by Dani Stowe
“You’re lying.”
“That’s rude,” I chortle. “How do you know I’m lying?”
“I can sense it. Come closer.”
Reluctantly, I trail my bare feet through the sand to get closer and when I’m within arm’s reach, Orphelius traces his fingers through my hair, rubbing the bump to the side of my head lightly. “I apologize for being late this morning.”
The small, tender, aching sensation of his palpating fingertips is accompanied by a sweet tingle that radiates through my body, lifting my soul, but a warm breeze brings me back to earth. “Late? It’s not your responsibility to look out for me.”
“But it is,” he says gripping his hand behind my neck. “I brought you back from the dead.”
I feel a sliver, like scales under my skin, run through my shoulder. It doesn’t hurt but the feeling makes me uncomfortable—my dragon tattoo is moving. Orphelius puts his hand on my shoulder and the thing stops.
It makes me angry he has such control, yet also puts me at ease. I feel lost and hopeless and hopeful, all at the same time. It’s not just the mystery, but also the magic that makes me fearful. There are so many things I want to understand, but I also don’t want to hear about any of it. I am of two minds. It’s like I have no control over my fate and I don’t know how to take control.
Talk. That’s what the witch suggested, but I’m afraid to talk. My parents never talked. I don’t really know how to talk to someone...
Maybe I don’t have to talk. Maybe Orphelius can do all the talking.
“Will you tell me the story,” I ask with a soft whisper. “Tell me the story of our past, of us.”
Chapter 12
Orphelius
“The story of us?” I repeat. “Are you sure? It’s painfully complex. We could just talk about—”
“Tell me,” she demands.
“Are you absolutely positive you want to know? You might be disappointed with what you learn about our joined past.”
“I’m sure!” She stomps her foot.
Kumiko is different than she was, so I feel I have no choice but to oblige before she spits fire at me.
I take a breath. “More than two centuries ago, I heard you screaming. I came to your aid against criminals and you rewarded me by lying with me. But it was more than a lay. We pretended to be in love. We pretended to make love as we thought true lovers would and I believe we fell in love this way. Afterward, you demanded I bring you back to your lord, who owned you. You were his prostitute. When he set sail for the Americas, I convinced my dear friend, Captain Willis, we follow you. But tragedy struck. A fire consumed your vessel. It was magic that brought upon the fire and it was magic that turned me into what I am, so despite an injury you received, I was still able to bring you back to safety aboard the Annabelle, my ship. A few days after you reached shore, you came to me. You made love to me and your lord...”
I pause. It still pains me.
“What?” Kumiko is eager to know.
“Your lord saw us. He was waiting on the pier behind empty barrels and the second you approached his position, he slit your throat.”
I can still feel the pain—the piercing slice of blade against Kumiko’s thin flesh and the choke of blood as it left her body. I reached for Kumiko with two long limbs to caress and carry her while gripping her lord with two limbs and instantly twisting, breaking his neck.
“Then what?” Kumiko shudders, taking my hand.
“I held you for a few days and that’s when my dear friend, the sea dragon, left and returned in the company of nymphs. They were exhausted of my sadness. The powers granted to me by Poseidon allow me to not only command the creatures of the sea, but also feel what they are feeling, what anyone who has contact with the sea is feeling. And I can also project my feelings. My grief was so great, the creatures begged me to see the witch, Lenora, and that’s when—”
Kumiko squeezes my hand tight. “What?”
“I made a trade.”
I recall the events like they were yesterday, although it has been more than two hundred years. The nymphs were too afraid to approach Lenora’s plateau, as she had only been a witch for a few weeks, the same amount of time I had been made half a sea monster. She was already aware of and making use of her power. Opposite ends of the plateau held two ships, slave ships, wrecked, as dead bodies lay suspended to float about.
“The Master at Arms,” she laughed as I approached, leaving the nymphs and their large pet behind. “What do you hold there?”
“Can you help me, Lenora? The nymphs suggested you might be able to help.”
I brought Kumiko’s dead body into view and Lenora turned away with a grimace.
“Get her out of my sight,” said Lenora, “she’s disgusting. And you’re just as disgusting for carting her dead carcass around. I know what you want, Orphelius. You want me to bring her back to life.”
My heart, feeling dead for days, beat back to life. “Can you do it?”
Lenora, naked, hugged herself. It was as if she had acquired a reward deserving of self-adoration. “It’s possible I can bring her back, but it’s going to cost you more than you might want to pay.”
I looked at Kumiko in my arms. Her eyes were cloudy and gelatinous as her pale skin, plump with seawater, was peeling. Yet, she was still beautiful to me. “Whatever it is I’ll pay it.”
“Summon the dragon,” Lenora commanded.
“The sea dragon?”
“I cannot create something out of nothing. To bring your lover back to life, we must take a life.”
