by Ramona Gray
“It’s a sea creature,” the man said. “Shaped like a star. You don’t have them where you’re from?”
“Maybe,” Evan replied, “but if it’s the same thing we call them starfish. What was your world like?”
Lutan shrugged. “Much more advanced than this one but at least they don’t have vampires.”
“Vampires?” Steve said. He sat up in the water and leaned forward. “You have vampires on your world? Like creatures with fangs that drink blood?”
“Yes. You have them too?” The man said.
“No. They’re just a myth in our world. A made-up creature to scare people.”
Lutan sunk lower into the water as he shuddered noticeably. “They were real on our world. Horrible creatures and their numbers were outgrowing ours. Pretty soon there won’t be any humans left for them to feed from. I’ve been here for nearly four years. For all I know it could have happened already.”
“I guess you’re glad to be in this world instead of yours,” Evan said.
The man shrugged. “Yes and no. I miss my family. I didn’t have a wife but I was close to my mom and dad. Of course, if I hadn’t been sucked into that orb I would have been dead anyway.”
“What do you mean?” Gage asked.
“I was being fed on by a vampire when the light appeared and sucked us both in.”
“A vampire got sucked into this world?” Craig stopped scrubbing his upper body and stared wide-eyed at the man. “You’re kidding me.”
“No. Spit us out into the same field I imagine it spit you into. The vampire was lying dazed a few feet away from me and I took off running for the trees. He caught up to me just at the treeline and started feeding again. That was when the massina and the others showed up.”
Silas paused in washing his face. “Quinn was there?”
The man nodded. “The queen always sends the massina to the orb.”
“What happened?” Silas asked.
“The vampire attacked one of the women – I think it might have been Medina or Fionn, maybe – and the others started stabbing it with their swords. It didn’t help because they weren’t hitting his heart. He was throwing them around like they were rag dolls. I think he might have even killed one of them. It’s how the massina got that big scar on her leg. The vampire dug his nails into her and tore her leg wide open before throwing her into the trees. He had Dacia pinned up against a tree and was about to tear her throat open with his nails when the massina just limped up behind him with blood gushing out of her leg. She shoved her dagger into his back and right through his heart. He burst into ash and the other women started freaking out but the massina didn’t. It was like she knew what a vampire was and how to kill it even though the other women didn’t.”
“Maybe she’s from your world,” Silas said slowly as a light bulb went off in his head.
“She isn’t,” Lutan said. “She’s from this world.”
“How do you know for sure?” Silas asked.
“A few of the women I’ve slept with have told me she is,” Lutan said.
“Maybe they were lying.”
“Why would they?” Lutan gave him a puzzled look.
Before Silas could reply, Vida popped up from the water and reclined against the back of the tub. He grinned happily at Silas, his fangs gleaming in the candlelight. His blue skin was back to its smooth appearance and he radiated an aura of strength and health.
“You look better,” Silas said grouchily. His jealousy over the thought that Quinn might be fucking Vida was overruling his idea of a friendship with the big man.
“Thank you, big human,” Vida said. “I feel delightful.”
Gage and the others laughed as Silas grunted in reply before quickly finishing bathing. It was stupid to be jealous of Vida. Even if the man was fucking Quinn he hadn’t done anything wrong. Silas had no say in what Quinn did. It wasn’t like she was his damn girlfriend or something.
Maybe she glows for Vida.
Jealousy reared its ugly head again and Silas glared at Vida. The man gave him a cool look in return. “Is there something wrong, big human?”
“No,” Silas said. He was tempted to try and force Vida to tell him if he was fucking Quinn, but he had a feeling it was a battle he would lose and lose quickly. Lloyd had said that Vida was a pacifist but who knew what he would do if pushed to anger.
The door to the bathing room opened and a small and slender woman entered the room. She glanced at the men in their tubs and turned a brilliant shade of red before beginning to glow so brightly that Silas had to squint against the light.
One of the guards spoke sharply to her and she blushed again before looking at the floor. As her glow dimmed she spoke quietly to the guard closest to her. The guard nodded and with a final glance at the bathing men, the woman left the room.
“Danens,” the guard approached the tubs and pointed to Silas and Vida, “hurry and finish bathing and then follow me.”
“Why?” Silas asked.
“You’re dining with the queen tonight.”
* * *
Quinn paced nervously in the large dining room of the castle. The queen had sent her a message instructing her to bathe and dress for dinner with her. She ran her hands nervously over the blue silk of her gown. It hugged her full breasts and flowed over her hips to brush gently against the floor. She knew it fit her well but she wished she was wearing her usual battle outfit. She felt uneasy wearing the dress and she missed her sword. She touched the comforting bulk of her dagger hidden in the pocket. She was never unarmed around the queen. It was foolish not to be.
She continued to pace and wondered why the queen requested her presence. There was a time when she dined nightly with the queen but over the last few years that had gradually ceased to once or twice a month. She sighed softly and stared at the flickering flames in the giant fireplace that dominated the room. She should have murdered the woman then. Their dinners together were often just her and the queen while they discussed the day-to-day running of the clan and battle strategies, and it would have been the perfect opportunity. The queen was growing older but so was she and many mornings there were aches in her body that weren’t there even two years ago.
