🕸 VI 🕸

We arrived at the manor with daylight to spare. The interior of the manor was typical except for the dull decor. The Duke’s main hobby was hunting and there was no shortage of taxidermy heads or full bodies on display. My step-father was also a big game hunter and such decorations had become ordinary to me.

“Is that a zebra?” I asked, pointing at one head. “It lacks strips.”

“I believe that was an albino donkey,” said Lurkson.

“I thought it was a unicorn missing its horn,” said Miss Easter. A grandfather clock struck the hour and she checked the time. “Well, dinner is being prepared as we speak. I should take my leave and assist. You two have fun but nothing that will get you in trouble.”

Miss Easter took hold of Lurkson, forced him to bring his head to her level, and gave him a peck on the cheek. She then vanished down a hallway. Lurkson seemed unfazed by the sudden display of affection.

“Be honest, have you and Miss Easter engaged in sexual activity?” I asked.

“Rather bold of you to ask,” said Lurkson. “And I believe my relationship with Raven has been established.”

“She is your muse when you wish to relieve yourself,” I said bluntly.

Lurkson sighed and said, “Well, yes and no. See, Raven was my first infatuation and still is quite fetching to me. I saw her naked in error one evening in the bath and could not help myself. And she was flattered and masterbated along with me. We made it a competition, of sorts.”

“I do not follow. Please explain,” I said.

Lurkson took me by the hand. “I shall but I did promise to show you our library. I will go into more detail on our way there.”

He led me towards the library. I let him gather his thoughts before explaining his relationship with Miss Easter in greater detail. I readied my ears for the juice insight into my dark angel’s private affairs.

“I will be blunt,” said Lurkson, still holding my hand. “I am a virgin but I do not lack sexual interests.”

“Same,” I admitted as well. “And I too am not ignorant of the act itself. And I masterbate quite frequently.”

“I engage in masterbasion whenever the mood suits me,” said Lurkson. He turned a slight pink as he added, “Which is not very often, I must admit.”

“Oh, so you have a mild sexual appetite then?” I asked.

“Mmm, more like one that is quite feral but happens with little frequency,” said Lurkson.

“I am always feral,” I said as I stroked his arm. “So, no worries if the mood is not right for you yet. I am a patient woman.”

Lurkson flashed a smile and said, “I will keep that in mind. But, on the subject at hand, Raven and I are very comfortable with one another. However, we do have our reasons for not engaging in direct sexual activity.”

“I gained the notion that she prefers the company of women,” I said.

“And you would be correct,” said Lurkson. “Which is tragically a taboo in our culture. And as for myself, my fancies are few because my tastes are very refined.”

“You have a specific taste in women then?” I asked, hoping that I had all the necessary requirements.

“Correct and there are times when myself and Raven need to relieve ourselves,” said Lurkson. “But there has always been this rivalry between us. We are siblings after all, in the technical sense.”

“Remind me again to what effect?” I asked.

“I am the adopted son of the Duke and Raven is his illegitimate child,” said Lurkson.

“So you are not blood related,” I pointed out. “If engaging in incest is a bother for you, you have nothing to fear. I am quite attracted to my step-sister, Maggy. But she is my sister only through adoption and not my blood relative.”

“Actually, if it was incest, it would be more tempting, because it would be more taboo,” said Lurkson.

My face went flush. The fact my dark angel even admitted that taboos spiced his desires made him all the more desirable. A thought occurred to me that I immediately shared with him.

“We have much in common, you and I, to the point where we could be siblings,” I said. Lurkson quietly raised an eyebrow and smiled. “You see, we are both adopted. We have the same eye and hair color. There are features about our faces that have similarities.”

“We do differ by one obvious factor though,” said Lurkson.

“Well, yes, but women are just naturally shorter than men,” I said.

“A very tantalizing theory, dear Gothia, so elegantly dreadful,” said Lurkson. “I will keep it in my thoughts, when we finally share one another.”

“Not like how you and Raven share, I hope,” I said. “Your sexual play at a distance.”

“Yes, well, it is more like we compete,” said Lurkson. “It is less about us having some sexual compassion for one another. We compete to see who can last longer before release. It is a game we play and nothing more.”

“But you do find Miss Easter attractive, yes?” I asked.

“I would savage her if she consented,” said Lurkson bitterly. “But she has her tastes and I am content with what she can offer me.”

“Perhaps I should give myself to her?” I asked. “I do enjoy the company of both men and women.”

“Perhaps she can join us, after I have had you alone,” said Lurkson with avarice in his eyes.

A three-way romance in stories mostly ended with one person tragically being left out. But on occasions the three parties find mutual ground and passionately conquer one another. I never had an opportunity to have one partner, let alone two at once.

I hoped Miss Easter would be free to join us, once Lurkson and I had our fun together.

🕷

The library was so dreadfully typical. The selection of books was nothing interesting, mostly. There were a few classic gothic tales and historical accounts of mass murder and plague. I browsed for anything that would spark some conversation with Lurkson.

But after a few minutes he grew antsy and took me into a storage area connected to the library. I thought this was it, we were isolated and alone and we were finally going to give in. But alas, he wanted to show me the contents of the storage area.

There were paintings covered in massive cloth. Lurkson unveiled one painting and I gazed at it in abject horror and wonder. It was a skull made with bodies. Bodies that were white and rigged and all perfectly arranged to make a human skull. It was the most gruesome, awful, and superbly dreadful thing I had ever laid eyes on.

