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Chapter Text

The Witchwood was neither welcoming nor easy to travel through.

Granted, Yumeko had left home in the dead of night, armed only with a loaf of bread and the moon to guide her. In her defense, the cover of night was a necessary component of this endeavour; for now, no one could know where she was and why she was here.

Yumeko’s heart was lodged in her throat as she stepped over gnarled tree roots, avoided poisonous vines and flinched at every little noise. This place drenched in fog wasn’t for the faint of heart. But she had little choice in the matter.

The townspeople warned her about the fog. They told her not to enter the Witchwood after dark, lest she get lost forever. As far as she knew, people would rather take the Kingsroad than travel directly through these woods, even if it added far too much time to their journey. There were whispers of goblins and ghouls and horrible monsters lurking in these woods.

As far as Yumeko was concerned, it was all a bunch of horse shit.

This was a forest, damn it. It would always have something spooky in it. Humans were animals at their most base levels so of course they found fear in such a vast environment. But it wasn’t any more terrifying than the ocean or a bustling bazaar or marketplace.

Yumeko was not scared of creatures that went bump in the night. She was far more scared of humanity. Into the woods she went.

She travelled through these haunted woods with her red cloak wrapped tightly around her warmest clothes. Fighting off the winter chill was no easy feat. She had a loaf of bread tucked under her arm that she was trying her best not to squash.

She did not jump at every noise, nor did she flinch at every shadow. Nothing in these woods frightened her; what she had waiting for her at home did.

As she travelled deep inside, she could not shake the feeling that she was being watched. It did not feel like an evil presence. Rather, these eyes just felt curious. They did not stop her on her journey nor did they help her along. They simply watched. Yumeko couldn’t fault them for that, whoever they were.

Eventually, Yumeko found what she had been looking for.

The witch’s home was a grand tower. Yumeko had only heard about it from local gossip being passed around. Some stated that it appeared as a castle long-abandoned with gargoyles looming over its sparse guests. Others said they found it to be a motley cabin with a chimney lightly puffing up smoke into the tree canopy.

To Yumeko, the everchanging abode had transformed into a tower… and she wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Was a tower meant to be threatening or impressive? It was made of black stone, lightly adorned in moss and vines — as if the forest itself laid a claim onto the building. It felt ancient to gaze upon yet the structure itself was well cared for. Not unlike a Lord’s manor.

The longer Yumeko stared, the more her resolve cooled in her belly. She needed to push on.

It felt like the Witchwood had stopped breathing as Yumeko climbed the blackened steps to the front doors. They were made of dark oak doors, and seemed to weigh far more than Yumeko was prepared to handle. They might as well have been the doors to a moat.

Part of Yumeko worried that she was in over her head. After all, why would the witch ever grant her this boon? She did not come to ask something small of the witch.

Yet, the witch’s home found her. Everyone knew that this place was ever-moving, just as the Witchwood never looked the same twice. Locals claimed that if you were to travel in the woods in search of the witch, there was only a small chance that you would find her home. Or rather, that the home would find you . There were no directions within the Witchwood and certainly none that could lead her to a home that seemed to have legs.

If you were desperate, however, you had to try your luck. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

That’s exactly why Yumeko was here.

Desperation.

There were no animals around. The trees did not sway in the breeze. The wind did not howl nor whimper. Everything around Yumeko seemed to fall silent and dead as she stepped onto the threshold. She had a chilling thought: if every living creature knew to stay away, why did she remain?

She took a deep breath. No one would meet her at the door here. Somehow, she knew that she would be heard though.

She called out, “Excuse me. May I please speak to the lady of the house?”

Yumeko wasn’t sure exactly what the most courteous request would be in this situation. She had spoken to lords and ladies, merchants and captains, generals and mayors… but those were days long passed. This was a different continent and she spoke in a foreign tongue here. Yumeko was a stranger to these lands.

But her request seemed polite enough. And even if her request wasn’t answered or was deemed too impolite to answer, Yumeko had no intention of leaving.

She needed to see the witch. Failure was not an option.

Only silence answered her. Not the wind, not the trees, not even the earth. Just silence.

She waited and she waited. It felt like an entire lifetime as her heart beat pounded against her ribcage. Then the double doors yawned open as though pulled on by an invisible force. Yumeko did not flinch at this supernatural event.

All she could think of was that her request would at least be entertained. That was progress.

She could see the inside of the tower now. Or, at least, the inside of the foyer. It was warmly lit with lanterns burning with witch fire — lovely sapphire flames danced along the candle wick. The scent of sage and sea salt wafted into her nose.

It was as close to an invitation as she was likely to get.

Yumeko steeled herself and walked in.

There was little else to be set as she delved within. The only thing worth mentioning was the little shadows that crept along the corner of her eye. Every time she turned her gaze to catch the culprit, it was gone. Only to return a little later to continue this game.

At first, Yumeko did not know what to do or where to go. Was she supposed to wait here for the witch to come find her? Or was she supposed to travel further into the house and potentially be considered trespassing? Neither option felt particularly right.

The doors slammed shut behind Yumeko and she yelped as the gust of wind it created blew out all of the lanterns. Darkness blanketed the room and she couldn’t see anything.

All she could feel was the loaf of bread in her hands. Would the witch even accept this gift? Would she eat something so lacklustre, so far from fresh and hearty? Did the witch even eat like a mortal woman, or were the rumours true that she ate little children to keep herself young?

So many questions ran through Yumeko’s mind as she palmed the bread. She wondered if she should continue standing in the dark like this. Where would the witch even be now? Was she lounging in a parlour room or cooking up a potion in her laboratory? Perhaps she had just eaten her supper and was retiring in bed? Did witches need sleep? And—

“You brought food.”

The lanterns all burst into flame once more, illuminating the foyer in a lovely blue light. Yumeko’s head whipped back and forth as she took the scene in.

The witch of the woods stood before her. Kira, they called her.

It was as if she were borne from the darkness itself, cloaking in black robes and with raven-black hair falling along her shoulders. Yet her skin was as white as milk and her eyes were as icy blue as a frozen lake. Their eyes met and it felt like an icy lance had pierced through Yumeko the longer she looked at her.

Kira’s lips were stained in a lovely shade of blue, for reasons unknown. Part of Yumeko wanted to see if it could be wiped off or removed.

Above all, a single thought reigned supreme in Yumeko’s mind: the witch, Kira, was utterly beautiful in a haunting way. Yumeko’s heart stirred at the sight of this magnificent woman.

She had forgotten how to breathe as she watched the witch approaching her. Kira strolled along the foyer floor, her footfalls making hardly any noise.

Kira’s eyes drifted back to the bread as she murmured, “That’s new.”

Such a lovely voice… Yumeko remembered her manners and her whole reason for coming her, for standing in this home. She bowed deeply, a normal sign of respect in her culture that apparently wasn’t common in this land.

She could hear the surprise in Kira’s voice as she said, “Bowing? I could get used to this.”

Yumeko raised to her full height, pulling her hood off in the process. She was feeling anxious about the whole situation but not for the reason she had expected. She wasn’t scared that this witch of the wilds would banish her to hell for an off-colour word… Actually, wait, no, Yumeko was still afraid of that.

But now there was a new fear: Yumeko didn’t want to embarrass herself in front of this beautiful woman.

Kira was watching her, not unlike a hungry wolf. It made Yumeko’s body hum with energy. Part of her almost wanted to be looked at like that.

“Thank you for seeing me.” Yumeko said as she held out the bread, “A gift for you. For food and friendship.”

Kira narrowed her eyes at her. She looked at the bread like it was poisoned and it crushed Yumeko’s heart. Although maybe this was for the best: the bread was a little stale, anyway. Yumeko wondered if maybe bread was the wrong gift to bring to a witch.

Finally, Kira said, “Your eyes. Your accent. You’re not from this continent.”

Yumeko shook her head, “No. My home is a long way from here.”

The witch made a little humming sound. She began to make her way over to Yumeko, not unlike a predator prowling a perimeter around their prey. There was a certain hunger in the witch’s eyes that Yumeko found she didn’t quite mind. In fact, she quite enjoyed it.

When she was a few steps away, Kira asked. “So how did you end up here, in my humble abode?”

Yumeko found her previous confidence waning under the weight of this woman’s gaze. It had been a long time since Yumeko had felt like this. A familiar tugging in her stomach had only intensified the closer Kira came.

“I… I was told you could help me,” Yumeko answered.

Kira tilted her head, asking “And who told you that?”

Yumeko swallowed down the lump forming in her throat.

“The people in town.”

At this, Kira raised an eyebrow. Yumeko blinked and the witch was suddenly standing on Yumeko’s right side. She smelled distinctly of smoke and rose, a decidedly odd combination. Yumeko barely had a chance to react as Kira plucked the bread from her hands.

It was stale bread, yes, but Yumeko loathed to part with it. Food was precious these days. But she had brought the bread as a gift of hospitality and she couldn’t rescind her offer now.

Kira inspected the bread. She didn’t crinkle her nose at it yet.

“And what else did these chattering birds tell you?”

Yumeko let out a small sigh. The chattering birds in question spat more vitriol than offered any of use, in truth. She didn’t want to offend this woman by detailing their words but she didn’t want to lie either.

Carefully, she said, “They say you’re a powerful witch. That you live alone and…”

As she began to trail off and glance away from Kira, the witch tilted her head. It was like her gaze was slowly carving away at Yumeko’s soul the longer they stared at each other.

“And?”

Her voice was teasing but far from light.

Yumeko steeled herself, “And that you granted favours. For a steep price.”

It sat in the air between them. She really hoped that Kira didn’t feel any offence from her words. Her eyes kept flickering between Kira’s oppressive gaze and the bread resting in her hand. Yumeko’s stomach ached with hunger. Her thoughts drifted back to her kitchen at home and home and—

Her resolve hardened.

“Is that what led you to me?” Kira asked, her voice silken, “You wish to ask a favour?”

Yumeko nodded. It was a little hard to focus since she was still seeing those shadows in her peripheral vision. She did her best to ignore them; the last thing she needed was for this woman to think she was rude.

She watched as Kira sunk her sharp nails into the bread and tore off a piece. Her face betrayed no emotion as she chewed, each of her movements were thoughtful, deliberate. Her mouth was stained blue yet so achingly lovely and plump. They looked entirely too soft.

Gods above and below, Yumeko never wanted to be bread more in her life.

Kira swallowed.

“Ask and ye shall receive.”

Yumeko took a deep breath and clutched at her cloak. She had to remind herself of the mantra keeping her sane on this journey: nothing ventured, nothing gained.

“My parents… have been afflicted with a plague. Most of the townsfolk have recovered but… this sickness is foreign to us. Their bodies aren’t handling it well. I’m afraid…”

Her mind was filled with the memories of days passed. The plague had started off innocently enough; a cough here, a runny nose there, maybe even a faint fever in the children. But as night descended on the town, so did the terror and sickness. Coughs turned into wails of pain, and a runny nose turned to blood pooling in their mouths.

Yumeko had been spared this fate. Her parents had not.

They suffered day and night with this plague. As the locals recovered and returned to their daily living, her parents were frozen in this limbo of disease.

No one cared that the foreign merchants were still sick. No one offered a helping hand or food in this troubled time. They did not care that their spring harvest had been bountiful, nor that their deities bid them to be generous.

No one cared about the foreigners with the strange eyes and odd mannerisms.

So the Jabami clan was left to rot in their homes.

Unless Yumeko could convince this witch to show clemency and cure them of their ailments.

As Yumeko’s voice trailed off, she took a cautious look in Kira’s direction. The woman was already advancing forward.

Her eyes were haunting and they gazed into Yumeko’s soul.

As gentle as a lover’s kiss, Kira murmured, “Say it, girl.”

Yumeko clenched her jaw and her fists at her sides. She almost lacked the strength to do so.

“I’m afraid they might d-die.”

Her voice cracked on the final word. The mere thought of it was horrible enough, let alone voicing it. Yumeko was convinced that her parents may die tonight. Their wheezing breaths and lack of energy rocked Yumeko to her core.

She had left them in a hurry tonight. Whispering promises of returning with medicine, she grabbed the last of their food and a cloak before rushing into the Witchwood.

It wasn’t medicine she was after — the medicine from this land wasn’t helping. Their fever, the vomitting, none of their symptoms alleviated.

She wasn’t here for medicine. She chose to place her faith in something else.

In the power of a witch.

Kira’s hand reached out… and cupped Yumeko’s cheek. They were icy to the touch yet Yumeko could find comfort in them. She had grown so used to her parents’ feverish touch that she couldn’t remember the last time she was held by cold hands.

It had been so long since she had been comforted.

Is that what this witch was giving her now? Comfort?

Yumeko chose to believe this was the case as she leaned into the touch.

Kira’s eyes widened for just a moment. How lovely those icy blue eyes were to gaze upon. Yumeko looked up at her through hooded, weary eyes.

“What would you ask of me?” Kira asked softly.

A breath was shared between them.

Yumeko steeled her nerves.

“I beg you,” Yumeko whispered, “save them. I will do anything. I’ll pay any price.”

Kira clicked her tongue at this. She chided her, “Be careful with your words. Words have power in them.”

“I mean it. My parents mean everything to me. Take whatever you want, just save them.”

She wondered if Kira could feel how tightly she was clenching her jaw down. It sat just below her palm, after all. What could a witch do with mere touch alone?

Perhaps Yumeko shouldn’t be thinking about what Kira could do with her hands.

Kira’s thumb ran along the slope of Yumeko’s cheekbone as she asked, “What if I asked for your life?”

Her mortal heart dropped. The horror of her question sent ice through Yumeko’s veins.

However, she thought about it for a moment longer, stilling her tongue in her mouth before she spoke falsely.

It was a little hard to think as she felt Kira's nails scratching a little against her jaw.

She couldn’t hold back a shiver and she hoped against hope that the other woman didn’t notice.

Kira did. Her lips curling upwards into a grin told Yumeko that.

From the depths of Yumeko’s soul, she spoke: “I would give it. So long as they both were alive and well.”

This answer seemed to displease Kira. The smile disappeared from her face and the witch’s eyes narrowed into slits as she scrutinised Yumeko. In turn, Yumeko squared her shoulders and held this woman’s gaze.

Here, it felt as if Yumeko stood in the eye of the storm. She would not fold now.

Her parents’ lives hung in the balance.

“A shocking display of filial piety.” Kira said, a little bite to her tone, “You certainly aren’t from this land.”

With that, Kira withdrew her hand and Yumeko immediately missed her touch. She hoped it didn’t show on her face just how much she enjoyed the witch’s touch. Blessedly, Kira didn’t add any more distance between them.

They remained standing before each other.

“I don’t need your life. It will not suffice.”

Yumeko wasn’t sure if she was relieved or not with this response. Because if her life wasn’t a steep enough price, what was?

What could be more precious than life?

The room changed at the flick of Kira’s hand. One moment, the two of them stood in the foyer; the next moment, Yumeko found that they were standing in a kitchen. Or perhaps this place was more of a laboratory. All kinds of alchemical ingredients were stationed along the shelves, a cauldron bubbled above the fireplace and seemed to be stirring itself, and a dust and pan were cleaning the floor without a human hand to guide it.

The witch had teleported them in the blink of an eye, as easy as knocking over a house of cards.

Yumeko looked around frantically as a terrible thought popped into her head: was this the power of an average witch or was Kira just exceptional?

If it was the latter, had Yumeko stepped willingly into a wolf’s den?

She watched in reverent silence as Kira stepped away from her, and she had to stop her hand from reaching out to Kira. The witch headed for the fireplace roaring below the cauldron. The witch pulled out something from her robes: a set of small bones.

Kira rolled them in her hands and murmured something intelligible under her breath. A heartbeat or two later, Kira tossed them into the fire and it ate it up hungrily. It felt as if the fire was alive in its own right. Maybe it was. Maybe everything that Kira touched and owned was alive because of her magic.

Yumeko was a little afraid… and a little curious.

It was one thing to know that magic existed and another to watch it live and breath before your eyes.

“Your parents will die without a cure. You’ve made your request. I will tell you the price,” Kira said, watching the oracle bones cracking in the flames, “A life for a life. I want your firstborn child.”

Yumeko’s breath hitched.

“You want… a baby?” Yumeko asked, frowning a bit.

That was far from what she was expecting. Money or blood, yes. But a child? What could this witch possibly want with a baby? A witch’s abode was hardly a place to raise a child in these troubling times.

Perhaps Kira wished to be a mentor to a prodigy she could shape from a tender age into something great and powerful. Perhaps Kira, for all her power, was unable to conceive. Perhaps she was barren and envious of other mothers. Was Kira at that age where she started longing for her own child?

Yumeko was beginning to look at this woman in a new light.

She was a witch, yes. A wild woman. But Yumeko was starting to understand that she might be human underneath all that power and might.

At their cores, maybe they were made of similar enough threads.

Kira nodded, “The gender does not matter. But it must be your first. A blood pact will be made.”

It all finally clicked in Yumeko’s head. She felt stupid for not understanding the situation prior to this very moment.

The entrance, the magical performance, the show of efficiency, the preening of it all — Gods, she had been so blind.

If Kira had been a man, she would’ve seen her actions for what they truly were.

Now she understood the extent of what Kira was asking. The true reason for why she needed more than Yumeko’s life. Why Kira needed Yumeko’s firstborn so adamantly.

She supposed anything was possible with magic.

If this was the price she had to pay to save her parents, then so be it.

Yumeko gave her a little nod… and then began to undress.

She pulled on the strings of her cloak, unlacing it with blushing cheeks and letting it fall to the floor. The cloak pooled around her feet and the heaviness of it was comforting. She let out a shaky breath as she reached for the belt cinched around her waist.

Kira’s eyes were wide as she watched Yumeko’s every move. The flames reflected in her eyes, burning and raging as blue and red clashed.

How had Yumeko been so blind to the sheer hunger in Kira’s eyes before now?

As she undid her belt, Yumeko wondered if this was really how she lost her maidenhood. Of all possible scenarios Yumeko had ever conjured in her mind, being deflowered as part of a deal with a witch was not among them.

Yumeko always thought she would give it away to her lover on her marital bed. Destiny had a strange sense of humour.

Just as she undid the buckle of her belt, Kira jumped to her feet and Yumeko flinched.

“What on earth are you doing?” Kira hissed, eyes wide in horror.

Yumeko blinked. Her hands remained wrapped around her belt.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Yumeko retorted just as confused, “Take your clothes off. We have a baby to make.”

Kira looked at her as if she had grown a third eye.

Yumeko had to wonder if she had already done something wrong. But from her understanding, clothes weren’t necessary between lovers about to couple. Wasn’t that the whole point of the concept of modesty? It could only be done away with when in bed with your lover, right?

Maybe witches did these differently. Maybe they preferred to ensnare their loves like female spiders do before gorging themselves on their prize.

…The idea of Kira devouring her shouldn’t be as enticing as it was. Yet Yumeko throbbed between her legs all the same.

Just then, Kira came charging towards Yumeko like an angry ox.

Frightened and confused, Yumeko closed her eyes and tensed up, almost expecting an attack or reprimand. Neither came.

Instead, she felt her cloak being wrapped around her once more like a warm blanket. Kira's hands were clenched around the edges of her cloak but her touch wasn’t angry. It was tender against Yumeko’s chest. There was no trace of rage on her face. Rather, she was…

Was Kira blushing ?

Kira hissed out, “That’s it? You just undress on a whim in the middle of a room?”

Yumeko blinked again and her muscles eased up a little as she drank in this strange reaction. Were all witches so mercurial?

“Was I… supposed to do something else?” Yumeko asked innocently.

Kira let out a small groan of frustration.

“You— Why do you think that I—” Kira stammered out the words in a bumbling fashion, “I didn’t mean me .”

Now Yumeko was officially lost. She had more sense of direction when she had wandered aimlessly through a haunted forest earlier.

Her grip tightened on her belt as she redid the buckle. She almost felt a little foolish as she did so. Slightly heated and now with a matching blush to her cheeks, Yumeko huffed and asked, “So how am I supposed to give you my firstborn if we don’t make one?”

They were so close now. If Yumeko wasn’t so confused, she would’ve taken the time to admire how lovely Kira’s skin was at this distance. It reminded her of the fine porcelain they used to make back home.

Gods… her lips were so blue. Would they taste as sweet as blueberries if they kissed?

Slowly, incredulous, Kira asked, “Why do we have to make one?”

With a deep frown, Yumeko asked, “Do you want me to make it with someone else?”

This earned her a grown of frustration from Kira, Despite her anger, her hands were so gentle as she retied the strings of Yumeko’s cloak. Her fingers moved with practiced dexterity and the second she was done, Kira pulled her hands away and stepped back from Yumeko.

She watched the witch run a frazzled hand through her hair. Was Kira flustered at the idea of the two of them making love?

Wasn’t Yumeko supposed to be the blushing virgin between the two of them?

“Why would you want to… have one with me?” Kira asked, “Don’t you have a paramour?”

Yumeko let out a snort of laughter at this. It lacked any warmth and it did not reach her eyes. Yumeko mirthlessly asked, “You think the people here are kind to people like me?”

Silence became her answer.

Kira looked at her for a long time. It was so long, in fact, that Yumeko nearly squirmed from the intensity of her gaze. She wondered what the other woman was thinking. She wondered if she was reconsidering Yumeko’s words.

A terrible thought crossed Yumeko’s mind… maybe Kira didn’t find Yumeko attractive. Maybe the hunger she had seen in Kira’s eyes earlier was simply a projection of her own desires.

Maybe she read far too much and trusted her wishful thinking beyond reason.

For some odd reason, that idea hurt more than Yumeko had expected it to.

The fireplace crackled and a log of wood split in two. Kira sighed.

Softly, she said, “Go home.”

Dread seized Yumeko. She must’ve fucked this up. She must have offended Kira or made herself unattractive in some way.

Immediately, Yumeko dropped to her knees and began to beg with tears welling up in her eyes. All she could think of was her parents on the brink of death.

She could not return home empty-handed.

She could not go back and see them like that.

Not again. Not ever.

The words spilled freely from Yumeko’s mouth as she babbled out, “Please, please. I’m begging you. I’m so sorry if I have offended you. Forgive me. I take it all back just—”

As quick as a flash of lightning, Kira sailed across the room and knelt down before Yumeko. Yet again, there was horror etched into her face as she gazed down at Yumeko. Kira covered Yumeko’s mouth with her hand while her other hand cupped the back of Yumeko’s head.

Kira spoke as if the words pained her: “Don’t grovel. It’s beneath you.”

Yumeko could only let out muffled sobs into Kira’s hand. She was so far beyond reason now. Another time, she might’ve considered that this witch was comforting her. But in that moment she simply felt hysterical with fear and sorrow.

Surprisingly, Kira shushed and soothed her.

“Shush, shush. It’s OK. Just breathe. There’s no need to cry.”

It was as if a warm blanket had been wrapped around Yumeko’s body. These soft, hushed words were like a soothing balm to Yumeko’s long aggrieved soul.

Yumeko didn’t understand why this witch was comforting her, nor why her words were so soothing. All she knew was that she never wanted to leave this woman’s embrace. And she never wanted any other eyes to look at her except these ones.

There would be plenty of time to dwell on that later.

When Yumeko calmed down, it was Kira who helped her to her feet. The witch that everyone feared treated Yumeko as gently as one might handle a jewel or a lover. Kira’s hand slipped away from her mouth, still wet from Yumeko’s tears.

Kira’s wet hand was proof of her compassion.

Carefully, Yumeko used her cloak to dab away the wetness from Kira's hands. She felt the other woman’s gaze on her as she fussed over her hand.

Kira murmured, “It’s just water and salt.”

Yet she did not retrieve her hand.

They were littered with tiny scars and her talons retracted as Yumeko’s hands worked against her palm. It reminded Yumeko of those cats whose little hands possessed such fearsome claws. Theirs had been retractable, too.

“Still. My mess,” Yumeko murmured back.

Words in this foreign tongue were tricky at the best of times, and Yumeko was still bordering on hysteria. Those three words were the best she could muster in that moment. It didn’t help that the problem of Kira’s price was still lingering in her mind, too.

“Go home.”

The words were spoken gently, yet it felt as if Kira punched her.

Already on the verge of tears, Yumeko pleaded, “Please, I—”

“You will find that your parents are cured.”

The world tilted off its axis. Yumeko’s heart stopped beating for a moment and a gasp slipped from her mouth. Kira was watching her with that same, haunted look; it was as if a silent war waged on inside her.

Deeply confused yet daring to hope, Yumeko said, “But… the price you asked for has not been paid.”

Kira just squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.

“Just… go home.” Kira said, her words almost desperate, “I will summon you after I’ve had time to think.”

In truth, Yumeko didn’t want to leave. This seemed too good to be true. It almost felt like a trick that Kira was playing upon her. Yet she didn’t feel any malicious intent from Kira. Rather, Yumeko could feel the terrible blooming of hope in her chest.

Were her parents really cured, just like that? Without any price being paid?

She found herself staring at Kira for a little while longer. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to ask more questions or leave while Kira was still letting her go.

Hope won out.

A wet laugh bubbled out of Yumeko as she cried, “Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!”

She restrained herself from hugging and kissing this wonderful witch. No, she wouldn’t push her luck tonight — not after she had practically thrown herself at Kira and had been clearly rejected. Still, Yumeko bowed a couple times with a beaming smile.

As she gathered her skirts and turned to leave, she felt Kira's hand seize her as it wrapped around her bicep.

“Wait.”

There was that tinge of desperation to her voice again.

Yumeko looked back and found that there was a wild look in Kira’s eyes. Her hands were still so cold. Did she ever warm up? When Yumeko glanced down at Kira’s hand, the witch immediately let go and tucked her hand behind her back. It was a sheepish gesture that Yumeko didn’t expect to see from such a fearsome woman.

Kira asked, “What’s your name, girl?”

Yumeko paused at the odd question. She realised that, yes, she had forgotten to introduce herself earlier. Her frantic mind had skipped the pleasantries and jumped straight to the request.

How rude of her.

“Yumeko,” she said with a bowed head, “Jabami Yumeko.”

Kira clicked her tongue in disapproval. Her expression darkened a little as she said, “Be careful with who you tell your name to. I told you before that words have power.”

At these scolding words, Yumeko found herself smiling incredulously.

“I have no need to be careful around you.” Yumeko replied, “You’ve saved my parents.”

Kira looked at her in surprise for a moment. Then she looked away and something in her guarded expression kept Yumeko rooted in place for a few moments longer.

It felt like a tugging at her soul.

Softly as if not to scare her, Yumeko asked, “And your name is… Kira?”

That’s what the townspeople called her. Among other names. But it was good for Yumeko to be sure of what name to call her.

Blue eyes flickered back to her. The expression on her face was unreadable.

“I have many names. You may call me that one.”

Yumeko nodded, her cheeks a little warmer. She left in a hurry after that.

Kira. What a wonderful name. In her native tongue, her name meant to sparkle or glitter like a lovely jewel. Not unlike the sapphires that Kira called her eyes.

On the journey back home, Yumeko found that it was easier to leave the forest than it was to wander into it. The forest seemed to guide Yumeko back home this time. Sounds returned to the forest: the animals chattered and chirped, the wind breezed passed and the trees swayed happily around her.

In fact, she swore it took double the time to reach Kira's home than it did to leave it and return back into town.

Best of all, Kira had been true to her word: upon returning home that night, her parents were far better than Yumeko had left them. They both were fast asleep but this was the first time they had looked so peaceful. No sweating, no grimacing in pain, no feverish skin — just a restful slumber.

Kira had kept her promise. No price had been paid, yet her parents lived.

Oddest of all: sitting by the bedside cabinet beside her parents’ bed was a fresh, warm loaf of bread.

Chapter Text

Yumeko could not stop thinking about the witch.

It had been many days since she had met the enigmatic woman. These were the longest days Yumeko had ever suffered from. Day and night, she was plagued with memories of lips stained blue with powder. She could still smell the faintest hint of sage and sea salt.

More than anything, Yumeko remembered those haunting blue eyes boring into her soul.

It would be easy to convince herself that their meeting was just a figment of her imagination. That maybe she simply dreamed of that magnificent woman.

But she could not; the proof of Kira’s existence lived and breathed in her home.

Keiko and Jo Jabami were doing well. They had completely bounced back from their sickness. Long gone were the days they spent sweating and suffering in bed, praying to foreign gods to take away this plague. Now, they were back to their happy selves.

Kira gave her this. The only reason her parents were alive was because of her generosity.

Yumeko had not paid the price, yet Kira healed them all the same.

A Jabami did not let a debt remain for too long. It was against their nature.

“Yumeko!”

Her mother’s voice rang out from the garden, sweet as honey. Yumeko could hear her all the way from the kitchen.

Keiko called again, “We’re going to the market! We’ll be back in two hours!”

It was as if their sudden recovery lit a fire within her parents. They were convinced the gods of their ancestors had intervened and protected them from harm. That this was done because the gods had grander plans in store for them — specifically, their pottery business.

And the best place to gather goods for their pottery was the market.

“Be safe! Dinner will be ready when you get back!” Yumeko called back in her native tongue.

Both of her parents sang back their love before departing.

Yumeko was left in the kitchen, tending to a pot of stew and feeding a hungry fire beneath. It wasn’t the brilliant blue of Kira’s witch fire. This was a simple, human fire made of wood and heat.

Gods, everything reminded Yumeko of that woman.

At twenty and two, she should be beyond this kind of childish infatuation. She should be above this kind of puppy love. But the more Yumeko tried to restrain her feelings, the more her heart seemed to wander in the direction of the Witchwood.

Kira was a beautiful woman. Every time Yumeko thought of her, she saw the worlds in shades of black and blue. Being near Kira felt like standing at the side of a boat and watching the great and terrible ocean below: the dark waters crashing against the rocks and boat, the vast expanse of never-ending ocean, the sliver of white sea-foam that cut through the darkness.

There was an overwhelming sentiment of being insignificant when she stood in Kira’s presence.

Yet there was evidence of a softer side to her.

The way Kira held Yumeko was undeniably tender. The way she would blush a pretty pink when Yumeko said something too forward. And the way Kira insisted that Yumeko not debase herself, grovel or beg to Kira was… heartwarming.

Yumeko wanted to peel back every layer of Kira’s soul and scour the contents until she understood the witch.

She knew she had no rights to, yet she longed for it all the same.

