Juliet
My fingers felt their way over lines, curves, and carved images on the walls of the passage Caleb and I were in, my headlight illuminating where my eyes fell. From the moment we entered, there were ancient writings to interpret; every detail fascinated me. There were so many secrets to learn about the different species on every planet, and I wanted to know all of them. Why did Ahasuerus never use any of the stones or knowledge from other planets he had at his disposal. I stopped once again at an image of the galaxies colliding, "Do you think it will really happen?" Caleb asked.
"I don't know. Every picture I've seen so far has been what the dheka think could happen. Maybe they have, like, prophets or something."
"Can they go into the future in those rooms?"
"No, not that I know of."
"How many rooms are there?"
"Again… I don't know. One of Ahasuerus's vaults had all the information he and his descendants had gathered on the other species. I only cross-referenced the plates regarding time."
"Why did Ahasuerus never take this route?"
"The ruler has to give consent for you to start the journey. Ahasuerus was never about conquering worlds anyway; he told me he fought for the future. So, maybe he thought his plans would work out, and he'd be safe on Zoreah. He would rather trade with the dheka or use them than admit he made mistakes."
"One thing unanimous about all the species; a verbal deal is always honored."
"Yes, honor is a big thing among thieves… Ahasuerus also knew no one could go up against the dheka. In all their history I read about, no one had even tried… You should see the images in their books of how they wage war and can come together as one powerful force. The dheka do have an army base, like all the other planets. "
"Vampires can counter their ability."
"Ahasuerus didn't need anything here. What would be the point? He never would've left En-gannim vulnerable. It's too valuable. It's like the vamps spawned on a planet-size asteroid filled with stuff."
We eventually finished the dark tunnel and exited into a city literally carved out within what looked like a mountain range. "Oh, wow, Charlene was really downplaying its enormity… That whole wall we had to scale was the boundary to the whole place."
"When she said they traveled down waterways, she also didn't mention an entire harbor area."
In front of us, a giant pillar of stone stood in the middle of the extensive lake; it gradually tapered off to the top and was surrounded by spiraled groves filled with stones emanating light. The structure stood on top of a large boulder to which massive ships were anchored. Across the expanse of water lay their temple; to me, it looked more like a palace shrouded in darkness.
As Caleb steadily rowed us in the direction we needed to go, dense tree parks were randomly cultivated, which were still vibrant and flourishing in the different colors they displayed. The well-tended plant life continued throughout all the structures fed from the sun outside, coming in through the roof lined with stained glass windows. The effect of the coloring on the water and the walls was a brilliant display of light. I understood why Charlene wanted to come with me; it was a place you should share with family and friends and stay there to see all it had to offer.
"Why do you think they ever left? It's magical and clean. The water seems to softly flow through the whole place, circulating from some source to wherever."
"Oh, look there," I pointed to water falling in a circular shape from a source outside into an enormous illuminated bath sunken into the ground, surrounded by pillars and arches. "Maybe we should stop, and I can quickly get clean. We've not had time in the last three days."
"I didn't want to say anything… but you do stink."
"This time, I'm going to need some privacy."
"With their customs so strict, there is bound to be a men's and women's bathroom."
Caleb and I took our time after Jessy sent us new clothes and toiletries. I could finally wash my hair and let it dry while we ate and walked the streets connected to the communal bathhouse. Some roads were broad, and others narrow, lined with houses and shops to the very top of the mountain. We decided to take a beaten down little lane spiraling up through a hill; at the end was a sudden dark expanse of air into… I supposed it was a cave, "Now this is where the dragon sleeps… I think we should go."
"Oh no, we're doing this," Caleb grabbed my hand and dragged me into the absolute gates of hell. I couldn't help myself and manifested; I would at least be able to see movement if something—were to move. "There is nothing in here… I can see."
Ten paces in, Caleb turned me to the left; in the distance, a dim light shone into the darkness; our exit was only a round circle in the wall. As we passed through the gate, it was still rather dark, and the light we had seen was coming from above. Two sets of stairs paralleled each other, "Unbelievable!" I let go of his hand and ran up the steps to the first landing of an open library with millions of books on every level at different heights connected to one another. The light was coming from small rooms situated within the mountain at the ends of the aisles, each filled with benches and tables. At the very top of the library cave was a sizeable carved-out window in the mountain, open to fresh air and the spray of water from a waterfall. Outside the window, another mountain kept the library cordoned off from the weather and kept climbing higher and higher, letting in natural air and light from outside. "I guess we're never leaving."
