Summoner 18, p.7
Summoner 18, page 7
“Huh,” I remarked. “So, having you in my head keeps me from going crazy from the air? That’s ironic.”
Ha, ha, Phi intoned sarcastically. But, yes, it is an advantage.
“This would have been handy before,” I scoffed.
Before, you didn’t have Veopa, she reminded me. The more Archons you have under your control, the more the Shadowscape won’t affect your human body. That being said, I would still exercise caution when it comes to long exposure, but you’re much better off than you were last time you were in the Shadowscape.
“Good to know,” I noted, and I thought about it further. It was nice to know having the goddesses locked inside my head came with some perks, and I wondered what other benefits I could have if I got the other Archons to join me?
My thoughts were interrupted by a nudge from Dio, and I looked down to see the cat as he pressed the top of his soft head to my hand. I scratched at him and gave him a big smile.
“Shall we go back in and stir up some trouble?” I asked.
Fuck, yeah. Dio let out a loud purr of delight, and with one more glance at the eerily beautiful courtyard, we headed back inside.
As we meandered down one of the empty corridors, I was disappointed to find most of the doors were closed. I considered prying them open, but I feared what would happen if I were caught by one of Carth’s Shadal or worse, Carth herself. Of course, I could always offer myself up to the Archon should the situation get sticky, and I could do like I did with the others and pull out before releasing my seed, but I wanted to see how this played out.
As I reached the end of a hallway just beyond the third floor landing of the spiral staircase, I noticed a door on the left was cracked ajar enough to let some light spill out onto the floor.
Finally, something interesting in this dark and gloomy palace.
So, I peered around the corners of the hall in case any Shadal were hidden in the corners, but once I was sure the coast was clear, I darted over to the door and slipped inside of the room. While it was admittedly reckless to enter an unfamiliar space in an unfamiliar castle, I was bored, and I needed to find something that would make this week in the Shadowscape worthwhile.
Luckily for me, the room wasn’t a weapon-laden torture chamber, but was, in fact, a library.
“Wow,” I muttered under my breath as I took in the incredible sight of the space around me. Arwyn and Ashla would have been amazed by the sheer size of the room and the amount of perfectly even dark wood shelves that housed identical black leather-bound books. The wall-length shelves wound throughout the room in a swirled pattern, as if it were a giant maze, and a gigantic chandelier housed thousands of dark red candles and lit the place with a pretty glow.
It was a well-organized, yet confusing place. Why were all of the books the same shape and color, and how could anyone find a specific title when they were so similar?
I let out a sigh and decided to study the shelves further to see if there was any volume that could be of use. I meandered in and out through the shelves, and soon I grew lost in the labyrinth of identical decor.
Finally, I plucked a random volume from the shelf and opened the book to see nothing but blank pages.
“What in the Maker’s name…” I muttered as I studied it.
Why is it empty? Dio wondered. Don’t books usually have a bunch of scribbles in them?
“I have no idea,” I replied to him, but my eyes were still glued to the empty paper.
What was the purpose of a book without words? Was it an empty journal perhaps, something meant for notes? I pulled the book next to it to compare, but just like the first, it was entirely blank. So, I pulled out the entire row, but every book on the shelf resembled the one in my hand, so I had a suspicion that every last one of these books was empty.
“Strange,” I muttered.
I replaced the books and went to another shelf, but each was the same as the last, with more empty pages. It was obvious I wasn’t going to find anything here. The books had to be enchanted somehow, cloaked so trespassers couldn’t read them.
I let out an agitated sigh.
Nothing could ever be easy, could it?
“I’m going to keep searching,” I announced to Dio. “There has to be something interesting here.”
If it’s cool with you, I’m gonna stay right here, Dio replied, and the saber-toothed cat eyed the door with concern.
“That’s totally fine.” I nodded. “Just keep an eye out for anything shifty.”
You got it, boss.
So, I headed into the heart of the library, and I was soon consumed by the maze. Libraries fascinated me, and this one was no different. Why were there so many volumes, and how could I unlock the contents? The books we’d retrieved from the Guardians’ library had been written in a different language, so I knew these were similar, but how could I uncover their words?
Or was this all a setup? Was this entire library just a decoy to hide the important information, the kind that could actually help us win against the Archons?
My search grew more and more fruitless as I continued to the back of the room, but suddenly, I spied a dash of color in the sea of black.
Bingo.
