The women meet their captor, a gnome female named Marigold. Velda is sure that there is a man in the next cell. They can only hope it's Alton or Revanth.

"A man," Velda said with confidence.

"Don't be silly."

"I can smell him. Is he handsome? He smells delicious."

The gnome frowned. "How can you possibly smell him?" Frowning, she realized her mistake. The door slammed shut.

"Can you really smell a man?" Astrid whispered.

Velda chuckled softly. "Not unless he's in the room with me. But there is a sense of male-ness coming from the room. An energy, like something I've felt before. My spirit recognizes it, even if my other senses do not."

"Is it Alton?"

"No. But I think it might be Revanth."

"The men yesterday said man, not horse?"

"Yes."

Astrid bounced excitedly. "Do you think so? Could it be?"

"We'll see," Velda said, but didn't hold her breath. "We'll hope."


The strange figure appeared again the following day. Revanth ignored it, but felt as if eyes crept up his spine, digging into his mind. He was careful not to think of Alton, or their quest, while this went on. He stared at the wall, looking for cracks, and finding none. The person came back several more times, but did not speak. The examination of his mind went on longer each time, the person probing deeper. On one such probe, Revanth felt it getting too close, so he flashed up a memory of his night with the three sisters. Making it as explicit as possible, he filled his mind with desire and carnal thoughts. The figure gasped and the door slammed shut.

Not long after, the door swung open again. A tall, blue skinned woman with ebony hair stood framed in the doorway. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded, stalking into the room.

"Meaning of what?" He stared at the ceiling, not looking at her.

"This!"

Images of him with Dannae, Pilar and Oonah flashed into his mind, all of them mid-climax. Viewing the women from his perspective, he saw and heard them, and himself, moaning with pleasure.

"Oh, that." He smirked, sitting up. "That was a bit of fun, in exchange for information. About you, I'm guessing."

"My daughters would never—" She snapped her lips shut.

"Would never tell your secrets? Betray you?" Revanth tilted his head to one side, then the other. "Unless they were lying, Rialtia. Is that why you hold one of them prisoner? Did she betray you?" He stood, advancing as far as his chains would allow. Tugging on them, he clanked them against the stone. Sparks flew.

Rialtia flinched, stepping back. Revanth grinned, laughing nastily. "Let me loose, I'll love you, too."

"Don't be silly. I've had enough daughters."

"Who needs to mate just for procreation? Where's the fun in that? How long has it been since you lay with a man, Rialtia? You're still a beautiful woman. Any man would be lucky to make you scream, as you reach fulfillment. As I made three lovely naiads scream. It was a deal we struck, but I'd have done it regardless. Your daughters are quite lovely. But none are as beautiful as you."

Layering his voice with lust and promises, he spun his lies. He might not have magic in the ways of Alton and Velda, but he cast a spell of his own with his words. He could sense her weakening, drawn to him by his magnetic voice. She took a step closer, then another. When she was within his reach, Revanth spread his arms, flexing them against the chains. His muscles stood out in sharp relief.

"Come to me, my intoxicating Rialtia. Join me and I will make love to you until the end of our days. You're still youthful, sensuous. See how you make my body swell?"

His pants clung to his muscular body, the dark contours in sharp contrast to the light stone behind him. There was no mistaking his dimensions. Rialtia's eyes dropped to examine his groin with longing. She took another step, easily within his reach.

"Take me out," he whispered huskily. "See me. Feel me. Suck—me."

With trembling hands, she opened his pants, lowering them from his taut abdomen, setting him free. Gasping with delight, her fingers dropped to his firmness. Absorbed in her examination of his dimensions, she failed to notice his actions. Keeping his thoughts on coupling, Revanth made his move. As Rialtia touched him, he wrapped the chains around her throat and torso, binding her arms to her sides. His mouth on hers saved him from her words of power as the iron chains bound her body.

She struggled, trying to free herself, but iron was even more effective against fae than it was against humans. She grew weak, but Revanth didn't relax his grip on her. He didn't trust her for a moment.

"You lied to me," she growled when he finally released her mouth. "Did you really mate with my daughters?"

"Oh, yes. Delightful, all of them Especially Oonah, so young and fresh. To be her first...." He drew a hissing breath between his teeth. "Delicious. If I could have her all the time, I'd never look at a human woman again."

"Men! Such bastards!"

"Yet, you cannot have your precious daughters without us. And they have their uses—like abducting troublesome humans."

© 2019 Dellani Oakes