by Eve Newton
I hope that Axelle can feel it as well.
As I enter the cave where the old Witch dwells, it is in darkness, so I flick my wrist to light a few candles. I frown as she doesn’t make an appearance and it is only then that I remember how the magick affected her last time.
“Witch?” I call out, looking behind me as I hear a scuffle against the stone.
“I am here,” she croaks out and advances into the dim, flickering light. She looks shocking. Even older than she did a few weeks ago. “How may I serve you?”
“I need to know more about Axelle,” I say instantly.
“I am weak, but I will try,” she answers and holds her hand out to me. “Bring her to me.”
I pause. “I can’t do that,” I say eventually.
“I used her blood last time,” the crone says. “I need her this time; I am not strong enough.”
“Well, get strong enough,” I snap at her. “We had a deal. She stays where she is, for now.”
“A deal?” the Dark Oracle asks, perking her ears up.
“Yes, it’s none of your concern,” I mutter.
“Interesting,” the Dark Oracle answers and creates a small fire in the middle of the cave that she stares into.
“How so?” I ask, my frown increasing.
“I wasn’t aware that the Devil made deals that weren’t to his own and complete satisfaction,” she says with a smirk on her twisted lips.
“She agreed to be put back in her body,” I reply carefully. “That satisfies me for now.” I see no harm in telling the old crone about that. She had probably already foreseen the whole shameful debacle anyway.
“She is defiant of you,” the Witch says.
“It is her nature, I won’t punish her for it,” I reply with a grimace, surprising even myself with these words. I usually don’t tolerate any insubordination, but I appear to be handing out leniency left and right for that willful wench.
“Oh, really?” the Dark Oracle asks in surprise. “You are lenient with her. Perhaps too lenient?”
“Enough! Tell me about her thoughts, her fears, her doubts. I want to know,” I bark at her.
The Dark Oracle just stares into the fire as I grow impatient. “What?” I snap at her.
“Why don’t you just ask her?” she asks.
“I am asking you!” I roar at her. “And while we are at it, you have some explaining to do. Last time you said that three would be vying for her body. I need to know what you mean by that.”
At her silence, I let out a huff and hold my hand out. The athame that is still coated with Axelle’s blood appears in my hand and I give it the Witch. “Use this. It’s all you get.”
“Her own essence, of course,” the Dark Oracle says, finally playing ball as she flakes off a bit of dried blood and it drops into the fire. She rears back with a hiss. “Not three,” she says, shaking her head, “more.”
“More?” I ask, her words making my heart thump. “How many more?” For the love of all things unholy. How many more creatures am I going to have to put up with, and trust her not to screw?
“Unclear,” she says slowly. “More than three. I can see purity and the other is special. And, of course, my liege.”
“Humph,” I mutter, not happy that I’ve been lumped into this fourway cluster-fuck. Not that I’m against fourway fucks. Just not when it comes with Axelle and a whole Hell of a lot of mess. Although, the idea of watching her be impaled by another male isn’t one that I suddenly find off putting. When that male turns into Evan in my mind’s eye, I find myself growing hard. It is something that I want to watch desperately now. I want to see her reaction to him, her face as he fucks her. I want to see her come all over his dick as she screams in pleasure.
“Ahem,” I clear my throat as my dick is now raging at that mental image. When that Angelic fucker sidles into my fantasy, it does absolutely nothing to squash the arousal coursing through me.
What the fuck is with that?
His innocence, that’s what. I want to watch her take his innocence and fall from grace in a spectacular fashion that will, not only be the coup of the millennia for me but will have Axelle revered for all eternity.
“My liege?” the Witch asks, drawing my thoughts away from my arousing fantasy.
“I see something else,” she says slyly.
“What?” I snap.
“A child,” she answers slowly and in disbelief. “I see a child growing inside her, taking over her essence.”
“Oh?” I ask, leaning forward. Now, we are finally fucking getting somewhere. The fact that the Dark Oracle can see a child in Axelle’s future is very promising indeed.
“As long as she passes the next phase, of course,” the Dark Oracle says with a wicked smile. She has clearly figured out what the trials are for, and that doesn’t please me at all. I will have to destroy her if Axelle doesn’t turn out to be the one and I have to do this hell all over again. I cannot have her knowing and trying to influence the outcome.
“Mind your business,” I say to her in a threatening tone.
“None shall hear it from me,” she says breezily, waving her hand at me.
“You had better hope so,” I say. “If this doesn’t work and I have to try again, you are a serious threat to me, Oracle.”
“It will work as long as you both pass the last phase,” she says, unconcerned.
“Obviously,” I mutter, but then, “Wait? Both of us?”
“Mm-hm,” she says. “The female has proven herself to you time and again with her loyalty, which is indeed a great trait. But there is one last thing that is needed for this child to be conceived.”
“What?” I shout at her as she goes silent.
The Dark Oracle gives me another sly look that makes me very uncomfortable. “Why, you need to admit your feelings for her, and her for you.”
“Pah,” I scoff and relax. “I have no feelings for her one way or the other.”
“Ah, the Lord of Lies,” the Witch tuts at me and I resist the urge to smite her where she stands.
