“Was it just… a test? You could have asked!” she said, her cheeks burning with outrage.
The fairy sitting in the tub with her smiled and Lily’s anger melted away.
“She speaks! Don’t be so affronted, pretty human. We made it as bearable and pleasant as we could, didn’t we?”
“You did,” said Lily. “But you could have asked. Or at least warned me. What’s going to happen now?”
“Now you can just relax, honey cake. You can soak in hot water until your pretty human body gets all wrinkly, and we’ll be here to help out if you need anything,” said one of the fairies.
“Do you have names? I’d like to know what to call you if we’re going to spend more time together,” said Lily. She neededto show them she wasn’t the shy, confused little human they expected her to be.
A sudden noise, like nails scraping against wood, made Lily jump. She looked at one of the windows. Through the red, milky glass, she discerned an outline of a massive head with two horns jutting up in even arcs. The dark shadow against the red glass loomed monstrous and demonic. A blink… and it was gone.
“You’ll meet him properly tomorrow. And I’m Zamiza,” said the tallest fairy.
“Has he been watching… all the time?” asked Lily.
Zamiza laughed but didn’t answer. Lily bit the inside of her cheek, wondering how much the king had seen and why he was even watching. After all, she was to him just a sow to be inseminated. And he could do with her whatever he wished. Why bother spying?
She learned the other fairies were called Eula and Fayla. They were twin sisters. She asked her three companions about the castle and its various inhabitants, and they answered merrily while brushing her hair, soaping up her body, spraying her with hot and cold water. When Lily’s stomach rumbled, Eula brought her a plate of juicy ham, hot white buns, and apricots. The food was, indeed, excellent.
After a day of soaking in tubs of aromatic water, Lily wanted nothing more than to go to bed. She hadn’t slept the previous night, and now all the worry and fatigue was taking its toll.
When Goula came inside the bathing room with a set of heavenly soft periwinkle robes, she put them on her still moist body and followed the goblin servant through the tall corridors of the monster’s castle. The reddish light of torches made the stone walls alive with flickering movement.
“Goula?” she asked, stopping. “Goblins don’t eat human children. They never have.”
It was a statement, not a question, but Goula nodded anyway.
“There are some creatures who relish young human meat,” she said. “But not in these parts. Our master dealt with them.”
“But your folk still get the blame,” pressed Lily. “It’s not fair.”
Goula said nothing. She was looking thoughtfully high above Lily’s head. Why there?
Then Lily felt it. A living heat behind her back. A rustle of breath. She looked at the floor at her feet and there it was: a dancing, distorted shadow of a massive horned head set on top of broad, muscular shoulders. She froze, her heart beating frantically, her breath caught in her throat. When she turned slowly to look behind her, he was already gone.
“Master takes interest,” muttered Goula. “That’s a first.”
“What do you mean?” asked Lily, her voice too loud and shrill.
But Goula only shook her head. She led Lily to her room, a spacious bedroom with tall windows, beautifully sculpted furniture, and a tall, huge bed. She had to climb on top of it using a small ladder. It wasn’t a bed made for humans, oh no.
All of Lily’s peace of mind was gone, and when Goula snuffed the lanterns, Lily tossed and turned, crumpling the soft sheets.
The room felt too hot, the bed too comfortable, the sheets too soft. She was used to coarser sleeping conditions. When Lily finally fell asleep, she fell head first into a nightmare.
Chapter IV
She was running through a dark, smoky labyrinth. Everything was much larger than in reality. The ceiling was so high it got lost in the darkness, and the walls so far apart she felt like a mouse must feel in a human dwelling. Exposed. Vulnerable. Hunted.
A roar of rage cut through the hot air. Lily screamed her own weak scream and ran faster, hoping to reach the next turn. Maybe there would she find a place to hide. But the faster she ran, the farther away she was from her destination. Was she even moving forward at all?
Another roar, so much closer than the last one. Tears of frustration wet her face but she couldn’t stop running. Couldn’t give up hope.
The floor shook as thudding steps ran towards her. She glanced over her shoulder and wished she hadn’t.
He was huge, red, and completely naked. She barely reached up to his hips, and his massive member swung right in front of her eyes. The horns on his head were as thick as human torsos, and deadly white in contrast with his fiery skin. He reached her in three strides and scooped her up in his huge, clawed hands.
