I slid two of the bottles into my bra at the outside of my breasts near my arms, and a third went into my cleavage. I wasn’t sure what to do with the rest, and Nathan pulled out a super thin backpack and put them in it as he said, “We’ll strap it around your torso to be sure they stay snug up against you. If you have to drink from the falls, do, but I’m hoping this will be enough until it’s time for you to come home.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think I can keep them touching my body during the things we’ll have to do to get the Celrau’s blood out of my system.”
He opened his mouth to speak but Xaephan interjected, “I’ll handle it. We’ll make it work.”
Nathan nodded and helped me put the other backpack — the one with my clothes and shoes — on over the top of the small one. “One last hug and then I must go. I’ll see you soon.”
“Promise me you’ll make sure…” It occurred to me Xaephan had told me more than once about the power of names, and I’d already said Lauren’s name once. “Promise me you’ll make sure my loved ones are okay?”
He kissed my forehead and I realized he wasn’t sure he was ever going to see me again. “I’m real, but you’ll need to be sure anyone else you recognize while you’re here is real. Feel their energy, probe their aura. I know you did it with me, and I’m sure you’ll do it with others, but I still must say it because it’s important.” He sighed. “I haven’t used much of my own energy while I was here. I’m only a dozen steps from the door so I can afford to give you some, if you need to be topped up?”
“I had a lot when I came, but some more would be good.”
He put his hands on my arms just below my shoulders, his palms aimed towards each other, and let it trickle into me so I could direct it where I wanted it. Once he saw I was handling it, he upped the volume and I groaned as his heat filled me. Nathan is wild, untamed, feral — and his energy is difficult to control.
When he finally pulled his hands away I kept my eyes closed a few moments while I mixed his energy with my own. When I opened them I told him, “It isn’t romantic, so don’t freak out on me, but I really am coming to love you. You’re such a typical asshole cat sometimes, but you can be really sweet, too.”
He shook his head once and I saw raw emotion in his eyes. “If you get yourself trapped here, or if you die on me, I’ll never forgive you.” He looked over my head at Xaephan. “Take care of her, Demon Lord. We want her home.”
“I’m doing what I can, and at this point I believe I’ll be successful. However, you need to come up with a Plan B, in case we need to send her somewhere other than Midgard when the Prince says her time is up in his demesne.”
Nathan nodded and stepped back. “I’ll wait until the two of you are a few hundred yards away before I open the gateway to leave.” His gaze met Xaephan’s. “I know being this near the edge is hard for you, and an open doorway will make it worse.”
“Thank you, King of Cats.”
Nathan gave me a quirky grin. “Leave it to you to get trapped in Hell with the Lord of Lust. Have fun while you’re detoxing. I’ll see you soon.”
Chapter 9
The Lion King had come to Hell to bring me a change of clothes, a large meal, and some water. I owed him big time.
Nathan had kept me at arm’s length for so long because as he’d lost people he loved and cared for, and with the pain of each death he’d lost more and more of his humanity until he was a monster — feared by all. Aaron had somehow pulled him back from the brink of evil, but Nathan protected his psyche by not becoming attached to anyone who wasn’t long-lived or immortal.
However, I’d apparently managed to sneak into his heart while we worked together, and he’d grown — as he put it — fond of me. When we’d had dinner together and finally talked it out, he’d told me he’d go to the ends of the earth to keep me safe, but if I did something stupid to get myself in danger of being killed or seriously injured, he’d take his belt to me and he didn’t need my consent to do it.
I wasn’t in danger of his belt over this because I hadn’t been stupid. I’d been in my damned bathroom in my fucking office when I’d been dragged through a portal to Hell. And now… shit. Now I was wrapped around the Demon Lord of Lust while he flew us into Hell far enough he could teleport us back to the little cave we were staying in.
We were still in the air when Xaephan warned me to get a deep breath, and he teleported us without landing first.
