“Stole it from us,” a voice whispers in the darkness just on the edge of my hearing, and I can see pale and lifeless faces floating around and staring at me judgmentally. Some of them I recognize, others just seem like fleeting memories.
“From all of us,” a young woman says hatefully from behind me and when I turn there isn't anything there.
“And all of them,” another voice responds sorrowfully, and I try to run but my feet won't move, and the shadowy figures start to move in, “So we will take it from you-”
I jolt up in bed and fight to even my breathing out. The crackle of burning wood and the warm light from the fire helps drive away the last of the nightmare clinging to me and after a moment I manage to get my breathing under control.
“I swear they are getting worse,” I complain and rub the side of my face, “AHH!” I let out a yelp of pain when I inadvertently brush across my forehead, and instantly someone starts to run in this direction. It is probably Melodiana and sure enough a moment later she swings the door open and looks over at me.
“Are you okay?” She walks next to me and her hands hover around me without touching me.
“I just forgot, and rubbed my face when I woke up,” I hiss as the pain starts to dull. I can hear Shiva attempting to refrain from laughing, and Iris rushes into the room and to my side.
“What happened? Are you okay? Is it uncomfortable? Should I call Elsie over? I'll go call Elsie over,” She quickly rambles off several questions and makes to leave the room, so I reach out and catch her by the wrist.
“I'm fine,” I sigh at her, “I just brushed one of the sore spots when I woke up.” The medicine she gave me last night has helped a lot with the nausea, and even my headache to an extent, and while I appreciate their concern I'm not so fragile.
“Oh where was all of that bravado yesterday? With how you react to pain and treatment, I doubt any of them are willing to believe that anyway,” Shiva quietly laughs at me, “I'm sure by now you are a pampered young lady in their minds.”
“Who likes pain?” I immediately argue and let go of Iris after she calms down with a nod of her head, “Go ahead and find me someone that does, I'll wait.”
“You know I once had a contractor that loved it when her partners would whip her,” Shiva reminisces, “She would be dripping by the time they-”
“E-enough,” I interrupt her and chase away the images her words provoke. I can feel my cheeks heating up and Iris immediately places her hands on my cheeks while looking incredibly concerned.
“D-do you feel sick? Burning? Pain? A-are you having trouble breathing?” she rapidly rattles off more questions before I can answer her first one, and she moves her hand and peels the bandage away from my shoulder, “D-do you think it might be p-poison?”
Her fingers gently probe around the fresh scar tissue and I shake my head at her almost excessive protectiveness.
“It's already been two weeks,” I stop myself from pulling her fingers away from me since it doesn't hurt and it might calm her down, “My condition is not caused by poison.” She looks back up at my face and it seems like she wants to ask another question so I reach out and pull her cheeks, “Yes I am sure.”
I keep her cheeks pinched and I find myself rubbing them with my thumbs. She hasn't put any makeup on yet so I don't have to worry about ruining it, and her skin is soft to the point that I want to continue to play with it.
She finally seems to calm down so I release her. She starts to rub her own cheeks and I look around the room but Melodiana left at some point. “You are sure that you are fine?” She asks again.
I stretch out and gently flick her forehead, “Yes, I feel much better today. So why don't you help me get dressed and we can eat?” I primarily ask for her assistance to distract her, but she doesn't seem to notice as she moves to my dresser and starts to open the drawers.
“Do you want pants or a skirt?” She glances over her shoulder at my covered legs.
“I don't have any preference.” She nods her head and places a pair of black pants on top of the dresser and moves on to my underwear drawer next. I watch as her entire body momentarily stiffens but she doesn't say anything and just puts a pair of panties and a bra on top of the pants.
“Is my taste in underwear really that shocking?” I shake my head while recalling Maya's excited reaction.
“Do you want the honest answer to that?” Shiva teases and after giving it a few moments of thought I decide that I don't, “They are perfectly normal. You could open any young lady's drawers and find very similar styles.”
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“That's exactly right,” I nod along and watch Iris pick up the bundle of clothes and come in my direction.
She sets them down on the bed next to me and straightens back up, “I'll go and see about getting you something to eat.”
“Oh,” I reach out and take a hold of her wrist again, I don't know why but I absolutely need to make her blush, “Aren't you going to help me get dressed?”
Sure enough her face is rather quickly dyed red and I have to struggle so that I don't start to laugh. She doesn't respond and just stares at me with her eyes wide so I peel my blanket off, and stretch a bare leg out towards her.
