Page 64 of Kneel Before Me

Then he turned and disappeared into the dark.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Caspen

Caspen had not expected to find Agnes in the presence of a human, much less the very same human that Kronos had been watching during the Showing. If Daphne was brave enough to come underneath the mountain, it meant her relationship with her teacher had progressed to a worrisome point. If it progressed to the point of love, their connection would make Kronos even more powerful than he already was. Caspen could not allow that to happen. It was imperative that Constance won the competition—that the Drakons remained in power.

The only way for him to counteract Kronos’s advantage was to establish one of his own. He headed for his cave, irritated that the confrontation with Agnes had made him late for tonight’s training session. It did not matter; Constance would surely wait. Sure enough, she was in the cave when Caspen arrived, sitting on the mat, already nude. That was good. Less work for him.

Her face shone brightly with eagerness. Caspen was almost flattered. If he cared about Constance’s opinion of him, this might be a pleasurable moment. Instead he gave her no commands, nor did he even speak to her. Caspen simply sat on the mat, leaned in, and kissed her. A moment later his trousers were off and she was on his cock.

Immediately, power began to build inside him. Smoke filled the cave, seeping from his skin with every thrust. Any basilisk who had fucked a human knew this feeling well. It was like touching a flame, like drinking water from a mountain spring. It was ultimate clarity and strength. Predator dominating prey.

Caspen had her twice, and then a third time for good measure. The final time Caspen simply lay there, allowing her to ride him, letting his mind wander as she pleasured herself. Constance truly was an eager student. There was no trace of shyness in her. She rode him with a confidence he had not taught her, which meant that she possessed it already. It was a trait that would surely serve her well during the competition, especially this week, when the girls would participate in the Frisky Sixty.

Presently, Constance came. The surge of power Caspen experienced as soon as she finished was undeniable, and in the wake of her pleasure, he experienced his own orgasm. He released himself inside her, not bothering to pull out. All girls who participated in the training took the infertility herb, and even if they did not, it was impossible for a basilisk to impregnate a human. His father’s belief that there were such things as Hybreeds was a rare and useless hope.

Caspen sent Constance on her way. Not a single word had been exchanged.

He made his way back through the passageway feeling significantly better than he had earlier. Before he could reach his chambers, Bastian appeared.

“How goes the training, Caspenon? Is your girl winning?”

Caspen stopped in his tracks. Only one of those questions was safe to answer. He could not lie to his father, yet to tell him the truth would be to disclose that Kronos might soon be in the lead. The Seneca’s connection with his student might one day rival what Caspen had with Harmony. The information would only enrage his father.

“The training goes well.”

His father’s eyes narrowed as he immediately sensed his evasion. “Is your girl winning?”

Caspen sighed. They might as well get this over with. “No.”

Bastian raised his eyebrows. “How can that be?”

“The prince favors another girl.”

“Whose?”

Caspen remained silent. The last thing his father needed was more reasons to be paranoid about the Senecas. Keeping relations peaceful was going to quickly become something Caspen could not do.

“Give me a name, Caspenon,” his father snapped.

There was no point in hiding it—the vials would reveal it anyway. “Kronos.”

“The orphan?”

Caspen did not respond. It was true that Kronos was an orphan, although there was no reason that should be held against him. No one seemed to remember who his parents were or if they existed at all. His origins were strange, but ultimately of no concern to Caspen.

“His girl cannot win, Caspenon,” Bastian snapped.

“Do you think I do not know this?”

“It is an outrage. How is his girl beating yours?”

“I already told you that the prince favors her.”

“That is unacceptable.”

“I agree.”