There, tucked away from the other shelves in the back corner of the labyrinth, was a row of books that looked unlike the others. Instead of black leather, they were bound in deep red, except for one in the middle of the line that was a strange sickly beige color. I approached the shelf to get a closer look, and once the books were at eye level, I tried to inspect the spine for any marks or etchings, but before I could study them further, I felt a presence behind me.
My hand flew to my bandolier as I whipped my body around to face whoever it was, and I was greeted by a Shadal.
A chill ran through my body as the long shadow creature stared me down, and I got the distinct feeling I was not meant to be back here. The monster tilted its head to the side, as if it were indicating I needed to leave. Even though I wanted to know what was in those books, I knew little about the Shadal and their capabilities, so I abandoned the mission and made my way back down the rows.
The Shadal floated ahead of me and guided me out of the labyrinth. Once we reached the door, Dio bounded over to my side, and the cat looked visibly distressed.
It snuck up before I could say anything, he apologized to me. He zoomed right past me and disappeared.
“Are you okay?” I asked as the Shadal floated past the doorway. “That’s all that matters.”
I’m fine, my familiar muttered. But I think I’m ready to go back into the pouch.
His words surprised me. Dio was always begging to come out and stand by my side, but now he wanted to be put away? He must’ve really been upset.
So, I nodded at him, and the cat shrank down to his kitten size. Then I scooped him up and carefully placed him into my hip pouch, and once he was secure and curled up, I caught sight of the waiting Shadal and exited the library.
“Happy?” I said sharply to the creature, and when it said nothing, I breezed past it and took off down the hall with long and intentional strides.
More secrets. The Shadal wouldn’t have appeared at the shelf if it hadn’t contained something important. A row of books that were different amongst a roomful of identical blank ones? There was something in them, I was sure of it, something Carth didn’t want anyone to see.
I needed to get back there, but I needed to think of the best approach first.
Since I was unsure of what to do and not willing to run into any more of Carth’s shadow spies, or worse, Carth herself, I decided to make my way back to my room. I was a little hungry, but it wasn’t worth the effort of locating the dining room again. So, I sped down the black marble halls until I was back at my chamber, and once the door was closed behind me, I immediately stripped out of my clothes and left them in a pile on the floor. I couldn’t be bothered to fold them up neatly, and with the Shadal lurking in every corner of the palace, I figured the clothes would disappear on their own. Once they were discarded, I climbed into bed and wrapped myself up in the soft sheets.
To say I was frustrated would be an understatement. My only clue had been a total bust, and the Shadal were going to make it nearly impossible to traipse around undetected. I needed to take a bit and properly consider my next move.
I wished Arwyn was here to give me advice. The crimson-haired professor was the expert when it came to otherworldly books, and she would know exactly what to do.
But I was far away from her, and I needed to discover a solution on my own so I could return to them with something useful. Tomorrow, I would try to get back into the library and get a better look at those shelves.
I was exhausted, though, both physically and mentally, so I closed my eyes and thought of my lovers just as I had the night before, and I sent them another mental goodnight before I began to drift off into sleep.
However, my comfort was disrupted by a loud knock on the door.
“Come in?” I choked out, though I wasn’t in the mood for guests.
The door swung open, and Carth met me with a seductive smile.
“Good evening, Beastmaker,” she purred.
Chapter Four
The horned Archon was clad in a silky black skin-tight nightgown that gave an outline of her perfect figure and her perky nipples, and I did my best not to drool as I drank her in.
“I see you’re true to your word,” I remarked with a raised eyebrow. “I found your note earlier.”
“I wish I could’ve been around to entertain you this afternoon, but I found myself caught up in business,” Carth murmured. “I’m sure you understand.”
“Is that what you wore to your meeting?” I smirked. “If so, you have quite the battle strategy… or seduction strategy. I don’t know who you happened to be meeting with.”
“It would have caused quite the stir amongst my company,” Carth agreed with a mischievous red-lipped smile, and her ivory fangs practically glowed in the dark. “But the only person I’m concerned with seducing is you.”
“You don’t give up easily, do you?” I snorted, and I thought again about fucking her like I had the Archons I’d already tamed.
All I had to do was pull out before I climaxed, but something about this whole situation made me nervous. Maybe Carth didn’t know how I’d gotten her sisters under my power, but if she suspected, she might have some plan to get me to impregnate her.
“No.” Carth winked, and her russet eyes were dark with lust. “I do not. Not when there’s something I truly desire. I want you, Gryff, and I will not stop until you are mine.”
