Demonic Persuasion

Demonic Persuasion by Mahalia Levey

Atlantic Bridge www.atlanticbridge.net

Copyright ©2010 by Mahalia Levey First published in 2010 NOTICE: This eBook is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution to any person via email, floppy disk, network, print out, or any other means is a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines and/or imprisonment. This notice overrides the Adobe Reader permissions which are erroneous. This eBook cannot be legally lent or given to others. This eBook is displayed using 100% recycled electrons.

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Demonic Persuasion by Mahalia Levey

CONTENTS Blurb Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter

One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen Sixteen ****

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Demonic Persuasion by Mahalia Levey

Published by Liquid Silver Books, Imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana. Copyright 2010, Mahalia Levey. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the authors. This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

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Blurb Born of a Navajo healer and a high-level prince of Hell, The Dine Gods demanded Fatal be turned over to her mother's tribe to learn their healing arts and kept away from demon hands. But with her tutelage came cruel segregation and disrespect because of her father's heritage. Not knowing why her life has suddenly come under demon attack, Fatal sets out, armed with her knowledge and her fighting skills, to take out any evil that gets in her way. As prince of a lower level of Hell, Orobus signed a contract in blood that he be betrothed to Fatal, the high prince of Hell's half-breed daughter. Oracle by birth, he isn't privy to complete visions with regard to himself. Having forgotten the fateful night he signed the agreement, he's thrust into the fight of his life—the fight to claim his woman! Come Hell or high water, he will take care of what is rightfully his, even if it means making her face both sides of her heritage and teaching her there is no shame. Dedication Inspiration comes in many different forms. I'd like to thank K.N.J. and the Three R. brothers for sharing their talent with me and inspiring me to find my own niche. To my fantastic crit team and my beta readers, and editor thank you so...so... much for your patience and honest opinions on this story. Tod I so adore you, you're my favorite 5

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bartender and go get 'em guy. Lastly but first and foremost in my heart, thank you to my readers and family for loving me. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter One Exiled. From the only home she'd ever known. After the first set of demons came to Fatal's tribal lands, Sani, her grandfather and the Dine God of the Navajo, ordered her to leave permanently. Head held high, she packed her few belongings and left, determined to live her life on her own terms. New experiences would be good for her, Fatal told herself while barhopping from Broadway to Westport Road, hoping to find the perfect atmosphere. A niggling itch under her skin kept her alert for possible trouble lurking in the shadows, but the cool metal caressing the inside of her thighs reminded her protection lay within arm's reach. She never knew when a new set of demons would pop into her life and resented the intrusion she was forced to endure. As she ambled down the darkened streets, she moved with a sense of ease, gaining blatant glances or admiring stares. She knew she was breathtaking, however bad omens had few friends, no dates, and no boyfriends. People in her hometown hadn't hesitated to ask her for advice, or to chant with them when it suited their needs. She lived in solitude, with the exception of her occasional visits from her grandfather Sani, and Taima her mentor. She pushed her musings aside and moved through an alleyway that broke off to the next major street. Silence surrounded her. She turned to head south when something caught her eye. Intrigued, she meandered down a 7

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side street and came to a demonic-looking, gargoyleprotected, granite structure. An eerie blood-red sign hung above thick vault doors with the words "Demonic Persuasion" in black paint. She'd heard of the club that catered to just about anyone's needs and decided to get in line. Reaching the final steps to the entrance of the club, Fatal flashed a smile at the doorman and waited for him to move. "The fee's ten bucks." Digging in her boot, her gaze strayed to the bunched biceps peaking out of his black tee-shirt, roving over his cut physique. Slapping cash into his hand, she smiled. "Happy now?" "I'll be when you check your weapons, if it's even possible for you to have any hidden underneath your black corset and micro miniskirt." "Oh, you'd be surprised what one can hide against nearnaked skin. My name's Ackchetta, most call me Fatal." She smirked and hiked up her skirt. Buried between her thighs were two small blades. Thin metal stars she'd hidden on her hipbones slid into her palms without effort. Flashing an annoyed expression, she dropped them in his outstretched hand. "There you go. I want them back, though." "The one behind your back too, sweet stuff." His droll expression did nothing to alleviate the feeling of nakedness without her weaponry. "Aren't you going to be polite and tell me your name?" "No." Anger set in. She smoothed her hands over her short skirt and adjusted her scant top. Her hackles rose when he spun 8

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her around and tapped the slender blade. "No one said you could touch!" She let out a growl and removed the extra-slim blade hidden under her corset top. "My club, my rules. No fighting, no weapons, and no magic, if—you know any." "Since you're scared of a small thing like me, I think I can behave myself for a few hours." He sent a dazzling smile her way and then turned to a young woman. Dropping her weapons into an outstretched hand, he whispered into the sleek brunette woman's ear. Fatal narrowed her eyes. "It's rude to whisper." "Follow Marzena, she'll take you to the weaponry hold and issue you a ticket." "I still didn't catch your name." "I know." Rude and hot. About to turn away, her breath hitched when the shimmering tattoos sprang to life on his skin. From head to toe he was a sight to behold. Long black hair touched his shoulders. His blue eyes sparkled when he smiled. Thick muscles bunched with every movement. Long legs encased in black trousers, muscular thighs brought a silent moan of want to her lips. She'd never wanted like this. She stole a look at his goatee and wondered how it'd feel scraping across her face, his breath on her mouth before he kissed her with the same intensity he stared at her with. She'd do anything to feel those lips on hers, to touch the once-broken, too-manytimes-healed nose. While they were walking, Fatal glanced over her shoulder to continue drinking in the handsome man. Marzena stopped 9

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at the holding station for weapons, secured them and wrote out a ticket. "Here." She handed the paper to Fatal. "When you're done mooning over my boss, I'll show you around the club." Fatal pocketed the ticket. Boss fit his personality. She tore her gaze from the front door back to Marzena. "He's beautiful." She stole one last quick look. Finished with her ogling, Fatal followed the woman through the club's lobby. Abrasive noise filled her ears. Techno beats, strobe lights and smoke curled and rolled over the crowd. They passed one large U-shaped bar and continued on to the next. Dressed in clothing that could only be described as gothic supremacy, patrons crowded the floor. One scan of her surroundings gave Fatal a momentary reprieve. No one had followed her into her new hang out. She listened to Marzena while watching others. "The bathroom is through that back hallway, on the right side of the DJ's booth. Humans occupy the left side of the club. We're not allowed to snack on them. If they proposition us outside or ask for us to go somewhere with them, then we're to use discretion in how we feed or fuck. The only exception to the rule is the stage shows. Orobus, he's the boss man, enforces strict rules. If you don't mind me asking, what are you? My nose is tickling with two separate species." Fatal blanched and sidestepped a drunk. At the last minute her booted foot saved the man from a face-planting as she leaned over to grab his lapels and plop him back into a chair. "I'm half demon and half Navajo." She popped out one brown-colored contact and looked back at the woman, waiting 10

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for the stunned look that always materialized when people saw her blue eyes rimmed with deep red for the first time. "That is way cool. No one around here looks anything like you. Freaky, but nice. You could either freeze some poor bastard with those baby-blues or turn him to cinders with the rings of fire. Half demon huh? That must be one interesting story. Me, I'm just a regular shifter." "That's nice." Fatal slipped the contact back in place. "I have my weapons to protect me against the beasts that trail me." She shrugged. "I saw a help wanted sign. Is there an open position?" "Yeah, we need another bartender." "What's up with that stage over there?" Fatal pointed to a huge bed over on the stage. "That's amateur night or, for a shifter, a way to try to find someone to appease her heat. Why? Do you think you could entertain the crowd with a dance or enactment of your most secret desire?" She pointed to the woman on stage pouring candle wax over her taut nude body. "I don't know. Is the pay good?" "Stage play isn't for pay. This is an exotic dance bar as well as an exotic sports bar. Patrons bet for the one they believe will win. There are four different stage setups. Besides, it's fun to watch. I dare you to try. One song lasts three minutes. Anyway, if you're still interested in the bartending position after you've spent time in here tonight, I'll tell my boss." "Thanks, I need a job." Fatal looked back over to the stage. The stage called to her, doing something out of 11

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character appealed to her. "Three minutes, and I make up some on-the-spot sensual dance?" Fatal contemplated what she wanted to do. "Yep, just remember, shifters, vampires, and demons make up the audience." Fatal watched the current woman on stage and wanted to feel the same pull from the captivated audience. "Where do I sign up?" "Come this way." "They won't know what hit them." Hunger to try a new art form enticed Fatal. Men and women clustered in areas of the club to get a first-hand view of the new performer. By now "Fatal" fell on the lips of the occupants in the dimly lit VIP room. Masculine in nature, the setup was to offer whatever quirks one might have ... well in good taste, that is. She sauntered through the occupants in the room, aware of the shifters, vamps and the other immortal creatures. Curiosity snapped in the air, and the sweet sticky sent of arousal snaked out from every corner of the room. She drew a deep breath, the scent of their simmering lust oozing from their pores. The heady aroma swirled around her, allowing her to bask in the addictive nature of the males and females. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't have fazed her. Whispers of conversation and lingering touches found her as she strolled through the masses. The snug cut of her black corset and the thigh-high skirt clung to her slender body like a second skin. Fatal grasped the staff in her hand and knew it would split in two once she reached the stage. 12

