“You are an impertinent minion. I can see now I have been too lenient with you. Breaking all the rules, I’ve taken you into my confidence, yet from the moment you dared burst into my chamber, you have questioned my every decision. Do you yearn to feel the cut of my whip upon your back? Unlike my son, I do not show compassion.”
The warrior’s face paled as he lowered his battle-scarred head. “I forgot my place, sire. Please forgive me.”
“That’s better,” he hissed as he threw the whip down with a clatter, whirled his glittering cloak, and perched upon his throne. “Be sure to inform my son that this mission is of the utmost importance, and he will have to leave immediately.” He abruptly threw a sheaf of papers at the warrior’s feet. “This is a dossier on the woman. It will tell Judas everything he needs to know about her.” The Demon Lord’s eyes glittered with flames of fire as he continued in a threatening tone. “One thing more. In spite of your impertinence, I am putting you in charge of his journey. Do your job well, or you will live to regret it. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sire.”
“Now go!” The Demon Lord abruptly turned his back on the warrior, indicating their discussion was over.
“As you wish, sire,” the warrior said, bowing as he left.
Chapter 4
After a short nap and a tray of cheese and fruit, Judas lay with his latest paramour. Full of mischief, he dripped the juice and flesh of pomegranates over her breasts and then licked it up.
With his mouth and tongue drawing on her skin, a wanton wildness was let loose in her, and she arched her back. “Fuck me, Judas,” she whispered as she carnally splayed her thighs, welcoming him cozily between them. While her passion burned, her pussy parted and dripped with her female juices, waiting for Judas’s wicked conquest. Judas was just about to enter her when she opened her slumberous eyes and saw a servant watching from the shadows. “Judas,” she said with a breathy voice. “Do you usually provide an audience for your liaisons?”
“What do you mean?”
“There, in yon shadow.”
Judas turned his head and saw a young man, not more than twenty, watching. “You there, what is your name?”
“Tyquan, sir,” he said nervously. “I’m so sorry. It’s just…well…”
“How did you get in here?” Judas said, interrupting him.
“Uh…well…when I brought your tray, I hid.”
“Do you usually conduct yourself in this manner, Tyquan?”
“Oh, no sir. It’s just that I’ve heard so much about your sexual prowess I had to see what everyone was talking about. Your bedroom romps are legendary, you know. Everyone in the Black Heavens talks about them.”
“They do, huh?” Judas looked at him for a moment, then leaned over to his paramour and whispered something.
She moved her head aside and peered past him at the large bulge in Tyquan’s britches. “He is good-looking,” she mumbled. “I can see from here how virile he is.”
“Come, Tyquan. Join us in this…romp as you call it. Then you can go back and tell everyone about it. You’ll be a big man among your friends.”
Tyquan smiled like the excited young man he was, and quickly began stripping right there.
“Oh my,” Alana said when she saw his clothes being cast aside and his cock waving like a flag. “Careful, Judas, he might be stiff…uh…competition.”
“Very funny, Alana.” While Tyquan worked himself into the threesome by shyly taking her feet and licking and kissing them, Judas whispered in her ear just before his tongue did a sexy dance in it, “What do you know? He has a foot fetish.”
While she was gasping in sweet agony at the sucking of her toes, her soft, petal-like cleft continued to drip its perfume, ready for Judas’s invasion, but a loud banging jolted them both.
“Pay no mind to it, my sweet,” Judas whispered against her soft ivory flesh, “whoever it is will go away.” His rampant cock pulsed with anticipation as it pressed against her soft, fragrant folds.
Just as he was about to make a powerful thrust deep into her musky softness, the loud, insistent knock came again, even louder and more urgent. Grumbling obscenities, Judas jumped up from his bed and grabbed a bed cloth. Wrapping it around himself, he rushed to the door, slammed it open, and glared into the eyes of the warrior on the other side.
“Ander!” he shouted. “Do you have any idea what you’ve interrupted?”