You haven’t done it because you don’t want Kila to hate you.
Her back was aching miserably and she rubbed lightly at the bruised and swollen flesh. She loved Kila and thought of her as her daughter. It was foolish to deny that she was worried Kila would hate her for murdering her mother. Of course she would hate her. The queen was cruel and that cruelty often extended to her own daughter but she was still Kila’s mother.
What about Kevin? You loved him too, remember? The queen slit your husband’s throat without a second thought and you’re worried that Kila will hate you for avenging his death? Who fucking cares? Kila is not your daughter and never will be. Besides, not two days ago Kila told you she hated her mother. Do what you vowed to do nearly a decade ago and kill that bitch.
She took a deep breath. Her inner voice was right. She needed to take her revenge now. If she didn’t, the queen would take Silas and she would never –
So now this is about Silas instead of Kevin? Garna, Quinn, what is wrong with you? Kevin was your husband and Silas is some guy you fucked once. Get your fucking priorities straight.
Her stomach churned. She was killing the queen for Kevin, not to stop her from fucking Silas. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder if she could convince Silas to leave with her once she killed the queen.
Leave? Why would you leave? Kill the queen and take her place as ruler.
She laughed bitterly. She had no desire to be queen. It was Kila’s reign to take, not hers. Besides, the chance of walking out of here alive after murdering the queen was slim. Her own clan might fear and loathe her but not even they would take the murdering of their queen lightly.
Are you sure? This queen took the throne through violence and murder.
That was true but Quinn wasn’t interested in slaughtering all those who opposed her.
She wanted the queen’s death but not the chaos it would undoubtedly cause if she stuck around after. No, it was best to murder her and then slip quietly away. She would live in the forest until an orb appeared. She would let the light take her to another world and forget completely about this one.
You would forget Kila and Naveen? Silas?
The door opened and she stared in surprise when Silas and Vida walked into the room.
“Quinn? What are you doing here?” Silas asked.
“What are you doing here?” She replied.
“Dining with the queen, apparently,” Silas said.
“Hello, massina. How are you feeling this evening?” Vida asked. He stepped closer to her and she groaned inwardly when Silas noticeably stiffened.
“Fine,” she said shortly. She was lying. Her back was really throbbing tonight. She had skipped her dose of pain medicine. While it helped with pain it also made her feel a bit dull and slow-witted. There was no way in hell she was taking it when she was going to be around the queen.
“You’re pale,” Vida said.
“I’m fine,” she repeated.
The door opened again and Kila and the queen entered the room. Quinn automatically dropped to one knee as Vida did the same beside her. After a moment, Silas followed.
“Rise,” the queen said.
She studied the three of them before smiling. As always the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Come, let us sit together.”
They followed her to the large table. She sat gracefully at the head of the table as Kila and Quinn sat on her left and her right. Vida took the seat beside Quinn and Silas frowned before sitting next to Kila.
She gave him a tentative smile. “Hello, danen.”
“Hello, princess,” he said politely. “How are you this evening?”
“Very well, thank you.”
Five women entered carrying large platters of food. They set them on the table as a sixth woman poured wine into their glasses. When they retreated, the queen lifted her glass. “To a successful clan, healthy children, and,” her cold eyes travelled over Silas’ face, “new breeders.”
The others dutifully lifted their glasses before drinking the wine. Quinn took a tiny sip before setting her glass down. The wine on this world was very potent and she needed to keep her wits when with the queen.
“Tell me, danen,” the queen said as they began to eat, “are you enjoying your new life?”
“Yes,” Silas said. He winced – Quinn had the feeling that Kila just kicked him - and added, “my Queen.”
“Good. You have been treated well by the clan?”
“Very well, my Queen.”
“We are the largest clan in the province. You are lucky that we took you from the orb,” the queen said.
Silas didn’t reply and the queen smiled at Vida. “You are looking well, Vida.”
“You grow more beautiful by the day, my Queen,” Vida said.
She laughed, a cold sound that sent shivers down Quinn’s back. “Thank you, Vida. Are you trying to earn a place in my bed this evening?”
“It is a great honour to be in your bed, my Queen,” Vida replied.
The queen studied him. “You do please me well when we are fucking.” Her gaze slid to Silas. “Of course, I am eager to see what the new danen will do for me.”
Quinn’s hand tightened around her knife and she stared grimly at her untouched plate of food. She knew the queen would take Silas but to hear her say it sent waves of jealousy over her.
“What do you think, danen? Would you like to fuck me?”
Silas glanced at Kila and the queen arched her eyebrow at him. “You think ill of me for speaking of such things in front of my daughter?”
“No, my Queen,” Silas replied.
“You do. I can see it. Kila may be young but she knows well of my appetite for sex. It is not something to be hidden or ashamed of. Is it, my child?”
“No, mother,” Kila said.
“Perhaps I will give you to Kila for the claiming ceremony, danen,” the queen said thoughtfully. “It is her first claiming ceremony and I’m sure she would enjoy having a danen like you between her legs for her first time.”
