It upset Danya to see her sister this way, as some plaything for a man not of this world. Everett was one thing, and she wouldn't tolerate that either, but at least he'd treated Alena with some modicum of decency. She'd seen them together, Alena crawling up Everett's body and laying atop him, watching him fondly. Alena looked almost happy then, in some odd, perverse sort of way.
She didn't look happy now. She didn't look unhappy, either. She seemed lost, abandoned, and in need of something more.
Everett and Dante strode towards a rack of swords, each of them grabbing one and wielding it aloft. They returned to Beatrix's side, consulting with the witch.
"Where is the rose?" Beatrix asked.
Everett growled. "We don't have time for that."
"Listen to her," Dante said. "You never listen to anyone, and now isn't the time."
Muttering, frustrated, Everett acquiesced.
"It's not for my own gain," Beatrix said. "Although I do want it back, as it's mine anyways, but if I can get the rose, and if it's matured enough, we might be able to..."
The demon spotted them then. Alena had seen them the entire time, kept looking at them with a blank, listless expression. The demon had alternate ideas, though. Pulling his cock from Alena's pussy, making a squelching, shlurping sound as he did, he wiped his shaft across her rear, then left her laying there. Regarding the four of them near the doorway, Pinem'e offered a curt bow of his head before rushing towards them.
Perhaps rushing wasn't the correct term. Danya noticed him tense, the muscles in his legs flexing hard as he readied himself to pounce, and then he was there, upon them. Nothing in between, or at least it barely seemed like it. Pinem'e appeared and then he attacked. Everett and Dante fended him off with their swords, fighting side by side. They tried to separate and trap the demon between them, but they barely had the skill necessary to parry his oncoming blows.
The two brothers managed, though. They shifted and sidestepped and countered as best they could, until it almost looked as if they were fighting on even ground. Even, yes, except for the fact that there were two of them and only one of the dark angel. They should have been doing better. They should have been...
"Come," Beatrix said, rousing Danya from her gawking stare. "Attend to your sister and I shall fetch the rose. I'll guard you both as best I can."
Danya ran. She ran towards Alena, rushing to her side. Kneeling beside her, she smiled, though she only felt fear, not happiness. Alena smiled back, barely able to grin. Her younger sister reached for her, and Danya scooped the girl into her lap, cradling her head there like she'd done when they were both much younger. Whenever Alena was sick or upset at the loss of their mother, Danya used to make soup and they'd sit in bed and talk and tell stories.
That was so long ago, though. Years and years. They'd grown apart, hadn't they? They talked at dinner, and occasionally throughout the day, but nothing like back then. They didn't lay in bed together and cuddle and soothe each other. Alena was never very good at it, anyways. Danya smiled, remembering it. It didn't matter at the time, though. Danya liked taking care of her sister, because in a way she found it comforting.
It made her feel important and loved. She knew why their mother left, and how their father had driven her away, but the abandonment hurt nonetheless. She and Alena had made a silent promise to one another never to leave the other behind, and yet they had, hadn't they? What of their younger sister, too? What did Felice think? Was she lonely as well? Was she gone, lost, and alone?
Danya bent low and kissed Alena's cheek. "I love you," she said.
"Can we have soup?" Alena asked, choking on a laugh. "It's silly, isn't it? I used to love when we would sit in bed and you'd bring two bowls of soup."
Danya smiled. "It wasn't much more than broth and some noodles, you know?"
"I liked it anyways."
Beatrix arrived, running towards the two sisters. In her hand, she carried a rose. It glimmered in the light of the high-ceilinged ballroom, glistening with fresh dewdrops. Danya almost thought the rose was crying in a way. Were they tears of happiness or depression? She didn't know.
Alena held her hand out towards the rose, reaching for it like some fond, ungraspable memory.
"To make a long story short," Beatrix said, "every one hundred years, this rose grants a wish. In a few moments I can use it again, but I don't know if the magic of it will be able to banish the demon. I've never tried. I might seem powerful to you, but I'm nothing compared to some. I... I languished. I liked remaining in this mansion and tending to people. I didn't want them to fear me, so I kept my magic contained and I lacked study for more. I know more than enough, but I don't know if I know enough for this. I'm just..."
