by Jaime Marks
In the morn there was a good chance Ravyshyn would come to her. They could not prevent it, though Cymeryn claimed he had a theory that might block him. If and when Ravyshyn managed to reach her, however, she would know. Even if she forgave him in the long run, the Shade might be able to use it to turn her against him in the meantime.
Mythos had her now. This eve, right now, she was his willing captive. She was bound and spread for his enjoyment, which was far more than he cared to admit in this moment. After seeing her memories with the Shade and knowing how she denied him earlier there was something satisfying about holding her prisoner. Something in him savored in being able to force her to feel him, reminding her that she truly was his. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed to be in complete control of the situation in this moment, and he was going to enjoy this while he could.
Ravyshyn paced trying to ascertain what he was feeling. Steph wasn’t responding to his calls and he could feel the Fae in her mind. Something was off. He looked up as he sire entered and assessed him.
“What plagues you progeny? It is not the punishment you endured or your current station,” Vilyn smirked. “You rather enjoyed that.”
He shook his head. “I’ve been slowly regaining control of my slave’s mind, but something’s wrong. She’s with the King.”
Vilyn shrugged. “He is her mate.”
“Yeah, but she denied him. I was with her not even four hours ago. She called me to her mind and willingly ceded control to me in an exchange for answers. By the time I released her she was at my feet calling me Master,” Ravyshyn relayed.
Vilyn smiled widely a moment as he sat on his bed. “Then it shall not belong before we have her.” He paused considering it a moment. “The Queen is close to mine Grandsire. He is a master at mental manipulation. If he thinks you hold complete control he may play with her memories.”
Ravyshyn let that sink in with a frown. “Can he make her forget me completely?”
“No,” his sire grinned, “from what I have seen in your mind there are substantial interactions between the two of you. All it would take is someone to either trigger the memory, or for her to see you, or anyone or thing she associates strongly enough with you. When you reenter her mind it will break through the blocks.”
“Hmmm,” he murmured.
If anything that would only serve to fracture the trust she had in them. His little warrior hated when she was manipulated and he’d been monitoring her pretty damned closely. The way they’d screwed with her memories in the first place had severely messed her up. She’d flip out if someone tried to take away part of who she was like that again. It would put him on a closer level to where she held her infallible King.
“I can use this.”
Vilyn nodded. “I will support you. The Fae are gaining too much ground. Pravyous is about to take hold of the Umbra. Alayne will be free tomorrow, but he will be distracted. Having the King of the Fae and Lucerna Lines off balance as well will bode well for all who remain Shade.”
He nodded. “They won’t complete the Bonding in the Realm of Balance. The coronation needs to take place directly and that has to happen in the Palace of Light. She’s been stressing it for days because of the security risks and using them as an excuse to delay it. She really wasn’t ready for this shit, but they pressured her into it…
“Our bond is pretty strong, even after our awakenings. The only thing that can fully break my hold is that damned ritual, but there’s a full day where she needs to be separated from the King immediately before the Bonding. All I need is for her to drink and I’ll have full control of her, but it won’t be easy. My little warrior princess likes to fight,” he smirked. “If I leave her mind go until I can reach her, I can take advantage of her confusion and anger towards them.”
“Do you believe you can convince her to come with you?” Vilyn cocked his head. “I have watched the Queen spar. She holds a strength to her.”
“My baby knows who takes care of her when the world stops making sense,” he shrugged knowing Steph better than she knew herself. “When the blocks fall she’ll be confused and won’t know where to turn. She’ll either come with me or kill me in her rage. Either way she’ll turn. I’d rather her fall to my sire, than leave her in the arms of that Fae.”
Vilyn’s desired surged. “Duly noted. You know, of course, how I will treat her in such case. She will be a slave, a breeder, and nothing more.”
Rav turned to him. “Penance must be paid. She was meant to be by my side once. I cared for her, groomed her, even protected her, but her betrayal only serves to feed my rage. I’ll allow her the chance to regain her favor through service and take her place, but I won’t make it easy. Should she kill me? She’ll deserve no less than a life at my sire’s feet.”
“You are a boon indeed,” he replied raking his eyes over him. “I find I am enjoying you far more than anticipated.”
Ravyshyn studied his sire a moment noting his demeanor. In the short time he’d known him the Shade’s strength had garnered his respect. Even against Pravyous, who could seriously have destroyed him, he held strong; challenging that the Servys’ own rules had tied his hands.
Bryce was well protected by Byryn and Kyle and they had the support of the Kings of Balance, their brothers, the Lucerna Lines and the whole of the Kingdom. There was no way to complete the task that Vilyn had been given without engaging them. On top of that, Tomas, Kyle’s uncle, had been given lead. Following his orders had been counterproductive even if it was necessary to ensure the Priest didn’t know what was coming. Vilyn was calculated and intelligent. Every strategy he’d used was impressive and the way he’d endured his brother’s punishment, reveling in him and absorbing his strength, was nothing short of enticing.
His sire had gained his respect, but it was time to draw the line. He approached Vilyn and knelt before him handling this as formally as he was capable of. This sort of shit had always been more Kyle’s thing than his, but he made sure to word thing the way his sire would expect.