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The hushed murmurs and straining necks brought a smile to her face. Taking the stage, she gazed down at the sea of people. Handsome, beautiful, and even grotesque faces watched her intently. She lifted the staff and twirled it once, twice, and felt the hiss of air when she brought it down. Crack! All eyes fell upon her when the staff hit the hard floor. "Evening." Her husky voice traveled across the room. "Tell me, do you like to play with fire? Who doesn't appreciate a burn or the tingle caressing the under layers of your skin only pleasure or pain can elicit? She nodded toward Marzena, a clue to start the music. "My people worship Agni, the God of fire, however, a more popular beat will play while I dance with the devil." A flick of her wrist broke the staff in two. She dipped the ends of the staff into the bowls beside her and held them in the air. A sulfuric odor from flammable oil seeped from the ends of the sticks. "Mmm," left her lips. Fatal lowered the sticks to the floor and drew a circle around her. She took out a zippo lighter and lit one stick before flinging the lighter aside. "I didn't listen when they told me not to play with fire." She winked at the owner and began her fire dance to the beat of the techno, low drum pulse. Hands twisted, arms contorted, and hips swayed to the tempo. The fire blazed as the whisper of a breeze fell on the sticks. She brought the flame close to her body, allowing it to kiss her tanned skin. The heat sent shivers down her arms. She flashed a cocky smile, challenging them to come play with her fire. Not a soul moved. 13

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She watched the faces of the vampires, the immortals who feared fire. After giving them a wink, she lifted a stick to her mouth, pushed it down her throat and doused the flame. Sometimes when she played with fire, she worried her pink-and blue-tipped hair would singe. The thought of her long hair no longer tapping against her lower back reminded her to be cautious. She gave a husky chuckle and lit the second torch with the first. A spark of heat warmed her face, bringing forth a fine bead of sweat on her forehead and the ample cleavage bursting from the corset. Even her studded nipples peaked tighter under the garment. The warmth of the fire sent a surge of heat to the core between her thighs. She envisioned the boss licking her sulfur musk lips and searched for him. Their eyes locked and he stole her breath, her thoughts. Transfixed, she smelled his scent, could taste him on her lips, and breathed him in. She danced for him alone, conveying a want without speaking the words or groveling for a good fuck. The tempo increased along with her breathing, her hips gyrating in perfect sync with her skilled hand and wrist movements. Hair once dry was plastered to the nape of her neck by sweat, and she imagined her blue eyes sparking with need, compelling the onlookers to surrender to their own needs and desires. The deep moans and guttural groans of sexual titillation were like music to her ears, blanketing her like a welcomed lover. Bass drum beats echoed and extinguished the sound of her frantic pulse, which surely everyone must hear. Licking her lips, Fatal brought the fire to her body by lighting the oil along 14

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her bare midriff. Seconds later her skirt slid slowly and torturously down past her hips before it fell to the floor. She strutted across the stage, the fire rolling along her skin in purple and blue hues. When she reached the marble alter, she climbed onto it and offered herself as a sacrifice. The music took on a dark tone, gothic in nature, and her chant filled the room. Her voice fell in a hushed tone, a whispering into minds. Again the smell of sulfur thickened around her, drawing the demonic entities in closer for a better view. She watched them with a heaviness in her loins, the vein near her sex throbbing so hard her fangs pierced the inside of her cheeks. The taste of blood in her mouth delivered her into a new type of need. Her eyes fluttered closed and when she opened them a startled moan ripped from her throat. Between her legs, a ravenous man feasted on her soaked lips. The pressure of his hands forcing her legs apart stretched every nerve and muscle in her body tauter than a rubber band. Her climax approached when his tongue darted in and out of her slit. "Ahhh." Fatal hit her head against the cool marble, unsure if her heightened pleasure came from his knowledgeable tongue fucking her or her brief glimpse of the crowd either watching them or indulging in their own pleasures. She lowered her hips and pressed her pussy against his face, the flat muscles of her belly rippling through her gyrations. Her hands crept to the edge of the altar and she clutched the stone. His hot breath teased her clit into spasms. The raging blaze inside her grew hotter. His tongue flicked across her 15

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bud, delivering her into instantaneous tremors. Fatal exploded with a fierceness she'd never felt before. Shaking from head to toe, she opened her eyes and looked down. It wasn't a stranger between her thighs who'd eaten her like breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert all at once, it was Marzena's boss, Orobus. "Dear God." She gripped the platform holding her up, focused, and cleared the pounding in her ears. Her heartbeat accelerated and the onset of panic seized her body. In the throes of sated lust, the sexiest eyes she'd ever seen locked with hers. She'd imagined the color to be deep red or obsidian black but instead a shade between deep blue and smoky grey stared into hers. Mesmerized by the unique color, she lost herself in their depths. Shaking off the niggling feeling that screamed demon, she jolted back to the present. His gaze held confusion, annoyance and a deeper need to finish business. The music blared while he held her down with his rock-hard biceps. "God? There is no God here." Orobus moved from between her thighs. She swallowed hard and whispered her erotic thoughts. Orobus rose and removed her ruined panties, dangling the ripped material in front of her. Mortified, she clamped her legs together. With frantic motions she searched the area for her clothing and willed him to leave. If only she could be so lucky. He stood in front of her with a smirk on his face. "Mind games work once, but never twice. You'd be wise to remember that. Consider yourself warned. Mind-fuck me again and I'll rip your little body to shreds with a screw. You'll 16

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be hard pressed to recover when I'm done with you." Orobus growled the words. The erotic threat made her pussy throb with want. The reference to mind games baffled her. What was he talking about? Mind games? With a gulp she nodded, unsure how to reply to such a threat. His eyes narrowed and his jaw ticked as he regarded her. His hard expression kept her on edge about his intent to release his hold. "Just remember we're far from done with one another," he said. A sigh of relief left her lips when he stepped out of her personal space, and dropped his icy stare. Clamoring to her feet, she put distance between them, snatched up her skirt and put it on with shaking hands. Unaccustomed to being affected by any male, her body refused to cooperate right now. "Marzena says you want the bartender position. Keep the boundaries and the job is yours." She started to answer but without warning she careened through the air and sailed across the room, held tight by a blinding force of nothingness. Wall met head and through a fog she heard Orobus holler for security. Sparks erupted and a barrier was erected. Fatal reached for the invisible hands choking her while she struggled to breathe. The force wrapped around her throat remained strong. "Let me go or die," she gasped, hating she sounded so weak. She scanned the room for security, desperate for help. Without her weapons she was vulnerable to attack. 17

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Her hair-sticks housed electricity and poison to stop the demons sent to harm her. High voltage deactivated the force fields they shrouded themselves in, forcing them to be visible. Too bad she couldn't get to them. With a growl she fought to break the hold of the powerful hands choking the life from her. Out of the corner of her eye, Orobus appeared and began ripping the demon choking her to shreds. She fell to the floor as air rushed into her lungs. Heaving in a few deep breaths, she got her wits about her, stood and assembled the sticks in her hair. By the way Orobus demolished the demons, she sensed he was beyond pissed. Only one more stood in her way. Putting the dart gun in her mouth, she blew. The hiss of the nettle hitting the demon sang at last. The ghoul shuddered and flashed back into solid form. He twisted, his decayed, festering skin bubbling with yellow, poisonous ooze. "Thank you." She nodded toward Orobus before she caught sight of a cowering demon attempting to blend in with the crowd by changing forms. Anger surged through her. Without mercy she walked behind the demon and shot him in the brainstem with the dart. The demon howled before disappearing back to the underworld. She knew they didn't die. If they did she wouldn't be faced with sending them back to purgatory time and again. "Fuck. What was that about?" Orobus snarled. "Hell if I know." Fatal didn't trust her new knight in shining armor enough to tell him that her father, a prince of Hell, wanted her to return home. His approach was a bit unconventional and frankly the array of demons was 18