Her gaze fixes on my thigh before she coughs, pulls away, and beats a hasty retreat. “Go ahead and get ready,” she squeezes out in a voice that's higher pitched than normal, “I, I'll, uhh-”
She starts to stammer and quickly slips out of the room without finishing her last thought. I let her escape this time and pull the panties out of the bundle and put them on.
I start to put on the pants and I stand up and pull them up at the same time but something doesn't feel right. I run a hand between them and my hips but that doesn't fix the problem so I try to adjust my panties but that doesn't do it either.
I cluck my tongue at them, try to button them, and struggle to do so. They are quite tight around my hips and my butt feels somewhat squished. “I swear this pair fit the last time I wore them,” I growl as I get a tighter grip and pull harder.
“Being in denial won't make them fit any better,” Shiva giggles, “Maybe it's time to cut back on the snacks.”
“Nonsense,” I manage to get them buttoned but it actually feels really uncomfortable and the fabric digs into my hips, “If anything I'm getting more exercise this year than I was last year.”
She doesn't say anything about that but I can feel her judging me so I quickly put on the bra and shirt so that I can leave the room. I take a few steps but they are so tight that it is already starting to hurt, but I also feel like I will lose my point if I admit that they don't fit.
I feel my tails bump into something and there is a thud as that something hits the floor. I look down and I managed to knock one of Melodiana's books off of the edge of her bed, so I stoop down and reach for it. The sound of ripping fabric brings a stop to my movement and I grit my teeth.
I toss the book back on the edge of the bed and probe the damage to the back of my pants. I give up on wearing them and spend another small struggle unbuttoning them so that I can take them off.
“So when was the last time your wore that pair?” Shiva is barely containing the laughter behind her words, “Three months? Four?”
I don't grace her questions with an answer and I toss the torn pants away before looking for a skirt. I pull it on and run my fingers around the tight band and shake my head before venturing out into the house.
A knock at the door grabs my attention and I look up from my plate. “I'll get it,” Leyla moves towards the door, “Ah, Welcome Miss Steele.”
I turn towards the door and watch as Marion steps in followed by Adriana and Morgan. I can see her guard detail surround the house and I throw a questioning look at Marion.
“We've come to check on you,” she nods her head in a sagely manner, “You were injured and asked for extra time off patrol.”
I can almost understand why Marion is here if that is her excuse but that doesn't explain why a Queen would come visit.
“We have guests?” Iris sticks her head out of the sitting room and looks around.
“Just a small house call,” Marion hangs her cloak on a hook and Morgan hangs his and Adriana's next to each others. “Did the wound not heal correctly? Or was there some additional damage to one of the bones?” Marion steps over and looks me up and down.
“The wound is fine,” I wave her away, and take another bite, “I've just had an awful headache that has left me nauseous, tired, and sore.”
“Oh?” she raises an eyebrow at that and lightly hums, “Pain that comes and goes?” I nod to her question and she taps on her cheek. My vision suddenly goes white and I feel pressure on the top of my head as pain lances through my skull.
I growl and take a blind swing at Marion but my hand just passes through air. I didn't see her do it but she is the only person close enough to touch me right now so it had to be her. “W-what the hells is wrong with you?” I blink my eyes to clear my vision and chase away the tears.
“Oh there isn't a thing wrong with me,” she giggles from a fair distance away. It takes me a moment to locate her but once I do I turn my watery glare in her direction, “You on the other hand must be feeling rather frisky lately.” She has a stupid grin on her face and I really need something to throw at her.
“Frisky?” Iris murmurs and then blushes even harder than before.
“That's right,” Marion giggles, “One might even say horny.”
“I have not,” I growl again and continue my search for something that's heavy but won't break.
“Are you sure?” she asks in an annoying sing song voice, “Because you are growing horns.”
I stop in my search and blink at her, “Come again?”
“I was right in my estimate that you were more than half,” she looks satisfied with herself as she nods away, “And your horns have started to come in. Congratulations.”
“Congratulations indeed,” Shiva whispers in my ear.
“Congratulations,” Adriana and Morgan say at the same time.
“Why are you all congratulating her?” Leyla looks confused off to the side.
“A Nightmare is considered a full adult and can participate in a Coven's decisions once their horns are growing,” Morgan explains, before he throws me a pitying glance, “Although it is a fairly painful process that can take a few months to finish.”
“Ah-” I slump on the table in defeat, “I don't think I can handle a few months of this.”