by Jana LaPelle
Then the demon turns and when he does, he spots us, narrowing his black eyes on us, a permanent scowl on his pointed face. Where Daxell’s demon eyes have the warmth of hellfire in them, his are cold and calculating, his long pointy ears fly back away from his head, menacingly. His small frame is naked except for a filthy linen loincloth that covers up his male bits. Thank the gods for that. No one wants to see his wee dangling male parts, especially not me. Except for the fact that he’s only like two feet tall, his wiry frame is covered in rope-like sinew. There’s not a trace of hair anywhere that I can see on his body.
Narrowing those cold eyes on us, he points his three-fingered hand at us, “Yous be trespassing here, all of yous. This be our territory, our horde of treasures.”
The demon that he fought with just seconds ago, lurches to his feet and in an act of solidarity he makes to sound an alarm. A brass horn lightly grasped in his misshapen three-fingered hand, majically appeared just seconds ago and now he is blowing into the thing creating a loud blaring noise that even the deaf could hear. We haven’t even had time to say a word and suddenly we are surrounded by the little two foot tall fuckers. They appear out of nowhere all at once. We begin backing away from these extremely pissed off little demons.
Then … all be damned … a vortex appears on the other side of the demons and all of them turn to observe. The vortex swirls counterclockwise in a brilliant blue, violet, and red that I’ve seen before. As the portal stabilizes, the shimmering mirage-like scene solidifies, and two figures step out, hand in hand, both with knowing smirks on their faces. I know those faces. Mammon and Nyx. They are followed by over fifty reptilian-like guards that fan out on either side of them. Unobserved, the three of us silently shrink back behind a pile of gods knows what to bear witness to what will happen next as Nyx’s portal continues to swirl and crackle behind them. She makes no move to close it.
A swarm of locust appears beside Mammon and another of the Fallen materializes to his right. Dragon balls and troll turds, I need to get to my mother. I need this offending binding bracelet removed. I have a feeling that things have just escalated pass bad to … well, fucked up. For the love of Lucifer, why isn’t he here? This is going to be epically horrendous.
Mammon steps forward approaching the two bickering demons from earlier, “Hand me the bag.” His tone commanding. His face is stoic. His concubine smirking. Losing patience he demands, “The bag! I will have it now! Are you deaf or just plain ignorant?!”
The two drop the backpack at their feet, bowing low to the ground. “Master,” one of them squeaks, “please forgives us. We means no harm. Be this what yous be seeking? Tis no treasure, tis but a simple bag?”
Nyx steps forward, “That is no simple bag, it holds something that belongs to me, that belongs to my mother. Give it to me!”
“Mammon be our master, not yous, mistress.” The unfortunate demon counters quickly and then cowers back on his heels when he realizes his mistake.
Nyx hisses, “So be it, mongrel, forfeit this bag to your master, and he will give it over to me. It matters not!” Her voice raised in anger. Clearly, she is pissed at not being recognized as someone of power by a creature so far beneath her.
Mammon lays a hand on her arm soothingly, “Now, now, Nyx, he does not understand who you are to me.” Turning back to the trembling demon, he demands, “Kneel before your new queen. Now.” With every word, his stature grows until he is towering over everyone. Gone is the slick business suit attire from The Mortal Realm, once again he is rocking the Egyptian-like look that he seems to be so comfortable with. At his demand, the entire horde of tiny homely demons immediately drop down on both knees and lay prostrate before their master on the blackened earth. “That’s better. Now, hand the bag over to your queen!” His deep voice rumbles across the island and I inwardly cringe, waiting for the elusive item that we have been searching for to slip through our fingers yet again.
Nyx smirks and steps forward, holding her hand out waiting for the poor unfortunate soul to do his master’s bidding. Then he looks back toward where we are hiding and points, no doubt wanting to gain favor, “Mistress and master, there be trespassers here. They be-”
Mammon’s new henchman, the Fallen that arrived in a swarm of locusts steps forward along with the guard that has accompanied Mammon. His eyes narrow on our hiding place as if he can see through all the many discarded things to us, “Step forward, trespassers! Now! You are surrounded. If you don’t you will bear the wrath of Beelzebub, sworn ally of Mammon. Show yourselves!”