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beginning to wear on her nerves. In any event, trust was alien to her, and she'd learned she could only depend on herself. While Orobus's help was sweet, she couldn't afford to bank on the fact that he'd help again. Omission of the truth worked for her. "Will there be more?" "As sure as the sun sets and rises." "What the fuck do they want with you?" "They want to eat me." "Hmm. How long have they been attacking you?" "Three months. It's an eat or die jungle out there." He handed her a drink. "Drink up." "Thank you." She coughed as it trickled down her throat and burned the inside of her neck. "Kill me why don't you." "You don't drink?" "No." She frowned when two males approached and flanked her on both sides. "Meet Gaap and Haures. They'll be transporting you home." "I don't need help. I've been fighting demons for the past three months." Fatal slipped her weapons into their rightful holsters. "Nice meeting you Orobus, have a nice life." After the night's strange events, she couldn't take a job, not with that man for her boss. And then she turned and walked out of the club. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Two Fatal leaned against the alley wall three blocks down from the club. Her pulse still thundered from the rush she'd felt on stage. What the hell was that all about anyway? How had Orobus ended up between her thighs exactly like she'd pictured in her head? Dizziness departed, leaving her in unfamiliar surroundings. Damn she needed to get a grip. Rocks crunched under her feet as she pivoted to look in both directions. "I need to go back to my hotel." Keep talking to yourself and you really will be crazy. She silenced the thought peaking in her brain. Like a broken record, his parting words played over and over. She damn well should have been afraid of his massive overbearing form, yet her body ached to taste those lips dishing out angry guttural threats. Her fingers met cool brick. Grooved cement mortar grazed her tips and drew her attention away from intimate thoughts. Focused on every inch ahead of her, she pushed away from the wall and made her way deeper into the shadows. Sounds of the city roared though her ears. Preternatural hearing could be a help or a hindrance in some cases. Nothing smelled like the night here, the faint breeze pushed fragrant aromas from delis and restaurants through the air. Women clung to men in their inebriated state. By disciplining herself at a young age, being out of control wasn't an option for her. Why men thought drunken slovenly women were attractive was beyond her. Again the word "men" propelled an image of 20

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Orobus and butterfly sensations pitched and rolled in the pit of her stomach. Moonlight illuminated her path, a thin haze of light. The faint scent of bloodshed suddenly tickled her nose. She clenched her jaw shut. The instinct to bite assailed her with every step she took toward the source. Dark, feral growls filled the air that moments ago had resonated with nightlife. Her gaze drifted and her footsteps lightened. She itched to withdraw her weapons and use them, the adrenaline still pounding through her from her experience at the club. She heard it then, a faint gargling sound mixed with savage growling. A pair of feral demons covered a downed person. Fatal couldn't distinguish who, what or why but knew she must intervene. Her calling demanded it. "Didn't Azazel teach you that harming humans is a no-no?" She blanched. Monstrous facial features, growths sprouting from gangly arms attached to distorted chests, hunched backs, and odd curvatures of ill-proportioned legs repelled her. Angry blood-red eyes honed in on her. She approached them with caution and withdrew her daggers. Looking at the small form under them for a brief moment, she contemplated her strategy. "That's it, come on over. Come fight with someone who can fight back." Perpetual anger and fighting slug-like demons gritted her nerves. "Why don't you just feast on each other?" she snarled, and then hurled her blades, missing by an arm's length. She glanced at the dumpster that took the hit instead. 21

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"What the fuck?" Much to her astonishment, the demons turned on one another, ripping skin, muscle and bone, beating each other down. Saliva dripped from their mouths and teeth gnashed. Their foul body odor permeated the air. Fatal held her breath and mentally called her weapons back to her. One slow step at a time she moved backwards to the still human, knelt down and assessed the damage. So much blood, she itched to lick up every drop. The scent wafted around her like the sweet smell of dulce-de-leche cheesecake. Focusing on her task, her hands touched the young human male. "It's okay, I'm here to help you." Inch by torn inch, she moved her hands over him, chanting in her native tongue to close his wounds. Her body ached, the more she healed him, the more she lost from herself. Too much blood had been spilled. His wounds she could fix, his lack of life force would have to be replaced. Agony seized her, rippled down her spine. Her skin on fire, her hands flaming, she turned her gaze back to the demons locked in a death battle. Wonder engrossed her. One look at her skin prompted a second look. Magenta pigment filled her pores, changing the color of her flesh and catching her off guard. Luckily she wasn't fighting or her ass would have lost for hesitating. It wasn't her skin though that held her attention, but the Navajo symbols surfacing on her body, her healer's creed, her personal oath and some words and symbols she didn't recognize. The demons seemed to recognize the tattoos. They stopped trying to kill each other and glared. Fangs she never 22

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knew she had slipped down. Her gaze cut through the demons, seeing through to the depths of their rotten souls. Instinct pushed her to question how she knew what went on in her father's realm. Turning from the victim, she approached their cowering forms, bent down and spoke to them. Her tongue twisted and curved and she spoke in a dialect foreign to her. She smiled and touched her temples. Nothing escaped her discern, not even their skin, healed now from the short reprieve. Beneath her feet the ground shuddered, cracked and opened. A legion of hands emerged and grasped the demons, dragging them into the belly of Hell. Composure washed over her, she walked back over to the human. She picked up the bleeding and battered victim and carried him out of the alleyway, her movements sly so none would witness her strength while carrying a man three times her size. The city's trauma center in the heart of downtown stood a few blocks away. He'd lost a large amount of blood, but the doctors would know what to do, so she carried him all the way. Kicking open the emergency room door, she placed him in a wheelchair and buzzed for help. "It'll be okay," she whispered, then left, drawing as little notice as she could. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Three Orobus put his hands to his face to forestall the impeding vision coming on like the force of a migraine. Gritting his teeth, he let the images flow through his occipital lobe. Gateways opened in his mind, giving him a clear view of the past. Ship Wreck, a desolate town built atop an isolated volcanic mountain range, came into view. The staggering road wound upwards, offered no path, no turn-around or shoulder to give protection up the cliff of despair. A young woman walked alone. Her destination he couldn't ascertain. In the distance, voices berated her, flung stinging taunts and accusations of her half-demonic heritage. Harsh words from a towering elder, his voice void of emotion, followed four paces behind her. Rain streamed and soaked the ground, yet the sun shone brightly. Orobus searched for the source of the downpour in his vision and his heart clenched. Tears fell from the stunning woman's face. Instantaneously his vision changed, pitching him forward to recent events. Identical eyes haunted him. Pressed against a wall, the woman's weapons were useless against the evil stalking her. Ear-splitting screams would have chilled the air if his visions had audio. Panic struck her. Her irises were dilated and her jet black hair swayed with every protective move she made. His memory kicked in. Soft skin, tan thighs and eyes so vibrant they shone like a beacon when she climaxed. He knew 24

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her all right. He longed to know what part she played in his life. Orobus steepled his hands and sifted through the remnants of the vision as it came to a halt. He uncrossed his legs, banging his ankles in the process, and grimaced. The girl looked Native American, if he was correct. Why would his visions include her? He searched for meaning, but it remained elusive. His recourse brought him to the realization that he needed to call upon his transporter demon for answers. "Gaap." "Yes, Prince Orobus," the dark, thick voice responded. The noxious aroma of the demon's sweat stung his nostrils. Familiar with the rank odors, the most foul caused him to back-up. "Tell me what's been happening on the other levels?" Gaap's job frequently helped him maintain order in his level. He had the ear of the basest of demons and was able to procure valuable information for a small fee. A fee Orobus had no qualms in paying. "There's been increased activity on Prince Dantalain's level. A tongue-lashing has been delivered by Azazel for the repeated vanquishing of the abhorrence demons Dantalain sent to retrieve his half-blooded daughter for his wife Nahale." "Why?" Orobus asked. "I don't know, Dark Prince." "Interesting. What else can you tell me?" "The prince and Nahale's daughter is the same woman you met at Demonic Persuasion." 25

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Orobus gave his full attention to Gaap and watched the demon shuffle in front of him. "Don't hold your tongue, if there's more spit it on out." "You see all, you know everything. Can you not see what's happening around you?" Orobus snorted. "No, I cannot. The missing images tell me this has something to do with me." Orobus shrugged. "Continue." "Yes, it does. Interesting. How is it you don't remember your bonding agreement to Dantalain's daughter? Before you met Fatal at Demonic Persuasion she'd been exiled from Ship Wreck, the only home she's ever known. Recall the chaos that occurred in all levels of hierarchy when Dantalain brought the healer across our perimeter without gaining permission from our dark lord? Destinies changed that night. His bonding ceremony cemented a new change of power. The direct daughter of the Dinya Navajo Gods gave birth to a half-breed. A demonic healer of the Navajo tribe, not just any healer, Dark Prince, but a birth-marked healer who sparked mistrust among the highest officials in our realm. Why else would our liege permit the infant to be removed from us to the Dinya?" "Do you mean to tell me my mate has been located and that I didn't recognize her?" Orobus unclasped his hands and brought them to his temple. "My lord? Why should you have? She was but an infant when removed. You don't have business with Nahale as you do Dantalain. One more thing, they call her Fatal. No demon has escaped her anger or survived her wrath unless she willed 26

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it so." Gaap clasped his hands behind his back and waited for dismissal. "You may go. I must find her father." He recalled the bonding ceremony with the then infant before her hasty departure from their world. Orobus ignored the symptoms his affliction presented, waiting for his servant to depart. In a flash, the demon disappeared from his sight. Pain like a son of a bitch crashed into the back of his skull. Visions had such an effect on him. The throbbing receded and left him irritable. Orobus pieced together the tidbits of information he'd just been given. Standing, he even towered over Gaap, the tallest of his subservient demons. Staff in hand, he struck it against the black marble flooring and shimmered to Dantalain's house. Orobus was greeted by Usalof, the family hellhound. He tossed him a bone drenched in blood with pieces of meat and entrails still attached. Patting his large horned ears, he watched the hound disappear, his cropped tail wagging. "You always bring him treats." Dantalain had approached without Orobus's awareness. "He's a good pet." Orobus smiled. "I'm in need of some answers. Gaap has disseminated information on Fatal and I seek clarification." "Ackchetta." Orobus sensed the data coming forth would not be simple, but complex by the way the father deferred to his daughter's given name.

