Filed To Story: Spit or Swallow: Kiss Of The Basilisk
It pushed her there too.
“Caspen,” she moaned. Just his name-nothing more.
Caspen pulled out of her immediately, his shoulders hunching forward as he finished into his palm with an urgent groan. Before Tem had time to breathe, he slapped his hand hard against her hip, sliding it all the way down her thigh and leaving a wet, slick streak for everyone to see.
There was no mistaking the approval of the audience. Their collective hiss had become deafening. Tem finally tore her gaze away from Caspen and looked out into the crowd.
Her mouth fell open in shock. “Caspen,” she gasped. “What’s happening?”
Caspen followed her gaze.
The basilisks were all having sex.
Some with each other, some with themselves. In pairs, in groups, in sweaty, roiling piles of limbs. Men with women, men with men, women with women. There was no order to it whatsoever-Tem had never seen anything like it. It was already enough of a shock to see hundreds of naked people at once, but to watch them all fuck each other was far beyond anything Tem could comprehend. She watched as three women tore into each other with an intensity that bordered on violence. One man was on his knees as another man thrust his cock into his mouth. Another man kissed one woman while a different woman sat on his cock. It was complete and utter chaos. The hiss reverberated off them in a continuous wave, throbbing with their collective movements. It seemed to be growing somehow into something that wasn’t just a sound. Tem felt the pressure of the air begin to change. She recognized the smell of smoke.
“Caspen?” Tem whispered, her voice small.
Caspen grabbed her face. To her surprise, his eyes were dark with fear.
“You need to leave,” he said. “Right now.”
“What? No, I’m not leaving you.”
He was trying to pull away from her. She wrapped her legs around him tightly, holding him closer. He was already hard again.
“Tem, please,” he said desperately. “You need to leave.”
“Tell me what’s going on.”
“They are about to transition.”
“All of them?”
“There is no time to explain. You must close your eyes. And do not open them until I tell you.”
“What? Why-“
“When they come, they will transition. I will transition.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I cannot stop it, Tem. I am one with them. Just close your eyes.”
“What do you mean you’re one with-“
“Close your eyes, Tem!”
It was an order. Tem closed her eyes.
The hiss grew to an unspeakable volume, filling her from the inside out, drilling into her skull with such intensity she could barely stand it. Her legs were still wrapped around Caspen, but a moment later, they were being pushed apart. Whereas one moment ago, she had been pressed against his warm, damp skin, now she felt hard scales scraping against her thighs. He was embodying his true form-right now-right in front of her. But she couldn’t see him. She could only feel the shape of his body change from distinctly human to distinctly…not. His natural temperature was already higher than hers, but now it felt like she was touching a tin roof in the peak of summer. Tem’s skin began to burn. She lurched backward, curling into herself, trying not to touch any part of him. All she heard was the earsplitting hiss of the crowd, ripping her eardrums to shreds.
Tem had no idea how long it lasted. The hiss reached a thundering crescendo, and she knew they must be climaxing. She covered her ears, shutting out the screeches, shutting out everything that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up in anticipatory fear.
Eventually, the hissing stopped.
“Tem.”
Her name.
“You can open your eyes now, Tem.”
She didn’t move.
“Open your eyes for me.”
Tem opened her eyes.
At first, she saw nothing but smoke.
Then she saw Caspen-the human version-looking down at her. Tem raised her head. She was curled up on the altar, cradled in Kora’s hands. The room was emptying; all the basilisks were once again wearing their human forms. Bastian was nowhere to be found.
She sat up straight, placing her hands on Caspen’s chest. His skin was hot.
“Are you hurt?” she asked him.
He let out a dull laugh. “You are the one I am worried about.”
“I’m fine.”
His gaze fell to her thighs, where fresh pink burns were forming. He pressed his palms to her skin, healing the burns with a cooling pulse.
“I am sorry,” he whispered.
“I’m fine,” she said again.
He just shook his head.
“What now?” she asked. “Do we still…”
“Yes.” Caspen nodded. “The ritual must continue. That is, if you…”
“I can do it.”
Caspen pursed his lips. But instead of protesting, he gathered her gently in his arms, lifting her off the altar and setting her on the ground. His fingers touched her waist as he led them through the tunnels, and Tem knew they were headed to the suite where they would have sex until midnight. Tem wanted to ask a hundred questions, but she also wanted to preserve her energy. So she spoke to Caspen using her mind:
I still don’t understand what happened. Why did they all transition?
The ritual collectively turned them on. When that happens, it has a hive effect. We all become one, and if one of us comes, we all do.
Tem processed this. It was a terrifying concept.
But why did it happen?
Because of you.
Tem couldn’t believe what he was saying.
That’s…good, isn’t it?
Yes. But it is also dangerous, especially for you. If you had opened your eyes-