by Dante King
All around my group, Fae were falling to their knees. Winged elves and sylvan creatures assumed postures of respect, dropping submissively to the grassy ground. I watched as more and more of them saw the screen and bowed, whispering to each other in low, muted tones.
“What on Earth is going on?” I said, dumbfounded. Listening hard, I could hear a few of the words the Fae were whispering to each other. ‘Luke’ and ‘Fae’ and… ‘King?’
As the wave of bowing Fae made its way to the back of the pack, it left Siobhan standing by herself. The redhead crossed her arms beneath her breasts, giving me a look that was respect and longing and irritation all pressed into one. Her lips moved, but whatever message she intended to get to me through the crowd was lost in the fervor.
Then Siobhan, the future Queen of the Fae, knelt before me.
You could have knocked me over with a feather. “Not that I’m not loving this,” I said out of the side of my mouth toward Mareth, “but can anybody tell me why they’re all doing that?”
As it turned out, someone could. Poppy raced through the crowd, her diaphanous wings carrying her into the air every few steps to send the pixie over the head of this or that kneeling Fae. “Master!” she cried as she reached our group. “Holy shit, why did you not tell me! I’d have been throwing myself at you from the minute you saw my cart!”
“From what I remember,” Christina said, a hand on her hip, “that’s basically what you were doing, you naughty little shortstack. Tell us why everyone’s bowing to Luke.”
Poppy just barely came up to Christina’s tits—and my demonic girlfriend wasn’t even the tallest member of my harem. “Are you kidding me?” the pixie asked. “Why would you conceal the fact that you’ve got Fae blood from the Seelie?”
Fae blood? That was news to me. “Because I don’t,” I said, glancing from the crowd to the computer and back again. “I’m a human, Poppy. Born and bred. Normal Mom, normal Dad—”
Poppy pointed past me, toward the screen. “Well that thing says you do have Fae blood,” she cried. Before I could stop her, she grabbed the keyboard and began typing. It was tough for her, as the undersides of her tits kept banging against the spacebar.
“Stop!” I growled, reaching for her. “You have no idea how powerful that thing is—”
But I was wrong. It was me who had no idea how powerful Christina’s router really was.
Poppy opened up another screen—a diagnostic checklist of sorts. Only, looking over the options on display, I realized this wasn’t some readout from the router’s motherboard—this was about me. The ‘user’ Luke Bell, who had the ability to select two angels at once. Not just the Angel of Darkness or the Angel of Light, but both. The same as I’d done with the Celestial and Infernal Academies.
“Blood of the Primal Realm,” I read, not fully comprehending the words on the screen. “Blood of the Infernal Realm. Blood of the Celestial Realm. Blood of the Third Realm. Poppy, I have no idea what these things mean.”
“They’re traits, Master! Traits that you’ve acquired along your journey to becoming the Lord of Hell! Some you got along the way, like the Celestial one, but most you were born with. You’re a Fae, Luke! Somewhere in your ancestry, a member of your family must have had relations with the Fae Realm. Our blood got into your family line, giving you all sorts of abilities.”
“Abilities?”
Poppy grinned. “Humans with Fae blood are considered more attractive to the opposite sex,” she admitted bashfully. “They’re definitely the sort of man multiple women would agree to share with just to get a piece of…”
“I’m sure the whole Lord of Hell thing helps, too,” I said wryly. “This… this is starting to make sense. I guess. So somewhere in my bloodline, an ancestor ‘dallied’ with the Fae, and as a result I have the ability to select both the Angel of Darkness and the Angel of Light as my chosen path. Do I have that correct?”
“Right,” Poppy said, nodding. “That’s why we all knew when we saw. Because there was no other way.”
“She’s right,” a booming contralto echoed.
Suddenly Siobhan stood up. The leader of the Seelie Fae—the woman angling to be the next Queen of the entire Fae Realm—sashayed through a field of her kneeling supporters, a determined yet lusty look written across her face.
