“Try me,” I challenged, not at all offended by him basically calling me too young to get it.
“The world has changed drastically in the past couple of centuries—the past one hundred years, really. When the treaty was signed, back in the fifteenth century, it was actually viewed as a salvation for some. Not just to ensure our isolation from human populations, but also a way to take care of women whom society might not have been able, or didn’t want, to look after.”
“What are you saying?” I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Incubi never took random people off the street. You know that all our acquisitions were sanctioned by humans.”
“The Priory.” I nodded.
“Right. Centuries ago, the prospects of a widowed or unmarried woman, who was not allowed to hold property and often couldn’t provide for herself without a man, were grim.”
“Huh!” I scoffed, pointing at the cells. “Don’t make it sound like you were providing some kind of a sanctuary for them in here.”
“But for a while, I believe we were, Jade. You have to understand, we did not kidnap nobility from castles. The women who got approved to be taken often came from the very fringes of the society, someone no one would miss when they were gone. The Priory monks turned many of those who showed up at their church begging for charity to us. Those women often were at the end of their rope, with no means to survive—the most likely future for them being an untimely death from violence, disease or hunger.
“For someone like you, who learned about this part of history from a book, it might be difficult to grasp this. Because the women we took have never been mentioned in any history books. They came and left, their lives but a tiny blink on the timeline of the world, with society paying as much attention to them as to a speck of sand in the desert. We skimmed their emotions, held them in isolation, but we gave them food and shelter, the safety from all the things that plagued their existence on the outside. In some cases, I truly believe, we extended their lives. They were safe here, physically sheltered from harm.”
“Until they weren’t,” I pointed out.
“Human life has always been painfully short, but the Sources rarely had to be drained back then. They died from other causes. Before modern medicines, disease and infections still found their way in here, wiping out all our Sources a few times. Still, generally, their time with us here used to be longer in those earlier centuries.”
Hands on the doorframe above his head, Vadim stared inside the cell, recalling the life that took place here for so long.
“As society developed, life outside became better for everyone, including women, single and otherwise. The survival time of our Sources actually shrunk. They died or had to be drained sooner. It was the isolation that would kill them eventually. Humans need interaction to thrive, we know it now. Also, women had much more to miss from the outside world. It’s no longer the men who provide and care. Widowed and unmarried women are full members of modern society, with all the rights that go with that.”
It was bizarre to hear him talk of fundamental rights like some new, modern concept, as if they had just happened now. Trying to see it from his perspective, though, I imagined it would seem pretty recent. On the timeline of his ten-century existence, the decades of women’s rights movements would be like the blink of an eye.
“At the end of the day, though, it never mattered what we believed and how we felt about the way we were forced to feed. The treaty came from the Priory. And they have been unwilling to revisit it until now.”
“How could they not search for better ways to solve this?”
“We have been trusting the Priory to look after the best interests of humanity. However, I now suspect there has been more than simply keeping humans safe in their motivations and in their ways to make us stick to the rules.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve met with Raim, the Grand Master of the Western Council, on several occasions since becoming a Grand Master myself. He is the most zealous follower of the rules of the treaty. Raim has been in his position since before the treaty, and he’s been essentially governing the actions of both our Councils all this time.
“Andras and I have been going through the archives, piecing together from the records of our Council meetings as well as the meetings with the Priory, what exactly has been happening between us and them. Raim has always been arrogant, ambitious and hungry for power. However, since the treaty was signed, he appeared to follow the ruling of the Priory flawlessly.”
A thought flashed in my head.
“Maybe they have something on Raim. Some way of controlling him?”
“You think so?” He didn’t seem overly surprised by my suggestion.
“They must have.” I gripped his forearm. “I mean I’ve never met the guy, but you described him as powerful and arrogant, and definitely not someone who’d submit that easily to any decree made by humans much younger and weaker than himself. Look, even you talk to me sometimes like I’m some clueless thirty-year-old babe in the woods—”
“Sorry, I never meant to offend you.” The mortified expression on his face gave even more sincerity to his apology.
“I know, I know.” I patted his arm, pacifyingly. “And I’m not offended. Not really. My point is there must be something that gives the Priory its power over Raim. Has he ever been summoned, do you know? Maybe they have made him do their bidding, and he’s been serving them ever since?”
“I don’t think so,” Vadim dismissed my idea. “Raim is too strong for any conjurer to force him into submission. That’s the main reason he is the only one who never bothered with a human name in the first place.”
“Raim is his demon name then?”
Vadim nodded. “The only name he’s ever used.”
“Hm.” I frowned in concentration, trying to think harder. “There is something fishy going on with him, I’m sure of it.”
“I’m beginning to think there is, too. He seemed to be absolutely against allowing relationships between Incubi and humans. He only relented when the Priory approved Andras’s proposal.”
“See? That doesn’t make sense for someone like Raim. What do you think they could be using against him?”
“No idea. As far I know, Raim has nothing he treasures enough to submit to anyone over it.”
“Could it be blackmail then?”