“I am your, sire. I have pledged my life to you and I stand by that vow…” He paused to meet his eyes, “but I’ll never be your slave. I give myself to you willingly out of loyalty and devotion for the gift of my awakening, and your word that I’ll have what’s mine. I honor your strength and enjoy the pain you gift me…but if that’s not enough I suggest you kill me, because you’ll never fucking force me.”
Vilyn’s eyes narrowed at the challenge but he seemed to accept it for what it was. “I should strike you down for such direct insolence. Luckily enough it is not a slave I wish of you, and I enjoy the strength you exhibit,” his smug grin held warning, “but you have revealed yourself in this progeny. If you dare ever betray me, show even the slightest sign of weakness, I will force the binding on you and it shall be you who serves at my feet.”
He gripped him firmly by the hair, biting his lip to lap a small amount of his essence. It was a concession of sorts. The Shade only shared essence, drank of those they respected and trusted on their own level.
“You are beside me, Ravyshyn. I may use you, abuse you, and enjoy you. I expect your full obedience in the field, but I did not awaken you so that I might have puppet. There are plenty of lesser will and ability for such things.”
Realization rippled through him but he stifled it. “You awakened me because you needed more strength to assist you in completing your task.”
Vilyn smirked. “I could have had Scratryn awaken you. In truth he wanted you and I have no need for subservient waste.” He released him. “That was the original intent and my decision to claim you directly stirred my brother’s jealousy. As it is I will need to find a slave to gift him to ease the blow. I could have given you to him and soothed his ego when I realized I had pained him, but you impress me. I have found few willing to hold such insolence and strength when faced with their own death. Most would have groveled in fear, begging for salvation in that moment. You stood making demands, unwilling to cede your strength and e
ven demanding strength of any who laid claim to you. It is a rare trait.”
Ravyshyn measured him carefully a moment. “You want a companion.”
His sire’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps that is true. I want an ally, someone I can trust, but I crave more than that. I am Brood. I will always be thus, but things are changing. We have not been as close or connected since Father’s passing. Now that Pravyous has gained control many of the Elders are looking for a way to unseat his lead. Others are groveling at his feet. Once the threat of Alayne has passed we may well face a civil war of our own sort. I will not be party to it. I plan to make my own way. Scratryn will perhaps join me,” he shrugged, “but I will leave here and begin anew.”
He rose to his feet watching him. “Admitting such things to another Shade is either a strong vow or a foolish mistake.”
Vilyn stood and cupped his cheek with a smirk. “You could betray me, but do you really think another Shade would help you reach the Queen and not try to claim her for his own.” He gripped his hair pulling him close. “I do not want to take her from you, though I will not deny the idea of breaking her between us is something I covet. Without you however, she holds little enticement. She is yours…but you, are mine.”
Ravyshyn considered his options. Loyalty to the Brood afforded a certain protection and position. At the same time, it held certain restrictions. While he wasn’t opposed to sharing his sweets with Vilyn, the chance of Pravyous staking a claim on her to better control Byryn or lure out Cymeryn was a concern. Incurring Pravyous’ wrath may yet be inevitable. The Shade was ruthless, but if they left here, remaining loyal to the Dark Lord, the Servys might actually allow it. They could break free and he’d never need to know about his slave.
“Pledge your loyalty to me, as I have done to you, and I’ll remain faithful and devote only to mine sire and my own will,” he offered formally, waiting to see the result.
It was a risky move. If Vilyn saw his offer as a threat he could force him to bind himself to him. He wasn’t sure if he could defeat him and he honestly wasn’t sure he wanted to. Having this closeness, this connection with him, filled the whole that Kyle’s betrayal had left behind.
Vilyn crossed his arms as his essence surged. “And what exactly is it you offer me, Ravyshyn, that you think I cannot take from you, hmm? I am an Elder. You are but a boy.”
Ravyshyn laughed cynically. “It’s true. You could force me and create another mindless drone, but we’ve already established that’s not what you want.”
He gripped him by the throat forcing him against the wall. “If I do this, give you the freedom and equality you desire, allow you to feed off my strength…I will expect more.”
“Name it.”
“We will bind the Queen to us both. I will not take her from you, but we will share her, equally. She is your weakness, Ravyshyn. I know how you covet her, what you want from her. Binding her to us both ensures your loyalty.” Vilyn bit at his neck as he ground against him. “We will both breed her, care for her, and we will care for one another. It is the only way I will allow this. You will be my favored as Trevyn once was my Grandsire’s and we will thrive as they did.”
He swallowed hard. It was a huge concession. It would bind the three of them together eternally and she was his…but she would still be his. Could he do this though? There was a time he’d considered binding her to Kyle after seeing their reaction to one another. It would’ve granted control over them both and they were both his…but this was different. This was sharing her completely, sharing himself completely.
He’d been too transparent, revealed his obsession with her too easily. It was a mistake, or was it? If they bound her, turned her, drank of her power, few aside from Pravyous could challenge them. She was Cerulyion and held the full power of her line…but she was his. Could he really grant her completely to another like this?
