Spirits of the Earth

It was close to midnight when Adamaris escaped from her room and darted her way across the property, barefoot and silent. It was heavily guarded, of course, but she was familiar with the guards and knew their routes, their schedules. And, dressed all in black on a cloudy night, it was easy enough to get by undetected. She knew it was risky, knew her family would kill her if they found out about her sneaking off in the middle of the night, a young woman all alone--how dangerous was that? But it was something she just had to do.

She was feeling too claustrophobic, finding it hard to breathe, her chest too tight. She needed air. Needed an escape.

And out here, alone with her thoughts, was when she felt the most free. The most herself.

Besides, there was never anyone out in these parts, especially this time of night. Who else but her was crazy enough to go for a late night swim in a cold lake? Adamaris took a quick look around, making sure no one was looking, before she reached into the neckline of her dress and pulled out the key she had tied onto a cord. She had stolen it the day before, and she used it now to unlock the gate and slip outside.

And then she was free, bunching her skirts up in her fists and running across the field, quickly before the guards could come by that area on their patrol or the dogs could pick up her scent. The dogs were the ones that always caught her, whenever she was caught. They hated her, and made her nervous.

The lake wasn't too far away; a ten minute walk, so she was there soon. It was a secluded space shrouded in tall reeds, and she considered it hers. Her private getaway, where no one would bother her. She could spend a few hours here and be back before her family woke.

Walking to the water's edge, the earth squishing under her feet, she shrugged out of her clothes and hung them atop the reeds. Then, with a deep breath, she dove into the lake, and it felt like being reborn, like shedding off many tight layers of confinement that had nothing to do with the clothes she just shed. She came back up and let out a breath, laughing and shaking her hair out of her face, knowing this would look so crazy if anyone witnessed it but not caring because they wouldn't. The water was cold, icy cold, but she hardly felt it. To her, it felt comfortable.

Familiar.

A pang of nostalgia hit her, something like a memory long forgotten, and she tried to grasp onto it but it slipped away as it always did. It must not be that important then, she figured, and closed her eyes as she stretched out to float on her back.

Why did she crave this so much? She knew it wasn't normal. She knew she wasn't normal. But this was harmless, right? She wasn't hurting anyone.

She just...wanted space.

From everything.

        Kheelan Elvey'Resitl was laying on the bed of his lake, the kelp danced around him as he gazed up at the moon through the fresh water. It was another beautiful night, the stars were bright enough to reach him below the surface. The light of the moon made his blue skin shine, and his pure white hair billowed with the slight currents of the lake. He loved passing his days and nights in such uneventful ways.
        All of a sudden there was a ripple through the water. Someone was swimming in his lake at night. It didn't happen very often, mostly they came during the day, but it happened on occasion. A few times, when a night swimmer came though, they were accompanied by that terrible smell, and he had hidden, fearing for his life. His kind knew that smell so well. They were a favorite snack for the beasts. Kheelan, was just thinking about that horrible possibility when the smell came to him on the currents of the water, and he was about to swim for cover when he caught sight of the pale legs of a young human woman swimming above him.
        She was in danger. The creature would surely eat her, and so he began to swim toward her instead. He must warn her, drag her from the water if he had to. As he drew closer the scent grew stronger, the beast was closing in. Kheelan whipped his head around, searching for it. They swan nearly as fast as his kind, but he was especially fast, and confident he could out pace it. But where was it. He did not see it, and in his rush up toward the girl the odor only grew. Then he realized it. The smell was coming from her. She was one of them.
        Kheelan began to swim away, slowly at first, then fast, but quickly came to a stop. It wasn't chasing him. Had it not seen him, not smelled his sweet mossy scent. How could that be. Aquatic elves were a legendary snack to the blood thirsty monsters. The only playing with them they ever did, was seeing how long they could keep their prey alive as they pulled out their insides. The games were never psychological for them. Maybe with humans, but not with those that knew their true nature by the smell. To humans, it was a mix of earthy and ocean smells. To other fae, the smell was that of blood.
        Confused by the actions of the beast in girl form, Kheelan swam toward the shore of his little lake. He rose into a low crouch as the water became shallow, and crept to the grass. He cautiously traversed the lakes edge, moving closer to the girl, watching her swim. She seemed to truly be enjoying herself. He just didn't understand why she was in that form. He didn't disapprove, it was an appealing form. It just wasn't her true form. Perhaps she was hunting a human, or trying to lure one to her, and that thought made Kheelan scour the area, his eyes crawling across the shore and treeline. He saw no movement, nobody approaching. Then he caught sight of the clothes discarded on the shore. Clothes?
        As he approached them, he could see that they were finely made, billowy fabrics. A black dress. Black was fitting for her kind, the color of death and mourning. The questions were just stacking up though. Why was she in human form? Why had she been wearing human clothes, and the clothes of a noble at that? Why was she simply swimming about in his lake, at night, with no prey in sight? Kheelan's curiosity was getting the better of him, and so he decided to ask her. First he climbed a tree close to the shore, and once he was sure that she couldn't quickly reach him, he called out.
        "Why are you in my lake," Kheelan asked. "I don't see any prey for you here."

Adamaris gasped and splashed upright at the sound of a man's voice, whipping her head around to look for the source. And as she did, her wide, pale eyes caught the moonlight, giving them an eerie glow--

White and luminous. Not the red that human eyes reflected.

She treaded water in a circle, at first not seeing the speaker, but then she caught a flash of white and looked up, into one of the few trees there. There she saw him, a young man perched in a tree, dripping wet and nearly as naked as she.

Alarm shot through her; she'd never been caught in her private ritual before, and though she'd always felt comfortable and unconcerned in her own skin, her upbringing told her that she shouldn't, that she should feel shame for being seen unclothed--and by a man, at that. But before any of those emotions could truly take hold, confusion and curiosity replaced it as his words sank in. What the...?

She blinked, cocked her head, and pushed a wet lock of hair out of her eyes.

"Your lake...?" she said, and winced, more concerned about that more than anything else. Oh, gods. Whose property was this? She was familiar with the local noble houses, had socialized among them many times, and hadn't thought she was trespassing. She certainly didn't recognize him...but this could be awkward. If he reported this to someone...

She was certain her parents would be thrilled to know their daughter was trespassing to swim naked in a lake at night!

Then again, if that was the case and she was trespassing, he probably shouldn't be here, either!

She frowned, crossing her arms over her chest and kicking to stay afloat. "I'm not sure what you mean by 'prey', either. Do I look like a poacher?" Another wince. Oh. She hadn't meant that to come out so biting, and that...probably wouldn't help her situation any. With a deep breath, she bit her lip.

"I just...ah...you're not going to tell anyone, are you?"

        Poacher? Kheelan was becoming more intrigued and more confused. He would remain wary. Perhaps there was a human coming that simply hadn't arrived yet, maybe this was some long con, or the result of boredom. He didn't trust her though, this not-girl.
        "Yes, my lake," Kheelan replied, "I live in it. I've lived in it for sixty years, and my aunt lived in it before me. The locals called her the spirit of the lake, or the lake spirit, or any number of other names. She's got quite the reputation around here. This is her, our, lake. We don't appreciate your kind coming here and smelling the place up. If you start killing people in my lake, the humans are probably gonna blame me. I'd prefer if you left."

"If I start what?" That took her back completely, so much that for a moment she stopped treading water and sank in the water to her nose. She popped back up with a small sputter and stared up at him in disbelief.

None of this was making sense. "The humans"? He lived there for sixty years? What? True, she could see his pointed ears, so it sounded like he was obviously older than he looked, but...what was with him? Her? Start killing people? Why on earth...?

And did he just call her smelly?!

For a moment she just gaped at him, equal parts confused and horrified--horrified because his accusation, ridiculous as it was, had pierced her like a dagger. All those strange thoughts...the cat...

But how could he know that? And why would he say such things? But then again, he had mistaken her for a hunter or a poacher or something, hadn't he?

When Adamaris could finally find her words again, she shook her head. Whatever enjoyment her freedom had given her was long since forgotten; now she just felt cold, like she'd swallowed ice. "Why...why would you say such a horrible thing?" she said, speaking past the lump in her throat. "I don't know what humans you've met, but I'd...I'd never. Gods, how could you think something so cruel?"

With a few hard kicks, she swam toward the shore and stood when her feet touched mud. Her long hair clung to her, falling past her hips, and she didn't bother to try to hide her nudity even as she shivered. "There. The lake is all yours again."

        This girl was the strangest monster Kheelan had ever met. Well he'd never actually met a monster before, though had heard the stories, and seen one from afar, and he'd been told how dangerous they were of course. She was strikingly beautiful, standing there in the complete nude. Her young human shape curved in all the best places. His keen eleven eyes caught the goose bumps racing across her skin, saw her pink nipples standing erect in the cold. Why was she cold? Why form a glamour so complete that you seemed to react to the water and the air as they did? The ruse only had to last long enough to lure in prey.
        The reactions to his words, the act of climbing out of the water, they just felt off to Kheelan. He couldn't put his finger on it. She actually seemed to be human, except he could smell her. She was not human. She was so much more than human. Was it possible she didn't know? That was more absurd than anything. Perhaps it was so crazy it was true. What would happen if she found out? Would she go insane? There were stories of changling babies growing up their whole lives not knowing they were fae. She wasn't a changling though. Maybe he should prod deeper.
        "My name is Kheelan. Who are you?"

