by Raquel Dove
“No,” Salem said. “I want her to stay. I want her to learn her place. I want her to see the magnificence of my father’s palace.”
“Whatever you like,” Paris said. He wondered how the Grand Elder put up with such a demanding creature for as long as he had. It was absolutely exhausting.
“And have her dress appropriately,” Salem said. “I don’t want her ruining my party with her plainness.”
Paris disappeared from the room before she could say anything more. He really did not need to be parading an illegitimate contract before the entire royal court, but he didn’t really have much of a choice. He hoped the girl would be cooperative, but he knew that was just wishful thinking. This situation had gone from bad, to worse, to all hell about to break loose.
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He should have expected this. He hadn’t, he didn’t know why. But there she was. In his personal library, reading from a book that no human should ever see. Paris really wanted to be mad at himself. What started out as such innocent curiosity had turned into a complete mess for him.
“This is a very informative book,” Zoe said, a smirk on her face, as she looked up at Paris. She had learned a lot in the hours that he had left her alone here.
“That book is not meant for your eyes,” Paris said. His voice was firm, but still kind. He really couldn’t fault her for a mistake that he had made. He had been making a lot of mistakes lately when it came to this girl. He wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that she was Untouched.
“I can see why,” Zoe said, continuing to read from it. “How’s your fiancé?”
She had meant it to be a jab, but Paris could hear the jealousy in her voice and he found it rather pleased him.
“She is demanding your presence,” Paris said. “You must change.”
“Change?” Zoe said, her eyebrows scrunching together. “Into what?”
“There is a dress in the spare bedroom. I believe it will fit you,” Paris said, eyeing her torn jeans paired with dingy old flip flops with disdain.
“How do you know what size I wear,” Zoe said as she stood from the desk. She put a balled fist on the curve of her hip, as she cocked her neck slightly. “I have a unique fit.”
“I’m very familiar with the female form,” Paris said, unable to hide his playful smirk.
Zoe’s cheeks burned red hot as his eyes roamed her curves, devouring every perfect swell. He pulled in his bottom lip, biting it lightly. She thought she was going to faint from the pure seduction of the whole thing. She took a deep breath, pushing out the naughty thoughts that were beginning to invade her mind.
“Fine,” she said. “I’ll go try it on. But stop looking at me like that.”
The dress was the most gorgeous piece of clothing she had ever seen, made of a deep blue silk. It fit her perfectly, as Paris was so annoyingly certain it would, but she felt like she didn’t belong in it. It was just too fancy, probably cost a fortune, and Zoe had never been anywhere that would require such a dress. The neckline plunged to her bellybutton, and a slit ran all the way to the top of her thigh, with thin straps that ran over her shoulder. She couldn’t quite reach to get the short zipper in the back that would help the dress to hug her body.
The breath almost stuck in Paris’ throat as she emerged from the room, holding the dress he had handpicked to herself. It fit her even better than he had imagined it would, and he couldn’t help his desire from rising. She was stunning.
“I can’t reach the zipper,” she said, trying to avoid the hungry stare in his eyes.
“Come here,” he said. She complied, turning her back to him so he could fix the zipper. He put his hands on her shoulders when he was finished. There was no way he could sufficiently prepare her for what she was about to be brought into. Demon society was difficult for even Paris to navigate. One slip up and they would eat her alive. They were ruthless, cunning, and had been around for centuries, doing what they did. Although he had duties within the court that he could not abandon, he had done his best to distance himself from such things.
“The royal protocol is very strict,” Paris said, turning her around to face him. “I unfortunately don’t have time to teach you anything. Just stay quiet, keep your head down, and do exactly as you are told.”
“Why are you doing this?” Zoe asked. He could see the fear in her big blue eyes, could smell the fear in her aura. He wished more than anything that he could take that fear away. He was starting to lose faith in his own ability to rectify this situation, the further he got into it.
“I have to,” he said, “her father is more powerful than I am able to oppose. I must do as she says, for now.”
“You don’t want to marry her?” Zoe asked. There was a small amount of hope in her words, and Paris found it strangely endearing.
“Of course not,” he said. For her to even think such a thing was absurd. “We have to go now.”
“Ok,” she said with a heavy breath. “I’m ready.”
Chapter Fourteen
There was no way Zoe could have ever been prepared for what she was thrust into. In the blink of an eye, she found herself in a large ballroom, the walls covered entirely in mirrors. The room was lit with a multitude of candles that seemed to float unattached around the room, like magic. The beauty of the room was marred by the hundreds of frightening characters that occupied the room, all with eyes on her.
“Where am I?” she asked in a whisper as she tried to calm her rapidly increasing pulse.
“This is the Grand Elder’s palace,” Paris said, “Only a very select few humans have ever had the privilege of being here. None of them lived to tell about it.”
“Great,” Zoe said, shooting Paris an uneasy look.
“Just do as you are told, and you will be fine, human,” Athena said, coming up beside her. She gave Paris a coy smile, hoping to get his attention.
“Where is she?” Paris asked, noticing the rather pleasant absence of his fiancé.