I pulled a book from a shelf, "Urgh, I can't read any of it."
"Didn't you bring your translator?"
"It would take us a million years to translate every word... in all these books," I carefully put it back and let my fingers trail the bindings on some of the covers.
"It looks like you don't want to go back in time. You're stalling."
"Am I?"
"Yes, what's wrong?"
"I don't know… Ever had a bad feeling?"
"All the time… Evil forebodings."
"Precisely."
"Well, I'll tell you what you drill into me… Never go back on your word and honor your commitments… Is it your responsibility to save everyone?"
"Yes," I huffed and turned around.
It took us a while to even find the rooms. Each one was magical in its own way. The one we needed was an open floor space covered in a thick layer of white sand, spilling out the door, surrounded and built from metals and stone, "I think this is it."
"Yeah."
"So, how does this work?"
"You go in; you sit down and focus."
"On where you want to go," I shrugged, "Mom, I'm going to wait out here for the first one."
"Thank You. It will help me let my guard down." Caleb turned at the door, planted his spear, and lifted his chin, "Well, here goes nothing."
***
Romero
I could not take my eyes off Charlene. She commanded every room she walked into, and with her hand resting on Michael's forearm, clad in armor in his werewolf form, the two painted the picture of the next monarch couple of the species. Charlene had even designed her own armor for when she would need to fight, and even in that, she was a force of domination. I did not think any of the wolves would even question if she should take over. The dress she chose to wear while meeting everyone was bright red and ruffled into a wide skirt from her waist. Two slivers of material woven into the skirt hung loose over her breasts and were tied behind her neck. Her whole back, sides, and middle was an open expanse of milky skin I wanted to touch, and— "Stop it," Kubra stabbed me in my ribs.
"Look at her."
"I am. You shouldn't have allowed her to wear that freaking thing. Every wolf is going to walk around with a hard-on."
"A hard-on?"
Kubra balled his hand into a fist and— "Oh! Oh no! I'll kill them all!"
I got distracted as she greeted all the generals who commanded their armies and the principals of all the regions spanning across Palmyra. Charlene's hair was swept up onto her head and woven into the crown she chose and designed herself; she said it was lighter for her tiny frame. It was intricate and detailed to the last stone, which suited her red lips and— "Dude, you got to focus," Carl said next to me.
"I can not. She was born to be here, made to lead and be pampered like the queen she is."
"I don't think pampering her is what's on your mind."
"I hear pampering is one of Romero's strong suits," Kubra quipped.
"How will the boy know he does not even want to sleep with her… How can you look at her and—" Miné tugged on her skirt and pointed wildly into the crowd below. Charlene waved and showed the wolves in the arena to let a group come up to the edge of the stage. Miné jumped off, and Ben caught his daughter and gave her a long hug. She held out her arms to the other men, and in turn, they embraced her, "Who is that?"
"It is Francis and Jack Moore. The other guy is Francisco. We were all on the compound together for a while. The kids grew up between a lot of people."
"And the other three wolves?" I asked.
"I don't know them?"
"Kubra?"
"No idea."
Minè didn't want to let go of Ben, and Charlene spoke to one of the wolves who escorted us from the tunnels to the venue. The seven men were allowed to come up on stage and take a seat… at her feet. Kubra growled, "If she thinks that guy is going to come in now—." Carl laughed and slapped Kubra on the shoulder, cutting him off. Although Carl was younger than us, he was taller and more muscled than both Kubra and I, "Why are you laughing."
