by C C Morgen
My finger slipped in with ease and her muscles tightened on my grip. Her body heat was going out of control, so I sent water energy into her blood making her moan in pleasure, propelling me into a blind lust, where I kissed her fiercely, roughly, gripping her strongly.
Alphard was so close to climaxing that I could feel it burn inside me. She was so close to maturing until it ended abruptly with Luna showing up outside, yelling for her to come out. The passion ended, and we both lost focus.
It turned out Alphard wasn’t supposed to be out overnight, and she missed training at daybreak with Luna. The Queen was furious, and she had to leave me once again. The punishment was to remain on castle grounds to only train and be back in the tower with Yuna keeping a cautious eye on her.
I learned the Dark Queen did it on purpose to keep her away from me. Yuna kept me informed during her healing visits that the Queen was planning for the ritual, which would be on the eve of her birthday. She even described in detail what would take place, so I could have the chance to adjust to the situation and not be taken off guard, since I could palpably feel everything that happens to Alphard. I would have to feel her die once again and it will be awful.
On the day of Alphard’s birthday, they finally set her free to visit me before the ritual with Yuna guarding close by. The security was imperative because her Aunts would be arriving shortly with the entire clan, which comprised of hundreds of angel-like women, flying here to the island from the north and south. They would crowd the island for this occasion with many more, arriving tomorrow for the celebration.
Alphard couldn’t stay long, but we embraced each other hoping nothing would change between us. Our kiss seemed like a goodbye, even though I retained the hope alive between us, assuming there was a probability she wouldn’t change. That the blood of Hades would remain dormant.
The wings of Harpys filled the sky that day. I witnessed from beyond the rock arch; them flying towards the castle in their regalia and colors. The red and gold of the Swift Wing and Swift Storm clans landed one by one on the shore. They were fascinating to view with their crimson and black wings. Blondes, brunettes, dark and red-haired women of all fashions and color caught my eyes. Even still, I detested what they stood for, they were captivating nonetheless as they levitated in the sky with their wings flapping. Alphard would one day have those wings and turn the heads of others with just the grace of her glance. This is what I have to accept from now on. Alphard is to become an Angel of Darkness.
The evening didn’t seem real as I felt Alphard’s adrenaline race in my heart. She was scared. I clutched my chest over my heart feeling it would take place shortly. The intense pain etched into my core. It ached so much, and I collapsed in the sand and shrieked. The link we shared made it painful to not feel the details. Her heart stopped in mind and I felt her life slowly slip away.
Suddenly, a gloomy sensation filled my soul. It felt very cold and ghastly that I choked. The air was rough to breathe as I panted, and a stench of death was around me. What was this awful presence?
Manee visited again unexpectedly and saw me on the shore in torment. He hauled himself onto the sand, and his blue scales glimmered and gleamed with his emotions. His powerful arms pulled the weight of his entire body across the land to get to me. When he was close enough, he grabbed me and held me tight.
“It’s okay, Ocean Goddess,” he replied calmly with compassion in his nature that soothed my suffering. “It will be over shortly.”
“It hurts,” I replied with tears in my eyes. “The darkness is all over me.”
He cradled me through the agony. “It will go away soon.”
Soon enough the dark feeling disappeared, and the pain went with it. I freed my hand from my breast and let my body go limp in his arms as I weakened. I noticed the sand glued to his arms as he wiped them on me, and sand covered his graceful tail and fin, blurring out the diamond blue scales.
I laughed suddenly from the sight. “You are all full of sand… I’m sorry.” I continued laughing uncontrollably, not choosing to manage my reaction.
“This is nothing,” He had a cheerful grin and hugged me. “You’re in shock. So, relax for a moment.”
“You’re right, this link is a curse,” I blurted out and later wept again.
“Oh, the ninth heavens! It will be okay.” He held me longer to reassure me. “I assume the ritual was today.”
“Yes,” I became serious. “I felt the blade stab her heart like it was my own. Her death fell onto me.” I hesitated when I distinctly recalled the gloom that filled me. “The coldness of death was peculiar. A shadow settled upon me.” I went into a profound silence with tears falling down my face, my body shivering.
