Текст книги "Berries and Greed"
Автор книги: Lily Mayne
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Текущая страница: 2 (всего у книги 33 страниц)
Chapter Three
Greid
“I…” Clearing my throat, I forced myself to stay still and not fidget like a nervous kid. I cast about wildly for some other reason I would’ve come here. This had been such an enormous mistake. “I… I just wanted to see the inner workings of The Order. I was… curious.”
The hopeful gleam in the old man’s gaze dimmed, and all the silent humans behind him sagged in apparent devastation. I eyed them all with mild horror. So they really lived their lives up here, separated from the rest of the world, on the off chance that one day they might get fucked by a demiurgus?
You wouldn’t want it, I tried to project to them all. Trust me. You really wouldn’t actually want that.
“Oh.” The high priest seemed to recover, tucking his wrinkly hands into his sleeves. “Of course. It would be my honour to show you our commune. Perhaps you would… you would still like to be introduced to some of our flock? You never know, one of them might catch your eye. Spark the mating instinct.”
I highly fucking doubted that, not if they all looked like the humans in front of me. They were all so… dull. Identical beige clothes. Identical looks of adoration on their faces as they gazed at me. I suppressed a shudder.
Also, mating instinct? What fucking mating instinct? Like I was a wild animal who was going to sniff out a particular scent and get uncontrollably randy from it?
Was that what they all thought? That I would lock eyes with a particular human, burst out of this skin to reveal my true form, and snatch them up to steal them away, grunting ‘Mine, mine, mine’?
I almost laughed.
“I’m not here for that,” I rasped, clasping my hands together behind my back. My claws dug into my palms. “I just wanted to look around.”
“Of course.” The high priest turned to the man next to him and murmured something. A few of the humans slipped out of the room as he turned back to face me with a beaming smile. “Would you care for a refreshment? We have the wine your kind prefers.”
I quirked a brow at that, glancing over at a gleaming black sideboard and noticing, for the first time, the tall, curved black bottle that no doubt held wine made from the nightberries that grew deep underground, where my kind had originated.
A drink probably would make me feel better, but I highly doubted the stuff they had here would taste any good. How did they even get it?
“No, I’m fine. Uh, thanks.” I stood up taller and waited in silence. My dual hearts pounded an irregular beat in my chest. I was a fucking moron for coming here, and now I was stuck unless I wanted to look like a complete fucking moron. So I would endure a quick tour, grunt a goodbye, and flee back to the dark comfort of my home for a decade or so to forget the humiliation of this entire thing. I was already done with talking, and this humanoid form was starting to make me feel itchy, like a skin I wanted to shed.
“Firstly, I would be honoured to show you the accommodation we have prepared for visits from the Greaters.” The high priest swept his arm toward a second set of black doors to my right. “In case you wish to extend your stay.”
I followed him in silence, my steps stilted as I stared at the wispy white hair on the back of his head. Was he going to stop with the whole “honoured” thing? I wondered if he’d be so honoured by my mere presence if I told him that just last night, I’d smoked an ungodly amount of shade herb before passing out face-first in the bowl of potato chips I’d been hunched over and shovelling into my mouth. I could still feel the grease and salt on my skin.
“A sitting room, for your relaxation,” the high priest told me in hushed tones as two younger men heaved open the doors, revealing another dark room with a lit fireplace. More stone and velvet-topped sofas were arranged in the centre of the space. There was a TV. I eyed it, wondering what channels they got here. I was particularly fond of late-night infomercials that sold weird shit, like blenders that could crush phones and fleece blankets that you could wear as giant, hooded onesies.
I had one of those. It was really fucking comfortable.
“A dining room,” the high priest continued as we entered the next room, which had a long black marble table dominating the centre. “Large enough for many. In case you choose to take several mates.”
“I’m not taking any,” I said quickly.
“Mm, of course, my Greater.” The old man’s voice was still deferential, but it took on a sly tone. I scowled at the back of his head, feeling fidgety, like I was too exposed. Maybe it was strange for a demiurgus to come here to just look around.
But I’d sooner disembowel myself with my own claws than admit to the loneliness that had driven me here.
