The Chosen Soul (13 page)

as much as the next villager. However, she was under no false notions of what,
exactly
, she was, and the last thing she wanted to do was accidentally blast her brother into

oblivion the next time he said something untoward to her.

She crawled back into bed late that night, discouraged and badly missing her brother.

She’d been allowed to check up on him, but his unconscious form was not the best

conversationalist. She had never before gone this long without being able to talk to her

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twin. It was disorienting, and by the time she pulled her soft, warm covers over her head,

she was literally exhausted by the emotions thrumming through her.

She was asleep within seconds.

The next morning, Winter awoke as Raven. She stretched lazily in the large comfy

bed and then slid off to make her way to the mirror across the room. When she saw her

more familiar form staring back at her, she let out a whoop of delight, knowing that she

would now be able to return with her brother to the Terran realm.

Almost instantly, the doors to her chambers came flying open, causing Raven to

squeal again in surprise. She turned to find one of the noble arch devils she’d met the

previous day standing just within her doorway, golden eyes flashing and weapon drawn.

Raven’s heartbeat sped up and she took a stumbling step backward. The man’s eyes

narrowed and he smiled a threatening, fang-tipped grin.

Adonides had been waiting outside the Princess’s chambers when he’d heard a

screech from inside the room. Immediately, he’d charged the quarters, drawing his sword

as he ran through. What greeted him, though an enticing sight under normal

circumstances, was most definitely not what he had expected.

Winter was no where in the room. In her place stood a completely nude young

woman of incredible beauty, though mortal in appearance, with long ebony hair, a slight

tan, and a slender, perfect body. It was the kind of body one such as himself had the

craving to see in chains – and nothing else. It was the kind of body he could get quite

used to commanding for many, many nights. But it was not the Princess. And, no matter

how beautiful this woman was, she had done something with Malphas’s daughter and that

was his primary concern.

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He watched as the woman yelped in surprise at his intrusion and took a step

backward. His gaze narrowed and he couldn’t help the predatory grin that slid across his

lips. He wanted this little intruder to run from him. She would be incredibly fun to catch...

and interrogate.

And then something struck him. A similarity. Something in the eyes – though they

were deep black and not at all like Winter’s, there was a familiar expression about them.

An
innocence
. Surely, a traitor, an intruder, would not look so surprised to see him standing there. Certainly, one who had planned the kidnapping of Malphas’s daughter

would not be completely naked in her bedroom right now.

And then he understood.

“Princess?”

Raven stared at the man before her. Her blood rushed in her ears as a thousand

thoughts raced through her mind, one after another. Pain. Death. Torture. Fear. And then

he addressed her, in a formal but questioning manner, and his expression softened. And

Raven found herself able to breathe again.

“Yes!” she answered, and doubled over, clutching her knees as a wave of dizziness

swept over her body. “Yes, it’s me. Watch.”

And she changed. It was easy. All she needed to do was want it, and the shifting took

place. She realized that she hadn’t been able to control it before because she really hadn’t wanted to go back to being Raven. Raven was hunted. Raven was captured and abused.

Winter, on the other hand, was treated like royalty. Winter
was
royalty.

Adonides’s eyes grew wide as he witnessed the mind-boggling transformation of one

incredible beauty into another. And in seconds, Princess Winter, the stunning daughter of

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his master, stood before him in all of her dark, seductive glory. He swallowed and

whirled around, turning his back on her.

“I apologize, your Highness. I did not know it was you.” He prayed that she would

be forgiving, not like her father, and that she would not have him punished for intruding

on her while she was in such a state of undress. Still, even if she did, he had to admit that a large part of him felt it was well worth it.

Winter blinked, somewhat confused. She thought for a moment in silence. And then

she realized that none of the other devils besides her father had seen her Terran form. She needed to be more careful.

“No, it’s all right.”

She wasn’t used to the way Winter’s voice sounded seductive and helplessly sexy no

matter what she said. But she didn’t exactly mind, either. With the grace of long, well-

muscled legs, she moved to the bed, grabbed one of the white satin sheets, and held it in

front of her, idly and barely covering her breasts and that intimate area between her legs.

“You can turn around now.” She couldn’t suppress the erotic chill that raced up

her spine at the fact that she wore only a thin satin sheet in protection against a very

powerful devil. Even at her new height, this devil stood nearly a foot taller than her. He

was only slightly shorter than her father. Powerful. Dangerous.

“Princess, I am Adonides. I am here to see to your safety. Please forgive my

presence.” His tone was courteous and filled with reverence, and so was his expression

until he turned to see that she hadn’t exactly gotten dressed.
Dark Powers give me

strength
, he thought to himself. She looked even more tempting now that there was

something to tear away from her body. Adonides was suddenly very certain that if he did

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not leave the princess’s chambers soon, he would find himself using every power he had

in his faculties to bend her to his will. Consequences be damned.

She stared at him for a few moments, not knowing what to do or say. He smiled at

her, disarmingly, and she smiled back. “I’m sorry... Adonides. I guess I’m just not used to how things are done... down here.” She spoke, and her voice held the deep timbre that

accompanied lust and desire. She didn’t do it on purpose. It simply came with the form.

