Cormoran reveled in the sensation of warm water cascading down his bare body. While perfectly content to bask in the heat for another ten minutes, he was plenty clean. Reluctantly, he shut off the pleasant stream with a sigh and stepped out of the shower. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he stood in front of the bathroom mirror, wondering how Delyn saw him. Did she find him attractive despite his gargantuan size? Or were all of his features blown up and perverted, as if each one was viewed through a magnifying glass? He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.
Streaks of white and grey darted through his curly, medium length black hair. Wrinkles formed at the corners of his hazel eyes; his pupils thinning to catlike slits. Pulling his lips back over his teeth, he noted his canines and incisors had sharpened into fine points, and his elfin ears flicked back in annoyance. He went to painstaking lengths not to frighten his little companion, but his body betrayed him. They'd eaten dinner less than an hour ago and he was already hungry again. That's why he needed the power of Delyn's song magic to keep the dark urges that once compelled him suppressed.
"Tear. Crush. Rend. Devour," the thoughts whispered temptingly in his head. There was a time he might have listened to them, would have given in and let instinct take over, but no more. So long as she was with him, he would fight tooth and nail to keep the curse at bay.
Delyn was, quite possibly, the only human in the world whose opinion he gave a damn about; the only one willing to see the man behind the monster. Tonight, he would finally confess how strong his feelings for her had become, consequences be damned. She was waiting for him in the other room.
Cormoran sighed, sliding on a pair of tight, black pajama bottoms, leaving his muscular torso uncovered. Stepping quietly out of the bathroom to the adjoining master bedroom, his eyes scanned for his little hwegen—a term of endearment meaning darling or pet— locking onto her mop of fiery, red hair on the nightstand.
She was wearing a blue tartan nightgown, which engulfed her petite figure. Her back was facing him, engrossed with fixing her hair in the reflection of a wooden picture frame nearly twice her height, completely oblivious to his presence.
Grinning at the sight, he deftly tiptoed across the room with the subtle grace of a big cat, flopping on the bed next to her and eliciting a startled yelp as she fell over backward.
"Geez Cor! Don't scare me like that. I could have fallen off the edge of the table," she chastised. He extended his tree trunk sized index finger to help her up and taking the offered appendage between her delicate hands, she stood, smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress.
"Sorry, sorry. I'll behave myself" he offered, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. He knew he shouldn't tease her so much, but he could scarcely help himself. Her reactions were far too adorable; that pout and the smattering of freckles across her cheeks made for an irresistible combination. "It's not my fault you're so fun to tease Delyn," he added, chuckling. "Besides, you know I'd never let anything happen to you."
"How do always manage to sneak up on me like that anyway? You're a bloody giant for crying out loud," she asked, throwing up her hands in exasperation.
"I've had, uh, lots of practice," he reminded her awkwardly, hoping she would take the hint and change the subject.
Naturally, that was too much to hope for.
"Oh. Right. Sorry." she said quietly, rubbing her left arm. "Is my music still helping you Cor? I couldn't help noticing your fangs came out sooner than usual this time."
Cormoran winced, he reaaally did not want to answer that question. But he couldn't lie to her either. "It seems to be getting more intense lately, yes." He let out a shaky breath, running his hand through his thick curls. "The hunger remains under control for now and I have you to thank for that."
"I see," she said, nodding slowly in understanding. "The time I spend stuck as a harp is increasing as well. It's not my imagination after all."
At this distressing admission, Cormoran began massaging his eyes with his palms and let out a groan, feeling exhausted. The curse was only becoming more potent with the passage of time and it was all his fault.
Cormoran recalled how he hunted down the warlock who cursed him to endlessly hunger for the flesh of men, following the trail of rumors about an enchanted harp back their source. Tearing the roof off the man's home, Cormoran devoured him in a desperate bid to break the spell, hoping the magic would die too. Spotting the beautiful harp in a corner of the room, he delicately scooped her up in his palms and whisked her away that night, claiming her for himself. Needless to say, he was dumbfounded when his prize introduced herself and turned into a human girl the following morning. Like him, she was cursed. To his dismay, the hunger returned that same evening and Delyn transformed into the harp once again. She became his only salvation.Now he feared he may have killed the only person capable of removing the spell, damning them both.
"Cor?" Delyn inquired, sounding concerned. When he didn't respond, she tried again. "Cormoran. You know that what happened to me…isn't your fault. Don't you?"
He gazed at her warily, "I know Delyn, but-"
"No buts! You're not the one who cast the spell. You've suffered as much as I have. Please don't shoulder all the blame. It'll break my heart."