Daxell swears, “Hell’s saints! Stand behind me and hide Poppy.” Turning back to Mammon and his growing alliance, Daxell steps forward, a swagger to his gait, and he draws out, “So? Gluttony? You have sided with Mammon? Not surprising. Not in the least. You do realize that you will all fail in your endeavor to rule The Underworld. Don’t you?” Daxell counters as he steps free and clear of our hiding place, striding forward as if he hasn’t a care in the world.
Nyx is the first to respond, “Oh dear … You actually mated her. I am somewhat surprised by that. I never figured you to be the type to be … What is the term? Oh yes, tied down?” Turning her wickedly beautiful face to me, she addresses me, “So? Lillie? Here we are. Full circle. I remember telling you that you were just a pawn.” Her mocking laughter rings out around us, “Thank you. You have fulfilled your purpose. Although, I was very disappointed when I realized that no sooner than you arrived, you lost our Trojan horse. How careless of you,” she taunts. “I trust that the same cannot be said of the bracelet that I bestowed on you?” Her smile is sweet and deceptive, her eyes glittering in malice at the implication. Turning to the trembling demon before her, she demands, “I will have that bag. NOW!”
He happily obliges. He picks up the ruined backpack and gingerly hands it to his new mistress before turning back to me. His soulless black eyes glare back at me as if I’m to blame for losing his most prized possession. Then he turns back to Nyx, “What does its holds, mistress?” His voice is reverent and full of anticipation.
Nyx holds the bag up and looks directly in my eyes, “What did I tell you, Lillie? You were a distraction, and here we are.” She laughs, mocking me, and unzips the bag and pulls the insides out. Then she fumbles with what looks like a hidden compartment and finds another zipper. She slides her hand inside and snakes out the hidden whip. Smiling in triumph, she viciously snaps the whip in the demon’s direction, the one that disobeyed her initially. The whip cracks loudly over his leathery skin and he shrieks in pain. The poor thing shrinks back away from the abuse. Smiling at me, she says, “It’s your turn, love. I have what I came for, thank you for providing the diversion.”
Before she can do anything further, Lucifer appears out of nowhere. “Mammon,” he growls, “Control your whore.”
Mammon snarls, “Enough, Lucifer! She is no whore. You will show her respect! You have led the Fallen into complacency and degradation. I will lead our people into a new age! It is time for change!”
Lucifer stalks forward. With each step, he grows larger and more menacing until his demon form materializes in it’s large and intimidating form, his barbed tail swishing in agitation, “A new age?!” He demands. “You know nothing. You are lost in your greed and now you threaten everything. That whip was never to be brought to this realm and you know why. Hand it over! I entrusted it to you, Mammon. You swore an oath to make sure that this relic was never brought to this realm, and yet here we are, brother, you defying my decree.” Luc stares down his Fallen brethren and I instinctively back away.
Hades demons, this is bad. This is not going to end well.
Mammon chuckles, “Make me.” His dare rumbles across the realm. A declaration of what is to come. “I’m done being your lackey, Luc. Nyx and I? We are meant for more than just this.” With those words, they all step into the swirling vortex behind them. Nyx turns back, she smirks at me before the portal shrinks to nothing and is gone with a loud popping sound.
Lucif
er turns back to us, hellfire burning bright in his intense eyes. “Go,” he commands, “Now, before I change my mind, Daxell!”
“We need a portal, Luc!” Daxell demands.
“No. You don’t. I just lifted the ban on traveling between the realms. Not that it has done any good. That she-bitch has found a way around my ban. You have ascended, Daxell, you can trace anywhere that you have been.” Realization dawns in his demon eyes. Looking at me, he cocks his head and asks, “You didn’t tell him?”
Hating him for calling me out on my secret suspicion, I look at Daxell and say, “You’ve been able to trace since the moment we ascended.”
“Well. Fuck.”
“I really hate you, Luc,” I hiss under my breath.
