by Melissa Haag
His head lolled against the heel of my palm as he looked for her. A dreamy expression appeared on his face.
“Beautiful,” he whispered.
The scent of his lust exploded in the air. He groaned and hunched in pain a bit, but his gaze remained locked on Merri. I glanced at her and saw she was stripping.
“I can hold him in the water,” she said, kicking out of her pants.
“Your petals,” he groaned. His hips bucked, and a second later, his eyes started to roll back into his head.
The intense smell of lust completely disappeared.
Merri slipped into the water and eased him from my hand.
“What do we do now?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” But I had my suspicions regarding what was wrong with him and hurried to get my phone. Mom answered after the third ring.
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry I woke you up, but Piepen’s here. There’s something wrong with him. Let me put you on speaker.” I switched the call over. “He’s feverish and pale. I put him in a sink full of cool water, and he came to a little but passed out again.”
“I’m not sure how I can help,” Mom said. “I don’t know much about brownie physiology.”
“After a brownie hits puberty, what happens if they stop releasing? Does that make them sick?”
“By nature, brownies are very sexual creatures. I’ve never heard of one abstaining once they reach sexual maturity. Until the day they die, they seek release regularly. At least on the hour if not more frequently.”
Merri started to look worried.
“Please don’t read anything into this,” I said to Mom, “but his testicles look all red and swollen. I don’t think he’s released in a few days.”
“Well, if that’s the issue, it should be easily remedied. When a woman gets mastitis, a warm compress and gentle breast massage are usually enough to unclog the duct. His fever might be a sign of an infection, but brownies are resilient creatures. Once he’s functioning again, I think he’ll mend and the fever will subside.”
I stared at Piepen.
“Can he die from this?” I asked, really not wanting to massage any part of him.
“That’s something I can’t answer,” Mom said.
“Fine,” Merri said, her eyes tearing. “I’ll do it. I’ll let him water my flower.”
“Who is that?” Mom asked.
“Her name is Merri. She’s a young brownie who’s abstaining because she wants to see some of the world before having kids.”
“Maybe I won’t get pregnant right away,” she said, looking at Piepen. “Maybe I’d still get my chance.”
Yet, I could hear the doubt in her voice.
“I wouldn’t think that intercourse is necessary,” Mom said. “Her hand should be more than enough. If not, she could try oral sex if she’s willing. The suction might be more effective.” I withheld my wince as Merri stared at me, hope blooming in her eyes.
“I could do that for him.” She focused on Piepen, and for the first time ever, I sensed her lust.
“I think we’re good here. Thanks, Mom. Sorry for waking you.”
“I’m here for you any time. For everything.”
I smiled, then coughed.
“I know. Thank you. I better go before my eyes start watering.”
She chuckled as I hurriedly hung up then ran to get a bath towel. Folded up, it would make a soft enough, yet washable surface. I lifted Piepen out of the water and put him on the makeshift bed. Merri left the water and landed beside him.
“I have to turn on the exhaust fan and close the door before you give this a try. Do you need anything else?”
She shook her head.
“I’ll check with you in a few minutes.” I grabbed another towel, turned on the fan, and closed the door. While on my knees, stuffing the extra towel under the door, I heard Merri’s voice.
“He keeps mumbling that he can’t,” she said. “Should I stop?”
“Talk to him,” I said through the door. “Tell him who you are. Help him understand that he’s not breaking his promise to you.”
“Okay. Thank you, Eliana,” she called back.
I sat by the door for a minute before I heard the first squeal.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“I don’t know. He opened his eyes for a minute but then passed out again. He barely sparkled at all. Nothing like he usually does in the bathhouse. And he’s still pale and too warm.”
“It might take a few times.”
There was another sudden squeal.
“That was a lot faster,” she called. “A bit more, too. Do you know if it’s supposed to taste like swamp water?”
I gagged on her behalf.