“You are the one, Luke Bell. I should have known it the moment I lay eyes on you. Fae blood is a rarity in humans—had I been thinking more clearly, and less distracted by Titania, I would have realized my instant attraction to you was magical in nature. Instead, I assumed it was merely the intoxications of power…”
She trailed off at the look on my face.
“Wait,” I said, unable to believe my ears. “You’re saying you took one look at me and instantly wanted to jump into bed with me?”
“As do many women you meet, I would assume,” Siobhan said with a model-perfect smile. “The lure of power is a strong one. And when added to the potency of your Fae blood, well—it would take a stone-hearted woman indeed to resist your charms, Luke.”
Ice filled the pit of my stomach. “You know my name,” I said, bracing myself for some kind of attack.
Siobhan just laughed. “That doesn’t matter anymore,” the leader of the Seelie Fae chuckled knowingly. “Go on and make your choice, Luke. Become the man you were born to be.”
I didn’t understand. Then, looking at the screen, I did.
I moved the cursor over the Angel of Darkness, selecting the same Path I’d taken when given the option by Lucifer himself. Then, holding down the shift key the same way I did when I needed to move a bunch of a client’s files around at the same time, I highlighted the Angel of Light, as well.
Both options.
Both paths had been open to me simultaneously, all along. I’d never had to choose to just walk a single one.
MULTIPLE SELECTIONS HAVE BEEN QUEUED, the Morningstar Program cheerily informed me when I pressed enter. DUE TO YOUR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS IS POSSIBLE. HOWEVER, THIS SELECTION IS LIKELY TO RELEASE A LARGE AMOUNT OF PRETERNATURAL POWER. PLEASE USE AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION, WITH FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONSEQUENCES.
ACCEPT? (Y/N)
‘A large amount of power’ was exactly what I wanted. With a final glance back at my harem and the army of Seelie Fae, I pulled the trigger.
It was like an explosion. A wash of pure power erupted from the router, forming a pillar that stretched all the way into the night sky. Waves of energy rippled over my skin, setting me on pins and needles as new knowledge filled my mind. Lucifer had been right. I needed to master three different paths in order to reach my final form. Celestial, Infernal—and the combination of them both, the strange energy that filled the Fae Realm itself.
In moments, I was transformed. Wisdom blossomed in my brain, as power filled my chest like a hurricane hitting a sleepy beach town. The world sharpened, my awareness of all living things reaching a whole new level of consciousness. I could feel the energy inside of my harem girls, could sense their arousal, their awe, their love and devotion for me. Was this how Lucifer saw the universe all the time?
I was the Beast. The man who’d succeed Lucifer himself as the Archlord of Hell. I knew it in my blood and bones. It hardened to certainty in my veins as I took hold of my new power, my wings and tentacles erupting from between my shoulder blades like they were a permanent part of my body now.
I turned around—and saw my army. Siobhan stared up at me with tears in her eyes, knowing that everything she’d ever done in her life had led up to this moment. The moment where she’d hand everything over to the man who’d own her.
I opened my mouth and spoke her true name. It was a long mishmash of syllables in several ancient tongues, much harder to pronounce than Poppy’s true moniker. The old Luke of ten minutes ago would never have been able to do it, but now the syllables flowed off my tongue like a rich, dark wine. As I pronounced the final one, Siobhan sank to her knees.
“I am yours,” the leader of the Seelie F
ae whispered, certainty spreading across her face. “And with me, my army is yours, Luke Bell. Master.”
I looked over the field of bowed heads. In an instant I knew exactly how many troops knelt before me—I could count them in a heartbeat, my mind working with blinding speed.
“I have always been your Master,” I roared, lifting my arms above my head. “This Realm is my true home! You are my subjects—and together, we’re going to take back the Fae Realm from Queen Titania!”
The crowd erupted in cheers. None were louder than Siobhan, who’d accepted her new subordinate role like it was what she’d been waiting for her entire life. Relief flooded her posture as she looked up at me, a naughty smile playing at her lips. She was born to be the Queen of the Fae, I thought, my eyes devouring her curves. And underneath me, she will be.
But I was going to be the King. Finally, I knew my true destiny. The one not even Lucifer had anticipated.