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"Ackchetta," Orobus reiterated. A long time had passed since he'd said her name. Tension snapped the air in the room. He took a seat and waited for Dantalain to begin. "I do suppose you're owed answers, considering." As the older demon spoke, Orobus tried to tamp back his impatient nature, yet he couldn't unravel the vision or his place in it. "Ackchetta has never been to visit us, not since her grandfather Sani kept her on tribal lands. He requested for us to allow her to learn her Navajo culture first. Nahale felt responsible for disappointing her grandfather. When she was born, we held the birthing ceremony down here. Azazel handpicked you for her mate. Her healers' blood and her gifts will enhance yours when she grows into her craft. You signed the scroll in blood the night of her birth twenty-two years ago. Directly after the ceremony Ackchetta was handed over to her grandfather, Sani." Orobus shifted. "Continue friend." The exhausted look crossing his friend's features worried him. Things were coming together better for him. "There's not much else to say. We've petitioned since she was a small child to have her returned to us." He gave a weary sigh. "To no avail. Her grandfather's reach is out of ours, and when she became of age, I paid her a visit. Ackchetta was disgusted by us and her demonic heritage. There's no telling what she was told in our absence. Nahale thought she'd outgrow her aversion if we waited. We've sent demons to spy on Sani and learned of her seclusion." 28

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Orobus frowned when his friend clenched his fists. "Was she harmed?" "No, but she wasn't accepted, but rather segregated due to her demonic side, deemed not good enough to socialize with others. Chariska, our resident spy, reported once a year. Males were brought to her only for sexual purposes. Not one decreed her good enough to mate with. She had limited time with her grandfather and learned the Navajo ways as they requested. Once she grew into a lovely young woman, townspeople sought her out only if they needed a curse broken, if an unknown spirit had frightened them or if they needed a healer's hand. Ackchetta never turned them down; she always assisted until..." "Tell me more." Orobus grew angrier with every additional piece of information. "She was exiled three months ago, after I dispatched the first set of demons I sent to retrieve her." "And what happened?" "She vanquished them. When they returned to purgatory and had to answer to the reaper, they told of a witch with skills that rivaled any they'd come across. Somehow she knew when they were coming and laid in wait. Orobus, she waited and took them out alone, like her name implies. Ackchetta means to ambush. A note was pinned to the last demon. She'd allowed him to return, but vowed to kill any demon that attempted to bring her to the dark side." Laughter rang in the room. Orobus found it amusing how a mere slip of a woman had made a mockery of one of the 29

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highest princes of Hell. "So what was your next move, my friend?" "More demons of a higher status. I also sent a few assassin demons who returned empty handed." "She has made a fool of you. Why not go after her yourself?" He crossed his legs as the hound came charging back growling with saliva and blood-encrusted skin. Manifesting another bone, Orobus tossed it like a Frisbee and watched the hound take off again. Turning a sympathetic ear to his friend's plight, he emphasized, "You should have taken her and brought her home years ago." "Yes, we should have. However, we felt it imperative she be taught her Navajo side first, then her demonic side. Neither Nahale nor I thought she'd be kept from us or she'd grow up and hate the existence of demons." Orobus sighed. "And now she's smart, has matured with her own set of biases. How does she feed?" he asked out of curiosity. All demons needed blood ingested weekly after hitting puberty. "It appears her half-blood slows down the need to manifest into demonic form. Only recently she made her first change, although I'm afraid, my friend, you'll not like the answer I'm about to give you." "I have a small amount of patience. As an Oracle, you give no reprieve when bothering me." He quirked a brow and motioned for the hound to return for a petting. "We've tracked her to a club. She's been living on Earth, but out of Ship Wreck for three months, working currently in a town called Kansas City. This is how she feeds—" 30

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He listened to the hushed words from Dantalain and gripped the hound hard enough to draw a whining yelp from him. "That will cease the moment I bring her home." Orobus snarled and shimmered from sight. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Four Club Contraband hummed with the energy of shoulder to shoulder bodies. Fatal looked around the club, grinned and hoped her dimples showcased the tips of her fangs. Located in the heart of downtown Kansas City, Contraband proved perfect for her needs. Three months ago, she'd been without a home. After her encounter with Orobus, pride and embarrassment prevented her from taking the job he'd offered. Fate or whatever you call it had stepped in and brought her to this place where she'd been hired on the spot. For the first time ever, Fatal let down her hair and embraced her half-demonic half-Native American self. She loved being a bartender and Kansas City was filled with energy. Soon it would be her turn on the floor, and then MaKayla would take her place at the bar. Her violent streak had manifested exponentially. The few demons sent to attack her had only exacerbated her demonic side. Her voracity had increased. Bloodlust sang in her veins, called to her and demanded fulfillment. She watched the bar jump with drinking, dancing patrons. The males that enjoyed her show never paid much attention to her outside of the ring. Fuck. She possessed a personality too big for most people to handle and ended up being labeled a freak in the end. Fatal flipped her hair into a twist and secured it with her poison dart sheaths. Excitement sparked through her body as she took in the current playing out. 32

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Five Finger Punch Death's "The Bleeding" blared in the background. Bets were placed on who'd win the event occurring on the mat. The girls in the ring worked hard. Exertion masked their faces and muscles strained against the determination to pin the opponent down. To Fatal they were hot. Nothing like two near-naked women wrestling for control. "Stuff her pussy. Get the fake cock." Jeers of encouragement rang throughout the establishment. Finger insertion lasting more than thirty seconds earned two points. Face sitting, five points, and slapping and taunts during submission gained an average of two. Strobe lights flickered over the match at the main stage. Bikini bottoms sailed into the air, tops followed suit remaining out of the hands trying to grasp the souvenir. Grunts and the thud of flesh and bones hitting the mat played out. A pair of bodies twisted, using the art of contortion to turn the heat up to blazing. April held Keyna down and fingered her rival's pussy. Takedowns in this scenario intensified. "Pin her pussy to the mat," a voice bellowed from the back. Fatal served drinks and watched the long limbs struggle to hold the opponent still to score a takedown. Center stage, next to the audience, the announcer kept score. Per safety requirements, bouncers controlled the exuberant audience and magic provided a barrier. If a bystander attempted to get too close, the energized field bounced them back. Pillars separated the circular fighting enclosure from the rest of the club. Behind the energized 33

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field, leather chairs littered the floor so occupants could enjoy the game firsthand. Flooring rose up to half-levels, overlooked the seating section, and provided standing room only for those who wished to drink and converse. Here, the dark interior contrasted with the other section of the club. Soundproof walls prevented distractions from the room's main entertainment. Otherworldly shifters seemed to appreciate the casual setting. Fatal poured the drinks and added siata, the demon version of absinthe, for the shape shifters' pleasure. She plucked down a damp towel from her hip, wiped the bar down, and gathered the unused glasses and her tips. "Much appreciated." With a smile at her customers, Fatal turned and deposited the change into an oversized jar next to the vodka selection. "Spic and span." She ran her palm over the smooth clean counter. MaKayla headed toward her with a subtle, but definite swing of her shapely hips and long legs. Three months had passed since the fateful night at Demonic Persuasion and MaKayla still wouldn't get into the ring with her. Hell, no woman would. The few who'd made that mistake hadn't fared well. Men on the other hand, couldn't wait to get in the ring with her to prove their prowess skills and retain their enormous egos. Fatal couldn't help her nature any more than nurture it. She loved beating them, and emasculating them before she fed. Self-control wasn't something she'd nailed since realizing her demonic appetite. If the men wanted to be 34

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fools, who was she to stand in their way? In minutes her scheduled fight would commence. The clock dinged. The match had ended and she'd missed hearing the announcer claiming victory for April and watching her get her due. The gong got her attention. Tossing the towel to MaKayla, she winked. "Come back in one piece," Fatal heard her one regular jokingly say. "Yeah, yeah when they send me a group of people I can't beat, then say that." Fatal smirked and popped up the section of the bar locking her in. She moved through the crowd glancing down at her tight boy shorts and black and pink camouflaged top. She waited on a stool near the outside of the ring for the announcement. "Fatal vs. the Demonic Triumvirate: Komal, Menoza, and Pyro. The fight is no holds barred. Winner forces dominance on the submissive fighter at the end of the match. Excessive bloodshed or injury to genitals results in an automatic loss. Other takers welcome to join if the fighter gives permission." Craning her neck, she smiled at the announcer and jumped up from her stool, anxious to get on with the show. Moving around the outside edge of the ring, she waved to the crowd, a promise to provide another good show. She'd have to keep her gaze downcast, prevent her opponents from seeing her red-rimmed eyes glow. They always did right before a meal or her nighttime fuck. She licked her lips and ran the tip of her tongue over her sharp fangs. The aromatic smells of the different demons sent to take her down wafted up her nostrils and raised her bloodlust. 35

