Princess of Lust (For the Love of Evil)

by Mayburn, Ann

  Why in the world would he be worried about an illusion spell?

  I have no idea.

  Asmodeus finally broke the silence. “In the spirit of peace, I will overlook your…ill-advised use of power against my daughter.”

  Belal executed a perfect bow, but the sardonic smile that lingered on his lips ruined any attempt at sincerity. “You are too kind.”

  Standing, her father turned his attention to her and Raum, and she saw a flash of the fury in his gaze for a moment before he shut down his emotions. “Congratulations, General Raum, on having the good fortune of being a potential blood mate to my daughter. Your father, the High Prince Lucifer, has always been a great friend of mine and I could not be happier by a potential blood-mating to strengthen the ties between us.”

  Still holding her hand, Raum bowed as she curtsied. “I am truly honored, and I thank God that he has given me the chance to win her love.”

  Natalia darted a glance over at Gregor who watched them impassively, but she could feel the confusing mix of his anger and desire as he watched her and Raum. She dipped in a low curtsy to Raum and let him lead her down the steps of the dais to where the floor had been cleared for their dance. As she looked into Raum’s eyes, she sighed at the love she saw there. The first melodic strains of music started, and as she placed her hand into his, she knew to the bottom of her soul that while he held her nothing would ever harm her.

  After their dance together, she spoke with different members of the court, trying her best to remember all the social nuances that had been drilled into her head over the past months. Never look a banshee in the eye. Always look a demon in the eye. Curtsey for this person, bow for that, remember that to call a siren by her given name was an insult. The list was endless, confusing, and she felt as if they could all see through the thin veneer of royalty to the scared peasant girl beneath.

  She finished a dance with Eline when she caught Belal and Drayth in a heated exchange toward the back of the room. Belal said something to the other man that caused Drayth to start and pale as the demons around them laughed. Sympathy for the son of Satan poured through her as she imagined what it would be like to constantly be the object of ridicule. Belal sneered at the other man and Drayth took a step closer, violence radiating from him.

  Before she was even aware of having made the decision to move ,she found herself stepping between the men and holding her hand out to Drayth. Eline stood about a pace behind her and his solid presence gave her the courage to turn her back on Belal and his minions. “Prince Drayth, would you mind coming for a walk with me?”

  Drayth shot Belal a smirk and gently took her hand in his, settling it into the crook of his arm. His body was firm and pleasantly solid beneath the soft black velvet of his jacket and the smile he gave her was genuine. “I would be honored, Princess.”

  Belal said something and titters rose behind her as they strolled away, but she ignored them. Eline followed them along with three other guards, but they kept a respectful distance, giving them at least the illusion of privacy. She had no idea where she was taking him until they reached the archway leading out to balcony that held the Tree of Knowledge. The tree itself was beautiful, and when backlit by the moon and the slowly rolling silver-edged clouds, it became a work of art.

  Taking a seat in one of the comfortable chairs that faced the tree without a view of the open sky beyond the railing, she glanced at Drayth. The muscles of his face were tight with tension and his hands were fisted in his lap.

  “Prince Drayth, are you all right?”

  The anger in his eyes as he glanced at her made her shrink back against the chair. “Why did you bring me here?”

  She glanced about, trying to find what had made him so upset. “I honestly don’t know. I wanted to escape the madness of the court.” She fingered the soft emerald velvet of her skirt, the shade almost black in the light of the moon. “I’m afraid I don’t know much about how to be royal.”

  His voice was carefully neutral now and some of the anger had faded from his eyes. “And what do you know of me?”

  “Honestly? Nothing. I didn’t even know your name until tonight.”

  The shadows of his jaw softened as he relaxed. “Then you don’t know about my mother.”

  She thought back to her lessons on the history of Hell, trying to think of some mention of Satan’s children. “I’m sorry, but I can’t recall anything about her other than my father mentioning that she’s a concubine.” He tensed again and she quickly added, “But I’m sure she’s a wonderful woman.”

