Devil Inside
Page 17
Baamil shook his head. He placed the tablet beside him and crossed his legs, resting his ankle against the opposite knee. “Do you know what’s worse than the blood and the violence? Using sex to control. No matter the station, no matter the parentage, if one of my people falls out of line, doesn’t complete their task, they are removed. Quickly. It would be the same even if it were my son. The only person you can count on is yourself, Incanta. Look what happened to Poseidon. If he used his brain instead of followed his emotions, he would still be alive and would still be controlling the Light Court.”
“Well thank the fates he had his little hissy fit and got himself taken out,” she said dryly. “Remember one thing, Baalim, hobs are an endangered species. I must produce an heir, and unless you’re going to submit to me...” she smiled sweetly. “But you are right.” She sighed. “The scroll, is it still under lock and key?”
“Only the two of us can access it. We have some time before it will give us the next clue, which means you need to prepare yourself and find a new set of men to take with you. I’m still trying to work out my little situation, though it doesn’t seem as urgent as it once had.” He smiled a cold, cruel smile. “It seems my prey isn’t doing so well for herself. I do enjoy your torment. I think I’ll let her fester in it a bit longer.”
His tablet beeped and he looked down before swiping the screen and looking back at her. “And Incanta, I will never submit to you. Not in business and certainly not in the bedroom. I have no interest in fucking you. Sex ruins partnerships.”
“Which is fortunate, as you don’t do it for me.” If he did, nothing would stop her. She took a sip of her wine. “We have ‘til the next moon, right? Three weeks?”
He nodded. “That should give you enough time, one would think. You are planning on going yourself on the next mission, correct?”
“Seems I must, if those cursed nomarts are to be believed.” She sighed and drained her wine. “Royalty and all...” She didn’t even have royal houses. Roue was all there was for royals, descended from the high king of the femorians. Which meant she needed to breed, and she needed to solidify their position.
“Once we have both the Light and Nightmare Courts under our rule, we’ll make sure to pay the nomarts back for their assistance. I’m thinking their extinction would be appropriate.”
She gave him a small smile. “Of course.” She had plans for a few of them herself. “If we are through with this meeting, I have a treatment to get to.” She stood. “Keep me abreast of what’s happening, yes? And I do hope you will be in on the plans for this next task.” Especially because he knew much more about the human realm.
Baalim stood as well, collecting his tablet. “I have to meet with my son on my other project. But yes, I’ll be there. You know how to contact me.” He walked up to her, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. “This isn’t over, Incanta. We might have missed on the first round, but we won’t miss on the second.”
She watched him walk out of her receiving room of her recently acquired palace and smiled. Yes. Things would work out. Baalim might be immune to her charms, unlike Poseidon, but it didn’t matter. If nothing else, she would have her heir, even if it meant seducing that fetching son of his. And the high throne of Faerie was in her grasp. All she needed was to reach out.