Conquest Of The Fallen: Dark Dominions

[🎶 We're All In This Together – Song by Cast, High School Musical and Walt Disney.]

"I know what we should do. We should organise a party. Just close friends."

"But we're at one?"

Cora was talking to Aya Naamah at a sendoff soiree conducted at Bolta's residence the night after.

Eighteen hours had passed since Rafel had the weird conversation with his friends about leaving; he was not sure to where, but he couldn't hide from his Aunt forever. The term was ending in a few days. The Inclusion Rituals were passed; Bolta had come in with the good news on Coronis's back, in blue flight-leathers on the dragon's saddle, just this afternoon—hence the ongoing party.

The sound of romping music threatened to drown out Aya's voice. She shouted to be heard above the bass. "This is already a party, isn't it?" She offered Cora again. On the dance floor three feet away from where they stood, Israfel twirled Rosa and Ravenna around. Percival and Brunhilda hooked arms and were doing the jig.

Cora rolled her eyes. "Come on, babe, you know what I mean. There are more people than we need at this party. Tomorrow, the fourth-years are going to swear the Öath Couragio, and from there it's pretty much goodbyes—everyone to their fucking realms. We need one solid night being together alone. Just us." Experience more content on empire

"You mean a Get-together?"

"Yes, exactly." Cora's blue eyes shined out.

"I get it. Farewells aren't your strong suit. You and Israfel both."

Aya pulled her eyes from the dance floor a moment, just to glance at Cora before skimming back to Rafel who was now dipping Ravenna. Her violet eyes gobbled up Ravenna's showing porcelain skin before she told Cora. "Alright, love. What are you thinking?"

"Well it has to be tonight obviously. . ."

The partiers at Bolta's palatial Aerium continued to jolly in good moods to the thrumming music as Corazón drew near to the Succubus and told her of her plan.

About an hour later, the evening bells tolled from the Rhys tower: a fine whitestone stronghold on the east, flanking the mighty Dragongate. It was six o'clock. Rosa was just returning from vespers at a chapel close by and still clutched to the black praying beads of the Martyr. She met the others at Spinazolla's where they were of a single mind to have dinner together in the restaurant. No one was in the mood to hold trays in line at the cafeteria.

Tonight they were more inclined to be pampered with five-star menus, impressive chefs, gorgeous long-legged waitresses, stellar service, and to be served in seat. But Cora and Aya still had plans to exact.

All seven friends showed up not one minute after the tolling, shocking one another by the glass doors of the restaurant. Grinning hard as lovelorn teens, they walked into the blitzy place together, the ladies in front. Israfel played a gentleman and held the door. Once inside, Erika herself arrived to show them to a private booth far from the benign dining of the expensive patrons.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"The atmosphere is incredible." Ravenna favored their kind, beautiful hostess with her words. Erika did not hide her smile. When she wasn't being a bitch frost-queen in the Citadel's hallways, she was quite the girl. Erika Burgess only met Rafel's amber eyes once. Not long enough for his friends to guess what they'd been doing at this time just yesterday.

As she parted the red curtains to reveal a spacious, candlelit chamber with equal part homeliness and curious art, Cora and Aya tried to play naive and just act as surprised as their friends when they saw the sofas and chiffon rests—when in fact they had concocted the entire thing.

"I'll be back with the menus."

Erika dropped a very expensive bottle of mermaid ambrosia, secretly winking at Corazón before she turned to head out, swishing out the curtains again.

She was one hella a hostess, all agreed.

One would think that because of her hotness and attraction to vanity, she was unkind. But Erika wasn't mean; she was just spoiled. And when a girl as damn pretty as her had being told she was special all her life, it tended to string up her head in the clouds.

"Uppity," that was what Cora called it.

Maybe sleeping with Erika had given Rafel a bit of pussy-whip, but from the very beginning he had known the student president had more to meet the eye—than her glossy make-up and perfect gold blowout. He really wanted to tell someone about it. Cora would understand. She always did. But he was sure the best part would be when he told her that the 'uppity darling' was a virgin.

'Right up until she had cried on my shoulder. Weird, no?'

He soon quit his thoughts and focused on the present. A very surreal present.

