CHAPTER ELEVEN
Daphne
Daphne ran toward the caves like a dog in heat.
Since her meeting with Kronos yesterday she’d thought of nothing but the basilisk.
Even when yet another bottle of wine arrived accompanied by the most elaborate bouquet of flowers yet, Daphne only wanted to see Kronos.
She couldn’t bear to leave things as they had, to live in uncertainty for a single moment longer.
It had only been a week since she’d met him, yet she felt as if they had known each other for years.
By the time she was done helping her mother with the sewing and setting off on the forest path, she was nearly rabid.
To her surprise, the cave was empty.
Daphne frowned. Despite her eagerness, she knew she wasn’t early. Kronos should be here already—he was always here when she arrived. She crossed to the mat, sitting in her usual spot. Minutes passed. Then an hour.
Eventually, Daphne abandoned the mat and began pacing the cave.
Where was he? Perhaps after what had happened last time, he had decided that their sessions should no longer continue.
Daphne could hardly blame him. She wouldn’t be surprised if he never wanted to see her again.
Or worse, what if something was wrong? What if he’d gotten hurt?
Panic twisted her stomach. Surely, if he meant to end their sessions, he would have at least left her a note.
She refused to believe he would cut off communication without any warning at all.
Daphne peered into the shadows at the back of the cave.
There had to be something here—some way that Kronos could enter and exit.
She stepped forward, feeling her way through the darkness until her fingers brushed against wood instead of stone.
A door. Adrenaline surged through her as she groped for a handle, found one, and turned it.
A moment later she was inside a passageway.
Immediately, warm air engulfed her. It was like walking into a furnace.
Daphne was suddenly aware of just how dangerous this was—not only was she alone, but she also had no idea whether basilisks wore their true forms while beneath the mountain.
If she looked one in the eye, she would be turned to stone.
For the briefest of moments, she considered turning back, but sheer determination kept her moving forward.
She couldn’t stand the thought of never having closure with Kronos.
If they were not to see each other anymore, she deserved an explanation.
The passageway was long and winding, lit with sporadic torches.
Daphne walked aimlessly; she didn’t have a plan, but she had a feeling.
The same feeling she’d had during the Showing—a tug on her heart that pulled at her like a rope.
She followed it blindly, making her way deeper and deeper beneath the mountain, never encountering a single soul.
Eventually, the passageway came to an end.
Daphne remained at its mouth, peering around a ridge of stone into what looked like an enormous indoor courtyard.
With a jolt, she realized it was full of basilisks, all wearing their human forms, all stark naked.
The sight of so many nude bodies made her immediately warm.
In the middle of the courtyard was a large marble fountain filled with a pale substance that shimmered in the dim torchlight.
Beside the fountain was a tower of goblets.
Basilisk after basilisk dipped goblets into the luminescent liquid, raising it to their lips.
The longer Daphne watched, the rowdier they became.
Whatever the substance was, it seemed to be getting them drunk.
But they weren’t only drunk; they were having sex.
Daphne was certainly no stranger to sex, but the sex she’d had was always with one other person and always in private.
Sex to her was a hurried encounter beneath the bridge—a rushed grope in the darkness.
What she saw before her in the courtyard was nothing like that.
Everywhere she looked, basilisks were fucking.
They did it in every combination imaginable, in every position ever invented.
Daphne didn’t know where to look or what to think.
She’d never experienced anything like this before.
The heat that had begun between her legs was spreading throughout her body now, warming her from the inside out.
Her center was wet; her nipples peaked. Her dress felt too tight, and she wanted nothing more than to take it off.
Daphne was seriously considering doing so when her eyes fell on the couple directly in front of her.
The woman was on her knees, sucking the man’s cock in the exact way Veronica had sucked Maximus’s in the pantry.
Daphne watched as another man approached them.
He looked the first man in the eye, and both of them knelt.
Neither of them said a word, yet the motion was so perfectly timed that Daphne couldn’t believe they hadn’t communicated through it.
The woman remained in place; the first man’s cock never left her mouth.
Instead the second man lifted her hips, positioned himself between her legs, and entered her.
Daphne’s mouth fell open.
