all." Cora teased and rubbed shoulders with Ravenna.


    She stopped smiling when there was no forting answer. Aya too voiced her own concerns.


    "I''m surprised as well. We were in bed togetherst night, but this morning when I awoke. . .he wasn''t. I figured he was out on the grounds somewhere. You know how much Lord Master loves his serenity.


    But now, I don''t know. Have any of the stewards seen him since? The gamekeeper?"


    Ravenna left Aya and Cora to contemte and begin questioning the Manor''s many attendants as to the Lord of the House''s whereabouts. She hurried up the grand spiral staircase from the foyer to his wing of the mansion. She paused briefly at his chamber''s door.


    Memories of one particr hot night teased her mind. But she made sure not to go there. She was only here to check on him, she convinced herself.


    Inwardly, she was d though. She knew Rafel might be cold and ruthless to others, but he''d never miss hering-home party.


    "Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste? Sir Rafel?" She rapped on the door.


    When there was no answer or a shuffle within indicating one, Ravenna''s protective instincts kicked in. She pushed open the door and rushed in. The chambers were tidy, opulent, beautifully dark, erotic, spacious, but empty of one handsome redhead.


    "Uh, Guys?! Come in here a sec!" Ravenna yelled down the stairs.


    She heard the sound of pounding feet just as Cora and Aya spilled in through the door. Some other stewards nked them from behind, including a few buzzing fairies. Everyone at Emberfall was worried. Rafel was not a cruel Lord, even for all his darkness. For him to go missing inspired his attendants to want to take up their pitchforks and cleaving knifes.


    "¡ªI don''t think His Grace went jogging," Ravenna finished, her sweet green eyes on the colossal dressed bed.


    Aya tried to move forward but Cora stopped her.


    "Wait!" She put out her hand, slowly kneeling to the floors as her blue eyes caught on something. Cora''s irises were sharp as ice. If anyone hurt Rafel, she would grind them all to ash.


    "Are those footprints?" Aya leaned down also, zooming in on Cora''s line of sight.


    "Yes." Cora replied. "Bare foot prints."


    "The cleaner must''ve missed a spot then?" Ravenna peered in too. She left her words as a question.


    "N¨®n, dear. Elena doesn''t miss spots." Cora intelligently replied. As a former pro wrestler, her tracker senses were acute. She put her hand out to touch the glittery imprints left on the cadwold gray floors. There was no dust. Cora spoke again thus,


    "These footprints are not human. Else, Elena''s vacuum cleaner would''ve seen it cleaned. See how they''re watery at the sides? Every magical creature leaves an imprint of their passage. Ghosts; shifts in the wind. Wild Shapes; paw and w marks.


    Hellions; the smell of ash and sulphur. Fae; fuckin'' flowers. These watery marks around the footprints are. . ."


    "Mermaids." Ravenna finished for her.


    Cora lifted her blue eyes, nodding. At that instant, righteous fury filled all three women at the same time. They had dared, the slippery water folk!


    "Yes, love. Mermaids." Cora replied, rising to her feet in calm wrath. Her eyes were melting ciers in her face¡ªan avnche waiting to happen. "They must have snuck in through the wards at some auspicious moment in the night. They have taken His Grace."


    Ravenna tutted. "Such a grave mistake on their part."


    Aya Naamah smiled darkly, her fangs shimmering down. Cora squeezed her fingers into a fist, just as she did in the ring before delivering her killer southpaw.


    "We''ll need the Hounds," she said. "¡ªwe are out to gut some fish."


    Meanwhile, Rafel was just waking up about a thousand miles away from Emberfall and the bunch of loyal furious femme fatales preparing toe save him.


    Where am I?


    He was still strapped to the merman''s Antian back. As he looked up, he caught sight of brown sands, exotic palms and coconut trees that stretched out as far as the calm blue sea beyond it. He was on a beach. A lonely one. The merman and his group were walking, walking into the water.


    The tide was up to their ankles.


    ...their knees now.


    In broad daylight, Rafel gulped at the model shapes on the mermaids. Their light bikinis were in warm summer colors and it seemed winter never reached this part of the world. The swish-swish of their hips were even lovelier than this new paradise. If they hadn''t kidnapped him from his bed, Rafel had half the mind to spare their lives.


    He blinked away his daydreaming when the woman with the purple flood of hair, in the front of the group instructed, the water up to her orange bra straps andpping at her surreal glistening skin.


    "Toss him in."

 Chapter 30: Bride Of The Sea

    RAFEL FAINTED AGAIN FROM DRINKING TOO MUCH WATER. One deficit of being born in mes; he couldn''t swim. He had never needed to¡ªuntil these bunch of taily fish cunts had threw him into the treacherous sea water. Rafel particrly reminded himself to sever the merman''s tail and gift it to his Headmistress friend, the good Doctor Shetty. WereTigers did love them some good fish steak.


    Rafel opened his eyes the third time after cking out the same day.


    He quickly discovered he was on the open floor area of a penthouse in a glittery city. The scape was distinctly whimsical, there was no skyline whatsoever, under water. Blue ocean hues casted on everything within sight. As he shifted on the bouncy recliner¡ªthe kind offy air mattresses used by the beachside inns¡ªhe woke up on, Rafel looked out into a very enchanting panorama.


    He appeared to be on the tallest building in this dreamy world, and everywhere he turned he was met with more surreal shimmery structures. Advanced prototypes of submarines, floating castles, and glitters of sea anemones.


    Which part of Eldoria was this?


    He stood on the loggia and gazed out from the wide roof into the magnificent city. This was top of the reef. There was something peculiar about the ce. Land¡ªreal earth and dirt was nowhere to be found.


    Just as Rafel was having these thoughts, a great shadow fell over the tall building he stood on. Rafel was shocked when he looked up.


    It was a whale.


    A blue fricking whale!


    Larger than life; so sizeable its umbra covered half the city, with its flippers escorted by a colorful school of rainbow fish. The aquatic mammals was the size of the gigantic Dragons they got in Hel, and if it breathed fire, Rafel suspected it would be feared just as much. But s, whales had no craving for innocent littlembs or the asional cattle.


    The whale moved over and the same burning light in the distance beamed out again. It was the sun, but so far up. The rays of light fell in translucence.


    "You seem out of it," came a warm voice.


    Rafel swept around in his position, finding himself at the edge of the rooftop. The voice belonged to the woman who stood across from him. She had the most unnatural set of eyes. Her pupils were not round. They were crescent shaped and the blue-green of the ocean at high noon.


    For the brief moment when she blinked, she would seem human. But then her eyes opened again, and she was not.


    As she stood at the other end of the rooftop, Rafel recognized immediately the four women and man that had kidnapped him. Fresh fire zed into his eyes. Right, the mermaids!


    He was underwater.


    "Motherfuckers!" Realization hit him cold as a pail of rain water.


    No wonder the city was all pearls and corals and fucking Sandcastles. Merfolk were glittery as fuck. They threaded every part of their watery existence with some form of shiny stone. It was evident even now as Rafel watched the woman leading his group of captors; from her ears to swan neck were jeweled in coral beads.


    She stared at him with something of worship.


    And Rafel wondered if his exploits had reached the sea.


    The woman was starkly young to hold a position of power, but he knew more than anyone looks were forever deceiving amongst magical factions. Her blue hair was was braided into three fat locks that slithered in the air. They danced and whispered some unknown tongue into each other. They looked alive.


    Her catchy looks aside, the woman looked very familiar. Rafel thought fast.


    Did I fuck her?


    Or her mother? Sister¡ªmaybe? Hmm.


    He didn''t have to keep at it for long because the young woman drew near and began to exin in length every confusing detail of thest three hours.


    "Sorry about the. . .kidnap, and everything, Your Grace. I truly apologize on behalf of my harem. I see in your eyes that you recognize but don''t remember me. If you would recall: precisely a month ago, you were on these very waters in passage upon a vessel I distinctly remember named The Nepolita.


    I am the mermaid you rescued that stormy night from the Gulper¡ªthe monstrous abomination!"


    She paused a moment with Rafel thinking back. His death frown eased¡ªsomewhat. Now he remembered where he''d seen her. So he didn''t fuck her. Shame!


    Her blue hair had been loose back then, and her eyes too full of fright to notice the crescents. The woman continued, taking another few steps closer to him.


    "I am Yemaya, Queen of the Seas, Bringer of seasons, and Empress of the Antean Colonies!"


    Rafel looked her over again. That name was ancient. Yet it was borne on the body of a twenty-one year old Babe, who frankly looked like she just stepped out a coldke in her sapphire swimsuit. She was still speaking, so Rafel focused.


    ". . .while I sincerely apologize again for your abrupt and constricted travel, I must speak to you quickly about its reason. But first I would not be found worthy of your presence to speak my favor if my harem doesn''t take me for their actions. I did instruct them to approach you in due courtesy. You are my savior."


    She turned back to the group of five. "I believe you have something to say to His Grace?"


    "We''re sorry!" The four mermaids and merman offered in unison.


    Their apology was true, Rafel noticed. He waved it off. In truth, if they had approached him to go anywhere under water like their Queen suggested, he would''ve said NO on the spot and probably thrown their beautiful prized arses into his dungeon.


    "Walk with me, Your Grace, please." Yemaya held out her lovely brown-skinned hand. "I''ll exin everything."


    Rafel cracked his neck, but followed.


    And when the merfolk queen stepped right off the edge of the tide-scraper, he stepped off too. They were prevented from falling to deep ocean pressure by a wide, cutting-edge hoverboard which suddenly appeared under their feet.


    Behind, Yemaya''s harem transformed into their half-fish forms and glided through the water as escorts to their floating boards. That was when it hit Rafel;


    He was breathing underwater!


    Yemaya read his thoughts easily.


    "We injected you with our aquabots. A syringe full of the tiniest microscopic machines. They are actively in your nasal passages and lungs, synthesizing for your body the oxygen from our home. Think of it as an artificial gill. And don''t worry, it won''t inhibit your normal breathing habits.


    Unlike us, your body cannot synthesize oxygen from water on its own."


    A group of golden turtles floated past and Yemaya lifted a hand to pet one. She smiled at Rafel, twinkling her eerie marine eyes.


    "You are still like I remember you?"


    "How?" Rafel questioned. He finally brought himself to speak.


    "Reticent. Broody," replied the water queen. "You don''t talk much, even then, on that stormy night. To be quite frank, I like it, Your Grace. You have be something of a deity to me. I would now be fertilizing nktons on the sea floor if you hadn''t shown up when you did.


    For that, Yemaya is grateful. And though I know I shouldn''t ask, I need a favor of thee."


    The hoverboard halted suddenly beside a streamlined submarine with glinting neon lights.


    "¡ªMarry me," the sea queen finished dramatically.


    Rafel didn''t blink for a few long seconds. He nearlyughed in her face.


    Marriage?


    He looked from Yemaya''s patient stare, to her soft fingers shing the biggest ruby diamond he had ever seen, to the men with oxygen helmets¡ªhumans¡ªinside the submarine passing in slow motion, to the halted figured of mermaids behind them, their tails pping in the water. He was quiet a long time.


    People like him didn''t marry. People like him were rare. His Aunt, Lilith. His Uncles, Lucifer and Asmodeus. Gods knew how many times those three had tried. It didn''t work!


    The only Hellions who got hitched were the ones cursed by The Fallen.


    To Rafel, marriage was aughable mortal tradition. He fucked! He took lovers! He cared for them! But marriage? Naw, he was good.


    Rafel finally blinked. There was no need to sugarcoat his reply.


    "I''m sorry, no."


    Water entered Yemaya''s eyes, and not seawater. Rafel''s guts twisted just in looking at her.


    What was it about pretty women and doe eyes?


    He tried to keep her back from having a full blown sob. "Didn''t you mention you have a harem? The motherfuckers who kidnapped me? Surely four bikini Broads and one strapping merman should be enough¡ªeven for a Queen of the seas. No?"


    Yemaya didn''t lower her offered ring.


    "It''s not about my lovers, Your Grace. It is about you."


    "Me?"


    "Yes. I should have started with this but. . .I wasn''t entirely open with you about the truth of my situation when you released me in that tempest. You see, every realm has its horrors. You may not have noticed but a chasm exists under and above us, this entire city really, to keep out the untamed sharks.


    But mostly, the true nightmares like the abominations of the trenches.


    Gorgoliths. Titan Crocs. Megatopuses. The Kraken. And others like the Gulper you destroyed. The only thing these beasts really fear is the union of the Antean Crown, for then our magic is at its peak.


    Our wards can never be broken.


    Our city is so far out into the sea ships rarely happen upon it. But yours did by providence of that storm. You, Your Grace have witnessed firsthand the maleficent terror the sea can wreak if it''s not kept in check.


    Maybe I''m being selfish for asking because I also know you''re not just an Earl, but the Apollyon of Hel: the Burning One, Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste. But what kind of Queen would I be if I put my sexual desires before my duty to my people.


    I have ruled the sea for many centuries, Hell Lord, and I intend to keep Antis alive."


    Rafel licked at his lips when Yemaya stopped speaking. He just had to ask.


    "What happened to yourst husband?"


    Yemaya didn''t even blink when she said, "I beheaded him. He was fucking my pet dolphin."


    Rafel showed no shock. It wasn''t the first time he''d heard of an Antean King loving to fuck his fish more than his female.


    Yemaya leaned in closer to him, brushing his feet with hers on the hoverboard. All around her the futuristic beauty of the water world glowed and ebbed with interster mixes of advanced science and pure magic. Merfolk were the most glorious in technology among all magical factions in Eldoria''s vast empire.


    Yemaya pushed the treasured ring up the more.


    [?? Holding Out for a Hero ¨C Bonnie Tyler.]


    "So, will you Lord Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste let me be your Bride of the sea?"


    She managed to coax a smile out of Rafel with her unnatural puppy eyes. He let it shine through. The water queen was sexy. He''d give her that! Her idea to merge with a Hell Lord was also brilliant. Not even the Kraken would fuck with the union of a Sea Goddess and an Infernal Prince.


    Besides, the leveling up would be astronomical. This was the part where he ascended sporadically into the next [Celestial Circle] with just one move.


    Marriage.


    Rafel heard the sound of arge, loudly approaching submarine. He presumed it was one of the vessels that conveyed the human scientists who worked at the Antean Research Institute here underwater, and he ignored the persistent honking. The horns grew louder and the submarine stopped right in front of their hoverboard.


    Yemaya ignored it too.


    He faced her. She faced him.


    "Please be my hero one more time, Rafel," she said. "Take my ring."


    Rafel''s mouth opened, the YES on his lips when a feminine roar from the halted vessel interrupted, replying for him.


    "LIKE HELL HE WILL!"


    Another feminine scream.


    "FUCK YOU, FISH BITCH!"


    And then a final erotic screech, this one louder.


    "GET AWAY FROM HIM, YOU CRAZY OCTO-CUNT!"


    Rafel and Yemaya both turned in unison from their hoverboard, to the submarine at the same time. The beam of the frontlights shed in their eyes.


    Silhouettes of three women stood on the roof of the gray vessel. Rafel squinted to see through the lights.


    Wait?!


    Is that Cora?


    Aya?


    Little Raven?


    In the exact order of their voices.


    The arrow, the spear, and the dagger in their respective hands were pointed straight and sharp at the water queen''s head.


    Rafel was just as shocked as Yemaya.

 Chapter 31: Water Wedding

    "KILL THE LIGHTS!"


    Cora said to the captain of the submarine. The twin beams dulled and three hoverboards were ejected out of the vessel''s iron hull. Three furious women hopped down the submarine to the boards embossed in the maroon and ck gold Emberfall colors. Rafel could see them clearly now.


    Cora was in the lead.


    Ay, his Coraz¨®n! It was obvious they''de to rescue him.


    Cora held the arrow with the mingser point, nocked and ready to loose. On both sides of his androgynous tinum blonde, Rafel could also see Ravenna and Aya Naamah. Such gorgeous and sexy deliverers they were!


    Little Raven, he thought. Apparently, he had missed her return from school. It made him grit his teeth.


    The gorgeous trinity of femme fatales had bowls of transparent air that allowed them to breathe under water. Magical bubbles really. They each gave Rafel their own version of an essment for harm, and once for the Hell Lord, it didn''t hurt to be the one being cared for. Granted, Rafel was an Alpha male to his hellish core, but it didn''t mean he hated being dotted upon.


    Like they say: it''s the thought that counts.


    Finding no harm to Rafel, the girls'' collective eyes'' went nuclear on Yemaya who was caught dead with the ruby diamond ring in her grasp.


    Cora pulled back her nocked arrow another tight inch. The bow''s string sung in the water.


    "Wait! It''s not what you think?"


    Yemaya held up her hands, cautiously taking a step back.


    "Step away from him, fish woman. You think you cane into our home and take one of ours? Huh! But you''re too big of pussies to do it at daytime." Ravenna brandished her silver dagger. It sliced through the water like butter. "You want some of this, Queenie?


    Step back. I said step away from him!"


    She made a mock jab at Yemaya and the water queen flinched. Her hands were still up in surrender. Cora''s hoverboard was now close enough to theirs that Rafel could see clearly the rage in her blue eyes through the bubble of air over her head. She was wildly beautiful. He easily likened her to the semi-divine Valkyries.


    "What''s this?" She roughly plucked the ring off Yemaya''s clenched fingers. "You trying to force our Lord to marry you, bitch? Is that why you took him? I guess fucking fish must be getting old, huh."


    Cora turned back with a smile andughed along with Aya and Ravenna.


    "Fish fucker!" She tossed the ring behind to Aya who caught it expertly.


    When Cora really moved to release the arrow, Rafel spoke up.


    "Wait, Coraz¨®n!"


    The silver-haired babe turned to him and Yemaya peeked through one of her tightly shut eyes, grateful she wasn''t dead.


    "Let''s talk," Rafel continued. "Lower your weapons!" He instructed the women. He gave no room for questions and turned to Yemaya. "You have a ce we can use, Your Majesty?"


    Yemaya nodded. And then she took Rafel to her house: the Castle of Antis.


    It was a sprawling magnificent Ottoman wonder. The designs and crafts were off Persian scripts, and several arcane water runes glinted blue magic into the passing aqualife. They all settled in a spacious oval room made floor to ceiling inplete gold.


    The Antean realm nevercked for treasures, for all the sunken ships, pirate and cargo ended up in her domains, merfolk free to fetch from the drowned loot as they saw fit. A few even made underwater homes of the mighty capsized frigates.


    Once in thevish room, it took Rafel a while to iron things out with between his women and the water queen. Ravenna was the hardest to handle. As they all sat around him on the long banquette in a protective pose, she was the one savagely cutting eyes at the calmer Yemaya.


    "Remember, she''s a goddess. You can''t hurt her," he persuaded with his eyes.


    When he finished exining things and convincing his sidekicks not to stake some fish, he was finally able to turn to Yemaya and give answer to her long unanswered question.


    "Yes, Yemaya. . .Queen of the Seas, Bringer of Seasons, and Empress of the Antean Colonies. I ept you as my Bride."


    To ease the tension rolling off massively in the room, Rafel added, "¡ªyou don''t need to ask twice!"


    Everyoneughed¡ªsmiled at least, but it didn''t reach Ravenna''s leafgreen eyes. She would never like the water queen. The bitch mermaid had hitched herself to the greatest man¡ªand lover she''d ever known. It had to be some kind of sin for one woman to keep Rafel all to herself. Convincing her mind it was a sham marriage, was enough to keep her from pulling her dagger on Yemaya.


    Plus, it wasn''t like Rafel was going to live in Antis. It was a union of convenience.


    [?? Queen of The Waves ¨C Barbie (Performance in Barbie, A Mermaid Tale).]


    The water wedding as it turned out was only a reason to drink, party, fuck shit up, and fuck people too. In the excitement of some truly nudist rave, everyone was eager to forget the near assassination of the water queen. The marriage was a fake; every mermaid from marina to coast knew it. But the ceremony wasn''t!


    It was held in the grandest Hall Dome Rafel had ever seen. Every single gemstone was featured on disy. Arrogance and glory. Because what''s the point of having ''fuck-you'' money if you can''t throw it in people''s faces and say, ''Fuck You!''


    Rafel liked it.


    He could buy out the Antean Colonies but then he''d probably go broke. It was worth billions of Eldorian gold coins. And it wasn''t even on the open market.


    Luckily, marrying Yemaya would give it to him on a tter.


    The wedding halls were majestic. Rafel beheld sturdy white pirs and floors of smashing ivory. A chandelier of pierced silver and furnished walls made in rhinestone, rubies, sapphire, and jade. It was moneyed, down tost plucked dew petal of water lilies. Starfishes basked under the warmmps of archways.


    Ravenna expected nothing less of Rafel''s wedding¡ªeven a sham one.


    Two short hours had passed.


    And in that time, she had being given a luxury wardrobe change just for the asion, along with Cora and Aya to choose their own preferences for the ceremony. Ravenna had been fitted by a glowing jellyfish whose only means ofmunication was by shrilly rattling its stingers.


    Now, she sat in resplendent white, same as all the hundred starry invitees flowing out the decorated seats about hers. She wondered how the Hall had being readied so fast.


    ''Shit! They''d probably been waiting on Rafel to say YES. And when he did, wham! m! Bam! Who''s your mummy?''


    A merman had sidled up to Aya and was romancing her up. Aya was such a slut¡ªand that was apliment. Ravenna tried not to listen in on their heavy flirting. Instead, she looked up to the dais where Rafel stood.


    Cora was really striking behind him in her glorious white pantsuit and pristine trendy shoes [Jordans, really]. She was his best woman. Only Rafel in the entire saintly luminescence wore ck. Head to toe. There was no swaying him.


    It gave Ravenna some inner guilty pleasure.


    When the Bride stepped out, all rose to their feet. Even Ravenna. Not as a courtesy to her hallowed position as Merfolk queen, but in sheer wonderment of her beauty and grace.


    Her gown was like frothing, spilling falls of water. The dress''s frills shimmered and glowed, in a million opal threads and ivory gems. She rode down the aisle on a magnificent sea horse whose neighing at the altar was so beautiful that it brought Cora to tears.


    Yemaya, in her billowy bridal gown stepped off quaintly. A queen of the waves.


    "Respect!" Ravenna hailed the queen silently.


    The Water Wedding might be fake but the money spent on it was sure as hell not.


    To all who wondered if Rafel might hold a bit of love for his mermaid bride, their concerns were put to rest when he didn''t kiss the bride. Rather, the new bride, Yemaya turned to her harem of four lush mermaids and one hunky merman. She kissed them instead, one after the other. Her brown skin was poured caramel in her immacte robes.


    Rafel pped. So did everyone else.


    . . . like. . .no one gave a fuck!


    And then the music started ying. The tempo of the party changed in seconds. Water music was weird. It just sounded like severe moaning incorporated into sensual beats. It made you wanna strip, fuck, and fuck hard.


    Soon enough, no one remembered it was a wedding. People were peeling off each other''s clothes right there in the Hall Dome. The ck boss chairs were being made into instruments of the rawest passion. Sex positions never even invented yet were explored by eager minds. Kissing was only first base.


    Now Ravenna had never being privy to an orgy, but she figured this ssified as one.


    "Multiple people! About to fuck! That''s about it, innit?"


    The lovely bride was up on the dais. She was the prime spectacle of the night. The train of her gown formed clouds about her. She seemed like shey on the moon. Her harem was gathered into her. They caressed and loved up her body.


    Her dress was down to her waist. One of her woman lovers sucked at her breasts. Yemaya''s brown skin gleamed liquid gold. ck gold.


    Another woman had her head vanished under the immacte pools of her gown. Yemaya''s thighs strained into her face. A third was behind, holding back her gorgeous blue river of hair. The fourth woman lover, ass of pink tresses, guided the water queen''s lips to the robust bronze shaft of a man''s cock.


    The only man in Yemaya''s harem.


    He was quite worthy, considering the girth of his penis.


    He stood before the Antean queen with his legs at ease. His head was fallen back as Yemaya softly sucked on him. She massaged him with her mouth. The fluidness to which he was slipping in and out of her mouth hypnotized Ravenna in her seat.


    Yemaya''s ethereal lovers showered her entire body in plenty doses of love. The music in the glittery halls were wordless. Just a flow of earth sounds and violin octaves, joining like the bodies in perfect harmony. Lights had been dimmed. Curtains softly breezed in mild wind.


    And Ravenna found out: she was the only one still seated and fully dressed.


    Aya Naamah was MIA.


    "She''s probably getting drilled by that hunk earlier." Ravenna hushed in the erotic halls.


    She was still staring forward at the water queen''s embracing passion; a writhing woman who was now being fingered and fucked at the same time¡ªin her mouth and ass¡ªwhen arge shadow fell across her face.


    She blinked and looked up.


    "Y¨CYour G¨CGrace?"


    She cleared her throat loudly.


    Rafel loomed above her. Even when she stood up on her feet to her full height. Cora was the effortless effeminate knockout beside him. They both stood with their hands in their shing pants pockets. Dark, and light. Perhaps it was the music, but Ravenna suddenly felt like kissing.


    Rafel smiled down at her and shared a cryptic look with Cora.


    "I see you''re enjoying the reception." His amber eyes darkened wickedly. "A little less than Aya I presume. Since my ve is currently invisible, I have to assume that she''s sweating out some poor fish-man somewhere. Hmm. I don''t know how I feel about that.


    Coraz¨®n and I are heading out to the submarine. Join us after?"


    "No¨Cno. Umm. . .I''ll go with you. I want to go with you, Your Majesty." Ravenna said and executed a perfect elegant waist dip.


    Rafel narrowed his eyes at her terribly poetic green ones.


    "Your Majesty?"


    Ravenna only smiled, Cora along with her. "You''re King of the seas now! Don''t you forget it. . .YOUR MAJESTY." She smarted.


    "Please, I prefer Your Grace." Rafel gave back. "Your Majesty sounds phony. Besides, I''m ceremonial King only."


    "¡ªThat doesn''t mean you didn''t get the ring," Ravenna teased.


    "Hey!" Rafel rubbed her head yfully.


    She was right though. A massive red diamond glinted off his fourth finger. Sham marriage or not, his fortune had received one luscious creamy topping. Rafel took Ravenna''s hand in one of his. He took Cora''s also, in the other. And the three of them walked out from the ongoing orgy of breathless raspy voices.


    Cora softly shut the doors behind them.


    "And the spitfire returns," she said, grinning meaningfully at Ravenna. "We missed ya!"


    The girl rolled her eyes.


    "Sorry I wasn''t there at the docks earlier to pick you up." Rafel offered out of nowhere.


    They were walking across the long glitterynding belt for underwater vessels to their submarine on the east hangar.


    "It wasn''t your fault," Ravenna replied gently before mischief entered her eyes. "¡ªyou were busy getting your ass kidnapped!"


    "What! How dare you!" Rafel rounded his eyes to match her histrionics. He was ying with her too. "Just because you TRIED to save me ONE time doesn''t give you bragging rights."


    Cora wasughing out loud as he continued,


    ". . .besides, I was fine when you arrived. It doesn''t count."


    Ravenna scoffed. "Uh, yes it does!"


    "It doesn''t!" Rafel fired back.


    "It so does!"


    "You know what? Come here!" Rafel grabbed at her. "I''ll show you kidnapping. . ."


    Ravenna tried to run but she was already up in the air, iling her legs, giggling and teary-eyed as Rafel hoisted her up to his shoulders. From his height, even their submarine in the distance looked small.


    "CORA CAN''T SAVE YOU!" Rafel taunted a screaming Ravenna.


    They were all ying andughing as they ran to the vessel that would take them home.


    What an adventure? Rafel was thinking to himself. And then his system pinged with new notifications, making it even better.


    [Ding!]


    [Upgrades Identified!]


    [Union with a Rank S Marine Deity has granted you quick advancement into the next Celestial Circle.]


    [Current Level: Third Celestial Circle.


    Current Ranks: HELL ANOINTER, MANSLAYER.


    Newest Rank: ATLANTEAN KING!


    PROWESS: You have gained control over an immense variety of marine life. Telepathic connection to all magical and nonmagical sea creatures. New subjects under your Antean system include: Concubine Nymphs, Sirens, Sea Horses, Messenger dolphins, War sharks.


    ABILITIES: Aqua Telekinesis, ability to control and shift water.


    Aqua Telekinesis can be leveled up to BLOOD BENDING. Currently avable for upgrade in your current Third Celestial Circle.]


    [Ding!]


    [GIFTS RECEIVED!]


    [Namely: One BLESSED RUBY DIAMOND RING ¨C One LEGENDARY SEA HORSE SCALE CHAINMAIL ¨C One EPIC ELEPHANT SEAL ARMOR ¨C The DIVINE TRIDENT, FROSTBLADE ¨C The DIVINE CROWN OF ATLANTIS.]


    [You are hereby named Lord Husband and Consort of Yemaya the Radiant, Controller of the Seasons, and Imperial King of the Antean Colonies.


    Privileges enjoyed from this union extend to the Water Queen''s bed, and to infinity.]


    [Ding! Updates ended!]


    "Judging by your smile, I see you''ve leveled up, Your Grace." Cora read Rafel''s expressions easily.


    He smiled warmly as he replied, "Between you, my dear Coraz¨®n, Little Raven, and my Sea Bride. . .like fuck I have!"


    He pulled Cora into the submarine''s hatch with him. As the metal door shut with a machine hissing, their sounds ofughter could be heard echoing out underwater and up to the surface.

 Chapter 32: The Reaper Card

    "WINTER IS COMING! And it promises to be severe this year. Get your cashmere frostwears for cheap, little as five coppers for ye¡ªonly at Madame De Villiers. Offer stands only to the first snowfall. Winter ising! Winter ising!


    Get your winter clothes. Thicken your wardrobes!"


    It was a little boy who walked around, ringing his bells and calling his announcement to the many people that threaded through the stalls of the Farmer''s market. It was open season in the quaint vige of G¨±ndlheim. The boy worked to get people to go into the Madame''s fitting shop and purchase the necessary clothes change for the season.


    Being a town situated closer up north, G¨±ndlheim had been first in line to the cold blizzards that had begun to blow up from the coast. Lakes were too frigid now to swim in and in the passing months, would freeze over. Luckily, the townies didn''t have to bother about the Bone Huntress plucking them off in the forest.


    They had their patronage to the Earl of Emberfall to thank for that. Thus, their vige''s little Farmer''s market had reopened.


    Coraz¨®n was riding through, her carriage filled with drawers of winter raiments. As Chambein of the Manor, she was tasked with these duties. The good Madame De Villiers was currently now waving her away as she took the route to the woody path that led onwards to Emberfall.


    Safely tucked between loads offy knitwork that was guaranteed to keep them warm throughout the winter season, Cora sighed and rxed into the carriage as it rumbled on. She spoke softly to the tiny helping fairy that had apanied her on the shopping spree¡ªa glowing pink-haired Tinkerbell.


    "It''s been three days since His Grace was crowned King of the Antean Colonies, you know. Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste hase a long way since ascending Hel to the mortal realm without his prowess or prestige of being Apollyon to aid. Yet, he has seeded.


    His Grace is a powerful man. I just hope he''ll like the clothes we''ve bought for him. After all, Madame De Villiers is the best seamstress in the North. I heard she made garments for the royal family of Frostholm before their deposition.


    His Grace is intelligent in acquiring the Empire for himself, one sumptuous piece at a time. First, he owns the armies of Rocasus, an elite host of a military state. Now, he''s just being named Lord Husband of the Water Queen, Yemaya. Our Master might be Earl, but just in title only. He is King and Commander of a host in truth.


    His Grace is brilliant. Just brilliant!"


    Cora kept smiling until the carriage pulled up to the eerie gates of Emberfall. The grounds were extra creepy with cold mist sweeping along the dark grass from all sides. It whispered up the pruned gardens and verdant orchards and underground dungeons¡ªstill holding the pale-eyed Huntress, Annabelle.


    Rafel figured he could keep her as long as he wanted. She was an Immortal. When he felt like it, he would summon her into his chambers to grill her with questions about the truths to her legend. For the moment, he thought to entertain himself. He ranked in the [Third Celestial Circle]. He fucking earned some entertainment.


    The moment Cora pushed in through the high doors of the Manor, she was instantly confronted with Rafel''s version of ''entertainment''.


    Rafel was in the Lounge area adjacent the grand foyer. Ravenna and Aya were at his sides on a long tinum sofa. And they seemed to be ying cards.


    But not just any Game of Cards.


    The ult kind.


    Cora paused in the foyer, her pink lips stretching wider.


    "Cora,e join us! We are just about to go a new round of murder!" Ravenna inclined her hand, beckoning to the Chambein.


    "Just a moment, Raven!" Cora''s blue eyes twinkled as she called back. She then turned to the fairy from the carriage, still faithfullly following behind. She dished out instructions for the shopping.


    "Mia?"


    "Yes, Governess!" The fairy buzzed her wings to perch near Cora''s ears.


    "¡ªwork with Menus, our visiting Ghostrider from Her Eminence to get the bags and boxes into the house. Since Lady Lilith has kept him here with us for the time being, he might as well be useful. After all, he''s got muscles like a Mauler.


    Section the clothes into our various rooms. Mistress Naamah''s is the one with all the silver lingerie. His Grace''s is the darker, goth one. Ravenna has the green coach. Please keep Menus out of Aya''s bedchamber. We don''t want him picking up any of her panties now!"


    "Yes, Governess. Will do!" Mia chirped and buzzed away. Her tiny wings left a trail of pollen fairy dust in her wake.


    Satisfied with concluding the winter shopping for the entire Manor, Cora swept around on her boots and moved for the Lounge. Spiral ss windows casted haloed golden light from the candles on her tight-fitting pants as she sashayed in. She added a little wiggle to her hips¡ªjust for Rafel''s eyes.


    She was happy when he indulged his eyes.


    "How was your outing? Shopping go alright?" Aya asked.


    "Mmhmm. We''re good for winter." Cora nodded.


    The subus was sprawled halfway across Rafel''sp on the wide silver sofa, and hisrge hands kneaded her big ass. Ravenna was on the other side of him, spooning his other arm. Cora took Ravenna''s side but didn''t sit on the sofa. She sat on the maldivian carpet and scooted to rest her back on the couch.


    Her blue eyes kissed at the sliver of golden skin peeking out the undone top button of Rafel''s gray shirt. The sleeves were rolled also and Ravenna''s legs were curled up around his forearm.


    The Hell Lord, alias Antean King was surrounded in females. And it made him the more delicious to the three women.


    "So, what game exactly are we ying?" Cora dropped her head to Ravenna''s foot and asked.


    Aya began to reply. "Well, we started with Chess¡ª"


    "But Chess is fucking dull when you''re always horny." Rafel spanked the pretty ve over him.


    Aya squirmed, jerking and giggling.


    Ravenna smiled and continued for her, "so we''re ying Deadman''s Hand now."


    Cora blinked.


    "Deadman''s Hand?"


    Ravenna unfurled from Rafel''s forearm. He rubbed her ankles as she leaned in to exin to Cora.


    "I didn''t know it either at first. Only His Grace and Aya did. Apparently, Deadman''s Hand is a big deal in Hel. Everyone ys it down there. It''s basically your slightly sick version of Hide and Seek¡ªexcept it all starts with cards."


    Ravenna reached for the stack of ck cards on the small table before them. She began to shuffle expertly¡ªno doubt a ghost reaction from her days working the pubs along the coast.


    "See here. . . these cards are the opening deal. We have arty characters: the Joker, the Knight, the Cardinal, the Abbot, the Sorceress, the Harlot, the Farmer, the Queen, the Executioner, the Demon, the Narrator. .


    .you get it. But the bad guy''s The Reaper.


    As the cards are dealt, everyone has to hide their character in a ndestine manner, only to be revealed at death. The Reaper does the killing. We hide¡ªeven though we don''t know who the Reaper fucking is. It could be the person next to you in the store or basement. That''s the fucking high of it!


    The fear.


    The anticipation.


    The mystery.


    And the big reveal.


    Boo! The killeres to get you!"


    Cora shivered slightly on the thick rug and Aya chuckled over Rafel''sp. Ravenna was doing a ster impression of being ridiculously grave. Cora involuntarily grabbed the edge of Rafel''s cks. She had never considered herself particrly fearful, but in a mansion like Emberfall, horror was real.


    "The Reaper''s card is the king of the stack. He controls the fright. A good game can stretch on for hours. And the Reaper''s win level is determined by his streak of his sessful murders before two of the other characters merge to take him out.


    The respective game levels of the characters are significant in catching the Reaper, and staying alive. For instance, the Queen and the Knight have better chance of evading or prevailing than the Farmer and the Abbot.


    His Grace has been the Reaper now three times in a row. Neither I nor Aya have managed to best him. He catches and murders us every single time¡ªand we don''t evenst ten minutes before he finds us.


    Personally, I think Hellions are thest people who should be ying Deadman''s Hand. They are gically structured to win."


    Cora nodded. "I get your point, Raven. His Grace will always find you though. The key is to mask your scent."


    "What? He knows how we smell?" Ravenna''s green eyes erged.


    She had finished shuffling and was now dispersing the ck and gold embossed cards on the table.


    "Mhmm. Didn''t you know that?" Cora returned.


    "No, I did not," Ravenna yelled. "Cheater!" She cut her jade irises at Rafel. He only shrugged, grinning darkly. And her eyes slid to Aya. "Why didn''t you tell me?"


    "And why would I do that?" Aya shrieked, scooting out of Ravenna''s reach with a chortle.


    Ravenna rolled her eyes.


    "Typical Subus! No wonder you''re the Harlot every single time. Bet you wanna fuck The Reaper too, huh?"


    Aya shamelessly replied, "Took the words right outta my mouth."


    "Bitch!" Ravenna cussed. But she was smiling too.


    She had finished sharing the cards and left out the remnant stack in the center of the obsidian ss table. Rafel smacked Aya''s protruding ass and she lifted up slightly so he could reach out and pick a card.


    The other three women reached out and picked cards also.


    "Are we lucky this time, Your Grace?" Cora covertly asked.


    Just before Rafel turned his card over to peer at it¡ªeven though he didn''t need to, he spoke to his fellow female gamers. "Please quit the Your Grace diction whenever we''re together alone. And that''s an order, Little Raven!"


    Then he turned over his card.


    His slowly appearing sinister smile told thedies all they needed to know.


    "Ladies," said Rafel in a low dark rumbling, too raspy and too bassy to be human. "¡ªyou all have sixty seconds to TRY to hide from me. Mask your scent all you want. The Reaper will find you. To give you all a fighting chance, I''ll be candid now. .


    . I HOLD THE REAPER''S CARD.


    Clock''s ticking!"


    Before he finished speaking, all three women rushed to their feet, including Aya who was formerly glued to his thighs.


    "You think we stand a chance?" She shot across to Cora and Ravenna as the ran out the starkly expensive Lounge.


    "We do now. . ." Cora said inspiringly as she turned over her card. On it was the painting of a woman in a long purple robe, wearing a witch hat, and wielding a shining wand.


    She was The Sorceress.


    They soon heard Rafel''s chanting baritone reverberate up from the foyer.


    "Ready or not, wenches. . .here I coomeee! I''m gonna reap you!!!"


    Suddenly, even though the Manor had over a hundred gothic rooms, a decade more hidden chambers, dozens of windows, and twice as many doors¡ªto Aya Naamah, Coraz¨®n Mortimer, and Ravenna De Vries, it seemed nothing of a rampart and inescapable against the iing threat of a ruthlessly handsome and savage serial murderer.


    The game was on.


    The man who held the Reaper''s card was both hot and deadly. He could seduce them just as much as he could murder them.


    As she squeezed into her hidey hole, Cora felt her nipples peak and dot her light violet blouse.


    "Oh fuck. I love this game!"

 Chapter 33: Deadmans Hand—and more [18+]

    [?? Psycho Killer ¨C Talking Heads.]


    NOTHING GOT THE JUICES FLOWING LIKE FEAR. And Rafel smelled a great deal of it in his home. Someone was afraid¡ªof him. Three very attractive women in particr. It felt good.


    "Manor?" Rafel whispered to his stately mansion.


    The haunted house screeched in response. And Rafel heard a door jam and windows p. The Manor was answering him. As part of his rank as Lord of Emberfall, he could control the [Haunting] ability of the house.


    "Make the house extra creepy!" Rafel ordered.


    The entire staircase rolled like a billowing curtain at his voice and Rafel knew it was done.


    Merely a secondter, he felt the shingles on every adjoining door in the Manor shiver and rattle. A creaking filled the floorboards. The mist from the courts outside funneled in through slips in the wood. The windows shot open by themselves and began a rowdy banging. Noises like a mix of ying kids and singing nuns whispered in the many halls.


    Bedrooms and chambers went silent and torches dimmed along hallways.


    ck crows flew in from the grounds and perched on pedestals and the Romanesque sculptures lining the foyer bristled, like they were suddenly possessed. The hanging velvet drapes were lifted high into the rooms as cold wind rushed through the awning. Shadows danced in the corners and darkness swamped the areas candlelight didn''t touch.


    To cup it all, the massive crystal chandelier topping the foyer''s clean ceiling¡ªwhich had never once dimmed a diamond tear¡ªwinked out.


    In the chambers and closets where the girls hid, they saw all of these, and cold perspiration slipped down their spines. In the aggravated eerieness, it was like the cold touch of a demon''s crooked finger. One particr demon alright!


    It was Rafel''s doing. He wanted his women scared enough to piss their panties. Or perhaps, wet them in something else. Anyhow, wet was good.


    What was the fun in ying a scary game if it didn''t feel like you were about to die just the next second?


    He intended to y Deadman''s Hand, but if thedies were up for it, it could also be more.


    . . .Fucking. Fucking¡ªto be precise.


    "Right! Time''s up!" Rafel boomed up the stairs. He quickly started the jog up the spiral column. "So a good Detective knows the back story of the victim, same as a good killer. What''s the story, here?


    I know Coraz¨®n is the Sorceress. Aya, possibly the Harlot¡ªfourth time in a row now; lucky ve. Ravenna though. . .she''s the wild card. She could be anything from the Queen to the Knight.


    A dangerousbo to Cora''s character as the Sorceress.


    I have to separate those two first. Let the hunt begin with my Little Raven then."


    Rafel exited from the Landing, totally covered in mist now, to the first storey of the Manor. He stared into the long hallway with the flickering lights. Prepared, he got into character. "You can''t hide from The Reaper, ye silly wenches! Death itself fears me. I''ll have your lush flesh before delivering each of ye to the open mouth of the abyss.


    Do yerselves a favor and surrender now!"


    Rafel waited thirty seconds, and when he heard nothing, he said, "I thought as much."


    He began tracing the long corridor with his extended ws.


    "System, equip Dark Hunter ability!"


    [Ding!]


    [Dark Hunter Ability Equipped!]


    [Perks: Tracker Pads, Cyclops Demon Eye, Night Vision, Shadow Dimension.]


    Rafel''s informal house wear¡ªof ck suede denim with loosely dangling crossbelts he didn''t strap to his dark grey shirt¡ªimmediately gained ents of shadows that danced around his form. It swirled under his bare feet and whispered into his clothes and dark ginger hair. The darkness was him. In the circles of umbrae flooding his giant body, he was horror brought to life.


    His amber eyes glowed in the dark halos and when he walked, the floorboards didn''t so much as creak.


    The [Dark Hunter] ability had once sessfully gotten him a golden-haired Immortal, one who was currently making friends of his Bloodhounds in his basement dungeon. He did not for a second doubt this [Rare] extension of himself to fetch out his prey¡ªno matter how much they tried to hide.


    Ravenna, being the one with the least mana level system in the entire house depended on her genius intellect to escape The Reaper.


    In therge pantry of the Manor''s sprawling kitchen where she had run to during Rafel''s frightful countdown, and where she now hid, the green-eyed beauty turned over her card. To Ravenna, her hiding ce was the safest bet against Rafel''s hellish mind.


    He would first look into the many rooms of the mansion which would keep him upied for at least an hour¡ªif he didn''t use his Legendary [Wicked Swift] ability.


    Ravenna stared down at her ck card.


    She was The Maiden.


    "Now what the hell am I supposed to do? Wait on a chivalrous Knight toe save me?"


    She cursed the fate of the game, but kept her voice to a hush.


    "¡ªno wonder no one in Eldoria ys this game. Mortals can''t win."


    Her assertion was further solidified by the artful figurine of the young countryside girl inely scarlet robes staring back at her from the card.


    "You must be a virgin too, huh? I guess the cards don''t lie." She whispered.


    "LIITTTLE RAAAAVEN. . ."


    "Oh fuck. Shit!"


    Ravenna instantly put her hand over her mouth at the sound of Rafel''s sudden voice. His baritone was crispy and deceptive. Like the big bad wolf of the Red Riding Hood lore.


    "LIITTTLE RAAAAVEN. . ."


    The cold voice came again and Ravenna scooted deeper into the pantry. She hoped her silence would make him walk over. How the hell did he make it to the kitchen so soon anyway? She shivered with great petrified anxiety. But more than that, there was a tingling, slow but definitely there, between her legs.


    She was turned on.


    [?? Father Figure ¨C George Michael.]


    The thought of being caught by somethingrger, bigger, and stronger than her. . .the possible manhandling and danger aroused her to the point where her jade eyes glowed like a barium me.


    And she made a squeak.


    She was too slow in subduing it.


    Instantly, the little door of the pantry was ripped away. Completely torn from the metal burnish.


    A ruthlessly handsome face, topped by glorious red hair and wicked golden eyes peered in. His smile was satanic in sinister delight.


    "Gotcha!" Rafel growled.


    Ravenna felt her insides sing to his bright eyes and when he put his strong arm in to drag her out by her flood of dark hair, she clenched her thighs together and let herself flow with his seductive dominance. Her small breasts ached for a hard massage of his callused hands. And her clit throbbed to feel him cup her pussy.


    She was wet. She knew it.


    No long cold months at any boarding school in the world could change her attraction to this man.


    Rafel pulled her on her knees to the long ind. He dropped her hair and shey on all fours at his feet. He stared her down with an unholy light in his eyes. Ravenna locked her green eyes with his and licked her lips.


    "What! You''re gonna kill me now, Reaper? Or, do you want to do something else?"


    Ravenna kept her voice to a bedroom purr and Rafel leaned down, one strong arm ced at the edge of the ind over her head and the other fisting her midnight waves.


    "Shut up, wench!" He barked.


    He released her, and she fell to the smooth tiled floors. Her face came low to his bare feet. Ravenna bit on the inside of her cheeks to keep from licking at his toes. She was so, so turned on right now!


    "Let''s see what ye are, wench!"


    Rafel plucked up her card from her shaking fingers. Both of them still kept to the roleying characters of the game.


    "Ah, The Maiden. . ." Rafelughed. It was more of a cackle. "What a sorry character! Deadman''s Hand ain''t for ye,ssie.


    Why? Because yer such a pitiful, piss-poor wench. The only thing you''re probably good for is the virgin pussy on ye!"


    At this, Ravenna lifted up her head. Her green eyes med and slowly rose over the seven feet of Rafel to his dark grin. He was being vulgar intentionally. She had no outlet for all the pent-up want inside her, so she let it all rage as anger.


    Ravenna shot up to her feet.


    She lifted on her tiptoes and red at Rafel in his amber gaze.


    "Yes, I am The Maiden, Reaper! I am theely, enved wench. The little girl maid who waltzes around your house, humming and washing dishes. But that doesn''t mean you don''t want a taste. . .a taste of this virgin pussy!


    Tell me something, Reaper. You ever had a woman squeeze your cock so tight you see the stars?"


    "QUIET!" Rafel boomed and the whole house rattled at the force of his voice.


    He grabbed Ravenna by her tiny waist and turned her around. She was easilypliant, and her soft body in his hands nearly made him whip out his dick and drag her down to it. Instead, he turned her to face away from him and roughly bent her forward.


    "Grip the edge!" He pushed her to ind''s polished countertop.


    Ravennaplied. She was gyrating her rump. She was begging for it. Anger and fear had turned her into a liquid mess of hormones.


    She knew Rafel tempered his self-control with her, and she began to tempt him with dirty talk.


    "I know you want to fuck this Maiden, Reaper. Do it! I won''t tell. Take me. im my virgin pussy. I''m soaked to my panties for you.


    Reach down yourself and feel if you doubt it. At least before you kill me, fuck me first. The game now is Deadman''s Hand¡ªand more."


    Rafel couldn''t open his mouth and tell her to be quiet again. Because in truth, he didn''t want her to stop talking. Not when she talked like that.


    So instead, he spanked her.


    "Ohh, fuck yes." Ravenna moaned. "More please."


    Her whimper was so delicious that Rafel didn''t care for the hurt of his palm. With hisrge hand, roughened by years of wielding his longsword in battle against fiend after fiend, Rafel raised high in the air and pped his Little Raven''s cute pert ass until she was writhing in his grip.


    Smack!


    Smack!


    Smack!


    It was the left ass cheek. Then the right. Left again.


    Ravenna could see the green reflection of her glowing eyes over the ind''s resplendent top. She bucked and arched her back, rubbing her ass wantonly against the friction of Rafel''s jeans who stood directly behind her.


    She would be now impaled on his hefty meaty cock if not for the clothes between them.


    Ravenna let her sounds of pain and pleasure ascend into the eerie ambiance of the kitchen.


    "Ohh! Ahh. Yes. Fuck! Please. Don''t stop.


    Spank this little girl. This in Maiden. Spank her good, Reaper! Oh fuck yes. Spank her! She''s being a naughty, naughty brat."


    Coraz¨®n and Aya Naamah heard these sounds as muffled groaning in their hiding ces¡ªrespectively the hidden stairwell behind the Manor''s Study, and therge rosewood garden, under a blooming trough of mountain moonflowers¡ªand rushed out together. They met in the wide gilden hallway.


    The Manor made creepy wailing sounds as they hurried down the corridor, under fluctuating wan lights to the kitchen.


    Cora and Aya stopped short at the entryway.


    Both their eyes'', blue and violet, widened to saucers.


    Rafel had one of his long capable arms caging Ravenna''s wrists behind her back. She was bent over the countertop and he was punishing her ass with demanding spanks as she feverishly writhed under him.


    "Fuck me." Cora whispered silently.


    She wanted to drag a chair close, pull down her pants and watch forever.


    But the game was not yet finished.


    The Reaper had to go down.


    It was abundantly clear that he had captured, and was now ''torturing'' The Maiden.


    Cora, alias The Sorceress turned to share a knowing look with Aya, alias The Knight¡ªnot the Harlot this time, surprisingly. They both nodded to each other. And turned back forward. Cora tossed her ck card with the purple Witch drawing into the air and drew on her mana core.


    Silvery blue luminance instantly glowed into the kitchen''s shadows. The aura shimmered out from within her until she bathed in it like a giant firefly. It poured out from her and slithered like a living thing, brightening the shadows Rafel. . .the Reaper had cast.


    It was at the enchanting light that Rafel''s hand paused. He turned to Cora just as Aya Naamah jumped for him.


    Swiftly, the Knight conjured up a ming blueser sword and leapt from the entry all the way across to the Reaper who stood at the kitchen''s ind.


    She yelled out her fortitude and chivalry, in hopes of defeating her foe.


    "LET THE MAIDEN GO, REAPER. By the divine light of the Sorceress and valor of the Knight, your darkness is quenched. With my silver dagger I shall lop of your head, and justice will be done only when you are dead!"


    Aya quoted intelligently from the game''s handbook.


    She reached Rafel in her aerial attack. She wasn''t really going to strike him though. But Rafel released Ravenna who crumpled to the kitchen floors, and he caught Aya''s sword hand anyway. With a simple p at the wrist, he relieved her of her weapon.


    He grabbed at her fair hips in the air, kneading her plump ass for good measure. He dominated the bosomy female Knight and dragged her down to kneel at his feet.


    Before Cora could intervene as The Sorceress, Rafel sent out the shadows swarming him with a burst of dark telekinesis. The arcane threads wove around Cora, swamping and extinguishing her blue divine light. It spread round her svelte body and wrapped her in its gothic webs like a spider''s ready meal.


    "Come here, Sorceress!"


    Rafel pulled her to him,manding the darkness with his mind. He didn''t lift a finger.


    All three women lurked at his feet.


    The Sorceress. The Knight. The Maiden.


    And he, The Reaper stood victorious and in ck, above their adorable aroused eyes.


    Cora seductively blinked rapidly on her knees, looking up to Rafel.


    "Will you surrender us to the Deadman''s Hand now, Reaper?" She too, asked in character from the game''s handbook.


    Rafel''s wicked eyes burned Hellfire crimson as he replied in a grave, wolfish bass.


    "Yes, ye filthy wenches! You dared pull weapon against me. But first, I shall have my reward."


    He put his free hand, the one not holding Aya''s hands behind, to hisrge silver belt buckle. He unsped it. And a loud sawing sound filled the wide kitchen as he began pulling his zipper down.


    The kitchen area was erotically dark, and the shadowed corners of cupboards and pans only amped up the sex atmosphere. Ravenna stared from the side. She had the same look of adoration in her lit green eyes. All three women looked on Rafel in worship.


    In Aya''s charge, she had ripped the front of his shirt. And his brick hard six-pack glistened in the darkness.


    Aya raked them with her fingernails, falsely attempting to pull away from what Rafel was revealing.


    He dipped his hand, reaching through his fly and briefs to pull out a robust meat. His cock was fat and heavy, very ready to conquer, and he boldly patted the sides of Aya''s lovely face with it.


    After some seconds of fake withdrawal, she opened her mouth and dropped her tongue.


    Rafel held his cock, hard and veiny, and gripping both sides of her head, he dragged her down to it.


    Aya''s fine nails scratched faint scars down his abs and she took him down to her throat. It was sloppy and excited her. The musk of sex and sweet fear blended into the kitchen with the moving shadows of Rafel''s [Dark Hunter] ability.


    This part was not in the game''s handbook.


    "Yes. . ." Rafel hissed in a scratchy growl. "Suck your Reaper''s cock, you dirty voluptuous Knight! Suck it good. Your DEATH depends on it.


    Yes, like that. Just. Like. That."


    Rafel roughly pulled her back and his cock bobbed as it popped out her mouth. His thick nob was joined to her full pink lips by a wet trail of slobber. Cora leaned in and licked off the saliva left by Aya''s mouth dripping down to Rafel''s balls. He stared with wide eyes. It was the filthiest act.


    "Want more, you fuckin'' sexy knight?" Cora demanded sharply of Aya.


    Still reeling from the intense deepthroating, Aya blinked hooded eyes, nodding long.


    "Yes. Fuck yeah! I want more. The Reaper''s cock is so fucking huge! I want this big, thick fucking dick sliding and fucking my mouth. And after, my wet slimy cunt.


    . .my dirty fucking ass. I''m gonna be the filthiest fucking Knight you''ve ever had, Reaper. I''m gonna¡ª"


    Cora grabbed Aya''s thick braid and pushed her back down to Rafel''s girthy meat.


    "Less talk, bitch! More sucking!"

 Chapter 34: A Kitchen Harem [18+]

    [#roley #submissive #bigbutt #asslicking #slut #throuple #hardcore #ritual #supernaturals #goth]


    "LESS TALK, BITCH! MORE SUCKING!"


    Cora guided Aya''s head. It was she who held the pretty ve subus to Rafel''s groin and kept her there. Aya wheezed, needing fresh breath, but Cora didn''t loosen her grip one bit. She held her still as she choked at raked her ck nails down Rafel''s solid pecs.


    "There you go, you needy bitch! Take all of that dick. I know you''ve been wanting it forever. The Adventurers in G¨±ndlheim can''t satisfy you, is that it? Even the merman at the wedding, huh? You just need your Lord Master''s huge, huge cock.


    Well, here it is! Take it now, you fucking ve!" Cora railed her words close to Aya''s ears, dousing her face in wet kisses.


    She licked andpped at Aya''s blooming cheeks, pushed back her sweaty hair and fisted her braid to keep her going up and down on Rafel.


    "Eyes!" Rafel toned darkly. "Show me your fucking eyes!"


    He pped at Aya''s cheeks, swollen ripe with his cock and she lifted up her gaze slightly. The surreal violet pupils of his ve subus touched something deep in him. And Rafel grabbed onto the top of her head. He held her close and began anguorous fucking of her face.


    [?? Whistle ¨C Flo Rida.]


    His lean hips moved fluidly back and forth as he seated himself deep into her throat until she was forced to gouge him out. Yet, Aya kept dragging at his muscled thighs, needing more of him. To suck him off gave her just about the same wet pleasure as Rafel.


    The only crimson pair of eyes in the entire kitchen area swiftly turned to Ravenna when she began scooting from the ind to Aya''s side. She moved on her knees, silently, slowly, breathlessly. As Ravenna watched the extremely gorgeous Subus take Rafel''s slimy shaft in and out of her delicious lips, she felt her breasts heavy and aching for hands.


    Huge hands.


    "Can I go next?"


    The words slipped out her mouth before she could stop them.


    "¡ªplease?"


    "No," Rafel growled back instantly. "You only watch, Little Raven. No dick for you."


    Ravenna nodded promptly and sat back on her calves on the kitchen floor. It was cleaned and shined dusky colors. She didn''t like Rafel''s refusal. But when he gazed down at her, patting her head like a good little girl, she was unable to scream up to his beautiful face. Besides, she didn''t want to be sent off to boarding school again.


    ''I turn seventeen in a fortnight. Then he won''t be able to resist me.'' Ravenna cajoled herself through her thoughts.


    She moved to enjoy the moment though.


    She shifted a little inch back and fully rested back on her calves. A devout kneeling position like a monk''s. And then she took the poise of a sexy voyeur. She put her hands to her shoulders and slid off the straps of her thin shirt.


    Her pale soft breasts were revealed. She was perky. Just a handful. Her youth was evident. But Ravenna was bold tonight. She cupped herself to Rafel''s red-gold eyes and tweaked at her pink ares.


    It excited her so much she bent forward on the floors and stroked her tits harder. She pinched her nipples and massaged the pear peaks.


    Her head fell back and she sighed, "Ohh, Your Grace. I love watching Aya suck your cock. She''s so good at it. Choke her some more! She doesn''t deserve air unless you give it.


    Yessssss. . ." She hissed when Rafel jammed through Aya''s lips. "Fuck her like that! Fuck her hard. She''s a little fuckin'' sex ve." Ravenna rubbed circles over her plump chest and pulled long at her soft skin.


    Rafel turned his eyes next to Cora who had now moved behind Aya.


    Aya had on tight ck riding pants and Cora spanked her through the lush denim.


    "Shake that ass for me, babe!" Cora ordered.


    Aya began twerking and every single soul in the kitchen guffawed at her sensual motions. Subi were made for sex. It was evident. Rafel''s eyes glowed down as he stared at Aya move her hips into Cora''s grasping hands. Cora had her face right in his ve''s ass crack.


    "Oh, fuck me!" His chambein stuttered. "Look at that ass jiggle. You have such a nice, fat ass, bitch! You should be fucking banned. I bet you know it! That''s why you wear all these tight trousers around the house.


    You want us to stare, huh? Stare at this fuckin'' nice ass?"


    Cora dipped in and dove into her ass, smelling her up through her pants.


    "Oh gods! You shouldn''t fuckin'' smell so good either." Her moaning was muffled in Aya''s huge shaking butt, and the subus deviantly twerked more.


    Cora clutched to her hips like it was a lifeline in a storm andpletely sank her face into the overwhelming musk of lush prime ass. Cora was groaning out her delight.


    "You smell so nice, baby. No one should smell this fuckin'' nice." She grasped and kneaded Aya''s sulent flesh. She spanked and groped her. "Yes, babe. Keep moving like that. Ride my face.


    Ride my fucking face! Ohh. . .fuck yeah!"


    Rafel had pulled out from Aya''s mouth to watch the spectacle below. It was hot as hell to watch his beautiful, blue-eyed Tomboy Coraz¨®n eat out sexy, sexy Aya Naamah''s big ass. Rafel held Aya''s pretty face against his balls. His engorged penis bounced over her forehead and her violet eyes was hidden under his testicles. He held her into his crotch as Cora yed with her grabable flesh behind.


    Between little nces to the side, he found his Little Raven gazing wondrously at the girl-on-girl y and pinching at her nipples. Her lower lip was caught between her teeth. She looked on him in his primal masculine splendor, dominating the two sexy bitches kneeling at his feet. If there were ever a god of sex, Ravenna mused, it would be Rafel.


    Cora finally pulled her face away from Aya''s bounteous behind. She immediately slid her hands to Aya''s front and popped her fly. She dragged the zipper down and roughly tugged at the riding pants.


    "You know what, let''s see this fucking ass!"


    Because of Aya''s delicious curvaceous figure, she had to help Cora out by shimmying and wiggling her hips. "Yes, wobble up, babe! Help me out here. I''m dying to smell and eat you big fucking ass. Fuck me. The body on you, bitch.


    . .fucking A!"


    Cora groped and spanked her nude booty once the pants were down to her knees.


    "Up!" She smacked her bum. The sound was a fleshy thwack that excited a soft whimper out of Ravenna beside them. Cora ordered her again. "I said Up bitch! Yes. Lift up."


    Aya moaned at the rushing cold freedom as Cora tore the trousers off her ankles. She knelt back again to the kitchen floors and hid her cute violet eyes in Rafel''s thigh. Her entire face was smudged up in saliva and the taste of Rafel''s dick.


    She wanted more.


    Cora tossed her ck pants to some corner of the room. It was forgotten in an instant. And she turned her darkened blue eyes back to the hot, horny females before her.


    "Spread your fucking legs," Coramanded hotly and tugged Aya''s smooth, fair and thick thighs apart. "Holy fuckkkk!" She gasped as she gazed between them. "Fuck me. This bitch is wetter than a fucking fountain. Look at all that cream. .


    .sliding down yourp from your cunt. Ohh, look at that ass. Fuck! Look at that fucking ass."


    Cora grabbed handfuls of Aya''s fat buttocks and spread them apart by the cheeks.


    "I''m staring at your pussy right now, babe!" She whispered up to Aya. "¡ªyou''re so fucking wet right now. It looks like you pissed yourself. I''m gonna taste you now. I''m gonna taste your dripping whore cunt. I''m gonna eat your dirty fuckin'' ass.


    God, you smell so good. No one''s ass should smell this way. Uhmmm, let me get a taste, babe."


    Cora dove right in. She sank all of her face. Aya''s big booty swallowed her head in and coated her in female arousal. Cora shifted her arms to deadlock Aya''s thick thighs andpletely submerged her face into her ass.


    Aya squirmed on all fours. She moaned helplessly. Rafel''s veiny wonder, still glistening in her saliva, danced over her face. She put her hand back to grasp Cora''s head, but Cora pped her wrists away. Aya still whimpered and clutched to Rafel''s feet before her for support.


    "Oh fuck yes, Cora. You eat that fucking ass so good. Yes, babe. Smell it. Smell that fucking pussy! You made it dirty, so you might as well clean it.


    Can I. . .C¨CCan I ride your face, pretty please?"


    But Cora was way ahead of her. Holding her firm, she kissed and licked, and inhaled andpped, and sucked and drank all Aya had to give, eating her out until Aya was screaming in delirium.


    "Holy fuck. You''re gonna make me cum!"


    Aya''s violet eyes shimmered in pulsing hell magic. Her obscured fangs tore into her mouth, sharp, white, and deadly. Her Sin System was leveling up. A genuine, robust spike.


    She jerked up to her toes on the kitchen floor, spread out her legs wide, but kept her hands to the ground. In this Kama Sutra pose, she twerked and gyrated against Cora''s face.


    "I love your fucking blue eyes, babe¡ªyour roman nose and pink lips drowned in my pussy. Please tell me toe. Please. . .please!"


    "NO, CORAZ¨®N!" Rafel solidly boomed.


    And all the flowers in the whole Manor shrank in a little at this resounding timber voice.


    Cora gave Aya''s dirty a final sumptuous lick, straight up from her juicy slit to the puckered clench of her asshole. She pulled back and the brief amber kitchen glow shimmered across her lovely face bathed in Aya''s love juices.


    Cora spanked the fat ass in her face.


    "Filthy whore," she chuckled. "Look what you''ve done to my face! Such a messy ve you are! And no! You''re not gonnae now. First, Lord Master is going to have you''re dirty, dirty pussy."


    "Damn right!" Rafel growled, and Coraughed sweetly.


    "COME HERE, SLAVE!"


    He pulled Aya up fully to her feet and dragged her to the kitchen''s long ind.


    No words needed be uttered. Everyone was beyond horny. Aya pliantly bent over and gripped the ind''s edge. She began twerking and shaking her ass seductively to Rafel''s gilded gaze as he mounted her from behind.


    "I want you so much, Master. Take my ass. Take your fuckin'' ve. Use her! Abuse her! Rawdog me!


    I live to serve you. To worship you." Rafel pped her shaking butt hard. "Yes. Shit. Fuck yes! Rip me.


    im me. Mark me. Consume me. I am yours, Master Rafel. All yours. .


    ."


    Rafel was flooded with so much lust it made him insane. They called him the Demented Prince in Hel for a reason. He grasped to Aya''s slim waist. Inparison to her hips, it was tiny. He held onto her milky flesh as he thrust savagely into her.


    In that moment, four different voices of release filled the kitchen.


    Rafel''s, "Fucking hell, woman!"


    Cora''s, "Yes, bitch! Swallow that cock in your pussy!"


    Aya''s, "Ohh my fucking Lucifer!"


    Ravenna''s, "Shit. I''m a goner!"


    "She''s tighter than a closed fucking fist!" Rafel took a moment to even out his breathing.


    He mmed into her bareback. He held her down. He pulled at her hair. He sped up into a ferocious rhythm that reminded Ravenna of the mongrel dogs in an alleyway. Utterly animalistic. Beautiful.


    As he pounded into her slippery cunt, Cora slid under the ind''s edge to the space between Aya''s legs. She licked up the trail of wetness slipping down her inner thighs.


    Aya looked down at her with bright violet eyes. "Oh, you dirty¡ª"


    "No, bitch! You dirty!" Cora spat up at her pussy. Literally spat.


    The spray of sex saliva collided with her throbbing clit and Aya would''ve crumbled to the kitchen floors but for Rafel''s capable man hands gripping tightly to her waist. Her legs were jelly under her, and Cora wasn''t helping as she pushed up on her knees under her, right between Aya''s legs, and mped her mouth to Aya''s aching nob.


    She sucked on her clit.


    Shepped up her flowing musk and basked in her pussy heat.


    Rafel pushed up one of her legs to the ind''s top, hitting her deep spot within so wildly that Aya''s head rolled back in her head. She was screaming, and screaming loud. Thankfully, the whole mansion was empty save the four of them.


    "Oh fuck, Master. I''ming! I¨CI''miiiiing!"


    "Yes, whore!" Rafel spanked herrge, pping ass.


    Aya instantly bucked her knees, and out came a rushing spurt of squirting that gushed down their joining to Rafel. He had to pull out as she was shivering. And he stroked himself to her quaking hips and came too on her.


    His silver seed shot out more than ever onto her supine sweaty back. She twerked her ass for him, indulging his eyes and tempting him to release more.


    Rafel did.


    He came and came on her, till the jizz dribbled down her fair hips towards her ass crack. Rafel dirtily rubbed a thumb over the clenching hole and pushed it in. He grabbed his cock and slid into her pussy again, synchronizing his motions with his finger in her ass. He eased out thest shivers of their orgasms with a slow, wonderful thrusting that had Aya gripping his sliding cock with her insides.


    Below, Cora slurped at her slit, kissing her clit and inhaling into her pussy. Her pretty face was slobbered up in Aya''s squirt. Her own hand had been pretty down there during Rafel''s passion, and Cora too bucked and fucked her own plunging fingers, shakily climaxing as shepped up Aya up to her cum-stained ass.


    "Fucking hell!" Rafel rasped into the thick smell of sex pervading the kitchen.


    Afterward, as Rafel eased out of Aya, he felt her render him one final delicious squeeze before letting him go. How she could do that with her pussy, he had no fucking idea?


    Cora rushed behind Aya and sank her face into the subus'' big ass, giving her a torturous, noisy good slurping before letting her crumple down into her ready arms.


    Cora quickly conjured up a gigantic white duvet, and they all fell to it. It was a wee warmth against the kitchen''s cold floors. All four of them: Rafel, Coraz¨®n, Aya Naamah, and Ravenna, were in states of undress. But neither gave a shit as the three girls all drew up to Rafel''s giant body for a warm spooning.


    He softly kissed at Aya''s smudged forehead and called to the Manor.


    "End Haunting phase!" He instructed.


    Swiftly, the whole house creaked and seemed to crane back into an upright position. And then, the lights came back on.

 Chapter 35: The Winter Formal

    [?? ma In My Living Room ¨C AronChupa & Little Sis Nora.]


    EARLY THE NEXT MORNING, AT DAWN, a message from the Royal Court of Eldoria found its way to Emberfall. It was from the Fey Queen, Giselle Van Imperia, but since it didn''te as the usual magical chiming but a folded scroll hand-delivered by a crisply uniformed courier, Cora guessed it was an official missive as she collected it by Manor''s grand doors from the courier''s gloved hands.


    The man held the letter like it was a tter holding a matyr''s severed head.


    Cora softly locked the doors back and hurried through the cold foyer up the golden spiral staircase. The Manor was silent as she emerged in Rafel''s wing of the mansion. His master suite was at the very end of the solemn hallway. Aya and Ravenna were still asleep it seemed.


    She reached the gray looming door of Rafel''s chambers, which somehow always appeared to be floating in shadows, and softly knocked.


    TAP! TAP! TAP!


    "Your Grace, it''s the Queen. I think it''s official¡ªit came in a scroll by courier and not one of her crystal ball or owls. Can Ie in?" Cora said through the door.


    "Always, Coraz¨®n," she heard Rafel''s timber voice shortly.


    Smiling and blushing, and thinking of many lustful eye-popping things about the sexy man within, Cora pushed open the door and walked in. She lit on the inside when she found Rafel seated on afy sofa. His legs were crossed. Silver sses framed his amber eyes as they pored over some open tome. He was reading beneath a bluish glow worm''s magical light.


    Was he ever not? Cora thought.


    The man''s self-discipline rocked her to her core many times. She often wondered at it. Not many people who found themselves in his very wealthy and ced position would exhibit suchposed trait. His Grace wasn''t rich. He was super rich. And yet, he didn''t ride off on horse back to the nearest liveliest soiree, or sail on ship to the newest brothel on some floating isle.


    He mastered himself. A true Sigma male.


    Rafel lifted up his spectacled eyes and caught Cora staring. He smiled fondly at her.


    "Well go on, Coraz¨®n. Read it. Giselle isn''t about to be official about anything unless it''s a matter significant to the Empire."


    Cora lowered her eyes and promptly pulled the bind on the golden bow that secured the scroll. She unrolled it and began reading through.


    "Her Majesty, Queen Giselle of House Imperia courteously wees you to the opening diamond event to usher in the new silvery season: THE WINTER FORMAL.


    This year''s debutantes from all Houses, noble andmon, shall be presented. Definitely not a Ball, the Winter Formal guarantees to merge the high life with the scandalous. Little Birds shall dance for any interested eye. Acquaintances, lost and fresh shall be renewed. And for just tonight, Eros might be present."


    Directly beneath was a soft handwrittenment made by the Queen''s hand. Cora read it also.


    "I will be expecting you, dear Israfel!"


    Cora frowned at this. She demanded in her head that Queen or not, Giselle show the proper respect to Rafel. He might be an Earl of a humble estate under her vast kingdom, but he was also Apollyon of Hel and King of the seas. She would do well to fucking remember that.


    "So, an invitation then?" Rafel stood to his feet.


    When Cora didn''t reply, he caught her mindful expression and pulled off his reading sses. He moved soundlessly to her. He touched the sides of her face.


    "What is it?"


    Cora shrugged. But fire danced in the pits of her eyes. "She should give you the due regard, that''s all!"


    Rafel grinned. "Really, Coraz¨®n? Oh, my sexy battle knight. You should be a Shieldmaiden. Or better, a Valkyrie. You defend your Lord''s name pretty well.


    I''m honored. But. . ." He put his hand under Cora''s chin to bring her eyes to his. "Giselle is the Queen. She hasn''t called any man My Lord since she was born.


    Cut her some ck! And know, dearest Coraz¨®n that she sure as fuck knows her ce with me. Okay?"


    Cora nodded. She gave Rafel a small smile.


    "Good." Rafel pulled his hand away. Coldness was a second nature to him. "Leave Aya and Ravenna to their sleep. We''ll head out for the Castle on our own. Have Mia, our helping fairy, be ready to attend to them when they wake. They cane on to the party if they like then."


    "Yes, Your Grace." Cora bowed.


    Rafel gave her a look. "Pffft, Coraz¨®n. You''ve seen my cock. I don''t expect such engraven courtesy."


    Cora didn''t fold.


    "Alright! Whatever you want." Rafel conceded. "I expect we''ll be leaving by dusk."


    "Yes, Your Grace. I''ll prepare the carriage and have Menus cool his fucking ming head."


    Rafelughed.


    "Yes please, do that."


    He didn''t fail to catch on Cora''s joke. Menus was a literal [Ghostrider], and had been slightly offput ever since his Aunt Lilith abandoned him on the grounds of Emberfall back when she''d returned to Hel. Imagine a giant dude with a ming skull for a head pulling up to Her Majesty''s party?


    That would surely turn heads. Even more than the debutantes of the season.


    Rafel turned his gaze back to the present. Rather than walk out, Cora sauntered to his great dressing area and began sifting through his tunics, and doublets, and windbreakers and trenchcoats; all in varying shades of ck. But still ck. She looked for the perfect suit for the asion.


    The Winter Formal was sure to be packed. And she wanted her Lord as the best dressed Noble to the event. She wanted him turning fucking heads!


    Rafel smiled at her womanly touch in his suite, and didn''t stop her. He wore his sses back on and went back to his reading. Cora was the only woman he''d trust with his clothing.


    Aye! Only his Coraz¨®n.


    [?? Hypnodancer ¨C Little Big.]


    The Winter Formal was set for nightfall. The reign of twilight, when the shadows and sunset mixed just the perfect blend. Under the slow whistling of the arctic wind and beneath a gray silver sky, ashen but full of clouds, Lords and Ladies of high standing in the vast realms of Eldoria made their way as a flow of fine carriages through the stately pines that grew in evergreen bust around the castle.


    The chestnut trees were just beginning to gain a coin''s coppery color.


    A belly dancing group of seven endowed young women entertained the hall for the event when Rafel and Cora walked in. She had her arm hooked around his. He was her chaperone for the night, even though her dressing was nothingdylike. Cora had donned on figure-hugging wine pants and a white shirt that revealed her navel. The only thing remotely femme-fashionable about her perhaps was her heels.


    "A beautiful gathering, Your Grace," she remarked as they took stance behind the circr crowd eagerly watching the belly dancers.


    The enchanting troupe wiggled their hips to the sound of preppy live music. Their material of their silvery wrappers were heaped about their fair hips. As they jigged, the pristine robes billowed like sails in the wind. Slits that ran up the back of their flowing skirts heralded a skin made of caramel.


    "Foreigners. . ." Rafel nodded in the direction of the dancers. "Inders, I''m guessing. See theirplexion? How it''s neither dark nor light, but in between¡ªlike a ripe hazelnut.


    And the little dots on their foreheads. A third eye, it is called. On the isles, curves grow on women like the branches on trees. They move like water."


    Rafel stared with Cora for a silent moment, along with the entire crowd. What the Noble Lords of Eldoria couldn''t make of the ind girls mild nudity, they imagined in their heads. Their dance was enchanting as they twirled and bended their supple bodies fluidly, almost to bone-breaking wiggling.


    "You think we can interest them in a private showing, my Lord?" Cora nced at Rafel.


    He smiled. "Our money can."


    Cora noticed the emphasis he ced on the ''our'' in his statement, and she turned back to the girls.


    "I bet the Queen put in some good coin to get them shipped all the way out here? Do they even speak themon tongue? I hear it''s all forest and sun out there."


    "Yes, I did. Yes, they do. And no, they have more than just forest and sun out there. Beware, Champion, that''s a little racist!" Giselle''s sudden intrusion hit along with her voice.


    Cora did a doubletake and wondered how long the Queen had been standing there. She was right next to Rafel, on the other side of him. Because of Rafel''s toned and perfectly sculptured big body, Cora had to bend forward an inch to actually lock eyes with Giselle''s golden fae ones.


    "No, I don''t think it''s racist, Your Majesty. Maybe a stereotype of the bronze-skinned tribes. Good Evening, Your Majesty. It''s such a lovely party!" Cora greeted.


    For Rafel''s sake, she let a smile shine through.


    Giselle scoffed and threw out her fair hand. The motion drew Cora''s frigid gaze¡ªalmost as cold as the wind outside¡ªto her ostentatious flowing robes. All smart gold. Just like her eyes.


    "Please, Coraz¨®n," the Queen replied. "¡ªit has to be. It''s The Winter Formal. There are many pretty girls here tonight. Plenty from good backgrounds and of noble blood too. I''m sure you can see the tits from here to my very chambers!


    But also. . .within this grand hall of snows are the diamonds in the rough. Maidens of subtle heritage. I intend to make my picking tonight of the Belle of the Winter Season, who shall be crowned Lady of Snows. Mind you however, I do not have eye only for the daughters of the cr¨¨me de cr¨¨me.


    But also for the lowly and country.


    After all, in the Winter Formal, even a wallflower can bloom."


    To the Queen''s long speech, Cora only uttered a curt reply.


    "Cora. It''s Cora! Your Majesty."


    Giselle gave her a narrowed look. Cora didn''t blink. Only Rafel could call her Coraz¨®n. She liked the bass ringing in his voice when he said it. But somehow, when the Fey Queen did, she made it sound like the name of a pet goldfish. Cora wasn''t about to let Rafel''s right be tainted by a Fae''s prized lips.


    Sensing tension, Rafel quickly changed the subject. His amber eyes were still on the curvy belly dancers as he said,


    "Where''s the Countess?"


    Giselle chuckled. "You presume because she''s my bestfriend, we''ll be attached at the hip?"


    Rafel turned his gaze down to her slowly. Literal mes pooled in his pupils.


    "Rx!" Giselle piped. "I''m just messing with you. Delia and I are attached on more than just the hip¡ªyou know that. But to answer your question, dearest Rafel, she''s over there. . .with her husband."


    "Her husband?" Rafel and Cora both toned at the same time.


    It earned a fresh chuckle from the Queen.


    "Yes, her husband." Giselle affirmed. "You know, The Count?! Lucius Penderghast."


    "I always assumed he was a tombstone in her backyard," Rafel said coldly.


    Giselle fluttered her long, blondeshes.


    "Nope. He''s just fat. . .and boring."


    The live music clipped to a stop in a dramatic ir and the belly dancers finished in a wonderful collective pose. The Nobility in the houseuded their performance, and more than a few stray eyes'' followed the young women from the center of the hall and out the room.


    Giselle turned fully sideways and looked up at Rafel.


    "I miss you, Your Grace. I rarely see you these days. Perhaps, I should find a new rebellious city to destroy if that would get us to spend some time together, hmm?"


    Cora''s mouth fell open. Rafel said nothing. Both of them weren''t sure if Giselle was just joking or being serious. It seemed a lot like thetter.


    Giselle continued, "I hear the countryssie is back. The one with the striking green eyes? Err¡ª"


    "Ravenna," Cora curtly finished for her.


    "Yes, Ravenna de Vries." The Queen cemented.


    Rafel looked Giselle straight in the eye for the first time all night.


    "HOW did you hear this?"


    "I have a cousin over at the Witch Academy. I myself attended¡ªbut I didn''t finish." A darkness cloaked her golden irises. ". . .my poor daddy had to go and fall off his horse. I returned to the Capitol to care for him.


    Shortly after, I was coronated. Not much schooling afterward, hah!


    Speaking of which, I would like to introduce to you said cousin. Dearest Rafel, most noble Earl and my esteemed viin, please meet Percival Malfoy the Third, first cousin on my father''s side."


    Just then, the Countess Cordelia finally pulled away from her husband''s corny jokes and walked towards a much better and beautifulpany. She reached Rafel clutching her daughter''s hand.


    "Oh, and here also. . ." Giselle continued her introduction. "This lovely young bird is Brunhilda, Delia''s only daughter."


    Rafel looked at the presented kids. He was sure the same question lurked in both their tiny heads.


    How was this man the infamous enigmatic Earl of Emberfall, when he literally looked their age?


    Downwards of twenty years?


    Rafel looked first to the boy, Percival.


    ''So this was THE Percival from Ravenna''s letters. Handsome, no?''


    He was taller and bulkier from his days in Hel''s arena. Percival was built leaner, like a librarian. He was blond as his cousin, the Queen. And they shared the same gold in their eyes.


    Percival stretched out his right hand.


    "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Your Grace."


    Rafel nodded. He took Brunhilda''s hand next. The girl was as warm as her mama. Butcked the utter depravity in her eyes. The bust too!


    Rafel noticed.


    Brunhilda Penderghast was an innocent, Goth girl.


    "Very honored to meet you, Sir." She blushed.


    "I am no Knight," Rafel said simply, his voice so dark even Percival coughed. "My Little Raven has told me much about you. I''m d she''s made friends from school."


    Rafel didn''t need put emphasis on his monicker for Ravenna. Percival got it: he''d be better off¡ªand alive removing any funny ideas of Ravenna from his blond head.


    Rafel looked over the kids heads to share a secret smile with Giselle and Cordelia. Brunhilda turned back to her mother with a questioning look in her eye. Percival narrowed his gilded eyes quizzically at his cousin. Rafel didn''t give a shit. It was up to both the Queen and Countess to exin or not exin the details of their rtionship.


    The silence began to stretch and Cora politely poked her head into the circle of Royals.


    "The waltz has begun!"


    [?? WALTZ: Young and Beautiful ¨C Voicey ft. DeeDee.]

 Chapter 36: Baron Barbecue!

    [WARNING: VIOLENT SCENES DEPICTED!]


    RAFEL TOOK THE QUEEN''S HAND and headed to the dance floor. Cordelia dragged her feet back to her husband. And Coraz¨®n was shocked when the boy, Percival stretched out his hand to her with a naughty smile. His golden eyes gleamed like a Griffin''s just after consuming a farmer''s favorite chicken. She had seen the same ruthlessness in Rafel''s eyes.


    "May I have this dance with you, mdy?"


    He executed perfectly the gentlemanly dip and everything.


    Coraughed into his face. "Can''t you see how I''m dressed, kid? I''m sorry, but you''re not my type."


    Percival was unfazed. He kept his hand straight out.


    "I could say the same about you, Lady?"


    Sarcasm wasced in every single syble.


    Cora smiled. It was an amused grin at his yboy confidence. "Yes, I guess. I don''t want to shoot above my station here, with Her Majesty''s cousin. A Van Imperia!"


    "You are not." Percival replied. "You won''t. Unless, you''re too chicken to dance with me. I mean, you''re not much older than me. You''re what, twenty? I''m eighteen." Percival spied a round eye around the hall.


    "The dance floor is getting packed. We should join. Unless. . .you won''t dance with me because you''d rather have a girl.


    I''ll let you know, I''ve been told¡ªmore than once, that I look like one. So tell me, love, now in this moment, do you actually prefer pussy to cock?"


    Cora''s blue eyes shimmered.


    "I AM NOT LES¡ª"


    "Then humor me, Lady Cora." Percival cut her out.


    Coraz¨®n looked casually over to Rafel who treaded to the dance floor with the Queen. She turned back to Percival and reluctantly took his hand. The gleam in his brightened as he gushed to his cheeks. As he led Cora to join the group of finely dressed men and women taking the stand to begin the waltz, Percival leaned to whisper in her ear.


    He openly flirted.


    "You should know, Lady Cora. You are exactly my type."


    Cora engaged his wless smile. "And what type is that?"


    "The perfect mix of androgyny," came his sadistic reply. "If you''re down, after the party, we could head over to my ce and I could make you love cock even better."


    Cora stared at him.


    This kid? She wanted tough. Seriously?


    Instead, she patted his palm softly clutching to hers.


    "Let''s just dance."


    The waltz progressed smoothly afterward. The dancing began at a slow pace with all the Lords poised elegantly in a straight line, as well as the Ladies. They faced each other and executed the courtesy bows and dips before merging with their various partners. Despite not being one of Her Majesty''s dainty diamonds on disy tonight, Rafel was the center of attraction.


    The suit Cora had deviously picked moulded to his great warrior self. And when he moved, the shadows in the room seemed to move with him. His midnight cape had a peaked cor that brushed the high ends of his ruddy hair.


    Many Ladies were quick to forget their envious dance partners, and turned up powdered noses to the demon of a man who had the Queen in his arms. They never thought that Rafel was in fact, a demon. They couldn''t will their minds to go there; for what kind of prim and proper woman of good standing wanted to get some tailed Hellion''s dick.


    They rather preferred to busy themselves with saving up his savage beauty forter in their baths, when they could trick the hands of their handmaids to rubbing the loofah extra hard down there.


    Rafel tried not to notice the looks. But it was impossible with all the staring. Nobles didn''t give a donkey''s arse about space or privacy amongst each other. Luckily for him, Giselle''s warm body in his arms was enough to make him forget the crowd. As she settled her fingers high on his broad shoulders, he focused on the ck dots near invisible in her golden pupils.


    The waltzing picked up pace. And the Ladies whistled when he twirled Giselle around.


    "The fact that he dances with Her Majesty makes him the more fetching, wouldn''t you agree Dear?"


    A Noblewoman said to her husband. The man made some indiscernible rambling in the back of his throat which sounded like,


    "Fuck that guy!"


    The Lady wife nced to catch his red face and upturned lips. She gulped hard. She should have said nothing.


    As it turned out, this vexed husband was a Baron. A father to one of the debutantes presenting at the Formal. And the high spirits with which he had walked in to the party had dimmed greatly since watching Rafel spin the Queen around like a fricking magic wand.


    His ire wasn''t helped by his wife''s endearing words. Though she had quit speaking, he could still read in her face the admiration for the redhaired Earl.


    The ying song finished in a lively soprano, and just at the climax of the waltz, Rafel picked up Giselle right off the dance floor and spun her high up in the air. Like she weighed nothing in his arms, she let her sweep into the air in a smooth round arc like a tossed ballerina.


    Giselle was fluid and didn''t disappoint. She perfected the flip like it was a sex positon.


    Rafel grabbed at her hips as her long golden hair shimmered through the air. As the final note of the waltz hit, he bent her on his knee in a smashing sess ofdy dipping.


    The song ended. Giselle was breathless under him. She was heaving in puffs. Her creamy breasts was practically in his face. Rafel tried not to ogle the Queen''s cleavage. At least not in public.


    Rafel and Giselle finally broke apart when they heard the sound of pping. They both looked around to find smiling faces and glinting gazes. Cora from where she stood apuded too. Despite her not liking the Fey Queen, when they stood like that, side by side in the center of the room, Rafel and Giselle made a hot couple.


    Vapor hot!


    He was the shadow walker, the viin, the darkness, the man in ck. She was the sun, the Lady in gold, the light, the heiress.


    At that moment, the Baron''s wife was gushing over Rafel. Her crush was renewed.


    "Did you see that, Dear? Did you? Their waltzing? Excellent. Just excellent! And that dip the Earl finished with.


    . .amazing. I''d love to be dipped like that."


    If the Baron''s face was red before, it became a horrifying mosaic of wrathful rouge mixed in jealous green at his wife''splimenting words. The man watched Giselle wave to the Nobles and say,


    "Please my friends, stop it! We''re here for the debutantes. Tonight, is all about the girls."


    The Baron could take it no more and rolled his eyes.


    "Pffft! Yeah¡ªsounds like you really mean it!"


    "Excuse me?" Giselle''s elfish ear swiftly caught on it. She turned briskly. "What did you just say to me?"


    The Baron stepped out boldly from apany of other Nobles, despite his wife''s persistence to pull him back. He looked Giselle right in her golden eyes and repeated in barely restrained fury and shooting sarcasm.


    "I SAID, sounds like you really mean it. . .YOUR MAJESTY."


    "Ahh!" The room of Nobles collectively gasped as one.


    No one talked to the Queen that way. Thest person who''d dared was even now a rotting head outside the city. And he was a General.


    "Deeeaar?" The Baron''s wife warned behind.


    But somehow to the Baron, the union of Giselle and Rafel in their brazen attraction was too much to have him shut his lips. He took another step forward.


    "You know, I said what I said. And yeah, I mean it. You Fey. . .you just strut around like everyone''s being swallowed in a swamp and you''re the only ones on stilts. It''s fuckingughable.


    This night was supposed to be about my daughter¡ªand her friends. And by extension, your people.


    Yet somehow, you''ve managed to make it all about you. You know what I think, YOUR MAJESTY? You can wear gold all you want, and smile and wave, and shit fucking diamonds, but all you are is a silly, vain girl wearing a crown too loose on her pretty little head.


    And he. . ."


    The Baron looked to Rafel and scoffed.


    "He''s just a fucking demon!"


    Rafel remained silent, but fire entered into every single woman''s eyes for him. Giselle spun to look around.


    "Uh, whose fool is this?"


    Not even the man''s wife showed her hand. Giselle clicked her fingers at the standing Gold Cloaks. "You know what to do. Be quick!"


    As the castle guards neared him to drag him out, the Baron lost his shit. Giselle turned on her heel, just about to forget him as some green-faced nuisance when he chuckled and muttered under a breath.


    "Her Majesty? What a joke! All you are is a giant fucking pussy in a crown. Wildling whore!"


    This made Rafel stop and turn back. Everyone at the party froze. Rafel pounded to the Baron in giant steps.


    "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?"


    [?? I See Red ¨C Everybody Loves An Ouw.]


    "Rx, Your Grace. I''ll handle this." Giselle put her hand to Rafel''s chest.


    She stepped into the Baron''s face. The man stupidlyughed.


    "What, giirrrrl! What are you gonna do, huh? Kill me like you killed¡ª"


    He didn''t get a chance to finish.


    The Noble Lords and Ladies in the party hall heard a loud ghastly squelch that sounded like a crow plucking the sticky eye out of a corpse. They all followed the Baron''s shocked eyes with theirs as he looked down to find the Queen''s right hand firmly embedded into his belly. Blood oozed out the gory hole in spurts.


    Her Majesty had punched a fist right through his expensive crimson doublet, through skin and sinew and bone, and through his life.


    "Urrglllggh." The Baron coughed.


    He spat out blood. Finding his intestines out of his body in someone else''s hand wasn''t a fun sight. As the life seeped out of him, he nced from his spilled guts up to Giselle. She squeezed. A squishing sounded. It was loud as rain in the totally silent room.


    More horrendous mass of human stripe fleshed out the Baron''s stomach, like maggots oozing out brain matter.


    It was a sight gory and violent. Extremely, considering the circumstance.


    The area around Giselle''s bloodied fist was bright with hot ethereal Fae fire. Her ming touch scalded the twisting guts in her grasping palm. And a hissing sound filled the air. A smell like roastingmb was breathed in as oxygen. When Giselle pulled out her hand, the Baron''s entire insides came out with it.


    His intestines dropped with a wet squelch to the floor just a second before his body.


    His dead eyes stared out into a circle of Nobles he didn''t really see. Fresh blood and sticky bile flowed out his disemboweled stomach and steam rose out the hole. The party hall suddenly smelled like a butcher''s stall.


    "Oh, by the Martyr!" The Baron''s wife retched right on the cleaned white floors.


    Rafel sighed and shook his head. The man had asked for it. He had to know his Queen. Giselle was fun¡ªright until she was not.


    "Party''s fucking over!" Giselle sounded maniacal.


    But what was more surprising¡ªand demented, was when she began tough over the corpse of the man she had just brutally murdered. Her giggling was harsh. And Rafel was sure he was not the only one thinking Her Majesty was crazy.


    Just as quickly as the manic outburst started, it stopped. Giselle tossed her long blonde hair back, wiping her hand on the nearest guard''s gold cape.


    "Clean up this fucking mess!"


    With that, she turned and pranced right out the room.


    Rafel and a roomful of stunned Nobles were left in her wake. His gaze fell on the shivering frame of one ashen debutante. She had the dead man''s hazel eyes.


    The Baron''s daughter.


    Her mouth was agape as she stared at the still form of her father, reduced to a boneless heap of steaming flesh. She could see his fucking lungs!


    Rafel was sure this was one Winter Formal the girl would remember for the rest of her life. He found himself thinking,


    ''Thank fuck my Little Raven and ve slept all through it.''


    The issue of the Queen however was a different matter.

 Chapter 37: No Apologies

    THE IMPERIAL COURT OF ELDORIA did a lot to try to manage the Queen''s violent act at the Winter Formal, but her brutality to the Baron had many witnesses. Unfortunately, those that no small money could buy. The Nobles at the party were just as frocked in gold as Her Majesty.


    The Queen''s Court sent out appeal letters which were not too subtle in veiled threats to all Houses in the kingdom who were represented in the Formal.


    ndestine coffers of gold were shipped to those of gentler stations to straighten any loose lips. The court even had a makeshift loft in the castle where some [Rank A] Mage was held to wipe the memories of every single one of the servers and belly dancers present in the waltz hall that night.


    The Queen was yet to make an appearance, or open confrontation with the family of the Baron.


    By default, the Baron''s daughter was crowned Belle of the Winter Formal, Diamond of the season and Lady of Snows. It was some sort of weak move to appease.


    In all these, the Court who served the crown''s less than noble affairs were unable to convince the Queen to sign a letter of apology.


    It was the morning after the tragic event and the circle of advisers had spent the entire night in grueling mind-racks to salvage the situation and save the Empire''s unity. Giselle Van Imperia herself was locked in the most secret presidential suite of the castle with them. She sat on an executive seat with the round table of nine Fae emissaries. Rafel was the quiet looming silhouette in the shadows.


    He had honorably remained at Giselle''s side all night.


    "Your Majesty," One of the Elf Princes was saying, "This is not a good look at all. Baron Tipious Caan was head of his House and controlled a sizeable holding of the sea ports. I don''t think anyone would consider the Queen sting her cosmic touch through him as nothing less than an act of war."


    Giselle stoked in silence.


    ". . .first, the General Noguri," some other Fae, a woman with sharp ears continued. "Now a sessful Baron? A Revolution rebel is one thing, a beloved statesman is another. People are talking, Your Majesty!"


    Giselle bristled. Her impatience was matched with stress from sitting quiet all night.


    "Let them!" She pounced to her feet. "It''s all they can do. People will talk anyway. Unless you all missed the part about him calling me a Wilding Whore, don''t lecture me about sentimentality. The Baron was a jealous prick with a mouth bigger than his balls. And I AM NOT fucking apologizing for liquefying his guts."


    She tossed the frilly papers to the faces of her trusted Fae advisors.


    "¡ªI sign this, and I might as well resurrect the cunt. Now if there''s nothing else, I really do need my eight hours of sleep."


    Giselle looked around and when none of the men and women in the covert room responded, she deftly pushed back her chair and vanished out a side door. Rafel nodded to the advisors. He dished a final look of consequence at them before he slipped out the shadows, taking the Queen''s route.


    He had just exited into a dim passageway when the full force of Giselle''s body mmed into him. She hugged him hard. She was soft and warm, and Rafel enveloped her in his arms. He knew all too well her condition. He couldn''t count how many had fell to his longsword, Brimstone in the arena just for cussing on him.


    "Thank you for being here, Rafel." Giselle''s voice was sobby in his chest. "Really, thank you. I¨CI just react sometimes, you know? I don''t even think it through half the time. I didn''t think my hand would pass through him. I just.


    . .I just wanted to shut him up."


    Rafel caressed the small of her back with his big hands. Giselle was quite tiny. But he got her agitation. Fae were supernaturally strong. And sometimes, their magically enhanced kind forgot their own power.


    Rafel pushed her back an inch.


    "You should get some rest. It''s been a long night," he said.


    Nodding, Giselle pulled away. Rafel surrendered her to the nearbypany of three Gold Cloaks who nked her side all the way to her bedchamber. When Rafel finally made his way back to the empty hall used for the Winter Formal, a cleanup crew was in session. Determined castle servants fervently mopped at therge pool of crimson stain in the center of the room.


    Dried blood.


    The corpse had being carted away in the dead of night.


    Rafel paused to stare at the pails of sloshing red water a moment. The news this morning would only tell of the sudden passing of Baron Tipious of the noble House Caan. Nothing else of how he died or who''d done it. The true events of the night would be left unspoken by lips of the witnesses, silenced in gold, ckmail, and veiled threats.


    "Hmm, Dawn already." Rafel looked up to the yellow skies as he picked up pace to the cobbled lot where his carriage awaited.


    Cora was asleep in the back seat. She stirred when he pulled back the curtain but didn''t open her eyes. Rafel softly petted her back to sleep and smiled when she cooed like a pigeon. He shut the buggy''s small doors and walked up to the rider''s hoist.


    He found bald-headed Menus holding the reins in his hand. There was no sway of sleep in the Ghostrider''s face. At least his head wasn''t on fire. And he wore shades to keep out the sunlight.


    "A GRIM MORNING to you, Your Eminence. This arrived for you!"


    Menus spoke in a voice that sounded very much like crackling tinder. Since he was from Hel, he addressed Rafel by his title as Apollyon and not Your Grace as would befit a mortal Lord. He handed over a small white letter with a gold embossing.


    Rafel swiftly read it through. It was an invitation to the Penderghast''s vi. By the Count, Sir Lucius.


    As Rafel folded it once symmetrically, the paper lit and crumbled to ash in his palm, blown off by the cool morning wind. Rafel swiftly gave orders to Menus.


    "Our Champ is asleep in the backseat. Keep the ride smooth so she''sfortable. Ride all the way back to Emberfall and make sure she gets home safe. Burn to toast any fiend lurking to attack in the forest path."


    Menus turned his shades to Rafel. "Won''t you be joining us, Your Eminence?"


    "No." Rafel looked south toward the direction of the Penderghast vi. It wasn''t too far from the castle and the city. "I have a meeting here in the Capitol. I won''t be long. Go on! Off on your way!"


    Menus deftly pped the reins and rode into the sunrise.


    Rafel watched the carriage rumble down the chessil path of the vast castle grounds and fluidly dove into the shadow cast by a towering ck pir. He had been to the Penderghast vi once and thus knew the corners the light didn''t hit. He could use his [Shadow Self] ability.


    The silver blood rune on his chest glowed with a crimson aura out his midnight tunic as he pulled on his mana core, absorbing enough darkness to transform into shadow itself and merge with the umbra of the pir. He was soon submerged in a world of total ck.


    He moved in it, transporting in the space of a millisecond to the vi of the Count.


    Rafel reintegrated into his bodily self right in front of the mansion''s high doors. Everything was white at the Penderghast estate, even their doors. Rafel knocked thrice, smelling jasmine and rosewood filtering out the long oval windows.


    It was the Lady of the Manor who answered the door. She was still her in her nightie and Rafel made out the alluring moulds of her breasts and hips. His cock answered the call raptly. The Lady of the Manor smiled coyly at the early visitor.


    The Countess, Cordelia Penderghast, ime lover of Rafel waved him in with a grin.


    "He''s expecting you," she said, meaning her husband. "And no¡ªhe doesn''t know about us."


    Rafel was showed to an extremely long white sofa in a room decored in immacte flowers. There, he waited on the Count.


    Good Sir Lucius didn''t know he had just invited into his stately home his wife''s virile and ruthless lover. Rafel crossed his legs on the sofa.


    ''Shit. Poor man doesn''t know I''m fucking his wife.''

 Chapter 38: The Warhammer—Relic Of Horror

    THE COUNT, Sir Lucius Penderghast entered into the garden room in mild haste. Spotting Rafel, he began smiling widely. Lucius had a pudgy face and a disorienting mustache. He looked like a baby with a beard. Like a Cheshire cat, he grinned at Rafel and hurried to shake hands with the young man. Rafel stood stiffly from the sofa and took his palm.


    "Thank you so much foring." Lucius was shaking frantically as he spoke, "I must admit you are an awfully handsome and young man. You must get offers from thedies all the time. A man of your visage and standing is tantamount to a gold dragon''s egg."


    Rafel narrowed his demonic amber eyes at the Count. He didn''t like beingpared to such a fragile thing. He pulled his hand away. Sir Lucius was right about one thing though...no, two things: Rafel did get many offers from women, and he was also sired from the mes of Hel inpany of a gold dragon.


    It had being a newborn. Just like him. His [Divine] level Familiar was currently in hibernation in the abyss. Rafel would summon the firebreather from the Underworld at the right time. For now, the beast must sleep and await its ascent. He hadn''t even named it yet.


    Rafel peered up at the totem of the House Penderghast¡ªa graceful white pelican¡ªsculpted into the high arch of the garden room. He inhaled the mist and sandalwood of the windy space and turned his gaze back to the Count as he said,


    "Amicable words, Sir. Honorable of you to say. But one might also offer such ttery of your status. You are being meek in your authority. It is not everyday I stand in the presence of Knight of Her Majesty''s Court."


    Sir Lucius waved off Rafel with a shortugh.


    "Please, I was knighted in my younger years. I am nothing of chivalrous now. And call me Lucius, friend. We are friends now, aren''t we?"


    Rafel offered no reply to this. But he did take his seat again when the Count stretched a hand. Lucius drew in a high stool, the kind you might find in a tavern, and perched on it in front of Rafel. Everything in his vi was splendid white. In order to break the man''s staring, Rafel sent his eyes to the flowers robustly spilling out their Athenian vases.


    The petals had the silvery color of the fallen winter but not the wilt. It was as breathing in air from the northern alps.


    "So, His Grace has met my family, I presume?" Lucius stirred the conversation again.


    Rafel looked to him. His expression was cordial.


    "Yes, in fact I have. Your daughter, Brunhilda has your foxy eyes. A lovely family you have here, Sir."


    Rafel made no mention, or even a clue of it about him meeting Lucius'' wife, the Countess. Somehow, he felt bringing up the topic of Cordelia in her knighted husband''s presence could spark a nuclear war. If even the Queen in all her celestial Fae glory kept her sapphic rendezvous with Cordelia secret, she must have a damned good reason.


    Rafel wasn''t about to find out what it was.


    Still, Lucius hailed his wife and daughter into the room. A typical dominant male move, showing off the goods. And what goods the women had!


    "Delia! Hilda! Get in ''ere! I want you toe say hi to the Earl. He''s far more good-looking than in the gossips. Brilliant too!"


    As the women shuffled in, Rafel tried not to stare at the revealing milk of the Countess'' flesh in her translucent shift. He knew she''d kept on the erotic piece just for him. He tried not to notice the swaying of her hips as she padded over, the way her breasts jiggled warmly and the dance of desire in her coconut eyes.


    He tried not to think of how she would look kissing her very alike but leaner daughter. In truth, Rafel did try. But it was fucking impossible when the shapely Countess leaned over her Lord husband''s side to ce two sses of sparkly wine on a shelf to the side. Her sensuous eyes slid to meet his. Her generous bosom brushed hisp. And Rafel almost turned her over for a good spanking right there.


    Her big butt was begging for it.


    She stood like nothing was happening and perched at the arm of her husband. She dropped an arm across his back. Her Lord husband and daughter were none the wiser. Cordelia''s hot eyes stroked Rafel''s crotch like a masseuse on a bender.


    He very much tried to listen in on her husband''s tirade. Sir Lucius was saying,


    ". . .Hilda is our only child. Very, very beloved and beholden to us. I hear she schools at the Witch Academy with a ward of yours. Private institutions¡ªso ndestine, am I right?


    I wanted to name her just Hilda, but her mother wanted something to go with her Valhan descent.


    Cordelia is Half-druid. Shees from a long line of Mages as old as the continent. I myself, from that of Conquerors. Our bloodlines are powerful. So it was no surprise when our daughter was born with a Rare witch core.


    Hilda began to harness at age four. We just knew she was destined for the Isles of Corynthia. She makes us proud."


    At that moment, Lucius looked to his daughter with a prideful gleam in his eyes and his curvy wife grinned at their offspring. Brunhilda rolled her eyes and scooted closer to Rafel on the couch. He bristled. The girl was nearly in hisp.


    Brunhilda didn''t seem to notice and fired away with her questions.


    "Daddy didn''t tell me he invited you. I would have personally baked you a cream pie. Ravenna tells me you have a sweet tooth."


    "Did she now?"


    Rafel prayed to his Luciferan ancestry that no one else in the room heard Brunhilda''s words like he did.


    "Oh yes, she did," Brunhilda replied, jumping in her seat. "She also mentioned you read a lot. I LOOOVE BOOKS! What are your favorites? Do you admire the works of Camerlengo? They are quite Goth but appealing, wouldn''t you say?"


    "Isn''t this Camerlengo the one who painted that macabre canvas of Frostholm in its destruction?"


    It was Lucius who asked, and when his daughter nodded with bright eyes, he chastised. Her chaotic delight dimmed.


    "That man has a twisted mind," said Lucius. "It''s like demons whisper in his ear to depict such horrors. Who the fudge makes a mural of the annihtion of an entire city?"


    "Uh, Daddy! You can say ''fuck''. I''m not a child anymore." Brunhilda rolled her eyes again.


    "Fine." Lucius straightened in his stool. "But shit! You shouldn''t view or read any of that man''s pieces, Hilda dear. He''s possessed, I''d say¡ªwriting of mortals engaging in orgies with devils, sketching the sick rituals into his texts, polishing off depravity in his scrolls, making a devastating pige into a fucking mural? Hell! I should burn all of his tomes in our Library."


    Rafel was amused in watching the Count, this fat mortal man, obsess in the notion of his teen daughter breaking bad. He was too busy hacking at oaks to notice the bramble right in his face. Quite literally. Lucius turned to the side to gaze up at his wife.


    "Besides, I thought Camerlengo''s scripts were banned by the Papacy, darling?" His brow furrowed and wrinkles showed impossibly on his chubby face. "¡ªthe Queen must have removed the sanctions on them. Fuck. No wonder she''s acting crazy all the time; beheading Generals and punching holes into people."


    It was at thisment that Cordelia pulled off her hand from her husband''s shoulder. Rafel noticed the anger enter her pupils. Giselle, the Queen which Lucius so despised, was his wife''s bestfriend and lover. Cordelia''s adoration for Giselle was infallible at this point.


    Rafel uncrossed his leg and took a sip of the offered wine. When he let it slide back to the shelf, he leaned in his seat and locked eyes with the Count. He spoke in the same tone he reserved for his pet Hounds.


    "We are not here to talk about the Camerlengo or the Queen, are we, Sir Lucius? Tell me, why am I really here?"


    Rafel watched Lucius blink rapidly at his words. He then waved his wife and daughter out the room. Cordelia blew Rafel an air kiss behind his back, and her gray eyes held a promise ofing passion. At their exit, Lucius too downed his drink in one gulp and stood to his feet, saying to Rafel,


    "Walk with me, Your Grace."


    He surreptitiously led Rafel down a narrow path out the white garden. They moved together towards an abandoned rampart conjoined on the south side to the mansion. There, in the ck brick building, Lucius entered into a descending stairwell. The air got mustier and the light dimmer with each step.


    To Rafel, it felt like he was walking into his dungeon. He could see clearly in the darkness, but this was not the same for Lucius who held a lit, ming torch in his right hand. The walls were robed in their gigantic shadows cast by the sconce.


    Rafel''s, had horns. Thankfully, the Count didn''t look to the walls. Or else, he''d shit his pants. The cracks ascending on the tower were spread like webs of an ancient arachnid over time.


    Lucius began speaking as they tripped down more spiral steps deeper into the earth.


    His voice was invigorated and crispy. A new voice. A voice like an insane wizard.


    "There are certain matters too deific for the ordinary mind, Your Grace. This is why we must leave the house behind to this bastion. But to answer your question earlier, I invited you to my vi not to trade words. . .but to offer a gift."


    "What kind of a gift, and why, might I ask?" Rafel returned.


    He tried to keep his voice in check but the echoing of the tower brought out his baritone the more. Lucius replied his ask instantly.


    "The kind of gift that topples dynasties and wins wars. As for the why, Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste, boons don''t need a reason. Your kind very well know that."


    "My kind?"


    "Demons!" Lucius'' voice struck the stone walls coldly. "Yes, Your Grace, I know you are a demon. In fact, the only Apollyon in existence. . ."


    The Count''s voice took on the form of many as the reverberations from the inner cavernous rooms sounded like the warbling of a mermaid to the mortal ear. He talked like a Reapere to quench and seal a soul. Lucius continued thus,


    "I, and mypadres only learned of your presence in our mortal ne a few weeks ago, O Burning One! You have ascended from Hel. And the earth wasn''t ready to grant proper wee. We are sorry for this slight. We expected you as a Titan; in your glorious Behemoth form, d in darkness and mes, blotting out the sun and plunging the world in your dominion.


    We did not expect you as the humble Earl of Emberfall. For this, please ept this gift we have provided. I could not say these words in front of my daughter. Hilda would have gone crazy to know her father also favored the ult¡ªlike father, like daughter, eh?


    Anyways, a war brews, Your Grace. You yourself have felt it when you stood in the Capitol''s amphitheater and delivered the killing blow on the General. Our dear Queen has gone mad! Bloodsport, apparently is now a thing. You have felt the hate in the hearts of men, a twisting parasite, ready to froth and re at the slightest chance.


    She took from them a Revolutionary. Eldoria will not soon forget that. But before, we only had to deal with insurrection from the masses. Now that she''s gone and muddied the most elegant party of the season by making a barbecue of a Nobleman, I fear the thoughts of an Usurper lurk not only in the hearts of the proletariats.


    At the Winter Formal, I noticed you tried to stop her. This is surprising for a Hellion¡ªyou guys are not known for your sympathy. You possess a rare red heart. Which is why we think you would be better kept a close friend for the approaching dark times."


    Rafel clicked his tongue and jumped off the final step into a straight tunnel.


    "Ah, so the gift does have a reason? If it is my friendship you desire, trying to buy it is the wrong move. Besides, who are these WE you keep on speaking of?"


    They had reached silver bars at the end of the corridor. This part of the tower was well tended to. The walls were not ribbed in cracks, and Rafel smelled and tasted the tang of cold metal on his lips. The area was polished in an orange glow from many hanging torches.


    They stood in front of a vault.


    Magical wards shimmered along the brass bars, and to the side of the locked cell of treasures, arge Wyvern was on its belly. It blinked a few times its crimson slitted eyes and wagged its forked tail when it sighted Lucius.


    The Count was its master.


    Lucius unlocked thetch on the vault. They stepped in and Rafel discovered exactly why the man had employed the services of a [Rank B] Hell beast to secure this ce. The bastion was key to all of the House Penderghast fortune.


    As Rafel looked around the chamber of glinting coins, he figured there had to be at least ten figures worth of Eldorian money. The room in itself was a Treasury. There were open troves, spilling mighty gold that shed against the light of the torches. There was a heap of it at one end. And then the several boxes filled with more silver and evenrger ancient coins topped the heap.


    It looked like it had being tossed carelessly in. Costly swords and priceless heirlooms and valuable jewels of centuries lost were dispersed in the sea of gold. The loot was a lot.


    House Penderghast was old money.


    Rafel''s calcting mind totalled at least four and half billion in gold and nine hundred million more in silver.


    For the real estimate of the entire vault, it could buy half the Empire.


    ''Why does this man concern himself about the threat of war? Looks like he could buy himself out of a Guillotine.''


    Rafel mused.


    [?? Hard Rock Hallelujah ¨C Lordi.]


    Lucius walked over to him and waved his torch over the pile of treasures. He shrugged at the loads of hard money and winked at Rafel.


    "This doesn''t impress you, I get it. You are a demigod after all. Few things do."


    Rafel turned from the troves¡ªthat frankly looked recovered from a pirate ship. He said to Lucius, "You still haven''t answered my question. Who is WE?"


    "Yes! That! We are collectively a band of simr progressive minds. We upy the bourgeois seats in the Empire, yes, but we also perform due Noblesse oblige. We are named The Enlightened Ones. And to you, Your Grace, we offer this gift.


    . ."


    Lucius turned his torch toward a shaded area of the vault to a hanging promontory. Perching off of it was a ghastly powerful Warhammer. A [Divine] weapon. It was blessed by the Old gods themselves. Rafel could tell by merely looking at it. His [Cyclops Demon Eye] was not needed.


    Shadows danced around the mighty head of the hammer and flecks of amber lightning crackled in the potent unearthly metal. It was half hammer, half axe. The wisps of elemental cloud magic was borne of fire and ice on the Warhammer.


    Lucius began to introduce his gift,


    ". . .I present to you, Your Grace, the¡ª"


    "Hammer of Andorra, borne to the Battle of Bastards by the Wandering King, Agrippa."


    Rafel finished for him.


    The Count was impressed. "Yes, Your Grace. Remarkable! It is the Hammer of Andorra. A Relic of Horror. King Agrippa the Wanderer battled a thousand trolls with it.


    He bathed in their unseely blood in the aftermath. And it is yours."


    Rafel put his hand to the [Divine] Warhammer.


    And as soon as his fingers touched the cold handle, mes erupted along with yellow streaks of lightning. The weapon was merging with his mana core. Rafel felt a deep and slightly painful scratching begin in his chest.


    [Ding!] His system notified.


    [One Divine Warhammer added to Arcane Collection.]


    [Avable in Pocket Dimension.]


    [COST: 2 500 000 soul coins]


    Fuck! Rafel blinked at the price.


    He couldn''t have bought this at the [Rank S] Mage Shop. He had less than three million soul coins. The Hammer alone would bankrupt him to a [Common] Adventurer''s pack.


    The Warhammer sessfully bonded with his demonic mana core, and Rafel swept it up mightily in the vault. The arc cast a strange crimson lightning, sparking and charging over the heavy metal head across his forearm. Rafel felt the intrinsic magic of the Hammer bullet his own mana core.


    He grinned as the air in the entire chamber grew colder and dense. Even Lucius took a step back. The Warhammer had been passed down generations of his family. King Agrippa had been his ancestor.


    Rafel loosed the Hammer from his fingertips and it dropped right into his pocket dimension. It seemingly vanished into thin air in Lucius'' eye. Rafel couldn''t care less about all the gold in the bastion now. He had two [Divine] arsenals now: The Antean Trident, and The Andorran Warhammer. It was sufficient in battle against a certain [Rank S] Principality, should he show up.


    "Thank you," said Rafel, solemnly to Lucius.


    The Count nodded.


    "Our pleasure, Your Grace," Lucius spoke in the plural form again. "Now, might I interest you in breakfast? You arrived pretty early to the vi."


    Rafel smiled warmly. As he offered his response, he almost hated having a torrid affair with the Count''s wife. Almost.


    "You know what? I''ll indulge. I am hungry."


    Laughing, both men exited the vault. Over a billion''s worth of money was forgotten with a snap. Lucius locked the gates and petted the Wyvern''s scaly head. He intrigued Rafel to a boyish guessing about what the women might have cooked up there.


    Rafel wasn''t thinking about food though. He was thinking about the Countess.

 Chapter 39: Visitor and Voyeur

    THE UNIFORMED SERVANTS OF THE VILLA brought in the dishes of steamed broli and fruit sd first. Their culinary attires matched the splendor of the white mansion, and not one of them had a speck of oil from their recent cooking. The stewards all trailed in a line to the long dining hall.


    The breakfast room overlooked acres of moond and the breeze smelled of citrus and willows. Egrets yed in the distance. Rafel, seating back in his sturdy chair noticed the excesses of vegetables and mayonnaise were ced directly in front of the young heiress, Brunhilda.


    Her mother, Cordelia noticed Rafel''s wondering expression and smiled at her stiffly seated daughter. She exined to him.


    "Bruna is vegan."


    Rafel nodded but kept his lips sealed. The Goth girl looked him over in her gray iris. She was testing him. As more trays of food were brought in, she kept those smart eyes on Rafel, pulling at the dark dreadlocks of her hair from time to time.


    Cordelia had changed out of her nightie, but not into something less revealing. She sat directly beside Rafel, on the right hand of her Lord husband. Sir Lucius sat at the head of the table, his daughter beside him. From Rafel''s perspective, Brunhilda was opposite him on the long dressed table.


    His infernal eyes seemed to peer right through her polka dot shirt.


    Her mother, the Countess was more than happy to seat close to Rafel. She was clothed in a cashmere cardy, big but not big enough to hide the outline of her breasts. And framing her perfectly wide hips were blue denim pants.


    Every now and then, she turned a smile to Rafel when her husband bowed his head and she scooted a little bit off her chair seat. This little action made her cardigan ride up her waist. It pushed out her alreadyrge ass. Still, she lifted just a tiny inch off the seat, enough to tease Rafel with the globr mounds of her fat ass.


    Rafel breathed in her jasmine scent. He wondered how warm her skin was under the cardy. She had a healthy, thick body he could forget the cold of winter in.


    ''If I reached out right now to feel up for her tits, would she p my hand away?'' Rafel thought. ''Fuck ifs!''


    He grabbed Cordelia''s small hand under the table and dragged it to his crotch. Her delicate fingers closed over the hard ridge of a straining erection, and she hid out her soft hiss with a cough.


    She felt Rafel''s raging hard-on for her. And it nearly made the Countess push back her seat, kneel over and suck him off right there. Her daughter''s warm inquisitive eyes stopped her.


    "I¨CIt''s so b¨Cbig." Cordelia coughed again.


    Her hand couldn''t wrap around Rafel''s entire length. He was full and huge in her grasp. She could feel the heaviness of release in the protrusion. Her pink nails scratched at his jeans. He swelled even more in her palm and Cordelia abandoned propriety to sneak a peek, just a tiny, quick peek under the table.


    "Fuck!"


    Rafel''s cock rose like the mountains of Avalon. She was entranced in a single look. Cordelia was just about to rip down his zipper and let his dick pop free when she heard¡ª


    "Pardon, darling?"


    It was her husband''s voice.


    Cordelia''s gray eyes flew up and her hand dropped as Rafel furtively closed his legs and arranged himself. Her pupils were dted as she stared from Lucius to Brunhilda. Somehow, Cordelia could tell her daughter smelled a rat.


    "Are you okay, dear?" Lucius touched her hand.


    "Mmhmm," came Cordelia''s stiff soprano.


    "Unless I didn''t hear right, I''m pretty sure you uttered the word, fuck. You know we have rules about cussing at the table, especially when we have such a noble visitor over."


    Cordelia waved her long ck hair back, knowing the tumbling charcoal mass would make her husband quit his pestering. Lucius dotted on her like a horny chicken.


    "I''m not sure I said, fuck, but I''m alright," said Cordelia. "¡ªright as rain. Let''s eat!"


    She picked up her cutlery and her tone left no room for questions. The Count, Lucius was quick to unveil his dish of mutton. He speedily dug into the red meat. Unlike his daughter, Lucius was as carnivorous as a man could possibly get. He ate everything from the gizzard of a bison to the heart of a goat.


    "Elk''s milk?" Cordelia said to Rafel.


    He nodded and she poured from a silver sk into his ss cup. "Thank you, Your Grace," he returned.


    Cordelia watched Rafel until he took a sip.


    "You like?"


    Rafel smiled at her stroking pupils. She was smiling too. He knew she wasn''t just talking about the milk. The woman knew how to push all of his buttons. But despite all the wicked things he wanted to do to her, Rafel simply nodded.


    They ate in silence for some seconds. Brunhilda noticed the redhaired demon at their table favored the gon of human blood her father had secretly ordered be ced beside Rafel''s tray of muffins. He had only eaten one of the little cakes.


    But he''d drank two sses of blood.


    It would''ve gone unnoticed to Brunhilda if not for the swift sh of white fangs and the glow in his crimson eyes every time he took a sip of the unassuming goblet. She knew to her [Rare] witch core; it was blood.


    After some minutes, Cordelia quietly stood to her feet.


    "Excuse me, darling. I need to visit my chambers. I''ll be back," she said and her eyes slid to her daughter. "Finish up your sd and beans now, honey! You''ll need to get the protein somehow."


    Cordelia didn''t dare look at Rafel as she gently pushed back her chair and walked away. He got the message though. Brunhilda wasn''t fooled either by her mother''s casual stride out the dining room. When Rafel stood also, just about thirty secondster, and growled,


    "Bathroom?"


    Brunhilda pointed out the hall and down a spacious verandah. She toosted a minute before she jumped to her feet.


    "I''ll be back, daddy!" She kissed Sir Lucius'' red chewing cheeks and hurried out the room.


    She took the corner which seemed like she was heading up to her own bedroom, but turned into the corridor and up the stairs that led to her mother''s. She knew something was going on between the Earl and her mum. The Count was left alone at the long table. The tes were half empty. He looked from his steak round the table of abandoned seats.


    Lucius then said, "Is there something in the food?" He shrugged. "Hmm, more for me!"


    Meanwhile, as Brunhilda made her way down the glittery white hallway to her mother''s bedroom, Rafel was already in the sacred quarters. And so was the Countess, Cordelia.

 Chapter 40: Visitor and Voyeur [II] [18+]

    [?? Unholy (Orchestral Version) ¨C Sam Smith ft. Kim Petras.]


    ? SOME SIXTY SECONDS BEFORE ?


    Rafel watched Cordelia push and enter in through the door of a suite. He followed in after her. She was at the window, pulling up the moon curtains, when he abruptly walked in. Cordelia turned sharply. She began to speak, but the tremor of fury on her lips shone as lust in her eyes.


    "What are you doing, Your Grace? You can''t be in here! My husband will take a bay to you, demon or not. He will kill¡ª"


    "QUIET!" Rafel thundered.


    His voice was an animalistic growl. The door shut softly behind him. Cordelia''s lips trembled into silence. She loved being tossed around. Ordered about. And punished when she didn''t obey.


    The man before her knew it. He was giving her exactly what she wanted. Cordelia breathed hard by the window.


    As Rafel moved across from the shut door to her, his gait was the prowling of a wolf.


    He stopped directly in front of her. He was a mountain. Strong. Sure. Hard. His eyes raked her clothes and the desire in the pits of his gilden eyes stoked hers.


    "No one is dying here today, Countess¡ªif you do exactly as I say. Okay?"


    Cordelia nodded. "Okay."


    She could barely keep herself from jumping onto his dark demonic body. Near seven feet of hard, ruthless male was a lot for an aroused woman. Her heart was hammering in her chest. Cordelia inhaled against his broad chest.


    "How much time do we have?"


    "Enough," Rafel rumbled in reply.


    Cordelia lifted her hand to her fly. Rafel smacked it away. His eyes were unkind. Cruel even. Cordelia loved it utterly. She didn''t want the sweet man.


    She desired the strong, dominant, savage Alpha. Rafel was the embodiment of it all.


    "You don''t touch yourself, Countess. I do the undressing, got it!" He raged down to her.


    He was the shadow of a frigate as he loomed over her. She gave aely nod. And he smiled evilly.


    "Now turn around!"


    Cordelia shivered. "T¨CTo the window? It''s made of ss. Anyone can see us. Please fuck me anywhere else but here. I¡ª"


    Rafel roughly spun her and practically hurled her to the ledge. He was cautious though with his strength. Cordelia mmed into the ss panes. One of her hand caught the drapes. Her other hand grabbed at the windowsill.


    Rafel enveloped her from behind and growled darkly in her ear.


    "I take you wherever I want, Countess. If I want to fuck you against the wall, against the window, in your marital bed or in front of your fucking husband, I WILL. Now spread those fucking legs, you beautiful slut!"


    Cordelia couldn''t breathe. She couldn''t move either. She was turned on so much she felt she would just orgasm if Rafel so much as licked her ear. She began moaning,


    "Yes, fuck me. Fuck me please! Take this little slutty whore. Drill my pussy¡ªI''m all yours. You make me so fucking wet. Feel.


    . .feel how hot I am for you."


    Cordelia bent and stretched by the window like a cat. She pushed out her fat ass and Rafel circled his hands to her front. He pulled softly at her zipper in case she was Commando under. Then he tore the damn trousers down to her waist. Cordelia was bouncing on the balls of her feet. Her pert ass shook deliciously up against Rafel''s groin.


    "Fuckin'' hell, woman. You want to kill me?"


    He delivered twin ps to her round cheeks. He pushed her face into the window''s ss. The surface was cool against Cordelia''s red face. She heard the sound of Rafel unbuckling his belt and it only made her push back more into him.


    "Give me this dick, demon. Give it to me. Please, I need your fucking cock!"


    "Yes, you fucking do." Rafel jerked Cordelia''s blue panties to the side. Her tight jeans were down to her knees and he was granted a prime view of her luscious rump. He spanked and kissed both ass cheeks.


    He dipped his finger into her ass crack and brought up the wetness up and around to her lips. He pulled her up by the hair a second and shoved his finger into her panting mouth.


    "There you go, you filthy belle. Suck on it. Taste yourself. You are so beautiful but so fucking dirty. Such a wild thing!"


    Rafel knew he had only few minutes before someone came barging through the door. He had to give both Cordelia and himself the satisfaction they both desperately needed in record time. He had never needed make a woman cum so quick in his life.


    Rafel grabbed at Cordelia''s spilling ck hair. He tapped his cock a few times against her jiggling ass and rubbed sensually down her ass crack to her clit. He was tempted to take her ass for a second. He refrained for the sake of both their sanities.


    "I would advise Her Grace to try to keep silent."


    Rafel cautioned in a raspy voice, biting into Cordelia''s neck and making her squeak. His pants too was down at his knees. They had no time to fully undress. It was to be a feverish hardcore pounding. A quickie.


    "Rx," Rafel growled into her ear from behind.


    And then he sank into her.


    "Good God!"


    Cordelia received him warmly and tightly. Her pussy epted all he gave. He stretched and filled up her inner space. He made delicious circles with his hips, and Cordelia was already quivering under him. With no time to fully make her enjoy his heavy cock, Rafel grabbed her hips and hair and pinned her to the window.


    He began thrusting. Fucking. Drilling. Banging. And every other way that was furious and raw.


    He hammered her until the both of them were breathless, quaking on their two feet, and struggling to keep their groaning to hushed panting. Rafel felt Cordelia wet his thighs with her pussy juice and knew she was close.


    "Yes, ummm. Yes! I love the way you drill that pussy. The way you fuck me good and deep. Ohh, fuck me more, demon. Yes!


    p that ass. Dominate me. Use me. Possess me. Oh god, I''ming. I can''t hold it back anymore, Rafel.


    I''ming hard. I''m gonna wet your dick. . .I''m cooooming!"


    As Cordelia thrashed under Rafel, doggystyle, he pulled out all of his thick cock to the very tip. He bent her more, pulling hard on her dark hair. He held a second of bated breath, and drove back into her, hammering her so ferally she convulsed in his arms. Cordelia was shaking. Quaking on her feet. Spasming.


    Her orgasm had imed her entire body and soul.


    The lightning shot blinded her eyes as she rubbed her ass deeper into Rafel''s groin. She jerked on her feet, willing her knees not to buckle. Her hand nearly ripped the curtain off its hanger. She pped her other palm into the ss window.


    Her breath had made the ss foggy. The winter outside made the air cold. To anyone on the moors watching, the would have beheld the Countess being mmed repeatedly from behind by rogue redhaired giant.


    Cordelia was stilling down from her shivers when she felt Rafel tense up behind her. With a hard masculine fervor, he fell upon her, drilling and making her reach on her feet even as he shot into her. Rafel released his passion: hot milk spurts of his seed. Cordelia''s body was ripe and she absorbed all that he gave.


    Rafel pulled back and spread her ass to observe his handiwork.


    "What a wonderful creampie!" He smacked Cordelia''s oiled butt.


    The daughter had promised it. But the mother had given it.


    But Cordelia was not finished giving. She turned around from the window. Not drawing up her blue trousers, she went on her knees before Rafel. She took his cock in her hand reverentially and opened up her lips for him to slide in.


    He tasted like her. He smelled like her. And Cordelia sucked him off to the spirit.


    Rafel admittedly came some more in her mouth. She eagerly swallowed his semen as he grasped her plump tits with sneaky hands under her cardy. Cordelia rolled her velvety tongue over his broad tip and Rafel groaned heavily.


    He couldn''t shake the feeling though that someone was watching.


    [?? Your Wicked Ways ¨C Becky Shaheen.]


    Behind the ornate door stood Brunhilda, white as the palette of the vi. She had arrived to her dear mother''s bedroom some minutes ago. She had lifted her hand to the door, just about to knock and call out, ''Mom?'' when she''d heard the sounds.


    Muted voices. Harsh pping. Encouraging moans. Love whispers. Dirty talk.


    Brunhilda''s hand had frozen over the door. She had leaned to her waist to peer in through the peephole. And she had remained glued to it ever since.


    Brunhilda had watched Rafel fucking her mother against the window, sucking her breasts and taking her frantically in a ce the eye of any steward wandering the grounds could catch. The position in which he took her was primal.


    A raw dogging!


    She had watched this beautiful man jam her mother t on her tits and drill her ass with his penis. It wasn''t the first time Brunhilda had seen a man''s cock, but it was the first she had seen one that appealed to her.


    He was glistening, gold, and proud. The kind of girth that could keep her intrigued for hours.


    And now, Brunhilda, watching her mother on her knees, sucking in Rafel like her favourite pop tart gave the young daughter the urge for a taste. Right this moment, her mother was kissing and slobbering her face into and all over his balls. Traces of his seed marked her cheeks and hair.


    She had never seen her mother in such a wild and unhinged passion. Not even with her father.


    Watching silently behind the door, Brunhilda felt her lips parting to feel the texture of the same cock in her mouth and on her tongue. Her mother was so beautiful taking dick this way. Brunhilda felt her own arousal taking root, damp and tingling, between her legs.


    She looked to the redhaired god before whom her mother knelt. And she thought,


    ''What is it that makes this man so endearing to all women? First, her friend Ravenna. And now, her own mother. Or was her mother first?''


    Brunhilda knew she should turn away. Her mother''s breasts and sex were on full frontal nudity. But she didn''t. She watched dear mom Cordelia lick her lips and rise to drown herself in a long kiss with the Earl.


    A trail of Rafel''s cum was slipping down her inner thigh. It was dirty. But Brunhilda liked it.


    She whimpered softly when her mother closed off her breasts under the cashmere cardigan and drew on her jean pants again. Rafel cleaned himself up too. And it gave Brunhilda dark pleasure in watching the two of them redress.


    She had always being a voyeur. Why stop now?


    Ten minutester, Rafel pulled open the bedroom door of the Countess. He stepped out first. The hallway was empty. Not a trace of Brunhilda. He did find her though as he entered again into the dining hall. She was seated same as before beside her father at the table.


    It was like she''d never left.


    Sir Lucius Penderghast noticed his wife''s hair was wet with a recent washing. Her neck was slightly flushed too, when she walked in some moments after his demonic visitor. He said nothing. He was of the mind that she had gone to the bathroom afterwards.


    Poor, poor na?ve Lucius.


    "Thank the Elder Gods you''re back! It looks like it''s going to snow anytime soon. If you''ll be leaving, you have to do so now. But please know, I offer my vi to host you for the rest of the day until the storm passes," was all Lucius said.


    Rafel shook his head.


    "Thank you kindly, Sir. But I must be on my way."


    As Rafel said his final farewells to House Penderghast by the white doors of their ostentatious vi, he noticed Brunhilda was only half waving. She failed to meet his eyes too. The girl held a secret.


    The Countess, Cordelia watched Rafel''s ck and silver silhouette meld into the shadows of a tree.


    . . .SWOOSH!


    And he was gone, in an instant.


    She was yipping on the inside. She knew it would bring great sexual pleasure¡ªone she could watch, to her bestfriend, Giselle if she told her of the sultry, hard banging by the window. Giselle wouldugh, but tell her to repeat the tale¡ªslowly this time, as she fingered herself to the imagination.


    She had fogged up her window with a powerful demon. Or is it ''fucked'' up?

 Chapter 41: Elemental Magic

    "YOU SMELL LIKE WOMAN?"


    Cora was at Rafel''s bedside when he awoke that evening. The dark curtains of hisrge four-poster canopy were drawn shut and very little light from the dowdy chambermps spilled in. Rafel rubbed his eyes with a soft yawn and peered at Cora. She sat a small distance away, on the bed''s edge. Her blue eyes were unrelenting.


    "What?" Rafel smiled and furrowed deeper into the scarlet pillows.


    With Coraz¨®n, he could act out his youth¡ªbehave like someone who was eighteen years old for a change. The firece crackled and spat embers, brightening the sharp beauty of Cora''s face as she leaned near.


    "Your Grace," she said. "Might I ask who this woman is? The fragrance is not Aya Naamah''s, and it isn''t the Queen''s either."


    Rafel sat up. "How do you know what my Subus smells like? Coraz¨®n? Is there something you want to tell me?"


    She giggled when Rafel pulled her into bed with him. They tumbled a while in the byzantine sheets and Rafel poured his warmth into her softness. Cora melted in his arms,ughing and chiding him for his yfulness. He tickled her harder and she rolled with his big body.


    "Stop it, Rafel. Don''t change the subject!"


    Rafel abruptly quit his petting. He was t on his back in bed, and Cora sat astride his legs, straddling him. Her bum was warm on his thighs. She stiffened also when he did. Rafel touched his hands to her hips. He fondled her slim waist.


    His demonic eyes went a tad softer.


    "What is it, Your Grace? Did I do something wrong?" Cora shifted in hisp.


    "No. Not all, Coraz¨®n. You called me Rafel."


    She blushed and turned her face away. "I lost myself a moment."


    "Hmm, is that so?" Rafel was not convinced.


    Rafel kept his hand to the small of her back and stood off the bed with her. Cora instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. Despite feeling his awakening wood, the both of them did nothing about it. Rafel carried Cora in his arms, light as a feather and straddling his strong thighs, all the way to his crystal bathroom.


    He pushed through the ss doors and pped the nob of an overhead fountain. He stood then under the rain of hot water with Cora propped on him. Their clothes soon dripped with water, and only then did Rafel put Cora down so the both of them could peel off the sodden garments.


    Cora rose naked and dreamy before Rafel. Streams of water rushed down the hollow of her breasts down her light abs.


    "So. . .are you going to tell me who you were with all morning while I was sleeping off in a carriage ride?"


    Rafel stepped out his ck briefs. His cock perched half erect, like a pipe in the space between them. Showering with Cora was nothing weird¡ªin their case. Back in Hel, he had servants just for his bathing rituals. Female servants. After all, no one knew when the Apollyon might decide to drag one of the girls to his cock.


    "I was in the Penderghast vi over at the southside moonds. . ."


    Rafel went on to exin to Cora his entire morning as she soaped him up. He did not deduct a single thing. His silver-haired Chambein already knew of his affair with the Countess. When Cora knelt on the white tiles to touch him, Rafel stopped the path of her hand on his rock-hard pecs. Her pretty face and blue eyes hovered an inch away from his slippery shaft.


    He pulled her up quietly.


    "Get the bathrobe. And meet me on the north sparring grounds. It just urred to me I''ve never seen you train."


    Cora submissively nodded and wrapped a towel over her model figure. She pushed the sliding ss doors and hopped to Rafel''s order.


    [?? Good Things Fall Apart ¨C ILLENIUM, Jon Bellion.]


    The north side of the Emberfall Estate was straight and wide, with a savanna stretching into the silvery horizon. The grasses were a pale shade,cking the necessary chlorophyll. They weren''t normal grasses, but the foliage of Wyrmwood. A vegetation that grew only in areas of pure creation magic.


    The trimmed nd was silver as the winter skies above. Contrary to the Count''s prediction, it had not yet snowed.


    Rafel padded across the gray marsh in his cold goth boots, his ck tunic swaying behind him in the wintry air. He walked a few steps through the carpet grass and stopped. He swirled around and strands of his red hair pulled from his masculine coif. Behind him, twenty paces away was Coraz¨®n.


    The Dark Witch was dressed to the nines in a shy tight leggingsplete with a [Hallowed] mage shawl. The silver cowl matched her tinum hair. Cora bristled with excitement. Rafel had invited her to training this dusk. They were about to spar.


    Idle clouds rolled over Emberfall''s misty grounds as Rafel spread his hands wide in the air. He gave Cora the order to begin.


    "Hit me with all that you have, Coraz¨®n. And know that I can take it."


    "B¨CBut?" The witch began to stutter.


    "No Buts, love!" Rafel yelled across the nd to her. "COME ON! LET ME SEE SOME WITCHING!"


    "Alright." Cora cleared her throat. "Here we go."


    Since Cora was bonded to the Matriarchy of a coven sired by Her Eminence, Lilith herself, Rafel expected at least an [Epic] level mana generation from Cora. She was a [Rank B] Witch after all. Cora softly began chanting under a small voice. Her sorcery was in whispers.


    Rafel paid attention to her spellcasting.


    She uttered these words,


    "Out of brimming fire, echoed my Goddess'' ire.


    She who must not be named, but rules over many souls tamed.


    Grant me now imperial grace, cast from darkness thy unholy ce.


    I summon the firmament to heed my call, blood and thunder thou must fall."


    As Cora spoke these dark words, her voice split into a million shards and screeched out from all directions. The touch of a fiend''s roar bulleted out her lips. The wind picked up on the grasnd, and several silver tendrils were uprooted. Cora''s white cape was billowing in the wind. Her tinum hair glowed white gold, shining out like an Angel''s Halo. Her blue eyes sparked and shot ethereal mes.


    Clouds began to gather above. Dark menacing clouds. It soon formed something of a giant fist. The energy in the air change and raw mana was potent to any magical entity.


    Rafel was impressed.


    This was Elemental Magic.


    The force of creation.


    Very, very few witches could sessfully conjure and control the spellforce without roasting themselves in the process. All magic came with a price. Luckily for Cora, she had an Underworld Goddesss for a Matriarch and could summon to earth a Uluvian Reaper and feel nothing but an itch. Coven Matriachs were like an umbre in a storm. And Lilith could bear the weight of a crucifixion and still live.


    Rafel beheld a frightening sh of lightning tear down the skies for him.


    It happened in the one-thousandth of a second.


    But to him, it was slow. He saw the finger of electricity prick the sky and plunge down for him. He dodged so fast it was like he vanished.


    Cora was shocked to the bone. This man was apparently faster than lightning.


    The purple streak struck the earth and the grasses it met went up in ashes. A haphazard burnt circle was left behind, and the scraped soil turned to ss.


    "IS THAT ALL YOU''VE GOT, CORAZ¨®N!" Rafel boomed just as the apanying thunder shattered the sky.


    Sands danced on the scorched earth. More strikes of lightning rained down, incinerating the silver grasses. Rafel kept jumping away just when it felt Cora would finally gain an edge.


    Cora was getting drained. She felt it. And so she put all of her energy and drew from her [Hallowed] mana core onest time. She joined both her hands and blue mes shot up from her fingertips to her shoulders. It engulfed her until she was a gigantic blue inferno.


    A great mass of pulling lightning streaks gathered in the dense clouds, furling into a huge ball of twisting purple energy. Aet heading straight for earth.


    "No, this. . ." Cora yelled. "THIS is all I''ve got!"


    She spontaneously let loose, and the ball of lightning came crashing down. Thunder rolled the heavens, making the skies seem more of the sea as it thrashed with clouds like frothing waves. To Cora''s surprise, Rafel didn''t jump this time.


    Her eyes went wide just before the cracklinget hit earth. It was going to kill him.


    "MY LOOOORD!!!" She screeched.


    But Rafel just stretched out his arms. And he took the hit.


    His ruthless smile was thest thing Cora saw. . .before the entire nd exploded into a nuclear mushroom of devastating energy. It was the surge of a st and the ricochet of the heatwave sent her flying backwards.


    The blinding light tore eyesight from her dted pupils.


    Cora could finally see some secondster. But when she looked out across the savanna, there was no grass in sight. There was no Rafel either.


    Cora choked as tears sprang to her eyes. She put up her hand over her dry lips.


    "The Martyr have mercy! Have I killed My Lord?"

 Chapter 42: A Rising Phoenix

    [?? Into Your Arms ¨C Witt Lowry ft. Ava Max.]


    AYA NAAMAH RUSHED OUT OF THE MANOR, yelling on top of her lungs.


    "Cora! What have you done?"


    The biting wind whistled and her ears turned red as she gathered to herself the elongated sleeves of her long crimson windbreaker. Aya had being tending to the horses in the stables, trying to keep Rafel''s Pegasus from mating with a blonde mare, when she''d heard the monstrous explosion. It had sent Agamemnon, the ck Pegasus neighing loudly in the air.


    The mare had run off to a corner, forgetting the winged stallion''s giant, pipe cock in a second. The beams of the stables had rattled with the force of the hit. Aya had immediately pulled off her gloves and tore through the swinging wood doors.


    And although the stables were far across from the south sparring grounds, the shockwave from the st had ttened the grasses this side of thend.


    "I¨CI d¨Cdon''t know what happened," Cora was muttering to herself when Aya reached her. Her silver hair was disheveled and frayed at the sides.


    Aya knelt slowly beside the tinum blonde and picked up her face. Cora''s eyes were frozen in their sockets. The blue orbs looked lost. Frantic. Afraid.


    "Tell me, babe. Tell me what happened? Just tell me, and it''ll be alright," Aya said to her.


    Cora sat on the scorched earth in a petrified position. Lifting a stiff hand, she pointed towards the massive crater hole where the sparring grounds had once been. Aya followed the line of her hand to the wide crevice of ck burned ground. Cora began to exin.


    "He. . .wanted us to train. His G¨CGrace wanted us to train." She huped. "¡ªhe said to give him my best shot. I tried to stop.


    I¨CI implored him. I conjured a reaction st using Hallowed Level cloud magic. The lightninget formed. It fell. I was powerless to stop it. His Grace was there one second.


    The next. . .he was gone. I¨CI didn''t mean it, I swear! I SWEAR! I would never hurt my Lord.


    I LOVE HIM. I WORSHIP HIM."


    "Shh. I know, babe." Aya rubbed up Cora''s arms. Her sofy skin was pale and ravaged by goosebumps.


    "And I believe you," Aya continued. "But fuck! Lord Master is gone?!"


    Cora began to sob. "Please help me. I would sooner sh my wrists than lift a finger to His Grace. He ordered me."


    Aya pulled the witch closer. She felt remnants of elemental mana seeping into her body from Cora''s. It was a potent summoning, backed by one of The Fallen no less. Aya kept Cora''s head to her cleavage and softly stroked her white hair as she turned to look behind once more.


    She gaped at the sight. The earth was still smoking.


    And from what she could see, there was no Rafel, dead or alive in the pit of broken earth.


    Aya gave Cora a minute and wiped at her teary eyes with the ends of her sleeves. She then pulled her up to her feet.


    "Come on, babe. We have to check!"


    "Nooo!" Cora wailed. She bawled and tried to pull away. "Please, no. Don''t make me. I''ll hate myself forever."


    "We have to," Aya induced. "Look at me. Come on, look at me, babe." She made Cora lift shimmery pupils until theynded on hers. Aya spoke steadfastly into them. "I have seen our Lord Master go up against a Rank A Mauler and loose an arm but not the fight. I have watched him on the sands of the arena in action, long before he was ever a Champion of it.


    Lord Israfel is called The Burning One. He was birthed in the fieryva pools of Hel. I don''t think he''s about to let your little mortal lightning get the best of him, as formidable as you are. Besides, I don''t see any bodies, do you?"


    Aya was ying tough love. Cora saw this and nodded.


    "Good. Then let''s go find our infernal Master," Aya tugged at her.


    They started towards the burning hole in the earth.


    [?? Light ''Em Up (World Championship Finale 1) ¨C Das Sound Machine (Pitch Perfect 2).]


    The smell of ash filled the winter''s gale as Coraz¨®n and Aya Naamah pulled closer to the crater. The tendrils of smoke rising up the hole was thick and Aya waved a hand over the ce.


    An immediate pick in the breeze sent the smoke tumbling up to the sky and dried up most of the red hissing earth. The alluring Subus was no witch but she could perform mild magicks. As a sex demoness, Aya absorbed more than just the sperm¡ªor squirt, in her case¡ªoff her partners. And the voluptuous brte had fucked enough Mages to be able to conjure up a small wind.


    It was the wind that cooled the earth enough for them to see.


    Holding hands, they cautiously approached.


    Cora still couldn''t look and turned away. But Aya didn''t. And she was d for it. For she saw her Lord Master. He was alive!


    There in the center of the brimming crater, Rafel sat cross-legged as if in meditation. His eyes were closed. He was naked. Gloriously naked. Theet''s st had incinerated his clothes to ash around him. He was born of fire.


    In his position, he looked fresh out of a bathroom. His skin gleamed like the jewels of the Seely Court. He was gold and silver, crimson and clover, dark and bellunder.


    The chemical reaction of the collision of livid lightning with sand had left most of the earth around him as ss. The mirrors surrounded him, and in the steam of heat, Aya could also his back in them. His serpent symbiote crawled from one corner of his golden skin to another. It took diverse coiled shapes in the impressive muscture.


    "Lord Master. . ." Aya croaked.


    And Rafel opened his eyes.


    Streams of liquid fire poured out. Hisshes were more wisps of me than curly hair.


    He gave her a small smile that made Aya sink to her feet in front of him.


    "My Lord Master," she intoned again. Her voice was wind through grass.


    "My beautiful ve,"


    Rafel spoke telepathically to her. And Aya''s eyes watered some at their connection. To hear his timber voice in her mind was a great honor: to be one with a god. Rafel trusted her.


    On her knees in dimmed coals, Aya Naamah watched her Lord rise. He was a Phoenix ascending from the ash, ruffling its feathers and entering life anew. She could distinctly make out the wings of fire sprouting out his back.


    When he stood to his full height, they flickered away.


    He began walking to her and Aya felt her violet eyes sliding down the nes of his chest and abs to his hot cock. Like, literally hot. If this wasn''t an instant turn-on, Aya didn''t know what was. Languid fire glowed just underneath his skin. She wet her lips with her tongue.


    Cora was turned away from them and didn''t notice what was happening. She was sobbing into her hands on her feet.


    "Forgive me, gods of the Underworld. Forgive me, thou Queen of the Night, Lilith Firstborn. Lord Morningstar, your Incarnates: Nyx and Erebus, have mercy. I have taken away your Apollyon. Hold not your wrath from me. .


    .fall upon me and take my soul. I only ask that you curse me not with the absence of your dark grace. For I wish to serve you in death, even as in life. I would serve a sentence of a thousand years on the darkest moon, in the deepest trench, anywhere as penitence. I''ll walk on coals for you. I''ll scale the frostiest mountain and dip the¡ª"


    "Ah, Coraz¨®n. I thought you were supposed to be the strong one."


    Cora froze at the voice. Her hands fell away. She could not believe her ears.


    "L¨CLord M¨CMaster?"


    She wished with all her heart she''d heard correctly. She wished so much it actually hurt.


    "Yes, Coraz¨®n. It is I."


    When he called her Coraz¨®n again, Cora knew it was him. She grinned widely and spun around. She threw herself into his arms.


    Rafel caught her without a stumble. She was purring on his body like a cat. She rubbed and rubbed herself into him. She caressed his hair and inhaled his neck. She licked his hot skin and wed at his back. Rafel''s serpentine parasite retreated at her zealous embrace.


    "I''ll have you know that I''m quite nude here, Coraz¨®n. As much as you dress boyishly, you are still a hot girl. Don''t tempt me." Rafel chuckled.


    He hugged her back. When Cora finally pulled away, Aya had stood up to her feet. Both women smiled up at Rafel. It was in moments like these he really decimated their poor, emotional hearts.


    Rafel pulled them close, saying,


    "I had hoped to get an least an hour in the ming crater,muning with the tongues of fire. They provide the quality temperature for focus. . ."


    Cora knew Rafel was kidding and smiled more. She kissed his clean shaved jawline. He was an extremely attractive man. To Rafel, sitting in a river of fire in a volcano could be equated to a zombie stumbling upon an Epic [Rejuvenation Pool].


    He continued, ". . .but s, you hot chicks had toe in and be my hero. Heroines, I guess."


    Cora and Ayaughed. Rafel grinned with them.


    "Nowe on, you lush babes! I may be born of fire. . .doesn''t mean I don''t feel the cold. I have no intention of getting shrivelled balls. This fuckin'' winter!"


    The girlsughed harder. Rafel strolled with them to the Manor, buck naked. At the high doors, Aya made them invisible. The fairies whose kingdom was Emberfall''s orchard soon came upon the dark crater. Tiny shimmery wings buzzed as the began sowing new Wyrm seeds to grow up the moon savanna again.


    In half an hour, by speedy pixie magic, the little fairies had tendrils of fresh green reaching up for the minuscule watering jars of fairy dust in their hands. Mia, the lead fairy kept a souvenir: a shard ofet ss born of a Hellion''s infernal bath.

 Chapter 43: The Crusade Of Rumbrun

    THAT SAME EVENING, in the Imperial Castle of the Empire, high above all institutions and domiciles of the Capitol, a lone rider came rushing through the cobblestone streets. People flew to the side at his galloping horse, staring afterward at the might and fury of his steed. And for the reason behind such urgency.


    The rider was a patrol guard from the North.


    A Grey Stag of Her Majesty''s forces.


    And the rider had a message. A grim one.


    The patrolman fell upon Giselle''s throne room in haste, riding in like a mad man. A meeting of the Queen''s Court was in session, Giselle herself on the throne. Everyone in the majestic white hall turned to stare at the audacious ck-robed knight.


    In the silence, someone dropped a fart. It echoed and few snickers were heard. The Nobleman who''d gassed shrugged, unembarrassed. The air was tense.


    But Giselle payed no attention to the sidelines. She looked rather, on this new rider. To enter her presence riding on a horse spoke tales of the news toe. Her nearest Gold Cloaks moved to ost the Stag but Giselle held up her hand.


    She quietly watched the ck rider jump off his saddle. His mountain boots nged loudly against the stone floors. His shoes held wear of a long journey. The patrolman had had a long travel. Walking to the dais, the rider knelt¡ªmore like copsed¡ªbefore the Queen.


    He pulled off his helmet, and everyone gasped.


    Giselle''s hands went white on her throne''s armrests.


    Half the rider''s face was gone.


    t out gone!


    Brain matter, bits of bone and ck blood oozed out the sawed off side. People covered their noses. Some, their mouths. Obviously, this man was dead. But someone had sent him all the way back from the North, keeping him not alive but animate by Dark Sorcery. A blood moon ritual perhaps.


    Since he was a Stag, it was clearly intended as a message.


    Giselle retreated back into her seat when the half-headed man screeched. Someone had taken a sword to his head, and badly. He was deformed grotesquely, vertically from his scalp downwards.


    "Shit. That was Ser Petyr." Someone said.


    Giselle wondered how this person knew just what Knight he had been. He was missing most of his face anyway.


    "Urrrgggghhhhllluh!" The dead Stag yowled.


    His half lips moved and people finally retched in a corner. One particr Lady vomited into a priceless vase of carved, Valhan history. The zombie knight was trying to speak.


    "Ruuuumbrrrr. . .Rumbrun, Your Majesty. It has begun!"


    Blood and maggots dropped from the peeling side of the head to the throne room floors. A wet squelch sounded out. People vomited fresh, and most ran out the hall. Giselle was afraid to ask what had begun.


    The fallen, dposing Stag tried again.


    "Ruuuumbrrrr. . . Rumbrun, Your Majesty. Thhhthhh¨CThey areing. From the deep North, from the caves of the Ice God.


    Rrrrr. . .rings of devils at their fingertips. Rrrrruuum. . .


    Rumbrunes. RUMBRUUUUN!!!


    It has begun. It has begun! I tell ye, Yoooour Majestyyyy. I¨CI ssssss. . .seen it with me own eyessss.


    It has begun. Coming from the North, they areing. The Crusaders. It has begun. Thhhhh. .


    .the Crusade of Rumbrun."


    SPLAT!


    The rest of the man''s brain fell out the side of his torn head. The remaining people in the hall sank to the nearest flower vases or mighty pirs. Everyone was vomiting. Even a Gold Cloak had his gilded helmet and retched buckets into it.


    It was such a twisted sight.


    Anyone could tell Ser Petyr¡ªif it was him, had been killed violently. But only the darkest of minds would make his corpse ride out a journey of several days through the thick of winter to the city.


    With the skull finally empty, no dark magic was able to keep life in the body again. Or at least, a fragment of it. The in Stag copsed right next to his gray matter. Bloodshot eyes stared out from a maggot-infested green face to Giselle''s.


    The Fey Queen beheld in it the horrors toe.


    War wasn''ting. War was here.


    [?? Every Rose Has Its Thorn ¨C Poison.]


    Giselle shot up to her feet so fast her rhinestone crown shivered on her head. She barked out orders to her loyal and most trusted: her Gold Cloaks, and the only ones not green in the face and still in the Throne room.


    "Get this carnage to Camerlengo''sboratory! Have him try his best, see if we can trace the arcane print to its Spellcaster. And afterwards, burn the body in a pyre outside the city''s gates. The most honor we can grant this Stag to not bury him in all the dark magic swaming his corpse.


    Like a Griffin, I wish for his soul to saunter majestically and free into his eternity. As for his tale, it shall not leave this halls! Restrict the Nobles to the Castle if you have to. We have many rooms and food. Keep them busy. Organize a party; do some shit!


    But don''t let them hobble and talk.


    I, on the other hand have to see a man about frozen crusaders."


    Giselle left the throne room with her golden robes sweeping behind her and the heads of armored officers turned down. That night, she could get no rest. She kept seeing ck faces and raining icicles.


    "Oh, for fucks'' sake!"


    She rolled and rolled in bed.


    And at dawn, before the most proud of her trained peacocks could crow in the sunrise, the Queen had mounted her winged carriage and rode out the sleeping streets of the Capitol to seek the advise of the only man she knew who could save her Empire from a horde of Ice Men.


    The sun was just beginning to nestle the skies when she pulled up to the eerie gates of Emberfall.


    The news from the zombie Stag was just one of her many excuses to see Rafel again. Her arrival woke up the entire Manor. It wasn''t everyday the Queen of the Empire pulled up to your doors. Stewards, Chefs, Maids, Gardeners, the whole lot, cracked up an inspired morning when they rubbed their eyes open to find Giselle Van Imperia behind the Mansion''s door.


    "I''m here to see the Earl."


    Cora let her in.


    But Rafel was not awakened¡ªno one dared. The Queen was made to wait in the brightening Day Room. She watched silently the miracle of the sunrise flood the room with colors both heavenly and wintry. It was a peaceful countryside air. She imagined Seraphs beating their many wings up there, in the highest of silver clouds.


    Giselle must have known Rafel was an early bird for she did not have to wait long. As the new day dawned, she blinked when the redhaired Lord of the Manor himself strode in dreamily. He was like a daydream, walking with his head down. The golden morning sun hit his face and stray locks of his ruddy hair found their way into his ethereal gaze.


    His hair was wet. A recent shower. Giselle noticed. How couldn''t she?


    The man smelled like summer and spring, and this in winter.


    "Good Morning, Your Majesty. Sorry for the wait. Let''s get to it then," Rafel greeted.


    Giselle tried not to bring up the issue of his stunning handsomeness as he led her out the Day Room to his Study, where they could discuss the reason for her early arrival. She did covertlypliment him though.


    "Yes, ''tis a fine morning, Your Grace," said the blond Queen. "¡ªeven finer now that I see you."


    Rafel returned Giselle''s smile as they entered his study.


    "I have a problem, Lord Israfel. And it is called the Crusade of Rumbrun."


    She did not mince words.


    In the opulent aristocratic and sensual ambiance of the quiet room, they dissolved into a studious conversation. In it, Giselle told the tale of the horrifying Knight of the North, once her Stag of the northern defenses, that had arrived missing half a face. She finished thus,


    ". . .I ordered an arcane autopsy of Camerlengo. He probably won''t get a seance or bloodprint reading of the Caster. Dark Wizards tend to hide their magicks in banned ult rituals. Ser Petyr''s body would meet a pyre afterwards."


    Rafel remained silent for a long while. Try as she might, Giselle''s fae magic couldn''t break into his Hellish mind. If she wanted a mind-read, she''d have to ask. She stood on the other side of his gray pinewood desk and looked upon his ruddy features.


    Rafel was seated. His long fingers tapped at his knee. He regarded the ornate Grandfather clock chiming away softly. An hour had gone by.


    His reading haven had been converted into some sort of War Room. Maps of excellent Eldorian cartography brought up from his shelves lined the gun-metal desk. Wooden figurines of ships and dragons and knights dotted several points on the map, marking out positions of strategy: where the infantry or navy would be best deployed.


    And where not.


    It was like a game of Chess.


    Critical thinking to excel in the art of war.


    Because war it was. Giselle¡ªand Ser Petyr''s cursed fucking corpse¡ªhad made that abundantly clear.


    However, Rafel was not a cruel host and would not let his Queen starve, even in the deliberations of war. Tabs of hot chocte, vani, and cones of melting ice cream were scattered on another lower table to the side; their breakfast. In Rafel''s silence, Giselle swept her hand over the table to pour out the remnant paper tes and bread crumbs into a small garbage can.


    Rafel was still in thought. She could see the little strikes of the clock''s minute hand reflected in his yellow dragon eyes.


    Rafel counted on certain things in life to be perpetual. The sunrise for instance. No one, not even conjoined Principalities could keep back the dawn. He could also count on the immortality of his Uncle, the Archdemon, Lucifer Morningstar to remain forever. The man was the personification of all evil. And evil would always live forever, whereunto life itself continued.


    These things were eternal. They could be depended upon.


    But not this fucking Crusade!


    Ascending to earth, Rafel expected to fight in wars¡ªand win them. Chaos was his second nature. Nevertheless, the Crusade of Rumbrun was a curveball.


    Who were these fucking assholes anyway?


    Rafel moved his gilded eyes from the chiming clock to Giselle.


    "Who are these people?"


    Giselle sighed and pulled a chair close.


    "They are the anti Life of Eldoria. As Legend goes, the first men who settled here of course made deals with the already nesting Sprites and Faeries who habited thends. But some of those pioneer settlers were greedy and sought out the frostyirs of the giants. The offspring of the Titans.


    There, amongst the unseen ice caves, the settlers not immediately used by giants to pick their teeth of pr bear meat were savagely subjected to serve as ve concubines until the death. The women got pregnant.


    And the Nephilims were born.


    This progeny were faster, stronger, and worse¡ªinvulnerable. The least of them was well over ten feet. They strung the skulls of trespassers on their shoulders and wore the scalps of their enemies as shinguards. Utter barbarians!


    The ruling Mages and Druids then harbored together and created a spell to partition off thends too deep in the North forfort, coincidentally the arctic realms of the giants. The Nephilims did resist, but Faerie magic prevailed in the end. Thends of the furthest north, where even fish struggle to dwell was thus named Rumbrun, and quickly torn off every map in existence."


    "And the Crusade?" Rafel stroked his jaw.


    Giselle sat back in her seat, motionless for a while, before replying in a voice like smooth, pouring ale.


    "Every decade or so, during long months of winter, the barriers of Fae Blessed runes keeping back the Nephilims wane in strength. The blue giants kick at the invisible wall, and sounds of their pounding echo out miles of the tundra.


    Every Regent since the veiling of Rumbrun has being saying to revitalize the runes, and update the arcane system. But so far, the Kings and Queens have managed to leave their actions to mere words.


    It is prophesied in the ancient scripts of the Highfather though, that one day, the veil woulde tumbling out and the horde of Nephilims which have being growing surmountably would swarm and im all of Eldoria.


    It just happens to be my luck that it''s my regime the fucking giants choose to break through."


    Rafel stopped tapping his fingers. He peered straight into Giselle''s gold pupils.


    "So The Stags are the kingdom''s scouts for when the wall falls?"


    "Yes." Giselle nodded. "From Ser Petyr''s horrific entry, I gather the Walls of Rumbrun have fallen."


    Rafel stood up slowly, and he walked to the map spread on the table. He touched the curling edges.


    "Where does their crusade begin?"


    Giselle, the blonde Fae, put on his own silver reading sses and struck a spot on the map with a small cane. It beared North on the overheadpass.


    "Frostholm."


    They both recited as one.


    That city was just recovering from one genocide. And Giselle had been merciful. Who knew just how sick the minds of blue giants were?


    "Shit." Rafel echoed Giselle''s thoughts.


    "Yeah. . . shit just about the covers it." The Queen responded. She rose to her feet also and moved around the war table to stand beside Rafel. "So, what do we do, mighty Israfel?"


    Rafel quietly waved his hand over the area of Frostholm sketched on the map. A new figurine appeared in at his fingertips. It was ck, menacing, and bigger than the rest. From Giselle''s point of view, it appeared to be a Titan.


    She never would in aeons guess it was Rafel. He, a Titan.


    Rafel gingerly dropped the macabre wooden figurine over the paper and slid it to far up North, as far away from Frostholm and into the surrounding tundra marked on the map. He let the Titan menace hang over a perch of Alps.


    Giselle touched his hand over the map.


    "What are you thinking, my Lord?"


    A sinister grin lit the entire Study and Giselle saw shadows dance in the corner of her eyes.


    "The Crusade of Rumbrun would only forever be a rumor. . .if the Nephilims never leave the deep North to begin with."


    Rafel''s words were for a second cryptic. It hung dangerously in the room, the implied meaning far louder than his baritone. But the moment sheprehended it, her unquenchable manic delight entered her golden eyes. She hugged Rafel''s strong arm. Together, they stared as one over the map.


    The Crusade of Rumbrun was about to end. . .just as quickly as it begun.


    Was there ever a foe who could stand in his way? The Fey Queen wondered silently in her mind.


    They were about to find out, because just like Avalon and its peak of limitless magic, eventually, all Empires fall, grinded to dust beneath the heel of a fresh prophecy and Conqueror.

 Chapter 44: A Long March

    AS THE FIRST SNOWS FELL, Queen Giselle of House Imperia, Fae Monarch and Regent of the Nine Realms marched with a hundred and eighty thousand of her finest Gold Cloaks to the North. A month had passed since the Crusade of Rumbrun first began.


    And although Rafel''s n to end their conquest before it ever left the north was foolproof, the necessary battle stratagems had to be approved by the Court of Druids which served Her Majesty''s throne.


    Every single day since the appearance of the rotting Stag, several more had entered the kingdom: bodies always dposing and souls half crazy. The city''s gates had been locked for the time being. Trade routes frozen. And more troops under Commanders dispatched to the farming viges near the coast who couldn''t defend themselves.


    Giselle moved to protect her Empire and its people, even as she rode off to war.


    She would not hear the words of her bestfriend, Countess Cordelia Penderghast to remain at home andmand the host from a safe distance away. No! Not Giselle. She loved battle and blood as much as the redhaired rogue Hellion currently riding out with her. The tundrands had turned his mane a shade of brass.


    Giselle looked to Rafel at her side.


    His amber eyes were focused and bright in the hollows of his moon-white helmet. He had said nothing for fourteen days, and the nights they''d camped in ice forests and beside frozenkes, not much could be deduced in his expression over a flickering firece. They had been on their march now for a fortnight.


    Rafel knew Giselle was staring from the saddle of her silver Griffin. Therge bird pranced in the deep snow, leaving great talonprints that were quickly covered by the biting wind. He didn''t turn to look at her.


    Winter was a sorry time to wage war.


    Fingers grew stiff, and joints locked. It took a warrior''s iron heart to swing his weapon over and over. Rafel knew the Nephilims would have this advantage over them. They had survived the arctic temperatures, adapted and colonized the deep North for centuries. So much that their skins turned blue. They wouldn''t feel the cold.


    But the Gold Cloaks were strong, sure-footed as a mountain goat, and they traversed the cold white ins steadfastly.


    Rafel himself had summoned his armies of Rocasus. They had journeyed in from the west and joined the Queen''s forces a week into the long march. It brought the entire host to nearly three hundred thousand infantry and a cavalry quarter the size. The footmen marched and didn''t grow weak. Giselle had put a dent in her sizeable fortune in upgrading their armors, all of them to a [Hallowed] level.


    The Eldorians actually had a chance against the blue Giants.


    They had to. The Capitol and the freends of thriving magic depended on the oue of this battle.


    Rafel rode on his ck Pegasus. Giselle had offered a Griffin, but Rafel preferred to feel the bulk of muscles under his thighs, and march his prized winged steed to war. Rafel was adorned in his [Legendary] Wolf Pelt Armor. He opted against the [Epic] Sphinx since the winter wolf was more suited to the fields of battle.


    The armor kept his temperatures optimal. It came in all pristine white, and had a fluffy silver hide topping his broad shoulders. His helmet was shaped in a metal wolf''s head. His lips were prevented from drying out by the shut mouthpiece which could unlock to reveal sharp ivory teeth.


    When need be, he could rip the jugr right off an adversary without needing to pull off his helm.


    Yesterday, as the entire army cradled at night in circles around camp fires, the soldiers shuffling close underrge army nkets to keep warm, one of the scouts returned. The only one out of the fifty sent out to scape the tundra. He''d galloped straight out of the freezing darkness to thergest tent, positioned dead center of the camp.


    The Queen''s tent.


    The scout had fallen on his knees before her. Rafel easily remembered Aya Naamah had been behind him,bing out his red locks. Cora was chatting with Giselle, who was biting into a craven bird''s fat thigh. A dozen Gold Cloaks surrounded their private domain stoically.


    He also remembered Giselle''s golden eyes going dim, and her dropping the fowl''s roast to the dirt snows with a plop, when the scout delivered his message. Rafel knew the words by heart. Recitations of it didn''t let him sleep at night. It went thus,


    "Your Imperial Majesty, I¨CI bring sad tidings. Persepolis has fallen. Ashtapur also. And the Giant, Ekron leads the crusade. He is a Nephilim of ten feet and six digits of fingers and toes. It is hemands the horde of Rumbrun.


    The others have been captured, Your Majesty. In the fright of the cold hills from whence I looked, I counted a devastating number. He also has a Dark Witch with him. A blood Sorceress. She resurrects his dead. And I think she also¡ª"


    Giselle interrupted the scout. "How many?" She asked. "How many?"


    "Half a million at least by my count, Your Majesty."


    "That''s one of our men to three giants. Interesting!" said the Queen.


    The scout was profoundly astonished. Worried even. The Queen was not afraid. She smiled her usual, picked up the fallen bird''s leg and tossed it to her Griffin. The lean scout had stood up and left her presence with a tale on his lips to his band of brothers.


    Rafel broke his thoughts to nce behind at the chariot following closely. On the open rolling wheels stood Aya Naamah and Coraz¨®n. Ravenna was absent¡ªthough she had vehemently insisted oning along. Rafel had to threaten her with grounding her in the house.


    "Keep the home, and we''ll be back before you know it," he''d instructed.


    Back then, Ravenna had made him promise. He did. She asked him to cross his heart. He didn''t¡ªin her presence.


    He could see his breath form a cloud in the wintry air. kes danced in flutters down from a gray, sunless sky. The chariot of his women behind was white as his armor. So was the splendor of the three hundred thousand Eldorian military that flowed out behind them. They were in a single arranged file of three lines, all marching, stretching like smooth stones around a creek.


    Rafel saw the end of the host peeking distantly out a cier he had passed an hour ago.


    Cora and Aya were engaged in conversation in the riding chariot. Cora spoke with her grip around the reins for the snow bears that pulled the buggy.


    She said, "Do you think the Sorceress with the Nephilims would be able to resurrect their fallen?"


    Aya thought for a second, her single fat braid of raven hair swishing out in the cold wind behind her own white helmet. Cora was equally donned in knightly mail. With his women, Rafel was taking no chances. Even the Queen had kept her bestfriend behind. Battle against giants were no joke.


    Aya replied few momentster.


    "No. The sorceress might be able to reanimate fallen soldiers, but I bet it''s one at a time. And requires considerable effort and mana infusion. I don''t think she''ll be able to pull it off and prevent her head from getting hacked off."


    "So, she''ll be protected then?"


    "Hmm, perhaps. But we won''t let her be for long now, would we?"


    Aya and Cora shared secret smiles, both of one mind to take out the Nephilim''s sorceress on their own. As Rafel turned back to face forward again, their discussion lit a certain idea in his head.


    Resurrection? Hmm?


    RESURRECTION!


    Instantly, he said, "System! Equip Divine Resurrection Amulet!"


    His body immediately pulsed with warmth and a purple glow swarmed his wolf pelt armor, dousing him in eerie light for some seconds. A mystic aura remained over his chest area. When the halo dimmed, a Pentagon rune of Underworld magic was embedded in his breastte, right over his sternum.


    The Amulet of Lilith.


    [Ding!]


    [Divine Charm Equipped!]


    [Resurrection Amulet! Gift from Rank S Hell Principality.


    REACH: Calling to new life any creature, beast or mortal, in a thousand acre span.


    PROWESS: Limitless.]


    What a gift?


    [?? Rave In the Grave ¨C AronChupa & Little Sis Nora.]


    Rafel smiled under his silver helm.


    The sorceress would not be able to resurrect corpses. But he will.


    Thousands of in, rising to fight again!


    How utterly viinous?


    As the Winter Demon, he charged to the front of the host and led the march onwards. Seeing such a mighty man of valor before them sparked fresh hope in the soldiers and they picked up their pace. Cora turned in her chariot, lifted up her hands behind to the moving troops, and uttered a simple spell that warmed their cold bodies and made their cheeks pink again.


    Giselle picked up pace and sidled in next to his charge. Her Griffin brushed his horse again. This time, he turned to her, met her golden eyes and nodded amicably. Together, a Fey Queen, a Hell Lord, a Dark Witch, and a [Rank A] Subus led the long march to the Battle against frosty blue Giants.


    If they kept up the pace, they would be in Frostholm by nightfall. From there onwards, was enemy territory.


    Rafel guessed they''d have to make their stand in the ins of Magvath¡ªin Fey tongue, meaning the Goddess of Death. In reality, it was a valley of skulls, eternal mist, and subzero temperatures.

 Chapter 45: Ruins Of Castamere

    CASTAMERE, A SMALL RAINY TOWN between the edge of Frostholm and further into the deep North, was empty of people as Rafel and the legions of the Eldorian host entered through the open, swinging wooden gates. The wee sign was torn off the hinges, a cold wind stered the drizzle to the boards, but Rafel could still make out the slimy brown letters.


    ''Castamere: Home of Inns and Taverns. May it rain forever!''


    Rafel had heard about the little vige. They were famous for their love of music and perpetual spring weather. The folk of Castamere had produced some of the most notable bards in the history of the Empire¡ªsome even rumored the depraved artist, Camerlengo was from the little sleepy town.


    Castamere and its people were famous for lore and hospitable culture. They had a lot of stories to tell. The taverns were always full with rambunctious, raunchy crowd and you could always count on the town for good musical entertainment, little cute birdies in wench drabs with the voice of a canary.


    But now it seemed, Castamere was abandoned.


    No life. No song. No culture.


    It didn''t snow in Castamere. It rained. It seemed the winter had skipped Frostholm, one town over, and sted onwards into the reaching tundra. And so, the ground was wet and the earth squelched with mud from the soldiers'' pounding battle sandals. Few of the warriors removed their helmets to look around.


    What was once a hospitable countryside vige everyone in the continent could count on to maintain its simple, folk culture was a destroyed panorama of empty homes. Doors were kicked in. Taverns, half-burnt and still smoking in the slight rain. A fountain in the shape of a nereid asunder and leaking pure spring water. The long ale hall where people gathered to listen to stories fallen to its knees.


    It looked like a hurricane blown in.


    Rafel didn''t like what he was seeing.


    "We march on!" He shouted behind to the troops.


    The head of his forward legion passed the message backward to the next Centurionmanding his own hundred. Trumpeters blew the bugles so the soldiers at the end of the long marching line could hear and follow the order. Behind, the troops had just skirted around the moat surrounding the recovered state of Frostholm.


    The drawbridge was up. And several lookout guards waved and hailed the route of the marching army. Little children peered through windows in the high brick wall, smiling at the splendor of Her Majesty''s host. In a watchtower, the newly appointed Lord of Frostholm bid the Queen and her allegiants godspeed against the Nephilims.


    The people of Frostholm were lucky the armies of Eldoria had arrived when they did.


    They were next in line for plunder by the crusade of Rumbrun.


    The appareled soldier with the forehorn stopped blowing when Rafel''s message had reached the very end of the winding campaign.


    "At ease, Lieutenant!" Giselle spoke to the warrior on the horse beside her gbearer.


    She adjusted the chainmail of her golden armor and pulled up her Griffin next to Rafel. Seeing her look, Rafel finally put his hands up and unfastened his helmet. He pulled it off and raindrops met with his rufescent hair. The strands were soon stuck to his forehead and the sides of his face. He held the winter wolf''s helm under his right arm and pushed back a ginger lock from his eyes.


    "It looks like a vige I once visited a while back. . .in the aftermath of Moloch''s passing. Even the sheep and goats were skewered like stork," said Rafel.


    He spoke of Castamere, and the surrounding dpidated cabins. The cottages were torn to shambles in the fury of whatever creature had taken flight here. The homeliness of the little rainy town was gone. That quaint spark, extinguished. Rafel knew there weren''t many good things in life, good souls even less, and so it pained him the more. He wondered where all the people went.


    Hopefully, they had escaped whatever carnage Rumbrun had brought in with their unholy crusade. Hopefully.


    Giselle brushed back her own paler blonde hair and wiped of drizzle from her cheeks. She attempted to exert humor into Rafel''s broodiness.


    "I guess the city of Frostholm is overjoyed we arrived when we did, yeah?"


    Rafel didn''t smile. His face didn''t do anything. Didn''t show anything. Aplete, unreadable mask. Emotionless. In one word, Giselle would describe the beautiful man, her war Commander, as an avnche.


    Inspiring and deadly, cold as fuck and would crush and bury you in an instant of your cry.


    "This vige you said," Giselle began again. "when you say Moloch, you mean The Destroyer?"


    Rafel nodded. Giselle sighed in her saddle. He wasn''t wrong. Castamere was a mess. One aspect of Rafel''s speech she didn''t deliberate upon was that now she knew his true infernal origins, ''a while back'', could easily be a hundred years ago.


    "The Nephilims did this!" Rafel growled under his breath.


    Giselle wanted to stretch out her hand and touch him. But she refrained. She had to show strength and courage like he did to their armies behind. So rather than go with her heart, she nced behind to the silver chariot sludging behind. Meeting Cora and Aya''s eyes for a beat, she nodded and looked again to Rafel.


    "¡ªAnd we will make them pay!" She finished with authority.


    The fore troops of the Eldorian legions had reached a fork in the muddy streets of Castamere. It appeared to be a branching out to the vige''s square. The quickest way out of this northernmost thorp and into the icy wastnds where they would meet a cold, certain death or return in shining glory, massive hairy heads of blue Giants on their shoulders.


    Rafel took the bend in the road.


    He and Giselle abruptly halted.


    "Fuck."


    Giselle pulled the reins on her Griffin and Rafel stopped his Pegasus in its canter.


    Both Queen and Earl froze.


    They had just found the people of Castamere!


    No¡ªthe bodies.


    "I was wrong," Rafel said. "This is worse than that vige."


    It was.


    Giselle''s golden eyes were wide in her face. Behind, Cora and Aya''s mouths synchronically dropped open. "By the Son of God!" The Subus yelped. It was the first time she had uttered the messiah''s name. The campaign had reached an impromptu hold, and several soldiers peeked from behind to see what the hold was apart. They didn''t break lines though.


    Luckily, the fork in the road kept them from seeing the twisted violence their Queen beheld.


    Giselle put a hand to her mouth. A secondter, she closed her eyes too.


    There, before them, in the vige''s square was a heap of corpses. Bodies of all the townies they had been looking for. The poor lot hadn''t escaped after all. Beside the mountain of frozen, helpless limbs was also a cart full of kids, tossed into the heap as if in haste or mockery. It was the wheelbarrow of children that made Giselle shut her eyes.


    Their skins were blue. Their innocent faces pale. Eyes ssy as hung deer. Their fingers caked in mud and nails broken in the final moments of their deaths.


    Rafel could see them kicking and screaming at the attackers now. The events leading up to the massacre yed like a whimsical screen in front of him, shrouded in fog and horror. But the children were locusts in the hands of the mighty Nephilims. They had to watch their fathers strangled and torn apart in the middle.


    Mothers, subjected to the worst defilement by giant pricks that''ll give even a cow pause, raped and torn open from the inside.


    And finally, their heads ripped off. Their still bodies tossed like dirty clothes into a pile, heap upon heap.


    As Rafel looked on the interwoven corpses, he counted hundreds. No viger had escaped. None. There was no survivor either. The violence in itself was disturbing.


    He also sighted animals interspersed in the pile. Cadavers of mongrel dogs and livestock. A man''s head looked to be shoved up a bull''s ass. Only superhuman strength could do that. Another woman was yed to the bone¡ªand Rafel only discerned her gender by the tness of her groin area. One headless body had its arm clutching to a lute.


    It hung limply off the fingers, frozen stiff.


    Rafel couldn''t even begin with the children. He, with all the death and pain he had admittedly inflicted, could not send eyes to the cart of little souls now lost to the abyss. He figured he had seen enough.


    The smell of the apothecary filled the air.


    Flies would buzz but for the biting cold. And so, only ck crows, so fat of rotting flesh they looked pregnant cawed and hopped about on the pile of dead bodies. Many corpses bore empty sockets¡ªthe murder birds had gone straight for the eyes.


    Giselle finally pulled away her hand from covering her lips. She gave themand to continue the march, but in another direction. She spoke directly to that Lieutenant thus,


    "Ser Romulus, lead the Legions through the small woond on the other side. It''s a longer path but we''ll have to take it. Have the Wild Shapes among the armies draw up to the front to scare off the beasts of the tundra. As Persepolis and Ashtapur, Castamere too has fallen."


    The soldier bowed and saluted his Queen. And swiftly turned astride his horse to do her bidding. The bugle swiftly sounded and soldiers orded ear to the whistle. The Legions turned as one and took the path of the little snow forest.


    Rafel, Giselle, Coraz¨®n, and Aya Naamah waited until the armies drave off, and then Rafel sparked a tongue of [Hellfire] in his palm and set aze the corpse pile. They all watched the blue bodies burn. The smell of fire licking flesh was acrid but all four of them held their positions, more determined now than ever to get even with the Nephilims.


    About an hourter, Rafel and his female circle joined the host at a small pass sandwiched underneath two great ice peaks. The silver canyon was magnificent and the armies exited through it, finally entering into the no man''snd of Rumbrun, where everything from there was snow, cave, and giant.


    The ambiance of the marching forces was mostly quiet and would have remained so until the troops passed by a wide frozenke. The soldiers were pounding across the center of the solid blue pool, frigid ice crunching under their boots when a crack in the ice stopped them.


    SKRRR!


    All the Legions stopped marching.


    SKRRR!


    The cracking sounded again. And all soldiers held their breaths.


    Was the river of ice about to melt with all of them on it?


    Like a web, the cracking spread right before the soldiers'' gazes. The ice split with a resounding thunder but the whole river didn''t melt. Only arge circr hole opened up in theke. Out from the frothing frigid water burst a gigantic slimy beast. And on its back was Rafel''s wife.


    Green snake eyes blinked cautiously at them as the beast crawled across the ice to the stunned troops. The beast was part crocodile and had the streamlined body of a fish. It was generally slender, not counting the humongous striped blue tail.


    It was the amphibian Lizadron, Yemaya''s Familiar.


    Giselle watched the Antean Queen cross the small ice bridge between them with narrowed eyes. Out from the water hole behind, other simr mutated water beasts broke out the surface to join her. More ice holes cracked in the frozenke and several Antean soldiers burst out the freezing water. They silently joined ranks with the Eldorian troops.


    Yemaya, Goddess of the seas, reached Rafel''s side. Her Lizadron nudged his Pegasus and she leaned in to give him a cute peck on the side of his cheek. She nodded behind to Cora and Aya. The young women returned her smile.


    Giselle was watching all these with quizzical eyes.


    "What are you doing here, water queen? And why are your armies joining my ranks?"


    Yemayaughed warmly.


    "I see you inherited the spiritedness of your grandfather, Giselle. Straight to business! While I don''t owe you or your surface dwellers any reason to be here, I havee because of my husband. He goes to war. I go too!"


    Yemaya touched a hand to her coiled flood of blue hair. The merman at her side, one of her lovers, Gawain, handled her own [Divine] Trident, Waverider. It was a silver feminine contrast of Rafel''s FROSTBLADE.


    Meanwhile, Giselle only heard one word of her entire speech.


    "Your husband?"


    "Yes, my husband." Yemaya did not care for the Eldorian Queen''srge, saucer eyes and continued indifferently, "Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste and I are married. It''s only a union of convenience now, mind you. But still, I would go to war with him. See. . ."


    She held up her ring.


    "I''m d you wore yours too!"


    Yemaya smiled down at Rafel''s ruby marriage knocker. Giselle followed her crescent eyes and hissed through her teeth.


    "Uh oh!" Aya shielded her face behind. Another war was about to break out just now.


    "You are married?! Israfel!" Giselle screeched. "And you didn''t fucking tell me?"


    Rafel looked between both women. He didn''t know where to start. Just how did his Uncle Lucifer manage the supremely jealous Vashti and his other concubines?


    Like a boon from the very devil he was thinking about, the ice cracked again, turning everyone''s attention momentarily to it. Rafel sneaked a smile under the women''s noses and said,


    "We have to keep moving. The ice wouldn''t hold."


    The two Queens forgot their possessiveness for the moment and pulled the reins on their respective beasts. Griffin and Lizadron followed Rafel''s Pegasus as he led the charge, and host onward from the frozenke and into the stretching tundra.


    Yemaya''s additional Antean troops brought up the total number of the host to a solid four hundred thousand warriors, all of them eager to plunder thend of giants.


    As the legions crossed the expanse of the cold-blue frozenke, Rafel sent telepathically to Aya Naamah.


    "Tell Coraz¨®n I said thank you. I owe her one."


    Aya promptly delivered the message, and Cora blushed and smiled. She stole a quick nce forward at the redhaired rogue on the winged horses. She wondered how Rafel knew it was her that conjured thest cracking of the ice to stop Giselle from going into a rant.


    It was a little whispered spell, and it had worked marvelously.


    None of the Queens were wiser. It had stopped a potential catfight from breaking out. Only she and Rafel knew the interruption was helped.


    However, as the demonic giant himself stared out into the immense silver clouds bright with snowkes and a rainbow, he guided his Pegasus onto white mushy earth again and knew, that he couldn''t keep Giselle''s fury at bay for long. Sooner orter, they were going to have ''The Talk''.


    "Shit." He muttered, breathing snow.

 Chapter 46: I Am Legion

    [?? Monsters ¨C Ruelle.]


    THE PLAINS OF THE NORTH were endless. No one knew where it began, nor where it ended¡ªif it dropped right off the earth Camerlengo insisted was one in a million more, or if it was the apocalyptic gateway as the Papacy instituted, into the world of evil. Either way, the falling snows continued to shower the earth as light mist.


    Rafel pulled his winged ck stallion up an incline of ice and stared out into the silvery panorama.


    A snow storm lurked in the horizon.


    "The vale of Magvath is just beyond that Alp."


    Rafel pointed to a final mountain, the greatest among the cluster spread in the icy region, its pencil tip reaching and hidden in the approaching gray clouds. Giselle was astride her saddle beside him. Yemaya was beside her. Her Lizadron licked at its webbed feet that made it skate ice like a reindeer in the night Yule sky.


    "A storm approaches, Your Graces!" Ser Romulus, the Queen''s right hand Lieutenant hailed behind.


    Rafel turned on the incline to nce down at the man. He then looked outward towards the armies spread across the tundra like ck leaves dispersed in snow. The storm was going to hit in a hour. He intended to be past that ice mountain by then. And finally, bring an end to the frozen crusaders.


    It was Giselle who echoed his thoughts, "We keep marching, Lieutenant! Get the Witches to implore the Goddess of the Hearth, summon warmth in the heart of warriors, and make sure to keep the blood flowing¡ªto all areas. Are we clear?"


    Ser Romulus blushed at this. But quickly saluted to hide it out.


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    He swiftly turned around and marched down tomand the host.


    They encountered the first Nephilim at an impasse at the foot of the mountain. The blue gianty on his side, with a great macabre axe clutched to his side. He heaved on it, his big blue head bald and snoring like a pregnant mare. He was a sentry who guarded the iron gates that blocked the way through the alp. As high into the clouds as the mountain was, there was no exit but through it.


    It was a monolith rampart. A refuge built into the very cier for the Grey Stags. Now the rampart had being taken and the Nephilims were using it to keep trespassers from leaking into their camp¡ªwhich Rafel guessed was just behind the alp. He could see the runes of ancient Celestial magic which those legendary druids of old had used to imprison the offspring of the Titans.


    They shimmered and glowed on the obsidian metal of the magical doorway. Alphabets immune to a mortal''s tongue. Only true witches of pure bloodlines could read and pronounce the spells to unlock the full potential of the wards.


    This alp was one of the many in the chain lined across the tundra that served as pirs for the veil which had kept the blue Giants back¡ªuntil now.


    The Nephilims had conquered the Stags and converted their prison into a fortress for their campaign.


    Giselle mocked the sleeping giant with her eyes.


    "Seems like they aren''t expectingpany. How foolish!" she told Rafel.


    At the Fey Queen''s whispering, the giant slowly opened his eyes. Blue like the frost around him, it took him a moment to blink his heavy dosing away. His pale lips curled to a snarl as his eyes leveled on the gilded Eldorian banners. He instantly knew he beheld the armies of the adversary.


    The bald, blue giant rose to his feet.


    He opened his mouth to yell,


    "RAIDERS! RAI¡ª"


    But Giselle''s Lieutenant, Ser Romulus grabbed his spear and sent it hurling out across to the Giant with savage speed. The sharp metal arrowhead mmed into the big blue head, right between the eyes. The spear sank in through the skull, the ivory tip bursting put the back of the Giant''s fat neck. The spear''s tip was no longer silver. It glowed crimson as fresh blood poured out the open hole.


    Ser Romulus spat as the Nephilim crashed to the ground.


    "You may be half-Titan, motherfucker. But you still bleed red!"


    The blue giant fell to the earth on the knees. Blood dripped out his forehead, running down and soaking the snows around him. He lifted his huge, ham hands and tried to feel for the spear''s handle.


    "Ooh! I wouldn''t do that if I were you!" Giselle taunted. But it was clear in her manic gold eyes how much she wanted him to.


    The idiot Nephilim grabbed the end of the long spear and pulled hard¡ªstupid giant thought he had a better chance of surviving if the javelin was out. The arrowhead sliced out soaked in his blood and brain. The open hole now poured torrents of leaking life. With a final dumbfounded ze in his blue eyes, the giant breathed hisst.


    The spear fell from his fingertips and he crashed heavily to the cold ground.


    The snows absorbed his fountain of blood like a fleece.


    With the sentry dead, Coraz¨®n swiftly hacked into the magical system of the doorway and unlocked the metal gates. A loud grating began as the solid block of iron began to slide up to let them through. Ancient Fae runes danced in blue and silver glyphs of floating magic, swirling into the alp and vanishing.


    Rafel pulled the reins on his Pegasus, Agamemnon. The winged beast neighed proudly and marched first through the raised gates. It stomped the Nephilim''s head for good effect. The skull caved in under the strong ck hooves and a gory mess seeped into the snow. Brain matter trailed after the horse''s galloping.


    Giselle''s Griffin and Yemaya''s Lizadron each shared the pair of the giant''s eyes which had popped out his squashed head. The Queen''s silver Griffin gulped down the orb greedily before ruffling it''srge wings and hurrying through the gates after Rafel''s horse.


    And so it was that the entire four hundred thousand of Eldorian, Antean, and Rocasian armies marched through the foot of the mountain and into the hidden realms of Rumbrun. It was as the host emptied out from the gateway that Rafel turned toment on Giselle''s earlier words.


    "The Giants were not foolish in cing one guard at the gates. Not at all. They thought we wouldn''t be foolish enough to risk a journey of a fortnight into the North to confront them. I think they were relying on the threat of the severe winter, the ice beasts, and carnivorous forests to keep us south.


    And now that I think on it, I think they are foolish after all. . .for thinking we would be."


    The frightfully immense Alp was now behind them. Its towering peak rose and rose into the ck skies, narrowing to the zenith which couldn''t be seen. It wasrger than life, and if it erupted would crumble all of Rumbrun to dust. A horde of blue Giants buried in the wastnds under a subzero avnche for eternity.


    Rafel stopped his horse and pondered this idea for a moment¡ªdestroying the mountain.


    Yes, it would annihte all of Rumbrun. But what of his host?


    He quickly voted against the idea. A battle would have to do.


    [?? Dusk Till Dawn ¨C ZAYN ft. Sia.]


    More Legions of the armies funneled out through the arch in the foot of the mountain, spreading out and taking positions inpanies of ten thousand, each troop led by a Myriad Commander. They continued like this for a while until all four hundred thousand assembled in battle splendor.


    Shield bearers were in front.


    Archers behind them. The Wild Shapes among, and the sorceresses and wizards behind those.


    The elite infantry and saddled cavalry were thest in formation.


    It was a sight of epic Military strides.


    Rafel looked behind and smiled. His host would make the Romans blush.


    A mile and half of t snowy ins stretched out in front of them, before abruptly dropping into a wide valley. The ravine was deep and steep, like a Titan¡ªone of the primordial ones¡ªhad reached in and scooped out a slice of the earth. The wide mysterious crater was a berth in the snowfall.


    The vale of Magvath.


    Giselle mused that the name suited it.


    "The valley of the Goddess of Death," she said aloud, interpreting.


    Just as Rafel predicted, the snowstorm was right above them now. It would rain and thrash on the vale. And it would grant an ample advantage for his armies against the giants. The Nephilims own great size would be their downfall. In the mists toe, they wouldn''t be able to see the Eldorian soldiers crawl up to their legs and hack them dead.


    The skies above were a thick ck. A dreary omen.


    Far across the eerie vale, on the other end, Rafel saw the horde of Nephilims. Beyond the valley they had made camp.


    Their tents stretched out vastly in the snow. Corpses of Stags in various stages of decay were mounted on stakes around the camp. yed bodies. Beheaded bodies. Disemboweled. Faceless.


    Limbs hacked away. The fresher ones roasting by some tents. An utter defilement.


    "Cannibalistic pricks!" Giselle hissed.


    Rafel grabbed her hand to calm her.


    "We have the advantage. The blue fuckers haven''t made us yet."


    Giselle squeezed his fingers, and Rafel turned a full circle on his steed to look around. First to his wife, Yemaya. Then to the chariot on which stood his dear Coraz¨®n and ve, Aya Naamah. When all women nodded and Ser Romulus saluted, Rafel knew it was time.


    He nced again to Giselle, cing all authority in her hands. He respected her that much.


    "We are ready, Your Majesty."


    In a harmony borne of unified hearts to plunder, the Apollyon: Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste, the Fey Queen: Giselle Van Imperia, the Dark Witch: Coraz¨®n Mortimer, the [Rank A] Subus: Aya Naamah, all lifted and pulled on their shined helmets.


    Giselle sent her golden Fae eyes straight forward. A celestial me sparked in them.


    "SOUND THE TRUMPETS!" she ordered to her Lieutenant.


    Ser Romulus lifted his hand and waved the signal.


    All Myriad Commanders stood stiffly and chests puffed out. The bugle sounded first, and then, came the mighty war trumpets, ring across the ins and valley and shocking the blue Giants beyond to their feet.


    The hills of snow trembled and the riding beastsplimented with their own war cries.


    "For the glory of the Continent! For the glory of Eldoria! ONWARDS TO VICTORY!" Giselle yelled out with the shout of a Valkyrie.


    The Commanders gave the charge and the Archers of allpanies dipped and nocked.


    "LOOSE!" The thunder of unison broke out in the air.


    As a thousand fiery arrows shot high into the air, Giselle rushed out furiously across the in to the valley, leading the charge with screaming to chill the blood. She was a fierce queen. And riding with her was Rafel and the Antean goddess.


    Rafel rubbed Agamemnon''s frothing muzzle and the ck Pegasus instantly spread its wings. Bulk of exerting muscles shifted as midnight feathers rippled into the cold wind. Agamemnon took flight, and as the legions of Eldoria tore down the vale of Magvath toward the frantic camp of Nephilims, Rafel rode into the ck skies above them.


    He was the Winter Demon, sailing into the skies and blessing the armies with courage and valor.


    The spread wings of his Pegasus casted a great shadow on the valley beneath. It was a fearful sight.


    In the air, Rafel summoned to his right palm arge ball of [Hellfire]. And with his monstrous [Titan Grasp], which shot out as a gigantic and grotesque crimson fist out his back, he sent the ball of cosmic me hurling downwards to the tents of the giants.


    The Nephilims scattered in all directions at the raw fury of the descendinget. It was blinding as the sun, falling like Lucifer from heaven, with a wrathful vengeance and apanied by the Archers rain of ming arrows.


    The onught of battle hit the earth, and the explosion made the forces jump.


    The camp of Rumbrun received the devastating heat of [Hellfire]. Many giants ran helter skelter, naked and burning among the ming tents. Their blue flesh roasting. The camp descended into utter chaos. Theet''s st took a thousand. The rain of arrows took ten thousand.


    In that moment of glorious violence, the heavens tore open and the snowstorm fell.


    It whipped the earth like whips of a [Tormentor] demon. A gale with the force of whirlwinds screeched across the vale and spurred on the host of Eldoria. Rafel rode down from the clouds with the fury of the snows. His Pegasus, Agamemnon folded its midnight wings as his pale rider joined the Fey Queen in her ride to destroy the giants.


    Four hundred thousand warriors that dusk, flooded the valley of Magvath. The cold froze the spittle on their beards. But with armor glinting, longswords brandished and battle sandals thrashing the earth, the soldiers roared into battle.


    Even the arctic temperatures of the vale could not dim the spark in the legions of Eldoria.

 Chapter 47: The Giantslayer

    [?? No Time To Die ¨C Billie Eilish.]


    THE FROST GIANT, OGBAL EKRON managed to assemble his horde of huge, dumb barbarians to something of a force.


    Several of his men were burning piles of human steak, hundreds more ming in the present, screaming in their hoarse giant voices and seeking the nearest barrels of anything liquid to jump into. But even water could not douse the mes of [Hellfire] Rafel had poured into their camp. And the witches of Eldoria had intentionally armed the arrows of the Archers with deadly spiritme.


    It poisoned the blood and turned the skin into fuel for it, so that the fire never ceased to ze.


    The OGBAL of the Nephilims, Ekron, with a loud maleficent voice ordered all his dumbfounded soldiers to a massive gathering about him.


    "Oi! Get your shit together, you fecking wankers! Ye run and hide in the face of mere mortals? All these years among frost and bears, and you''d think ye have learned a thing or two about survival. Get yer running arses to me! Leave the burning ones to burn.


    There is no hope for them in the infernos of the underworld.


    But we must rally. We will not show fear in the eyes of these pale cunts! We will fight back and show them the true strength of the Nephilim. Are we descendants of Titans or blue smudges in the snow? TELL ME?!"


    Ekron roared.


    "DESCENDANTS OF THE TITANS!" came the answering thunder of his fellow giants.


    In the circle of their fallen, burned brothers and amongst a camp razed in orange mes, under clouds ck as Erebus'' cold loins and in whipping hail of frost, and confronted with the drumming booms of an approaching army, the Nephilims stood around their leader and tried their best not to shiver in fear.


    The eyes of the dark goddess, Magvath, revealed in the eerie firmament above blinked at their plight.


    She would pity the blue Giants if their end hadn''t already been sealed by the Fates. Magvath was just present to im the lives offered. It was her valley after all.


    "OGBAL!" A Giant smaller than the others stepped out from the massive circle. He greeted Ekron in title as chieftain of the horde. OGBAL¡ªmeaning Chief in the native tongue.


    "Yes." Ekron regarded the warrior.


    "All graces be to ye, OGBAL! But should we not retreat? Avoid this plunder and live to fight another day? The earth and winds are against us. The fecking sky bleeds hail of fire and snow at the same time. We have survived many a century, surely if we bid our time, we can¡ª"


    The speaking Giant was abruptly clubbed in the head. His words died on his lips as the side of his face was smashed in. His tongue was cut cleanly in half by the shock on his own teeth. Fresh red pooled and leaked out his mouth. Fallen to the earth, the smaller Giant lifted up his eyes to see Ekron poised above him, brimming in sulphur and rage, burning tents his backdrop.


    Ekron spat on him.


    "You will us to retreat? You are a chicken! Not worthy of bearing our name. You are even worse than the mortals."


    Ekron lifted his great club in the air again. It was wide as a beam, hollowed out from a Wyrmwood and thicker than a felled pine. The span of it was so great the shadow of it covered all of the beaten Giant''s head. Ekron swung mightily, bringing it down with great impact, and the other Giant''s head smashed right off his neck.


    The sudden decapitation doused the air with blood. Ekron''s club rested heavy with gushing blood. Remnants of the cowardly giant''s head rained down with the snow as bits of bone and a drizzle of sticky blood. The rest of the horde quickly fell in line.


    Lifting his great blue head, adorned in beaded dreadlocks reaching down to his knees, Ekron was a force of nature. A juggernaut carved from ice. He would not retreat.


    Never.


    Charms of his Dark Sorceress, the one who reanimated the Stag they sent to the puny whore Queen of the mortals, dangled down his great, naked chest. bs of rigid blue muscle heaved as he hefted the club up on his shoulders. Spilled blood leaked down the rotund bulb across his mighty shoulders and down his back.


    "We shall not retreat," said the OGBAL of the horde simply. "This is no time to die!"


    The Nephilims flowed out behind him in thousands at his words. The Eldorian legions were halfway into the misty vale now. Their arrows and st had taken to the realms of the Dead plenty of his army, but not nearly enough to make him care. Ekron pointed his club straight out towards the thundering, approaching armies. He said to his horde,


    "Squash them like the little bugs they are."


    "YEEAAAHHHH! RAAAAAARGH!!!" His horde went thrashing among the ruins of their camp and fallen brothers. They rushed out to meet the Eldorians, pounding down the veils.


    The innumerable horde of blue Giants and the hundreds of thousands of armored Eldorian, Antean, and Rocasian integrated fleet shed in a devastating pige of battle. The twang of smashing metal could be heard echoing out from the vale into the frosty deep of the Alps. Blood and several limbs flew high into the ck skies.


    The snow rained like it had never rained before. The cold froze the blood on torn flesh. The sh of armies was a gory sight. Magvath''s watchful crimson eyes up in the dreadful heavens looked upon it and smiled.


    Each single Gold Cloak bravely faced off a Giant. It didn''t matter his size. Rafel had been right; the snowstorm helped. Most of the Nephilims were to tall and the mist of the vale too thick to see below their knees. Not until the Eldorian soldiers were crawling up their backs and knifing out their insides. It didn''t help the barbarian horde that they had no armor on.


    Eldorian soldiers were yelling everywhere, locked in gruesome duels in every single corner of the valley with theirrger adversaries. Bloodthirst and vengeance shimmered richly in their eyes and the silver of their immacte chainmail were soon blemished in the spilled blood of giants. The mighty were falling, the instruments of war destroyed.


    The Legions of the Fae kingdom had marched nearly a month to this godless wastnd of ice. They were damned fucking sure going to get theireuppance.


    Fallen bodies soon dotted the vale. Soldiers stomped on pale flesh and fought on. Rivers of blood turned the snows brown and screams of dying people hit the freezing wind from all corners of the battlefield. Steaming insides, and twisting fresh intestines littered the foggy earth of the valley. In the sunless endless night, swords glimmered ck gold in violence.


    But Eldorian soldiers were tireless.


    Their witches made it so, refueling their limbs with fresh energy and augmenting their own mortal weaknesses with their own [Magical] mana cores. It also helped the legions greatly that fighting on their sides were terrors of unmatched strength. These elite forces of their army took the blue Giants ten heads at a time. They would be the Legends Bards would spin songs about.


    There was Yemaya, the majestic brown-skinned goddess. Her ripe bronze flesh glowed with her inner [Divine] aura. Blue tendrils of water magic danced and rippled around her form in her battle armor. She leapt off her riding Lizadron, high into the fog that swept the valley, transforming into a fifty feet shocker of beautiful, ethereal, sea goddess.


    She towered over the huge Nephilims. They were ten feet. She was five times that. She was known in this giant form by many names. She was CALYPSO to the Pirate marauders. TEFNUT to the isles who worshipped her.


    And Yemaya the Magnificent to her Anteans. In this colossally epic transfiguration of her, she brightened the entire vale with her shimmery blue water magic. Her aura haloed the earth up to the grim sky.


    She rode with her Anteans in war. Her silvery trident, the Waverider, in her grasp she took fifty of the blue enemies in one fell swoop.


    The Queen of the Eldorians herself tore through the horde majestically on her Griffin. More of the dreaded cosmic mes pulsed in her palms. And she hurled balls of the [Celestial Fire] gravelly at the giants, without remorse. They scampered in fright at her ming hands.


    "Yes! Run, you blue motherfuckers!" Giselle shrieked aloud. Her maniacal stride was back in character. It was almost like an alter ego. Her crazy was deadly.


    Rafel''s sensual women, Coraz¨®n and Aya Naamah rode furiously themselves in thier ivory chariot. They furtively sought out the horde''s Dark Sorceress with their eyes.


    As expected, the [Blood Witch] was surrounded by a smallpany of Nephilims who stood to defend her as she reinforced the horde, one small zombie reanimation at a time. The sorceress'' evil work demanded focus.


    Aya Naamah, wielding a tapped version of Rafel''s [Shadow] ability, something she had gained off her Lord Master during shared intimacy, she cleared thepany of seven feet orcs that surrounded the dark sorceress.


    She didn''t fight them physically. But she grappled with their shadows. Bending the umbras with her ability and twisting and choking the shadows cast until the giants themselves all suffocated. Theynded as one stiff heap to the cold earth. The mist swamped their fallen corpses in seconds.


    With her defense gone, the sorceress attempted to escape the battlefield.


    Shockingly, she was a Manticore.


    A rare breed but not umon among Blood Witches.


    Like an aggrieved fairy, she tried to scale the valley on her bat wings. But Coraz¨®n was ready. Aya Naamah took the reins on the chariot as Cora summoned to her fingertips a shiny [Legendary]sso. Like a crack of lightning, she whipped the ropes into the air and caught the flying sorceress by her scorpion tail.


    Cora dragged her back to earth. She crashed into bloody mud on her lion paws.


    "That''s too much creatures to be mixed in with one human, don''t you agree babe?" Cora hopped off the phaeton with a dark smile. It was directed at the heaving manticore.


    Aya chuckled. "I agree. What is she now, a meta hybrid? Is this the price you payed for reassembling corpses into grotesque caricatures of life?"


    "Fuck you bitches!" The monster sorceress spat up from the ground into Cora''s face.


    The silver-haired knight, Coraz¨®n in her boyish regale,plete with a red plums shooting out her helmet hissed in the blood witch''s face. She was quietly circling her dagger in her grasp, the de whirling around so fast it couldn''t be seen.


    "No, bitch!" said Cora. "Fuck you!"


