7. Maldenis #2
“Ohhhh. I see.” Maneuvering his way toward her, he leaned down close so their faces were mere inches away. “Then maybe you’re scared you won’t be able to resist my—”
“Stop!” She let out a strangled sound. “Okay, fine.” Marching down into the nest, she grabbed one of the pillows and put it in the middle. “There. You stay on your side and I’ll stay on mine.”
Dropping on the mattress with a thud, she proceeded to huff and puff as she shifted around before settling on a lying position facing away from his side.
Maldenis shook his head, then grabbed his stuff before heading into the bathroom. After getting cleaned up, he made his way back to the nest. Liora’s breathing had evened out, and her entire body had relaxed. She was fast asleep.
Sighing, he slithered into the nest and made himself comfortable on his side.
He closed his eyes, but sleep refused to come, despite the fatigue he felt in his bones.
Also, despite her earlier relaxed state, Liora moved around.
A lot. When he finally began to drift off, she would twitch or shift around, shaking him awake.
The pillow between them began to slowly creep into his space as she pushed her way to the middle.
At one point, he had to bend his spine into an unnatural position just so he wouldn’t touch her.
Apparently, even as he adjusted, she took that as an invitation to take up even more room.
This was going to be a long night.
He considered sleeping on the floor in the living room, but for a basilisk, that would have been worse. So, he just tried his best to force himself to sleep.
Hot. Cozy. Soft.
Basilisks thrived in the heat, which was why the desert of Solkaris had been the perfect home for them. No other race of creature who had been exiled from the Upperworld could have survived in such a place. And so, their kind thrived and grew here.
This morning, though, as his consciousness woke up from sleep, that feeling of comfort and warmth felt different. It radiated from the center, like a thick honeyed heat, pressed up against his chest—
Wait. What?
Blinking sleep away, he glanced down—and found Liora snuggled up to his chest, the lower half of his body snaked around her, covering her like a blanket.
Maldenis tensed. They hadn’t been this close since the sacred spring. When he had touched her in the most intimate places and made her come apart.
She shifted, her soft cheek rubbing sensuously against his chest. The corner of her mouth touched his bare skin and her warm breath tickling him. Gooseflesh prickled up the back of his neck and his cock stirred inside its protective sheath.
He groaned inwardly. This could not be happening right—
As if it couldn’t get any worse. Liora’s mouth opened, her tongue moistening her lips. This time, he could not stifle the low, traitorous sound originating from his throat.
She breathed out—then opened her eyes. “I…Maldenis?” Her spine stiffened. “What—what the hell!”
Maldenis uncoiled his tail from her as she pushed at him. “What the hell did you do?” She scrambled to the far end of the bed. “I thought you said you wouldn’t try to have sex with me?”
“Excuse me?” Pushing himself from the nest, he slithered out and onto the floor.
“I wasn’t doing anything. You were the one who kept hogging the bed.
My spine was turning into a pretzel, the way you kept pushing me to the side.
I had no choice but to coil around you. And you were the one who crawled on top of my chest for a snuggle. ”
Her face turned the color of Jalahadrian berries. “I did not crawl—”
The ringing from his phone pierced the air. Maldenis had a strong inkling as to who that could be—no one else would call him this early, not even Makron or Charlie unless the bar was on literal fire–and so he dove toward the table where he had left his phone charging.
“Hel—”
“I’m coming up.” Melora’s business-like tone gave no space to negotiate. “I have your suit and a dress for Liora.”
“I—”
But only silence greeted him.
“Was that your mom?” A softer expression settled on her face.
“Yeah. How did you know?”
“This wrinkle appears between your brows when you talk to her or about her. What does she want?
He massaged his temple with his fingers. “She’s coming up now. And she’s bringing a suit for me and a dress for you to wear to the meeting with the elders.”
“A suit and a dress?” she exclaimed. “What are we, dancing monkeys?”
He sighed. “I guess we’re about to find out.” The sharp rapping at the door made him flinch. “Alright, let’s get to work.”
This scene was oddly familiar—standing in front of a dozen elders, their gazes cold and measured. No word had been spoken yet, but their judgement bore into him like a heavy, lead shroud.
This time, though, he was not some naive youth. In the last few years since the incident, he’d grown up. Come into his own. He would not show them any weakness. Wouldn’t flinch.
And even though she didn’t say anything, he had a feeling that Liora felt the same. Standing beside him, even wearing that ridiculous gold and white dress his mother had brought, she held her head high and back straight, her mouth set into a serious line.
He tugged at the high collar of the matching suit he wore.
Of course there had been arguments that morning about wearing the outfits, but his mother’s more superior will and louder voice won.
Besides, Liora had nothing else to wear except her usual garb of jeans and T-shirts.
She may not be his favorite person right now, but even he wouldn’t let her walk into a meeting with the council dressed like that.
“Maldenis and Liora Chura,” Halcyonius, the leader of the council, began. “You are standing before us today because you have violated the sacred laws.”
