FSE

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Alrighty, lets try this again. I have no idea what happened the first time i submitted this, so here it is again. Sorry for that.

As always, comments are appreciated and requested, i hope you will enjoy it.

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Continued from 'Like day..."

15, 040 years AME

Darkness. That was that greeted the sleeper as he woke from his slumber. It filled the room, the lightly colored stone of the walls obscured by dark tapestries. A few were elegant dark blue, violet and dark emerald, depicting scenes of the past glories of house Kit'ranth, but many more were sable, the family's crest emblazoned on them. The ceiling of this chamber, unlike all the others in the manor, was made all of black obsidian, the glassy stone reflecting any light that came into the chamber. But, with all the dark hangings, and the torches extinguished, the room was usually as dark as the darkest midnight. Which was exactly how the room's sole occupant liked it. But on this particular morning, the glassy ceiling reflected the light of a small magic crystal, the many black stones catching its light in a thousand facets, making the ceiling look as if it were a night sky, countless stars imbedded in black. But only a single pair of eyes looked up at the display, finding no special beauty there. Shaden lay on his back in his bed, staring up at the ceiling passively. The single crystal reflecting endlessly upon the ceiling was the resting place of a special spell of his own creation, a spell that he was quite proud of.

The spell was something that no one had been able to do before with a single spell. It kept anyone from entering this room unless he gave them permission, something that had used to take a dozen spells at least. Shaden smiled once more at his own ingenuity and rose from the bed, walking over to the nearby wall. A mirror had been set there, attached to the wall by another spell, a basin of water hovering before it, supported by yet more enchantments, all of them created by him. As he approached the glistening surface, his smile widened.

In the darkness of his chamber, only his outline was visible in the perfect surface of the mirror, but that was enough for him. He had fallen into the habit of sleeping naked over the last few years, and last night had been no exception. And he smiled at his reflection because he truly enjoyed the way he looked at this time of day. Only the gleam of his white teeth broke the black outline of his reflection, and, if anyone had seen it, it would have frightened them to no end, for he looked as though he was a creature made of shadow. He stood for a few moments in silence, admiring his reflection. And then, he felt a faint tickle along his back and he flicked his tail, carefully catching the object that had trailed along his flesh on its tip. Even before he moved his tail into view, he knew what it was. Smiling grimly, he flicked a hand towards the brazier that sat behind him. The charcoal within the iron stand was instantly set alight by his spell, illuminating the teenage boy who stood before the mirror. His fur was sable, the faint spots upon it not visible in this dim light. He had recently undergone a growth spurt, and currently, he reckoned his height at about seven feet. With any luck at all, he would as tall as his father before long. He was already about six inches taller than his twin sister, and even now, without his clothes on, he looked like the heir to house Kit'ranth that he was. But he had changed from the boy he had been, and the tickle he had felt was just an outward sign of it.

The thing that had tickled him was a feather, raven black in luster. But it was not a healthy looking feather. It was scraggly, misshapen. And, as he examined himself in the mirror, Shaden's smile faded, for that description described every feather in his wings. His wings, once full and healthy, looked almost diseased. Half the feathers were missing from them, and what was more, they were changing shape. Even without looking, Shaden knew that more feathers had been left behind beneath his sheets while he slept but the boy was used to it by now. They had been falling out for months now. But even losing the feathers, he could still fly, his wings actually gaining in strength. Still smiling, he flicked his wrist negligently, discarding the feather and looked back up at the mirror. His wings weren't the only thing that was changing either. The most startling thing were his eyes. They were still green, for the most part, but swirls of another color were beginning to show within them. An angry crimson had begun to creep into his eyes, starting at the irises and spreading out, as if the emerald was being slowly consumed by his black pupils, leaving blood red behind. But, when he looked at the mirror and his reflection once more, he cocked his head to the side and squinted a little. Something new had happened during the night. Reaching up, he ran his hand along the top surface of his left wing.

The joints of his wing bones weren't in the same place anymore. They had shifted, becoming more angular, as if his wing was dividing itself into sections. And then he felt it. Right at the joint closest to his body, something hard seemed to be growing. He gently massaged with his fingertips, outlining its shape carefully. It felt almost like a piece of bone... A knock at the door to his chambers jolted him out of his silent musings like a thunderclap.

"What is it?" He called, looking in the direction of the door.

"My lord, your father requests your presence in the planning room before you see your trainer today." Lani said, still standing outside his room. Lani was a young servant girl, and pretty enough in her own right, a snow leopard like all the people who came from their world. But her fur was lighter in hue than most, and she had very light blue eyes. She was also very shy, a lifetime of servitude having given her no opportunity to gain confidence in herself. She was one of only three servants that Shaden allowed to come to his chambers at all, and all of them had learned long ago that they could not enter unless he gave them permission, not without risking his wrath. Not that it mattered since he had developed the spell that still shone forth from the small crystal.