    And she plunged her dagger right down the top of the female manticore''s head. It sank in to the hilt, breaking out the jaw in the process. Cora mercilessly pulled it out ventrally. The blood witch''s head split in two halves, right between the eyes. She fell, dead as a doornail into the coldness.


    Cora smiled and turned to Aya. The girls gave each other high-fives.


    They together lifted up their eyes to the heat of the battle.


    In the front lines, where the hottest charge of war endured, stood there Lord Master. His Grace, the Antean King, Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste rose in a mountain of blue Giant corpses. All of them in by his hand. A hundred thousand and more. Cold sweat settled between Rafel''s brow.


    He pulled off his winter wolf helmet.


    The Nephilims were down to a trickle.


    He hadn''t even used the [Divine] Resurrection Amulet hot against his breast.


    One idiot giant rushed for him. He dodged the swipe of the man''s spear and swiftly cut him down at the waist. Then he looked out across the battleground of bloodied entrails. His eyes searched, searched for a particrrge entity whose death would bring a final end to the raging battle. It was at this same time that the mighty OGBAL, Ekron lifted his eyes from breaking a Gold Cloak''s neck too.


    He saw Rafel. Their eyes met. And in a silentnguage, both men drove through the muck of shing bodies for each other.


    WHOOOOO!!!


    Rafel whistled for his ck Pegasus. On Agamemnon''s strong back, as he rode in the wind to Ekron, he called gravely to his infernal system.


    "EQUIP WARHAMMER!"


    [Ding!] A tscreen of notification glowed in his face.


    [Andorran Warhammer sessfully Equipped!]


    [Hammer of Agrippa, the DIVINE Relic of Horror.]


    [BATTLESTAR: Gold Knight.]


    [DAMAGE: +2 500.]


    [ROOT DEITY: Sol.]


    [ILL: Yellow Lightning of Paralysis.]


    Yemaya''s closest lover, her merman Gawain, tried to ost the giant, Ekron. It was a futile attempt.


    He had his head bashed in right into another warrior''s strong helmet. Metal caved and both skulls squeezed like rubber. He was dead before the goddess could do anything about it. She yelled into the ck skies at his fall. Her wail in her giant form shocked the battlefield to stiff quiet.


    Auras of blue water magic sloshed around her body as she dwarfed back to normal size. She picked up the fallen Antean in her arms and softly stroked his long brown hair. The rest of her harem would not be happy. Gawain was the only male and therefore granted some necessary spice to their lovemaking.


    Yemaya''s eyes were terrifying as she lifted them up to the giant responsible for her lover''s demise. It was war. All men must die, but why hers?


    She herself would im Ekron''s head but she knew it was Rafel''s prize.


    "Make the blue cunt pay!" She screeched up to Rafel as he barreled past her on his Pegasus.


    OGBAL Ekron, Chieftain of the Nephilim horde was not sorry for offing the bastard cuck of the water goddess. His concern was for the little Ginger riding on the winged horse for him. A Warhammer shimmered onto the hellion''s right hand. And Ekron watched it with a quizzical eye. It was rather mortifying.


    He could already tell its [Divine] heritage, even from this distance.


    Ekron looked around the battlefield in the two seconds before Rafel reached him. Most of his host were gone: burned, shattered, decimated bits on the misty valley. The ones not dead were in chains, kneeling in their great huge forms in caked mud before Eldorian officers. Almost all the fighting had stopped. All eyes were now locked on him.


    On him and the Ginger.


    Thest fight.


    Ekron began to wonder how this came to be. He had severely underestimated the moxie of the Fae legions. Led by a Demon Lord, Ekron should have mitigated his stupidity. But rather than go out like a coward, he sucked in a great lungful of metallic air. He tasted the blood on the arctic winds and raised his mighty battle club.


    Rafel''s Pegasus was driving furiously for him.


    Iing. . .


    Just another second!


    SWOOOOP!


    Ekron swiped and missed. He already knew it was the only shot he''d ever get. His only chance at a next breath.


    Rafel had dove right under his club''s great Wyrmwood head, bending so far back on his riding stallion the back of his head touched the steed''s pelt. He hadin t on Agamemnon to avoid the hit. The blunt force of Nephilim superhuman strength would''ve sent him to the other side of the valley, possibly wounding him terribly.


    Yet, Rafel dodged.


    Giselle on her end, her ming fingers of [Cosmic Touch] in a giant''s steaming head, saw Rafel''s evasion in slow motion. She would p but for the man''s brain literally cooking in her palm. Her hand melted right through his skull.


    Rafel was now behind Ekron.


    And he was rolling his Warhammer.


    He turned it in fast circles in the air, so quickly a gaze couldn''t catch where the metal ended and where it begun. Streaks of yellow lightning sparked and licked up his right forearm. His whole body was haloed in the eerie light. The relic of horror was charging, readying for release.


    Rafel kept spinning it, until a great whirlwind formed out behind the whirling circle.


    It was just as Ekron began to turn to face him.


    Rafel was on his flying horse. Agamemnon had paused in the air, midnight wings ck as a crow''s beak and beast eyes as infernal as its rider''s. It beat its wings and floated in the cold wind under the ck skies. Ekron''s blue eyes widened in hisrge head and Rafel let the [Divine] weapon loose.


    The Warhammer flew straight as a released javelin, covering the distance to Ekron in a millisecond. It rushed out so fast a shockwave eroded the vale from the force. It sank into Ekron''s chest on the axe side, sending the fifteen foot Giant staggering to a forced kneel in the brown snows.


    Blood poured out of the hole in his chest.


    His great warclub crashed heavily to the earth.


    Ekron lifted up defeated eyes as Rafel guided his Pegasus to the fallen Chieftain. Rafel slid off the saddle and walked to the man. Even on his knees, Ekron met his eyes squarely. Rafel put up his hand and twisted his axehead in the man''s chest. Ekron grunted an spat blood. The gothic metal had struck home: his heart.


    The yellow lightning from the Warhammer''s intrinsic [Paralysis] ability petrified him to a stone.


    Ekron was dying. And he couldn''t lift a finger to save himself.


    He leaked all over Rafel''s silvery battle-sandals.


    The redhaired Winter Demon grabbed and raised up his huge blue head by the fat and untamed dreadlocks.


    "Bet you didn''t see this daying, huh? When you''d get skewered by a puny mortal, eh?"


    Ekron coughed out more blood with a weirdugh. The blood was thick,ced with oozing life.


    "¡ªbut you''re not a PUNY anything now, are you, Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste? It just hit me now you know. Who the fuck among all the Eldorians would risk a journey to the realms of ice and thend of Giants. I''ll spare you the thought¡ªno one.


    You are not an Eldorian. You see, you are not even mortal, Apollyon. That''s why you possess such keen stratagems to conquer. It''s in your blood, demon. While I didn''t see this daying, I am d it''s you who shall im the life of OGBAL EKRON. A noble death in battle.


    Storytellers shall speak tales of this ck night when Giant and man fought. It is an honor, Apollyon to die by your hand. But a greater one even. . .to die by mine."


    And before Rafel could lift a finger, Ekron fell forward on the Warhammer. The deadly axehead tore into his failing heart, through palpating red muscle and out his great back. The strength left his broad shoulders and the mighty Nephilim Chieftain hunched forward in death.


    He impaled himself on Rafel''s weapon.


    Suicide.


    "Not a honor. A torment," said Rafel numbly. "As you are about to find out soon."


    He kicked up the great blue body and pulled out the Andorran Hammer. He looked around at the legions of still standing Eldorians, the smiling Anteans with hope in their eyes, the brightened stares on the faces of the Rocasians; one unified Continent. Everywhere on the grim battlefield, it was the look of victory.


    A slender peek of sunlight, like a stalk protruding from the dark clouds, slipped out and shone proudly as a golden beam of wispy light.


    It highlighted the silver armies of Eldoria. In blood and brawn, they had been tried. The Crusade of Rumbrun was fuck all.


    Rafel raised his Warhammer gloriously into the air.


    "YAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"


    The Legions cheered.


    They had conquered thend of the Giants.

 Chapter 48: Cooking Skills

    [?? Into The ck ¨C CHROMATICS.]


    ELDORIA''S STUNNING FLAG, a print of a pale falcon with a golden eye, billowed on an ice mount several dayster. It had been nted forthwith at the end of the battle and the vanquish of the Giants. All the territories of the deep North were imed back under the Empire''s great shadow. Rumbrun was no more, but the fey Queen let it keep its name¡ªa mock remembrance.


    Giselle, Rafel, Aya Naamah and Cora, the lieutenant Ser Romulus, Yemaya, and a few others stayed behind to reinforce the wards on the demolished ancient pirs of ice. There were no walls to keep back evil, no Nephilim to keep back either. Still, Giselle ordered a union of her Wan coven and Cora''s Laveyan one to touch up the protective glyphs.


    The sister witches, with a voice as one, carved up the tundra in leylines as one big slice of magical haven invulnerable to blood sorceries and crafts of the grim ult. If any such mutated horde like the spawn of the Titans recently conquered were to arise in the vast uninhabitednds of snow, the Regent at such time would have more a fighting chance than Giselle got.


    The Queen prepared for the future. Because one thing was certain,


    "Evil never truly dies."


    Veracious words out from Rafel''s mouth and deep into her heart.


    The surviving Giants of the battle had journeyed back south with the legions some four days ago, in chains. Rafel had watched the long line of the troops winding like a river as they marched around the high Alps. They werepletely vanished into the silvery panorama by dusk that same day.


    And now, nearly a week since the war, only he and a smallpany of the Queen''s most trusted circle remained along the tundra.


    They had made camp from the unburned beams of the Nephilims tents. Or at least what remained of it. Rafel could still hear the fires raging that terrible night and the choking screaming whenever the wind picked up. The vale of Magvath beyond was shrouded in a hex. An intentional sorcery made by Cora to keep the stench of the hundreds of rotting corpses, man and giant, from entering their camp.


    At the moment, it was early evening.


    The snows that had begun that morning had pulled up and now the air was clear. The skies had a washed glow and a rosy sun spilled through. Not bright but fresh off a blue firmament. The white hills of the tundra roundabout stretched for miles into sleepy blue horizon. The panorama was beatific. The view, enchanting.


    Rafel sat on an old metal chair outside arge tent. One of the four in the camp.


    He read silently from an old, withered tome he found in the ashes after the battle. It was in the single box collection he had recovered from Ekron''s only possession. Somehow, the dead Chieftain did love books. Rafel turned the yellowed, decaying pages with intrigue. Cora had fashioned reading sses for him from bristles and ss.


    Rafel lifted his eyes a moment to scan the white ins.


    ''The witches should be returning anytime soon,'' he mused. ''Reinforcements of arcane wards this ancient is no joke. They have taken a whole day amongst the icestone pirs.''


    He looked from the sweet fair ounds to the slow burning fire he had going. A three-stand coal pot¡ªanother recovery from Ekron''s iron box, frothed the aroma of broth into the air. Rafel was cooking. But not just for himself. For their entire little camp. Between himself, his women, the Queen and her Lieutenant, and Yemaya, they were all in total less than ten souls left behind.


    ''The armies must have reached the Capitol by now.''


    Frostholm was the first to get word of the victories won by Her Majesty''s Legions. The Lord of the city quickly dispatched riders with a small feast for the marching host. And at night, surreptitiously, whores also. The soldiers indulged to the fullest before continuing on their way. Their chained prisoners got nothing of their surplus.


    The blue Nephilims were pulled dry and soiled in blood by the great manacles dropping down from their wrists that binded them one to another, and then to the 30ft hairy mammoths that kept them from scampering for the hills.


    Wagons full of gold, silver, and several other piles of rich plunder the Giants had before captured from the fallen cities of Persepolis, Ashtapur, and Castamere were dragged behind by the Queen''s Royal cavalry.


    The Eldorians had recovered every single ingot of the lost loot.


    If the Giants were lucky, all they would face in the Capitol would be swift hangings. If they weren''t, Dragons and a cheering crowd would be involved.


    Just like the billowing g staked beside Rafel''s tent, several more in the gilded Eldorian Fae colors breezed northward from monuments erected in honor of the fallen cities. It''d be some time but even the ruins of Castamere would see rain again.


    Rafel gathered his thoughts and focused when he saw an approaching group in the distance.


    Giselle''s golden hair flowing out behind her, like rolls of hay on a barn floor, was a marker.


    He closed the book.


    "They''re back."


    This far out in the tundra, the Queen seemed more like a farm girl rather than a Fae with thebined power of Sol and Athena. Thepany of witches with her were fresh faced and smiling when they pulled near. Rafel noticed Coraz¨®n and the lieutenant, Romulus wielding a giant bunch of purple grapes on a stick, shoulder to shoulder.


    Cora had her sleeves rolled up. Her skin was a softer shade to Ser Romulus'' tan. But the strength inherent was equal.


    Aya Naamah dragged a white bison behind them. It left a long trail of wet blood from the gash in it''s open neck. Albino bisons were a rarity.


    The entirepany bowed as they reached Rafel. He also stood up from his seat in regard. He hadn''t failed to notice that everyone had defied him since he felled the six-toed Ekron in battle. Ser Romulus still insisted on calling him Sir. Rafel looked to the beautifulmune.


    Giselle smiled full at him. Without the shadow of her powders, he could see her full blush rouge up her cheeks.


    "Ah, you cooked for us, Your Grace?" The Queen flirted.


    They were but a littlepany and everyone among was freer and informal now that the mighty legions were gone back. Cora and Romulus lowered the grape bunch and Aya promptly dropped the bison. The animal was twice her size and three times her weight. Yet, she handled it like a satchel of oranges. She disappeared to fetch a dagger to begin the skinning.


    Rafel slid Cora his chair. She thanked him brightly and wiped at her brow as she plunked onto it. Romulus himself settled down right on the light snows at her feet. Rafel watched Giselle hold back her blond hair and open the boiling pot.


    Steam poured out as she lifted the lid and a delicious aroma wafted into the air.


    "Woah, Rafel. This smells amazing." Giselleplimented.


    Rafel would blush, but his skin was epically pale.


    She grabbed a scoop and dipped into the broth for a taste while the others oohed and ahhed at the aroma. Aya returned with the cleaving knife and sat like Romulus in snow. She crossed her legs and began with the bison''s albino head. She winked at Rafel when she smelled the aroma from the stew.


    "Lord Master does many things impably," she offered. She left her words at that but everyone went pink.


    Many things was... many things.


    "Gods! Tastes like heaven."


    Giselle had just lowered her open palm and licked at her lips. She dipped in thedle again to draw another scoop. Instantly, everyone stretched out their hands for a taste. They were so liberal, like little kids.


    "By the Martyr, where did you learn to cook like this?" Yemaya said herself. She stood beside Giselle and peered up from her palm, licked clean to Rafel and back again. "Even my harem struggle with a good porridge. And I have four girlfriends!" Yemaya joked.


    The othersughed, tasting andplimenting in their own way.


    Rafel didn''t fail to notice the water queen artfully kept talk of her male lover, Gawain, who had been felled in the battle from her lips. He let it slide. She deserved to mourn, but not at the moment. Gawain had being carried back in stasis of a summoned [Rare] Cryo block on the chariots of the Anteans back to the sea.


    Rafel couldn''t even imagine the scenario of him losing one of his.


    Giselle gingerly covered the pot and left the broth to brew some more. She said,


    "Between the beef, the grapevine, and Lord Rafel''s excellent bouillon, I say we have enough for a good meal and wine indulgence tonight!"


    "Fuck yes. I''ve been needing a hot meal." Cora chirped.


    Everyoneughed. This time, including Rafel.


    The sun set on the Alps, making the white mountains into a prism and sshing a kaleidoscope of natural colors on the little, flourishingpany. For that brief moment of time, no one thought about the valley of a thousand dposing bodies shielded from sight and breath by magic, just thirty feet away.


    Back in the Capitol, a fucking trip away, people were calling the battle of Nephilims by a name that would still skitter hearts generations toe, they were calling it, SKYFALL.

 Chapter 49: On Winters Night [18+]

    [#femdom #hardcore #pissing #sluts #humiliation #cumonbreasts #cuminmouth #bigbutt #fetish #longchapter.]


    [?? Something Real ¨C Post Malone.]


    IT HAD BEGUN TO SNOW AGAIN AT DUSK. Rafel gathered himself and his curvaceous subus vassal to his tent and shut the ps to keep out the cold wind.


    Supper had been eventful. Their littlepany of witches and warriors had settled to a fine dinner of his delicious soup, steak on the side, and the pressed virgin wine of the grapes. Rafel could still taste the untainted pleasure of the purple liqueur as he settled himself by a corner of therge tent made into a sleeping area.


    It was like the snow had been waiting on them to finish their dinner, because as soon as Giselle lowered her licked te to the pile, it began trickling down from the night sky as a drizzle.


    Northern lights dazzled as gray and lc spectrums above. Out of the four tents in the small camp, Giselle took one with her Lieutenant. Yemaya and the others had one. Rafel, a canopy to himself. And Cora and Aya Naamah were to share thest one¡ªbut somehow the beautiful dark-haired girl found herself taken by the hand into her Lord Master''s ve.


    She didn''t object. Not one bit.


    Cora would have to sleep alone tonight.


    "Goodnight, babe!" Cora had waggled her eyebrows meaningfully at her, grinning in the twilight.


    Aya had tried not to blush too much.


    Shey first on the spread bedding. It was thick in quilts and even softer than a mattress. A hammock floated on the opposite corner of the tent, a glowing orb of rare gold [Magic Lamp] granting sweet candlelight to the interior, and whenever the wind whistled higher, Aya felt the urge to pull under the nkets and snuggle into the bedding.


    Rafel had purchased a dozen of themps for the entire camp from the Arcane Shop at a fresh price of 1 100 [Soul Coins].


    At the moment, Aya watched the handsome stature of her Lord Master zip up the tent ps, locking them in. He turned around. Themp cast his giant shadow over the side. Aya was on her side on the thick quilts. She patted the side, the empty space beside her.


    "Come to me, Master," she implored him.


    Even if Rafel wanted to take the hammock, her sexy violet eyes would not let him. Quietly, he padded across the warm tent to her. Rafel dropped to his knees andy beside her on his back. Aya put her hand into his red hair, loosened the mane and caressed the gilded strands in her lovely fingers.


    "It''s been a while since we had time to ourselves, Naamah," he said. "As much as I love battle and conquest, these feeble mortals sorely remind me of life worth living. And it doesn''t help that we lost a few good men in the vale."


    "Then let me make it up to you, My Lord."


    At Aya''s soft entreating, Rafel turned to peer up at her. He was on his back and she leaned from his left above him. Her pink lips were full and her fair skin was rich and supple. Her hands stopped moving in his hair and she sat up a bit.


    She moved those hands to her sulent body. She cupped her firm, generous breasts, shaking them slightly in Rafel''s face. Reflexively, he licked at his lips. Aya''s nail were painted a violet blush, matching her eyes. She raised one hand behind to the tied straps at her nape, keeping up her ck cashmere shirt. She pulled at a single string and the ropes loosened.


    She gently pulled down the shirt and her bosom spilled into the saintly light of themps.


    Rafel growled in the tent.


    His ve was beautiful everywhere. Her boobs were shaped for a man''s touch. His touch. Her body was sensuous and ripe. She was soft and alluring. Her breasts were twin peaks on her chest,rge and supple.


    Her ares were wonderful pink and her nipples a touch paler.


    How he would love to manhandle her?


    He gave another appreciative growl in the back of his throat and Aya bit softly on her bottome lip. His cock raged to the challenge. She beckoned him to suck with her supernatural violet eyes. In the warm glow of the tent, the snow whispering outside, Aya grasped herself and offered to him her breasts.


    She leaned over on his face, pressing them together and submerging his nose in the scent of her cleavage.


    "Suckle, my Lord. Take your reward."


    Rafel kissed her swollen nipples first. She gasped and squeezed her boobs.


    "Ohh, Master. I want your tongue. Bite on it."


    Rafel pulled one topped nipple into his mouth, sucking wetly and drawing back. Her pink flesh popped out his mouth. Aya groaned to keep back her desire to smother him. She had fallenpletely over Rafel now. His whole face was in her cleavage. She panted above him, pping her boobs over his lips.


    Rafel took her fair neck in his grip. She bent back for him and he licked wide across her boobs. Her breasts wererge and heavy now. He could smell the sex on her. She was getting primed up. Hepped up both nipples and Aya quivered on top of him.


    A trail of slobber connected his lips to her tip as he leaned back to stare at her big breasts.


    "Fuck." Aya rasped at the wet contact. She shook her breasts in his face.


    Rafel softly smacked her cheek.


    "You have such nice titties, ve! Fat and milky."


    Aya couldn''t help herself and went on her knees beside Rafel. It put out more of her ample flesh on disy. Her fat, shapely ass went shooting out right behind her. Rafel leaned up an inch to grab at her huge bottom. He smacked her with a fleshy thwack and sucked her back into his mouth. He rolled her nipple with his tongue and Aya''s back caved as she arched above him.


    "Oh fuck, Master! Fuck yes, Master. Suck those tits. Mhmm, just like that. Shit! Oh fuck yes.


    I''m gonna make it up to you. I''m gonna fucking make it up to you. You want some milk? I can conjure up milk so you suck¡ª"


    The zipper on the tent ps abruptly droned down.


    Aya Naamah froze over Rafel.


    They both watched in flushed states of passion as the intruder pulled in, in a mild burst of snow. This person quickly leaned back to zip up the tent. In the bent posture, a distinctly feminine figure was revealed. This woman''s ass was round and pert.


    The intruder turned and golden eyes shimmered out brighter than the [Magic Lamp].


    "Y¨CYour Majesty?" Aya croaked.


    [?? Maniac ¨C Sound Of Legend.]


    "Don''t stop on my ount." Giselle ordered.


    Aya lifted up slowly from Rafel. He sat up to stare at the fey Queen. Aya tried to pull up her shirt over her naked boobs. Giselle sent her a look.


    "What did I just say, subus. Don''t you fucking dare! Leave those tits out. I just want to have a few words with your Master. You have a lovely body. It''s a nice distraction.


    Don''t let me repeat myself!"


    Aya, who was a goner for a true dominant partner, be it male or female, flipped back her long dark hair and rested back on her calves, kneeling in apliant pose. Her violet eyes blinked warmly and her breasts swayed deliciously in the golden light of the tent.


    It took a great effort for Rafel to turn his gaze to Giselle.


    "What do you want?"


    He was curt.


    Giselle strode to stand above him. Her sleeping robes did nothing to hide her figure. Rafel could see up to her legs and pale thighs. The hot, annoyed Queen was fuming.


    "Why didn''t you tell me you had gotten married? And to fucking Yemaya?"


    Rafel pinched the bridge of his nose. "Here we go."


    "Yes! Here we fuckin'' go!" Giselle didn''t let up. "The war is over. So is yourme excuse to evade a conversation. Talk to me, Israfel. Why?


    I thought you didn''t like rings and attachment. If you just wanted a union with a Queen, you could havee to me. You could''ve¡ª"


    "I COULD''VE NOTHING, GISELLE!" Rafel said.


    His dark voice was so quiet, but it still made the women shiver. Rafel was coldest when his tone dipped. Shadows danced over themp, starting to creep across the carpeted floors of the tent to him. He stood to his great height. He dwarfed the fey Queen. His warm infernal pupils peered into Giselle''s with understanding.


    "It was a marriage of convenience, and she sprang it up on me. I didn''t want a Queen then and I don''t wife now either. It was a favor to her. Yemaya only brought it up because she knows how much it riles you. AND GISELLE...NEVER SPEAK TO ME THAT WAY AGAIN."


    Giselle stepped up to him.


    "Or what?"


    Rafel was very, very surprised. Actually stunned. He loved the Queen''s fire¡ªand crazy above every thing else about her. She knew he did. And Rafel was not now imagining her thigh stroking softly the massive curve poking his crotch. She was daring him.


    In thempshade, her soft Fae beauty was revealed underneath her kimono.


    Giselle reached up more. She lifted up on her tiptoes, and still came up only to his broad chest.


    "Or what, Your Grace? What are you going to do, huh?" She poked him. "I am Regent from here to the Cold Sea. I am Queen of the greatest Empire in the continent¡ª"


    "And you''re a fucking slut!" Rafel finished ndly.


    Giselle executed a perfect doubletake.


    "EXCUSE ME!" Her lips puckered. "Say that again, I dare you?! SAY IT, YOU FUCKIN'' DEMON!"


    WHACK. . .


    Rafel pped her across the face.


    It was a yful smack¡ªotherwise Giselle would be flying out the tent¡ªand her head only turned the other way. The fey Queen slowly turned back. Her gold iris was full of rich, brimming Fae mes.


    "You motherfucker!" She gritted.


    Rafel smirked. "I thought I was a demon."


    "You dare raise a hand to your Queen?"


    "Uh, My Queen turns out to be a whiny, little slut. Anyone ever tell what a sexpot you are? You are so fucking hot when you''re angry. Now, tell me QUEEN... what''s the real reason you barged into my tent this cold night?


    Is it to really scream at me, or you just want some dick?"


    Giselle put her face close to his and breathed in his face.


    "FUCK. YOU."


    "I thought as much."


    "That''s not what I meant and you fucking know it!" She was pushing at Rafel''s chest. He didn''t even flinch. He just absorbed all her punches andical rage. ". . .I hate you!


    I hate that you got married. I hate¡ª"


    Rafel cut out her next words in a drowning kiss. He grabbed the back of her next. It was a hard kiss. It was angry. Fierce. Full of repressed fire.


    Giselle found her lips parting. She moaned slightly before catching herself and wrenching her mouth away.


    "You pped me!"


    "And it made you wet." Rafel returned.


    "Fuck you!" Giselle spun around to walk out.


    But Rafel grabbed at her wrist and dragged her flush into his warm body. He was big and totally male. Their heated argument was quickly spinning into heated ''something else''. Rafel kissed her again, and this time Giselle was powerless to stop herself from giving in. She met his lips with equal passion. Their tongues tangled.


    It was a fury of shing mouths. A frenzy. Raw need churned on disy. It was full of saliva and dirty. Rafel imed her mouth and Giselle parted wide her lips for him to possess her.


    She was still angry. But she channelled it into the passion of their kiss.


    Rafel clutched to her blond hair and ravaged her breathless. Giselle grappled with his shirt. She was shivering in his arms. When his rough lips skittered to her neck, Giselle thought she might pass out from wanting too much. She panted and licked feverishly at Rafel''s jaw. The corner of his lips.


    His five o''clock shadow. She kissed every inch of his golden skin her lips met.


    She was an extremely aroused female.


    Fury and horniness were a hot mix. It made an irate whore of her. . .

 Chapter 50: Passion Will Reign [18+]

    Fury and horniness were a hot mix. It made an irate whore of her.


    ?¡é?


    All the ces he touched her were like burn marks. She was frenzied on her feet, unable to stay still. Needing more. Desperately.


    "Please give me your cock," she whispered as she sucked the enticing skin of his neck.


    Her small hands were shaking around the loose buttons of Rafel''s shirt, fingers mped hard into the brick ridges of his abs. They shook so much her fingers knocked together.


    "Please, Rafel." Her soft plea hit him again. Rafel caressed her warm bundle in his arms. Giselle was like a taboo. It made him so fucking hard to touch her. And when she begged like that...


    "Fuck."


    Rafel brought her in for another hard kiss before letting her dropped to her knees before him. She kissed a path down to his solid pecs, licking at his six-pack of glorious battle tan like icing.


    "You are so big."


    She kissed.


    "So strong and warm."


    She kissed again.


    "I''m going to make you forget your wife."


    Giselle dropped quietly to the Arcadian rug on her knees and roughly got to unbuckling Rafel''s pants. She was panting.


    "Yes, give me this big cock. I want all of you in my mouth. This fucking tasty, huge dick. Give it to me, Rafel. Ohh god yes!"


    His cock sprang free at a very delicious curve and Giselle grabbed at his thighs firmly. Veins ran down the sides of his shaft and Giselle hissed, her gilded eyes in wonderment.


    "Fuck! It''s a fucking huge cock. Tastes so good." She ran her tongue wantonly up the dense pipe, smelling his dick and slurping all over it. "Such a nice view from here. Such a¡ª"


    Giselle couldn''t finish as she could not tease anymore and promptly swallowed Rafel''s cock. She took him way down into her throat, gagging herself. Rafel feared for her. But she would not let him go. Grabbing his thighs, she went up and down on him furiously. Wet spot gathered at the corners of her mouth and dribbled down to the carpet.


    Rafel stood above her on the bedding as she sucked ravenously. He was a naked god with a wonder shooting out his loins she eagerly worshipped.


    Rafel had to pull out when he feared her proactive fetio would make hime too soon.


    His mighty erection bobbed out practically dripping with her saliva. The fat head of his penis was connected to her lips by a long trail. Rafel pulled back, leaned low and kissed her.


    But Giselle was turned on too much for vani.


    "Give me. Give me your cock." She choked back. "You wanna go off and get fuckin'' hitched? I''m gonna show you what you''ll be missing."


    She took him into her hands and began rubbing him off. His wet dick slipped easily in and out of her closed fist. She joined her mouth to the handjob. Rafel had begun bucking into her hands and mouth. She just wouldn''t stop.


    "Oh fuck yes! You''ve got the most beautiful cock. I love seeing my saliva wet this dick. I want to wet it with my pussy too."


    Giselle bent under Rafel to smell his ball. She smudged her pretty face all over in the sticky fluid running down. She sucked the heavy sack into her mouth, careful with the pressure she applied. All the while, she jerked him off on her face.


    "Stop, Giselle. Fuck. Stop! I can''t take it any longer. I can''t¡ª"


    She didn''t stop. She sucked his balls, smelled them, yed with the powerful shaft in her grip. Rafel''s head fell back with a wolf''s night howl and he poured as a fountain on her. Seeing himing, Giselle quickly took him once more into her mouth. She deepthroated him and felt all of his pale seed rushed down into her.


    He ejacted kegs and parts of his release flooded her mouth and spilled out to her cheeks.


    Rafel held her head. And she let him fuck her mouth endlessly.


    POP!


    Giselle finally pulled back, licking at her fingers.


    "You, ve, what are you doing over at the corner?"


    The fey Queen signalled over to Aya who still knelt in the same submissive poise. She beckoned the subus near with a finger.


    "Come here!"


    Aya Naamah crawled across the rug to the Queen.


    "Perfect. Stay there. Just like that!" Giselle instructed.


    She bent back and rested on one elbow. Aya watched silently like a good ve as Giselle tore off her slip. She cupped her boobs and pinched her own nipples, hissing like a serpent. She hiked up her sleeping gown, kicked off her knickers, and roughly pushed her ck satin panties to the side.


    "Mhmm."


    Giselle bit her lip at the sight of her own pussy. She licked at her palm and lowered it to her slit. With one hand, she held her panties tight to the side so it wouldn''t get in the way. With the other, she rubbed her pussy. It was fat and dripping cream; needing a good pounding. Lewdly, Giselle dipped a finger and felt herself clench.


    "Oh fuck."


    She pulled the finger out and sucked the wetness clean off.


    "Here, ve. Come here!"


    Giselle directed Aya to where she wanted her¡ªwith her face poised right over her wet slit.


    Aya Naamah inhaled deeply the Queen''s sex musk and rooted her eyes squarely on the blond curls at the apex.


    "You have such a pretty pussy, Your Majesty."


    "Shut up, ve," Giselle ordered lustily. She only half meant it. "Shut up and don''t move."


    Giselle licked her palm and patted her pussy with it. She pushed her underwear more to the side and spread herbia. She moaned to Aya Naamah.


    "Look into that pussy hole, ve. Yes! Fuckin'' look into it."


    She patted her clit some more. Spread her pussy more, and then she began pissing.


    The trickle started out slow and Giselle lifted up inches from the floor. The angle was perfect to collide with Aya''s face.


    "Don''t you fucking blink, you sexy bitch. Stay right there! Ohh. . .uhh yes, mhmm. Stay right fucking there."


    Giselle''s piss was warm over Aya''s face. It soon gained momentum and was dribbling over her violet eyes and nose to the rose peaks on her chest. It ran down Aya''s delicious cleavage, down her fair belly, down to the lush dip between her legs. The beautiful Subus could see how much pleasure it was giving the Queen. And she promptly opened her mouth.


    "Oh, by the Martyr!" Giselle gasped. The pissing didn''t stop until Aya''s pink mouth was full.


    "There you go, ve. That''s for being too fucking pretty. I should ban you in my kingdom." Giselle yfully petted Aya''s cheeks. "But we''re not done yet."


    She dragged Aya down to her pussy, forcing the girl to munch on her muff. But Aya didn''t need to be coerced into anything. She eagerly put out her tongue to Giselle''s puffed slit. She ate her pussy ravenously, slurping andpping her up. Giselle forgot clutching to her panties and grabbed the ends of Aya''s raven hair into schoolgirl braids. She proceeded to ride her face like a pony.


    Aya''s pretty face was all up in her cunt.


    Giselle drowned out her happy moaning in her thick milk thighs. The fey Queen herself was gasping and reveling in the thirsty ministrations.


    "Ohh god!" She stared down at Aya who had grabbed to her thighs and was going crazy in her heat. "Yes, eat that fucking pussy. Fuck yes! Mhmm. Fuckkkk." Giselle was on her toes, riding Aya''s face with an sinful glint in her gold pupils. "Your ve licks pussy so fucking good."


    These words were meant for Rafel who slowly dropped down behind Aya. He dragged down the small shorts framing her love-shaped ass. He smacked her several times, in different angles. Aya squirmed at the gentle pain but Giselle kept her face drowned in her pussy juices.


    "Taste that fucking piss!" ordered the Queen. "How does that pussy smell, huh? Bitch! How does that fucking pussy smell? Mixed in sweat, piss and cream. You''re gonna let me ride your beautiful fucking face, aren''t ya?


    AREN''T YA?"


    Aya nodded between Giselle''s mping legs and Giselle lowered a hand to grasp her tits.


    "Good girl!"


    She lifted up her eyes to look at Rafel next.


    "Fuck her. I want to watch you fuck your ve."


    "With pleasure, love," he replied darkly.


    Rafel patted Aya''s slit from behind with his heavy cock. She shook her ass and Rafel smacked her hard. He heard her moan into Giselle''s hot flesh as he slowly pushed into her. She was tight and she was hot. Rafel clutched to her fat ass, smacking, pounding, fingering, rolling.


    PAH! PAH! PAH!


    The sound of his engorged cock mming inside her, his groin pping against her big behind. Rafel leaned back on his palms and raised both legs to ce his feet t on the rug. He began drilling upwards in a new angle. Aya screamed and tried to pull up but Giselle promptly dragged her back to her pussy.


    "Did I tell you you could rise? He fucks you so good huh? Well, you have to be quiet and just enjoy it. Your tongue? Give me your tongue!"


    Giselle raised Aya''s head up a moment.


    "Such a beautiful face!" Sheplimented the subus. "Now lick that clit. Uh-huh. Yep! Exactly like that. Good girl.


    Good slut. I want you toe like that for us. Come with you Master''s cock inside you while you eat my pussy. I know you love his deep drilling. That''s good. Yes,e for us.


    Fuck yes!"


    Behind, Rafel felt Aya go stiff for a second, and then begin to shiver. Her entire body quaked and her inner walls held him in, stroking his cock with her liquid heat. Giselle grinned and pulled up Aya''s head from her sex by her tousled, dark hair.


    She reveled in watching the alluring ve pant through her plump lips and roughed cheeks.


    "I''ming for you, Mistress. I''ming for you, Master. I''ming... Oh fuck, don''t stop fucking me, Master. You feel so good."


    "Yes, fuck yes. Come for us." Giselle spured her on.


    Sandwiched between the Queen and the giant Demon, Aya felt her whole body explode. Giselle felt herself on the verge of toppling over too and began to fuck herself looking into Aya''s shut eyes and screaming pretty face. Her fingers plunged quickly and deeply into her pussy, making wet sounds to arise with Rafel''s persistent pounding into the tent.


    For the second time, Rafel tensed and poured with a great flood. He fell on Aya Naamah with a devil''s true roar, banging her so hard she rocked up several inches. It was a wild thing to see. Giselle had lost it in front and was squirting in Aya''s face. She doused her in fresh love juices and the ve subus opened her mouth to ept all they both had to give.


    Rafel filled her with his hot seed from behind. And Giselle, fucking herself, sprayed in her hair, neck, and face the musk and beauty of female orgasm.


    Rafel copsed with Aya to the quilts.


    She pulled near to Giselle and the Queen shut her legs and turned on her side as Aya moved in top up her entire slit, one leaking hole to the other.


    Giselle smiled coyly.


    "Oh you dirty slut! You want that ass, huh? Well then, lick it! Lick it good."


    She sat on Aya''s face until they were both out of breath. Eventually, the two women crept to the natural warmth Rafel''s big lupine body offered. He was extra hot for being a demon.


    "Are you still angry at me?" said Rafel. "I want you to know I would never outrightly hurt you."


    Giselle chuckled in the quiet. Her fingers twined with Aya''s fingers over Rafel''s chest. "Is that an apology?"


    She quickly added, "You don''t need to answer that. No, I am not still angry. How can I be, after some session like that. And I know you''ll never hurt me, not unless I want you too. Besides, I don''t have a problem with Yemaya as long as she''s not a stingy bitch with you."


    "Oh, she''s not stingy," Rafel grinned, amused. "She probably heard us fucking. Her tent is just a foot away. Probably wondered about all the colliding shadows."


    "Hah!" Giselleughed. "This is why, Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste, no marital vow can keep us apart. We will always have this thing between us."


    Rafel didn''t fall asleep until after he heard the young women pace out. It was mostly the slowing of their heartbeats. He pulled the quilts tighter about their sensual forms. It was a cold night out.


    At dawn early the next day, the morning sun rose light and smiley¡ªlike the Eldorian Queen. She had not bothered with the walk of shame. No one questioned as she emerged from the tent with Rafel and Aya. The others made warm greeting and even more regard for the demon Earl entered the smallpany''s eyes.


    "Lucky bitch!" Cora chirped under a breath as Aya passed by her. "¡ªyou must surrender all the juicy detailster."


    "Oh I will, babe," came the lilted reply.


    Giselle''s Griffin chomped nearby on the remnants ofst night''s roast. She saddled the beast and Ser Romulus helped her onto the giant bird, before joining her also. Cora drew in a couple of reindeers grazing nearby with lulling witch magic to pull the silver chariot. She mounted it with Aya. Rafel ascended his powerful winged steed, Agamemnon. And they all took to the snowy skies.


    It was a good morning for a sky ride. Clear and golden. Riding through the heavens was much faster than galloping across the tundra. Soon, the vale of Magvath, the battle of Skyfall, and the recoverednds of Rumbrun were left behind.


    Soon, the elegant beatific skyline of the Capitol came into view. More than one heart in the clouds soared to be back home.

 Chapter 51: A Homecoming

    [?? All Time Low ¨C Jon Bellion.]


    THE SKYLING BEASTS hovered in the blue heavens for a while. Apparently, it hadn''t snowed yet in the Capitol. The winds were distinctly cold though and only few shipszied about in the ssy sea beyond. Giselle could see her home: the Empire''s majestic pce, from up in the skies.


    Her white Griffin ppedrge wings at it floated in the air. It sailed and stared down into the hobbled streets below next to Rafel''s obsidian pegasus.


    As per Her Majesty''s royal orders,


    [Greetings, Eldoria¡ªall and sundry! A feast of seven days is hosted by the Court of Fae Queen. All citizens are wee within the pce walls during these time. Let us join in the unification of our hearts and prosperity of ournds as we celebrate victory over those that would oppose us. Happy feasting!]


    This writ was coined by her royal Scribe and hammered as posters all over the Capitol. And for once, the Gold Cloaks who patrolled the city took to the undercity where the overlords reigned; the grimy alleyways and soiled pubs, and they likewise pinned the invitation parchments on the vomit-green bricks of the lesser districts.


    Most of the gild appareled officers were more than happy to return to the swankier quietude of the Lords Estates.


    "The city is robed in gold, Your Majesty," Ser Romulus remarked.


    All straddling the winged and magical animals in the air turned eyes to the streets below. Giselle and herpany hovered above the oblivious traders and millingmon folk. Clouds passed about them in the sky. One little boy dragged a stubborn goat that bleated over people''s legs.


    Cora, the one with the artist''s excellent eye, intelligently began to describe the kingdom''s preparation for the feast.


    "The streets are lined in the gilded banners. See how they catch the beams of the sun. Roses and daisies on every window. Elden Valhan vases marked with ck paintings of heroes in splendor sold in stalls¡ªand I think the one with the horns impaling a Titan is His Grace."


    Rafel peered closer from his Pegasus at this. He only shrugged. Cora continued,


    "Watch the townies and country folk troop in from the farming viges, their wagons full. Food would be in excess. There''s also the foreign merchants with sculpted toys of valiant knights, who swear to the ebullient kids shrieking at their parents that the caricatures were autographed by Yours Truly..."


    Cora nodded to Giselle who smiled humbly. She then pointed below from an effigy of a robustly dressed woman in a raffia crown leading a parade down a bustling streets.


    "...and those would be the zealots of the Highfather, I guess."


    Everyoneughed.


    The Empire''s magnificent castle had its four high steeples and turrets freshly donned in her royal colors. A long red carpet stretched out from the high double doors to the gravelnding courted by acres of mowed field. Carriages were already ridden in and parking.


    Those elite Nobles who could curry favors from Her Majesty''s handmaidens did: they would be allowed to reside in the castle for the feast.


    Giselle could already see her loyal chefs and governesses scurrying about the byzantine archways to ensure things during the festival ran smoothly. To celebrate a win over so great a foe as Nephilims was no small thing.


    "Yes, the kingdom is pretty." Giselle waved her off. "But I would that my Empire shines from the most stately mansion to the quaintest cottage."


    "A noble wish, Your Majesty," Aya inputted.


    Giselle looked to her and they shared a secret smile. Ever sincest night, the fey Queen and the dark-haired subus hade to a profound understanding only different sexual positions could cause. Cora noticed this, but said nothing of it. Giselle looked back to Rafel; her smile grew.


    "So I''ll be expecting you, Your Grace, at even."


    She didn''t ask. She left her words as a statement.


    "CAYAT!" she called after, and her Griffin folded its wing. Her Lieutenant, Ser Romulus clutched to her like a fragile bird as the Griffin suddenly began to plunge down in wicked speed. The giant white bird fell like a dropped spear with a weighted head, thousands of feet from the skies. Romulus closed his eyes at the rushing wind. Tears leaked out the corner of his vision.


    Just when he thought they would crash into some Bell Tower off a rugged cliff, the Griffin pped out its massive wings and broke their fall.


    They lifted up in the air, just above the roofs of the market stalls this time, and soared above the trendy festive season to the looming decorated Castle. Giselle smelled the overflowing bougainvilleas and enchanting Wyrm seeds fragrance the air.


    "Yes you will." Rafel finally said.


    He pulled the reins on Agamemnon and turned around. Cora''s flying chariot followed him swiftly. Rafel led the way through the silvery clouds to Emberfall. The other witches dispersed to their own homes, smiling widely to prepare for the asion. The smell of party was in the air. Like papayas yellowed and fat with ripeness, the winter''s air was marked in both cooking spices, myrtle, and human sweat.


    Kickoff was at dusk. Dusk was in six hours.


    Rafel dropped off his ck pegasus and rushed into the Manor. The grounds were misty, and he found the innards of the foyer andnding goth as the Underworld. It was what he expected.


    But?


    ''Not what you seek,'' his mind mirrored his thoughts like still water.


    Behind him, Aya and Cora had justnded their chariot and left the tiny pixie, Mia who showed to wee them to handle the reindeers. They looked to each other. This was the first time they''d seen their Master and Lord of Emberfall in a hurry. Sure enough, as they entered into the house after him, Rafel chanted the name that was on their minds.


    Two words.


    "Little Raven?!" He called aloud up the spiral stairs.


    But it wasn''t Ravenna that came rushing down.


    It was Annabelle.


    Rafel''s eyes med in their sockets. His heart froze cold. Quite literally as a demon.


    "Where is Ravenna?" He seethed. "Who let you out of your fucking cage, Huntress? WHERE IS SHE? ANSWER ME!"


    Annabelle''s words of greeting folded in on themselves over her pink lips. Rafel was too furious to notice the hotness of the woman before him. He rather concentrated on why he wasn''t seeing his Little Raven when he called. When it came to her, he couldn''t think straight. The ''why'' in there still bothered him.


    He didn''t necessarily find her irresistible. He just cared. And he never cared! He made sure not to.


    Seeing¡ªand sensing Rafel''s growing ire¡ªwhich was not good for anybody in close proximity with him, Aya and Cora rush to both sides of him. Cora spoke first as she endeavored to touch him gently on his forearm.


    "I''m sure there''s a perfect exnation for this, My Lord Grace."


    Rafel stared daggers at Annabelle. Aya was afraid the poor girl wasn''t even breathing.


    Just then, rushing footsteps cluttered down the staircase in descent. All the women on thending finally breathed easy when their raised gazesnded on Ravenna. She was na?ve of the tense air and clomped down to Rafel in her flip-flops. She smiled brightly and couldn''t hide her blush on seeing him. She began speaking quickly.


    "Wee, Your Grace. News about your victory over the Giants reached us. Congrattions are in order¡ªeven though I wasn''t expecting anything less from you. See. . .I kept the house, just like you instructed.


    Of course Mia helped! She''s the Helping Fairy. But it was mostly me.


    What''s wrong? Why are you staring at me like that? Do I have horns or something? Did I not greet right? I''m sorry. Let me just do this again¡ª"


    Rafel dragged her to him before she could execute the awkwarddy dip she had not quite learned.


    "It''s not the fucking greeting!"


    Ravenna''s voice dimmed to a bedroom slur at the intensity she faced in Rafel''s burning gaze.


    "What then?"


    He blinked and long, redshes fanned his cheeks. He released her. "I just wanted to know you''re okay. How are you?"


    Ravenna put her hands into the back pocket of her jean shorts. She had not gotten over this man''s effect on her, even after him being nearly a month away. She noticed he was leaner. Rougher around the edges too. He spotted a light stubble that added savagery to his wicked yellow eyes. His muscles were more defined, his clothes moulded into his unofficial war tunic.


    Battle had made him sexier. She wondered how chaffed his callused hands would feel on her body: she would be soft and pliant and moan¡ª


    "Ravenna?" Cora tapped her fingers in front of her face. "Earth to Ravenna! His Grace asked a question."


    "Y¨CYes. Yes. Sorry ''bout that. I''m fine. I''m alright. Dandy as day!"


    "Good." Rafel kept out all the emotion from his voice and eyes. "And her?"


    Ravenna followed his nod with her eyes. They were somehow even greener than he remembered. Probably because he had been secluded in deep white for most of the past month.


    "Oh, Annabelle!" she said.


    "You''re on first name basis now?"


    "Yes, SIR. Please don''t sound so tame!" Ravenna fired sarcastically. "Need I remind you it''s been twenty four fucking days since you''ve been gone. The Manor was quiet, I needed a friend."


    "How about Brunhilda? Percival? You could have invited them over, not release out prisoner."


    "Well, I guess I just wanted to free her." Ravenna pped the sides of her hips with her arms.


    She was unapologetic. Rafel fought the urge to smile. There was his Little Raven: his firebird.


    "Have you even looked at her?" Ravenna squinted. "Look at her?"


    Rafel did look this time. He really did.


    Annabelle was in a floorlength citrine gown. It had a bold slit running up the left side, all the way up to her upper thigh. The Huntress had killer legs. They ran for ages. It also helped that she was willowy. She had no breasts and her ass was small.


    But her beauty was in her model physique. She was a gazelle. A leggy bombshell.


    Annabelle''s literal flood of golden hair was piled in a fat, dropping braid that weighed at least five pounds and scraped the floors behind her. She was a pure country Blondie.


    And the dress she stood in was divine.


    Her moon-white iris, pupils pale too so that her gaze was colorless, leveled warmly on Rafel''s wild stature. She blinked once.


    Ravenna saw the appreciation as it entered Rafel''s eyes. She said, "This is the Annabelle we are keeping from the world. This the Huntress the world needs to see. This is her new Legend. THIS, IS ANNABELLE CRAVEN. Go on girl, twirl around for him!"


    As Annabelle turned a round shy circle, Rafel only saw her legs and her pale eyes. She was sexy. Tok sexy at the moment for a thirsty soldier returning from war.


    Ravenna said, "We were heading out to the party in the Capitolter this evening. Can shee please?"


    Since when did they be friends? Rafel frowned.


    "Party''s at dusk." He growled coldly.


    He abruptly spun on his heel and walked away. He was at the foot of the stairs when Ravenna called.


    "Hey, one more thing?!"


    Rafel halted and turned. He spread his hands, waiting.


    Ravenna surprised himpletely by jumping in them. He caught her small frame as she embraced him. He let one of his big hands stroke the small of her back. He wondered if she was thinking what he was thinking at the moment: that hot night she had taken his cock like a good, little girl into her mouth for the first time.


    Probably not.


    Ravenna pulled away after a moment. She deftly folded her arms over her chest. She had no corset on, and her nipples betrayed her. No matter how much she knew she should stay clear away, she could not. Howbeit,


    "Wee home, sir," was all she said.

 Chapter 52: Party At The Capitol

    THE EVENING SEEMED TO RUSH IN.


    Nightfall appeared in swift passing and even from the reclused estate of Emberfall, Ravenna heard the festive drums begin to sound. The wind carried the festive air all across from the capitol to the woody rolling moors of the Manor.


    Ravenna pulled a curtain and stared out her bedroom window southward. She looked out across the coldke to the starry yellows light in the distance: torches really, lighting up the entire city.


    The Capitol.


    "It''s starting! It''s starting!" Ravenna let the curtain drop back as she shrieked.


    "Yes. Yes, party girl." Cora smiled.


    The chambein was in her room as Mia, the fairy helped make the finishing touches to Ravenna''s gown. She was going with pale green, to match her eyes. Coraz¨®n herself was dressed grandly, and boyishly¡ªno surprise there in a tinum informal power suit without the jacket. She wore short heels and her white-blond hair carved a recent sharp fade at the left side.


    "Come,e girlie. We must get you finished. The others are waiting at outside. His Grace must be at the Landing also. We don''t want to keep him pacing. You must remember he dislikes obnoxious asions.


    It''s a small miracle he is going to this fiesta with us," Cora beckoned Ravenna to the huge vanity.


    Mia flew over in a trail of pixie dust. She wielded in her tiny hands a very expensive fluffy white winter coat. Ravenna briefly eyed the material in the mirror. How much did the dress cost? It looked sewn right out of eagle feathers.


    "It''s just¡ª" She shook away her paranoia. "I have never been to parties unless I''m serving as a wench and have to dodge obstructive fingers all night. This is a rarity for me. AI! I''M SO HAPPY!"


    "As you must." Cora fastened the front clip of the cloth.


    Gold shined out from her wrists. Rubies dangling down her ears. Diamonds on her neck. Clearly, the Lord of the Manor had spared no expense in dressing his Ladies.


    "Does he really hate parties that much?" Ravenna asked. She touched gingerly the PEARL OF THE SEA, the ttering jade drop she wore as a pendant. It costed a whopping [600 000 Eldorian gold coins].


    Cora shrugged, stroking her shoulders. Their strange eyes'' met in the mirror. One blue as ice, the other green as a leaf.


    "I mean... we haven''t hosted a party here since his arrived at Emberfall. The former Lord of this house would just about drown himself night after night in thetest offered poison of liqueurs and freshest cuties of the brothels. I think you know: His Grace is different."


    "That he is," Ravenna said softly into the mirror.


    "Which is why we must show him that we love him and care about him. He sacrifices his own inherent coldness and ruthlessness for us. The least we can do is keep him happy and entertained. I hope to drag him to the dance floor even for a minute tonight. He can resist it when I give him the doe eyes!"


    "Hah!" Ravenna brightened.


    "You look like a princess," Coraplimented. "¡ªfor once."


    "Hey!" Ravenna twirled around. But Cora was already out the bedroom door,ughing widely.


    His Grace, Lord Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste was donned in a midnight tuxedo and maroon doublet. His red hair was styled with gold pins into a delightful manbun stop his head. He looked both dragon and tiger as he stood in the wide gleaming foyer of his mansion.


    He had just noticed the right wall was empty and long; a wonderful spot for a mural. Perhaps that of a Virtue. A [Virtue] was a [Rank B] celestial spirit in angelology. He figured as one of the strongest demons, he should have a canvas of the heavenly opposite. Besides, his gothic home wouldn''t hurt with some divine light.


    This was when he heard the clicking of womens heels.


    He turned from staring at the empty wall to face the staircase. His eyebrows raised instantly.


    On the top of spiral gold staircase, by the chic bannisters stood four gorgeous women. Each had an astonishing feature about them that enchanted the eyes. It was a lulling pull. It made Rafel much more happy to know they were his, and also, not human. Coraz¨®n, his beautiful androgynous Right-hand led them down the steps.


    Aya Naamah, sexy as sin itself was the closest behind her. Ravenna in a sensuous green apparel was taller in her heels. Comingst in the line was his lovely prisoner, Annabelle. He hadn''t noticed the Huntress smashing looks until now. He had known she was a knockout when he''d captured her, obviously, but now she was transfigured into Eos, swamped in moonshine and crows.


    Looking at the women, Rafel knew he would spend millions on them if they so desired it.


    "You all could bring a god to his knees," said Rafel.


    The lovely women gathered about him and smiled. Even Annabelle''s pale eyes twinkled warmly at him. She hade to respect Rafel since the battle of SKYFALL. A horde of Nephilims was no joke: she had being around at their birth a thousand years ago. She was since attracted to Rafel''s dominant strides.


    Call it the weird psychotic bond that always joined a kidnapped to their captor, call it spontaneous chemistry, call it what you want.


    Rafel was one hell of an attractive man.


    He said, "I have sent for thergest carriage in the kingdom. You all must fit in there with me."


    Thediesughed and he led them out the ornate double doors.


    "Happy Feasting, my leige!" Mia the Magnificent called to the backs of her Lord and his consorts.


    Their ride to the Castle was a swanky buggy that was pulled in front by eight horses. It was a moving cabin. As they entered the streets of the Capitol, people stopped and hailed the carriage. They noticed Emberfall''s crimson colors and the Earl within that had won them the war against the Giants.


    The mob lining the streets reached out with their hands, rubbing glitter into the shut ss windows, smiley faces highlighted inic party paint. Hundreds marched from the undercity, caravans trailed slow in the streets from the Lords District, mighty ships with visitors from the isles were docked on Eldoria''s vast ports.


    Empty of passengers, the hull and beaches were silent in the waning sunset as people trooped to the glittering pce.


    The Castle was mighty and glorious, gs whistling in the night wind.


    Cheers erupted all around Rafel''s monstrous carriage. Themon folk hailed and some threw off shirts and tossed at the buggy. Menus guided the horses on silently.


    In thevish interior, Rafel sat Aya closest to him. He fondled her surreptitiously as they rode in smiles. It wasn''t long till they pulled in through the Castle''s gates of pure gold. The Queen''s Lieutenant, Ser Romulus awaited them by the watchtowers. He and a couple of Gold Cloaks were Rafel''s escorts onwards to the lesiastical rise of the pce.


    "Just how rich are you again?" Annabelle ripped her head forward to nce at Rafel.


    He smiled as Ravenna replied for him.


    "Super fucking rich."


    The opulent carriage halted by the end of the red carpet leading up to the main Hall Dome of the castle. A uniformed valet, a seductive young blonde, held open the buggy''s door as Rafel climbed out inpany of his Ladies. He skipped the waiting line and those on it remarked at the four superhot womenbing him.


    Rafel was a powerful man. He had very good friends among high society, and his affiliates began at the Queen herself.


    As they entered into the shiny, flowery innards of the party reception hall, Rafel found that many of the men who stared in his direction looked mostly to Coraz¨®n who rattled their teeth walking so confidently in her pantsuit. Most men didn''t like a trace of virility in their females.


    Rafel didn''t mind Cora''s dressing. He admired her challenge to the primordial pattern of nature. Besides, not just any women could pull off a pantsuit and rock it like a Ball gown.


    "Excuse me, My Lord. We''ll get us drinks." Aya Naamah pulled out of Rafel''s side. She dragged Annabelle with her to the glittering neon bar.


    Ravenna went off to find her friends among the throng. Rafel watched her vanish into the people a moment andtere up clutching Brunhilda. Percival was inpany of two svelte redhead twins himself. Giselle, Her Royal Majesty, adorned in a flourish of gold and silver, was at some corner with foreign delegates.


    She waved to Rafel. The Countess, Cordelia raised a ss to him. Rafel nodded to the both of them and the emissaries turned to look at him.


    Giselle must have said something about the battle of Skyfall because the visiting Inders began waving and beaming proudly at him.


    Rafel was left alone with Cora. She stepped into his side and took his hand.


    She whispered, "Let''s go before one of themes over to trade war stories or have you sign his cape."


    Rafel turned to her smile. "Yes please."


    He let Cora and her hypnotic blue eyes lead him through a side partition to a dance hall. The club lights were disorienting to say the least. They shed in Rafel''s vision like that one time he got clubbed in the head by a Mauler''s [Shogun] staff.


    He watched scores of bodies entwine and merge and slide into each other. It was a rippling flood that moved randomly in tune to the high music.


    [?? Tacata (TCM Hardstyle Bootleg) ¨C Tacabro.]


    The beats drummed in his ears like thunder. Even Rafel had to admit the song was quite catchy. This club atmosphere collided with the already festive hearts of people and turned the dance floor into a torrid yground. Men danced with women, and then with each other. It was a whole lot of gyrating, clutching, grabbing: hands-on action.


    "It''s like an orgy but without all the clothes," said Rafel.


    He turned to his side to find Cora grinning.


    "Exactly! I get that this is not your fort¨¦, Your Grace. But please, tonight, dance with me."


    Rafel didn''t have the frame of mind to refuse¡ªnot when Cora did the thing with her ocean eyes. He let her take his other hand in hers and lead him; a cold fucking ruffian, into the hot middle of a circle of five melding females.


    The pretty girls opened up like a Brothel''s doors on Sabbath''s evening. They allowed Rafel and Cora into their sultry embrace, quickly making dance partners out of them.

 Chapter 53: Strippers!

    [?? The Way I Are (Dance With Somebody) ¨C Bebe Rexha ft. Lil Wayne.]


    "I LOVE YOUR SILVER HAIR, you''re a real tinum blonde," one of the dancing girls said and edged closer to Cora.


    The girl twirled to give her back to Cora. The witch was no stranger to getting some from girls who found her boyish swagger attractive, and Cora slid her palm down the dancer''s slim waist. She allowed the girl grind into her.


    "So, you from around here?" The girl pushed out her ass and put her hands into her dark hair.


    She made erotic slow moves with her body on Cora''s. She gyrated to feel the womanliness visibly unfound in her taller partner and Cora knew the girl wanted to touch her. She didn''t reply her question. The brte sought more contact. She put her body flush against Cora. Her head fell back and she nuzzled Cora''s neck, whispering softly,


    "You don''t talk much. Mystique, I like it."


    She took hold of Cora''s hands and ran it down her hips to inch on her thighs. Cora grabbed at her grey skimpy skirt. Rafel growled behind.


    "Careful now. She''s mine." But he wasn''t talking about the other girls swarming him. He was talking about Cora. Four young women danced with him. They fancied his me hair and unnatural gold iris. However, all the while Cora yed with the fifth, she kept her eyes locked on Rafel''s.


    She loved when he watched her with stoking passion in his gaze. He liked seeing her with other girls.


    The music in the dance hall picked up and the brte turned to wrap her arms around Cora''s neck. Just then, Giselle walked in and the crowd parted for her even though she wore no tiara.


    "Pardon, I have to cut in."


    The brte dropped her hands off Cora''s neck and bowed meekly at Giselle. Everyone paused their dancing for a moment and watched. Giselle grabbed both Rafel and Cora''s hands and pulled them toward the hall''s exit. The glittery club lights dimmed and the crowd began jumping again. Giselle led her friends out the hall and through a long passage.


    It had the wan lighting of sconces and was empty of the usual rowdy partiers.


    "Uh, we''re are we going?" Cora let the Queen drag her on, but asked.


    "To the REAL party."


    "How about the hundreds of people we just left exerting to pounding electric music?"


    Giselle stopped at this. She turned back to smile between Rafel and Cora, and released their hands. In response to Cora''s naive ask, she grinned and said, "Trust me, this is the one you want to be at." They all stood in front of arge red door. Blocking it was an unsmiling bear of a man.


    A club bouncer, one of Giselle''s Queensguard.


    Giselle nodded lightly to him. He turned to the side, pulled the door and held it open so they could all walk through. Therge man finally smiled when Rafel passed by him. He had heard about Skyfall too. Apparently, now Rafel was something of a war hero. His name was next to the posters of the feast, mentioned in talk about valor and honor, and even on the lips of the Highfather.


    He tried to return the bouncer''s enthusiastic beam. It came out strained.


    Rafel didn''t want to be a fucking hero!


    "Here we are!''


    He refocused at the cheery sound of Giselle''s voice.


    "Woah! What!" Cora gasped.


    Rafel looked around. He was dazzled. They appeared to be in a small room. It had a chic, suave and arctic toneplimenting the several love seats spread about. The sofas were in a circle around a raised silver tform. The room''s decor was like the door into it.


    A sensual crimson, the catchy color of Lilith''s favorite G-string¡ªif Rafel remembered correctly.


    But of course he did.


    The first time he''d seen her in the thong, he had been passing by her shower.


    Nheless, in the present, this new room was styled to effect erotic thoughts in the minds of the partakers. Giselle had being right. This, was the real party. Some of the love seats were taken. There were only a few people present: less than a dozen. Rafel recognized them as the cr¨¨me de fucking cr¨¨me of the Empire.


    The top one percent.


    The most powerful people, political and magical, in all the Fae-rulednds were currently in this room. A familiar voice spoke out from a dark booth.


    "I knew I''d happen upon you again, Young Master."


    Rafel turned in the sensual atmosphere to find the beautiful doctor, Nicara Shetty standing and beaming at him. She was as redhaired and pretty as he remembered. Her literal cat eyes twinkled at him. Somehow, even the Headmistress of the Corynthian Witch Academy could not resist a good party.


    "Doctor Shetty," Rafel smiled. He recalled fondly theirst encounter.


    Nicara waved his formality off with another smile.


    "I needed time away from the school. A holiday from studies if you will. Besides, Her Majesty promised a perfect evening tonight¡ªher words." Nicara winked at Giselle.


    "I see..." Cora put in. "So we are not the only ones about to be surprised by what she has nned?"


    "Nope. You''re not," said the Doctor.


    Giselle interrupted ebulliently. "Come,e, my friends. The show''s about to begin."


    Smiling, everyone took their seats. Nicara returned to hers. Rafel took one of the love seats with Cora; the maroon couch was lush as a mattress dipping. Giselle settled in beside her bestfriend, Cordelia who had already been in the room when they entered. However, her husband the Count was nowhere to be found.


    Since they were only a handful in thefy lounge, the erotic experience was shared and felt by all.


    Cora nced at Rafel with a small smile. His eyes were chilly. Nearest to their sofa was the one shared by the Queen and her bestfriend. Cordelia ced her hand in Giselle''sp. She wasfortable in the touch¡ªbecause everyone in this particr room tonight hade to a silent agreement: no word of what happened within would be said without.


    Gold curtains behind fluttered open and a couple of new girls walked in. Their figures were disarmingly sexy. They were of all skin shades. A variety. And they were beautiful as mermaids. Their bodies were young and full, and held the vigor and health of care.


    "Show girls?" A man openly guffawed.


    The girls smiled and dispersed randomly, one to each sofa, and that man''s eyes glued to the one who moved for him: her porcin skin like a polished stone. He didn''t care that she was young enough to be his granddaughter.


    "My God!" He chanted as she sat beside him and pecked his cheek. "You are beautiful as Aphrodite. This is the best fucking party ever. Thank you, Your Majesty," the manuded the Queen.


    Giselle nodded, equally engrossed in her partner. Her own girl was a sexpot with an amazing tan that made her skin into honey. Her hair was dyed hot pink and touched by a curling iron. She looked good enough to eat. Giselle said, "No thanks are needed, General Byron. But these are not show girls."


    "Strippers!" Dr. Nicara offered. Her feline eyes licked at the curves on her own paramour, and her palm skimmed the girl''s fresh thigh.


    "A little more than that, Doctor," Giselle smiled back. "These very alluring angels you see and touch tonight are top earners in their day jobs. Theymand men in their disciplines. But at night, they be ours. They love to give pleasure, and tonight we are their lucky recipients."


    Giselle ran her hand through the girl''s pink hair, seated between her and Cordelia.


    "This is Raelle," she introduced. "Raelle works as a well-known Modiste in the District of Lords. By day, she is designer extraordinare. By night, she is high-ss entertainer."


    Lord Byron''s mouth was agape.


    "So they do this because they want to? It gets them off? Oh fuck me!"


    Giselle nodded, grinning brightly as a slow erotic music started in the background. Her pink-haired concubine rose to her feet, flipped back her curly bright hair and began to sway in her steampunk outfit to the rhythm. Rafel had no idea where the music wasing from but it sure as fuck made the mind veer in only one direction.


    Sex.


    You could think of a million different positions with a song like that.


    [?? Yoga ¨C Janelle Monae.]


    One of the lovely girls climbed up the silver tform. She, was in a naughty nun outfit and at her ascent, a long phallic and silvery pole slowly rose from an opening below. It rose to tower above her. Sexily, she touched the cool pole and wrapped her fingers around it. The way she handled it made Lord Byron forget it was a metal stick and not a pulsing cock.


    He adjusted in his seat and coughed, staring between the pole girl and the porcin doll dancing for him.


    Rafel and Cora were struck with the full and savage beauty of their own shared entertainer. She was an inder. It was obvious in her foreign dark eyes, catty and spicy. Her curves were just the way Rafel liked on his women¡ªfat ass, perky tits. Cora also. Her skin was a rich shade of chocte and her color caught the seduction red lighting perfectly.


    It amplified the bust of her disyed cleavage, the wealth of her thick brown hair and her ample thighs, and her wide hips.


    She wiggled close to Rafel. She bent at her waist, almost touching her toes and giving Cora a prime view of her lush ass. Rafel smiled when his dear Coraz¨®n''s riparian eyes widened.


    The pole girl up on the burnished tform had dropped her monial gown and now stood only in sexy ck lingerie and a nun''s immacte veil.


    She grabbed the pole with both hands. She grabbed it hard. She spun on it. She rubbed the hollow of her ass cheeks into it.


    Lord Byron whistled loudly.


    "Yeah, let''s have some fucking ass."


    Snickers erupted in the lounge. Smiling, the girl entertainers began pulling off their clothes and baring spotless skin. They allowed hands to roam and feel and thread and squeeze. Eventually, everyone was engrossed in their dancers.


    The concubine dancing for Rafel and Cora was a gorgeous mtta. She twerked her ass to the soft music and Cora couldn''t resist the urge to feel the plump weight she was packing.


    "Mmm, yes. Shake that ass. Shake it good!" Cora appreciated.


    The beautiful ind honey turned and mounted Cora''s long legs. She spread apart her delicious brown thighs and straddled her. Cora spanked her as she kept twerking. She loosened the straps on her bra behind and let the tiny material fall away. She cupped up her breasts and began riding Cora through her white pants.


    Cora clutched to her hips and breathed hard.


    Rafel was watching them silently from the opposite end of the maroon sofa. The pole girl, a scorching Blond, climbed down the raised tform and moved for Rafel. Keeping his eyes, she slowly pushed apart his legs and sat in hisp.


    Then she grinded against him.


    She was so damn good at it Rafel reckoned she had to be a [Serpent shifter].


    He let her work his dick until he was charging like a bull. She dry humped him a while as they both watched Cora and the ind girls. She had finally enchanted Cora until pulling one of her nude breasts into the wet heat of her mouth.


    Cora sucked and yed with the dark ares.


    Although the night stretched further into the sinful abyss of lust and the choking smell of sex never did leave the small room, all those invited to the strip party were respectful enough of their entertainers and didn''t try to pull a ''happy ending''¡ªeven Lord Bryon.


    The girls danced and entertained them deep into the night. Rafel utterly enjoyed his dancer. And eventually, the girls went fully nude. He smelled them in the cozy air. Cocks were sprung like pegs and pussies wet for the pegging. But everyone refrained and just clung to touching and massaging.


    But no fucking.


    Rafel guessed denying that so much passion was in itself a turn-on. Self-denial was to a masochist utter sexual pleasure. The paradox of it.


    Around the early hours of morning, Rafel and Cora found themselves just about the only ones who had not given an excuse to go have a good fuck in the nearest bedroom or a quickie in a bathroom stall. They excused themselves from their concubine, heavily tipping her in gold ingots.


    Dawn was just about nigh when they managed to gather the drunken messes of Ravenna and Annabelle of a sleepy wooze into therge buggy. Aya Naamah was only clearheaded because she was a Subus: she didn''t intoxicate the same rate as other factions. Hellions had a very different metabolism. Plus, she had just sucked the life out of some guy in the gardens.


    The poord had been left breathless, face copsed into the flowers, by a smoking demoness whose horns and puckered lips had left him like he''d run a mile. Her blowjob had felt like the end of the world.


    As Menus drove thepany of Rafel and his women back to the wee host of Emberfall''s alpine mist, Rafel turned to Coraz¨®n and smiled.


    "Are you feeling what I''m feeling, my dear?"


    "If you mean the urge to rip off your clothes and fuck you, Your Grace...then yes. I am feeling what you''re feeling," Cora replied with a grin of hers.


    Rafel leaned back in the moving carriage andughed in rumbles. He had a great bassyugh.


    "That was sure some entertainment."


    Cora humphed. "I prefer to call it forey. At least for some of us."


    Rafelughed again. They fell silent, and remained so until they pulled up to the gothic gargoyles staring out high from the Manor''s dark turrets.


    In the waking streets of the Capitol, doused in the fresh ending of the first day of feasting, General Byron halted his buggy driver by the closest ndestine whorehouse. He all but flew into the ce and grabbed the nearest harlot wet off her morning shower.


    Her dampness didn''t matter. In her pink towel, he dragged down to his cock. Her mouth was full of hot and heavy soldier before she could even greet him. And then he proceeded to pull off her wrapper for some hardcore shagging.


    As he, in shivers sought out the wee heat of hot pussy, Lord Byron remarked oddly,


    "Strippers? What a bunch of fucking cock teases!"

 Chapter 54: Annabelle Craven

    BY THE THIRD DAY OF THE FEASTING, ale went dry. Piss on the other hand, sloshed runny and full in the gutters. Alley rats were fat off the trail of gluttons and the mongrel dogs, fat off them. The Queen had to institute by the raw force of her Gold Cloaks a city wide sanitation cleanup. It was not enough tomand it.


    Giselle had lost enough good men in the battle of Skyfall, she wasn''t about to lose even more to poor drinking habits and a hygiene forgotten at the bottom of the many empty barrels. It was the sight of the marching, overseeing, caped officers that spooked the citizens into picking up a broom. Or in the case of the poor bartenders, a mop.


    "These lot fought blue fucking giants and prevailed. Now I ain''t about to go spitting on my grave by not cleaning my gutters," one man said.


    In a kingdom full of beautiful creatures like Eldoria, three major things mattered: Fear, power, money, when you had all three, you could gut a Temr monk and swear it was your pitbull that did it. Either way, the fest continued, and some idiot docked a ship full of fresh wine barrels at the ports.


    Giselle kept her patrols on the streets.


    It was on the evening of the third rites that Rafel finally summoned Annabelle to his Study. He had not moved her from the dungeon, but he had kept her on a cumbered chamber. One of the few rotund stone rooms below the Landing that had once served as the bunker hideout for a prisoner of war. This windowless cavern was ventted by the cool humors of a running aquifer.


    It led onwards to a [Wreath Circle]: a currently dormant portal to the otherworld, otherwise known as the Seely Court.


    ording to lore, a realm of celestial providence where flowers spoke like men, trees sang, sprites grew as tall as Irokos, and of wood nymphs that could curse or bless objects with their eyes.


    Rafel had ordered Mia the helping fairy to keep charge over the Huntress as wardess, and although he had dropped the chains on her wrists he was still skeptical of her origins and legend. He never trusted an Immortal¡ªespecially one who had totally colorless eyes and had been living since the First Men. Time made rogues out of kings and [Crue]s out of damsels.


    Annabelle''s room was below the Manor but was no less opulent.


    Aya Naamah had gone there and worked her magic on it, making the bunker into a home. Coraz¨®n set up the eternal [Magic Lamp] as illumination in her chambers and a cozy hot bath eroded over decades by the spring water served as her jacuzzi.


    It was better and homelier than her wreck of a cabin in the woods. In the hundreds of years Annabelle had lived, she had never seen a man who cared and was equally as cold to his prisoner. Perhaps, it was because she was sexy as fuck. Rafel let her stay though.


    He spared not his bullions to Cora''s purse to ensure the Bone Huntress had everything she could possibly need, so that when they were finished with the stone chamber, it smelled like a spa and looked like an Inn''s best suite.


    The day was waning into dusk and the drums of fresh festive energy reached from the Capitol up to the Manor. The cold winds blew the celebratory sounds up North. Standing by an open window overlooking the kernels of his monster Hellhounds, Rafel sipped softly on a mug of warm tea. He could hear the bells tolling for the start of yet another night of debauchery.


    He smiled into the scarlet skies as he heard knocks on the door.


    "My Lord Grace." Coraz¨®n entered. "May I present, Annabelle Craven."


    Rafel turned from the window. "Thank you, Coraz¨®n, and thank you for the tea."


    "Always my pleasure to serve you, Your Grace."


    She turned to leave but Rafel stopped her.


    "Please Coraz¨®n, do stay. I wish that you listen in on our conversation."


    He waved Cora to a near cypress chair. She looked on him for a moment and pink entered her cheeks. If Cora said she wasn''t honored at Rafel asking her to stay, she''d be lying. She took the seat, leaving the chiffon long sofa for Annabelle to sit. Rafel did not join them. Rather, he leaned against the mighty polished surface of his desk, colored ash, and leveled demonic yellow eyes on them.


    [?? I Put A Spell on You ¨C Annie Lennox.]


    The scent of sandalwood and clean papyrus filled the Study room.


    "My Lord, you summoned me," Annabelle said respectfully.


    Rafel crossed his arms. The Huntress was perched modestly on the long sofa, not even taking a quarter of the space. She was rather frail for an Immortal. But again, everyone was smallpared to Rafel. He met her pale stare.


    "That I did," replied Rafel. "You have been a good prisoner. You have managed to endear yourself to my Little Raven, and I hear noints from neither Coraz¨®n or my ve about you. Still..." He looked to Cora with a pause: her ocean eyes didn''t waver on his. And Rafel nced back at Annabelle. He continued warmly, "...


    there''s the matter of your origin story. I need you to exin."


    Annabelle finally rxed in her seat.


    He wasn''t sending her away.


    Good Gracious! She pondered on how much it terrified her to leave this man; her captor. When a powerful demon Lord like Rafel summoned you, you couldn''t stop your heart from pulsing a mile a minute. Annabelle started,


    "My Lord, I get that there are sordid aspects when my legend is told, but myths are after all written by those who haven''t lived an ounce of the years I have watched go by. People fear what they don''t understand. I will tell my story to you, Your Grace.


    I was born Anna Bellisma Craven of the primeval thirteen Valhan tribes that crossed the Cold Sea to thesends. I was birthed eight hundred years ago. We were a nomadicmune and journeyed wherever the sun went. As we stumbled upon the shores of this realm and climbed out out iron ships, I was merely a child of less than ten summers.


    Even now, centuriester, I can remember thend so clean, golden, and full of promise. My father was a great leader of his tribe, sired from the loins of the Drowned God whom we worshipped. He was named Bj?rn Craven. And it is from his [God Bloodline] that I gained this immortality.


    My father had led our tribes to victory against the marauders and pigers many times. His war stories had reached even across the Cold Sea, and so when we banked on its verdant beaches, the mermaids and humans who inhabited the realms were happy for ourpany. We dwelt many moons in theirnds.


    Our trades mixed. The bellies of our tribal women swelled with their children, and we lived together in prosperity. We had finally found thend where the sun dwelt and close enough to the water to offer to our Drowned God. I spent time mostly around my father. I had his eyes: these ultra white pupils. Our tribes believed it was the same moon eyes of our god.


    Perhaps, I should have spent more time with mother. But s, even the heavens grow dark in the night.


    One sultry night while we camped together with sloshing merfolk, I saw my mother excuse herself to fetch some more wood for the bonfire. It was to be from the close woond, she''d said. I won''t be long, Anna, she''d said. I believed her. I didn''t think anything of the great shadows that hung in the forest. We had been hunting in the ce for months.


    The bears and wolves of the ounds were our Familiars.


    That night, I waited and waited.


    I heard nothing. Not my mother returning. And not her scream.


    By morning, I went into the Woods to check on her. I found her cold and blue, beside gathered logs. She was white with death, forgotten like a ragdoll on the forest floor."


    Cora sucked in breath beside her. She touched lightly Annabelle''s cheek. It was cold porcin. The moon-eyed Huntress went on.


    "My mother had arge gash in her chest. She was missing her heart. I found few feet from her body arge white Elk kicking its hooves at the crimson earth dried with her blood. It bore the red organ on its proud antlers. My mother''s heart I beheld impaled on the long branches of horns.


    It wasn''t a bear that killed my mother. It was neither a wolf. But a fucking deer.


    I don''t know how long I stood there in disbelief. But when I finally blinked, people were milling around me. Our tribes. They took the body away. They staked the Elk and burnt with with my mother''s corpse by a pyre. Many called it an ident.


    White Stags are the totem of Elden magic. So how could the creature of our wildling deity take life from one of ours?


    Searching for answers to this mystery killed my father. I was relieved for him when I found him expired on a stone altar of our Drowned God, prostrated and begging the divinity for a sign as to why they took his wife.


    None came that day. And not in the years following.


    I took what belongings I had and went into the Woods. Fuck leaving my fate to the gods, I thought. Fuck petitioning them! I would solve the mystery of my mother''s death myself. I entered into that dim forest some eight centuries ago and never left until that night you put me in chains and threw me in the back of your hunting buggy.


    And I probably would''ve never left if you hadn''t showed up."


    Annabelle stopped talking and Rafel put his hand to his forehead. It creased slightly.


    What was it about beautiful girls and baggage?


    It was Coraz¨®n who said the words he couldn''t bring himself to.


    "I''m sorry you had to go through all that."


    "What about all the kids?" Rafel asked instead.


    Cora was touching the girl''s shoulder in aforting manner. This was exactly why he needed her: to do the emotional shit he didn''t have the time for. Cora knew this too on some level. She was more than his Chambein. She was his confidant¨¦.


    Annabelle began to reply, "The children are like me, lost souls whose parents were taken in simr absurd circumstances to mine. I usually find them dumbfounded, and parading the Woods, shell-shocked, their pale eyes full of sorrow. They remind me of me. Over the hundreds of years I lives in that cursed forest, I collect them and keep them¡ªbecause truthfully, they have no one else.


    They stand out in their moon eyes. Their mothers killed in ways they can not understand, fathers drinking themselves to early graves...just like¡ª"


    "Ravenna." Cora finished for her.


    "Exactly!" The Huntress nodded.


    "But if these series of weird deaths is some curse that only targets those descended from gods and with moon eyes, why then Ravenna? I mean...I haven''t asked but she is fully human by the looks of it, and her eyes are greener than a squeezed spinach," Cora offered.


    Annabelle thought on it for a moment.


    "Yes, all these is true. Ravenna is the only outlier I have seen so far."


    Rafel toned darkly, "Her jade eyes are unquestionable, Coraz¨®n. But I wouldn''t put a pin on the issue of her heritage. She did tell us her father imed they were descended from an Angel."


    Cora agreed with pursed lips. Her hand was still soothing on Annabelle''s shoulder. The Immortal Huntress nced to her with liquid silver pupils.


    "What fantastic beast took her own mother, if I may ask?"


    "Unicorn," replied Cora.


    "Shit."


    "Damn right."


    Rafel spoke kindly to Annabelle¡ªnot because of her story but for he imagined the kind of connection that had to be between a mother and daughter for her to run into the forest of her death and never step foot out again in almost a thousand years. He said,


    "Well, Anna Bellisma Craven, we all at Emberfall are d to be your chance at reintegration into civilization. I assure you the other children are well taken care of in a summerhouse owned by a wealthy Countess. They would experience once again the joy of being loved and provided for.


    But I must ask, Annabelle, besides being an Immortal, do you possess any more gifts or abilities from your...Drowned God?


    A power system? Runes? A bloodline magic you can call upon? Anything at all."


    Annabelle smiled a little and pulled her hand from Cora''s. She was thinking that when the Earl stood and leaned like that on his desk with folded arms, it brought out the strength of his biceps. She could also notice a proud curve further south. She didn''t want to dwell on what exactly pushed out such glorious tangent and quickly replied the strapping Lord.


    "I control a [Hallowed] Sight System, if that helps. I mean I am no Fate or anything as glorious. I have not cultivated my abilities, but I possess good enough irvoyance."


    "You can see the future?"


    "Bits of it, but otherwise yes, My Lord."


    Rafel nodded and fluidly pulled up from the desk. He moved behind it and his shadow cast an arc over to the seats of both women. He said nothing else for some time. Annabelle and Cora were staring. He was aware of their heated gazes locked on him, the pregnant silence, and the chiming Grandfather clock in the corner.


    "Do you desire to desire to live with us here in the Manor...above ground I mean?"


    Cora chuckled and it took Annabelle a while to catch herself enough to respond.


    "Yes, Your Grace. I would very much love to be near you...I mean, stay close to you. Shit! In the Manor, I mean. Sorry. I would love to stay in the Manor.


    T¨CThank you."


    Rafel stalked across his polished executive table to Annabelle. Her downcast eyes lifted on the sofa, piercing him with their uncanny colorless nature. Rafel stretched out his hand formally.


    "Wee to the family, Annabelle Craven."


    Grinning widely and blushing fiercely, Anna stood and took his hand. His grip swallowed hers entirely. He had such confident grasp.


    "Thank you, Your Grace."


    "Coraz¨®n will keep your bunker for anytime you have need of it and Mia, our helping fairy will assign one of her kin to you." Rafel pulled away his hand. "That will be all."


    As Cora bowed softly and dipped out the room, Rafel secretly winked at her. A silent message was passed. Annabelle was already through the door and didn''t see it. Nheless, once Cora had delivered the Huntress into the hands of the tiny household pixie, Mia, she turned and sauntered for a particr subus bombshell.


    She found Aya Naamah in the kitchen, chewing softly on red grapes. Walking to her, Cora gingerly took the stool beside her on the long ind and leaned to whisper in her ear,


    "Babe, our Lord Master requests you."


    She watched Aya''s violet eyes go hot and widen on hers. The next second, the gorgeous brte was flying out the kitchen and up for Rafel''s Study room. Cora smiled coyly to herself and popped a grape into her mouth.


    The message had been delivered.

 Chapter 55: Demonagogue [18+]

    ? THE TOWER OF HOLOCAUST, HEL


    [WARNING: #underworld #footfetish #viiness #unholy #priest]


    [?? Mask Off ¨C Future.]


    Lilith Firstborn sat on a sprawling throne of shadows and obsidian¡ªnot the color, the plutonic ss. The unearthly ck crystals could only be harvested in theher regions of the underworld. Her robes were a vast purple and rolled down the dark stone of her throne. Stctites on which grim skulls were impaled rose up the dais round about.


    Her throne was twenty feet high and half that across, her shocking goth beauty nearly swallowed in the cursed seat.


    Lilith''s pale fingers extended into curved nails that were more of ws, the mere touch of it sharper than an Arcadian scorpion''s sting and it''s poison more cruel than the green atter of a viper. She was an extremely attractive demoness. Her pale purple irises were soft, her skin glowing like steamed milk in morning tea, her lips the shape of bows and fuchsia pink. She was crazy beautiful.


    And the daintiness of her calm poise was terrifyingly hypnotic.


    No eye, male or female, saw her and didn''t think of how it would feel to just reach out even a bit and touch the prodigious curves on her. She had what her nephew, Israfel called ''proper woman thighs'', and her generous ass was decidedly Abba-esque.


    Her rich, royal purple gown matched her eyes and long hair. On this sombre night, she wore it down and around in a fat braid. Onyx jewels were embedded in and sparkled against her baster skin. Her raven hair was full and went curling around her neck, back to front like a sleeping python. And she could animate it if she so desired.


    The ends of her hair cut into her milky cleavage, tantalizingly sandwiched into the pressing together of her matronly breasts.


    The Tower of Holocaust was her dark castle. The roof on it had been ripped off by her horrendous and frightful Familiar, a ck Dragon of the [Ninth Lunar Circle]: the highest attained rank of a mythical beast. Since its mistress was a [Rank S] Principality, of the arcane divinities called The Fallen, it made total sense for her pet to also be of evil greatness.


    The Dragon''s crimson eyes stared out into the ins of burning pools and darknds beyond her castle. It perched on a spire, its gigantic tail curled around the pir, an infernal bloodthirsty gaze literally begging to roast someone.


    The creature was nearly the size of the ck tower itself. A single scale from its immense, serrated body wasrge as a te for serving. And when it folded in on itself, it loomed like a small hill.


    The Archdemoness on her throne curled her sensual talons around the seat''s armrests. She pushed a finger into an eye socket of the macabre skull topping it. Lilith''s dress revealed all. The super delicious outline of her motherly bosom and the nirvana at the apex of her full thighs.


    Her legs were crossed on the dark throne and the trace of her slit could be seen, a warm dipping of her gown into paradise. The devious spills of her dress gathered between her legs. It nestled her pussy.


    Above, a full but wan moon flooded the thick clouds of Hel with silver unholy light. nting rays poured down through the torn roof of the tower. It kissed her throne and romanced her lush body.


    In the moonlight, the low cut of her gown was haloed; her sinful silk dress, sleeveless and held up by only a strap behind at her nape, rushing in purple Roman material, uncovered at the erotic valley of herrge breasts, cinching at her waist by a bead of pure gold, falling as a waterfall to cascade down the stone steps to her throne, the brazen slit on it running up into her ripe thighs and shadow of a sex one could smell on the fucking wind.


    Lilith''s feet were appareled in pencil heels. The shiny ck stilts scraped the stone steps and outward spikes designed the straps that held the shoes to her ankles. These spiked straps ran halfway up her fine gazelle legs. Under the moon''s shadow, a great umbrae of her mighty golden horns were revealed. It curved out the front of her dark hair.


    It didn''t distract from her beauty, if anything, it granted to it a sadistic edge few could resist.


    Lilith smiled to herself, her sparkling white teeth shing as she remembered once when her nephew had clutched to those very horns and rode her bareback like a damned pony.


    Her Israfel, she mused. What a superb lover?


    "I have to make sure to visit him soon," she thought aloud. "If not for anything, for a torrid CNC."


    [CNC: Consensual Non-consent. A form of sex y that imitates rape. Not the actual action, but close enough, always usually marked by rough and demented fucking.]


    Lilith''s Familiar, the ck Dragon above lifted its scaly head when it sighted an intruder walking up into the dark fortress. It sent out great ck wings and screeched to the skies with a mighty howl that sent a few clouds skittering. Lilith blinked her lc eyes and said,


    "Now, now, my pet. He was invited."


    The dragon quietened and folded back its bony wings, just as a mysterious man in a clean but worn priest''s cassock padded through the gigantic doors of the tower. The visitor moved with clicking sounds of [Common] Adventurer sandals across the robust throne room. The tower''s innards were like a chessboard brought to life. It had stretching ck and white tiles. The moonlight shimmered off it.


    This priestly man bent the knees at the foot of Lilith''s grand throne.


    The Demoness clicked her tongue, annoyed.


    "You''rete."


    The prostrated man clutched to the rosary beads twined over his fingers. He never raised his gaze as he began to exin his tardiness.


    "Apologies, Your Eminence. Thou must look upon thine servant with a forgiving eye. You see, Matriarch, I happened upon Lord Morningstar and the god, Astraeus spitroasting mercilessly a naked female. They are at this moment engaged in an orgy at The Wormwood Tower. Thine servant wast sidetracked there for a bit.


    It seems, lovable Mistress, that I have not gotten rid of my lewd mortal inclinations to observe. ''Tis a sick lustfulness that has abode with me even now five hundred years of my damnation. The very sin of my heart that had condemned my soul to the perdition of this realm. If you hadn''t imed me as yours, Your Eminence, I fear the Tormentors would have rent the sanity from my soul."


    "Enough excuses, Eusebius!" Lilith snapped. "I sometimes forget you were a Catholic schr in your mortal life. Just tell me, do you have it?"


    The man, this Eusebius by name¡ªbonded to Lilith as one of her higher ves¡ªunfolded from his ck cassock an ancient Crucifix.


    He whispered darkly in the gothic tower, "Imbued in the powers of the Holy One, as sacred as the Holy Grail and more powerful than a Seraph''s kiss. You''d find nothing more suitable for exorcism, Your Eminence. I present to you, thou Queen of the Night, the Demonagogue!"


    Lilith smiled as he bowed and handed it over. She fondled the weighted cross in her palm.


    "Seems a little light for a relic possessing such Divine power. The aura is extremely anointed though, I can sense it. Blessed by the Archangels no less. I can smell the sanctimonious holiness and virtue all over it. Shame! It''s in my hands now."


    Lilithughed a syrupy dangerous sound. She continued, "How many Temr Knights did you have to kill for this, Eusebius?"


    The fallen schr finally lifted up his eyes. They were robbed of every mortal essence and smoke puffed out of the ashen sockets. Like swirls of a smoked cigar, his eyes leaked sulphur and brimstone. Eusebius replied in a weird happy slur.


    "A denarii of Holy Cardinals I tortured, Your Eminence. And eighteen hundred Knights I killed."


    "Fuck!" Lilith mumbled. "In three days?"


    She smiled warmly at the man. She looked again to the crucifix, fingering the old cedarwood of the relic as she spoke once more.


    "You have been faithful, dear Eusebius. This Demonagogue will help us fell out adversary. My nephew, Israfel is among the mortals and knows not what awaits their realm. But I see iting...the Great War for dominion. As in the beginning, it shall be. But this time, I shall be prepared.


    This cross is mypromise. As Israfel is the Promised One."


    Lilith turned to Eusebius with a seductive ze in her divine eyes. The voice of the gorgeous Archdemoness dipped several octaves as she slithered like serpent.


    "Go on, faithful Eusebius. Take your reward."


    Lilith uncrossed her legs on the throne. Eusebius''s fingers fell from fisting his rosary as his Mistress''s thighs came apart. He could not see much of whaty in between them, but the silhouette of sliding, warm fat flesh was enough to imagine the damp curls of her sex. Her sweet scent filled his nostrils and just for once, Eusebius was not sorry he missed Heaven. In Hel, was another paradise gained.


    He stared with smoke pouring out his eyes as Lilith stretched out one of her legs. The slit on her royal purple fell to the side, revealing up to the juncture where her creamy thigh met with her wide hips. Eusebius was gulping in all traces of her feminine musk on the wind. Lilith put out her heeled leg.


    "Thine servant thanks thee, Your Eminence," Eusebius said and moved forward.


    He approached her throne like he once did an altar, so many years ago. He took hold of her long leg. He cradled her feet like a chalice of Eucharist. He was careful with the spikes on her stiletto¡ªthough he wouldn''t mind if she drew blood. He unsped the silverytch on the designer straps and gingerly, he pulled away the heel.


    "Divine." Eusebius gasped.


    Lilith''s feet were glorious. Her nails were painted purple. A small tattoo of bramble thorns rising over her toes. Eusebius took hold of her ankles in both hands. He knelt at her feet. He could feel his Mistress''s demonic eyes warm on him from above.


    His goddess was beautiful. His goddess was powerful. His goddess was the Queen of the Night. And poor, corrupted Eusebius''s soul loved to serve her.


    "Suck, ve!" Lilithmanded from her great throne.


    At the foot of it, Eusebius cradled her foot in his hands, like a vial of [Holy Water]. He kissed each one of her toes first, and then slowly began to suck on the big one. He licked the feet of his Mistress.


    Above on her throne, Lilith watched him for a moment. He was good with his mouth. She let him enjoy his foot fetish for a long while. She caressed his gray hair with one hand and fingered her stolen Demonagogue with the other.


    "There, there now, faithful Eusebius."


    In her dark tower, Lilith''s voice was a mdy of dark pleasures.

 Chapter 56: The Horned god

    ON THE FINAL DAY OF THE FEAST, it finally snowed in the Capitol.


    The cobbled streets of the Eldorian polis was petted in a mild dew heralding kes of the softest white.


    Snowfall began as a trickle an hour before dawn, and by the time a sparkling sun was peering out through the fluffy clouds, the way from the grimed alleys of the undercity to the hallowed paths of the District of Lords, to the moor ounds and marshes, to the very shores of the Cold Sea was a nket of silver. A sleepy pillow of winter.


    Patrolling officers who enacted Her Majesty''s order to clean up the polis each morning after a night of indulgence, encountered several snoring drunks folded in on themselves by the steps of taverns. The Gold Cloaks gathered to their armored flesh their capes to keep out the biting cold.


    "Awaken and seek out shelter by order of the Queen! Her Majesty would not have you lot freeze to death in consequence of your hedonism." They pped many of the hedonists out of their stupor.


    One drunk fastened to a bottle by a graffitied brick wall adjoining a tavern, as he roused from his slumber, scoffed at the patrols and flipped them the bird.


    "You shouldn''t stop people from enjoying a night out in the elements. This is the Matyr''s spunk right outta the skies, we should roll and bathe in it. Metal-headed cunts!" He cussed and staggered away.


    "Yeah! I should have let THE MATYR''S SPUNK kill your ass, idiot wanker!" One officer hollered after him.


    Away from the drowned, immacte rooftops of the Capitol and far into the trails due north of the gray Woods, a swanky blue carriage pulled up to the only estate for miles around, Emberfall. Snows and fog shed on the acres of quietnd, rolling the air with minimal vision. And the man within the buggy was far more impressed with the recluse environment than the stately Manor he pulled up to.


    A heavy-set and jowled carriageman held open the door as the wintry stranger tumbled out.


    "Thank you, Jameel. Don''t wait up."


    The man who spoke to the equestrian was short and hairy, built like a leprechaun. His ears wererge and floppy, and his salt-and-pepper mop looked stringy falling from his head. It entered his beaver ck eyes and made him into something of a scare. Like the Little Man from the children''s books used to scare them into being good.


    The man''s face couldn''t be described as beautiful. He held in his hand a fresh canvas for oil works and a cradle for paintbrushes. Yet, to this dwarven entity, Jameel, the carriageman bowed and folded up hisrge umbre.


    "I will wait, Camerlengo, in the stables," he said.


    The Manor''s doors opened then with a flourish.


    "Come in,e in!" Cora was at the other end, smiling proudly and waving the little man in.


    This grey-haired [Hobbit] who looked like he secretly sold girl children of to distantnds under blood moons was the infamous and notoriously known artist for his depraved works, Camerlengo. Despite his untrusting appearance, Camerlengo wouldn''t hurt a fly.


    His own body was imperfect, and some might even say frightful, but when he put those odd gnarled hands of his to paper, what came out of it was the utmost perfection.


    Camerlengo could draw a dry well in relief and carve every single emotion one could perceive. If he saw it, he could draw it. All of his pieces, though corrupted and leaning towards the satanic, boasted stupendous attention to detail.


    His charcoal works went for as much as [300 000] Eldorian gold coins on the open market; the more twisted ones gobbled up in secret auctions for as wrecking a price as ten million.


    Nobility of the kingdom paid top gold to have the man make family portraits of them. But Camerlengo rather preferred to depict nude forms of thedies¡ªif their husbands wanted to watch was up to them. His pieces were raw and controversial. The Highfather called holy fire upon his head every single time one of his sphemous murals graced the mansion of some member of high society.


    Girl models begged him to paint them naked. They offered among fat purses their own body, but Camerlengo had never touched a woman since his first sketch in his school handbook.


    He was the ultimate voyeur. He appreciated human beauty, in all its frailness and little imperfections. He rather liked to watch than fuck.


    Many rumored that demons whispered in his ear, that his fingers were the talons of [Mahorr the Malevolent]. But in all the gossip and criticism of his works, the little weird artist was the most beloved of aristocracy. No one dared do more than talk against him. He had only his single name, Camerlengo. He was inspired and talented.


    And his pieces, some so vulgar it had to be sealed off immediately unveiling still sold like crazy and had noble Lords dipping into their fortunes for a taste of visual indiscretion.


    This very Camerlengo was in Rafel''s home. And he brought his pencils.


    Cora showed him to a cozy lounge.


    "Please sit, Camerlengo. I''ll be just a moment."


    The Hobbit stopped her at the door when he said, "Ah! I see...you haven''t told him yet. You haven''t told the Earl of my arrival. You paid for my services ndestinely. I like it."


    Cora didn''t turn around and only repeated.


    "I''ll be just a moment."


    She ran the entire way up the gilded vestibule to a higher storey on the mansion. Without knocking, she pushed in through the door of the Masters bedroom. Rafel''s chambers. The suite was empty and she was looking around when the beautiful man himself stepped out from arge bathroom to the side. He had juste off a hot bath and steam poured off his lean muscles. His body was toned like a tiger''s.


    And he was naked.


    Resisting the urge to take a quick peek at his lower regions, Cora dove for the huge dresser and grabbed off a towel. She held it out to him and didn''t turn her eyes away when he wrapped it around his golden thighs.


    "I know you didn''t juste in here to ogle me, Coraz¨®n. Tell me, what''s wrong?" Rafel''s dark voice hit her.


    His room smelled like mountain dew and Cora took her sweet time in going back to his closet and rummaging through the hangers.


    Rafel inched closer behind her.


    "Coraz¨®n?"


    She quickly turned and mmed into his chest crisp ck cks and a freshlyundered onyx shirt. It had real gold fastenings. Rafel peered down at her, from the clothes in her hand to her lovely face. Her blue eyes met his. He was close enough to smell the springy bath cologne.


    "Why the formal wear?" Rafel asked.


    "I may have invited...I did invite Camerlengo over to¡ª"


    Rafel sighed and turned away. Cora instantly dived to pacify him. She hugged his strong back and folded her small hands into his front. His chest was a great expanse. His abs were as bs of rock against her resting palms.


    "I''m sorry. I know you don''t like posing or pictures. But I wanted something of you to hang on our walls beside the anonymous nude female. Something of us! Besides, you''re so beautiful it''d be a sin not to paint you. I mean...fuck!


    Just look at your body. You''re a fucking god."


    Rafel remained stiff and inhuman at her words. Cora syed her fingers over his warm, broad chest. Her blue nails dipped into his fine skin.


    "I can tell him to leave?"


    "No." A hard rumble. "He''s already here. But again, that''s what you wanted, isn''t it?"


    Rafel turned around. Cora was struggling with her smile. She beheld sparks flit about in his eyes and she straightened her face.


    "I''m sorry, My Lord. Please don''t be angry with me. I won''t pull some shit like this again. Witch promise! I will make it up to you."


    Rafel slowly lifted his left hand and touched the curls of her silver hair. His wrist grazed her fade. He whispered softly in the bedroom.


    "For you, Coraz¨®n, I will let a fucking dolphin paint me. However, I''m looking forward to you making it up to me."


    His pink lips were to close forfort or modesty. Cora quickly pushed the clothes into his free hand and pulled away from his scorching torch. His fingers tore lightning into her flesh.


    She said, "Get dressed, you handsome devil. I''ll get the girls, set the stage, and we''ll all be waiting in the Landing."


    Ten minutester, as Rafel swaggered down the high spiral steps of his home, he found all the young women under hismand finely appareled and waiting by the foot of an executive chair. They were all already in their poses for the painting. They looked amazing in their costumes. The theme for this piece Cora had thought of was the Underworld.


    Of course Aya Naamah was in ck, unting her lush assets. She, the subus¡ªno need to get out of her character. Ravenna was a virgin nun and wore the matching alluring costume. It was more sinful than holy though. Rafel thought he saw her nipples through the immacte habit. Annabelle, the newest addition to their family was a smashing vampiress in her red cowl.


    Her decoll¨¦tage dropped down to her navel, glorious pale skin on disy. Finally, Coraz¨®n; the initiator of it all was the enchantress in her blue swarming robe. Her silver hair was gelled and she was the only one who had tight pants underneath her druid tunic.


    His women were beautiful.


    ''I would sit through this entire session just for them,'' Rafel reckoned inwardly.


    He greeted and shook hands with the famous artist, already set up in front of them on a stool with a fresh canvas.


    "Thank you for doing this, Camerlengo."


    The talented Hobbit bowed. "You honor me, Your Grace. The Queen speaks highly of you. But I already thought so even before she ever uttered your praise."


    "Now you honor me, Camerlengo." Rafelughed and fondly patted the man''s back before striding forward to take his seat.


    The House of Emberfall was a beautiful one, and the Lord of the Manor himself looked below to the enchanting women at the foot of his ck boss seat and smiled. They all grinned back at him. Camerlengo held up his hand and counted from five downward. At one, he dropped his arm and started painting.


    The chefs were cluttering silverware in the Dining Hall across when Camerlengo finished, exactly at lunchtime.


    He stepped down his high stool, looked a bit at the family portrait before him, and then expertly turned the swivel on the canvas cradle so his models could gaze at their virtual selves. Ravenna was the first to react.


    "Holy fuck!"


    Annabelle was next. "By the cold iron of the Drowned God!"


    Aya and Cora were speechless. All the women stood to their feet and Rafel joined them, his fair head looming a foot above. Silently and utterly mesmerized, they moved in unison for the finished piece.


    "You have no human hands, Camerlengo," Rafelplimented.


    Before them all was a depiction of wonder. It looked exactly like the real deal. The shadows, tweaks, and touchups. Rafel''s executive seat had been exchanged for a throne of shadows, four extremely attractive supernatural concubines flowing out at the obsidian foot of it. The umbras twirled and wafted around their sulent figures.


    When Rafel caught the engraving of a pentagon imbued with a crescent moon at the top of the dark throne, just above his red hair, he turned a quizzical expression to Camerlengo.


    How did the man know the arcane symbol that sat stop his throne as Apollyon?


    The dexterous artist had sidled in next to them and was also peering down at his ster work. It wasn''t pride that zed his eyes. It was interest. He caught Rafel''s stare and winked back.


    "You have a name for it?" Cora didn''t lift her riparian eyes off the piece.


    Camerlengo looked clear across to the gold sprouting horns bursting out Rafel''s me hair and gave answer. His response was as inspired as his dark additions to the painting.


    "The Horned god, I was thinking."


    "I like it." Cora asserted. She called. "Mia!" And the loyal pixie came buzzing in, a trail of pink fairy dust trailing behind. "Mount this up, will you? Thanks."


    "The spot, midy?" Mia offered.


    "You pick," Cora replied.


    Mia looked to the fifteen foot oil work and knew that it would make an excellent mural.


    "Please Camerlengo, have dinner with us?" Cora vied.


    The artist nodded and they all traipsed as a file to the arranged Dining Hall. They all settled in to a perfect lunch, the girls enamored to the little talented painter and asking questions of him. Rafel was quiet. Camerlengo definitely knew of his [Divine] origins. He wondered though if the beloved Hobbit was part of the ndestine group the Count, Sir Lucius had mentioned some weeks back.


    What was it again: The Enlightened Ones?


    Yep! That was it.


    Rafel looked around the table, and discovered that he had many friends in the Fae Empire¡ªmuch more than even he knew of.

 Chapter 57: Kerwin And Avelina [18+]

    [#twincest #dicksuck #stables #perversion]


    In addition to the astronomical value of a house call by the gifted painter, Camerlengo, costing a small fortune of 70 000 arcane [Soul Coins] which the dwarven artist insisted be paid to a [Reaper] demon called Amram on his behalf for whatever reason, Rafel also rewarded him with presents of six boxes of [Grand Marnier] and a metal tub of well-aged cigars recovered from the loot of the giants.


    Camerlengo thanked Rafel in earnest for his gifts.


    It had stopped snowing, the ground was soft, the heavens took on a silvery lustre and the weather was fair. Rafel walked the painter Hobbit out the Manor''sely doors after their shared lunch and as they waited by the baster steps for Jameel to arrive with the carriage, Camerlengo lit one of the cigars and puffed.


    He blew circles of white smoke into the air, tucked back an ashen strand of his loose hair and said,


    "About twenty years aged, Your Grace. You are quite the first hospitable demon I have encountered, Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste. If I may ask, how do you store such fine condiments?"


    Rafel replied simply, "Underground. I have a ce." He didn''t mention in was the roomy dungeon beneath his opulent mansion, caves of utter darkness guarded by his four Rank C [Hellhounds]. The hellbabies posing as Demiurgan rottweilers could set themselves on fire and wouldn''t burn. The smoking painter puffed some more, smiling at Rafel''s elusive response.


    Jameel arrived with the buggy pulled along by two horses. Camerlengo thanked Rafel again before taking the hand offered by his taller assistant and entering the carriage. They started off and it took a short while for the blue wheels to vanish into the rolling fog on the vast property. Rafel watched them ride out the sentient [Wight] gates.


    Turning back, he found the stablehand who had brought in the carriage with Jameel heading off in the opposite direction, his scuffed boots stained in snow and pounding across the gray fields to the western area of the estate. He was headed back to the stables. The boy was lean and brown-haired but muscled. His thin arms were defined, his legs long and eating up the distance quickly.


    He was a farmboy from the nearby vige of G¨±ndlheim. His name was Kerwin.


    Rafel, as he watched the young man stroll away recalled seeing Kerwin arrive this morning through his bedchamber''s window inpany of a fairss. His twin, Avelina.


    At that moment, apletely depraved thought entered Rafel''s mind and he moved to enact it. Softly ensuring the Manor''s doors were shut behind, he stepped down onto the fresh winter grass and cautiously followed after Kerwin. He kept a safe distance though. But didn''t see the need to equip any [Stealth] mode.


    Kerwin soon reached the Stables. It was a long rectangr wooden building painted a coconut brown. The beams were of sturdy oakwood and birch, and fat as pirs. The stretching interior was partitioned into stalls where horses gruntled and sat amongst hay. Rafel''s pegasus, Agamemnon however was vanished. The winged horse preferred the winter skies to a dull stable.


    Kerwin was all the while unaware of Rafel''s tracking behind him and once he entered in through the swinging doors, he nced up and caught sight of his twin sister, Avelina standing with a pitchfork at the far end on the other side of the horse pen. She had his same brown hair, his same soft chocte eyes, his same sun-kissed skin. She was his exact replica.


    However, Avelina was a girl¡ªand that much was evident. Her sandy brown hair was longer, reaching down to her back. Her waist narrower and her hips fuller. She saw her brothering from far and waved dutifully. He smiled and she returned it.


    ''She has a lovely smile,'' Rafel thought wickedly from the wooden doors. Only his head was in. He hid his body behind it. ''I''ve been seeing hering and going for a while now. A true country girl she is, fair as dawn and willowy as the evening breeze. I''m sure even her brother must notice her prettiness, now let''s see if there''s something more between them.''


    [?? Mirrors ¨C Justin Timbeke.]


    Rafel smiled a dark smile. His Luciferan features went more sinister and his skin crawled with new dancing shadows. He whispered softly in his hiding ce, "System, equip Vanishing Aura and Level Pussy Wetter."


    Two chimes instantly pierced the cool evening.


    [Ding!]


    [Vanishing Aura equipped!]


    [You are made invisible to mortals.]


    [Ding!]


    [Rank II: Pussy wetter, Equipped!]


    [Avable Sins: You have been granted an innate lust ability to arouse undetected any female within a hundred feet.


    Arcane Shop: Lust Realm.


    Deity: Kamadeva.]


    Now equipped in a cloak of invisibility, Rafel boldly strode out from behind the doors where he peeked, matching Kerwin''s gait to his sister. Avelina who was staring up innocently to her approaching twin suddenly began feeling pinpricks of electricity on her body. Like hands of a skilled masseuse, they rubbed unseen oil into her flesh.


    As she looked at Kerwin, she started seeing him in a different way.


    Rafel snickered but held it in.


    ''The desire is not my doing. My sin aura doesn''t bring out what isn''t already there. It only amplifies it. Avelina must''ve already been feeling some way about her brother before now.''


    "What are you doing?" Kerwin asked as his sister took his hand.


    He watched her carefully she slid her palm into the callus of his. Avelina felt blood roar into her ears. Her brother had the hands of a warrior. She had always known Kerwin was beautiful. The damsels in the vige talked about him by the wells and creeks. He was the golden boy.


    The strapping cowboy. Had she deviously wished for a taste of him?


    Yes.


    Had she sometimes imagined it was his own long fingers inside her when she masturbated in the bath pool? Yes.


    But all these had been mere fantasies. She would dare think about them in his presence. Until now.


    Avelina didn''t see Rafel behind her brother, even as he moved around for a better view.


    "Peaches?" Kerwin addressed his sister by his nickname for her.


    Avelina looked up and caught his soft brown eyes. She ran her hand through his dusty hair. His forearms glistened in mild sweat and was coated in sawdust. He was musky and brawny. A real man. She lifted hisrge hand to her head and rubbed her face in it.


    She took his thumb into her mouth and began sucking.


    Kerwin inhaled sharply.


    "AVELINA?"


    He looked around.


    "What is wrong with¡ª"


    "Kiss me!" She dragged his head down to her, cutting him out.


    "No. Are you fucking crazy? This...this is not right!"


    Kerwin pulled away and looked around to make sure no one was watching. He didn''t see the giant redhead staking them closely. But it was like his sister didn''t hear a word he said. She released his finger with a loud wet pop and bunched his id shirt in her small hands.


    "You smell so good, Ker. And you''re so warm." She kissed his neck. "I want you to breed me." She put her fine lips again to the visible trail of curls down his chest. "I want you to take me like you do all those townie sluts. Take me, brother." She tore at his chest. The buttons scattered and she licked slow at his revealed abs.


    She slurped over his bunching pecs and Kerwin struggled to breath. "Fuck me against the stalls, Ker. I want you to fuck me. Fill up this little ass."


    "Peaches, stop. You''re not well," rasped Kerwin. "A demon has possessed you."


    Avelina didn''t stop. She kissed her way into his tan cum gutters. When she dropped to her knees before him, Kerwin sighed and put a hand to his face. "Fuck, Avelina. You need to stop now."


    The petite cowgirl only smiled up at him. Her brown eyes were a mirror of his. Kerwin found himself clutching to her wealth of brown hair as she unbuckled his heavy brass belt. His hard denim pants dropped to his ankles and she roughly tugged down his white briefs.


    "Ah?" Avelina gasped at the sight. Kerwin''s thick golden cock pped her face as it popped free. It bnced swollen and heavy over her face. "See, brother. You are ready for me. I''m gonna suck you now."


    "Oh god!" Kerwin pinched his eyelids shut.


    Avelina smiled seductively. The little cowgirl first licked up the sides of his engorged penis and Kerwin shivered on his feet. She smelled her way down his nosh to his balls. His musk was potent. Her brother was a stallion. The vige maidens had been right.


    He had a big cock.


    "Fuck. This is crazy," Kerwin had opened his eyes and was now looking down at her.


    Avelina brazenly opened her mouth and took him deeply into her throat. Kerwin''s head fell back as she held him in for the shortest second before releasing him. He slipped out her lips gleaming with her saliva. He was unsteady in his rodeo boots. But Avelina was not done with him. The [Lustfyre] of a sin system was now pulsing in her mortal blood.


    If this was the one time she''d get to fuck her brother, then he''d better drill her good.


    Avelina sucked him in again. She moved her head up and down on his impressive girth. Kerwin''s size was nearly too much for her, but raging desire had turned her wild. She slobbered all over him. She grabbed along the veined sides with her hands and pumped him into her mouth, sucking ravenously.


    Kerwin bucked into her mouth.


    "By the Martyr, Peaches! Where did you learn to suck cock like this!"


    A bead of precum settled onto his cock head and Avelina deliciously drove her tongue over it,pping and swallowing it in. Kerwin lost his shit. He grasped handfuls of her brown hair and dragged her tight to his crotch.


    "You have such beautiful eyes, peaches, and such pink fucking lips. You want some fucking dick? Yes? Take this fucking dick. Ohh...fuck yeah. Fuck."


    He roughly impaled her head into his groin, pounding forcibly upward into her face. Avelina grappled with his thighs and let him fuck her face. She wheezed. She coughed. She vomited spit down to the stable''s moist earth. Kerwin drilled into her mouth until her nails sank into the golden flesh of his thighs.


    He let her go with a growl. "Shit, Avelina."


    His penis bobbed out the girth of her wrist and he briefly wondered how she had taken all of him down her throat. Their passion was messy. A frenzy, because anyone could walk in. They were locked in a taboo neither could break, not even for the fear of being caught in a public ce. Avelina smirked with her face mushed up under his slimy balls.


    He tapped his cock against the sides of her young, pretty face and rubbed his pipe over her eyes.


    Kerwin couldn''t handle her mouth.


    "This is what you''ve been wanting, innit? Get up, you little slut!" He dragged her up.


    They kissed wildly and Avelina ground against her brother''s shaft, giving him a handjob as he sucked on her tongue. He bent her sideways and pounded into her hand and bit into the fluttering pulse of her neck. Though spaced only by twenty seconds at birth, Avelina was firstborn but Kerwin had six inches over her. She turned around to give him her back, still stroking his cock below.


    He dragged her hair, bending her back to drown her in a shattering liplock that left them both breathless. Avelina licked at her palm and switch hands to her left. Kerwin pulled his cock away from her damning blowjob.


    "Damn you, peaches!" He cussed. "¡ªfor doing this to me." Then he shoved her forward into an empty stall. "Grab the fucking beam!"


    As the amused, invisible voyeur, Rafel followed them in. He watched the jolting session closely.


    Avelina jiggled her rump and spread her legs wide in her muddy boots. She encouraged her brother.


    "Yes, Ker, take this little pussy. You wanna fuck your sister. Well, fuck me now. Shag me hard. It''s snowed. Everyone''s inside.


    They won''te out this far to the stables. I need you, Ker. I need you inside me."


    Kerwin was a man gone mad at her sweet pleas. Hepletely ripped down her blue jean knickers to her knees. She stepped one leg out of it but didn''t have the patience or frame of mind to pull it all the way off. Avelina helped him with her red panties, dragging it to the side. She dipped two fingers in her wet pussy and held it up to Kerwin''s face. He leaned in and swallowed her taste.


    Standing behind her, he angled his cock over her ass, dipped, and slowly pushed in. His sister was tight and hot as fuck.


    "Oh peaches," he groaned.


    Avelina moaned and fell onto the beam. She grabbed at the horizontal stick and spread her booted feet wider. Kerwin smacked her pert butt and left the imprint of his hand. He grasped her curvy hips and mmed into her. His strokes were tensed, spaced by two consecutive hits, then a pause, then a flurry of three more pounds. Another pause.


    Kerwin just couldn''t bring himself to drill repeatedly. He woulde too soon.


    Avelina bucked in her sprawl and was biting on a petal of the flowery wreath bangle on her wrist to stop from crying out loud. Kerwin drilled fast about a dozen mming stroke before quickly pulling out. He hissed through clenched teeth. He spanked her tiny ass again, with both hands.


    "Your soaked cunt with be death of me, Aveline."


    His penis was wet with her pussy. He tapped the gleaming shaft on the underside of her slit. He kneaded her ripe booty in until she could feel the rough nes. He spat in between her ass cheeks.


    "Why''d you fucking stop? Shag this fucking cunt!" Avelina breathed thickly and took hold of his cock. She eased him back in and they both shivered. "Shag me, Ker. Shag me good. I want this.


    I need this! Give it to me."


    "Yes, take it. Take it, sister," Kerwin growled.


    He began a driving rhythm that sent the both of them on their toes. He clutched to Avelina''s damp waves and rode her hard. Her beautiful, reddened ass was pping against his abdomen. He put his thumb in her asshole and she spontaneouslybusted in his grip.


    "Ohh fuckkkk!" Kerwin panted as her juicies made him pull out.


    "Aaaaaahhh," Avelina yelled out as she went squirting all over his abs. Her wetness leaked down her thighs and his legs.


    Kerwin abruptly popped on her jiggling booty. As she shot spurts of her love juice on him, he jerked off loads of white semen onto her back. His cum dribbled down her shiny, cream skin into her ass crack. It was dirty. And for Kerwin, it was a great discipline for him not to bang her for the popr creampie.


    He forgot all about thinking when Avelina turned around and lowered to a squat before him. She licked and swallowed his moistened cock into her mouth. He left a trail of more semen on the side of her face. She drew it into her mouth and licked his dick clean.


    When she finally let him go, Kerwin''s head fell back and he peered through hooded eyes to pupils exactly like his.


    "Oh, Peaches. What have we done?" He whispered.


    Avelina stood up and hugged his bigger frame. She caressed his soft, wet hair, whispering back,


    "¡ªwhat we''ve been itching to do for a long, long time."


    They stayed that way, catching their breaths and glued to each other for a while. The horses around snorted and huffed at hay. A silent agreement was reached between the twins though. No one must EVER know. But for dear Avelina, a taste of her rugged brother was not enough. Not at all.


    Fuck those vige bitches! He was hers now. She intended to keep him¡ªat least in the moments they could steal.


    A few feet away from the embracing siblings stood their Demon Master. Oblivious to the presence of his employer, Kerwin softly stroked Avelina''s damp curls and settled into a hammock with her. Silently, Rafel turned and left the Stables, in the same way he''de¡ªinvisible.


    As he reintegrated into reality, molecules of his body collecting and forming into a tangible self, his system chirped with a new reward.


    [Ding!]


    [Sessfully initiating a Capital Sin has blessed you with additions to Arcane Rune.]


    [ +24 000 soul coins. ]


    [New bnce: 3 125 000]

 Chapter 58: Caves Of Apophis

    THE NEXT MORNING, the head Butler of the Emberfall Manor, Coraz¨®n Mortimer awakened to find her Lord already up¡ªand she awoke pretty early. She found Rafel seated up on the balcony flowing out his master suite. He had a steaming cup in his hands as he gazed out into the rising dawn. Cora approached the loggia quietly.


    "Your Grace, you''re awake," she said. "Good Morning."


    "Morning, Coraz¨®n," Rafel greeted back. "I had the most wonderful sleepst night and in the early hours of this morn, I had a seance call from my Aunt. I have been summoned."


    Cora nced back through the stirring curtains, shipped in from Persepolis'' ruins to Eldoria, and found a crystal ball on Rafel''s bedside desk still glowing with a [Divine] purple aura. Lilith''s color.


    Cora moved to his side on the recliner.


    "Her Eminence summons you?"


    "Yes, I guess enigmas run in the family," Rafel replied. "I am to leave before the sun is three-quarters high in the sky for the Caves of Apophis. It''s off the stone cliffs by the¡ª"


    "Cold Sea." Cora intelligently finished for him.


    "Yes."


    "Let me get my pants on. I''ming with..."


    Rafel stopped Cora''s haste with a hand as he put the mug back in the saucer. She collected it calmly from him. "I''m sorry, love," said Rafel. "But I must go to the caves alone. There is a reason why the Queen of the Night didn''t just show up here."


    Cora backed down, but not with her riparian eyes.


    "Did Her Eminence say why you have to meet there?"


    Rafel shook his head and rose to his feet. "Only that she has someone important for me to meet. You know the caves of Apophise a close second to delivering the same infernal energy of the Underworld. Aunt Lilith always tries her best to be in Hel, even when she''s not in it. I will go with Menus. Perhaps, she will have mercy on the poor Ghostrider and take him back with her," he said.


    "Can I count on you to ensure Ravenna and Annabelle don''t skip on their veggie smoothies?"


    Cora smiled then. She bowed as squires did.


    "Most certainly, Your Grace. Those bitches are way too skinny forfort."


    Rafel chuckled with her, "I won''t be long, my dear."


    He kissed the top of her nose below her cute silver sses and then the side of her head before walking away. Cora heard the sound of a shutting door and a shower fount begin. Silently, she moved back into the opulent bedchamber and padded for the walk-in closet.


    There, she chose for her Lord a grand andfortable [Adventurer] tunic suitable for riding in free country, but also for meeting with a Hell Principality, and whomever else the Queen of the Night was bringing along.


    Rafel collected a brown felt hat from Cora just as the sun''s first rays shimmered in through the Manor''s lesiastical windows. He started into the dazzling hallway and out thending. Menus was already waiting outside the mansion with one of the splendorous carriages.


    "Godspeed, Your Grace." Cora waved him off.


    Menus drove the horses with speed and grace through the alpine paths that led away from Emberfall but they didn''t reach the Capitol until it was high noon. Thankfully, the sun of winter was mild on the earth.


    Their journey continued outward through the busy trading streets of the Eldorian polis past the gilded gates and watchtowers guarding the continent''s imperial stronghold and further south toward the Cold Sea.


    It chimed half past three on Rafel''s antique watch when he finally spotted the dry beaches from the buggy''s window. Menus took the upward drive that led up the road to the Bell Tower. He finally halted the carriage just beside the impressive stone bulwark.


    Rafel climbed out and looked around.


    He smelled brine and seaweed. Between he and a deadly 300ft plunge into dark sloshing water was just about a yard. Like nothing was wrong, he calmly walked to the cliff''s edge. The sea''s gale sent his ck cape rising like a cloud behind him and for a moment, it seemed her would turn back and walk away. But then, he jumped.


    SWOOOOOSSHHHH!


    It was the sound of rushing wind in Rafel''s ears. He went plummeting down the cliff. A few anglers rocking the dark shores lifted up their eyes to gawp at his descent. But just when it seemed he would have a bad fall, a dead drop to death, Rafel drew on infernal mana from his core. A crimson aura spooked many an eye as it enveloped him. He floated in the air in mes.


    He stopped midway down the cliff. It was so steep the only creatures who habited this side of the Cold Sea were the gulls and giant worms they ate.


    Turning as a huge ball of fire, Rafel flew to the nearest opening in the plutonic ck rock, swift as a rocket. Those below on the beaches beheld him as burning streak vanish into the caves.


    Limestone and craters of green gems filled Rafel''s vision as hey suspended inside the cooler air for a second. The tunnels stretched to infinity, lit in eerie glows of the many treasure stones within so that it was lit like a chapel of the Martyr''s monks.


    "Nice entrance!"


    Rafel heard a lilting voice greet from his side.


    He turned his head, still floating in the air with red mes at his feet. The all too seductive form of his dear Aunt met his eyes. Rafel stopped pulling on mana and the fires burned out. Hended on his feet and moved to hug Lilith.


    "It''s been a while, Auntie."


    She rubbed his head in her embrace and didn''t stop him when he boldly kissed her cleavage through the open dip in her top. It was a circr hole that granted sight of the press of her generous breasts. A fashion. Lilith''s long purple nails yed in his crimson hair as she sighed into their embrace.


    She pulled back to look at him.


    "Yes, dear Israfel. I''ve been gone many months. You are skinnier than thest time I saw you. Do I have to visit that gloomy estate of yours again?"


    "Auntie?" Rafel frowned.


    "Pfft," she blew him off. "You don''t get to be cold with me. I heard about your victory against the Nephilims though. Hel celebrates you as we speak. You make us proud about the mortals even. Your Uncles are nning something huge for your neenth, but we all know my presents are always the best." She winked knowingly at him.


    Rafel peered down her revealing bodice. She was wearing green today.


    "You like?"


    Rafel nodded like a saint caught in the light of his Savior.


    Lilith took his hand. "Come with me, my Apollyon. Come meet someone."


    The vibrant auras of the stone chambers cast their shadows on the glowing gems and stalks of rock that emitted light of its own. The caves of Apophis held the residual [Divine] spirit cores of the children of gods that once called this mountain their home. They didn''t need torches to see as Lilith led the way deeper into unmarked territory.


    They seemed toe to a dead end but she lifted a perfect blushed hand and touched her palm on the cold rock.


    The very stone of the cliff rumbled under their feet. Rafel felt a quaking under him and the mighty wall blocking their path grated inwards, shifting and parting in the middle like a gate.


    "Come on," Lilith grinned at his look.


    He stepped through with her and the stone blockade closed back up.


    "We''re here!" Lilith said with pride.


    Rafel''s eyes erged when he looked away from the massive stone behind to this new chamber and he understood the reason for his aunt''s wistful tone. The area they stood in was a great cavern with enough space to rival the Eldorian Throne room at the Capitol. It was furnished in precious sapphire and ruby gems.


    They glinted like fatmps from the high ceiling forty feet up above their heads and shone raw color as pebbles scattered beautifully around the great chamber.


    The [Divine] magic within sang to Rafel like fire in his bones. He could feel his [Mana Core] being charged, empowered, grown, caressed by the light of whatever [Ninth Lunar Circle] panjandrum that had once lived here.


    Stgmites tall as trees in the outside world branched up with petals that grew diamonds. Theirrge stalks were chunks and pirs of rhinestone. This impressive gigantic cavern was as priceless as it was beautiful. Rafel could not stop looking around.


    The entire luminance of the chamber came from its own jewels. The floors of it sparkled with a clear ivory pattern, not stone but white gold. It was an enchanting thing to see. Floor and ceiling melded in a sea of colors. And Rafel stood awash in the ethereal rainbows. This had to be the real Cave of Apophis.


    "Your guess is right, dearest nephew," Lilith said from beside him. The chamber was so wide he heard her voice as if she stood in another room.


    His eyes narrowed and his Aunt quickly held up her hand and exined.


    "No, I did not read your mind¡ªonly your face. The original name for this ce is CUBILE DRACONIS, tranted in from the Fae tongue as Lair of the Dragon, further milked down by mortals to the Cave of Apophis: for so they named the primordial [Lightning Dragon] that had called this ce home. She was one of the Old gods and revered as a pir of the universe. This, was herir."


    Rafel peered around the splendor again. That exined the sheer amount of rare gemstones. A dragon''s loot. And one of the firsts at that. But... Rafel asked question in his head aloud.


    "What happened to Apophis?"


    Lilith''s answer was simple.


    "She transcended."


    She chuckled when Rafel looked to her for more exnation. But she indulged him.


    "You always were a curious child. s, the mortal realm can be sort of tiny for magical creatures as magnificent as [Elemental Dragons]. They exist in higher nes of unlimited power and infinite pools of mana use. Apophis had to leave this world for the bugger universe if she wanted to survive. The she colonized had be her prison."


    "Just like you did," Rafel added in a whisper.


    "Yes. Mortals think we avoid earth because we are not wee here. That''s one way to look at it. A stupid one! We rarelye here because the level of [Supernatural] potency is low and weakens us to the level of [Ephemera], which is why the angels stay exactly where they are¡ªin the heavens. Not because they necessary want to.


    But they have to. You stay enough here among mortals..."


    "...and you be one." Rafel coarsed out.


    "Exactly!" Lilith grinned at his quick mind.


    She waved her hand as if swatting a fly. "¡ªbut enough about dragons and the fucking universe. That is not why I brought you here. I want you to meet someone. . ."


    Lilith''s words hung in the air like spider''s silk. And out from a glowing orb of fuchsia, a shapely woman stepped into the wonderful light. She was exquisitely made. Her beauty was stark, out there, and her eyes were shiny spools of light. She began walking for them.


    Rafel hade across many beautiful women. But what held his eyes was herplexion.


    The woman had red skin.


    Before he could ask, Lilith excitedly offered.


    "Meet H, goddess of war."

 Chapter 59: Worship Your Goddess [18+]

    [?? More Than A Friend ¨C Girli.]


    "LOVELY TO MEET YOU!" THE RED WOMAN took Rafel''s hand. Her skin was the softest touch and the crimson tinge in it made her curvaceous flesh all the more appealing. Rafel could not form words immediately as he stared upon her. He had never had a woman with red skin before.


    ''Uh...System, a little help here?'' Rafel voiced inwardly. The message carried telepathically through his demonic mana core and power seeped freshly into his body as his blood thrummed with a private answer.


    [Ding!] He heard in his head.


    [Does His Eminence, the Apollyon wish to see the current status of the DIVINE female before him?]


    ''Yep. I would very much like to. If you please, System.'' Rafel''s hand dropped as the woman withdrew hers. She was smiling at him, the closest any woman hade to his height, and he couldn''t stop recalling Lilith''s introduction.


    H, Goddess of War?


    [Ding!] His system flowed through with a message.


    [ess to Underworld Files granted by level as Hell Anointer. Your request is now being disyed.]


    [RANKINGS ON PERSONALITY WITHIN PURVIEW:]


    [NAME: H Tirnanoc.


    MAGICAL FACTION: Demon.


    SPECIES: Female.


    SUBCLASS: Arch Bloodsucker.


    RANK: Supernatural, S Rank.


    MANA LEVEL: Currently Divine.


    ABILITIES: Bloodbending. Lunar Telekinesis. Horned Serpent alter ego. Vampiress. Sanguine Cycle of Death Curse: ability to pull apart blood molecules on an atomic scale. Regeneration.


    Immortality.


    CURRENT VAMPIRE SYSTEM: God Level. Bearer of Anti-Life Worlds Ender rune.]


    [Request delivered! Message over!]


    [Ding!]


    [Usage of PROWESS, Hell Anointer has gifted one RARE Valhan flint helm to pocket dimension.]


    [No further Updates at this time!]


    As the notifications pinged off in his head, Rafel blinked as his Aunt, Lilith dove in again to mark off H''s status in [Hel''s Hierarchy].


    "H is one of us, The Fallen. She exists in the Tower of Shadowmere with the souls of the fallen Conquerors bequeathed to her. She has taught their fingers to battle and championed several demigods into legends. Now I don''t know if you recall this but she is your godmother. When you were sired by Lucifer''s hands from theva pool, she was right by his side, the first face your tiny hand clutched.


    I figured it''s high time you two meet again. H is a [S Rank] and¡ª"


    Rafel stopped his aunt with a hand. His eyes were on the red goddess though. She did not look a day over twenty. Rafel said, "You don''t need to, Lilith. I know who she is."


    "Oh!" Lilith nodded. "We can skip the formality then. Come!"


    With H at her side, Lilith led Rafel who was behind the both of them¡ªdeviantly essing the equal prodigiousness of their booty¡ªto the center of the great mountain cavern. A love-shaped, red sofa rose from the cool stone floors and lit white candles were roundabout. Spring water ran in an intricate work on the forewall. Water guided in vertical paths by magic.


    It formed a fount of spirals, olden Avalon mystics, and the running water glowed pale blue.


    Lilith plopped onto the soft, crimson bed.


    "Come, sit Israfel. Don''t be shy now."


    She held out her arm to him. Rafel hooked his fingers in hers and settled modestly at the edge of the heart-shaped mattress. Lilith caressed his back and fondled his fire red hair. She nced at H who also sat on the sofa, by Lilith''s side and stared warmly at Rafel. She had some look in her gilded pupils. Rafel tried not to fawn over her red skin.


    "Is he always this shy?" asked the SS-Rank vampiress.


    "No," Lilith replied. "¡ªnot when you get him going, but he can be such a gentleman sometimes."


    "Well then," H smiled brightly. "Let''s get him going."


    As a goddess of war and chaos, H was used to being in authority. She sat cross-legged on the bed, in a pale cheongsam. Her boobs were knockers. Huge mountain milkers that Rafel fastened his eyes to. As he watched, Lilith rose to her feet and packed up her flowing ck hair into a ponytail. She tied it with a gand of purple roses.


    Lilith stood before Rafel and fondled her bodacious curves a moment. She leaned at the waist to kiss his jaw. "Tell me, dear nephew, what would you want to see me and your godmother do?"


    Rafel promptly pulled down the strings of Lilith''s low-cut gown and fastened eager lips to therge breasts that swayed into the cavern. He sucked her ripe nipples into his mouth, rolling his tongue on her creamy flesh. Lilith bucked on her feet and moaned. He left her panting, and she had to pull his head back by grasping a chunk of his hair. His clinging lips left her boobs popping and heavy.


    "Tell us, Israfel," Lilith rasped.


    Rafel nced from his superhot auntie to the quiet, voluptuous vampiress watching closely from the side. H''s skin was literally the color of the blood she drank. Her iridescent fangs were mildly visible down her bottom lip and her mama''s bosom already swayed to be freed from herce cloth.


    The tight cheongsam glued to her flesh in all the right, dirty ces. The slit exposed stupendous globes of round, grabable booty. The peaks shooting out her upper bodice were the most sulent papayas. Rafel itched to massage them raw and suckle on her crimson tits.


    The milk goddess? Heughed inwardly.


    Lilith still waited on his reply. Rafel looked back to his Aunt. He said in a gravelly bass,


    "Sit on her face.


    "I want to see your filthy big ass smother her face."


    He watched Lilith''s ck and purple iris me darkly for a second. She whispered in an ent thick in sex, "I''ll do you one better, darling."


    And then she began to grow in size.


    Rafel was positively intrigued. Lilith grew and grew, erging in all realms of healthy womanly flesh until she was twelve feet tall.


    A smoking hot Giantess.


    Her naked breasts was now the rming size of watermelons. She towered greatly over Rafel and the love sofa. Rafel forgot himself and lurched to his feet, grabbing her prodigious fair tits and fondling like a horny teen. Lilith smiled and let him y a while. He was half her height. She looked down on him with an amused coyness as he buried his head into her monster boobies.


    "Enough," Lilith chuckled and gave him a small shove back to the bed. Rafel''s lips made a loud popping with her engorged nipple as he bounced on the sofa. "...I gave you a choice and you have chosen, remember?"


    Lilith didn''t give him a chance to reply. She turned gracefully and moved two steps to stand in front of H.


    "You, on your back!" she ordered.


    H pushed back on the crimson bed, turnedy t on her back so that her head was at the very edge of the mattress. Lilith unraveled the rest of her dress and her lush body made the vampiress under her gasp and reach up for her hips. Lilith smacked her hand away.


    "Be a good girl H, and let my nephew have his show."


    Still standing, she spread her legs directly over H''s face and rubbed her fat pussy. The vampiress whimpered below, gazing up at the cream leaking to Lilith''s fingers from her swollenbia. Lilith patted her cunt and first put three fingers in. She pumped them ferociously over H''s staring yellow eyes, fucking herself rough.


    Rafel growled near, just three feet away. Lilith removed her shiny fingers, pulling out and smelling her hand with a breathy moan.


    "Open," shemanded H to suck her wetness off.


    Lilith drew up her fingers covered in slobber from the vampiress rough sucking and then gently, she climbed up to the edge of the bed. Her great white thighs spread, she straddled the woman''s gorgeous face. Lilith''s pussy wasrger in tandem with her body growth and her cunt all but drowned H''s face under her.


    At the first taste of her sex juice, the red vampiress moaned and tore at the binds of her own dress.


    She grappled her own body until she found her naked breasts and massaged hard. Lilith ripped the tatters of her dress off her. The Archdemoness lifted a bit to stare down at her sub. H red face was covering in streaming cream. The red woman was gasping and begging like a slut for more pussy.


    "You''re so fucking sexy. Please give me more, Lilith. Smother me with your fat, dirty pussy. Fuck my face with your cunt. Ride me, Lilith. I want to smell you, oh god, fucking bury me in your taste.


    Your cunt tastes so good¡ª"


    "Oi! It''s MISTRESS Lilith now!" The milf Giantess rubbed her pussy juice all over the vampiress'' face, coating her nose and lips with her essence.


    H grabbed her super wide hips and dragged her back down on her face.


    SQUISH!


    Lilith''s slimy folds met with her mouth. H''s forked tongue was already out andvished some good loving on her.


    Lilith''s head fell back. "Yes, bitch. Suck it like that. Breathe this wet cunt. Lick my fucking ass! Ohh feck yes, you filthy red whore.


    Feast on my pussy. I''m gonna choke you with this giant pussy. I''m gonna fuck you with it. Yes, lick it. Lick it good... shit!"


    She grabbed onto H''s head under her, pushing her deeper between her fat thighs by her hair. The vampiress made sucking sounds with her tongue. Lilith felt the forked velvet roll inside of her, like a roving cock. Lilith could feel her orgasming on. She knew she was going toe hard.


    They were in a sixtynine position. H''s own hands were subdued between her clenched thighs. She fingered her own pussy, fucking her cunt as she slurped on the woman above. Lilith''s ass subdued her. It coated her in a frenzy. Their desire was the rawest thing Rafel could picture.


    It was almost alive in the magnificent cavern.


    Lilith began to ride H''s red face. She grabbed her head tight under her, covering her under with her great fat filthy booty. She squashed the smaller woman under the sheer dominance of her dripping sex. Lilith rode her face hard. "Ohh fuck, I''ming. I''m going to cum.


    I''m gonna¡ª"


    She abruptly grabbed H and lifted her up by the hair. She turned her over and took a position of all fours on the bed. She dragged the red, panting, oily-faced woman who was half her size behind her. Lilith was fisting H''s hair and mmed her back into her ass.


    She continued riding her this way.


    "Your tongue, give me your tongue. Yes, like that. Good fucking girl."


    Her orgasm began to crest again. She clutched to H''s head behind her and pumped her ass over her face. H slobbered and coughed and spasmed at the furious domination. Lilith''s bubble butt was supernatural, literally. The humongous cream curves pulled her in. She was swallowed in slimy ass crack.


    Drowned in pussy. Quite literally too. Her nose and lips were already INSIDE Lilith.


    In her giant form, the Archdemoness gave the vampiress zero control whatsoever over their passion. She used her...abused her.


    "Oh fuckkkk yeeeeeessss!" Lilith went feral as she came like a fountain. She screamed loudly and her cries of ecstasy bounced off the cave walls.


    She pulled H''s head back an inch to release spurt after spurt of white squirt onto her face. It was like a shower. H''s was bathed in her. Her entire nude body. Lilith''s squirting doused her, streaming to her waist. It glued chestnut hair to the corners of her cheeks.


    Lilith dragged her back in, pping her ass cheeks in H''s face. Rafel who watched feared the red submissive''s face came dangerously close to going all the way in. What would that type of sex position be called now?


    Muff diving?


    Lilith roughened H up. She would pull back every now and then to squirt some more. H had one finger herself in her own ass, creaming and pumping furiously, the force of her own climax overshadowed in her Dom''s.


    "Oh fuck." Lilith ran a hand through her tousled dark hair. She crashed to the sofa on her back, finally releasing H''s sodden hair. The vampiress did not pull away. She rolled to her belly and spread Lilith''s legs wide instead. She crawled up the crimson bed and nestled her face in the Giantess''s warm sex.


    H licked at her pussy. And soon after Rafel was allowed to join her.


    The Archdemoness, Lilith patted tenderly their soft hairs as they jointly stroked her with their tongues.


    "There, there, my lovely pets. Worship your Goddess."

 Chapter 60: The Devils Dance

    ?  COURT OF WHISPERS, THE CAPITOL


    The fey Queen, GISELLE VAN IMPERIA sat in solemn quietude in her magnificent throne room. She was locked in thoughts as she yed with a fireball at her fingertips. The sheer nature in which she had mastered control over the Fae [Ethereal Light] amazed the handmaidens flowing out at both sides of her opulent ivory seat.


    They watched her spin the fireball in her open palm and tried to keep their fear from reaching their eyes.


    Giselle was a blondie with some nice fucking tits, but she also would scorch a man to ash in a second.


    Her victory against the Nephilims and conquest of their crusade had reached far beyond the citadel and crest of the Capitol to further realms of the Cold Sea. She''d had to say no to several proposals of marriage over the course of the feasting. However, Giselle knew she alone could not havebated the horde of Rumbrun and shared the glory and spoils of war with the Antean queen.


    Giselle abruptly closed her palm and the mes winked out, the fireball extinguished.


    "Romulus?" She addressed the gant knight who served as her trusted lieutenant. "By Freyja, this hall is too demure for my liking. If that is thest of my suitors for the hour, I would very much like some private time. Has it stopped snowing?"


    Ser Romulus bent close to her ear.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "Good."


    Giselle rose from her throne. Her golden robes scattered the entering light on the dais at her feet. Ser Romulus continued speaking, "but if it is a sight to quench boredom which Her Majesty seeks, there is a wilding fest in the forest trails behind the castle. They celebrate the appearance of something the Eternal mes.


    I don''t know what it means but it may provide necessary entertainment to Her Majesty."


    Giselle stopped in her sashay out the throne room and looked back to Romulus.


    "Did you just say Eternal mes?"


    The appareled knight nodded and Giselle grabbed handfuls of her flowing gold skirt. She ran the rest of the way out the bright hall. This was something ...finally, Giselle pondered, her legs quick under wondrous archways.


    She made her way through a middle court framed by the royal gardens, sidestepped a couple of running epiphyte vines, and didn''t stop till she reached the first marker on the woody trail.


    Fae were forever wild and it was a long running legacy among her family to keep a part of the natural world just within reach from the grandness of the pce: a thick forest made white by snows.


    Giselle padded bare feet through powdered sleet into the ve of tall, dry-branched trees. The pines whistled like the hull of a tired ship. Giselle walked in deeper, meandering along a tricky path she knew by heart. She had yed in this very woods as a child. Eventually, she pushed aside a falling mesh of chestnut vines and stared into an open area. It was marked by softer trees.


    The red and brown barks bore the wan markings of wildling territory.


    Giselle''s brave eyes went wide on the dancing gypsies just a yard before her and the gold in them moved about with her pupils.


    Romulus was right. The clearing was full of her people. The unsightly Fae, mostly those less than three centuries old. The Elden ones didn''t do the Devil''s Dance anymore¡ªfor this was what the other factions called the intricate motions of pyre delights her kind often loved to indulge. To Faefolk, dancing around fires was tradition. Culture.


    And to some among, prayer to the Old gods. Giselle had cousins who still believed in the nudist way, whom at certain ages took to the western fronts where the trees were an endless stretch, living liberally and running about naked.


    Giselle looked now to the riptide of humping, gyrating, moaning people flowing and slithering into each other in very serpentine moves. Out of their opens mouths came heavy whispering and breathing. It was like a weird cult fiesta or something. Giselle briefly thought about how it must have looked to Ser Romulus when he''d spied them doing the Devil''s Dance.


    The youths were locked in erotic poses, limbs and heels everywhere, interwoven as the strangest union.


    Giselle didn''t have anything against the Devil''s Dance, but she always refrained from joining whenever her kind took part in the eeriemunion. An orgy might not be weird to her, but this was. Sighing at the throng of panting folk, Giselle entered the clearing.


    The young men and women made some ominous shrieking and began pping and running around the ming embers in their middle.


    "Fuck."


    Giselle gritted her teeth and tried to get closer to the bonfire. The circle of skitting dancers made it hard. Giselle frowned behind the tumultuous lot. She recognized a few. Some high emissaries of her Court. A few of the coven.


    Shockingly, even the Highfather was present. The bald monk who was Arch Cardinal of the Temrs was openly grinning and kangaroo hopping in circles with others in white frocks.


    The mes of the bonfire cast strange unearthly haloes on their chanting forms. In the luminance, Giselle could see clearly that not a single one of them wore anything underneath the simple gowns. Boobs and peckers bounced around like they were fucking barbarians.


    They looked like some sort of creepy angels.


    A rangy boy with pink hair deviously fondled the buxom mama he was behind as they began running in a continuous circle around the fire. He feigned it by clutching at her hips, but Giselle caught the frequent slipping of his hands to the curvaceous woman''s jiggling ass.


    "Good gods," she whispered under her breath.


    The happy folk attempted to pull her into their hypnotic dance but Giselle avoided their reaching hands, diving under their grasps and crawling into their circle from the shining bonfire. But this was no ordinary fire.


    As the fey Queen stared into the scarlet hues on her knees, into the thousand and onepping fiery tongues, as she felt the heat of being so close and smelled the burn and ash, she knew she stared into the [Eternal mes]: a gift from the Old gods to the first native Elf of Eldoria. The fires had been burning for a millennia.


    The Eternal mes didn''t burn¡ªat least not openly¡ªunless more than one [Divinity] was present on the mortal ne.


    "Gods are amongst us," Giselle stared into the mes, whispering. The gypsies dancing around stomping to a crazy rhythm.


    She only knew of one [Divine] entity: the Apollyon and her beloved paramour, Lord Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste, present in the realms of her rule. Until now. . .


    Her people misunderstood the appearance of the [Eternal mes] and praised the gods for sending some sort of sign. It was a sign alright, but Giselle knew it didn''t serve the purpose in their hearts. Her father had told her the real significance of the ethereal fire, one in the long line of secrets andpromise she guarded in her heart.


    Secrets that belonged in the head of whomever wore the crown, and none other.


    "...and if the primordial pyre appear on the morrow, the presence of more than one infernal dweller thou must know," so the sacred texts said.


    Giselle framed the burning mes with her hand, caressing its orange glow.


    "Bless me, Ancient Ones. I have seen your sign. Grant me wisdom."


    She breathed these words in a murmur that the pounding footsteps of dancing wildlings around her drowned out. Giselle pulled away and crawled back under their conjoined arms. She let the [Eternal mes] keep burning and her people, she let keep on dancing. This was a warning. Ser Romulus didn''t know it. The entire fucking world didn''t.


    Only she did. And that thought alone to her was scarier than the omen it brought with it.


    Thest time more than one of the Divine: [Rank S] of god-tier abilities, entered into the mortal realm, it wasn''t long until the moon had turned red, the sun blotted out by ckness, stars falling right out of the sky, and blood rained from the heavens.


    Giselle Van Imperia knew that as Queen she had a new job; to find out what the hell the Fallen wanted with her kingdom?


    Far, far away from the dancing wildlings and the castle, Rafel was upied in the caves of Apophis with H, goddess of war and Lilith, Queen of the Night. More than one [Divine]. He had no idea what horrors had begun by their entrance into the mortal world. If both powerful females knew however, only time would tell.

 Chapter 61: Murder Mystery

    AS IF THE PRESENCE of the Fallen, marked by the fiery apparition of the [Eternal me] hadn''t been enough for one moon, yet another eerie finding struck the kingdom of Eldoria. This one rocked the whole Empire from the ports filled with mighty ships to the inner sanctums of the Highfather. It was on the next snowing morning that tragedy met the house of Penderghast.


    The Count of the lordly vi, Sir Lucius was found dead as a doornail, eyes open and bluer than frost, lips sealed ajar in a cry he couldn''t voice, skin pale as sheet, and arms stiff up in the air¡ªby his own daughter.


    The girl''s scream pierced the morning so loudly it woke the entire District of Lords. Her mother did rush to the scene as crows scattered on the pale fall trees around the white mansion. In great fright, both women had stared upon the stricken figure of father and husband. The dumbfounded Countess reached a shaking hand for the nearest handmaid who rushed into the room.


    She gathered her sobbing daughter into her arms, and gave order to call for her bestfriend.


    "Summon the Queen," Cordelia rasped.


    Death hade to House Penderghast.


    Rafel was locked that very morning in furious sit-ups on the Manor''s extending promenade when Cora jogged out to him with an open letter. She told of its contents to Rafel.


    "The Count of Penderghast was found dead this morning, just few hours ago. News of it had spread like spiritme in a Mage''s grasp. Queen Giselle is already now in the vi. The perpetrator is atrge. In this missive, Her Majesty humbly asks that youe along. She writes that she already has her best investigatoring in from the shores of Corynthia.


    She says to hasten."


    Rafel sat up suddenly, his abs bunching and solid as concrete.


    "Lord Lucius is dead? I was just with him before the battle of Skyfall...a good man. A knight in Her Majesty''s Court, this case wouldn''t be taken lightly. Only a killer confident in his secrecy would make an attack so brazen, especially in a realm of magic where he can easily be found out."


    Rafel was still speaking when Ravenna rushed out with a light brown parchment of the daily Eldorian gossip. She stammered out her questions. "Is it true? The Count of Penderghast, m-murdered? Is Brunhilda okay? I should go check on her¡ª"


    "NO. You will remain here, INDOORS, all of you! I take care of mine. Like a said earlier, only a killer pretty convinced in his abilities if evasion would strike thus. Coraz¨®n, ascend the wards around the estate. And release the hounds!


    Tell Mia to alert the stewards: housekeepers, dressers, cooking staff, EVERYBODY... they''ll be sleeping tonight here with us. I wouldn''t have them risk a journey to their private homes, not with a murderer on the loose. If this person had the guts to strike down a Rank B [Silver Knight], who knows who''ll be next?"


    Rafel growled, and then pacified Ravenna with these words. "I will check on Brunhilda for you when I get to the vi. Now I must get going before the murder site is wiped. The Queen expects me. Close every exit. No one in.


    No one out. I''ll be back before nightfall."


    Cora bowed out Rafel and folded back the royal summon letter. She and Ravenna watched him grab a ck shirt, alligator boots and a military trenchcoat before heading out into the nearest ve of shadows. Pulling on his red demonic mana core, Rafel melded into darkness. He vanished like wisps of ck thread before their eyes.


    [Ding!]


    [Hail, Apollyon!]


    Rafel didn''t much concentrate at his system''s chiming in his head.


    [You have equipped, and used ABILITY: SHADOW WALKER.


    Point of re-entry: HOUSE OF PENDERGHAST.


    Deity: Erebus.]


    Rafel appeared as a dazzling dark mist on the porch steps of the vi. The fog of recent death had wrapped itself around the majestic home and somehow, the white in the long walls seemed more like gray. It wasn''t snowing but the grounds were thick in dew and a pervading, chilly mist. It was nearly impossible to see ten steps ahead.


    Rafel rang the house bell.


    It was the crying daughter who answered. She opened the door cautiously. Her foxy eyes were tearful and more like a roe''s. She blinked in the rapid sheen. Her cheeks were smudged. Rafel could tell she had sobbed a river.


    Seeing the towering, dark shadow of the beautiful man in the trenchcoat, Brunhilda took a moment to pore over his face. Itsted just a second before she opened her arms and jumped onto him.


    "Your Grace," the girl huped. She clung tightly to him. "Thank fuck you''re here. My father might get his measure of justice. I know it."


    Rafel didn''t like impromptu hugs fromdies¡ªnot when he wasn''t the one initiating it, but he had not the heard to pull the sobbing littless away. She was wee against his solid bulk. Besides, he couldn''tin at her soft body. Her breasts were unnaturally fuller against his chest, and he wondered if it was just the cold or her mess of tumbling emotions.


    Either way, he held her close and counted for sixty seconds.


    "Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste! Praise the Martyr!"


    The Countess arrived by the ajar door in her silk nightie, blessing the gods for Rafel''s appearance in her own way. Cordelia''s eyes were misty but the tears didn''t fall, and Rafel could not imagine a time she was more beautiful. Every shade of emotion looked fucking ripe on this woman.


    Cordelia bent a courteousdy dip to Rafel and offered a small smile. He returned it with aforting light in his eerie yellow pupils, something the aggrieved Countess hadn''t expected at all to see from a princely demon.


    Cordelia had to actually pull off her daughter from Rafel''s arms. The poor girl was besotted to him like a horny bunny.


    "Pleasee in, Your Grace."


    Rafel was ushered in with polite grace. Cordelia kept her manners and etiquette despite the great tragedy fallen on her esteemed noblehouse. She could do nothing however about her daughter who fastened her entire teenage body to Rafel''s left arm. Thepany moved together across the vi''s iridescent lobby to the adjoining spacious living room.


    There was only one more person in this chamber.


    The Queen.


    Giselle had a look as sober as the face of a hippie weed addict six months along. She was still attractive as hell but her demeanor was demure and coquettish. Even the innards of the vi had a wan glow like someone had turned down at the lights and opened up a cooler in the cer. It was several degrees below room temperature.


    Rafel instinctively sniffed at the air.


    "I smell a Reaper." He intuited.


    Giselle walked by and took his other free arm.


    "Come to take a soul?"


    Rafel nodded. "The cold fucker probably lurks in just the next room."


    Brunhilda brushed Rafel''s fingers with her own to draw his gaze down to her.


    "So you''re telling me my father is still present, here, in this room with us now?"


    "No, love. Not your father... his essence. His soul might''ve been but by now his sanity all but belongs to the underworld. Newborn ghosts fresh off a body tend to lose memories of their lifespan after death. It is only recovered once they are gone beyond the veil of the mortal realm and safely into theher world where they can bear them to face their judgement.


    This is necessary as ghosts with memories are never good¡ªfor anyone," Rafel exined.


    Giselle continued where he left off. "The only peace we have in these dark times is to bring fairness to the Count''s death. SIR LUCIUS will be greatly missed. In his prime, he was one of the greatest [Silver Knight] of my father''s reign. We will send him off with the brightest gold coins upon his eyes."


    It was the mourning wife, Cordelia who finally alluded to the elephant in the room.


    "The body''s this way."


    She shifted from the corner where she stood at and Rafel peered down to see a great white nket thrown over a corpse with poking limbs. For a bit, it looked like a felled stag underneath the pale coverlet. Rafel pulled his arms out of both the grasp of Giselle and Brunhilda. He maneuvered his way around a blood pool sneaking out the body sheet to the side of the corpse.


    Quietly, he went down into a crouch.


    Carefully, he pulled back the sheet.


    "Fuck."


    Rafel almost let it fall back shut.


    Behind, near the sliding doors of a garden, Brunhilda broke into a fresh bout of crying and truffled to the nearest hope forfort: Giselle. The Queen was most unsure with the girl but hugged her anyways. Unlike her, at least Brunhilda shed actual tears in her father''s passing.


    Giselle knew what Rafel saw under the pristine coverlet.


    It was a horror.


    An act of extreme violence. A desecration of a great man.


    "His eyes were open, but we closed them to ce the coins. My husband rests even now as he was when we found him," Cordelia offered mutely.


    "Who did?" Rafel asked.


    "B¨CBruna," the Countess finally broke.


    She wobbled to her bestfriend, embracing the blond together with her daughter. The three woman hobbled at a corner and watched Rafel peer at the corpse in solemn quietude. Rafel was locked in his own thoughts for a while. He hade across many bodies now¡ªmany fucking bodies. Their states of injury would make even a Rocasian Colonel puke his ration.


    But this...this was...


    "Fuck." He cussed again.


    This was an act of passion. The stiff body he looked down at was the stuff of a cop''s nightmares. The lips were blue, fleshed out, wrinkled. The mangled hands were rigid in the air, starkly white, fingers reaching up with an open mouth for a rescue than never came. And then, further south was the cause of death: Sir Lucius Penderghast''s lower half had beenpletely ripped apart.


    The only joining between his waist and upper body was a string of his vertebrae.


    The blood pool was ck crimson and dull against the white floors.


    Rafel gently eased down the immacte coverlet and rose silently to his feet. You could hear the air purring in through the bloomy curtains. He lifted his eyes to the room and stepped away from the body. For the first time, the redhaired demon Lord actually said a word offort¡ªand meant it.


    "I''m sorry."


    Rafel directed it to all three women.


    Just then, a chubby brte in a maid outfit entered the luxury chamber inpany of another.


    Everyone turned to this new addition: a woman with catchy gray eyes and a charcoal pantsuit, crisp and a long red doublet over the jacket. She had on crossing belts and her gaze moved swiftly, picking up everything in sight like a falcon. She had her hands in her pockets. Rafel noticed the cane in her right hand she leaned on and the silvery skull topping it which her fingers stroked.


    For all her formal masculine appearance, this woman''s virility stopped at her clothes. She had a body meant for hands. Her titties practically popping out the buttons of her white shirt, followed down by hips no trousers could ever hide. Rafel couldn''t see around to her behind but the butt her shadow on the adjacent wall revealed was quiterge. Abba-esque in fact.


    This voluptuous suited babe pulled off her gray top hat and adjusted her elegant bowtie as the maid bowed and introduced her.


    "My Graces, Your Majesty! This is DETECTIVE ROSAMUNDE SPEARS. She''s just in from Corynthia."


    Giselle moved in to shake hands with the woman. She met Rafel''s infernal eyes once and looked away. He wasn''t offended. He thought she looked rather fetching in her prim fashion. She was ssy. Perhaps, too ssy for one who dabbled with dead bodies and cold cases.


    Huh, Rosamunde? Rafel rolled her name around on his tongue.

 Chapter 62: Whodunit?

    [?? Trombone - AronChupa ¡é Little Sis Nora.]


    ? THE COLD SEA, FIFTEEN MINUTES EARLIER.


    Rosamunde flipped closed the newspapers in her hands. Another grim death for her to investigate. A Count, this time. She would be on the shores of the polis in a short while. And so, Rosamunde fingered the chaplet hanging down her neck as she thought to how to best proceed with his case.


    It was high society she would be dealing it; being invited by the fey Queen herself. Her thumb caressed the ck praying beads. One would think a person who saw death as much as she did would be atheist. Or worse, antichrist. But she wasn''t.


    From a small godly town called Antioch on the many isles fringing the Cold Sea, Rosamunde had been brought up to love the Martyr with as much devotion as the angels to He.


    The vileness of the mortal world could not dim in her eyes the grace of the Holy One, or her faith in his monks. Such devotion was almost sexual. She had seen many horrible murder sites, scenes of crime that would make the Highfather shit his cassock. But she was steadfast. To Rosamunde, being a halfbreed vampire with an SS-RANK [Righteous Detective] system was her calling.


    There was no avoiding it. She loved her job.


    Standing with the wind slithering through her straight ck bob, Rosamunde scowled at the staring men on the ship''s helm with her who salivated at her delicious body. A blessing from her indic descent. She payed them no mind as she inhaled the sea breeze and gripped at the metal bars. Rosamunde had always loved the sea.


    Her thoughts turned again to what she knew about the case she''d taken on:


    One: The corpse had been found this morning. Since the body was that of a motherfucking socialite rich out his ass, she''d have to deal with egos, longheld scandals, and lying bitches. But at least it wasn''t a whodunwhat.


    Two: Some man was to join her at the Count''s vi to work the case. The details of this partner of hers remained a mystery. Somehow, when she tried to get more information from her superiors about him, they all feigned disinterest and changed the topic.


    But Rosamunde was not [SS-RANK] for nothing. She knew something was up, if not with the murder alone then with her mystery partner.


    She blinked when she spotted the beaches in the distance. It was packed at the portside with docking ships. Her vessel joined the route to the shore and onest time, Rosamunde took a long, long breath of the precious sea breeze and the tropical smell of home.


    [?? Nothing''s Gonna Hurt You Baby ¨C Cigarettes After Sex.]


    It was now half an hour since she docked and ridden in a carriage for the Penderghast vi, map in hand. She had just entered the residence, led in by a maid. She noticed the silent rooms and forlorn hallways. Always, as in the case of murder mysteries.


    Dt. Rosamunde Spears watched the housemaid bow again before taking her leave. She turned just in time to wee the Queen''s greeting with a kiss on both cheeks. It wasn''t her first meeting with Her Majesty. They''d been schoolmates for a time at the [C. A.


    W].


    Though Rosamunde had never met the ruffian, giant man who stood brooding over a covered body, she instinctively knew in her guts that this was her mysterious partner who everyone was too chicken to speak about.


    He was strangely, hypnotically beautiful.


    His features were roguish, dark and wild. He reminded her of the huge gray wolf in the legends. The instant surge of feminine awareness that flooded her on sighting him shocked her. Really, it terrified her. It eroded the professionalism she had always strived for and maintained in her job.


    "Come Rosamunde, meet the Earl of Emberfall, Lord Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste. He is a very close friend."


    Rosamunde noticed the use of ''very'' in Giselle''s introduction. She tried to avoid the giant man''s wicked yellow eyes until they were toe to toe. And she could avoid no more. She pulled on her toughdy pants and mustered a very stern outlook as she raised her gaze to meet his.


    But her discipline was shattered in his frightful iris.


    All morality and religion fled her thoughts.


    This man was an addiction. A demon¡ªbut at the time, she didn''t think this literally.


    Rosamunde thought in her head, ''Some incubus has cursed me with this man. He is so fucking hot. Even I can''t deny. It''s been so long since I had some. Perhaps,ter tonight I''ll head back into the city and find a good tavern. Get myself some hunk to satisfy my immediate urges.


    Some long, sweaty fucking would surely get him out of my head.''


    Rosamunde was still speechless.


    Rafel stretched out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Detective."


    He had a real confident handshake, Rosamunde admitted to herself. She as an investigator noticed the little things, and it was impossible not to be heady with all the alpha energy rolling off the man. It was finally Brunhilda who interrupted her staring, by saying curtly,


    "Can we get to it? You evidently have a crush on His Grace, but there''s a murder mystery at hand."


    Her mother eased her slight rudeness off the others. Cordelia offered, "Forgive my daughter''s impunity, Detective. Grief hits us all in different ways. But she''s not wrong. We need to follow the clues on this case and find the perpetrator as quickly as possible. This is my dear husband we are talking about.


    An attack on the bourgeoisie is an attack on the Empire''s sovereignty. I would that we be done before the [Darkashers] arrive to clean up the scene. I would not have my husband''s body face an autopsy. He''s already been maimed enough."


    Maimed? Rosamunde stepped back from Rafel.


    She hadn''t seen the corpse yet.


    But facing away from the strapping redhaired Lord, she sidled in close to Giselle, muttering, "was I that obvious?"


    "Oh please," Giselle gossiped back with a chuckle. "Rafel elicits such reaction from every woman. You are not the first to be tongue-tied on him, trust me."


    Rosamunde nodded silently and moved away with Brunhilda closely watching from her mother''s side. Cautiously, she approached the bundle on the ground. The drying blood leaking out the sides of the white coverlet had stained the immacte sheet a coppery brown, like rust on a dove''s feather. Detective Rosamunde crouched down beside the corpse. Her hand hung over the cloth.


    "Before I do this, midy, I must ask, did the Count have any extramarital rtions? Jaded mistresses? Or, did he sire any bastards?"


    Cordelia whom she spoke to shook her head, vigorously, "It''s a negative on every count. Lucius couldn''t manage a cheat."


    Cordelia was so d when Rosanmude did not pry on. She was the one cheating. And would hate to share that specific piece of information with her stricken daughter in her arms. Bruna didn''t need that. But the goth girl already knew. Everyone stared in silence as the curvy female Detective pulled back the white sheet to take a professional look at the corpse.


    It was a long nce.


    Rosamunde felt her body charge with mana as she saw what they were dealing with. Sure enough, a gray cloudy hologram shimmered into the air above the corpse. The room was lit by it. Both the Detective and the others peered in as her SS-RANK system poured out the contents that were already in her head. This was how she solved cases.


    [CLUE I: Sever rupture to abdominal and sacral cavity indicates use of brutal force, typically not seen among Nonmagicals¡ªby extension, mortals.]


    [CLUE II: The purple bloated areas around the upper half, extending from torso to both forearms disys blunt trauma to skin pre-mortem.


    By interpretation, while Count Lucius Penderghast was still alive, some ONE had grabbed hold of him at both sides to execute the killing blow.]


    [CLUE III: Major postmortemcerations show stigmas and imprints of giant fingers. These fingerprints are colossally wide, onlymon in bears and fantastic beasts.]


    Brunhilda sighed as the magical holographic image melded into nothingness again. The room was dim once more. She said, "So my father''s killer could be an ANIMAL? Great fucking help there, Detective!"


    Her sarcasm was not lost on Rosamunde. But the luscious brte remained calm. Cordelia put in.


    "Once again, Detective Spears, please forgive my daughter''s manners. She''s usually tame. But I don''t think Bruna yet sees the whole picture. As clearly stated in CLUE II, this...murderer grabbed my husband in the final moments of his life. To grab a man on both sides requires two arms. Like this¡ª"


    She demonstrated before continuing, "I think that narrows down our investigation from just any beast or Nonmagical. I THINK it narrows it down a whole lot. Nheless, we still have a pretty wide arc to go down in such a thriving mystic Empire with diverse magical factions.


    We know now that the killer must have AT LEAST three arms to hold him and execute the death blow at the same time. The list could range from a mutated Komodo centipede, to a four-armed Mauler, to the indic celestial sprite Benn''u. You know, the one with the many arms? It''s fucking tiring."


    Rosamunde dropped back the sheet while Cordelia was still speaking. She smiled then. A long sure smile that wet her plump lips.


    "But there is a fourth clue," said Rosamunde.


    Rising to her full height, she began to trace her way around the body in a circle. She exined iny terms for them all.


    "You see the sort of greenish glitter all around the corpse?" She paused for everyone to peer in and nod. "That''s the remains of a [Divine] aura. A mutated insect didn''t do this. NO! Neither a Hellion, nor a goddess with multiple arms. This was the work of a Rank S trickster.


    Someone so powerful at the art of deception he could mimick the ability of other epic creatures.


    An emerald arcane print signifies the touch of one blessed by the deity, Loki. We are dealing with a killer bearing the mark and me of the god of mischief. But not just any killer, a murderer ascended into the [Supernatural] rank. I''m afraid, the good Count wasn''t his first kill¡ªor his thousandth. I''m sure by now you all know who I refer to.


    There is only one [Divine] entity with copycat skills potent enough to sessfully dupe the abilities of others this way. I''m talking about the notorious fiend and Archdemon..."


    "MEPHISTOPHELES!"


    Everyone chanted as one.


    Rafel hissed through his grinded teeth and turned away.


    "Mother. Fucker."


    Rosamunde stopped pacing. Her silver cane hit the floor. She narrowed her gray eyes on him.


    "You know our killer?"


    "Meph is a distant rtive," said Rafel.


    "Meph? Rtive?"


    Rosamunde''s interest in him spiked. There were so many questions on her lips. Giselle replied the immediate one. "Lord Bl¨¹dTh?rste is a Hell Prince. The Apollyon. Rafel is short for Israfel, the prophesied Burning One."


    By the time the fey Queen stopped talking, Rosamunde''s jaw hung down to the shined floors.


    "What! So you''re a literal demon then?"


    This time, it was Rafel who narrowed his eyes. "I am the only surviving spawn of The Fallen. But yes... I am demon."


    He meant it personally¡ªhe, a demon and not the entire faction¡ªand it was he scary to Rosamunde. Unconsciously, she fingered the ck rosary beads close to her chest. The holy ne drew Rafel''s attention to the delicious cleavage she tried to hide. He spoke to Giselle directly when he said,


    "I have locked down Emberfall for the night, Your Majesty. But if Mephistopheles is here, ON EARTH, you might have to lock down the entire kingdom."

 Chapter 63: Carnage Spell

    "THE ETERNAL FLAME APPEARED YESTERDAY."


    It was the supremely blonde Fae, Giselle telling Rafel. They both stood at a corner in the vi''s grand foyer, watching the Count''s corpse hefted away on a stretcher to a macabre hearst in the driveway. The mansion''s white doors were ajar. Gothic undertakers dressed in sharp ck bundled the deceased into the back of the death buggy.


    "What? When?"


    Rafel zeroed his amber pupils on her. It was snowing mildly and arge firece trickled warmth into the vestibule. They stood beside the heat, under a hung stuffed deer''s head. The branched antlers cast twisted figures on the wall.


    "At nightfall," Giselle replied. "I found a bunch of my kin dancing around it in the woods, thinking it was some sort of fucking sign from the gods."


    A couple of hurrying maids bowed as they swept past them.


    "When were you going to tell me?" Rafel asked.


    "I''m telling you now."


    She caught Rafel''s smouldering gaze and quickly paced out, "I''m sorry. I''m being impolite. I should not be, especially not to you, but this case and killer has me sprung like a leprechaun''s cock in harvest. I know I don''t need to tell you what the Eternal mes suddenly sparking to life signifies.


    Eldoria has not had to deal with the presence of the [Divinities]. Not since thest holocaust in the days of Agrippa the Conqueror. I just...this is new for me. I don''t know how to handle¡ª"


    "It''s alright." Rafel took Giselle''s hand. For the first time on the road down their friendship and intimacy, he was initiating contact. He understood the fey Queen never admitted fear or uncertainty to anyone. She was strong. And in moments like this, he respected her even more.


    "¡ªIt will be alright," he continued. "I assure you. It pains me to admit this but the murder of Sir Lucius is a message."


    Giselle''s blond eyebrows shot up.


    "A message? For whom?"


    "Me," said Rafel in a cold drone.


    The Queen twined her fingers with his. "Care to elucidate?"


    "I have something Mephistopheles wants. He did this. He killed the Count to get my attention. Some fucked up way of announcing himself. I know what you''re going to ask, why Sir Lucius? To answer that, the Count was bing a close friend.


    He gifted me the [Divine] Andorran Warhammer. A horror relic thought to be lost in thest devastating battle of realms. Sir Lucius viewed me as some sort of savior¡ªthough I didn''t quite get that."


    "I get it," said Giselle. "For the war we both know is nigh, you, dear Israfel might just be the only one between us and apocalypse. However, concerning this thing in your possession that Mephistopheles wants, what is it particrly?"


    Rafel''s yellow eyes sparkled and firece raged.


    "Not what, love... Who."


    Giselle ran her golden eyes up and down his fine body. She thought a moment and immediately as the inspiration dawned, she clicked her tongue.


    "Ah, the girl. Ravenna de Vries. I was wondering why you kept her all these while, paying her way with your fortune. At first, I just reasoned she was some spicy lolita you kept around for your benefit. But now..."


    "...now you know the truth." Rafel added.


    He went on to exin in details all about Ravenna''s story. How she believed her father struck a sour deal with the god of deception, and everything else about the mysteries surrounding her mother''s death. All the while, Giselle listened attentively. She offered,


    "You must really like this girl. To draw swords with an SSS-RANK DEMON is definitely up there on the chivalry board¡ªas much as you might dislike it. But from your tale, I don''t think she''s all human. There has to be some magic in her. I mean...why else would both you and Mephistopheles risk a duel for her? I don''t get why she''s so impor¡ª"


    "Giselle! Your Grace! Quick! Come see this!" Lady Cordelia''s head suddenly appeared out the living room''s archway.


    Running back to the crime scene, Rafel stumbled upon a resplendent interior. The Count''s body was gone, as well as any stains of blood from the rosy floors. The living chambers smelled like rosewood and bleach. Giselle was the first to speak.


    "What is it, Delia?"


    The Countess began speaking as she came forward with a strangely glowing crystal ball. It wasrger than the normal druid average you might find in an [Arcane Shop] and emitted enough light to dim that of the chamber''smps with its own eerie purple glow. Cordelia reached both Rafel and Giselle. She held out the ball of pulsing mana to their eyes. She said,


    "Here, we intercepted an iing invocation call from Emberfall. A witch named Coraz¨®n is on the line, holding. She says it''s urgent."


    "Let her through," Rafel returned.


    He watched, aware of his demonic heart starting up a stato, as the bosomy Countess rubbed her fingers over the ball like a [Jhinn Lamp]. The crystal glowed brighter in purple light, utterly drowning the chamber in mystic aura. It was an enchanting sight.


    Rafel peered into the shimmering ball of wispy light, and heard Cora''s voice pierce through, along with a profile of her face. He smiled at her silvery fade but it vanished from his face when she spoke. Her voice cracked at the end.


    "Y¨CYour G¨CGrace, can...can you hear m¨Cme?"


    "Speak, Coraz¨®n. What is it?"


    "Your Grace, Emberfall is under attack. MEPHISTOPHELES is h-here."


    It was what Rafel feared the most.


    "MOTHERFUCKER!" He belted out with a great and demonic thunder. His voice quaked the ball in Cordelia''s grasp.


    All the shadows in the vi swarmed to him, ckness running across from under bedroom doors and sweeping across cold floors to he who summoned them. A mighty tornado of darkness swirled like rapids around him, rising up to the high ceiling and making the impressive chandelier swing.


    Lady Cordelia clutched the crystal ball close to her chest and dove from the swarming shadows, and shielded her eyes next to Giselle.


    Rafel''s growl still left their bones trembling. And when the shadows dissipated and darkness retreated, the space where the redhaired demon once stood was empty.


    Rafel was gone. Vanished into the cyclone of dark.


    Alone now in the vi, Giselle finally turned to her best friend and embraced her, kissing her cheek.


    She said, "I fear for you, Delia. I fear for us. War is here."


    [TO BE CONTINUED!]

 Chapter 64: Carnage Spell [II]

    [?? I Put A Spell On You ¨C Nina Simone.]


    Israfel reanimated in front of the Emberfall manor as a storm of shadows. The swirling and rolling darkness smoothly peeled backyers of umbrae to reveal his handsome visage. He was extra pale tonight. Cora answered the door at the first ring.


    In the thirty seconds she took to run down the Landing, Rafel turned up his eyes to heavens.


    The Eldorian skies, formerly silvery blue when he awoke this morning was now a dense, ominous ck and tinged by shards of crimson lightning. It sparked more evilly than his own demonic eyes. He felt the paranormal touch of some dark entity in the firmament. The air smelled and frothed like Hel.


    This thick darkness up above extended all out from Emberfall to the Capitol and swarmed like a tent of locusts, reaching out even to the Cold Sea. It enveloped all of Eldoria''s aerial territory. But this was no ordinary cloud. Like a Titan''s fist, it choked the shit out of his wards. The arcane barriers would not hold for long.


    He, at this moment called to memory the famous words of some Seer, ''The things I fear most have dawned upon me. And my fear has ten red eyes and a crown of thorns.''


    As his Uncle, Lord Morningstar liked to say,


    "If it stinks like sulphur and looks like death, then it is probably from the Underworld."


    Gazing up at the grim sky totally devoid of any light and hanging like cracked obsidian, ready to thrash the earth in a rain of a billion ck ss shards, he didn''t need to guess twice whose handiwork this was. Even without Cora''s message to inform him, Rafel knew it was one of The Fallen.


    Hell! It fucking smelled like a cemetery up here. All gloom and doom. The premonition of reckoning was well received. Rafel didn''t scare easily¡ªif at all, but the god of deception sure knew how to throw a death party. Mephistopheles hade for his price.


    And he was letting the whole continent know. Rafel stifled the urge to call his Aunt or Uncles for help, way down deep.


    If he could take out Meph on his own¡ªand not die in the process¡ªthere would be nothing between he and the [Supernatural Savior] SS, RANK. All the trophies upon the motherfucker''s head he would im. But that was a BIG FUCKING IF.


    He turned around when the doors shot open. Cora was behind them. Her blue eyes shot up to the hinder skies and back to him as she bowed sweetly. And Rafel knew he would die before he let fucking Meph touch one of his women.


    She said, "Wee, Your Grace. It is as we feared. The bastard is here."


    Rafel entered in through the doors.


    She continued, "Ravenna is antsy. She mes herself for this aggregious omen fallen on the city. I have tried to assure her that it is not her fault. This fucking Archdemon potentially murdered her mother, did gods know what to her father, and disemboweled a Count just to send a message. She is just a dove caught in between threads of the malevolent and mighty. But she wouldn''t hear of it.


    She offers to give herself to Mephistopheles, if it would spare the kingdom his wrath.


    I left her with Aya so she wouldn''t do nothing rash."


    Rafel said, "Well, I too would not hear of any martyrdom on her part. Or any of MINE! She is not some sacrificialmb. You can tell her that. And as for the future of the empire, I think a Fae on the throne can handle the invasion of the Underworld. Giselle is even now rallying all her armies to a defense.


    However Mephistopheles chooses to appear, WE WILL FACE HIM.


    As I have faced Wyverns and Bonereavers in the arena, I will make my stand. If anyone is to me for the presence of A Fallen in the mortal realms, it''s me. If ANYONE is to die TONIGHT, it''s me. But I am not handing her over to that cunning prick. YOU CAN TELL HER THAT TOO."


    "Actually, Your Grace, I think she heard you." Cora made a show of hands to the corner.


    Out from the shadows beside a sculpture bearing an baster Valhan [Hero], Ravenna emerged.


    Camerlengo''s painting: THE HORNED GOD, wasrger than life and casted in relief behind her. At her heels were Aya Naamah and Annabelle, Mia too, furiously pping her tiny turquoise wings. They all stood in the Landing, on the ornate crimson tiles of the lobby; the grand chamber was dimly lit in dewy candles. Ravenna approached cautiously, ying with her hands.


    Rafel knew he was being selfish, cruel even to the hundreds of thousands diverse magical races that would be cannon fodder to Mephistopheles'' arrival. Just like Sir Lucius. But looking at the wiry figure of Ravenna emerge: her tumultuous dark hair a flood and halo from which her bright green eyes shined, it was impossible not to damn them all to their fate.


    He was being selfish alright¡ªwith her!


    Ravenna ran the remaining steps to him, hugging so tightly he felt her ribs.


    "Still skin and bones," he tried to joke.


    Ravenna only swatted at his broad chest. She pulled away only a fraction to peer up into his fiery eyes. Once, she had feared his gazending on her would singe said skin off her bones. Now...she just loved looking into them.


    Ravenna''s eyes watered. "Thank you for saying all that. No one has ever cared for for me that way. Cared enough I guess!" She sniffled into his chest. "¡ªremember that rainy night when I showed up here like out of the blue, sodden and dripping on your affluent steps like a damn rodent?"


    Rafel smiled. For that brief moment, it melted away the lurking pressure of war.


    "I remember you being cute," taunted Rafel.


    Ravenna''s piercing jade eyes held. "You took me in. You looked into my eyes, a girl you didn''t know or understand and you just... took me in. I don''t know many people who would do that. But you¡ªdid the one they call ''Demon''." Ravenna looked round to the others: Cora.


    Aya Naamah. Annabelle. "Same as you did for them. And so tonight, Lord Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste...no matter what the death clouds brings, no matter the war that piges thends, no matter the darkness that may fall, WE ALL STAND WITH YOU."


    Rafel felt kind of teary at her speech. All he could say was, "Thank you, Little Raven."


    She nodded and finally let go from their embrace.


    "I''m gonna go with Cora now. She''s invited her whole coven to reinforce the wards. We''ll all be in the next room."


    Her dainty hands dropped from Rafel''s and as Aya and Annabelle walked to his sides, Ravenna followed Cora away from the Landing and into the adjoining home lounge. Eight other females were in there already: one [Dark Witch] representative for every realm under the great shadow of the Eldorian Empire. All the witches in her coven present were [Rank A] and above.


    As Aya went to fetch Rafel a drink¡ªhe ordered a war special: mermaid''s blood¡ªthe entire Manor fell into tense silence. Outside, the rolling skies went even cker until the night was so thick it seemed like an eclipse. It was an eclipse, for the clock was yet to strike the sixth hour. Rafel listened to Cora as she began the chant.


    All Sister Witches linked hands as she led with an opening dark grace.


    "Queen of the Night, Mother of Languishing, thine daughters call unto thee. Flesh and blood we are, but honored to walk in your purple light."


    "FLESH AND BLOOD WE ARE!" The eight others, including Ravenna recited in a chorus.


    "Matriarch of the Dark Arts, Sorceress Supreme, and princess of the Fallen, we beseech you to bless in your unholiness with your [Divine] Grace our spell. By your dark light, may carnage fall tonight."


    "MAY CARNAGE FALL TONIGHT!"


    A full minute of utter silence held¡ªRafel heard the idle, ticking Grandfather clock a storey above. And then came the quietest of whispers. Cora had begun the witching. She chanted in the ancient mystical tongue no one these day could decrypt. In a unified voice of arcane sorcery, lilting like whips of a [Tormentor], the witches spell of carnage casted thus,


    "O invicti dei, audite nos,


    M omnia pellite, hinc et eos,


    Purga hoc locum, sanctum sit,


    In tenebras hostes mitte, sine fit,


    Lux tua nos regat, semper nit."


    [Interpretation:


    O invincible gods, hear us now,


    Banish all evil, here and from thou,


    Cleanse this ce, make it pure,


    Send foes to darkness, let it endure,


    Let your light guide us, ever sure.]


    Ravenna at the end of it took a knife and shed across her palm. Her dripping blood didn''t fall but floated in the air to the center of the circle. The next witch collected the grim dagger. And round they went, each cutting themselves and drawing blood. For to harm the kind of Archdemon lurking just above the wards, a [Blood Ritual] was necessary.


    It costed so much as [999 000 Soul Coins] in a [Legendary Mystical Blood Bank].


    All the witches blood of covenant collected in a small whirling bulb high up the air in the midst of them. They were all chanting and repeating a dark stanza into the night. All the manor''s candles had winked out. Only the auras of their united dark circle lit the area from the lounge room, haloed out to the Landing.


    "PURGA HOC LOCUM, SANCTUM SIT!"


    "CLEANSE THIS PLACE, MAKE IT PURE!"


    Just then, a jolting wind sted across from beyond in the Woods, tearing through the moond of the estate, it hit the Manor so hard the beams splintered and windows cracked. Ravenna jumped in the circle. This juggernaut of a gale wasn''t a result of their spells.


    VRRROOOOOOOM!


    The doors shot blindly in, both torn off at the shingles.


    The dark witches ran out to the dim foyer and swarmed about Rafel. A rushing cold wind froze the blood under their flesh. They all stared out in whipping garments as the ck clouds shockingly merged into the shape of a great fist. It strangled the wards. Cora saw the mystical dome whine and break.


    The barriers of magic fell apart like scales on a in dragon: shiny and pricey, but dipping down into nothingness. As shooting stars, fragments of it fell and twinkled, dimming out in the darkness.


    All at once, everyone in the Manor saw the mighty entity in dark, flowing robes, highlighted in arcane green. He floated in the clouds.


    Mephistopheles... he was flying.


    And those at the coast¡ªthe hundreds of worried fishermen and traders, saw the next horrifying thing. The very ground shivered and thudded under them. Goats and hens screamed and ran under their legs. Men looked up and saw them.


    ...the Titans.


    Out from the Cold Sea the fathers of the Giants arose. Only now the waters boiled. Flesh made of volcanic rock. Blood burning asva. Their mere astonishing frames blotted out any hopeful rays of the sun. Women fell to their knees and wished for a swift death.


    Children gawped at their hundred feet form. The Titans would be glorious¡ªif they weren''t so evil.


    As Emberfall faced its terrors, the continent faced its annihtion.

 Chapter 65: Titans Landing

    [?? I Want to Know What Love Is ¨C FOREIGNER.]


    ? THE FALL OF THE CAPITOL


    The Titans which arose from the depths of the Cold Sea, made the vast waters boil a raging crimson as a pit in a volcano. These morbid gargantuan beasts, numbering scores of ghoulish sinister faces moved to the shores. Huge feet crushed the ships at the ports, ttening the naval ramparts like they were but kes in the snow.


    In the lead of the fierce Titans was the Leviathan, the cursed one of old. His deathly visage made many stop and stare, stricken in fear. Asrge as the Empire''s fucking castle, he was half devil and half serpent. With its serrated and mighty tail, it sent the Bell Tower hurling off the rugged cliffs and into the boiling sea.


    A great dragon-like behemoth but with wings that poured green acid, melting skin off bones spewed great phlegm of the corrosive poison. People screamed everywhere on the beaches, reduced to nothing but vaporized steaming fleshbags. The dragon was apanied by another that poured raging [Hellfire]. The dark clouds smoked scarlet with thrashes of lightning at their frightful ascent.


    "Have mercy!" One tower guard gesticted.


    "May the Martyr be swift in iming mine soul," some other Temr monk on his knees with his hands to his breast.


    "Fuck you, slimy ugly bastards!" A [Rank A] Gold Knight went hacking at the Leviathan''s red feet. A single w on the serpentine heel was taller than he. The beast shook his arduous strike like one would swat a persistent flea. And the talon of his big toe sliced cleanly the Knight''s head off his shoulder. His helmet bounced off in the opposite direction to the sailing head.


    The Titans went on the crush the hundreds of defenseless people. They stamped a great many to death¡ªsometimes even unknowingly. Their sheer size meant they would step on some fleeing person each step. The beach was soon red and pungent with human tripe, ttened corpses, and blood drizzled from the ck skies. Even the crows feared to swoop in for the feast.


    The Titans were unmerciful. Mighty fortresses on the shores were useless to their godless might. The surviving sentinels and soldiers forsook their posts, swiftly mounting horses that rode with breakneck speed to the high distant gates of the Capitol. The Titans went in for pursuit. With a horrendous screech, the Leviathan led his evil horde onward to the crest and citadel of Eldoria.


    Giselle watched the approaching terror from a high window of the castle.


    "''Tis the end," she heard Cordelia whisper in from her side. "At least we''ll be together in death."


    Giselle remained mute. Petrified. She clutched to the drapes with pale fingers. The fey Queen had no fantasies that this was a war they could win. The Titans iing, just few miles away from stomping her Capitol to smithereens as they did the beach, were taller than the tallest turrets on her pce. When Cordelia took her hand and squeezed, she squeezed back.


    Afort, in the face of death.


    Giselle had given what orders she could.


    Thousands of fearful citizens,den with nothing more than the clothes on their backs, were storming the gates of the Capitol. It was a rage of tens of hundreds of people, tides of magical factions mixed in torso to torso under the ck skies, so desperate to get in that some forgot their own kids to the flood of masses.


    After the initial guard party sent to instill decorum had being stomped to death by the rushing mob, the others had retreated to the tops of the watchtowers and let the peoplee in as they saw fit.


    Giselle''s eyes flitted from the plunging masses to the Titans.


    "If the stampede doesn''t kill half of them, the Titans will. I suppose they are angrier because we enved their children. Fucking Nephilims. God help us, Delia. God help us all!"


    Giselle could only stare in horror as the Titans marched right into the fray of struggling people. Her watchtower guards loosed their giant [Hallowed] arrows, but it was nothing more than a peck against the Titans cheeks. The mob at the gates looked up in frightful unison just as the mighty hooves of a [Gurk Centaur], a severe mutation of a 300ft demon, clopped them to bloody pieces.


    SPLAT!


    Crimson painted over the gold on the gates. In mere seconds of their entry into the Capitol, severed limbs, headless bodies, impaled heads were strewn all about the ce. Building were torn down. The beautiful skyline of Eldoria tainted in destruction. Gutters of the undercity ran red with fresh blood. All over, people just waited to die.


    What else could they do?


    There was no hope for a savior. For as a Sphinx once riddled, "What is greater than the gods, and more evil than the Titans?"


    Nothing. The simple answer¡ªnothing.


    NOTHING was greater than the gods, and NOTHING viler than the Titans.


    The ugly, malformed juggernauts released their offspring which were being held in a [Mystic Pool] cage close to the Highfather''s temple. The blue Nephilims eagerly jumped into the fray. Free of their chains, the lesser giants sought among the ruins of the Capitol those hiding to pige and rape. The great cathedral of the Martyr fell.


    A thousand monks ttened under the ruckus of ancient brown bricks. Their collective blood leaked out cracks as a red river running over and around other ttened corpses, before their Queen''s wide, saucer eyes.


    Giselle had initially given the order for all noble Lords to open their mansions and estates and bastions and basically everything in their signories to the poorer folk. Wartime was no time to be stingy with hospitality. She herself had opened the pce walls to as many who could flock in. But even now, as she peered out her little window, all it seemed was for nothing:


    The Lord''s District, the whole of it was but a vast empty lot of copsed buildings. She couldn''t even begin with the bodies.


    BOOM!


    The thunder of a massive hit to the castle sent her spiralling back from the window. The drapes fell. Silence reigned, just for a split second. Her heart was a racehorse''s power as she clung to Cordelia like a lifeline. She heard scraping sounds above them and a momentter, the top of the castle; roof and all, was torn away.


    Haloes of darkness and the grim skies above fell on her as they met with open air.


    Giselle lifted her scared pupils and looked upon the gigantic hand that had pulled off half her home.


    It was the Leviathan''s hollow red eyes that stared down at her. It glowed like orbs of weird twin suns against the gloomy firmament. A cold wind and gashes of saliva hit her from it mouth. Up close, the beast''s frothing nose wasrger than her entire form.


    Giselle and Cordelia shivered together.


    They now stood alone, best friends, on the single standing high thing Giselle could see as far out as she looked in her Empire. How ironic it was that the apocalyptic sight reminded her of Frostholm. She quickly noticed though the silhouettes of two voluptuous women standing atop the Leviathan''s scaly head.


    Both of them had adorned horns but one was taller and curvier. She couldn''t fully make them out in the shadows cast by the unholiness of the heavens but she could tell they were of [The Fallen], that much was evident. The taller one glowed with a rich purple aura. The other with a savage red. Their gazes pinned her several feet below.


    The Leviathan''s face was about forty feet long as it huffed and puffed in front of Giselle.


    "YAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    Someone came running out from behind a shattered boulder. It was Ser Romulus. Giselle was already sorry for him when he leaped in the air with a mighty valorous shout. He threw off his [Epic] ivory javelin with all its might. It bounced off the Leviathan''s right eye. The monster didn''t even blink.


    Giselle sighed.


    The next second, a passing wyvern spilt Ser Romulus in half with its fieryser eyes. The twin beams cut the Knight down, right at the seam of his spine, from top of his hairline to the pucker of his asshole. The shout of valor shut abruptly from his lips. By the time Ser Romulus was crashing back down to earth, he did so as a corpse¡ªin divided halves.


    Cordelia gasped and shut her eyes tightly. Giselle gritted her teeth.


    Ser Romulus did not know: chivalry had its limits.


    The two shadowed females on the Leviathan''s great head hopped down. Though it was more of floating to Giselle as they jumped several feet of cold air like taking a step. They appeared right in front of her and she gasped. She stood half their height¡ªeven the shorter red one.


    "Lilith?" the fey Queen felt her jaw drop.


    No? It couldn''t be.

 Chapter 66: True Colors

    [?? True Colors ¨C Cyndi Lauper.]


    "Oh, don''t look so surprised, child?" Lilith paced around Giselle and Cordelia''s shivering frames.


    The Queen of the Night was the tall, bodacious demoness with the Roman purple aura. Her [Divine] mana glow. Giselle didn''t recognize the other horned sexpot beside her with the red skin. But the red woman had eyes that belonged in the face of a Hellhound¡ªwith rabies. Her pupils were mad with bloodlust. She was enjoying the annihtion of Eldoria.


    "I thought you were supposed to be on our side? You are Rafel''s auntie for fucks'' sake! You sent him to earth through the gambit. Why the SHIT are you doing this?" Giselle roared.


    Lilith stopped pacing in front of her. Herrge bosom bounced right in Giselle''s face.


    "Aww, puny Fae child!" Lilith mocked, making the red woman chuckle behind. "Why the shit would I do all these, you ask. Why would I raise the Titans? Why would Imand the destruction of a blooming continent? Why would I tten your poor mortal polis? The truth is, little one, I DO NOT need any reason to do all that.


    I SIMPLY CAN. I AM EVIL. It is in our nature."


    Giselle caught the red bitch snicker again.


    "¡ªthat''s H, the Goddess of War. And it would be wise of you not to think of her as a bitch," said Lilith.


    Giselle''s mouth dropped further. Lilith could read minds?


    "As for the matter concerning my nephew... my beautiful, beautiful Israfel," Lilith continued wistfully. "You can be sure he isn''ting to save you or your ruins. He is otherwise...upied, battling demons if his own would be the most proper term. But s, taking your city IS for a reason. I dislike this fickle realm and its fleshbag inhabitants, but the others don''t."


    "The others?"


    Lilith looked down and patted Giselle''s head. "Do not worry your pretty little head, Fae child. All would be revealed in time."


    Giselle pulled an arm free of Cordelia and pulled on her cosmic [Touch of me]. With the burning gold sma hand, she attempted to rub Lilith''s face. But her hand froze mid air. It just stopped moving. And she couldn''t get it to work. Lilith peered down with an amused smile at her stiffed assault.


    "Nice try, Fae." The red Goddess, H walked close. She took Lilith''s side. Her bloodlusted iris mocked Giselle too.


    Giselle tried to pull back her fist, finally giving in to the tears. The one hope: the one ray of light she looked to swoop in from the skies in messianic light, red hair streaming in the wind, saintly luminance incinerating the Titans, and banishing the darkness: that one light, Israfel wasn''ting. And to Giselle, that hurt much more than losing her entire city in a literal bloodbath.


    She was screaming and crying,


    "You won''t get away with it, YOU FUCKIN'' CUNTS?! YOU HEAR ME! Rafel woulde. He would learn of your betrayal, Lilith. I know him. He is not evil like the rest of you, godless bastards.


    He has good in him. I HAVE SEE IT. He would assemble the fucking ANGELS if he has to. Rafel ising to save¡ª"


    H beganughing out loud.


    "Oh honey! No one ising to save you. I don''t know if you notice, but there are no angels here. Look around! ''Tis only us, THE FALLEN: DEMONS! Your worst fucking nightmare.


    And quench that thought about Israfel being one of you. He has our blood. He bears our mark. Plus, I don''t know if your heard, but... WE''RE FUCKING TOO!"


    That did it for Giselle. She went yelling.


    "AAAAAAHHH! YOU MOTHER FUCKING BIT¡ª"


    Lilith abruptly smacked her across the face.


    The fey Queen fainted on the spot, falling. Cordelia swiftly caught her before she hit the ground.


    "Lock them up in Hyperion''s cer with the rest! The Fae is dethroned." H ordered her [Familiars]: three [Man Bats] that pped their midnight wings around her. They quickly picked up Cordelia, plucking a sleeping Giselle out of her hands as they floated down the torn castle into the destruction and waste of the Capitol.


    On the solitary standing tower in the destion of Eldorian capital, ash and blood bits rained from the sky. Survivors of the war¡ªif one could call it that, were being captured by patrolling Maulers and Wyverns, and roughly flung intorge iron cages drawn around the city. Together, Lilith and H stared out into the apocalyptic terrain, shared smiles smothering their full, pink lips.


    "The Fae child is right about one thing," said H. "Israfel wouldn''t be too happy about this."


    "He will...when we rebuild this fallen polis in our own image. He will." Lilith assured.


    "Of course, Your Eminence."


    Lilith said, just as she stepped off the shattered castle tower and began to fly down to a nearby campfire of Nephilims roasting a monk by a bonfire, "Where the fuck is Mephistopheles? He''s supposed to be done with Emberfall and be here by now, Rafel in tow."


    [TO BE CONTINUED.]

 Chapter 67: Little Girls in Mens Fights

    FAR AWAY FROM THE DESOLATION, in his goth and defiant dark habitation, Israfel stepped out the sted doors of his manor and into the cold dusk fields. The wards were down. His witches had tried, but s, Mephistopheles was a tireless viin. It was up to him now. The only man between a vengeful god and a mortal girl. He was between a cock and a hard ce.


    [?? Don''t You (Forget About Me) ¨C Simple Minds.]


    "MEPHISTOPHELES!" Rafel called up to the ck skies in a loud voice. "Get down here and let this be settled in the way of hard men, a fight into death."


    Mephistopheles, a bald bronze giant of a man, tore across the clouds at Rafel''s voice, flying with quick speed that made hairs stand on the neck to the earth below.


    He floated just a foot over the wiry Wyrd grass beforending on his feet. Like his fixer who he''d sent before, Meph was bare feet. He began walking slowly for Rafel and speaking as he did, "You really think I came here to what... give you a fucking duel? After all those months you made me wait to have my prize? I''m not fucking stupid.


    Typhon was, and what easy prey you made of him. I warned the prideful wanker."


    "So?" Rafel challenged.


    Mephistopheles smiled darkly, "I think I''ll take my chances with all of you."


    His red eyes slid to the four women who padded out the mansion and down the steps to stop behind Rafel. He looked curiously at all of them, but halted on Ravenna. Mephistopheles spoke directly to Rafel.


    "Ah, there she is, my green-eyed jewel¡ªstill asely as ever. I''m shocked this one hasn''t deflowered you already. For being such a nice host to my prize, I''ll do you a favor and make your death quick."


    When Rafel still stood rigidly between him and Ravenna, the god of deception sighed audibly.


    "You need to understand Israfel, you have no chance against me. Despite your Apollyon status, your are still not [Divine] ss. I AM S-RANK. You are a level below, not even Third Infernal Circle I hear? You might want to call upon your Auntie for this one, though I doubt she''ll answer your summons on this even of Holocaust."


    Rafel didn''t hesitate to catch the veracity behind the bald man''s smug remark.


    "I AM NOT nning to summon her."


    "You didn''t ask the right question: why wouldn''t she?" Mephistopheles winked.


    "Enough rambling, Meph! Are you nning to do something about your idle ims anytime soon? If so, you and what army?"


    Mephistopheles''s ck face shimmered in gross delight, as unearthly light, green and menacing as the bog of Nokmaar¡ªan alligator infested swamp, shrouded his entire figure. He replied to Rafel, "You, Israfel, above all else should know I do not need an army. I am one of my own. And it would be my utmost pleasure to defeat Hel''s beloved champion."


    Annabelle gasped behind Rafel''s spartan stature as the god of deception glowed a brighter green. His form grew and he began to divide into multiple selfs. The speed at which he did so was so hurried that he appeared as a blur of shifting bodies. Within seconds, Mephistopheles had a thousand likenesses of himself spread across on the moors in front of the Manor.


    His doppelgangers looked exactly as he did. It was impossible to tell the true [Prime].


    Rafel grinded his teeth at the sight.


    "Coward."


    But he knew not to underestimate Meph. All images of the Archdemon had appeared virtual and perhaps seamless to reality, but they were equally powerful in [Prowess] and [Ability]. Amongst the hundreds of bald, ck, and caped warriors stood the real form of god: Meph [Prime].


    Cora stepped out from the other girls to stand close at Rafel''s side. She said, "The monster means ill, Your Grace, but we always knew this day woulde. What are your orders?"


    "It''s simple, take this." Rafel held up a ck gambit card with Lilith''s [Purple Rune]. "¡ªand get Little Raven as far from this ce as you can."


    Cora swatted the card away from his grasp. It fell to the t Wyrd grass under the tenebrous skies.


    "I''m gonna stop you right there. We ain''t running! NOT EVER, my lord. Now, I ask again, what...are your orders?"


    Rafel took her warm face in his hands. "I do not deserve you, Coraz¨®n."


    Cora was just starting to reply when the nearest likeness of Mephistopheles screamed a high bellow and lunged a ming arc of green mes at them. Rafel dove right under the fiery st, acting as a shield for all four women. The [Nether Fires] burned rapidly across his clothes. He was scorched aze in the wrath of the fire. It melted all of his clothes away.


    His pale skin and pecs shimmered into the twilight and his red hair came tumbling down.


    Rafel turned with an anger that made his demonic eyes burn out with arduous fire. His pupils oozed and began to drop volcanicva.


    "You motherfucker!" He boomed out loudly, catching the doppelganger who had assaulted him by the bald head.


    Out from his mouth, Rafel poured a river of [Hellfire] into the gripped ck face. Skin melted like wax under his dragon breath. Rafel didn''t close his mouth until therge head was a ckened skull and the skull withered ash. A headless body with steam pouring out its burnt neck dropped limply from his grasp.


    Rafel was shirtless and in full demigod glory as he rattled to his inner divinity.


    "System, equip all [Divine] arsenals within pocket dimension!"


    [Ding!]


    [First Equipment: LEGENDARY DRAGON MAIL!]


    [Ding!]


    [Second Equipment: FULL EPIC SPHINX ARMOR!]


    [Ding!]


    [Third Equipment: DIVINE ATLANTEAN TRIDENT!]


    [Ding!]


    [CHARM: Divine Resurrection Amulet!]


    [Ding!]


    [Correct Alignment and Integration with Hostplete!]


    Rafel artfully stroked the blue silver trident in fast circles in the air. Manning his huge Warframe was a prime golden Sphinx armor. His feet were battle sandals of the quickest pace. On his head was a helm of radiant energy. He felt his mana core pulsing with red energy and the Charm amplified his intrinsic infernal capacity.


    [Ding!] His system chimed finally.


    [Power Levels are at + 1000 percent.]


    "My orders," Rafel bossed back to the four radiant girls behind him, who were equally now appareled in battle wear. Cora''s blue [Enchantress] tunic sparkled like her iris. "¡ªburn the narcissistic prick to the ground," he finished.


    With a charging war cry, Aya Naamah rushed out first. She impaled her ck poison fingernails in the jugr of one of the doppelgangers. The likeness of Mephistopheles bled red down her forearm. Telepathically, Rafel urged the gorgeous subus to ensure the others evade the line of fireing from the [Prime].


    It wasn''t long before there were dozens of scarred, wounded lookalike piles of an Archdemon running up from the porch steps of the manor into the vast moonds fringing the northern forests.


    Rafel was upied with three furious ones, hurling mes at him, and didn''t notice when Mephistopheles Prime shot up to the sky and lifted up his ham hands to the ckness. He conjured up a spitting ball of fresh red lightning. The cracks of elemental electricity struck the air like whips of a horse master. The Prime sent it hurling down, right towards the mansion.


    "Noooo! My Coven is in there!" Cora pushed a dying foe off her, running for the mansion''s sted doors.


    She was a smidge second toote.


    Right at the final step into the grand home, the force of the fireball hit.


    BOOM!


    The screeching impact was so great it knocked the wind out of Cora, sending her back the distance she came in. Shended heavily on the grass with a thud that rattled blood in her ears. For that brief second of blinding white light, followed by a tumultuous and shattering implosion of energy, everyone paused the fighting to stare up at the Manor pop into an atomic mushroom.


    The sound of the st hit a millisecond after.


    It broke like several doses of aligned thunder. Cora clutched to her ears on the ground and gritted to stifle her sobs. Fragments of the most ornate cedarwood, and shards of fine opal ss rained down from the above. The smoking pane of Rafel''s grand piano hit the earth close to his feet.


    Pervading the burning atmosphere more than the smell of thick choking ash was the stench of burning bodies.


    Emberfall, in all its marvelous goth magnificence, was razed to the ground. Mere ashes in the passing cold winds of winter.


    "No. No. No. NOOOO!" Cora''s gargle as she struggled to rise off the ground became a squeal, and then full-blown yelling.


    Rafel removed his helmet at the sight of the shattered bits of his home. The gilded helm thunked to the t grass under his battle sandals. The force of the st had knocked the wind and consciousness right out of Ravenna, Aya, and Annabelle. They ally on their sides in the ashen ground, beautiful faces cloudy with pouring ash.


    Rafel looked in the charred remains of Emberfall: wood sticking out the ground, ck stumps of bejewelled heirlooms, their gold melting in the small fires, rare gems of ruby and jade steaming with heat, and then more shocking, eight forlorn bodies in the raze.


    Their limbs stuck out, ck burned to a crisp. It was horrible.


    It was Cora''s entire coven.


    "YOU BASTARD!"


    Cora grabbed FROSTBLADE off Rafel''s right arm and ran for the remnant lookalikes, standing dumb and bald on the field. Her blue striking eyes were set for the one in the center. The [Prime].


    "Nay, Coraz¨®n. Wait!" Rafel tried to stop her.


    But hisely, levelheaded chambein was gone. In her ce, a vengeful [Dark Witch] yearned for a pound of flesh. With the [Divine] Trident of Antis, she spliced the doppelgangers in her way until she got to Mephistopheles Prime.


    She struck out with the three spikes, aiming for the area between his eyes.


    Mephistopheles, the real Archdemon caught her charge with a tired effort. His green eyes showed he only humored her.


    "A for effort, darling," he spited. "But I suppose anyone would be aggressive... seeing how I just incinerated your entire coven."


    "ARRRGH! YOU FUCKING CUNT!" Cora yelled.


    With his free arm, Mephistopheles curled his fingers around Cora''s throat. He lifted her up to meet the corruption in his pupils, several inches off the ground.