“I understand, sire, but I…” the warrior’s eyes shifted, looking beyond Judas and through the archway into his red silken lair. There he saw a stunning creature and a young underling rolling all over the bed, “have been sent by your father. I have papers here stating that you are to leave immediately for Earth.”
“What?” Judas grabbed the orders out of his hand. “Travel to the surface? Whatever for?” After reading the scant information on the document, Judas became even angrier. “You go tell my beloved father that I’m getting sick and tired of cleaning up after that mad wolf god. Let Lupercus clean up his own messes. I’m the son of a lord, after all, not an errand boy!”
“But sire, her situation was caused by us, and there is no one else—”
“Not us, you idiot, by Lupercus!”
“Yes, but we will all suffer the consequences if she dies prematurely.”
“She is not my responsibility!”
“If I might be so bold, may I remind you, if this problem is not taken care of soon, and by someone of your stature,” the warrior’s eyes again shifted beyond Judas to the woman in his silken lair, “there will likely be no more blissful nights with…” He nodded toward the woman who was now riding the young, blissful Tyquan like a beautiful hellion on a rampaging steed.
Judas turned to see what the warrior’s eyes had found. The two were stark naked as they fucked each other while the finest and sheerest red cloth tangled about them. They were plainly unaware of being watched, and the sounds and smells that came from the couple were spicy and sweet. Judas longed to get back to them, but this fool warrior was making too much sense to ignore.
Meanwhile, his paramour, the goddess of the sea, storms, tempests, weather, exotic sea races, and jealousy was in the arms of another. Both the men stared, as if mesmerized, at the two as they tumbled around on the finest silk the Black Heavens had to offer. Her hair was a cluster of curls flying around her head in abandon as she continued to fuck and be fucked. The color reminded Judas of a ripe peach, and her eyes were a glittering emerald green, dark and piercing.
“Yes,” he murmured, “I see what you mean.” Turning back, he noticed the rapt attention the warrior still paid to these two, slapped the orders against the warrior’s muscled chest, and pushed him out. “When you get your eyes back in your head, you can tell my father that I will think about it. Now get out!”
“Uh…yes…very good, sire,” the warrior said, then pushed the dossier at him. “You’ll want this.”
Hastily grabbing the thick sheaf of papers from out of the warrior’s hands, he yelled, “And never again come knocking on my door unless you know I’m up and about!”
“As you wish, sire,” the warrior said quickly, just as the door slammed in his face.
With the manuscript in hand, Judas begrudgingly flipped through it, his eyes scanning along the most important facts about this woman called Sugar Duquesne.
Married at the age of eighteen, she was wild, hard to handle. More out of spite than love, she married a man cursed by the moon. She lost him almost immediately, but not before she had become pregnant with twin sons who were forced to exist under the same curse. Upon the death of her last son, she had been wounded, causing the curse to continue its evil bane in her.
In spite of his resentment at being chosen for this mission, Judas felt a certain amount of compassion for her situation. He could understand why she would try to end her life, but still disliked the fact that this was a mission only he could perform. According to the papers he held in his hands, he was to go and find Lupercus and kill him, for
only his death would put an end to the power he had so badly abused. His greed for evil had grown to such heights that he couldn’t be trusted anymore. It had caused him to go mad, causing such torment in this mortal that she couldn’t face another day knowing what she was. Her suicide attempt had come too close for comfort, and Lupercus had to be dealt with before his madness destroyed Hell and all its inhabitants. A scowl appeared on his face when his eyes fell to a hand-written note in purple ink. It implicitly stated that he was forbidden to lay with her.
What imbecile wrote that? he wondered, remembering that it was a well-known fact that immortals are forbidden to lay with mortals. Everyone knew that. Why did they feel it necessary to write it in purple ink and even underline it?
Something wasn’t right.