"Very well, I will be there shortly." Shaden replied, hearing the servant walk off down the hallway. Sighing, Shaden summoned his magic, looking back at the mirror. With a single pass of his hand, his eyes returned to their natural color, and his wings to their healthy state, both hidden by a web of concealment, a necessary illusion to hide his most deadly secret. Both the changing shape of his wings and the red that was starting to take his eyes, were signs of the new magics he had learned. Smiling to himself, he waved a hand and the dark sheets of his bed ruffled, unleashing an odd procession, dozens of black feathers floating up from the mattress like so many dark birds. With a dispassionate flick of his wrist, the feathers joined the one he had plucked in front of the mirror, and one by one, dropped into the flames of the brazier, burning away to nothingness and releasing an odd scent into his room. Then, the boy quickly clothed himself in a subdued shirt and breeches, then topping it with a leather doublet, all in light-leeching black. His illusion spells held as cloth covered them, as he had known they would. Since he had acquired his Master rank, such spells had been child's play.

Then, Shaden picked up a string of magic crystals from the writing desk across the room and examined each one carefully. All twelve of them were still glowing, as bright as they always had been. Each crystal was the repository for a different active spell, spells he had woven the night before when he had returned his treasure to its hiding place. Hidden in a compartment under his bed, protected by a dozen magic wards and traps, was an ancient tome. It was something he had gone to great lengths to acquire. It was bound with black leather that had been embossed with runes of warding, its pages bone white and frigid cold to the touch. And contained within its pages, scrawled in blood by many hands, were secrets, secrets that were the key to unlocking the powers that Shaden sought above all. But the reason he took such care with the book, the reason why he had hidden it, was that the powers he sought, the powers he had gained because of the book, were some of the most dangerous spells ever to exist. They were powerful, so powerful that few had the strength to use them and live, and that might have been reason enough for them to be dangerous, but it wasn't the only reason.

Though all mages knew that balance was essential, and therefore acknowledged that dark magics had their place just as much as the magic of light, very, very few used them. And the only uses that the powers in the book had were evil, plain and simple. There was no good use for the powers contained in the book, and using them, even once, changed the castor irrevocably. As a result, the book had been hidden, and most had thought it forever lost.

All this he had known when he had learned of the book's existence from his tutor, and his tutor had warned him in explicit detail of the dangers of dark magic, mighty though it was. But the lure of such mighty spells had been too much for him to ignore. Using ancient archives kept by the noble families, he had tracked down the history of the book, until he had discovered when it had been hidden, and where. He had spent the next year working through a chain of more than twenty merchants and traders until he had found the one who could get a hold of the book. It had taken trading a few rare artifacts that his father had given him to convince the trader to get it and more to convince him to give it to him, but it had been worth it the first time he had read from the tome. Since he had begun studying the book, always at night, always in secret, his powers had grown by leaps and bounds. And that was all that mattered to him. Smiling slightly, he replaced the string of crystals, and tucked a dress dagger into his belt at the small of his back, smiling once more as he headed out the door. It was all worth it...

***

Lord Nael'eth paced back and forth across the planning room's carpeted floor, his eyes distant while he considered something that was obviously weighing heavily upon him, his brother leaning against the wall, his eyes tracking the noble lord as he strode back and forth, showing an uncharacteristic calm. Neal'eth was so deep in thought that he didn't notice that Shaden had entered the room until the teenager cleared his throat. His father looked at him, surprised. Shaden smiled pleasantly at him; his silent comings and goings were quickly developing into a point of pride.

"What is it father?" Shaden asked, his smile fading back into a serious expression.

"There has been a...development on Antaria." Neal'eth replied, returning to the table and resting his hands palm down on its smooth surface. "The eldest prince has been killed in battle."

"Then we should support his opponent." Shaden stated smoothly, knowing that that wasn't the end of the issue. But he knew his father and uncle had expected him to say it.

"It isn't that simple nephew." Nael'an said, a troubled look on his face, which perhaps might have been enough to explain his uncharacteristic calm. "It is how and why he died that is of concern to us."

"He was betrayed by the third and youngest son of the King, who had been a staunch supporter of his cause since the beginning of the war." Nael'eth explained. "It now seems that he was actually in the camp of the second son, the rival of the eldest prince. But the betrayer seems to have a higher ambition than being subordinate to his brothers. A messenger in his employ has contacted us, asking if we would support his master." Shaden remained expressionless, but inside his mind, the boy pretended to be impressed with the audacity of this prince's goals. He had felt the brush on his mind of another's magic inquiry. They were testing him unobtrusively, testing his thought process. So he hid his true thoughts with magic, offering up what was expected for the person attempting to read his mind. Of course, the prince's goals were understandable. On Antaria, as far as Shaden understood it, a third son had about as much chance of inheriting his father's titles and lands as he did of spontaneously changing gender. Shaden's father looked at him in silence for a moment, and then spoke again. "What do you think we should do son? Should we trust him, and support him?"

