Page 25 of A Daemon’s Alliance (Daemons & Lumens)

Michaela

W hen Morax stepped out of the bathroom, I almost vomited. I was strong and I was unbroken, but seeing Darren Radnor stand before me almost took me out. I gasped, and my legs wobbled. When he ran to me, I almost screamed.

He gripped my arms gently. “It’s me, mae domina . He is gone. I wear his face, but Darren Radnor is gone. He cannot hurt you.”

I nodded, swallowing audibly. “I know.”

Morax stared back at me, letting his daemon eyes show through. The golden color brought some life back to my nearly stopped heart.

“I have to go play my part. I will choose Gremory as the guard to watch this room. We will go down to breakfast, so they can see you, but then I will return you to this room, and I need you to stay here. No one will enter.”

I nodded. “Better chain me up or something. That fucker would.”

Morax snarled, and I had to agree. The idea of being Darren’s pet made my stomach curdle. He sifted through Darren’s closet and found a leather collar with spikes on the outside. There was a metal loop to attach the leash.

I wore a strapless red dress, the soft fabric brushing against the floor.

The slit was higher than I liked, nearly giving everyone a view of my lacy black thong when I walked.

But it looked like something Darren would want me to wear.

And the red, I suppose, looked pretty with my long, blonde hair waving down my back.

Morax gently lifted my hair over my right shoulder so he could clasp the collar around my neck. His fingers brushed against my collarbone, and I shivered. Maybe I didn’t love wearing a collar for Darren, but being tied up and at the mercy of my daemon was another story entirely.

He chuckled, and my face flushed. “I may not be able to read your thoughts entirely, mate. But I can smell your arousal from here. If you want me to tie you up, you need only ask.”

I turned around and faced him, our hungry gazes clashing. “Add it to the list, when the kings are dead.”

Morax attached the leash to the collar then placed the end of the lead into my hand. He bent my fingers around it and brought my closed fist to his mouth, kissing the top of my hand reverently.

“I am your creature to command, and the leash you have wrapped around my soul is more powerful than this trinket will ever be.” He looked down at me, his eyes glowing. “I cannot kiss your sweet mouth wearing this face. It would hurt us both.”

My eyes watered at his declaration and the devastation I saw on his face. I wanted to kiss him and comfort him, but he was right. I didn’t want to kiss this face, even if I could see my daemon shining through its eyes.

“Let’s get this fucking day over with then.” I squared my shoulders and handed him the leash.

There weren’t any guards outside the bedroom, and we walked in silence to the dining room. I took several deep breaths and forced my face to look haunted.

It wasn’t too difficult. I let the memories of Darren’s torture flood my mind, and the disgust I felt when he touched me clouded my features.

The other Kings were seated at the table already. I noted Tibby’s absence at Laszlo’s feet and wondered where he was keeping her.

Samuel eyed me curiously and frowned. “Why didn’t you let me join you yesterday? I heard her screams and was getting jealous.”

Morax snarled. I had a feeling this was going to be harder for him than it was me. “Her screams belong to me. I’ve taken a liking to her pain, and I won’t be sharing. Go find your own toy.”

Laszlo smirked. “Samuel, you can’t be surprised. He’s wanted the girl for years now.”

Samuel rolled his eyes but looked otherwise unbothered.

He rarely showed his emotions. His face was a mask of indifference, and when I looked in his eyes, the blank gaze of a true psychopath stared back at me.

I quickly dropped my gaze, needing him to think I was terrified.

But inside, I was raging. The death of these assholes could not come soon enough.

“Now that you’ve graced us with your presence, Darren, we can get on with our planning,” Laszlo cut in, getting straight to business.

I slumped in my seat as servants brought out our food. I wasn’t in the mood to eat, so I pushed the eggs and sausages around on the plate and continued to look glum. Morax tugged on my leash, and I gasped, looking up at him.

“Eat,” he commanded. “Can’t have you dying so soon because you starve yourself.”

The angry retort was so close to slipping past my lips, but I held it back. He was getting smacked for that later. I did as he asked, though, and shoved some scrambled eggs in my mouth.

Laszlo continued. “Tabitha has returned to her place at Seraphina’s side, and with our sons. She will set things in motion. Devon will handle things from there.”

Devon was one of The Obscuritas Princes, but I thought the Princes were rebelling against their fathers. Now he was turning against my sister?

“And are we certain of Devon’s compliance?” Morax asked, framing the question in a way that wouldn’t draw attention to our ignorance.

Laszlo nodded. “Samuel was able to convince him of Seraphina’s betrayal. The fabricated memories are enough for now. If he does cave to that whore again, we will use our other asset to bring him to heel.”

Morax nodded. We needed to know what this other asset was, but there was no way to ask without looking suspicious. “Very well. What do you need from me today? I am eager to play with my new toy.”

Laszlo rolled his eyes, standing from his seat at the table.

“If all goes well, Seraphina will be ours by tomorrow night. Keep the girl looking as she does now until then. Seraphina needs to see her relatively unblemished. My sons are having a party this evening. Go with Samuel to assure Devon is behaving the way we need. We have spies attending, but I need to be certain this all goes according to plan.”

Morax nodded and also stood, yanking on the leash enough to force me to stand. “I’ll be ready shortly.”

Before we could leave the room, several guards entered through a door on the far side of the room, and one of them was Gremory.

I’d seen his human form and recognized him immediately.

His pace was hurried, but not as tortured as the guard walking directly toward the Kings.

This one’s face was disturbed, and sweat dripped down his hairline.

And I recognized him. Tony. The prick was on my list.

Clearly something bad had happened. The guards stopped before reaching the table and bowed to each of the Kings.

“What’s happened?” Samuel asked first.

The front guard hesitated. “Professor Lehmann is dead, sir. There is little evidence. The cameras in and around his home have been tampered with. The girl he had is also gone.”

Samuel cursed, and Laszlo frowned. “Is that all?”

He shook his head. “No. We were able to find messages between a burner phone and a woman, Ms. Audrey Kingston. She told whoever owns the burner phone about the girl missing. The one the professor had locked up.”

Laszlo growled. “That fucking imbecile was careless taking one of his own students. I cannot pull Tabitha away now to have her track that burner phone.” He turned to Morax, and dread filled my lungs.

“Darren, change of plans. Take a guard and bring Ms. Kingston to us. Her father wants to join The Obscuritas. Send another pair of guards to collect his wife. This will be his final test of loyalty.”

Morax nodded. “Understood.” His eyes snapped toward Gremory. “You. Come with us. I want you stationed outside my room. My toy does not leave, and no one goes in.”

Grem nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Samuel snickered. “You’re so dramatic, Darren. I won’t touch your little toy. I’m about to get my own.”

My mind was spinning as Morax quickly tugged the leash and dragged me out of the dining room.

The collar pinched, and I let them see me wince as we exited the room.

Once again, our walk through the mansion was silent.

Rage radiated off of Morax in waves, and he looked close to unleashing his true form.

Gremory walked silently behind us, and I didn’t dare turn and look at him. Instead, I kept my head down and followed Darren like the broken thing I was supposed to be.