The friends settled on the fat couches and drank: a bottle of Ambrosia was the one thing guaranteed to be rare across the whole continent, no matter the lush season of a city or its prosperity. Mostly it was because the ambrosia was ninety percent mermaid juice—the kind that came either from crying or fucking.

And the Atlantean sub-marauders didn't just let anyone dive into their underwater colonies.

As the friends sipped on this very special drink of indulgence, a slow song entered the background from Rafel's [Gladorium]. It was lilting and wise. An Acapella, and it grew in pitch over time. Cora and Aya avoided the Apollyon's lynx-yellow gaze under the solemn candlelight but Rafel was not fooled to the girls subtlety. He said to them with a spread grin, telling them of his knowledge to their little act.

"I know what you did, Corazón. This little plot of yours with my succubus... ha! It's impressive, I'll give you that. I too hoped we would get some alone time, just our clic, and you have played fairy godmother. Nice work, Naamah," he gestured all around the stately banquet. "This is really nice."

"It's cozy. Ah love it!" Ravenna chimed from his side. She was closest to him on his sofa. "Ain't this some rich folk shit?"

Her accent came out hard as she held up a small box of pipes and cigars. Fat, expensive cigars.

They all broke in chortles, the seven of them: Rosa and Percy, Cora and Aya, Ravenna and Rafel and Bruna, and they shared a small companionable silence where they were all feeling the love and warmth of their friendship. A friendship that had spanned two years now; three for some—and counting.

Erika came back a few minutes later, pulling back the curtains and wheeling in a cart of a stainless feast. Though the manager of this fine eating establishment, Erika chose to become their own private server. She hooked a silverling apron about her svelte form and got to pulling open the pots lids. She explained her feast, all dainty hands and bright smiles: one hell of a cook too.

"We have the Turducken: chicken in duck in turkey, we have quail lungs, whole-cooked elephant snail, mincemeat broth, salads, mutton stew, fried coconuts... and knowing His Eminence here, a very huge side helping of vanilla sludge."

"Yep. That's Rafel alright!" Percival declared.

"Hey!" Rafel boomed. But everyone still laughed.

They all knew of his sweet tooth—and not just for ice cream.

Rafel sent Erika a disapproving look and she went fierce scarlet under the golden rim of his eyes. His stare was intense, warmly erotic. He was really handsome. And she did not have to hide calling him His Eminence. Everyone in this secluded booth of luxury was a member of the [Filii Corvi] – the Children of the Crow – or affiliated to one who was.

Erika gingerly took out the dishes and began serving.

Brunhilda got most of the vegetables. And no meat, to Aya's everlasting wonderment. "I don't know how you can ignore this Turducken." She told her. "Mhhm. Ohh. Yum. Let me have some of this." Aya said again and grabbed a slice of carpaccio off Rafel's place.

"Hey—" he faked contempt. Rafel rather liked a girl who ate real healthy. He didn't take all of his vanilla sludge, but passed it over to Cora and Rosa, who both shared it with scoop-spoons; the tub of ice cream landed empty in about a minute. Erika stood silently in her fine dress and apron and watched them eat a while.

She asked, "you like it?"

"Ohh, it's perfect. Total mouth orgasm!" Aya made the such a beautiful cum face as she moaned.

"Hahahahaha!" The banquet broke in laughs.

Cora spoke tongue in cheek. "Succubi do like their meat." She drawled and dragged the last word.

Everyone laughed again. Rafel spotted Erika turn to leave over the chuckling of his friends. But she dragged her feet. She definitely wanted to stay. He saw this and following her with his gilded eyes, he granted her wish: "Please, join us."

The night continued in such a friendly air it mimicked real love. Maybe it was. At one point, the [Gladorium] popped a jaunty song into the chamber. Rafel rose from his chair and picked up the girls one by one. Percival joined in and they all linked hands, dancing, and twirling, and laughing, and singing their wild hearts out. They all fell back to the couches, puffing out hot breaths and giggling asinine sounds. Someone farted, and they all stared at each other a split-second, before falling in stop themselves.

They had no sense of time.

And before their fun night came to a close, Rafel sat back and told them of a particular salacious trip of his to a Gentleman's club—in Hel, and when he was thirteen.