    "Little girls shouldn''t be in men''s fights, don''t you agree?" He strangled her with his monstrous arms.

 Chapter 68: ? Fallen

    ". . .little girls shouldn''t be in men''s fights, don''t you agree?" He strangled her with his monstrous arms.


    Rafel had cuts along the left half of his face that refused to heal, but it was no concern to him when he faced Cora¡ªhis extremely attractive and androgynous Coraz¨®n, struggling for her next breath in Mephistopheles''s chokehold.


    "Meph...let her go."


    It was the first time Rafel''s voice ever shook.


    Mephistopheles peered evilly between him and Cora struggling up with shaking legs in the air.


    "Ah! You do care for this one, Apollyon. And here I thought it was just Ravenna who you needed sucking your balls. Such a phnderer you are, Israfel. I daresay your Aunt would be happy if I take care of this problem for her. Mightpensate me even."


    ''There he goes with Aunt Lilith again. What does she have to do with all this?'' Rafel thought.


    Still, he grinded his teeth as he offered, "Let her go, Meph, please. We can work something out."


    The god of mischief pranced like a peacock in Rafel''s obvious empathy. He continued, unnerving Rafel greatly. "This is why I dislike fraternizing with mortals. They make us like them...weak. Just look at you, Israfel. The great and beloved Apollyon of Hel, lowering your standards of war to plead for a meagre fleshbag''s short life.


    There was a time when I did fear you. Really, I did. But oh well, your Aunt put things in perspective for me."


    Rafel finally growled. "What has Lilith got to do with anything?"


    "Aww! The poor sod doesn''t know!" Meph mocked.


    Rafel wished more than ever Cora''s strike had found it''s mark. "Know what?"


    Just then, Cora started going weak in her struggles. Mephistopheles curled his taloned fingers tightly around her neck. The ck nails dug into her soft, peach skin. Rafel could see the life slipping out of her. He needed to do something. But what to do?


    He never had something to live¡ªor die for before. That was what made him so invincible with his adversaries. He had never cared about someone enough for them to be a weakness.


    But Coraz¨®n?


    With some strain, the witch lifted her hand and pointed behind him. She was muffling something.


    Rafel tried to read her lips.


    Cora was saying, "H-He''s not the real... He''s not the Prime."


    Rafel''s amber eyes widened as he swept around.


    "Wait, aren''t you¡ª"


    But he wasn''t fast enough. Just as he was turning, the real Mephistopheles, who was right behind him, sent a [Dark Spectre] dagger plunging into his stomach. The short de was ranked [Divine]. It''s de was a lightning bolt blessed by several of the Old gods.


    The blue electricity sizzled Rafel''s flesh as it crunched through his Sphinx armor, through inches of dragon scale chainmail and through his guts. Cora actually cried when she saw the Elemental de go through Rafel.


    The crackling end jutted out Rafel''s back with a spurt of blood.


    Rafel sank to his knees.


    Did this fucker just stab him with a fucking lightning bolt?


    "Got ya now!" Mephistopheles gloried in his face.


    This was the [Prime]. The real bodily form of the god of deception. Rafel stared out in severe pain. He could feel the de''s tip electrocuting his bleeding guts. His insides were being cauterized and roasted at the same time. And he couldn''t pull it out.


    Not without injuring his hands too.


    [Dark Spectre] des were loyal to only their wielders: the Spectres.


    The pain made his vision dull and he peered at Cora finally go stiff in Mephistopheles'' huge fist around her throat. She was taking her final breaths.


    "Let. Her. Go." He begged.


    Meph [Prime] smiled a sinister shade and nodded to the doppelganger bearing Cora up. The lookalike deftly grabbed her head, as she was up in the air and cracked her neck. It was a splintering pop Rafel knew would hunt his night for days¡ªif he lived. Cora''s head swung a severe 360 at the tant blow. Her beautiful swan neck went loose.


    Rafel couldn''t breathe.


    He watched her lovely silver-haired head, swivel like a boneless mass to face him. Her body faced the lookalike. Her lifeless iris faced him. Her eyes was still open, but Rafel knew in the pale tints, there was no life in them. Coraz¨®n was dead. The bastard had cracked her neck like a fucking twig.


    This time, it was Rafel who teared up.


    With the trickles of blood seeping out his fatal wound, he didn''t have it in him to scream and cuss and thunder like he wanted to.


    The doppelganger finally loosened his grip, and Cora dumped in a heap to the burnt grass.


    "I will kill you for this."


    "What was that, Apollyon?" Meph Prime leaned in.


    ''Equip BLACK DEATH BEHEMOTH!'' He whispered in his head.


    The telepathic message pinged off his system.


    Rafel was ying hisst card.


    [Ding!]


    [Equipment Fail!]


    [TITAN FORM, ck Death Behemoth, cannot be equipped.


    Source Error: A DIVINE Blocker Relic within a three feet, possibly a HOLY ONE.]


    "What?" Rafel gasped and spat blood.


    Mephistopheles roared back his head andughed.


    "Oh, you did just try to shift into Titan now, didn''t you? Goddamn, Israfel! Your defiance is truly remarkable, if not your fighting. Lilith said you''d try to change if it meant saving your precious human whores. THIS... this is what stopped your shifting." Mephistopheles'' held up the crucifix: the one and the same Eusebius handed Lilith.


    "It''s a Demonagogue, but it also halts abilities of our kind." Meph exined. "¡ªyour Auntie was gracious enough to give it to me."


    Rafel forcibly said out bloodied lips, "You lie. Lilith would never do anything to hurt me. She would not order an attack on Emberfall."


    Mephistopheles balked. "You''re right about one of those things. Her Eminence would never hurt you, yes! Killing you is all me. She warned me not to. But I hate your fucking guts.


    Since you''re looking pretty dumb at the moment, and it is quite frankly yourst moment, allow me to exin it all before grim Charon arrive to ferry you off.


    Firstly, you remember Lilith''s Gambit with you? The one where she made it seem like she was offering you the possibility to explore the mortal world?


    Well, that''s bullshit.


    WHAT, she offered was a chance for us toe and dominate this world. By us, I mean THE FALLEN. All of us. And before you ask, yes, your Uncles Lucifer and Asmodeus are in on this too. You, Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste were our herald. You think this estate, Emberfall, just managed to lose its former Earl just at the right time of your ascent?


    You think you just managed to open the door to find your Little Raven?"


    Rafel didn''t know this but behind him Ravenna had just roused from the hit to her head following the st. She sat on the cold ash of a scorched earth and listened to Mephistopheles go on.


    "Well, SURPRISE BOY! It wasn''t a coincidence. None of it was. In fact, all these had being set in motion the moment Lord Morningstar pulled your screaming wee ass out of the pool of fire. Once we knew you were the Child of Prophecy, the fucking Apollyon, you were the one toplete our ns. You, Israfel are our Gambit.


    We just knew we had to then ce you on the path for our redemption, our dominion of this realm. OUR CONQUEST! You were to pave the way and usher in our rule of earth. We have long since wanted to expand from Hel. YOU BECAME OUR WAY. We thus set you on a journey were you''d meet someone equally as powerful.


    A [Celestial] who isn''t even aware of her powers yet¡ª"


    "R-Ravenna!" Rafel choked.


    All the words sinking in were too much. But on some level, he knew. He knew it to be true.


    "Ain''t that some shit!" Mephistophelesughed aloud. "Pretty fucking good plot twist, eh? Lilith and H are currently in your precious Capitol, removing a Queen from her seat and expunging a dynasty."


    Rafel''s eyes bulged.


    "Giselle?"


    Mephistopheles continued apathetically.


    "As for Ravenna de Vries, she is my prize because... SHE''S MY FUCKING DAUGHTER!"


    "WHAT?!" Rafel was supremely stunned.


    He watched perplexed beyond measure as the man''s smooth, brass face brightened of swarthy features to a pale whiteplexion. His green eyes remained but Ravenna behind gasped when chalky grey hair matted onto his bald head, when a sharp nose perched high, when his jaw became dusted with a drunkard''s unkept stubble.


    In mere moments, Mephistopheles had transformed into her father: the very way he looked when he disappeared that day.


    She and Rafel watched astounded as Thebault de Vries smiled a lopsided grin.


    "I am her father," he said again. "But newssh, I am also the god of deception. Caricatures are my forte. As much as I love my daughter, I had to vanish because I knew my tragic disappearance would send her on a path to investigate. A path to you. Ravenna is the most pure thing to evere out of me.


    I hate that I had to leave her, but it was all part of our ns.


    Her mother isn''t dead either. Remember how I said said she''s an Unawakened [Celestial]? Well, she got that HOLY energy from her mother... who is an Angel. The Seraph, Yuriel..."


    Mephistopheles kept talking but Ravenna couldn''t listen anymore. Rafel still hadn''t seen her behind. He clutched to his stomach, fingers around the dagger''s hilt. Blood soaked his fingertips.


    It all made perfect sense.


    . . . Ravenna''s leaf-green eyes. Mephistopheles had the same kind.


    The reason he hadn''t been able to sense Ravenna when she''d turned up wet and sodden at his door. She was a fucking Angel!


    Her mother was a Seraph, her father the most crooked Archdemon on the.


    Shite. And to think he thought of her as dainty?


    At that very moment, Ravenna stood to her feet. Rafel''s face went white on seeing her. Thebault, or more inly Mephistopheles'' face went even whiter. Both men were wondering how much she had heard.


    Ravenna looked to both of them with tears streaming down her face.


    "FUCK YOU!"


    And then she ran. She ran until the smoking embers of Emberfall were behind her. She vanished into the great trees leading North.


    Rafel fell to the cold earth. He had bled too much to keep upright on his knees. His eyes were dimming out and he couldn''t feel the ends of his limbs. He was cold. Was this how death felt?


    He could hear the drummings of the Capitol being forcefully seized and crumbled. He could see the might of the Titans shadowed as pits in the ck skies. The smell of burning filled the air and it was only the fires of the night that brightened the sweeping pallor of war. He shifted his head,in on the ashen Wyrd grass to spot Aya Naamah and Annabelle still winked out.


    He couldn''t bring himself to shift further down that road to see Cora.


    But s, her peerless blue eyes was what guided his own into forever darkness as he finally sumbed to the ckout of bleeding to death. He could never forget. Thest thing he saw were the ruins of his own home. Thest thing he smelled was fire and brimstone, rumblings of conquest and pige that shook the earth all the way from the Capitol.


    Thest thing he imagined was Cora''s soft lips on the skin of his neck.


    And so it was, the APOLLYON fell that sordid night, just on the verge of ascending into the [Supernatural] Rank.


    Or did he?

 Chapter 69: A Demon King

    A USURPER SAT THE FAE THRONE.


    His dark name¡ªwhich all mortals should fear to utter¡ªMephistopheles. His royal title: His Majesty, First of His Name, Lord of the Nine Realms, [god of deception] and Keeper of the Eternal me, King Thebault de Vries. He was newly ascended into the seventh Infernal Ring after the fall of the Apollyon at his hand.


    And Mephistopheles didn''t hesitate to brag about it to any who would lend an ear, be it hell nobility or mortal ve.


    Upon his head a silver crown had been ced, above his six already existing ck horns, and the seventh which sprouted at his leveling up. The new King of Eldoria was a demon, he wore avish tiara upon his seven horns, and he was coronated in the raised pirs of the destroyed throne room.


    It was an ostentatious ceremony and full of utter debauchery¡ªmostly the Hellions present making the servile humans feel worse than piles of horseshit. Nobility were paraded in circles for the horned minions who had taken hold of their grand estates. Demons sat in beds, fed their concubines Florentine jewels of the bourgeoisie, and made the gold ingots drip in a flourish from their ws.


    "Hold the cup higher, wench!"


    "More wine for the gon, turd!"


    "Oi, get me a sk to piss in!"


    Women were openly fondled by paws of Hellbabies and Maulers alike. These once nobledies could do nothing but cringe at the jostling massages of the demons, which sent many crying to the loo.


    The number of rape rumors since the fall of the Capitol was uncountable¡ªand even at that, greatly understated. As for their Lord husbands, spectacles of the Nobles were made as they were surrended under the grinning faces of demons to the Hangman''s noose, the Executioner''s merciless axe, or a [Tormentor]''s scorpion whips.


    In those days following the arrival of the Fallen, the cobbled streets of Eldoria ran red; blood in the gutters, blood in the air, blood in the fucking skies.


    To survive worse fates, at the slightest nce of a demon parading the ruins, the nearby noble woman reduced to a serving wench bent over the nearest well steeple and hiked up her skirt. Less than a whore she became, and if she was lucky the demonsted all of ten seconds in her. If she wasn''t, her head was ripped off post-coitus.


    Or she found herself steeling her body to the terror of being mounted by a [Bonereaver], some of which had terribly poled penises.


    Many noblewomen surrendered themselves into the cold, ck waves of the sea, jumping off cliffs in the dead of night while their demon masters snored on. Most of them did this right after they''d find a swelling in their bellies: pregnancy. It was too much humiliation for a Fae Lady to bear in her the unwanted spawn of a Hellion, forced into her womb by aggravated pounding of a horned sire.


    Many even had been forced to watch the maimings of their husbands. In the final moments of their death, the Ladies did reckon,


    "At least the Cold Sea wouldn''t fuck me in the arse."


    By the giant arms of blue [Nephilims] the Fae Empire had been rebuilded. With elegant Goth style, the foundations of a grand city wasid. In just a fortnight, with the Giants hurling in plutonic ss and cedarwood from the western ins, a great polis soon rose from the ashes of the former, made in the image of darkness. It was imperious and of pompous Alexandrian fittings.


    A vision of the underworld on earth.


    Any one docking on ships in the ports by the Cold Sea could look and behold the mighty bastion of raven-ck bricks heralding the dense obsidian pirs of the Dark Castle. It''s steeples were hid in the clouds, spires wrinkled and glossy silver, turrets extended with eaves designed in gold leaf and fall season colors. The castle was a tribute to shadows.


    It loomed and sprawled in the heand of the entire city.


    The gilded banners of the Fae dynasty had been dropped, blotting out the remnant glory of the Van Imperias. No one even spoke of the fey Queen who was ruled anymore. No one dared to. In ce of her glorious white gs, the emblems of dark dominion hung down the rebuilt city walls. As long shades they billowed in the dusky winds¡ªlike a dark veil to a sanctum''s radiance.


    The banners of the Usurper, King Thebault de Vries, was a suede ck, round-ended in maroon embroidery. The symbol of the novel demon Empire was a single red eye in a glinting silver pentagon.


    The Usurper let the Empire keep its name, but the Capitol was given a new one: TITANS LANDING.


    It was so befitting a name people nearly forgot the evil intent behind.


    "Long may you reign, His Imperial Majesty! Let all and sundry, from the harshest frosty north to the loveliest summer south, render obeisance¡ª"


    Mephistopheles grinned as he sat listening to his official named [Grim Scribe] end his coronation in final words. The constructed throne, made of hard volcanic dragonss was ratherfortable. His seat of power was sprawling, on a dais no one could ignore. A great popce filled the Goth hall.


    He drank from the gold chalice brought in from the Highfather''s sanctuary, fine wine iparable to the dour whiskey they got in the Underworld. Many in the throne room did remark that the face they stared upon was in truth, a face they recognized as a gifted emissary who had served the removed Queen, Giselle as her cartographer in the days of her reign¡ªup until his disgraced exit.


    s, Thebault de Vries was a face they once knew before he was the Usurper.


    Mephistopheles preferred his salt-and-pepper hair to a bald top, so he kept his look as Thebault.


    His minister was just ending his ardent homily when a fuming, tall, and strikingly beautiful goddess strode into the vast throne room. She quietly sent shing purple eyes around the room and everyone scuffled out. Some did run. She turned back to the man on the dark throne.


    "Lilith."


    Mephistopheles pulled at his fine royal red. His tone was sad.


    The Queen of the Night needed no introduction: as fierce and sultry as Arabian tales she was. She moved for the dais and hopped the stone steps in her sharp heels until she was right in the King''s face. He licked his lips at the peaks of herrge breasts. Even in her fury, he had to admit Lilith was crazy beautiful.


    "Where is my nephew, Mephistopheles?"


    The clear rage in Lilith''s voice was unmasked.


    "It''s¡ªKING Thebault to you, dear," the gray haired monarch stressed. "And as for the Apollyon, I do not know his whereabouts. Last I left him, he was¡ª"


    A great [Divine] fire entered Lilith''s iris. It burned out the sides of her very pretty face. Thebault stood off the throne and shifted to the side. He knew all too well this woman''s fury. He raised his hands, as if to cate.


    "I told you, VERY PLAINLY not to kill him." Lilith followed his backward moves, step for step. "WHERE IS ISRAFEL?"


    Invisible hands took hold of Thebault''s throat. He felt himself begin to choke as severe purple radiated off Lilith''s frown. She was still smashingly gorgeous. Lightning whipped into the throne room from an open window.


    "Rx, my love," a new voice said.


    It was hushed. Unafraid. It came from behind.


    Lilith and Thebault turned to the shadows at the same time. Her bright eyes dulled and the Usurper stopped choking. Out from the mild darkness, a man too tall to be mortal, stepped forward. His polished shoes were soundless on the decorated stone floors. He crept with the umbras. His face was celestial pale.


    His hair, ckest night. In a formal ponytail, he wore the long waves.


    "Lord Morningstar." Thebault bowed this time.


    Lilith was only half calm. Mephistopheles could be a kiss-ass all he wanted.


    "Lucifer, why the interruption? Do you know where OUR nephew is. I shouldn''t have to stress Israfel''s importance to¡ª"


    Lucifer in a moment, stood before her upon the dais. She was tall. But he was taller. He ced a death cold pale hand over her chest. "Like I said before, rx Lili. Israfel isn''t dead, try as this fool might." He frowned at Thebault.


    "Hell''s Apollyon yet draws breath. I can feel his Mana Core. He is injured, but alive. Little Lord Bloodthirsty is still with us."


    Lilith oomphed. "Then where the fuck is he?"

 Chapter 70: Strange Saviour

    [?? (I Just) Died In Your Arms ¨C Komodo.]


    RAFEL HEARD ECHOES in the ckness. It was a voice he didn''t recognize, words that were too shrill and somber to make sense of. He could not tell how he had entered this world of utter dark, but he was in it. However, in the foggy depths of his psyche, he knew this realm of deep shadows could only be brought about by deep-rooted tragedy.


    He was floating, a wisp of an Aspen leaf, in a realm of chaos magic.


    Briefly, in the macabre void, he called to mind a disturbing conversation he had once with a garrulous [Reaper] by a pub''s dirty alley. He had been leaning by a cracked brick wall, listening to sounds of hard sex in the adjoining brothel and trying to look older than his sixteen years¡ªat that time.


    He ignored at great length the invitations of cow subi from the storey above. By this time, Israfel had seen his fair share of motherly bosoms, courtesy of his dear, dear aunt.


    "Oi,d. You got a smoke over there!" The Reaper said. He had a hat, a wide brimmed felt. Like a rice farmer, it covered a great deal of his hollow pupils. But Rafel was not scared. Not by a [Rank B] Hellion.


    He was prince around these parts. "Oi,d. I''m talking to ye¡ª" came the Reaper''s throaty voice again. "Got a cigar?"


    Rafel didn''t on him. But he nodded anyway. And produced from his pocket dimension a fat rolled smoke. He had just bought it from the [Arcane Shop] for a price of [15 soul coins]. It wasn''t much, considering his Hell ount. Having rtives who were among The Fallen put him pretty up there in finances.


    But the Reaper didn''t need to know all that. Rafel was just grateful for some distraction to pull his mind away from the ample tits swaying in his direction. It was the only reason he indulged the caped man.


    As he handed over the cigar, the man brought it ceremoniously to his pointed nose, inhaling deeply.


    "Ah¡ªfresh off a week-old corpse! The powder rolled in aging skin, prime quality in these here parts. Much obliged,d. Much obliged!" He smiled in appreciation at Rafel and took a long puff. Rafel noticed the Reaper didn''t need a lighter. He only inhaled and the tub end lit, just like that, as if by a magic matchstick.


    The man smoked silently for a while, watching Rafel closely with hooded eyes under his sharp hat. The brim was a rotund de, deadlier than a katana.


    Rafel had once seen a [Reaper] toss his hat, and seven heads went rolling.


    The stranger puffed smooth circles that went sailing in the ritzy night air. It was Hel, but the busy neon lights shed and raucousughter sounded out like heavy Metallica. The man moved to Rafel and leaned with him on the brick wall. They chuckled together when the bartender tossed out a woozy patron and pped her fair hands down her dirty apron.


    "¡ªand don''t you being back here, godless wanker!"


    Her cussing slithered with her serpentine voice. A female barkeep, her bouncing breasts already popping two of her shirt''s buttons. She had a tight turban over her head. Her face was gray, not sickly, just. . .gray.


    Rafel smiled when he saw the moving tendrils underneath. Just as he''d guessed. She was a [Gorgon].


    "Not many of their kind ''round these days, eh?" the Reaper remarked.


    Rafel said nothing as the drunkard yelled from the muddy pub front. "We are all godless here, woman. IT IS FUCKING OBVIOUS!"


    "Then clear your fucking tab!"


    The barkeep mmed the door so hard behind her Rafel feared the turban woulde loose, hissing snakes whipping free, turning all in the perimeter to rigid stone within seconds. It held.


    The Reaper was halfway down his cigar. He gazed up at the whores above still beckoning to Rafel: "You don''t even got to pay, honey. I''ll suck your young cock for free." Rafel saw the stranger''s smile out of the corner of his gold eyes. "Popr with thedies, ehddie? I figure I''d draw SOME attention if I was half as pretty as ye. Back then, I almost thought you were a girl¡ªginger and all.


    But then I looked closely," said the Reaper, his voice lowering, "and then it hit me, SMACK; right in the face like a pail of cold fucking water. . . you''re the one, the one prophesied, the one who''ll redeem us all. You''re the Apollyon."


    "I¡ª" Rafel started to say.


    The man waved the smoke in his face. "Eh, don''t need to deny itd. I sensed greatness in your aura. We, Reapers know these things. I have watched you in the arena, you know¡ªlopping off Mauler heads, splicing Bonereavers, making Wailing Widows of Hell Lord mistresses. You are damn good fighter, on your way to champion if I say so meself.


    You impress the crowd. THAT COUNTS. So do the dead bodies."


    Rafel heard a bit of judgement in the man''s voice.


    For the first time since meeting, he peered under the ded hat to look into the Reaper''s absent pupils. The sockets were made of pouring mist.


    "I would think a Reaper should not be tormented by the sight of corpses," said Rafel. "Wouldn''t you agree?"


    "Aye, mi''lord," the stranger agreed, "we are tormented, not by the dead, but by the faces of their loved ones who stand by. Trust me, Apollyon, theirs is the true condemnation."


    The puffs of smoke went out, and the Reaper stomped the cigarette butt under his heel in the alley, rising off the brick wall. "Pleasure meeting you, Ginger!" He doffed his sharp hat. "And thanks for the smoke." He docked down the sshing neon and hid his pale face under. In three fast strides, he was whisking his way down the empty streets. He soon vanished into the mist of thete night.


    Young Rafel had stood in that alley, beside that pub for a long time contemting the Reaper''s words.


    . . .the faces of their loved ones. . .the true condemnation.


    A splitting ache filled Rafel''s head in the present, the memory fading like scarlet fall. He had only the smidge of an idea as to why his troubled mind conjured up this particr vestige of the past. This idea, he did not want to dwell upon. He was grieving. He knew it. His bones wereden with soreness.


    But also with agony and painful rage.


    BANG!


    Light shed behind his shut eyelids, along with another wave ofncing pain.


    He saw a face. . .a smiling woman.


    Magnolia white hair. Blue gem ocean eyes. Streaks of magenta. A boyish fade. Supple crossbow lips. An eternal smile.


    . . . Cora?


    "CORAZ¨®N!" Rafel thrashed in the ckness.


    The image distorted: it was now of a giant man holding her head, grasping her throat, breaking her neck. Rafel had no idea how long or how hard he screamed for her, but it could not save her. His devastated psyche yed in slow motion her falling body; the savage cracking sound of bone; the limpness; the vacant gaze. Rafel was in so much psychic pain it tranted to corporeal.


    He gathered as much of dark energy as he could in that cursed bleak void in which his spirit floated, and with a fiendish roar borne of equal amounts ire and grief, he tore himself free of the ckness, swimming up against tides of shadow¡ªas if in a vast ocean to the little sliver of light piercing through. He broke out the surface.


    And abruptly, Rafel opened his eyes.


    He blinked at the continuing migraine. He was up in someone''s arms, on someone''s back.


    They were flying.


    He made out lovely red skin. This person smelled of tulips and bluebells, and watermelons. He shortly remembered this same dainty red hand, pulling him out of the ruins of Emberfall, lifting a smoking beam fallen over his head, dragging him through miles of pine forest, through acres of woond: saving him.


    He groggily willed his eyes to open more.


    The first thing his eyes met was cleavage.


    A woman then.


    She was red skinned, a healthy, sensuous color. And apparently she carried him on her back. Her big, onyx wings were spread out, feather pluming in the cold wind. Rafel finally looked past her amazing boobs. They were flying over vast waters. He blinked twice.


    The Cold Sea? They were flying over the Cold Sea. But to where?


    He briefly winked out again.


    As he opened his eyes the second time, he found that they hadnded¡ªsome time during his doze¡ªon one of the Corynthian Isles. The ind was fresh with long beaches, cushy weather and exotic winds. It was split in the center by a winding creek that ran into the sea. His strange savior took the path of the wooden bridge over the creek.


    Still carrying Rafel up on her back, she came by a moor popted in rich sunflowers, spear grasses, and treading herons. A woman sat by a small fire, roasting fresh trout. Rafel could only see her back. She had arge behind, wide hips and long flowing white hair that whispered over the globr mounds. When they neared enough, she turned and Rafel caught sight of her scarlet iris.


    Right. A Fallen.


    "H," the ind woman said curtly.


    It was then Rafel fully looked up the delectable redplexion he''d been admiring. It was H, the goddess of war, Lilith''s right-hand in conquering the Capitol. Why had she pulled him out of the ruins of Emberfall and saved him?


    "Sekhmet," H returned.


    Her name was nearly a whisper in the air. If his history lessons were correct, Rafel mused he might be dealing with a [Supernatural] far bloodier than her¡ªbecause who was more bloodthirsty than Sekhmet: the lioness of Ra. In her blood rage, she had drunken the weight of the Nile from feeble human necks. The white-blond witch arose from the flickering fire.


    Her lips were the color of royal Eldorian ale: delicious maroon. She was imposing in her stance, with a body of wonders. She sent her blood-red eyes behind H to the young man bleeding and draped over her back.


    "I see I don''t need to guess why you''re here, sister. Is that the Apollyon?"


    When H nodded, she gasped. "Fuck me."


    To which H promptly answered, "You owe me, Sekhmet."


    The paler haired woman visibly sighed. "I came to this Ind to be away from the damn world, both of gods and mortals. . .and youe to me with this redhaired demon. Look at him? He''s dying."


    "What he is, is the child of prophecy."


    "I do this, H. And we''re even. My blood debt goes away." Sekhmet waited until the goddess of war nodded her assent before carrying on to unfurl Rafel''s stiff limbs from behind her. Rafel gritted his teeth at his own weakness. Sekhmet''s blood-red pupils went a touch gentler as sheid him by her small fire. She ced his cold head on the warm earth touched by the orange, leaping mes.


    "A beautiful boy¡ªbut greatly injured," said Sekhmet. "Who did this?"


    "Mephistopheles," H returned.


    "That corrupt wiener!" cussed Sekhmet.


    H had no reply to that. She turned around and her great ck wings sprouted out her back. She began to p, ascending into the cool forest air. The herons peered up at the banks of the creek. In finality, she said, "Oh, and keep this between us, Sekhmet. Nurse him back to health, whatever it takes."


    The ind witch''s tinum hair caught the shimmers of the embers as she recited.


    "Whatever it takes."


    Alone with Rafel, the enchanting nurse lifted his head to push a pillow under. "I''m off to get some mandrake and herbs¡ªbut looking the way you do, Apollyon, I fear I might have to fuck you back to life." Rafel was unsure of what he heard. He was after all, sick to his mind.

 Chapter 71: Reign Of Morningstar

    ? TITANS LANDING


    The people of a city once called the Capitol¡ªa hub of elf magic, swelling merchant markets, and the damn finest military in all the nine realms; all gathered before a ptial rotund dome for a royal announcement. Unlike during the reign of the Fae, appearance was mandatory. Every single magical faction from the northern bordends of Rumbrun to the coasts of the Cold Sea was represented.


    But now, the former inconsequential trope called Hellion was the majority.


    Eldoria had begun to ept ships into its harbors and ports again, but all sails were ck and bore the colors of the Usurper. Masts hung heavy with red pentagons and porters carted boxes with the coin signage of House de Vries, the Royal House.


    Though it had been a joint initiative of [The Fallen] to conquer the realms of men, a few amongcked interest in politics.


    Most notably, the close pack of infernal [Sires]: Lord Asmodeus, Lord Lucifer, and Her Eminence: Lilith. And so they let corrupt Mephistopheles¡ªor as he preferred being called these days, King Thebault the Usurper¡ªkeep the ck Throne. He did feel the suffix was a fearful title and kept it. He did not want the respect of the popce. Fuck their respect!


    Fleshbags who were too weak to maim even a single Titan? No. He wanted their fear.


    Nheless, though it was his name on the doors and his seal on the letters, Thebault was only King to the mortals. In the dark castle where they all lived now, everyone knew who the true masters were. It was as a mockery when the bards sang of the war: ''The Jesteres to rule nigh and far, only it is the reign of the Morningstar.''


    King Thebault had beheaded¡ªpublicly, the dumb fool who first coined the rhyme.


    "Who''s the jester now?" He had held the man''s torn head by his hair, dangling it as the blood sprayed the sands below.


    But the song had stuck. He did not call the shots. Not by a long shot.


    The night before, it Lilith who gave the orders to assemble the people for an official speech¡ªby the new Court of Whispers, dispatching riders on fast horses to hamlets far from Titans Landing while the rest of [The Fallen] freaked out in beds of whores and ruminated in filth of prolonged sex.


    It seemed she alone was of the single mind to not only conquer but actually rule thends they had subdued. The rest were all about the freshest virgin thigh to sink into. Bitches, all of them. In fact, it wasn''t until an hour ago that the King himself had been pulled from a morning bath pool quickie.


    At least both her dark brothers had the decency to quit hosting their orgies for the time being.


    The people were amassed below a protruding opal balcony that overlooked their hundreds. The open area already held several attendants to the Crown, Asmodeus and Lucifer at a shadowed corner from the misty morning sun, and the King before. He stood waving to a frowning crowd, who looked like they would toss stones at him if he wasn''t prone to pour outva back on them.


    A blond vampiress was saying to her friend, "I mean how much of a donkey can he be? Only he is smiling. Can''t he see their fuckin'' faces? I wonder how ever the previous fey Queen named him her adviser."


    "It''s probably why the bitch fired him," the other woman added, and they both broke into chuckles.


    They stifled it as the Herald began speaking for the arrival of Lilith. The entire hold of people, both those above and them beneath, fell into a deathly calm. Lilith had the night before,manded that Giselle Van Imperia be brought up from her dungeon, and cleaned and perfumed for the asion. She now drew the fey royalty behind her.


    A cor of pure gold with Lilith''s purple rune of [Sire Bond] was cuffed around Giselle''s fair neck. The former queen was beautiful as sunshine. And Lilith sure dressed her as such,vishing her in so much gold it hurt the eyes. It certainly caught the attention of her other demon ves. Jealousy simmered in their bones as they murmured.


    "Is that Her Eminence''s new favorite pet?"


    "Pffft¡ªshe''ll bore of her in days."


    But Lilith knew she''d never bore of the little blonde. She smelled her nephew all over Giselle. They had fucked at some point, and until she got Israfel back in her arms, Giselle would have to do.


    Lilith rocked forward, wowing the crowd in her Goth beauty and suave fashion¡ªchaffed obsidian heels skyrocketing her already prolific stature, with Giselle''s gilded leash in her manicured fingertips, glossy ck ws on disy, like walking a dachshund.


    The both of them together, [Sire] and [Bond], [Mistress] and [ve] were the image of sapphic impunity. They were smashingly beautiful, oneplimenting the other. Who would ever have thought, Giselle Van Imperia, an Archdemoness'' Sub?


    The Herald was jostling between fawning over and announcing them respectfully.


    "HER DARK EMINENCE, QUEEN OF THE NIGHT AND GODDESS OF THE UNDERWORLD. . .LILITH FIRSTBORN."


    Lilith dragged Giselle to the open balcony with her.


    She pulled from her robust decolletage a piece of paper and unfurled it before her pet''s golden eyes.


    Lilith''s voice was a hot whisper. "Read it."


    Giselle was hesitant. She looked over her people dozens of feet below. They were never so silent to hear her out before. Fear was a great tamer. She still hadn''t opened her mouth. Lilith moved her free right hand behind and sharply smacked Giselle''s ass.


    The Fae jerked in her golden apparels. Lucifer smirked in the shadows.


    "READ. IT."


    Giselle did open her mouth and began to read off the rough parchment, word for word. She tried not to imagine where the scroll had been. She knew the roses she was smelling though, were Lilith''s amazing boobs.


    "I, Giselle of the Guiding Light Fae,st of the blood born royals of the House Imperia hence at this time concede victory to the Underworld and its factions. Eldoria and her borders shall known as a demon Empire. The nine realms are to send in delegates with a ready hearing for tributes. . ." She paused.


    "Do I need to spank you again, little fae?" Lilith leaned close and whispered in her ear. "There are those watching who wish I would. Do us both a favor and don''t give the men unnecessary hard-ons."


    Giselle gulped and continued, ". . .and so with contentment and true liberty, I surrender in effect all holdings of the Crown bequeathed to House Imperia to the risen House de Vries. Let us all, as a kingdom heed King Thebault the Usurper. L-Long may he reign." Her ending was shaky.


    It took a while, but eventually the citizens below chanted¡ªjust like Lilith knew they would;


    "LONG MAY HE REIGN!"


    Giselle contested her words with all her heart, deep within her spirit. She was wildling blood. She would never surrender, not her people and not her crown, and certainly not to a fucking demon. She quickly scattered her thoughts before Giselle could read her mind. In the face of their Queen''s open vote to the Usurper, a shallow pping began from the mob below.


    It was no boisterous hail of joyful folk, but for Lilith, it was enough. If she left the beasts of the others to it, they would decimate the earthlings to a trickle in a fortnight. And then who would they rule?


    Their conquest would have been for naught. And there would be no agenda to forge on¡ªwith their devious scheming. Because dominion over Eldoria alone wasn''t enough.


    "Good girl." Lilith kissed softly Giselle''s cheek in a move so swift it was like a brush of air.


    As the taller brte Archdemoness led away her blonde fae ve by her goldensso, the crowd''s pping went up a notch. Even Lucifer was impressed in his hiding ce. The Usurper took the stand and began waving again. On that rosy morning, none of the Fallen noticed the silver caped stranger peering out an immacte white cowl to the high balcony ripe with demons.


    On this stranger''s forehead was the gold sigil of the Holy Ones.


    It marked her as an Archangel.


    Demons had taken control of a portion of the earth. They were free to interfere now.


    Later that day in her grand suite of a bedroom; a penthouse chamber topping the castle, Lilith eased the rope off Giselle but kept the cor, and guided her to seat on a long fuchsia sofa. The fae perched daintily at the edge of it.


    And it was almost frightening for Lilith to imagine theely belle before her as Queen of such a vast Empire, when it looked as though she just had her debutante ball.


    "Did you like me bringing up today? I know how you Fae are with sunlight."


    Giselle fisted her palms in herp. She didn''t respond. Lilith urged with a voice an adult reserved for a naive child, "I know you''re a wildling, but must you always be tough with me. You''ve been my prisoner now for what. . .a fortnight?


    Tell me you liked being seen with me. I know you did."


    Giselle remained stiff.


    Lilith, frowning, walked over and smacked her peach cheek. But it was mild as a rove.


    "TELL ME."


    Giselle finally moved her lips. "I-I liked it."


    An erotic ck nail slid under her throat and long, feminine fingers cupped up her face. She let her gaze be pulled up to Lilith''s. Giselle found the demoness smiling. She was tall and striking in the space of her Goth bedroom, so beautiful. Giselle again let Lilith ease her legs open and step into them. Her lungs burned with her trying not to inhale the woman''s delicious fragrance.


    Lilith''s violet eyes were the clearest gems on hers.


    "I have a feeling we''ll be very good to each other, won''t we?"


    Giselle found herself nodding, and the left strap of her golden gown slipping off her shoulder. She gulped for the second time. She should hate this fucking bitch! She took her throne. She murdered her people. But in staring into Lilith''s attractive and luminous smile, how could one despise a woman so hot.


    What was it they said about Fae and the sun again?


    Oh yes. It went like this,


    "For every spill of sunlight, a fae''s smile would burn so bright."


    ¡ªand Lilith Firstborn was a purple sun.

 Chapter 72: The Great Nursing

    ? ON AN ISLE IN CORYNTHIA, THE COLD SEA


    Rafely between waking moments. He slept the first night from when he was dropped on the ind two days straight. His yawn was babyish and loud as he stretched awake on the third day. It was dawn: the skies faintpis and cockatoos tweeting in high willow branches. Rafel blinked to find a squirrel at his feet. Little eyes like brown ss studied the young man in the heavy quilt.


    Rafel tried to shoo, but the animal hopped on the duvet and continued staring.


    Since when did squirrels of the forest be like pigeons of the Capitol; striding brazenly through the streets, side by side with man?


    The rodent''s interest seemed more piqued by his obvious naivete, and Rafel quickly wiped the shock off his face. As he brought a hand up to his face, a light sweat came off with it. Fever? Rafel sighed and dropped his hand. He looked around, for the first time noticing his quaint surrounding. He was in arge cabin.


    It was one wide, tapering structure, with bedroom, dining area, and entertaining quarters in the same vast space. There was no partition of curtains, and the only door was the one in front.


    It had many windows though¡ªwhich was good. The cool morning breeze was a salve to his burning skin. Rafel felt like he''d run a marathon over the boiling crater of a volcano. His teeth rattled if he breathed too hard. That bastard, Mephistopheles had really done a number on him; stabbing him with a fucking lightning bolt. Hell!


    ¡ªand Cora. Aye, Coraz¨®n?


    Rafel did not want to think of her and instead, thought of the singing birds and the rushing water of a creek nearby. At least, his paranormal [Abilities] weren''t muddled, or worse¡ªgone. He tried to sit up in the spring bed but fell t on his back. The thick nket wrapped him like a swaddler, and someone had covered his chest injury in soft white bandage strips.


    ''I look like a fucking mummy! Fuck that bastard, Meph. I''ll find him. I''ll kill¡ª''


    "Ouch! Fuck." He cursed aloud. His exertion had strained his ribs. Even the slightest movement felt like concrete blocks over his chest. His would was near fatal. Rafel tried to be strong, but the pain was too great.


    He fell back on the pillows and grinded his teeth hard. He hated being weak.


    He hated it with every blood cell within him.


    He saw the door was slightly ajar but couldn''t rise to it. He settled with listening to the nature sounds filtering into the cabin¡ªand ignoring the idle squirrel whose staring now bothered on pestering. Rafel made faces at it, and the tiny rodent drew even closer. It''s furry face wentical. ''Yeah right,ugh at me. Go on!


    I, Champion of Hel can''t even chase a bothersome rat.''


    Rafel abruptly turned his head when he heard the cabin''s door whisper open. It creaked softly.


    In came a woman he recognized but couldn''t name. She had a rocking bod, and with her back turned to secure the door, he couldn''t ignore her tresses of pure white. She turned also and stiffened when her blood-red eyes met it. It was only for an instant before her features softened. He noticed she made no move to chase out the offending squirrel.


    She started speaking as she made for him, dropping the wicker basket of plucked apples in her grasp to the Valhan rug.


    "You have really strange eyes, Apollyon¡ªscared me for a moment there. But then, you are THE Apollyon; makes sense for you to be scary. Anyway, I''m d you''re awake. I''m sure you''re pretty foggy-headed and may not remember me. I''m Sekhmet, and I''ll be your nurse for. .


    .well, until you''re able to stand on your own two feet again."


    Rafel pored over her looks as she touched a warm cloth to his forehead. The woman was bewitching. She was not nervous. Her kind of pretty was wild, it made Rafel think horny and hardcore. She would be fire in bed. It did take a certain kind of woman to live on a paradise ind in the middle of the ocean.


    One who was confident in her ability to love herself at night¡ªlove being the keyword.


    She was saying, ". . .your fever''s broke, thank the gods! I only gave you Coconut''s milk for the migraines. You couldn''t take down anything else before the full brunt of that goddamn fever hit. It''s been two days, but you are a strong young man," she touched and massaged her soft fingers into his shoulder.


    Uh, okay.


    "¡ªI don''t anyone who could be injury from a divine weapon in such record time. But I think you are ready for something liquid now, don''t you?"


    Rafel''s mouth hung open. He was speechless. Was it just him, or was this ind witch''s words sounding likee-ons?


    "Are you okay? You haven''t said anything." She touched the warm cloth to his forehead again. "You are more than the usual pale. I''m thinking we start slow on food, let you climb on to an appetite. What say you, huh?"


    "Uh, s-sure," Rafel finally found words. In the face of her near breasts, he forgot his fever for a minute.


    "Sure?"


    "I mean¡ªwhatever you have in mind."


    Sekhmetughed. "Oh!" It was then it hit her; that her words might have sounded like innuendos all along. She blushed a bit. "WHAT I HAVE IN MIND," she was still smiling. ". .


    .is bone broth!" She pronounced.


    "Ugh!" Rafel''s head fell back.


    "Hey!" Sekhmet was giggling now. "It''s the only thing that''ll help you recover! But after, when you''re strong enough. . . we''ll see."


    Rafel''s amber pupils rounded at the sultry trail her voice took.


    . . .when you''re strong enough. . .we''ll see.


    ''I''m strong enough now!'' he wanted to yell. ''ce your hand there¡ªyou''ll see.''


    "Rest, Apollyon. I''m not going anywhere."


    Sekhmet smiled knowingly, patting his forehead dry with the napkin and pulling the quilt up to his neck. "There you go; snug and warm." She rose to edge toward the firecepletely on the other end of the cabin. She added kindling and logs, and mes licked at the hanging pot. In moments, she had the broth going, steamed in myrrh leaves and hot peppery spices.


    Rafel didn''t close his eyes immediately. Oh no, he didn''t.


    He let it wander to the full ripples of her pleated skirt, the simplicity of the country cotton, but the sensuous way her exotic figure swayed this way and that in it. Her immacte apron was tied in a cute bow behind, by the dip in her small waist. Her hips red out. And when she bent to stir. . .


    "Oh, lord!" Rafel guffawed.


    Her butt didn''t need his proactive mind. It pushed out through her wear; he could see ass cheeks move, their supple outlinemand the ind wind to glue the cotton to each ripe mound, caressing and dipping gently in between. And his hands itched to grope. To weigh. To fondle and jiggle and spank.


    The gods of the Underworld were good to him: keeping him alive and delivering such a wonderful, ash haired forest witch to cuddle him back to health.


    Ordinary luck couldn''t match this¡ªever.


    Rafel rxed back for the tempting view until sleep would im him. It was the first time his mood was raised since the Titans Landing, and he smiled wide. ''Let the great nursing begin.''

 Chapter 73: The Great Nursing II [18+]

    [DING!]


    "Shit." Rafel frowned as the systems alert in his head zed him awake. Sunlight was pouring in through the windows of the cabin, dampened to saffron by the forest''s mists.


    [MANA CORE AT CRITICAL LEVEL!]


    [Life essence depleted! System rmends you consider immediate resuscitation. Host is likely to burnout soon. The Apollyon should seek sustenance. Options are currently being calcted.


    Total power at minus sixty percent!]


    [DING!]


    [STRENGTH: 65


    HEALTH: 40


    STAMINA: 15


    NUTRITION: 50


    . . .]


    More glinting red panels appeared: it was much too bright for his recovering vision. Rafel, in haste blinked away the holograms. If his injury didn''t kill him, all the loud ringing in his head just might. The cabin was empty again. He was alone¡ªthank fuck the squirrel was gone. But he missed his curvy, witchy nurse.


    She''ll be back soon, he reckoned. He had slept into the afternoon.


    The smells of the forest were more pronounced as he focused on the only message to him that mattered; his total [Power Level] was less than average. In his wounded state, could he even bear the Rank A title?


    The spot where the [Dark Spectre] dagger had dug into him had began to hurt again. It felt like he was being shocked by fierce lightning all over again. The aftershocks were more painful. He tried not to shiver under the duvet. He put his hand, gingerly sliding to touch the spot. His bandages were soaked.


    It smelled weird. The flesh around it was soft as pulp. He could feel his body fighting the alien surge of sickness.


    . . .his eyes struggling to stay open; yellow pupils darting around the cabin for something, something distracting to glue to.


    It hurt to move. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to think. It hurt¡ªlike hell.


    "Damn, I must really be dying this time."


    Outside, in a sweet clearing ringed by garden petunias and vegetables, Sekhmet heard his voice of low agony as she packed up a change of sheets and a fresh raiment for the night. She abandoned the clothes so fast her hands were a blur. She dove under the spreading line and pushed the door in to enter the cottage.


    She rushed to the beautiful boy on the spring bed.


    "Ohh, sweet Rafel! You''re burning up again. I could strangle that bastard, Meph for this. Who the fuck stabs someone with a fucking lightning bolt? You look like death. It''s amazing the Reapers aren''t here yet." She frowned slightly as she began to dab at the corners of his forehead with a fresh moist towel.


    Rafel tried to turn away. "Please let me do this," her voice was soft. "You''ll. . .die if I don''t. I could give you more broth, but the soup''s done its best.


    You have to help me out here. What do you need, Israfel?"


    She pulled away a side of the quilt, checking and changing his bandages.


    In his head, Rafel said, ''System? A little help here. About time for those fucking options you were talking about.''


    [Ding!] came the response, telepathically.


    [HOST APOLLYON''S REQUEST DELIVERING:


    OPTION 1: Purchase RARE strength surge to fire up immunity, at cost of 50 000 soul coins plus one Agrippa head silver from the Arcane Shop.


    OPTION 2: Send message to Uncle, Lord Lucifer Morningstar who possesses in his keep an EPIC health regeneration Charm and two vials of healing potion.


    OPTION 3: Kidnap a mermaid and force her to bleed in a cup. Drink of her mythical essence.


    OPTION 4: Summon a Valkyrie¡ªthough possiblity of being answered are at less than zero percent.]


    Rafel didn''t like any of them. All these options to revive his spirit, yet, he could sense his system was holding back. ''I am your Host, dammit! Tell all!''


    [Ding!]


    [There is a final option, Apollyon. It is the goddess before you, the Lioness of Amun-Ra: SEKHMET.]


    [ording to my infernal calctions, eliciting a¡ª]


    Rafel cut out the monotone voice. He knew what he had to do. Moloch the Destroyer had done it once. But in his case, his instrument of salvation was Hyperion. Among all the options, thest was by far the most appealing to Rafel. The most delicious.


    The most, inappropriate. The immorality of it had already dulled the pain in his chest area to a waning throb. He could feel red-hot blood, like streamingva, rushing to an extremity he had ignored in his mdy.


    But how could he seduce a goddess¡ªperhaps more bloodthirsty than he, who had drank down an entire ancient city, to a bout of passion?


    He pored over Sekhmet''s face. She had a really beautiful face. She had an inviting pucker in her full lips. Or perhaps he only saw what he wanted. But she had said to tell her what he wanted. What he needed?


    He needed. . .release. Simple and short. But most alluring, and even deeper than her smashing features was the hospital aura she carried. How confusing it was for such a natural born killer also be a natural born caregiver?


    She was leaning below him; straddling his legs, looking up at him. It reminded him a little of that squinty-eyed squirrel. Her gaze was a mix of wanting to help and adoration. She was cute. And he noticed the crimson touch on her lips was not from lipstick. Sekhmet knew he was strong, but how STRONG?


    Rafel opened his mouth, and seriously prayed what he was about to say wouldn''t make the Lioness drain him dry.


    "I-I. . ."


    "Go on," Sekhmet chuckled. "You can tell me. I''m your nurse remember?"


    "Whenst did youctate?" Rafel burst out bluntly.


    The peach in Sekhmet''s eyes expanded into her cheeks. Blushing, she quickly caught herself.


    "Uh, it has been a while. But if¡ª"


    "I need milk. Mother''s milk. Can you make that?"


    Rafel had decided bluntness was the only way forward. Sekhmet could either be the world''s best nurse or finish what that green fucker started. The ind witch gazed at him, her lips twitching. He knew she struggled with a smile. Eventually, she let it slip, and she was oh-so-beautiful in that moment; enchanting and torrid like a wave.


    "It would be my honor¡ªand pleasure to breastfeed you, Lord Israfel."


    And then she began crawling forward from his knees as soon as the words were out her mouth. Her light blue dress skirt brushed the area of the nket over his thighs, but Rafel felt the stirring on his skin. He was rising, rising like a storm. He knew he would be monster big: it had been days since he got some.


    Sekhmet kept her magical wine eyes on his as she sat astride on him, as if about to ride him raw.


    PLOP!


    Her bouncy ass connected with the hard member of him. Rafel gasped at her lushness. She was so soft. Her own prodigious thighs enveloped his legs. Her in skirt, riding her on her calves, revealed skin so fair it looked painted. She was mildly brown; such an erotic color on a voluptuous woman.


    He was sprung under the nket. The warmth of the sheets and the heat of herrge ass scorched him¡ªhe almost started pumping crazily upward into her like a hormonal teenager. The press of her bubble butt ttened his cock to his thigh.


    Sekhmet licked her lips so wantonly, and lifted her hands to draw down the straps of her gown.


    Surprisingly, she had a bra on.


    A unting ck satin that was an expensive and devious little contrast to herid-back energy.


    She pulled that down too.


    Rafel could believe his eyes as she leaned down over him. Her cream boobs dropped right over his face. She smelled amazing, like the daisies and roses she farmed. "Suckle, my lord."


    He opened his mouth and pulled a pink cherry nipple in. She was perky and tender. He stroked her with his tongue. Sekhmet''s head fell back in a long hiss. The trails of her fountain of white hair caressed his kneecaps behind. Rafel was having the time of his life under her.


    Sekhmet tore off the hanging bra strap off her shoulder. She tossed it.


    "Ohh god," her attentions leveled on the young man below her, in need of her care; the handsomest she''d ever seen. He grew wild and strong like fields of golden corn. She felt his hard body pulsing beneath her. Toned pecs sculpted by war, a physique no sorcerer could divine.


    Israfel was Adamic.


    She stopped thinking about him as her patient few minutes ago. She only now thought of him as a man. A raging, ready-to-go man. She snuggled him close to her head and caressed his ginger hair. He was moaning under her. He loved her breasts.


    He slobbered and sucked. Her nipples were red and swollen from his attention. She sucked on her own fingers and watched him feed. Her milk had begun to flow, and Rafel''s hard thighs were slowly pumping up into her. She could feel his hot meat on the inside of herp.


    His upward jerking made her start to bounce on him. They weren''t fucking, but it sure as hell seemed like it.


    "You love those cherry peaks, don''t you?"


    Rafel groaned at her sultry whisper.


    "Hm-hmm. . .lick them good. Lick ''em." She kissed his hair. She held him close. She breathed in his youthful syrupy scent.


    Her milk was flowing steadily. Her body was responding to his loving tongue.


    SLURP! SLURP! SLURP!


    Rafel abruptly pushed his hands out from under the quilt. "Israfel¡ª" Sekhmet started to say, but he grabbed handfuls of her swaying bosom and kneaded her ripe mounds hard. "Oh fuck," her moaning changed. She panted as he gathered her fat flesh in his callused palms. He plucked and pinched the pink nipples, and popped them in his mouth like a candy.


    POP! POP! POP!


    He sucked and pressed her.


    SQUISH! SQUISH!


    The milk was leaking all over his face. He cherished her titties so loudly Sekhmet panted and began to ride the press of his cock. It made a total whore of her. Rafel massaged her until she was breathless fromctating. Her milk was in his hair, slopping down sides of his mouth, but more importantly, he was swallowing.


    GULP! GULP!


    As he yed with her firm andrge bosom, he could feel his strength returning. His bones healing, his joints cracking, his fingers receiving life. Rafel rubbed his head in her cleavage. She held up herself as an offering to his fondling. Sekhmet was doing squats on the ridge of his cock. pping sounds like they were banging.


    The high of feeding his wild mouth got out of hand, and she drew back abrupt.


    POP!


    The nipples popped out wet and pink, and she sent him a wicked smile as she slid down his body. She tore off the nket. Her heavy breasts trailed milk on his torso. Tobat the fever, she had stripped Rafel underneath the quilt. She kissed his abs, licked the sweat off his golden skin.


    She was still smiling, "you smell so good. I love it when you feed from my tits. You like the suck on your nurse breasts, huh? Slurp her milk like a good little boy? Well, how about your nurse sucks your dick for a change¡ª"


    Rafel groaned as his thick cocknced up as he was came off it. He instantly missed the heat of their connected. The flesh pipe went smack, colliding with his bronze abs. He was pulsing and throbbing. Sekhmet''s crimson eyes were wicked, she was being brutal with her teasing. Rafel liked it.


    He knew he would just about explode if her mouth so much as touched him.


    She nestled her face into his groin. She licked up on his gant shaft.


    "Yum," she grinned, caressing up to the engorged head.


    She closed her dainty fingers around his impressive girth and began to pump. Bending low with herrge breasts rubbing his legs, shepped his balls. She sucked them into her mouth and Rafel exhaled loudly. "Oh fuck, I can''t take it anymore."


    Sekhmet saw this need shimmer in his sinful eyes, and she deftly spat on his throbbing shaft. He was hot¡ªlike a firece poker¡ªagainst her palm. She poured more saliva over his nosh, until his fat cock dribbled to the ball. Then she opened her mouth over him. Just before she took him in, Rafel patted the sides of her face with his wet dick. She said, "I want you to fuck your nurse''s mouth hard.


    Grip my fucking hair and choke me with your big dick¡ª"


    Rafel thrust upward before she could finish. He impaled her words right out her mouth.


    Sekhmet was not shrewd. She went down all the way; a sloppy deepthroat, that had Rafel clutching to her long tinum hair as her head ascended in a sticky trail of spit. "You dirty, fucking nurse," he growled, "you bewitching slut. Take this fucking dick." He teased the shaft all over her face until her cheeks were glistening and her ears red.


    Her hair waves in his hand was moist as he guided her rose lips back to his cock. Sekhmet dutifully opened in a perfect ''O'' and began sucking him off. "Urrglllggh," he choked her. She was on a roll; blowing him and slopping up his balls. Rafel''s thighs lifted up the spring bed as he jerked fiercely up in the air. She grabbed his hard thighs and held him to finish inside her.


    Her hot eyes below whispered the words her mouth was too full to spit; e inside me.''


    Rafel urged her head, deepthroating her again. He held her down, her soft lips grazing his pubic arch, and feverishly exploded within her mouth.


    SPLAT!


    He released loads of spunk into her. His seed shot out of him in rocket spurts. He was hot as liquid fire going down her throat. Even if she didn''t want to swallow, he took the choice from her¡ªbut she did. Rafel shut his eyes. He was pounding, mming, jerking up with great intensity.


    It seemed the climax alone would kill him. It was a burnout. And Sekhmet, his voluptuous nurse took it all. She gulped and gulped, and squeezed him with the heat of her mouth.


    "Gawd!"


    Rafel released her and fell back. The spring bed bounced and went creaking.


    "My god," he said again, clearer this time.


    His vision was blurred for seconds. He couldn''t look down, but he could damn well hear Sekhmet milking out everyst drop he had to give. He wanted nothing more than to turn her over, and pound her pretty ind ass to forever. But he was still weak. Not ill, but weak. And as if she could read or hear his thoughts, Sekhmet lifted up¡ªher hand still grasping his cock.


    "It''s alright, Apollyon," she said, "we have plenty of time on the isle and plenty of ways to make you recover."


    Rafel peered down. She was right: plenty of time.


    Sekhmet had a dazzling smile as she cleaned up the both of them.


    [Ding!] His system sounded out in his head. There was no pain.


    [A sultry affair with an SSS-RANK NURSE has surged immunity levels.


    HEALTH SPIKE: + thirty percent. . .]


    Rafel stopped listening. His system could keep the details. He was just happy. He had drained balls. And he''d live. It was good knowing that.


    Sekhmet rearranged a fresh quilt over him, saying in a warm tone, "A cup of hot tea?"


    Rafel eased out a gentle smile. He could feel his appetite returning. "Yes, please."

 Chapter 74: Locator Spell

    ? G¨±NDLHEIM, THE NORTH FOREST


    AYA NAAMAH IGNORED THE POUNDING ON THE DOOR. "These fucking vigers¡ª" she hissed.


    Beside her in the small inn apartment, Ravenna bristled with restrained annoyance. She sent Aya a look. "Oh please, like you don''t know why the townies are banging at our door this early in the morning." Her sarcasm was clear. "Tell me you don''t? I dare you."


    In the room they had shared since the destruction of Emberfall, Aya Naamah was silent. She looked around for a while, darting her eyes at every quaint item but Ravenna''s green pupils. Eventually, she met her gaze, and flushed. Her voice was flirty and held more than a bit of sugary sweetness when she said,


    "Well, it isn''t my fault the men want to fuck."


    "Blunt much?" Ravenna challenged, but it was friendly.


    Aya only shrugged.


    BANG! BANG! BAAAANNG!


    The knocking was furious now: the door woulde down soon. Aya knew it. It wasn''t the type of sturdy hardwood mansions were made of¡ªshe''d know. Just behind the gray door, were dozens of fuming farmers wives and fishermen wives, and even the High lord of G¨±ndlheim''s wife. In fact, it could be said that all the women in the little town were in the same ce, gathered in front of the modest Inn.


    Why?


    ¡ªbecause Aya Naamah had shagged all of their husbands, or tried to. And so the rumors went.


    But in her defense, it wasn''t her fault; she was a subus, and she had ''daily'' needs. She wasn''t a whore; she didn''t stand at corners and grab the nearest passing man for a quick fuck in the trees. No! She didn''t even lurk in bars. She did her most to keep away from men¡ªand women after they had run together from the ruins of Emberfall.


    Ravenna and herself.


    It pained her greatly that she had to leave her Lord Master bleeding and without aid, but at the time, she had no choice: she''d been knocked out and Ravenna had pulled her out of the ash of the Manor before Mephistopheles had a chance to finish her off. It pained her even more when she awoke to find out that Cora was gone. . .dead.


    And yet, here were these shitty viger women trying to ram her down for something she wasn''t even guilty of. Had some of the men tried to get in on with herst week at the trails? YES. Had another group hinted at their offer to gangbang her when she went to the well three days ago? YES. Had the High lord himself propositioned her justst night in the Hollows tavern?


    HECK YES!


    But she had eased away from the advances¡ªin all instances.


    She had done this to herself, denying satisfying pleasure for the singr reason of breeding mixed feelings. Still the witch-hunt came.


    It wasn''t her fault the men''s eyes roamed her voluptuous prettiness as she meandered through town. She did wear overflowing dresses and skirts, but there was no hiding those curves.


    Men would always be men. So fuck the vige women and their rangy bitchy jealously.


    "Bitches," she cursed under a breath.


    Aya and Ravenna were at the moment hurriedly packing into travel bags and satchels whatever they could; it was to escape the onught of angry females that was certain to pummel down the door. "Some might call YOU the bitch. They might argue you were leading the men on," said Ravenna.


    Aya tossed her a pillow, pouting, "please, I have not eye for any man since leaving Lord Israfel. Dire as my needs might be. But I happily ept being a BITCH. You have to understand it can be a veiledpliment where Ie from."


    Ravenna shook her head with augh.


    They two young women filled their bags with what they could carry. Leaving the rest in haste, they made their way through a side door to the adjoining room, out a dim hallway, and finally the inn''s back door. The generous owner, a lively Hobbit held open the exit. Aya filled his hands with a fat purse in appreciation.


    "Where to now¡ªsince your fat ass has cost us our only hiding ce?" Ravenna joked as they hiked through the northern trail.


    Aya cut eyes at her. The snow was light on the forest floor and they were lucky to escape the women with the pitchforks behind. Aya was as good as witch to them¡ªand not the tolerated kind.


    "Well, the Capitol is out of mind," Aya reasoned.


    "It goes by Titans Landing now, didn''t you hear?"


    Aya stopped by a poster of the new King: the Usurper, nailed into a high Elmwood. "How does it feel?"


    Ravenna stopped too. Her eyes stroked up to same poster, to a face she had known all her life but really hadn''t known at all. "How does what feel?" she asked back.


    "¡ªto know your father is a god?"


    Ravenna sighed. "Truthfully, it feels like shit. I''d have preferred him to be the loser dad, than a serial killer dad. Him being a god doesn''t matter." She chuckled then, "perhaps just a little bit. But it doesn''t forgive years of lying to me, faking my mother''s death¡ªwho is an Angel by the way, and faking his own disappearance. Parents of the Year, they are?!"


    "Hmm," Aya nodded, thinking. "How about a locator spell?"


    Ravenna cut back across to the other woman. "For what?"


    "For finding Lord Master of course! You don''t still think I''m talking about your father."


    "Well go on, we can spend all day hiking in the north forest. You have something of his?"


    Aya nodded and produced a ring.


    The Antean ruby royal ring.


    Ravenna''s jade eyes bulged. "How do you have that?"


    "It survived the fire," said Aya simply. "Now, I just need to recite the spell. Join hands with me, please. My LUST Mana Core is depleted from all the celibacy. Your own aura would help. You are after all Half-Angel."


    Ravenna scoffed, but put her hands in Aya''s. The petite subus slowly began the spell:


    "Of realms of darkness, in bursts of a pyre, let him be revealed in starkness, he who was born of fire."


    Their joined hands began to glow and the ruby diamond in Aya''s ring finger burned brightly. It led her to pull away, and when she did, it pointed south¡ªtoward the Cold Sea. "I guess we know where we''re headed now," said Aya glumly. She was not to happy about the [Location Spell] pointing toward blue endless waters. She hoped to the gods it wasn''t the mermaids¡ªfor their sake.

 Chapter 75: Bon Voyage!

    [?? Dos Bros ¨C The BossHoss.]


    AYA NAAMAH WAS THE ONE chosen to flirt with the guards at the city''s gates¡ªnaturally.


    Seduction was a second nature to her.


    "Oh my Lord! Silly me¡ª" They had just lighted off a crimson buggy studded in gold which a [Ghostrider] Aya once knew was¡ªRavenna didn''t ask how¡ªwas kind enough to take them in. All the way from the dense meadows of the northern woods which the demon had carried them in, to the rising spires of Titans Landing, there had been quite the heavy flirting between herself and the man.


    Ravenna, mostly through the ride tried not to look as sick as she felt.


    Did the Subus never learn?


    Her disposition to men''s advances had cost them a hiding spot at the Inn in G¨±ndlheim. Fleeing had been the only option: they were lucky to get away from the witch-hunt without pitchforks in their hearts and a burning at the stake. Now Rafel was gone, men did look more than was polite in their direction.


    Both Ravenna and Aya thought nothing of it; but Eldorian men were notorious for not keeping the lewdness to their eyes, but letting it rip and rap out their mouths.


    ". . . so gorgeous are you, sky, if I asked nicely, would you sit on my face. I could stop right here on the road," the Ghostrider had said.


    Ravenna had stuffed her ears with her fingers inside the carriage. Not another word had she wanted to hear. But not before catching Aya''s cute smile at the man in front, before sizzling back; "oh, honey, trust me, you wouldn''t begin to know what to do with all me. Perhaps, if I wasn''t so engaged to leave the city, I''d have touched my toes and let you eat my ass. I''ll totally dominate you though.


    Would you have beingfortable with that?"


    The Ghostrider roared withughter. The mes of his head had turned blue, just when Ravenna blocked her ears. It was not that she didn''t enjoy some raunchy dialogue every now and then, but ever since Emberfall''s destruction. . .and everything; the secrets, the lies, and the shit, she had lost total interest in sex topics.


    She only wanted to find Rafel now¡ªshe hade back that violent, burning night after had father was gone to find him missing from the chars.


    He had saved her once. She owed him this much.


    ''I feel a little guilty too, since it was my father who nearly killed him,'' she thought briefly.


    Just five seconds ago, the [Ghostrider] demon had waved them away by the reconstructed city gates. The walls were being built again, several watch towers for defense starting to rise into the cerulean winter sky again, but if one squinted enough, the craters left by the colossal feet of the Titans during their invasion were clear. Boulders of fallen rock were pulled up on gonds.


    Ravenna had stood and stared a while. There were skeletons of the former republic; shadows of the ruined Capitol, but the ckstone Castle distant in the heand and its billowing swart banners swallowed it all.


    She remembered the General, Ian Noguri; the man had being right about a revolutioning, but it wasn''t the cheery, spirit lifting jubtion he''d predicted.


    "Oh my Lord! Silly me¡ª"


    Ravenna drew herself back to the present.


    She looked to Aya who was speaking. Her voice and tone were so sultry even Ravenna nearly paused to listen. Aya had her hand to a caped soldier''s chest, one of the wall patrols. "¡ªI''m so sorry I stepped on you, fine knight. I''m never this woozy, only in a rush to get out of the city. It''d be greatly appreciated if you could get me on out," she trailed her finger down the patrol''s brass breastte.


    "I. . .I," the poor soldier was quite lost in the fall of her dress strap down one arm to show spotless ripe skin. Her pear tits were just inches from his zing eyes. Lust puffed out his ears like vapors of a steam engine. "I''m not a knight," he finally said.


    "But you can help me, no?"


    In the stark beauty of Aya''s light brown skin and serpentine ent, who was he to refuse?


    The watchtower guard smiled. "Sure can, Miss."


    Behind, Aya waved Ravenna on.


    Phase one of their n was in motion. While the bodacious subus distracted not one but the entire group of patrolmen¡ªothers had joined the first from their posts, unable to resist¡ªRavenna dipped low into primage offices to ready the papers for their sea travel. She stole them, rather.


    The city cops were so lost in the throes of Aya Naamah''s haunting fire, that they didn''t notice Ravenna quietly slip back behind her. "Here it is, ma''am," she offered the stolen papers. The Court of Whispers, now headed by Her Eminence, Lilith, had since put sanctions on the goings andings of people. Aya, with a smile handed over the papers to the first patrolman. He didn''t even look it over.


    He waved them through the high gates.


    Ravenna was the first out.


    Aya hesitated a bit when a shadow crossed over the men''s eyes. All of them.


    She knew how lonely the life of a watcher could be; she wanted to offer a brief constion, or at least the slut in her. Perhaps, just a tiny nipple slip to help them jerk it sometime, somewhereter. But Ravenna yelled in front, loudly,


    "MA''AM?"


    Aya blinked and the spell was broken. All the patrolmen still stared, a long file of guards, who watched her ass all the way to the seat of a bluish canoe that would ferry them through the morning mists, over and across the sweet river running from the wesnds to the ports. And to the ships. And to escape.


    She didn''t need to add a touch to her hips to make them sway, but Aya did. Just for the men.


    ¡ªand through the fog of the Rocasian river, she saw long rods poke through, out and under the red kilts of the patrols.


    Aya turned to Ravenna in the small ferry, "That''s gratitude enough, don''t you think?"


    Ravenna impishly grinned. "Yes, ma''am. I mustpliment your performance," she gave her the once-over, "you are quite the distraction. You would haunt those men to the beds of their wives."


    They chuckled together, and listening to the sounds of the ferryman''s oar treading the water, they silently watched till the harbors.


    Aya paid the man in coin and they stepped out on a wooden dock. Ravenna took some fine coppers and went to fetch them some woolen coats and windbreakers for the tumultuous sea winds. Aya dealt with the primage. She noticed the sleepiness of the ports, like a little ghost town in the moors.


    The mists pervaded the docks, rising high so that the ships were shrouded and the morning sun barely lighting through.


    Aspared to Titans Landing, the ports were scanty. A [Wraith] paradise.


    "Why is it so quiet? Where is everybody?" Aya asked the captain to whom she handed coin.


    The man smiled, but it was dead. "Not much folk want to go a''sailing in the waters of Holocaust."


    He jingled the coins and gazed meaningfully at her. She got it. These were the very same waters the Titans had risen from: the Cold Sea. "I say we won''t be getting much of passengers any time soon. People fled these parts soon as they could. We sailors had to mop up so much blood and guts, it filled a full ship.


    I''ve never seen so much ttened bodies in me life, I tell ye, ma''am. We must have forsaken God."


    Ravenna joined them again with a light trunk, and they added it with their misshapen bags shut in haste from escaping G¨±ndlheim as the captain led them to a looming gray ship.


    It was mighty in the cold waters. Some loners were already on board: a trickle capacity to what Aya supposed such a great frigate could carry. She read the ship''s name in the mists: THE AURORA. As she ascended the gangnk with Ravenna, and their luggage carted by a skinny porter, she observed the few souls on the deck.


    Their gazes were as curious as hers; only two kinds of people traveled in such hard times: the bounty hunters and the fleeing.


    One whispered to another, "It''s gonna be a cold one."


    "Aye," replied his neighbor, a tall redhead.


    "How long do you reckon."


    "Ten days. Fourteen, if parts of the sea freezes over like it tends to in the winter months."


    "At least it''s not Titans Landing," said the first in a lukewarm tone.


    They briefly stopped talking as Aya passed by.


    Ravenna joined her at the railing, and like wights without coin for Charon in the afterlife: huddling close together, so did the couple. As the ship''s crew drew up the anchors, the red haired woman among the duo said to Aya, "Where to?"


    For the first time in many days since the Titans Landing, Aya Naamah didn''t see the need to lie. She was on a ship¡ªwith Ravenna. No one could get them now.


    She opened her mouth softly, replying, "Corynthia."

 Chapter 76: Topless At Breakfast [18+]

    [#nudity #humor #busty #nurse #appetite.]


    "TEN DAYS!" RAFEL GROWLED. "¡ªten days, and I still can''t lift my fucking legs. I''m supposed to be able to move now, aren''t I?"


    He sat in arge vani-colored tub in the back yard of Sekhmet''s forest cabin. The home loomed imperiously in front of them. The back door was slightly ajar, and he could see the swishes of her long blue skirt as she moved about in the kitchen. The lovely goddess had heard hisins, and took it with a warm smile; Israfel was only in a hurry to exact vengeance. She got it.


    She took, had a dark past with an adversary she hunted down for years. Presently, as she cared for or needed in her life was the serenity and naturalfort of the ind.


    The beautiful red haired Apollyon made her rosy days in the woods brighter though.


    She walked out the back door with a tray in her hands. Rafel was watching her with soft yellow eyes in the tub. He sat in warm water, naked.


    "My beautiful, beautiful lord," she rubbed his head tenderly, easing his irritation.


    Rafel smiled with her. Sekhmet had a contagious spirit. Her bending over to pour in more hot water in the white basin was a wonderful distraction. He raised his hands from the growing temperature of the tub to caress behind to her plump butt. He fondled and rubbed her ass, marveling in the tasty weight. Sekhmet flushed a bit.


    Rafel hissed and began to pull up her dress skirt, but she slowly pulled back. His hands dropped away.


    She said, "you must have breakfast first, my lord. You only had caramel papst night."


    Rafel frowned in the tub. "So, no blowjob?"


    Sekhmet leaned in to kiss the side of his forehead. Her lips came off wet with steam. "Not yet," she caught his look, "¡ªbut you will be able to move around soon, I assure you. You mustn''t stress the process of healing. Your sweet body is not only regenerating poisoned tissues from the Dark Spectre dagger, it is also building a kind of immunity against it for the future.


    You are an ore in the forge: you are being refined.


    Mephistopheles'' strike with the bolt left the imprint of his corrupt touch within your system. I have seen many fall to just the bite. I think perhaps you should just enjoy the fall scents and the winds of the tropics. . .think of this as a vacation."


    She kissed him again. "Everything would be alright, Israfel. In time. Glory to the gods that we are immortals then."


    Rafel pondered her words.


    Maybe the legends had been to harsh on Sekhmet. The tinum woman before him wasely and kind. She had that human touch.


    She was right too: he should take things slow. He had survived the death blow of a [Divine]. In his long years ofbat, both in Hel''s arena and the mortal ne, he was the ONLY SURVIVOR he knew. Sekhmet''s words; her enduring smile, were like a balm to his soul. He felt more refreshed every time he opened his eyes to her after a terrible dream or a night of turning.


    Besides, it didn''t hurt that she was one hell of a bombshell.


    He nodded to her. "Thank you. I figure I haven''t said this to you since I was dropped her. You did not know me¡ªor my past¡ªyet you took me, and¡ª"


    "Hush now, handsome." Sekhmet softly touched his pink lips. "I never thought I''d see the Apollyon in real time. You, are reward enough. Here you go now." She took a sk from her tray and poured into a mug, handing it over. Rafel looked in the cup, squinting at the milk. "Not mine," Sekhmetughed.


    "It''s almond milk with coconut slices. I figured if you wanted the real thing, you''d want it directly. . .from the source¡ªif you know what I mean."


    "Oh, I do know," Rafel sang with a grin.


    He sipped slowly and rxed his head on the warm ceramic of the tub. His eyes were closed but he could feel Sekhmet all over him. She smelled a newer woody fragrance each day; sometimes flowers he didn''t even recognize. She smelled exactly like the ind. He heard her kneel to the earth beside the basin and felt her begin to touch up his perspired skin with a soft towel.


    He rxed into the slushing sounds of the nearby creek.


    He had no idea when he drifted off, but the next time he opened his eyes, it was evening.


    He was in a nket.


    A cool breeze was softly stirring in from the windows. Something was cooking in the hearth. It smelled amazing. White candles made the cabin more homely. He peered around. His amber eyes soon fell on Sekhmet: she was seated in a rocking chair, reading a book.


    It was the kind of heavy tome schrs preferred. He watched her a moment, so pretty and picture perfect in her reading sses.


    She must''ve felt his eyes on her because she lifted up her gaze from the pages.


    "Hi, you''re awake!"


    ''Wait. Did she carry me from the tub?''


    Sekhmet stood from the chair and walked over with the book in her hand. Shey it on the side of his bed and touched a palm to his neck for a feel of his temperature. She helped him sit up, pushing pillows behind to cushion his back. Rafel noticed the freshlyundered clothes he was wearing: a silver kaftan in Ottoman style.


    His eyes told Sekhmet he was impressed.


    She herself had on pale cotton shorts and a draped shirt. Her fine legs looked enchanting in the ssh of evening rays and candlelight. He pulled her to the edge of the bed next to him.


    "What''s cooking?"


    "Rice¡ªthe sd''s steaming over there. I think you are ready for solid food." Sekhmet watched his hand trail over her golden skin; her thighs were warm. "I could start you off with fruit."


    Rafel let a wild smile show through. "I''d rather wait for the main course."


    He was talking about food but looking at her body.


    Sitting up, Rafel was quite brawny. Sekhmet loved his big, wolfish body. She snuggled into his chest as they both watched the firece, and the hundred tongues of me lick at the cauldron.


    She served him in silver dishes. Rafel''s hand forked a mix of fried rice and golden lettuce dripping in virgin oil. But his hand hung halfway to his mouth. "Do you mind?" He asked.


    Sekhmet chuckled. "Mind what?"


    She was seated opposite him on the bed, with her own te. His beautiful eyes had that sinful look.


    "¡ªmind taking off your shirt."


    Sekhmet didn''t gasp out, but she said, "you wanna watch my breasts as we eat?"


    "It came out wrong," muttered Rafel. "...but what I mean is, you have a very gorgeous body, blessed and ripe; fair as peeled papaya. It would be nice to gaze upon a beautiful, healthy woman."


    ''It''ll help the food go down, so I don''t suddenly pass out.'' Rafel kept this in.


    "I understand, love," Sekhmet smiled.


    She shrugged off the big shirt before picking again her te. She folded her legs under her and watched Rafel watch her. She looked better than he''d imagined. Her breasts were full: sulent pears pushing in her chest. Her skin, untainted and smooth as running silk. The peaks were deliciously topped in rose nipples, pebbled in the evening air.


    "You are a beautiful creature," Rafel shuddered. His smoky iris conveyed wordsnguage could not express. He stared at her like the cross of The Christ.


    Topless and radiant, Sekhmet ate with Rafel.


    He made herugh with jokes. She told him stories of the isles, and the recent events in Titans Landing. Rafel learned she served as the [High Witch] of thend this side of the creek. Those I''ll among the Inders crossed her bridge to seek help. It was strange though that the Inders seldom fell ill.


    When Sekhmet made her own jokes, she and Rafelughed so hard they nearly fell off the spring bed.


    In between moments, he forgot she was his nurse; they were just two souls brought close by fate.


    His eyes did wander to her perky breasts, but it was more in awe than lust.


    "Your cabin should be a museum. . ." Rafel said cheekily.


    Sekhmet rose to take the bait. "Why?"


    ". . . because you''re a work of art!"


    "Oooh!" Sekhmetughed.


    He joined her, and when she had taken away the tes, she hurried back to the bed¡ªand him. He took her into his strong arms, though falling sick had made Rafel a touch delicate, he cradled her. She was still topless. Sekhmet looked out the cottage''s window at wisps of flooding purple dusk.


    A shocking hot wind blew in.


    Sekhmet knowingly stroked Rafel''s abs. "It''s going to be a hot night."

 Chapter 77: The Red Dragon

    THE TEMPERATURE RISE came with twilight. "I did not think weather to be this dynamic on Corynthia. Inds are usually tropical all year round," said Rafel stroking his nurse''s cool tinum hair. He was feeling much better after her delicious serve.


    "The isles are rumored to be the only spot in the continent where Demeter''s unfeeling coldness for humanity doesn''t reach. In order words, we do not miss winter here. But you''re right, the ind''s air is always tame¡ªor should be. Huh?" Sekhmet fell silent for a moment, thinking.


    Rafel had pulled the nket off their bodies and he could feel the rising warmth of Sekhmet''s body spreading into his. The door to the huge cabin was open, and kept that way with a long mop stick. The firece only had embers now smoking in the pits and Rafel was d: he didn''t need added heat to his breaking fever.


    Just outside the oak door, a great dire wolfy on all fours, like some guardian of the forest. It was quiet too, watching the creek some distance beyond with blinking grey eyes.


    "That your dog?" Rafel hushed in Sekhmet''s hair.


    Her cheeks flushed under his gaze. "Yep. All anima in the tropics are bonded to the high witch."


    "Hmm, I took you for a cat woman."


    "Why?"


    Rafel grinned¡ª"cause when I see you, I THINK. . .pussy," she smacked his chest. "Aren''t you d you''re topless now?"


    Sekhmet finallyughed, noting that the pinkened rosebud tops of her boobs were still pebbled. "Quit trying to make meugh. There are many shades to you, Apollyon."


    Outside, the blue [Guardian] wolf lifted up its great head and howled.


    YOOOOOOWWL!


    The sound stunned both Rafel and his supple witch nurse to look out. Their eyes'' trained on the foliage running up the cottage''s clearing into the stone bridge¡ªjust as a mighty shadow crossed over it. It blotted out the pouring moonlight, and in the brief umbra, Rafel made out the shape of bat wings and a massive spiked head. The wolf was still howling.


    He stole a nce from the open door to peer back at Sekhmet. She jerked off the bed with a start.


    "Dragon!"


    She ranted as she hopped off the spring bed and grabbed her tossed shirt.


    "¡ªthat exins the sudden heat wave. Shit! How did I miss all the signs? The beast must be a rover from Titans Landing, sent to patrol the Cold Sea. To search. .


    .for you." She turned back to Rafel, and all of her pupils went bloodred. "But I''ll be damned back the Lazarus pits before I let the Usurper have a chance to finish what he started. Stay here!" Shemanded.


    But Rafel was stretching up to a seating position before she ever left the door.


    "Like hell I will!"


    He found a cane a foot away by the bedside. He tried to reach it. It hurt as a motherfucker.


    "Fuck. That won''t do."


    "System!" He grunted. "Purchase a rolling chair for mystic cripples from the Arcane Shop. Quickly please."


    [Ding!], came the vibrating feedback.


    [Wheelchair Automaton purchased!]


    [COST: 200 000 Soul Coins.


    LEVEL: Hallowed.


    DEITY: Hephaestus.


    Host had received reward of +300 HEALTH points.]


    "That expensive, huh?" Rafel whipped out the opal, gleaming chair from his Hell pocket dimension. He would need to work on gaining more soul coins as soon as he was able. The wheelchair was a boss seat on exquisite ck wheels. The chair itself was soft white gold. It was so catchy to the eyes. And when Rafel struggled from the bed into it, he sighed and marveled at the buoyancy.


    The exuberant cost made sense now; the forger god didn''t make shit.


    He sat easily andfortably in the [Automaton] which was moved about by only a trickle spend of his mana core. Luckily, his illness had not diminished his demonic output. Red strings of energy interwove into the wheelchair and propelled forward the wheels. Rafel controlled it''s direction with his mind.


    He drove out the cabin''s high door and took the path he had seen Sekhmet run off to, the blue wolf hot on her heels.


    He found her by a marsh northward of the creek.


    The sounds of running water filled his ears as he drew near. He jerked on the Automaton to an abrupt halt, gaping at the sight before him.


    Sekhmet''s hands were lifted high in the air. Her white hair glowed with a fierce brilliance, whipping under silver moonlight. By telekinesis, she had dark vines shooting out from the swampy earth and curling strongly around fire red limbs of a dragon. The beast itself wasrger than the cabin he left behind; Sekhmet was tiny before it, still, she struggled to tame it under her twines.


    She reminded him briefly of Cora breaking a wild mustang. Rafel shook the memory loose.


    "STOP!" He put the necessary authority in his voice.


    Both dragon and witch turned to him, at the same time.


    "My Lord Apollyon?" Sekhmet gasped in seeing him. She did not bring her hands down. "You should be in bed. Trust me, I can handle this creature who''s trespassed."


    The dragon struggled against her reins, beating its scaly bat wings, trying to break free. It was stopped from hurling fire out its mouth by multiple vines wrapped tight around it''s elegant snout. The scales on the long, crocodilian back were scarlet red. The creature was mythically wondrous; the famed red Dragon.


    A beast so in control of the element of fire that the temperature of an entire ind had swelled in response to its own body heat.


    How wonderful? Rafel thought like a Sorcerer in an experiment.


    The dragon shrieked against the grappling vines, which were wrapping tighter around its crimson magnificent body by the second. As moving tendrils, they crept up it''s back, breaking the fiery resilience the beasts were know for: like a python with a struggling goat.


    "Let it go," Rafel pronounced loudly to Sekhmet.


    He made it in that it was an order.


    She sighed, puffed out air through her nose that blew the strands of silver hair in her eyes, but she dropped her hands. The vines slowly crept off.


    The red dragon shook greatly in the air.


    For a moment, it seemed like it would pour out fire, but then the burning ball of orange visible in it''s long, serrated throat dimmed and purged away. Rafel did not think the beast was an enemy. He was right. The dragon dropped its tail to the top branch of a nearby palm and lowered its snout to the ground. Rafel noticed the eyes: one was marine; one was green.


    "Her!" The red dragon spoke proudly.


    "What?"


    "Pardon?"


    Rafel and Sekhmet uttered at the same time. The fact that the creature could talk meant it was very high up in the beast system. Only true [Epic] beasts like Sphinxes, Totem Bears, and few dragons could talk; the others just breathed fire and stomped around. But not this one.


    "What do you mean ''HER''?" Sekhmet questioned.


    The dragon licked at a talon. "I MEAN I AM A SHE. You said earlier, ''let it go'', you should''ve said ''let her go''."


    Sekhmet scoffed. "Really? That''s your fucking worry¡ªgender assign?"


    "It''s alright," said Rafel: a voice of reason. "She is a mystical body. I understand where she''sing from. I am a Titan in my true form; some might call me it when they see me in that nature." He nodded to the red dragon and detected something of a smile on her snout. "Go on, tell us! Who are you?"


    The red dragon folded her legs under her, and took what could only be described as a creature''s bow of obeisance. Behind, the blue [Guardian] wolf pestered her forked tail. She ignored the animal.


    "I am Myreen of Thrasos, my Prince.


    I am bonded Familiar of H Tirnanoc: goddess of death. Had mydy, Sekhmet here been so nice to let me speak first, I would have told the reason of my trespass." Her mismatched eyes darted to the high witch for a moment. Sekhmet blinked once in apology. The red dragon went on,


    "The Fallen rule Eldoria. Her Eminence, Lilith heads the Court of Whispers. Lord Morningstar has his si on every banner and letter from here to the western fronts of Rocasus. They had no hand in my mistress, H saving your life. Nor have they any idea. H wishes it to remain as such; for right now in Titans Landing, a city wide search had begun in the polis tob out your hiding ce.


    Though Her Eminence, Lilith wishes to reunite with you for love and blessings, I doubt the others among the Fallen share her sentiments.


    Last night, [Spectres] and we, Dragons were dispatched to rove the Cold Sea. H got me in to keep an eye on this isle and ensure that the others stay clear off. If my Prince assents, I will keep watch while pretending to serve the interests of those that would see you hurt.


    I am d that you are doing well. I have heard many great stories about the Lioness of Ra, but you, mydy are one damn good nurse.


    Do I have your permission, my Prince?" The dragon finished.


    Rafel looked from his sleek mobile wheelchair to Sekhmet. "I mean it doesn''t hurt to have a red dragon as a sentinel to the ind?"


    Sekhmet looked long at the crimson she-beast, and then smiled. "A friend of H''s is a friend of mine. My home, your home."


    "Well there you go," said Rafel. "You have your answer; we would be honored to have you, Myreen of Thrasos."


    "What''s with the wolf?" The dragon shook the dog off her tail.


    "I think he''s horny," Sekhmetughed.


    "Well, he''s not my type," replied Myreen.


    Rafel and Sekhmet were still chuckling when she opened her great red wings and lifted into the hot air, bounding for the gray skies above the Cold Sea. The [Guardian] wolf whined and stared up. And in just moments of Myreen of Thrasos'' flight, the tropical temperatures were restored. The heat wave passed.


    Rafel smiled into the forest and let Sekhmet push him back to the cabin. His Automaton softly whirred in the silence.

 Chapter 78: Passengers

    [?? Ashes ¨C Celine Dion.]


    ?ON THE AURORA SHIP, THE COLD SEA


    Ravenna loved the cold. She had, always, ever since she was a little girl. The season of winter hit the waters of the Cold Sea harder than the tinkle of a purse. Since Ravenna had spent most of her teen years working in the coasts as a serving girl, in any pub that would have her, she was used to the chilly temperatures. Iny terms, the sea was cold as a motherfucker.


    It was night and the waves lurching uppped at the vessel''s hold. She stood on the ship''s deck, her hands gripping the railing, green eyes forward into the rocking. Above the whipping sails, the clouds were thick gray. The sky was starless. Ravenna heard a scuffle behind her and turned.


    Aya Naamah stood in a mboyant mufty pink coat, it was mink. She was enchanting on the deck, curved like a siren who had just stepped out of the sea to lure off the crew, as she held out a simr green shawl to Ravenna. "Here you go, dearie."


    Ravenna smiled and collected it. She pulled her necktie tighter over her shoulders.


    She said, "Thank you. I feel warm already. How long have we been on? The days have been ck since we left the docks. I have no sense of time."


    "Two nights," Aya replied, taking Ravenna''s side. "This is the third. We would be by the isles by now, but the winds are against us. We are sailing astride the gale."


    Ravenna looked wryly at her, "and you know this how?"


    "I''m friends with the captain."


    "Of course you are."


    Their eyes met and a secondter, they burst into a fit ofughter.


    Aya''s breath came out in puffs of white that was visible in the dark night. She clenched her fingers in her luxury gloves and breathed into her palms. It was a simple gesture, buting from the violet eyed subus, it became an erotic slow motion of giggles and blushes.


    Ravenna was once again struck in the full force of her beauty. Her dark hair framed wonderfully her plump lips and radiant purple iris. It was impossible to stare at her and not think of Rafel. And Cora. And Emberfall. And the utter peace they have lived before.


    . .before her father.


    "It''s not your fault," said Aya softly.


    Ravenna pulled her hand from her touch. "Don''t read my mind!" But then she rxed. "Do you think about him?"


    "EVERY. SINGLE. SECOND." Aya murmured.


    She went on, "when Lord Morningstar gifted me to him before his ascension to earth, I was unsure. But I''ve found our Lord Master far more appealing than Lucifer. He didn''t deserve that tragic night. I''m so happy that he''s still alive. Once we get to him, I''ll do everything to restore his health."


    "Me too," added Ravenna, "he was the only one who gave me a chance. Where was my fucking father then? Using me to try to level up."


    A bit of silence reigned and cold sea breeze ran up their cotton sleeves.


    "I miss Cora." Ravenna finally said out loud.


    She didn''t miss the teardrop leaking out Aya''s eyes.


    "Me too." The subus drew in a sharp breath.


    She took Ravenna''s hand. "Come on. The dinner bell went off five minutes ago."


    They held hands and walked away from the railing to the steps leading down into the Aurora''s hold. A single firstmate stood by the steering. The ship''s main vestibule opened into a series of cozy rooms, decorated thickly tobat the cold. Beyond all the cubicles, on the far side, was thergest room, which doubled as kitchen and dining area.


    Before the Titansnding, the cooks aboard ships like the Aurora were usually disgruntled about being underpaid. Now, they were ecstatic to be so far away from the Underworld gods who had conquered their beloved Capitol.


    The cafeteria was scanty when both women walked in.


    Aya saw a few people milling about seats arranged in round tables. The area was lit in ssedmps. It was quaint, like a gypsymune. Everybody knew everybody aboard. The young couple from before hailed, and she waved back.


    They beckoned her to their table¡ªbecause truthfully, what every single person on this ship sought was simply not only passage from a fallen Empire but also the unity andpanionship of kindred spirit. It didn''t hurt to see another human who wasn''t being flogged, or surrended to lions, or forced to smile at you.


    Aya walked with Ravenna to the table where the couple sat.


    Light conversation filled the warm atmosphere as several other tables held smiling passengers.


    "Hi!" The man in the couple was first to greet them.


    "Nice winter coat! Mink? Is it Duchess cotton?" His redhaired wife grinned to Aya Naamah, who took the seat next to her. She nodded to Ravenna, the quieter of the two. Aya shrugged in reply as one of the servers came close with a menu.


    She pointed her pick as she responded, "I don''t know. I''m not sure. I had a wealthy benefactor."


    As she said this, she urged her mind not to think of Rafel. He had left trunks of gold recovered after the fire.


    "I must admit I did not appreciate the solemnity of the ocean until these times of uncertainty. It is in the gloom of war that someone can fully think on just how wonderful talking with another person can be." The redhead went on.


    Her husband went nodding as the dishes arrived.


    "Mind if I join you guys?" A new voice said. "I''d hate to eat alo¡ª"


    Both the speaker, who was leaning into the table, and Ravenna and Aya bristled as they gazes met.


    Aya was the first to speak up.


    "DETECTIVE!"


    Rosamunde was shocked.


    "Oh my? What are you doing here? Please sit!" Aya affirmed.


    Detective Rosamunde Spears joined the rest at the round table. She ced her own food tray on the pristine tablecloth.


    "You know her?" The redhead asked.


    "Yeah," Aya replied. "Just before Titans Landing, the good detective here helped us solve a case in the Capitol. Did you read of the Count who was murdered; Lord Lucius? Yes! That was the case. It''s so nice to see you here, Rosa."


    "Same here, Miss Naamah. With the way things are looking back at the Empire, I might just live on the ships!" Rosamunde piqued.


    Everyoneughed aloud. The food arrived shortly by hand of an aproned young man, and they all shared and dug in. They exchanged stories of pre-Titan Eldoria for a while, before Ravenna sat back, her belly full, her expression turned serious. She poured aged ale from a long bottle and stared at Rosamunde.


    She began, "There is a matter of interest, though, Detective. It is the reason why we sail even now to Corynthia. I don''t know if you remember our Lord Master, the Earl? He was severely injured by an Archdemon in the war."


    "Ohh," Rosamunde fingered her wine cup with a flushed chuckle. "¡ªI certainly do remember him. He was quite the man."


    Aya continued where Ravenna left off;


    "Yes, Detective, that he was. Recently, a locator spell has transfigured for us his present location. It is one of the many inds fringing the whole Corynthian penins, but we don''t know which. Some are just uninhabited smudges on the map and it would take weeks to search them all." She produced from her pocket of her ck pants the Royal Ring of Antis.


    The ruby gem dazzled blindly in the cafeteria as she held it up.


    It glowed with Rafel''s imbued mana, leading them on like apass.


    "I see. . ." Rosamunde took it off Aya''s fingers.


    "I guess what we''re asking, Detective Spears is: would you help us find our Lord."


    "Of course! I will. Don''t be silly. I was born on those inds." She handed the priceless ring back to Aya. "¡ªplus it wouldn''t hurt to witness some eye candy again. You should see the man?!"


    She winked, and began describing at the couple who attuned to her words like foxes. Ravenna smiled. Aya shook her head at their gossip. She held up her hand and beckoned the server for thest course of the evening: desserts.

 Chapter 79: The Islands Are Magic

    [?? WOW ¨C Zara Larsson.]


    Myreen of Thrasos, the red dragon, licked at her giant forked tail on the banks of the ind. The sun was diving down the sky and painted the horizon, from sea to shore, a wet gold. Contrary to what the history books said, dragons were much alike to cats than was ounted for.


    They bathed themselves, and didn''t shit in public.


    Myreen had secured the surrounding of the ind as hers; she had roared off the few Spectres who''d dared intrude¡ªall to serve her Mistress''s bidding and secure the Blood Prince until his healing was finished. The darned [Guardian] wolf had kept pestering her. Even now, ity beside her huge body on the the beach, furry little as a toy.


    ''Cute, but can never be a mate,'' she observed.


    Myreen abruptly dropped her tail when she spotted the forehelm of an approaching ship. The tip was like a spear in the waning light of dusk. Her horned head lifted up in interest. So did the dog''s at her feet.


    The two Familiars watched as a small boat dropped out of the bigger frigate, lowered by long ropes. As it rowed the shallow fronts to shore, both the red dragon and [Guardian] wolf saw little hands waving up to another set high on the ship''s deck. It was the AURORA. By the time the carrying boat was reaching the banks, the ship was again a distant dot in the seascape.


    Myreen watched as the boat pulled up to shore and hit the sand. Three young women jumped out to the beach. They had shocking beauty.


    If they were shocked to find a gigantic crimson dragon and gray dire wolf waiting before them, neither of them showed it. It was almost. . . uncanny. Myreen sniffed at the air as they boldly came closer; the one with the cane and bob had a red ring glowing up in her hand; the one with the lusty violet eyes smelled like.


    . .like. . .the injured Apollyon.


    The great Red Dragon rose to a crawl when they all finally stopped before her. Myreen growled, "who the fuck are you?"


    WOOF!


    The [Guardian] wolf barked.


    She noticed the thin one with the green pupils cut mean eyes at her. "Who the fuck are YOU?"


    Myreen nearly shrank at her moxie. Such delicate little thing, yet fiery. She spread out herrge, red wings. "You cocky bitch!"


    "Easy, Myreen!" The one with the purple eyes stepped out and held up a hand. She had the most alluring persona. Her sex allure was off the charts. Even Myreen noticed¡ªand she was a Dragon. "Let''s not get into it. We are all on the same side here."


    "Same side? How the hell do you know my name? Tell me before I turn you to ash!"


    Myreenmanded, and watched the purple-eyed brte smile coldly, before saying, "I doubt you could do that, Myreen of Thrasos. But to answer your question and keep the peace, I am Aya Naamah, ve subus to the Apollyon we know you''re protecting; Lord Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste. I am a friend, believe me. Though I am sure you already know this from your sniffing."


    Aya turned to introduce the others with her. She pointed to the fiery jade girl, "Ravenna," and the one with the cane and professional bob, "and this is Detective Rosamunde."


    "I do not know you personally, Myreen. . .but I know your Mistress, H. I was once vassal to Lord Morningstar," Aya finished. She exined the locator spell and their travel to the ind. When she ended, Myreen folded her wings in respect and deftly bowed her huge snout to the ground.


    She looked up with her reptilian cut eyes from the beach sands.


    "Forgive me, Mistress Naamah," said the red dragon. "¡ªwe expected nopany. Our friends are few in the Empire. And with the number of Spectres and Shadows dispatched from Titans Landing tob the continent, we must be ruthless with the security of the Apollyon. I will lead you to His Eminence.


    If you would please follow me." Myreen shifted her huge bulk and started to patter away from the beach into the dense tropic forest.


    WOOF!


    The blue wolf barked again. But now, it sounded more like a yip.


    "All the colors are vibrant here," Ravenna remarked. "It''s amazing how one ind can he different from the other in meteorology. The weather back at the Academy for Witches was more of fall season and sleepy winter. Here, it''s all summer and sunlight. And it''s just one ind over! Hah!"


    Rosamunde smiled in step with her. "Yep! This is Corynthia. My home. You know, we do have a saying among the locals; ''the inds are magic.''"


    "Hmm. Nice!" Ravenna skipped ahead.


    Though the Detective was only two years older, her adultposure and mystery contrasted with Ravenna''s seventeen year old curiosity. The dusk gave way to a splendid twilight that bounced robust colors off the sea surface and into the evergreen woods. The three women were led by Myreen; Ravenna tumbling in the meadows, trying to grasp and smell every flower she saw.


    She plucked some, made a wreath and wore it as a crown. The mix of her green eyes turned her into the likeness of a sprite.


    The [Guardian] wolf followed at the heels of Aya, suddenly finding a new mistress to pine over.


    Myreen was not forgotten though. It''s salivating tongue dashed at the shing tail.


    They soon came by the creek, and the bridge.


    Ravenna hunched over the polished stone. She ate up the running whiteness of the water and pebbles at the periphery.


    "We''re here. The Apollyon lies within!"


    Myreen of Thrasos suddenly announced.


    Aya Naamah, Ravenna, and Rosamunde all peered up from their staring to the looming Brownwood of a sturdy cabin, built into the narrow finge of forest and creek. It was a beautiful home. The blue wolf ran to the silent door and rubbed its body on it. It lifted paws and scratched until a female voice was heard within.


    "Dammit, Blue!"


    The door was suddenly wrenched open.


    All three women on the porch stiffened. The wind in the garden also seemed to still.


    Eyes bright and wet as real blood zoomed in on them.


    Aya was first to break the silence, "Lady Sekhmet? I thought...I thought you were a myth?"


    Ravenna watched the tall, tinum blonde with the deadly eyes and crimson lips; as those lush lips split in a sultry smile of recognition. She walked over from the door.


    "You must be the harem. Wee!" She greeted.


    Sekhmet offered her hand to each of them. Aya introduced. When it came to Ravenna''s turn, she paused, "Ravenna de Vries? As in, Thebault de Vries? That cunt is your father?"


    Blood rage entered her eyes, and before little, cute, emerald-eyed Ravenna had a chance to respond. . .


    "YAAAHHHHHH!"


    Sekhmet, the Lioness of Amun-Ra leapt for her.

 Chapter 80: Reunited

    [?? Rocket Man ¨C Elton John.]


    BRIGHT RED CLAWS sliced in a feral arc for her. But the sudden boom of a man''s voice stopped the red tips from meeting with her face. Ravenna blinked.


    "STOP, SEKHMET," the bass roared.


    All women in front of the cabin recognized the voice. Aya Naamah was first to rush in for the door, yelling out on the top of her lungs. "LORD RAFEL!"


    Outside on the porch, Sekhmet dropped her hand but the fury of her blood eyes didn''t dim. Rosa, the Detective sidestepped around her and walked in too. Ravenna nodded curtly to the silver haired high witch. She entered also. Sekhmet was thest one in. With a final sigh, she turned to say,


    "Thank you, Myreen, for the guests. Keep Blue entertained will you?"


    Rafel was sitting in a bamboo chair, watching the ducks y in the water through the open back door when he first heard the sound of the visitors entering. He didn''t have to think too long of who it might be as the fragrance of myrtle and jasmine filled his nose secondster. He watched Aya fly in through the doors. She all but leapt into his arms, hugging him hard.


    "Lord Master," she sobbed against his chest.


    She sat in hisp and cried. She cried hard.


    Rafel felt the tears leaking out into his shirt.


    His amber eyes misted up, but he blinked them away. He was a bit surprised when the Detective, Rosamunde Spears walked in and hugged him too. Ravenna wasst. She embraced tightly; she kissed his hand and knelt at his feet. "I am so, so d you''re okay. You have no idea how happy I am to see you alive."


    She inhaled at his golden skin. She memorized the rugged nes of his body: remembering.


    Rafel was flush in the warmth of three beautiful women and their bodies were delightful to his extremity. He errantly let his hand slide down to cup Aya''s ass. Oh, he missed this. She was buxom and thick. And she straddled him, nestling her long ck braid into his chest. Her full lips scraped his corbone.


    He breathed in her natural scent and noticed she was fairer in lush caramel.


    He would let her sit in hisp all day.


    Inwardly, Rafel was proud of them. They had risked their heads in escaping Titans Landing and had braved the arctic ghost waters of the Cold Sea in this time to find him. It was a union of hearts.


    "I think this belongs to you, sir," Rosamunde held up the ruby diamond to Rafel''s eyes, "I''m pretty sure the Antean queen would be very displeased if she found me with the ring of her King."


    It brought a fewughs into the room.


    "Thank you." Rafel collected the royal si and slipped it into his fourth finger. It glowed richly for a second when it sensed his demonic mana core, then it pulsed and winked out. The locator spell vanished off the ring. Rafel fingered the ring: it was like it never had been ripped away.


    "Naamah?" Rafel stroked Aya''s hair. She finally lifted up her head. Her violet eyes were ringed in shiny teardrops.


    "We were scared. . .so scared."


    He cradled her. "I know. I''m sorry. I should have sent a message, but my body was to weak to manage even a telepathy. I''m lucky enough to have Sekhmet here as my nurse; she works wonders."


    Ravenna briefly turned to nce at the ind witch who stood leaned against the mantelpiece of the firece, watching quietly. That Israfel had so many superhot females who cared about him said a lot concerning his masculinity. A whole lot.


    "Coraz¨®n?" Rafel suddenly asked.


    He felt Aya stiffen stop him. Ravenna drew in a sharp breath. Rosa lowered her gray eyes.


    The silence that fell was so thick upon the room he heard the air whistling outside. Who was Coraz¨®n? Sekhmet mused. She had to be something to effect such a feeling among them all. The quiet reigned for a while, then softly, Aya shook her head. Her motions said enough.


    Oh, Sekhmet knew, she was the one they''d lost.


    Rafel''s need to avenge was so great it raised the mes burning the logs in the firece. Knowing he probably scared the women, he quickly put a cork on his rage.


    "I was unable to find a corporeal body," Ravenna said.


    Rafel replied, "It doesn''t matter. We will mourn her in the Valhan rites. Th?rsday is a full moon. We will build a pyre for her on the beach and send her off gloriously as the knight she was, into the bright halls of her gods. Her death would not be mocked. She gave her life for me, for all of us, for Emberfall.


    The records of the Underworld must attest to it."


    In finality, Rafel added, "but we will live to fight another day." Like he hated the subject, he quickly changed it. "I take it you''ve been on the sea for days now, eh? How about one of Sekhmet''s famous goat stew? It would make you wish for a glutton''s pte and a dragon''s stomach."


    His words raised the dour atmosphere.


    He touched Aya''s nose with his pinky and grinned when she blushed.


    "I would very much love a good ind dish. God knows I''ve missed Corynthia. By the Martyr! I do not know how I managed to be away for so long. If it isn''t too much of an ask, I would love to stay here a while? Y''all a bunch of nice folk." Rosamunde said aloud.


    Everyoneughed.


    "Please! You do not need ask!" Sekhmet waved by the mantel. "My house, your house."


    Ravenna turned to Rosa with a cheeky stare.


    "Another ind mantra, I take it?"


    Rosamunde nodded, smiling wide. Looking to Rafel, she viewed him as how she had always imagined a Saint looking. The tufts of red hair were added spice. They all nced to Rafel for the final say. He looked them round; four gorgeous women alone with him on the ind. He smiled sinfully.


    He had such a beautiful smile.


    "You''d get no objection from me!" He held up his hands.


    Rosamunde read easily into the risque of his words. As the others went giggling, she was shocked at how excited she was for the first time to share a man. Just happens, he was the fucking Prince of Darkness. A man that would corrupt the holiness and purity right out of her. She didn''t mind.

 Chapter 81: Sneaky Freaky [18+]

    [THIS CHAPTER FEATURES CATHOLIC FETISH.]


    "You don''t need to hide anymore, darling. Not here, and not with us," Sekhmet chuckled as she poured wine from a silver gon.


    It was early night. Shey on her back, sprawled with the others on a wide pic nket. She brought a flute to her lips and drank long. Rafel smacked his lips as he licked at his empty te. He made groaning sounds of appreciation.


    "I don''t know," said Aya Naamah with uncertainty to Sekhmet''s words. "Lord Israfel was the one who preferred my fairplexion, and I rather like it."


    "Aspared to your hypnotic blue skin?"


    "I do not know anyone who could stand you in your full reveal, love. No one." Ravenna assented with Sekhmet''s rhetoric.


    "I''ve never seen a subus'' real form¡ª" Rosa broke a carrot, "I would like to."


    The nket was like a river on the soft earth that deepened outwards, running down to the creek. It was a beautiful night, full of stars; twinkling like magic. The wind carried harp music from a part of the ind distant to them and brought it near. It was a lovely tune, and Rafel listened.


    He could see, if he looked in the direction, the silhouette of that old bard humoring the Inder vige to a folk tale.


    "They speak the truth. You can be yourself with us, Naamah, and I think you should." Rafel agreed with the women.


    Aya flushed, then grinned. She sat up straighter on the pic nket. "Okay then, brace yourselves! A ton of you might feel the urge to spontaneously take off your clothes and lunge for me. Know that it''s not entirely you; my lust aura is addictive."


    Sekhmet dropped her wine goblet and observed with a keen interest. Everyone did.


    Aya began to glow. Her body pulsed visible with a rich purple radiance. She shimmered like fairy dust pouring from a Seely Court reservoir. Her healthy mix of milk and Choco skin deepened and surged with potent magick. It was like a trick of some [Druid Caster] you might find in a Royal''s birthday party. Only it wasn''t.


    The color of her skin kept glowing and changing until she was blue.


    Blue as a Smurf.


    She blinked curiously round the nket.


    Her golden horns shot out the front ends, partially hidden in a raven waves.


    She was riparian blue, the color of the ocean; cold, thrilling, and hell of seductive.


    "Woah!" Ravenna gasped.


    "Goddamn! You''re so beautiful." She didn''t even know her hands were reaching out until she felt the pure mounds of Aya''s full breasts in her palms. When she squeezed, Ayaughed and put her hand away.


    "I told you so."


    Ravenna had a ze over her green eyes. "Are your nipples blue?"


    "What?" Aya chided.


    She giggled, and a scious smile split her full lips.


    In a sh move, she dropped her corset top, just enough for her juicy boobs to pop free, bounce and sway in the air, before she dragged the straps back up. "Holy shit!" Ravenna gulped. "You''re so sexy. So beautiful." Her ''beautiful'' sounded out as ''bootiful''. Her long fingers were reaching out for Aya''s perky chest again. "You have just the right amount of grab¡ª"


    "Okay! Someone has had too much alcohol for the evening." Aya pped her hand away and jumped to her feet. She rose on the nket to her feet. She pulled Ravenna up with her. The slender girl had round eyes on her boobies and caressed Aya softly. Sekhmet was giggling by Rafel''s side at this.


    Aya said with a smile, "she''s tipsy. I''ll get her to bed."


    She started for the cottage''s door.


    "GOODNIGHT!" She whipped back.


    Under the stars, her true beauty was revealed: an allure of the night.


    "In the ancient days of the Holy Temr rule," said Rafel, spying the swish of her hips. "the monks wrote that the Subi were the most nightmarish demons, more frightful than a sight of a Wraith. For they believed, and it was rumored, several subi were pretty enough to kill a man. And that was before we knew they could literally fuck one to death."


    "I''m off to bed too," Sekhmet said. "I''ve prepared the cabin''s basement, Lord Israfel, so you might sleep unencumbered. Should the bandagese off or the pain worsen¡ª"


    "I''ll call you," Rafel finished dourly for her.


    Sekhmet smiled. "I''m only a floor away." And then she left.


    Rafel was now alone with the hot Detective. He turned to nce at her. She was staring. Her shiny bob framed so attractively her brilliant look, and her fashion was chic. She wore tight dark jeans. Her gray eyes smoldered like a caldron.


    Rosa had the kind of hotness that was forbidden. A look or blink that could make a man strung so fast he could barely breathe. She was crazy fucking hot.


    And her gray eyes. . .like a freaking storm.


    Whew!


    She sat with her hands back, staring at the open neck of Rafel''s id shirt and the peeking slip of fair skin. Rafel noticed she wore a string shirt like him, her chaplet and it''s holy ck beads¡ªand how much he would just love to rip off both of them. She finally lifted her eyes to his.


    "Shit," she knew she''d been caught staring. "I-I should go to bed too, sir."


    "You don''t need to call me Sir."


    "I can''t call you Israfel."


    "Then call me His Eminence."


    Rosa met his liquid gaze. He wasn''t kidding. She found him so hot at the moment. Wicked, steaming, breathtaking hot. "I should¡ª" Rafel did not let her finish.


    "Help me in," he said.


    Rosa stood up and nearly folded the nket. She took Rafel''s weight over her. She noticed the mould of his strong muscles and how he enveloped her, and how nice he smelled¡ªa little bit of woman, and how he tried not to wince. She found her cane and quickly ced it under his free arm. She guided him with a candlemp down the wooden stairs to the basement of the cottage.


    The room was homely,rge enough, and had a fat mattress in the rear corner.


    Rosa walked Rafel to it. "Here you go. . .easy," she put him down on the bed delicately. "I''ll just leave themp here," she said.


    She turned swiftly. But Rafel''s baritone stopped her. "Why are you here, Rosamunde?"


    She whipped back. She finagled with her hair, for the umpteenth time d that it was short. She couldn''t handle Rafel''s scorching gold pupils, and so she focused on the candle''s me instead. At least, this fire didn''t burn her, or feel like it was consuming her in sin.


    The basement suddenly grew stuffed and small, suddenly smelled like the [Holies] of a Cathedral: incense and myrrh, suddenly LOOKED like a tiny, benign Chapel.


    "I met Ravenna and Aya on the ship. They enlisted my help to find you, and I felt that after the Count''s homicide case, I owe¡ª"


    "Bullshit. You don''t owe me anything."


    Rafel''s tone was hard.


    "I ask again, Rosamunde, WHY ARE YOU HERE?"


    She loved the way he called her name. She was troubling the silvery crucifix dangling down her neck. Her skin singed with raw desire. She was primed up for fucking. She knew he could smell her. Demons could do that.


    Fucking demons!


    "I WANTED TO SEE YOU!" She blurted out.


    "Is that all? Huh, Rosa? Or are you keeping something back? Something you really WANT?" Rafel rxed back into the the propped pillows. She still refused to meet his eyes but he knew she could feel them: pinpricks all over her horny flesh. "Tell me, young Catholic, what would your God say of lying?"


    "I''m not lying!"


    "A half-truth then. You know he did say, ''The truth shall set you free.'' So tell me, beloved Rosa, what did you hope to get bying here? What is it that really stoked in the depths of your heart at the prospect of meeting me again? What is your TRUEST DESIRE?


    Do you seek to be corrupted by evil? To surrender yourself so wholly and passionately to the lust you have being denied all of your life? TELL ME, Catholic Girl, what impurity lurks even now within your beating heart. No one is here. Look at me, Rosa, and call me Dark Confessor."


    Rosamunde finally met his eyes. Her gray iris were near ck. She was seduced beyond saving grace. No sacrament could save her now. She tried an excuse.


    "The other girls are just above. They could hear."


    "Depends on what you have in mind. Either way, it doesn''t matter." Rafel blinked hisva pools.


    Rosamunde turned and walked up the stairs, but she didn''t step a foot out. She lifted a hand and softly shut the loft door. As she was descending, she popped the fly of her dark pants and undid the zipper. She whispered, "I want you to be my sin. Just for tonight. JUST FOR TONIGHT."


    She dropped her trousers and stepped out of them.


    Rafel liked that her indic heritage had blessed her with ample curves and a soft, firm bod.


    She moved for him in her stringed shirt and ck panties. He saw the need radiate in her eyes. He didn''t need to ask what she wanted again.


    She gave it up. "I want to sit on your face."


    Rafel''s cock was shot like a motherfucker out his brief. He could feel it hot, ready, and pulsing on his thigh. He slipped down on the bed so his back was t. Rosa took the initiative and climbed into bed with him. She turned away, gave him her back and slowly lowered and spread her legs over his face.


    "Smell my fucking ass."


    She teased him with her big butt. Rafel kissed the plump globes and grabbed them. He put his face into her pping cheeks and licked a line over her panties. "Ohh God¡ª"


    Rafel immediately drew back her hair. "There''s no God here. Only I, Israfel, your devil." Rosa moaned as he jerked her panties to the side and smelled her ass. He spanked her with his other hand and spat in her butthole, and then the dipped in and drowned his tongue in the taste of her pussy. She was breathless, grabbing to his head as she felt¡ªand heard him slurp her from cunt to ass.


    "God, you''re so filthy. I love you filthy. Ohhhh..."


    Rafel tore his pants down and roughly bent her head down to his bobbing cock.


    "Umbugffll," Rosa swallowed his nosh and took his dick in hard strokes.


    Rafel gripped tight to her hair and pounded her face at his own pace. She was eager to give it and spread her thighs wider, smashing his face in her pussy. Their sixtynining was volcanic. The feel of her wet mouth was too much for Rafel.


    "You like to suck devil dick, huh, Catholic Girl?" He spanked her hard.


    "Uummmm." Rosa''s reply was muffled in choking. He let here up for air. "Ohh fuck!" Her eyes rounded at the bulging tower of his shaft. The veins alone, thick and slimy. Rafel mmed her head back down. He spanked her.


    "Ride my face. Take your pleasure. It''s what you''ve always wanted, ain''t it?"


    PAH!


    Another arse spank!


    Rosa''s hips were rolling hotly as she broke into a fever, and her back made a sultry dip and arc with her hips. She was leaking love juices.


    PAH!


    She broke, and began to spasm. Her voluptuous body imed the release like a rush of Ayahuasca. She exploded into the stars, and for that moment of blinding ecstasy, believed she saw God. The irony of it¡ªin coitus with a demon. Rafel didn''t quit his slurping and she started to scream. He deftly dragged her head down to his pipe and shot his seed into her mouth.


    It shut her up.


    Rosa pumped his gleaming shaft with her little hands and took all he gave; in her face, in her hair, in her mouth. She made sure to milk it all, because she made up her mind to never give in again.


    "No more."


    Rosamunde found her chaplet and panties discarded over an attic broom. She picked both up.


    She drew on her panties, and was thankful Rafel spared her the awkward after sex tirade. She made the walk of shame up the basement stairs. As the door shut quietly behind her, she softly muttered in embarrassment, "God, why did he have to taste so good."

 Chapter 82: To Walk Again

    RAFEL WOKE UP FOR AN EARLY BATH the next morning. It was still dark, and he managed by himself to the creek¡ªafter fondling about for the skull cane Rosa had lent him of course. The girls were still asleep as he undressed and dipped into the spring.


    "I''m so d for strength this morning. Perhaps, the THINGst night with the Detective helped." He said quietly to the Guardian wolf.


    The dire breed of blue wolf yipped and ran along the banks. Rafel pulled his head under the crystal water and his red hair went streaming with the rush. It felt exhrating, and Rafel put it at the back of his mind to learn how to swim. Sekhmet could help; her assets were riverine if anything.


    By the time he broke surface again, the first wisps of dawn were hitting the stone bridge overhead.


    Rafel remained on the shallow parts of the creek.


    "Lord Israfel! My Prince!"


    He jerked in the water at the abrupt voice. A beatter, Aya came running out. Her pure iris sparkled. She never got bed head. She was to sexy for that. It was a known statement of lore in Eldorian history that subi didn''t demonstrate some qualities, if it didn''t help their sin system.


    There''s the instance of getting pregnant. Subi don''t. Unless they want to. And since the type of creatures they hitch to are usually [Rank S Hellions] and above, they rarely get the chance to make that choice.


    Anyone would tell you: Principalities fucking hate kids.


    ''Why would I want a little, corrupt prick like myself running around here?'' Lord Asmodeus once said. Rafel remembered.


    His focus was restored when Aya appeared on the creek''s bank. She stood near his clothes as he swam for her. "I checked on you in the basement. It was empty. And I didn''t want to assume the worst. I.


    . ." She broke off, clutching his clothes tightly to her bosom. "Please, don''t just get up and out like that. We just got you back. And the Usurper has a swarm of Spectres and Wraiths, and at least a dozen dragon Familiars patrolling the Cold Sea. Ravenna and I were lucky to find you unspotted."


    Rafel reached the bank. Aya quickly offered the cane, and he stood with it.


    "I''m alright, Naamah. But it''s nice to have such a prettydy worry about me. I felt like I needed a dip this morning."


    It was quite the effort to get into his damn pants, but thankfully his body was beautiful enough to distract Aya''s eyes from his wincing. He had sweat on his brow as he fastened the fly. Aya handed him a bathrobe. He wrapped himself in it, and together they watched the sun rise over the ind.


    ''Imagine it''s a vacation,'' Sekhmet''s words filled his head.


    A vacation. Right!


    Rafel smiled when he was able to walk all the way back by himself. He leaned heavily on the cane though, but it was a start.


    "Sekhmet thinks you''re strong enough for the outside now. She wants us to take a stroll on the beach this evening, if you''re up for it," Aya said from his left. "Are you? It''s fine if you aren''t."


    "An excellent suggestion. I would have said it myself but I didn''t want to anger my nurse."


    He winked meaningfully at Aya. As they came by the small garden of the cabin, they heard sounds ofughter within. Aya held the door open for him. He walked through, nodding his thanks and she followed. Her little gestures of courtesy reminded him bluntly of Cora¡ªshe was the one who did these things. He shook away the thoughts.


    It hurt his head.


    He wanted to be here, now, in the present; with those he hadn''t lost.


    In the tidy living space, Rosa shrieked as Ravenna chased her about, poking and tickling her to confess something. "SPILL! SPILL!" She was chanting. "I know something went downst night in the basement. I heard. .


    . sounds."


    Rosa tried her best poker face. "I do not know what you''re talking about."


    "Uh huh?" Ravenna didn''t stop the teasing. She soon began making sex sounds as her eyes rolled back in her head and her lips parted. "Ooh! Aah! Mhmm! God yes!


    Uummmm. Your tongue feels so go¡ª"


    Rosa suddenly jumped on her, covering her mouth, and they both fell together, tumbling on the flora rug as Rosamunde tried to silence Ravenna. They giggled like kids. "Tell us what happened, Catholic Girl?" Ravenna taunted.


    Rafel watched them y. It was nice.


    Fragments ofst night began to y in his mind: Rosa''s smile, Rosa''s need, Rosa''s pleasure, Rosa''s ecstasy; and how she had said, ''Just tonight.'' But he knew. She woulde back for more. If she had loved him eating her pussy as much as he did her blow, she''d be back.


    He was sure of it.


    Rosamunde Spears was as intelligent and righteous as the good God made, but she was also a little freak.


    ''I would just love to corrupt her,'' he thought.


    "Come on, you two; breakfast is ready! Help me set the table. His Eminence needs to eat always before eight o''clock strikes. His body is building immunity again from scratch. Now you girls might not notice, but he''s lost a few pounds. I want him punching again like a stallion." Sekhmet, in her element as chef and nurse, ordered the others to quit their teasing.


    Rosa still nobbed Ravenna in the side.


    After a delightful deluge of crackers, butter, and tea, Rafelplimented his beautiful cook and was ushered back to bed.


    Aya had sneaked a pinch of sleeping opium in his honey. Rafel slept until the evening.


    All the women were in agreement that he needed rest, but they all also knew he was a man of war and would not get such rest without a little help. If he knew of their doing, Rafel said nothing of it. Though they had all agreed to take the me if it came down to it. Knowing their young Lord, he''d probably spank their deviant behinds with a paddle. The punishment alone was excuse to be naughty.


    Sekhmet devotedly changed Rafel''s bandages, soiled from his creek dip, in his sleep. He was healing nicely. It brought her iparable joy as his nurse.


    It was about the sixth hour past noon when Rafel awoke from sleep. He rubbed his eyes, surprised at himself. It hit him then. They had spiked his tea.


    "You little witches!" He faked annoyance at the women who were lined up by his bedside, dressed and ready to go.


    They had on delightful boots for the sand and light summer clothing.


    Ten short minutester, Rafel walked down the long beach of ind surrounded by four smoking hot broads. Ravenna ran ahead, always the firebird, bending in the tides to discover corals. He rather enjoyed the view of her young ass in her jean knickers. Was she still seventeen?


    The orange sun was like an Angel''s [Halo Ring]. It made the waters of the sea appear like scarlet shards of a mirror dimension. Rafel remembered theke in which he had ascended to the mortal ne. It felt distant in his mind. A great shadow fell over them, and they all looked up to Myreen of Thrasos, the red dragon. She hovered above.


    Her might of stature shadowed half the entire isle. Blue, the loyal [Guardian] wolf bounded in front with Ravenna. She asionally tossed a stick for him to go fetch.


    Rafel thought, perhaps the wolf preferred a rabbit.


    Rafel loved the feel of three women in his arms, around him, their fingers linked, strolling on a paradisical storefront with a stretching ocean that made it seem like they were the only people in the entire world. This alone was a measure of healing. The Underworld didn''t have such panorama.


    They all stopped when the sun dipped, and Ravenna drew in. Together, they watched the sun set into the blue sea.


    In it''s vanishing, Rosa turned to watch Rafel from Sekhmet''s side. His amber eyes were so full of light. He was a beautiful man. . .creature. She wished above all things his full health restored, which was why she said, "There''s a book that can help, my Lord.


    It''s called the Book of Souls."


    Rafel turned from the purple skies.


    "Tell me more about this book?"

 Chapter 83: The Book Of Souls

    "TELL ME MORE ABOUT THIS BOOK."


    The sun waspletely gone down the horizon when Rafel left these words hanging. It appeared it was going to be a moonless night. They should be heading back soon, but not before he listened to everything Rosa had to tell. He knew the Detective was a genius in paranormal matters, and so for her to suggest a book meant it was significant in either his healing, or his vengeance.


    "Don''t go tight-lipped on me now, Rosa," Rafel said when she hesitated.


    "I don''t mean to hold back, sir. Just...promise me you wouldn''t use the book until you''re strong enough, until your Mana Core is reinforced and stable. Promise?" Rosamunde looked from the tide of the Cold Sea, which now appeared ck, to Rafel. Her stance said she wasn''t budging until he gave in.


    Beside their dialogue, Sekhmet and Aya stayed close, keeping arms locked with Rafel. Ravenna had quit kicking at loose beach sand and also came to listen in. Blue, the [Guardian] wolf wagged his furry tail at her feet. Rafel looked round at all the women, perhaps seeking help with Rosa. They offered none.


    He sighed audibly. "I don''t even know yet what this BOOK OF SOULS does!" He freed his hands from thedies just a sec to make air quotes. "¡ªbut yes! I promise."


    "Say it?" Rosa urged.


    In that moment, Rafel mused that if he was ever one to roll his eyes, he would. Was what it with these mortal women? In Hel, no woman would test his patience so; and they were Gorgons, and Vampiresses, and fucking [Mummies].


    ''I''m reallyx with these girls. I must be getting soft. But I feel so hard. If they weren''t so easy on the eyes.'' Rafel battled with his subconscious.


    "Fine," he muttered aloud. "I, Hell Prince Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste make this blood oath to thee, damsel of earth, Rosamunde Spears, that I will not use of the mystics of the so named Book of Souls should I happen upon it, until I am of full health, both in Mana Core and soul points. Happy now?"


    Rosa made a puzzled face. She only asked for a promise.


    Rafel seemed to read her mind. And as a floating, gray finger suddenly materialized and drew a crisscross fleshmark into the area just beside his heart, on the spot of his visceral demonic [Core], he moved to exin to her. "We don''t to promises. We do blood oaths," said Rafel.


    "Weird, but okay. . .I suppose I shouldn''t be peeved by a little Underworld tradition. I sometimes forget what you are, you know?¡ªlooking the way you do." Rosamunde responded and joined her hands together. "But back to the Book;


    As I was saying, this Book of Souls exists, but it isn''t general knowledge. I stumbled upon the tale of it on a particr case I worked in Nokmaar: a young actress was murdered behind the stage and her benefactor wouldn''t let her body be taken away; said she owed him one more scene. Anyway, the idiot stage manager gathered a bunch of Druid Acolytes and tried to summon the book.


    That was the first I heard of it.


    Obviously, the invocation spell didn''t work, but in their whispering, I learnt that the Book of Souls is a forgotten relic of the Old Gods, from before Agrippa the Wanderer. It was written by the divination of your only known [Supreme Mage] in existence and penned down in the blood of a white stag by a Grand Scribe, this Magus'' rumored disciple.


    The Book of Souls is rumored to hold in it''s vast, leathery pages the death keys to many roaming souls. As many as a thousand souls for each line in a page. As the tale went that night in Nokmaar, the book was hidden as soon as it was created. Bound to the back of an [Uluvian Tormentor] so that no sane creature who wished to keep breathing would search for it.


    The Supreme Mage found that the Book held more wisdom than should be made avable¡ªat least to the living.


    There are after all mysteries that are left veiled until death. Such lines should not be crossed.


    Since only a suicidal fellow would approach such a beast of utter blood madness as a [Uluvian Tormentor], the stupid Acolytes fetched by the stage manager were in the hopes to summon it right off the giant demon''s back. I mean, how dull brained could they be, right?


    Don''t you think the SUPREME MAGE would''ve thought someone would possibly try that shit in the future?


    Their hopes to resurrect the deceased actress for her final act remained just that; hopes. I guess they were depending for at least one soul in the Book to hold the secret of resurrection. The actress''s body was released to her family after three long hours of failed spellcasting. The stage manager fumed at the ears.


    I heard muchter, when I''d solved the case that he recieved a ban for his untoward behavior."


    Rosamunde stopped to check Rafel''s poise. She adjusted the cane to hold more of his weight. Thank heavens the skull handle was sturdy brass. He had been standing for far too long. But Rafel''s own thoughts were so distant from his wellbeing.


    He was thinking about some particr words of Rosa:


    ...as many as a thousand souls for each line in a page...


    Boy, O, Boy! The math of it!


    The ancient papyrus scrolls had at least fifty lines for a page. Two pages made a leaf, surmounting easily to [100 000 souls] a leaf.


    A hundred thousand bloody souls!


    Damn!


    He could make his current [Arcane Rune] pouch in quarter the book''s length. Imagine what all those many bound ghosts had to say. All the wisdom of the ancient world. Souls that could range from country Barons to Valhan Kings, all with a story to tell, with something to offer. Locked for so long in an inanimate rotting paper on a fiend''s back, Rafel knew the souls would give anything to be set free.


    To find peace.


    The Book of Souls itself was torment.


    A dark creation of [Limbo].


    A few stars twinkled in the night sky like diamond clusters. It lit the sands of the beach like grains of silver and the sea beyond like a mirror. Sekhmet offered warmly to Rafel. "How can we be certain this BOOK is real? And that the benefactor and his swindling cohorts were not just looking for a means to gain full price on the poor actress''s death?"


    "I guess we don''t." Aya replied glumly.


    "No, my dear," said Rafel. "We infact do. System! Bring up all analysis on the Book of Souls. Visible, please."


    [DING!]


    A fancy gold hologram shimmered into the night. It stole the wonder of the stars above in its own hue. It produced results on a screen that was clear for all to see.


    [HOST REQUEST NOW SHOWING!]


    [Stats on the RELIC ''THE BOOK OF SOULS'']


    [EXISTENCE: Mortal ne.


    DOMICILE: Earth.


    CREATORS: The Wan ve.


    LONGEVITY: +3500 Years.


    CURRENT LOCATION: ...calcting.]


    Rafel held his breath.


    [DING!]


    [CURRENT LOCATION: The Abbey of St. Tomasina.]


    "Abbey? Saint Tomasina?" Rafel looked around. "Anyone know where the hell my system''s talking about?"


    Ravenna said, "At least we''re spared a face-to-face with the Uluvian Tormentor."


    "I do," Rosa added softly. "I know where the Abbey of Saint Tomasina is."


    Rafel smiled and started walking for the trees. "Of course you do, pious Rosamunde! Come, love, you can tell us all about the Abbey once we are back in the warm harbor of the cottage. Let Myreen keep patrol for the night. Unlike us, she had literal fire in her bones."


    The womenughed as they moved with in. In moments, the beach faded behind them.


    They were moving over the stone bridge when Rafel asked, "who was the killer?"


    It took all the girls a while to route his off kilter question. But then Rosamunde bent her head with a smile. "Oh the actress! It was her make-up artist. The actress was fucking her fiance."


    "Shit." Rafel muttered.


    "Yeah," Rosamunde said. "¡ªstabbed her in the fucking eye. You don''t see many murders like that. A kill of passion."

 Chapter 84: St. Tomasina

    [?? I Feel You ¨C Depeche Mode.]


    "Tomasina led the 2nd Temr crusade during the reign of fae King Thomopoulos. It was a godless time when everyone knew to shut their mouths and not oppose magic or the arcane, especially the little girls. She made it all the way to the gates of the Castle with her troops of white knight monks before she was seized and hung for her treachery to the crown."


    Rosa rendered this tidbit of history early the next morning as they sat outside on the porch, stuffing their bellies with Sekhmet''s delicious baked bread. Rafel listened intently. The realm of saints, angels, and [Holy Ones] was Rosa''s forte.


    "King Thomopoulos argued her disregard and bold attacks on instituted authority. Tomasina argued sphemy against the name of God. At her hanging, the city square filled, so much that many stood from nearby brownstone belvederes and watched it happen. Loyal monks in her death, built the Abbey. But it had to be far away from the threat of Thomopoulos and so the isles were chosen. .


    ."


    "So the General Ian Noguri''s death wasn''t the first time power trumped truth in Eldoria?" Ravenna put in, she had made a sandwich of tomatoes and sd of her bread slice.


    ". . .no," said Rosamunde glumly. "Time makes it difficult for people to truly remember that history often repeats itself."


    Rafel chewed quietly at the head of the table; it was his sword that had repeated history¡ªin the case of the General, Noguri. And like Tomasina, the revolution loyalists had builded Ian a magnificent grotto. Funny! But how could heugh? He who had entered that arena knowing the man stood no chance. Rafel had many sins to atone for.


    It made him think, perhaps the Spectre''s bolt to his chest was well deserved.


    ¡ªsome measure of penance.


    Rosa''s faith was rubbing off on him.


    Aya noticed his quietness and quickly offered, "but there are close to forty inds interspersed in the Cold Sea, some little to only hold five trees, and others quite proportionate. How do we know which bears the Abbey?"


    Sekhmet leaned in¡ªshe was closest to Rafel as his nurse¡ªand replied. "A wise observation, Aya. I don''t think a locator spell would work though. We have nothing of this ancient ce. Tomasina died five hundred years go. This Abbey must be close to half a millennia old.


    It''s as elden as the tombs of the Ironborn who worshipped the Drowned god."


    Thisment made Rafel think of his [Bond], the Immortal Huntress. He ced down his mug and chipped in. "What happened to Anna? Did we also lose her?"


    "Annabelle was gone when I returned to Emberfall. I''m sorry, I wish I had better news." Ravenna shifted in her seat as she replied. "I don''t think she''s dead though. There were no charred bodies in the rubble. I think at worse odds, the Usurper has her."


    Rafel noticed she didn''t say ''my father''. He saw Sekhmet frown beside him; she still hadn''t gotten over that part of Ravenna being the daughter of their sworn enemy. Rafel raised his mug again, and took a quick sip of his honeyed tea.


    "Please, Rosamunde. Go on."


    "Well, I was going to say that''s what you have me for," Rosa piped. "I know these inds like the palm of my hand. I could trace them in my sleep when I was seven. I know there are thirty seven different isles, three are conjoined so that from the skies, they seem to be thirty four in number.


    I know thergest holds the Corynthian Academy of Witches, the most exclusive and elite private school in all the continent. I know the smallest of the isles is thirty feet across, and the only thing you''d find on it is Karvan: the 10ft gori who calls it home.


    It''s the same way I also know the Abbey is two inds over, in a location notorious for its swinging thief monkeys, climbing tigers, ckflies, and rainforest thicker than the unibrow on a chimp."


    Aya and Ravenna shared augh. Sekhmet grinned and said, "I would''ve gone with pubic hair, but oh well, you''re the one who''s seen it!"


    Rosa shook her head, and Sekhmet held up her hands. "We''re at breakfast. A chimp''s penis isn''t a suitable topic of discussion," the former called sharply.


    Ravenna whistled. "Shots fired!"


    "Hey! You said it!" Sekhmet was nonchnt.


    Rafel was not strong enough to condone an argument, so he held up his hand. The women looked to him and Sekhmet quit her teasing. She saw even sitting up was still a mild difort on Rafel''s back. She adopted a strict caregiver tone, "You should still be on bed rest, my Lord. Internal healing is as much, if not more important than physical healing.


    You should be taking the time to recuperate not thinking of jumping ship to go find an abandoned ancient temple in the middle of uncivilizednd."


    "The isles are not uncivilized!" Rosa cut back.


    "You know what I mean!" Sekhmet returned.


    "Ladies!" Rafel droned in a deep voice that quelled all forming replies. "I think we have all established this Book of Souls is important to my full, SPEEDY recovery. What would happen if arger dragon than Myreen throws itself at this ind to investigate? What would happen if Spectres swarm in? If they find the creek? The stone bridge?


    The Cabin? I do not doubt your personal abilities, but I knew to be ready."


    "But you promised me you wouldn''t use the Book of Souls until you were strong enough!" Rosa whined.


    "I did, and I won''t," said Rafel. "But that doesn''t mean we just let it lie dormant now that we know where it is; where any silly [Rank C Adventurer] or Tomb raider can just strut in and take it. Or worse, it''ll end up on the back of the [Tormentor] again."


    "We get your point, Lord Master," Aya offered. She then turned her alluring violet eyes to Rosa. "How can we get to this jungle isle?"


    Rosamunde''s gray gaze shimmered with the possibility of exploration. It was the detective in her, always eager to solve puzzle and conquer cyphers. The ze in her eyes was just like the time she''d solved her first homicide case.


    She grinned widely as she said, "A ferry will take us there."

 Chapter 85: The Jungle Isle

    [?? Go The Distance ¨C Michael Bolton.]


    RAFEL SHOWERED OUTDOORS AGAIN, in the creek. And this time, he was joined by the women. Three super hot babes.


    It was Sekhmet who eased his clothes off his body, and then hers. As she rubbed him down with a loofah, he tried not to gape at the enticing sway of her breasts whenever she lifted her arms. He didn''t want to be disrespectful.


    Unlike himself and Aya and Ravenna¡ªwho yed naked in the water some feet away; Rosa hid herself and quietly bathed behind a great rock¡ªSekhmet was their senior in years and power ranking.


    She was made in curves with skin that would initiate appetite in any man, and some women.


    Rafel wanted to grab her huge boobies and weigh them. Her mounds danced close enough to his face and her pink peaks brushed his jaw. She lifted softly in the water and he spied the apex of her thighs, the seam of her sex where little drops of water drizzled in, flowing down from the valley of her breasts and her soft navel.


    She was waxed.


    Her hips pushed outward, ented by her round bubble butt. She was quite the MILF.


    "Do you not like me bathing with you?"


    Rafel heard her warm voice from above. He''d been lusting at her bosoms. He raised his eyes. Her crimson iris were full and attractive. She had such a pretty mouth. Rafel cleared his throat.


    "What? Uh, no. I mean, yes! I like you bathing with me, TRUST ME. It''s not that. It''s¡ª"


    His pipe poked her belly.


    "¡ªthat." Rafel sighed.


    "Oh!" Sekhmet smirked. "That!"


    She began to sponge down from Rafel''s neck to his torso. He abruptly grabbed her hand over his abs.


    "Please don''t do that. We have a boat to catch to the Jungle Isle."


    Sekhmet looked down, and she found him sprung and heavy. His cock was a dense b. She licked her lips. "Raincheck?"


    Rafel nodded. "You bet your ass!"


    Rafel had no misgivings that the next time they''d be in the water together, he wouldn''t be dragging her hand off his dick. But ordering her to sit on it. He grabbed Sekhmet''s soft body. Ignoring their shared nudity and his raging erection, he rolled them in the water. He was not quite strong, but he was of course strong enough to y with the sultry, Egyptian tinum-blonde MILF.


    They frolicked in the creek for a few minutes before Sekhmet finally threw him off. She was gentle. As she guided him to the creek, she hailed the others.


    "Alright! Aya! Ravenna! Pool time''s over. We got a full day ahead. Not to mention we might need to hike up the Temple when we get to Jungle Isle.


    And that includes you, Rosa! Yes! I see you behind that rock. I can SEE THROUGH it if I so wish. You didn''t think these red eyes were just fashion, did you? I don''t know why you hide when bathing.


    You have such a beautiful body."


    Ravenna tossed the final ssh of water on Aya before she swam for the creek''s bank. "Jungle Isle?" she asked. "Is that what we''re calling it now?"


    Sekhmet shrugged. "I didn''te up with the name. His Eminence did. I think it''s rather fitting. We can''t just call them all Isle of Corynthia."


    Rosamunde stepped out from behind the rock in a bathrobe. She had a towel wrapped around her hair, turban-style. She caught Rafel smirking in the spot where they''d left their changing clothes. She unfurled the turban and tossed the towel at his grinning face. "It''s an Abbey. ABBEY!


    Not a temple." She said this directly to Sekhmet.


    When she went past into the cottage''s clearing, Sekhmet shared a rogue look with Rafel. "I think she''s growing on me."


    "Careful now, lioness! That girl is betrothed to the Holy One," Rafel returned in equal snide.


    They burst outughing, lucky Rosa wasn''t within hearing distance. In therge Cabin, Rafel was helped into his clothes by the joint effort of all four women. One minute, he stood in front of the long mirror in only his ck briefs, wondering how the hell he was going to pull on pants without hurting his back or bandages.


    The next, Sekhmet caught his look; she was winking at the others, and they were all around him.


    Before he had a chance to y macho man, he was standing in cold scuffed boots, ck denim pants, a thick Ker vest over a light gray shirt, and a matching dark hat topping it all to keep out the sun. Four pairs of jaded eyes and smiles met his in the mirror.


    "Thank you, all of you," said Rafel as Rosa moved near and put the leaning silver skull cane under his right hand. It took on most of his weight so his spine wouldn''t hurt.


    Rafel noticed the four girls were wearing pants, all of them. Ravenna wore cut jean shorts and ating pantyhose. If fit her Goth sense of fashion. No one wanted someone''s skirt whipping up in the wind¡ªso to say. "Shall we?" Rafel started them out.


    While Sekhmet wheeled him on his Automaton seat, Aya, Ravenna, and Rosa paced out behind them until they came by the shallowest plot of tides entering the beach. A small boat was already floating in it.


    WOOF!


    Blue, the [Guardian wolf] jumped in first, wagging his tail.


    "Straight ahead!" Rosamundemandeered Aya who sprouted six other glowing, purple [Spirit arms] right out her back to handle the rowing. All she expended was soul coins of her [Lust System] Arcane Rune and not physical energy. She wasn''t even slightly out of breath when they traveled up the coast, moving in tributaries and bypassing the main sea.


    They took an ind river that ran up two inds and pulled into the next shore front they hit.


    The sand was white on the beach.


    Not a mimic white, but baster white, like someone had forgotten to wash the snow that had blown in from the north. It was a great contrast to the beach of the isle they had just left, whose sands were the brown of coconut shells. This isle''s beach was stately white. It reminded Rafel of the walls of the Countess Cordelia''s vi.


    Beyond the pale, glinting beach was the most beautiful rainforest Rafel hadyed eyes on.


    It was colored like the rainbow: a mix of vegetation, crops, and native flowers. Magenta birds tweeted in the trees.


    Rosa hopped out the boat with gusto. Her hard boots dug in the white beach. "Wee to Jungle Ind." She pronounced.


    "Whoooee!" Ravenna whooped in a fist bump. Her echo went round, and back.


    Rafel ignored the wheelchair [Automaton] Sekhmet dutifully unfolded for him. He grabbed his skull cane instead. "Fuck that. I''m not cripple. I can walk. And if I don''t get to use my legs in this paradise, where else would they learn to be strong again.


    I''m walking!" He cemented, giving no room for argument.


    As a train of excitement, they all started forward in their exploration gear. In seconds, the rainforest imed them whole in its droopy, fruitful boughs and singing birds. A great Bengal did cross paths with them as they hiked. Rosa froze in the tiger''s line of sight. But then one look from Sekhmet''s bloodred eyes and the wild cat stalked away.


    "Aren''t you d I packed a Go-bag and cases of food now?" Sekhmet quizzed Ravenna who had begun to slow on the trail Rosa was leading. It was high afternoon. They''d been walking for four hours. She was mesmerized Rafel didn''t even show signs of fatigue. "Besides, aren''t you supposed to be Half-Angel?


    I guess His Eminence pampered you a little too good at that Manor." She wiped at a fat mosquito that buzzed in her ear, continuing.


    "That''s the thing with you young bloods. You have no idea how to take care of a man or a home, but you wish upon it. Here! Drink, and rouse that little arse of yours."


    Sekhmet handed Ravenna a cool bottle from her knapsack. The girl gulped half the contents.


    They were just about to stop for lunch when Rosa who was in the lead yelled back with a craning neck.


    "Hey you guys! Come on, YOU NEED TO SEE THIS."


    Rafel was in step with her, and when the others reached them, Rosa put out her hand to shift out of the way a hanging pile of horsewhip vine dangling from the high branch of a mighty tree. It dropped straight down like a waterfall of leaves.


    "I think I''ve found it," said Rosamunde, and she parted the curtain of vines and stepped through.


    Rafel followed. And so did the others.


    They all gasped at the same time.


    Rosa breathed, "Lord God Almighty!"


    "Holy shit," Aya and Sekhmet uttered together.


    Ravenna''s mouth hung open.


    Before them, on a teau raised in golden stone steps rose a most majestic Ziggurat.


    It had pirs of baster and archways lined in molten silver. Her turrets were oveid in gold, and the marble of it shimmered like ss. It was more luxurious than the temples of Ephesus. The main chamber was a dome of shadows. Epiphytes and magnolias of pristine white ran up the huge pirs and porticos.


    It extended in all four cardinal directions so that it was impossible to know which part of the it was built to face.


    The building itself was a riddle. How much more the whaty inside it?


    Rafel didn''t know what he expected to find as the Abbey, but it certainly wasn''t a forty feet rise of immacte white gold. In the five hundred years of its construction, no robber had found it.


    He ced his skull cane down and took the first step. Rafel breathed in the wondrous air.


    "The Abbey of Saint Tomasina."

 Chapter 86: ? B B C [18+]

    ? TITANS LANDING, CAPITAL ELDORIA


    Breathy moans weaved in the castle halls from one particr grand suite. [Mauler] demons in helmed red and ck stood guard outside this chamber. It was just breaking dawn, and the servants were just starting to rouse to their duties.


    A blue haired girl scooted past with a Hellhound on leash and made faces at the seven foot Maulers.


    "Aargh!" One of the demon guards made a face back. The girl shrieked excitedly and ran on. From the little horns just peeking through her blue twin braids, the [Mauler] guard recognized her as one of Lord Morningstar''s newest offspring.


    Inside the opulent chambers which the burly devils guarded, the Queen Dowager of Titans Landing; Her Eminence, Lilith sat on an executive white sofa facing the colossal starkness of her canopy bed. It was a huge four-poster with the curtains drawn so she got a premium view of the huge ck [Incubus] that was savagely pounding her newest pet, Giselle.


    Aspared to the Incubus'' swart skin and bronze, heaving muscles, the blonde fae was little.


    At first nce, she seemed too small to take in the big ck cock her partner was packing. But her tiny body did take it in; all of it. "You petite whore. I know you''re enjoying it¡ªsee all the juices leaking out of you. You can''t fool passion." Lilith''s hot words from the sofa stroked like the velvet of the man''s tongue sucking her nipples hard.


    Giselle tried to put a lid on her moaning. She had giving up trying to feign disinterest when the ck cock had first elicited a whimper out of her.


    Who was she kidding?


    The lover [Incubus] her Mistress¡ªfor that was what Lilith insisted she call her¡ªhad chosen for her was a prime cut hunk. His great dreads were packed up behind, the sides of his curly hair ttened in a fade. He had enchanting gold eyes that shone out more from his ck skin. She could feel the mnin leaking off his slick body onto her. In his arms, she felt delicate¡ªbreakable.


    It was no wonder [Incubi] were so rare. They were literally created with one purpose: fucking. And they knew a million different positions to give it good.


    SMACK!


    Giselle''s hand grappled his forearm, raking the feel of corded muscles under her nails.


    He held her down as Lilith watched in front, and with her long pale legs wrapped tight around his back, he thrusted forward, drilling in soft, knowing strokes. His gold eyes never strayed from hers for a second. "Oh, so. . .good."


    Giselle''s mouth was open in shivering pants, her lower back slightly lifted up the bed to take him into a deeper angle. She loved the sweat running down his abs¡ªwhich couldn''t be more defined at the moment. It was a beautiful thing to watch. The rising sun filled the open drapes and just hit their conjoined bodies perfectly.


    "Ah! There we go, my pet. Let him draw out your passion, feel him stroke that G-spot. Let him love your little body, soak his essence. You should be more grateful; a vial of Incubus musk goes for an astonishing price these days, and there you have it...thered over you like fucking soap."


    Lilith''s voice was like an encouragement. And the fact that such a powerful, superhot [Divine] goddess was watching stoked their performance more than either thought possible. Giselle found she liked being watched¡ªat least by a gorgeous curvy brte while being shagged by a beautiful, ck demon.


    Lilith admired the meeting of their bodies.


    Fair, and tawny. Milk, and chocte. Beauty, and brawn.


    "I chose the hottest one I could find. Just look at him: a wonder!" Lilith said seductively as the hunk gripped Giselle''s cream hips. His abs reflexively bunched up, and Lilith knew he was close.


    "Ah-ah! Bad boy!" She hissed at him. "Don''t you daree inside my pet. Gods know your species have sperm as fired up as your cock."


    The Incubus pulled out with a grinding jaw. His fae partner was so tight and weing. "Ohh goddd," Giselle moaned the loss.


    Lilith sat straighter on her sofa. She uncrossed her long, shapely legs and her charcoal heels glistened over the Florentine rug at her feet. Studded rubies dangled from her ears and diamonds glowed in the sensual dip of her cleavage. She said, as the hunk gripped his fat member and began to jerk;


    "Come on her face, coat that fae prettiness with your seed. I want to see her tongue your big ck cock. Fuck that pretty mouth."


    Lilith''s dominance spurred unseen levels of passion in the two of them. Giselle followed her orders, and went on her knees so the hot Incubus could jerk off on her face. The second he began to jizz out, Giselle opened her lips and sucked him in. His head fell back with a guttural groan from deep within him.


    He bucked, and bucked.


    Lilith was pping.


    She smiled at the tousled bed and the utterly beautiful partners that had presented her with a wonderful entertainment to start off the morning.


    Knocks suddenly sounded on the door.


    Lilith frowned. "Who the fuck is that?"


    "Tis I, Your Eminence, f¨Cforgive me. But I bring news from His Majesty. He requires your presence in his chambers¡ªin your office as Supreme Adviser. There is a matter at hand. I am not cleared to divulge." It was the squeaky rat voice of Thebault''s herald, his message rendered through the door.


    "Off ye go, runt!" The [Mauler] guards pushed him on, and then shared gravellyughs at the mortal.


    Inside, Lilith sighed.


    "What the fuck has Meph done again?" She rose and smiled over at the cuddling form of Giselle and the giant Incubus. Her pet looked like a child in his arms. It was a bit weird. But Lilith liked weird. "It''s been one hell of a morning. I''m grateful.


    Spoon my pet until she falls asleep. I''ll be back before she wakes," said Lilith, walking over and smoothing the damp blonde curls over Giselle''s flushed cheeks. Hermand was to the giant Incubus.


    She ran her hand down his forearm, over his slicked ck skin to Giselle''s naked hip, picking a trail of sweat. She lifted the finger to her lips and licked it off. Then she turned and walked out.


    She headed straight for the King''s chamber.


    [TO BE CONTINUED]

 Chapter 87: The Angel Yuriel

    [?? It Ain''t Me ¨C Kygo, Selena Gomez.]


    THE KING''S GUARD, armoured [Eldritch Spectres], bowed as Lilith came up on the baroque hallway. One of them held out a hand made out of literal shadow to the high doors, keeping them open until she walked through. He shut it again and hit the gilded dragotch, and they took their positions stoutly. Out of their silver helmets shined eyes made of pouring smoke.


    Lilith''s pencil heels clicked smoothly on the marble floors of the bedroom. It was the size of the entire penthouse suite at the city''s most prominent Innhouse. Sexy purple iris scanned thevish interior. Lilith frowned.


    "This had better not be a booty call, Meph! You are new to S Rank, but I''ve had men flogged for less. I left behind a very attractive couple toe here. At least have the balls toe out and¡ª"


    "I DIDN''T ASK YOU TO COME HERE!"


    "YES, YOU DID! MOTHERFUCKER!"


    "WHEN?"


    "WHEN YOU NEARLY KILLED OUR FUCKING DAUGHTER!"


    Lilith had being cut off by these voices, and paused to listen. People were arguing.


    Two people.


    She of course recognized one of the ranting tones as belonging to the King himself, His royal fucking Majesty. But why would he be arguing, and who with, at this early time of day? She quietly followed the sound of the voices to an adjoining living area, and past a sliding open dresser to the balcony. She pushed apart the veils and walked onto it.


    She was instantly pped by a rogue wing.


    Lilith was dazzled for a moment.


    "Shit! Look what you''ve done." She heard the king''s voice and felt him draw near as she blinked to clear her vision and she spat out. . .feathers.


    Long, long feathers.


    Lilith finally cleared her eyes and zoomed in on the King, Thebault, who was trying to help her. She pped his meddlesome hands away. Then her gaze swiveled, round a wide arc to the left area of the balcony. She first saw the long mystical shawl, flowing down the turret above, like a curtain in the wind. Lilith looked higher and saw the boots under it.


    It was unlike any shoes to exist on the mortal ne. It was the make of ancient sandals with strings that wrapped up to the calves, and what exquisite calves she saw.


    Lilith noticed the sandals and feet and shawl were white. The immacte white of purity so fine it hurt the eyes. This figure glowed like the sun.


    She continued the path of her eyes upwards.


    There were gold prints in the pristine tunic, some kind of writing. Unreadable, even to her. But from the shiny glyphs of white gold, certainly [Celestial]. She could tell she stared at an Angel even before she saw the wings. And wings she did see.


    Six of them.


    The magnificent sprouts of white feathers lurched up into the dawn, three pairs of wonderful light, like you might find if you erged that on a dove. It was one of the six wings that had got her in the face. Rune of the purest creation magic flowed in the breeze around the swishing cloak. The aura was distinctly heavenly, not a blemish or color other than white. And when Lilith came to the face, oh?


    What a face it was?


    The hair of the Angel ran down long, spilling in the arches of her wings. There was some shape revealed in the morning wind, so Lilith knew she was a woman. The Angel''s eyes were the purest, whitest silver. It was almost impossible to distinguish the iris from the pupils. She had a pointed, aquiline nose, full, rose lips and a tilting smile.


    When she looked at you, it was damn near suicidal to look away.


    The Angel''s [Halo] was a golden ring of nine diamond stars.


    She was a [Seraph]: the highest order. She made the air glow just by existing in it.


    She floated above them, but dropped to the earth when she made eye contact with Lilith. Lilith was a head taller but knew none of them on the balcony were in their true [Divine] forms. Else, they be probably as tall as the tower they all stood from.


    "Hey!" The Seraph said. She had a quiet voice.


    It was the first time, in a really long time that Lilith found herself tongue-tied; now she got the appeal of heaven. After a five seconds, Lilith had still not spoken a word. Her own Goth purple iris were rooted on the angelic whites of the stranger.


    "I''m sorry if we disturbed you," the beautiful Angel continued. "I am Yuriel. Yuriel Yellowstone."


    She offered her hand. Lilith was amazed at her humility.


    "Lilith. Lilith Firstborn," she offered in turn.


    "Uh, you have a feather in your hair. Let me just get it¡ª" Yuriel inched in and touched her hand softly to Lilith''s hair. There was a buzz of brief static, and both women felt a jump in their individual mana as their auras merged: dark and light. "There!" Yuriel tossed the feather. "Sorry about that."


    Lilith smiled and watched as the six wings on her back folded in a hypnotic wave. They vanished under her tunic, gone from sight and her back, like they were never there.


    "Hi Lilith! You made it. Thank you foring on such short notice." Thebault jumped in.


    Yuriel and Lilith turned as one, suddenly remembering another person was there on the balcony with them. The King ignored their looks of surprise. He went on, "Lilith, meet my wife¡ª"


    "Ex-wife!" Yuriel stated. "And I believe we''ve already covered the introductions ourselves."


    She turned to smile at Lilith. "Once again, I apologize for the ruckus earlier. Meph can be a prick. I just came here to have a discussion about our daughter who I''ve no doubt he has chased away by his actions in thest moon."


    Lilith thought back as Yuriel was speaking to the argument before. Now, everything made sense.


    "I must say, I''ve never met an Angel who cusses as much as you do. I like it." Lilith smiled back.


    "I''ll take that. Thank you!" Yuriel visibly brightened. "But I must leave now. It was a pleasure meeting you though, Lilith." Her six white wings whipped out again and her [Halo Ring] glowed more fiercely as she took off from the balcony. Lilith watched mesmerized at her beautiful pping. The currents of wind at her ascension blew strands of her midnight coiffure in her face.


    Lilith kept staring until the lovely Seraph was a twinkle in the golden sunshine, and a smidgeter, one with the sun.


    "Earth to Lilith!" Thebault snapped his fingers in her face. "I brought you here¡ª"


    "Shut it, Meph!" Lilith chided. "I don''t wanna hear it. You really brought me here to y therapist? And here I thought you had found the Apollyon. By all the gods in heav''n and the Underworld, HOW THE FUCK did you manage to bag a Seraphim?!"


    Lilith swept back into the room and out the door, calling back to the balcony where the King stood smothered in the exit of both women, "Grow some fucking balls, Your Majesty!"

 Chapter 88: Late Night Bath [18+]

    Owls hooted from the tops of the great pines that made the rainforest.


    OOT! OOT! OOT!


    The cawing was eerie against the general serenity of the ind, but Rafel had seen far more horror in his days. It was night, and a mist had begun to creep in from the river path they had taken up this morning during their hike over. A full moon peeked through the woods. Sekhmet had dropped her Go-bag over by a pir in the great entrance chamber. The floors were decorated opal marble.


    Rafel and the other girls sat around as Sekhmet made a fire and skewered the wild pig Blue had so mercilessly chased, caught, and dragged up the Abbey''s steps in a bloody trail.


    Though they had discovered the Abbey of [Saint] Tomasina at a time a little past noon, Rafel forbade anyone to go beyond the vestibule. He understood above all that a temple ribbed in such open riches of gold and cedars, and smelling like sandalwood didn''te without it''s own share of haunting.


    Else, the robbers would have thieved the entire Abbey down to thest stone.


    He had instructed thedies to calm their need to explore and wait till the next morning, when in a full, bright day, they would finally light their torches and kick open every single creaking door.


    It wasn''t out of fright that he hesitated, but more of wisdom. He knew he wasn''t strong enough to hold his own in whatever may lurk within the ghost abbey, much less defend his women, and while he didn''t doubt their courage or strength, he didn''t want a repeat of Emberfall. Or. . . Coraz¨®n.


    He had still stubbornly refused to mourn her. He couldn''t bring himself to. The imprint of her ocean eyes and Tomboy spirit would not leave his soul.


    So all things considered, the Abbey could remain ''untouched'' for one more night.


    The area they all settled in had a long arrangement of dusty pews and a covered altar on a raised dais.


    Rafel guessed this was the main service hall. He did not see thepletergeness of it in the dark, but he could tell it was quite big. Their voices echoed when they talked to each other. He also spied statues, covered in the same white as the altar; silhouette hallways and winding corridors. A courtyard, and an outhouse beside a bell tower and well that looked the oldest.


    "Where the hell are all the people?" Ravenna, who had her head in Aya''sp asked.


    Aya peered down as she stroked her. "If there were any in the first ce, you mean."


    "Sure, there were!" Rosa chipped in. "The cloth coverings on the altar and the sanctuary statues tells as much. There were monks here. Notice that praying benches over there, and the Confessional bear no dust marks. The real mystery is, why did they flee?" Rosamunde pointed over to the front left of the hall, where a dark brown docket loomed.


    Rafel answered, "I don''t think they fled, dear. I think something else came in. An uninvited guest, I''d bet. Perhaps, a creature who does not care for gold or God¡ªwhich is why we''re waiting till dawn breaks before any exploration or search. The monks are still here. Dead or alive?


    I don''t know. But I feel we''re not the only ones who''ve traced the Book of Souls here."


    They ate in silence afterward. Rafel made little jokes just to see the girls smile.


    He was making a blushing mess of Sekhmet with hispliments on her cooking when Aya strutted out from behind a cold pir with Blue, prancing at her feet. "I found the baths."


    "What the hell are you guys doing?" said Rafel two minutester when Aya led them all down a crook in the worship hall to the bath. He was pulling off his shirt to dip into the wide pool filled with clear water when he caught sight of the girls trying to leave, to the stalls. He stared at them. "¡ªJoin me," he stretched out and dived into the pool. "The water''s warm."


    Ravenna giggled and ran back. She tossed her towel and sshed into the pool like a little girl, in only her green bikini. She was one rocker of a jailbait. Her head broke the surface. "Thank you. I was hoping you''d invite us.


    COME ON!" She shrieked to Rosa and Aya. Aya leaped in, grabbing her legs midair, and executing a perfect lip before shended in the water.


    Rosamunde took the b of pool stairs.


    "Chicken," Ravenna sniggered, and the detective sshed water in her face.


    Sekhmet was thest one in. She slowly loosed the binds on her bathrobe and let it fall.


    [?? Shower ¨C Becky G.]


    "Hot Mami!" Ravenna made air blowing sounds and pumped her fists in the air.


    Sekhmet shook her head, smiling¡ªand blushing, inspite of herself as she gripped the iron railing and descended in. Rafel and the girls stared at her. She was too beautiful. She wasn''t naked. She had on lingerie. But somehow, the dark satin on her was more erotic against her lovely mtta skin.


    She had the fragrance of Persia, and passion of Egypt. Her body was a painter''s deviant portfolio.


    Her panties and brassiere clung to the fleshy heaps of her. The stringy material caught snugly on the sexual indentation between her legs, vanishing into the crack of her ass. And her mommy milkers strained in the taut cups of her bra, her breasts squished together like pears, her cleavage more appetizing to the eyes than a juicy burst of grapes.


    Her lingerie grabbed her voluptuous body so hard and good, everything it tried to hide it only ented.


    Rosa''s jaw all but hit the water.


    Sekhmet dipped in the pool and rose again. Her skin gleamed the jingle of gold coin, robust with the shine of copper. She was ripe; busty with a fat ass and rming hips. She put her hands to the pool''s edge and began to twerk in the water. Ripples ran in her ass crack and and soaked her panties enough to hint at her slit. Aya swum to her and grabbed handfuls of her shaking, creamy butt.


    Sekhmetughed and jiggled more; wining her waist, rolling her hips, grinding back.


    They put on a show for Rafel.


    "Mhmm, p those cheeks, Mami!" Aya chuckled, immensely turned on.


    She rubbed Sekhmet''s naked butt, caressed and fondled the globes, pressed and squeezed a sponge over her so that trickles ran in her crack.


    She spanked her light and kissed her buttocks. Sekhmet too was turned on. They both loved that Rafel was watching. He had treaded in the pool, over to the rung where he hooked his arms on the silver rails, and sat on the stone steps. His head was crooked to the side. His eyes were wicked rings of brown and gold.


    His lips were sugar. His smile was sadistic.


    Rosa and Ravenna had stopped ying, and floated without a peep. Two sets of hot eyes roved over the other two curvaceous blonde and brte just about going at it.


    Sekhmet suddenly dragged Aya''s head down to her ass, sinking her face into her butt crack.


    "Ohh fuck," she moaned. "Sniff it. Smell my fuckin'' cunt and ass. Ohh yes, mhmm." Sekhmet pushed her head in the more and under, almost sitting on her face. She wiggled herrge butt and Aya panted under her.


    Sekhmet smiled. "Oh yeah, you like that? You want some pussy?" She used her other hand to drag her panties to the side. "There you go, all that ass, in your fucking face. You wanna taste some pussy? Go on, bitch.


    I''m gonna punish your pretty face."


    "COME HERE!" A hard bass broke out.


    All heads instantly whipped to Rafel. His baritone was so heavy with sex, Rosa could taste it in hismand.


    "Both of you,e here!" He spoke directly to Aya and Sekhmet. "You are both horny little sluts, and you''re gonna get it." He was already pulling down his briefs. The massive tenting made the sliding of the boxers almost painful.


    Aya and Sekhmet swam to him. He grabbed the tinum blonde first. He covered her magical red eyes with his one hand¡ªcause if she kept staring at him, he woulde too soon. With the other, he fisted her white waves.


    Her head dropped to his groin, his magnificent robust nosh. Her lips were already parting. . .


    "You greedy whore! That thirsty, huh?"


    Rafel jammed in. Her mouth was so soft and hot he shuddered in the release.


    Rosa gasped behind. She made the Sign of the Cross, but she didn''t look away.

 Chapter 89: Nasty Nurse [18+]

    [?? OXYTOCIN ¨C Billie Eilish.]


    "I promised you raincheck earlier, didn''t I?"


    Rafel popped out her mouth glistening. His cock would damn near kill the both of them if he didn''t rein it in and go slow. He pped her cheek so she would answer. "Didn''t I?" Sekhmet instead dove hungrily for his huge, sliding meat.


    Her red-tipped fingers wed at his solid thighs. "I want you back in my mouth, Israfel."


    He ignored her request. Any oral contact right now would send him into the stars. "I don''t trust your lips on my cock right now. I can''t hold back with you." He stared down at her scarlet nails. "You have beautiful hands. Use them." He ordered.


    Sekhmet gingerly took his raging pipe in her hands and began to pump. His shaft was like a bull''s. She found it hard to believe he was eighteen, half her age. She would''ve preferred him rather thrust it out in her mouth, but she knew he couldn''t handle her mouth. She devoted her all to the handjob. She felt Aya, the delicious subus who had made a pizza out of her ass, cut out her bra behind.


    Rafel dropped his hands from her hair and went full masseuse on her breasts.


    "Fuckkkk." He marveled at her caramel skin and firmness.


    Sekhmet was a true Egyptian [MILF]. Her SS-RANK was an added perk.


    She pumped his dick. Rafel got time to rx and avoid the wet temptation of her mouth. Aya went back behind her and spread Sekhmet''s big, brown booty. His ve subus was a lighter blue and twisted up her hair in a tight bun as she dived back into the MILF goddess''s ass. She smacked her cheeks, roughly dragged down her panties, and buried her face in the plumpness.


    Aya licked her with her tongue and then turned over so she stared right up Sekhmet''s juicy pussy.


    She dragged her down on her face.


    SQUISH!


    The juices leaked and coated Aya''s face. She kept slurping.


    "Oh my god!" Sekhmet looked down at the lush babe with unbelief in her eyes. She was still pumping Rafel in her hands. She bit her lower lip when Aya muffled up to her, her gorgeousvender eyes smashed in between her prodigious thighs, "ride my face."


    "You heard her," Rafel growled.


    Sekhmet moved an instantly felt the pleasurable friction of warm velvet. What kind of tongue did the Subus have? She began to moan, riding faster. "I need you, Rafel...ahh fuck. I need you, plea¡ª" She didn''t finish. She didn''t get a chance.


    Rafel pped away her hands and dragged them behind her back. He shackled her at the wrists with his. Angling his cock, her mouth was already open, she was panting.


    And he mmed right back in. All the way to the hilt.


    He held Sekhmet''s hands behind her back with one hand and force-fed her his dick with the other.


    She choked, but stayed down willingly, and Rafel held her down harder. She was glued tight to his groin. He felt her breathing on his abs. Her deepthroat was fantastic. "Yeah, stay down, you fucking beautiful slut. Choke on that dick!


    Choke on it." He held her down. "Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are? Smoking hot! A fucking ten! AND YOU''RE MY FUCKING NURSE? Hell!


    I''m gonna fuck your mouth any time of the day I feel like it."


    He let here up for air. But he didn''t release her bound arms.


    She coughed and wheezed, panting as inch by fat, juicy inch of Rafel''s cock eased out her throat. The saliva was everywhere. He was a python.


    Sekhmet lost her shit.


    By now, she grabbed onto Aya''s head under her with her thick thighs, careful not to smother, but rode her like a gosh darn pony.


    She leaned in, smelling and sucking in one of Rafel''s ball. He petted her forehead with his slick pipe. The girth alone was frightening, a bulb rounded and shaft engorged like a freaking cucumber. She worshipped his penis and his youth. She licked his sac and ran her tongue up the sides and thick veins. Sekhmet had never seen a manhood so proud and stout.


    "Christ!" Rosa let it slip at the lewd sight. But she didn''t blink. She was immobile in the water. Their passion was so... unhinged.


    Rafel rose to his feet, dragging up Sekhmet by her silver waves. Her hair was a fountain. It fell in her eyes, her face, and her back. She nipped Rafel''s strong pecs as he lifted her with him. She licked at his nipple. "Are you going to fuck me, Israfel?


    Please fuck me. Fuck your nurse!"


    Rafel turned her around and tore off the flimsy panties. He spanked her big ass hard. Unlike Aya''s cute pats, his own palm was unforgiving. Sekhmet howled under his punishing. It was the rawest sex sound and turned Rafel into a tiger.


    "Grab the fucking iron bars!" He roared.


    PAH! PAH! SPLAT!


    He spat into Sekhmet''s crack. She had such a mature vibe. She reminded him of his auntie, Lilith. This way; in a backshot, they both had butts that could clench around a tennis ball. Her hole was gaping, her body''s desperate attempt to be filled. She was in heat.


    Rafel licked his palm and pped it into her ass hole. She jumped, stretching out a moan. He grabbed his long pipe, stroked himself against her wide hips, and jammed into her ass.


    "Ohhhh."


    Sekhmet made a sound so primal and feminine, Rafel paused his rhythm to pace her out.


    He grabbed onto her hips and pounded hot strokes for a while. When his hand slid from her hair to her lips, she sucked a finger in.


    "I know you like you like it when I talk dirty," Rafel panted. "¡ªlook at you, sexy fucking lesbian, taking all of this hot and heavy cock in your ass, huh? You like the way my Subus eats your pussy from under while I bang you. Oh fuck! Just look at that pretty hot. So wet.


    So tight. SO NASTY!"


    He spanked her rolling butt and pounded harder. In the water, Ravenna circled her clit through her bikini wear where no one could see. She leaned on an edge of the pool and watched with slitted eyes. Rosamunde just saved up all she saw forter. The depravity was too much to process in the moment of it. She''d rather circle back to it, go slow, and enjoy every single second.


    Things she had not even imagined, they did.


    The bosomy MILF nurse, Sekhmet was bent over the pool railing. Under her spread legs, Aya sat and pumped three fingers into her fat pussy. Behind, Rafel grappled with her generous flesh and fired like a wild Mustang stallion.


    "You like to fuck your patient, don''t you, NURSE?" He roared.


    Sekhmet whimpered.


    PAHHHH!


    Rafel spanked her so hard her buttocks vibrated.


    "Ohhhummmm," she moaned out loud as he dragged her flush against him, at the same time pressing forward. He broke her, hitting the spot and tingling her whole body like a livewire.


    Sekhmet surrended to the shocks. "Yes, yes, yes, yes. . .I like to fuck my hot patient, Israfel." Her knees bucked, and her legs went trembling as she orgasmed. Her inner muscles clenched Rafel tightly, prompting him to also shoot forward and douse her insides in hot seed.


    He filled her ass with kegs of his passion. And when he pulled out, her hole clenched, releasing milky white jizz in spurts. Sekhmet deftly grabbed Aya''s head between her legs and submerged her face to wipe the filth. "Lick that nasty ass, ve," she ordered. Aya sucked Rafel''s seed from her hole.


    Sekhmet pulled Aya''s head back to stare into red face, smiling at her handiwork. She then lowered from the railing and knelt, sucking Rafel''s semi-hard shaft into her mouth and cleaning him off with her lips.


    His amber gaze lit down on her.


    The moon was high up, blessing the pool area in a warm, iridescent glow, signaling midnight. They had been fucking for four hours. Rafel could hear the owls no more. "Well," Rosa said with a chuckle. "You all have to bathe again."


    Rafel grabbed both Aya and Sekhmet, and fell in the water. Aya dove under for Ravenna. "Get away from me, you . . ." She showed her hand and licked between her first two fingers. Aya screamed excitedly and rushed through the pool of her.


    They tumbled in the water and yed for a long time.


    Sekhmet stayed close to Rafel, making sure he didn''t get cold again.

 Chapter 90: A Sacred Truth and A Lie?

    THE BELL TOWER tolled early the next morning.


    "What the heck?!" Aya Naamah roused and rubbed her eyes to clear off the sleep. It seemed like she had just settled into their makeshift bed a second ago. "Why the hell is the damn bell ringing of its own ord? It must be some kind of magical spell weaved on thend."


    Ravenna tossed and turned in the crook of Rafel''s arm. She heard Aya talking but grabbed a pillow to stuff over her ears. She was by far the neediest one forfort of the bunch. The others let her remain closest to Rafel. Unlike the women, he hadn''t slept a wink. Rafel didn''t trust empty bastions.


    And in truth, the Abbey was a holy [El Dorado].


    Since the air mattress Sekhmet had wisely packed up in her duffel came with a single Persian bedding, all the women had tumbled in with Rafel for the night. The sprawling nket was of warm gold and green colors. "Careful with your tossing, Ravenna. You might hurt his bandages," offered the nurse.


    Rafel smiled at Sekhmet''s cat eyes.


    "Good morning, everyone!" He sat up.


    "Nooo! I want to sleep some more!" Ravenna whined. She clutched the small pillow tighter to her face, though she was more annoyed at missing Rafel''s wolfish warmth than been roused to daylight. "My eyes hurt. Can''t we sleep some more? Please!!!"


    Rosa chuckled from her left at her babyish antics; "in case you haven''t heard, darling, the Bell Tower just fucking tolled on its own. And it is certainly by the arcane. We are not alone, and we won''t know if it''s ghosts or just a random helping spell to aid the monks who''d lived here as an rm clock. But, I''m certain we all understand if you wanna stay here and rest it out.


    We''ll just be on our own, I guess. . . opening forsaken chambers, discovering sanctums, stumbling upon holy relics, unveiling five hundred year-old sculptures of Saints, discovering secrets of the blessed.


    You wouldn''t want any part in that, would you?"


    Ravenna''s green iris automatically shed open.


    "I''m awake! I call dibs on first shower."


    And then she lurched to her feet and ran off in the direction of the bath pools. Rafel shared a smile with Sekhmet at her exit. "Genius, Detective," said Aya. They all knew Ravenna would sooner forfeit all sleep than miss a moment of exploration. The littlest mention of relics and lofts had cleared her vision faster than a hummingbird could blink.


    Rosa and Aya took a private booth in the general bathing area. Sekhmet settled with Rafel in the pool and watched him manage his dailyps.


    "You are growing stronger, my liege."


    She gave him a glowing once-over as she offered a bathrobe and pushed her own towel ends tighter into her cleavage to prevent it from slipping. Rafel caressed her cheek. He was taller as he leaned on his cane. He smiled. "All thanks to you, nurse. Or do I say goddess of healing?


    You patched me right back up, and kissed on it for good measure. But, I will feel much better when we find the Book."


    Rafel gave thedies space to change their clothes.


    He waited patiently in front of the Abbey''s covered altar. Seated on the first pew, he tapped his skull cane on the marble dais. He had a minute to himself and wished briefly that Coraz¨®n was present. ''She would have loved the inds and its jungles. She would''ve loved the singing birds and seagulls.'' He knew it.


    The four women appeared in the corner of his eyes and he cocked his head to study them all.


    "Beautiful." He rose, picking his cane. "We start in the Bell Tower."


    Rafel refused Ravenna''s quest to go off on her own. Thest thing he needed was her trapped under some ancient stairwell or worse, in the belly of a lurking basilisk. They went into the bell tower, and observed the spires. No ghosts! Sekhmet said, as she ran a lovely hand on the cold upturned pail,


    "I sense holy magic, my liege. It''s a tickling clock spell. Rosa was right. The monks must''ve set it up for their morning devotions. The mana is weak here, but stronger up in the main levels. There must be a Mystic Sphere or its equivalent nearby."


    Rafel nodded, and they continued to the Outhouse. It was an empty shed, dusty, and full of what seemed like medieval torture tools.


    "Yikes!" Ravenna mmed the door.


    She edged on in front of the others, skipping under a great archway, and pausing only to peep into the courtyard where a mighty me tree carpeted the white cobblestones with pink leaves. She hurried on, pushing at looming doors. Most of them were locked. But it seemed the formerlybyrinth area of the Abbey was leading to a destination.


    "Ugh! Where are the goodies?" Ravenna petted a stone pir. It was cold baster.


    "GUYS!" She stopped jogging suddenly and stiffly called back. "Hurry up. YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS."


    "What am I staring at?" Rafel studied the area she pointed with her finger.


    It just seemed like a tall, ck wall.


    "A wall?" Aya offered.


    "No," said Rosamunde. "A door." Her voice was a hush as she stepped forward. "I always guessed the Abbey was more of a tomb as well a temple when I yed to this corner of the isle as a child. But now it is confirmed. See this markings all over the surface? The ones that look like circles in circles; they are actually holy writing.


    I can decipher and read it, but I need a key.


    A-A focus. A word to unravel the rest."


    She skimmed the great door with her fingertips and looked back, meeting everyone''s eyes.


    "Try TOMASINA," Rafel said.


    Rosa nodded and turned back to the wall. She worked the key in her head to break the whorly, mystic codes. Ravenna studied her profile closely: the elegant coif of her ck bob, the regal set of her spine, the brilliant sparking in her gray eyes; she could almost see the gears turning in the cute Detective''s head.


    Apparently, Rosamunde read Valhan, the holy glyphs of the Martyr.


    Rosa finally sighed, her shoulders slumping. She had cracked it. Ravenna was unable to stand still, and kept hopping from one feet to the other.


    "Well, what does it say?"

 Chapter 91: Secrets Of The Monks

    "IT''S NOT WHAT IT SAYS. It''s what it does not."


    Rosa looked to Rafel''s steady amber eyes, seeking courage in its piercing depths. She found it, and went on, exining;


    "The Temrs loved to write in code. In their scripts. In their tomes. And apparently, on their doors. It was a time of persecution and sadism in the church. But they also masked the true intent of their hearts in misdirections.


    They meaning of whatever they wrote was not the real meaning. So that in the times of King Thomopoulos, many schrs misinterpreted their scripts, often to their deaths.


    A Temr monk once wrote, ''The serpent is grievous to the children not born of fire.''


    The schrs of the King, [Grand Meisters] at the inception of the [C. A. W], interpreted the SERPENT of course as the devil and the CHILDREN OF FIRE as sinners. That was not what it meant. Long story short, the SERPENT was a windingvake of a volcano. And by the CHILDREN OF FIRE the monks meant Hellions.


    At the depths of the river of fire, a Demon halfling found a loot of treasure not seen in ages¡ªduring a half-assed attempt to take his life."


    "The serpent is grievous to the children not born of fire," Rafel rehearsed the words quietly.


    "It was a riddle: it meant only the children born of fire; demons, could enter the Serpent: thevake, and find the treasure." Sekhmet offered calmly with a shortugh. "Hell, monks?"


    Rosa still touched the cold stone door which faked as a wall with his hand. She replied Sekhmet. "Yes. It was intended to be misinterpreted. You can''t take a monk''s writing at face value, definitely not one half a millennia old. I have spent months to learn their Valhan and Avalonic scripts, the right way of reading the 27 Gothic alphabets.


    Still, I do not trust a monk with a pen.


    In their days, writing was their warfare," she whispered thisst part to Rafel.


    "Soooo...are we going in or not?" Ravenna was still skippy, eyeing the wall like a closed ss case of delicious burgers. Her green eyes were bright with mana. Now that everyone knew who her father was, short spills of inner magic from her body like this were not seen as weird anymore.


    "I understand." Rafel moved close to Rosamunde. He lifted a hand and cupped her cheek. Her pulse fluttered at his touch. "¡ªI do, but this is important. The monks wouldn''t try one of their misdirection codes if nothing of value is hidden behind this wall.


    We are not here for bullions. We are here for the Book. I think our intentions matter in solving the riddle. To solving the riddle correctly, we must think like it''s creators. And we have¡ªwe used the key: Tomasina. A revered Saint.


    I have confidence in you, Rosamunde. It will not fail."


    Rosa gulped at the fierce faith she could see vibrant in his gilded pupils.


    This was the young man who had led the Empire to war and conquered Rumbrun''s crusade, thend of the Blue Giants¡ªin one fell swoop.


    "Tell us what it says."


    Sekhmet and Aya also drew near, but it was the subus who spoke. Rosa blinked up at Rafel and answered. "The interpretation of it is thus:


    ''Beyond this coil is a SACRED TRUTH. TELL A LIE to see it revealed.''


    That''s it. I''ve been racking my brain, but I haven''t the faintest idea what it means."


    "So we need to lie? Easy!" Ravenna chirped.


    "Not necessarily," Aya cornered. "Someone would first have to revive the dormant mana of the Abbey and get the gears turning again. The door''s mystic riddle system would only respond to whatever we might say if fired up. We are in luck that we have a High Witch with us."


    Rafel turned to smile at his gorgeous nurse. She raised her blond brows in a sultry arc. Rafel said, "If you please, Sekhmet."


    "Always, my liege," came her honey voice.


    [?? Badunkadunk ¨C BLV.]


    Rafel couldn''t resist the urge as she moved the final feet to the cold stone, and he traced the small of her back with the palm. It was such a sensual dip before the shoot of her hips. She had on camo pants and the tiniest shirt. He caressed from her back to the open space of her t belly. He spied little peeks of cream boobs under the shirt''s tied front, but he stopped himself from engaging.


    Rosa''s gray eyes were warm on his. "You don''t want to distract her."


    Rafelughed. "Not at all." He pulled off her.


    Sekhmet was a dangerous femme, but moreso an SS-RANK [Goddess] of war and healing.


    She was perfect to revive the Abbey''s mystic arc.


    Everyone gave her some space in front of the door, standing off to the side to watch as she began to warm and glow up with a pinkish red aura. She burned until she was bright as aser beam. Her arcane runes of white gold spun over her hourss figure and danced into her skin and out again. She let her mana core fill and fill, till they didn''t need torches again. She became their red-goldmp.


    Then she raised her hand slowly, and touched the cold stone.


    Whispers rose in the air, indiscernible. A whirring started at her fingertips as her energy began to pour into the door''s dormant mystic center. Swirls of wispy smoke, colored crimson like her aura, yawned up the floorboards and interwove with the writings on the stone. Her glorious [Divine] mana seeped into the stone door, sparking it to life.


    And before long, every cobweb and crevice of the Abbey pulsed in red and golden light.


    GGGRRRRRRR!


    The stone began to rumble. Rafel heard a rattling, like the sound of dragging chains.


    "It''s time for us to answer the riddle now." She posed it again, "beyond this coil is a sacred truth. Tell a lie to see it revealed."


    Rafel smiled, and all the women turned to him. "It is not a riddle at all, my lovelies. I guess the riddle of it is that we think it as one. But it''s not! It''s only a question. Get rid of the phrases, antecedents, and punctuation, and we have six words:


    A SACRED TRUTH AND A LIE.


    All we need is a profound divine truth, and some unrted lie." Rafel stepped close to Sekhmet, and ced his hand on top hers. Their fingers treaded together, and the wall glowed brighter gold. He proimed, "Hear me, Mystic Arc and deliver your secrets. Here''s MY SACRED TRUTH AND A LIE: I am the Apollyon of Hel, and I did not love one by name of Coraz¨®n Mortimer."


    WHIRR! WHIRR! WHIRR!


    DANNNGG!!!


    A loud click sounded and the wall itself shifted. It was like stone rolled off a tomb. Secondster, five pairs of eyes stared down a hollow descending staircase. The air smelled wet and settled on the skin. Strange bats pped furiously out.


    "Luminaris!" Aya whispered, and a fresh ball of white light appeared over her palm floating. She was no [Caster Witch], but she had picked up a few things from Cora.


    The tunnel was a passageway into a tomb. Rafel could tell that much. Only Saints or Pharaohs were buried with as much these attention to detail. The question was, why the fuck would the Book of Souls be in a tomb under an Abbey?


    It sounded like the kind of thing that should be in a sanctum, or a grotto!


    At the end of the steps, Aya held the glowing ball high and they all made a collective gasp.


    "Shit." Rafel growled.


    Ravenna''s green pupils dted. "I think we just found where all the monks went."


    The ball of magical light illumined twelve kneeling men in a circle around a silver sarcophagus with an inscribed cross on its top. Mummified faces peered out from the cassocks; gray sentinels surrounding the Saint in protection¡ªeven in death. The corpses of the monks were perfectly preserved in the cool tomb. Once their Saint''s, now, theirs too.

 Chapter 92: A Small Feast

    "HOW LONG DO YOU THINK they have being here, exactly that way?"


    "Five hundred years, give or take." Rosa replied Aya. "To think they buried themselves in with her is a cause for both worry and faith. I don''t know which is best to consider. One on end, I admire the monks decision tomit life and death. On the other end, it''s pretty stupid to suffocate to death for one who is already gone. I wonder what they were thinking in the final moments of their death."


    "¡ªprobably that their knees hurt so much," said Rafel, and everyoneughed.


    "Ugh! Please can we get to the sarcophagus. The air is ripe."


    Ravenna held up a gloved hand to her nose. Sekhmet admired her etiquette a moment. The youngdy was often randy in her ways, not boyish, just wild. Lifting the lid on the jewelled tomb showed the others just how much [Divine] strength Sekhmet had coursing through her veins.


    She tossed the hard granite and silver like a paper weight. Everyone peered in.


    "Good God!" Rosa eximed. "In all my life, I have never seen such a beautiful mummy."


    Rafel would''veughed, but he too was perplexed. The body of Tomasina was in perfect animated state. Not even a speck of dust on her shined forehead. She had pure, porcin skin, and she was a brte; her waves of dark brown still in a tidy coiffure of the homely fashionmon in her century. She was like she lived¡ªand was half expected to open her eyes any second.


    She didn''t.


    Tomasina was dead as a doornail, but looked like sleeping beauty.


    Unlike her abbots, her skin wasn''t gray or wrinkled, and she smelled like the eternal moonflowers at the sides of her sarcophagus, buried with her. She had a gand of peach petals in her hair. Her hands were folded over her belly. Her gown was long and white; it did out the toes. And her ghostly face seemed like she was about to smile.


    In her hands was a staff of pure gold. . .and the Book.


    "Hah! Finally! I''m sorry, Saint Tomasina, but we''ll be needing this. Thank you!" Ravenna gingerly raised the dead girl''s hands, plucking the long, leathery tome underneath. "Is there a ritual to this thing?" She looked around.


    Everyone''s gazended square on Rosa.


    "What? Oh, because I''m the Detective? I have all the answers now?" Rosamunde chimed. They all kept staring. "I don''t know," she quickly added. "We found the Book together, you know.


    I''M AS INTRIGUED AS YOU ARE."


    Ravenna was flipping through the empty pages. She said, "you sure this is the GREAT and MYSTERY Book of Souls? The pages are nk. There are no words. No fucking symbols either!"


    "That''s because you aren''t a demon." Rafel''s dark voice echoed in the dank tomb. "You do not trade in souls."


    Sekhmet tipped her head to Rafel. "Do not be rude, Ravenna. Give the book to His Eminence."


    Aya Naamah held the ball of light closer, the glow illuminating their faces in sinister cast. Ravenna did as instructed, bowing, "I''m sorry, my liege. I''ve forgotten myself to discovery. Here you go." She held out both hand, offering the Book of Souls. Aside the unnatural heaviness, the tome seemed like any other library book.


    Rafel collected the book but didn''t open it.


    He said aloud, "I promised a certain fair Detective I wouldn''t use the Book until I was strong enough. My nurse hasn''t cleared me yet." He smiled, and Sekhmet blushed. All the women returned it. He had a contagious spirit. "Come on! Let''s leave the Saint to get rest.


    Thend of the living is above and waiting. We got what we need."


    The girls took his arms in Chaperone fashion. Aya led in front, her glowingmp rising to dangle ahead and light the way. Once outside the tomb, the wide stone wall grated closed again. Ravenna blinked at the sudden afternoon light.


    "Geez! I''m hungry. Can we get something to eat?"


    Sekhmet chuckled. "We can forage around thepound. Do not forget; the inds are magic. It will provide food. I did spy a certain wild goat herd on our way over here yesterday. We''ll have ourselves a small feast to celebrate our discovery."


    [?? Hangover ¨C Taio Cruz ft. Flo Rida.]


    An hourter, Rafel clinked sses with Rosa who turned next to Sekhmet. The Detective toasted, "To finding lost tombs, and animate saints!"


    "Hear! Hear!" The others raised the goblets to attend, smiling and cheering. In their midst sat the Book of Souls. The hardback was an eerie shade of gray scale that looked ripped right off a crocodile''s back, but both Rafel and Sekhmet, and Ravenna and Rosa had seen their fair share of weird.


    Since they had brought no sses in, they gathered the gold chalices Ravenna had scooped from an inner sanctum.


    Rosamunde was skeptical at first, "By the Martyr! Have you no fear of the holy?" She''d gaped, when the emerald-eyed beauty had first run out with the chalices. Ravenna had responded by chuckling. "I do, but it gives far more pleasure to be naughty. We are not stealing them, just borrowing. .


    ."


    Now, as they all sat on the grayish smooth Drekya floors, a little away from their makeshift sleeping area in the main halls of devotion, the clutter of tes and pans went echoing into the solemnity of the chapel as Sekhmet served vegetable rice with adle and Rosa cut up the roast. Blue, the [Guardian] wolf sat in his corner, wagging his tail and expecting a fat slice.


    Sekhmet''s dart had barely sunk into the belly of a wild goat before Blue was upon it''s neck, draining out the remaining life. The rest was history¡ªfor the poor goat.


    "I can help," Rafel said.


    His nurse sent him the slitted crimson stare she reserved for those time when he tried to be macho and do everything by himself. "¡ªbut you will not. That''s why you have us, andst I checked, we''re notining."


    Ravenna sniggered with her face turned away. Very few women could let Rafel have it; Cora was one of them. Her leafy eyes lit up. "I have an idea. I''ll be back." She took thest gulp of her chalice, draining themunion wine¡ªshe had also stolen a few bottles during her quick detour to the sanctum. She rose and vanished among the pews, rounding a corner behind a great stone arch.


    Rafel called after her, "do not stray too far, Little Raven. The Abbey might be empty, but who knows what other traps these fanatic monks might haveid. By the way, thismunion wine tastes far better than I''d thought it would, considering."


    Rosamundeughed. "Really? You spite the holy and pure that much."


    "I do not spite the holy and pure. Infact, I admire the Faith." He leaned in so his gilded eyes danced close to her cheeks. Her lips quivered. "I think you of all people, Detective, know all about that."


    Sekhmet smiled at his winking. Rosa was resisting, or at least trying to.


    "If you weren''t such a beautiful man. . ." His nurse drew near. "Food is served."


    Theirte lunch was full of sharedughs and quiet arousal. All the women had eyes for Rafel. The top buttons of his Adventurer shirt were open; his light skin dazzled thought, and his silvi¨¦r [Explorer Doublet] which was priceless as a cut diamond and cost fifteen hundred gold in the Arcane Shop hung off the back of the pew closest to him.


    And the woman at his side, so pretty and perfect she was a Dreamworld fantasy, rocked ever so softly into him. Sekhmet had changed into in tribal wrappers customary among Inders. Her breasts were more rounded and peaky in the maroon bustier. It gave no room for a bra.


    If one hooked a single finger in her cleavage and pulled just a bit, every beautiful generous flesh of her woulde spilling out.


    As for her matronly hips and Abba-esque thighs, the wrapper could not keep it hidden. Her assets yed with the eyes, teasing, and corrupting. They all caught peeks from the narrow slit reaching up to her left hip and hints in her body movement. Her curves were beyond this world. Her skin was as handfuls of the sun at dusk, spills of light too buxomy and ripe to look away.


    This superhot, gorgeous body of hers was pressing in mounds to Rafel''s divine hardness.


    When one looked at them, it was impossible not to think of sex; to imagine them together, the friction of his gold virility pounding her wanton flesh.


    Aya and Rosa indulged their eyes to the fullest.


    Blue was appreciatively cracking down bones tossed to him when Ravenna appeared again from the side arch. She walked out with her hands behind her back. And when Rosa''s pupils widened at the mystery, she produced from her back a lute.


    Gently, she held it out to Rafel.


    "For mi''lord," she said. Rafel noticed her ent was thicker when she was showing emotion. "Look what I found. y us something, will you? Please?"


    Rafel shook his head, but Sekhmet had already taken the bait.


    "You y the guitar?"


    "I dabble." Rafel avoided her bright eyes.


    Aya giggled. "Oh, posh! He''s being cute. He ys the piano too. He''s. .


    .really good with his hands."


    All the women shared a look, and as Rafel bent his head they burst outughing.


    "¡ªha! Oh my God! I haven''tughed this hard since that party Dionysus threw back a century. You guys are amazingpany. Well, go on, Apollyon, y us a song!" Sekhmet urged him with her eyes. In the face of four breathtaking babes, who was he to refuse?


    Rafel licked his lips and collected the fine guitar Ravenna handed out. It was an exquisite make; a Spaniard treasure, with lively gold strings. He tuned and plucked one, and thedies drew closer.


    "If I y, you have to dance."


    "We will, my Lord," Aya couldn''t contain her smile.


    Rafel started a high spirit folk tune they all knew too well, and in seconds, he had the girls jumping on the feet, gigging and wiggling hips to every belt of his baritone and strum of his fine guitar. They sang with him:


    "O''er the hills, the squirrels y. O''er the trees, the bluebirds sing! And we''ll being ''round the mountain side. . . WE''LL BE COMING ''ROUND THE MOUNTAIN WHEN WE COME!


    WE''LL BE. . ."


    On and on they sang and danced. And eventually fell breathless to the floor, sweaty and glued to each other. Ravenna rubbed her head in Aya''s thigh and gazed up Rafel.


    She whispered, "I wish we can stay like this forever. I don''t wanna leave."


    It was Sekhmet who broke thepanionable silence. "We don''t need to."

 Chapter 93: Fyreplace [18+]

    [?? Mistletoe ¨C PENTATONIX.]


    [#christmasfetish #girlinsocks #winter #indoorlust]


    In a week, Rafel was able to stand and walk a short distance without the use of his skull cane. It was a sight the women delighted in, for Rafel was even more handsome when he stood tall. His healing wasing along nicely, and he hadn''t touched the Book of Souls.


    It was safely tucked in the inner sanctum that had once held the stack of exquisitemunion wines, the time itself wrapped in Wyrd leaves to preserve the magick.


    In the seven days the stay at the Abbey, Sekhmet and Aya Naamah had made only one trip back to the Cabin to arm themselves with proper clothing suitable for the weather. The winter blowing in from the Cold Sea had finally entered the beaches of Corynthia. Tobat the winds, they had both ridden on Myreen of Thrasos on the way back.


    The red dragon was more than happy to aid the APOLLYON''S concubines¡ªfor it was so she saw thedies.


    By the fourth day, Ravenna had broke into every door and loft. Each girl took a room in the resident quarters of the monks,yered side by side into a long corridor. They were neighbors, sharing a wide hallway. Rafel took the Head Abbot''s chambers.


    It was in appropriate living conditions, considering the centuries of disuse. It had couches, and a study area, a branch-off into a bedroom with stately design, and a patio extending outward. The veils were mute white and gave off the solemn vibe. It was just the perfect suite. Sekhmet and Aya soon had the Abbey looking like a ce people lived for once.


    The tomb was sealed off, and the covers on the wallpapers removed.


    Rosamunde found a fountain of [Holy Water] and filled several vials for herself. Despite all the horror she''d experienced as a Detective dished the most gruesome homicides, her faith in the Martyr was unshaken.


    Though they had separate rooms for privacy, all the girls loved spending time in Rafel''s chamber. He rather liked it. The Head Abbot''s quarters wererge enough. And who the hell didn''t enjoy the sight of waking up to curvy women walking around the bedroom in tight shorts?


    Presently, Rafel was one of the evening walks he had started taking to strengthen his spine and legs. He was still a long way from running or jumping, but the physical therapy helped. The ind breeze was refreshing; a soothing balm in his face. The winter''s air stung a bit, but it was nicer. Tree branches were silver and droopy with snows, and little birds peeked from holes in their hard barks.


    Sekhmet had studded him in a great red cardigan and woolen cuff for his head, and knitted head warmer for his head¡ªand fricking mitten gloves for his hands. Walking was also an excuse to patrol the ground and ensure none of the Usurper''s [Spectres] had broken through. Thest thing he needed was a raid of the Abbey by Maulers in windbreakers.


    His hard boots crunched on the gravel as he ended his walk.


    He usually went twops around the Abbey, but this evening, he pushed himself and went three. Sekhmet had him looking like fucking Mr. us. He endured it. At least he was warm. It was colder than the loins of a Nephilim out here.


    He spent a final nce to the dipping sun before grabbing for his cane by a pir, to ascend the stone steps. He headed a beeline for the living quarters.


    "I''m back," Rafel greeted as he pushed the round silver knob and entered his room.


    Rosamunde, Ravenna, and Aya Naamah were on the couch facing the firece. Sekhmet squatted under the mantelpiece and poked the embers with a stoke stick. She added more logs. Rafel wondered if it was still rude at this stage to stare at her ass. The shapely outline of it was phenomenal.


    "Wee, my liege," Sekhmet turned to smile at him from the mes. Her curves were silhouetted in the shadows on the far wall. "How was your walk?"


    "Cold? Yeah, cold."


    Rafel walked to the long sofa, and the girls made up space for him. "We could keep you warm," Rosa put her fingers to his red hair. It was like she touched the fire that burned in the hearth. His locks glinted flecks of gold. Sekhmet moved back to the couch and sat on it, closest to Rafel on his left. To his right, Rosa and Ravenna in order.


    And at his feet was his [Bond] subus.


    Rafel watched her roll her tongue in cheek. Her lc irises were brimming.


    Lust?


    She was definitely hiding something. Very soon, he would be strong of mind enough to link with her telepathically again. But until then. . .


    "What are you damsels all smiling about?" He asked.


    Aya wrung her hands together, as Rosa packed up his ginger hair into a delicious manbun. His pretty ve hushed, "well, it''s been a week, Lord Master, since we. . .since we¡ª"


    "¡ªsince we fucked." Sekhmet finished for her. The blond nurse grinned full. Her lust was unapologetic.


    Rafel was already loosening his fly. His smile was wicked hot on Aya below him. "I''d hate to starve you anything now, ve. Pull it off!" He ordered, meaning his trousers.


    Aya''s violet eyes darkened as she put her hands to the waistband of his dark jeans and dragged it off. He was already hot and sprung for them. Sekhmet put out her right hand and touched his cock as Aya went next for his briefs. She freed his balls and Rosa gasped from her perch beside him. Her gray pupils stared down like anguid candleme on him.


    In the firece, their breathing picked up, all of them, sharing the desire and oxygen in the room.


    Sekhmet wet her palm and pumped Rafel in her fingers, closing into a warm fist. She released his golden penis when he started to bob in her grasp.


    Slowly, she pulled Aya down to his nosh. "Suck that dick, love. Suck it good."


    Rafel growled low and deep within as Aya made him wet and slimy with her lips. To see her pretty, little mouth closed up like a pink bow around his dark meat was a damning sin. "Come here, you two!" He grabbed Sekhmet and Rosa by their blonde and ck hair, and dragged them off the couch to join Aya at his feet.


    "When my ve is catching her breath, you are next, Rosamunde," hemanded in a deep voice.


    Aya finally pulled her sucking, easing his dense nob out her throat and mouth. He popped out her lips heavily, and his cock bent forward glistening and fat as a cucumber. Rafel stroked himself to Rosa''s gorgeous face.


    "Go easy, Detective. You still have a virgin mouth. But no worries, I will train you."


    Sekhmet pulled up on her knees to kiss him. Rafel took her mouth passionately, forcing her tongue to sumb to the dirty domination of his. He grabbed the back of her head with his left hand and kept her to an angle where he utterly devoured her supple lips. His mouth consumed hers until her lungs burned. Below, Rosa tried to amodate all of Rafel inside her mouth. He was quite the man.


    "Aargglll," she choked.


    Rafel pulled her up, eased her up. Sekhmetughed at her red face and licked at the tears leaking out the sides of her face. "Oh, such a proper catholic girl, you are. Now, look and learn from the pro." Sekhmet lowered her head, taking hold of Rafel''s huge shaft, opening her mouth and easing the pipe, in and in, until her wide lips kissed at his groin. Rosa was watching with a look of disbelief.


    Rafel pumped upward into Sekhmet''s gullet for some seconds. He raised her up by her tinum blonde hair and Sekhmet licked the sticky saliva off his slimy head. It was a dirty little show in front of the firece.


    "Oh, you beautiful slut!" Rosa gasped, making Sekhmet giggle.


    "I''ll go first." She rose to her feet and pulled off her pink cashmere shorts. She left her sweater on, and stood in only her red mitten socks.


    Rafel gazed from her stockinged feet up her calves to the apex of her thighs. She had her hand down between her legs and was rubbing lightly up and down her cream slit. "SIT!" Rafel ordered, and Sekhmet straddled hisp. "Go on, slut!" He urged her. She whimpered when he smacked her ass, and her small hand softly closed around his big, golden cock.


    "Hmmm," she moaned as she sat on his dick.


    SQUISH!


    He felt so good inside her Sekhmet was unable to go slow. She began to ride him and bounce, taking him in fat, sliding inches out of her pussy and back in. Aya and Rosa sat below the couch, under Rafel''s spread legs and watched with a mix of great lust and mild curiosity as his thighs bumped up against Sekhmet''srge butt.


    Her globes shook and epted his fat dick in with a spurt of love juice every single time.


    She was squirting.


    "Ohh yes, fuck me like that, Apollyon. YOU''RE SO BIG! OH FUCK YES! I love to ride this dick. Please let me fuck your mighty cock. Fuck!


    Fuck! Fuck!" She kept bouncing with SQUISH, SQUISH strokes on his hard velvet head.


    It was one long, stretched out orgasm.


    "Ohhhummmm yes!" Eventually, Sekhmet broke out a final, hitched moan and lifted all up from Rafel''s dick. His pipe slid out of her wet and drowned in her fluids. She squirted some more over his abs. And he grabbed his dick and rubbed it all over her leaking pussy. She sighed and whimpered.


    Rafel had just learned how amazing it was to watch a hot girl in socks ride his cock.


    Sekhmet eased down his legs and went to her knees before him. As he peered down, she sucked him into her mouth and swallowed all of her cream on him. She moaned loudly, her sounds showing him how much she was loving it, and pumped him onto her face.


    Rafel started to jerk.


    "Come for me, my liege. Humiliate this pretty face. Make it yours. Make me y¡ª"


    He abruptly exploded in her mouth, spraying her face and hair in white semen. Rafel''s head fell back on the couch. For a moment, the firece seemed to glow green mes. Rafel mused it was the wildness in which his nurse milked his cock.


    "Christ, woman!" Rafel gasped.


    Sekhmet continued her handjob until he poured all over her face, staining her cardy and showing the nipple points through it. Her huge boobs swayed under. Rafel dragged off the shirt.


    "Keep the socks," he said, admiring her nudity. "Now, who''s next."


    In the golden luminance of the firece, three female hands lifted¡ªincluding Ravenna''s.

 Chapter 94: The Proposition [18+]

    [?? Sweet Sensation ¨C Flo Rida.]


    THE ROOM SMELLED OF SEX. Not the kind of vani shit you''re thinking of either. But depraved, hardcore, CHOKING SEX.


    Aya Naamah was bent over the headrest of the couch and Rafel was behind her, rawdogging her. She gripped the sofa''s edge for dear life and stuffed her screaming in the cushy top. The embers of the firece had dulled in the two hours that had passed. Aya''s legs vibrated in her blue socks. Her winter''s haty discarded on the fine rug.


    Rosamunde and Sekhmet knelt beside her on the couch, their own beautiful nudity bearing the evidence of a good, fevered loving from the Apollyon. Sekhmet''s breasts were heavy and she leaked traces of milk, and Rosa''s fair neck had nicks and her caramel butt still stung deliciously with the wicked desire of Rafel''s spanking. She could still taste him on her lips.


    After Sekhmet, she had gone next, taking him in her [Reverse Cowgirl] on the sofa. Back then, the firece was roaring. Now, the logs were mostly burned out.


    It was the most supernatural connection she''d had with another person. A bit animalistic for her taste, but fucking biblical. Aya was at the moment, lost in the throes of her own ecstasy: receiving a good and hard pounding from Israfel, and Rosa was excited to watch. The way the man''s body moved. He moved like a snake but looked like a wolf. AND HE WAS STILL RECOVERING.


    Damn! She thought. The firece endeavor with Rafel was almost demented. But for all the unholiness going on in the Abbey that night, Rafel didn''t touch Ravenna.


    The leafy-eyed girl thought perhaps it was because she was a literal jailbait, or because her mother was a Celestial. It had to be twice a capital sin to shag an Angel in a Chapel. Right?


    But that wasn''t why Rafel ensured hisst orgasm for the night was inside Aya Naamah''s hot pussy. NO. The why? was because something inside him surged powerfully whenever he looked into Ravenna''s green eyes. Something he really didn''t think he''d ever get a chance at in his life, and considering his descent. The only thing everyone in his ancestry, gods and monsters alike, Aunts and Uncles failed at.


