Summoner 18, p.5
Summoner 18, page 5
“I’m sorry, Sera,” I apologized to her, and then I ran a hand through my sweat-dampened hair. “I thought you were… nevermind.”
“Who?” the Archon demanded fiercely, and her black feathered-wings flared out in anger. “Who else would come to visit you at this time of night, and in your bedchamber no less?”
When I said nothing, Sera’s pale skin flushed a deep shade of red.
“Carth?” she seethed.
“Yeah, she tried to get… intimate with me earlier,” I explained vaguely, and Sera’s unnerving eyes narrowed at the mention of the horned Archon.
“That little viper,” Sera growled. “Thinking she is even worthy of your perfect cock and powerful seed is a punishable offense I would not hesitate to execute myself.”
“Calm down,” I assured the angry goddess. “Nothing happened, and I have no intention of giving her anything of mine.”
“Good,” Sera sniffed, and the Archon’s lovely face couldn’t hide her jealousy. “It is hard enough sharing you with the others without adding my pathetic little sister to the mix.”
“More importantly than intimate relations,” I began, and my heart raced as I braced myself for the news I’d been eagerly awaiting. “How are they? Did you get word back to Mistral? What’s going on there, and is the Enclave okay? The army--”
“One question at a time,” Sera interrupted me, and she let out an exasperated sigh. “I’ve had quite the journey, and all of the inquiries are making my head spin.”
“I’m just anxious to hear the news.”
“The people of Mistral are fine,” Sera promised, and the Archon placed a cold hand on my upper arm. “Carth’s retreat occurred at the perfect moment, so your army and the Enclave did not suffer any further.”
“No sneak attacks?” I asked.
“None.” Sera shrugged. “Carth was true to her word. None of her herd lingered in the human realm. They all returned with her to the Shadowscape.”
“Good.” I let out a sigh of relief. The last thing I needed was for Carth to go back on her promise. “Any reports of the casualties? The numbers?”
Sera shook her head. “You do not wish to know them, I can assure you of that. It is not a small amount by any standards, but those most important remain alive and unharmed.”
The beautiful goddess crossed her slim legs in front of her, and then she leaned back against the headboard.
“Oh, this feels lovely,” she murmured. “Finding this place took a lot more out of me than I thought it would.”
“Did you get the message to my women?” I asked. The safety of my wives and girlfriends was the most important thing on my mind, and I couldn’t relax until I knew my Mistral lovers were safe.
“Yes, I rounded up your human brood as soon as I arrived,” the Archon said with a dramatic toss of her shiny black hair. “And they weren’t too happy to see me, by the way. Your Nia Kenefick attempted to knock me on my back with her water magic, and I had to assure your elementalist that I was of no harm to her or the rest of your women. Her and the clever little orange-haired one were convinced I’d joined Carth’s side and abandoned yours. As if I would ever abandon you, master!”
“That’s my girls,” I laughed, but Sera seemed unamused. “I can’t blame them. You showing up randomly without me was probably an odd sight for them. They probably assumed you went rogue.”
“Which is absurd, since I was simply following commands,” Sera groaned. “But regardless, I informed them of the deal you forged with Carth. They didn’t believe me at first. Your swollen hawk-wife refused to accept you would make a deal with a ‘monster like that,’ but I assured her the decision to enter the Shadowscape with Carth was all yours.”
Freya. My lips drew into a thin line as I thought about my golden-haired wife, and it hurt my heart to know I’d left the pregnant princess behind, not to mention Cyra as well. The dark-skinned summoner was also carrying my child, and I hated that I wasn’t there with them in their most vulnerable state.
“Your wives are fine, master,” Sera assured me softly, and her tone was far kinder than it had been before. “They are stronger than I give them credit for. They may be human, but their alliance with each other rivals that of my sisters. They look out for each other.”
“They’re family.” I smiled at her. “That’s what families do. They may be a pain in the ass, but you do whatever it takes to protect them.”
