Chapter 3 - chapter:3 summoning of flesh and fang

Queen Ava stood alone in the grand ritual chamber beneath her obsidian castle—her sanctuary of power, carved into the mountain's bones and pulsing with ancient magic. The room was vast, circular, its walls etched with glowing crimson sigils that flickered like dying stars. Incense curled in the air like phantom hands, and the floor was dominated by a massive summoning circle, its grooves filled with glimmering ash and demon's blood.Her nightdress, sheer as mist, clung to her pale skin. Her eyes glowed faintly, alive with focus and anticipation. The final rune hovered in the air before her, carved in glowing light by the path of her fingertip. The air trembled.She was ready.From the stolen grimoires Bella had hidden, Ava had unearthed forbidden rites—spells even the most ancient demon kings dared not touch. But Ava was no ordinary monarch. She had been forged in rebellion, bathed in shadow, and crowned in the bones of her enemies. She didn't want worship. She wanted domination."Spirits of realm and blood, obey your Queen," she intoned, voice echoing like a thunderclap through the stone chamber. "Bring forth my instruments of control. One of flesh. Three of fang and feather."The summoning circle flared. Lines of runes snapped to life, casting long shadows on the walls. A blast of hot wind exploded outward as magic cracked the floor like dry earth. Ava stood unmoved, her arms raised, hair streaming behind her like dark fire. Her voice deepened, layered with demonic resonance as she chanted in the dead tongue.The light within the circle turned white-hot—then shattered.In the silence that followed, four figures appeared.The first: a man. He knelt in the center of the circle, nude except for delicate silver chains that wrapped around his limbs and collarbone, softly glowing. His skin was golden, his form lean, strong. Muscles coiled beneath his flesh like a predator at rest. Slowly, he lifted his face to her.Eyes the color of amethysts. Filled with sorrow. And longing."You are mine," Ava said, stepping forward, each word heavy with power.He bowed his head again. "I have no name, my Queen. Only the title my last master gave me—Ash."Ava circled him, admiring his restraint, his beauty, the air of restrained danger in his body. "Then Ash you shall remain," she said with a purr. "Until you prove worthy of more."But the circle pulsed again.The first beast appeared: a white tiger, larger than any natural predator. Its stripes shimmered like liquid silver, and its eyes burned a cool, intelligent blue. With the silence of a ghost, it padded forward and lay at Ava's feet, lowering its massive head like a servant before a goddess.Next, the air above shimmered as a snow-white bird descended. Massive, ethereal, with wings like blades of diamond. Its feathers pulsed faintly with inner light. It perched on a blackened column and gazed at Ava, unblinking, as if it had waited for her all its life.And then, with the rumble of thunder, came the lion. Pure ivory, mane glowing like stardust, eyes like molten silver. Its presence was not savage—it was regal. Equal. And yet, as it strode to her, it lowered its head and gave a low, guttural growl… a vow of protection.Ava's breath quickened."My royal beasts," she whispered. "My wrath, in tooth and claw. My dominion made flesh."Ash still knelt. The animals surrounded her in quiet reverence. Her heart swelled—not with affection, but with a conquering joy. She turned slowly, her nightdress trailing like smoke behind her."I was going to travel beyond these walls," she murmured, pacing among her new companions. "To buy flesh in their markets. To see how mortals peddle power and submission like rotten fruit. But why stoop to their filth…"She paused by Ash, lifting his chin with a single finger. "…when I can summon better than they could ever dream of offering?"Her laughter echoed—low, dangerous, sultry as a spell.And yet—deep in the circle—something stirred again.Ava's eyes narrowed. She hadn't summoned a fifth.But the sigils flared as if called by her desire alone. As if the ritual responded to her hunger, her unspoken need.A sixth figure shimmered into being.This one was smaller. Huddled.A girl.She sat curled in a heap of shadows, long white hair spilling over her shoulders like silk. Feline ears poked through the strands—twitching, trembling. A silver tail wrapped tightly around her legs. She wore little more than a sheer robe, torn in places, clinging to her small frame.Her eyes, when she lifted them, were wide and terrified—deep gold, glowing faintly.A beast girl.Ava tilted her head, intrigued.The girl crawled backward from the center of the circle, her breath rapid. She looked at the tiger, the lion, Ash—and flinched. Her gaze landed on Ava last, and she froze like prey before a predator.Ash finally looked up. His expression shifted—something like concern flickered in his eyes.But Ava smiled."Well," she said, her voice velvet over steel. "A gift I didn't ask for."She approached the girl slowly, boots silent on the stone. The girl tried to back away farther, but the edges of the summoning circle burned softly, keeping her inside."No name?" Ava asked gently. "No speech?"The girl opened her mouth, trembling. "S-Sil," she whispered.Ava crouched before her, examining her. The ears. The tail. Her skin was flawless, marked only by old, faint scars on her arms and back—branding symbols from another master. Ava reached out, brushing her hair from her face.Sil flinched.Ava's expression hardened for a moment.Then softened."You were taken," she murmured. "Used."Sil nodded slowly. Tears shimmered in her eyes."I am not kind," Ava said. "But I am not them."She stood and turned to the summoning circle. It had gone dim, lifeless. The magic was complete. Ava's eyes swept over her new court.Ash, kneeling and silent.The tiger, the bird, the lion—each still, watching.And now Sil. Shaking. Fragile. But not broken.Ava raised both hands, and the circle dissolved into dust. The chains around Ash faded. The beasts rose, stepping forward as if expecting her next command."Leave us," Ava said softly to the animals.They obeyed without hesitation, slinking into the shadows of the chamber, where enchanted archways led to unknown sanctuaries she had long prepared.Only Ash and Sil remained."You—Ash," Ava said, without turning. "Help her stand."He moved without a word, offering a hand to Sil. She hesitated—but took it.When Ava turned back to them, her eyes glowed with fresh resolve."I summoned strength. Loyalty. Fear. But perhaps I should also summon truth," she said. "Even in weakness, there is clarity."Sil looked up at her, lips trembling. "Why… me?"Ava stepped close again. "Because you survived. Because something in you heard my call. I didn't summon you by accident, little one."She traced a finger down Sil's cheek, then lifted her chin just as she had with Ash."You are mine now," she said. "But I will not break you… not yet."A pause."First, I will teach you what it means to belong."Ava's voice dropped to a purr, dangerous and intimate."You are not a pet. Not a slave. You are chosen."And deep in Sil's eyes—past the fear—something flickered.Hope.Ava turned away once more, walking toward the chamber's sealed doors."Dress her," she ordered Ash. "Feed her. Show her the palace, but do not let her stray far."She cast one final glance over her shoulder."We begin tomorrow."Then she was gone—her laughter lingering behind like the last kiss of a flame.