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In a matter of minutes they wouldn't know what hit them. She slipped off her boots and entered the ring, signaling the start of the event. Stop. Hear the sounds, the cheers of the crowd, the roar of music. War dance. Flutes fill the air, the pitch high, linking the notes as the octave lowers. In the distance, the resonant beat of drums, palm against hide, reverberates. Loud, the beat flows like honey through my blood and abates the bloodlust for the moment. Dance. She fell into step, her moves fluid and graceful, her call to arms without weapons. Clearly, the war dance stunned the three men as she weaved rhythmically around them. Fatal smiled at their beguiled expressions and struggled with the decision to attack or wait for engagement. Notable boundaries were placed. She smiled and called them forth with a flick of her finger, beckoning them. Breathing soft, her heartbeat decelerated. She heard only the calm beat of the Navajo drum. Her music, her drum, was the beat of her heart, the song of her blood surging to life. She imagined everyone heard only normal club activity, while she listened to her native drum. Chants bubbled up from deep within her gut and spewed from her mouth, the melody drowned out by the stomping of feet and shrill whistles as customers waited for the dance of seduction and violence to begin. She heard the flute waver its pitch, reaching higher and higher still as she stretched and made them wait. She envisioned her body as flawless perfection, a divine piece of art itching to be satiated. 36

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Komal and Menoza took opposite sides of one another leaving one side empty. Up to the plate stepped Pyro. Fatal measured the men, considered the options. All were handsome, sinewy and reeked of ill will. Last week she'd taken down three men and fed, her hunger appeased only when she face-fucked the remaining demon in the mouth, forced him to submit to a woman four times smaller. The moment pinnacled when he'd kissed her feet and eaten her pussy clean. After she'd fed, she sent him back to Hell a broken demon, one his legions would never respect again. She'd had her fill of demons coming after her. The more enemies she dispatched or sent packing, others, highly skilled, replaced them. If her father didn't get a clue soon, she couldn't be responsible for the emotion-riddled bitch that surfaced. Her only other option now was to rely on her cautious nature, remain on constant guard to protect herself. Still, none sent forth had been good enough to beat her. She'd perfected her skills throughout her childhood. Prepared to take them down, she stood with her feet wide enough to maintain balance and rolled back her shoulders to loosen her arms, ready to engage. They wanted her pussy and would have to fight to get it. She could have elected to fight in the nude and still beat them, but this way they'd have to work extra hard to get her naked sweet core. "Come on, let's not all jump me at once," she taunted and inhaled their dark desires. She eyeballed them and wondered which one she wanted to take down first. She weighed the options in her head. Wouldn't it be grand if she fed and 37

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fucked them all after whooping their asses? Yeah, but club rules didn't work that way. The last man standing got to fuck the remaining opponent. Tension rolled across the floor. Fatal cracked her neck, and then tucked into a ball and aikido-rolled across the floor. Uncurling, she swept a foot out and knocked down Pyro, her first man. Lean in muscle and short in height, he fell easily beneath her. Straddling his hips, she sliced his face with her razor-sharp nails. Her hard muscles clenched his thighs, preventing him from moving. And oh, she felt the hard pulsating length of his cock. With her other clawed hand, she reached back and speared his balls. "Bitch." "Did you think I'd be a simple target or an easy lay?" In the background murmurs and jeers drummed the air. With her claw in his scrotum, Pyro couldn't do shit without risking further damage. "Go home and tell your boss to leave me alone." She reached down, licked the stream of blood gushing from the lacerations on his face and released his balls. "You'll pay," he said. She came to her feet as the bouncer dragged the lone man off the floor, leaving her more room to work. Paper money crinkled and coins clinked, passed through hands as bets were placed. She saw the bets being placed. She'd needed to play along for a while to heighten the enjoyment. "One down, two to go." Her tone dripped sarcasm. "Only a weak woman would use such a dirty trick," Komal grunted. 38

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"You can go home big boy if it's too much. I wouldn't want to be in a ring with me either." She quirked a painted brow at her rival and moved into Menoza's direct path. When Menoza grabbed her hair, she snorted. The man needed to get a clue. She went lax, allowed him to take advantage of the situation, but kept one eye on Komal. He'd be the hardest to take down. Menoza flung her around the mat and then pushed her down. One hand gripped her hair, the other squeezed her breast. The man lacked imagination. Of all the ways to take her down by force, he chose a passive move she could get out of in seconds. After counting a hundred bottles of beer on the wall, she fought back minimally and saved her energy for better things. His continual pawing drove her crazy, not in a sexual way, but in irritation. Growling, she turned her head and bit off a chunk of his leg. Blood met tongue and filled her mouth. Dinner had never tasted so good. As he struggled to free himself, her hard, swift kick flung his body from hers, and next, a head butt rendered him unconscious. Standing, she wiped the blood from her face, winked at Komal and planted her fists on her hips. "What, are you too good to join?" "No, I'm waiting." "How lame," she replied, mocking him in a monotone voice. "Let's get to it," he followed with the terse response. "Dance with me, sexy. I will win and fuck your sweet ass. Don't be a pussy, just accept it." 39

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"Can anyone join?" A new voice from the crowd hit her eardrums. "I suppose, if you want to lose too." Distracted by the challenge ahead, she gave an indifferent shrug and then cast a quick glance toward the newcomer who remained hidden from her. The air, thick with bloodlust, suffocated her, making it hard to draw forth a breath. The pull forced her to bend toward the floor with a gasp. Komal propelled her into the air, sending her careening into the floor. The contact jarred her bones. She heard a rib crack or snap. She'd worry about it later, after her victory. Fatal winced in pain but stood up. Nostrils flaring, she unfurled her claws and took an offensive stance. Crackling of her bones resonated, harsh breathing followed, she hoped she hadn't punctured a lung. Matched well against her, she blocked his thrusts and parried, delivering striking blows to critical areas of his body. Komal still stood, a testament she could very well get her ass whooped. Worry set in. She waited for him to make the one mistake that would give her the opportunity to drop him. The crowd hooted and roared, but failed to distract him. She bit her lip and weighed her options. Ready to resolve this farce and move on, she collapsed to the floor. Her body hunched effectively, sobs tore from her throat. Komal delivered a kick to her wounded ribcage. Wincing, she grabbed his foot and twisted when it flew toward her skull. Nothing pleased her more than knocking the breath out of her aggressor. 40

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"Stupid fucker." She rained blow after blow upon him, hitting every inch of skin she came in contact with. "Only a demon afraid of being beaten uses cheap tricks," Komal whined. "What are you pissing about?" Fatal laughed. "You, and why the fuck a half-breed like you is even wanted." Fatal heard before she felt Komal's acid venom hit her face. The sting, reminiscent of mace or pepper spray, brought tears to her eyes. God it burned and stank like putrid decay. Liquid jelly clung to her face and dripped onto the floor. "I'm going to send you to the torture realm after I fuck you." "Fuck you, half-breed bitch." "No, I'll be doing the fucking." With a smirk, she yanked his pants down, ripping the material. Her hand collided with his erect cock. He'd waited to be last, wanted to be fucked. Insane asshole. Over her boy shorts, she clipped on a thick, nine-inch, black silicone cock. "Do you concede?" She slapped his ass hard and shoved him face first onto the mat. "Fuck no." "A pity." She spit on her fingers and stabbed his puckered hole, then felt the quiver of striated muscle. "Ahh, but you're hot for a woman with a fake dick to fuck you." She laughed. "Give him the cock!" filled her ears in the background. "Plug his hole!" Holding up a hand, she grinned at the audience. "I think he's ready to be fucked." She pulled back to plunge into him and was gripped from behind with such force it rendered her confused and immobile. 41

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Looking up, the most irresistible orbs glowered at her with unmasked fury. "He's not the last one standing." "Orobus." "In the flesh. Think you can best me, girl?" "I'm not a girl and fuck yeah. You're just one of many demons." "Drop the synthetic cock," he said without a smile. "You can play with mine." Three months had passed, yet the humiliation of how good he'd felt licking her pussy slammed back into her. "I'm sure yours is just as lacking as the rest. You do know everyone has lost before you. You ready to be fucked in the ass?" "Baby, you won't get that far with me. I will pin you and have you begging for my tongue again, faster than I did the first time." "Ohhhh!" She lunged toward him, her claws slicing into the black silk shirt covering his chest. "If you want me naked all you have to do is ask. Nicely." "Keep your clothes on, demon boy." She brushed her claws against his face, scraping but not slicing. "That's your only warning." He snorted. How dare he! She growled and loped from one foot to the next, a ploy to ascertain which way he would go. Fuck, he thought her a toy. The realization incensed her. She didn't know how he accomplished it, but his body movements smacked of control—unlike the other demons that had attacked her in a rage. 42

