by Eloisa Clark
“Oh, definitely not. And please, just call me Nadya.” She said, laughing and grabbing Peter’s arm and laughing in a way that made Niko’s teeth hurt.
"If anything,” Victor added. “The fact that you are so talented without any supernatural intervention makes you even more impressive. You’ll have to forgive Nadya for jumping to the wrong conclusion.”
“Not at all, an innocent mistake considering where we are this evening, it’s only natural…”
As the two men continued to chat, Niko was relieved that his father was for once putting all of his businessman-charm-bullshit to good use. It was his experience that his old man had nothing but contempt for humans and wondered why he was making such an effort to be polite.
“Juliet, I read in the program that you will be performing tonight. Are you a singer like you mother?” Niko felt Juliet stiffen at Nadya’s mention of her mother, but to the casual observer there was no noticeable difference in her demeaner.
“No, I don’t sing. I’ll be playing the violin.”
Nadya and Victor smiled tightly.
“My daughter is somewhat of a musical prodigy.” Peter added.
“Papa.” She shushed.
“She can play any instrument with strings as expertly as any other. Although she does prefer the violin. I take full responsibility since it was the first instrument that I gave to her when she was only a baby.”
His face lit up as he spoke of his daughter with undisguised pride, but Juliet seemed uncomfortable. She was blushing even more than usual and had begun to fidget with her glass.
“I can’t believe I’ve known you nearly two years and I haven’t heard you play yet.” Beatriz said. “I’ve followed your YouTube channel. But I don’t think it’s the same as a proper, live performance.”
The tension Niko had noticed in Juliet’s shoulders seemed to ease a little as Beatriz and his parents questioned her about her performance style. Niko felt himself relaxing and even becoming a little hopeful that maybe the night would go better than he’d been fearing.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Standing on the edge of the dais, Juliet listened as Doctor Livingstone addressed the crowd; his British accent dripping with charm and prestige. He had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand, and Juliet watched with fascination.
“Tonight, we come together in celebration. To reinforce the bonds that join the factions together and to welcome new friends into our community.” Juliet wondered if he was referring to the humans sitting at her table. She couldn’t help but notice the way several pairs of eyes turn in their direction.
“For centuries we have worked together to claim a place for ourselves in the world, to live peaceably alongside humans without drawing attention to our way of life. In an age where technology is evolving at an ever-increasing pace, it is more important than ever that we remain united in this common goal. By strengthening our allegiance to one another, the factions can remain steadfast and secure in the knowledge that we are at our strongest when we come together, rather than letting our enemies divide and conquer us. In times of struggle, which we have regrettably faced in recent months, it is known that great achievements can be made, if only we look to the light instead of the darkness. Tonight, I am honoured to present to you a small musical offering. Our performer is in possession of a talent so astounding that it needs to be heard to be believed. She has only just joined the community we know as the Otherworld and in her short time here, she has overcome significant personal challenges. Her courage, her resilience and her ability to adapt is an example to us all.”
He held out his arm in Juliet’s direction.
“Please join me in welcoming to the stage, one of the newest members of our society; Miss Juliet Vassilios.” Doctor Livingstone lead the applause while Juliet made her way forward.
She usually felt a sense of belonging on stage, but a sudden unfamiliar shyness attempted to overwhelm her. She had performed in front of an audience countless times, but now her audience included Beatriz, Niko and his parents, as well as countless other important and influential members of the Otherworld society. There was also the possibility that the doctor’s hunch was right, and something about her playing was causing the murders to occur? Never had so much relied on the outcome of her performance.
Juliet waited for the room to fall completely silent. Then, she planted her feet in position and took a deep breath as she lifted her violin to her shoulder and readied her bow. With the first phrase, she let her breath escape and felt the tension float away as if carried by the music she played. She let herself be transported to that same place, far away from all the worries that plagued her. To a place where she had no fears or self-doubts. She felt brave and indestructible. Her music was a suit or armour, and her bow and violin were her shield and sword. This was her battlefield where she would never be conquered.
As the tempo began to pick up, Juliet began to move with the melody, swaying her hips gently. She could feel the reverence of her audience, she knew they were captivated by her performance and she devoured every drop of the energy it gave her, making her buzz with excitement and arousal. The feeling was so similar to the power she consumed when she was with Niko, her Demon was as much in control now as it was when she let her guard down with him.
She noticed Niko’s attention, she could feel his eyes on her, the desire flowing through their connection. Drawing her performance to an end, she bowed as the room exploded with applause. The loudest of the cheers coming from the direction of her own table.
JULIET WASN’T SURPRISED by her father’s critique. She had spent almost her entire life listening to his lectures and she knew that his criticism came from love. He understood the technicalities and intricacies of music better than anyone else and he wanted her to be the best musician she could be, not because of some vicarious perfectionism but because he knew how important it was to her.
She also wasn’t at all disappointed by his reaction because it was the first time in too long that he’d shown any real interest in her music. She began to have hope that her father was finally coming back to her.
