Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Lila
The world that we step into is breathtaking.
We seem to be on a small island with a gorgeous grove containing big, beautiful weeping willow type trees, except they are in shades of purple.
The grass below our feet is silver, and there is a giant, canopied bed in the middle of the clearing with vines twirling around the posts.
We’re surrounded by snow-covered mountains, but the air within the little grotto is balmy.
The sky itself is a spectacular shade of pale pink that is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, and the fluffy clouds are pitch black.
“This is Warlock, our home world. Don’t worry about the clouds, that’s normal, and it’s not going to rain. They turn blue if rain is coming,” Xavier says, still holding my hand in his as I take in the beauty that surrounds us.
“The air is different,” I say as I breathe. My whole body feels lighter, and I feel rejuvenated with every breath.
“Yes, the air is a different makeup than on Earth, and it has something in it that makes you feel revitalized. Every intimate bond is formed in this little grove. Something here changes our makeup so we can sustain one another without having to feed sexually from others.”
I wrinkle my nose as I look at the bed, and he chuckles. “The bed isn’t always there. A new one appears for each couple.” Well, that’s a relief. I wouldn’t like to think about all the previous bodily fluids on it, but then I realize something.
“So no more orgies?” I ask, whirling to face Xavier, unable to tamp down my disappointment.
He snorts out a blast of laughter before pulling me to him and hugging me tightly. “They won’t be necessary to keep me fed, but who am I to deny you all that wonderful fun?” he whispers in my ear, and I sag against him.
“Thank goodness,” I mutter, and he shakes with laughter.
The air starts to prickle against my skin, leaving little biting stings on my exposed arms and face, and I pull away from Xavier. “Ouch.” I try slapping at whatever it is, but it doesn’t look like some random bug.
Xavier grabs my hands and stops me. “It’s okay, just let it happen,” he tells me as my body starts to rise into the air.
“What the fuck?” I scramble, trying to grab onto something, anything, but Xavier just pushes me away.
“It’s because you’re not a warlock. The land is trying to take your measure,” he explains as I settle down and allow myself to be poked and prodded by some mysterious force. If I have learned anything by now, it’s that fighting any of the weird shit is only going to make things worse.
As I drift, I feel something pushing at my mimic abilities, trying to force my shift.
I fight it for all it’s worth, but it overpowers me, and my body shimmers.
Holy crap, what is it forcing me to change into?
I heave out a sigh of relief as the mist clears, and I see my warlock form.
After a few more stinging bites, I’m lowered to the ground, and the invisible presence fades away.
“Oh, good, you were accepted.” Xavier can’t hide his worried look quickly enough.
“Accepted?” I screech. “What would have happened if I had been rejected?”
Xavier shrugs. “It differs from person to person. Most just get kicked out of the realm and returned to wherever they started, while some are obliterated.”
I start to hyperventilate. “Obliterated?”
“For not being pure of heart or worthy of being a warlock,” he says nonchalantly like it’s no big deal. Well, I beg to fucking differ.
“Not being worthy? Did you ever think that maybe my mimic abilities would have made me unworthy, or maybe the fact that I already have five and a half mates?” I yell at him, and he shakes his head.
“No, phoeall, calm down.” He holds his hands up to placate me, and I slap them away.
Damn man, I’m entitled to my annoyance. “Warlocks value strength and power, and your mates and your mimic abilities give you that. You are more than worthy. I never had any doubts.” His eyes are wide and admiring as he looks me up and down. “Just look at you,” he marvels.
His words calm the raging beast inside me, and when I follow his gaze, I see the silver marks on my skin are glowing and swirling chaotically. When my gaze returns to him, he drags his shirt off. It’s like a hypnotic dance, and I can’t help but suspect it’s all part of the bonding process.
Sure enough, he snaps his fingers, and the rest of his clothes disappear, and the marks start to lift off his skin. They dance around in front of us as he steps closer to me. “Did I tell you how beautiful you look in the dress I picked?” he asks, his voice husky as he looks his fill.
“I mean, you might have, but a girl likes to be complimented,” I tease him, still watching the marks float around our heads, my annoyance disappearing with the distraction of the magic.