"Lady Adamaris Locke," came her curt response as she wrung out her hair. "Of House Locke."

The words left her mouth before her brain caught up. She'd answered because maybe he would realize the depths (and absurdity) of his rudeness the instant she gave her House and title--and realized too late what a mistake that was. With a jolt of horror, she froze and stared at him, dripping hair still wound up in her hands.

"Please don't repeat that," she said, voice dropping to a whisper, her heart skipping a beat. "Please. You mustn't tell anyone I was here. Okay? If anyone found out..." She glanced down at herself then, as though remembering her nudity, and with another jolt she snatched up her clothes to cover herself. She didn't blush; she wasn't actually embarrassed. She just knew she should be, and that that was the proper thing to do.

"Just...please. If my parents knew, they'd skin me alive."

        House Locke wasn't a major family, but they had been around for a long time. Definitely fae blood in them, but not enough to smell the danger in this girl. They must not know the monster they harbor. It seemed though that the girl didn't know what she was either. Kheelan could only imagine what sort of awkward situations that had led to so far.
        He no longer felt threatened, so Kheelan jumped down from the tree. If Adamaris didn't even know what she was, it was unlikely that she would attack him, or try to eat him. He still approached her slowly, since he didn't want to startle her. Who knew how she might react to sudden movements. Deer were known for spooking rather easily, and she had that cervine look of fear in her eyes. Such strange eyes they were. Not what he expected though.
        "It's very unlikely that I will speak with your parents." He gestured to himself. "Do I look like the type to mingle with noble human houses?"

"No, you...certainly don't," Adamaris said slowly as he approached, casting a wary look over him from head to foot. Now that he was closer, she could make out the finer details: his pointed ears; his clothes, which were hardly clothes at all and didn't even look to be made of cloth but of...plants? And maybe it was just the moonlight, but his skin had a strange, blue cast to it.

And his smell...

It hit her a few seconds after he approached, a strong, sweet scent that made her pause and draw a deeper breath--and made her stomach  rumble. But it was probably only because she hadn't eaten since dinner, and that was at least six hours ago. Coincidence, clearly. Whatever it was, though, it was good, and it took willpower not to step in closer to get a stronger whiff. Because that would have been...strange. Why on Earth did the thought even enter her mind?

Hugging her clothes to her wet body, she shook the thought from her head and focused on the more important detail: that he was no threat to her, as far as her secrecy went.

She cocked her head curiously. "Who are you, anyway? And...what on earth are you wearing?"

        "I am Prince Kheelan Elvey'Resitl of the Shem'Lursien. Thirty-second in line to the throne," the blue elf replied with a regal bow. "I'm far enough from being heir that my life is my own, and so I watch over the lake, that my family has looked over for several generations. As for my clothes," Kheelan gestured toward his minimal attire, "I made it from things found in the water, as is customary among my people." Then he gestured toward Adamaris in her nudity. "Do you want to dress, or are you just going to sop up water with your garment? I've seen many naked people from in my home beneath the surface, so your nudity doesn't offend me. Not that nudity really offends my people anyway."

Oh.

That's right. Clothes. Those things she should be wearing.

Adamaris startled, but only because she had forgotten she was holding her dress and he had pointed it out. She blinked down at the wet garment, then back at the stranger, as though considering something. She had seen other women have a conniption about things they found inappropriate; a young lady at market had had her dress blown up to show her knickers once, and she had about had a fit and died of blushing. Adamaris thus knew she should react similarly—blush, squeal, scramble to dress, turn her back—but she didn't actually care, and he said that he didn't, either. So why fuss over nothing?

It seemed silly. But other people seemed to overreact an awful lot in general.

"Oh. Yes. Yes, I should do that," she said, and slipped the dress on over her head. She was quick and efficient, but there was no real urgency, either, and soon she was covered without fanfare. She straightened out the garment, smoothing out wrinkles, and then worked on wringing more water out of her hair.

"It actually doesn't bother me," she admitted with a shrug. "But it seems to bother everyone else for some reason."

        Such an odd encounter. A decently attractive naked human woman that wasn't really a human at all but didn't know it. Kheelan watched her with fascination as she dressed. Her movement was off a bit for a human, too much efficiency. He wondered if Adamaris had ever noticed it, or any of the humans, or if being around her her whole life had made them immune to her oddities.
        "Let me help you," Kheelan said. With some muttered words in his native tongue and a few quick motions of his hands, all the water in Adamaris's hair and clothes pulled was drained out. It formed a small globe, and Kheelan launched it back to the lake. "Now you don't have to worry about catching a chill."

Just like that, the water drained from her hair and clothes, leaving Adamaris as dry as she was before her swim. She blinked at Kheelan, eying the water globe curiously as he lobbed it into the lake before brushing at her dress. Her long hair was still wild and tangled from the lake, with a few dead reeds and leaves in it, but she didn't seem to mind. Her parents would, though; her wet clothes wouldn't go unnoticed by her handmaiden when she whisked them off to be laundered, though she as certain she could hide them until they dried. Still, he removed an inconvenience from her.

"The cold never bothered me," she said, which was true; her body reacted, with goosebumps and blue lips, but it didn't actually feel cold. It just felt familiar. "But I appreciate it. I usually sit by the water and let myself dry before I dress, but that was more efficient."

She played with the fabric of her dress, distracting herself from the growing pit in her stomach, the low, uncomfortable rumble. Why was she so hungry? And what smelled so good? She swallowed down the extra saliva and raised her strange eyes back to Kheelan. "Not to be an inconvenience, but you wouldn't happen to have anything to eat, would you?"

        Kheelan felt a little nervous at the hungry sounds his elven ears could hear coming from Adamaris's stomach. Then she asked him for food. This could very well lead to a nightmare situation if he didn't either extricate himself from the situation or get the girl fed.
        "I usually eat fish, or plants that grow in the lake," Kheelan told the girl. "I don't know that those will agree with your palate. Perhaps to could eat some of the wild raspberries that grow in the area." He motioned Adamaris toward some brush overgrown with weeds. It hid a bush weighted heavily with the dark red fruit. "There are some other edible plants, but humans don't usually enjoy them."

Adamaris perked at the mention of fish. That actually sounded wonderful—better than wild raspberries, at least. She'd always found fruit overly sweet, and vegetables overly bitter, but fish and other meats had always agreed with her. But she knew it was improper; a noble lady eating wild fish straight from a lake? What were they going to do, roast them on a stick? It probably wasn't quality fish as it was.

And those were things she was apparently supposed to care about.

"The...raspberries should suffice," she said reluctantly, her mother's words echoing in her mind. You don't want to get gout! You can't just live off meats! And she had eaten a large meal of hare. "I don't want to inconvenience you more than I have."

Looking to the bush, she moved over to it and plucked a berry. Then she stared at it, nose wrinkled. It would serve until she got home. Just enough so the hunger wasn't uncomfortably distracting.

She popped it in her mouth, chewed, and made a face. "Eugh...it's so bitter." Bitter AND sweet, with a texture like sand. How did people eat these things?

        "You don't seem very pleased with the fruit," Kheelan said. He walked passed Adamaris to the edge of the water, "and I could sense your reluctance at accepting the suggestion." A few whispered words to the reeds on the shore and they grey tall and twined themselves together. Kheelan snapped them off and they formed into a spear. A few moments later he thrust it into the water and pulled up a decent sized fish.
        "I'm not very good with a fire," Kheelan told Adamaris, "and I normally eat my food raw anyway. How would you like to prepare it?"

...Rare. Bloody. No need for a fire.

That was the impulse that sprang to mind, but Adamaris bit back the words, horrified at their pull. But as she looked at the wriggling, dying fish, all she could think of was its soft flesh between her teeth, and how its blood would taste. She shook her to clear the image and rubbed at her temple, taking a deep breath.

She could smell its blood from there.

Or was that just in her head?

"...Cooked," she answered quietly. "Thoroughly. Raw meat can make you ill. How can you stand that?"

"Fresh fish is unlikely to make you ill actually," Kheelan corrected. "Land animals and birds are another story." He dropped to his knees and once again whispered to the reeds that made the spear. They shifted and reformed, some of them dropping away to form a small flat table. The remainder formed into a small knife that Kheelan quickly employed. He removed the head, bones, and innards in a few quick motions, scooping them to the side. Then with a practiced hand he removed the outer skin leaving perfect fish steaks. Lastly, Kheelan cut those steaks into perfect cubes of meat. He popped one in his mouth, and then offered the rest to Adamaris.
        "I assure you, it's perfectly safe."

Such an interesting kind of magic he had, that ability to speak to the plants. Adamaris watched Kheelan work curiously as he formed the table--but it was the knife that truly piqued her interest, and the fish laid out on the table.

Kheelan began slicing, and Adamaris's breath stilled, her blood pumping audibly in her ears. She curled her hands into loose fists, staring, transfixed, as the knife rose and fell, taking off the head and leaving a little puddle of blood, and soon its belly was opened and its innards spilled out. She swallowed, watching them get scooped aside. It was offal. Bad meat, meat no one wanted, but she wanted to taste it. Wanted to know what it would feel like to crunch those bones between her teeth.