Kila flushed and cleared her throat. “That is kind of you, mother, but I believe I would prefer someone,” she paused, “smaller for my first time.”
Her mother laughed loudly. “Perhaps that is wise. I would imagine the danen’s cock is as big as the rest of him.”
She touched Kila’s hand in a loving caress. “May I suggest you do not choose Vida then. His cock is the largest I’ve ever seen.”
She smiled at Vida who said, “You flatter me, my Queen.”
“Have you decided who you will bid on, child?” The queen asked Kila.
Kila shrugged. “Not yet.” She glanced quickly at Quinn. “Maybe I will try one of the new breeders.”
The queen frowned. “That may not be wise, child. They are untested. You want your first time to be memorable. Perhaps go with a breeder who has been proven to please a woman.”
“Perhaps,” Kila said noncommittally.
“Quinn, you’re quiet this evening,” the queen said.
“Just enjoying the delicious meal, my Queen,” Quinn said.
“How is your back?”
“Nearly healed, my Queen,” Quinn lied.
“I doubt that, massina. Akia was brutal in her punishment. But you deserved it. Did you not?”
“Yes, my Queen.”
“You never did thank me,” the queen said.
A muscle ticking rapidly in her jaw, Quinn cleared her throat. “Thank you, my Queen, for showing me the error I made in disobeying you.”
“You’re welcome, massina,” the queen said. They ate in silence for the rest of the meal. Quinn forced a few bites past the pinhole her throat had become. When the castle servants returned to clear their plates, she threw her napkin over the uneaten food and took another small sip of wine.
The queen held up her glass and studied the red liquid in the candle light before smiling at Silas. “Did you have a mate or young ones in your world?”
“No, my Queen,” Silas said.
“Naveen tells me that you provided a large sample of seed. Why did you not breed in your world?”
“I hadn’t found anyone I wanted to breed with,” Silas said.
The queen laughed. “In this clan it matters not if you want to breed. You are mine to do as I wish and I wish for you to breed. Do you understand?”
Silas stared at her for a long moment and Quinn was just about to give him her own kick under the table when he nodded and said, “Yes, my Queen.”
“Good. Tell me, do you please women when you’re fucking them?”
“I haven’t had any complaints,” Silas said shortly.
Quinn put her hands in her lap and clenched them into tight fists as the queen said, “I am very particular, danen. Perhaps I will take you to my bed tonight and see what you can do.”
“My Queen,” Quinn said in a low voice, “the rule is to wait for the claiming ceremony.”
“I am well aware of that, massina,” the queen said in an icy voice. “But I am the queen.”
“You are,” Quinn said, “and your people look to you. What will they think if you do not follow the same rules that govern them?”
The queen slammed her fist down on the table and Kila made a low noise of fear as her mother snarled, “I am the queen and I will do what I want. Do you hear me, Quinn?”
Quinn stared steadily at her, the muscle still ticking in her jaw. “If a queen does not follow the rules that she has put in place, why should she expect her people to follow them?”
“Massina, stop,” Kila said in a horrified little voice as the queen rose to her feet.
“Do you seek further punishment, massina? Is that it?”
“No, my Queen,” Quinn said.
The queen turned and threw her wine glass into the fire. It exploded and Kila flinched as her mother stared into the flames. Af
ter a few seconds the queen relaxed and returned to her seat. She smiled serenely at Quinn. “Perhaps you are right, massina. Perhaps a queen rules best when she follows the same rules as her people.”
Quinn’s head would have spun at the queen’s mood swing if she had not witnessed it many times before over the years. The queen was a sociopath and a person never knew what would set her off.
You knew trying to stop her from fucking Silas would set her off! What were you thinking?
She touched the dagger in her pocket before taking a small sip of wine. It was dangerous to disagree with the crazy bitch but she had spoken out loud before she could stop.
She’s going to take Silas and there’s nothing you can do about it. Garna! Get it through your thick skull before you get yourself and Silas killed!
“Come,” the queen said, “let us sit by the fire and get acquainted with one another.”
* * *
Quinn stalked angrily down the wide hallway of the castle. Silas trailed silently behind her. A guard standing at the end of the hallway smiled at her. “Good evening, massina. I will return the danen to the breeders’ quarters.”
“I will do it myself,” Quinn snapped at her.
The woman recoiled and Quinn forced herself to smile at her. “I’m sorry, Belda. I did not mean to snap. I will return the breeder to his quarters. Stay at your post, please.”
Belda nodded and watched silently as Quinn and Silas turned the corner into another empty hallway.
Garna, Quinn. Get a hold of yourself.
After dinner, the queen forced Silas and Vida to sit on either side of her. She spent most of the evening running her hands all over Silas’ body and glowing lightly. With every touch Quinn’s jealousy and anger grew. She was acting foolish and dangerous but it was driving her crazy watching the queen touch him.
It could have been worse. She could have taken Silas tonight.
That was true and, honestly, she was surprised the queen hadn’t. She broke the rules by keeping Vida with her for the night – he wasn’t supposed to be a breeder this month – but she sent Silas back to the breeders’ quarters.
