Page 7

Seven

I t continued getting colder throughout the night, and Azreth found himself glad for the mild warmth of the woman’s body blanketing him.

When the sun began to rise, it cast the mortal realm in gray-blue light. The colors here were all wrong; the sky was cold and icy blue, and that color melted down onto everything else in this world.

It was surprisingly quiet. Calm. Some small creatures stirred—tiny insects and birds, and once, a strange rodent ran by. He watched them all warily, wondering if any were venomous, but they did not bother him—or the woman.

After many hours, she stirred again. Her eyes blinked open, and she looked momentarily alarmed to find herself in his arms, as if she’d forgotten what had happened the previous day.She clambered out of his lap and took a step away from him, eager to put space between them.

“I must feed now,” he said softly. There was no point in putting off the inevitable. If she wasn’t willing to hold up her end of their agreement, it would be better to find out sooner than later.

Her face hardened, but she nodded. She went to the river to wash, first. Azreth turned away, looking out at the vast blue-green-gold plains. It felt like she was delaying what came next, and that didn’t bode well.

When she returned, her makeup was gone, her face damp. He was startled to see a faint bruise beneath her eye.

“You’re injured,” he said, stupidly.

“It’s nothing. I can perform just fine, I promise.”

He frowned, remembering the rough way he’d handled her in his cell when Nirlan had thrown her to him. “Did I do that to you when they put you in my cage?”

“You don’t remember?”

He couldn’t answer. Things from that day were hazy.

“No,” she said eventually. “This was my husband.”

Azreth considered that. Her husband had attacked her, and that was why she had resorted to allying with a demon instead?Or perhaps she was the one who had attacked Nirlan, and he had only been defending himself.

Looking closer, he saw a line of scratches on her throat leading beneath the collar of her robe. He reached out and folded the edge of the collar down, following the trail of marks. They grew darker and deeper beneath her clothes. Azreth had a flash of memory suddenly, recalling his hand clawing over her throat. He quickly let go of her.

“I have heard that mortals only take willing mates,” he said.

“Usually.”

“Did your husband force you into marriage?”

Her eyes flashed, but her voice was quiet. “No, he didn’t force me.”

“So you formed an alliance with him, agreed to be equals, and now you have betrayed him.”

The look she gave him was definitely defiant, now. “Yes, I suppose I have.”

Her honesty was impressive. Her lack of loyalty, less so. At least he knew exactly how much to trust her now. “I must feed,” he repeated.

She shifted and glanced away. “What do I need to do?”

“Arouse yourself.”

She actually scoffed, as if it were a ridiculous request. “I can’t. Just… just do what you want with me.”

He was torn between annoyance and interest. Hesitantly, fully expecting her to snarl and bite him, he stepped closer and raised a hand toward her face.

“Remember our agreement,” she said.

“You do not want to be bruised, or bloodied, or forced.”

She seemed surprised that he remembered.

Cautiously, he touched her cheek. Her skin was slightly warm, but cooler than he’d expected, much cooler than any demon’s. And it was soft. Velvety. Pillowy. Addictive. She stood perfectly still, watching him in a way that seemed faintly judgmental.

He had only ever touched other living beings during feeding exchanges like he’d had with Nariel, or during fights to the death. No one had ever given him the freedom to examine the heat and texture and shape of their body. It felt wrong, or unfair, like he was taking something from her. Which he supposed he was—that was the whole point of this.

He could give her pleasure, though, if she allowed it. Of this, he was confident. To the kin, giving pleasure was like breathing.

He let his hand drift down her throat to her chest, flattening his palm gently over her heart, which was beating quickly. He frowned a little, but he continued, slipping his hand beneath the crossed collar of her robe.She stiffened, giving off a flare of fear and anger. His frown deepened, and he pulled away from her.

She detested him. And why shouldn’t she? He was coercing her.

“What?” she asked, as if they didn’t both know.

“You said you would be willing.” It came out as a growl, which seemed cruel, because this entire situation was his fault. She had not asked for this, not exactly.

“I’m trying,” she said. “Keep going.”

Determined, he reached for her again—and he just as quickly lost his determination. The scent of her fear and hatred should have aroused his predator’s instinct, but it just sickened him. He felt nauseous, too hot, his heart beating too hard.

He couldn’t just let her go. He needed to feed from her, or he needed to feed from some other mortal, but he needed to feed.In a burst of frustration, he snapped, “If you cannot do this, then you must find someone else who will.”

“I can do it,” she insisted. Her eyes fell to his waist just for a moment before snapping away again. “I could… use my mouth?”

It took him several seconds to understand what she was suggesting.

Did she actually think he’d let someone put their teeth near him? And did she think he could feed from his own passion?

Did she really just not understand what he needed from her?

“That is not how it works,” he said.

“Then how does it work?”

“The energy I feed on comes from others. From you. My body is not relevant. Only yours matters.”

She blinked at him.

“Do you know how to pleasure yourself?” he asked.

“Of course I do.”

“Then do it.”

She thought for a moment. The scent of her fear began to fade. “Do you need to watch me?”

With other demons, he usually touched during feeding, but he supposed it wasn’t strictly necessary. If this was what she needed, it would be a small sacrifice to make. “No. But I must be nearby.”

She seemed to relax a great deal. She was relieved that he wouldn’t touch her or look at her.

She went to the other side of a large stone nearby. Having her out of his line of sight made him nervous, but he suppressed the urge to chase after her. He put his back to the stone, and he waited.

There was a long pause during which nothing happened. Azreth sat very still, tense.

And then, he felt something. Though she was out of sight, he knew the moment she began. There was a prick of heat in the air, thin and frail, but it was there.

Slowly, the heat grew. Her pleasure drifted to him in soft, pink breezes, heady and untainted by fear.

It was unexpectedly lovely.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have been surprised, because every other aspect of humans had been delicious, too. He simply hadn’t expected to be so affected by it. He closed his eyes, letting it soak into him.

Without really meaning to, he imagined what she might look like at that moment—her flushed face turned toward the sky, eyes closed, breasts tight, inner thighs coated in wetness.

When she reached her peak, there was a burst of ecstasy that had his eyes rolling back. The pleasure that surrounded him satisfied his hunger, but it also made his cock twitch. He was half hard beneath his sarong, to his dismay. He didn’t usually become aroused without the help of magic, and he preferred it that way. He disliked the idea of a part of his body acting without his consent. Swallowing tightly, he stood.

Sex was a means to an end. It was a necessary part of life that was usually unpleasant, if tolerable. He did not like sex.

But he liked imagining the mortal like this—lush, beautiful, eager.

He heard a hurried rustling, then she came around the stone to meet him, breathing a little faster than usual. Her face was flushed, just like he’d imagined. She looked up at him questioningly.

She’d fed him. She’d done it willingly, and he hadn’t had to harm her. It had been so simple, so painless.For the first time since he’d left the hells, he felt a flicker of hope.

Raiya was still looking up at him, waiting for him to say something.

“Good,” he said stiffly.

She lowered her head, but her eyes lingered on him, darting over his chest, his arms, his waist. Her blush deepened.