Stunned, Max stared after his colleagues, until another push from Killian set him in motion.
Turning his back on the commotion, he walked a few feet down the hall and leaned against the wall. Thankful for the cool stone against his blazing flesh, he shut his eyes and focused on his breathing. Little by little, the sounds around him evaporated. The warrior cries of his brothers-in-arms dimmed. The screeches of the Inferum and the humans whose dreams had become nightmares quieted. All of it was replaced by the soothing swoosh of his lungs filling with oxygen, the steady rhythm of his pulse, and the pleasant chime of female laughter.
Max’s eyes snapped open and he immediately moved into a fighter’s stance. Glancing left and right, he searched for the source of the sound. The flames on the brackets flickered and danced with the shadows, but not a soul was in sight. Goosebumps rose on his flesh.
“No, please.”
A ball of ice hit him in the gut, spreading throughout his limbs. He had to have heard wrong. No one spoke in Lust’s realm, but if they did, it was dirty talk and encouraging words, not a hoarse cry for mercy.
“No, please, stop.”
Max veered around. The spot he’d been leaning on was gone, replaced by a door. He held his breath.
“No, don’t make me. I’m begging you.”
The woman’s voice cracked. The miserable sob which came from within tore at him, breaking his soul into a million fragments. Whoever was in there couldn’t be dreaming. They had to be conscious and clearly in distress.
“No.”
He couldn’t stand out here waiting any longer while an innocent suffered needlessly. Aiming a steady kick at the door, he threw it open and barged inside, sword at the ready.
His stomach revolted and he swallowed hard in an attempt to keep its contents inside. Taking position in the corner of the room where he could control everything, Max took stock.
Bright blood painted white-washed walls. The victim appeared to be a slightly overweight man in his fifties. He lay naked on a king-sized mattress in the center, and his chest rose and fell rhythmically as if asleep. However, the sheets were stained red and more blood seeped from an open wound in his thorax. His erection rested against his stomach, glistening with juices.
Max searched for the source of the pleading voice.
A woman emerged from the darkness on the other side of the bed. Max stared. Her pale flesh was flawless. Full, round breasts with dusky nipples made his mouth water. He dipped his gaze, following the trim line of her waist, to her wide hips and firm legs. Her pubis shimmered with sexual dew. Max’s cock twitched. He breathed hard through his nose and forced himself to look at her face. Her full lips quirked into a smile, beckoning him to kiss her. Her eyes, a hypnotic blue, invited him to come closer.
“Were you,” he started. He cleared his throat. “Were you crying for help?”
The man on the bed groaned, and Max turned to him. He blinked, refocusing. Heat swept through him, lashing him awake.
“Succubus,” he roared. “What have you done?”
The demon laughed, and he recognized the sound from earlier.
“Me?” She flashed him a smile. “That wasn’t me. It was her,” she said, pointing to the darkest corner of the room. Max squinted. His jaw dropped. Crouched on the floor, a woman wept. Her dark hair hung around her face, hiding her features from him, but not the drops of blood which clung to her like raindrops to leaves.
“Eva,” the succubus said. “Don’t be rude. Greet our guest.”
“No, please.”
Recognizing the voice from earlier, Max’s heart tripled its beat. She needed him.
“Eva,” he said softly.
She peeked at him through her fingers. The candlelight flickered, throwing her eyes in the light. Their gazes locked. Heat glided through his veins quicker than a waterfall, leaving behind a pleasant tingle. He leaned forward. She dragged her hands down her face. Sweat clung to her brow.
“Help me,” she moaned.
Max tightened his fist around his sword.
“On my word,” he said.
He veered toward the succubus, prepared to kill her. He staggered.
Chapter Four
Max gawked at the succubus. The beautiful woman he’d seen earlier was gone. Impaled atop the victim, the she-demon rolled her hips, energetically fucking the man whilst her body transformed. Her nails went first, growing into sharp talons which sank into the man’s open chest. She threw back her head, laughing manically. A lump grew at the bottom of her spine, and zoomed out, rippling her flesh and lifting inch by inch into hard scaly green bumps. Fangs lengthened past her bottom lip. The succubus licked her jowls as if relishing the conversion.
