“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, not unless you want our father finding out what she really means to you.” I had paused in the archway to my brother’s quarters, that acted as an office of the King. But considering he used it far more than I, then it had my brother’s tastes written all over it. It was clear with one look at the place that he was still partial to our once Persian existence. Scalloped archways were what framed hung fabrics that represent the sunset over the sandstone of the walls. There was also a carved desk that showed Persian soldiers fighting the Romans, something that throughout history, happened often.
He was a sucker for the old days.
However, today was a new day and in it he was pissing me off.
“Is that a threat, my Šeš?” I asked in a dangerous tone.
“I do not speak of me!” He snapped, angry at the insinuation he would go behind my back and speak with our father.
“Just think about it, if you do not act like you would with any other prisoner, then how long do you think it will be before the whispers start?” I snarled at the idea and tore my gaze from his to find the tiled floor adorned with Persian rugs in reds, creams and hints of blue. Fuck, but I hated that he was right!
“Then what would you have me do?” I snapped back.
“What you would with any other. Demand their presence where you are sat upon your throne,” was his response.
“Look, I have no idea who this girl really is to you, but I am no fool and know she is more than just some slave for your cock, despite your claims.” I released a frustrated sigh before telling him,
“Now is not the time.”
“That may be but even so, you told me of this witch and I acted when seeing the Hex upon her skin, for I was not to know this was even the girl which you were looking for. You said that if the witch had the means and found a way, then she would…”
“Yes, yes, I know what I fucking said!” I barked back, knowing this was partially my fault, for my brother was only acting according to what he saw and what little information I had given him.
“Fine, have the girl brought to my throne, but I want her cared for.” He raised a brow but didn’t say anything more, knowing I was on edge as it was. He simply nodded his head and watched me as I followed through with an idea that came to me.
I might have to be forced to put on an act, but Amelia didn’t know that and knowing her, then she would surely challenge me the moment she saw me acting masterful and cold towards her. Therefore I needed to get word to her somehow, so I grabbed what I needed from my brother’s desk. I tore off a strip of parchment from a map of our realm, grabbed a quill and wrote a small note.
I then entrusted it to Dariush, telling him to include this in with the food I wanted sent her, along with some new clothes. My girl needed caring for, especially as it seemed she had spent the night sleeping on a forest floor.
But again, if Dariush had any thoughts on this, I didn’t know as he wisely didn’t comment. Instead he simply nodded and took the note. Now all I had to rely on was that she would find it and more than anything, she would act on it.
After this time with my brother, I left him with his task and was forced to wait for my own act to begin, which was one I would still be forced to play until I had her safely inside my tower.
However, this was all until I discovered what had happened during her time down in the prison and something that was only brought to my attention moments before she was brought to my throne room. Hence why, by the time she did appear, I had erupted fully into my demon and was near shaking with anger. Something that didn’t help when she was stalling to make her way to me.
But then I tried to view her trepidation by looking at what she faced now, for she hadn’t exactly spent much time around my demon side. My armour had formed into something more intimidating and my face was no longer that of the man she knew. But then there was also the setting in which she was being forced to walk down, surrounded by the creatures and demonic beings of my court. Gone were the days of me in jeans, casually lounging on the sofa with her watching some geeky show she would talk all the way through.
She had well and truly entered my world and in it, I was a cruel, heartless, demonic king.
A tyrant.
I was not her Lucius and one look at her now and she knew it. So, it was regardless of whether she had found my note or not. Her fear in coming to me now was not part of an act I had asked her to play along with. She truly was looking fearful of me. She even nearly stumbled and would have fallen had it not been for my general’s quick actions. But when he didn’t remove his hand quick enough I found my anger replacing my gratitude pretty quickly, snarling some threat at him to let her go.
But then she finally reached the steps leading up to my throne and the second she started looking up at me with those big blue eyes, doing so like some frightened doe…well, then it took everything in me not to react. In fact, I think I was scowling down at her and motioned with my fingers for her to not keep me waiting any longer. Something my general also warned, for she wasn’t helping matters.
However, the second she finally made it to the top of the steps I couldn’t hold back my reaction to her any longer. I suddenly stood which startled her enough to take a step back, forcing me to act the moment her clumsy steps would have meant a broken neck. Meaning that I ended up grabbing her quickly, and hauling her back to me, holding back from taking possession of her lips like I wanted.
Instead I found the only tenderness I could grant her in that bitter sweet second was a simple caress of the back of my talon running down her cheek. She closed her eyes at the gentle touch and my name was whispered from between her lips like a lover’s kiss.
“Lucius”
I found my head starting to lower, like a natural pull towards my Chosen One as was the power she held over me. To take those sweet lips prisoner like I was desperate to. In fact, I only just managed to stop myself in time, knowing this was precisely what I shouldn’t be doing! This then meant that when she finally opened her eyes again she found my gaze narrowed and my lips curling in a snarl, off the back of my frustration. Unable to stand witnessing her fear and now her disappointment, I spun her around to face my people, deciding now was a good time to make my point.
