"Tales of Desire: Forbidden Stories – Story 1: The Demon Queen's Throne". Genre: Dark Fantasy / Erotica / Power Play)
Chapter 8: Temptation Beneath Blackstone
The village of Blackstone was cloaked in mist when Kael arrived.
A remote settlement pressed into the valley's shadows, half-forgotten by the world. Its houses were old stone with black-tiled roofs, its paths uneven and overgrown. The villagers kept their distance—eyes low, voices hushed.
There was fear here.
It clung to the walls, hung in the air like smoke.
Kael didn't ask questions.
He simply walked to the heart of it, where an ancient temple—crumbling and half-swallowed by moss—leaned against the mountainside.
There, he felt it.
The pull.
Not like Lyssara's warmth.
Not like the soft pressure of a shrine.
But something darker.
A call that licked at his thoughts, his spine, and the mark on his chest.
Velzaria.
The demon queen's essence stirred again.
Inside the Temple
The interior was abandoned, but not dead. Sigils still pulsed faintly along the walls—traces of old rituals. A broken altar at the far end smoldered faintly, as though someone had tried to relight forbidden flame.
Kael's hand hovered near his blade.
Then he heard the voice.
"You came sooner than I thought."
He turned.
A woman stepped out from the shadows between the pillars.
Tall. Wrapped in sheer black silk. Her skin a pale violet hue, her hair cascading like dark wine. Eyes burning gold beneath a sheer veil.
She wasn't Velzaria.
But she was of her court.
"A priestess?" Kael asked.
The woman smiled. "Once. Now, a servant of the throne."
Kael kept his stance guarded. "Why are you here?"
"To test your will," she said simply. "And your hunger."
She stepped closer.
Her bare feet made no sound on the cold stone. The silk slid from her shoulders as she moved, revealing long limbs, full breasts, and the inked sigils of loyalty that ran down her belly to the curve of her thighs.
She was not just a servant.
She was a temptress—crafted for seduction, honed by the Demon Queen's teachings.
"You carry her mark," the priestess whispered. "Velzaria watches. But she will not take a weak vessel. Before you reach her throne, your body and soul must be tempered."
She reached for Kael's chest, tracing the mark.
He shivered—not from the cold.
From the way her touch ignited him.
But he caught her wrist.
"I'm not yours."
Her smile widened.
"Then resist me."
The Ritual of Flesh
Without waiting for permission, she moved.
Pushed him gently against one of the cold stone pillars. Kissed his neck—soft at first, then biting. Her body pressed against his, heated and sinuous.
Kael tried to push her away.
But the mark on his chest flared—not in pain, but in desire.
She was feeding it.
Feeding him.
"You think strength lies in denial?" she whispered, lips brushing his ear. "Velzaria's power is pleasure unchained. Dominion through surrender. Control through indulgence."
Her hands moved to his waist, undoing the clasp of his belt, her body grinding against his growing arousal.
Kael clenched his teeth.
The temptation was real.
But so was his purpose.
He spun her around—reversed the pressure.
Now she was pressed against the pillar.
"I'm not your pawn," he growled. "If I take you—it's because I choose to."
Her breath hitched.
Golden eyes widened in delight.
"Then choose," she whispered. "Claim me. Let Velzaria feel it."
The Joining – Bold, Heated, Yet Controlled
Kael didn't hesitate now.
Not out of lust.
But out of will.
If this was a test, he would master it.
He entered her in a single thrust, drawing a gasp from her lips. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her nails dug into his back. He moved with power—not reckless, but firm. Each motion deliberate. Each thrust claimed.
She moaned, arching her body to meet his rhythm.
The ancient temple pulsed faintly—stone warming beneath their union.
"You burn like her," the priestess gasped. "You burn better…"
Kael growled against her neck, kissed her lips, drank her cries like wine. And when they both reached the edge—when her body convulsed in release and his vision blurred with heat—the mark on his chest glowed bright crimson.
Then—
It changed.
A second ring formed.
Velzaria's whisper danced across his ears.
[You've tasted devotion. Now... come to me.]
Aftermath – Alone with Thought
The priestess lay curled against the altar, body spent, smiling faintly.
Kael dressed slowly.
The second ring still burned on his chest.
"I passed," he said.
"No," she replied weakly. "You survived. Your trial begins now."
He turned toward the temple doors.
Outside, the mist was gone.
But the path ahead twisted upward—toward the obsidian tower rumored to house Velzaria's true throne.
Kael did not look back.
[End of Chapter 8 – Temptation Beneath Blackstone]