But then he grinned at me, the length of his fangs growing and this time when he spoke, it belonged solely to his demon,
“This is when you run, pet.”
Chapter 25
A Demon’s Wings
“This is when you run, pet.” The moment his demon said this, he erupted into flames, and the earth beneath me started to shake with the power of his rage. The snow on the ground vibrated around me as if it too feared the wrath of a God.
But he didn’t need to tell me twice and I managed to scramble to my blood soaked feet and start running as fast as my injuries would let me. I did so to the sound of murder behind me, as one by one the demonic beasts fell to the sound of their dying brethren before them. A chorus of howling pain before the very last whine of death could claim each of them.
In the end I could go no further and fell to my knees first before the rest of my body followed. My glasses were flaked in snow, surprising me that they had even survived the fight with the witch. But then, I guess in getting me, she had needed me to be able to see, which still made me question, how had she accomplished it? How had I managed to get the box for her, even with the obvious control she had held over my mind to do so? Making me now question,
How had no-one seen me?
I shook these questions from my tired mind and curled in on myself, pulling my knees up and hugging the box to my chest, creating a cocoon of flesh around it. I then opened my eyes and looked through the flakes of snow on my lenses, to find in the distance the fight was quickly coming to an end. And to be honest, it didn’t look like much of a fight in the first place.
More like an eradication of one’s enemies.
The demonic wolves weren’t any match for Lucius, and each time I opened my eyes, I saw something new. One wolf caught in both his hands, just before he literally ripped it in half. This before he threw away each end of the now very dead wolf until the two pieces skidded to a stop in the snow, leaving a long crimson road leading to their lifeless body parts.
Then on another flicker of my eyes opening, one wolf was currently being set alight and ran into the forest howling in pain, causing it to set the trees on fire. But Lucius, unconcerned by this, just raised a hand in the air and made a fist that instantly extinguished the flames. My eyes closed again, for longer periods this time, as the next eye opening revealed more bodies on the ground, now with their fur coated with blood and matted with their spilled insides.
Again, came another wave of exhaustion as my eyes fluttered shut but still my mind was not ready to give up on consciousness and forced my heavy lids to open. However, this time he turned to face me with the very last wolf still in his demonic hold. Then when finding my near sleeping form in the snow, he merely ripped the head from the once squirming form in his hands and threw the pieces aside.
Then he took a determined step towards me.
It had to be said that it was a truly terrifying sight, no matter that I knew who he was to me. Or more importantly in that moment, who I was to him.
But that didn’t dismiss the fact that to see what essentially looked like a version of the Devil walking towards me was a sight that stole the air from my lungs in a gasp of fright. A sight, which admittedly this time was why I closed my eyes. Because I didn’t fear what he would do to me, I feared what he would think I’d done.
Now finding me lying here with the box in my arms, one I had no knowledge of even stealing this time. Well, let’s just say that given my prior history, it was a sight that could have been taken as me trying to escape him yet again. And what if he just believed that the witch had been watching and waiting for me to make my move?
So naturally, I didn’t want him to think this. Because I hadn’t wanted to leave. Not for a single second since being here. Since being with him. Yesterday had been one of the best days of my life, our simple but sweet date night especially. Because in that single day he had proved to me that even if those moments were to be the rare ones, then they were worth spending a lifetime of unknown factors just at the promise of those alone.
That was what Lucius had given me.
A glimpse into the life he was willing to build for me. One done out of love and care for my fear of losing the old one I had built. I had tested him yesterday and yet no matter how I had pushed, he had simply continued to give.
And now he must have thought that his reward for that was my attempted escape. All I could hope for was that he would believe the truth. One that I tried to tell him when I barely had enough strength to whisper his name,
“Lucius.”
I then forced my eyes to open and watched as each time I did he was closer and closer in a flicker of heavy lids. But then the last time I did, I found boots at my body and darkness overshadowing the moon, casting me into the ashes of the night. This was all from his wings that blocked out the light, and the sight above me was one that should have had me quaking in fear like before. But instead, I simply let my head fall back into the snow as the last of my strength left me, the box now safe, rolled from my frozen fingers. I could now only make out a blur of motion as Lucius picked up the box, seeing for himself how I had protected it.
If I’d had the energy in that moment, I would have asked him if he was proud, but then why should he be, he probably thought I was trying to steal it again. Gods, but all I really wished for right now was for him to have said something.
Anything to stop this inner turmoil!
But instead, I simply felt myself being scooped up from the snow and hoisted up in his arms before he rose to his full height, the box being put back in my care. Then, without a word, he turned around and started walking back towards the silent garden as if it too had the power to steal his voice. In fact, it was only when I felt the whoosh of his wings folding to his back, tucking themselves in tight, that I opened my eyes again.
“Luc…ius.” I uttered his name again and this time a rumbled growl was heard before his demon spoke to me.