She shuddered against me and my instincts snapped, collaring her neck in a heartbeat. I didn’t want to hurt her, or scare her for that matter, but instead using it to bring her a step back and closer to me.
She was going fucking nowhere!
After this I lowered my head so I could speak directly in her ear but keeping in mind those that had the potential to hear me.
This was when I gave her my warning…
“Found at last, my little human.”
17
Demon’s Nature
Back inside Lucius’ tower…
Amelia
The moment I saw that my Lucius was back to the man I knew, so many emotions slammed into me all at once, with anger being at the very top of that list. But just beyond the upset, I was also mainly relieved to have him back, which was why the second after I slapped him, I threw myself into his arms, whether he was ready for it or not.
But of course, he caught me.
“I…I…was…so worried,” I said as I buried my head in his shoulder and let the flood gates open, pouring out my emotions through the tears that were now soaking his skin. I felt his hand cradling the back of my head as he held me to him, whispering words of comfort in between trying to gently stop my crying.
“Ssshh, now sweetheart, I am here…I am here.” He whispered this last part into my hair, giving me a squeeze as his left arm was wrapped around me. It was only now that I also realised that he had left the gauntlet on that hand, as I felt the strength in his hold at my side through his metal clad fingers. Although, it had to be said that like this, he was definitely considerably gentler with me than he had been. Which was what caused me to suddenly rip myself out of his arms and go back to being pissed off.
&n
bsp; “And there she goes,” he muttered dryly to himself, but it was after putting space between us that I heard this and turned back around to face him.
“I think this is the part you start explaining what the fuck is going on, Lucius!” I snapped making him cross his arms over his bare chest, making his biceps and shoulder muscles bulge. Doing so in that frustratingly sexy way that made me want to drool, damn him!
“And where exactly would you like me to start, sweetheart, when you decided to do something totally fucking stupid and reckless by stepping through that portal or every single fucking thing you have done since?” He growled this last part proving that I wasn’t the only one who had something to be pissed off about. But then I wasn’t about to admit that, because come on…whoever admitted they were the one in the wrong to start with at the start of an argument. No, the truth was I had enough guilt about that already. Meaning that if this conversation started at that point, then I would never get to the bottom of everything that had happened since being shown into that throne room.
“Right and you’re so innocent eh…um, let’s start with when you decided to make me feel like a fucking dog at your feet in front of your whole Gods be damned kingdom!” I shouted making him at least look slightly guilty. Well, at least I got a sliver of this reaction before his features hardened and he informed me sternly,
“Everything I did was done for your safety.” He started to turn away but paused when I snapped,
“Bullshit!” He looked back at me over my shoulder and warned,
“Careful Pet, my demon is still on the fucking edge because of you.” I narrowed my gaze at him and was just about to speak when he interrupted with a warning,
“Don’t push it, Amelia, not unless you enjoy the feeling of your body in chains.” I swallowed hard at the threat now knowing that he was more than capable of putting action into his words. Which begged the question as to why this was?
Wisely I let it go and I released some of my anger on a sigh. Then I asked more calmly this time,
“What the Hell is going on with you, Lucius?” At this he laughed once without humour and dragged his right hand through his hair whilst his back was to me. Then he turned back to me and snapped,
“Hell is the right word there, sweetheart, for that is precisely what you put me through and what happens when my demon is forced to come down here looking for my Chosen One…one who ran from him…yet, a-fuckin-gain!” He shouted this last part making me flinch before defending myself,
“Alright, so I understand why it may have seemed that way but…”
“It didn’t seem like anything, Amelia, it was…Just. That. Way!” He argued back emphasising those last three words with a growl. So once more, instead of letting anger rule my words, I deliberately took another deep breath and told him,
“No, it wasn’t. I stepped through that portal with the foolish belief that you would simply follow me through it.”
“Yes, fucking foolish indeed!” he bit back.
“Lucius, I…” He quickly cut me off,
“But like always, your arrogance and stubborn nature decided it knew fucking best as fucking usual…”
“Hey, that’s not fair!” I snapped. But then he just quickly stepped back towards me and his angry strides made me start backing up, finding myself steered towards what looked like a seating area.
“No, what isn’t fair is being forced to watch as the person you care for and love most in the fucking world does the one thing you ask her not to do! Someone who disregarded any thoughts or feelings for what I was forced to endure by your actions!” I winced at that and at the same time my footing lost its balance and I started to fall backwards, something this time, Lucius let me do.
I realised why the second my landing was soft as I had fallen back into a huge armchair that in that moment the only details of it I could take in was the black velvet material it was covered in.
“I had no choice,” I said in a small voice that was close to breaking as I knew Lucius was right.
“Oh no, you had a fucking choice, Amelia and guess what…” He paused before leaning in close and doing so by bracing his hand on the back of the chair.
