by Lora Darc
The nightwomen flocked to him and, without being commanded to, began to undress him one button and strap at a time. They too began to undress and Yuli nudged Danielle and went to join them as did Sashya. But Danielle remained behind, preferring to watch instead.
Danielle was impressed by how attentive Prince Cyre was to each of them. He did not overlook a single one, caressing and embracing each with care. When he was fully naked before them—with only the mask still covering his face—he went to the bed and they followed. In the bed, they touched him greedily and the prince didn’t mind. He grazed his long talons over their skin. They would arch their backs as his talons sliced them and he would grin with satisfaction as they cried for more.
Danielle slowly made her way into the bed but sat by the edge. She was thankful they kept him occupied enough to not realize she wasn’t participating. Something in her didn’t want to disturb them, as if she were watching a ritual made only for Nightkin alone and, if she were to fall in with them, would break the enchantment entirely. As she studied them she felt no jealousy, in fact, she was thrilled to see their pleasure. She could feel herself growing hot and wet just watching them.
As the night went on, some stopped to bring the prince food and wine as well as for others and themselves. They began to stumble around and their words began to slur and they took to pleasing each other as well as the prince. Danielle did fall in with them for a turn at one point—as Yuli demanded—but, eventually, went back to perch on the edge and watch as, one by one, the women began to fall asleep in different parts of the room.
Close to moonrise, the women had all fallen asleep. Danielle too pretended to nap, laying on a cushion beside the bed. She peered around the room every so often and caught Yuli and Sashya laying together on a couch nearby. Others curled on different cushions or splayed out at different corners of the bed.
When her eyes shifted over to Prince Cyre reclining against the edge of his bed, she nearly flinched as she caught him watching her. Their eyes locked and his gaze grew dark. With a single talon, he beckoned her to him.
Danielle did as told. She carefully made her way to him, making sure not to step on any of the sleeping women. When she stood before him, she knelt down, positioning herself between his legs.
“I noticed you didn’t care much to take part with the others,” he said softly.
Danielle placed her hands on her knees and looked away. “Forgive me, my prince, it was the first time I’ve been with the others.”
“Was it? Hmm.” The prince tilted his head. “Yes, you’re not used to this. You’ve been spoiled with so much attention lately, instead.” The prince laughed, lifting his hand to play with a lock of her hair.
Danielle couldn’t help laughing a little too. “Well, whose fault is that? I didn’t ask to be, you know.” Danielle then quickly looked away, realizing she was being disobedient by returning his gaze and talking to him in such a manner. “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to disrespect, my prince.”
She waited to see if he would punish her, but he only laughed again. “I will allow it this time,” he said. “You are a strange one, you know.”
Danielle risked looking back at him and saw him grin.
Without thought, Danielle leaned in and kissed the side of his neck. The prince stiffened in surprise but quickly relaxed as she made her down his throat and chest.
“I see you very much want to continue from last time. I can’t deny I too have wanted the same.” Prince Cyre grabbed the back of her head gently as Danielle made her way down his stomach.
Danielle lifted her head up and the crow prince released her, looking at her expectantly.
“I do,” she confessed softly. She then grabbed the straps of her dress and pulled them down, letting the dress slip from her. She pulled it off completely until she was naked before him.
“My, how you’ve changed since our first meeting. Not the timid little bird any longer.” He seemed to look on her fondly, placing his hand gently on her neck and caressing with his thumb. “As much as I was infuriated by what you did that first time, I can’t be mad at you now it seems. Though you vex me in other ways.” His face neared closer to hers and Danielle’s heart leaped as she thought he might actually kiss her. However, he paused just before their lips met then drew away.