“You received what it’s like to die as a Demon.” He answered in a manner that made it sound like he knew what I went through. “The worse type of Demon.”
His comments were obscure, but I didn’t bother to inquire any further questions. I preferred to know if Alphard was all right and if she was even the girl I remembered. Would the light of her soul live or be devoured by the darkness?
Manee stayed with me in the cove, but he had to re-enter the sea to re-hydrate. I helped him clean off the mud from his scales and he laid back, drifting in the water in relief. I kept peering towards the castle's whereabouts as the sun faded over the horizon. The night accompanied with a full moon rising in the sky and I knew Alphard would demand to see me. I know she will show up tomorrow, which came quick with no sleep.
It was at the brink of dawn when my heart called me to the door of my hut, knowing Alphard was on the way here. When her gentle face caught my eye, I couldn’t help the surge of excitement. However, my gaze met the black stab wound over her heart instead. The black veins streaked outward from the cut like an infection that was percolating. My face tensed at the sight, but I rushed over before she could notice and wrapped my arms around her without touching the wound. Her breath smelled of a pear when my lips met her cheek. Something was different about her scent. She lacked any smell on her body, not even the scent of sweat. Her eyes looked weak and tired as if she could fall asleep once again.
She laid in the sand, not wanting to stand any longer. I could tell the wound bothered her as she tensed, trying to feel comfortable with the black tunic, rubbing the irritated skin. I tried healing it with my water magic, but it was an enchanted wound that couldn’t be healed. It had to run its course, and the blood that was poisoning everything good inside her. The wound remained, and Alphard didn’t have relief from the pain.
She mentioned the abnormal experience during the ritual. The Wraith was coming for her, which explained the shadow that invaded my soul yesterday. That dark eerie feeling of death still lingered on my body. However, Alphard’s blank stare concerned me since this meant she was coming to terms. She is a Demon.
Tobias. The keeper of the Wraiths in the Underworld. Why was he after her in the first place? Manee always enjoyed solving puzzles to curious questions. If he were here, he would think this girl is the daughter to a Demon lord. Maybe that’s what he meant about the worse type of Demon. A Demon that was darkness itself. There was a place of no light where he and his Wraiths lived. It would only make sense that Alphard’s soul wouldn’t go to the ninth heaven. She would be collected like a possession, stored where she belongs.
However, for the time being she belonged here with me. She invited me to the party with the Queen's approval. What was that woman planning by finally accepting me being in love with her daughter? I loved the idea of spending the evening together, drinking and teasing her. It was a dream come true.
She laid back in the sand and cuddled my head against her chest until she fell asleep. I felt her heartbeat against my face and listened to the soothing sound of her life in my ears. Her breath at a calm pace as she drifted into a dream. I leaned on my arm and watched her sleep. My hand slid up and down to the rhythm of her breathing. I rubbed the tip of my fingers around the black cut, feeling the veins disappear to my touch.
She would not turn at this rate. Alphard is too happy to give up her heart.
I grinned at the thought of the Queen being disappointed. Alphard’s body tensed next to mine, and her skin broke out into a cold sweat. Her face wrinkled in torment before she suddenly woke up, panting like she escaped a nightmare. She seemed fearful and had a panicked look in her eyes. I tried comforting her and asked what was wrong, but her answers were evasive and for the rest of the day it wasn’t spoken of until we had to part ways to get ready for the party.
I searched through my hut, trying to figure out my attire for the evening. Nothing seemed to stand out, and it had been ages since I attended a proper gathering. I’m sure the Dark Queen is expecting someone divine to represent as her daughter’s companion.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door frame.
“Hello there, my dear.” Celaeno’s voice caught my attention, and I jerked my head to see her in a long black silk dress with the front cut short and was holding a thick folded cloth in her arm. Luna waited next to her, arms crossed and giving me a glare like she would have preferred to not be here. Well I’d preferred not to see your face either!