“…You chose fucking wrong, my girl!” He snarled these words and I shuddered against the power of them. Gods, but he was so angry, and quite honestly, considering the amount of worry I could see I had put him through, then I wasn’t surprised by it at all. But still, I knew I had to at least try and get him to see why, even if I knew he wouldn’t ever accept it. I had to at least try and make him see that my decision hadn’t come easy, nor had it been made on a whim. I had truly believed in my cause and he had to know that, if nothing else.
So, I braved raising my hand to his cheek, and the instant I touched him, he closed his eyes, as if savouring my touch.
“It was something I had to do, Lucius, and you…” At this his eyes snapped open and the twin crimson depths darkened before he tore himself away from me,
“You didn’t have to do shit!”
“Lucius, please…” He ignored this and carried on,
“And if you had just given me a fucking shred of insight as to your actions and a second’s chance for me to explain why it was a fucking colossal mistake, then I wouldn’t have just needed to tear Hell apart to fucking find you!” he shouted making me take a deep breath and remind him,
“Yes, and if you had the chance, you would have stopped me.”
“You’re damn fucking right I would have! In fact, I would have tied you to a Gods be damned—” It was my turn to interrupt him as having him holding on to his anger and unwilling to let it go only managed to fuel my own.
“What, Lucius…what would you have tied me to…a fucking rock or the Tree of Souls? Because you sure as shit couldn’t have done much else, Lucius!” He snarled back at me, but I ignored this and carried on,
“As the way I remembered it, our options were pretty bloody limited seeing as we had a witch and her fucking army above ground waiting for us like a fox at a rabbit hole!” I snapped back, with no chance of holding it back any longer.
“I would have thought of something had I first had the chance to!” He argued.
“Lucius, don’t you see, you are answering exactly why I didn’t give you the opportunity to stop me, whether that was right or wrong, it doesn’t matter now as we are both in Hell. We are both in a place where we can stop the Venom of God together.” At this his head snapped back around and the look he gave me was incredulous.
“You’re fucking insane if you think I am letting you do anything, let alone help me to sort this shit out!” My eyes widened, and I felt my jaw go hard as my shocked gaze quickly turned into a frown.
“Sorting this shit out? Lucius, this isn’t just some misunderstanding we can have a meeting with the Gods to discuss, this is…”
“I know precisely what this is, Amelia, for I was the one fucking there, remember…”
“Lucius, come on…” I tried but was shot back down the second he said,
“Forgive me, Princess, but I don’t recall seeing you there that day losing your fucking hand!” At this I flinched as if he had struck me. Because clearly now he knew exactly what I had seen, this meant there was no holding back on his past. It was obviously no longer a concern…and evidently it was something he cruelly chose to throw at me.
But then, one look at my face, and he knew he had gone too far. He knew it the second he saw the pain his words had caused me, for he could see it in my eyes before I turned my face away, no longer caring to look at him.
His deep regretful sigh was all I heard moments after the extended silence that followed.
“I am angry,” Lucius admitted in a deflated tone making me snap back sarcastically,
“Uh yeah, thanks but I got the memo on that one loud and very fucking clear, Lucius!” But his response surprised me as it was no longer an angry one. Because the next thing I knew I had him crouching by the chair next to me. Then he took hold of my chin so as he cou
ld turn me to face him, telling me at the same time,
“Give me those pretty eyes, my sweet girl.” After this I made it easier on him by looking his way and no longer having the fight in me to refuse him.
“Do you have any idea how worried I was?” He asked me with his voice only giving more weight laid against his words.
“Lucius, I…” I tried but he shook his head and continued,
“Do have any idea the blind fucking panic you caused me?” This time when he asked I gave him what he needed and that was the time to get it all out. Of course, my guilt tripled!
“I had only just got you back,” he added and finally I shackled his wrist with my hand and squeezed before giving him what he needed,
My understanding.
And as Han Solo would say, I told him…
“I know.”
18
My Demon’s Bedroom
The moment I agreed with his pained statement in just getting me back he gave me more.
“I nearly lost my fucking mind!” He told me and this time the guilt of what I put him through made me close my eyes and whisper,
“For that I am sorry.”
After this his hand left my chin and cupped my cheek before threading through my hair until it was at the back of my neck. Once there he pulled me closer to him as he tipped his forehead to mine, holding it there as he whispered,
“I know you are, my brave foolish girl.” Hearing this made me lose hold of my breath, making it come out in an emotional shudder.
“Is that why you acted that way towards me?” I asked making him release me so as he could pull back and tell me,
“You think I would take revenge against you in such a way?” He asked making me admit,
“Well…yeah.” At this he surprised me when he burst out laughing. Admittedly, I had to say the sight nearly brought me to tears as it was one down in his throne room, I thought I had lost. That deep relief hit me again and I sucked in my bottom lip to stop the emotions from turning to tears. This was because I could barely believe that we were both here, we found each other at last. Because there were times that I feared it would never happen. That he had been taken by the witch and I would only end up having to fight to get him back. But it was also that hopeless feeling too that I had been made to go through when down in his prison, believing my life was possibly at an end.
Eyes Of Crimson : Vampire Paranormal Romance (Transfusion Saga Book 8) Page 15