by J. L. Weil
“I can’t.” He pressed a finger to my lips when I opened them to protest. “I cannot share the details of the future, not just for your own protection, but because I do not yet have the answers. I have ideas, but more than one path is laid out before us. The bond between us is stronger than any demon oath, and I swear on our bond that I will not touch the queen, nor will I allow her to touch me. Not now. Not ever. You are and will only ever be the sole woman to share my bed for as long as I shall have a soul to dwell in this world and beyond.”
My fingers weaved into his dark, silky locks. “That was all you had to say.”
He groaned as my lips claimed his again.
Two days passed.
And in those forty-eight hours, Ashor and I spent the majority of the time refining my control of the darkness. I was far from playing in his league, but I had more discipline summoning and banishing the power gifted by our bond.
Still no luck releasing my demon, but it wasn’t the same as learning a new trick. Suppressing my demon went deep, an ingrained reflex, like muscle memory.
The waiting was torturous, and if it wasn’t for Ashor keeping my mind occupied with magic and exercises to pull out my demon, I would have done something stupid and reckless, like busting into the queen’s throne room and issuing an ultimatum that would probably have ended with her killing me… or worse, her enslaving me.
I hadn’t realized that was a fear until the thought popped into my head. But the courts enslaved human souls. It was kind of the point of Hell. They worked for them in the courts, enslaved to do a variety of nasty deeds with demons with no say in the matter.
Hell, no.
I was no demon’s bitch.
Light footsteps sounded outside the suite. Ashor’s body hardened, his gaze swinging to mine, and the storm swirling there sent my hackles up. Something was happening.
Ashor banished his glorious onyx wings, retracting his demon. “It appears the queen would like to speak to us,” he said, moments before the door to our suite burst open.
Three demons crowded the doorway, more or less pushing and shoving at each other to be the first one over the threshold.
Ashor rolled his eyes, smoothing down his hair. “Incompetent,” he muttered under his breath with haughty superiority. “I don’t know why the queen employs such foolish demons.”
These were nothing but grunt soldiers. They were expected to obey without question, which wasn’t difficult to do when you only had half a brain.
A trickle of darkness leaked from Ashor, ribboning itself around the trio. “You forget who I am. Do not enter my rooms without knocking, or you will learn just how true my reputation as the Prince of Darkness truly is.”
The demon in front shrank back, lowering his head as he said, “The queen invites you to dine with her.”
Ashor waved a careless hand that sent his shadowy powers into a sweeping motion that had the demons tumbling back into the hall. “I’ll show myself to the dining hall.” Lacing our fingers, he guided me past Verena’s guards, a wicked grin on his lips. He enjoyed stirring up trouble.
I did a quick scan of my appearance and groaned internally. “It would have been nice to know ahead of time so I could have changed.”
His eyes did a sideways sweep of me from head to toe. “What’s wrong with how you’re dressed?”
“You would like it,” I groused, glaring down at the soft pink dress. If you could call it that. The flimsy material was thin, offering little coverage, except for the parts that counted, but even then, I felt exposed. I only wore the stupid thing because it kept me cool during our practices. I hadn’t expected to actually leave the room looking like a slutty version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Ashor gave a lazy shrug. “At least you blend in.”
“Blending is not my goal. I don’t want to be mistaken for one of her succubae.” My black boots clamored over the floor in time with Ashor’s strides, echoing over the long corridor. With each step, the slits on either side of my hips exposed my thighs, and I spent the entire walk to the dining room fighting to keep the flaps closed.
“You are one of hers,” he said casually.
I elbowed him, drawing the attention of two guards. “Will you stop reminding me.”
The prick only laughed.
The dining hall was empty when walked in, yet the table was spread full of food like it was a Thanksgiving feast. “Okay, what gives? Where is our oh so gracious jailor?” I grumbled, crossing my arms, which did nothing to make me feel less naked.
Ashor’s smile was sharp. “Fashionably late, I assume.”
