Page 23
T WENTY -T HREE X ANDER
It takes more effort than I care to admit to stay away from Harper’s apartment when I know Camille is there. According to Blake, she came yesterday after Harper told her about the threat Marrick sent. It doesn’t surprise me that she jumped on a plane and came to support her best friend. Camille is practiced at putting the people she loves first, even when it’s difficult or dangerous.
I’m not sure how long she’s staying. I shouldn’t try to see her despite the pull in my chest to go to her, but it’s harder to ignore with her close by. That alone begs the question of just how thoroughly losing my soul affected our bond. Does it go deeper than either of us initially thought it could?
It doesn’t help that Blake is gone all day, leaving me to spiral and seriously test my willpower to stay put. I go for a long run until my calf muscles burn, then stand under the hot spray of the shower until my skin is pink.
I relive the night we spent together only a few days ago and can’t help but wonder if she’s done the same since it happened. The thought of Camille still caring for me chips away at the stone wall in my chest, which has the beast grumbling with irritation. Taunting me with accusations of humanity and weakness.
Blake comes back to my apartment long after dark, bringing reports of a demon in Seattle who’s leaking information to the hunters about a previously secret feeding tavern because of a personal vendetta he has with the owner of the establishment.
These places have become more prevalent in the last year or so, with humans seeking them out to let demons feed on them willingly. For some demons, it takes the fun out of the hunt, but others appreciate the low effort of it. But now that the hunters have been made aware of them, they’ll act swiftly to shut them down. ‘Kill demons and keep humans in the dark about their existence’ is their unofficial motto, meaning they’re going to be all over this.
“What’s the motive here?” I say to Blake as I pour myself a glass of scotch from the bar cart I insisted on when I moved here following our stint at the safe house.
“Besides mutually assured destruction?” He shrugs, sipping the cup of tea he made when he arrived. “Greer suspects he’s trying to make a statement about the demon world being unsafe under your reign.”
I set my glass down, a muscle ticking in my jaw. “Do we have eyes on him?”
Blake nods.
“Let’s go,” I say without hesitation.
“Yes, my king.” He shoots me a wink, and I respond with an icy glare, making him grin as we leave the apartment.
Blake drives to the industrial part of the city, humming along to the music he’s playing. “There’s an old warehouse out here that a bunch of demons turned into a nightclub of sorts years ago. So far, the hunters haven’t been alerted to it. Fran and the others are already there, along with the royal guard, waiting for your arrival.”
“What the fuck is the guard doing there?” I glance out the window, stretching my legs out in front of me.
His expression is grave as he turns the music down. “This is your second trial, mate.”
A low growl rumbles through my chest. “Since when do they insist on watching?” And would I have failed whatever this trial is if I hadn’t decided to go after this demon?
He taps his thumbs against the steering wheel, keeping his eyes on the road. “Since now.” His gaze slides toward me briefly, and he says, “With Marrick rousing doubt about you among the demons who will listen to his shit, they want to oversee the rest of the trials.”
“Great.” I deadpan as discomfort tugs at my gut. Nothing like an audience of judges to kick up the pressure. My brows draw closer, and I turn to look out the window. Now that we’re in the second half of November, the days and nights are colder, though at least the rain from earlier today has stopped. The sky is clear, the complete opposite of how my thoughts feel as I go over what I’ll have to do tonight.
Blake turns off the main road, and the storefronts transition into warehouses. We pull onto a laneway at the end of the road and drive for several minutes until we arrive at the building. The parking lot is dark but filled with vehicles, and the warehouse is vibrating with the music playing inside.
We get out of the car and start toward the front entrance, where two thick muscled demons stand on either side, bowing their heads the moment they recognize me. They open the double doors, beckoning us inside. The music is immediately louder, paired with the scent of booze and people as Blake and I walk through the dimly lit entrance toward the crowd. We move into the massive, wide-open space filled with dancing bodies and a stage at the front, where a DJ performs. Colored strobe lights flash through the otherwise dark room, and smoke machines near the stage give the room a haze that some appear to think is an invisibility cloak with how openly they’re groping each other.
Shaking my head, I square my shoulders, schooling my features into something cool and indifferent. Despite the increased beat of my heart, I slow my breathing and tap into the confident, twisted part of me that relishes the spark of excitement in my chest at the thought of doling out punishment in front of an audience. Of showing them what will happen should they attempt to act against my reign.
My eyes land on Greer and Jude, who have climbed onto the stage and are speaking to the DJ. A moment later, the music cuts off, and the crowd boos, hollering at him to turn it back on.