…This was pointless. Yumeko knew she had to be patient. No matter how infatuated with Kira she might be, her feelings were secondary. This wasn’t some village girl she had a crush on — it was the fucking witch of the woods. Granter of boons, the shadow looming over the land. She was not some dog to be called to heel just because—

SQWUAKKKKKKK .

Yumeko nearly jumped out of her skin. The sharp edge of her knife nearly sliced clean through her finger before she slammed it down.

When she jerked her head up, she found a raven sitting in the moon window in front of her face.

Not just any raven. It was a grand bird with thick, dark plumage and a shiny beak as big as Yumeko’s finger. But that wasn’t the strange part: the three pairs of crimson eyes that were watching her, however, were quite strange.

Yumeko blinked. Six crimson eyes blinked back.

“Hello,” she said, a little hesitantly.

The raven cooed in response before tapping its beak against its foot.

It was then that Yumeko realised there was a sheath attached to the bird’s leg. Within the sheath was a little rolled-up bit of parchment from what Yumeko could see.

Immediately, Yumeko knew who this raven belonged to.

She looked around for a bit of food for the bird before gathering a handful of diced carrots. Did ravens eat carrots? Oh, well. She held her hand out for the bird and watched it eagerly begin gobbling down the scraps of food.

“You’re kind of cute,” Yumeko murmured as she admired the little birdie.

The bird paid her no mind. Poor thing must be so hungry from its flight here.

She retrieved the parchment from within the sheath and gently unrolled it. Her heart was beating so hard in her chest. This would be the first time she had heard from Kira since they met all those days ago. It felt like a lifetime ago, at this point.

I would like to discuss our deal. At dusk.

- K

The note was written in a lovely, crisp print as opposed to the traditional aristocratic cursive that Yumeko despised. This kind of hardwriting was legible to her.

The raven had already finished all of the carrots Yumeko had offered to it. Now it was cleaning between its feathers and roosting in her wooden windowsill. Yumeko found herself pressing the note to her chest, grinning despite her nerves. This was the best possible news that she could have received.

Kira wanted to see her! Yumeko would be glad to see this beautiful woman again.

…Oh, gods. What did she even wear ?

Was she supposed to wear bridal white to her deflowerment? Wait, were they even going to consummate this deal during this meeting? Surely they would, or why would Kira specify the deal within her message?

Yumeko’s mind was buzzing with possibilities. There was too much to consider. She felt paralysed with choice after choice and—

And the fucking bird was trying to eat her stew. Nevermind, Yumeko would deal with this unruly creature and have her mental breakdown after.

Yumeko did not run to the tower hidden in the woods. She simply… walked. Briskly. With purpose, if you will.

And if she scrubbed herself raw and clean with soap and oils, that was nobody’s business.

This journey was far less perilous and intimidating than her first venture into the Witchwood. The forest wasn’t gloomy, it was warm with the summer heat and sunlight slipped through the gaps in the canopy. Yumeko could actually hear the animals and the wind this time; the woods were alive and almost welcoming.

It almost felt like it was guiding her to the witch’s tower this time around.

She had come empty-handed this time.

Given the context of their deal and the reason for this meeting, Yumeko considered her body as the possible gift.

She hadn’t needed to knock on the giant oak doors this time, either. Kira seemed to be waiting by the doors when Yumeko arrived because they swung open the second her shoe touched the threshold.

Their eyes met. Blue and brown.

There were no performances this time. No theatrical witch fires or displays of power.

Only the two of them, staring at each other with matching blushes to their cheeks.

Kira was dressed lightly in her dark blue dress with a shawl thrown over her shoulders. Her lips were still tinged blue. There was a certain nervous energy to Kira that made her impossibly endearing to Yumeko.

Eyes wide, Kira said, “You came.”

Yumeko simply answered, “You called.”

This earned her a sheepish look from Kira. The witch avoided her gaze and turned to the side, signalling for Yumeko to come inside. Not many people can say that they have been invited into a witch’s abode.

They don’t speak as Kira leads her throughout the house. There’s no ominous feeling lingering in the home anymore. Perhaps now that the cover of night had been lifted, Yumeko could see the witch’s tower for what it truly was: a home.

She could still see the little creatures in the corner of her eye, but it was worse now: in the daylight, the creatures seemed to linger even longer. Maybe the sunlight made them bolder.

Kira’s home still smelled of sage and the ocean. It should have been a chilling scent yet Yumeko found it oddly comforting. It reminded Yumeko of her home across the ocean — the Jabamis had lived in an estate by the ocean, and the salty air was what Yumeko yearned for the most.

It made her stomach roll with envy and homesickness to think of her home. Her real home. The one so far from her reach now.

There was no point dwelling on it now. She simply squared her shoulders and walked further into Kira’s home. They had passed several rooms on the way in, some with doors open and others with doors locked shut. Yumeko tried not to peer inside them; she didn’t want Kira to think she was nosy or intrusive.

Kira led them to a parlour room. The windows were opened so natural light could slip in and illuminate the otherwise dark room. The lanterns for witch fire remained unlit, and the walls they were mounted on were painted in navy blue. There's a small table with two chairs and a variety of plants growing throughout the room. Herbs, mushrooms and more populated the room, contrasting well to the bar fully-stocked with alcohol sitting on the northmost part of the room.

Yumeko said, “You have quite the green thumb, Kira.”

Kira glanced back at her and it felt like Yumeko was struck with lightning. Gods, her eyes were incredible. They felt like magic incarnate. She watched as Kira flicked her wrist and suddenly, a pot of coffee and some cups materialised onto the table. Yumeko had blinked and they were there.

“It’s preferable to grow my ingredients here,” Kira answered, “than have to search for them in the woods like a deer.”

They both sit down opposite each other. Or rather, Kira waited for Yumeko to sit first so she could pour her some coffee before finally sitting down herself.

It was an unexpectedly chivalrous act that made Yumeko’s ears warm up. Instead of pointing it out, Yumeko glanced at the garden and asked, “You use all of this for cooking?”

Kira shook her head, saying, “Alchemy. Potions. None of these should ever be consumed in a stew.”

Well that was promising. Was it even safe to be sitting near them? Kira did not seem concerned so Yumeko tried not to feel that way, either.

Wordlessly, Kira added a dash of milk into Yumeko’s coffee but no sugar. Yumeko tilted her head, asking, “How did you know I like it with milk?”

Kira’s eyes flickered between Yumeko and the coffee. Her answer was cryptic: “Call it intuition.”

…Well, alright then.

The atmosphere grew a little awkward so Yumeko took it upon herself to sip her coffee. It was bitter but the milk took some of the bite away and there was a chocolatey aftertaste. She could feel the beverage seeping into her bones and warming her up from the inside.

Yumeko licked at her lips, asking, “Did you make this yourself?”

“I dabble. Not much else to do in these woods and I’m cursed with plenty of time,” Kira replied.

Yumeko had to wonder if that was meant literally. She wondered yet again how old Kira was. Surely she couldn’t be Yumeko’s age. But there was a gentleness to Kira's actions that made Yumeko doubt she was older than her parents, for example.

In truth, Yumeko wanted to know if Kira was an acceptable age for a suitor. She was so curious about the witch in front of her, she just wanted to know anything and everything.

Kira cut this wish short, saying, “We didn’t come here to discuss coffee.”

It was as if a mask had slipped onto her face. Kira's back was rigid, her expression hardened and no trace of warmth on her face. It was… a little attractive. Yumeko tried to push these thoughts away for the time being and wear her most professional face.

Taking a small inhale, Yumeko said, “You want to discuss our deal.”

Kira nodded but said no more.

Yumeko continued, “My parents are well again. Actually, I think they’re more healthy than they’ve ever been. You fulfilled your half of the deal.”

Kira swallowed, “I did. Do you understand what your part of the deal is?”

Her posture was impeccable, her clothes were clean and ironed, her fingers drummed anxiously on the table and her face betrayed no emotion — just an intense stare.

Almost too eagerly, Yumeko answered, “To carry your child.”

Kira's eyes closed and her jaw tightened. Yumeko watched as she took a shuddering breath in before relaxing.

“No,” she replied, tone taut with tension, “Your role is to deliver me a child. Your firstborn. The… the father could be anyone. All that matters is that you carry the child and you give them to me.”

Yumeko frowned a little, asking, “Are you… unable?”

She was playing with fire, she knew that. There was never an easy way to bring up such a sensitive topic. A woman’s fertility was directly linked to her value in this country so calling that into question was more than just social misconduct. But Yumeko had some pressing questions for this apparently all-powerful witch. This was just one of them.

The witch narrowed her eyes.

“Are you asking if my womb is barren?”

Yumeko bravely answered, “Yes. I’m just curious as to why you want my child. There would be no shortage of men wanting to bed you.”

Kira huffed and asked, “Is that what you think?”

What an odd question. It was like asking if Yumeko thought the sun was hot or if the sky lived above her head. Was the answer not obvious?

“I know it. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” Yumeko answered.

Her answer was soft, almost whispered. This time Kira really did blush all the way up to her ears. She poured herself some black coffee and sipped at it, as if calming her nerves.

Not for the first time, Yumeko wondered how flustered Kira might be with a kiss if a few words could make her blush so much.

It took a while for Kira to speak. It took so long that Yumeko was on the verge of apologising for her blunt question.

Finally, Kira said, “I am. My womb… I cannot carry a child. Hence why I struck this deal with you.”

She had assumed as much. Unless Kira was some sort of evil woman from folklore, she would have no reasonable motive for wanting Yumeko’s child… unless she simply could not make her own. But that just left Yumeko with more follow-up questions. She could feel Kira’s eyes lingering on her, watching her with that same hunger and intensity that made Yumeko’s heart flutter.

Yumeko murmured, “I was under the impression that witches could cure all.”

Kira let out a scoff at these words.

“That’s a myth. I’m a witch, not a goddess.” Kira replied, a slight bite to her words, “Don’t listen to everything those village idiots tell you.”

She wouldn’t disagree there. There was plenty of vitriol spewed by the townsfolk surrounding Yumeko and her family. The town in which they lived was filled with closed-minded xenophobes who wouldn’t spare a glance to foreigners like them.

There’s a reason why there was so little food in the house. Why her family’s business was not flourishing the way it was back home, despite it being considered exotic here. Why it was solely Yumeko’s responsibility to find a cure to her parents’ plague.

The people in these lands wouldn’t spare a glance their way, let alone a draught of medicine.

But gods, did they love to gossip where Yumeko could hear them.

With a particular slice of gossip in mind, Yumeko drew patterns on the table and said, “There’s a couple in town. Two women, they had a baby boy last fall. They said it was possible because of you.”

The words sat in the air between them.

Kira looked at her with a burning gaze. She was waiting.

Yumeko swallowed, “Was it you?”

The witch nodded, “They gave me something great in return. I gave them the necessary tools and they… made their own baby.”

“Through sex,” Yumeko finished for her.

The corner of Kira’s lips twitched up, “Correct.”

“But how?” Yumeko pressed on, “They don’t exactly have the correct equipment.”

Kira took another sip of her own black coffee. The blue powder did not leave her lips, and the tinge remained. Kira said, “That could be changed. For a price.”

Necessary tools… Changed for a price… Now, there could only be one thing that Kira could be referring to. Did Kira really have the power to grant someone a working cock? Just how far did the bounds of Kira’s magic truly extend? She said that she wasn’t a goddess, yet this kind of power felt reserved for divinity.

Yumeko’s eyes grew wide as she asked, “You mean…”

“I mean that the gods have given us many gifts. There is much I can do and much I cannot,” Kira simply answered, folding her hands in her lap.

At this, Yumeko began to mull over these words. In all honesty, as much as she tried to steer her thoughts into the practical applications of Kira’s magic and the implications of such power… her mind kept deviating to thoughts about cock.

While attempting to push these salacious thoughts from her mind, Yumeko said, “So, theoretically… you and I could still make a baby together. Like you did for those two. With the… necessary equipment.”

The frustration and shyness returned to Kira’s features as she huffed and asked, “Why are you so fixated on this route?”

Yumeko countered, asking, “Why not? It seems the most plausible.”

“Do you have no one willing to father a child on you?” Kira asked, her tone incredulous.

No one on this continent, that was for sure. The idea of laying with one of the foreigners she lived near made her skin crawl. Yet when she applied that same thought to Kira… she felt something far, far different from disgust.

Carefully, Yumeko replied, “No, I don’t. And even if I did, this route is the most reasonable. You want a baby and you need me to carry it. So why don’t you sire a child on me and spare the middle man?”

The stern and nonchalant facade that Kira had been wearing was beginning to melt away. She ran a hand through her hair and said, “Because…”

Yumeko tilted her head as she heard the woman’s voice trail off. The witch clearly didn’t have a good enough reason for rejecting Yumeko’s offer yet she still persisted.

She had to wonder why. Yet again, she found herself probing the witch with more questions, asking, “Does… your infertility extend to this?”

Kira scrunched up her face at this. It was as if the thought never crossed her mind. She replied, “Not that I’m aware of.”

Yumeko shrugged and asked, “Then why not try?”

“Yumeko.”

Kira’s voice wasn’t loud but the severity of it made Yumeko flinch. It felt like a bucket of water being thrown on her, or like she was a naughty child being scolded. She saw the witch’s eyes widen in shock at her reaction before she looked away. She seemed almost… embarrassed.

The mood had become awkward once more.

“This is… difficult for me.” Kira began to say, her words chosen carefully, “I didn’t expect you to agree to my request. But you have and the deal must be completed. I need… I need you to understand that you aren’t on a time limit. I won’t take away your family’s health. And you don’t need to feel any pressure to get pregnant by me or anyone else.”

Despite the vulnerability she was being shown, Yumeko couldn’t help but laugh a little. Yet another act of chivalry from Kira. She was beginning to wonder if the other woman was truly a witch, rather than a knight in disguise.

“I know this.” Yumeko said, smiling, “I’m indebted to you, Kira.”

Kira was beginning to sound a little whiny as she said, “Pregnancy is more than just a debt to be settled.”

“Correct. And this kind of wisdom is exactly why you’ll be the one siring this child,” Yumeko said with a tone of finality.

Kira’s breath hitched in her chest.

“Is that,” her voice was as soft as a whisper, “what you want?”

The air was rife with tension. She was looking at Yumeko with an indescribable expression. Something had shifted between the two of them. She could feel it down to her core. The intensity of Kira’s gaze wasn’t helping the sudden throbbing between her legs.

Yumeko gives her a long, slow look up and down. Her gaze trailed down from Kira’s lips tinged blue, her powder-blue eyes, her dark hair that spills like oil down her back, her pale and milky skin, her feminine features, the slope of her cheekbones, those long fingers adorned with rings—

A small whimper slipped from Yumeko’s mouth.

“Yes. Definitely yes,” she whispered.

The lust in her words was undeniable. Yet again, Yumeko felt that magnetic pull towards Kira. They both held each other’s gaze for some time… before looking away in sudden sheepishness.

Gods above and below, was she openly flirting with a witch?

Kira cleared her throat, saying, “That… that’s good.”

Yumeko could feel how hot her face was becoming, and it was endlessly embarrassing. She was blushing like a school girl. Where was her usual charm, her charisma?

She tried to summon this as she asked, “So. What does this ritual entail?”

When Kira looked back at her, Yumeko had to grip onto her own thigh to stop herself from reacting. Had Kira slipped a love potion into her drink when she wasn’t looking? Because Yumeko had never felt like… needy for another person before.

Kira held her hand out with her palm upright. She drawled, “Prior to us physically consummating this deal, we shall both prick our fingertips. Just a single drop is enough and it must be freely given. The drops will be added to a poultice. Both of us shall drink it. The rest is… well, you know the rest.”

The witch gave a dismissive, little handwave. Yumeko remained silent as she thought over these words. She couldn’t quite believe that this was her life now.

She was truly going to carry a witch’s child. It was funny the road that destiny would lead you down. If only Yumeko’s ancestors could have predicted this in their divination.

Kira stared at her for a little longer, scrutinising.

A breath slipped from Kira’s mouth.

Then a gasp.

With considerable horror in her voice, Kira said, “Tell me you aren’t a virgin.”

Oh.

Well that was not a conversation Yumeko had been prepared to have now . Stupid perceptive witches. Yumeko huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, saying, “Lying wouldn’t improve this situation, so I won’t.”

This answer made Kira bury her face into her hands. Muffled, she groaned out: “Why did you not mention this?”

Still a little petulant, Yumeko asked, “Is it relevant?”

“Of course it’s relevant!” Kira snapped, “Don’t you want your first time to be with someone you’re in love with? Your spouse, perhaps? Why would you agree to this deal?”

Despite the barrage of questions, Yumeko felt oddly at ease. She did not feel the urge to snap back or to raise her voice. Instead she replied, “Because I wanted to save my parents. I didn’t need any other reason.”

“But don’t you want someone who could court you to d-deflower you?” Kira asked, her voice cracking a little on the second last word.

How cute.

Was Kira a bit shy at the idea of deflowering a virgin? Yumeko wasn’t sure why she imagined a witch of the woods being keen on virginal defilement — in reality, Kira was as frantic and unsure as a newborn fawn.

Back to the topic at hand, Yumeko considered Kira’s words. If the courtship was truly the root of Kira’s concern…

“Why don’t you court me then?”

Kira blinked a few times as her mouth fell open.

When her question was met with only silence, Yumeko continued, “You’ve been kind to me. You’re beautiful, gentle and you’re very considerate. Why not you?”

With that ever-present incredulity, Kira said, “You cannot be asking a witch to court you.”

Yumeko countered, “You’re asking for a baby from a virgin, so we’re both being a little unreasonable, it seems.”

The witch let out a suffering sigh before saying, “You don’t want me to court you.”

Yumeko clicked her tongue, “I disagree.”

In truth, Yumeko saw no downsides to this arrangement. Nobody had ever caught her attention quite like this woman in front of her. If she had to be courted by anyone, she would not be opposed to Kira being her suitor. She would actually quite like that.

She watched as Kira grasped her coffee and downed it like it was liquid courage. Was the idea of bedding and courting Yumeko so unappealing that it scared Kira? Why should she need liquid courage… if not because Kira did not want to do it. A horrible thought popped into her head.

A slight tremor appeared in her voice as she asked, “Do you not want to bed me?”

Kira choked on her coffee.

Yumeko felt her stomach roll into a knot as she continued, “If that’s why you’re hesitating, I will do my best to find—”

“That’s not why,” Kira hissed.

Her face was hard with fury and vehement honesty. It was as if the witch fire had been trapped in Kira’s eyes and they burned with a sapphire hue. A long, hungering look passed between them.

Ah. So the feeling was mutual.

The knot in Yumeko’s stomach slowly began to uncoil itself.

She breathed out a breath of relief, saying, “Good. I want you to court me. And I want you to get me pregnant. In whatever witchy way you need to do it.”

Did she ever think she would say that set of words? No. Were her ancestors currently rolling in their urns because Yumeko was about to add a foreign witch into their bloodline? Probably. 

“Are you certain?” Kira asked, the intensity of her stare ebbing away.

Yumeko nodded, “Yes. And if I change my mind, I think you’ll respect that, too.”

Her words were simple and honest, yet it made Kira look so… pleased. Her face lit up and the once-hardened features softened like butter as she looked at Yumeko. Her eyes were wide and mouth slightly parted, as if she wasn’t expecting Yumeko to say something so nice.

A sad thought came to mind in that moment: in this lonely tower, when was the last time Kira heard a soft and kind word spoken to her?

Kira coughed once more into her hand before asking, “Do I need to explain the logistics of it?”

Yumeko raised an eyebrow, asking, “Of sex?”

The witch nodded, once more unable to look Yumeko in the eye. Gods, she was fucking cute. It was unfair for one person to be so beautiful, attractive and cute. And she had magic.

The gods truly had their favourites.

“I’m new to this country, not to this world.” Yumeko deadpanned, “I can guess what you have planned for me.”

“You make me sound like a scoundrel,” Kira said, almost affronted.

Yumeko smirked.

“I hope that’s the case.”

You could have heard a feather falling amidst the silence that settled between them.

Yumeko’s unexpectedly salacious comment had clearly left the witch reeling because she seemed to be lost for words, opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water.

She found that she quite liked shocking Kira.

And she found herself wondering what other pretty expressions could Kira make.

Life returned back to normal after that meeting with Kira.

Well. Mostly normal.

Keiko and Jo Jabami were the picture of health now. They returned back to their pottery business with a spring in their step; and they contributed their swift recovery much to Yumeko’s efforts.

It felt good to be praised by her parents. It did not feel good to lie by omission about how Yumeko really nursed them back to health. She would keep that little secret to herself for now.

But now that her parents were doing better, they stated to Yumeko that they were considering travelling into the nearby city. Something about buying ceramic goods such as clay and selling their own foreign goods there, too. Of course, Yumeko would need to stay behind during this whole endeavour to protect the house.

This part of the deal she readily agreed. Having the house to herself sounded like a lovely slice of peace. Her only concern was the kind of trouble her parents would get into without her around.

Jabamis had a tendency for trouble, as you might have noticed.

So that’s how Yumeko found herself alone at home that morning, preparing her own little lunch. Gods, she really did hate this country her parents dragged her to. The people were boorish, the landscapes were lacklustre and the food was criminally bland — no ginseng, no tumeric, no true spices, nothing.

None of the taste of her home.

What Yumeko wouldn’t do to eat sashimi, or soba noodles, or—

Kek-kek-kek!

When Yumeko looked up, the raven had perched itself on the windowsill yet again. This was the second time Yumeko was meeting it and she found that the six crimson eyes staring at her were less ominous this time around.

Or maybe the bird had simply endeared itself to her by trying to steal her food scraps.

“Hello again you,” Yumeko cooed, “pretty, little thing.”

She still did not dare pet it. She quite enjoyed keeping her fingers intact. Instead Yumeko gestured to the pile of food scraps next to her cutting board, and the raven began wolfing it down. Such an odd, little creature.

As she watched it eat, she wondered yet again how Kira got her hands on it.

While he was bribed with food, Yumeko retrieved the note from his leg sheath and unfurled it. If she happened to be smiling from ear to ear as she read it, that was nobody’s business.

Hello again.

His name is Trezor. I know you two are acquainted. He will eat anything as payment. Avoid touching him, as he bites.

I hope you are well. If Trezor approaches you in future, please do not mind his company. He can be a needy creature at times.

— K

A needy creature. Yumeko had to wonder if Kira was referring to herself or the bird.

The parchment smelled of the ocean. It warmed Yumeko’s heart.

Turning to gaze down at the ravenous bird, she asked, “Do you really bite?”

The bird named Trezor snapped his beak a couple times at her as an answer. The message was clear: he enjoyed biting and would do it if given the chance.

Yumeko snorted, “Ah, I see.”

The food scraps were all done, thanks to Trezor. That was one less task for Yumeko to complete, at least. Now that he was done with his meal, Trezor decided to plop down into the basin of water resting on the nearby bench — Yumeko had just finished washing all her fruits and veggies in it. She narrowly avoided the splashes of water as the bird began cleaning himself in this makeshift bird bath.

What a playful creature. It was a shame she couldn’t pet him.

“You’re not nearly as polite as your master.” Yumeko said, adding, “She’s quite the gallant knight, you know.”

Trezor tilted his head at Yumeko, as if curious. She wondered yet again how intelligent the raven actually was. She understood that he was clearly touched by magic given the three pairs of red eyes. But she wondered if he was actually a bird born of flesh or if he was some sort of sprite conjured from Kira’s will.

Kira’s magic seemed boundless, after all.

Yumeko returned to her cooking as she said, “I’ve heard a lot of horrible stories about her.”

She was well aware of the intelligent, crimson eyes watching her every move. She continued, “The townsfolk think of her as quite the villain. They scare their children with stories about the ugly, old witch that lives in the Witchwood. The worst behaved children get gobbled up or cooked in her cauldron.”

Trezor let out an indignant squawk in defense of his master. Yumeko giggled, saying, “They also say that the witch is an old crone who hates living but can’t die. She takes the form of a beautiful woman to trick travellers and entraps them in her home… or she outright steals them from their beds.”

She leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, “Worst of all, they say that she grants wishes to a select few… for a very steep price.”

Gods, look at her: she had lost her mind and was talking to a bird about a witch.

Ah, but what a lovely witch she was.

“Do you want to know a secret, kotori ?” Yumeko asked with a small smile, “I think the people that live in this town… are stupid. Very stupid. They’ll believe any vapid story so long as it makes them feel good or important. Why not pick on the wicked witch that does nothing to endear herself to us?”

Trezor puffed out his chest to display his impressive plumage and gave a victorious little chortle. Drops of water fell from his wings and flicked onto the fire, causing it to hiss and steam a little.

Yumeko could only laugh at this and say, “You give yourself a nice bath and hurry back to your master. Could you give her a little message for me? Tell her I hope to see her soon, not just her pretty birdie.”

In response, Trezor gave a happy trill and continued with his bath. She envied the life of such a simple creature.

Briefly, Yumeko wondered if Kira could see her through the raven’s eyes. She hoped so.

A little game had begun between the two of them.

It all started because of Trezor.

It had been many days since Yumeko had last seen Kira. Absence made the heart grow fonder, and Yumeko yearning had only sharpened during this time. In Kira’s absence, Yumeko had to satiate herself with Trezor’s company. Yumeko dared not push her luck too far when it came to the witch.

So she concocted a new idea: whenever the little raven would make its way to Yumeko’s home, she would take the scraps of parchment from him, read them, and then give him something in return. Whatever could fit into the sheath attached to Trezor’s leg would do: drawings, notes, scraps of goods and other tokens.

If Kira was allowed to send her messages, Yumeko thought it was only fair to return the favour. Part of her just wanted Kira to know that she appreciated the notes and that she was thinking about her too.

Yet, alas, no reply ever came from Kira.

That didn't matter. Yumeko wouldn’t let her life be put on hold because she was smitten with a beautiful, charming witch. So what if Kira would one day sire a child on her? Did it matter that Yumeko couldn’t stop thinking about her? No!

Her presence in the Witchwood that afternoon had nothing at all to do with Kira. She was here for gathering purposes only.

She needed a particular root for cooking. There was nothing special about it — she only wanted it because it tasted strikingly like the food from her homeland. The problem was that it almost exclusively grew in the Witchwood. Anyone unwilling or too cowardly to gather it there would need to travel nearly a whole town over to find it.

And the merchants in Yumeko’s town asked for unreasonable prices for this lucrative root. Worse still, they charged Yumeko and her family a so-called “foreigners’ tax” on top of it all.

The people of this country remained as “welcoming” to foreigners as ever.

Xenophobia aside, Yumeko had no intention of approaching the witch’s tower nor seeking out the witch dwelling within. If she just so happened to run into the infamous witch herself… Well, that would just be a bonus.

So that was how Yumeko found herself approaching a lofty patch of horseradish. It was almost hiding from view and it hadn’t taken Yumeko very long to find it. No malicious creature had stalked her as she traversed the woods, yet she still felt like she was being watched.

She smirked; there was only one person who might be watching her like this.

Yumeko crouched down and set her basket aside. Just as her hands wrapped around the leafy head of the root, she felt the forest air turn chilly. When Yumeko exhaled she could see her warm breath billowing out into the frosty air.

Despite the chill, she smiled from ear to ear.

Yumeko spoke sweetly, “You don’t have to lurk in the shadows, you know.”

Only the cold breeze that kissed Yumeko’s cheeks answered her.

The horseradish remained untouched, not yet ready to be uprooted. Yumeko rose to her full height, gazing along the trees for a familiar figure skulking about.

She found nothing and no one. But she knew what awaited her in that evergreen darkness.

“At least you personally showed up this time,” Yumeko drawled, “as opposed to your lovely bird.”

That’s when she heard a deep chuckle echoing throughout the forest. It might have been intimidating to another traveller. Yumeko, however, was not just any traveller. The laughter sounded like music to her ears.

The voice Yumeko longed to hear asked: “Did you miss me?”

Her smile widened even further. Kira’s voice seemed to come from every direction yet it was spoken as gently as a lover’s whisper. Such was the power of a witch.

Yumeko asked, “If I said yes, would you show your face?”

The tree canopies answered by dancing and rustling in the breeze. It felt like the two of them had an audience in the beating heart of the forest. She still couldn’t spot where Kira was hiding.

“Does my face please you that much?” Kira asked, the mischief clear in her voice.

Yumeko replied, “There’s a lot about you that pleases me, Kira-san.”

There was a pause.

“San?”

This made Yumeko giggle a little. The time in which they hadn’t spoken meant Yumeko forgot that there was a language barrier between them. Kira didn’t even speak like a commoner; she had a sort of archaic accent and way of speaking.

Unfortunately, it was incredibly attractive.

“I’m not sure of the word in your language.” Yumeko answered, “It’s a sign of respect.”

The forest rumbled as Kira made a humming noise. Yumeko could feel her whole body shake from the force of it as she stood on the forest floor.

Finally, Kira offered, “Should I call you the same?”

Yumeko clicked her tongue, “Absolutely not. I prefer how impolite you are.”

This earned her another hearty chuckle.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” Kira murmured.

Yumeko softened and said, “I did miss you. Just a little.”

At first, there was nothing except the hush of the woods and the weight of darkness pressing in. Yumeko waited with bated breath for Kira's response. For anything, really. Then, as if slipping out of the shadows, something stirred. Two icy blue eyes took shape, glowing faintly as though the forest itself had conjured them.

Slowly, Kira stepped forward. The sunlight pierced through the canopy and it fell onto her face, wrapping her in a pale radiance that crowned her like something otherworldly.

Yumeko’s breath caught. She was every bit as magnificent as Yumeko remembered. Perhaps even more so, now that she appeared as if risen from shadow into light.

Kira’s face was endlessly smug as she asked, “Only a little?”

Yumeko could feel the longing hidden within Kira’s words. Was she hoping to have more of an effect on Yumeko? Just the thought of that made her stomach flip with joy.

“You didn’t give me a chance to miss you.” Yumeko replied before adding, “I noticed your handiwork.”

Kira strolled towards her like she had all the time in the world. Gods, she was beautiful. She hadn’t realised how badly she had missed Kira’s countenance until now. How she had yearned to see those blue-tinged lips, or the lovely slope of her neck.

Raising an eyebrow, Kira asked, “Oh? Do tell.”

Yumeko began to list the events, saying, “I don’t remember buying peaches, yet my parents thanked me for the bunch I had left on the kitchen table.”

