by HP Mallory
But I couldn’t say the dusty and worn furniture were of that much interest to me. No, that right was reserved for the crystal crown, which I spotted sitting atop the dressing table on a black, damask pillow. The crown glistened in the moon’s rays that streamed through the window beside the table. I couldn’t decide which was more spectacular, the detailing of the glass of the crown, or the gorgeous diamonds adorning it. The glass, itself, was exquisitely blown into four columns, designed to connect the top of the crown to the bottom. Each column was shaped like leaves and traveled up the middle of the crown until they reached the top, where the glass became myriad domes, reminding me of the unique architecture of an ancient eastern European city. The unparalleled beauty of the glass was nearly outdone by the glittering diamonds, which comprised the entire bottom.
“Well, that wasn’t too hard to find!” Saxon announced as soon as his eager eyes narrowed in on the crown. I’d already taken the steps that separated me from it, without even realizing I had. I felt a strange but inexplicable impulse drawing me to it, and with each glimmer that beckoned me, and each sparkle, I was inextricably pulled even closer. My desire to reach out and touch it was almost tortuous.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered while studying the luxurious crown, completely awestruck by its unimaginable exquisiteness. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Well, be careful when you pick it up. I have no idea how we’re supposed to get that thing back to Alaire without breaking it into a million pieces,” Saxon prattled on, his voice now merely background noise. I couldn’t focus on the meaning of his words. Or anything except the radiant intensity of the crown.
I pulled the chair out from underneath the dressing table and sat down. The need to do so became evident when my knees started buckling. When I glanced at my reflection in the faded mirror, I barely recognized it. The dark circles beneath my eyes and my hollowed-out cheeks made me look worn, tired, and gaunt. My hair stuck out at all angles from my face like straw, lacking any shine whatsoever. After viewing the eternal, glistening beauty of the wonderful crown, I appeared tired, haggard and malnourished in comparison. It really shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise since I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a decent sleep. And as far as my meals went, well, they were just as unreliable and infrequent.
The crown will regenerate your beauty. The words suddenly sounded in my head and, despite hearing my own voice, they weren’t my words. You were beautiful once, so you shall be again.
“Let’s get the crown and the soul, and then we can be on our way, Lily,” Saxon said. Apparently, he perceived my sitting down, even though I intended to do so for only a few seconds, as a gesture that I was getting comfortable. All at once, I felt so tired that the thought of standing up again left me completely unmotivated.
Failing to respond because I lacked the interest, all I wanted to do was run my fingertips along the surface of the glass. I longed to touch it, feel its smoothness, and revel in its detailed beauty and artistic skill. Reaching forward, as soon as my fingertips made contact with the glass, I felt my entire being lift up. I was suddenly overwhelmed by images of joy and happiness. The incessant pull of hunger in my belly and the aches of exhaustion ceased to exist. I immediately positioned the rest of my fingers on the glass, relishing the subsequent sensations of warmth and happiness now exploding inside me. I watched my reflection smiling back at me from the mirror.
My palm suddenly felt as if it were itching and when I glanced down at it, I noticed the wound inflicted by my sword was rapidly vanishing. The crown was healing me!
Place the crown on your head, the voice that sounded like me, but wasn’t, spoke up in my head again. Let the warmth it provides travel through your entire being. Allow it to nourish you.
No, Lily, I heard myself say; but my voice sounded weak and very far away. I doubted if it were even my own thought. And my lack of recognition meant I didn’t care about it. It signified nothing to me.
Feel the radiant warmth offered by the crown …
Gulping down a sudden pang of fear, I lifted the crown until it was at eye level with me. The glass eagerly sparkled in the pale moonlight and the brilliant diamonds strove to eclipse its beauty. They were both so miraculously perfect that I couldn’t decide which was more spectacular. Not that it really mattered anyway. At that moment, all that did matter to me was placing the crown on my head. An undeniable sensation of something burning that was as passionate and penetrating as the need to breathe came over me. I had to become one with the crown. I watched my reflection bringing the crown closer as I held it just above my head.
Don’t do it, Lily! my own feeble voice piped up inside of me again. Sounding just as frail and remote as before, now it did nothing more than irritate me.
Don’t tell me what to do! I snapped back. I wanted only to silence that insistent opinion. When I found my reflection glaring back at me, I breathed deeply and watched my face regain its placid smile. Everything was okay again.
With as much gusto as my weary body could muster, I plopped the crown down on top of my head. As soon as the glass touched me, I was inundated by a stream of feelings that I didn’t expect and definitely didn’t understand. Closing my eyes when the maelstrom brewed inside me, I was bursting, overflowing, with a confidence and strength I’d never known before. Unlimited power seemed to tingle through my nerves, refilling the empty reservoir inside me until I was completely invincible.
Now, there was nothing I couldn’t do.