“Save your strength, little human, you are safe now.” I did as he said and didn’t try to speak again. Not that I think at this point anything would have come out, as my lips wouldn’t stop quivering as I started to shake in his hold, making him hiss a curse. Then suddenly he snarled,
“It can’t fucking wait!” Then he dropped to his knees, barely even jarring me. I opened my eyes to see his enormous wings open and suddenly they were pushed forward, cocooning us now in his impressive wingspan. Only then did I feel him lower me and I released a sigh as this time it wasn’t on to the freezing snow but instead on to warm skin. I shuddered again at the feel and the difference in temperature, then I felt a callused hand come to my face and with little pressure it was lifted up to his face. One now bathed in darkness as most of his demonic features were lost in shadow, all except for the burning Hell in his eyes.
“You will drink…yes?” The deep grate and depth of his demon’s voice speaking to me in what was a soft and tender way, was astounding, as the two combined made me suck in an astonished breath.
“My mortal, you will drink,” he declared then in a more forceful tone before raising his wrist to his lips and biting into the flesh, making a sickening sound. This was when I could see the difference in his hands, one that was barely the hint of what it usually was. But it was his left hand that had drastically changed. For it now looked consumed in a metal gauntlet this time, as long gone was the leather. No, this was a black armoured glove that looked forged in Hell, tipped with deadly talons I wanted to stay clear of, fearing by just one touch they would sheer my skin right off.
“Drink” The sound of his order dragged my eyes from the hand that was essentially a deadly weapon. I didn’t speak, for fear of disappointing him, so instead nodded before he placed his wrist to my lips. His uncovered hand was that of a demon, longer than before and rough, hard skin taking the place of the manly hands of Lucius that I loved to feel on my skin.
But I knew it was still him. He had simply given way to his demon side and to be honest, it was
quite exhilarating being able to witness it. Even more startling to be able to witness its kindness and caring side, for it obviously wanted to heal me before all else.
So here I was, wrapped up in the wings of a demon I belonged to and at the first taste of his blood I couldn’t help but moan in pleasure. It just rippled through me, a warmth unlike any other. A rumbling sound started from Lucius’ demon and I realised that he too was experiencing the same pleasure I was.
In fact, I worried that I would take too much as the warmth and feeling started to come back into my body, so I started to pull away. But then that pleasing rumble turned into a snarl of disapproval and his metal hand suddenly came up to touch me, making me flinch back from it. He stopped it from coming any closer, pausing with it in midair and for a moment, the burning red in his eyes disappeared meaning he had closed his eyes.
“I won’t hurt you, little one,” his demon told me in obvious strain and with wide eyes, I nodded after first pushing my glasses up my nose, ones that were blurring the edges of my vision from dirt. He too nodded again before reaching out, this time without me flinching away from him. He then cupped the back of my head with the demonic glove being as gentle as if it hadn’t even been there and then he nodded down at his wrist before telling me,
“You’re not done. Now drink.”
“But you will need…” I started to whisper, stopping when he gave me a pointed look and growled more forcefully this time,
“Drink, girl” So I latched my lips around his dripping wound and did as he said for me to do, which was drink him down until he deemed it was enough. This took a while, but he was right, once he pried his bloody wrist from my lips, I felt amazing. The pain in my feet was gone and the cold that wracked my body was nothing but a mere chill. Then he licked at his own wrist and I watched as his skin started to knit back together now that his head was angled enough to let in a small beam of moonlight.
After this he gathered me up close, amazing me that he could be so careful with his taloned tip fingers. His wings uncurled from around us at the same time he rose to his feet, lifting me once more in his arms. Then he walked down the length of the garden, and this time he did so with my arms around him and my head buried in his neck.
The neck of my Demon.
The Demon that saved me.
The Demon I loved.
Chapter 26
Washing Away My Demons
Lucius carried me back inside, which turned out to be through a maze of tunnels and hallways, after first being faced with a narrow turret of steps to contend with. This turned out to be the only way into the garden, which made me shudder just thinking about me making this journey without even knowing it.
I took one look at the small space and reached up with a hand and tapped him on the cheek to get his attention.
“I could walk,” I offered in a quiet voice, to which his demon scoffed, a deep grunt made at the back of his throat, that sounded more like a pissed off bull. So, I retracted the offer with a small,
“Or maybe not.” However, his answer to the steps had been a rumbled demand for me to hold onto him at the horns as he shifted me around to facing him. But then he could see the trepidation in my eyes as I was unsure if I really should or not.
“Go on, little one, now do as you are told,” his Demon said, his voice trying to take on a more gentle tone, making me do as he asked. I was even surprised to find them so smooth, and I gripped on in between where his wing fingers were curled around at different points. I decided to avoid them in case they moved, and it freaked me out as I didn’t think screaming in fright right now was going to help in keeping this beast tame.