"Well father," Shaden began, thinking through his reply carefully. "because of his betrayals alone, I should say no. One who is willing to betray his own kin for his private desires is not worthy of our trust. But, all the same, I believe we should support him."

"Why?" Neal'eth asked, his eyes thoughtful. "As you said, he cannot be trusted."

"We should support him for one reason alone. He is ambitious." Shaden explained. "And an ambitious man will be more likely to do what we want if he believes we can help him achieve his ambitions."

"Very good Shaden." The older snow leopard said, smiling. "Which is exactly why we are going to support him when he makes his move. You may go son."

"Yes father." Shaden said, bowing to the lord and then turning to leave. But as he walked out the door, he couldn't help but smile. It was clear that his father had had no idea what he had done. He had no idea that it was Shaden, acting through secret contacts that had caused this. It had been he who had subtly guided the youngest son of the old Antarian King in his betrayal of his older brother. And it had been his quiet, persistent nudges that had given the Prince the idea to seek for aid from house Kit'Ranth. Grinning to himself, Shaden walked on towards the estate's armory and training rooms, where his sword trainer awaited him. Everything was going as planned...

***

"Well, it wasn't what you thought, brother." Nael'an commented. "It wasn't him."

"At least, we have no proof that it was him." Nael'eth replied, sitting down in his favorite chair and putting a hand to his brow in thought. He had known immediately when word had come of the recent development on Antaria that someone had manipulated the prince into action. He had met all three princes when he had visited Antaria, years ago, back when the King was still alive. And while the elder two had the cunning and skill to take the throne and to rule, the third did not. He was too arrogant and brash to easily garner support, and he liked the pleasures of food, strong drink and woman far too much to have the skill to manipulate the court. So when he had suddenly betrayed one brother, and was apparently planning to do the same to the other, Neal'eth knew someone else was pulling the strings. Once he had discounted all the other noble families, he had realized that it must have been someone within his own family. Neal'an didn't have the political savvy to do it, and Lady Lalun, Neal'eth's wife, wouldn't have interfered with her husband's political maneuvers. That left their children. But Shalendrea hated politics and everything to do with them. And Shaden, while Neal'eth knew he had the ability, was apparently not responsible.

"Perhaps it was one of the Antarian nobles." Nael'an suggested and his brother nodded.

"Perhaps." He agreed. "And we will support this new challenger. But something about this doesn't sit right with me. I was almost sure it was Shaden..."

15, 041 years AME

Shaden breathed deep, a content smile on his lips as a fresh cloud of steam rose around him. The black furred leopard was currently sitting in a wide steaming bath, set up in a room off his bed chambers, the faint sheen of scented oil on the surface reflecting iridescent swirls from the torchlight. The scents of pine and sage, Shaden's favorites, rose from the water around him, but the thing he was enjoying most was the feel of Lani's hands as she scrubbed his back and wings, the action more like a massage in the oily water than washing. He knew, from what he had sensed in her mind, that having the shy servant girl bathe him made her uncomfortable, but her discomfort made the experience all the more pleasurable for him. Of all the family's servants, she did this the best, her soft hands working wonders of pleasure within his flesh. She seemed to have an uncanny ability to find every sore spot without his guidance. And that, more than anything, had made him glad that his father had given her services to him as a birthday gift last year.

As he sat, enjoying the massage, he let his mind drift, finding himself considering everything that he had accomplished over the last few years. While his father had been biding his time, waiting for one of the two Antarian princes to gain dominance over his brother, Shaden had been hard at work. Through contacts he had developed during his search for the tome of dark magic, he had brokered alliances between noble families on that distant world, manipulating them into place, always under the pretense that he was acting on the behalf of one of the princes. Then, in a master stroke of political maneuvering, he had convinced the youngest of the brothers, the one member of the family who had had no interest in ruling Antaria, to betray his brothers and make a grab for the throne. It had been Shaden's suggestion that his family send their support to him, and so forever make the prince beholden to him and him alone. Already, the older princes were dead, allowing the youngest son to declare himself king without challenge. Now, with the help of the Kit'ranth magi that his father had sent, the new king was beginning the process of hunting down the noble families that had not sworn allegiance to him. Shaden smiled, because one of his greatest goals had already been accomplished. The king of Antaria was under his secret control, and by extension, the vast army of well-trained, war-hardened soldiers that the king commanded, at last count numbering well over fifty thousand. And they were his to control, not his father's, not his uncle's. His.

"Lower down." He commanded and he felt the servant girl's hands move lower on his back, massaging his muscles and scrubbing his dark fur. Already, Shaden was making plans of what to do with his steadily growing political influence. Soon, the day would come when he would be considered an adult, and his father would begin to trust him in negotiations as he trusted his brother. And it was then that his ultimate plans could be put into motion. He smiled at the thought for a moment, and then the grin faded because there was something else, an unknown quantity, something that might yet throw his plans out of alignment. And that was his sister, Shandi. She technically shared his title of heir and therefore could wield just as much influence as he could. Yet, as long as she refused to involve herself in the arena of politics, she would only play a small part in his plans. But the question remained. What if she suddenly decided to get involved? It was the one detail he couldn't predict.