    Something called. . .love.


    "Holy fucking shit!" Rafel fell heavily to the couch.


    He was drained. Aya was wet and heaving atop him. Sekhmet rose from the couch and walked off naked¡ªin only socks¡ªto get him a cup of water. As she returned and offered him to drink, she sexily ran her soft palm down his puffing chest and abs.


    He was all hard, sweaty male.


    Rafel caught her smile as he shifted Aya to the couch so he could swallow. "You like?" He teased her staring. Sekhmet nodded, and her smile turned up those full red lips of hers. "I can''t even deny. Yes, I like, very much." Rafelughed. "You girls are on fire.


    You''re gonna tap me out someday. I couldn''t even feel my legs for a second back there. You''re all so sweet and too fucking slutty for your own good. How am I supposed to keep my hands off you?"


    "Please don''t!" Aya kissed his chin and licked the salt off his neck. "We promise not to lose our shit and suddenly rape you."


    Rafelughed again. Roley was something he greatly loved. He considered this particr subtle pitch by his [Bond] subus for the future. Blue let out a long howl outside and started barking. It was abrupt and Rafel sat up with a start on the sofa. He handed over the tumbler to Ravenna to do away with and listened.


    WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! HOOOOWLLL!


    The blue [Guardian] didn''t let up his barks.


    "Intruder!" Sekhmet cursed and grabbed for the nearest piece of clothing¡ªit was Rafel''s baggy grey shirt. And it dropped right down to her knees. Rosa quickly felt around too and grabbed her panties and shorts in the discarded lust pile. Sekhmet said again, "Stay here, guard His Eminence. I''ll check the trespasser."


    She turned from the flickering firece and the sofa of her antsy friends.


    Rafel stretched his hand for his skull cane. Aya took it from the corner and ced it under his arm. Hardcore sex had made his knees wobbly again. The wolf stopped howling outside. Rafel was standing in dark blue cks when he heard voicesing down the hallway.


    His demonic [Echolocation], simr to a wolf bat''s brought the sounds closer. It was Sekhmet, and some other familiar voice. Soon enough, the knob on the Head Abbot''s chambers turned and Sekhmet gingerly stepped in. Rafel''s shirt was like a mini gown on her.


    "It''s a friend," she said.


    Blue padded in, wagging his tail and sitting at the feet of the next person who walked in.


    A woman¡ªand her hair was as fiery as his. It was Doctor Nicara Shetty. Such a pretty Ginger.


    Ravenna greeted. "Headmistress!"


    "Hello, Doctor!" Rafel said too.


    Nicara waved her long strawberry hair behind her, and her crescent auburn eyebrows seemed to unify over her lovely hazel eyes as she met each and everyone''s smile with one of hers. She dipped at the waist she came to Rafel. She said,


    "Young Master, it''s so nice to see you again."


    Rafel nodded, and her brown eyes raked his torso a moment. She squinted at the bandages and a bit of fury entered her eyes. She sniffed at the air. "I heard about Emberfall and Lady Cora. I''m deeply sorry. But can we talk elsewhere?


    This ce smells like a lot of ACTION, if you know what I mean. And I don''t think I''d be well coordinated thinking ''bout how good four women would look taking down one man."


    They all shared guilty looks and augh. After they''d left, Ravenna opened the windows and parted the drapes. The ind wind was misty and wintry.


    Ten minutester, Rafel was freshly showered and arrived on a ckstone patio which overlooked an orchard of green apples. Sekhmet sat with the others and Dr. Nicara at a rotund dark ss table. A Valhan white vase showcased a splendorous bouquet in the center of it; the verandah was well aerated, and the air smelled nicely of sandalwood and wild orchids.


    Aya drew out a seat and Rafel took it.


    "How is the C. A. W these days, Doctor?" He began as Rosa poured him a ss of the good stuff.


    Nicara offered a gorgeous smile at his gilded iris.


    "Better than the Capital," she asserted. "I hear it''s called Titans Landing now. I didn''t stick around for the naming. I''d been there during the Queen''s seven-day feast in the aftermath of victory over Rumbrun and the Nephilims. But at the first hint of danger my [Feral Instinct] picked up on, I fled.


    It wasn''t my biggest moment and I''m not proud of it. But I haven''t seen a battle that deadly since I was made Alpha of the Red Tiger pack seventy years ago. I should think I''d be more courageous than that though? But Titans?


    Whew!


    I saw their Goliath forms boil the sea and the great fires burning the Capitol from the banks of my isle for several days. The C. A. W lost many students that day; good souls, who had taken the trip home for the Winter Break. I received a letter from Miss de Vries a weekter, exining the horrid events of that night, and. .


    .Emberfall.


    The Usurper is a mad man. He has yed and gutted and beheaded countless Nobles, and near thirty percent of the kingdom''s poption were ttened under monster Titan feet. The gossip is that Giselle is the newest [Bond] to the Dowager, Lilith Firstborn. These days, the C. A. W is more of a safe harbor to learn and live magic than a schrly institute.


    Most students mourn losses. I fear the rolling tide. We need stability. We need to weather the storms. WE NEED A ROCK."


    Nicara paused a sec. "¡ªwhich brings me to my proportion, Young Master. You can be that rock. YOU ARE OUR ROCK. You have proved to all of us gathered here at this table and the whole fucking Empire that you value the pure magic over gainful politics and thirst for power, unlike the other Fallen.


    I know I shouldn''t ask, but, Lord Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste, will youe join us at the Corynthian Academy for Witches?"


    Rafel was quiet for some time.


    "Can I think it over?"


    "Sure," replied the redhaired Professor. "Ravenna can resume with you. Admissions'' this Spring."


    Later that evening, after they all escorted the good Doctor to therge beach where she boarded a fine ship sailing back to her own isle, and then onwards west, to Rocasus, Rafel pulled Sekhmet aside under a tall banana tree with glossy broad leaves while the others walked on. The sun was hidden by a flush of gray snowclouds.


    "Do you think I should do it? Enroll as a novice demon in an institute of wizardry?" He asked solemnly.


    Sekhmet for the first time spoke to Rafel as one who had seen more mortal centuries than he. She offered this piece of advice. "Oh, Apollyon. At the end of the day, it''s up to you to make that choice. But I can certainly list a few perks.


    There are livened wards over at the institute. If you go there, the Usurper and his Spectres can''t find you. You have being hurt. Leveling up again in a school literally full of fresh opponents would be a wonderful chance at revitalization andplete healing. Besides, dear Israfel," Sekhmet touched his cheek warmly, "it''d be nice to see you act your age.


    Either way, Abbey or Academy, this tinum blonde would always be here to nurse you out of any mdy. You know what that means, right?"


    "Oh, I know!" Rafel winked back. And they started walking again.


    [A/N: 50 POWER STONES if you want YOUR FETISH featured and incorporated into a sex scene. So far, only one fan has managed it. I''m keeping both the petitioner and FETISH anonymous¡ªfor now. But you will see, and read what you pay for.]

 Chapter 95: The Court Of Whispers

    [?? Wake Me Up ¨C Avicii.]


    ? TITANS LANDING, THE SAME DAY


    The many turrets of the Castle pointed like dark fingers at the sky. The baster stones and white bricks used in its creation had being stripped when her gates were brought down. Now, everything in sight from the ports and harbors of the Cold Sea was in the image of the Usurper, death ck and blood red.


    Lilith admired the city''s panorama from a balcony on the fourth storey.


    Merchants rode in dearborns in the streets below, and the few Eldorian nobles without demonic bloodline¡ªLuciferan or otherwise, that were allowed to keep their estates marched down the new District of Lords inpany of guards with fresh ck banners, their buggies and wagons catching light of the evening sun. The cold had just starting to creep in.


    Beyond, the fog was clearing in from the ports, making ships vanish on the docks. Many porters hurried back and forth along gangnks, wishing to beat the snows home.


    Lilith''s eyes picked the littlest details: their worn boots that had carried the goods of a thousand and one frigates to dock from its long voyage. She smiled on the belvedere. Eldoria had been rebuilt, and would soon be popted again.


    From the tidal nimbi cresting the seascape, she didn''t need to open up her [Vishnu Third Eye]: a god-tier seeing ability, to know that it was going to be a severe winter night. Maybe she''d y with her pet; get warm together. Who knew?


    Cold nights were the best for some wax y. The whole city would be silent and sleepy and no ve would dare disturb¡ª


    "Excuse me, Dowager?"


    Lilith turned, spotting a handmaiden standing with her head bowed behind.


    "Why are you shivering, wench? Raise your gaze!"


    The girl¡ªmortal no less¡ªlifted up soft blue eyes to the tall, smoky goddess. She looked like she was about to cry. She better not, Lilith admonished in her heart, and hope the girl could read her face, for her sake. "Well, what is it? Why the intrusion? GO ON, GIRL?!"


    The handmaiden, whose name was Skye, half-blood daughter of Lord Asmodeus, visibly shivered.


    "T-The Court i-is gathered, mdy."


    Skye moved to leave but Lilith held up a straight, pale hand adorned in rhinestone rings and sharp, onyx nails, motioning her to stay. The Dowager turned for a final nce toward the creeping snowstorm on the horizon, and left the balcony. She paused in her exit through the door to bear down on the handmaiden. "You need to work on your self-esteem, Skye.


    How else would you prove yourself to your father?"


    And with that, she left; poor Skye was trembling.


    Lilith clicked in astonishing heels to the castle''s war room, where the Court was assembled. This being the Court of Whispers, established by the very first fae Queen, Etheria to keep the Seely secrets and guard the magic of the realms. But ever since the Titansnding, the dark Dowager nowmanded its affairs. And she wasn''t sorry about it.


    A 10ft Mauler held the ck door open for her to walk in. He softly shut it after.


    "You called for this sit-down, Lilith! You could''ve showed a little respect by being punctual."


    Lilith cut sharp eyes at the speaker.


    Of course it was Thebault. But in this room, he was no more than a tolerated frenemy.


    "You mean like you did when you organized a fete for your whore and her favorite hybristophilian cunts?! HUH?" she railed back. Her voice held the silent authority that shut him up.


    The war room was currently full of the Fallen. [S Rank] to [SSS Rank] Principalities who controlled the ny percent life force of the Underworld.


    In here, were the likes of His Imperial Majesty, Lord Lucifer Morningstar; his blond brother, Lord Asmodeus Lustfyre, Mephistopheles the Corrupt; alias the Usurper, Moloch the Destroyer, the auburn bloodsucker, and Lady of the Nile: Lady H Tirnanoc; the most thirsty Vampiress since the [Medusa].


    They all sat in the war room¡ªadorned with utter macabre paintings of genocide by Camerlengo which hadn''t being stripped because Lilith found the bloodshed riveting; and statues of ancient orc warriors and dragon knights¡ªaround an oval stone table hewed from the marble floors, and reaching up to spread like a sentient, giant alien mushroom.


    A realistic 3D map was sprawled on the tabletop, rivers and mountains lighted by the sconces on the chamber''s walls. It was a hollow room.


    In this cavernous chamber full of immortals and gods, the King of Eldoria was but a fickle title.


    Lucifer tapped a [Supreme Druid] figurine, set with a tiny wood hat, on the spot where the map read ROCASUS, and he smiled at the Dowager. "Please, Lily, cut out your issues with Meph¡ªThebault, or whatever the fuck he wants to be called. You called us here. Tell us what the fuck this meeting''s about."


    Lilith sighed and sat down. She gestured to the cupbearer with ck cor behind, signaling him to fill her wine goblet with two fingers. She drained the expensive red wine before speaking. She first peered round the table; all of them in executive seats, none higher than the other. Even Belbys: the Yucat¨¢n harlot was present.


    Perfect!


    Lilith cleared her throat and began. She would spare none of them the whips of her tongue.


    "We, ALL OF US, sitted here tonight agreed that our conquest of the mortal realm would be absolute. AND QUICK. Yet, it has been a moon since our first official appearance on earth, and all we have managed is Eldoria. Now, it is a might continent, but in the grand scale of things, a mere speck on this fucking map!"


    She struck the painted paper with her long nail.


    "I don''t know if you motherfuckers have forgotten the n or something! We need to expand, to the isles, to Corynthia, beyond the Cold Sea, to Sardinia and Crete. . .THE PLAN WAS TO CONQUER THE KNOWN WORLD! To make it ours. To rule, together!


    I remember it. So should all of you!


    But for some reason, you all have being fucking preteens, constructing rape tents, orchestrating monster orgies¡ªand yes, I am looking at you, Asmodeus and Lou. You are the most worshipped of our Laveyan ves. Yet, I do not know if you want to conquer the earth and leaves portions for your many daughters or fuck them until they decide Daddy''s still shooting nks.


    And you, THEBAULT THE USURPER? YOUR MAJESTY?"


    Laughs echoed round the table.


    "¡ªdon''t fuckingugh," Lilith continued. "You are supposed to oversee finding the Apollyon. OUR MESSIAH in all of this. Do I really need to tell you how much of our n hitches on his shoulders? No. I don''t think I do.


    But all you seem to be doing so far is getting ass-fucked in arguments with your ex-wife. . .oh! Who is a Seraph by the way. Did you guys know that?!


    HIS WIFE IS A FUCKING SERAPH!"


    "Hell, Meph!" Belbys droned from her seat.


    "Shut up, bitch! You''re no better." Lilith instantly fired back. "Every fucking demon knows there is no greater slut than Belbys. It''s a fucking song! They call you a cum rag. Some days you don''t even know where you wanna eat Adonis'' ass or suck Hades off!"


    "Shit! It''s knives out today, innit, Lily?"


    Lilith ignored Lucifer''s rhetoric. She didn''t back down as Belbys sat straighter in her seat, self consciously covering her ample amount of cleavage. "From now on," the dowager fumed, "we will all do our part. You can keep all the virgins, and male concubines, and fucking lolitas you want, but we will do our jobs. There are Angels now on the mortal ne.


    Since we have broken the covenant and interfered with humanity, they can too. We have to be prepared that they would foul our moves. We must be swift and urate on the board."


    "Can you quit the board games metaphor? I don''t understand shit you''re saying?" Asmodeus lent.


    Lilith sighed and rubbed her temples.


    "Thebault, please from now on. . .act like a fucking King. Don''t walk around the pce in diapers¡ª"


    "I own the ce!" Thebault roared. "No one would tell me how to fucking live in my own FUCKING home!"


    Lilith''s eyes smouldered and poured out a poison of purple lightning. She said quietly, in such a hushed voice even Lucifer sat up in his seat.


    "Do not interrupt me again, Mephistopheles. You are only being tolerated in this Court. Do what we order, and shut your mouth. You are the reason we''re in this mess in the first ce. Find the Apollyon even if it means tracing your estranged Half-Angel daughter. I trust you can handle your ex.


    DO IT.


    But keep her at arms length. I don''t want hering too close to foil our ns. AND NO MORE FUCKING RAPING IN THE CASTLE. Do it for the sanity of the handmaidens that work here. And Lou, I''ll need you to deploy your Tormentors to work with the dragons patrolling the sea."


    The devil, raven haired and handsome, smiled warmly. "Will do, ma''am," Lucifer said.


    "Good. Now, Moloch¡ª"


    Lilith was interrupted by the coalescing of many shadows in the war room into one great mass. It soon sprouted limbs, and a head. The umbra writhed and solidified into a pale creature.


    A Spectre.


    "Your Eminences!" The female reaper bowed before all; her hollow eyes distracting from her beauty. "I have news about the Apollyon."

 Chapter 96: The Dark And Dreaded

    "FUCKING FINALLY!" Lilith reclined in her boss seat.


    "More wine!" Thebault pronounced, raising his ale goblet and grinning like a buffoon bad at his job.


    Lilith frowned at him, "we haven''t even heard the news yet."


    The King dropped his hand. Lilith turned back to the beautiful apparition. "Go on, my dear." In that moment, if Spectres could blush, that was certainly what was happening in the ghost girl''s face. "Lily might just make her redden!" Asmodeus joked to Lucifer.


    "Quiet over there, you two," Lilith chastised her brothers yfully, before returning her gaze back to the Spectre. [Female Spectres] were rare, but were considerably more powerful than the males, being that it took a higher dark mana to infuse a woman''s spirit so as to refuse crossing over, and the pull of the afterlife.


    The Spectre, embolded by Lilith''s ownmand of the war room went on with her news.


    "I bring d tidings to Her Eminence, the Lady Dowager and His Majesty, the King, and the high nobilty of the Court of Whispers. I, your faithful servant was watching the ck waves over the Helmsley cliffstones south of the shore front when I spotted in the distance the Red Dragon. Shey hovering over one of the little emergent isles of Corynthia.


    Finding it incredibly suspicious that a [Divine] Familiar trouble herself with some ind in the midst of the open sea, I flew off the heand to investigate.


    I found no sign of the Apollyon, but I found this in a Cabin over by a creek. . ." The Spectre floated over, since they didn''t walk¡ªbeing made of smoke and all that. She handed Lilith soiled bandages rusty brown with old blood.


    "The swaddlers were the only anomaly I''d found before I had to hide from the dragon''s looming shadow. I couldn''t afford to be seen. But I followed a trail leading up from the creek into a tributary that poured into a river; a river interconnecting several inds.


    If I may add, Your Ladyship, I''m of the opinion that the Apollyon was taken to that isle by someone close enough to know where he''d be during Titans Landing, and with intimate knowledge of the isles of Corynthia.


    I tracked a certain boatman, who Ipelled to lead me up the river to another ind where he imed to have dropped up a strange redhaired giant and severaldies. He described this young man to be fetching and walking with a cane. Since the Apollyon was wounded greatly, I think this is the most find we''ve had in weeks.


    This new ind is about a hundred yards in the southern crest of the Cold Sea. It is quite the jungle, Your Eminence." The Spectre finished.


    Her light voice funneled to a calm. The war room fell into dead silence.


    No one peeped a single sound as they all stared at the dowager: Lilith was gripping to the stained bandages tightly. She held it to her nose. Diamond tears leaked out the corners of her eyes. Her ck mascara smeared and she sniffed. No one had ever seen the Queen of the Night cry.


    Then, in a voice so quiet she almost went unheard, she whispered;


    "He''s alive. My Israfel is alive. The blood on the cloth is his. I can smell him." She clutched more to the bandages, a minuteter lifted her sheen of wet purple iris to the ghost girl. "Thank you. What''s your name, Spectre?"


    The Spectre bowed her head.


    "When I was yet alive, I was called Celeste, Your Ladyship."


    Lilith nodded. "Thank you, Celeste. Your efforts will not go unrewarded."


    The female Spectre was about to walk out when the King held up a hand. "Wait, Spectre!" Thebault called in a mocking voice. "Didn''t you just say a Red Dragon guarded the isle? Isn''t that your Familiar, H?" He swept a look in the direction of the goddess of war. H didn''t even blink. As a bloodsucker of the most pure vampiric origin, she had gotten her fair share of threats.


    "Yes. She is my Familiar, and [Creature Incarnate]. Myreen of Thrasos is her name. What has that got to do with anything?" H offered in an unperturbed poise to the round table.


    The Immortals of the Courts shared nces.


    Lucifer said, "That''s beside the point. Will this boatman be a problem?" He asked directly at the Spectre.


    Celeste shook her head. "No, Lord Morningstar. I handled him."


    "¡ªAnd by handled, you mean?"


    "His body is currently being fished out by the docks, along with the drowned [Gray Stags] of the fey Queen."


    "Good." Belbys remarked.


    King Thebault looked around the war room; he met the face every member of the Court. "Well, what do we do about the Apollyon? About WHO helped him? Now, that we know his location, I suggest that we¡ª"


    "YOU WILL DO NOTHING!" Lilith rose to her feet. Her nephew''s injury bandages were fisted in her iron grip as she stared down at everyone seated on her war table. "You''ve done enough, Thebault, don''t you think? For weeks, your search yielded nothing. And now a Spectre shows up with news, and you want to get on top of it. No.


    I don''t think so. Celeste and I will handle this. All previous orders stand. Remember what I said, brothers and sisters. Now we know where the Apollyon is, we must all y our part in bringing him back UNHARMED!


    That sound good?"


    Lilith waited to see the nods go up. She smiled, but it wasn''t a pleasant one.


    "Yeah, thought so! This Court is dismissed."


    She turned and left the war room, her high chair as Lady Dowager scraping the stone floors. Lilith put the bandages into her skirt pockets. She heard the murmurs arise behind her, but payed it no mind. The door cut out their voices. She walked a small distance in the court''s archway before pulling into a pir and hiding behind the white phallus.


    Soon enough, the Court left the war room, [Rank S] members making light conversation as they strolled in duos. They didn''t spot Lilith hidden in the colonnade.


    Finally, thest in the long file of Nobles walked past her hiding ce. Lilith clicked out in her heels.


    "H?" She called.


    The vampiress turned. She shrank a little in fear when she found the taller Dowager behind her. H shivered and walked back. She stop a pace from Lilith.


    "You saved my ass in there. You didn''t out me. Thank you, Lily."


    Lilith said nothing. She reminded stoic, but pained ire showed in her eyes.


    "Okay, on a scale of one to ten, how angry are you?" H asked.


    The courts passage was now empty and they were free to talk openly. Lilith sighed up to the baroque arches and its kingly gilden architecture. "I''m not angry at you, H. You saved him. You saved Israfel. I wondered and worried for a long time who picked him up from Emberfall''s ashes that night.


    I hoped to heaven that he didn''t fall into the wrong hands. I''m d it was you.


    I''m angry you kept me out the loop. Why didn''t you tell me?"


    H walked closer still and took Lilith''s hands in hers. "I''m sorry. Tensions were still high in the city when I took him. We had just conquered Eldoria, and I didn''t want Thebault thinking his victory wasn''t absolute. Not until Israfel was far, faraway from him. I''m sorry I didn''t tell you.


    I wanted to.


    I flew him across the Cold Sea and left him I''m Sekhmet''s care on that ind. She owes me."


    Lilith tucked back a strand of H''s full, red hair.


    "Oh! But now that his cover''s blown, we need to extract him."


    H nodded. "I''ll have my Familiar, Myreen divert the King''s wraiths."


    "Thank you," Lilith grinned. "I''ll send in my mighty ones. The dark and dreaded, to secure him for the time being until we''re able to finish his extraction. They''d be undercover."


    "I couldn''t have done it any better." The vampiress smiled back, and drew in and kissed Lilith full and heavy on the mouth, with tongue. A few secondster, she pulled back. "Are we still on for tonight?"


    "Of course," said the dowager. "Bring in another, preferably a male. I like variety."


    Laughing, both voluptuous [MILF]s left the war room and its grim courts behind.

 Chapter 97: School Shopping

    ? THE JUNGLE ISLE, CORYNTHIA


    A great ship full of merchants anchored by a small river north of the ind. Officially to sailors, and the natives, the isle was called Lakewood. But Aya Naamah, Rosamunde, and Rafel all called it Jungle Isle.


    "It''s here. It''s here! The merchant ship is here."


    Ravenna came running from the silver beach, through the green woods to the Abbey. It was their second week living in the holy parsonage, and Rafel was having the time of his life with the girls. It was a most wonderful vacation away from the rigors and politics he once dabbled in at the Eldorian Capitol, now Titans Landing.


    Sekhmet and Dr. Shetty had made a damn good argument to convince him school was the best option to level up, and reim soul coins again.


    But not just any school. The infamous Institute of the Dark Arts, the most exclusive private boarding college in all the continent; parents started bribing to save a spot for their children from the moment they were born. It was the Witch Academy! And it''s three new admitted students were:


    [Ding!]


    [Miss Rosamunde Spears]


    [Miss Aya Naamah]


    [Master Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste]


    The gold letters of invitation with the ck crow seal had arrived just this morning on the back perchs of the most dutiful, and trained snow eagles. [Miss Ravenna de Vries] was a returning student and didn''t get any letter. She didn''t scoff over it. She was happily a Second Year.


    A Sophomore, and ording to the Fourth Years, the best time of college life.


    "I''m so excited to show you guys around the [C. A. W]. It''s the most beautifully Goth ce I''ve ever seen. An Academy full of all thriving magical factions; sirens, Gorgons, werewolves, vampires, half-bloods; an inclusive arcane society. AND THE HEADMISTRESS ISN''T A BITCH!" Ravenna had said, fawning over her beautiful friends.


    It wasn''t that Rafel hated school¡ªafter all, he loved books and had aced home education. It was the idea of school he disliked. . .bullies and busybodies, and beer and hormonal teens, and social circles, and fuck! Everything he was too precocious for.


    ''Wouldn''t it be nice to finally act your age?'' he remembered Sekhmet''s words.


    At least, he''d get to see leggy Jailbaits in pleated miniskirts and schoolgirl braids!


    This was how Rafel came to find himself being pulled to the silver beach of Lakewood ind in hand by an excited Ravenna. He had being healing nicely, and could walk without the cane now, but he figured he''d keep it.


    It was a ndestine essory.


    Rosa and Aya were running at his sides, across the sands to the roped ship. Sekhmet was back at the Abbey. They had left her dressing a fat pheasant for lunch. When Rafel thought of the bosomy blonde woman waiting for him at home in tribal wrappers and sultry scarlet eyes, Rafel wished to he done with the current activity.


    ¡ªwhich was apparently, shopping for school.


    Back in the Underworld, he was homeschooled. He fondly remembered all the private tutors he had over the years. There was that Historian, a foreign [Siren] flew in on dragonback, who wore a beret and spoke with a stunning ent.


    She, was his first assfuck.


    It was s sensation he would remember for eternity.


    That gopherwood table; her scraping heels; her, holding her butt so he could pound in deeper; her shaky gasps; and the secrecy of it all. Only the best for the Apollyon, the Blood Prince. The Apple of Lilith''s eye. His billionaire Aunt had spared no dime of her soul coins to get him the best all-round education¡ªnot excluding sex ed.


    All the piano and [Archery] lessons. Study rooms in the day, and fights in the arena at night. His first Uncle, Asmodeus valued brilliance as key in the building of a warlock. The generous Lord Lustfyre provided for all his baby mamas and bastards.


    And by God, did he have them?!


    The swift murmurs of conversing voices cut out Rafel''s thoughts. They now stood on the ship. It was a whale of a yacht, but was certainly not rented its finesse. Other Inders were flocking in on the gangnks lowered to the shore too. They ran up the wooden bridges to the traders setting up for sale.


    The ship was a mobile market.


    "Nice!" Rafel looked around.


    Since the isles of Corynthia were so far in the Cold Sea, it took three days on water just to get to the nearest trading hub at Titans Landing, Inders forfeited the journey. The natives farmed what they would eat, and cultured the wild goats, and herded the sheep and bison and alpacas.


    The problem of clothing was solved whenever therge merchant vessels like this one anchored on a choice beach and opened up its colossal deck for a good day of sales. The traders made shops out of their cabins, and some even spread out to the white sands of the beach, using tall coconut, palm and banana trees as their shades.


    It was a beautiful sight.


    "It gives hope for humanity."


    "What?" Ravenna chirped. "What did you say?" she chuckled.


    "Uh, nothing." Rafel blinked and focused.


    The beach was now full of a crowd, a spectacle to conversing and bargaining, weaving in and out of tents on the seashore. More Inders paddled in from nearby isles to the trading ship which was now a mini port city of itself.


    Rafel was shielded from the rosy winter sun by a makeshift bamboo roof as he sat in a recliner in thergest boutique on the ship''s deck. Linens and sparkling apparels filled his eyes from everywhere.


    At least he had money to spoil the girls.


    It was the one thing Mephistopheles hadn''t taken from him: hard Eldorian currency.


    [?? LOYAL ¨C Major Lazer ft. Kizz Daniel.]


    "What do you think?" Ravenna turned this way and that in a fitting gold kaftan.


    Though a huge, standing mirror was beside the smiling modiste assistant, the girls preferred Rafel''s eyes.


    "Too shy, try another," Rafel suggested.


    Rosa also walked out and paraded in front of him.


    "Really? Baggy camos?" Rafel tried not tough.


    Rosa bowed her head. Pouting, she dove back under the veil into female dressing room. When Aya walked out, Rafel beamed.


    "Finally! You look ravishing, my dear."


    She had on tight blue rockers, a halfcut blouse, and thigh-high boots. Both Aya and the assistant blushed crimson under his hot stare. Ravenna peeped her head out the curtains. "Uh, I wish I had your fashion sense, Aya. Come help us, please. Rosa''s nearly fainted over the lingerie section."


    She met Rafel''s gaze and giggled.


    "Don''t worry, daddy. We won''t get too naughty."


    She pped the curtains shut. Rafel shook his head with a smile. A silver-haired, tattooed septuagenarian walked barefoot out the inner dressers. "We''re ready for you, sir," he said. Rafel rose from the recliner and went in to be fitted.


    By the time they were all finished with their shopping, it was dusk. Rafel had a small inkling of the millions he had spent, but he didn''t care. He still had several holdings in Titans Landing and owned a literal army. He was fine. As the sun dipped down past the ship''s red sails, he rented a stately carriage that ferried them and all their new boxes and paper bags to the parsonage.


    Sekhmet stood outside the Abbey, in a wonderful golden qipao with a long slit. Her curves made the dress a tight fit. And Rafel wished he could take her to school with him.

 Chapter 98: The Witch Academy

    [?? Material Girl ¨C MADONNA.]


    After another short momentous week, which had gone by so fast ording to Rafel''s timepiece, the long, swanky yacht that toured the inds to pick up students of the Corynthian Academy of Witches, by acronym [C. A. W] finally appeared on the vast blue waters early on the morrow of the first moon.


    It was an auspicious holiday; Rafel knew because Ravenna actually kept a countdown on some worn, ancient calendar she found in the Abbey''s library.


    However, when Rafel looked at the drying scripts, all he saw were stars and the tidbits, constetions.


    "You guys,e on! The yacht''s here, and I think we''re the first on board."


    Rafel heard Ravenna calling from outside. It was about seven in the morning, but the skies were still the soft blue of fading night above. Rafel gave thefy Abbot''s chambers he had called home for a fortnight now one final nce. He picked up a tiny book for their travels and softly closed the door.


    The Book of Souls was safely tucked in a towel in a hiddenpartment of his khaki military duffel.


    Rafel found a bunch of their collective luggage waiting on the gold steps at the entrance. Rosa was looking behind to the rise of the pagoda behind. She had a wistful smile on her pretty face, warm and cute. "I''m going to miss this holy ce. I wish we had more time to scour the secrets of Saint Tomasina and her monks."


    "I bet Sekhmet and Blue can manage that," Rafel answered.


    WOOF!


    The blue wolf yipped, hopping around Rosa''s legs.


    Sheughed and squatted to stroke the [Guardian] dog''s soft fur. Rafel watched her a moment before turning his sight to the silhouette of therge yacht on the open water. It was anchored close to the shores.


    From the steps of the Abbey, Rafel could see through the woods and palm trees; the several uniformed butlers working in prim decorum to move their luggage from the carriagesnding on the beach, ferried in small boats to the waiting ship, before dragged up by ropes of a fine crew to be hauled into the cargo bay.


    Their shiny boots were waterproof as the muddled on the white beach sands. All of them were in the employ of the [C. A. W], which made Rafel wonder just how much money the school had.


    He didn''t hurt his head on it. The students of the academy were sons and daughters of Eldorian high nobilty, multi millions in the treasury, trust fund babies, and notoriously wealthy bourgeoisie.


    ''Who am I toin? I''m stupid rich too.''


    As he rode in the decorated buggy with the girls to the beach where they would board, the distant lights of the yacht twinkled in his amber irises like stars. It was a ttering neon. Sekhmet also rode with them, wanting to be there to bid the final farewell and offer thest wet kiss. The closer the carriage got to the shore, the bigger the yacht seemed to grow.


    It had a lurking size on the water.


    "It''s so BIG. And pretty." The green in Ravenna''s eyes glowed and went round as she studied the immacte white boat.


    "¡ªpretty damn expensive!" Sekhmetughed.


    Ravenna hugged her goodbye and hurried up to the small boats that would ferry them the small distance across water to the ship. Rosamunde opened her arms to the high witch next. Aya Naamah hugged the longest. The Subus had shared more than just muff diving in the Abbey with the delicious blonde. It didn''t hurt to collect a goddess as a friend, the Lady of the Nile!


    Who knew when she would need to call in a favor?


    Rafel hesitated at Sekhmet''s side on the bank.


    She stared at him a while. "I promise I''ll visit."


    Her small smile lit her wine-colored eyes like a re. When she moved in to hug him, Rafel grabbed her and bent her in a dip, kissing and romancing her flesh right there on the beach. He fondled ample portions of her big butt, massaging under her skirts herrge, naked thighs; tonguing her hot mouth and drawing out a wanton moan from her. Sekhmet let him feel her out to his satisfaction.


    Rafel pulled back to peer down at her. He had no doubt she could feel his member poking at her belly. He could see her peaked nipples through her lovely royal silk. On the ship''s deck, a few butlers and attendants paused with trays and stared out from the glittery yacht at the open want below.


    "You are such a beautiful creature, woman. If I could sneak a finger inside you right now, I would," Rafel whispered in Sekhmet''s reddened ear.


    She whimpered as he drew her back up on stable feet.


    "UGH! COME ONNNN! We''re on a schedule here!" Ravenna rolled her eyes and addressed loudly from the small boats in front.


    Rafel gave Sekhmet a final pat on the ass and stole a swift kiss before he jogged for the ferry.


    Yes! He could jog now.


    His bandages didn''t soak at night anymore. It was a miracle. The lioness of Ra had worked her magic of healing on him.


    Rafel waved the best darned nurse ever from the suave decks of the yacht. The girls kept waving and cheering at Sekhmet who waved them back, until the beach of the jungle ind was just a smear in the sunrise. Before long, Rafel couldn''t see Sekhmet anymore. He sighed and turned back to face the real swankiness of their travel.


    Rafel waved off a champagne flute a passing attendant held out to him.


    He breathed deeply and stared into the alpine dawn, till the sun was too high and too bright for his vampiric pupils. Then, he looked away.


    He allowed a smile to himself.


    This was why he loved his millions; it afford him the utmost luxury.


    Rafel stood there, at the silver rail, watching Rosa and Ravenna gossip about their new school; Aya woo a miserable ship Captain; and even when the yacht stopped at other neighboring inds to pick up other admitted students. About thirty more prospective Magicians in the making flooded the exotic space. And Rafel could see in their upturned, roman noses the air of heir apparents.


    They loved being waited on by the servers.


    Rich kids were quite simr, despite their urge to be posher than the other¡ªif you knew what to look for.


    Rafel remained in his corner, refusing to socialize. One look at his infernal gold eyes, and the nosy bimbos let him be. There would be plenty of time to make friendster, he mused. For the moment, he just wanted to enjoy the ocean and people watch. He tried not to think of Cora as the blue sea danced before him like the swirly pools of her eyes.


    One more ring reason to ace his studies at the [C. A. W]: VENGEANCE.


    ''It will be swift and brutal.''


    ''IT MUST.'' his subconscious agreed with him.


    The yacht Captain, whose name was strangely Cap¨ªtan, came forward in his white marine beret and nodded to the schrs. His eyes were patient to their questions for he knew they were spoiled, and all of them used to being pampered and dotted on. He lifted his timber voice to rise above the sea waves and encouraged them to their vices.


    "The morning is fair,dies and gents. The winds are in our favor. All of you are now aboard THE MARINA. Our harbor in a few hours is to be the ports at maind Corynthia, where caravans will be waiting to bus you off to the Academy. But first, how about a pleasure trip round the ind, huh?"


    The students looked at one another.


    "Yatch rides are supposed to fun, am I right?" The Captain boomed.


    "YES!" A herald of teen voices assented. They raised silver flutes of wine and cheered, their young spirits ever open to the idea of a party.


    The captain, Cap¨ªtan, in his slick ponytail and silver beard lifted his hand to be heard above the chatter.


    "So please, my dear friends, look around, put on some music, breathe the scent of the sea; there''s a pool in the west area. The Marina is totally for your use. At least before you dip into grievous studies, let''s have some fun, SHALL WE?


    How ''bout that?!"


    "FUCK YEAH!" A pierced boy in a mohawk yelled and jabbed his hand in the air.


    Rafel observed silently as the Captain collected a flute from a nearby server and raised his ss.


    "YACHT PARTY!!!" Someone yelled and a round of festivemotion arose. Clothes flew in the air, and somehow, bikinis materialized.

 Chapter 99: Yacht Party

    [?? YOU ¨C The BossHoss ¡é Electric Horsemen ft. Ilse DeLange.]


    The pounding music hit the yacht so hard and fast the shiny windows tremored. The electric tunes and thudding bass brought out the greatest shocks in the bodies of the teenage, and semi-nude youthful flesh smashed here and there, gyrating to the beats. Someone turned up the volume, and people cheered higher.


    Each time the song hit a pause, the girls held up their hands and paused too, and just as it kicked back in with a vibrant pickup chorus, they wiggled tiny waists and slender hips, jumping on the boat''s silver deck and grinding like it was the Martyr''s Day.


    ¡ªand their parents thought they were in school.


    ''Funny,'' Rafel reckoned.


    The yacht''s crew seemed oblivious to the partying, and only interfered when the servers were hailed to bring in more fruit drinks and tangy spirits handed out in halfed coconuts. The boat careened in the water like a swan, like a ballerina prima donna, wowing the crowd on stage. The Marina''s white sails flipped gorgeously, riding the wind.


    This far out, there was nothing but blue sea, and big, bluer sky.


    Therge yacht passed by a small cier, and the flock of migrant penguins on the ice raised their head to the watch the curious band of college students and the metal sounds of their rave hitting the air. Cap¨ªtan waved and the flightless birds seemed to wave right back.


    Rafel made his way down the upper deck. The pool party was going on hot below. He climbed down the white steps, maneuvering his way past a couple of girls who openly ogled him amid their conversation.


    "Cheerio!" The blonde one raised her beer cup to him.


    Rafel smiled back. "Cheerio."


    Giselle had taught him to be polite, and easy on the mortals. He rounded the crowded pool area to the bar. Rosamunde was sitting on a stool facing the counter, drinking from a bluish ss with a little umbre stuck in it, and she waved him over.


    "Water, please," Rafel said to the redhaired bartender, then he turned to Rosa. "What are you drinking?"


    "Veggie smoothie." Her gray eyes twinkled at she smiled.


    "Uh!" Rafel visibly shivered. "I don''t know how you do it. I can never hold down anything that looks like bile."


    Rosa''s smile stretched and she shrugged. He noticed she had changed from the clothes she''d worn when they boarded this morning. She now had on boy shorts and a small button shirt tied in a butterfly bow just under her breasts. Rafel spied her golden navel and had the sudden urge to lick it.


    "You''re staring." Rosa stated, matter-of-factly.


    "Sorry, can''t help it. I have some beautiful child of heaven sitting two feet away, and she doesn''t even know it," he said, but turned away, swiveling on his stool to look out at the pool after grabbing his bottle of water.


    Out of the corner of his eyes, he caught Rosa blush, and unconsciously the girl inched closer to him by the bar. Together, they stared out. Rosaughed and pointed to the area where Ayay t on her belly as Ravenna applied sun lotion on her back. Aya was topless, and the sun kissing the oil on her skin turned her into a smoking daydream.


    Many shirtless boys were around them, sipping from their red beer cans. They didn''t even bother to hide their ogling.


    It was a pool party; if you didn''t want to be stared at, go hide in a fucking locker.


    When Ravenna reached the ample globes of Aya''s buttocks, softly rubbing lotion in like a trained masseuse, the boys oohed and ahhed.


    "Lesbians! Whoooee!" Somenky rascal catcalled.


    The other boysughed, whistling loudly.


    Aya''s purple bikini could be considered as a G-string tease. Rafel frowned.


    "When did she sneak that into her shopping list?" He asked of Rosa without turning.


    Rafel wasn''t jealous, but he was no cuck either. His women didn''t cheat on him. Rather, he fucked and imed other guys bitches!


    Rosa smiled at Aya''s curves. "I''m not gonna give you the answer you want, Rafel. But I can tell you this without doubt: she''s not wearing that thong for those rascally boys. It''s your money on her. She''s openly showing that she''s yours."


    Rafel''s pupils widened. "Woah, I never thought of it that way."


    "It doesn''t matter, mi''lord. She''s crazy about you." Rosa cleared her throat. "We all are."


    Rafel finally turned to her. And their eyes met¡ª


    Suddenly, the pool party and electric music melded into the background, along with the cacophony of voices. The sun. The glitter. The drinks. Theughter. The dancing.


    Everyone and everything.


    [?? Red, White & Boozed ¨C Moonshine Bandits ft. Colt Ford.]


    Before them, a boy jumped into the pool with a ssh, dumping water on those standing nearby and exciting giggles and cussing. The bikini blondes shook out their big hairs and tossed the booze cups at the boy. Heughed, sshing more water. The girls were obviously angry, but calmed down by his party spirit. He was just being a teenage boy.


    "Oh, well. Boys will be boys," she said to her friend.


    The energy on the yacht was raw, and if it were a club at night, a lot of smooching would be going on. Over by the left area on the ledge, a certain jock group pped for two topless hot models of girls who stood kissing in their center.


    "Yeah! Lesbos! Get some tongue in there!"


    The boys cheered them on, sneaking hands to the packing shorts and thumping each other on the back, their eyes zing at the sight of pink, perky boobs. "I love school!" A mangyd shouted at the top of his lungs from the rails. Several crew moved to grab him before he went plunging to his death. On the deck below, girls snickered.


    ¡ªbut Rafel didn''t see all of this. All he saw was Rosa, her delicious parted lips, and her soft indic body reaching for him.


    "You wanna skip the party and head off?"


    Rosa''s hot mouth was already open to concur, knowing very well by the ridge in Rafel''s knickers between their stools where ''skipping'' would lead to, when a tall boy abruptly broke in their middle.


    "Hey man! What''s popping?"


    Rafel looked up.


    Shit. It was Mohawk boy from earlier.


    He tried so very much not to punch the boy in his smirking face.


    On the other side, Rosa cleared her throat and looked away, the spell broken. Rafel grinded his teeth. The both of them said nothing in reply, hoping the Mohawk boy would leave. No such luck! Some people just couldn''t take a hint.


    "Hi! I''m Mikhail Romanov. I hail from Rocasus; was visiting an Aunt on an ind not to far from here when I got the letter saying I got admitted and needed to pack my shit. I know, bummer, right?"


    Rafel growled. He was like; READ THE ROOM, DUDE!


    The boy seemed to do just that, but surprised Rafel the more when he didn''t leave. He grinned profusely and so wide, that Rafel could count his teeth. "OH MY GOD! YOU GUYS WERE ABOUT TO GET FREAKY! I''m sorry to just barge in. I interrupted, didn''t I?


    I know I did. I''m sorry, man. Blue balls fuckin'' hurt!"


    He tried to p Rafel on his shoulder, but Rafel caught his wrist solidly, giving him a stern look.


    Mikhail Romanov dropped his hand and started to tremble. Rosa quickly moved to clear the air between the boys. "Hi, Mikhail. I''m Rosamunde. The broody redhead is Israfel. Pleased to meet.


    I like your hair. It''s really spiky. Are your piercings real silver?"


    The new kid shook her hand warmly. He visibly eased. "Yeah, they are¡ªFlorentine silver actually. Thank you. It''s nice to meet you too, Rosamunde and. .


    .Israfel. I apologize for my disruption earlier. Oh! But I can make it up to the both of you." He sidled in, raising his mascaraed eyebrows and resting his elbow on the bartop.


    "How about we go back in, but this time together? I''m proposing a holy trinity? What say you, huh? We could get this going in seconds. Allow me to say that you are a goddess, Rosamunde. You have the most appealing eyes I ever did see." He winked;


    "So. . .how about it? Shall we leave this party mongering to a quiet cabin where we can utterly love ourselves? I have to say, I''ve never done a dude before, but Israfel is quite. .


    . interesting," he looked Rafel over and Rosa nearlyughed, "have you ever being spitroasted, Rosamunde?"


    "THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN!" Rafel grinded out.


    Rosa moved to soften his words. "No, Mikhail. I''ve never being spitroasted before. But I''m sorry, a threesome just not it for me right now."


    "BUT THANKS, MAN?!" Rafel added sarcastically.


    Mikhail''s proud mohawk towered over Rosa as he leaned in to whisper, but just loud enough that Rafel could still hear, "I think he doesn''t like me very much."


    Rosa gave a softugh. "Don''t take it personally. Rafel doesn''t like anyone."


    "Well, that''s sad. He is so good-looking."


    "I know right!" Rosa shared a giggle with him under Rafel''s burning stare. "But off topic, are these all the new entrees for the Academy? ''Cuz Rafel and I are both First Years and we haven''te across any other person in our Junior Year."


    "I''m First Year too!" Mikhail rapped, smiling wide again. It was like he couldn''t suppress his urge to disy his immacte dentition to the world, Rafel mused behind.


    Mikhail continued. "To answer your question, no. These are not all the new entrees. There are othersing in front Titans Landing on a different ship. I doubt they are as ebullient as we are, you know what I mean? From what I hear, the new King?


    The Usurper? He''s kind of a dick. AND A PERV!


    ¡ªstrolls around in his fucking diapers all day."


    This made Ravenna turn from her silver recliner. She had being listening in on the conversation for a while¡ªsunbathing yes, but also listening. Despite, her father''s obvious corruption, it still hurt when people talked like that about him. The father she knew, her dad Thebault? He couldn''t swat a fly dead even if he tried. At thest second, he''d just drop his hand and let it buzz on.


    She turned on her belly, giving her back to the sun. Aya, who was beside her opened up her eyes.


    Violet and green pairs of eyes rooted on Mikhail.


    "I take it those are your friends too?" The tall boy asked, swiping at his lip piercing with his tongue.


    Rosa smiled warmly, nodding. "Mikhail, meet Aya and Ravenna. Aya''s a First Year like us. Ravenna is a Sophomore. Aya, Ravenna; meet Mikhail Romanov, the most pierced living soul I''ve ever seen."


    "Huh?" Ravenna eyed him as Aya softly extended her hand for a quick shake. ". . .tell me, Mikhail, you''re not by any chance rted to Tatiana Romanov: the new Legata of Rocasus, are you?"


    "Oh, she''s good!" The boy smirked, before sighing. "Yep! That would be my mother."


    Ravenna shared a look with Aya. The gorgeous subus shut her eyes again and Ravenna turned back around. It was the case of the pot calling the kettle ck. Mikhail kept staring at Aya''s sumptuous figure. "My God! If I was a girl, I''d find an excuse to tap that ass every minute of the day."


    "THAT''S IT!" Rafel lurched to his feet. He who had been silent now loomed imperiously over Mikhail. Rafel pointed to the boat''s silver deck. "Go find someone else to disturb, ROMANOV!"


    In the fury of his stature, the pierced heir of Rocasus hopped to his order like a good little puppy.

 Chapter 100: The Witch Academy [II]

    The yacht partysted a full day, and at dusk, the swanky boat finally edged to the shores of the [C. A. W] ind. Spilling rainbow lights from the lively deck of the Marina bathed the night as several anchormen tossed ropes to drag the ship into the bay area. Another boat had already harbored in. It was a darker, empty vessel and bore the Pentagon arc of the Usurper.


    "I''m guessing that was the one that picked up the students from Titans Landing," Rosa voiced beside Rafel. It was obvious. That boat had shared no joy like their immacte yacht. It made a yawning noise over the banks.


    All the teens aboard had forgone their bikinis and briefs to far more modest wear. Even Mikhail, the son of the Rocasian Legata, who had left their side at Rafel''s deft order only to return shortly, had put on tight pants and a suede red zer.


    Rafel looked over the red and gold colors on the jacket, with the little, silver pin in front¡ªa ck crow.


    "I hope we don''t need to wear the uniforms all the time." Rafel voiced his concerns. He very much like his concerns.


    Ravennaughed, joining them at the railing. She gripped the smooth bar and stared into the docks and nightfall; porters were advancing to begin thebors of hauling the students much cargo to the waiting carriages. Could rich kids pack? A certain girl had an entire pink box dedicated to her beauty potions. It made one wonder how she would fare without a vanity.


    As a Second Year, used to the system, Ravenna replied Rafel, "No, you don''t need to wear the uniforms all the time. Infact, I know plenty who don''t have it on past their Manifest¡ªand before you ask, a Manifest in a separation ceremony that helps split First Years into sses based on their strongest magical portfolio. Stay tuned to M|VL|EM|PY|R


    Take for instance, Rafel; from what I''ve seen, I think your strongest mana is [Hellfire]. As such, I think you''d be in the Phoenix ss. I am one of the few anomalies, or was I guess. . .now that I know I''m Half-Angel, hopefully the Headmistress can rectify my case.


    You''ll all have to say a bunch of mystic rites before the assembly and the spheres will show your potential.


    After that, in every other assembly onward, you''ll always sit with your ss, wear your colors, and socialize with your preferred click. Otherwise, you don''t need to wear uniforms anywhere else. It''s quite the parade. You''ll see!"


    Ravenna''s green gown rippled in the twilight as the sea breeze picked at her flowing skirts. She was like a willowy sprite, her dark hair long and cascading down her back. They were all walking down the wide wood bridges to drynd. Name tags were ced on luggages in case some fellow still hung over from the partying forgot to im his luggage at the school''s gates.


    Rafel didn''tin when Mikhail joined them in their caravan. He tolerated the Goth boy because he had made a friend of Rosa.


    A Romanov was now a friend of a friend.


    Wagons nked their sides with their boxes as they rumbled down a streetlit road. Mikhail looked for onest time to the fading beach and the swirly cusp of The Marina in her ports.


    "I''ll miss the yacht," he said, "but certainly not Titans Landing. I couldn''t get outta there fast enough. I thought I''d seen some pretty fucked-up shit...but demons? Hell! They are a horde of freaks. I once stumbled on them urging a poord to a female Centaur in heat.


    It was¡ª"


    "I think that''s enough, Mikhail," Aya cut him out.


    "Oh, sorry! I forgot you and Israfel are demons. Shit. My bad."


    Aya Naamah took Rafel''s hand in therge, moving buggy made like a van with several luxurious seats. The interior decor would more suit a royal inn. Aya knew there was millions of money between the docks and the Academy. Their stately rides confirmed it.


    She changed the conversation, turning to the side where Ravenna sat. She asked, "I hear they have elephants. Is that true?"


    "Elephants! Ostriches! Aurochs! And my favorite, the gold ducks. But at night is when the real habituals rise; the gargoyles and vampire bats. Don''t worry.


    They don''t harm the students," came the reply.


    Rafel stared as they passed under the gates leading into the Academy. The acronym, [C. A. W],plete with a livened ck crow sculpture was perched at the zenith of the pointed, towering spikes. The obsidian gems for its eyes cost a fortune. The eyes of each First Year in the long caravan rounded at the terrifyingly ultic gates.


    The atmosphere was distinctly Goth. And the only other way into the institute was a great ck river, with the form of a [Knight Titan] holding a sword over arge cauldron of eternal fire.


    The orange mes burned against the night skies. A giant bonfire, like the staff of a Druid.


    The weather changed suddenly on crossing the deadly wards.


    The arcane hex was an invisible web pattern that surrounded not just the school, but the entire ind. It was a [Divine] mastery charm, reinforced by those among the institute''s Professors who were elven Witches, by the mere act of breathing.


    To break down the wards, one would have to kill the witches, and to kill the witches, you''d have to break down the wards.


    An undying puzzle.


    No one uninvited had entered the [C. A. W] since its creation.


    The sudden cold, mists, and eerieness, Rafel was used to. But not the other First Years. They rubbed their arms frantically to stave off the horription. Rafel didn''t mind. The gothic weather was a step up from the weirdness of Emberfall. The rolling fog seeped into the bone.


    The tall trees creaked and there was a singing on the wind¡ªit was not cheerful.


    Rafel spied a goblin openly strolling the paved tarmac.


    Sentinels in the [Gray Stags] colors patrolled with torture wands in their hand. The tasers didn''t hurt the flesh. They hurt the soul, powered by the intent of the user. The school guards all walked inpany of trained [Guardian] pitbulls leashed to their waists by Familiar magic.


    Rafel was impressed. Aya and Rosa were peeking out the windows, ogling the monstrous high towers, builded in the most beautiful architecture and precious stones. The campus was a sight.


    "Damn! No wonder my Ma fought to get me in here. She payed top gold, and if we were friends, I''ll tell you she ckmailed too. We are friends now, aren''t we?" Mikhail divulged.


    No one answered; they were too busy staring out and pointing at the medieval luxury towers.


    It was a bit after dark when they rolled to an expanse of white dormitory blocks. "It''s coed housing, but in a single room, there can only be all female or all males. A pair go in a room. But it''s so big. My first time in there, I thought it was a hotel. You have your living room, bed areas partitioned in gold arches, a bathroom inside¡ªmine had a wfoot tub, and even a firece.


    It''s very homely.


    The only con are the walls, I guess. They are paper thin. But Brunhilda said she suspected it was made that way; to deter those raunchy lot who''d rather gossip or worse, fuck, than study. You can hear. . .


    everything. It''s chilling." Ravenna exined.


    As they all dropped off the caravan, the whole streets was lit in tawny, magicalmpposts. It rendered quite the enchanted effect.


    Ravenna walked together with the other of her First Year friends. They were met in a bright foyer themed like the interster universe by a tall, very leggy strawberry blonde. She offered her hand to Rafel and Rafel only, adjusted her horn-rimmed sses and spoke quickly.


    "Hello, First Years! Gosh! What am I doing? I''m a First Year too, but I''m Student President for our wing. I''m Erika, Erika Burgess. You are quite the good-looking bunch.


    Here, this is for you." She handed out room cards and a pamphlet for the many clubs. Rafel got a red room card.


    He blinked when the prim and proper, and slightly intimidating Student President moved closer and rubbed chests with him. "You have some very powerful friends already," she said. "The Headmistress sends her regards." She stepped back, the weird vibe fading as she pped twice. She looked round the group. "Well then, I guess I''ll see you guys tomorrow at the Manifest.


    Until then, WELCOME TO SALEM HALL."


    With that, the sweetly dictioned Erika Burgess turned, whistling and clicking her pen as she sashayed away.


    "Well, there goes the first bitch!" Mikhail sighed, earning a p on the shoulder from Ravenna.


    "Find your rooms!" She pointed into the resplendent corridors. "Go!"


    Ten minutester, Rafel was alone and swiped his key card on a bluish panel in a long hallway that smelled like flowers. A pristine door glided open with a swish. He walked in to find a well decorated and spacious lounge. One side of the wide suite was covered in posters of [Nymphos] and buxom Fae councilwomen. Rafel spotted his luggage on a wheeled carrier over at the right, the empty area.


    He had just taken a step when a bemp switched on in the adjacentmon room.


    "Wee, roomie," a dark voice said.


    ...and turning on a long sofa facing the firece was none other than Percival Van Imperia.

 Chapter 101 : The Ginger and The Blonde

    "PERCIVAL?" Rafel stared as the young man stepped into the light. The wisps of white radiance from themps in their shared living room fell into the boy''s golden hair. Percival was as blonde as he remembered; a bit rougher on the edges, but still the same golden boy of the royal family. In this case, FORMER royal family.


    "Hi!" Percival drew near and waved.


    Rafel flipped the switch and more light glowed in the room. He noticed Percival had lost the usual yboy vibrancy in his eyes. Gone was the warmth and perpetual smirk on his face. It was reced by a shadow Rafel knew all too well: grief.


    Rafel didn''t ask. But he wondered what the new King had done to the rest of the Royal Van Imperias. It couldn''t be anything good.


    Percival continued, "it''s you, er...Your Grace. I''m so happy you''re my roommate. I half expected a dork to show up, considering how the school council pairs roomies. B-But it''s you, Lord Israfel."


    Percival had a look of awe on his face, but the iris were sunken and bags under his eyes. Where did the confident truant of a Prince go? He waved it off in his head. His body had begun to pull signs. He needed rest. Internal healing made him tire quickly these days.


    He remembered that Percival was still standing and said, "I don''t know if you heard but I''m not Your Grace anymore. I lost my lordship and title in Titans Landing. Emberfall fell. Believe it or not, I only survived by the skin of teeth."


    "Yeah." Percival looked glumly. "It''s awful what those bastard did. And I get that they''re your folk or whatever, but they''re still a pile of turd.


    Did Ravennae with you? Hilda''s been asking."


    Rafel moved for his private corner of the room, separated by a crescent arch overhead zoned in gold. He plopped on therge bed; the area had free walking space and a closet¡ªthe entire ''room'' they shared was one big bachelor pad. Pulling off only his shoes, Rafel propped a pillow under his back as Sekhmet had always done, grabbed him another pillow, and settled in.


    "Yeah, she''s here. But I''ll be more coherent to answer all your questions after some shut-eye. It''s been a ship and a caravan travel here. I would love to get some sleep. You''ll meet my whole squad tomorrow. Brace up, my friend.


    Right now, the only thing on my mind is this Manifest ceremony."


    "Sure, Your Gr¡ªuh, Israfel. Good night." Percival switched off the lights and headed over to his side.


    Salem Hall went quiet, and remained peaceful and grand in fa?ade until the waking bells went up early at six o''clock. Teens began groggily rousing and Rafel heard the buzz of the general rm hit his ears through the speakers high on the ceiling. He was in the shower when he heard the voice of the Student President calling in the halls.


    Erika Burgess sauntered the clean and gleaming corridors with a [Voice Amplifier] rune hovering in her blowout hair as a magical butterfly.


    "Okay, people!" She announced. "First Years and welltter years, it''s Day One in the prestigious Salem Hall; the house that has been winning the Academy Grand Awards four years in a row. I am so pleased to announce it is Manifest day, and it promises to be a delight.


    So, get in your zers and stockings, boys and girls, it''s time to know your colors, be it Phoenix red, Pegasus blue, Griffin gold, or Raven ck.


    Either way, First Years, remember that Salem Hall loves you, no matter what distinguished faction you fall into. I myself hope to be in the Griffin ss. I urge the Sophomores, and Third and Fourth Years toe out and cheer for the newbies. You only get to Manifest once in your life!


    Remember dearies, we are the future of magic on the Continent. Attendance to the Manifest is mandatory. Please make your way to Magdalena Assembly Hall!"


    A boy with bedraggled bed head poked his head out his room to yell. "Go fuck yourself, Madam President! Quit screaming in our ears!"


    "Thank you for that inspiring, uh. . ment, my cherished brother. I''ll take it under advisement. She said this loudly, but under her breath, Erika muttered snidely. "Fucking wanker!"


    Rafel''s stomach was growling when he stepped out in a bathrobe, and he decided he would head first to the cafeteria for a quick breakfast. Who''d wanna ''manifest'' on an empty stomach? He found his bed neatlyid, and a box of a fresh uniform on the milk sheets. He picked it up. It was perfectly crisp from a hot pressing and the red and gold zer fit nicely.


    Percivalplimented on this as they walked out together. "It moulds to your body like scales on a merman."


    "Thanks, bro." Rafel was d the clothes didn''t grip to his thighs or biceps like he was some fucking barbarian.


    It was three short minutes to the cafeteria. Rafel learned each Hall of Residence had their private eating spot for those of that house, but other coffee shops and restaurants were dispersed all around the academy for those who wished for in-between bites, personal cuisines, or a taste of home.


    Walking down the halls was a trip¡ªbecause everyone was staring. Rafel was quite the eye popper. His ginger hair made him stand out, and couple with his infernal irises, he was one hell of an attraction.


    Mouths dropped open at his cks and shoes.


    Rafel did forego the polished standards for his own charcoalbat boots with the deadly soles. His gait was that of a military man. Rafel and his blonde, equally striking roomie, Percival were quite the duo.


    "I mean it''s not everyday you see a Ginger and Blonde who look like Apollo and freaking Hades," a staring brte in pantyhose said to her friend.


    When Rafel dipped into the hall cafeteria, the looks multiplied tenfold.


    The ce was packed. Apparently, everyone wanted a bite before the Manifest. He and Percival were the hot topics of every table as Rafel grabbed two trays and went for the inhouse chefs.


    "By the Martyr! I''ve never felt so aware of my looks in my entire life. The irony! This is when it hurts to be eyecandy. They''re all staring, man. It''s weird." Percival shifted from foot to foot.


    "Search for Ravenna; she''ll be at our table. I''ll get the food," Rafel whispered, only moving his lips softly.


    "There! Over by the window!" Percival said. "I see them."


    Rafel handed him his full tray, and quickly, the moved for the spot. There were five already at the long stainless table. Rosamunde and Aya Naamah, sitting close to each other, Ravenna and Brunhilda a pace away, and Mikhail beside them all.


    "You sexy motherfucker! This girls are eating you up," the pierced boy greeted Rafel warmly.


    Ravenna stood up to hug and wee Percival to the table as Rafel introduced Rosa and Aya to Percival for the first time. "...she''s my [Bond] subus," Rafel offered and Percival''s gold fae eyes bulged. The whole tableughed and the boys lowered their tray and took their seats opposite them.


    Aya slid off Rosa''s side to take Rafel''s. She had a concerned look as she questioned him.


    "Did you balm yourself this morning?"


    "Yes!" Rafel replied harder than he intended to. Percival and Mikhail chuckled.


    Aya wasn''t bothered. "I''ll need toe overter to change your bandages."


    "Alright."


    More snickers.


    "Do you need milk?"


    "What?" Mikhail guffawed.


    Aya didn''t even spare him a nce. It was Ravenna who swatted at his arm.


    "No." Rafel growled under his breath, grabbing and crunching his apple.


    The group made small conversation, mostly on the topple government on Eldoria, churning politics and betrayal, newest scandals at the institute, and for the First Years¡ªwhat [Creature Faction] they wanted to be in. Rafel ignored the staring piercing into his back like hotnces behind.


    He intentionally faced away from their closest table: the cheerleaders and socialite queens; their group of vain models given the audacious monicker, the Pynks.


    Erika Burgess was the lead of this group.


    Rafel had no time for drama, so he ignored the cat purring of the Pynks¡ªtrying to rub against his manhood with their feline wiles.


    "So what''s the deal with her?" Ravenna locked eyes with Erika across their table. The girl wasughing and flipping her long strawberry tresses in a wave intended to attract.


    "Oh, Erika?" Percival scoffed. "Her father was a Rat-catcher under my cousin, Giselle''s reign. Now, he''s a prominent Magistrate in Titans Landing. He bent the knee to the Usurper."


    Rafel offered Percival his cheesecake. It was good, but it wasn''t Sekhmet good. The chefs had nothing on his nurse. He noticed the same pallor as the night before had returned to Percival''s cheeks. Just like that, the glory of elf magic within him was smothered; his beautiful Sunfire pupils sunk, and the light was diminished when he looked up.


    Rafel finally brought himself to ask the question.


    "What happened to your parents?"


    Percival''s eyes misted up and his fists balled, shaking in anger.


    "Thank piece of shit, Moloch did. . ." He broke out for a second, but forced on. ". . .he raped my father and mother, before beating them to death.


    They would not bend the knee."


    Their whole table went quiet. Luckily, everyone had finished eating. Percival bent his head, crying softly. Rafel¡ªagainst all he''d ever known, touched a hand to his roommate''s shoulder. No wonder the boy looked like he''d just stepped out the Vale of Magvath. "I wish I could take the pain away," said Rafel.


    "I''m sorry," both Ravenna and Brunhilda offered as one.


    Rafel didn''t know how long they stayed in silence, but the clock struck eight o''clock and the bells came ringing. And the students put apart their breakfast trays, rising and starting a conspiratorial beeline for the Assembly Hall.

 Chapter 102 : The Manifest

    [?? Believer ¨C IMAGINE DRAGONS.]


    The Headmistress of the Corynthian Academy for Witches, Doctor Nicara Shetty sauntered into the hall of seated students with an air of calm devotedness and confidence. Brilliance shining in her eyes, she was quite the exquisite picture. Maybe a bit too humble for her [S Rank] status as a [Feline Shifter], Dr. Shetty was tigress and pack Alpha. But when was humility a bad thing?


    As she moved up the raised dais in front of the Assembly Hall, she was the picture perfect ''hot auntie you went to visit and had a rager for''. Her auburn hair in the light was glossy and up in a ssy bun. She wore avender pantsuit without the jacket, and the entire male poption in the hall were certainly not staring at the rich red carpet that ran up to the aisle from the high doors.


    The brief glimpse of her shapely hips and rounded ass before she was hidden out by the ss podium was enough to make many teen boys stretch out on the crimson chairs and adjust their crisp pants.


    Dr. Shetty started her speech when the pping quieted down¡ªshe was loved by all her students.


    "Good morning, fellow witches of the Institute. I''m sure many of you know this redhead by now," she pointed to her beautiful face andughter rose in the hall. "¡ªI was there when your doting parents dropped you off in your cut jeans and inked hair, wishing you''d leave this fair academy with some sense of your future." Moreughter. ". .


    .and I WILL be there when you are caught wanking in the middle of the school garden or turning your illegal slumber party into a spin-the-bottle kissing booth.


    I mean¡ªJUST SAYING!"


    The hall was raucous now with giggles, and some posh girls sniffled as they held tissues up to their leaking eyes. Dr. Nicara was quite the actress, and the faces she made. . . phenomenal.


    All the students agreed she was the most exciting Headmistress in the long history of the [C. A. W].


    Even Rafel smiled in his seat. He was in the fifth of the left column dedicated to the First Years. The right column sat the grinning trope of Sophomores to the Fourth Years. They are wore their colors proudly; one girl even had a sash of her Pegasus blue,plete with the totem of the winged horse around her neck. She cheered on for the Headmistress.


    "Come on GUYS! AM I THAT FUNNY?"


    A booming "YES!" went up at Nicara''s engaging voice and the hall was brightened in many glowing teen faces. Even Percival, who had taken the seat beside Rafel, furthest from Rosa and the rest of their gang had lost his moody air.


    Rafel looked past his row, across to Ravenna who sat with her fellow Second Years. She was staring at the lovely form of Dr. Nicara like she was a female Prometheus with the [Godme]. She gave him a little wave. He guessed that was why the young magicians in the making loved Nicara so: she could turn up the heat in a crowd faster than a pyromancer with a lighter.


    The good kind of heat!


    Rafel knew she brought so much ease to the school activities which could be grueling: the First Years were already falling in love with her. Probably why she''d been Headmistress for such a long time.


    Just like that, with her appearance, the lurking fear of Titans Landing had faded, and no one in the Hall was thinking about the Usurper.


    "She''s quite the woman," Percival leaned in to Rafel.


    "The shit she is," came the reply, and both boys shared a fist bump.


    "GO TIGRESS!" A blonde Third Year yelled in her row. She was clearly crushing hard on the Doctor.


    Nicara had to raise up her hand to quieten the flood of voices in the grand hall. She adjusted her ivory spectacles, saying,


    "Now, now, my dears; we must get to the business of the day! Firstly, for those of you who don''t know my name¡ªor just wish that I say it again, DON''T LAUGH, I am Nicara Shetty, a Doctor and Professor of the Arcane Arts. And before you ask, no, BOYS; I won''t be teaching your ss."


    "Aww, man. FUDGE!" Mikhail moaned, andughs broke out around the hall. Rosa poked him in the ribs to be quiet.


    The Headmistress briefly met Rafel''s eyes in the seats, and she shared a private smile, just for him.


    "She''s smoking hot. No cap!" Mikhail offered. "And I hear she''s descended from the Carpathian bloodline. Who wouldn''t want a bite of that?"


    The double entendre of his question was not lost on Rafel. But his thoughts were turned to the Headmistress who was speaking out.


    ". . .a round of apuse for our First Years! Come on. May they never stumble in on a weird tryst or miss their sses for suddenly happening on the gym." Theughing was endless. "Please, do give the newbies proper directions!


    And no, not to your rooms, you studs!"


    A pounding started from a group of boys at the back: Fourth Years, who still hadn''t quit their rascally behavior. They stomped on the floors, talking in bassy voices and giving each other manly shoves. They stopped when Dr. Nicara sent them a look.


    She was still a pack Alpha after all.


    "Now to the main event," Nicara asserted, waving her hand and summoning to her palm a golden script of names. The list of the First Years. It took nothing more than a wrist fleck. Despite being a Shifter, the Headmistress had excellentmand of wind magic.


    "¡ªThe Manifest!


    "Okay, here''s how it goes: we have three houses of the Institute, namely, SALEM HALL, BRIGHTBURN HALL, and COPENHAGEN HALL. I trust you, First Years have already settled in your coed dormitories. We also have the [Mystic Arcs] you''ll each be separated into based on your most dominant element control. Your Mana Core will determine this."


    Therge screen behind her on the opulent stage shimmered in dazzling stars, and the gigantic image of a girl in a red shawl with a phoenix leaping in mes outshining from her back.


    A totem.


    "This is the first [Mystic Arc]!" Nicara announced.


    A hologram in maroon projected next to the model''s picture.


    [Ding!]


    [PHOENIX ARC]


    Another image slid in, this one of a dark boy in blue capes, with a sphere wand.


    [Ding!]


    [PEGASUS ARC]


    The next was a ttering blonde bombshell in a princess gown, a tiara of pure gold on her head. Those on the right row whooped and cheered; those in golden jackets¡ªwith the shrieking Griffin badge.


    [Ding!]


    [GRIFFIN ARC]


    Thest image dulled the entire Assembly Hall to a macabre dark. A Goth girl with magenta streaks in her purple hair appeared on the screen. Her clothes were distinctly ck. She wore a peaked Witch''s hat and had a raven pendant dangling down her neck. Even her smile for the picture was scary.


    [Ding!] came the final hollow.


    [RAVEN ARC]


    The screen peeled back to the pure silver holding the Academy''s crow crest. The Headmistress took the stage once more as the lights brightened again. She eased into the spotlight, glowing in stars like a [Silver Saint]. Nicara said,


    "I will now exin the Arcs:


    [Pegasus Blue] arc is totem for water and spirit magic. Should you manifest aquakinesis and touch of healing as your strongest mana, you will fall here.


    [Phoenix Red] arc is for fire, lightning and sanguine. Blood magic and pyromancy is paramount. All vampire children among the First Years would automatically fall in here. Demonic factions are dominant in this arc, but please keep an open mind.


    The arc crystal which you will touch to manifest does not lie.


    [Griffin Gold] arc is totem for wind and [Sunfire], but includes wild magic and control over flowers and vegetation. And I don''t want to hear anyone calling it the BLONDE ARC. Yes, they have many Blondies among their faction, but the colors don''t make the witch.


    The manifest does.


    [Raven ck] arc is thest I mention, but not at all at the bottom of mystic orders. The midnight raven is the totem for shadow magic, energy, and the arcane threads; be it dark demonic or pure angelic. We have seen those manifest to this arc level up to be [Thrones] and Cherubim.


    Don''t sell yourself short because of the Arc you fall into. Our first graduant, the great Magdalena was of Salem Hall and [Raven Arc], but she didn''t let the obsidian of her colors ink her future. I''m sure I don''t need to tell you all she graduated into a [Supreme Witch] and the first Dark Angel of the Eldorian colonies of her time.


    Your various Halls, be it Salem or Copenhagen are made to contain students of all sses and Arcs. Your roommate may be a Sophomore in [Phoenix Red] or a Fourth Year in [Griffin Gold]. This is not a slight, but was instituted by the School Board to facilitate mixing of factions, despite their differences.


    We have graduants who were Griffins and Ravens grow to be lifelong friends.


    As we know, Magdalena is now ascended, but we are still hoping she drops by in one of our alumni meetings."


    The studentsughed, though many hearts had be to thrum in anticipation and fear; whatever future they had in the arcane society was hinged on what they would manifest today.


    Dr. Nicara Shetty gave a pause to let the rows of antsy First Years cool their pumping pulse. It was a full minute before she held the golden scripts with their names and began to call.


    "Coming out from Brightburn Hall, we have our first FIRST YEAR; Bryan M¨®ntehugh!!!"

 Chapter 103: The Manifest [II]

    "BRYAN M¨®NTEHUGH!"


    At the mention of his name, a boy rose up from the first row of the left column where all the First Years were seated. The boy, Bryan, had blue eyes and his distinguishing feature was that his hair was also blue; probably an Antean, Rafel reasoned. It was merfolk who had natural hair as pink or purple.


    Bryan stepped up a raised tform before the Headmistress''s diamond podium. This one had a single armless chair on it and in front was a stalk of pure ivory, bearing in its concave top the [Arc Crystal]. Like open palms, the white sphere rested in the curve of the alien orb.


    Bryan took the seat.


    "Please, Master M¨®ntehugh, ce your both hands on the Arc Crystal. Open your mind and let it read your energy. The location of your Mana Core might feel a little twinge."


    Bryan did as instructed. He closed his eyes. Rafel watched intently. It seemed like forever, but it was just a second. The sphere of white gold glowed brightly atop the stalk. A sentient voice spoke as a shimmery blue holographic message floated into the air above Bryan''s head.


    [DING!]


    [Bryan M¨®ntehugh: PEGASUS ARC!]


    On the right column in the hall, the students in blue jackets started pping as Bryan rose, stepped down, and calmly walked over to take a seat among his new witch faction. The boy''s strongest connection to the mystic-verse was Water and Spirit.


    "Casperus Pickens, out of Brightburn Hall!" Nicara called out thr second name.


    "What kind of a name is Pickens?¡ªmust be from the open country," the Fourth Year boys at the back of the hallughed and shoved each other.


    This time, Casperus, an albino with apletely shaven head and earrings running up the entire circumference of both his ears stepped up to the Manifest seat. When he touched the crystal, it glowed softly before dimming into ck. Tufts of smoke was seen rising from the orb and darkening the holding stalk.


    [DING!] A dark hologram apparitioned.


    [Casperus Pickens: RAVEN ARC!]


    He too, rose and went to join inrades, feeling right at home in their ominous Goth enve, ck jackets, and hardcore fashion sense.


    Dr. Shetty called more names. And the arc granted their manifest.


    [DING!]


    [Erika Burgess: GRIFFIN ARC!]


    No one was surprised there. But the svelte Student President still danced when the crystal glowed gold and flipped her long hair as she pranced for the circle of gold jackets. "You''re not even a real blonde. Your hair''s strawberry," someone yelled in the crowd. Erika ignored it.


    [DING!]


    [Yvonne Colli¨¦rs: PHOENIX ARC!]


    [DING!]


    [Jean Fogarty: RAVEN ARC!]


    Rafel ignored the dinging and pping, turning his mind to Coraz¨®n and how he still hadn''t found her body. It was a mild salve to her tragedy, for he still didn''t want to believe she was dead. He missed her, especially in moments like these. Annabelle also, his ve Huntress was MIA. Hmm, where could an Immortal go to find sanctuary?


    Rafel refocused when the gorgeous Headmistress came calling with the name of a friend;


    "Out of Salem Hall, Rosamunde Spears!"


    Rafel watched as Rosa stood and eased of the row. She walked to the high chair and took it, cing her two hands, palm down on the arc crystal as the others had done before her.


    [DING!] A midnight glow and a ck notification.


    [Rosamunde Spears: RAVEN ARC!]


    Rafel smiled at this. How fitting? Rosa was nothing if not a girl of shadows and mysteries. She didn''t return to her seat. Rather, she found her way to her ve of inked freaks and weirdos with piercings. The guy who made space for her had a dyed green unibrow.


    Rafel would never understand his reason.


    His other friends were called.


    "Out from Hall Copenhagen, Aya Naamah!"


    Aya stood, and the boys were pping even before she started walking.


    Aya was too damn sexy walking down the red carpet aisle. The sway in her hips was hypnotic, and her bust was a¨¹ natural. The males whistled for her, and when she lowered to the Manifest chair, some idiot in the back bellowed, "Yes, Mami! Smother that chair!"


    The [Arc Crystal] glowed blue at her touch, and the bros in the marine jackets were already rising to give her a standing ovation.


    [DING!]


    [Aya Naamah: PEGASUS ARC!]


    As Aya moved for her faction, she was weed with open arms. Boys stood up their seats for her, but she didn''t indulge their stares¡ªthis subus already had a master. Erika Burgess, in her faction of yellow jackets glowed green with envy.


    "Ugh! I don''t get what''s so special about her!"


    "Her breasts?"


    Erika cut eyes at the girl close to her who had drew in to reply.


    "What a delicious young woman?!" Even Dr. Shettyplimented from behind her ss podium. "Next from Brightburn Hall, Mikhail Yurishev Romanov the Third."


    Rafel focused on what his remaining friends manifested.


    [DING!]


    [Mikhail Romanov: PEGASUS ARC!]


    [DING!]


    [Percival Van Imperia: GRIFFIN ARC!]


    [DING!]


    [Brunhilda Penderghast: GRIFFIN ARC!]


    Percival got quite the cheer when he took his ce among the Griffin Golds; not only was he Fae royalty, he was also a smashing blonde. As far as his faction and the entire academy were concerned, the Van Imperia dynasty would always bear the true im to the Eldorian throne.


    "The next person I''m about to call is not a First Year, but a Sophomore. And those of you present in this very hallst season were witness to the fact that she didn''t manifest with her peers. Not as a failed student, but for some reason her mana core was locked and so deprived of Cosmo it was impossible for the [Arc Crystal] to sense her.


    And so, having spent few months with us, we will be giving her another chance to manifest.


    This young woman ising out from Salem Hall. Please wee RAVENNA DE VRIES." Dr. Nicara Shetty presented.


    The pping dulled to a trickle when her surname settled on the students ears. "USURPER BITCH! Get her away from the arc. She''ll corrupt it¡ªjust like her father!" The coward who shouted these vile, but true words hid his face. Now everyone knew Ravenna was the daughter of Thebault de Vries, the King and Usurper. She should be respected, worshipped, but she was despised.


    The Headmistress stepped up to the challenge.


    "Hey! There''s no judgement here. The sins of a man are his only. One doesn''t inherit shame. I don''t think I need to remind you, Normandie, of that¡ªconsidering you have quite the scandal with our Gamekeeper''s prize mare, do I?" Nicara mmed the coward.


    Laughter bubbled up in the hall and for the sake of their beloved Headmistress, the young witches gave Ravenna a chance. She took the Manifest high chair for the second time.


    [DING!] The crystal''s pristine glow dulled to a grim, darkest purple. Rafel anticipated the next hum.


    [Ravenna de Vries: RAVEN ARC!]


    "Praise be! She''s finally shown an arc!" Nicara visibly glowed, like she was proud. Unlike the Griffins, the Ravens epted the green-eyed girl into their circle. Infact, the reality of it was that her father being the god of Corruption greatly favored her standing with the dark-loving faction. Ravenna did find those that would worship her.


    She suspected her sessful Manifest had something to do with discovering the truth about being Half-Angel.


    A smile she couldn''t suppress hit Nicara''s lips, and while the entire Assembly Hall wondered why the Headmistress was blushing, she said, inviting to the chair a beautiful young man;


    "Coming out again from Salem Hall, we have Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste!"


    This time the majority of the crowd went on their feet. Boys. Girls. But girls more than boys. The apuse was viral. Rafel didn''t even know he had this much kids crushing on him.


    All present had heard of him. If it wasn''t the tale of the handsome, semi-divine, 18yr old hero who had destroyed the crusade of the Nephilims, leading the charge with the mighty Anteans and Eldorians in tow; it was the gossip of the super, duper hot, redhaired hunk that lived in Salem Hall, going about the school.


    Either way, Rafel was turned into something of a demigod.


    He took the Manifest high chair, touched the smooth sphere with both hands, but he didn''t close his eyes. He discovered the arc crystal was quite cold for such a wondrous mystic.


    All the lights in the hall immediately winked out!


    "WHAT THE¡ª"


    Rafel was as stunned as the rest of the crowd of seated pupils.


    [Ding!] His system came on silently in his head.


    [Blood Sphere seeks bonding with Mana Core?]


    [Yes, or No?]


    ''Yes,'' Rafel delivered telepathically.


    And the lights came back on!


    He looked down and his hands were glowing, but not any certain faction color. He could make two distinct hues of red and ck pulsing in the crystal under his palms. He wondered what it meant.


    [DING!] The voice of the sentient Manifest shrilled robotically, with the apparition of a hologram showing both crimson and swarthy notifications.


    [Israfel Bl¨¹dth?rste: PHOENIX ARC!]


    In her seat among the Pegasus Blues, Aya visibly sighed. But then. . .


    [DING!]


    [Israfel Bl¨¹dth?rste: RAVEN ARC!]


    In the seven hundred year history of the [C. A. W], no one had ever showed the same grand affinity for two factions. It was. . .impossible.

 Chapter 104: The Magically Impossible!

    ALL THE STUDENTS WERE OPEN-MOUTHED.


    Rafel himself was bewildered, but his face rested in a calm¡ªwhich made the rest of Magdalena''s Assembly Hall worry even more. Inwardly, Dr. Shetty was d; she knew young Master Israfel was special from the moment he had first stepped foot on the isle way back. Nicara showed no signs of her being puzzled. She schooled her features into a poker face.


    The hall watched the pretty, curvy redhead of a Headmistress step forward to take control of the situation. Nicara called to the summoning system of the Manifest.


    "Arc Crystal, show the bonding strength of Master Israfel Bl¨¹dTh?rste!"


    Many students drew near to peer closer from their seats as the wide stage screen filled with intense light and a hologram. The left column which sat the First Years now only contained an tinkling of those who were yet to take the Manifest.


    [DING!]


    The Arc Crystal burned fiercely on its cusp, lighting the high chair and Rafel in pure radiance. It damn near showed the blue veins under his skin. The lit screen pushed out more notifications. Dr. Nicara Shetty stared from the spotlight of the podium.


    [MANA AFFINITY for host: ISRAFEL BL¨¹DTH?RSTE now showing!]


    [RAVEN ARC of shadow and arcane Affinity: 99]


    [PHOENIX ARC of blood and fire Affinity: 99]


    [PEGASUS ARC of water and spirit Affinity: 91]


    [GRIFFIN ARC of Sunfire and wind Affinity: 96]


    "HOLY SHIT!" someone muttered in the quiet that had fallen over the assembly hall. Everyone looked to their neighbors to converse, but in whispers, their gazes flicking repeatedly to the hologram on the stage, as if the notifications would disappear. It didn''t.


    Everyone was talking.


    "Surely, the arc crystal must have the numbers wrong," a Sophomore of Griffin Gold faction said to another. A Pegasus Blue Third Year on another row was twisting at her curly hair. "No one can make a 99 percent mana affinity in their Manifest.


    That kind of greater range is for the dominion of the rank Acolyte and further up the wizardrydder." A First Year, just newly manifested; of the Raven ck arc: a girl with lip rings and purple streaks in her hair fade was staring up at Rafel like he was an item in a curiosity shop.


    She yed with her fingers, soliloquizing, "The strongest bond strength the Academy has had in centuries was 73, of the Griffin Gold, and that pupil has a less than 20 count for the other arcs. To have greater than ny percent in all arcs and twice the uppity merger in Raven and Phoenix is a spike of the [Supreme].


    It is magically impossible!"


    Clearly, in her radiant obsidian eyes, the purple-haired Raven had found a new crush.


    The noise in the Assembly Hall was growing, and Nicara knew the murmurs would flow on forever if she let it. Carefully, she ced her palms t on the diamond surface of the podium. The ss was cool. Pulling on wind magic, she dropped the temperature of the hall several degrees¡ªwith her mind.


    The plummet in ambient warmth took less than ten seconds.


    And when the students began to shiver and suddenly breathe out puffs of mist, they quietened to investigate. Some Third Years of Griffin arc spun radiant balls of fire that rose up to the domed ceiling. In the ensuing silence, Dr. Shetty spoke; she didn''t need to raise her voice at all¡ªthe fierce power of magic.


    "Now that I have your attention, students, I will now address this matter. While the bonding of a student with two arcs is. . .a stretch beyond what we know of, I personally I''m curious to explore what this means for the arcane society. The [C. A.


    W] is always ready to ept evolutions in the magical purpose we serve.


    I''m sure you have all heard of the Crusade of Rumbrun, and the heroic feats in it which the young man before you was instrumental in.


    Israfel Bl¨¹dth?rste is no stranger to the use of the dark arts. I will reconvene with the School Board on this, but right now, Master Bl¨¹dTh?rste will keep his ce in both factions. He is free to either wear the maroon or midnight colors of his choosing. The Arc Crystal does not lie. As Student President, Erika Burgess of Griffin Gold will ensure he eases into both arcs until a decision is reached.


    Now, let us finish up with the Manifest. It near lunchtime!"


    Dr. Nicara looked down at her expensive Florentine watch, andughs broke out among the factions.


    "Thank you, Israfel. You may go on."


    Nicara motioned for him to leave, and he rose up from the high chair. Since Rafel had always loved the color of blood, he strutted for the area in the right column dominated by red jackets.


    The crimson colors of [Red Phoenix Arc] merged into him as he settled himself into a seat in their gathering. Aya was in blue. Rosa and Ravenna in ck. No one in Rafel''s friend circle was in sight. But a willowy Fourth Year, a girl with dark dreadlocks and caramel skin, leaned in to whisper,


    "Hi! We are so delighted you chose us. It is an honor to have one who fought in the battle of Skyfall in our Arc. I have just the perfect zer for you¡ªit will go splendidly with you hair."


    Rafel only nodded. The girl''s glitter made him want to shut his eyes.


    The Headmistress had called a few more names in the minutes past, and now only a single seat was left taken in the column of First Years. Rafel initially spared no thought to the lone soul over there. From the curve of her back and gentle sweep of her neck, she was a girl.


    And she wasst on the Manifest rollcall.


    Paramount of all, he noticed her glossy bright silver hair¡ªbut many people had white hair.


    He was busying himself admiring the hips on his Headmistress and hertent smile when those fine lips of hers pursed in a final call.


    "¡ªand thest, but certainly not least on our Manifest, we have a True Blood. Coming out from Brightburn Hall, CORAZ¨®N MORTIMER!"


    Rafel was smiling and fantasizing when he heard the name; the grin died on his face. It was like someone had abruptly cut the dreamy music in his head. . .


    No! It can''t be!


    Cora is dead!


    His mind was firing a million miles a minute, thoughts banging so hard it hurt his psyche; he was turning over the facts, running through doubts again on how. . .why she might be alive.


    Still, he raised his eyes again to look at the tall female who had taken the Manifest high chair. Her blue eyes, so fucking blue, cut clear as ice into the crowd. Her hair, so blond it shimmered like snow.


    It was her.


    Any doubts he had at her being real vanished when he saw her tight-fitmando pants. She was still the Tomboy he remembered.


    Forgetting himself, he lurched to his feet.


    "CORAZ¨®N!"


    The hall went quiet. Everyone looked between he and the tinum blonde about to Manifest. But his former chambein''s eyes were distant. There was nothing in those ocean blues. No fucking recognition! He was like a stranger in her eyes.


    Rafel looked across rows of filled seats to Aya Naamah, for rity. His [Bond] subus shook her head.


    Rafel plopped down on his seat.


    WHAT THE FUCK?!


    Yes, it was his Coraz¨®n. . .but again, it was not her.


    WHAT THE HELL HAD HAPPENED THAT NIGHT IN EMBERFALL?

 Chapter 105: Goddesses Gone Wild [18+]

    [A/N: I just clocked 100K views today, my cherished readers. Thank you all so very much. This is a bonus chapter, and it features adult content to the extremes. Please be warned!]


    [#Hardcore #Threesome #Futanari #Nun #Whore #Vampiress #Femdom]


    SEKHMET, LADY OF THE NILE remained in the Abbey for many days after Israfel and the girls were gone to the Corynthian Academy. She missed the boy''s presence and thepany of such a lovely group. She stayed back to dwell in the Head Abbot''s office where he had lived, and perhaps reminisce on their sultry nights. She was reluctant to leave Lakewood ind back to her own cabin by the creek.


    Sekhmet, now alone on the parsonage, always rose early in the morning to wander into the woods and fetch flowers that would spruce up her day.


    She was returning from one of these strolls; the dawn a beatific miracle of rose and amber behind her, a wicker apple basket in her hand, a scarf in her silver hair, and her native yellow wrappers marking her voluptuous figure; when she spotted a chariot of blue mes parked up front, at the gold steps leading up the Abbey.


    The helmsman, a Ghostrider with a red skull head, bowed at her passing but said nothing.


    Sekhmet hurried up the Abbey''s steps.


    Who could it be?


    She pushed softly through the juniper doors of the sanctuary, and thinking it was somehow Rafel who had returned, she lifted her voice; "My liege? Are you back?" Her words echoed in numbing silence. The wicker basket hit the floor when she spied two dark silhouettes in nun outfits seated on the front pews. It was not Rafel. The Apollyon didn''t have such glorious curves.


    A lilting voice sprang from the altar. "Oh, you''re back. Good. I was thinking we''d have to send the dog after you."


    The shadows stepped into the first mild rays of sunrise pouring into the chapel. Lilith first, then H. It was Lilith who had spoken. Her voice reminded Sekhmet of the rush of the creek back at her cabin. She ignored the apples that had rolled out her basket, focusing rather on the two seductive goddesses who now stood before her.


    She had to admit, their nun outfits were quite the look.


    H leaned down and grabbed an apples. She rose with it, wiping and crunching. Lilith drew near to Sekhmet, "how are you these days, Lioness? I guess we don''t have to tell you why we''re her. A Spectre found Myreen of Thrasos. I put it together, and H generously offered to bring me here.


    You remember H, don''t you? You helped her hide someone from me a few weeks ago."


    Blue, the [Guardian] wolf ran out Lilith''s ck habit and jumped for Sekhmet, wagging its tail ferociously. Sekhmet didn''t bother denying.


    "Yes, I nursed Israfel back to health. But I''m not going to tell you where he is," she spat.


    Lilith chuckled, and started a slow pace around Sekhmet. She touched softly her long, silver hair, her smile dazzling. "Oh, Sekkie, you misinterprete me. We''re not here for my nephew. I know exactly where the Apollyon is¡ªat that witch school. He is safe from Thebault.


    That is all that matters. WE ARE HERE FOR YOU."


    Sekhmet could read the calm darkness entering Lilith''s eyes. It was pure sin. H had finished the apple and tossed the stalk.


    "What then? What do you want from me?" Sekhmet bristled.


    H pushed her with a single finger onto a pew. Her red w left ab indentation in the milky skin.


    "It''s not what we want. IT''S WHAT WE''RE GOING TO DO TO YOU."


    She touched Sekhmet''s full breasts through her golden upper wrapper. H hissed at her softness and weight in her palms. Her fangs whipped out in a sh. "¡ªso ripe and beautiful!" Her voice was serpentine. H, vampiress and goddess of war stood in her nun habit, fondling Sekhmet''s chest. She ripped off her white veil, and her glorious red hair came tumbling down her shoulder and back in waves.


    Sekhmet couldn''t resist and lifted a hand from the pew to touch her hair.


    H pped it off.


    "Mhmm," Lilith squeaked. She took had taken off her immacte nun cap, and was staring. She stood on Sekhmet''s left. The Queen of the Night said, "say, Sekkie, whenst were you fucked? I don''t see any monks you could''ve seduced and ved in sight." Sekhmet''s lips moved but only whimpers escaped¡ªH was busy pulling at her peaked nipples through her cotton cloth.


    Lilith continued in a gothic whisper, "Fret not! I have been cooking a present for you. Just for you. . .in gratitude for saving my nephew''s life."


    "W-What g-gift?" Sekhmet''s lips trembled.


    "Hush!" H softly smacked her cheek.


    The vampiress roughly pulled down the yellow tie wrapper off her chest, exposing sinful cream flesh. The lust raged in H''s eyes as she deftly dipped to her knees before the pew and grabbed on Sekhmet''s spilling bobs. She suckled in her fat nipples hard, tonguing her supple nubs and kneading her great milkers raw. Sekhmet''s breasts danced in her face. Her mounds were impressive.


    "Oh fuc¡ª"


    "Mmm, milk. I love milk." H squeezed her pear boobs, sucking and moaning when the rich white colostrum poured into her mouth.


    H pawed frantically at her huge breasts, smacking, and demanding more. She grabbed her titty and suckled, gently nipping the engorged nipples till Sekhmet was shivering. Sekhmet cradled H''s gorgeous head like a babe and breastfed her.


    "Now. . . your gift."


    Lilith rasped down to the pew. She pulled at the slit in her nun gown, tearing it off until she stood only in a white petticoat. Sekhmet''s jaw dropped at the sight between her legs: it was massive, bulbous cock. And it was swinging slightly against Lilith''s thighs. The goddess wore purple skin for the asion, and thus, the heavy, swinging dick was a shiny purple.


    It made it fatter and the robust veins glossy. A slimy sack hung down deliciously.


    So that was what she''d been cooking? Sekhmet licked her lips.


    "Suck it!" Lilith ordered.


    Since Sekhmet sat on the pew and Lilith stood before her, their positions were primed. The first taste of Lilith''s cock made Sekhmet''s eyes roll in her head. She abruptly grabbed the other woman''s fair hips and impaled her head on her fat nosh. She pulled Lilith in and sucked the life out of her cock.


    Her lips were dripping saliva, but she kept going at it, loving the feel of the thick pipe inside her mouth far too much to go slow. Her throat bulged with Lilith''s size.


    Oggl!


    Oggl!


    Slurp!


    Oggl!


    Her bobbing head made wet, lewd noises.


    "Stop. Stop! God! You''re gonna kill me!" Lilith pulled back, shuddering on her feet. "Fuck! I can''t handle your mouth, Sekkie."


    Sekhmet coughed and spat on her monster shaft, licking and teasing Lilith''s thick curve with her pink tongue. Lilith''s head fell back, and she put her hand over her eyes. The blond slut was going to make here too soon. Below, red-skinned H had diverted her ministrations to Sekhmet''s lush thighs.


    The vampiress licked her way to the apex of her fatmps with her forked tongue, and proceeded tosh her pussy with slick velvet stroking.


    Sekhmet grabbed H''s head under her wrapper and rode her dreamy face, hanging over the pew, as she simultaneously sucked Lilith''s swollen balls into her mouth. Lilith marked her dirtily with her fat dick. "Yes, suck those balls! Yeah, Sekkie, suck ''em good. Look at you filthy whore salivate for my cock. You want it bad, baby!


    I''m gonna pound your pussy and ass so good, love."


    Lilith''s balls popped out Sekhmet''s mouth dripping spittle down to H''s head below. H''s own face was gleaming red from Sekhmet''s hard riding.


    Sekhmet gave the both of them a small smile. Then, she grabbed Lilith''s deliciously girthy penis with both hand, spread open her tiny cock hole, and swiped at the drop of precum beaded there.


    Lilith''s purple pupils swimmed in her head and went all ck.


    One minute, Sekhmet was one her knees sucking cock. The next, she was in the air, strapped to Lilith''s strong arms as the [Futa] goddess pounded her pussy good in a standing position.


    PAH! PAH! SQUISH! PAH! PAH!


    Sekhmet poured out of her slit, drowning Lilith who was inside her in orgasmic juicies. She clutched to the long-haired goddess for dear life, moaning as her ass was mmed several times. On the pew, H smacked and rubbed her clit ferociously, massaging her fat, glistening cunt to their vertical fucking.


    Lilith took Sekhmet with her to the pew. She first sat on the bench, turning Sekhmet over and pulling her back into herp. With Sekhmet''s back resting on the mounds of her heavy breasts, Lilith started driving hard again into the Lady of the Nile.


    This time she pumped her leaking ass.


    The drilling was so hardcore, several screws went loose in the pew and tinkled to the chapel''s gray tiles. Lilith grabbed onto Sekhmet''s thighs, spreading her open as the blonde reclined back on her, holding her up, to a fucking so mad they both shut their eyes to the passion. Lilith''s thrusting was a frenzy. Sekhmet''s mouth was open, moans cut out by Lilith''s crazy upward jerks.


    Lilith pounded her gaping ass with her fat, purple dick, swollen like a horse''s and soaking in Sekhmet''s leaking cunt.


    "I''m cumming, Lilith. Lily, I''m gonna cum."


    "Yes, baby. Yeah! Come for me."


    PAH! PAH! PAHHHH!


    Lilith mmed hard and held inside Sekhmet, pumping her bubble butt full of raging hot semen. Her strong calves were quaking, her feet raised on her toes. Her thighs jerked as she spurted loads of cream spunk. H, who was below, kneeling on the floor, licked Lilith''s slimy balls, rubbing in circles over Sekhmet''s pussy as her oozing slit doused her in squirting.


    "Mmm," H moaned, loving the fountain.


    Lilith''s shaft finally eased out of Sekhmet and before she lowered the curvaceous Blonde, H pulled up to suck her round, fat, bobbing penis, eliciting a whimper from the goddess. H also drank the hot seed flowing out Sekhmet''s twitching crack.


    Sekhmet fell to the pew. H rested her head to Lilith''s thigh. And the lovely, violet-skinned Queen of the Night stroked her slick shaft, trying to catch her breath.

 Chapter 106: Mi Corazón

    [?? For You ¨C Liam Payne ft. Rita Ora.]


    Coraz¨®n Mortimer picked the Goth [Raven Arc] in her Manifest. Rafel was perplexed beyond measure.


    He would''ve gambled a high stakes roulette on Cora winding up with Pegasus Blue. She had lived with him for two years, dammit! He knew her. She knew him. [Water] and [Spirit] were her most powerful mystics¡ªor was at least. Something had changed that.


    Maybe the same thing that had wiped her mind clean of every memory of him. Her eyes were blue. Her magic was blue. She was born a Pegasus. Why then had the Arc Crystal given her Raven: a totem for darkness and the arcane?


    His Cora had never once cast a dark magic spell. . .until the end.


    Rafel was determined to find out what went awry.


    He had seen the [S Rank] god of deception crack her neck and watch her fall from his choking grip to her death, while he bled out in the terror of fire and burning logs. No one could''ve survived such destruction of her axis bone.


    Cora''s head had rotated like a fucking swivel; that nightmare still haunted him, watching her struggling one second, and the next going limp in Mephistopheles'' hands; which was why Rafel was certain something had happened to Cora.


    Something. . .like resurrection.


    And he damn well knew only a few of the Fallen Ones could manage an [Eighth Infernal Ring] feat like that.


    Rafel woke up in his dorm with a revived vigor.


    "Morning, bro!" Percival groggily called from his bedside. "I thought main study activities aren''t starting until next week; the school board trying to give us time to adapt and all that?"


    "Yep!" Rafel called from his corner. "¡ªbut I''m looking to hit the gym. I have to see about an old friend and make up on my physical therapy."


    "Go easy on your body, bro. You''re already ripped enough as it is," Percival muttered before clumping his head back into his fat pillow. He was out before Rafel could look away.


    The dorm room had enough space forfort, the magic lighting kept purposely dim for the sake of the vampire teens among, and while Rafel was in the hot shower, he caught a silhouette rip into the room, shadow-walking through the white walls. He emerged steaming in a waist towel, and caught Aya sitting in his bed. She had a [Cool Eel] spirit balm and fresh swaddlers for his injury in her hands.


    Her violet eyes lit on his pecs and she beamed at his entry.


    "Good morning, my lord."


    "Naamah, you have to quit the formality here. That''s an order! Did you just walk in my room''s walls?"


    Aya grinned. "I did knock if it makes a difference. No one answered. Before you get dressed,e." She patted the area of the bed beside her. Rafel sat, and she got to wiping and massaging the spirit balm into his side where the [Dark Spectre] dagger had pierced in. His wound had healed nicely into a sexy battle scar, and the scab was the shape of a raggedy lightning bolt.


    Aya covered the balm, finishing, "I have to head back to my dorm, but please feel free to visit anytime. Copenhagen Hall is just a few blocks away.


    My roommate is liberal as a wildling."


    From her seductive wink, Rafel could tell the subtle insinuations ''visit'' and ''liberal'' meant.


    Rafel winked back and dropped the towel. He was way past nudity with Aya. Still, she pulled her coy look at the curve of his penis. Rafel dragged on dark sweatpants and a tank top. He grabbed from his bedside cab, next to the college pamphlet, blueprints of Salem Hall.


    "I have to hit the gym. I''ll see you at lunch, yeah?"


    Aya nodded, leaning back on her arms to study his pert behind as he walked out the room.


    The gym was a floor above his own. Though Salem Hall was only four storeys high, it stretched long and rectangr with grand rooms running out horizontally. The hostel was mostly ss and students could get a super view of the institute''s chic surrounding and fall season panorama of the ind where the school nested.


    Splendid rays of sunlight sshed through the ss exterior, hitting the corridors magically as Rafel jogged the ivory tiled floors to the swinging stic doors.


    The corridors of Salem Hall glowed like a futuristicb for bioweapons. Using the map in his hand, he found the gym easy enough. It took the space of half the entire floor where it was located. There were no separate sections for genders. Boys and girls hit it together. Heads of course raised as Rafel walked in.


    "Looking good!" A muscly green Bullwoman fist bumped with him. Rafel chuckled up at her. She smiled back. Female [Minotaurs] were rare, and this bitch was gorgeous, packing six abs, and 7ft.


    Rafel recognized a few of those he sat with in the Assembly Hall in the [Phoenix Arc] faction. Since no one was wearing any colors, you didn''t know which arc anyone belonged to. It was just like Dr. Shetty had said; the Halls allowed all factions to mix, be it Raven or Pegasus.


    Rafel pulled his little gym bag tighter on his shoulder as he passed by the gigantic cont which humidified and conditioned the air.


    The entire gym had a lot of oval windows and sunshine, and smelled faintly of body sweat and sandalwood.


    A group of shirtless dudes tossed rotund weights in a circle. Rafel read the tons on it, and mused that a human couldn''t bear it. The boys were certainly enhanced by their supernatural Mana Cores. Rafel headed to a corner, wearing his white gloves and scanning the room for a particr silver-haired Tomboy whom he was sure as fuck wasn''t going to miss a good training session with the boys.


    Coraz¨®n wasn''t present yet.


    Rafel grabbed a raised bar, leaping in the air, and starting pullups, but he took it easy. He didn''t want to mess with his bandages. A few shapely girls stared from his left at his riding shirt. By now, all of the academy had heard of the Ginger demon who manifested two arcs.


    Ten minutester, as Rafel popped a water bottle and was drinking, the girl he''d been waiting on sauntered in. The stic doors swung in; in slow motion Cora walked in. And Rafel forgot to breathe.


    She was still the most exquisite of creatures; her ocean eyes catching the white lights in the gym just perfectly; the new blue tints in her silver hair; her lovely form and rose lips. Somehow, her boyish figure had rounded and the Lycra tights she wore did nothing to hide her hips. Her shirt was a sports bra. Both knickers and top white as an Angel''s halo.


    She was mesmerizing. And Rafel was not the only one staring.


    He gulped hard.


    Why did the water suddenly feel like stones going down his throat?


    "Aye, mi Coraz¨®n!" He whispered aloud.


    He couldn''t help it. His water bottle was dropped and forgotten. Cora still had that calm swagger that many males in the room still tried to learn. They respected her for it¡ªthough it didn''t stop them from staring at her tight butt. Rafel noticed she was alone. The ck gold sigil of Raven Arc was zoned on her gym bag.


    She should''ve been Pegasus, Rafel still thought.


    He moved for her as began her exercise with a treadmill. The way her athletic legs moved. . .


    "Fuck!"


    When had his chambein be sexy?


    Many boys ogled but were too afraid of Cora to approach, and so, Rafel found himself the only bastard brave¡ªor stupid¡ªenough to walk up to her treadmill. He hadn''t practiced what he was going to say. He wasn''t one to do that, so he just kinda went with the flow.


    Hands in his pockets, Rafel said in his best baritone, "since when do you dye your hair blue?"


    The tall tinum blonde pressed pause on her treadmill and slowed to a jog, before finally stopping to nce at Rafel. Just likest time in the Assembly Hall, there was no recognition there.


    "I''m sorry, do I know you?"


    Rafel was lost.


    "Uh. . ." He decided to go all in. "Fuck it! Coraz¨®n, it''s me, Israfel. YOUR GRACE?


    You were my loyal chambein in Emberfall, don''t you remember?"


    Rafel was appalled when her blue eyes turned to peek around at the rest of the gym; those who had left their barbells and giant rolling balls to stare at them. He almost felt sorry for himself when her iris turned back to meet his; her gaze was a frozenke. So beautiful. . .Rafel almost teared up.


    ''I thought I lost her.''


    Cora leaned in.


    "I''m sorry, I don''t know you, and you are making a scene."


    "Yikes!" someone muttered behind as people covered their mouths. Rafel''s gold pupils did mist up. . .for the very first time. Apparently, Coraz¨®n was his empathy blindspot.


    "Yeah, I''m sorry to have disturbed you. I thought you were someone else." Rafel lowered his head and walked away. He grabbed his gym bag and silently left.


    Alone in the gym about an hourter, Coraz¨®n Mortimer did find herself staring in the direction where the handsome redhead had once stood. She recalled their conversation in between squats, rubbing perspiration off her brow. She whispered out her thoughts;


    "Pity! He looked like he really knew me."

 Chapter 107 : Hanzo Training Circle

    RAFEL REMAINED MOODY the rest of the day. At dinner, his face held a crestfallen expression that all his friends noticed. They sat in their usual circle at Salem Hall''s cafeteria, even though Aya could''ve stayed back at her own dorm; Copenhagen Hall.


    "You don''t get it...she didn''t recognize me. There was nothing there. Nothing! Not even a flicker."


    Aya took Rafel''s hand as he spoke. She''d managed to pry info about the drama in the gym from Rafel''s lips. "I''m sorry," she said. Her voice held a beacon of hope, but Rafel wasn''t waiting around for Lady luck to charm back the memory into Cora.


    "I will find whoever did this to her, and make them pay," Rafel said solidly.


    He pulled his hand from Aya''s grip and dragged his te of yams and scrambled eggs close. He, who had once acted like there was no food in front of him now forked the dry fried tubers into his mouth like it was the Usurper''s guts. Those watching half-expected blood toe leaking out his mouth.


    It certainly wouldn''t be unusual, considering the vampires in the canteen.


    Aya shared a concerned look with Rosa, Percival with Brunhilda and Ravenna. Rafel finished off his food and cleared his tes. Rising, he ignored Aya''s offering for a [Blood Feed]; Rafel was no vampire, but he did enjoy little sips from a carotid every now and then. It helped calm him¡ªbut not tonight. Tonight, he just wanted to sleep and forget.


    He excused himself. "Thank you all foring out to hear me. I know we all grieved Cora in our own way. But trust me when I tell you I will handle this. For now, I just wish to sleep."


    "Don''t forget your warlock practice is tomorrow in the grand guilds!" Ravenna called to his back. She was well informed in this as a Second Year.


    The next day was Martyr''s Day, the seventh day of the week. Sunrise was early and bright. Rafel slept in until the dawn speared through his curtains and the general rm system of the dormitory belled loudly in his head. Rafel pummeled a pillow, as if to shield himself from the ringing pouring down from above. He tossed and turned in bed, hearing Percival in the showers.


    Morning hade so soon!


    Sure enough, he heard the songy voice of the Student Presidenting from the corridors.


    "Hello, and Good Morning all! This is your Student President speaking! Hop to it, First Years. You''ve got a full day of Warlock practice. The Guilds are all primed and ready for novice warrior training tomence. DON''T BE LATE!"


    "Ugh!" Rafel threw his pillow high in the air¡ªhis super strength nearly sent it through the gilded ceiling. He wasn''tzy, especially in matters ofbat. He owned a military force for shit''s sake!¡ªbut to handle Erika''s honeyed voice this early in the morning was asking too much of his cranium.


    Evidently, Rafel had woken up on the wrong side of the bed. Still, he pushed off the covers and put his feet into his much disliked flip-flops.


    The Guild was like a military mess hall. It was built as a dome of grand proportions, wide as a throne room and its vast space sectioned into spots for one-on-onebat, fine rug areas for wrestling, and the harder upper levels for training with mana operated machines. Statues of legendary warlocks of the past fringed the gold pirs.


    Surprisingly, it was a woman who led the practice for the day. She was a [Rank A] ck belt, and from her head tie, also a Gorgon. One of the many offspring of Medusa. Her serpent hair was hid in a tight turban, but many of the First Years could still see the thick snakes twisting underneath. That alonemanded their silence when she pped her hands.


    "Gather round, runts! Until you prove yourselves in this Guild, in blood and sweat, that is what you will be called: RUNTS!


    I am Tanaka Hanzo, and I will be your coach in warlock practice. Know that I will not hesitate to spank your spoiled, rich arses with mydle should you taint the rules ofbat. There are only two rules of warrior training: ONE; THE GUILD IS NO PLACE FOR PUSSIES! TWO; FUCK MAGIC! We use our hands here.


    Warlock Practice is a novice level course because I understand some of your have poor use of your Mana Core. But do not despise the power of the fist. Should you be faced with an adversary such as an [Antigon], you''ll be thankful for this course.


    Without much talk, WELCOME TO THE HANZO TRAINING CIRCLE."


    "What''s an ANTIGON?" Mikhail drew near to ask Rafel.


    The blood Prince had to pull of the wisdom of his private tutors back in Hel. He replied grimly, "¡ªa wrathful, mana-consuming beast of the Abyss that incapacitates the magic of any within a few miles. It hasn''t being spotted on the mortal ne in centuries, since they typically survive on the demonic, Anti-Life energy of the Underworld.


    Like a suneater, it ims the spark of magic. It is impossible to draw from one''s Mana Core in the presence of the Antigon."


    "Shit. I need to brush up on my history," Mikhail joked. The boys focused again.


    Tanaka Hanzo was a retired Major of Her Majesty''s Third Rocasian Regiment, forcefully exiled after her General, Ian Noguri''s fatal death. She marched before the lineup of students in her military boots.


    "WHAT''S THE FIRST RULE? RUNTS?" She shouted in amandant''s voice.


    "DON''T BE PUSSIES!" The First Years barked in turn. It sounded funny, but no one wasughing.


    The students all stood in fighting Karate Gi, in the colors of their various Arcs, for easy limb movement. They were all barefoot, save their roaring veteran coach. Rafel''s Judo Gi was a zing red, the only simrity he shared with Percival''s gold, Mikhail''s blue, and Rosa''s  ck, were their white belts.


    All who stood in the Guild at this time were novices, no matter what points you scored in your Manifest.


    "WHAT''S THE SECOND RULE, RUNTS?" Tanaka boomed higher.


    "FUCK MAGIC!" All the First Years roared in unison.


    "FUCK WHAT?"


    "FUCK MAGIC!"


    "¡ªAND WE USE OUR WHAT?"


    "WE USE OUR FISTS!"


    Tanaka eased down, letting them catch their breaths. She moved around their lines and studied their stiff backs. "Good, runts! You''re learning. Now, before we separate you all into groups of two, let''s have some light entertainment of fists, shall we? I''ll need a challenger for our only First Year red belt holder, OLIVAR D''SHENKO!


    Olivar, where are you, boy? Fall out!"


    Out from the extremes of the lineup, a tall, stocky young man with white hair and a gold [doh-gi], and a unique red belt, started walking out the lines. The Griffins began to cheer. Olivar Dshenko had a buzz cut, but his eyebrows were blond as the sun outside the Guild.


    "As defender, Olivar D''shenko of [Griffin Gold Arc] is free to choose his opponent. Olivar, point your Challenger!" ordered Coach Tanaka.


    Every [First Year] in the Guild watched Olivar''s huge, ham hand rise and slide across standing lines, past the Ravens, and Pegasus Blues, and the Griffin Golds,ing to rest on the Phoenix Reds. And on Rafel. His single finger pointed. "I CHOOSE THE REDHEAD!"

 Chapter 108 : Go Reds!

    [?? me It On Me ¨C POST MALONE.]


    "I choose the redhead," said Olivar, the [Red Belt] warlock novice. Rafel recognized the young man''s hands as the kind that found itself every morning to the leather of a boxing pouch, or perhaps it''d be more urate to say bricks of a stone wall. Olivar''s fists were chaffed and the knuckles and he joined them together as he made a snarling face.


    "¡ªwhat''s the matter, Red! You scared?"


    His use of the mock name, Red implied to Rafel''s [Phoenix Arc] and his slick ginger top. Rafel stepped forward, giving a short yawn like he was bored. Poor Olivar didn''t know who he pointed as challenger: a Blood Prince of the Underworld. One with an [A Rank] infernal system and [Divine] blood line.


    Rafel had been in knife fights from the time he was old enough to count his balls.


    "So, this is about jealousy, is it?" Rafel made back at the Red Belter.


    Olivar Dshenko''s snarky grin froze on his face. The Griffin Golds stopped cheering, and Olivar shot a look at the single pping, wiry boy in huge sses¡ªhe instantly took the hint and squeezed his fingers to a stop. Olivar''s face contorted. "This isn''t about jealousy, you narcissistic freak. Not everything is about you. No, this.


    . .this is about proving yourself in the Guild, and not just in the Manifest chair.


    Like Coach Tanaka said, you''re a runt until you''re not, no matter what the fuck the Arc Crystal says.


    Your magic, fire or shadow, Raven or Phoenix, is no good here. You might have fooled everyone into thinking you''re hotshit back as the Assembly Hall. Well, time to earn the title, Bloodthirsty. . ."


    Olivar snorted, and a couple ofughs erupted from his boys in the Griffin Gold lines.


    "It''s Bl¨¹dTh?rste!" Rafel slithered until he was nose to nose with the white-haired boy. He topped Olivar in height, and more anger seemed to flow into the Red Belter''s eyes at that ring fact. Rafel eased back an inch, but didn''t break eye contact. He finished, "and that''s good, Olivar. Malice is a stupid cause to fight for."


    Olivar scoffed in his face. "So you fight for honor? Please, spare me the big hero speech! Save that shit for the political groupies at Titans Landing."


    "No," replied Rafel darkly, a darkness swamping out the amber in his eyes, "I fight for the fucking fun of it.


    Last chance to back out, Olivar?"


    "Fuck you!" The [Red Belter] spat.


    Coach Tanaka Hanzo''s strict voice cut into the boy''s headbutting, instructing them to take their ces. "Alright, runts! Cut the macho shit. Let your strikes do the talking. Bump fists and walk to your ends of the ninja circle. First one to tap out loses.


    Show me whose therger pussy. Now go!"


    Olivar and Rafel still exchanged deathly res and sr res for gazes, but they lifted their right arms and fistbumped in respect for the fight. A sleepy Valerian white rug with the crow crest was their stage for thebat. Rafel walked to the left end. And Olivar took the right.


    The other students settled into cross-legged sitting positions on the glean floors in samurai fashion; a circle of steady eyes leveled on the boys rearing up to pose.


    Olivar kicked his feet. "Oh, I''m gonna love this. I''m gonna beat you into a specific fucking arc!"


    Snickers erupted from the watching circle of First Years roundabout. Their martial art uniforms mixed splendidly as all Arc colors blended in, students seated out their lines¡ªlike a vase of rich, imported bouquet from Philistia.


    This fight was a chance for the would-be winner to bring first honor to his Arc. This ceremony was not quite forgotten, as it was recorded in the hearts of all witnesses¡ªand gossiped in the halls, even by Fourth Years. This one moment would be a valued memory at their graduation [Silver dorium].


    Perhaps, someone with a mage wand might even take a still pic and store it up, four years down the road.


    The samurai dong sounded out.


    DOOONNG!!!


    "FIGHT!" called Coach Tanaka, now refree too.


    Olivar D''shenko spared not a second. He lurched out of his [me Tiger] Taekwondo pose, speeding with barely visible feet across the rug to his waiting challenger. Rafel didn''t move. He watched Olivar''s running feet tap the ground in slow motion. The boy was much slower than he though¡ªor perhaps it was just his [Cyclops Demon Eye].


    Even in his current state of stasis in the [Third Infernal Circle], Olivar stood no chance against him. Rafel had once fought in the arena an opponent with the [Blessed] heel of the god, Mercury.


    Long story short, Olivar''s quickness was a snail''s trailpared to that warrior''s flight.


    SWOON!


    Rafel dodged the roundkick Olivar shot up to his face. He moved swift as lightning, to the side at thest second. Olivar''s solid foot met with air. The boy quickly caught himself from iling face first into the rug. Sure, the carpet¡ªwhich felt like stomping on a Maldivian cat¡ªwould catch him, but not his pride.


    Olivar pulled an expert backflip and sent out his hand.


    SWISH!


    Rafel was gone again, in an instant.


    By now, the circle of students were watching intently. Not even the hiss of a cobra could distract their attention. Coach Tanaka paced around the fighting boys, studying each one''s moves like a librarian with a new tome.


    Olivar kept striking out with his ham hands, making such beautiful practiced moves of martial art that it was quite literal, art. And Rafel kept easing right out of every single one of his blows. It felt humiliating. Olivar couldn''t keep the shame from his face. All the while, Rafel''s hands was behind his back. It didn''t help the situation of Olivar''s ego.


    The rush of fury entered the boy''s eyes and he roared;


    "Dammit, fucker. Fight back!"


    Rafel took a simple step forward, and calmly pulled his hands out his back.


    "As you wish, D''shenko."


    SROOO. . .


    Olivar jumped forward, pumping a superman punch in the air. Rafel could see the force of winding with the shoot of his fist. The fucker aimed for his windpipe. Idiot! Rafel caught the blow, pushing it aside with a flick of the wrist. Olivar was wide open at the abdomen.


    Rafel took the shot.


    BOOM!


    A sh to his chest. A hard connection. Some grim sound of cracking ribs and a sternum. The pupils going wide at the terrible moment of rity.


    Olivar''s body mmed into the floor of the Guild so hard the find rug split in the middle. The tremor of his collision made the student jump in their seats. Olivar was down. And he wasn''t moving. He didn''t even get the chance to tap out; sprawled like a bitch harlot in heat. Staring at the supine form of the defending [Red Belter], Rafel felt something cut within him.


    He remembered something he''d said at the beginning:


    ''You fight for honor?''


    ''No, for the fucking fun of it.''


    He moved in for the kill. Just like that, his mind was back in full hell mode; when he didn''t stop until his opponents would never rise again from the sands of the arena. Rafel bent over Olivar. The boy coughed up, thick blood leaking out the corner of his mouth. Rafel could tell many things inside were already broken. But he wasn''t done.


    "You dared challenge me," he growled for Olivar''s ears alone. "You picked a fucking awful time to do that, bitch!"


    And suddenly, Rafel wasn''t seeing Olivar''s face any more, but the face of his enemy¡ªMephistopheles.


    POW! POW! BANG! POW! POW!


    The blows were swift and crushing.


    Rafel pounded Olivar''s body to a wreck. Many students gasped roundabout. He beat the boy to shit. "He''s gonna kill him," a girl in Griffin Gold sobbed.


    "STOP IT, MASTER BL¨¹DTH?RSTE. ENOUGH!"


    It was Coach Tanaka, yelling on top of her lungs, but she stayed clear away of the rug. It seemed like poor Olivar was going to get no saviour, but then, a wonderful beauty in the blues of [Pegasus Arc] rose quietly from her sitting position and stepped up to the fight circle. She was alluring and curved like a siren emerged from the ocean onto a ship''s deck.


    Aya Naamah, enchanting and calm, held up her hands to Rafel, saying in a voice that could soothe the tempest of sea;


    "My Lord, it''s me. . .your [Bond], Naamah. You have to stop, or he''s gonna die. I know you don''t want that. So please, for me, stop."


    Apparently, her voice could also soothe the rage of a Hell Lord¡ªbecause Rafel stopped pounding.


    The bloodthirst cleared from his eyes. He raised up his fists and stared at the red leaking down his knuckles. Olivar was a mess under him. The gold of his doh-gi contrasted with the crimson pallor oozing out his clothes. Rafel rose up to his feet in his red, of clothes and bloodstains.


    He smelled a great deal of fear in the Guild.


    Olivar D''shenko would need a whole lot of healers and the best clinic space in the institute.


    Rafel could hear a trickling pulse. Olivar was not dead. Good.


    "I-I need a minute," Rafel stared down at the dropping blood from his fingers.


    "THAT''S DETENTION FOR YOU, YOUNG MAN!"


    The stricken Coach, Tanaka Hanzo yelled to Rafel''s retreating back as students gawped in shock. This would certainly be the most gossiped warlock initiation practice of all time. Among the First Years, the Griffins were staring at the Phoenixes, but in respect more than anything else. Israfel Bl¨¹dth?rste had certainly put his crimson Arc way up there on the magical leaderboards.


    Aya was already at Olivar''s side, blue spirit magic glowing in her fingertips, as she tried to manage the terror her Lord Master had wrought on the boy.


    Rafel''s name would be ringing in all halls of the Academy before dinnertime.

 Chapter 109: Detention

    "You really lost it in there."


    Dr. Nicara Shetty was smiling as she guided Rafel to a ss on the lowest level of the Centre for the Dark Arts: the detention hall. The joint scuffs of his boots and clicks of her pencil heels echoed off into the mildly lit hallway. It was solemn as a tomb. And themps on the high ceiling made the polished floors seem like a mirror, or some eerie dimension one could just fall through.


    No other soul was in sight. To any peeper behind a keylock, it was only the Headmistress walking the ruffian teen to his punishment.


    Rafel had gotten six derogatory points for his stunt at the Guild.


    "Ths boy you hurt," Nicara continued, "is in stasis, as our best mix of surgeons and healers attempt to regenerate what you broke. He''s got five cracked ribs, a dent in his lung, and a windpipepletely smashed in. Thank the Martyr that we have a team of physicians on ground.


    He wouldn''t have survived a ship to Titans Landing.


    Olivar''s a dick¡ªI get it, but you''re an Archdemon, Israfel. You can just go around punching people. You know how strong you are: bone crunch like twigs under the strength of your kind. Olivar stood no chance."


    "So, you''re saying I should''ve thrown the fight?" Rafel said quietly, walking with his hands in his front pockets.


    Nicara stopped before the ssroom door.


    "No. I''m saying you could''ve gone a little easier on him. Olivar will pull through, but the gossips will reach the ears of the School Board. It''ll add to the issue of you manifesting two Arcs. I''m trying here, Israfel. Help me out.


    . .please?"


    Rafel nodded. After a second, he added, "so it''s back to Israfel now, huh? Not young Master?"


    Dr. Shetty smiled anew. She took tentative steps to Rafel, ensuring she was close enough for him to feel the heat, and warmth, and softness of her body, and her peak chest brushing against him. She then replied, "you''ll always be my Young Master, you know that. That will never change."


    Rafel pulled his hand from his pockets to caress her body. Nicara pped his hand from his hips, but was smiling. "Ah-ah, not here! In my office,ter. Nowe on, YOUNG MASTER," she offered insinuatively. "¡ªdetention awaits."


    The Headmistress turned back to the door, took the silver knob and pushed in. Rafel looked around. There were sparse, luxurious seats, and this room was even darker and more monotone than the hallway. It had the sacredness of a Cardinal''s sanctum, the fragrance of a flower shop, and overall style of a library at a Baron''s manor. It did not look like a typical detention hall.


    This had to be the swankiest punishment Rafel had heard of.


    Perhaps, their hope was to bore him to death with the silence, but certainly not the coziness of the posh atmosphere.


    An elf sat behind a desk in front, reading from an open book, knife ears flinching every now and then. A supervisor, Rafel guessed. The elf librarian was so engrossed in his reading he didn''t hear theme in, not until Nicara said brightly, "Ah, good, you''re not the only one here. You''ll have someone to keep youpany." And she wasn''t talking about the elf.


    Rafel followed the direction of her almond eyes to the form of a girl seated with her legs crossed on her desk. Goth alligator boots with metal rings were highlighted in the catching amber light. Her fingernails were painted ck, and her bent shock of silver hair had dyed streaks of sapphire blue in it. Slowly, the girl lifted her head and Rafel was instantly pierced by the same rich, river color.


    It was Coraz¨®n.


    Cora was his detention partner!


    Rafel had already started moving for her.


    "Alrighty then, I''ll leave you to it. You get out by five, okay? Professor Lend!" Nicara said her piece to Rafel and nodded to the elf by way of greeting. The Professor waved back. As soon as she was out, he settled back into his book.


    "Hey!" Rafel said, taking the seat next to Cora''s. He just couldn''t help it.


    "Hey," she said back.


    [?? JOLENE ¨C The BossHoss ft. The Common Linnarets.]


    He noticed her jeans had rips in the thigh area, and her earrings were little dots sparkling around the circumference of her earlobe¡ªnot dangling down like the other girls fancied. She had a cool rockband top with some inscription that spelt like Murder; Rafel couldn''t be sure. Her skin was such a lively pale and she had a tattoo on her neck which he hadn''t noticed before.


    "You''re staring."


    Her voice hit him.


    Rafel cut his eyes back to her face.


    "I''m sorry. . . didn''t mean to."


    Cora lit in a warm smile. She studied him at an angle that brought out the depths of her ocean eyes and dimples, and the fade at the left side of her boy cut. Her tinum strands ended short of her nape, the blue streaks fell into her eyes.


    "I take it you''re not the type to apologize," she said, her dimple popping deeper.


    "No," replied Rafel, ". . .but I''ll say a million sorrys if it gets me to see your face light up that way."


    "Ugh," Cora turned her head away. "You jinxed it. Boys! You''re not my type."


    Rafel remembered distinctly that his Coraz¨®n was not a lesbian, but he dared not say this. He turned away, gulping hard as he picked the ink pencil and paper on his own desk. ''I might''ve just fucked up my one chance to make friends with this superhot tomboy," he was thinking to himself when Cora''s voice sounded out again;


    "You''re Israfel right?"


    Rafel turned back to her, happy, as he nodded. "Yeah. I''m surprised you remembered me from the gym."


    "You are good-looking," Cora admitted. "¡ªbut that doesn''t mean anything. And I remembered you first from the assembly hall, when you called my name. Plus, all the girls in my hall were talking about this one WILDLY HANDSOME redhead who beat the shit out of some dickhead jock. They''re calling you One-punch Man. I think it''s a pretty bold nickname¡ª"


    "HUSH!" The elf Professor, Lend hissed at them from behind his wide, burnished desk. He returned to his book, smiling almost instantly.


    Rafel made sure the man was once again engrossed in his reading, before looking back to Cora. He lowered his voice to a whisper.


    "Trust me, Coraz¨®n. I''m no hero."


    "You keep calling me that," the girl smiled.


    "What?"


    "Coraz¨®n. Everyone just calls me Cora."


    Rafel nodded. "I can, if you prefer."


    "No." Cora waved her hand. "It''s alright." Then her frosty, sapphire eyes leveled on Rafel''s amber ones. "You know what?" she said. "I quite like you, Israfel, so tell me about this CORAZ¨®N you think I am. Who was she to you exactly?"


    Rafel breathed long. "Where to begin. . ." His eyes looked at her, but his mind ventured into distant ces; into memories her hand packed and locked tight in a box. He began dreamily. ".


    . . Coraz¨®n was my bestfriend. At the time, I was Lord of arge signory called Emberfall. Our friendship started out with her being my chambein. It grew, into something so unique and terribly beautiful.


    Cora became my confidant¨¦. A gentleman''s woman. My rampart. She loved to cook, and by God!¡ªshe was perfect at it. She''d bake these little cakes and serve them to me for breakfast. She was more loyal than ten hundred hounds.


    I respected her, and in hindsight, I guess. . .I loved her too."


    No one said anything for a minute.


    Rafel facepalmed. "Fuck. TMI?"


    "No. No." Cora chuckled. "I''m just. . .wow! Your Cora sounds like the shit; forgive my vulgarity."


    "Yeah," Rafel ran a hand through his red bun, "she was."


    "Cool," Cora said.


    "Enough about me. What are you in for?" Rafel enquired.


    Cora dropped her gaze as her pink lips pursed.


    "Uh, smoking," she replied.


    "Smoking?"


    "Yep. In the faerie garden."


    "What?" Rafel''s mouth fell open.


    "HUSH!!!" Professor Lend cut eyes at them.


    They held a bit, but when he finally looked away, they both lost it and burst outughing. Rafel stared at Cora smile and couldn''t look away. They made polite conversation and he forgot this was supposed to be detention. The clock hands turned and turned. And he didn''t even know when it hit five in the evening, not until their supervisor came forward to m his books onto their table.


    Cora and Rafel jumped in their seats.


    "It''s five o''clock!" Professor Lend grinded his teeth, his sharp ears red at the tips.


    It was like he had said, ''Get out.''


    He signed their leave forms, and Rafel hurried out with Cora, bursting into freshughter as the door clicked shut behind them. Cora giggled and leaned into him for support. Rafel instantly tensed up. His red blood was flowing to a very specific area. Cora seemed to sense this, because she straightened and her blue eyes dipped down¡ªbut for just a moment. It was enough.


    "I should go." The smile faded from her lips.


    She was turning. Rafel knew this was he chance. Grinding his teeth for a rebuttal, he still took it.


    "Wait, Coraz¨®n. What''s your hall?"


    Her goth-painted fingers were in the hoops at the waistband of her jeans. She kicked the front sole of her boot on the gleaming tiles.


    She replied. "Brightburn, why?"


    "Can I visit?"


    She chuckled, but it quickly stiffed out when she saw Rafel was serious. "No."


    At her strict response, Cora saw his gold eyes lower. Something she couldn''t exin inside her was pierced at his hurt. A bit like a phantom limb and a mind jam at the same time.


    Cora continued, "¡ªbut. . .do you y basketball?"


    Rafel said, "yes," even though he had never.


    He yed the piano, the lute, and fucking swords! He''d never touched shot a hoop in his life, but for Coraz¨®n, hell motherfucking yes!


    "Tomorrow, 4pm," she said, sauntering away, "don''t bete."


    Rafel stood by that detention hall door, in that lonely school corridor, ogling the pert sway of her bottom in those damn jeans.


    Another thing that had changed since this new Cora emerged: now he was dangerously addicted to her little, tight body. Rafel knew he had always been a sucker for her boyish swagger, but this. . .this was different. This made his dick stand prouder than a waving g. This brought fire to his loins.


    This. . .new Coraz¨®n.

 Chapter 110: How To Woo A Tomboy?

    "BRO, I NEED YOU TELL ME EVERYTHING you know about Basketball¡ª" Rafel entered his dorm room with this as greeting. Percival stood on the other end, already dressed for dinner with the girls in the canteen, in sparkling ck and a gold tunic matching his Arc''s colors.


    A sigil of a Griffin was clipped to his front, on his breast pocket. Percival fastened on gold cuffs.


    "Well, good evening to you too, bro. It''s nice to see you too. I missed you after [Warlock Practice]. Dude!¡ªeveryone''s talking about Olivar and what you did to him. They say he might have to miss a whole moon of studies, and¡ª"


    "PERCIVAL!" Rafel grated to get the boy''s attention.


    "Right!" The golden-haired royal clipped. He fully made his cuffs and stood tall in thevish room area. "What do I know about basketball? Basically, it was invented by some Druid who imed to be a time traveler¡ªsaid he''d visited the future, and that the game was ''lit'' over there¡ªwhatever that means."


    Rafel interrupted. "Percy, I''m not asking about the sport''s fucking history. I don''t give a donkey''s arse about that. I want to know about the game. How the fuck do I dominate it?"


    "Well, first; you can start by not TRYING TO DOMINATE as you call it," Percivalughed. "It isn''t a battle, bro. It''s a lovely sport. But for the sake of helping your war-inclined mind, I''ll stoop to battle metaphors. The ball is quiterge; you''ll have better uracy at shooting with both hands into the hoop. You have to evade a couple of guys; think of them as¡ª"


    "Orcs on the battlefield!" said Rafel stoutly.


    "¡ªthat''s really not what I was going to say, but yeah; orcs on the battlefield, if that helps. The hoop is high up but you''re tall, so that helps. You''d want to consider the ball as an extension of yourself, like your sword.


    It really helps as you bounce it around, because when you move the way you do, and you take the ball with you, I''ll bet fifteen Romanov heads no one stands a chance in front of you."


    Rafel nodded. He offered quietly, "Thanks man."


    "So I guess you''re noting to dinner then?"


    Rafel looked to Percival at his question. His reply was clear written in his eyes.


    Percival continued, "Ravenna and Rosa miss you, JUST SAYING. Plus Mikhail acts stupidly like the big, swinging dick when you''re not around. Aya won''t be happy about this. We haven''t seen you since the detention yesterday. How was it by the way? I''m guessing this sporting rendezvous has something to do with it, yeah?"


    Rafel gave no reply.


    Cora''s smile softly filtered into his head.


    ''Tomorrow, 4pm. Don''t bete.''


    ''Tomorrow'' hade like a blur. His eyes shifted to the ornate wall clock with the antique needles.


    The hour hand pointed east. Shit, almost four, Rafel thought. He turned back to Percival. "Please send my [Bond] subus my best. cate her with flowers and choctes if you must. Order her a Florentine delicacy!


    I have to go." Rafel grabbed a handy bag on his bed and swiped his key card at the screen door. It swished open and he pounded down the long, wan corridor, ignoring Erika Burgess who had suddenly appeared in his way.


    ''Thank Lucifer my system isn''t strong enough to renew our telepathic connection,'' mused Rafel inwardly, thinking of Aya Naamah, ''else, she''ll be screaming in my ears right now.''


    Rafel focused on the present, jogging in his shorts and immacte Jordans round the few blocks to Brightburn Hall, Cora''s coed dormitory. He had on a red headband with the leaping Phoenix symbol of his Arc. He''d made his hair into a tight knot so it didn''t flip in the wind.


    The evening air was cold and dry, a fall weather, eerily funereal; and made more so by the students in sleek ck and chiffon mink strolling the cobbled sidewalks for balmy restaurants and cafe''s opening for the evening.


    Rafel reached Brightburn Hall in six minutes. He ensured to be strict one. His magic watch, which told both the time and mana rating¡ªgotten on his previous visit to the institute''srge clinic for a routine checkup on his healing¡ªglinted 3:58pm as he pulled in a slide through a bright hallway to an open basketball arena.


    The walls of Brightburn Hall held the grey of cut marble and stone. It was the most gothic of all the dorms¡ªand that was saying something!


    yers were already on the lit grounds. It was a small stadium, but spacious and decored enough to have bleachers and a gleaming, gray ying field that squeaked under Rafel''s white Jordans. He spotted Cora almost immediately. She stood next to a terrifyingly tall brte.


    ''Sheesh, and I thought I was tall!'' Rafel wondered.


    Cora and the girl smiled at his approach. "Nice kicks!" Coraplimented.


    Rafel didn''t want to say something cheeky, so he only nodded and smiled back. He was just d he''d made the time. He knew Cora made it seem like she didn''t notice, but he knew her: she did. There were just some things even memory wipes so brutal couldn''t erase. Rafel noticed the 7ft brte was still staring down at him.


    "Please tell me you''re on my team?" He made his amber eyes plead.


    The girl giggled. It was such a cute sound from someone so imposing. She had a niceugh.


    "Nah!" she said. "Sorry!"


    "Ouch!" Rafel faked a wince, making both Cora and the brte smile more.


    "¡ªbut Cora is," the girl added, "and she''s our MVP. You''re so lucky!"


    The teams separated, several Arcs and genders missing. Rafel noticed he was one of the three boys in his female-dominated, niner team. The game began. Cora was phenomenal. But in Rafel''s case, it was safe to say that he preferred his sword to a bouncing a ball around. He could hack Nephilim heads for hours, but all the swiveling and jumping of the sport made his eyes hurt.


    "Fuck!" He growled, losing the ball to a male opponent. "This is like swimming."


    The opponent went on to perfect a miraculous m dunk. Rafel groaned and Cora came near. He was lucky her brightness overshadowed his flops.


    "Not it''s not. Why would you say that?" Cora gave him a preppy smile in encouragement.


    "Uh, because I''m not good at it?" Rafel returned.


    "I don''t think so," Cora winked.


    The game ended in a tie. Cora was put in the fourth yard to execute a free throw. But she maneuvered to Rafel and handed him the ball.


    "Take the shot, champ!" she smiled at him.


    The faith in her ocean eyes was so potent Rafel had to look away. Many months ago, he too had called this beautiful, dark angelic tomboy; champ. She was trusting him with the entire team''s win. The MVP''s faith in him spurred the others to believe too. Rafel took the ball.


    In the brief second before he shot the ball, he was tempted to call on his system for help, but he didn''t.


    Grimly, he imagined it was a foe''s decapitated head he was tossing into a death pit. He had seen Mauler heads that weighed heavier than the fat ball in his hands. Talking aim, knocking his knees, lifting both hands, Rafel leaped slightly off the squeaky tiling. He let the ball loose, concentrating only on the high bucket.


    WHOOSH!


    The ball went straight in. The hoop danced as it fell through.


    "YEAH!!!" Victory pats and apuse from his team went up as they hugged each other. Rafel''s winning shot broke the tie. Friends and fans on the bleachers entered the game area, embracing and chuckling under the full beam Lumos lights.


    Rafel watched the invigorating scene unfold for a while; the unity of all Arcs and magical factions for the love of the game¡ªit was a sight. He then made his way to a low bench on the bleacher stand and pulled off his Jordans. He was rubbing down his toes in his white socks when a shadow fell on his from above. The person smelled like rainflowers and mist¡ªbut also, feminine essence.


    He looked up the silhouette.


    "Coraz¨®n," he said aloud.


    [?? I Don''t Care ¨C Ed Sheeran ft. Justin Bieber.]


    Smiling down at him with her dimples popping, she handed him a bottle of water. And took a seaf beside him on the bench.


    Rafel popped the bottle, searching his brain for what to say. He was never tongue-tied with any woman before. Never. But Cora wasn''t your typical flowers and pink girl. She yed basketball, got sweaty and wore shorts, and topped high-fives with jocks twice her size. She was indomitable.


    ''How the fuck am I supposed to woo a tomboy?''


    Rafel gulped his water down hard.


    "So. . .nice game," he started.


    "Yeah!" Cora crossed her long legs beside him. Rafel tried not to dwell on the shift and dip of her short baller shorts. Or the upthrust of it between her legs. He could smell the salt on her shiny skin. Rafel crossed his legs too¡ªbut for an entirely different and wanton reason.


    ...to hide a stiff one.


    He cleared his throat.


    "Thank you for letting mee."


    Cora nodded. They watched people leaving the under the bright lights. It was full night now, but the whole stadium was well illuminated under white lights, like the stage of an opera house.


    "You yed well for someone who has never dabbled before," said Cora.


    Rafel met her eyes in shock.


    "Oh," Coraughed, "I knew from the moment I stared at your hands that you handle weapons, not game balls. I admire that you were on time too."


    Rafel knew that he didn''t imagine it when her blue eyes dipped to his crotch. Was she flirting?


    "¡ªI like you," her vision twinkled like the stars. Her admission wasn''t sexual or anything. It just was.


    "I like you too." Rafel admitted.


    Under the white lights of the basketball arena, she stared at him and he watched her too. Rafel wished he could grab her and make her remember; but until it happened, he had to go slow and give it time. He was the one who broke eye contact.


    "Come on, let''s get some food in you," he rubbed shoulders with her, pulling on his Jordans again, "I heard your stomach growling on the pitch."


    Cora''s blue eyes went wide and her smile stretched into forever. "I DID NOT!"


    Rafel cracked intoughter, rising as she chased him out the stadium through the exit door. He''d never forget those dimples.

 Chapter 111: ? Salveté Corvum—All Hail The Crow

    FOLLOWING ISRAFEL''S STINT WITH CORA, warlock practice was postponed by the school board. First Years were still required to put in the biweekly training of course, but no more one-on-onebats. Coach Tanaka was not to happy about this; Rafel had spied her ring through the silver doors as he passed by the Guild on his way to potions ss.


    Mage studies had begun in earnest. It was his third week at the institute.


    [Potions and Poisons] ss was held in a wizardryboratory at the northernmost edge of the Dark Arts building, on the ground floor, boasting its own underground thriving nt haven, and it was also the closest chamber to the school garden¡ªa veryrge greenhouse with sliver windows and potted nts in its sills; there wasn''t a magical nt in all the continent that couldn''t be found there.


    The moonflowers. Wolfsbane. Mandrakes. Purple death roses, Lilith''s favorites. And the godly wyrd vines than ran up the baster walls on creeping white leaves.


    Mikhail said it was funny that their [Potions and Poisons] teacher was named Ivy. Actually, it was Lady Ivoria Sephora Grimm, the valedictorian of the graduants a decade ago. Instead of returning to her fortune and estate which her Baron father, Lord Grimm had left her, Ivoria stayed and studied to be a Doctor of Poisons.


    She kept the title of Lady for Professor, and these days, her students just called her Dr. Ivy.


    She always had some flower petal in her hair.


    Today, it was the rarest pluck of bloomshade. The indigo tendril sparkled in her dark hair.


    She addressed the ss once the First Years were all seated on stools, staring at the vases of moss and mistletoe on every space theb could spare, and fragrance of fresh earth and rain. The wilding fae among, felt right at home. "Wee, students! Potions and Poisons ss is easy enough. You do not need stress your pretty little heads, but for those of you¡ªespecially my [Pegasus Arc] friends. .


    ."


    Ivy looked around the jasmine scentedb to those in blue jackets. ". . .who wish to graduate with at least an [Acolyte] badge in my ss, you will need to do a lot of cramming. Many of the best Healers in history have stored up hundred of vial and Vine names in their head, like a chef with a secret recipe.


    Phoenixes don''t need to go as hard in Poisons ss as you Pegasi and Griffins. You are First Years now, but at some point, you will leave Corynthia to other distantnds where you will be healers in little towns, potion masters and mistresses for hire, or even Gurus in the woods. Either way, your foundation in this course must be solid.


    Today, we will be learning about the biomes in our mystical continent, Eldoria. Unlike bordering Rocasus and Florence, Eldoria was weaved in magic from its very birth. Druids of Avalon who was once lived here toiled the farm grounds with their superior bean stalks that rose to the skies and enhanced maize seeds that grew corn golden as sunrise and fat as an ankle.


    It is necessary to know what magical nts can grow where, and where not.


    For instance, wyrd leaves only grow in the north parts of the kingdom, like Castamere, G¨±ndlheim, and Persepolis. In cases where leaves needed for a specific witch''s brew are absent, a Caster must learn to summon their substance."


    Professor Ivy continued on to separate the ss into groups of three; telling them to identify what specimens they could of the flowers in vases, green nts under bluish glowmps, and the more ancient ferns protected in ss cases.


    Rafel felt like an explorer who had stumbled on a dragon''sir; in awe of the loot but also concerned he might''ve discovered too much. Aya and Rosa were in group; Percival, Brunhilda and surprisingly Cora in another. The weaved in and out of each other. Aya studied the nts and Rosamunde held her pencil and scribbled in her jotter. Rafel just watched both pretty girls.


    Rosa kept adjusting her round sses. He remarked that it had been a while since they. . . cohabited.


    He would change that¡ªas soon as possible.


    "Mind if I jump in?" Cora asked, winding in from her group.


    "Sure." Rosa nodded, waving her over.


    They switched ces under Professor Ivy''s eye.


    "Hi!" Cora sent a small wave to Rafel who leaned by a cryo tube for microbial death fungus. Rumor was that the microscopic nts in the cont made zombies out of the unlucky barbarians of the Viking tribes.


    Cora turned next to Aya.


    "I take it you don''t like me very much."


    Aya didn''t look up from the ss vase she was studying. "How do you figure?"


    "You''ve been cutting eyes at me, for one. Care to exin?"


    Aya sighed and rose to face Cora. She took two steps slowly to meet the tomboy''s blue eyes. Her violet iris didn''t back down. "Israfel seems to think you''re someone we once knew¡ªor can be."


    "And you don''t share that assertion?" Cora fired.


    "I don''t."


    "Are you his girlfriend or something?"


    "I''m his ve."


    Cora narrowed her eyes.


    "You wouldn''t understand," Aya exined. "See that. . .that judgement in your eyes when I said ''ve'' just now? Our Cora would never have looked at me that way." Cora moved her lips to speak but Aya held up her hand. "Save it.


    This conversation is over."


    "Fine." Cora grinded her teeth and walked away.


    Rosa drew back with her jotter in hand. "What just happened?"


    "It''s fine. I handled it," Aya replied. "Now, can we get back to the specimens?"


    A group of three girls from Pegasus Arc took the win for highest score in the taxonomy. Professor Ivy blessed them with a [Legendary] mshell pearl each. "We''ll call it a day here, folks!" She ended the ss. And students were still talking about the gifts, hounding the girls in lovely blue jackets and ck school skirts for chance peeks at the ocean pearls.


    Rafel was one of thest to leave the ntb, and paused by the door when he found a folded piece of paper sticking out his text of RARE PLANT SPECIES. He pulled the paper out the book, unfolding it at symmetry as Aya and Rosa walked on. "I''ll be right behind you," he said. The bells had just rung for lunch. Many were already hitting the breakrooms and canteens in the building.


    Rafel waited until the corridor was empty and he could see no one else in sight.


    It was only then that he looked down at the paper.


    It wasn''t any written word; just a map of the Centre for Dark Arts building, an old blueprint by the looks of it; one forgotten to time; one that held points for secrets stairwells and lofts and attics and closets. Aside the enigmatic message, the only other thing on the paper was a symbol.


    A tiny, ck crow.


    And the tiniest words he could make out, in the ancient glyphs of the Druids. In the tongue of Avalon.


    Rafel read aloud,


    "SALVETE CORVUM!"


    He turned thenguage around in his head, before interpreting aloud with the help of his system;


    "ALL HAIL THE CROW!"


    Rafel stared at the paper again. There was a tiny red X in the blue lines marking the map. It appeared to be at the end of some tunnel, in what looked like a chamber. He trusted his tracking abilities, and his instincts told him to engage this secret message. Someone was bold enough¡ªeven after hearing about Olivar, the boy he''d sent to the infirmary¡ªto drop a secret map guide.


    Rafel stared at the red X again.


    It pulsed like an exposed, throbbing jugr.


    "Shit, I''m gonna bete for lunch," said Rafel, starting again in the long corridor, but in the other direction, silently tracing his footsteps to the big, red, curious X.

 Chapter 112: Children Of The Crow

    THE CURIOUS MAP LED HIM like the scent of smoke and candles, burning, across and over the magnificbyrinth of the Dark Arts building. In the flowing lights from the long whitemps, lining above the lesiastical corridors, Rafel made his way, and didn''t stop until he hit a door.


    A big, gray door.


    From the engraved cursives on the silverly que, he could tell the room behind the door was a library. However, he had not heard of this one among the listings in the institute''s citadels or on the Student President tour Erika Burgess had given. It appeared that this ce was shunned and kept a secret for some reason, but why?


    The hallway was distant on the building''s second floor, and Rafel stood alone in it. In the quiet, he took the gilded doorknob in his hand, but it would not budge.


    Rafel didn''t have time for games. He wasn''t going to miss lunch and the beautifulpany of Rosa, Naamah, and Ravenna for a dead end. So this shit had better be worth it. Anyone behind the door who had tried to pull a catfish on him with this stunt will wish the fared better than Olivar.


    "Ignitius vus perceptum!" Rafelmanded in a warlock''s voice.


    He didn''t need to pull mana from his demon core for the little unlocking spell. The presence of magic in the Centre for Dark Arts was strong. He pulled from that. The building always maintained optimal level of arcane charge for students use, and to also serve as fuel for the magical lighting of hallways and sses.


    At his casting¡ªfor that was what bare magic spell as this was called, a red glow from his clutching palm wrapped around the knob and sank into it.


    The metal became hot, then scorching. It turned the red of a forge. Rafel smelled the melting of iron. His spell had liquefied thetch system of the door. He heard a click and then silence. The knob cooled again.


    And this time, when Rafel pushed in, the gray door gave. He slipped, shutting it back in quiet motion. This burry could certainly cost him another lost twelve points in detention.


    But back to the present.


    Rafel flipped on the lights. "My, my, what hath in darkness hidden, the light doth reveal," he quoted his uncle, Lucifer.


    The secret library dusty, the chamber a bit solemn to be holding the vast aisles he was seeing. Shelves and shelves of books. It smelled like papyrus and aging ink. Under a yellow readingmp by the first book, Rafel peered at the mystery map again. The red X showed the ce was just around the corner. Rafel weaved past an aisle with a climbingdder; the dust on both was three inches thick.


    "This ce has been closed for years," he hushed to himself,ing to a stop before a wall painting.


    The art was a depiction of the hundred-armed witch and goddess of rituals, Hecate. Rafel stared into her unmoving, green pupils. The X on his map was right behind the painting. But there was no passage. Just the wallpaper. "Perfect," Rafel growled, "two dead ends in one discovery."


    He was just about to curl the map in a ball, toss it in a waste basket, and head out to see if he could make lunch when he caught sight of a poking bay under the mantel under Hecate''s painting; the butt of the firearm had scribbling of the same mysterious words on the map on its husk.


    Salvete Corvum! He read again.


    "Yes, I''m at the right ce."


    Squinting, Rafel left the weapon in ce, but put his hand to the gun barrel and clicked the trigger. A rolling of gears filled the dusty library with a grinding sound. The painting shifted out of the wall, as if pushed by hands from within. A hole appeared in the wallpaper. A door-sized hole. An entrance going down below.


    Rafel walked in, pulling off a sconce. He held the torch to guide as he traced his way down stone steps.


    The smell here was fresher, freer; there was no dust. Someone had been doing some cleaning.


    How could it be that the outside was dirty by the insides were unstained?


    "Only one way to find out!" He assured himself.


    He stepped down the final stone and came to a vast round chamber of marble and ivory. Its walls were soft brown and grey. Rafel heard scuffling feet and eight people stepped out of the shadows. They wore ck capes with cowls. He couldn''t see their faces. This secret chamber had only two things decorating its wide space: candles and sofas.


    The walls did everything else.


    Carved from mountain stone, Rafel reckoned that this loft must have being built in the first skeletons of the academy. It had skulls looking out the walls and the crust of the room looked the line grey of bones. Rafel fearlessly walked for the first person in the line.


    "Look, whatever this is¡ª" Rafel tossed the map with the eerie Avalonic phrase to the heavy cloak, "I want no part in it. Save your enigmas and lurking for someone with real interest."


    Rafel turned and started walking.


    "You haven''t even heard our offer yet. Don''t you want to see who we are? Our faces?"


    The replying voice was a girl''s. It was sickeningly, sugary familiar.


    "Like I said, I''m fine. Keep your cowls for all I care."


    The female voice came back. "You remember The Enlightened? YOUR EMINENCE?"


    Rafel abruptly stopped in his tracks. He turned back by the steps. He had only met two members of the elusive, wealthy group of nyctophiles. The Count of Penderghast, Sir Lucius, and Camerlengo. Before the Count''s murder, Rafel remembered the conversation the both of them had about the quiet group of ult intellectuals.


    Rafel walked back to loom over the girl. "How the fuck do you know about The Enlightened?"


    "They''re our parents," she dropped, and Rafel felt his stomach take a plunge. The girl, formerly in silhouette with her cowl and obsidian ensemble, lifted a milky hand and pulled off the cowl.


    Rafel''s mouth dropped to the stone floors.


    "Brunhilda? WHAT THE FUCK!"


    "Please allow me to exin all, Your Eminence." The girl motioned with her hands.


    Rafel first looked around the stately stone chamber. More cowls were dropping. More faces he recognized. He saw Ravenna and Rosamunde among this weird, cultish group with the creepy vibes and predeliction for codes and cyphers. He spotted Percival and Mikhail. And when he also spotted Erika Burgess, the Student President, he didn''t want to believe his eyes.


    Percival? I thought that dude was headed for lunch at the cafeteria!


    The remaining two people of the eight Rafel had seen in passing at Salem Hall. Brunhilda was still looking at him funny. Rafel sighed and gestured to her. "Go on, exin!"


    "After my father''s murder," Brunhilda started, "I found his records of the secret sect he belonged to; THE ENLIGHTENED. It was about the same time my mother was taken captive with the Queen, Giselle at the taking of the Capitol¡ªI''ve not seen of her since it was named Titans Landing. So I reached out to the others; Percival first.


    Ravenna joined too when she heard the truths about the plots of her father. At first, it was only a meeting ce to share our fears, grief, and confide our doubts for the future of the Empire.


    But then, we thought, why not do something about it. The Enlightened is no more¡ªI know that much.


    The Usurper put them all under the Guillotine at a public execution. I think my father was the opening kill. Anyway, we all decided this would be our avenging circle, our chance to bring reckoning to our enemies; our revolution against the Usurper and his tyranny. We are eight now; one for each realm represented. You, Your Eminence Israfel will make usplete for the nine realms.


    It is our hope that you will lead us against the Titans and their dark masters, to vanquish their reign and viiny. So. . ."


    Brunhilda went down on her knees, shocking Rafel the more. All the other followed, like [Druid Acolytes] of a resurrected god.


    ". . .will you join us, the Children of the Crow to bring an end to darkness across the nine realms?"


    Rafel looked down at all their gesticted forms.


    They were beautiful, angels, graces. His amber iris speared on Ravenna. "How long have you known about this?"


    The seductive girl calmly returned, "since the yacht, my lord."


    Rafel moved his gaze across Mikhail to Percival.


    "How about you, Percy?"


    The golden-haired heir replied coldly. His voicecked all sympathy for the Titans. "I have being waiting on this my whole life. Those bastards took my parents. THEY MUST PAY. And so I bend the knee to you, APOLLYON.


    I will be your loyal soldier. I take this path unto death. Help me; help us, banish the darkness. And save the world.


    SALVETE CORVUM!"


    "ALL HAIL THE CROW!" The others replied in goth unison, their voices a heathen echo.


    Rafel bent his head. "I will need to think this over."


    "As you wish, Your Eminence," Erika Burgess gave a little smile. Who would''ve thought?


    "Now get up, my friends!" Rafel quickly eased them up to their feet. "This is risky business. The Fallen are no joke. And. . .I''m one of them."


    "No you''re not!" Ravenna surged to his defense. "I think you''ve proved that more than anyone else¡ª" her jewelled eyes dropped to the spot of his wound.


    Rafel changed the subject. "Let''s get lunch!"


    As they ascended from the deep shadows of earth below, the Children of the Crow bonded in words andughter, splitting in the corridors to their various Halls but untied in hearts with amon purpose now. It left Rafel thinking all the way to the canteen. He, Mikhail, Percival, Rosamunde, Ravenna, and Brunhilda joined Aya at the table she had reserved¡ªthe one by the window.


    Erika Burgess took her usual. In her soft chewing, the gorgeous blonde spared a moment to meet his eyes.


    The Student President? Rafel mused. Holy fucking shit!

 Chapter 113: The Eye Of Myé

    BY THE MARTYR''S DAY, all the first year students at the academy had been separated into mandatory sses suitable for their respective Arcs, and also left to choose one or two they fancied in other areas. Three days had gone since Rafel had first stumbled upon the Children of the Crow, at their loft in the shadows. He''d been holding his reply for as long as he could stretch it.


    Apparently, since then, he had learned it was Percival who had sneaked the mystery map into his zer pocket.


    The secret elite group, and its totally character-unique members still shocked him whenever he thought of it.


    Today was thest day of the school week, and posters of weekend parties and club meetings were already stapled on plumy fir trees around the campus blocks. Flyers, with trendy fuchsia highlights tumbled with rhododendron leaves down the sidewalks and across asphalt tarmac.


    The day was windy, and the skies held the grayness of fall weather. Howbeit, it was still snowing in Titans Landing. The wintry breeze usually hit the Corynthian Isles from the polis at midnight. But winter itself wouldn''t hit the inds of the Cold Sea until the very final month of the year, when the multiple religions of Eldoria celebrated their gods.


    Rafel was thest one in to the final ss for the day.


    [Dark Arts Cultivation]


    Many students just called it DAC.


    The ssroom had dark veils, and they were shut in. Air conditioners dropped the room temperature to arctic levels, but all the students gathered didn''t mind. They were all superhuman.


    Rafel took his seat at the right back, next to Cora.


    "Hey," she said, smiling at seeing him in perhaps the only ss they would share if he chose to explore Phoenix Arc and not Raven.


    "Hey!" Rafel said back. He wanted to touch her, but stopped his fingers short of her fine white hair.


    [Dark Arts Cultivation], alias DAC, was one of the general electives for all First Years, but was a core study for those of [Raven Arc]. Rafel noticed there were only a few of Phoenix red present, fewer in Pegasus blue, and none from Griffin. The gilded apprentices to magic had no use for the dark arts and specially found spells of ck magic and ritual sorcery revolting.


    Sunfire and wind was more their forte. The majority in DAC ss were the Ravens.


    Rafel spotted Rosa in the front, closest to the teaching Professor, Dr. Blood.


    Professor Blood was a demon. A 4ft [B Rank] of the red elf race. His horns curled around his ears, and visibly, he resembled a satyr. But with red skin and long, pointy ears. Though Dr. Blood could not be said as handsome, his three-piece suit was impable.


    His desk was built to match his small stature. The red elf demon race weren''t the strongest of Hellions, but they were among the most ancient. And they were respected for it.


    If you didn''t respect Dr. Blood''s ancestry, you sure as shit respected his razor teeth.


    They could drain blood from a neck faster than a two hundred-year old Vampire.


    Dr. Blood began; "The Dark Arts is not a terrifying fable of nightmarish monsters and Boogeymen; well! Not that alone, as we have true tales like Slenderman, Grimcutty, and La Ilorna. But that is not all it is. Neither is it some caricature to be used as a burlesque enticement in some Madame''s brothel¡ªsuction for whores. NO!


    The Dark Arts is a culture. You all in this ss are present to experience and to cultivate a most primordial wisdom and boundless mana force of the universe. In all worlds discovered and explored, there might not be water; there might not air, it may just be a gigantic, floating rock of ice. But be it asteroid or, whatever realm you may find out there; there is always darkness.


    As a practitioner of the Dark Arts, you are never alone in the universe¡ªeven without wand or a Familiar. Dark Arts Cultivation will groom you to give purpose to the ckest rituals, and conjure shadows in a thought.


    Listen carefully, young ones, for you must tread lightly in the dark. Even the brightest lights have spots of ck in them. Otherwise, you couldn''t see the light."


    Rafel raised his hand.


    "Yes, good Master Bl¨¹dTh?rste?" Dr. Blood encouraged his question.


    "I''d like to know if there''s any ursed book binding thousands of souls to its pages, and if it safe for use."


    In the front of the ssroom, Rafel observed Rosa lower her head in a smile. He was been witty with his question. But she already knew what he really wanted to know.


    Dr. Blood answered, "What a brilliant ask, Master Bl¨¹dTh?rste! Yes, there is such a tome. It is called the Book of Souls. Ranked a treacherous [Divine] level equipment, it''s wielder is open to a wondrous supply of dark forces; be it boons, or wishes, or riches. But the Book of Souls was lost to the ages.


    It is safe for use if the souls conjured deem their Master viin enough. I should have a picture here. . ."


    Dr. Blood clicked his tongue. He quickly chanted a spell into the darkly enchanted ss atmosphere.


    ". . .HELLSCAPE, BRING FORTH THE EYE OF MY¨¦!"


    A sudden coldness, which shamed the former frigid ambiance, besotted the students as a blue me roared to life in Dr. Blood''s open palm. It doused the ssroom in wan bluish light. And it grew until it burned as brightly as the man himself. Out of the blue fires, smokeshed out and a deathly blinking single eyeball revealed itself.


    It was dreadful.


    It was gigantic.


    Rumored to be the orb torn of a god''s face, the Eye of My¨¦ possessed the ability to disy any knowledge in picture form. It had a huge blue pupil. It was an alive thing, sentient and intelligent. It''s bluish mes fanned under it,rge as a man''s head.


    "EYE OF MY¨¦, show the Book of Souls." Dr. Bloodmanded.


    The giant eye wobbled, hovering in the air and shooting a beam from its pupil into a wide, iridescent viewing screen¡ªlike a projector. The image was so clear andrge. It was that of a macabre Grimoire, covered in heavy ck chains from all sides.


    Rafel immediately recognized the book whose cover was a mummified scalp of some ancient, vainglorious king as the very same book that was now hidden in the secretpartment of his bedside drawer.


    "That!" Dr. Blood pronounced loudly. "Is the Book of Souls."


    Rafel looked to the Eye of My¨¦. It blinked once at him; it was unnerving.


    But he had gotten what he wanted. The Book of Souls was safe to use. Once he was fully recovered and his scars didn''t hurt anymore, he would get to the business of employing the wisdom of a billion souls to reveal who had perpetuated the sin on Cora''s mind. Rafel had less than 2 mil in his arcane [Soul Coin] packet. But at least a billion in the damned tome. The Book of Souls was an asset.


    "Hey! Are you okay?" A hand touched his arm.


    Rafel blinked. He followed the straight curve to Cora''s concerned blues; beautiful and full of life, not anything like the Eye of My¨¦.


    ''Just the girl I was thinking of!'' he mused.


    Rafel moved his lips to reply. "Yeah. I''m fine. It''s nothing."


    Cora wasn''t convinced. She decided to invite him to her workoutter.


    "Gym,ter?"


    Rafel smiled. "You bet, Coraz¨®n."


    [Dark Arts Cultivation] ss ended shortly after. And Rafel was running to his dorm for his tanks and trainers¡ªand not to forget, bottle of water.

 Chapter 114: Locker Room BJ [18+]

    "AH, FUCK!" A tall boyined after missing a free throw for his team.


    Cora didn''t miss hers, and the game ended with her topping three in the basket. With augh, her team rejoiced with her at their victory over the other. Cora bounced the striped, red ball as she headed out of the indoor courts. Outside, the fierce glow of the sun was just beginning to wane.


    A cold evening approached.


    "Yo, Israfel?" Rafel was stopped from following Cora out the basketball courts by a boy''s bawdy voice. Rafel paused in his white kicks to let the boy continue, "¡ªI''m having a party on Saturday, which is tomorrow I guess. It''s gonna be lit! You shoulde. The girls are sure to be wild. It''s the duplex just off Copenhagen Hall, by that fancy spinazo resta¨²rant."


    He passed Rafel a flyer, jogging ahead.


    "See you there, Red!"


    Rafel waved him off, smiling softly.


    Red; the nickname the boys had started calling him after showing up in the courts for the second time to floor the home team. He was after all the only Phoenix among Cora''s band of Ravens and Griffins. "Hey Red!" A couple of smiling girls in gold sweatshirts waved as he passed under the bleachers. Griffin Golds, he mused, waving back and shaking his head.


    Nothing was blitzier than hot blondes findingmon ground for vanity in a magical Arc!


    Nothing.


    As Rafel entered a hallway,ughing jock boys filled his vision up ahead. His mind wandered.


    Consciously, he traced Cora''s scent in the corridors.


    After the [Dark Arts Cultivation] ss, he had met up with her at the gym. But their n for an extensive workout duo was cut short when the gang at Brightburn had showed up to pull them into a quick afternoon game. A bit perspired, Rafel and Cora had joined them. Now, two hourster, he was practically dripping with sweat. His ck tank top was soaked and he anticipated one long, very hot shower.


    The boys locker room was empty when he got there. It wasn''t a full sporting day, so the area was bereft of hailing rascals.


    Rafel stepped around the different lockers with insignias and posters and clip-ons detailing which Arc they belonged to. He found his locker, cold silver, bare of any furnishing whatsoever. It was like it hadn''t even being used. Rafel was putting his thumb into the chic fingerprint scanner when he heard a scuffle behind him.


    The scent of rainflowers¡ªthe scent that had been teasing his nose since morning ss at DAC, increased in the locker room.


    Rafel whipped around. "Coraz¨®n?"


    "Hey!" Cora''s face brightened. She was equally as surprised to see him as Rafel was to her. With a little white towel draped across her shoulder, her short silver hair hanging into her eyes; standing in tight athletic shorts and sneakers, she could pass for a boy. But the sy of her hips and the push of her chest in that lovely ck sports bra said different.


    She was so very much a girl.


    Rafel blinked, starting again. "Coraz¨®n, what are you doing in here? This is the boys locker room?"


    "Oh!" She flushed, "the girls'' is farther from here, and I really had to pee."


    Rafel looked her over. Thinking of her pulling those shorts down and bending over a toilet seat was definitely not a good idea right now. If only his errant mind would obey. He imagined Cora''s long legs and her panties dropping down with her shorts between them; her sigh as the trickles ran out of her. He wondered if her asshole puckered when¡ª


    "Are you okay?" Cora was walking over as she dabbed her face with the sides of her towel.


    "Uh, yes," Rafel stammered.


    He quickly turned around.


    Fuck! Looking down, he gasped. He was spotting a huge tent in his baggy basketball shorts. It was obvious as a motherfucker between his legs. He curiously thought how he could maneuver his way into the shower without Cora spying it. He changed his mind; he''d need a long, very cold shower!


    ''Shit! Shit! Shit! What do I do? Shit!''


    "Rafel?"


    Cora was so close he could smell her sweat.


    "Er. . .I-I just need a shower."


    Coraughed behind him. "I do too. A little sweat is nothing to be shameful of. We are friends, are we not? Turn around, let me see¡ª"


    The words fell out her mouth when Rafel slowly eased back from his locker to face her. Cora gasped in shock.


    "Are you spotting a boner right now? Oh my god! ISRAFEL?!" she giggled. "You are fucking hard."


    She poked his rigid member with a finger. Her eyes showed only curiosity. The heavy shaft bounced under his boxers, jerking at her touch. Rafel put his palms over his erection. "Stop, Cora. What are you doing?"


    "Can I see?"


    "What?"


    "I said, can I see?"


    Rafel stood dazed. Her blue eyes briefly flickered up to his before lowering again to his crotch.


    "You said I''m not your type."


    "It doesn''t matter now, does it?" Cora silenced.


    "Okayyy." Rafel eased his basketball shorts first down his legs. His nosh already poked out under his ck briefs. Rafel pulled that down also. Both constraints hit his ankles and his dick bobbed free.


    "BY THE MARTYR!" Cora hissed.


    She couldn''t help it and dropped to a squat for a better view. Her knees met the gray floors of the locker room and she stared up at Rafel. Her face perched just under his swaying cock. Rafel didn''t dare look down. He wasn''t sure he could keep his hands from dragging her mouth down on him and proceeding to pound her mouth full of his pipe.


    "Is it always this big?"


    Rafel stood still as stone, back to his silver locker.


    "Israfel?" Her small voice urged.


    He finally dropped his eyes; he found an open lust now shimmering in her riparian gaze. It was the most pure, honest desire. Undefiled and untainted. He beheld her as the same light from his memories. He swore to himself Cora would find truth in him, and he in her.


    Rafel shrugged in reply.


    Then, ever so softly, she kissed the tip. . .


    [TO BE CONTINUED.]

 Chapter 115: Grab My Hair [18+]

    [ori #lockerroom #blowjob #sweaty #hardcore #tomboy #secret]


    "OHH! CHRIST!" RAFEL MADE SOME SOUND in the back of his throat.


    Cora kissed his cock again, and he swelled the more in her face. The game had left his sweaty all over, and the locker room was humid enough that his body hadn''t dried yet. He stood in his pristine Jordans, shorts and underwear at his ankles, with the most stunning set of eyes worshipping his little brother below.


    "I have never seen a man''s penis this closely. And certainly not one so fat. You are endowed, Israfel." As she spoke, Cora rubbed her cheek into his pointed nosh. ''You have seen a man''s cock this closely before. . .my cock," Rafel wanted to say, ''problem is you don''t remember.'' He swallowed on his words.


    Cora licked the area above his straining erection. The juncture just below his navel. She pushed up his drapey tanktop and he held it up. Her delicate hands gripped at his manly thighs. "Mhmm." Cora moaned, rubbing her face deeper into his groin. She dipped under, smearing his balls in her face, and Rafel shivered standing.


    "You are so big, so...juicy. Oh god!"


    Cora swiped out with her tongue and began licking on his dropping sack with slow roves of her tongue. Rafel was patient with her, even though he gritted his teeth. His fingers dug into his palms, white from clenching too damn much.


    Cora sucked in his balls, and Rafel saw the light.


    "Deus Mio!" He chanted in Valhan.


    Her mouth worked his testicles slow. He was hung with the saliva from her tongue and the sweat glinting of his skin. Cora released his scrotum with a pop and whimpered when his shaft pped against her face. She inhaled Rafel with her nose.


    "Oohhum," she opened her mouth and took him in.


    The back of Rafel''s head hit the silver surface of his locker behind. His growl was animalistic.


    "Cora, someone could walk in. You don''t have to."


    SLURP! SLURP!


    Cora gobbled him up. Her throat loosened and he went in deep. She held him a second and released him, bouncing and glistening with trails of saliva to her lips. Her gloss was smeared on his crotch. She gazed up at his long, giant body, catching her breath and kissing his rippling abs.


    "How can I not?" She licked circles on his torso. "Your body is wonderfully male. The body of a god."


    "OGGL!" Cora dived again for his slimy shaft, his engorged member, his sinful pipe. Her cheeks swelled with amodating his size. Rafel still kept his hands to his locker, afraid to touch her. Cora released him again, only breaking contact to gasp out the words;


    "Grab my hair, Israfel. GRAB MY FUCKING HAIR!"


    Rafel needed no further drive. He touched her soft tinum waves. The strands were damp under his palms. He admired the blue in them, turning her head the left way to study her boyish fade and the swell of her mouth with his heavy cock. Cora was on her knees and let him use her.


    "Can I...can I move?"


    Cora''s mouth was full with dick, so she nodded.


    Rafel only pumped in three times before he tensed and went shooting floods of cum inside her. His dick forced his seed down her throat, his girth pulsing like a vein with each release. He kept her close, stroking and patting her cheek. She dutifully swallowed, and swallowed. And still, when he eased out of her, sshes of hot semen still rushed out down her lips to her neck.


    Rafel tore off her ck sports bra.


    "Come here!"


    He dragged her by her short silver hair to an upholstered bench in the center of the locker room.


    Fuck anyoneing in! They would see what they saw.


    "Climb, girl!" He roared down at Cora. "I''m not done with you yet. Who knows the next time you''ll let me fuck this hot mouth of yours? I''m going to fuck my fill now. On your knees! Get on your fucking knees, Coraz¨®n."


    Cora obediently followed his orders. She climbed the long bench, kneeling on the upholstery. Her hands gripped the low edge as Rafel brought her head down, jerking his cock in her face. Her mouth was already open, her parted lips puckered for him.


    "Ohh hell yes." Rafel quaked as he drove into her.


    The height of the bench brought her head down at the same time he fucked upwards. Her throat locked around him like a vise. She wheezed, clutching hard to the bench for support, but Rafel made sure she didn''t choke. He started thrusting upwards, fucking her mouth, smacking the sides of her face. Her cheeks were red. She leaked salty tears.


    "You greedy girl. Dress like a boy, but suck dick like a slut."


    The only space she got in her mouth was that which he gave. He controlled her fucking oxygen.


    "You wanted to see my cock? Well here it is, princess, see it all you fucking want. Smell it. Taste it! Fucking choke on it! Swallow my cock.


    Take all of it." Rafel pumped harder, holding his balls too up to her mouth. Hot spit from her was dripping onto his Jordans. Rafel shagged her mouth raw in the locker room.


    "Yes. Yes. Yes. More. Yes. Gimme...more." Cora''s mouth gagged.


    "You know what, let me taste this fucking ass. This sweaty ass, running around in basketball courts all fucking afternoon; you horny, horny slut," Rafel growled, slipping one long arm behind to massage her round butt.


    His palm slid into her shorts, rubbing her ass crack. He dipped one long finger in. Cora jerked on his cock. Rafel withdrew the finger and brought it to his face, inhaling deeply.


    "HOLY FUCK, CORAZ¨®N!"


    Both of them turned on beyond sanity, Cora drew one of Rafel''s legs up on the bench, exposing his engorged member more to her mouth. She held him tight to her as Rafel drilled and began to buck.


    "Oh god. Oh fuck. I''ming, Coraz¨®n. Take it, take all of it, you whore."


    He slid out wetly from her lips, moving to jerk himself off. But Cora grabbed him with her own hands, pumping his hard length. The veins lining his thick cock bulged; she felt the rich blood running in it. "Oh Coraz¨®n." She milked out the fresh seed from him onto her face the second time. Rafel poured into her hair, her hands, and open mouth.


    His seed was hot as it slid down her neck to her naked, perky breasts.


    Rafel smacked the boobs and pinched her nipples.


    She emptied his balls.


    Rafel was still shuddering, recovering from the shockwave of orgasming his mind the fuck out when Cora let go of his shiny shaft.


    With a small shove, she pushed him down to the floors of the locker room.


    "Stay!" She held up her finger and climbed down the bench. Rafel was on his back, his penis still jumping on his abdomen. He watched as Cora moved for him. She stepped over him in her sneakers, ced each of her gazelle legs on either side of him, and in the intensity of his amber eyes, she dropped her athletic shorts. Her underwear was a soaked thing. She dropped that too.


    Then she made a small squat over Rafel''s body and he was staring up at her damp, perfect slit, thinking of how he would just love to creampie that pussy when the trickle started.


    "I know you were thinking about me in the bathroom, so how about I give you a better view," Cora whispered, pissing over him.


    As she grabbed a tissue to dab at herself, Rafel lurched up, grabbing her long legs to smell her ass. Cora allowed him to his devices a moment. She pulled up her panties and shorts. Rafel dragged her down for one final liplock. But Cora turned her face away. Rafel chuckled.


    "I''m still not your type, huh?"


    Cora stood straight. "Yes."


    "Really? After blowing. . .and pissing on me? Do I get to ask why?" Discover exclusive tales on m,v l''e-NovelBin


    Cora paused by the door out the locker room. Just before walking out, she flipped back. "¡ªbecause of my girlfriend."


    "What the¡ª"


    Rafel quickly arose when he heard approaching footsteps. He had just pulled his shorts back on, just in the nick of time, when a group of boys came strolling in,ughing and totally unaware. They gave Rafel the manly pats and he fistbumped with them. Lockers mmed and nude boys in towels hit the showers.


    As the tropical fragrance of liquid soap hit him, Rafel couldn''t help thinking that the janitor was in for a surprise this evening¡ªhow the hell did female urine end up on the floors of the boys locker room?


    He quickly found a mop before the first jock could step out of the shower.

 Chapter 116: Bi-magical

    THE FACT THAT CORA HAD A GIRLFRIEND should have being to Rafel a rebuttal to quit his advances, but by the Martyr he wasn''t about to. Not when he had just gotten her back. The Coraz¨®n he knew was not a hundred percent sapphic; plus he didn''t mind stealing her from her girlfriend¡ªwhomever that was.


    Rafel had shortly returned to his dorm room from a fresh shower in the boys locker area when he fell asleep almost immediately. The fragrance of mist andvender, and the satiation of empty balls did him in. Cora''s inked hair was thest thing he saw before fading. And his smile was long in sleep.


    The next time Rafel opened his eyes, it was morning.


    He yawned, pulling up his head t on his white pillows. ''Christ! Someone turn off the sun.''


    As he blinked to focus, his ears picked up on the voices of two people whispering; a boy and girl, by the shift in soprano and bass. Thankfully, someone had left the curtains down, so the splitting sun outside didn''t give him a migraine. As a blood prince of Hel, he shared a few qualities with the vampires. Rafel rubbed at his eyes as he sat up, and listened to the voices.


    The boy was saying, "¡ªlet him be. He came up pretty tired from Copenhagen Hall yesterday; slept right through dinner. Whatever you have to say can wait, can''t it?"


    Percival? Rafel intuited. Who was he talking to?


    The girl''s voice came in. It was sharp. "No. It can''t wait. My message is from the Headmistress herself. I''m not leaving until I deliver it."


    Rafel heard Percival growl, "I knew I shouldn''t have let you in, madame President! Go on! Feel free to wake up the Apollyon. I sure as hell aren''t doing it."


    "Pussy." The girl retorted.


    A few of those aforementioned qualities that Rafel shared with the fanged bloodsuckers included his ability to feel daylight. Not only when standing under a hot sun did it hurt, but in times of healing for a demon, he could also sense when the sun was out; same as the vampire [Elders] of over half a millennia old¡ªwho could sense the dawn in the deepest, darkest coffin.


    An adaptation their bodies had built to survive.


    It took Rafel a moment, but his vision cleared.


    Beautiful amber pupils leveled on the boy and girl in front of his bed, Percival and Erika, staring each other down. "Percy, Miss Burgess, good morning. Apologies! The rms didn''t go off this morning. I don''t usually sleep in, but s, my body is in need of far more resting that I''d thought. Pray tell, what can I do for you, madam President?" Rafel greeted.


    Erika Burgess, Student President of all First Years, smiled brightly at his awakening. Before Percival had a chance, she jumped in.


    "The rms don''t go off on weekends. Students are spared. I''m sorry for the early intrusion, but I have a letter from the headmistress, Dr. Shetty requesting your presence in her office. From what I could ze, it''s something about your Manifest."


    "Isn''t today Saturday?" Rafel quipped.


    "Yep!" Erika smacked her lips together. "But now that I''m here, have you given thought to our proposal?"


    She raised her brows insinuatively, and Rafel got she meant the Children of the Crow proposal to join their sect. He shook his head, but that was all the reply he gave.


    Continue your journey at m_v--NovelBin


    "Alright. Salvete Corvum!" Erika whispered their secret word before picking up her steps and tracing her way out the boys dorm room. Her silver ts tapped to her swishing school skirts. Rafel wondered if the girl ever wore a pyjamas.


    Ten minutester, he was dressed in fine dark pants, a deep-blue shirt he knew Aya would just love, and fitting his feet; ankle high boots. "I gotta run, Percy," he said, picking up his key card. His blond roommate returned, "Breakfast?" Rafel was slipping out the door as he aired back. "I''ll pick something along the way."


    It took him another twenty minutes to pull out Salem Hall and into his destination.


    A crisply uniformed chauffeur got his buggy''s door as he pulled up to the sparkling ss tower standing out in the esteemed rise of the campus as the administrative building for all things witchy. A great ivory clock spearheading the skyscraping top glinted 0800 hours.


    The Headmistress''s Office was the penthouse. The entire floor.


    Rafel rode the magical elevators to it. For the brief moment in the swanky cocoon, it felt like he was astride one of Giselle''s Griffins, climbing the vast Eldorian blue skies. Strange how this seemed like an age ago.


    DING!


    The silver doors swished open.


    Rafel was weed in by an ethereal, smiling tigress. Nicara held out a box of the cutest cupcakes and a steaming mug to him.


    "Israfel! Ah, so good to see you. Erika tells me you''re settling in well."


    "I am, Doctor." Rafel said respectfully as she offered him the seat across the three meter wide polished mahogany desktop.


    "Quit the formalities, will you? We are alone." She winked, "and please, indulge my muffins and drink up. It''s way past breakfast time, and I''m sure you didn''t have any before cabbing out here."


    Rafel growled in taking a delicious bite of the little cake. It oozed with gooey delight. Dr. Shetty was another woman who knew of his sweet tooth. She watched him eat up three of the dozen cakes, her smile growing more when he also moaned at sipping from the mug.


    "Ah!" Rafel put down the cup to its literal gold saucer. "Chocte tea¡ªmy favorite."


    "I made it myself," Nicara alluded.


    And Rafel smiled. "Thank you."


    "I could offer my wrist if you wanted something sanguine to go with it?"


    "That wouldn''t be necessary, Nicara. But the gesture is appreciated."


    The Headmistress flushed a little at his use of her first name. Rafel continued on, "why have you called me in? I noticed the lobby was empty and the entire building seems like one big haunted castle. Everyone''s off for the weekend."


    "Yeah." Nicara replied. She crossed her legs under her desk. The backdrop of her office was an enchanting rainbow sunrise and the stately academy skyline. "But to the reason why I called you in; it''s about the Manifest. The school board have decided. You are wee to be a member of both Arcs which you manifested.


    [RAVEN BLACK], and


    [PHOENIX RED]


    We have made a special sybus for you based on the ancient druid order. You''ll need to take on a few more sses than the rest of your mates, but I know you''ll be fine. You may wear the crimson or obsidian colors, whichever you decide. For the first time in the history of [C. A. W], you are our first bimagical student."


    Rafel popped a fourth muffin into his mouth, smiling a yboy smile.


    "This all sounds good, Nicara. But couldn''t you just have sent me this with the letter?"


    At this, the gorgeous headmistress stood from her white executive chair and rounded the oval table to Rafel. Her pencil heels gleamed like fire. She pushed up to her desk''s smooth surface on Rafel''s side, sitting directly before and above him. Then she pulled his hand, coated in brown sugar from the cake and brought his finger to her lips. She sucked deeply and let him go with a pop.


    "Yes, Israfel, I could do all that," Nicara shook her flood of red hair free, "¡ªbut I wanted to see you..." In that moment, she had never looked more like a seductive shifter. She purred, "...didn''t you want to see me too?"

 Chapter 117: Lady Fyres Painting [18+]

    The penthouse floor went quiet for long, stretching seconds. Rafel looked at Nicara, and she looked right back at him. Her red hair was a halo framing her beautiful face, and cascading behind to brush the burnished top of her wide office desk on which she sat. She had the wild girl look down to a T.


    Her eyes were catty, and fangs dipped out to her bottom lip.


    "We are alone, young Master, in the entire tower."


    A few muffins remained in the pink confectionary box and Rafel picked up one, turning it over in his fingers. He pushed up Nicara''s red skirt and rubbed icing into her skin. Her thighs trembled as he leaned forward in his chair and promptly licked it off.


    "Ohh," Nicara gasped softly as he softly bit on her milfy thighs.


    Rafel pushed her skirt up more and began tracing a path upward with his wet tongue. He licked the inside of her thigh and Nicara felt a jolt in her clit. She bit down on her bottom lip, caressing the young demon''s head under her. Her fingers treaded his hair, a deeper, bloodier shade of wine than hers, her ck tiger ws glinting in the posh atmosphere of her office.


    "Can I see your horns?" she asked out of nowhere.


    Rafel pulled up his head from her creamy flesh. He nodded. A rush of hot blood swelled his shaft. Under his Headmistress''s caressing hands, Nicara felt sprouts lengthen and thicken as they pushed out the front corners of his head.


    His forehorns were gold. Discover more stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    She also noticed he had littler silver ones poking out the sides of his head, half covered in his ginger hair. Nicara gripped the left horn and he groaned in lust. Horns and tails among demon factions were deadly arsenals, but also erogenous zones, but this wasn''tmon knowledge.


    "Doctor?" Rafel growled as she made her curling fingers into a tight fist.


    "Call me Mistress!" Nicara dragged him forward by the horns, her own shifter ws spiked and tipped.


    His chair wheeled forward and get mmed into her body. Nicara spread her thighs wider, riding her skirt up to her waist and pulling Rafel''s head between them. He inhaled on her tights and Nicara shuddered on the table. "Ohh god! I''ve been wet for you since you walked through my elevators. I want you, Israfel."


    Rafelpped her up through her crimson panties.


    Using his horns like steers, Nicara rolled his head, moving against his face. Rafel flicked her nub and Nicara''s left hand fell into her hair.


    "Ohh yes, young Master. Bathe in that pussy."


    Rafel roughly shoved her panties to the side. The woman''s slit was puffed up and glistening for attention. He jammed two long fingers inside her.


    "Ohhhh!" Nicara reared up the executive table.


    She squeezed on Rafel''s horn and he felt the pressure on his cock. Rafel pulled out his fingers and sucked them clean of their shine. "You taste like icing, mistress." He palmed and smacked her pussy. His light pping left Nicara breathless. Her squeeze on his horn was now almost powerful enough to break, but Rafel knew it wouldn''t. He gave her tasty slit on final lick before releasing her underwear.


    Her panties fell back over her nudity with a smack that made her insides clench.


    Rafel drew her into hisp. She slid from the burnished top, bouncing onto him.


    Rafel lowered his head and released a soft boob from the confines of her brassiere. He sucked on it fiercely. Nicara squirmed on him, desperate to let the pipe she could feel under her slip inside. She massaged her pussy over his rager. "Will you fuck me? Will you fuck me, please?"


    "I wanted to see you," Rafel whispered in her ear.


    Nicara pulled back. "What?"


    "Earlier you asked, ''didn''t you want to see me?'' Yes. I did."


    "Oh, Israfel!" Nicara kissed his neck.


    Rafel stood up from the boss chair with her, taking her up with him. She wrapped her legs around him and their lips met. It was a frenzied kissing, wild as it was passionate, with deep french stroking and sucking of each other''s tongues. Rafel sneaked a finger under crack and into her hole.


    "Mhmm." Nicara tore at his zipper below. She reached inside to pull out his cock.


    He was heavy and hot in her hands. His dick was throbbing. Rafel pulled his finger out her ass.


    He fell heavily with her on top to a long sofa.


    He broke their drowning kiss. He was bringing it to his lips but Nicara grabbed his hand and sucked it first, reveling in her own taste. Rafel smacked her face and kissed her hard. "Wait your turn."


    He put his hand between them and cupped her pussy. Nicara was stroking his free cock hard.


    "Ohh fuck. I need you now!"


    She pushed up from straddling his thighs. Bending in her pencil heels, she opened her mouth wide and took Rafel into her mouth. "Fuck, mistress Shetty!" Rafel held her head down. He spanked her disyed fat ass a couple of times as she started sucking on his broadness heatedly.


    "Oh yes, mistress. Suck that cock, suck it good. I love to your lips like that that, wrapped around me." Rafel dragged her up by the hair; his massive penis slithered out and hung heavy with bronze veins. "Your turn!"


    Rafel pulled her up on his body.


    "Spread your legs," he instructed wickedly.


    He ripped off her underwear as she surrendered her sex to his face. With her knees on both sides of his head, Nicara began to move on his tongue. Her ss ripped at her ster office wallpaper. The both of them, gasping. Rafel, jerking his cock as he drowned his face in the scent and warmth of her. The sound of her shaky whimpered as she jumped on his face, her shaking ass smothering him.


    "Yes!¡ªeat my pussy." Nicara hissed.


    And then. . .


    DING!


    The elevators suddenly opened.


    Rafel''s hand froze on jerking his cock.


    ''I thought she said the tower was empty. Who the¡ª''


    Nicara froze over his face. She gently slid down and their eyes met briefly before they both turned as one to the intruder. It was a courier. A woman with bangs in her green eyes. She stood rooted to the spot just in front of the elevator. "Uh, I¡ªI''ll juste back."


    "Wait! What''s that?" Nicara eased up Rafel''s body.


    He too rose up the sofa. Their gazes pinned the delivery woman as they adjusted the destroyed state of their modesty. "Go on, courier!" Nicara urged.


    "I came to deliver this. It''s the painting of Lady Fyre." The delivery woman took steps forward and uncovered the square parcel in her hand. It was a five feet oil canvas of dreamlike ink sshes. The intertwining rainbow colors were hypnotic. "It just arrived on the harborst night from Rocasus. And the Legata sends her greetings.


    Also this bottle of rare wine from¡ª"


    "Who''s Lady Fyre?" Rafel cut out the courier.


    "Oh, baby..." Nicara turned to smile at him. He had stuffed his cock back in his pants, but the bulge was still evident. The delivery woman tried not to stare; evidently, she had never seen a man so big. "...it''s not who," Nicara continued, "it''s what!


    A Lady Fyre painting is a work of art intended to restore memories. Say like what the opera does to a monster [Hyde], reverting the hideous creatures to the calmer form of man. Lady Fyre''s paintings are really rare. This one belonged to a friend of mine who was assassinated in Titans Landing. It survived being destroyed. I had it recovered and sent here by ship."


    Rafel moved closer to her. He waved a hand to the abstract piece and its chaotic tone. "Let me get this straight. You''re telling me that artwork restores memories?"


    The delivery woman nodded. Nicara smiled. "As sure as a vampire drinks blood."


    "Huh?" Rafel thought quickly; Coraz¨®n filling his head. What fate of luck! He said, "can I borrow it?"


    "Of course, but it can''t fall into the wrong hands," Nicara epted.


    The courier veiled the painting again, lowering it to the adjacent wall. She turned and Rafel''s eyesnded on her most striking asset. Her ass. A rounded,rge bottom. He imagined the bubble butt hugging a bicycle''s seat, and how the cleft in her ass would look gripping humongous cheeks. He had gotten a surprise boon, but first, he and Nicara had to finish.


    The delivery woman turned around and hit the button for the elevator.


    DING! It swished open.


    But Nicara''s voice sounded out. "Where the hell do you think you''re going? You interrupted our pleasure, DELIVERY GIRL. You might as well stoke it back. COME HERE."


    When the elevators dinged and opened at the ground floor of the administrative tower, no one was in it.

 Chapter 118: The Love In Sharing [18+]

    Your adventure continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin


    THE CURVY DELIVERYWOMAN STEPPED FORWARD wringing her fingers. The blue detection light in the elevator box pulsed behind her. Detecting no one, the mana-operated contraption closed up its silver doors.


    It wasn''t until thest century, in the reign of thest Van Imperia King, Giselle''s father, that a group of studious [Pegasus Arc] graduants hade up with the artifice called ''the elevators''. Rumors had been it was inspired from the more trendy ones down in the Antean colonies, with their grove of gemstones, cyberpunk underwater homes, and futuristic machines.


    But the water queen, Yemaya didn''t just let any one into her realm.


    Everyone knew this.


    But rumor or not, the creators of the [elevator] pushed for the then King to keep the totem mark of water magic, a blue seahorse on its top, in dedication to Arc that had invented it. Soon enough, all bastions and ptines in the realm with over three floors added the inbuilt machines to their blueprints and building. The olden stone steps were kept of course, but no one used them.


    Only in the castle did men still ascend the ptial wings by steps. The Dowager, Lady Lilith loved originality first before science.


    Even though the ''elevators'' operated on the mystic core present in said edifice, Lilith would not hear of it. As the pioneer of all things magical and mortal, the [C. A. W] was one of the first to open her gates to the rising machines. Dr. Nicara Shetty believed the future was both magic and science.


    In the present, Nicara offered her hand out to the hesitant courier.


    "Come on. You can''t go back now¡ªthe elevators only respond to my mana print. I have locked it. You will be here, with us."


    "I-I apologize for the interruption, Doctor Shetty, but can''t I just go? I have a boyfriend!"


    Nicara smiled cutely at the delivery girl''s face. She had only just now noticed the freckles. "Aww! That''s wonderful. A little man to work those curves. But I didn''t say anything about your boyfriend.


    If you are already thinking it...well, it means, you do know what is gonna happen." Nicara sniffed softly at the air. "Oh, and you''re in heat."


    The deliverywoman blushed to the tip of her ears.


    "Dr. Shetty, I¡ª" she started.


    "Hush!" Nicara cut her out. "Take my hand."


    In the almond depths of Nicara''s wild shifter eyes, her outstretched hand with the fine maroon ws, her fangs tipping forward every slow second, her puckered red lips, her tight office skirt already halfway up her cream thighs, that gorgeous red hair of hers spilling down in a dark wild, wild wave to brush her waist; the deliverywoman couldn''t bring herself to look away.


    Her fingers softly entered Nicara''s.


    "Good," said the female werecat.


    Nicara led the shy courier back to the sofa at the right area of the room. Rafel lounged on it. He''d been watching the whole time.


    "Kneel!" Nicara instructed.


    "D-Doctor¡ª"


    "Trust me, your BOYFRIEND will thank us for this!"


    "He will?" The courier softly dropped to her knees before Rafel.


    "Oh yeah, baby. We are about to knight you in the realm of pleasures," Nicara promptly replied.


    On her knees, with her delicate hands sped in herp, Rafel studied the girl. Behind, some feet away beside the shut elevator doors was her delivery. Lady Fyre''s painting. The key to unlocking the mystery of Coraz¨®n death, her possible resurrection, and certain memory wipe. ''I suppose the least of I could do is make this a trip she''ll never forget¡ªas she has done for me.''


    "What''s your name?" Rafel''s intense gaze swamped her; a pool of drowning gold.


    You could look in his eyes forever.


    "Heidi. H-Heidi Reifo."


    "Oh, you''re an inder. This will be good." Nicara said down to Rafel.


    "Well, Heidi. I''m Rafel. And I''m honored to grant you a lesson in indulgence. I''m sure it must have felt pretty embarrassing to be in heat and riding a courier bike. All that friction sliding against you, but nofort?"


    Heidi looked between Rafel and Nicara, blushing fierce red. Nicara giggled. "Oh, young Master, we shouldn''t make her wait any longer."


    "Certainly not!" came Rafel''s husky baritone.


    Nicara hiked up her skirt, pulling down her panties and stepping out of them. She turned Heidi on her knees before her, and pulled her face into her sex. "Tongue. Give me tongue, Heidi. Good girl. Ohh!" Nicara gasped as Rafel grabbed his cock under his pants and pulled it out with a great heave.


    He pulled Heidi to him by her deep brown hair.


    "My turn."


    Nicara bit her lip, watching Heidi bend over Rafel on the sofa and gulp his shaft into her mouth. She could see the bulge in the girl''s cheeks. Rafel had a bit of her crimson lipstick from their session earlier. She unclipped her bra, releasing pear-shaped boobs and fair brown ares into the coolness of her swanky penthouse office.


    She climbed the sofa, kneeling beside Rafel.


    She guided Heidi''s head up and down Rafel''s slimy pipe. The girl couldn''t handle his size and came up panting for breath. Nicara smiled wickedly, seeing the girl''s soft body wage a war between wanting more dick and pulling back for the sake of burning lungs. "Let''s see this beautiful ass." Nicara pulled down Heidi''s custom camo pants.


    Her robust butt filled the sparkling office. "My God!" Nicara spanked her.


    She rubbed and moved her ass this way and that, admiring the Abba-esque perfection. "You have an Egyptian harlot''s body, girl. Anyone ever tell you that?" Nicara squeezed her boobs and Heidi''s huge mounds at the same time. Rafel drew in and sucked on her chocte nipples. Deliciously peaked, hevished his attention until Nicara was squirming at his rolling tongue.


    She went down behind Heidi, spreading her ass crack, looking in her hole, and dipping in to taste it. Her pretty face was smothered in the bounteous, shaking flesh.


    Nicara went wild on her pussy,pping her up.


    "Such a tight, puckered hole." She pulled back again to study Heidi''s cream slit and clench. "You are as pink as fucking peach."


    "That''s it!" Rafel growled. He could take it no more. "I wanted to stretch out our passion, but you gals are begging for it. I will show you not to torment me." He pulled Heidi up by her head from slurping on his balls. His cock dangled over her face. He ordered in a wolfish purr, "both of you, on the sofa now!


    Spread your legs and hold your fucking ass."


    Nicara and Heidi hopped onto the couch, doing as hemanded. Rafel moved behind both women. They grabbed their butts open for his eyes and Rafel groaned at their gaping holes. Heidi''s pussy dripped down her legs. Rafel grabbed his dick, rubbing the fat head against her slit as the girl buried her head in the sofa''s top. She moaned, her back arching for him to fill her up.


    A light sheen of sweat mirrored her bounteous curves.


    Rafel pushed in.


    "Yes, bitch!" Nicara grinned as Heidi sighed from the overwhelming pleasure.


    Rafel went in slow, but only the first time. He grabbed hold of her hips and pounded her cunt. He enveloped her from behind, drilling into her like a wolf in mating season. Heidi covered her mouth to keep back the wanton pleasure; her eyes to not see the magnificent stud rawdogging her. She was whimpering.


    "God! I shouldn''t be doing this. My boyfriend?"


    Rafel pped her jiggling butt and held her down harder into the sofa. Her cries stifled but she was shuddering all over. "Oh fuck!" Rafel pulled out with a great groan as her pussy tried to grab and keep him in. He dreadlocked Heidi''s wrists behind her back as she splintered into her climax.


    He bent low to watch her pussy spring loads of squirt onto his naked torso.


    "Yes, Heidi. Release that pleasure, don''t you fight it, babe. A bitch as endowed as you shouldn''t be starved. Get that dick. Squirt on it!" Nicara hushed dirty words into the girl''s ear.


    She ced a palm behind, between Heidi''s legs, rubbing her pussy and sending her squirting scattering all over their bodies. Heidi jerked and pawed the sofa. The posh office floors gleamed below.


    Rafel was clutching to his cock, trying to stave off his desire to pump Heidi''s womb full. He didn''t trust himself again into the deliverywoman''s pussy. So, turning to the redhaired Doctor, Rafel pushed her forward to bend over the sofa. Nicara writhed, yearning for his filling length. Her hands started reaching back to touch him. Rafel pped them away.


    "Hold her still." He ordered Heidi.


    The girl obeyed and gripped Nicara''s hands, looking into her sandy-brown eyes.


    Rafel pumped in once and Nicara imed him like a popsicle in a teen girl''s mouth.


    "Holy hell, woman!" He spanked her wide hips. "Don''t be naughty."


    His lean, lupine body moved very tantalizingly behind Nicara. Heidi watched in wonder. The man was divine. So young, and so full of vigor. A hard, sprung male! He pounded Nicara''s insides, mming in a fevered frenzy.


    The pping of his groin against her ass filled the office. "Put your finger in my ass," Nicara whispered breathing to Heidi, "put it in please."


    The courier girl ran her palm down Nicara''s soft body. Above Rafel''s callused palms grasping her breasts, Heidi pushed one long finger inside her hole. The bitch was hot.


    "Ohhhh fuuuuuckk!" Nicara screamed.


    Rafel let go too with her. He went firing like a bullet inside her, shooting gallons of his essence in her womb. Nicara felt every pulse and jerk of his cock.


    They drew out their sin, mming desperately to give and empty all they could.


    Rafel''s pulled out. His dick was so big he was shocked for a moment. The swollen tip bulged in whitish semen, leaking in Nicara''s juicies too. Heidi went on the ground before him and swallowed his pipe into her mouth. She sucked him slow, aware of his sensitivity. Rafel kept Nicara down before him on the sofa; she put her head back to look at him watch his seed leaking out of her pussy.


    A most delightful creampie.


    Rafel fell to the sofa, drained and sweaty, his abs like fucking bricks. Heidi and Nicara gathered to him, both on each side. Nicara wantonly touched her hand down to her sex to taste his cum.


    Rafel looked from the gleaming floors of her ss office, their disarray of clothes, to the abstract [Lady Fyre painting]. He could almost see the vivid, untamed colors staring back at him under the veil covering it.


    He wondered what Cora would see in it.


    ''Her lost memories, I hope,'' he thought.


    Heidi stood and began dressing. It took some wiggling to get her pants up her curvaceous body. She met the two hot pairs of eyes studying her. Nicara had not moved an inch from Rafel''s Adamic body. Heidi said, "I have to go, but uh. .


    .thank you, I guess."


    Nicara and Rafel shared wicked grins.


    Nicara smiled more. "Fuck your boyfriend when you get home, will you?"


    Heidi flushed, squinting. "You both are very, very bad." She picked up the forgotten ink feather and scroll. "You have to sign this."


    Nicara did, all the while smiling at the girl who refused to meet her eyes. "So how''s your libido now, satisfied?"


    "Oh goodness, Doctor!" Heidi put her hand to her face in obvious guilt, hurrying to the elevators. She mmed the button.


    "There''s love in sharing, Heidi!" Nicara yelled in giggles to the closing doors. "¡ªremember that."


    Rafel knew the deliverywoman was probably thinking, ''I''ll nevere here again.''


    But Rafel knew she would. Her body was just as Lady Fyre''s painting; a splendid mix of puzzling emotions in color-bright abstract.

 Chapter 119: The Invitation

    RAFEL ENTERED THE DINNER HALL at quarter past seven in the evening. The sun was already dipped down the Cold Sea and the long tides reaching the beaches of Corynthia mirrored the high ss of the Academy''s towers and citadels. All his friends were already at the table when he settled in.


    "Evening, all," he greeted. Spotting him, Ravenna walked up from the other table of sophomores, where she sat, to theirs instead. Since no one was replying, Rafel went on, "look guys, I''m sorry I missed dinner for like¡ª"


    "Six days! It was six days." Aya offered curtly.


    "You''re angry...I get it, but Coraz¨®n IS HERE, in the academy. I watched that girl''s neck snap like a twig. Somehow, someway, she''s alive. I have spent thest week trying to find out how and why."


    Ravenna put a hand to her lips. Mikhail bent his head to the long brass table. They were obviously chewing back something. "What is it?" Rafel added, looking again to Percival and Rosa. It was a while but Rosa finally said, "we''re not mad at you, Israfel for missing a few friends dinner. But you are keeping us out of the loop.


    We are your friends, not to mention, allegiants¡ªin the other room."


    She lowered her voice, "we are loyal to you, but we do not want a repeat of Emberfall."


    "Hear! Hear!" Ravenna held up her ss of crep¨¦ like a toast.


    "... don''t you think the person strong enough to wipe a [Rank B] witch''s memory, andpletely alter her mana core for spirit and blue healing magic is quite the adversary? To face alone?"


    Rafel thought on it a moment, then lowered his head. Again, he said, "I''m sorry. But you''re wrong about one thing, Rosamunde, there is one person in this table who is mad at me." He turned to his ve subus. "Naamah?"


    "I can''t be mad at you, my liege. I am merely your Bond."


    The girl had taken only one spoon of her macaroni and chili sauce. She yed with her food. Her violet eyes were absent. Rafel knew he shouldn''t have abandoned her all to herself like that. She was his first bonded [Rank A] creature; he had ascended from the pits of Hel to Eldoria with her. ve subi depended on their Masters¡ªor mistresses for sexual fulfillment.


    Rafel wasn''t sure Aya had got any since they arrived at the academy.


    That was seventeen days ago.


    ''Shit.''


    He could feel her even now, in his mind, probing at his psyche, urging him to open again their telepathic connection, to merge with her as [Sire] and [Bond], so that she knew of whatever he wanted even before he asked it. He knew he was healed enough to at leastplete a mind link with her.


    And he had half the mind to order her into the bathroom stall just about the corner, will her to touch their toes, and eat her out like fuckin'' cake.


    ''...but there is a time and ce,'' his subconscious asserted with a twinge of morality.


    Rafel put his hand across to her, beside him. Their fingers connected. "I will make it up to you, Naamah. I promise."


    He sealed his words with a deep kiss, bending her head into a suppliant angle and frenching her.


    "Damn! Some of us are eating here, yer," Mikhail shielded dramatically his eyes.


    When Rafel pulled back, Aya was softly panting and her parted lips were pink and moist. She held his amber eyes and amber felt the walls in his minde crashing down. He quaked with the intensity ofpletely linking minds with her. His thoughts, her thoughts. A flood of shared memories and lusts; it was a dreamlike experience.


    Though he would''ve preferred to seal their minds as well as bodies at this time, he refrained forter. His Naamah had never been with anyone beside him and her former Master, Lord Morningstar.


    ''Shall we leave, Lord Master? We''ll probably not make it to the bed.'' Aya whispered in his head.


    ''Do not tempt me, little one. I delight in a bit of sadism tonight. You can clench your thighs all you want, but no fingers down there. I own your next release.'' Rafel whispered back to her.


    "Uh, what are they doing?" Percival asked, scraping his te clean off ntains.


    Rosa smiled, but it was Ravenna who replied.


    "Telepathy," she said.


    "Earth to master and ve!" Mikhail waved in front of their faces.


    Rafel released his hold on Aya''s hand and the cute girl finally took another bite of her chili.


    "What is it, Romanov?" Rafel growled. He never did use the boy''s first name.


