Shadow of the Abyss

Chapter 113: Pegasus

It was first light when the Prince stormed out of his room, his face flush with rage. Whistling, Ren followed after him, smiling beneath her mask, massaging Altair's vicious bite over her wrist, wrapped in bandages, and somewhat light-headed.

"You think if I only ate mangoes and pineapples, my blood might taste differently?" she teased, finding his current expression cute. There had only been a handful of times she'd ever seen him angry. This was a new face. One she found fascinating.

Altair was always calm, always poised, with a bearing of a lord, but today... Today, he bore furrowed brows, narrowed eyes, curled lips, and a set of tensed shoulders. Ren took it all in, turning the corner when, without warning, Altair snatched her, shoving her against the wall, glaring her down.

He tore off her mask, peering into her enchanting red eyes wet with a silver mist, and his heart began to hammer like drums against his chest.

Ren nervously smiled, unsure what he would do or what she would allow. "My Prince?" she tilted her neck, revealing his mark. "Are you still hungry?"

Altair dropped her mask, trembling as his right eye flickered between scarlet and black. "Damn you..." he swore, struggling to maintain any sort of decorum. He could still taste it, her blood on his breath, alongside her lips against his.

"What are you scheming?" He fleshed out, bearing the searing thirst throbbing at the back of his throat.

*Badump *Badump *Badump

Drinking his predatorial stare with her smitten one, feeling her heart quicken, Ren's lips curled up. "How does my blood taste compared to the others?" She asked him, nudging her bruised wrist. "Don't think I don't know of your nightly feedings." she giggled then, curling her arms around his neck, feeling his labored breath against her flesh. "I want to be the only one that gets to feed you."

"You'll die." He promised her.

"I can refine a few Blood Circulation Pills to help with blood loss." Ren retorted. "Or do you find that their blood taste–"

In a burst of anger, Altair pressed his lips against Rens, seizing claim to them as his tongue entwined with hers. He was furious of his own weakness, made bare by his lust for her.

To a point, he became aware she was poison to him. A need he couldn't do without.

Ren allowed it. Caught in a heat of her own. They barely heard the sounds of whistles and praises that caught their ears.

"No fucking in the halls!" A roguish soldier laughed, small like a mouse.

"In the halls! Have you no shame?" Shouted another.

"Shameless!"

"Get it, Girl,"

"Whor–"

Silence came quickly amongst the gathering crowd of soldiers as Altair released his presence without reservation. He stared at the scarlet rose blush over Ren and smiled, sensing her embarrassment.

She was trembling like a fawn in the rain, teary-eyed, before she leaned her head into his chest. Never before had she been so ashamed, caught in a heat before the eyes of everyone. Worse were their worlds and eyes that seemed to warm her cheeks.

"M-m-mask." Ren pleaded in a desperate cry.

"And miss the opportunity to show you off?"

"Art!" Cried Ren.

"Revenge~" laughed the Prince, similar to that of a supervillain. "Mwahaha~"

"Art!" She quickly squealed, far too ashamed to reveal herself. She stomped over his foot and conjured a pillar of bloody red ice to lift her mask to her before dawning it in a hurry. Altair leaned into her ear.

"Wait till we get back." He said and dragged her away from the lingering eyes.

Ren had been silent until noon, when soldiers began to gather outside. Curious, they followed after a few soldiers to the crowd of winged horses, white as morning snow, standing well over seven feet tall, dwarfing the humans around them. They stood tall and proud, heads arched, with two large beady eyes.

Pegasus, Altair knew them to be but had never seen one in person. But knew much of their mythos. Pegasus were old creatures of the Old Gods, said to carry the blood of the Celestials that granted immortality, similar to unicorns. When they are caught, they lose their light, causing the sins of the world to sink in, turning them mortal.

Altair smiled." Of course not. Though, I wonder. What do you have planned?"

Aurora's lips perked up. " Girl talk. You know. Maybe a few drinks. Reina is new to Earth, right? I'm sure she'll be interested in modern music."

"Music!" Ren whirled to her Prince. " can I go?! Can I?" She asked him with a gleam in her eye.

"... why are you asking me? Of course, you can go. You're a big girl, right?!"

"Ren is a big girl!" Ren affirmed, turning to Aurora with such love she practically tackled her with hugs.

With bits of laughter, Altair left her with the girls, finding a table beside the bar where a familiar face caught his eye.

"Altair?"

Altair recognized her immediately as he grinned at the fox-eared woman. "You're the pretzel girl.... Maya Telvac, I believe."

A/N: Chapter 80

"Goodness," Maya grinned, batting her lashes. "You remembered me." She said, with the swaying of a voluptuous figure, catching his eyes at the bar. Maya leaned over the bar top, plumping her breasts up as she stared into his eyes. "Well? What are you having?"

Altair felt the heat rise in him. "How about an Old Fashioned. I've never had one of those." He said hastily, suddenly feeling a set of eyes on him.

Cold, unfeeling eyes.

"Make it two." When Altair turned, he all but smiled, welcoming Amelia's arrival. " and an apple Martini, shaken, with a dash of cinnamon."

For a second, Amilia graced Altair with a smile before sitting beside him. Mesmerizing him with a stunning black dress that clung to her body like a thin film. On her chest lay a long v-shaped incision from her breast to her navel.

She looked stunning tonight. And the eyes clinging to her told her that as much as the words that echoed from Altair's lips.

"Wow. You look amazing." The boy said, taking her all in.

"Really?" Amilia said nervously. It was her first time wearing something so revealing. She smiled, far more uncomfortable than she'd like to admit. She felt naked in this dress. Exposed for all to see.

"Of course. Why would I lie?"

"Facts," Maya added. "You are slaying."

"Though you look a little uncomfortable." Altair kindly mentioned. " Are you cold?"

With a forced smile, she shook her head. "I'm nearing seventy-eight. Imperial military law demands I marry or give birth to children." She whispered, bringing a hard frown to Altair's lips. " I won't be getting any promotions or raises if... if I don't at least put out at functions like these."

"Tsk. I'm so jealous." Maya glared down at Amilia's melon as though she was a cow. " Lt. How'd you get yours so big?"

"Maya~" She protested, covering her chest. And secretly slid her gaze to Altair from the corner of her eye, perking her lips up at his dazed expression.

"Altair?" She called to him.

"Mm?" The boy absentmindedly hummed.

In a burst of pearly laughter, Maya rested an emerald-colored drink settled with a dusting of cinnamon before Amilia and an amber drink garnished with curled orange peel in front of Altair.

"Altair, how much of my notes did you sniff through?" Amilia asked him, recalling the day she experienced her own change within the slums.

The knowledge came easily there. Her own mother was of the Night, seeking pleasure from man, woman, or beast that could have her. Amilia couldn't recall a time when she ever felt ignorance towards the body.

"Why... Why do you want to know?"