“You family made me take an oath to protect you from any possible perils you may face in this world,” Sera informed me. “I intend to see it through. No harm will come to you in this realm, master.”
The Archon’s mention of potential harm brought me back to the earlier conversation I’d held with the other goddesses, and while I was exhausted, this discussion couldn’t wait any longer.
“Well, now that I know my family’s safe, there’s some things we need to discuss,” I said, and Sera’s black eyebrows knitted together.
“Master, what’s wrong?” the Archon purred, and she reached a hand out as if she intended to stroke my back, but I recoiled from the goddess’ touch before she could make contact.
“Plenty,” I replied bluntly, and I gave the black-winged woman my most hardened expression. “You’ve missed quite a bit since you’ve been gone.”
“That’s what I’ve gathered from the tension in your mind,” Sera said in an amused tone, and she tilted her head to the side. “My sisters practically stink of suspicion. What is it exactly that vexes you?”
“I’m glad you asked,” I said with a cocked eyebrow. “In your absence, your sisters decided to volunteer you as the person to answer my questions.”
“Did they now?” Sera spoke slowly, and the Archon’s already snow-white skin paled.
“They did.” I nodded.
“So, what questions do you have for me, then?” the dark-winged goddess asked as she raised a single dark eyebrow. Her pale yellow eyes challenged me to proceed, but I wasn’t going to accept attitude from the Archon any longer.
“I need you to tell me what the fuck is going on,” I demanded.
“I’m going to need a little more specificity than that,” Sera retorted.
“The prophecy, the Beastmaker, and my role in this entire thing,” I said. “I’m tired of this game of vagueness and lies. I want the truth.”
“And I promised to give you those truths, but we made a deal, remember?” The dark goddess shrugged. “In exchange for your seed--”
“No,” I interjected. “I’m done with those games. You call me ‘master,’ and yet you disregard my commands. That ends now. I’m done with deals and deceit. You’re going to tell me everything. And you are going to tell me right. Fucking. Now. Sera.”
My volume rose higher as I spoke, and I was surprised to see Sera draw back. Usually, the Archon put up resistance when it came to following orders, but the dark goddess’ body language was surprisingly submissive.
“Fine,” Sera gulped. “I suppose I do owe you some explanations.”
“That’s better,” I growled. “But before we begin, I think everyone should be here.”
“Ah, yes, bring them forth,” the dark-winged Archon agreed. “This certainly involves everyone, and I wouldn’t want us to be the only ones having fun.”
I reached into my mind and undid the seals on the Archons. I sensed movement as the goddesses began to stretch out, and I issued orders before one of them could pull anything.
“All of you, out here, now,” I commanded, and I kept my tone as blunt as possible so the goddesses knew I meant business.
Yes, master, the Archons echoed in unison, and a tingling sensation suddenly spread through my entire body. One by one, the tattoos that decorated my skin dissolved to mist and then flew into the air. Each of the goddesses under my control manifested before me, and while it wasn’t a small room by any means, the sheer amount of bodies inside of it made the space feel tiny.
“Hello, master,” Miralea purred, and she swiftly climbed onto the bed and sat across from me. The jaguar goddess’ orange irises practically glowed in the dark as they sparkled flirtatiously at me, but before she could try anything, I pulled away and scrambled out of the bed.
“This isn’t a social visit,” I warned the group, and the Archons exchanged curious glances with each other.
“Are we in trouble, master?” Phi pouted as she joined Miralea and Sera on the bed, and after she laid down, the white-winged Archon batted her eyelashes with over-the-top innocence. “Are we being punished?”
“I’d certainly like to be punished.” Utuni smirked as she climbed up next to Miralea, and the snake goddess bit her lip as she gave my body a long glance.
“So would I,” Veopa agreed, and the shapeshifting Archon pulled Utuni’s long, slender legs onto her lap.
The goddesses had formed a cozy nest together, and I was tempted to join the pile of gorgeous women, but I couldn’t get distracted by the tangle of sexy limbs, not when there were pressing matters to attend to. The Archons were lovely, but their attempts to trap me weren’t going to work.