“A bedroom.” The high priest was already shuffling into the next room, so I dragged my feet after him. “I hope it is to your liking, my Greater.”
I grunted, giving it a cursory glance. The bed was too high off the ground—a big four-poster with black satin sheets—but it wasn’t like I was going to be sleeping in here. I was already itching to leave, thinking wistfully of my dark, cluttered bedroom and cosy nest and big baggie of shade herb just waiting to be smoked. God, I was going to get so high after this, if only to forget the humiliation of this entire catastrophe.
“Now, our humble compound is quite large, but I would be honoured to give you a full tour.”
“No,” I blurted in horror. “I’ve seen enough.”
“Oh, my Greater, I must insist you see the courtyard first,” the old man gushed, nodding at the two men who swiftly crossed the room to heave open another set of doors. “It is the heart of our compound, where we go to worship each day.”
I side-eyed him. So they actually, actively worshipped my kind then? This whole place was so fucking creepy.
“Why do you worship demiurgus?” I couldn’t help but ask as we made our way into a wide, black-stoned hallway. It was far too spacious—unnecessarily so. At least there weren’t any windows.
“Because we…” The high priest paused. “Because we do.”
I almost snorted. “That’s not an answer.”
It seemed like he was struggling to think of an actual response, which made this whole place even weirder. Definitely brainwashed.
“Because you have given humankind so much,” he eventually said. “And you are… Your forms, both of them, are beyond imagining. Your strength and speed and longevity… You are higher beings. You’re better.”
What in the actual fuck? I eyed him in alarm. What had we given humans? I supposed when my ancestors had first emerged from below to live on the surface long ago, they’d brought with them remedies and medicines that had since wiped out some human diseases. And I knew humans enjoyed some of our food and wine, delighted in our creations, gathered in droves in galleries and museums to gaze at our artwork and sculptures.
But… higher beings? Really? We literally came from below them.
And they were the ones who’d made all the good stuff. Pizza and TV and those little patches you could put on your pimples to make them practically vanish overnight.
“I’m not a higher being,” I told him, wondering if I was about to make his world implode. “I piss and shit just like you. I get drunk and do stupid things. I watch TV and eat junk food and sleep in too late.”
“Well, yes,” he sputtered, “because you have honoured humankind by choosing to live modestly among us. You honour us with your humility, Greater. You honour us with your presence, with the… the mere chance of blessing us with matehood.” He turned to face me, gazing up at me with teary eyes. “There would be no greater honour than to see you take one of my flock as your mate. To let them live in the warm shadow of your glory, in the knowledge that they may experience the divine ecstasy of your…”
“Of my what?” I asked apprehensively when he trailed off. If this frail old man uttered the words, ‘of your cock’, I was going to smash my way bodily through the nearest wall to escape.
“Of your virility,” he breathed, which was almost just as fucking bad. My eye twitched as I suppressed a cringe, wanting to inch away from him. “There is no higher pleasure for a human, my Greater. Nothing comes above it. That is why we worship you.”
Fucking hell, who had started these rumours? The demiurgus themselves? Truthfully, if a demiurgus attempted to fuck a human, the human likely wouldn’t survive it. For multiple reasons. Demiurgus with cocks… Well, that went without saying. But while demiurgus with cunts didn’t possess the physical attributes that would destroy a fragile human body, most demiurgus were far too vicious and rough during mating—not to mention much, much bigger—for a human to come out the other end with their body and sanity intact.
And yet somehow, I had found myself being given a tour of a sex cult’s compound. A sex cult that worshipped my kind. That worshipped me.
Get me the fuck out of here.
The high priest was eyeing me with gleaming, adoration-filled eyes, making me wildly uncomfortable. I took a step back, gaze drifting to the doors we’d just gone through. Maybe I could make a run for it. I’d never be able to show my face in the city again, but it wasn’t like I went out much anyway.
“The courtyard is just through here, Greater.” The old man was shuffling onward, his silent entourage following but watching me with wide eyes.
I glanced back at the doors one last time, then reluctantly trailed after them. If it made the old man so happy, I would step into the stupid courtyard, give it a nod, then leave. What did they have out there? Probably a gigantic, very incorrect statue of a demiurgus cock. Did they all gather around it and fall to their knees in worship? Fucking weirdos.
