by Monica Davis
Vanessa flinched. “You cut it off my head just now, when you threw me onto the mattress!”
What? He had cut it off? As evidence that he had fulfilled his task? That wouldn’t be enough for the demons.
Vanessa ran a hand through her hair and leapt up, fear in her brown eyes. “Danny, you can’t go back there. They’ll change you, and you won’t even notice. They’re manipulating you!”
“I’m going to need some of your blood,” he responded quietly, not looking at her.
He had to go back, the urge was almost overpowering, but he didn’t want to lose Vanessa at any price. She was so sweet and innocent. When he was Overlord, he’d come for Vanessa and make her his bride.
Marla had guaranteed him that the High Council would not be able to penetrate his thoughts as long as he was protected by the crystals. She had also explained to him in detail how the stones worked.
The memory was like a fading dream.
Just a few more days and he’d be Overlord, reigning over the demonic masses with Vanessa at his side.
Daniel inwardly smirked. He’d show a whole new side then; everything would change. Everyone would do as he commanded!
“Y-you need my b-blood?” Vanessa stammered, backing away from him until she ran up against the wall.
Daniel got up but didn’t move toward her; he didn’t want to scare her even more. “A few drops would be sufficient.” Damn it, he didn’t want her to be frightened of him! Daniel felt bewildered. Was he really doing the right thing? Would it all be worth it? Come on, he was a demon! Why was he feeling so conflicted again?
“Just a few drops, only a little prick.”
“And then?” she whispered.
“Then I’ll go.”
“You’re really going back? But … Danny! You can’t!” Vanessa shook her head, tears again streaming down her cheeks. “Your mom is so terribly worried about you!”
“She’s not my real mother,” he muttered, but he felt a knot in his stomach as he thought of her. He missed her … for some unknown reason.
Vanessa’s fear seemed to have vanished. Eyebrows furrowed, she told him, “If you won’t do it for the woman who has loved you as her own son for your whole life, then do it for your real father!”
His head jerked up. “James? James Carpenter?”
“That’s the one! If James hadn’t been here … Daniel, your mom is at the breaking point!” She took a step toward him.
“Does he wear an amulet?”
Vanessa frowned. “What?”
“My father, does he wear a silver amulet with a red stone?” His heartbeat once again picked up in pace.
“Are you listening to me at all? I’m trying to tell you that the people who love you more than anything else in the world are worried about you and miss you dreadfully, they’re almost sick with worry, and all you can think about is a stupid necklace?”
“Vanessa, please, it’s important!” He tried not to show his impatience. Daniel needed that damn scepter! Then the others would leave Nessa alone. She’d be his bride! But first he had to know whether he’d have to deal with James. His father supposedly had an amulet that protected him from demons, even made him invisible.
Vanessa frowned. “Why are you so interested in it?”
“Vanessa, please. It’s just important for me. For us.”
“Us?”
Daniel could read it in her face: She knew something about it! He had known her too long for her to be able to keep secrets from him.
His nervousness increased.
“Let’s just get this over with quickly.” She reached out a hand to him.
He took her thumb between two fingers. Vanessa was trembling.
“Close your eyes,” he whispered. She did so, fresh tears running down her face.
“You won’t hurt me, will you?” she asked, her voice barely audible.
“Never,” Daniel whispered back, then pricked her thumb with the tip of the knife.
Vanessa winced and squeezed her eyes tighter shut while Daniel wet the lock of hair with the drops of blood oozing from the wound. Then he concentrated and made a sweeping gesture with his hand. The cut disappeared as if by magic.
“Done,” he said, not letting go of her hand.
“How did you do that?” Eyes wide, she stared at her thumb.
“I just visualized it.”
Daniel had been seriously trying to suppress his feelings for Vanessa, but he couldn’t manage it. They threatened to burst out of him. All he had to do was look at Vanessa, and he was filled with an urge to hold her, caress and kiss her. He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself for hurting her anytime soon. But he had done it for her own safety. There was no other option.