She let her breath out slowly. She had to fight those thoughts. They weren't normal, and they were wrong and intrusive and even dangerous, little flashes of scenes playing out in her mind. This wasn't the worse thing she'd imagined, but she had to control even the little ones--otherwise thoughts would lead to impulses, and impulses would lead to action.

At least, that was what she feared. It had happened before--but she had been young then.

She was older now. That was behind her.

She looked away until Kheelan finished, and when he was done and demonstrated the meat's safety by eating a chunk for himself, and knelt down before the table and examined the cubes. "That so?" she said. She should be disgusted. That was raw fish, after all! Was she really hungry enough to try it? Well, she had heard rumors that in some places, it was a delicacy, and she had enjoyed fish eggs when she'd had them, and those had been raw.

Perhaps it wasn't so strange.

"I imagine one bite won't kill me," she said, still caught somewhere between what she knew was strange and inappropriate, and what she wanted. She picked up a cube, sniffed it, and then popped it into her mouth with far less hesitancy than she should have shown.

...And gods, was it good.

The soft texture, so different from dry, cooked meat. The salty taste of blood, soaked into the flesh and mingling with the natural, earthy sweetness of the fish. Adamaris closed her eyes to savor it, already craving more--and somewhere deep inside feeling like it wasn't enough. What would other raw creatures taste like?

She cracked her eyes open at the unbidden thought, and swallowed down her bite. "I'll admit, I wasn't expecting it to taste so good. I would have never thought to try it raw."

        As Kheelan was slicing into the fish, making it into a meal, he could hear the change in Adamaris. Her heart rate increased, her breathing pattern quickened. It made him a little nervous to be so close to her when he could sense her craving for flesh come alive. At last he finished his task and the not-girl joined him at his table. A whisper to the knife and the reeds of it braided themselves around his wrist into a bangle. With a simple command the reeds could transform again, to strike the creature that now sat across from him. He would risk himself as little as possible.
        Kheelan was completely sure now that the monster was unaware of what she truly was. Too many of Adamaris's behaviors were clearly human. Her true nature hidden from her was a danger to all around her, but Kheelan was too curious to walk away. He couldn't help wondering if this had ever happened before. Changlings often didn't know what they were, but Adamaris was no changling. She was a more sinister creature.
        "There are many things one might find undesirable until they try it for themselves. I would not recommend the consuming of other creatures raw however. There are illnesses that can be contracted from such practices."

Adamaris paused, another cube of raw fish held between her fingers. "Well...no. Of course not," she said slowly, blinking, an odd sense of unease settling over her. "That's, ah...definitely not a civilized nor, er...sane practice."

        Kheelan couldn't help watching Adamaris as she ate. She was so close to human. Her movements only slightly off, but knowing what she truly was made the differences glaringly obvious. She wasn't pretending to be human, she just didn't know that she wasn't, so there was no effort to hide her true nature as it wiggled right under the surface. What there was was a fight for her humanity. Adamaris didn't want to be different, at least not that different. She wanted what most beings wanted, to be loved and accepted by her kind. She just didn't know that human wasn't her kind. Kheelan idly popped another piece of fish in his mouth as he watched the monster that wore a pretty girls skin.

Adamaris was enjoying another cube of fish when the feeling of eyes on her made her look up--and notice Kheelan staring at her so strangely. She blinked in surprise but didn't look away, instead meeting his stare with one of her own and cocking her head curiously.

It was a few seconds later before she remembered that it was rude to stare, and that she should probably say something. She blinked again, licked fish from her fingers, and cleared her throat. "Is there something on my face?"

        Well her reaction to being stared at was a little more human than Kheelan expected but not totally normal. Learned behavior that conflicted with her monstrous instincts. She was quite interesting. It was probably a good idea to cover his intrigued staring and perhaps he could test her more at the same time.
        "There's nothing on your face Adamaris," Kheelan assured her. "I was simply appreciating your beauty. Your eyes are so different. There's an eerie attraction to them. Quite lovely."

"Oh." Adamaris blinked and dropped her eyes. She knew they were strange, because she had been told so, and because they didn't look anything like her parents' blue eyes. Nor did they look like the eyes of anyone she'd ever met. They always drew odd looks whenever someone got close enough to notice.

"My parents say it's the fae blood that runs in our family. That it came out strong in me," she said.

        "You Serenian's are very proud of your ancient fae heritage," Kheelan said. "For us it's not been very long. Many of those ancestors may even still be living. I bet some of them would be quite interested in you" He put another piece of fish in his mouth. He wasn't really hungry, it was just an idle motion. He thought of the older elves and fae in general, especially those of the bloodlines that bred with the humans. Some of them would be fascinated by Adamaris. They'd want her as a side show. The monster girl that thinks she's human. They could be cruel, his brethren, especially the ones that lived in the immortal realms.
        "So Adamaris, do you know much about your fae blood?"

"Nothing," Adamaris admitted with a frown. She got the sense that he was making fun of the whole "fae heritage" thing, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why. She took up another piece of fish.

"My parents don't know much, that is. Just that like other Serenians, it runs in our blood. It just seems to have come out more strongly in me, which..." She let out a sigh, looking down at the fish. "I think it sometimes scares them, honestly. That I'm...wild."

She popped the cube in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. "Like being out here. It's not proper. But...it feels right. So I explore when it's late. When they're asleep. So they don't have to know and worry."

She looked back up at Kheelan, licking her lips, and tilted her head curiously. "But that doesn't bother you, does it?" she said, and smiled. "You said you find me pretty."

        All the alarm bells in Kheelan's mind went off at once. It was a great effort not to show the range of emotions that ran through him. Fear, disgust, confusion, fear, curiosity, arousal, fear. The odds were good the final destination was fear, but somehow curiosity won out. Adamaris had just begun to flirt with him, and curiosity, a trait normally attributed to humans by elves, was what ruled his mind.
        "You're very beautiful," Kheelan told Adamaris. "Your nudity was quite lovely. I enjoyed it very much."

Adamaris's smile widened, her eyes lighting up at his words and a delicate blush coloring her pale skin. "Thank you," she said, and brushed some long hair behind an ear in a gesture that could be seen as bashful. But Kheelan's words, for her, were like blood in the water.

"A lot of people get...intimidated by me," she continued with a frown, playing with the ends of her hair. "But even though we've only talked for a little bit, I feel like you understand me. I'm glad you're not afraid of me."

She looked down, still playing idly with her hair, and then peered back up at him through her lashes. A slight shift of her shoulder, and her dress slid down, baring it. "Would you like to see me again?"

        This was so strange. Was she propositioning him. Kheelan was pretty sure she was. Adamaris wanted to get naked for him. While he would not object to such a truly delectable sight, or the occasional tumble just for fun, Kheelan was very aware that Adamaris was a monster. Even if the beautiful human woman didn't know it, Kheelan knew she'd eat him under the right circumstances. Yet the fear of being eaten was not enough to deter his growing curiosity, morbid as it was.
        "I would like that actually," Kheelan told Adamaris. "Perhaps you'd like to swim with me."

"I love swimming," Adamaris said. "I don't get to do it often. Everyone worries too much. It's like they're afraid I'll drown, but the only reason I'd drown is from the dress pulling me under."

Rising to her feet, she shucked her dress off without a thought, forgetting once again that she should not be this okay with being nude in front of a man. But she didn't actually care, and it was exhausting pretending that she did, and since he didn't care either...what was the problem? He was elven, and her fae heritage had manifested strongly in her, and he understood her, didn't treat her like she was crazy or weird. She felt a sort of...kinship with him.

Though her interest in him was far from platonic.

She stepped into the water and smiled back at Kheelan, holding a hand out to him. "You're the first person I've met in a long time who hasn't treated me like I'm...some sort of oddity. Thank you."

        Kheelan stood with elven grace and stepped forward to take Adamaris by the hand. He was taking big risks here, but he was thoroughly intrigued. The fact that Adamaris was trying so hard to be human, because she thought she was human. Civilized Serenian noble women didn't eat people, so Adamaris would likely try her best not to eat Kheelan. Her very attractive human body had nothing to do with his lack of judgment, none at all. That definitely wasn't stirring in his loins. His hand in hers Kheelan moved past Adamaris and pulled her after. Then he released her and submerged himself fully. He sliced through the water, more gracefully than any fish, and emerged at the center of the pond.        "You love to swim? Then stop standing knee high in the water and come swim."

This was weird. She was being weird. Classy Serenian ladies didn't go swimming naked in the night with strange water elves—and feel perfectly at home. The thought tickled her mind, but Adamaris shoved it aside. She was allowed to enjoy herself. She would go back to her proper life in the morning, and no one had to know.

She didn't hesitate a moment longer before she followed him into the water, slipping in graceful as a shadow, and she cut through the water effortlessly, like a creature more awkward on land but at home in the water. She surfaced in front of Kheelan, closer than was proper. Her black hair swirled in the water all around her, leaves and dead reeds tangling in the strands, the moonlight reflecting in her eyes and turning them almost completely white and shining. But then she blinked and cocked her head, and the light shifted, her eyes once again those strange fae eyes but no longer so luminous.

"It's so peaceful out here," she said as she treaded water, watching him. "But quiet. Do you ever get lonely?" She tilted her head to the other side, still studying him. "Because I think I'd like to see you again." She paused, as though in thought, and then reached a hand out to curiously trace his jaw with a finger. "I've never met anyone quite like you."