“Do you want me, or just my sperm in your womb?” I asked.
“Can’t I have lots of both?” she laughed.
“Your persistence is pretty sexy,” I admitted to her, “but I don’t think bedding my enemy is really the greatest idea.”
“Enemy?” Carth laughed. “Now, now, Gryff, I am not your enemy, I am your friend.”
“I don’t really fuck my friends, either,” I drawled, and the green-skinned goddess let out a raspy giggle.
“Then perhaps you can call me a lover, and not a friend?” Carth suggested with a tilt of her head.
“I don’t think that’s going to work for me.” I shrugged.
“I see the way you stare at me,” the Archon mused. “At my breasts, my nipples, my legs… the way your eyes trail down to try to glimpse the valley between my thighs. And that’s only when I am fully clothed. Perhaps you’d prefer a more fulfilling view?”
Before I could say a word, Carth slid one of the thin straps of her nightgown off her muscular shoulder, repeated the motion on the other side, and shimmied out of the garment. Then it pooled onto the ground and left the horned goddess entirely naked before me.
My cock grew hard as I stared at every inch of her amazing figure. Carth was right about one thing, the clothes she wore did her body no justice. Her exceptional breasts were high and firm, with dark nipples that hardened into buds as the cold air hit them. Her olive-hued torso was long and rock-hard, with abs that only could have come from strenuous exercise, and a trim waist that gave way to lightly curved hips. Her legs were impossibly lithe, and her strong thighs sent me into a daze as I imagined them wrapped around my neck. The horned goddess’ mound was bare except for a thin strip of soft downy hair, and even from here, I could tell the Archon was soaking wet.
Carth swept her dark wavy tresses over her shoulder, and they spilled prettily over one of her breasts as she watched me admire her.
I swallowed.
“Why deny your attraction to me?” the Archon purred, and the slight rasp to her voice was impossibly sexy.
Then she made her way over to me. Her hips swayed gently as she crossed the chamber, and my heart raced as she joined me on the bed.
“You’re asking for trouble,” I murmured as my eyes swept over her.
“I like trouble,” Carth whispered, and then the green-skinned goddess came forward, wrapped her arms around my neck, and pulled me into a kiss.
Her lips were soft and supple, and I was surprised her ivory tusks didn’t stab into me with the motion.
“They retract,” she answered my thoughts in between kisses.
At first, I didn’t put in much effort, but Carth’s soft lips combined with her rose and pomegranate perfume was intoxicating, and I couldn’t resist the Archon’s advances. So, I pulled her in closer, and I cupped her tight ass in my hands as we kissed.
Carth was muscular in all of the right ways, and I had no doubt her impressive physique would lend her great stamina. Then the Archon moaned as I squeezed her again.
“Fuck me,” she begged, and I grabbed her even more tightly.
Her breasts pushed against my chest as we kissed, and the feeling of them against me sent a rush to my lower half. The Archon bit down on my lip, and I moaned.
Carth liked it rough, eh? I could play rough, too.
So, I quickly rolled us over and pushed her down onto the bed, and as soon as I did, the goddess wrapped her long legs around my torso. I could feel the slick wetness of her entrance as she pressed against me, and a groan rumbled in my chest.
Maker, she was so fucking hot, and all I wanted to do was feel her wet pussy as it constricted my ready cock. I wanted to take her over and over again, fill her womb with buckets of my hot seed, and listen to her scream my name in pleasure.
As we passionately kissed, I was struck with visions of a future with the Archon. I would pump her full of my seed until it overflowed from her womb, and then I’d later enjoy the sight of her belly as it swelled with my powerful offspring. Our children would be gods with ivory horns on their heads, beautiful red eyes, and incredible power, and they would aid our army in our quest to conquer the human realm…
Wait, what?
I pulled away from Carth and shook my head. No, that wasn’t what I wanted at all. What the fuck was I doing? I didn’t want Carth to bear me half-monster children. I wanted the horned goddess to let me return home to my family, and I wanted her and her alliance of Archons to surrender and give up their plans of war. So, why was I picturing her pregnant with my children? Was I having a psychotic break? Was I dehydrated or something?
“I’m not… feeling so well.” I frowned, and a wave of dizziness passed through me.
What was I doing? I wanted Carth, why would I stop...
My head was heavy with confusion as I wrestled with myself. I wanted to stop, I needed to stop, so why was it so difficult for me to remove myself from the Archon?