She’d be his soon enough.
“You should sit down,” he said.
Vanessa said softly, “I’m okay. I’m just a little overwhelmed by your … abilities,” but she sat down next to him on the mattress anyway.
Without thinking twice, Daniel put his arms around Vanessa, pulled her to him, and kissed her. His father was forgotten, the scepter as well … almost.
Offering no resistance, she sank into him, her hands on his chest, returning his affection.
How good she smelled! Daniel wanted to absorb every sensation, to enjoy the feel and smell of Vanessa’s skin and hair, because he’d never experience these feelings again when he became a real demon. A cold-blooded demon …
A sense of déjà vu washed over him. Antheus — the demon must have done something to him! Antheus would be the first to feel his wrath when he became Overlord!
If only he could sleep with Vanessa just once as a human, experience what it was like to be so close to her — skin, hair, and his corrupted soul.
“I’ve missed you so much, Danny,” she whispered into his mouth. Her hands seemed to be everywhere on his body at once. “Don’t go!”
Her plea shook his heart to the core “I have to, or they’ll come looking for you. You’ll only be safe when I bring them proof.” Breathing hard, he pushed Vanessa back against the mattress, his hand sliding under her sweater. He stroked her breast through her bra and saw that her breath quickened, this time not out of fear. He could also sense her wildly beating heart.
He felt a tightening in his loins as he lay down on top of her. “Perhaps I should take your bra as well,” he said, panting as he opened the clasp.
Vanessa didn’t resist. She took the initiative to pull his shirt over his head, then pulled her own sweater off. “You can have everything if you stay here. And much more.”
He smiled. “I’ll have everything, I promise.” Their chests pressed against each other, and Daniel thought that there was nothing better in the world than the feel of Nessa’s skin against his own. He took off her bra to kiss every part of her body. Her fingers mussed his hair, and her gasps turned into a quiet moan.
How beautiful she was when she let herself go and enjoyed his touch. Daniel didn’t know what he should do first — look at her, or caress her, or taste her. Or all of those at once!
He felt as though he was famished. Daniel knew that he needed Vanessa now, as intimately as possible. “Nessa, I …” he whispered into her lips, but he didn’t dare to go on. He thought of the last time, when they had fought and parted ways.
“I want it, too,” she said breathlessly, kissing him recklessly and running her hands down his back.
A groan that was almost a growl escaped his throat. He reached over to the blue pillow behind her head and unzipped the cover. He had hidden condoms here in the hope that they would eventually be needed.
In the underworld, he wouldn’t need such things any longer. He’d have scores of children with Vanessa and breed a whole new race.
His mind was spinning. Oh, God, what kinds of thoughts were those? Were they really his own?
No matter — at last it was happening, he’d make love to Vanessa! He wanted to tell her how much he desired her, and how much he had missed her, and that soon they’d be to
gether forever — but that might frighten her. Daniel knew that she wouldn’t approve of his decision.
Overcome with desire, he kissed her again, drawing something from her, something deep within her. It was so pure and strong … Daniel took a deep breath, and Vanessa tensed up. A tingling heat flowed into his lungs and spread throughout his veins. Silvan suddenly felt strong and full of energy. A strange feeling of being hungry and thirsty simultaneously possessed him. It was so powerful that he was forced to draw more from Vanessa … to consume her entirely!
Gasping, he ripped himself away from her and pressed a hand to his mouth.
Vanessa’s breathing was frantic as she crawled out from under him. Her eyes were wide with fear. “What did you do?”
“I … I think I almost sucked the soul out of you,” Daniel said quietly. He felt sick, but at the same time he longed to experience that sensation again.
“What?” Vanessa shrank back. “Oh my God!”
Daniel suddenly felt a muted drumming at the back of his head and knew at once what it meant. He rapidly got dressed.
“Danny?” Vanessa stood up. “What’s wrong with you?”
