by Kate Gallwey
We had spent about five months together in London a few years ago, and he knew me for what I am.
I changed into something flowing, sexy and a deep red and got my carriage and coachman together and went down the docks to meet him. I needed a break and a distraction and this was perfect.
He was still an amazing fine looking man as he took off his hat and bowed low to me as I walked up the gangplank to his ship. I laughed and he swept me up into his huge arms and carried me off to his bed. The Captains cabin was large and airy looking out the back of the ship. The afternoon promised to be full of fun and love play.
As the sun went down and the afternoon had lived up to all expectations, we relaxed together. I was feeling loose and limber and totally happy. Sex, when done properly is one of the best ways of getting rid of stress and troubles. I ran my hands down his beautiful hard body and then up again into his soft silver hair, loving the contrasts of this form.
“So, rumour says you’ll be getting yourself a husband.”
“Do you recommend it?”
“That’ll be depending on the man.”
“How about the Demon Lord himself?”
He laughed, “You be funning me lass,” He sobered when I just smiled. Alarm crossed his face when he thought about it further.
“You can’t be serious; he will kill me, if I am lucky.”
He got out of bed and moved to put his trousers on.
“Don’t worry; he is not a possessive sort.”
As I said that there was a commotion on the dock beside the ship, men’s voices raised in anger and shouts and sounds of people fighting.
Then the cabin door burst open and in flew Tuvak with his sword drawn and looking for blood at the sight of me naked in the Captain’s bed.
He charged at the unarmed Haldean and I raised my hand and squashed him hard against the side of the ship with my magic.
Lucian was there behind him and appealed to me, “Please don’t kill him!” So I translocated into the harbour waters to cool off, much to the relief of Haldean who would have lost badly to Tuvak.
“He takes my honour very seriously.” said Lucian, bowing to me. “I thank you for his life.”
Haldean had recovered fast, “I thought you said he was not a jealous one.” I laughed and replied, “Allow me to introduce you to the Demon Lord Lucian, my suitor.”
Haldean scratched his head, thought fast and then bowed low to Lucian, “This is one of the best around. You will take care of her.” It was a statement rather than a question, with a hint of a threat. Lucian raised his eyebrow at the tone but helped me dress and held me close before he answered, “I will treasure her until the end of time, for there is no other that can take the darkness from my soul and replace it with light and joy.” I could feel my face go warm at his words and felt my heart lurch. I had never really stopped loving the bastard and he was making it so hard to refuse him.
He took my hand and led me off the ship. I watched as his warriors pulled Lord Tuvak from the water, and I waved Haldean good bye. He gave a flourishing bow and disappeared into the growing shadows of the arriving night.
“What is his problem?” I asked about Lord Tuvak.
“He is my brother and my friend. We have taken a blood oath together, and we are one.” He sighed and rubbed his hand over his face, “His wife is having a child any day now and he is having problems with her. I think he wants to die and wants you to kill him. I would take it as a great personal favour if you do not.”
“I will try not to for his child’s sake. But perhaps you should keep him away from me as he irritates me for some reason.”
“Perhaps you should stay away from all other lovers at the present time as that seems to irritate him quite a bit.”
I merely looked at him. He escorted me back to the Summer Palace.
CHA
PTER TEN
“i DO………..”
Lady Serena ran away to the Monastery of the Sisters of Immaculate Conception to pray for her sins before she got married. I went and spent a week on my Island Paradise swimming with the dolphins and whales and relaxing in the hot springs.
When I returned, Lucian wouldn’t leave me alone as he had been afraid that I had left him for good. I am not that chicken but was still not sure if I was going to go through with the wedding.
Lucian danced with me all evening in a big summer ball in our honour and then whirled me out on to the balcony under the clear balmy skies. He asked where have I been and I told him about my Island Paradise and my irritation with all the sewing going on and he laughed with relief.
It felt very easy and relaxed between us. He very hesitantly kissed me and the impact of that casual touch rocked us both, the chemistry roared up between us with a demand that would not be refused. We devoured each other tasting each others flavours with a hunger for more. I pulled back and fought the tide that was both pushing and pulling us together, we were breathing hard and my legs felt that they may collapse at any time. I tried to find the anger to fuel my retreat but was so tired of resisting everything around me.
Lucian pulled me against his chest and I laid my head there and closed my eyes, we both stilled in the centre of the storm.
Wants and needs rose up against old hurts and fears.
He teleported us to his room in La Linea, a huge tower room with a lake size round white bed in the centre. He placed me gently on the bed and then waited. He wanted me that was very evident but in the long years he had learnt restraint and was waiting for me to make the next move and be really sure……….
Oh what the hell. I threw myself at his mouth and attacked that hot male taste, so complex and compelling. Clothes disappeared and new flavours appeared.
I had forgotten the taste of his Life Essence and pure masculine flavour of him, we mingled Lucian’s fire with my magic and it felt good.
