by S J Doran
Cass stood and walked over, both Jez and Levistus closing in around the girl protectively.
Like he’d hurt her?
He cupped the back of her neck and pulled her closer to him, breathing in deeply of her scent, rubbing his thumb up and down the column of her throat.
Maybe he would.
Did she think to send him a consolation offering? To placate him with a replacement?
His hand tightened, and she gasped. Jez jumped forward and Levistus cleared his throat.
“Did she send you to check on me or to warm my bed?” Cass asked softly.
His blood pumped hotly, fueled by the forge of rage that burned from that void in his chest. She opened her mouth to answer and his hand tightened again. She squeaked, and Jez grabbed his shoulder.
He dropped his hand from her throat, shaking off Jez’s grip to lean in closer to her.
“Will you report back every filthy thing I do to your body?” He whispered against her neck, the backs of his fingers trailing down to her collarbone.
Her breath caught on a quiet whimper, her nipples beading visibly through her filmy robes. His fingers kept going, his knuckles brushing over one of the peaks, and with a sigh her body swayed into his.
“That would leave you with nothing to report,” he said, pulling back. “I don’t want this. I won’t accept you as her substitute.”
He stepped back, for the first time noticing the case she carried in her hands.
“Cassius, Amara is your ally. Let’s try to keep her appeased, yes?” Levistus said, still alert and expecting… what? For Cass to snap?
“Why did the Priestess send you… Dravite, was it?” Cass said, looking at the warlock expectantly. She gave a shy nod back. “Is she well?” His heart pounded at the thought of something happening to her.
Like fuck they didn’t mean more to each other than allies. He didn’t care what he remembered, his soul knew.
“She sent this for you.” Dravite held up the case. “As well as myself. I’m to be your concubine.”
His laughter trailed off when he realized she was serious.
He gave Levistus a bemused expression. “My ally or my pimp?” he took the case from Dravite, holding it with one hand and opening it with the other.
Ah. All his requisite potions. His Priestess had always made sure he’d had his contraceptive potion. Before, he’d always assumed she understood his aversion to procreation- now, he wondered if there was more behind it. Had he made her promises he didn’t recall?
He swallowed hard, his jaw clicking as he gnashed his teeth. Not knowing his whole mind- his life being one glossed over lie- it was killing him inside.
“Leave us.” He said to both Levistus and Jez.
Neither made a motion to move.
“I won’t hurt her.” Cass said, trying to calm himself. He wouldn’t. she was his only tie to the Priestess right now.
He fucking needed something.
Eventually, he might get over her very public rejection. He might be able to swallow his pride and face her again. But not yet.
When he remembered fully.
Then he would confront her with everything she’d kept hidden from him. Every awful truth that was slowly bleeding back in.
They finally left, and Cass slumped back down on his sofa, cradling the case to his chest. Dravite made no move from the spot she was frozen to. Didn’t attempt to speak. Cass didn’t break the silence.
He needed her. His priestess. She’d been such an easy fixture in his life, every part of it he could remember. The discomfort of not being able to go to her was like a raw, exposed wound he couldn’t help but prod at.
But he could forget for a while.
He opened the case, plucking out the contraceptive potion, tossing it back with one swallow. Dravite gasped and finally took a step toward him. She was going to take this away?
He felt the burn of the potion, welcomed it. Needed to wash it away. He uncorked a fancy vial of unknown poison, giving momentary thought to what the Priestess planned to poison him with this time. Perhaps she thought to finish him off before he could organize the mess of his mind.
The warlock whimpered as he downed it. He made eye contact with her the entire time, wondering if she’d give away what the repercussions would be.
His body tightened as his blood turned to acid, eating away at his nerve endings. He caught Dravite taking the case from his shaking hands right before his skin started to feel like it was splitting open. A convulsion wracked through him, dampness flowing over his lip.
He felt gentle hands dabbing at his face as his body rode out the waves of agony, he grasped on to her and pulled her close.