"Because I do want to sleep with her. We've all been walking around with raging erections… So, let me show you… why Ben—will never come anywhere near her again." Carl walked into the group of men and caught her attention. The men got up and turned to Charlene. She nodded once, and they all came back to human. Everyone was glad to see a familiar face, and they greeted the boy with hugs, hard slaps on the back, and big smiles as if they were friends at one point. The group talked for a bit, and then they sat down again in their werewolf form. Carl walked over to Charlene and held out his hand. She took it. He pulled her up, sat down on the chair, and dragged her into his lap. Charlene was happy until she looked down, and Carl rolled his hips towards hers. She wanted to kiss him. He tilted his mouth away from hers. She burst out laughing and leaned down so Carl could whisper into her ear. The single men in the crowd complained, growled, and murmured, creating a cacophony of angry faces as my eyes drifted over the crowd.
"What did he say?
"Carl said—in their language—the harem is closed to any further additions; hence the displeased attendants."
"The boy is growing up. How did he even know it was a custom to say?"
"Looks like Juliet's been coaching both of them… How does Charlene know how to manage the men so easily?"
I was tired of not being there with her. I was tired of not seeing her for a few days when she needed alone time. I stepped out into the crowd, and the wolves took a knee one by one until all was bowed down, except for the women. As I walked, the men cleared to either side of me, creating a path. I came to a stand in the middle of the arena and held out a bent arm—waiting. Charlene walked to the edge of the stage; Francis and Jack jumped down to help her. They then, too, took a knee. Charlene elegantly moved toward me, and men dispersed for her. She laid her hand on my arm.
I placed my other hand on hers, "This is my queen… As you can see, I wear the stone Zavier gave me to pledge your allegiance to us. I reached for the stone, removed it, and tied it around her neck. I nodded, and Charlene manifested herself into her wolf form. "You have lived in our world, farmed our lands, and it has been a good life." The wolves cheered. "My wife is now your queen, but she is not only a werewolf," I nodded again. Charlene manifested into a vampire, and the crowd became unsettled and agitated. Kubra approached us, clad in his weird black suit, which I did not like at all; it was gross, like Charlene would say. "He is also her husband... We are in a harem of our own, much like your customs, albeit different races," I nodded again. Charlene grew two heads taller and broader, her horns of a fully grown riphath towered on her head. More murmurs and comments. "All you've heard is true. The ittoqure are real." I lifted a hand. Michael, in his werewolf form, jumped down the stage, landed as a riphath, and teleported next to Charlene. "He is not in her harem," the two laughed, "Everyone here knows about Juliet and her men who killed Brylee in the war on Zoreah… Unfortunately, with the brandings, there was a price, and every last werewolf you left on Palmyra is dead, as with the women, men, and soldiers on Zoreah." I waited and searched the crowd. The women who were seated in harem clusters of their own in the stands were sharing concerned looks among themselves. "The only ones left of your race… are the ones on Mirach… Who did you choose as a representative?"
Kubra pointed to the other side of the venue, "There."
The men scuffled on their knees, and a woman surrounded by four wolves came walking out, "Liv?" Michael snarled. The woman was blond and fair, like Charlene. Her hair was long and dreaded, tied on top of her head and adorned with jewels. She wore a white dress, silky and smooth, draped over one shoulder, tightly hugging her body. I did not like her. She had an arrogant air around her versus the sweetness in Sara's disposition next to her. Sara, my delegate for the area and who has been their queen for all purposes, took a knee. I released her, "Your majesty, this is Liv Soria; she was also ambassador to Earth when Brylee was still queen of Palmyra."
"Have you decided if there will be any challenges to the throne?"
"If I may ask a question," Liv asked. I nodded. "Who is on Palmyra at this moment?"
I raised another hand. We had hidden the dragons and had to wait a moment. Their heavy tread came up a wooden walkway into the arena. The wolves growled in unison. Fahan, ever the warrior, unsheathed his sword and slammed it onto the ground; the red glow burned around the heads as Fahan swung it over them.
"As Palmyra was left unprotected, Fahan found a way to harness his own power to teleport. He infiltrated the palace, and the chadari is now living on your planet."
"Kubra, Michael," Liv said in a somewhat irritated manner. The two let their manifestations go and stepped closer, "Show me."
Kubra took out a device, and Palmyra hovered in the air as clear as our room, where you could look at the planets in the cosmos. In the image, Kubra was rotating and displaying the ten spots, but only two were red, "Here is where the chadari have settled for now."