“They’re looking for me!” He knew that the high lords couldn’t invade him mentally; the crystals would block any connection. But they would become suspicious when they weren’t able to reach him.
Vanessa was getting dressed as well, her eyes wide and shining. “Are they coming here?”
“No, you’re safe here, but I have to go.” Her safety came first. “You must not leave the treehouse!”
“Daniel, you can’t seriously think that I’m going to stay here,” she said once more, this time more gently. She eyed the camping toilet again.
“If you want to live … just stay until I can find a better solution.” He looked at her beseechingly, took her by the shoulders, and whispered, “Please!”
“Now you sound like my Daniel again.” Sighing, she leaned against his chest. “Or my parents.”
“Do you have your cellphone with you?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“You can call them and say that you’re sleeping at a friend’s house.”
“What about James? Can’t he protect me?” Vanessa looked at him questioningly.
Could his father protect her? He was a watcher, and that reminded Daniel that he didn’t only have demon blood running through his veins. What abilities did his father have? Had Daniel inherited any of them? “Please, just stay here.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “I hope you think up a solution soon; tomorrow Mike and I have our year-end performance at the dance studio. My parents will definitely notice if I’m not there!”
When she mentioned Blondie, he felt a sharp sting in the pit of his stomach. But he had no reason to be jealous; he wouldn’t be able to truly have Vanessa if he chose the side of darkness. Never. She was just an ordinary human. He’d end up taking her soul sooner or later, and he couldn’t allow that to happen! It was time for their paths to part.
Daniel sighed as he held Vanessa tightly in his arms. “I’ll work fast. I promise.”
As he gave Vanessa one last kiss, putting all his feelings for her into it, he was very careful not to go near her soul again. Vanessa hesitantly returned the kiss and then turned her head away. She said quietly, “I think I may have seen the amulet you described around James’ neck.”
After Daniel had vanished through the shimmering blue circle, Vanessa pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and called Anne’s number. She told Anne that she and Daniel were fine, that he had asked about James’ amulet — and that he had changed. Vanessa had only confided in Daniel about the amulet in the hope that he would come back. She prayed that she hadn’t made a mistake …
Back in the underworld, an uneasy feeling crept over Daniel, even though he knew that he had won. He had a lock of Vanessa’s hair soaked in blood, and he had found out that his father was with his mother … his foster mother.
He walked down the torch-lit corridor leading to the great hall. The closer he came to the door, the faster his heart pounded. Making a colossal effort, he attempted to imagine gruesome images, using the pictures Antheus had sent him as examples. Vanessa, lying in a pool of blood. Eyes shut, he continued his work, his hand clenching Vanessa’s hair, until he suddenly heard Sirina’s voice behind him.
“Silvan, wait!”
He broke out in a cold sweat. Sirina was the last person he wanted to see right now. Nevertheless, he turned around.
When she saw the damp clump of hair in his hand, she beamed from ear to ear. “You killed the strumpet?! Oh, lover!” Without warning, she threw her arms around his neck and tried to kiss her, but he turned his face away.
She stiffened suddenly and stepped away from him as though he had burned her. “She’s alive!” Sirina screeched. “The human bitch isn’t dead at all!”
Daniel’s stomach clenched. In his anxiety and disgust, he had forgotten to shield his thoughts! Had he really believed that he could trick a true demon so easily?
“Don’t scream like that!” he barked at Sirina — but it was too late. The large double doors behind him opened, and the high lords came into the corridor.
Daniel’s heart raced, and his pulse thundered in his ears. What should he do now?
“She’s not dead!” Sirina cried out, her eyes flashing.
Marla must have heard the commotion, as she was suddenly there in the corridor as well, looking at Daniel with compassion as she chewed at a fingernail. She didn’t look as tired as she had earlier in his quarters, but her expression was infinitely sadder.
In no time at all, Metistakles, Obron, and Antheus had surrounded him.