“Mara…” he whispered. All he could focus on was the scent of her. The warlock smelled like her.
His mind was full of nothing but the whining buzz of pain, his body responding, as it always did. Her hands swept down his chest. His hands tore at her clothes. Both of her hands wrapped around his cock, his hand cupped her wet heat, fingers probing, motions unsteady.
Her tongue dipped into his mouth and he jerked back, not sure of how much of the poison lingered. How much it would take to hurt her.
He never wanted her to hurt.
Another wave of agony blazed through him, and he roared with it, the pain so intense his vision went completely black.
She straddled his waist and guided him into her slick sheath. He was lost to it. Mindless. No choice but to give into this. He sat up, pulled her chest to his and plunged in harder. Deeper. He was losing his fucking mind.
She held his head, her mouth devouring his, her beaded nipples scraping up and down his chest. Her wetness pooled over the tops of his thighs, his bones were splintering through nerves-
She rode him lazily, taking everything that he had. Bleeding him dry of it.
“Why can’t I make you promises?” He twined his fingers through hers, his arm pushed through the bars as far as he could reach. It was never enough. The scent of her haunted his dreams. Her eyes haunted his waking hours.
“Someday, I’m going to be King. They can’t stop me. You’re mine.” He pulled her hand through the bars, pressing soft kisses to her palm, then her wrist. Wishing it were her mouth. “And I’m yours. Only ever yours.”
He knew she liked to watch him touching himself. There was nothing better to him than watching her. Tasting her. When she came all over her fingers and let him taste her orgasm.
He stroked faster. Harder. Held her hand tighter.
“I don’t think they’ll ever let me out of here.” She whispered, those cyan eyes sad. Always so sad.
“I want to kiss you.” He said, his orgasm building.
That’s all he wanted. Just to feel her lips on his. Her body pressed against his.
“It was bad this time?” Her voice was breathy too, “your pain…”
Her breathing was just as hard as his, her movements just as frantic. She whimpered, her teeth biting through her lip to keep her scream at bay, her body arching with her release.
Her fingers pressed into his waiting mouth and he sucked off the remains of her orgasm as he gave into his own.
“He took it before I could stop him. My priestess meant no ill intent.”
The warlock was there, her naked body glistening in the firelight. Well fucked and well used glow about her. Jez looked furious, Levistus facing the fire, averting his eyes from the warlock’s nudity.
His body burned, boneless and weak, the firelight burned down to embers, barely lighting the room. He pulled his pants back up carefully, noting the scratch marks down his abdomen.
“I know, sweetheart.” Levistus said to her, his hand was on Jez’s chest. “I think he and the priestess have done this a time or two.” He said the last to Jez with a warning glare.
“So we just let her poison him?” Jez growled, “what the fuck is wrong with you people?”
“I need it.” Cass said, his voice hoarse, “to prevent me from having children.”
&nb
sp; All three of them turned to him.
“Are you mad?” Levistus roared, “you have to secure your succession. Never mind the chances of any of us being able to procreate is so low- all the hells Cassius. What are you thinking?”
“Children are a blessing,” Jez added with a frown.
“No.” Cass glared at them both, easing himself up and pulling a blanket over his lap.
“No?” Levistus’ face was red, his teeth clenched. “That’s it? Just no?”
“I won’t ever be a father.” Cass spat out the word and waved him off and dropped his pounding head into his hand. “It’s not your concern.”
“It will become my concern if something happens to you and the rule of the Realms falls to Glasya.” Levistus was still yelling, angrier than Cass had ever seen him.
“It won’t. She’s not strong enough.” Cass said weakly, wishing they’d go away so he could bask in his newly discovered memory.
He wanted to crawl into it and live there.
The eyes… it had to be her. Lying little Priestess. Keeping all that from him.
He remembered her taste now. He remembered the color of her eyes after she climaxed. He remembered the sounds she made.