Kira wore a bemused face, “How odd.”

“Not to mention the fresh bread loaf or the hard cheese that accompanied it. Someone misplaced it on my bedside cabinet,” Yumeko continued with feigned shock.

Kira matched her expression, saying, “What a foolish place to leave perfectly good food.”

They were many steps away from each other. Yumeko ached to close the distance between the two of them. Her body raged at her to run to Kira and to bask in her glow but she restrained herself.

The witch did not like it when Yumeko grovelled, after all.

Yumeko couldn’t stop smiling as she asked, “Is there any particular reason you keep bringing me food, Kira?”

Kira gave her a small shrug and replied, “There’s too much food in my home. And too little food in yours. Perhaps I just wanted to restore an equilibrium.”

“That’s a fancy way to describe the cat-like offerings you’ve left me,” Yumeko quipped.

This made Kira let out a bark of laughter before asking, “Is it not a suitor’s job to leave gifts?”

She could’ve died happily in that moment. She was squealing on the inside despite her coy facade. Kira called herself Yumeko’s suitor! Yumeko was still reeling from the fact that Kira was entertaining her little crush, let alone seemingly sharing it.

She never dreamed that a witch might be the one to court her.

Yumeko took a step forward as she asked, “You brought food as opposed to jewels and silks?”

Kira stepped forward as well, her steps measured yet taken with ease. That mischievous grin remained in place as Kira answered, “I don’t think you care for those when your belly is empty.”

“Maybe you don’t know what I like.”

“I would like to find out.”

Yumeko could reach out and touch Kira now. They were so close that she could feel the faint chill emanating from the witch.

She held her breath as Kira reached up with clawed hands and cradled Yumeko’s own hands. Her skin was a little warmer in colour than Kira’s, yet Yumeko thought it painted a pretty picture. Kira brought their hands up and placed a chaste kiss to Yumeko’s joined hands, right along the knuckles.

She would be lying if she said her heart didn’t do flips at this tender display.

Kira’s breath tickled Yumeko’s fingers as she said, “I am glad to see you again, Yumeko.”

Yumeko felt her cheeks warming up as she whispered back, “And I am glad to see you, in the flesh.”

It took everything within her not to throw herself on Kira. It was a horrible form of cute aggression that Yumeko was barely able to restrain. It wouldn’t do to let Kira know how desperate she was to bask in her company.

The witch gently released their hands and Yumeko missed the chill the moment their hands slipped away.

“Is this the part where you whisk me away into your lair to add to your cauldron?” Yumeko asked with a teasing lilt.

Kira rolled her eyes, “From what I’ve heard, I’m more likely to do that to children.”

Yumeko narrowed her eyes and grinned conspiratorially, saying, “I knew you were listening when I talked to the bird!”

A small grin appeared on Kira’s face as she said, “Of course I was. I have to make some use out of the avian nuisance.”

Poor Trezor was being attacked when he couldn’t defend himself. What a cruel master he was subservient to.

“I’d rather focus on you checking on me,” Yumeko retorted, “I guess that means you missed me too.”

“A bold assumption. Maybe I’m just a wicked witch who enjoys spying on people so I can hoard all their shameful secrets,” Kira teased as she inspected her talons.

They were awfully sharp and thick nails. Judging on looks alone, they could probably slice Yumeko to ribbons with ease. If she wasn’t aware that Kira could retract her nails at will, she might’ve been considered for her bodily wellbeing in future.

Yumeko murmured, “I seriously doubt that.”

“And what makes you so sure?” Kira asked with mild surprise.

Yumeko leaned in and looked up at Kira through her lashes, saying, “If you were bound to have your wicked way with anyone, it would’ve been me many moons ago. Yet here I am, intact .”

That final word hung between them, heavy and charged. There was a feral look in Kira's eyes as she peered down at Yumeko. She wondered if the witch also felt that overwhelming tugging sensation in her stomach every time she saw Yumeko. The longer Kira stared at her, the more she looked as if she was restraining herself from a greater hunger lurking beneath the surface.

“If you keep talking like that,” Kira purred, “perhaps you won’t remain intact for long.”

That went straight to Yumeko’s cunt. Breathless and flushed, Yumeko said, “Don’t tempt me with a good time.”

Lust dripped from Yumeko’s mouth as she spoke. Both of them were breathless and their gazes kept dipping down to glance at the other’s lips. So much was said without a single word spoken. Their eyes said it all. Yumeko couldn’t stop thinking of Kira taking her right there on the forest floor, knuckle-deep in—

Kira breathed out a shuddering breath, saying, “I’ll walk you home.”

Yumeko blinked and the fantasy disappeared like smoke in the wind. Oh, well. She'd revisit those thoughts again tonight with her hand between her legs.

“Wait, I haven’t taken the—”

Yumeko cut herself off because when she looked back to check on the horseradish, the patch was gone. Or rather, they had uprooted themselves: the entire batch of horseradish had suddenly gained the ability to move on their own. She watched in wonder and horror as the damn things got up and walked themselves straight into Yumeko’s awaiting basket.

As the horseradish laid themselves down, Yumeko’s head whipped around to look at Kira, who was smirking.

“You were saying?” Kira asked.

Yumeko wanted to kiss the other woman senseless just to wipe that smug look off her face. However, a far better idea popped into her mind.

Slowly, in precise movements, Yumeko prowled up to the witch and leaned her face dangerously close to Kira's… before pressing a little kiss against Kira's cheek. The skin beneath her lips were so cold that it sent a delightful shiver down Yumeko’s spine.

The look on Kira’s face was priceless: mouth parted, eyes wide, breath trapped in her throat, cheeks flushed bright red.

Yumeko murmured against Kira’s cheek, saying, “Now we’re even.”

With that, she grabbed her basket and stood by the witch’s side, saying, “Come, my chivalric knight. You can protect me from all the odd mushrooms we encounter.”

It took Kira a few moments to regain control of her body. The dazed look on her face slipped away as Kira squared her shoulders and placed her hand on the small of Yumeko’s back. The amount of safety this provided Yumeko was insane.

Kira murmured, “I can assure you, there are far more dangerous things prowling these woods.”

She could feel the crackle and hum of magical energy emanating from Kira’s body at this proximity. What could be more dangerous in these woods than the storm made woman standing beside her. Yumeko smirked as she looked Kira up and down, thoroughly enjoying what she saw.

“On that, we can agree.”

Chapter Text

Yumeko carried all the anticipation and trembling anxiety of a bride on the night before her wedding. There was one small problem: there was no wedding. There was no fiance waiting for her back home, no red silk to bind her arms.

Nothing except the deal she made and the price to be paid.

That’s how she found herself at this church. The gods of this country were new to her. Their faces, their names, and their ways — she recognised little and less of them as she gazed upon their altars.

There were so many eyes on her as she stepped over the threshold. It was as if she stepped onto forbidden soil. Part of her expected the gods of her ancestors to strike her down the moment she entered this place.

The locals watched her with suspicious, narrowed eyes. As she wandered throughout the church, she tried to shake off the weight of their scrutiny.

Would this be considered forsaking her gods, just by standing here? For seeking their comfort and their protection instead?

Blasphemy aside, Yumeko needed to be here. She had no one else to turn to. Her parents had left town to travel to the nearest city; chasing something to do with their pottery trade, as always. Upon realising that she would be alone for roughly a week, Yumeko had informed Kira through their little birdie messenger.

Tomorrow, as per their conversation, they would consummate their deal.

Yumeko was endlessly nervous; her stomach felt hollowed out with anxiety. She had vague ideas of what to expect from this event but she had no one to turn to for advice. No family, no friends, and god forbid she told Kira about her anxieties. The witch might just rescind her offer and push it even further back.

No. Yumeko would simply summon her courage and push forward.

So here she knelt within walls of wood and stone. Yumeko found a modicum of comfort within this place. It stunk of candle wax, incense and smoke yet the sharp smells felt cleansing in a strange way.

The locals who were gathered within the church gave her a wide berth — they seemed to be as surprised to see a foreigner inside their church as Yumeko felt being there. While they might have their suspicions, they did not confront or approach her.

Yumeko wasn’t welcome here, yet she wasn’t forbidden here. She existed in a liminal space just out of reach enough to remain untouchable.

She understood their caution. The gods of Yumeko’s ancestors were not benevolent deities, and far from kin to these gods. Her gods were capricious in nature, cruel in their pleasures like cats toying with prey. Sailors and merchants prayed to the ocean god not for mercy but for the slim chance of survival; he was just as likely to guide them home as he was to smash their ships against the rocks.

Yumeko herself had never felt the presence of a god once in her life. She never truly felt their gaze upon her. She saw the magic performed by acolytes and zealots in the name of these gods, but she never truly felt them .

Her bloodline had always prayed to Mizugami, the Lord of the Ocean. He who brought the tide and who pulled it back. He who drowned kingdoms and brought the rain. And as mighty as he might be, he held no dominion in this land.

These gods were foreign, yes, but at least they had power here.

That’s how she found herself knelt before a humble statue carved into the trunk of a tree. It depicted a woman with three faces. Maiden, mother, and crone. As per the etching at the base of the altar, this was Mydione, the goddess of love, fertility and the hearth.

Mydione was the better choice than the gods of her blood. Yumeko hoped she might be a kinder choice, too.

The cold stone below dug into Yumeko’s knees but she knelt all the same.

She prayed to the maiden for a successful courtship, one filled with love and laughter. She prayed to the mother for fertility, for strength in her body to nurture the future generations. And she prayed to the crone for wisdom and clarity within her home and hearth.

Yumeko prayed and prayed until she had nothing left to give. She hoped someone would hear her prayer and take pity on this suffering mortal.

As always, Kira was an attentive and gentle host.

The sun was beginning its descent behind the mountains and the moon chased after it. The witch’s tower, however, existed in its own time and space; it could change from day to night in the blink of an eye, all based on Kira’s whims.

The witch in question had made them a lovely dinner of stews and meats, cooked to perfection. The dining room smelled of broth, cooked meat and the aromatics. The dishes were eaten over some light conversation. With every sweet word that spilled from Kira’s mouth, the yarn of anxiety in Yumeko’s chest began to unwind thread by thread.

She recognised Kira’s efforts for what they were: the witch was doing everything she could to make Yumeko feel at ease tonight. This act just reinforced Yumeko’s original sentiment that Kira would be a perfect and kind lover.

She had made the right choice in suitors.

Kira planned everything. She was thoughtful, kind and gentle…

Yumeko, however, was going to fuck her brains out.

“Are you nervous?” Kira asked, wiping her mouth on the napkin.

Yumeko raised an eyebrow at this question. She wondered if Kira could read her mind but she thought better of it: her anxiety was probably evident on her face and in her movements.

With a small smile, Yumeko replied, “If you’re as courteous in the bedroom as you are in conversation, I believe I’ll be fine.”

Kira shot her a sly smile, saying, “Who knows? Maybe I’ll show my true colours when the lights go out.”

The idea of losing her virginity in the dark, like it was some dark or shameful secret, made Yumeko’s heart plummet. Her voice was stained with yearning as Yumeko breathed out, “The lights stay on. I want to see you, Kira.”

That seemed to be the perfect thing to say. She spoke honestly and she watched as Kira bloomed in response. The witch’s expression was hungry, to say the least: pupils blown out, cheeks tinged with pink and mouth slightly parted open. Kira no longer had an appetite for the dinner she had cooked; she hungered for something entirely different now.

Yumeko watched her with just as much intensity. It felt so nice to be chased like this. It felt sweet to be hunted.

Kira rose to her feet as quiet as a ghost. The food was long forgotten.

She held her hand out to Yumeko, the talons slowly retracting as if not to harm Yumeko when their hands met.

Her voice was dripping with intent as she said, “Come.”

Yumeko’s stomach flipped. She didn’t hesitate to take the witch’s hand. As always, they retained that icy chill that sent shivers down Yumeko’s spine. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Kira’s cold hands roaming all over her flushed skin.

Kira wasted no time as she led Yumeko throughout the house. The witch was intimately familiar with her home, and Yumeko watched in amazement as the woman navigated through the labyrinthine tower. They climbed a winding staircase that Yumeko had never seen before that was illuminated with witch fire lanterns.

The tower was such an odd space. Whereas Yumeko was sure that they had only climbed two flights of stairs, the landscape outside the windows told a different story. She could reach out and touch the clouds if she wanted to. In fact, they were so high in the clouds that she could see the valley of mountains below her.

What a strange place.

As Kira walked in front of her, she couldn’t help but admire the slope of Kira’s shoulders and the lithe shape of her back.

She had to remind herself that it was alright to look at the witch with lust in her eyes. She was allowed to want Kira.

Upon finally reaching Kira’s bedroom, Yumeko had a thousand thoughts of what it could look like. She imagined a den of shadows woven with silk and secrets where the witch could lure Yumeko in like a conniving spider about to feast on its mate. Or maybe she was being lured into a ritual chamber in which Yumeko would be sacrificed like a foolish lamb.

No lair or trap awaited her. It was none of those things.

Kira’s bedroom was mundane. Surpsingly so. Neat, tidy, it was the bedroom of an introspective individual. The bed was made with dextrous hands, as if clutter was not tolerated in this sacred space. The room was scented with jasmine and rose. Kira’s plethora of books were organised on their shelves, alphabetically ordered. All of her stationary and papers were settled on her desk with ceremonial tidiness.

This was no lair of a seductress, nor the altar of a zealot witch. It was simply a space that Kira had carved out in this world all for herself.

Yumeko felt her whole body melt into a boneless ease as she eased into the bedroom. Guilt pricked at her for thinking anything untoward of the witch.

Kira must have noticed this sudden change because she turned back to smile and ask, “Is it what you expected, Yumeko?”

“A little less doom and gloom than I expected.” Yumeko joked, “I like it.”

Their hands slipped out of each other’s grasp. Kira walked a little ahead as she said, “The precise amount of doom and gloom adds ambience.”

Yumeko pursed her lips and said, “Yes, but sometimes it looks like you’ve been coughed out of a chimney.”

This earned her a scathing look from the witch. Yumeko couldn’t help but giggle at the expression… but the laughter quickly died in her throat.

Kira had begun to remove her outer robe, leaving a considerable amount of skin on display. Or, at least, more skin than Yumeko had ever seen or was prepared to see. The witch had always dressed modestly and cloaked in black. Now, however, Yumeko’s eyes drank in the sight of the lean muscle of Kira’s arms.

Now that Kira wore only her sleeves dress, Yumeko was mesmerised by the rounded and broad shoulders that dipped into swollen biceps, firm forearms and hands with long, dexterous fingers—

“You’re staring.”

Yumeko jerked out of her stupor. Her cheeks began to burn with shame as she caught Kira’s teasing gaze — the smug grin on her face was just rubbing salt into the wound.

She had caught Yumeko staring and Yumeko found that she… didn’t mind.

Let Kira know that she yearned for her, too. That Yumeko could hunger for the other woman just as much.

With a huff, Yumeko asked, “Can you blame me?”

Kira didn’t deign to answer her. Instead, she made her way over to the bedside cabinet and began to rummage through it. A moment later she pulled out a needle and vial from within its depths.

Yumeko felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of the objects. It was a reminder of what her purpose was here.

It was as if Kira could sense the shift within Yumeko’s mind. She took a step forward, saying, “You know you have every opportunity to back out. Your consent can be withdrawn at any moment.”

Ever the chivalrous paramour.

“I’m well aware.” Yumeko said as she eyed the needle, “Is that for the bloodletting?”

The witch nodded in confirmation. She held the vial up to the light, and the liquid seemed to shine in a lovely amber light. It contrasted so well to the blue hue of the witch fire surrounding them.

Softly, Kira whispered, “Yours first.”

Her voice was exchanting. So soft and smooth like silk. Yumeko felt like a sailor being lured to her demise from the siren’s song. Her hand lifted up in offering to Kira…

Before she withdrew it.

“Wait.”

Kira did not flinch. She did not react. She merely waited for Yumeko to continue. There was no trace of judgement or frustration on her face.

It was impossibly endearing.

Cradling her hand to her chest, Yumeko asked, “Will this poultice change you? Physically, I mean.”

Kira frowned a little and said, “Well, yes. That’s the purpose of the ritual. I need the correct anatomy.”

The idea of just jumping straight into the ritual was sickening to Yumeko. It made this whole thing feel so… clinical. Like they were here just for the ritual and nothing else. If this was going to be Yumeko’s first time, she wanted it to be more than just a means to an end, damn it.

“Can we…” Yumeko licked at her lips nervously, “Can we do it without the poultice first?”

The witch blinked at her. Then blinked again as her mouth fell open.

“You want to have sex with me, without the change?” Kira asked as if she didn’t believe the words she was saying.

Yumeko nodded, albeit a little shy and blushing as she did so.

Kira tilted her head down as she asked, “Even though that’s not going to make a baby?”

Why was it so surprising to Kira that Yumeko would want to have sex with her just for the pleasure of it? The mere thought made Yumeko’s heart ache.

Yumeko straightened out her spine and said, “I think we’ve already agreed this is a bit more than baby-making. You’re… courting me. Yes?”

The witch swallowed and nodded. Neither of them could look each other in the eye and now they were both blushing like school girls. Gods, this was embarrassing. At least Yumeko was a virgin, what was the witch’s excuse?

She watched Kira place the objects back into the cabinet, which shut closed with a click.

The atmosphere in the room grew heavy after that. Kira was still facing away from her but she rose to her full height and squared her shoulders. When she turned back to look at Yumeko, it felt like the very air itself was humming with energy.

Was this Kira’s doing or just in Yumeko’s mind?

Yumeko found herself drifting towards Kira, her body moving as if drawn by invisible threads. She felt like a moth drawn to a flame, not in ignorance but in surrender to this glimpse of heaven. As she moved, she could feel the familiar throbbing of need between her legs — all because of the weight of Kira’s gaze.

The witch looked at her like she wanted nothing more than to ravage Yumeko just for the sake of it. Entirely without the pretence of making a child.

Like all she wanted to do was pull apart the threads of Yumeko’s soul until she was finally undone.

Kira's hand shot out and yanked Yumeko into her, pulling her by the face. Her grip was surprisingly gentle but the tips of her talons threatened to pierce the skin of Yumeko’s cheeks. The two women were around the same height but Kira had a few inches over her.

She gazed into those icy blue eyes and found only lust lurking within.

Kira murmured, “You’re awfully forward for someone who doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into.”

Yumeko’s lips curled upwards as she leaned into Kira’s touch. She wondered if Kira was feeling equally as aroused but her mind began to wander looking at Kira’s lips.

Eyes locked onto blue lips, Yumeko whispered, “I have a few ideas.”

Kira chuckled and showed off those pretty, sharpened teeth as she said, “Oh? Do tell.”

The witch’s hands began to wander now. They fell from Yumeko’s face and ran along her neck, her movements slow and filled with intent. With a practised ease, Kira’s hands slipped even lower until they slid around Yumeko’s waist.

Her touch was magnetising; Yumeko had no choice but to lean into her lover’s touch.

“It starts with you,” Yumeko whispered, fluttering her eyelashes, “taking these clothes off of me.”

Kira's lips curled into a smirk. Her hands roamed down towards Yumeko's hips as they curled and squeezed at the flesh resting there. Gods, was it always supposed to feel this good? They hadn’t even kissed yet, and Yumeko was struggling not to squeeze her thighs together.

“Have you dropped the blushing virgin act, then?” Kira asked, bringing their mouths impossibly close.

Yumeko coyly replied, “I believe I saw a bit of red on your own cheeks.”

Kira clicked her tongue, “A trick of the light.”

A moment later and Yumeko’s robe fell to the floor, laces somehow undone unbeknownst to her. As the fabric pooled around her feet, her bare skin was exposed to the warm air of the bedroom. Kira was kind enough to wave her hand and the lanterns’ witch fires burned with greater intensity.

Glancing at the blue flames, Yumeko murmured, “A witch would know all about tricks.”

The witch did not give her a response. Instead, her eyes were fixated on the flesh presented to her. They roamed across Yumeko’s body with a feral sort of hunger, barely restrained and dripping in lust. Kira’s hands had fallen to her sides after disrobing yumeko; she could see Kira’s hands flexing open and closed as the witch stared at her.

Her hands slowly raised as if to touch Yumeko’s skin.

“You wore nothing underneath,” Kira breathed out.

Yumeko grinned until she felt Kira’s fingertips grazing against her waist, a tentative touch. She shivered at the sudden contact, asking, “Why would I need more unnecessary layers?”

That was clearly the correct answer. Kira allowed her hands to roam along the muscles and bones of Yumeko’s abdomen and hips. It was such a strange feeling to be naked in front of someone who desired you and vice versa. It was a pleasant experience.

If anything, Kira touched her like a sculptor touched their greatest creation, made in the likeness of their eternal muse.

Feeling bold, Yumeko reached up and cupped Kira’s cheeks. She wasn’t rough but she was certainly firm in her grip. Kira's hands stilled as her eyes widened.

“What are you doing?” Kira asked.

Yumeko giggled, “Are you the only one allowed to touch?”

Kira frowned a little but shook her head. Excellent. Yumeko winked at her lover as her thumb grazed along Kira’s cheekbone. She was surprised she didn’t slice her thumb open from how sharp Kira’s bone structure was.

A statue of Kira ought to be built, in honour of her services to the township but also to preserve this beautiful visage.

With this thought in mind, Yumeko couldn’t help but swipe her thumb across those blue lips she had been aching for. She pressed onto the plump flesh of her bottom lip before pulling back to watch the colour return. The blue tinge remained, yet it did not stain Yumeko’s thumb. She had to wonder if Kira had been born with lips so blue.

“So beautiful…” Yumeko whispered to herself, unable to look away.

Kira looked down at her with hooded eyes. Blue had never looked so inviting.

Without any fanfare, the witch dipped her head and pressed their lips together, sighing into the kiss. Yumeko let out a pleased squeak at the sudden movement… before all thoughts escaped her mind. Her chest was pressed flush against Kira’s and it felt like their hearts were reaching for each other.

It was her first kiss and Yumeko knew one singular truth: this was the closest she would ever come to the presence of divinity.

The kiss itself was chaste, gentle. That was to be expected from Kira who treated her like delicate porcelain. Yet yumeko’s body shivered with need and begged her to take more, to satiate this gnawing hunger. She wanted to drown in this feeling. Her hands flew up to hold onto Kira’s face, clicking their teeth together in her clumsy eagerness. She wasn’t sure what to do with herself so she just followed her instincts.

Kira welcomed Yumeko with just as much need, pulling them as close as possible to each other. There was an undeniable strength in her arms that lingered beneath the surface. Her hands gripped onto Yumeko’s naked back and her fingers dug into the flesh with desperation.

It was as if Kira was afraid that Yumeko might slip away if she loosened her grip even slightly. What a strange thought: Yumeko couldn’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else but here.

If this was truly what Kira feared, Yumeko wondered how long it had been since the witch had been with someone. From how deeply she threw herself into this kiss, she must have been starved of affection for some time.

Well. Yumeko might as well cure that ailment tonight.

She sucked lightly on Kira’s bottom lip before pulling away with a pop. She wasn’t sure what possessed her to do that but judging by the pleasantly surprised look on Kira’s face, she was doing something right.

Breathless and panting, Kira asked, “You’re going to tell me you’ve never kissed anyone before?”

Yumeko smirked, saying, “Not like this.”

It was true. She had shared kisses before but this was an entirely different beast. This felt like she was being consumed by this bewitching woman.

Their mouths met once more, with renewed fervour. This time it was Yumeko doing the undressing as she pulled the laces off of the witch’s dress. Kira began backing Yumeko slowly towards the bed, mindful of how rough she was handling her.

With far too much ease, Kira broke the kiss and tossed Yumeko onto the bed. It was as if Yumeko weighed nothing more than the pillow she landed on.

Yumeko sat up on her elbows and as she stared at the witch standing over her… her legs spread themselves open.

Kira stood over her, slipped her dress completely off and… waited. The hesitation was written all over her face. Yumeko couldn’t even dwell on this because her mind was failing her. Could you blame her? Kira’s gorgeous body was on full display, entirely for Yumeko’s eyes to feast upon. Full breasts, wide hips, a much fuller figure than Yumeko’s own — she wasn’t sure if she wanted Kira or wanted to be her.

Probably both.

She didn’t even know that a woman could look like that. It was like something out of a romance novel. Yumeko had to wonder if it was a health risk to be so beautiful. Her own heart was beginning to stutter and fail just looking at Kira.

“Gods…”

The awe dripped from her voice, raw and clear. It was like a flame had been reignited inside of Kira; the relief on her face was palpable. She preened under the attention as she climbed between Yumeko’s parted legs, a giant grin adorning her face. As she slid herself up Yumeko’s body, they met once more in a slow kiss, their bare skin flush against each other.

Fuck, the ache between Yumeko’s legs was horrible now. She could feel Kira’s lower body grinding into her and the barest amount of friction drove her wild. All she could think about was these same hips thrusting into hers from different angles. Yumeko wanted nothing more than to grind herself down onto—

Kira slipped her leg against Yumeko’s cunt and she let out a moan in surprise. It was obscenely loud. Stars danced at the edge of her vision.

“That’s it, love, just like that.” Kira murmured between sweet kisses, “Roll your hips against me. Don’t be shy, you won’t hurt me.”

Gods above and below, Yumeko could have reached her peak just from hearing her say that.

It felt right to obey. Her hips rolled into the lean muscle of Kira’s thigh, and her eyes rolled back at the feeling. She could barely hold onto Kira’s shoulders at this point. She knew she was making an absolute mess of her lover’s leg yet Kira didn’t seem to care. In fact, Kira seemed to be panting between peppering open-mouthed kisses because of the mess Yumeko was making.

So Kira liked her sex messy. Duly noted.

Kira’s voice came out almost as a growl, asking, “Have you orgasmed before, Yumeko?”

Yumeko nodded, glad to at least have experienced that before. She wasn’t a completely clueless virgin. Kira let out a shaky, almost relieved breath before bringing their mouths together. Their tongues slipped against each other, not pushing or fighting but just exploring, testing, tasting. Every moment, every little movement sent a pulse straight to her cunt.

It was only when she felt Kira’s lips wrap around her tongue and suck , did Yumeko whine and arch her back into her lover.

It was too much. She had to break the kiss to catch her breath. When she pulled back, lips and chin wet from all of Kira’s efforts, the throbbing did not ebb away. Gods, she was already close to her peak. She forced her hips to stop moving — god forbid she came too quickly and made a fool of herself.

Even worse, she couldn’t squeeze her thighs together because Kira was resting between them.

Yumeko panted out, “I don’t want t-to come on your leg.”

Kira frowned as she pulled back, asking, “Why not?”

She didn’t answer. Instead, she took Kira's hand from her sternum and dragged it down between her legs. The cold fingers immediately slipped between Yumeko’s folds creating a delicious contrast in temperature. Above her, Kira let out a shuddering breath as she felt the slick there.

Yumeko ground her cunt into Kira’s hand and her heavy conveyed exactly what she wanted to Kira: those icy digits needed to disappear inside of her cunt now .

Kira sucked in through her teeth in realisation. She didn’t wait a second longer.

As always, the witch was a kind and gentle lover. She made sure to coat her fingers in Yumeko’s slick before using her two fingers to roll that sensitive little bud. Yumeko couldn’t stop the pitiful whine that burst from her. Her back arched off of the bed and she found herself reaching for the pillows behind her. She needed to grab onto something, anything.

It didn't help that Kira's mouth was suddenly licking and sucking around Yumeko’s left breast.

Guttural and needy, Yumeko whined, “Gods, Kira.”

Kira paid her no mind. She latched her mouth around Yumeko’s nipple as she slipped her fingers back and forth between Yumeko’s folds. She couldn’t spread her legs any wider or they’d break. Between the warm mouth wrapped around her nipple and the cold fingers smearing her cunt, she was ready to explode.

That’s when she felt Kira easing the first digit in. Surprisingly, the pain was minimal. Yumeko had always heard stories from other women about penetration being particularly painful, and how those women simply pushed through the pain. It was the same reason she never tried it on herself.

Kira, however, knew exactly what she was doing. She used her other hand to press her palm against Yumeko’s bud, grounding down on it just right. It was the perfect pressure for Yumeko; now she was able to roll her hips into Kira’s palm, mixing the pleasure into the pain at her own pace.

“More,” Yumeko begged, unable to say more.

It felt like all she could do was lay there and take it. Her words came out breathy and desperate. All her previous bravado had disappeared until Kira’s expert hands.

The witch grinned down at her as she pulled out. Yumeko felt the loss deep in her bones. Kira recoated her fingers before easing back into, this time with two fingers.

It was such a delicious stretch. This time yumeko was wanton in her movements, gyrating her hips as if to suck Kira in deeper. And Kira wasn’t slow on the uptake, either. She fucked Yumeko at a steady, slow pace, no longer concerned about breaking her lover.

Yumeko could feel the intention in Kira’s movements: she wanted to fuck Yumeko open enough that she could handle more later on. Fuck, if this was what two fingers felt like, Yumeko felt dizzy imagining what Kira’s cock might feel like.

That’s when Kira’s voice came out as a growl: “Very good, Yumeko. Focus on this feeling. Tell me if it doesn’t feel right.”

She nodded but her mind was so far away right now. She was on the brink of collapse and she just needed Kira to keep going. Gods strike her down if she ever stopped fucking her like this.

As Yumeko approached her peak, she thought she was ready. She had had orgasms before. This surely couldn’t be any better than—

Kira curled her fingers and dragged them back. Yumeko fell apart, crying out Kira’s name. She had been so wrong: it was completely different orgasming because of someone else's touch rather than her own. Her mind was blank and her body felt like it was seized with pleasure, floating along the clouds.

She was vaguely aware that Kira had continued to fuck her at the same pace, and had only slowed down when Yumeko showed signs of sentience again.

Yumeko licked at her lips, breathing out, “I didn’t know it could feel like this.”

Kira let out a throaty chuckle at the dazed expression on her lover’s face. The warmth in her eyes was undeniable, and Yumeko realised she was proud.

She made Kira proud.

The throbbing had returned to Yumeko’s cunt, this time with a vengeance. She knew that Kira could feel her wrapping tight around her fingers because of the way Kira’s breath hitched in her throat. She didn’t care. Let Kira feel her. Let Kira know that she wanted more, that Kira’s pace was far too slow.

