Keaton strained to see, even though he knew he shouldn’t let it detract from his mission. If his people were being pushed back, if they were on the losing side, all he could do was act faster. So far, though, it seemed like they were holding their own. At least one Emvola warrior was on the ground, unmoving, but many more snakekin bodies littered the space.
The viper moved away from the looking glass to a corner of the room he hadn’t been able to see before. There was a raised dais tucked into an alcove, a nest set upon it with a full clutch of large eggs inside.
“It lookssss assss if you may need to hatch sssoooner than planned, my lovelies,” the dungeon lady cooed.
They’d need to smash those, otherwise the cycle was just going to continue. But first thing was first: He needed to find some way to get her this elixir.
Looking around, Keaton spotted a small table upon which was set a tray of food — whole, cooked rodents, it looked like — and a goblet of what he hoped was wine, or something strong enough to mask the taste of the poison he was about to slip into it.
Keaton waited, holding his breath as he watched the woman. She was still doting over the eggs, so he seized the opportunity and scurried silently across the room. Uncorking the vial, he let the contents slide into the goblet.
Then he booked it back to the stairs and sent out a prayer to any god who would listen.
Minutes passed like hours as he waited, hunched against the wall, his eyes straining as he stared at the goblet as if willing her to drink from it. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the viper made her way back over to the table. She plucked the goblet by the stem, lifted it to her lips, and drank.
30
He waited, holding his breath as the viper’s throat worked. She drank deeply, greedily, and Keaton decided that if this actually worked, he might start believing in one god or another.
Giddiness surged through his veins when she set down the goblet, the pewter making a hollower sound than it had before. This was it. The elixir was going to work. Her powers would be hampered, and they’d be able to fight her on even terms. He just had to go back and help the others finish up.
“Hmmm…”
He’d turned to leave but was stopped in his tracks by that contemplative sound.
“I ssssmell the excited ssstench of a human,” she purred. “Could it be that my honored guesssst hasss visited me without hisss entourage?”
Shit. He was caught. If he ran now, she’d probably summon more warriors to cut him off. Or she’d send more into that main atrium where his allies currently fought for their lives.
The best thing he could do for all involved was to stall and hope it would buy them all enough time.
So Keaton did just that, stepping out from the shadows and making his way into the chamber. He stood tall, with a confidence he didn’t quite feel. A forced confidence that made him stupid, apparently, because his gaze strayed to the goblet to see how much she’d drank.
Only for a second, but long enough.
“Ah, I sssee. You’ve already been in here.” There was no panic in her eyes. If anything, her smile only grew. “Let usss have a look at what you’ve done, hm?”
She picked up the goblet once more and sniffed, closing her eyes.
“Nearly undetectable. Whoever made thisss for you is quite gifted at their craft. But alssso quite ssstupid.” Her violet gaze found him, trapping Keaton in place as if he was one of those roasted rats. He may very well be one soon. “Did you really think poisssson would work on me, boy? It flowssss through my veinsss, makess up my very essence.”
Keaton’s heart sank. It hadn’t worked. Their best plan, and it was already torn apart. There would be no chance of retreat now. She’d ensnare him, his warriors would be killed, and The Labyrinth would fall into the hands of some other idiot.
Only… Wait. She thought it was poison in the traditional sense. She thought he’d intended to slip her something to take her out.
“Can you blame me for wanting to even the odds a little?” Keaton asked, beginning to back toward the stairs.
He had no intention of leaving, but if he wanted to sell this bit, he needed to look more scared than he was.
“And where do you think you’re going?”
Her movements were lightning fast, her tail curling around him, drawing him to her. His face was practically sandwiched by her tits, her taut body pressed against him.
“I should ssssqueeze you until your bonesss grind into dussst,” she hissed, demonstrating her power as her tail constricted around him. Keaton felt something pop, his body crushing under the pressure. “But if thesssse hatchlingsss must reach maturity quickly becaussse of you, it isss only right you help me replenish them.”
She gripped his chin hard, forcing him to look at her. Violet eyes seemed to shift in color., the pupils elongating even further. He felt a tug on his consciousness, and a sharp hit of fear permeated his mind.
It hadn’t worked. She knew what he’d put in her wine and it hadn’t affected her in the slightest. She was going to control him easily, then that was that.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? To cum in my tight cunt and know the eggssss I produce are yoursss.”
Where even was her cunt? Was it part of the scaled bits? It had to be; she was only “human” from the waist up. And while the idea of fathering a clutch of eggs might have appealed to her warriors, it just made Keaton shudder with disgust. …An emotion he definitely wouldn’t feel if he was under her spell.
Her eyes swirled different shades of purple as she continued to speak, obviously convinced she was affecting him just as she had before. And Keaton fully intended on taking advantage.
“I will be better to you than you dessserve. You will want for nothing.” Her long, forked tongue flicked against his face. “Do you know what thisss tongue can do, dungeon lord? Do you know what it feelssss like to have it wrap around your cock? I bet you’d like to know…”
“Yes,” he said, feigning weakness, his voice shaking in a way even he would have found convincing.
“Good boy,” she said, her tone patronizing. “Once thessse pesssts are dealt with, I will sssuck that lovely cock of yoursss, then you will finish in my cunt. You will fill me up with your ssseed until it runsss down my scalesss.”
While he’d always found Adriana attractive, and even thought this viper was beautiful in her own way, the idea of seeing his cum running down her shiny scales made him want to gag. But Keaton played along, his mind returning to the night he’d spent with Cassia and Adriana. His cock started to harden just as he wanted, and the viper let out a trill of delight.
“Sssso eager. Patience, dear lord. You will have me sssoon…”
Keaton tried not to tense as he felt her tail relax around him. He tried not to give himself away, his hand held loosely at his side. But the instant she started to pull away and give him room, he sprang into action.
His hand flew to his dagger, the weapon concealed in his palm until he thrust it toward the dungeon lady. In her hubris, she wasn’t wearing the same armor as her warriors, and the blade plunged deep, breaking her sternum as he forced it into her heart.
Her mouth opened in a silent disbelief, the shock clear on her features.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, letting himself feel just a little cocky. “Powers not working like they should?”
“What did you…”
The words trailed off as she staggered back from him, leaving Keaton to catch himself before he hit the ground. He’d expected her to try and take him with her — he’d braced for it, even. Instead she stumbled away, her body turning at an unnatural angle, tail moving to compensate as she went for the crystal.