“Come back to me, Gryff…” Carth whispered seductively, and when her dark red lips parted, I noticed her ivory tusks were still absent. It was strange to see her without them, though not unpleasant.
For a moment, I considered pulling her back to me, but then a voice in the back of my mind advised against it.
“No, I think I need to lie down,” I said as my head swam.
“Gryff--”
“I’m not going any further tonight,” I warned her.
Carth pouted slightly, but then the Archon smoothed her hair away from her face.
“Fine,” she agreed. “But I intend to lie with you.”
“That’s all that’s going to happen,” I said firmly, and the green-skinned Archon smirked.
While I desperately wanted to sleep with Carth, I still couldn’t trust her or her unknown magical abilities. Yet, if I spurned her entirely, the horned Archon wouldn’t give up the information I seeked.
This would be a good compromise.
“I suppose,” Carth gave in, and then she climbed up off me and positioned herself so she was laying beside me in the bed. The decision to let her stay was one I would likely regret, but kicking the goddess out entirely would only cause more problems for me later.
So, Carth wrapped her muscular arm across my chest, pulled one leg over me, and rested her cheek against me. I repositioned myself to keep her ivory horns from impaling my eyeballs, but other than the potential wounds, the physical contact was almost pleasant.
“You will be mine,” Carth mused, and her sweet perfume wafted off her hair in intoxicating waves. “You won’t be able to resist me forever.”
“We’ll see about that,” I muttered, and then I closed my eyes and fell into darkness.
I was surprised when I woke up the next morning on an empty bed. I’d awoken in the middle of the night to Carth’s body curled up against mine, but the Archon was now nowhere to be found. While I was thankful to have a moment to myself, I was curious about the horned goddess’ absence.
And that wasn’t the only thing I was curious about.
What had come over me last night? One second, I wanted nothing to do with Carth, and the next, it was like she was oxygen, and I’d been deprived of air for too long. Last night my mind had been so filled with her, I could hardly think of anything else.
I think she did something to you last night, Phi mused.
“Really?” I asked. Maybe it hadn’t all been in my imagination after all.
I can’t be certain what happened exactly, but we could all feel it, Utuni agreed. Some type of magic attempted to infiltrate your consciousness, but you managed to overcome it.
Ha, ha, Phi intoned sarcastically. But, yes, it is an advantage.
“This would have been handy before,” I scoffed.
Before, you didn’t have Veopa, she reminded me. The more Archons you have under your control, the more the Shadowscape won’t affect your human body. That being said, I would still exercise caution when it comes to long exposure, but you’re much better off than you were last time you were in the Shadowscape.
“Good to know,” I noted, and I thought about it further. It was nice to know having the goddesses locked inside my head came with some perks, and I wondered what other benefits I could have if I got the other Archons to join me?
My thoughts were interrupted by a nudge from Dio, and I looked down to see the cat as he pressed the top of his soft head to my hand. I scratched at him and gave him a big smile.
“Shall we go back in and stir up some trouble?” I asked.
Fuck, yeah. Dio let out a loud purr of delight, and with one more glance at the eerily beautiful courtyard, we headed back inside.
As we meandered down one of the empty corridors, I was disappointed to find most of the doors were closed. I considered prying them open, but I feared what would happen if I were caught by one of Carth’s Shadal or worse, Carth herself. Of course, I could always offer myself up to the Archon should the situation get sticky, and I could do like I did with the others and pull out before releasing my seed, but I wanted to see how this played out.
As I reached the end of a hallway just beyond the third floor landing of the spiral staircase, I noticed a door on the left was cracked ajar enough to let some light spill out onto the floor.
Finally, something interesting in this dark and gloomy palace.
So, I peered around the corners of the hall in case any Shadal were hidden in the corners, but once I was sure the coast was clear, I darted over to the door and slipped inside of the room. While it was admittedly reckless to enter an unfamiliar space in an unfamiliar castle, I was bored, and I needed to find something that would make this week in the Shadowscape worthwhile.
Luckily for me, the room wasn’t a weapon-laden torture chamber, but was, in fact, a library.
“Wow,” I muttered under my breath as I took in the incredible sight of the space around me. Arwyn and Ashla would have been amazed by the sheer size of the room and the amount of perfectly even dark wood shelves that housed identical black leather-bound books. The wall-length shelves wound throughout the room in a swirled pattern, as if it were a giant maze, and a gigantic chandelier housed thousands of dark red candles and lit the place with a pretty glow.