“I’m honestly not sure. My mom told me that every species will taste different.”
There was another loud squeal, and I backed away from the door. Even though I could hear Piepen’s high-pitched cries, I couldn’t sense the lust the pair of them were generating.
Grateful for that small respite, I returned to my bed. However, every time I was close to dozing off, I’d hear one of them. Either Merri’s garbled words or Piepen’s moans and shouts.
It didn’t stop.
My hunger shifted restlessly, even though I had no interest in tasting what they were doing. I wasn’t sure how long I lay there before I decided to text Fenris. However, my phone wasn’t in its usual place on the surface of my nightstand. I turned on my light and searched for it before, with a sinking feeling, I slowly faced the closed bathroom door.
My phone. All I could think for a horrible moment was that I’d left it on vibrate.
With the distraction of texting Fenris an impossibility, I left my room and made a napkin of food for Merri. Hours had passed according to the kitchen clock. Hopefully, the food would distract Merri long enough that I’d be able to fall asleep. The spinach leaves, sliced strawberries, and sunflower seeds all slid easily under the door.
Once I had the towel back in place, I knocked.
“I brought some food for you, Merri.”
“Thank you, Eliana.” The girl sounded tired. A moment later, I heard her thump against the other side of the door.
“Oh, this is just what I needed,” she said, sounding more like herself. “I didn’t think it would take this long. I can see that it’s helping, though. He’s almost regained his full spectrum of color. So that’s good. But, he’s not staying awake for long.”
“Maybe he needs to eat something, too. Once, I forgot to feed him when he was here, and hunger definitely made him weak and lethargic.”
“Okay. I’ll try that.”
“Do you need anything else?”
“No. Thank you for letting us stay here.” There was a brief pause. “What if he doesn’t wake up by morning?”
“Then, I’ll ask Mrs. Quill for help. If she doesn’t know what to do, she’ll know someone who does.”
I felt a little guilty crawling back into bed, knowing what I was leaving Merri to deal with. But I was so tired and could feel my hunger growing more ravenous as I closed my eyes. Thankfully, sleep swallowed me whole. There were no good dreams of cake-filled forests, though. Just nothingness mixed with a hint of pain. It radiated from my middle.
Near dawn, mere hours after falling asleep, I woke to that clawing need. Disoriented, tired, and hurting, I stumbled toward the bathroom. I was only thinking of distracting myself with a shower.
The moment I walked into a wall of skunk smell, I remembered everything and lifted my head.
It looked like a bottle of glitter had exploded over my mirror and my counter. The brownie responsible was lying flat on his back on the towel I’d provided for them. His eyes were closed and his color closer to normal. Merri’s head rested on his abdomen, one hand clutching his tiny pole. Without warning, sparkles erupted again.
Merri lifted her head tiredly.
“Sorry about the mirror. I used my mouth at first, but there was so much pres
sure it almost came out of my nose. I’ve been using my hand since then.” She grabbed his acorns. “They’re not as hot anymore. I think he’s almost done.”
Another shower of glitter, all the colors of the rainbow, exploded from Piepen. They drifted down in slow motion, dusting my phone with another layer of sparkle.
My phone. The device I held close to my face.
That dark thing inside of me twisted, and my eyes went dark.
Merri noticed and flitted into the air.
“I’ll clean it up. I promise.”
That seemed highly unlikely when she could barely maintain her altitude. Anger coiled in my middle at the thought of having to touch this mess myself.
My gaze shifted to the little vermin who’d been making a nuisance of himself for weeks now.
“Piepen, open your eyes and hear me.”
He groaned and opened his eyes. His listless gaze searched the room and stilled when he found me.
“I hear you, princess.”
“You will get up and you will clean the mess you’ve made of my bathroom. Every speck of sparkle. Am I clear? Don’t stop until it’s done.”
“Yes, Eliana.”
I stormed out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. What pathetic and useless creatures. After they finished cleaning, I would ensure they never desecrated the air I breathed ever again.