She continued to listen to his list of critiques, barely hearing a word he said. But when he began to criticise her choice of arranging conflicting genres, she had to cut him off.
“Papa, I’m sorry. You know we disagree about this, but it was my choice and I’m happy with it.”
His eyes widened in response and his mouth fell open slightly. She knew he wasn’t used to hearing her disagree with him, but after their time apart, she had learned to trust herself and had gained more confidence in her decisions.
“Juliet-” He began but was cut off.
“Peter…” Beatriz said, touching his arm. “I think Juliet’s performance was superb. Cara, I wish you would have played for me sooner, I loved it. Especially that part in the middle, was that ‘Moon River’?” She asked, winking at Juliet as she nodded, unable to disguise her gratitude.
Niko’s parents were full of praise and polite compliments, but she wasn’t interested. The look in Niko’s eyes was holding her captive. The way he’d watched her as she had made her way back to the table had caused every muscle below her waistline to clench. He appeared relaxed enough, but she could sense the tension coiling in his body by the ever so subtle twitching of his jaw. His crooked smile barely disguising the lust in his eyes. Juliet’s Demon purred at the look in his eyes and she couldn’t help but return the look with interest. She smiled at him across the table with as much desire as she dared with her father sitting so close by.
The mood of the evening continued to improve as the drinks flowed, by the time dinner plates were cleaned away, guests had begun to move to the dancefloor and laughter was heard above the swell of the music.
A Latin number came on and Beatriz dragged her father onto the dancefloor, leaving Juliet wide-eyed and slack jawed. She watched with fascination as the pair twirled across the dance floor, causing Juliet to ponder if there was more than friendship
developing between her friend and her father. He had changed so much in Juliet’s absence, the ‘Dad-bod’ had been replaced by an athletic physique that seemed to be attracting more than a few sidelong glances from other female guests.
They weren’t the only couple on the dancefloor catching admiring glances. Juliet also noticed Odette dancing gracefully with a handsome black man in a deep purple tuxedo, and even Fiona and Scott were twirling across the floor, although by the way they both laughed she was confident that friendship was all that was going on between those two.
Niko slipped into the now unoccupied seat beside her and his hand on her thigh distracted her away from the dancers. She leaned into him, her hand falling likewise on his thigh where a small bulge caught her attention. Pursing her lips, she slid her hand into his pocket, causing his eyes to widen as he looked around the room and gripped the edge of the table.
She found the object of her curiosity and pulled it out of his pocket, holding it below the top of the table in case it was something illicit. She needn’t have bothered when she realised it was nothing but a harmless lollipop. She looked up at Niko with a raised eyebrow.
“Just a little something Scott concocted. Apparently, the sugar mellows out the bumbling effect of the alcohol potency.”
She locked eyes with him for a moment before making up her mind. As she began to unwrap it, Niko grabbed her hands.
“Juliet, no. You can’t. Our bet.”
She shrugged and smiled, challenging him to stop her.
“You’ll be my slave.” He said, his crooked smile taunting her to continue.
She decided she’d had enough of being in control and endlessly worrying about where all of this was going. The buzz of her performance was still running through her system, making her feel like taking a risk. She stuck the candy in her mouth and surrendered herself to the fates.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Niko nearly choked as he watched Juliet suck on the lollipop. Her eyelids fluttered momentarily as she appeared to savour the taste, causing his heart rate to rapidly increase and his cock to rise to full attention. He couldn’t help but smile at her out-of-character behaviour.
Juliet grabbed his hand and led him from the table, and he pulled her close to him to hide his obvious arousal, which only made her laugh.
They left the hall without attracting any attention and he followed obligingly as she guided him out of the castle. She took the lollipop out of her mouth and smiled at him along the way, letting her tongue peek out occasionally and lowering her eyes at him as she sucked. Taunting him with the fantasy of what it would be like to have her suck him like that.
Niko felt the chill in the air and let go of her hand to remove his jacket and drape it over her shoulders, she smiled and quickly resumed their walk.
He couldn’t help but think that this might be incredibly stupid, to go off alone when the whole point of the party was to provoke another attack. But Juliet’s pull was too strong, and he couldn’t bring himself to object.
DIMLY LIT BY moonlight, the greenhouse was a mass of white steel frames and shadows. Juliet reached its entrance and pursed her lips as she attempted and failed to open the locked door.
“Damn” She said, turning to look at Niko. For once he was pleased to have a few tricks up his sleeve. He pulled her to his side and plucked a pin from her hair. Contrary to popular belief, picking a lock was a lot harder than it looked on T.V. Luckily for Niko, he happened to know that this door in particular was one that could be unlocked with brute force. He made light work of the latch and smiled when he heard the catch release. He smiled at Juliet and pushed open the door.
"Clever Biscuit.” Juliet said before laying a small kiss on his lips and moving him aside to let herself in.