Danya didn't know what to tell her. Beatrix might only know some magic, but Danya knew none. She didn't know if it was enough, or what was what, or how any spellcasting worked. She was simple, wanted to be simple, and yet none of this was simple.
Beatrix smiled sadly. "The best I can do is try..." Her words trailed off and she wrinkled her nose in thought. "I know what to do," she said.
The witch didn't elaborate. Danya held Alena and they both watched Beatrix as she turned to face the demonic creature battling Everett and Dante. The celestial beast had them on the defensive, bashing through their sworded defenses and slashing at their hands and arms and chests. Not enough to do much harm yet, but the brothers were flagging and didn't look like they could continue the fight for much longer.
Beatrix touched the dewdrops from the rose, then recited a short spell. Finished, she said, "Matilda, I need you. I'm keeping my promise. Come back, please. You can live forever."
The dewdrops flickered with ephemeral light, sparkling and releasing a brilliant luminescence. Danya stared in awe at the brightness of it; enough to transform the decently lit room into some extravagant, wondrous affair. She wasn't the only one who became attracted to the rose's luster, though. Across the room, caught in his battle with the brothers, the demon craned its neck to the side and glared at the new light.
Pinem'e broke off from fighting against Everett and Dante and rushed at the witch. The two brothers struggled to chase after him and stop his headlong rush, but they were losing before and they weren't in any shape to begin winning now.
Dashing at Beatrix, the fallen angel readied for an assault against her. Before it could, though, something peculiar happened. The dewdrops from the rose clattered to the ground, splashing against the wooden floor. Where they landed, a radiant sapling sprouted, growing roots within the very floorboards themselves. Accelerated, its growth transcended any normal tree, and it bent and bowed, thrusting upwards and towards the high-topped ceiling of the ballroom.
It grew directly in front of Beatrix, acting as somewhat of a barricade against the dark being. The witch murmured to herself and worry creased her brow, but for now they were safe. The tree spread outwards, growing wider at the base, inching upwards slowly, then surpassing that speed and rising in leaps and bounds. Branches sprouted leaves of gold and silver, and the bark became a brassy hue. Once its upper canopy touched against the ceiling, it stopped.
Dante and Everett caught up with Pinem'e in the interim. They engaged the demonic beast on the other side of the tree, keeping it busy and away from Danya, Alena, and Beatrix. Danya didn't quite know what use a tree was, especially against a fallen angel, but it did look pretty. Perhaps it was a holy tree? What did Beatrix say before she summoned it forth?
The bark in the tree split, forming a hole. Or, more precisely, somewhat of a doorway. Danya peered inside, curious. There was starlight and emptiness on the other end, with a hint of more. More what? More everything. Indescribable and unfathomable, there lay an entire world of amazement inside the gateway within the tree. From the edge of it, standing just past the precipice of this world and that, stood a young woman.
As easy and simple as that, the woman stepped through the arboreal door and into the ballroom. The tree groaned and shivered as she walked through
, clamping its bark shut once she reached the other side.
"Matilda," Beatrix said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank the heavens, it worked."
Matilda ogled Beatrix and cocked her head to the side. "Doesn't look like this was your first wish, hm? Prettied yourself up some, have you? Immortal now, I suppose? How long has it been? The immortality I can understand, but really now, you needed to beautify yourself before bringing me back from the dead?"
Beatrix fumbled with her hands, flustered. "We don't have time for this."
"Who are these girls? Why's one of them naked?"
Behind the witch and the woman she'd brought back from the dead, the tree of life trembled and the floor beneath it quaked. The sounds of swordplay and claws clashed on the other side. The tree cracked in the middle and Danya thought it might open a gateway once more. To summon forth more people from the land of the dead? But, no, it didn't. It cracked, and then it shattered, sending metallic bronze splinters crumbling to the ground. Leaves of gold and silver fell from the air above, floating like autumn down to the floor.
The barricade between the women and the men fighting Pinem'e was gone. The beast noticed this and leered at them, snarling in lascivious satisfaction.