An inkling of fear slammed into him. It was one thing to fight an Inferum and another very different to battle one on one with a demon who had just fed.
“Please, you have to stop her.”
Max jumped. Eva grasped the legs of his pants, her bloodied fingers slipping against the material.
“Don’t let her do it.”
Lowering his sword, Max crouched at her side. Eva’s eyes bulged and her chin trembled, reminding him of a frightened animal.
“It’s okay, kitten. We just need to get out of here. We’ll slip by her real easy.” He grasped her hand, hoping to reassure her.
“No. You don’t understand.”
Eva sagged. A prickling ache surrounded his heart, pinching it. He’d let her down. He pressed his lips and gently brushed her hair back. An overpowering urge to protect her at all costs and see her smile took hold of him.
“I’ll take care of it. I promise,” he said. “But you have to tell me what’s going to happen. I’ve never seen this before,” he admitted. His knowledge regarding succubus and incubus, Lust’s most faithful worshipers, came solely from books. Max knew they performed rites to the Sin, but he’d never seen one.
The succubus howled and the candlelight sputtered. Max stood and Eva crashed against him in a desperate attempt to flee.
“It’s too late, too late,” she repeated.
Max’s gaze landed on the demon. His eyes grew round as she stuck her hand inside the man’s open cavity and pulled out his throbbing heart with a firm tug.
“Forever a slave to our goddess,” she cried in her native tongue before sinking her teeth into the organ. It pulsated twice more in a meek attempt for survival, but the succubus tore into it again, blood dribbling down her chin. The heart stopped.
“Bring the box, Eva,” she ordered in a gravelly voice.
“No,” Eva whimpered.
Max’s instincts flared. Clutching Eva’s shoulder, he drew her behind him. The succubus sneered at them.
“Very well.”
Like a giant lizard, she crawled to the side of the bed and pulled out a heavily decorated silver chest. Opening it, she threw the dead tissue inside. It shut with a clang. Then, slicing her arm with her claws, she held it over the lid and allowed her blood to trickle over it while whispering a set of words.
“Stop her,” Eva said.
Max glanced at her. The fear etched on her face was enough to prompt him into action. He attacked, cutting the succubus’s hand at the wrist. The box clattered to the floor and the demon screamed.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
It was too late.
The candles blew out and a cloak of darkness covered them. The succubus screeched and lunged at him. Max sidestepped her easily. Suddenly, an iridescent whirlpool formed at the foot of the bed and two bony, twisted hands emerged. Max recognized them. Inferum. The last thing he needed was an army of Lust’s minions marching in here. The succubus seemed to think the same, for she threw herself onto the ground and began to frantically search for the box. Max appraised the situation. The portal blocked their exit, and if the Inferum didn’t get something soon, he’d either vanish or call for help. His eyes narrowed. Would he? It was a gamble he wasn’t going to make. Spotting the succubus’s limb on the bed, he grabbed it and
thrust it into the waiting hands. An eye for an eye, or in this case, an arm for a life. The creature beyond clasped it and emitted a series of gurgling noises, then withdrew. As soon as he disappeared from sight, the mist vanished and the candles reignited.
“You’ve ruined it,” the she-demon shrieked.
Max didn’t see her coming. She jumped over the bed, aiming a solid kick at his gut. His sword clattered out of his reach and he doubled over. Spreading his wings, he aimed to regain his balance, but the succubus was faster, kneeing him in the face. A sickening crunch filled his ears, and spots clouded his vision. Another hit and the ground slipped from under him. When he came to, the succubus straddled him, her thick thighs holding him in place.
