Chapter 6: Memories of Emily

Mike was dead.

Well, not all the way. Opening his eyes to the blinding light coming through the curtains, he realized that the sensation of death was no more than the events of the last two days catching up with him. He groaned, sliding out of bed and sitting on the floor. His legs wobbled beneath him, muscles protesting his attempts to stand. His head pounding, he stumbled into the bathroom, leaning against the bathroom sink.

“You’re a mess this morning, aren’t you?” Naia’s head and shoulders were visible in the tub, her body magically hidden in three inches of water.

“Yeah. I feel like I have the flu.” Mike stripped off his boxers, inspecting his body in the mirror. The tiny cuts were all scabbed over now, but the bruise on his hip had gotten larger, turning an ugly yellow. Some more bruises had appeared along his thighs, and his stomach muscles were sore from last night’s activities. “Can I get some hot water in that thing?”

Naia vanished, the tub rapidly filled with steaming water. Mike climbed in, lying on his back as the tub filled around him. The water level climbed, and Naia reappeared beneath him. The back of his head was between her breasts, her body acting like a giant bath pillow. Mike closed his eyes, Naia running her hands gently across his shoulders and ribs.

“What do you need from me, lover?” Naia asked, her hands wandering across his body.

“Just keep doing that. It feels good.” Mike’s head was pounding, his neck and shoulders super tight. He thought back to the events of yesterday. “Please tell me yesterday was the exception?”

“Excuse me?”

“Well, I was attacked by the Mandragora, nearly eaten by it, saved by a gargoyle, fucked by a gargoyle, nearly incinerated by a fire elemental, made up with Cecilia, boned a banshee, and came up here to get caught in a game of orgasm volleyball with you.” Mike held up an arm, looking at all the scratches. “For starters, none of that is believable. At all. How does so much happen in one day?”

“You’re getting wound up,” Naia muttered, stroking the water’s surface. Thousands of vibrating fingers beneath the water found the sore spots on Mike’s body, gently pushing against him. “Your body needs to rest if you’re going to heal.”

“Ow, shit. That hurts, but it also feels good.” Mike put his arm down, trying harder to relax. “Seriously though. Was every day this hard for Emily?”

“No. She had a few bad days early on, though, that much I remember. She did have one day so bad that it led to her becoming a shut in.”

“Tell me more. And keep doing that.” Mike sighed, pressing against Naia’s body. The water fingers twisted beneath him, and he could feel tightly wound muscles relaxing. “I’m curious to know if she was as big a screw up as I am.”

“I can do better than that.” Naia placed her fingers along Mike’s temples. “How about I show you instead?”

“Wait, wha-”

Emily slid out of bed, her white nightgown creeping up her thighs, revealing pale blue panties beneath. She stretched, golden curls tumbling chaotically around her shoulders. The birds outside were singing love songs to one another, and her window was open, wreathed in vines that had sprouted pretty flowers.

“Why good morning, my dear.” Emily lifted one vine away from the sill, planting a delicate kiss on its green flesh. The Mandragora shivered in delight, several more flowers opening in response. “I’ll come down and visit with you later, sweat pea.” The vines, content that Emily was up, withdrew, closing the window quietly behind them. Emily stripped off her nightgown, scratching her breasts as she went into the bathroom to pee, pulling her panties down and off, leaving them on the floor.

“Naia?” She called. There was a splash from the tub. Wiping and flushing, Emily walked to the tub where Naia waited, her breasts bobbing along the surface of the water.

“Good morning, lover.” Naia moved away from the edge, allowing Emily to enter. Emily sank into the warm water, letting out a loud sigh. “Did you sleep well?”

“Like a dragon.” Emily lifted a silver bucket from the side of the tub. She pulled out a brush, shampoo, soap, and a rag. “Last night was a lot of fun. I’m so glad I was able to get so many of us together in the garden for a movie.”

“I liked the plot. It was fun seeing all the moving pictures, but I thought it was kind of sad when the witch melted because she got wet.” Naia flicked the water, magic bubbles sprouting all along its surface. “I think Tink might have taken your projector apart after everyone went to bed, by the way.”

