The Contest Ch. 16

As a reward for his beloved bride, the Emperor presented her with a comb. It was very large, and mostly made of wood. However, it didn't look like wood. It was lacquered with a vibrant red material. Silver and gold had been carved and formed into flat flower shapes on the comb's base, marigolds, dahlias, and roses.

One night, when the Empress was well enough to have sexual intercourse, Antonai and Yban visited her in her bedchamber. Yban happened to be looking through Rellenora's drawers of combs. He said he wanted to find a suitable one for playing with his Empress' curls. He noticed there was a plain wooden comb, and he picked it up, asking, "Why in the world would Her Majesty keep such an inferior thing? I know you have many fanciful combs."

Rellenora's fingertips slid across Antonai's tail as she went over to Yban. Her head tilted as she looked at the wooden comb. She took it in both of her hands.

Her shoulders quirked up. Her nose rose. There was a crisp noise.

She cleanly snapped the comb in half.

"Not important," the Empress said.

But ... as she put the pieces of the comb on a table ... as she began walking off ... something dark was crawling up the layers attached to her robe ... and it spread ...

Yban reached towards her, calling out, "Relle! Wait!"

Antonai seemed to have noticed too, because he went to his wife and put his hands on her sleeves. "Your clothing!"

With a sexually aggressive little moan, Rellenora batted her eyelashes and started untying the sash at her robe. Antonai brushed her hands off and nearly tore the material.

The blackness was at her elbows! So fast!

Yban rushed to help his friend take the robe away.

Rellenora held her hands up. They ... looked like ... they had been dipped in pure night, no moon, no stars.

Antonai cried out her name. Yban pulled her under-dress off. Her shoulders were black.

The men tried to wipe the darkness off, but it was a stubborn substance. They didn't even feel it on her. They only felt her skin.

Rellenora's head and hair were black. They couldn't even see the reflections in her eyes.

She screamed.

And she was gone, completely gone, disappeared.

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Author's Note: Once again, I might need some more time for the next chapter. I need to fit all of this plot into my head without leaving any loose strings behind. Thank you so much for reading my stories. I appreciate it.

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