    Mikhail continued, "we were saying something about trust. Are you going to trust us now?"


    Rafel grabbed the fresh green apple in his tray and bit into it. "The headmistress summoned me in to her office this morning¡ª"


    ''Oh yeah? Did you fuck?'' the voice in his head cut him out. Aya. She was bending over, biting on her fork like nothing was happening. The harlot! ''Did she suck your cock, Master?


    Like a good, dirty bitch? Tell me, master, tell me. Whatever she did to you, I''ll do better. I''m hungry for your nosh. I want you to feed me your penis. I''ll be a better slut.


    PROMISE!''


    Rafel couldn''t take it anymore. "Go get me another apple!" He cut out her seductive dirty talking in his head, pointing to the chef''s corner in the canteen and ordering her on. He admired her shapely butt all the way.


    ''Such a whore.''


    Rafel continued to Rosa, Ravenna, Percival, and Mikhail''s faces staring in that order. "As I was saying, Dr. Shetty gave me this painting. A Lady Fyre''s painting, she called it. My n is to ce it in the dorm room Percy and I share. And then invite Coraz¨®n over.


    It apparently restores memories. That is my hope for when she sees it. I''d like you, Mikhail to shed more light. Anything you can share since your family, the Romanovs are known to be avid lovers of art. Your mother, the [Legata] owns the grandest collection in the west, does she not?"


    Mikhail bowed his head with a small nod. It was the first Rafel had seen the boy humble. Everything about Mikhail Yurishev Romanov III was done to effect some level of arrogance. Prominent of all, his green mohawk.


    "Yes, my dear mother owns the grandest art collection in the west," Mikhail replied glumly, "she collects them by the dozen. I can offer some insight about the painting. A [Lady Fyre], for so each one is called, is a very much valued instrument of the crafts and spells. Find your next read at m_v l|e-NovelBin


    Many in the past have being used by Barons to lure a Regent''s favor, tame an impossible spouse, or attract noble suitors to call on a debutante''s house.


    [Lady Fyre] is the generic name given to these kinds of painting which exhibit certain. . .mystics, should I call it. Yes, mystics! The paintings are not ordinary, so when you tell me, Israfel that you have found a Lady Fyre''s painting with the capability to restore memories, I believe you. A [Lady Fyre] is a very potent for unwounding spells and hexes.


    If this Cora of yours had been cursed, it will work."


    A brief silence reigned over their table. Behind, many had finished their supper, and were rising to walk out the vast dining hall¡ªmade with such finesse befitting a Valerian General''s mansion. The Student President, blondest Erika Burgess was one of them. She stared at their table like Rafel and his cohorts were plotting a coup.


    Rafel wondered how the hell she hade to be one of the Children of the Crow.


    Perhaps, the open despise was just to distract from her secret inclinations.


    Aya appeared with not just an apple, but a fruit basket. "For you, my Lord." She bowed.


    "Hell! I need to get myself a subus!" Mikhail joked.


    "They only bond to Hell Princes," Rosa offered intelligently.


    Ravenna drew back everyone''s attention to the matter at hand. "About Cora, how do we get her in your room?"


    Rafel scratched his head. "Uh, I might have an idea."

 Chapter 120: Sigma House

    RAFEL''S PLAN TO GET CORAZ¨®N was a party.


    He recalled the invite he''d gotten from the bricked baller two days before at the gym. The flyer was still in his beside drawer, and Rafel promptly fished it out and handed it to his friends. "This guys, this is our way to get Cora over. A fellow yer at the courts handed me this. I suppose it''s an invite to some kind of night rager. And it''s happening tomorrow.


    We need to be at that party, and Cora needs to be there too."


    Mikhail warily eyed the ck flyer. "Why wasn''t I invited?"


    "I was," Ravenna jumped in, "if that helps."


    Rosamunde said, "I was too. I think the hosts favor those of Raven Arc. We aren''t called the Goth troop for nothing. Everyone knows Raven cks bring the life¡ªand death¡ªto the party. This is the first rager of the school year. Their party has to be lit."


    Mikhail rolled his eyes. "And pray tell, Miss Spears; who are these hosts?"


    "Personally, I agree with Rosa. The Ravens do host the darkest and raunchiest parties," blonde haired Percival added, "at least better than Pegasus blue," he taunted. Mikhail made a face and soft growl at him. "Your faction isn''t better than mine. It''s all smoke and mirrors in Griffin Gold. All YOU GUYS care about is your tan, and fucking flowers."


    "Boys please!" Ravenna admonished. She grabbed the flyer out of Mikhail''s hand and pointed to the spot of an S-shaped Hellenic alphabet. "To answer your question, Mik, THAT is the party host."


    Mikhail''s eyes rounded. "HOLY SHIT! SIGMA HOUSE? How didn''t I notice that before? Fuck me!"


    Rafel rubbed his temples with a sigh. "Romanov, mind telling the rest of us killjoys what this Sigma House is?"


    "Uh, only like the greatest party nners in fuckin'' history!" Mikhail answered in slight frustration. "Are you kidding me right now, guys? As the saying goes, there''s no rave like a sigma rave! Of course, the liveliest rager of the school year will be hosted by them. I have to be there YESTERDAY. And to think, Israfel that you wouldn''t have showed us this if not for your beloved brained-out CORA?"


    "She''s not brained-out!" Rafel fired.


    "I''m sorry I said that." Mikhail apologized. "Either way, a Sigma House party is the party to be at. It features the sexiest hotbloods on campus. . ."


    "Frat boys, you mean," Aya Naamah cut in.


    "Macho men!" Rosa added in a tight smile.


    "Rapists!" Brunhilda asserted quietly, and every one on the table turned to her.


    "Hell nah!" Mikhail broke the silence. "BOYS! I mean boys. You can''t me them for being teens and hitting on girls. If you hate them so much, then don''te. You''ll only fuck up our stuff anyway.


    But if Rafel was given a honorary invite, that means, Sigma House is considering him for their most notable, secret induction.


    Freaking Sigma! Aww man, I''m so green right now. I wish I got a chance."


    At that moment, Erika was passing by their table, heading off from the dining hall. Her catty eyes lowered on the ck rave flyer and she smiled so sweetly, Ravenna''s eyes hurt. "Oh, you got one. I got one too! One of the few in my Arc to be invited. Griffins are not popr with the goth club.


    See you there, Israfel!"


    And she sashayed away, wiggling her tiny waist like the sway of a g.


    "Right! Just what we need!" Percival scoffed. "But if this party is so exclusive, how the hell are we going to get in without invites?"


    "You don''t need one," said Rafel. "You''re with me."


    The girls at the table smiled. "You know that is supposed to sound condescending, buting from him, it doesn''t," Mikhail smiled too. "I guess we''re going to a party!"


    This conversation was ten hours ago.


    [?? Gagnam Style ¨C PSY]


    Sigma House was a fine and small white vi a block off the street for the three student Halls. It was owned proprietarily by the quote-unquote, all the hot boys on campus. The decorations for the rave were flirty and brazen. A fully nude sculpture of a nymph stood on the yard opening into the porch.


    Several boys on the House''s stone patio above pointed at the cream breasts made of whitestone but so realistic.


    Rosamunde walked up the red carpet flowing out the open doors, eyeing the [Nereid] statue warily.


    "Oh, quit with the judgement, Rosa!" Mikhail raised his voice to be heard above the din of club music as they walked in. "Boys will be boys. What did you expect of a frat house party? We all need something to look at, including you, Rosa. Is that a grin I spy on your face for Israfel?" Find your next read on m_v l|e-NovelBin


    The girl blushed as Rafel made contact with them.


    Rosa whispered just before he got near. They we''re leaning against a bar with a full wine deck behind. Expensive whiskey bottles sparkled under the strobe lights. "I mean guys at campus are pretty good-looking but this, this is next level Adonis-type hot!"


    "So you do have a crush on him?"


    "Quiet!" Rosa hushed Mikhail out just as Rafel reached them.


    The blinking neon turned his red hair deeper, kind of like crimson gold. He stood a head taller than most in the room. This was just the vestibule of Sigma House and the main area. The lobby was a mix of dancing bodies on the floor. Hands were raised, flesh merging and teasing; just the fine line between morality and lust. Rafel took Rosa''s side and watched Ravenna go at it with Aya on the dance floor.


    Blending in was the n.


    ...and with Aya twerking her spandex-d butt into Ravenna''s front, they were blending in impably.


    No one had even noticed the others walk in without invites. The mere mention of Rafel''s name, the man with a roaring fan club ever since hospitalizing Olivar at the Guild, was enough to move the frat boy bouncers aside.


    "You think she''ll be here?" Rafel leaned into Rosa, inhaling her hair oil as they stared up at the girl drunkenly dragging two hunky jocks up the silver staircase to the upper storeys¡ªwhere the more private rooms were situated.


    "Aside the many bad decisions that''ll be made here tonight¡ª" Mikhail winked at the [BBG] throuple, "yes, my liege. I think Cora will be here. She''ll be at her wit''s end before she misses all these..." He stretched his hand to the eclectic dance floor. "...look at this: it''s the party of the century! Not to mention, from what you told us, she is a Raven Arc member.


    The macabre theme of the rave is right up her alley."


    Rosa shook her head at Mikhail.


    "She''ll be here," he finished. "I properly slipped the flyer under her dorm room door."


    Rafel had given his invite to Cora.


    Just then, the dark doors of the stately vi swept open, its purr carrying on the cool wind. In came a very striking tinum blonde. Her pants fit about gazelle legs and thighs that could only belong to a woman. She had a model''s figure. And like Athena the goddess, she carried herself well in it. Her fierce alligator boots and ck jacket had the boys stares hitting the floor just as they looked.


    But they still looked.


    It was impossible not to.


    But in all her seductive allure, it was her soft ocean eyes that appealed to Rafel.


    "There she is," he whispered, "my Coraz¨®n."


    "Oh, I see the appeal!" Mikhail taunted.


    ¡ªbut Rafel wasn''t listening. Whatever it took, a mystical painting or not, he would make her remember. He would make her remember him.


    Rafel turned to the bar and ordered two shots of fine brandy.

 Chapter 121: Clarity

    [?? In The Air Tonight ¨C Phil Collins.]


    "ON THE HOUSE!" The bartender smiled and put up the two shots before Rafel. It slid on the gray porcin and Rafel grabbed it with the offered napkin. "Thank you." He said. And the bartender smiled more¡ªeven though he was a boy.


    "Your Eminence..." Rosa''s quiet voice hit Rafel just as he turned to move out. He halted. She only used his formal title as Apollyon when she wanted to get a deep message across. Rafel turned to meet her gray eyes; her regarded her intellect and always listened to her. Rosa softly touched his arm. "...I know how much you want this, my liege, but y it cool alright; you don''t want to spook her."


    Rafel nodded and Rosa smiled amicably.


    "Take a deep breath."


    He did, filling his lungs with frosty air and the fragrance of champagne. He closed his eyes a bit to calm his nerves. It suddenly felt like he was going off to battle an Orc chieftain, [Rank A] with runes for brutality and sadism, not a gorgeous girl in ck gang-style clothing.


    He let his eyes fall back open and released his long breath.


    "You''re ready." Rosa smiled at him. "Go get her!"


    Rafel swept around with the shots in hand. He started the walk, inwardly promising the Fates a bull sacrifice if Cora didn''t abruptly p him. She had just handed the flyer over to the ripped boy, sh, werewolf collecting the invites. She listened to the blues music and conversed with a group of vampires with blood-red lipstick¡ªeven the boys.


    ''Well, I suppose it could just be blood.''


    He quietly approached. Seeing the tall, wickedly beautiful redhead halt on their group, amber iris leveling and not looking away; the vampires scattered, muttering quick excuses. Cora turned with hands in her pockets. Her blue eyes faded into purple under the streaming lights.


    "Hi! I''m not here to hit on you or anything," Rafel started. "Here!" He passed over one shot.


    Cora didn''t immediately collect it. "I don''t mean to be curt, but you pretty much just scared away my friends. Why should I drink with you?"


    "I know you can get yours and all, but please, indulge me." Rafel kept his hand out. He was not backing down.


    Cora pulled her hand out and collected the shot, downing it in one gulp. She regretted it one secondter. "Oh fuck. That shit burns." She coughed and grabbed her belly. "You shoulda warned me!" She jabbed at Rafel''s chest. He didn''t twitch, and when he down his shot, he only smiled.


    "Yes, it burns, much more than normal liquor is supposed to. The boys must''ve spiked it inmp oil or something."


    "Try Minotaur piss!" Cora gulped hard, but she beganughing, and Rafel joined her.


    She straightened after a beat.


    "What do you want, Israfel? Here to tell me more about the life we''d had together before, cause I still don''t remember. Or, do you just want another blowjob?"


    Rafel stared at her lips.


    "Ohh..." Cora scoffed. "Really? You want me to suck your cock again? That''s what you''re thinking right now?" She moved closer until she was toe to toe with him, and even though she had to look straight up to meet his eyes, she did. "Let me be clear, the locker room was ONE TIME! One time.


    I ain''t about to gobble your nosh just because you''re pretty."


    Her undercity ent and fearlessness; it was his Cora alright.


    Rafel flirted with a smile. "You think I''m pretty?"


    "Really? That''s your take in all of what I just said?" Cora dared him with her cerulean gaze.


    "N¨®n, mon coeur." Rafel took her shot cup and tossed both hers and his in a wide arc into a bin. He was getting good at hitting the mark. When Cora smiled softly at his expert toss, he said, "I have you to thank for that. Walk with me?"


    Cora took his hand. "Only because my girlfriend''s not here yet."


    ''Girlfriend? That again?'' Rafel didn''t give a shit. He was going tomit the worst [Netori] if it gave him a chance. He stepped out the red carpet, moving around a couple of gyrating bodies, with Cora in tow. He had to admit, he was loving a female''s hand in his. He was never one for romantic gestures, but this felt.


    . .nice.


    "Alright, we''re outside." Cora pulled her hand away. "What do you want?"


    Rafel moved close enough to her that she could spot the rise and fall of his chest in breathing. He moved close enough that they smelled each other''s perfumes; he, like a great mountain forest in winter; her, like first rains and sandalwood. He had never rehearsed the words he was about to speak, but he trusted she would see the truth in his eyes.


    "Coraz¨®n, I know you feel that moment in the Assembly Hall was the first time we met. . .but it wasn''t. I''m not trying to stir any drama here but I need you. You were. .


    .taken from me by a demon, mi Coraz¨®n; ripped from my arms before, before I even had a chance. I couldn''t save you¡ª"


    "Isra¡ª"


    "Let me finish. . .please. I couldn''t protect you. But now, by some miracle, you are before me again, alive," he touched her cheek and pulled back blue strands from her eyes, "I have a second chance at redemption. You don''t remember this Cora¡ªand truthfully, you may never, but I loved you.


    You were more than my chambein. You were a close friend, a most gifted witch.


    I just desire to be close to you. . .to forget that awful night and what that bastard did to you."


    "What did he do to me?" Cora asked softly.


    Her lips hovered so close to his. She whispered. "Tell me, Israfel."


    "He killed you."


    It dropped like a bucket of cold water between them. Cora put a hand up to her chest, as if to feel if the organ beating within was just a hoax. For several minutes, Rafel and Cora stared into each other''s eyes. She didn''t remember, but it was rity.


    "I believe you," she said finally. "Where can we talk?"


    Rafel ignored the pounding noise of the rager in the mansion behind. Your adventure continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin


    "I know a ce."


    This time, it was Cora who moved to take his hand. She knew, in staring into his eyes that he wasn''t lying. Someone had killed her. What was she, really? All these questions made Cora squeeze on Rafel''s fingers; the only man who seemed to have all the answers. As he led her off toward Salem Hall, she followed obediently.


    Out a window in the Sigma party House, Mikhail, Percival, and Rosamunde gathered around the curtains, staring out. Cora had her head on Rafel''s shoulder as they walked under the streetlights. In the vi''s innards, Mikhail grinned at the girls.


    "¡ªAnd the operation is a go. Time to roll out, bitches."

 Chapter 122: You Are Mine

    RAFEL FREED ONE OF HIS HANDS to swipe his key card at his room door. Cora stood to the side and silently watched his movements; the key card was in the perfunctory maroon of his Arc, dipped at the sides in gold. Percival and he had agreed tonight was a no disturbance night. He had the spacious dorm to himself and hid out his apprehension beneath the glow of the door reading his mana print.


    He was sessfully identified a [Hellion], and the door softly swept open like a screen, with a click; never mind that it was four inches thick of dragon scale metal. The same iron of the first ancient knights who had lost many a head in the taking of the beasts.


    Rafel took Cora''s hand again and moved into the room with her. The door shut softly behind them.


    "Feel free to look around. I''ll get us drinks."


    Rafel released her with a nod. He headed off the luxury lodging to themon area he shared with Percival. The chambers in Salem Hall could be equated to the exquisite and detailed lodges in the District of Lords at Titans Landing.


    Styled in the architecture of one past Queen who had birthed twin boys and wanted them to share a chamber but not distract from the riches they were born with, the dorm rooms gave of the air of pompous strides and royalty.


    It had to be the best of standards, considering the ilk of students at Corynthia.


    Witches or not, the pupils of the [C. A. W] were the finest breed in all thend. Pureblood vampires, military heirs, daughters of naval Admirals; and as such their domiciles and quarters had to reflect thisvish lifestyle. Perhaps, even to a severe degree.


    Rafel returned shortly with the drinks. He offered one to Coraz¨®n who still stood where he left her. She had not moved one bit. He said, "Grape juice. It''s the only non-alcoholic we have in the cold room. I figure you''d wanna slow down after the party.


    This will beat the hangover of the morning."


    Cora nodded her thanks. They were standing in his section of the room. Rafel drank first and Cora followed with a sip. She noticed most of everything he had was ck or some shade of it. No wonder he''d manifest for [Raven Arc] too. Cora''s eyes dropped to the wide four-poster in front with the gilded canopy and red oak stabs.


    The curtains were pulled.


    For just the briefest of moments, she imagined the hot youth beside her, shirtless, with his head on a pillow, red hair streaking the sheets like mes. Cora dropped her eyes and cleared her throat. Read thetest on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin


    "Uh, why did you bring me here?"


    Rafel smiled. He got her meaning. "I shouldn''t have brought you to my bedroom first. What a gentleman I am!"


    Cora smiled back. "If it helps, I don''t think you are. . .a gentleman."


    "Fair." Rafel moved his head. "Come with me."


    He led Cora into themon area with the fine sofas and private firece. The pinnacle of his n for the night rested just above the mantel; good ol'' memory-restoring Lady Fyre''s painting. Cora''s eyes didn''t meet the abstract mural immediately, but Rafel wasn''t worried. She would look upon it at some time before her leaving.


    He would make sure of it¡ªeven if he had to execute another failed seduction.


    Otherwise, the n was going on smoothly. He knocked off the markers in his head.


    ''Invite Cora to the rager at Sigma House; check! Lure her to his dorm room; check! Turn her eyes to the painting and let the Lady Fyre do the rest. . .uh, ongoing!''


    ¡ªand to think it all started with Mikhail sneaking that flyer under her room''s door at Brightburn Hall.


    "Shit. I almost forgot. Have you got a crystal ball? I have to message my girlfriend; she''ll probably be looking for me all over the Sigma vi." Cora''s sudden ask pulled Rafel out of his head.


    Right! She wanted to text her girlfriend. What a loyal partner? ''It didn''t seem that way when she was sucking me off like fucking toffee in the locker room.'' Rafel pushed down his errant subconscious. It could get him in trouble.


    Though he was inclined to refuse Cora, briefly entertaining the idea of lying that he didn''t have a crystal ball to which she could send a message, but the huge fudge was that every single room¡ªdown to the institute''s colossal grain silos¡ªhad crystal balls; for emergencies.


    The little handpieces were portable, and delivered messages faster than he could teleport or a snow eagle could fly.


    Plus, if Coraz¨®n was just as he remembered her, he didn''t think he could get away with lying to her.


    And so, he swallowed his hurt pride.


    "Sure, mi Coraz¨®n, have a seat. I''ll fetch the ball."


    Cora took the love seats closest to the flickering firece. She stared a moment into the golden red mes, sipping on her juice, and watching Rafel out the corner of her eyes. For some reason, he seemed antsy. He was by a corner with a mural of one of Corynthia''s many beaches. A sunset piece.


    "You keep calling me that?"


    "What?" Rafel didn''t turn.


    "Mi Coraz¨®n? I hate to break it you, but I am not yours." Cora inputted definitely.


    ''You are. . .mine, Coraz¨®n. You have always been, and you always would be. Even death couldn''t keep us apart.'' Rafel didn''t say this out loud. He didn''t dare¡ªnot yet.


    But if all went ording to n, all that would change.


    Instead, he walked back with a circr te in his hand, and a little red crystal, rolling about its centre. The te itself was ceramic. But the crystal was pure, solid energy. A mana device for transmission.


    "Here you go," he offered it to Cora.


    The girl had gone and chosen the one settee single in the damn room. He couldn''t sit next to her. So Rafel did the next best thing. He scooted beside her and dropped right on the white Florentine rug at her feet. It wasfy enough. Cora had her legs up on the sofa.


    He rested his back on the chair.


    Cora spent a minute staring at the crystal ball and speaking into the ruby glowing pulse.


    She cut her call with a sigh, finding Rafel at her feet.


    She lowered the ceramic holding te to a near stool. "Uh, what are you doing?"


    "What?" Rafel looked up at her mischievously.


    "¡ªsitting at my feet?" Cora started.


    "Uh, I''m sitting ON THE RUG." He caught her narrowed blue iris. "What? You took the seat closest to the firece. I just need some warmth too."


    "That''s ame excuse¡ªeven for you, Israfel," Cora said.


    Rafelughed a rumbly sound. It exited Cora to her toes. She knew she had to leave, quick. His lovely amber eyes under her was not a good idea. At all. Rafel, in his own head admired her.


    Cora tried not to let her smile slip out. "What the hell are youughing about?" she challenged.


    Rafel leaned his head back on the couch. It exposed more the gold in his eyes to the mes of the fireces. His gaze burned wicked hot. Rafel answered, "Nothing. I just remembered that''s why I liked you. You don''t let me have it easy.


    Even if you have no memories of it, Coraz¨®n, you were the sturdiest girl I ever met."


    "Is that apliment?"


    "Oh, believe me it is!"


    Rafelughed that wolfish sound again, and Cora felt the smile push through.


    "There it is, girl! Gimme more!"


    They both went on chuckling for a few seconds.


    "Ah, my god!" Cora yed with her silver curls; her first girlish attribute.


    "Did you get through?" Rafel pointed at the ruby crystal ball.


    Cora looked to the device. "Oh, my girlfriend? Nah. She''s probably dancing it out, still expecting me. But eventually, she''ll get worried or bored and head for the nearest [crystal ball] booth. She''ll find the message I dropped for her.


    It''ll be fine." Cora grabbed a fat throw pillow. "Now, quit stalling. Tell me why you''ve brought me into your room."


    "I will," said Rafel, scooting in, "but first, tell me about Mr. Mortimer?"


    He watched Cora settle into the love seat, her ocean eyes fading into thought. ''The painting works, but you have to ease them into remembering; find out what they already know. . .it''s the first step.'' Dr. Shetty had said, thest time he was at her office. And what better way to ease her into her forgotten memories than asking about her father.

 Chapter 123: No Panties? [18+]

    "MY FATHER WAS A CLOCKMAKER¡ª" said Coraz¨®n, "at least that''s what I was told."


    "What you were told?" Rafel quietly inquisitioned; he didn''t mean to interrupt.


    Cora clutched onto the pillow in her arms to her chest; folded in on herself on the couch. She went on. "Yeah. I am adopted. I suppose I should''ve led with that first. My parents are a Baron and a Baroness, back in Titans Landing.


    They say they know nothing of my real mother, but my father died on some foggy day years ago. I was rescued from the Orphanage of the Martyr''s Grace."


    How convenient Rafel thought; that whomever wiped her mind carefully removed all possible ties to her past, so that even if she went looking, Cora would only meet dead-ends.


    A dead father?


    A disappeared mother?


    A forsaken child?


    It began to sound more and more like one specific demon''s MO; thatid prick Mephistopheles. But he was Usurper now: King Thebault¡ªquote, unquote. Rafel somehow didn''t think Meph had the kind of genius it took to pull some viiny like this. The perpetrator had to be someone with a far higher intelligence quotient.


    And it was. Rafel just didn''t know it yet.


    He said to Cora, ". . .and you don''t recall this orphanage?"


    "No, I was taken when I was a babe," she told him.


    So they told her! Rafel frowned. Her memory wipe was wholistic, turned her mind into a fricking tab rasa. In fact, such psyche techniques were ouwed by certain druid orders. It was considered a form of torture, and thus banned. In thends of Eldoria, sanctions were ced on when mages were allowed to brutally wipe the te clean¡ªso to speak.


    And the fact that only a level [Rank B] Caster and above could perform the rites made it harder to execute.


    The person behind Cora''s resurrection and [loss] had to be well high-up there on the arcane portfolio. At least it narrowed down the spectrum of likely suspects in Rafel''s mind.


    He asked, "would I know your parents?"


    Cora nodded. "Yeah, maybe. My adoptive mum is the daughter of the warden of the nortnd, her husband newly named protector of Rumbrun, Castamere, and the other cities that fell during the battle of Skyfall. They are Baron Zagreus and Baroness Belbys."


    ''That sounds awfully like the Zagreus and Belbys I know you be very proud members of the Fallen,'' Rafel admitted within. He kept it to himself, scribbling their names in his mind as first suspects. Zagreus was the son of Lady Persephone, and Belbys, a wanton demoness with Lucifer''s cor for BDSM about her neck.


    The Zagreus and Belbys he knew were not some nortnd royalty. They weren''t even mortal. Perhaps, they had ascended from the Underworld along with the other Fallen and the Kingpin behind had put them up to the adoption story; a ploy to mislead any investigation.


    It was a damn good one. But Rafel was better.


    "You have a picture of your parents?" He asked.


    Cora lowered her eyes. "You know now that you mention it, no. I just realized, I don''t have one single picture of my parents."


    There it is! There it fuckin'' is! Rafel jabbed internally. He wasn''t wrong in thinking monkey business. Cora couldn''t produce any picture because there wasn''t one to begin with in the first ce. It was all a lie.


    An assumption of reality. Rafel decided he had poked Cora enough for one night. He internally moved to take Rosa''s advice earlier. To go slow.


    At least he had two names to begin with.


    "Do you think it''s weird...that I have no picture of my parents?" Cora blinked her blue eyes.


    "It''s certainly strange," Rafel replied. He wasn''t gonna lie about that. "More wine?" He asked.


    Cora nodded, and he rose, padding down the rug to the little deck bar of the dorm room to fetch a gon. He poured into both their cups and didn''t return the bottle. He and Cora drank silently, staring at the firece, until they were halfway down the gon. "You are a good host, Israfel. But I should be on my way." Cora dropped her empty ss. "No more wine for me."


    "Do you really want to?"


    Cora stared down at Rafel. He was back at her feet. She blinked again. "¡ªWant to what?"


    "Leave, I mean," Rafel replied, "do you really want to leave?"


    "What does that mean? Is there some reason I''d wanna be here?"


    "You tell me?"


    "Gosh! You''re so full of yourself." Cora adopted a timberish baritone. "''Oh look at me, I''m Israfel. I''m so fucking hot. Every girl wants to have sex with me''" In her normal voice, she retorted, "get over yourself, Red."


    "Okay," Rafel said simply.


    He rose from the rug to a kneeling position before her. Cora at that moment admitted she''d been turned on from when he''d brought her a shot at the rave. He was a beautiful specimen of a boy, and she, was still a girl. It didn''t hurt to look. But now, in the passing minutes alone with him, admiration had morphed into something of lust.


    She wasn''t even gonna kid herself; seeing him settle himself below her couch had filled her mind with all these crazy ideas.


    She thought of his male member, and how tasty and full he had felt inside her mouth. She''d been naughty at the locker room that day. Her attraction to Rafel was a turmoil. They had this weird rhythm going on whenever they were together. She wanted to be naughty again.


    His cock was quite the enlightenment. She wondered how his tongue would feel.


    Cora shifted on the couch, frowning slightly and crossing her legs. A burn had started between her legs.


    "Everything okay?" Rafel''s strong bass hit her.


    "Mhmm hmmm." She nodded.


    "Okay," Rafel grinned a bit. "I''m just gonna go get my key card and we can leave."


    He was just about to turn when Cora grabbed his hand. "Wait!" He turned and she muttered a breathy, "fuck it," just as she smashed her lips into his.


    Rafel didn''t need a minute to get ready. For Cora, he was born ready. Her kiss surprised him but he, without a word, fell into it. Her arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer. So did her long legs. He ran his own hands down her forearms behind his neck, linking his fingers with hers.


    And then he drank of her taste from those rose lips of hers. Cora frenched him with her tongue, growing bold at the hard poker that nudged her stomach.


    She broke the kiss wetly. "No below the belt stuff. We''ll just make out."


    Rafel nodded, biting and drawing on her lip.


    Cora grabbed his head, kissing him hard. "God, I fucking hate this with you! Why did you have to be so fuckin'' hot, huh?" She licked at his lips, sucked his tongue in with hers, trailed his chin, swiped at his earlobe.


    Rafel''s face was in her neck. "Ah, Cora. We need to stop now if we''re gonna."


    "Don''t stop." Cora drew him up for another feverish, hard kissing.


    He broke away, breathing hard, and tore at her pants'' fly. He jerked down the zipper and tried to drag off her trousers, but her hips wouldn''t let him. Cora moaned, biting on her lower lip as he roughly turned her over. She knelt on the couch with him behind and below her on the rug. She wiggled her hips, helping him drag down the tight denim.


    "No panties?" Rafel inhaled greatly. "Good God! Stay right there. Stay right fucking there!"


    Hepped at her from ass to slit.


    "Oh god!" Cora pushed his head away and turned over. But Rafel grabbed her before she could squirm her way away. She wiggled in his arms; a half-hearted attempt. He pressed her down on the love seat and spread her legs.


    "Such a cute, little pussy," he growled, diving for the creaminess between her sighed.


    His tongue shot out and the friction was like fire.


    "Oh my god!" Cora grabbed onto his head, her fingers in his hair, her legs on his back, and her thighs on his shoulder; she moved slowly back and forth on his face. She bit her lip and freed her breasts from her button-up shirt, palming herself.


    "Yes, Israfel. Ohh!" She moved on his tongue with her legs spread in only her Goth boots. "¡ªeat that pussy. You like how it fucking tastes, yeah? That fuckin'' cream in your mouth. Yes, fuck!


    Eat that fucking pussy." She held onto his long red hair and rode hard. "Oh god, you''re gonna make me cum. Yessss fuuuuuckk! Mhmm. Like that. Just like that.


    Lick that pussy."


    Rafel''s face was smeared in her scent and wetness.


    She was shuddering out her orgasm when he slipped a finger inside her. Cora bucked up the love seat. Rafel ced a palm on her mouth to keep her quiet¡ªhe hadn''t forgotten the thin walls of the dorm; she sucked his fingers in.


    He rubbed her clit with his thumb and added another finger inside her. Cora jerked in his hold.


    "This is what you wanted, isn''t it? A good pussy eating!"


    Cora was shaking her head, and he ripped off her shirt, sending the button skittering and mping his mouth on her pink breasts. "Oh god, Rafel. We should stop!" Cora groaned. But she held him tight against her swelled boobs.


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    Rafel fingered her with three pumping digits. In and out. In and out. He was whispering over her face, eyes locked to hers. "Oh, look at that! Would you?


    Look how fucking wet you are." As if on cue, Cora''s hips lifted up, sending out a creaminess that made his fingers squish inside more. "You want more, you naughty lesbian? I know you do. Tell me, does your girlfriend finger you good like this. Does she? Tell me?"


    Rafel spanked her thigh.


    "N-No, s-she doesn''t. She doesn''t finger me like¡ªOhhhummmm!" Cora thrashed. Rafel added the third finger, pumping her cunt so hard he was lifting her up the sofa with his motions.


    Cora gripped onto his shoulders, her perky breasts bouncing. "Will you give me your cock, pretty please?"


    She was hastily undoing his massive belt buckle when the screen door to the room slurred open. A furious girl came marching in. Rafel and Cora froze on the spot. The both of them saw the girl at the same time. First her pink-glossed lips dropped open. And then came the scream.


    "WHAT THE FUCK? What are you doing to my girlfriend, you fucking asshole? What...what are you doing to her? Get the hell away from her."


    Rafel found himself pushed away from Cora. The girl too stood up and frantically grabbed at her tossed jeans. She shimmed in with the speed of lightning. Three new persons walked in after the girl¡ªwho was still yelling and flinging herself at Rafel''s chest; Rosa, Percival, and Ravenna.


    Percival had his head lowered.


    Shit had just hit the fan!


    Meanwhile, Coraz¨®n, hastily buttoned and zipped up, tried to calm her girlfriend.


    Then her eyes for the first time that night turned and hit the painting above the mantelpiece. Her blue eyes widened to the size of saucers. The moit colors of the piece swum before her eyes. Outside, the tower clock struck twelve.


    Midnight.


    And Cora felt a huge rush overwhelm her whole form, like poison lead in her brain.


    She dropped to the floor like a sack.


    "Cora!" Five voices raised in rm.

 Chapter 124: A Restaurant Scandal

    ''BE CAREFUL MAKING WISHES in the dark; you never know when they''ll hit back!'' Rafel wasn''t sure which of his Uncles had said this, but it had stuck with him. Hellions didn''t get the choice of whispering dreams at shooting stars, or waiting for echoed fantasies by a wishing well; that was stuff reserved for princesses and shit.


    In Rafel''s case, the option of wishing upon the stars was ripped from him like the talons of the [Wailing Willow] that had pulled him from theva pool of his birth.


    But in all these, as Cora was rushed out of his dorm and Salem Hall in a gurney to the carriage waiting outside, Rafel found himself wishing so hard it hurt his head.


    He wished for her to be fine.


    Coraz¨®n Mortimer was transported swiftly to the on-campus infirmary; the best healers summoned and already on site. Several students stepped out their various rooms and watched curiously as the girl on the stretcher was wheeled away.


    "Who is she?"


    "I heard she just copsed!"


    "Oh gosh, is she going to be alright?"


    "She''s a Raven! Look at the sigil on her jacket."


    Rafel couldn''t hear a word they said. He rode with Cora in the buggy, her body strapped to a power orb that animated her own Mana Core; while her girlfriend stared daggers at him. And half an hourter, while he was seated in the antiseptic-smelling corridors of therge clinic, Erika abruptly ran in through the screen doors, mascara bleeding down her face.


    Clearly, she was justing off the party.


    "What happened, Israfel? Oh, by the Martyr! Tell me how I can help." The Student President sat with him until the head nurse came up with a test result and a patient smile.


    Her voice was sure enough to calm storms as she told Rafel of Cora''s condition. "Coraz¨®n had a psyche swamp. It''s basically when the brain overloads and ck outs. There are several reasons why this could''ve have happened, but the most probable cause of hers is due to an overshoot in her memory range. Our resident Telepath determined the spike in her psyche.


    We have conducted several tests, but to be sure it''s a memory overload, we have to go in her head. Not surgery, please don''t be spooked! I mean, a mind-read. But we''ll need authorization for that. Who''s her next of kin?"


    Rafel thought quickly.


    The problem wasn''t the painting after all. The [Lady Fyre] piece had worked. At least attempted to restore Cora''s memories. But someone had ced a workaround, a kind of rm to tick off when someone else tried to interfere. Rather than restore her memories, her brain had been rigged to shutdown. Hell!


    Rafel knew he was dealing with a more thanpetent enemy now.


    He replied the nurse. "That won''t be necessary, Doctor. We''d like to hear all our options first before we reach out to her family. Titans Landing is on shaky ground at the moment."


    "I understand," said the nurse. "She''s a strong one. And she''ll beat it. For the time being, she''s in stasis and sleeping it out. She should be awake at dawn."


    Cora did beat it.


    And she also awoke at dawn.


    Turns out, her fainting was a warning sign to keep out those who would wish to interfere in her head, or investigate the situation of her amnesia. Her body would rather shut itself down than remember what had hurt her.


    Experience new stories on m v|l e''-NovelBin


    By the time Rafel was rushing out of the shower the next morning in the institute''s infirmary to her room, the nurse was the only one in. She alerted him to the fact that Cora had been released that very morning after showing all excellent signs in her vitals, and given a clean bill of health by the Healers. Her girlfriend had been the one to take her. "Sk, I think!


    That''s her name," the nurse confirmed Cora''s girlfriend for Rafel.


    Rafel took a buggy ride to Brightburn Hall, but no one had seen Cora since she''d been released from the infirmary. Rafel, fearing the worst, sent word to Percival at their room chambers to begin ground work, ordering him to enlist Rosa''s help; the best [Detective] in evolution, to find Cora''s present location.


    By evening, word came back as he was getting a read in a solitary library, trying to kill time.


    "She just pinged on our sensors, Rafel. Cora''s heat signature is right over Spinazo resta¨²rant." Percival gave from the other end of a crystal ball.


    The sun was dimmed into a scarlet arc in the dusky sky, blue floating clouds darkening unto twilight, when a very luxury ride pulled up to the restaurant. Rafel stepped out in charcoal boots with a million buck shine. He pulled off his aviators, adjusted his crimson doublet¡ªexpensively made and marking his magical Arc¡ªand pushed into the ss doors of the ce.


    A spicy dressed female chaffeur stood by the sleek carriage.


    As expected, the restaurant was top-notch. It had elegance screaming from the walls.


    The patrons within were boss-level rich. And their affluent tastes showed in the menus they held up to their eyes. Many of the students preferred Spinazo''s to the school cafeteria.


    Rafel spotted Coraz¨®n almost immediately. Her silver hair gleamed like an Angel''s Halo. Now that the dye was washed off, it splintered the light rays hitting it. Heads of course turned at Rafel''s entry; his swagger alone dropped jaws. Cora turned too. Opposite her, on their windowside table, Skr, her girlfriend had been smiling but frowned when she spotted Rafel.


    "Do you have a booth reserved, Ser?"


    Rafel looked down at the tiny voice of a petite server. She was half his size. He pointed to Cora''s table. "I''ll take that! And let''s start with a jug of your oldest, brewed ale."


    He started walking before the stricken girl could respond.


    "What''s he doing here?" Sk hissed. "GET RID OF HIM!"


    "I''m so sorry, babe! Please, let me handle this." Cora tried to pacify her girlfriend as Rafel stood, looming over their table. He didn''t even smile.


    "We need to talk."


    "¡ªLike fuck we do!" Cora retorted. "I''ll be back, babe." She kissed the top of Sk''s head.


    The girl wounded Rafel with her eyes. She still hadn''t forgiven him for. . .she couldn''t even mention it. The sight of him pumping Cora, HER GIRLFRIEND, was mmed in her brain like the poster of a missing kid. "Asshole." Sk stuck out her tongue at him.


    "Let''s go!" Cora breathed under clenched teeth.


    She led Rafel to the resplendent restroom area of the restaurant. He totally ignored the shapely figurehead marking the space gender-different. He walked in after Cora, his expensive shoes clicking against the spotless tiles. The restroom had long mirrors and porcin sinks under each one. The six stalls were thankfully empty.


    "Israfel, you can''t just show up to¡ª"


    Rafel grabbed her and mmed her into the nearest white wall. He shut her up with his mouth.

 Chapter 125: A Restaurant Scandal II [18+]

    HIS KISS WAS HOT. His ripped body pressed firmly into hers making her forget the passion she would deny. A deep-seated hunger for his golden, sliding limbs numbed her body to push him away. Cora found herself opening her mouth more to deepen kiss. She let him suck her tongue and lifted softly on the wall.


    Rafel broke the kiss when both of them were panting. He kissed the corner of her lips, and Cora suddenly found strength.


    "Israfel, WHAT THE FUCK?!"


    She pushed him away and her left hand flew up. The p nevernected. Rafel caught her wrist and inch from his face. He stared down hard at her. He wanted to kiss her again. This made him think might just be sick in the head.


    Cora withdrew her hand sharply and moved away from the wall. Her heart was pounding fast.


    She couldn''t meet her own eyes in the mirror as she bent over a porcin sink and sshed water on her face.


    Behind, Rafel said, "I''m sorry. I couldn''t help myself. You are so beautiful, Coraz¨®n. And you wanted me too. You returned my kiss."


    Cora met his eyes in the looking-ss. "Are you being smug right now?" When Rafel''s smile stretched, she hissed at his face reflection. "Fuck you!"


    No one said anything for a bit. Rafel watched her quietly. Her knuckles still tapped in silent need. Experience new tales on m v|l e''-NovelBin


    Cora started softly, "I brought Sk here to treat her out, to pacify her. Are you trying to fuck this up for me? Try to get me to break up with my girlfriend. Is this your big master n?" She turned in a sweep from the mirror, walking back to Rafel. She closed up a loose button on his tunic and smiled darkly. "You don''t have a chance."


    Rafel''s hand started lifting to push out the blond tufts in her eyes. "Stop. Don''te near me, incubus demon!"


    Incubus? Rafel smiled, and held up his hands.


    "Alright! It''s okay. I''m not going to touch you."


    Obviously, Cora was still all hot and bothered from their brief passionate kissing. Rafel changed the subject. He began pacing around Cora, watching her with the heat still palpable in his eyes. Cora didn''t like it one bit. The way he was staring at her showed his want; and just seeing how much he desired her, made her want him even more.


    Israfel was probably the only boy Cora could recall crushing this hard on.


    "Do you remember anything from before you fainted, or while you were out?" Rafel asked.


    Cora let go of her frustrating love-hate spell for him and focused. She said, folding her arms. "You know it''s strange that you asked specifically for this; but just before I cked out, I remember the sh of a really huge Manor in my head. It had Goth-ck curtains, a rolling fog on the grounds, and acres of field stretching out into the horizon.


    You were there¡ªin the sh. You stood with a leash of threerge rottweilers. . .and uh, there was this girl with you too. I''ve seen her a couple of times with you at the dining hall.


    She has lovely midnight hair and striking purple eyes, and I think she''s in Pegasus Arc; I have seen her wear the blue a couple of time. But in this sh I had, her skin was blue and she had horns. She was dressed so sinfully I could see every cleft and dip of her. All three of us appeared to be standing at the balcony of this fine mansion,ughing together.


    We seemed very familiar¡ª"


    Inwardly, Rafel thanked the Martyr for the [Lady Fyre] painting. He was getting somewhere.


    "¡ªare we?"


    "We are," Rafel replied, "Coraz¨®n, the house you saw was Emberfall, our Manor moons ago. And that girl is Aya Naamah. She was your Mistress and BFF before. . ." He trailed off.


    "Before what?" Cora piqued.


    "Before you lost your memories."


    "This is about me dying, isn''t it?"


    Rafel nodded.


    Cora sighed. "So the person who murdered me also took a pull with my brain?"


    "Actually, I think they are different people. Your murderer can not be the one also responsible for your amnesia. He wouldn''t kill you if he needed something from your head. No, I don''t think so. I think we are dealing with another enemy of yours and ours, and equally powerful." Rafel answered.


    It was Cora''s turn to pace. "Do you have any idea how weird this sounds? My MURDERER? My loss of memory?" She moved with both hands on her hips.


    "So, do you believe me now?" Rafel coaxed.


    "I always did."


    "Will you help me help you?"


    "I will," Cora epted.


    She stopped pacing and met Rafel''s gaze. It was still as hot as when shest peered into it few minutes ago. "We were close." she said. A statement, Rafel noticed. Not a question. If she had deduced that much from just a splice of memory, Rafel knew it was only a matter of time before she could point Emberfall on an umarked map.


    "So that''s why you got me in your room, and had that Lady Fyre piece up by the firece? To restore my memories." Cora put the pieces together, muttering out loud. "You know you could have told me." She berated him.


    "Would you have helped?" Rafel pushed back.


    "Fair," Cora ceded. "Was the seduction part of it too?"


    Rafel''s tone hardened. "No. Never. I never yed with your emotions, and I''m not about to start now."


    Cora nodded. "If that''s all, I''d like to go now."


    But she didn''t move an inch. And the door was right there. "Thank you for not giving up on me," she said. "Maybe one day I can be the Coraz¨®n who who you loved and respected." Rafel took a step close to her. "You already are." Cora followed his step with one of hers. Rafel took another, and she did too.


    Three steps in, and they were standing form to form. Cora ran her hands up the fine fabric of Rafel''s tunic. Her nails scraped over his beating heart. Rafel touched her hair and dipped to inhale her neck.


    Their attraction to each other was biblical; Cora would give no other boy the time of day. Israfel was the first male she''d ever needed this badly. Girlfriend or not, she couldn''t exin the things he did to her.


    She was breathing heavily and nuzzled his jaw.


    "We shouldn''t be doing this."


    Still, she rubbed noses with Rafel.


    "Not again. Not like this."


    Rafel kissed the corner of her lips, reading her, testing the waters, pulling her in; and Cora licked at her mouth.


    "Then tell me to stop. . ." His voice was an animal''s, "and I will," he whispered.


    Cora sucked in a breath. She drew his bottom lip in with her teeth. Rafel kissed her. A peck on her lips, giving her time to move at her own pace. "We have been here for ten minutes now. We need to leave." Rafel only kissed her again.


    "Stop it." This time, he went in with tongue and Cora moaned, forming fists with her hands to stop from reaching for him.


    "Sk''s a werewolf. She will rip you to shreds."


    "Sk''s not here."


    Rafel slid his hands under her id shirt and touched her breasts. He popped the buttons and freed her. He lowered his head and began to suckle. Cora whimpered. "Oh god, no please, I. .


    ." Rafel gently pulled her hand to his crotch. She felt his roaring erection.


    Cora lost it in that moment and ripped at his fly, grabbing his dick and freeing him. His fat weight was like a hotnce in her palm. "We need to be quick." She nestled his curve. Rafel turned her around, lifting her standing to the sink. Cora grabbed the porcin top as he dragged down her jean trousers, kissing her shoulder.


    Cora turned her head back to give him her mouth. They kissed wildly; in a frenzy to let it out before someone interfered. "Give it to me. Give it to me, Rafel, please." Cora whispered in his neck. Rafel grabbed her hips roughly, bending her and smacking her ass cheek. He took hold of his cock, angling it along her narrow slit, but Cora stopped him.


    "No, not there. The other ce."


    She was asking him to stick it in her ass.


    Rafel pushed in slowly. Her pink hole sucked him in tight, and he had only jerked thrice, before Cora splintered off into the universe. He joined her in the starlight, kneading her tits and rolling his hips onto her butt as the both of them made strangled sounds of pleasure. He pumped her so full she was dripping out her thighs even before he pulled out.


    Cora held him inside her until she stopped shaking.


    Then she pushed him away, turning and abruptly pping him. This time, her palm met with his face.


    "Never again."


    She grabbed a tissue wad and headed off into a stall.


    "EXCUSE ME¡ªIS ANYONE IN THERE?" A woman knocked on the restroom''s door.


    "HELL ARTS! SHADOW MERGE!" Rafel called, whipping his zipper up, just as a server and the knocking woman barreled in, the server''s spare key glinting off his pinky. He was already faded into the umbras and reanimated entirely outside the restaurant. He was in his carriage before anyone could look out the ss windows.


    Pulling back the curtain of the buggy, the horses started away, and Rafel spied Cora walk back out the restroom with her blue eyes tastefully sparkling. She drew out her seat and joined Sk at the table once more. He read her lips; "sorry I''mte, babe."

 Chapter 126: Sewer Monster

    THE NEXT WEEK resumed studies for all [First Years] with warlock practice at the academy''s Guild. All four factions of the school of witchy made their way in to the mess hall in karate Gis matching the colors of their various Arcs.


    The vast training center was soon filled the sounds of students chattering, voices ovepping in many degrees about who or what party rocked the most during the weekend. A particr group of geekszied about the rear end, staying away from the circr rugs for ninja training as if a wyvern nested there.


    And a bald boy, in sses too huge for his pudgy face; apparently the leader of the dork gang, hung around the bosomy statue of a [Rank C]dy knight.


    He petted the incline of her long sword with the arm people could see, and with the other¡ªwhich they could not, he secretly felt along the baster swells of her stone tits.


    Everyone else was too engrossed in their own dialogues to notice this weirdo.


    The boy spoke to his buxom sculpt. "You must have been quite the woman, Ser Catharyn, if even if your death you look so gorgeous. Perhaps if everyone leaves, we can have time to ourselves and I can polish the dust off of you."


    The boy abruptly removed his hand from clutching the stone knight''s chest when the warlock practice teacher, Coach Tanaka came forth. She pped her hands. "Gather round, runts! I trust you all had an eventful weekend. Seeing all the litter around Sigma House on my way here, I know you did."


    "Hear! Hear!" some bawdy boys of the Raven Arc cheered. Their ck Gis made them seem appear like Reapers against the whiteness of the Guild.


    "¡ªmoving on," Coach Tanaka eyed them, "I''m pleased to announce that Master D''shenko is out of the clinic. . ."


    Everyone turned to the direction of a certain me-haired demon at this. He was the lone wolf at the corner, nked at all sides by multiple girls. Rafel met the gazes studying him in equal strides. Today, he wore ck; repping the Raven Arc. As Dr. Shetty had told him, the school board had given him the green light to participate in both factions which he manifested.


    He was like a shadow in his midnight Gi, arms crossed and gold eyes not giving a fuck. The swarm of lush babes around him; staring up at him, made him all the more fetching.


    Coach Tanaka gritted her teeth at him.


    ''What''s her deal anyway?'' Rafel wondered. ''It isn''t like D''shenko is her son?''


    Olivar walked out the back of the hall at that moment. Students gasped and clutched to one another. He was in his perfect gold Gi of the Griffin Arc, but he had a brace around his torso and neck.


    Rafel wasn''t sorry.


    Olivar D''shenko seemed to meet Rafel''s eyes for the span of a second, and many could swear they saw him tip his head in a small bow. Olivar was also a [Wild Shape], and it was in the nature of Beta Shifters to render due honor to higher lupines by lowering their muzzles to the ground.


    Coach Tanaka Hanzo raised her voice in the Guild and barked out the orders for the day. She marched between the lines, military style.


    "RUNTS! Listen up. This ain''t no lordly manor nor fairy castle. This is warlock practice. And I''m gonna breed you all into shape. By Ares'' loins, I would!


    D''shenko! You are on supervisor duty for today. You are to watch only, make sure they engage and are doing shit right. The rest of ye, spread out in groups of twos and threes. Try to fell your partner or partners. The objective is to confuse and incapacitate.


    I want to see submissions and tap-outs. No weak ass shit!


    If your partner''s a pussy, that''s fine. Use it to your advantage. Any use of magic is minus three points in my ss. Do not be afraid to get down dirty. If you have a hard-on, work though it. I want his session to far raunchier than ballet if it needs to be, as long as you learn something.


    And as long as no pantse down, we''ll all be fine."


    The boysughed. The girls blushed. Their coach had no qualms about swearing in front of her students. Her stern modus operandi washed off the cussing.


    "Alright! Hop to it, runts!" Coach Tanaka blew hard on her whistle.


    PEEEEE!


    The [First Years] separated into duos, each making for an individual rug where they began to square off and grapple, under Coach Hanzo''s watchful eye.


    Rafel''s group was a threesome. His sparring partners were Aya and some girl he recognized from the student papers as the heiress of a Grand Duchy. Mikhail and Rosamunde were hard at it on another rug few feet away from him. Rafel tried his best to act weak and go easy on the girls; he really did.


    But he was still a [Rank A] deified demon; and though showing eighteen mortal years, he could not hope to hide his strength [Supernatural].


    At one point, he thought of just falling on his back and letting the girls climb on top of him and stake their victory.


    The heiress was all over him. He held Aya down with one hand,manding, "Stop squirming, Naamah. My briefs are not tight enough."


    The subus in the sapphire blue Gi of her [Pegasus Arc] got his meaning and chuckled. It didn''t stop her from shaking her rump into Rafel''s groin. He fell on top of her, shielding his poker in the rise of her butt. Rafel looked around. By hell, he wasn''t the only one with a hot rider. Some guy was literally riding his partner.


    The suppliant girl hid her face in the rug; a full red, blushing at the dry humping. Coach Tanaka had to eventually drag the boy away by his red ears. She gave the girl another partner and sent the boy to cool off. Rafel grinned callously. ''Like dude! Better go jerk one off.''


    "Naamah!" Rafel warned the hot girl still wriggling under him. She giggled more.


    Their other partner, the hieress, finally spotted this. And she eagerly jumped into the fray.


    Rafel was now battling two very warm, soft female bodies. Both of which had all the intention of letting him win and dominate them. Rafel shackled them under his body and caged their wrists, hoping Coach Tanaka would notice quickly and separate them into other groups.


    Aya was still pushing up with her butt into him when a sudden rumbling filled the Guild. It was a seismic rumble that rattled the vast training hall; the sconces with fake mes on the walls shivered.


    Everyone halted on the individual rugs, mid-grope.


    It seemed to stop for a while, but the ground began to shake more violently.


    "What the hell!" Mikhail stumbled in his corner. He grabbed Rosa for stamina and they both went crashing down.


    Coach Tanaka had already nocked her knees tobat the rumbling, and when the next quake hit and all students went down to their faces, she grabbed for a lodestone to steady herself. The very earth seemed to dip and slide. Rafel, Aya, and the heiress were lucky they were already down.


    The vibrations in the Guild grew and grew and eventually, the space in the center of the mess hall burst up in a spray of stone and marble. A surge of dirty brown water spurted out with the explosion, dousing the [First Years] and a gaping Coach Tanaka in the dark liquid.


    It poured out like a fountain, and it smelled so bad.


    The pungent odor had the students clutching to their noses. Everyone was t on the floor. Even the lodestone couldn''t hold Coach Tanaka steady on the floor. Out of the leaking hole and spray of dirty liquid ascended a creature covered bodily in the filth. It was long and rounded, and had scales.


    And it seemed to love the odoriferous stench.


    It''s fat ck tail whipped first, and a semi-hard sludge hit Coach Tanaka straight in the face. It looked and smelled like turd.


    "Holy shit!" Mikhail gasped.


    "Nah, man," another boy assented, "that''s just shit."


    The creature screeched, slithering fully out the hole to roll on the wet Guild floors. Apparently, one of the great, underground sewer pipes had burst open. Seemed like this creature''s habitat too. At first, Rafel was thinking it was probably a mutated mole from all the magic leaks in the Academy, but then the creature fully cleared out from the crater in the floor.


    More sewer madness apanied it. The hieress, still under Rafel put her sleeves to her nose and mouth.


    The sewer monster was fifteen feet long and big as the pipe it had just burst out from. It probably outgrew its stinky habitat.


    "BASILISK! It''s a basilisk," someone yelled.


    Rafel agreed. The ten inch fangs protruding out the scaled serpent''s jaws were in order. Basilisks were not the biggest of serpents, but theybined the feral rage of a viper and cobra.


    "Take cover, runts!" Coach Tanaka wiped the shit off her face with a hand.


    Everyone dived for arches and exits. The basilisk leveled intent green eyes on the students. And that bald, pudgy boy from earlier; the geek who had been romancing the stone knight, forgot himself and leaned on the statue. Good ''ol Ser Catharyn came crashing down. He had drawn attention to himself on fear.


    The basilisk lunged for him. As per Guild rules, the boy could do no magic.


    Rafel watched open-mouthed with the rest of the stricken hall as the great serpent swallowed the boy whole, gobbling him up from his shaven head until his blue Gi and ankles were vanishing down the basilisk''s throat.


    "No fucking way! You smelly snake!" Rafel thundered.


    He jumped to his feet and ran for the basilisk, grabbing it by the fat, swallowing throat.

 Chapter 127: Deep In Shit

    RAFEL COULD SEE THE GEEK BOY squirm around in the monster''s throat. The sight of it was disturbing. Rafel had seen Moloch''s pythons swallow whole aurochs in the Hel Amphitheater for the pleasure of the demon crowd; many devils would grab onto their horns in awe and cheer¡ªjust as the Romans did with the lions and Judeans, but a living, breathing boy?


    It was altogether a different matter.


    Rafel knew he had just seconds before the boy stopped his struggling and died from suffocation.


    He didn''t know if his Mana Core was yet potent enough and released from the curse of the [Dark Spectre] dagger to pull from, but he did. The alive boy inside the basilisk''s throat didn''t have the time to spare a system''s check. Rafel tried first to conjure a ball of [Helfire]. His n was to st the damn serpent''s throat open.


    Nothing happened in his open palm. Not even a spark.


    Shite.


    ''System! What the fuck just happened?'' Rafel addressed his infernal covenant telepathically.


    [Ding!]


    [Apollyon cannot source from Mana Core due to an inactivation hex present in the revenant globe.]


    Rafel blinked at his system''s response. Of course the Coach Tanaka had ced a magic restriction on the Guild¡ªbecause it wasn''t enough to tell a bunch of supernaturally abled students not to use their powers. Some kid would still try to outsmart the other with a ndestine word of sorcery.


    He could just keep the basilisk busy, wait out for the guards to arrive. . .if a boy wasn''t in the damned serpent''s throat, on his way to a belly full of juicies so venomous it would liquefy him to rare elements in seconds.


    ''Shit. Time to go old-fashioned then.''


    The creature seemed to know exactly what Rafel was thinking because it hissed and leveled its puke green eyes on him. Basilisks were mythical snake-like, dragon-like beasts with a deadly stare. They could kill with a look strong enough. They were that venomous. A scale off a basilisk''s body could fell a Nubian mammoth.


    Rafel didn''t move under the creature''s stare, and those behind feared it had conquered him.


    But then Rafel blinked. Just like that.


    The basilisk did a doubletake that was almostical to Rafel. ''Oi vay! This ain''t my first rodeo, bitch!'' He smiled thinly in the smelly creature''s face. At the basilisk''s distraction, Rafel dived for one of the brass sculptures. The scaly serpent lunged as he tried to retrieve a longsword out from one of the armored guardians.


    Rafel had to forfeit the sword to dodge the snake''s bite.


    He could survive a basilisk''s deadly stare, but not it''s fangs. Even he knew that.


    Luckily, what the Guildcked in magic it made up for in weapons. It was a throne of arsenals. The nearest silver guardian: a stoically ced full armor ced on a caricature body of wood, meant only for disy and not actualbat; had an axe in its grip.


    "This will do." Rafel pulled it out with a screening noise. It gleamed like a dagger cleaned with lime.


    Rafel had a n. He turned back to the emerging serpent and his gold eyes shimmered. Defense first, then offense. The basilisk screeched and lurched. Thirty seconds before the swallowed boy hit the creature''s belly and it was over. Rafel swiped out of the serpent''s reached.


    He was lightning quick on his feet. He had to be, to parry the strikes of a slitherer.


    The basilisk lunged again.


    Rafel dived under its belly, the top of his head almost scraping the green scales.


    "25 seconds. That was close."


    The monster snake writhed in fury and whipped around. Itshed out with its tail. Rafel jumped over it. Just as Rafel wasnding, it swooped in on him from above. Rafel had to ttened himself on the floor and roll away fast to escape the open mouth full of horrifying teeth and a forked tongue nearly a foot long. He barely missed the second time the basilisk flogged at him with its tail.


    A swift backflip saved him.


    "10 seconds."


    By now, the creature was aggravated enough to thrash the Guild floors with its tail in ire. Your journey continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin


    "5."


    Putting everything into its body, it curled like a cobra and shot forward, mouth open, fangs dripping ck, straight for Rafel¡ªwhom it thought was facing away, and this tired out.


    "Time for offense."


    Rafel grabbed the axe hard. Just as it felt the basilisk''s hot, poison breath on the back of his neck, Rafel swept around so fast he was a blur. He shed out with the axe, putting all of his super strength into the strike. The de cut right through the long fangs.


    The basilisk''s momentum did the rest.


    With the force and velocity in which the serpent had attacked, the axe went right through it, shing from mouth all the way to the tip of its tails. Rafel was bathed in a sludge of shit and stink, drowned in who the fuck knows how much shit water. He stood in a puddle of sewer mess, as the two halves of the divided, slithering serpent body crashed to the floor before him.


    Rafel dropped his axe and caught the boy who fell out the basilisk''s throat.


    Gently, he lowered him. The geek''s sses were already broken. He had fainted. Rafel pumped his belly. He slowly opened his eyes, hurling more bile into Rafel''s face and shirt, but his savior didn''t mind. He already smelled like shit.


    Literally.


    All the [First Years] were pping, rising out from their hiding ces as Rafel stood with the dork kid still in his arms. He didn''t know it yet, but he had made a liegeman for life.


    Coach Tanaka walked to him, equally sharing his brown stench, and collected the pudgy student from his arms. "Thank you, Master Bl¨¹dth?rste," she said. "You are no more a runt. I don''t think anyone has proved himself this good in my ss," she added to make him smile.


    The next second, two dozen guards and the Headmistress came barreling in, eyes sharp on the crater and the smelly mess about.


    Fifteen minutester, Rafel was stepping out his shower in a bathrobe. He smelled no longer of shit, but ofvender and shampoo¡ªcourtesy of Aya. The subus, Rosa, and Ravenna¡ªwho had left her Sophomore ss when she''d heard¡ªsat on his bed. Percival was seated in the chair opposite them.


    As Rafel dried his hair, his friends admired him.


    "You didn''t have to save that boy, but you did," said Ravenna, "this wouldn''t be long forgotten by the institute."


    In the solitude of his dorm room, Rosa said, "I don''t think that was thest we''ll see of sudden attacks. You think it''s mere coincidence that a great snake just pops out an ancient pipe system in the only ce without magic in the entire campus? No, I don''t think so. Basilisks are not that intelligent. Someonemanded the creature on just where to burst out."


    Rafel dropped the towel and fell to the bed, beside his friends. "I agree. Basilisks, beyond mythical creatures are also heralds. Someone did put the creature up to it. The question is, who?"

 Chapter 128: Copenh?gen Cheetah

    RAFEL WAS GIFTED THE FANGS of the basilisk as a reward for his courage by the school council. And it wasn''t long before a silver que bearing his name was added into the mighty showss of highurels previously won by those who had done exploits. It wasn''t a gold trophy or a Bh¨´tan shield, but it was recognized and respected.


    If anyone, upon passing through the vast lobby of the administrative tower asked what First Year had gained dignitas of recent, the first to be mentioned was he; the yer of serpents.


    The basilisk was burned by the great beach a mile from the institute''s goth gates. [Rank B] Casters, by Sunfire, burned the great serpent in a pyre that was seen from Rafel''s room in Salem Hall. "It is a rite to banish whatever evils the basilisk brought up in its ascent," Percival exined.


    "Aside the loads of shit, you mean," Rafel said, and both of themughed.


    The two boys turned from the window from which they peeped, drawing the drapes shut. It was early evening and they had just returned few hours ago from theirst ss; [Historia Caelestes]: the history of the gods, from which it was believed all supernaturals were spawned from, holy or evil.


    Rafel shared a few sses with Percival.


    [Potions and Poisons]


    [Warlock Practice]


    [Historia Caelestes],


    But he also took a few more that were meant for those of Phoenix and Raven Arcs only, like [Blood Rain] and [Coven Rituals].


    Inside Rafel''s Viking-themed chambers of the dorm, Percival plopped down on his snow bed and rubbed his ankles. "You know, the school board hasunched an investigation into the basilisk case. Coach Tanaka and a few others are being interviewed as we speak. Monkey business is suspected¡ªbut that''s to be expected.


    Aside that, we the FILII CORVI have appointed one of our own to oversee the case secretly."


    Rafel sat down next to Percival. "Let me guess, Miss Spears?"


    In his head, he interpreted FILII CORVI as Children of the Crow. Percival was hinting at the elite secret society, to which Rafel had given no response yet concerning their ploy for him to join them. Toplete their dark sanctum of nine, as the Liege Apollyon.


    "Rosamunde has a huge crush on you," Percival was saying, "you know that, right?"


    Rafel punched his arm. "How about you worry about your own sex life for a change, nuh? Don''t think I haven''t noticed you and Brunhilda."


    "Please, she''s like my sister. I would never!"


    "That hasn''t stopped you Van Imperias before."


    "Oh! You wound me, mi''lord." Percival clutched to his heart dramatically.


    "Come on!" Rafelughed, grabbing a gold zer hanging off a rack and tossing it to him on the bed. "Get your shit. Or we''ll miss dinner."


    "Ugh, please! I can handle that right now. I was literally in a pile of it yesterday." Percival grimaced, making Rafel chuckle more. His roommate was the best kinda bro for him. Rafel considered offering the heads of those who had murdered his parents to him on a silvery tter. Or perhaps, a gold one?


    In the nearest future.


    Either way, the basilisk case had taught the [C. A. W] a hard lesson. The ancient pipes were all removed and reced, and this time magic was employed to reinforce the new ones.


    "A fount of shit on royals? Imagine the scandal!"


    Rafel and Percival wentughing out the room and into the resplendent hall corridors, their red and golden jackets blending well. They were pulling up into the filling cafeteria for supper when Rafel''s system came with a notification. The first since his injury at the hands of the Usurper.


    He had healed enough.


    [DING!]


    A status panel appeared, for his eyes only. It was tinum and breezy.


    [REPORT FOR THE APOLLYON]


    [GENERAL HEALTH: +77


    SOUL COINS: 7.5 million.


    ARCANE RUNE: Bnced Immunity (Infernal spark Rejuvenation)


    RANK: Hell Anointer.


    RANK II: Warlock (yer of Serpents)


    UPGRADES: A set of UNCOMMON basilisk fangs. HALLOWED charm. +50 000 soul coins.


    DEITY: Asclepius.]


    ''We need to find a name for you, system. I can''t keep calling you eponymously.'' To this, the system of blood, dragon, and fire offered no response.


    Rafel and Percival had just reached the table their gang of beautiful misfits usually sat. It was empty. No one sat on the long, silvery benches. "What do you think?" Percival turned to Rafel. He shrugged, and just then, the Student President strutted over in a kimono with tight leggings under it, all pure, smashing gold.


    Erika halted before them. "Oh, boys, are you looking for your friends?" Her eyes twinkled, without waiting for them to reply. "They were here earlier¡ªsuch a cute little band. Anyway, the subus said to tell you they were ordering in. And to join them at Hall Copenh?gen. Mikhail and the Sophomore.


    . . Ravenna is it? Well, those two took off to Spinazo''s. Have fun!"


    Erika blew them a kiss and sashayed off to her own table of poprs and cheerleaders.


    All on it were of Griffin Arc, and their clothes shone like the sun itself.


    Percival and Rafel turned with a smooth sweep, heading out. Girlish giggles followed them out the cafeteria.


    Copenhagen Hall was the furthest in the resident blocks. Like the rest of the other student domiciles, it had four storeys and two wings; north and south. But unlike Salem Hall, Copenhagen was far quieter. Everyone it seemed, in the ce, loved to keep to themselves. The walls, as Percival and Rafel strode through the vestibule, was a unique pale marine.


    It struck the Florentine floors in a fall glow, and Rafel almost felt transported into Morpheus'' dream realm. The [Sandman] was a special friend; in Lilith''s harem too.


    The boys were walking to Aya''s room when a sudden figure began following them in the hallway. The silhouette traced at a safe distance. Rafel supposed many were in this Hall''s dining area too. But since his ve, Naamah had ordered in¡ª


    "Oi! You!" an abrupt feminine voice cut out his thoughts.


    Rafel could sense the anger in the tone before ever he turned. The silhouette stepped into the light, and Rafel met a familiar pair of angry eyes.


    "Sk?"


    "Yes, it''s me. . .you know, Cora''s girlfriend? The one you''ve been secretly FUCKING!"


    Uh oh! Rafel mused. Red alert! Not good!


    Sk began walking closer. She was now near enough that Rafel could see her extended ws.


    ''Not good at all!''


    Rafel held up his hands to ease the situation. He had fought many does in Hel''s arena, but none couldpare the fury of a jealous lover, not even the wrath of the Titans. "Look, Sk, I''m not here to stir any trouble. I''m just here to see a friend."


    But Sk was not listening.


    "You know you demons; you think you can just strut around and do whatever the fuck you want; FUCK whomever you want, eh! But not with my Cora. Nuh uh!" Sk''s eyes went feral yellow. She was a Beta. "¡ªyou ever fought a werewolf before?"


    Now, that Rafel thought on it, no. Many times a Hellhound, but he couldn''t brag on taking down a lupine. Sk''s shock of auburn hair breezed around her face like a ming mane. She was the fiercest girl he''d ever seen in that moment.


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    He had angered the Copenhagen cheetah.


    "Sk," Rafel tried to pacify again, "I''m sorry if I hurt you¡ª"


    "IF YOU HURT ME?" she yelled. "That''s my fuckin'' girlfriend. You think I''m stupid? I could smell you on her at Spinazo''s, you asshole!"


    "Whatever we did was consensual. What I and Coraz¨®n have is¡ª"


    "CORA! Her name is Cora. You seduce her, make her do these things. Cora would never hurt me; not like that. I figure you won''t let her be. .


    .not unless someone makes you."


    Percival had already began taking slow steps back. At this point, several of the shut doors in the hallway screened open and heads peered out. The quiet of Copenh?gen Rafel had so loved upon his entry was broken. He put up his hands. "Easy, Sk. Easy!"


    "Don''t talk to me like I''m a fucking horse!"


    "Sk? Stay?"


    "You know what; fuck you!"


    The werewolf female leapt for him. Her sharp ws met with the side of his face, taking skin with the swipe. Three long scars traced down the left half of Rafel''s cheek to his impable jawline. The injury began to heal as soon as it was formed, lines of molten magma sealing the scars¡ªSk''s talons were no Dark Spectre dagger.


    Rafel wondered if he let her strike hit because a part of him felt guilty.


    He bled for a bit, and once the first drop of his blood touched the resplendent hallway floors, all the lights in the Copenhagen Hall went out.


    It was a total ckout in the dormitory.


    Shadows began to coalesce in the darkness, forming a cyclone pattern around Rafel. As he lifted his eyes and bleeding face, his iris were the rage of burning Sunfire.

 Chapter 129: Ave Dominus Nox!

    ? Ten Minutes Before ?


    AYA NAAMAH waited patiently on her [Sire] in the spacious room she had all to herself. Her would-be roommate, a pesky vampiress, spent more time in her boyfriend''s shack than in the dorm. And so Aya had outdone herself in preparing the room for Rafel''s arrival.


    ''Lord Master would love the serenity. Copenh?gen is far quieter than the other halls.''


    This was her frame of mind as she sat calmly in a long cream sofa; the firece was already going. One look at the room and anyone could tell the theme was the [Underworld], and a cruel guess at the visitor for the night being a demon.


    Aya had exchanged the dowdy chandelier above, formerly with diamond drops, for brittle ss of purple in shapes of scorpion tails. The haloes of luminescence it cast on the chamber gave it an ethereal glow. The pillows of the bed in the room just off the partition were lc and robust, very openly hinting at the sculpt of a woman''s body.


    Her body.


    ''Lord Master would just love this,'' she apuded herself. She had also gone all out and now sat in herfortable blue skin, violet eyes, silver horns, a hugging qipao that glued firmly to her generous assets, long ck heels with spikes and skulls shorn all over, and a gaze that would forever lure men to unfathomable lusts.


    It had been a while since her [Sire] had mated his [Bond], pounded her voluptuous body full of his seed, and just thinking about the way Israfel''s golden form would move atop hers made Aya dip a finger in her mouth and circle the tip over the pointy peaks of her swaying bosom jutting out the sensual gown.


    "Uum, Lord Master," she moaned, already feeling his strokes and fantasizing about gripping to his strong arms as they fucked. "Maybe he''ll let me touch him tonight."


    On her lower belly, right on the tease of skin that led down to her divine womanhood, was Rafel''s demon mark on her. A seal of Hel. It glowed bright purple and dimmed again. ''Shit, I''m really horny,'' the gorgeous subus wiggled her ass into the sofa, mping her fat thighs firmly.


    Squish!


    She leaked onto the surface. Forgetting herself in the throes of anticipation and frustration, Aya went down on her knees before the sofa to lick at her own wetness.


    Her prodigious butt cheeks swayed in the infernal light of the hearth, and her forked tongue stretched out, just top at her lust juices, the depraved depth of sin shimmering in her pupils when she heard the crash.


    BANG!


    And all the lights went out, in her room too. Aya heard swift voices and a shrill scream of fight.


    "Holy shit! Demon versus werewolf!" She heard just outside her dorm room''s door. It sounded like the person who had spoken was running past.


    Demon? Aya thought.


    Her back instantly straightened.


    This was a school of magical novices. Even the finalist [Fourth Years] of the Academy were not potent enough of intrinsic mana tomand a total ckout. Aya knew of only one DEMON who could pull grand level shit like that.


    "Lord Master!"


    Curse [Fortuna] that she had invited him over just this moment. The very man that was supposed to be opening the door and pulling her into hisp for a good night to use their mouths on each other, vigorously. "Shit. Shit. Shit." Aya muttered, jumped to her feet and rushed through the door. She did not bother with the keycard.


    She phased right through, pulling on the LEGENDARY [Nightwalker] ability she had inherited off Lord Lucifer.


    Her form burned deep purple as she reemerged outside, in the hallway.


    "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" People were yelling just few meters away.


    A circle were gathered round a spectacle, and the crowd blocked her line of sight. Aya reached the throng of students just as a resounding echo of a body smashing into the floors hit the hallway. The panes of the corridors vibrated. "Oooh!" The crowd gasped, many falling back. Aya heard a tortured yelp.


    It was the sound of a hurt dog.


    She pushed her way through the gathering in time to see a great, frightening man; a giant, stand in a cloud¡ªno, clouds, of rushing darkness. It was a nket at his feet, cascading and rippling like snakes up his legs and torso. This man was maderger than life in the total ckout of the hallway, in his throne of darkness and eerie mist.


    It was only to pulsing glow of his rich crimson mana that spared the way with light enough to see.


    This man of darkness was seven feet tall. . .and he was Lord Master.


    Rafel''s eyes were all ck.


    He held a whimpering shewolf at his fingertips. Her neck struggled against his fist, but she was a chicken in the jaws of a tiger. Any defiance was futile. With his arm up in the air, Sk dangled from his clutch like a wet rag. Aya pushed through the crowd to get in front. She saw faint traces of w marks on the left half of Rafel''s face and knew.


    . .


    ''The stupid bitch had drawn blood.''


    Sk was both a bitch for daring, and a bitch because, well; she was also a female lupine.


    Seeing Rafel totally dominate her in asphyxiation, showing his much more superior strength, Aya was tempted to let the girl die at his hands. The domain Rafel now existed in was the pits of the Abyss. It was shared by all [Rank A] Hellions: a specific body adaptation to utterly destroy an opponent when blood was drawn. In this level, Rafel wouldn''t stop until Sk was dead.


    Unless someone with an akin darkness interfered.


    Aya Naamah had retracted her tail and horns at her speedy exit from her room, but now, dire circumstances demanded she shift again to her subian origins.


    Increasing a foot more in height; standing at six feet of sinful fantasy and voluptuous flesh, Aya moved calmly out the crowd of stricken spectators. Everyone had quitughing, seeing that the girl up in the air could very well die. Sk was lurching with her auburn mane of hair already sleeping down her back. She was slipping out.


    Aya quickly intervened. She maneuvered into the shadows, stepping into the sentient darkness of Rafel''s creation. The umbras deemed her as one of the [Dark Childs] and didn''t immediately suck the soul out of her.


    She didn''t stop until she was right before Rafel''s towering stature.


    She reached only to his chest. He was freakish, demon tall.


    In her blue skin, horns, goth stilts, and seductive allure, Aya dropped to her knees before Rafel.


    "AVE DOMINUS NOX!" she chanted. "My Lord forgive her."


    A thunderstorm of a voice, pping so hard in the darkness people shut their ears with their hands, said, "She had dared. . . the feeble mortal."


    "Ave Dominus Nox!" she repeated, lowering her head.


    "Hail the Lord of Night!" A girl in braces close by interpreted. She too lowered to the ground, and soon everyone in the hallway was dropping to their knees, chanting. Copenh?gen Hall was turned into the likeness of a cult of Persephone, or an entire vigepelled by an Elder Vampire.


    "Ave Dominus Nox!"


    "Ave Dominus Nox!"


    "Ave Dominus Nox!"


    Students clutched hands to their breasts and whispered, begging the life of one who would die.


    Sk was on herst breath when Rafel let go. She fell hard to the floor in a heap. She took great lungfuls, wheezing and caressing the red marks on her throat. But she knew she was to me: she drew first blood¡ªnot necessarily essing the rank of her opponent as Coach Tanaka had always taught. To be sincere, not being dead was a mercy.


    Secondster, when she could eventually speak, Sk went on her knees also.


    "Ave Dominus Nox!" she bowed.


    Rafel''s ck eyes cleared. It was a thing of pain for a [Rank A] Hellion to deny his [Dire Trait]. Continue your adventure with m|v-l''e -NovelBin


    Real, visceral pain.


    Rafel shut his eyes tobat the burning in his head.


    The lights came on, flickering bit by bit, from the distant ends of the hall, brightening all the kneeling faces in a ghostly pallor.


    Aya stood and hugged him. Her soft tail curled into his upper thigh. "Come, Dominus. Let us leave these mundane."


    Rafel grabbed her hard into himself. "Are you certain to take on their punishment for interfering?"


    Aya put her in head into his chest. "Take me as you will, Dominus."


    Just before themp right over his head lit again, Rafel dissolved into the remnant darkness. As the corridors beamed, now fully bright, the students all began rising to their feet. All in Hall Copenh?gen were certain of one fact now; that the wild redhead was no ordinary demon.


    They would guess for a fortnight and forever¡ªbut would never guess the Apollyon.

 Chapter 130: Breed Me, Dominus [18+]

    UNDER THE GOTH LIGHTS of the chambers, Rafel emerged again from the shadows with his [Bond] in tow. The girl was too damn lush for a man''s eyes, or sanity. Aya Naamah was the kind of sexy that could make a pirate, at sea for an odyssey, refuse a Viking''s loot for the chance of a night with her.


    Rafel pulled her out of the shadows into her own luxury room by the tresses of her enchanting dark hair. Stilling off his [Hell mode] trait, Rafel was quite savage in his use of her. He tossed her around the ce, making her wobble in her heels.


    Rafel dragged her to the first seat he could find; a stool by the home bar. With the way things were going, he wasn''t sure they''d make it to the bed. His cock reared to be deep inside the warm ve.


    "Dominus!" Aya gasped as he pushed her to the floor.


    "Don''t fucking look at me." Rafel turned her eyes away: he couldn''t handle the violet shine of lust in them. "You cost me a soul tonight, ve, and for that you shall be punished. AS I SEE FIT!"


    Aya''s hair was fallen all over her face, a flood of darkness from which her pretty face was hid. Her hair was so wild and long it cascaded to her waist. Rafel roughly pushed it out from covering her enticing cleavage. "Stand up!" he growled.


    Aya stood, clutching her hands together in front of her and squirming on her six-inch heels. Her body was pure sin in the midnight qipao. With her head lowered, Rafel perused her voluptuous anatomy and ran his right hand over her shoot of pear breasts and wide hips. He pinched at her nipples through the satin and Aya folded in on herself, bending her eyes further.


    "You ying at shy, huh, ve? I''ll teach you. Get me something to drink from your room, girl. Go! Quick!" Rafelmanded.


    Aya didn''t move fast enough, and he smacked her behind so hard she jumped. Aya went around to the service nook of the home bar, picking out a fine gold bottle of liqueur whiskey and walking back out. She moved again for Rafel''s stool. He wagged his finger at her toe closer. She did, until the peaks of herrge boobs strained for his mouth.


    "Good. Offer it to me," said Rafel.


    Aya popped the cork.


    "Kneel," his dark voice demanded.


    His beautiful, supernatural ve lowered to the gray shined floors of the chambers. "Don''t look at me like I''m some barbarian piger. You invited me into your room, ve. Look at all your swell decorations, like a philistine whore. You want this, ve."


    "Dominus?"


    "Shut up! I can smell your need from up here. You are as fresh oxygen to a dieing man. Crawl closer. I want your face here." Rafel pointed to the spot of the great bulge between his legs. He touched Aya''s dark hair, swiping it away.


    "Look at this face. . .all mine." He pored down at her gorgeous features. "This face is mine. These lips," he ran his thumb across the soft rose skin, "you are mine, Naamah, all of the beautiful you. But for your insolence tonight.


    . ."


    Rafel clicked his tongue, not finishing his words.


    Collecting the bottle of wine, he turned it over her head, drowning her in the delicious red ale.


    Her hair took a lustrous purple shine as the wind dribbled all over her, in her face and in her breasts, slithering down to her smooth belly and milkps. Rafel admired her wet in alcohol andughed a bit.


    "Look at you, sinful harlot. You are so hot you don''t even know it. You should be banned by the Fates from the world of men. Now rise, ve. I wish to drink my wine from your body."


    She was too fucking coy. Rafel grabbed her hips and lifted her. His ce on the barstool afforded him a prime spot in her bosom. He stared right at her breasts, growling, "Show me." Aya softly loosed and parted the qipao. Her full titties came into view, swaying deliciously in ethereal light.


    "Oh, look at those beauties." Rafel grabbed her to him around the waist with one snaking arm, and with the other, he slid the palm up her smooth caramel skin, cupping her left breasts to his eyes.


    He weighed it against the other.


    "So perfect," he breathed over her swollen nipple.


    "Dominus, p-please." His ve was shivering in his arms.


    "Quiet." Rafel stroked her ares first with his divine tongue. Bubbling herrge breasts together, he yed her nipples with his tongue until Aya was softly begging with her body. "How are you liking your punishment so far, ve?" He waited not for her reply. Gently holding her close, he mped his hot mouth over her peaks and silently began to suck.


    "Ohh, Dominus!" Aya fell over him, pushing his back onto the bartop. She raked the burnished counter as he gobbled her mounds,shing her severely with his tongue. Aya moaned.


    "Dominus, what sort of punishment is this?"


    Rafel raised his head a moment from the valley of her boobs. "The kind a whore like you deserves. How dare you, my Bond subus, walk around needing between the legs?"


    Rafel drew her back into his mouth, suckling loud on her juicy peaks. She was heavy in his mouth. She smelled like the raw sex and the wine he drank from her skin. Her melons were ripe with desire. Rafel fondled her greatly. He grabbed her waist and released her with a trail of substance joining her swaying boobs to his rose lips.


    Her Dominus was such a beautiful man.


    "Turn around and grab you ankles, ve. I think there''s more wine for me to drink in your ass," Rafel ordered.


    "Dom¡ª" Aya started.


    "Silence, harlot! I own your body. Now, do what I fucking ask."


    Aya turned around, giving him her back. She was immensely aware of how wet she was. She bit her bottom lip when her [Dominus] spanked her for good measure. Gently, she bent over. . .and grabbed her ankles.


    "By all of Hell''s gods! Look at you, ve!" Rafel kneaded and shook her ass, plumping her up in his face. This position exposed all to the eyes.


    Rafel tore the slit of her qipao the rest of the way. He whipped the remnants of the expensive satin out of sight, revealing bodacious roundness of her cream butt cheeks. Rafel hissed on spying her underwear, a risky swart G-string. He dragged it down, leaving it at her knees.


    Aya felt the cold of the chambers instantly hit her sex. She was moistened and primed up.


    "There we are." Rafel''s amber eyes went satanic on her.


    He grabbed the bottle from before off the countertop, pouring from it more tasteful red ale to his ve''s big booty. She went oily and her cheeks glimmered. He deviously watched the wine run down her exposed thighs. He poured intentionally in her ass crack and smacked her when her hole clenched. The wine ran down her slit, dripping from her prime pussy to the floors.


    "Look at you, my subus, such a filthy ve slut. No matter what," Rafel addressed, "don''t remove those fucking hands from your ankles."


    Slowly, he reached from the seat and into Aya''s great wide cheeks. Pouring wine down her butt, he drank from her gaping hole. Aya trembled, and it was only his hands keeping her up. Rafel smelled her ass and licked her hole. The pleasures seeping out of her could make him forfeit a sacrament. He dipped lower, tasting her pussy, and Rafel was a gone man.


    "Oh yes, ve. You smell and taste so good. This pussy is mine!"


    He attacked her sex,shing at her sweetbia and sucking on her scent. Aya was spread all over his face. The very tip of his tongue found her clit, the up-nub of all sin; he flicked it, and the girl spontaneously orgasmed in his face.


    Rafel held her in ce, quaking as she was, and didn''t stop until he had drank all of her release.


    She was one beautiful slut, but tasted and smelled hell of a lot more.


    Rafel gave her booty one final smack and freed her lips. His ve crumpled to the resplendent floors, into a puddle of delicious wine and delicious woman. When she could finally speak out her thunderous climax, she held up a hand. "Dominus, I am sorry. I want no more of your punishment. This has gone to far."


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    Rafel grabbed her spilling dark hair, chuckling wickedly and turning her to face him. He pushed the wet hair out her face.


    "No, no, ve. I''m not done with you yet. Your Dominus demands more. Come here."


    He dragged her from her crumple up to her knees and brought her close. He tore off his obsidian buck leather belt, and put it around her neck. He fastened in the style of a cor, holding it at the end as a leash. The heavy metal buckle glinted over her fair, swan neck.


    Rafel patted both sides of her cheeks. She was in full bloom. He smiled darkly, "there you go, ve. I will tolerate no more stubbornness from you."


    With his belt as her cor, Rafel dragged her head down to his groin. The midst of it was prominent as the Mount, Vesuvius.


    "Now¡ª" he held her leash tight. "Release me."


    Since he was staring down at his risen crotch, Aya divined his meaning.

 Chapter 131: Breed Me, Dominus II [18+]

    "DOMINUS! What kind of punishment is this? I-I do not understand." Aya''s shaky, yet seductive voice gave Rafel the urge to bring her over on hisp and spank her quiet. She was his undoing. But his dick was in need of immediate satiation. A paddle to his ve''s butt would have to wait.


    They were still at the home bar in Aya''s suite; Rafel had not managed to tear his hands from her lush body long enough to take them to the bedroom.


    He stared down hard with gold pupils at the subus at his feet. "You will ask no further questions. Got it?!" Aya''s fingers trembled where it clutched to his knees. Rafel held her jaw so her full lips pursed. "Got it, ve?" He hardened. She gave a little nod.


    "Good girl." Rafel spread his legs wider on the stool. "Go on," he urged her hands to get to work. "My cks won''t undress itself."


    Aya''s hands shivered over his fly. Slowly, she drew down the zipper and dragged the pants down to his ankles. Rafel kicked it off. All the while, he kept his hand in her hair; guiding her like a child. His ve was his little girl. He would give her, not what she wanted, but what she needed.


    Her hands paused over his briefs.


    Rafel narrowed his eyes. "What is it?"


    "D-Dominus?"


    "Oh, you little subus! You teasing ve."


    Rafel thought he briefly saw the shadow of a smile perch on Aya''s lips¡ªa hint at the game they yed; but as quickly as it was there, it was gone. Slowly, she hooked her thumbs in the band of his briefs and pulled down. Rafel lifted at the hips to make it easier on her.


    Aya stopped short on his thigh, staring tantly.


    "Dominus, you have an impossible member!"


    Rafel chuckled in sinister grace. "As you were, ve."


    Aya, managing to pull her eyes away just for a fragment of time to rip his briefs down his legs, promptly raised her violet tints back to his cock. He was a fine man, sprung and engorged a good foot and four fingers in girth. Rafel knew how solid he was and coaxed his good little girl into taking him in her mouth.


    "Open up," hemanded down to her.


    Aya parted her lips.


    "Wider!"


    Her mouth dropped a breath more.


    "Give me more, ve. I want to see the back of your throat," he growled.


    Aya frowned, a fake, but dropped her mouth more. Rafel chuckled at this. "Don''t frown too much, girl, or you''ll love it even more."


    Gripping her cor: his belt around her neck, he brought her near to his fat head. Her wide open mouth descended like a hot cave over his cock. Rafel didn''t stop pulling on her until all of him was deeply seated in her mouth¡ªand down her throat. It was a wicked thing. A very, bad thing. Aya closed her lips around his dark sheath and Rafel let out a groan from deep within.


    "Oh, by the gods, ve! You wish to rob your Dominus of soul."


    She slowly started moving on him, easing his penis out and in from her mouth. Rafel grabbed the edge of the bartop with one hand, and with the other he caressed her glistening strands of raven hair. Her lips were so good he nearly forgot to breathe.


    "Slower, subus; lest I finish too soon." Rafel held her head down.


    Her face wasid on his thigh. His cock eased out her throat, dwelling in the ve of her mouth and he could see the python outline of his member, fat and swelling her cheeks. His ve choked and coughed on him, and he softly petted her face.


    "You look so beautiful with dick in your mouth. Such a beautiful face you have; your cheeks blushed, your powders smeared all over. You are a good girl. My good little girl."


    Rafel''s cock jumped, as he drew his delightsome ve up by her wet hair, with a rise so massive he was like a strange fleshy tower. The veins curling his little brother were a wondrous thing to look at. And Aya considered him being asrge as her wrist. Rafel cradled her face. And though he''d asked her not to speak, he allowed it when she whispered,


    "Will Dominus show me how to please him?"


    Rafel''s eyes med.


    He delivered no answer. His response was rather, physical. Dragging Aya''s head back to pipe of his heavy cock; so swollen of seed his bulb was mild purple and his balls dangling below, Rafel pumped upward into her mouth. His beautiful ve let him take her mouth at his own pace. She clutched to his knees as he held her hand in ce with both of hisrge hands and thrusted up through her tight lips.


    PAH!


    Rafel released her head with a great growl. His cock came bouncing out her mouth, far fatter than should be sane. But Dominus was a demon. Sanity among his kind was overrated. Discover stories with m,v l''e-NovelBin


    With his dick swinging and full and dripping of her saliva, Rafel held Aya down below under his great size where she licked at his slippery balls wet in her spittle. He tasted faintly of the wine from her. She worshipped his cock with her face; red from all the hot pounding, Rafel pped her face with it.


    "Lick the sides of it," he instructed, "be Dominus'' good little girl."


    Aya did this a while, and when she greedily went to suck him back in, Rafel grasped her hair and pulled her back.


    "No, subus. I can''t rush myself another second with your lips around me. And I wish only to quicken inside of you. Come, girl. Enough sucking! Now, I desire to fill your tight, little pussy with my seed."


    By the cor, Rafel dragged Aya on her knees behind him to the lounge area. He tore off his shirt, sinking buck and divinely naked into the long sofa that faced the hearth. He spread his long legs and turned Aya around. He brought her up to squat on his knees and wrapped his arms tight around her belly. "You shouldn''t have let me into your room, little girl.


    Now, stare into the firece and sit, ve."


    Aya gripped his strong thighs under her, feeling rippling muscles in this [Reverse Cowgirl] position.


    "Ohh Dominus," she whimpered as she lowered slowly onto him.


    His cock left her with no space, and for a while she just settled with rolling her hips on his groin. Until Rafel had enough of it and grabbed her harder against him. Holding up her thighs, he pumped her with a hundred and one delicious thrusts in this position.


    His beautiful ve moaned over him, with the back of her head fallen back on his shoulder, both of them staring down to their slick joining and watching in lust as the wanton sliding of him driving in and out of her.


    Rafel fucked her ruthlessly, banging the shit out of her. Her long legs were spread wide and up high.


    "Oh yes, Dominus. Oh yes, Oh yes!" His ve was moaning.


    Rafel put his hand to her lips to silence her. She sucked in his thumb, sighing feverishly.


    Their passion swelled the room thick with the smell of sex. Rafel licked the wine and salt off her back. He kissed and nipped her sideboob, all the while pounding ferally up to her. Sweat dribbled down his ripped torso, and Aya thought he might have juste to a thousand in his thorough strokes when he jabbed a final groaning thrust inside her vagina.


    The force of it sent both their legs quivering.


    "Ohh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" Aya was moaning.


    Rafel''s cock eased out of her pussy. He looked down and found her showing a most wonderful creampie.


    He had creampied his little ve.


    "Oh Dominus." Aya kissed his strong arm.


    Semen from her oozed out her pussy to dribble onto the dangling weight of Rafel''s shaft.


    "Hold on ve. Your Dominus is not done with you yet."


    Aya could barely filter in his baritone in her daze of lust as Rafel swiftly turned them over. He closed her soft legs and lowered her t on her belly upon the sofa. He went atop her and widened his own thighs to cage her legs in. Holding her hands behind her back with his right hand, he held her face down to the couch with the other. Then, he jammed into her again.


    "Ah, Dominus!"


    The new position stretched Aya, and she squeezed her toes on the long sofa.


    Rafel enveloped her from above, and they started a frenzied rhythm together. Rafel pumped her full of more and more of him with each thrust. He shoved her harder into the couch, careful not to suffocate her but enough to asphyxiate in pleasure. His little ve begged for more.


    "Yes, Dominus. Fill up this pussy. Take your ve. I''ll be your good little girl. Fill my womb. .


    .god yes, Dominus. Fill me with your demon seed. Breed me. Breed your little whore ve. Breed me, Dominus."


    Rafel was meeting her moans word for word.


    "You want your master''s cock? Yes you do, little slut. Take it. I''m giving it you hard. Don''t ever need me this badly. Don''t ever tell anyone.


    You belong to your Dominus and only he, little ve."


    "Ohhhh fuuuuuckk!" The two of them broke apart as one.


    The joint orgasm was volcanic. Rafel kept inside her until her spasms milked everyst drop he had. He pulled out, spreading her ass cheeks to admire his handiwork. It was messy. But he loved it. Aya leaked out both holes spills of his seed.


    He smiled, spanking her fat ass as he fell in beside her.


    Two minutester, Aya could finally raise her voice over the beating of her heart. She turned and nestled into Rafel''s warmth. He smelled greatly of her. Inwardly, his subus was proud but she didn''t show it. Aya raised her violet eyes to him. She was smiling.


    "How did I do?"


    Rafel smiled right back. "You should call me Dominus more."


    And theyughed together. They linked fingers. In their hazy reflection up in the gray Baroque ceiling, Rafel said, "Look at us, Sire and Bond."

 Chapter 132: The Beautiful Ones

    ? TITANS LANDING, CAPITAL ELDORIA


    The fair polis was dotted in sturdy townhouses and inns, the singrity of the city being its shared brick-red roofs, from up above looking like the scales of a dragon in sleep. The skies were clear as the snowing had begun to pack up.


    In a nearbymune of gypsies, a gathering on the outskirts of the former Capitol, few tendrils of spring shot up between the white tents lying under the evening sun. Children yed with dogs around chomping winged horses.


    Thismune was one of the many scattered across the realm. Ever since their Queen was felled from the fae throne, the gypsies had been further put out by the other magical ilk. Demon hordes now ruled the undercity, and every few paces in the cobblestone alleys, one could spy a Mauler or Bonereaver, or Critch, yeilding dominance over the unlikely underdogs.


    Since their Sires were now witches of the Court of Whispers, the [Hellions] felt charged to do what ever they wished.


    "At least they let us keep us our Griffins!" An old gypsy beard said, summoning to himself a randy group of golden-haired kids for a twilight of storytelling. Aside the upheaval across thends of the fey empire which rendered many of them homeless, the wildings still kept their bloodlines close by visiting intimacy among family members.


    Incest was prominent to keep purebloods¡ªas evidenced by the all-blonde boy and girl children running about the tents.


    Simr styled refugee camps nestled all down the highway of the realm, across Rocasus and its river, Nokmaar and its bog, G¨±ndlheim and its moors, and even to distant Castamere and the nortnds of Rumbrun. Those that could, in the days when the city was just recovering, had fled to Frostholm to seek rampart in the fortress of the Warden of the North.


    s, the Lord of Frostholm had bent the knee also the ck banners of Morningstar.


    But now, the gates of the polis were shut. Those leaving were a mere trickle. Tower guards checked primage papers with a falcon''s eye, and only those aloud by the city''s ruling council could board passages on ships leaving the Eldorian harbor.


    It was a happenstance by all measures meant to enve the final standing dignitas and patriotic spirit of the only true resistance to the utter dominion of the Fallen: the Fae.


    These wildlings, who seemed the weakest of all factions in the realm, now that their Queen was toppled, still had refused to bend the knee.


    No matter how long they were denied bread.


    No matter how many of their alluring females were held down by wells and alleys and raped by demons.


    No matter how many of their strong men were forcefully signed into the growing demon host''s military by the Spectres of the Usurper on their raids.


    No matter the pressure to beg for corn and ord rulership to the monarchy of devils.


    Descendants of the Celestials and [Cherubim], the fey peoples were humanity''s only hope. The saving grace of the mortal realm. . .


    Thest of the beautiful ones.


    And so, they kept to their tents; a faction ripped out of the same great empire their forefather the Conqueror had built, sharing meals and stories¡ªand sex¡ªtogether, and never waning in the belief that their dynasty of the [Sunfire] magic, the maidenhood of the Seely Court was not over.


    The wildings stood to think that their ethereal bloodline would not be ended, and certainly not by fucking demons! One thing the great and bearded old storyteller had gleaned in his many years upon the mortal realm was that time was an Immortal''s best friend. And time would see their upon the throne again.


    As the twilight set in with an appearing moon, the little fae children gathered around the storyteller as he began his tale, transported in the silver-haired man''s eyes to a thousand years before, and to a realm of magic without evil.


    He set to keep the me of the Van Imperias alive in the heart of the young ones.


    The same Wildling Queen who the hope of those in the vast white tents depended on, at the same time knelt at the feet of a particr voluptuous redhaired Archdemoness. Her Mistress, the Queen of the Night and Lady Dowager of the Court of Whispers, Her Eminence, Lilith Firstborn.


    Lilith had her long legs nted on the abusyle floors of her grand chambers at the dark castle.


    Giselle ran a stocking of the finest cream silk up her Mistress''s legs. Lilith''s gaze was towards the patio overlooking the stretch of the polis, and further out to the encampment of her ve''s people. Giselle had to alert her Mistress that she had finished with dressing her legs.


    "I am done, Your Eminence."


    Lilith looked down with a brief smile. She turned her leg this way and that, looking over the golden garters before she dropped her gown. "Looks good, though I''d much prefer pantaloons. You mortals and your cultures. In Hel, it''s the males who wear the skirts. I think them rather ravishing in such battle kilts."


    Giselle saw the shade Lilith''s eyes had taken and rose from her knees. Even without her usual power heels on, Lilith still towered over her. She knew the Lady Dowager was thinking about her nephew.


    It was at times like this that Giselle almost forgot it was this beautiful woman who had ripped the crown of [Ethereal Light] from her head, and twisted it into some grotesque travesty for her Minotaurs to y with.


    It was in moments such as this, that she almost loved the woman.


    It was not too hard to imagine Lilith as another giant beautiful redhead, but with striking gold eyes instead of silver.


    Discerning her Mistress''s line of thoughts, Giselle put in. She forsook the usual formality with which she had to speak in the presence of guests. "You think about Israfel, do you not?"


    Lilith''s gorgeous eyes shifted from the rippling byzantine curtains and open balcony to her blonde ve. She squeezed her peach cheeks. "And I thought I was the mind reader, little fey, huh?"


    Giselle didn''t turn away from her touch.


    "I think about him too."


    "I know," Lilith responded. "I think my nephew is the one thing stopping you from sticking your hairpin through my eye." She caught Giselle''s startled look and chuckled lightly, "Come on, little fey! Don''t be surprised. You read faces. I read minds. Besides, I didn''t need to.


    I see the looks you give me. You hate me, but it''s alright. I would hate anyone who took an entire kingdom from me too."


    Giselle sighed and boldly touched Lilith''s wrist over her face.


    "I don''t hate you, Your Eminence. I. . .I don''t know what I feel for you."


    "You like the way I fuck you!" Lilith chirped.


    Giselle frowned and dropped her hand. This made Lilith grin more. "Aww! My cute little fey. That shouldn''t rub you the wrong way. I like the way you fuck me too¡ªthe times I let you. Your next journey awaits at m v|l-e''-NovelBin


    You have a real gifted mouth."


    "Oh god!" Giselle colored to the tips of her pointy ears. She had given up trying to hide her Elf descent.


    "But¡ª" Lilith pulled up Giselle under the chin to meet her eyes. "...aside our political and arcane opposites, I think we findmon ground in Israfel. He is the one thing we both love. I see him in you. You see him in me. This keeps us satisfied.


    At least, it does for me." Lilith sighed and moved to the balcony in her fine evening dress. "It helps a lot that I know he''s alive."


    Giselle joined her at the stone belvedere. The turrets and wings of the grandiose castle swarmed them as a backdrop. The moon was full tonight. It lit on the vastness of the white tents in the distance, outside the city''s high wall and gates. Both Lilith and Giselle stared out at the strangely saintlymune.


    ''Those are my people.'' Giselle thought.


    She looked up at her Mistress. Everytime she stared at Lilith, the woman''s sheer grace seemed to astound her even more. No wonder the other male [Principalities] of the [SSS-RANK] divine order feared her. She had once stood right now where Lilith was, but even Giselle epted she had never pulled such swagger. Lilith Firstborn was beyond beautiful. She was enchanting.


    Surreal. Delicate, in a way that was frightening, but sure as hell hot!


    Pun intended!


    "Your eyes are going to fall off if you keep staring," the sweet voice hit Giselle from above; from the rose lips she was ogling.


    Giselle cleared her throat.


    Lilith smiled when her fey ve flushed. She loved riling her up, if only to see the healthy color on her.


    "Thank you, Mistress, for not killing my people." Giselle''s gold eyes stretched across the roofs of Titans Landing to the white tents.


    Lilith gently lowered her purple eyes to her. She leaned in, kissed Giselle''s cheek and whispered in her ear. "Oh, beautiful one, why do you think I did it?"


    Then she tantly stared down Giselle''s maiden decolletage. Giselle was shivering as she watched Lilith pick up her skirts in a very dainty manner that was a shocker to the panjandrum she was. She stared until Lilith was at the oakwood door into her chambers. Giselle followed at a safe distance, rooting to a spot by the drapes and clutching the curtains in a firm grasp.


    Just before the luscious Lady Dowager pulled open the door, she said back to her ve,


    "Oh, and little fey. . . I want you topless in my bed when I return. Find your cor and put it on."

 Chapter 133: A Chamber of Gods

    LILITH ENTERED THE BANQUET HALL holding the crimson skirts of her gown up in a Roman poise in the crook of her arm.


    The other [S Rank] principalities were seated down in the lovely hall. It was a private luxury chamber in the distant wing of the castle facing the north. That way, the cool humors from the Cold Sea whispered in through the partition in the veils, shipped in from merchant Carthaginia, where the gold was rumored to grow like stctites underground.


    The members of the [Fallen] turned at her entry, and weing smiles greeted her.


    "Lady Dowager!" King Thebault nodded in her direction.


    "Your Eminence!" The vampiress, H followed.


    "Lily!" Lucifer granted her with his wickedest smile. "How lovely of you to join us! I imagined you might not be able to pry yourself from your new ve, Giselle is it?"


    "Howe she gets all the blondes?" Asmodeus chimed to Lucifer, and both deities burst outughing.


    Lilith shook her head at both her brothers. They had a literal universe of dark power at their fingertips, and yet they were still the naughty chits she remembered of their youth; how they had grown to be Overlords of the Underworld! She settled herself into a narrow bed, shaped like a sofa; very Romanesque and rolled her eyes at her brothers.


    "You have no idea, boys! My ve is literally the best of all your whores. I have an Elven Queen as consort, and what do you have, Lou? Vashti? A glorified sex doll?"


    The other Immortals and gods snickered.


    Lucifer and the [Rank S] Subus at his side on his own banquette bed didn''t take it to heart. They only knew Lilith was teasing. This chamber of the castle was beholden to only those of the inner circle of the [Fallen]. It resembled a Grecian vi, and was decorated by the servants in Spartan rugs, ornaments from Persepolis, and flowers of the best Corynthian bouquets.


    The hall of banqueting sat gods and deities in a crescent arc with lounging beds side by side, consorts and lovers entwined with them. But mostly, the Immortals in the room were of the dark side.


    Lucifer sat with his Subus, Vashti. His favorite cock-suck. Asmodeus, ever the yer, had two curvaceous bimbos at his sides; one of them was green. Moloch had a little girl in hisp on his own banquette. She didn''t look a day over nine years old. He stared out with hard eyes.


    Lilith¡ªand everyone else avoided this particr sight. Moloch was such a sicko!


    s, the banquet hall had one member from the other side in their midst.


    An Angel.


    A [Seraphim].


    This divine Celestial [SSS Rank] sat next to the King, Thebault de Vries, or as his fellow ungods knew him by: Mephistopheles. Lilith offered a small smile at the Angel woman.


    "Nice to see you again, Lady Yellowstone."


    The lovely Seraph was on her belly beside the king and smiled back at the Dowager. She said, "Please, Lilith, call me Yuriel. And I''m only here because HE invited me over," she stared pointedly at the man next to her, "My ex-husband here seems to think he has a way of reigniting our passion. . ."


    Everyone in the spaceughed. Yuriel Yellowstone went on. "Yeah! Exactly my reaction! But I do love a good showmanship. Devils always did know how to throw a party." Stay connected via m-v l|e''-NovelBin


    Lilith''s smile widened. "Thank you, Seraph. We''ll take that. It''s been a while since we found one of your kind in our midst; four hundred years, give or take. But you''ll be pleased to know, dear Yuriel, that we have found the whereabouts of your daughter and my nephew."


    "Oh yes," Yuriel nodded. "Thebault here told me all about that...some school on the isles he said. Part of his ploy to cajole my affections."


    "Would you let him hit. . .again, I mean?" Asmodeus yed with a wink.


    Yuriel looked the High King up and down.


    "We''ll see."


    "OOOH!" The Immortals fell back in unison.


    King Thebault pped his hands for the servants to bring in the attraction for the night. All in the opulent chambers watched as the hulking Mauler guards dragged in a squirming monk in a frayed cassock, obviously from all the manhandling. His head was shaved to a mirror shine, with a hairline dipping behind. The guards all but threw him to the smooth floors in the center of the banquet circle.


    "And who might this be?" Lucifer leaned forward.


    Standing in his purplish royal robe, the Emperor Thebault announced, "I present to you, this priest from the distantnds of Loegria. He swears his God resurrected from a Roman crucifixion. I have brought him to prove his said miracles. I imagine it much be such a lonely existence, living alone up there?"


    The priest spat on the floors in front of the banquettes.


    "Your sphemy condemns your own soul, devil! Be gone, Satan!"


    Lucifer at this smiled. "You couldn''t be more right, dear father."


    Thebault waved his hands for the show to begin, and the Maulers strode in¡ªone dragging in a heavy St. Andrews Cross behind. He dropped it with a heave, and proceeded to begin tying up the priest to the cross. Lilith and Yuriel entered into private conversation as the others chuckled, watching the Loegrian monk squirm against the ropes.


    "I thought you handled the one called Coraz¨®n," said Yuriel.


    Lilith exined. "Yes, I brought her back from the abyss just as she was about to cross into the Elysium fields. She served a good life, and would have made the Hall of the Valiant, but at the time of her sudden passing, my nephew had grown fond of her. I couldn''t let her die. Not to mention after the role I yed in Emberfall.


    I knew Israfel would hate me forever. I needed to give him a reason to give me a chance. The girl, Coraz¨®n was it. Her resurrection was easy. She had not yet begun to corrupt, and before her death, she had been sworn to me. Her, and her entire coven.


    I was her Matriarch."


    Yuriel popped a grape in her mouth from the silver tter. "From what I hear, Coraz¨®n sounds like she fancied your nephew too. How did you deal with her not abruptly running to him right after her awakening?"


    Lilith averted her eyes. "Memory Erase."


    "That''s risky, Lilith."


    "I know, which is why I put contingencies in ce. No idiot can break into her head without my knowledge. My spell is divine tier. I employed Hecate for it. And for now, Belbys and Zagreus agreed to y parent to hide out any evidence of monkey business.


    Initially, I only resurrected Coraz¨®n to lure my nephew close¡ªat least close enough to apologize for my part in the war of Titans Landing and exin the reason for it¡ªbut then, I found out he was at the Corynthian Academy of Witches. . .and along with your daughter, Ravenna.


    Inspiration hit me then. Since I can''t enter the Academy, Cora is my spy. She doesn''t know it yet but she reports everything she sees and hears."


    "How?" Yuriel was interested now.


    "She has one of Hecate''s bugs in her head. It sends me messages and filming to my crystal ball. I can observe everything she sees through the eyes of the bug."


    Yuriel picked up a gold goblet of ale.


    "Israfel would hate that."


    Lilith picked up her wine cup too. She clinked with Yuriel. "It''s a good thing he''ll never find out then."


    Yuriel smiled and toasted.


    "To your nephew, and my daughter, and to the things we do for love."


    Lilith drank with her. "You might just be the most fun angel I''ve ever seen!"


    By the time the two women turned to nce at the Loegrian priest again, the man was hanging down from the X-shaped cross by his arms. But this time, ropes strung the ones of his wrists to the saddle of four horses. Under the eyes of all principalities in the room, the King arose, and like a Caesar at the games, he turned down his thumb.


    He gave the kill sign.


    The closest Mauler guards by the four horses pped the beast''s behinds. And all four steeds broke apart in speed, tearing forward in four different directions.


    The priest split in the middle.


    SPLAT!


    Blood rained down on all in the banquet hall, pouring like rain from the skies. It wet the floors and the sofas, and Lucifer smiled and his subus, Vashti, licked her lips. She turned to her Sire, went down on her knees. . .and everything went pretty forward from there. How fitting?


    Lilith thought. The King''s foolhardy n to get back his Seraph of a wife was an orgy.


    Lilith spied Yuriel Yellowstone fold her six wings and rest back on the banquette, coyly smiling and watching the Immortals undress.


    Thinking solely of the hot blonde ve she had asked to wait in her chamber, Lilith calmly rose and slipped out to meet Giselle.


    [A/N: At the moment, only you cherished reader know the culprit behind Cora''s [amnesia]. Might Rafel find out before it damns them all?]

 Chapter 134: The Witch of the Mooring

    "ISRAFEL BL¨¹DTH?RSTE! Please report to the Headmistress''s Office!" The robotic voice called over the inte system in the student facility. All of the academy knew though that it was a [Hobbit] voice behind the announcement. The barefooted chits loved to y at pranks. But were loyal as a Familiar, which is why those of high standing like the [C. A.


    W.] headmistress kept them close.


    They served as either political or industrial assistants.


    "Israfel Bl¨¹dth?rste! Please report to the Headmistress''s Office!"


    This announcement carried on all the halls in the citadel. It was the first day of weekend. Rafel had spent two more nights in Copenhagen Hall, with his ve. Aya Naamah had missed him a great deal, and those 48 hours had been spent shagging to a breadth of syncope. The thin walls carried on their affair¡ªto which ceaseless banging at the other end reminded the duo just how thin the walls were.


    Rafel, hearing the voice calling in a daze, rubbed his eyes and pinched his brow.


    His subus had exerted himst night. He was thinking a nice morning cappino by Rosa''s divine hand, and then a morning run, perhaps a detour to the ying ball courts for a bout with Coraz¨®n. He felt like sparring with the tomboy again. Now that he had greatly satisfied his ve, her [Lust System] wouldn''t be needing a flesh rod charging for a while.


    Although Subi tended to want sex always, he was a [Rank A] Blood Prince, with attributes for intimacy in the nies. And so, his cock was divine too. Naamah would be fine.


    He was staring at her cute blue form, curled like a horned ball of very sexy Smurf¡ªa bit twisted¡ªinto his side when the Hobbit''s voice came charging down the mic systems again; like it knew exactly what Rafel was doing.


    This time it was louder.


    "ISRAFEL BL¨¹DTH?RSTE! PLEASE REPORT TO THE HEADMISTRESS''S OFFICE!"


    "Ugh. Imps!" Rafel rolled off the bed. He carefully uncurled Aya''s tail from his lower torso and hit the showers. Thankfully, he had enough mana points to visit quickly the [Umon Witch Shop], where he purchased a simple [Squire] getup. It costed only 400 soul coins. Tobat the sun which he could see spearing in the whiteness of Aya''s dorm room curtains, Rafel added a hat with a wide brim.


    "Like Lord Rayden, Meister of Thunders!" He studied himself in the mirror.


    nting a final kiss on Aya''s cheek, he turned and scaped the room for the darkest corner in which to slip away.


    A buggy ride would only be tiresome.


    He pulled on his crimson [Demon Core]. "Breath of Erebus. ve of Hades. Shadow Wand ability!" A string of pure ckness curled around his arm. He entered into the darkness, dissolving into the pitch ck. He was vanished from the room.


    It took less than a mortal second for him to reanimate. And he did so right in the middle of the luxury penthouse chamber in the administrative tower.


    The Headmistress''s Office.


    Dr. Nicara Shetty was in a boxed meeting in her ss office, and quickly waved off herpadres to the private elevator at the first sight of the coalescing shadows. Sure enough, out from the frothing darkness stepped a virile young man.


    Her office suddenly smelled like skan tundra and Castamere rains. The primly dressed Doctor waited for the elevator to shut out thest man with the briefcase. Then she said, "Quite the entrance."


    Rafel smiled, "Good morning," and started walking for her, but Nicara held up a hand.


    "We need to talk." She paused and let the seriousness of her voice sink in. Rafel nodded and sank into a swanky couch nearby. The beautiful choco-skinned Headmistress leaned into her wide marble desk and continued, "I thought we had a deal, Israfel¡ªno more shenanigans!


    What is this I''m hearing about a ckout in Hall Copenh?gen, and the students bowing to a quote-unquote, big ck demon, muttering AVE DOMINUS NOX?


    You are the [Apollyon of Hel], Israfel. But it is for your safety that no one but a select few know of this. I have a duty to protect you, Your Eminence. And I will do this strictly if I have to. From today, you''re grounded from all extracurricrs¡ª"


    Rafelughed. "What! How can you call me Your Eminence and treat me like a child at the same time?"


    Nicara wasn''tughing. "¡ªand I forbid you from all this," she waved a hand down her hot, curvy body. "No more pussy for you, young man."


    "Ohe on!"


    "In addition, you have rued seven demerits."


    Rafel balked. "So what? I get detention again?"


    "No¡ª" Nicara rose in her heels so beautifully it reminded him of the tigress she was. She finished softly, "¡ªyou take a hike."


    Then she exined. "Since you have the desire to exploit your [Dire Trait], there might be matter of consequence to the institute you can help with. There is a certain deviant in the trails north of the Academy. A Witch who was let go on an extreme usation.


    We only just learned she habits the mooring halfway up the mountain. She didn''t leave on the boats off Corynthia like she was supposed to. She''s a trespasser. Find her. Capture her! This is your punishment.


    No partying for you this weekend."


    "I hear you, Doctor," Rafel held up his hand, "but if I may ask, what kind of extreme usation was she expelled on?"


    Nicara turned around and rounded her desk to her boss chair. She dipped into it ondylike manner.


    "Your fellow hikers have all the information you need. Go. I need to get back to my meeting," she replied.


    Rafel stood and began to move out, but at the elevators, he paused, "No matter how strict you may try to be with me, you still found those to hike out the north trails with me. That tells me a lot, Doctor Shetty!" Rafel wagged his brows knowingly. His smile was contagious. Unable to help herself, Nicara grinned too. "Go!" She said.


    And so it was that Rafel found himself in the wonderfulpany of his two special friends, Percival and Rosamunde. They were his fellow hikers. Rosa arrived on site at the north stone walls, just over the arcane wards, with a pair of hard mountain boots¡ªand the warmest smile. "You can''t hike in Squire shoes, now, can you, mi''lord?"


    The three of them hugged, and began the path up the bushes fringing the institute''s high walls. It got thicker and colder as they legged on. And soon, the thickets grew so high they had to spread them with sticks before passing through. It was untamednd, but still it belonged to the academy. And Rafel hadn''t forgotten that the Headmistress had called this witch of the mooring a trespasser.


    The trail was an upward incline, and you didn''t even notice it until the feet hurt.


    As they jumped stones over a running brook, Rafel sent his eyes up to the canopy of dark trees. One thing still boggled his mind. He asked it.


    "What unspeakable crime did this witchmit?"


    Percival scratched his head and looked away. Rafel turned next to Rosa. She blinked her gray ones and mutely replied. "She raped a boy."


    Rafel nodded. "Yes, this is felonious. But nothingpared to the sinfulness back in Hel. Surely, this isn''t the first the Academy has heard of women rapists."


    "No, but it''s the first time the victim was the Headmistress''s son. The witch of the mooring at the time was a Fourth Year [Gorgon] of the Raven Arc. She was set to graduate in a fortnight. . ." Rosa continued speaking as they climbed through bluebells and sunflowers, and meadows and willows. But Rafel had stopped listening at the word, Headmistress.


    His mind fired in all directions.


    Wait! Nicara had a son?!


    Rosa finished glumly with, "the child didn''t survive. He was but seven winters old. And everyone knows [Gorgons] are giants."


    Rafel didn''t even know what to fucking think!

 Chapter 135 : Pedo Bitch!

    [Warning: #violentscenes #bloody #nudity #gore #pration #sadism #revenge]


    A [GORGON] FEMALE had deflowered and killed the only child of a prominent Alpha of the weretiger shifter pack. Rafel understood why this witch of the mooring had taken to the ''moor'' in the first ce. Had she tried to leave the academy, she would have been dead before she hit the harbor.


    If the assassins employed by the poor boy''s mother didn''t get her, then the other tiger-shifters would, in seeking to avenge their wounded Alpha.


    The witch of the mooring was dead either way.


    So she''d remained on the isle, making her camp on the rise of the uncut trails by the hilly strides north of campus, where no one would think to look. For as all the students thought, those woods were inhabited by the baboons and boars. Until three nights ago, when Rafel had caused the ckout; and the glint of an orange fire had been spotted in them.


    "The ce should be just up ahead," Rosa flipped her map to straighten it out.


    They''d been walking for a while, Rafel locked out of the world during that period. He raised his eyes when sqwaking crows scattered in the treetops. He still didn''t understand the tale. There had to be more to it. He spoke these thoughts aloud to his fellow adventurers. This wasn''t a mere hike.


    It was now a search to capture a missing offender and possibly avenge a vile ill done to a boy child.


    "Why would a [Fourth Year] girl, just about to graduate, with her whole life and the possibility of a shiny future in such an enchanted realm throw all that away from one night of pedophilia?" said Rafel. "I don''t get it!"


    "Who knows why cunts do what they do?" Rosa flipped the map again, angrily. "I thought it''d be a man the first time I heard the story. You can imagine my shock when I discovered it was the reverse. A pedo female. She fled before anyone could do shit. Hasn''t been seen since."


    "How long now?" Rafel traced his steps beside Rosa.


    "37 moons, give or take," she replied.


    "Three years? Damn! What''s this bitch''s name?"


    "Barbara. Her name was Barbara, daughter of a Lord Manilius. Rumor was she would''ve graduated valedictorian of their ss." Rosa suddenly paused. Her gray iris brightened in their sockets, and her orbs shone with the light of her [Detective System]. "Stop!" She held a hand to the boys. "Look there!


    Tracks!" she announced. "Someone''s here. They know we''reing too."


    Rafel met Percival''s golden pupils to find the same inquisitive glow in them. Since Rosa was in no doubt her element with tracking the faint prints in the marsh, Rafel and Percival traced her own motions as they moved in a fine line. The prints increasingly deepened in the moist earth. Rafel soon heard the sound of running water and smelled distinctly the scent of bathing mist.


    A huge boulder blocked their path.


    Rosa unsheathed from her waistcuff a silver dagger, brandishing the de in poise ready to strike out as they rounded therge rock.


    The three of them immediately screeched to a standstill.


    It was a woman.


    She was humming a folk tune.


    She was naked.


    Not the tame nudity of the chicks who often frequented the academy''s posh caldarium, but a brazen, prodigious nakedness. Rosa had been right. Gorgons were giants. The one bathing in the river right now in front of them was one of such great figures. This female was damn near 8ft tall. She had fat thighs that could smother a man''s face, her legs were athletic and long, a slim waist and a robust figure.


    She was well rounded in the lush areas. Her bosoms and butt jiggled as shethered up.


    "Well, fuck." Rosa excused.


    Percival''s jaw was to the floor. They all stood at the bank of the river pool, watching the great maiden soap herself up with a native loofah and the crystal streams carry her scent on the wind downriver. It was the boulder, now behind them, that had blocked her out from view. This Gorgon had dark skin. None of the scales her kind usually possessed, and her serpent hair was covered in a shower cap.


    Rafel could spot the dancing snakes slithering beneath.


    "Uh..." Rafel scratched his jaw. "Should we say something?"


    The Gorgon began bending over, and since she had her back to them, it granted a very lustful view of her globes and cunt, and the suds dripping down her ripe slit. Percival gaped at her showing asshole.


    "Ahem!" Rosamunde cleared her throat.


    The bathing woman turned.


    "Are you Barbara?"


    The Gorgon smiled when she turned a nce to all three of them. Her smile was very dirty. Her voice too was lilting when she said, "If I say yes, would you join me?" No one answered, and she dipped in the river, swimming in soft butterfly strokes to the bank. "Towel?" She pointed behind Rafel as she stepped out. He grabbed and tossed it to her.


    "Are you?" He grated. He had no love for child defilers. In his world, true evil were the prettiest.


    The witch was taller than all of them as she wrapped her bounteous flesh in the cashmere. She finally replied.


    "Yes, I am Barbara."


    "Then you have toe with us!" Rafel growled into the massive cleavage swaying in his face.


    The Gorgon was undeterred. She only smiled. "Do I now? And you little ones are to be my captors? Haha!" Sheughed girlishly. "I thought you were just here to offer yourselves to me.


    It''s been a while since I had good eyecandy to fuck. All I get here are the damn wild horses I have to cajole into a session¡ªgrabbing their ck cocks like I''m Catherine the Great or some shit..."


    Rafel shared a look with Rosa.


    "Oh, don''t give me that look! It gets lonely out here. Shetty''s little boy was always a wanderer. Too fucking curious for his age. Even while I served as her secretary, he loved to watch me. He liked me."


    "You are crazy!" Rosa was brimming with anger.


    "Is this a confession? Witch!" Rafel roared.


    Barbara continued with a maniac smile. "I remember him...such a beautiful, beautiful child. He loved the woods. He always wanted this." She grabbedrge handfuls of her boobs, crumpling the towel. "And so I gave it to him."


    "YOU RAPED HIM, YOU DEMENTED CUNT!" It was Rosa.


    "He asked for it. I only gave the boy what he wanted¡ª"


    "ENOUGH!" Rafel belched. "DARK ARTS! CHAINS OF ANUBIS!"


    A swarming darkness, buzzing down like locusts from above swamped the treetops and gathered into the shape of a long swirling chain. Made entirely of shadows, the chains dove for Barbara''s wrists, attempting to fetter her hands. But the Gorgon was faster. She dropped her hands. Her already loose towel fell off and she rolled away from the onught.


    Her right arm shot out, curling into a great python in the air and aiming for Rosa''s face. Rafel dragged her into him, swiping her out from the serpent''s open mouth. Percival, who was still staring, was left in the python''s wake. The snake hit him so hard he crashed into a tree, splitting the hard trunk in the process.


    It still hadn''t broken the daze in his eyes.


    "She''s used a [Medusa] spell on him! We must incapacitate her to break the hex!" Rosa called up to Rafel.


    He nodded. "Distract her!"


    Barbara had risen in her full height and was striding for them with the same psycho smile. Rafel couldn''t help but think it wasn''t her first time with a child. She was so weirdlyfortable in her nakedness. Her gigantic breasts bounced on her chest and her hips swayed with the heaviness of her behind. Hard abs lined her lower belly, and she was showing a trimmed bush. She mocked her captors.


    "That bitch headmistress shouldn''t have sent novices to take me. If you must know, her little boy cried for his mommy as I sat on his cute, tiny face. But his pecker wasn''t so little, I tell you. First, I''m gonna beat you all to shit. Then I''ll tie you up, have my fun with you; we''ll have ourselves a little sodomy, and then I''ll send your pretty little heads in boxes back to her.


    That''ll teach the cunt!"


    Rosa ran circles around Barbara, forcing the Gorgon to follow her with her eyes. Distracted, Rafel grabbed a hanging green bamboo, breaking it to a long pole. He ran with it for her.


    Thinking he was about to stake her, she stupidly turned her eyes from Rosa. Rafel let her grab and lift him by the neck. But Rosa wasn''t the distraction. He was. He tossed the pole around Barbara''s giant curves. Rosa caught it, right behind the bitch.


    "Let''s see how you like being buggered now, bitch!"


    Rosa, with a yell, jammed the shaft of the bamboo stick all the way up the Gorgon''s ass. The snakes in her hair gave a collective hissing and Barbara wailed. She clutched to her belly, releasing Rafel from her chokehold. She fell on her knees to the ground. "DARK ARTS!" He quaked again. "CHAINS OF ANUBIS!"


    The fetters of darkness coiled around her limp arms and ankles, keeping her on her knees. Sticky blood ran out her butt on the pole. Rosa pulled it out and plugged her ass with the towel, kicking her in the thigh. Rafel leaned close and dragged her to meet his eyes by her wet hair.


    "You made a mistake by calling us novices. I''ve been taking out evil motherfuckers like you since I was culled from my wet nurse''s titties. Get ready to meet your fate at the hands of the woman you wronged."


    He turned and began dragging the huge Gorgon behind him. She wobbled to stay on her feet. Wet blood leaked between her legs. Rosa went to rouse Percival from his spell. The right half of his face was full of cuts and bruises from his collision with the tree trunk. Yet, when he stood, his penis still shot out proudly from his gray riding pants.


    "What! She might be evil, but she''s hot!" He excused to Rosa.


    She shook her head, and followed after Rafel, leaving him to follow too. Barbara was nearly two foot taller than Rosa. And Rosa pulled her head down by her long tresses to whisper into her ear. The damn Gorgon was still stupefyingly gorgeous.


    "Who''s the cunt now?"


    In chains of darkness, the Apollyon climbed down from his hike on the north trails with a voluptuous, nude giantess in tow.


    [TO BE CONTINUED!]

 Chapter 136 : ? Upon All Hallows Eve

    AT THE SCHOOL OF WIZARDRY, the elite institute of young magicians¡ªturning wayward royals into would-be witches and saving heirs from their own pampered felony¡ªRafel brought in the chained, naked woman to the stricken faces of the patrols and few students who were conversing on the long acred fields.


    They came in from the north gates in twilight. But up in her tower, in her swanky penthouse office a mile off, Dr. Nicara Shetty had sighted them.


    With the piercing oculus of a falcon, a stern mouth, and fingers knuckled into fists, she reasoned, impressed. ''Bravo, Israfel. Bravo!'' And then she turned to her closest assistant, a [C Rank] mermaid, saying aloud; her voice bare of soul, "Bring the bitch to me. I will find the rapist''s head swing from the beach palms even tonight!"


    The girl in fetters had murdered her son. Nicara had blood already dripping down the skin of her hand from her ripping ws.


    By the time the huge clocktower at the center of the school grounds struck twelve, it was officially All Hallows Eve: a Goth celebration where students deigned to y dress-up in macabre characters and scare the shit out of each other.


    Whilst kids across Corynthia''s many isles had their faces smeared by old tribeswomen in ck paint as they hurried to lividly decorated houses for trick-or-treating.


    It was on this night of gothic resurrections that the offender Gorgon, alias the witch of the mooring was brought in for trial.


    The judgement room was a private stone chamber deep in the underground levels of the institute''s tower of Dark Arts. This room had been unused for centuries. The wind outside was biting cold and shrieks of boys and girls, mad with the night''s festivities echoed into the unsettling ck stone of the tower.


    Hundreds of feet beneath the eyes of the mundane and moondance celebrations, a girl was roughly dragged into the judgement room.


    It was a hollow cavernous space. Ghostly shine fell upon the offender who stood in the spotlight; 8ft, gorgeous and green, but no less evil. Her lovely riparian eyes shined into the darkness around her.


    Aside the spooky judges in front whose eyes she couldn''t see, the only silhouettes behind the [Gorgon] giantess was that of her captors: Israfel, Percival, and Rosamunde; to whom she shot a perpetual middle finger. And to the side the grieving mother she had wrong. Nicara looked like she wanted to rake Barbara''s face raw with her red extended ws.


    A sonorous deathly voice began. It was one of the eerie, faceless judges hidden in the chamber''s dark.


    "Listen to the voice of the Sickle Reaper, ye who stand before the judgement. And may the scales bnce and mete out punishment ordingly. You, under measure this eve, you witch of the mooring, by name Barbaria Octavia Manilius. . ."


    "My friends just call me Barb," the Gorgon stated cheekily.


    She stood in a makeshift robe, which was just some nket wrapped to fit her Amazon physique.


    "Quiet! You devil bitch!" Nicara damn near yelled.


    The spooky judge ignored them both, continuing darkly, ". . .you, Barbaria, stand in the presence of the Three Without Eyes. You stand used on the severe count of child molestation, deflowering, and murder. You would be wise to note that you stand on the shield of Valkyj?r. Lie, and your death would be swift!


    How do you plead?"


    Barbara moved a bit forward, causing the chains flowing down her legs to jangle loudly.


    "I plead not guilty, Three Without Eyes, on all charges," she said, "the boy in question was old enough to know. . .ady''s parts. I didn''t deceive him into anything. He came to me. Yes, at first, he was timid, but aren''t we all at virginity?


    I didn''t do anything he didn''t want. Our affair was consensual. His death was a mistake. My plea hasn''t changed in four years. Virgil Shetty was a boy up here," Barbara pointed at her head, "but a man down there." She moved the same hand south.


    "LIAR!!!" Nicara cried from the side. "My Virgil was seven. He didn''t know shit!"


    "Oh, he did know plenty. I''ll tell you that!" Barbara sang like a whistle.


    Nicara visibly med, her fangs shooting out, stripes already appearing on her skin; she was half changed. She roared. "He would never touch you, you ugly, green bitch! You seduced him. YOU!"


    Barbara calmly cocked her head. "Your son didn''t seem to think I was ugly. His penis was sprung and ready for me, and he sucked thisrge titties like I was his perfect mommy."


    "YAAAAH!"


    Beyond mad, Nicara rushed for Barbara, wanting to tear off the she-hulk''s smug head right off her cunt body. Rafel had never seen the Headmistress so. All times Dr. Shetty had been prim and cultured. But then again, it was the haunting death of her child on trial.


    He caught her midair before her stretched tiger ws could meet with Barbara''s face.


    "ENOUGH!" A hard gavel sounded with the judge''s voice. The Three Without Eyes began to talk as one, their joined voices like murmurs under water. It was muffled, but clear enough to all ears. "¡ªYOU WILL CEASE RUCKUS IN OUR PRESENCE. Since the offender, Barbaria is still alive, it seems she is telling the truth...or at least the version she believes so hard in her heart to be true.


    Albeit, ignorance is not an excuse.


    Fleeing those long moons ago and seeking rampart in the deep woods betrays a manner of guilt.


    And therefore, we, who acts as Adjuctants of the Arcane; Three Without Eyes, find you Barbaria Octavia Manilius who stands before the Supreme Court of Whispers GUILTY of all counts in the evil defilement and killing of seven-year old Virgil Shetty, the son of your boss at the time.


    We thus surrender you to whatever action the wronged mother deems to mete out to you. Thou shalt not live past this night.


    Upon the All Hallows Eve, a reaper waits for thine soul. This is our judgement."


    Barbara''s mouth hung open for several moments.


    "Well, fuck you!" She flipped a bird into the dark faces. "Bitches without eyes!"


    Barbara turned in time just to catch Nicara''s wicked smile.


    The clocktower was chiming early one o''clock at thick night when four figures stood at the foot of a small hill that crested proudly into the silver skies. Above, a full moon blessed all thend and stretching beaches in immacte night. The eve was well lit. The four figures were that of Nicara, Rafel, Rosa, and Percival, watching the judgement of the Headmistress about to unfold.


    Barbara stood unclothed on the hill.


    It was total forest all around, empty, dark woods.


    Other naked figures began to creep up on her too. She counted twelve before her beating heart was wildly pounding. The nude forms stalking forward on the moonlit hill for her were undoubtedly Lycan. Their giant, glorious bodies betrayed the fire danger in their eyes. For the first time in a long time, Barbara felt fear.


    What were they about to do to her?


    Nicara said from below, her voice caustic and proud of herself. "My pack haven''t mated in a season. I have carefully chosen the most feral for you, witch. They would. . .to be blunt, FUCK YOU TO DEATH.


    All of them."


    Barbara, up on the hill, shivered as thirty wild shifter males rushed for her.


    Normally, she enjoyed gangbangs. But tonight was not normal.


    "Oh, I forgot to mention," Nicara shouted up the hill, "they haven''t eaten too!" Nicara cackled.


    Under the ferocity, grievance, and sexual hunger of the manyrge men, Barbara found herself destroyed by ravaging hands and monster pricks. They beat her with chains. They ripped scars into her green skin and bit chunks of her flesh, drawing blood, fucking and eating her.


    She had only three holes, and there were thirty men.


    Soon, the men without ces to fuck were drilling into her holes they could fill, with their fangs, with their ws, with sticks and stones, and poles.


    The gangbangers were killing her.


    "By God!" Rosamunde turned her face away. "I can''t look."


    Rafel heard shredding flesh. Just as a bloodied, flying arm¡ªBarbara''s¡ªcrashed in front of where they stood at the foot of the hill. Nicara calmly walked to it and picked up the torn limb. She held it to her face like a trophy, and Rafel saw her pretty mouth smile. It was a maniac''s smile.


    On the hill, Barbara wasn''t screaming anymore.


    When the tiger males cleared, growling back into the jungles from whence they came, the spot Barbara had once stood on now was a patch of red blood, a stter, glittering up in vibrant crimson against the silver moon.


    The Gorgon called Barbaria Octavia Manilius now filled their bellies, snakes and all.


    The Alpha of the killing pack stood in the wake of the bloody spree, a gleam on her face. Nicara was an avenged mother. Rafel stood beside her, and she took his hand. He would never forget this year''s All Hallows Eve.


    The Headmistress said, "shall we get back to campus, my dears? Your fellows are hoisting the Goth colors. I''d hate for you to miss all the spooky fun."

 Chapter 137: The Redeemer

    [?? And So It Begins ¨C Klergy.]


    "SO, I HEARD THE WITCH of the mooring is no more, is this true?" This voice belonged to Ravenna, who was asking as they sat for breakfast the next morning.


    The clic of friends had all gathered at Salem Hall, since it was Rafel''s.


    The cafeteria was scanty, making the vast surfaces and floors more pristine. Their table was spick-span and held their various dishes. Today was the Sabbath, the final day of the weekend, and many students were at different religious sites.


    Only a few tables sat conversing groups.


    Breakfast waste; at 0900 hours.


    Ravenna still waited on an answer, picking apart her fat shrimp with her dainty fingers. Rosamunde avoided her green eyes. Aya, always on Rafel''s side of the table, looked interested too. Beyond the naive stares of both his subus and Ravenna, only Rafel, Percival, and Rosa knew of the truth of Barbara''s¡ªalias the witch of the mooring¡ªpassing.


    The three exchanged looks.


    Rosa spoke first. "I mean, we only know what you know, Ravenna. The girl faced a trial by the Court of Whispers and was found guilty. I personally I''m d that she won''t be bothering our hiking trails anymore. We don''t need the threat of a rapist giantess added to that of the mountain bears."


    "Hear, Hear." Percival nodded. He raised his ss of warm milk like a Viking toast.


    Of all the five friends at the table, Rosa was the most angered at the scandal of Virgil Shetty, the young lost son of their Headmistress, Dr. Nicara.


    Rafel alone remained silent at the table.


    He mused. ''What can I say? It''s not like we can tell Aya that we watched Barbara get revenge raped and eaten alive by a bunch of weretiger madmen. It''ll only diminish the goodwill of Dr. Shetty in their eyes. If Rosa doesn''t want to talk about it, then we won''t.


    After all, she''s the detective among us.


    Let the rest of the school imagine what they wish and make up stories of Barbara''s execution that suit their fantasies. It will nevere close.''


    [DING!]


    The chiming of his system alert went up in his head.


    [DING!]


    It came again. To Rafel, it was a most wee sound.


    He exhaled. ''Fucking finally!'' His body was no doubt strong enough, and healed enough, to grant his summons and use again of his infernal system. No more depending on [Dark Arts] or [Hell Arts] or [Arcane Wish] in the conjuring of whatever artifacts or weapons he needed.


    [DING!] It rang a third time in his head.


    [Hail the Apollyon, Israfel Bl¨¹dth?rste!]


    [Host has been renewed and immunized! System is now disying current status.]


    [MANA CORE: At 100%]


    [Tier: DARK EPIC]


    [Bloodline: Lucifer ¡é Divine]


    [ARCANE RUNE: 7 MIL souls, plus 30 Romani witch crystals gifted by female consort, ROSAMUNDE SPEARS. Bonding to subus vassalplete.]


    [LEVEL: School of Wizardry Acolyte]


    [LEVEL II: Warlock. Lover of three sessive SSS RANK MILFS.]


    [HAREM: 1 wife. 1 virgin. +4 concubines.]


    [ATTRIBUTES: HOST retains the legendary prowess and epic origins of shadow maniption, Hel imperator, blood magic, fire breather, poisons and vials of death mystic, and pocket dimension.


    HOST has also received a full chest of gifts from Harem during healing phase, and a record breaking DIVINE sentient charm of BLOOD BENDING from the Lady of the Nile, SEKHMET, Host''s nurse.]


    [Hel Pocket Dimension now avable for use!]


    [Mind link to all Harem avable for use!]


    [INCLUSIONS: Sin System. Roley characters. Physique upgrades and transformations. MILF Hunter. Goddess tamer. Royal System.]


    Your next chapter is on m v|l-e''-NovelBin


    [HEALTH: Full recovery from Dark Spectre dagger injury to spine attained! Certified forbat! Damage levels at zero!]


    [DING!]


    [System suggests HOST take on a quest to up his levels on Third Infernal Circle.]


    [Avable Quest: Hunt down a Rank B Hyde and y? Y/N


    Hunt down a NIX, seduce and make her squirt? Y/N]


    ''Yikes! System.'' Rafel ordered. ''I''ll have to go with Quest One. I do not deny my sexual strides, but I am no incubus. I''m not about to fuck some random bimbo. Plus she''s no MILF.


    If she was, then maybe we could''ve worked something out. You know I do love a proper woman''s big behind.


    So it''s Yes to Quest One! I''ll have to find a beastie then. Now that I think on it, I need a name for you. I can''t keep calling you System all the fuckin'' time.


    What is your name?''


    All this was in Rafel''s head. This particr question had been a long timeing. But before a ding could sound in response, Ravenna''s soft voice entered his head and dialogue in his subconscious broke away. He focused solely on the pretty jade-eyed girl.


    "Er, I have something to tell you guys," said Ravenna, "You know how I didn''t manifestst year?"


    Nods went round the table as everyone drew in.


    "I kinda unlocked in Caelestes ss. . .that is Celestials," she finished.


    "Damn. Here I thought only sex would do the trick." Aya joked and everyoneughed.


    Ravenna scratched her head. "The Professor for sophomores said I''d need that too to break my full potential, but since what I unlocked is an Angel''s Trait, it doesn''t entirely depend on intimacy like the others."


    Rafel finally spoke; his voice strangely disquieting.


    "What did you unlock, Little Raven?"


    Ravenna shot him a look. "Hey! I''m a Year ahead of you. But¡ª" she smiled. "If you must know, they don''t yet have a general name for it yet. People just call it The Redeemer.


    I can''t describe it. . .only show it to you. . ."


    And she stood to her feet.


    In the quiet cafeteria, Ravenna began to glow white gold. A fresh halo spun to the top of her head and wings whispered out her back. But they were not wings of pale feathers like her mother''s, but wings of light.


    Pure celestial light.


    It was big and spanned out behind her shoulders; it painted the entire hall in rosy color, outshining the cafeteria''s own lighting. It was enchanting. She was like a burst of sunlight. She shined out beatifically. Those few on the other tables stopped talking and stared out. Rafel was warmed by just the rays of light pouring out from her.


    He had to squint, just to see her face. Everyone was stunned, drawn in by her miracle.


    People pointed and whispered.


    "By the graces of the Martyr," Rosa nearly went on her knees in front of Ravenna''s light.


    She was like Iris, messenger of the gods.


    "It makes sense," Percival beamed up at her glowing presence. "Her mother is a Seraph."


    Rafel heard one of the house chefs, clutch to his immacte culinary cap abreast, and whisper,


    "She''s the. . .Redeemer."


    [?? Redeemer ¨C Brent Larson.]


    Since Rafel had no idea what was the evolution of angels or their hierarchy and [Prowess], he muttered calmly to his system. ''What is a Redeemer.''


    [Ding!] It responded in a lush feminine voice. Rafel faintly smelled rose oil.


    [Not a Redeemer, Lord Sire. It is THE REDEEMER. As you are one of a kind, Apollyon, so is The Redeemer. It is a echelon of the Holy Ones considered extinct to Angel species. A variant of the Celestials so pure it was rumored to be a mere legend.]


    [THE REEDEMER had one sole purpose: to redeem the fallen angels to paradise.]


    "By God!" Rafel sphemed aloud.


    Now he got why all of the [Fallen]; his Aunt and Uncles, and even Ravenna''s own fucking father wanted her so badly. They sought her miracle. To be redeemed!


    Rafel rose to touch a hand into her glowing beauty. Her light didn''t burn him. Though he had darkness for his nature, where she was everything light. He was a demon, with an Angel for a girlfriend.


    On his recovered life he swore, "I''ll protect you, Redeemer."

 Chapter 138: From the Lady Fairfield

    Gold white luminescence glowed in the aftermath of Ravenna''s big reveal, and for fifteen minutes straight in the canteen hall, the space was lit in saintly halo, pulsing out the ss windows; ebbing with saintly energy like amp in a dark room.


    Residue of celestial mana spilt out to the stic doors in front and the chefs nook to the side. As the boys were walking back the girls to their own various dorm rooms, Ravenna sidled in next to Rafel and said, "Just so you know, I don''t need protection. But I wee your chivalry."


    "It ain''t chivalry. It''s an oath. A demon''s oath." He replied. There wasn''t the trace of a smile on his face.


    The group fell silent for a beat then, wandering the long, quiet, stone archways of the academy. The other pupils would soon begin to return from their acolyte sessions. Rosa vanished off at an intersect into the crook of small chapel. Several hands in the circle of faithful were raised to the Martyr. They were murmuring.


    Rafel himself was godless. The gods many of his ssmates worshipped were his close rtives and personal friends.


    The water goddess, Yemaya was his wife.


    Rafel knew that praying to himself would probably tear the sheet on narcissism. He remained by that tiny chapel''s door until Rosa too joined the church of the Martyr. The [Martyr] was the God the realms served¡ªat least enough who believed. And their source was headquartered at Titans Landing, in the cathedral tower of the highfather.


    Percival, Rafel, Aya, and Ravenna kept walking on.


    "The day is yet young, what might we do?" said Percival.


    Everyone was silent for a bit, before Ravenna hopped in front of the others. She pronounced her suggestion. "Oh I know! How about a pic?"


    "A pic, babe? I don''t know." Aya said. "The air outside is t."


    Ravenna wasn''t backing down. Her green eyes held ebullience. "Yes, a pic! The weather''s good. It''s nice out today. Most people are sleeping in afterst night''s Hallows fest.


    It''ll be perfect to bond, just like we used to at Emberfall. Maybe we could find a lute and persuade our liege here to serenade us to a folk one, huh?" Enjoy new adventures from m-v l''e|-NovelBin


    She nudged Rafel with a smile. "Perhaps a song out of you too, Aya. It''s been a while since I''ve heard you two y, and I don''t know a single opera house that makes the kind of music you two do. Besides," she shrugged, "the air is only t if we let it.


    We have a wizard of Griffin Arc in our circle, don''t we?" Ravenna put up her dark brows meaningfully at Percival.


    The rugged blond Royal smiled eagerly, "Oi! Does the damsel ask me to manipte the wind?"


    "I mean it''s right up your alley."


    "Yeah," Percival agreed. "It is."


    All eyes then fell on redhaired Rafel. Clearly, he had the final say. Ravenna made huge doe eyes at him. "Pleeeeeease!"


    He nodded and she pped giddily like a child.


    "So, where are we thinking?"


    Rafelughed. He couldn''t help it. Ravenna would always be wee at heart. She had the most free soul he''d ever cast upon. It was no wonder she was an angel. Her hair had gained a lustre, grown browner like bronze over the days of their stay at the academy.


    Rafel wondered if she used the hair oils he had secretly instructed be delivered to all his women by the hands of the catering madames.


    Rafel also made sure a purse of coin found its way into the girls lockers every start of the week for their upkeep.


    ''Pocket money,'' as Mikhail called it.


    "How about the court gardens?" Aya gazed at everybody.


    The others were soon smiling and saying what each would bring. "Yes," chirped Ravenna, "I''ll bring nkets and cots."


    "I''ll bring the food," Aya followed. "Wine, guys?"


    Percival nodded. "We''ll handle it."


    The afternoon was windy¡ªcourtesy of Percival weaving a spell into the August breeze¡ªas the three friends settled into the gardens in an oval courtyard. The hanging flowers rendered the misty smell and serenity to their enve. It wasn''t long before Rosamunde joined them, bringing with her a fresh bottle of wine.


    Aya taunted her. "I hope that isn''tmunion wine. We do love our pagan ale here!"


    "Shut it, subus!" Rosa grinned.


    She fell into the spread nket underneath a sea of immacte and purple flowers. It was madefy by folds of fine Florentine sheets.


    "So, how was the chapel service?" Aya kept taunting Rosa. "Did your Gode INSIDE you? Did his spirit FILL you to overflowing¡ª"


    "I said quit it." Rosa fell on Aya with a smile. The other girl shrieked and tried to crawl and hide behind Rafel. The three ended up up falling into the nkets, ticklish from all the ying and giggles. Ravennaughed too with Percival, popping the fresh bottle and grinning when Rafel rubbed pudding icing onto Aya''s nose.


    They were all totally engrossed and didn''t notice a hot blonde slide into their private corner.


    "Oh well! Would you look at that! So cute. A minute away from an orgy now, aren''t we?"


    Rafel stopped tickling the girls and raised his amber eyes. It leveled on the smashing blonde interruption. He growled out his dislike. "Erika, this is a private moment."


    "Yeah. Do you mind?" Rosa sat up in Rafel''sp and fired.


    Erika Burgess onlyughed and whirled back her waves of strawberry hair. "Oh please, I''m the student president. I''m entitled. . .to all private spaces on the school grounds. If you wanted PRIVATE, you shoulda used your dorm rooms.


    Anyway," she dropped a manicured hand to her waist, "I came here to personally deliver to you a Sabbath dinner invite¡ª"


    "Let me just stop you there, Madame President." It was Rosa. "As you can see, we''ve got our own thing going on. Go find someone else to crush on."


    "Oh hold your horses, inder!" Erika pushed back. "The invite''s not mine. And I certainly have no crush on this...mundane group of yours." Her eyes slid like a serpent to Rafel, "¡ªwell, maybe one of you," she corrected.


    Rosa clicked her hands in front of Erika to focus her. "Well, the invite''s from whom then?"


    "From the Lady Fairfield."


    "The Lady Fairfield!?" Aya, Ravenna, and Rosa gasped as one.


    "Yes." Erika tweaked her long nails. "I know what you''re all thinking; like, isn''t that the Grand Duchess of Roanoke?


    Yes, she is.


    For some reason, the Lady of the most expensive ind on thends of Corynthia has requested your presence; each one of you. And she has graciously provided her lovely yatch, the SILVER MAY, to ferry you to her vi on her private ind."


    "Damn!" Percival spoke out of turn. "Lady Fairfield is the only woman to solely own an entire isle."


    "The only PERSON," Erika corrected. "See you losers there. Oh, and wear something fashionable, please! Gosh!" She flipped her long blonde hair as she sashayed away.


    Rafel dipped to whisper into the sweep of Rosa''s neck, against her bronze skin. "How the hell is she among the Children of the Crow?"


    Rosa replied, "You will also be surprised to know that she is also a firm believer in the Martyr."


    Ravenna turned a wry eye to the unfinished bottle of wine and tubs of little biscuits. She sighed audibly. "I guess the pic''s over now. We''ve got to prepare for Lady Fairfield''s damn yacht."

 Chapter 139: The Dinner—Cojónes Grandes!

    Israfel turned this way and that in front of his long, gilded bedchamber mirror. He was preparing¡ªin his chosen wear of prim casual cks, a crimson inner; a sensous onyx doublet, bringing out the ebony rings in his iris¡ªfor Lady Fairfield''s dinner.


    "Oh fuck the tux!" He tossed a marine bowtie backward to the bed. Leaving the top strings that would knit his shirt a few inches down, he said aloud in a calmer voice. "What do I call you, system? You still haven''t told me."


    Explore more at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    Rafel had to wait a beat, but then, the reply came; a soft voice that sounded like the singing of a maiden washing by the stream.


    [Ding!]


    [You can call me Peitho.]


    "PEITHO? What does it mean?" He fastened the gold buttons but didn''t bother with cufflinks for his wrists. His look was dangerously, unapologetically,issez faire sexy. Rafel turned from the mirror, but not before a holographic glinting image sprung to life in the ne, transforming the looking-ss into a seeming screen of rippling energy.


    [PEITHO is the Hellenic goddess of seduction, and persuasion, for both political and emotional magick. And also oratory. Charm is her persona.]


    "Don''t you mean YOUR PERSONA?" Rafel slid on his ruby ring.


    He was very surprised when the voice tlined; in a subject change. "You may call me Peitho. I will neither affirm nor deny any connection to the Hes goddess. Now, your friends are waiting. It''s a long ride out to the beach and the yacht. You do not want to keep a Grand Duchess waiting."


    Rafel smiled alone in his Goth chambers. He was sensible enough in the female psyche¡ªhaving a five-member harem¡ªto know when a gal was bluffing.


    He knew his system was the true Peitho.


    A caged goddess? Confined to being a virtual assistant?


    He would have to get on thatter. But like Peitho adviced, it was foolhardy to make a Duchess wait.


    The Silver May: luxurious boat ride of the richest Lady on the isles, found harbor at the private ind of the Fairfield signory; which was another pricey cot in ownership of the woman¡ªjust like the 40ft long, silver-encrusted yacht.


    Israfel, his beaming friends: Aya, Percival, Rosa, and Ravenna, and a rather curt Erika didn''t step one foot on shores, as a rather splendid carriage with an again rather fetching cowgirl with the reins was waiting right on the docks to drive them to the vi. Rafel was dumbstruck in the sheer vastness of the penins.


    He had seen almost half a dozen inds now, but he wondered yet how many more existed on the bay of Corynthia.


    "You are wee to the home of the Lady, Nura Fairfield. Please,e. The Duchess is expecting you." A uniformed bellman held open the door in a respectful manner as the six adolescents were led in.


    From Erika in front to Rosa, least behind, none were strangers to affluence; yet the open wealth of the high, iridescent chandeliers¡ªalmost in every room they crossed, and the misted ss windows, marble mantelpieces and coal antiquities, a giant snaking firece and greaturels.


    Lady Fairfield even had an original Camerlengo.


    Having one also¡ªat least before it was scorched to fuck all at the raze of Emberfall¡ªRafel knew just how costly the art pieces were.


    The Duchess herself was a stout woman, in sense of personality. Rafel could tell this the moment they were shown into a vast resplendent supper room and the woman took his hand. She was short, but her handshake was firm. Her petite look did not distract from her beauty. He could tell in her younger years that she''d been a bombshell.


    How good was she pushing? He mused.


    Sixty?


    But her titties were straight up; would fill a two halves of a Halloween melon nicely.


    Lady Fairfield had an amazing rack. No shit. And the browniest pair of eyes you ever did see.


    The group were shown into seats at the long dinner table, already organized into names by paper cards with gold cursives. Rafel nced at his; she''d even gotten the spelling of his surname right. Nice! The courses arrived, and apart from a soft, spirited hello from their hostess, the Duchess, the group of friends silently chomped on the delicacies being offered.


    They were all hungry from missing Sabbath pic, and Lady Fairfield''s dishes were high breed.


    Rafel could taste the Aspen chills on the taiga that had cultivated the mutton in his mouth.


    It was at dessert: sweetmeat and fruit preserve, that the rich Lady finally spoke. She set her hazel eyes on Rafel, the closest on her left, and deadpanned.


    "I hear you''ve a sugar tongue, this true?"


    Rafel nearly choked on his confection. "I like pudding, Your Grace, if that''s what you mean."


    "It''s Nura," the Duchess offered her first real smile of the evening, "though my staff just call me Marfa. It''s Aramaic for Mistress of the House. Either way, you have just confirmed the word of my little birds at the city. You really do love your sugar."


    Lady Fairfield kept smiling, and nodded slightly at the quiche between Rafel''s long fingers.


    He gulped, smelling more the frangipani pouring out from a crystal ss vase in the center of the long table. The dining surface itself was of opal so clear he could see through to the fine lc skirts of their hostess¡ªthe ride of her thigh too.


    Lady Fairfield picked up a little tart.


    "I''ve another question," she said. "They say you''ve got a big cock, this true?"


    Rafel actually coughed up his quiche this time. Aya leaned in and rubbed his back. He lifted amber eyes to the Duchess. The woman''s pine eyes were unflinching; it was the same stare that reserved her the prime seat in the Grand Duchy of Roanoke. She waited upon an answer.


    Rafel cleared his throat.


    "I have received noints, Your Gr¨Cuh, Nura."


    "Good," came the uppity voice again, "because the matter I have brought you in for requires the ability of one with a big cock. I''m talking brass balls. . .the coj¨®nes Grandes!


    Big motherfucking testicles. I don''t want no boy whose balls haven''t dropped yet. I need one with fervor and action. You have seen battle, Israfel. I can tell from your tan. But more than that," Lady Fairfield waved her hand in the air, "my little birds tell me you were quite famous with the women back at Titans Landing, or as it was formerly known; the Capitol.


    You were consort to both the Van Imperia queen and the mermaid empress.


    A most impressive rap sheet of virility. My birds, they describe you as an Adonis. A Heracles. I believe you possess the coj¨®nes GRANDES."


    "Your little birds?" Erika chirped from the Duchess''s near right.


    "Yes, my dear. I have spies at Titans Landing," the Duchess replied. "Collectors of gossip really! But effective no less. I sift the rumors from the facts. I call them my little birds.


    Ever since that hellish business with the Usurper, any noble with a lick of sense has left the city.


    Thank God I had bought this ind when I did. I keep supervisors at my duchy, Roanoke, to oversee. But I quite like the tropics and its winds."


    Erika nodded, and Lady Fairfield paused a beat before she went on. "Now, to the reason I called you here, the reason I need your. . ." She inclined her eyes down Rafel''s torso and made a funny fist. "You all go to the witch academia, so I expect you must havee across my girls, Raziah and Keziah. They''re both sophomores.


    She sighed. "I love my daughters with my life, but God, are they puritan! They get that modest shit from their father. They''ll both be twenty end of this moon. I need someone to make them feel so good they''ll forget the horrors of thest season; their father''s death and all. I need you to be that someone, Israfel."


    Lady Fairfield set her eyes on his gilded ones.


    "Can you?"


    Oh? Rafel sat straighter in his chair. Was the Grand Duchess asking him to bang the grief out of her twin daughters with his quote-unquote; coj¨®nes Grandes?!


    He let a smile slip through. "Yes, ma''am." Then inwardly to Peitho, he admitted, ''I have the big fucking balls.''

 Chapter 140: The Eldritch Keep

    LADY FAIRFIELD LET THE FRIENDS crash at her stately private ind. She let Rafel go by morning, with a promise to visit in a fortnight, at the end of the month, on a full moon, on Reziah and Keziah twentieth birthdays, when he would¡ªin the most impure of times¡ªmalevolently smash the twins to breathless squats.


    Israfel was more than happy to help, and in anticipation for the fete, for he had in passing the foyer seen arge oil portrait of the entire Fairfield house: both girls standing behind their mother in a Victorian seat.


    The girls were not ugly.


    Their looks however were of no consequence to Rafel who found their greatest assets to be the sizeable ents in front and behind. Raziah and Keziah brought a new meaning to the word, curves. If the little nned tryst of a birthday surprise did happen, he''d need more than two hands to grapple the luscious fountains of cream he saw in that painting.


    The Marfa of the Jewish home, Nura Fairfield was gracious enough toden her visitors with rich assortments of spoil: food and wine and jewels, on her swanky vessel, the Silver May; that would take them home.


    Ravenna waved the most back at the Duchess, who had taken some liking to her.


    They were set to head out to shore and the ride that would take them back to spooky [C. A. W] and all its enchanting vigours, but on the bnd, Rafel spotted a broken tower in the distance. It was sure as a raised talon in the gray sky. There was some thing about the fallen ckstone and soot pirs.


    Rafel stopped the carriage-riding cowgirl with a whistle.


    "There, on the heand, what is it?"


    The girl removed her gloved hands from the reins with which she drew the horses. She hopped down with a bop born of practice¡ªshe''d probably been riding since she was seven; Equestrians trained their kids like so. As the Van Imperias were to their Griffins, so were they to their horses.


    It wasn''t just metaphor to say a cowgirl fucked a horse.


    She replied with a squinted gaze at the ck tower.


    "That is the Eldritch Keep, my lord. It has been there before the Marfa bought the isle. Since it was the only structure in these parts born of the old world still standing, she didn''t cut it down. It is rumored to hold a cyclops in its roaming, or a bear, depends on who you ask."


    Peitho was already in Rafel''s head.


    [Ding!]


    [This could prove good in reaching out quest for the Hyde monster to y.]


    [Apollyon is advised to engage this Eldritch Keep.]


    Rafel gave a single order to the female equestrian.


    "Ride for the Keep."


    Some short minutester, their rumbling buggy came upon the ck tower; it was far menacing up close. Rafel climbed out and looked around. But there was no beast, Poseidon-spawned or lupine, in sight. Rafel started up to the cracked steps.


    The weeds eating up the stone were thick as cacti in a desert, the concrete smelling of aged rock.


    At sometime, perhaps hundreds of moons ago, the Eldritch Keep might have been beautiful. It had all the makings of an excellent bastion, and a good foundation to havested this long. Spindles of spider cracks ran over every wall, and only the foxes and lizards called the Keep their home.


    "I do not want to be part of whatever happened here," Erika said by the decaying brambles.


    She retched upon the carrion remains of some tree sprite; caught in the unsightly path of anteaters. The woody fiend had stuck-out limbs of gangly, green arms; serrated by bark rather than skin, and half of the grey face sunken into a termite nest.


    Erika spat a glob of bile at the nt hybrid.


    It was but a little boy.


    "¡ªclearly we shouldn''t be in here," she added to anyone who would listen.


    "Then go stay by the carriage!" Rosa near shouted at the blonde.


    Erika humphed, but made her way frowning to the weedy paths and the broken cobblestones of a trail where the buggy rested. She leaned against it and listened to the cowgirl sing, her voice carrying on the stale wind.


    The Keep was a single vast space, so colossal and of rapt, smooth granite. It was forged from rock, and so were the climbing steps, rounding upwards in spirals to the only other level: an attic 90ft above by the splintered ceiling which they couldn''t see.


    "A little help here!" Percival called from a misty corner where he stood with Ravenna. "I think there''s something under here."


    Aya, Rosa, and Rafel who stood at some other end rushed to him. The air there was staler.


    "Peitho, summon me the FISTS OF ATLAS." Rafel prompted at his system to the heavy iron chains over the wooden cer that wouldn''t budge. Experience more tales on m v|l e''-NovelBin


    [DING!]


    Once Rafel heard the notification alert¡ªand the telltale rush of Titan strength into his muscles, he didn''t wait for the follow-up. He rammed his knuckles bare into the chains. The metal rings splintered like twigs under his punch, and not the rusted adamantium they were.


    The cer gave way, sensuously, like a whore''s legs for a favorite customer.


    All in the Keep''s dpidated interior fell back.


    Percival gasped. "Holy shit. This is where legends go to die."


    Before the eyes of the five friends was the silverly, gleaming weapons of something of a thousand armies. It was a treasure trove, but one not full of gold. . .but arsenals to arm an entire host.


    "Peitho, what have we got?" Rafel rapped.


    [DING!]


    [HOST request confirmed!]


    [Cer counts a range of weaponry numbering half a century. In the nature of substance, all possess magic. Collection hints from level RARE to level EPIC; can be upgraded.]


    [Origins: Unknown.]


    [Worth: 5 million soul coins.]


    "It''s worth five solid," Rafel recited his system''s voice in his head to his friends.


    "Five thousand gold?" Percival asked.


    Rafelughed softly. "No. FIVE MILLION."


    "Holy fucking shit." A female voice ented. It was Ravenna. Her emerald eyesy on the pile of iron and brass. She would not make that much showing her tits at the county fair.


    "Do we tell?" Percival mumbled.


    Everyone turned to look at him like he was crazy. Obviously, the blonde royal was new to the group and their tasty predilection for viiny. But Aya, Rosa, and Ravenna were not. Rafel chuckled and gripped Percival''s shoulder. His smile was dark and almost hideous, but for his beauty.


    "Never," he croaked.


    And then, he ripped off all of the hanging chains, baring the cer ajar. Hemandeered his gorgeous band of brtes to work.


    "Naamah, open a new portal into a miniature Hel dimension and start throwing these in. Percival is your muscle. Ravenna; you''re Half-Angel, no way I want your purity corrupted in the sin of greed and thievery. You are on watch duty. Make sure Erika stays by the the carriage.


    Everyone, ces. Chop! Chop!" Rafel turned to the rising, stone stairwell, and then Rosamunde. Sheputed his stare even before he said the words, "my dear Detective, let us explore what other precious finds this Keep might hold."


    He held out his tan, strong arm.


    Rosa took it.

 Chapter 141: Are You Ready For Me? [18+]

    [#wallbang #quickie #steamy #hardcore #assfuck #pussyfuck #fetio.]


    Rafel''s palm was a wreath of flowers around Rosa''s as he led her up the stone steps of the Keep. A few cescked holdfasts, but she was not to worry. Rafel would fly them up if necessary. Whiching to think of it; Rosa had never sighted Rafel with his wings before.


    Rosa was well-versed in angelology and knew that as a trueblood, pure born, prince of [Hel], Rafel had wings of a dark angel: fluffy feathers that could range from gray to indigo, and to scarlet and to jade, but not gold or white¡ªthose colors were solely reserved for the angels born of light.


    He would not have the skeletal, bat wingsmon to the demon popce.


    Israfel, was from birth, unique.


    How many kids were drawn from the pits of brimming mes? Umbilicus severed with the ebony talon of a wailing widow? How many? Even [Hellion] kids?


    Rafel kicked the door into the attic at the top of the steps. Rosa paused a brief while as he released her hand to stare down the withering marble banisters at the spiral, winding stairwell dropping a plunge into the void below.


    She distinctly made out the bright pulsing of a doorway portal and the shapes of Aya and Percival tossing their epic weapons find in the spool of darkness like masons on a bender.


    "Hey, youing?"


    She turned to find Rafel holding out his hand. He almost dwarfed the little attic door.


    Rosa smiled. "Yeah, sure."


    They stepped in under the aged lintel and Rafel had to wave a quick hand spell of crimson light to disperse the cobwebs and frighten off the huge arachnids staring out the shadows with slitted red eyes. "Oh, piss off, buggers!"


    Rosa giggled at this and edged to a corner, forcing the only stuck window to creak open. A little bird nest shivered in the wind as daylight poured into the musky room. The attic wasn''t styled forfort, and Rafel''s head just about scraped the low ceiling. Golden dust glinted off every surface visible and Rosa looked around.


    She blew cool air at the stuffy room. "Seems like whoever or whatever owned this ce left in a hurry. Look at all this shit."


    She held up a witch''s longbroom to Rafel. He too turned at the same time with more curious finds: a [Djinni] harp and rolls of winter camel fur in his grasp. They both stared at each other''s find a moment, before they burst outughing. "You think we''ll get lucky and stumble upon a Grimoire of the Dead?" Rosa still chuckled.


    Rafel sighed. "If we do, I call dibs on keeping it."


    Rosaughed more. She and Rafel spent some few minutes piling the interesting stuffs in a corner, into aden quilt that frankly was older than their joint ages.


    Rafel stopped to wipe off a bead of sweat from his brow. The open window had aerated the attic well enough. He caught Rosa staring.


    "What?" Rafel grinned.


    Rosa blushed. "Uh, n-nothin''. Just, you are really fucking hot."


    Rosamunde immediately turned when his amber eyes settled on her; the glow was too wicked. She fumbled with the gilded cords of a hanging drape, suddenly feeling hot all over. Rafel''s beautiful, tall silhouette moved behind her, and a secondter, she felt his giant warmth envelope her from behind. He smelled of whispering pines and treasured savannahs.


    The urge to lean into his warm body was so strong.


    Responding to her earlierment, Rafel said, "so are you."


    And then softly, he kissed the open skin of her neck.


    "Ohh," Rosa whimpered. "Israfel, don''t. You''ll make me weak."


    "You make me weak," he whispered back.


    Another kiss on her nape; the dark strands of her hair blown in his hot breath.


    Rosa had too much of his smell fucking with her head, but even if she wanted to move away, he had blocked her from behind with his bad, bad body, and in front was the scratched strone wall of the attic. She was caged in.


    Rafel''s arms circled her waist. His palm massaged into her belly. Gently, he pulled her back into him, to feel his potent rise. She felt his manhood nudge in the small of her back, and Rosa tried to stifle her moan. Rafel''s voice grated in her ear; he sucked in the supple flesh of her neck. "I''ve had it with you teasing me with little fucking sexy bod."


    Rosa shivered. "The others¡ª"


    "Shut up." Rafel fisted her glossy bob and pulled her head back to im her lips in a dizzying kiss. He sucked her tongue in deeply. He forced her mouth open with his as he ravaged, bending her to his will.


    The moan Rosa had been suppressing left her in a burst of heat.


    Rafel pulled back, sucking in her soft bottom lip with a sr re in his eyes. The gold in them was glowing. Keeping his fist in her dark hair, she traced with his teeth to the skin of her bare neck. He allowed his fangs sprout but didn''t break flesh. Rosa was shaking as she clung to him. His pointy tips grazed her jugr and she whimpered.


    "Are you ready for me, dearest?"


    Rosa could only nod to his coal voice.


    Rafel pushed her into the wall. She ttened her face against her palms, cheeks to the cold stone.


    "Stay there." He growled.


    His fist came off her tumbling hair¡ªRosamunde had always been too exquisite ady for her own good; of all his women, she was the most official in her dispositions, and so Rafel lived for the moments when passion set her free and he got to break her genius mind to the ripples of a good loving¡ªbut only to tear down his pants.


    His belt buckle hit the floors hard.


    Rafel put his hands around to Rosa''s front, unfastening her own fly as she wiggled into him while he ced kisses in her hair. Her zipper down, he moved to drag down her tight denim, taking her alluring red panties with it. Rafel growled; cause of her big ass, she had to do a lot of shimmying to help him.


    He spanked her for good measure when the pants and thong were lowered to her knees.


    There was no time¡ªnor desire on the side of both parties to fully undress.


    Rafel went down behind her. Rosa bit on her lip, as his giant hands pushed her more into the wall, ttening her upper body against it. She could smell the cool mist on the stone.


    "Oh yes, you are ready for me," his hard voice came from under.


    Rafel grasped her round butt, fondling the ample globes: caramel fleshy delights of prodigious proportions. Rosa had a generous sexuality. A damn fine inder. A voluptuous chick. A true yellowbone. Her exotic descent made her more fetching.


    [TO BE CONTINUED.]

 Chapter 142: Pretty Please [18+]

    "WHAT GODDESS HAS BLESSED YOU SO, WOMAN?"


    He pped his palm to her full ass cheek. "Shake for me,e on!"


    Rosa began to bounce on the balls of her feet, her palms and face still t against the stone wall. Her pping ass shook vehemently in his face, and Rafel was a gone man. Jabbed in the dick to a great rising by the force of lust, he smashed his head into the crack of her butt and began whipping the gorgeous mami with his tongue.


    He leaked her wet pussy slit and rolled his velvet in the pucker of her ass.


    He ate her juicies; the musk and scent of her. He licked her good.


    Rosa was wrestling and scrambling for hold on the wall. Her fine ck-glossed nails scratched at the grey gravel.


    "Ahh, mi''lord. Please, I''ll be quiet. . ."


    Rafel grabbed handfuls of her immense fat ass and dissolved his face into her crack.


    ". . .please, Israfel. Pretty please."


    He left traces of his saliva on her cream slit, loving that she was not waxed down there; a real woman. Rafel was a vampiric demon, and loved to smell a woman''s need. It fueled desire. Rosa was leaking into mouth, trying so hard not to ride his face as he pped her shaking globes so hard she felt his battle calluses.


    Rafel rammed his forefinger into her clenching butthole, removing his face and finger out her ass to suck the digit clean.


    How could a woman be so fucking sexy?


    He loved her vitality.


    He wanted her to sit on his face and never get up. But there''ll be time for thatter. For Rosa, he''d eat that ass all damn day.


    Rafel rose to full 6ft 4".


    "Pretty please what?"


    Rosa shut her eyes tightly to open her ears more to the sloppy tapping of his pipe against her ass. He was spanking and rubbing his dick all over her butt. A dick she would just to gobble up. His shaft was heavy enough that her pussy was already clenching to the feel of his phantom phallus.


    She was primed as drunk fucking nymph.


    Rosa''s tongue lolled out. "Pretty please fuck me!"


    She could not stop the words. "Pretty please bang me to God. Pound me against this dirty fuckin'' whore. Breed me like a whore. Ram me! Ravage me.


    I need you inside me, pretty plea¡ªahh!"


    Rafel rammed hard into her. He mmed so hard the witch''s broom leaning against the adjacent wall fell to the ground. He grabbed Rosa''s chin, tearing off her shirt to grapple her boobs and pinch her nipples; she was heavy in arousal, her ares peach fucking pink. She held onto her swaying titties, marveling at the slope of her back as he pounded maniacally into her.


    His furious thrusts left Rosa gasping for breath.


    Her pursed lips hung open and she was fucked too good to care for her screaming.


    "Ahh! Ahh! Ahh! Uh-huh! Yes. Yes, Your Eminence.


    Give it to me more. More! Ohh my god. Fuuuuuckk yes. Pound that pussy. Ahh-yes!


    You''re gonna make mee. I''m cumming, master. Ohh, Rafel. Raf. . .ahhhhh!"


    Rosa broke apart in Rafel''s hold, convulsing into a destroying orgasm that nearly cked her out. She didn''t know which was hotter; fucking so hard while standing; or the sound of Rafel''s swollen balls pping against the inside of her thighs.


    Rosa tried to crumple to the ground, spent, but Rafel grabbed her hips, holding her up and sying her ass for his use.


    He kicked her feet wider on the dusty floors.


    "No, no, dearest. I''m not done with you yet."


    His baritone was harsh.


    He tore his cock from her, so massive it took some wiggling to get it out her pussy. Grasping his thick shaft, he prated her asshole, sinking his girth so deeply and deliciously in her Rosa''s eyes rolled to the back of her head.


    "Ahhhhh godddd!" Her cries were choked. She leaked tears of utter satiation from the corners of her eyes.


    Rafel''s rhythm was crazed. He pounded her ass so fiercely Rosa was continuously squirting. For every frenzied pump into her womb, she leaked out in ecstasy. The walls of the attic began to vibrate. Pebbles of stone fell, skipping on the floors. This was not unusual, as they were both supernaturals.


    The several items on the shelves for storage crashed with loud nking.


    It seemed like they would bring down the entire tower just from fucking.


    "Don''t stop, please. God! Don''t stop! I''m half vampire. I won''t break. I p-promise." Rosa was moaning, begging; humiliated beyond her senses, shamelessly needing more dick and balls.


    Down the hundreds of spiral stone steps, Percival and Aya paused between tossing in their loot to share a look. The golden-haired boy was first to go beet-red. From her ce watching by the Keep''s splintered doors, Ravenna¡ªever the firebird yelled up the steps, "Get it girl! Whoeeee!"


    She whistled,ughing widely.


    In the shaking attic, Rafel was a demented lover; eyes crimson and wild from being turned on beyond mortal pleasure. His lust was unquenchable; demonic, roaring from the inside, to swell Rosa''s womb with his infernal seed.


    Rafel clutched harder to her milfy hips, and she knew he was about to spill.


    Rosa''s palms left the wall to spread her rounded butt, opening her ass more to his thrusts.


    "Come for me, m''lord. Come inside my fucking ass."


    Rafel let go with a sound so guttural the crows chomping on the grains by the carriage outside the Keep scattered into the treetops. He released his floods of semen into Rosa. She squeezed his thick length, her sugar walls milking every drop with the pulsing of her hole.


    She held her ass cheeks open, allowing him to spasm, filling and filling, with her pouring juicies of her own as both their ejactes leaked down the insides of her thighs.


    "Ohh fuck." Rafel breathed hard over her.


    He leaned heavily on the wall, his forehead sweaty and resting in the crook of his arm; Rosa was below him, smiling like a satisfied subus. Rafel jerked a final time inside her.


    Rosa was so sensitive she had to put her hand behind to ease Rafel out of her.


    Turning around, she went on her knees on the bare floors, panties and trousers soaked at her ankles, and grabbing Rafel''s slimy pipe, she sucked his bulbous male organ, tasting her and his cum on his heavy cock. She dirtily went on to suck his balls in her mouth.


    Rafel was breathing through his teeth.


    Surprisingly, it was Rosa who was strong enough to rise to her feet and clean them both up. She smiled wantonly when she caught Rafel staring at her wipe his seed off her ass.


    "I would walk out like this if you want me too," she offered.


    Rafel shook his head. Afterward, she helped with his shirt as they grabbed the witch''s broom and the other stuff which they had piled before their ''distraction'' into a duffel sac.


    Rafel levitated them both down the stairs on a cloud of shadows: his [Umbra Vesper] ability.


    He didn''t trust himself with the fucking stairs.


    "Don''t." Rafel held up his hand, when they were on thending and he caught Ravenna''s green eyes start to brighten in question.


    The girl wasn''t moved by his false bravado. She sidled next to Rosa, all but dragging the other girl out. "Dets,ter! All of it. You hear me, bitch!"


    They shared giggles, leaving Rafel, Aya, and Percival to follow behind. Since they had to show something for their endeavours at the Eldritch Keep¡ªno one would believe they just went in there to y explorer; especially not the Duchess whosend it was¡ªRafel settled for dragging out the sac with them.


    But for the five million in weapons currently resting peacefully in a miniature Hel dimension, none of the five friends spoke a word.


    Erika was tossing stones into a marine puddle of water when they arrived.


    "What took you guys so long?"


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    Rafel shrugged as the cowgirl bowed and held open the carriage door, first for him. He moved back for the girls to go in. His smile was brilliant and beautiful. "Ladies first."

 Chapter 143: The Curious Mr. Hyde

    SPLIT FIVE WAYS, five million gold would see the friends get a cool mil each, but Rafel was not about to sell his find at the Eldritch Keep on the open market. The decision would eventually have toe down to a vote, which must be unanimous.


    Nevertheless, should his friends'' desire to sell and cash in, Rafel had the opinion to host an auction a l¨¢ a private soiree; where the true dark hearts would be present to bid on the arsenals and drive the price of the weapons even higher.


    Silly rich kids didn''t need the use of a Philistine [Goliath] javelin, nor an Antean harpoon, much less the famed warbands of Theseus. But they would just love to trump the other in bidding: an eternal narcissist''s way of proving a point.


    If the sale went, the friends could probably go home with twice that much of a million. If it did not sway with the votes, they''d still have a chuckload of precious old world artifacts in their keep. Rafel was especially looking forward to practicing with the Akkadian battle sickle he had been eyeing.


    Either way, millions of gold or hard battle silver, a win was still a motherfucking win.


    The Silver May: Lady Fairfield''s pompous yacht had arrived the shores of the ind with sat the Corynthian Academy for Witches [C. A. W] atte afternoon. Erika was thest to unboard; still lounging in the delightful spa room of the closed cabin quarters. The image of her in that hot room was x-rated.


    Rosamunde and Ravenna sought to retire, taking different buggy rides to their Salem and Brightburn Halls respectively. Rafel was even now in the showers, half sunk into the baster tub.


    His thoughts were interrupted by his roommate''s shadow passing the ss doors of the bathroom.


    Percival''s golden hair, native to the House Imperia, gave him away, even before he swatted out with a bassyugh to Rafel. "Scrubbing Rosamunde off you, are we?"


    Rafelughed back; his own voice came out muffled through the ss.


    "If you were in, blondie, I''d drown you. You very well know I''d love to smell like that indic girl all damn day. Now get your golden head outta my corner. Get! I''d love to enjoy my bubble bath without the interruption of nosy royals."


    Percivalughed harder, but he left Rafel to his devices.


    Frankly, the young man would always terrify him. He slept in the same room as the Apollyon: harbinger of doom, offspring of death, the Burning One. Israfel must have smelled his fear; because he did everything to keep Percival at ease. Percival knew this, and respected he even more for this.


    In all his life, he knew only one [Rank A] demon prince who was this down to earth.


    His Eminence, Israfel.


    Percival fell on hisyered bed of pristine sheets, in his own adjoining suite, busying himself with an assignment from his [Wind and Weathers] ss, specific only to those of the Griffin Gold Arc, as he left his demonic roommate to his bath. But Rafel''s quiet was not meant to be; and again interrupted by a sonorous, seductive purr.


    [Ding!]


    ''Oh hell! Peitho, what is it?'' Rafel pulled his head from under the lily water.


    [Apollyon has not fulfilled Quest: Find a Hyde monster and y?]


    [Redemption points locked!]


    [Prerogative to ascend locked!]


    [essibility to Arcane Shop locked!]


    [Boons of Harem¡ª]


    ''I get the gist.'' Rafel interrupted Peitho''s sultry voice in his head. Sighing, he pulled himself out of the gigantic tub and grabbed the nearest bathrobe. Walking out, he sent via the mind link he shared with his [Bond] subus, telepathically sharing with Aya: "We have a new quest, Naamah. Meet me by the courts of the Guild, under the gargoyle pavilions."


    Rafel was standing; waiting under a gilded arch, by a robust pir ten minutester, looking out into the orchards of green and apple red that dotted this side of campus.


    The roads were lonely, the Guild empty behind, and early evening just hit the alpine horizon.


    "Lord Master?" Aya appeared at his side.


    Rafel turned with a smile; he took a moment to admire the Alexandrian-styled calico she was spotting. Underneath, tight pants fit her thighs and calves like a country girl''s glove.


    "Did you bring it?" he asked.


    Aya unfolded a script from her decolletage. "Yep. Apiled list of everyone with the name, Hyde, or references to it. Mikhail had a vampire mour the librarian to provide it. . .just like you asked."


    She handed it over. Rafel perused on the names, reading aloud; only the surnames. "Hiddleston! Hildebrand! Heidf?an!" Rafel went back. "¡ªthis one," he pointed to the first name on the paper, "who is he?"


    "Blu Hiddleston. He''s the owner of the famous resta¨²rant, Spinazo''s," said Aya. "Do you reckon he''s the Hyde monster in hiding?"


    Rafel nodded. He didn''t need to decipher shit. In matters of the paranormal, things were quite simple. It was all in the name. Look at his? Bl¨¹dth?rste!


    His literal birth name was his blood ability. The same went for monsters¡ªafter all he was one.


    And there was a hidden Hyde in Hiddleston.


    "Come on." Rafel took Aya''s hand, and led on to a blue carriage, with the winged Pegasus emblem of her Arc.


    The Spinazo resta¨²rant was quite full of patrons when Israfel pushed through the ss doors with Aya in tow. Many in the ornate booths turned to stare at the tall guy with the shocking ginger curls and his equally striking aplice. Rafel ignored the looks and barreled across the smooth marble floors, through the Nubian savanna themes on show for the evening.


    Rafel tore past the service area, utterly ignoring the OUT OF BOUNDS que overhead.


    The house chef was instantly hot on his heels.


    "Excuse me, sir, do you have a reservation? This area is restricted to employees only."


    His diction was impable. When Rafel still didn''t answer, the man clutched hard to his white.


    "SIR?"


    Rafel pointed to the steel door at the end. This area held bs of beef hooked to the shiny ceiling for processing. "Where does that door lead to?"


    The chef frowned. "Why the hell should I know?"


    Rafel shared a look with Aya. She produced from her waist pocket a purse of gold coins and jammed it into the chef''s open hands. "Talk!"


    The man calmly removed his peaked cap and walked to the steel door in question. He lifted his hand to the shining panel on the left side. He drew a small rune into the mystic screen: a password, and the steel door parted with a flush hiss.


    The chef inclined his head through the door. "It''s the boss''s office. He seldomes out of it."


    Aya ced another small bag weighing a chunk of Eldorian currency into the man''s hand. "Keep watch," she said, before walking in after Rafel. The steel door shut quietly behind them.


    In this new room, the first thing Rafel noticed were the dim lights; like you might find in a butcher''s ughterhouse, or a serial killer''sir. The flickers hit the white-washed walls eerily. Rafel heard grunts; crunching sounds. He started for it. Being a creature of darkness himself, he knew what to expect.


    Someone. . .or something was eating.


    Rafel pulled a bloodied hanging stic curtain, and his amber eyes fell on a man with a shaved head. He was clothed in a very expensive tuxedoed suit. A penguin make. Cost a small fortune. He was crouched over, nimbling on something too hard to notice their presence.


    Rafel turned a quizzical nce at Aya. She smiled like a cat.


    She said, "Mr. Hyde, I presume?"


    The suited man nearly fell over with the speed in which he turned. He struggled to wipe with the arm of his sleeve his mouth at the sound of her sudden voice, but there was no amount of white that could blot out blood.


    It stained his lips and carnivorous teeth, and immacte tux in dangerous splotches of white.


    The bald man''s eyes went huge.


    "No need to hide the teeth, Mr. Hyde." Rafel uttered darkly.


    The man calmly rose; he was a predator, essing his hunters. His lips moved in ugly crimson pallor. "My name is Hiddleston. Blu Hiddleston. Not Hyde. And I have no idea what the fuck you are talking about."


    Rafel chuckled wickedly. "We don''t give a shit¡ªas long as we know what the fuck WE are talking about."


    "I¡ª" Hiddleston began.


    Aya scrunched her nose. "Oi! Would you quit it! Don''t try to exin. Look at you with the bloody face. Clearly, you have been having the munchies on some poor human before we got in here."


    The man''s face nched. "How...did you get in here?"


    Aya clicked her fingers to get his attention; her ebony ws sounded like rattlesnake ps.


    "Oi! You''re not listening. We know what you are, HYDE! There''s two of you in there, innit? The calm, collected owner of this fine establishment: Mr. Hiddleston.


    And the other, a hideous creature of the roaming: A Hyde monster. Gone are the days of your predecessor, good ol'' Dr. Jekyll. Now, you lot just do and be whoever you like.


    Just look at you. . .iming to be owner of a restaurant, while secretly devouring its stupid, rich-ass, unsuspecting patrons no less. How many kids have gone missing just outside your doors? Or on the dark alleys to their dorms?


    Fifteen?


    Fifty?"


    Knowing it was caught red-handed¡ªquite literally, the dual monster-man began to shiver. It abruptly upset his stomach, and Rafel and Aya watched stunned as the expensively dressed millionaire baron of the Spinazo resta¨²rant chain, who wouldn''t hurt a fly in public, the boss with a smile and heart of gold; he coughed up an ugly retch of green sludge.


    There in his vomit, like resting slugs of a bullet, was the chewed remains of a human hand,plete with five fingers, and a staring orb of eye.


    By the gods? Had the man gobbled the person whole?


    "Well, well. Would you look at that?" Aya kicked the hand in the vomit pile. "You are on greedy eater, Mr. Hyde."


    Rafel''s eyes went to therge cooler in the corner. Silver streams of frost from the ice within climbed out in writhing cold vapor from the frozen lid. He said, "What''s in the fridge?"


    "None of your business," suited Mr. Hiddleston fired. "¡ªand you made a very big mistake, you two, bying in here."


    Rafel rushed with a burst of [Wicked Swift] ability, blurring past the man to the cont before he could stop him. Even Aya couldn''t catch him the superspeed. Rafel kicked the cooler''s lid open.


    Three fresh heads stared up at him from the ice.

 Chapter 144: Monster Madness

    RAFEL WAS APPALLED. He would have retched if he had mortality in him. Only a most twisted mind would do this. The three heads were girls. He could tell from their long hairs.


    Dead girls now.


    They were really young; students of the academy probably, but other than that, it was impossible to tell much else since they were missing everything from the neck down. Their heads sat grotesquely in the vat of ice blocks like skewered carp.


    Their families would likely think them on some long party trip on a yacht across the Cold Sea; which they''d interprete as teenage rebellion¡ªnot human meat at the bottom of a Hyde''s cooling room. No! Certainly not that.


    Aya inveighed. "You godless bastard!"


    Seeing no other option but to kill the intruders too to silence their finding, Mr. Blu Hiddleston began to change.


    His jaws dropped and cracked to a frightening dip. It fell down; his chin, touching his sternum. His lips frangled and chewed back, exposing red gums, as his blood-stained mouth stretched so wide at the corners the split hit his ears. His face was an image of the most deplorable clown.


    A monster of madness¡ªthe deadliest.


    His cheekbones were sunken, his hair fallen off like a victim of the death fever to only a few slimy strands. His skull was veined and elongated; a head bigger and denser: amoebic and reptilian, like some evil alien fallen from the stars.


    Mr. Hiddleston grew in size, height-ward only. His middle rather remained the same, his abdomen bloating, giving off the ill vision of a child afflicted by a mdy.


    His gargantuan body was disproportionate: limbs sickled like sticks, elbows striped to bony sprouts, flesh but a coverlet of skin on revealed ribs, legs thinner than a pelican''s¡ªwith nothing of the bird''s beauty, feet torge for the body it carried. The ugliness of this morphed creature was hideous.


    But then, [Hyde] monsters weren''t known for their looks.


    One arm was bigger and denser than the other, and trailed limply like a weighted tumor behind. The monster was just about ten feet tall; it''s bony, vulture head scraped the cold room''s stic ceiling, blue veins underneath catching the light to eerily amplify the horrible pallor.


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    The Hyde was the sickest shade of green. Not the green that made one think of jade pearls and leaf sprouts, but the color of puke and tripe, and dismembered bodies, rotting in the noon heat.


    The monster''s limp eyes fell on Rafel, ring something off and murderous; the mummified lips curled in a snarl.


    It frothed at the mouth, lifting the lighter arm to point out with a dirty-ck talon at Rafel. "Uggghl, you s-shall, s-shall die. Hyde, kill. Hyde, Kill. HYDE, KILL!" It went on salivating.


    Rafel offered to Aya, "at least we know the brain inside doesn''t match the head."


    "Yah! Hyde, kill!" The changed creature swiped with furious rage at Rafel''s head. He stepped back easily, avoiding the bony punch. The Hyde had struck out with its right arm, and now tried the heavier left. It took some effort on the monster''s palm to lift. The cankerous limb sliced through the air, this time for Rafel''s midriff.


    It was faster than Rafel expected.


    But at thest second, he too bent backward. He went down by his spine, so low the tip of his manbun brushed the back soles of his boots.


    The Hyde was distracted with Rafel, and Aya maneuvered a circle to the creature''s back. She shed out her onyx ws longer, curving her fingers like a cat''s about to pounce. Then she jumped on the monster''s skeleton back, ripping away at the flimsy skin. She tore through sinew and red muscle, hitting dense white and bone.


    Still, she kept tearing away. Like a mole, she dug her way into the Hyde''s vertebrae.


    The Hyde wailed, trying to shake Aya off. But she wouldn''t budge. The creature was too skinny at the abdomen and she wrapped her legs tight around the bony waist.


    "Hyde, angry!" The monster stamped it''s leg.


    It threw its body hard into the wall, ttening Aya to the steel. The back of her head connected hard with the cold iron.


    "Ahh!" she yipped, blood staining the spot.


    Her hold loosened and she slid down to the chrome floors. She was cked out.


    ''Naamah? Naamah!'' Rafel called through their mind link.


    No response.


    He could see the smudge of blood trailing from the pint where her head had collided with the steel to where she now rested at the foot of the wall. It was bright red under the flickering white lights. Cold seeped deep into Rafel''s bones, but not just the cold of the storage house in which he was.


    It was a deep dread. A chilling fear.


    It was familiar.


    ''Just like Coraz¨®n,'' some evil whispered in his head. ''No,'' Rafel challenged. ''Never.''


    The misshapen beast was turning for Aya to finish the job, grunting, "Hyde, kill! Hyde kill little bitch."


    "Fuck this!" Rafel grabbed one of the heads and threw it hard at the monster. "Here, green cunt! I''m here. Come get me."


    The Hyde stared down at the female lump of frozen flesh for a bit. To Rafel''s utter disgust, it grabbed the decapitated head, lifting it up by the dark hair to stare into its vacant eyes. The monster turned it to side, and bit a generous chunk out of the ear. Chewing, it tossed the head and started for Rafel.


    "Ugh!" Rafel held his breath.


    "Peitho!" He called again, aloud. "Equip SHIELD OF OBLIVION!"


    [Ding!]


    [Shield of Oblivion equipped!]


    [Level: LEGENDARY]


    [Poison: +300 repulse power.]


    Rafel didn''t dodge this time as the Hyde loomed over him, pummeling hard. The heavy fists connected with an invisible barrier that ripped like the surface of water each time a punchnded. Rafel wanted to enjoy the moment of ire on the beast''s ugly face, but the fucker had harmed his [Bond].


    Rafel charged again.


    "Peitho! HELM OF CHAOS. TOMB OF OSIRIS!"


    [Ding!]


    [Two EPIC destruction weapons equipped!]


    [Poison: +500 wound damage.]


    A helmet made of wisps of darkness surrounded Rafel''s head like armor. It had steel of umbra and a shine of deathly ebony. Rafel struck out with the Helm of Chaos, headbutting the Hyde in the jaw. The creature flew back with a burst of wind.


    It crashed into the wall, making a dent in the iron.


    Shaking its vulture head, it tried to rise, but the [Tomb of Osiris] ability which Rafel had equipped from his underworld system appeared as a dark sarcophagus with ancient mystic runes about the Hyde''s body, locking the sickly green bastard in.


    Vines of nightshade chained the monster to its tomb.


    Rafel walked calmly under the wan lights of the cold room to the mutated twist of a man. The gangly legs were spread on the smooth floors.


    Rafel stamped the balls.


    CRACK! SQUISH!


    The Hyde screamed so loud it''s eyes bulged out of the ugly head.


    "That''s for the poor girls you lured and killed," said Rafel.


    He gave the pitiful creature one final sorry look and spat: "PEITHO! EQUIP LIGHT OF SHIVA! BRAHAMASTRA!"


    [DING!]


    [LIGHT OF SHIVA EQUIPPED!]


    [Level: DIVINE]


    [Poison: +2000 Destruction damage]


    [Nuclear Irradiance]


    [Deity: LORD SHIVA.]


    A bright celestial light, cosmic as the waves of a sr re, hot as the smelting of fission, and destroying as the might of explosion of spiritfire burst out of Rafel. He literally exploded, bing a conduit of mes so violent and radioactive they winked out every other light in the ce.


    Melted every ice block and pickle in the cold room.


    The waves of light flowed and ebbed, and when it finally dimmed, the Hyde was reduced to a mess of green goo sttered on the floor. The flesh streaked across the area with skin dripping like candle wax. Bone and skull was incinerated, making barbecue of brain matter.


    There was not much of organism on the floors.


    The lips on the creature, peeled back like flesh on a roasting goat chaffed to say something. "The b-basilisk . . . Hyde knows. Hyde kn...who s-sent it.


    Hyde knows who sent basilisk."


    Before Rafel could lean in to get further reply, the lips stopped moving. It was just mouth and guts now.


    The steel wall behind had melted in, providing a way out. The iron still glowed red from pulsing heat. The emitted radiation made Rafel sweat. Once, the very room had been the cold of minus degrees. Rafel rushed to Aya. He cradled her head in his arms.


    "Naamah?"


    He was about to tear open his wrist and offer her his blood when she sniffed and opened her eyes. She looked around him to the stter of monster on the floors. She smiled. And Rafel helped her up.


    "Can you walk?"


    Aya was nodding when a waitress burst in through the melted wall area.


    "I heard a bang¡ª"


    She stepped in the Hyde''s residual gore ignorantly and abruptly slid, falling into the sticky mess. The uniformed girl sat in it, in her apron a second, slowly lifting her hand to observe the squishy substance in her palm.


    Finding it to be mortal flesh, reducing to a steaming pile of guts and blood, her eyes bulged out their sockets.


    Then, she yelled.


    "AHHHHH! WHAT THE FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK!"


    She ran, with her back to the adjacent wall, hand over her mouth and her wildly beating heart. "Is that the boss?"


    "Parts of him." Rafel offered indifferently.


    Only a shaven scalp and one red eyeball were intact. The rest was flimsy goo.


    Before the shaken waitress could ask another question, Rafel took Aya''s hand and walked out.


    "Peitho, stats!"


    [Ding!], came the bedroom voice he was growing quite fond of.


    [QUEST COMPLETED!]


    [NEW LEVEL ACHIEVED!]


    [Rank: Monster Hunter.]


    [Blocked attributes up to Third Infernal Ring have been unlocked!]


    [ADDED REWARD: Host is the new owner of the Spinazo resta¨²rant chain.]


    Rafel smiled and drew Aya''s head to his chest. "Let''s get that pretty head of yours checked. You had quite the collision."

 Chapter 145: Pissy Pussy [18+]

    [#vulgar #depraved #hardcore #pissing #lesbian #passion #fastpaced #spurofthemoment #kissfest #cunnilingus #wetpussy #sweaty #bathroom #pervert]


    [?? SIP IT ¨C Iggy Azalea ft. Tyga.]


    Under the maroon ents of his dorm chambers, Rafel surrendered Aya to a nice sleep. He drew the sheets over her, having just fed her with his blood. She''d had a mild concussion after the incident with the Hyde at the restaurant. Rafel watched her a while, before softly shutting the curtains and dipping out.


    He moved to let her rest it out, while his pure demon blood worked its healing magic inside of her.


    d in running shorts and a swamping ck tank, Rafel made his way to Brightburn Hall; a particr lush snow-blonde was on his mind. It was yet an hour tillplete nightfall, and he knew a game would be on. Rafel took the shortcuts through to the Hall, hopping a fifteen-foot chain link fence more than once.


    He met the game at half time.


    Rafel noticed Cora immediately. His snow blonde.


    With a face and body like that, she was impossible to miss. He yed for the opposite team on the basketball courts, noticing she avoided eye¡ªand body¡ªcontact with him; just before he would ost her when she was with the ball, Cora would toss it to another teammate of hers. All to avoid him.


    After the game, Rafel approached. Spotting him closing in, Cora ended her small talk with the winning team: her team, and started away. Rafel jogged the sshy linoleum floors to catch up with her. "Hey, Coraz¨®n, what''s going on? You''ve been giving me the cold shoulder. Cora?"


    The gorgeous tomboy whirled around. "Seriously, Israfel?" Cora rolled her eyes. "My girlfriend had to wear a neck brace for a week ''cuz of what you did to her."


    Oh, Sk.


    Before Rafel could offer any defense for himself, Cora disappeared through the bleachers and out into the long corridors. Rafel stood alone for a bit. It was cold out; night had fallen fully, the windows ss heralded a sleepy darkness outside, and he proposed to take a hot shower before heading back to his dorm.


    Rafel headed to the boys locker room.


    He was bent over a porcin cusp, sshing water on his face when he saw Cora walk in, in the mirror overhead. Their eyes'' met. Before he could speak, she raised her hand to stop him. "Don''t even! I''m only here because the girls bathroom is brim full. I dislike chatter when I''m in the shower.


    I thought no one would be here. Boys tend to head on sweaty to their dorms after the game. I''ll just use the restroom and head on out."


    Rafel nodded. "Sure. If you wanna pee, you can. . .pee."


    He cleared his throat awkwardly¡ªit was always this way with him and Cora. The marine-eyed lesbian narrowed her eyes on him. She turned for the third stall on the row.


    Rafel started, "Hey. I just want to say I''m s¡ª"


    Cora mmed the door in his face.


    "Yep. I deserve that." Rafel talked through the stic. "I just want to say I''m sorry about Sk. I was in Dire mode. I couldn''t control it¡ª"


    "Quit talking, Israfel. I''m trying to pee here!" Cora''s sultry voice admonished.


    Rafel fell silent. And three secondster, he heard the trickling sound. Rafel went breathless. He looked around; the bathroom was empty. ''Don''t do it.'' he berated his mind. But it wouldn''t listen.


    Rafel stepped closer and glued his body to the door, listening in with his ear on the surface.


    The sound of any other female urinating would not appeal to him, but when it was Cora. . .


    ''Lord Almighty!'' Rafel felt his dick spear the door.


    He listened to the sound the soft falls of her urine made with the toilet bowl.


    SSSIS. SISSS. SSSIS...


    He imagined her warm essence, rushing out her womanhood: her perfect rose slit¡ª


    "I can see your legs, you know," Cora''s voice hit him.


    Sudden lust took Rafel beyond morality and respect for boundary. He put his hand on the knob and tore through the door. It screeched shut behind him. He stood before Cora, towering over her form as she sat with her blue trainer shorts and ck thong at her ankles. The stall was well wide enough for the both of them.


    For a second, neither of them said a single word.


    Cora''s riparian pupils wentrge. Her mouth dropped open to an unbelievable ''O''.


    "What the fuck, man! What are you doing? Get out!" She yelled.


    Rafel''s hands were shaking. He had never felt so turned on in that moment. "I''m sorry, Cora. I can''t help it. I have to taste you."


    With a growl, he dropped down to his knees in front of her legs and the toilet seat. He grabbed her long legs, gripping her lush milk-white thighs and pushing them apart. His head dived for the middle of her legs: her hot, wet center.


    "Wait! Rafel! What are you doing?"


    Cora tried to shoot up the toilet seat.


    Rafel mmed her down.


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    "Oh god!" She covered a hand over her mouth, sliding it up to her face and hair when he began to eat her out.


    Rafelshed her with his tongue. He licked her cunt andpped up the wetness and salty juiciness of her pussy. Her time in the courts had left Cora lewdly moist between the legs. Rafel dissolved into that warm, womanlg scent, tasting herbia and finding her still liquid from pissing.


    His big hands grabbed her tiny waist as he dived deeper for her wanton smell, rolling his face all up in her dewy curls.


    Rafel loved himself a real woman; and the triangle of dark tinum curls Cora was spotting made her exactly so.


    He inhaled deeply in her trimmed bush, eating her out with so much fervor and intent.


    She smelled of salt and woman. Her pussy was warm and divine, her inner thighs oiled by perspiration of running around all evening. Rafel had frankly smelled nothing more perverse. He wanted to sink into her and never rise again.


    Cora''s legs were shaking. "Oh god. Ohh!" She bit a finger. She did not know when the moans started, but they wereing. Rafel flicked her clit with his tongue and pinched it with his fingers. He pushed the two fat fingers in and Cora let out a long, needy whimper.


    His fingers came out coated in urine and moist woman.


    She tasted better than vani.


    Cora grabbed hold of his hand before he could lick her off of it; she instead brought those same fingers to her lips and sucked fiercely. "I want to taste my pussy too." Rafel, charged by her admission moved to go down on her again. Cora gripped his strong shoulders. "Wait," she leaned down to pull off her damn restricting shorts and panties. She tossed them.


    "Now, lick!"


    Themand in her cute voice stirred Rafel to a monster size. Cora wrapped her long legs around his shoulders, her feet on his strong back, her luscious thighs mped around his head. She began to ride his face in earnest, coating the sweet juices of her wet pussy all over his face.


    "Ohh fuck." Her ocean eyes pinned him below her in lusty radiance. "Look how you made this pussy wet. You lick me so good. I know you want this cunt. Yes! Take this fucking slimy cunt.


    I''ll get that smell all over your face. Ohh god yes. Fuck. Smell that fucking pussy. Taste it! Lick it!


    Fucking facent in it."


    Cora had begun to jerk against his face. Her hands grasped hard to his red hair and she locked her thighs around his head like a wrestler''s.


    "¡ªI know you were watching me throughout the game. . .wanting me? I know it. You like having me all sweaty and fired up. You want it.


    I want it to, Israfel. I want it bad. This fair pussy is yours, all day long. This fuckin'' slit? Come on, taste it. Get your nose all up in there.


    God, you are so fucking hot."


    Rafel gave a guttural sound, muffled up in her sweet pie. She was velvet and silky. He was thirsty as a starved deer. He was.


    Cora was still talking dirty.


    "You want this fucking pussy, oh yeah? Take it! Take this fucking sweaty, dirty pussy. Ohh godd! I''m gonna cum. I''m gonna cum all over your beautiful face, Israfel.


    Tell me toe for you. Tell me, Israfel, please."


    Rafel raised his head¡ªjust a smidge, from the heat and hollow of delicious female.


    "Come for me, beautiful Coraz¨®n."


    Cora grabbed to the toilet bowl, shut her eyes, and climaxed so hard she nearly broke apart the porcin. She was jumping all over Rafel''s face. He too had his cock out, pumping himself hard under her. Cora drew back an inch to release a stream of warm fluid all over his face. She rubbed her clit, squirting and squirting, orgasming so beautifully, her cries subdued by Rafel''s fingers in her mouth.


    She sucked them while he imagined the same pressure of her lips on his cock.


    Cora drew him up abrupty.


    "Feed me your cock!"


    Rafel was hesitant, and she grabbed his thigh. He pulled back just as her tongue would touch him. The pink toweled his huge bulb and Cora hissed in delight. "Fuck." She grabbed to his ass and dragged him in. Spreading her legs to ept him, she swallowed him deep down into her throat.


    On the first suck, Rafel unleashed his seed like a waterfall.


    It crashed like rapids into her gullet. Her mouth was so tight and hot: a channel of manic lust, and her lips a sensous bow around the velvet skin of his dick. Cora gulped thrice to swallow all he gave, all the while pumping her mouth hard and fast over his nosh.


    SLURP.


    SLURP.


    SLURP.


    Rafel''s hand mmed the stall. And when he thought he just might faint from cumming so hard and fast, Cora released him.


    POP!


    His thick shaft slid out her plush lips, nting like a fat python down his chiseled abs.


    Cora suddenly pushed him away from her. He hit the left wall of the stall as she rose off the toilet seat and grabbed her discarded undies.


    "We really need to stop doing this," she said. And then she was out the door, leaving Rafel with drained balls, copsed in a squat, and the most satisfied smile of a totally fulfilled demon male.


    ''We really need to stop doing this,'' he reyed Cora''s words.