Emily rolled her eyes. “That figures. Those projectors aren’t just expensive-they’re very hard to come by. Rotten little goblin is nothing but trouble.” Soaking the rag in water, she washed her arms and chest with soap. “If I don’t keep her busy, she’s liable to take apart the whole damn house. Do you remember when she took apart the fridge to see where the cold air was being stored? I feel like I need to start buying her puzzles just to keep her busy.”

“That isn’t a bad idea.” Naia moved closer to Emily. “Us monsters like to be kept busy.”

“Indeed you do.” Emily placed a kiss on Naia’s soft lips. “Let me wash my hair first.”

“Or you can let me do it.” Emily obliged, turning her back to Naia. Summoning a large water sphere, Naia swirled it in circles over Emily’s head. Emily added shampoo to the mix, creating a giant, frothy sphere that twirled her hair in place. The sphere broke, dropping suds into the water. Emily used the silver bucket to rinse her hair out, squeezing the remaining soap out. Naia helped too, long delicate fingers tugging at Emily’s locks.

The suds and bubble made the surface of the water impossible to see through. With a mischievous grin, Naia slid below the surface, vanishing from sight.

“Naia?” Emily rubbed the water from her eyes, a grin of her own forming. Sure enough, she felt them-hundreds of gentle fingers, working their way up her legs. Grabbing onto the side of the tub for support, Emily gasped as Naia’s mouth navigated Emily’s blonde curls beneath the water. “Oh, yes Naia!, yes!” She grabbed Naia by the back of the head, guiding her in between her legs.

Naia’s tongue swirled expertly in and out of Emily’s snatch, fingers gently running up and down Emily’s thighs. Naia broke the water’s surface, kissing her way up Emily’s stomach until she found her lips. Several water fingers teased Emily’s pussy and ass-Emily slid up and down the tub’s curved inner surface, moaning into Naia’s mouth in delight.

Naia broke her kiss, fixing Emily with glowing eyes. “Don’t forget about me, lover.”

“I’m sorry, Naia.” Emily’s lips found Naia’s once more, but now her hands were busy with Naia’s breasts. She pulled at Naia’s nipples, tugging them the way she knew Naia liked. Naia’s soft moans echoed her own, Emily’s fingers circling Naia’s pearl. She softly rubbed its smooth surface, toying with the place where Naia’s flesh transitioned from hard to soft. Naia gasped, breaking the kiss between them.

“I love it when you do that,” Naia told Emily. “I love everything about you.”

“I know you do. But I know something that we both love.” Emily raised one leg over Naia’s, bending it to pull Naia in close. Their vaginas were touching now, Emily’s tangled bush against Naia’s smooth folds. “I’ve got a busy morning ahead. Shall we skip ahead a little?”

“How can I say no?” Naia used her other leg to grab around Emily’s waist, pulling her close to slowly grinding her pussy on Emily’s. Naia’s pearl was hard enough that Emily gasped every time it pushed against her. They started slow, Naia grinning at Emily with every sudden outtake of breath. Their mouths found each other once more, Emily grinding down on Naia as the water fingers teased her ass some more.

“You’re being a bitch,” Emily finally told her. “Stop teasing me.”

“Oh, fine.” Naia flicked the water. Water spouts formed, squirting water in finger-eight patterns before settling beneath the surface, the water jets caressing the empty spaces between them. Emily cried out, the sensation similar to sitting beneath a tub’s faucet. Chronically horny, masturbating with the faucet had been the first thing she had done upon arriving at the house five years ago. When Naia had appeared, she had been so close to an orgasm that she just accepted it when the nymph had fingered her until she burst.

The powerful water swirled, the two women shoving against each other, the bathroom full of moans. Wet breasts rolled across each other, hands explored, and loving kisses were exchanged between moans. Emily came first, holding her breath, blood rushing to her cheeks and chest before letting out a loud gasp. Naia came shortly after, a loud moan that echoed off the walls. The two of them went limp in the bath, holding each other in the water.