He ventured a glance in her direction and found nothing but compassion and understanding in her gaze. It touched him deeply. Cormoran averted his eyes, trying to hide the pink hue threatening to overtake his face. She had a talent for breaking down the feeble walls he tried to erect, playing his heartstrings as easily as she did the harp.
"Thank you. That means a lot but…I'm afraid Delyn," he admitted. "I may not be able to control myself for much longer and the thought of hurting you terrifies me. He reached out to touch her face with a trembling hand, running the pad of his clawed index finger softly against her cheek. "You're my whole world."
She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. Bringing the digit close to her chest, she firmly embraced it, planting a kiss on the tip.
An insistent rumble came from his midsection, and he quickly withdrew his hand, her tantalizing scent causing him to salivate uncontrollably. "Please don't look at me," he begged her in a voice that became an otherworldly growl, no longer sounding remotely human. "I'm a monster." All of his teeth were sharpening to fine points and he turned his head away, his body writhing in agony. He began to sob uncontrollably from the pain and the realization that this may very well be their last night together. He'd die before he ever hurt the love of his life.
"It's okay Cor. I promise. I'm right here," she murmured soothingly next to him. Releasing an anguished whimper was all he could manage in response, claws gripping the bedsheets in his desperation.
Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and with a shaky breath, Delyn stepped into the moonlight. The silver beams seemed to swirl and dance around her, enveloping her in their ethereal glow. When the shimmering lights from the otherworldly display fell away, her entire body had been transformed. Only her bust remained intact, but now, it was attached to the front of a gilded harpsichord and her skin was made of polished platinum. Two glittering sapphires replaced her eyes.
Her transformation mesmerized him every time he saw it, the absence of her human scent provided some immediate relief from the pain.
She breathed in deeply and the strings of the harp began to pluck themselves in an upbeat and quick tempo, her melodic voice carrying him into a pleasant trance. He could feel the tension melting away from his shoulders, and his fangs began to recede. He didn't understand all the words she sang, but they reminded him of his own language. Welsh perhaps?
His eyes drifted shut, letting the angelic tune wash over him. At that moment it seemed, to him at least, that they were the only two people in the world. The worries that plagued him suddenly faded into oblivion. He was calm. Peaceful.
When the song was over, he brought his face to be level with the nightstand. "That was lovely hwegen. Close your eyes for a moment." She did so. His heart was racing so fast he feared she might be able to hear it. His pillowy lips pressed softly against her face, and he felt her leaning ever so slightly into his bottom lip.
"My a'th kar Delyn," He whispered, unconsciously reverting back to his first language; his heart was so overcome. "I love you. I've been wanting to tell you that for a while now and this might be my last chance to do so."
"What? D-Do you really mean it?" She asked, choking up. Tears were pooled in her eyes, spilling over her cheeks as she beamed at him. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to say those words to me. I would have said them myself ages ago, but the curse prevented me from being able to." The harp attached to her back began to bend and warp, morphing into a pair of arms and the intricate design underneath her torso split apart into a pair of shapely legs. Her skin was losing its metallic sheen.
Cormoran felt his fangs receding and watched in awe, as his claws followed suit. Not only was her curse broken, but so was his.
She ran to the edge of the nightstand and leaped towards him, clinging to the bridge of his nose. "Oh Cor, my love. You broke the curse. We're finally free." She planted a kiss on the bridge of his nose, and he nuzzled his face into her belly, making her giggle.
Cormoran laid his palm face up against the nightstand, beckoning her to climb into it with a twitch of his index finger. Ever the gentlemen, he offered her a digit from his other hand to assist her, which she gratefully accepted as she climbed aboard. He shuddered at the sensation of her tiny hands tracing the lines along the flesh of his palm. Her implicit trust and reciprocal love moved him deeply. He didn't think he was ever happier than at this very moment.
Cupping her close to his bare chest, he slipped underneath the covers, laying on his back and set her above his left pectoral. Above his heart. Placing his hand over her like a heavy, leather blanket, he lovingly stroked her arm with his pinky.
Her fingers lazily played with his chest hair as she leaned her head against his chest. "Hey, Cormoran?"
"Hmm?" he grunted, struggling to keep her in focus as his eyes began to shut.
"Do you think we'll be together forever?" she asked him, sounding hopeful.
His lips pulled up at the corners in response.
"Forever and ever. Nos Da, Delyn."
"Nos Da, Cor," she murmured as she drifted off to sleep.