    Huh? Fuck that!

 Chapter 146: Hitchcock Blonde

    IN THE HIGH GOTHIC HALLS of Salem: one of the three resident houses at the witch academia known by its spooky acronym, [C. A. W]; in a fancy suite which would soothe only a truly viinous heart, a dark sleeping beauty stirred on arge bed. She was the warped vision of fairytale Princess Aurora¡ªbut no less smoking hot.


    Aya Naamah gingerly opened her sultry violet eyes.


    Four other beautiful pairs of eyes were settled on her, roundabout.


    The one closest to her took her hand: Ravenna, with pupils rich green as the tropic marshes. "We heard about the Hyde," she said, "I''m sorry. Rafel should have brought us along, or in the very least, told us where you both were headed." She turned a disapproving nce to the young man on the ornate chair beside the bed.


    Rafel only offered a ruthlessly disarming smile to the coal-haired belle.


    Ravenna was wearing her hair up today: a marvel of ebony waves. The two others in the room were Rosamunde and Percival. It was a school day, the first in the week, but Rafel had hacked into his dorm room''s rm system, corrupting the magic so that the would-be ringing didn''t chirp when it should.


    Either way, the bell tower of those faithful to the Martyr,ing from their early morn devotion still went tolling into the blue skies.


    Spring was in the air. You could smell it.


    Rafel imagined the trees starting to color again at Emberfall¡ªor at least the forsaken ruins of it. He was grateful for the interruption of Ravenna''s soft voice again. "Are you strong enough for your sses, babe?" she asked Aya.


    The subus sat up in bed and clutched a small pillow to her rather ample chest. She shared a secret smile with her Lord Master few feet away, as she replied Ravenna.


    "Yes, I am. His Eminence gave me his blood. The poison of the Hyde monster had no chance. And now that I''ve manifested the Pegasus blue Arc, I have amassed quite the healing factor. Spirit magic flows within me. I heal a hundred time faster than a spawn of my species would.


    I''d see to my sses today."


    Rafel admired his [Bond]; because he rather disliked slothfulness.


    Bred in the castles of the infamous underworld, Rafel got the best sexual experiences sinful Hel could give, but his Uncles tolerated no such indolence. You fucked to your heart''s content, and then you fought¡ªto the crowd''s content.


    in as the chest on a ten-year old gypsy boy child.


    Percival leaned in on the bed, and said, "Now that we''re all here, what do we do about the five million solid of ours in weapons currently sitting dormant in a shadow dimension pocket world? Do we sell, to get the gold? Or keep?"


    The girls turned to Rafel. He said, "we vote."


    And then he raised his voice on the chair. "All in favor to sell?"


    Everyone raised their hands. The decision was unanimous among the five friends.


    "So we sell then," Rosamunde chirped.


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    Rafel''s gold eyes fired up like a treasure chest. "But not just any sale, Mon Coeur..." He left the words hanging.


    "What''s the n, Your Eminence?" Percival asked.


    Rafel leaned into his felonious beautiful brethren, and told it to them.


    Rafel decided to rock the maroon zer for the day: it was a custom make with the proud insignia of the Phoenix Arc. The Roving Reds! Although, he could equally rep the Raven Arc with their goth ck tuxes, he figured bloodred suited his mood for the day. The n he had concocted with his friends in the ve of his bedchambers he was about to execute.


    They all had their parts to y in it. And it required the participation of a rather trendy vivacious blonde.


    Rafel''s first ss as a Red was the [Winds and Wild] ss.


    The seating area was top-notch; a domain on the high side of tower with a prolific view of the ind, and opal windows filling the ss with blessed air. The ssroom smelled of honebs and orchids, and the climbing magnolias granted bright white to the vanes and sills which they wove around.


    The ssroom did match the teaching.


    A willowy woman stood in front, a wreath of south oceanic sunflowers in her hair. She introduced herself¡ªthe ss was mostly filled with Griffins, a few Pegasi and Phoenixes like Rafel, and only one Raven Arc member, who looked lonely as fuck in his solitary crow-ck ensemble.


    He looked like he''d rather fit in at the [Midnight Mastery] ss.


    Rafel listened in to the tutor''s words, because she was quite fetching: like a bride of a faerie prince.


    She was saying, "Hello, ss. This is the Winds and Wild honorary ss. I am pleased at the variety I''m seeing¡ªwe only get those of the Griffin Gold most times. But this. . .this will be fun.


    For those of you who are just joining us, my name is Aelind of the Guiding Light fae.


    Today, we''ll be looking through the journal of the fifth Empress of the Nine Realms, Queen Margaery; her notes on Sunfire magic and wildling races. . ."


    And that was where Rafel stopped listening.


    To study clouds and the stars was cute, but in his world, fire and blood would serve you better. From Tutor Aelind''s fair golden eyes, he could tell she had Van Imperia blood in her. She could probablymand a Griffin, or lynx. The generation of Van Imperias had uniquemand of such epic beasts.


    It was in the bloodlines: the House of Gold.


    Any other wildling who would try it was quickly made mincemeat of the creatures. But it helped that half the fae species were bastards, so a near total poption had the blood of Imperia in them.


    Their wildling lords did love to whore around.


    Rafel didn''t even know when the ss ended. But he did watch the Tutor''s pert ass sway out the room. She was slender as a virgin pine. A slim thick miracle.


    Chairs scraped the ssroom floors as students all around him rose and left the area. Rafel spotted the key yer in his auction n rise from her regal perch at the forefront of the ss. A true fey princess, that one. She wore her gold jacket like a royal robe. The way in which she carried herself was spectacr.


    This girl was the type who''d only smoke the finest English cigars, light and puff like a Duchess, wed the prince and bed the pirate:


    Erika fuckin'' Burgess.


    She was blond down to her freakingshes.


    The girl was rising just as Rosa, Aya, and Ravenna were stepping in.


    Right on time.


    Right on motherfucking time!


    The ssroom was empty. He watched Erika lift her pretty little head to the troop cornering her. She looked scared. Rafel and Percival also sidled in from their former seats. The five osted Erika.


    "Hello, Miss President," Rafel said in a dark voice.


    Erika looked behind and tried to maneuver her way past. Aya blocked her. She held her books tightly to her chest. For the first time, she seemed fragile. "Look if this is about the Duchess, Lady Fairfield, I had no idea she would spring that line of discussion on you. She just asked me to invite¡ª"


    "This isn''t about Lady Fairfield." Percival toned.


    Rosa stepped up to her. "Sit down, Hitchcock Blonde."


    Rafel finished. "We have a proposal for you."


    As Erika lowered her cute little butt back to the cinder-gray ssroom seat, it was Ravenna who exined. "We require the services of a hostess to host an auction of ours. Private. Exclusive. Stupid fucking expensive. We want the kind of affluent circles who aren''t scared to get down dirty.


    The objects of sales range from minermps from the distantnds of Alexandria, to the giant sickle swords of Achaemenes empire, further to the hammers of ult freemasons of Loegria."


    Erika crossed her legs on the chair, regaining her regent poise. "You want to sell your weapons. And you want me to be your party nner?"


    Rafel baritoned at her twinkly irises. "This isn''t a fucking party."


    "Oh darling," Erika touched a hand down his arm, "every auction is a party. To get the rich to spend, you''ve got to give too."


    "I know that." Rafel growled. "I just don''t want any of them getting funny ideas about an orgy or any of that weird shit rich people tend to want at this sort of things."


    "You''re rich too," Erika offered with a smile. "¡ªbut I get what you mean," she added when she caught Rosa''s hard stare. The student president, blond as sunrise on the beach, with a rocking wildling bod and [dignitas] of a Roman [Domina] to boot, sat back, perfecting her shapely brows in a perfect arch.


    "So how much are we talking?"


    Everyone in the ssroom looked at everyone, and for the first time throughout the conversation, all six coborators lit up in shared smiles.


    [A/N: Hitchcock Blonde is termed to mean sophisticateddies. Not Gyaru, but with a highss living style. A proper Gagnam Style.]

 Chapter 147: Gyaru Twins

    [?? CHUN LI - Nicki Minaj.]


    "I''m serious. How much are we talking?" Erika quitughing. She put out her best poker face: a stern look that brought out more of the brownish pearls she had for eyes. She didn''t seem anymore like an uppity bitch, and Rosa eased back on intimidating her. Erika was just being herself.


    Meanwhile, Ravenna was looking to Rafel, passing with eye contact how much he really wanted Erika to know about. The blondette was still the student president.


    Erika seemed to notice this and spoke first. "Oh!e on guys! I''m about to be your party nner, or hostess¡ªwhatever. Don''t hold out on me now. Give the dets.


    How much?!"


    "It''s okay," Rafel nodded to Ravenna.


    The [Raven Arc] sophomore pushed her ass onto a seat, sliding to the desk top rather than the official chair. She beamed down at Erika and replied, "Five million." Herposure was naturally meek; a bitid-back for the only princess of the Nine Realms.


    For her father was the King: Ravenna de Vri¨¦s now hieress to the Imperian throne.


    Erika blew through her glossed lips. "Five million, that''s a lot. But it will only be the starting price. Our guests that day won''t give a fuck about what they''re buying, only that they get to feel good about tossing gold around. Rich people love the chance to prance. You should know a lot about that, Your Eminence."


    Erika''s eyes darted toward Rafel. Her use of his title as Apollyon further cemented the fact that she was coyly reminding him of her ndestine stake among the Children of the Crow.


    She uncrossed her long legs. It drew attention to her glittery gold toenails. "I''m willing to drive up the price another zero," she said.


    Percival gave Rafel a look. "Fifty million?!"


    Erika nodded so calmly; Rosa folded her arms at her sophistication. "Isn''t that too much of a stretch, Miss President?"


    "Only to those who don''t have it."


    "Fifty million might be seed coin to your bourgeois heritage, but not to others!" Ravenna challenged in Rosa''s defense.


    Erika shifted in her poise. "Oh, pardon me, I forget you were born plebeian. But¡ª" she held up her finger before Ravenna could retort, "I meant no insult. I''m sorry. If you can pull as much as fifty million from one party, why settle for five? Besides, if these weapons are such treasures of Legendary, Epic, and Divine status, they''re worth it.


    I''ll polish the bidding calls so good the guests will be frothing at the mouth, begging to suck our high auction silver like Catherine the Great with a horse cock."


    This made everyoneugh.


    "But what''s in it for me?" Erika asked, linking her pale fingers in herp.


    It was Percival who drew near and said, "a nice fifteen percent."


    Erika didn''t look pleased. "I think we''ve already established that I''m rich, so seven point five isn''t gonna cut it." Her velvety stare slid again to Rafel, caressing the moulds of his lean body in his wine-red tweed zer and pressed dark cks.


    "WHAT''S IN IT FOR ME?" she repeated. Her warm eyes danced to the push of his gold belt head, way down south than it should be. She licked her lips unabashedly.


    "Don''t be fuckin'' greedy, Erika." Rosa started, but Rafel held out a hand to stop her.


    "It''s alright, Rosamunde. She''s entitled to ask," said Rafel. He moved closer with Aya on his arm, perched in dark magic beauty. "I have recentlye into possession of a chain of popr five-star restaurants on the school''s grounds: The Spinazo Holdings. I can make you chairperson of the board. I should mention it is male dominated."


    "...but as for what you truly desire, Miss President," Aya gave Erika a knowing look, "you cannot have it."


    Erika smiled seductively. "I''ll take it, Your Eminence," she said, "but I want three percentmission on all profits the restaurants turn during my contracted stay."


    "Done." Rafel''s bass hit the ssroom hard.


    Erika rose to her loubotined feet in regal sway and royal gold. She offered out her dainty hand, and Rafel shook on the deal. She added. "Meet me in the grand Spinazo''s by Salem Hall at five thirty this evening. You can meet my assistants then. It''ll give you a chance to get to know them better.


    They are Lady Fairfield''s daughters," Erika finished with a wink.


    "I''ll keep this too." She pulled the scented immacte handkerchief from Rafel''s breast pocket, inhaling deeply on it before the material found its way into her small gold-encrusted purse.


    Percival and Rosa made way for her as she started for the door.


    Erika paused as if in afterthought at the entryway of the ssroom. She said back in a fluffy voice:


    "Oh, and subus; about the unavability of His Eminence. . .things change." She smiled, letting everyone she wasn''t backing down from hitting on Rafel; who was now, her boss.


    At exactly thirty minutes to sixter that day, Rafel pulled in a driven carriage to the opulent ss exterior of Spinazo''s. The showy crystalline fa?ade reflected the dusk''s sunlight like shards of a cier.


    Rafel tried not to think that it was justst weekend he had exploded a serial killer Hyde and found remains of missing girls inside the now glittering walls of the most swanky establishment this side of the academy.


    Funneling such thoughts to the recesses of his brain¡ªthe same ce he buried the trauma of grieving Coraz¨®n¡ªRafel bent his head, pocketed his hands, and walked into the restaurant.


    Erika was a vision in her falling ripples of berry blonde hair. Two girls sat at both sides of her.


    Twins.


    The closer Rafel got to their table, the more the littlest details that distinguished one from the other vanished before his very eyes. Standing above them, he could almost swear that one was just the mirror image of the other. Their likeness to each other was slightly eerie to watch.


    Rafel instantly recognized them from the huge oil painting he had seen at their mother''s house: the Fairfield vi on the private isle.


    As he drew close, Erika stood and held out his seat for him.


    Rafel said nothing of the respectful gesture, but he took notice of it; the same way he''d been impressed at the speed and uracy to which Erika had calcted fifteen percent of fifty million earlier. The Student President had many shades.


    "Thank you, Miss President," Rafel orded as Erika went back to hers.


    Erika, once she was settled in, with a smile, leaned in across the table, "let''s make a deal, Israfel. You don''t call me Miss President. I don''t call you Your Eminence. What do you say?"


    Rafel mirrored her perfect grin. "Hell fucking yes."


    Erika chuckled, turning to both sides of her to smile at the twins. "Please, allow me to introduce the Lady, Nura Fairfield''s daughters. This is Raziah, and this is Keziah."


    "Hi!" Both said as one to Rafel.


    ''So these are the girls I''ll be shagginge the moon''s end,'' this was all in Rafel''s head. ''It''s like having two of the same girl.''


    The twins, Raziah and Keziah Fairfield were Hebrew goddesses.


    If Rafel thought of sin as a duo, it would be them. They had bodies he could sink into with his cock of steel, and never know the true depth. He could tell, even from their sitting positions. They were that much curvy. Their forms reminded him of a Babylonian priestess he once had the utmost ''pleasure'' of encountering: Qadesh.


    Suffice to say, the Christ might have suffered sin if he''d met these two.


    Raziah and Keziah had an over-the-top cyberpunk, anachronistic feminine look. And from their swirly eyes, he knew that they were party gals. Their long waves were bleached and dyed hot pink. The only gracious difference was that Raziah had a streak of silver in hers; Keziah had gold.


    The Gyaru twins were cute.


    Rafel wanted to ask if their delicious tan stretched to their pussy. He bit his tongue on that one.


    Instead, he said, "Do you girls by any chance have mermaid in your bloodline?"


    Erika had already begun to smile like she knew what wasing. The twins looked genuinely curious. Raziah offered, "No, why?"


    "¡ªbecause you both have eyes a man could just drown in."


    Rafel finished, and the twins went giggling.


    "That''s good. Really good," Keziah said, still smiling and blushing hard.


    "Thank you, fair ones. I aim to please," was Rafel''s reply. He noticed they were observing him in interest. The girls were on their own forces that would give Parvati a run for her most sensuous goddess trophy, but together, they trumped any lust potion Rafel had ever seen.


    He was ritzing them up; he wanted to know them better, becausee full moon. . .he intended to fuck the shit out of them.


    [A/N: Israfel''s Quests will grow more dangerous as he ups his levels and charges his system. If you want to find out just how Peitho; a secret goddess, became caged to be his virtual AI, keep reading. Your curiosity will pay off¡ªbig time. Ha!]

 Chapter 148: The Auction

    On the 21st Apryl day of the Faerie calendar season: a time of the year that saw the ind color in rich green of spring, extending even onward across the Cold Sea to the polis of Titans Landing, Israfel and his certainly unique clic of friends received word of the Student President in such manner of words:


    "Hey, pals. Erika here! I wanted to let you know that the grand Hall of Magdalena has been closed off by the school authorities for a certain unnamed fete for private alumni. This is only a false front, perpetuated by Yours truly.


    In truth, I have secured the Assembly Hall and the entire floor this evening for our auction.


    As the clock strikes six. Do not bete! Toodles!


    PS: I''ll need the mystic glyph passkey to the Hel miniverse where the weapons are stored."


    Rafel tapped his crystal magic screen shut, and the message abrupty went off. The school had gifted said viewing screens to its witchy students to effect bettermunication between tutors and the various Arcs: nowadays, boys and girls just used it to drop quick messages rather than make use of the eerie obsolete s¨¦ance balls.


    ¡ªand the asional hack, where some introvert weirdo would use it to spy on the water nymphsmunal bath pool.


    ''Toodles!'' Erika''s honeyed voice rang inside Rafel''s head even as his room plunged into darkness again at the ckout of his screen. He read her message like she was delivering it in front of him.


    A few days had passed since his dinner with the Duchess''s twin daughters at Spinazo''s. It was Saturn''s day; first day of weekend, and Rafel had slept in¡ªuntil Erika''s ring message that is, which had woken him up. Rafel rubbed at his eyes, wondering why the fuck he ever allowed the damn blonde to pick the date.


    All he wanted to do was crash and have endless dreams about sulent subi, in ghoulish, noir setting.


    But this was not to be.


    Morpheus, dream Master had disappointed him, and outside, Demeter seemed to be in a jolly mood; judging by all emerald sprouts painting the seaside out from winter. Perhaps, Persephone had finally left Hades to be at her side. Perhaps.


    Rafel rolled off bed.


    He sent a quick telepathic message to Aya to deliver to Erika the passkey [Hieroglyph] for the Hel dimension before the go time. Peitho''s pinging in his head alerted him that she had received the message. Rafel tuned out all sounds and ripped his shut drapes open. Percival was softly snoring on the other end of therge suite.


    His dorm room now silkily lit by amber-rose blooms of a waning sun, Rafel stared a bit out the windows at the spectacr horizon. He could see all the way to the vast marine of the Cold Sea.


    [DING!], came Peitho''s voice in his head.


    [Your Eminence should know; it is 5: 30pm.]


    [President Erika''s screen message was three hours ago.]


    "Shit." Rafel pulled away from the curtains. "Peitho! Why didn''t you tell me sooner?"


    At that moment, if his virtual [Hellion] system could be animate, Rafel would''ve seen Peitho rolling her blue iridescent eyes. He rushed to the bathroom, and on the way, tossed Percival a fat pillow. "Wake up, dude," he said, "It''s Go time."


    [?? Levitating - Dua Lipa.]


    The hosting ce for the event: Magdalena''s Hall was a ptial dome seemingly dipped into gold like the feet of Achilles in the ancient river. The hostess, Miss President herself: Erika Burgess, had gone all out with the hall, whipping out all the luxury cards up her sleeve.


    The theme tonight was Greek revival.


    White pirs of Ephesus. Nixies sculptures that would make to blush. Paintings of gods on the domed ceiling: little baby Cupid with his love darts staring down at those below. And the finest seating arrangement money could buy. If the vi of Lady Fairfield and the bastion of the Countess Penderghast made a baby, this would be it.


    Utter amazement and pride filled the hearts of the creme de creme filtering in.


    Tuxedoed bodyguards at the door ensured it was strictly invite only. No gold card to show, no ce to go.


    "Wow!" Ravenna blitzed with starry eyes as she stepped across the streaming red carpet. "I ain''t never seen stuff like this."


    Behind her, Rafel smiled. Her ent came out when she was truly emotional; been in an elite academy famous for its perch of royals, Ravenna had tried to tame the undercity manner of speaking she was born with. But it slipped out in the moments like these. Rafel was d to be around for it. You couldn''t put a price tag on the simple things.


    He was wonderfully rocking a Birmingham gold suit for the asion. It fit him wickedly.


    The girls were in ttering gowns that entuated everything they should be hiding. Rosamunde and Aya Naamah. Ravenna and Brunhilda. They made space at the middle of long diamond table for Rafel to sit. nking it were other smaller circr ones for the guests. It was all opulence and culture tonight, with soft music ying in the background.


    Overhead, a three-tiered, filigreed chandelier dazzled the night.


    The Hostess, Erika¡ªin smashing red Afrika¡ªwas helped up to the dais. Her stage was a spotlight fit for a princess. She wore her strawberry tresses down. Putting on a pair of mystical sses that disyed for her eyes only the inventory of things on auction, Erika began; her lips were the softest pinkest pink.


    "Wee, good friends. I must say, we are all looking rather too good for ourselves. One might think we were to be the ones on disy tonight!"


    The chosen bourgeoisie in the hall chuckled at herpliment, sipping the finest of wines from gold flutes.


    "Now, who''s ready to spend some money?"


    "YEAH!!!" Many voices charged.


    Rafel shared a look under exquisite candlebras with Rosa. Erika was right. Rich people did love spending gold, as much as making it. It made them feel better about themselves. You couldn''t be in this room tonight, if you weren''t a narcissist. Rosa spied many, already grasping to their cards, ready to announce a thousand or more, at the first call.


    The silver wine, shipped in from merchant Carthaginia, would flow forever.


    "Alright! Calm down, you hungry lot," Erika joked to which the crowd chuckled. The din eased to hear her speak. "The first item going out tonight is. . ." She paused for dramatic effect, blinking under her bluish sses.


    ". . .the Akkadian Dagger, rumored to be wielded by the first Scorpion King and¡ªmight I add, it is ranked [Legendary]; would make a nice addition to your collection, because we all know you don''t give a shit about the Scorpion King."


    Everyoneughed. Rafel smiled on his upholstered chair at the diamond table. Erika was quite the hostess.


    She was saying, ". . .starting price goes at 50, 000 gold¡ª"


    "Hundred Thousand!" came a sweet baritone.


    Everyone turned to the voice. "Damn, Lord Damien," said Erika. "You just couldn''t let me finish." He answered in augh. "Akkadian dagger going for a hundred thousand gold, people."


    "Two hundred!" A Sea Admiral answered.


    Lord Damien sat back with a smile, finishing off his opponent with a final, searing topping. "FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND!" He grinned.


    The Sea Admiral waived to defeat, and Erika pounced her small gavel. "Sold to Lord Damien, the Duke of Marm¨®ir!"


    After the [Akkadian Dagger], it was the Philistine [Goliath Spear]; to which a certain Vicar paid the humongous sum of a million for¡ªone could debate how he made his fortunes enough to bid that much, but certainly not those in the private auction hall.


    His excuse to hit so high above everyone else was that the giant''s javelin was an instrument of biblical order, and this should remain with the church.


    The [Spear of Goliath] was ranked EPIC.


    After it was a golden [Numidian Lasso]. And then it was an [Egyptian Bnce] of the Afterlife. A [Loegrian Crucifix] of praying monks. A [Persian Sickle]. A [Viking Axe] spotting the runes of Beowulf¡ªno one could attest to its authenticity. An [Ashanti Buffalo Helm].


    A [Warrior Staff] of a Shogun.


    [Rings of Indie Cavayal]


    [Minghan Empress Arrow]


    [Hellenes Fire Sword]


    [Spartan Shield of Blood]


    [Romani Bollenhut]


    [Germania Runes of Rheda]


    [Carpathian Fangs of Skinwalker]


    The guests bid and bid, gold piling as the clinking in their eyes.


    ". . .and finally for tonight," Erika came calling, "we have the [Hammurabi Codes on Tablet], of the god, Amurru. It''s Old World magic and ranked EPIC. The starting price is half a million gold. But¡ª" Erika held up her hand, "I''m sorry I have to im this as mine."


    "Not if I can help it!" belted a truant Viscount. "I bid seven hundred thousand."


    Erika offered him her most polite smile as she said softly, "TWO MILLION," silencing the man forever.


    Erika blinked at the glinting screen before her eyes; there was ate addition. It shouldn''t be here, she mused, but she read it aloud. "It appears, fine nobles and lieges of distinction that we have a final reputable delight: THE BOOK OF SOULS¡ª"


    Rafel eased his friends with a smile when they turned on the long table to look at him. "I intend to buy it back," he said, "I can''t just show up without bidding."


    "¡ªstarting price is five million!" Erika''s syrupy voice lulled in. "To whom shall the souls cry master."


    "5.5!" called a Baron.


    "Six," said a Lady of a noble house.


    "10 million!" Rafel dered proudly, astounding everyone in the elite room, including the hostess. It was the single most prolific bidding of the night. It drew all-round attention to him; but Rafel wasn''t seeking it. He was only buying back what was his to begin with; he was that rich.


    Yep.


    Erika lifted her gavel, just about to bang him bigger, better winner when a new voice threw in with a surmounting bid.


    "20 MILLION."


    It was a woman''s voice: so silky in the nature in which it appealed to the ears it reminded Rafel of a siren that had been captured and brought in to lull him to sleep when he was a weed prince of Hel.


    It reminded Rafel of eerie singing in the woods.


    All heads turned to the bidder who''d just upped him twice¡ªRafel too.


    His mouth dropped open when he turned and saw his wife.

 Chapter 149: Gladorium

    THE BLONDE BOMBSHELL HOSTESS ended the auction to the highest bid of the night: twenty fucking million gold. With that much, one could buy himself a cool Victorian estate in the Lord''s District at Titans Landing;plete with moors andke. Erika had initially staked fifty mil as the auction takeaway. They beat her special by 21, 750, 000.


    To put it inly, the night had ended with Rafel and his friends walking away with the excess of 72 millionrge¡ªnot to mention the connections each had made in the hour-long after-party where each bidder recieved and celebrated his buy among fellow affluents.


    But while his friends jollied and drank with famous lords anddies, Rafel scanned the room for the woman who had outbid him to the eagle prize.


    His wife.


    Nearly a hundred million tonight was no small win, but it made Rafel wish he had at least gotten a penny in. He had the heart of the wealthy after all.


    Spying his bride on a portico outside the main halls, Rafel slipped out to meet her. She was by herself, standing against a colossal ivory pir and looking out into the acres of wyrdnd the academy left untouched to the ind''s grips. A small wind stirred in her blue hair. It was the first time he had seen the mermaid Queen with her [Rapunzel] hair fit up in a twist.


    It had to be something of a feat to hold her head up.


    But knowing the extent of her magic, Rafel doubted it weighed on her.


    He slid in next to her under the dimly lit archway. She was smiling even before she turned to look at him. "Lord Husband." she greeted in her silky voice again.


    Rafel looked into the turquoise crescents she had for pupils: just like the sea she ruled. He stood beside the Empress of the Antean Colonies, the Goddess of the Ocean, fierce leader of the water tribes, Bringer of Seasons. And yes, this powerful woman; so erotically beautiful and verbal, was his wife.


    Rafel lifted a hand fo push back a stray curl of her hair. "Quit it, Yemaya. Why''d you do it?"


    "Do what?" Her eyes twinkled.


    The corners of her lips upturned, so plush and full. He had forgotten how enchanting she was. Clearly, she was holding back a smile. She faked naivete.


    It was then Rafel returned her smile.


    "Why did you buy my goddamn Grimoire?"


    Yemaya also let her shadowed smile slip, easing into Rafel. He opened his arms eagerly, and they hugged long. She rubbed her face into his chest: a kind gesture considering her SSS-RANK [Divine] status. Yemaya pulled away but didn''tpletely remove from his embrace.


    Rafel naughtily kept his hands on her waist, a dip from the push of her exemry behind, seeking out the tousle of her evening gown.


    She was so soft and warm in his hands.


    "You really want to know why I bought the Book of Souls?" She tipped her gaze up to his.


    Rafel nodded.


    Yemaya smiled. "Because I could."


    Rafel cocked an eyebrow, and sheughed.


    "Well, there was also the fact that I wanted to see if I could make you blush. Is it working?"


    "Oh yeah," Rafel held her closer. "But tell me, how are you here?"


    "I got the blonde one''s invite. I''m not an alumni, but rich enough to be awarded a seat I guess. Then I saw you enter the hall. All the items she was mentioning; none below [Hallowed] status, I just knew it had to be you who owned it. When I heard her call out the Book of Souls, I knew for sure."


    "¡ªand you just had to have it," Rafel finished for her.


    Yemaya chuckled. "Anything to get my Lord Husband''s attention."


    "For twenty fucking mil?" Rafel pronounced.


    "Anything." Yemaya recited.


    The mermaid Queen was no doubt in ownership of a whole lot, to toss twentyrge at a whim. Rafel was currently essing the pros of having a billionaire for a wife. epting Yemaya''s proposal all those months ago had been a decision more out of favor than anything else. But it had paid off, way big. She was MILF and Sugar Mummy on a spicy, motherfucking tter.


    The ''mother'' lode.


    Rafel replied her words earlier. "Well, you have your husband''s attention. What do you require of him?" He spoke of himself in the third person.


    Yemaya lowered her eyes briefly, before Rafel drew it again to his by softly touching her cheek and turning her head. "Tell me. It''s alright. Anything. Did the sea snake disturb again?" Yemaya touched the t of her palm to his chest. She eased his worry,forting him with these words.


    "No, no. It''s nothing like that. I-I just wish to...to bear children by you."


    Rafel let her words hang; he didn''t speak for a long time. "Yemaya, I thought we agreed our union was only political; to keep your throne potent with joined Hel and water magic. And I know you''re notcking of lovers. What is this? Where is iting from? Help me understand."


    Yemaya''s aquamarine eyes lowered. Rafel hastily added, "don''t get me wrong, love; I desire to sink into your soft body for hours without end, to draw out from you the deepest moans and passions, but a baby. . .I just can''t."


    "Not by me," said Yemaya.


    Rafel was taken aback. "You want me to fuck someone else?"


    "No. I want you to fuck my wives."


    Rafel waited for her to elucidate. She did: "You well know I have a harem of four lovers. But we lost our only male presence at the battle of Skyfall."


    "Gawain," Rafel saidfortingly.


    "Yes," Yemaya continued, "since his fall, I have not desired any other male; I thought I would on return to Ant¡ªexcept you. Besides, why would I when I''ve such a magnificent stud for a husband. But I get your point; a child isn''t a good idea right now. I''m only putting it out there. I would love to have little redhaired cuties running around my castle."


    Rafel smiled. She was inviting him into her real union; to make a harem of her harem.


    He almost said yes.


    ¡ªjust the idea of fucking the bodacious brown-skinned water queen gave him the fuzzies.


    Rafel kissed her temple. He breathed in her hair.


    "Thank you for understanding. Without the intent of conception, is the deal to fuck your wives still on the table?"


    Yemaya chortled. "What do you think?"


    Rafel''s cock answered the call. "Where are you staying?"


    "Haha!" Sheughed. "Horny, are we? I''m sorry, darlin'', but that menage is going to have to wait."


    Rafel nodded. "Call me anytime; and thank you for understanding. In the meantime, what can I do to make that smilest through the night." He rubbed his thumb over her full, pink lips.


    Yemaya''s crescent pupils twinkled, and Rafel wanted to hike up her skirt right there on the patio, and lick her caramel buxom flesh; lick her good. She took his hand and began pulling him back into the ve of the after-party.


    "Come, Lord Husband, I have an idea of how you can make it up to me."


    In sincerity, Rafel hoped her hold on his hand was leading to the bedroom, but Yemaya turned in the glinting hall and stopped sharply at the charcoal slope of a grand piano.


    "I heard you''re really good. y something for me, please."


    In the depths of seas she had for eyes, who was he to say no. Rafel plopped down on the stool, cracked his knuckles and began touching the keys. His fingers moved like water over the ck and white of the piano. Chuckling guests, drinking and toasting to more parties as this, quit their conversations and circled the young man.


    They admired his dexterity. Their hearts were drawn to his music.


    Yemaya was beaming down at him, closest to his side where she could hear all the chords pluck, and Rafel tried not to ogle the chocte fleshy swells practically spilling out her decolletage. His mouth watered at the crack of her breasts.


    The music which he yed on the piano was this,


    [?? Main Theme From Bridgerton ¨C Adam Fedly.]


    In seconds, men and women formed into couples; square dancing, waltzing, foot tapping, hopping, andughing, to the beautiful sound of music. The eclectic tunes rising up the hall filled the air with life. Rafel felt their dness warm his heart.


    Yemaya was circle dancing with his friends, all their hands liked as they twirled around: Ravenna, Aya, Percival, Rosa, Brunhilda.


    They were d and bright.


    Peitho''s voice came announcing in his head.


    [Ding!]


    [Apollyon has sessfully imbibed in the mortal realm the forgotten art of song ying to stir life. In this moment, all hearts in a 2-mile radius are locked into your music.]


    [Hidden Quest achieved!]


    [dorium: REALM OF SONG.]


    [Level One]


    [Character: The Pied Piper.]


    [Reward: The violin of Artemis, gifted to Hel pocket dimension.]


    [RANK: Divine.]


    [Attributes: Hypnotic Death Song. Animate Haze World. Purple Lantern Energy. Peak Emotions.]


    Peitho kept on listing, and Rafel kept on ying.

 Chapter 150: Birthday Girls

    THE FIRST FULL MOON of spring descended upon the vast inds of Corynthia, like the spotless omniscient eye of some heavenly presence. Silver May: the Duchess of Roanoke''s beauty vessel was awaiting by a briar outcropping on the shores of the [C. A. W] ind to ferry them to the Duchess''s private home, on a different sickle-shaped isle, not too faraway.


    A fortnight had passed since Yemaya''s visit at the auction, and Rafel admitted he had conducted himself in the school activities afterward as a mere triviality, his mind turned to this very night of the full moon. It was the birthday fete Lady Fairfield''s twin daughters, Raziah and Keziah. Discover exclusive tales on mvl


    The Silver May dipped across gray waters of still twilight and reached to a rest shortly; Rafel, aboard with his friends spotted the magnificent, glowing rise of the Fairfield ind vi high on its perch. The pirs shone with iridescent light from within. Clearly, the party was on.


    "Where are the birthday girls?" Rafel smiled whilst he issued a quick peck of greeting to the mother of the celebrants.


    The Duchess beamed up at the young man. He had quickly learned the customs of her people. As a Hebrewess, who''d wed a vibrant youthful Lord at maiden age, Nura Fairfield knew for certain Israfel was one of the few who bothered to learn cultures outside of the fey majority in Eldoria. She was a maiden no more, and her noble spouse was since dead.


    Lady Fairfield was a powerful, rich widow.


    It made sense that she sought to live out the rest of her days surrounded in lively nature, closely rooted to observe her daughters grow to be splendidly gorgeous half-castes.


    She replied Rafel''s greeting with a great smile.


    "Oh, they''ll be out soon. My daughters do love a reason to engage their vanity; and what better excuse than a birthday. Comes once a year!" She joked. But under a breath, she pulled Rafel close, "are you ready?"


    ''You mean to bang the shit out of your hot daughters? Holy fecking yes!''


    But what Rafel said aloud was, "I am, Your Grace."


    The girls walked out bathed in white. Their simr dyed hot pink waves were a vision; gelled to perfect riparian coifs. Their impossible likeness made them far too hot to ignore. And even if they weren''t the feature of the night, they would still steal the light.


    The white was the shine of their gowns. It made them into the image of their God: like the Abrahamic prophetesses of old when the Judean kings ruled the world.


    They had glitter on their faces.


    They had flowers in their hair.


    Jewels of gold on their necks.


    Spools of ivory ribbon on their ankles.


    Decorative inkings drawn into their feet in ck gold. The amber radiance of pure light emanating from their forms. Tears of pricey diamonds dripping from their ears. As they sauntered into the waiting room of well-wishers, both girls moving as one, Rafel could distinctly see why the Arc Crystal had chosen them for the [Griffin Golds].


    A priest in a semitic garb stepped forward to heed the blessing as was tradition among the house.


    The Marfa of the Jewish home stood behind as her daughters knelt before the man of God; a hand on the shoulder of each girl.


    "May the light of our Lord God shine upon thee on this divine night. In the nature of His creation, as the moon brightening the firmament without, may the blessings of pure love be with thee. As He had kept covenant with our forefathers, so let thine house be blessed. Rise, Raziah. Rise, Keziah. Shalom!"


    "SHALOM!" Everyone repeated the Priest''s word.


    Lady Nura Fairfield waited until the clergyman took his leave before pping her hands. "Time for gifts!" As the friends and family began presenting, the twins noticed: a certain redhaired hunk was missing from the room.


    The Duchess of course bought her daughters the finest additions to their couture money could buy, knowing very well their [Gyaru] natures. It wasn''t just one gift tonight for the girls, but a whole lot. It was prized stallions and artificed carriages, fresh wardrobes and rubies from distantnds. But their mother still drew them close, and speaking above chatter and music said,


    "I''ve got something special for you, my doves. Aye. Go to the private cottage. Go on!"


    Lady Fairfield urged her daughters. The twins, smiling wide to the thought of this new present her mother so greedily spoke about, found their way out the party hall, exiting through a side door and walking barefooted and in radiant white, under twinkling arches to the cute, windy ce set apart from the rest of the vi.


    Raziah tugged on her sister''s hand, "we haven''t been here since we were kids. I wonder what mama has in store for us."


    She pushed in the cottage''s little door and peeped in. It had been cozied up to grand standards. As Keziah shut the door softly behind them, she could see a fire going at the hearth. The cottage was warm. Homely. Beatific.


    But the twins caught a stronger scent on the wind; more potent than the azaleas.


    It was rich and male.


    They turned just as the baritone hit.


    "Hello, birthday girls."


    The shadowed giant who had spoken, stepped into the light.


    "Israfel!" Raziah lunged first into his arms. The twins had formed a bond with him since the shared dinner at Spinazo''s. She pulled back to let Keziah, the quieter one hug him too. Raziah studied her shapely sister in his arms.


    "Are you the present mama promised?"


    "Oof! First time I''ve been called that!" Rafel feigned a blow to his stomach, making both girlsugh.


    "I''m sorry," Raziah mended, "You scared me a bit there. I thought you were the devil."


    "You know, he kind of is," Keziah offered in turn.


    She stood near to Rafel, her head up to his chest. Her sister chuckled. "Yep. Too damn tall, dark, and beautiful for his own good. I forget the mountain of gifts I left behind now seeing you."


    "Thank you, Raziah. I''ll take that." Rafel said to thepliment.


    "So," Raziah plopped onto the only furniture in sight: the quilted bed. "¡ªwhat did our mama request of you."


    Keziah joined her, and the twins together looked Rafel up and down. "Don''t lie," added Keziah.


    Rafel calmly walked to the bed and smiled. "I don''t intend to. Your mother brought me here for one purpose: to fuck you, and fuck you good. But," he touched the silver streak in Raziah''s pink hair, "whatever happens here tonight is in your hands."


    Rafel left his words at that, leaving the twins to decide. Keziah was the one who broke the silence.


    "I think this calls for wine, don''t you, Raz?" she said to her sister. Calmly, she stood and went to fetch a bottle.


    Raziah patted the space between them when her sister came back. Rafel gingerly sat at her beckon; the bed dipped and looking to both girls, he just decided to let things be. This was their birthday, their fantasy; he might as well let them take the lead¡ªfor tonight. "Hold," said Keziah, offering him a ss as she popped the cork on the wine. She poured for him first, then herself and her sister.


    Keziah raised her ss. "To us, the birthday girls!"


    Raziah made a little movement as she tipped her head back with a smallugh at her sister''s toast. It drew attention to the soft mounds on her chest, and Rafel''s eyes held on the perky swells. He was unsure if the girls had bras under their immacte slips. He thought not.


    He drank with them, long and slow.


    No one said anything for a long time.


    Rafel started, "if you want me to go?"


    "Why the hell would we want that?" Raziah didn''t let him finish. Keziah collected the wine sses and dropped them at their feet. Packing her silky long hair up, she braided the hot pink in a high bun on her head and rephrased her sister''s words. "We want you her, Israfel, tonight, with the both of us."


    "Yes?" Raziah added.


    "Yes!" Rafel bit back huskily, and they allughed.


    Keziah was on Rafel''s left, on the edge of the bed; Raziah on his right. He looked between the both of them, noticing their smiles were dimming into lip puckers. A new fire entering their eyes. Raziah bit on her bottom lip and moved close into him, as if she would kiss him. She breathed in his smell from his neck, inhaling his fine wintry cologne and sipping of hard male with hershes fluttering.


    "You smell wonderful," she said, breathing hard.


    Rafel remained silent. When she pulled back a little, and he caught her bottom lip still between her teeth, Rafel growled low in his throat and grabbed the back of her neck with a solid arm. He dipped his head to kiss and ravage her soft lips.


    Raziah grabbed his hand and brought in down.


    Her denial caused him to hiss in lust. Rafel''s cock struck out in his pants. "Raziah?" He warned. "All in time, Israfel." She flicked out her tongue to tease his lips. Rafel was already opening his mouth to im her taste. Once again, she pulled back at thest second but kept in close quarters, making him groan and reach for her.


    Raziah pped his hands away.


    "You have us all night. We intend to unwrap our present, very slowly," her voice slithered like a serpent in his ear.


    Rafel felt Keziah poke and rub him through his fly and his head turned to her on his left, while her sister hotly kissed at his neck and jaw, spraying his golden skin with more hot kisses and little bites, whispering bad things in his ear.


    Keziah said at the bulge she was feeling. "Mhmm. Our gift is so big. What shall we do with it?"


    Looking up at Rafel, she licked her lips and simultaneously squeezed him.


    "Oh!" He jerked up in her grasp.


    Keziah grabbed his dick through his fine charcoal trousers; his great pipe outlined for both girls greedy eyes. She went down on her knees before him. Rafel reclined on his hands to the bed and watched with hot, furnace eyes as she undid the sp of his belt. "I want to see my gift."


    She tore down his zipper and ripped out his cock.


    The move was so sudden and feverish, Rafel''s heavy penis pped the side of her face.


    "Ohh. God." Two words, the twin girls gasped as one, at the humongous hot flesh rising from Rafel''s groin. Rafel felt his thick member already reaching for the tight warmth of Keziah''s mouth. She licked her lips in that way again, and Rafel nearly parted them with his cock. The urge to pound her pretty face was killing him. But he forced himself to rx and let the birthday girls stare all they want.


    To the twins mention of their God in surprise and desire, Rafel replied, "I''m sorry, fair ones, but I don''t think He''s here."


    Rafel was right: that tiny cottage was too potent with sin and lust to host the presence.

 Chapter 151: Harlots Of Babylon [18+]

    [?? Bloody Mary ¨C LADY GAGA.]


    [#birthdaygirl #hebrew #infatuation #hardcore #threesome #sphemy #fornication #asseating.]


    "YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL." Keziah''s eyes were huge on Rafel. He knew she wasn''t talking about his general smoky attractiveness, but the mighty rod; velvety and ribbed, before her face.


    Rafel''s cock bobbed, just at their watching eyes. Beside him, from his right, Raziah was also watching her sister worship his fat member with her eyes down below. She whispered dirtily in his ear.


    Read exclusive chapters at mvl


    "My sister has never taken to a man before. For a moment, we thought she would never. But just look at her gobble your meat with her eyes. Her mouth waters to suck your dick."


    Rafel looked to Raziah. "And what about you?"


    In reply, the first twin grabbed his head and kissed him hard. "Don''t talk. You make me wanna shut you up with my pussy." Rafel groaned against her devouring lips. Raziah had dominance in her. He loved it. Rafel sealed their lips more firmly; she opened her mouth to receive all he gave, pouring her obsession and need into that singr act.


    All of her desire, all of her sin, all in one man.


    Raziah was lost in his lips. She rolled her tongue into his, coiling with him, sucking him like a cow''s teat. Their kissing turned hardcore. She was munching on his mouth, frenching him as they grasped and sought for better angles to utterly savor each other. "Mhmm. Ohh!


    Mmmhmm." Raziah was moaning hotly into his mouth. His taste broke her apart.


    Rafel abruptly grabbed at her breast, grasping the left one hard. He gave a thirsty, grasping squeeze; started massaging and drawing a sigh of longing from deep within Raziah.


    She broke their wild kissing with a shuddering breath. Grabbing Rafel''s errant hand, she stopped his fondling. "Nuh uh. I''m the one in charge here!" Rafel dived for her neck even as she spoke, unable to draw back from his charging need. Raziah went again as his lips sucked on her pulse and the soft skin over it. She could feel the friction like he was sucking on her breasts.


    She would love his mouth there too; her bosoms were heavy, full and aroused of lust, desperate for hot attention.


    "You make me weak." Raziah grasped to his head making a popsicle of her neck. She trailed her fingers in the ruddy strands. Rafel felt soft hands curl around him below. He shivered, falling back to look down, leaving Raziah''s neck shiny with his kisses. Her sister, Keziah had her delicate hands around the girth of his hard penis. She massaged with both hands, in little strokes.


    She pumped him in her closed fingers, slow. All the while, she kept steady eye contact. Rafel felt he might die if her looked away. The lustful fire in Keziah''s warm eyes was next level. Pouring a shameful dose of saliva onto this thick head, she began pumping him faster. Her thumb passed over the bead of precum on his swollen bulb, and Rafel jerked on the edge of the bed.


    She still hadn''t taken his trousers off.


    Keziah hissed in lust at the feel of him throbbing in her grasp. "I''m going to taste you now," she whispered. Before Rafel could do shit about it, Keziah leaned in and took him into her mouth. His cock slid in so smooth he quaked into her sister''s arm. Raz chuckled at the side. "My sis always did have a perfect mouth," she said.


    Rafel could not say a single word. He was locked in watching his dick slide in and out of those plush lips below him.


    Keziah freed her throat and swallowed in all of his stuffed cock. Rafel saw her gullet bulge with his size as he went down deep.


    Slippery saliva came rushing out at their hot joining. Keziah wrapped her soft lips around him and Rafel groaned loudly. He raised a hand to her head, to try to control Keziah''s insistent suckling, but her sister pped it away. Raziah held him immobile as Keziah went to town on his nosh, like he was thest drop of water from a tap.


    He felt, and heard the squish of his engorged penis moving in her mouth, lubricated by salivary juicies and more than enough intent on her part.


    POP!


    Keziah freed him with a long hissing.


    "¡ªso fucking tasty," she moaned on her knees. "I want more."


    Rafel had no time to recover from her wicked mouth, before she was upon him again,shing his massive cock head with her velvety tongue and sucking him wildly. Her head was going up and down, her throat squelching. Her sister, Raz, guided her movements, chuckling at the fierce wanton manner in which she gobbled up their boytoy for the night.


    "Ohh shit. Look at you take that monster penis, you fucking slut. Take it. Take it good. Fuck yes. Just like that." Raziah held her sister''s head down until she visibly gagged.


    "Save some for me though. I want prime dick too."


    "Ahh!" Rafel clutched to Raziah''s waist. "Stop her. She''s gonna fucking kill me. I''m about to explode."


    GLUB! GLUB! GLURB! SLURP! GLURB!


    Everywhere Rafel turned to, to try to shift away from Keziah''s unrelenting suck, she followed him with her devious, delicious mouth.


    "No. Hell no! You''re not." Raziah turned over on the edge of the bed. She pulled Rafel in, lifting up the folds of her white gown, showing sensual buxom flesh. She parted her fair thighs. She slipped an arm back to drag her tight ck panties to the side.


    And then she dragged Rafel in, by the scruff of his shirt. "You can''t explode if you''re eating ass."


    She husked out the words behind to him; who, needing no incentive, dived to lick her ass like his life depended on it.


    Raziah shook her big bum in his face, sighing as she shut her eyes at his torturous licks. She put her hand to his head, pulling him deeper into her crack and rolling the globes of her sweet ass against his mouth. Her twin, Keziah had reced her mouth on Rafel''s cock with her body.


    Grabbing onto his savage python, she rubbed on the twisting veins before easing his huge head into her pussy, and slowly lowering onto him.


    And then, she began to ride; she did jumping squats over him, her sexy body coiling in heat whenever shended on his thighs wetly and he hit that spot.


    "Ohh god. Yes. Yeah. Fuck yeah. Ohh my...so good."


    "Let me taste," Raziah interrupted.


    Rafel''s face and dick was warm and wet with both females as Raz turned over from her booty-out perch on the bed''s edge. The twin girls together pulled up Rafel to lie on his back, sprawled on the tousled sheets of white. It was Raziah''s turn to ''glurb'' on his cock now.


    With silent understanding between the girls, Rafel was held down by Keziah as her sister grabbed his fat dick, spraying her face with the impromptu jizz he shot up in a long groaning.


    His penis didn''t get to dete.


    ¡ªbecause Raziah''s hot mouth descended and she tongued him back to readiness again. Though Rafel was chained down by Keziah''s hands, he lifted his lean hips; pumping up into Raziah''s mouth. She held her hair back and let him pound as he wished. She gripped his thighs and held down when she felt him about to rip another semen sludge again.


    "Why''d you stop?" Rafel gasped, shackled to the bed under both looks like females.


    Raziah turned to him. "You taste like my sister''s pussy, but baby, I''m not about to let you cum again. . ."


    ". . .unless it''s inside one of us," Keziah finished for her.


    Giggling, they swiftly maneuvered Rafel into the position they wanted: a new one. Raziah slid under him while he enveloped her in a gori pose. She rubbed her rump into him and felt him m deep into without hesitation. Keziah on the other end of their passionate tryst, tore off her pristine gown and rose to stand on the bed. It brought up Rafel''s face to the musky area between her eyes.


    "Tongue," she instructed.


    Rafel grabbed Raziah''s barbie pink hair under him, banging her crazy as her beautiful sister, Keziah, spread her pussy for him to feed. He sank his face into her spread legs, loving how plump she was. Her thighs warmed his head and her scent was divine. She fingered herself as he flicked her clit with his tongue. Keziah clenched around his head. And Raziah, around his dick.


    Rafel could smell nothing but woman.


    He was in heaven.


    His paradise became enchanted in rainbow colors when the twins orgasmed on him at the same time. Raziah kept bouncing back into his dick, pulling out her orgasm for as long as she could, not wanting the delicious throbbing of such hot meat sliding deep inside her to end. Keziah fucked Rafel''s face with her cunt, thering him up with her cream.


    They heralded him with whimpers every man wished to hear from the woman he was bedding: "Ohh yes, Israfel." "You feel so good." "That was the best orgasm of my life." "You fuck like a god." In Rafel''s case though, the phrase would be ''women'', and thepliments to his virility were well deserved.


    Rafel was finally allowed freedom from the girls tight, hot bodies. He fell to the bed hard.


    "Best birthday gift ever! Thank you mama!" Raziah joined Rafel, nude and glued to his right side. Her sister, Keziah: the quieter one, spent several minutes post-coitus licking up Rafel''s body like a cat. Shepped his abs and his chest, the sweat on his biceps and corded shoulders¡ªtheir sweat.


    She kissed the glistening pipe of his penis, making it twitch. Rafel grasped her tresses of pink, and the streaks of marigold in hers; the only thing differentiating her from the other hottie at his right.


    He shook his head at Keziah''s slow wanton smile.


    "Look at you!" He returned her smile; she had the sheen on her sexy body that told it all. "Aren''t you tired of your multitude of whoredoms?" Rafel said, quoting the Jewish scriptures he was certain the girls were familiar with.


    Raziah sidled in closer to him. She easily quoted back. "What can we say? We''re the Harlots of Babylon."


    Keziah, still quiet¡ªbut with citrine eyes that spoke volumes, kissed Rafel''s skin again, at the dip of his loins: his cum gutters, with her gaze searing into the naked picture of her perfect messiah. For in this moment, Israfel Bl¨¹dth?rste was her Judean prophet, the Christ who redeem her from all her sins, purging them thoroughly from within her¡ªby fucking them all out of her.


    All her sinful pleasures would flee, once she enacted them all with this beautiful man.


    Rafelprehended in her look what she needed.


    "Give me a minute, fair child," he said, "and I''ll be good to go again."


    [TO BE CONTINUED.]

 Chapter 152: Harlots Of Babylon II [18+]

    [#catholic #fetish #roley #hot]


    [?? Darling Nikki (X) ¨C Prince.]


    ? ¡é ?


    IT WAS THE NIGHT''S WIND that stirred Rafel awake.


    He sat up on the bed with a start. ''When had I dozed off,'' he wondered. He thought of asking Peitho for a system stats; a swift look at the room, and he refrained. It had being tidied up. Rafel didn''t think he had been asleep for long. He could still hear the thudding drumbeats of the party music ying in the vi beyond the cottage.


    His luscious lovers however were nowhere in sight.


    Rafel decided a shower would help with rity. He stepped out few minutester with a silver towel he''d found in the little tub wrapped around his midriff. The abs on disy could mock Ares'' tan breastte of war. His hair wet with hot water, Rafel finally took a long, slow look at the room.


    The tidiness was spick-span: the bedid and pillows fluffed, no unusual smell of sex in the air, and the sweaty evidence of the most recent passion was vanished off the sheets. If not for the tingling hum low in his torso, Rafel would''ve thought the beautiful twins a mirage. Coming to think of it, they did look like a dream. He shook his head and walked to the bed.


    "Peitho! Where are my lov¡ª"


    The words fell out his lips.


    He found, nearly tucked into the folded top corner of the nket a piece of paper. Rafel carefully pulled it out and unfurled. The most lovely writing he''d seen since Coraz¨®n''s was inked in perfect blue scrawls on the parchment. He could tell it had been torn off some ancient scroll. The smell of the papyrus reminded him of his days at Emberfall''s study as he read the note:


    [Dear Israfel, Raz and I thought we must''ve tired you out, so we cast a cleaning spell on the cottage and a Kiss of Eros on you. But we are not done with you yet, demon Prince. Meet us at the gardens.]


    [You are wholly, sexily ours for the night.]


    [Our present must be totally enjoyed.]


    [With sincerest admiration, Keziah.]


    Rafel softly closed the note. The exquisite writing belonged to Keziah then. It made sense; she didn''t talk much. Truthfully, he did not know if she could; but if so, her handicap would only make it hotter to shag her. Just like that one time he had roleyed been a blind warlock with Lilith. His aunt had been wild that night, carving her talons into his back in soaking need.


    Tossing the paper, Rafel reached for the closet. A single Kaftan of liquid silver was hung and waiting.


    A Babylonian garment.


    Rafel grabbed a turban he found also, deciding he would impress his Hebrew concubines.


    As he dressed, he figured it made sense how he just went off now. The girls had cast a spell on him. ''Naughty sluts,'' he reasoned with a smile. His demon core would have rebuffed it if it was deemed a threat, but the [Kiss of Eros] was about as threatening as a pecking dove on a street. It was a sleep spell.


    And clearly, the quick cleanliness of the room indicated the use of magic. For starters, his cum was disappeared off the ends of the byzantine floors; and he had cum like a Roman breed steed.


    Outside, the gardens which Keziah had written of in her note was a short walk from the cottage: about ten paces for Rafel''s long strides. The cultured shrubs were shaped to look like dancing people. In the silverly light of the full moon, shining down bright from above, Rafel couldn''t tell exactly what species of ''people''.


    Either way, the garden was beautiful, and the smell of aloe vera and hibiscus filled his nostrils.


    He moved silently among green and violet buds.


    The earth was soft and the night silent.


    Rafel spotted the girls at the foot of a magical Wryd tree: with reaching branches and a twisting stalk. It was short and luminous with the lunar energy it collected and oozed. The pale leaves whispered a thousand bursts of mystical light, like little fairies, dancing on the tree.


    It was midnight on the cottage grounds, and looking at the twins, curled into each other, splendidly radiant under the moon and shining tree, it seemed like they were the only people in the world¡ªtheir union the only one that really mattered.


    Rafel moved for the gorgeous girls. He smiled when they both opened their arms, beaming and beatific, like the doors of a church to ept him into their fold. He pointed around the garden.


    "You know, if these flowers could fly, you''d have reanimated the Hanging gardens of Babylon."


    Raziah smiled warmly. "We might just make it so," she said.


    Knowing both girls were in the [Griffin Arc], with control of wind and skyling magic at their fingertips, Rafel didn''t doubt their capabilities. "But¡ª" chirped Raziah. "You look wonderful in that turban. Has anyone told you you''d make an excellent foreign King? Or perhaps, a fantasy of it."


    Rafel nodded. "Yes. A certain lush Gyaru told me so on a full moon night, just before I seduced her into my bed."


    Keziah blushed and smacked his chest, as he sister remarked, "Confident, are we?"


    "Nope. Hell fucking hopeful," returned Rafel.


    The girls eased from his arms, pushing back and making a twirl for his eyes. Raziah said, "so, what do you think?"


    "WOAH!" Rafel nearly doubled over.


    He had been too fucking focused on their pretty faces to notice the attires which they wore. Gone was the puritan white of their birthdays. Raziah and Keziah Fairfield could kill a man in the majestic colorful dresses which they now stood in.


    It was the same theme as his: Babylonia.


    Baby-fucking-lonia!


    The gowns were delectable red: the splits showing off more sulence than they covered. A slip of creamy flesh here, a show of robust boob there. It was so provoking to the eye Rafel didn''t know what to focus on. Keziah was currently standing in a backshot pose and her full bottom was deliciously on disy. While Rafel watched, she dropped down on her slim waist and touched her toes.


    Her sister, Raziah, smiling, cupped and yed with her shaking ass as she twerked for Rafel''s eyes.


    The position was wicked.


    "You fucking sinners." He growled in the garden. His baritone made the flowers shiver and wither.


    The twins scarlet ensemble reminded him of the time when the dresses they wore were the hot topic of the old world, when young women in such revealing garbs would stand on flooded streets and beckon at strangers to the temptation of motherly bosoms, when Babylon was fire and storm.


    Babylonia was famous for its whores...and broken marital vows. Carthage had its trading ports. Rome, its armies. Babylon; its fucking whores.


    The harlots there could seduce a Temr out of his oath.


    Under Rafel''s steadfast gaze, Raziah parted the veils of her twin sister''s undergarments, hooking a finger and pushing the red thong aside. Keziah was busy still pping her ass cheeks, hands around her ankles. In such bent position, Rafel could see all that made her woman. She was riper than papaya, delicate as petals, pink as fucking peach.


    He''d bet a thousand solidi she''d be tight as a virgin too.


    "Holy shit," Rafel droned when Raziah wet her thumb and rubbed it into Keziah''s asshole. Her sister puckered as she slid the finger in. Giggling, she pulled it out and brought it up to her lips, shaking Keziah''s ample butt as she did so.


    "Want a taste?" She held out the finger to Rafel.


    Rafel answered with a growl.


    He would love to pound them into paradise under the full moon, but. . .another idea sparked in his deviant head.


    One minute, both girls were flushed and giggling to Rafel''s burning eyes. The next, he was upon them like a me. His shadows of darkness swamped out the silver of the full moon and brilliance of the glowing Wyrd tree as he swarmed them in his umbras. Rafel was pulling on his dark essence. The garden flooded with ebony wisps and then, they were gone.


    They all materialized in front of the cottage.


    "Come here." Rafel dragged the girls to himself as they struggled to find their footing. His lips found Keziah''s first. And her sister kicked in the door.


    The three of them tumbled in. Rafel grasped to Raziah''s plump butt, kissing her next. It was full of tongue and wild. He fondled her in open lust, and she returned in like manner: tearing at the gold strings of his royal Kaftan; ripping the white turban off his head to let down his beautiful, ruddy hair, soft as silk in her caressing hands.


    Rafel bent her head to an angle when he could drink in her taste; he didn''t stop until he tasted her sister''s ass right off her tongue.


    Raziah wed a path down his torso, iming his chest and abs in her fingers as she dragged them slow and wicked down the brick-hard ridges. His skin was both hot and refined like melted gold under her palms.


    As Rafel drowned Raziah''s neck in kisses and she moaned and struggled to unfasten his breeches, Keziah stood behind him too, cing kisses all over his strong back, nipping at golden muscles born of battle and tan skin smooth and ripped as a tiger''s.


    "I can''t wait anymore." Raziah offered breathlessly.


    She flicked her wrist with a pulse of gilded magic, and all of Rafel''s pristine clothes met the floor of the cottage. She pushed him down on the nearest sofa and fell with him. Rafel sucked in her earlobe. She writhed on him, already grasping for his cock.


    "My God! I must have you now."


    Rafel turned her around with a growl. She sat in hisp, facing away from him. She felt his warm shaft bullet between her ass crack, nudging, seeking slippery tight fulfillment. Rafel tore up her swarming skirts. "I almost hate the Babylonian fashion now. Too many fucking robes!" To this, Raziah chuckled.


    "Hold this!" Rafelmanded. He had ripped off to tatters the train he couldn''t unravel, and he now ordered her to hold her panties to the side.


    His thick cock bobbed into the fray, pping out from under her ass and against her pussy. The both of them looked down at the same time. Raziah was already wet and glistened before their eyes. She took stared down at her own liquid core. "Go slow, please," she begged. "I want to feel every inch."


    "No." Another voice entered their passion. It was Keziah; she had spoken, and her words were like pouring wine. Rafel couldn''t really think on that fact as his cock was throbbing for some pussy. "Go hard and fast." Keziah drowned her sister''s pleading. "I want you to make her beg you to stop. I want you to pound that pussy like the fucking whore she is.


    Use her! I want her leaking all over the ce. I want her squirting. I want her to wet your cock like a fucking faucet. Bang the shit out of that cunt. Make her pucker and scream.


    I want to see you creampie my sister."


    Keziah went to the bed and leaned back on it. She took a very advantageous position where she got a good view of the couch Rafel and Raziah were on.


    Rafel said darkly, "as you wish, fair one."


    He hoisted up Raziah above him. He held up her legs wide and high, thighs spread. She grabbed at her ankles and he holding up her thickps. They both watched as his cock head connected with her slit. Keziah leaned in for a better view on the bed, and all three of them groaned as he slowly slid into her.


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    "Ohh..." Raziah yearned as her head fell back.


    Rafel''s shoulder was there to hold it.


    Once he was in, he let out the beast.


    Rafel began pounding upward at a crazed rhythm. Raziah was bouncing above him. Her eyes started to roll. Her tongue hung out, and she sought for something to hold. She was weak as he drilled like a madman into her slick folds. Rafel bore her up in his arms like she weighed nothing.


    He took from her his demented lust, hitting and hitting until she broke apart from his feral thrusting.


    PAH! PAH! P-PAH! PAH! PAH!


    SQUISH!


    Raziah let a high scream as she jerked and released a long stream of squirt. Rafel''s pipe was briefly pushed out of her cunt. But he grasped himself again, soaking and dripping to the balls, and jammed himself back inside her, ramming up her pussy again.


    PAH! PAH! PAH!


    "Yes! Yes. Fuck yes! That''s it!" Keziah sang on the bed,ughing and watching.


    PAH! PAH!


    "Ohhhummmm." Raz came again, bucking and twisting. Rafel pulled out his fierce and colossal phallus, whipping her naughty little pussy with it and scattering her squirting. Her inner thighs were wet. She dripped down his strong calves to the floors.


    Rafel felt his balls constrict and knew he was close.


    He rose and tossed Raziah to the sofa. She fell andy down, defeated and utterly fucked; catching her breath.


    "Come here, you!"


    He grabbed and dragged her sister off the bed to a great wooden cross. It was the only stuff in the room Keziah could grab onto as he pushed her to it and bent her down. "Grab to it like you fucking want to choke it. And spread your whore legs!" He broke thickly in her ear. Shuddering, Keziahplied.


    She soon felt his hard cock m within her and Keziah bit her bottom lip at the sheer pleasure of his girth. "Forgive me, my saviour." She pleaded with a God who wasn''t present. And then, she gave herself wholly to the demon behind.


    Rafel smacked and drilled her cute butt until she was pink from his hands and dick.


    They came together: gyrating and grunting.


    Rafel poured kegs into her tiny slut pussy; but Keziah turned around, whispering, "I want some in my mouth."


    She sucked off the rest of his cum, urging him to jerk more with her mouth as she gobbled his nosh and swallowed all that her gave. Keziah clutched to the cross behind her as he used her mouth in milking all of his pleasure. She got the ''milk'', all over her face and heavy breasts.


    And when Rafel was done, he dragged her up to her feet and carried her to the bed. He went for her sister too. Gathering the beautiful Jewish twins into himself, he finally let some blood flow from his dick into his head.


    Thest thing Raz saw before she drifted off in the wild demon''s arms was the cross of her Lord: an ornate, Temr wood of thends of Judea.


    She repeated her sister''s words.


    "Forgive me, saviour."

 Chapter 153: Hotel Meeting

    The birthday party ended at some time a few hours before dawn. Israfel was already in bed,id down on his back with a forever smile and two hot babes in his arms; he counted the minutes until sunrise.


    What couldpare, he wondered, to the feeling of having the best night out with some fucking amazing twins? To been blown by both girls? To be shared by virtually two of the same person; Rafel did love to sp his mind onto the nuances that distinguished them¡ªwhen theyy in bed with him, he stroked the gold streak in Keziah''s hair and the silver in Raziah''s.


    Sunrise met him still smiling to himself.


    He rose at the first purple ray that split the drapes of the cottage, and made for the bathroom. The water was icy, but he didn''t mind. Some might say he was of a nature hot enough to boil the shower spray. He wouldn''t deny¡ªbeing a literal demon and all. It came with the habitat he was born in.


    In fact, legends like his Uncle, Lord Lucifer and the psycho principality, Moloch loved to take their morning baths in dips of pools of [Hel me]:va that perpetually burned in the underworld. When Rafel stepped out the shower, vapors of steam flocked him like the clouds. His internal heat had drops of water hissing on his gold skin.


    Rafel of course could tone it down whenever he wanted.


    But the morning was cold; and he desired a hot bath to start the day. And so he made it so, even without pulling on mana from his [Rank A] Demon Core. Rafel searched the room in a loose towel for his abandoned briefs.


    "You''re heading out already?" A quiet voice called.


    Rafel turned to the bed. It was Keziah. She yawned softly as he walked over. "Hi. You''re awake. I didn''t want to wake you.


    Yes," he said, "I''ve got to meet up with someone at the Lakewood ind. I have to ferry there, and I want an early start. I tried to sleep in for as long as I could, but ...I gotta go."


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    Keziah offered him a little smile that just made the morn glow a little bit brighter; he saw the gold of the sun in her eyes. He added, "You''re cute. Trust me, I wish I could stay."


    Keziah''s smile stretched. "Oh, don''t worry. I''m a big girl." She nced to her sleeping sister. "We both are. Now go on. I''d hate to be the one to make you tardy to your function." She looked him up and down when he hesitated.


    "¡ªbecause one more second, and I''ll drag you into this bed with me, where I can warm you for a few hours. . .with this. . ."


    She dropped the opal sheets from her chest and Rafel caught a good glimpse of perky pink. "Oh, don''t tempt me." He grinned, kissing her forehead and easing off the bed.


    As he pulled on his clothes to leave, Keziah called finally to him. "Hey, don''t be a stranger."


    At the door, he nodded, and turned for ast look for the journey back to [C. A. W] ind. Keziah was already purring again in her sister''s arms, the girls were curled snugly into each other. He saved the memory, and kept imagining them under the moonlit night, in radiant white, as he mounted a waiting horse and rode out to therge transport ship waiting at the dockets.


    He joined the other passengers headed out to sea, with different stops at the neighboring isle.


    He found out, just before the ship took sail, from a caped houseguard loyal to the Fairfield banners that the Duchess was still asleep from the partying intote night. So were all his friends. He left on the transport ship alone, knowing the good Lady Fairfield would be kind enough to offer her prized boat to his friends for one more ride.


    "Ahoy! Take me to the Grand Tourniquet Inn."


    Rafel hailed a carriage when he hit drynd, riding with a private lift from the loading docks on the [C. A. W] ind all the way to the Inn he''d requested. It was where he was to have the meeting for which he had woken so early. Rafel stared out the passing streets of the goth academy: its long shadows and medieval towers, as the buggy rolled on the way. The school was only just awakening.


    Rafel tipped the cabbie heavily when they finally rumbled to a stop.


    "The Grand Tourniquet Inn!" The happy horseman announced.


    Rafel turned to the great mountain of greystone iming almost a hundred forward feet of the entire sidewalk. He looked up the spooky turrets but couldn''t see the end of it. The steeples were hid in the blue firmament of heaven, rolling nimbi obscuring skylights. The Inn was several storeys of wondrous, colossal hotel.


    How ancient it must be? The architecture: cedars and obsidian.


    The Grand Tourniquet Inn was a skyscraping organism rising from the very earth to tell a tale of wealth and centuries of secrets its stone walls had imed.


    It made total sense that his billionaire wife would stay here.


    Rafel moved in long strides, his gait confident to draw stares from the bellman. At the silverly counter in a resplendent foyer with gold-leaf floors, Rafel pped his invite on the polished top and said, "I have a calling card for Madame Yemaya."


    The concierge gave him a look of unbelief. He took the card, stuttering, "The A-Antean queen?"


    "Yes."


    "I''m sorry, but who is she to you. As you know, Sir, we can''t just dish out room keys to any¡ª"


    "She''s my wife."


    Rafel''s tone gave the man pause and he quickly nodded. "Topmost floor. Her Majesty has the penthouse suite. You''d need to ride the private elevator." He pointed, but Rafel was already off in that direction.


    In the luxury box ride up to the penthouse, a tiny monochrome voice which seemed like it was a pixie whispering in his ear advertised to him the distinguished air of the hotel, as if he didn''t already see it: "Wee to Grand Tourniquet. The Inn is a five-star top reservation, boasting diverse ster bedchambers with themes to suit the tastes of many a magical faction.


    We have attic lofts for Fae, adorned bunkers for vampires, and¡ª"


    Rafel hit the glinting button to shut out the voice.


    What the tiny recording didn''t say was that the Grand Tourniquet Inn was owned by a board of Elder Vampires, just as ancient as the hotel itself. Once again, it was all in the name: TOURNIQUET?


    Really, they couldn''t do better?


    Ding!


    The elevator doors swished open, and Rafel''s eyes fell on his sumptous bride.


    She was already waiting for him.


    "Hi. Good morning." Yemaya embraced him. "How was the journey? I almost sent you a message not toe if it caused you any difort. We can always discuss some other time. I can arrange for a submarine to bring you into Ant.


    There, we can have all the fucking time we want to talk."


    Rafel kissed her cheek. "No. It''s no bother. I like to be up before the birds. But...nice digs!"


    He raised his brows at Yemaya''s chambers. She was really owning the penthouse. It had been fitted with marine curtains of softest chiffon, bluish lighting, a perfect addition of a floor-to-ceiling aquarium;plete with goldfish and crimson algae. The entire penthouse suite was like a mini underwater castle.


    It had that psychedelic glow, almost haunting.


    Hypnotic.


    Sleepy.


    "You like?" Yemaya leaned in.


    "Yep." Rafel put his hands in his pockets as she led to a seating area with a state-of-the-art oceanic mural and long, nice sofas. They both settled into the same one and faced each other. "Thank you for having this meeting with me," Yemaya said, "I''m only onnd for a few days. I can''t be parted from the sea for too long. You know how it goes."


    "You are my wife." Rafel''s voice was sure. "¡ªand sex or not, I will always be here for you. I may not like the idea of marriage, but I sure as fuck keep my oaths. You are of great importance to me." He pulled a blue curl of her long hair to stare more into her crescent pupils. "I hate to ask this, but, can I buy back the Book of Souls from you?


    I need it for a friend, Coraz¨®n; you guys met once. I don''t know if you remember. She''s got her memory wiped. I need the Grimoire to fix it. It''s ast resort. You can name your price."


    "Yeah," Yemaya leaned on the sofa with one arm behind, "I heard all about Emberfall. I''m truly sorry. I wish I''d been there. And yes, I remember Cora. She''s pretty hard to forget. But you really think I would sell you the Book of Souls?


    You, my dearest spouse? Consort of the Sea Goddess? Come on!"


    Sheughed when Rafel squinted. "But the Grimoire cost you twenty fucking million?"


    Yemaya only smiled. "Ohh, my love, you must not know how rich I am."


    "Now, I do." Rafel mentally tripled the worth of his wife in his head.


    Yemaya pointed to a spot on a table where a package binded in dark leathery. "Way ahead of you, babe. The Book of Souls; packaged and ready to go."


    "Wow! Thank you," said Rafel.


    Yemaya scoffed. "Please, I would flood a nation for you." Rafel gulped, seeing the raw sincerity in her eyes. She really would. Yemaya continued, "but, I can do you one better. Something that would really help your friend remember. Or at least, speed the process along."


    She crossed her long, brown-skinned legs. Rafel was intrigued. He moved closer to her.


    "What, my darling?"


    "I can tell you who wiped her memory."

 Chapter 154: The Things We Do For Love

    [?? What Lovers Do ¨C Maroon Five ft. SZA.]


    "Israfel?" Yemaya nudged gently. The ruddy young [Apollyon] blinked and refocused. His vision seemed blinded by a tear cloud and he stared straight ahead at the giant aquarium and the winy octopus threading the water with glowing purple tentacles. Yemaya''s voice came soft again. "Are you okay, my Lord? You went out on me for a second there."


    "The octopus," Rafel pointed at the iridescent organism in the clear marine ss. "Is it a hybrid?"


    Yemaya was not happy about Rafel changing the subject, but she answered, exining why the octopus'' body shimmered like amp. "Yes, it is. Bonnie is a new addition to a hybrid culture at the Antean Research Institute. My best scientists came up with a way to inject zygotic cells of jellyfish into octupi embryos.


    Bonnie is the pioneer species." She ended.


    Rafel stared at the eight arms on the polypus; suckers filled with poison enough to kill a grown man. And now, electrified too. It was getting more clear to him that wifey-ing up Yemaya was a great decision. "She looks real calm in her new skin." He attempted at a joke.


    Yemaya smiled, and her voice hardened.


    "Enough, Rafel. You don''t really care about my pet octupus. You are only trying to distract from my offer, and so I pose the question again: would you like me to tell you who wiped Cora''s memory?"


    Rafel sighed. "Do I really want to know?"


    "Isn''t that what you want the Book of Souls for?"


    Yemaya waved a hand at the bound leather tome on her burnished sapphire-ss top. She added, "even I don''t know who it is yet. But there are many things a Goddess of my rank can ess. A lot of perkes with ascending into the [Supreme Supernatural Sovereign] level¡ªas you well know."


    [Ding!] Peitho talked in Rafel''s head; the sugar sweet voice of his infernal system binding to his thoughts like cream on cheese.


    [The Antean Queen is right, LORD APOLLYON!]


    [The Sea Empress''s prowess as SSS RANK, and god-level divinity of the oceans affords her with a lot of leeway when ites to essing information currently unavable to you.]


    [Not only is your A Rank well beneath hers, HOST, but the sea queen has been in the supernatural oceanic order for centuries. She has ruled the merfolk colonies from before your infernal birthing. The data she''s offering is ssified at your level.]


    [To unlock, HOST must ascend to at least 7th Infernal Ring.]


    [My Lord Apollyon is currently at the Third Ring.]


    [Ding!]


    [essment Ended!]


    Rafel loved that Peitho stuck to her job; she didn''t give advice she thought he needed, or will benefit this situation. And for this, he honored her by asking: ''What would you have me do, Peitho? Do I take my wife''s generous offer, or try my luck with the Book of Souls?''


    As for Yemaya, she was not privy to this dialogue, and like she knew Rafel was locked in inner conversation with his system, she rose to find and pop a vintage bottle of wine. A decade aged and smooth as running silver, she poured into nice sses and handed one over to Rafel. He took a sip, awaiting Peitho''s response.


    [Ding!]


    [The Book Of Souls, while being a Divine Relic of insurmountable aid, is also and will eternally be a Grimoire of the Darkest Arts. My Lord Apollyon cannot expect the souls forcefully binded its gnarly pages to be helpful. They will be greedy and ill at heart, and employ means to gain advantage. There will be lies and deception.


    HOST will gain better truth from dealing with a leprechaun.]


    [Thus, calcting the best possible scenario of finding peace for Miss Coraz¨®n Mortimer, SYSTEM suggests HOST epts the Sea Goddess''s offer.]


    [It is clean, without return favor or reprove.]


    ''Thank you, Peitho.'' Rafel switched off their connection in his head. He drained his ss of eld brandy in one gulp, tasting the pomegranate vor in it for a moment in his mouth before swallowing. He looked to Yemaya; her aquamarine eyes were lovely and patient. Peitho was right. He could trust better his wife to help with a problem, than a million wild souls in limbo.


    "Do it," said Rafel.


    Yemaya dropped her own ss of wine and wet her lips. She opened her palms, like a witch in a [Conjuring Spell]. Her voice rose. Her sea-blue pupils spun brightly. He could see her lush brown skin light up within with a paranormal glow: a human firefly. Her veins turned visible and blue, transforming her into a creature of wonder, like that hybrid octopus.


    Magic ran like blue fire under her skin, pulsing in flesh and making her seem a [Revenant].


    When the Antean queen spoke, it was with the voice of a thousand fish:


    "Tides of the Trench, and mystics of the Marina. Deep cold and ocean bold, heed me, thine goddess. To this name, Coraz¨®n Mortimer, let all truth be revealed. By the power of Sea and Season, I conjure." She added wistfully. "Make it legible, please. I''d hate to read ancient Valhan."


    The entire penthouse pulsed and beamed in blue luminescence. It was kind of trippy.


    But then, a fat scroll dropped out of nowhere, right in the middle of Yemaya''s open palms.


    She stopped glowing. Her eyes dimmed; they crescents she had for pupils were still eerie though. Normal folk had round iris. Yemaya had slitted ones. It singled her out; distinguished her. She, was very much not normal¡ªbut in the best, most powerful, supernatural way.


    She offered Rafel the scroll and said, "Everything you need is in there. I''ll leave you to it."


    "Wait." Rafel touched her wrist as she attempted to rise. He linked his fingers with her. "You just used your prowess as SSS-RANK tomand your system for this. Don''t you want to know the culprits?"


    Yemaya sat back down, and her eyes lit in a way Rafel had only seen on their wedding day.


    "You trust me that much."


    He smiled brilliantly. "I do. You didn''t need to do this for me; you could just have let me try it out with the Book Of Souls, but you did. I will not forget this. You''re my wife. I need you here.


    Now,e on! Don''t make me into some lovey dovey Orpheus." Yemayaughed as he held out his hand. "Come here."


    She scooted to him on the sofa and they huddled in close, knit at the thigh as they unraveled the scroll. Rafel pulled the silver ribbon off it. He unfurled it like a map and set it down on the tiny ornate top before them. Yemaya grabbed some paperweights and held the parchment down.


    They both stared on the revealed pages.


    The first thing on the scroll was a family tree.


    Rafel didn''t bother with the progenitors long dead. He went down to the single name at the bottom of the list: CORAZ¨®N MORTIMER, and read up from there. He drew up circles with his finger.


    "Her father was ric Mortimer, a warlock in the past King Imperia''s host. Her mother; Lucia Piven, was a [Sage]. A irvoyant, it says here. She could see the future." He shared a look with Yemaya. His wife said, "why do I feel like something''sing after that?"


    "It is." Rafel exined. "During myst talk with Coraz¨®n at her dorm. . ." He struggled not to imagine her sucking his dick, which was what had gone down¡ªmostly. ". .


    .she seemed to think her parents were still alive, which they clearly aren''t AS IT STATES HERE on this goddamn tree. I initially thought it was because of her amnesia, but ric and Lucia Mortimer have been dead since she was a wee girl.


    [Memory Erase] spell doesn''t stretch that far.


    But the thing is, her alive parents," he made air quotes, "go by the names Belbys and Zagreus."


    Yemaya nodded in rity. "You mean the Inca demi-goddess and the son of Hades."


    "Exactly!" Rafel hit the table with his fist.


    "But Belbys and Zagreus are not her parents..." Yemaya continued intelligently. "Unless, someone wants her, and us to think that."


    Rafel took a deep breath. "WHO THE FUCK would scramble her mind to think Belbys, a fucking harlot, and Zagreus, a red-eyes sicko we''re her parents?"


    "Someone so intent on hiding in the shadows," said Yemaya.


    Rafel returned. "Belbys and Zagreus are patsies. No one would think to look further finding the girl''s literal parents are Immortals. But not us. We are lucky to have you. Let''s see who this bastard is, shall we?"


    Rafel flipped the scroll to stare at the end.


    Yemaya was practically in hisp, as the both of them were now deeply curious to read the name scribbled into the bottom of the scroll. The man behind it all. The person so evil he could erase a young girl''s entire teenage life to keep back the truth from bursting forth. It was a single name.


    ¡ªbut both Rafel and Yemaya were fifty shades of shocked to find out it was a woman.


    They read the name together.


    "LILITH FIRSTBORN."


    Rafel went stiff as metal rod in a lightning storm. Charged as much too. He couldn''t believe his eyes. His auntie? HIS FUCKING AUNT? She was the viin.


    The bastard who had taken his Coraz¨®n from him? All the memories they had made together at Emberfall? She was the bitch responsible?


    Rafel rose to his feet like a [Golem].


    Robotic.


    Mute.


    Deadly.


    Enjoy exclusive adventures from mvl


    But it made sense. It all did. Only a being as powerful as Lilith could pull some grand evil motherfucking shit like that; the Lady Fyre painting had confirmed that much. And so it was only fair to the mystic well of the universe that only a being of equal power to Lilith''s could break through her hex and all of her fucking webs: his wife, Yemaya.


    If Lilith had cast a spell, it meant Coraz¨®n did really die.


    She had been turned from the other side.


    It made perfect sense. How could he not have seen it? Lilith was the Queen of the Underworld. She had souls at her taloned grip like [The Fates] with strings of life. She alone could have resurrected Cora; she had the divine runes.


    Coraz¨®n. . .his Coraz¨®n was a [Ghost Girl].


    Rafel was mumbling. "I can''t believe she would do that. I can''t believe she would hurt me like that. First, they murdered her in front me. Those bastards! Then they brought her back.


    They wiped her memory. And they sent her back to me to screw with my head, my emotions. . .my fucking life!"


    Rafel had begun to glow like aet. His eyes were raw mes. He was filling with energy.


    He was going to explode!


    "Uh, Israfel?" Yemaya moved to touch him.


    But he wasn''t hearing her. His entire body went sun bright and super nova hot. She knew it the second he was about tobust. Yemaya knew a st from him would tten the whole hotel and scatter a few more buildings in the area. She loved her penthouse suite at the Grand Tourniquet, and didn''t want to loose her special glow octupus when the ce was bombed to shit.


    Just as Rafel burned with ancing light and beamed outward, Yemaya dived for him.


    She jumped on top of him, the both of them falling to the couch.


    BOOOOOOM!


    Rafel exploded. He went nuclear, sting liquid fire and streams of radiation. Yemaya hugged him hard and absorbed it all in her water magic. He was glowing like a furnace. She was the ocean: calm and blue, her own marine magic leaking out to absorb the explosion of his core. She didn''t let go.


    He poured and poured pools ofva into her watery depths. She took it all, cooling his fiery body with hers, just like she assuaged his anger.


    Rafel finally calmed down.


    The sofa was cinders and ash under them. A burn hole in the Ottoman rug.


    They were on the floor, Yemaya straddling him in her embrace. She had taken all of his fire, and quenched it. Else, everything now in a ten-mile radius would be ash and smoke. This was the power of the Apollyon, the Burning One, and Yemaya had saved hundreds of lives in knowing this. And acting as she did.


    As a Goddess, she could take the heat.


    Rafel sat up with her in hisp. His hands went up to her face and his gold eyes skimmed her for damage. He was d when he found none.


    "I''m sorry. I''m so sorry. Are you okay?"


    Yemaya''s blue tresses were loose. She looked wild. And even she smiled, Rafel felt the urge to hold her and never let go. Grinning, she said, "I''m fine. Just a little bit hot, that''s all. But that''s expected, I just soaked in the explosion of a small star.


    Are YOU okay?" She instead asked.


    Rafel went contemtive as Yemaya, still in hisp, straddling him, kissed into his hair and temples. The strands were extra red.


    "I just don''t get why she did it." He circled his arms around Yemaya''s soft waist.


    In wisdom only borne of living and loving a thousand years, Yemaya stroked Rafel''s head in her ample bosom as she said, "these, my dear husband, are the things we do for love."


    Rafel said nothing else. He just let Yemaya cradle him, thinking on how he might have to do a very dark thing¡ªfor the same thing she spoke about. For love, he might have to kill his auntie.


    In the circle of dark ash, Rafel asked, "Can I sleep here tonight?"


    Yemaya caressed his ginger curls, liking the feel of his strong form under her. She whispered back. "Of course, my love. Of course."

 Chapter 155: Realm Of Light

    ? THE 9TH HOUR [That Same Day], Brightburn Hall.


    Coraz¨®n opened her eyes from a nice sleep to the saffron light of a warm bedchambermp. Rays twinkled in her hair, turning it dreamy gold. She turned her head to the right, staring out the parted curtains of her dorm room. It was furthest on the storey hallway, and her windows poured right out to a view of the school moors.


    It was dark out. Night had fallen.


    Rising from the bed, the mattress dipped at the edge as Cora paused to nce back and admire the girl on the left side of the wide bed: Sk, her girlfriend.


    Cora put out her hand to pull the blond strands off Sk''s temple; she was snoring softly. Cora smiled and watched her for a bit. Sk had only just returned from the clinic, following that terrible misunderstanding between her and Israfel. But was it a misunderstanding though?


    Sk had been right in thinking she was getting cucked by the Netori King¡ªwho in this case was Israfel; fucking Coraz¨®n when she wasn''t around. But Sk was too much starry-eyed on Cora to break up with her. Thus, her werewolf pride had won over when she''d attacked Rafel. The whole academy knew how that ended¡ªbad.


    Sk was NTR''d by Israfel.


    Cora blinked on Sk''s profile. "Oh my love, I''m sorry, but he just does things to me you can''t."


    She was certain Sk was asleep and didn''t hear.


    Cora flicked her hand to the bemp, sending a spurt of mana from her fingertips and the lights went off. She wanted Sk to get a good sleep. Using only the light of the moon pouring in from the open windows, Cora stood and padded over barefoot to the mirror. She wasn''t really thinking of anything as she walked to the long, oval vanity.


    It was her real height, and framed in gold finishing.


    As she moved for the expensive looking-ss, she thought on her schedule for the next day. She had DAC ss first thing in the morning. The [Dark Arts Cultivation] lecture was as beloved to those in the Raven Arc as a pixie to gold dust. It was necessary to pass the course to level into Second Year.


    But Cora wasn''t in the bare minimum league. She wanted to ace it.


    Partly because Israfel was the current genius of the ss, and she wanted to dominate him in something to even what he did to her when they were alone and untethered to their passions. And partly because only those with distinctions in the DAC course could apply to be inducted into the [Sentinel Corps] at sophomore year.


    [Sentinel Corps] pretty much guaranteed one bing and graduating as a Fourth Year cadet of the Darker military; a step away from being a Grey Stag.


    Though upon the wake of Titans Landing, the Usurper King had disbanded the Grey Stags, but Cora still had hope. Rumor was they still had formations in secret.


    Cora reached the mirror, turned, and abruptly stopped.


    "What the shit?"


    All of her thoughts dropped. She nced to the bed to make sure she hadn''t woken Sk, then back again at the mirror.


    "Where''s my fucking reflection?"


    She couldn''t see herself in the ne ss. It was like no one stood in front of it. In disbelief, Cora turned this way and that. She whispered her doubts, careful not to wake the sleeping blonde on the bed. "I am no effing vampire. Why can''t I see my self?


    The only other species who don''t show in mirrored surfaces are ghosts. But I am not dead. Am I?" Cora, in that moment, thought back to what Israfel had said when they''d first met at the academy:


    ''You died, Coraz¨®n. In my arms.''


    "Holy shit." She echoed.


    Tentatively, she reached out to touch the mirror''s surface. Her hand went right through. It was cool to the touch, like a still pool of water. She pulled out her fingers, stared down and found them intact. She turned to be sure Sk was still sleeping. And then Cora put out her hand back into the pale ss.


    She willed her entire body forward. And she went through, stepping right into the mirror, like it was a fucking portal into another dimension.


    Cora soon found out it was.


    [?? Mirror ¨C Lil Wayne ft. Bruno Mars.]


    The other side was bright with white light. Just like the kind she had heard souls saw when they passed into the afterlife. The white divine light of the Great Beyond.


    Cora turned to find the long mirror still a few feet behind her: a doorway back, like a spool of a dark matter. "Why do I suddenly feel like I''ve stepped into a ckhole," she wondered. Considering the fact that she had no reflection, she was tempted tough at the fact that it was truly the first time she had tried looking to see herself in the mirror.


    "What kind of a girl am I? A girl who doesn''t even stop for a quick peek in the mirror on the way out in the morning?"


    She would''ve noticed this if she did. But she wasn''t that kind of girly gal. She was the kind that wore boy tights under her ripped jeans and boots that threatened the earth. She was the kind of girl who had a fade for a haircut, and marched into the boys urinal whenever the female bathroom was full. And apparently, she was also the kind of girl who forgot to check herself in mirrors.


    She wore no makeup, neither.


    "Shite." Cora swore.


    It took some time, but her eyes finally adapted to her new immacte surroundings. The ambience was lesiastical; a performance like a singing holy choir yed in the air. The chords were operatic and soothing to her mind. In the white light, Cora made out a vastness that was endless. It was like she stood in a colossal hall without walls, nor ceiling.


    Just pristine floors that stretched on and on, without end.


    "This ce is magnificent." She admitted.


    It was nothing of the grim void she thought her soul would certainly find in death¡ªas the monks loved to preach her for being a ''lesbian''.


    A deviation from the divine nature.


    Cora rememberedughing in their puritan faces.


    But now; "Where am I?" She squinted in the vast whiteness, and spotted figures in the snowy colors. People. They were all clothed in the same splendid auras. But their clothes were not really clothes, but more like skin. White, glorious skin. They were immacte, incarnate of true light.


    They blended easily into the glory of this wondrous realm. No wonder she hadn''t spotted them sooner.


    Cora could also see they were talking to each other. Their voices were too low and rich, like the music ying, for her to make sense of what they were saying.


    These people numbered hundreds, each robed in glory, and in their own conversation circles. And if she stared out into the infinite white, they were thousands.


    She was the only one in pyjamas.


    Cora felt small in this ce. Very much like a dork.


    "Okay, what the fuck is going on?"


    "Wee," came a songy, rion voice. "We''ve been expecting you."


    Cora, not expecting such a quick reply, was startled. She turned to find a small woman staring up at her with unblinking eyes. She had no pupils whatsoever. Her eyes were all whites. No other color. No darkness.


    Like the moon. It made her petite form seem more imposing than Cora''s 6ft.


    "Y-You have been expecting me?" Cora stammered.


    The small woman smiled. "Yes. You are one of us." This woman was naked, but her skin was like brilliant frost, but nothing of the coldness in there. Justyers andyers of light. So were the other people around. It was impossible to notice her nudity when she continued, "You, Coraz¨®n, were plucked from this celestial coil back into the mortal ne before you could join us."


    Cora''s lips moved fast. "I died?"


    "Yes."


    "But how?"


    "You were murdered."


    Cora felt tears enter her eyes. But somehow, she felt this was no ce for crying, so she steeled herself. "Why don''t I remember any of this?"


    "Your memories were taken."


    "All of them?"


    "All the ones that mattered."


    Cora noticed the little shining woman''s patience in replying her. And her pale gaze that radiated pure wisdom of a millennia¡ªand then some. The woman noticed her difort and moved to ease her. She said, "Do not be afraid, Coraz¨®n. You''re in a ce of light.


    This is the realm above, the habitation of the pure and contrite. You have been able to reach us and slip in because you have a connection to this ce; you were meant to be here. But like I said, you were taken. A dark entity plucked you away. The evil Crone of formidable magic. And this godless fiend had this wiped thy memory, taking from you what you would remember.


    It is not your fault. You wouldn''t even remember to remember."


    "The spell is that strong?" Cora said.


    The woman nodded, but her luminous face lit brightly. She grinned. "¡ªbut you are stronger, Coraz¨®n. You have many friends here. And on the mortal realm, you have someone whose love for you transcends the ritual of any dark magus. True love breaks all spells.


    You do know who this someone is. He is close to thy heart."


    "Israfel," Cora sighed, offering Sk a silent apology in her heart.


    "Yes," orded the little, angelic woman. "Take my hand, and we shall restore all that was taken."


    Cora looked down at the woman''s outstretched arms. They were bright and beautiful, with fingers like rods of pure light. And when she took them, they were just as warm. The moment their fingers touched, Cora''s head fell back, and a rapid shock went through her.


    Continue your adventure at §Þ??


    She was zapped; as if she clutched to a live wire and not another person.


    Her head felt weighted, as if she was underwater. She saw images behind her shut eyes. Open, but not really seeing anything. Now also white and luminous as the woman''s. She heard whisperings in her subconscious, like a Wan irvoyant was speaking sorcery inside her. Powerful surges of energy rippled through her.


    She felt as though she was under the rapids of a waterfall: the plunge overwhelming her to the point of copse. And these images she saw. . .were memories.


    They burst like bubbles in her head.


    And just like that, she remembered it all.

 Chapter 156: Ghost Girl

    [?? It''s All Coming Back To Me Now ¨C CELINE DION.]


    The pool of memories was a tide that flooded her; drowned her under. Cora felt her heart yearning as she became consumed her in emotions so strong she began crying. It wasn''t everyday a dark goddess fetched you out from eternity like a fucking button doll, and made your entire former life disappear.


    If she had Lilith in her grasping hands, she mused, she would wring the supernatural fucking life the shit out of her.


    This little angel woman she''d met in the realm of light didn''t need to spell out to her the said deity who was responsible for her woes. Refreshing into her pysche with the guzzles of memories were a genius intelligence that had been instrumental in her guidance as chambein of Emberfall.


    She remembered how brilliant she had once been; how loved, how admired by her one true Lord and Sire: Israfel, the Burning One. A man that had fought and was still fighting to break the hex of amnesia in her mind.


    ''Well, Your Grace. I guess all of your persistence has reached, even into the afterlife.''


    Cora teared up at the corners of her pale, lit eyes.


    In the first bubble of light, she saw Emberfall: its Goth rise and turrets. The acres of ghost fields. The macabre-esque chambers. Lorded stewards. And the high ck silver gates. A general omen in the spooky grounds.


    In this particr memory, she stood in front of the Manor, her hand on the open door, to a man taller and perhaps more beautiful than her. Redhaired and gant Israfel.


    It was the first day they had met¡ªand no, not at the fucking academy. The real first day.


    She saw herself in maroon butler pantaloons and doublet smile and usher him in. This memory ended.


    In the next, Rafel was presenting to her a Siwan diamond watch: a gift. Cora saw herself as she was on that momentous day, smiling and blushing hard as he wore it over her wrist. Funny how the things the mind chooses to store up are the littlest gestures. This memory fizzled out too.


    More bubbles of light passed over her face. It glued to her mind and fastened safely, never to be broken again. In the final sh of recollection, she saw the fire.


    The Great fire.


    The night of ashes that had borne for her the beginning of the end.


    Titans fuckingnding.


    Cora didn''t want to look into this bubble. It hurt her eyes, and her mind. She could breathe the ash in her lungs, the singe on her skin, the choking air, the scent of blood and burning flesh. She saw the Emberfall mansion in the inferno: a gigantic ruin of cinder and red, smoking logs. And it broke her heart anew. Cora was d when the memory ended.


    But it was seared now into her mind forever.


    She almost wished to forget it all again¡ªat least that final part.


    Cora was sobbing. "I can''t believe Lilith would do that to me. This is some real viiness shit. Fuck her! She was my Matriarch. I would die for her.


    Yet, she discarded my entire life like it meant nothing to her. She didn''t stop me getting killed. Oh no! What''s a little murder to sit the Fae Throne, huh?


    And then, when it was certain her beloved nephew, whom she''s fucking by the way, loved me too much to let go¡ªsomething she didn''t expect, she was left with the sordid choice of resurrecting me. But she couldn''t let me have my memories, could she? Not when I posed a real threat to her ce in Lord Rafel''s heart.


    Well, fuck you, Lilith, you hear me! FUCK YOU, you fucking c-cunt!" Cora cried harder and huped.


    She had never been so emotional as this day, not even at the funeral of ric and Lucia Piven Mortimer.


    She wasn''t one to cry. But she did.


    Her bright eyes dulled from the shiny, luminous ze of pure white now that the [Memory Linking] was sessfully imbibed. She had all of her memories restored. Her pysche finally felt like it should be, and not like some crazy Erythrean vase, glued together by sparkly glue; with pieces showing the derelict patches.


    The small iridescent woman walked close. She put out her hand of pure energy to Cora''s shoulder.


    "Let it out, Coraz¨®n. Let it all out, and let go. This is a ce of peace. You are free to let the kind auras wash away all the pain. Like your tears, let it seep off into the vast infinity of the hereafter. With the music in your ears, you are renewed.


    Revitalized. Made whole. You can let go, darling. You can let it all go. This is the perfect ce to cry. So, you never have to again."


    The woman''s words soothed as much as her rubbing hand. And to think this entire freaked out night had started with a weird mirror.


    Cora found herself opening her arms. She really needed the hug. The woman reciprocated, opening her arms too to fold her into her embrace. And suddenly, Cora was the smaller one. This being of utter light held her that way for several seconds, until her sobbing calmed. "I''m sorry you had to go through all that," said the kind voice.


    "I am also sorry for the ones who''ve had to mourn you, seeing you everyday, but not quite the YOU they fondly remember."


    Stay updated via §Þ??


    Images of Rafel, and Aya, and Ravenna danced into Cora''s head at the woman''s words.


    She continued with Cora''s head on her shoulder. "You have a world to get back to. You know what to do?"


    "Yes. F-Fuck that bitch!" Cora sniffed.


    The woman pulled back. "Of course." She smiled.


    Cora got it; there ain''t no swearing in heaven.


    But the petite celestial''s white eyes were clear in just what she thought of the Queen of the Night.


    Cora dropped her hands and rubbed at the corners of her eyes, wiping tear streaks off. "Who are you? If you don''t mind me asking. A spirit?"


    "Who or what I am doesn''t matter, Coraz¨®n. In this ce, we all exist in nirvana. Names are temporal attachments. But we all here help those like you, those with The Light in them, in our own small ways," the woman replied.


    Cora let out her first smile in a long time. "You all here are wonderful. You seem like a great white mix of fairy godmother and guardian angel. But since you clearly are luminous, I''ll call you Angel. My personal helping Angel. Do you mind?"


    "Not at all," the tiny woman shook her head; sparkles of light bounced off her haloed skin, "I will ept this if it makes you feel better."


    Cora nced up for a moment at the other souls, or spirits in this ce. They still talked amongst on another. Perhaps, helping others like her who had been wronged. Cora looked back to the radiant form of Angel. "So, am I dead?"


    Angel looked into Cora''s face, trying to ascertain the best possible way to sugarcoat her reply. Her fair shoulders fell with a sigh. "Yes, you are, darling, unfortunately. While you were plucked from the mortal coil untimely, there is nothing we can do to restore you to the [True Life] as your ashes were scattered into the ocean by the hands of your loved ones."


    Cora touched herself. "B-But I have a body?"


    "Yes, you do. But it is not living. It is only a corporeal form, granted to you during resurrection with the use of a Divine rune.


    Think of it as a swaddler on a child. It is present, but it is not skin. You, darling Coraz¨®n are wrapped in an unearthly swaddler. You only appear material and animate because the ce in which you exist on the mortal ne has a high potency for magic. Otherwise, your form will be revealed for its true nature: ethereal."


    "You mean the academy?"


    "Yes. I know it''s a lot, but you, my darling, are a ghost. It is only because of the Academy''s powerful mana core that you are not walking as a luminous spirit."


    "So, I can only be felt and held because the school has strong enough magic? Otherwise I''d be walking through walls and passing through people?"


    "Yes," said Angel.


    Cora''s knees went knobby. "My God!"


    "I''m sorry, Coraz¨®n, but you are a [Ghost]."


    Cora couldn''t speak. Angel was right: it was a lot. Her fingers started to glow in the same strange white light of this radiant realm. And before long, she could see through them. Cora stared down at her hand. Seeing this also, Angel walked close and took Cora''s hand in hers.


    "You are changing, my dear. You must take your leave of us. Our realm is seeping into you, trying to im you back. But you have unfinished business on the mortal ne.


    People care for you there. If you don''t leave right now, you may never leave again. Now, you must go. Go!"


    Angel gave a stunned Cora a little shove, and a sudden force pulled her back. She slithered on air, yanked backward by some invisible force without moving her feet as she heard Angel echoing in her head.


    "Go, Coraz¨®n. GOOOOO!!!"


    The sounds and white warbled into each other, spinning out of sight. Gone were the strange luminous people and realm of light. Cora was swallowed in a spool of energy and it was dark in it for a split second. But when she came to, she was on her feet again, standing in front of her dorm room''s huge, oval vanity.


    Cora instantly moved to touch the mirror.


    Her hand didn''t go through.


    It was solid. In her subconscious, she mused, ''I''ve been closed off that wonderful world.''


    Still, she had no reflection in the mirror. But with her exit from the realm of light, she now stood with a fuckload of shit memories she didn''t know what to do with¡ªmostly shit memories.


    "Hey," came a wispy voice.


    ''Oh, shit.'' Cora turned, remembering Sk on the bed. She padded away from the mirror to her. Deja Vu hit like cold water on her back as she moved in pajamas and knitted socks. "Hey there," Cora said back. "How''re you doing? Is it morning already?"


    Sk gave her a look. "Morning? It''s the Ninth Hour."


    Cora looked towards the glinting ornate clock on a pedestal in the corner. The red digits chimed a minute past nine in the night. Just a minute? All that fucking time in that mirror fucking dimension: talking, and crying, and remembering; all that fucking shit! And only a minute had passed. It went against all the books she''d read chronological shifts among realms.


    Time went snail-slow in the realm of light.


    Huh? She put that at the back of her mind to contemteter.


    Sk was still watching her with that look.


    Cora eased her with a quick kiss. "I''m sorry, love. I must''ve lost track of time. Go back to sleep."


    She watched Sk close her eyes, but it was only when Cora heard the telltale soft sounds she made in her sleep that she rose again from the bed, gently. She walked to the mirror, pausing in front of it for the third time that night. Still no reflection. "SENTIENT HOME! Kill the lights. And drop the mana level in present chamber to zero count." She gave her dorm room the order.


    As per student rights, each dorm room had a sentient ability to serve its hosts.


    This one obeyed.


    Once the mana level was down in her bedchamber, Cora moved closer to the mirror. Slowly, she appeared in it. But her form was hazy and luminous, and in fucking flowing white robes. She had dropped the potency of magic in her immediate surrounding, so she was able to see her true form.


    A poltergeist. She floated in the mirror.


    "Holy fuck. I''m a Ghost Girl."


    Cora shut her eyes for a second. And then she opened them again, giving orders once more: "SENTIENT HOME, send a message to Israfel: we need to meet. ASAP!"

 Chapter 157: My Wifes Wives [18+]

    RAFEL SMELLED LAVENDER IN HIS SLEEP. Thinking it was his dear wife to whose touch he had fallen under, he murmured his delight without opening his eyes; she was caressing his hair. "Hmm, Yemaya. Your hands feels nice. I would rent out the entire hotel to spend more time with you. We should rendezvous like this more often."


    "Anything you desire, My King."


    Rafel''s smile faded at the answering voice. It had the same sonorous ring of a [Siren] singing, but it wasn''t Yemaya''s voice. His eyes still shut, Rafel''s hand flew with daring speed to grasp at soft neck. He heard a whimper and the fingers in his hair stopped moving.


    Rafel opened his eyes.


    The first thing he noticed was this woman''s skin. She had the whitest flesh he''d ever seen. Pure and porcin cream, just as the Shield maidens of Germania. Her skin enticed his mouth. Even without knowing her name or what the fuck she was doing in his bed, the urge to slip out his pink tongue and taste her was instant.


    Rafel gripped harder to her throat.


    "You''re not my wife. Who the fuck are you?"


    This creamy girl made a sound so soft in her throat Rafel wanted to turn her around, whip out his cock, and make her make some more. His hold on her neck turned arousing. She leaned on her arm beside him, her form above his. Her eyes were a lovely green and the fingers at his temples bore the light shade of lc on the nails. Her hair was white as frost.


    Rafel raised his head a bit to sniff at the hollow of her throat. She smelled wonderful. "You bear the scent of my wife. How is this possible?"


    The girl gestured with her finger at his choking grasp. Rafel eased his hand.


    "Speak!"


    Under the delicate sweep of her fair neck, he saw her gulp¡ªcould hear her heart beat with his vampiric abilities¡ªas a riparian voice flowed from the girl and as her green eyes gazed upon him. "I''m sorry, My King, I should have introduced myself first. Forgive me. I am. . ."


    "Rheda." Yemaya answered for her.


    Both Rafel and the snow-blonde girl on the bed turned to the mermaid Goddess sauntering out from therge bathroom in a cloud of bluish steam. Yemaya talked as she swept over in her lush bathrobe, the dip in the cashmere bust revealing delicious caramel skin. The waifu was thick as they came.


    Her fierce blue hair dropped right down her back, swishing the floors as she stepped; tufts of pompous, luminous tresses.


    "I see you two have met. You may not recognize Rheda, Lord Husband. But you two have crossed paths before, initially...at the uh, wedding."


    Yemaya said to Rafel as she pulled dropped the bathrobe. Rafel almost gasped at her voluptuous brown curves. He looked to the white girl at his side. He said, "by wedding, darling, you mean when they zapped me with electric eel and took me from my bed?"


    Yemaya sent him a small smile. "But it brought us here. I hope you''re not still mad at that."


    "How could I be, when you''re standing there, looking like that." Rafel''s eyes traced her fine hips slow. Her robust breasts marveled him. It was true. Who could be angry, in the full frontal nudity of a MILF waifu? Rafel looked to Rheda''s quiet form. He apologized for his actions.


    "Sorry for grabbing you like that."


    The girl smiled, making her pink mouth stand out more in her pure-white beauty.


    "It''s alright. I don''t mind."


    Rafel narrowed his eyes on her; her meaning was clear in the pools of her eyes and the sin there. "It''s nice to meet you, Rheda."


    "Same, My King." Rheda bowed softly.


    She looked plucked straight out of a winternd. Rafel mused that she resembled a very sexy dic warrior. Her blondness was the palest kind. Her hair was as gathered dew. Her eyes gleamed like emerald gems in her face. Her skin was near translucent; when she blushed, it was a thing to watch.


    Rafel heard a ruffle and turned to Yemaya. He watched her shimmy into a swart lingerie: matching bustier and panties, joined in flimsy satin over her t belly into a star bust. Yemaya chuckled as his eyes ate her up.


    She gave him a twirl. "You like?"


    Rafel wanted to reach out for that ass, but in that moment, two more gorgeous young women filed in from the vestibule leading by the private elevator. One was of fair skin, a lighter brown to Yemaya''s. Her hair was coffee brown. The other was cream, but not nearly as white as Rheda; she had pink hair, and had a dominant vibe about her.


    Rafel sat up on the bed.


    "Oh! She, I definitely recognize!" He pointed to the pink-haired one.


    Both women flowed for Yemaya and took turns hugging their queen. Yemaya broke the embrace when Rafel cleared his throat, loudly. She grinned at her King consort. And introduced the newdies. She waved first to the yellowbone brte, and then to the pink-haired one. "Sheba, and Nadya."


    And then she turned to the bed, "you have all met Israfel, I presume."


    Nadya said. "Yeah I do. I remember him from the wedding."


    Rafel met her stern eyes. "Yes. And I remember you as the hothead who''d yanked me from my bed in the middle of the night, carrying me across your back like a goddamn rucksack. I would bend you over now to spank that delectable ass of yours, but for my wife''s sake."


    "She''s our wife too!" Nadya charged forward.


    Her pink hair glimmered in rising magic. Rafel only smiled at this. "You don''t like me very much, do you?"


    "Nadya!" came Yemaya''s cool voice, halting the third member of her harem. She waved her hand for Sheba and Nadya to join Rheda on the bed. She also climbed in, but sat at the far end of it, where she could stare into all four pairs of eyes. Yemaya said, "thank you for making the trip from Ant."


    Sheba and Nadya huddled into Rheda''s corner on the wide bed. The four-poster was vast enough with amole space left on the pristine sheets.


    Yemaya''s marine gaze zoned on Rafel when she continued. "Ever since we lost Gawain in the battle of Skyfall, there''s been an itch in my harem. An absence when we fuck. I would see it filled by my Lord Husband. No longer do I need Gawain. Not when I have you." Yemaya licked her lips and bit on the bottom one.


    "I want you to fuck my wives. Israfel, I need this."


    Rafel grinned wild in front of her. "I''d be a liar if I said I haven''t been thinking of it ever since you suggested it at the auction party."


    "Of course you have," Nadya scoffed. "You fucking Netori lord!"


    "Hey, is that apliment?" Rafel sent her a smug face.


    Yemaya chipped in. "Nadya is only fiery with you because you turn her on. She is that way with males she has the hots for. But I got what you said back then, Rafel. You do not have to cum inside them."


    "Something tells me I wouldn''t be able to help it." Rafel soothed in a timber voice.


    His baritone stroked the growing lust in the room. They all shared looks and heated nces. Rafel was already imagining what himself and four women would look like. All paths his mind took were fucking hot. "Come here." He dragged Nadya in first. Since she was the fiercest to him, the alpha in him wanted to im her first.


    What? He was a sadist¡ªthat was pretty much fucking clear.


    Rafel knelt on the bed, watching as Yemaya spread her legs in her position, licked her palm, and began rubbing her sex through the lingerie. Her ebony skin was sheened in desire. She glowed from within. He tore at his fly, bending Nadya down in desperation to rip out his cock. She fought against his hold.


    "Fuck you! I''m not gonna suck your dick."


    But she was already opening her mouth, panting for it. "I serve only my queen, Yemaya. I do not¡ª"


    Rafel mmed into her mouth. His thick shaft silenced her, and Yemaya moaned on her end, watching with aroused eyes. "Shut up and suck that fucking cock. Suck it like you mean it." Rafel whipped his dick in Nadya''s mouth, choking her with his writhing pipe. She gobbled and salivated.


    "Yes, more."


    Her intital resistance was only forey.


    Rafel pulled out heavily from her mouth. Nadya sucked his balls as the wetness from her mouth on his dick poured all over her face. Rafel kept her under him, urging her with hip movements. He had the sexiest hipbones in existence. Even Nadya admitted.


    The other girls, Rheda and Sheba curled up to Rafel''s side, each one on his left and right. Rheda helped him take off his pants, kissing his naked chest and abs. Sheba licked down his toned body to his loins. When her soft lips closed over his fat penis, Rafel just had toe one time.


    "Ohh hell!"


    He pushed Sheba''s head all the way down and...


    SPLAT!


    He went shooting his hot load down her throat. It leaked down in milky torrents into Nadya''s hair who had his engorged balls in her mouth. Rheda was pinching at his ripped pecs. Rafel dragged her up for a sweltering kissing as Nadya and Sheba corrupted him with their mouths below.


    Rafel pulled back from Rheda''s full, moistened lips to find that Yemaya had parted her panties to the side. Her fingers were deep in her pussy. She curled them in her sex. Three fingers, dripping with delicious pussy juice and dipping hot, in and out of the honey.


    "Go to her. Go to my waifu and eat her fucking pussy." Rafel ordered Rheda.


    He spanked her full arse on the way. Her porcin flesh went beet-red, just like he''d fantasized.


    No sooner had Rheda reached Yemaya than the mermaid Goddess dragged her under and sat on her face, holding her panties to the side away from her ass crack, and rubbing her slit and she moved slowly over Rheda''s beautiful white face.


    "I want to watch you fuck them." She husked out to her Lord Husband.


    Israfel, Sheba and Nadya tore off one another''s clothes and fell together on the bed with a heave. Rafel couldn''t tell who moved first. It was a sultry mess of limbs. But in their tumultuous passion, they all understood each other. At one point, Nadya was impaled on top of him, riding his cock cowgirl with her head fallen back.


    At another, Sheba was on his face, sshing her squirt all over his face as she screamed and watched him open his mouth for more.


    In some measure of time he didn''t care to measure, Yemaya finally joined them, dragging Rheda in by her hair. And then it was an orgy. It was filled with dozens of orgasms. Everyone was clutching and grasping and fondling and moaning. Rafel felt softness and tightness and heat and sugar-sweet wherever he turned.


    He used the girls, and they used him.


    s, all sweaty and on the brink of his fourth orgasm, Rafel wrenched himself free of the beautiful women. He climbed out of bed and stood proud at the foot of the bed. Grasping his little brother in his hand, he was giant as a python and ribbed in twisting veins. He stroked himself to the nude curvaceous bodies of his wife, and her wives.


    Yemaya crawled in tatters of her sensual lingerie to him. Rheda followed her behind, sinking into her ass. Sheba and Nadya were smiling and watching, breasts heavy and coated in both semen, squirt and sweat.


    "Come for me, My King."


    "AHHHHH. FUCK." Rafel went shooting at the purr of Yemaya''s velvet voice.


    SPLAT! SPLAT! SPLAT!


    He jerked on her face. His cock waved and danced, engorged to epic proportions. Fountains of jizz spurted in the air, out of his leaking member and doused Yemaya''s hair. He sprayed her face, and she loved it. His seed was warm.


    Yemaya bent in and swallowed his dense penis into her mouth. She sucked softly, aware of his sensitivity.


    Rafel groaned and grabbed fistfuls of her hair to release himself from her mouth. She was too sexy a bitch!


    "Enough."


    Yemaya grinned, and she let him slip out with a wet pop. Rafel got back into bed and fell on his back. He allowed the girls finger themselves and squirt over the divinity of hisin body. Two heated hourster, they all crashed into him:


    Experience more content on §Þ??


    Rheda and Yemaya, and Sheba and Nadya.


    Their bodies were oily and the sheets were soaked.


    "Water?"


    Rafel couldn''t tell which of the women spoke, but he nodded. A ss, levitated by magic floated to him. He spied Nadya sharing augh with the others as he gulped. She was closest to his body, halfway on top of him, with her naked thigh curled firm around his slicked torso. Her manicured nails trailed the ridges of his abdomen.


    "I did not hate this," she said, smiling.


    "Next time," Rafel inputted, "you girls cook for me first."


    Rubbing his head in the valley of her big, brown titties, Yemaya whispered. "Fair enough, My King."

 Chapter 158: Necromancy Test

    DONG! DONG! DOOONG!


    The ringing bells of the academy tolled as Israfel made his way through the ghostly streets for the spired citadel. He was d he had showered first at Yemaya''s hotel room. He wouldn''t have time to hit the dorms before slipping in for ss.


    With the Grand Tourniquet Inn in his rearview, Rafel fondly reminisced on what he had done all night to four devastatingly hot women as his carriage pulled up to the citadel.


    It was a pompous gray tower of several storeys and held various enigmatic sses for students, suited to the avatars of the four Arcs:


    The blue [Pegasus] of water and spirit.


    The rising [Phoenix] of fire and blood.


    The golden [Griffin] of sun and wind.


    The grim [Raven] of shadow and death.


    As Rafel hurried in after several mage pupils of the academy, he heard the announcements on air, and recognized Erika''s coy voice paraded through the mic glyphs. "Hello, and good morning, school of magicals. A quick tip to the First Years this bright day: the tests are beginning this week. This will be part of our assessment for the school year.


    And each witch must show a good start for a chance at leveling up with their matese fall season.


    First Years are of course assigned Sophomore counselors and mentors in the Alumni board, for guidance through the assessment period. This is your Student President, signing out for the day. Stay magical, Corynthians!"


    "Shit." Rafel muttered as he ran up stone stairs.


    Tests?


    He didn''t think it would hit so soon. But s, two quick months had gone by. An assessment for the term was fair. If he had been at the dorm the past few nights, he would''ve surely heard of it. But again, he wouldn''t take back a single minute he''d spent with the ocean goddess and her harem.


    Rafel leaped the entire case up to the next level with his [Kangaroo Mutant] Hell Art. He didn''t want to bete for his first ss.


    He cleared into the corridor with the lime floors just as the soft chiming of the clock striking nine hit the tower. Rafel was thest one in the ssroom. It was [Dark Arts Cultivation]. For his bi-magical aura as a member of the Raven Arc, he needed to ace this course. If he did, he might even get a chance with the well respected Sentinel Corps in his Second Year.


    The tutor of the DAC Historia, Dr. Blood, was in front of the room and weed the students.


    "Good morning, my young witches. I look at you all, and I see promise for our Empire. While we may yet be in the muck of tyranny from the Usurper, in your eyes, there is yet hope. The future of the continent does not rest in the hands of Hellions. And no, this is not racist. I am a demon too."


    The ssroom broke into softughter as Rafel quietly dipped into a free seat. He pulled off his midnight jacket to hang over the back of his chair, thinking on how the Usurper Dr. Blood spoke about was one of his girlfriend''s dad. The child of the most hated political figure in all the nine realms went to the academy.


    If this didn''t say all about the liberal ways of the [C. A. W], Rafel didn''t know what did.


    He was repping Raven Arc in his onyx zer today.


    "¡ªwhich is why you need to take this course seriously. Most of you here are Phoenixes and Ravens, but DAC is no less important than the sunfyre and skyling the Griffins study. There''s a reason each day has a night. You all here, you are the night. You are significant." Dr. Blood was saying.


    "Good. Now, we begin. Your assessment for DAC ss is to reanimate the deceased Familiars that shall be handed out to you."


    Rafel heaved in his seat. ''Thank fuck.''


    Reanimation was easy. Easy enough for him. Stepping it up a notch¡ªor at least, several, would be resurrection, but he was d Dr. Blood didn''t ask that. In reanimating the dead, the bodies were still cadavers. Living solely depended upon the master who had sired the creature.


    Reanimated monsters were zombified. They had no life of their own.


    In the instant their masters were killed, the creatures just as quickly fell back to dposition.


    ''And luckily for me, I''ve been reanimating fiends since I popped the first head of that fucking Mauler in Hel''s amphitheater.'' Rafel smiled to himself. He looked around. His ssmates didn''t share his jolt. They had crestfallen expressions. No way dudes liked test week. Among, the only person in his clic was Rosamunde.


    She blew him an air kiss when Dr. Blood wasn''t watching.


    Dr. Blood''s TA, a slender mermaid with her own scales visible to her forearms, went round the ss with trays floating in the air around her by water magic. For every table she walked past, she would flick her studded wrist, and one of the trays would drop down before a student. She smiled warmly at Rafel''s chair. And Rosa rolled her eyes.


    The trays were silver and wide, and held cadavers.


    The Teaching Assistant finished her rounds and Dr. Blood began speaking again.


    "Before you all, you have your creatures. These organisms you shall be reanimating, with your own intrinsic mana, in an afforded timeframe. Look upon the beasts."


    Everyone in the ss turned their gazes down to their surgical trays. But on the sides were no instruments for breaking skin. No. This experiment was to be conducted without physical contact. Dr. Blood began moving between tables, watching his students observe their specimens.


    Many in the room got frogs. A few got cats and mutts. Rosa got a komodo dragon; Rafel wasn''t surprised.


    He got a crow.


    But he was surprised by the nerdy boy in the red jacket beside him. The poord got a grizzly. The brown bear almost didn''t fit on his table. "No way he''s gonna raise that!" Someone murmured. Rafel sent his neighbor a quick sympathetic smile, before turning again to his own still crow, and the macabre feathers on the bird, ck as the zer hanging off his seat.


    Dr. Blood, the teaching Professor of the DAC ss instructed his young witches in the making.


    "You know the drill; infuse your dead Familiar with potency of dark sorcery from your Mana Cores. I advise to pull on your greatest source of magic for this. For teens your age, it is mostly emotion. Use it. You can channel however you want. Word of spells or silent casting.


    Whichever is fine. Just make the creature live again. This is your test.


    As since the dawn of time, every Dark Magus and Magess learned to conquer necromancy, for it is the elemental form of the Dark Arts. Your evolution from your current roles as [Apprentices], [Novices], to [Caster] depends on this demonstration. This, is the witching hour.


    Take note of the timeframe. You will get not a second more. Okay, folks. I think we''re ready." Dr. Blood raised his hand, signalling for his TA to hit the stopwatch. "¡ªAND GO!


    Your time starts now. Twenty minutes, people. TWENTY MINUTES."


    Rafel sat back on his seat and watched everyone work. The boy; his neighbor had worked up a sweat, and so far, his bear only twitched a limb. "Wake up, you fat cunt!" The boy sulked. Rafelughed, but did fuck all about his own Familiar. It wasn''t out of overconfidence or anything.


    Frankly, he was just bored.


    His 12yr old self had being animating [Golem] from mud just to pass the time until his Aunt was through with her office hours as Queen of the Underworld.


    He could raise the crow in a second.


    He caught Dr. Blood''s interested eyes on him. His TA''s as well. But hers was a smidge more interested. He noticed the added warmth there. It wasn''t until the fifth minute to stop time that Rafel finally pushed up his stool and put his hand over the ck bird, palm down.


    He had spared fifteen minutes to his colleagues.


    [Ding!] Peitho tried to interfere.


    Rafel cut her off politely. ''It''s fine, Peitho. I got this.''


    He felt his [Mana Core] charge with demon energy. He felt the magic ebb in his chest, like a ball of fire growing in the gullet of a dragon. The red me surged in his chest. Until Rafel could hear it: a little, fiery heartbeat, chucking away to the ticking clock. He didn''t even need pull on the boon of Lilith''s [Resurrection Amulet] for this.


    Thinking on what his Auntie had done to Coraz¨®n, memories of her wasn''t his happy ce.


    Rafel abjured her out of his mind and mmed the door on her fat ass.


    He didn''t even know his work was done, until he heard it.


    CAW! CAW!


    Rafel looked down to find the bird pping its leathery, obsidian wings and cawing for him. It tapped its beak a few times on the tray and hopped up for Rafel''s forearm. Talons clutched into his skin. The reanimated crow met his amber eyes with its ck ones.


    CAW!


    "Time''s up!" Dr. Blood pronounced.


    Rafel heard murmurs arise just as quickly. A majority of the DAC ss had been sessful in bringing their dead creatures to a semnce of life. Rosamunde sat with a healthy komodo dragon trailing herp. Even bear boy had the grizzly sitting at his side, on the ground beside the table. It was nice to watch, if you fancied the darker things.


    Dr. Blood looked around with approval in his crimson eyes. Now that the students had gotten used to his blood-filled gaze, he wasn''t scary anymore. "Well done." He apuded them. "Well done." The boy with the grizzly bear as Familiar spoke up. "But it ain''t fair, Dr.


    Blood. Why''d the hell did I get a goddamn bear, and the others got fucking pets!"


    Dr. Blood only smiled and looked steadfast into his eyes. Enjoy new adventures at §Þ??


    "Magic ain''t fair, kid, especially...dark magic."


    He took the boy''s ent. And when the ss rumbled up in chuckles, he lifted a hand to quiten the din. "We trifle with the arcane, young blood. You can''t expect the magical world to go the way you want. Even the mortal one isn''t fair. You get what you get, my young wizard, and you learn to make the best of it¡ªor in this case, the worst.


    This is the point of this test.


    Alright. Leave your Familiars be. ss dismissed!"


    The bells rang loudly. Chairs scraped as everyone shuffled out. Rafel ran into a soft body on the way out. The warmth alone made him pause. "What the shit?" He jibed. "Can''t you look where you''re go¡ª" The words fell out his lips when he met eyes bluer than the ocean.


    "Coraz¨®n!" He brightened, visibly.


    She was stiff in her reply. "We need to talk."

 Chapter 159: Highfather

    "Of course." Rafel led Cora away from the trickle of young mages filtering out of the ssroom. He did not know how Dr. Blood awarded grades, but he felt pretty confident about the test. His crow might live a day or two of sustenance.


    It wasmon knowledge in the realm of the Fae that reanimated creatures had to be close to their masters to draw on their mana source, like blood witches on the essence of a red moon. Else, the creatures would fall back to the dirt.


    It was different with resurrected souls.


    They could be miles away from the creator who''d pulled them from the abyss, and still live. For in the case of resurrection, no binds of death held. Not just any necromancer could pull stuff like that. It had killed many even who''d tried.


    Resurrected souls were beautiful creatures. Just like the girl before Rafel.


    Cora waited until thest clic in the hallway were out of earshot. Their talking echoed in the distance as they rounded the corner. She turned again to Rafel with her ocean blues. "We need a quiet ce. One where we won''t be disturbed."


    Rafel nodded. Clearly, this was going to be some talk. No one wanted to hear the words, ''we need to talk.'' Especiallying from a woman. But it was Cora, so Rafel was game.


    A quiet ce, huh?


    He thought about the dorms: Salem Hall, or hers, Brightburn. But the walls were too damn thin. He knew this because Percival banged the shit out of it when their next-door neighbour romped it out with his usual flings of wild side. And werewolf females could scream like a motherfucker.


    It was the, ''Oh! Oh! Oh!'' that raged Percival every single time. Rafel just thought his roommate needed to getid.


    ''Perhaps, I can be of help in that area,'' his dark self whispered.


    Since the dorms were out of it, Rafel thought of his restaurant. ''Nope. Spinazo''s will be too rowdy at this time of the day.'' But then his mind wandered to the whitestone cathedral he had passed on his way here from the Grand Tourniquet.


    The church of the Martyr.


    Nothing was quieter than a temple in the aft of daytime. It was perfect. Rafel immediately took Cora''s hand. "Come. I know a ce." She removed her hand from his. He met her eyes, but allowed it.


    Something was up. All the more reason they needed to have this talk. Cora sent her frost-blue eyes forward.


    "Alright, lead the way."


    Rafel would have preferred to drag her into him and shadow teleport them to the steps of the church, but Cora obviously needed distance. He was not too much of a prick to suffocate her. So instead, he hailed a horse-drawn dearborn and held the door open for her.


    Ten minutester, right at the strike of noon, he alighted the fine carriage. Cora ignored the hand he offered and stepped out of her own.


    Rafel only smiled at this.


    Cora didn''t meet his smug face. Now that she had gotten her memories back, she knew that this beautiful demon was as far from a gentleman as the Cold Sea from the desert realms of Tyre. And she was definitely not a Lady. Her tight spandex pants attested to that much.


    Cora''s scuffed boots hit the pavement hard as she hopped off the carriage.


    She heard the chink of coin as Rafel paid the rider, so much that the man suggested to hang around until they were done. Rafel agreed, and more coin chinked. The rider''s greedy eyes lit in gold.


    Cora rolled her eyes, and turned to watch the cute vampire couple walking their way.


    The sweethearts moved together, knit at the hip, with the man holding an umbre over their heads. These days, vampires walked in the sun. It still hurt the shit out of their eyes, but they didn''t burst into mes. One marvelous thing the rulership of the Imperial Fae had done for the Bloodborne faction.


    The man said something in his darling''s ear and she smiled, granting Cora a peek of her fangs. They were locked in their own love bubble and didn''t even notice her as they walked right past and down the empty street.


    Rafel appeared at Cora''s side.


    "Aww, so cute those two. I give them two weeks."


    Cora started walking. She frowned as she jogged up the stone marble steps of the giant Cathedral.


    "You are so cynical," she said.


    Rafel met her one step with two of his. She was the one in front, but somehow it was she who struggled to keep up. His amber eyes loomed in front of her face. "How am I cynical? Not that I deny it. But I''m only stating the obvious.


    Those two lovebirds are clearly on their honeymoon, or at least the dovey part of a tender rtionship. Have you ever heard of married vampires? They live way too long for that shit. Plus, vampires are nearly as frivolous as nymphs.


    They love to screw in as many ces as they can stick their fangs."


    Cora halted in front of therge, juniper-brown double doors. "See, cynical." She maintained.


    Both her and Rafel were like grasshoppers against the magnitude of the standing doors. The rise of the cathedral itself, looping in colonnades and great baster pirs to Romanesque fa?ades sat like Kong in front of their faces. The Church of the Martyr was grand and gigantic. Rafel looked left and right; there was no one in sight.


    "We''re good," he said to Cora.


    She put her weight behind her as she pushed in.


    The doors creaked with a noise that echoed in the bare streets and they quickly stepped in. Cora shut the doors and fell back on it. The innards of the temple was candlelit, many sconces flickering off polished walls. Cora followed Rafel as he moved down the aisle, in the centre of golden pews. Not a speck of dust visible.


    "Smells like holiness," Rafel joked.


    And Cora actually did smile.


    "Where is everyone?"


    They had reached the very first pew and Cora asked. "Isn''t that a good thing?" Rafel returned. "I suppose so." Cora shrugged. Rafel showed to the pew, and when she sat, he slid in after her. For a minute, they watched in silence the pristine dais. It was oveid in immacte tiling.


    The long windows beyond the altar were stained ss of a myriad colors. It split the light entering in a miracle of radiance. The altar was not one color.


    It was marigold. And it was purple. It was blue, and it was pink. Very beatific.


    "Now that is some altar!" Rafel crooked his brow. "If I were a god, I''d just love to dwell in here."


    "But you are, aren''t you?"


    Rafel turned to Cora.


    She continued when he stopped smiling. "¡ªat least you are born of gods. Infernal gods."


    Rafel turned his body halfway on the pew to her; he slung an arm over the back of the long seat. "Is this why you wanted a quiet ce? To hit me with questions?"


    Cora blinked once. "Why didn''t you answer my messages?"


    "Your messages?"


    Cora nodded. "I left many on your crystal pad. Didn''t you get them?"


    "No. I didn''t." Rafel shook his head. "I was, uh. . .upied."


    Cora waved her hand. "Oh well, we are here now." She paused a bit, then said, "I remember."


    Rafel sat straighter in his seat. "YOU. REMEMBER?"


    He was already smiling. The luminance in his eyes made the gold literal. And Cora couldn''t help but smile too. "Yes, Your Grace. I remember everything. I remember Emberfall and the Manor, and the hounds, and our moors, and the orchards.


    The wyrd fields. The¡ª"


    Rafel pulled her in. "Oh Coraz¨®n!"


    His warm embrace shut her lips, and he stroked her soft, boyish cut. If he doubted the restoration of her memories, her use of the term ''Your Grace'' doused every doubt from his mind. They hugged a long time, and when Cora pulled back, Rafel tried to hide his tears by turning his face away.


    Cora couldn''t help it. "Are you crying?"


    Rafel sniffed. "Oh, Israfel." She beamed. Love bloomed in her heart. Not the love like that of those vampire couple, but the love of friendship, intimacy, and worship. The bond of a demigod and his witch. Cora wiped the corners of his eyes with her own sleeves.


    She smiled warmly at him. His amber gaze spoke the words his mouth could not say. And Cora did, for the both of them;


    "I missed you too, Lord Apollyon." She said.


    Rafel nodded. "Now, tell me everything."


    Sitting back on the pew with a bright light dazzling out her gorgeous face, Cora told him about the mirror and the realm of light, and the little woman in that luminous world. She told him about Angel and all the saint had told her.


    She took teared up a little when she recounted the details of that night, and the glorious high she had felt when the gates of her pysche opened and the memories came flooding in.


    She talked about Emberfall. And Rafelpleted her words. They took turns sharing the little, beautiful details of the two years they had spent together cooped up in the private Goth estate.


    Their adventures in the Capitol.


    Their stewards of the Manor.


    Sex and nocturnal habits. And eventually, the fire that ended it all. But they didn''t dwell too long on that. And so, Cora finished with: ". . .I have to tell you right now, my Lord, I''m a Ghost."


    Rafel only chuckled. "So?"


    "I didn''t expect that. Don''t you mind?" Cora asked.


    Rafel touched her silver hair. "I am d you are back with me, Coraz¨®n. I don''t care what vessel you appear in. Besides, I''ve never fucked a ghost before."


    Cora smacked his arm. Then she paused. The tips of her ears perked up, like a fox.


    "Did you hear that?"


    "What? The sound of you smooching me in a lonely church?" Rafel smirked.


    Cora shot him a look. "No, silly. Listen."


    Rafel became attentive, and almost instantly, his grin faded. He heard it too.


    PAH! PAH! PAH!


    Fleshy sounds. pping sounds. Deep groaning.


    Rafel''s eyes lit in a devious fire this time; mischief. He smiled sciously at Cora as he rose from the pew. "Oh, someone''s getting it good." He started in the direction of the orgasmic sounds. Cora was a step behind. "You think someone''s fucking? In the church?" Rafel took her hand and moved with her.


    "Shh. We''re about to find out."


    They tiptoed up the dais and rounded the altar, clearing the abandoned sanctum partitioned off by white veils and came to a sudden standstill when they reached a branching in the long, hallowed corridor.


    It was two men.


    On closer inspection, a man, and a boy.


    A very young boy.


    The man was in priestly garments. But it was nothing of modesty. His cassock was hiked up to his waist, and he stood in his white socks. On his head was the mitre of his bishopric, shaking wildly with his own gyration.


    "I-Is that the Highfather?"


    Rafel heard Cora''s whisper, but didn''t. . .couldn''t answer. This lesiastical man was pumping up in vibrating hips, his mmy ass on disy. What was in front on the other hand was nothing pasty. With a hard and full cock, he drammed into the bent form of an altar boy.


    Rafel saw the girthy member thrust in and out of the red asshole, and almost retched.


    The man in the Cardinal''s robes was yowling in abandon. He drilled that boy''s ass like a teen locked in a room with the harlot about to take his virginity. The view was so sickening, yet amusing, Rafel broke intoughter.


    "Hahaha!"


    The shivering men turned at this. And Rafel was still wildly cackling when the Priest''s cap fell off his head and his face twisted in shame. Cora clutched beside Rafel to his arm. "Holy fucking shit! It is the Highfather!"

 Chapter 160: The Vicar Of Vallon-de-Grace

    OF ALL THE FAITHFUL in thends of Eldoria, no one really knew whom, or what the [Martyr] was.


    For any devout you asked, the simple answer was that they had been worshipping the cowled saviour since they could remember, their fathers before them. And their father''s fathers even before. Who were they to question their God''s truth. He, manifested miracles.


    No one could say if the Martyr was male or female.


    They figured the creator was too supreme to be of a single gender. Omnipotent. And omniscient. So when they made statues of the Martyr, it was with a cowl. An immacte androgynous veil that hid out their God''s divine face. The same saintly, shrouded figure of opal marble¡ªwith benevolent arms stretched out¡ªnow loomed in front of Rafel by the darkly enchanted corridor of the quiet church.


    The Martyr''s eyes no one could boast they had seen. Not even the most servile monk.


    Priests of the Martyr across the dark ages leading up to the [Faerie Era] were named the Temrs, and at the head of the church, serving to lead the faithful at the Pontificate seat was the one chosen among a conve of elect Cardinals, the first above all.


    The paterfamilias. Or as known by the devout and heathen alike; Highfather.


    But if someone told Rafel that he would find, on a witched ind, in an empty cathedral, passing a soporific archway, that same Head of the Church, buggering a teenage hand?


    Whew!


    ¡ªthat one would be fucking crazy.


    Or at least asinine enough risk being stoned to death by the kingdom''s believers for sphemous uterrance. If Rafel didn''t see it with his eyes, he wouldn''t believe it. He heard Cora breathing at his side as the Highfather struggled to pull down his ck cassock over his thin legs. The altar boy hid behind the clergyman''s robes and dragged up his own trousers.


    Rafel whispered his annoyance for Cora''s ears alone.


    "This will hurt Rosamunde."


    It was true. Rafel''s indic girlie whom he had the hots for, was as believing in the Martyr as Eusebius in Lilith. He knew this news would break her heart.


    "Then we don''t tell her," Cora whispered back.


    The Highfather had a face only a mother could love, if that mother cared not for wrinkles and tub spot. It was like someone had taken a cigar''s butt to the man''s face. He was positively unattractive. And he was also old. The years showed on him. The image of his droopy ass ramming into the young boy behind entered Rafel''s head and he scrunched his nose.


    He didn''t know what to say that wouldn''t end with him pping off the priest''s head clean off his neck.


    The bloodspray was a nice enough image; it made him grin.


    Like the Highfather could see clearly his evil mind, the old priest gulped and cleared his throat. He passed a hand down his rumpled robes.


    Cora stepped forward.


    "Your Holiness."


    Her greeting was an obvious mockery to his holy office. "We didn''t expect to find anyone here. The chapel was lonely, so we assumed the entire church to be so. But clearly, our assumption was very wrong." The Highfather opened his mouth, but Cora held up a dismissive hand. "Don''t! I wouldn''t say a word in your situation.


    Just shut the fuck up while I try to forget seeing this."


    She moved her hand between the old priest and the young boy still hiding at his back.


    Rafel, in his rigid stance could hear two hearts thundering. One pounded faster, and Rafel feared the red organ might burst into a fury of blood within. Surely, it had to be the Highfather''s. At the risk of the old man having a cardiac arrest, Rafel touched the small of Cora''s back lightly to ease her imposing poise.


    "Let him speak. We might as well hear him me the devil for it."


    Cora sighed. "Uh, Rafel, we all know your uncle had nothing to do with this."


    The Highfather was stricken into silence for a while. He looked between the both of them. Rafel was exactly sure what the old man was thinking. Wait, his uncle''s the devil? Rafel''s silent smile was prove enough. The Highfather stuttered.


    "I-I h-have got no excuse. I have forsaken holiness, fallen into my own lusts, seduced by the sickening taste for young flesh," the boy behind the priest was quivering at his quaking eptance, "I have sinned against the Martyr¡ª"


    Cora interrupted hotly. "Oh, fuck you! You sick bastard. I forget how many times I''ve seen posters with your face all over the realm. You stand there and call fire and brimstone upon this very thing. A fucking hypocrite you are!


    Don''t try to y naive. You know exactly what the fuck you were doing.


    It didn''t stop you from preaching against it; from hailing down thunder upon the sodomites. And you didn''t quit your job either. So spare me the empty contrition. You, Your fucking Holinessmand your believers to attack all who are caught. You make the gays into a pariah. Yet, here you are, ramming up a he against the walls when you thought the church empty.


    In your office, you prey on the pure souls like this, who are either too innocent to know better, or too scared to fight back. I am not so concerned for the act as much as the child in it."


    Cora backed him up and poked his chest with her hard finger.


    "So fuck you, Highfather. And fuck this church too! Shriveled ball cunt!"


    To Rafel''s utter disgust, the old man crumbled to his knees and began to cry. His shoulders turned inward and he sobbed. Cora stared him down as he clutched his folded arms to his chest, muttering, "forgive me, Martyr, forgive my sin."


    Rafel growled. "Shut up, holy man. You sicken me. The only ones you have sinned against are I and my colleague here, whom you have shamed with this vile act. And it didn''t even turn me on. I have seen better perverts in Hel.


    Highfather? What a fucking joke!"


    As for perverts, Rafel was talking about Eusebius: one who loved to suck on his Auntie''s toes like Jack and his cow''s udder. And Moloch the Destroyer: no one got the ache for young flesh more than that mad Titan. Moloch didn''t touch a soul over ten years of age. But less than ten summers old, boy or girl, it didn''t matter.


    And so Rafel ignored the weeping old priest at his feet, the greatest symbol of the church, discovered in his own profane vice. Aid pink penis showing under his cassock. Rafel looked to the victim. The boy.


    Rafel got the attraction. The kid looked like a girl upon firsf nce. But then they all did at that age.


    The boy raised his eyes to meet Rafel. Rafel was to him a giant with golden demon iris.


    [I smell fear, Lord Apollyon.] Peitho whispered in his head.


    Rafel said to the child, "do not be rmed. How old are you?"


    "F-Fourteen."


    "Shit. A minor, really?" Cora kicked at the old priest below. "Fucko!" The man grabbed his shins and whimpered.


    Rafel''s hand vanished into the air for a bit, as he dipped into his Hel pocket dimension with his [Crimson Torch] ability and withdrew a hefty bag of gold. He was loaded enough since the auction. Rafel held the bag out to the boy once his fingers stopped glowing deathly red. He instructed the youngd on what to do.


    "Oi,ddie. Take this, yeah? And make better fucking life choices. Now bugger off!"


    Once the teenage boytoy of the Highfather was gone, Rafel turned back to the kneeling old man. He delivered his version of a ckmail, coercing from the crying clergyman information of note. Yes, he didn''t expect to stumble on a juicy scene, but he was sure as shit going to exploit the situation.


    Rafel squatted to the old man''s height.


    "Now listen here, Your Holiness, we have found ourselves in a bit of a pickle on what to do with you. My partner and I have other engagements, and would just love to scrub our mind clean of what we''ve seen here. So this is what''s going to happen:


    You may have heard of a recent matter with the sewage pipes bursting at the school mess hall, given that you''re the college''s chain. But I don''t care about any of that. What I really want to know is, Who sent Basilisk?


    Surely, with your connections on the school board you must''ve heard something...know something. I hear the Highfather has a permanent seat on the board. So tell me, who is the monster''s sure? Who is sending out giant serpents to gorge teen kids alive. Speak!"


    The old priest shivered. "I know nothing of this, I swear. But there''s a woman on the board. A highborndy. She''s the Countess of Av D''aqua. She joked about it in a meeting, but I could read more into it.


    And my cross always burns whenever I sit near her. She might have what you''re looking for."


    The Highfather clutched to the crucifix dangling down his neck. Rafel rubbed his gray head.


    "Good. Good, old man." He looked around the high pirs of the temple. "I will find this Countess, Your Holiness. But for now, say a word to anyone about this, and your small cock will be the least of your worries. Now, what''s the name of this church?"


    "Uh, it''s a church, but the entire parsonage is called Vallon-de-Grace."


    Rafel said nothing else. He rose, turned with Cora and began walking back down the cathedral''s silent archway. The Highfather yelled after them.


    "Wait. Are we done?"


    Cora and Rafelughed without turning. On his knees, blue-balled and frightened, the most powerful holy man of the Empire heard a demon''s cackle rise from the back of the redhaired boy. It rumbled in dark words, echoing like a grim orchestra ying in the courts. Rafel''s cold baritone said, "Oh, Your Holiness, we are far from done.


    You belong to me now, Vicar of Vallon-de-Grace."

 Chapter 161: Darkest Arts—Persuad?

    There was a scarlet sun in the skies when Rafel and Cora breezed out of the cathedral. It was a nice, alpine evening, dimming wonderfully into night in the countryside. They had spent nearly four hours cooped up in there. Cora turned as the carriage man they''d left behind hailed and brought his buggy over; the man was still waiting. It made Cora wonder just how much Rafel had tipped him.


    As the carted vehicle rumbled up to the sidewalk, Cora petted the mane of the first Chestnut horse in front and said with a whimsical look behind to the grand gray dome of the church.


    "I''m not gonna miss this ce."


    Rafel nced with her to the majestic turrets and folding eaves, and the crowck steeple; he held the door open for her. "Me neither."


    Considering what the duo had encountered in there, it was a safe bet. The Highfather of the entire holy fucking church was gay, and a pedo. And now, he was Rafel''s fucking bitch. The demon in Rafel felt the urge to rip out fucking horns and blow up some shit. He settled with a gratuitous smile. Rafel heard the reins p and the carriage started forward.


    Cora lowered her head onto his shoulder and Rafel looked down her pale features.


    "Dinner."


    Witchy blue eyes raised to light at him. "You read my fucking mind." She added. "¡ªbut none of that canteen order. I want a real spread."


    "As you wish, mi Coraz¨®n."


    Rafel spoke aloud to the carriageman. "Head on to Spinazo''s."


    "Yes, sir." The driver hailed back.


    Cora chuckled. "You want to spend some more money? That ce is pricey."


    "I know," said Rafel, "I own it."


    Cora abruptly sat up. "Since when?"


    "Since I found out the manager was a Hyde serial killer, and killed him for it. Speaking of, I might have to change the name of the ce." Rafel paused when he caught Cora staring up and smiling at him. He knew she admired his savagery. He leaned in close. "You can kiss meter."


    Cora pushed at his chest. "You wish."


    She dropped her head back into his shoulder, but her lips were already tingling in promise. The rest of the ride was silent until the marvelous ss doors of the uptown restaurant, bringing with it the mouthwatering aromas of intercontinental cuisine.


    Rafel and Cora got another surprise when they walked in.


    His friends had booked a table.


    "Hey!" Aya Naamah stood and waved to get his attention. With her were Percival, Ravenna, and Rosa. "Please, join us." She beckoned them in. Rafel also spotted Brunhilda and Miss President Erika with a couple of their [Griffin Gold] buddies on another booth close by. They waved too. And he nodded back.


    He guessed he and Cora weren''t the only ones thirsty for a real menu.


    Rafel held out a chair for Cora, and three pairs of eyes leveled on her. He introduced¡ªand not for the first time.


    "Coraz¨®n, everyone. And yes, she remembers."


    "Oh my gahd! She does?" Ravenna''s ent came out thickly.


    Cora was soon folded in hugs and wet kisses, tonic. Her BFF, Aya remained a warm presence at her side. Ever since she had opened that door that day at Emberfall to the Apollyon and his Subus, Cora had found that her mundane life had grown more interesting, case in point. Cora settled back into her seat. "It''s so nice to be back with you all," she was holding onto Aya''s hand.


    "It almost feels unreal."


    "It is real." Rafel hardened; he would have it no other way. His long arm was slung over the back of the booth.


    The spot Ravenna had chosen before their arrival was in a shadowed corner; almost private, locked all from all eyes except the ones in it. Like she knew the Lord of Shadows wasing. Ravenna said, "I can believe you died. It was..." She choked.


    "Yeah. We all felt it." Rosamunde finished for her. "¡ªa certain ginger brogue most of all."


    When she waggled her eyebrows in Rafel''s direction, he picked up the menu card and hid his face in it. The girlsughed. Percival joined in. "The bloke did cry once." Rafel hid his face more. "I know I speak for all when I say we all are ebullient at his miracle, Cora. His Eminence does not speak it, but we all know he shows his emotions in other ways."


    Percival made googley eyes, and if Rafel''s yellow eyes damn near burned through the page.


    What ways? Many may ask. Those ways involved a very enticing body and all the ways he could use it.


    ¡ªwhich every beautiful female on the table had seen and considered divine.


    "Yep," Ravenna chirped, "he does know how to show ''em."


    Rafel cleared his throat. "Moving on. . .what are we ordering?"


    Everyone in the swanky booth looked to the sexy tomboy. They were clearly keeping the ball in her court. Cora reclined and smiled, shing perfect white teeth. Her voice danced melodic with her words. "How about the finest in the house?"


    "Hear! Hear!" Percival drummed the table.


    It wasn''t long before a prim waitress came on and took their order. And a cart was wheeled in. The server announced their spread: glimmering pans of swelled pizza, stainless pots of noodles anddles for broth. Potatoes and mutton so soft it''d make the kindergarten none the wiser. Bread kissed with the perfect jam. Crunchy chips and caviar that cost about a total of the rest.


    Finishing with a bottle of wine normally restricted for festivals, or the impromptu stop-by of a Noble.


    "Have some more steak sent in," Israfel said. He kept an eye out for Rosa, his half vampire.


    "Yes, boss." The server bowed and left.


    As the reunited circle ate, they traded stories of events that had passed since Titans Landing. It was all they could do not to grab hands and do the feet tap together.


    Everyone avoided the topic of Cora''s funeral; how they had performed a pyre ritual on Sekhmet''s paradise ind, as in the custom of trueblood witches. How the mes had glowed blue: a sign of her pure bloodline, and the fire leaping like shards of crystals. And the urn Israfel had kept close in his closet even after Aya had convinced him to toss the ash into the ocean.


    "So, to end the story, I am now officially a revenant. If you see me floating in white robes at some point, don''t be rmed. I am no longer restrained to this mortal coil."


    Cora sat back and patted her belly.


    Rafel didn''t know which he loved more. The satisfaction of spoiling her. Or the fact that he got to watch her eat. He did like women with a healthy appetite.


    "We love you either way," Aya cemented.


    "Right as raindrops in Castamere!" Ravenna said, and the whole booth smiled.


    It was night outside when their tes were cleared away. Through the fine ss walls, Rafel could spot the stars in the dark. He didn''t know much about constetions, but that really did seem like a phallus. "Is it just me, or does that milky way look like a giant dick?"


    He brought moreughter to the booth and he, Rosa, Aya, Ravenna, and Percival soon forgot there was a literal ghost seated at their table.


    They were drinking several minutester in silence when Ravenna leaned in. Most of the patrons had left the restaurant. The lush area was mostly empty, but the expensive touch remained. The air smelled like fine wine. Ravenna put forward her question to the entire group. "So, what''s new?"


    "Mhmm." Percival shrugged. "It''s test week."


    "As a Second Year, I will happily coach you anytime. Just say the word." Ravenna offered again. All in the booth nodded, except Rafel. Her leafgreen iris locked on him. "What''s wrong?"


    Rafel raised his own yellow pupils and met her trusting gaze. He decided to tell all. "Cora and I were at Vallon-de-Grace today. We met the Highfather."


    "Really?" Rosa''s face lit so bright.


    Rafel shared a look with Cora; Rosa had such a pure fire within her he didn''t want to tarnish it with the ill reputation of the holy man. So he kept the real gossip to himself. He continued, avoiding the scandal upon the church. "Yes. He was. .


    .quite the man. Anyway, our meeting ended with him in our red book. He owes me now¡ªa whole fucking lot. I asked for a piece.


    Remember the shitstorm at the Guild?"


    Percival scrunched his nose. "Oh yeah, when the sewage pipes exploded."


    Cora chortled. "Yes," Rafel quickly went on. He didn''t want to remember drowned in brown turd. Gods! The shit he''d done to save that mortal''s life. "I called in one of the Highfather''s blood debts to me.


    I asked about the basilisk. He said we''d have to refer to another. A powerful woman in the realm."


    "Whom?" Rosa asked.


    And it was Cora who finished Rafel''s speech.


    "The Countess of Av."


    ? ¡é ?


    A halfmile away from the neon-lit restaurant, the shrouded figure of the same noble woman whom the friends sat in a circle and spoke about loomedrge in a gothic suite of the Grand Tourniquet Inn. Dark eyes stared down a crystal ball from above. In the glowing orb, the booth was revealed, and those staring dark eyes lit on the man at the head of the table: the redhead.


    Standing like a sentry above the ult ball, the high Countess of Av D''aqua whispered to some one beside her, the only other shadow in the grim suite.


    "We have a problem. This. . . Apollyon is close to figuring us out."


    The shadow she talked to moved¡ªbut just an inch.


    "Send in Persuada."


    And out from the gory darkness of the grande hotel room, a third shadow emerged. It''s mighty and furious size dwarfed the others, and everything else in its path. It made the chamber look small.


    This new entity was not like the others who had summoned it. It was neither person nor spirit. It was a monster. In the most gruesome possible use of the word. This creature was forged of the ckest arts. Knit from a hundred different parts of beastly nightmares.


    It''s haunted face and hollowed red eyes sprouted fright and death. It stood 12ft and appalling. The only part of its face open to the scrutiny of the purple lighting was a twisting mass of tentacles. There was no skin whatsoever below. The face of a squid, the body of a giant. .


    .and who the fuck knew what else.


    This, was the [Persuada].


    A most evil conjuring, known among the society of wizardry as one of the darker gods. As the monster of Frankenstein was made of deceased human parts, sewn together and granted electric life. So was the fright of Persuada. But the energy that flowed through this horrifying creature was dark and twisted.


    And so, came the second voice again, giving order to this deathly beast-man made of a hundred monster cadavers.


    "Find them. End them."

 Chapter 162: Children Of The Crow [III]

    Israfel''s dinner with his friends ended shortly after he''d told them about the Countess, and his n to find out, if, just as the Highfather had said, she was a practitioner of the banished spells of the dark arts. Prior to the incident at Vallon-de-Grace, he had heard nothing of the County of Av.


    But one thing he carried home from the restaurant that night: the ordinary noble Lady didn''t make a cross heat up and burn. Only vampires did that. And [monstros inferna]. Monsters of Hel.


    In his bedchamber at Salem Hall, Rafel fell into the quiescence and closed his eyes. He did not get much sleep. Spots danced into his vision and he kept having the feeling that he was being watched. As a Hellion, he sure as fuck trusted his instinct. It had saved him many times in culling out the repeat assassins who always showed up to his dark castle in Hel; a con of being the worshipped Apollyon.


    Rafel didn''t know how many times someone had tried to kill him¡ªand this was away from the arena.


    As reigning champion of the underworld, he''d had to deal with vengeful souls of the ones he had ughtered on the sands. It was this instinct, honed by years of dueling and war, that had kept his pretty red head on his shoulders. If mortals tried to behead the kings in their sleep, how much more demons.


    ''The shit minions do, sometimes just for fun,'' he reflected.


    His family of Underworld gods had taught him this valuable lesson of alertness, both to his environs and those in it, at a tender age. "Child, you should always look your closest friends in the eye each time you talk. But especially when they smile." It was Lilith who had said this. The goddess who was always sacrificing a third of her ves to the red fires of the abyss each season.


    Her reason: "when people fear you, they''ll think twice about lifting a dagger in your presence."


    Rafel guessed it worked. Lilith had been Queen of [Hel Realm] since the first mortal man.


    He was tossing and turning on the bed. He felt an itch, pricks on his skin.


    Someone was watching.


    This was no longer some inkling in the back of his quick mind. Or some omen. He now knew for sure. His light dose was full of apparitions and ghoulish trees. It seemed like a minute when he''d swiped the keycard on his dorm room panel. Rafel finally rolled over and rubbed his eyes.


    He instructed his system a series ofmands to execute.


    "Peitho?"


    [Ding!]


    [HOST voice confirmed!]


    [I''m here, Lord Apollyon.]


    "Find out who''s watching me."


    [Ding!]


    [...searching immediate surrounding for peepers.]


    A gilded screen shed in front of his face.


    [Result: A Hallowed equipment has been detected, honed on the bedroom. By calctions, a Crystal Ball. The witch behind it however is obscured in a shield of Oblivion. It is currently impossible to know who culprit is. I suggest a virtual scrub, Lord Apollyon. We cut out the feed, and wait for this witch to ck.]


    Rafel replied to Peitho. "Do it. And while you''re at it, try hacking into this person''s mana core. Once we get a trace on their magick signature, we''ll know their location."


    Peitho''s glinting screen vanished above his bed, and Rafel turned left amidst the silver sheets. He raised his voice across the divide in the shared suite and called for his roommate. "Percy?" No answer. They had returned together after the dinner at the restaurant. Rafel didn''t see why the blonde wouldn''t be in the room. "Percival?


    Sorry to disturb you, man, but you should know we''ve got a peeper. Percival? Are you there?"


    When there was still no forting reply, Israfel tore off the nket and pushed up from the bed.


    His chamber was dark. He loved it so.


    He nced at the glowing timepiece as he moved for Percival''s corner.


    It was about midnight.


    ''So I did manage to catch some sleep after all!'' he inflected.


    Percival''s bed was empty. Rafel looked around; the area was a contrast to his side of the luxury lodging. Percival had gold wallpapers and murals of sunset and paradisical beaches. A supersonic model in luminous blonde hair was posed just above his headrest in a bikini. A siren. Her long legs were crossed and her cleavage swarmed the eyes.


    If Percival were around, Rafel wouldpliment his choice of room decor.


    ''I suppose I''d have no trouble falling asleep if I had a face like that above me.''


    But when exactly in the night did Percival leave? He wondered.


    He stopped wondering when he found a pure white card a ck crow inked in it.


    Beside the unmade bed and magazine model, it was the only other thing in sight. Rafel grabbed the card and turned it over. No message. Just a card with the picture of a crow. Mysterious. And exactly something a member of the society of the Children of the Crow would pull.


    Silently, Rafel walked back to his chambers. He waved a passing hand and lights came on. He disappeared for seconds into his ornate dresser, and came out in a windbreaker and hard boots.


    The card with the crow went into the front pocket of his shirt.


    Rafel picked up his keycard and then, breezed out the door.


    He thought of using his [Shadow MERGE] ability to teleport right into the location where the Children of the Crow held its¡ªnot entirely legal¡ªmeetings, but it was cold out. He figured a walk in the night would clear his head. And for the bitch watching him, the blocks of brick buildings was a nice ce to lose her.


    Rafel reached the citadel''s tower and hopped the stone steps to the abandoned library. The entire corridor leading up to the bibliotheca was eerie silent, as it should be; it was the fucking dead of night. But Rafel forged on. He was intrigued to see what the Children of the Crow had for him this time. The ndestine society appealed to his dark parts on a molecr level.


    Rarely was a Prince of Hel intrigued by mortal shenanigans.


    But he was.


    There was a reason this part of the building was sealed off. This particr library held the ancient texts the school board deemed ursed, or to fucking explicit for their curriculum, but were too chicken to burn. So they locked them all up in the hallowed chamber like a vault.


    Rafel ducked under the yellow tape, using only his [nocturnal sight] to meander a way around the trip rms installed. A whole lot of more security had been installed sincest he''d been here; possibly to dissuade the adolescent mages from using old Elwyrm tables as their coupling nooks.


    And not because they knew of the ndestine society of royals using the secret loft of the library as the war room for aing, assured revolution.


    Rafel moved in rows of books and pulled out the one that geared the secret hatch.


    He heard a low rumble of stone, and the entire aisle in front of him gave way to a darkness.


    He walked in. The stone way grated shut again.


    As Rafel moved down the spiral stairwell, he heard whispering. Hushed voices. His demon [seventh sense] picked up his friends voices, and others he didn''t recognize. The closer he got, the clearer their words became. The air smelled of cologne and damp rock, and a bit of faerie dust. In other words, flowers.


    Rafel cleared into therge chamber with a gust of cold air. "Well, hello there."


    All upants of the cavernous loft turned as one.


    Nine of them.


    They had dropped their silver cowls, and gray masks in the faces of crows were hung over a rack; grim beaks shooting forward. Nine masks too.


    The caped Children of the Crow all bended the knee. They hailed Rafel''s rank as the Apollyon in unison. "Your Eminence."


    Rafel inclined his hand for them to rise. "Salvete Corvum," he said. "All hail the Crow!" Nine solid voices churned. Aya Naamah''s violet eyes were the first he met. Then it was Rosamunde. Brunhilda.


    Erika, with her glimmery blue eyes. Five othermitted souls to the cause. Rafel moved to Percival in the goth space and handed him his card, the one he''d found. He said to the listening room, "I have had time to contemte your offer, good fellows. And I. .


    .ept."


    All members of the secret conve shared smiles.


    Rafel held up a hand. "But we work as a team. You may call me Apollyon if you wish. Albeit, no harm wille to you if you just address me by my name. I am honored to be part of your cause." He made a short salute. "Now, tell me.


    What is this midnight meeting about? I heard your whispers on the way up here."


    It was Erika who stepped out, her pristine cowl fallen and long pinkish waves on disy. She answered Rafel''s question for all of them, bowing first.


    "Your Eminence. I know I speak for all of us when I say we are far more honored to have you here with us. It dens our dark hearts. Our meeting here tonight was not nned. It happened out of the blue, when your [Bond] subus, Aya felt the hex bubble she had ced over you weaken. .


    ."


    Rafel sent a sharp look at Aya. He spoke through their mind link. ''You hexed me, ve?''


    ''It was only for your protection, Dominus. Do not be mad. Forgive me.'' Aya''s voice numbed his anger.


    Erika went on. "We convened because we then knew someone had you in their line of sight. Under a mystic see. You are being watched by some dark Magess, Your Eminence. We figure it is for a reason. Our intent was to find out what before harm could be done."


    "Thank you," Rafel said to all of them. "I know about the peeper. Have you traced this person''s location. I came up short."


    "Yes." Percival came forward with a growl. "Her name is Lady Constance, Countess of Av. And she is currently hosted in Room 117 of the Grand Tourniquet hotel." Rafel watched as the nine members sworn to him pulled on their crow masks. They even now looked more like a cult. Percival''s voice came out grave from behind the sharp beak.


    "Your Eminence, shall we annihte her?"

 Chapter 163: Daughter Of Zeus

    Rafel stared into the scary bird faces. Percival''s ask hung dangerously in their air: "Shall we annihte her?" With the predator sheen even the avian masks couldn''t cover, Rafel felt they really wanted to. To murder the Countess of Av, in cold fucking blood.


    He sighed. "No. Not yet."


    He gave a motion and they all pulled off their crow masks again. Their capes even had feathers in it, but the queer thing about the Children of the Crow was that their sigil was a white crow. Rafel had never seen, nor heard of such. Not even in the myths. But the White Crow was beautiful to look at. It was symbolic of how light could spawn from dark, he purported.


    Had to be.


    Rafel sniffed and gave his order. "ce trusted sentinels on watch at the hotel. If she leaves, follow her. Do not engage. I will make the meet personally tomorrow, and if need be for her death, I will surrender her to the gaping mouth of Hel myself. If we just straight up murder her, we will get nothing out of why she went through so much trouble to spy on me.


    Now, all of you, take off those fucking capes and go get some sleep." Sounds ofughter rose in the room as hispadres obeyed.


    Israfel remained as they trickled out in twos. He was left alone with a final nce at the ominous masks left behind, he too traced the stone steps out the loft, the library, and minutester, the whole citadel. What Israfel didn''t know was that while be had failed to dispatch his own team of killers, the Countess of Av had not.


    Her monster, Pesuada wasing after him.


    Rafel whistled an ound tune as he walked down the street and few blocks to Salem Hall. The others had gotten a head start, and he felt Percival could already be in their dorm room by now. He didn''t mind. It was the wee hours of earliest morning, and the ind scent were fresher and crispy. The night glimmered in stars.


    He was just passing by an alley cut into a closed tavern and a modiste shop when he heard his song being sang back to him.


    Rafel stopped dead in his tracks.


    He swiveled toward the alley, a narrow cleft shrouded in mist and bins. The whistling stopped when he did. And at first he thought it had to be the echoes of his own voice carrying on the wind. He shook his head, turned back, and was about to continue on his way when he heard tapping feet.


    The grinding of boots on crunchy gravel.


    "Who''s there?" Rafel started for the foggy alley.


    Some ck rats, fat with the litter pooling out the bins scattered at his feet. A sulky cat watched them go by, toozy and bored to interfere. Rafel kicked the cans and walked on. Aside the trash bags, the alley was quite clean. The droopy mist cleared before his amber eyes.


    "I said who''s there?"


    He could still hear tapping feet. Now that he could see through the light dew, he followed the scuffing sounds to a corner beside a broken water fount.


    His eyes first met the boots.


    It was a military make. The model was hardy, meant to intimidate, but also carry the weight of the wearer at breakneck speeds. The boots stopped tapping, and he followed with his eyes up the greymando pants, and the red-silver vest marking the army of the Republic. As his eyes trailed the silhouette, he found strong calves, long athletic legs, and hips that bursted out.


    Before, he even hit the bosomy chest area, he knew he already stared at a woman.


    But a strong one.


    One that could heft him up her shoulders and not puff a breath. Rafel finally reached the face of this silhouette in the alley, and blood rushed to his ears. It was a woman alright, and she was fucking gorgeous. A total knockout. Her lips were pursed. Her eyes were hot brown.


    And her hair was dread-locks.


    Those sexy lips moved. "Who are you?"


    Rafel stared. Her khaki vest was high cor and had silver ranks on it. On the shoulder. Epaulettes. He could also make out the teasing, snaking ink on the pale skin of her neck. Her tattoos were 3D.


    They vanished down her zipper and the showing melons of her titties. Rafel fantasized about how far down the ink went.


    "Hey!" The girl clicked her fingers sharply in front of his face. "My eyes are up here. I said, who the fuck are you? And why are you walking around alone at this hour of the night?"


    Rafel scratched his head. "Uh?" How could he form an answer with such bodacious soldier?


    He decided not to lie. "I take walks like this often, to...to clear my head."


    "Uh huh." The girl''s eyes clearly said she didn''t believe him.


    Rafel extended a hand. "The name''s Israfel. What''s yours?"


    The tattooed babe hesitated, but then she shook it. Her grip was firm. Definitely a soldier. "A demon," she deduced. "Many of your kind since Titans Landing." Rafel pulled his hand. "What gave me away?" The girl smiled in the warm air.


    "I could say your eyes, but no. I sensed your hellish aura the moment I touched you. You are a potent male."


    "Thank you." Rafel took thepliment. "So, are you going to tell me your name?"


    The moment of her answer, strange blue lightning peeled in the night skies¡ªeven though there was no sign of rain. Her face lit in the electric second, as she said, "Bolta. Daughter of Zeus."


    Rafel joked when he heard resounding thunder whip the night. "Now that makes sense."


    Boltaughed. "Yep. That happens." Rafel smiled with her and finally tore his eyes from her pushy breasts, already halfway out her vest. There was a wall beyond their position: a deadend. Bolta leaned on the stone wall by the backdoor of the tavern. Her swinging brown locks were turned magenta under the lighting.


    Rafel eased his legs around the empty ale barrels at her feet, and leaned also, next to her, his arm crooked over the lid of arge metal trashcan.


    Bolta didn''t seem to mind thepany. She offered him a cigar.


    Rafel held up her switch lighter and puffed. "You''re a soldier?"


    Bolta followed his eyes to the silver ranks on her shoulder. She nodded with a proud smile.


    "Sentinel Corps. First Wing."


    "Private Bolta!" Rafel cheered, making her smile stretch. "Again, makes sense. So tell me; what''s the daughter of the King of Olympians doing all by herself in a remote alley? Aren''t your siblings like gods of the moon and fucking sun? Your father, the great thunderer always host a party up there these days from what I hear."


    Bolta took a long drag. "Yes, that''s all true, but my mum''s mortal. I was signed into the patrol as part of my guardianship detail."


    Rafel blinked. "You''re a Fourth Year?"


    She nodded. Another proud smile. And he got a lewd sip of her boobs. "How about you?" She asked. "First Year?" Rafel clutched to his chest. "Oh!


    You wound me. Am I that obvious? Spot on, on the first guess? Shit. I might need to work on my steeze."


    Bolta wasughing out loud. "No. No. It isn''t that. It''s just. .


    .only a newbie would be strolling out at this time of the night."


    "Instead of?"


    "¡ªfucking, obviously. It''s test week. And it''s a hot night out." Bolta fanned herself. "Wait. How old are you?" It was at this question that Rafel finally got the courage to look down her vest, and openly let it show in his eyes what he''d been thinking about ever since he''d walked into this fucking alley to find this hot, inked demigoddess casually bent over a damn wall.


    He shrugged. "Old enough. Why?"


    Bolta let her hazel eyes run wild too. She licked his body with her catty iris. And he felt his penis charge when she licked at her lips. No lipstick, but still, sexy as fuck. Things had clicked off between them. Rafel was killing his first impression with the daughter of Zeus.


    The way they had hit it off was a tale worthy of gossip. He wondered if she was thinking what he was thinking, and feeling what he was feeling.


    Rafel dared himself, and made the first move.


    He was not much taller than she was, but still he dipped in and ced a feather kiss into the hot skin of her neck. He let his face roam for seconds over Bolta''s hazel eyes; he was leaving her with the steamy choice. She bit on her bottom lip and sucked in a sharp breath. Lightning danced in the sky above again.


    The thunder cracked, just as she said, "I came out tonight for a smoke." She tossed the butt of her cigar to the dank floor, tapping it out with her boot''s heel. "But," she finished. "¡ªthings change."


    Rafel was ready when her hot, sinful eyes climbed back up his body.


    "Come here, demon." Bolta rasped.


    And they met hot at the middle.

 Chapter 164: Thunder Girl [18+]

    [?? Tonight ¨C Nonso Amadi.]


    She mmed Rafel into the wall. Her soft curves went flush against his hardness, and when her lipsnded, Rafel groaned and grasped behind for her fleshy ass. Bolta tongued him hard. Her kiss shocked the fuck out of him. She was electric. Their faces were glued in heat, turning angles, one to dominate the other.


    He fondled her ass, hisrge palms grabbing her huge butt cheeks and fingering for her crack through her camo pants.


    Bolta imed his mouth in fevered lust. Rafel shook at the warmth and softness of her. He just had to have this woman.


    He just had to fuck, the daughter of Zeus.


    Lightningnced in the sky. He was sure the students back at their dorms must be wondering what happened for the storm. It was Bolta. Her desire changed the fucking weather.


    Her gloved hands were in his red hair, gripping and caressing, kissing him like they were brother and sister, and it was for just one night. She broke off his mouth with a low, hissing moan. Rafel tried to push off the wall and be the man, but she mmed him back on it and dived for his throat. She licked his pulse, his strong chin, trailed back up to his pink lips.


    Rafel jiggled her booty as their lips found release again.


    He poured everything into the kiss.


    She was pressed so tight into him he felt the supple weights of her breasts against his chest. He wanted her free, wanted to grasp and suck those busty melons he''d been eyeing ever since he stumbled upon her. Rafel stroked Bolta''s tongue with his and broke their writhing kissing with blood roaring his ears¡ªand dick.


    She clung to his head as he dipped his head down and started slow with his tongue along her lush, creamy skin. He inhaled hard. He growled as her cleavage plumped before his eyes.


    ''I''m so fucking close to those cherry peaks.''


    Bolta drew him up by his hair.


    "And where do you think you''re going, First Year?"


    Rafel blinked. "I thought¡ª"


    "Thought what? That I was gonna let you pound me in a dirty alley like some filthy whore?" Bolta''s fist in his ginger hair curled and Rafel felt pain. Ancing whip of blue lightning dazzled and struck the earth mere feet away from where they stood. It shed in her eyes. It was her mana, spilling out from her and into the clouds. Bolta''s raw energy.


    She railed Rafel into the wall. "I am the fucking daughter of Zeus!"


    Rafel gulped. ''What the shit is happening? Did I so something wrong?'' he inflected.


    But then Bolta smiled. She leaned in and took his lips, still fisting his soft red curls. She kissed him hard and wicked. And then, she broke with a coy smile. She pushed his curls out of his face. "You are a very beautiful boy, Israfel.


    Stay right there!" She ordered and released her grip in his hair.


    Keeping her liquid eyes on him, Bolta pushed off his body. Rafel stood with his back to the wall, his tousled hair bright under the night torches. When Bolta started tracing her smoking hot bod with her hands, he knew she had only been fucking with him. Her seductive voice echoed in his head:


    ''. . .you think I''m gonna let you pound me in a dirty alley like some filthy whore.''


    ''That''s exactly what I''m gonna do.'' His inner self made this dark promise.


    Bolta cupped her voluptuous assets as he leaned against the stone wall of the tavern and watched. She teased him by tracing her fingers into the hem of her tight bra showing out the military vest. Rafel didn''t dare blink. Her thumb rubbed circles through the blouse on the spot where he imagined her nipples would be. She rolled and pinched her ares and Rafel saw them wet her shirt.


    "Fuck." He moaned. "You''re killing me here."


    "Shush, boy." Bolta put that very same finger to his lips. Rafel strained to suck it in, but she pulled it back.


    More lightning crackled above them, but neither cared. Both were too turned on to give a fuck. And since Rafel knew the sudden nimbostratus was Bolta''s doing, he knew the shes weren''t going to hit. Bolta mashed her boobies together. She pressed them and squeezed, hard, panting at the feel of her own hands. Rafel groaned.


    "Please."


    "You want titties?" She chuckled lustily.


    Rafel nodded.


    "Yeah?" She continued teasing him. "You want my breasts? You want to suck, don''t you? I know you do, demon. I know you fucking do. I''m so wet for you.


    So fucking wet. I''ll show you." Bolta ran her left hand down her bustier to her red hips and rammed in into the juncture of her thighs. She felt herself. She palmed her fat pussy through the camo. She squirmed on her own fingers when she felt her heat.


    "Oh hell! I want you." Rafel gritted. His hand were just about to break through the tavern''s wall.


    Bolta knew he was to lunge for her, and she lifted a warning finger. "No, no. Stay there. Stay right fucking there. I''m not done with you yet. You have such dark eyes, and I caught you staring¡ªmore than once.


    So I''m gonna give you want you fucking want."


    A rare streak of purple lightning peeled close enough to the alley that Bolta''s gorgeous face was illuminated in the brief glow. In her molten brown eyes, Rafel saw pure sin. The ruin of him.


    The curvaceous sentinel put her hand back to her impressive chest and began tugging down the zipper of her vest. Rafel glued to her milky skin with his eyes over every inch of flesh she was exposing. The vest dropped to the floor and only her bra remained. It was a front-sp, and Rafel forgot to breathe as she lifted her hands and popped it.


    "Holy eternal gods." He gasped.


    She was more than he imagined. And he had a pretty x-rated imagination. If Bolta hadn''t told him she was the daughter of Zeus, seeing her shirtless titties, he might''ve guessed. Only the divine seed of an [Olympian] could have birthed such an alluring creature. Her boobs were bodacious.


    Rafel didn''t bother to sugarcoat his growl.


    "I want them in my mouth."


    "What? These?" Bolta flipped back her reddish dreads, and cupped her naked tits. But the swells were alreadyrge and rounded enough without her holding them up. She manhandled the creamy melons, and Rafel was already opening mouth.


    "I''ve had enough." His baritone scattered the night.


    A burst of darkness shot out behind Bolta and pushed her to him. She jerked, falling onto his body with a giggle. Rafel had used his [Dark Hand] ability. He caught the voluptuous damsel in his ready hands and jammed his face into her bosom. He''d been wanting this forever. To taste her.


    To smell her.


    Bolta squashed his head between her full breasts.


    "Oh yeah," she moaned. "You like that? You dirty, dirty boy."


    Rafel whipped out his tongue and sought out the nice and wet peaks. Bolta''s sweet face peered down at him as he went for her pink ares. His firm hands squished her melons together.


    SLURP! SLURP! SLURP!


    He began to suck wildly. Bolta reared back her head and offered herself more to his mouth. Rafel salivated. "More." Bolta grabbed his head and held him in. "More? You want more?


    Yeah? My hungry demon." She sshed her boobs all over his face. "Here, let me help." Bolta grabbed her tits and held them up to his face herself. Rafel''s hands fell to her slim waist and he drew her in until her thigh was riding up his leg.


    He sucked in her twin cherry nipples into the mouth at the same time, and Bolta squirmed in his embrace. "Oh yes. Suck them. Suck on thoserge titties."


    SLURP!


    "¡ªYeah. Suck ''em. Just like that."


    SLURP! SLURP!


    "Oh gods. Fuck," she moaned as he came up drooling. His saliva was thered all over her boobs. Her fair skin gleamed with it.


    Bolta breathed heavily at the flood of warmth pooling in her sex. Her breasts weighed in arousal, and her nipples were erect and reddened by Rafel''s sucking. "Let me see that ass." He turned her around with rough hands. Then bent her forward, her buttocks shooting out for his sinful eyes. He dragged her camo pants down her legs and Bolta jumped.


    She clutched to her bouncing titties and rolled her swollen nipples in her thumb and forefinger.


    "Ohh," she writhed, moaning low at being so open to a man.


    Rafel ripped off her thong. She felt his eyes and hot breath sh her pussy.


    He raised a great palm over her giant butt and smack it. Bolta recoiled in pleasure. Electricity sparked in her eyes. Literal bolts.


    THWACK!


    Rafel smacked her again. And again. "Jiggle for me, baby." He said to her. Bolta began hopping on the balls of her feet and her voluptuous curves bounced deliciously in the air. Rafel instantly put his head in her crack. He spread her and slurped the juices right out of her asshole.


    Bolta recoiled in pleasure. She parted her legs more in the alley and sent her hand back to grasp to his head, pushing him in more.


    "Yes. Fuck yes. Lick that fucking ass and pussy. You smell it, yeah. You smell it, demon? How does it taste?


    That''s the taste of a real woman." She rolled her ass over his face, riding him while standing bent forward in her hard boots.


    Rafel was on his knees behind her. His back scrubbed the wall as she wiped his face with the her hole and pussy.


    Bolta palmed her tits and let him enjoy the gallore of her open ass for a while. She stood and dragged him up. Turning back, she faced him and went on her knees. Rafel was already fumbling with his fly. He ripped out his engorged penis and drove into Bolta''s mouth before even it was fully open. She sucked his cock good, before settling back her throat to allow him move at his own pace.


    Rafel gripped hard to her fat dreadlocks and pumped her mouth full with delicious, long dick.


    He pulled out when he saw Bolta touching herself under. "No. Not without my permission."


    Bolta grabbed his hard meat instead and jerked his cock over her face a few times. It shut Rafel right up. Then she rose, still holding onto his fat member.


    "I don''t need it."


    Bolta grabbed his shoulders and dragged him off the tavern''s wall. She pushed him to the grimy cobblestones. Rafel''s dark smile showed. It was time to fulfill his promise. And dly.


    Bolta ripped his shirt as she lowered on top of him. She straddled his legs but didn''t sit.


    She took a squat.


    Her body was the sin of gods. Nude. Perfect. Just fucking perfect.


    Crouched above him in only her military boots, her voluptuous assets peaked deliciously in the night as she gently lowered on Rafel''s cock. Rafel held apart her thick thighs and watched her slick pussy ept him. He just had to watch. Bolta was divine above him. The lightning in the skies highlighted the sweat on her skin.


    "You are transcendental." Rafel''s amber iris shined.


    Boltaughed and fell over him.


    PAH! PAH! PAH!


    She bounced over him. The globes of her ass parting and shaking for his mighty cock to jam into her tight, hot core. Their passion grew, and quickly spiraled into a steamy conjugation. Rafel gripped to Bolta''s face and watched the blue sparks light her blue eyes as her pussy squeezed the life out of his cock.


    "Yes, demon. Oh gods yes! Ram me with that dick. You feel so good. Yes. Yes."


    PAH!


    "Yes."


    PAH!


    "Fuck yes!"


    PAH! PAH!


    Bolta orgasmed spontaneously. She wailed in ecstasy, riding his dick hard. She moved in circles, desperate to draw out from his as much milkiness as she gave. Bolta''s cum juices wet Rafel inside her, squishing out to dampen his balls.


    "Look at me. Look at me, daughter of Zeus."


    Rafel whispered. He wrapped his arms around her voluptuous form and stared into her lightning eyes as blue electricity zapped in them. Her irises burned like the shes rippling the ck clouds above them. "Ahhnnn!" Bolta epted all of his hot seed, her inner walls clenching as she sat on his fat cock. Rafel held inside her until he stopped throbbing.


    A single raindrop fell from the magical thunder sky to merge with the slick bodies of the mad couple tangling in the dirty alley.


    Rafel didn''t care for the mud on his back. "Might we meet again, soldier?"


    Bolta stood naked and arranged her furious dreads, leaving Rafel there to admire her swaying breasts. She reached for camo. And smiled. "Possibly." As she walked out the dark alley and puffed a new cigar, Bolta too didn''t care for the panties she caught strewn over a bin''s metal lid.


    Her panties.


    Rafel walked alone to his dorm just before dawn broke, smelling of garbage, but feeling like a champ.

 Chapter 165: The Spring Games

    With warm water pouring over his face four hourster, Rafel heard Percival call across his section of the chamber suite to the bathroom. "Are you going to tell me where you werest night?" Rafel sighed and rinsed his mouth.


    He shut the silver tap over the porcin bowl and walked out. He was rubbing a towel over his head when he heard Percival enter his bedspace. Rafel dropped his hand. "What!" He chastised. And then proceeded to question his blond roommate about his own love life. "Dude, I just woke up.


    Give me a break. Besides, don''t you have yourself to worry about. Like, when was thest time you gotid?"


    Rafel was of the opinion that if Percy had ady, he would quit bugging him so much. Percival only leaned against the curve of the partition wall and trained gilded irises on him. Rafel ripped out his drawers and searched for a clean shirt. Percival''s eyes reminded him too much of his cousin, the Queen.


    The former queen.


    He had gotten no word from Giselle since that night of the Titans ascension from the boiling sea. If his dear friend were still alive, he wouldn''t know; her, and Annabelle. He just hoped they hadn''t burned. He hoped to Fortuna.


    "You came in at 3amst night. Our meeting ended at one," said Percival. Rafel didn''t turn as he gruffly replied, "which is why I don''t need you to be bugging me so damn early. I only got few hours of sleep before the fucking bell tower came tolling. I don''t need to tell you where I''ve been, because I''m not hiding anything. I got sidetracked, that''s all.


    I don''t why it concerns you so much."


    "You are the Apollyon," Percival exined simply. "Our best chance of toppling the reign of the Usurper rests on you."


    "Then as the Apollyon, I order you to stand down," Rafel muttered. He certainly wasn''t about to tell Percival that those two hours he''d been MIA were spent ramming up the intense body of a Fourth Year demigoddess. A sh of the female soldier''s hot nudes entered his head and Rafel cursed as he banged the drawer.


    "Fuck. Where did Naamah keep all the fucking ck shirts sheundered for me?"


    Percival walked over and calmly drew out thest rung of the closet. He pulled from within a pile a neatly folded ebony jacket with gold-hoop buttons. He held it out to Rafel. "Here you go." Rafel grabbed it off his hands. Percival turned and began to leave, but paused at the marbled wing. "And for the record, from now on, I''ve be your guard.


    Your protector. You aren''t going to as much as chuck a shit without me being there. It''s called tough love."


    And with that, Percival vamoosed. Rafel charged at his statement with uneptance. "Oi! I didn''t ask for a fucking bodyguard."


    "Yeah? You should have thought of that before you epted to be the leader of the Children of the Crow," came the long, amused voice.


    "Fuck you, man."


    "See you at breakfast!" Rafel heard the door m.


    He was left alone to dress and pulled on the coal zer. The majority of his sses for the day were in the level of the shadow world tower, so he had to go with the colors of [Raven Arc]. As the only bi-magical student in the elite magus academy, Rafel knew he''d need to read harder and train twice as much. Thank fuck he had a pretty good start at warfare early in life.


    But he wasn''t thinking of the other assessments that might be lined of for today.


    No.


    He was thinking of how the fuck he was going to keep Bolta out of the picture¡ªwhen his subus was literally mind linked to him. Aya wouldn''t mind that he''d gotten his rocks off elsewhere, or at least she wouldn''t try to kill the bitch for it. But she would yell fire and brimstone upon him if she learned Bolta was the daughter of Zeus.


    The reason was simple: you didn''t fuck around with Olympians.


    "Wish me luck," Rafel said to his reflection in the mirror. Feeling a little cold, he fetched a woolen scarf off his coat rack and swiped his keycard off the table. The sound of the dorm room''s door softly shutting behind him touched the hallway, just as the clock''s shorthand struck eight. Rafel entered the cafeteria at exactly five minutester.


    A few heads raised as he moved in. The ce was full; students ready to get a hearty, warm meal before warding off to test sses and training halls. A couple of Third Years nodded at him. Rafel recognized them from the basketball courts. To the Gyaru femmes who were ogling him, he seemed to flow by in slow motion. One particr girl with [Third Sight] lollygagged at his impressive man aura.


    The crimson and nocturne glows rippled around his stature.


    Rafel spotted the table of the socialite queens: the Pynks. Erika had the tiniest content in the entire cafeteria on her te. Rafel wasn''t even sure he''d call what he saw ''food''. She smiled and dipped her blondshes at him when her prima donna sisters weren''t watching. The sexy twins at her side, Raziah and Keziah, waved at him. Keziah giggled, tongue in cheek.


    And Rafel wanted to clear all the tes on the table with his hand, and rece breakfast for the milky, seductive brte.


    A tray was alreadyid out when he got to his table.


    "Good morning, guys," he greeted his friends.


    When they all started bowing, he frowned at them. "Come on? It''s still me. Cut the shit."


    His friends traded looks. Mikhail and Brunhilda had joined in, but Ravenna wasn''t present. When he asked of his Little Raven, it was Rosa who replied; "she had an early ss and dipped with a muffin." Rafel nodded. He was proud of her. He''d heard sophomore was she hardest Year at the [C.A.W]. And it was test week.


    Subconsciously, he wished her all the dark graces Hell could render.


    Rosa pushed a bowl of steaming macaroni to him first. She held out noodle sticks to pull his eyes down to his breakfast tray. "Try this first," she said. Under her breath, she added, "I bribed the head chef to mix in a secret recipe, just for you."


    Rafel smiled. "With what?"


    Rosa cupped her bust with both hands. Her gray eyes twinkled insinuatively.


    "Oh ho!" The whole table burst intoughter. "Damn! I wish I were the head chef." Mikhail joked, and another round ofughs went up. Rafel said to Rosa. "He better not get any funny ideas." Rosa gulped and put a hand in her prim, glossy bob. She twirled her dark short hair on a finger.


    Rafel''s wicked eyes told her he''d punish her for itter. Under the table, where the hundred and one eyes of eating witches could see, Rosamunde clenched her thighs firmly. Heat was pooling.


    Rafel moaned at the first bite. And she clenched her thickps tighter.


    "I love it." He admitted. And went on to scrape the bowl clean.


    Aya, who had being quiet for a while leaned in and said, "Quite some thunder we hadst night, eh?"


    Rafel was d he had nothing in his throat at that moment. "Yeah. Yeah." He drank from a ss of milk. The way Mikhail eyed the ss, he suspected it hade from one of the girls. He was d though, that all he saw in Aya''s eyes was only mild curiosity. She didn''t suspect the lightning storm had being a result of coitus with the daughter of Zeus.


    No one did.


    The bells rang again, and Rafel quickly moved to rise. He told them of his choked schedule. "That''s my cue. I''ve got Potions and Poisons now. And a reading of Mahorr the Malevolent scriptster at noon. I will see you all at dinner, yes?" The long table of friends smiled and nodded.


    Rafel was halfway to his feet when a beautiful, slim hand blocked his way. It touched, very gently his shoulder.


    Rafel followed the golden skin, and cascading hair on the upper arm to the bombshell features of the student president. Ever since Erika had be his partner at the ownership of Spinazo''s, she had be quite endeared to him. And if she wasn''t so into pop culture, she would admit her crush openly to him.


    "Miss President." Rafel said back down.


    "Look at you; all glowing. I bet you have the best study partner this test week." Mikhail added with a scious wink.


    Erika ignored the Rocasian royal. She turned those riverine blue eyes of hers to him. Where Cora''s iris were like ice and killed frost, Erika''s were more of the sky: fair and azure. No wonder she was a Griffin. Standinf very close to Rafel''s seat, she held out a painted flyer and spoke to him about theing sporting event.


    "I imagined you and your clic haven''t heard. . ."


    When oblivious looks met her eyes all round the table, Erika continued, "huh, just like I thought. Anyway, that''s why you have me. The Spring Games start at week''s end. How haven''t you heard? I made an announcement this morning, and banners are all over all the gym and ying courts. It really is¡ª"


    Mikhail charged in. "THE SPRING GAMES! OH MY GOD!"


    Rafel tried to tame his ire. "Can someone please tell me what the fucking Spring Games is?"


    "The most anticipated fun fest of the year. Full of wet t-shirt contest and a chance to lock in trysts with several hot bikini models, while cashing in huge on bets." Mikhail''s eyes radiated open greed and lust. Rafel could almost see the coins chinking and busty babes in his eyes. Erika held up her hand, curtly interrupting: "He just managed to keep out the real deal from it.


    It''s no surprise the only thing he cares about it making money and draining his balls."


    "What else is there?" Mikhailughed. Rosa hid hers, when Erika scowled in contempt.


    "The main event," she went on hard, "is the games that shall be taking ce during that period. Yes, there will be lots of fun and party time. But more significant, all four Arcs of our prestigious magical academy will get tobat for the Sun Trophy by having their chosen representatives participate in field events.


    You know the like: arena fighting, mud wrestling, swimming with alligators, bull taming, dragon riding, archery.


    The Spring Games usuallyst a fortnight, unless there''s a tie, and then it extends. The first event has been set by the school board for the Sabbath evening; with the Hunt. Theme being the Great Hunt of Athena. Your various Arcs will have more information." Erika waved her long hair in the way she always did. "I''ve got to go now. I have Caelestes Historia.


    But good luck in the hunt."


    And with that said, Rafel watched the knockout Miss President sashay out of the cafeteria, her pink-purple heels pping and pping.


    Spring Games? thought Rafel. Nice ring. Though he would have to finally choose an Arc. Throughout the rest of the day, and even as he joined with a group to mix a Mdy elixir of the death fever in [Potions and Poisons]b, his mind kept going to Erika Burgess'' pretty pink lips, and how they had pouted the words, ''Sabbaths evening. The Hunt of Athena.''

 Chapter 166: The Hunts Chosen

    Each day for the week, as Israfel made his way in the gray resplendent corridors of the Dark Arts tower to study at the library, he would stop before the archway looping into Magdalena''s Hall, and lift his eyes up to the suede maroon emblem. The insignia of the Corynthian Academy for Witches. A ck crow with gilded eyes, and a mystic scroll in its talon, clutching like a branch.


    And after the emblem, the pompous banner of the Spring Games.


    In the evening light, the decorated ssh hung down in jewled colors and filigrees.


    For five minutes repetitively, he would stand like this and gaze up at the dusk sun weather through the tinted windows and make the images of the bikini d girls in the banner glow with life. Erika had used real life models for this shit. He could stare at Raziah and Keziah Fairfield''s warm titties all evening. But then he''d remember he had to study. And lowering his head, he would walk away.


    Only to pass by the very next day, stop, and do the exact same thing all over again. Rafel maintained this throughout the test week.


    And on Frys day, before even the closing bell could sound, the entire school was buzzing with party energy. Imagine teenagers in ssrooms counting the seconds to be let out to go gay and merry; cuz the weekend was going to spiral out into one long rager. Posters and flyers were on every tree bark in the witching academy; rained from the pregnant sky like glittering scales of a mermaid.


    Rafel was in his final ss of the day: a very epic demonstration of monster taming by a visiting Duke alumni¡ªin which case the monster was a fierce rock puma¡ªwhen he listened in on the conversation of skyling fae girl and her willowy shemale reptilian shifter friend. The fae talked in a cheesy voice.


    "Can you believe that bitch Erika? She uses only the fucking Gyaru from her own Arc as the models for the damned Spring Games banner. Some student president she is. If the games aren''t already rigged in favor of the Griffins, I don''t know what is. Fucking cunt. No wonder no boy would date her.


    She probably humps her pillow all night."


    The fae shared a chortle with her friend. They hid out their faces by joining their foreheads and tried to stifle the sounds against the baritone of the speaker in the dark lecture hall, and thepliant wildcat at his polished charcoal shoed feet.


    The long-haired shemale whispered back to her friend. "You know I auditioned for one of the poses. Only to get there and find it swarming with fucking Golds. They were like bumblebees¡ªeverywhere, their blonde heads like three fucking generations of inbreds. We may need to speak to Headmistress Shetty about this.


    Even the male models were Griffin Golds. She couldn''t even be bothered to take on those from other Arcs. And don''t even get me started on the way I was stared at when I asked to feature on the magazine spread for the FEMALE gamesmercial? Girl, she looked at me like I was a fucking flea bugging her flimsy blonde head!"


    "You know what: fuck Miss Upitty bitch! Nothing''s gonna stop us from enjoying ourselves at the games. Nothing!" The fae girl bobbed her head, as if to convince herself too.


    They continued talking, but Rafel zoned out. The visiting Duke was now in his speech about when he too was in the very same seats as them. Rafel zoned out of that too. He reflected on the dialogue of the skyling and her androgynous friend.


    Yes: he had seen the banner for the games, and that the models in portrait were all of the Gold faction. Blonde as the scales of the mighty sunfyre dragons. But he didn''t think Erika as a person who would hold bias to species, Arc, gender, and even the likes of the shemale¡ªwhose pronouns were ''they'' and ''them''.


    The truth was that all positions for a feature in the ssh of the Spring Games had already being booked. Every girl wanted to be in the spotlight. And in a school full of heiresses and royals rich out their fucking ass, you had sons of bitches pulling on every ckmail technique in the book. To get in a zine for spring fest was almost as hard as to get in the elite school in the first ce.


    Erika Burgess probably steered faraway from the politics involving glitz and high fashion. Or didn''t. Rafel didn''t give a fuck.


    Raziah and Keziah Fairfield: the hot topics on the page¡ªand out of it, had their sophisticated glittery bodies on every wall and hall probably because they had the most pull. The student president was their bestie. If anything, the sheerpetition of the games prepared the magical underlings for the rigors toe when facing the world outside [C.A.W].


    Realms of great scandal, high society politics, and those that would murder to keep these things.


    In Rafel''s point of view, the skyling was only mad because she was fae and didn''t get to wear the rich gold colors every fae, gypsy, and wildling from here to the narrow coast wanted.


    From her blue skirts and long marine riding boots, it was clear she had manifested the [Pegasus Arc].


    BRRIIINNNNGGGGG!


    The closing bells sounded.


    "YEAH!!!" Cheering leaped up the walls of the lecture hall. The Duke had still being speaking, but his tutoring voice was drowned out by the mor of young bloods desperate to get out and get some fun. From the way the man was nodding and smiling at the hugging students, Rafel knew he was getting a sense of deja Vu. It had been so in his time.


    Rafel didn''t need to read the associate Professor''s mind to see what he was thinking.


    ''Oh to be young again! And to jerk off to photos of skimpy jailbaits in summer wear.''


    The Duke wasn''t wrong there. Seventy percent of the flyers for the Spring Games¡ªfeaturing the busty and most pop twins in the academy ended up in the boys locker room; the leafs were stuck together by something whitish.


    Rafel smiled at this thought. Nothing more pervy than a teenage boy with hand lotion and a girl''s nude pic.


    Any girl.


    The lights in the hall came on and Rafel watched the shrieking boys and girls flood out the room. He was thinking about Bolta and their electric night when:


    [DING!]


    Peitho''s voice rang in his head.


    [Host has being selected as one of the three candidates to represent the Phoenix Arc on the Great Hunt of Athena!]


    "Well, I guess I don''t need to choose. It has already being made for me." Rafel said back. Of the two Arcs he manifested, Raven and Phoenix, he would be wearing red for the Games.


    [Lord Apollyon must confirm choice.]


    [Do you ept to enter into the Great Hunt?]


    [Y/N?]


    Rafel said, "Yes." He didn''t know why but Peitho''s voice always made him think of a massage. "But," he asked, "who are the other two from Arc?"


    [Ding!] A clear 4K screen shot above his face. Since there was no one else in the hall, Rafel leaned back and let his system''s notification weave a magical hologram in front of his eyes. He watched a list of names appear as Peitho''s sexy voice read them out. In the list, he recognized more than a few.


    [Participants in the Great Hunt: the 1st entry of the Spring Games, three from each of the four witch Arcs of the Academy are outlined below!]


    [Of Griffin Arc, the GOLD FACTION:]


    [Percival Van Imperia]. [Brunhilda Penderghast]. [Erika Burgess].


    [Of Raven Arc, the SHADOW FACTION:]


    [Rosamunde Spears]. [Casperus Pickens]. [Ravenna de Vr¨ªes].


    [Of Pegasus Arc, the BLUE FACTION:]


    [Bolta Olympian]. [Mikhail Romanov]. [Aya Naamah].


    [Of Phoenix Arc, the BLOOD FACTION:]


    [Israfel Bludth?rste]. [Olivar D''shenko]. [Gretchen Manderley].


    "Oh shit." Rafel stared long at the list in that empty hall. Outside, the excited din of the super abled students hit the streets. Music red in faraway Sigma House. Jock bros knocking beers at the prospect of witnessing a bikini slip¡ªor two. Or ten! Especially at the mud wrestling.


    "Fuck. All my friends are in it."


    Rafel waved the glinting screen away. Not only was he going up to win the most points against his favorite people on the earth, he had to do so by teaming up with Olivar D''shenko, the red Belter he had put in the infirmary. . .and Gretchen Manderley?


    Who the fuck was that?


    She was probably not a First Year.


    And Bolta was in it too?


    "Fuck."


    Israfel had faced off the grimiest, most perverse viins of the Underworld, but somehow, the Great Hunt of Athena served him a pile. Hisbatants were equally skilled. He thought of Bolta and Rosamunde in one team: two of the fiercest women he''d ever met. If fucking was any insight to how hard they fought, Rafel doubted his winning position.


    Gands of spring flowers were hanging from coed dorm room doors as he trudged for his. The party spirit made him smile. But he entered his room and fell on the bed.


    Test week was over. The Great Hunt was tomorrow.

 Chapter 167: The Great Hunt of Athena

    The faint rustling of dresses awoke Israfel about eight hourster. His sleep was long and full of dreams. The nuances of those dreams which he''d never tell a soul. And its primetime feature being a particrly shapely and blue night creature with purple irises like a drug.


    As Rafel rolled over, and blinked away the lush apparition, he couldn''t tell if his subus had entered into the dreamworld, just to seduce him, on purpose.


    Aya Naamah''s curvaceous bosoms eased from his mind when he heard the rustling again. It wasing from his left. Themon suite space of therge dorm room. Rafel pushed back the covers and slipped out of bed. He stopped awhile to look out the floor-to-ceiling ss windows.


    Like priceless diamonds under showing, he stared as the heavens began to brighten from dull grey to a navy blue that like a warrior''s tunic, spoke of great things. After all, today was one of such memorable days. The tints in the sky poured cool blue sunrise through the ss, and when the sun came peeking out, Rafel could almost see Apollo''s terribly dazzling smile in it.


    Either that, or the harsh riding of [Allfather] Ra''s chariot.


    Sabbath''s day, and the bells had already begun to toll for the devoted who worshipped the Martyr. Rafel had no doubt Rosa was in white right now and on her way to the cathedral on Ros?n street.


    He left the curtains parted and made his way to the shared lounge area. It was like a living room in a gentleman''s pad, only swankier and having more Goth decor. There were two people in it as he entered, but they didn''t notice him. Rafel halted against the arch and watched the both of them.


    It was Percival, and another. A girl he hadn''t seen before. Her raven hair was smoother than papered coal.


    Percival stood in front of thergest standing mirror Rafel had ever seen¡ªat least in a boys room. It showed the Van Imperia heir''s full form as he turned this way and that, studying himself in the different clothes he tried on. The girl as his side would hold up a new material to Percival''s talk body and they would decide with shared gazes whether it fit or not.


    Rafel watched this for about ten minutes before he finally, consciously, made a sound.


    Percival''s gold eyes lurched up in the mirror.


    "Good morning, Your Eminence. I thought I smelled cinder in the air."


    Rafel shook his head at him. "Not all demons smell like smoke and ash. But...good morning to you too. I trust your night went well?"


    Percival narrowed his eyes at Rafel''s quick nod in the direction of female tailor ripping through fabric at Percival''s side. His reflection conveyed just the right amount of annoyance to Rafel. The ginger demon mouthed. "What? What did I say?" Percival shot him a look, and then he gently took the gold silk scarf the modiste held up to him. "Brandy," he said, "go get a drink for yourself, will ya?


    I''ll test this myself before you get back. Cont''s in the adjacent nook."


    Chapter Enjoy:


    The girl tailor nodded, and both roommates stared at her until she was out of sight. Rafel went first: "Wait! Her name''s Brandy. That sounds like a stripper name."


    Percival shushed it. "Calm it, brother. She''s not a dancer. I''ll have you know Brandy came on high rmendation from the Pynks." Rafel chortled. "Uh-huh. You mean Erika and her circle of cheerleaders?" Percival didn''t look amused.


    "What does it matter to you anyway?" Rafel said, "Really, dude? I thought you got somest night? That girl, is fire. I''m telling you, no fucking tailor rocks that kind of bod. Just saying man!"


    Percival fisted his hands in mild rage. "Shit. Israfel. I didn''t fuck her¡ª"


    Someone cleared their throat behind and both boys turned to find Brandy standing behind. Her lips were pursed. Clearly, she had heard everything. Rafel bent down to pick an expensive sari. He thought of Aya almost immediately. "Brandy, how much is this?"


    The girl walked close. "It''s Florentine and¡ª"


    "How much?"


    "Fifteen hundred."


    Percival turned from the mirror with a small grin in ce. "No, Brandy. He means the entire box."


    "Oh." The pretty tailor gulped, lowering her ss of red to a close table. "¡ªit''s uh, north of a quarter million."


    "Good," said Rafel in his characteristically dark voice. "We''ll take it, Brandy. We''ll take it all." The girl nodded, flushed beyond sane proportions as Percival nced against at the long vanity and tried on a sping doublet. All clothes on cap¨¬er were gold. Rafel looked at his friend in the mirror, about to say something when Percival raised his hand and addressed the matter of payment.


    His tone was strict.


    "No, Israfel. You''re not paying. I''m getting this one. I am more liquid than I''ve ever been since our private auction. I got seven point five mil. That''s a whole lotta ingots.


    I intend to keep the saying, Griffin is Gold, alive in my Arc. Which is why I''m also ordering a Legendary [Gold Knight] armor from the Mage Shop here at the academy with my own share of the auction money."


    Rafel nodded, and held up his hands. "Alright, man. Alright."


    Half an hourter, a bit into the morning, Brandy packed up her tapestry and clippings.


    And when she calmly pulled off her sses, followed swiftly by her long silver trenchcoat¡ªto reveal a daring lingerie of exciting crimson and thigh-high boots; between Percival''s mouth dropping open and Rafel''s casual, knowing smile, Brandy eased down the straps of her red bra and climbed the cypress table in the lounge, making it into her stage.


    Rafel chuckled at Percival''s gaping mouth.


    Did his tailor just¡ª


    "I told you so, golden boy."


    d in only a swashbuckling red thong and heels like stilts, Brandy clicked her hands. The lights in the dorm room dimmed and slow, sensuous music started up in therge suite. She pushed the boys down to silver sofa and dropped to her knees of the table. Spreading her legs on the smooth wood, her nipples pinkened in the light of the firece going behind her, Brandy began to dance.


    And Rafel and Percival watched that lithe body of hers move¡ªbefore suddenly it was evening.


    And time for the big games.


    Percival rushed Brandy out, his roomie and himself filling her purse with so much money. But no one fooled themselves into thinking she had danced for it. Her titties were out, and they hadn''t even asked. Percival could remember her clearughter as he poured everything from his safe into herp. He had more where that came from.


    He reyed the move of her hips, and the sy of the string which barely covered her pussy as he hurriedly showered for the first bout of the Spring Games.


    "Shit, if I win at this thing," said Percival as he and Rafel entered some minutester into the carriage sent to transport them to the event''s location, "I''m inviting Brandy right back." He closed his eyes and breathed. "Hell! Even if I don''t win." Rafel smiled and pped his friend on the back. "Get Brandy out of your head. We''re here."


    The buggy stopped at thergest field court of the Corynthian Academy for Witches.


    The Roman amphitheater.


    And like the name, the colosseum was made in the splendorous, awe-inspiring image of the ancient empire. Rafel and Percival were met by one of the Games moderators. The stocky man led them up to the vast rotunda, its circumference eating up miles. As they approached, Rafel mused on how teeny they were in the face of such stone glory.


    They were led under the marble white robes of a gigantic vian Senator weing them in. Of the other statues were a ck knight Praetorian, a Nubian woman king, and the great oxhead of Mars: Rome''s god of war. "Fuck. This is the shit." Percival marvelled. The amphitheater was always closed off until the Spring Games. Rafel could see why.


    As they walked through a tunnel hewn in the stone, Rafel could see in the descending loop of seats an energetic crowd.