I was getting used to the visual and auditory static, but it was still disconcerting. When we landed and the now-familiar bedroom seemed to form around us, he put me down and turned his back to me.
“You asked me to let you see the real me, and I’m thinking you were right.”
I moved a few feet away from him, but didn’t form a weapon just yet. Something about his tone of voice set me on edge — I wasn’t sure what had changed, but suddenly the entire room seemed a lot more malevolent.
“Did you need permission from the cat to fuck me?”
“What? No! Nathan and I are friends.”
“Good friends, apparently. And more than the political allies I’ve been led to believe you are, from what I saw.”
I sighed and spoke to his back. “I haven’t been dishonest with you about my friends or allies. My life is complicated. First and foremost, I’m a mom. Next is probably my lifestyle trainer — I showed you a memory of one of our sessions. He’s very dear to me, but we don’t have sex and our relationship isn’t romantic. I’m friends with Aaron and Nathan, and I work with them a lot. When you depend on someone to have your back in life threatening situations, it builds close relationships. I’ve been going out with Abbott for a while, but we both have busy schedules and don’t really see each other that often — and we aren’t exclusive.” I rolled my eyes. “To be honest, I’m going to have a lengthy conversation with Abbott when I get back — his claiming me as opposed to merely putting me under his protection is apparently what brought me to the attention of the Celrau, and I’ve been clear with him from the start that the two of us weren’t in any way exclusive.” What I didn’t say aloud was that unless Abbott had a damned good reason, the two of us were finished.
“And your other teacher? The one I’ve bargained with for your safe return?”
“I already told you — I consider him a friend but I’m pretty sure he just sees me as a student, someone he’s taking the time to train in case I can become useful later on.”
“If I’d known who you truly are, I wouldn’t have struck my bargain with him.”
“You’d have killed me?”
“No, I’d have kept you. Once you were fully aligned with me, I believe I could’ve convinced the Prince your abilities don’t break the rules against you being here.”
“I can’t stay here. I have a life back home.”
He sighed and turned back to me, and now I saw not only the wings, but also jet black horns — almost like a ram’s, so they went up a few inches before curling down, back, and up again. They were as thick as my wrist at the root, and were banded like a snake’s belly. His irises weren’t black anymore, but glowed red and shifted as if lit by a moving flame, and he was watching me as I imagined a bird of prey looks as he sits on a limb and considers his next meal.
A Nightmare on Elm Street flashed back to me, with a reminder you give beings your energy when you fear them. Xaephan wasn’t going to fade into nothing if I didn’t fear him, but I had no idea what he’d do with the energy of the terror that threatened to overwhelm me when I first saw him.
When I’d tried to look into his heart while he was in my patient’s body, he’d diverted my aim so I saw inside my patient’s heart instead. Now, instead of drawing my staff of light to defend myself, I looked into his heart.
And saw conflict.
He shut me out a microsecond after I was in, but I’d seen enough to know he wanted me to see who he really is but didn’t intend to hurt me.
I also got the impression he’s capable of evil, and h
as done more than his share of bad things, but based on my brief glimpse into his heart, I wouldn’t classify him as evil. It was more like it’s his job to be evil.
I shook my head. “Okay, so yeah, the look is a little creepy from a human standpoint, but I’m not holding my staff so you haven’t put me on the defensive. I get that you’re one of the most powerful beings in this realm, and perhaps I haven’t done what I should to show you the respect owed to a Demon Lord. I’m not big on kneeling unless there’s some kind of power exchange agreement, but if there’s protocol one follows when addressing you, please teach it to me so I’ll know.”
“I’m usually addressed as My Lord, except by my slaves, who address me as My Lord and Master.”
“As I’m not an inhabitant of this realm…” I didn’t want to call him My Lord. It rankled, and I’d have been better off not asking how to show him respect than to ask and refuse. I’d been prepared to call him Your Majesty, why had he not given me that option?
“I’ve already allowed you to address me as an equal and I won’t take it away from you.”