And there was something...captivating about him. Something that made her want to get closer. Dangerous thought, that. Those sorts of thoughts often led to others. But right then, she didn't care.

        "I don't get lonely," Kheelan told Adamaris, "but I would love to see you again. Come visit whenever you like." He closed the gap between them and kissed her mouth, then he quickly swam away laughing. "Visit me every day, and every night. I'll feed you fish and swim with you in my pond."

He kissed her, and it was like two sides of her being fired off:

The surprised, flustered girl, her heart leaping and belly fluttering with excitement at being kissed by a handsome stranger, loving the attention and validation and craving more. She knew it wasn't proper, but it felt right—and excitingly rebellious.

The calculating...monster. She didn't know how else to describe that other side that sometimes peeked out, the side that she knew wasn't good. But it peeked out now, a sense of triumph and curiosity coiling within her. She had thrown the line, and he had been lured; she had gotten a taste, and she wanted another nibble.

Another bite.

She licked her lips, the feel of them, smell of him, still lingering. At that moment, it felt like a challenge, an invitation. With a laugh at his playfulness, she dove beneath the water and shot after him, grabbing him by the legs and tugging him under.

And then she jolted, releasing him quickly, when fresh images flashed through her mind: her pulling him down, down, deeper and deeper, until they reached the muddy bottom where she curled her hands around his neck and—

Adamaris resurfaced with a sputter, gasping, but the image had already faded. It happened sometimes, intrusive thoughts that were hard to shake,  but she certainly wasn't going to explain any of that to Kheelan. Or anyone. Instead, she just pressed her lips to his quickly, hands tangling in his hair, hiding her distress behind playfulness. "Caught you."

        There was a moment of fear as Adamaris pulled Kheelan below the surface of the water. Her quickly releasing and then kissing him changed that rather fast though. The fear slithered into the back of his mind, coiling up to watch Kheelan take unnecessary risks for his curiosity. He kissed Adamaris back hungrily, his curiosity growing even more intense with his arousal. What would it be like to mate with a monster? Could she get with child from an elf? Well he was willing to find out. As they tread water, kissing, he let his hands drift down to grope her butt. After just a few kisses he stopped to make a suggestion.
        "Would you like to come to the bottom of the lake with me," Kheelan asked. "I can cast a spell to create an air bubble around your head. You'll be able to breathe under water for several hours."

Adamaris gasped as he groped her, but it only made her blood hotter. No, this wasn't proper for a lady at all. The only time she was supposed to let a man touch her like this was on her wedding night, yet here she was, naked and fearless and unashamed, kissing him more fiercely and pressing her body against his, breasts brushing against his chest. No, she didn't care at all, and she was surprised at that lack of care. She had always been able to rein herself in when she felt those unladylike urges strike--but right there, cradled by the water, she felt at home, felt herself slipping.

It felt like she was an entirely new person, and yet, that person felt like her true self. The person she could only be when she was alone--but now she was with someone.

At his words, her eyes lit up. "You can do that?" she said, and pulled him in for another kiss, teeth nipping at his lip. Just a little too sharply, a little too hungrily, her nails raking down the back of his neck, down his spine. "Yes. I'd love that."

        Kheelan waved his hand and it was done. Then he drew Adamaris down under the water. They swam past the beautiful reeds and flowers that bloomed only below the surface, and so many colorful fish. For a landlocked freshwater pond, it seemed quite tropical. This was because of the fae influences in the area. Many of the fish had been quite magical at one point, and the plants still were. The fish did retain some of their magical properties, but over time, without the elves coaxing them with magics of their own, it was breeding out of them. The beautiful colors though, were not.
        When they reached the thick mossy place that Kheelan spent his time sleeping, he pulled Adamaris in for a kiss. It was strange for him to put his face into the air bubble around her head while his gills remained in the water. After a few fevered kisses, he pulled away after whispering, "trust me." With another motion from his hand he asked the underwater plants to help him. They wove together and reached out grasping at Adamaris's wrists and ankles. They pulled her down on to the mossy bed, and splayed her out. There was just enough slack that she could move a bit, but not very much. Kheelan wasted no time, moving back in close to kiss Adamaris on the mouth and then began descending. First her neck, then clavicles where he grazed his teeth, to her breasts next, making sure to give each nipple a twist, a nibble, and a good tongue lashing before finally moving on. As he moved down her abdomen, his hands continued to fondle her breasts, until his mouth reached her pubic mound.
        Kheelan gently raked his fingers down Adamaris's abdomen and then around to her back and down to her ass. He massaged her ass as he kissed down those last few inches through her pubic hair to her hood covered clit. With his lips and tongue Kheelan pushed back that protective cover and brought the clit into his mouth. As he sucked it and rubbed the clit with his tongue, Kheelan waved his hand and the plants that bound Adamaris's wrists released them and instead bound her around her waist and throat. He watched the monster girl, to gauge her enjoyment at his ministrations as well as for any sign that she might do something monstrous. This was fun, but also dangerous.

Under the water they went, and for a moment Adamaris found herself holding her breath before she remembered that she was protected, and her face was untouched. It was strange, to feel her hair damp and matted against her face and neck, while it flowed all around her in the water, both wet and dry all at once. It was mesmerizing, and as he drew her down deeper, she couldn't help but gasp at the new sights.

Fish, colorful as the ones from the sea that she had seen only in paintings, and plants that looked straight out of the fae realm she had heard so many stories about. She took it all in with wide eyes, all of it so new--and yet so strangely nostalgic, filling her with both wonder and a strange sense of...loss. It didn't make sense, yet it made her heart hurt, like she was missing something she had never known. It was odd, but she didn't have time to ponder the sensation, the hurt, the loss, for long.

Because then Kheelan was there, his lips on hers, and it snapped her out of her wide-eyed staring and reminded her of where she was. She was with him, sharing hungry kisses, plants and water swirling around them, and then he whispered those two words. Adamaris blinked, head cocked.

"What do you--?"

She didn't get a chance to finish the question when she felt something wrap around her wrists, her ankles, and she let out a startled cry and kicked in kneejerk fear as they pulled her down. Somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered the tales she had heard, about krakens and water monsters, and her mind immediately jumped to that before she realized they were only plants. But their hold was still firm as they splayed her out on the mossy bed, and her heart was still thundering in her ears as she squirmed, testing their give. Some deep instinct screamed against being bound like this, and she panted for air as she fought against the rising panic, though her white skin was flushed pink at how indecently exposed she was.

But before she could all out panic, Kheelan's mouth was on hers, and she remembered his words--to trust him. She let out a breath through her nose and leaned up into the kiss--and then gasped when he went lower. Oh. She let out a surprised whimper as he kissed her neck, her clavicles, sending shivers and chills all along her skin. A surprised gasp left her when his lips and teeth found her breasts, and she squirmed all the more, startled at the molten heat pooling between her legs. She jerked against the bindings, writhing, letting out soft moans that she tried hard to clamp her teeth against but couldn't stop.

Stop. She should stop this. This wasn't what unwed ladies did. But the fear had quickly grown to hot-blooded excitement, awakening something hungry and primal inside her, that same instinct that had drawn her to him in the first place. She didn't want to stop. She didn't particularly want to be bound, but she didn't want to stop, and she didn't care about the consequences. Down here, it was like she was a different person, the person the water sang to, and she arched her back and bucked her hips with need as Kheelan traveled ever lower, hands on her breasts, then her ass, as his lips kissed between her legs.

Adamaris let out a startled cry, tugging against the bindings that prevented her from squeezing her thighs against his head in reflex. His mouth and tongue were doing...something. Something very new and startling and amazing, making pleasure blossom in her core, spreading warmth throughout her body despite the cool water. She felt the plants release their grip, and then wrap around her neck and waist, and she immediately grabbed at his hair as though to hold him there.

"Kheelan!" she cried, startled, enraptured, confused, all at once. "What...what are you...?"

        Kheelan maintained the pressure and continued the movements of his tongue, sucking and licking. Adamaris gripped his hair with her hands as she grew closer to her climax. As that climax came closer, the plants around her throat drew slightly tighter, slowing her blood flow without reducing her ability to breathe. A little light headedness would intensify her orgasm, and Kheelan wondered if this was her first orgasm, or if she or someone else had ever brought her to climax. He hoped he was her first. Made this even more fun and interesting. The monster girl with high morals.

Adamaris writhed and bucked, hips twisting as though to get away--but she only wanted more, as intense and confusing as these new sensations were. For Kheelan's instinct was correct: he was her first. It wasn't that she had never experienced arousal before; she had, plenty of times, but she never knew what to do with the sensation. And of course she had seen herself naked, and even studied herself out of curiosity, but she had never climaxed. Her education on such matters was non-existent. She knew she had a strange, small nub between her legs, but she certainly didn't know its purpose, or if that was even normal, and she had been disinclined to ask. Far too embarrassing.

Kheelan was certainly giving her an education now.

"Kheelan...! Oh gods, Kheelan, w-wait!" she cried, confused, a little afraid about what she was feeling, but not actually wanting it to stop--and her body language certainly said, 'keep going' as she wrapped her fingers in his hair to keep him there. She felt like she had no control of her own body, her muscles tensing and twitching, like something huge was about to overwhelm her. She squirmed helplessly, hardly aware of the tightening of the plant when she had so much else distracting her. She felt dizzy, felt crazy, felt amazing.