And it was this question that had weighed on his mind most of all recently. If she got in his way, did he have it in him to remove her from his path? Truthfully, he didn't know. And that was something that had given him pause. Since he had started planning his political moves, no act, no matter what it had been, had so much as slowed him down, and yet this made him unsure. The real problem was something much more disturbing to him, a secret that he had locked deep down inside, behind a spell that prevented it from crossing the link he shared with his twin. The truth was that he loved her, truly and deeply loved her, in a way he hadn't realized until a few months ago.

In Shandi, he had seen his equal, and his foil. Her magic powers easily equaled his own, even with his newfound powers, powers that had changed his body so dramatically that he had to use them to hide the changes, at least for a little longer. Her mind was also the equal of his own, and if she decided to get involved, he had little doubt that she could counter his plans with ease. And yet, what if she decided to join him in carrying them out? Quickly he shook that thought of his mind. Only in his wildest dreams would she do such a thing, for his plans ultimately required actions that were evil. And Shandi was pure of heart, too pure for politics. He knew she had a dark streak as well, but while he reveled in darkness, she rarely ever listened to it.

Shandi. Even thinking of her made his heart flutter in his chest. To complicate matters further, his father was constantly urging him to find a member of the other noble houses that he could wed, thus strengthening ties with their political allies. But he hadn't even bothered to look at any of the potential mates among the nobles. His heart yearned for only one person. In the dark recesses of his mind, the places where no one, not even his twin could see, he nurtured a flame that was growing steadily every day, becoming a raging inferno that blazed to life every time he saw her, scorching his soul with a bittersweet pain. He knew of only one thing that could soothe his pain, quench the fire. He would never be rid of that fire until Shandi was his. She was the only one that he desired, the only one he considered a worthy mate. But it was much more than a simple desire as other males felt when seeing a pretty woman. He hungered for her, as a prisoner in darkness will hunger for the light that he has been denied.

Her very presence was intoxicating to him. He could barely stand to be near to her. One whiff of her scent made his body rebel from his control. Her white fur, so pristine, so perfect, seemed to glow with the aura of her power, a power that every magus could see, a power that seemed to be growing with every passing day. She moved with unsurpassed grace and poise, every movement of her body wonderful to watch. She seemed to be on the verge of breaking into dance at any moment. The way her hips swayed when she walked set his blood to boiling. The way she casually tossed her hair out of her bright blue eyes made him want to stare at her in utter rapture. And when she danced...

He had watched her several times when she snuck out to join in with the dances of the servants out on the grounds, and it had been all he could do to stop himself from running out into the gardens after her. She was everything that he had ever wanted, and she seemed totally oblivious to his feelings. Baring his teeth and letting out a low snarl at the thought, Shaden came back to where he was and what he was doing with a jerk. Lani had stopped her massage, and looking back he saw that she was sitting far back from him, one hand to her mouth, terror on her face. For a moment, he regarded her with confusion, until at last, Shaden realized that he had clenched both fists, and that his whole body was tense as if he had been readying himself for battle. Quickly, he schooled his features back into a pleasant mask, unclenching his fists.

"It's alright Lani." He said, smiling slightly at the fear in her eyes. "Please, continue."

The girl nodded, obviously still frightened, and he turned back around, facing the rest of the room once more, allowing her to continue with her ministrations. Shaking his head slightly, he turned his mind to another subject, trying to block the troubling thoughts about his sister from his head. Instead, he thought of Lani and her reaction to his discomfort. The look of fear and apprehension on her face made a thrill of pleasure rise in his mind. Her fear brought a smile to his face as nothing else had ever done. But, as he reveled in her terror, enjoying her fear, her hands continued their massaging, finding a particularly sore spot, making him groan softly as her fingers worked the tension from it. And at once, as the image of her terror came into his mind once again, other thoughts began to come with it. Her fur was a light grey, lighter than most of the leopard folk, but her eyes were blue, a very light blue. They were so much like his sister's eyes... And more, her face had gentle, smooth lines, not unlike Shandi's.

As the soothing hands of the servant continued their gentle motions, gradually, the image of Lani's face was replaced by that of Shandi's. It was an easy thing to imagine the same look of fear on her face that Lani had worn when she thought she had made him angry. And then he imagined that it was Shandi who was massaging him, not the servant girl. And when she was done, he would lead her to his bed chamber, and then...

Shaden's mind once again returned out of his musings a moment later. Glancing around, he realized what had brought his mind out of its fantasies. His blood was pounding through his body, his heart racing so swiftly that he marveled at its speed. The reason for his body's odd reaction was made immediately apparent a moment later by his member suddenly breaching the surface of the bath. Shaden stared at himself in surprise, and then a moment later, he realized why his body was reacting that way. Every stroke of Lani's hand, every gentle push and grind of her digits made him shiver, made him yearn for more. Lani's massage was making him horny. Shaden was shocked. His father had made it quite clear long ago that noble and common must always be separate.

