Page 18 of Where the Dark Knelt (Worshipped by Darkness #1)

Chapter Eleven

Desmond

I needed to get out of that monastery as soon as possible.

Being near Eveline was becoming unbearable.

Every time I saw her, it took everything in me not to pounce and claim her right there, to rip apart that thin veil of purity she clung to so desperately.

But she wasn’t ready for me yet. She was too strong-willed, too hard to bend with my usual tricks.

Even when I unleashed the full force of my demonic magic, she resisted true seduction. It infuriated me beyond measure.

I rode through the evening, the roaring wind ripping at my clothes as the city lights blurred around me.

Finally, I stopped at one of the seediest bars downtown, a place where souls lined up, begging to be devoured for a taste of fleeting bliss.

There were always people here willing to sell everything they had, including themselves, for a few moments of carnal pleasure.

The desperation reeked from their bodies like cheap perfume, and I inhaled it deeply as I stepped inside.

Tonight’s attempt to seduce Eveline had failed again, but it didn’t matter. I had another plan forming in my mind. If she resisted me in the waking world, I would destroy her from within. Dreams, hallucinations, fear — until her mind shattered and she was too vulnerable to fight me off.

Then, and only then, I would make my offer. I would whisper to her in the ruins of her sanity, promising salvation in exchange for her sweet, untouched soul. And when she gave in, I would bury my long fangs into her essence and drain her dry until not a single drop of her purity remained.

She was so sweet. I could almost taste it already.

The souls of virgins were always the sweetest. Their blood was special, unlike anything else in this wretched world.

My fingers twitched with anticipation as I pushed through the crowded bar, already thinking of the day Eveline would finally break.

When she would kneel before me and surrender everything.

I had big plans for her.

Very big ones.

I realized my cock had started to harden from these thoughts, the skin pulsing slightly under the force of my own arousal.

It throbbed painfully, swelling and hardening until it pressed uncomfortably against my pants.

I cursed into my helmet, my voice swallowed by the roar of the engine as I twisted the throttle harder, pushing my speed to nearly 400 km per hour.

It was dangerous riding like this along the mountain serpentine, but I didn’t care.

The bike had long become an extension of my body, my second skin, one I knew better than the back of my own hand.

I felt every vibration, every ripple of asphalt under the tires.

The wind ripped past me, screaming in my ears, drowning out the violent lustful hunger pulsing through my veins.

I reached the city quickly. The bar loomed before me, its neon sign flickering against the early evening sky.

Despite it only being seven p.m., the low bass beats were already pounding through the ground, vibrating up my boots and into my bones.

It was the weekend. People were desperate to drink away their useless lives as early as possible.

The place was packed, every table taken, bodies pressed together in a frenzy of mindless hedonism.

But there was always a place for me at this bar.

It was owned by Raevynor Korvane, the demon of vengeance.

A tall bastard, standing at nearly two meters, with sleek blond hair cropped short except for a few flowing curls that fell messily over his cold, luminous blue eyes.

His horns stood up sharply and proudly from his temples, polished obsidian that he liked to show off, along with his tail that flicked lazily behind him as if mocking everyone it passed.

Women squealed in delight at his mere presence, their eyes glazing over with desire and terror all at once.

He had that glamour magic in him to make people see the best parts of him, what a bastard he was.

It never failed to amuse me. Even though I was the demon of love and passion, adored by mortals for centuries, now they craved him more.

Wasn’t it ironic? In this era ruled by hatred, resentment, and vengeance, fewer souls came to me seeking pleasure, sex, and kink.

They wanted retribution, not bliss. Raevynor was thriving while I, once worshipped in temples of lust, was forced to hunt harder each year for good souls.

.. Good souls, not that trash that was laying everywhere on the streets.

He was stirring cocktails behind the bar when I arrived. I slid onto a stool and exhaled, drumming my fingers against the polished mahogany countertop, lost in thoughts of Eveline, blood, and broken sanity.

Raevynor’s eyes flicked up to me instantly. A smirk spread across his face as he walked over with his usual predatory grace.

“Good evening, handsome,” he purred, baring his immaculate white teeth, his fangs glinting under the dim lights. “What’s wrong? No one biting at your bait tonight?”

I rolled my eyes, letting out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, imagine that. Fewer people interested in sex these days.”

Raevynor chuckled darkly, leaning in close enough that I could smell the cold steel and dark liquor on his breath.

“Well, darling, it’s this generation. They’d rather kill someone than fuck them.

” His tail flicked against my leg as he straightened up, returning to his drinks with a casual flick of his wrist that sent droplets of liquid flying like shards of glass in the neon glow.

And as always, even his bitterness was laced with effortless charm. The bastard.

He gave me a cocktail of his strawberry rum and some other berries on top pretty quickly, and I drained it in a couple of minutes.

When he eventually passed me by he added with a sharp grin, “There’s nothing you can do, baby.

Now all the glory is mine!” Raevynor chuckled, his voice dripping with that insufferable arrogance as he patted my shoulder.

The touch was firm, possessive, reminding me who ruled this place.

With a flourish, he poured now my favorite cocktail without even asking.

The bitter scent of Aperol Spritz filled the air, its vibrant orange glow under the bar lights instantly dragging my mind back to hellfire.

It reminded me of home – the endless rivers of molten gold and flame, the flickering embers dancing across blackened stone.