When I stepped out into bright sunlight, I realised there wasn’t a giant cock statue, but there were several sculptures of my kind that gleamed black under the blue sky. They towered over us, depicting demiurgus in various poses, and were interspersed along the length of the wide courtyard. The building stretched all around the rectangular space, enclosing it completely. Potted trees sat between low stone benches, and there was a large fire pit in the very centre.
I cleared my throat when I realised the high priest was gazing up at me expectantly. “Very nice. Well, I—”
I cut myself off when I finally noticed the rows of humans waiting silently at the other end of the courtyard. A wall of beige I’d missed at first, seeing as they stood in front of an actual wall of beige, almost blending into it.
“Would you like to meet some of the flock?” the high priest asked me in a hopeful voice. “They have gathered especially.”
God no. I immediately stepped back. “Uh, no. No, thanks. I need to—”
“My Greater…” To my utter horror, the old man lowered himself to his knees again and gazed up at me imploringly. “Please. Please, honour them with this.”
Fucking hell, stand up, dude. I was frozen, staring back down at him, my skin heating from the feel of so many eyes on me.
“Please,” he begged again. “Just look upon them.”
Fuuuuck.
“Alright,” I grated, gut clenching. If it got him up, I’d look at them. He was way too old to keep falling to his knees like that. “But I have to go. Very soon. Like, in a minute.”
“Of course,” he breathed as one of the others carefully helped him back up. “It will only take a minute. And perhaps…” His eyes filled with tears again. “Perhaps you will find your mate among them. Perhaps you will bless one of us this day.”
Absolutely, categorically, a million percent not happening, but I dragged my feet across the courtyard, trying not to fidget. God, this was embarrassing. Did all these humans think I was some horny creep who’d come here to sniff out a bed partner? I mean, that was what they wanted—or thought they wanted, at least—but if any of them went into the city and talked about me and someone who knew me overheard…
God, that would be fucking humiliating. At least I hadn’t told them my name, so there was less chance of anyone finding out I’d come here.
“Your loyal followers, my Greater.” The high priest swept his arm out dramatically when we reached the rows of silent humans. “All willing and eager to submit to you and share your bed and your life. All well-versed in the ways of your kind. All unfailingly dedicated to providing you with the best human mate you could ever ask for.”
I managed not to shudder in horror. Some of them were gazing at me with blatant adoration, others were fidgeting with sheer excitement. Several pairs of eyes trailed lustfully down my body, making me want to sprint away.
And then I spotted one human at the back, not a part of the line-up. She was leaning against the courtyard wall with her arms crossed and a mild sneer on her face. She was the only one not wearing beige. Her shirt was white and her trousers, while still flowy like the rest of them, were pink.
For some reason, my gaze snagged on her and refused to let go. She had vibrant orange hair and pale skin covered with freckles. Her eyes were green.
When our gazes clashed, she scowled, her cheeks turning bright pink. My gut knotted just a little.
“That one,” I heard myself blurt out, raising a hand to point at her. “I want that one.”
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Chapter Four
Beryl
“Oh my gods, oh my gods, oh my gods.”
I watched with a brow raised as my friend Nancy scurried around her room, frantically checking her hair and face in the mirror before running to her wardrobe to pull out a fresh shirt and trousers. They were identical to the ones she had on.
“So there’s really a demiurgus here, huh?” I asked, mouth twisting. “What a perv.”
Nancy gasped, spinning around with her new clothes clutched to her chest. “What? Beryl, this is what we’ve been waiting for. This is it. This is it.”
“For one of us, maybe,” I muttered. “I’ll say it again—perv.”
“What?” Nancy’s delicate brows scrunched together as she pulled off her shirt to tug on the other identical one. “How is he a perv?”
“Uh…” I gestured around us. “Coming here to pick a human lover like he’s just browsing the fresh produce aisle at the store?”
“But…” Nancy slipped on the fresh trousers. “This is what we’ve dedicated our lives to. To the chance of one day becoming a demiurgus’s cherished mate. And he won’t browse us. The mating instinct will tell him.” Her voice turned dreamy. “It will guide him.”