And then she couldn't breathe at all.

That strange tension she'd felt coiling within her suddenly broke, and she came with a whimpering cry, her entire body trembling uncontrollably.

        Kheelan continued to work Adamaris as she climaxed. Her body trembled and her breathing hitched. He kept the orgasm going until he feared she'd pass out, and then he stopped. He let the shudders in her body slowly subside as her slid his hands up her body. He kissed and sucked at her breasts as he moved up her body, and then finally reaching her mouth, he kissed her deep and passionately.
        "I hope that was to your liking," Kheelan said when he broke his kiss with Adamaris. "I think you'll like what I do next even better." The plants released Adamaris's throat but grabbed her wrists and ankles. As Kheelan moved away from her they turned her over. He moved in and buried is face in her ass and pussy, licking both vigorously. He reached under Adamaris to rub at her clit. He slid the fingers of his other hand into her, one at a time as he heightened her pleasure, and worked on slowly loosening her up. Soon he brought her to another orgasm. As her spasms subsided, Kheelan was kissing up her ass, her back, her neck. He grabbed her hair and pulled her head back and to the side, biting and sucking at her neck. Then he kissed her hard on the mouth.
        "I'm going to give you something even better than that next.

Oh Kia, what was happening to her? What had he done to her? And yet even as those questions rose in her mind, she found she wasn't actually worried, more just...intrigued. But more than that, it was like some craving she never knew she had was being satisfied, though sheer inexperience and ignorance left her feeling like she hadn't the slightest idea what she was supposed to do, or what he had planned next.

Her heart beat wildly as his lips found her breasts, her skin flushing despite the cool water, and she moaned and slid her fingers down his back. Gods, that felt good, her body hyper sensitive still, and each flick of his tongue sent tingles clear to her toes. She wanted to grab him tighter, pull him closer, bring her lips close to the soft flesh of his neck—but before she could pursue that thought or action, his lips were on hers and she kissed him eagerly, a little clumsy but hungry for more.

And his promise of better only made her burn hotter.

The plants wrapped around her wrists and ankles again, and turned her, but it wasn't so panic inducing now that she knew what to expect. Finding herself on her hands and knees, she had barely time to register the change when Kheelan's mouth was on her again—and she cried out in surprise and jerked her hips, gasping in pleasure. Gods! She didn't even know that was a thing people did! She struggled weakly, testing her bindings, but it wasn't out of a true desire to escape—but that ended abruptly when his fingers found her clit, and with that one touch, drained her of strength. She was helpless to his touch, squirming and crying out helplessly, and then—oh! Her eyes went wide when she felt something slide into her, her breath catching and hips bucking, and another sharp whimper escaped her when a second finger joined in, stinging a little yet exciting her all the more for it.

That...that was also new.

Kheelan continued, and Adamaris squirmed and whined, each addition more trying than the last, and yet she found herself rocking back against him, pleasure outweighing discomfort, curiosity outweighing trepidation, everything about it feeling right even though she knew she was going too far, that she should never let someone touch her in such a way—and knowing that only made it better.

It very quickly became too much, and when it overwhelmed her again, she let out a shuddering moan and collapsed forward onto her elbows, her entire body weak and trembling and warm and hungry, her blood pumping in her ears, fire in her veins. He grabbed her hair and bit her neck, and a primal spike of pleasure and excitement pooled between her legs, making her squirm restlessly against her bindings. When he finally found her mouth, her returning kiss was hungry, rough, her teeth tugging at his lip.

"Show me," she managed to get out,  voice shaky and breathless and eyes bright with desire. She might not know what he had planned, but she knew in her core she wanted all of it. "Please..."

        A small spike of fear jolted through Kheelan as Adamaris tugged at his lip with her teeth. Maybe kissing her mouth should be avoided now that she was deep in the throws of passion. Her request for more tightened his erection and strengthened his resolve to follow through. He kissed down Adamaris's back, and licked and sucked at her ass and pussy a bit more before, with the wave of his hand and a few muttered words, created an air bubble around her from her hips to her knees.
        Kheelan slid the tips of his fingers up Adamaris's thighs and spread her legs a bit more as he brought his throbbing member to her swollen sex. He rubbed the tip up and down a few times and then began to ease it inside. Slowly pushing it in, then drawing it back, then sliding it in a bit further. Kheelan repeated the process until his entire blue cock was buried deep inside Adamaris.
        Pausing as he was, Kheelan drew the plants in to help secure and support Adamaris as he reached under her and rubbed her clit. He didn't move, except to match her small jerking motions, keeping his pelvis pressed against her ass. Once her swollen and sensitive clit had received enough stimulation to have her right on the edge of orgasm, Kheelan began thrusting. He kept it slow and gentle, not wanting to hurt the monster girl so much that she attacked him. In and out, in and out, Kheelan massaged Adamaris's ass as he thrust.
        "Let me know if there's anything you'd like. Faster, slower, softer, harder. I want to make sure it's good for you."

Show her, he did.

Adamaris was thoroughly trembling by the time Kheelan spread her legs and pressed something much larger than fingers against her, and it was in that moment that she truly understood. She had seen animals mate even if she didn't know how it all worked beyond the male getting atop the female. So people did it that way, too? Huh. The thought flickered through her mind, a passing curiosity that was quickly pushed aside when she felt him begin to rub against her, making her shudder, and then there was pressure—and she let out a gasp and stiffened when her body opened to him and she felt him slide in, felt herself stretch.

That initial thrust stung, but it was brief, excitement and his own ministrations making her slick, and his gentleness making it easier. Each time he pulled back and pushed again, sliding a little deeper each time, it felt better. Soon her pained whimpers and twitches grew to little moans of pleasure as he filled her, the sensations, the mix of discomfort and bliss, almost confusing. Gods!  So this was what she was supposed to never do until she married? That made no sense, not when it felt so wonderful. Yet people spoke of it so vaguely, like a dirty secret—but she didn't feel soiled at all.

She felt alive, her body throbbing and clenching around his, her nerves on fire even as shivers of pleasure gave her goosebumps. And when his fingers found that  sensitive spot again, she was soon keening, body jerking beneath his as he pressed flush to her—and gods, it was so good, but it wasn't enough, it felt like there should be more, like his stillness was wrong. She felt restless, like she wanted to move—

And when he began to thrust, it was the answer to that craving.

"Kheelan!" she squealed, fingers curling into the mossy bed beneath her, her back arching. He was still going slow and gentle, but he was spearing her deep, the sensations all bright and new and overwhelming.  "Th-that's good, oh gods and goddesses, don't stop!"

        Kheelan kept a steady pace, gentle thrusts, at a decent speed. He was wary of hurting Adamaris. He genuinely wanted the girl to enjoy herself, but he did not want to wake the monster in her. His hand was still under her, rubbing at her clit as he continued his thrusting. He also continued to massage her ass. He worked her well, he was young by elven years but long past the age a human would expire at, and his experience showed. Quickly he brought Adamaris to climax, but he continued, and as her body spasmed with pleasure he slid his thumb in her ass, working it in a gentle rhythm. When Adamaris was nearing another orgasm, he picked up his pace a little and thrust in deep as she came again, filling her with his seed as Kheelan too orgasmed.

It was lucky the plants were there to support her, or her limbs would have given out under his onslaught. He was gentle, that was true, but the sensations were new and intense, and he knew just how to touch her to make her see stars. Adamaris had never known it was possible to feel this way--and some part of her wanted to feel embarrassed for it, for being splayed shamelessly on hands and knees as a stranger took her, for the little moans and whimpers that came from her as he thrust into her, body rocking beneath his--but like so many other things, she couldn't find the capacity to truly care. She just knew she should.

Well, it was a lie to say she didn't care at all. She did. She cared that it felt good.

She was still riding out one climax when she felt another building, his fingers, his cock, all driving her toward the precipice again. She gasped and jerked when she felt his thumb there, but it was a momentary shock, and one that felt strange but not unpleasant. So many new things she didn't understand, so many new things she wouldn't mind exploring more, and it wasn't long before she was crying out anew as another wave of pleasure and heat rocked her, her whimpers sharpening as he drove himself deep enough to take her breath away, pain and pleasure blending until it was difficult to tell where one sensation ended and another began.

And then he was still, save for the little twitches she felt deep inside her.

Trembling, flushed, and panting, she stayed where she was as she struggled to catch her breath and wrap her mind around what had just happened. And then, slowly, she peered over her shoulder at Kheelan, a curious look on her face. "Is that it?"

        Is that it? Really? Multiple orgasms and she asks if that's all?
        "I don't want to overdo it. This is your first time. I don't want to hurt you." Even as he said the words Kheelan communicated his desires to the plants. He pulled out of Adamaris, some of his seed spilling out into the water around them. The plants pulled her and turned her, the pocket of air moving to keep her breathing. "If you think you can handle it, I'll give you more." Kheelan's cock had gone partially flacid, but as he moved toward Adamaris, it thickened once more. "Wrap your arms and legs around me," he told her even as the plants pulled her onto his lap. They wrapped on her loosely, ready to pull her away at his command should she lean into her monstrous nature. He slid her onto his cock as they moved into the position, and then he moved in ways only an aquatic person could, fucking her deep. "Give me your tongue," he commanded, and then sucked on it sensually when she did. He kissed her lips, her neck, nibbled at her ears, and bit her neck. When she grew too interested in using her mouth on him, he pushed her back and leaned in to suck and bite at her nipples. He was losing himself to his promiscuous nature, but he was not foolish enough to let her bite into his flesh.