Harmonies were reached and filled Lucian’s Tower bedroom and spread out across his castle, many sensitive demons could pick up the frequencies and questions were asked. They were not the only ones who had questions; I had a few of my own.
It was much later that I could ask them. The night had been filled with wonder and exploration, I didn’t have to hold back my strength in case I hurt my lover, and Lucian could take all that I am. There was no ageing or the decay of time in his eyes and his stamina was as great as mine. We giggled like children and played under the covers for hours.
At dawn I asked my questions.
“Why do you want to marry me? Can we not just live together for a while?” He took a long time to answer.
“I am The Demon Lord of this world and for a long time there has been pressure for me to find a wife. There can be no other for me, you are my heart and soul and I am in a cold lonely place when you are not with me.”
He got off the bed and clothed himself with a thought.
“As an example to those that accept my rule, I would formalise our union.”
“And bind me to you, in the custom of your people?” I asked. “I would be a fool still to think that I could bind you to me in any other way than with love, I have been a fool and I did think I could chain you to me, I hope you see that I have changed since then.” He smiled at me.
Lucian created a velvet box and got down on one knee, “I love you Lillith, please marry me?” In the box was an artfully designed heavy gold and ruby bracelet. (Rings were not given in marriage customs till much later.) He managed to say all the right things and I was feeling mellow and content after the love making throughout the night.
Whatever my excuses, I said yes and the wedding was set.
We went back to the Roman Court and the Queen was arriving, Lady Serena was kept in the background for the King and Queen were given space to make up and find each other as a couple again.
I kept my large suite but it was made clear to me that I would go with my Prince after the wedding. The Queen also summoned me for a little chat about how I should stay away from the King and not be welcome bac
k at Court. The little threats were amusing but I understood she was reclaiming her territory and I did stay in my room’s as much as possible reading the last of the Demon books from the underground library.
Lucian also disappeared for a few days only to return knocking on my doors in the early hours of a stormy morning. He was very worried and upset and not sure how to ask me something, so I told him just to spit it out.
“My brother’s wife has had her baby, and then threw herself out the window to the cliffs below trying to take the baby with her. Tuvak tried to catch her but pulled his newborn child from her as she fell. She is gone but he has fallen into a great rage that will consume him unless it is released, there is no one that can release him alive on this world anymore except you.” He paused and looked at me.
“You do not know what you are asking.” Nether did I, those memories were locked away. “You are asking too much.”
“He is my brother, I would give my life for him and he for me, and he has been my light through the long darkness without you.”
“I will pay or do anything you ask if you just try and help him.” He said this quietly and I knew it was the absolute truth.
I walked over to the window and looked out. I hated everything about this and I was going to help him, but with my price.
“ You will never, ever send me back to Hell, no matter what the future holds or what we do each other you will not send me back.” I remembered I had been sent there and had escaped, I also knew I had suffered so much that I had sealed my memories away. I never wanted to go back.
“I agree I give you my word as one warrior to another that I will never send you back to the Hellion’s world.” I liked that, he was acknowledging me as an equal; it might not mean much for I still didn’t entirely trust him.
I changed into something more suited to beating the ‘hell’ out of a pissed off Demon, black shirt and trousers with black boots and let Lucian ‘port us to his brother.
Tuvak was chained to a wall in a dungeon where he was covered in cuts and bruises and was trying to pull the chains off the wall with his arms, he was making a good attempt as the metal was under some serious stress. His eyes showed that he was insane and he had flecks of bloody foam running down his chin.
There was a group of Hellions around him when Lucian arrived and he moved them out of the room, one I even recognised from Babylon centuries ago. He looked like he might want to say something to me but then glanced back at the mad figure chained to the wall and shook his head and left. Lucian bolted the door from the other side leaving me with Lord Tuvak.
I understood that this is what happened to Hellions when they buckled under pressure, it took a lot for they are a hardy race, but when they blew it was pretty much kill them and be done with it. It was great on the battlefield when there were enemies to cut down but a berserkers rage was a nasty thing to deal with during peace time. But Lucian had asked me to help him, and implied that I knew how to do that from my visit to Hellion, well, the memories were going to stay forgotten I was not going to remember for this.
Tuvak was close to pulling the chains off the walls, so with a flick of telekinetics I released him and he hit the floor running and charged at me like a bull. I sent him sprawling into a dark wall, where he lay stunned for a second then he roared in rage and attacked again, I kicked his legs from under him and he hit the floor again.
This continued for a while until I broke his leg, in two places and he howled with pain and rage. I had attached a tendril of thought to monitor his mind and when the pain punched through him his mind shimmered back for just an instant and I realised what I must do. The pain in his body must be equal if not greater than the pain in his mind. I must hurt him without killing him.