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only issue with Vilyn’s plan. He could threaten to share Steph all he wanted, but the truth was he couldn’t really force her. Her will was too strong. He might be able to control her, but putting her in the arms of another now that she had awakened was risky. If she didn’t submit on her own there was a chance she’d rebel against the Shade.
He studied his sire a moment wondering if the male could seduce her…and if he could if he’d want to kill him for it. Was he really even considering this?
Chapter 30
Byryn gripped Kyle by the hair kissing him. “This is killing me. Having you so close like this, witnessing this, and not touching you,” he whispered close to his ear, laying another kiss on his neck.
“I know but it is almost over,” he growled, “and then you’re mine.”
Byryn chuckled turning his attention back to Wytheryn and Narysia. She moaned loudly, arching as he worked her through another orgasm that almost seemed to gain strength from her essence. He was starting to take on a coloration similar to Byryn’s. His body was still in a state of flux, adapting and changing as they sealed their bonds. Byryn and Kyle’s essence flowed throw them, strengthening them, connecting them as their progeny.
Her eyes drifted open as she caught her breath as his gaze drew hers a moment. She was leaned back against the right side of his chest with her arms bound behind her back. That adorable blush colored her cheeks, but most of her inhibitions were gone. They hadn’t touched her, she knew they wouldn’t, but there was a closeness to all of this that seemed to feed her desire in some way.
He fingered a strand of her hair. It was tricolored now, a mixture of browns, blonds and silvers. It ranged from a near mahogany to a pale blond, almost white, and silver highlights throughout. The colors blended in well and seemed to bring out her the color of her eyes. They sparkled like the ocean with silver flecks that reminded him of the sun glistening over the water. She was so fragile and delicate.
He looked up to meet Wytheryn’s pleading gaze as another wave of essence rolled through them. “Soon, oryto. Your essence is already merging,” he promised. “The peak isn’t just yet.”
He groaned resting his head on her stomach and Kyle chuckled stroking his hair. They had been at this for well over four hours between awakening the two of them. Wytheryn’s restraint was wavering. Kyle guided him to his knees as Byryn undid the bindings on Narysia’s wrists and positioned her on her hands and knees in front of him. He gently guided her to his sex and she took him in her mouth without hesitation. Wytheryn laced his fingers in her hair and Byryn rested a hand gently on her back.
She whimpered with need as he thrust into her mouth relentlessly, giving herself over to his desire. He spilled over into her mouth granting himself some relief as she drank him in. When they were finished Kyle lay him down and Byryn lifted her, setting her on his chest. He stroked her hair in reassurance as another wave ran through her.
Wytheryn kissed her softly. “You’re killing me, Rysa. I need to feel you so badly,” he breathed.
“Please sir,” she begged.
He breathed deeply as she kissed her way over his chest, letting her tease him as he continued to balance her essence. Rolling her on her back, he teased her core with the head of his sex, already thickened again with need. He was right on the edge of losing control.
Byryn gripped his hair and stilled him. “You will wait.”
“Yes sire,” he groaned.
Kyle shook his head with a smirk. It was almost over. Narysia would be peak soon. Her essence was waving almost consistently now and the changes to her body were evident. The connections between them were complicated and edged towards inappropriate, considering where they were currently sitting, but this would never happen again. In a respect it was what she needed. This closeness was helping to heal the wounds and develop trust that it would’ve taken weeks for them to get past with her after what she’d been through.
Byryn gently caressed her cheek bringing her attention to him. “Keep your essence balanced as best you can, sunshine. This is about to get intense for you, but I think Wyth can dist
ract you,” he smiled teasingly as she bit her lip.
Turning to Wytheryn he nodded. “Do you remember that point when the essence surging through you became one intense steady wave?”
“Yes sire,” he breathed.
“That’s what you’re waiting for. That’s the peak,” he explained.
A wicked grin spread across his lips as his essence washed over her, sensing her more thoroughly. “My beautiful pet,” he murmured, “you are so in trouble.”
Byryn smirked as she swallowed hard and sat back allowing them as much space as possible. Kyle linked his fingers through his, resting his head on his shoulder as Byryn stroked is hair. They let their essence flow over the girls sensing them. It was in all honesty the longest they’d been physically separated from them since the day of Kyle and Astryn’s Bonding. They’re affection was returned instantly and he smiled.
How they could be so trusting and understanding about this amazed him. He loved them for it. Knowing the depths of his mind didn’t automatically mean they would understand it, but they never questioned it or the things he did. They just accepted him completely. They were amazing.
Neither he or Kyle had crossed any lines. They hadn’t touched Narysia aside from repositioning her and Wyth on occasion. They barely even looked at her, but they did grant her comfort and there was a closeness to this that most wouldn’t understand. He’d expected them to insist on joining them at some point or having to explain his reasoning, but they hadn’t had an issue.
His baby girl and eria understood that Narysia couldn’t handle much more. She’d struggled with having them there to begin with, but once she’d settled down she’d been ok. Adding more people, even the girls, might’ve shaken her up and she needed to focus on the awakening. Both of their girls trusted them, more than that they knew that even if Byryn and Kyle claimed to own them, they were the ones that owned their souls. It was a beautiful thing.