Not wanting to break the spell, Danielle took hold of his hand and gripped one of his talons. She brought the point down on to her breast and sliced herself, letting tiny beads of blood form along her skin. The prince hissed with desire and brought her closer to him. He embraced her and took her breast into his mouth. Danielle lifted her head and moaned. His hands fell down to her waist and then thighs and gripped her hard, sinking his claws into her flesh. Danielle gasped and nearly cried when she heard a groan nearby and saw a few women stir. One woman rolled close, her hand hitting the prince‘s leg.
Prince Cyre lifted his head and laughed low. “This might be hard to do without disturbing the others and riling them up. Best to let them sleep.” Gripping her rear, Prince Cyre easily lifted Danielle up, forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist and arms around his neck. The prince stood up and carefully made his way out of the bed, taking Danielle onto the wide balcony.
Alone together now, the prince set Danielle on the rim. Danielle made the mistake of looking down and immediately clung to him.
“There’s no need to fear, little pet.” The prince laughed, keeping his hands firmly about her. “You can trust I won’t let you fall. And even if you did. I would easily catch you.”
Danielle stared into his eyes as she couldn’t entirely read his face with the mask and saw no sign of ill intent. She chose to trust him.
Unfurling his wings, the prince positioned himself against her and Danielle felt the length of him slide easily into her center. He filled her completely and once again gripped her thighs, letting his talons dig into her skin. Danielle wrapped her legs around his hips and held on to his arms. With a single pause, she felt the prince tense. Then, as they both drew a breath, Prince Cyre moved his hips back and slid in deeper. The curve of his thick length rubbed against her in a way that made the heat and ache rise through her core. His thrusts remained slow at first, beating deep, wanting to feel every little part of her. He moaned softly, his body shaking.
Danielle lifted her head and arched her back, her breasts exposed to the sky. She closed her eyes and no longer felt fear of falling. The prince began to beat harder into her. He wrapped an arm around her and took hold of her breast with the other. He squeezed then rubbed her nipple with his thumb and Danielle gritted her teeth and moaned.
“You submit fully to me now, unlike before,” Prince Cyre said. “Do you wish now for me to make you come?”
Danielle nodded. “Yes, yes, I want you to.”
The prince smiled. “How I’ve long to hear that.”
He gripped her waist again and moved his hips quicker. With his thumbs he sliced across her lower belly and, as her body tightened he continued to thrust until Danielle was close to screaming, her center clenching around him. The heat burst from her and she thought she might fall from going limp, but the prince held her firm.
As her body spasmed the prince quickly took her off the rim of the balcony to hold her tight against him. With quick little breaths, Danielle clung to him. For a long moment he held her and when Danielle finally began to regain her composure, she righted herself and stood up on her own. She looked up at him and could see he was still burning with unreleased desire.
At that moment, Danielle felt brave enough to place her hands to each side of his mask. The prince’s eyes turned from dark wanting to wild shock. He gripped her wrists and seemed almost fearful.
“I want to see you. Please, let me see you.” Danielle said softly.
The prince tensed and stared at her with uncertainty. But Danielle caressed his face lovingly, showing him she meant no harm. “I trust you. Please, trust me.”
The prince remained hesitant, studying her with his bird-li
ke eyes, searching her face as if trying to read her thoughts. Then, slowly, he released her wrists and nodded.
Danielle slipped the mask carefully from him to reveal a handsome face marred with dozens of scars, some small, others crossing from his cheek to his jaw. Danielle, neither afraid nor disgusted placed the mask down and caressed the side of his face. The prince flinched and stiffened, but he didn‘t turn his face away.
Prince Cyre suddenly began to laugh softly. “You should see the ones who did this to me. They have no face at all. I suspect they’ve turned to ash by now, in the ditch where I left them.”
Danielle didn’t return his laughter. Instead, she rose up and kissed the corner of his mouth and then the side of his face. The prince inhaled sharply but didn’t stop her as Danielle kissed each part where a scar lay. When she was finished, she looked at him and smiled softly. The prince gazed at her intensely, then his expression darkened once more. He twisted her around and parted her legs with his own. Swiftly he slid back into her from behind. He groaned and crushed her against him as he thrust deep. He kissed along her shoulder and up her neck and nipped her ear. Danielle sighed and let him bury himself within her until he moaned loudly and she felt him throbbing and spilling inside her.