"Well, fuck," Matilda said.
It was so ridiculous and out of place that Danya wanted to both laugh and cry all at once. This was their savior? This woman? What was she, and what use did she have? Why did Beatrix summon her? Danya didn't know a thing about witchcraft, but this hardly seemed like the answer to their problems. It hardly seemed like the answer to anyone's problems. Did they really need one more person to feed the savage fallen angel's bloodlust? Was another death necessary?
"Blood could seal it," Matilda said quickly.
Beatrix nodded. "They haven't been able to cut it, though. I thought of that, but I couldn't do it on my own, anyways."
"Who do we want to seal it in? One of the boys? They look grown up now, don't they? So cute! I remember their grandfather. Great-grandfather? How many 'greats' should I add? How long have I been gone?"
"Matilda!"
"Oh, hush." Matilda deftly dodged to the side when the demon pounced towards her. "Feisty thing, ain't it?"
"Matty, please!" Dante said. "Help Beatrix!"
"I'm doing it! I can't just make magic out of nothing, you know?"
Danya fumed with unrepentant anger. She held her naked sister in her arms, dealing with the aftermath of being ravaged by some monstrous entity, and here everyone was, doing nothing about it. It all looked flashy, but for what? What use was any of this? Nothing, none, never. Magic was pointless, she thought. It seemed wonderful from the outside looking in, but once she gained a better taste of what it could do, she disliked it. A pie made of pure rhubarb might look delightful and lushly red, but it would pucker your lips and leave you sour with just one bite; which was exactly how she felt about this magical business right now.
Alena mumbled, whispering to Danya. "I think that woman's a witch," she said.
Danya stared at the newcomer, not convinced. "How can you tell?"
"I don't know, but she moves differently. A normal person can't move like that."
The demon slashed at Beatrix, who gained the protection of Everett's sword at the last moment. Warded off, Pinem'e went for Matilda once more. The woman just shifted away, like before, but she didn't step to the side exactly. Danya blinked, unsure. For all the oddness of it, it seemed like Matilda was pulled away, like some living marionette being controlled by invisible strings.
"We can't seal it in anyone without some of its essence," Matilda said. "So either someone cuts the thing and we collect a bit of its blood, or we sit around and let it kill us."
"Yes!" Pinem'e shouted with ravenous glee; the first words it had spoken in a long while. "Death reigns supreme. The archwitch speaks pleasing words to Pinem'e. Let slaughter define you and sate my every desire before the consumption of your flesh and your magic sustains my existence."
This was it, Danya thought. They were going to die.
...
Alena shivered and nuzzled closer to Danya. She was so cold and worn. The fallen angel had... it had done things to her. She didn't know what to make of that. It felt wonderful at the time, but currently she felt abused and debased. Was this her lot in life, then? To be used as some toy for whomever wished to pleasure themselves with her body?
She'd kept her virginity, hoping to hold it for someone special, and none of that had worked out. Before that, she understood men weren't entirely interested in every part of her, but she did like their interest in some of her. She wanted more, and hoped to find it in someone. She hadn't found it yet, but Dante, maybe... and...
Except, perhaps not. Not now. Not ever, even. She'd taken the demon's cock in her mouth right in front of the man she wanted to impress, and for what reason? None that she could think of, except she enjoyed it. She was worthless, completely helpless and useless, barely more than a tight fitting sleeve for whatever cock that wished to stuff itself between her lusty folds.
Danya was here, though. Danya held her like when they were little, caring for her. Alena loved her sister so much right now, but she knew it was all for naught. They would die here, destroyed by the fallen angel, Pinem'e. She wanted it to be swift. She hoped that he would end their lives without hesitation, because elsewise he might...
He might use her again. Torment her and force pleasure through her body. Make her tremble and quiver in orgasmic glee while he pounded his monstrous, darkly ominous cock inside of her body. If he filled her with his seed, what then? Could she become pregnant from it, completely defiled, some breedmate for vile, wicked ends?