“Apologies for the interruption,” he says in a thick Australian accent. “It seems we have a very special guest in the house tonight who requires your attention for a moment.”
People start searching the dark room while the lights continue flashing, and several offer short gasps when their eyes land on me.
While I haven’t spotted the royal guard, I know they’re here. I can feel the utter weight of their presence, sight unseen.
I move to the front of the room as the crowd parts and stand with my arms crossed and the weight of countless gazes on me. I inhale a slow breath while the demon I’m here for is dragged forward by Francesca and Jude. He appears middle-aged, with short black hair, thick-rimmed glasses, and a permanent scowl twisting his lips. His navy dress shirt is wrinkled, and his black jeans are ripped, though I can’t tell if they are meant to look that way, or if he got into a scuffle with my council. It doesn’t matter much.
I meet his hate-filled gaze. “What’s your name?”
“Fuck you,” he seethes, a mixture of anger and fear surrounding him in a plume of darkness.
“How unfortunate,” I say flatly, and a few of the demons snicker. Blake’s eyes glimmer with amusement from where he stands off to the side, though he doesn’t speak. “Do you know why I’m here?” I ask.
He lifts his chin, evidently deciding not to answer.
“Very well.” I inhale slowly, nodding at Francesca and Jude, who force him to his knees. “I am giving you one and only one chance to provide a reason for your actions. Why is it you believe you can act without consequences while putting our kind at risk of exposure?”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you ,” the demon snarls, disgust dripping from each pointed word.
Francesca snarls, grabbing the accused by the back of his head and fisting his hair. “That is to be your king. You will address him as such—with respect.”
“He is not my king.”
I level my gaze with his. “I don’t care how you feel about me. You’ve been colluding with the hunters and putting your own kind at risk.”
The demon cackles. “If our queen still sat on the throne, she would have stopped me before I had the chance.” He attempts to turn and face the crowd, but Francesca and Jude hold strong. The bastard continues his tirade with, “This pathetic excuse for a demon is not fit to rule our kind! Do not continue this blindness to his shortcomings! He will destroy—”
I move forward in a blur, grabbing the demon’s chin and forcing his gaze to mine. I know what needs to be done, what I have to do. Perhaps that’s why my heart is beating violently and sweat beads above my upper lip. Because even as I stare into his eyes, all I can think about is Camille. What she would think and feel and say if she saw me like this. I’m being the monster she hates, not the man she cares for, and I despise that more than the actions of the demon in front of me.
Glancing up, I catch Blake’s gaze. His brows are pinched together as he watches, shaking his head subtly at my hesitation. He glances between me and the demon, the look in his eyes urging me to act. You’re fucking this up , he says without speaking, his posture tense and a muscle feathering along his jaw.
The whole exchange takes a mere few seconds, but the pressure in my chest grows tenfold. I can barely breathe, and my grip on the demon before me falters as my fingers cramp.
Fuck, fuck, fuck .
I can’t—
Jude clears her throat, and my eyes snap to her to find her expression mirroring Blake’s.
I adjust my grip, digging my fingers into the demon’s jaw as I exhale a harsh breath. I swallow past the dryness in my throat and give myself over to the monster that beckons deep in my chest. The pit in my gut numbs, the heavy guilt on my shoulders about punishing one of my own dissipating as I block out each emotion until nothing remains.
The distrust and rage on the demon’s face slips into something closer to panic, fear . I can’t say what he sees in my pitch-black eyes that makes his face pale, but my lips curve into a grin as energy sparks through my veins. I’ve never fed on a demon before. Perhaps this is a perk of my new position. But that’s not what this is about.
Tension fills the room, though no one dares utter a word. Pulses race, and faces are filled with varying degrees of anticipation.
“I could kill you,” I purr. “End your miserable existence right here. But that would be far too mild a punishment for putting my people—your own —at risk. Instead, I’m sending you home.”
The relief that passes over his face is short-lived when my lips curl into a smirk that has him trembling.
“W-wait,” he blurts, his pulse racing.
I hold his chin in an ironclad grip that makes him hiss in pain. “No, no. The time for pleas of mercy is long past. There will be none of that. You will return to hell and endure the next five hundred years confined to a cell without a single soul to feed on.” The terror in his eyes feeds the monster in me. “There’s no need to worry. You won’t be all alone with your wretched thoughts. My friends will ensure your trip to the underworld is consumed by your worst fears on a delightful loop for your viewing pleasure.”
“What?” he squeaks pathetically, and I chuckle at the shift in his demeanor as I release him, stepping back. For someone content to curse me out with insults only a few minutes ago, he looks as if he’s about to pass out or shit himself.