  “Was,” he said in a quiet tone. “Was a wonderful woman.”

  “Oh. I’m so sorry.” Her voice thickened and she tried to swallow past the tears threatening to spill. “I lost my mother recently as well.”

  The smile he gave her was filled with sadness and understanding. “I know. Tales of you escaping the angels and Belal’s men are already the stuff of legends.”

  “Belal’s alleged men,” she said with a bitter hiss. “Can’t say for certain they served him.”

  Drayth’s laugh held an equally acidic tone. “Welcome to the politics of Hell, Princess.”

  She sighed and would have slumped but the corset bones in the dress kept her upright. “Sometimes I wish I were still a normal girl worried about normal things like paying the rent on our land and if our cow would be giving birth anytime soon.”

  He laughed and crossed his long legs at the ankles. “I never thought about it that way. I wonder what it would be like to be normal.”

  “You’d probably find it dreadfully boring.”

  He traced his fingertip on the back of the chair, his gaze distant. “I don’t know. It might be nice to have grown up in a place where you weren’t seen as a constant reminder of your failure to live up to your father’s expectations.”

  She laughed and he gave her an affronted look. “Sorry, I didn’t mean any offense. It’s just that when your father is the king of Hell, it’s a lot to live up to. No pressure there.”

  His lips twitched into a smile again and he nodded. “That’s one way of putting it. Then again, I’m not fated to save the universe with my love. No pressure there.”

  She grimaced and picked at her skirt. “Yes, no pressure at all.”

  Drayth stood and stretched, offering her a hand. She stood, and he surprised her by placing a gentle kiss on her lips. “I find myself wishing we were potential blood mates, even though I know your heart already belongs to General Raum.”

  She flushed and stepped back, nodding to Eline where he watched from the doorway with a concerned expression. “Who said I love the general?”

  He gave her a sad smile and offered her his arm again, not bothering to argue with her obvious evasion.

  ***

  Gregor stiffened as Kirin came up the steps and knelt on the pillow next to his so the outsides of their thighs touched. The warmth of the other man’s skin sent a bolt of lust through Gregor and he had to keep himself from looking for Belal to see if the demon had noticed his reaction to Kirin. He cursed himself for his foolishness, for letting his attention be drawn away from what mattered, to dwell on his own insecurities. Still, he couldn’t help but think about his grandfather’s reaction when he found out his grandson was not only the willing concubine of their family’s enemy, but also attracted to another man.

  At least he was no longer chained to Natalia’s small throne like a dog. The leash, with its deadly secret, now dangled down his chest with the fur cuff resting between his thighs. Kirin made sure his wrist pressed against Gregor’s so he could touch the gold cuff bracelet that also served as a communication link. Once again his limitation in magic added a new layer of anger to the already simmering cauldron of his emotions. Even the weakest demon could communicate mentally, but he had to rely on magical charms and the care and concern of others.

  Natalia twirled gracefully before them, the folds of her dress parting to reveal a flash of her well-rounded thighs. While he hated seeing Raum touchin
g her, he had to admit the other man did a fantastic job leading her across the floor. Even he could admit Natalia was usually anything but graceful while dancing with another partner. Watching them move together brought to mind imaginings of a more carnal nature, forbidden dreams of observing them making love, of joining in. Except in those dreams, he was in the middle between them, penetrating Natalia as he was penetrated by Raum.

  Kirin’s voice intruded in his thoughts, almost making him fall over. Trust me when I say that being with them at the same time is one of life’s greatest pleasures.

  Angry he’d forgotten about Kirin being able to hear his thoughts, his reply came out harsher than he intended. Only a weak, depraved man would seek that kind of sinful pleasure.

  Instead of being irritated, Kirin’s mental laugh soothed and aroused him as it echoed through his mind. No one can endure the love of a demon if they are weak. Only the strong can take their passion, their adoration, and survive it. The demon in question faced them now and Gregor couldn’t stop himself from admiring the other man’s lips. I think it takes more strength to admit to yourself what you desire than to hide from it behind false words. Like the way you admitted your desire for me.