“With her father, I believe,” Athena said. She ran a hand through Zoe’s soft yellow hair, inspecting her. “She did not mention how pretty this one was.”
Zoe eyed the beautiful demoness with extreme caution. She had even more mischief in her eyes than Paris, and that really made her nervous. She was in some hot water here, and she would definitely need to watch her step.
“Thank you,” Zoe said softly. She did not want to risk angering anybody. Making that brat Salem mad is what got her in this mess in the first place. She would just cover all her bases, and be as nice as she could to everyone. Hopefully the evening would end quickly. Paris told her he couldn’t harm her, and she hoped that rule pertained to everyone. Her mind began to work on a way to get herself out of this. She had just spent hours reading a book about their rules. Most of them made absolutely no sense to Zoe. But there were a few that stood out to her, a few that she may be able to use to her advantage.
“Polite, too,” Athena said, looking at Paris with a grin.
“Indeed,” he said. He was relieved that the girl had suddenly found some manners, but he could see her mind working feverishly, and it seriously worried him. The look she had on her face was the same one she had every time she did something stupid, which was unfortunately often.
“My dear,” Jackson said, making a sudden appearance next to Zoe. He extended his hand to her in greeting. She eyed it suspiciously, contemplating whether or not to accept it.
“There is no need to be so cautious,” Jackson said, seeing her hesitation, “If I was going to harm you, I would have done it by now.”
Salem made a grand re-entrance into the ballroom, her father by her side. She had changed her dress to one that was tighter fitting and lower cut than her previous, making everyone in the room want to recoil in horror.
“Is she serious?” Zoe said, not meaning for the thought to actually leave her head. Even though she said it barely louder than a whisper, the sensitivity of their ears meant that every demon in the room heard her.
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sp; The demon princess stomped down the center of the ballroom, her eyes set angrily on Zoe. She reached a meaty arm back as far as her limited range would allow, coming back to smack her squarely on the jaw with a loud pop. Zoe fell to the ground, her hand rising to her rapidly bruising cheek and rubbing at it softly in mild disbelief. She narrowed her eyes at the unruly demoness. She’d had enough of this. If no one else was going to stand up to this brat, she would. And she just so happened to remember something she had read that would help her.
“I challenge you,” Zoe said with as much strength as she could muster. “I challenge you Salem.”
The room was so quiet you could hear a mouse cough. Paris just wanted to shake his head. He knew Zoe was overdue to do something stupid, but this was beyond stupid. This was absolutely imbecilic. Salem may be fat and slow by demon standards, but she could still tear Zoe to pieces in a heartbeat.
“What did you say to me, human?” Salem said, the corners of her lips turning upward. At this point she was willing to sacrifice an eternal slave for a chance to dig her claws into the disrespectful human’s soft flesh.
“You heard me,” Zoe said, determined to stand her ground despite her growing feeling of dread. “Or is there so much fat clogging your ears you couldn’t?”
The room erupted in hushed whispering, suppressed laughing and astonished gasping. Salem’s lips flopped open like a fish out of water as she tried to comprehend the insult. No one had ever spoken to her in such a manner. She was completely at a loss of how to react.
“This girl is my new hero,” Jackson said, jabbing Paris in the ribs. He had a feeling this evening would be entertaining, but this was far better than he imagined. He made a mental note to ask Paris where he found this little wild card. She was quite entertaining. There was definitely something special about her. But, mostly, he was just happy someone finally called the princess on her serious weight problem.
“I heard you fine,” Salem said, finally recovering from the insult, “I just didn’t think a human could sink to the depths of such stupidity.”
Chapter Fifteen
Zoe realized immediately the gravity of her mistake when a demon rolled over a small cart with a number of different weapons on it. She hadn’t exactly known what the challenge would be. She just knew that if she won it would release any debt that was currently held over her. Apparently she had to actually fight for her freedom.
“I’ll let you choose your weapon first,” Salem said, “I want to use my bare claws. I am going to enjoy the feeling of ripping through your flesh.”
Zoe looked down at the table of shiny metal objects, with a heavy swallow. She was in way over her head. There were swords of different styles, a spear, a mace, a few other things she didn’t even know what to call. She had no idea how to use any of them.
“I don’t suppose you have a gun,” she said, mostly wishful thinking to herself.
“Guns have no effect on demons,” Salem said, watching Zoe with wicked pleasure in her shit brown eyes. She was looking forward to putting this human in her place. It was unfortunate that she wouldn’t have a slave anymore, but the thought of killing her was almost as satisfying. “Choose your weapon. Quit stalling.”
Paris looked on in a mild shock, something that was a very foreign feeling to him. There was no way he could let this happen. The girl was going to die, and it was entirely his fault. Well, not entirely his fault. Her stupidity played a rather large part of it, but Paris could have stopped this a long time ago. He did not think it would play out in quite this way. Despite what many would think, demons actually have a conscience. They are just better at suppressing it than most. But for some reason the thought of her death, and that it was at least in part his fault, was more than his conscience could bear.