Chapter 5
Back on Earth…
“Hey! They found another one!” the rookie cop yelled out while waving a sheet full of scrawled information above his head. He rushed up to Sage, slapped the wrinkled page down, and leaned over his desk. “They say the blood and gore is…”
Sage looked up at him and scowled. “You really enjoy this, don’t you?”
“Well,” the rookie said, a sheepish look on his face, “I don’t really enjoy it, I—”
“Man or woman?”
“Huh?”
“Alonzo,” Sage bellowed, slapping at the paper, “you didn’t even ask if the victim was a man or a woman? If you’re going to answer the damned phone, get all the information, will you?”
“I didn’t think it was necessary. I mean, I just assumed it was a man since they’ve all been men so far.”
“It doesn’t matter. You always ask. Don’t assume anything. Where’d the call come from?” he asked, hurriedly scanning the useless info.
“Blue Flame Motel.”
“Blue Flame,” he muttered, writing it down, and taking note that it was close to the Rock Candy Club. It was the only place he knew of that would rent you a room by the hour instead of by the night. Hell, it was happening again. Bodies were turning up everywhere. Some around the Rock Candy Club, others in seedy motels like the Blue Flame. Perfect place for a sexual liaison to end in murder.
“Did you question the owner? Could he tell you anything?”
“He kinda blew me off. Said he doesn’t bother with registering anymore. Says people just come and go there. You know, all kinds. Anyway, after a while they all start looking alike to him.”
“Not much, is it?” Sage commented as he rose from his chair and grabbed his jacket.
“Sage, can I go with you?”
“You’ll just slow me down, kid. Stay here and help answer the phone. I’ve got a couple of other leads to follow up on.”
“Answer the damned phone? That’s all I do.”
“Hey, your time’s coming. Rack up a little more time here at the precinct, and then you’ll be ready to hit the streets.”
Before the kid could answer, Sage slammed out the door, thoughts of the crime spree whirling around in his brain. He had lied when he said he had other leads. He had nothing but the panties and the stiletto heel he found a couple of weeks ago. Hell, they could belong to anyone. The technician was no help at all. After examining the shoes, he told Sage that the hair sample he found on it was unusually coarse and so thick, it was more like the bristle of an animal.
Animal, hell, the only redheaded animal he knew was a delectable little she-devil whose act was ripping out men’s throats. Being killed by Spice was probably the uppermost fantasy in the mind of any man around here.
And, Spice had red hair.
What the hell? It was worth a try.
* * * *
The club was dark when Sage entered. Every man in the place had his eyes riveted toward the stage where a flaming little she-devil danced. He watched for a while, then shuffled around trying to talk to a few of the men. He got nowhere. It was plain where their attention was and had no choice but to settle back and watch the rest of the show.
He squirmed in his seat while his libido did the Wah-Watusi. He’d never seen any woman who oozed sex appeal like this one and had to admit that the show she put on could raise the flag of a dead man. But he wasn’t dead, and she was doin’ one hell of a job on him.
He slipped out to the men’s room, but by the time he came out, the show was over. He thought he’d missed her until he happened to see her sitting at the bar.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asked as Sage sat down.
“Nothing here, I’m on duty. Just need to talk to the little lady.”
Sugar looked around at him. “On duty? At this hour? What the hell are you, a liquor salesman?”
“Very funny,” Sage said as he took out his badge and quickly flashed it. “My name is Sage Wilson, Savannah Police Department. I’m down here checking on a serial killer that’s been stalking this area.”
“Yeah?” Sugar said, suddenly uncomfortable. “What makes you think I would know anything?”
“At this point we’re questioning everyone. We found a couple of bodies in the back of the club. They were really messed up. I figure they went out back for air, or a quick liaison, and things got out of hand. I was wondering if you’d spotted anything suspicious. Someone acting a little different.”
“What are you looking for? Man, woman?”
“Everything we’ve found so far points to a woman, but the killings are so horrendous, it seems a little hard to believe.”
“Sorry, I can’t help you. I come in, do my act, and leave.”