***
Danielle lied on her back and Prince Cyre lied on his side next to her, letting his talons brush along her stomach. The moon rose in the sky before them but they didn’t move. Danielle watched the breeze catch in his feathers as he lifted one wing above her.
Danielle reached up as if to touch it, but paused. “May I?” she asked.
The prince arched a brow. “If it will please you.” He brought his wing down and Danielle smiled as she touched along the limb of his wing. The feathers were light and soft just like she and expected.
As she took one feather between her fingers her smiled faded. She remembered then what she had originally come to do, but the thought of it now left her feeling cold. Guilt began to creep into her mind. She shook it away and looked over at the prince who watched her with interest.
Before she lost the courage, Danielle asked, “My prince... may I have this feather to keep? To remember this moment by?”
The prince chuckled. “Ah, darling, there will be many more moments like this for us. Are you saying you’d like a feather for every one?”
Danielle shook her head. “Only this one.”
The laughter fell from his expression. He studied her, but Danielle never faltered. Slowly he nodded, choosing to trust her once again. Danielle gently pulled the feather from his wing and brought it down towards her. The guilt came back, but she soundly ignored it. She leaned in and kissed him on his lower lip and the crow prince didn’t seem to mind.
Chapter 7
Danielle sat on her bed, twirling the feather between her fingers. Guilt still ate at her no matter what excuse she tried to think up. She told herself again and again that she had to do it. That it was the only way now to remake the key orb. But she couldn’t deny things had changed. Her feelings for the princes were not the same as they had been many moons ago. The closer she grew to each of them the more strongly she began to feel.
Still, she forced herself to keep moving forward. To remember why she had to take from them. How important it was for her to get back home... even if she was growing distant from the idea, whether she cared to admit or not.
She gripped the feather with two fingers and slowly tore a piece off that was just small enough to fit into one of her vials. Once placed safely within, Danielle went to her window balcony and stretched out her arm, holding the feather tight. The wind caught in the feather, ready to let it fly. But Danielle couldn’t seem to let it go. She drew her hand back and looked at the feather then around the room. She went over to a cupboard meant for jewels and hid the feather in a drawer.
As she turned away a knock came to her door and Melina stepped into the room.
“You’ll be glad to hear another prince wishes for your company. Prince Ferien requests your service in the bath,” she said, then paused to look her over. “My, you haven’t changed yet from your night with Prince Cyre... I take it things went as you hoped?”
Danielle smiled. “Yes... I’d say so.”
Melina clicked her tongue. “Though I assume that means you’ve yet to sleep at all.”
“I napped a little, but that’s all. I’m not very tired though. I can go to the prince as soon as I freshen up.”
“Don’t worry yourself of it. You can easily bathe with him.” Melina went to the wardrobe nearby and took out a robe. “You can wear this for now.”
Danielle slipped out of her dress. As she went to put on the robe Melina stopped her and pointed to her body with wide eyes. Danielle looked down at the shallow cuts on her lower belly which were stained with dry blood and merely shrugged. “I shall clean them in the bath.”
“No. Not those. Your ribs, girl.” Melina said. Frowning, Danielle went over to the mirror and saw on the side of her ribs, just under her armpit, blue spots just like the ones on her wrist. Melina approached her with a look of concern. She took hold of her wrist and examined the blue and black spots. “These aren’t bruises,” she said as she brushed her hand along Danielle’s skin. “These are…”
Danielle pulled her hand away and quickly covered herself with the robe. “It’s nothing.”
Melina studied her with interest but said no more of it. “Let us go then. Prince Ferien awaits.”