  Damned if he didn’t blush like some virginal young girl as memories of kissing and caressing Kirin raced with sensual fire through his blood. Refusing to give Kirin the satisfaction of a fumbling lie, he tried to ignore the handsome concubine. They hadn’t done much more than kissing during his training as a wizard, yet, but he couldn’t even lie to himself about how much he wanted Kirin. He glanced at the other man out of the corner of his eye and more blood rushed to his cock, tightening his pants uncomfortably.

  Bare from the waist up, Kirin wore a pair of black leather pants that rode so low on his hips Gregor could see the swell of his muscled buttocks. He found the dark hair on Kirin’s chest arousing and often wondered what it would feel like to stroke his hands through it. Raum’s silver collar gleamed around the other concubine’s neck, bringing out the natural tan of his skin.

  Shifting to ease the ache of his cock, he pressed his thigh more firmly against that of the dark-haired man. The song ended and Bans requested the next dance with Natalia. Part of Gregor’s job tonight was to provide an excuse for her to sit and rest if she became too fatigued from dancing. A true demon would have the stamina to dance the night away, but Natalia was too human to endure that without pain and discomfort.

  To keep their enemies from being aware of her reason for leaving the dance floor, he was to sullenly jerk on his chain and act in a manner unbecoming for a concubine. She would then come to “correct” him, either publicly or in private, and she would have a chance to relax. The idea of her soft hand gripping his hair as she punished him aroused him to the point where he had to fight the urge to act up and bring her attention back to him right now.

  On the edge of the crowd, with an almost blank expression on his face, Drayth watched Natalia and Bans dance. Every once in a while that mask would crack and Gregor had a hard time making sense of the emotions he saw there. Anger, sadness, and a need so great he wondered what the other man hungered for. It didn’t seem to be Natalia, because when she moved into a dance position that accented her body he showed no more reaction than normal.

  No one else seemed to be paying much attention to him, the other demons looking over him as if he weren’t there. Kirin, Drayth is the King of Hell’s son, right? Why aren’t people falling all over themselves to win his favor?

  Because for all practical purposes, Drayth is as human as you and me.

  What?

  Drayth never made the transition to full demon, or even half demon. There is no doubt about his paternity, but as far as the ruling class of demons are concerned he is a…how can I put this into terms you would understand? You know how much demons hate weakness and pride themselves on strength. To them Drayth is an embarrassment, an abomination really, for having a demonic side so weak that he never managed to gain any of the demonic characteristics of their race.

  Gregor watched Bans relinquish Natalia to Drayth for a dance, carefully observing every nuance of his body language. There was something about the prince he didn’t like, something that struck him as false. Natalia didn’t seem to notice. She laughed at whatever he said as she tripped over his toes. It seemed as if Drayth didn’t even have the strength to lead her in a dance. Surprised by the venom of that thought, he made himself take a mental step back and try to examine his feelings.

  He wasn’t jealous of Drayth. No, he just didn’t trust the other man that now smiled at his mistress. He turned to Kirin. One would think living with that shame day after day would slowly drive a man insane. There is something about him that bothers me.

  Kirin’s dark brows scrunched as he looked back out on the dance floor where Natalia had once again gotten her feet tangled, almost spilling them to the floor. Drayth laughed and helped her back to her feet in an elegant move that almost made it look as if she’d stumbled on purpose. To be honest, I don’t know much about Drayth. We don’t move in the same social circles, and he spends most of his time at the high king’s castle. I will say this…he has done everything he can to support his father and has taken on much of the responsibility of trying to keep Satan’s portion of Hell running smoothly. Lack of magic aside, he is a fearsome warrior and I’d hate to face him on the battlefield. Kirin shook his head. I do know the High Prince Asmodeus respects him and that is good enough for me. You know, being a lowly concubine and all.