“You don’t fraternize with the men at all?”
“Fraternize?” Sugar said, then smiled. “Ten-dollar word for a cop. No, I don’t…fraternize.”
“Sorry if the word is above you—”
A spear of anger surged through her, and she whirled around. “Look, I’m not stupid if that’s what you mean. It’s not something you would normally hear from a cop’s nasty mouth. Does that make it a little clearer?”
“For the record, I’m not a cop. I’m a detective.”
“Oh, a detective. A detective that uses big words. Big words, big egos, big—”
“Yeah, that too.”
“Look, either buy a drink, or get the hell off the barstool. There might be a customer around here that wants to spend a little money.”
“Money for what, Ms…” He looked at her questioningly.
“My name is Sugar.”
“Sugar what?”
“Sugar period! Sugar and Spice is the name of my act, and everyone calls me Sugar.”
“Then Spice must be the little she-devil who drinks all the blood. Kind of a coincidence, wouldn’t you say, since the area’s being stalked by some mad killer who might be a woman?”
“Don’t get carried away, Detective. It’s only an act.”
“Yeah? Something tells me the guys around this joint are partial to sweets. Any of ‘em ever try and take a lick…Sugar?”
Sugar stood up abruptly and slapped his face. “You bastard! I do a show at eight and eleven, and that’s it. Anyone gets funny ideas, he—”
“He what? Winds up as garbage for the dumpster?”
Sugar angrily whirled around and strode toward the velvet curtain.
Sage watched her hips as they swayed seductively, knowing if she stopped and looked back at him before she passed through, she was his.
She stopped—and he stayed for the second show.
Chapter 6
Back at the mansion…
Sugar felt different tonight. The struggle she usually went through wasn’t there. Tonight she hadn’t had to pursue her prey. He had come to her. The moment he flashed his badge, she knew what she had to do. She had to get rid of him. He was too close. He was hers now, and she felt somehow peaceful. She couldn’t explain it, but knew that this night would be different than any she’d had in a long while.
Now as he stood before her, she glanced upward and saw the full moon high above his left shoulder. It was in full bloom, bleeding, and it meant s
omeone would die.
“Sugar, I wish—”
She immediately put her finger up to his mouth and silenced him. “Shhh,” she said and slid her eyes downward. His collar lay open, a loose strand of his long hair hung just over his deliciously pulsing vein. She stepped up to him, moved it away, and kissed his neck.
“God, that feels good,” he whispered as his head moved to one side. “Do it to me like you do in your act, Sugar. Pretend to attack me and suck my blood. I want to feel your teeth on my neck. I want you to suck me dry.”
“I always aim to please,” she whispered huskily as her body slowly began to change.
She could feel the evil filling her up inside and clenched her teeth while she pulled him down on the pallet a little harder than she had intended.
He went down easy, his eyes closed, his arms splayed out like a sacrifice on the altar of Satan. She looked down at him with menacing eyes and spoke with an ominous voice. “I’m attacking my prey. You’re frightened, but I’ve overpowered you, and you can’t move.”
“Oh, yes, Sugar.”
She straddled him and pulled at his shirt, popping his buttons as she brutally grasped it and yanked it apart. She watched him as her hands caressed his chest. Leaning forward, she licked his hot flesh, allowing her teeth to scratch and tear ever so gently. Moving down to his trousers, she unbuckled his belt and saw his cock, already hard, peeking out as if it were anxious to get started. The sight of it, hard and ready, began a tiny flame of desire in her core. While carefully watching every movement he made, she slowly stretched herself over him, moving her hips and pressing herself against him.
“I’m hungry, for blood,” she whispered, her deep whiskey voice beginning to dip into her throat to resemble a growl. “So very hungry. I’m going to slowly lick your neck, preparing for the kill.”
“Yes, yes. Do it, Sugar.”
Easing down his body, her tongue darted out and began a playful lick along his neck, his chest, his cock. She could taste his essence beneath his skin.
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