And… he was hard again.
“Leave her here and go.” Cass said nodding to Levistus then Jez.
Levistus stormed out of the room, Jez following with one last glance over his shoulder.
“And you,” Cass said, grabbing Dravite and pulling her back onto his lap. “I’m going to fuck you so hard you won’t be able to walk tomorrow.” He grabbed a handful of her hair and nipped at her neck, “go to the bed.”
Might as well give her something fun to report back to Amara.
He let a bit of the malevolence he felt show in his smirk as he followed the warlock to his bed.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
splendid cuppa tea
“If it weren’t urgent, I would leave you to your wallowing.” Levistus rifled through Cass’s dresser, tossing clothes his way. “Barbatos is a powerful seer, if he has wisdom to impart, your ear needs to be available.”
“Alright, I’m up. Fuck.” He slid the warlock’s leg off his waist and climbed out from under Jez’s wing, startling the angel awake.
Jez sat up, swiping his hands down his face, his eyes raking over the naked female on Cass’s other side.
“Where are you off to?” His herald had already pushed blankets aside and stood from the bed.
They had both been stiflingly overprotective of him, Levistus keeping him from wandering back to Mara’s bed, Jez keeping Leira out of his. He’d toss all of his crowns in the Hell-flames for just one day of solitude.
He picked up his pile of clothes and made his way to the bathroom, washing quick and barely even bothering to dry before tugging on his clothes. He wasn’t sure what Levistus’s definition of ‘urgent’ was, but curiosity had taken hold and his own mind started to obsess.
He’d never met the Arch-Deacon of the First Realm, though his concubines were regularly supplied by him, through Bas. He hadn’t known he was an oracle and had no idea if he was even a demon. Speculation on that had been circulating for all of Cass’s life, at least.
“Because he knew Avrogale personally.” Levistus was saying to Jez as Cass walked out of the bathroom. “I’d like to hear what he knows.”
He stopped walking, his hands stopped rubbing the towel over his hair, a whining noise droning in his ears as his mind grasped for meaning, a memory floating up and dragging him in.
“Such a fine young man you are,” her voice was like warm honey, her hands smoothing the hair from his face. “You’re strong, you’ll be fine without me now.”
“Avrogale, enough. The portal won’t remain open much longer.” His father’s voice was cold, his hands resting on Cass’s shoulders, making him stiffen. “You made your deal, got what you wanted.” The hands squeezed harder when his mother dropped to her knees in front of him.
Her thumbs swiped at his cheeks under his eyes, picking up the tears that had fallen, then one of them came to rest over his rapidly beating heart.
“I’ll always be here, my son. I’m not going to leave you alone.”
“Enough.” his father barked out. “You’ve coddled and spoiled my son. He is demon born, carries my power. You’re making him soft.”
His mother jumped to her feet. “The gods will smite you down for this, Asmodeus.”
His father laughed, a chilling sound that made Cass’s insides flip.
“I have a contract, signed with your own blood. Your firstborn, for the power you needed to survive.”
“You double-crossed me!” she shouted. “Nowhere in that contract does it state that my firstborn would be conceived by you.”
His father stepped around him, grabbing the back of his mother’s head, and kissed her. Cass’s young mind couldn’t comprehend—
“Ah, my sweet goddess. But could you resist?”
Jez’s hands cupped his cheeks, the angel’s sea storm eyes looking into his.
“You’re okay?” Jez whispered.
Cass managed to nod.
“I’m coming with you guys.” Jez said over his shoulder. “The Nessus will be fine enough without us for the time this meeting will take.”
“Now, then.” Levistus said with a sigh, nudging Cass’s boots towards him.
Cass pulled open a Hell-gate once they were all gathered, the action no more than a thought. It came so easily to him, he couldn’t remember how he couldn’t make them.
They walked out right into Barbatos’s main hall, knowing the Arch-Deacon was expecting them. Incense hung heavily in the air, silks draped throughout the hall, covering old stone and making the place feel almost welcoming.