It was a well-organized, yet confusing place. Why were all of the books the same shape and color, and how could anyone find a specific title when they were so similar?
I let out a sigh and decided to study the shelves further to see if there was any volume that could be of use. I meandered in and out through the shelves, and soon I grew lost in the labyrinth of identical decor.
Finally, I plucked a random volume from the shelf and opened the book to see nothing but blank pages.
“What in the Maker’s name…” I muttered as I studied it.
Why is it empty? Dio wondered. Don’t books usually have a bunch of scribbles in them?
“I have no idea,” I replied to him, but my eyes were still glued to the empty paper.
What was the purpose of a book without words? Was it an empty journal perhaps, something meant for notes? I pulled the book next to it to compare, but just like the first, it was entirely blank. So, I pulled out the entire row, but every book on the shelf resembled the one in my hand, so I had a suspicion that every last one of these books was empty.
“Strange,” I muttered.
I replaced the books and went to another shelf, but each was the same as the last, with more empty pages. It was obvious I wasn’t going to find anything here. The books had to be enchanted somehow, cloaked so trespassers couldn’t read them.
I let out an agitated sigh.
Nothing could ever be easy, could it?
“I’m going to keep searching,” I announced to Dio. “There has to be something interesting here.”
If it’s cool with you, I’m gonna stay right here, Dio replied, and the saber-toothed cat eyed the door with concern.
“That’s totally fine.” I nodded. “Just keep an eye out for anything shifty.”
You got it, boss.
So, I headed into the heart of the library, and I was soon consumed by the maze. Libraries fascinated me, and this one was no different. Why were there so many volumes, and how could I unlock the contents? The books we’d retrieved from the Guardians’ library had been written in a different language, so I knew these were similar, but how could I uncover their words?
Or was this all a setup? Was this entire library just a decoy to hide the important information, the kind that could actually help us win against the Archons?
My search grew more and more fruitless as I continued to the back of the room, but suddenly, I spied a dash of color in the sea of black.
Bingo.
There, tucked away from the other shelves in the back corner of the labyrinth, was a row of books that looked unlike the others. Instead of black leather, they were bound in deep red, except for one in the middle of the line that was a strange sickly beige color. I approached the shelf to get a closer look, and once the books were at eye level, I tried to inspect the spine for any marks or etchings, but before I could study them further, I felt a presence behind me.
My hand flew to my bandolier as I whipped my body around to face whoever it was, and I was greeted by a Shadal.
A chill ran through my body as the long shadow creature stared me down, and I got the distinct feeling I was not meant to be back here. The monster tilted its head to the side, as if it were indicating I needed to leave. Even though I wanted to know what was in those books, I knew little about the Shadal and their capabilities, so I abandoned the mission and made my way back down the rows.
The Shadal floated ahead of me and guided me out of the labyrinth. Once we reached the door, Dio bounded over to my side, and the cat looked visibly distressed.
It snuck up before I could say anything, he apologized to me. He zoomed right past me and disappeared.
“Are you okay?” I asked as the Shadal floated past the doorway. “That’s all that matters.”
I’m fine, my familiar muttered. But I think I’m ready to go back into the pouch.
His words surprised me. Dio was always begging to come out and stand by my side, but now he wanted to be put away? He must’ve really been upset.
So, I nodded at him, and the cat shrank down to his kitten size. Then I scooped him up and carefully placed him into my hip pouch, and once he was secure and curled up, I caught sight of the waiting Shadal and exited the library.
“Happy?” I said sharply to the creature, and when it said nothing, I breezed past it and took off down the hall with long and intentional strides.
More secrets. The Shadal wouldn’t have appeared at the shelf if it hadn’t contained something important. A row of books that were different amongst a roomful of identical blank ones? There was something in them, I was sure of it, something Carth didn’t want anyone to see.
I needed to get back there, but I needed to think of the best approach first.
Since I was unsure of what to do and not willing to run into any more of Carth’s shadow spies, or worse, Carth herself, I decided to make my way back to my room. I was a little hungry, but it wasn’t worth the effort of locating the dining room again. So, I sped down the black marble halls until I was back at my chamber, and once the door was closed behind me, I immediately stripped out of my clothes and left them in a pile on the floor. I couldn’t be bothered to fold them up neatly, and with the Shadal lurking in every corner of the palace, I figured the clothes would disappear on their own. Once they were discarded, I climbed into bed and wrapped myself up in the soft sheets.
