Danielle moaned. She repeated herself even though in truth she wanted to so bad.

  With the rough beat of his pounding into her, the slicing of talons, and flap of wings, if Danielle hadn’t known who or what was on top of her, she would have thought it a wild animal.

  Don’t come to this monster. Don’t do it. Don’t come!

  The prince surged in with one last thrust and Danielle felt the throbbing of him and his thick need filling her. He reached around and cut her one last time just above her core and the spasm was too much. Danielle screamed with pleasure as her core tightened and exploded with heat, making the crows take flight around them.

  Chapter Four

  Danielle went limp under the prince, falling flat. His length slipped from her and he crouched above her. Danielle’s body throbbed and pulsed, beads of sweat forming between her breasts and center of her back. She huffed softly, unable to move, the cuts and slices stinging and burning. Tiny bits of blood trickled out from them, some leaking more than others, smearing as she moved.

  “You fought well I must admit.” The prince laughed above her. He rolled off her and settled back on a cushion beside her, folding his wings under him. “I’ll have you cleaned and after we can play some more.”

  Danielle trembled as she sat up. There was no way she could withstand going through that again, her core was already sore and ached badly as the wine hadn’t yet worn off.

  “You can’t tell me that’s all you could handle.” The prince simpered. “I don’t believe it. If you can’t manage to play with me, you won’t make it far with the others.”

  Others. God, how many princes were there?

  The crow prince looked her over as if satisfied with his handiwork. He lifted a piece of fabric from her dress. “And this won’t make it very far. Better for you to be naked, honestly.”

  Danielle looked down at herself and saw that the dress was no longer really a dress but pieces of clothing clinging to her. Her breasts were exposed completely and only her waist and thighs and any cover of cloth left. The pearls that had been around her waist and bottom were now scattered around the bed and only one set remained around her chest and neck, stained red.

  “Come, let us wash the blood at least.” The prince stood up. “Then we can continue.” He turned hard and thick again and seemed surprised with himself. “I never figured a human girl could be so enticing. I won’t give you up till I’ve had my fill of you.”

  Danielle took hold of his hand, clinging to him. “Wait... Before then, may I have more wine?”

  The prince chuckled and pulled her up. “I won’t deny you of it. But only if you’re good and do as I say.”

  Danielle nodded. “Yes, I will, I promise.”

  The prince’s eyes alighted with amusement. “You can call me your prince for now. I think I’d rather enjoy hearing you say it.” He gripped her arm and pulled her closer.

  “Yes... my prince,” Danielle said, wincing.

  The prince took hold of her and they glided down from the tree, landing by the fountain. Danielle kept herself obedient and timid though she half thought about running into the orchard. She needed the key that was still up in the nest. She prayed she could acquire it before the next play session for she didn’t know if she would have the strength to flee after and deal with any of the other princes. Then she may never find her escape.

  The prince led her to the fountain and sat her on the edge. She cleaned herself up as best she could and, when she was done, he again took her back to the nest. As he landed and let her down, she scrambled over to where her pouch and lantern sat and crouched by them, unsure of how she would be able to free herself from the situation.

  Just as the prince made to approach her they both heard the great door in the hall beyond his keep open then shut soundly. The prince frowned and they both looked over and saw a little gremlin stumbling and limping with a sealed scroll in hand.

  Confused, Danielle stared at it and noticed it was the same gremlin from before that had interrupted Prince Morgin’s advances on her. The poor thing was bruised in several places with a black eye.

  “Prince Cyre,” The gremlin called. “A letter to you from my master.” It held up the letter, its hand shaking.

  The crow prince frowned in annoyance. He went to the edge of the nest to better see, his back turned to Danielle.

  “Have a crow bring it to me, then leave,” said the prince.

  Danielle didn’t see the gremlin, but she heard him respond. “Forgive me, your highness, but my master wishes for me to serve you for a time being as I am to be punished. He would wish me to bring it to you myself for I—”

  “I don’t care what the hell Morgin wants,” The prince growled. “If you must serve me, then give the letter to a crow and then go hide somewhere until I have use for you.”

  As the prince waited for the letter, Danielle took the moment to rifle through her pouch, searching for anything that could help her. She took out each of the items given to her. The tiny dagger came first, but she really had no idea how she could possibly defend herself with such a small weapon so she put it back. The candle would do nothing, which left the vial.

  Danielle took up the vial and looked at it carefully. She had no clue what it would do, but she hoped it helped her. She hid it in her palm and moved slowly over to where the prince had set the wine.

  A crow landed on the ground and the prince took up the letter it dropped. He broke the seal and unfurled the paper and read carefully. His eyes flitted through the letter and he grimaced.

  “It says here that Morgin expects you back to him after I have finished with you. Apparently, he didn’t get his chance with you after all. It says you got away from him.” The prince crumbled the letter. “It makes more sense now why you came to me so unharmed and still so full of life.” The prince smiled wickedly at her and Danielle froze. “But Morgin will have to wait his turn until I’m finished. And by then I’m sure he won’t be thrilled. Because when I’m done with you, you won’t even be able to stand.”