“It’s too hot,” Emily muttered. They broke apart, Naia touching the water, her magic cooling it down substantially.

“Here, let me help you with your hair.” Naia brushed out Emily’s blonde curls. If Emily were to leave before getting it styled, it would turn into a giant rat’s nest. Naia sang a song for her in the old language, making a braid that started above Emily’s right eye and wrapped around to the back of her neck. Emily returned the favor, knowing full well that Naia could simply alter her hair to look any way she pleased. Still, it was soothing to watch and feel her greenish-blue hair pass through her fingers.

Leaving the tub, Emily put on black panties and a white, lacey bra. Digging through the closet, she picked out a cute, yellow sundress that went to her knees. The weather looked perfect for some gardening, and the greenhouse looked like it needed some work. Walking out into the hall, she ducked to avoid...

“Holy fuck!” Mike’s eyes snapped open, gripping the edge of the tub. Naia held tightly to him to keep him from sliding away.

“Shhh, shhh, calm down,” she told him.

“What ... what just happened?” He asked.

“When Emily first came to the house, I did the same thing to her that I did to you. My soul lived inside of her, so I thought it would help if you could see what she went through.”

“That was more than just seeing!” Mike said. “I was Emily. I felt everything she did, including...” his face became red. “God, that felt amazing! Does it always feel that good? Oh. Shit.” His softening dick was still leaking cum.

“It can.” Naia smirked. “Do you want to keep watching? You seem a little worked up.”

Mike laughed. “I’m not upset, I just couldn’t figure out what was going on. It was like I was me, but I also wasn’t. I had free will, but it was actually Emily doing the thinking, but I thought it was me.” He tilted his head sideways on her chest so that he could see her better. “Why did you stop, by the way?”

“Geas. We encountered something in the memory that is still protected, so my memory simply ends right there.”

“Wow. The geas is no joke.”

“You’ve got that right. Here, settle down.” Mike put his head back between Naia’s breast, staring at the ceiling. “Let’s see if I can get you back to after the blocked memory.”

Emily climbed the stairs of the basement, tossing the bag of bones into the trashcan next to the counter. A little green shadow tried to bolt away from the kitchen table, but Emily stepped in front of her before she could get away. Hands on her hips, she scowled at the little goblin. Tink wore a little girl’s blue dress, her hair braided into pigtails. She held her hands behind her back, staring down at the floor.

“What do you have to say for yourself?” Emily asked. “I saw the mess you left in the garden.”

“I’m really sorry about the projector,” Tink said. “I just wanted to know how the magic box work.”

“And because of that, we don’t have a magic box anymore. Everybody is quite cross with you.” Tears flowed slowly down Tink’s cheeks now, but she remained silent. “You need to find a way to make it up to everybody. Something big, something that will make everybody forgive you.”

“I’ll try, I’ll try really hard, you’ll see!” The young goblin walked out of the room, sniffling to herself and wiping away her tears. Emily sighed-the goblin was such a pain in her ass. She was covered in dirt most of the time, and insisted on living in the weird crawlspace below the garage. Picking up a pail full of raw burger, Emily walked out back, blowing a kiss to Naia, who was floating in the fountain. Naia caught the kiss, blowing back one of her own. Walking to the greenhouse, Emily shook her head. The Mandragora’s vines had pushed the door open in their impatience.

“Hey there, sweet pea.” The vines twitched, unraveling like a giant bundle of snakes. One large vine slithered its way to her, sitting up like a dog. Emily rubbed her hands along its leafy surface lovingly, the vines all shivering in delight. She tossed chunks of raw meat to the plant, which coiled up around each one, dragging it back into the greenhouse. She eventually handed the big vine the bucket, which carried it away, closing the door of the greenhouse behind it. Off to the side was yesterday’s pail, licked clean by the Mandragora. Emily picked up the pail, swinging it casually as she carried it back to the house.

Abella swooped down from the roof, landing gently on the grass. The gargoyle folded her wings against her body, creating the illusion that she wore a cloak. “Emily. There is someone in the front yard staring at the house.”