She had never seen three people involved at once before. Both men were thrusting—the first into the woman’s mouth and the second into her center—and the woman moaned through it all. When the men leaned forward to kiss each other, their bodies formed a capital A.
That did it. Daphne needed to touch herself, and she needed to do it now. But before she could do so, she heard a voice behind her.
“What are you doing here?”
Daphne whirled around to see a very tall, very naked girl.
Her golden eyes were wide with surprise as they traveled from Daphne’s face to her dress, then into the courtyard where sex was running rampant.
Daphne blushed, realizing the girl had effectively caught her spying on an orgy.
It wasn’t a good first impression to make on anyone, much less a basilisk.
“I’m…” she began but trailed off when she realized there was no good explanation for why she was here.
It felt embarrassing to tell a stranger about her predicament: Her teacher hadn’t shown up to their lesson, and now she was essentially stalking him.
Before Daphne could think of a viable reason, the girl’s face broke into a smile.
“You are human.” She said it as if it was the greatest thing ever.
Daphne nodded, too afraid to do anything else.
“Are you part of the training?”
Daphne nodded again.
“Who is your teacher?”
“Kronos,” she managed to say.
The girl raised her eyebrows. “I am surprised he let you wander.”
“He didn’t,” Daphne said. “He wasn’t in the cave, so I came looking for him.”
The girl tilted her head thoughtfully. “That was brave of you.”
Bravery was hardly the reason she’d done it. On the contrary, Daphne felt rather foolish now. She was clearly out of her depth here.
“I don’t even know where he might be,” she whispered.
The girl perked up. “He was likely just hunting. He is probably back in his chambers by now. If not, you can always wait for him there. Shall I take you?”
“You would do that?”
“Of course.”
Daphne’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
The girl shrugged. “You seem lost.”
It was the second time a basilisk had called Daphne lost, and it was as true as the first time, but perhaps in a different way. Daphne knew she must have seemed skeptical because the girl stepped forward, extended her hand, and said, “My name is Agnes.”
It was clearly a gesture of good faith, and Daphne knew it would be wise to take it. She shook Agnes’s hand. “My name is Daphne.”
“Nice to meet you, Daphne.”
Daphne opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment, another basilisk appeared. This one was male, and he was decidedly more menacing than Agnes. He cut an especially imposing figure in the darkness, emerging from the shadows as if he were made of them.
“Agnes.” His was voice smooth and cavernous, laced with just a hint of anger. “What are you doing?”
Like all basilisks, he was stunningly gorgeous.
His posture was proud, his long dark hair thrown back over his shoulders.
In what Daphne was rapidly learning was basilisk fashion, he was also naked, and his cock was incredible.
Daphne tried her best not to look at it, but there was really nothing else to look at.
“I am talking to Daphne,” Agnes said as if it were obvious.
The male basilisk’s eyes fell to Daphne. They narrowed. “You should not be here.”
The way in which he said it made her blood run cold. It was as if he knew exactly who she was and what she had come here to do. Rather than reply, Daphne looked desperately at Agnes for help.
Mercifully, she assisted. “She is not harming anyone. And I am about to escort her out.”
Daphne’s chest tightened. That wasn’t what she’d promised a moment earlier. Was she lying? Basilisks couldn’t lie. Perhaps she was merely evading—telling half the truth in order to shield their plans from this intimidating man.
“Escort her out now,” the basilisk said sharply, grabbing Agnes’s arm with startling speed.
Agnes yanked herself out of his grip. She squared her shoulders, looking up at him. “You are not the boss of me, Brother.”
The moment she said it, Daphne saw the relation.
Where the male basilisk was sharp, Agnes was soft, yet their eyes were the same shade of gold, their noses identical shapes.
The siblings stared at each other for a long moment, both clearly furious for different reasons.
Daphne found herself holding her breath during their standoff.
Agnes’s brother broke it first. “Remember your place, Sister.”
“With you reminding me, I could never forget.”
He pointed at Daphne. She flinched.
“Get out.” His gaze returned to Agnes. “And do not ever let me see you with a human again.” With that he turned on his heel and disappeared down the passageway.