“Great, another queen who likes to make an entrance.” The scents of freshly baked bread, steamed veggies, meats, and potatoes drifted from the table, causing my stomach to growl. “Would it be rude to start without her?” Demons didn’t need to eat, but I’d learned that higher demons liked to pretend they were actually normal, going through the motions and etiquette of fine dining. Please. It was ridiculous.
“Help yourself,” Ashor said, holding out a chair for me at the far end of the table. He waited until I was seated to join me on the other side.
My hand reached across the table, plucking a piece of fruit off a silver tray. I had it almost to my mouth when I asked, “She wouldn’t poison us now, would she?”
“Verena?” he drawled, raising a single brow. “She most definitely would.”
I glared at the glistening round cherry. “Way to ruin a girl’s appetite.” I tossed the cherry back onto the platter and sank deeper into my chair, a pout forming on my lips.
“It won’t kill you, luv.” Ashor poured himself a glass of spirits and took a sip as if to prove his point.
I gathered the flimsy fabric and tucked it around my legs, wanting to be anywhere but here. After the bloody display the other day, I’d been reminded how ugly and cruel the underworld was. I was eager to leave. Being at the mercy of a demon queen sucked. “How much longer is she going to make us wait?”
The words no sooner left my lips than the queen breezed into the room like the wind blowing through the trees. It was as if she had timed it perfectly. I frowned at the polished queen dressed in a gown that was reminiscent of fall in Spring Valley. Bold shades of cranberry, pumpkin, and gold draped to the ground in one of her more modest dresses. Her strawberry-colored hair was loose and tumbled down her bare back. The Crown of Envy glittered on the top of her head, twigs of ivy interwoven from the crown into her hair. “So glad you could join me.”
“Did we have a choice?” Ashor posed, appearing bored and uninterested as he swirled the liquid in his glass. He hadn’t bothered to spare the queen a single glance, seeming more intrigued by his drink.
But Verena wasn’t put off by the prince’s mood. “Touché,” she said in her sensuous voice. Two of her fluttering demon fairies trailed in behind her, lifting the dress as she prepared to sit at the head of the table. A moment later, a human slave poured her a glass of deep red wine. The bangle bracelets on her arm chimed together as she lifted the cup. “Before you ask, the demon from the Court of Darkness is recovering. His soul is almost fully restored, still intact… for the time being.”
Ashor’s finger tapped the edge of his glass, lifting his eyes finally to meet the queen’s. “I will need to see him, of course.”
Verena lifted her glass in the air in a salute. “And you shall, eventually. But first, we have business to discuss, as you say. Also, there is the little detail of our bargain.”
My fingers gripped the chair with such force, my knuckles turned white. But I didn’t care. The simmering hate for this queen stirred and stewed inside me with renewed vigor.
Ashor’s devilish voice brushed against my mind. “Careful, luv.”
I scowled. She intentionally brought up the blood oath between Ashor and herself to get under my skin. It was obvious from the devious sparkle of joy in her eyes. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction, and set my features to neutral, forcing my fingers to relax.
“Ah, ye
s. First I see Cayden, and then we’ll iron out the details, but until then, have you thought about my other offer?”
“Indeed. I have, and I am willing to accept your alliance, Prince of Darkness, if you pass the test,” Verena agreed, and a breath I didn’t realize I was holding whooshed out of my lungs.
This was huge. With her court behind us, we might stand a chance at preventing Kali from starting a war in her quest to become Supreme. But a selfish, vengeful part of me kind of hoped that Ashor would deliver Verena to his mother. For all that she had put me through, I wanted her out of my life. Permanently. I never wanted her in the same kingdom as Ashor again. Call it a mad case of jealousy.
Ashor showed no visible reaction, only continued to stare at the queen as if he could sense her agreement was contrived. “What kind of test do you have in mind?”