He morphed back into the other form — without the horns and creepy eyes — but I shook my head. “No, you don’t have to alter your appearance to put me at ease. I see you. I know who you are on the inside. The outer wrapper isn’t important.”
“I know you do, so we’ll stick to this form. It’s become habit to only let humans see me this way. You didn’t see horns and glowing eyes on the Prince, either, did you?”
I shook my head and he explained, “Too many drawings of us made it into the human realm, and we’ve all agreed not to show them our true forms. The wings are okay, because I guess your kind sees them as cool instead of evil, but the horns and eyes…” He shook his head. “I believe your word would be that they demonize us, and the very fact this word means what it does…” He shrugged. “Eventually, prophecy tells us the realms will join. It might be better for us not to be seen as everyone’s enemy, when it happens.”
“Speaking of not being seen as evil…” I told him of the women being captured, and the half-demons who had been bringing them into Hell via some kind of cart in a cave.
“There’s nothing we can do about sending them back if they’ve been here more than a few days. Once they’re slaves here and have absorbed the energy of this realm...” He shrugged. “I’m sure those in your world have blocked the gateway by now, and I’m just as sure another gateway will be opened. There’s a trade in humans brought in for slaves. Always has been, always will be. Even if I could stop it, I wouldn’t.”
“The half-demons were just the hired help though, right? There are smarter beings planning it, putting it together?”
“I’m sorry, Chère. I can’t answer your questions and I can’t help you get the women back.”
Okay, a brick wall. Maybe I could learn other things that might help me with that situation when I returned. “So, there’s a demon language? How do you know English?”
“I know all languages without having to learn them.”
I was once again bowled over by the authority and charisma oozing from him, not to mention his physical size and the fact he was a fucking beautiful man. He seemed at times a hero of legend and at times a villain, but whatever vibes he was giving off, he was larger than life. Like Mordecai, Xaephan seemed as if he should have his own theme music following him around, and I could almost hear it when he walked into my presence. Or rather, when he walked so I was in his presence.
I’d contemplate that later — for now, we had work to do so I could get home. “What’s the first step towards detoxing me?”
“I can put your water in a circle, so it won’t pick up the energies here as quickly. It’ll also be cold. Strip, and put your things on the side table, all together.”
I stepped to the other side of the bed and stripped down to bra and panties. When I had everything on the side table, he grinned. “Nice to see you’re finally acting human, but I want you butt-assed naked, Chère. Strip.”
I considered him a few moments before putting my hands on my hips and smiling back as I challenged, “Make me.”
He laughed, and it went all the way to his eyes. “So much for my horns and eyes making you afraid of me, I see.” He formed the circle around my things on the table, and then — almost as an afterthought — flourished his hand in my direction and I felt extreme heat on my skin as he burned the fabric to nothing in less than a second. It was so fast, the blazing heat didn’t have time to damage my skin, but it hurt like the dickens.
I jumped and exclaimed, “Fuck! Shit! Fuck! What the hell?!”
“Still want to play, little girl?”
I ran my hands over my breasts, under my arms, down my sides to my hips, around behind on my bottom, and then brought my right hand around to feel my pussy lips. Nothing was damaged, and the pain was gone almost as fast as it’d appeared.
I chuckled — my heart still raced maniacally, but I was okay. “Yeah, I think I do. I could produce a sword and cut your loincloth thingamajig away, but I’m guessing you don’t want a sharp pointy light-weapon inches away from what I’m assuming will be an impressive cock, seeing as how you’re the Lord of Lust, and all.”
“Hmm, I’m thinking perhaps you should feel it, before you see it.”
I gave him a mock glare and he chuckled, but then his face grew serious. “How much of this do you want me to explain? The hit to your adrenals just then, from the fear, burned up maybe half of a percent of the Celrau blood in you. I’m going to scare you and keep you on edge, and if I explain too much it loses the effect.”