  Danielle trembled and he laughed as he threw the letter out of the nest to let the crows pick at it. He approached her and crossed his arms. “You lied to me though. And I don’t care to be lied to…”

  Danielle bowed her head. Her fingers in a tight fist around the vial. “My prince, I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  The prince went over to the wine in front of her and picked up the bottle.

  “No!” Danielle shouted putting up her hand to stop him. “Please let us have some again, I promise I will be good.”

  “You don’t get any this time for your lie. But I shall have some and then we shall continue what we started before.” The prince went to take his goblet, but Danielle snatched it before he could.

  “Please then, my prince, let me serve you,” Danielle pleaded.

  The prince straightened and stared down at her curiously. “Very well.” He chuckled darkly. “You serve it to me then I want you on your knees before me.” The prince lowered himself into the bed and sat, lounging against a set of pillows and propping his arms on the edge.

  Danielle took the bottle and his goblet and set them on the edge opposite him. Carefully she poured the wine. She turned her back to the prince when he looked away from her to watch one of his crows glide down to him and quickly slipped in the liquid from the vial. She used it all, uncertain of how much should be used, having no time to decide if only a few drops would suffice. She hid the vial under one of the pillows as she took up the goblet and went over to the prince.

  The prince grabbed the goblet and took a swig then set the goblet down. Danielle’s eyes followed his movements, watching for any sign of change.

  How long does it take? And how will I know?

  The prince gestured her closer and Danielle crawled over. He reached up and shifted her hair away from her, to fall at her back. “I’ll forgive you for your lie, but you must do something for me first.” He gestured between his legs where the length of him lay, still hard as stone. “Your forgiveness is there, if you please me I’ll see the punishment fulfilled.”

  Danielle bit her lip. Better to please him in this way and hope that some effect took place before he ravaged her again like before.

  Danielle licked her lips and lowered her head down to him. She took him in her mouth and the prince inhaled sharply and spread his legs to give her more access to him. Danielle drew more of him into her mouth and moved slowly, taking her time, tasting the slick, hard, saltiness of him.

  The prince groaned and lay his head back and Danielle kept going in slow, full strokes, watching nervously as his talons curled, scraping at the edge of the bed. She continued on for some time until her lips tingled and her mouth grew sore. She knew she wouldn’t be able to continue much longer so she went faster, her tongue flicking and stroking at his length and tip. The prince didn’t respond.

  Danielle didn’t expect to feel disappointed, but she did, thinking she couldn’t be that bad. She lifted her mouth away and went to say something when suddenly a growl escaped the prince’s mouth.

  No. Not a growl. A snore.

  The prince was asleep.

  Danielle rose and looked upon his masked face and saw his eyes were closed and he snored softly. She reached out as if to touch him but then pulled her hand back.

  No, that might wake him. This is my chance. I need to go now.

  Silently Danielle backed away, watching him carefully as she did. She took up her pouch and lantern and tied the bag to her wrist and slipped the lantern’s chain across her neck. She scampered out of the bed pit and went over to the golden chest. Opening it she saw the key dangling as she had seen before. She snatched it up and quickly stuffed it into the pouch then closed the chest doors.

  A caw split the air above her and she looked up to see a dozen crows watching her, perched on the ends of the vines and branches making up the nest. Their beady red eyes observed her, likely wondering—now that their master was through with her—if they could pick at her for a snack.

  Danielle snuck past them and their master and went to the edge of the nest. She looked down and could see the drop below was too far for her to jump. She turned around and took hold of one of the vines and carefully climbed down.

  It was far easier to climb down then up. Danielle used the vine to shimmy down most of the way. She still got a few scrapes from slipping twice, but after less than half an hour she had found her way to the bottom. As she planted her feet firmly on the ground, she looked up and saw the crows were circling her. Uncertain of how long the drug would keep the prince asleep she made her way back into the orchard and ran as fast as her feet could take her despite the stinging all over her body as she moved.

  As Danielle made it to the opposite side of the orchard and ran up the steps, she stopped one last time to look up at the tree and thought she caught a glimpse of great wings unfurling. Heart racing, she fled out of the crow prince’s keep and turned down a dark hall past the great door that led back into Prince Morgin’s domain. She shivered, feeling like someone was watching her. A shadow caught the corner of her eye but then, as she went to look, was instantly gone. She turned and kept running onward until her breath burned in her lungs and her legs ached, but she didn’t stop until she was outside the crow prince’s domain.

  Stumbling through the palace, the halls grew dark and eerie once again and seemed to grow dimmer the farther Danielle went. Soon the hallways were changing not only in shape and size (growing narrower and taller) but in design as well. Dingy, medieval passageways and halls now turned more gothic and cathedral-like, with large, narrow mirrors set between pillars in the walls, making the halls seem vaster than they actually were.

  At one point Danielle again turned up her lantern in order to see as the halls became pitch black except for the narrowest bit of light from the moon spilling through slim windows up high.

  The cuts along Danielle’s skin began to bleed again. She looked for any sign of a room that might hold a bath or water of some kind, but there were none. The halls had no other passages or doors leading in or out.

