The Goddess of Death and Her Empress

"Where is Nuri?" Nadya asked quietly as Lena sat on the bed where she was being held.

"Being reminded of her sister's affection. Nikki was quite saddened by her lack of trust, and wants to try to remind her of their deep friendship." Kyrie said. "Now, as for you, I'm not surprised by your behavior, but the Empress is angry with you."

"I understand." Nadya said.

"Do you?" Kyrie grinned. "You understand from your own perspective, and believe the wrong things. You believe that the Empress is angry with you because she is disappointed in who she chose." Kyrie watched as Lena turned, crawled up onto the bed, and laid on top of Nadya. She looked down into Nadya's shining solid brown eyes.

"Such lovely eyes. I've waited long enough to taste you. I will have you now." Nadya watched as a pair of lips lowered, and covered her right eye. Her lids were parted by the Empress's lips, which gently pushed down as she sucked.

"Oh." Nadya murmured as her eye was removed and chewed.

"So good." Lena said in a low tone. She leaned down and gently sucked out her other eye. "No wonder they are called jellies, and the perfect treat for the sisters who Offer their sisters upon the altar."

"The jellies are salty candies given to their chosen sisters on one day only." Kyrie said. "The Offering has to feel an affection for the ones who send her to me, in order for the day to have special meaning. It is the most intimate act imaginable for the Offering."

"Shush, and come over here, Kyrie!" Lena said with a slight whine. "You eat her left breast, I am having her right! Ah, so hungry!" As her sharp teeth sheared through Nadya's flesh, Nadya moaned.

"She is so delicious!" Lena said and took another bite. "Every bite, every moan, every small movement of her lovely body just makes me even hungrier!" Kyrie grinned as the Empress lost her senses in the feast of flesh. The shadows smiled as Nadya grew taller, and more fleshy.

"She doesn't want it to end." Valina said in a whisper.

"Would you?" Valyria said softly. "This is what she really looks like. Tall, thick with muscle and nice deposits of fat. Nadya was always beautiful, even if she didn't know it."

They watched as Lena grew frantic, and ravenous. She was in a frenzy, devouring Nadya down to the bones, and even crunching her bones until nothing remained. Lena slowly came back to her senses, and pulled Nadya's core out of her mouth.

"Thank you, my precious Nadya." Lena kissed her core. "Time to go back and rest. Your time to recharge is a day only. Once that day is up, it will grow uncomfortable. If you pass two days, it will be agony." She kissed her core again, and put the gem in Kyrie's hand.

"Valina. Take her back and let Lydia take care of her. Valyria. Go and take over for Valcynie. She needs to be devoured by the Empress." Kyrie said with a wicked grin on her lips.

"Yes, I am not yet sated." Lena said firmly. "When are the Elorshin expected to arrive?" Hannah appeared from the doorway.

"In the next week, the first caravans shall appear." Hannah said with a soft voice. She knelt down when Lena crooked her finger. She laid her head on Lena's lap.

"Make sure the squads of Shadows follow and protect their descendants." She said and ran her fingers through her hair. "Why are you so familiar to me, Hannah? Like I've known you for a long time." This was the gentle voice of the girl Kyrie knew from when she was five.

Like Lena said, this girl felt familiar to the goddess, but she didn't know why either. Like her memory was blocked, or purposely forgotten.

* * *

Valcynie was in Haven, recovering her energy, and happily being warmed by Nadya within the palace. Valjhana was being consumed by the Empress now, and her tendencies became obvious to all.

"Submit!" Lena said angrily as she chewed on Valjhana's limbs. Her passion rose, Jhana groaned and moaned as she was consumed in a way she had never before felt, and yet it was so familiar too.

Lena crunched her bones, gorged herself on her organs and slowly chomped her way towards her head. When she took her last bites, she pulled Jhana's core up out of her stomach and into her mouth.

"I could suck on your life force until you were empty, Jhana. Submit." Lena kissed the core gently, then fiercely scraped a fang across it. "SUBMIT!" She roared, and shook the temple. Lena slowly smiled.