To say I was frustrated would be an understatement. My only clue had been a total bust, and the Shadal were going to make it nearly impossible to traipse around undetected. I needed to take a bit and properly consider my next move.
I wished Arwyn was here to give me advice. The crimson-haired professor was the expert when it came to otherworldly books, and she would know exactly what to do.
But I was far away from her, and I needed to discover a solution on my own so I could return to them with something useful. Tomorrow, I would try to get back into the library and get a better look at those shelves.
I was exhausted, though, both physically and mentally, so I closed my eyes and thought of my lovers just as I had the night before, and I sent them another mental goodnight before I began to drift off into sleep.
However, my comfort was disrupted by a loud knock on the door.
“Come in?” I choked out, though I wasn’t in the mood for guests.
The door swung open, and Carth met me with a seductive smile.
“Good evening, Beastmaker,” she purred.
Chapter Four
The horned Archon was clad in a silky black skin-tight nightgown that gave an outline of her perfect figure and her perky nipples, and I did my best not to drool as I drank her in.
“I see you’re true to your word,” I remarked with a raised eyebrow. “I found your note earlier.”
“I wish I could’ve been around to entertain you this afternoon, but I found myself caught up in business,” Carth murmured. “I’m sure you understand.”
“Is that what you wore to your meeting?” I smirked. “If so, you have quite the battle strategy… or seduction strategy. I don’t know who you happened to be meeting with.”
“It would have caused quite the stir amongst my company,” Carth agreed with a mischievous red-lipped smile, and her ivory fangs practically glowed in the dark. “But the only person I’m concerned with seducing is you.”
“You don’t give up easily, do you?” I snorted, and I thought again about fucking her like I had the Archons I’d already tamed.
All I had to do was pull out before I climaxed, but something about this whole situation made me nervous. Maybe Carth didn’t know how I’d gotten her sisters under my power, but if she suspected, she might have some plan to get me to impregnate her.
“No.” Carth winked, and her russet eyes were dark with lust. “I do not. Not when there’s something I truly desire. I want you, Gryff, and I will not stop until you are mine.”
“Do you want me, or just my sperm in your womb?” I asked.
“Can’t I have lots of both?” she laughed.
“Your persistence is pretty sexy,” I admitted to her, “but I don’t think bedding my enemy is really the greatest idea.”
“Enemy?” Carth laughed. “Now, now, Gryff, I am not your enemy, I am your friend.”
“I don’t really fuck my friends, either,” I drawled, and the green-skinned goddess let out a raspy giggle.
“Then perhaps you can call me a lover, and not a friend?” Carth suggested with a tilt of her head.
“I don’t think that’s going to work for me.” I shrugged.
“I see the way you stare at me,” the Archon mused. “At my breasts, my nipples, my legs… the way your eyes trail down to try to glimpse the valley between my thighs. And that’s only when I am fully clothed. Perhaps you’d prefer a more fulfilling view?”
Before I could say a word, Carth slid one of the thin straps of her nightgown off her muscular shoulder, repeated the motion on the other side, and shimmied out of the garment. Then it pooled onto the ground and left the horned goddess entirely naked before me.
My cock grew hard as I stared at every inch of her amazing figure. Carth was right about one thing, the clothes she wore did her body no justice. Her exceptional breasts were high and firm, with dark nipples that hardened into buds as the cold air hit them. Her olive-hued torso was long and rock-hard, with abs that only could have come from strenuous exercise, and a trim waist that gave way to lightly curved hips. Her legs were impossibly lithe, and her strong thighs sent me into a daze as I imagined them wrapped around my neck. The horned goddess’ mound was bare except for a thin strip of soft downy hair, and even from here, I could tell the Archon was soaking wet.
Carth swept her dark wavy tresses over her shoulder, and they spilled prettily over one of her breasts as she watched me admire her.
I swallowed.
“Why deny your attraction to me?” the Archon purred, and the slight rasp to her voice was impossibly sexy.
Then she made her way over to me. Her hips swayed gently as she crossed the chamber, and my heart raced as she joined me on the bed.
“You’re asking for trouble,” I murmured as my eyes swept over her.
“I like trouble,” Carth whispered, and then the green-skinned goddess came forward, wrapped her arms around my neck, and pulled me into a kiss.
