Book Cover
Emera's tale is nothing close to Cinderella's for her prince covets only his maid's
pheromones which is necessary for him to live.
With every joining with the Fifth Son, Emera feels herself falling for her alien lover until a night of strange, hungering desires, starts a metamorphosis that changes Emera into something neither human nor Wendh. Before Emera is given answers, she becomes separated from him.
Alone for the first time in her life, Emera must learn to control her Wendh gifts until she can make her way back to her prince.
During her journey, she dangerously learns the joys of freedom as she is joined by Tokie, an ancient, impish being who dwells in the form of an angelic child. Together they discover that Emera’s life is the key to saving a lost love between a king and his queen, stopping a war between father and son, and changing the social order of Wendh and humans--master and slave.
Maps
Synopsis
Many humans have lost their Inner Souls as they are used as an endless supply for Wendhs’ pleasuring needs--as necessary for the aliens as food and water. But Emera desperately clings to her Inner Soul as she struggles to live in the house of the most powerful Primum Wendh of the Tesketan Province. Upon the return of the Primum’s Fifth Son, Emera becomes the sole object of his exotic craving. Transitioning from her role as a simple maid to a coy concubine, Emera must somehow accept her new life or lose her soul to her sweet sufferings.
With every joining with the Fifth Son, Emera feels herself falling for her alien lover until a night of strange, hungering desires, starts a metamorphosis that changes Emera into something neither human nor Wendh. She begins to hear insoluble whisperings in her head, her senses become as keen as a baby Wendh, and her dreams are constantly filled with images of the past lives of the Fifth Son’s ancestors.
Before Emera is given answers to this mysterious transformation, she is accused of being a spy by the Primum himself and is forced to flee Tesketan with the Fifth Son, only to become separated from him during an attack by foreign Wendhs. Alone for the first time in her life, Emera must learn to control her gifts and keep them hidden until she can make her way back to the Fifth Son and the security of his house. But her secret is constantly tested as she becomes involved in an accidental murder, is imprisoned and is accused of being a spy . . . again.
During her journey, Emera dangerously learns the joys of freedom and the value of being self-owned. At this point, she is joined by Tokie, an impish being who dwells in the form of an angelic child. Together they discover that Emera’s life is the key to saving a lost love between a Primum and his Primtress, stopping a war between father and son, and changing the social order of Wendh and humans--master and slave.
Excerpt
Chapter 1 - Hiding
None of us spoke as we hurried to finish our work. I was serving as Maid, my primary job, which I did contently, except during these times. As I rushed to make up the beds, I wondered how much fear had flooded the rooms. There were so few of us left now to clean, and the work was not going as quickly as we needed.
We all jumped to the sound of a crash. One of our sister Maids had dropped her pail of water on the stone floor, and she suppressed a cry of anguish. After finishing my job, I helped her clean up the mess, our arms moving as fast as our hurried breathing.
"Venery!"
Echoes of shrieks and screams floated down the hallway and through the open door, followed by the bellowing laughter of hungry Wendhs. We were too late.
The other Maids immediately dropped what they were doing and ran out of the room. I froze in shock for just a moment as I frantically thought of a place to hide. Upstairs. Rushing out the door, I sped down the hall and up a flight of stairs to an unused guestroom.
Hide. Hide. My eyes darted from object to object around the room, but nothing would suffice. I knew I would be found easily by a Wendh if one carefully searched. My only hope was that the minam I had rubbed on my skin that morning would be enough to cover my scent, and the Wendh would only smell fresh polished oil in this room. It had to be enough until I could find the free hours to escape to my hidden room.
"Venery!"
The sounds of the Wendhs’ bellowing voices interrupted my reverie and propelled me to find a thick curtain behind which I could safely hide. Just a few moments after I crouched down, another servant ran into the room, looking around wildly for a place to hide as well. She caught sight of the closet, a bad choice for concealment, but before I could wonder why she had chosen such a place, a Wendh came through the door. I watched as he caught her foot, right at the moment she was entering the closet, and dragged her to the ground. Kicking and screaming, she was tossed up in the air and then caught in his many twisting arms.
Her uniform identified her as Hostess. She must have been forced to run all the way up to the guest quarters, probably knowing she had a slim chance of escaping.
Yet then I heard her giggle, only so slightly, and I knew that her fear was only pretense. With one eye hidden behind the large curtain, I watched as he flung her body in the air, forcing her on him, thrusting his pelvis towards her again and again as she moaned loudly.
I kept my elbows resting on my thighs and both hands clamped around my mouth. If he had to search for her, he would find me, too. For now, the Wendh’s attention was on the girl, but any other sounds would surely alert him.
What seemed like hours went by, and I was becoming tired and hot behind the curtain. Or was it just the tension that made me sweat? Beads of perspiration trickled down my face and the middle of my back.
I didn’t want to wipe the sweat from my nose for fear that I would be heard. My feet had already fallen asleep from sitting on them, and my knees had swollen and numbed.
The moans and cries of the Wendh and his victim bellowed in my ears, and my eyes burned from watching. He continued to use her, his long tentacles wrapped around her slim frame, holding her up in the air as if she lay on some invisible bed. Her black hair hung loosely, flinging beads of sweat from its ends. It was the only part of her body not encased in his twisting arms. Her screams and moans gradually turned to small whimpers, while his grunts and roars continued on and on.
A slight hope rose in me as I watched him slowly lower her to the stone floor. However, I knew he would thrust inside her just a few more times before hunting for another victim. One female was not enough for any well-fed, drunken Wendh.