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Preoccupied with watching his face, she didn't see his leg shoot out until it was too late. Sprawled on the floor, she realized she'd given him the distraction he needed to take her down. "I could let you win for show." "Fuck you." She glared and slapped at the hands that easily held her down. "Cheap shot." "Can't take what you dish out?" He quirked a brow. "You are infuriating!" Fatal slapped his face, and ignored the taunting of the turned crowd in the background. With him pressed deliciously against her, lust filled her body. She wanted to feel more of him again. Ignoring the surge of desire, she bucked up hard enough to gain a few inches to move and flipped them both until she straddled his body. Instead of honing in on his muscled torso, she wrapped her body around him and settled her arms around his neck in a choke hold. The way it stood, no matter which way he turned, escape would be impossible. "How long do you think you can hold me before you tire?"Orobus taunted. She hadn't thought about that. Already her arms screamed out in protest and soon her body would follow. "I can hold out till they say fight over." "You called no rules at the beginning, sexy. There is no over, only a winner." Hmmm, now that presented a problem. "Talking wastes energy, so shut it." Her words came out in a short pant. "Whatever, sweetheart." 43

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Anxiety washed over her, filling her with doubt. Breathing became hard, her muscles twitched and grew numb with exertion. Pacing fell wayward. Shit, she'd made a mistake by agreeing to fight one too many seasoned demons. "I'm not your sweetheart." "You will be." "How can you be amused?" She wiggled, tightened her vice grip around his throat and choked off his air. Effectively she'd applied enough pressure to wrest silence from him. "You will cease fighting me and lose instantly." He might not have been able to speak, but his expression spoke volumes. Fatal swallowed. Her hands were drenched with sweat from the death hold. When he grabbed her arms with force and glared into her eyes, she knew the gig was up. "Fuck her pussy hard. Poke it. Stuff it. Fuck her mouth. Stuff her ass." The words rang out around her as her body tired. She weakened in his arms, no longer in control of the situation. The height of his displeasure smacked her in the face. Fear couldn't describe the emotion rushing over her. "Not here. Not now." Orobus addressed the roaring crowd, demanding satisfaction. She heard him before she went numb. Images hit her when he touched her head. Her body turned lethargic. She waited for death to claim her, death that would send her to her father's world in purgatory to be reborn. "What?" she moaned. "Time to go home," he said before sleep claimed her. [Back to Table of Contents] 44

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Chapter Five "Welcome to my home." Orobus roused her after allowing her to sleep on his settee."You should feel more alert soon." He walked over to his bar and mixed two drinks laced with zinamber, an agent that would allow them to relax more than just plain alcohol mixed with siata. As she accepted the drink and took a hesitant sip, the tension in his face melted. The cushion dipped as he slid next to her on the couch, giving way to relaxation. He took a sip of the sweet fruity nectar and observed her visual enjoyment, how her tongue darted across her lower lip to swipe the remnants into her mouth. He hoped to penetrate her emotional barriers after the siata took effect so he could tend to her battered skin. He watched the rise and fall of her chest and her throat as she swallowed more of her drink without protest. Fond of the sweet berry taste of siata, he chugged his drink and waited for her to finish. Orobus pulled her onto his lap and applied a cream to her neck to soothe the bruised flesh he'd been the cause of during their match at the sport-sex club. His cock jumped, pressed against the restraints of his clothed body, though he kept it under control. The scent of her potent arousal mingled with the smell of her pain and swirled up his nostrils. The pain he wished he could take upon himself, the arousal he wanted to explore. Orobus worked the cream into her skin and moved his hands down her body. The boy shorts still clung to her slender hips and the barely-there halter top did little to hide her pert breasts from his view. Every time 45

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she moved, a flash of skin made the vein in his cock pulsate. He sucked in a breath and forced thoughts of being buried in her sweet core to the back of his mind. "I don't want to be in your home." She moaned, whether from the smooth glide of his hands on her skin or displeasure at being there, he didn't know. "Release me." "Do you really want to leave?" Setting her down next to him, Orobus removed her halter top and bared her breasts. Damn he couldn't wait to taste and feel further delights. She'd already tripped over her words before he began his seduction in earnest. He listened to her body language, and divested her of her sexy shorts. With all the time in the world, he tickled her thighs with light touches, parting them for a closer view of her bare pussy. Placing soft kisses along her shoulder blade, he ran his finger down her spine. He nipped the hollow of her neck and drew his fingers around to pluck her tightly budded nipples. When he heard her soft sigh, he parted with her breasts and continued his downward exploration of her body, his hand poised over her sex. No spot on her body did he leave untouched by the swipe of his fingers. Under his caress he felt her body tremble and couldn't wait to feel her splinter apart for him. Grinning at her hitched breathing, he swept his fingers along her core. "Do you know what you do to me?" "Me? Uh-uh," she sighed on a long breath. If she wiggled one more time against him, he couldn't be held responsible for his next action. So much for taking it slow. Sweaty palms touched his heated skin. He groaned at the coolness, and at the feel of her pounding heart. 46

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"Just touch me already." Orobus growled. "Yeah, I might do as you ask. But first this." He nipped her earlobe and slipped his hand through her fine black hair. The softness astounded him. He clenched it and yanked her head roughly to the left to drown in her beautiful eyes. "There they are." He lost himself in her alluring gaze. His mouth watered to taste her, and he wouldn't be denied. He crashed his lips to hers and forced his way in. Plundering her sweetness with his tongue, he felt her respond to his demanding kiss. He reveled in the heady power now that she'd submitted to him in acceptance of her fate. He'd been waiting a hundred years for her. He'd wait for another. Her father's promise would be upheld. All of these thoughts ran through his head as he tempted and teased her into willingness. Her soft pleas and sweet sighs sent lashes of fire pulsating through his veins. Her nails dug into his skin and returned. Unleashed passion reminded him he was in control, not her. His tongue mated with hers, tasting the sweet drink she'd just consumed on her tongue. The nectar of her scent was better than any liquor from a fine establishment. She ground and wiggled against him, begging for more contact. He smacked her wiggling ass to still her motions. Orobus chuckled. His finger dipped into her heat and slid across the wet, plump lips of her pussy that would soon welcome his engorged cock. "You ready for me, Fatal?" he rasped into her ear. "More than ready." He took in her flushed look. Desire stamped her face and warred with her ability to remain in 47

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control. Her controlled body language alone told him she was used to holding the power. She didn't fight him, yet she didn't surrender to his will either. He relished the challenge of showing her that letting go could be quite satisfactory if she'd allow it to happen. He'd wasted enough time waiting. He followed her as she got up and sauntered down the hallway, peeking into every room. His cock jumped with each seductive step she took. When her hips swayed enticingly, he growled low and picked her sweet ass up. "You're a cock tease." He slapped her ass and ran the rest of the way to his room with her draped over his broad shoulder. He unleashed a savage growl meant to show dominance. Licking his lips, his fangs pierced his gums and he loomed over her nude body with a glimmer of lust. He dropped her onto his bed and tossed the covers onto the floor. "Won't be needing those." Power radiated around him. She needed to know she belonged solely to him, and he couldn't wait to show her. His hands spread her legs wide and he chuckled at her juvenile attempt to read and command his mind. He'd done his homework on her after their first encounter and had been pleased to find she possessed this rare quality. Instead of letting her read what she wanted, he filled her mind with the things he wanted to do to her in his bed. "Orobus." "Fatal," he answered and crawled over her body. "You talk too much." 48

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He began licking and sucking her skin at the hollow of her shoulder, making his way down her body. He stilled her hands from roaming over him and secured them to manacles on both sides of the bed. Her look of defiance and wonderment pleased him. Further down her delectable body he traveled, dragging fangs and tongue down the soft spots of her thighs. He kissed the tender spot behind her knees and closed his lips over the arch of her foot. His fangs slid over the inside of her thigh, drawing from her pleasure-filled moans. Her impatience didn't escape him. By the time he reached her thick, swollen lips and separated them with his fingers, soft husky mewls filled his ears. He dipped his head down. One lick and then another, he laved her skin with his tongue. "Stop," she moaned. "Can't take it or want more, Fatal?" "No more teasing, fill me now." He nipped again and listened to her capricious attitude from wanting one thing to wanting another. One last suckle on her nub and he lifted himself up. "Don't cool off now." He teased her with a light tone in his voice and held her gaze while he disrobed in jerky movements. His member jutted out proudly, finally free of the confining jeans. One loop and one barbell adorned his large cock. "Ohhh!" "You don't have to be speechless just yet." He grinned at her breathless moan, crawled back over her and nudged her legs wider apart. "I could look at your pretty pussy all day." He plucked and toggled her clit unmercifully while watching the flitter of emotions roll over her face. The tip of his cock 49