“What could the Priory blackmail him with? What secret would Raim have that he’d want to keep away from us?” Vadim moved closer, wrapping his arm around me. “Whatever it is, Jade, as long as he doesn’t get in the way of these changes, Raim is nothing for us to worry about.”
“ANDRAS CALLED FROM America,” Zayne rushed to us as soon as we got upstairs. “Raim quit.”
“Quit what?” I asked.
“When?” Vadim’s expression darkened.
“Just now, pretty much. Andras has been elected to lead the West instead of him.”
“Andras? Good. Why did Raim quit, though?” Vadim rubbed his forehead. “Actually, let me call Raim right away.” He made a move to his room, but Zayne stopped him.
“He left.”
“Raim left? Where?”
“No one knows. He didn’t say. His phone is dead, too.”
“Just like that?” Vadim stood, his arms crossed over his chest. “He quit and took off, vanishing without a trace?”
“According to Andras, he gave a warning before leaving. Something about the Priory not being what they seem and that no one with Incubi blood in them is safe. Andras believes that includes the offspring of the Forgiven.”
To my knowledge, there were no known offspring of Incubi yet. Alyssa was in her last weeks of pregnancy, and there were now several more couples who were expecting.
How low would someone go, to threaten babies?
“Our children . . .” Vadim stared at me, his expression stern.
“I’m on the pill,” I blurted out, immediately regretting what I said.
It was stupid. He obvious
ly was considering the situation in general and how it would affect the children of all established human-Incubi unions. Besides, technically, Vadim and I had not come to that point in our physical relationship yet where babies could be made.
“Never mind.” I waved my hand, wishing I could just sink through the floor from embarrassment.
“I need to call Andras. To get the details.” Vadim seemed to shake off whatever heavy thoughts had furrowed his features into a deep frown, his body and expression filling with energy as he took off along the corridor.
“Andras has been moving all the Incubi currently in the Western hemisphere to Vegas, in case anything happens,” Zayne was filling Vadim in on the way to the room. “He mentioned something about bringing both Councils together for the time being, too.”
“It may be a wise idea to stay close.” Vadim sounded as if he was thinking out loud.
“Should I start preparations for our move, too?”
Vadim paused with his hand on the door then glanced my way quickly.
“Those who want to move now are free to go,” he stated. “I’ll remain here until the end of March.”
THE NEWS OF THE BIRTH of the first human-Incubi baby came just a few weeks later.
“Healthy baby boy,” Vadim announced when I got home from work one night, late in February.
“Really?” I followed him to the kitchen, lured by the mouth-watering smell of the dinner he had been preparing.
“Both the mother and child are well.”
“How is the father?”
His calm expression melted with a huge smile.
“Wrecked!” He huffed a laugh. “Sytrius is a complete mess according to Andras.”
“Aw, poor guy,” I cooed, taking my seat at the table as Vadim placed a bowl of fragrant stew in front of me. “One of my brothers spent the whole night in a bar drinking after his first baby was born. Needless to say, his wife is still pissed at him for that! Oh, and my other brother passed out at the first sight of the baby’s head crowning . . . Childbirth is so hard on men!” I chuckled.
“Watching the woman you love go through pain would be the hardest part, I imagine.” Vadim’s smile faded.
I rested my gaze on his handsome face for a moment. Suddenly, there were so many things I wanted to know. Had Vadim ever thought about being a father one day? Would he want to have a family of his own?
I deliberately avoided any talks about the future with him, because I knew it wouldn’t be our future, so there was no point in discussing it.
He didn’t bring it up either, never questioning my own or his impending relocation, leading me to believe that he didn’t mind us parting soon.
Less than a month now.
Way too soon.
I cleared my throat, lifting the spoon he’d given me.
“What is the baby’s name?”
“Phoenix. Alyssa chose it, as the symbol of the re-birth of our future from the ashes of our past.”
Chapter 26
“NOT TOO TIGHT?” I TUGGED at the chain that held Vadim’s wrist at the corner of the padded table where he was lying. “We don’t want to obstruct your blood flow,” I muttered to myself, inspecting the other wrist and then the chain that secured his torso to the table. “If I do it right, you’ll need your blood flowing elsewhere.”
My demon was naked, sprawled on his back, hands and feet chained to the corners of the table in the middle of the meeting room at the Base.
The fingers of my bare hands brushed by his skin, without so much as the cold of one single snowflake to be felt, making me proud of our progress. It had taken us weeks—many trials, requiring endless patience from me and lots of determination from him—and here we were now, able to be completely naked together without worrying about me passing out any minute.
Vadim grew more and more confident about touching. And lately, we had been working on other forms of contact, too.
He seemed to worry less when he gave control to me. I suspected that lying on the table, tied hand-and-foot, he believed I’d have a chance to get away from him if things got too cold for comfort.
As for me, I was happy to do whatever would help him to relax.
“Alright, baby.” I hopped on the table, too, crawling on my hands and knees over him. “All your chains are fastened. Hold on while I take you on a ride.”