“Well, you do, but now I want to see something even more beautiful.” He pushes the material off my shoulders, and the dress falls down my body, leaving me completely naked. His eyes become hooded, and his mouth drops open as he takes in my naked form.
“Fucking gorgeous,” he mutters, but then the swirling silver marks start to jump off my skin and join his in the air, where they swirl together.
I watch in awe as they leap and twirl amongst each other, but Xavier walks us over to the bed before helping me down.
The swirling marks follow us, always floating just above and out of reach as he climbs up on the bed next to me and lies down, stroking one finger between my breasts, over my stomach, and to my pubic mound and back again.
“I need to talk to you about this process,” he says calmly, but that instantly puts me on alert.
I struggle to get up on my forearms so I can look at him. “You mean there’s more than almost getting obliterated by some mysterious force?”
“Yes, my sweet, warlock princess. All those marks up there” —he nods to where our joined marks are whirling above us— “determine how powerful we are. The two of us combined have more strength than either my mother or father, but we need to prove we are worthy of carrying those marks.”
That doesn’t sound too hard, but I’m sure there is more to it. “And how do we do that?” I ask him.
“We need to orgasm for each pair of marks to return to our bodies. It’s a way of proving we can feed and sustain each other without needing a harem.
Only the strongest of warlocks can pass the test and prove they deserve their intimate bond.
If we fail, then we will return unbonded, and I will need to continue to feed from others. ”
My eyes widen as I think about the number of marks he had on his body. There has to be at least twenty of them. There is no way my body can orgasm that many times without me passing out. “I’m not sure I can do that,” I stammer. “And I know your recovery period is good, but it can’t be that good.”
He chuckles and narrows his eyes. “Are you doubting my sexual prowess, phoeall?” he asks, and I shrug. “I’m pretty sure if I can keep a large harem satisfied, I can manage to keep one little Earth girl well fucked,” he growls, and I let my kraken flash into my eyes.
“Not just an Earth girl anymore,” I argue, feeling a little stabby at the mention of him servicing his harem.
“There is another component to the ritual that requires us to deposit three bodily fluids from each of us into the sacred cup of the motherland, mix them together, and drink them.”
“Three bodily fluids?” I’m trying to work out what the hell he’s talking about.
“Blood, cum, and tears. They need to be taken during our love making.”
A shimmering orb appears just above us, and as the shimmer fades, it leaves behind an ornate cup not dissimilar to the one the Vilaxians have for their non-Vilaxian blood roses.
This one is purple and iridescent with the same silver markings that were on our bodies.
It hovers above us, and Xavier reaches up and plucks it out of the air.
I’m suddenly wondering if everything in the universe is connected—if there are a bunch of higher beings bored as fuck who like manipulating and controlling the people they consider beneath them.
Gods, I guess, but I don’t have time to think on that too long because vines twirl out from the posts and capture my hands.
They wrap around my body, crisscrossing between my breasts, around my waist, and then down to my thighs, spreading my legs open and lifting me into the air.
“Agh.” I reach out to Xavier for help, but he just watches with heat and lust in his eyes, the goblet clasped in his hand.
I’m not sure if he’s controlling the vines or if it’s some other mystical force, but he approves no matter what.
The vines have thorns, and I feel them pierce my body all over as they dig into my skin.
I gasp, gritting my teeth as the pain soaks into my being, and I feel small droplets of blood start to pool in places.
“That’s one fluid taken care of.” Xavier leans in and allows a particularly deep wound to dribble freely into the cup.
I growl at him and feel my Vilaxian fangs drop into place despite being in my warlock form.
He startles, his eyebrows jumping in surprise.
“Well, that is unexpected. I think you, my darling intimate, are more powerful than anyone was expecting. I really do pity the Syndicate when they eventually decide to make a move on the orb.”
“Wait until it’s your turn for blood. I will drink my fill, and only then will I allow it to drip into the cup,” I tell him, violence in my tone.
I’m simultaneously annoyed and turned on as fuck, being trapped and suspended with pain running through me.
I’m almost certain I could get out, but I want to see what Xavier is going to do to me, and I don’t want to fuck up the ritual.