“Stop it,” I stated firmly. “I’m not here for seductions or games. I summoned you all here because it’s time for you to give me answers. You all volunteered Sera for the job, but I see no reason for her to bear the brunt of the load.”
“So nice of you all to finally agree on something.” Sera smirked, and her face was smug as the other Archons peered at each other with guilty expressions, “Too bad your efforts of betrayal were for naught--”
The dark-haired Archon stopped as she noticed my glare, and the arrogant smile left her full lips as quickly as it had formed.
“Sorry,” she muttered with downcast eyes.
“As I was about to say, we aren’t going to tiptoe around things anymore,” I declared as I leaned up against the chamber walls and crossed my arms over my chest.
The Archons exchanged quick glances with each other, but then silence fell across the room as they stared at me.
“So, what do you wish to know?” Sera finally asked. “Clearly, no one wishes to start, and since I was so graciously volunteered, I suppose I should begin this tale?”
“Am I the Beastmaker?” I asked her directly. There was no sense in tiptoeing around it anymore.
“Yes.” Sera nodded, and a lump grew in my throat.
It was one thing to hear the name from my enemies’ mouths, but to have someone outright confirm my deepest suspicions was another.
“Have you always known I was the Beastmaker?” I followed up.
“From the moment you released me from the crystal, I had a strong feeling,” the dark-winged Archon answered. “It was a feat too powerful for a mere mortal to attempt, so I knew you had to be powerful.”
“But… how do you know for certain it’s me?” I pressed. Sera was only confirming what I basically already knew, but that didn’t mean I could just accept her words as fact.
“It’s hard to explain… ” Sera trailed off.
“Try,” I ordered. I had no time to deal with the short answers.
“Okay, so I’m at least mostly sure that you’re the Beastmaker,” Sera clarified, and I felt a surge of frustration build in my head.
“But we’re almost entirely positive it’s you,” Phi chimed in.
“You seem to be the most likely candidate,” Utuni added.
“But you don’t know for sure?” I asked.
“There are a great many factors to consider when it comes to the prophecy,” Sera explained. “But there’s an overwhelming factor that sets you apart from anyone else.”
“Which is…?” I wondered.
“Our physical reactions to you,” the Archon replied as she brushed her midnight-black hair behind her ear.
“Physical reactions?” I repeated. “What do you mean by that?”
“As soon as you penetrated me, I knew it was you,” Sera explained. “When you overcame me and claimed me as your own, I was suddenly filled with a powerful urge. It’s difficult to explain because the desire is too intense for words, but the moment your delicious cock penetrated me, I was flooded with this need to have your offspring, no matter the cost.”
Whoa.
“Do the rest of you feel the same thing?” I wondered as my eyebrows creased together.
“Yep,” Phi answered.
“Yes.” Veopa nodded.
“Indeed,” Utuni added.
“Sooo muchhh…” Miralea smiled as she twirled her hair around her finger.
“Maker,” I breathed. “Why do you all feel so intensely about it? There has to be an explanation.”
The Archons all glanced at each other, as if each goddess was waiting for the others to speak up. Sera finally rolled her eyes at her sisters and then addressed me.
“I cannot say this with complete certainty,” the dark-winged Archon began. “But supposedly, procreating with the Beastmaker gives us an immunity to the constraints of this realm.”
I frowned. “Meaning--”
“We, and those who serve us, will no longer be bound by the moon to return to the Shadowscape,” Sera replied.
“You mean, your monsters won’t be affected by moonlight?” I realized.
Sera nodded, and my mind began to run in circles. The moon was the only advantage we had over monsters. For some reason, rifts couldn’t open in our realm at night, and the moment moonlight touched a monster’s skin, the creature disintegrated. We’d utilized that information numerous times in the past, and if there were a way our advantage could be undone, it could present major problems for us down the line.
“Is that why Carth tried to bed me earlier?” I asked. “Or why I’m even here in the first place? She thinks if she bears my child, her army can remain in the human realm?”