The tangy citrus rising from the glass was like a whisper from my past, beckoning me closer with its promise of bitter sweetness.

I licked my lips slowly, savoring the smell before even tasting it. My fingers wrapped around the chilled glass, and I took my first sip. The bitterness burst across my tongue, followed by the subtle sweetness and cold bubbles biting at my lips.

“Damn… good…” I murmured to myself, feeling the familiar warmth spread through my chest, calming my raging thoughts for just a moment.

Raevynor flashed a wicked smile full of gleaming white teeth and turned his piercing blue gaze on me. “Of course it’s good. I’m perfect at cocktails,” he purred, leaning closer, his horns almost brushing my face. “And don’t forget about the murders.”

He winked with a cold flicker in his eyes and turned away, his tail flicking dismissively against my thigh as he went to serve the next customer. The echo of his laughter lingered in my ears, mingling with the pounding bass of the bar until it felt like it was vibrating straight into my bones.

By the time I finished my third cocktail, my craving for Eveline only burned hotter. She was utterly irresistible, a maddening temptation I struggled to suppress. My mind was lost in fantasies of finally taking her, claiming her body and soul. The ache in me deepened, raw and demanding.

Then I heard Raevynor’s hiss, sharp and low, yanking me back to the present. Ahead of me stood a woman cloaked in white, her hood hiding her face in shadow. She held a knife pressed against my friend’s throat, the blade glinting cold and deadly.

“Ha, that’s ironic,” I laughed quietly, drawn to their tense exchange. No special senses needed, their voices were loud and clear.

A thin trickle of blood ran down Raevynor’s neck. He licked his lips slowly, devouring the woman with his eyes. I understood that look all too well; it was the same hunger I reserved only for Eveline.

The woman hissed, “Will you help me or not, demon? You promised.”

Raevynor chuckled darkly, his long tongue sliding over the blade to taste his own blood.

“Of course, darling. How could I refuse after everything between us? That blowjob, I won’t forget.

I’m your slave forever now.” His laughter was cruel and amused, and I wasn’t sure if he was joking or if this was just another layer of his sarcasm.

“You’ll help, or I’ll trap you in a pentagram for as many years as I live and you’ll serve me. Ride or die. No games.” Her audacity made me raise an eyebrow, but judging by the unmistakable bulge straining at Raevynor’s pants, he quite liked this bratty defiance.

“Okay, darling,” he sighed with a shaky exhale, “I’ll do whatever you say.”

Their attention suddenly shifted to me, both staring as if I was the prize. Raevynor’s eyes gleamed as he said, “Isn’t she a miracle?”

He licked his lips again. The woman smirked and sheathed her dagger, the cold metal disappearing at her hip. Dangerous, no doubt.

“A miracle — that’s for sure,” I nodded, though a frown crept over the woman’s face. Apparently, this sexy bravado was reserved for my friend, not for me. But I didn’t care. Other women no longer interested me. There was only one, the one I craved. Eveline. My holy nun. Soon to be mine. All mine.

I rolled my eyes with wicked delight, tasting the sweet promise of our reunion, imagining how I would sink into her body and soul... how utterly delicious she would be.

I was drowning in my sexual fantasies again, not even bothering to fight them.

Why should I? They were always delicious, and I always got what I wanted.

Eveline was the exception — a special case that required more effort, and that only made it more thrilling.

I liked how she played with me, oblivious to the fact she was pulling my strings.

It was intoxicating.

“Is that a boner too?” Raevynor whispered, standing beside me as he poured another cocktail. I’d lost count hours ago.

“Yeah, something like that.”

We laughed together, and I glanced over. The woman in white had vanished, her place at the bar now empty.

“Who was that?” I asked, nodding toward the mysterious witch.

“One witch chasing revenge,” Raevynor said, wiping his glasses with a pristine white towel. “People are always impatient when it comes to revenge.”

“Well... unfortunately, yes, it’s true… You like her?”

“That’s not the word, friend...” Raevynor licked his lips.

I leaned closer and whispered in his ear, “Go ahead, give her what she wants — she’ll be yours.”

He smiled, watching my reaction carefully. “Well, we’ll see what and how… So, what do you have? Who’s your victim this time?”

“She’s not a victim of mine.” I clenched my jaw at that word. No, she wasn’t a victim. She was something above that. She was a goddess I intended to seduce…

“Okay, okay… Who is this crazy woman trying to seduce a demon again? And judging by that hard-on you’re nursing at my bar while drinking... how could a mere mortal resist the tricks of a succubus demon?” he chuckled.

I rolled my eyes. “There are special cases. Not everyone succumbs to my charms so quickly. It just takes a special approach.”

“Well, good luck, my friend. But I know bratty ones turn you on just as much as me. And good fuck afterwards.” He winked at me.

And he was right. I liked that Eveline didn’t give in so easily. The fact she enjoyed the game meant I enjoyed it even more.

“She’s a nun,” I confessed immediately. Why wait?

“Oh, well, you know nuns are the toughest targets. You’ve got bored these last few years, huh? You’re a devil in the flesh, Des! You know what — come to my penthouse after the bar closes. We’ll catch up like old times. Show me your new tricks for seducing women... pour out your damn demon soul.”

“Let’s go, big guy,” I agreed.

When the bar finally closed, we slipped away to his lair, ready for a heart-to-heart, to unload everything we hadn’t shared in all those years apart.