Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

"Poison, eh?" I teased at the tingling sensation from my open wounds. "That's not going to work with me. I'm no longer the weak kid from back then."

Heat roiled through my body as my fingers trailed up and down Tiamat's spine. The ashes of her robes swelled through the freeing winds, fluttering with such regality I became enthralled by the half-dragon before me.

There'd always been a wildness about Tiamat, a formable sense of rebellion that couldn't be hidden. She'd always shone brighter than any star, and now… her beauty like it had deepened.

Her scales felt soft but sharper than any blade if one wasn't careful.

"Beautiful," I whispered, sliding my fingers from her spine to her stomach to her breast, half covered in a thin veil of scales.

She squirmed, her cheeks growing flushed at my touch, as her eyes carried the moisture of a water nymph. She smiled: "When Zariel said he would bring you back. I was quite shocked, especially after seeing the state of your soul. It was shattered beyond recognition. Broken into such a way, his vow was nothing more than false hope."

There was a brief moment of silence that sank so deep I felt my heart dip at the piercing loneliness.

"You know... when one wants to be a Chaos Lord. At least back then, they would send their souls into the wheels of reincarnation. But what many people don't know is that Chaos Lords, at least the originals, only did so to escape the loneliness. Eternal Life is Hell."

My gaze could only focus on Tia's beautiful red eyes, unable to find the strength to smile, much less relate. Perhaps this was an innate privilege of mine. But I have never in my life felt lonely. At least not in the way Tiamat spoke.

Since I was small, I had Lilith, who fought alongside me whenever I called upon her. Then there is Tene. Who might have come along later in life, but she'd been watching over me since I came into this world.

People are always complaining about being lonely at the top. But I don't get it. Perhaps it is. But not for me. It wasn't lonely when they were rising. I think all these hyperfocus men and women merely chose to be lonely.

Power comes with a price. And many are willing to sacrifice themselves for it. And while Tiamat's situation is completely different, almost mirroring Uncle Grey's. I can't really relate… And I hope I never will.

"You aren't going to spout something that'll make me cringe, are you?" I teased, chuckling as she giggled, pressing her head against my bloody chest. She trembled as a cool liquid clashed with the budding heat of my wound.

I held her head, releasing a deep sigh, as her soft whimpers of sorrow echoed through my heart. And a hollowness sank through my soul as images flashed one after the other.

One of a small child no more than a few months old, smaller than my hand, with a patch of snow white hair and a woman cradling him with such gentleness, pain tugged at my heart.

"Zariel said he'd bring him back. He promised me. Promised us all." The woman whispered, staring at the golden eyes of the child peering up, cooing for its mother. "So I can't kill you. No matter how much it hurts to stare at you. I can't pluck your eyes out. I hate you.' She told the child, kissing its tender cheek.

The child merely laughed with child-like innocence, stretching its arms toward its mother.

"I can't call you Arsene. You aren't deserving of the name. Yes, no one deserves that name. Not even you." She told him in a piercing tone of undisguised hate. She kissed the child again, almost as if she was playing a game. "Mommy Hates you. Hates, Hates, Hates, Hates you. Why do you look like him? Mommy just wants to pluck your eyes out."

A chill danced along my spine as the images grew clearer.

"Mommy doesn't want you. Mommy hates you! Dragons aren't meant to carry their young. They aren't meant to raise their child." She told him, as a blinding madness swelled from her eyes, clearer than any crystal, she laughed. "But if I kill you, if I abandon you. I'll forget! I'll forget about him. So'll keep you. I'll love you. I'll care for you. But I'll also hate you, my poor child. From this day forth, your name shall be Zaid Snow. For if… Zariel fails. You will be the only thing that shall exist of him."

'This is Tiamat's memory… Are they in space? It's so dark?'

"Zaid, Mommy will raise you. But I might fail you. I'm no mother. I can't care for you as other Mothers do. So you'll be a little broken. But don't worry, time heals, all right? So even if you break, Mommy will be by your side to pick up the pieces. It's better I have you than Zariel. "

And she trembled with a half smile, tears streaming down her cheeks as a torn laugh crackled from her throat: "Zaid… I hope you never meet your Father. Because if he returns...he'll be mine, so there won't be any room for you. Remember this… your existence is dependent on Arsene's Resurrection."

Plucked from the memory, Tiamat pressed her lips against mine as her tongue swirled in a wild fiery storm of heat and passion. Salty tears poured from her eyes as her hips grinded against my lower half.

A sense of comradery boiled through my heart as I laughed, jerking her to her back as I lay over her, peering deep into her fiery eyes.

"You're a terrible mother!" I told her, and she trembled as a bright smile appeared.

"I stayed with him."

"But not out of love."

"Does that matter? I stayed with the child. Looked after him. And I even grew to love him." She told me, her touch heating up as she tried to flip me. But I was quicker. Lifting her up suddenly, I slammed her into the earth, shattering the ground as she winced.

"Your no mother," I said as the deepening of her madness sank into my bones.

"Yeah! I'm a fucking dragon!" She roared, slamming her lips against mine. Blood swelled from our mouths, rolling down our chins as we laughed." I didn't want a goddamn kid. Never have! I wanted a Mate! A lover! Someone who could dominate me!"

And she pressed her forehead against mine, the thick ooze of carnage in her gaze clashing with mine. I felt Little Arsene rise to attention.

"Then… I'll ask again! Can I kill him?"

Tiamat laughed: "I don't care, but can you do it? Can you kill your Flesh and Blood? The only thing you Snows care about: Are your Lovers and your blood. Do what you want. But let me do what I want—"

'Let you!" I shouted, snatching her by the neck. I stared at that eagerness, that look of excitement that couldn't be masked. And felt a burning oasis of liquid gathering between her legs.

"Yeah. Let me." She spat out, unwilling to back down. "Now fuck me!" f