“Did you think you could best me, Guardian? I have just fed. Even as we speak, my arm regrows.” She shoved the gash under his nose. Max swallowed his gasp. The lump he’d seen earlier rippled at her arm, rebuilding the skin, threading it back together like a spider weaving a web. “I am invincible, Guardian, and now—” She rubbed her groin against him. Pleasure zinged across his spine, zeroing on his cock, which hardened. “I will fuck you.” She leaned over him, licking the side of his face while rolling her hips. Her putrid breath entered his system and he gagged. “I’d say you’ll get used to it, but I’m not going to give you the chance. After, I plan to kill you and offer your heart to the god.”
“No,” he groaned.
“Yes,” she moaned, swiping her talon across his chest.
Max yelled. Searing pain raced through him, burning him from the inside out like boiling tar, palpitating with every one of his heartbeats and sending the fire further into his body. He shook violently, banging his head against the floor. His body arched and his eyelids quivered, throwing everything in the room into a huddled mess of unrecognizable colors.
“And we’ve only just begun.”
His ears rang, her ominous cackle sounding far away as if he were being held underwater. Suddenly, everything stopped. Peace settled around him, crooning at him to let go and relax. Pleasure awaited him, and all he had to do was give in to it.
The she-demon’s high-pitched wail roused him. Her heavy weight lifted off him and he breathed deeply. His mind was foggy, memories and moments coming back to him in slow motion. A shrill scream brought him rushing back to the present.
“Eva,” he whispered. His tongue was rough against the top of his mouth, and something strange dribbled past his lips. He dabbed at it and gaped at the yellowish color. Bile, he realized.
A flurry of movement caught his attention. It was the succubus, attempting to reach her spine. Max chuckled. Embedded on her back, his blade wobbled comically, reminding him of an unsteady car antenna on a windy day.
Another sound caught his attention. A mewling kitten lost in the snow. A kitten. With eyes the color of melted caramel. Eva.
Something snapped within him. An electrifying current exploded across his cells, bringing with it alarming clarity. They needed to get out of there or they wouldn’t survive.
Rolling to his side, he fumbled onto his knees. Sweat dripped over his eyes, and his arms shook violently. He slid his leg forward and firmly planted his foot on the floor. His teeth chattered. His mind was working, but his body was not cooperating. He spread his wings, hoping the appendages would give him the momentum necessary to rise, but his legs failed to respond and his world tilted. He didn’t hit the ground again. Claws wrapped themselves around his neck, squeezing the air out of him.
“You have betrayed me, Eva,” the succubus spat. “You speared me for the sake of a man.” The demon threw his sword across the room and shook him aggressively. Max scrambled to grab at the fingers crushing his windpipe.
“No, please. Let him go,” Eva wailed. His heart ached at her raw desperation. He’d broken his promise.
“Why? Do you want him? Is that it?” The succubus’s hold on him lessened. “Take him.”
He barely registered the sickening crunch when he hit the floor. Coughing and sputtering, he struggled for oxygen, his lungs still burning with each new breath. Eva kneeled in front of him, her figure wavering like heat waves over water, making him wonder if she was really there. She cupped his cheek.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
Her lips touched his forehead, lingering for an instant and allowing him to recognize what she was doing. A new round of agony shot up his arm, but he managed to place his palm over hers. Her shoulders slumped, and he wished for nothing more than to bring her closer and protect her as he’d promised.
“Don’t,” he said hoarsely, his throat sore.
He meant to tell her not to be sorry. It wasn’t her fault. He’d brought this onto himself for barging into a room without thinking, for not waiting for the team and for making promises which he couldn’t keep, but every part of him was shutting down, the succubus’s poison still running strong across his system and whisking him away into a dream where none of this had happened.
“Eva,” he whispered.
He pitched forward and everything went black.
Chapter Five
Eva clasped her hand over her mouth, holding back the scream lodged in her throat. She sat up in bed, panting. Sweat trickled down her back, and tears streamed from her eyes. She covered her face, stifling a sob. They’d ripped them apart.
Eva.
His deep timber, hoarse from almost choking, drilled into her mind. In his final moments, he’d called out her name. Pressure squeezed her chest at the memory. She slipped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom. Locking the door behind her, she sat at the edge of the bathtub and wept.