Antheus sniggered. “I told you he’d never complete that task.” He looked at Daniel with a combination of contempt and spite. Daniel could sense the emotions washing over his mind in dark waves. Failure, he heard Antheus say in his mind, and he felt the demon’s anger that his attempt at brainwashing had been thwarted.
Brainwashing? Daniel didn’t know what he meant, but Vanessa’s words sprang to his mind: They’re manipulating you …
As Obron approached Daniel, Antheus’ mind quickly released him. Obron pressed both palms against Daniel’s temples, penetrating his stepson’s consciousness.
Daniel knew that all was lost.
Obron had complete access to his thoughts; Daniel couldn’t deceive him about Vanessa’s death, not even by imagining a fake murder. To his chagrin, Obron saw exactly what had taken place between him and Nessa, and the high lord hissed a curse.
Obron searched on and suddenly cried out in astonishment. “Who tried to make a minion out of you?” The pressure on Daniel’s temples increased as the demon looked at his companions. “Was it one of you?”
Daniel was relieved to no longer be target number one, but his reprieve was short-lived. Antheus and Metistakles looked at their colleague with blameless faces, no hint of guilt in their eyes. Obron turned back to Daniel, growling with displeasure.
As if paralyzed by Obron’s gaze, Daniel stared at the black irises. Finally, a smile broke out across the demon’s narrow lips. “Well, look at that.” Obron released him abruptly. “You know where Carpenter is.”
“Carpenter!” Metistakles and Sirina cried out simultaneously, and Marla said something that Daniel didn’t catch. His sister was shooed away immediately by Metistakles when he became aware of her presence. “You have no business here!” he snapped at her.
What was going on between Marla and Metistakles? The fearful expression in his sister’s eyes troubled Daniel. She walked away, shoulders drooping; Daniel would have liked to hurry after her, but his legs were as heavy as lead. He didn’t want to be left alone here.
“The human trollop is still alive!” Sirina complained, but she immediately went silent at a gesture from Obron.
“Go! Leave us alone!”
“You have no right!” Sirina trotted after Marla, cursing. “I’m his future wife!”
Obron’s brow f
urrowed as he leaned over Daniel. “Where exactly is Carpenter?” he asked sharply.
“I don’t know,” Daniel replied hastily, happy that the high lords hadn’t discovered all that he knew.
“But your little whore knows. You’ll return to her and find out Carpenter’s whereabouts!”
Daniel swallowed hard. He was inwardly seething at hearing the high lord talk about Vanessa like that, but his teeth were chattering in fear.
“If you bring us the scepter, we’ll forget the incident with the human.”
In a flash, he sensed the real reason he was so important to the demons. It had nothing to do with him becoming Overlord. They just wanted him to find the artifact for them. But why did it have to be him?
Obron nodded to Metistakles and Antheus. The three of them forced their way into his mind. It felt like his skull was being split apart by bolts of lightning. Daniel’s knees gave way, and everything went black. He fell to the stone floor. Again, he was overcome by a strange sense of déjà vu, as though he had already experienced a very similar situation. The three demons clawed into his mind and implanted something within him, something dark and evil. And then he suddenly remembered. Antheus had done the same thing, and that was why he had nearly killed Vanessa!
“We’ll speak of this later,” Obron hissed at Antheus, and Metistakles muttered an oath. Good, fight amongst yourselves, thought Daniel, earning himself a mental blow.
Why were they doing this to him? And what were they doing? Daniel felt himself becoming Silvan again. Something was terribly wrong — he was the future Overlord!
The training has strengthened his abilities; at last, he can be of use to us, he heard Obron say in his mind. He’ll be able to deal with Carpenter if anything goes wrong.
The three of us will push Xandros off the throne and usher in a new era, Metistakles said.
They wanted the throne for themselves, and Silvan merely served as a means to their end. However, his disbelief was rapidly transforming into indifference. His raging headache was almost unbearable. But Silvan couldn’t cry out, couldn’t fight back.
Why me? he asked. Why can’t you kill Carpenter yourselves?