“You already passed your test,” she said, pressing her glass to her lips. Her gown pooled over the white floor, and the gold bangle bracelets at her wrists chimed. Then the queen’s cunning gaze slid to assess me.
Me!
Not Ashor.
Fuck. My. Life.
“The test is for your mate,” she informed him, a twisted smile appearing over the rim of her glass.
“No.” It was a single low command from Ashor’s lips, but the coldness radiating behind the word frosted the room.
The hand clasping the crystal flute tightened. “You refuse me? A queen?” I swore my ears picked up a spike in her tone.
Razor-sharp tension coiled in Ashor. “What is this? A ploy to prolong your decision? What is the point of a test? She isn’t part of this.”
The fucking bitch had the audacity to smile. “Isn’t she? She is connected to you; therefore, she is every bit as involved as you are, Prince. I need to know she is loyal to me.”
My spine straightened. “What kind of test?” I inquired, chiming in before Ashor could protest, hardly believing I was entertaining the idea of a test for even a second. Yet, what other choice did I have? We needed her alliance to stop Kali from fucking over all the worlds, mine included.
“It’s nothing you haven’t done before,” she assured, brushing it off like it wasn’t a big deal.
All my internal alarms went off. I highly doubted it. She was too excited for there not to be a catch. “What’s in it for me?” If I was going to play along, then I was damn sure going to know the house rules, as well as get something out of it.
“Besides my agreement to stand against a fellow queen? How about I grant you what your heart most desires? Will that suffice?” Her deviant stare shifted to Ashor.
The Queen of Envy saw too much. My mother had warned me that Verena could see inside your soul. “You think you know what I truly desire?” I was giving her a little test of my own, but I was also deathly afraid she knew what my purpose was for coming back to the underworld. Yes, it was for Ashor. Our situation was complicated, which made what I desired tricky.
Her glossy lips puckered. “Desire is my specialty, my daughter. There is no question you desire your mate, but anyone with eyes can come to the same conclusion.”
“Thank Lucifer,” Ashor said dully. He was feigning boredom, when in fact a turbulent sea of darkness swan within him. If given the chance, he might strike the queen dead at her dining table.
She gave me a feline grin. “There is something else you long for.”
Ashor’s gaze was on me. Gone was his usually disinterested expression, and I swallowed.
“What you want is to release the prince from his oath to the Wild Hunt,” she said, lowering her voice. “I have the power to break such an oath.”
I went still.
“Devious, luv.” His voice was playful, but he was furious with me. “We’re going to need to work on your poker skills. Never show your full hand without knowing the stakes.”
“He’s right,” the queen agreed. “Pass the test, and I will not only join forces with the Prince of Darkness, I will break his oath to the Hunt.”
“Forgo the offer to release me from the Hunt and allow me to take the test in her place,” Ashor suggested. Well, it was more of a demand, the way it said it.
But the queen wasn’t intimidated. “No deal, Prince,” she said, sipping on her wine before reaching for a strawberry and sinking her teeth into the piece of fruit. Pink juice dribbled from the side of her lip, and she caught it with her black tongue. “This only works if your mate proves her loyalty. She is an outsider. You can’t expect me to go on your word alone. All I ask in return is for her to kill a demon. Surely, that isn’t a problem for the huntress? From what I’ve heard, she is quite skilled at demon slaying.”
Ashor’s eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. “What are you playing at, Verena?”
I almost laughed. This test… it was a joke. Why would she ask me to kill a demon knowing my background? “Is there anything special about this demon?” I asked to cover my ass.
“None that I’ve seen,” she answered levelly.
I shifted my legs under the table. “Why do you want him dead?”
The queen gave a blasé one-shoulder shrug. “For no particular reason other than he serves a purpose to prove your loyalty.”
So the poor bastard was chosen at random for my test, not that I cared. Most demons didn’t deserve to have a soul, even a black one. “Who is it?” I found myself asking, curious about the demon I was to kill.