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pressed at the opening of her core. Grinning, he slapped it across her clit and watched her body jump from the sensitive motion. "Beautiful." He grazed her again with the mushroomtipped head and ran the cool metal piercing over her wet lips. "Don't tease me," she snapped rudely. "Now, Fatal, that's not nice." He entered her part way, burying only the head before he eased out and watched her anger change her expression. He loved the rigid stature that occurred when she didn't get her way. Having her for life was bound to be an adventure. A deep sound of humor vibrated in his chest, he couldn't contain it as he raised himself over her and dipped his head down to kiss away her protest before it could escape from her full, ripe lips. He slammed hard and fast into her. The need to completely possess her drove him to bury his cock to her core. "Remembering how good you tasted when I gave you oral sex teased me for months. Turnabout is fair play." He bit her pebbled nipple and sucked forcefully. The sound of his cock pounding into her echoed in the room and mingled with her hoarse pants for air. Nirvana was near and her name was Fatal. Audible groans came from her mouth. He soaked them up, sucking them into his lungs. Her back arched and her legs clasped tighter around him. He slapped her thigh and pounded harder into her wet core. Wrapped in a fine mixture of heat and wetness, he reveled in it. If her hands had been free, there was not a doubt in his mind she would've raked her nails over his skin. 50

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"Fatal." He growled and sank his fangs into her neck without warning. "I c-can't take more." He lifted his gaze to her and took in the frantic look. Demon loving scared most the first time with their mate. The tense act of the coupling, bringing all emotions to the surface, enabled the bond to become iron tight. Tenderness filled him. He stroked her face and gave her soft kisses to help her distress. "It's all right, Fatal. The first time with a demon is hard." Pelvis to pelvis he rocked his cock against her, the gyrating motions eliciting soft mewls from her delectable mouth. Only she could satisfy him, and he her, now that she'd calmed from fighting the emotions flooding through them. Her body writhed every time his cock throbbed hot and heavy against her soaked walls. His hands gripped her ass, propelling her up against him, anchoring her in place. "Take it baby. Take it all." Her tremors increased in frequency with his every thrust. She slickened more for him and her body tensed and then softened under him. Her core pulsated, choking his dick. The more he surged within her, she froze and he knew she was near the point of climax. He wasn't prepared to lose his breath when she clamped her legs down and her pussy muscles sucked his cock so hard he thought he'd shoot before he wanted to. With clenched teeth, he moved slower to ride out her orgasm. "Goddamn," he grunted with a guttural deep sound. His cock throbbed for release when her blanket of cream washed over it, dragging him deeper within her. Easing in and out of her, he gritted his teeth. Never before had a woman set him 51

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on edge the way she did. Out of control, his last strand of hard-won discipline left his body. He went by animalistic need to bind her to him, make her his. Hands gripped her soft thighs, dragging her up onto his flanks. With a hand pressed on her abdomen, he pummeled incessantly. When his release was upon him, riding through his body and drawing up his ball sac, he looked at her. The look was one to show what he really was, no longer was a man before her, but a demon. He spoke to her in a tongue she wouldn't understand, but he spoke it just the same and spread his seed into her body with one last forceful thrust. "I don't understand," Fatal whispered. "Welcome home, mate." "Mate? How? I don't even know you." "Yes, you do. We've met a handful of times." He reached between them and pressed on her button. "D-Don't do that while we're talking." "Why not? It's fun and you like it." He pressed his hand on her flesh and stroked with leisure. "You cannot be my mate." "Can and am." "And if I don't like it?" He sighed when she shook a defiant head, her hair tumbling all about her. "It's my duty to provide for you, see to your safety, and bring you home where you rightfully belong," he added for emphasis, pulling out of her. He unbuckled her hands and gingerly rubbed circulation back through them. "I'm not staying here with you. I'm used to taking care of myself." 52

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He wasn't used to being challenged and felt his blood pressure spike. He cut his eyes at her and spoke with a cold clipped tone. "You damn well will do what I fucking tell you, Fatal." He tamped his anger down a notch and softened his tone. He should've been prepared that she'd resist, forgetting she'd not been taught the way of life in Hell. "Lucky for you I don't spend most of my time here. I delegate and enjoy mixing company with others. I'm a prince of Hell with twenty legions of demons to command." "There's no alternative place to live, correct?" She turned her head away, pulling the bed sheet around her. He tugged her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Abso-fucking-lutely! You've been ashamed of a side of yourself you know nothing about. You've been ashamed of the woman who birthed you due to one man's judgment. You judged us all without finding out what our world entails. "I refuse to do evil." He took in her confused expression. "Good and evil balance each other. No one is innately good or evil; it's a combination of the two. We knew you'd be brainwashed by someone. It ends now. Welcome home, Ackchetta." "I think I'm still mad," Fatal replied in confusion. "Good, just aim it toward the ones on Earth who kept you from half of your identity. Make no mistake, you're mine. You've been mine since the day you were born. There's no leaving, no running, no extreme disobedience 'cuz baby, those petty demons your father sent are nothing compared to me and mine." 53

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"The nice was all an act?" She slapped at his hand. "I'm nice when not crossed." He shrugged. "I don't know how or what to think about you. I don't want you to touch me right now." Orobus snorted and ripped off the sheet she'd wrapped around her body. "You don't have the option. I'll damn well touch you when I want to and you'll like it." He nipped her neck. "When you're settled and we've gotten over our honeymoon period, I'll take you to meet your parents, they've been waiting twenty-two years to meet you." He moved behind her, knowing she was hurting and confused. He pulled her into his embrace. "Demons do love as well as hate." He kissed her neck. "This is the beginning of your new life. Enjoy living instead of running from it. I guarantee you it's much more fun that way." "You're asking me to trust you." "Yes, I am." "I'm afraid." She trembled. "Rest, we have much to do when you wake." [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Six Incessant pummeling on his front door yanked Orobus out of pleasant dreams. From instinct, he searched the bedding. When his hand connected with Fatal's hip, he let out a sigh and realized she'd remained with him throughout the night. Rolling out of the bed, Orobus donned a black robe and made sure she slept on undisturbed. Thick carpet also helped drown out the noise of his soft footsteps. He made it to the door in record time. Cautious, he peered out the peep hole, and tamped down annoyance as he opened to door. "You!" Orobus gripped the door with a snarl on his face, looking eye to eye with his mate's father. "Where is my daughter?" Dantalain questioned. "Fatal is sleeping." Orobus glared at his father-in-law. "Nahale wants to see her now." "She's not ready." Orobus braced his body over the archway, blocking out the view. "Her mother wants her now," Dantalain reiterated. "I refuse to wake her for this," Orobus said. "I don't give a damn, Orobus, retrieve my daughter." "No. She's mine to protect. It's not time." He drew to his whole demonic height and allowed his skin to shift from human appearance to marble grey. A light flared around his vision, he knew the whites of his eyes held crackling energy spikes. "I'm growing impatient," Fatal's father threatened. 55

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"It runs in your family. However, you're out of your jurisdiction and in mine." Orobus smirked, sensing Fatal rousing. "Who are you yelling at?" Fatal's voice rang from the bedroom. "No one, go back to bed, Fatal," Orobus hollered toward Fatal, hoping she didn't walk out to meet him. Inwardly he groaned when she poked her head around the corner and headed towards him wearing his plush robe. He pushed his hand back to halt her and growled at their visitor. Even with her wild hair streaked in florescent pink she possessed an aura of naivety. He wished he could save her a world of hurt, which contradicted his demon persona. He cursed a dark streak and moved out of the doorway. Avoiding the train wreck about to unfurl, he braced for the collision. His gut reaction in such situations rarely failed him. Thick tension filled the foyer. He reached out to take her hand, only to be cut down by her intense eyes. "You're no better than him, Orobus. And you," Fatal turned to her father. "Now you come, after five years?" Fatal hugged her robe to her body. Orobus hated the sharp bite in her tone, her words broken with emotion. "I only want what is best for you, Fatal." "Do you, Orobus? I can't tell. Does he?" She jerked a finger in her father's direction. "Ackchetta," Dantalain spoke. "My name is Fatal and I have nothing to say to you, Father. You're nothing to me but an enemy." 56