I searched my mind and found the creature within it and summoned it to us. Reluctantly, it came—scared and aware of what was about to happen, but I forced it towards Lenora’s side.
“It is the last of its kind,” I told Lenora. “I can sense it.”
Lenora held out a knife, pressing the handle into my hand then led my hand to push firmly against the scaled yellow belly of the creature as she demanded, “Choose—the dragon or your lover?”
As a Master at Arms, I had exterminated many men either by stabbing, shooting, or hanging, but never had I felt so bad about taking this poor creature’s life. However, seeing Kumiko afloat and without life, I really had no other choice.
“I choose her,” I said, ready to slice the animal.
“Be warned, Orphelius,” Lenora stopped me, gripping my hand before I could slice the creature’s belly open. “My plan is to take an egg from this dragon’s womb and trap your lover’s essence within it. You will bring the egg to shore where she will evolve over centuries until she becomes human. Know she will alter. She will not likely be the exact same person she is or was. She will be different. I also cannot guarantee she will return to you or when. And, you will have to pay.”
“Pay?”
Lenora held out a ring and I cringed. It was the ring that once rested on the hand of Kumiko’s lord. “Magic is not free. If your lover does, in fact, return to you, she must accept this ring and then lay with you, allowing you to walk on land, and my portion of this trade will be complete. I will accept your power to control the beasts of the sea as payment for this deal.”
The full extent of my powers I hardly knew, thus, I was willing to forfeit control of the sea creatures if it meant I could be free to return to land one day with my lover, who would be free of a lord and free to choose me.
I cut the beast open, and as I did, my own gut thrashed with pain. Lenora pulled a dragon egg resembling a large pearl and placed it in my hands. I pulled Kumiko’s body close with my tentacles.
“Leave her dead flesh here,” said Lenora. “Her soul is still with it. It seems she does not want to leave you either. I will protect her until her new body comes looking for the rest of her soul.”
I was wary of Lenora and whether she would do exactly as she stated—protect my lover’s soul. Not to mention, Lenora was a slave—a tortured soul, so I had no idea whether I could truly trust her.
“Hurry,” she shooed. “The sooner you
let her go, the sooner she might return to you.”
Unsure of Lenora, but hopeful, I took the egg and swam about the sea for a day, irresolute of where to place the egg. I didn’t want to just leave it to be crushed or eaten. I found a beach, secluded among a mountain peak so high, I knew I would always be able to find it.
“And the beach glowed,” I continue telling Kumiko our story. “It glows at night, making it easier to find due to the crystals embedded in the black rock. I visited the beach daily, but nothing ever happened until one day, the egg vanished. It was just gone.”
Kumiko tilts her head with curiosity. She’s still holding my hand.
I move a strand of hair away from her face to behold her. “And here you are.”
Chapter 13
Kumiko
“Am I different? As the witch said I would be?”
“Hmm...” he hesitates. “Yes.”
“You don’t sound too happy about it,” I sneer and pull away, but he grips my hand tighter, pulling me back to him.
“Because you scare me,” he says.
“I scare you,” I laugh.
“You have a fire within you that I don’t recognize. It wasn’t there before.”
“So, you’re afraid I’m going to burn you.”
“No, but you are braver and stronger than you once were.”
“It still doesn’t sound like you’re happy with this reincarnated, newer me.”
He wraps his arm behind my back and puts his forehead to mine. “Because it makes you sexier than you used to be and it makes me want you more.”
A hardness that I know could only be coming from the sea monster’s groin digs into my thigh. “You want me?”
“I want you.”
“You want to fuck me?”
He pushes me away. “Damn it, no!”
I’m seriously confused and I snap. “I thought that’s what you wanted. That’s what everybody wants—for us to join at the hips, make magic, and free every one of their wretched curses!”
“That is the last thing I want!” he snaps and I feel the remnants of a splash. I almost forgot I was arguing with tentacle man, who is way more sentimental than a sea monster should be and it irritates me.
I put my hands on my hips. “If you want me to fuck you, I’ll fuck you.”
“No!” he snaps and falls back away into the water to swim away.
“Then what do you want?” I yell as I drop the flashlight to chase him, trudging until I’m waist deep in water, which makes my white pajama dress float about me.
“I don’t want to be fucked,” he cries from afar. “I want to be loved.”
I sigh. I can’t see him, but it makes no difference. “This girl, this new me,” I say aloud, “is not capable of love.”
He pops out of the water in front of me, startling me, but his voice is soft. “Do you think you could pretend?”
“Pretend?” I laugh. “You want me to pretend that I’m in love with you?”
“Mhm.”
“How am I supposed to pretend to be in love with someone?”
He chuckles. “Just hold me. Wrap your arms around my back. I promise I won’t bite.”