I blinked my eyes open and looked into the mirror. Before me stood the very embodiment of strength. I emanated beauty, power, and best of all, invincibility. I no longer appeared weary and drained from sleeplessness and hunger. No! My hair framed my face in a luxurious mass of black tresses that shone in the moonlight so darkly as to almost appear blue. And the shiny, rich ebony of my hair rivaled the blackness of my eyes. Gone were the fatigued bags and dark circles beneath my eyes. They were replaced with a fresh vitality I couldn’t remember ever observing before. Even my skin was pale and perfect, not a freckle or blemish to mar its porcelain flawlessness. I was more beautiful than I had ever been.
Standing up, I anxiously pushed the chair out from underneath me so hard that it toppled over. I ignored it, thrilled to find myself dressed in a floor-length, black satin gown. Two sexy slits ran up my legs, reaching as high as my hip bones. Meanwhile, the bodice was cut so low, my ample breasts were seductively displayed. The gown’s fabric hugged my body like a second skin, outlining my nipples which were clearly prominent, along with the curves in my hips and thighs. Whenever I made the least movement, the diaphanous material swirled around my body like water, revealing the “vee” between my thighs.
“Lily?” a man’s voice sounded from behind me. Spinning around, I found him gaping at me, his mouth hanging open in what I could only assume to be shock. I immediately noticed the blood stains on his shoulders and the way he was hunched over and pale. I strode up to him and put my hands on either of his shoulders, immediately feeling the heat of my healing powers as they restored him to his previous condition. His eyes went wide as the pallor of his skin flushed while his health returned anew.
“Why do you not bow in servitude to your queen?” I asked. My voice sounded sultry, if not deep and threatening.
The man swallowed hard before his eyes settled on my breasts and the erect peaks of my nipples. I heard myself laughing as I thrilled at his reaction. He remained standing, perhaps failing to understand the meaning of my words. However, I imagined it was because he couldn’t concentrate on anything other than the lusciousness of my gorgeous body. I ran my hand across his pectorals, circling him until I stood behind him. Then I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and brought my knee up behind his before pushing down on his shoulders and forcing him into a crouched position.
“Kneel,” I whispered into his ear and he silently obeyed me. I walked around until I was facing him again. “Your eyes suggest you wish to feast on me,” I ac
cused him, after seeing how he couldn’t keep his eyes off my breasts.
“No,” he whispered as he shook his head while trying to force his attention back to my face. But it turned out to be a losing proposition.
“No?” I asked with a smirk, enjoying the power I held over him.
“Yes,” he replied, dropping his gaze to the ground and shaking his head. He appeared guilty and ashamed.
“You are impertinent,” I reprimanded him. “How dare you look so longingly at your queen?”
“Queen?” he repeated as if the word were foreign to his tongue. Then he began to nod as though something apparently clicked into place for him. “You must forgive me, my queen,” he started, his face still downcast, “but you surprise me, that’s all,” he finished.
“Look at me,” I ordered him.
He faced me with the telltale expression of fear in his eyes.
“Why are you surprised?” I demanded.
“You are different,” he responded in barely a whisper. “When you put the crown on your head, something … happened to you,” he started to explain. He looked up at the crown where it still sat atop my head.
“It is as it was always meant to be,” I answered. “And I am now the ruler I was always meant to be.”
“Yes,” he answered with a nod before dropping his attention to the floor. He seemed upset, sullen, and depressed. His reaction didn’t make any sense to me, but I didn’t ponder it for long. I had other, much more pressing concerns.
“Lift my skirt,” I commanded. I was finally ready to address the burning need that was brewing inside me. I had to; it demanded my undivided attention. The man glanced up at me, visibly in shock and his eyes searched mine, as if seeking something other than what he could see. “Lift it,” I told him again. “Your disobedience does not please me.”
He responded with a quick nod before lifting the hemline of my skirt maybe an inch or so off the ground. I laughed at his weak attempt and felt like kicking him, but resisted the impulse. “Higher,” I said as he lifted it another sparse inch. “Higher still,” I continued until he brought my skirt up to my knees. “Keep going,” I ordered him, angry that he was acting so bashful. When he lifted my skirt to my thighs, he paused again. “Higher, I wish for you to observe me,” I repeated as a broad smile overtook my lips, one that I couldn’t conceal. He lifted my skirt higher, until my nudity was quite obvious to him. “Behold me,” I announced, watching his eyes raking over the flesh he glimpsed between my thighs. “Now pleasure me with your tongue.”
He glanced up at me for a few seconds, temporary panic glistening in his eyes. But in no time, he returned his attention to the crevice of my thighs. I watched his desire suddenly transform his expression until he reminded me of some ravenous beast. He instantly closed the gap between us. Grasping my rear with both hands, he buried his face between my thighs. Licking me up and down, he teased my delicate flesh using only the tip of his tongue. I threw my head back and moaned with delight as sensations of unbridled bliss traveled throughout my body, stoking my core like fire. I gripped his head and brought him even closer. In response, his delicious tongue probed the slick folds of my flesh with renewed intensity. And that was when I decided I’d had enough.
“Stop,” I ordered him before actually stepping away. I allowed my skirt to drop back to the floor. He appeared slightly surprised at my command, but didn’t argue. “Stand,” I continued, doing my best to catch my breath. The man immediately rose to his feet and watched me, silently awaiting his next orders.