But once he felt me gripping on he then lifted me further up his body, holding me tight to him after first taking the box from my lap. Then, with only one hand he held me there, with me now clinging onto his front and my legs wrapped firmly around his waist. Meaning that now he was free to walk us both down the narrow steps. I had to admit it felt like such an intimate position, that I couldn’t help but bury my head in his neck, my lips peppering little kisses there that made his chest rumble, like he was tiger purring.
So, with my legs squeezing him tight and his one hand on my ass, I clung on until we reached the bottom where before I could even ask what now, I was tapped on the leg as a silent command to let go. Which I did expecting to find the ground beneath my feet. But instead found my legs quickly swept to the side so I was once again being carried as I had been before.
I had to admit, that I would have loved to have seen what we had looked like together. Me in the arms of Lucius’ Demon, with my arms still clinging on around his neck and held tight to his chest like I was the most precious thing to him in the world.
Like I was his to protect.
It wasn’t long until we were soon at the three arched entrance and instead of bothering with any opening or bridge, he simply walked to the center arch and to the small ledge beyond it. Then with only a deep and guttural demand,
“Hold on,” he stepped from the ledge falling a little way so he was clear to release his wings. I wasn’t scared of heights but even that made me cry out in fright. But then he started lifting us thanks to the large and effective drag of his wings, capturing the air beneath them. He flew us back up and over the ridge of stone that had the tunnel running through it that led straight into his home.
A home that quickly came into view before he started to fly us down, now aiming for where the carved stone bathroom was. He landed with a soft thud of heavy boots against the stone, before folding his wings back so he could fit us both inside.
Once inside he lowered me down, but not to my feet, as I would have thought, seeing as there was nowhere else he could take me. Or so I believed, as I ended up being lowered into the hot springs bath that was a constant stream of hot water that smelled like natural minerals. This made me hiss as the heat licked at my skin making it itch.
“You will get used to it,” he rumbled and I nodded before his arms slipped free from my body. Then he turned to leave and in that moment the vulnerability of the night hit me. Meaning I suddenly called out,
“Don’t go…please.” I then looked over my shoulder at him to see him now frozen in the doorway, his back tensed with his wings tightly pulled in, doing so in what I swear was a flinch.
Finally, he said,
“I need a moment, Amelia.” His voice was tense and strained, for this time it was Lucius managing to push through. That was when I knew what he meant. He needed time to come back from his demon side. Which was when I said shyly,
“I don’t mind.” At this there was a rumbling sound that got louder and if I had to equate it to anything I would have said it sounded this time like a demonic purr.
“I can’t get too comfortable here.” This time it was a strained mix of the two voices that spoke as one, making me swallow harder knowing what it was that he was saying. If he let his demon continue to take charge then Lucius was in danger of losing all control and never getting it back. Gods, but I had heard rumors once that this had actually happened to my father and it was said that my mother saved him. How she did this I was unsure, but the way Pip had told the story she had made it sound like it was achieved by reminding my father of his humanity. Of course, the story also said that to achieve this she first had to go to Hell to do it.
So, for my mum, the saying ‘to Hell and back’ was a literal meaning when it came to doing anything for my dad and oh boy, did he know it!
“I understand,” I told him softly and then turned my head away, not wanting to watch my brutal saviour walking away from me. Not when I didn’t know when it was that I would ever see him like this again.
But then I felt his presence still dominating the room and just before I turned to check, I felt a hand reach for my chin. My face was turned towards him and I found him bending on one knee so he could reach my level. Then he tipped my head back even further, with his demonic features much clearer now. It showed the same handsome face of the Lucius
, only one made to look more deadly. More sinister and dangerous. But even now, with eyes burning through the darkness that swirled under his skin, he still managed to look tenderly down at me.
I felt his taloned thumb come to my lips, but only the callused pad caressed down them, pulling them open slightly. I wanted to kiss him so badly in that moment, but I didn’t know if he would let me. Now he seemed to be holding himself back. And I knew I was right when he said,
“Such sweet temptation.” Then he skimmed the back of his talon down my neck, continuing down until running it over my breast. One free of a bra but still covered by the cotton of my t-shirt. I sucked in a quick breath at the feel of it flick over my nipple dangerously making it hard and erect. He was staring down at me and I watched as the lust burning in the eyes, those of a demon, seemed to ignite. I knew he wanted me and Hell, I wanted him, even like this!
But just before I was about to make that step towards telling him. He released a heavy grumbled sigh before looking back into my eyes and cupping my cheek.
Then he said,
“I thank you for the gift you bestow.” He rose back to his feet and just before he left, I had to know,
“What gift?” I quickly asked him. To which he told me on a soft rumble,
“The gift of you.” Then he bowed his head to me before he was gone, this time having no choice but to watch as he walked away, leaving me with a single tear to fall.
A tear for my brutally sweet Demon.
I don’t know how long it was before I jolted awake next, but I found myself still in the bath and also dressed, with my pyjamas clinging to me. I had done nothing in here, like clean my body or my hair. I had simply watched my Demon saviour leave and then silently cried asking myself why.
Blood Of Kings (Transfusion Book 3) Page 26