Yumeko rolled her hips into Kira's fingers— which immediately made Kira pull her fingers out. They made a vulgar sound as they slipped out and Yumeko whined at the loss.

Sternly, Kira shushed her and said, “Don’t get greedy.”

Had she met Yumeko? She was the crown princess of talking back and greed.

Just as Yumeko was about to start arguing, however, Kira slipped her fingers into Yumeko’s mouth. The taste of her own slick on Kira’s fingers invaded her mouth and it tasted divine . She began eagerly sucking her fingers clean, uncaring of the salacious noises she was making. It tasted so wonderful, both salty and sweet and everything in between. If her own slick tasted so addicting, just how good would Kira taste?

“That’s it, just like that.” Kira purred above her, “You’re quite insatiable for a virgin.”

As Kira’s fingers slipped from her mouth, Yumeko smiled and licked at her lips. She didn’t want to waste a drop. Chest heaving and cunt dripping, Yumeko asked, “Can you blame me? Is that what it always feels like?”

Kira smirked.

“Only if your lover is good.”

The confidence was horribly attractive. Yumeko grinned before pulling her lover down into a long, slow kiss. They shared in the taste of Yumeko’s cunt, moaning into the kiss and chasing the taste. Yumeko wrapped her legs around Kira’s waist and tried to drag their hips together again.

An idea popped into her mind.

She broke the kiss just to ask, “Can I do that to you?”

Kira stiffened up a little. She pulled away from Yumeko by an inch yet it felt like an ocean of distance.

Stiff as a board, Kira averted her gaze and said, “I… I would rather not.”

Now, Yumeko would be lying if she said that she wasn’t disappointed. Her body thrummed with need at the idea of eating Kira out and tasting her straight from the source. But she also knew that she didn’t know everything about Kira. If Kira didn’t want to be touched like this, she probably had her reasons. Yumeko could respect that.

Kira had been so good to her so far, after all. Why ruin a good thing by being selfish?

Pushing down her disappointment, Yumeko gave her a small smile, “Then… could you do that one more time?”

The fear and trepidation dissolved from Kira's face. Instead, she mirrored Yumeko’s sweet smile before melting her body into Yumeko.

“What, with my fingers?” Kira asked, eyebrow raised.

Yumeko nodded without a hint of shame or shyness. Why should she feel shy to ask for more of what Kira freely gave? Now that she had a taste of sex, she would never satiate herself — but she could at least try to.

Kira’s smile only widened as she felt Yumeko arching into her, her movements both needy and seductive. Kira lowered her mouth to Yumeko’s before murmuring, “I have a better idea.”

She pressed a kiss to Yumeko’s mouth… before trailing a line of kisses down to her cunt. It was only when Kira got to Yumeko’s bellybutton that she realised what was happening.

Eyes wide and sitting up on her elbows, Yumeko asked, “Are you…”

Kira looked up at her with hooded eyes but she didn’t stop her descent. Her gaze was saturated in certainty.

She knew exactly where she was going and what she was doing.

Yumeko let out a little whimper of excitement and anxiety as she watched Kira get comfortable between her legs. She was laying back on the bed with her head resting against the pillows. Kira rested at the foot of the bed, leaning her weight onto the mattress. Her hands were curled possessively around Yumeko’s hips as if to hold her down.

In a moment of fear, Yumeko worried that she wasn’t going to be clean enough for Kira. She had washed before leaving, yes, but what if it wasn’t enough? What if the sex they had had so far made her unclean again? What if—

Kira latched her mouth onto Yumeko’s sopping wet folds. She let out the most guttural and pleased groan as she began to eat out Yumeko vigorously, the sound rumbling through her chest until Yumeko could feel it reverberating through her bones too.

The feeling of someone else’s tongue against your cunt was an indescribable feeling. Yumeko felt like her whole body was about to explode and she squirmed and jerked her hips from Kira's oral assault. In response, Kira merely held down Yumeko’s hips with a firm grip and a sharp look at her.

For a moment, Yumeko was worried Kira was going to bite her as a warning.

…actually, she wouldn’t mind that.

As Kira’s tongue threatened to push inside, Yumeko hissed out: “Fuck, slow down!”

Kira did not, in fact, slow down. She kept the pace as she lapped at Yumeko’s dripping cunt, her blue eyes staring up at Yumeko from behind her bush.

It was then that Yumeko realised Kira had no intention of easing up. This assault was only going to get worse. All she could do was grab at Kira’s hair and try to push her away. It didn’t work, of course. This woman had an inhumane amount of strength and Yumeko’s begging was nothing more than noise.

Nothing could have pulled Kira off of her at that point. Yumeko’s hands were buried in Kira's hair and she squeezed her thighs around Kira's head. Not even this disturbed Kira’s attack.

The filthiest part of this were the obscene noises that Kira was making as she ate Yumeko out. She was loud, slurping and sucking without a care in the world. She acted like a starving woman… and Yumeko couldn’t deny that she loved it.

“I can’t take it!” Yumeko whined, “Please, Kira!”

She wasn’t sure what she hoped for. Mercy?

It was not mercy that she was given.

Kira pulled back finally to say, “You can. And you will.”

And she dove back in. Yumeko was not long for this world. Her hands found Kira’s and they intertwined amidst this passionate affair, holding onto each other as Kira ate her out. It felt like the other woman was trying to pull Yumeko’s soul out from her body with how vigorously she ate her.

Yumeko did not stifle her voice as she came this time; no one could hear them anyway so she would be as loud as she wanted to.

Kira, of course, did not stop eating her out as Yumeko came. Gods, this witch was a greedy creature. She actually had to tap on Kira’s shoulders to call the other woman back up and off of her. Kira pulled away from Yumeko’s cunt begrudgingly but softened when she realised Yumeko was asking for a kiss.

When they kissed, all pretence flew out the window. They were sloppy in their movements, grinding into each other as they shared the taste of Yumeko.

“Think you’re ready?” Kira whispered against her mouth.

Oh, right. The ritual.

It took Yumeko a moment to remember her own name, let alone what she was here for. When she collected herself, Yumeko let out a dazed, little nod. She had almost forgotten there was a point to this whole endeavour besides mind-blowing sex.

Scrutinising Yumeko’s expression, Kira frowned and reminded her, “You can always back out, Yumeko.”

“From what? An incredible orgasm?” Yumeko deadpanned, “Start the ritual.”

Kira snorted and did as she was told.

It did momentarily take Yumeko out of her lustful haze to have her finger pricked with a needle but Kira was gentle enough. A drop of each of their blood was placed into the poultice before Kira mumbled a few words in a dialect Yumeko didn’t recognise. It certainly wasn’t the standard dialect of this country Yumeko had been taught.

The words felt older, more guttural.

She watched as Kira took a sip of the vial, finishing half of it. Yumeko nodded when Kira didn’t immediately drop dead nor did she look particularly poisoned. In truth, Kira just looked like she had sipped water.

Yumeko followed suit, downing the remaining contents of the vial. She expected the metallic taste of blood or the bitterness of medicine, but it didn’t taste like anything.

When Yumeko began to pout, Kira asked, “What, were you expecting something?”

She shrugged, “Not sure what I expected from baby-making juice.”

Kira huffed, “Don’t call it that.”

Prickly witch. Yumeko rolled her eyes before asking, “Am I supposed to feel anything?”

That’s when Kira gave a little shudder and her eyes screwed shut. Yumeko watched with keen interest as Kira’s face contorted and she replied, “Not you.”

In truth, Yumeko didn’t feel any different. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting. For her womb to vibrate with magic, maybe?

That's when she felt something pressing against her thigh.

When she looked down between her legs, she realised that the long and heavy appendage currently resting against her leg was…

“Oh gods,” Yumeko breathed out in horror, “that’s supposed to go inside of me?”

“I don’t control the size of it,” Kira argued, almost pouting.

If Kira could control the size, Yumeko might wonder if her lover was a masochist for settling on this particular size. It was a lovely white colour that deviated into a blushing pink tip. The base of it was thick and partly hidden by the little curls of hair. Yumeko was eyeing the long, thick vein that ran along the side of Kira’s cock.

What would it feel like to wrap her hands around her cock? The thought was simple yet it gnawed at Yumeko the longer she looked at it.

“You put it there,” Yumeko argued, a little distracted.

Kira huffed, “Yes but I can’t exactly customise it.”

Yumeko let out a mix of a sigh and a laugh. Of course Kira would grow a massive cock as opposed to a reasonably sized one. Did this woman do anything that wasn’t grand and impressive?

Gods, two fingers was going to feel like a world of difference from that thing.

“Is it even going to fit?” Yumeko asked, concern saturating her words.

“I can make it fit.”

Her words were spoken softly, far from any hint of cruelty. The way she was stroking Yumeko’s waist gave her reassurance. Kira had been nothing but gentle so far. She eased Yumeko through every step of the way. Yumeko would trust her in this, too.

She gave her lover a little nod. Permission.

Yumeko smiled as she watched Kira place a kiss against her sternum, making Yumeko’s heart bloom with affection. Kira then plucked another item from her bedside cabinet; this time it was some kind of oil.

Oh, gods above and below… Kira poured the oil directly onto the tip of her swollen cock. The thick liquid ran down the length of her cock, but not a drop was wasted on the sheets below. Kira took great care to smear the oil back and forth along her cock, never taking her eyes off of Yumeko as she stroked herself.

Watching Kira oil up her cock was a spiritual experience. She wasn’t sure where to look: the hungry look on Kira’s face, Kira’s veiny hands, or her gorgeous cock. Eventually her eyes settled on the latter. Her eyes drank in the sight of the pink tip, the white base so thick and throbbing.

Kira’s cock twitched and Yumeko felt herself clench around nothing in response.

Kira noticed. She always did. She smirked, saying, “You’re drooling.”

She refused to indulge the smug witch. She merely huffed before reaching down towards the cock. Kira’s eyes followed her but she said no word of protest. Still, Yumeko needed more. She looked up at Kira from beneath her eyelashes for permission to touch. Earlier Kira said that she didn’t want to be touched but Yumeko still wanted to ask.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Gasping a little, Kira’s smirk dropped from her face and her cheeks burned red. But she nodded all the same. Yumeko’s heart skipped a beat.

Gently, she reached down and wrapped her hand around Kira's cock. Kira hissed at the sensation of Yumeko’s warm hand enveloping her. Yumeko didn’t miss the way that Kira began to thrust her hips into her hand, showing her exactly what it would look like inside her.

Yumeko couldn’t help but stroke it, devouring every reaction and twitch that Kira gave her. The weight of it felt so good in Yumeko’s hand. She wondered how it would feel resting on her stomach or sliding down her throat. Gods, would it even fit in her mouth?

Kira let out a little whimper as Yumeko continued pumping her hand back and forth. There was plenty of length to cover. The sheer thickness of her cock meant that Yumeko’s hands just about fit around it. Kira’s breaths were coming out as pants now.

“I should be careful,” Yumeko teased, “or you’ll end up wasting your seed on me instead of in me.”

That was enough to incite her lover.

Kira let out a snarl as she pulled Yumeko’s hand off by her wrist. She rested the length of her cock between Yumeko’s legs before pinned her knees back to her chest. Kira’s hips rolled back and forth, thoroughly teasing Yumeko with her movements.

Feeling Kira’s cock rubbing just right against her bud felt like heaven and hell in one. Kira’s pace was agonisingly slow but Yumeko craved it all the same.

“What if I wanted to?” Kira hissed with a malicious grin, “What if I kept doing this until I spilled all over your stomach?”

Yumeko fucking hated that idea. All she wanted was for Kira to sink herself inside her, to spill her seed into Yumeko’s womb, finally consummating this whole pact.

“You won’t,” Yumeko snarled back.

Kira sneered down at her.

“Try me.”

She hadn’t expected Kira to call her bluff. Pinned like this, there was very little she could do except— Yumeko let out a hiss of frustration before grabbing Kira’s cock by the base and lining her up at her entrance. She shot her a taunting look.

“If you’re too scared to go through with this,” Yumeko teased, “maybe I should just find someone e—”

She didn’t even get to finish her sentence. Kira immediately began to slide every inch of her cock into Yumeko, gingerly rocking her hips back and forth for Yumeko to adjust better. The stretch was overwhelming at first. Yumeko was sure at one point that she was going to tear or be split open.

Kira’s words came to the rescue, saying, “Touch yourself. It’ll help.”

Even in the midst of her own pleasure, Kira was thinking about Yumeko’s comfort and pleasure. It was endlessly endearing and attractive. Doing as she was told, Yumeko reached down and rubbed circles into her bud. It did, in fact, help with the pain.

It was as if the pleasure was overriding the pain. Inch by inch, Kira was able to bottom out completely. She was buried to hilt and their hips finally kissed, thanks in no small part to Yumeko’s cunt greedily sucking her in.

It was pure bliss to have Kira buried inside her. Yumeko wished she could bottle this feeling forever.

“Fuck, you feel amazing,” Kira whined.

Such filthy words only made Yumeko’s hips roll on their own. She wanted to feel good for Kira, she wanted to be good for Kira. Yumeko withdrew her hands and concentrated her efforts on milking Kira’s cock with her own body.

Yumeko’s words came out tentatively as she asked, “What… what do I feel like?”

Kira’s eyes were closed as her hips stuttered forward. It looked like she was drowning in her own pleasure. In her usual husky tone, Kira answered, “Warm. Wet. And v-very tight.”

She sounded like she was trying her very best not to come just from sliding into Yumeko. Honestly, Yumeko wouldn’t mind that at all.

“You’re looking a little flushed, Kira.” Yumeko teased with a cheeky grin, “Do you need to take a break?”

Mocking Kira was the best way to get fucked thoroughly, she found.

Kira shot her the filthiest look as her body went still. Yumeko knew she was screwed from that look alone. Kira’s taloned hands wrapped around the back of Yumeko’s knees before pushing them down into Yumeko’s chest. She was thoroughly folded and left entirely to Kira’s mercy.

Fuck.

Without a single word of warning, Kira began fucking into her at a slow and steady pace, making Yumeko feel every inch of her cock. Every time Kira’s hips snapped forward, Yumeko felt like her heart was going to jump out of her ribcage.

Distantly, Yumeko knew that she was gripping far too tightly onto Kira’s cock but it felt too good to care anymore. All she could do was moan like a whore beneath Kira, her pride and dignity tossed to the wind as she endured this fucking. Never in Yumeko’s dreams could she have predicted it could feel this way. She wanted everything Kira could give: pleasure, pain, her seed, anything.

Kira moved with expert precision. Her hips seemed to know exactly what angle to thrust into, and the head of her cock was scraping perfectly against that spongy spot inside Yumeko. Her vision was growing white at the edges.

Yumeko’s hand slipped down to cup her belly and she realised in horror and amazement that she could feel Kira’s cock fucking into her.

As Kira began to speed up her pace, Yumeko also realised with sudden clarity that she was about to be impregnated. Kira was going to empty herself inside of Yumeko and if they were lucky, her spilled seed would take root and grow.

That shouldn’t make the throbbing worse, yet Yumeko began to writhe in pleasure. She wanted Kira’s come now .

“Could you go a little faster?” Yumeko begged, “Please?”

It was like a switch flipped inside Kira. One moment she was fucking her with surgical precision; the next, Kira dropped Yumeko’s legs and pressed their bodies flush against each other. Kira held herself up by resting on her elbows instead. In this position, she was able to get even deeper inside of Yumeko. That's the moment she started truly fucking Yumeko with reckless abandon.

All Yumeko could do was hold onto Kira’s shoulders and whine into her neck. Yumeko didn’t know it was possible to feel this good. Could you die from too much pleasure? Was that a thing?

“Don’t taunt me, Yumeko,” Kira snarled against her neck.

Ever the argumentative brat, Yumeko retorted, “If this is what I get, I’ll keep doing it.”

Kira gave her a feral grin. The sight of it made Yumeko’s stomach flip in fear and lust.

“As you wish.”

Her hips pounded away into Yumeko, fucking her with a clear purpose. She was impossibly strong and fast, to the point that Yumeko was sure the witch was enhancing her performance with magic. She didn’t care. She only knew that she needed more. The two of them were wrapped around each other now, and Yumeko was dragging her nails down Kira's back. Kira was holding Yumeko down by the hips as if she was afraid Yumeko might escape if she didn’t.

Yumeko was exactly where she wanted to be.

“You want my seed, Yumeko?” Kira asked, her voice coming out frenzied.

Her eyes rolled back at the idea of it. The word “yes” fell from her mouth so many times it stopped sounding like a real word. Kira let out a deep, dark chuckle.

With a small, pleased snarl, Kira said, “You can take it. Look at you, clenching around me like this. I’ll stain you white, Yumi. You’ll take it all for me.”

The words tipped Yumeko over the edge. She came first, gripping terribly around Kira’s cock as if her body was begging for Kira to spill her seed as well. She dug her nails into Kira’s back and nearly tore bloody ribbons into the skin there.

When she felt Yumeko orgasm around her, it was as if Kira finally allowed herself to come, too. Kira’s hips stuttered as she began shooting ropes and ropes of come inside of Yumeko. A warm, pleasant sensation pooled in Yumeko’s stomach; she smiled when she realised that it was Kira’s doing.

Call it the post-sex bliss but Yumeko prayed the seed would quicken in her womb. Blame it on the magic poultice, too. It didn’t matter to Yumeko.

Nothing mattered except the two of them wrapped around each other, sweating and breathing ragged from exertion. She held Kira and rubbed soothing circles into her back. Kira was resting her forehead against Yumeko’s temple and peppering absentmindedly kisses against her cheek.

The affection made Yumeko’s cunt squeeze down on Kira’s cock, which made Kira hiss and her hips twitched once more.

They both looked at each other and had the same thought: they needed to pull out now, or they would end up going again immediately. For some strange reason, the two of them broke down into little giggles. Kira’s cock slipped out of Yumeko, making some of her seed slip out of Yumeko.

No matter. There would be plenty more where that came from.

When their giggles died down, Yumeko asked, “Are you OK?”

“I should be asking you that,” Kira replied, her eyes dripping with honey.

Yumeko retorted, “You did all the hard work there.”

The two of them shared a sweet smile before melting into a kiss, one that was long and slow. Yumeko couldn’t remember the last time she was this enamoured with someone. Actually, she didn’t think it had ever happened before.

No one had ever captivated Yumeko like this. Just Kira.

“Don’t worry, you’ll pull your weight soon enough.” Kira murmured as she rolled her hips into her, “You still haven’t sat on my face.”

Oh, Yumeko was in for a fun night.

Hours later when the passion had died down and ebbed away into a gentle hum, Kira remained an attentive lover. She fussed over Yumeko as she always did. Wrapping her in layer after layer of warm blankets as if she were swaddling a baby. With each affectionate act, she peppered gentle kisses across her body.

Yumeko had never been cared for by a lover like this. Kira was her first in so many ways, and she was superior in every way. The premium paramour, if you will.

There was a glass of water within reach that was enchanted to always refill for Yumeko. The witch fire kept the room’s temperature just right, and the rain that poured outside added to the cozy ambience within the tower.

Yumeko felt like a treasure being cared for like this.

The deed was done. The deal was consummated. Kira had cleaned and washed her body, and her own body had returned to its original state without the extra appendage.

This was the part of the night Yumeko had been dreading. Horrible thoughts slipped into her mind like poison. Would Kira toss her out now that she had gotten what she wanted? Or would she act cold after the pact was sealed?

Neither of those things happened.

What did happen was something a little more bittersweet.

Kira slipped into the bed beside her. Yumeko watched as her hand reached out, her fingertips brushing over Yumeko’s abdomen. Her touch was attentive, protective rather than possessive. It was as if she was thinking of the seed she had spilled within.

Was she hoping it was taking root within Yumeko?

Yumeko watched all of this, holding her breath the whole time.

Before she could even think, Kira’s hand withdrew. She murmured a soft goodnight before turning onto her side and facing away from Yumeko.

It wasn’t a cold shoulder. But it wasn’t particularly welcoming either.

Yumeko could only stare at the pale curve of Kira’s back. Every dip and curve of her body seemed to beg Yumeko to touch them, to run her palms along the skin and pull Kira into her like they had just done. She wondered why Kira’s actions had disheartened her so deeply.

Had she expected Kira to hold her as they slept? It wasn’t as if Kira rejected her, yet the sting of her absence felt sharper than any blade’s edge.

The hollowness of it all clung to Yumeko, and her mind was plagued with all sorts of thoughts. Blessedly, exhaustion claimed her body and she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

And if she fell asleep watching Kira’s back rise and fall with each breath, that was her business alone.

Chapter Text

When Yumeko awoke to an empty bed, an unfamiliar ache settled into her chest. As her hand searched among cold sheets for her lover and found nothing, the ache spread along her ribs into the rest of her body.

This shouldn’t have bothered her as much as it did. She had spent the majority of her life waking up alone. An empty bed was as familiar to her as the rising sun.

Yet when her eyes cracked open and the room was devoid of shades of blue, a part of Yumeko died a little.

Memories of the previous night flooded through her mind as she sat herself up. Her body groaned and cracked in protest, evidence of her nocturnal activities. That quiet throbbing between her legs remained and so did all the lovely marks Kira left upon her body: love bites adorned her thighs and hips, and she wouldn’t be surprised if there were more littered about her throat, too.

But where was the witch who left these marks? Where—

Skre-skree-SKREEEEEEEEEE!

Yumeko yelped and nearly jumped off of the bed in fright, looking around the room for the source of the screeching.

That’s when Trezor decided to plop himself onto the bed. She hadn’t even heard the bird flying in through the window. The unusually large bird bounced as he landed on the bed and all six eyes blinked at various intervals as he watched her.

“One of these days you’re going to scare me to death,” Yumeko chided him.

Feeling a little bold, Yumeko booped the creature on the top of his head. She narrowly avoided his beak nipping at her fingers — god forbid she make another mess of Kira’s bed.

“Where’s your master?” Yumeko asked as she slid out of bed, fetching her robe.

The messenger bird stopped cleaning his underwing to look at her for a moment. Then he squawked once more at her and took flight, flying off towards the doorway. Yumeko watched in amusement as Trezor began hopping along the floor, turning back a few times as if beckoning her to follow.

Smiling, Yumeko pulled on a shift and Kira’s robe which had been previously discarded on her desk. It was made of a deep blue colour and it wrapped around Yumeko’s body like a lover’s embrace.

She had half an idea as to where Trezor intended on taking her.

The two of them left the bedroom with little haste. Trezor trilled happily as he ventured down the tower, unperturbed by any twisting turns or magical disturbances along the way. Yumeko took a small joy in watching the bird hop from stone to stone. Her woes from waking up this morning seemed to disappear the longer she spent in his company.

Finally, he slipped into a room to his left and Yumeko could smell and hear food being cooked within. Trezor led her to the kitchen? Perhaps the creature was hungry and didn’t want to hunt for his food.

The moment she stepped through the door, however, she realised what Trezor’s intentions were: ever the loyal servant, he had led her straight to his master.

Kira was hovering by the stove with her back turned to Yumeko. Unlike her usual robes and dresses, she wore a more masculine attire this morning: a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up were tucked into black slacks, and boots were strapped to her feet.

So her lover was stupidly attractive in this style, too. Wonderful.

The witch had yet to notice her audience as she cooked. There were about six eggs resting in the frying pan that Kira was attentively frying sunny-side up. Beneath the pan, a blue fire was belching in between bites of the food scraps Kira was feeding it. Egg shells, burnt bits of bread and bits of cheese were doomed for its fiery belly.

Trezor shrieked in indignation and flew towards the food scraps he clearly believed belonged to him alone.

At this sudden noise, Kira whirled around and the eggs sloshed in the pan from the movement. Her eyes settled on Yumeko and for a moment, her expression softened into something tender and sweet.

All sins were forgiven when Kira looked at her like that.

“So this is where you snuck off to,” Yumeko murmured, smiling a little.

The moment was broken. Kira shot a scathing look at her avian companion, snarling, “You woke her up?”

Trezor didn’t even look at his master. He was too busy trying to steal a piece of cheese away from its fiery doom while avoiding the enchanted fire’s ire.

Sensing the impending tirade that Kira was about to launch into, Yumeko stepped in. She strolled over to Kira and said, “Don’t blame him. He was at least there when I awoke this morning.”

The comment was meant to sting a little, but the smile on Yumeko’s face softened it too much. And while Kira responded by groaning in misery, the smile on her face matched Yumeko’s own.

Why did they always smile so easily around each other?

Kira cooed, “Oh, Yumeko. I only left the bed to make us some breakfast. I was going to bring it up to you.”

Breakfast in bed? Now that was a lovely image in Yumeko’s mind. Would Kira have kissed her awake before serving up this imperial spread of food she called breakfast? Oh, to be doted on by a witch.

Yumeko coyly replied, “Well how can I say no to that?”

They were so close now. Gods knew how that happened. It always felt like they were magnets from how drawn to each other they felt.

Setting down the eggs, Kira wiped her hands on the towel before pulling Yumeko in for a hug. She smelled of sage and salt, just like always. Yumeko found herself sighing into the embrace, enjoying the strength in Kira’s arms and how cold the witch was in contrast to the roaring fire. They only pulled back an inch so they could bring their mouths together in a soft, silent kiss.

Whenever they kissed, Yumeko swore the world disappeared around them.

Whispering against her lover’s mouth, Yumeko said, “I might forgive you for abandoning me if the food is good.”

“I wouldn’t leave your side if I wasn’t confident in my culinary skills,” Kira murmured back.

They share a few more giggly, chaste kisses between them before they pull apart. Yumeko missed Kira’s body the second she stepped away from the witch. It was embarrassing how infatuated she was with this woman.

As if putting herself in time out, Yumeko takes a seat by the dining table. Kira had already plated so much of their breakfast spread, all dishes from this country: porridge by berries and honey, open-faced sandwiches of all kinds, freshly squeezed juice, and an assortment of cheeses and sausages. All that was left was the eggs Kira was cooking now.

Yumeko hadn’t seen this much food in a long time. Not since the last time she was invited into a royal home, actually. She supposed that someone as powerful as Kira would be on the same level as royalty; and perhaps just as wealthy.

As she gazed upon the breakfast, that familiar flicker in the corner of her eyes appeared again.

“Kira?” Yumeko called, her voice soft.

Kira hummed, “Hm?”

“Is the tower haunted?”

The witch looked back at her with a small frown. It was a promising reaction. She asked, “How do you define haunted?”

Nevermind, that wasn’t promising.

“I keep seeing something in the corner of my eyes.” Yumeko answered, “Every time I try to look at it directly, it’s gone. I feel like it’s getting closer.”

Kira cooked in silence for a while with her back turned to Yumeko. The longer she took to answer, the worse the images Yumeko’s mind conjured up.

Finally, Kira asked, “And how do you feel about that?”

Yumeko bit her tongue from making a snarky comment. She had noticed that Kira had a habit of answering her questions with more questions. While she didn’t usually mind this little quirk, this question was one she actually wanted answers to.

She replied, “I don’t mind it. I just want to know what it is and what it wants.”

Kira let out a small, breathy chuckle. She turned to look back at her and said, “Rest assured, whatever is haunting you is harmless. Nothing in this tower will do you any harm.”

“And how do you know that?” Yumeko asked, head tilted.

Kira’s eyes flickered across her face.

“Call it intuition and lived experience.”

And she explained no further.

Yumeko chose to let sleeping dogs lie this time. She watched in silence as Kira settled the frying pan onto the dining table, adding eggs to the already glorious spread of food. Yumeko’s stomach grumbled just looking at it. She wondered if her parents were eating half as well right now, wherever they were in the neighbouring city.

All thoughts left her mind, however, upon eating the first bite of food.

The last time she had moaned from something delicious being in her mouth it was Ki—

“So? Have all my sins been forgiven?” Kira asked, looking awfully smug.

In an attempt to salvage what remained of her pride, Yumeko shot her a look and mumbled, “For now.”

The witch kept the smirk on her face but said no more.

For some time, the two of them fell into easy conversation as they ate. The infernal fight between Trezor and the cooking fire had ended with a few singed feathers; now the bird was roosting in the open window and bathing in the sunlight. Truly, it was a lovely summer morning.

Yet another memory that Yumeko wished she could bottle up and keep forever.

“Where do you get all this food from?” Yumeko asked.

Kira replied, “The market in Lamia.”

Lamia? Yumeko’s eyebrows raised high as she said, “That’s six hours away by horseback.”

The twinkle in Kira’s eyes spoke of mischief through and through. It was as if they were playing a game but only the witch knew what the rules were.

“I’m a witch, Yumi.” Kira said, “I have my own ways of travelling.”

Yumeko wondered what that meant. Portals? Shadows? Flight? Broomstick? She held her tongue on asking the specifics, though.

“Did you go all the way there just for this?”

Kira shook her head, “I had other errands. There are many who wish to employ the services of a witch, especially in such a large city.”

Yumeko’s interest was piqued, “Do tell.”

“Some want the goods I can provide. Poultices, enchanted totems, the like. Others need an arcane touch to certain problems. Others need divination and oracle readings. There’s much I can provide to them and for a lovely price, too.”

On very rare occasions, Yumeko forgot that her paramour was an important and powerful person. She could imagine how frightening she appeared to her customers — hells, Yumeko had been shaking in her boots the day they met, too. She didn’t blame them.

If only they knew that Kira had the sweetest centre within that prickly exterior.

Yumeko drawled, “So I’m stealing your valuable time away from your customers, then.”

Kira’s smile was almost shy as she replied, “And I’m happier for it.”

…Damn it, that was too cute. Now it was Yumeko’s turn to blush all the way up to her cheeks. It was so unfair that Kira always had a sweet answer prepared to spill from those honeyed-lips. It was also unnecessarily attractive — Yumeko liked intelligent and witty women, crucify her.

As the two continued their breakfast, Yumeko was already beginning to feel stuffed to the brim. It had been some time since she had eaten such large portions before. Since arriving in this country, Kopvice, food had been scarce for her family. Meals were smaller than ever before in Yumeko’s life and her stomach had adjusted accordingly.

She realised as her hand drifted down to rest on her stomach that she ought to be eating for two now. Her belly wasn’t swollen now, of course, but it would be in future. So long as they’re able to actually consummate this deal, anyway.

…Speaking of which.

“Kira?” Yumeko said, “When will it take root?”

The witch looked at her over the rim of her cup as she took a sip of her coffee. Those big, blue eyes seemed to pierce straight through Yumeko. In quiet moments like this before Kira spoke her honeyed words, Yumeko remembered that she was speaking to someone who was feared by all for good reason.