Once my sanctuary was restored, I would hunt and feed until every wood booger in this forsaken hicktown fell to their knees before me.
The sound of a light knock interrupted my thoughts and became the sole focus of my hunger and anger.
“Eliana?” a familiar voice said softly. “Is everything all right?”
That thing inside of me unfurled as I strode to the door. It beckoned the person who stood on the other side so strongly that when I opened the door, her eyes were already dilated and her breathing short. I could feel the lust rolling off of her.
“Things are far from right, Anwen,” I purred. “But you’re about to make them better. Find me a worthy sacrifice for my appetite. Now.” Her eyes widened, and she immediately disappeared.
My phone started to ring in the bathroom.
I strode in, my temper rising due to the lingering stink of their love play and the way my phone still glittered. Merri looked up from where she was scrubbing the faucet with a piece of toilet paper. Piepen didn’t move more than his arm from where he lay on the towel, cleaning a tiny patch of counter next to him.
“Why isn’t my phone clean?” I asked.
Merri immediately flew to it and wiped at the screen enough that I saw the fury’s name.
“Answer it, Merri, and put it on speaker.”
She nodded and quickly obliged.
“Are you my sacrifice, Fury?” I asked, my voice husky.
“Uh, Eliana?” Megan asked.
“Bring your mate, and I’ll show him ways to satisfy you that you’ve never dreamed of.”
“Oh boy.” There was a moment’s pause before I heard Megan’s muffled voice. “She needs me, Oanen. I’ll be right back.”
There was a pop of noise outside the bathroom door that drew me to my room. Megan stood near my bed. That was all it took for me to start feeding.
“Whoa,” she said, swaying on her feet. Her eyes dilated, and her pulse sped, only sweetening her taste. She took an unsteady step toward me. Then another. I knew to be wary of her. She was one of the most powerful creatures in the world. But I sensed no resistance or anger as she approached. Only pity under her growing lust.
She wrapped her arms around me. It wasn’t the lover's embrace I craved, though.
“Here, sister from another mister,” she said softly. “I don’t blame you for craving another hit of my Megaliciousness. Eat all you want. I got you.”
Her words pierced through the blanket of need weighing my sense of reason. I jerked in her arms and immediately stopped feeding.
“Megan, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Shh,” she said, hugging me. “It’s okay. Being hungry isn’t a sin. Redecorating your bathroom in glitter might be, but I swear to keep my judging to a minimum when it comes to your high-end tastes.”
I snorted and pulled back enough to see that she was staring into the bathroom over my shoulder.
“That is not high-end redecorating in there. That’s Piepen sparkling all over the place.”
She made an ew face before looking at me again.
“Is that why Mrs. Quill called in a panic, saying that you needed me and asking if I was worthy? Do you need help cleaning?”
I frowned at Megan as I recalled how I’d spoken to Mrs. Quill after feeding on her through the door. Apparently, she’d taken my command to find someone for me to feed from very seriously.
“I should probably find her and apologize.”
“Eliana!” Merri cried from the bathroom. “Piepen needs rest. Please.”
Megan’s brows shot up.
“Keeping brownie prisoners?”
“No. He made the mess, so I told him to clean it up. There’s no way I’m touching that.” As I spoke, I moved to the bathroom door.
Piepen, still naked as the day he was born, had managed to leverage himself into a standing position. His entire body quivered with effort as he attempted the simple act of lifting his arm to wipe the mirror with the tissue he held. However, before he managed to make contact with the mirror, his arms fell to his side. Shaking harder, he tried again. His reach on that try was lower than the previous attempt.
He bowed his head when he failed. His shoulders quaked, and I realized he was crying.
“Piepen, Merri’s right. You need to take a break.”
He didn’t stop trying even as he turned his head to look back at me, tears streaming down his face.
“I can’t.”
Guilt flooded me.