The idea of bringing offspring like Pinem'e into the world, the very concept of becoming a mother to vicious evil like that, it shook her to her very core and filled her with dreadful, self-injurious thoughts. The only thing keeping her somewhat sane at the moment was the knowledge that Danya was here, holding her, silently telling her that everything would be alright.
The battle between the demon and the two brothers raged on, but Dante and Everett wouldn't be able to hold him back for much longer. Even Alena, who knew barely anything about fighting, could tell that neither of them was capable of winning this. The witch and archwitch, Beatrix and Matilda, barely seemed competent now.
If Alena knew strong magic such as they did, she'd know what to do. She'd do it without a second thought, perform the rites through instinctive memory, and seal away the demon with barely more than a thought. Something pricked at her mind, like a needle stabbing at her ideas. She winced and clenched her eyes shut, but the pain vanished as quickly as it came.
"Oh," Matilda said somewhere far away and close all at once. "The thing was having sex with her?"
"Before you came back," Beatrix said. "Yes."
"You should have said that."
"What do you mean I should have said that? What use is it? I don't want to embarrass the poor girl."
Matilda lifted her nose into the air and sniffed. "Ah. Not perfect, but it should do."
This was her they were talking about. Alena frowned, humiliated. Yes, well, she'd fucked some evil creature, and what of it? She couldn't very well change that now, and she wanted to forget it. If this ended well, she might be able to, but...
"We don't need blood," Matilda said. "Any liquid essence will do. The fallen angel's seed would be best, but his precum is fine, and the girl has plenty of that sloshing around inside of her. Mind, this means we'll need to seal it in her, because..."
"We can't seal one of the named fallen angel's inside of a regular girl!" Beatrix protested.
"Bebe, you're being daft again. It's endearing, but not now, alright? The girl has plenty of aptitude, and you should be able to tell. She'll be perfectly fine."
Beatrix muttered to herself. "She did manage to use the rose."
"Ladies," Everett screamed. "Please!"
"Yes, if you—" Dante parried one of Pinem'e's attacks, but just barely. Bar
ely, and not enough. The demon's claws sent the man falling to the ground and his sword clattering away. Dante's eyes widened and he scrambled for his weapon. He wouldn't make it in time, though, and his attacker knew it.
The fallen angel grinned with malicious intent and jumped up high, planning to land on and rip through Dante with the full weight of his body and powerful hands.
Matilda appeared alongside Beatrix, some fast blip of speed transporting her from one space to another. The archwitch grabbed her cohorts hands tightly, nodded fast, and then they both began to chant an incantation. Midair, the demon's eyes darted towards the recital, then back to Dante. Pinem'e landed on the man's midsection, then lifted up a sharply clawed fist, aiming to pummel through the younger brother's skull.
The witch's incantation quickened, faster, then finished. The demon's fist grazed Dante's ear, but then it froze. Caught by some invisible force, Pinem'e struggled to free himself and finish his deathly chore, but to no avail. When he realized he couldn't do this thing, he fought just to move, but that didn't work, either. Then he tried to speak.
As soon as he opened his mouth, the air came thrashing out of his body. He shriveled, his body pulling in upon itself, shrinking. Further, more, over and over, muscles and bones popping as they shifted out of place. The fallen angel's physique shrank further, all resemblance of any potential humanity disappearing into some tiny ball of dark celestial energy.
Molded by witchcraft, Pinem'e became a living orb, as smooth and small as a marble. That wasn't the end of it, though. Void and stars and blackness filled the animated marble, then it sped towards Alena. She gasped, breathing in the essence of evil. It stuck in her throat, choking her. Frantic, Danya screamed, squeezing her sister and shaking her and...
Alena swallowed.
...
The demon's essence entered Alena's mouth and pushed at the back of her throat. She choked and coughed and sputtered. It reminded her of when his cock was between her lips, prodding past her resistance, forcing her to breathe around his shaft. And then, with that, every time she swallowed, the convulsing pressure from the muscles of her throat massaged and teased against Pinem'e's insatiable cockhead.
Hunted: An Erotic Retelling of Beauty and the Beast (An Adult Fairy Tale Novel) Page 18