Niko followed behind as Juliet wandered through the greenhouse, his attention focussed on the sight of her as the moonlight reflected through the glass windows. The soft glow wrapping her in a shroud of luminescence. He took Juliet’s hand in his and placed a kiss on the inside of her wrist. Her eyes followed his mouth and her fingers twitching slightly as she bit into the lollipop, making quick work of the last few drop of sweetness.
Niko released her hands and cradled each side of her face, placing his thumb on her lip to release it from her teeth. Something about the way Juliet had pulled him away from the party made Niko think things had changed for her.
She kissed him and all thoughts of her motivations drifted away. She tasted like Champaign and Clare de Lune and her mouth was irresistible, each flick of her tongue made him burn for more. She pressed her body against him, grinding herself against his stiff cock. He let out a moan and inhaled deeply as she began to lick at his tongue, driving him closer to the point of no return. He moved against her, slowly backing her against the damp glass wall and she wrapped one leg around his waist, drawing their bodies closer together as she lowered her hands to his chest.
Niko fought for control, he let his hands fall away from her face and drew them slowly down her sides. Finding no resistance, he continued further until his hands rested at her hips. He reached one hand down to the thigh of the leg that was planted around him and gently stroked from hip to thigh and back again while his other hand moved to the small of her back. The heat of her mouth was overwhelming, he needed desperately to be inside of her but forced himself to fight the urge. It wasn’t the right time; he’d already worked too hard to rush things now. He pulled away, practically feeling the Demon within him hiss its disapproval.
“Why do you keep doing that?” Juliet asked, her eyes still closed as she licked her lips.
“Doing what?”
“Stopping, just when things are getting good.”
Her eyes opened, the Demon was at the surface, elongating her pupils and deepening her voice.
He rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavily and doing his best to tame his other side.
“I either stop now or I don’t stop.”
“So why stop?” She ground herself against him, driving home her point.
He clenched his jaw, a combination of pleasure and pain sending shockwaves through him.
“Now’s not the time.” He said through gritted teeth.
She kissed him teasingly.
“What better time is there?”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe when we’re finally on the same page about where this is going.”
He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. He knew Juliet wasn’t ready and bringing it up was guaranteed to start a fight. But he was getting impatient. It wasn’t so much the fact that he wanted her sexually, he wanted her heart. He wasn’t sure if it was the Demon bond or something else, but he wanted all of her and wasn’t willing to settle for just the physical.
She stared at him silently, her smile slowly fading.
“We’ve talked about this.” She said quietly.
“You said you understood.”
“I know, but I guess I’ve changed my mind.”
Juliet’s reaction wasn’t what he expected. Usually when she felt cornered, she retreated and turned cold. Instead, Juliet went quiet, her Demon rising to the surface and taking over.
“We don’t like to be refused.” She said, her voice echoing in his mind as it came through telepathically as well as vocally.
Niko froze, he’d never experienced direct communication with her Demon before.
“I’m sorry. You know I want you. I want you so much it hurts. But it doesn’t feel right.”
He tightened his grip on her hips, knowing that she would be able to feel the proof of his arousal. He wanted to reassure her that his change of mind had nothing to do with lack of sexual interest.
“We do not accept your apology.” She said, her words coming through coldly.
He felt the power of Juliet’s Demon crawling against his skin, her pupils completely devouring the iris. She kissed him, but it was more like a command, one that his Demon was unable to resist.
He completely lost contr
ol. He could feel his Demon respond and was powerless to stop it. He was trapped in his own body and was forced to watch impotently, a passenger in his own body as it lifted Juliet by the hips and pinned her to the wall. He fought to regain control but lost as hands that weren’t truly his ripped Juliet’s underwear.
His frustration was quickly turning to rage as he searched his mind for a way to break the control their Demon’s had over them, but he knew he wasn’t strong enough. It would have to be Juliet.
He reached out to her mentally, hoping he might be able to provoke her to reclaim control. He felt her own anger bite back at his intrusion, she was letting the Demon take over.
“Juliet,” he said. “Please, Juliet. Don’t do this. You know this is wrong.” He felt a flicker of her mind respond, giving him the chance to get further into her mind.
“Please Juliet, I don’t want you like this. I want YOU, Juliet. I’m in love with you.”
He felt her mind recoil at his works and her body stilled suddenly, her Demon hissing its disapproval as Juliet retook control.
The absence of her Demon forced his own to release enough of its control that Niko was able to take back the reigns and his hands became his own again. He tensed at the recoil and gripped Juliet tightly, still feeling overwhelmed by the physical desire for her.
She pulled away from him, but he saw the tears in her eyes before she looked away. He reached out to stop her, but she turned and ran for the door.
Before she reached it, she stopped suddenly causing Niko to almost crash into her back. She stumbled backwards into him and he felt momentarily relieved, hoping she had decided to stay so that they could talk about this calmly for once.
Then he noticed what had made her stop. There was a movement to their left; the garden bed which Niko had assumed was overrun with weeds was moving as if the plants within were alive. Niko reached out telepathically, trying to determine if there was consciousness within.