No noble had taken a common mate for generations, not since the thirteenth noble house had been wiped out many generations ago, before the monarchy had been established. Its name and the names of all its members, stretching back into antiquity, were not now remembered, as all records of them had been purged when it was discovered that they had been mixing with common folk. It was said that their blood was impure, and the other houses had come together in agreement for the first time in all their history, wiping out the bloodline of that forgotten, nameless house altogether. And yet, the feelings he felt so suddenly could not be denied.

Lani was pretty in her own right, and intelligent, more intelligent than her common birth would indicate. With a proper education, she could have been a scholar, or even an advisor. If she had been born to a noble house instead of a servant family, she would have made a fine wife for any nobleman. And then, his face twisted into a smile that would have made his sister flinch and turn away from him forever if she had seen it. Though it was a smile in the sense that his lips turned upward, there was no warmth in it, no mirth in his eyes. And yet, as the idea that had caused his smile worked its way through his mind once again, the smile changed, becoming as warm and welcoming as any smile had ever been.

And as he smiled, he straightened up, forcing his body to relax enough to be decent. Slowly, he turned around in the warm water, stopping Lani's massage. For a moment, the servant froze, staring at her master uncertainly, then she lowered her eyes, bowing her head, as was proper among the servants. His smile spreading, Shaden looked at her for a moment, memorizing her looks. She had gathered her hair into a simple braid, tied back so it wouldn't get into her face. Her fur was clean, like all of the house servants' was, and the cleanliness showed off her lightly colored fur. She was shapely, almost grown into full womanhood, and clothed only in her undergarments, made of finely crafted light blue cloth. She, like most who came from their world, lacked wings, but she was alluring enough without them. The wings were rarer than rare, belonging to only a very few from their world. In fact, the only family that had them was house Kit'ranth, their distant cousins having died out sometime during the monarchy's rise to power. And yet, Lani was pretty, any fool who looked past her common birth could see that.

"Lani." He called softly, and she raised her head a little, a hint of her light blue eyes peeking out from under her eyelashes. She quickly lowered her gaze once again, but her shy modesty made his smile widen a little. Reaching out with a hand, Shaden cupped her chin in his fingers, guiding her face upward gently. The young girl looked at him questioningly, cocking her head to the side a little, surprise growing on her face. Shaden looked at her in return, his eyes unreadable.

"My Lord?" She asked timidly, her hands clasped nervously before her.

"You are so beautiful Lani." He said quietly, his voice warm. Lani's eyes widened in shock, uncertain and confused at his statement. But then, her light blue eyes met his emerald gaze and held it, her eyes widening even further as his eyes entranced her. Shaden drew nearer, one hand stroking the line of her muzzle gently. "So beautiful..."

"Thank you, my lord." She whispered, the spell of his eyes stealing away her voice. It wasn't a spell of words and intent, for Shaden had no need of such powers now. It was magic of another sort, as old as time itself. It was the enchantment of a handsome face, of deep, thoughtful eyes of purest emerald. It was the mystic trap of a quiet, rich voice, speaking honeyed words of beauty and kindness. "I do not understand..."

"Shhh." He replied, holding a finger to his lips. When he continued to speak, his voice was a deep whisper, as rich and smooth as the finest whisky, as he came close to the girl. "Your eyes are like the morning sky in winter, as blue as the endless heavens. Your fur is as smooth as the fairest silk. So warm, so fragile, like a delicate flower..."

With that, his muzzle met hers in a warm kiss that the servant girl returned slowly as he drew her body close against him. At first, her embrace was hesitant, surprised at this sudden intimacy, some part of her resisting giving in to him, but then her eyes closed, and she melted into his embrace, returning his kiss with warm passion. As for Shaden, he was imagining another woman in place of the girl in his arms, a woman that was as pristine and pure as freshly fallen snow. The odd pair's lips met again as Shaden kissed her once more, both of their eyes closed, but for different reasons. Then, Shaden pulled back from the embrace, opening his eyes to look upon the girl. Lani looked at him in return, her gaze an odd mix of desire and confusion, but Shaden inclined his head slightly, throwing all but his eyes into shadow, smiling warmly at the servant, seeing not her, but another in her place. Shaden rose slowly until he was standing, and Lani's eyes followed him as he stood, her once crystal clear eyes glazed. And then, as if in a trance, the girl allowed herself to be pulled to her feet by a black furred hand, Shaden's hold over her complete.