“Most likely.” Sera shrugged, and my stomach plummeted.
Wow. That was most definitely a game-changer, and a substantial one at that. If I was in fact the Beastmaker, carrying my child could give Carth an upper-hand.
It would give any of the Archons the upper hand.
“Wait, I’m a little confused about something.” I frowned as a thought suddenly crossed my mind. “When I penetrated each of you, I made it a point to release my seed outside of you--”
“Don’t remind me,” Phi sniffed.
I rolled my eyes and breezed right over the Archon’s comment. “If you all desperately want to have my children, why didn’t any of you just, you know, insert my seed inside yourselves?”
“That’s not how it works.” Sera shook her head. “It must be intentionally given to us by the Beastmaker himself, with his expressed consent.”
“That’s a nice caveat at least,” I muttered, and I vowed that if I ever willingly had sex with the Archons again, I would continue to come outside of them.
“If you say so,” Miralea grumbled, and the jaguar goddess’ orange eyes emphasized her disappointment in the matter.
“How do you know all of this?” I wondered. “I mean about the children, and the moon? None of this is explicitly stated in the prophecy. I don’t recall it mentioning anything about reproduction.”
“Well, it doesn’t say it exactly,” Utuni admitted with a sheepish smile.
“The knowledge has been passed along,” Veopa said vaguely.
“So, it’s a rumor,” I scoffed, and I began to pace around the chamber as my frustration built up again.
“The idea itself might be a rumor, but master, the desire in our wombs is not,” Sera spoke up. “The feeling is too consuming to lie about.”
“I don’t think you’re lying,” I said. “I’m just… I’m not completely convinced I’m the person you think I am.”
“Master, we’ve given you the evidence,” Miralea pouted. “What more is there than that?”
“Sure, there might be some consistencies,” I agreed. “But there are other parts of the prophecy that don’t align. For example, I haven’t ‘broken the twelve.’”
“But you come close to bearing the nine marks,” Sera countered, and she gestured at my skin. “You’ve already claimed five of us, which is a feat no mere human could accomplish, I might add.”
Shit. She was right about that. I couldn’t deny the fact my capabilities surpassed that of a normal human summoner.
“Well, what of the ‘rip the skies asunder’ bit?” I countered. “Everyone seems to be conveniently forgetful about that part of the prophecy.”
“If you wish to dissect the prophecy line by line, we can,” Sera sighed. “But master, you cannot deny the parts that align because others don’t.”
“Who penned the prophecy to begin with?” I asked.
“An Archon whose name has been lost to time,” Veopa answered. “Before she met her demise, she foretold the coming of a great being who would bring forth our salvation.”
“Wait, I thought you couldn’t be killed.” I frowned. “Do you mean she made the prophecy before she went into her slumber?”
“No, I meant demise,” Veopa replied simply.
“How… how does that work?” I asked. From the beginning, Sera had made it clear the Archons were unable to die, that once they were overpowered, they simply fell into a state of slumber. Why wouldn’t she have mentioned anything about Archons dying?
“We are not the first and only of our kind, master,” the succubus goddess explained with a fanged smile. “There were others before us, others who weren’t as strong and could be wounded in ways we cannot.”
“Wow,” I remarked. I’d always presumed the nine Archons were the only ones in existence. Maker, there’d never been any information to dispute otherwise.
“But the Archon’s dying words were the prophecy,” Utuni said. “She spoke highly of the Beastmaker who would avenge her death and the deaths of the Archons before her. “
“That seems like a lot to put on one being,” I noted as I suppressed a nervous laugh. Being the harbinger of the end of the world was one thing, but also being an ally meant to hoist up the Archons was a whole other headache.
“The Beastmaker is our beacon of hope,” Miralea said.
I sat down on the edge of the bed for a moment and considered everything the Archons had told me. Many things made sense: the eagerness of the goddesses to procreate, the insistence on me joining their side, and Xanrith’s comment about being their savior.