To rule all the Realms. To be Master of everything.
Chapter 17
“Holy shit, dude, you’re the King of the Fae. That’s so fucking hawt!”
Mareth spoke the words, but from the looks on their faces every member of my harem had been thinking them ever since I transformed. Along with most of the female members of the Seelie Fae army, my women were now enchanted by me to a level that most human women would have found utterly unbearable. Even more so than before, my Queens would do anything for me now—no suggestion would be argued with, no kink would be denied no matter how filthy.
I owned these women, body and soul—they were my toys, my playthings, my property.
And oh how they loved it.
“Jesus, Luke,” Christina purred, running a hand along her taut little tummy. She looked at me with new eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks as the truth became clear. “I thought I was going to become a Queen of Hell. But you’re going to rule everything, aren’t you? Holy fuck, I’ve never been so fucking wet…”
I knew. I could feel it—could sense the thoughts and feelings of all the women bound to me. I was pretty sure I could tug on them through that bond, too, give them suggestions without having to speak a single word. I’d have to test that out later. Right now, there was work to do.
“Rise,” I commanded, stretching an arm over the crowd.
I didn’t have to raise my voice—I knew my magic would make it sound as if I spoke into the ear of every one of my assembled Fae legions. I was already thinking of them as my legions, which brought a smile to my face.
Titania’s going to have no idea what hit her.
Elves, gnomes, and various pixies rose to their feet. They waited for my speech—for their marching orders, to find out what their King commanded them to do next. No resistance awaited my reign. With Siobhan’s submission, the Seelie Fae simply gave themselves over to me. It felt damned nice to have an army at my command. I’d have to thank Siobhan for her gift later.
“As King of the Seelie Fae, I promise I will lead you to victory,” I said. I meant it—and from the shudder of recognition that passed through the crowd, they believed it. “The days of the Fae being divided into Seelie and Unseelie are over and done with. Once I break Queen Titania, I fully intend to merge you into one body. One Fae, under a single ruler!”
There was no question of what breaking Queen Titania meant. I hadn’t met the leader of the Unseelie Fae yet, but given how utterly beautiful every specimen of the Infernal and Celestial Realms had been up to this point, I had no doubt Titania would be some jaw-dropping specimen of womanhood that would instantly fill my brain with caveman fantasies. No issues there.
“Queen Titania locked my demon in the Castle of Days so that I would never discover my destiny as your true King,” I said, giving Oni a little nod of recognition. “She failed. On the battlefield, when our forces finally meet, she will fail again.”
A cheer met my proclamation. I wished I felt as confident as they sounded. The Seelie were still vastly outnumbered, and there was the problem of Titania’s personal might to deal with. But I had a couple of plans to take care of that bubbling in the back of my brain already.
I locked eyes with Siobhan. “And that ruler is your Queen,” I said, stretching out a hand to the redheaded Fae. “Queen Siobhan of the Fae Realm!”
Gasps echoed through the crowd. None of them came from Siobhan herself, however—the gorgeous Fae looked up at me as if this had been her plan all along.
“Siobhan,” I said, smirking over the crowd. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my Queen? Will you rule the Fae Realm with goodness and mercy—along with my gentle paternal guidance, of course?”
Siobhan began to laugh. Most of the crowd laughed along with her. They understood this was all for show. Siobhan already belonged to me, so there was no need to bind her further—and any leadership post she took over the Fae Realm would be in name only. The leader of the Seelie would make a convenient figurehead to rule over this world, but one who’d take all of her marching orders from me.
“Of course, my Lord,” Siobhan said with a dainty curtsy. “But I fear I must correct you. The honor would be all mine.” She took my hand and thrust it into the air, combining our fists. “Long live Luke Bell, the Archlord of Hell!”
“Hail! Hail! Hail!” the crowd chanted. I couldn’t lie—it got me pumped up as fuck. I wanted to go out and kill a bunch of Unseelie Fae, then have an orgy with my harem girls to celebrate our victory. But I had to keep things cool—I needed a strategy. Eiko had warned me the Day of Judgement was at hand, and anything I did could accidentally start it. I had no desire to end the world—not when I was this close to ruling the fucking thing.
