Chapter 16 | Skartovius
Skartovius
I am beginning to see how useful my ability to manipulate shadows is. Training the power gifted to me by Sephania’s blood has made things . . . fascinating. Quite good.
I never thought to solidify my apparitions into near-solid apparatuses until the idea jumped on me as I pressed my body against my little temptress. From there, it was about concentration and feel, blindly commanding the shadows to do devious things I’d never thought possible.
The Damned can attest: I reached my goal with aplomb. Staring down at the dripping bodies of my pet and my queen shows me how much my handiwork is appreciated.
Using Sephania’s shadow against her made things easier, since the power derived from her. But two shadows at once, Garroway’s included? It’s interesting how much stronger my blood-pull became when close to my brat princess. How much more I could do, exerting only as much effort as needed.
I don’t feel depleted when it’s done. Worn out and aching, perhaps, with a sensation bordering on immense satisfaction and smugness. But not the exhaustion I first felt when learning to shadowwalk or control the patches of darkness around me.
When Sephania lets out a mewling sound, I crouch next to her, running a hand through her hair. “Now, now, love, no need to get up so fast. You can rest here.”
“In the study?” She fixes me with a forlorn expression, adorable on her gorgeous face.
My eyes glance over at Garroway, on all fours like a bitch in heat, panting hard. “Seems I wore you two out.”
“I c-can go again,” Garroway murmurs defiantly.
I slap his ass lightly and stand, smiling. “I appreciate the vigor, cub, but not now. You both need rest.” I tap my chin, a thought coming to me. “Perhaps my shadows drain the energy from you. Hmm. Here.”
I bring the single chair in the room over to the table I punched through and hold my wrist out. My anger has blown over now that I’ve defeated Lukain in the most important aspect. With a flick of my nail across a vein, I pat my knee with my free hand. “Come to me, little loves.”
Garro’s head snaps over his shoulder as he sniffs the air. His pupils dilate and he pads over on his hands and knees like a good dog. Sephania is not far behind him, her huge ass swaying as she moves like a lithe feline.
The sight of them crawling makes my cock stir, twitching as it hangs heavily between my thighs off the edge of the chair. Their eyes flicker in unison between the shadows of my nether region before going to the blood trickling down my wrist. “Have a taste of the ancients to perk you up.”
They share a look and then ravenously grab my arm together. My smile widens as they paw at me, slurping the blood from my arm, fighting for control over me. I’m no longer twitching, my cock steadily growing and lifting of its own accord, until it stands like a pillar in my lap.
With a sigh, I mutter, “Come now, there’s enough for everyone. No need to fight.”
I’ve turned them into ravenous beasts, which arouses me more than it should. With their lips bloodied, my essence dribbling down their chins, they lock lips and kiss to swap my blood between them.
A nobleblood’s essence is more potent than a commonblood’s, which is evident by their renewed fervor. Once they’re done with each other and I pull my arm away, I lean back in my seat, presenting myself.
Slowly, their eyes rove from each other to the hard column throbbing before their eyes.
They lunge in unison like pack animals, feral after drinking from me.
Sephania’s jaw pries apart to take my bulbous cockhead and Garroway laves his tongue across my heavy balls and the underside of my shaft.
Together, they join their spit with my blood on their lips, wetting my length and preparing me for more enjoyment.
They succumb to the orgiastic affair even though they are spent and aching.
The sounds of their soft, urgent ministrations carry through the study. I put my chin on my fist, staring down lazily as the duo pleasures me. It takes everything to hold back from the sweetness of their lips and beauty.
Alas, holding back is a lost cause. Their reinvigoration twists my mind with dark, lustful thoughts, and I know we won’t get anything productive done until my beasts are satiated.
With a pleased sigh, I stand from the chair, bringing them up to kneeling positions with me. “I suppose it can’t be helped, can it? Bare yourselves to me.”
Some time later, we’ve wasted half the evening frolicking in the study room and I’ve plastered Garroway and Sephania with enough cum and bliss to satiate them until dawn.
It’s a vicious cycle: They’re panting again and I know they want more blood.
This time, I won’t give it to them. “I’m going to draw you both a bath,” I say. “You need it.”
A line forms between Sephania’s smooth brow. “You are?”