“Lust isn’t a feeling,” I say stiffly.
“That is not all you feel for her,” the Dark Oracle says. “We can all see how differently you treat her, how she challenges you and you enjoy it, how she makes you laugh…”
“How do you know these things?” I demand, the feeling of humiliation draping itself around me like a blanket.
“The fire never lies,” she says evasively. “If you don’t admit your feelings to her, then this trial will fail.”
“And what about her feelings?” I ask. “She doesn’t have any for me either.” I know that is a lie. I know that she has evolved into developing emotions that I don’t understand, but know are there when I look into her eyes. It goes beyond lust and desire, to something I’ve never seen or experienced before, not even from Jezebelle.
“Oh, she has them,” the Dark Oracle says. “She has all along. But she is stubborn, and she won’t admit to anything unless you give her something in return.”
“This is ridiculous!” I exclaim and spin around with a twirl of my robe. Why in all Hell would the trial expect this of us? It doesn’t have anything to do with what I think about my Demon Bound. So, she does make me laugh and gives me a challenge. So, I do find her so attractive it kills me not to be able to touch her. But what the Dark Oracle is saying is impossible. I am the Devil, the one so evil that I rule Hell. What is being suggested doesn’t exist for me. It never has and it never will because I don’t know how, and quite frankly, I don’t want to know.
“I am only telling you what I see,” the Witch says quietly, clearly sensing my anger at her. “You will fail if you don’t heed my warning.”
“Grrr!” I turn back to her with a vicious slash of the claws that have just sprung from my fingers, but she has disappeared into the ether.
I take a calming breath and shake it off.
It is not a warning; it is just hearsay.
She has no idea what she is saying. It’s high
time I dismissed her from her post and found someone who knows what the fuck they are talking about.
I stalk off, my mind reeling from all I’ve heard down here.
A few minutes later, I’m staring at the portrait of Axelle crawling out of the fire circle, which I’d made for her and that also replaced the one I kept of Jezebelle.
My stare turns to a glare when I think about the Dark Oracle’s words. I haven’t actually said it, even in my head yet, but I know what the word is. I know what the feeling is that I’m supposed to admit.
But I don’t think that I can. Or at the very least, I can say the word, but meaning it is something else altogether and somehow, I think the trial will know the difference. If what the Witch said is true, I have to find a way in which to feel this, to be able to say it and mean it with this female that drives me so crazy with her rebellious attitude and dirty mouth.
I reach out to touch the portrait and whisper, “Love,” so quietly it is hardly audible.
I’m startled when I hear Stanford bounding down the hallway, his little wings flapping rapidly in his haste to get to me.
I step back from the painting and give Stanford a querying look.
“You must come, Master,” Stanford says, out of breath. “You must come quickly.”
“Why?” I ask, really not interested in any of Hell’s problems right now. I have my own, dammit.
Stanford has already bounded off, so with a huff, I follow the imp at a more sedate pace. Whatever it is, I’m in no hurry to find out.
Stanford leads me into the dining hall and then points a long, gnarled finger at the far head of the long, wooden table.
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” I mutter as I lay eyes on a red-skinned beast with horns, hoofs and a pointed tail. A smaller, less terrifying version of myself. “What in the name of all Hell are you doing here? Or the better question is, how are you here?” I cross my arms and glower at the beast as I wait for an answer.
~ CHAPTER FIFTEEN ~
Axelle
Sometime later, we pull into the parking lot of a cheap motel. The drive had me thinking the whole way about Dashel’s change of attitude about this. His fire on the stairs was amazing. His passion surprises me, has me aching to be with him. And can we talk about that whole confidence thing? Wow. He is a true Alpha. I just haven’t seen it yet. It has all been uncomfortable and new to him, but this other side is fucking hot, hot, hot.
“You okay?” Evan asks, as I just sit there after parking up.
“Err, yeah,” I say, squeezing my legs together so that I can hopefully stop the pulsing in my clit at my scorching thoughts. “Let’s get checked in.”
“What about the car? Just leave it here?” Evan asks, looking around.
“Yeah, Ella will know we took it,” I say unconcerned. “She can come and find it.”
Evan shrugs and goes along with it. He gets out taking my duffel and backpack out with him like a gentleman, not waiting for me and Dashel to catch up. I grab my Angel’s hand and take my time, strolling at a sedate pace, enjoying the fresh air and growing night sky.
He smiles down at me, his body relaxed for the first time since we met.
“Are you okay?” he asks. “You seem tense.”
“I’m horny,” I say with a smirk. “You riled me up something fierce with your actions on the stairs.”
“Makes two of us,” he says, bringing my hand to his lips to kiss it, flicking his tongue out gently as he does.
“Oh, Angel. You are going to have to stop doing this to me,” I moan.
“I am ready to be with you, Axelle,” he says seriously. “Once this trial passes, we need to be together. Straight away.”
I snort laugh at his eagerness. “I think Luc will probably want his turn first,” I say lightly, wondering what the frown he gives me is all about.
“No, it must be me. If I am to fall, I want it over with,” he says briskly.
I give him a glare to end all glares and pull my hand out of his. “Oh?” I snarl at him.