Adamaris didn't understand his concern. That had felt amazing, and she was more than ready to go again. Was that not normal? What did it matter if it was her first time? The pain hadn't been bad, and had been even pleasant. She was bleeding a little; she saw it mixed with his seed as it dissipated into the water. But that was no matter to her. She bled more during her cycle, and that was far more uncomfortable than anything he had done to her here--and without even an ounce of pleasure.

But to her delight, he complied, and once again she felt the plants moving her, drawing her into his lap, and she happily wrapped her arms around his neck, ankles locked behind his back. She was more than ready for him when he finally pulled her down onto him, and she cried out, head tossed back and legs tightening around him, helping to pull her into his thrusts as he worked himself deep into her.

She didn't notice at first how he avoided her mouth. She was too wrapped up in the pleasure, the way he captured her tongue, the way he kissed her neck and sucked on her breasts. She tried to kiss him, tried to nibble at his neck and shoulder the way he did to her, but each time he redirected her, distracted her, and it worked. For a bit. She was breathless with pleasure, fingers scrabbling at his back as he drove her wild, but some instinct deep inside her began to feel...oddly frustrated. She wanted to make him feel good, too. She wanted to kiss him, bite him...

Taste him...

She worked herself against him desperately, grinding into his thrusts, instinct taking over as she went with what felt best and cried out for more, demanded him not to stop. She hugged him tighter and leaned in, trying to bury her face against his neck only to be pushed back again, and she dug her nails into his back hard as her pleasure began to spike, intensify, until she was soon screaming, her entire body trembling around him, and her nails raked up his back hard enough to draw blood.

        Adamaris was coming around him and Kheelan was torn when she dug her nails into his flesh, and not just physically. He enjoyed pain, he was a true masochist, but Adamaris instinct to draw blood, to eat him, that terrified him. It made his own orgasm even more intense. As the scream tore from his lovers throat, his blood leaking into the water, he leaned into his final thrusts, his cock spurting his seed into her once more. His mouth found her neck and he bit her, hard. Not enough to draw blood, but to break some skin surely. A few more thrusts, and as his spasming cock soon began to deflate again, and then he was releasing her from his grasp. The plants pulled her and twisted her so that her back was too him, and he embraced her, entwining his legs in hers. His arms wrapped her, one hand moving up to stroke her face gently, the other moving down to gently stroke her clit. The ministrations were too gentle to bring climax, just enough to keep Adamaris aroused. As they floated through the water, the hammering of their hearts eased, their breathing slowed.
        "We've spent a significant amount of time together," Kheelan told her. "You might consider returning home before you're discovered to be gone." He kissed her tenderly behind the ear. "You know where I live now. I spend most of my time here. You can return any time you like, as long as you promise not to try and eat me."

Adamaris relaxed in Kheelan's arms--well, as much as she could with him still caressing her. He teased her, and she squirmed a little, tired and sore from their fucking but easily ready for more, especially if he kept doing that. But it was just enough to keep her hot and craving it, though not enough to give her the pleasure she wanted.

She let out a contented hum at his kiss, leaning her head back against him and closing her eyes. Oh, she planned on coming back to this place, as often as she could get away with it--eat him?

Her eyes snapped open and she twisted in his lap to look back at him, a frown on her lips and brow creased. "Why would I eat you?" she said. "You acted scared of me before, too. Do...do humans eat your kind? Or did they used to? That's..."

She trailed off, swallowing, a dark image jumping into her mind on its own. She saw the lake cloudy with blood, felt flesh between her teeth, iron-rich and salty...

She shook her head hard, looking away. Intrusive thoughts. Why did they always invade her mind like that? Always so violent and bloody. An overactive imagination, her parents had told her; she just couldn't help but empathize and imagine it, they said.

"I don't think people eat elves. Not good people, at least."

        "You're absolutely correct," Kheelan responded. "Good people don't eat elves." He shifted and he and Adamaris began to drift up to the surface, a little Aquatic Elf magic carrying them along. They were soon at the surface of the pond, the moon dipping lower in the sky, but the sun still long away from rising. "I've enjoyed you, and this, but perhaps next time we can go for a walk. You can tell me about your human life and I'll tell you about my people." As they reached the shore and could easily stand, Kheelan disentangled himself from his new acquaintance turned lover. His clothing snaked up out of the water, wrapping itself around him. He guided Adamaris to the grassy shore by the hand, pulling the water from her hair and skin, and his own. "When will I see you next?" He was so intrigued by this creature in front of him. In all honesty he was also happy to have a sex partner. It had been at least five years since he'd had a good romp. "There are things we can do in the water that no man will be able to do to you on land." He said the words with barely veiled arrogance, and gave Adamaris a look that said, 'We'll take a walk and then I'll fuck you really really well.'

As Kheelan dressed, Adamaris found her dress and pulled it on over her head. Her hair was a mess, even dry, and she raked her fingers through it to try to tame it as she watched Kheelan with her unnatural eyes.

"I don't see why I can't come back tomorrow. I'd love to talk with you more--and swim with you more," she said with a smile, though there was heat in that look that said she was definitely hoping for more fun. "I'd love to see all that you can do."

She tossed her hair over her shoulder and smoothed out her dress. "In any case, it was easy enough sneaking out tonight, and so it will be tomorrow. You'll be ready for me? Same time as tonight?"

        "I'll be ready," Kheelan responded. "You know you don't have to wait for night. If that's easier for you, then by all means, but if you want to come during the day, I'd be just as pleased to please you then." He moved as quick as a striking snake, pulling Adamaris into his arms and pressing his mouth hard against her. A quick taste of her tongue, a bite to her lip, and then he released her with a pat on her bottom. A whisper had plants climbing up to his hand. There they shaped into a beautiful, living comb that he handed to Adamaris. "For your more unruly snarls. If it starts to wilt just get it wet." Don't tarry too long beautiful monster. Your parents might miss you."

Could she come during the day? Could she risk that? Adamaris didn't have time to pursue that thought when Kheelan caught her up in his arms and kissed her, bit her, and the heat tingled between her thighs anew. If only he wasn't right. If only she didn't have to go home. His world was far more interesting—and she felt oddly at home down beneath the surface.

She let out a sigh as he released her, taking up the curious comb, and shot him a sharp look. "Monster? What do you mean?"

        "Perhaps some day you'll understand," Kheelan said with a devious grin that made the whole thing seem sexual. "For now you should hurry home sweet Mari."

Adamaris gave him a puzzled look, curious and a little concerned, though from his expression she knew she wouldn't be getting any answers today. Later, then. All the more reason to visit him later.

So with a quick, final kiss, she turned and left him, knowing he was right. It took time to walk home, and time to observe the servants' schedule so she could slip back home and through the servants' entrance without being seen. Safe once more in her room, she wet the strange comb and picked the snarls and plants from her hair, and was in bed long before anyone thought to check on her.

What a night, full of so many crazy new emotions, new experiences. Something deep inside her told her it wasn't normal, that what she was doing was bad and improper, that her parents would be so disappointed if they knew...but she couldn't find it in herself to care. She would go back the next day. She had to. Something stronger inside her was pulling her back, telling her it was right. Being beneath the water, with that elf, had felt...natural. Like it was where she was supposed to be. She felt itchy and restless as she curled up and tried to sleep, her bed feeling strangely foreign to her now.

She had to go back. She had to learn more. She had to find out why she was drawn there so powerfully.

Perhaps he had enchanted her?

When she finally slept, it was fitfully, and when she woke she didn't feel rested. She spent the rest of the day feeling anxious and antsy and bored--and increasingly annoyed when her servants fussed over her or corrected her. Why did she feel like she didn't belong here? And why did she fantasize about ripping out throats whenever someone got on her case about her posture or how she wanted the venison in her meal cooked far less?

Night couldn't come soon enough after a long and tedious day, and at the first chance of escape that  she got, when she was certain everyone was in bed and no one would bother her, she took her come and slipped out of her room and into the darkness.

Before long she was back at the lake, and she wasted no time in shedding her night gown and slipping into the cool water. Hopefully Kheelan remembered, and would come. She hoped to see more of his world.

