Page 205 of Kneel Before Me

The basilisks had pushed them into the middle of the lake; the shore was barely visible from here. Silence fell as the hosts readied themselves for the challenge. Daphne watched as all of them—every single one—slid their cocks inside their guests. There was no variance in position; all the women were on their backs, with the men between their legs. It was the only thing that made sense considering the way the mats could be moved. Already, the basilisks around Caspenon had begun to move his mat. As soon as they did so, his guest began to moan. He was not thrusting of his own accord; the motion of his cock was caused entirely by the basilisks manipulating the mat.

“Daphne,” Kronos whispered. She looked at him. “Where do you want me?”

Daphne had already decided. She pointed to her mouth. “Here.”

To her surprise, Kronos made no move to touch her. Unlike the arousal she expected to see in his eyes, there was only one emotion: fear. Fear for her.

“I do not want to hurt you, Daphne,” he whispered. “I will not survive it.”

He would not survive it. What about her? “You won’t hurt me.”

He shook his head. “I will not be in control.” He glanced at the basilisks around them, who were watching their conversation. “They will. They will not show you mercy. If I begin to transition—”

“You won’t,” she said again. He had never done that with her.

Kronos shook his head again. “You do not understand what it is like for a basilisk. Here, at the lake”—he spread his arms wide to encompass it—“we are connected to Kora. I cannot resist as I normally would.”

“Just try.”

“I cannot—”

“You can.”

“Daphne.” He took her face in his hands. “This is your last chance. If you do not wish to participate you must say so now.”

“But then you’ll be eliminated.”

His eyes bored into hers. “I do not care if I am eliminated.”

But Daphne could not believe him.

She knew that the future of his quiver rested on this—that his future rested on this. What was she supposed to do in the face of that? She wanted Kronos to win. She wanted him to be king so that the basilisks would be ruled by someone fair and kind and calm. Anyone else was a danger to her, a danger to the villagers, a danger to the people she loved.

Daphne placed her hand on his face. “I trust you, Kronos.”

Finally, he nodded. Without waiting for his permission, Daphne lay back on the mat. Despite the fact that time was greatly of the essence, Kronos approached her slowly, placing his knees on either side of her shoulders and slipping his hand gently behind her head. He lifted it.

“Daphne,” he whispered. “May I give you an order?”

She nodded. There was no time for anything else. As soon as he had her consent, Kronos looked straight in her eye and said, “Lie still.”

The moment he said it, the same curious sensation came over Daphne that she recognized from the first time he’d given her an order. Immediately, her body relaxed. Her arms felt weighted, as if they were sinking into the mat. Not only did she have no desire to move, but it would not be possible to even if she tried. Daphne knew it was an effect of the crest, and she did not care. She welcomed the restriction, relishing the limitation. She did not want to be responsible for them losing this challenge. They had to win.

Still moving slowly, Kronos began to slide his cock into her mouth. Daphne closed her eyes, concentrating on relaxing her throat and taking him as deep as she could. This was easy for her. This she could do. His hand was still on the back of her head, supporting her. But eventually he laid her back down on the mat, and she felt him settle into position above her.

As soon as he was still, the mat began to move.

Daphne opened her eyes, needing his support. Kronos was already watching her, his pupils overtaking his irises. Smoke skimmed from his torso down his thighs, filling her nose and making her eyes water. It was happening much faster than usual; he was right—the lake changed something in him. It changed something in all of them.

The basilisks around them became frenzied; it looked as if their mat were being attacked by a group of sharks. They jolted the mat up and down, causing sharp ripples in the water. Each one inched Kronos’s cock deeper down her throat. In, then out, then in again at a pace more rapid than she could possibly have achieved on her own. Kronos remained steady, his eyes on hers, his jaw clenched. But Daphne could tell he was losing control. Smoke curled over his shoulders; sweat ran in rivulets down his chest. Scales dappled his chest. He was no better than his brethren—no different than any other basilisk under the mountain. Try as he might, Kronos could not resist his true nature.

“Daphne,” he gasped.

Nothing else. Just her name.

He was helpless for her. She was destroying him.

Daphne wanted to touch herself, but she could only lie still. Instead she stared up at the man she had chosen to trust, knowing he was doing everything in his power to keep her safe. Somewhere to her left, a particularly loud moan rang out. For the first time, Kronos broke eye contact to look over.