Still smiling, Shaden led his favorite servant towards the door leading to his bedchamber, the dark hangings within making the doorway look as though it led into a land of eternal night. Shaden was clothed in nothing but fur now, but Lani didn't even notice, the memory of his emerald green eyes within the dark fur of his handsome face being the only thing before her eyes. Slowly, the young girl walked into the darkness, the young man whose hand clasped hers leading her on. Somewhere in the depths of the young girl's mind, she knew that what they were doing wasn't right, but it didn't seem to matter now. Walking before her, Shaden's dark fur made it seem as if he became a part of the darkness when he passed the threshold of the room ahead, and as she followed him, an odd thought came to her. It was as if the darkness itself were taking her into its depths, but she couldn't stop herself. As she passed the threshold of the bedroom, Lani realized she didn't even want too.

In moments, she could see nothing, the dim torchlight that streamed into the room from the bath doing nothing at all to light her path, but it didn't matter. The warm hand that held her own, pulling her on, and the earthy scents of pine and sage that clung to her master were enough to guide her. Soon, she sensed that her master had stopped moving, but his hand continued to pull her closer. She went willingly, her body yearning for his touch. And then, as she slowly approached him, she could feel the warmth of his body, could hear the quiet breaths that passed his lips. She could hear the rustle of his wings, the soft beat of his heart, but she could only see the barest outline of his body. And then, as she felt his arms slip around her, and their lips meet once more, Shaden filled every sense, washing everything else away in an instant. His lips kissed hers softly, his tongue gently exploring her mouth, the sensations so intense they were almost unbearable. Lani had flirted with other servants her age at times, had even had a few boyfriends, but nothing had ever felt quite like this before. She pressed her young body against her master's, feeling him pull her tightly against him.

A moment later, she felt his hands slip under her bra, slowly caressing her young, pert breasts. The touch of his paws, slowly moving in circles around her vulnerable flesh lit a fire within her, a fire that she had never felt before. It burned so fiercely that she couldn't move, couldn't even think. All she could do was press herself hard against him, barely noticing as her bra fell to the floor, leaving her chest bare. Lani let out a groan of desire a moment later as his fingers gently pinched her nipples, sending shivers through her whole body. The fire that had been kindled in her flesh grew by the moment, consuming all her thoughts, filling her mind and body with warmth. Shaden slowly began to move her backward, his emerald eyes the only thing she could see in the darkness, and the young girl went willingly, feeling the soft surface of his bed against her legs. She felt herself being tipped back by his arms, laying her on the soft, black bed, and she lay still as she felt his body press against her, his lips caressing her flesh gently, kissing her neck and continuing downward. She could feel his hands trailing down her abdomen, every touch electrifying. And then, she felt him slide her underwear off her body, and she was as nude as he was. She knew what was coming next, and she no longer had any thought of stopping this. Right or wrong, she wanted it, she wanted him.

A moment later, it happened. One hand reached down between her legs, her yearning flesh rising to meet his searching digits. Lani gasped in pleased agony as one finger curled against her slit, her arms drawing him close, his sable fur mingling with her lighter pelt. The girl groaned as Shaden gently nibbled at her neck, the fire in her flesh swiftly becoming all consuming. It devoured every sense, every thought, leaving only a haze of heat and pleasure in its wake. She couldn't see, she couldn't hear; all she was aware of was the touch of her master's hands upon her flesh, softly yielding to his desires. For an eternity, she lay in the heated haze, her master's fingers stroking her vagina, his lips caressing her neck and shoulders. Her flesh was on fire, her mind was burning. The fire within her was growing hotter, every soft bite, every curl of his fingers adding fuel to the flames, adding pressure within her until she felt as if she would burst from it. The moments were crawling by, and before long the pressure became unbearable, almost painful to endure. Pleasure and pain mixed within her as the pressure built beyond what she could stand. If it got much stronger, something would give, she knew, something would break.

"Please..." She moaned, gripping him tightly, writhing against him, trying to make herself release, desiring it more than she had ever desired anything before. "Please, Lord Shaden...please." She repeated the words over and over, inarticulately begging for what she wanted, her grip on her lover's back tightening as the blessed release approached. And then, suddenly, it was upon her. She gasped loudly as her muscles suddenly tightened involuntarily. The pressure was terrible, her back arching against his fingers, wriggling in his grasp as the pleasure built, built...and then suddenly, she felt something give within her. Suddenly, all the pressure that had tightened within her exploded, obliterating her conscious mind, becoming wave after wave of pleasure that washed away every sense as she reached her first climax. As each wave broke upon her, Lani gasped, moaning loudly. Every wave grew more powerful, and finally, she involuntarily unsheathing her claws, the points piercing his body, drawing blood. But then, as the sea of pleasure nearly closed over head, drowning her in pleasure, something changed.