He chuckles, the sound dark and menacing, “As it should be. Now go. I need to do damage control. I need to see if I can stop what they are about to do. Things are about to get interesting.”
43
Pissed Doesn’t Even Cover It
(Daxell)
"Wait. What about the charges against Lillie? Do they still stand?” I demand of Luc.
“The charges against her are no longer valid. Mammon has shown his true colors. Why do you think that I showed up when I did? Now go. I have work to do. I will come to you in Faerie as soon as I can.”
Nodding, I turn back to Lillie and growl, “Tell me what I need to do.”
Turning to Poppy, she says, “Go back to the Keep. We will be right behind you.” Poppy nods, thinking it best to not say a word, she blinks out of sight. Lillie turns to me and holds out her hand, I take her smaller hand in my own and she says, “Hold me close, and think of where you want to go. Anywhere that you have been before and then step forward as if you are going to arrive there any moment. Since you can shadow-walk, this should be a piece of cake for you.” Her smile doesn’t reach her eyes, she knows that I’m pissed.
“Okay, here we go.” I pull her flush against me, molding her body to my own. Then I picture the one place that I know best, the place that feels like home to me. Holding on to that image, I lift my foot as though to step through a doorway. It feels as if we are being sucked into a vacuum.
Sensing my initial unease, Lillie whispers, “Almost there.”
The next moment we’re standing on the dock of the lake outside my northern cabin in The Mortal Realm. The sun is high overhead and we squint against the harsh glare of the gas ball in the azure sky as our eyes grow accustomed to its bright light, so different from the crimson skies of The Underworld.
Letting her go, I step back, “Why didn’t you tell me?” I demand curtly.
“You never asked.” She counters, her head held high.
“We could have left at any time!” My anger is close to boiling at this point, her omission of the truth has lit a fire of anger within me.
Narrowing her eyes on me, she stands her ground, hands on her lovely hips, “I don’t think that we could have left, Dax. Luc said he locked down The Underworld. No traveling between the realms. Remember?”
“That still doesn’t justify the fact that you did not inform me that I could trace. That could have been useful during our trip to the Lava Fields. Why, LJ?”
She rolls her eyes, an exasperated sigh escapes her, “I’m not going to talk to you like this. You need to calm the hell down, demon boy.”
“Don’t call me that,” I snarl, my demon close to the surface.
“You’re being unreasonable, Daxell. This is all new to me too!” She stomps her foot in anger.
“Unreasonable? You withheld information. Information that I should have been privy to.”
“Why are you so pissed, Dax? The fact that I chose not to share my suspicions with you or that you were unable to utilize your newfound abilities because you didn’t think to ask? You can’t keep me tucked away in an ivory tower for the rest of my life hoping like hell that nothing happens to me under your watch. I’m a grown-ass adult that was born into a family that has pledged their lives, their very souls to protect and serve a purpose. I hate to tell you this, demon boy, but you agreed to all of that and more when you chose to bond with me. Don’t you dare lay all this on me. What would you have done if I told you that you could trace us out of The Underworld? Don’t answer that. I know what you would have done. You would have stopped us from going after Vengeance.”
I snort, “That turned out well for us. Didn’t it?” I demand. “Here we are, no closer to getting that whip back than the moment that we started on this crazy-ass journey.”
“What do you want from me, Daxell? I’m not perfect. I make mistakes … and so do you.”
Not knowing how to answer her, I turn away and stalk toward the garage before I remember my newfound ability and trace to my bike, lifting the garage door from the inside, I swing onto my bike and gun the engine, with one last pissed look at LJ, I take off down the drive at a breakneck speed, gravel kicking up in my wake. She’s still just as pissed at me as I am with her and I’m not sure how to deal with all my anger. Enjoying the horsepower beneath me. I gun the engine as I maneuver the bike beneath me onto the main road. I’m not even ten minutes into my ride when my anger begins to wane. Feeling bad for just leaving her there, I do a u-turn and head back to the cabin. I find her waiting for me on the front steps.
