Bewitching Illusions

The Pegasus' Rider

When morning came, Yuki found herself alone in the bed.

She glanced at her buttoned-up blouse and her body wrapped neatly in a blanket-like cocoon.

What will Kaede think of me now, after I freely offered myself to him last night? Like a loose woman!

Yuki felt herself melting from embarrassment like chocolate in the heat of the summer sun.

Before she could escape, she heard several knocks on the door, "Please come in," she was almost hesitant to speak.

"Oh, it's me, Louis. Did I wake you?" the old man asked apologetically.

"No sir, I'm sorry if I stayed late," Yuki blushed, seeing that it was already high noon.

"It's okay... but your husband has asked me to relay to you that he will fetch you around noon. He went out with a friend to look for someplace for the two of you to live."

"Oh, then... thank you," Yuki said, noting how little time she had.

She had barely fixed her hair when a loud flapping of wings was heard outside the fae treehouse.

She and Louis immediately went outside to see what that was all about.

A majestic steed with strong, large wings was in front of them. On top of the horselike creature was a beautiful girl with red, flowing hair.

Another creature with similar features arrived, this time with Kaede as its rider.

Kaede got down from his black steed and extended his hand to Louis, "Thank you for your hospitality."

The old man returned the warm handshake and smiled, "I am forever indebted to you."

Then, without any warning... Kaede picked her up like a weightless piece of paper and carried her bridal style. He placed her on top of the steed, one arm wrapped around her waist.

"Where are we going?," Yuki asked when the question she wanted to ask was, Who is she?

"To our own house, of course," Kaede whispered against her ears, his breath fanning her earlobes. 

The act sent shivers down Yuki's spine and caused her body to be engulfed in sudden heat.

"And who is this woman you brought with you?" Yuki asked, even when she felt the mighty pegasus take flight and her hands tightened on Kaede's arms.

"Why? Are you jealous, my love?" Kaede chuckled. He loved the feeling of her in his arms and the thought that she was feeling possessive of him drives him hard.

"Nonsense. Why ever should I be?" Yuki asked, feeling his greed grow every second of their flight.

"Maybe because you want me for yourself? Ohhh... right... you wanted me to taste you and you alone," Kaede whispered, adding coals to the flames in her heart.

"Don't be so cocky. I don't care who your girlfriend is. I simply asked since it is my first time meeting her," Yuki retorted, trying to calm her nerves and restore her brain to its normal functions.

"My girlfriend, huh? She is extremely beautiful isn't she?" Kaede teased, almost angry at her words but at the same time wanting to provoke her more.

"Yes," Yuki said, not saying anything more. She hated the feelings she was starting to have.

Why did she have such nasty thoughts all of a sudden? That she wanted to push the pegasus rider away from them.

"What a terrible, fascinating liar," Yuki felt the reigns around her tightened as Kaede drove the steed faster, gliding from cloud to cloud at a blinding speed that made her catch her breath.

"Please, please slow down," Yuki gripped Kaede's arms tighter, afraid she might fall to her death.

"You should have known better than to lie to me like that. A naughty girl deserves to be punished so she learns her lesson well."

Kaede's deep baritone voice made Yuki feel warm despite the heavenly mist flowing underneath her skin.

"Please, I take it back. Whatever it is I said," Yuki said, almost in tears.

"Too late, sweetheart. You now have no choice but to ride."

**************

The flying steed landed beside a simple hut with wall-climbing rose bushes decorating the window sills and walls from the outside.

It looked like every little girl's dream house, and Yuki was no exception.

It was surrounded by a vast garden and on its left was a gentle river, adding to the serene atmosphere of the place.

"Well, what do you think?" Kaede asked as he carried Yuki down the magnificent pegasus and pulled her close in a hug.

"It is wonderful," Yuki sighed as her eyes feasted on her dream house and the luscious garden before her.

"Then, thank me properly," Kaede said as he turned to face Yuki and caressed her cheeks with such longing in his eyes.

"How?" Yuki asked while blushing from head to toe.

"How? Your innocence drives me insane." Kaede chuckled as he leaned in for a kiss.

Yuki closed her eyes when she felt his lips brush hers. She felt intoxicated by his kiss, and as he deepened the kiss and explored her taste with his tongue, she sighed, almost crying out his name.

Just then, a sultry female voice was heard, destroying Yuki's fantasy of the meaning behind that kiss.

"Your highness," the red-haired lady spoke up as she kneeled in front of them, her disgust for their intimate moment apparent in her eyes.

"Rise, Akashi," Kaede said, his voice unusually soft in Yuki's ears. She hated that he used that tone with her.

"You did great, finding us this home. As you can see, my wife approves of this abode," Kaede smiled, congratulating his friend sincerely.

And yet unbeknownst to him, he had cost Yuki more suffering than he ever could wish to inflict on another.

For at this moment, Yuki doubted his feelings behind that kiss as she felt a thousand knives pierce her tender heart.

"This is Yuki, my wife," he turned to introduce them to each other, unaware of the silent war brewing in each girl's heart.

"And this is Akashi, one of the very few who sided with this traitor," Kaede said playfully.

"You are no traitor, your highness. And no matter what your decision is, you know I will never leave your side. I will lay my life down for you." The red-haired lady spoke with all the passion of a lover, and Yuki started to hate the strange woman before her, questioning the relationship between the two.

"I think I must go now, your highness. You need to rest. I have replenished the house with everything you might need," Akashi said, proudly, as he looked at Yuki, challenging her to do as well as she did.

How can this woman know anything about taking care of the man I have loved all my life, Akashi thought to herself.

She just came in to steal him from her grasp without causing any sort of happiness or comfort in his life. Akashi looked sharply at the little fool who made the demon general a fugitive from his kind.

"Thank you, and this is not farewell," Kaede hugged the red-haired lady and kissed her cheeks as he bid her goodbye.

Though he was a demon general who trained all his life for war, he was not prepared for the cold animosity from the woman he shared a passionate kiss with just moments before.

Like any ordinary man, Kaede's sole weakness was a woman. And that woman was determined to ignore him and make him suffer for something he does not even have a clue about.

For this reason, the demon fox decided to take matters into his own hands.