The underlying scent in the air of sweet rot brought another memory to the surface, his mind flashing back to holding his father’s hand as they picked their way through the thriving mass that made up the ground of the Avernus.
“Papa why is everything alive here?” He stepped around what at first glance had appeared to be a stump.
“Because, my boy, this is the closest the Hells will ever get to the Material Plane.” Asmodeus’s step was light, his entire demeanour anticipatory.
Yes, he remembered meeting Barbatos. He remembered his father’s excitement. He remembered the females. Even as a young boy he had been fascinated.
It was like a lock had been opened on the vault of his memories, normal activities triggering them, as they should. He wondered how much of his life had been locked away?
“You’re late.” A deep voice carried from the back of the hall, followed by a robed figure. “My king.”
Barbatos stopped in front of him with a sweeping bow that put Mephistopheles’s showmanship to shame. His face was covered by a deep cowl, but Cass felt the weight of the other demon’s gaze. His body was large, attested to by the broad shoulders his cloak was stretched across, his height nearing Cass’s own.
He didn’t feel like a demon, Cass couldn’t place his heritage either.
“Lord Barbatos,” Cass replied with an incline of his own head. “Well met.”
A chuffing noise came from under the hood. “Of course you don’t remember that we’ve met. Many times.”
Barbatos stated it as fact, appearing to take no insult that Cass’s memory was faulty. Because he knew?
“I have tea and words for you today. Come, come.” Barbatos spoke rapidly, grabbing Cass’s shoulder and steering him towards the hall.
Cass threw a helpless look over his shoulder to Levistus and Jez who were standing there looking bemused at their surroundings, but quickly moved to follow.
They walked through curtains upon curtains of fabric, the only stone visible was that beneath their feet. He was rushed into a back room, an intimate sitting room like his own bedrooms. Women were everywhere, draped over the furniture as much as all the silks. Some were kissing each other, most were nude. All had wings.
Barbatos’s Erinyes- the Fur
ies.
He heard Jez’s sharp intake of breath and Levistus’s chuckle but didn’t take the time to gawk as Barbatos led them to a back table where a fancy tea service had been set up. Cass took a seat, looking back over the room, snickering softly at the sight of a shapely red-haired Furie draped all over Jez.
Levistus neatly avoided all their touches and pulled up a chair off to the side of the table that Cass sat at with Barbatos.
Barbatos poured a cup of tea and slid it over in front of Cass, “drink while it’s still warm. I’m ahead of you.”
Cass slid a look to Levistus who just shrugged and picked up his cup of lukewarm tea. Why all the Hells did he not just call for a fresh pot? He took a tentative sip and couldn’t hold back his grimace at the bitter taste, but Barbatos wasn’t paying him any attention.
“Aren’t you going to offer my Advisor and Herald refreshment as well?” No one could accuse him of diplomacy. Levistus choked beside him and Barbatos laughed.
“But of course, if your highness wishes.” Barbatos made a signal in the air and a half naked Furie appeared with more cups, filling them and offering one to Levistus, carrying the second over to Jez- who was now seated on a chaise with a woman on his lap.
Jez accepted the cup and set the female to the side, wandering over to the table, making himself comfortable on the arm of a sofa across from them, downing all the contents in one toss of his head.
Cass followed suit. Easiest way to get rid of the disgusting liquid and not cause offense.
“I’d offer you a female, but I see that time has passed,” Barbatos spoke as though they’d been carrying on a conversation. “Now, will you tell me what you remember? Hurry before I forget.”
Cass opened his mouth. Then closed it again. How did one make sense of nonsense?
“He means since the Blood Lord broke through your mind.” Levistus leaned forward to speak quietly to him.
“No,” Barbatos held his hand to Levistus, “I speak of the time since being ran through by the Sword of Justice. His grandmother’s own weapon.”