“I’m sorry I yelled at you, Piepen. I know this wasn’t technically your fault, and I think it’s really admirable that you tried to abstain for Merri. Take a few minutes to reset, and I’ll get you both something to eat. When you feel better, you can clean some more.”
His body jerked like he did when he was thinking about touching himself in front of me. However, this time he groaned, and tears started streaming faster.
“I’m trying to stop, but I can’t.” He lifted his arm again even as his knees buckled.
“Eliana, please take it back,” Merri begged.
“I just did.”
“No, you said he couldn’t stop until it’s done. And now he can’t.”
I stared vacantly at Piepen’s struggling form and remembered the night in the club. How Mom had commanded the humans to protect me, and the way they’d done just that until the shaking had ended. She’d stolen their will so thoroughly that they’d been dazed and confused afterward.
Panicking, I looked at Megan. “It’s like at the club.”
“That’s what I was just thinking.”
“I don’t know how to undo it.”
“I think the easiest way would be to get a few disinfecting wipes. It shouldn’t take us long to clean this up.”
I grabbed the cleaning supplies from under the sink. Megan pitched in without a complaint. It took a bit of elbow grease and a lot of mouth breathing, but every surface was sparkle-free in less than fifteen minutes.
Piepen collapsed on the fresh towel and immediately closed his eyes.
“I’ll get you two some food,” I promised, guilt clawing at me.
Megan followed me out.
“You going to be okay?” she asked.
“I’m quietly freaking out on the inside,” I admitted. “Part of the reason I’ve avoided feeding was that I didn’t want to steal someone’s free will. How Piepen was in there…” I shook my head. “That was awful. What’s worse is that I don’t think this is the first time I’ve accidentally compelled someone to that level. I need to talk to my mom so I can figure out what’s going on before I wreck someone else’s life.” Just talk
ing about my fears so openly made my eyes water.
Megan pulled me into a sudden, hard hug.
“I can tell you what this thing isn’t,” she said. “It isn’t wicked. Don’t beat yourself up. It’s like all those times I burned Oanen. You’ll figure out this new skill, and then it won’t be a problem. You’ll see.”
I nodded.
“Are you still hungry? Do you want to eat a little more before I leave?”
“No, I’m fine now.” I wasn’t, really. The hunger was still there, but I preferred to wait for Fenris.
“I love you, Eliana,” Megan said, standing back. “Also, you have a little glitter on your cheek.”
She disappeared in a flash of flames and laughter as I squealed and made a beeline for the bathroom.
There was nothing on my cheek.
Chapter Eighteen
After another promise to go for food, I hurried from the bathroom. My head was swimming with so many questions for my mom that I almost bowled Mrs. Quill over when I opened my bedroom door. I cringed and rushed out an apology, which she waved away.
“Are you feeling more yourself?” she asked.
I cringed at the reminder of how bossy I’d been. That thought tripped on another, and my eyes went wide as I stared at Mrs. Quill.
“Megan said you asked if she was worthy.”
“Think nothing of it, Eliana. I’m more interested in knowing if I made the right choice to call her.”
I nodded slowly, two thoughts racing through my mind at once. The first being that I’d used this weird new compulsion on Mrs. Quill. The second being that this wasn’t the only time I’d done it. I’d used it to make her take me to the club. Her reaction then had been to get Megan, too.
A floodgate of memories opened in my mind, and I suddenly felt very sick.
“Are you all right, Eliana?” Mrs. Quill asked, the question mere background noise to my buzzing thoughts.
Piepen and Mrs. Quill weren’t the only people I’d caused to behave differently when I was angry. There were the mermaids in the pool. The druids when I demanded their phone numbers, and again when Meg admitted the purpose of the dust she’d blown in my face. Were there other instances I wasn’t remembering?
“Eliana?” Mrs. Quill asked. The sound of my name broke through my thoughts enough to realize she was waiting for an answer.