Setting down her cup, Kira said, “It depends. It’s yet to be seen if my infertility transferred to my… additional appendage.”

Yumeko throbbed just from the mention of Kira’s cock. Gods, she was pathetic.

“How likely do you think that would be?” Yumeko asked, grabbing another sandwich.

Kira shrugged a little, saying, “I do not know. This is my first time experimenting with this sort of thing. For myself, anyway.”

Questions led to answers that led to more questions. Yumeko chewed on her bottom lip as she thought of her next one. She knew that she was walking on delicate ground now; the last thing she needed was to scare Kira off from a poorly-worded question.

“Might I ask you something else?” Yumeko asked, “How do you know with certainty that you’re infertile?”

The witch sighed before setting her cutlery down. Yumeko almost regretted her question because of this reaction but she held it together.

Kira wrung her hands together as she answered, “I have tried in the past to get pregnant. I had… little success. Even when the sire was known to be virile. The problem laid with me which I had already known. But still I thought it better to attempt and confirm.”

Tilting her head, Yumeko asked, “How did you know before you tried?”

Kira’s thumb rubbed against her wrist as she scoffed mirthlessly and said, “It’s in the blood.”

She didn’t elaborate. She wore a haunted look on her face: eyebrows furrowed together, eyes trained on the food below her, jaw clenched tight and dark hair framing her face. The sight of it made Yumeko not want to ask her further questions, lest she push her luck too far. Instead, Yumeko nodded a little and kept that bit of information tucked in the back of her mind.

Clearing her throat, Kira said, “The battle currently might be between your fertility and my infertility. Time will tell us who wins.”

“And how do you know I’m fertile?” Yumeko asked, eyebrow raised.

The witch paused before giving her a slow once-over. She scoffed, “You are fertile. That I have no doubts about.”

A shiver of pleasure ran down Yumeko’s spine. Oh, to be looked upon with a lustful gaze by a powerful witch. Yumeko was exactly where she wanted to be.

Kira smiled before reaching across the table and… hesitated. Her hands hovered in mid-air as if the witch were mustering up the courage to do what she wanted. At first, Yumeko thought she wanted to hold hands. Then she realised that those blue eyes were focused solely on Yumeko’s belly.

Warmth spread through Yumeko’s body. She delicately held Kira’s wrist and led the woman’s hand down to her abdomen, a silent granting of permission.

Her hand had a lovely weight to it. It was as if Kira were trying to sense life within the womb beneath her palm. Actually, Yumeko wondered if the other woman could do that.

All thoughts were banished from her mind when Kira’s thumb rubbed soothing circles.

Kira’s talons had completely retracted, as though not to hurt the tender flesh below. The silver rings adorning her fingers and the bracelets hanging from her wrist were unnecessarily attractive; Yumeko found herself stirring between her legs just looking down at it.

It was an odd feeling, knowing that this hand was inside her last night. And if she were to drag Kira’s hand lower…

“You know,” Yumeko murmured, “if we want to be sure that the seed takes root… we should try more often.”

Kira inhaled sharply through her nose and her gaze snapped up to meet hers. There was a delicious tension in the witch’s body.

“And how do you suggest we try?” Kira asked, her pupils dilated until there’s only a ring of blue left in her eyes.

Yumeko grinned from ear to ear but did not answer. Instead, she wrapped her hand around Kira’s wrist. The cold metal of the witch’s bracelet kissed the warm skin of Yumeko’s hand. She held her lover’s eye contact and began to push Kira’s hand down, sliding it across Yumeko’s stomach.

“If all it takes is one little seed,” Yumeko purred wantonly, “then you ought to provide me with plenty .”

As Kira’s hand cupped Yumeko’s cunt over her dress, she swore the objects in the kitchen began levitating.

HAWK-HAWK-HAWK!!!!

Yumeko was going to strangle this bird.

The fucker was trying to pick a fight with a flock of doves flying outside. 

From his sudden outburst, both women jumped and Kira’s fork slipped out of her hand. It landed with a clatter but the sound was louder than either of them expected; they took one look at each other before bursting into laughter.

Afflicted with giggles, Kira said, “You’re a terrible tease.”

Yumeko grinned back and said, “You wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“You are certainly different from any lover I’ve had before,” Kira mused as she wiped the corner of her mouth.

…Well. That just wouldn’t do.

Perhaps it was wrong for Yumeko to feel a little murderous from the mere mention of Kira’s previous partners — lovers was too strong of a word. But Yumeko felt entitled to a bit of jealousy and possessiveness now that the two of them were trying to conceive a baby.

Yumeko had a right to stake her claim on the witch.

Still, she had to rein in her emotions. Gods forbid that Kira thought she was too attached.

In an attempt to look nonchalant, Yumeko asked, “And what exactly makes me so different?”

Kira mulled over these words for some time. When she found her voice again, it was light and soft on the ears, “Kopvish women tend to be… more reserved. You have quite a direct and blunt approach to things. Very practical.”

The women of this country were certainly reserved, Yumeko thought bitterly. They were so reserved that they abhorred outsiders and scorned change. What a wonderful place she had been dragged to.

“You don’t like your women gentle?” Yumeko asked, keeping her tone light.

Kira let out a breathy laugh and said, “I do. I like women of all kinds. My taste in men is… far more strict.”

Yumeko’s eyebrows shot up.

“Oh?”

“Nearly impossible, really.” Kira said, dusting the crumbs from her hands, “What about you?”

“I care little and less for men.”

She never understood the appeal. In her mind, there was nothing that a man could do that a woman couldn’t do better. And they were far more beautiful.

There was something so beautiful about two women loving each other; a sentiment that Kopvice didn’t share. 

Kira snorted at this, saying, “That might make your life a little difficult in Banim.”

Ah, Banim. The current bane of Yumeko’s existence. What she wouldn’t give to escape this backwater town. Yumeko grumbled, “Yes, well. Me being pregnant out of wedlock already guaranteed that.”

Kira replied, “No one will lay a hand on you. That much I can assure.”

Despite these comforting words, Yumeko merely shook her head, “You cannot stop their thoughts, no matter how powerful of a witch you are. Nor can you force them to be kind or welcoming.”

This was perhaps the most wounded that Kira had ever looked. Those lovely blue eyes drooped down like a wilted flower and her smile slipped away. Yumeko’s heart clenched just looking at her sorrowful expression.

“You don’t seem to like Kopvice.” Kira said, “Why did your family migrate here?”

Yumeko scrunched up her nose, saying, “That’s a longer story.”

“We have all the time in the world,” Kira countered gently.

In any other instance, Yumeko would’ve laughed at her lover’s joke and appreciated the encouragement from her to open up. The nature of their relationship, odd as the circumstances was, was far from antagonistic; yet they both were still cautious around each other, dancing along invisible boundaries while trying to reach each other.

So when Kira said these words, Yumeko didn’t bloom like a rose during springtime. Instead she thought about her family’s past that weighed her down like a ship’s anchor, and she recoiled.

Her smile was small and it didn't reach her eyes.

Yumeko replied, “Just know that this wasn’t my decision. My parents sought fortune across the ocean in the exotic western continent they had always heard about. Now we’re here.”

The witch had always been particularly intuitive. No matter how gentle Yumeko’s words were spoken, Kira read between the lines and saw the snake hiding in the grass. Yumeko was in no mood to divulge any more information.

Kira shrugged and said, “Regardless, I’m glad I got the chance to meet you. I’m richer for it.”

Her reaction was… sweet. A worthier reaction than possibly Yumeko deserved.

Yumeko’s hackles had been raised yet Kira’s answer was to simply smooth down the raised fur and not push any further. She put out the campfire before it burned down the forest.

So when Yumeko shared a smile with the witch, this time it did reach her eyes. Kira reached out to hold onto Yumeko’s hand and this time she didn’t hesitate.

Kira had been vague about her family — or rather, the curse in her blood. And Yumeko in turn had been just as vague about her own family’s past.

The two of them holding hands was more than just an act of affection; they both understood each other a little more now. They could keep their secrets for now. They did not need to carve themselves open to appease the other; they could simply wait for the entrance to open enough to fit the other woman.

And as Kira said, they had all the time in the world.

Kira had far too many errands to run in Yumeko’s humble opinion.

The witch had mumbled something about errands as she slipped out of bed that morning. Breakfast had been served and ready for Yumeko when she woke up, a warm bath had been drawn and an array of books were stacked on Kira’s desk — all for Yumeko to indulge in. But the witch who organised this was far, far away from the tower.

If Yumeko was pouting, that was her own business.

Gods forbid she missed her lover.

At least she had Trezor to keep her company. The bird had kept a watchful eye over Yumeko as she paraded from room to room, occasionally chiming in with a squawk here or a screech there. He had quite the personality and Yumeko was endlessly endeared by his antics.

His company almost felt like Kira was around, too. She happily allowed him to trail after her.

More than anything, she just didn’t want to feel alone in this tower. She wasn’t brave enough to truly go exploring yet: the last thing she needed was to get lost in this ever-changing tower. And if she continued to wander, not even Trezor’s spitfire personality could protect her from those spectres trailing after her.

Whatever those creatures were that lingered at the edge of her vision, they were getting closer now. Kira had reassured her that they weren’t to be feared and Yumeko was trying to be normal about it.

Trying was the operative word here.

It was only in the late afternoon that Kira finally returned home.

The tower yawned in greeting the moment she stepped over the threshold; the walls and ground shook, while the witch fire seemed to burn brighter and hotter.

While giddy in anticipation, Yumeko stayed within the confines of their bedroom. She would let Kira come to her after all the waiting she had done.

When Kira entered the room, Yumeko could only see the outline of her. The wide-brimmed hat, the flowing dress, the hair curled into perfection. She was the perfect silhouette of a witch. And the grin on her face told Yumeko that she intended to have her wicked way with the maiden in her bed.

Throwing her hat and robe to the side, Kira all-but swooped into the bedroom and peppered kisses all over Yumeko’s head and face. She smelled of salt and smoke, and Yumeko wondered where she had been to smell this way.

Yumeko murmured through giggles, “Welcome home.”

Grinning down at her, Kira replied, “I’ve never taken such pleasure in being welcomed home before.”

That stirred more than just Yumeko’s heart. She pulled her lover down into her until they were once more wrapped in each other’s embrace. It wasn’t even a conscious thought for Yumeko to fold her legs over Kira’s waist to lure the witch into her body.

Kira tasted so sweet that it made Yumeko dizzy. She felt like she was drowning as she felt Kira’s hands cupping her cheeks. Was it possible to die from pleasure? Yumeko could feel that all-too familiar throbbing between her legs and she couldn’t resist the urge to roll her hips up into Kira’s body.

Had it really only been eight hours since Kira had departed? It felt like years.

Yumeko’s body ached for her lover’s touch, even now with Kira’s hands on her body.

The witch seemed to notice her desperation as she asked, “Did you miss me?”

“Of course I did,” Yumeko replied, “although Trezor kept me company while you were gone.”

Kira’s face scrunched into a sneer at this response. Yumeko let out a snort of laughter, “Oh, don’t tell me you’re jealous of the bird.”

The witch rolled her eyes in lieu of answering this before pressing their mouths together once more, a perfect fit. The kiss didn’t last nearly as long as Yumeko wanted before her lover pulled away. But when Yumeko’s eyes fluttered open, she realised that Kira was now holding something up over her head: a delicate necklace made of gold with a ruby dangling from it. The gem was carved into the shape of a tear about the size of Yumeko’s thumb, encircled in threads of gold.

“I saw this in the window of a jeweller.” Kira confessed like a prayer, “It reminded me of you.”

Yumeko’s heart pounded in her chest. The ruby caught the flickering light of the witch fire; the contrast of red and blue never looked prettier.

“It’s beautiful. But this would have cost so much,” Yumeko said, her eyebrows scrunched up in concern.

Kira merely replied: “Your smile makes it a worthy purchase.”

Quite the smooth-talker. Yumeko folded like a house of cards collapsing in on itself.

She closed her eyes but could feel the whisper of Kira’s hands moving around her neck and soon the ruby laid itself between Yumeko’s breasts. The weight of gold felt good against her skin. Or perhaps it was the weight of her lover atop her that she was enjoying. Either way, Yumeko was having the time of her life.

When their mouths meet in a kiss, there’s no sweetness. Instead, Yumeko can taste the salt of Kira’s desire as she curls her fingers into Kira’s hair, tugging on it a little. She can feel Kira’s hands curling around her waist until the two of them are flushed against each other. When exactly had Kira flipped them over so that Yumeko was on top? And when had Yumeko slipped onto Kira’s lap like a needy pet?

All coherent thoughts slipped her mind as she heard that little whimper slip from Kira’s mouth.

Yumeko broke the grin to kiss and grind herself back and forth on Kira’s lap. The witch’s pupils doubled in size and Yumeko swore she could feel something stirring beneath her skirts.

“Since you’ve returned,” Yumeko purred, “we should continue where we left off.”

Wearing a matching grin, Kira murmured, “You’re insatiable. I’ve only been home for a few minutes and you’re already asking for it.”

Her hands dipped down along Yumeko’s back until they found their target in the swell of Yumeko’s ass. Gods, her hands kneaded the flesh there far too well; Yumeko could feel her eyes rolling back under her lover’s touch.

Breathless and needy, Yumeko replied, “You want it to. Otherwise you wouldn’t have crawled on top of me like that.”

Her lover didn’t argue with this. Her face was awfully flushed and her eyes burned with desire so perhaps coherent thoughts were hard to hold onto right now. The two found themselves kissing once more in a tangle of touch, lips and teeth. When Yumeko ground her hips down this time, something deliciously hard was pressing up into her through Kira's dress.

An involuntary shiver rippled through her.

“I want you on my face first.” Kira whispered beneath her, “No need to rush to this.”

Now that was an idea.

As tempting as the large appendage below her was, the idea of Kira's tongue on her was too good to pass up. That woman ate her out like she had been starving for years.

Besides, it wasn’t like she had to choose between the two and damn the other. There was nothing quite like Kira's expert mouth to coax Yumeko open before she got impaled on that damn lance she called her cock.

Humming, Yumeko trailed a finger down Kira’s sternum and said, “Well, you definitely make a convincing argument.”

The smile on Kira’s face was entirely too perverse.

It wasn’t long before the two of them had stripped out of their clothes, giddy and giggling all the while. When Yumeko was young she had always seen sex as something serious, the whole point being for procreation and for legacy. No one ever told her it would be fun . Sometimes, like in this moment, it felt wonderful to be able to laugh with Kira and share in the joy of intimacy.

Maybe it wasn’t always like this. Maybe sex with Kira was just special. That seemed more likely.

Yumeko had climbed onto Kira's face and like always, her hips hovered in the air above her lover in hesitation. A hundred different self-deprecating thoughts swam through her mind, ranging from doubts about her hygiene to concerns about her weight.

Kira, on the other hand, didn’t give a fuck.

With the almighty strength of a witch, Kira’s hands reached up and pulled Yumeko down completely onto her, full weight and all.

Yumeko squirmed in protest, saying, “Wait, wait! I don’t wanna hurt you.”

There was a deep, dark chuckle from beneath her.

“You couldn’t if you tried.”

That was the last thing she said before she opened her mouth and all thoughts fled from Yumeko’s mind. She felt that expert tongue slipping between her folds and Yumeko swallowed a scream. Stars dotted along her vision and gods , the noises Kira was making below her were filthy.

It was so unfairly erotic.

While she wanted to roll her hips, part of Yumeko was still worried about hurting Kira. As strong as she was, the witch was still made of flesh and bone. But with the way that Kira was holding her down…

Tentatively, Yumeko looked around for something to hold onto and steady herself with. Her hands found purchase in one of the wooden columns of this canopy bed. She had no time to admire the craftsmanship. The second she found a good grip, she rode Kira’s tongue with reckless abandon.

It was indescribable how good it felt to drag her hips back and forth along her lover’s tongue. There was nothing quite like it, really. Beneath her, she felt Kira go completely rigid. She knew exactly what she was doing: this was her signal that Yumeko had to chase the friction herself.

Well, there was no need to tell Yumeko twice.

As she rode Kira’s face, she wondered if it always felt this good for Kira, too. The longer she thought about Kira getting eaten out, however, the wetter she became. Yumeko ached at the idea of eating out Kira and she had to remind herself sharply that Kira didn’t want to be touched.

…Wait a minute.

Yumeko breathlessly said, “Let me turn around.”

Kira shot her a confused, frowning look from below her bush. She did pull her tongue back, however, and Yumeko was allowed the chance to spin around and face the opposite direction.

She was in the ideal position now… because she could see and reach the tent in Kira's skirts.

As Kira’s mouth latched itself back onto Yumeko cunt and slurped away, it was Yumeko’s turn to play, too. Her hands went straight to Kira's skirts to hike it up and bunch it around the witch’s waist. Her cock sprang out, red and leaking from the tip already. Yumeko giggled at the sight of it as she felt Kira go still beneath her.

She could hear the exasperation in Kira’s voice as she said, “Oh, that ’s why you wanted to turn arou— ah , shit!”

Granted, Kira’s outburst was warranted: Yumeko had the brightest idea to run her nails gently along the length of Kira’s cock. Not enough to scratch or harm but just enough to make her cock twitch. How cute. Yumeko cunt throbbed even harder the longer she looked at and played with her lover like this.

With the small reprieve from Kira’s expert tongue, Yumeko jumped at the chance to play with Kira’s cock.

It had turned into a game. As Yumeko tormented Kira from above, Kira began eating Yumeko out with a vengeance from below. The witch pulled Yumeko’s hips as far down as they could go until Yumeko was unable to escape her lover’s mouth. The noises Kira was making were filthy and so, so loud. She was breathing deeply through her nose, and Yumeko just knew that Kira’s eyes were closed to heighten her immersion.

An eater, through and through.

In turn, Yumeko doubled her own efforts. Her hands were a little wet from all the pre-come that spilled from the tip of Kira’s cock. As such, her hands glided back and forth with ease as she played with Kira. She watched in a lust-filled haze as Kira's stomach and leg muscles flexed every time her hips bucked or jerked. It gave her a surge of pride as saw this, knowing that Yumeko was the reason for her pleasure and pain.

It was wonderful to see that Kira was trying and failing to not thrust herself into Yumeko’s hands. And Yumeko herself was awfully close to her peak but she refused to be the first one to come. Maybe she could…

“Such a pretty cock…” Yumeko purred, “I can’t believe you’re so hard just for me.”

She had never spoken like this to anyone before. Never so salacious, never with this much desire. But she had endured Kira’s filthy words in the past — it was only fair that Yumeko had the opportunity to return the favour. The obscene words were a new texture in Yumeko’s mouth… but she quite liked it.

Below her, Kira’s tongue stopped moving. In fact, her whole body went stiff and unmoving. It lasted for so long that Yumeko had to power through her anxieties about fucking this up. Surely she hadn’t said anything wrong?

Yumeko swallowed her nerves and asked, “Did you think about me all day? Were you thinking about consummating our deal? How many times did your mind wander back to me, thinking about me touching you just like this?”

She watched as Kira's chest rose and fell much faster between Yumeko’s thighs now. She could feel the way Kira’s nails dug into her hips, nearly breaking skin.

Kira was enjoying this thoroughly.

This knowledge only motivated Yumeko further.

“I thought about you. I thought about your eyes, your fingers, your mouth…” Yumeko’s lustful voice trailed off breathlessly, “and this big… thick… cock.”

Kira groaned beneath her. Her stomach muscles tensed up and her hips stuttered beneath Yumeko. Yumeko’s words were simple yet so effective.

Everyone liked having their ego stroked during sex, after all. Among other things.

And as much as she wanted to admire her lover’s beautiful body quivering beneath her, Yumeko could feel her own peak approaching — if she wanted to win this little game then she needed to focus.

With a grin dripping with unbridled lust, Yumeko drawled, “I bet you’re so pent up. You want me to make you come? You want to spill your seed all over my hands? Or would you rather shoot it down my throat?”

Kira quivered beneath her. It was clear the witch was on the verge of an orgasm but she was trying her best to lick between Yumeko’s folds. Even that felt weak, like Kira’s heart wasn’t in it.

Yumeko could see how Kira dug her heels into the bed and how her hips jerked into Yumeko’s hands. It was a beautiful sight.

It was time to sink the last nail into this coffin.

Yumeko ground her cunt down onto Kira’s tongue as she said, “I bet you’d come the second I bend down and wrap my mouth around—”

Her words died in her throat as she watched Kira come ropes and ropes of come. The witch spilled her seed all over her own stomach, with some landing in the contours of her abdominal muscles. The rest of her seed had managed to adorn the expanse of Yumeko’s thighs, eagerly dripping down as if seeking Yumeko’s cunt.

Yumeko couldn’t handle the pretty picture Kira painted across their bodies; she tipped over the edge of her orgasm, her cunt clenching on nothing as she came hovering over Kira’s face. She had to rest her hands on Kira’s stomach to steady herself, lest she tumble over.

Then she rocked her hips back an inch, realising she had brushed against Kira’s mouth. Her lover parted her mouth and let her tongue hang out; Yumeko knew this because it was suddenly pressed against her but unmoving.

In a haze of lust, Yumeko ground her cunt down and just used her lover's tongue to bring herself back to the brink.

The whole thing was awfully erotic. To use Kira’s tongue like this, as if the body beneath her only existed to be used for her pleasure.

It felt right to use Kira like an object.

She wasn’t sure what that said about her, nor did she have the energy to dwell on it.

The only thing Yumeko was thinking about now was a new, devilish idea that popped into her head.

It seemed she was full of good ideas tonight.

They had both climbed off of each other now. Or rather, Yumeko had peeled herself off of Kira while the witch just laid on the bed startstruck.

“Can I clean you up?” Yumeko asked, looking innocently at Kira.

Kira lolled her head to the side to shoot her a questioning look. In response, Yumeko smiled and tapped at the corner of her mouth.

The implication was obvious.

Despite the hungry look in her eyes, Kira murmured, “Not this time.”

With a wave of Kira’s hand, the two of them were clean and spotless. Yumeko refused to dwell on where exactly Kira’s seed went with that little trick.

Actually, she didn’t have time to dwell on anything because the witch was suddenly set upon her.

Kira surged forward and brought Yumeko into a bruising, all tongue and teeth until Yumeko’s toes curled into the bedsheets. She was far more aggressive than usual.

Between kisses when Yumeko’s eyes fluttered open, she could see how rock-hard Kira’s cock was between her legs, as if dying for Yumeko to soothe it.

“Lay on your stomach for me.”

Well, how could Yumeko say no to the husky voice?

She didn’t need to be told twice. Like a good girl, she did as she was told: she draped herself across the bed as if laying down for a massage.

Sometimes, the most fun part about sex was the waiting and wondering. She noticed that Kira liked to keep her in suspense.

Behind her, she heard the witch rifling through the bedside cabinet. Yumeko already knew what was happening. She heard the familiar sound of wet skin being stroked soon after, a small smile growing wider on her face.

However, when she felt something warm against her own skin, it wasn’t the appendage she was expecting.

Kira’s warm, oiled hands began kneading and massaging the flesh of Yumeko’s thighs and rear. She seemed to know exactly what to do with her fingers, exactly what pressure to apply, exactly what speed to move.

As an aside, it was lovely to know that the only reason Kira’s hands were warm was because they were holding Yumeko for so long.

To say Yumeko was in heaven would be an understatement.

She sighed in pleasure as she allowed Kira's hands to unwind her tense muscles. The oil made her fingers glide easily over her skin and Kira was kneading out knots she hadn’t been aware of.

“Look at you,” Kira whispered, “so perfect. All for me.”

The pride in her voice could’ve made Yumeko come again just from hearing it.

Instead of that, Yumeko just hummed happily in agreement. She tried her best to just relax into the massage. She couldn’t remember the last time someone did this for her, nor did she ever experience such intimacy with another person.

However, the massage was exactly her problem: it was too good. The pleasure that had ebbed away was rushing back like a broken dam the longer Kira had her hands on her body.

Yumeko, forsaking her waning dignity, found herself rolling her hips back against Kira’s hands.

That’s when Kira surprised her yet again and did something she wasn’t expecting: with just her two thumbs, she pushed against the curve of Yumeko’s ass and spread her open wide . Yumeko gasped at the sudden exposure.

She never felt so vulnerable before, yet it was awfully erotic to be held open and on display like this. Like Kira was inspecting every inch of her. What made the whole ordeal worse was this position because she couldn’t see Kira's face but she could imagine the lustful expression she wore — somehow that was worse.

She could hear the smile in Kira’s voice as the witch purred, “Puffy lips… you’re drooling down here, lovely. Did I excite you too much?”

The way Kira talked down to her was so… Yumeko moaned into her pillow before biting down on it. Any sound or word that might spill out would be blocked. She refused to give Kira the satisfaction of hearing any response.

Not yet anyway.

Without further warning, Kira slid two of her oiled fingers deep inside Yumeko. The groan that she let out from this intrusion was guttural and muffled by the pillows. Gods, the stretch was beyond pleasure for Yumeko; she had been aching for this for so long.

It was as if her cunt was greedily sucking her lover’s fingers in, beckoning to push deeper. This earned her a deep, dark chuckle from Kira who pumped her fingers back and forth untroubled.

“See how well you take me, pet?” Kira cooed with a touch of cruel joy, “Poor thing, you must’ve ached right here while you waited for me.”

It felt like Kira was coaxing out of all Yumeko’s shame and secrets as she curled her fingers against that lovely spot inside her. It was unfair how good Kira was at this.

Yumeko tried her best not to remember that Kira had fucked over people. Really, she did.

Her mind was starting to go blank the longer Kira pumped her fingers into her. The stretch felt amazing and as much as she loved this, she wanted a larger and deeper stretch. She wanted to feel that wonderful warmth pooling in her stomach as Kira planted her seed.

And she knew exactly how to get her way. She looked back at Kira with those slutty, brown eyes.

Their eyes met. Kira stopped moving as she stared down at her.

“No more teasing,” Yumeko said, intentionally squeezing her walls around Kira’s fingers, “come show me how much you missed me.”

The smile on Kira’s face was nothing short of feral. She hiked her own leg up onto the bed, grabbed Yumeko’s hips and dragged her up. Suddenly, Yumeko’s rear was up in the air and she rested on her knees and chest only. Her face had been pushed against the pillows.

The moment she tried to move her head, however, Kira’s hand reached out to stop her. She pushed Yumeko’s head even further down, effectively pinning her in place.

Her touch wasn’t rough but it felt like complete and utter domination. Perfect control. Like she knew Yumeko would submit no matter what.

The logical part of her brain that told her to fight back had long been switched off.

Every muscle in Yumeko’s body softened in response to Kira’s domineering touch.

The witch let out a small laugh and said, “As my lady wishes.”

Gods, this position was ridiculous. She felt the tip of Kira’s cock pressing against her entrance but she couldn’t see anything; everything was left to her imagination. Kira was kind enough to ease her cock inside Yumeko, ensuring that the two of them felt every inch being greedily gobbled up by Yumeko.

This was exactly what Yumeko had wanted. This great and terrible stretch that no matter how many times Yumeko endured it, it always felt impossibly large. Like it would break her in half if Kira tried to stuff anymore inside of her. Yet the moment Yumeko would begin to worry that she won’t be able to take it, Kira would finally bottom out and they both could breathe again.

Kira’s cock buried inside her just felt right. Like they were exactly where they belonged.

There was no chance for reprieve. Yumeko’s kind and gentle lover was no more — Kira set a brutal pace from the beginning.

The witch did not bother to play with Yumeko’s bud, nor did she offer soothing words or sweet kisses. No. Instead, her grip on Yumeko’s hips was bruising and she thrusted into Yumeko like a beast might claim its mate; as if her only goal being to bury her seed deep into Yumeko’s belly.

She was not concerned with Yumeko’s pleasure. Yumeko realised in her delirium that Kira had purposefully lifted her leg up so that she could angle herself deeper into Yumeko. She was treating Yumeko, for the first time, less like a lover and more like a piece of meat.

And Yumeko… fucking loved it.

Tonight they were both using each other for their own pleasure.

She found herself rocking back onto Kira's cock, chasing the high that Kira was giving her. It made Kira bark out a sadistic laugh before she slapped at the flesh of Yumeko’s hips. The impact of it sent ripples of pleasure throughout her body and she clenched down embarrassingly tight on Kira.

“Look at you. You really want it that badly?” Kira cooed, mocking her, “Go on then. Fuck yourself on my cock.”

Then the witch had the audacity to come to a stop. She didn’t move even an inch for Yumeko. She could already feel her orgasm slipping away from her. Gods, she had been so close—

Just like that, Yumeko whined as she threw her dignity to the wind and began fucking herself back on Kira. Her movements were scattered and off-beat from how overwhelmed she was from pleasure. The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room, only adding fuel to the fire burning inside Yumeko.

Kira ran her talons down Yumeko’s back and purred, “Oh, that’s pathetic, love. Is that the best you can do?”

Yumeko could only roll her hips and drool from the degrading comment. She wasn’t sure why her stomach fluttered at the degradation when she should have been taking offence from this.

All thoughts fled her mind the moment she felt the cock slip out of her.

The loss was felt immediately. Her poor cunt was clenching around nothing and it was her own damn fault; she was so desperate to be fucked that her disjointed movements allowed the cock to slip out.

Yumeko didn’t even give Kira a chance to put herself back in. Instead, Yumeko reached back and grasped onto the cock before sliding it back in… all the while staring back up at Kira. She knew exactly what she was doing. She clenched over and over again around this thick, glorious cock. Perhaps she was feeling bold from her lust-driven delirium but she hoped Kira would just take the fucking hint.

Was it not obvious that she wanted to fucked through this bed?

Kira stared down at her. Her eyes raked over Yumeko’s body, burning with desire. And Yumeko saw the exact moment that a switch was flipped inside Kira.

The witch tossed Yumeko’s arm away, gripped onto her hips and began pounding into her. Her hips snapped forward at a shocking speed and Yumeko scrambled to grab onto the headboard for refuge. They’re both beyond words now. The only thing Yumeko could do was to hold onto the bed, drool into the pillow and take everything that Kira was giving her. She had no choice in the matter.

Kira wanted to get her pregnant, and it would happen one way or the other.

This thought was what sent Yumeko over the edge into a blissful, blinding orgasm. All she remembered as white overwhelmed her vision was the fact that Kira didn’t stop. Not even for a moment.