“Well, you weren’t gone as long as I thought you would be. I’m locked out. I can’t get in. You know?” Lifting her arm she waggles it from side to side showing me her binding cuff. She doesn’t meet my eyes and I sigh knowing we need to talk this out.
Pulling a key from my front pocket I park my bike and swing my leg over her shiny form. I reach out for LJ’s hand and pull her up from her sitting position, “Come on, honey cheeks, let’s talk.” I open the door and pull my kindred mate in behind me. For better or worse, we are in this together. No matter the situation. Walking into the kitchen, the digital calendar on the door of the refrigerator indicates that we have only been gone from the realm less than twenty-four hours. Crazy. Reaching into the fridge, I pull out a chilled bottle of pinot grigio. Making quick work of the cork, I pour a glass for LJ. Then turning to the liquor cabinet on the far side of the room, I pour myself an Irish whiskey, needing something just a little more stout.
The silence between us is suffocating and I don’t like it. Running my hands through my hair I turn back to Lillie. She’s just staring down at her glass, both of us at a loss for words. Not sure how to fix this chasm that has suddenly opened between us. When she finally looks up at me, our eyes meet, and the regret I feel is echoed in her gaze.
“I’m sorry,” We say in unison.
“There was no time to think or plan or anything. As soon as we ascended we had to leave and then there were all the things that came to light when we met with Jillasandra. I really didn’t have time to wrap my mind around everything. I knew in theory that you should be able to trace and other things as well, but … I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you in the dark. Everything was just so chaotic. I know that doesn’t excuse me from my omission.”
Finally, she reaches her hand toward me and I close the distance between us. Taking her hand in my own, I bring her palm up and place it against my rough cheek, I haven’t shaved in days, and lean into her touch. “Actually, LJ, it does. We’re both new at this, and, we have been thrown into this shit storm without a chance to just breathe. I’m not mad at you, I’m just frustrated. Godhood should come with a damned manual. Don’t you think?”
She smirks and reaches up with her other hand to caress my face, “You know, demon boy, that’s exactly what I was thinking before I ran into you. We’ll figure it out. Together.”
I lean in, our drinks forgotten, and brush my lips against hers. Drinking in the scent and taste of her. Relishing in this moment, the way her lips move against mine, the way she stands to move into my arms, the way she perfectly fits against me. Fuck, if I can’t help myself to her, but I let her take the lead. Her tongue brushes against my own as she becomes more demanding, needing more. Wrapp
ing my arms around her, I fit her more tightly against me. Without thinking, I trace us into my bedroom needing to take this further, my demon and I need to reconnect with our mate.
LJ chuckles, and murmurs against my lips, “You’re getting the hang of this, I see.”
We make quick work of our clothes and then she’s standing in front of me. Her wild, unruly hair, that reaches almost to her waist, elven tipped ears that peek out from beneath her hair, sun-kissed skin that glitters under the high light of the afternoon sun that streams in from the balcony doors that overlook the lake. A goddess, the most stunning female in all the realms, and she’s mine. Her lips twitch and then purse as she tries not to smile at my obvious perusal of her form.
No words are needed. I intend to explore every beautiful inch of her, and I will damn well take my time doing it. Everything else can wait. Nothing is more important to me than LJ.
44
Free at Last
(Lillie Joanna)
Thank the gods for the time difference between the realms. We spent the afternoon making love, exploring each other, and reaffirming our bond. Lingering in bed, I run my hands over the broad expanse of Daxell’s chest, lightly teasing the taut nubs of his pecs. His groan has me aching for him again. I sink back down into the cloud-like mattress as Dax hovers over me, sensing that he can no longer contain his beast. His wings tear free from their hiding place and his shift takes over. At the sight of his magnificence, I’m a bundle of hot messy need, wanting him. I’m not sure what it says about me that the sight of his large black horns that jut up from his forehead and arch back over his soot-black hair turns me on so much. Then, when his wings snap out over me, I arch up to find his hard length right there, poised and ready to enter me.
“My little one, you are so responsive. How I adore you.” His all-black eyes scorch me with their burning intensity.
