Conquest Of The Fallen: Dark Dominions

RAFEL ENTERED THE DINNER HALL at quarter past seven in the evening. The sun was already dipped down the Cold Sea and the long tides reaching the beaches of Corynthia mirrored the high glass of the Academy's towers and citadels. All his friends were already at the table when he settled in.

"Evening, all," he greeted. Spotting him, Ravenna walked up from the other table of sophomores, where she sat, to theirs instead. Since no one was replying, Rafel went on, "look guys, I'm sorry I missed dinner for like—"

"Six days! It was six days." Aya offered curtly.

"You're angry...I get it, but Corazón IS HERE, in the academy. I watched that girl's neck snap like a twig. Somehow, someway, she's alive. I have spent the last week trying to find out how and why."

Ravenna put a hand to her lips. Mikhail bent his head to the long brass table. They were obviously chewing back something. "What is it?" Rafel added, looking again to Percival and Rosa. It was a while but Rosa finally said, "we're not mad at you, Israfel for missing a few friends dinner. But you are keeping us out of the loop.

We are your friends, not to mention, allegiants—in the other room."

She lowered her voice, "we are loyal to you, but we do not want a repeat of Emberfall."

"Hear! Hear!" Ravenna held up her glass of crepé like a toast.

"... don't you think the person strong enough to wipe a [Rank B] witch's memory, and completely alter her mana core for spirit and blue healing magic is quite the adversary? To face alone?"

Rafel thought on it a moment, then lowered his head. Again, he said, "I'm sorry. But you're wrong about one thing, Rosamunde, there is one person in this table who is mad at me." He turned to his slave succubus. "Naamah?"

"I can't be mad at you, my liege. I am merely your Bond."

The girl had taken only one spoon of her macaroni and chili sauce. She played with her food. Her violet eyes were absent. Rafel knew he shouldn't have abandoned her all to herself like that. She was his first bonded [Rank A] creature; he had ascended from the pits of Hel to Eldoria with her. Slave succubi depended on their Masters—or mistresses for sexual fulfillment.

Rafel wasn't sure Aya had got any since they arrived at the academy.

That was seventeen days ago.

'Shit.'

He could feel her even now, in his mind, probing at his psyche, urging him to open again their telepathic connection, to merge with her as [Sire] and [Bond], so that she knew of whatever he wanted even before he asked it. He knew he was healed enough to at least complete a mind link with her.

And he had half the mind to order her into the bathroom stall just about the corner, will her to touch their toes, and eat her out like fuckin' cake.

'...but there is a time and place,' his subconscious asserted with a twinge of morality.

Rafel put his hand across to her, beside him. Their fingers connected. "I will make it up to you, Naamah. I promise."

He sealed his words with a deep kiss, bending her head into a suppliant angle and frenching her.

"Damn! Some of us are eating here, player," Mikhail shielded dramatically his eyes.

When Rafel pulled back, Aya was softly panting and her parted lips were pink and moist. She held his amber eyes and amber felt the walls in his mind come crashing down. He quaked with the intensity of completely linking minds with her. His thoughts, her thoughts. A flood of shared memories and lusts; it was a dreamlike experience.

Though he would've preferred to seal their minds as well as bodies at this time, he refrained for later. His Naamah had never been with anyone beside him and her former Master, Lord Morningstar.

'Shall we leave, Lord Master? We'll probably not make it to the bed.' Aya whispered in his head.

'Do not tempt me, little one. I delight in a bit of sadism tonight. You can clench your thighs all you want, but no fingers down there. I own your next release.' Rafel whispered back to her.

"Uh, what are they doing?" Percival asked, scraping his plate clean off plantains.

Rosa smiled, but it was Ravenna who replied.

"Telepathy," she said.

"Earth to master and slave!" Mikhail waved in front of their faces.

Rafel released his hold on Aya's hand and the cute girl finally took another bite of her chili.

"What is it, Romanov?" Rafel growled. He never did use the boy's first name.

Mikhail continued, "we were saying something about trust. Are you going to trust us now?"

Rafel grabbed the fresh green apple in his tray and bit into it. "The headmistress summoned me in to her office this morning—"

'Oh yeah? Did you fuck?' the voice in his head cut him out. Aya. She was bending over, biting on her fork like nothing was happening. The harlot! 'Did she suck your cock, Master?

Like a good, dirty bitch? Tell me, master, tell me. Whatever she did to you, I'll do better. I'm hungry for your nosh. I want you to feed me your penis. I'll be a better slut.

PROMISE!'

Rafel couldn't take it anymore. "Go get me another apple!" He cut out her seductive dirty talking in his head, pointing to the chef's corner in the canteen and ordering her on. He admired her shapely butt all the way.

'Such a whore.'

Rafel continued to Rosa, Ravenna, Percival, and Mikhail's faces staring in that order. "As I was saying, Dr. Shetty gave me this painting. A Lady Fyre's painting, she called it. My plan is to place it in the dorm room Percy and I share. And then invite Corazón over.

It apparently restores memories. That is my hope for when she sees it. I'd like you, Mikhail to shed more light. Anything you can share since your family, the Romanovs are known to be avid lovers of art. Your mother, the [Legata] owns the grandest collection in the west, does she not?"

Mikhail bowed his head with a small nod. It was the first Rafel had seen the boy humble. Everything about Mikhail Yurishev Romanov III was done to effect some level of arrogance. Prominent of all, his green mohawk.

"Yes, my dear mother owns the grandest art collection in the west," Mikhail replied glumly, "she collects them by the dozen. I can offer some insight about the painting. A [Lady Fyre], for so each one is called, is a very much valued instrument of the crafts and spells. Find your next read at m_v l|e'm-p| y r

Many in the past have being used by Barons to lure a Regent's favor, tame an impossible spouse, or attract noble suitors to call on a debutante's house.

[Lady Fyre] is the generic name given to these kinds of painting which exhibit certain. . .mystics, should I call it. Yes, mystics! The paintings are not ordinary, so when you tell me, Israfel that you have found a Lady Fyre's painting with the capability to restore memories, I believe you. A [Lady Fyre] is a very potent for unwounding spells and hexes.

If this Cora of yours had been cursed, it will work."

A brief silence reigned over their table. Behind, many had finished their supper, and were rising to walk out the vast dining hall—made with such finesse befitting a Valerian General's mansion. The Student President, blondest Erika Burgess was one of them. She stared at their table like Rafel and his cohorts were plotting a coup.

Rafel wondered how the hell she had come to be one of the Children of the Crow.

Perhaps, the open despise was just to distract from her secret inclinations.

Aya appeared with not just an apple, but a fruit basket. "For you, my Lord." She bowed.

"Hell! I need to get myself a succubus!" Mikhail joked.

"They only bond to Hell Princes," Rosa offered intelligently.

Ravenna drew back everyone's attention to the matter at hand. "About Cora, how do we get her in your room?"

Rafel scratched his head. "Uh, I might have an idea."