The witch just kept fucking her the entire time Yumeko came, unrelenting in her pace, snarling and grunting as she thrusted over and over again. Yumeko barely registered that Kira's talons had slipped out and that they were digging into her hips — she only realised later when the high died down that the sharp pain she felt was from broken skin.

When she finally came to, she could feel a slight bit of wetness running down the sides of her hips. It was her own blood trickling down. For some reason, this turned her on even more.

Above her, Kira snarled, “Beg for it, Yumeko. Beg for my seed. Beg to carry my child.”

Yumeko has never heard this feral side of her lover. She had never seen this degrading or punishing master before… and she hoped that Kira never hid her away again. Not now that she knew how good she could be fucked.

She babbled out a string of barely coherent pleas: “Please, please, Kira! Fuck me! Gods , give me your seed, give me your seed—”

Kira came with a groan, completely bottoming out inside of Yumeko, shuddering and shaking above her. Yumeko could feel that warm, familiar sensation pooling in her belly — she rolled her hips as she tried to suck in all of Kira’s seed as it poured into her womb.

It felt so good to be used like this. The pain was a distant memory at best.

Well, for Yumeko it was, at least.

The horror in Kira’s voice was evident as she murmured, “I… Oh, gods, I’m so sorry.”

Unfortunately, the talons buried in Yumeko’s hips were pulled out and suddenly the pain was gone. Yumeko was actually disappointed by this. The moment she realised that Kira was panicking and intended to pull herself out of Yumeko, she chased her lover’s hips with her own. Yumeko ground her hips back, effectively blocking Kira’s escape and keeping them locked together.

In her post-sex bliss, Yumeko rubbed her face against the pillow and giggled, saying, “Don’t be sorry. That was amazing .”

Kira’s hips stuttered against her. The witch hesitated before asking, “You… you aren’t upset?”

Yumeko looked back at her, asking, “Upset that you fucked me so good I drooled all over your pillows? No.”

“But my claws—”

“I don’t care. I don’t mind the blood. It was sexy.” Yumeko purred, cutting her off, “Don’t hide them next time either. Not unless they’re inside of me.”

This time, Kira’s cock twitched inside of her. Yumeko clenched back in response and ate up the sight of Kira’s blushing cheeks.

Stunned, Kira nodded and looked away as her blushed only deepened. Yumeko drank in the sight of her and—

Oh?

The longer Yumeko looked at her, the more strangeness she noticed in her lover: the talons peeking out, the golden hue to her eyes, and… were those tiny feathers along her cheeks—

She blinked and they were gone. Every odd feature disappeared like smoke in the wind.

How odd. Had she imagined it?

She didn’t have time to question anything because Kira was suddenly upon her once more, kissing her with every ounce of affection she housed in her witchy body. It tasted like heaven as she felt the warm seed slipping out of her. 

Oh well. There’s always more where that came from.

Yet again, Kira left her alone within the tower.

The witch was away on business again. She had told Yumeko that she needed to travel to Affka, a nearby city, to buy a few things. Or perhaps something about errands to run. Yumeko hadn’t been paying much attention to her words; she was too busy being swept off her feet and showered with kisses. She promised to check on Yumeko’s parents if they were still in the area, too.

Then, Kira donned her wide-brimmed hat and slipped out of the tower, taking Yumeko’s heart with her.

According to the locals, the wide-brimmed hat that Kira always wore when she went out was a status symbol. Only witches wore it in this country. They didn’t elaborate further and Yumeko was still hesitant to ask Kira about the witchy things she did.

So now Yumeko was sprawled out on Kira’s bed as she browsed through book after book. Her body still ached after all these days of love-making but there were no signs just yet. It was too early to tell, anyway.

She found ways to entertain herself. Kira’s library, for one, although her understanding of written Kopvish wasn’t particularly good. She tried new recipes, collected on some sleep debt, and finally finished some crochet projects with this newfound downtime.

But all of that got boring after a few hours. Late into the evening, Yumeko thought of a brilliant plan: she would expend some energy by exploring the tower.

She had known the tower for a few weeks now. It was far less frightening than when Yumeko first laid eyes upon it. Now it just felt like a mystery waiting to be unravelled. Who knew what kind of wonders could be found within?

Besides, Kira hadn’t forbidden her from any place inside the tower. Her home was Yumeko’s home.

It was towards the late evening that Yumeko gathered her skirts and began her adventure. Her heart raced with excitement at the idea of exploring. As she approached the hallway, she wondered which direction she should go and whether—

Something tugged at Yumeko’s skirt. It wasn’t particularly strong, yet enough for her to notice. How could she not?

She whirled around to check if she had gotten the fabric caught on the edge of the bed. She did not find that.

What she did find was a pair of sapphire eyes staring up at her, unblinking. The eyes belonged to a small, soot-covered, fuzzy creature that barely reached up to Yumeko’s knees.

Yumeko blinked. Then she screamed.

She screamed so loud that the tower itself answered her: it wailed in tandem, the walls shaking and groaning in distress. It frightened her so deeply that she had forgotten why she was screaming in the first place, and her cries went silent.

The creature didn’t seem particularly phased by her antics. It remained in place while its eyes tracked her movements.

Yumeko didn’t move at first. The two of them stared at each other.

She blinked. It blinked.

She blinked again. It blinked right back.

“...Hello.”

Her voice was soft and tentative. Maybe this creature was like Trezor, in which it was almost bound to Kira’s service. Or maybe it was just a creature that dwelled within the tower’s walls.

Kira had said that she was safe here.

They blinked at her again.

Then a whispery, airy voice answered her.

“Hello.”

It was similar to a child’s voice. As if the creature’s mouth hadn’t quite grasped how to make certain sounds. Yumeko was a little endeared but still mostly cautious. She had never seen such an odd creature in her life.

Then again, at least this creature responded back. It seemed harmless enough.

Just as Yumeko thought this, the air around the creature rippled like a stone thrown across a lake’s surface. When the image settled once more, there were three of these creatures now.

So they could duplicate… interesting.

Although she was a little nervous, Yumeko crouched down to look at them at eye level. Or tried to, at least. She wondered what other magical tricks they had up their sleeve.

“My name is Yumeko,” she said, “who are you?”

Three pairs of eyes blinked at her. Then the image shuddered once more and there were six of them. A small crowd was beginning to form right before her eyes. Had they shrunk a little or was she just imagining things?

The little one in the middle chirped, “Domovoy.”

Three syllables that meant nothing to Yumeko. That could be their name or maybe it was just random sounds. She didn’t know. What she did know was that she was tired of thinking of them as “the creatures”.

Domovoy it was.

She watched as the slowly multiplying (and shrinking) Domovoy began moving towards the doorway she was already headed towards. They turned around to look at Yumeko, as if waiting.

“You want me to follow?” Yumeko asked, pointing at herself in disbelief.

It nodded… sort of. More like the group of them collectively grunted or chirped before jumping up and down. There were at least ten of them now, and they were definitely smaller than the original Domovoy.

She shrugged before gathering her skirts once more and making her way over to them. Gambling was all about deciding which risk to take, and this was a risk she was willing to take. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The Domovoy raced through the tower without a care in the world. They seemed to run as far as their little legs could carry them. By the time they got down two flights of stairs, there was about twenty of them all bouncing and beckoning Yumeko towards them. They were awfully cute at this size, she could admit that much at least.

Eventually, they led her from room to room, until they settled beneath a particular door. It was stained with a deep purple dye while red edges had been expertly painted on. The handle was made of dark brown wood, polished to a shine. All in all, an odd sight for such a usually dreary home. The tower clearly had an aesthetic going on and this door broke the palette rules.

The Domovoy settled beneath this garish door. They did not blink as she approached. They seemed to be waiting for her.

She did not feel fear. As all thirty five of these soot-covered creatures raced to avoid her feet, she stepped towards the door.

Who knew what she might find within. A temple? A laboratory. Yumeko couldn’t say, really.

She could feel the Domovoy fluttering about her feet.

Who knew what lay on the other side of this door? Yumeko wasn’t sure but she intended to find out.

When she pushed the door open, the first thing that hit her was the smell of pine needles. It was so bizarre that Yumeko didn't even register what she was even smelling. It was only when she saw the pine trees swaying in the distance that she realised.

Somehow, this random and colourful door in the witch’s tower led to the middle of a forest. When Yumeko poked her head through the doorway and looked in all directions, the only thing she could see was swaths of forest.

If this was a garden, it would’ve been the size of a large village.

Intrigued — no, mesmerised — Yumeko stepped through the door. A surprisingly warm breeze hit her as she entered the clearing and fireflies swam through the air as if it were honey, so sluggish in their flight. There were plenty of glowing plants littered across the forest floor.

The best part was the perfectly rectangular hot spring in the centre of the clearing. It was steaming up into the air and flower petals were scattered across the surface. It smelled of jasmine and rose, a familiar scent.

Yumeko tore her gaze away from the body of water to look back. The only way back now was this random door propped up here in the middle of the forest. The Domovoy were watching her from said doorway, now more numerous than Yumeko could count.

She looked at the pool once more. She looked back at them.

Smiling as sweetly as she could, Yumeko asked, “I wouldn’t mind having a bath here. It’s a shame there’s no towels to dry myself with…”

It was like casting a rock into a still pond. The energy ripped through the swarm of soot-covered creatures and suddenly they all ran off. Hopefully in search of a towel.

If they didn’t return… Well, Yumeko wasn’t opposed to returning through the door back into the tower naked. What’s the worst that could happen? Kira might see her and ravage her once more when she returned?

Upon dipping her hands inside the water, Yumeko shivered in pleasure at how warm it was. It didn’t take long for her to strip off her clothes and submerge herself entirely within the hot spring. Her clothes landed… somewhere.

If those little, black creatures were servants of Kira and that’s why they led her here, she would have to thank her lover extra hard when she returned home.

In the meantime, she intended to enjoy this warm water.

Time passed quickly as Yumeko marinated in that hot spring. She felt an awful lot like a vegetable being slowly cooked and she was sure her flesh was tender enough to fall off the bone. She briefly wondered if the hot springs had some sort of magical enchantment to keep it so enticing.

Was this forest within the tower? She was growing more and more curious.

Maybe Yumeko could ask Kira when she came home about it. She had some many questions buzzing around in her head, just like those fireflies swimming in the air around that giant bird—

Wait.

Bird?

Yumeko looked again. Her eyes had not deceived her.

There, walking through the tree line, was the most beautiful bird that Yumeko had ever seen. It reminded her of those peacocks she saw in the Imperial Gardens back home. However, this bird wasn’t a mix of greens and blues; rather it was entirely white, save for the burning red hues of its tail feathers. It walked with elegance and it seemed to be approaching Yumeko.

Or maybe it was just seeking the water from the hot springs.

…The same hot springs Yumeko had now defiled with her unclean body. Wonderful.

She walked in reverence as the bird made its way over. The fireflies still trailed after it but even these small insects knew to keep a respectful distance.

It was only a few metres away now. From this distance, Yumeko could see the lovely red eyes the bird was sporting. Along with those giant, enviable lashes it fluttered in Yumeko’s direction.

“Hello, gorgeous,” Yumeko murmured in her native tongue.

The bird preened at this comment. For a startling moment, Yumeko realised that in this magical land that there was a good chance this bird understood what she said.

Well, at least she said something pleasant.

As Yumeko rose out of the hot springs, the bird was not deterred in its course. Yumeko was standing up now and only her hips were still submerged in the water. She felt enraptured by this beautiful bird and she wondered where it was from. Why did it appear now? Was this forest its home?

At this point, Yumeko could reach out and pet the beautiful avian.

It cooed and trilled like a sweet dove. Its feathers looked impossibly soft and Yumeko wished she could feel it under her…

The bird fluttered its wings open. They were grand in wingspan and could easily be the length of Yumeko’s entire body. Feathers that had been previously tucked into the underwing were now on display; crimson wing feathers flapped proudly before roosting once more.

It came closer. Yumeko swallowed her nerves and slowly reached her hand out.

The bird tilted its head at the newly raised limb. It looked and looked before it stepped forward and rolled its head into the palm of her hand. And gods, it was just as impossibly soft as Yumeko imagined.

She dared not pet too aggressively. She kept a languid pace as she ran the backs of her fingers against these snowy feathers, enjoying the silken feeling of them. The bird’s eyes had fallen closed as Yumeko petted it so she must have done something right.

It felt like she had been chosen.

“Aren’t you a beautiful girl?” Yumeko cooed, her eyes roaming across the bird’s body.

The bird trilled happily in response. She wasn’t sure why she was convinced the bird was a girl; call it intuition, from one girl to another.

However, as Yumeko was about to say more, the bird’s head snapped to look at something behind Yumeko. Without a moment of delay, it tore itself away from Yumeko and flew off into the woods. As the bird flew, countless embers fell from her fiery wings yet it did not hurt Yumeko at all.

She was a gorgeous bird, fire coating her feathers and all.

“How did you find this place?”

Yumeko whipped her head around.

That voice was so familiar but the tone of it was foreign. Sure enough, Yumeko turned back and found her eyes landing on her lover, Kira. The witch was standing by the doorway with her hand gripping her hat into a fist.

Her lover’s expression was neutral. It betrayed no emotions, no thoughts.

She looked completely normal yet Yumeko knew something was off.

That’s what scared Yumeko.

As she stood naked in the hot springs, the bird’s embers still lingering on her wet skin, Yumeko had one thought in her mind: why did it feel like she had done something wrong?

Chapter Text

“How did you find this place?”

The words perfumed the air, a sharp and sour smell tickling Yumeko’s nose. It took her some time to realise it wasn’t anger colouring Kira’s words. But rather, it was fear.

The witch might’ve hid her emotions well on most occasions but today it was as if a sliver of her soul seeped through one of the cracks in her facade. Whatever Yumeko might have done wrong, it had shaked Kira to her core — enough to scare the almighty witch.

Which begged an even more horrifying question: what could possibly scare a witch?

Neither of them moved for some time. Kira stood in the doorway, stiff and frozen like a lake during the winter. Yumeko stood in the hot springs with only her hips and below submerged. She could feel the water dribbling down her body and back into the body of water it came from; she wished the anxiety that suddenly seized her could leave so easily, too.

The Domovoy pooled around Kira’s feet. Some of their heads brushed against the hem of her skirt while others climbed to and from her shoes, often stumbling over the supple leather. They were odd and innocent creatures, numerous as the trees in a forest and as animated as children.

It reminded Yumeko of the present moment.

Tilting her head, Yumeko smiled and said, “Ask your little companions.”

Kira frowned a little before looking down at the companions in question. Yumeko could hear the faint chirping and chattering of these creatures as they preened under their master’s gaze.

It seemed like now that the cat was out of the bag and Yumeko knew of their existence, the Domovoy were free to be as clingy as they wanted with Kira. Surprisingly, this stirred no jealousy within Yumeko.

“They… I do not know why they would do such a thing,” Kira admitted, appearing a little weary.

Not for the first time, Yumeko wondered about her paramour’s age. She seemed to wear her years on her face now; hard lines etched into her cheeks and brow from frowning, no trace of smile lines or crow’s feet to indicate a joyous life.

Had Kira always looked so old? Perhaps it was a trick of the light but Yumeko couldn’t stop noticing it.

“Perhaps they felt bad for me,” Yumeko offered, “seeing me cooped up like a caged bird.”

There was a considerable dollop of honey slathered across her words, and Yumeko hoped it would smooth over the delivery. She didn’t want Kira to feel bad for leaving… but she had grown bored and lonely in this tower. There was little to do anymore. She could not read the tomes Kira had shelved away because they were written in Kopvish. Nor could she write her lover letters in a language she couldn’t read. There’s only so many times in a day a person could cook or bathe.

At some point, Yumeko had to explore. Her wanderlust brought her here as much as the Domovoy did.

Kira’s gaze lingered on Yumeko for some time. That weary expression only ripened the longer she looked, made worse by the impossible blue hue of her eyes. It was as if someone had placed sapphires within the hollow sockets of her face, thus naming them her eyes.

The Domovoy chirped even louder now. Some hung from her skirt while others seemed to be approaching Yumeko in ways; some bolder and willing to travel further, while others hung back and watched their master for directions.

Truly, they were like children.

Yumeko held her arms out to her lover, beckoning her closer. In her bones she could feel the ache of longing that only deepened in Kira’s absence. Whatever her lover’s qualms were, Yumeko would have Kira speak them in her ears between kisses or not at all.

The light returned to Kira’s eyes. It was as if every joint in her body had been locked and tense, prepared for a fight… and found only a soft kiss pressed against her feverish skin in return. Kira appraised Yumeko for only a moment longer, as if she didn’t believe her eyes.

Then the witch stepped forward. Flowers grew wherever she stepped.

“Forgive me, my dear.” Kira rasped out, “I suppose I have treated you like an ornament thus far.”

Yumeko giggled at this. Both the validation and the analogy tickled her, making her smile grow wider.

“That’s alright. Your friends made up for it,”  Yumeko replied with her arms still held up.

As the witch approached, the Domovoys seemed to be in a frenzy — a pleasant one, of course, judging by the happy jumps they kept doing. Some were nearly squashed underfoot but always managed to avoid the crushing doom.

“Do you know what they are?” Kira asked.

Yumeko dropped her arms, saying, “Domovoy. Not sure if that’s a name or the only word they know.”

This time Kira let out a loud, raspy laugh. The forest around them seemed to answer in kind as the trees swayed, the wind howled and the hot springs bubbled. What a wonderful place this was.

“Domovoy is correct,” Kira said, smiling now, “they are the tower’s little guardians. Hearth keepers, to be precise.”

The witch knelt down before the pool before laying on her left hip, one hand sprawled out on the grass below to anchor herself. She slipped the wide-brimmed hat off of her head and set it aside; all for some of the creatures to begin climbing it like it were a playground. Yumeko couldn’t help but giggle at the sight of them.

She lowered herself back into the pool as the warm water soothed her bones, undoing knots of anxiety with every passing breath. Yumeko inched ever closer to Kira, looking up at her with those big, brown eyes so alike to a fawn.

Kira’s breath hitched in her throat. Yumeko’s smile deepened and she approached the edge of the pool in earnest.

“And what do the little hearth keepers do, exactly? Beyond scaring your guests,” Yumeko asked.

Kira replied, “They keep the tower liveable. When I am away, they are the master of the home. Foods are preserved, furniture is cleaned, my things are tidied… they help out in their own little ways. As best they know how.”

The Domovoy avoided the water as much as possible now. They were little bigger than spiders and when Yumeko placed her hand amongst them, still wet from the pool, some scrambled away while others crawled along her knuckles with an arachnid quality to them.

Yumeko slipped her hand away, asking, “So why did they come to me now? I’ve been here for some time. Why only when you’ve left for work do they approach me?”

The witch worried at her bottom lip before she answered. That gorgeous turquoise powder still lingered on her lips, staining it in kind yet never leaning any trace on Kira’s teeth. It was such a strange thing — sometimes Yumeko believed it was a temporary stain, yet she knew she had never seen Kira without it. Was it a sign of her magical ability, these blue lips?

She pushed the thoughts away from her mind. She needed to focus; her lover was in need of seduction, after all.

When Kira finally did speak, her words stole the breath from Yumeko’s lungs.

“I suppose, if they know me as the master of the house… they see you as the master of my heart.”

Only a breath later, Yumeko had seized her lover by the robes she wore and pulled her in for a kiss. She was no longer thinking, only feeling. Her heart was knocking at her ribcage and as she pressed her naked and wet body against Kira, she hoped she could feel it. She poured her love and affection and every ounce of warmth she possessed into Kira’s mouth, as if she could warm her lover’s perpetually cold body from the inside.

Kira sighed into the kiss and wrapped her clothed arms around Yumeko’s torso. Her fingers dug into the flesh there, trying to draw Yumeko in impossibly close.

Home had been a distant memory to Yumeko for some time. It used to be a house across the ocean, built into the soil of an unreachable continent. It was surrounded by cherry blossom trees, and enshrined by a city of people who spoke her language. This home had been left far behind as the merchant ship sailed for Kopvice. A mere speck on the horizon that Yumeko refused to look away from.

Now, home was different. It took a different shape. Home was the arms that encircled her body, cradling her and soothing her worries. Home was the gentle hands that cupped her face or poured her a warm cup of coffee on lazy mornings. Home, now, was every shade of blue that Yumeko laid her eyes on.

This was home now.

“Welcome home,” Yumeko whispered against Kira’s mouth, her heart lodged in her throat.

Kira smiled. The first real one she had seen since Kira returned. It crinkled her eyes and Yumeko could see the wolfish points of her longest teeth, sharper than they ought to be.

"ただいま."I'm home

This time, tears pricked at the corners of Yumeko’s eyes. It was only a small phrase, one merely whispered to her… yet it caused a storm of emotions to brew within Yumeko. Aside from her parents, how long had it been since Yumeko heard her native tongue? How long since the familiar weight of this language had fallen against her ears, waking up that dormant part of her soul?

“Where… who taught you that?” Yumeko asked, eyes wide and mouth parted in awe.

Kira kept that proud smile on her face, answering, “Just something I picked up at the docks. Your people are quite friendly when approached in kindness.”

Yumeko had to bite down hard on her bottom lip to keep from crying; the tears threatened fiercely to fall from her eyes all the same. She thought of Kira travelling to another city on business, her mind focused on the task at hand… yet drifting back to Yumeko. Did she miss her as much as Yumeko missed her? Did her mind wander back to Yumeko just as often? Did she also see things that inevitably reminded her of her lover, often with no rhyme or reason? Did she also seek out pieces of her in this world when she knew Yumeko was out of reach, just as Yumeko did?

In that moment, Yumeko realised something. It was so simple that she felt foolish for not realising it sooner. Kira, the other part of this relationship, was as enamoured with Yumeko as Yumeko was with her.

They shared more than lust and a common goal: they shared laughter, joy, affection… longing.

So it only made sense that Kira would find a piece of Yumeko’s world and that she would bring it home to her, a prize still warm in her mouth as she left it before Yumeko’s feet.

A set of words lingered in Yumeko’s mouth. It was a cloying phrase, eagerly staining her teeth and begging for her to release it into the narrowing space between them.

She didn’t. Not yet, anyway. It was far too soon — no matter how furiously her heart protested otherwise.

When they kissed once more, the hunger had ebbed away into something sweeter, soft. The feline urge to purr and rub her body against her lover was overwhelming and Yumeko did little to fight it. Kira was not against it, however, as she moaned sweetly and leaned further into Yumeko.

It felt good. It felt right.

Deeper within the forest, a haunting call made the forest quiver in response. It was the unmistakable cry of a bird yet it was close enough to a wailing woman, deep in her misery and grief. And despite the warm pool Yumeko stood in, she could feel a chill run its way down her spine.

She knew exactly what the sound was. Or rather, what made the sound.

The beautiful bird that approached Yumeko, allowed her to touch its feathers… but then ran from her lover.

It did not make sense, no matter how Yumeko turned over the thought in her mind, inspecting every angle of it. Was it the power within Kira that it feared? Yumeko did not feel like the bird was afraid, though. It felt like it just… did not wish to linger where Kira was.

The thought was a poisonous one; the longer it remained in Yumeko’s mind, the more tainted and murky her thoughts grew.

If such a noble creature did not want to be near Kira… should Yumeko not emulate it?

“That creature…” Yumeko trailed off as her eyes examined her lover’s face.

Kira stiffened a little under her gaze and looked away. The Domovoy pooled around her legs suddenly began to jump off of her legs and scattered to the wind. She wondered why and tossed some ideas around. One stuck out the most: could they be attuned to their master’s emotions?

An enviable position, Yumeko thought. She also wished that she could read Kira’s mind sometimes.

The witch did not need it spelled out for her. She merely cupped Yumeko’s face and gave her a gentle smile, saying, “I apologise if I scared you. I was just… shocked.”

The words were spoken softly, and the delivery was further softened by the hands caressing Yumeko’s cheek. Yumeko found herself keen to dive into her lover’s mind; to push her fingers into the blooming rose until she brushed the pollinated centre, no matter the stain it felt behind.

Yumeko leaned her cheek into Kira’s hand, asking, “Why?”

“That bird… you could sense the magic within it, yes? The fire in its feathers, the intelligence in its eyes…” Kira trailed off.

The hand not touching Yumeko’s face was gliding along the water’s surface, occasionally prodding at the stillness and causing ripples to lap at Yumeko’s waist. They were such lovely hands, adorned in silver jewellery and gems of all colours. Did Kira purchase all of these or did she happen upon them? In a wilder part of Yumeko’s mind, she wondered if these were the spoils of war from the witch’s conquest.

Mesmerised, enthralled by the sight of her lover’s hands, Yumeko merely nodded.

“It’s a very special bird. We call it Zhar-Ptitsa. A direct translation would call it the bird of embers. The easier name for it is ‘firebird’.” Kira’s face scrunched up at this, a sneer forming, “I dislike it. It’s a cheap name for just a majestic creature.”

So there was no animosity on Kira’s end then. But that still begged the looming question…

“It’s very beautiful,” Yumeko offered as their hands joined together, “but is that why you were shocked?”

Brown eyes met blue. Nothing was said, yet everything was spoken with a single look. Yumeko knew there was more to this; Kira knew this, too. Yumeko was being cautious and toeing the lines of boundaries marked… but she still wanted her answers.

She would not peel Kira back, layer by layer, petal by petal. No. She would have Kira bare herself open for her.

Kira wet her lips with her tongue before she breathed out an answer: “The Zhar-Ptitsa… She is a being of myth and legend. Some say she was once a woman and after many trials and tribulations brought down on her by men, she transformed into a bird and abandoned society. Others claim she was cursed into this form for her vanity, but even as a bird her beauty is undeniable.”

A beautiful tale, yet a cautionary one as well. Yumeko found her eyes drifting to the treeline where the Zhar-Ptitsa flew off into, embers trailing behind her. Where was the bird now? Did she fly far deeper into this enchanted forest she called home or did she linger still, watching them with a cautious eye?

Yumeko could say for sure. So she turned to someone who might have answers.

“What do you think?” Yumeko asked her lover, eyes wandering along her face.

“That is of no consequence,” Kira said with a voice no louder than a murmur, “What I know for certain is that she only approaches a select few people. I am clearly not one. She has never deigned to approach me in all the years I have lived here.”

Years? Such a funny word. It told Yumeko little and less about Kira’s life here. After all, there was a great difference between two years and twenty, yet both were still years.

Yet again she wondered exactly who her lover actually was. Her age, her family, her secrets, her life before she laid eyes on Yumeko. Was it so wrong to want all of Kira? Even her memories?

Like an arrow in the dark, Kira’s voice pierced through her thoughts as she whispered, “Perhaps she saw in you what I saw, too.”

She knew that tone all too well; Kira was preemptively honeying her words before she poured the sweet nothings into Yumeko’s ears. She grinned from ear to ear, asking, “And what was that?”

“Kindness. Love. Duty.”

She listed these qualities off in between kisses. One pressed to Yumeko’s brow to soothe any lines of frustration, another to her cheek to embed her affection, and third to the corner of her mouth, tantalising her.

Stifling a giggle that nearly bubbled out of her, Yumeko mustered as much severity as she could as she said, “You imply that it did not sense these things in you. I find that answer lacking.”

“Then you may take it up with the bird,” Kira quipped, her hands beginning to wander.

“Why don’t you? You’re the master of the tower, why not summon her?” Yumeko asked with a wave of her hand.

At this, Kira let out a hearty laugh that shook the ground and rattled Yumeko’s heart within its ribcage. She replied, “The Zhar-Ptitsa is not a dog to be called to heel. She will not come when called — especially not by me. I do not have what she wants.”

Curiosity bloomed within Yumeko as she asked breathlessly, “And what does she—”

Her question was cut short as the ground was swept out from under her. She was well aware of the witch’s inhuman strength by now but it always left her a little unsteady. Kira hoisted her nude form out of the pool, naked as the day she was born, and pressed Yumeko’s wet body against her front. She seemed uncaring of the clothes she wore which were slowly growing damp because of Yumeko.

Some rose petals lingered on Yumeko’s skin and the Domovoy chirped below them. It was not lost on Yumeko that the way Kira was holding her was known as a bridal carry.

“My lady asks too many questions.” Kira teased, pressing a kiss to her temple, “I am weary from travel and I have waited too long to torment you.”

With the sweetest smile she could muster, Yumeko mused, “The only thing you could torment me with is your absence.”

They returned to the tower soon after. The conversation fell away like wilted petals from Yumeko’s mind… but a nagging curiosity embedded itself into the back of her mind, taking root like a fungus.

The best part of Yumeko’s day was when she could intrude on Kira’s work.

She had been entirely too giddy as she raced down the endless flights of stairs within the tower. She had quickly learned that it was the tower that decided where the inhabitants would end up. It didn’t matter if she wanted to go to the garden, for example, if the tower simply changed shape and she wandered into the kitchen instead.

This time, the tower was being kind to her. It led her down into the bowels of the abode: Kira’s apothecary.

To a stranger’s eye, this place might feel alien and sinister. There was nothing traditionally welcoming about it except the presence of a fireplace that might be mistaken for a hearth. But Yumeko knew better. There was nothing sinister about this little laboratory — no more sinister than a hospital, since they ran along the same vein.

Dried herbs hung from wooden beams overhead, wrapped in ribbons and thickening the air with its scents; juniper, mugwort, wormwood and other sweet-swelling plants that she recognised. The shelves were made of a similar dark timbre wood as the beams and they were lined with glass bottles and jars containing various goods. Animal remains like bones, feathers and organs were placed in labelled jars and resting in mildly-coloured solutions.

The fire rested within an oven that was currently cooking something. There was a sulfurous tinge to whatever Kira had resting amongst the flames.

Kira herself was sitting on a wooden stool hunched over a workbench. Jars, vials, dried plants and other bits and pieces littered her station while the witch herself was pounding away at her mortar and pestle.

She had not heard Yumeko come in. If she had, Yumeko knew for certain that she would’ve turned to smile and embrace her.

Perfect.

“So this is where you decided to hide from me.”

Kira’s hands stopped moving and the pestle paused mid-air, just shy of landing against the mortar below. Yumeko could see the sharp upwards tug of Kira’s mouth even from this distance.

Oh, how dearly she thrilled at the sight of that smile.