        What a strange and thrilling encounter. Something that had started with fear and the possibility of his death had swiftly changed into something enticing and yet so confusing. Kheelan had just had sex with a very beautiful shapeshifter. That’s what Adamaris was, though apparently she didn’t even know it. How could she not know? Kheelan had never heard of such a thing. He knew that monsters of her kind would use a beautiful shape to entice foolish mortals to their dooms. They’d pull them into the water and drown them or rip out their throats and listen to the gurgling screams as they ate them alive. They were cruel creatures, true dark fae, and she was definitely one of them.
        Kheelan could sense the dark hunger in Adamaris, though she fought against it. How long would it be until she lost her composure and made a mistake that the humans couldn’t ignore? Would satisfying her cravings in safe ways ease her hunger? Or would it deepen them like the thirst of an addict desperate to scratch that unreachable itch. He had to be careful. It would be so intriguing to follow this experiment to its conclusion. As long as he wasn’t the victim of her dark impulses. He had a fleeting thought that their coupling could produce a child, and what horror that could be, but it drifted away. He couldn’t imagine one of those monsters being compatible with his kind. Surely the gods wouldn’t permit it. That train of thought did lead him in an interesting direction though, and quickly Kheelan had a plan. He would court the girl. Her human parents would surely be thrilled. He wasn’t just any Aquatic elf, he was Prince Kheelan Elvey’Resitl. He had wealth unimaginable to them and humans loved wealth. The first step was gifts.
        Kheelan swam down to the bottom of the lake and into the small hidden tunnel that was the source of its water. Upstream swimming wasn’t hard for an Aquatic elf, especially when the current wasn’t strong. Soon he came to a small side branch that was his secret home when the lake water grew too cold to be comfortable. He didn’t have the magic necessary to keep his little lake warm in the winter season and so came here to escape. Kheelan’s little cave with it’s pocket of air, had a very special feature. Up on the rock slab outcropping there was a small saltwater pool that Kheelan had cultivated. He’d placed an enchantment on the pool that kept the water circulating as if it had a real current. Barely big enough to be a bathtub, it had things in it that couldn’t be found in his freshwater home. This was why he’d come here. This was to be the source of his gifts.
        Reaching into the water Kheelan enticed a small piece of pink coral to grow. His magic gave it the energy it needed and it’s size increased. The extra part that had begun to grow split from the rest and took shape as it continued to expand. Soon it was shaped like a hair comb, and Kheelan turned it in his hand to inspect the shape. The curve was perfect, the teeth just the right shape to hold hair in place, but it needed more. He enticed some green and red algae to cling to the top of the comb, taking root there to keep its hold. Then he had that algae grow and change its shape. It spread across the top of the comb shaping flowers and leaves reminiscent of roses. Now it was perfect. With a little bit of his magic locked inside it with a simple enchantment, the comb would keep its shape and no longer grow. As long as it was treated to an occasional dip in saltwater the comb would live indefinitely, so that was his next task.
        This next part of was gong to take more effort and no small amount of finesse. Kheelan reached down into the water and selected a decent sized saltwater clam. He focused hard and channeled his energy forcing the shell of the clam to change color and texture. It became completely smooth to the touch while retaining its wavy shape. The mottled exterior became a pure white with swirls of soft pink and yellow. Next the clam began to grow. Much more complex than algae or another plant, making the clam grow took a great deal of effort. The growing continued until the clam was large enough that the coral comb would be able to sit comfortably inside one half. Kheelan then opened the clam and removed it from its shell, and ate it. Eating that which he’d used so much magic to grow returned a portion of the magic too him, but he could still feel the exhaustion coming on. With the clam shell cleaned out, Kheelan scooped up saltwater in one half. He then put a small bubble of air on the water to seal it in place and used another enchantment to tie it all together. He placed the comb inside and closed the clam, setting it aside.
        For his final gift, Kheelan reached into the water and scooped up a hand full of sand. He released the sand over a cluster of oysters and then gently asked them to take in the grains. His magic was in the water and he channeled more than that into the oysters. Soon he knew they were ready and he did what only an Aquatic elf could do, he asked them to spit them out. Going against their nature the oysters opened up just enough and pushed out the pearls that had formed inside. Then they took in more grains and the process continued. By the time it was done Kheelan was barely able to stay awake. He’d gathered enough pearls to make a necklace and a bracelet and he’d used other aquatic plants to finish them.
        Taking his efforts back with him to his lake, Kheelan settled down in the soft bed and went to sleep. He jolted awake the next night when Adamaris touched the water. Her scent spread through it like lightning. He left his gifts behind as he went to meet her, surfacing several feet away. “Welcome back,” he said with a smile. “Somehow I knew you’d return.”

That was quick.

Adamaris spun in the water to face him, black hair fanning out behind her, and her dark eyes lit up. "To be fair, I did say I would," she said, and she wasted no time in closing the distance between them in a few swift kicks.

She threw her arms around his neck, oblivious to how uncomfortable that could make him, and nuzzled her face against his neck, feeling the warm throb of his pulse against her cheek. "And why wouldn't I? Though I must admit, I was almost afraid this wasn't real. That when I came back, you wouldn't be here."

        As Adamaris nuzzled into his neck a thrill ran through Kheelan. She showed affection to him but with a simple change she could be tearing out his throat. He wasted no time in letting her know he was happy for her presence, by letting his hands drift down to rest on her butt. He then returned the nuzzle, and moved his lips against her neck to ply her with kisses.
        "I'm very much real," he said as he continued to kiss the girls neck. "I'm so happy you returned. I guess you were not caught getting back. I very much hope it will be a regular occurrence to have you visit me." Kheelan laced the fingers of one hand into Adamaris's hair and gently guided her mouth to his. He kissed her hard and passionate, his tongue sliding in to taste her mouth. His erection grew and pressed into her as their kicking legs tangled together. Pausing in his kissing he asked her, "should I feed you first? Or would you rather I take you down to my bed? There's so much I want to know about your human life, but I crave your body now."

"There's not much to say about my life," Adamaris said between hungry kisses, a hint of impatience in her voice. Now that she was here with him, their bodies pressed together, she found herself craving him again--and judging by the stiffness she felt against her thigh, she assumed it was mutual.

"Human life is rather dull, and would be duller still if I followed the rules. I'm not a princess, or even anyone important. There's not much to say. But you...I want to know all about you." She pressed her lips to his neck again, right at the pulse point, and grazed her teeth along his skin, her nibbling growing just a bit sharper. One hand slid down between them as she tasted him, hand caressing along his cock.

"I think the only thing I'm hungry for right now is you. Take me to your bed?"

        The hungry kisses Adamaris placed on his neck, and the hunger in her tone pulled Kheelan a bit from his lust. He wanted to take his new pet monster to bed, but he also didn't want to end up her meal. So he thought it might be better to feed his new lover before he let her hungry mouth wander about his body. That didn't stop him from leading her down to his bed though.
        Kheelan guided Adamaris by her hand down to the bed of the small lake. When they arrived at the thick patch of moss he normally slept on he used a bit of his magic to create a bubble of air around the area. He'd wrapped her face in a bubble when they were at the surface as well so if she left this safe space for some reason she'd find it still there and not need to worry about breathing. Not that her kind couldn't breathe under water anyway, but she hadn't learned that yet and he wasn't going to be the one to show her. It was best she kept thinking herself a human. As the air formed around them, Kheelan guided Adamaris down onto the moss and laid on top of her. He let the full weight of his body press against her as his lips pressed against hers. Then he was moving down, much as he had the night before, kissing her neck then breasts and working all the way down to the petals of her flower. He didn't have the plants restraining her this time. He figured she knew what to expect now, and since there was much less chance she'd get startled by his actions, there was also less risk of being attacked. He used his tongue and lips how he had before, licking and sucking her clit. His hands fondled her breasts and he gave especially close attention to them as she drew closer to her climax.
        After giving her a quick but intense orgasm, Kheelan felt it was probably time to feed the monster girl. "I hope you're hungry," he said to Adamaris, as he pulled away from her. He knew the quick transition would be a little awkward but his well-being depended for n her not deciding to eat him. He stood, reaching up into the water to pluck out a decent sized fish. A new knife formed out of some plants and Kheelan was quickly cleaning and preparing the fish into easy bite sized cubes. He had grabbed a fish that was fat with roe and he scraped it out to be served with the fish. He pulled two more fish and some edible plants from the water around him and created a beautiful and delicate meal.
        "This will give you the energy you'll need to keep up with me."

Coming down under the surface was familiar to Adamaris now, and so was being pleasured by Kheelan's tongue. It didn't take much for him to leave her a squirming, trembling mess, gasping for breath from the swift intensity of it all, but to her surprise, he withdrew from her then when she expected him to fuck her.

Sitting up, confused, she tilted her head at his question, for a second thrown off balance by the sudden change in topics.

"Wha...oh. Oh, yes. Hungry? I'm always hungry." She gave a light laugh at the question and folded her legs so she could lean back onto her hands, head cocking to the other side. "Not even joking. My parents were worried when I got older, worried I'd make myself fat, but...uh..."

She trailed off, watching as Kheelan cut and gut the fish, and it was in that moment that Adamaris felt the strangest thought take hold, a thought so strong she had to push hard against the urge to act upon it: what if she just...plucked a fish from the water and took a bite of its belly?

It was utterly absurd. Disgusting, even. Or at least, it should have disgusted her. Grab a fish and eat it just like that? Alive and wriggling and whole with its blood dribbling down her chin and coating her teeth and tongue with its tang? Realizing her gaze had slid away from Kheelan to watch the schools of fish swimming within grabbing distance, she shut her eyes and shook her head hard to try to clear the thought away, the imagery so strong her fingers twitched with the impulse to act. No, no. That was utterly crazy. Ladies definitely did not grab fish and eat them live.

They also didn't run away in the night to copulate with strange non-human men they had only just met, while feasting naked on raw fish. But that seemed at least a little less crazy than the other thing.

She swallowed hard; she had started to salivate at the idea, as gross as it was. She needed to think about something else.