I caught his fist and twisted, and turned his shoulder to a mass of warped bone ripping away muscle and nerves like paper. I was careful of not puncturing his windpipe or lungs and the pain roared through him like wild fire and he screamed pure pain. I did the same to his hip, shattering the bones into tiny pieces and ripping away the nerve endings, he was in agony and the pain brought back his sanity and there was a wounded being looking up at me from the blood and dirt of his face. I felt his mind shudder and then come fully into focus again and then it locked on to me with an intensity that boarded on obsession.
I reached for his hand and I healed him totally, concentrating for several minutes on shielding him from more pain as I mended his broken body. When I finished he had lifted his other hand and was feeling the texture of my hair as it ran through his fingers. I pulled away and he grabbed a handful and drew me close.
“Do you want to know why she did it?” He ground this out like it was poison. “For eons there was only you, you were the only flame that burned for me and she knew it and used it to torment me. Nine moons ago I couldn’t take her taunts anymore and I took her like the half human whore she was. I gave her the child that was meant to be yours and even then she tried to take him with her.”
His ramblings made no sense to me but I understood that he needed to tell me this.
“You are ours, do you understand? Mine and my brother’s. No one else will touch you and live!” Of this he was very insistent. His fingers were curiously gentle and I put my hand over his to free my hair .
“I belong to myself and I will be marrying your Lord Lucian soon.” I was being gentle with him as he had been through quite an ordeal though the thoughts in his head were uncomfortable and fixated. I freed my hair.
He grinned and slid his other hand around the back of neck and brought me closer still.
“You marry my brother, you marry me sweetheart, we are one.” And he kissed me hard and deep, surprising the hell out of me. It took me a moment or two to respond and he took full advantage of that.
I hit him and broke his nose, sending him flying across the room. I watched him get to his feet, dripping blood from his broken nose then I blew the dungeon door open with a thought. He grinned at me looking lighter than I had ever seen him and his silver eyes twinkled promising many more rounds. He was greeted by Lucian at the door, who bowed his head in my direction in thanks.
I left the cold and damp castle and went to the full sunshine of my Island and sat in the hot sand for a long time feeling strangely flustered and on edge about Tuvak.
CHA
PTER ELEVEN
Walking the taBles
The wedding day was a bright sunny day and Rome was all decked out in all its finery. The King had declared a holiday and was making it a grand special occasion to show everyone, and most especially the newly returned Queen, that he didn’t need a mistress anymore.
Flowers of every colour and shape covered the streets and Lady Serena’s Mother was having the vapours at every turn. I very nearly turned her into a frog several times during the long morning. I wore white and ivory lace and as was the custom of the day a long heavy white veil and a crown of flowers.
We had open carriages that took my ‘Father’ and I in one and the King Serbio and Queen in another through the streets to the huge cathedral where Lucian was waiting. We were married by the Pope, who is the leader of the Church Of Rome.
I didn’t mention that I had been stealing his books for the last five months.
Lucian met me at the altar, looking every inch a Demon Lord pretending to be human. As my ‘Father’ gave my hand to him, he murmured very quietly, “I marry Lillith, not Serena.” I nodded my head.
As we stood before the altar and the Pope pronounced my name, I blurred his thoughts and he called me ‘Lady Lillith Serena De La Bracciano’.
The games we play.
It was quite a circus and ended up with every church in the city letting their bells ring out, it was a loud clashing noise that humans obviously find very uplifting and ceremonious, I do not and nether did Lucian and his warriors who had pained expressions on their face as the sounds crashed through their skulls.
Church bells really do drive Demons away.
While the racke
t was going on the bridal party stood on the front steps of the Cathedral. I notice a small crowd of robed and hooded people, standing in the shadows and I threw my wedding bouquet at the very familiar figure at the front. It was Lisele and some friends from Shambala, she caught the flowers and I think we started a custom.
Lucian took over as we left the Cathedral. Lady Serena bid her ‘Father’ and ‘Mother’ good bye and I dipped low to the King and Queen, we ignored the Pope totally and got into Lucian’s carriage. We rode through the streets and the people threw petals and flowers at us, it was quite lovely.
We rode out of town and then ‘ported the whole of Lucian’s guard to the edge of La Linea and found the territory very different. Demons of many types and races lined the road, standing silently in respect to their Lord. My red hair blew back in the wind and they bowed their heads in respect. I was not liked much but I did have their respect. I had levelled their home and killed many of them when I brought Babylon down and they were not going to forget it easily.
The small walled city was quaint in comparison. High above the city was Lucian’s castle; it was huge and dark and looked like something out of a Dracula horror movie. There was a narrow bridge crossing a chasm below and lot of high towers and spires. It was very old and was slowly crumbling into the sea.
Lucian told me that they have found a much better home in the mountains across the sea, not far from here, that was already under construction.
The Hellions were already in the party spirit when we arrived and there was much drunken laughter and revelry going on. Lucian grabbed my hand and pulled me into a huge long throne room were a long table that could easily seat five hundred Demon warriors, was down the centre and a raised table and throne at the end.