Another woman stood in the crowd, "That is my area; it is our textile territory; how could they utilize any of it. They should go back to the rocks they come from."
Liv held up a hand, and the woman sat down, "Is there any way you could show me?"
Michael held open his arms. The wolves behind Liv complained. I spun around and focused all my inner abilities out toward the men, waiting until they fell to their knees, bent over, and planted their hands on the ground. They tried to fight it. It was no use. "As long as you are on my soil, there will be not one man who thinks he can throw his weight around," Charlene clapped for me. I turned to Fahan and waited. I needed to test it anyway, to see how much power Louis had with three men backing him. I only had one for now; Carl would give in eventually. Fahan took a little longer. He squared his shoulders when he felt the pull. He planted his sword and took a wide stance. His legs shook, and then his hand jumped to his heart. He clawed at it, desperate for the fire to subside. It was worse for them. I pushed only a little more, and the man dropped down and gasped as I released him. Inside, I was smiling; outwardly, I was not going to humiliate anyone. "If anyone thinks we have no power, you are wrong. And I'm not even the strongest one out there."
I glanced at Liv, who was staring wide-eyed at Fahan and then at her men, who were useless at her feet. Not one could even lift a hand, much less a weapon. "Michael, if you will," Liv stepped cautiously forward. Michael scooped her up and disappeared. The men slowly stood to their feet, shaking their heads and clutching at their temples.
"I thought you wanted me to practice… Why am I even here?"
"I changed my mind… You look too pretty in your dress."
"Ah, man, I wanted to practice."
"Don't forget, he thinks Iku's wife is beautiful," I spun towards Kubra and thought about sending him to his knees. He was reminding Charlene of the one and only fight the two of us had ever had. "I wouldn't if I were you," he hissed.
I manifested. Kubra followed suit. "No fighting in front of the children." Miné's little voice boomed out from the stage toward us. We both dropped our manifestations, and Charlene chortled behind a hand.
"You will not be taking off that dress," I growled at Kubra.
"Are you still on the dress?"
I looked at Charlene, and my gaze drifted over her body; before I could say anything, Michael landed again, gently lowering Liv to the ground and steadying her on her feet, "You okay? The first time is a little jarring."
Her hand rested on his arm, "Thank You, yes," Liv lifted her eyes and stared at Michael, "What Brylee could have done with you."
"Oh, she tried, believe me. Almost succeeded."
"What mistake did she make?"
Michael smiled and rubbed his finger over his lip, "In my werewolf form, I am wholly devoted to my queen."
Liv laughed lightly and turned to her own men, "Are you all alright?" The four nodded. She turned back to me, "You've given me a lot to think about, and I need some time to talk to the other women of consequence… We would like to invite you to join us for dinner in the hall. We set up guest quarters for you." She lifted a hand, and the group on stage ushered us out of the arena.
Left alone and far enough from prying ears, I let the party move out so I could fall in step next to Fahan. Alongside him, I rested my hand on his shoulder, letting my veins flow into his hard exterior. It was challenging to breach his thick skin. My tentacles found places to enter underneath his scales. Once the power hit him, he stopped and turned to me. I let all my colors run through him, and the last one, I jolted him with pain from the darkness our manifestation could produce. He winced and clutched his shoulder. "Take out your sword." Fahan reached for it, and I manifested, "Try to stab me."
I let him get a clear hit into my body, which I had let become as light as a cloud. Their red swords did nothing if we were not human. He growled, "Why are you doing this?"
"You are not invincible. If you die, all your people might not die; however, the repercussions are too great! Be careful. As you can see, the wolves have no intention of forming an alliance with you. Even if they do go back. They will come for you… If you are not there to lead them, who will save the chadari?"
"Why are you helping me?"
"Because what I did to you… Louis can do four times as strong. Why do you think Ahasuerus fought so hard. Why do you think the werewolves are here at all." Fahan growled, and his chest lit up as we walked behind the group in front of us. "And it seems like Juliet has a soft spot for your mate… Maybe let the women lead us a little," he lifted his head, and their weird, weighty laughter resonated. Once he was calmer, I said, "You were always mercenaries, desperate for any morsel. Here we have only our word and honor… You have to change the way you think… Once you decide to align with a race, stay true to your word." he answered with a firm nod. I hoped we had them on our side.