Salem barely gave Zoe time to blink from the time she picked up a broad edge sword. The demon princess attacked her with everything her robust form could muster. Zoe tried as best she could to deflect the attack, raising her sword to block the swipe of the demoness’ claws. She managed to block to strike, but the force of it knocked her backwards onto the floor. Salem pounced on top of her, straddling her torso, the force of her weight knocking the wind out of Zoe.
The already dim light of the ballroom began to fade from Zoe’s eyes as the breath was slowly forced out of her. She had to do something, she couldn’t die like this. Her mind was too fuzzy to think, and the only defense she could muster was to flail her arms about, hoping to hit something. Salem reached back, her razor sharp claws extending in preparation to slice through Zoe’s flesh.
Zoe slammed her eyes shut, unable to watch her own impending death. But instead of the pain of claws ripping through her, she felt a calming warmth engulf her body. Her eyes opened to see Salem, her heavy brow scrunched in confusion as a soft blue light emanated from Zoe for just a moment. She could feel the air coming back into her lungs, and her mind began to work. She looked around her for something, anything. Her eyes fell upon the sword she had originally chosen, just inches from her. Without another thought, she scooped it back up, plunging into the chest of the demoness. Salem screeched in pain, slapping at the sword in her chest as blood spewed all over Zoe, before finally keeling over dead. Zoe managed to squeeze out from under the mass of dead weight. She rose shakily to her feet, the shock of what had just happened still plastered on her blood covered face.
The ballroom exploded in mass confusion. This was an unprecedented occurrence. No human had ever actually killed a demon, much less the daughter of the Grand Elder. Nobody knew what happened, or how to react. It all happened so quickly.
Paris knew what had happened. He didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of it before. There were always fail safeties in this business. Zoe, although nobody but Paris knew, was an Untouched. His contract with her would never validate, and he had known that from the moment he had drawn it up. She was off limits. No demon would ever have the power to physically harm her, so long as she maintained her innocence. It only lasted a split second, and he wasn’t even sure anyone else had seen it, but the small blue light that engulfed the girl told him all he needed to know. She was protected by a power far greater than any demon’s.
Chapter Sixteen
Paris used the disarray to get Zoe out of the palace. He brought her back to his place, putting a barrier in place so that no one would come looking for them. He had a new found respect for the girl. Not just because she had done what he could not. She got him out of a very sticky situation. The demon princess was dead, and there was no way it could be held against him. The situation couldn’t have turned out more perfect if Paris had planned it. Of course there was now going to be a major fallout. The Grand Elder’s bloodline had just been ended, and he was very close to dying himself. The fight for his position was about to begin. The future of his people was very much in question.
“Are you really going to leave me alone now?” Zoe asked as she wiped the last of the demoness’ blood from her face. She realized now just how sad that thought made her. Despite everything that had happened, she found that the demon had somehow gained a place in her heart. There was just something about him that she couldn’t stay away from. She didn’t want him to leave her alone.
“If that is what you wish,” Paris said, and this time his charm was genuine. He truly meant it too. If Zoe wanted to be left alone after all of this, he didn’t blame her. She had been through more than someone like her deserved. He felt a twinge of guilt, knowing that he was the reason for it all.
“You know,” Zoe said, trying to prolong the time she had left with him. She wanted to leave things on a good note with him. If this was the last time she would ever see him, she wanted to say everything that needed to be said. “I still remember you saved my life. I’ll always be thankful.”
“Zoe,” he said. His voice was smooth, a heavy whisper as he came closer to her. A grin spread across his face as his eyes began to appreciate her body once more. His nose picked up her faint arousal and he just couldn’t wai
t any longer. There were no more distractions. There would be no more calls. Nothing would interrupt their time together now. He could finally discover everything he had waited so long to discover.
“Paris,” Zoe questioned in a whisper, a lump in her throat that she couldn’t seem to get rid of. She took in a deep breath as his hands found her hips, his eyes locked onto hers. His gaze burned into her, making her feel hot and cold at the same time. A tingling heat began to accumulate in her stomach as his lips found hers, his touch surprisingly gentle. He wrapped a hand in her hair, pulling her closer into him, nipping lightly at her lips, coaxing her to open, to let him in. She happily complied, her tongue finding his as they fought for dominance. A rumble echoed in his chest, a purr of pleasure.
Zoe pulled back, unsure of the strange vocalization. She looked up at him, her eyes glazed over him desire, a question on her brow. His arm wrapped around her waist and he pulled her back into him, his purr of desire even more intense. The vibrations rattled through her and she found her arousal increasing with the sensation. His fingers found the zipper on her dress and he pulled it down, the silk bloodied gown sliding freely off her shoulders and to the floor at her feet.
His lips caressed her neck, pausing at the crook were it met her shoulders, enjoying the shiver that ran through her. A throaty moan encouraged him to continue, and his hands grasped her thighs, wrapping her legs around his body. He pushed up against the nearest wall, frantic to feel some pressure as he ground his hips against her. Her fingers worked to unbutton his shirt, careful not to mess it up, knowing how expensive it must be. He chuckled at her tenderness, the gentleness of her touch. He ripped through the fabric of his shirt, exposing a wonderful view of his abnormally cut torso. Zoe’s fingers prodded the vast expanse of muscle, her excitement growing with every firm ripple that she found.