Adonides’s jaw clenched.
Get out now
, he told himself. “Princess Winter, I will

await your presence in the hall and then I will escort you to the dining room. The cook

has prepared your breakfast.” He sheathed his sword and then turned quickly and left the

room, closing the doors securely behind him. Once outside, he ran his hand through his

hair, leaned up against the stone wall, and took a slow deep breath.

Winter watched him go. When the doors were closed, she let the sheet fall and turned

to gaze at herself in the mirror. She truly was splendid. Her body was long, her muscles

well defined and rippling, her skin smooth and dark, highlighting the tone and definition

beneath its surface. Her breasts were slightly larger than Raven’s, full and perfectly

round, with darker nipples that pointed upward, defying gravity. And speaking of gravity,

her wings were absolutely incredible. She smiled happily as she fluffed them and then

spread them to their full span. The light from the windows played across their blue-black

sheen and she wrapped them around herself to luxuriate in their thick softness.

She looked back in the mirror to carefully study her face. Her eyes were tri-colored,

ringed in platinum, ice-blue hue encircling a sparkling golden fire. Her lips were full and red and her tiny fangs contrasted a stark white just behind them. Yes. She liked this new

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form. She did a quick twirl and began humming a tune, delighting in the sound of her

other-worldly voice.

Now that she had retained a little control over her situation, she realized that this was

actually kind of fun. And then another wave of dizziness swept over her and she doubled

over once again, trying to regain her balance. She was weak. She needed food. The last

few days had been a trial to her system, to say the least.

When she emerged from the chamber a short while later, she was wearing the most

revealing outfit Malphas’s royal tailor had made for her because she just could not bring

herself to cover any more of her perfect, soft flesh. She liked the way it felt when her

wings and hair brushed against it. She felt alive with sensuality.

But the hungry look in her guardian’s eyes when he gently took her arm made her

wonder whether she should have chosen something a little more conservative. Still, he

said nothing, so she dismissed her sudden wariness and turned her thoughts to other

things.

When they arrived in the dining room, she was thinking about her brother and

wondering when they would be allowed to return home.

“
This
is your home, child
.”

Winter froze in place and Adonides’s grip on her arm tightened ever so slightly, as if

he felt she might bolt and run at any second. Her father stood at the opposite end of the

dining room. Two noble guards flanked him.

Winter said nothing. She swallowed nervously.

“
Please, sit, daughter. You must feed. I can feel your weakness from here
.”

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Adonides led her gently to the chair at one end of the table, pulled it out for her, and

waited for her to sit before sliding it in.

Winter’s gaze raked over the giant meal before her and her mouth watered. The

tabletop seemed to present everything she had ever wanted for breakfast and nothing that

she didn’t like. It was as if he had watched her choose her meals for the past twenty

years.

She glanced up at Malphas then, and could not suppress the ardent chill that raced,

unbidden, through her new body when she found his eyes intently locked with hers.

Somehow, she found the will to speak. “Will you be joining me?”

His features changed suddenly, as if he were surprised by her question. He watched

her for a moment more and then responded. “
Of course, if it would please you
.”

She nodded slowly and smiled.

Malphas returned the smile. However, his was a victorious smile that almost hinted

of admonition. Winter pulled her gaze back to the meal before her and hoped that the

danger she had just foreseen in the dark lord’s face had only been her imagination.

*****

Later, the Lord of Caina stood at the open parapet of the tallest tower in his grand

keep of ice. He looked out over the stark white landscape. He smiled to himself. His

daughter had accepted him as her guardian, her father.

Every now and again, he’d had to push her mind a little, just ever so slightly. But it

hadn’t taken much. She was so desperate for acceptance, for solace from the confusion

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that was her world, that her spirit did not really fight him, and his own soul fairly soared with the victory.

He relished in the thought of having his daughter and heir stand beside him,

willingly, strong and fierce in her beauty and the Darkness of her innate power.

“My liege, a word?”

Malphas turned from the open window and acknowledged his steward.

“
Yes, Adonides
?”

“My lord, I noticed that there was no meat upon the princess’s breakfast table.”

Malphas smiled and nodded, knowingly. “
No. There was not.
”

“I am confused, my lord. Does she not need to feed?”

“
She does. However, Winter’s willpower is very set on just a few key points.

This is one of them. She refuses to eat anything that must die to sustain her.
”

Adonides’s expression was blatantly worried. “She will not regain her powers unless

she does so.”

“
A devil must consume
life
, Adonides, in order regain spent power. Life flows
through us all.
” Malphas raised his right arm and waved it in the air. Light shimmered around his fist, and a moment later, a dagger possessed of a twisted, sharpened blade

appeared in his hand. He pressed the dagger’s point to his left wrist and pierced the flesh.

Red blood instantly welled up and dripped over the edge of his wound, to drop and pool

on the icy floor below. “
It is in our veins. I need not die to shed this life here
.” He waved his hand again and the dagger disappeared. In the next instant, his wound sealed

up, and the blood vanished. “
My daughter will have no trouble finding a willing

donor.
”

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Adonides closed his eyes and lowered his head respectfully. He understood.

He turned then and left his master as he had found him.

*****

Raven laced up the bodice of one of the tunics the tailor had fashioned for her. Each

of the outfits he had magically created possessed the ability to change along with her

form when she transformed from one to the other.

The material of the accouterments she now wore was a jet sable hue with an

iridescent blue sheen and was incredibly soft to the touch. The skirt was long and hugged