I snorted, picking at the hem of my shirt. Mating instinct. Yeah, sure.
Nancy was fussing with her shirt buttons, but she shot me a betrayed look. “Are you not excited?”
I cleared my throat and sat up straighter, trying to feign some enthusiasm. “I mean, yeah, sure. Of course. It’s what we’re here for, right?”
“So why did you call him a perv?” she asked, sounding personally hurt by it as she crossed the room and sat down at her dressing table.
“I guess it… it’s just a shock to have one of them actually come here,” I answered uncomfortably. “It hasn’t happened the whole time I’ve been here.”
“Penelope said it hasn’t happened for forty years,” Nancy said excitedly, leaning in close to the mirror as she applied mascara. “I can’t believe it. I’ve only been here for two years and it’s already happening.”
My gut clenched with unease as I watched her. She was young—just twenty-three. In that moment, I felt monumentally guilty that I lived here, that my aunt literally ran the place, instead of trying to shut this cult down. But until now, it hadn’t ever felt like there was any real danger of a demiurgus actually showing up to take one of the members away. It hadn’t felt real. More like they were all just playing make-believe in here, wasting their lives by wishing for things that would never happen.
But now it was happening. And the demiurgus might pick someone as young as Nancy.
I was the only person to have ever been in the cult as a child, and I’d been largely left alone while I was growing up. They’d just let me live here, knowing my aunt was my only family, and hadn’t actively tried to drag me into their beliefs.
That had come after, when I turned twenty-one and was deemed an “eligible mate” for a demiurgus, because I hadn’t already left. But again, there’d been no danger of it ever actually happening, so I hadn’t cared.
If the demiurgus picked Nancy, or someone else just as young, would that be it? They’d spend their life doting on him and deferring to him as his mate, thinking it was what they truly wanted, but was it really? They’d all come here willingly. They’d all joined of their own accord. The cult didn’t go into the city trying to recruit new members. We kept to ourselves, and I suspected that was mainly because too many of us meant too many humans who would just stay here forever, never actually becoming a demiurgus mate, and that might start to bring unrest. More minds to doubt, more mouths to whisper. More competition.
“Okay, I think I’m ready.” Nancy screwed her mascara shut with trembling hands and blew out a breath. Her dark eyes drifted to me in the mirror. “Are you going to get changed?”
I made a face and glanced down at my pink trousers. “No. Why would I? These are my clothes.”
She stood up and smoothed down her beige shirt. “I’m not sure why the high priest lets you wear them.”
I rolled my eyes, easing out of my chair with a groan. “It’s not a rule to wear all beige. Why do you?”
“Because I want to be picked for me, not for catching a demiurgus’s attention with bright clothing.” She flushed. “Sorry. I don’t mean to imply you’re trying to—”
“I know. Don’t worry.”
“It doesn’t matter what we’re wearing,” she added dreamily, her gaze growing vacant. “He will pick his mate by looking at their soul. Their essence. He will find the one who aligns with him perfectly.”
Brown eyes snapping back to me, she beamed wide around a sigh. “Oh, Beryl, I so hope it’s me.”
I sure as shit don’t.
“Well, best not keep the Greater One waiting,” I drawled, managing to keep most of the sarcasm out of my voice. Nancy was too flustered to notice anyway, fussing with her curly dark hair as she hurried to the door.
Robbie caught up with us in the hallway, fiddling with his glasses as he fell into step beside me. A line of other members were ahead of us, everyone heading down to the courtyard to meet this mighty sex god. What a crock of shit.
“Oh my gods, I’m so nervous.” Robbie’s eyes jumped between me and Nancy. “They have, like, the best eyesight ever, right? What if he writes me off immediately because of my glasses?”
“They’re not like that, Robbie,” Nancy said, her voice soft but utterly convinced. “He would never reject his mate over something so silly.”
“If that’s true, why do they keep our medical records spring-loaded and ready to hand over?” I asked dryly.
I could feel both their minds churning to come up with a good answer, until Nancy said, “Well, they live longer than us, don’t they?”
“Not that much longer,” I muttered. Demiurgus lived to be about one hundred and twenty.