Tents were set up for us, and our servants were already there with refreshments, "Fahan before you join the others," he turned to me, "I hear there is another male—"
His hand was lightning fast. His fingers closed around my throat, "I'd rather die."
The chatter in our camp ceased abruptly. Fahan let go of me, turned, and headed for their tent. "Maybe you should give him some purple," Charlene said.
Fahan had stopped walking and turned, "What is she talking about?"
I walked over and pushed him into his tent. Charlene clapped her hands. It was a little ritual the dheka had in a race where there was a lot of desire but no privacy. Jade seemed confused and stared out the tent as the music and voices around us found a good melody. First, I had to find a good spot to make my ability work at the same time. They both lifted their arms to expose a very fleshy area. I worked my magic like Charlene would say, and Fahan tossed me out the door. "Now they're never going to want to leave Mirach." I waved an irritated hand in the air, and Kubra and Carl made themselves scarce, "Hey, what's going on!" I reached around Charlene's and gently nudged her in the direction of our tent, "Don't tell me you guys have… signals." My eyes were fixed on her breasts, bouncing as she struggled to traverse the sand. I closed my hand on her shoulder and, without anyone noticing, let everything I had drain into my spouse. Charlene let out a sweet moan, groaned, and clutched my hand, "You really want to be the one to take off this dress… It's not the way Romero, we have guests."
For hours, I had to watch her walk around, enticing man after man—including myself. The noises from Fahan's tent were not helping. It took all my willpower to let go of her and stop walking, "Forgive me, I—"
"You better take me into that tent or so help me, I'll ask Kurbra to finish what you started."
"Thank You."
I closed the flap and stood to soak up her enchanting body, Charlene's figure from behind beckoning me steadily toward her, the curve of her breast slightly visible. The few steps were both torture and obsessively begging. I reached for the pins in her hair and gently undid each one to take off her crown. The blond curls fell seductively down her back. I softly combed my fingers through them, slowly taking in the feelings building between us, teasing her skin, waiting for her to let the breath she was holding go. Charlene still had a hard time giving herself over to the moment. I swept her hair over her shoulder and exposed the knot at the base of her neck. I took a step forward and, as the fabric came undone, watched as the soft strands slid over her aroused peaks, brushing them to life. Tempted, my fingers slid across her skin, feeling the soft rounding of her breasts, crossing the cusp to feather-soft sensitive tips. The sensations were greedy down my spine, hardening me to rigidity; I dragged her into me. She let out a sharp gasp as I took a firmer hold, kneading and waiting for Charlene to rest her head on my chest, close her eyes, and enjoy the heat between us. I moved around her and went onto my knees, cupping a breast, and my mouth closed about her tight nipple. With broad strokes, I licked and enticed her to quiver against me. I bunched up the hem of her dress and undid my reluctant lips from her body, tossing the fabric over my head. My hands had a mind of their own as I touched her legs and nudged her feet to widen so I could cross my legs, urging her towards my mouth, "I've wanted to do this the whole day," I rasped, surrounded by thick fabric and the intoxicating smell between her spread legs. Eager to sample, I tasted her once and licked at her pleasure. She was warm and pliant in my hands, matching my tongue to a rhythm to coax her to abandon all sensibilities. With slow, deliberate caresses, I explored every part of her and savored each moment. Charlene's hushed moans reached me. I closed my lips around her and drew breathy groans from her, teasing her and letting her go to feast some more with languid kisses. Her legs buckled and shivered against me. I caught her closing my hands around the soft skin of her plump rear. Her back arched a little, and I could imagine her head in the air, her body stretched out. She was almost sitting on my arms, leaning into me. I… slowly… lay back, beckoning her down with me. Her knees bent, and I dragged her onto my open mouth, welcoming her to use me. Charlene hummed, pleased while swirling around my tongue, brazenly dipping over my mouth, sending my senses out of control, daring me to eat her out. Her rolling hips became heavy as her passion built, "Don't… move…" In two more lustful strokes, sudden sobs escaped her lips, and the urgency continued until she melted onto my face. I was in heaven.