    Students of [C. A. W], all in splendid colors of their factions, cheering for their champions to be let out.


    Blue. Red. ck. Gold.


    ''Just like the old days,'' Rafel mused, thinking of Hel''s arena.


    The moderator stopped walking at a vestibule with shut ck gates that opened unto the sands of the amphitheater. He held out a hand in respect to them. "Please wait with the other Arc candidates. You will be called out shortly." Rafel looked around and found everyone on the list to be present.


    "Looks like we''re thest ones in," said Percival.


    They had Brandy to thank for that.


    The three chosen of each Arc stood in theirpany. There was Percival now joining his band of the Gold faction on the far right. "Nice suit." Erikamented. To which he leaned in and whispered. "Auction money." The third chosen for the Griffins, Brunhilda silently observed. Rafel saw Ravenna and her own group in their signature crow-ck ensembles.


    Aya Naamah too among her Pegasus blue; Bolta sent him a small smile.


    And finally, he found and joined his.


    His red jacket blended perfectly into that of the other two candidates.


    The Phoenix Arc were mighty. Anyone could see that. Rafel nodded at Olivar. Now that the boy was fully healed from the beating Rafel had given him at the Guild, he refused to meet Rafel''s eyes, and instead stared out the slits in the stone, to the legs of seated students visible under the bleachers. Olivar would have toe around. Winning the Hunt depended on it.


    Rafel blinked at the pale hand that shot out to him.


    "Gretchen, I presume." He greeted, collecting the dainty fingers.


    The only girl on his team smiled. "Yes, of House Manderley. I am a Third Year, and pureblood vampiress. I also can conceive, unlike others of my kind." Her pale brows knit together. "I''m sorry, I don''t know why I added that. I just felt you should know, you know.


    . .before going in?"


    Rafel nodded.


    "Yep." Her hand fell away. Gretchen Manderley turned away, beet fucking red. She too stared out under the bleachers. Those seated in the majestic rotunda were now stamping their feet, eager to witness the adventure begin.


    Outside, Dr. Nicara Shetty, so beautiful she rivalled the dusk''s colors, stepped out on a high tier and held up her hands. The noise drowned out at her appearance. She was in theme with the colosseum. The super fine headmistress stood in rich purple robes, her hair cascading down her back to rub around to her waist. She had gold bangles on her forearms and a tiara of flowers in her hair.


    She stood there looking lovely as Venus. And with a generous smile to all her happy students, she began the words to open the Games.


    "Good evening, Corynthia!"


    [TO BE CONTINUED.]

 Chapter 168: ? Lady Ivorias Temptation

    "GOOD EVENING, CORYNTHIA!"


    "YEAH!!!" Students shrieked in zest, stamping so hard the stone rang.


    "Wee," Dr. Shetty continued, "to the 704th Annual Spring Games. We begin this season''s event with the quest for glory. A hunt. The rules remain the same. All Arcs shall enter into the Nameless Woods with a single weapon handed out to one of its three champions.


    In the woods, they shall face beasts to conquer, puzzles to unravel, and monsters to y.


    Each faction: Raven, Phoenix, Griffin, and Pegasus, must endeavor to secure the pride of the Hunt: the white stag''s antlers and nt their g in itsir. The first candidate to achieve this wins for his or her faction. May Athena guide the hunt. And without much fuss, great Corynthia, LET US WELCOME our first champions.


    The winners of the Great Hunt ofst season''s Games: GRIFFIN ARC, presents its champions: PERCIVAL VAN IMPERIA. . ."


    "RARRRGGGHHHHH!"


    DUM! DUM! DUM!


    The screaming, jumping, and shrieking nearly drowned out Nicara''s voice. As the Headmistress announced, the apuse seemed to reach even higher with each shouted name. When Dr. Shetty called on Bolta, the entire seating ce of the Blue Faction rose up to their feet and chanted like it was Zeus himself before them, and not his daughter.


    The twelve champions of the Hunt were given time to stand before their factions and soak as much fame and praise¡ªwhatever helped to help them nt that winning fucking g.


    Nicara held out her palm, raised.


    And the amphitheater went quiet as a sepulchre.


    She brought it down, and the cheers broke like Bolta''s fierce blue lightning in the dusk sky.


    "Yeah! Fuck ''em other Arcs!"


    Chapter Discover:


    "Oi! Make us proud."


    "Jam our g up their loser arses!"


    Giant viewing screens shimmered high into the air above the sands of the arena, where students could watch the Hunt close-up. The twelve champions walked out to the quest log, the bay for entry into the Nameless Woods. A patch of beautiful, dangerous forest that had been used in the Games as far back as Nicara herself could remember. A mighty voice like a Titan''s roared.


    "LET THE GREAT HUNT BEGIN!"


    The first champion ran forward. Casperus Pickens, eager for glory. Without warning, he mmed right into the wards on the edge of the woods. It sent him plunging back, sailing fifty feet into the air and plunging into a bale of hay, headfirst. And he was bald.


    "Ooh!" The crowd fell back in silence.


    And then one person cackled. Another stifled a giggle. And then it was a full-blownughter. The students roared and clutched their stomachs, much to the dismay of those in Raven Arc. Casperus pulled his head out of the dirt and moved back to rejoin the other champions. The first obstacle was the wards.


    And he had failed in correctly unveiling it. Bawdyughter reached up to the twilight sky and the amber beauty of the indic sunset. Casperus of [Raven Arc] lowered his head. But it didn''t stop his other teammates from shooting him a look. Rosa''s eyes formed slits. "Really, Casper?


    You didn''t think it''d be that easy, did you?" The ruckus from the spectators roared higher, and someone on the gold side of the Griffin tossed the bald First Year a half-eaten sausage.


    "Sculpture fucker!" The Griffin member cussed, and the amphitheater broke into moreughter.


    Clearly no one had forgotten the issuest moon at the Guild, during one of Coach Hanzo Tanaka''s training briefs, when the clean-shaven young man had been caught fondling the ripe baster tits of Catharyn the Great''s statue. In his defense, the sculpt of the faerie Silver Knight was far sexier than the real woman warrior might''ve been. Or perhaps, it was the real deal.


    This was just before the sewer pipes that burst out of the ground and Casperus was swallowed by the basilisk.


    "Perv!"


    "Baldie!"


    Casperus knew they didn''t mean it. But he was amped back up when Israfel, the [Hellion] who''d saved him from being sludge in a serpent''s throat, gave him a nod to steer his courage. Casperus''s closest teammate, Ravenna admitted to him his slight and the part he must y if they were to lead. "I''m sorry Casper, but you can''t lead our Arc into the woods. Let Rosamunde run point on this.


    You are half-wraith, aren''t you? I''m sure there''ll be some adversary we''d need you for. But in the meantime, your job is to be our Argus."


    "Your eyes?" Casperus said.


    Ravenna nodded.


    Rafel removed his gaze off the affairs of Raven Arc, and the other factions, to focus on his. He stood a step in front of his teammates: Olivar and Gretchen. Clearly, he''d been chosen as lead hunter. The horns had gone off a while back when the beloved Headmistress had dropped her hand.


    But as a consequence of Casperus funny headbump with the wards, the other champions were waiting for someone else to go first.


    No one wanted to look a fool, especially not in front of a hundred watching witches.


    For the boys, a healthy dose of ego kept them rooted.


    Rafel stepped out to the fringe of the woods first. Just beyond the northward high gates of the amphitheater, the serene forest where the mythic white stagy stretched. "DARK ARTS! FLAME OF ABADDON!" Rafel roared. The crowd fell silent and fell in for a closer look at therge viewing screens, facing each leveled corner of the factions.


    Four gigantic holograms floating in the air, powered by the academy''s mana fount to give the best theatre view.


    At Rafel''s bulleting voice, a spray of dark mes, red fire robed in vespers, shot out for the wards. The infernal stream expanded as it went out, so that by the time it rained down on the invisible blockade, the roaring fires wererge and powerful and consuming. It poured likeva from Rafel''s cosmic fingertips. His hands glowed in heat, much like a Hindu fire bender.


    "SKY ARTS! THUNDER OF AZUL!"


    Another voice joined the assault. It was Bolta. She raised her hand high into the air. Many boys in the bleachers focused more on the sway of her boobs. The heavens gathered and pure white lightning split the fogged nimbus. The burst of thunder sliced down in a jagged arc to join Israfel''s pouring [Helme].


    In the face of Bolta''s thunder and Israfel''s fire, the wards obstacle stood no chance.


    Everyone saw the spelled walls crackle and break away, shimmering into magical light.


    [DING!]


    [5 POINTS for PHOENIX and PEGASUS Arc!]


    This announcement appeared on the leaderboard, and the reds and blues cheered for their champions.


    Rafel watched his name go up to the first position on the list of twelve participants, each letter cloaked in gold. Bolta''s name was the second, in silver. He heard Erika hiss to her own team as he took the first step through the crumbled wards, through the ck gates of the colosseum and onto the moist dirt of the hunting forest.


    "Shit. We need to cap the next points."


    Her fellow mates, Percival and Brunhilda nodded. But Rafel was already off and didn''t care to listen in on the rest of the conversation. He had a Sun Trophy to win.


    With Phoenix Arc in the lead¡ªeven if neither of the champions located their of the White Stag¡ªthe other factions whistled on for their representatives to get a win. But Israfel was determined to remain on the top of the board. He unfurled a map from his satchel; while others had asked for spears and longswords as their only entitled weapons, he''d gone for a map.


    Gretchen saw this and tried to hide her smile.


    He handed out the map to her.


    "You have the best foresight here, Miss Manderley, as a pureblood vampiress. Which direction do you think we should take?" Gretchen looked out at the other teams quickly vanishing through the woods: tall pines and vibrant green iming their adventurer tunics. But Rafel pulled her face back to him. "¡ªI''m asking you, Gretchen. Fuck what the other Arcs are doing. They don''t got a map.


    And they certainly don''t got you."


    Gretchen didn''t even know which part of his words to concentrate on. If she was into boys, she might...


    "West." She said. "We should head west."


    And they did.


    In the first ten minutes, they hiked up a small hill full of blooming moonflowers. They creeped under a domain of sleeping wolfbats. And they watched from the tops of a mahogany tree branch as a Bengal tiger tried to sniff them out in the underbrush. Besting all these forms of awaiting threats gave the Phoenix Arc eight more points on the leaderboard.


    Rafel kept his position while Gretchen and Olivar went up to fourth and sixth respectively.


    Bolta wasing up heavy in second ce. It just dinged on the screens that the daughter of Zeus had killed that Bengal tiger.


    The Pegasus Arc were more than happy to win a solid five points for this.


    Olivar had voted to kill the beast back when they hid right on top of it, but Rafel didn''t see the need for action. He had being in enough forests to know the wild sent out the lesser terrors first. A lot more danger wasing. He could feel it in the air. And he wanted his mana core, and that of his teammates to be at one hundred when the time came to use it.


    Not just for a fucking cat he could kick dead.


    Besides, he liked tigers.


    Rafel, Olivar, and Gretchen: champions of Phoenix Arc had just conquered a prowling bear in a cave by exsanguination; Gretchen was more than happy to drain the beast, when they exited the cave at a crack between two huge boulders. Rafel had just raised his right hand to clear the spread of willow leaf beads dropping down the crevice when he spotted her.


    The three champions were rooted to the spot.


    They stared at her.


    Struck. Awed. Dumbfounded. At the one obstacle that might do them in.


    Before them, under a waterfall was a most beautiful woman. Rafel recognized her gold brown hair. It was their Professor of [Potions and Poisons]. The baroness and wildling. Lady Ivoria Sephora Grimm. And she stood naked and sexy as fuck in front of them.


    Delicious cold water showered her in crystal pebbles from above. It warmed on her ivory skin, and steam wafted up the hollows of all that made her a woman.


    And what a woman she was?


    "She''s. . .she''s so beautiful." Olivar stuttered. He licked his lips. "My God! I just want to touch her."


    Rafel himself was speechless. He was wondering if the viewing screens back at the amphitheater showed this particr scene of the Hunt. It did. Lady Ivoria herself had been approached by the gamesmaster and agreed to feature in the Hunt as a temptress to sway the champions from their path.


    In this case, the Phoenix Arc. It was working. It was fucking working.


    The Reds didn''t even cheer for their champions to move along. Everyone wanted to see.


    Lady Ivoria turned and the three champions by the boulder spying on her froze. They gasped at the hypnotic picture of her body.


    Her breasts were cream and swell globes. Roes on a hill. Her skin was fair and exotic. Her legs long and toes curled on the teau on which she bathed. The waterfall painted a mural of nature magic behind her. And the soft strokes which met her body from the aquifer roof above ran down in trickles, between those divine valleys to trimmed curls.


    No water in sight could satiate Olivar''s thirst. His jaw scraped the cave''s floor.


    Gretchen rasped breathless.


    "Uh, guys, I think this is the perfect time to tell you that I''m lesbian."


    The boys weren''t listening.


    And when Lady Ivoria crooked her finger invitingly, the three champions floated across for her. Who the fuck cared that Gretchen was a girl? And on the tiered seats of the amphitheater, far, far off from the nameless woods, all the students leaned in to the giant screens¡ªto observe more closely. Many a teenager¡ªboy and girl¡ªdid reach down, under their seats, and spread their legs.

 Chapter 169: White Stag—Jewel Of The Hunt

    OLIVAR D''SHENKO FROTHED at the mouth. His eyes were bulbous in his head. His pupils dted like he''d chewed on way too much mushrooms. He stared at Lady Ivoria. And couldn''t quit staring. The third champion of the [Phoenix Arc] was lost in the allure of the wildling professor.


    And not he alone.


    His teammates, also hypnotized in her aura, and thevender fucking smell of her, gathered around the enticing nymph, eager to smell more and touch her radiant wet skin.


    "Yes, my lovelies. Come to me."


    Lady Ivoria smiled at each of them when they were close enough. No one said a word. But fired eyes, thundering hearts, chemical pants¡ªas well as wet pussies and hard cocks did the talking. Lady Ivoria brought her beautiful face close to Israfel. To Olivar. And to Gretchen.


    She teased them with the promise of a scorching french kiss. Only to pull away at thest breathy second, drawing them in even more.


    Under the rains of the cave, the air was thick with the need of two boys and a girl. And when she felt two spearing cocks rub her naked belly, and Gretchen spoon her hard from behind, Lady Ivoria blinked and whispered coyly,


    "Fun''s over, kids."


    And then she pushed them down the teau.


    "Wait. What¡ª" Rafel tried, but he was already in the air. Falling. Plunging for the deep end. The rapids of the waterfall took him under.


    SPLASH!


    He crashed into the running pool dozens of feet below. The frigidke broke whatever remained of the spell the wildling tutor had cast. Olivar and Gretchen came hurtling in not long after. SPLASH! SPLASH! Rafel moved his legs as he swam for the surface.


    As he broke out, he rubbed his face with his hands to clear his vision. He hated the cold water seeping through his pants. An icyke and testicles? Not good.


    "Olivar!" He called. "Gretchen! Are you guys okay?"


    His voice rippled across the sloshing water as two more heads broke through the water surface. The three teammates swam for the near shore. They mbered out wet, and Olivar retched for a few seconds. The waterfall still crashed as a near solid rain into the pool they had just dragged out from, and Olivar resembled a weasel caught in a storm.


    Rafel raised his eyes up the stone mountain to see Lady Ivoria still alluringly nude. She waved little fingers at them.


    Gretchen frowned on the small beach.


    "It was a trick. To get us out of our heads. A fucking mind game. And we failed." She deadpanned.


    Olivar was still cramped up on the splotchy sands. If Gretchen was mad, he was ming off the top of his head. Rafel looked on the both of them as Gretchen moved over to rub his back and calm him. Vampires weren''t great swimmers. But moreso, shifters. Olivar coughed and said when he could finally speak, "We should have known.


    A bitch that hot wouldn''t be caught bathing naked under a fucking waterfall."


    Rafel was too mad to correct Olivar for calling their professor a bitch. Her oiled titties tried to enter his mind again, but he grinded his teeth and shook his head. If Gretchen didn''t like women, perhaps she might''ve been their earth rod¡ªto lock them in from falling for Lady Ivoria''s catty seduction.


    [DING!]


    The leaderboard was just in time to announce their loss. "Fuck." Rafel growled, listening to it.


    [Phoenix Arc loses two points!]


    [Pegasus Arc gains five points!]


    [Raven Arc gains six points!]


    As it turned out, while they were shamelessly slutting out their hearts for their hot professor, Bolta had decapitated a mutated 5ft coyote with her handy dagger, and Rosamunde had crossed a river of crocodiles; both gaining the points for their teams. [Griffin Arc] wasst behind with no points gained. They hadn''t lost¡ªbut they hadn''t gained any either.


    Much to the dismay of their glittery-faced corner of Gold faction poprity. That the winners ofst season''s Hunt were dragging back with zero points was certainly a shocker.


    Gilded gs had dropped in the amphitheater.


    Israfel''s name fell from the shiny top of the leaderboard. Gretchen dropped to eighth. And Olivar to ninth. "I''m next to fucking Casperus? Hell nah!" Olivar moaned. In his eyes was desperation to change his status.


    Currently, the [Pegasus Arc] were rocking it, with a total of 11 points. The Reds were a smidge behind at 9 points.


    "No more fucking detours!" Rafel stood on the shore and shook out the water from his clothes.


    They had to find that damned stag now. It''d settle the score. Not to mention, it was twenty one more minutes to game time. If Bolta remained where she was, at the gold que of the leaderboard, Pegasus Arc would go home with Athena''s [Epic] Hunting Bow. The trophy of the Great Hunt.


    Pulling themselves up from the shell of failing in the face of googly eyes¡ªin Gretchen''s defense, their professor was really fucking sexy¡ªRafel and his teammates hurried from the shore of that coldke, leaving behind all thoughts of smoky Lady Ivoria as they rushed into the ve of pines toward their next obstacle. The champions of Phoenix Arc didn''t have to walk too far to encounter it.


    For about a mile away from the seduction of a bathing maiden, they encountered a much harsher foe.


    A minotaur.


    The man-bull creature stood facing away, to the east. The horns were far more grotesque than any fiend, and the mass of wild ck hair draped like a cloth from its mighty chest down to loins and arge pair of goat legs.


    It was freakish tall, and wielded a club, as dark beastly eyes scanned the forest scape for intruders.


    "I thought they normally dwell inbyrinths." It was Olivar who spoke. Gretchen shushed him. In the lead, Rafel turned back and signed to them, of the expert opinion that they avoid the minotaur and press on to locate the jewel of the Hunt; it was fifteen to game time now.


    The three champions tiptoed in the brush around it, masking their scent in the leaves. But then Olivar stepped on a twig.


    ¡ªcrack!


    "Shit." Gretchen sighed.


    The minotaur swept around with ck eyes and a roar. "GRRRRAAAR!" It came pounding clear across the woods to their hiding position; the club was already high in the air, ready to swing down and destroy the champions. Gretchen''s fangs ripped into her mouth. Searing ws tore out the sinews of Olivar''s fingers. But Rafel held both of them back. He said, "no.


    Not like this. We''d save ourselves a lot of time if we avoid a blood bath."


    "But. . .it''sing for us," Gretchen offered, her scarlet eyes staking the minotaur''s approaching bulk¡ªmostly its heaving neck.


    Rafel stood tall. "I have a n."


    Only three feet remained between the minotaur''s club and their heads when Rafel pronounced in a greatmanding voice. "Peitho! Summon me the dorium. y a Minotaur''s Luby!"


    [Ding!], came the mana-rippling response.


    [GLADORIUM: Realm of Song equipped!]


    [INSTRUMENT: Violin of Artemis.]


    [MYSTIC: Hypnotic Sleeping Spell.]


    A slow calming music began ying from fuck knows where. But in his pounding strides, the minotaur slowed and listened. Itsrge bull head stopped frothing for blood and by the time it finally loomed over Rafel and his teammates, the man-bull stoodpletely still. The song yed in the forest. The minotaur''s club dropped to the earth. And the hairy creature fell in a heap at Rafel''s feet.


    Sure enough, it began snoring loudly.


    [Ding!]


    [Phoenix Arc gains fifteen points for besting the mythical Minotaur.]


    [Phoenix Arc gains ten points for manifesting the HALLOWED realm of song.]


    And the notifications came on and on. "Hold on, guys. Look!" Gretchen pointed to the eastward area in the clearing the minotaur had been facing. Right there, on a small outcropping stood the whitest deer each had ever seen. The fur was soft as snow blush. The jewel of the Hunt.


    s, the sleeping minotaur at their feet had been its guardian. Rafel stepped over the ck snoring bulk, and moved to im the prize for his Arc.


    The viewing screens at the amphitheater showed it all; the exact moment the heroes¡ªand heroine, of the [Phoenix Arc] came upon the White Stag. As the spectators mbered to the giant holograms for a closer look, even the Headmistress of the witch Academy, high on her Romanesque dais, leaned in to watch the champions of the Blood Faction take the Hunt''s enticing win.


    "Hello there, beauty." Olivar approached first.


    Since he was the shifter among the team, Rafel and Gretchen stayed back for him to go first. The stag, however mystical was still an animal, and being the vampiress and demon that they were, Rafel knew he and Gretchen just might spook their prize into taking off. "There we go. . ." Olivar coaxed the mythic deer into his embrace.


    He hugged the spotless muzzle of the stag before beckoning his teammates close. Rafel held back but Gretchen moved to pet the animal. It allowed her, chewing into the crunchies she held in her open palm. Rafel watched her caress the glorious immacte fur.


    The stag was like a holy sacrifice.

 Chapter 170: Crimson Champion

    THE STAG was like a holy sacrifice.


    In the past two years he had spent in Eldoria, Rafel had seen red elks, brown elks, fucking gray elks. But a pure white breed, he''d never seen. Until now. Seeing the mythic creature up close, it was no wonder that it was so rare, like a unicorn¡ªwith a gold forehorn. The fact was that certain sects of the skyling peoples worshipped the White Stag as the [Anima Dios].


    An animal god.


    Like the fox Lady of the Mandarin, and the Mayan Quetzalcoatl.


    Israfel had oncee across an albino turtle in the rifts of the Antean Research Institute, but that miraculous shell could notpare to the pristine pelt on the stag. Gretchen and Olivar seemed quite taken with the creature and since no one else was doing it, Rafel lowered his eyes and withdrew like an arrow''s quiver protruding out his back the g of his Arc.


    He was sure the Shadow faction would be wishing he had chosen them. Poor Ravens.


    Rafel could almost hear the cheering from the afar amphitheater as he staked the butt of the g into the ground.


    The forest wind whispered in the tall trees and the forked banner rippled in the waning dusk. It made the leaping red phoenix zoned in the crimson colors almost seem alive. And the feathers glowed on fire. The air buzzed with notifications, where all champions could see.


    [Ding!]


    [Phoenix Arc gains five points for finding the Jewel of the Hunt.]


    [Phoenix Arc gains two points for bonding the White Stag.]


    Just then, the candidates of the Blue Faction tore out into the clearing from the northward treeline. The [Pegasus Arc] stomped in their seal blue colors, with the winged horse''s insignia zing on the backs of their jackets and cors. Bolta in the lead, and Mikhail and Aya jogging up behind. The Olympian had long strides. Clearly, Bolta rushed to reach the jewel first.


    But on spotting the red champions already with the stag, she sighed heavily and stopped running.


    There was no need for hurry now. The candidates for Phoenix Arc had secured the jewel and nted their g in the stag''sir. She chewed her lip a bit at the swaying red, but was not angry or sad. They were the runner-ups. And that was fine. Bolta slowed her pace as she neared Rafel.


    She looked between he and the mounted g, and chuckled. "Oh well, if I expected anyone to be Athena''s champion, it would be you."


    She flirted with her blue eyes, and Rafel could feel electricity zap in the air. "¡ªyou do have a certain way with gods."


    Rafel returned Bolta''s secret smile. Aya noticed this chemistry between her Lord Master and the [Fourth Year] female. She kept her thoughts to herself. Mikhail maneuvered past them, moving for Olivar and Gretchen. He asked to pet the stag.


    "Hey, can I touch him?"


    "It''s a her," Olivar soldiered out.


    But he beckoned the blue champion close. Bolta and Rafel watched the others arrive. The third faction to find their of the White Stag was [Raven Arc], and then the Griffin Golds came inst. The candidates of the Shadow and Gold faction bowed their heads in finding the red g nted on the small hill. And contrary to their Arc''s influence, Rosamunde and Ravenna sent Rafel warm smiles.


    The booming roars of those in the amphitheater could be heard in the wind reaching the woods. In their seats, students of all magical species were already summing up the points to ess the winner of the Hunt. But even before the board total and gamemaster announcement, everyone already knew the Arc with the game ball.


    And the champion of Athena, he who had his name in gold at the top of the leaderboard.


    The white stag followed Olivar behind as the twelve candidates were led back out of the nameless woods by a floating luminous ball. With the winning faction, d in red zers in front, the participants of the Hunt entered back into the filled amphitheater through the high ck gates again.


    The giant screens vanished above and the spectators were free to stare down and hail their returning heroes.


    Rafel looked around the open dome of the colosseum. Young witches of the [C.A.W] cheered from every faction corner of the vast stadium, but all the Reds gave him a standing ovation. They pped and yelled and screamed. Their chants were a rage. A thunder.


    Beside him, Gretchen was ming red in the face, blushing hard. And Olivar lifted his hands to the open twilight sky and basked in the praises.


    Typical D''shenko.


    "PHOENIX! ARC! PHOENIX! ARC! PHOENIX! ARC!"


    A [Fourth Year] Red in a crimson turban led the ovation. "SAY WHAT?"


    "PHOENIX ARC!"


    "PHOENIX WHAT?"


    "PHOENIX! ARC! PHOENIX! ARC!"


    They boomed the words until it vibrated the sands under the heels of the hunters. Bolta nudged Rafel, and her finger crooked around his pinky. She sent him a gorgeous smile. "All hail the crimson champion."


    Rafel nodded. "Thanks." He said. Coming from the daughter of Zeus, it was quite thepliment.


    The hanging leaderboard moved to the center of the arena, as majestic steps flowed out by an enchantment. The steps were made of pure gold light and gingerly, the gamemaster climbed them up to a high perch in the rotund amphitheater where all eyes could see him. Gazes lifted and the thundering chanting began to fizz out.


    In the same throne a Roman Emperor might take at a Spartan ludus, Dr. Nicara Shetty, headmistress of the elite witch academy waved her upturned thumb high in the air.


    PAAAAAH!!!


    The games horns sted. And a nice quiet fell over the entire seated crowd.


    Olivar nearly ripped his eyes from the perch when the previously unknown gamesmaster¡ªfor purity of the Hunt''s sake¡ªremoved her ck cowl and unveiled to the amphitheater her face. And it was beautiful. It was also the scorching hot face that had nearly cost Israfel and his team their ce at the winning gold. It was the face of temptation.


    Lady Ivoria Sephora Grimm was gamesmaster.


    "¡ªAt least she got some clothes on." Gretchen scoffed. Obviously the vampiress hadn''t forgiven the Ivy professor ''for giving'' her blue vag.


    Gretchen''s annoyance was more in fact that she hadn''t gotten to kiss those soft lips than actual anger at being tempted off course. Instead of looking at Dr. Ivy; with the cool red gown, nice cowgirl boots, and pretty azaleas in her hair, Rafel focused on the leaderboard and reading the names listed and ranked ording to individual points scored.


    He was top of the leaderboard; his name in bright, realistic gold.


    [Israfel Bludth?rste: Champion of Athena.]


    [Witch Faction: The Phoenix Arc.]


    [Bolta Olympian: Silver Runner-up.]


    [Witch Faction: Pegasus Arc.]


    Rafel was impressed and proud¡ªthough he''d never tell her that, to see Bolta''s name in second ce. Gretchen and Rosa tied at third ce. Ravenna came fourth. And Olivar, fifth. Rafel didn''t care for the rest. It was a mildfort to all blues to see the names of the Gold faction candidates scrambling forst ce.


    The only two points the [Griffin Arc] had managed to secure was held by Percival, in taming a Nemean lion.


    On her high perch, the nobledy, baroness, and professor of [Potions and Poisons]: began to speak in a clean, distinguished voice. Her tone was mellow, and her eyes were doe. Most of the boys just focused on the image of her tits¡ªwhich they had seen naked before. Dr. Ivy began,


    "The Great Hunt of Athena is ended, the opening round of the Spring Games. And I am pleased to announce as winner of the Hunt¡ª"


    "Go Reds!" Someone whistled.


    "Oh shut it, fucko." Erika chastised under her breath. None was more enraged at the nominal performance of her Arc than the Student President. An utter waste of time, in her regard.


    The Griffin Arc:st year''s winners, were sorryst.


    Dr. Ivy cleared her throat in the [Mic Glyph] and continued. "Ahem! I am pleased to announce this season''s winner of the Hunt, champions of amicable Athena, as PHOENIX ARC!!!" Banners and gs of royal red went up in all corners of the amphitheater, even the sides popted by other factions. Dr. Ivy spoke around the tremors.


    "The crimson champions carry the Hunt''s jewel this year by an aggregate of forty two points. And going home with the antlered charm of Athena at this year''s Games is Master Israfel Bl¨¹dth?rste."


    "Israfel! Israfel! Israfel!" The whole stadium broke in thunder, and the students weren''t quitting. "Israfel! Israfel!"


    Bolta nudged him again. "How does it feel to see name up there, eh?"


    "Nostalgic," Rafel replied without thinking twice. It was a near demonstration to the des he got in Hel''s arena¡ªonly blood wasn''t on the sands and the spectators were not naked and horned; at least some of them. While Olivar ate up the fans catcalls like he was the one with his name shining up on there, on the gold que, Rafel calmly smiled to let his Rack know he appreciated the gesture.


    He heard Bolta''s voice close up. "You should know, First Year, I have a thing for champions."


    Rafel whispered back. "A family thing?"


    "Well yeah," Bolta chuckled, "considering Heracles and Apollonia, I guess. Howe I''ve never thought of that before? Anyway, I''m having a little party over at my ce. Drop by, and we can feel like real champions together."


    "Your ce?"


    "Yeah. Daddy don''t like me among mortals." Bolta made air quotes and a funny face.


    Rafel gazed down at the beautiful, tan daughter of Zeus. Amidst the romp of a shaking colosseum, it seemed like they were the only two hunters on the sands. Rafel saw a sh of blue lightning in his peripheral vision. She was feeling what he was. He looked down her strong arms to her camo pants where the material crumpled at the juncture of her thighs.


    The foxy triangle of her ck thong showed out the back. Rafel inhaled deeply, as if to smell her on the fucking wind.


    Bolta uneasily rocked on her heels.


    "So will you be at the party?"


    Rafel grinned sadistically. "You bet your ass."


    And he did stare at that ass as she walked away from the arena, blushing on her way. Rafel didn''t know how long he stood under the leaderboard, but the echoes and faces of a thousand young witches, vampires, mermaids, elf, and werewolves were seared into his temples long after.


    [DING!] Peitho notified him.


    [HUNTSMAN rank attained.]


    [DEITY: Athena Domina.]


    On the way back though, in the vestibule leading out to the arena, he heard the student president try to cate her own teammates with words offort. He tried to hide his smile from Percival and Brunhilda¡ªbut not really. Erika said, "we still have other chances to take the lead. You know? Like mud wrestling, archery, bull fighting. .


    .and you''re a great matadora, Bruna. We''ll be fine. One loss at the Hunt isn''t the end of the Spring Games.


    In fact, drinks are on me tonight at Spinazo''s. I won''t let fucking Athena ruin the rest of spring fest. Now, get your fucking shoulders up and let me see some fucking smiles." To her credit, the pep talk worked. It worked like magic.


    Erika didn''t mention the [Swashbuckling] on that list because she had no doubt Israfel would im all the points on that one. As a secret member of the [Children of the Crow] society, she knew that the Apollyon had being on the sands longer than many students of the [C.A.W] had lived. In all his reincarnations.

 Chapter 171: I Want You Like Death [18+]

    "WOULD YOU HELP ME with this?"


    Israfel sat on Aya''s bed as she stood in front of her cool blue vanity. He had been watching her quietly dress; it brought him some inner male pride to stare at his personal ve and know that all the lush curves he saw belonged to him, and only he. Fuck if he cared about the psychology of it. At her soft call, he rose off her bed and stepped behind her in front of the ornate looking-ss.


    Picking the ne she held out back to him, he whispered over her.


    "Hold up your hair."


    He was so tall the top of his head was beyond the mirror''s capture. Aya Naamah came up to his chest, just at his sternum. She loved how enveloping her Lord Master was. As she grasped onto her wealth of dark hair, Rafel drew in lungfuls of her [aurora mist] fragrance and studied the sparkles on her blue-blush nails. He loved this quiet time with his [Bond].


    Now he knew why his uncle, Lord Morningstar kept his own concubine, Vashti with his all these many centuries. No earthly rtionship, parental or filial, couldpare to the union between a demon [Sire] and his Bond¡ªwhatever species such Hellion deigned to pick from.


    Rafel unlocked the ne and wrapped it around her fair neck. Her skin was so delicate and pure. The real bluish tints of her subian origins were translucent under the amber bedchamber lights. The periapt hung down to spot of skin just above her cleavage. If he''d asked the mirror now, it would sure as hell proim Aya Naamah the fairest of them all. She was his Snow White.


    Her rich ebony waves and skin of a mtta princess.


    The charm dangling down her bodice was his gift: the prize of the Great Hunt. The verybor he had just won.


    Rafel lifted his eyes to mirror and stared enamored at the little ivory antlers against her lightest brown skin.


    "Naamah, you are beautiful. I should tell you that more."


    "Oh, m''lord," she fell into his chest, her heart swelling with deep immortal love, "I know how you feel about me. You don''t need to spoil me every week for it. And this periapt of Athena... it''s too much. Everyone in the school knows it is the prize of the hunt, which you won fair and square. It is more valued than a green ocean diamond.


    I-I just don''t think I should have it."


    Rafel''s lips lowered to her ear. He purred thickly against the flutter of her pulse, mildly stroking her neck with bites. "You''re right. The charm is mine. And as such I am free to do with it as I want." Hisrge hand closed over her neck. "¡ªto give to whom ever I want.


    And I want you, Naamah."


    Aya shivered on her feet. "I-I w-want you too, my lo¡ª"


    "Shush." His thumb entered her mouth. "I want you to have it. I''m not changing my mind about it. I want you to walk the halls of the fucking citadel with it in your neck. I want them to see it on you. I want them to stare, and gossip, and know that you are mine.


    In public, you will wear the charm as my cor on you." Aya moaned and rubbed herself back into him. He was so big and warm. She sucked on his finger and he swiftly pulled it out.


    His yellow eyes burned as it met hers in the mirror.


    "Don''t tempt me." He growled.


    And he released her. She closed her eyes a second to calm the heady arousal. Rafel went back and sat on the bed. His gaze scorched the little distance to her. He said in wolfish bass, "now get those fucking heels and let''s go."


    Aya nodded, and speedily dived into her closet for the expensive set that rose to meet her eyes. Her Lord Master did spoil her in many, many ways.


    The winners of the Hunt had been announced four hours ago, at thest scarlet light of dusk. It was few minutes into nine o''clock now, but far in the amphitheater, the leaderboard still glowed with the twelve shiny names. The great holographic screen lit the tar sky above it and spilled onto the surrounding streets by the colosseum. Aya stared at it as their carriage went past the host stadium.


    It was just tall enough that she could see the gilded letters spelling the first name on the board.


    Her Sire''s name.


    She turned back from the window with a smile, to look at him. This time it was her with the eyes full of pride. Violet. Seductive. With cheeks blushed by the cold night air. Rafel was already making her night, and they weren''t even at Bolta''s party yet.


    How much more interesting can this night stretch? In the carriage, the lovely mtto subus yed her forefinger against her magenta lips.


    Soon enough, the lordly carriage rolled to a stop outside a fine statesmanplex.


    It was a duplex house, built in great pirs; the Olympian standard. Bolta''s house. Knowing her father, Rafel expected nothing less. A gold sigil thunderbolt was carved high into the top section of the white fa?ade. Many boys and girls spilled around the block, engaged in different forms of partying¡ªwhich may or may involve certain white-nosed powders.


    Two boys openly kissed at the door as Rafel and Aya pushed in.


    A stocky [Third Year] tossed them a beer can.


    "Sissies!"


    The boys broke to yell at him. "Homophobe!" "Prick!" And promptly went back to their kissing.


    The club music pumping out into the yard had several dancing inside and on the porch. Rafel was ustomed to sounds of nging sword. Teens sting electric rock music didn''t stand a chance. He didn''t hold hands with Aya as they walked in, but the moment eyes'' closed around the ivory charm on her neck, everyone knew she had some type of rtionship with the crimson champion.


    A lot of the party bunch stared at the redhaired winner as he moved. The throng parted for him and Rafel could hear the murmurs under the music. It was the gossiping of the ton that attracted Bolta from her ce under a sconce at the far right wall, surrounded by plenty of her Arc members eager to hear of the Herculeanbors the runner-up had faced in the game.


    Bolta eased away from the circle of Blue Faction fans with a smile. Their gazes told of their worship.


    "Hey, Israfel! You made it."


    Rafel returned her smile as she came close. One of her hands was inside the pocket of her baggy denim pants, blue like her faction. Most of those around had Pegasus blue in their hair or on their wrist, but the party was open to all. In Bolta''s mind, everyone in the Hunt had the balls, big enough to go in. She leaned in to whisper to Rafel;


    "Everyone''s talking ''bout you."


    Rafel looked around. Sure enough, fifty and one groupies met his eyes deadon.


    Bolta turned to his right and greeted Aya with a kiss on both cheeks. "Hey, darling."


    Bolta pulled back to look at her. Rafel''s gaze had returned to the both of them. Aya parted her sweet lips to apologize for their tardiness. "Sorry we''rete. I''m evil with mirrors." Bolta chuckled and waved her off. She lowered her voice.


    "You''re right on time. I love my people, but I''d rather do something else than talk about the Bengal I had to spear in there. And I really fucking love cats!"


    Aya and Rafel said at the same time:


    "What something else?"


    "I bet you do."


    They allughed, and Bolta leaned even closer to reply Aya''s ask. "Come with me, Subus, and I''ll show you."


    She raised up her eyebrows invitingly. Aya took her swinging hand. And they both started off. "Welle on, DEMON." Bolta flirted back. She led her two invitees around the main party hall. They ran up high silver stairs and came up a storey.


    Rafel was too busy in awe of Bolta''s rapturous curves to notice much of anything until she kicked in a door in a much quieter, colder hallway.


    The music reached this part of the house as warbled whispers.


    Rafel shut the door behind them. Thetch engaged and the three were finally alone.


    There was only one piece of furniture in the vast white space: a veryrge bed. Wispy yellow light spilled in from streemps through the long ss windows. It cast beautiful shadows on the bare floors. Bolta moved close to Rafel. "Whatever happens next is totally up to yo¡ª"


    Rafel grabbed her head, taking her words into his mouth.


    His kiss was sudden and a st of electricity to Bolta. His mouth was delicious and stoked the fire that had being burning all night in anticipation of him. Of this very thing they were about to do. "Mhmm." Bolta fisted his shirt when he deepened the angle. She had to tear away to breathe; she could kiss the beautiful boy all night. Rafel let her push him against the door.


    He rested his back against it, knowing how well hispliance turned her on.


    "Stay, please. I just wanna watch you." Bolta bit her bottom lip hard.


    She moved back and ripped off her blue jacket. She dragged up her shirt, breathing hard when she saw Rafel''s amber eyes darken on the ink across her belly. She had hard abs. A fiery sexiness about her. Her hands went back and she popped her bra. She massaged the released peaks with both hands.


    Rafel growled by the door. "I want to touch too."


    "Stay," she purred, "stay right fucking there!"


    Bolta was already shaking from need. She felt she would just about loose the lid on her own teasing. She tore at the fly of her hard military trousers, and pulled it down. She tossed it far across the sultry room to the window with her boot. It made a thunk with the ss. And she stood, haloed in pure light.


    Her tights were dark blue, like her eyes, and like her energy. Dark blue lightning.


    Barefooted, she padded for Rafel.


    Her luscious body ttened him against the door.


    "I want you, soldier," he grated, licking her neck.


    SWAT!


    Rafel''s right palm connected with her butt cheek.


    "Oh yeah? How much?" Bolta managed; he was squeezing her ass. And his left hand was busy with her heavy breasts, clutching and grasping. "How fucking much?" She grinded against his body.


    Rafel raked the hand on her giant buttocks up her back and fisted her punk hair. He pulled so she met his eyes. And said in cold fever desire, "I want you like Hades and Persephone. I want you like death."


    Bolta, hearing these words melted in his grip. It was thr weirdest but sincerest thing anyone had said to her. At that moment, her need reached it''s peak. And her body burst into sparks of blue lightning. The crackling of electricity zapped across her skin. It glowed ethereal blue, and shimmered like tiny shards of sapphire-ss.


    It burned the clothes off Rafel''s body.


    The hard maleness of him kissed up her inner thigh, seeking connection.


    "Oh gods! I''m sorry. I''m so sorry," Bolta tried to apologize for the lightning zaps. "It happens when I''m very horny."


    Rafel turned her chin up to his face. "I like you just fine, thunder girl." His voice hardened. "¡ªbut that''s thest soft shit you''ll get from me."


    Bolta didn''t even have time to think on his words, before she was turned over and mmed into the wall. In Rafel''s ce. He was suddenly behind her. "Ohh." Bolta gasped. Her dragged down the flimsy tights to her knees. Too inmed by lust to getfortable, Rafel pummeled into her, right there against the wall.


    "Oh fuck." He and Bolta hissed together.


    The connection was slick and tight.


    Rafel didn''t pull out for the first few seconds. He held inside her that way, and let her grind and whimper. Aya Naamah walked out of the shadows themps didn''t reach. She moved to the wall, where Rafel bent Bolta back by her hair; his cock deep inside her, throbbing hot. Gently, she touched Bolta''s shoulder and the blue zaps of electricity snapping at her fingers.


    She kissed Bolta''s godly flesh. "Do you feel that, thunder girl? It''s US about to fuck the shit out of you."

 Chapter 172: Punani [18+]

    "LET ME SEE. Let me see that dick." The fair Subus eased Rafel back, and out of Bolta. His cock was so seated deeply inside it took actual effort on her part to get him out. And the fact that Bolta loved him too much to let go. Her pussy clenched around his shaft. Rafel''s engorged penis was fat and thick to great size.


    He was coated with Bolta''s sex and smell.


    Aya went on her knees, in the small space where his ripped torso joined with Bolta''srge butt.


    His cock was turned up.


    Gigantic.


    Pulsing.


    Powerful.


    It throbbed over her face. Aya licked her lips; only her was still fully clothed. "Mhmm. I want to taste." She dragged Rafel''s bulbous penis to herself and opened her mouth. She sucked him in deep and wet. It was all shades of hot.


    The golden-brown velvet of his girth. "Mhmm yes. I love this dick. It''s so thick in my mouth. So hot."


    GLUG! GLUG! GLUG!


    She helped Rafel pump into her mouth, using her hands to coax deep groans out of him. She gurgled and choked. And her throat was fat with him. Aya sloppily drew him out and Rafel covered his eyes not to see her lips. Not to cum too soon. She smiled sinfully and licked at the sides of his cock, slurping down to his balls.


    She spat on the thick nosh.


    Bolta was twerking on the wall, her hands t on the cold surface, uneasily demanding with her body. Aya spread her round globes and spat in her ass crack too. Bolta''s hole clenched right before her eyes. Aya spanked her. "You greedy bitch! You taste so good thered over my Lord''s cock.


    I sucked you off his dick. His mighty dick." Bolta shook harder. Aya spanked her more, happy at the sight of how wet she was bing. "Quit squirming, slut. He''ll be inside you soon enough. But let me suck just a little bit more."


    Inughter, she swallowed him back down. She gagged a few times before easing him out her throat. Saliva flowed freely.


    "Now back in. There we go. . ." Aya held Rafel and pushed him back inside Bolta. "Good girl! You''re a good fucking whore."


    Bolta''s pussy made a squishy sound as Rafel rammed up to the hilt.


    "Ahhhhhnnnnnn yes." Bolta scraped the white wall.


    Aya rose to her feet and began zipping down her red gown as she watched Rafel begin a rhythm inside of the busty female soldier. He had one hand in Bolta''s dark dreadlocks, sleeping down her back and the curve of her butt. It was such a sight at seeing Rafel''s big inches deliver raunchy pound after pound; his cock slithering like a slime pipe, in and out, in and out.


    Pah! Pah! Pah!


    Aya hooked her hands up at the one slip on her dress and lifted it off her shoulder, smiling, "you like that, don''t you, whore?!" Bolta''s face whipped to her. Zaps sparkled in her eyes. "Ohh I do. I fucking do." Behind, Rafel was unrelenting. He went at it like he was punishing her for something. Both girls were having the creme of sexual experience.


    Not to mention that the giver was a stupidly hot son-of-a-gun.


    Aya had no bra and flushed when Rafel dived his head down to take in one of her ripe melons. She was big, but Bolta was humongous. He let the slut in front move back into him, mming on his cock at her own pace as he focused on sucking on Aya''s fat, delicious titties. Her breasts almost forced him into shutdown. Rafel growled as she grabbed them up and covered his head in the massive bosoms.


    "You are too much of sin, Naamah. Too fucking much."


    "¡ªbut nothing you can''t handle, m''lord." Aya dropped her hands to drag off her red evening dress. It allowed Rafel to do the honors of cupping her generous boobs. He clutched them hard. He pressed into the soft flesh. He massaged the ample weights. He rubbed the tight cherry nipples.


    He tweaked her lovely ares; worshipped her plus size. He licked up her cleavage, buried his head in herrge mounds. Finally, he swept up from the valley of breasts, across pure caramel flesh, wetting her skin with his tongue, andshed out at her puckered nubs with the pink velvet. He rolled her red nipples in his mouth, and sucked and sucked.


    Aya was moaning; she struggled to be free of her gown. "Oh dear. My Lord. My Lord! I''m¡ª" Her head fell back and she whimpered a long moan. "Ohh by Lucifer!" She stopped doodling with her gown and dragged Rafel in.


    Grasping one huge breast after the other, she cradled his head and fed him her nipples.


    "Just how you like it, huh? Yessss. Ohh gods. Suck on them. Suck ''em good. Yeah, just like that.


    Fuck me. Holy fuck!"


    Rafel closed his teeth around one and Aya jerked.


    The movement finally dropped her gown held up by her wide hips to crimson pools at her feet. Rafel hooked a finger around her sexy G-string and ripped it off. He massaged and stroked with hisrge, callused battle hands every inch of naked he could touch on his voluptuous subus. It was her t belly. Her tiny waist. Her matronly hips.


    Behind, to her backps. Her thick thighs. Her most impressive behind. That plush, pillowy ass¡ªwhere even a Pharoah could rest his head and forget the Nile.


    He fondled her everywhere, till Aya was stepping out the spools of her gown, kicking it across the ivory floors, and seeking more of his skilled hands. By the gods, her Lord Master knew how to touch a woman.


    In front, Bolta was a mess of buxom, electrified curves. Pinpricks of blue current dazzled across her ivory skin. She was nowpletely bent down at the waist. She had her face t against the wall, hopping on her feet, the motions shaking her fat ass with Rafel''s fat penis throbbing inside her pussy. Her great breasts bounced on her chest. She grasped and pulled at them.


    She grinded hard on that dick.


    SWAT!


    Rafel smacked her ass, urging her to ride faster.


    Bolta dropped entirely down to the floor, bent so far down she could see between her own legs and watch his dark meat sliding in and out of her. His python penis glistened in her heat. Rafel smacked her again. "How''s the view from down there?"


    Bolta''s knees trembled. Her dreads ran on the long floors, beautiful and darkish.


    She began to quake more and Rafel knew she was close. He grasped her furious locks and held her back as she grinded good and deeply into his groin. Her ass cheeks rubbed on his torso, rubbing him in the musk of her heat. "Ohhhh. . .I''ming.


    Israfel, I''ming. Oh ISRAFEL! FUUUUUUCCCKK!" She screamed out, mming desperately back on his dick.


    PAH! PAH! PAH! PAH! SQUISH! PAH!


    The sounds their molten connection made would have been embarrassing if any of them cared. Rafel spat on his hand and rubbed under to her clit. Aya dropped hers too and fingered Bolta''s asshole. The female sentinel clenched and clenched around the both of them. At this point, it was just too much for Bolta and she splintered into the stars.


    "Ohhhhhhh goddddddd!!!"


    Her orgasm was volcanic. Literal electricity ran up her skin. Both her ass and cunt viced around Rafel''s cock and Aya''s finger, keeping them in as she trembled in her bent position. She shook and shook with the force of her climax and Rafel felt his cock liquefied in warm pussy. Bolta''s honeypot was so fucking tight. He heard the dirty sounds of her oozing out of her channel and on his dick.


    "A-ha," Aya chuckled, plucking at her breast, "look at her go." She meant Bolta.


    The violet-eyed subus pulled her finger out from Bolta''s asshole and brought it to her face. "Oh god," she moaned, smelling her fingers, "so good. I bet she''ll taste even better." She popped the finger into her mouth and sucked crazily, pumping and¡ª "Mhhm yes. I love how her fucking ass tastes. Such a dirty girl. A big, slutty soldier you are, Miss Olympian."


    Rafel lost his fucking mind at seeing Aya lick Bolta off her hand. He dragged that finger to his own mouth and fisted Aya''s ebony waves. He pulled her down his chiseled Adamic body, watching as she bent at the waist, licking down his abs, to reach his wet cock. Soaked and slimy from Bolta''s pussy, Aya grabbed his fat penis and rubbed it all over her face.


    She groaned to Bolta who had fallen to her knees following her passioned climax and was turned, staring at them:


    "Look at this wet dick. Look what you''ve done, you dirty, dirty girl."


    "Shut it, you fucking ve." Rafel growled from above. "You''re too damn pretty for your own good." He held Aya down at this loins and forged into her mouth. He parted her blushed lips with his cock and began pounding crazily. "Fuck yes, take all that dick. That''s what you what, innit? That''s what you always fucking want, you beautiful, beautiful girl."


    Thepliments from her Lord Master did Aya in; she grabbed Rafel''s lean waist and swallowed all of his huge penis down her throat. Her cheeks were fat with his balls and her gullet bulged. She held him in for harsh, ticking seconds. She wheezed. Gagged. But didn''t let him go.


    All of his dick and balls inside her mouth. Her gorgeous face puffed up and red.


    "Holy fuck." Bolta''s eyes widened on her knees.


    Rafel dragged Aya down to the opal floors with him andy on the smooth marble, on his back. He kept her face stuffed as he pulled Bolta in again, and settled her over his face.


    SLUSH! SLUSH! SLUSH!


    Bolta grinded her pussy over his eyes, nose and mouth. "Oh fuck yes." She marked him with her ass and scent. Riding. Rising. Only to m back down and facesit him. For many seconds, she allowed him to breathe only her.


    Her slimy, fat pussy. Rafel''s tongue scorched herbia and the friction made Bolta cum again. "Yes. I love seeing you down there. Drowned under my pussy. Lick it.


    Lick my punani. It''s all yours. Eat it, baby."


    Bolta''s toes curled around Rafel''s head as he jerked up into Aya''s mouth. The moment she felt the first splurge of hot seed hit the back of her throat, Aya released his cock out of her mouth.


    SPLAT!


    A milky deluge hit her face. But Aya wasn''t about to waste any amount of that precious spunk.


    "No, no, m''lord. I want it inside me. I want it all."


    In haste, Aya turned around and sat on the monster rise. Rafel was swollen to ten inches, and near fat as her wrist. Him merely pushing in her folds made Aya mp her thighs and bite her lip. He swatted her fat butt. "See what your mouth did to me?"


    "Ahhhnnn¡ª"


    Aya started bouncing up and down in a squat. She sat on his fleshy dick, easing that hot, splurging penis in and out of her, repeatedly. It must have been her fourth time going down when¡ª


    SQUISSSSSH!!!


    Her beautiful body let go, in spontaneity. Her back arced, sheened in good sweat of raw fucking. Bolta pushed her up to spy on her sex leak squirting: a steady, sexy stream all over Rafel''s bunching abs. Bolta raised her from his cock, and since Aya was riding reverse cowboy, she felt the other girl''s lightning irisesnd on her intimate parts.


    "Gosh, would you look at that. So fucking hot," Bolta breathed. She admired Aya, spreading her ass cheeks and leaning in so Aya''s sex and ass was perched right over her head. The softness of Bolta''s lips brushed Rafel''s shaft. It pulsed at contact. He was under both girls, spent.


    Aya moaned as she squatted more squirt onto Bolta''s face. She put her head back to watch the daughter of Zeus bathe in her juicies.


    Bolta opened her eyes when it was over, blinking in the dribble. She smiled, spreading Aya''s prodigious butt wide to stare in; "now that is a fucking beautiful punani!"


    They fell into each other on the floor. Rafel looked up at the unused bed eight feet away. Bolta and Aya followed his eyes. A secondter, the three of them burst outughing.


    "Holy shit." Bolta giggled. "We didn''t even make it past the wall."

 Chapter 173: A Frankenstein Oddity

    The Countess of Av D''aqua ughtered neen hundred [1900] virgins from the east isles to power her monster. The creature of utter darkness was birthed from a contraption of shadows, trapping the arcane energy of dark magic and that very pure blood coursing in the twisted gears of the deathly machine. Even Hecate could not ignore when the Countess called upon her to give life to her monster.


    The Persuada.


    As the goddess of witchcrafts had appeared to drink up the offered sanguine sacrifice, then the Countess presented her ask: that this grotesque creature¡ªcarved of a hundred bones, flesh, and scalps¡ªmay yet breathe living air. And very few vampiric deities could refuse to grant a mortal''s boon when confronted with such running, flowing, delicious, untainted, virgin blood.


    Blood than ran rivers and circles around the machine where the monstery.


    Hecate, in her macabre glory and tunic of raven feathers, had hovered over to the sarcophagus contraption where in the lifeless frighty; it was stitched together in rotting flesh, bearing blue arms of a Nephilim, serrated back of a crocodile, whipping tail of a Lord cobra, and head like the Kraken. It had tentacles for a beard and stingers for hair.


    The suckers dangled from its heavy shoulders and hairy bear chest, running asrge veins under dposing flesh. Oozing with green retch.


    The eyes belonged on the face of a Spectre.


    And even Hecate, in all her dark casting could not fathom from what hellish trench the Countess had fetched those appalling trunk legs. By the joining of so many carcasses of spoiled corpses, parts hewn and scraped and sewn together¡ªlike scrap metal¡ªthis untoward beast rested at fifteen feet of height and just about dwarfed theboratory table on which it was formed.


    Hecate looked from the blood sacrifice to the face of the Countess.


    Av was a nice small town. A praying town. And the woman was beautiful. Franky, Hecate saw no reason why the Countess wanted to raise to life a creature of death. But she could see in the woman''s eyes there was no persuading that''d change her mind. Besides, the witch goddess was in no mood to lecture a mortal on the ills of trifiling with ult rituals.


    Hecate''s ck lips split in an unnerving smile. Jagged teeth showed through; in her ce beside the hovering deity, the Countess was unmoved.


    She hadn''t spent a thousand candles and twice as more virgins to be queasy now.


    Even thought Hecate''s very form could make a warlock piss his kilt.


    "And they say mortals have a conscience." The words echoed upon the cavernous blood altar; no one saw Hecate''s lips move though.


    A deal was struck. A bargain, made. And that dim night, eerie purple lightning shed in the skies, barreling at one point for the rod meant to catch it. It zed upon the altar, lighting the contraption up in blue electricity, sparking purple zaps.


    Just as Hecate, supreme mistress of witching floated in her cloth of feathers to the glowing machine and put on the dark creature''s head a drop of her own blood.


    The carrion flesh of the grim beast that had begun to sizzle upon the altar healed. The rest of the machine overheated, exploding in a break of lightning.


    BOOM!


    The shockwave sent the Countess to the floor.


    When she could stand, she looked around. Half of herboratory was ash and cinders. But upon the fiery ruin of her blood altar stood her spawn. Her beast. Her monster. At almost 20ft, the gigantic octopus man shrilled out a bloodcurdling growl and moved its wed hands.


    It knelt at her feet, in the circle of thrashing lightning. Her most dark invention. The Countess of Av reached out for the beast and touched a firm finger to the twisting sprout of a tentacle, emerging from its face.


    The creature was ugly: a Frankenstein oddity.


    But she loved it. And anyhow, "You shall serve my purpose," the Countess whispered in her burningb. Hecate was gone. The blood of the neen hundred virgins was gone. Her own personal sacrifice, gone. But it had birth her beast.


    And with it, a chance at vengeance. Her lover would be proud of her. She knew it. She just had to tell her. Soon. Once she could visit Av from that fucking academy.


    Their n, it had worked.


    This was ten days ago, before the news of the Spring Games, while Israfel was struggling to impress Coraz¨®n¡ªand struggling to keep his dick from slipping into her every single time. The cherished Apollyon of the abyss had no idea the mutated giant let loose¡ªfrom one of the ckest rituals of the century¡ªupon him.


    The Countess of Av, and her significant other: another female shrouded in mystery, were out for blood. And today, today was the day to get it.


    Three days ago, the night when Rafel had gone to visit his mermaid queen and [Bad Mommy] waifu, the Countess had set free her Frankenstein from his electric cage, with the words,


    "annihte the Apollyon."


    Currently, the young man just about to be bludgeoned under the might of a Persuada was waking up from a night of sultry passion. A sticky warm menage a tr¨®is. As of this morning, while he stepped out from the shower at Bolta''s room¡ªin Bolta''s house, his hands rubbing a towel through his ruffles of ginger hair, he smiled as thoughts of Sabbath day ran through his head.


    The great hunt of Athena went well for Rafel, extremely well.


    In fact, that evening had been one of his most fulfilled, fun-filled nights at the academy. He, a demon prince, whom hady with a dreadlocked femalemando and a curvy, brte subus. It was like the opening paragraph to one of the scious scripts banned from the school library by the Mystics Board.


    The kind of scripts he knew Brunhilda scoured for, and under candlelight¡ªwhen no was watching, brought herself to pleasure in reading.


    His question was, did she do it in the library too?


    Rafel stepped out the bedroom with the two hot visions curled into each other; they had finally made it to the bed. He had breakfast in the cafeteria at Hall Copenh?gen, Aya''s dorm; it was closer to Bolta''s house. And he didn''t want to wake the girls with a clutter of pans. They needed the rest¡ªafter the bad, bad things they''d done to each otherst night. What was it with soldiers?


    He didn''t think he''d quit seeing Bolta anytime soon. Perhaps, he would even elevate her to [waifu] status.


    Yep! She was that good.


    He couldn''t stop grinning over spoonfuls of wonderful chicken soup. He closed his eyes, savoring the taste which made him think back to Sekhmet. By the gods, had she been hot? How many women did he have now anyway? Rafel lowered his spoon and opened his eyes. Yellow danced around the canteen.


    He spotted a few early birds. Today was holiday¡ªper the Spring Games. Those in the resplendent cafeteria with him were in casual wear in their various Arc colors.


    Since Copenh?gen was not his hall, he sat alone at the table. Rafel greeted his sentient infernal system, [S.I.N.S] and asked a request of her before continuing his breakfast. "Peitho, how many girls do I have now? I don''t mean casual flings. I''m talking connection. The ones I bond with.


    . .uh, beyond the sex. Tell me."


    When Peitho''s sexy, cultured voice came in his head, it was almost like she was smiling between her words. It piked Rafel''s curiosity about the phenotype of his abyssal AI. But that was interest for another day.


    [Ding!]


    [Currently, Lord Apollyon, you have formed six bonds with these females:]


    [Lilith Firstborn]


    "Obviously," Rafel said. No matter how angry he got at his aunt''s betrayal, there was no removing those voluptuous milky bosoms of hers from his head.


    [Aya Naamah]


    [Ravenna de Vr¨ªes]


    [Coraz¨®n Mortimer]


    [Rosamunde Spears]


    Rafel was a bit surprised when Peitho made no mention of Giselle. The former Fae Queen had been a particr fancy of his. And his cock. Why wasn''t she on the list? And there was Sekhmet too? His filthy, whore nurse.


    That woman''s mouth could end a war¡ªif she sucked the battling kings off. Just one blow. And then H. And Brunhilda. And her mom. But oh well, he had asked Peitho for the ones he was most concerned about.


    It was like a game of marry, fuck, love.


    "Who''s the sixth?" Rafel finished his soup.


    [This is surprising, Lord Apollyon, but by my calctions, I believe it is I. The one whom you call Peitho.]


    "Wait, what?"


    But Peitho couldn''t lie. Not to him. He knew that. It was in the make of systems binded to The Fallen, for obvious reasons. You didn''t want your AI lying to you. What was strange was his connection to her.


    But it made sense; she was in his head 24/7. Peitho went on:


    [Of this six females, their ranks differ ording to waifu and concubines status. Your wife, the Ocean Goddess is an outlier. You bear her ring, and share her DIVINE mermaid mana. Hence, she is beyond this order.]


    [To be blunt, Lord Apollyon, there are two in this group you haven''t fucked.]


    Rafel chuckled. That was quite blunt. He didn''t ask who. He already knew.


    Ravenna and Peitho.


    "Well, I have a free day today." Rafel said, rising as he made his tray float across the canteen to the counter by [Umbra Maniption], an ability most of the First Years had learned to use now. "I think I''ll hit the gym." He headed out. The cafeteria was filling up. Guys and gals were walking up.


    Good, Rafel thought as he jogged around the blocks in serene daylight to the other greystone high rise: Brightburn Hall. It was good because she''d be awake. Peitho asked in his head.


    [Who, Lord Apollyon? Who''d be awake?]


    Rafel smiled long. "Coraz¨®n."


    He spoke on to Peitho as he went past a couple of werewolves returning from their morning run; the Luna of the pack smiled and nodded. "I must have a thing for the strong female type, or fighter females, or tomboys of whatever, because between Bolta and Cora I don''t know who makes my dick harder. Just thinking of her now makes me wanna pin her to her to bed in front of her girlfriend."


    [Sk?] Peitho dinged.


    "Oh fuck Sk. She can watch."


    Rafel just as soon entered the entrance lobby of the luxury student lodge. He kept up pace on the squeaky clean floors and ran up the stairs to a room number he knew by heart. He only stopped to catch his breath at the door; realizing then, that he wasn''t even breathing to begin with. Rafel raised his hand in the gothic hallway, just about to knock when the screen door purred open.


    Coraz¨®n stood at the other end.


    She was so beautiful in her badminton white. His demonic eyes raked her slow from pristine canvas shoes to immacte sports bra.


    Blue eyes narrowed on his stare.


    "What the fuck are you doing here?"

 Chapter 174: Knock Knock, its Death!

    "What the fuck are you doing here?" Cora wasn''t smiling.


    "I just wanted to see you."


    "Don''t bullshit me. You don''t just do anything. You forget, I have got my memories back now," Cora exined, "while I now have revived love for you, it is nothing but tonic, the kind we had at Emberfall. I worship you, Your Eminence. I admire you. But fuck!


    You need to stop behaving like a pussy-whipped boyo, making impromptu booty calls at my ce."


    Rafel met the calm blues of her eyes. He watched them soften. Her demeanor swayed. This was the first time anyone used him of being pussy-whipped. He should be mad. Beyond angry.


    He would, if it wasn''t the truth. Yep! Cora had got him addicted to that hot slender body of hers. Plus, he couldn''t stay mad at her for more than five seconds. Nearly losing her to the jaws of fucking afterlife had only solidified in his head how much he needed her.


    He would never admit this to her though. NEVER!


    Not too long ago, Peitho had mentioned her as one of his prime concubines; he considered Cora more of the totally-out-of-bounds girlfriend he couldn''t get out of his head. Right now, he was thinking of how good she''d look with her pretty little white tennis skirt hiked up as he lifted and sat her on his cock. But she was staring at him. Her cold marine iris siftered, burned into his mind.


    He had to clear his thoughts¡ªif he wanted to keep visiting privileges.


    He was d for the [Divine Mana Creator Source] the Corynthian Academy had, which made it possible for her to hold a corporeal form.


    His sexy limber ghost girl¡ª


    "Ahem!" Cora cleared her throat.


    Rafel''s gilded eyes found his way up her honey swan neck and lips to her deep eyes. Pure and stormy, like the Cold Sea. He finally replied her statement earlier. "Coraz¨®n, this is not a booty call." She scoffed and leaned against the door. Rafel maintained, "It''s not."


    Cora''s blue eyes took on an edge. "So if I were to drag you in here and pull off my knickers, swear you wouldn''t try some shit¡ªlike bending me over a fucking sofa?"


    "Well, I...that is quite the offer." He smiled.


    Cora shook her head, struggling with her own grin. "Yeah, that''s what I thought."


    "Smashing every time we meet is only half my fault, and you know that¡ª"


    "Babe!" A voice called from inside. "Who''s at the door?"


    Rafel peeked in. "Is that Sk?" Cora raised her finger to silence him. She called back to her werewolf girlfriend: "Just someone who''s leaving!" And then she pushed at Rafel''s chest. "Go!" It was a cosmically bad idea; touching a wildly hot demon. Her entire body in that white lit on fire. Invisible [Lustfyre].


    Rafel was smiling, knowingly. "Go, please." Cora pushed the door shut. But Rafel''s one leg was already in. His brown meridian boot stopped the door.


    "Let me in, servant. I''m not asking."


    Cora breathed at the hardened baritone of his voice. Like a mortal,pelled by a vampire, she eased her hand off the door and stepped back. "As you wish, Your Eminence." She braced for Sk''s harangue as his towering form shadowed past her.


    Cora''s girlfriend was justing out the shower; the lupine beauty had a towel turbaned in her hair, and clutched tighter to the one around her wet body. Sk looked from the standing male to Cora''s downcast eyes. "I thought he was leaving?"


    "Baby?" Cora tried.


    "Don''t baby me?" Sk held up a hand. The gold of her [Beta wolf] glowed out. "He put me in the fuckin'' infirmary, and you just let him in? Oh well, what am I to expect, from the Apollyon and his bitch." Cora actually did smile at the insult. Fury was part of Sk''s lovenguage. Most of the times she was angry, she sure as hell was horny too.


    Their best fucking was when her girlfriend was pissed off. When Rafel nced at Cora, Sk interpreted his look: "Yes, YOUR EMINENCE, she told me!" Sarcasmced her words. "No wonder you''re so fucking strong."


    Sk dropped the towel with Rafel standing right there.


    Cora smiled again in the morning''s light and wind spilling through the sky-blue curtains.


    Yep! Definitely horny!


    Rafel waited in silence until Sk was dressed in simr matching badminton white. Then he moved close to the heated werewolf. He admitted, "I am leaving, with you guys." Sk looked him over. "You aren''t even dressed proper." Rafel nced in Cora''s way. She stepped up and waved a hand over his goth getup. His ck riding pants instantly shimmered away.


    There was a one-millionth second of nakedness before he was also clothed in white. He had the matching shorts and polo shirts. And a lovely headband addition.


    Even Sk did admire his golden, strong legs.


    The calves of a demigod.


    He looked very much like a sexy ball boy.


    Matching their outfits, Rafel offered out his arms to both girls. Both girls declined. Cora instead started for the way, and she opened it for him, said, "You ever y in the badminton courts?"


    The three of them spent the next hour ying doubles in indoor sporting facility. Rafel and Cora''s duo trounced Sk who yed against with a greenish male Gorgon. The shuttlecock actually was a ball of light. Easier to see. Lighter to hit. The fairy umpire blew the whistle in team Cora''s favor: 10 to 6.


    "You know you actually are good with your hands at something." Sk breathed hard as she lowered her racquet to seat at the back benches with Cora, under the high chair. She spoke directly to Rafel as the umpire above blew again for two opposing pairs. Cora drank from her water bottle with a gulp. "You''re not wrong about that, babe." Sk didn''t think she heard right. "What?


    Are you still fucking?" She looked incredulously at the both of them. "You know what, I''m not even gonna."


    They shared augh for a while, giving their exerting bodies time to rx.


    Rafel eventually leaned into to Sk.


    "I don''t mean to hurt you."


    Sk''s voice was warmly soft. "I know. Cora told me all about the bond you share. She''s your day one on the mortal ne. I kinda understand. But that don''t mean I''m fine with you NTR''ing the shit outta me, okay?"


    Rafel nodded and took the bottle Cora passed along. "Fair." He grinned, taking a sip.


    Just then, the lights in the badminton courts dimmed. A strange energy coursed into the fine sports facility and it was like a storm had rolled right indoor. A thick fog hung over the florescent lights, ckening further with each second. All those in the courts, umpire included, sat up. The yers stopped and the luminous shuttlecock dropped to the squeaky floors with a plop.


    The birdie''s light dimmed out.


    Something was awry.


    Everyone could feel it.


    Every magical one of them.


    By now, the indoor courts was so dark the lights looked like the moon trying to break free of a spooky, Halloween night. Dense humors of ck rolled inward from the creaking stic doors, as if some entity was just behind them, fanning the smoke on dying embers.


    Sk sniffed at the air. "I smell death."


    Out of the ck smoke, a sudden racquet flew out, right for the umpire. Its mesh end mmed into the young man''s head catching him just as his mouth was opening in shock. So hard the teeth caved in. The racquet went through, severing through gum and throat, sailing in brain matter and bone. SPLAT! It divided the umpire''s face in half, coloring the walls behind in wet crimson.


    The gory head, shredded at the jawnded on the floor. A headless body one secondter.


    Blood leaked out the gruesome mess in a rapidly expanding circle.


    Rafel, Cora, and Sk were right under the blood rain and caught the stter all over their clothes and faces. Red seeped into their badminton whites.


    Before anyone could wonder much, out of the smoky entrance¡ªlike a yawning gate into the abyss stepped the Persuada.


    "Shit."


    "By the Martyr!"


    "What the fuck is that!"


    The couple of young witches in the bedarkened courts scrambled for the exit. The Persuada stood at the only doors in sight: 20ft. Monstrous. Crimson-eyed. Tentacles sprouting in its head. Flies buzzing around the many mismatched corpse parts.


    A total fright. It held no weapon, but its night wed hand took out two girls as they attempted to maneuver under the dark beast.


    It caught the first girl in her stomach, fist ripping a giant hole through her. Her guts spilled in her hands, bloodied and twisting. With its other hand, it grabbed the second girl''s head and rammed her into the white wall.


    She shrieked and jerked to be set free.


    "Help! Somebody help me!"


    One of the tentacles on the Persuada''s head shot into her neck, wrapping around her vocal cords from behind. It pulled.


    "Fuck!" Cora gasped.


    Thick wet blood showered down on the monster, bathing in it a macabre glow. Both girls dropped to the floors, stained scarlet and made slippery by their own sanguine essence. Their dead eyes'' stared out. ssy. Gone. The first with her entrails all over the ce.


    And the second with a destroyed throat and missing voice box.


    The dark sigils of ult rituals danced around the giant monster''s bulk in obsidian runes.


    "SKRRAAAAAAR!!!"


    The tentacles stretched in the air as it shrilled out a piercing screech. The lips had rotted down to the gums: ck, infested by maggots. The other yers made their way to the furthest ends of the courts. The vampires among, with [Nightwalker] abilities phased through the walls. Rafel, Cora, and Sk were left alone on the benches.


    When the monstrosity leveled crimson eyes on Rafel, it was clear whom it sought.


    The umpire and those two girls were just coteral damage. Appetizers.


    Sk, who had been silently brimming with fury watching the ughter opened her mouth and let out a long howl. Before Rafel or Cora could react, she leaped from the bleacher seats with a feral snarling. "YOU DEAD FUCKER!!!"


    Sk shifted to full dire wolf in the air. The sound of bone breaking. The shifting. The ripping of skin. Cora would never forget. Sk had known the umpire.


    He was part of her pack. A [Gamma]. She knew his mate too. Her reason to avenge was warranted. But the odds were against her. The Persuada had a three hundred pounds on her grey wolf.


    Another thing Cora would never forget that day was the sound of her girlfriend''s head splitting like firewood as the octopus-headed giant grabbed her head; the furry head of the squirming shewolf, and tore the skull right through the center.


    "Yooowwl!" Sknded like a sack next to the other girls. Dead.

 Chapter 175: Fury of Nosferatu

    "Oh no no. NOOO! SKYLA!!!" Coraz¨®n flew across the distance. She sped for the unmoving wolf in the dim courts, gradually shifting back to human. Her naked milk skin soiled by beefy finger marks, and a trail of wet red leaking out the crack in her temples. "No.


    Not my baby." Cora sobbed. Seeing another advancing adversary, the 20ft stitched-up giant sent out its great left arm to club Cora at the head.


    The silvery girl was too grief-torn to notice.


    It was only by Rafel''s sudden move that she was saved. He pulled on his [Red Mercury] ability, running swift as lightning across the courts to catch Cora and move her out of the way, just as the severe arm swept for her face.


    SWOOSH!


    The ck arm went over. Rafel passed by as a scarlet blur. He shed back with Cora on the benches. He chastised her thoroughly. "What are you doing? Trying to get yourself killed?


    AGAIN?! I am not losing you!" He barked. "The fucker almost got you. Look at those dead people, Coraz¨®n. Look at them. That dposing cunt took them out in seconds.


    Seconds, Cora! We need to think. We need to act wisely, or else we''ll be one of those sorry piles."


    He grinded his teeth. "Emotions are bad in fights like this. Not with your enemy twenty feet and bearing a fucking Kraken for a head. I need you here, with me, Coraz¨®n! Can you do that?"


    She was sobbing.


    "Oh my god. Sk...he k-killed her."


    Rafel at this point noticed he was being a little harsh. Maybe a lot. Cora had just watched her girlfriend''s head cracked open¡ªand she couldn''t even touch her lest the fucker get her too. He forced his need to keep her safe down. Way down. And calmed himself to speak to her in a soft voice.


    "I''m sorry about her." He touched her cheek and raised her face so her eyes met his. The blues were teary and deep. "¡ªbut we need to finish this. For Sk. For those poor girls. And for our freaking umpire.


    THAT ROTTING SHIT," he pointed back to the growling monster; it turned up its ugly head as if knowing it was being insulted, "took her away from you. What are you gonna do about that?"


    Rafel watched as the agony in Cora''s cerulean eyes turned to rage. Rage unleashed.


    She growled out. "I''m gonna send the fucker to the fucking grave it crawled out from."


    "Good," said Rafel.


    This was the Cora he knew. Hard Cora. Dangerous Cora. The fierce blonde with whom he''d obliterate whatever the hell it was standing behind them. In all his many seasons under the red moons of Hel, never had he seen such a creature made of the union of plenty beast parts. After this was over, he''d have quite the legend Bards could write songs about.


    And this had to be over. . .


    He swore by the fucking Helme of his birth.


    No one fucked with his Coraz¨®n. Not with her bitch either.


    "What do I do? Distract it so you can get a shot in?" Cora asked.


    Rafel read the need for vengeance in her eyes. He agreed with that need. He replied, "no. I''ll distract it. The killing blow is for you."


    Cora nodded, in her eyes a silent gratitude.


    At once, he turned around from his crouch at the benches. He forced his eyes past the bloodied bodies strewn like ribbons across the badminton court and met the Persuada''s red eyes. He didn''t give the creature a chance to attack again. He was now the offense. Pulling directly into his [Mana Core], he roared in hellish thunder: amand to his infernal system.


    To Peitho, to link her virtual mind with his, his Kaiju, to be his avatar for chaos.


    "Bathed in the blood of Calig, the blood Adam. Gone, gone is the form of man. Rise the demon, Abaddon. I summon to this mortal coil, the fury of the Nosferatu!"


    The whole area immediately charged with a visible dark energy. It swamped the smoke, almost quenching the lights. It rolled as frightening mist over the dead bodies, over blood, over white. In it, the waning light of the luminous shuttlecock was extinguished. The courts dropped thirty Celsius degrees in a second. Cora tasted the coppery, leathery tang of blood on her tongue.


    She felt her lips go numb. But she ignored the urge to rub her arms.


    The court was the terrifying image of inside a Hellhouse.


    There was something in the mist.


    A face?


    A skull face. Laughing. Looking out. Satanic.


    ''It must be the helping demon, Abaddon which His Eminence had summoned,'' Cora reasoned in her mind. She watched as the smoky skull dove through that dense smoke for Rafel. It mmed into his face. And his handsome visage was covered by a mask of bones. It was no longer his face. Gone were those golden eyes of his, now obscured in obsidian like he wore aviators over his face.


    Gone was the form of man.


    Israfel was possessed. And his auxiliary devil was a [Fourth Infernal Ring] horror. There was a reason Abaddon''s name wasn''t mentioned in conversations. Never. Abaddon was one of the few Tormentors Rafel had in his eternal debt. And the same bloodlust consumed both host and possessor.


    Rafel had smoke pouring out from his mouth, his ears, and his nostrils when he said,


    "Peitho, equip the Halberd."


    [Ding!]


    [Mind Link with Lord Apollyonpleted!]


    [Calcting efficiency. . .]


    [100%]


    [The HALBERD equipped!]


    [Rank: LEGENDARY.]


    [Force: HEL UNIVERSE.]


    [DEITY: Kaos.]


    Rafel''s eyes were pitch-ck and heavy on the unsightly beast at the other end of the court. The splotches of devoured flesh marking the tiles spiked his anger. One second, his right hand was empty. And the next, a red glow permeated his palm. A solid pole appeared and his fingers clutched. This pole had a sharp point sickle attached to one end.


    On the other was a deadly looking axe. The Halberd: one of Charon''s finest.


    Rafel raised the long weapon and spun it in the air a few times.


    The shiny sickle was so sharp it made slicing sounds with the wind.


    Rafel used his [Red Mercury] ability again, running as a blue through the distance. He sped for the creature across the courts. As he passed, he aimed directly for its left arm¡ªthe heaviest gnarled one. A second ticked, and before the beastly giant could blink, Rafel was behind it.


    SKRAT!


    The Persuada wondered what made the sound; it looked down, just as that left arm peeled apart from the shoulder by the sinews. ck blood oozed and tendons full of maggots ripped away from bone. The ugly arm fell to the floor, looking much uglier and out of ce against the whiteness of the courts. The Persuada now had a wound left unchecked.


    Cora moved in, taking her chance. She rose in the air, illuminated head-to-toe by a dark blue aura. It made her fly.


    She hovered in the air and joined both her hands. Energy crackled and mana rippled to life in the hollows of her palm. The blue light grew and grew, eventually into arge enough cosmic ball. Radiant. Radioactive. She flew in the air for the monster, before it could recover from the pain of losing an arm.


    And while its tentacled head was lowered, Cora tossed the energy ball into the caved shoulder.


    The sizzling ball exploded in the bloody arm socket.


    It burned up fresh injury, peeled deeply into moreyers of grime, and licked at the creature''s ck blood.


    The Persuada helped, howling in pain.


    And then the tentacled face made a gurgling sound neither she or Rafel could understand. Briefly encumbered byncing pain, Rafel shed in again, this time taking the creature''s leg with his halberd. The sickle-head sliced right at the knee.


    "Aaatgggghggruld!" The gruesome giant hopped on one knee.


    And Cora sent blue cosmic fire to the bleeding spot again. The Persuada now struggled to keep standing. "Oh no you don''t, fucker!" Rafel growled. His voice was not his, Cora noticed. It was many souls speaking at once. Abaddon and he, and Peitho.


    All of the chaos avatars inside him.


    Rafel sped in the third time. He took out the second leg.


    The beast dropped to its pates. It leaked out a lot of blood through the soiled kneecaps. It was brought down to half its height, and it still had a good head over Rafel. With ckened pupils, Rafel moved for it. "Eye of Horus, show forth the weak point on this abomination."


    In Rafel''s night vision, the Kraken head of the Persuada began to glow.


    And Rafel knew: to decapitate was to kill.


    "Coraz¨®n!" He called for his girl. "Here." He handed her the halberd once she flew close and dropped again to the court. The Persuada had both legs cut right out from under it, and ck blood was in a pool around it. It stayed upright in amputated pain¡ªthat''ll teach it.


    "¡ªbehead this motherfucker." Rafel finished.


    Cora raised the halberd high in the air; she took the advantage of gravity on her side. But she wouldn''t mind if it took two slices to get the damn ugly head off.


    SWOOSH! SLASH! THUNK!


    The axe corner of the halberd cut through the air, cleaving in the Persuada''s thick neck. Blood sprayed more on their clothes. Dirty smelly blood. Cora took the monster''s head, in one swipe. It was fucking nice to see: that huge head with the mangled lips and octopus'' beard, falling off its neck tond with a dull thud; the neck, sprouting great arcs of blood like a fountain.


    The putrid, ck flesh steaming from where Cora had burned it with her blue fire.


    The body of the Persuada hit the floors heavily, next to the grotesque head.


    Rafel walked to the irritating face, stamping the twisting tentacles into bone and muck.


    "Yuck." He pulled his boot away, and spat on the massive corpse. Now that the animated life had left the Persuada, the conjoined body parts fell away, and secondster, the beast was just a steaming pile of limbs and gore in the midst of the other dead.


    Rafel pulled Cora into his arms. She stopped glowing in her ghost form, and the lights in the courts came back on as the eerie fog cleared out the ce. Cora held hard onto Rafel and cried. Her face nestled into his chest. She refused to look at the corpse of her girlfriend just feet away. She embraced Rafel until she heard the sirens that signalled the school''s Sentinel Corps and patrol.


    She kept embracing even when the patter of running feet let her know the undertakers hade in with their ck felt hats and hearths, to take the cadavers away. And the reapers, the souls.


    Because she wouldn''t move, Rafel had to lift her out of the arena.


    Cora didn''t stop him¡ªfor once. He was d. He carried her silently in his arms all the way to Brightburn Hall and her dorm room. She could still smell Sk''s shampoo as Rafel put her in bed. He slid in next to her. Covered her body with his.


    And then his, with the covers. They stayed like that for a long, long time.


    Neither gave a fuck that they were drowned in ck blood and bits of octopus brain.

 Chapter 176: The Blood Countess

    The corpse of the Persuad? had to be lugged off in a wheelbarrow.


    The many, rotting parts.


    It was the arm of a bear. Forelimb of a chimpanzee. Eyes of a cobra. Jaw of an octopus'' face. A croc''s tail. Jellyfish stingers running in torso like entrails.


    All the horror merged into one, now forsaken as it was carted away to the pyre. There was no burial for the monster¡ªand the school Headmistress wouldn''t even let the fish have at it.


    "Too vile a creature," she said. "The sharks would be better off starved." In the aftermath of the tragedy, the badminton court was sealed off for the rest of the week in yellow tape. Werewolf trackers and monster detectives were brought in to trace the path of the creature, back to its master.


    ¡ªIf they had any idea it was a mistress.


    Israfel woke up sometime during noon the next day. Coraz¨®n was still soft and warm under him, cradled into his chest. He had only ever cuddled with two other women: his auntie¡ªbecause her titties were some fine pillows, and Ravenna. He could tell she was awake, but numb. And so, as he gently pulled off the bed, he took her with him.


    He kept her glued to his body the entire time, as he started warm water and ran the tub.


    He magicked off their clothes and stepped into the porcin bowl with her. Rafel settled her into hisp and let the water ease the blood from their flesh. It had dried into their skin but the steaming in the bathtub slowly softened and washed the red away. His eyes were closed. Her head on his chest. He listened to her breathe.


    She had stopped crying sometime during the night. She was strong.


    Superwoman strong.


    Rafel started a slow hum he knew by heart. He had no idea where he heard it from¡ªeither his [Cow Subi] wet nurses or the gypsies nomads that had camped in his estate at Emberfall one winter. Still, he sang. His voice was strong and sure; a herald''s song, and Cora loved him more. He was in the third stanza when Peitho''s voice rang him up.


    [DING!]


    [I''m deeply sorry to interrupt your bathing ritual, Lord Apollyon. But I have good news:


    I conducted a postmortem¡ªan arcane autopsy if you will on the remains of the Persuada creature before the undertakers arrived yesterday and it met the fire. It turned out well. I found a bloodmark underneath a finger nail¡ªhidden well. The mark is thedybird and cross banner of Av D''aqua.]


    Rafel pressed a wet towel to Cora''s forehead.


    "Av? Yes. The Highfather had mentioned a certain mysterious Countess on the school board, who made his crucifix burn and whatnot. Hmm," his hand trailed to Cora''s neck, "...earlier, she had also cast a watcher''s spell on my dorm room, spying through a s¨¦ance ball. The Countess again? It was she who sent the Persuada, was it?"


    [Yes, Lord Apollyon. My calctions are 99.3 percent urate. And I have also currently essed that she is staying at the Grand Tourniquet Inn off the streets of Buckley¡ª]


    "What is her name?" Rafel interrupted.


    [SYSTEM is currently essing all records of royalty in the kingdom, across the isles of the Cold Sea and capital of Titans Landing...]


    [DING!]


    [Information verified for HOST!]


    [The name you seek is Constance Juliana Medici.]


    [She is Countess over the viges of Av, widow of the deceased Viscount of the dukedom. Her reach was sworn to the papacy of the Highfather, but recently emunicated by the Holy Church for shadowy crimes such as virgin sacrifices and banned torture forms. Lady Constance is a blood witch. RANK A. And of a powerful matriarch, Hecate.


    The runes of the dark goddess were found all over the carrion of the beast. The Countess of Av is the strongest sanguine summoner in Corynthia.]


    "Fuck." Rafel heard a small voice below. It was Cora. He looked down and stroked her silver hair, wet with ascending vapor. It was the first time she had spoken in hours.


    But she was right.


    ''Fuck'' hit it spot on.


    If this Constance Medici wasmiting hate crimes against her duchy, surely the emissaries of the Court of Whispers would have swooped up on her like vultures in a desert. Should have. But the fall of the Capitol had sent everything to shit. The Court of Whispers: the highest witch sect across all nine realms of the continent, was now ruled andmanded, and only glorified by demons.


    The supreme druids and Grand meisters who would''ve curtailed the Countess''s practice of the dark arts right in the udder had been reduced to alive bullseye boards, where the Principalities could practice their dart throwing.


    Constance Medici was left unchecked.


    And Israfel wasn''t on speaking terms with his auntie at the moment. Else, he would''ve asked her tomand her ck dragon to pour holy fire upon the blood Countess and her ult altar. Bomb the bitch to ash and rubble. And let the smoke be seen for miles as a warning.


    This was how Hel handled things.


    Fire and Blood.


    The Arc Crystal had chosen right in manifesting to him the [Phoenix faction].


    Rafel asked of his system. "Tell me Peitho, just how many virgins does it take to raise a creature like the Persuada?"


    [North of a thousand, Your Eminence.]


    Cora answered too: "Approximately one thousand, nine hundred." As a witch, she knew these things.


    "Jesus Christ!" A new voice entered the space.


    Rafel and Cora raised their eyes at the same time to find Rosamunde standing by the ss partition of the bathroom. Her hand curved around the sliding door. The ss was fogged in steam. Rafel greeted her with his version of a smile. She waved her fingers. "Sorry to just show up.


    Do you mind? I let myself in. I heard about Cora. . .and I wanted to reach out. Is that okay?"


    Rafel raised his hand from the lily-white water. He beckoned Rosa in.


    "You''re always wee, bellisima."


    Rosa stepped through and shut the sliding ss behind her. She knelt beside the white curtains and in front of the massive ivory tub. For some reason, she didn''t seem to mind their nakedness. Rosa, herself was fully clothed in a pair of blue jean shorts and shortsleeved turtleneck. With her right hand on the rim of the tub, she reached out with her left and touched Cora''s snowy hair.


    "I''m sorry, Cora." The girl''s head didn''t leave Rafel''s chest. Rosa met his worried eyes. "Grief''s a bitch. It sucks the soul like a stubborn billy goat." To Rafel''s ears only, she added, "give her some time. Imagine how WE felt when you thought you lost her. There was nothing we could do.


    It wasn''t our fault. We knew this. But it still hurt like hell."


    Rosa collected the loofah from Rafel''s hand and squeezed on Cora''s shoulder. She proceeded to scrub off the remnant blood from her pale skin.


    Her own caramelplexion was a lovely addition.


    "How long were you standing there?" Rafel asked.


    Rosa replied, "long enough to hear all about this Countess cunt. And know that we need to kill her."


    Rafel did a doubletake.


    Rosa didn''t fuck around.


    He really did like his women.


    After about another hour soaking in the tub and ten more minutes under the streaming rain of a hot shower, Rafel finally wrapped Cora in a fresh towel and walked her out of the bathroom. Rosa was waiting by the bed, knives out.


    Cora saw their shared look when she dressed in flying leathers and strapped a dagger to her thigh. Rafel''s mouth was already opening. "Don''t even try," she said, "I''ming with. You can''t order me out of this one. Shit''s personal."


    Not wasting a smidge of time, Cora made the fingers of her left hand into a [Casting Hollow] and drew circles in the air.


    A bright blue portal whooshed to life in front of them.


    On the other side was the very expensive,vish, ck gold lobby of the Grand Tourniquet.


    "Let''s get this bitch!" Cora snarled.


    ___


    "ROOM SERVICE TO ROOM 11!" The clerk at the hotel''s front desk called over a mounted transmitter rune. "And there''sint of a gas leak in Room¡ª" The clerk''s voice went out when he saw three furiously dashing people step out a glowing door, right in the center of the hotel lobby.


    "Hello? You there?" The person on the other end called. "I AM HUNGRY HERE! I''ve low blood sugar and¡ª"


    "Uh. . . let me get back to you Sir," the clerk offered and smashed the receiver shut.


    He stared out as the portal vanished, leaving three mysterious new patrons standing on the vast Florentine marbles. They were a bit like the Viking gods painted into the domed ceiling high above: the Drowned god and the Thunderer, the Maiden and the Warrior; in a sea of colors. Rafel, Cora and Rosa began striding directly for the front desk. Behind the burnished counter, the young man gulped. Hard.


    "H-Hello, Sir and uh¡ªma''ams. Wee to the Grand Tourniquet. How can I help you?"


    Rafel looked amused at the frail clerk''s stutter. Cora''s face was nk. Rosa mmed on the counter a good chunk of coin. Gold solidi rattled in the purse. Her gray eyes sparked no humor as she said,


    "We need a room number."

 Chapter 177: A Tempered Mistress

    The desk clerk looked from Rosa''s deadon stare to the fat purse in front of him. "I have to ask, are you family?" Rosa''s crooked her head at him. Cora''s mouth tightened further. Rafel folded his arms. The young man was visibly intimidated by these tall, beautiful people. He stammered, "it''s hotel policy."


    Just then, the baritone of the concierge rumbled out from the side door. The man himself walked out. And the wiry clerk scooped up the coin purse before his boss''s lynx eyes could catch it. The hotel concierge spoke to the young man to leave him with the new guests.


    "Go on, Curtis. I''ll handle this from here."


    The concierge''s eyes weaved through the troop of three, passing the women to halt at Rafel. Clearly, he was one of those men who viewed males at the top echelon in the gender portfolio. Old school. Hence, a real piece of work. The concierge was an older man, and spoke directly to Rafel. "Good to see you again sir.


    I am Stanius. So you were saying you need a room number?"


    "Not ours," Rosa said, drawing his attention to her. The man moved to turn his head back to Rafel but she followed his eyes with her face. "Hey, STANNIS, I''m the one talking to you. It would do you well to look at me."


    It was clear in the concierge''s eyes that he did not like the abbreviation of his name¡ªmade him sound like some Baroness''s puppy he thought. He squinted at Rafel.


    "She''s right." The Hel prince said simply.


    As if convinced by Israfel''s veto power to the ''little bob girl''¡ªfor this was how he viewed Rosa, the concierge Stanius now turned his full attention behind the desk counter to her. "I''m not sure what you''ve been told, ma''am, but this is a five-star establishment. What you''re asking is impossible. Even if I wanted to help¡ªwhich I''m not saying I do, I can''t.


    If you''re not family, nor are a visitor to our resident here at Grand Tourniquet, I don''t see why you need inside our suite."


    "Really?" Rosa blinked.


    "Yes, really, MA''AM." The concierge''s tone was anything but polite. "It''s quite tantamount to a threat."


    Rafel had enough at this point.


    He moved between Rosa and Cora and leaned forward on the desk. His gold eyes fired off into Stanius''. Rafel''s voice was extra dark when he said in palpable coldness.


    "I am the King of the seas. Consort of the Queen of the Antean Colonies. Unless you want to see how the ocean floor looks like on your next travel, I suggest you do as she says. Now this you can believe. . .is a motherfucking threat."


    Stanius gulped.


    "Keys." Rosa held out her hand. "Now!"


    This time the silver bearded concierge spoke, he had actual respect in his voice. "Of course ma''am, right away. Name please?"


    Coraz¨®n finally broke her silence. Her own smile was far darker than the corners of the grande lobby shielded by the long curtains.


    "Constance Juliana Medici."


    Stanius went back. "The Countess?"


    "Is there a problem, Stannis?" Rosa quipped.


    "Not at all, ma''am. Let me just check with our system." He looked down to the glinting panel, a screen with all the list of hotel guest showing in magical green. "The Countess is in Room 309. This is the card you''ll need. Here you go, ma''am."


    Rosamunde collected the fine Moravian keycard from the concierge and passed it to Rafel. He looked it over and gave it back. "You may keep your head upon your shoulders, human¡ªfor now." The three of them turned swiftly and began gantly walking off.


    A stricken Stanius, the well-spoken and enviable concierge of the notable Grand Tourniquet watched their backs all the way to the gilded elevators with cold spit lodged in his throat like a pebble in a brook.


    Rafel waited until the elevators doors shut them in before he turned to Cora and Rosa with a smile.


    For a moment, temptation of the closed box flowed between them, and they just about ripped each other''s clothes off.


    There was just something about elevators.


    But Cora''s marine eyes was the deal breaker. The blue seemed to say: ''we can''t.''


    Rafel heard the whirring of the lift going up and said to his two gorgeousdies. "Are we ready?"


    Cora moved her dagger swiftly in striking moves in the air, "to kill a witch bitch? Fuck yeah!" And she sheathed it again.


    Ding! The elevator chimed to a stop on the hotel''s third floor and the doors screened open. Cora''s hard military boots were the first ones out. The hallway was long, and wide. And empty. The jade green wallpaper of lush rainforests on the opposite walls ran into infinity.


    Rafel couldn''t see the end of the silent corridor under the translucent white lights. The Grand Tourniquet Inn had emerged beyond the use of torches ormps, but rather more artificed¡ªand expensive¡ªlights that fed of the mana pouch of the entire hotel.


    Something of a generator.


    If that generator had an infinite mystic source, as fresh and pure as the oxygen in the air.


    Rafel traced the wallpaper as Cora read the ques off each door they passed. Rosa was at the other end too, doing the same.


    "Room 301."


    "Room 303."


    305¡ª


    307¡ª


    "Here it is." Cora dropped her feet at a lime green door, just about thest one in line. She lifted two fingers in the air to keep the others quiet as they moved in. Rafel made a signal to go in first. He reached back his right leg and kicked in the door.


    BAM!


    The whole pinewood tore off the hinges. The door flew in. And they all marched in.


    Cora''s fist was high in the air: filled with fiery blue mes. Her fingers roared with energy, just ready to rip. In her other hand was her dagger, her brass de seeking cleave. Rosa was armed with a circle of darkness around her waist. The spooky shadows formed many twisting shades, ready to take any deadly shape she willed.


    As an [SS Rank] First Year of the Raven Arc, she was quite handy with maniption of the nocturnal energies. Rafel himself held no weapon. He didn''t need any to kill in a second. But his eyes shone out through the sted door: a murderous demonic crimson.


    They were all ready to pounce. But it seemed no one was at home.


    Cora growled. "Where the fuck is the cunt?"


    Room 309 was dark. No lights were on. But the pumping adrenaline and [Night Vision] helped Israfel and the girls with cat sight in the dark. The blue fire in Cora''s right hand zed brighter.


    "WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE?"


    "Cora," Rosa tried, aware of her friend''s growing fury.


    "SHOW YOUR FACE, YOU FUCKING COWARD! COME ON OUT, BITCH!"


    "Wait!" Rafel held up a hand. "Look there."


    He pointed to a spot in the dark room. The whole suite was one long suite, exquisitely decorated in the best furniture. The left area, floor to ceiling was all ss, overlooking someke in the distance. From the high perch of the hotel room, the water shed with sunlight.


    And adjacent the ss wall, under a Corynthian painting of one of its many tidal beaches, in front of a dead firece was a white armchair.


    Someone sat on it.


    Rafel clicked his fingers. The lights came on.


    And that someone was revealed.


    Cross-legged. In a mboyant immacte floral gown. Heels like fucking stilts¡ªwhite too.


    The Countess of Av. Constance Medici.


    Her hair dropped behind the chair to the floors. It was holy white. Rafel had never seen such much white on a person''s head before. Rosa turned up her lips at the miniature cowled statue of the Martyr on the mantelpiece. The Countess really did like her white. Ironic for a temperamental murderous blood witch.


    Constance slowly uncrossed her legs on the armchair. Her voice permeated the bedroom when it hit like honey.


    "Good, you''re here. You''re all here. I''ve been waiting for you."


    Rosa stepped forward. The shadows around her waist coalesced into a dark spear. "Why? How did you know we wereing?"


    "Oh, shush girl. You didn''t think Stanius wouldn''t tell me of the hunky triumvirate demanding my room number¡ªin death threats I might add." The Countess stood to her feet as Rafel folded his fingers into fists; he put it at the back of his mind to make sure a mermaid visited and drowned the fucker in his bed. This was why no one really liked hotel concierges.


    Constance was on her feet now and looked at Cora''s ming hand like the blue mes roaring in her fingertips were nothing but pesky trouble.


    "Oh, drop that will you," she said. "I am the Countess of Av. What did you think was going to happen? That you were gonna st in here and take me out. . .the three of you?


    Fuck me." She beganughing.


    It was soft, bubblyughter.


    Rafel looked her over in the moment: Constance was a stickish woman. She might have been a model in her younger years. She was the kind of thin his Uncle Asmodeus liked. And Lilith too¡ªat the times she chose to fuck women. But more than that. She was crazy.


    ''Lock up in a mental institution'' crazy. She was stupid pretty too.


    "What a shame?"


    Rafel didn''t even know he had said it aloud until she turned from her chuckling.


    Constance asked. "What?"


    Rafel met the challenge in her eyes. "That you have to die." He went on. "Do not worry, I''ll try to make it quick. But I can''t say the same about my friends here? You see, you took one of ours. Several were killed in the attack at our school.


    The beast you sent? We know all about it. Confess, WITCH!" He roared.


    Constance startedughing again. "Oh my gods, I''m sorry. I''m sorry. You really think this is about you and your little friends? Well, it isn''t. Until now I guess.


    Now that you all have stuck your pretty little heads in." She caught their shocked faces and sighed, exining: "No, my furious younglings. All these started before your arrival at the academy. My n shall be revealed in due season. But this I will tell you. You. .


    .Apollyon only became my problem when you killed my Basilisk. I rather loved the serpent. It was to fulfill a phase of my n and you fucked with that."


    Rafel blinked. It was the first time the Countess had cussed.


    ". . .Yes, I sent the Persuada after you. Of course I did! You are a possible FUCKING threat. To me and my partner."


    Partner? Rafel stored forter.


    Constance was still talking. "The ones you lots, as you so judiciously put it, in that attack were the sorry lot in the way of my pet killing you. The same as your girlfriends here. This is probably the best time for you to break up. I killed them because they protected you. They were in my way; hazards of war," she shrugged.


    "You should know that better than anyone, Israfel. And what can I say, I am a tempered mistress. I protect my own."


    "SO DO I! DAMN YOU." Rafel growled.


    "Not from me, darling, you don''t." Constance returned. "Do you know why I called it Persuada? It''s because it was a creature meant to persuade you to quit trying to y hero and foil my ns. If killing a bunch of kids is the persuasion, then¡ª"


    "A bunch of kids!" Cora lost it. "You know what, fuck this. I''ve heard enough."


    She sent out her ming hand, releasing a ball of blue fire, thrice hotter than a forge. The mes shot forward with the st of a ship''s cannon. The target: the Countess''s white fucking head.

 Chapter 178: Sorry. Not Sorry.

    "Screw you to Hel, murderess!" [Caster] fire seared out with Coraz¨®n''s red voice.


    The white-frocked witch moved her head at the veryst second, so much that it gave Israfel pause; ordinary witches weren''t that fast. Even a Master Magess of Corynthia had to be well equipped with [Dark Vice] to store up that much mana in their core for such vampiric speed abilities. Cora''s angry ball of fire went past Constance''s head.


    It whizzed, crashing with a jolt into the ss walls south of the hotel suite.


    It shattered on impact. Shards rained down hard and heavily. With the force of an exploding st, the merge of cosmic fire with the sspane rattled the evergreen floors in the room. The furniture jumped and the indic painting over the brass mantle hit the ground. It spoke plenty about the sheer packing force behind Cora''s fireball.


    "Duck!"


    Rafel dived for Cora and Rosa, taking them both with him to the damask rug as more of the wall exploded inward. The shower of ss pelted the air like crystal bullets. He covered them with his body as the rain scattered fragments in the air. It was like someone had taken a rifle, cocked and was firing away.


    The heat from the energy st did more damage to the suite that the actual fireball, and Rafel felt the ends of the fine rug curl up and melt.


    A lightning charge and ss was a violent thing.


    Rafel stayed like that over both girls with his warm bulk, shielding them as he waited for the fuel behind the fireball to fizzle out and the scorching heat dissipate. Sweat gathered at his brows. Dr. Blood had taught this very thing: how the emotions of a Spellcaster could act as propane to the potency of their magic.


    Any mundane me would''ve gone out by now. But not when it was Cora casting it. He whispered down to her under him. "Coraz¨®n dear, I admire your heart to take out this blood witch, but can we tone it down a notch. Else you''ll burn us with her. Okay?"


    Cora moaned beneath him. It was enough for him.


    The streaming blue mesing off the ss shards finally cooled down and Rafel expertly rolled off the girls. He looked to the spot in front of the dead firece where the Countess had once sat; it was mostly soot. The armchair had been razed to ash. Rafel smiled darkly to himself.


    ''That''s definitely gonnae out of her tab.''


    Constance was gone from the spot before the fireball hit. As he sprang to his feet, Rafel found the blood witch all the way on the other side of the room. Safe away, from the barrage of bullets and Cora''s hands itching to strangle her. The Countess stepped out across the burned living area. Her tall heels chinked on the shards of ss as she tsked and moved into the light.


    "Look what you hotheads have done to my suite. I payed something of a fortune for this room. Do you really wanna kill me that bad, girlie?"


    Constance''s eyes were clear on Cora.


    "If you do, then you shouldn''t miss next time. You bunch have a lot to learn about the world out there. A miss like this could see you into the afterlife. But now, you just amuse me. I think I''ll indulge you younglings a bit. But first, you should apologize for soiling my favorite one-piece."


    To his bamboozlement, Rafel watched as the Countess of Av turned around, twiling in her regal ivory gown to show the blotches of ash on the Fontaine silk. The lower hem was burned up. And slits ran in the material where the ss had pierced and ripped through. The woman had a few cuts he could see on her thighs.


    But while he watched, those cuts sewed together and healed perfectly back to a milkshake white.


    "She has a healing ability," Rosa whispered to the others; both girls too had risen off the floors, "but I see no fangs. She is no vampire. How is it possible her blood possesses this trait?"


    "I do not know." Rafel admitted. "I''ve not encountered much witches but the ones I have seen do not run fast as Hermes or heal their own flesh¡ªat least not without visible enchantment. My guess is she has a charm from her coven Matriarch, Hecate."


    "Or?" Cora put forward.


    ". . .or she''s just that strong," finished Rafel.


    Constance was stalking them now. Her tongue ran along her splendidly white dentition. She licked her incisors, eyeing Rafel. She said, "you are quite the stud, Apollyon. I think once I''m done with the little girls, I''ll keep you. Just like the werewolves in myboratory.


    I shall study you. Perhaps, I shall fuck you too. But enough talk now. It''s time you kids learn witching the hard way."


    Constance''s green eyes moved in their sockets, and the hanging small chandelier above Rafel''s head dropped from the ceiling. It plummeted with speed for his head. Rafel dodged, shifting his feet from the spot. The sparklingmps crashed into the floor, right where he stood a minute ago.


    Constance raised her hands again, summoning all the candbras in the room to her with her mind.


    The sconces formed a pattern around her and themps floated in the air about her body. She folded her palms and held. And the candlesticks hovered in the room. Their golden rods stretched forward, and took the shape of blunt daggers. But with enough force, even a candlestick could pierce the heart. And momentum the fucking witch had!


    "She''s gonna loose!" Rosa warned her friends, already taking a crouch on the floor to duck from theing ught.


    Rafel knew the second Constance opened her fingers,unching the candbras into the air, fast as darts for their bodies. The three of them avoided the damage on their own terms: Cora pulled on her ghost ability, taking her [Luminary Form]¡ªthe darts went through her. She had be intangible. Visible but not physical.


    Rosa blocked all the bulleting shards that came her way with a shield of pure, dense shadow. The thick darkness swallowed the metal arrows in its abyssal nimbus.


    Rafel levitated into the air. And the candbrasunched at him passed under, whizzing hard past and sticking into the wall behind. He rose in the air, dark crimson wings sprouting out his back. His head just about touched the room''s ceiling as he watched the Countess expend her mana in sending more objects their way.


    The flower vase by the corner.


    Therger pieces of the torn ss wall.


    The broken frame of the beach painting.


    Cutlery from her untouched dinner.


    Anything that could lift in the air. Everything.


    The room vibrated with the force to which she tore apart the ce, seeking more things to lunge at them with her mind. Rafel was everywhere. A red blur. His fiery wings guided him away from her reach before any of her projectiles could hit.


    Bright red feathers spun in the air as he shed here and there, flying to scoop Cora into his arms when the witch Countess lunged the great Grandfather clock at her head.


    Rafel lifted back up, just as the ornate timepiece crashed through that space of the room''s sted door into the hallway.


    The scattering sound echoed hollowly.


    Rafel dropped Cora when Constance lowered her hands to catch her breath. The objects she had floating and ready tounch hit the lime floors. Rosa dropped her [Umbrae Shield] and rose from her kneeling position to stand beside Rafel, on his other side. The three of them watched Constance flex her fingers.


    Cool tropical wind blew in from thepletely destroyed south wall of the suite. Beyond that edge where the reinforced ss had been, it was a dead drop to the concrete streets below.


    Constance was breathing steadily.


    "We''ve got mere seconds before she recuperates and attacks again," said Rosa, "whatever we must do, we must do it now."


    Rafel''s wormwood eyes dove for a quick nce at their pretty, immactely dressed adversary. She blew him a kiss under her breath. He ignored it. Under the fa?ade of a skilled summoner, he could tell Constance felt it: the price of using that much sanguine interface to levitate objects. Telekinesis was a bitch that way. It fed, like a [Nether Parasite], off its host''s.


    . .everything.


    The Countess might need a blood transfusion after this fight. Only she wouldn''t survive to hook a drip. Rafel turned back to the girls. He spoke his n.


    "I''ve an idea: we use her ability to heal against her. She spends a considerable amount of time healing her body, and like she said, a second is enough to send you into the afterlife. This time, it will be her. There can be no room for error. We wound her, hard and fast, that she can''t heal quickly enough. Not enough to fight us at the same time.


    Healing herself will be the distraction. And those seconds will make all the difference."


    Cora and Rosa were both smiling already. Cora said, "I like it."


    "Tell us our parts." Rosa asked of him.


    Rafel returned their smile; he could already see the victory in the beautiful faces of the girls. And then he gave forth hismands. "Coraz¨®n, summon a Blood Poisoning st and hit her with it. Rosa, spellcast the suite by dropping the room temperature below subzero levels. That way, her blood cools further and is harder to manipte. I''ll strike her down with this¡ª"


    Rafel''s right armnterned his [Titan fist] as he pulled from his Hel pocket dimension a purple broadsword. He cleared the mighty weapon in the air. It shed down a great arc, leaving molecules of the entering wind colder than before.


    "Alright. Go." Rafel instructed.


    "DARK ARTS! BLAST OF MAGVATH."


    "MARINE ARTS! OCEANIC FREEZE."


    Cora and Rosa summoned at the same time.


    The Countess saw iting and grabbed off the nearest shard of broken ss. She tore at her own wrist and as the blood pooled, she stretched out her hand and released the stream of liquid, viscous red. It formed into the shape of a vine with a sharp, ded end. Rosa had never seen blood do that before, but she refused to be distracted.


    This solid blood dagger ran out of Constance''s open wrist, aiming for her throat. But at five inches from her face, the blood froze over.


    "What the fuck!" The blood witch frowned.


    "It''s called water magic, bitch!" Rosa whipped the frozen blood knife and the rope of simr essence extending out to connect to Constance''s wrist. The Countess shrieked as the solid blood broke into fragments, falling to the floor.


    "My hand! You FUCKING CUNTS!" she wailed.


    Just then, Cora''s poison st hit her and she held in ce abruptly. Immobilized. Rafel watched her lips tremble as the dark, blood witch struggled to move. All the blood coursing through her body now being filled with the venom of a Malignant spider. The veins under her skin showed in livid purple. Her skin began to bloat up.


    White foam leaked out her convulsing lips. And blood ran down the corners of her eyes.


    Constance talked out the sides of her mouth that wasn''t stroked. "Uuufft. . .w-what the f-fuck did you do to me?"


    "Drop her to her knees!" Rafel boomed.


    Gently, by the [Rare] art of water bending the humors, Rosapelled the Countess of Av to kneel on the floors. The shards of ss drew blood from her skin. It stained the edges of her white gown. Rafel stomped for her with his macabre and purple me-throwing broadsword hooked up his right shoulder. He grabbed onto the blood witch''s mass of white hair and lifted her eyes up to his.


    Constance shivered before his demonic eyes.


    "I would run you through myself¡ªright fucking now," Rafel said, "but you owe a life to my friend here." He stepped back and motioned for Cora toe forward: "she''s all yours."


    Coraz¨®n took the broadsword Rafel offered. She could''ve used her smaller dagger strapped to her hip, but she wanted it to hurt like hell. The witch bitch didn''t deserve a kind death. And so Cora took up Rafel''s legendary weapon. She had to hold the broadsword with both hands to lift it up. It just about weighed as much as she did.


    Cora drew back her hands, grasping the studded hilt firmly.


    "This is for Sk."


    She rammed the great sword all the way into Constance''s body. It drove in deeply, to the hilt. The Countess grasped to the deadly de of the sword inside her. Right in her belly. She coughed up blood. But Cora wasn''t done.


    She drew out the broadsword and stabbed Constance again.


    "This is for my friends at the academy."


    Cora was crying now. Shs didn''t even flinch at the fountain of blood coursing out through the stab wounds and soaking the Countess''s immacte dress a tragic crimson. Cora pulled out again and drove in for the third time. "And this is for me, you fucking madwoman. For taking my girlfriend from me. And for the hurt you''re putting me through.


    Fuck you, YOUR FUCKING LADYSHIP!"


    Rosa put a hand on her shoulder. Cora pulled away, leaving the mighty sword in Constance''s belly as she went in to hug Rafel. He embraced both Cora and Rosa in his enfolding masculinity. The Countess''s breath wasing in spurts. She knelt in her own blood pool, purple veins like branches of bramble in her pale skin, night air flooding into her torn-apart hotel room.


    And Rafel could hear the sound of her heartbeat slowing.


    Suddenly, before their eyes the woman, bleeding out, was engulfed into a one-way portal.


    The origin remained unknown as the portal vanished before Rafel could react. Constance''s bloodied and poisoned body was swallowed whole. Disappeared. Escaped. Gone.


    Cora raised skeptical eyes up to Rafel.


    "Where did she go? You think she''s dead?"


    "I don''t know, love," he said, "but she got the message."


    Was he sorry for all but assassinating the ruling Countess of Av D''aqua?


    FUCK NO. Sorry, not sorry. The one who had saved her¡ªher partner he was guessing¡ªcould pick up the pieces of her. Whomever the shit that was. All Rafel cared about now was a good long soak to wash away the blood. And perhaps a soft warm body, to sink into.

 Chapter 179: Milf Hunter [18+]

    Back at the dorms, Coraz¨®n and Rosamunde were too tired to help Rafel with the ''tight fit''.


    By the records of [Subian Dark Worlds], a near impossibility on the part of a servant girl for her Sire, punishable in Underworldws by scourging upon a St. Andrews Cross. Albeit, Rafel didn''t mind.


    Battling Constance Juliana Medici, the blood Countess of lesiastical and benign Av had taken a toll on the girls. They needed to rest to refresh their mana cores and rejuvenate [Mystic Pouches]. Supposing it was his ve, Naamah, who was in thebat, her own methods of upping back her core would see Rafel''s wish much fulfilled.


    As a royal demoness of the Sapphire Slut species, Naamah''s greatest feed was a good, long cock swallowing.


    s, his servant whore was beyond his reach.


    Rafel was restless in bed. And so after a few hours of sleep, he got up and wandered aimlessly around in the ndestine courts of Salem Hall. He had a bunch of girls who could help alleviate the fatness ripping at his zipper, but at the moment, he was thirsty for some MILF. No offense to his schoolgirls. But a man had appetites. And as a demon, he more than most.


    He ruminated on thoughts of gigantic knockers and arses of the luscious jiggles.


    ''I just need a goshdarned MILF.''


    The kind of bad, voluptuous mommy he sought was kind of hard to find in the mage College. But Rafel had some proper motivation; it jerked in his pants whenever he thought of just how juicy fat breasts would feel right now in his mouth.


    In the past, this was one of those asions where he would have unceremoniously dropped in on his Auntie and jammed her mouth full of his throbbing cock.


    There was nothing more perverted than showing up in a burst of shadows are Lilith''s dark castle, right in the middle of a meeting with her Spectre Lords at the goth throne room, striding confidently up the dais for her obsidian throne, fiercely ripping out his thick member and dragging her gorgeous, mascara-ed face down to the bulbous shaft.


    Many times Lilith did choke on his lusty offering, but would then drag him in, impaling his hard penis inside of her throat and with an apathetic wave, she would dismiss the entire royal court of Underworld Lords.


    But, ''fuck Lilith!''


    He didn''t want to think of her right now. Not with his balls so heavy. As he threaded under thebyrinth archways of his Hall, a lot of girls in little mingling groups turned their heads his way. At the moment, Rafel was like a lighthouse for sex. A fucking red re. And how enticing he smelled, especially to the werebitches¡ªthis wasn''t an insult; they were female werewolves.


    "He smells so good." A freakish tall [Amazon] licked at her lips. When she shared a look of heat with her circle of muscly babes, Rafel walked faster. They all giggled. They could smell him: a potent male. But Rafel was in no mood to be gangbanged by five women. He just about ran away from them.


    He was soon by the eastern wing of the housing Hall. It was a mostly quiet zone. At the floor level still, but inhabited by those among the First Years who had taken the pledge to be Scribes for the nine realms. The walls on this area were fine baster and shimmered like rippling water.


    There was no one in sight. It was a resplendent, 50ft high corridor: very bookish, spookish theme. If anything, Rafel loved the quietude and the cast of his shadows, long against the walls.


    He talked out aloud to Peitho in his distress at not finding a suitable attention for his loins.


    "Damn it, Peitho. Where are all the older women ''round here? I thought some of the alumnus hung around after the Hunt gamesst week. Surely, some doting mother must still be around to check up on her kid. At this point Peitho I do not care what species this woman might be. Find me a hot fucking mum!


    "SYSTEM! Equip MILF HUNTER MODE."


    Peitho was more than happy to help out her HOST. Even for a [SIM] AI, she quite enjoyed watching her host splurge one out on a willing female. Moreso, if they resisted. Half the pleasure was in the dominating and humiliation. Like a wild mustang mare, you gat to break her back to get it good and tippy for a hard, sweaty ride. Peitho engaged with her host:


    [Ding!]


    [MILF HUNTER MODE Equipped!]


    [Auxiliary Attributes...]


    [Y/N?]


    "Hell motherfucking yes!" Rafel hollowed in a graty voice. "Busty¡ªI need firm humongous tits. Herps must be huge, grabable. And her ass: by the gods of Hel! Peitho, I want to drown my face in it. I want a butt that leaks juiciness.


    A fuckable mommy. A sinful whore mommy. Her body has got to have the Abba-esque curves, the proper woman thighs. I don''t care if she''s white, or caramel skinned. But I''d like it if she was a bit taller, you know? The cr¨¦me BBW.


    Ohe on now, Peitho! You know what I mean. Don''t make me get into the dets."


    [As you wish, Lord Apollyon.]


    [Ding!]


    [SYSTEM has located possible sighting.]


    "Fuck. Where?"


    Rafel practically salivated.


    [Three hundred paces in your current direction. In the dorm room: FIRST YEAR LEVEL 0015. The door is blue. Hottie Baddie Mommy confirmed now!]


    Rafel didn''t even walk anymore. ¡ªwhoosh! He disappeared into shadows and reanimated in front of the said door. Walking was for pussies¡ªand guys who didn''t have a gpole erection to contend down below. Peitho was right. The door was blue.


    Sea turtle blue. Why exactly his MILF was currently in a First Year student''s room didn''t bother him.


    ''If ites to it, I''ll NTR the fucker. I''m the damned Netori King.''


    Rafel decided his best bet into thedy''s pants on the other side of the door was politeness. He lifted his right hand and calmly knocked.


    "Who is it?" The voice at the other end was unmistakably feminine, and very, very hypnotic. He loved the voice. Or maybe it was just his dick amping everything up. Rafel kept silent and waited as he heard approaching footsteps. In his briefs, his cock twitched. And the moment the blue door opened, he forgot all about being polite.


    "Holy fuuuuuckk."


    "Excuse me?" The woman standing in the open door narrowed her eyes at him.


    She was so fucking beautiful.


    Her eyes were enchanting. Catty. Eyes of a lioness. Her couldn''t even start with her lips. And her body. Oh her fucking body!


    "Goddamn! Thank you, Peitho. Thank you so fucking much!"


    "Excuse me, young man. Are you lost?" The woman''s lily voice came again.


    She watched Rafel''s eyes darken. "Not anymore." His own voice was coarse as sandpaper. The gold in his pupils dimmed to a thirsty, sadistic ebony. Without another word, Rafel grabbed her by the throat and pushed her in. The woman was taken aback. The door, sea turtle blue, mmed shut behind them, sealing in a hungry demon with a very appetizing catty-eyed MILF.


    Inside the room, a heated conversation was going on. It went from furious to sexual in seconds.


    "Hey, what are you doing?" The taller, voluptuous woman matched Rafel''s eyes with her own: a mix of incredulity and slight awe. She met all of Rafel''s requirements¡ªand then some. To imagine the perfect scandalous Stepmom, was to imagine this woman. Screw it¡ªthe perfect slutty mom. There was also a bit of innocence about her. A kindness in her beautiful eyes.


    As Rafel devoured her body with his eyes, he mentally gave Peitho a thumbs up.


    And the best part. . .his MILF was an orc.


    Orcs weren''t the kind of ugly giants from the myths. They had evolved with the rest of mankind. Now, one only knew an Orc by the smattering of cute pearl freckles across their fore arms. Rafel''s MILF had hers forming a pattern of wings across her pale wrists. No horns. No green.


    Just fucking peach.


    Her marking was the strangest and most wondrous tattoo. It wasn''t ink. But it was beautiful.


    She had two inches on him¡ªOrcs still kept their height across evolution¡ªjust the perfect reach. She wasn''t white. Her skin was the softest, loveliest caramel. She had on a pantsuit. He could see regal silver buttons across the lc satin. She was barefooted.


    Clearly, she had been rxing before he had barged in. Rafel found his eyes slipping more than once to her sexy toes and the bluish blush on the nails.


    "Helloooooo!" She waved in front of his face. "Young man, you mind telling me why you just manhandled me into my kid''s dorm room? Are you a friend of my son."


    Rafel was thinking fast.


    "Where is he?"


    "Who?"


    "Your son."


    "Oh, he''s out. Went to get Royal Red." The woman replied. Rafel nodded. He knew [Royal Red]; one of the finest wines brand in Corynthia. Obviously, the woman had good tastes. She''d like him.


    The gorgeous MILF stepped in: "You still haven''t my question. Are you okay?"


    Rafel grabbed her hand feeling his cheek for his temperature.


    "I do not know your son. What I do know is you are going to help me get rid of the tension in my balls. You are going to suck me off like a good whore. I''m gonna make you my slut, mommy." His voice hardened. "Now kneel as I feed you my cock."


    "E-Excuse me. Are you mad¡ª"


    Rafel grabbed her exquisite highborn coiffure and pushed her to the floor; she was a blonde.


    "Stop, young man. What are you doing?"


    Rafel tore off his belt. He ripped down his fly. And jammed his right hand in, holding her chic hair-pinned golden waves in his angry fist. He pulled out his cock with a heavy sigh.


    "My gods! What the fuck."


    "Suck!" Rafel ordered, trying to bring her head in.


    The hot MILF kept her head back. ''Is this virile redhaired stud about to fuck me in my son''s dorm room?'' she was thinking. Though she naughtily resisted, her lips were already parting. And her pink tongue swiped out to fondly lick her mouth. She tasted her lipstick with her face over the heavy pulsing thickness of hard male. The young man in front of her was so erotic.


    So beautifully male.


    It aroused her to kneel before him.


    ''His cock is really nice. Oh, who am I kidding? He''s fucking divine. I wonder how he''d taste.''


    A golden stallion of a boy. A thick tan penis. Velvety. Huge. A shaft she could gobble forever.


    This Orc noblewoman lifted her cat eyes up from the wonder between Rafel''s thighs. She trailed his perfect torso with those lioness eyes. His ridged abs. Up the shirt he up to his jaw so he could look down on her. She admired the aristocratic sculpt of his face. And finally, her eyes met his.


    They roamed hot in the abyssal depths.


    A full minute ticked by with neither breaking eye contact.


    "My son will be back soon, we have to be quick," she said.


    "How soon?" asked Rafel.


    "Ten minutes." She dropped her head. And swallowed richly into her hot mouth the fat, throbbing cock in front of her face.

 Chapter 180: Highborn Mama [18+]

    Rafel knew he shouldn''t be so wild with a woman''s mouth¡ªthat ce was delicate. And it wasn''t necessarily created for holding the meat he was packing. But fuck him, the woman wanted him wild. The way her throat closed up everytime he eased in was beyond words. If this woman''s kid came by right now, he''d undoubtedly kill Rafel. He''d try.


    "Go slower, slower." Rafel guided her head in his sping hands. "Yes. The friction is amazing but I don''t want you to hurt yourself. We don''t want your son getting suspicious now, do we?"


    POP!


    His cock slipped out her mouth.


    "Do we?" He pulled his hips back and leaned down to catch her hungry eyes. She shook her head. "No. But I don''t want to think about my son right now. Just give me your cock. I want all of you." Her blondshes fluttered into cat-green eyes.


    "¡ªand I don''t think I''ll hurt. Not when I do this..."


    She spat on his penis and lifted to hand to grasp the engorged pipe. Rafel was slick in her hands and she pumped her closed fingers around his dick. PAH! She spat again, pumping him while rolling her fingers at the same time. Her delicate hands applied just the right amount of pressure.


    Rafel held her gorgeous, golden head in his hands and stared into her lioness eyes as she gave him a most wonderful handjob.


    "See," he said down to her, "this is why I love MILFs. You all have the experience. The touch of a real woman."


    The woman grinned, flushed slightly. "Is that apliment, my young stud?"


    "What do you¡ªohh!"


    Rafel caved as her head dived back down. She did not give him a chance to reply, but took him back into her mouth. Her lips closed around his dick and she went all in, gobbling him up. Clearly, his words had turned her on more. The hot, curvaceous Blonde mom sucked him off in great mouthfuls. Rafel could see his thick member fattening her throat.


    GLUG! GLUG! GLUG!


    She went all the way down, wheezing before Rafel pushed her head back and his massive cock came whipping out.


    SPLAT!


    A coil of milky precum fell across her forehead. It ran down her nose and she wantonly brought up a dainty finger to swipe and taste it. She moaned, licking and swirling her tongue. "You taste real good. More?" Rafel''s cock jumped in front of her face. His penis was giant and glistening as he stood before her.


    He grabbed it and rubbed her face in it. She held still and let him tap it against her cheeks.


    Her lips pursed coyly. "I must say, you have a reallyrge penis. The few times I''ve seen my boy''s, it wasn''t this big. I wonder: will it all fit in?"


    "You evil witch!" Rafel growled down at her lush eyes; she was teasing him, drawing at the beast within. Rafel he would fit. He would damn well make sure of it. If he had to spank and bruise her to get her squirting all over him to do it. . .but by the gods, he would.


    He just had to. At this point, even if her son barged in with the wine case, Rafel doubted either he or his mother would stop.


    Rafel''s cock had rxed a little from just about throbbing kegs of seed over the beautiful milf''s face and he pulled her back in.


    "Slow. Sloooow."


    She let him ease back into her mouth, but the moment the inexplicable tangy taste of him hit her tongue, her hands went around him fast. She dragged him inside her mouth, curling her tongue around his cock and wrapping him tight. "Mhmm, yes. Ohh. Yum. I love this cock.


    Fuck. You''re making my mouth full. Oh yeah! Fill up this pretty mouth." Her words were muffled into his groin as she sucked. "Will you be a good boy for mommy? Yeah?


    Please be mommy''s sweet little boy. Ohhhummmm. Mommy loves her boy''s big, golden dick. Mommy wants more. Give mommy more¡ª"


    "Goddamit woman!" Rafel bellowed.


    Charged like a bull in front of a red waving g, he grabbed fistfuls of her hair in both his hands and shut her up with his driving thrusts. Her tresses were like bales of hay in a countryside farm. She kept her wless ivory teeth back and kept her mouth all soft and lubricated for his pleasure. Rafel was lost in her. He eagerly let her know of all the bad things her mouth was doing to him.


    "Oh would you look at that? Look how you suck my cock like a fucking whore. Are you a slut, mommy? Huh? I think you are. You''re a total fucking whore."


    GLUG!


    "Yes. Choke on that dick."


    GLUG!


    "¡ªchoke on that fucking dick."


    Her hands smacked at his butt cheeks, pulling him to ram inside her mouth. She held him tight, her face connected to his beautiful pelvis. Impaled in her hot mouth, Rafel had nowhere to turn. His head fell back in a tortured groan. "Gods above!" She grabbed to his slender hips and kept him in.


    With her mouth open wide with his cock speared in deep¡ªjuicy and curved as a banana, thick as a cucumber¡ªshe closed her lips around the jut of his shaft and slurped on him.


    She gagged but wouldn''t let him go.


    Rafel went mad and forced her back to the door. She was in a squat as the back of her head met with the surface. He was still sponged in her gullet, slippery hot saliva leaking out the sides of her spread mouth. And it was only when he felt her gag reflex that he roughly drew out.


    She fell forward.


    SPLAT!


    A hearty mess of saliva came popping out with Rafel''s huge penis. He was fat as her ankle. Rafel had never seen himself so girthy¡ªnot without equipping one of his [Sin Roles]. His milf struggled to breathe. In between her swallowing, her green eyes skirted hotly to his cock. She wanted back in.


    Her eyes were the window to her lust; Rafel could see just how much he had her going.


    If they didn''t tone it down, he might spontaneously burst into mes. That happened a lot with his kind.


    Her face was mashed up pretty good. Flushed red. Shameful. Humiliating. Hair mushed up against her scalp. And to Rafel, he had never seen a woman more beautiful.


    "Come here!" He pounded to her and dragged her up her knees. He manhandled her up to his broad shoulder and marched for the closest cot. A sort of half-bed, in a small study area. Rafel''s guess was it was her son''s reading nook. All scribe dormitories had one of such bookish spaces. But fuck books!


    Rafel swiped a hand over the cot, taking all the journals with it to the floor. Pages scattered everywhere. And he mmed the voluptuous orc female to the cot.


    It bounced under her caramel avoirdupois.


    Rafel kept her on her back, and dragged her forward, her head facing his.


    He pulled her enchanting wealth of blonde waves which had loosened out from under her body and watched it slide richly and hang over the cot''s edge, nearly touching the floor in its tumbling beauty. Her gorgeous face was right under him. Her extremely beautiful eyes. His ripped body rose up before her as he stared across her frontal assets. Shey on her back.


    All those curves with no further hiding ce.


    Rafel slipped his hands under the silk blouse of her pantsuit, under her ck bra and grasped the soft titties that swelled to meet his palms.


    "You have a beautiful body, mommy. And even prettier eyes."


    She smiled and parted her lips. Rafel got the memo and eased the lurching member over her face into that hot, moist cave. She was wet and sighed when he pushed in deep. Rafel was of the mind to go slow but her errant hands went around his waist and urged him in deeper. He massaged herrge breasts through her shirt.


    "It''s okay," she told him.


    GLUG.


    Rafel tested her depth. The friction was good.


    GLUG!


    He pounded in again, in that very dominating position. She kept her head back and let him use her as he willed. A perfect-bodied free-use milf. He began a rhythm and soon he was jamming down into her mouth ferociously. Spills of white spit flowed freely from the corners of her spread lips to her face and down the cot to his feet.


    GLUG! GLUG! GLUG! GLUG!


    Rafel pounded her mouth. She rolled her tongue around his shing penis and he drilled her mouth deeper. GLUG! GLUUUG! He rolled his hips, holding in. She coughed him out.


    But he mmed right back in, so hard the cot shook. He dragged out her giant caramel boobs, almost tearing off her ck bra before remembering her son.


    GLUG!


    Rafel pulled out with a great lunge and stared down at her draw in breath. She tried to blink past the saliva in her eyes. Rafel wiped her red face, squeezing and smacking her titties with his other hand. He thoroughly massaged the pink ares. He leaned in, kissed a big breast, and bit on the nipple. "Ohh," she moaned and swallowed back his cock before he had a chance to pull back.


    Rafel lost his will in that choking mouth of hers.


    His strokes were rapid:


    PAH! PAH! PAH! PAH! PAH! PAHHHHH!


    Until they weren''t. Rafel jerked out her mouth, wanting to see the splurge that wasing.


    "Stay right there. Let me see that, right over your fucking beautiful face."


    SPLAT! SPLAT!


    He sprayed on her face. His fat penis jerking and leaking thick milky cum. He hissed his animal delight, "yes, just like that." For a moment, she was blinded by his seed. Still she harpooned him in. "What''s it with little boys and loving to pee all over their mommy''s faces?" She was grinning. Rafel''s eyes went all ck.


    "I''ll give you a fucking answer! A nine-inch hard fucking answer."


    Rafel flipped her on the cot. Her bare feet hit the smooth floors as she struggled to grab onto something. He mmed her down over a short fridge. She grabbed onto the mineral sides.


    Seeing her bent at the waist sparked a raw hunger inside Rafel.


    SWAT!


    He smacked her swinging, stupendous buttocks through her pantsuit cks. Just before roughly dragging it down. He pulled the matching ck thong to the side. Her pussy was the perfect milf pie. Like a folded in, borate pudding. What a mess he''d make of it.


    Rafel snacked on her wet slit for a while. She was tasty as fuck too. And she rolled her ass in his face, urging him on with that ented regal voice he''d first loved.


    "Ohh yes, fuck. You lick that pussy good. Yeah, baby. See how wet you made mommy''s pussy, eh? Such a bad, bad boy. Yes you are.


    Mommy is so horny for your cock. I want you to fuck me. I want you to fuck mommy. Fuck mommy''s horny fucking pussy."


    Rafel didn''t need to be told twice. He rose from slurping on her slit and rubbed his cock deliciously over her cream folds before slowly pushing in. She savored every deep sliding inch of him. "Ohhhh fuck baby. You feel so good."


    PAH!


    Rafel thrusted.


    PAH!


    Again.


    PAH! PAH! PAH!


    She jerked on the cot and the fridge she was clutching to began vibrating with the frenzy of his thrusts. Rafel felt her insides wrap him in tight. His dick was soaked in her channel. Her pussy was hot and inviting. Tight as a motherfucker¡ªwhich was ironic. His torso shined with her juicies.


    Rafel dipped his head to lick across her back, to taste the scent of sex on her skin.


    It was then he noticed the tiny swan tattoo.


    A mark of Noble birth.


    The inking kissed her left shoulder. And he leaned in to swipe his tongue over it. She moaned at the velvety touch. "You''re a Royal," he said.


    She bent more so he could drill even better.


    "Yes. I am a Highborn Mama. So don''t give me a fucking hickey."


    PAH!


    Rafel mmed hard, growling in her ear.


    "I''ll do whatever the fuck I want!"


    He grabbed both her hands and held them behind her back, pulling a good chunk of her silver hair while he was at it too. She yowled as he reared back and fired inside her womb: "No, don''t cum inside." In reply, Rafel droned. "Your cunt says otherwise, MOMMY." She convulsed as his penis throbbed inside her, and felt herself rend too.


    She was so oiled up on lust the sounds of their sloppy, dirty, scandalous tangling brought her to climax again.


    She orgasmed for the third time when she felt him reach up and stick a finger in her ass.


    Rafel grinned. "Huh? Mommy has a virgin ass."


    She clenched around his finger. "I¡ª"


    "MOM!" Her real son called from outside. "What''s wrong with the door?"


    "Shit!" Rafel and his blonde milf shrieked at the same time.


    Pulling out of her left Rafel dizzy. His cock dropped with tasty pussy juice. The woman eyed his bulbous head, already salivating again. She shook her head. "No. As much as I want to taste myself from your cock, young man, you have to leave.


    My son''s here." She hastily pushed her swollen breasts back in her bra, praying her kid wouldn''t notice. Thank the gods her redhaired stud didn''t totally undress her.


    The room''s door cracked in while she was arranging her pants.


    "Junior! Hi! Wee! What took you so long? I was worried. Come, sit.


    Tell me, did you get the Royal Red?"


    The voluptuous blonde did all this to distract her son''s eyes from the vanishing silhouette of shadows at his back. Rafel teleported just before her kid busted in. And he appeared in the vast hallway of the east wing again, just hooking thest button on his shirt. He turned for a final nce at the blue door.


    On his way out, he had spelled a few windows open. All the windows. Inside, the highborn mother prayed the entering venttion masked the thick smell of sex and depravity in her boy''s dorm room. ''Now,'' Rafel was sure, ''if he finds out, he''d definitely kill me.'' Still, he smiled.

 Chapter 181: ? Holocaust Spell

    SLEEP DID COME THAT NIGHT. And it was long and dreamless. Israfel was of certain faith that the moon knight, S¨¦mene had smiled down on his slumbering. It helped his mind that his version of the glorious lunar guard was female. Most of the chief gods had androgynous traits. On one side of the continent, the supreme Martyr was praised as the male omnipotent.


    On the towns and hamlets about the political polis of Titans Landing, the extending republic of Rocasus and further into the western frontiers, the folk saw the Martyr as female. And there, during holy festivals, the effigy carried by the countryside people had more than a fair share of stone tits.


    The face under the white cowl dangerously sexy. Innds up north here, in the vast waters of the Cold Sea and independent Corynthia, the Martyr was neither male nor female.


    Rafel supposed this was part reason why the Highfather of the universal church had his cathedral on the indic territories. No need to trouble himself on knowing when and where to exim: "Oh my god!" or, "Oh my goddess!" And whatever the fuck else suited the religious narrative of that ce. The other reason was his insane thirst for young boys.


    Now that his main squeeze had hopped the altar, so to speak, he supposed the Highfather would be seeking a new fourteen-year old butt to grab. And thankfully the location of his holy parsonage was far, far away from the trifling business of the Empire''s capital; all those gossipers, just ready to get all up in thetest scandal among the ton.


    Nope.


    The holy father loved the isles very much.


    His thoughts if read were: "Where else can I pursue my lusts and serve my God equally? Where else can I have a quiet evening of birdwatching? Where else on the fucking earth can I spot the wondrous albatross from ten miles away? Where else does the sun meet the ocean, and little lolitas dance on brown beach sands?


    Where else is the sun at dusk orange and the Palm fronds blue? Where the fuck else? I''m fine here. Here is perfect. Corynthia is a paradise. The faithful at Titans Landing can listen to my words in the sermons I write.


    Besides, I might as well surrender myself to the Guillotine in going back there, now that the city is ruled by a fucking demon."


    And in making the sign of the cross, the Highfather would flip a page in his holy scrolls and finish his musing with, "Fuck any other ce! No one can find me here. A literal sea is between us."


    Rafel wasn''t sure if this part of his sleep was some afterthought or if he had actually astral projected into Vallon-de-Grace and seen and heard the old man say these things. He wiped it from his head when he awoke to the bells tolling the next morning and hit the shower. He was refreshed, and his balls were no longer ice fucking blue.


    "Today''s gonna be a great day. I just know it. Can you feel it, Percy!" He sang under the vapor rain to his roommate across the smoky ss of the bathroom.


    Percival was at the other end of the greystone partition separating their bedchambers in the unified suite from the statelymon lounge. He was in blue boxers with his sandy blonde hair stirred under a fan. He tapped furiously at a magical touchscreen. The blue of the lit pad was a mirror of his eyes. Of all Van Imperia heirs eyes.


    Percival replied Rafel in order.


    "Good morning to you too. Can you believe I came up third on the [Caelestes Historia] testst week? Ugh, can you believe this shit, bro? I read the darned texts right into the night, studying when I could''ve been jerking off to fucking pictures of Raz Fairfield. My name should be top on the list. I aced that fucking shit!"


    Rafel hid his smile, d he was in the shower.


    "Third ce is better than fourth." He called once again from the bathroom.


    Wrapped five minutester in a bathrobe, Rafel padded over to his Percival''s corner of therge dorm room. He ced a hand on his friend''s shoulder and cated him. "I usually think of it that way. Besides, your a fucking Van Imperia: a descendant of the Old gods. And not one of those lesser bastards running around with mixed blood either. You''re a true blood.


    Who knows Celestial History better than you? But if you still feel wronged, talk to your tutor, eh?"


    Percival smiled.


    Since they didn''t do hugs, Rafel smacked his cheek lightly. "Oi! And find a girlfriend while you''re at it. This kind of thing is what they''re for. Brunhilda''s single. And don''t tell me you haven''t seen that body on her, underneath all those goth spooky dresses she loves."


    "Yep. She''s a real Wednesday Addams, that one." Percival turned off his touchscreen.


    Rafel looked down. "What''s with the meal pack?"


    "Oh, Aya packed you breakfast. She said they''re serving cold cereal today, and you''d rather take your chances with a live boar. Also, she''s got some water spirit lesson thing at the beach. That said, maybe I should get myself a subus."


    Rafel chuckled to this. "Oh my friend. They will eat you alive." On his way back to his corner, he added: "YOUR DICK TOO."


    Percival looked down and clutched to his groin in his shorts. "Hell nah. I''m good." He hit the showers too. By the time the morning bells for first lesson period went off, Rafel and Percival were out of the Salem Hall dormitory and climbing out a buggy in front of the academic citadel. They split ways in the lobby area. Percival jogged the stone steps up to his own first ss of the day:


    [Potions and Poisons].


    He was thest one in the nt garden of a ss. Their very pretty tutor, Professor Ivoria was already in front in a floral dress and teaching pad. And as he leveled forward to a back seat, she set her bespectacled eyes on him. Rafel took his spot beside Olivar D''shenko¡ªwho had be an unlikely friend, and offered him a seat. The stocky jock looked their Professor up and down.


    He clearly hadn''t forgotten the Hunt; how she looked like outside her dress of flowers andbcoat.


    Dr. Ivoria Sephora Grimm began:


    "Hello, my young witches. I''m d to see all of you, including my few friends from Griffin Arc who don''t need to be taking this ss. You''re all wee here; Potions and Poisons will always have a ce for you." She cleared her throat, looking around to her students as she stepped off the lecture dais. Since it was a pretty smallmune of First Years, she didn''t have to stretch her voice.


    "I trust the opening round of the Spring Games was eventful for you."


    "Yes ma''am it was. With you in it!" One of Olivar''s buddies chirped, booming with obvious risque.


    The other jocks in their crisp red zers pped him on the shoulder and whistled loudly. They pumped fists and shook hands for their hot wildling professor. It wasn''t only Olivar who hadn''t how she looked like out of the floral dress.


    Ivoria easily handled the jocks. She passed a hand of dismissal over their circle of seats.


    "Okay, boys, enough of that now..."


    Olivar was the only with his arms folded and looking rather sad. "Ugh, I hate her...w-what she did to us in the Hunt."


    "No, my dude. You love her." The former dude who had spoken earlier bumped his arm. "That''s the reason why it hurts so much. But get a grip on yourself; everyone loves her. She''s super fucking hot. I heard that vampire chick even asked her out¡ª"


    "BOYS?" Dr. Ivoria''s voice turned stern. "Please, focus." They nodded and straightened in their chairs. "Good," she gave a cute smile. "Moving on, for the purpose of this ss teaching, I''ve invited a very dear friend of mine from the cathedral at Vallon-de-Grace. She is also a graduant of Raven Arc of this dear institute and will be instrumental in what we''ll be learning today.


    Please students, meet Melissandre Trask."


    A nun stepped out a portal of shadows before them all; it should frighten¡ªthe dimming lights and all, but everyone at [C.A.W] were already used to unusual happenings. Hell! The school''s freaking acronym. Besides, many in the room currently were born into a paranormal world.


    "Hello." The nun greeted with a little wave. She was petite. Small in that river folk way. Her voice was smaller. Her chest was not.


    The circles of jocks leaned forward. Now they were definitely interested in the ssroom visitor.


    The nun''s ck habit and white veils covered everything the boys would just love to see. She even had stockings and cute little ts. Wind stirred in the many vases of carnation as the nun introduced herself: "Uh, I go by Mercy now. I''m d my friend Ivy invited me toe along for this discussion. It is a very sensitive topic, especially to the holy church.


    That being said, it''s lovely to meet you all. And I''m curious to know you better."


    "Same here, holy sister." Olivar ripped. The girl closest to him smacked his arm, shaking her head.


    Sister Mercy nodded.


    "It''s upon us!" She raised hands, as if in prayer.


    Just then, the sun outside dimmed as a came before it. The bright clouds ckened in an instant. Whiff! Just like that. The light snuffed out of the firmament. All across the reach of the isle the academy was sprawled on and the Cold Sea Rafel could see out the window was turned into the likeness of night.


    It was an eclipse.


    Not a sr. Not a lunar.


    Then what the fuck kind?


    Torches went up all across every ssroom in the citadel tower and the grounds beyond. And Rafel knew; they knew it wasing. The school authority. He bet Erika knew too. Students were rushing out to figure out what was going on. The lights in the cozy ssroom had gone up to fight the dark: an eerie sentience.


    Since his ssmates were too dumbstruck and floppy-jawed to speak up, Rafel gave himself veto power.


    "What the fuck is going on?"


    "Language, Master Bl¨¹dTh?rste," Professor Ivoria chastised.


    Sister Mercy stepped up to the quaintmps. She unraveled to them this sudden sunset at noon.


    "This, young ones, is the Holocaust Spell. A dark attraction only seen once in two hundred years. Thest one was during the reign of King Baeleon the Bold. . ."

 Chapter 182: The Blood Rain

    "DO NOT BE FRIGHTENED, CHILDREN." The veiled nun, Sister Mercy urged.


    "How can we not?" A girlmented. The shades on her eyes and tribal turban marked her as one of the long progeny of Medusa. Hissing sounds could be heard under the tightly wound headgear. One would think a girl with snakes for hair would fear very little. But this was not the case.


    At the moment, the illuminated ssroom seemed more of a cer in an Alexandrian treasure pyramid than a teaching hall.


    The hollow torches lighted the nun''s extra pale face, turning her innocent face to something of a creepy bambino. Outside the citadel was now total ck; it was like night ss. Bats whizzed about in the open air. One flew in, diving a scraggly path for the Medusa girl''s Unari veil¡ªthe little serpents underneath looking very fetching to the bat.


    The girl screamed and hopped on a chair. Her friend, a fae came to the rescue, and just as quickly sted the damned creature with trace Sunfire. The instant funnel of gold energy brightened the ssroom for some seconds as the bat was sent flying out. Someone immediately stood and shut the windows; they would be fine with the air from the cooling systems. Plus all the varied iguana lilies around.


    The fae helped the Medusa girl down from the table.


    "You see what I''m talking about!" She waved a hand at the shut ss windows, speaking to Professor Ivoria. "Case in fucking point."


    The wildling tutor swallowed her correction. Temps were high.


    "Yeah, what she said!" A jock filled his pockets with his ringed fingers. "Now I''ve seen some pretty dark shit, but this is DARK¡ªlike literally. It''s an eclipse of the wayward, Rarjah. And we can''t even cast it away, not with the best Druid Meisters this academy boasts. I think our worry is justified."


    "Aye!" Other students nodded.


    Their pretty teacher sought to ease them with a joke: Ivoria said, "frankly Master Bellefleur, I''m surprised you recalled the name of that."


    No oneughed. She awkwardly cleared her throat and looked to Sister Mercy standing with her before the dim ss. "A little help, Melissandre." The nun met her eyes with a whisper. "We can exin to them all about the Spell; keep them intrigued so the time passes and its over." Ivoria offered back. "But the gues haven''t even started yet."


    "What gues?" It was Israfel.


    His vampiric hearing abilities had caught on their teacher and the visiting nun''s hushed conversation. Rafel wanted to know. All the time spent under the grooming of his bosomy dark Elf tutor in Hel, he had heard, and read nothing of this [Holocaust Spell]. And his tutor had being very keen on enlightenment, in all the ways it could be taught. And you could quote him on that.


    He was about to repeat his question when the overhead intes in all sses of the citadel buzzed to life. It was a general announcement from the Headmistress, Dr. Shetty.


    As Rafel heard the honeyed voice cut down the mic, he imagined Nicara''s willowy form and listened carefully.


    "Hello, students of Corynthia. I am sure you all must now be aware of the recent urrence in our pavilions. It is in our skies. As Headmistress of this great institute, I''d like to go over ndestine information you will not find in certain popr scripts but is mandatory for the current happening.


    Firstly, let me assure you all: First Years through to my Fourth Year finalists, that you are all safe. Within the stretch of the Corynthian Academy, no harm will befall you.


    As such, please rx in your seats as I exin the reason for this sudden darkness."


    Rafel did see many shoulders slump back in their chairs and creases ease off foreheads. In front, Sister Mercy took Dr. Ivoria''s seat, while the professor herself sat on the edge of her polished desk. They all were poised to listen on the headmistress begin again. Rafel hoped his friends were alright in their own ssrooms. It was hard enough that the Manifest had split them into different Arcs.


    He whisked away his thoughts and listened to Dr. Shetty as she continued, her voice rion clear in the inte system:


    "This darkness which you all see outside is known as the Spell of Holocaust. Now, your professors might''ve told a bit of the history behind the name, so I''ll only elucidate key points to guide you along this period.


    Firstly is the timeframe. The spellsts roughly six hours. Though thest two centuries of Baeleon the Bold''s reign when it appeared, itsted ten. We hope itsts even less. Next will be the gues, which I''ll outline. Contrary to what you all did see, the Spell actually did start before darkness fell.


    About ten minutes, give or take.


    This eclipse you now see is the first gue. It will be followed by the Blood Rain. The Hysteria Curse. Wards Breach. And finally, the Song of Sallow. Now my veritable young witches, I know this all sounds strange and difiting, but I have sworn on the crest of the Magi.


    And no harm will fall today.


    The six hours of the Spell is an auspicious time. The veil between spirit and mundane realms is thin. But our wards around every hectare of school property is ranked Divine. No dead fuckers will be getting in¡ªpardon my french." The students in Ivoria''s ss didugh at this. Ivy did too and crossed her legs at the table''s edge.


    The headmistress was still speaking, "in the old days when people didn''t understand the eerie darkness that would descend over the countryside and fishing viges for hours unending, they prayed to the Martyr and waited for the dark to abate. It did. But the folk were left with boils, edema, and even the death fever from walking out in the Blood Rain. They didn''t understand the cause.


    Thus, as a result of the many corpses in the aftermath of the long darkness, the folk called it the Holocaust. Over the decades the name stuck, and here we are today. King Baeleon instituted a curfew during his rule of the Capitol. Mostly, all we did was sleep it out." Dr. Shetty''s voice caught, "and before you ask, no, I wasn''t alive back then. I''m not that old."


    The ssroom drew highughter. It helped ease the remnant tension. The headmistress concluded by saying, "the folk touched by the Blood Rain were made to kneel under the urination of Wild Shapes. Most times they were cured.


    Nevertheless, I say all these to reassure you all, my darlings that we are on top of the matter. The wards have never been stronger. Our Sentinel Corps are well equipped to guard all north and south gates. We will see this through. All of us. So sit back my dears, grab yourselves some popcorn from the installed snack pockets in the hallways, put on some film¡ªif your tutors allow it.


    And be rest assured, you are all safe.


    If you''ve anyints, grab onto a flying envelope. And I''ll see you in six hours. Stay magical, Corynthia!" The Headmistress''s announcement ended. For some reason, the ssroom broke into apuse. Plenty were relieved.


    "Would you let some werewolf piss in your mouth?" Olivar teased a brte close to him; she sat in front.


    The girl turned with a look. "If my life depended on it, then sure. Yeah."


    "I bet you''d let him piss in your mouth anyway."


    The brte flipped him the bird. "Yeah you wish, Olivar. I don''t take shit from pups."


    She turned forward. Olivar kicked her chair. "I''m a wolf, dammit."


    In front of the ss, Professor Ivoria chastised him. "Leave her be, D''shenko. And Miss Parker, mind your front." Ivy folded her floral dress into her thighs and nced at Sister Mercy before turning back on the ss. "My teaching hour is over. Those who wish to get something to chomp on can leave. There''s one of the snack pockets the Headmistress talked about on our floor.


    Go, get something to drink. But don''t leave the building!" She called high to those already rushing out for cans of lemonade.


    Sister Mercy, Professor Ivoria, and about twenty other First Years remained in the ssroom. Rafel was among them. He had told Olivar to grab him a ginger ale¡ªif the pocket had it.


    "Come, look, it''s starting!"


    Rafel focused at the voice. It was the little Medusa from before. She ran to the windows and glued herself to the cold panes, just as the first drop of crimson hit the ss. It didn''t stick and fell away. More drops fell. Rafel rose from his seat and joined the others at the windows.


    They all stared into the dark day, unified in watching interested as the third gue of the Holocaust Spell hit.


    The Blood Rain.


    Red pebbles dropped in pellets from a strange sky, and the wipers on the windows cleared away the crimson from settling and discoloring the tall ss. That way, Ivy and her ss could watch the funny crimson showers fall all across the street yards below, and even, into the stillke across. The Blood Rain was weirdly enticing. And it was real blood¡ªnot rain that was red.


    Students were glued to the windows of every ss room in the citadel tower, not just [Potions and Poisons], and any brave-soul Sentinel out there could see their faces ttened on the ss, breaths mingling into fog, and eyes searching to understand the falling scarlet.


    A certain faction were immune to this very gue. They braved outside to y in it. To frolic and to drink it. The faction of vampires. To them, the only thing more deserving of the attention in their immortal lives than literal, aromatic blood raining down from the skies, was the true death. The Blood Rain fell for a long time.


    Rafel and the others were safe behind the ss.

 Chapter 183: East Of Salem

    THE CURSE OF HYSTERIA followed soon after the blood rain and swiftly, and suddenly, it was like a mad scientist¡ªcrazy-eyed from the deep trenches of the Antean Research Institute had walked in and sprayed the whole ssroom with noxiousughing gas. Green auras floated in the hallways of various ssrooms. Menacing. Gangrene. Like its name, the Hysteria Curse left many, hysterical.


    The vampires and their fellow halfblood Dhampirs began filtering in as the blood rain packed up, and left the sordid duty of cleaning up the crimson splotched sidewalks to the helping fairies. The tiny winged pixies didn''t mind the work. They sang like old miner dwarves as they mopped up the sludge. Meanwhile, inside the citadel, half the students had gone crazy.


    Young witches ran amok with excitement, their eyes shiny with heightened emotions. The vampires ttened themselves to walls and touched one another, giggling stupidly at the feeling. It was like watching gypsies high on mushrooms. In the leafgardened [Potions and Poisons] ssroom, Rafel saw the rain stop and moved away from the window''s cool ss.


    At the moment, only he and Sister Mercy and Professor Ivoria were in the cozy nt cottage of a room.


    The few other students had run out on hearing the strange noises in the corridors. Rafel stepped out to see what the fuss was all about.


    His leg was just out the door when he mmed into a long-haired boy grasping futilely at the air for stars only he could see. The fellow stumbled past Rafel in a dreamy state. Rafel looked up and spotted several others in the long corridor, equally locked in their own haze. And in stupor, they hopped andughed and clutched the air at invisible constituents.


    A few changelings were even climbing up the moss stone walls.


    One spider chic was right above Rafel, dangling off the ceiling. She studied him upsude down, her wild ck hair hanging down in straight falls that looked glossy under the bright white lights in the hallway. She looked very spooky hanging as she did. Her yellowed eyes twinkled as her head turned this and that on his face.


    She smiled maniacally and he got a glimpse of her sharp teeth. Half transformed into her arachnid changeling form, the girl breathed out puffs of purple powder; it was weird. And her face was devoid of color. Pale as the hard ceiling on which her ws dug into. She stretched out a hand to touch him, but Rafel smacked it away.


    Rebuffed, the spider girl turned around and began scratching along on her way with limbs sticking out everywhere. Rafel watched a boye running out the direction in which she was headed. The boy was naked. His pecker pped like fucking sails in wind.


    Rafel shut his eyes hard.


    "Fucking hell." He growled.


    He didn''t open his eyes until the smacking sounds ofid penis were distant in his ears. The boy''s shaking butt vanished into the long hall. While Rafel shook his head and left the group of dazed teens to their shared gallore. He figured he''d seen enough. Before any other fe could take off their clothes and run about pale-assed, he turned and walked back into the ssroom.


    He secured the door with a chair when a crazily grinning girl tried to follow him in.


    Her eyes were swirly, like she was drunk of drugstore syrup. And her pupils were so fucking big they''d size up a cup. He mmed the door in her face, muttering, "sorry, but can''t let you in. Who knows if this thing is contagious."


    "It is," a familiar voice said.


    Turning back from the ssroom door, Rafel found Professor Ivoria and Sister Mercy in the same spot as when he had stepped out. Melissandre sat in the chair. Ivy, on the desk''s top. Sister Mercy was the one who had spoken; she had taken off her coal tshoes and her stockinged feety on the ground. Upon further inspection, Rafel found her dark socks were a pantyhose.


    When his eyes trailed up, he reminded himself she was a nun.


    He forced himself to forger the sweet upcline of her legs.


    His professor continued, "the vampires must have infected them. They were the only ones out in the rain."


    Rafel walked forward and took the first chair, at the forefront of the ss. Only three feet between he and the two women. He asked, "so the entire citadel is going to be infected with this woozy mania?"


    "Not if we stay indoors," Sister Mercy replied. "The hysteria curse is airborne. It''ll be over in a few minutes. But until then it''ll get worse. Nudity is sure to follow." Rafel corrected for her. "Oh it has, very much so." He was thinking of that naked boy when he said it.


    Sister Mercy, Rafel, and his pretty Potions professor waited the next thirty minutes inpanionable dialogue. Dr. Ivy exined more about the Spell and Sister Mercy contributed to the lesson more than once.


    In that time they got quitefortable with each other, and Rafel was almost seduced into pulling his [Lust Activation] ability on the two women. It would make any female in a two mile radius horny to an inch of her slit womanhood. But for the sake of the already excited girls outside, Rafel refrained from telling Peitho to equip the lust antennas.


    He definitely did not want snot-nosed, hippie high, horny maidens tearing down the ssroom''s door with rape in their eyes.


    Well, maybe a small part of him did. But he wasn''t sure the girls would be sane enough to spare the nun. For Sister Mercy''s sake, he reared in his sin.


    Snarking students beat against the ssroom door, pleading with alcoholic gazes to be let in. Or perhaps for the trio inside to join them out. Rafel and the women ignored them. Sister Mercy was right and the mass hysteria began to wane after a half-hour. The students slumped to the floors in the corridors and hugged their own bodies, crashing into panic.


    A funny thing to watch, given that they had been scary grinning just a while ago.


    "Is it ended?" Rafel asked.


    "Just a bit more. This is the crash back down to earth after the moon high. They''ll all feel slightly depressed now as the despair leaves their systems. The Hysteria Curse mimics bipr disorder. But no drugs you''ll find works on it." Dr. Ivy exined to Rafel, looking out through the screen ss of the ssroom to the bunch of school kids sliding and moaning on the tiled hallway.


    It was mostly First Years.


    The higher-ups: sophomores and Fourth Years like Ravenna and Bolta had taken courses preparing them for this type of urrence. Their levels in the citadel tower had seen only a trickle of those infected by the curse.


    "Are they crying?"


    Rafel couldn''t believe his ears when he heard sobbing in the hallway. His professor calmly replied his cheekiness. "Told you it was gonna take a minute. Don''t gloat. They are reliving their worst fears and defeats, just moments after feeling like could run the world. Cut them some ck."


    Rafel nodded. And Ivoria was d he was behaving like a good boy for once, until he sneezed out:


    "Pussies."


    Sister Mercy hid her smile in her ck and white habit. "This is one of the final gues of the Spell. The closing bells should ring shortly now." As if waiting for the nun to speak the very words, a loud tolling went up from the bell tower on campus, rolling in ting-tongs to the citadel and its host of ssrooms.


    Professor Ivoria rose from the desk, straightened her floral dress and opened the doors.


    Sister Mercy took the windows, and together with Rafel, the three of them helped the overfed, mood-swinged majority [First Year] poption back to their seats. Olivar sighed as he fell heavily into his chair. "Shit. My brain feels like goo. Thest thing I remember is kicking that damn snack pockets to let me my can of juice. What happened?"


    Rafel answered the best was he knew how, ushering another girl into her seat. "You were high," he said. Olivar chuckled. "Ah, that makes sense."


    Just then, the Headmistress''s voice came tumbling out the high receiver at the ceiling again. Dr. Nicara Shetty announced. "Hello students. I''m sorry to interrupt whatever you might be doing right now but I need all those who are not weak from the Hysteria Spell to meet at the gates east of Salem. There''s been a Wards Breach."


    "East of Salem! East of Salem!" Nicara''s voice drummed to a personalized, robotic AI. Even the monotone sounded serious, like a red re on a spaceship. "All First Year cadets in transit, report East of Salem Hall to the Dragongates. There has been a sighting of a [BODYWALKER]. Threat level is Monster Epic.


    All cadets! Report to¡ª"


    Rafel grabbed his maroon jacket off the back of his seat and flew out the door.

 Chapter 184: Wards Breach—The Possessed Wingleader

    AT THE DRAGONGATES, Israfel found an assembly of Sentinel Corps and few notable rank Captains from other Years. Thebat lines had four separate divisions, each column of cadets and their wingleaders a feet apart. The gathering stood at ease, the Fourth Years among spearheading with steadfast stares and hands hooked behind their backs.


    At the head of the charge was the Professor of the Dark Arts Cultivation, Dr. Emery Blood. The [Fifth Hel Circle] demon Professor.


    Dr. Blood stood on a makeshift stage that had been quickly constructed when news from the patrols first hit the main towers. He was gant in his bloodred robes behind the wooden podium. In the looming threat of the wards breach, every single one of those students in the lines knew if it came to it, a good percentage wouldn''t be alive by the time the eclipse of the Holocaust Spell passed.


    "At ease, brave souls of Corynthia." Dr. Blood boomed loudly in greeting. Though he was all of five feet tall, the respect¡ªand fear¡ªof him was clear in the students eyes. One didn''t see many Vk Red Tribe demons so high of infernal origins present on mortal ne. Dr. Blood spoke of the agenda after the militarized salutation.


    "You honor this great arcane institute by availing yourselves at the fronts. The foe we are set to battle is fierce and bloodthirsty. I urge no one of you to have any illusions of being a hero. This is an order. We fight together. As a team.


    As a shield. And if we fall, we fall as one. BUT WE WON''T. Not for a fucking Bodywalker!"


    "YAHH!" All ranks saluted.


    From the new inducted cadets to the well-striped Eaglemandants leading the four ster divisions. They hailed his words with outstretched arms, pulling those saluting hands back again swiftly and stiffly: like muskets at a Sea Admiral''s funeral. It was upon this call to arms that Rafel dove down from the sky on his pegasus.


    Generally, the winged horses were prohibited from active school grounds. All wild magical creatures; they grazed the moors far, up north, on the green paradise of the uninhabited inds. Unicorns. And Pegasi. And Hippogriffs. Kangaroos.


    And Wendigos. And literally every strange mutation in existence that harbored a smidge of like for mankind. It was in part rumored that a friendly Tyrannosaurus even dwelt in the oasis under the teaus.


    Either way, this moment called for Rafel to bend the academy''s rules¡ªbut just a little.


    He hadn''t even bothered with the spiral stairs back when he was leaving the citadel. Sister Mercy''s and Dr. Ivoria''s praying eyes'' were thest thing he saw as he leaped off the first stone balcony he could find. Plummeting with great speed, he summoned on his favorite war horse, Agamemnon¡ªthe ck beast that had bloodied its hooves in victory with him at Skyfall.


    Just a hundred feet from solid red earth, the clouds parted and the obsidian wonder glided down and swooped out its wings, breaking Rafel''s fall. Witches by the citadel''s windows watched them climb up into the dark sky.


    Presently, Rafel alighted from Agamemnon, petting the heaving ebony muzzle. His horse had hair like a tropical singer: glossy, ck, and rich like a river. He whispered into the beast''s ear, "off you go now, Aga. We don''t want them putting a chain around your neck. Then what shall all the shrewd mares do? Fly my pet.


    Fly."


    The ck horse leaped into the air, and in seconds of strong wind had merged into the bleak eclipse.


    Dr. Blood was saying as Rafel creeped upst into the line of the fourth division: "The general order is to hold back the lines of our Shield formation. We hold until our druids seal the break in the wards, so there will be no civilian casualties. When confirmation has been sent by blue signal from a smoke gun and bugle, we enter the fray. Only then do we engage.


    We incapacitate and destroy. This is a no capture mission. The orders are to kill on sight. Lightning rods have been assigned into your vests. Use them wisely. Do not conjure a storm unless necessary.


    I wish you all the Martyr''s blessing. And now, we hold for the Headmistress. She has a few words she''d like to say." Dr. Blood ended.


    At the time he was talking, Dr. Nicara Shetty was not in sight. But then, she suddenly appeared in a burst of superspeed. A flushing wind blew out in a gust at her entry. nking her were four security aides with electric batons. Vampires.


    Nicara calmly stepped up to the podium Dr. Blood offered her with a gracious nod. She addressed the divisions of stout young corps before her.


    "There will be no cuddling today, my darlings. I want you to bring me the heart of this trespassing spirit. Bring it to me, and we shall see. Now enough talk has been said already. You all know your orders from Doctor Blood." She paused for dramatic effect. "GO GET ME THAT FUCKER!"


    "YAHH!" The corpse saluted and fanned out.


    Rafel was immediately osted by Bolta. He could not stop him smile at seeing the dreadlocked Fourth Year. She whipped her lightning rod into the air; it was extra electric with her own intrinsic [Thunder Element] mana. She scoffed at Rafel. "Ohe on! Will you save the puppy eyes for when we''re not marching to battle a Monster Epic."


    Rafel replied, sidling close to her in the file. "I''ll save it forter. Now tell me, what''s it with the Bodywalker?"


    Bolta skipped ahead to the front of the lines, leaving Rafel to jog after her. She exined when they halted just behind their division''s wingleader. The wards were just up ahead. They were all moving through the tunnel barricades of the 300ft high, volcanic, harfstone dragongates. She said as the stared at the lighting from the other end, "As you must''ve deciphered, the Bodywalker jumps bodies.


    They are a close-knit herd of corporeal spirits and keep a nest, and are even fewer in existence than dragons. Their unavability and unwillingness makes their page in our study tomes mostly nk. A Bodywalker can''t stay out long in the mortal ne without a host. Poof! Like energy, it is extinguished¡ªwhich is why they fight ferociously to possess a human.


    I suppose the universe bnces all out. The Spell must have freed it from theher-realm. Word of advice dearie..." Bolta pulled in with a cheeky smile, "the Bodywalker could be anyone." Her grin was positively spooky. She tossed Rafel a rod strap. "Now put that on! I anticipate your promise forter.


    And for that to happen, cadet, I need you alive."


    Bolta herself was lieutenant in the corps. Rafel was thinking on her words:


    ''The Bodywalker could be anyone.''


    Anyone?


    It was this thought that would save Bolta''s life, for as he raised his eyes up in the dim tunnels, he spotted their wingleader turn. . .and his face contort into the most vengeful snarl.


    The wingleader was Bodywalker.


    Rafel saw it all in slow motion. The man''s hand whipped out his dagger from strap. He sliced the air with the ivory knife, de shing for Bolta''s throat.


    "Duuuuuck!" Rafel yelled.


    He grabbed her fat dreads and pulled her head back. The dagger''s de sliced through air. It was a move so strong Rafel felt the breeze of the violent swipe on his face. Bolta''s eyes widened as she instantly came on guard. As the daughter of the Olympian god, she was nearly impossible to kill. But not confronted with a maniac cutthroat.


    She screamed into the tunnels.


    "The Wingleader is the Bodywalker! Repeat: the Wingleader has beenpromised!"


    "Shit."


    "Fuck."


    Rants went up.


    "Everyone. Move back. NOW!" Bolta pushed back with the force, running in the same way they hade. It was a stampede. The poor souls in the Wingleader''s path were cut down, and blood sshed on the walls in a stter. The wingleader sliced through corp sentinels like butter.


    Heads went flying. Limbs. Entrails. Eventually, the tunnels were just a long hollow gore. Soldiers peeled out in uniforms soaked in crimson. And the druids hadn''t even blocked the leak in the wards.


    Rafel saved those he could by teleporting them out of the bloodbath.


    A girl stumbled over her friend''s ripped shoulder, vomiting. A brother knelt under his impaled sister''s head. Her body was a mess of raw meat in a pile. He waited for death. A few injured dragged on the bloodied ground, trying to reach the exit. Rafel knew there was no hope for them and grabbed thest girl missing an eye¡ªthe left one, dangling from the socket by a nerve.


    He vanished in a cloud of shadows, appearing at Bolta''s side.


    "Seal the tunnels! There''s no hope for them."


    The rank captain closest to her gasped. "What? No. Fuck no! There''s still soldiers alive in there!"


    Rafel didn''t answer the man as he lowered the girl bleeding out her face to the earth. He lifted his eyes and shook his head from side to side. Bolta nodded,manding out.


    "You heard the man! SEAL THE FUCKING TUNNELS!"


    The cadets at the doors grinded the gears and a solid wall of metal began to grate down on the opening. Inside the dim horror of that blood drenched ce, the possessed wingleader snarled and dropped the soft human arm he was munching on.


    And then, he began to run for the closing gates.

 Chapter 185: No Fear of Death

    THE WINGLEADER WAS GONE. The man in him. His soul had been corrupted, subdued, imprisoned in his own body while that of a rogue dark rover took control. At the reins of his psyche, there was nothing this Bodywalker could not do in the form of the wingleader. And perhaps, if Rafel had not naively pushed it to reveal his form, the injured sentinels on the floor would be body bags.


    For this Bolta was eternally grateful. She had no doubts that she took would be crimson and gore in the tunnels if Rafel hadn''t acted when he did. And now, as interimmandant she had to make the tough call.


    "Faster! Goddamit!" Bolta ordered the cadets in charge of pushing the gears for the dragongates. The metalwork that would shut the hole in the mighty bulwark was intricate, and iron grinded against stone. The pace at which the grate was dropping was too slow. A scrawl.


    Bolta turned down to Rafel who gave the one-eyed girl something to chew on so he could seal therge gash across the small of her back with his sizzling lightning rod.


    The girl whimpered as the rod burned into her flesh, cauterizing the knife wound. "You''ll be fine," he told her.


    He raised his own amber-dark eyes to the steel doors slowly rolling close over the tunnel opening; he rose and summoned deathly balls of [Hellfire] to his fists. The cadets might not be fast enough. He waited, barely breathing. They all did. Inside that godforsaken ce, he could see the Bodywalker charging like a gori for them. The wingleader had lost all resemnce to human.


    The former eyes of candor were hollow. Nostrils leaked green pus¡ªand was that maggots crawling out his ears?


    It was. In minutes, the Wingleader''s head had gone thin and oblong. All the previous blonde hair had fell away. The cheeks were sunken in, fingers set into arthritis. A snarling swollen mouth, purple and bloated. Teeth browned and the eyes in the face cast in sickly yellow.


    The skin of the formermando looked like that of a mummified corpse. Limbs and joints stuck out at awkward angles. And the strength in those dinner-te hands could wring the head clear off a shoulder.


    The Bodywalker was pounding through heaps of dismemberment in the tunnel, hoping to catch the exit before the metal gates were full sealed. The heavy hitting of its feet made blood matter squelch on the scarlet earth.


    "You guys really need to lock that shit. Or it''s our heads rolling next." Bolta urged the grinding cadets in an impatient and strict tone. Her voice was gruff from where the fucking monster hadnded a punch. Absentmindedly, she rubbed the aching spot below her throat.


    Bodies the Bodywalkers possessed, they enhanced; like a really evil parasite. Only they were translucent and could creep up on a person, sneak attack into their bodies before they could do shit about it. Say a Bodywalker possessed a vampire just two days turned, the innate spirit juice of the creature gave that vampire the abilities of an Elder who had lived for over a millennia.


    And if the person possessed was a mortal, it amped up the abilities already wielded; like now, the wingleader lifted the 400-pound iron barrel used for sorting gunpowder for cannons and tossed it at them. It sailed seamlessly through the air,nding underneath the fast closing gates. An attempt to impede the fall of the iron shuttle.


    "He''s blocked the progress, ma''am!" A cadet yelled.


    The metal of the shaftgate collided with the iron of the barrel and made a piercing shrill sound as sparks flew. The gears could hardly move. Bolta ignored the pessimism radiating in the eyes of her surviving divisions¡ªthat''s why she was the head officer. She pointed at a 9ft Amazon. "You!


    Help those boys with that fucking barrel!" The super tall and well-muscled female nodded and flexed her cream biceps as she headed for the gates.


    She ran thest mile, and wham! She sent her booted feet to the steel barrel, kicking it back in the same way it hade. On any normal person, the pig iron of the cylinder alone was enough to shatter all toes and the calcaneus. But the Amazon easily shook off her long leg as if dropped again to the earth. The shaftgate began grating down again.


    "There we fucking go!" Bolta smashed her hands, rubbing together. "¡ªnowe on! Push those gears like your lives depend on it, cuz it does."


    "May I, boys?" The hefty Amazonian girl joined the cadets. The three silver shes on her military coat''s shoulder identified her as a warden rank, of the second division. She gently took one handling knob of the gears and pushed beside the smaller cadets. Her own godly strength imbued the gears into springing and rolling fast.


    Whirr! Whirr!


    The gears turned as if oiled. Inside the tunnel, the wingleader was sprinting with all his might. Green veins showed through his skin. And sunken eyes shot rage at the young soldiers sealing his only way of escape. Of kill. The Wingleader''s mouth spread wide like an unsightly gash on a roasting goat and the Bodywalker shrieked through his mouth:


    "Yarrrhllllggg!!! Cuuuunnntts!"


    With a final m, the dunking of aball, the shaftgate rammed into the earth. It was just when the possessed wingleader reached it, and dived, trying a final attempt to roll out a narrowing slit. Only his ham arm was able to go through. The heavy end of the shaftgate pierced through meat and bone, slicing the limb cleanly off as it entered the ground.


    The Bodywalker wailed so loud the sentinels had to cover their hands over their ears.


    The scream was frightful and the sonic decibels of a Banshee which no one fucking liked.


    The Amazonian and herpany of cadets eased off the gears and saluted at attention; the other young First Years were like hi servants around her imposing size. She shouted to hermando, "the tunnels are closed, ma''am. The Bodywalker is sealed in."


    Bolta finally released a breath she didn''t know she had been holding and Rafel dropped his ming hands. Theet glow on his fingers rescinded. He listened to Bolta dish out orders to the divisions. She first congratted the Amazonian for thinking fast in the face of almost certain death and helping the junior cadets hold the line.


    Then she addressed the about sixty sentinels remaining of the force to pull into a shield formation behind her and Rafel.


    "...your only job right now is to protect the druids as they block the leak in the wards. Keep the circle around them and our injured. Never let it break. If a friend should fall, let another take his ce." She looked up at the Rarjah slowly slipping back out of the way; the darkness was breaking.


    "Hear me friends, the long night is breaking. The dark is lifting. The Holocaust Spell ising to its end. Hold steady, sentinels of Corynthia and we will again see the sun dawn on our fallen brothers!" Bolta finished. Her inspiring words were gulped readily by the young guardians of the academy who had seen more than enough share of grime and gore for one day.


    The druids in the midst of the shield formation began the runic chants, and Bolta turned back to face forward. To the only other person left exposed, Israfel. They both stood in front of the colossal hearthstone of the dragongates.


    "Let me out, you brew of bastards." The Bodywalker cussed, throwing out heads from the obsidian bars. It tossed them across to anger Bolta into letting him free. A ploy he hoped would get him on the other side. But Bolta wasn''t stupid.


    She swallowed down the bile rising in her throat, forced down all her hate and tears at seeing the severed heads of young boys and girls angrily stoned at her like ythings, and turned to Rafel to say,


    "That thing just ughtered two-thirds of the Sentinel Corps. It corrupted the body of my wingleader. My friend. Please tell me there''s a way we can get rid of it?"


    Rafel looked across the short distance to the stout ckness of the smaller shaftgate under the imperial dragongates; the solid cast iron sheet that was keeping the Bodywalker imprisoned.


    "Yes, there is." He replied Bolta. "But you''re friend isn''ting back."


    Bolta looked from his clean strong chin to the creature warbling perverted curses and tossing out daggered mortal parts angrily behind the shaftgate. It mmed its bald, ugly head on the bars. A head so ripe with cancer she should make out sutures of the skull just in looking at the scalp. The Bodywalker swore profanely. "What''re you looking at, wench?


    If you don''t let me put, I''m gonna start fucking the few corpses of your friends that are still intact.


    Don''t you want something to bury?" The apollo-red eyes danced crazily.


    Bolta sighed.


    "My friend is gone," she said simply, and to Rafel: "Do it!"


    He nodded and stepped five paces forward, putting space between him and her. He raised his hands to the shifting eclipse. And just as the sun was slipping out, he raised his voice too.


    "HELL ARTS! Imand the FLAMING FORGE OF VULCAN. An infernal bath, to purge the dark spirit of Bodywalker. PLANES OF HEL, HEED THINE PRINCE!"


    SWOOOOOOM!!!


    A great whirlwind of pure red fire charged forward at his summoning. It sted outward from his glowing body, growing like arger avatar with horns and twirling with force enough to uproot the hair off heads. It was a tornado of mes, reaching high into the brightening sky.


    It roared in its own voice, and the soldiers in the shield formation behind froze at the wails of souls in purgatory they could hear in it.


    A hundred fiery faces tumbled in the whirlwind of fire.


    The cyclone ate up everything in its path, leaving the earth scorched, soot-ck, and raw like peeled skin. The fires surged for the shaftgate.


    Rafel was using his [Fire Demoniac] skill, and could feel his mana core burn within his chest. In his case, both core and heart were one. The roaring ze mmed into the hard metal of the gate. The pig''s iron melted like wax. Many behind gasped; only dragon fire could do that.


    "Fuck." The Bodywalker mumbled just before its lips were peeled off by a thousand degrees firestorm. As the flesh went red and turned to ash, carried off by the obliterating purge, Bolta saw the true face of the wingleader in the consuming fires. The demon was gone. In the mes licking through red, sizzling muscle, she saw the burned head of the man nod at her.


    And then even in the pain of being roasted alive, the man''s lips, burned to the teeth¡ªhe was mostly skeleton behind that door¡ªstill pulled apart and shrilled out.


    "I have no fear of death. Thank you, lieutenant."


    And it was the first time Rafel had seen the daughter of Zeus cry. Bolta closed her eyes.


    When she opened them again few secondster, the whole tunnel was gone. The Bodywalker was gone. The wingleader, gone. The eclipse finally rpsed as the, Rarjah rolled away, like a tombstone off a sepulchre. The Holocaust Spell was passed. It was six hours seventeen minutester.


    It was dusk. And the evening sun came shining through; on the new and improved wards of the eastern dragongates, on the sentinel survivors inbat greens catching their breath, on Rafel who finally dropped his hands to quench the firestorm, and on the red embers of earth where a tunnel filled with blood and a crazy evil spirit had once been.


    The ambnce carriages arrived one minuteter.


    Healers and paramedics dived between rows of the survivors, offering assistance:


    "Are you okay? Do you feel anything broken?"


    "Hold up your hand for me?"


    "Oh that''s a serious gash."


    Rafel heard all the voices in the back of his head. He didn''t even know he was injured until a nurse appeared at his side with two paramedics. They pulled a long robe over his naked body; the scourge of fire had burned away all his clothes. The little nurse said to him, "we need to get that checked out sir."


    Rafel looked down to the scar running across his corbones to his pecs: a jagged sh. He let himself be lowered into a stretcher and wheeled off under the noise of more ambnces arriving, blue and red twinkling lights sparkling in nightfall.

 Chapter 186: Sugar Walls [18+]

    [?? I''ve Been Loved By The Best ¨C Don Williams.]


    The Academy''s Guildhall was made quickly into a temporary clinic for all the injured because it was the only structure close enough for the Healers to work in before anyone died, andrge enough.


    The warehouse space offered wide range of movement for the use of healing spirit-water which was stored in Valerian pouches. Nurses in frocked white dived between curtain partitions with trays for the doctors. Their apron-like skirts and gloves were mostly stained in drying blood.


    Rafel was in the east area of the Guildhall, sh, makeshift hospital. He was on his back, induced to sleep about an hour ago with mild chloroform. His bed was a cot, and themps had been dulled to give him a good rest. Blue curtains were shut in privacy.


    In the quiet domain of his tiny bedspace, a young girl knelt beside his cot. It was Rosamunde. With her delicate hands sped, she prayed for him.


    "Dear holy father above, grant him recovery, please. He saved many lives today. I pray for his healing and ask of you faithful Martyr to make him healthy and whole. Grant salve to his injuries. Yes, I know he''s a demon. But where were the angels when our sentinels were being massacred.


    Only he stood up to the fight against that cursed revenant. That unholy fuck¡ª


    Shit." Rosa sighed on her knees. She shouldn''t be cursing in prayer. "Lord forgive me." She prayed on. But seeing Rafel asleep with a bandage around his head in front of her incited angry thoughts in her. Still pouring out her soul to a God she prayed was listening, Rosa trailed her finger along the almost invisible scar on Rafel''s chest. His healing wasing along nicely.


    She watched his chest rise and fall; he was so beautiful, even in sleep. She had gotten here as soon as the call hade in and the campus was safe enough to walk without being zombified.


    Rafel stirred when she touched him. Rosa was still praying and didn''t notice him open his eyes. Hisshes fluttered as his blurry sight cleared to the girl at his bedside. He took a moment to watch Rosa, and listen in on her devotion. How had this delicate detectivee to care for him so much? He didn''t think Rosamunde was that emotionally invested in him.


    Much less being such hardcore in his harem.


    Her status was immediately elevated from ordinary concubine in his head. He studied her: the pink bow of her lips, the soft mouth that rarely wore lipstick. The tumble of her dark hair; her bob was longer now and she tied it behind with a silver scarf. Her gray eyes were on his stomach. She still hadn''t noticed his open eyes. She stared tantly at the bulge under the blue hospital sheets.


    Was he hard in this state?


    This thought almost made Rosa forget her line of intercession. She shook herself to focus. And that was when she lifted her eyes back to Rafel''s face and caught his amber gaze. He was staring at her breasts. Rosa was suddenly self-conscious.


    She pulled thepels of the opal cotton robe she had hastily put over her cashmere bottoms around her body¡ªthere was no time for mor when news hade from the dragongates.


    "You''re awake," she said. She endeavoured to keep her voice to a whisper. "Hey, Israfel. Can you see me? You had a concussion. Do you know who''s speaking?"


    "Rosamunde."


    His baritone was velvet-soft. Rosa wondered how he could be so hot in his hurt. His dark voice was a challenge to her inner woman. She gulped and cleared her throat. And watched as he gently raised his right hand and pushed them away from the robes she was tightly clutching to. His eyesnded again on her ample chest and went rogue.


    Rosa let the robes fall away and allowed him to look his fill.


    The t-shirt she wore under it was tight on her figure and showed nicely the ripeness of her breasts. It was a roundneck so there was no cleavage to see, but the view of her swelled mounds pushing into the soft fabric was a nice entice. She wore no bra under. Her nipples peaked right under the burn of Rafel''s eyes. The intensity of how he liked her body.


    Rosa herself could see the pink berries topping her ares firm through the thin material of her shirt.


    Now more than ever, she was d she hadn''t put thought into finding underwear. And if he asked her to pull off her shirt right now, she would.


    "How are you feeling?" Rosa asked. She kept her arms to the sides as she rose from her knees, allowing Rafel to gaze at her tits all he wanted. He was just about the handsomest patient here. She dragged a cane chair in the corner to his bedside and sat. She was very close. Her knees brushed the cot''s metal frame.


    As Rafel tried to sit up on his own, she pulled up the fat pillows and propped them behind his back.


    "Thank you," Rafel said and drank of the ss of water she offered him. He replied her question with a nce down his torso, to the scar that was gone. "I feel slight headache and the muscles here hurt." He touched a hand to the ce on his chest.


    Rosa inched in, her voice caressing, "you were stabbed there. The wound has healed, but the tissues are still soft. Percival and Ravenna are outside talking with the doctors as we speak. You might need to be on bedrest for another day." She looked Rafel over; and wondered at herself for wanting him as he was¡ªrecovering. He nodded and said, "then it''s a good thing I have such a kind caregiver."


    Rosa flushed. "Oh please, I am no Sekhmet."


    "I''m not thinking about her right now."


    Rafel''s insinuative words hung in the air, hot and heavy, like the member under the blue sheets he was sure Rosa had damn well noticed by now. She flushed again, blushing so hard it was cute. She turned her gray eyes away. Rafel reclined in his narrow cot as she wet a clean towel and held it to the white bandages swaddling his head like a headband. It circled his temples and back.


    "Bolta?" He changed the subject. "And the others, how are they?"


    "Rafel, you should worry about yourself." Rosa stated.


    "Tell me." He grabbed at her hand.


    He released her when she lowered her head in silent admittance of hismand. She began touching his temples with the soft cloth again as she spoke. "Bolta is fine. She''s been made the First Wing''s leader. You were first choice, but believe me, I would not let them out you in harm''s way again. Never.


    There were a lot of casualties, Rafel. But the survivors owe their lives to you."


    She wet the handkerchief in a bowl of warm water, squeezed, dipped in to clean his forehead again. He breathed in her neck.


    "You smell nice."


    Rosa''s hand paused over his head. Her fingers quaked and her eyes filled with lust. His bassy voice was doing bad things to her; not to mention she had seen his huge erection earlier, jut out like a thick cucumber from the hospital sheets.


    "You smell really nice."


    Rosa couldn''t move. She was breathing hard. It was his body under her. His eyes staring up. His voice roaming the room like a thunderp. Rafel put up his hands and slowly lifted up her shirt.


    He grabbed her soft body in hisrge hands and kissed up her belly slow. He reached her breasts and plumped them up in his hands. He twirled one hard nipple with his thumb.


    "Hold this." He gave Rosa the hem of her shirt to bite on. "Don''t move." Hemanded.


    His eyes went back to her chest and he fondled her caramel peaks. She felt the calluses of his hands on her breasts. His war marks roughing up her soft titties. His head dropped to suck and Rosa groaned.


    "Oh. Fuck it."


    She drew him up from her boobs and kissed his hot mouth. She whispered against his hot lips her inability to hold back the hunger anymore. "The nurses might just kill me for this, but I need you, Rafel. I need you so bad. I want you to take me here. To fuck me like a whore right here where anyone can walk in and see us." She was breathing hard.


    Panting.


    Rafel already was dragging the sheets down. She helped it tear it off his body and lowered down on her seat in the cane chair to take his standing shaft into her mouth. Rafel held her down as she guzzled his throbbing penis. He was fat and near purple. Rosa frantically sucked him in and out of her mouth, saliva pooling at her sulent swallowing.


    "Mhmm. Hmmm. Your dick...so good." She slobbered and tongued his balls. She drew them in and suckled. She worshipped his giant, golden pipe. She licked up the velvety, veined pipe of his tasty male meat.


    Rafel grabbed her hair, throwing off the scarf so the glossy ebony mane could fill his hands. He fisted the rich waves and moved his hips up to her mouth. Her face went in deep in his groin and Rafel dragged her thirsty whore mouth up with a snarl. He growled when she grabbed onto his thighs for more, swallowing and shaking with need in his hands.


    She was so raw. So alive. So sexy.


    He pped the corners of her mouth.


    "You want more huh?" Rosa''s mouth was open and begging at his question.


    GLUG.


    Rafel jammed into her mouth one final time. He came out glistening through her soft lips desperate to keep him in. He dragged her off the chair, half-lifting her up as he climbed out of the cot. He bent her over it, mming her into the tousled sheets with one hand. Naked already, Rafel tore down her pants bottoms to her ankles.


    He spanked the full, lush buttocks that swelled to meet his lustful eyes.


    SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!


    He growled in her ear. "You shouldn''t havee in here, Rosamunde. Now I''m going to use you. I''m going to use this pretty pussy¡ª"


    PAH!


    "Christ''s balls! You''re so tight."


    Rosa''s abdominal wet channel stretched with the fat, pulsating penis inside it. She stretched on the edge of the cot, gripping the sheets¡ªand nearly rending it¡ªas she yearned back into him. Pah! He moved inside again. They both began a rhythm: a wild, energetic shing of bodies. His member inside her, plopping sloppily and sliding out more moistened each time he pulled out of her.


    The cot was shaking. Rosa panted as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Outside the cover of the blue curtain, heads turned in that direction.


    "God yes, Israfel," she moaned. "Use me. Use me like a fucking slut. Yes! Pound that pussy. FUCK!


    I''m so wet for you. You cock feels so good. So deep, massaging my sugar walls. Oh god. I''m gonnae. I''m gonna.


    . .I''m cooooming. Oh fuuuuuckk!"


    SMACK!


    Rafel wiped her ass.


    She jerked suddenly and held a second, shutting her eyes and screaming out his name. Her orgasm broke her apart. She came down shuddering, and her pussy wrapped tightly around his cock inside her. Rafel didn''t pull out. He shot loads of his spunk in her. By the time they both stopped shaking and were calm enough to feel their legs again, Rafel fell back on the cot bed¡ªwith Rosa on top of him.


    She kept him inside her. She liked him inside her.


    She smiled and rubbed herself into his Adamic perfection. The blue curtain was abrupty torn open. The nurse who entered just about raised her eyes from scribbling in her pad when she saw the state of her patient. Her mouth dropped open.


    "What the fuck?!"

 Chapter 187: Triathlon

    THE SECOND OFFICIAL merger of the spring Games was the triathlon: Archery, Mud wrestling, and Bullfighting. All of which were to be held in thergest open space of the Corynthian College, its Romanesque amphitheater.


    Mage students of the proud, and magical academy were happy to dive into another round of athleticpetition between the four arcane factions. A subconscious will of their young minds to forget the losses sustained just a few days before. The massacre at Dragongates, when the Bodywalker devil had possessed a high rank wingleader.


    Four days had passed since then and most of the survivors injured in the possession had been discharged now from the Guildhall clinic; Dr. Nicara Shetty had to make the call to the families of the deceased herself¡ªnone of which the tigress particrly liked.


    Now even though the young men and women lost in that eclipse of Holocaust had fullymitted with their own hands to the cause, it didn''t stop Nicara from feeling the hurt or responsibility for not doubling sentinel patrols at the Dragongates. It was as if she lived her son''s death again.


    The Academy''s coroner office took a solid ten-hour shift to link the limbs with the heads, at least the ones they could find, and the almostplete corpses were sent on home on ck sailing ships. For all the county undertakers knew, a mother could be burying the head of her daughter but with the arm or leg of a totally different child.


    It was a most agonizing affair¡ªnot to mention the said parents were all filthy rich fuckers with running mouths; Nicara did her best not to harbor acrimony for the lot.


    Grief was grief, no matter whom it came from.


    And so, the moments the papers had reached her desk to sign off on the second round of the spring Games, Dr. Shetty had picked up her quill and appended immediately. She told her soft haired assistant: "These kids need a distraction."


    "So do you, ma''am."


    Nicara adjusted her opal sses that day in the penthouse office of the administrative tower. She replied her secretary, "yes. So do I."


    Now in the present, the publican gates of the vast amphitheater was screened open by a buzzer and the long line of hundreds of kids: First Years and sophomores, Third Years and finalists, all rushed in through. They had gs of their Arcs, banners bearing the animal totems. They trooped in, trickling through the ivory seats of the rotund dome.


    The retractable one hundred and fifty square feet roof above was moved away with the wave of a sorcerer apprentice''s hand. And a calm indic evening glow fell on the crowd.


    The sun was nicely warm on the skin. The air was fresh and stirring. The heavens were palest blue, and one could see the stray seagulls from the Cold Sea weaving through the fluffy dusk cloud.


    A minaret mermaid said to her friend. "It''s such a nice evening out."


    "Yes," the boy with whom she talked quipped. "Nice enough for us to kick your arse!"


    "Please try." The girl chimed, smiling back.


    Though they were friends, they were of different Arcs. And wore different colors. It was the love of the game that shined in their union. The mermaid girl was in water blue. The boy sat in his royal skyling gold. The canopy of the Griffin Arc was just beside that of the Pegasus blues.


    Those in blue were more settled than those in gold. And on the far northside quarter of the amphitheater, the Reds were the most settled in their seats.


    This was because the [Phoenix Arc] were leading by forty two points rued in the Hunt. [Pegasus Arc] was runner-up ce with thirty five. Raven with thirty one. And Griffin Arc with a dismissing shocker of seven points. Totally out of turn for thest season''s champions. The Gold faction were looking to drum up their scores in the triathlon tonight.


    The Reds were meaning to remain at the top. And for one to rise, the other had to fall. One of the four Arcs would have a sore losing before the night was ended. It made it scintiting to watch.


    Towering overhead lights went up around the stadium''s dome, like forty feet white candles, and the gigantic leaderboard screen shimmered into the air with the league''s table on disy.


    The name Phoenix was in bright red capitals at the top of it. And the congregation of the blood Faction cheered at their leading position. They turned to look at the young man who had put them there by iming Athena''s charm in the first round of games; Israfel did his best to smile whilst returning bright-eyed waves. He wasn''tpeting in the Triathlon tonight.


    No, baby.


    His Arc was saving him for the match ball. The arena fighting round: diators Fest.


    Rafel rxed in his own seat and watched thementators at the upper rungs close to the Headmistress''s pedestal begin a banter at who''d they wager for, and against in the Triathlon:


    "Do you think the Griffins have what it takes to ascend up the ranks and change their fate, Bob?"


    "No, Stefan. I do not." The counterpart razed. "The Golds are up against determined forces this year. Plus have you seen the squads list for the Phoenix and Pegasus Arcs? Brilliant, man. Brilliant!


    Stefan, when I say I don''t think the Griffins have a chance to up their meagre points, I mean it. Not even if the Fates as you put it helped."


    "As you know, Bob, I''ll always root for the underdog. But ...not in this case."


    Bothmentatorsughed while Bob, short for Bobbacaan ignored the dagger stares thrown his way from the shiny gold quarter of the theater: the Griffins canopy. Rafel''s listening was interrupted when the two empty seats beside him were filled up. On his left, Gretchen Manderley, whom he remembered from the Hunt sat. She greeted him with warm words and a delicious smile that showed baster fangs.


    He was d to watch the game with presentpany. Gretchen was quite the looker, and being a hardcore lesbian she didn''t stare at him¡ªnot as much.


    As the horns for the Triathlon red, "Whohoo!" A boy close behind wolf-whistled. The first in the Triathlon was Archery and thepetitor representatives of the Arcs were called up. Cheering nearly cracked the stone of the dome when the champion of Griffin Arc was announced: a girl. The student president. Erika fucking Burgess.


    "I have my money on her." Bob said into his hollow mic rune.


    Thepetitors were asked to draw on their targets. And then lose.


    Swoosh! The arrows flew.


    The Archery segment of the Triathlon ended rather quickly with Erika mming home a frankly astounding shot in the bullseye board¡ªin the bullseye¡ªfrom a hundred yards away on the bright sands of the arena, illuminated wonderfully by the tall lights. The Archer''s bow was taken home by Griffin Arc. Raven Arc took the prize at the second segment of the Triathlon: mud wrestling.


    Their champion was a bear of a woman. A [Wild Shape], who threw into the chocte sludge all the other three boys gunning for her. It was erotic watching her twist and fell the boys. And then struggle to grapple her down. Rafel himself was thinking how quickly it could go south.


    ''Didn''t someone say how a gangbang had started exactly like this?''


    The [Furiosa] arose from the muck to im the [y Queen]. In both segments of the Triathlon, Phoenix Arc came second ce. It came down to the final at around eight thirty in the early night, but the amphitheater was bright enough that many in the piers didn''t notice the dark nket of night above their heads, nor the twinkle of stars in it.


    The Headmistress, Nicara Shetty stood from her topmost tier of the stadium and drew up her hand to signal the final segment:


    Bullfighting.


    Champions were announced. A single one for each Arc. And the cages at the sides of the colosseum were opened. The paddocks freed.


    A massive five hundred buck-pound and slithering ck bull humped to the center of the ring.


    After making utter,ughable spectacle of the first two contestants and nearly goring the third to death¡ªa wiry teen of Pegasus Arc¡ªthe final contender with the frothing beast was announced. The contestant of the Shadow faction. A total Goth babe. Inked in her pale, pale skin. Her body like a mural for strange tattoos. Pierced in every conceivable orifice¡ªthe ones spectators were allowed to see.


    A true Matadora.


    Rafel leaned closer in his seat when Brunhilda Penderghast walked as casually as one could ever to the front of the gigantic bull.


    "You know her?" Gretchen chirped from his left.


    Rafel nodded; he could already feel a lump in his throat. This ck creature was already mad from being smoked by the first three matadors. Couldn''t they change bulls or something? Brunhilda met the animal''s total ck eyes and slowly lifted her red g. The fat nose puffed. White smoke hurtling out its nostrils.


    Hardy hooves scraped at the sands.


    ¡ªand it charged.

 Chapter 188: Letter From the Dark King

    The bellow of the beast was like the long moan of a wildman¡ªwho hadn''t cum in a decade.


    "Yikes, she''s gonna get skewered," someone said, and instantly earned the demonic shade of Rafel''s eyes no one really wanted to see. He decided if it came down to it, he''d burn the bull before ever its macabre horns came close to a shock of Bruna''s inky, magenta-dyed hair. Rafel had a soft spot for the girl ever since the first day her mum¡ªwhom he''d been shagging at the time introduced them.


    Brunhilda''s mother, the Countess Cordelia of House Penderghast had been a lovely ripe addition to his harem back when he was Earl, and now with her father gone and her mother imprisoned in her own vi at Titans Landing by the Dowager queen Lilith, Rafel felt responsible for Bruna in a way. He was after all part reason her poor father had been murdered anyway.


    If she tried to call him daddy, he wouldn''t stop her. Plus he wanted to make the introduction between Percival and the goth beauty, past the tonic friendship that is. He could sense something there. He might have to equip his [Lust Resonant] ability to get the both of them going, but it was fine. In his mind, another one of the many reasons Bruna had to survive the bout with the bull.


    [Lust Resonance]


    [Description: Ability to arouse sexual rtions out of couples. BxG. GxG. And, BxB. Role is avable to only RANK A Hellions with potent sin systems. Hosts can cause resonant vibrations in the air that will be picked up by the subjects of his/her desire.]


    [These frequencies are high pheromones, in which case subjects don''t even need to be remotely attractive. It amplifies sexual charge, and can be highly dangerous to the asional erotomaniac.]


    [Skill can be leveled up to MURDER FRENZY mode.]


    [Poison: Subjects are liable to be killed by their own repressed need, or in the tumultuous fulfilling of it, if the Host so desires.]


    [Level: Hallowed, XXX ss.]


    [Current Host: The Seventh APOLLYON.]


    Rafel blinked Peitho''s holographic disy inside of his head away. Through the corner of his eyes, he spied Gretchen with some new girl in herp; the doe-eyed vampiress was gently feeding off her neck. White fangs slurped in veins like a straw. The coppery tang of blood hit Rafel''s nose and he suddenly felt like a six month-sober addict alone in a bathroom with his favorite snot-nose powder.


    He ignored the pull of the girl''s blood. Unlike Gretchen, he didn''t the sanguine richness to survive.


    On the bright sands of the arena below, Brunhilda was just attacked by the marauding bull. It rushed out at her, headfirst, horns brandished like furious knives. The head of the bull wasrge and bearded. The he-bison wore its charcoal mane like a strange crown. The beast''s hooves caused the brown grains of the arena to dance as it pounded to ram with its horns the red g, and the girl behind it.


    At thest second¡ªthe bull''s frothing nostrils had just touched the g¡ªBrunhilda leaped on her feet, twirling a flip in the air tond solidly behind the animal on her feet.


    It was perfection: her somersault. She dodged the bull''s stout bones and massive head with an easy enough smile. A skill however that was hard to master, and in this very situation, muster. An apuse rose in the amphitheater''s levels. Rafel didn''t think he needed to, but he was proud. The pping went on for the matadora.


    And the entire canopy for [Raven Arc] did a standing ovation, their hands thundering for their girl champion as crow-ck gs with shadow magick sigils waved under the arena''s bright white lights.


    The bull turned. Unceremoniously. Angrily.


    "Here kitty kitty!" Brunhilda waved her g in front of the animal, grinning and stoking the beast even more. As if it could hear her, the bull turned up its great, ck head in defiance to her name-calling. It bellowed brass into the night sky, chastising its opponent forparing it to a pussycat.


    MOO!!! MOO!!!


    If the spectators could hear the animal''snguage, they would clearly be hearing the words: "Do notpare me, the mighty ck bull to a fucking puss, you stupid little girl. I''m gonna run you through with my iron phalluses and squash you like a bug."


    s, all the crowd did hear was enraged mooing. Thementators up in the high levels were having the time of their lives with the wonderful disy of man and beast gallore. In this case, woman and beast. Bob said to Stefan, "my Lord, I haven''tughed this hard since Nobleman Sagan loosed a fart in Her Majesty''s presence! This is some fine entertainment, Steve."


    "Yes, Bob." Stefan admitted. He sent a quick ss from their cubicle high up on the theatre to the battle below. The bull was now jumping on its hooves, stirring sand and dust. The crowd was a flood of bawdyughter, guffawing at the beast''s obvious ire. Stefan roared. "Now that is some angry bull, Bob."


    He turned to the witnessing crowd and continued, "we are here live at the ending match of the Triathlon at the Corynthian Academy''s spring Games, the second round of the much vauntedpetition; where, as you can see, a youngdy is bringing new meaning to the term ''grabbing a bull by the horns''."


    Bob went off where his fellowmentator left: "Yes. Our youngdy is Brunhilda Penderghast, representing the Shadow faction, Raven Arc. Her faction mates are cheering for her. And even the other canopies of the blues, reds, and golds can''t help pping. She is the final contestant with this raging beast. And she is definitely showing promise.


    Stay tuned for more. And as they say at this college, stay magical, Corynthia!"


    The glinting screens shot back to the fight below, where Brunhilda was quite literally grabbing the bull''s horns. She held onto the strong, pointy protrusions as she grappled with the giant head of the animal. Its heavy fore-hooves scratched at the sands, kicking at dirt, and pushing Brunhilda back as it reared forward. She held onto the horns right.


    MOO!!!


    The bull lunged forward with great strength, tossing up its head. Brunhilda was raised several feet in the air as it threw her up. She let go of the horns, flipping midflight before she connected with hard ground.


    MOO!!!


    No sooner had she touched solid earth that the bull was charging again for her. It ignored the red g abandoned on the tousled sands and rammed forward instead for the gothic matadora. Brunhilda began to run. She turned around and made a beeline for the east corner of the arena. The bull, incited by her retreat, bellowed loudly and pounded faster.


    Moo! Moo!! Moo!!!


    The crowd had fallen into something of silence and reached forward in their seats. Brunhilda ran straight for the wall under the first level. The bull followed her, fully intending to spear her into the stone. It was unexpected when Brunhilda ran right up the straight wall, three steps, fast as a beaver, and then she executed a smart backflip.


    The bull couldn''t stop its momentum and crashed into the walls headfirst.


    The horns sank into the stone.


    It was impaled, struggling to break its huge, ck head free. Brunhilda, now behind it, smacked the muscly bull''s ass for good measure. The he-beast reared back and fhe spectators broke into heartyughter. Rafel smiled sweetly when Brunhilda hefted herself onto the back of the caged bull. If struggled for a few more seconds, but eventually fell to the floor on its belly. Defeated.


    She had broken the bull.


    Brunhilda was awarded champion of the bull taming bout¡ªand both horns of the bison were wrapped in ornamented chiefleather in a gift box and delivered to her dorm room after the bull had been led away and cut up for the canteen''s broth dinner. At the end of the Triathlon, the Phoenix Arc were still in the lead. But now, Pegasus and Raven were tied.


    And Griffin Arc was a close second behind at third ce. Students already anticipated the next round of the Games.


    It was at about midnight in Salem Hall few hourster, and all of Rafel''s friends were gathered in hisrge suite by the firece¡ªAya Naamah clearing out the tes of thete-night supper they''d just had¡ªwhen Ravenna sidled closer to the group. She was closest to Rafel and nearly in hisp. She yed with her hair and Rafel knew something was up.


    He cradled her face in warm candlelight.


    "What''s up?"


    Ravenna let him hold her a moment before she pulled from his touch; they weren''t necessarily alone. There was Coraz¨®n at his other side. Percival opposite them. Brunhilda leaning over the armchair beside him casually. And Aya had just returned from disposing of the dishes. Ravenna cleared her throat at the different, beautiful sets of eyes now on her.


    Everyone had gone silent and waited on her to say something. She didn''t stop ying with the ends of her raven hair as she opened her mouth and told it to them.


    "Uh guys, I have something to tell you. I received this today..." She reached behind to bring out a letter with an unbroken seal from the back pocket of her blue jean-shorts. She folded her long legs again. "...it''s from my father."


    "That bastard!" Rafel growled. He caught himself and was about to apologize, but Ravenna eased him by clutching to his hand.