“They will want to make sure their mate is healthy,” Nancy continued, “so they can be with them for as long as possible. And it’s probably also to see if there are any ailments they can help us with.” She gripped my arm excitedly. “Beryl, you know some of their natural remedies are far superior to modern human medicine. They have already cured so many things. I bet a demiurgus’s mate is the healthiest human alive.”
I grunted, eyeing the courtyard as it came into view through the big double doors at the end of the hall. Several cult members were already out there, excitedly lining themselves up into the neat rows they practised every week on the off chance a demiurgus made an appearance.
At least all that time spent wasn’t going to waste now, I supposed.
When we emerged into the courtyard, I immediately spotted my Aunt Violet pacing back and forth with a harried look on her face as she stared down at her tablet. Leaving Nancy and Robbie to join the orderly rows, I sidled over and squeezed her elbow.
She jumped, then relaxed when she saw it was me. “Beryl.” After glancing around, she lowered her voice and muttered, “What the fuck?”
“I know.” I looked over her shoulder at the set of huge black double doors the demiurgus would soon be coming through, accompanied by the high priest and his entourage. “What’s going to happen?”
“It’s never happened in the whole time I’ve been here, but as far as I know, he’ll come out, look everyone over, then pick his mate.” She shrugged uneasily. “That’s it.”
“And then what?” I muttered, glancing back worriedly at the people organising themselves into neat lines.
“Then his choice is asked if they want to be his mate. They can say no, which”—she snorted—“is not going to happen. Or they can say yes straight away, or request time with him in private to decide. If they say yes, their medical record is handed over to him. Then after he’s read it, they’re both asked again if it’s still what they want. If it is…” Violet pursed her lips. “They leave with him.”
I gawked at her. “Just like that? Just… straight away?”
“Not necessarily. They can wait a while before moving out. But I don’t think any of them will want to,” she added grimly, looking back at all the cult members.
“Yeah, they all look like little kids on Christmas morning,” I muttered with a snort.
Violet gripped my arm, her green eyes—just like mine—growing tight with worry. “Beryl, maybe you should go back to your room. If the high priest notices you’re not here, I’ll just tell him you’re sick. It’s not like there aren’t plenty of other humans for the demiurgus to choose from.”
I considered it, but ultimately decided against. “It’s okay. I want to see him. I want there to be at least one person out here giving him the stink eye for being a perv.” I shrugged. “And besides, even if he picks me, he’ll change his mind once he sees my medical record, right? He must be here to find a willing hole to bang, and my holes—sorry for being gross, Auntie—are off-limits.”
She squirmed. “Well, maybe some of them might actually want companionship. You know, not just—”
“Do not start going full-blown brainwashed on me now.” I glared at her.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not. I don’t think they’re gods, or special whatsoever, but they are just people. People who want love and companionship. Maybe… maybe if he’s here, he just really wants a human partner. For whatever reason.”
“Uh-huh.” I gave her a flat look, then patted her arm. “I’m gonna go hide at the back. Don’t get too worked up, okay?”
“Okay.” She fiddled with her tablet. “Beryl, if the high priest notices you, at least try to look… you know. Pious or whatever. If he realises…”
“I know.” I patted her arm again. “We’ve been playing the long con for decades, Auntie. I’m not going to fuck it up now.”
But that didn’t mean I was going to stand obediently in a line with all the other humans, like cattle at a meat market. I skulked to the back of the neatly organised crowd and leaned against the wall beside a potted apple tree, keeping my eyes on the big double doors ahead.
A few minutes later, they opened. Two of the high priest’s aides stepped out and held them open for the wizened old man to shuffle through, followed by the rest of his entourage.
And then the demiurgus appeared.
My whole body tightened with apprehension. I’d seen demiurgus before, obviously—though funnily enough, far less often since living in the cult dedicated to worshipping them—but they were still so fascinating, and kind of intimidating, to look at.
He had his human skin on, the form they could take to look more like us, but his skin was still jet black, with a faint green sheen like tiny emeralds were embedded deep in his pores. He was wearing a sharp three-piece suit in all black, and his long black hair was tied back into a knot.