Carefully, I brushed my lips across his, once then twice, giving him a chance to adjust, but he lifted his head to meet my mouth, forcing me to deepen the kiss.
I smiled inside at his eagerness—despite his best intentions, my Grand Master had a hard time truly relinquishing all control.
“Ready for more?” I rocked back on my knees, his hard-on slapped against my butt cheek.
“Always am,” Vadim replied, his voice husky.
Crawling backwards, I settled between his spread legs and took in the view for a moment.
Spread-eagled, all muscles tight in anticipation, his magnificent erection straining up in the air, Vadim was a sight to behold.
“Come here.” I slid my palms up the thick muscles of his thighs, closing in on his shaft standing upright.
“Careful,” he gave me the usual warning.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to stop before your dick freezes my mouth.”
“Jade.” He shook his head with a chuckle. “The way you speak sometimes—”
I didn’t let him finish. Sticking my tongue out, I gave his tip a long lick, and the air left his lungs with a loud hiss instead.
We had done this before, on two occasions. Both ended with me passing out on the floor and Vadim fussing over me for days afterwards.
I was more optimistic this time. He’d been doing so much better generally lately. The fear and horrible memories that terrorized his mind, paralysing his ability to control his hunger, must be receding as he wrestled free from their power over him.
Thoroughly enjoying the feel of his skin under my palms and his taste on my tongue, I moved my hands up the hard ridges of his abdomen and wrapped my mouth around his hard length, taking in as much as I could. Just the fact that I could do this filled me with pride at our accomplishment.
Vadim’s abs tensed under my hands as I moved my head faster, sliding up and down over the thick veins on the surface of his glorious dick.
God, I loved the way he filled my mouth, but I had agreed to be patient about having him inside me. Vadim still seemed terrified by the idea of inadvertently pinning me under him in a moment of passion and draining me from the inside.
I flicked my tongue along his length, twirling it around his tip, and his hips bucked. His hard breathing halted for a moment, before erupting in a series of rugged grunts as he climaxed in powerful spurts. He jerked his legs, bending them at the knees, and the chains snapped to pieces around his ankles.
The chilly sensation ghosted my lips, numbing them for a moment.
Before the last tremor of orgasm fully rolled off him, I heard the rest of the chains crash to the floor.
“Jade?” He sat up, lifting me by my arms to him. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I smiled, rubbing my mouth and cheeks with both hands to chase away the chilly numbness. “Just a bit frosty around here. Very little this time, though. You did good, baby.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” He rubbed my arms then squeezed my sides, hips, thighs, as if checking for any broken bones. “Not sleepy? Dizzy? Hungry?”
“Honestly, I’m fine.” I laughed. “Not horny anymore, though. But I know you can fix that.”
“I’d be delighted to.” The frantic movement of his hands along my body slowed down. Instead of squeezing, he was massaging now.
My thighs. My hips.
Then he slipped his hands up to my breasts, cupping them and kneading gently.
I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he rose to his knees on the table then lowered me down on my back.
“Kiss me,” I whispered, reaching for him. All sounds above a whisper seemed too loud ri
ght now.
“Always.” He took my mouth the way I imagined he would take me one day, with a greedy hunger and delightful care.
I spread my legs wider, cradling him. The hardening ridge of his renewed erection rubbed between my thighs, brushing against my core and making a sweet jolt of pleasure ripple through me.
I lifted my hips, pressing myself to him, and he rocked against me, sending another charge of liquid heat through my veins.
Breaking the kiss, Vadim slid down my body, leaving a trail of small, hot kisses on the way—along my neck then down to my left breast. He sucked the tip in, twirling his tongue around my nipple, then moved along my belly, past my navel, and lower, between my thighs.
My heart skipped when he dipped his tongue inside me. I arched my back with a moan as the heat began to pulsate wherever his tongue touched me.
“Payback time.” His voice was thick with satisfaction as he glanced up at me, his chin pressed against my most sensitive spot.
Through the warm haze of lust enveloping me whole, I saw his glowing red eyes. The sight of them only spurred my arousal. Then he dove back down again, licking, nibbling, and sucking, until I could no longer take it.
“Please, please, please . . .” I chanted, rocking my hips against his tongue as he kept filling me with sweet torture.
He slid a finger in me, rubbing from the inside as the pressure of his mouth on me intensified.
The heat coiling low in my belly exploded, rocking my whole body with pleasure, and he grabbed my hips to stop me from falling off the table as he squeezed every last tremor and shudder of my climax from me.
“Vadim . . .” I panted. “Baby . . .”
He pulled himself up my body, gathering me, happy and absolutely boneless, into his arms.
Everything about being with Vadim was amazing, but this right now was one of my favourite parts. Him being able to hold me—my naked body pressed to his, skin to skin—was something I could never take for granted.
Being here, wrapped into him like this—safe and warm, my body flushed with the mind-blowing orgasm he’d just given me—was the only place I wanted to be at that moment.
Grand Master (Demons, #3) Page 15