“Let this be an important lesson,” I say in a deep, level voice, addressing the entire room now. “You will face severe punishment should you defy me or put my people in jeopardy.” I nod at Francesca and Jude, my voice gravelly with disgust when I order them to, “Get him out of here.”
The demon is dragged through the crowd, kicking and shouting more profanities as the other demons watch with differing expressions of shock and trepidation.
Once he’s gone, Blake steps forward and stands beside me, swiping the microphone off the DJ stand. “Now that business is taken care of, let’s get back to the party!” He returns the mic and gestures for the DJ to turn the music back on. Bass fills the room a moment later, and I head for the exit with Blake on my heels.
He catches up to me in the parking lot and claps me on the back. “Care to explain what the fuck that was?”
I bristle, shrugging his hand off as part of me relishes in the energy zipping through my veins. It craves the sensations brought on by my display of power. It’s an odd contrast to the ache in my chest, pounding in time with the music we left behind. “I punished him.”
“You should have killed him, Xander.”
I whirl around, my hackles up at the need to defend myself. “There are fates much harsher than death. He got exactly what he deserved.”
His expression hardens as he shakes his head. “You better hope the royal guard agrees. They expected an execution. If they decide what you did wasn’t enough, they’ll deem this trial a failure.”
I ignore the tightening in my chest, hissing out a sharp exhale. “Considering the royal guard hasn’t been explicit with their instructions for these damn trials, I don’t see how they can call this a failure.”
Blake steps in front of me, gripping my shoulders. “You knew you were supposed to kill him. I saw it in your eyes. So why didn’t you?”
I grit my teeth, narrowing my eyes at him. “I don’t see how it matters. It’s done.”
He digs his fingers in, lowering his voice to murmur, “Your humanity is showing, mate.”
“Watch it,” I growl at him.
“You need to hear this, though I get the feeling I’m not saying anything you don’t already know.”
“ Blake .” His name is a warning. I know what he’s about to say, and once it’s out there, I won’t be able to ignore it any longer.
He sighs, shaking his head. “She’s always been your weakness.”
I knock his hands off me and grab the lapels of his jacket. “Enough.”
Blake’s eyes darken, matching the blackness I’m certain fills mine by the way I feel my control slipping. “It’s my job to keep you alive,” he says. “To get you through these trials and onto the fucking throne. You don’t get to lose your shit on me for doing exactly that.”
Letting go of him, I step back, clenching and unclenching my fists while my heart thumps in my chest. Before I can speak, Rupert leads the other council members from the building to where Blake and I are standing. His eyes shift between us, calculating, and I hold my breath.
“That wasn’t the performance we expected from you, Xander.”
I nod curtly. “I understand, but the loyalty that demon betrayed is worth far more than his life. His punishment ought to measure up, don’t you agree?”
Rupert glances over his shoulder to the others. Dominic and Malachi exchange a glance, while Lorraine keeps her eyes locked on me.
“While an execution would’ve been a far more entertaining show,” she says in a level tone, “I believe the punishment was…adequate.”
Dominic nods, sliding his hands into the pockets of his navy peacoat. “Agreed. Perhaps your display will dissuade others from acting in the same manner.”
“That’s the idea,” I offer.
“Very well,” Rupert speaks up. “We will grant you this success.”
My eyes slide to Malachi, who hasn’t said a word, but his expression is impassive. He seems to be taking a backseat in this decision. Regardless, I bow my head to them all. “Thank you.”
In seconds, the four of them disappear in a cloud of black smoke, leaving Blake and I alone for a brief moment before the rest of my council joins us in the parking lot.
Francesca is the first to approach, her eyes filled with the question they all no doubt have. When I offer a subtle nod, her crimson lips curve into a grin.
“Nicely done.”
Blake remains silent as the rest of the group congratulates me on successfully completing my second trial. That silence continues as we drive back toward my apartment, and I don’t bother attempting to break it.
I’m mentally and physically exhausted—it’s a bleak contrast to how I was feeling in the moments I dealt that demon his fate in hell. I miss the spark of power. But I know the minute I speak, Blake is going to be down my throat about letting myself show any fragment of weakness. Of how being around Camille seems to have dragged my lingering humanity to the surface despite believing it died with Lucia.
I couldn’t take a life, but I could damn it to an eternity in the underworld. The pit in my gut tells me I don’t feel entirely pleased about that, but at least the demon deserved the punishment he was given.
Something tells me I won’t get so lucky during the final trial, and that leaves a chill deep in the marrow of my bones.
Even now, when my future in the demon world depends on passing the trials, I can’t stay away from the one who jeopardizes it all.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23 (Reading here)
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39