Dark Empathy by Archibald Bradford (inspiring books for teens TXT) 📕

again and blue lightening shot out into the Amazon, her muscles no longer responding to her orders as she fell to her knees.

The other Tenebrae surged forwards and with her body unresponsive Yana was quickly overwhelmed and pinned to the ground by the eerily silent girls as yet more Antlions flooded the room.

Control over her muscles returned gradually, and even when she was finally able to move again she was fully restrained, forced to watch as a bloody-fingered Jonathan fumbled through the satchel of medical supplies.

He’d already managed to get her spear free of his chest, and her eyes widened in horror when she saw the little glass vial that he was after.

“You bled a Dryad?! Neucta scum!”

A Dryad’s blood could be used in place of her healing magic, but only if the monster girl in question had died in the giving of it. Trafficking or possession of the substance meant a mandatory fifty year dig, so the black market had dried up for it a long time ago.

The scent of spring filled the underground room as Jonathan poured the greenish blood over his wound with shaking fingers.

“NO!!” Yana cried out.

Frustrated tears streamed down her face as she saw his wound closing and her goal rapidly sinking into impossibility.

The Tenebrae gripping each of her limbs were simply too strong, the dark girls chittered and spat at her when she struggled, but did nothing more to harm her.

“Keep that shit away from me.” Evadne swore with one hand pressed to her bleeding shoulder and the other her gut.

“I know dammit!” He snapped back; “And where the hell did she come from?!”

He gestured wildly at the Amazon, who was still struggling vainly to break free of the dark girls around her.

“I don’t care. I’m going to fucking eat her.”

“Don’t be an idiot, look at how strong she is!”

Evadne turned her glare on Jonathan and snarled at him.

“Exactly! Look at how strong she is! She is an Amazon warleader! It would take you ages to break her mind, and that’s if you even could!”

Yana froze mid-struggle at that.

They want to turn me into a Tenebrae!

The thought made her blood run cold as the pair continued their argument.

“Enough! Chain the bitch up for now!” Evadne finally relented with a grimace; “You need to redo my stitches.”

Her bond-mate ground his teeth together, but did as she said, righting the table and gathering the necessary supplies while the Tenebrae carried Yana off into the darkness of one of the many caves around the large room.

Chapter 21:Breakfast Conversation

Escrya woke to find a purring Katje licking her face.

With each stroke of Erica’s tongue a loud rasping noise echoed around the dorm room.

“Um, good morning?”

“Uh huh.”

The cat didn’t even pause in her work, merely purring louder as her chin moved with every stroke, her black ears raised high and twisting side to side and flicking occasionally as she worked.

The young warrior squirmed somewhat, but did nothing to dislodge her.

“What is happening?”

“Can’t believe I’m going to say this, but you get used to it.” Nina said drily.

She was cross-legged on the bed munching on an apple and watching the Amazon.

The young blonde was more than a little uncomfortable under the giant’s inscrutable gaze.

“Okay?”

Once Erica finally finished with her tongue bath she pulled away just far enough to get one finger under Escrya’s nose.

“So… how was it?”

It would be an understatement to call it a loaded question.

Escrya smiled shyly, but lifted her chin.

“It was the greatest night of my life.”

Nina bit down on her apple noisily before nodding.

“Good answer. You have nice cans by the way.”

“O-oh, thank you.”

While the monsters around her were fully clothed, The Amazon was completely nude, and at some point during the night Nameless had stolen most of the covers.

“They’re different from Milly’s or Ophelia’s, they’re kind of perky like Volka’s.” The Gigas continued.

“I’m a fan myself.” Nameless said drowsily from beneath the stolen blankets.

With her master awake, Erica crawled over Escrya to reach him, deliberately rubbing her own breasts against Escrya’s before jerking the blankets away to give herself room to run her tongue from Nameless’s chin to his temple.

“Morning lover.” She purred; “Did you have a good night?”

Again it was a loaded question.

“You know that I did.”

“Oh, you know that I know. I can taste you on her, it is exquisite.”

She scrambled around again, this time bringing her mouth to Escrya’s breasts and scraping her tongue across it before suckling at her pert nipple.

Escrya gasped at the sensation, turning scarlet at the forward Katje’s hungry lips.

“Don’t mind her, she’s just saying hello.” Milly giggled from the side of the bed, though there was an edge of apprehension in her voice as she reached out and settled her hand on Escrya’s shoulder; “I’m sorry if I made you feel like you were unwelcome.”

A single tear traced down the Amazon’s cheek at the heartfelt words.

“I-I swear to you Milly, I will become worthy of your kindness.”

She yelped though when someone bit the inside of her thigh, looking down she saw it was Volka, the wily angel having somehow worked herself between her legs without her noticing.

“You have nothing to prove to any of us, daughter of Alcaia. If you were not worthy, you would not be here.”

Ophelia leaned in from the other side of Nameless and now Escrya was feeling a little crowded with all the monsters around her, not that she really minded.

The Flutterby gave her a light peck on the lips.

“She’s right, dearheart. And now we are going to kick our master out of the room so we can talk.”

“We are?” Nameless said blankly.

An unrelenting grip seized his ankle and he yelped