Despite looking largely humanoid, he still looked nothing like a human. His yellow eyes were bright and piercing as he glanced around with a blank expression. His features were sharp and narrow, with a flat nose, high cheekbones and a thin mouth that revealed sharp teeth as he said something to the high priest.
Tiny emerald-green spikes, like thorns, jutted along his hairline. The feathered tips of his pointed ears almost looked like fronds—soft and delicate, but something told me they’d be needle-sharp.
Two thin, dark green lines appeared at the corners of his mouth when he spoke, curving up almost to his earlobes. I cocked my head. It almost looked like his cheeks had been sliced open, which was a little unsettling, to say the least.
My gaze trailed down to his body. He was tall, really tall, and lanky, but his shoulders were wide, and his arms looked toned under his suit. Deep green claws tipped his long, elegant fingers, and a pointed black tail swished behind his legs, reaching about mid-thigh.
Honestly, I was a little annoyed by how good-looking he was in an entirely inhuman way. I knew all the cult members would be frothing at the mouth, desperately praying that they would be the one who was picked by his apparent “mating instinct”.
Except he actually looked… kind of uncomfortable. Okay, he looked wildly uncomfortable, especially when the high priest fell to his knees and pleaded with him about something. The demiurgus shifted on his feet, shooting the rows of humans in front of me a dread-filled look, before his mouth moved stiffly in response.
His shoulders hunched up as he followed the high priest across the courtyard, eyes studiously averted as if he found the potted trees along the perimeter very interesting.
“Your loyal followers, my Greater,” the high priest said, making my lip curl. When he continued, I wanted to gag. “All willing and eager to submit to you and share your bed and your life. All well-versed in the ways of your kind. All unfailingly dedicated to providing you with the best human mate you could ever ask for.”
At least the demiurgus appeared even more uncomfortable than before. He actually looked a split second away from bolting. His eyes swept nervously over the rows of “willing and eager” humans, cringing at their expressions, before his gaze drifted to me.
And held.
I stared back, making sure he could see the disgust on my face. Keep looking, buddy. Ain’t no willing and eager bedmate for you here.
When he still didn’t look away, I gave him my best scowl, even as I felt my cheeks grow hot from his intense stare. His yellow eyes flared. My pulse leapt in my throat.
“That one.” His voice was deep and raspy. And he had one long, claw-tipped finger pointed directly at me. “I want that one.”
“You fucking what?” I got out, my voice strangled. Gasps rang out all around me.
The demiurgus had gone stiff as soon as he’d uttered it, his arm snapping back down to his side. He cringed again, looking as though he was already regretting the words.
“I mean…” He swallowed, looking around frantically. “No, I didn’t mean—”
“Oh, Greater.” The high priest was already weeping. “What a glorious day! What a blessing! This is—I can’t believe—”
“No,” the demiurgus grated, looking panicked now. “I don’t know why I… I didn’t mean it—”
“Come here, my dear.” The high priest’s voice wavered as he raised it, ushering me forward. “Savour every step. You are blessed. You are chosen.”
No fucking thank you. I stayed exactly where I was, eyes darting over to my aunt, who had frozen in place clutching her tablet.
When I didn’t move, the high priest’s already lined forehead drew into a frown. He peered at me more closely. “What is your name, my dear?”
“It’s Beryl,” someone answered from the dejected-looking crowd. “Violet’s niece.”
Shit. I glanced at my aunt again, who was staring back at me with wide eyes. If I made a scene, it wouldn’t just be me out on my ass. It might be her too.
And I could say no, right? That was what Violet had said. I could politely decline, although I imagined the high priest would ask why. I was supposed to be desperate for this to happen. I was supposed to be elated.
I began walking over, very slowly to give myself time to come up with a plan. All the cult members watched me with varying looks of bitter envy, breathless awe and well-meaning excitement for me. Honestly, I felt kind of bad for them. Any one of them would’ve been sobbing in thanks for being chosen. But I couldn’t think of anything worse.
How was it fucking possible that out of all the people here, all the humans desperate to become this dude’s mate, he’d picked me? Why me?
Maybe I shouldn’t have worn the pink trousers after all.
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