He looks at me in confusion. “Do you not want that, Axelle?” he asks me seriously.
I blink.
I have no idea what is going on right now.
“Your words hurt me,” I pout at him. “You make it sound like you don’t want to.”
He stops walking and turns me to face him. “I do want it,” he says softly. “But you must understand that it will be painful, humiliating and probably terrifying. I do not relish the aftermath of our joining.”
“Oh,” I mumble, looking down and feeling like a fool. Of course, he has trepidations. “I understand,” I add, but Luc will go ballistic. This ritual has all been about him. He will not want an Angel to get to me first no matter how much the end result affects him too.
Dashel nods at me and then we start walking again.
I bite my lip.
This hasn’t been resolved, but I will have to cross that bridge when I get to it. Right now, I need someone to see to my aching pussy.
We join Evan by the lobby, and I grab my backpack.
“Be right back,” I say and go to procure us a room for the night.
I have only a small amount of cash, but I have no intention of paying for this room.
I don’t know where we will go tomorrow, but it will be far away from here. I want a big city, tons of people and activity to keep me pre-occupied about my celibacy and potential impending doom.
I approach the front desk with a shifty looking guy sitting behind it.
“I want a room,” I say with a smile, turning on my power only a little bit. I felt a power boost earlier on the stairs with Dashel and I’m not sure how that will affect my Seduction skills. I don’t want to inadvertently kill this asshole. Luc will renege on our deal before I can blink if I embark on murder and mayhem without permission.
“Fifty bucks,” he says, giving me a once over and clearly liking what he sees.
I brighten my smile and put my hand over his.
I see the seduction drop over him as his eyes glaze over slightly.
“How about we call it even if I show you my tits?” I ask, knowing he is practically drooling over me now. I could just ask him to do it and he would, but this is much more fun, plus it gives him something to think about on his long, and definitely lonely nights. Ugh. He is disgusting.
“Yeah,” he says, eyes fixated on my chest. He pulls a key out from under the desk and slides it over the counter.
“Oh, good boy,” I croon at him, picking up the key and then lifting my top up to expose my bare breasts to him.
“Uhn,” he mumbles, leaning forward, hand outstretched to touch me.
I smack his hand away “No touching,” I tut at him, lowering my top and cutting off his lusty, pervy gaze.
“Let me slide my dick in between them and you can stay all week,” he pants at me.
“Ugh!” I spit out, and spin on my heel. “No thanks.”
“Can I come and see you later?” he asks desperately.
“Maybe,” I say and leave him alone with that small hope to cling onto.
I sashay away, the feeling of being back in the game spiking my arousal to epic heights.
“Room 12,” I say, waving the key at the men as I pass them waiting for me outside.
“Did you…” Evan starts with narrowed eyes.
“Yep,” I say. “Flashed him my tits and he was mine.”
“Fuck’s sake," he mutters as Dashel growls a warning at me that does fuck all to scare me, and everything to make me even wetter.
“Let’s get inside, I need your mouth on me,” I purr at him and grab Evan’s hand, dragging him behind me towards the room.
I open the door.
The room is dingy, but it will do for tonight. Tomorrow, I plan on finding us a luxurious hotel to stay in.
“Feel better?” Evan asks, dumping my duffel on the floor and then sitting heavily on the bed and bouncing on it slightly.
“Yes,” I say and whip my top over my
head. “He didn’t touch, just looked.”
“I do not want any male ogling at your naked body,” Dashel states, standing by the closed door, his arms folded across his massive chest.
“Not even me?” Evan asks archly, grabbing me by my hips and pulling me towards him.
That stops Dashel in his tracks and I giggle.
“I love your jealousy,” I say to him over my shoulder as Evan attaches his mouth to my puckered left nipple.
“You are mine,” he growls, coming closer. “I will not tolerate other males lusting after you.”
“Now you’re just turning me on even more,” I whisper to him, taking his hand and placing it on my right tit.
“He doesn’t get the monopoly on possessiveness,” Evan murmurs, taking his mouth off me briefly to my annoyance. “You are also mine. However, I find it kinda hot that you used your powers on him. I wish I’d seen it.”
I look down at him in surprise. “Really?”
“Hell, yeah,” he replies with a smirk. “I’m desperate to see you in action, right to the end.”
His dark words make me shiver. “You want to see me corrupt and kill,” I murmur, running my hands into his hair.
He nods, taking one of my hands and kissing it, nipping at my fingertips. “Oh, yeah,” he breathes out. “I definitely need a front row for when you…” He indicates Dashel with his head.
“Oh, fuck,” I cry out as Dashel grinds down on my nipple in protest to Evan’s words. “I need you to finger fuck me. Now.”
“Anything you want,” Evan says, and flicks open the button on my jeans and lowers the zipper quickly. He drags them down my legs and wastes no time in shoving two fingers deep inside me, making me shudder and clutch at Dashel’s head, still seeing to my tits with that amazing tongue of his. I want it on my clit, in my hole, so badly, I’m dripping at the thought, but we just can’t do that yet. I can feel him electrocuting the Demon inside me already from this slight foreplay.