“The mind that made this masterpiece is a genius,” I said in awe.

Lurkson grinned and clapped. “Yes, yes she is. It is my step-mother’s work and this is only a taste of her superhuman talent.”

I eagerly demanded, “Show me more!”

Lurkson removed the dust cloths from the paintings and I admired each with bated breath.

There was one with a nude woman with white skin sprawled against a stone and a man covered in black fur wearing a deer's skull thrusting into her. There was a portrait of a naked woman sitting perfectly still as a murder of crows tore away her flesh. One painting gave me chills because it was of a haunting nude beauty biting into a heart as if it were an apple.

One after the other, the paintings were so macabre and dreadfully deviant that my black heart raced with envy and elation. I felt as if the artist and I shared a dark kinship. My favorite piece featured a lighthouse.

The lighthouse was nestled between the legs of a naked giant man laying down along a sandy bank. An array of female bodies were tied against the lighthouse. And atop the lighthouse was a ghostly woman, her nude figure draped in a clear white sheet that blew in the wind. And she wore a skeletal mask that I wanted so badly.

“Why are these treasures hidden from the world?” I asked. “This is art like I have never seen before. They should be in a museum or on exhibit.”

Lurkson nodded as he stood over me. “Yes, my step-mother’s talent is peerless.”

“Is it how macabre they are? Their raw sexual nature? Their perfect representation of utter madness? Why dear Lurkson? Why are these exquisite works of art buried in your library?”

Lurkson had genuine sorrow on his face and he sighed. “Sadly, my step-mother is quite ill and resides in a sanitarium.”

I saw no issue and said, “But that only makes these works all the more unique.”

Lurkson nodded and said, “I agree but her illness has become a black-eye for the Longroper family. It is why my step-father is so eager to find an outstanding suitress for my step-brother. Politics and such.”

I gagged and said, “Politics! Bah! Your mother deserves to be known! She is a dark goddess that must be worshipped! Has anyone spoken to her about sharing her work?”

“I am the only one who visits my dear step-mother,” said Lurkson as he gazed into the lighthouse painting with remorse. “She took me in and raised me to be the man I am today. I owe her a great deal and support her as she continues to paint.”

“When will you visit her again?” I asked.

“A month from today, I can give you the exact dates and details later,” said Lurkson. He smiled darkly at me. “That is, I assume you would like to meet her, yes?”

“Oh yes, very much so!” I said with a darker smile.

My smile died when I realized the implication of what was occurring. I wanted to meet the woman who raised my dark angel. Meeting such an important figure in his life was an act with considerable weight behind it.

It was something one did when courting a suitor with the utmost seriousness.

We just met and I was already eager to meet his mother. I was in a daze, so lost in my thoughts, that I failed to realize that Lurkson had placed his hand around my chin. And he was bringing his lips closer and closer to mine.

Our lips were about to connect. His hot breath washed over my face. His eyes filled with desire and drive. I trembled because my body wished to surrender.

I took a step back before our lips could touch. I could not explain why, other than the mood was not right. Lurkson let my chin go when I stepped away from him. He was being far too much a gentleman, far more than I deserved.

“As wondrous as your mother’s paintings are, I believe they do not make for a proper setting for such an action,” I explained.

It was a bold faced lie. The paintings made for the perfect backdrop to such an important moment in my life. But I could not fight back the doubt that was insidiously creeping from within me.

“Of course, forgive my forwardness,” said Lurkson as he bowed.

“No, no, I welcome your boldness but I am feeling dreadfully light headed,” I said. “Perhaps the lack of air from the crypt or the dust in this room has brought on a migraine.”

“I do moonlight as an herbalist,” said Lurkson. “I could bring you to my laboratory and offer you a remedy?”

“That is kind of you to offer but no thank you,” I said. I then forced a smile. “There has been so much excitement today that my body, mind, and soul do not know what to do with such stimulation.”

“Yes, I have been feeling a bit shaken from all the fun we have had,” said Lurkson. “But I shall recover once the sun is down. It will be night soon, my favorite time of day.”

“Mine as well,” I said. “The witching hour is one I stay awake for every night.”

“Same,” said Lurkson with a pleased smile.

I assisted Lurkson in covering the paintings. As much as I enjoyed dust gathering on most things, those dreadful works of art had to be preserved. I was tempted to ask for one but kept such foolishness to myself.

Lurkson was then good enough to guide me to the guest room where Maggy and myself were staying. He spoke casually on the way there but I said little in return. Was it the grime on my person that soured my mood? Perhaps thoughts of meeting Lurkson’s dear insane mother had fried my nerves?

No, I knew the reason. I was so dreadfully happy around Lurkson that I could not help but doubt it was real. Happiness only happens in folktales and fiction. Never would a dark princess like myself find such things.

“I will see you at dinner then?” asked Lurkson. “Father executed the cow for our dinner himself. He also slaughtered it with superb care. It will be the finest feast the Longropers have to offer.”

“You had me at ‘father executed the cow himself,’” I said with a smile and we shared a light giggle. “I will be present. And I hope to be near your person at the table.”

“I will see to it,” said Lurkson with a bow.

And with that, my prince of darkness walked away. My heart beated so violently that it annoyed me greatly. I wished to cut the damn organ from my chest for being so foolish.

I then entered the guest room where a group of our maids were helping Maggy get ready for supper. It was dreadfully chaotic!

🕷