Her lips were soft and supple, and I was surprised her ivory tusks didn’t stab into me with the motion.
“They retract,” she answered my thoughts in between kisses.
At first, I didn’t put in much effort, but Carth’s soft lips combined with her rose and pomegranate perfume was intoxicating, and I couldn’t resist the Archon’s advances. So, I pulled her in closer, and I cupped her tight ass in my hands as we kissed.
Carth was muscular in all of the right ways, and I had no doubt her impressive physique would lend her great stamina. Then the Archon moaned as I squeezed her again.
“Fuck me,” she begged, and I grabbed her even more tightly.
Her breasts pushed against my chest as we kissed, and the feeling of them against me sent a rush to my lower half. The Archon bit down on my lip, and I moaned.
Carth liked it rough, eh? I could play rough, too.
So, I quickly rolled us over and pushed her down onto the bed, and as soon as I did, the goddess wrapped her long legs around my torso. I could feel the slick wetness of her entrance as she pressed against me, and a groan rumbled in my chest.
Maker, she was so fucking hot, and all I wanted to do was feel her wet pussy as it constricted my ready cock. I wanted to take her over and over again, fill her womb with buckets of my hot seed, and listen to her scream my name in pleasure.
As we passionately kissed, I was struck with visions of a future with the Archon. I would pump her full of my seed until it overflowed from her womb, and then I’d later enjoy the sight of her belly as it swelled with my powerful offspring. Our children would be gods with ivory horns on their heads, beautiful red eyes, and incredible power, and they would aid our army in our quest to conquer the human realm…
Wait, what?
I pulled away from Carth and shook my head. No, that wasn’t what I wanted at all. What the fuck was I doing? I didn’t want Carth to bear me half-monster children. I wanted the horned goddess to let me return home to my family, and I wanted her and her alliance of Archons to surrender and give up their plans of war. So, why was I picturing her pregnant with my children? Was I having a psychotic break? Was I dehydrated or something?
“I’m not… feeling so well.” I frowned, and a wave of dizziness passed through me.
What was I doing? I wanted Carth, why would I stop...
My head was heavy with confusion as I wrestled with myself. I wanted to stop, I needed to stop, so why was it so difficult for me to remove myself from the Archon?
“Come back to me, Gryff…” Carth whispered seductively, and when her dark red lips parted, I noticed her ivory tusks were still absent. It was strange to see her without them, though not unpleasant.
For a moment, I considered pulling her back to me, but then a voice in the back of my mind advised against it.
“No, I think I need to lie down,” I said as my head swam.
“Gryff--”
“I’m not going any further tonight,” I warned her.
Carth pouted slightly, but then the Archon smoothed her hair away from her face.
“Fine,” she agreed. “But I intend to lie with you.”
“That’s all that’s going to happen,” I said firmly, and the green-skinned Archon smirked.
While I desperately wanted to sleep with Carth, I still couldn’t trust her or her unknown magical abilities. Yet, if I spurned her entirely, the horned Archon wouldn’t give up the information I seeked.
This would be a good compromise.
“I suppose,” Carth gave in, and then she climbed up off me and positioned herself so she was laying beside me in the bed. The decision to let her stay was one I would likely regret, but kicking the goddess out entirely would only cause more problems for me later.
So, Carth wrapped her muscular arm across my chest, pulled one leg over me, and rested her cheek against me. I repositioned myself to keep her ivory horns from impaling my eyeballs, but other than the potential wounds, the physical contact was almost pleasant.
“You will be mine,” Carth mused, and her sweet perfume wafted off her hair in intoxicating waves. “You won’t be able to resist me forever.”
“We’ll see about that,” I muttered, and then I closed my eyes and fell into darkness.
I was surprised when I woke up the next morning on an empty bed. I’d awoken in the middle of the night to Carth’s body curled up against mine, but the Archon was now nowhere to be found. While I was thankful to have a moment to myself, I was curious about the horned goddess’ absence.
And that wasn’t the only thing I was curious about.
What had come over me last night? One second, I wanted nothing to do with Carth, and the next, it was like she was oxygen, and I’d been deprived of air for too long. Last night my mind had been so filled with her, I could hardly think of anything else.
I think she did something to you last night, Phi mused.
“Really?” I asked. Maybe it hadn’t all been in my imagination after all.
I can’t be certain what happened exactly, but we could all feel it, Utuni agreed. Some type of magic attempted to infiltrate your consciousness, but you managed to overcome it.