  Gregor’s witty reply faded to a mental whisper as he saw something impossible across the room. Natalia strode through the open doors of the ballroom, dressed in a black leather gown that molded her breasts together in an almost obscene fashion. He began to leap but Kirin grasped his wrist and jerked him back to the floor. What are you doing?

  The Princess is in danger! A woman that looks just like her walked in. She’s standing by the doors in a black leather gown. We have to alert—

  Easy. That is Lady Pyriel, the succubus queen.

  His stomach clenched as she made her way through the crowd, stopping to smile and talk with different sets of demons. It was only because he knew Natalia’s face so well that he could detect the hidden strain, the tightness of her mouth and limbs every time she had to stop and speak with someone. Why does she look like Natalia?

  She doesn’t. At least to other demons and devils she doesn’t. To humans she looks like their heart’s fondest desire. Let me fix your eyesight so you see what is true.

  Before Gregor could object, Kirin placed his hands over his eyes and a flash of bright light momentarily blinded him. When he opened his eyes again, he sought out the succubus and let out a low whistle as he saw her true form. Pale skin sparkling as if covered with ruby dust, long, dark hair falling to her curved bottom, with a slender tail twitching behind her. He couldn’t help the surge of arousal as he imagined Natalia with the succubus, the two women a tangle of deliciously soft limbs.

  Kirin coughed into his fist. If you ever get a chance to be with both of them, I think I’ll have to beat your ass out of jealousy.

  Lady Pyriel made her way through the crowd until she stood before the throne, sinking into a deep curtsy that revealed a hint of her plum-colored nipples beyond the edge of her gown. Both Kirin and Gregor leaned slightly forward, trying to get a better view as she straightened. She greeted Asmodeus and smiled at Galina when she came down the steps to embrace her in a hug.

  An image of Galina, naked with her pink nipple clasped between Lady Pyriel’s plump lips flashed through his mind and he shot Kirin a look, knowing where that thought had come from. Kirin gave him an innocent look and a grin that wilted off his face.

  “Wha—”

  Kirin grasped his wrist in an almost bruising grip. Silence.

  A moment later Asmodeus’s voice thundered through his mind. Gregor, fight with Kirin. Now!

  Before that thought even finished Kirin swung him around by his shoulder. “What did you say about my M
aster?”

  Gregor stared at him for a split second before shoving the other man back hard enough that he fell on his butt. “I said that he didn’t need to worry about his problem with pleasing women, that I’d be more than happy to make sure she was satisfied after another uninspired, tedious roll in the hay. She’s had more fun washing that sweet pussy than—”

  With a roar of rage, Kirin leaped at him and the two men tumbled together down the steps. The crowd cleared around them as they wrestled on the floor and the other man threw a punch that barely missed breaking his nose and instead split his lip. It had been a while since Gregor had the chance to relive his stress in a good knock-down-drag-out fight and he threw himself at Kirin with renewed vigor, managing to blacken the other man’s eye before they were dragged apart by the guards and forced to their knees.

  Natalia shoved her way through the crowd with Raum at her heels. “What is the meaning of this?”

  Kirin spoke first. “Your pretty boy called my—”

  “Silence!” Raum roared and backhanded Kirin before turning to Natalia and kneeling before her. “Princess, please forgive my concubine’s insolence.”

  “Forgive?” Her voice took on a deadly purr as she strode forward and gripped Gregor’s hair in her fist, wrenching his head back to examine his face. “Oh, I’ll forgive him after he has paid for the insult done to me…but not here. I have something more private, and painful, in mind.”

  Raum nodded. “But of course. I will join you in a bit to make sure that Kirin is properly apologetic.”

  She smiled at Raum with such heat that Gregor wanted to kick the other man. Jealousy raged through him and he gripped his hands into fists in an effort to keep from launching himself at Raum. Gregor tried to swallow but it was hard to do with his head still cocked at the odd angle by which she held him.