Page 10 of A Daemon’s Alliance (Daemons & Lumens)

Morax

F or the hundredth time, I cursed the stars and asked them why I was linked to such a hellion of a mate.

The little lumen did not behave as I had commanded her to do.

No obedient daemon wife for me, apparently.

If I was being honest, the thought of anyone else made me physically ill.

I didn’t want any of the boring daemons or lumens Father tried to force on me.

I wanted her. My hybrid princess with more stubbornness than a hellhound.

Before Aurora used her life force to cut off access between our world and the human’s Earth, the more powerful daemons and lumens could walk between worlds.

When the wars started between our two species, most of the daemons and lumens returned home.

A few stayed behind, cowards choosing to play like gods among the humans.

The name I pulled from the cult member was one I knew very well.

He was quite powerful. And loyal to my father.

It would be no small task to take him out.

Not that I couldn’t. As strong as Gremory was, he was not of the royal bloodline and he did not possess enough power to defeat me.

Gremory was only two hundred years old, at least in human years.

Daemons and Lumens aged differently than humans.

We reached the human age of fifteen after a hundred years of existence.

After the first hundred years, the aging process slowed significantly.

By our two hundredth year, we stopped aging almost entirely.

Only significant life events, or a very powerful witch, could cause us to age further.

We could live for thousands of years. We were not immortal, but we were very difficult to kill.

Only a handful of things in our world could kill us.

And I happened to bring one of those things with me from home—a blade made of stellatium.

Stellatium was a metal created by the death of a star.

Humans on Earth could find this rare metal as well, but without knowledge of our world, it would only look like strange rocks.

In Caligo, my city, we had a guild of star hunters who constantly watched the skies and mined the stellatium.

The lumens were susceptible to it as well, and there were often bloody fights to retrieve the precious metal when a star crashed between their city, Caelum, and ours.

I pulled the blade from its sheath. It was small, but I didn’t need a broadsword to kill Gremory.

A quick stab to the heart would do it. How I didn’t sense his presence in this town immediately was still a mystery to me.

He must be using a human witch to douse his power.

I clasped an iron bracelet to my wrist and grimaced when the metal scorched my skin.

The iron would dampen my own aura to keep him from sensing me.

I extended a claw and cut a symbol into my forearm.

As my blood welled and dripped to the ground, I closed my eyes and sought out the daemon.

He wasn’t far. But he was too close to my mate.

My thoughts drifted once more to my little lumen, and I hoped she was not in his grasp yet.

Their auras were too close, and rage simmered beneath my skin as I drove through the city streets and arrived at a warehouse that looked in dire need of repairs.

Loud, pulsing music flooded my ears, and flashing lights illuminated the street.

There was a long line of people dressed in wild attire.

This was clearly a massive underground party of some kind.

I was not surprised to find my little lumen here. In the handful of days I’d known her, Michaela always had music playing. I couldn’t help but listen in to see what she preferred. When she was trying to drown out the world, it was often dance and electronic music.

It was more troubling to find Gremory was inside as well.

Was he here for her? Or was there another being I needed to worry about?

My priority was Michaela. Once she was safe, I would torture, question, torture some more, and then kill Gremory.

The torture bit could last quite some time, depending on what he had to say. And it would be incredibly painful.

I walked around the back of the building and let my wings snap out.

Digging my claws into the ground, I shoved off and flew to the top of the building.

There was no time for dealing with bouncers and lines of pathetic humans.

The door on the roof was locked, and I used a bit of daemon strength to wrench it open.

The stench of human sweat, marijuana, and alcohol assaulted my senses.

I crept down the stairs and along a balcony overlooking the main dance area.

There were others on this platform, hiding in corners and reeking of sex.

I closed my eyes and centered my own senses, recalling my mates sweet smell and the lure of her blood.

She was at the center of the dance floor.

I could feel the euphoria radiating off her skin.

My little lumen was glowing, but it was so faint, no one would notice the ethereal color of her skin.

Her eyes were closed as her body swayed to the steady pulse of the music.

Her full lips were parted slightly, as if she were about to moan with pleasure.

Her tongue slid out and licked those perfect lips, and I growled.

I did not like my mate looking like a goddess in heat without me by her side.

Several human males watched her dance, and it took all of my strength not to leap from this balcony and gouge out their eyes for leching after what belonged to me.

The lights flashed, and Michaela’s hot-pink lingerie caught my eye.

She looked fucking exquisite. The most delectable treat I couldn’t wait to taste.

And I was done waiting. I stalked down the steps, a snarl on my lips for anyone standing in my way.