"Good girl." She blew a white mist onto the surface that had grown dull, and turned the amber colored core dark red.

"She'll need a little mist from you from now on. She can still recharge in Haven, but you'll need to give her a little energy as well." Kyrie said.

"It was necessary. My Valjhana resisted so I would take her properly. My shadows will all eventually need to feed from myself, and you, goddess. I am your mate, after all." Kyrie grinned and slid up to her side. She hugged Lena and held her firmly against her chest.

"Patience, Kyrie." Lena whispered with a blush on her cheeks. "We have so much to do." Kyrie sighed and lightly kissed Lena's shoulder.

"I know you're saying what I want to hear, but when will you feel it too?" Kyrie said.

"I only feel the edge of it, Kyrie." Lena said with a small voice. "I'm not even twenty yet, but I make many decisions for beings hundreds of years older than myself."

"You act so confident, and do it so they can't see the truth. It is a lot of pressure." Kyrie said gently.

"Your people are important to you. I follow my instincts as closely as I can, but I am always aware that I can make a mistake that will bring them harm." She said in a small voice. "I executed over a dozen different Others in order to protect a few who would not exert their will enough to ask for help. Did I do the right thing?" She asked Kyrie.

"That shouldn't be your question." She held Lena firmly. "I let it happen, only because the rules were not broken. You could have judged my own lack of action, but you didn't."

"Not acting immediately was not the wrong thing to do. You made the rules, and if they asked only once, you would have moved. They never did. They believed the words of liars over Nikki. They made their own decisions. In the end, everyone should be warned that their own decisions will affect their lives in Haven, good or bad. If they choose not to ask, they won't receive." Lena said firmly. "Why should you act when they didn't break the rules?"

"They didn't skirt them either." Kyrie said. "They came close, but only used words to convince them." Kyrie groaned, as she had wanted to act many times, but her rules were there for a reason. She didn't want to punish ones who once Offered themselves to her freely, especially since they hadn't broken her rules, or laws.

"Since they are still children in their hearts, and easily bruised, I shall keep them with me. Poor foolish girls." Lena sighed. "So, how did Nikki do?" Kyrie grinned.

"That foolish girl was eaten right down to her bones. She's back with Nadya, recovering in Haven. Nikki was so pissed at her." Kyrie said with a smile.

"Send Nikki there to hold her while she recovers. I'm sure there are some things she didn't say in front of the shadows." Lena leaned back against her.

"Enough about them. I'm tired. You're my pillow tonight." Lena said. Kyrie grinned.

"I can't wait until I can take you home."

* * *

"Hm, she really drove those hooks deep, didn't she?" Lydia said. Valcynie grinned, while Valjhana blushed.

"She was so powerful, Lydia." Jhana said softly. "She wouldn't listen to any excuses either. I had to give in." She pouted, but started to smile. "Ah, she was so strong! Just like the goddess!" Jhana rolled around on the floor, wrapped herself up in the blanket, and squealed like a girl.

"However, they can't handle it." Lydia pointed to Nadya who groaned in pain. "She's not fully recharged, but it's already causing her pain." Jhana smirked.

"She should have been obedient then." Jhana said. "They had her attention!" She growled. "They were favored, but didn't believe!" She bared her teeth, but slowly calmed herself. "I already feel a pull on my core, and need to return. She may not be fully recharged, but it doesn't matter. Go back, let her ease their pain, then come back to top up."

"You don't feel bad in the least, do you?" Lydia asked. Jhana growled again.

"They didn't ask. Not once. The goddess would have split Haven open to bring them out of there if they had only asked. Instead, it was the Empress who needed someone to keep her warm and make her not feel alone." Jhana glared at the two who groaned on the bed. "The Empress showed them favor, but how do they repay her concern and attention?" Valcynie rose up from the floor.

"Come on, Jhana. You know how the Empress feels about the Shadows." Valcynie said and put her hand on Jhana's shoulder. "All of us have the surname Val. Like the goddess." Valjhana blushed and lowered her eyes.

"You think she knows?" Valjhana asked quietly. Lydia grinned.

"Of course she knows. She is the Empress."