“Your majesty.” I greeted by bowing my head with my right hand over my heart. “What brings you here?”
“Amphis, my dear. I do love what you have done with the place.” She stepped inside, her eyes glancing around the space. “You have done well for yourself within Sanctuary.”
“Yes,” I bowed my head. “I’m grateful for your mercy.”
“No need to be so formal, my dear,” she approached me with the cloth. “I come bearing gifts.” She handed me the item, and I hesitated at first. “Go on. Take it.” I took it into my arms and laid it on my bed, unfolding little by little with her watchful eyes on me. There was finer pale blue cloth inside, which was a dress with dangling sapphire earrings and a sapphire diamond necklace. I gasped at the shimmering beauty of the gems, and the cloth glittered as if it were fit for a Goddess.
“It’s beautiful!” I blurted out unintentionally for the Queen to hear.
“Exquisite, isn’t it? Tonight, is a special night for my daughter,” She smiled while brushing back loose hair from my face behind my ear. “You will wear this, and Alphard’s eyes will never stray.”
“I don’t know if I can accept this,” I said, feeling there was a catch for such an elaborate gift.
“Sure, you can accept this.” She picks up the sapphire diamond necklace and fastened it around my neck. Her soft velvet hands pressed against my neck and held me close to her. Suddenly, her lips grazed my ear where felt her breath as she whispered. “Beautiful creatures deserve admiration. You will look stunning even for your soon-to-be husband.”
I moved away from her. “What are you talking about?” I asked wanting to know what she meant.
“As you know Poseidon still wants you as his bride,” she sat on my bed like it was her own home. “He has offered a lot for me to release you from this island, my dear.”
“I thought we had a deal,” I said while tensing up in anger.
“We do,” The Dark Queen cast her eyes on the dress she brought me. “I never fall back on my word to a lady who seeks sanctuary here.”
“Then why bring it up?”
“Oh Amphis, why do you stay here, knowing there’s nothing for you?” She grabbed ahold of my arm and pulled me close and forced me to kneel before her. She caressed my face with her hands and gazed deep into my eyes. “I can see why my daughter is in love with you. You have such pretty eyes. Clear as the sea. No wonder she hasn’t turned yet. Who would want to sacrifice their love when they have you?” She was in silence brushing my hair back. “Now Alphard will die because of you.”
My body went ill, and I sat back in the sand. “Alphard will not die.”
The Queen laughed. “My dear, with that look on your face in that weakened state you already know the truth. Did you think you could deny it like that because she came here how she is, the girl you love? Being in my family has many consequences or haven’t you noticed?”
I remained silent and looked away. “If Alphard doesn’t turn soon, her cousins will kill her. My sisters will show no mercy on my daughter.”
“Can’t you just send her away like you did before?” I asked holding my chest, feeling Alphard’s excitement for tonight as my own.
“You should have known by now that doesn’t last,” she answered in a sincere tone. “They will eventually find her. You think Poseidon is being relentless for no reason? My family will stop at nothing to see Alphard’s heart cut from her chest and delivered on my throne. You knew this of my family, yet you still sway my daughter’s decisions with your love.”
“Won’t her father protect her?” I said assuming the Demon lord Tobias was her father. “Her father is a Demon lord. Can he protect her from your family?”
“I’m afraid not.” She sighed in annoyance. “My sisters and nieces will bring war to the Underworld and wipe out every single Demon to get to her. We don’t need another unnecessary war. It would bring such chaos to everyone.”
“There has to be something,” I imagine Alphard’s death. “I can’t stand being in this world if she’s not in it. It will hurt too much.” The link we share would eventually kill me as well.
“There’s only one way,” she heaved a sigh. “She will have to turn.”
“How is she going to do that if she’s happy with her love for me?” I asked already knowing the end result to my question. I needed her to say it for me.
“My dear, you already know what needs to be done.” She kneeled next to me on the floor and hugged me. “If you need me to say it then I will.” Her lips were close to my ear. “Break her heart.”