“That’s weird. I wonder who it could ... oh no.” Emily knew exactly who it was. Dropping the bucket, she ran through the house, pushing her way through the front door. Cecilia stood at the top of the steps, her arms spread wide to prevent him from going any further.

“Garrett.” The man on the front walk wore a black blazer over a white button up shirt with dark jeans. His hair was combed back, his gaze predatory.

“Call off your watch dog. I’m only here to talk.”

“I’ve got this, Cecilia.” The banshee threw Emily a dirty look before vanishing. “I thought I told you never to come back again.”

“Well, I’ve changed my mind.” Garrett’s face was particularly smug today. Emily couldn’t help but notice that the thin, academic man she had once known looked stronger somehow, like he had been working out. He was far more attractive than the last time she had seen him two years ago.

“You don’t get to change your mind. Not after what you did.” Upon inheriting the house, Emily had spent a couple of years traveling the country, trying to track down research on the monsters that lived within. Garrett had been an expert in European mythology, and during one, drunken night of fairly tepid passion, Emily had invited him to come back with her to see her home. It hadn’t been a mistake at first, but Garrett quickly became obsessed with some of the books in her library. What was supposed to be a chance to allow Garrett to pursue his life’s work had turned into an obsession regarding the magic that her monsters possessed. She came home one day to discover that Garrett had tossed some sort of salt into Naia’s pond which had weakened her, trying to force her into a sex act to gain the Nymph’s Blessing. Emily had Abella break Garrett’s arms, but didn’t have it in her to drown him in the fountain.

“I think you’ll find that I get to do a lot of things now.” Garrett walked toward the house, his eyes on the windows above. “I see your zoo is still as nosy as ever.”

“Don’t be an asshole. You aren’t staying long.”

“Oh, I think you’ll find that I’m staying for as long as I want.” He was close to the steps when Abella landed on the ground in front of him. A deep growl crawled its way free of her lips, her claws ready to rip Garrett apart.

“You need to leave.” Emily crossed her arms. “Or I will have Abella make you leave.”

Garrett smiled at Abella. “You’re going to wish that you had taken me out when you had the chance.” An ivory wand slid from his sleeve into his hand. Abella lunged at him, but a single tap on her stony hide froze her in place, a thin sheet of ice forming over her entire body.

“Garrett?!?” Emily’s arms fell to her side. “How did you do that?”

“The simple knowledge that monsters are real really turns your mind, you know. Every bit of mythology became my instruction manual. I used the last of my money to travel Europe, looking in every nook and cranny, finding entire dungeons beneath castles, mere feet away from where tourists tread. I discovered beings that have hidden for centuries, adding them to my collection, discovered truths that you could only imagine.” Cecilia appeared now, the air filling with electricity and frost. Garrett threw a handful of powder at the banshee, making her puff out of existence. “Every monster in this house is just another specimen to be collected, another knick-knack to store away, to take out and study. You see, I’ve uncovered truths about the creatures here, about the things this home has hidden away.”

“You can’t-”Garrett pointed the wand at her now, the end of it glowing. Her breath left her body, taking with it any thought of standing up to Garrett. She was barely even aware that she stood in the yard, dimly noticed the man in front of her. She was devoid of any thought of her own.

“I can do anything I want. You will do anything I want. You are simply a meat puppet, waiting to obey.” Garrett slid his wand into a pocket in his jacket. “The monsters here will do as I wish, starting today. This house belongs to me now.” Unzipping his pants, he ran a hand down Emily’s cheek. “Suck my dick, Emily.”

Emily’s mind was a fog of pleasantness, suddenly consumed with the idea of how happy it would make her to suck Garrett’s dick, take it to the back of her mouth, swallow all of his cum. Kneeling, she gently rolled back Garrett’s foreskin, licking his glans and running the tip of her tongue over his urethra.

“Yeah, that’s right,” he muttered. “I’m going to use you like the whore that you are. I’m going to sell your ass to anybody who wants it, for whatever price. Do you like how that sounds?”