I turned toward the door and started for it, intent on exploring this new realm of mine. The man immediately jumped in front of me, effectively making himself a barrier between the door and me. Furrowing my eyebrows, I looked at him in anger.
“Lily,” he started before shaking his head. “I mean, my queen,” he corrected himself as I curtly nodded. I didn’t know why he used another name for me, but the very mention of it displeased me for reasons unknown. “It is dangerous out there,” he started.
I shook my head, and pushed past him as I reached for the doorknob. I pulled the rickety door open, saying, “I fear nothing,” and glanced at him over my shoulder one last time before I stepped out into the darkness.
“Please, stop! My queen!” the man called after me from inside the ramshackle house. But I had already lost interest in him, and didn’t bother responding.
The moonlight lit my way and I walked toward a wooden dock on a moat, which surrounded the bizarre, old shack in which I’d discovered the beautiful treasure that now sat atop my head. At the sound of flapping wings, I looked up. Three winged creatures were flying through the air, circling just above me. They sang to one another and their voices sounded very beautiful.
“Run, my queen!” the man called from inside the doorway. “I will cover you with my arrows!” he finished and lifted his bow, aiming it up into the sky directly at the lovely creatures.
“You will do no such thing!” I yelled back before facing forward again as I reached the dock. The creatures overhead continued to fly in a circle above me, calling to one another in their melodious voices. Staring into the inky water below me again, I stepped off the landing. The water supported me as if it were concrete, and I simply walked across the top of it. The satin fabric of my skirt received not so much as a single droplet of water. When I reached the other side, I turned around to see the fearful man who still stood inside the hovel, gaping at me.
“Above you!” he yelled as I heard the sound of flapping wings coming closer. I turned around and watched one of the bird women land right in front of me. Sitting down, she was nearly as tall as I was. She extended her glorious, black-feathered wings out on either side of her, as if proud to reveal their awesome span. Then she studied me with white, glowing eyes as I took in her nude form. Her breasts were heavy and her waist quite small, while her hips matched her shoulders in proportion. Her body resembled mine actually, with the exception of her hands and feet. Those clearly belonged to a bird of prey.
The only blemishes on her otherwise perfect figure were what looked like very recent battle wounds; a gash appearing on her upper thigh that looked as if it could have been made by a sword. And an arrow still protruded from the junction of her shoulder, where it met her wing. The sight of the wounds on such a lovely creature angered me, and I wanted to find the person responsible to inflict great pain on him.
The beautiful creature crooned at me as I allowed my eyes to return to her lovely face. It was sculpted as exquisitely as any Roman statue, but her hair held me transfixed. It wasn’t really hair at all, but a collection of snakes that undulated this way and that, some small and others much larger.
We stood staring at one another for several long seconds before she pulled her wings into her body and bowed her head low. I approached her while offering my hand to the snakes on her head. All fifty or so suddenly stopped shifting and moved toward my hand. Each of them opened their mouths and their forked tongues stretched forward to lick the surface of my hand, their long fangs gleaming in the moon’s light. I bent down and stroked the side of the lovely creature’s face while she looked up at me, her eyes glowing even brighter white. Leaning forward, I replaced my fingers with my lips and kissed her velvety cheek.
“And now my master was recalling me…”
- Dante’s Inferno
TWENTY-FOUR
“Lily?”
The deep sound of a man’s voice caught my attention, and I turned from the beautiful winged creature to find two men who were standing there, staring at me. One was much smaller than the other, not to mention fatter. The larger, taller one looked battle weary and weathered—his kilt was torn and stained with blood and a multitude of bruises and cuts marred his face and bare chest. The smaller one looked unkempt, in general.
Even though the larger one was sweating, dirty and smeared with blood, he was magnificent. He had to be the most ideal specimen of any man I had ever beheld. Large and imposing, I fought to tear my attentio
n away from his chiseled face and body. Despite whatever I’d previously considered masculine, it paled, becoming almost effeminate, in comparison to this perfect example of virility and strength now standing before me. This flawless Adonis absolutely emanated both power and authority.
“Do nae look the furies in the eyes,” he spoke in a soft tone to his squat companion. His eyes settled back onto me before narrowing with impertinence.
It will be a pleasure to break that one, I said to myself. The smile that spread across my mouth was irrepressible.
“Nerdlet, you okay?” the smaller of the two strangers prattled on, while waving at me. “Hello? You in there, McFly?” His flailing arms only served to irritate me even more. I was astonished at his unabashed insolence. Glancing at his compatriot, he shrugged, asking, “Dude, what the hellz eatin’ her?”
“She no longer remembers that name or you, for that matter,” said the man who had first made my acquaintance inside the shack moments earlier. He strode up behind me as I caught his smile before it faded when he turned to face the other two.
“Saxon! You fucking, evil cow! What the hellz did you do to her?” the smaller man demanded, glaring at my subject with animosity as he spoke.
“I did nothing to her,” Saxon responded with a quick shrug. “She merely assumed the role of matriarch and ruler she was always destined to be … she is your queen.” He nodded at me with a smile of deference, and added, “Our queen.”