“It was nothing but a dream, Eva,” she scolded herself.
She stared at the patch of moonlight coming through the window. She didn’t want to remember the dream, but she scrambled to piece it together. Her friend Leila had been there, and there had been blood. Lots of it. She took in a shaky breath and closed her eyes. His image seemed to be burned into her retina. Tall and well built, with curly dark hair and light blue eyes which promised her safety.
“From what?”
She ran her fingers through her hair, her nails raking across her scalp. Claws. She shuddered. Jumping to her feet, she switched on the light. She leaned over the sink, taking in her appearance at the mirror. Red-rimmed eyes and puffy skin. Her skin was taut, her lips pressed so tightly they almost disappeared. She opened her mouth and licked her lips.
Lips with which she’d kissed his forehead. She’d wanted to say goodbye but couldn’t bring herself to do it. Why? What else had happened?
“Stop it, Eva.” She glared at her reflection. “It was a stupid dream with no meaning.”
Turning on the faucet, she washed away the traces of her nightmare. She couldn’t go back into the bedroom looking like a monster, or she wouldn’t get a tip. Patting her face dry, she pulled out her makeup kit. It didn’t take long to make herself presentable. She tousled her hair so she appeared to have just woken up.
“That’s much better.”
Taking in a deep breath, she searched in her bag for the discreet tube. After taking care of her biological needs, she cleansed herself and dabbed her fingers in the lubricant. Her mind found its way to the warrior from her dream, and she found herself naturally getting wet. Eva bit back a giggle. Thinking of him wouldn’t hurt her business, even if it did awaken a keening yearning in other parts of her which she kept under lock and chain.
“Eva, don’t go there. It was a dream and this is business. You need the money,” she whispered.
Getting to her feet, she hid the container again and zipped up the bag. Unlocking the door, she switched off the light and returned to the bedroom. The man on the bed hadn’t stirred. The hairs on the back of her neck stood and she froze as the image of him, dead, his chest torn open, hovered before her. She shook her head, willing it all away.
Dream. Dream. Dream. Nothing but a dream.
When she looked again, a ray of sunlight was starting to slide through the hotel blinds and
hitting the man on the face. He groaned and turned over. His morning wood was impossible to miss. Eva grinned. Gone was the night with its freakish nightmares. Daylight was for the living, and she intended to enjoy every bit of it. She sashayed to the bed. Time for business.
Chapter Six
Max stared at the paintings on the wall. On one, a series of brush strokes brought the dead of winter to a semblance of life with a solitary cottage atop a snowcapped mountain. On the other, swirls of green created hills alive with the promise of spring. He didn’t find either particularly beautiful. Frankly, he imagined whoever thought of putting them up had done so to give the stifling reception room a touch of color or to offer visitors a distraction, but the landscapes did neither. His gaze landed on the bouquet of white flowers on the coffee table. That had been Scarlett’s doing, for he knew by experience his boss’s secretary liked to keep something fresh around to counter the smell of rotting wood and the gloomy atmosphere which permeated the place.
Going to the windows, he drew back the heavy curtains. Every time he had been here he’d found them closed, as if this place held some dark secret which couldn’t be let out. He stared out into the grounds. Snow fell from a pink-hued sky, the flakes quickly covering the footprints left behind.
Max ran his fingers through his hair, the curls winding around them and reminding him he needed a haircut. He would have gotten it last week, but being at the hospital with a seeping wound on his chest and a fractured wing put a damper on his plans. He clenched his teeth, fighting the nightmarish memory which had relentlessly been at the edge of his consciousness for the past week. His fingers tightened on the curtain, and he willed another image into his mind. Eva. He’d used her to fight away the demons haunting him, and now he couldn’t stop thinking about her. In his mind, he’d rid her of the blood and despair. Her hair fell around her face like silk, calling attention to full lips and beaming eyes. His pulse quickened, the wound on his chest palpitating in mock sympathy. He grimaced.
Max's Desire Page 2