“Do you know what a safeword is?”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, we don’t have those in this realm, Chère.”
“Nevertheless, if I say red and use it as a command, it means you’re giving me more sensations than I can sexualize.”
“And there you go again, not acting entirely human by understanding I’ll be giving you sensations and not so much the mix of pain and pleasure most would see.”
“Do you think maybe we can stop talking about it and, I don’t know, maybe fuck for a bit?”
He disappeared, and I almost went into fight mode when he was suddenly standing inches in front of me. He reached for my forehead, a single finger touched it, and the room went black.
“I can’t see!”
“I took your sight.” My world spun out of control as he lifted me and tossed me onto the bed. Somehow, I landed on all fours, and then screamed as his hand slapped my ass twice — hard.
I felt the burn of each handprint, and when I reached back to soothe the pain he grabbed my arms and held them to the small of my back as he casually said, “They’ll stay where I put them.”
He let go of them, and yet… didn’t. It was as if he’d left a set of ghost hands on them, pressing them to my back while his real hands reached between my legs and he pressed what had to be three fingers into me.
Adrenaline had flooded my system when I lost my sight, and then again when he’d tossed me through the air. Now, I was balanced on my chest with my ass in the air and the Demon Lord’s fingers less than a dozen seconds from making me orgasm. I couldn’t see a damned thing even though there was nothing over my face and my eyes were open, and if he hadn’t told me his intention was to basically scare the bejeebers out of me, I’d have been screaming my safeword. Not that I was assured he’d respect it, but I had a feeling he’d at least back off.
Instead, I reminded myself this was like watching a horror movie, where the object is to be scared while knowing you’re safe. Probably.
“Nice wet little cunt, aren’t you, Chère?” His fingers plunged in and out, stretching me just to the point of too much pain because he hadn’t worked me up to it. Still, I arched my back and offered myself to him, already millimeters from an orgasm if he’d only go a little faster, or maybe curl his fingers just a touch…
“You need to know my cock is hot. It won’t burn you — I’ll keep it cooled enough so I don�
�t sear your insides, but it’s still going to be quite warm. I’ll pull out before I come, and it’ll feel like wax play when it hits you. I’m assuming you’ve played with hot wax on your stomach?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Mmmm. I like the Sir. Don’t call me Master — using the word when you mean it can form a binding relationship, here.”
“Fuck, so much I need to know. Almost makes me just want to stop talking.”
He chuckled as he added his pinky and pressed his hand in and held, his knuckles stretching me more and more without reprieve.
“You ever been fisted?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Good to know, but we’ll hold off because I think I need to dip my cock into you for a while before I beat some of the Celrau out of you.”
Fuck, I was so close to an orgasm, and his words sent my pulse racing even faster and pushed me so much closer to falling over the edge, but I couldn’t quite get there.
“I don’t suppose I could ask you to order me to come, Sir?”
He chuckled again, a low, sadistic laugh. “Someone’s trained you to come on command, and now you can’t orgasm without it?”
“Sometimes I can, but apparently not with you, Sir.” My speech was all breathy and girly but there wasn’t a damned thing I could do about it.
“Lucky for you, I’m looking forward to seeing you come apart.” His voice went a little growly as he ordered, “Come for me, little girl. Let me feel that tight little cunt squeeze my hand.”
My body obeyed before he got to the end of his first sentence, and I catapulted into bliss as I jerked and screamed and spasmed through the ecstasy. I unsuccessfully fought to free my arms to try to balance myself with them, but his magical hold was effective and they were trapped. I still couldn’t see, either, but I’ve been blindfolded during scenes enough I wasn’t freaking out about it.
Later, I’d consider the ramification of someone having the power to touch my forehead and take away my sight, but for now his hand was still pushing and pressing its way into me, his fingers were moving back and forth over the spot deep inside me, and it was all I could do to draw enough oxygen in to stay conscious through the flood of sensations the Lord of Lust was giving me.
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