Stuffing myself into my pants, heading for the door, I tilt my head and frown at her. “Well, an acolyte is. I’ll be overseeing.” I wag a stern finger at them both. “No fucking in the bath. We have work to do.”
I make the arrangements for three servants to bring heated water to the marble clawfoot tub on the second level of the manor. Then I call a messenger—another mute white-robe who does my errands—into one of the many conference rooms.
“Well?” I ask when the man shuffles in, his eyes darting with fear. I hold my hand out, not expecting a verbal response, of course.
The man taps his fingers onto my palm, drawing them in quick lines across my flesh. Once he’s finished hand-speaking, I nod. “Good, we have some time yet. Sixteen guests, you say?”
The mute nods fervently.
“Then you’d best get to work whipping up a late supper, eh?”
He hurries out, more worried than when he came in. Before he reaches the door, I call out, “Wait.” He pauses, turns. I smile smugly at him. “Go into the cellar and break out the Lusher brand from my stores. I’ll want our guests comfortable and relaxed for what I have to tell them.”
The Lusher brand is a pleasant vintage of aged blood I bottled up decades ago, named after the family who provided the extract. Their blood came to me unwillingly, and I may or may not have had everything to do with the family’s death.
They were a sweet-drinking lot, the Lushers. I’m not sure what the family’s actual surname was. I never bothered to learn. At least they’re providing me with something sweet, making them useful even decades after their demise.
That is the true legacy of many unfortunate, lowborn vampires in Olhav: donors to the deserved noblebloods like me.
I visit Sephania and Garroway in the wash chamber upstairs an hour later. In the ballroom below, the manor groans and rustles from servants hurrying to gather tables, making things look acceptable for what I have planned.
To my delight—and secret disappointment—my lovelorn beauties have not been fucking in the bath. I’m happy about their obedience and annoyed they didn’t defy me.
Their bodies glisten with warm water, steam billowing as I enter the room.
They’re half-submerged, and my eyes shamefully find Sephania’s heavy pale breasts before anything else, lurking just above the surface of the bubbly water.
She sinks down a fraction to hide her tight pink nipples underwater, and frowns at me.
“Hiding from me now, little temptress?”
She wraps her arm across her chest to shield herself. “You didn’t want any shenanigans. That includes with you, Skar.”
“For shame,” I mumble, perching against the wall, crossing my arms to watch them. Garro reclines on the other side of the massive tub, with the water up to his chin and his head rolled back to stare blankly up at the peaked ceiling. I briefly wonder if I’ve broken the cub.
“I feel like I’m in a haze,” Sephania says, clearly for both of them since my cub looks nearly comatose. “Is your blood really so powerful?”
“The blood, the shadows, the sex—who can say for sure?”
Garroway clears his throat. “If I had to guess, some combination of the three.”
“Ah, the graybird lives.” I push off the wall. “Good. You are both needed soon.”
My thrall lowers his eyes from the ceiling, falling on me. Sephania gains a suspicious countenance.
“I called court,” I explain, “last night when you two did not show.” At Seph’s skeptic look, I wave vaguely in the air. “These things typically take an evening to pan out. My subjects come from all the corners of Olhav.”
She tilts her head. “So you didn’t even need us last night? Why get angry with us for being late?”
“Did I get angry? I don’t recall that.” At her vexed eye-roll, I smile. “Had you come last night, love, we could have been mating for an entire evening, rather than a few hours. Wouldn’t that have been nice after so long apart?”
I take great pleasure in the way her cheeks flush pink. She lowers her gaze to the water, trying to hide a smile. “Incorrigible, Lord Ashfen.”
“That’s why they call me the Incorrigible Prince,” I declare My fists land on my hips to strike a pose.
“No one calls you that, Master,” Garroway mutters, stealing the moment.
I scowl at him, and Sephania chuckles and splashes water at him in my defense.
It isn’t long until the water is making waves in the tub as they slap more at each other.
Since they’re naked, slippery, and wet, I have a feeling the younglings are five seconds from resuming our torrid affair in the study room.
So I put a hand out. “Enough gallivanting, little loves. Get dressed and meet me in the ballroom to greet our guests.”
Seph looks over. Her hand stays comically in midair, ready to fling more water at the cub. “What is the reason for calling your court, Skar?”
I lean forward conspiratorially, my voice lowering to a devious whisper. “I have an important bit of information to tell them, which I will share with you if you’re a good girl . . .”