  As Danielle turned a corner, she felt a slight breeze nip at her skin, reminding her of her bareness, with the dress clinging to her in shreds. Another hall greeted her, only this time there was a staircase at the end that led downward. The stair went straight for a short distance then spiraled down into darkness. Danielle had no choice but to continue on.

  Making her way down the stair she heard the dripping of water and soft flapping sound coming from nearby. The darkness consumed the light like before. Her lantern dimmed more and more as she made her way downward. It grew colder as well. Danielle shivered and rubbed her arms then winced as she grazed a cut. New blood from the slices had stained her skin and was beginning to dry.

  As she made it to the end of the stair, she turned up her lantern to its most bright, but it barely penetrated the darkness. She stepped off the last step and lifted her lantern to find another door before her, this time with the symbol of a bat.

  With shaking fingers, Danielle took out her map and unfurled it. As she checked it she found that she was in the lower quarters of the palace. The bat’s domain made up most of the lower quarters except for one area passed it: one with the symbol of a fish.

  With fish meant water, Danielle hoped, and then maybe after she could find a place to bandage her cuts. But first, she must make it past the next domain and hope the prince there would not be as difficult as the last.

  With her wounds still fresh and her energy waning it would take more effort. She decided then that, if she couldn’t easily sneak around or get the key from this next prince, she would pass him by to get to the domain of the fish where hopefully she could clean herself.

  Danielle approached the withered looking door and pushed hard. To her relief, it opened for her with a creak that echoed down the passage. Danielle stood in the center looking in and saw that her lantern’s light did not pass through the dark beyond. The darkness swirled like fog before her.

  She hesitated to go forward until she heard something on the stair, like that of soft feet behind her. She jumped and looked up, but saw no one.

  Danielle’s throat grew dry. She turned back to the passage before her and cursed under her breath. She took a deep breath and entered the blinding darkness.

  Chapter Five

  Her lantern went out as soon as she entered the passage, but Danielle didn’t stop. The air was thick and smelled of earth and sulfite, stinging her nose. She reached out her hands in the dark but felt nothing in front or beside her. She stumbled onward uncertain if she was even going the right direction or if there was any direction at all until a tiny flame breached the darkness ahead. Danielle walked toward it and soon more flames flickered into life. Enough light penetrated the dark for her to make out a room ahead.

  Danielle stopped in the passage’s doorway and looked in with squinted eyes. Beyond her was a chamber that looked like the inside of a cathedral only the ceiling was way taller; at least she assumed it must be for she couldn’t see its end. Rows of smooth pillars on each side stretched up into the darkness above. Set in small alcoves along them were thick, white candles, all flickering silently. Danielle passed the pillars and saw more candles set all along the walls, some ranging in size from as small as her index finger, to as long and thick as her forearm. The candle’s light created a deep orange glow similar to her lantern’s, giving off little tendrils of heat that licked at her skin, bring warmth back into her limbs and arms.

  Danielle walked along the center and spied a small, narrow passage in the wall to her right.

  That will be my way out if things go bad.

  A sound like fingers scraping along stone from above made Danielle jump and look up. She saw nothing, but backed toward a pillar and hid beside it, regardless. She searched the darkness for any sign of movement. She thought she caught the sight of several shapes moving along the ceiling, but was uncertain if it were just shadows playing tricks.

  Her eyes lingered downward, toward the end of the chamber, then widened. She left the pillar to sneak around to the side, silently making her way to the back. As she approached the end, she stopped at a short stair leading to a dais. Atop the dais was a large stone slab and beyond that was a tall statue of a bat, with a wide, cat-like grin, showing two long fangs. Its evil eyes stared down to the slab below and its wings stretched out wide to each side where more candles sat under it. The shadows cast by the flickering flames gave it a sinister appearance, but that’s not what caught Danielle’s attention. Around its narrow neck dangled a chain, shining silver with a key on its end.

  The key’s base held the symbol of the bat.

  Danielle looked around carefully and saw no prince or any other creature lurking, but she knew they could be anywhere. If she was quiet enough, perhaps she could get to the key and slip it off then make a run for the small passage before anyone saw her.

  She could only hope she was that lucky.

  Danielle waited a moment first, watching and listening for any signs of someone approaching; then, as softly as she could, she made her way up the dais. She passed over the slab carefully then headed for the statue. The statue was taller than her, forcing her to think of a way to climb up to its head. She looked around and noticed that the statue wasn’t totally against the back wall. She could shimmy up the side.

  Danielle moved around the back and lifted one bare foot, setting it on the bat’s bent leg, then she grabbed hold of its wing and pulled herself up. Standing on her toes she reached up with one hand and grabbed at the chain. She tried to lift it over the bat’s head but, to her dismay, she couldn’t reach that high. She tried to tug it off instead, but the chain was strong. Danielle reached up with both hands and grabbed it. She pulled hard, swaying, then used her weight to try to detach it.

  With gritted teeth, she tugged again and the chain snapped. Danielle fell forward, but caught herself and landed on her feet beside the statue. She righted herself then took the key and put it into her little pouch.

 

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