“Godfrey,” I said, thinking of one last thing. “Come here.”
My vehicle accelerated at a snail’s pace through the crowd. Fae parted before Godfrey’s wheels, making just enough space for the Humvee to roll its way up to the dais where Siobhan and I stood.
“Yes, Master?” the vehicle asked.
I spent a few moments looking over the Humvee. It had been a most suitable vehicle for Luke Bell, the traveler between Realms—but King Luke? Lord of Hell Luke? No. I needed something with even more pizazz.
“You’ve done very well,” I said, beaming with pride. Godfrey looked proud, too—as much as a talking car could, at any rate. “I think you ought to be rewarded. Besides, my harem is about to grow by leaps and bounds, and I’m going to need a little bit more cargo space…”
My girls chuckled at that.
“Yes, Master!” Godfrey sounded excited. “What were you thinking, sir? A helicopter, perhaps?”
“I can handle the flying,” I said, smirking at the idea. “I was thinking something a bit more… deadly.”
Power surged from between my outstretched hands. The man I’d been before the Angel of Light would have been consumed by that burst of raw, primal energy—he’d literally have gone up like a firecracker in front of his harem, screaming and crying. Instead, I controlled the flow, guiding it into Godfrey as I made the adjustments I’d been fantasizing about.
He’d been powerful in Humvee form. But that was an ordinary vehicle, for an ordinary world. The laws of time and space were mine—why settle for the ordinary?
I started with the treads. Instead of wheels, the vehicle now hovered wherever it went, able to handle land, sea, and air with equal aplomb. Bits of WWII battle tanks mixed with some stuff I’d seen in Halo and other space games, forming a mélange of body armor and pulse guns that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a science fiction epic.
For good measure, I threw in a railgun on the top, replacing the big chaingun that had been the Humvee’s main selling point. So what if the technology to run that gun hadn’t been invented yet? I wasn’t constricted by bullshit like that.
By the time I was done, my Humvee had been transformed into a kickass hovercraft battle tank.
Godfrey looked like he could have taken down the entire Seelie Fae army on his own, before even throwing my magic into the mix.
Oohs and aahs filled the crowd as the light rolled over Godfrey’s new body, showing off the vehicle like it sat on the dais of a showroom.
“Holy shit,” Christina panted. “So much power!”
“I hope you know I’ve literally never been wetter than I am now,” Raquelle said, tugging at my robes. “The fact that you can expend so much power without even breaking a sweat is…fuck, it’s such a turn-on!”
“I know,” I said smugly. “Godfrey, keep an eye on the security of the camp.” I gestured toward Siobhan’s command tent, stifling a yawn. “I want to know what my Queen has to say about Titania’s forces. We need to start planning our attack.”
The short walk to Siobhan’s command tent was filled with more groping and spanking than I’d ever done in my life. It seemed like every one of my harem girls wanted my hands on her, needed the physical reminder of my dominance over and ownership of her.
I couldn’t really blame them. I hiked up Christina’s skirt and gave her a slap that left a red bruise across her ass cheek, then sent her over so I could do the same to Mareth. Raquelle and Maddie both got bruise-level gropes to their ample tits, while Eiko simply smiled, guided my hand into her hair, and had me tug her braid hard enough to bring tears to her eyes.
Only Poppy held herself back from the contact. Maybe because I’d just finished having my way with her, and she wasn’t quite as needy as a result.
My group barely fit around Siobhan’s command table.
Servants had to bring extra chairs for us all to sit—and you’d better believe that each of my girls fought to be the one at my left and right hand.
In the end, Christina and Maddie managed it, with Siobhan directly across from me so she could manipulate the map and explain the current troop disposition in the Fae Realm. Everyone else sat between them to one extent or another, though each of them tried their damndest to get my attention.
“Before we begin,” Siobhan said, looking over the map, “perhaps I should have the servants bring us refreshments. Some fairy mead, perhaps?”