    "It''s okay," she said. "I get it."


    The King of Eldoria wasn''t going to win any Father of the Year awards. Even the broken ones.


    Ravenna leaned across Rafel''s chest, smelling his wildness in the process. She offered the envelope to Coraz¨®n. "Please, will you read it, Cora?"


    Coraz¨®n looked first around the circle of their close-knit bond, and then to Rafel. He nodded. Clearly, the level of trust between the friends was pretty high for Ravenna to thrust a letter, grafted with the ck seal of the Morningstar sigil, into another person''s hand. A handwritten note of her dad, the dark King, the Usurper himself. Looking in alone could bring an execution.


    "I want you to." Ravenna urged. And Cora took the envelope from her hands.


    Ravenna withdrew and settled into Rafel''s warm body. Rosa sat above the three of them, on the sofa which they sat under. She threaded her hands through Rafel''s wicked-red hair. All seven of them in that quiet, firelit chamber listened to the sound of Cora''s soft voice as she broke the seal made with the royal si of Titans Landing, unfolded the script, and began to read aloud:


    "Dearest daughter. It is I, Daddy. . ."


    [TO BE CONTINUED.]

 Chapter 189: Dragon Rider

    "DEAREST DAUGHTER, IT IS I, DADDY¡ª"


    Rafel scoffed, interrupting Coraz¨®n just as soon as she''d started reading.


    "It is I, daddy?" He recited sarcastically.


    "Who the fuck starts a letter like that? I''ll tell you who: a psychopathic, murderous fuck! It makes me, a bonehard narcissist despise the trait. I mean how self-loving is the loathsome prick. Does he think being king means shit this far out at sea? Fuckin'' cunt!" Rafel brimmed with fire energy, visible as radiant streaks in his veins.


    It lit up his skin, so much that his blood pulsed from the inside like volcanicva.


    His friends looked at one another. Someone had to say something¡ªand quickly¡ªto cool him down.


    "Israfel,e on. Let her read, okay?"


    Rosa whispered down to him with a smile; the one brave enough, apparently. He went growling low in his throat, and very wolfishly too, but he fell silent. Cora looked at him a moment. Aya stared from her ce also. All his friends knew Rafel had not yet forgiven himself for that night at Emberfall.


    There was a lot he needed to unpack about that night, first being the fact that it wasn''t his fault what happened, but the girls read the room and said nothing.


    Tonight wasn''t the night for therapy. Perhaps, down the road.


    Cora lowered her ocean eyes back to the expensive papyrus script; her silverly buzzcut sparkled in the light of the firece as she started again. She went on from where she left off.


    "Dearest daughter, it is I, daddy. I could write that I''m sorry a million times in this letter, but I won''t. You''re a woman who''d take action to words any time. A blossoming young woman. And so it pains me that I can''t share this time of your life with you, especially now that our fortunes have turned, immeasurably.


    I wish you were here, with me, in Titans Landing: this beautiful world we had always talked about. I named the rebuilded throne room after you.


    Ravencrest¡ªyou''ll like it.


    I wish you were here at my side, where you belong, the both of us ruling together from this hallowed ce where no hunger or foe can touch us any more. And not with that..." Cora abruptly paused in her reading. And everyone lifted up their heads. She sent Ravenna a look. Something of pity. Or was it, mercy.


    "Go on. I want to hear it.* Rafel urged. His ent was distinctly Scottish. Thest two words became almost as one, so that it sounded like ''herrit.''


    Cora continued. "And not with that idiot in that stupid school. I can have the best tutors in the continent flown in on dragonback to the city. This is me darling, asking you toe back home. I am sorry I wasn''t there when you needed me. I''m sorry for the lies.


    There are all the excuses I''m sure you already know by now. But whatever you feel for that lowly demon is a magician''s wand.


    It''s all spark and fake.


    And don''t think for a second it''s reciprocated either. That boy had been shagging innocent girls like you since he learned how to walk straight. He tell you he fucked his aunt too? The Apollyon is merely a tool for our use. I''ll tell you what''s real, darling. Me.


    I''m real. This throne. It''s real. This kingdom. Our legacy. Not some runaway scallop.


    Lilith is the Dowager of the Court of Whispers, but I am King. She can''t hurt you anymore. She won''t. Not when she knows you are important to her precious nephew. Please Raven, let me make this up to you. You are princess of the Nine Realms, crown heiress of the Dark Throne.


    The girl child of a Helgod and a Seraphim. You don''t need a fucking witch academy to enable your abilities.


    Pleasee home. Your mother is nearly always around now¡ªshe drops by from Heaven. I will only ask this once Raven. No one will keep my daughter for me. Don''t let me have to use the Titans again.


    Your loving father, Thebault De Vr¨ªes."


    Cora sighed audibly as she ended her reading and folded the script. She turned to look at Ravenna. Everyone was looking at her.


    Who would''ve thought? That ckhaired roe in the rain.


    Ravenna was bewildered. She didn''t even know which part of her father''s letter to focus on¡ªit made her cold to even call him that. Ever since she had seen him crack the neck of her bestfriend and just about murder the love of her life. The one who had taken her in when no one else would, when he had literally chased her to Rafel''s door.


    Ever since that night at Emberfall, Ravenna didn''t recognize him as Dad anymore. These days, he was just the Usurper. The yer of Fae. The demon King.


    Oh! About his letter...where to begin?


    First he had a lot to say about her love life, her choice of friends, and her school. But not even aplete sentence about the role he had yed in the terrors that had befallen the continent''s whole capital. The hundreds of lives taken off the earth at the ascent of the Titans. The millions more still agrieved. But he wanted to tell her about her fucking legacy?


    He couldn''t even mention the name of the young man he had nearly murdered in cold blood. Rafel was right; her father was a cunt.


    He wanted a daughter he could hold in subservient attitude. A wallflower. He wanted hush fucking hush. He wanted to soak all his sins into one letter. And to cup it all, he''d gone so far as to ce a kindling threat at the end of it. ''Don''t make me have to use the Titans again?'' Was he shitting her?


    The only person she felt guilt for was her mother, who like her had almost fallen prey to the shadow of a trigger-happy megalomaniac god.


    Thank the Martyr her mum was just as powerful enough to divorce his ass.


    "Are you okay, love?" Cora''s voice cut into the din in her head.


    Ravenna blinked. Then she collected back the letter. And she reached up on her calves and tossed it into the firece. She watched the orange mes lick up the writing and turn it to ash in seconds. She turned back to her friends.


    "Fuck the King."


    The others grinded back. "Fuck the King!"


    That night, they all slept in Rafel''s dorm room. No one wanted to leave Ravenna alone. The suite was quiterge, and Rafel, Aya and Ravenna took his bed. Percival and Brunhilda took his on the other side of the split chambers. Coraz¨®n happily took the couch in themon area. As for Rosamunde, she stealthily crept in to join with Rafel, Aya, and Ravenna at sometime during the night.


    Dawn broke with fresh news. The bells from the Rosestone tower came tolling at fifteen past six. Despite being a wholistic college of wizardry, the Corynthian Academy still kept to military standards. The bugle sounded while Israfel was a mile into his early morning jogging. He was by the southern moors with Cora in matching blue shorts and white kicks. And turned when he heard the sound.


    The both stopped on the woodside to catch their breaths as the dong-dong of the bell tower pierced the morning. There was a sudden cry in the campus corners. A First Year kid went running in the cobbled streets with new information.


    "Dragons!" He yelled and waved wildly. "The dragons are here."


    "Whoeeee!" Another fe whistled.


    Unlike back at the other isles where the sighting of a dragon signified raiding and fiery death, at [C.A.W], the appearance of the great winged creatures signified one thing, especially during the week of the Spring Games: DRAGON RIDING. The third round of the exciting event.


    Rafel ranughing with Cora from the woodsy trails all the way back to Salem Hall. She had been staying at his since Sk''s death. Cora just couldn''t bear the smell of her everywhere in the dorm room they''d shared at Brightburn. So for the mean time, she stayed with the ruddy Hel prince. It was nearly imagined for her to be this close to Rafel again.


    Cora tumbled in through the door of his room and kicked off her jogging shoes. Percival was already bathed and out with the other girls, in a long carriage bus heading for the amphitheater where they would watch the [Dragon Riding] spectacle. The dorm room had only them in it. Perhaps, the entire floor even.


    Rafel stoppedughing when Cora drew down her blue shorts. Outside, students in passage to the college''srgest holding facility: the Colosseum, were cheering for the dragons as they swooped in fast from the sky.


    The creatures were brought in by their training masters who rode in the flight saddles, and the dragons flew close enough to the rosy sun that wondrous shadows of each one was cast on the campus streets below whenever each one went past.


    SKRREEEE! The magnificent beasts screeched, unfurling and stretching out wings that spanned miles. One green dragon passed right over the roofs of Salem Hall. A Gorgon female yelled and tried to grab at its low, swinging tail. It twirled in the air like a bird, did a great wingp before continuing on its way to the colosseum, and the girl screamed louder in excitement.


    Dragons were the kindest and paradoxically, deadliest of Familiars on record. Plus, they had telepathy, and some of the evolved ones could even speak out loud.


    But Rafel wasn''t listening to the outside world. He was shocked to a standstill at the shimmy of Cora''s hips when she bent low to drop the shorts. Her tiger-print panties was tight in the crack of her ass. Rafel felt his cocke to full attention. Cora heard a sharp intake of breath and turned around to catch him staring.


    He didn''t look away.


    "What?" she smiled sweetly.


    "You she-devil...grrrrhhh." He lunged for her.


    Cora giggled and ran into the bathroom. Through the ss, Rafel saw her shrug off her shirt. She tossed her bra in his face before drawing the curtain shut. She was stillughing, much to the evident tenting in his own shorts.


    Rafel pulled the thrown sports bra off his face. "You are very lucky we have somewhere to be, witch. Or I''ll have taught you some manners."


    "Fuck off." Cora chuckled under the hot water.


    Rafel forced himself to turn away just as Peitho entered his head with a new notification about the Games about to begin.


    [Ding!]


    [The Blood Faction has nominated Host as its Dragon Rider!]


    [Rider for Phoenix Arc!]


    [Patron god: KAOS.]


    [Confirmation required?]


    [Y/N?]

 Chapter 190: Dragon Rider [II]—Meet The Beasts

    ? In Brightburn Hall, Dawnbreak [The 5th Hour]


    Cora was humming in the bathroom when Rafel orded his reply to the request of his faction to represent them in the third round of the Spring Games. It was a thing of beauty and pride to fly a dragonback for his Arc. And double the innate joy for him because since he''d ascended to the realms of Eldoria from [Hel], he had not ridden a dragon. This was about to change today.


    "Yes. I ept their request, Peitho. Let the herald know, it is an honor."


    His system transferred back with her host''s order, and as Rafel decidedly made use of Percival''s own bathroom, he told Peitho to humor him with the names of those he''d be defeating in the avian tournament. He used the word ''defeating'' in no uncertain way.


    Peitho came back shortly with a list of four participants with their Arcs, which she disyed for his eyes as a long floating hologram in front of his face. Rafel glimpsed the screen as she read them out.


    [Participants of the Dragonrider tournament:]


    [GRIFFIN ARC: Trisha Turnbull.]


    [Status: Second Year, Skyling Fae.]


    [Beast: Bellerophon.]


    [PEGASUS ARC: Bolta Olympian.]


    [Status: Fourth Year, Lightning Child.]


    [Beast: Coronis.]


    [RAVEN ARC: Salome Smallbone.]


    [Status: Fourth Year, Serpent Changeling.]


    [Beast: Shredder.]


    [PHOENIX ARC: Israfel Bl¨¹dth?rste.]


    [Status: First Year, Red Titan.]


    [Beast: Zarathustra.]


    The list ended. And Rafel finally blinked. ording to the stats, he was the only First Yearpetitor. Perhaps to defeat had been a gross misuse of an adjective for his opponents. Plus all their beasts sounded like they stomped on whole viges for fun. Or ate the sacrifice of babies.


    ''I mean, Bellerophon?''


    The name of [Raven ck] Arc''s dragonrider in particr gave him the chills: Shredder. It couldn''t get more self-exnatory than that. Rafel was eager to meet his dragon, this Zarathustra in question. The only closeup he had gotten with the beasts was back in the Underworld when Lilith threw in her ck dragon in the arena to make it spicy.


    Even the most valorous of Hel''s diators feared the river of blue fire the creature made. His Auntie''s familiar had terrified him in truth.


    It wasn''t like H''s crimson spuck: Myreen of Thrasos, whom he had met briefly on virgin ind. No. Lilith''s ck dragon looked like it liked to stick its tail in nests of baby seals. Now that he thought on it, who knew if the Dowager fucked her dragon?


    They did have 7ft penises.


    That was one aspect of Hel he definitely did miss. He didn''t fuck the [dragon girls], [bat girls], [wasp girls] or whatever, but he certainly loved to watch them go. His mind was calm as he pulled himself up from the gigantic wfoot tub in Percival''s bathroom. Say what you want about wildlings but they really did know how to spoil themselves.


    And now imagine what vanity the heart of a Van Imperia possessed. They had been Kings upon the continent for thousands of years.


    "Ready?" Cora was waiting for Rafel as he stepped out in a towel.


    He nodded.


    "Good," she said, "I''ve a carriage waiting outside, dragonrider."


    She helped Rafel into his flying leathers: an exquisite vermillion make. The tight-fitting pants hugged the form and was hard as tweed by a riverside. And the emblem of his Arc, the leaping phoenix was sprawled across the back of his jacket in bright red filigrees. Cora looked him over, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth.


    "Very good, Your Eminence. Now you look like you could ride the fiercest dragon. Come on. Let''s go."


    She led the way out of his chambers and sat with him in the short buggy ride to the battling colosseum. "This is where I leave you." Cora said as she drew Rafel aside by the tall golden gates of the dome for a couple of smiling students to pass by. They had their faces painted in their faction colors and fake horns on their heads. They skipped on, waving at Rafel.


    "I see I''m not the only expectant one," Cora muttered.


    Rafel only smiled. He watched her fetch a tub of popcorn. She swayed on her feet.


    "I am going to eat this while you ride a dragon¡ª"


    "Come here." Rafel pulled her in with augh. He gave the top of her head a swift kiss and turned, walking for the war caverns that ran under the colosseum where he was to meet and ride out with his dragon. Coraz¨®n continued forward towards the rotund seats of the stadium. The open sky above was an endless chirpy blue. The air was a bit moist with the scent of sea salt.


    The morning was ambient and perfect.


    Perfect for dragons to soar.


    Cora found her group already in their seats between rows at the middle level. Since they didn''t need to seat ording to factions for this 3rd round tournament, the tiers of the amphitheater was a rainbow sprawl. Blues and golds, and reds and ck, all mixing in with their little cheerleading gs.


    Ravenna greeted and waved her in.


    "Oh hello. Come on love. We saved you a seat. Get in. Get in. Get in!


    It''s about to start."


    Cora giggled at Ravenna''s giddiness and joined her friends in their perch at the middle level of the vast rotunda. Under their avantine seats in the caverns, Rafel was led by a yellow-robed dragonkeeper to the separateir of his beast. She was a woman. He admired the cleft of her shawl into long legs under gay amber eyes.


    With a smile and jiggle of generous frontal assets, the female dragonkeeper stopped in a mighty stone cave and sent forth her hand. "Your dragon, master Bl¨¹dth?rste."


    "Thank you."


    Rafel stepped forward. The creature was colossal, shrouded in mist and shadows emanating from the undergroundir. It was like a sleeping hill. Mute. But deadly. Larger than life.


    Rafel called in the dark.


    "Zarathustra?"


    A low rumbling began in the rolling fog. The me on the torch the dragonkeeper held went off. The sleeping hill moved. Bat-like wings unfurled, touching the opposite walls of their 80ft across. The great dragon came into the light. She was red.


    Red like the jewel of a damask gem. Her ruby scales glinted in the cold cavern.


    Rafel had guessed she was female from the shoot of her rump, but he was made certain of it when she put forward her proud muzzle. Each horn on her head was taller than he.


    "You may call me Zara, young demon. It is nice to meet you."


    She extended her a w of her right forelimb to nudge Rafel''s shoulder¡ªthe equivalent of a handshake by dragon standards. He gripped the obsidian talon with a shakyugh. Zara was really pretty¡ªagain, by dragon standards. Her snout had the upturn of royalty.


    "Are you going to say something, red one?" Zara mumbled.


    Rafel scratched his head. "Eh. You can talk? You''re ascended. A Divine level. Who''s your master?


    O-or mistress?"


    Zara gave him a small smile. The silver trumpets blew up in the Colosseum, and Zarathustra walked past Rafel, starting for the sector from which they would take flight and leaving him to follow. Rafel had to spike his steps to meet hers. The blessed-chested dragonkeeper followed behind them. Zara began talking on the way.


    "Yes, I am all those things you mentioned, red one. But to answer your question, I have no Sire to speak off. You''re probably wondering why an evolved dragon is unbonded. It''s really a matter of the heart, just like the way I chose you for this tournament. I could have picked anyone here, red one. But something in your nature calls to me, and it''s not because you''re a demon."


    Rafel raised his head to meet her slitted gold eyes. He chuckled. "I feel the same way. And it''s not because you''re a sexy red dragon either."


    Zara gave a lowugh.


    "You are quite handsome too, red one."


    Behind them, the dragonkeeper narrowed her eyes at the weird conversation.


    Rafel said, "why do you keep calling me that, red one?"


    "You''re red haired, are you not?"


    Rafel shared a smile with the ruby dragon. The dragonkeeper cleared her throat behind. "We''re here." Anything to curb the awkward path this conversation was taking. "Meet the other riders." She gestured to the other students in their own flying leathers. Threepetitors wearing the colors of their Arcs. And beside them were dragons of the same order.


    All the dragonkeeper left the four riders to the few seconds remaining before they were announced.


    Rafel quickly worked the room.


    He spotted Bolta almost immediately, with her blue lightning dragon: Coronis. Coronis too was female. And thergest of the bunch. With Trisha Turnbull, Griffin Arc''s dragonrider was the sleek gold menace, Bellerophon. He looked on the others like they were beneath him, and Rafel was amazed at how the beast and its rider could share so much inmon.


    The only ck dragon in sight belonged to Salome Smallbone, the rider for [Raven Arc]. Obviously.


    Shredder was male. And its own spikes rancoured up its back like a fleshy mohawk. The scales were dark as plutonic ss cooled after a mountain''sva eruption. Shredder was just about half the size of Coronis. But Rafel knew he was the deadliest. It was impossibly sickly thin for a dragon.


    But it wasn''t sick.


    Shredder looked out with purple rings for eyes. It stared sinisterly at Bellerophon. Again, the dragon and its rider, Salome seemed to share the same re for Trisha and hers. Instantly, Rafel was eager to get to the skies and see them battle it out. No amount of time among mortals had quenched his primordial thirst for blood.


    [Dragon Riding], the third round tournament only ended when only one beast remained in the skies.


    Outside, Rafel heard the announcer ramp up the crowd:


    "OI! ARE WE READY, CORYNTHIA?!"


    "YAHHH!!!" The Colosseum broke in a thousand voices.


    "I said, CORYNTHIA. . .ARE WE READY?!"


    Once again, pping and cheering shook the walls of the arena. Inside the caverns, Trisha cemented with bright eyes. "Fuck yeah we''re ready."


    The announcer made a raise of hands. The bugle sounded. "Then let''s wee together our dragonriders!"

 Chapter 191: Dragon Rider [III]—Burn In Hel

    [?? Afterlife ¨C Illenium ft. Echos.]


    "HAIL CORYNTHIA!"


    At the sound of the bugle, the congregation in the dome rose to their feet, cheering as the gates opened to usher in the four riders and their great dragons. "The Tournament presents," started the games announcer again, "Trisha Turnbull and her dragon, the Golden Bellerophon!"


    "Yeeeaah!" The Griffins in the crowd hailed for her, waving gilded gs that sparkled in the rosy morn. The girl made poses to their loud apuse, giving those in the crowd air kisses and backshots in her tight gold flying leathers. Her poses were picture perfect. And it was granted that her behind was quite robust; the form-fitting pants made a lusty exaggeration of her arse.


    Rafel watched her wave like royalty to the crowd. ''Can they get any panties under those trousers?'' he wondered at the girls. They had to be wearing thongs or totallymando under there, else the pantyline would show. Since Trisha was a Griffin, no one was surprised at her vanity and desire to get all the attention at the theatre.


    The games moderator allowed her a moment to soak up all the praise before continuing in his high ss pedestal above the tiers to announce the rest of the riders.


    ". . .Bolta Olympian and her blue storm, Coronis!"


    Bolta''s dragon let out a fierce shriek and pped out its marine wings. A great air whipped up dust from the sands, surging it up the levels into the faces of the crowd. This action made Coronis''s size more evident as thergest of the four beasts. The horns rose to the uppermost seats of the arena. And each of the scales on the blue dragon was big as a dinner te.


    Bolta silently stood at Coronis''s side.


    "Ugh! Show off!" Trisha rolled her eyes from Bolta''s left. The Fourth Year wingleader ignored her. She was certain Trisha''s face was brimming with green envy. Coronis''s mountainous bulk would be a wee advantage when they took flight. It was much harder to best a giant dragon.


    "She thinks her blue dragon''s big, huh? The beast''s only fat. That fat bitch." Trisha Turnbull cursed in a spiteful re. And once again, Bolta ignored her, only petting the long neck of her beast as it dazzled the crowd with more shrieking. The pping seemed to go on forever.


    "Nextes the pale rider of Raven Arc, Salome Smallbone!" The girl stepped out into the arena, only raising her head like a soldiers to the roars of the tumultuous students. It was mostly taunts. Her own faction members tried to dull the naysayers. Salome wasn''t bothered in the least. She was here to battle with her dragon, not carve up favors and loose faith.


    In fact she was rather happy many in the Colosseum many jested.


    It would make her trumping the other riders much more appealing a defeat.


    The announcer''s tone was a bit judgy when he went on: "She appears in purple halo with the offspring of the Abyss, the beast she shalt ride, the deathly Shredder."


    Shredder was the only dragon upon the sands who stood behind his ride, like a loyal dog. Though the creature was dozens of feet taller than Salome, Shredder was sleeker and smaller whenpared to his kind. Frighteningly sharp were the spikes on its back. The purple in the dragon''s eyes were cut across the sands to Bellerophon especially. They were both locked in some kind of staring contest.


    Automatically, their riders hated each other too.


    The games moderator moved along from Salome and her gothic creature to call up the final rider for the Tournament, the only male and the only First Year. Quite a feat, considering he was going up against a seasoned sentinel and other two femme fatales, both of whom had seen one of such Tournament¡ªand knew what to expect.


    "And finally. . .making his second appearance in the games, our champion of the Hunt, Israfel Bl¨¹dth?rste, and the red queen, Zarathustra. Give it up Corynthia for the Crimson Champion and his ruby Raide! Give it up. .


    .FOR YOUR DRAGON RIDDDDEEERRS!" All of the dome went up on their feet. Rafel had be quite the fan favorite after securing gold in the first round of the Games. And it helped hispetitor profile a lot that he was hot. He could see his friends on a row in the middle levels; Aya Naamah pping the loudest.


    "Fuck ''em up!" Ravenna yelled across.


    "RA-FEL! RA-FEL! RA-FEL!"


    Even some Griffin Golds amongst the ranks held up red gs, rooting for both he and Trisha at the same time. Either winning was fine. Rafel raised his eyes up the long, fat crimson and forked tail, churned in vermillion scales up to luminous amber eyes that were already staring down. He raised his eyes to Zara at his right. He sent telepathically,


    "Who are you most uncertain of?"


    For a moment, he didn''t think Zarathustra would hear him directly out of his mind. But then she blinked once, looking down at him.


    "Shredder," she replied.


    No one but the [Phoenix Arc] rider and his dragon heard this dialogue.


    "Hail Corynthia!" The Tournament''s moderator called in his mic glyph to settle the ruckus. The flood of students fell into their seats again. One serpentd close to Coraz¨®n mumbled jealously, "Israfel might''ve been champion of Athena''s hunt, but he does stand a chance in the skies with Coronis. Bolta has ridden upon eleven dragons. She is a wingleader of the Sentinel Corps. Her father is a god.


    Have you seen the size of Coronis?"


    Cora shot the young boy a look.


    "Had you been in actualbat you would know that size doesn''t win wars. Bellerophon might be witty and proud. Shredder might be ruthless. And yes, Coronis is enormous. But they have not what Israfel has with Zarathustra: the perfect union of hearts between a dragon and her rider. I believe in him."


    This shut up thed''s forked tongue in his mouth.


    Above the arena where the dragonriders and their beasts stood, the moderator vanished off the perch as the academy''s headmistress rose on her own ivorystone seat. Nicara was well-wrapped in her opal robes and gold bangles from Florentia on her arms. She raised a hand for all to see. And a deadly quiet fell over the entire stadium.


    At that moment, if a loose stone dropped into the sea, the ind would hear it.


    "Alright riders," said the beautiful headmistress, "mount your dragons!"


    All four beasts went down to the ground for their riders to climb. Zarathustra bent her giraffe neck down to touch the sands, and stayed perfectly still as Rafel clutched to the aids and climbed up thedder-like leather grips to the saddle. He sat astride on her, just at the hollow where her neck slimmed out intorge-boned shoulders.


    Rafel picked up the reins, fastened his stirrup, double-checked his me helmet, and clutched his thighs around the saddle.


    "Comfortable?" Zara offered telepathically.


    Rafel offered back a smile she couldn''t see but felt.


    "You are unusually soft for a dragon." He said.


    "Careful now, red one. I might just throw you off."


    "No you won''t."


    Zara wanted to turn back and catch his smirk on his face but the trumpets sted. In grand, military style. The crowd turned to steel in their seats, not wanting to miss a single moment of the action.


    "RIDERS!" The voice of the Corynthian Academy''s headmistress boomed. "TAKE FLIGHT!"


    Rafel immediately pulled on Zara''s reins.


    She extended her great, red wings. A swift leap up from the ground, and they were in the air.


    Flying.


    It was nothing like riding a pegasus¡ªno offense to Agamemnon.


    Riding Zara, controlling her, bing one with her; it was beautiful. He gripped tighter to the reins as she took them higher into the enchanting blue of dawn. The skies parted for them, and it was wondrous. The pping of the giant wings of four dragons had left the arena briefly blocked out in a dust and windstorm.


    But the colosseum cleared as Griffin faction members summoned an easy gale to weave the dust away.


    The crowd of students and tutors looked up into the heavens to see the blue of Coronis, the red of Zarathustra, the ck of Shredder, and the gold of Bellerophon gliding and twining in the air, and with each other. The clouds turned to mere white smoke as they tore into each one, bludgeoning out in a furry of snow white.


    All the First Years had wide eyes.


    "Oh my Martyr! It''s so beautiful." Rosamunde said. "I have only ever known dragons to cause plunder and devastation."


    "Yes it is. I have seen one Tournament like this, but it still gets me, every single time." Ravenna replied beside Rosa.


    She had not even finished speaking when in the sky, Salome lunged Shredder into Bellerophon. The gold dragon wailed at the sudden attack. Shredder''s dagger talons caught it in its left wing. Trisha, Bellerophon''s rider struggled in her saddle while the beast shrieked and pped on one wing. The other was limp, bleeding at its side.


    Shredder had cut right through it while everyone was busy admiring the beauty of the blending sky.


    "Cunt! Fucking cunt!" Trisha yelled at Salome.


    But Shredder and his female rider weren''t done with the gold dragon yet. Salome pulled on the reins of her ck beast and it climbed up the skies in a streak. Well above Bellerophon and Trisha now, a scarlet churning began to glow in Shredder''s belly. It grew and moved up its throat.


    The whole arena below knew what wasing.


    Fire.


    It sted in a stream of intense green heat from Shredder''s open mouth. The roar of the mes broke apart clouds in its way like a streak of lightning. The first wave of emerald mes speared into Bellerophon''s side. The dragon wailed, struck aze in a green death inferno.


    Trisha saw the mesing, and her eyes widened. There was no steering her dragon away.


    Shredder''s poison green fire enveloped the both of them in a vortex as the ck beast continued to spew more raw volcanic heat. Bellerophon''s injured wing hissed with the sound of blood steaming on the severe gash ripped into its limb. The smell of burning was acrid as both dragon and rider were consumed in the acidic melt.


    And with a final bloodcurdling shriek, Bellerophon fell from the sky.


    The gold dragonnded with a shing thunk to the sands of the arena. It hit the earth so hard several seats jumped.


    "Holy shit." Someone whispered. "Is it dead?"


    The dragon''s broken wing slowly opened, and there was Trisha. She was unrecognizable. Her mboyant blonde tresses were burnt to her scalp. Half her face was red and raw. Her lips were cracked and her jaw looked. .


    .out of order. Her expensive golden flying leathers was burnt into her skin, the nylon melted into her flesh. Shey, sizzling like a human barbecue beside Bellerophon.


    The unmoving dragon and rider were burned brutally. Healers instantly rushed from the mobile clinic with kits in hand.


    Three hundred feet above, in the firmament of heaven still brimming with the heat of the green fire, Shredder floated. He let out a puff of smoky dragonsbreath and grinned evilly. On its back was his rider, Salome Smallbone. She too smiled upon the steaming pile in the center of the Colosseum.


    "Burn in Hel, bitch!" She spat down below.


    Swiftly, she turned Shredder around¡ªall but forgetting the Griffin Dragonrider she had just incinerated¡ªand leveled her eyes on the other two riders remaining between her and victory. Bolta upon Coronis, and Israfel upon Zarathustra.


    Rafel looked in cold rage. Zara had been right.


    Shredder was the one to fear.

 Chapter 192: Hel to Pay

    Poor Bellerophon fell from the skies like Lucifer from heaven¡ªat least what the Temr monks preached. The gold dragon was lost to the Hall of Valor: the celestial realm of the Old gods, but by some miracle its rider, Trisha Turnbull survived. And was revived. She had nasty third-degree burns but would live.


    The Healers swarmed around her and gingerly put her on a gurney for the mdies, carting her away. All the spectators in the Corynthian college''s dome fell back with mixtures of sullen grief and terror. That Salome, dragonrider for the Shadow faction, [Raven Arc] had done that to Trisha was disturbing. The Griffins in the amphitheater couldn''t believe their eyes.


    One skyling said, "It''s not enough to flop in another round of the Games, but we lose a dragon and a damn good rider too? Fuck, man! This is bullshit."


    "Nah. It isn''t." The boy in grim clothing beside the skyling girl replied; his assertion was in an apathetic voice. From the ck swab around his neck, he was clearly a Raven. "Trisha was out of her depth. She''s a Second Year and Salome is a Fourth Year with a dragon who cares shit about rules. There was only one way it could go.


    The thing is we just didn''t expect such a hurl of dragon fire."


    "Yeah, she''s a Second Year. But what about the blood faction''s dragonrider?"


    The [Raven Arc] boy in swarthy shawl moved his eyes away from the gilded skyling girl to the center of the arena where the burned Bellerophony. And further up to the three dragonriders and their pping beasts left in the sky. He gave a sweetly menacing look to the ck streak, Shredder and a two-word reply to the skyling.


    "We''ll see."


    Though it sounded like he so very much wanted to say: ''Shredder will burn them all. Just like that gold, vain bitch and her stupid dragon.''


    The golden card of Griffin Arc on the floating leaderboard screen dulled and went red as the inscription [Terminated!] red onto it. Only three Arcs now remained in the Tournament. For Raven, Salome riding Shredder. For Phoenix, Israfel astride Zarathustra. And for Pegasus, Bolta and the colossal Coronis. Rafel was in between the rage of two formidable [Fourth Year] riders.


    He gulped in his ce high in the clouds.


    Below, the crowd couldn''t care less about what did happen to poor Trisha, or what would be of her state if the Healers did manage to piece her back together. Such was the risk of the riders Tournament; those who fell were quickly forgotten. The colosseum turned their gazes rather to the dragonriders left in the sky. The battle of dragons wasn''t over.


    Not with the deadly eyes of Shredder set on Coronis and Zarathustra.


    Zara sensed Rafel''s worry at the ck dragon. She spoke telepathically to him. "Breathe, red one. Just breathe. Hold my reins tight. Hold me close.


    Never let go. And we''ll be just fine."


    Rafel sighed on her. His thighs tightened around the saddle and he clutched firmly to her straps. Zara''s words sounded like lyrics to a romantic song. Felt off to him. He didn''t do romance. It was blood and war, and the fact that he was damn good at it that got him this far.


    He was a lone wolf. He didn''t trust himself when fighting with another.


    He was scared. Scared for Zara.


    Rafel leaned over here long, crimson neck.


    "B-But Shredder¡ª"


    "But nothing," replied his female dragon.


    Just then, the noise of the crowd which had begun chanting reached them from below. "FIGHT! FIGHT! DRAGON FIGHT!" They roared. Rafel was lucky to pull his eyes up when he did, because he saw Salome rip at Shredder''s reins. The ck dragon tore out from the fluff of a particr grey cloud, firing like a bullet for them.


    Its speed was astonishing. Bolta saw the attack too.


    "Israfel!" She yelled in warning.


    Shredder lunged a swift aerial attack, its obsidian talon extended to tear into Zara''s side just as he had done with Bellerophon. He attacked from the left, whipping out from behind the cloud like a charcoal blur, scattering the fine clouds.


    "Zara, up!" Rafel pulled sharply at the reins on his red dragon.


    Zarathustra immediately flew straight up, just as Shredder hit their position. The ck dragon''s ws met with cold air. Zara and her rider evaded its attack. An apuse hit the clouds from the rotund square below. Salome growled atop her ck, purple-eyed menace.


    "You idiot First Year! Do you think you can take me? Stay still, and let me make this quick. I promise to kill you fast enough."


    SKREEEEE!!!


    Shredder let out a piercing shriek for effect.


    Rafel chuckled above them both in the sky. "You wish."


    "Oi!" Bolta called from the right. And both Salome and her dragon''s heads whipped to the blue rider at the same time. "Why don''t you pick on someone your own size?"


    "dly." Salome returned. Her smile was all teeth.


    ''Gods! This girl is crazy.'' Rafel was thinking.


    Zara heard this and crooned back to look up at him.


    "She sure is. Why don''t we help the Olympian, red one?" Rafel agreed and turned her reins down to join the ensuring fight. Coronis, Bolta''s dragon and Shredder were circling each other, assessing for weak points. Zarathustra joined the fray. "Oh goody! Look who''se to y?!" The voice was thin; Rafel followed the prickly sound to the throat of Shredder.


    It nearly hurt his ears.


    Salome chuckled and patted her beast''s glinting, onyx scales. The ck dragon went on speaking in the voice of cracking ice.


    "Be warned, O fools today! There''ll be hell to pay."


    Bolta scoffed. "Does he always speak in rhymes. Is he retarded or something, and this is the only way for him tomunicate?"


    Shredder''s smile turned to a snarl.


    "Fuck you." Salome cursed on his behalf. And she gripped her reins hard. "Rip her to shreds!" She gave the ck dragonmand. Shredder needed no further incentive to hurt Bolta. He sent back his mighty ck bat wings and moved in swift speed. Those grim spikes on its hard back forked into the air like quills of a porcupine.


    It swooped across the distance, lightning quick.


    But Coronis was ready. Being thergest dragon in the bunch, she swiped out with her wing, catching the ck dragon on its face. Shredder fell back with a yelp, tumbling a few feet down in the sky.


    m! The force of Coronis''s heavy wallop hit.


    "Ooh!" The crowd in the stadium fell back in unison. It was a good punch; caught the monster square across its elongated jaw. Whenpared to Coronis''s sheer strength, Shreddercked the advantage. If she got another blow in, it just might send the ck dragon to the sands. Salome sucked in her teeth and settled her dragon again in the air.


    She opened her angry mouth, insulting the blue dragonrider and her creature hotly.


    "You overweight monster. You shouldn''t even be in this Tournament. You''re too fat."


    "And you''re evil." Bolta retorted.


    Rafel was at the moment behind Shredder. Zara was pping and waiting for his silent instruction on her reins. She spotted also the moment he saw weakness: an open spot on the body of Shredder. In utter silence, Rafel pushed his dragon forward. Zara moved forward, fast. She kept quiet until she was just a breath away from mping her teeth around Shredder''s throat.


    Then the dragon lifted her lofty, scarlet horned head and let out a fierce howling.


    Salome spotted her out the corner of her eye, but was not fast enough to pull on Shredder''s reins.


    "Dodge, boy," was all she could say.


    Shredder took the initiative and dived before Zara''s whalish jaws could close around his neck. The shark teeth mped down hard.


    Snap!


    It missed his throat by one-thousandth of a second.


    It was Shredder''s slipperiness that saved it from fatality. The ck dragon arced up into the sky away from both bigger dragons. Salome caressed its neck. "Good boy." Shredder was annoyed and nearly threw her off. "I''m not a boy, wench!" He shook off Salome''s petting. She offered a quick apology.


    "Oh, sorry I guess?"


    Shredder growled but kept flying with her. A few dozen feet under them, Coronis was in hot pursuit. She opened her mouth and a furious streak of blue lightning charged out from her mouth. It missed Shredder by a heartbeat.


    More shes of marine fireballs left Coronis''s great jaws, lightening the sky in dark frights. Shredder suddenly turned on its tail and faced Coronis with death in its poison eyes. "KILL! KILL! KILL!" The crowd was chanting in the arena. Salome tried to pull her dragon in the other direction but it would not budge.


    "What the fuck are you doing? You''re gonna get us killed! She''s thrice your size."


    Shredder didn''t take his purple orbs off Coronis.


    "Dragons do not run from a fight." He replied his female rider. "If it displeases you, you are free to take your chances with the fucking air."


    With that said¡ª


    SWOOP!


    Shredder folded in his tenebrous wings and began plummetting at terrible speed. Bolta held Coronis'' reins tight. "Steady girl. Steady." Salome''s eyes widened as neither one of the dragons showed signs of retreat. "I do not run from a girl!" Shredder yelled. "Then you shalt die by a girl!" Coronis shrieked back and thunder whipped the heavens.


    A fearsome blue stream of fire left her mouth and an equal devastating green firestorm flooded out from Shredder''s ck lips.


    "Fuck." Salome muttered just as the fireballs exploded in the air and both dragons crashed into each other.


    Shredder''s sharp talons knifed into Coronis''s belly and her own gaping, mighty jaws finally found rest in his neck. Both dragons howled in pain and fell together from the skies. They were descending at great speed. Tearing at each other. Biting.


    "Shit." Rafel said atop Zara. "We need to save them."


    He pulled and she rushed for the falling dragons. With a swift tumble in the air, Rafel dragged Bolta and then Salome up into the saddle with him. The two girls had already fainted from the initial sh, and Salome had a broken leg. He pulled them into his ride and left their dragons to fight it out to the death. A hundred feet to hard earth, Coronis finally cleaved the head from Shredder.


    But not before he dug out her entire stomach with his wrenching talons.


    DUM!


    The earth pounded as the two monstrous dragons fell to the ground. A windstorm blew out at the explosion of their bodies hitting the sands. As the dust cleared, Coronisy on her wingside: a blue-scaled juggernaut struggling to live; nearly all of her gigantic intestines were sshed across the arena.


    Shredder''s headless bodyy on its back, and the head of the ck dragon was found not too far way. The purple eyes had lost their magic.


    The entirety of the colosseum crowd was doused in a spray of wet, coppery dragon blood. Some kids even had it in their open mouths. Students were ck-jawed.


    In the bedarkened skies, only the red dragon and her rider remained, floating above the bodies of the fallen. Zarathustra sent up her serpentine tail behind to ruffle the scarlet bun on Rafel''s head. They had won. In battle, blood, and glory. Zara said telepathically to him. "You have a pure soul for a demon.


    You didn''t let the girls die¡ªeven Shredder''s rider."


    Rafel said nothing. The bloodlust gleamed in the eyes of the filled amphitheater. And just a secondter, they all jammed to their feet: boys and girls, all factions, all species, and they thundered; dragon blood fresh on their faces like war paint. They screamed out for thest Dragonrider.


    "YAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

 Chapter 193: Danger Whore

    THE WINGS OF ZARATHUSTRA, Rafel''s ruby dragon casted a vast umbra arc on the rotund arena down below. The formation of her shadow spread over the Colosseum''s Populi, blocking out the roseate sun. Spools of radiance funneled through the silver clouds, and while the students of [C.A.W] in the arena cheered, Rafel looked perturbed at the two sleeping girls in the saddle with him.


    "You think they''ll be fine, Zara?" He asked of his dragon. No one could see his worried face this far up; the pupils of the witch academia were happily pping away below. Zara''s red wings glimmered in sunlight and her shadow on the ground cast the arena under dark spotlight.


    The splotches of blood that had rained down at Shredder''s beheading made the amphitheater into something of a fright. But the young Casters of the institute cared nothing for the dragon''s blood dribbling down their faces and soaking into their knickers. The love of the Tournament zed in their eyes: a warped sense of sportsmanship.


    "Hail Corynthia!" They roused proudly. It was alright though. Things were seldom sane around here.


    Zara turned her long neck around in a fascinating angle and pierced Rafel with her golden reptile eyes. Herrge head was bigger than his entire self. She sent a nce to the girls he''d spoken about in his question: Salome and Bolta. Her reply was nothing of an attachment.


    "Yes. They shall be fine. Their little hearts beat still. The Olympian is onlyatose. But Shredder''s rider shall require a cast over that leg. The same can''t be said for their dragons though.


    I hear only one dragon heart beating upon the sands beneath us. You mean well, red one. But only Coronis yet lives, the blue storm." Rafel shifted in his saddle on Zara''s back with a sigh. "At least Morta spared the life threads of these two."


    Zara gave a lowugh that sounded out like a seductive purr. "Oh, red one! I don''t think the Fates had anything to do with those girls still being on the mortal coil. It was you who took the risk to save their lives. I''m sure they''ll never forget that."


    "Thank you." Rafel said aloud. Zara gave him again the equivalent of a dragon''s smile and turned her head away, looking down on the celebratory ruckus going on in the majestic amphitheater. Girls were waving red gs, Rafel''s riding colors. Zara said to her rider, "shall we go and im our prize then?"


    "Absolutely," replied his sultry baritone from behind.


    And Zara folded her wings¡ªmaking fresh sunlight ssh out¡ªand began a free fall. Rafel pulled a sleeping Bolta and Salome tighter to him in the saddle so they wouldn''t fall. The friction of swift air sent tears leaking out his eyes. He and his dragonnded as one upon the sands and the jubilee trumpeted even higher. All Arcs of the academy pped, thundering for him in a standing ovation.


    Rafel didn''t fail to notice that Zara carefully avoided stepping into the carcasses of the felled dragons. She did kick at Shredder''s head though, before lowering her scaly neck for him to climb down. She folded her gigantic wings under her body and sat on the sands. Rafel pulled Bolta and Salome off with him, delivering them safe into the hands of the Healers who came running in.


    "Careful with her leg. It''s broken." He said of Salome.


    Then raised his eyes to the Tournament stats on the enormous camp screen; he of course was top of the board. The other dragonriders were ranked ording to the level of fight they had put up in the sky. Rafel stood as the lone dragonrider of the four factions, surrounded by glory and blitzy-eyed groupies he didn''t give a fuck about. He shouldn''t think that of his mates. But he did.


    He had watched a girl burn out of the skies like roast chicken. If it''d been in Hel, he could stomach it, but this fucking mortal realm had spun something of a conscience within him.


    ''No wonder Auntie doesn''t stay here for long.''


    Mortals had a way of making you feel for them. Love them. Want to protect them. "Fuck." Rafel cussed under a breath.


    After the results of the [Dragon Riding] tournament were added to the previous Triathlon and Athena''s Hunt, [Raven Arc] came up astoundingly to second ce on the leaderboard. [Phoenix Arc] remained as first. And [Pegasus Arc] dropped to a tie with [Griffin Arc]. The sum total of the Blood Faction''s leading points were a titanic 74 gold and 13 silver. Zero brass.


    Rafel was awarded the Epic Totem of Ghanoush by a very proud Headmistress. He pulled up his sleeves to ept the [Rune Tattoo] next to the other ink he had across his left forearm. "May the helm of Ghanoush, Overlord over Chaos magic always protect." Dr. Nicara Shetty beamed over him.


    The moment the totem was ced, Rafel stepped down the high dais of the Romanesque arena, slipped under the nearest arch of shadows he could find, and vanished.


    He literally disappeared.


    As his bodily self disintegrated into darkness of his [Shadow-world], thest thing he could hear of the amphitheater was the sound of ten hundred witches, vampires, and werewolves calling out his name. Just as Peitho came ringing his ear with a new notification:


    [Ding!]


    [Hidden Quest Achieved!]


    [NEWEST RANK: The Last Dragonrider.]


    [Host is on the verge on ascending into Third Infernal Circle. Fulfill more quests. Bed more suitable waifus. Or unlock Hel miniverse. . .to up current levels.]


    Peitho''s lovely voice wisped out as Rafel exploded out a vortex of rippling shadows in a mountain. He emerged from his umbrae portal at a teau halfway up the sky-reaching stone cliff. Stepping out from the darkness that shielded his entry, Rafel took a moment to stare into the panorama that met his eyes. The horizon was alpine and marine.


    He could see the beaches of the ind the academy was built on this high on the mountain.


    From hundreds of feet nted on hard rock, he spotted gulls in the distance, a herd of mountain goats grazing among wet caves, and wild horses racing together in the far moors. And the sun looked just a bit more golden from this ce. He was surrounded by serenity and wilnd beauty; everything that had moved him to the mortal ne in the first ce.


    Rafel moved to the edge of the cliff and sat. His long legs dangled off of it.


    He closed his amber eyes under the warm evening sun and breathed deeply. The air was smooth, smelled of a country woman baking bread for supper. Or at least that was the image that came into his head when he breathed. A country woman. Preferably older. With lush curves carved of nature.


    Ample bosoms like Mother Gaia''s pears. Eyes green like the gardens of Eden. Generous buttocks you could pet and love and smack¡ª


    "This is quite the view, red one."


    Rafel''s eyes shed open.


    He recognized Zara''s voice instantly. She purred like a cat, not a mighty dragon. Still, no one interrupted his fantasies. Not even the great scarlet beast. He roared his annoyance without even turning to look at her: "What are you doing here, dragon? This is a private ce."


    "Is it now?"


    There was that purr again.


    Rafel couldn''t help the swivel of his neck. And when he did look, he was gobsmacked. Awed. Be-fucking-fuddled! Zara had changed. She was a woman.


    Like a real. . .woman. She had tits and hips, and by the gods they were something. His mouth fell open. The anger evaporated from his skull.


    At once, Rafel forgot what he was going to say.


    He gave the standing bombshell a slow perusal.


    Her hair was copper-blonde, which was a striking wave against her red skin. Skin so full and thick it glistened in the sun. Her flowing hair came around to her waist, sshing her wide hips in a golden halo. Rafel loved her crimson flesh with open lust. He was always a sucker for changeling women.


    She had on a lowcut gown with slits on both sides, and though the ck Hellene-style satin fell in pools to the tstone of the mountain, Rafel could see clear up her scarlet toenails and delicate feet up her fine legs to robust ripe thighs. She was all sinful curves. She filled her dress¡ªand then spilled some.


    "Zara?" He gasped.


    "It is me, red one." She smiled. "I''m trying a new look."


    What? He couldn''t even speak. She was scorching red hot!


    Zara took a seat beside him, dangling her legs off the cliff next to his. Rafel couldn''t believe this was the dragon he had ridden in the tournament; felt all of this crimson flesh under him and didn''t know. This voluptuous ruby blonde. Zarathustra was one hell of a fucking smasher in her human form.


    She put up her hands to the tip of one of her ck, crescent horns as she studied him.


    "I saw you leave earlier in a haste. I figure all the me throwing must''ve thrown you." Zara dropped her hand. "I vomited the first time I roasted a goat, but I was hungry and forced it down anyway."


    Rafel blinked. "You swallowed it whole?"


    She nodded, and theyughed together. Zara went on. "What I''m saying is that I get the feeling? Some times even demons and dragons grow a heart. In light of that, I feel like I need toe in about something you asked me earlier. The real reason I chose you to be my rider is because.


    . ." She wrung her hands in her hair, "I''m a bit of a danger whore."


    Rafel looked to her to expatiate.


    "Danger whore?"


    "Yes. Well I-I get real excited around dangerous people. The scarier the better. I did a little dive into your history and found you''re as dangerous as theye. A demon with a equal bloodthirst and vibrant sex drive? Come on!


    I just had to choose you. I couldn''t help it." Sheughed. It was music.


    Rafel was staring out into the sunset on the range. Zara continued.


    "You''re awful quiet for someone who had a lot to say to me earlier. Tell me, how can I make all this guilt you''re feeling go away?"


    Rafel did turn from the panorama at this. His warm eyes settled on hers.


    "Really?"


    "Yes really." She chuckled.


    Rafel inched close to her face, and she saw that the warmth in his eyes wasn''t warmth at all. It was sin and devious darkness. Rafel said coldly, "I''d like to drag you into that cave behind us and show you how dangerous I can be."


    "I...uh...R-Red One¡ª"


    Rafel interrupted her with bass that hit harder than the rock under them.


    "Call me Israfel."

 Chapter 194: Mating Press [18+] ? [Ecchi]

    [?? Turn Down For What ¨C DJ Snake ¡é Lil Jon.]


    Zara''s sensuous body gleamed under the sun, pure, caramel red temptation. A gift from Aphrodite. She was shapely as freshly plucked fruit, bathed in the essence of blood. The ripe mounds of her bosoms as mangoes peeking out beneath the green fronds: a sulent, luscious yellow. Her skin, red as the Nile at dusk, and those creamy bountifuls under her gown worthy of pages in the [Kama Sutra].


    She was his Egyptian Cleopatra.


    Rafel was staring. ''I would pound this voluptuous dragon chick to the Alexandrian moon and back. I owe it to men everywhere. Hell! How the fuck did I not feel those knockers all the while we were up in the sky. She is soft as can be.'' Peitho was listening in to her Host''s ruminations for the thick red babe, but kept her own thoughts to herself.


    She desired with all her artificial consciousness to see how this would end¡ªor begin.


    "I can''t do that. I''m sorry." Zara turned her face. His eyes were too alluring.


    "You don''t have to do anything."


    ''You just let me love and manhandle that red body of yours in all the ways possible.'' Rafel didn''t say this out loud. Inside his head, Peitho chuckled, but quickly subdued her own wanton peep before her Lord Host knew she was observing him and Zara.


    The buxom [dragon girl] fingered her onyx horns as she felt Rafel''s amber eyes touch every spot and dash of her tempting flesh he could see; his gaze was liquid. Zara felt cornered. Cornered by a lust so severe she couldn''t think a single thought that didn''t have something to do with fucking. And her rider''s wicked eyes was not helping. Why did she have to go and choose this. .


    .demon?


    She was inmed by the look he was giving her. The urge to reach down and release her tight body made her fingers quake. She felt she might just melt under the dusk sun if she didn''t do something. Quick! Zara bristled. "I should not havee.


    I shouldn''t be this close to you. You''re really, really fucking hard to say no to, especially when you''re there looking like that."


    She bit on her bottom lip. "Ugh. Why do have to be so handsome."


    Rafel leaned into her delicious neck and inhaled. He breathed her in, and let her know he was doing it. His pink lips moved softly against her skin, his voice caressing her ear like a shower rain. "There are so many things you shouldn''t do, Zarathustra. But you''re here. With me.


    I will make all the wrong things feel right."


    Zara was dumbstruck at his confidence and hard honesty. It aroused her. He knew of his power.


    She moved an inch back again.


    "I love it when you call me by my name."


    "You''ll love it more when you scream out mine." He bit into her feline neck with his teeth.


    Zara clenched her fat thighs together. She nearly jumped out of her crimson skin. "Get away from me, demon!" She mmed both her hands into his chest; it was a bad idea. Rafel caught them and held them. Her fingers shivered in his palms. He kissed her neck a few seconds then brought up his head to look into her eyes.


    He pulled her hand up to his mouth.


    "Tell me you don''t want this." He ced his lips to her wrist. "Tell me, red dragon, and I''ll let you be."


    "I¨CI. . ."


    She was still facing away into the moors distant from the mountaintop as she stuttered for a reply. Rafel opened her clenched fingers and sucked the forefinger into his mouth. "Tell me, Zara." She became breathy and moaned a soft sound. Rafel flicked the top of the finger with his tongue and she gasped at the shocking jolt of warm pleasure. It was delicious. "By the gods!" She rasped.


    Rafel tutted: "Ah-ah, dragon. No gods here. It is only I."


    And then he turned her face from the wilderness to him and kissed her full on the mouth. "Oh." Zara''s first try was to push him off; to stop the flood of heat that swamped her at the taste of his lips. But then his tongue entered her mouth, and she was lost. "Yes," she hissed, her inner dragon slithering out. She opened her mouth and epted him in.


    Her hands sought out his shirt and she fisted the cors of his dark tunic. "Come closer, rider. I need you closer. I want to drink you. I want to taste you. No one is here.


    You can ride me however you want. Use me. Take me. Fondle me."


    Rafel grasped her hair.


    "Yes. Dominate me. Gods! Don''t stop."


    He bent her head back and deepened the kissing, silencing out her moans. She withered in his arms, clutching to his clothes as he devoured her mouth. His tongue was hot velvet, and it roamed with hers. Zara wondered why she didn''t already fuck him the moment she''d winged to this mountain. Her rider was a frigate ship. A war machine.


    A Destroyer. She bent her body for his lips and gave him her all.


    "Mhmm. Hmmm." She sucked his tongue and licked his mouth, making wet wanton noises. He pulled her bottom lip between his teeth and she quivered in his embrace. Her breasts were mashed and colossallyrge against his chest. Every scrape of her ck satin sent a new shiver hurling to her core. She was wet as she''d never been¡ªand that was saying something of a dragon.


    Rafel only broke contact when they were just about to suffocate each other.


    "You were saying?" Rafel lightly smacked her cheek, then kissed the burn. Zara was a goner.


    He started a slow rake with his beautiful mouth down her body. His lips kissed the teardrops of need under her longshes and his tongue swept out to take them. He dropped to her neck and inhaled deeply into her bronze skin. "You are a drug, Zara," he growled. "You intoxicate me. I want to pound you so hard you''ll feel me for a week in your pussy."


    "Ah, red one!"


    Rafel gave her a smashing quick kiss. "Call me Israfel I said. I won''t repeat myself."


    Zara nodded and gulped. He was easing her legs apart, spreading those thick damask thighs. Her flesh was a ruby treasure, endless and hypnotic. Zara lowered her voice to a subus'' whisper. "You want my breasts?" Rafel''s eyes flew back and forth between her golden iris and the robust pears swaying under her flimsy gown.


    "You want some titties? Yeah?"


    Grrrrhhh. Rafel went growling. His eyes furious ck.


    "I''ll show you titties." Zara unfastened the gold sp of her gown in front. The sweet ripeness of twin flesh immediately bobbed free. Rafel''s heart was ddened tremendously. His face was void of mortal essence. Zara coaxed him to her red, topping nipples. "Uh-huh.


    Yes. There you go, rider! Suck on my boobs."


    Rafel''s head dropped down to her mighty chest.


    And he began sucking. And suckling. And slurping away.


    Zara''s breasts were heavy and swayed against his face. Her skin was rich and her bosoms prosperous. "Ohh yeah, you like that?" She moaned. "I know you do." A piercing smile showed seductively on her scarlet lips. "Don''t slow down. You''re such a greedy boy." Rafel swallowed greedily under her as continued rubbing his head and urging him¡ªas if he needed incentive tosh out at those jugs.


    SLURP!


    "This is the first time..."


    SLURP! SLURP!


    "...the first time I''ve had huge, red breasts to suck from. You''re so beautiful, Za¡ª"


    PLOP!


    The busty dragon smashed his head back in, drowning his voice out under her melons. "Silence, rider! Don''t speak. Suck on my breasts. Bite them if you want. Oh yes!" She hissed as he gnawed and pawed at her bosoms.


    The globes mushed his face and Zara rolled and tweaked the nipples in his face, grasping her sulent plumpness and offering generous flesh to his mouth. She moaned breathily, "you suck ''em so good. Fuck. Gods yes! Don''t stop. I want your mouth full of my ripe berries.


    You''ve got me going. And now you''re gonna get it."


    SLURP!


    "Eh¡ª"


    Zara pulled Rafel''s head up under her and began pulling up her dress. She abrupty dragged him to the center of her voluptuous thighs. His dragon was curvaceous. Delicious. Prodigious. Wondrous.


    Zara could barely get off her tights before he sank into the cleft of her womanhood.


    "Oh. My. Gods!" She trembled.


    She had managed to pull off the panties only one leg, and with the underwear dangling off her left ankle, she grabbed onto Rafel''s head and pushed him further in. "Yes handsome, go deeper. Lick that wet pussy." She squeezed her breasts. "Fuck." Her gold eyes med and rolled into the back of her head. "Yes. Smell that damp fecking cunt!


    It''s all yours, Israfel. Will you let me ride your face..."


    SLURP! SLURP!


    Rafel nodded under her, face smashed between her fat, shakingps.


    "...yes? You will?"


    Zara lifted to a squat and dragged his head into her sex. She rammed his face into herbia and began moving up and down. Her pussy filled his nose and eyes and all he could breathe was thick woman. She began shaking and held him down and she released a healthy stream of squirting on his face. "Oh yes. I''ming.


    Stay right there. I want this pussy to drown you. Bathe in my fucking cunt. Fuck yeah! Ahhhhhnnnnnn."


    She came all over his face, moaning and panting, and clutching to his head under her huge, spread, crimson, lush thighs.


    Zara''s eyes flew open.


    "I''m not done with you yet. Oh no. Not by a long mile, rider."


    She shifted him to a sitting position and tore off his flying leathers. Her talons ripped it to tatters. Out came popping a ferocious member, ready to conquer. Rafel came out so hard his cock whipped her face. Zara was already panting like a cat in heat and thirsted for his dick. "Mhmmmmmm." She licked the bulbous gold tip.


    "You''re so juicy. Your dick is big." She poured saliva onto his cock. "I love big dick."


    "Thank y. . .ahh."


    Rafel''s appreciation flunked when she opened those scarlet lips and consumed him whole. Her mouth took his cock and didn''t stop until he was throbbing in her throat.


    GLUG! GLUG! GLUG!


    "Oh yes." Her mouth was fat with his pipe.


    GLUG! GLUG!


    Rafel''s head fell back as she milked him.


    GLUG!


    Her mouth left him with a pop and a glistening monster with veins running jagged. His shaft quaked between her eyes. "Yes. Give it to me," she moaned. Her hands found his fat penis and began pumping it. She spat and spat on it, lubricating her hand motions.


    Rafel''s thighs were jerking. Zara pumper faster. "Yes, my rider! Give it all to me. Give me your seed. .


    ."


    SPLAT! SPLAAAT! SPLAT!


    Rafel''s hot semen rushed onto her face. He gushed, pouring in her hair and on her cheeks.


    Zara smiled clouded in spunk: "Is that all you got?"


    In a sh, they were gone from the mountain''s cliff edge and into the cave some yards behind. Before Zara could blink twice, he''d had her pinned to the rough cavern walls and gripped her throat, kicking apart her legs. He held her bound and mmed into her pussy, thrusting up her slick channel to the extremes.


    "Ahhh!" Zara''s eyes zed out; literal fire.


    Her tail wrapped around him as he pounded her in that position for a good, long while. Zara kept him fit like a glove inside her with his extremely skilled strokes.


    "Yes. Yes."


    PAH! PAH!


    He hit her G-spot. And every other spot.


    Rafel switched to her ass, pinching her clit while he drilled her hardcore. Sweat dripped from his brow as he jammed his red, voluptuous dragon up her tight slut ass. Zara came again that way; curling her forked tail around his torso and holding him tightly behind her as her ck talons raked fragments of stone in the cave''s hew. Her orgasm cries echoed in mountain stone.


    She pushed Rafel down in a blur to the hard ground. It cracked under them. Their fucking was more supernatural than anything. She sat on his dick, which was like bronze as he speared inside her again, making her yellow slitted eyes shine out. Again. "Ohh.


    Yes. Yes. Fuck me. Fuck me, rider. Fuck me."


    She bent over him and held him in a bear hug, easing him in and out of her in this position. She was on top and naked. Riding. Screaming out his name as he''d promised. Her wealth of copper hair thrown in a wildness about her. This embrace was his dragon''s mating press.


    He felt subdued, but not used. He was enjoying the fuck out of her bountiful curves jiggling on him.


    The pping of her ass globes behind.


    The smacking of her magnificent breasts together.


    The sliding of her sweaty, red skin.


    They came together this way for the final time.


    "Ah. Ah. Ahhhhhnnnnnn!"


    Zara wrapped Rafel tight, both with her body, her tail, and her crimson gold wings. She let him pour into her womb, her channel spasming with his own throbbing cock inside of her. Rafel pulled her up to sit on his face, immensely satisfied to watch how he''d creampied her. He tongued her fleshy inner thighs, loving the crimson glow and heat of her womanhood.


    Zara rubbed his head as thest rays of sunset found its way into the cave; they were only by the entrance. Looking down on her Adonis-ish rider, she asked, "Would you like to be my Sire?"

 Chapter 195: Safe Space

    In the Goth quarters of the Salem Hall dormitory, the lights were dim and the torches had gone out over the regency archways. The young witches of the academy had retired for the evening and a spooky calm reigned over the mystical corridors.


    It was nearly midnight at the Twelfth roaming hour and only patrols of the [Sentinel Corps] could be seen in fields and on sidewalks, marshalling the ind''s borders.


    At this ungodly hour of night, whispers of a group noised its way out of the hall''s forlorn cafeteria. It was the sound of bubblyughter. It was Rafel and his friends, having ate night sup in the time after the tournament of dragons¡ªwhich ended hours ago. A bawdy male voice broke the eerie quiet of the Corynthian vestibules asunder.


    And a murder-herd of wraiths flying over the isle at that moment turned to one another to share a look.


    They continued on their way to the distant viges, and to the home of whomever sorry fellow they were about to ruin for the night. In the dorm''s canteen, moreughter echoed out the white-tiled eatingce. The lights in the cafeteria were only on above a longtable in which the friends sat, like true Viking tribesmen and their shield maidens aft a victorious pige and raping.


    The longtable to trade stories and drink on stale mead, and roar about the skulls they''d fucked.


    There were no aproned cooks in the room. From behind the counter, Coraz¨®n weaved out with several trays wielded in her hands. She held up those tes with serious expertise and Rafel, seated at the head of the table with his friends left and right watched as she made way with more food in something of awe.


    She reached the longtable and dished out the tes of steaming pasta like she had the invisible [Eight Arm] ability of a parasite demon.


    "Here you go, Your Eminence. Percival, here''s yours. Ravenna, this one''s for you, with the chili peppers fried just how you like it. Aya, yours is a bit salty. . .per your acquired taste.


    And Brunhilda! I put no meats in yours. Cheers to our vegan girl. I personally have a chunk of quail''sp. I don''t know how you do it, dear, but for me, a well-wrapped steak in oil and condiments tastes like heaven."


    Cora plopped down with her own tes at the closest left of Rafel.


    "Hear! Hear!" Percival raised an ale horn to her. He too agreed vehemently with her about the total need for meat in a good meal. s, Brunhilda was vegetarian to the bone. Percival taunted Cora as she unfolded a napkin over her chest. "You know, moonhairedss, if you let your hair grow a bit longer and started wearing dresses, a wealthy Lord or Sailsman might juste for you."


    Ravenna scoffed. "Cora, in a dress? Please. Pigs would grow wings!"


    Everyone broke intoughter. Percival clutched to his fork and grumbled. "I have seen stranger things happen." Aya Naamah quietly said from her perch beside Cora; with her friends circle she didn''t have to hide her subian blue skin and wore it sexily under the candlemps over the longtable. She glowed from the inside. "Aren''t we forgetting the main thing about our moonhairedss though?"


    She made air quotes with delicate fingers.


    "Cora much prefer the honeyed cunt to throbbing cock!"


    HAHAHAHA!


    Another raucous round ofughter broke in the hollow cafeteria. Percival pounded the table and bellied right out his throat. Ravenna snorted and Brunhilda had to drink some water. Cora hid her face under her napkin. "Oh my gods! You did not!


    You Subus!" She pinned Aya''s amused smile with slitted blue eyes. Aya only shrugged.


    "Wanting pussy is nothing to be ashamed of."


    It broke a fresh wave ofughter on the longtable and Percival grabbed his jug for a fresh pour of ale into his horn. Cora finally pulled her palm away from her face. She was flushed red as beetroot. And she said to rify¡ªor at least tried to. "I do not prefer either. I like what I like."


    "That being said, Israfel''s is the only cock you''ll suck." Percival taunted, drawing sniggles.


    Coraz¨®n tossed him a globe of pomegranate.


    "Eat your spaghetti, asshole!"


    "Hey!" He dramatically scratched at his blond head, but still made swirly eyes at her.


    Everyone picked up their cutlery and waited for Rosamunde at the far end of the longtable to say Grace. Of all in his harem, Rosa was the most aloof. But Rafel knew it only meant she loved more deeply. He let her keep her distance. Rosa had being her own woman for a long time. And she wasn''t about to change now.


    He had been quiet, until he lifted his fork and took a bite.


    "Mhmm, Coraz¨®n," his appreciative moan was part growl and sounded so gruffly sexual, "your food is always a delight. I forgot just how much I miss your cooking. Always remind me, yes?"


    Cora sighed at the look in his eyes. The creeping blush on her neck spooled in her cheeks. No man ever made her so mind-tipsy as this man. She loved Israfel. She loved him with all her heart. Cora gulped and answered.


    "Yes." She was hooked on watching him eat; savoring every bite of her rushed pasta. Something she had only the remnant spices left in the canteen''s drawers to work with.


    Cora ate slowly and stared at the others wolf down theirs. This, was her people. Each time she remembered Lilith had nearly robbed her of this, it made her swear to watch the head of her Coven Matriarch hang for it. ''But patience. Patience in all things.'' Her Apollyon had taught her¡ªback many moons under the pinnd moors of Emberfall.


    Cora was brought back to the table when Percival licked his tes and burped loudly.


    "Eww!!!" Ravenna tossed her napkin in his face.


    Others cringed and made faces. Brunhilda didn''t. Percival looked at her. "Do you like it when I burp?"


    "What?"


    Bruna''s sudden admonishment piqued everyone''s interest and made them listen in. She folded back in her own chair. "I don''t know what you''re talking about."


    "Really?" Percival sat back. "So you don''t fancy scripts and acts of more profane fornication on our touchscreens?" Everyone had finished off their food, tes scraped clean. And they reclined back, sipping on frothy mead as they watched. Bruna looked startled; this was what interested everyone because nothing ever started the goth damsel. She was cool as could be.


    She didn''t talk much, like Israfel, so no one really knew what her fancies were.


    Until now.


    "Really." Brunhilda adopted a brave face.


    But Percival was not done yet. "So you don''t watch videos of butt smashing witches turn dominatrix on their hunters, subdue them, fart in their faces, and sometimes even devour them afterward? You don''t vault over the restricted section in the library and scurry pages of forbidden tomes for acts of intimacy that involve female domination and hi roley? Because I know you do.


    I have your screen''s password."


    Bruna''s eyes bulgedically. "How the fuck do you have that?"


    "Study group." Percival gulped more ale.


    A pregnant silence fell over the longtable and Cora cleared her throat and began packing up the tes. Rosa wrung her hands. "Maybe we shouldn''t talk about this, you know?" she said. She looked nervously around at the others. Cora dropped off the tes in a pile behind the cafeteria''s counter and returned to the table just as Rafel leaned in and dropped his goblet atop the burnish.


    He said, "Bruna''s sex life is private. And whatever or whomever she chooses to do in it is her own business. I agree with Rosa on this. But I think Percy is not trying to be a douche. He just wants her to feel normal talking to us about it." He met Brunhilda''s foxy eyes. "He just wants you to know; same as everyone here that we would not judge.


    Here with us: your friends, Bruna, this is a safe space."


    Brunhilda nodded and closed her eyes a moment. She opened them but still frowned at Percival.


    "Fine. I like some weird things. Yes. But I only watched the video about the guy who shat in that girl''s ass one time, okay?"


    There was a pindrop silence in the entire canteen.


    Percival''s mouth dropped open. Aya had a glint in her eye. Rosa and Ravenna weren''t blinking. Cora avoided everyone''s eyes. And Rafel was rigid in his chair. Now he knew Bruna had a warped disposition when it came to romances but a guy shitting in a girl''s ass?


    "Holy shit!" Ravenna gasped, finally breaking the silence. "I shouldn''t say shit. SHIT! Why am I still saying shit. Oh gods!"


    The room was silent another second before all of them burst into guffaws. It shook everyone round the longtable. Cora went red in the face, imagining the scenario where she would let someone take a dump on her. Never! But it was fucking hrious. "Oh gods!


    By the Martyr. I can''t feel my ribs." Rosa was shaking in her chair, but stillughing.


    Rafel reached further more in his chair at the head of the table, the first among the group to sessfully calm his giggles. He pinned Bruna with solemn gilded eyes. "I''m sure I speak for everyone here, Bruna," he said, "when I say that we wish to hear more. Tell us."


    Brunhilda looked around the fine faces of her friends. She saw light and love, a bit of surprise, but nothing of mockery. She too leaned in and began her tale: "I like to watch boys jerk off in ces they shouldn''t. Like the chapel, or a public ce like the gym or transport carriage.


    I listen in the showers sometimes. I don''t fall asleep to the sounds of my roomie wanking at night¡ªeven when she think that I am. I pull of pillows and watch her when she''s too gone to notice. I''m not remotely attracted to these people, but I like watching them.


    And on my touchscreen, I read real-life stories of horny catholic damsels who have had lusty interactions with grim demons in the woods or some shit like that.


    I sometimes imagine Israfel fucking Ravenna when I''m in the shower, and I love, love to spy on Professor Ivoria when she bends in front of the board. Oh! And I like to listen to the sound of my own pissing." Bruna ended ndly. "This is me I guess. You can all banish me from your friend circle now."


    "After this?" Percival spoke first. "Never!"


    "No babe, each one of us has a fetish," said Aya. "And I too read scious smut of demons banging holy maidens in the dark forest paths."


    Everyone smiled, and the longtable seemed to glow.


    Rafel finished off his cup of wine. "I''m not ready for this night to end yet." Nods of affirmation went up from his friends. He offered, "so how about we take this party somewhere else?"


    Again, nods of approval went up, swiftly followed by the sound of chairs scraping the canteen''s priss floors. They all lurched to their feet.

 Chapter 196 Spin the Bottle

    [?? Fuck The Pain Away ¨C Rendition by The Moordale Swing Band (Original from Peaches).]


    Midnight was a time when these adventurous and certainly strange clic of friends should be sleeping, but as the mammoth Grandfather clock manning the pinnacle of the Citadel tower chimed the crest of darkest night, Israfel and his band could be seen sneaking their way out of the dorm''s cafeteria and through the wan halls.


    But the night wasn''t dark at all. It was clear and still, like the loch N?ss south of campus. The dewy skies had a crescent moon and several dotting stars; the path shimmered for the friends to make good on their nocturnal escape.


    They could fetch their various Arcs demerits for being out at suchte hour, especially when not too far away in the infirmary, the Healers battled to save the lives of those dragon-burned in the Tournament.


    Even the macho jocks of Sigma House¡ªwho usually partied with any girls who''d indulge to the dead of the night¡ªhad capped off their hormonal fests and retired to one or such rooms to snore out in slumber or perhaps, bang into the few hours of dawn.


    "Gods, it''s so silent. We could get caught."


    "Shh!" Aya put a hand to Percival''s lips as the friends weaved forward across a stoic ck Knight''s statue, maneuvering under his stone face as Rafel beckoned them with the cuff of his hand.


    Ravenna chuckled, gripping Cora''s trouser hoops from behind. "That is what makes it so exciting."


    "The fact that we could get caught, earn ourselves detention, and a healthy b of lecturing from the headmistress?" Rosa said, thest in the tiptoeing file. She clutched to her rosary, fingering the onyx beads when a wraith''s hollow moan streamed in the halls. She did this absentmindedly, just like Ravenna bit on her bottom lip when she was nervous¡ªor turned on.


    Or like Coraz¨®n yed with the moonshine curls of her immacte hair.


    Rafel knew all the tells of the girls, and removed his eyes from ogling Rosa to focus on leading them on.


    "Exactly." Ravenna whispered back to Rosa. "It''s the fright that''s half the pleasure. The adrenaline. Don''t overthink it, scaredy pants!"


    Rosa pursed her lips. "I''m not scared. I''ll have you know I have been on the scene of the grimiest crimes on the continent. A little slithering doesn''t spook me."


    "You don''t look it." Ravenna chortled and Rosa cut neighborly eyes at her.


    Rafel suddenly went rigid in front of them and abruptlymanded. "Stay still. I smell new scents." He immediately let an outburst of [Dark Nimbus] spread out from himself, enveloping he and his friends in a noir bubble. They became invisible, their likeness transformed into ordinary darkness. Just then two academy guards in deep blue [Hallowed] patrol gear rounded the bend in the marble hallway.


    "Did you hear something?" The first Marshal said to his partner.


    "No," the second replied, "but that shadow over there does look kinda funny." He lifted his mage torch and shed a straight beam at the dark envelope of Rafel and his friends. The shadows didn''t dissipate under the light. Hemented, "Hmm, weird."


    "Come on." The first Marshal patted his back. "This entire school is weird." He sent a look to his partner. "We are weird. Let''s go. There''s nothing to see here."


    "Yeah," the second responded, "must be a lost ghost or something."


    The sentinel guards walked on, passing by Cora''s body so close she had to tten herself to the whitestone walls for her skin not too touch theirs. The [Dhampir] Marshalls kept walking on, their blue uniforms brightened under the lights that winked out one by one at their passage, until they were gone.


    "Whew!" Percival released a heavy breath. "That was close." Then he made aical face. "I nearly gassed. And I know that would''ve made some here happy."


    Brunhilda sent him a look. "Not funny."


    Cora smacked his shoulder. "Stop being gross. Ugh!"


    Rafel dropped his cloaking abilty. "Come on," he said, "we don''t have long before they''re back." He led his friends away, taking the other fork in the halls, but they kept to the floor levels of the dorm designated for First Years of the institute. Rafel didn''t stop again until they were at his gray door. He swiped the key card under the bluish light.


    Swish! The door screened open.


    "In you go, you lot." He coaxed shy smiles from the girls with his gentlemanliness. And ever so gently, he shut the door again. All of them trodded for the lounge of the twin chambers. Rafel fell back on a chiffon banquette¡ªgrabbing Rosamunde as he did, while Aya conjured a purple ball of me to the firece. The fire turned scarlet as it licked the little logs.


    The smell of pinewood and juniper fragranced the suite. "I''ll get the wine. Don''t bother. I know my way around." Coraz¨®n moved for a low partition bar. Percival shot Rafel a look of male pride, saying of her admittance, "oh I bet you do!"


    Ravenna hadn''t yete off her high at evading the school guards and still smiled wondrously to herself when Cora returned with a full bottle of Royal Red and the number of sses. She poured and offered. "Did ya see the look on the guard''s faces? Complete oblivion. Ha!" Rafel collected his and grinned at Ravenna''s ented voice. She did pronounce ''guards'' as ''gerds''.


    Ravenna mused on how Israfel always brought adventure and charm; right from the first day she had showed up on his Manor''s doorstep.


    Explore more adventures at empire


    "To strange things!" Rafel toasted.


    "Hear, Hear." His friends all moved in, clinking sses.


    Percival lowered his flute after one sip. He licked his lips and voiced his concerns about the red dragon Rafel had ridden in the tournament the day before. "I must ask, Rafel¡ªthis time not as a friend but as a loyal vassal to His Eminence..." Rafel nodded, giving him the go-ahead. "I spotted you and that crimson creatureing down from the Dorian peaks at dusk yesterday. Is everything alright?


    Should we be worried? Do the Children of the Crow need to be? Because we would happily take care of whatever business the damned dragon wants."


    Percival bowed his head and finished, "respectfully, Your Eminence."


    "Her name is Zara. Zarathustra," said Rafel, "and she helped me empty my balls in a cave on the mountaintop."


    Ravenna coughed, choking on her drink. "You fucked a dragon?"


    Rosa turned up her head beside Rafel on the cot, half-under him to nestle his clean jaw. "I mean I know you''re a demon, but is that even possible."


    "She had a woman''s cunt." Rafel looked at his friends faces and admonished his vgrity. "What I meant to say is that she was a woman. She. . .she was changed. She still had the wings and horns and tail, yes.


    But she was woman in all the ces that mattered to my cock. She was red; you should''ve seen her, Naamah. I know how much you love changeling species. As much as I do.


    Zara provided a most hot and tight channel to sink into. But when it was over she asked me to be her Sire. I. . ." Rafel shortened out.


    "What did you say?" Percival leaned in on the wide, white sofa where he rested with the other girls save Cora who was on the fluffy Florentine rug at Rafel''s feet and Rosa¡ªwho was now in hisp.


    "I said nothing. We fetched our clothes and parted ways."


    "What would you have liked to say?"


    "I don''t know, what do you guys think?"


    Only Cora sat forward. "I think you''re a first year at the most elite college of wizardry in the continent and have no time to make more than bed fellows of strange women. Zara should be grateful for having provided her draconian pussy for use by the Apollyon of Hel, and should shut her mouth until such a time as you feel to grace it with your cock again. She shouldn''t ask for shit."


    "Damn, Cora!" Percival went back.


    Rafel smiled. "Thank you." Cora always kept it real; she gave no fuck about whom felt hurt.


    "Now," she wiggled the empty wine bottle in the air, "shall we spin this motherfucker?"


    "Hell yeah." Ravenna dropped her empty ss.


    Cora plopped the ss bottle and spiffed the neck. It spun round and round, and round, andnded on Percival¡ªthe cap end. "Fuck. Why am I first?" He muttered. Then jolted. "Alright.


    Hit me." Cora met his golden head coldly.


    "Truth or Dare?"


    "Truth."


    Rosa pulled off Rafel''sp and asked of him, "tell us your deepest, darkest secret."


    Percival sighed. "You got me there." And he told it: "I once wanked on my mom''s panties."


    "Holy shit!" Ravenna''s jewelled eyes bulged.


    "Yeah," Percival continued nonchntly. "Then I tried to wash it. I scrubbed so hard the material wore out."


    "Fuck." It was Cora. "Did your mum find out?"


    He shrugged. "She probably did. She was a werewolf, and she could smell a rabbit from three miles away. She probably smelled my jizz too on the underwear because I never saw it again. Who''s next?" Percival added.


    This time it was he who spun the bottle. It sped around, blurring for a few seconds and came to a final definite stop in front of Brunhilda. She covered her face in her hands and Percival''s cold, hard, no-nonsense voice hit.


    "Truth or Dare."


    It took a while, but she raised and managed to maintain a straight face. "Dare."


    "Is that your final pick, matadora?"


    "Yes. Are you going to dare me to do something?"


    Percival sat back with azy smile. "I dare you to finger Rosamunde''s ass."


    "WHAT?!"


    "Excuse me!" Rosa herself sat up beside Rafel. "He can''t ask that. Can he?"


    Cora was already nodding, and Ravenna chewed on her bottom lips. Aya justid back on the mammoth sofa and watched amused and quiet. Percival was not backing down. "That''s your Dare, Bruna. Don''t keep us waiting."


    The goth girl turned to Rafel with a pleading eye.


    "Israfel?"


    "I''m sorry, witchy one," he said. "You have to do it."


    Percival jammed up his middle digit. "Finger that ass, bebe!"


    Rafel saw Brunhilda''s hesitation and eased her. His smooth baritone flowed to her as he coaxed the uncertainty away. "Percival is only trying to make the game interesting. No one wants to be bored, so why y like we''re normal, mundane souls. Pull down her knickers and stick your finger up there." He turned Rosa over and smacked her generous behind. "I bet she''s already warm and ready for you.


    All this profane talk arouses even me.


    And it''d better be a damned good show," he added, "or it''s your ass on the line."


    Brunhilda quaked as the boys began tough. In truth, it was what she wanted. They were giving to her exactly what she wanted. And if she yed her cards right, she might get to do even more than finger a girl as beautiful as Rosa. She quaked because she was so fucking turned on at the mere idea of having her hand up that private tight, hot ce¡ªwhile the inner circle watched.


    Brunhilda moved to the end of the banquette and knelt at the edge of it, on the floor. From the looks of it, Rosa wanted this too¡ªextremely; she shook her rump excitedly.


    Bruna smacked her plump butt.


    "Bend over more, bitch."

 Chapter 197 Ass Bandit [18+]

    Rosamunde whimpered and grasped the top ends of the plush banquette. "Give me your hands," Rafel growled. And when she put them in his, he held her wrists tight, binding her arms and leaving her squirming body for Bruna''s total use behind. Brunhilda Penderghast''s magenta eyes burned in a healthy dose of female want as she softly pushed apart Rosa''s legs.


    On the sofa, Ravenna bit on her cardigan sleeves. Her green eyes were bright. She crooned excitedly. "Oh gods, this is taking a''turn. I like it!"


    The only one in the friends circle who would have been remotely appalled at the wanton direction this not-so-innocent game was taking was the girl kneeling on the blue cot with her thighs spread, ass out, the gray tints in her eyes darkening by the second. Rosa''s closeness to the beautiful demon prince, Israfel had long since purged all the holy out of her.


    She should object to bing a literal sex object, but she did not.


    Pah!


    Brunhilda spanked her and her bubble butt jiggled. Ravenna fell back on the sofa and clutched to Aya''s hand; they were all watching on the long bed with Percival and Cora. Rafel was on the cot with Rosa¡ªwho had be their group ything.


    He had her hands bound in hisp. Keeping one hand secured around her wrists, he gripped her chin and lifted her face to pin her gorgeous eyes with his. He said darkly in the lounge, "just to be clear, you only belong to me." He looked around the room, the light of the firece showing in his eerie yellow eyes. "All of you. Concubines and waifus of my harem.


    Percival is only here by my generous grace. I am Lord of Netori. Offspring of Kaos and Lust. No one fucks either of you but me. NO ONE." Rafel''s voice charged across the chamber in hardened bass. "Bruna does this to Rosa at mymand.


    Under no conditions are any of you to indulge prior trysts without my explicit orders."


    Percival bowed his head respectfully. Only a fool with a death wish would attempt to NTR the fucking Apollyon. All the girls were quiet. One thing they all agreed on, Rafel was certainly no cuck.


    His demonic iris moved back to the hearth, seeming to draw in from the glowing fires before swimming back to the pliant brte bound under him. His voice drummed coldly.


    "Good. Now you may proceed."


    Brunhilda had been waiting on this very charge and instantly turned back to the humongous pant-d ass in front of her face. The trouser was so tight on Rosa she could put her forefinger down on her crack. Bruna pped her globr cheeks together, smashing them in, and released them again. "Ahh." Rosa twisted, but Rafel''s hands locked her in ce.


    Swat! Bruna''s hand came down hard again.


    She put her hands to the front and popped Rosa''s fly. Briskly, she dragged down the Lycra wear. A beauty of caramel flesh immediately filled the room. Percival forgot himself and groaned. Rafel instantly cut eyes at him. He closed his mouth but adjusted a bit in his seat.


    Rafel looked down on Bruna.


    "Go on with the dare, woman. Do not bore me. I know you are desperate for a taste of that delectable indic arse. If you''re lucky, she''ll squirt in your mouth."


    Bruna quivered behind Rosa''s big butt. "I-I think the dare was only to finger her."


    Rafelughed a sinister sound. "But you want more, don''t you, darlin''? This is only the beginning. Now show me that tight hole of hers."


    Brunhilda was almost lost to the sex drive of this redhaired devil, but she gulped down her own need to tear of all his clothes and ride him, and gently hooked a finger under the strap of Rosa''s panties. She pulled back the flimsy indigo thong, and everyone gasped.


    Pah! Pah!


    "You''re soaked." Bruna gave her delicious behind two fast sessive swats.


    Holding her panties to the side, everyone saw she glistened from the spot of her glory hole to the folds of her slit. She had dewy curls of dark hair in a fine triangle up the apex of her thighs. And with a finger, Brunhilda rubbed down the sweet damp crack to her sex. Rosa had the flesh of the tropics: caramel and juicy; she wasn''t pink down there.


    Her pussy was dark brown and had the kind of ripe swell men only dreamed about.


    It was like she''d juste off a sweaty evening run.


    Bruna dipped her head and inhaled deeply the greatly feminine musk. She put her nose up her asshole and breathed down to the parting of her damp curls.


    Rosa''s fingers curled in Rafel''s binding arms. "Ohh. What are you doing to me?"


    Bruna raised her head with a smallugh.


    "Oh honey, it''s what you are doing to me."


    She lifted her left hand, speaking to Percival without actually turning. "Is this what you want? Huh? Want to see me finger this indic girl''s pie hole. I know that''s the real reason for your Dare, innit?" Bruna put first her little finger in Rosa''s ass, testing her give and teasing her for more toe. The thick brte clenched around her finger.


    Spiff! Brunhilda spat in her ass, spreading her. And looking in. "Fuck." Ravenna reddened on her perch. Aya Naamah and Coraz¨®n were silent. Percival had a rise in his training pants, but Rafel wasn''t letting him have any.


    Not from his girls.


    "Ah, look at that ass." Brunhilda whispered in a voice rich with seduction. Her breath fanned Rosa''s sticky hole. She spanked and spread her wider. "Look at you, dirty girl. Fuck, you''re so beautiful. Are all maidens of the isle this bad?


    I want you to pucker for me. Pucker. Yes!"


    Before the hypnotized faces of everyone in that firelit chamber, Rosa''s ass clenched tight and widened again; she closed hard around Bruna''s finger and released again. Bruna''s head swiftly dipped down to smell her. "Oh gods, you smell amazing. I love your ass in my face. Your hot pussy. Yes bitch!


    Drown me in these globes. Bathe me in your poontang."


    She sped Rosa''s buttocks around her head, swamping her face in her womanly head. Rosa wished for her tongue to join the sinfulness. But Brunhilda kept her wanting. She nuzzled her entrance, kissed the puckering heat of her punani, smelled her pussy so good, and ran her Roman nose along the seam of her slit to the molten pubic hair. The curls were damp.


    Tasted of salt and raw sex. And female need.


    Bruna told Rafel¡ªwith muffled speech of Rosa''s heat. Your next chapter awaits on empire


    "Your Eminence, she is prime to be fucked."


    Rafel loosened his hold on Rosa a bit. "Let me have a taste first."


    Bruna added her first finger to her pinky and pushed deeply inside of Rosa. She pounded her with squishy sounds for some seconds before pulling back out. Her fingers were dripping with silvered liquid. And Rosa''s eyes had rolled into the back of her head. Bruna ripped off the panties she was holding to the side down Rosa''s legs and tossed it. Coraz¨®n caught it expertly from the side.


    "For you, Dominus." Brunhilda offered her juicy fingers to Rafel.


    He sucked from her held hand, the warmth from Rosa''s magnificent buttocks filling his open mouth. Rafel made an agreeable groan in the back of his throat. "You''re right, fair Bruna. She is ripe for my cock. But not tonight."


    "What?"


    "What!"


    Brunhilda and Rosamunde said at the same time; both women were desperate for the endgame. Rafel lightly pped both their cheeks. "Silence, you two!" He pushed Bruna''s head back between Rosa''s fat cheeks and said, "you can enjoy that ass now." Bruna instantly sent out her tongue to Rosa''s quivering hole and soon had the beautiful matadora moaning and riding her face.


    Rafel turned to the long sofa beside the ongoing sapphic show andmanded the others.


    "Percy, it''s time for you to retire. I''ve allowed you enough. Go wank off on what you''ve seen."


    "But¡ª" Percival''s protest died when he met Rafel''s dire eyes. He lowered his head and stood. "Yes, Your Eminence." They were friends but all of them knew when to honor Israfel''s hallowed position. On his way out, Percival grabbed Rosa''s sexy thong off Cora''s lustful fingers. "I''ll be needing this more than you. Thank you."


    Left alone, Rafel ordered Cora to his swanky, walk-in closet. "Coraz¨®n. Check the bottom drawers. We have a gift for our shivering whore here."


    Pah!


    He smacked Rosa''s left butt soundly.


    Cora returned in a sh with a glittery, flowered brass box and opened it in front of all. She withdrew from the little crimson bed inside a delicious pink dildo.


    It had matching peach wraps for a strap-on.


    Slurp! Slurp!


    Rafel pulled up Brunhilda''s magenta streaks from where she was submerged in ass eating. Her face was red and streaming with glimmering cum. Rosa''s ass release had made a slippery mural of her pretty face. Bruna still grasped her soft buttocks, holding her open for her lusty gaze.


    "Take it," Rafel instructed. "Like I said, I won''t be fucking her tonight. You will." He winked a goldensh at Brunhilda. "Make her scream."


    No one could really tell when Rafel stopped talking or when exactly Brunhilda had stood, mounted the dildo and thrust into Rosa''s delectable cunt. But Bruna had their rapt attention when she began crazy fucking the sacred brte. Her rhythm was beyond sane. She clutched to Rosa''s voluptuous hips and pounded that lush ass in intense strokes perhaps only another woman knew how to give.


    Rosa''s ass leaked squirt all over the cot. It was one long screaming orgasm.


    PAH! PAH! PAH! PAH!


    "Yes. Yes. Yeah baby. Fuck my fuckin'' ass. Yes. Bang me good.


    Drill me. Seat your cock inside that massive butt. I know you want it. Show me how much. Yes! That feels good.


    Fuck!" Rosa fell to the shaking cot. Brunhilda fell atop her, enveloping and pressing her down on the banquette as she gyrated over her.


    Squish!


    Squish!


    Rosa bucked, releasing a healthy stream of silver squirting that sshed everything within ten feet. "Ohh goddd!" Her face nted in the opal cushion.


    "A most wonderful show." Rafeluded Brunhilda. He fell back on the banquette and beckoned to his harem. "Nowe hither, you finesses. I wish to be surrounded by all my women tonight."


    The girls grinned and flowed to him. Aya made for him pillows of her robust breasts. Ravenna settled her head on his torso. Coraz¨®n curled her long legs with his. Brunhilda kissed his red-gold hair. The firece trickled on, warming their bodies.


    And Rafel fell asleep, contented, pinching on the pert nipple of a heaving, busty Rosamunde.

 Chapter 198 All Lives Matter

    [?? Lyin'' Eyes ¨C Eagles.]


    "YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS ABOUT?" Israfel asked of Aya Naamah the following morning when they were seated in the gilded halls of Magdalena, the Corynthian Academy''s assembly room.


    "No, m''lord. But I shall ask."


    Rafel sat back on his upholstered maroon seat in his si zer for the Blood Faction. The pupils of the mage institute were interspersed in the rows of seats, arranged not ording to Arc colors but friendship zones and clics.


    The weird river bunch cornered themselves at the far end of the hall, and the Pynks: Erika and her socialite n of [Gyaru] queens ruled from the very first row of the assembly line.


    Rafel looked around a moment before his eyes came to rest on Aya again. She had drawn in the attention of a doe-eyed girl closest to them on their row. And was asking amicably if she knew the reason for the sudden rion call this morning. It wasn''t too hard for Aya to get the girl''s mouth rattling, considering her overall allure.


    Rafel didn''t listen in and rather looked across his own middle column to the distant left where Ravenna sat with a bunch of other [Second Year Casters] like her.


    She caught his gaze and sent a little wave. He was just a year older¡ªby human standards¡ªbut the college wasn''t biased to age gaps. If you were a [Druid Novice] at neen and your mate was a [Master Witch] at sixteen, that was it. The academy taught its supernatural pupils to strive to level up.


    By the fourth year within the institute''s gothic walls, many of the graduant ss were already [Solo Hitachi Spellcasters] and [Golden Age Summoners].


    The valedictorian usually attained meister or grand status. A [Supreme Magus], or [Magess Suprema] as in the case of the distinguished woman had to be earned in the outside world; sessful graduants were sent out to faraway reaches of the continent to prove themselves in cities of the nine realms as worthy of the runes of Corynthia.


    One astounding attribute of the institute was that it did not segregate or racialize species. All magical folk were allowed beyond the dark wytch gates. All systems. Those with uncultivated Marine System. Infernal, or Celestial System. Shadow System.


    [Wildforce] System, and Sanguine System as in the case of werewolves and vampires respectively. And with the situation of things at the former Capitol, Titans Landing, who didn''t desire a liberal state?


    It was either pseudo-independent Rocasus, or sovereign Corynthia.


    Rafel blinked and waved back to Ravenna. He would never regret the decision he made to send her here one year ago. Thank Lucifer she had now manifested. An Angelic System! How glorious!


    As for the part about her being the only Being in existence to be able to ''redeem'' lost souls to heaven, Rafel knew he''d take that secret to his immortalva grave.


    Fuck the Fallen!


    "M''lord?"


    Rafel turned at the small voice. Beautiful, saintly Ravenna and her cloud of conversing sophomores fell to the periphery as Rafel looked upon Aya again. She had finished talking with the girl.


    "You know you don''t need to call me Lord every time we talk." He told her.


    Aya Naamah leaned in from his right with an unsettling smile, and anyone watching would think the subus was just making a casual bend over. Her breasts stroked Rafel''s arm. His biceps bunched under his zer. She smelled like honey and her skin was fairer than Arabian silk. Softly, she put her full lips to his ear and whispered,


    "I don''t want to do that, Lord Master. I rather like to call you Dominus. I am your dutiful servant, always and forever."


    Rafel smiled back as she pulled away. Aya''s final phrase meant a loting from her.


    Subi were ageless.


    "What did the girl say?" He changed the conversation. Last night had been fun, falling asleep in his loving bed with five hot girls, but now was school time and Rafel was serious about upping his demon status to at least [Third Infernal Circle] by the end of term. He did not want a repeat of the night of the Titansnding.


    "She had no new information... other than she wondered if I could put in a good word for her to the famous crimson dragonrider. She knows only what we do. No one knows the reason for the sudden assembly call. Apparently, everyone is as oblivious as we are." Aya replied, rolling her purple iridescent eyes when the fan chick leaned into to wave Rafel.


    Aya blocked her out and said to him, "I thought you''re friends with Doctor Shetty. Her young master? Wouldn''t she have mentioned something if it was grave? Besides, between the attack on Dragongate and the tournament you have be something of a campus hero. She''d definitely want you in the loop about issues of concern."


    Rafel nodded but frowned. "Nicara does what she wants."


    "Oh here shees!" Aya sat straight.


    The beautiful Headmistress of the arcane college walked out of the adjoining Spartanburg curtain to the stage. Dr. Nicara Shetty was wearing a flowy conjoined blouse and pants of dark satin, but even in the baggy material, there was no hiding those curves. She sauntered in with sneakers and low, jaunty music thrummed at her entry.


    A hush fell over the students.


    In purring voice, Nicara observed the grand Hall with the sons and daughters of high nobility left in her care, and began.


    "Good morning, students. I trust you all had an eventful weekend? I personally could hear the thunderous music of Sigma House from my office."


    "Yah!" A circle of boys cheered, beating on the chests.


    Girlsughed and Nicara held up a hand. Silence fell again. Her tone dimmed. "I have a special announcement to make this morning. Please listen attentively, my young witches. In the aftermath of the Tournament yesterday, I''m so sad to say that we lost Salome Smallbone in the infirmary.


    The Healers found trace amounts of green atter in her body. Possibly from her dragon, Shredder. But how the poison got into her system exactly remains a mystery. . .for now. .


    ."


    Rafel shifted in his seat.


    Salome died? Shit.


    She was Shredder''s dragonrider, of Raven Arc. And she''d only suffered a broken leg. If anyone was expected to die, it was Trisha Turnbull¡ªwho had been burnt so ferally it still smelled like roastmb in the amphitheater. Strange, he mused. But he didn''t have to wonder how the poison entered Salome''s system. He himself had banged the shit out his dragon, Zara justst even.


    Her sulent red body still haunted his cock.


    He suspected Salome had done the same with Shredder. But fuck, he was a demon. She was not. Dragons and Hellions had simr [Helme] coursing through their insides. But not mortals, no matter how supercharged by magic.


    ''No time to mourn now, m''lord.'' Aya whispered in his head through their mind link. And Rafel agreed with her. He focused on what the headmistress was saying:


    ". . .we have lost three dragons of the isles, one of them thergest this side of the continent. Coronis was six hundred years old and had seen the reign of eight Faerie Kings. She had more wisdom in her head than our Athenaeum. And more magic in her blue scales than a wishing well.


    In that effect, dragon eggs shall hence be breeded in the eastern mountains beyond Dragongate.


    You are all advised to keep far from the area. The Spring Games is thus halted¡ª"


    "A!!!" The voices of the students in the hall went up like a mournful song.


    Nicara raised her voice. "The school board and I have decided. Yes, we have. Losing a student, no matter her rule-breaking is still losing a student. Salome''s family wishes a pyre on our grounds to send her into the Martyr''s Hall of Valor. This institute shall humbly honor their request.


    The Spring Games willmence again next Sabbath with a round of swimming. . .with alligators."


    "FUCK YES!" The students cheered instantly.


    Nicara was briefly struck by theirtitude toward a fellow students life. Only those wearing ck in the assembly hall: Ravens, had sorry expressions. Nicara pounded her palm on the podium.


    "ALL LIVES MATTER, my young witches. ALL LIVES MATTER! To ease our minds from this tragedy, the school shall be hosting a Talent Hunt night in which our very own Corynthia Swing Band shall perform and Drama Club serenade us to a ravishing disy of the legend of Oedipus. A y to crest the asion. Sign up boards have been thumbtacked to the notice boards. Please sign up, students."


    A student raised a hand.


    "Yes?" Nicara offered.


    "Oedipus? That''s thed who shagged his mum, innit?"


    ___


    ". . .THAT''S THE LAD WHO SHAGGED HIS MUM, INNIT?"


    Everyone in the assembly hall burst intoughter. Quite a frankness there from the kid.


    "Yes. That''s him." Nicara sighed and tried for silence, but the room quaked a while. Nothing like taboo fucking to rouse a rabble of teens. "Very well," she went on when the snickering noised down, "the mother you speak of was named Jocasta. And she in fact killed herself when the scandal came out.


    I will confer with Miss Burgess, your Student President on these two options. It''s either Oedipus''s correctional tale or the tragic romance of Orpheus and Eurydice. Your pick?" The Headmistress raised fine reddish eyebrows, knowing her students would pick taboo over romance any day.

 Chapter 199 Of Sons and Mothers

    [ A/N: Keep an open mind for this Chapter. ¡Ì??]


    Incest was one of the most controversial topics in the Nine Realms. Either that of the Van Imperia royal family currently toppled from reign, or even to the plebeianmoner families trenching it out in the undercity self-governed by the gambling overlords. It was such scandal that never ceased from the mouth.


    The situationship of a father bedding it out with his girl child after a drunken night, or a bar wench mum whose kiss of goodnight always turned into something else with her boy when his sailor father was away; these stories made for hot gossip and good punchline in night taverns.


    However, only highborn families could bear the open weight of wedding siblings¡ªjust like a fortnight ago when news had reached the Corynthian isles that the Governess of the Republic of Rocasus had just put to bed. . .again. And this new boy child bore striking resemnce to her one and only twin brother.


    Mikhail Romanov, the Rocasian heir prince still carried his head high when he walked the school halls. Such was the defense that nobility could buy.


    If amoner wife dared birth a child who shared the same eyes of her sibling, she''d risk being a pariah. But not so with Royals. In fact, it was of certain praise when the past King of Eldoria had sired a child with his first cousin: the child now the felled queen, Giselle Van Imperia.


    By all of this history of their Empire was Nicara certain that her students will choose the option of a y where taboo was featured. It made for more interesting scenes.


    "Let me be clear," the Headmistress pronounced. "There will be no nudity, on or off set. And the lead cast who shall perform the roles of Oedipus, Laius, and Jocasta must be of no familial ties. I have given strict instruction to our Drama Club on this. The y shall be called, Of Sons And Mothers, and will feature in this same Hall five days hence."


    Students were already whispering about what girl and what boy would be best for the lead Oedipus and infamous Jocasta. Dr. Nicara Shetty cleared her throat. "That will be all, students. Now off you go, you lot. Get to ss."


    Chairs rattled Magdalena''s Hall in scraping noises as all young witches of the academy shuffled out, the variety of the mixed magical species causing a smile from Nicara who still stood on the podium. This was what the First Druids who had founded the institute wanted: a neutral ce where every thing arcane could thrive.


    The heads of the tall Amazons peaked higher than the rest as the pupils made their way out through the door.


    Nicara adjusted her sses and looked over the empty seats.


    One fellow still remained on his chair.


    "Israfel." She breathed.


    As if conjured by her little moan, the young demon prince appeared in a blur at her side on stage, by an excellent use of quicksilver speed. He was a red sh across. Nicara sent a spying eye around the hall one more time before sneaking a kiss onto his lips. "I''ve missed you, Apollyon."


    Rafel nodded. "Same, Luna."


    Heplimented her weretiger title.


    Nicara led the way off the stage and through a small corridor exit out the side of the assembly hall. It opened onto arger, resplendent archway that looked like it had been lifted off a castle''s side. It was elegant and baroque. Nicara''s red nails clicked together as she walked Rafel to his ss.


    The Headmistress seldom hid her ws. Since they were far from Titans Landing and the domicile of mundane mortals, she saw no use for it.


    "Are you thinking of auditioning for the role of Oedipus?" she asked on their short stroll.


    Rafel shook his head.


    "Words, young man." Nicara coaxed. "I only like your broody self when we''re having sex." Her voice dropped to a murmur on thest part. "So, are you?"


    Rafel responded in a sure treble. "No, ma''am. I rather prefer to engage real taboo. And from what you said earlier in assembly, there''s no guarantee of sex. You do know that few of the students haven''t gotten over Professor Ivoria''s nude showing at the Hunt. It wouldn''t be bad to spare them a taste of ripeness once in a while."


    Nicara turned to him. "For you, Israfel, I''ll think about it."


    "This is me." Rafel stopped abruptly in front of a ssroom with the [First Year] beginner''s rune over the doorway. "Thank you for walking me to ss."


    The Headmistress winked at him with a generous scarlet smile before starting away.


    "Always a pleasure, Apollyon."


    Rafel stayed by the doorway a while, watching her hips go. Jocasta had nothing on the headmistress. If Nicara Shetty were the wife of his father, whoo! Rafel definitely knew what he would do. He had seen no picture of the mother of Oedipus, but he''d an inkling she had been a super hot MILF. Why else would thed kill his own father to keep fucking his mum?


    In Rafel''s state of mind, Fate or Prophecy had nothing to do with it.


    Quietly, he dipped his red head and entered his first ss of the day. [Miniverse Building]. Most of his fellow course practitioners had on ck jackets. Of Raven Arc, all of them. They gave him a look as he passed by. To the members of Shadow Faction, Rafel was the rogue kinsman who had chosen to represent his other manifested Arc in the Games over them.


    But Rosamunde; seated quietly in the back corner blew him a kiss. She never stopped believing he was a true Raven at heart, no matter what the Arc Crystal had said.


    Throughout the week, conversations in the Corynthian Academy were all about the uing y. On the mouths of tutors and apprentices alike. The gray flyers with the tragiedic mask faces were sent out. And the line for auditions ran long in the hallway. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry of the institute wanted a chance at being Oedipus. It went to show how many ad had mommy issues in this school.


    Plus the rumor was that the chosen ''Jocasta'' for the y was a well-endowed and fleshily wrapped chick. That was incentive enough to get the bros of Sigma House in line¡ªeven if the only acting they''d done up until now was in the bedroom.


    It didn''t matter. For the right to y the part, many boys schooled naughty behaviour and crammed into their heads the offered script. s, only one Oedipus could be chosen. To keep the y enigmatic, the cast were to remain a mystery until they mounted the stage.


    The characters practiced in secret locations and dramatized musicals for the Talent Hunt asion in halls far off from the main Citadel.


    Despite the mystery of the y, Of Sons and Mothers, Rafel had an inkling of who the reputable motherfucker was. And ''motherfucker'' was used to mean literal. His roommate, Percival of House Van Imperia had been missing more than a few nights since the auditions began.


    ''Who else to y the traumatic love of a son for his mother than the golden boy of the state?'' thought Rafel. ''Who better?'' He said nothing of his suspicion to his friend.


    The evening of the school''s Talent show was well magicked by a sect of wildling [Witch Acolytes]. A spell was cast so that the skies dusked like summer of Queen Giselle''s reign and the air made to fresh as the Apryl spring. A cool woodsy wind was conjured from the outlying tropical forest of the ind to weave through the paved streets of the campus. A gale that soothed the skin.


    Rafel hopped off a carriage minutes after a luxury dip in bath pool some mermaid fan of his had offered¡ªand no, nothing went down¡ªin front of the grand steps of the academy''s Citadel. The main tower stroked passing twilight clouds as a greyish obelisk. Splendid candlelights ran off the blitzy front of the tower.


    Rafel found the girls waiting in front of the ce. He greeted them warmly.


    "Hey. How was your week?"


    "Rushed." Coraz¨®n took his hand first.


    Rafel waited for them to gather all around him in their smashing dresses, representative of their Arc colors. He particrly loved Ravenna''s studded silver gown; courtesy of their find at the Eldritch Keep, hisdies had more than farmer''s worthy gold to spend on their wardrobes now, but he still paid, and was d to see when they stepped out.


    "You all look beautiful. Nowe on. Let''s see this show." He chaperoned them in.


    A bunch of students were already in and seated when their group moved across the red carpet aisle. And the dodge theater was filling by the second. Rafel found a seat for them at the extreme left row, but thinking better of it he led them on towards the stairs and up to a perch for a private gallery.


    "Isn''t this booth usually reserved for Fourth Years and tutors?" Ravenna whispered, though her tone was excited.


    "Yes, Little Raven." Rafel pushed the curtains and offered the girls several seats in the booth to take. "¡ªbut we are an exception, especially tonight," he finished with a scious look up and down at their gazelle forms.


    Gently, he lifted his hands and shut the velvet drapes again, sealing them in their own private world, up above the filtering crowd, where the stage loomed under them like the sea on a beachfront property.


    Rafel listened as the girls made small talk about the past five days. They hadn''t really seen much of each other. Professors kept them engrossed in the arts, desperate to keep their attention before this very day, and the next, which was another round of the Spring Games.


    The swimming¡ªwith alligators¡ªbit.


    Ten minutester and the room was packed. And the red drawn curtains of the stage parted.


    Swish!


    The first group were a charismatic choir singing a medley of Valhan folk music and lesiastical high worship. It sounded really good. And Rafelmanded Peitho to produce and store a recording of it in his [dorium] pocket, Realm of Song. Who knew when next he''d face a minotaur and need a sweet luby to faze the beast.


    Rafel didn''t particrly fancy the holy church, but damn! Their music was. . .heavenly.


    The next group was a solo artist. A boy skilled in yodeling. And though the crowd roared inughter to his sonorous, "Yodeleehee! Yodeleeheehee!" The boy sang his heart out. "He is probably from the bonds," Cora observed. And she was right.


    From the river of Rocasus to Nokmaar, it''s people were adamant on music.


    Swiftly following this brave Yodeler was an Acape group unsurprisingly boasting several members of the Pynks. In the lead, Erika Burgess herself. The boys in the room did p and cheer, but were too busy staring for re-outs of their high fashion skirts to do much else.


    On and on the talents came. Beyond the flush magic streaming in the veins of each and every kid in the fancy theatre, the boys and girls who mounted the stage tonight did have much more than arcane energy within them. Rafel was pleased. It was a good show. No awards were given, but the young Talents did garner extra points for trying.


    Finally, the big finale came on.


    The red curtains were drawn again for about a minute and the lights in the theatre dimmed dramatically. An apuse was rendered from the crowd. And the spotlight was made to beam down on the center of the stage as a student, clothed in a medieval buffoon wear rose from the floor.


    His bulbous red nose grabbed giggles from the girls and Rafel smiled at the boy''s puke-green hair.


    "It''s such a garish makeup. Magnificent!" Ravennauded in the booth.


    This introducing buffoon hopped around a few times on stage, drawing moreughter when he twirled and square-danced to jaunty music in his polkadot skirts and elfish shoes. The music faded into the background. And the buffoon raised his hands inedic gallore, enrapturing the crowd to lean in.


    "Hear ye! Hear ye! I am the Jester of fallen times. The herald of wanton stories. Aye! I have heard of many deviant tales: of ad who suckled on the udders of his favorite ewe.


    . ."


    PAAAHNN! A trombone made a noise of mockery and the crowdughed.


    ". . .and a maiden who loved to grab the cock of her husband''s horse and kneel under it. Perhaps, to shoe the animal."


    PAAAHNN!


    "Hahaha!" Moreughter and cheering erupted.


    "Oh my god." Rosa''s eyes teared up behind Rafel. All in the theatre definitely knew that maiden was not grabbing the horse''s cock to shoe the animal, or whatever. "What the fuck!" She giggled. "They''re really good."


    It got better.


    "Lo, I present to you this even, a tale of such sorts!" The buffoon announced, hopping from end to end. "A story of forbidden love and faithful prophecy. I present to you, all the way from the farawaynd of Thebes. I present the story of Oedipus. In this right tonight, ''ere shalt be called, OF SONS AND MOTHERS!"


    The Jester raised his hands profoundly, shouting thest words and vanished in spoof of silver smoke. pping instantly went off from all corners of the theatre. In his shadowed booth, Rafel felt Ravenna''s slim hand reach for his as the high red curtains parted and ushered in the first act of the y.

 Chapter 200 Under the Spotlight

    [ENTER A WITCH OF THE ROAMING!]


    This was the first Act.


    Rafel watched a heavily costumed female saunter from a fake side door into a devised Throne room of sorts. The woman was old, her face crinkled and her fingers gnarled. For so she was made to be perceived. But Rafel could see under the perfect, astonishing makeup and knew she wasn''t an old hag at all, but the beloved and wild Raziah Fairfield.


    One character down.


    ''As the y progresses, I shall decipher the true faces of the characters.'' He promised himself.


    This witch''s long hat shivered as she pointed a crooked finger at the bearded man with the crown on the throne. "O wise Laius, live forever," this witch spoke to the king. The King of Thebes¡ªthend where the drama was set. "The gods havee to me. The Fates have revealed a prophecy. As this it is told, the child in thine queen''s belly shall arise and y thee, and in marriage shall bed thy wife."


    "Heresy! Abomination!" A dressed courtier yelled. It caused a mild upthrust ofughter from the darkened seats beyond the spotlight stage. The courtier was a Second Year of [Pegasus Arc] Rafel had seen around. He yed his minor scene well. And even the weak characters dragged good crowd appeal.


    Clearly, the academy''s drama club had prepared well for it.


    The rail-thin courtier pointed a finger in turn at the witch. "O good Laius, fear not this Seer. She is a prophet not of the gods for she speaks unholy things. Shall not Hera herself have kept thine seed from finding hedge in the queen''s womb if this tale were true.


    Behold, I too confess thy newborn son is a gift from Olympus and not some strange bambino who shalt usurp thy covenant to the throne of Thebes.


    Therefore, majestic Laius! Cast this lying prophet from thine courts. And banish her perhaps to the isles of Patmos. There may she live out her heretic visions."


    King Laius¡ªyed handsomely by a stout [Fourth Year]¡ªclosed his eyes and motioned for the seer witch to be removed from his presence. His thoughts were read aloud by a great voice in the background, as the good king Laius spooked by the woman prophet''s prediction ordered the swift taking of his newborn son, Oedipus.


    The boy acting the good king Laius yed his part inmanding his soldiers so sorrowfully that he garnered quite a few tears from the watching crowd. Rafel was beyond impressed. And so the red curtains shut out, ending that scene with apany of Grecian soldiers sent to fetch and execute the baby prince.


    It was conveyed wonderfully that King Laius was not at all happy at the idea of killing his own son.


    The next Act was a short one. The noise of a screaming child was heard on stage as King Laius''s guardsid hands on baby Oedipus and spirited him away, to the wailing of the midwives. The queen at this point was asleep to thebors of childbirth. Rafel couldn''t tell which parts of the y the producers had fictioned, but he''d heard Bolta had been a consultant in the making of it.


    Who better to ask questions about the truths to Oedipus''s tale than the daughter of Zeus, a god who was alive then?


    Or wasn''t it?


    "Sorry, m''lord. Excuse me. I have to use thedies room." Aya rose from her seat with his excuse to go and powder her nose, just as that scene was rounding up. Coraz¨®n made space for her to pass by. "Sure, Aya. But don''t be long, eh.


    Or you''ll miss the next Act."


    "I won''t," said Aya to Cora as she pulled the drapes to the private booth and slipped out. Her blue skirts swished in Rafel''s ears. He smiled.


    His [Rank A Subus] waifu wasn''t going to thedies. No. Not at all. She was up for the next scene. Rafel knew this. She was sneaking backstage to be prepared.


    Aya Naamah had put out the fact that she was cast in a major role in the y for as long as she could¡ªmostly for the Director''s move to maintain mystique. But there was no secrets a Bond could hold from her [Sire]. Continue your adventure at empire


    Still grinning, Rafel told her telepathically.


    ''Break a leg, fair one.''


    Aya was in front of the huge vanity mirror backstage; a cloud of modistes making finishing touches to her makeup and clothes, when she got Rafel''s message in her head. She blushed wide.


    The Director of the y, Erryn Wingfield, a [Third Year Scribe] appeared behind her in the mirror.


    "Are you ready?" She smiled at her lead character.


    Aya smiled back. "I am."


    There was a brief recess at this time where students all but ran to have quick pees before running back to the theater. Several grabbed pails of popcorn, chomping as the room filled again, and when the light inside began to darken again, they shifted excitedly in their seats and fell quiet.


    Rafel had not moved in his gallery booth. He was certain that two of his close friends were about to be ushered on that stage, and make a magic of the night.


    Peitho abrupty pinged in his head with a new notification.


    [Ding!]


    [Host has received a tunic of crimson dragonscale from Rank S beast girl, Zarathustra.]


    [Her gift is ranked EPIC!]


    [Blood Tunic is avable in Hel pocket dimension.]


    [Zarathustra also wishes to know if you have considered her request to be epted into your harem as a bonded Dragon. If Host agrees, the perks toe with siring the red dragon include¡ª]


    "Let''s do thister. The y is about to resume. As for Zara, she''s immortal. She can wait." Rafel told Peitho. "Let her know I haven''t made my decision yet. I will not be cornered into an eternal decision by a gift."


    He flushed his system''s sultry voice quiet in his head and rxed in his grand one-seater as the curtains on the stage parted. A wondrous narrator''s voice announced from the rising white mist:


    "Behold! TWENTY YEARS LATER! In the gardens of the royal vi of Thebes. A young conquerer has bested King Laius''s armies in battle, and hase forth to im the throne. This young conqueror encounters the Queen on his way back from the spoils of war. Good King Laius has fallen in battle, sent into the fiery realms of Tartarus by the sword of this intriguing young conquerer."


    Out from the mist¡ªwhich made the stage look like it was morning, a strikingly beautiful woman stepped into the makeshift garden. Roses lined the ground at her feet and the spotlight glowed soft amber on her like it was the dawn sun. She had gands on her wrists and a silver tiara in her rich brown hair.


    Her regal skirts swept the path of flowers, and she put out her hand to the overbearing hedge. This woman was well rounded in the chest and behind areas. And seats in the room made scraping noises as the crowd beyond the stage leaned in for a better view.


    And then she gingerly turned her face to the spotlight.


    She was shockingly gorgeous. She stole the crowd''s breath away.


    "Oh my gahd!" Ravenna''s ent flew out her pink lips as she jumped out of her seat. "That''s Aya. Oh gods! It''s fucking Aya! I can''t believe it. That''s our girl.


    That''s our girl on stage!"


    She started crazily pping and Rosa pulled her back to sit down. "We''re all happy for her, but let''s not interrupt the show, Ravenna. Let her do her thing now, okay?"


    Ravenna nodded but free excitement still gleamed in her surreal green eyes.


    Always the firebird, Rafel mused.


    The second object of thrall for the night was when the young Conquerer moved up also in the gardens. His golden head shone proudly under the stage lighting and his tall, wild body as he walked for the queen. He was Percival. And Rafel smiled to himself, taking pride in his detective abilities. He had been right the entire time.


    The role of Oedipus, the fated prince, grown now into a ravishing young man was yed by his roommate, Percival of House Imperia.


    And the role of his mother¡ªand wife, Queen Jocasta of Thebes, was yed by seductive and curvaceous Aya Naamah.


    The two easily slipped into their roles and began acting the shit out of the scene. Oedipus went forward, plucking a white rose from an arch in the gardens which they stood. He approached gently Queen Jocasta with the rose in his hand. The soft thunking of his battle sandals and sweeping of his kilt could be heard offstage as he raised his hand and put the silver flower in her hair.


    "You are quite the beauty, my queen."


    Jocasta touched his hand to pull it away, but didn''t. Her voice was as a whispering gale. "Now that you have in my Lord and King, what is thine desire with thends of Thebes, O young Conqueror?"


    Oedipus let his hand drop to her powdered cheek. He rubbed the rose blush with a thumb, and said in a hollow voice.


    "My desire is to wed you and be called thine, fair Jocasta. I wish to reign over Thebes, and as the gods willeth, with you at my side. Have me, mdy. Take me in your bed. Let me love thee. To rush in ye as the spring water over the stream''s pebbles.


    Marry me, Jocasta?"


    A caressing slow song began ying in the background. It was the stringing of a harp, and even without apanying words, the music told of love¡ªand secrets. At this point, neither Jocasta or Oedipus knew they were mother and son.


    The crowd were hushed to a peep. Tranquilized in the daunting experience. Dumbstruck at the love. Hypnotized in the beautiful faces of the actors. They all felt the withering romance as Jocasta lovingly lifted her hand to Oedipus''s youthful face, his chiseled jaw and impable mouth. The whole theater was enamored in the gesture.


    "Yes." She said.


    And by that single word, the Queen of Thebes sealed the prophecy that was given two decades ago about the boy who would kill his father and wed his mother.


    Standing on the stage with hands lingering on each other''s cheek, the curtains drew again over them. The crowd sighed before rising to apud the exquisite dramatics. The actors and Director were wonderful. Back stage, Percival and Aya were flooded in warm hugs by the other members of the y''s cast. Another recess was given before the final act.


    This time Rafel rushed to go pee. All that aroma of foreign love had left his dder full.

 Chapter 201 Fates A Bitch!

    "Come all ye lovers of a good story! And I will tell thee about the end of Oedipus''s tale. Of the godly divination of the Parcae, and how the thread spinned of Fate was not beguiled!" The Jester was upon the stage again when Rafel pulled back the drapes as entered the gallery booth again. In his heralding voice, the character announced the set for the final Act.


    Rafel returned to his elegant seat on the top crop of the theater and faced forward. The lights were just beginning to dim. He ran a hand down his fly, noting that Rosamunde''s gray eyes leveled on the evident rise. It was just an offhanded move to make sure his zipper was fixed, but when a hot girl followed the path of his fingers, it became some thing more.


    If not that it was rude to have sex with the tragic romance drama ensuing downstairs, Rafel was of a single mind to perhaps indulge the sin in Rosa''s swirly gaze.


    "How was the bathroom?" She licked at her lips.


    Shit. He should''ve taken her to the loo with him, for a rampant quickie some.


    Rafel knew her question was insinuative.


    "Later," he whispered to her in the booth''s fine shadows. "¡ªbut say nothing else or I''ll be tempted to take you back there and give you a taste." In her own couch, Rafel saw her throat bob as she gulped; the thought of him whipping out his dick¡ªeven if it was just to pee excited her too much.


    To wonder inside her head if he''d do his ''thing'' in her mouth made Rosa shut her eyes and ask her God for dear mercy.


    Good holy girls didn''t go around wondering what it''ll feel like to have a man''s piss on her face. But, the running stream. The steam. Hot. . .


    Hotter if he got hard right afterward.


    "Fuck." Rosa sucked in her teeth. They were here for the y. But something told her if she stuck long around Israfel, she''d be doing penance for eternity. She was always horny around the man. The saints must have cursed her to want so deeply a demon¡ªeverything she should hate. But then all of her desire and need in a darned fine wrapping of a red-haired god.


    Israfel was her dark angel.


    Feeling the riptide of arousal riot with her mind, she bit on her bottom lip and tried to force her body to work with her head. Tried¡ªthe keyword. If the other girls in the booth with her were half as horny as she, then Rafel was at the real risk of being jumped by four wanton bombshells.


    "Don''t give me that look. Not right now." Her demon growled. "We need to see the final Act. And you''re making it fuckin'' hard to keep my eyes on the stage. Lower your eyes and numb the heat in your gaze. I will not submit to sin, at least not for another twenty minutes.


    For giving me a boner in the middle of the damn school drama, I will have you punishedter. Now do as I say. The actors areing on."


    Rosamunde fluttered her attractively longshes and did as his growly voicemanded. She did look away. Nheless, there was no dulling the passion in her liquid eyes. In fact, his hard timbre just made it worse. She couldn''t stop imagining those desirous lips all over her body now. Or the feel of his big, ruffian body if he joined with her.


    Rosa sped her hand in herp, bunching the dark material of her skirts under shaking fingers. She was turned on beyond words.


    Rafel''s baritone rang in her mind as if he was right behind her: ''For giving me a boner. . .you will be punishedter.''


    Yes. Punish me, daddie O! Punish me real good.


    "Good God." Rosa shivered.


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    She turned in her chair to Coraz¨®n. "Uh, do you mind switching seats please?" What she left out was that Rafel smelled too damn wild for her right now. She''d buy him bottle of his cologne if she knew it. But she''d bet the earth, sky, and rain in his scent was all him. If she kept on smelling him, she''d do something stupid¡ªlike go on her knees and beg for his cock. "Please Cora."


    Cora exchanged seats with her. "Sure thing. Are you alright?"


    "Right as rain!" Rosamunde chirped, earning a sideways nce from Brunhilda who was now closest to her. She cleared her throat, looking to Ravenna; the girl''s own couch side-by-side with Rafel. Rosa wondered how she could afford such proximity. It was no secret they shared the same hot man, but every girl in his circle knew who was the main bitch alright!


    Ravenna de fucking Vr¨ªes!


    How they had not yet fucked was a mystery? But the girls were too afraid to ask their joint ''zaddy'' why. Too scared to start a conflict. Too drawn in to be jealous.


    And so Rosamunde Spears, [SS Rank Righteous Detective], pushed up her skirts to fold in the cleft of her sweet thighs¡ªassuaging the thrumming down there some¡ªand crossed her legs. She breathed slowly and set her eyes on the stage. The lust singing in her blood never fully cooled. But she was alright. Her thoughts were, ''I must be in heat or something? Did human female have that?''


    The opening red curtains of the stage focused her. It focused everyone in the theater.


    Solemn faces stared out as the final Act of the y unveiled: in a bedchamber adorned by Greek royal furnishing, two bodies tangled in bed. A fluffy white sheet covered the tangle, but by Aya''s fake moaning, anyone with red blood could guess what was happening. Percival didn''t really put his hands on Rafel''s [subus waifu]. He didn''t dare.


    Boys in the house whistled and whoopee-ed at the panting noises of the characters. Aya''s head broke free of the nket. She was topless, but hid from her neck down. Her skin was slick in perspiration. It was quite an intoxicating performance.


    Percival''s head came out also. His own naked chest was revealed as he touched his lover''s face. He addressed her in open love.


    "Jocasta."


    "Oedipus," the queen of Thebes whispered back.


    As they caught their breaths, she stroked his unruly blonde hair. "Tell me where youe from, young Conqueror. As we are wedded now, I seek to know the homnds of my king. Pray tell, from what nativity came my husband?"


    One could hear a pin drop in the hush that fell over the crowd. It was such like a Caster''s spell. They all knew what wasing, but it was no less daunting to watch. Everyone in the theatre was on the literal edge of their seats as Oedipus said from the cradle of his wife and mother''s bosom,


    "I was birthed some twenty years ago, my queen. I have no father or mother to speak of. Offered to the knife to quench a prophecy I was told. But the servant saved me. I was told I was the son of a mighty King, but held in disdain by my father because the Fates told I would rise in my youth and kill him. And then wed my mother.


    . ."


    Jocasta sat up slowly in the bed. Her beautiful face paled. The Queen stilled to stone.


    Aya perfected the look so good the audience was stricken speechless. Music, misty as a mountain song, began ying in harpsichords from the background. The wordless tune wafted up with new, blue smoke on the stage. It crawled in the royal chambers and up the stilts of the bed. And they all saw the moments tears fell from the Queen''s eyes.


    [?? You Sang To Me ¨C Marc Anthony.]


    Jocasta sat crying.


    She mourned for the boy beside her. Her boy.


    Her lost son.


    He knew not that the man he had killed was the King in his prophecy, good Laius, his father. He knew not that the woman who cradled him, whom had just in thest hour being loved by him roughly and sweet was the Queen from his prophecy, his mother. Oedipus knew not, else he would have shut his mouth. And not spake a word.


    Yet, in the secrets, in the betrayals, in the avoidance of the prophecy, they had themselves fulfilled it.


    Jocasta weeped openly. Oedipus, struck at her sudden mood change rushed out to fetch a handmaiden. A side door mmed on stage. This was the pinnacle of the y. No one wanted to look away. No one wanted to miss a second.


    The music swelled to an emotional lumbering. A few faces in the audience were streaked in tears also.


    Everyone watched as the ancient Queen of Thebes, Jocasta of legend slipped stiffly out of bed in her cream shift. She shined like a nightingale, haloed in her ghostly white under the spotlight. She moved as if unaware of her own feet to the stage center, the center of the bedchamber, and she stared out into the audience with glimmering eyes full of tears. Her pupils were swimming in agony.


    Jocasta murmured only three words.


    "Fate''s a bitch."


    There was a sh of lightning on stage, where the audience could see nothing for a beat. And when the sudden moment passed, the stage came into view again. A silhouette dangled from the domed chamber ceiling.


    Oedipus, brave in love rushed in through the door again with the handmaid.


    "Ahhh!"


    The girl screamed at the sight. It was most tragic.


    The queen, innocent and ndestine in her white sleeping robes hung from above. Cords of the nket were wrapped around her neck and it was twisted to the side. Cool brown eyes stared out at nothing.


    "My Queen." Oedipus fell at her dangling feet. He clutched to her waist on his knees and wept, holding her in tight embrace. He wailed into her swaying body. Jocasta had hung herself. In her death, the truth was revealed to him; became known of its own.


    "My mother," Oedipus confessed. "My mother."


    The curtains closed over the young Greek hero who sobbed at the feet of his wife¡ªand mother.


    For several moments, the whole theater was the quiet of a cemetery. Half the audience had blurry eyes, and some even openly weeped. Percival and Aya had given such an astounding performance in the end; the crowd felt the love. The tragedy. The legend. "Fuck." Even Rafel lowered his head and rubbed his eyes together.


    The y was a cautionary tale, executed in utter perfection. All actors and actresses featured in it yed their parts amazingly. Rafel figured it couldn''t get any better. The drama, Of Sons and Mother''s deserved a Golden award.


    Several.


    The whole cast of the y stepped on stage. And all in the theater rose to their feet.

 Chapter 202 Confrontation By an Angel

    The pping was instant. The audience followed in a standing ovation, jamming their hands and rocking the drama house in thunder. They cheered as the lights on stage and the theater brightened, shining beautifully in everyone''s faces. The gallery was luminous in sparkling sconces and people stood everywhere, apuding the most wonderful performance.


    It was certainly the cr¨¦me of the night. The cast had wowed the audience to near unbelief. They stood even now, all of them on the stage, in a fine line with their hands joined.


    Each and every character that had being portrayed, now in normal clothes, smiling, holding hands, sharingughter with their amicable audience. The y''s director, [Fourth Year Scribe] Erryn Wingfield lifted her long arms with her eclectic group of fine stage men and women. Cast. Crew. Navigators. All of them.


    And they, everyone of them in that long line on stage went down in a bow to the waist.


    Their joined hands swung back together as they rocked forward to the cheering of the pping audience. When they rose back up, even more in the theater''s crowd had tears in their eyes. Standing over in the gallery, Rafel spied in the adjacent booth the Headmistress lift a single, red-nailed finger and swipe the tear drifting down her left cheek. And promptly went back to pping.


    Erryn Wingfield stepped forward while her cast behind hugged and traded cheek kisses.


    "Thank you! Thank all so much." She said to the audience. "You have made this show mean much more to all of us. Thank you for the support you''ve given my humble cast and crew. We are so excited to have put this up for you. Also, we''d like to thank our benevolent Headmistress, Dr.


    Nicara Shetty. . ."


    "WHOO!" Raziah Fairfield¡ªthe one who had yed the Seer witch in the opening Act¡ªyelled for the woman. Now without her long hat and made-up face, she was even more fetching.


    Director Erryn Wingfield smiled and went on.


    ". . .Our benevolent Headmistress for making this possible, giving us the venues for auditions and practices. Also our tutors for not writing us up for beingte to ss on the nights we had gone too hard. A special thanks to Professor Ivoria for keeping the magic and mystique of drama club alive here at the academy, and Bolta Olympian for being the most humble consultant on set.


    Finally," Erryn Wingfield turned back to the line of grinning faces, "I''d like to thank my Cast, for giving more than I asked, putting their souls into the acting to make this show a sess, forgiving my outbursts and ranting, and making me tonight, a very, very proud Director. HERE''S TO YOU!"


    "Yes!!!" The actors and actresses hobbled together as Dr. Blood appeared and offered the Golden Academy Award. It was a weighted gold crow on an exquisite pedestal.


    The y, Of Sons and Mothers: Oedipus''s Tale, had won the Talent Hunt night.


    "Aww!" The audience crooned when Erryn lifted up the goldenurel. The award caught the lights, shining like the gold in her eyes. The pping never seemed to fully stop in the theatre. Director Erryn Wingfield was proud. Headmistress Nicara Shetty of the Corynthian college was prouder. In his private expensive booth, Israfel was proudest.


    He was beyond words for Aya Naamah and Percival Van Imperia, the lead characters of the winning y who had magnificently performed the roles of Jocasta of Thebes and Oedipus respectively. If acting had gods, Aya and Percival would be it. They had won the audience over with the astonishingly good showmanship. Together, they brought me and ice. Fire and rain.


    Rafel had practically seen the crowd offering their hearts out in the ending scene.


    His roommate''s mail might just be full by morning. Over a thousand fans! And half of them fan girls?


    ''Goodluck man.'' Rafel smiled. He''d need it to wade through the flood of shrieking groupies that would threaten to block the theater''s exits tonight.


    And as for Aya. . . she''d be getting whatever present her heart desired before dawn.


    But first; Rafel kept pping as her pure, violet eyes¡ªshe had taken off the contacts¡ªmoved up from the flowing audience to the gallery. Her iris met his from the stage. Under the spotlight, she was amazing. A popstar miracle. Rafel knew she was made for it. He couldn''t believe it.


    Yet he could. His award-winning Subus.


    The director, Erryn pulled her in for a hug and Rafel pulled his eyes for her to engage her fame.


    His [Bond] was a star.


    She seduced the night. The crowd. And the motherfucking stage. She owned the night.


    It made him all kinds of happy to know he would have her all to himselfter tonight, as soon as he could spirit her away from this ce. As a moving Opera started in the brightened hall, Rafel ordered his system to purchase gifts from the Institute''s domiciled [Arcane Shop] for the two actors that had made his night.


    "Peitho?"


    [Ding!]


    [Yes, my Lord Host. You summoned me.]


    "Yes," replied Rafel, "I did. Purchase two of the newest carriages from the forge at Endersails. And I want the best pairs of drawing horses too. These rides are to be delivered at the rooster''s crow tomorrow to both Percival and Naamah. No more walking to sses for them.


    Oh, and while you''re at it, get them gifts of a million each to their dorms. Make it something personal."


    [Does Host Apollyon have any suggestions?]


    Rafel closed his eyes. "Sadly, no. I''m not too versed on the proffering of presents. But I want it to matter. Make it matter, please. Thank you."


    [Host does not need to offer gratitude. System is here to serve.]


    Rafel still said, "thank you, Peitho."


    He didn''t see her smile. But he felt it.


    "Are you done?" Rafel felt a warm hand brush his arm and opened his closed eyes. Cora stood above him on his booth couch. He was surrounded on all sides by the other girls too. He met their pretty eyes, all of them, each varied and special. Cora didn''t take off her hand as she went on, telling him of their reluctance to disturb his solemnity. "We saw you sit down and go quiet.


    Ravenna told us you had to be talking to your system. We didn''t want to disturb you. Are you finished, Your Eminence?"


    Ravenna added. "We can wait if you need more time. Aya hasn''te yet so..."


    "No. It''s alright." Rafel told the girls. "I''m fine. I''ll just be a minute. I would like to listen till the end of this singing opera. You girls on to the carriage, order yourselves somete snack.


    Coraz¨®n has the lock on my gold. Order anything you want. Wait in the driveway. I''ll be there shortly. Let me try to wrangle my fair subus from the hands of this circling scry."


    He nodded an adamant head to the boys filing backstage. The fan boys.


    The girlsughed.


    "Okay." Ravenna blushed.


    "Don''t be long." Cora gleaned him suggestively.


    "We''ll be waiting," Rosa finished.


    Brunhilda passed him a shy nod.


    "I''m sorry, are you girls flirting with me?" Rafel feigned ignorance.


    "Ohe now, Apollyon! You know we are. See you in a bit." Ravenna offered at him for all of them. He smiled and watched the four hottest women he''d ever seen push back the drapes of the booth and vanish down the gallery stairs with the cool seduction of long legs under swishing skirts.


    Rafel closed his amber eyes again and resumed his listening to the Opera.


    It would be a wonderful addition to the growing collection in his [dorium].


    However, on the way out of the theater, Ravenna stopped the other girls by a corner kiosk setup under a vibrant colonnade. "Sorry guys. I need to pee. Hold my bag?" She offered Cora her purse. "I''ll be quick. I promise."


    "No worries, love." Coraz¨®n eased her. "We need to get biscuits anyway."


    "Oh thank fuck. I''m fucking hungry." Rosa rubbed her belly.


    Ravenna ran off, leaving them in the passage of the crowd who hade to watch the y filtering out of the theater''s door. Cora, Rosa, and Bruna stepped aside to let the people wade by. The three of them moved to the mounted kiosk, and under the fluorescent neonmplights, they ordered cream chops, a bottle of mermaid blood for when Rafel came, and vegan fries for Brunhilda.


    On second thought Cora ordered the spiced grilled steak for Aya. Subi could be quite ravenous, she heard.


    Meanwhile, Ravenna had just stepped into a stall in the empty females restroom of the theater block. She hiked up her skirts and dropped her panties. For no reason, an image of Israfel shirtless and ripped as fuck entered her head. She rather focused on the trickling of her own micturition. She was cleaning herself up when she heard a noise just outside her door.


    Thinking it was another girl in urgent need of a toilet bowl, she ignored it.


    She heard it again.


    KRR! KRR!


    It sounded like scratching.


    Now Ravenna had seen a lot. She was not easily scared. Then again, seeing as her life had turned out¡ªwith a murdering god of a father and herself head over heels in love with a demon, you''d be crazy not to be scared in her world. A little bit of fear was never too far away. Calmly, not to draw sound to the de, Ravenna fetched from the strap on her thigh a cold dagger.


    A gift from her demon love.


    She gripped the hilt tight, held it high and pulled the stall''s stic door.


    Her hold on the dagger instantly weakened as a brilliant shine dazzled her. The light was in her face. Bright. Too bright. But she made out a figure in it.


    After about two seconds, her pupils thinned to ept the rays and her sight focused. She saw through the luminant beams to the figure. It was a he. And he was a [Brass Saint].


    The twin wings of white gold on his back pped as he floated in the air.


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    KRR! KRR! FLAP! KRR!


    Oh! She looked up. It was the sound of his fluffy opal feathers scraping the bathroom''s ceiling that had made the cracking noise. This bright man was shirtless; he wore only a. . .loincloth?


    She guessed. But he was well built. Like a Labrador. Muscr. Broad. Not the sleek panther build of Israfel.


    Not her type.


    He was a gorgeous male. All Angels were.


    By the pping wings, anyone could guess this visitor''s divine species. But not anyone could know he was of the lowest tier in Angelology. Ravenna did. This man was a Virtue. She knew by the two stars floating in his [Halo Ring].


    Ravenna dropped her eyes. And her dagger hand.


    "Who the fuck are you?"


    "Hello, beautiful." He offered her the most asshole smile ever invented. A real smug one. There was a fine line between confidence in one''s own looks and in narcissism. He said, "I am Aariel. Your mother sent me."


    ''Ugh! Definitely not my type.'' Ravenna concluded.


    But. . . Her mother?


    She was suddenly interested. Far across the main corridor of the bathrooms floor, in the distant high booth of the theater, Rafel''s wicked yellow eyes sparked open. mes engulfed his pupils. Fangs exploded into his mouth. The soulful opera fell into the background. Shadows swarmed his dark self.


    He growled in the umbras. "Hmm. I smell Angel."

 Chapter 203 Guardian Virtue

    Ravenna De Vr¨ªes was out of sorts at the angel''s promation. Her mother had never cared before to send a herald. Why now? To offer an olive branch, or to upend the life she had so carefully crafted for herself. Or perhaps, her father had told her about his letter which had gone two weeks now without a reply. Ravenna didn''t want to hurt her head over them.


    In the wide area of thevatory, she moved for the soft taps and pumped a few times to get water going. She washed her hand under it, her green eyes rising up to the mirror. She caught the pale iris of the [Brass Saint] in it.


    "I ask again, what the fuck do you want? . . .uh, what''s your name again? And can you fold those wings please." She scoffed. "I get that some people literally worship you guys but I''m not one of them.


    Hell. For divine beings, you lot are pretty vain."


    "Aariel." The angel frowned. "My name is Aariel." His voice went harsh, like he couldn''t believe this spoiled princess forgot his name. He folded his white wings at Ravenna''s cold stare and dropped to the bathroom''s stark floors. Much to Ravenna''s chagrin, he eyed the ground, lifting each heel of his gilded battle-sandals to stare under as if he was expecting to see some dirt.


    Aariel folded his arms across his impressive chest and continued to tell her about ''himself''.


    "Those who worship us are wise. We are the personification of all that is holy. All that is pure. All that is true. The Martyr and the creator. His presence and His holiness.


    I, Aariel am one of His servants. A Virtue." He pointed to his glowing halo, even though Ravenna had seen better. "Angels are not vain. We are merely ourselves. This glory and splendor," he ran a self-absorbed hand down his shining body, "should not be hidden. Does the sun hide from the earth?"


    Ravenna blinked incredulously.


    Did he just equate himself to the fucking sun?


    With every passing minute, she was liking this bright person a lot less. By the gods, how had her mother chosen this Aariel to be her messenger. But she was guessing they were all like hard. It was pretty hard not to be full of yourself when your skin spun as snow and light bounced off your eyes. Still, not an excuse.


    Did the female Angels not wear shirts too? If Aariel was to be believed, the ''holy ones'' did love to show some skin. If the men were this beautiful, then the women surely had to be supernatural.


    Ravenna shut off the pumps on the tap, shaking her hands in the sink and wiping them off. Despite the Corynthian Academy for Witches boasting a state-of-the-art boarding hold¡ªwith ces like thevatory she stood in making use of loos rather than the chamber pots at the realms north of the Cold Sea¡ªitcked the futuristic avoirdupois of Ant and the underwater colonies.


    She heard the Anteans had invented toilet seats that blew cool air on the behind. How strange?


    Ravenna said to Aariel in the mirror. "Holiness is overated. I know Vicars and nuns who have done terrible things under the guise of the Lord''s work. I don''t believe in moral perfection. And you can''t convince me either."


    "I see that." A vein bulged in his forehead.


    "So, are you going to answer my question? Or pretend like you aren''t looking at yourself in the mirror?"


    "Go¨Coosh!" Aariel sucked in his teeth.


    "Sounded like you were gonna say, ''God!'' there. Is it still called sphemy? Would you have to burn, or be stoned to death? I mean as an angel, surely your punishment must be much worse. Lucifer still suffers his, and it''s been what. .


    .a billion years?"


    Ravenna chortled, having the time of her life when she spied the vein in Aariel''s temple nearly burst out of his forehead. He was about to lose his angelic cool. He all but roared his reply to her.


    "Samael got what he deserved for plotting a putsch in Paradise! Your mother told me you''d be something of a smartass¡ª" What he really wanted to say was bitch. He held his tongue. This girl was still crown princess and daughter of a Seraphim. He went on. "Now that I''ve met you, I believe her.


    That aside, the reason Aariel appears to you is because you mother sent me. I am ordered to remain your Guardian Virtue until such a time as you are returned to her."


    Ravenna gave a shortugh. "Do you always refer to yourself in the third-person?"


    "Your mother cares." He ignored her. Aariel moved a step forward; the wings on his sandals breezed as if alive and his iridescent skin glowed. Ravenna wondered how his loincloth hadn''t yet fallen off his waist. Must be angel magic or something, she concluded. Aariel said in a stern voice, luminous eyes reflected in the bathroom''s mirror:


    "Your mother is Yuriel Yellowstone. One of the strongest Seraphs of Paradise. She is a [Gold Saint]. A nine-star Arch. She is very, very noble and well-respected in our heavenly courts. You should be on your knees, begging me to take you to her.


    Hers is one of the purest bloodlines since we walked the earth. Frankly, I think you''re not worthy of her. She, who is lofty and definitely not in need of some halfling daughter still sent me to this nd part of the world to protect you. And all you can''t even recognize and ept her love?"


    Ravenna turned sharply from the mirror to face Aariel''s hard eyes.


    "All the purity and holiness in her didn''t keep her from lying to me! All the magnificence didn''t stop her from abandoning me. From letting me mourn, scrounge and damn near whore myself out living with a drunkard father! You hear me? It didn''t stop her. So fuck her.


    And fuck you too."


    Aariel unfolded his beefy arms. "I get that you''re angry¡ª"


    "You don''t get shit." Ravenna quaked. "My mother has never cared before. Why should I give a shit now?"


    "Maybe you shouldn''t cuss so m¡ª" Experience tales at empire


    "I have lived from age four alone, and I''m damn sure capable of protecting myself. So curl out those pretty boy wings of yours and go on pping back to heav''n, cuz I definitely don''t need ya. And I need not her either! Get it!"


    Aariel fell quiet. Her mother had mentioned her ent, but it was quite thick. The wrath in the Virtue stoked when Ravenna denied his protection. No one denied guardianship of an angel. It was a blessing. Thousands prayed for it.


    And here was this fucking bitch turning him down. He was nomon saint. He had two stars¡ªand that was not nothing. If her mum wasn''t a Seraph, he''d...


    "I am happy here," Ravenna said, leaning back on the sink in her beryl dress, interrupting his madness, "I have friends¡ª"


    "You mean the demon. Demons are not your species!" Aariel bristled at the nerve on her.


    "I am half demon you know?" She shouted.


    "You are also Angel!" Aariel fired back. He shook in fury. In annoyance. In jealousy. How dare this girl choose a fucking fire-eater over her own kin? Over the glorious?


    Over fucking paradise! He stomped toward her, making her fall back on the sink''s protruding porcin. He yelled in her face, his sunny eyes spitting flecks of light.


    "Y¨CYou would choose Hel over Heaven? To remain with bastards who''d suck your blood and subject you to an eternity under a red sky. The dismal gloom of the underworld. The horror? The condemned souls? Torment for ages.


    You would choose this over the glory I offer? Over the guardian of glory? You pick a FUCKING DEMON OVER AARIEL?!"


    "Yes." Ravenna didn''t drop her eyes.


    Aariel''s ire reached its peak. He made up his mind not be belittled. Not even by Saint Yuriel''s broken daughter. He was going to teach her a lesson, he reasoned. A good, hard lesson!


    Aariel pushed Ravenna deeper on the sink with his mighty form. He growled in a sick voice. "Well, since you love demons so much, your mother won''t fault me for breaking you in. I shall give you a taste of what they''ll be doing to you forever."


    Ravenna looked down and saw the rod extending from his loincloth.


    Oh no!


    "What the¡ª"


    She tried to scream but his firm hand mped on her mouth. He was stronger. Super fucking strong. And the anger had charged him.


    "Come here!" He grabbed her little body and turned her around. He tore at her dress. Ravenna kicked back her legs at him, struggling with his hand on her mouth. She felt his sick thing on her back. It was hot and heavy, and nudged her thigh as he ripped through garters and silk. Ravenna jolted and tried to slip from under him.


    But Aariel caged her, mming her down on the sink.


    She fell heavily to it and her forehead hit the porcin. White sparked behind her eyes and she smelled blood. Pain throbbed in her temples.


    "You fucking bitch. . .mouthing off at an angel? I''m going to use you before any idiot demon." The bastard tore her dress up to her waist, finally parting her undergarments. His sick eyes brightened in the mirror at the sight of her young flesh.


    Ravenna knew then. He was going to rape her.


    But she didn''t want her first time struggling and forced. She didn''t wasn''t to be broken by a mad angel.


    ''Israfel, I need you. Please. I need you.''


    With fresh tears streaming her cheeks, she sent out into the universe, praying that her demon was listening. Ravenna had just felt that vile rod of the crazy man behind her poke apart her slender thighs when there was a sudden quiet. A silence, eerie and disturbing, fell over the bathroom.


    The lights flickered and dimmed. And¡ª


    BOOM!


    A ghoulish cloud of shadows exploded into the space. Aariel''s penis behind her dropped and his rough hand loosened in her hair. Out from the rippling darkness, Israfel stepped out. He was furious and fatal, and beautiful. He was breathing fire; fire in his mouth. In his eyes.


    In his hair.


    "I smelt Angel." His baritone thundered in the room, rattling the ss of the mirror.


    Aariel''s jaw dropped. He instantly sprouted his wings and moved to fly out the door.


    A great crimson hand erupted from Rafel''s back, caught him by the throat and mmed him to the mirror. The dark ss cracked in a web pattern and several of the lights winked off. Rafel kept the wanker up by his [Titan Grasp] and pulled a sickle from his pocket dimension. The de sliced out out of thin air, curved for the harvest.


    SLASH!


    He sliced off Aariel''s wings cleanly.


    "Aaatgggghggruld!" The Virtue screamed in pain.


    Rafel released his hold, his [Titan Grasp] slipping again into his back. Aariel fell before him on his knees and Rafel pulled the angel''s chin up to his. The sod''s wingsy bloodied and twitching not far away. Rafel told the bastard in a dark voice. "You do not touch what is mine."


    And then he gripped hold of Aariel''s hand and cracked it from front to back. The loose head made a swivel on his neck before the body crashed with a sickening thud to the bathroom floors.


    "Are you okay?"


    Ravenna blinked past the tears when she heard Rafel''s wee bass. She met his infernal eyes in the splintered mirror.


    He had just killed her Guardian Angel.

 Chapter 204 His Cold Heart

    [?? Rehab ¨C RIHANNA.]


    Israfel moved for her. And he pulled her from the sink. He cradled her into his body. She held him tightly and shivered. Ravenna felt so delicate with him. So loved.


    In his embrace, she wasn''t repulsed or angry. All her sorrow and agony melted into his warmth and smell. In hugging him, she forgot she hade a smidge close to being raped¡ªjust ten seconds ago.


    "I''m here. I''m sorry." Rafel hugged her back. Her head came up to his chest and he kissed her rich charcoal hair.


    They stayed that way with no awareness of the passage of time. Not until the bathroom door crashed open and Coraz¨®n came barreling in. She was swiftly followed by the others.


    "You didn''t return and we were worried¡ª" The words fell off her lips when she spotted the dead man on the floors and the bloody wings in a corner, near a stall. Cora almost tripped as the others filed in. She gawped at the deep gashes on the man''s back. Right under his twin scape. Fresh wet-red blood was leaking from the cleaved flesh in an expanding pool on the otherwise resplendent floor.


    The corpse looked like an odd barber surgeon had taken to it¡ªor a bear.


    "Holy shit. Is that an Angel?"


    Cora''s question fell on deaf ears as those in the space with her were equally petrified at the absurd body find. Ravenna stayed in the crook of Rafel''s slung arm over her shoulder as the new girls in the bathroom padded to a circle around the dead Virtue, still staring. Aariel''s two-star halo and inner luminescence were faltering.


    His celestial shine was fading from his corpse. No longer alive, the luminous energy, like the sun, was rapidly leaving the stiff snow flesh.


    His wings had stopped twitching like a gecko''s cut tail. Eventually, all the light left the corpse and the angel, Aariel stopped glowing. His body lost all shimmer and shine, and it now looked like any other dead person on the floor. Save the torn wings to the side, no one would know this dead man was few minutes ago a holy [Brass Saint].


    Cora leaned in, crouching to push the tufts of blonde hair from his face. It shadowed the sigil dormant on his forehead. Her fingers brushed the marking; the upturned V, that now looked like a mere tattoo.


    It had once glowed with vibrant [Caelestes] mana when Aariel was yet alive.


    "He was a Herald of the Brass Saint echelon." Rosa dipped down beside Cora. "A Virtue."


    Rafel silentlymended Rosa''s finding. Despite the fact that Aariel''s halo hadpleted vanished she was still able to put together his rank. Had to be her investigative mind at work. Rosamunde had, and would always be a detective. First before witch.


    "Yes," gave Ravenna hollowly, "he was." She finally pulled away from Rafel, reluctantly. She missed his heat but he kept his hand on the small of her back. She took the littlest step forward and exined the mystery of the bleeding angel on the toilet floors. "His name was Aariel, and my mum sent him. My Seraphim mother, Yuriel Yellowstone."


    She told the girls, their friends how the man had osted and tried to coax her into returning to the hub of Titans Landing with him. How her refusal had angered him, and how he had tried to force himself inside her. Both Coraz¨®n and Rosamunde instantly pulled back from the pale corpse, as if it was a sudden rattlesnake, on hearing this.


    "Impure fuck!" Cora spat on its empty face.


    Rosa shrugged. "Weirdly, it doesn''t surprise me that this. . .person was evil. After you told me Cora about the Highfather, nothing does anymore. I should question my faith, but no." She looked around the splendorous white of the bathroom to her friends, "I still believe," she said, her blue-grey eyes on Israfel.


    "Rafel stopped him." Ravenna finished her telling.


    "Gods! I''m so sorry. One of us should''vee with you." Aya Naamah ced aforting hand on Ravenna''s shoulder and rubbed. Her voice slipped like the perfect blend of citrus juice. Even when she wasn''t trying, her subus allure still wove out. "Can your parents do nothing normal?" She spoke her thoughts aloud with her purple eyes on the dead angel.


    She quickly caught herself, shifting her gaze back to Ravenna.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean¡ª"


    "It''s okay. I''m used to it." Ravenna moved forward and kicked Aariel''s body in his side. The skin didn''t move back from the exposed ribs. She spat too on him. "I''m happy the bastard''s dead. He pulled up on me in the toilet, fuckin'' pping right outside the door," she kicked him again, "that''ll teach you, perv!


    My mum will be missing a messenger tonight. But I don''t care." She turned behind to her dark savior; he was solemly standing by the cracked mirror. She smiled wonderfully at him. "Thank you."


    Rafel nodded as Cora said what they were all thinking: "What are we going to do with the body and darned wings? I would burn it but I lost all my darkfyre abilities when I was resurrected. I''m restricted to only certain Casting now that I''m a Ghost girl. Can someone burn this fucker?"


    "I got you, girl." Aya stepped up. "INCINDIA!"


    She put two fingers up and curled the others under it, casting her sorcery over the Virtue. Aariel''s pale body smoked and went up in a sh of purple mes. The fire licked up his angelic snow-white skin¡ªand for a second there Ravenna swore she saw a smiling face in the fire.


    They watched the angel and his wings burn into nothing. But rather than incinerate into ash at Aya''s spelled fire, Aariel''s body turned into gold dust. Apparently, angels weren''t created from mud like man.


    It was funny.


    Cora said over the strange pyre, "I guess the funereal term, from dust to dust and ashes to ashes, can only be said for mortals then, eh?"


    Rosa chuckled. "Wait," Rafel walked up and put his hand in the fire. The mes licked up his forearm, catching his tunic sleeve but washing cool as water over his skin. He jammed his fingers into Aariel''s chest and pulled out a sticky, wet heart from the caved sternum.


    He let the rest of the body burn, as he turned and fished out his handkerchief from his front pocket. He put the angel''s heart in it and ced it carefully inside his coat''s damask inners.


    "Who knows when we''d need an Angel''s pure heart?" He offered with a slow smile.


    The girls, used to his dark nature,ughed at his morbid joke. "This, I can do," Cora waved her hand in a passing gesture over the splintered mirror. The webby shards instantly fastened together and in a second of time, the ss was good as new. Clean as ake''s still te.


    Aya blew over the pile of gold dust¡ªremnants of Aariel¡ªand the dust dispersed up in the air like fireflies, following the path of air through little exits in the bathroom.


    All signs of a murdered angel was gone! Thedies room of the theater was spanking as could be.


    "Shall we leave this ce now?" Cora sidled close to Rafel. So did the others. They took his sides, with him being the middle man. A most handsome chaperone. Ravenna added, "please, that wanker nearly ruined this night of the wonderful y we just watched."


    Rafel led them out, the doors swinging behind them, no trace of death on the resplendent floors, enamel walls, nor bright ceiling. He praised Aya''s debut acting in the fine corridors. "¡ªwith the soaring performance of our lovely dove here, a little murder has no chance. I will never forget you up on that stage. You were more than a miracle, my beautiful Naamah. Absolutely phenomenal."


    Aya blushed the color of Israfel''s hair. A deep, rushing red. Her [Dominus] rarely dished outpliments, but when he did¡ª


    He was a poet.


    ''More than a Miracle.'' She turned over his words many times in her head. She did not know which turned her on more; him calling his ve or a miracle. She decided not to choose.


    At the entrance of the theater dome, Coraz¨®n collected their snacks from the freckledss by the selling booth¡ªthe shy girl they''d dropped it off with when they had gone to find Ravenna. She tipped again, and hurried back to her friends.


    As they all descended the steps on the long, red carpet, thest remaining patrons of the night, conversing under the arches nodded to Israfel''s beautifulpany; many fine students tipped their dramatic hats.


    Cora tucked her vat of popcorn with Aya''s, loudly pronouncing, "Cheers to Jocasta!"


    "To Jocasta. Yip! Yip!" The others recited in unison.


    They kept toasting, chanting, "Go Aya! Go Aya! Go Aya," into the waiting carriage. Aya covered her hands over her face and tried to run off, but Rafel dragged her back, tickling her in hisp in thevish interior of the wide buggy. It was arge make, pulled in front by six horses. The shiny cart tumbled onward from the theater''s glimmery front down themplit campus streets.


    "There goes my star! You''re a star, Naamah. A fuckin'' star!" He held the giggling girl tight. Both of them ignored the hard rise they could both feel between their joining; with a smashing chick like Aya sitting on him, a hard-on was a given. Rafel didn''t even bother.


    "TO OUR STAR!" Ravenna sent up a flute of her filled winess from the mini bar in the long carriage.


    Everyone jammed to her toast. "TO OUR STAR!"


    Rosa, Cora, and Ravenna sat opposite Rafel in the luxury ride. He kept Aya in hisp, and Bruna was beside them on his side. All of them rxed in the plush innards. Ravenna loosened her midnight hair. It tumbled down. The night''s wind stirred through the curtains and in the enchanting waves.


    Coraz¨®n popped the buttons on her boyish suede jacket, granting consciously to Rafel a vision of soft, milky skin¡ªobviously.


    Rosamunde took off her witchy boots and crossed her legs, drawing attention to her goth toenails, painted lush violet. Brunhilda took Rafel''s right hand and put it in the smooth heat of her golden silk gown, and mped her hot thighs firmly on it. Aya generously rubbed her supple behind on his rager, massaging his ''stiff one'' with her buttocks.


    Rafel smiled in the carriage''s wan interior.


    "And I thought my cold, demon heart might scare you lovelies away."


    Cora ran a delicate hand through her silver fade and her tongue over full lips of pink. "Not a chance," she grinned seductively.


    Ravenna leaned forward on her seat and clutched to Rafel''s free hand. "Yep. We love your cold, demon heart." Find more chapters on empire


    And they all wentughing, their union of voices tumbling out the rolling buggy and into the magical, Corynthian night.

 Chapter 205 Glory Hole! [18+]

    RAFEL''S ROOMMATE didn''t return that night.


    It waste morning and Rafel pushed back his bedchamber drapes as he sipped on warm tea and watched the seagulls in sky through his floor-to-ceiling looking-ss. If the turnoutst night at the theater was any indication, Percival had probably hit the honeypot with a bunch of groupies from the y.


    Certain as the mana-charge in a Druid Meister''s staff was the love of young girls for stars on the stage, especially if he was darned fine as Percival. Rafel took a calming finishing gulp of his tea and floated the mug to his bedside table behind by a fresh crimson aura.


    It was called [Red Rush Rakr?]. Rakr?, after the ancient Latviann art of telekinesis among the monks that lived up in the Alps.


    The teacup was enveloped in a wine-colored shade as it hovered smoothly for the top of the drawers and settled down of its own ord.


    Ordinarily, Rafel could have made use of his shadows in moving the mug but he was learning much in the sses he took by his part-Manifest as a witch of the [Phoenix Arc]. As the only bi-magical student of the elite institute, he was well taken off by the headmistress and tutors alike. The arrival of Rafel showed dynamic things were possible of the known arcane order.


    He figured it was high time he start pulling on the surge of blood magic he had within him too.


    Formerly, at [C.A.W], only vampires manifested for Phoenix Arc and had the ability to rise up to the rank of [Sanguine Sovereign] from the lowly summoner by their Fourth Years.


    Not anymore though. Since a certain Viscountess had conceived and birthed a trueblood, alive, screaming, pale-haired baby by her vampire Lord, the myths had gone in check. Apparently, the fable of vampires shooting nks was just that.


    These days kids were pulled from their mothers legs by shocked midwives as vampires and budded tiny fangs by their first birthdays. It challenged the liberalws of the Continent greatly¡ªespecially among the viges with only poptions ofy mortals: like Castamere. If children could be born bloodsuckers now, ''what'' couldn''t be born?


    The seagulls dipped in the clouds and Rafel blinked.


    He watched them swoop from the sunny heavens to a cresting wave before he turned from the ss view. He wished and hoped Percival had a better, hotter night than he. After the theatre spectaclest night, he''d been made sleepy on the bottle of Royal Red to do anything about the boner he had.


    So after dropping off at his solemn dormitory''s rise, he gave the carriageman strict discipline to take the girls and only leave them at the room doors of their respective Halls: Brightburn and Copenh?gen.


    They were drunk, and yes, while he trusted his women to behave proper, he did not trust the boys of the fucking college not to try something. Much more after a night of watching a boy in bed with his mum. And, "I don''t want to be expelled for killing some recalcitrants. I quite like it here," was his words as the carriageman rolled away with hisdies. "Not after I''d just murdered that Virtue."


    He had no doubt the School Board would have his hide if they found out he had cold ''iced'' an angel on campus grounds¡ªeven if this angel had been a cunt.


    Nicara would try; he being the foxy headmistress''s favorite, but Israfel would be put on trial, definitely before the [Three Without Eyes].


    "Lucky me for covering my tracks." He said out loud.


    He didn''t want to think that Aariel had put hands on Ravenna. It made him want to crack that fucker''s neck again. So he scraped his mind as he picked up a long dark robe from his closet racks. He had this morning full of free periods, so he didn''t need to be at the Citadel untilter. He had perhaps an hour or two. It was just about noon now.


    Pulling the robe over his golden body, Rafel strode for Percival''s partitioned chamber past themon lounge area. His profile resembled that of the god Apollo as he passed by a huge vanity. In Percival''s corner, he found the wide space in general disarray. His roomie was warrior and friend, but not tidy.


    Rafel''s eyesnded on the hot poster of the topless girls above the cypress headboard.


    "Hmm." His tongue ran his teeth. Enjoy new tales from empire


    Percy probably had it up in that ce so he didn''t have to stress to get a wank.


    Pretty innovative, no?


    But Israfel preferred variety. He couldn''te every time to just one picture, or one girl. It wasn''t them. It was he. And surprisingly, they liked him for it.


    Rafel''s gaze smoothly slid to the shaved girl in a framed paintwork on the shelf. She was a Van Imperia he could tell. Perhaps rted to Percival. She had sun-blond eyebrows. And beyond the smoothness of her well-formed head, she had the body of a supermodel. Tiny hips.


    Legs longer than Euphrates. And the thigh-gap on her was just impossible.


    "Well damn!" Hot blood fired to Rafel''s dick. The sudden upheave of his penis stretched his boxers.


    Her green marine eyes stared from the shelf at him, like she knew. Her pink lips curled in a dazzling, beckoning smile.


    "Fuck it."


    Rafel knew Percival kept a box of tissues and tub of Freydis'' oil ready in his drawers. In a sh, he fished them out and stood with his briefs down and robe open. He oiled up his right hand, his gold eyes hot on the shaved girl''s photo. His fingers had just found the heaviness of his cock when¡ª


    [DING!]


    "Gods be damned!"


    Peitho''s sultry AI voice hit Rafel just as the noon rms came ringing. Rafel groaned and tried to sustain his breathing. His heart was thundering. His cock was gun-slingin''. He was on a roll. But...


    Outside, he could hear Erika''s syrupy diction making some announcement he didn''t give a fuck to listen to. If Miss prim President talked too loudly, he just might drag her in and stuff her mascaraed face with his stiffer.


    If Peitho had been material, he would bend over that very shelf, ram her head into the photo of the supermodel and pile-drive her into never-after.


    "If. . ." Rafel sighed and pulled his hand off his cock.


    To think of the [Gyaru] heiress of House Burgess with her glossed lips wrapped around his bobbing prod cooled Rafel''s blood at suddenly being interrupted¡ªsome. And he sighed again, snapping the tub of Freydis'' bath oil. The tissues burned to ash in his tight palm. He angrily pulled up his briefs and shut his robe.


    "What is it, Peitho?"


    [I deeply apologize, Host.]


    Rafel was already striding out of Percival''s space; he put it at the back of his mind to ask his roomie about who the shaven girl in the framed photo was.


    Peitho''s continuing voice was a mild salve:


    [But my Lord Apollyon, as your system I must inform you of your schedules. I sense your mood is greatly impoverished. As such, I''d skip right into it. That was the noon bells for breaktime twelve point five seconds ago. You have Dr. Emery Blood''s ss at one o''clock.


    Swiftly followed by a session ofnd map navigation with Tutor of Ranger Arts, Major Tanaka Hanzo.


    At 1500 hours, you have nned pizza snacking with your harem. On Mistress Naamah''s orders, you are not to bete.]


    The hum of Rafel in the bathroom dulled out Peitho''s voice in his head. It was her ending words that had Rafel scrambling for the shower''s nub and hitting the panel to stop the rain with suds in his hair.


    [Also, Lord Apollyon, if you still wish to relieve yourself of your manly essence, Miss Coraz¨®n is currently stuck in the boy''s locker room, in thest stall. She is slightly afraid and willing.]


    [Ding!]


    [System has provided one lush chick.]


    [Distance from Host: 2.05 miles.]


    [Is Host willing to engage lustful urge? Tomit his sin in a near public ce?]


    [Y/N?]


    Rafel was already out the sliding ss of the bath and rubbing himself down with a towel. "What do you think, Peitho? Of course yes." He dragged on quick clothes and slung a dark [Raven Arc] zer over his left shoulder. His sses after what he nned to do would demand a nd fashion.


    Rafel picked up a his keycard, slipping it into his back pocket as he called on elemental sorcery to ship him to the boys locker room.


    "Dark Arts! The Gray Doorway!"


    In the moment of his words, a portal with an ashy outlined blurred into the room''s space. He stepped into the foggy doorway and was enveloped with a whoosh. His system teleported him straight into the adjoining stall of Cora''s funny imprisonment.


    Rafel didn''t bother with introductions.


    "Listen here, ghost girl. I can help you out of this ce if you help me."


    "Israfel, is that you?" Cora leaned on the thin, limoline wall separating their stalls and whispered, "thank the gods. Whew! I was wondering how I was gonna get outta here. Have you seen the boys outside? They''re fucking everywhere. I wouldn''t live this down if I was caught.


    They''d brand me the lesbo who was caught spying on dick. You don''t even want to know how I got in here. I just wanted to pee so bad I misread the sign on the door, you know?


    But wait, did you say I have to help you too?" She halted her stuttering. "Can''t you just portal me away? Do your thing? Your mojo or whatever."


    Rafel nced at his ticking swiss watch. He had ss in the next twenty minutes. He didn''t have time for this shit.


    He closed his fist and summoned a ball of red fire around it. Touching his fiery hand to the limoline wall, he burned out the hard stic. The wall melted in a precise circle the shape of his ming fist. And his hand went right through. He pulled back and shook out the mes, telling her with his forehead to the wall, "I do not have the time to exin, Coraz¨®n.


    All you must know is I have ss in a bit and I''ve a need down south. And I sure as hell am not going to Dr. Blood fucking ss with blue balls. The man teaches for hours.


    You need to help me out here, Cora. I need you. My cock needs you. If you could see it right now. I mean it''s hard and heavy and sprung. The way I see it, it''s the only way the both of us get what we want, no?"


    "Alright." Cora''s response came out breathy. "You got me at cock."


    In her stall, she ced her palms on the opposite wall of the small cubicle and bent down to fit her bum over the hole in the wall Rafel had created.


    The glory hole.


    She hiked up her pleated school skirt; she was d to have chosen this against her usual pants as she pulled down her white tights. "Yes, love. Perfect. Stay like that." Rafel''s hard whisper sang across the wall to her as he angled himself through the hole and pushed. Cora''s hot channel was waiting right on the other side. Her body epted him and her sex twitched at his filling size.


    His throbbing penis went all in.


    "Oh gods!" Cora moved one hand from the wall back to her mouth to quieten her moans.


    She had never done anything as naughty as this before.


    "Oh yes. You''re wet. And so fucking tight. Give me that pussy. This hot, tight cunt. Yes, Coraz¨®n.


    I love your fucking pussy." Rafel tried his best to keep his dirty whispering down as Cora blew out her pleasure in muffles. She came twice bent over in the stall, with Rafel in the next one seating himself deep inside her over and over.


    The sounds their bodies made at their points of joining were soft, but the passion was intense.


    Cora came a third time with Rafel.


    He grabbed the tops of the stall hard as he jerked into her tight heat, desperate to touch her. The fact that he could not turned her on the more. Cora''s pink hole epted all the gallons he gave; she shivered and mewled, facenting her hands as she rodes the high waves of a feverish orgasm.


    Rafel pulled out and wickedly bent to look in the glory hole and his creampie.


    "Coraz¨®n," he panted as they both caught their breaths, "you''re so beautiful with your pussy clenching around my spunk." He waited a full minute as they both arranged themselves and brushed back matted hair. Then he said again,manding sorcery into the locker room, "Dark Arts! The Gray Door!"


    This time, two ash doorways whooshed into the air, one on his end, and the other on Cora''s.

 Chapter 206 Mistress Of Summer

    Israfel actually enjoyed Dr. Blood''s ss. He knew why. His dick was still warm and wet with her.


    He did pay attention when Emery¡ªas the [Fifth Hel Circle] demon insisted being called in ss, gave rules of entering a Quantum Hel Sphere. One of the toughest realms a bitch could send you too.


    Dr. Emery Blood was now saying, "First invented by Philovana Rostova, a Pimento witch of the ounds centuries ago for her cheating husband, the Quantum Hel Sphere is an atomic size miniverse solely created for the purpose of optimum torment. Philovana wanted to imprison her phndering husband with her, and innocently conjured up a cage that would him, and only he.


    But in those days," Dr. Blood sighed, "there were not many witches to heed and enquire from. Practitioners of the arts were hidden from the known doct¨®re." He uttered the Valhan inscribe for doctrine¡ªobviously expecting his students to be proficient in some measure of the ancientnguage. After all, major sorcery of the Druids had been written in the drunken swirls of the Drowned god.


    Howbeit, this was not his sybus, and he continued on with the tale of this angered witch wife.


    "Philovana didn''t expect for things to turn out the way it did. Her prison was manufactured at her spellcasting, quite alright. But her husband had to shrink down to... should I say the molecr standards of this mystical dungeon. This would be the first ever disposition of a Quantum reality, known to written history that is.


    The real problem came when Philovana''s husband didn''t stop shrinking. Eventually, he was so little he passed for gas¡ª"


    POO! A boy in ss made a farting sound, and the others roared inughter.


    "Thank you for that vociferous aid, Master Albion," Dr. Blood chastised the nonchnt pupil in sarcasm and held up his hand to halt the sniggers, "some say Philovana just about breathed her husband in. Either way, few yearster at her death to a river curse, chunks of a mangled man were found awkwardly shrivelled in a honey jar, some parts of the corpserger than others.


    It was from the somewhat intact and life-size head sticking out the jar''s bottom that the folk finders knew that was Philovana''s Lord. At her passing, the magic had quickly crumbled around the Quantum space, but with no certain spell of restoration, the Sphere had ended up crashing in on itself, near liquefying the poor man in the process."


    "Oh, boohoo! Poor Rostova," another girl made a sad face, but she was being cute.


    Dr. Blood saw through it and let his beloved First Years snort it out again. The chuckles died, and with the ringing bells, his ss ended quickly. In thest minutes of teaching, he told them tob through his rmended texts on [Quantum Space Augmentation], and that in the next ss they''d be practicing with eels.


    Eels were perfect for minute realms creation; they were too sleek to break apart when shrunk or grown again.


    Rafel made his way apart from the rush crowd down the t lime corridors. He hurried out the Citadel''s cloud-stroking tower, veering off to the flight field in the distance. It was not too far away, and he came across others whose next ss was the same as his. They moved in groups to the vast, t savanna of white.


    The flight field was for dragons¡ªobviously.


    Your next read awaits at empire


    But it was only used by pupils Third Year upward, who actually took flight sses. However, since Israfel''s next ss was Land Navigation, their warcraft-ish tutor had prepared the flight field for use; it was close to the pine forest fringing the Southside beach. The ind was left wild this side of campus.


    Far from the dormitories and halls, the flight fieldy in sprawling silver¡ªin case anynding dragon decided to suddenly pour fire.


    Rafel reached the field on the hour'' hand. And themandant of the Guild, Major Tanaka Hanzo was waiting¡ªand with her handy baton too.


    Yes, the same Coach Tanaka!


    Tanaka was skilled like none other on the isle inbat forms and was the perfect physics tutor for the First Years during their early morning face-offs at the mess hall. But she also taught Land Nav. Safe to say, she was phenomenal in everything and any thing outdoorsy. You couldn''t spring up on her with a [Lightfoot Talisman]. She was that honed to her surrounding.


    An ex-servicewoman in Her Majesty''s military, the Major had been dishonorably dismissed¡ªbut not out of vice. It was the fucking Titans.


    "LISTEN HERE, RUNTS!" Her well-known dictator voicemanded rapt attention from the First Years who had filed in apany of three lines on the flight field.


    There was ample space in all directions, but each girl or boy on the field kept to their line. They all stood at attention. No one wanted to piss off the Major. With chests puffed out and uniforms shot in the rolling wind, they stared out with steadfast gazes. The Major walked amongst them.


    She halted sharply and pointed her baton to the first boy in the first line. He tried not to shiver under it.


    ". . .this is not the Guild. HERE, IN THIS FUCKING FIELD, YOU WILL ALL ADDRESS ME AS MAJOR! Not as Coach. Never as Coach!


    AM I UNDERSTOOD?!"


    "YES MAJOR!" The First Years roared.


    "YES FUCKING WHAT?"


    "YES MAJOR!"


    "Good." She calmed, dropping her baton for a second, and thed first in the line squirmed in relief. Asbat Coach of the Guildhall, with a Training Circle devoted under her stout care, Tanaka certainly knew how to brush up ''runts'' to their environment. In fact, unarguably, she was the best.


    "I hear she''s A-Rank Scorpio Sentinel." One girl leaned out of her line to whisper to a fellow. Their hush fell on the Major''s fox ears.


    "Quiet, Griffin runt!" She scolded.


    "Yes, Major." The whispering girl dropped her head and fell back in line, the cors of her gold jacket breezing with the field''s stirring wind.


    In not so many words, Tanaka introduced the topic of the evening''s outdoor study.


    "So, RUNTS, for today''s Land Nav., we shall be marking out this pine forest behind us. It''s not your typical run-of-the-mill terraform, mind you. These trees are old as time and the roots gnarl deep into the fingers of Gaea herself. Flowers of this forest have been transported from the Seely Realm, so be holden to certain mushrooms that may look inviting. For all of you¡ªI know what I''m talking about.


    We will be casing the forest from the north, east and west entry points. As the south is to the sea, we will skirt not there. ALL COMPANIES AT EASE! LET ME SEE YOUR FUCKING STANCE!" Tanaka told them in authoritative voice. She was probably the only Tutor in the academy that could cuss in front of students. The lines stoutly spread out their legs as she ordered them to begin the hike.


    First Company took the north entry from the flight field into pine forest. Second Company, the east. And Third Company entered the woods at the west point. Allpanies had a squadron leader, a [Novice rank] Healer, and telepath. Thetter to aidmunication between squads. Rafel was in the thirdpany.


    Their trek was due west, and he was only just discovering his squadron had a whole lot of fucking Griffins. Not enough of those in red, or ck jackets. Luckily, Aya too fell in hispany. They speedily found each other and walked side by side, listening in on the conversation going on ahead.


    "If we''re just casing this ce, why do we need a fucking healer?" A long-haired boy of Griffin Arc nudged his bro¡ªsurprisingly a Raven.


    His friend in a crow tunic and mock shades nudged him right back. "In case you fall in a ditch, asshole. Why else. Haha!" Heughed. The Raven boy had green tattoos running up the visible trail of his arms. Rafel from behind could see they were fake; thed''s blood shone in the ink.


    One could tell a lot from the blood. The fake tats were probably because the Headmistress had a strict ''no-can-do'' policy against liberal inking, except it was natural, as in the cases of Gorgons and mermaids.


    She had a good reason for it: witches needed as much clear skin as possible.


    Summoning demanded it. At least if you didn''t want to be ignored by gods with traditional minds.


    They had reached a fork among a cleft of tall woodbines, and the boys in front stopped talking. It was clear the appointed squadron leader¡ªa grey vampiress¡ªwas confused because she halted thepany in their tracks. Aya nearly bumped into the tattooed [Raven Arc] boy. Rafel pulled her back.


    "Where the hell do we go?" Someone ranted from the back of the line.


    "Uh?" The squadron leader scratched her head. "If we take the left," she peered down at her map, "we might make headway with the beach, and right¡ª"


    "Yeah. I''m pretty sure that takes us back to where we started." Another girl haughtily volunteered.


    "Well then can''t we just call it quits!" The Griffin bro said, only it sounded more like a moan. "The otherpanies are probably already back and¡ª"


    The sky suddenly darkened with a huge, passing cloud. An abrupt chilling wind blew dried leaves across the forest floor, rustling them up to Rafel''s hard pant. The canopy of whistling pines seemed to yawn together and form a web pattern. And the cloud which had pulled over the evening sun, it was in the shape. . .the shape of wings.


    "Hello, friends," a sweet voice called so softly from behind, "I am Aria T?rmund. Lady of the woods and Mistress of Summer. Wee to my forest."


    The Third Company turned as one, all of them.


    Everything about the creature they turned to see was white¡ªincluding her eyes.


    "Uh-oh!" The inkedd chimed.

 Chapter 207 ? The Autumn Angel

    ''Beautiful creatures.''


    Rafel remembered it was Mistress Lilith of the long night who had first coined that. Those were words his aunt had uttered in passing when a [Silver Saint] had been dragged on his knees to her ck throne. Rafel had been nine and a budding Hel prince at the time.


    He couldn''t exactly remember what the Power had done to warrant him being tied up in curling brass chains and pulled into the grim courts of Hel''s Matriarch, like a stubborn gelding, whipped by giant Maulers. He couldn''t remember what exactly his auntie had said before those two words, or maybe he didn''t want to; Lilith wasn''t his favorite person these days.


    But what he could clearly spell out was when she''d whispered,


    ''Beautiful creatures,'' in the sprawling spooky throne room of the Holocaust Tower of Hel.


    What she''d said before or after he cared not for.


    But it was in looking at this woman before him and his trail hiking squad that Lilith''s words manifested in his mind again. He would describe the woman in exactly those two words of reference¡ªthree: "A beautiful creature." For so she was. She so was, beautiful that is. Her eyes were as snow melting down a cier.


    Her skin was the frost of the north Alps, the taint of it glorious as the whitnds of Rumbrun. She was a goddess carved of the Ice Age.


    An Autumn angel.


    All mouths of the Third Company had dropped to the forest floor at her initial appearance, and still remained there. Rafel forged forward, taking Aya with him by holding to her hand. He softly winded through the shoulders of stricken students in his way as he moved to the front of the lines. Clearly, everyone had forgotten about Land Nav. ss and old maps.


    This unknown beauty of heavenly distinctions had her pure-white eyes leveled on them. Her iris and pupils were one and the same. Her gaze was pale; might look like it belonged on the face of a Spectre if it wasn''t so marvelous and soulful when she stared at you. Rafel just reached the front of his group when she lifted her hand and stroked back her silky, silver hair.


    It dropped in waves, past the back of her tiny waist to her thighs.


    It fluffed like spun snow in the forest gale and kissed her single opal robe like kes of it. Her dress was simple, but the girl in it made it into divine. As she parted her brilliant tresses back, Rafel caught the glinting of several Tiffany rings dotting her left ear, a sharp elfish one finishing the circumference off at the top and giving her ear a metal tint.


    It was the only jewellery she wore. She had something luminous about her. In truth, many things. All of her was made from pure white. Like she''d just walked out of Harmattan.


    "Small mercies!" The healer of the Third Company nearly dropped his satchel of vials as his nimble hands knocked together. He salivated in the aura of her.


    Aria T?rmund took a step forward to the only young man among the lot who wasn''t smitten to redness. She smiled at him; and it was wonderful. Rafel felt like he should offer her a gift or something¡ªbut that was what one did in the presence of gods, wasn''t it? Someone in the back voiced out that very same question at the instant it entered Rafel''s head.


    Experience more on empire


    "A-Are you a god, ma''am?"


    "What is a god," Aria swept her pale eyes off Rafel, smiling when the Third Company created space for her in their middle to meander, "a deity? An avatar? Energy? Or perhaps, abination of all those things. If so, then yes darlings, I am one.


    I stand before you as Keeper of the Gardens, the crossroads maiden. The Rose, the Herb, and the ckthorn. The Huntress of the forest. Lady of the woods and fair fields. I stand before you the Mistress of Summer. The Autumn angel, Aria T?rmund."


    If thepany''s mouth could drop more, that''s what it certainly did. Ariaughed at their shocked faces.


    "Now are you going to keep staring all day or ask questions?"


    Oh, this was part of the lecture? Rafel was confused. The Major didn''t tell them back at the flight field that they were supposed to encounter any tempting witch blondes. ''Hmm. Interesting,'' he noted to himself.


    The Third Company: boys and girls, and squadron leader all followed Aria T?rmund and her glorious white robes as she led them through the tall pines to a clearing by a small brook. She walked barefoot in the forest. And not a twig pricked her¡ªor even cracked at her stepping. Her toes didn''t show dirt. Though she was walking, it seemed more like she floated over the foliage.


    "Here, now you can go ahead and ask." Aria guided thepany to seat around her form on a headstone. The squadron leader sat closest to her and quietly began a sketch of this striking woods sprite in her journal. Her pencil stroked best as it could to detail Aria''s astonishing beauty.


    Rafel and Aya sat on the ground, over a bed of creepers left of Aria. Her hair was white. Her skin white. Her eyes white. Her dress, white. It was impossible to look at her and not blink every other second.


    Though the undern sun didn''t pierce through the canopy this side of the forest, the Autumn angel herself was light enough.


    Her voice seemed to kiss the air, granted sweet melody by the sound of the brook''s running streams when she said, "so, who''s first?"


    She pointed over plenty quickly raised hands to a knock-kneed First Year with braces.


    "Yes, you. Hi. Go on. Don''t be shy. Ask what you really want."


    The fellow shuffled on the log of felled oak he sat on. He was perched a bit higher up above the others. All in thepany were certainly not expecting his question when he asked:


    "May we kindly see your tits?"


    Thud! The squadron leader''s char pencil fell off her scratching hand. You could hear the wind pass.


    "Oh shit. Did he just ask that?" Someone gasped under a hush.


    Aria lifted both hands to ease them. She crossed her legs on the headstone. "No, no. It''s alright. Our friend here need not be shamed," she opened her hands to the knobby-kneed boy. "But no, dear, you may not see my breasts."


    Several in thepany chuckled, but Aria softened them to simmer down with her voice like the rushing tide. "¡ªfeeling a bit of longing or lust in the presence of someone attractive is not wrong, and nothing new. But we must learn to express our want or desire in a friendly, unprovocative manner. And if shunned, we must never fault ourselves or curse the doting one. We must try again, okay?"


    Aria T?rmund looked specifically at the boy; she chuckled but not out of mockery, "there are millions of people out there, my dear. Surely one soul shall stitch to yours, and is just aching to find you. Trust me, I know."


    Her white eyes shimmered in ancient wisdom at that moment and she turned left in Rafel''s direction. Her gaze lingered but a moment but the kindling effect was not lost on him or Aya Naamah. The simrity. . . The fondness in the way those white pupils had perched.


    The dej¨¢ vu.


    Rafel instantly knew: he had seen those eyes before.


    Aya leaned in to his side. "Dominus," she kept her voice down to a hush not to interrupt Aria''s lily speaking. "Is it just me or does she look a lot like Annabelle?"


    Yes, that was it! Recollection hit Rafel like he''d just swallowed a blue [Reminiscence] pill.


    Anna Bellisima!


    The Bone Huntress. And for a while, his immortal bride¡ªwith a question mark. They had never gotten to that part. But at least he remembered sealing her in his dungeons for weeks in Emberfall. She too had been lost like Coraz¨®n in the fire. Taken as dead.


    They''d burnt a pyre for her at Sekhmet''s ind. But now¡ª


    "It definitely is her," Rafel responded to Aya, "but I have to be sure."


    He waited until almost everyone in thepany had asked questions of the Autumn angel. Aria answered generously and calmly. In addition to being one of the fairest forest gods he had ever seen, she was phenomenal at therapy too. Turns out, the First Years did have quite a lot to unbag, mostly sexually.


    "I''m sorry dears, this will be thest question," and when Aria T?rmund said this, Rafel raised his hand. "Yes, do go on."


    "Are you Annabelle?" Rafel''s voice was low and moist. He rified, "My Anna?"


    Aria lowered her moony eyes a moment and rubbed her ashen lips together. She lifted her gaze again, spearing his. Her reply was long and had Rafel clutching to Aya''s hand for support.


    "Yes, I am. And I am not. The one you know as Anna Bellisima, maiden of the Drowned god and the Bone Huntress was lost in the fire. She died, and her bones were taken up and buried by pilgrim monks in passing. But in death, the souls of the children she had saved those many years alone in the dark woods sought her out amidst the mes and bonded to her. They died also.


    However, their sacrifice made her into something between words. A sprite. An offering to the universe. A world walker. A god.


    So, yes, darling, I am Anna Bellisima. Your Anna. But I cannot be with you, for I am also Bernadette Portineri. Hope Hillsong. Tne Fearst. Yvonne of Rochemont.


    Xifeng Li. Greer Umbrasyl. And many others. I am hundreds of souls. I am a thousand and one lives." Aria''s voice melded into the joint speech of her avatars and her pale eyes shined out brightly. "I am Spirit of the Ancient Ones and Charge of the Lost Children.


    I am Seer and Sovereign. . ."


    Her body began to glow and rise as she floated into the air. She was outlined in perfect radiance as she lifted high before their eyes, transfigured. Every [First Year] of the Third Company stood to watch her. She burned brightly in white light.


    ". . .but I am also the Archangel Mariel. Guardian of Eden. For you who have witnessed me today, my runes are in your hearts. When you summon, I shall heed.


    This is my boon to you. Now I must leave. Farewell, my gifted ones."


    Everyone was awed as the mystery woman known as Aria T?rmund burst in sparkles of light that fluttered into the canopy of trees as luminous butterflies. And just as she''d appeared out of nowhere, she was gone¡ªinto everywhere. Rafel lowered his eyes from the empty clouds. Every one in the Third Company was staring at one another.


    They were back at the flight field in half an hour, and the entire way no one had said a word. The squadron leader secretly pocketed the sketch of Aria she had stolen under the white woman''s fair face. This Griffin Arc girl was of the mind to frame and keep it forever; a souvenir, to when she had encountered the Autumn Angel.


    Sometimeter, back in formation with the otherpanies, Rafel asked of the Major if she''d asked the help of any other person to the Land Navigation ss.


    Tanaka Hanzo replied with a hard no.

 Chapter 208 Where Demons Fear To Tread

    "HOLY FUCKIN'' SHIT! AN ARCHANGEL?" Ravenna jolted in her seat at six o'' clock that evening when Israfel told his circle of friends about the chance encounter with Aria T?rmund as they munched on triangr pieces of dinner bread. Aria of the forest. Aria, thedy of the woods.


    "I wish I was there," Ravenna confessed on, "the only other angel I''ve seen is my mum. And I don''t really remember her. Plus back then, she wasn''t glowing or anything¡ªshe was hidden from me. I''d love to see me some bright, sunny, holy being." Rafel noticed she left out Aariel, the guardian Virtue he had murdered. It was on purpose.


    "If it makes you feel better, Aria told us we may summon her to our ne. All of us who watched her transform." Rafel offered, too d to see how joy sparked in Ravenna''s and Rosa''s eyes.


    "It was really beautiful. She was," Aya added. "I don''t even know what to call her at this point: Aria? Annabelle? I don''t know. Because she was each one of those names she mentioned¡ªand more.


    A thousand and one lives she said. I''m just d Anna found a better ce after the fire."


    "Me too." Coraz¨®n put in from the rear nk of the longtable.


    The canteen was packed. And Erika and her Pynks were parked close to Rafel''s table; she sent him little finger waves every now and then. Aya''s hard purple eyes rted back to her every time. The Student President eyed the stunning subus. All the while, Rafel was unaware of this secret battle.


    One would think that as fellow members of the [Children of the Crow] ndestine society, the girls would put their differences aside. But apparently, not when it came to the handsome Apollyon.


    The brethren of the Filii Corvi might not sell out another kin of the Crow mask, but when they were outside that ancient athenaeum of their meeting ce, frenemies they became; it helped keep the enigma of their society. Aya Naamah of the [Sapphire Subi] and Miss President Burgess weren''t about to be friends¡ªeven though they secretly worshipped the same Archdemon.


    "Ugh!" Ravenna nted her elbow on the steel table. "Why does nothing this interesting happen for sophomores?"


    Aya chuckled and buttered up another bread slice for Rafel. He went for the mug of warm milk. Not tea. Milk,ughing to Ravenna''sical face as he did. She was cute.


    "Pray tell, is this milk thine own?" He lifted up the skylight mug to Aya.


    "Only the best for my Dominus." She smiled back, lowering fresh toast to his dinner te. Against the option of waffles in pickleberry jam, Peitho had earlier on advised Rafel to keep his meal regiment light, since he had voluntarily taken a break from his virginal [Blood Bearers]. Yes, virgin blood these days was pricey. But it wasn''t the money that stopped Rafel.


    When had it ever?


    He grinned over the cup''s rim at his [Bond], her fair yellowbone skin delectable under the lighting of the wide cafeteria. He said of her milk, "Then I shall dly taste from thy bosoms."


    "Ohh stop it, you guys." Ravenna scrunched her nose, but she was only half-serious. She tossed Aya a crumb of corn grain. "And you, you slut. You''re so shameless."


    "Oh, thank you kindly, mdy."


    Aya Naamah wasn''t in the least affected. She knew Ravenna only yed at humor. Everyone on the longtableughed out loudly and full. They were used to finding fulfilment in Israfel''s presence. Not a lot to be found in the Continent these days, especially with the capital overrun by Hel aristocracy.


    Titans Landing was not sought out as it was as a merchantable polis in the days of Queen Giselle''s reign.


    The girls at the table knew this, and took not a moment of warm camaraderie for granted.


    Justst week, Dragongate had all but burned down after the invasion of a Bodywalker. The school board had ordered it rebuilded in Mage iron forged of [Telchine descendants] in dragon pits. It showed, nothing was certain. Not life. Not death. The dragonrider, Trisha Turnbull had been alive a fortnight ago.


    The golden Bellerophon too. If even dragons fell, why waste a moment of happiness?


    And so Israfel''s circle enjoyed thepany of each other whenever they could¡ªwhich was mostly at suppertime when sses for the day ended.


    It was the only time they could all be together, together. Ravenna was a [Second Year] now. Her schedules seldom matched her friends, but she made it work.


    She fucking did!


    Aya was the poster-girl of medieval passion as she kept the milk flowing for Rafel. The friends made small talk about how their days went. Not nearly as adventurous as Rafel''s but still, everyone listened to everyone. Even quiet, magenta-haired Bruna went her turn. The gothssie had gotten closer to the friends group after she''d fessed out her strange desires and they didn''tugh.


    ". . .I''m telling ya, her knickers were out there, and she didn''t even know it. My gods!" Brunhilda was saying about her faerie Professor, "how she walks around in those tight leathers, I''ll never know."


    Many years of private tutorship at the vi of House Penderghast had left Bruna''s diction well-structured and impable but she still had the tongue of her mother''s Avalon descent. The ent made her sound out her ''O''s.


    "I swear her jeans would''ve dropped in ss!"


    The canteen''s longtable was rounded in the bawdy warrior-likeughter of the friends as Percival came strolling in with a tray bnced on one hand whilst munching on a fat sandwich. He licked at the oozing mayonnaise. His gait bore the walk of a confident virile youth.


    "There he is!" Rafel pped him on the back as he sat down, drawing him an empty chair.


    "You won''t believe the night I just had," Percival started.


    "I bet." Rafel grinned.


    "No, no. It''s not that¡ªnot what you''re thinking anyway." Percival finished his sandwich with a gulp. He exined he had being dragged into an after-party at Sigma House by a bunch of buffed bros, where he had ingested ''shrooms that looked like alien dicks. And on and on. The night ended with him being too high to do anything about the bunch of groupie girls that swamped him there.


    "¡ªthey won''t stop calling me MOTHER FUCKER, you know; not motherfucker like the cuss but Mother Fucker like the dude who shagged his mum. I''ll never live this Oedipus shit down." He groaned into his hands. "Oh. And some broad stole my watch. A Van Imperia standard easily worth¡ª"


    "Fifteen hundred gold on the open market," Corapleted for him. "Bitch!"


    Percival was just about to say something else when the lights in the whole cafeteria briefly dimmed. Different student Years raised their heads from dinner trays. Lights always flickered when something was awry. In the brief moment of darkness, just for short meagre seconds, whoosh!


    Rafel and all his friends were consumed in a mammoth nimbus of shadows. The umbras stole them like the nimble fingers of a night robber. Curling like frothing waves of a tempest, the shadows rolled away, dissipating with them it. When it vanished with another eerie whooshing, they did too.


    The lights brightened again. No one sat at the longtable.


    "Weird." Erika said, was all she said, before flipping her marigold hair and going back to sharing gossip with fellow Pynks.


    Rafel had no control of the rolling shadows. In the noir disposition, he was just about to summon a burst of [Hel Spark] to illuminate the thick darkness when the umbras fell away, from him and his friends. Percival fell to the ground in recoil of sudden reanimation and vomited his entire mayo sandwich. Bruna keeled over and patted his back.


    The friends were in a new ce.


    It smelled thickly of incense. Of worship candles. The arcane mana fueling normal magical orders of the academy was greatly reduced here. Rafel could sense it. Or correctly, not sense it. His own Mana Core, dulled.


    The room had a rotund feel. There was holiness in the air, but it was spooky. Torches hung off the cold walls and the floor under Percival''s retching frame was greystone. The pirs were dark and the statues robed in mystery. Orange light casted the ce like a forbidden hearth of a Hag''s cottage.


    It was the foggy incense that gave the ce away.


    "What is this ce?" Percival rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand. His soft eyes peered into the darkness. Israfel took a step forward from his friends group.


    "A ce where demons fear to tread."


    Cora materialized two balls of luminous light in her hands and sent them floating out to disperse some of the darkness; the shadows seemed to nip at her lights. Looking around with intelligent blue eyes, she stepped forward too and said, "Aye. Israfel''s right. ''Tis a holy ce. I sense the relics imbued into the walls. This is a sanctum."


    Just then, a new wisened voice entered the fray.


    "Apologies, good friends for the abrupt summons. Wee to the Martyr''s cathedral."

 Chapter 209 Lucifer Calls

    Vallon-de-Grace was quiet at eight o''clock. Solemn. Shrouded in auras of mist and nightly scents. The firmament above was without light, gray and moonless. The entire parsonage reeked of pure myrrh and burning spices¡ªbut the good kind.


    The smoking sage to ward off the unwanted wights. The absinthe to absolve wandering souls. And the incense to host proper an ambience in which the Holy Ones might dwell. In one of the sanctuaries on this Vicar''s lot, Israfel and his friends had just materialized out of thin air, before a clergyman.


    "Wee to the Martyr''s cathedral," that old voice said. The bearer of it stepped into the light. A greying man in a long ck cassock was revealed. It was the Highfather.


    "Your Holiness?" Rosamunde was the first to reach forward. Percival was just getting up from the smooth, church floors, helped by Bruna; his belly was on fire. And he had just emptied all of his rushed dinner onto the Florentine tiles of the sanctuary. Cora had manifested more floating lights into the round room and the luminous balls shone from various points high on the painted dome.


    Apart from the sconces on the walls, the sanctum was well lit now.


    There were no pews here. This was the private hold of only those who stood on the altar. Only clergymen and virgin boy-helpers could ess this room, this ce. This holy ce.


    Rafel could not feel much of his mana core within this sanctum. He didn''t like it. He frowned at the 20ft sculpture of the cowled God¡ªthe Martyr¡ªset in baster stone at the helm of the sanctum. An orchestra was wafting in beatifically from some adjoining hall through the greystones, but Rafel wondered what kind of choir sang thiste at night.


    In the cafeteria many yards away, students were retiring to their various Halls, walking in groups to dormitories. No one really payed much attention to the forlorn longtable which had once held a bunch of First Years, and one sophomore. Erika Burgess, the Student President thought it was one of the friends general antics and forgot the whole matter with a spliff handed to her by Raz Fairfield.


    By the time she reached her dorm, Salem Hall, and butted out the cigar, no one was really thinking of Israfel as they swiped room keycards and went out of sight.


    Meanwhile, on the church hill acres of Vallon-de-Grace, the Apollyon stood ring with his friends at the robed, greying Highfather. Rosamunde was still at the lead; she questioned the Vicar such: "It was you who summoned us here, Your Holiness. Why?"


    "Don''t call him that." Cora fired behind.


    The silver-haired poltergeist had never been a believer of the Martyr, nor faith in any god that was too cowardly¡ªin her mind¡ªto show his face. But what little fancy she had for Eldorian religion went kapische when she and Rafel stumbled upon this very priest emptying his frayed balls into his altar boy''s puckering arse. And thed had being a minor.


    Coraz¨®n would never forget the pants and heaves of exertion. The Highfather''s clenching, cramped, mmy buttocks. That was it for her.


    The Highfather seemed to catch the growing fire in her blue eyes and quickly spoke up. He cleared his throat. "I deeply apologize, to you all, but this was the only way I knew to get you here. There is an issue of the utmost importance, beyond our chaffed rtions."


    Cora scoffed. "Chaffed rtions! He even talks funny."


    "But I thought the Holy Church doesn''t dabble in dark arts? You clearly had use of a Pentagon Rune or Talisman of the ult to get us here." Rosa said, her gray eyes begging it to not be true. She''d already had her fairy put into question as it was. The Highfather gave a humbled nod. "I did. I had to.


    The Church has learned over centuries that there are shades of gray between the holy and evil."


    Cora rolled her eyes and addressed her friend. "Come on, Rosa. Don''t buy into this man''s bullshit. Does he look like a holy person to you? He fucks fourteen year-old boys. You can believe in the Martyr, but certain not this...


    person as their conduit."


    This side of the Nine Realms, the Martyr was addressed as ''their'' for pronouns. Not male. Not female. But both.


    Rafel pounded forward, his boots nging stone; he had not changed his [Land Navigation] ss with Major Tanaka and still wore the [Rank Bbat gear] of field practice. He kept his distance between he and the Highfather but pinned the old man with tormenting fiery eyes. Rafel bellowed into the sanctum. "You dare summon me without charge, you sanctimonious scum?!


    Are you really seeking to meet your God that bad?"


    "It was not a decision made lightly. Neither did I not consider the consequence," replied the Vicar of Vallon-de-Grace, "The matter was out of my hands. But I also had to make it a ce where your powers would be say, restricted." He gestured to the oval sanctum. "You didn''t take too kindly on me upon ourst interaction."


    "And for a fucking good reason!"


    The Highfather lowered his eyes on Israfel''s cold ones. Rafel sighed and ran a hand through his red hair. "Well, we''re here now. What is this issue of the utmost importance?" He recited the man''s earlier words. The Highfather stepped to the side and said,


    "It''ll be better if I just show you."


    Rafel gave a slight nod and ordered Percival wait behind¡ªper his upset stomach, and Brunhilda to attend to him. The duo nodded and found a near wall bench to dip into. Rafel moved his eyes back to the Highfather and the robed priest led the rest of them through a side door he held open and down a winding staircase that descended several floors underground. It opened into a single, vast stone chamber.


    There was only a single bed. And a woman on it. She was tied.


    "What is the meaning of this?" Ravenna hurled at the Vicar as the friends gathered around the bed. It was the make of the kind in asylums. The springs squeaked loudly at the woman shivering in it. The clothes she wore was white, but looked mostly brown in dried blood and drying sweat. She smelled wanton. Profane.


    Her eyes were closed. And when Rafel really peered at her face, his frowned deepened.


    "Oh, you''ve got to be fucking kidding me!" Aya said on his behalf. "That''s the Countess of Av, the blood witch that killed Cora''s girlfriend. That''s the fucking cunt! We should smother her where she lies. Lord Master?" Aya begged of him.


    Rafel held up a hand, pacing her. "Patience, my pet. All in good time. The blood Countess shall get her final reckoning." He looked across the sweaty body of the chained female. She was stick-thin and had stains under her armpits. Her flesh was feverish and her forehead glistened in cold perspiration.


    He pulled back matted strands of her bleach hair from her face. Rafel softly whispered her name.


    "Hello, Constance."


    His tone was slow death, his smile a quicker one. The Countess opened her eyes on the creaking old bed and would have fell out of it on shock but for the chains binding her. She jerked against them. But it only bled out her fragile wrists and spread her legs wider.


    Constance Medici continued struggling under the sinister grin of Israfel, and her joints looked like one of them would pop any second. Ankle. Shoulder. Hip.


    She craned, causing the spring to moan.


    "What is wrong with her?" Ravenna touched her hot skin.


    "She is possessed." The Highfather said simply. "I found her bloodied on my steps this morning with a hastily and poorly stitched surgeries all over her midriff. Should you pull up her gown, you will find evidence of this." Rafel shook his head. There was no need. He was the reason for her surgeries. He had given her those injuries in the first ce.


    He, and Cora, and Rosa.


    They shared one look as the Highfather went on to exin more about the Countess''s situation.


    "She has been screaming all day, uttering the most heinous sphemies, spewing vile things, cussing and kicking,miting her body to grievous sins. Once she bit on her own nipple, I fetched the ropes you now see. Something dwells in her. ''Tis evil and wicked.


    ''tis the devil. I hear him in her cry. Our holiest demonagogues fail to cast him out. Do not be seduced by her y at innocence. The thing within her is wretched of spirit. It has near purged her soul to damnation.


    But I believe she can be saved. She seeks it¡ªwhich is why I summoned you. Pray, Apollyon, save this one. Her spirit is strong."


    While the Highfather was yet speaking, Constance reared up in the air, taken up in a sudden wind that sted her hair in all directions. She screamed out loudly and the Vicar shivered. Cora mmed both hands to her ears. The Countess hung in the air as her pale lips fell closed, as if electrocuted. Then suddenly, her neck cracked to face Rafel.


    "HELLO, NEPHEW!" A man''s voice called from her lips.


    It was hard and mangled. Twisted and graty. The smile on her face wasn''t Constance''s own. Blue veins lined her sickly, gray skin.


    The Highfather pointed and nted a firm hand to his breast, muttering, "I-I told you, it''s the devil."


    "Quiet!" Rafel bulleted.


    Constance''s lips began moving again; she talked in that same growling, male voice. She sounded out of breath, like a monster.


    "Did you really think you could run away from us, NEPHEW?" She barked,ughing hysterically. "Your Aunt misses you dearly, but I... I know you''ll be back. You can''t stay away. Those mortals will bore you, eventually. I''d bet a hundred years or so, after you see them grow old and die.


    OH! THEIR WITHERING FACES. THE DECAY! I CAN SEE IT! I CAN SMELL IT ALREADY. Tell me nephew, have you fucked the King''s daughter yet?


    She''s kind of like your sister, ISN''T SHE? TELL ME, NEPHEW? HAVE YOU DRILLED THAT VIRGIN CUNT DEEP? HAHAHAHA!" The demonic voice gave a tumultuousughter, cackling as Constance''s head turned a round 360, but she didn''t die. Only kept cackling crazily.


    "Uncle Lucifer?" Rafel leaned in.


    "YES, NEPHEW!" Constance barked in his face, grinning like an evil imp; her voice slurred than a drunken septuagenarian. It was cracked and drunken. Her cheeks, sunken. Where were those soft dimples he remembered of the Countess? Rafel pondered.


    "TIS I, LUCIFER! TIS I, LORD MORNINGSTAR! TIS I, THE FALLEN SUN!" The horrible voice sang. "TIS I! TIS I!


    TIS I!" Then as all the friends, and the Highfather stared stricken in ce at Constance''s ashen body still floating midair above the bed with iron chains rattling in an eerie wind¡ªthis far down underground no one knew where it came from¡ªher head abruptly cracked to the side and colorless eyes pinned Rafel in earnest.


    "COME HOME, PRODIGAL! THIS IS US BEING NICE. THE NEXT TIME WE ASK, MORTAL LIVES SHALL HANG IN THE BALANCE."


    Then with another round of sicklyughter, the devil possessing the Countess of Av jammed her face forward and sank her foul mouth to Rafel''s astonished face. He gasped as her putrid lips melded his in a challenging kiss.


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