***
The fish prince clicked at her as Danielle approached the side of the pool, hanging the robe upon the head of a statue and dipping gingerly into the warm water. The bath was just as she had remembered it before. The moonlight beamed down from the dome above, casting a soft light along the water and mosaic walls. Water jetted and spilled from the statues that surround the entire circumference of the pool. As she drew near to him, Danielle smiled and lifted her head high. Desire was already swelling inside her. Prince Ferien seemed to notice and he growled with satisfaction. She had feared him the least when first encountering him and he had been the most welcoming of her wants. She remembered the pleasure he had given her before and felt giddy at the thought.
Wanting to waste little time with formalities, she wrapped her arms about him and pressed her body to his, grinding against him. She kissed his chest, tasting the beads of water on him with her tongue. Prince Ferien immediately responded and she felt his cock slip out and grow hard and thick. He lifted her up and brought her to a shallower end of the pool only a few inches deep and set her down on her back. He bent her legs up, placing one to each side of his head and then lowered his body down and plunged right into her. Danielle gasped as he pounded her center. She could feel every ridge and every groove of his thick length, turning slick from her wet center; each deep, exquisite stroke bringing her closer to the familiar sweet release. A moment later he was coming inside her and Danielle could feel his hot need pouring into her.
And still he never stopped. Just as before, he came, again and again, his need spilling in her. On his fourth release, he drew out his still hard cock and let his need spill on to her core and lower belly. Then he plunged into her again.
He beat fast into her and Danielle screamed as he took her, growling and snarling, water splashing and swirling around them. He came a final time and Danielle with him, his need mixing into the water.
When he lifted himself from her, Prince Ferien took her into his arms and brought her to the end of the pool. He sat down against the edge and turned her so that she sat resting against him. Breathing heavily, Danielle let her head fall to his shoulder and closed her eyes, feeling his heartbeat against her, his chest rise and fall. When she opened her eyes, she saw the prince take up a bathing sponge sitting on the edge and dip it into the water then bring it to her skin.
For some reason, Danielle couldn’t help laughing. “Oh, you wish to clean me now?”
The prince clicked and caressed her inner thighs with the sponge. He cleaned her lower half and when
he came to her upper he stopped. He turned her around to face him so he could better see her and—just like Melina had—he grazed his hand over the spots on her wrists and then along her side. Danielle flinched and tried to pull away but the prince wouldn’t have it. He shook his head and growled, his eyes narrowing.
“It is nothing,” she repeated. “Just bruises.”
Prince Ferien didn’t seem convinced. Danielle bit her lip. “Please don’t tell the others.”
He let go of her wrist and, to Danielle’s relief ‘said’ no more about it. Grateful, Danielle began to wash him. She examined the scales along his arms and touched them with delicate fingers, watching them shine blue and green in the moonlight.
She looked up at him with a timid, almost guilty look and slid closer to him, her face near to his.
“You remember the deal I made the first time we met? The one for your key?”
Prince Ferien nodded and gave her a look that said ‘of course I remember’. Danielle swallowed and looked down at his scales, brushing her fingers along them. “I wish to make another deal... I would like to have one of your scales. And in return…” Danielle placed one hand on his shoulder and, with her other, took his hand and placed it on her breast and made him squeeze. “I know you can already do what you like with me so there isn’t much I have to give... but I’d like to have it... as a keepsake.”
Prince Ferien seemed to think about it. He then lifted her out of the water and placed her on the edge of the pool behind him. He spread her legs open and brought his mouth down to her core. Surprised, Danielle opened up for him more, giving him more access. She feared his razor teeth at first, but the prince was perfectly careful even when he pressed her closer and ate her with a passion she had yet to witness.
“Oh, oh yes,” Danielle exhaled. “Yes.” She rose and shifted her hips to meet him. She clutched his shoulders and then the sides of his head and rode against him until she came again against his luscious tongue and perfect mouth. The heat rippled through her center and down her legs, making her feet tingle.