The change was as sudden as a light flaring in darkness. Pleasure suddenly turned to bittersweet pain as Shaden's jaws closed tightly on her flesh, delivering a savage bite. His fangs pierced her, driving through fur and skin as if they weren't there, penetrating her between neck and shoulder. In an instant, her mind woke from the haze, jerking her suddenly back from the trance. The first thought that came to her mind, the first thing that rose from the ether of her mind, was how suddenly the feelings in her body had changed. One moment, perfect ecstasy, and the next, perfect agony. Pleasure had become pain so suddenly that for a moment, she couldn't tell the difference between them. And then, as Shaden withdrew his fangs from her flesh, she felt the pain ease, the wound becoming numb as he whispered words that sent a chill running up her spine. For a moment, Lani was confused. This was not at all what she had expected. Her body still burned with desire, the interrupted release having left her wanting, but she could now feel her life's blood draining from the wound on her neck. She wanted to press her hands to the wound, to stop the bleeding, but somehow her mind couldn't command her hands to do anything. In fact, though she knew she should be panicking by now, she couldn't get her mind to focus.

As her master's bite continued to take her blood, the numbness spread, swiftly reaching her head. Lani's eyelids fluttered and she let out a small gasp, her thoughts becoming a vague muddle. What was happening here? Was Shaden taking her as his mate or was he letting her die? Lani struggled to focus, hope blossoming suddenly in the dark muddle of her thoughts. If he did take her as his mate, she could escape from the ranks of the servants, live the rest of her life in luxury. But even as the blossom of hope grew in her, the servant girl could feel her mind fading. She could feel sleep descending over her, a sleep that was an enchanted slumber that came with the odd spell Shaden had cast upon her. She struggled valiantly against the darkness that threatened to claim her, wanting to show her lover that she strong, that she could withstand the drain on her energy. But, try as she might to fight it, the numbness was still spreading; she could barely feel her arms now, or her chest. So badly, she wanted to sleep. The darkness that hovered at the edge of her sight was so warm, so welcoming...

"No..." She whispered feebly, shaking her head, struggling to stay awake as her life slowly dripped away. 'How much is he going to take?' she questioned silently, feeling the numbness spread lower. The darkness was drawing close around her, her eyelids starting to close, Shaden's spell beginning to overcome her at last. 'I must stay awake.' She clung to the thought as if it would save her from the darkness. 'I must not sleep.' Frantically, she tried to find something to cling to, something that she could focus on, something that would keep her from slipping in to the darkness. Frantically, she looked around, her eyes moving slowly beneath leaden lids. She could vaguely see some outlines above her in the darkness and she tried to focus on one, anything that would allow her to remain focused. Above the bed hung a tapestry, and her eyes had adjusted just enough for her to pick out the design. What was it? A bird? No, it was a dragon, curled around a sword, she remembered now. It was a common symbol of the Kit'ranth family, a symbol that marked their rise to prominence on their homeworld. The outline was growing dim. She could make out the outline of the blade and the hilt, but it was fuzzy. What color was it? Silver? Gold? She couldn't remember. She was just so tired...

Frantically, she shook her head, trying to focus on something else, anything else. Her gaze shifted slightly, and she focused all her mind on making out the details. Two silvery blurs, spread wide across the black tapestry slowly resolved themselves into wings, great leathery wings. Wings? Slowly, though it cost her great effort, she lifted her head. Something was wrong. The numb feeling was all through her body now, and she could feel Shaden pushing two fingers against the wound, murmuring more odd words. The wound closed instantly, some spell keeping her from bleeding out. Shaden drew back from her a little, drawing in a deep breath, but Lani continued to rise undaunted, raising her head until she could see the outline of his back. Something about his wings was wrong. What was it? Slowly, she forced herself to concentrate. And then, as her eyes focused at last, she realized what it was. They were the wrong shape. Where before, in the bath, his wings had been feathered, shaped in a smooth arc like the wings of Lord Neal'eth, now they were jointed in different places, with what looked like bony spines on top. Tentatively, she reached out a trembling hand and managed to touch them. She could barely feel them now, but the feel was unmistakable. They were leathery, like the wings of a bat.

Exhausted, she let her hand fall, weakly holding onto Shaden's back. Unable to hold her head up any longer, Lani lay it tiredly down upon the bed. What did it mean? She had a vague recollection of something she had overheard once. What was it? If only she wasn't so tried... Shaden was shifting, rising up into a kneeling position, shifting over so he was straddling her. Slowly, she focused upon the outline of his head, seeking something, some clue that would bring what she had forgotten back into her mind. Then, her eyes widened, suddenly sharpening, becoming clear once more. His eyes!! They were no longer emerald, no longer deep and engaging. The irises that were once emerald were now crimson, the whites as black as jet. And they were glowing, the light growing steadily. And then, she gasped quietly, sudden fear bringing her back from the brink of slumber. Shaden was smiling, his face visible in the light from his eyes, but it wasn't the smile he had had earlier. It was a sneer, horrible, cold; malicious in the extreme. She had known in her heart something wasn't right, and now she knew what it was.

And then, she knew the reason that he had allowed so much of her blood to leave her. Shaden's rigid member suddenly pressed against her leg, trailing sticky wetness through her light grey fur. Shaking her head, she tried to raise her hands to push him away, tried to fight him off, but she was much too weak to do so. Her arms moved only slightly, but she was exerting every scrap of effort she had within her. Shaking her head, she forced her voice to work once more.