“With all due respect, Elder,” Maldenis said. “We had no idea of the laws and did not mean to—”
“Silence,” he interrupted, his voice booming across the cavernous room.
“Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. And the spring does not differentiate between ignorance and intention. As Master Hiramus”—he gestured to the elder, who sat at the end of their table—“explained to you, the two of you are bound by the ancient laws for at least a year and a day.”
“But—”
Melora, who stood on the other side of Maldenis, nudged him with the end of her tail, signaling him to stay silent. “Elder, if I may speak…my son and Liora may have been ignorant of the laws, but now that they have been made aware, they are willing to make amends.”
Another elder to the left of Halcyonius, an older female with grayish-silvery hair pulled back into a severe bun, scoffed. “So, you speak for your son again, Melora? You ask for leniency once more? He does not have the excuse of immaturity this time.”
“Elder Karima,” Melora began. “It’s true that this is not the first time my son has faced the council.
And yes, previously I pleaded for compassion and the majority of the council was generous enough to reduce his punishment.
However, this time, his ‘crime’ was done because of lack of knowledge, not malice or lapse in judgement.
These ancient laws are no longer taught in schools nor are they the subject of everyday discourse. And—”
“What is your point, Melora?” Karima interrupted.
“I was about to get to it. Master Hiramus, as the leader of the Council of Wise, is it not your duty to preserve the culture of our ancestors.”
The elder nodded. “Yes.”
“And the ancient laws are part of this, correct?”
“Yes.”
“What have you done to preserve the knowledge of the laws? I mean, aside from taking care of the old scrolls, as they sit on dusty shelves locked away in our archives? Why are these laws not studied openly? Discussed among scholars and research published?”
“W-well, uh,” the old basilisk sputtered. “We were trying to prevent the Upperworld humans and Valefolk from learning about them. To protect us, and prevent them from using this knowledge against us.”
“And keeping them from the younger generation of basilisks at the same time?”
Hiramus opened his mouth, shut it again, then glanced over at Halcyonius.
“I see what you’re getting at,” Halcyonius said.
“As I mentioned, the two of them are willing to abide by the laws—now that they know. And they submit themselves to the council to redress their mistakes, starting with the public information campaign I proposed to you yesterday when I first sought you out. You must agree, it is a brilliant plan and will only serve to strengthen our society.”
A soft murmur buzzed among the elders before Halcyonius spoke up. “Before we put it to a vote, do we have any objections or counter arguments?”
The leader had barely finished asking before Karima spat out, “This is preposterous.” Her teeth gnashed with fury.
“First you let this shunned one come to the council and make demands on us? And now you are once again letting her son—one with a history of delinquency and disregard for our culture—get away with his crimes?” Her poisonous gaze bore into Maldenis.
“You are a disgrace to our entire race. The gods were merciful to cull your clutch before they could draw breath—”
“Oh, why don’t you shut your mouth hole, you old witch!”
Maldenis’s head snapped toward Liora, his jaw dropping nearly to the floor at her words.
“How dare you speak to me that way,” Karima barked. “I am an elder of the council.”
“That doesn’t mean you can speak to Maldenis with such disrespect,” Liora countered. “I thought this was supposed to be a place of decorum, not some meeting place of the unhinged.”
His mother continued. “Whatever anger you have toward me, Karima, please do not involve my son. He plays no part in our personal differences. Besides, since he last appeared before you, he has turned his life around. He has avoided conflict, established a business, and lived the life of an upstanding citizen of Solkaris.”
“And you’re proud of these accomplishments?” Karima sneered.
“Of course. Very proud.”
This time, Maldenis’s head whipped toward his mother. At this rate, he was going to get whiplash before this meeting was over. Still, her expression remained neutral, not indicating even a hint of whether she believed in her own words.
Halcyonius cleared his throat. “Any other objections? No? Alright, let’s vote on it now. All in favor of Melora’s plan, raise your hand. “
Eight hands out of twelve shot up. Unsurprisingly, Karima’s was not one of those.
“The Council has spoken. We will follow your plan, Melora, but with our additional input.”
Melora bowed her head. “Of course, Elder. Whatever the council deems necessary, they will follow.”
“And you, Maldenis and Liora,” he said, turning to them.
“In case you do not understand the significance of your pairing, then let me educate you. You are the first couple in centuries, the first ever since the spring was transported to Vale Crossing, to choose monogamy and marriage. It is something to be celebrated, that the ways of our ancestors are coming back, a symbol that we are on our way to restore the former glory of the basilisks. That you choose to do this, and chose each other, will be a shining beacon of hope for all.”
“Wow,” Liora muttered. “That’s…a lot of pressure.”
Maldenis couldn’t agree more.
“We thank you for your generosity, Elders,” Melora said. “And our family will strive to do justice to this honor you have bestowed upon our son and daughter-in-law.”
“I hope they are ready for the challenge,” the elder replied, a skeptical brow raised.
Maldenis swallowed hard.
It couldn’t be that bad, right?