The corner of her ticked and I could see I was pushing her patience. “His name does not matter. Only that you do the deed.”
I only thought about it for another heartbeat. “When?”
Triumph set her perfect cherry lips. “Why, now.”
My palms grew sweaty, and I wiped on the sheer fabric of my dress, telling myself to chill. “Am I to kill him with my bare hands or will you give me a weapon?”
As if on cue, a human sauntered into the room carrying a velvety bundle in his arms. He paused at my side, laying out the wrapped package on top of the table and unveiling an assortment of weapons that would have been any hunter’s wet dream. Emma would be peeing herself with excitement.
“Pick one,” the queen granted.
I couldn’t stop myself from running my fingers along the length of the artfully crafted blades. There were three of them, all made from a material that meant sure death for a demon. The smooth metal hummed under my touch. They were too fancy to be used for bloodshed, but I picked up the third one, fitting the hilt into my hand. It molded to my grip perfectly, and a small smile touched my mouth.
If I threw it down the length of the table, would I be fast enough to sink the blade into her chest? Killing the Queen of Envy wouldn’t solve anything. In fact, it would create a whole new set of problems I didn’t want to deal with. Killing a queen wasn’t like killing a demon. The consequences were huge, like inheriting an entire kingdom.
No. Fucking. Thank you.
And if she thought for one second I would do her dirty work, she was sadly mistaken. I was no demon’s bitch.
You want me to kill Kali?” I guessed. What other demon could she possibly want dead?
The queen laughed. “Lucifer, no. You wouldn’t stand a chance against her. The demon I speak of is a no one, really. Just a soul I acquired and turned, but I find I no longer have any use for him. Think of it as more of a gift than a test,” Verena purred. The gold bracelets around her arm moved, coiling and twirling like tiny snakes.
“And if I refuse?”
“Then you and Ashor face the Queen of Darkness alone. I don’t believe Kali will be as forgiving a second time, hearing that her son betrayed her again.”
She would kill us both. “Who is the demon?” I asked. It was a simple question and yet, the queen continued to dodge the question, which made me all kinds of suspicious. The bitch was up to something, but for the life of me, I couldn’t unearth what.
Ashor’s voice broke me out of my own head. “Lexi, you don’t have to do this.”
Verena ignored his protests. “How about I just
show you instead.” Giddiness sparkled in her features, bringing out little white stars in her eyes.
I half expected it to be Cayden, not putting it past the queen to be completely twisted in the head. But it wasn’t Ashor’s friend who stepped into the room.
The demon sauntered into the room on his own. No chains. No guards. He voluntarily walked to his death. But none of that mattered the second I got a look at his face.
Son of a bitch!
The declaration was followed by another round of colorful swear words. My heart tightened in my chest and then dropped. The room began to spin, and I clutched the chair for support. I was close to passing out. This couldn't be happening. It wasn’t real. How could it be?
Colin, my very dead ex-boyfriend, walked into the room. Could I even classify him as an ex, since we technically never broke up? I kind of assumed once he crossed over to the other side, we were done, but now… staring at the human boy I had once loved, I was lost. Colin had died because of me! Because of who and what I was.
No. No. No.
My head shook in denial as I shoved the chair away from the table.
Ashor felt my inner turmoil and watched the color drain from my face. “Lexi, what is it? Do you know him?”
That was an understatement.
My eyes raked over Colin, seeing past the shock and taking notice of the differences from the boy I had known. His chiseled cheeks were hollow and grayish-blue in color. Elongated pointy ears peeked through his sandy-blond hair, which was longer than I remembered. Nothing human shone in those crimson eyes. Colin was a demon. A gazillion questions whirled through my head. How and why was he here? Who turned him? For what purpose? “It was you,” I whispered, remembering the other night when I had seen a face outside through the window. It had been his face—Colin’s. But I had been so sure I was seeing things, and when I went outside to check, he was gone.
Something akin to contempt flashed over his features. “Hello, Lexi.”