Kira’s voice had a lovely haunting quality to it. Perhaps it was the drawl in her voice, the way her mouth stretched out each word until they were pliant on her tongue. She did not glance away from her mortar as she murmured, “Hiding implies I am being hunted.”

Yumeko placed her hands behind her back and began the slow prowl towards her lover. The scent of lavender and juniper tickled her nose as she delved further into the apothecary.

“Would that be inaccurate?” Yumeko asked, eyes wandering along the witch’s figure.

Who wouldn’t be distracted by those lovely hands?

Finally, finally, Kira’s eyes slid towards her. Her eyes were a clearer shade of blue today; it reminded Yumeko of the sky following a long and fearsome storm.

“I suppose not.” Kira replied, “Although you aren’t the most fearsome creature to ever hunt me down.”

Yumeko raised an eyebrow at this: “Oh? And what am I competing with, then?”

She imagined all sorts of horrors and beasts that could tear people limb from limb. Her mind conjured images of sharp talons, sharper teeth, venomous saliva, blood-clotted fur or quills jutting out from a beast’s skin. And none would be any match for a witch as powerful as Kira.

“If I told you all my secrets, that would ruin the mystery, no?” Kira asked with a twinkle of mischief.

This made Yumeko roll her eyes and huff, “Perhaps I want the layers peeled back sometimes. I think I’d rather like what I find below.”

They held each other’s gaze. It was a chain linking the two of them, taut with tension and intention. Yumeko wanted to know everything about Kira: where she was born, who her family was, how she learned magic, all of it! But she couldn’t and wouldn’t pry into her lover’s past. She would not go where she was not invited and held by the hand.

For all the affection shared between them, neither were willing to disturb this precarious peace they had built by asking too many questions.

“Time will tell,” Kira answered, “but not tonight.”

And that was that.

Yumeko thought it best to change the subject. She glanced at the workbench and asked, “What are you doing?”

“A local lord has commissioned some medicine from me. He complains of frequent headaches and fevers,” Kira mused as she set the stone pestle down.

Yumeko tilted her head, asking, “Is the doctor so inept that he turns to you?”

Kira stiffened at this comment. It was only after watching this reaction that Yumeko realised how her words sounded. The witch took a moment to gather her thoughts before she said, “I feel insulted.”

The words were spoken so politely that Yumeko had to restrain a laugh from slipping out of her. Of course Kira was still sweet and calm when speaking about her grievances; in all the time that Yumeko had known her, the witch had been nothing but the picture of chivalry.

It was with this in mind that Yumeko cupped her lover’s face and rubbed her thumbs across those glorious cheekbones. With a placating smile, Yumeko murmured, “I only mean to say that medicine is not your speciality as it is a doctor’s.”

Kira frowned… but leaned into Yumeko’s touch all the same. She asked, “And how do you know that my speciality is not that of medicine?”

Yumeko’s gaze raked over Kira.

Power seeped out of every crack and crevice within Kira. There was no question about the destructive power lurking within her; it was the antithesis of healing, the power coursing through Kira’s veins. The tower bent to her will, the forest itself was tied to her heart and Yumeko knew the dark and terrible magic that resided in her was like an ocean somehow restrained.

If she wanted to, Kira could burn this world down into embers and ash. They were lucky that she wasn’t particularly violent.

Not as far as Yumeko had ever seen, at least.

“Oh, I know.”

This managed to coax a smile out of Kira. Those lovely blue lips curled upwards into a grin, entirely too pleased with Yumeko’s faith in her prowess. All past sins were clearly wiped clean.

Kira said, “Nevertheless, it’s a misconception that magic and science are opposing entities. I find that they can compliment each other quite well. Science provides the backbone and magic gives it flesh.”

What a way to weave these two concepts together. Yumeko’s hand fell away from Kira’s face before she snuck behind her to wrap her arms around lover’s shoulders. Now she could see the entirety over Kira’s workbench below her.

“Show me,” Yumeko murmured.

If Kira was bothered by Yumeko’s restrictive embrace, she did not mention it or even react to it. Instead her hands began to move with practiced ease. She was kind enough to educate Yumeko as she worked, saying, “Science has found that willow bark is effective against pain in certain doses, while wormwood is used for its namesake and for fevers. Adding these two into a distilled concoction of bear fat for added joint relief and… this.”

Kira held up a tincture of a purple liquid that possessed a silver shine to it. It seemed so small and delicate in the witch’s hand as it gleamed in the witch fire’s sapphire light.

As Kira uncorked the tincture and poured into the mortar below, Yumeko swore she could hear a soft humming sound coming from the liquid. How strange. It was as if it hummed with life.

The witch used a thin metal instrument to mix the ingredients together, saying, “Distilled elderberries make for a wonderful syrup but Lady Mydione’s lifeblood courses through this fruit. When made under the light of the moon and in prayer and supplication to her, the Elder Mother, it becomes a potent repeller against evil.”

Ah, so it was magic that gave it the syrup life.

Yumeko watched in delight as the elderberry syrup suddenly twisted and raised itself up, as if standing on its hind legs like an animal. Kira made some hand movements and the syrup swam its way towards the tincture, wriggling inside like a rabbit in its burrow.

Smiling, Kira corked the tincture and said, “This lord’s physical ailments are real… but I suspect they are just symptoms. There’s foul play involved so… perhaps this repellant should help.”

“A clever union of alchemy and magic,” Yumeko replied as she leaned her chin onto Kira’s head.

The witch let out a small, rumbling laugh that Yumeko felt because of their embracing bodies. Then Kira offered: “I could teach you, you know.”

“Magic?” Yumeko asked, a little incredulous.

After a scoff, Kira clarified, “Alchemy. I don’t think you have the temperament for magic.”

“Is that so?” Yumeko asked as her eyebrow raised, “Do you think I’m a stranger to worship?”

Kira leaned ever closer until their breaths intermingled to say, “I’m sure you have your own gods. It’s for the best that you haven’t brought them here.”

Yumeko’s hand fell down until they rested along the hard, lean muscle of Kira’s thighs. She could feel the witch tense under her palms… only to become taut with anticipation as Yumeko’s hand began pulling up the fabric of her skirts. Her intentions were clear.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to being taught about alchemy,” Yumeko purred, “so long as you let me… demonstrate my proficiency with worship.”

The air grew thick with desire as the two lovers gazed at each other. Kira was no stranger to the hungry look in Yumeko’s eyes, while Yumeko busied her hand with massaging the witch’s thigh. The flesh below, no longer hidden by Kira’s skirt, was warm and soft. Yumeko couldn’t stop herself from curling her hand down towards the inner thigh and scratching her nails along the skin there.

There’s no way for Yumeko to see Kira's face from this angle. The only thing she could ask for would be a word of approval or permission from Kira.

She didn’t get that.

Instead, she felt Kira lean back into her with a sigh… as her legs parted just a little wider.

A tent had formed in Kira’s skirt and the higher up Kira’s thigh Yumeko got, the more often the tent would twitch or shift. Her other hand had wound its way onto Kira’s chest and she could feel every shallow breath and every hitch or gasp.

It was wonderful to be in control of your lover.

Part of Yumeko was a little disappointed to see Kira’s cock. Part of her had hoped that this would be the time that Kira restrained her magic and would allow Yumeko to appreciate her original form. After all, a cock didn’t always need to be involved. Yumeko would’ve happily devoured Kira’s cunt with as much fervour as her lover always showed her.

Still, she can hardly complain. Kira’s cock was a gift in and of itself.

Yumeko was all-too happy to step to the side and kneel between her lover’s legs. Kira was kind enough to turn in her chair so that Yumeko wouldn’t have to crawl under the workbench like a lost rat. It was even luckier that Kira’s long legs managed to reach the floor despite the stool.

Knelt on the stone floor below, Yumeko smiled from ear to ear as she bunched up Kira’s skirt until that gorgeous cock sprung free. Kira sucked in her teeth as her cock, angry and weeping at the tip, met the room air. It had such a lovely, hearty scent and Yumeko’s mouth watered at the sight.

A teasing lilt to her voice, Yumeko said, “I think you’ve missed me, Kira-san.”

Was there anything so lovely as the sight of Kira’s smile?

Kira’s hand had wandered down until she had a fistful of her skirt pulled up, exposing even more of her groin. She sounded breathless as she said, “It… has been a turn of the moon since we last drank from the ritual cup. I’ve had to replenish myself so the effects of its fertility magic are… potent.”

As if demonstrating her point, Kira’s cock throbbed; it was clearly daring Yumeko to find out exactly how potent it could be.

It was evident that Kira was struggling to get her words out. Or rather, she was too controlled in her speech, her cadence too slow.

Excellent. Yumeko wasn’t opposed to tormenting her lover during sex. If anything, it made the orgasms that much sweeter.

“So many words just to tell me you’re aching for me,” Yumeko purred.

It would be so easy to just lean forward, part her mouth open and—

“You have the most seductive voice I’ve ever heard. It’s unbelievable. Like silk in my ears.”

Oh.

Well, that went straight to Yumeko’s cunt.

She couldn’t help but laugh at her lover’s sweet words and the tension in her body. It was adorable how tightly wound Kira was just from the impending pleasure she would receive. Kira wanted this, wanted her. That knowledge would be enough to incite anyone’s passions.

Running her hands along Kira's thighs, Yumeko murmured, “Hold onto the memory of my voice. You won’t hear it for long.”

Without further ado, Yumeko dipped her head down and placed kisses along the insides of Kira's thighs. She made sure to warm the skin with her hot breath and to occasionally wet it with her tongue. Every time her tongue would snake out between her teeth, Kira would squirm and her cock would occasionally twitch above Yumeko’s head.

Such an inviting sight. Yumeko peered up at the appendage before reaching a hand up. That familiar, lovely weight settled in her hand and Yumeko swore that her lover nearly peaked just from that touch alone.

She gave it an intentional squeeze; Kira bucked her hips and growled in frustration.

“Stop teasing me.”

It was intended as a command, no doubt. But the whine that actually Kira ended up breathing out sounded like anything but commanding. It had no bite to it, no hint of dominance that would make Yumeko’s spine bend in submission.

Grinning, Yumeko made a loving nip at Kira’s thigh before trailing her kisses up higher. Her goal was to eventually pepper kisses along Kira’s shaft from base to—

Fuck.

Yumeko found herself staring in awe at the sight before her. In her defense, she had never actually seen Kira’s groin at this eye-level before. Most of the time she was looking down at it while their hips were pushed against each other.

Now that she was positioned lower, Yumeko noticed something she had never noticed before.

Kira, despite the hefty cock she could grow at will, still retained most of her original anatomy. The only difference was that her cock seemed to form from her clitoris. The rest, however, was perfectly intact.

She thought that she was here to pleasure Kira’s cock but maybe she could capture double the rewards.

Yumeko breathed out, “Oh, you are beautiful.”

The praise seemed to hit Kira like an ocean wave crashing onto the shore. She throbbed in Yumeko’s hand and her hips rolled forward seemingly on their own.

Yumeko was sure she was close to drooling at this point. Her eyes drifted between Kira’s cock and her cunt. She was plagued with the choices laid out before her. She wanted nothing more than to reenact all the things Kira had done to her before. She remembered how vigorously her lover would gorge herself with her mouth latched between Yumeko’s legs.

If it felt so good receiving, then maybe she could give that pleasure back to Kira, too.

With permission, of course.

Kira asked, “Why are you looking at it like that?”

“Why can’t I?” Yumeko asked back, glancing up at her lover’s face from between her legs, “You devour me yet I can’t look.”

The witch blushed at these words — or perhaps at the salacious look on Yumeko’s face — and looked away. Her voice was weak as she argued, “I-It’s entirely different.”

Yumeko smirked at the stuttering witch above her. How cute. Such a powerful witch reduced to stutters from a bit of praise and boldness.

Wordlessly and without warning, Yumeko ran her tongue along the cock wrapped in her hand. Gods, it always had such a wonderful scent and taste: salty, sweet, a little rich. Yumeko could never get enough of it, nor the way that Kira responded so enthusiastically. The way her body would lean into Yumeko’s touch and the way her legs and hands would tremble in pleasure.

Operating on pure instinct as she had never done this before, Yumeko moved her mouth in slow and measured motions. She licked stripes along the shaft while pressing open-mouth kisses whenever her heart desired. And while it felt good just to do these small actions alone and to watch how Kira reacted to each one, she had a true goal: she was simply mustering up her courage before she could take the entirety of Kira’s cock into her mouth.

Of course she was worried. While she had never seen other cocks before this one, Yumeko knew in her heart that this particular appendage was unnecessarily large in both length and girth. No one needed this much dick. Just greedy.

Back to the matter at hand…

Yumeko slipped the swollen head of the cock into her mouth, immediately loving the way it felt on her tongue. And the taste. Yumeko couldn’t help but let out a moan as she hollowed her cheeks out and lapped at the lovely pearls leaking from the tip. Above her, Kira let out a long whimper of pleasure and her nails dug into the workbench, threatening to splinter the wood below.

She released the cock from her mouth with a pop. She kept stroking it with her hand as she grinned up at Kira, saying, “You look a little flushed, Kira-san. Are you unsteady on that stool?”

The wobbly witch in question was enraged from this taunt. Her face darkened and screwed up into a sneer as she looked down at Yumeko. Even her talons dug deeper into the splintering wood… yet her cock throbbed all the same.

Yumeko raised an eyebrow. What an interesting reaction.

Kira took the opportunity to stand up from the stool, almost knocking it over in her haste. Yumeko just about backed up in time. Their eyes met once more and they both paused. Carefully this time, Kira gathered Yumeko’s hair into her hand before resting against the workbench. It was a better angle for Yumeko’s poor neck anyway.

The witch glowered down at Yumeko, gripping a fistful of her hair and backlit by the sapphire witch fire lanterns behind her. The sight of this only made Yumeko ache even deeper.

She put her desires to better use. With her hair out of the way, Yumeko resumed her activities and once more swallowed up Kira’s cock. She was doing her best to use the flat of her tongue and to stuff more and more inches down her throat. Below her, she could feel how tightly Kira was gripping her hair and how desperately her hips jerked, as if the witch wanted to take the lead instead of just enduring this sweet torture.

Being used by Kira was certainly an arousing image but… perhaps for another time. For now, let Yumeko gain a bit more experience before she let Kira fuck her throat recklessly.

Speaking of which, Yumeko was beginning to grow worried. She had to remind herself over and over again to breathe through her nose as she continued to take every inch of Kira down her throat. Her jaw ached with every passing moment.

But Yumeko didn’t care about any aches or pains. She wouldn’t be satisfied until she could push her nose right into Kira's groin and her entire cock was dipped down her throat.

So she did.

The noises that Kira was making as Yumeko deepthroated her were breathy, guttural, desperate—

Kira hissed out, “Oh, hells, I knew you’d be good at this.”

Yumeko immediately pulled herself off of Kira’s cock, knowing that she would’ve choked from the laughter that bubbled out. The moment she was free, a trail of spit connected the tip of Kira’s cock to her mouth. If Yumeko wanted to be delusional then she would consider it to be akin to a soultie.

Above her, Kira noticed the spit trail and her breath hitched in her chest. Yumeko winked before licking it away, knowing it would drive her lover insane.

And it did.

Kira nearly peaked right there on Yumeko’s face. She grabbed onto the stool nearby and Yumeko heard the sound of wood crunching next to her.

The fact that Yumeko was soaked through her panties and likely dripping onto the stone floor below wasn’t relevant.

“May I try something?” Yumeko asked, her voice a little shaky from the previous intrusion on her throat.

Kira's breath hitched yet again in a mix of anticipation and surprise but she nodded. Excellent.

Now Yumeko would get the opportunity to do the other thing she wanted to do. Maintaining eye contact for as long as she could, Yumeko continued to stroke the cock back and forth as she dipped her head down… to hover above Kira’s cunt. She allowed her warm breath to linger against Kira’s folds so there was no way that Kira couldn’t tell what Yumeko wanted to do.

There was no room for doubt.

Kira stilled above her.

Yumeko waited.

And waited.

“Please.”

She sank her teeth into the kill.

Yumeko surged forward and ran the flat of her tongue along Kira's folds, gentle despite her eagerness. She was keeping to the outside of Kira’s cunt for now; she was worried that her earnestness would scare Kira off. And best believe that now that Yumeko had gotten so far, she’d be damned if she lost her progress by being greedy.

Even just running her tongue along Kira’s outer folds was enough to make Yumeko shudder. Was this what it always tasted like? No wonder Kira was always so feral when she ate Yumeko out.

She loved the taste, the feel, the scent of Kira. It was hard not to gorge herself on the sweet flesh presented to her, especially with how whiny and desperate Kira was becoming now. What other gorgeous sounds would Kira make if Yumeko dipped her tongue as far as she could inside her?

Kira knocked over the stool next to Yumeko, whining out: “Fuck, I can’t—”

Oh, she could handle this. Yumeko would make sure of that.

She had a good rhythm going now. Yumeko lapped away at Kira's dripping cunt while stroking and pumping her cock above her head, occasionally giving it some attention with her mouth. At this point she was just copying what Kira had done to her in the past — if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.

She could feel how close Kira was now. Part of Yumeko, a crazed part, wanted to know what it felt like to penetrate Kira. She wanted to know what it felt like to slide her fingers inside and to feel her cunt clamping down on her. The same way Yumeko did to her every time Kira brought her to her peak.

Yumeko did not entertain this idea, of course.

No matter how aroused she was, common sense would always prevail. She cared and respected Kira; it was a safe bet to assume that she, like anyone else, wouldn’t appreciate suddenly being penetrated with no prior discussion. Especially someone who had a history of refusing to receive pleasure from her lover.

Kira had her reservations. It wasn’t for Yumeko to circumvent those reasons, regardless of their reasoning being unknown.

Unknown for now, at least. But Yumeko would sniff them out eventually.

She always did.

For now, Yumeko would slake her appetite on the sight of Kira spilling her seed all over her stomach.

A devilish idea popped into her mind.

As her lover peaked, Yumeko tilted her cock down until it pointed directly at her face. Kira watched in shock as she continued to adorn Yumeko’s cheeks and mouth with strings of pearls. It was clearly a heavy load because Yumeko could feel some of Kira’s come dripping down her face.

Thank the gods that she closed her eyes. Hopefully none of it got into her hair or she’d need another bath.

Actually, nevermind, then she’d get an excuse to bathe with Kira. That’s perfectly fine.

When she was sure that Kira had overcome her peak, Yumeko opened her eyes. Her lover was gazing down at her in wonder and lust, a sight both familiar and novel to Yumeko.

She waited until she was sure that Kira was looking into her eyes. When she finally held it, she opened up her mouth and began to lick her lips clean. Every last drop that she could reach, she made sure to lap up.

Yumeko knew that her cheeks were still wet with come. Good. She was awfully pleased with her whorish behaviour. 

The sight of it clearly inflamed Kira. Her hand coiled in Yumeko’s hair trembled with desire.

“So you can come both ways with no problem.” Yumeko mused before sucking one of her fingers clean, “Good to know.”

The witch was upon her before she had a moment to catch her breath. With that inhumane strength that Yumeko so adored she scooped Yumeko up off of the floor and planted her onto the workbench. Yumeko’s knees screamed in relief after being knelt on the stone for so long. The wooden stool Kira had gripped to an untimely death laid in pieces on the same floor below.

The glasses jars made pretty rattling sounds as Kira pushed Yumeko back and tore off her panties. The tearing sounds were music to Yumeko’s ears, and the feeling of Kira’s fingers plunging into her were the riveting chorus.

Kira, the sweet girl, had remembered to retract her talons. Otherwise Yumeko would’ve been torn to ribbons, not unlike that broken stool.

Hooking her fingers, Kira stood behind her legs and seemed to radiate lust from every inch of her body. Yumeko could practically taste it in the air around her.

“Are you certain you aren’t a succubus?” Kira asked, only half-joking.

Yumeko smiled.

“I haven’t fucked you well enough for that… yet.”

Kira did not answer. Instead, she did the one thing that Yumeko had never expected her to do: she grabbed Yumeko’s face with her free hand and licked Yumeko’s cheeks clean of her own seed. It was so sudden but the inherent eroticism was not lost on Yumeko; and there was no way that Kira didn’t feel Yumeko’s cunt clenching down hard on her fingers.

Ah, life was good when your paramour was a bonafide slut.

Chapter Text

All good things must come to an end.

For many moons since Yumeko’s family had travelled into the city, the two lovers had been enraptured with each other. Day and night they basked in the glow of each other. Time and burdens all vanished within the tower; all that remained was affection, pleasure and fun.

For the first time in a long time, Yumeko felt at home after crossing the sea. Kira was somehow her cure for homesickness.

But she was no stranger to the concept of equilibrium. No life can stay happy forever, nor can it be filled entirely with woe; there must always be a balance between the two ends.

It seemed that the universe had swung Yumeko’s luck towards the less favourable end, a swing as grim as the headsman’s axe meeting the executioner’s block.

When Yumeko awoke in the middle of the night, her body was already gripped with fear. She couldn’t remember what she dreamed of to make her so afraid. The dream escaped her the moment she opened her eyes.

Instinctively, her hand reached out for Kira in the bed—

She found nothing.

Yumeko felt that all-too familiar pit of dread coiling in her stomach as her fingers splayed across cold sheets. Her hands searched for her lover’s cool skin yet found only an absence laying beside her.

As she blinked the sleep from her eyes, Yumeko took in the scene. The blue light of the night sky illuminating the room, the bunched up sheets, the breeze making the curtains flutter from—

A breeze? But there couldn’t be a breeze unless…

The balcony door was open.

Not a single sound could be heard except the gentle whistling of the wind. Somehow the quiet was even more sinister than any monster’s howl.

Something was wrong. Yumeko could feel it in her bones.

She jumped to her feet. She wasn’t even sure why she was so afraid, nor why the wind caressing her skin sent a chill down her spine. All she knew was that her body was moving on its own, on a primal level. Yumeko needed to lay eyes on her lover before she could even think of relaxing once more.

Naked and trembling, Yumeko crept along the oak wood floor, her eyes gradually adjusting to the darkness that swallowed her. She chased the moonlight slipping through the curtains like a moth to the flame, knowing all too well that demise might lay behind the balcony door.

Kira’s gown had been tossed onto the floor just outside the balcony door. Yumeko scooped it up and cradled it to her chest; she slipped it on, donning it like a suit of armour and pretending like it offered some protection.

It was a primal fear that gripped Yumeko that night. A deep, feral part of her that shrank from danger and pleaded with Yumeko to run away.

She didn’t listen, of course. She never listened to the reasonable part of her mind. If Yumeko did, she wouldn’t have approached the witch dwelling in the woods. If she were reasonable, she wouldn’t have agreed to carry the witch’s child and to pay for her parent’s life in blood.

Yumeko Jabami did not shrink from danger. She wouldn’t deny her nature tonight, either.

She stepped over the threshold onto the balcony.

Bless the ever-changing tower. Now, against all logic, the tower was somehow tall enough for clouds to stain the outer stones of the structure. All of Banim could be seen below the stone balustrade; from the rivers that slipped through the valleys and woods to the jagged mountains jutting out in the horizon. It would be a gorgeous sight if Yumeko wasn’t so enamoured with the sight before her.

Kira stood amongst these clouds, naked and hunched over the balustrade. Yumeko could see every bone and muscle etched into her trembling body under the moonlight. Her body was stiff with tension and Yumeko could practically feel every laboured breath she let out. The sight of Kira’s ribcage swelling and shrinking with each breath was mesmerising.

But there was something else that caught Yumeko’s eye.

There was something… off about Kira. It wasn’t how she held her face in her hands, whimpering and curled into herself. It wasn’t even the fact that she was standing bare under the moonlight and braving the icy winds against her skin.

No. It was the black blood dripping down her body.

“Kira…”

Yumeko couldn’t help the name escaping from her lips as it had done countless times before.

Her lover flinched at the sound of her voice, making Yumeko’s heart twist in her chest. The witch turned back to look at her and Yumeko’s breath vanished from her lungs.

Amber eyes that glowed like a bonfire in this darkness stared back at her. Unblinking, pupils dilated, eyes shaking. Black tears spilled down her cheeks, just shy of Kira’s parted mouth. Even from this distance, Yumeko could see the hint of elongated canines peeking out over Kira’s blue-tinged lips.

As for the blood… what looked like hundreds of tiny feathers had pushed through Kira’s skin, desecrating the flesh there. Oily and dark as sin, they littered Kira’s shoulders, her face and down along her spine. And in their savage path they had torn Kira’s skin open and made the blackened blood pour out. It was a ghastly scene.

“N-No!” Kira snarled, throwing her hand out in front of her.

The hand, too, had feathers adorning it along the knuckles as blood trickled down her fingers. The talons were longer than usual. The gesture was clearly meant to warn Yumeko…

She did not heed her warnings.

Yumeko clicked her tongue and cooed, “Kira… What happened to you?”

Her lover hesitated. She let out a pitiful little whimper and her fingers curled a little, relaxing in surprise. Yumeko could only guess that her surprise was because Yumeko was treating her gently.

“I…” Kira tried to say, her voice sounding ragged and torn, “Go back inside.”

Yumeko took a step forward.

“Why would I do that? You’re out here.”

And that was the only reason she needed.

Kira let out a snarl of frustration, cradling her arm back into her chest and backing up into the railing.

“Are you out of your mind, girl?” Kira hissed, “Go! Leave me be!”

She took another step forward. As the distance closed further and further, Yumeko found herself admiring the figure before her. There was a pool of blood around Kira’s feet and the witch did not shiver despite the cold — surprising, considering Yumeko had to nestle further into her coat to keep any warmth for herself.

It was such an odd sight to see Kira so… fragile. Yumeko felt like a gentle breeze might bowl her lover over. She had no idea why her lover looked like this nor why it was happening now.

All she knew was that Kira was in pain. That’s all Yumeko needed to know.

The words left her mouth as soft as a kiss as Yumeko asked, “Why would I leave you when you’re clearly in pain?”

Kira’s hands crept along the swell of her abdomen as she cradled herself. Was it supposed to feel soothing? Judging by the grimace on her face, it clearly did very little to comfort her.

“This is none of your concern,” Kira replied as the vitriol spewed from her mouth.

Yumeko came to a halt.

Never before had Kira ever spoken so harshly with her. Yes, she could be stern or foreboding but never cruel. Never mean.

How odd.

She ought to feel hurt, perhaps to fight back with equal amounts of vitriol. But Yumeko didn’t feel the hurt. Not yet, anyway. Gazing at her lover’s frantic gaze and the black blood dripping from her body, Yumeko could see through the thin veil of animosity that Kira wore: she was simply lashing out to push Yumeko away.

The question was what exactly was Kira pushing her away from? Herself… or something far more sinister?

Logically, Yumeko knew that her lover was dangerous — even prior to this transformation, a witch was not to be trifled with. Despite the resounding logic, however, Yumeko did not feel any fear for her safety.

No, that’s not why Yumeko was afraid.

She wasn’t afraid of Kira. She was afraid for her.

“You are my concern.” Yumeko said gently, “You made yourself my concern when you planted your seed in me.”

Kira’s face twisted into an ugly sneer, saying, “What? You think because I fuck you that that means something? That you mean something?”

Yumeko clicked her tongue, “Very sharp words. Were they supposed to scare me off?”

Kira snarled — actually snarled, like a feral dog might. It might have been intimidating with all the fangs and fury but… Yumeko wasn’t born yesterday. Kira was little better than a barking dog, snarling, desperate, praying that you wouldn’t figure out she wouldn’t bite.

She took another step closer, resting her toes onto the pool of blood. She paid no mind to it. She only had eyes for Kira right now.

When Yumeko didn’t wilt from the unkind words, Kira curled into herself, just watching Yumeko with a wide-eyed expression. She looked so young when she wore that expression. Like a child trying to hide behind her mother’s skirts and hoping for some flimsy amount of protection.

Then, as if reminding herself of her goal, Kira shook her head and spat out: “You’ve always been stupid. Running headfirst into danger like a fawn who doesn’t know better.”

Yumeko couldn’t help the tiny laugh that escaped as she said, “And you’re acting like a feral kitten who’s afraid of a loving hand. Quite the pair, we two.”

“Loving hand? You think this is love? I’m using you for your womb, you stupid girl.”

Such cruel words. If only Yumeko believed them.

No matter what Kira said, her words fell upon deaf ears. She could keep parroting these horrible little lies but Yumeko saw them for what they were: a last resort.

Kira was afraid. That much she was certain about. Yumeko just needed to swallow her pride and place a stone in her heart until she could decipher what Kira was afraid of.

The longer Kira spoke, the more quills continued to pierce through her skin and droplets of blood spilled from their protruding openings. Kira’s face was distorted with sharp lines, odd angles, and twisted features. Had her nose always been so dark and pointed at the tip. It looked so much like a bird’s from this angle.

…Hm.

“Ooh, very scary. Such a mean, old witch using such nasty words. Shall I run for the hills now?” Yumeko asked, a teasing smile on her face.

“You should.”

The words lost their effect as Kira backed herself into the stone balustrade behind her. What kind of predator allowed themselves to be cornered by their prey? Kira, for all her sharp teeth and talons, was certainly not the one doing the hunting at this moment.

Yumeko kept her smile in place as she stepped forward one last time. The soles of her feet were wet with blood now and their two bodies were merely an inch apart. Yumeko dared not close the gap any further; she simply kept the proximity tantalisingly close. So close, yet so far away.

If anyone was going to close the gap, it would have to be Kira.

“Tell me why you’re trying to push me away,” Yumeko murmured, her eyes drinking in every inch of Kira’s face.

Kira let out a mirthless laugh and said, “I’m just telling you the truth. I’ve grown tired of you and I want you gone.”

Be still my twisting and wounded heart, thought Yumeko.

“Oh? You sound very convincing. Pray tell, mighty witch, why haven't you simply banished me from this humble tower?” Yumeko asked, a cunning gleam in her eyes.

Like a rabid dog, Kira made a show of snapping her teeth right in front of Yumeko’s face. They nearly touched… but they didn’t.

Because Kira was all bark and no bite. This was all a performance to drive Yumeko away. And thank the gods Kira wasn’t an actress because this performance was abysmal; Yumeko had met squirrels with more malice within them.

Leaning forward until their breaths were intermingled, Kira asked, “You want me to? I could do more than just banish you with my magic. I could rend you limb from limb, if I liked. I could boil your parts in my cauldron or preserve you in a little jar. Is that what you want?”