She pointed at the yellow bubbles Kheelan had scooped out of the fish. "What's that?"

        The way she said she was always hungry was a little unsettling. Kheelan was watching Adamaris, watching the hunger on her face as she gazed at the fish swimming by. He was skilled at what he was doing with his hands, the slicing of fish, the gutting, beheading, de-boning. He'd done it for himself so often. It was easy to let the muscle memory take hold and bring his eyes to watch his little monster. She was a delicious sight. Her body was perfect, by human standards. Flawless skin, shapely body, shining hair. Her only flaw was those horse eyes, that other humans probably saw as an interesting curiosity inherited from fae blood. If they knew the truth they'd likely kill the poor thing. Poor thing? Was he having sympathy for the monster? He'd need to beware of that.
        Adamaris was curious. She had a thirst for knowledge that was more common among humans than any other race. Was it because she had been raised by them, or because her monstrous instincts contradicted the knowledge she had? She pointed to the roe, asking what it was. The shining golden eggs, were a yellow that bordered on orange. Their salty taste was something Kheelan loved. It almost tasted like the ocean, his true home, so far from here.
        "That, is roe," Kheelan said. "They are eggs. Like chickens and other birds, many fish come from eggs. They are quite delicious." Kheelan had quickly made enough food for multiple people. He needed to make sure to sate her hunger, lest she feast on his flesh. "Come and eat."

"Fish eggs. Interesting," Adamaris said with a tilt of her head.

Eager to try the new food, she scooped some of the roe onto a chunk of fish and popped it into her mouth. The contrast between the soft flesh and the popping eggs, along with the salty flavors, were curious but pleasant, and she found she enjoyed the new combination. The plants were the only part of the meal she didn't try; vegetables and the like were fine, and she would eat them if she had to, but she hoped Kheelan wouldn't notice her avoidance. She didn't want to offend him. "Oh...this is really good."

She ate her fill of the fish, doing her best to mind her manners and scoop up the eggs and flesh as delicately as she was able. Raw eggs and raw fish. Lounging beneath the surface with a stranger.  Kheelan truly had opened her eyes to so many new possibilities in such a short amount of time, and some nagging thought at the back of her mind warned her that she might be taking too many risks, being too unguarded, too trusting. She had been warned all her life to be more careful than she was--and just as in all those other times, she still found it hard to care.

She swallowed a bite of fish and peered at Kheelan curiously as she did, studying his elven features, so exotic and different than what she was used to. She scooped a bit of roe onto her finger.

"So," she said, and licked her finger clean, "tell me, do you bring many humans down here?"

        Kheelan noticed the way Adamaris avoided the edible plants. He watched the way she devoured the fish, scooped the roe into her mouth, her delicate movements barely containing the signs of the creature beneath. He also noticed the way her lips curved when she sucked at her fingers and how nimble her tongue was as it licked the stray eggs up. She was fascinating and his libido was not helping him stay out of trouble.
        Kheelan himself ate as well, and he didn't avoid the plants. They were meant to work together to enhance the flavors. After popping a few bites in his own mouth he grabbed some to feed to Adamaris. He grabbed a crunchy celery like type of lake kelp that was a bit salty but mostly tangy. He placed a piece of fish on it and then topped it with a mixture of roe and a bit of a stringy plant with little bubble like berries on it that were sweet. That was when Adamaris asked her question.
        "I've never brought a human down here," Kheelan said. "I've never brought any guests down here before you." It was the truth. He wasn't the kind of fae that couldn't lie. He was fully of this world after all, not like those that came from the faerie lands. It was still not a good practice to lie. Especially not to someone you were attempting to bed regularly. And he still hadn't brought a human, though he wouldn't be pointing that out. Kheelan had no plans to tell the monster she wasn't human if she didn't know it herself.
        "Try this," Kheelan said as he handed Adamaris the bite he had prepared for her.

Kheelan held the food he'd prepared out for her to try, and Adamaris barely managed to keep her expression neutral. There was no more avoiding the plants, it seemed, and as much as she wanted to turn him down, she knew it would be rude.

Fine. She would try it. And she would pretend to like it.

"Oh, thank you," she said as she took the concoction from him and eyed it like a strange insect. Stringy fibers and berries, a bit of kelp. It was bite-sized, thank the gods. She could do bite-sized. She popped it in her mouth and chewed, crunching through the fibrous kelp and feeling the berries pop with flavor, and it took all her willpower not to gag as fruity sweet mingled with the savory flesh, salty roe, and and tangy kelp. It was too many textures all at once, too many different flavors, and she covered her mouth as though trying to be demure and delicate when she was truly hiding the twist of her lips. Just chew. Swallow. Don't squirm too much. Quickly!

She gulped it down hard even as her throat seized in rejection, but finally managed to swallow it down. She took a deep breath after and lowered her hand when she felt her expression was smooth enough. "That was...that was really good!" she said, and swallowed again in an effort to clear her tongue of the flavor. "What was that?"

Please never give that to me again.

        Kheelan grinned and almost let out a chuckle at Adamaris's poor attempt to cover her dislike. He reached into a woven basket beside him and pulled out a small crystal carafe. He pulled a stopper from the top and took a sip before handing the wine to Adamaris. It was a dark and potent red wine that used ox blood in the fining process. Not the most pleasant tasting wine, but definitely strong. "This will clear the taste from your mouth," Kheelan said with a smile. "I wouldn't be offended if you didn't like something I gave you. It's good to try new things and broaden your horizons, but there will always be things you don't like. You can always be honest with me."
        Kheelan waited for Adamaris to drink the wine he gave her before offering her more fish. "Eat to your hearts content. Since the noble families have stopped fishing here over the years, the fish population is booming."

Adamaris drank deeply of the wine, which she found far more pleasant than the plant things. There was something rich and coppery mixed in among the tangy flavors, and while she was never really one for alcohol, this was by far the better of the ones she had tried. It also did the trick of cleansing her palate.

She dabbed her lips with her fingers and darted a sheepish look at Kheelan. "I didn't want to be rude," she said. "But...I'll try to remember that. I've been called picky, and I don't mean to be, but..."

She lifted a shoulder in a shrug, then smiled and picked up another piece of fish. "The rest is really good, though! Even the wine. What kind is it? It's different from any I've tried."

         Kheelan looked at the crystal decanter, and gave a shrug. "I don't actually know what the wine is. It's old, I know that much, it was among the caves when I came here. Likely given as an offering by one of the noble families to the guardian of this lake before me." He took a long pull from the bottle. He smacked his lips in pleasure, before putting the wine back in the basket. There were a couple other things in there he thought Adamaris might enjoy. Pickled eggs, pigs feet, and aged cheese, but he'd save them for other pauses in their escapades. "If you've had your fill, I'd like to have my desert of your lovely lips. Don't want to get too active until we have a chance to digest, but we could couple if we're gentle."

"Hmm...I'm pretty full, but I'm not opposed to the idea," Adamaris said with a sly smile as she moved in closer to the elf, looping her arms around his neck. "But I also recall you were supposed to tell me more about your people, were you not?"

        "If you prefer," Kheelan said, "We could talk about my people." He then kissed Adamaris passionately as his hands groped her ass. Then he said, "I leave that entirely up to you. What would you like to know about my people?"

Adamaris gasped into the kiss, grinding her hips into his a little as he felt her up. "Who so to say we can't do both?" she challenged as she broke the kiss and rested her forehead against his.

"Tell me everything. I know nothing about you. For example, where are they all?"

        "We live in the oceans and seas of the world, usually in warmer areas. My city is not far off the coast of Featherfall." Kheelan explained to Adamaris. He then began to kiss her, talking between kisses. "It's a beautiful place. The spires are enormous, made of rainbow coral. Perhaps I could show it to you. It would have to be under very special circumstances though. My people are not very welcoming of outsiders." He was rubbing one breast while he also rubbed her ass. His hand reached under her, and he gently eased two fingers between her slick lips. He then brought the fingers to his mouth tasting her. "Your flavor is delicious. Would you like to taste me?" He was finally ready to risk it.

It was a little difficult to listen while being kissed and teased, but Adamaris got...the gist of things, and it only made her more curious. Like why wasn't he with them? She wanted to ask, but the words cut off with a sharp inhalation as he slipped his fingers along her sex before tasting her, and then...

Taste him?

"Wh...what...?" For a second she paled at the imagery that sprang unbidden into her mind, and it took an extra second before she caught his meaning. Oh. Of course that's what he meant. He meant like he did to her, not like...not like that. Not literally. But with the taste of raw flesh still on her tongue and the thoughts of biting into live and wriggling fish fresh on her mind, the intrusive thought had sprang up like a viper to strike her off guard.

Why would she think something like that? Of running her tongue over his salty skin and slowly sinking her teeth in until it gave.

She blinked hard, as though clearing her vision would also help clear what she saw in her head, and then smiled at Kheelan as though nothing had happened. Because, of course, she could not let him know. No one could know. They'd think she was a freak...a monster...and maybe she was.

No. She absolutely was. After the cat...how people had reacted to that...how she was supposed to feel bad but didn't...

She didn't want to scare him away. She didn't want to lose her first friend in what felt like forever. She wouldn't hurt him.

Adamaris pulled him into another fierce kiss to chase try and drive it further from her mind. "Yes," she breathed against his lips.