My dark-wash jeans and black T-shirt stood out more thoroughly in the sea of brightly colored clothing.

I was a shadow, a dark abyss coming to devour my pretty mate.

I stalked up close behind her. The moment she sensed my presence her body tensed in alarm and I grinned. She stopped dancing, and I slid my arms around her waist possessively.

“Hello, princess.”

Michaela didn’t turn around, but she tilted her head to the side and peeked up at me through dark lashes. “Hi.”

“Is this what you consider behaving?” I slid my fingers along the edge of the silky little shorts she wore beneath the neon mesh dress. My claws extended slightly as my need for her grew, and I dug them into her skin, but only enough to tease.

She whimpered, and the sound was music to my ears. “Maybe.”

I wanted nothing more than to haul her ass out of here and find a dark corner to fuck the brat right out of her, but there was another presence across the room I needed to deal with.

Michaela continued to dance, pushing her perfect little ass against my thigh. She wasn’t quite tall enough to grind her ass against the semi I was now sporting, but I pulled her tightly against my chest and she gasped when my cock pressed into her lower back.

I leaned down and nipped at her ear. “We have a problem. And while I’d like nothing more than to bend you over and spank your ass until it turned as red as a cherry, it will have to wait. There is another daemon here.”

Michaela’s breath hitched, and she turned to face me.

I grabbed her arms and draped them around my neck. My rough hands circled her waist as I leaned down close enough for her to hear me speak. “Keep dancing. I don’t know why he is here. But he does not seem to be watching you. He will, though, if I stay with you.”

“What should we do?” She looked up at me with wide eyes, unafraid. My cock thickened at the sight.

“You will stay here and dance with your friend. No males.”

She rolled her eyes, and my hand snapped out to grab her chin.

“I mean it. I can make your punishment more pleasurable, or more painful. Behave while I handle the daemon. Do not leave this area. Understood?”

My little lumen pouted but nodded. “I’ll behave. But what if they don’t behave? I can’t control other people.”

I tapped her temple. “Someday you will be able to.” I took her hand and brought her wrist to my nose, smelling the sweet blood pulsing in her veins just beneath the surface of her delicate skin.

My tongue slid out and licked her pulse.

The beat of her heart jumped, and I groaned at how quickly her body responded to my touch.

I nipped her palm and kissed her fingers.

Her pupils were blown wide with desire, and her mouth parted slightly.

I kissed her wrist once more. “You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. Now be a good girl for me and I will finish what I started.”

Michaela licked her lips and nodded, making me smile and practically purr with satisfaction.

I let her go, reluctantly, and headed toward the bar across the room.

Gremory was easy enough to spot. He sported his signature bright blonde hair, tied back at the nape of his neck.

His sky-blue eyes shown brightly even in the dark warehouse.

Several men and women stared at him with lust in their own eyes as he mixed cocktails for them with inhuman flair.

He wore a terrible shiny silver shirt and dark jeans, an attempt to blend in.

I could see the glow of his skin as he subtly lit the alcohol on fire and blew it down a row of shots until the entire bar was aglow.

The humans were dumb and drunk, otherwise the unnatural fire would be obvious.

I could read the uncertainty flickering in the minds of a few of them, but none spoke up.

Gremory caught my eye, and a flash of fear passed across his face before he expertly hid it away.

“Hello, Grem.”

“Well, hello, wayward prince.” Grem mock bowed, and I nearly launched at him across the bar. The gaul of this lesser daemon to mock me so openly was mildly impressive.

I leaned across the bar, and the humans scattered as I convinced them to find another bartender. “I’ve killed daemons for lesser crimes. Would you like to try that again?”

Grem smiled but didn’t balk at the threat, nor did he address me properly. “And what brings you here, Son of Corson? I had no idea you left Caligo.”

I eyed the daemon warily. No one could come to Earth because of Aurora’s shield.

He knew this, which meant he also knew I had found one of her descendents to break the barrier, because I was still in Caligo when the initial ritual occurred.

But did he know Michaela was here? Or had he found Seraphina?

“The extent of my power is great, and it does not surprise me you lack the knowledge or know-how to travel between worlds.” I drawled on, hoping to distract him enough to enter his mind, but his shields were solid.

Not that I expected them to be weak, but it would have made this a lot easier. “Let us speak somewhere quieter.”

Grem mock-bowed again, and I snarled. He ignored me and proceeded to walk down the length of the bar and toward an exit.

I followed him. Every fiber of my being wanted to glance back at Michaela, but the moment I almost gave in, I felt eyes on me.

Someone else was watching us. And I refused to let them see her.