Yumeko smirked. She couldn’t help it. Where fear and anger were supposed to dwell in her heart, only affection could be found. 

“I told you. I want the truth.”

Her words lingered in the air around them.

Kira hesitated. Her golden eyes shone so bright and so sweet under the moonlight; a stark contrast to her usual cool, blue eyes that Yumeko adored so much.

The witch licked at her lips.

A breath later, Kira asked, “Why won’t you just leave?”

Such a sweet, sad voice. Yumeko wanted nothing more than to pull her lover in close and embrace her, soothing away all her troubles. But she couldn’t. Not now. She needed to pull the truth from lover first.

Tilting her head, Yumeko leaned in closer and asked, “Why do you want me to?”

Kira slapped her hands to her chest as she exclaimed, “Look at me! Can’t you see me for what I am? I… I'm…”

She trailed off. Yumeko knew that a hundred horrible thoughts and ugly words were being tossed around in Kira’s head to finish that terrible sentence.

So she finished for Kira with the truth: “Beautiful.”

A crack appeared in Kira’s mask. One by one, black tears pooled in Kira’s eyes before falling freely down those pale cheeks. The moon loomed overhead to give the witch a lovely glow.

She had never looked lovelier.

It took a divine amount of restraint for Yumeko not to touch her lover just yet.

When Kira finally spoke again, her voice cracked with emotion as she said, “I’m hideous. I’m a monster. If you had any sanity left, you would turn tail and run as far as you could away from here. I… I’m trying to protect you.”

Yumeko could have swooned.

“I don’t need your protection.” Yumeko replied, “As romantic and chivalric as that thought may be.”

“Is that it then? Are you insane?” Kira asked, her frown deepening.

Finally, Yumeko allowed herself the joy of physical touch. She reached up slowly to allow Kira a chance to back away from her touch. When Kira saw the hands approaching and remained still, Yumeko continued to cup her lover’s face. And while Kira flinched away from the touch… she soon leaned back into it, hesitantly nuzzling her cheeks back into Yumeko’s palms.

She was as cold as ice itself.

“Maybe I am insane.” Yumeko answered, “Does that change anything?”

Kira looked at her with those lovely golden eyes, searching for something in Yumeko’s face. Who knew what Kira was searching for exactly? All Yumeko knew was that the longer she gazed upon her lover’s new monstrous form… the more she found herself intrigued.

She had questions, of course. Why was Kira’s blood and tears suddenly black? Why was she violently transforming into some sort of avian monster? And why was she so afraid of Yumeko being harmed yet not at all confused by this transformation?

As many more questions bounced around in Yumeko’s mind, she watched a curious thing occur: some of those oily feathers were beginning to retreat back under Kira’s skin, leaving tiny holes in their wake. It was a gruesome and squeamish sight but it answered a pressing question for Yumeko.

Ah. So that's how to fix this.

“Why aren’t you afraid?” Kira asked with a hoarse voice.

Rubbing her thumb along Kira’s feathered cheekbones, Yumeko answered, “I don’t know. I’m worried. In awe, yes. But I’ve never been afraid of you. Not even now. How could I be? You’re practically melting in my hands.”

As Kira continued to weep openly in Yumeko’s hands, she stared at Yumeko like she was unfathomable, something that she couldn’t comprehend.

Gods, she wanted to kiss her so badly. Or at least get all of this stuff off of her.

“You’re awfully cold — even by your icy standards.” Yumeko mused, “How about I run you a bath? Hm? Get some of this… debris off of you.”

Yumeko would have to scrub the dried blood off of her lover’s body. Truly a labour of love — one she was all-too happy to do. A warm bath, some scented oils and a little bit of tender, loving care should fix whatever… this was. And maybe coax out some information along the way.

Kira’s eyes drifted over her face and down along Yumeko’s body. The sharp and wrong angles that had previously distorted Kira’s expression were now softening. Whatever caused this transformation was glacially reversing.

The golden eyes remained, though.

“You’re wearing my coat,” Kira noted.

Her voice was so cute and small. Yumeko just wanted to bundle her lover up into some blankets and squeeze her as tight as she could. All sins could be forgiven when you were this cute.

Instead of doing that, Yumeko just smiled and asked, “How does it look?”

Kira’s mouth parted open. The tips of her elongated fangs pressed down into her bottom lip, not quite piercing through the blue skin, but making her look like she was pouting.

The witch whispered her answer against Yumeko’s palm: “Perfect.”

Yumeko swore that her heart shivered in delight.

She slipped her hands away from Kira’s cheeks before one slithered down to rest on the small of Kira’s back. Never before had she been so doting and dominant with Kira. Previously, it had always been Kira taking the lead, always filling the dominant position due to her age and power. Now it was Yumeko’s turn to take the lead and comfort her lover.

She guided Kira away from the balcony with a gentle pull. As she did so, they both stepped out of the pool of blackened blood. It was a symbolic gesture, if nothing else.

No amount of blood on Kira’s hands could ever scare Yumeko. She would gladly stand by her lover’s side and she intended to wash her lover clean of the blood… and whatever else stained her soul, too.

There's nothing quite as soothing as a warm bath after a long day.

Yumeko had moved with ease throughout the bathroom. Despite the alarming events of the last hour, she found herself… calm. Extraordinarily. It was as if her mind was neatly packaging the events into little boxes and finding pockets of peace while organising them into neat categories.

Kira was covered in her own blood? No worries, let's clean it off with soap and water. Kira was too cold after a violent avian transformation? Well, a warm bath should help heat her up. Kira was acting caging and more cruel than Yumeko had ever known her to be? Sounds like they needed a heart to heart… in the bath!

Maybe Yumeko should have been running for the hills like Kira had suggested. Maybe she was insane. Did it matter, though? Yumeko had no intention of leaving now more than ever before.

She kept this in mind as she scrubbed Kira clean from all the dried blood and tiny feathers marring her skin. Kira was surprisingly non-combative about this grooming session: as Yumeko scourged her skin clean, she merely stood there, just watching her.

Her blue eyes had returned. Yumeko was grateful for that, at least; she was entirely too fond of those lovely eyes.

When the blood and feathers were all washed away, Yumeko ran her lover a warm bath with clean water, scented oils and plenty of bubbles. It didn't take much for Kira to be lured into the bath: the woman practically leapt into the damn thing herself.

Now, Yumeko was sitting on a stool besides the bath tub, watching her lover scowl at the bubbles like an angry, wet cat.

It was awfully sweet.

Dipping her fingertips into the water below, Yumeko murmured, “Squeaky clean, Kira-chan.”

Shooting her a confused look, Kira repeated, “Chan?”

“It’s another honorific. But you use it for people you find cute,” Yumeko explained with her lips curled up into a smile.

A petulant scowl darkened her lover's face like a dark cloud blotting out the sun.

“So you don’t respect me anymore?” Kira said with a huff.

Yumeko couldn't help the little huff of laughter that slipped out. She realised that this was a translation issue: Kira thought a change in honourifics was exclusionary: that if Yumeko started using -chan instead of -san, it meant that she no longer respected her. How cute.

“I can respect you and find you cute,” Yumeko replied.

In return, her lover's expression lightened. Her lips formed a little 'o' in understanding and for a moment, Yumeko saw the carefree, easy-going woman she had known before. But the storm had yet to ebb away: Kira's lips curled into a sardonic smile and she curled further into herself in the bath.

Poor thing. She was still sulking like this.

“So,” Yumeko said after a sigh, “where should we start?”

When Kira gave her an inquisitive look, Yumeko rolled her eyes and said, “Alright, if you insist, I’ll take the initiative. Why were you turning into a bird out there?”

Immediately, Kira stiffened up. If Yumeko listened close enough, she might have been able to hear the iron gates snapping shut around Kira's heart. What did Kira think was going to happen? That Yumeko was just going to forget that scene out on the balcony or pretend like it never happened?

Yumeko could put up with a lot but she wasn't going to let Kira dodge this conversation.

“Silence isn’t an answer,” Yumeko said.

Kira's voice was strained with tension as she said, “I don’t have an easy answer for you.”

Judging by way she spoke, Kira was raising her hackles in an attempt to upset her — as if this newly aggressive behaviour from her lover would suffice in scaring her off. Unfortunately for her, Yumeko wasn't scared of an angry, wet cat. She replied, “Any answer would be appreciated.”

Kira watched her for a while. It was as if she were trying to peel back every layer of Yumeko until she found her core within; as if that would reveal Yumeko's true intentions and her every thought.

Yumeko wasn't perturbed by this piercing gaze. She met her lover's eyes with ease.

The first crack appeared: Kira's shoulders sagged. Then the next crack came in the long, drawn out sigh that escaped Kira's mouth. The malicious mask only shattered when Kira screwed her eyes shut.

“You know that I am infertile,” the witch finally said.

Her eyes remained locked onto the edge of the bathtub. Or rather, they were locked on Yumeko's hand curled around the copper rim of the tub. The skin of her hand burned from the attention; the longer her lover stared, the worse it burned.

Yumeko replied evenly, “That’s what you’ve said.”

Kira's jaw clenched and unclenched before she said, “But I haven’t been… forthcoming on this matter.”

Oh? Yumeko raised an eyebrow but otherwise kept silent. She worried that any sudden movements might scare Kira off rather than coax the truth from her.

In a voice more sullen than Yumeko had ever heard from her, Kira said, “I was born this way. It wasn’t a defect from birth, nor was it an accident in my youth. I… It’s not just my womb that is affected. It’s my blood.”

There was a saying in Minahami, the land from which Yumeko was born: "The sins of the father are paid for in the blood of his sons." Yumeko wasn't sure why this proverb had come to mind as she heard Kira speak; she didn't even agree with the sentiment of inherited guilt. Yet the proverb came all the same.

Yumeko's mind drifted back to the scene on the balcony. Black blood dripping from tiny holes where the tiny feathers protruded, oily and furious at the agony of birth. What sin could possibly be paid for with a price like that?

“Are we referring to your red or black blood?” Yumeko asked, her voice easy and soft.

Kira shot her a withering look.

“I don’t see how that matters,” she replied.

Less of a wet cat and more of a yapping dog…

“When we performed the ritual, your blood was red. Normal.” Yumeko answered in a measured tone, “But just now I had to wash away blood as black as the night from your body. I think it’s very relevant.”

The witch in all her petulant and feral fury gritted her teeth as if she wanted to use them for violent means. Yumeko merely sighed as she looked at the woman marinating in the bath before her.

It had been a long night: considering all the effort that Yumeko had put into cleaning Kira into something resembling clean, this attitude was growing old very quick. How was she supposed to have a conversation with someone who kept snapping at her? It wasn't as if Yumeko was attacking her or speaking down to her.

…Hm.

Yumeko rose to her feet, feeling the aching muscles of her legs and back groaning in protest as she stood. She slipped the coat from her body and tossed it aside onto the bathroom floor. She didn't really care where it ended up.

As she stood there as naked as the day she was born, Kira's expression softened into one of surprise. And as she watched Yumeko dip herself into the very same bathtub she was stewing in, the witch's mouth fell open and her eyes widened even further.

Good. Yumeko much preferred a surprised Kira to an angry one.

Leaning back into the copper tub, Yumeko explained, “I figured you’d be more willing to share if we were face to face. And just as nude as each other.”

Surprisingly, Kira seemed to relax after this response; the malice dripped away from her expression and she bloomed open in surprise.

It still took some time before Kira spoke of her own volition. Judging by the way she fiddled with her hands and how her eyes darted across the water's surface, there was a war being waged within her. Yumeko assumed it was Kira debating whether she should tell Yumeko the truth or not.

She doubted Kira would be foolish enough to lie to her… again.

When Kira did speak, she sounded soft and meek. Almost gentle. It was a far more familiar tone for Yumeko to hear from her.

“My blood… there is a taint within it. A curse in my bloodline.”

Yumeko sucked in through her teeth. So many thoughts raced through her mind and she tried to quiet them, to shove them away before they could colour her perception. She asked, “A curse? From who? Why?”

Kira scoffed and asked, “Why does anyone get cursed? To even out a wrong committed.”

She didn't seem to want to explain more than that.

Well, that's just too damn bad, because Yumeko had questions and they'd be answered tonight — one way or the other.

Yumeko asked, “And this curse… it turns you into a bird?”

Kira winced and said, “Not… exactly. It corrupts the flesh. The end result is not a bird but… a monster of flesh and feather. An abomination trapped in between.”

What a colourful way to describe what Yumeko saw tonight. An abomination. Perhaps if Kira had been anyone else then Yumeko might have seen her that way: as a horror to behold and to flee from.

But Kira wasn't just anyone else. She had bedded Yumeko more times than she could count, held her in her arms and traced patterns into Yumeko's skin until she fell asleep. Kira was far from a stranger so Yumeko couldn't treat her as an abomination.

She was just Kira.

Sweet and romantic Kira. Cruel and mercurial Kira. They weren't seperate entities, they were just… Kira.

“What happened tonight? Why is this the first time I am seeing this from you?” Yumeko asked, leaning further into the warm, scented water.

The heat seemed to open the two of them up to some extent. Kira chewed on her bottom lip for a while before saying, “It’s complicated.”

Yumeko withheld the urge to strangle the other woman. So much for opening up. Yumeko pinched the bridge of her nose and said, “Again, the complexity of your answer doesn’t matter. Any answer will do.”

This time Kira's expression was softer. Tender.

“Even a short one?” Kira asked.

Vulnerability. That's what Yumeko was seeing in Kira now. After the events of tonight and the way Kira had been behaving, she had almost been unable to recognise that look in her eyes, that tone of voice.

Just as soft, Yumeko replied, “If that’s the answer you’re willing to part with.”

While Kira didn't voice her appreciation, Yumeko can see it in her eyes. The way her eyes seem to take a warmer shade of blue as her frown ebbed away.

“I only feel the pull of the curse occasionally. I have flare-ups every now and then but… the transformation is usually unpredictable. I fight it away every time,” Kira eventually answered.

It made sense: that was likely why Kira didn't look confused when feathers started shooting out of her skin like a normal person would. It clearly wasn't her first time experiencing this. What Yumeko wanted to know was why Kira had been so aggressive with her.

Her working theory was that Kira was pushing Yumeko away on purpose. As if Yumeko needed a knight in shining armour to protect her from the fearsome monster. It was hardly reasonable to play both the knight and the monster.

(Yumeko was going to ignore how romantic she found the notion regardless. It didn't help the situation.)

Might as well poke the bear, as they say.

“All that pain and anger,” Yumeko mused, “no wonder you were so cruel.”

Her gaze was sharp as she drawled out the words. She wielded them like a knife and hoped it wounded Kira. Let her feel an ounce of the vitriol she had spat all night until now.

Kira latched onto the bait and snarled, “Spare me your wounded feelings, you were throwing yourself into danger. I was trying to protect you.”

Yumeko's mouth twisted into a mirthless smile, saying, “I have never required your protection. I have never asked anything from you that I could not repay in blood.”

That stung. Kira looked stricken and her eyes crawled down to Yumeko's belly, now obscured by the water. It was obvious why she was even looking there; the child growing in Yumeko's womb would be the blood price she was required to pay.

Her hands itched to reach down and touch her belly. Yumeko wouldn't, though. It would look too much like she was guarding herself, shielding her womb from the big, bad wolf in front of her. She wouldn't give Kira the satisfaction — or the opportunity to push her away, claiming Yumeko was afraid of her.

Yumeko wondered if Kira could sense any life stirring inside her. Would that change anything?

“You were foolish tonight.” Kira said but the words lack any bite or malice.

Yumeko countered, “And you hid behind lies of omission. Shall we keep throwing stones?”

Kira sneered at Yumeko's condescending head tilt but the verbal sparring did not continue. Of course it didn't: Kira knew that she was right.

In an impossible situation, Yumeko had done everything right. She pulled Kira from the brink of destruction with soft words and affirmations. Anyone else, anyone sane, would have turned tail and run. Would have snapped and argued and stormed off in a rage. She didn't. Kira ought to be thanking her.

Yumeko wouldn't demand gratitude. There was only one thing she would do.

She pulled her hand out of the water, reached out and cupped her lover’s cheek. Kira flinched away from the touch, eyes wide and a whimper escaping her mouth. Yumeko was undettered.

If an animal was caught in a trap, it would be a labour of love to get them out of it. Only patience and kindness would earn the animal's trust.

Kira lacked trust. Perhaps in Yumeko, perhaps in herself. Regardless, Yumeko had to stand firm.

Her thumb ran along the curve of Kira's cheek. Those blue eyes stared back at her, unblinking. Kira's whole body seemed to turn to stone beneath her touch.

As if she never expected Yumeko to repay her aggression with a gentle touch.

As soft as a lover's kiss, Yumeko murmured, “You will never speak to me like that again. You can speak in anger, and in fear. But you will never lie to me again. Not to protect me or to push me away. Not to protect yourself, either. Do you understand me?”

The witch stared at her. Yumeko didn't miss the tremble in her bottom lip nor the little bob in her throat as she swallowed. She never missed these things from Kira.

After a little eternity, Kira nodded.

Yumeko smiled at her as a reward, “Good. Because the next time you lie to me, I shall leave and never return. The next time you see me will be when I drop off your offspring and then never again.”

With an inhumane amount of strength and speed, Kira lunged forward and pressed her body against Yumeko's. Her talons dug into Yumeko's shoulders as she gripped them, almost drawing blood in her panic. Water sloshed over the edges of the tub but Yumeko didn't have time to worry about that: Kira's once-blue eyes were now shining an amber light. She was partially transformed once more, those oily feathers peeking out of her cheeks and dotting blood in their wake.

“No!” Kira cried out, her voice eerie and distorted.

The primal need to flee was so strong it nearly overwhelmed Yumeko. But this was a delicate situation that required a precise hand to navigate it. If Yumeko was going to fix whatever budding romance was between them, she needed to handle this with the utmost care.

Yumeko placed a single hand against Kira's sternum to hold her lover at bay, seperating their bodies by an inch. Gods, her skin was feverishly warm — such a contrast to the icy temperature Yumeko was used to.

At this almost-restraining touch, Kira leaned her body into Yumeko's hand in an attempt to get closer. The noise she made was wonderfully desperate.

It warmed Yumeko's heart to know that Kira still wanted to be near her. That for all her earlier theatrics and vitriol, Kira yearned for her to the point of grabbing her like this, forcing the proximity.

“I have never lied to you. Not even once. I expect the same in return.” Yumeko whispered against her mouth, asking, “Can you do this, Kira?”

Kira nodded immediately, whimpering a little in her fervour to answer.

Her grip on Yumeko's shoulders, although bruising, made her feel alive. Wanted. Needed.

When Kira dipped her head down and pressed their mouths together in a needy kiss, Yumeko couldn't help but sigh into her mouth. How wonderful it was to kiss and make up. It felt like ages since the two of them had kissed. Yumeko wanted to drown in this feeling as she reached up and cupped Kira’s cheeks, feeling the sharp quills scratching at her fingertips.

They kissed and kissed until Yumeko could feel every bloody quill retreated back under Kira's skin. Only when Yumeko was touching smooth, unmarred skin did she break the kiss.

Kira's eyes were still closed when Yumeko opened hers. Their foreheads pressed together as Kira took soothing breaths, using Yumeko as her anchor.

The witch's eyes only fluttered open once she was satiated, soothed entirely. Yumeko knew this because those blue eyes she adorned so much were once more peering back at her.

“Feel any better?” Yumeko asked, smiling a little.

Kira nodded, her lips swollen and chest heaving.

Grinning like a fox in a henhouse, Yumeko chirped, “Excellent. Because I have more questions.”

The contented look on Kira's face fell away as she groaned in dismay. She all-but threw herself back into the tub, causing the water to run over the sides of the tub. Despite being the elder between the two of them, Kira was awfully petulant tonight.

Yumeko knew she was in deep trouble because instead of suffering through this petulance, she found herself endeared by it. It made her smile to see this side of Kira — as awesome as the powerful, all-knowing witch persona of Kira’s was, this human and flawed side of her was just as lovely.

Seeing this side of Kira felt like progress.

Resting her arms along the edge of the tub, Yumeko said, “Now tell me: why are you cursed into a bird of all creatures?"

“Maybe the one who cursed my bloodline had a particular dislike for all things avian,” Kira quipped.

“Alright, I’ve changed my mind. Sarcastic answers are banned.”

Kira clicked her tongue, “How dull.”

When the seconds ticked on and Kira continued to keep her silence, Yumeko rolled her eyes and said, “I’m going to take a wild guess and assume it has something to do with that gorgeous bird you have locked up in this tower.”

The Zhar-Ptitsa was still a mystery to Yumeko. Kira's previous airy explanations did little to satiate Yumeko's curiosity. Clearly the avian connection wasn't just a coincidence — Kira's transformation into part-woman and part-bird, the Zhar-Ptitsa, even Trezor! Two was a coincidence but three was a pattern, after all.

Yumeko still had a gnawing question: how was this all related?

Anger flared up in Kira as she said, “She is not—”

Kira stopped her own little tirade with a huff. Well, at least she was trying to restrain herself. That was something. When she collected herself once more, Kira spoke slowly, “The Zhar-Ptitsa is not a prisoner. The… the room that you were guided to is her home. She dwells here.”

Remembering how the bird flew off into the night, embers fluttering behind her, Yumeko said, “Of her own volition?”

Kira's eye twitched, “Of sorts.”

Yumeko laughed and said, “So that’s a no.”

With a mixture of pain and frustration written across her face, Kira said, “There is nowhere in Kopvice that she would rather live. The tower provides her with an abundance of magic and access to a forest outside of time and space.”

“Yet she runs from the master of said tower,” Yumeko pointed out, skepticism dripping from her voice.

Kira shot her a look, saying, “You have far too much cunning for your own good. Has anyone ever told you that?”

Dodging the question. Wonderful.

“Once or twice,” Yumeko answered.

Kira scoffed and didn't say anything more. The topic about the Zhar-Ptitsa was clearly a dead end — Yumeko would get nowhere with Kira like this. At least tonight. She wouldn't let this go, rest assured.

Instead, Yumeko thought a bit more about the night's events. Her mind was swimming from the memories, the questions, the thoughts, worst of all the emotions. Part of her wished that she could simply smother her mind into a blissful silence, while a greater part wanted answers.

“So let me get this ordered properly.” Yumeko said, “You belong to a cursed bloodline that turns you into this monstrous bird-creature — a painful process, of course. And because of this curse, you are rendered infertile in the womb.”

“Correct.”

Yumeko squinted and asked, “But this curse does not extend to your seed?”

At this question, heat rushed up into Kira's cheeks and coloured them a lovely shade of pink. The heat of the water couldn't be blamed considering they had been stewing in it for so long already. Had Kira never expected to have this conversation with Yumeko, or anyone else? Or was she just not used to people questioning her theoretical knowledge? Perhaps a bit of both.

“My… seed is magically formed. It’s not strictly tied to my blood.” Kira answered, a little hesitantly, “So my theory is that I should be able to impregnate others.”

“What is this theory based on, besides wishful thinking?” Yumeko asked in growing alarm.

The next words out of Kira's mouth rocked Yumeko to her core.

“My mother’s grimoire.”

Every inch of Yumeko's body hummed at these words. Kira's mother? This was the first time Kira had ever brought up her parents before. She had always been a bit cagey and evasive when Yumeko asked previously about them.

Yumeko had to tread lightly if she was going to siphon any information out of Kira.

The witch rolled back her shoulders and puffed out her chest, saying, “Her grimoire has a wealth of knowledge. Especially that of fertility and the human body.”

The word 'grimoire' was unfamiliar to Yumeko. However, this wasn't going to turn into a lesson about the Kopvish language or magical theory. All hells would flood before Yumeko uprooted this conversation with any diversions.

Yumeko simply asked, “Why that in particular? Was that her specialty?”

“All devotees of Mydione are well-versed in fertility,” Kira replied.

Yumeko couldn't help how her face contorted upon hearing this. Mydione was the goddess of fertility that she had (blasphemously) prayed to in hopes of conceiving a child with Kira — if Kira was apparently infertile and also a worshiper of Mydione…

“I saw that look.” Kira deadpanned before Yumeko could school her features, adding, “The irony of a Mydione-worshipper being infertile is not lost on me.”

Instead of addressing her reaction, Yumeko said, “So the ritual is successful, then.”

It couldn't all be doom and gloom: after all, Kira had been born despite the bloodline curse. Clearly this curse had some loop hole.

“To some degree. It’s not a perfect science,” Kira replied.

“And the children born of these rituals… do they survive?” Yumeko asked.

There was a haunted look in Kira’s eyes. It matched perfectly with the pit of dread forming in Yumeko's stomach.

Stilted, Kira answered: “I’ve lived nearly thirty years. So far, I see no end in sight.”

The words she did not say, the mention of other surviving children, hit Yumeko like a dagger to the stomach.

Just like that, the breath was stolen from Yumeko's lungs. She couldn't stop her hand from wandering down to her belly, cradling the soft flesh there protectively. Her mind drifted to Kira’s transformation earlier; the way her skin tore itself open, the black blood spilling everywhere, the trembles of pain.

Would Yumeko's baby have to suffer the same, cursed fate?

It did not take long for Kira to catch on. Little escaped the witch's notice and this would be no exception.

Her face darkened.

“You’re afraid.”

She was not asking. If anything, Kira's words felt like an accusation.

Yumeko had no reason to lie. Not after she demanded honesty for honesty. Treading lightly once again, Yumeko asked, “Our child. Will it suffer the same curse?”

'Our' child. The language mattered. Kira needed to be included or she would find a reason to exclude herself — the last thing Yumeko needed was for her to pull away again.

Kira clenched her jaw. When she eased it open again, she said, “My hope is that it doesn’t. It will be born of my blood but… hopefully your own body and the magic will offset any unwanted traits. If it doesn’t and something crops up anyway… I will minimise what I can.”

The silence dragged on. Neither woman say anything for some time. Kira stared at her but Yumeko couldn't bring herself to gaze back.

Finally, Kira said, “You don’t look reassured.”

Again, it was a statement, not a question.

“I’m not,” Yumeko admitted.

She received a wounded, frustrated look in response. Oh well, that made two frustrated women then.

Amidst this bout of frustration, Kira asked, “Do you regret making this pact with me then?”

Regret? Yumeko turned the word over in her mind. As she sat there in that tub with Kira, she wondered if she regretted the pact they made.

Yumeko agreed to it knowing that her only goal was her family's health and wellbeing. She would have gone through far worse to secure that goal. Had she known that there was a chance that her baby would be cursed for the sin of being born with the wrong blood… would she still have agreed?

She knew her answer.

When words eluded her, Yumeko acted on her base instincts… and pounced on Kira. The look of surprise as she did so was worth the sneak attack.

This time their kiss was far from tender. It was raw and heartfelt, yes, but the passion poured into the kiss wasn't tender in the slightest. That was exactly what Yumeko wanted; she wanted Kira to feel every ounce of emotion that burned through Yumeko.

It was regrettable that their child might suffer the same curse as her sire, yes. But Yumeko did not regret this pact nor the relationship borne from it. She did not regret every act of kindness she had gifted Kira and vice versa. And she certainly did not regret every kiss, every night of passion, every sweet moment since then.

One night of horror and unveiled secrets couldn't outweigh the rest. Not for Yumeko, at least.

There were risks in every pregnancy. All families carried some kind of health problem, or unwanted trait that cropped up like weeds amongst their children. The most that parents could do was try to give their child the best life possible and Kira was trying — Yumeko could see that much. She was afraid and angry but she was trying. What more could Yumeko ask for?

When Yumeko did finally pull away from the kiss, it was to whisper: “No. I don't regret it. I’m just worried.”

Kira crumbled at this answer. On the verge of whimpering in despair, Kira whispered back, “I… I am too.”

Yumeko shot her a small smile, “Good. Then we can both worry over this child like two mother hens. It’ll be wonderful.”

The two women shared a soft, teary laugh. Yumeko wasn't even sure when the tears had welled up in her eyes. Then again, after tonight, she deserved to shed a tear or two. Or ten.

“Can you sense it?” Yumeko asked, “If the seed takes root.”

To her disappointment, Kira shook her head.

“It would be like trying to hear a butterfly’s wings flap amidst a storm. I’ll know when you do which, I suppose, is when you start showing.”

Swallowing her disappointment, Yumeko replied, “I ought to start wearing more layers then. Give the village women less to gossip about.”

Gods, the people in Banim would have a field day once Yumeko was pregnant. The way they would rush to whisper and gossip at the sight of her swollen belly. "Out of wedlock" would be said more than prayers as the news spread from door to door. The foreign girl was knocked up without a husband — the same foreigner who kept running off into the Witchwood, no less!

Yumeko knew the vitriol she should expect in this backwater country. She wouldn't be charged with anything, sure, but she already anticipated the scorn. All for the crime of carrying a child and creating new life.

It was hard to be a filial daughter when her parents brought her to such a backwards land.

“We could work around that,” Kira murmured, “if we were bound in marriage.”

For the second time that night, Yumeko felt like she was rocked to her core. Yes, her heart did flutter in her chest from these whispered words but that was irrelevant!

Shaking her head, Yumeko said, “No. If I am to be wed, it shall be for love and not for convenience."

She promised herself that long ago and she wouldn't break that rule for anyone. Not even Kira.

The witch in question nodded, although her disappointment was palpable. Yumeko didn't let herself dwell on the knowledge that Kira was disappointed at a rejected marriage proposal.

Kira finished licking her wounds to say, “Well, if you run into any trouble, you always have a home here.”

“Is that so?” Yumeko asked.

“Our deal means that you must provide me with a child. But… it never stipulated that you must leave it with me. If you want to stay… with us…” Kira's voice trailed off.

Those big, blue eyes stared up at Yumeko, as if begging her to finish the sentence for her. Yumeko smiled and said, “…I would be welcome.”

Kira was quick to correct her: “More than welcome.”

That was quite the image in Yumeko's mind. The two of them sharing a home in this tower, breaking bread every morning, laying with each other every night. And when the images slowly formed a baby nestled in Yumeko's arms, it was far too easy to add Kira into the picture. She could already see the doting expression, the shaky hands reaching for a baby that seemed too small and fragile for a witch too hold.

A daughter with Yumeko's eyes and her mother's curls. Or perhaps a son with Kira's eyes and Yumeko's smile. Either way, it would be a child swaddled in love from the moment it breathed its first breath.

Never had there been a prettier picture.