Finally, he roared in his heightened pleasure, his back arched, his sharp teeth pointing towards the ceiling. His large tentacles slowly unwrapped from the helpless girl’s body and were quickly absorbed into his own. Rising from his knees, he stepped over her limp form without a glance and abruptly walked out the door. I heard him shout out a Wendh’s cry as he slammed the door behind him, yelling, "Venery!"
I held my composure a few moments more. When I felt it was safe, I relaxed so the blood could circulate back into my feet and legs. The pain was terrible, and I clenched my teeth while allowing it to pass. I finally sat down on the warm floor and began to massage my legs back to life, scolding myself for falling into this position in the first place.
I knew the hours when the Primum’s guests would ransack all the servants’ quarters and take them where they stood. I even knew that some would hunt elsewhere in the Primum’s house to find their pleasures, since most servants were in the Healing Room, recovering. But because there were so few of us left to clean, I couldn't escape to the safety of my secret room.
I gradually stood up, stretching the muscles in my body. My arm lightly brushed against the curtain, but the weight of the cloth held it still. It was safer to stay in this room; the smell of the Wendh was strong here, and it would defer any others from entering. There was no game to be sought in an already-used room; not fresh game, anyway.
I looked towards the poor girl. Her body lay still under the summer's sunlight that poured in through the window. Her garment had turned a darker pink from the combined sweat of the Wendh’s and her own.
Pink. The color of Hostess.
I had never worn pink, thanks to the Goddess Suphyz. Hostesses were first marked as game by the guests; the Maids followed. Looking down at my brown and red garment, I hated that I was a Maid today; but then again, any accessible servant was fair game for Venery!
I stretched some more as I watched her body twitch from time to time as her stiff muscles began to relax. She and the others like her would be of no use for work for at least two days. The few of us who happened to escape Venery! would have three times the work to do, not to mention having to dodge Wendhs, whose senses would be even keener for the few, fresh remaining game. I would do my work as quickly as I could the next day and then head straight for my hidden room.
I had already stolen enough food and placed it in my hidden room for these particular days of entertaining guests, and I was sure the following two days would be Days-of-Leisure. No work would be done because there wouldn’t be any useful bodies to do them.
I inspected my dress. It showed no signed of dampness though I felt sticky everywhere. I removed the matching scarf from my head and began to scratch my scalp. The sweat had made my hair curlier than usual, and it stuck to my head in small swirls.
I yearned for the yellow, loose-fitting garment I wore for gardening. I rarely had the chance to do the work of Gardener. I had put in a request for that job as often as possible. The Gardeners rarely had to deal with Primum Adher’s guests. Plus, they were able to work outside, and I loved the feel of the wind and sunshine on my face.
The girl moaned slightly, distracting me from my thoughts. I looked at her, but she was sound asleep. Examining her more closely, I realized I recognized her. Her name was Nina, I believed. She usually worked as Duster, but she had willingly chosen to do this job today. She had a sister named Teci, who worked in the kitchen.
I had sympathy for the girl, but I didn’t dare touch her—at least not yet. I would wait until she woke before I helped her. I couldn’t risk her screaming for more, mistaking me for another Wendh who was ready to continue what the first had started with a lively, so willing prey. No, I would wait until she awoke.
I dared to step from behind the curtain and look around the room. A basin sat across from me on the opposite side of the wall, but there wasn’t any water in it. Quietly, I went over, picked up the bowl, and headed to the bathing room, just off to the right.
Water streamed throughout the Primum’s house into every room. Some bathing rooms had natural hot rocks built into the wall, from which the water cascaded like a small waterfall and spilled warmly into the tub. Other rooms had to have rocks placed in the tubs for the water to warm. In this room, the rocks were already there.
I scooped up some water and looked longingly at the rising steam. I would have loved to bathe, but I couldn’t risk removing the minam oil from my body. I wasn’t sure if the oil was effective in covering my scent, but I had never gone through Venery! days without rubbing on something. Disappointed, I turned my back to the tub, re-entered the resting room and placed the basin back on the table. The water would have to cool before we’d be able to drink it.
I turned to the sound of Nina slightly moaning in her sleep. She moved restlessly for a moment and then settled back down again. I looked towards the closed door. The Wendh didn’t lock it. Having it locked would probably attract attention from another, wandering Wendh. I prayed to the Goddess Suphyz that the rest of the Wendhs would stay on the first and base floors for their game. By the late afternoon, they would all be passed out in their rooms or wherever they had fallen to asleep. Nina should be awake by then, and we would both head towards the servants’ floor.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Hiding
Chapter 2 Health Aid
Chapter 3 Liberty Time
Chapter 4 The Houses
Chapter 5 Announcement
Chapter 6 Fire
Chapter 7 Hostess Assignment
Chapter 8 Conversations
Chapter 9 Intimacy
Chapter 10 Freedom?
Chapter 11 Bite
Chapter 12 Gift
Chapter 13 Flight
Chapter 14 Town of Donwick
Chapter 15 Escape
Chapter 16 Town of Sporan
Chapter 17 Prisoner
Chapter 18 Town of Cerdtha
Chapter 19 Tokie
Chapter 20 Zrogye
Chapter 21 Truth Unveiled
Chapter 22 Outcast
Chapter 23 Norvarim
Chapter 24 Voice
Chapter 25 Party!
Chapter 26 Town of Ostimia
Chapter 27 Sick
Chapter 28 The Hunger
Chapter 29 First Daughter Tranele
Chapter 30 Primum Adher
Chapter 31 Kidnapped
Chapter 32 Battlefield
Chapter 33 Festivities
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