Tears ran down my face as it paled from deep sadness. My fantasy of being with Alphard ended with those three words. The Queen was right. There was nothing here for me anymore.
Tonight, would be my last night with the one I love.
CHAPTER XXV
Still Here
THE DECISION WAS MADE THAT EVENING. Alphard’s heart would have to experience the genuine agony of betrayal. That evening, as I entered the castle the crowd went silent. Their gazes fell upon me along with hers. The dress and jewelry magnetized the chamber to my sheer elegance. The Queen was correct. Alphard’s eyes never strayed.
I wanted the night to be special. My performance had to be flawless by being cheerful and charming with my words. I wanted to deceive myself into seducing Alphard even though the idea pained me heavily. I had accepted the Queen's proposal of marrying Poseidon for the sake of saving Alphard’s life. In exchange, I would be the one to mature Alphard this evening and no other. It was a devious deal to negotiate, but she accepted it as the arrangement.
The night was young, and Alphard was so dashing with the dark eye shadow that illuminated her golden hazel eyes. The gold flakes in her irises sparkled in the faint lighting. Her green beaded necklace with crescent moons glimmered off her fair skin.
The black veins near her wound had virtually disappeared and oddly enough she didn’t appear to be in pain, the way she relaxed in the white Egyptian cloth. The fiber of the clothing didn’t bother her like it appeared earlier in the day. It was like she never received the wound the way she slurped the wine and locked her eyes with mine throughout our time, chattering about the guests in the room and Yuna.
Alphard’s cousin Calipee, who had been exiled to serve the Dark clan, had shown interest in Yuna. However, only I knew her heart belonged to an Elven woman she mentioned some while ago. Her mischievous grin only suggested that Calipee might absolutely be lucky. I giggled to myself, recalling the night when we practically had sex. I hope Calipee can handle being more submissive.
As for Alphard and me, we made our withdrawal to the higher floor of the castle away from the guests and the views of her clan. Her lips tasted sweet and bitter from the wine, which was a savory mix against my tongue. The smell of the wine was exhilarating, blurring my attentions to the feel of her
heart racing against mine as our chests pressed closely in the shadows of the corridor.
Our moment was disturbed by a romantic, but rough tryst between the Queen and the angry hound. We witnessed Celaeno and Luna violent, carnal, affection towards each other as they took pleasure in the pain they inflicted by biting and shedding each other’s blood.
We observed in the shadows in silence as Alphard’s mother enjoyed being ravaged by Luna’s sexual aggression. The passion they shared was absolute that evening and the relationship they had belatedly made sense. They were an absurd pair, but they were happy.
Alphard had a scrunched face from the sight and acted annoyed, screening her eyes with her hand. I quickly saved her from her ruined mood by kissing her intensely. The distraction led to another, all the way up the tower steps, to her bed. Her body adhered to mine, and I didn’t want to let go. Her skin became heated, and the transformation happened subtly with the snake-like skin formed around her.
Alphard let herself go to my touch, reaching inside her until she was no longer self-aware about the transition. The muscles on her body tensed and her legs squeezed my fist as tight as she could until she moaned in pleasure from achieving her climax. I felt my life-force being tugged away, soaking into the pores of her snake-like skin. Her mouth absorbed my aura like she was suffering from starvation.
When Alphard realized it, she instantly hauled aside. She stumbled out of the bed and clutched the table by the mirror. I realized she was still hungry, and she needed to keep feeding until the change was complete.
I dragged myself out of bed even though my vitality was drained, and I held her through the process. I continued advising her to keep feeding until it was done. Alphard sucked more of my life force into her skin. My body had become weaker, and I knew it scared her to see me this way.
The transformation ended and the pores on her skin finally sealed and the snake-like skin faded, shifting back to normal fair skin. Her eyes went from green and gold back to plain hazel. It disoriented her from the high of my energy coursing inside her, at the same time it upset her, thinking she harmed me. However, my regenerative magic returned all the energy and life force collected from me. I was back to normal before the first tears dropped from her eyes.