The idea is strange, but I already feel bad for all the misjudgments I’ve made about him and all he’s asking for is that I give him a hug.
I open my arms.
He moves in quickly, wrapping his biceps under my shoulders and his forearms around my back. He puts his face on my chest and I crisscross my arms behind his neck so we can hold each other.
Our bodies are wet between us. His upper body is warm, but my nipples are getting hard against his chest and I wonder if he notices. He’s squeezing me so tight around my ribs it’s hard to breathe, though I like the closeness until I feel it—his hard member again pushing firmly against my inner thigh.
I wonder what it looks like. I wonder how it’s shaped. Is it human or something else? It feels like it’s manly. Maybe it’s a combination of both.
Curiosity gets the best of me and I trace my fingers along his back to his neck and I squeeze my hand then my arm between us. He shifts upward to nuzzle my neck but allowing for a gap as I slide my hand flat against his smooth chest then his rippling abs and past his groin beneath the surface to reach for his prick. He whimpers into my neck as I trace my fingertips from the base and up along the shaft. His phallus—it feels human except it's much, much bigger. My fingers reach the head and I swirl my thumb around the rim of his mushroom.
Orphelius buries his mouth so hard into my neck it’s almost painful and he fists my hair with both hands. “Don’t,” he threatens, hot in my ear. “Don’t tease me. You’re going to kill me.”
“I’m just touching you, Orphelius.” I glide the pad of my thumb to the eye of his head and I gently circle it with firm pressure.
“Kumiko, please! You don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve been touched in any way. Have mercy and just hold me. Pretend you care. Don’t tease me when you know you are not going to lay with me.”
I’m amazed! This man, this half-monster and master of beasts, has the power to control all the creatures of the sea, but he’s helpless against me. I don’t think I’ve ever known so much power. I stroke him.
“By the gods,” he proclaims and covers my mouth, forcing his tongue in to dance with mine.
He’s gripping my head so tight, the bruises from this morning throb under his touch. As if he could sense my pain, he lets go of my head and grips my shoulders, also letting go of my mouth. I continue to stroke him going a bit faster as he hastily peppers slick kisses down my neck and over my pajama top until he reaches my breasts. He cups one and sucks the tip of my hard nipple through the fabric into his mouth.
The feeling is exquisite and the space between my legs burns. It doesn’t matter that Bradley tried to have his way with me earlier. I’m horny as fuck and right now, I want Orphelius to finish what Bradley started or better yet to replace the whole event—the memory, the hurt, the feel. I want Orphelius to replace the disgust, even if its just pretend love.
I push Orphelius off and lift up my pajama dress. Before it’s completely over my head, I hear a whoosh and I feel myself being picked up like I’m a sail atop a ship as I’m carried through the air until I toss my PJs and my back lands softly against the cold sand on the beach and I shudder.
My knees are spread and I shudder again because I know these are not hands that are spreading me. The push of non-human limbs against my skin, propping my knees wide open, suddenly makes me feel vulnerable. The soft roll of a cool wave washes over my center folds, drenching my panties before they are tugged to the side. I begin to regret that I’ve allowed myself to become so exposed.
Orphelius can do whatever he wants. He could choke me, hit me, and break me if he wanted with any one of his eight boneless limbs and then beat me with the other two like Bradley wanted to.
I lift my head. I’m not so sure I want to pretend anymore when—he licks me. It’s soft, sweet, sensual, reminding me of my interrupted dream.
Orphelius grinds his tongue and I let my head fall back. As his fingers enter me—and they are fingers—my clitoris tingles. I look up at the stars. I almost feel like they are winking at me, watching me, and I feel vulnerable again like I’m finally giving in to some scheme that had predetermined me to be a sucker.
I lift my head again. Orphelius can sense my indifference. He swirls his head with firmer agitation as he plunges his fingers in and out. Oh my! It feels good.
I drop my head back once more. If the stars want to watch me, let them. They can watch me making love to a tentacled man all they want.
I reach to tangle my fingers in his hair and pull. Orphelius comes up pasting more kisses from my belly and up to my breast where he bites at my raw nipple. A yelp escapes my throat so he sucks my nipple hard into his mouth. Both of his hands have slipped under my back and are now hooking over my shoulders. I hadn’t immediately noticed my other nipple being pinched. I’m afraid to look down at wha
t’s pinching me, not because I’m afraid of what’s most likely is going to be the end of a tentacle, but because I hate to admit I like it.
I feel more pressure on the inside of my knees, opening my legs wider, and I caress the man’s head to encourage him more because I don’t want to be teased. I don’t want to be fucked either—I want to be loved.
I feel Orphelius hunch as he continues to suck my breast and his prick invades me. He grips my shoulders firmly, grunting, and pulling me to him as he thrusts himself in me penetrating me so deep it’s like he’s reaching for my soul.