"No... No." She whispered, her voice barely strong enough for her to hear, terror gripping her tightly. Shaden shook his head slowly, his sneer becoming more pronounced, the glow in his eyes brightening as he denied her whispered plea. Shaden shifted position, pressing himself against her and suddenly, pain hit her full force as he brutally entered her, his member stretching her for the first time, taking her virginity. She shuddered, gasping quietly, her eyes wide. She shook her head, trying to force her arms to work one more time, to fight him off, but she was much too weak to do anything of the sort. Grunting softly, Shaden began to thrust, withdrawing his cock from her and then thrusting it back in roughly, each thrust bringing a new burst of pain. Lani shook her head again, the movement sluggish; this was not how it was supposed to go.

Lani shuddered once more in horror as Shaden bred her fiercely, the look of sadistic pleasure on his face making her sick to her stomach. With every thrust, her disgust with the perversion of this act grew, until she prayed fervently in her mind to Unisus that it would end soon. But despite her prayers, despite her most fervent hopes, the violation of her body continued, every thrust making her want to retch. Hot tears of shame and regret began to fall from her eyes, bitter sorrow rising in her heart as she realized that he had taken advantage of her from the start. She had trusted him, liked him, desired him. And he had used all of that to get what he wanted. She wanted to run away, to crawl into a deep hole someplace and hide for the rest of her life, but somehow, she sensed that she would not live to do so. And then, at last, it seemed that her prayer was answered. Shaden's thrusts were speeding up, and he was gritting his crimson stained teeth, obviously getting close to his climax.

But then, without warning, she felt his hands close around her neck, squeezing tight, despite the fact that her fur was slick with her own life's blood. It was getting harder to draw breath, and weakly, she clawed at his hands, vainly trying to make him release her. And then, as she felt his hands tighten further, constricting her throat, her drained mind came to a sudden realization. It all came rushing back to her in an instant, the leathery wings, the crimson eyes. They were all signs that he was using dark magics, magics that were nearly forbidden for their effects on the mind and the soul. As Shaden's hands cut off her breath altogether, she suddenly knew two things. First, he had hidden the signs of his studies with magic. Second, he had let her see them for one reason only. And now, he was insuring that she would never be able to tell anyone what she had seen. Finally, she heard him grunt one last time, and then thrust deeply into her, as deep as he could. Lani gave another involuntary shudder as she felt his member twitch, spurts of warm, unwelcome seed shooting into her, filling her womb. At the same time, his hands tightened once more, and he leaned his head close to hers, her own blood dripping from his fangs, obviously delighting in her horror and shame.

Desperately, she tried to draw breath, tried to stop him, tried to do anything at all, but she had no strength left. Her whole body was numb, except for the burning of her lungs as her body sought air that was not forthcoming. Already her sight was dimming, cloying darkness closing in around her. She struggled against it, trying to call out, to say anything at all, but she had no breath to use. Panic closed in on her, and finally, she couldn't feel her body any more. All she could see were tiny images, as if she was looking through long tunnels. Her body was drifting away, her soul fading into oblivion. Desperate, she grasped at the distant images, but they were slipping away too, vanishing forever. The last image the girl ever saw was Shaden's crimson eyes, glowing brightly...

***

Shaden kept his hands clenched on the young snow leopardess' neck until he felt the life drain from her, her body stilling beneath him, reveling in the look of fear and betrayal that decorated her face. Panting from exertion, Shaden pulled out of the girl, her body becoming perfectly still as he did so. Pushing himself back up to his feet, Shaden looked at the body of the girl that lay in his bed. She was so lovely, death seeming to make her face even more beautiful than when she was alive. Smiling slightly, he looked at his bloody hands, turning them over and over, looking at the long scratches Lani's claws had made, marveling at how easy it had been. He had always thought that taking a life would be hard, or that it would be this great, life changing experience. And yet, it had been as easy for him as casting a spell. And looking down at Lani's corpse, he felt...nothing. Not horror, not regret; not anything. Marveling at himself once more, he leaned over her body, gently kissing her on the lips one last time. He would miss playing on her shy nature, miss her massages and having her bathe him. But in the end, she had given him a great gift, greater than all her other talents. She had taught him how easily he could ensnare a female, and how simple a thing it was to kill.

"Thank you Lani." He whispered, gently closing her sightless eyes. He had many things to take care of before the morning, not least of which was getting rid of Lani's body and cleaning up the mess her blood had made. The neck bite had been an accident, the brutal, savage instinct of his bloodline coming to the fore when the pressure of his desires had grown to be too much, but it had been perfect. Smiling to himself, he turned his back on the bed and walked away, bringing to mind the words of the spell that would dispose of her utterly, as if she had never existed. Her disappearance could easily be explained. No one would ever know what he had done...