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"Enemy?" Orobus didn't like the undertone this entire conversation was heading toward. " All demons are my enemies. Survival of the fittest. You just happened to trick me." Her lip curled with a snarl at Orobus and she moved away from his touch. "Daughter, we're not enemies. Don't you wish to see your mother?" Dantalain tried reaching for her. "No. I never wished to see you, father." She looked at Orobus and departed the room, leaving the men staring at one another. "Just like that?" Dantalain appeared dumbfounded. "You sure made one fucking mess out of this." Although Orobus remained outwardly calm, inwardly he seethed with anger. "Duly noted. She really believes we are the enemy." "Do you blame her, old man?" Orobus's tone had bite to it while he turned his attention toward her retreating form. "I promised to give her time to adjust before bringing her to see you and your family. I will not be made a liar. This isn't the way to start a permanent relationship." "You're mated, why do you care?" Fatal's father snapped. "Because Fatal is not a fuck-trophy. She's a woman that's been subject to serious neglect. You may have your son and heir for your legion when you retire, but your daughter will never willingly come to you." "If you're insinuating our son is more important than our daughter, I'll cut you down," Dantalain said. "Truth hurt? Go back to your perfect son. I have a mess to clean up right now." He slammed the door shut and trudged 57

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forward to find his mate. "Fuck." He lurched to a stop, gripped his head, and doubled over. Images swarmed a cacophony of colors that blinded him. Paralyzed, he wondered if he'd get to see his mate again or not, his soul felt her departure, more than a physical one, and he cursed that his first steps in gaining her trust had crumbled into nothing. Fatal moved toward Orobus's room moaning in pain. Her heart weighed heavy, her soul cried out for comfort. Years of inadequacy and abandonment issues welled up in her conscience, cutting deeply. Memories resurfaced. "Taima, I need you." She sent out the cry for help. Having Taima had always eased the pain to a dull throbbing. Hate for her parents increased with every visit of the demonic mentor who'd turned friend. How she could come and they avoided her, she'd never understand or forgive. She instead gave what little trust she possessed to the woman who'd become in essence a mother to her. Where do you find comfort and belonging when both are more elusive than even the sweetest of dreams? Fatal curled into a ball in a corner of the room. She attempted to dispel the pain, hoping Taima could find her here. Pink demonic tears slid down her cheek. Irritated, she swiped at the show of weakness she hadn't surrendered to since teen-hood. She had trusted Orobus to give her time to adjust while begrudgingly accepting circumstances. Foolheartedly, she'd wanted a chance to belong, but had Orobus lied? Twenty-four hours later and her father, the man she hated more than life itself, unexpectedly appeared at his door. Ha! She didn't believe in coincidences. Who knew that better than her? Damn both Dantalain and her mate. 58

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Soft hands stroked her hair. She smelled the faint aroma of mandarin spice, Fatal's favorite cleansing soap. "Taima." She hadn't seen her mentor in two years. Once she'd grown up enough to handle her own problems in life the visits had become few and far between. Fatal would never admit how she longed to create problems just to have Taima return to her side. Taima's slender fingers and genteel touch brought an inner peace Fatal longed for. She'd missed the warm, homey atmosphere during their long talks or her lessons. Taima's chocolate brown eyes and pretty face had helped her through her fear of claustrophobia and spiders. Silly, but true. As a child she hadn't feared monsters of the dark, but rather the tiny bugs and vermin. Taima had a siren's calling. Each syllable enchanted Fatal. When she spoke, words blanketed her with harpsichord melodies. From telling fables to singing to pass the time, the sound of her mentor's voice held a calming effect. Fond memories existed because of the woman who cared enough to laugh in others faces. How she longed to be like Taima while growing up—beautiful, serene, smart, talented, friend and mentor, mother. A faint glimmer of light filled the empty darkness in her soul, promising to devour her. "Don't I always come when you need me?" "Yes." Fatal took a shuddering breath and leaned her head into soothing hands offering her comfort during seclusion. "I'll always be here for you. I'm the only one who loves you, and whom you can depend on." 59

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"You're my only friend, the only person who cares for me." Fatal eased her head onto Taima's shoulder and took solace from the close contact she'd missed. "I know, sweetie. Returning home hasn't been a good experience I feel for you, Fatal." Taima stroked Fatal's shoulders and spoke in her soft soothing tone." I can only imagine your grief, being plagued with inadequacy and turbulent emotions suffocating you. Is the hate still there?" Fatal thought she saw a glimmer of evil lurking in Taima's eyes, but her mentor wasn't a demon, her eyes were playing tricks on her. She listened intently to what Taima had to say. "Don't ignore those feelings, Fatal. Let them fill you. Years of festering wounds doused with salt instead of healed must be agonizing. Now after all these years they want you—for what? They never cared enough to show you one moment of kindness. Let the hate fill you, baby." She stroked Fatal's hair. "Embrace who you are and what you're meant to do," she urged with honey-laced sweetness. "Trust me, Fatal. I've never steered you wrong. I've come to you whenever you needed me, just like now. You're such a beautiful strong woman, no longer a young helpless girl. There's no one here to abuse or misuse you." She swiped the tears off Fatal's cheek and touched her face in tenderness. Fatal held on to the only love she'd ever known. Emotions rolled over her making her feel desolate. The harsh words Taima spoke calming her, restoring what she'd learned growing up. Renewed hate welled within her. She tipped her face to Taima. 60

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"You can do right by yourself. All you have to do is use the secret weapon they don't know you possess," Taima encouraged in a hypnotic tone. "The pain is swallowing me whole, making me weak. I wanted to belong, have a family who wanted me." Fatal tugged at the lapels of the robe and drew the garment tight around her. "How could they? They don't understand you as I do." Taima massaged her shoulders and rubbed her back. "Unwanted and unloved on both sides." Fatal shrugged off the painful memories that kept resurfacing. "Why give in to self-pity when you can channel your nature and use it to your advantage?" Taima slid her hands through Fatal's hair, massaging her scalp. "Take back your destiny, Fatal. Start with Dantalain and Nahale for deserting you. Show them the error in their ways. Hold them responsible for their transgressions. Demons don't love, they don't have the capacity. I care for you. I've been here all along. I know your salvation is on the horizon. My dear, you're not weak like them," Taima coaxed, offering her unyielding support. "Just relax and let your power flow, Fatal." Taima's eyes took on a translucent hue. Fatal nodded and took a deep breath. Her head pounded with the onset of a migraine and exhaustion washed over her. Taima had never lied to her or used her. She came to her whenever she couldn't deal with the loneliness. "I don't want to hurt anymore." She blinked and wiped the fresh tears away. The turmoil receded with Taima around. "You're right. 61

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They must pay for what they did to me, Sani, all of them, even Orobus." She siphoned Taima's nurturing love into her battered soul to offset the void of darkness welling up in her once again. "Good girl. He doesn't care for you. He's a bastard of the highest kind." The longer she listened to Taima, the more sense the woman's words made. Twenty-two years of not mattering to her grandfather or anyone one else slammed into her. As the deep-seeded emotions warred, they melded and washed over her. She embraced them, opened her mind, and willed herself to yield to the yearning for revenge. Her nerves skittered, she convulsed. Agony rippled through her when her muscles seized. Clear as the summer sky, her thoughts rang bold and true. She spoke to the masses of demons her mind called forth. Her voice not wavering, strong and commanding in tongues—a dialect known only to her. "Everyone must perish. Friends are not friends. Kill or be killed, leave none standing. Burn the liars, manipulators, and the officials who have played you as a puppet. Vie for attention if you must, to get the upper hand. Enjoy feeding on your propensity for violence. Kill all. Rejoice in your mayhem of absolute terror and know you'll be absolved, for it is my will you enact." The sweet song ordering the mass murder of entire demonic species flowed like honey from her conscience into the minds of her half-brethren. Calm descended over her. Voices screamed in confusion, guttural sounds of flesh eaters munching on their own kind filled her ears. She comforted the confused and prompted them to do her will. Lethargy claimed 62

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her. Her eye's drifted shut. Red-hazed light opened a doorway and motioned her to enter, promising to be the easiest choice for her. To walk into the unknown stuck in the interim of her conscience, she let the darkness consume her. In a low tone, her mate's name fell from her lips, her body crumbling to the floor. Orobus snapped out of his trance. Agony nauseated him. He had to find his mate and stop the chaos. In a flash of seconds black clothing adorned his body. He donned his duster and shoved his feet into his boots. He saw the descry demons disappear into the walls, closing their eyes and ears. He heaved a sigh. At least one species would remain intact. Since they harbored no ill will and only reported optical viewings of activities throughout the realm, he, his lord and colleagues relied on the descry demons to be their eyes and ears during long absences. Raging hounds fought with viscous intent to maim and succeeded in draining the death force from one another. Training his thoughts and ignoring the compulsion to join the fray, he sent a message ordering the pseudotheti demons dispatched on earth to remain dispatched in their noncorporeal forms, and ordered them to stay on assignment in bringing in their quota of evil humans. His efforts to reach the other officiating staff remained futile. Had they all hidden or had they vanquished one another into the pits of purgatory? Azazel's wrath would descend in that case. He moved throughout the levels with his sword and magic. Generals and foot soldiers fought other 63

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tiers of law. He damned the Aaunato law enforcers of the Hell realms, dubbed as bureaucratic pansies. "Gaap, Haures," he bellowed against the unrelenting noises of cannibalism and glee. "Lord." He faced them with a discerning glare. Had they been infected as well? "Find my mate and bring her to me while I meet with Azazel." He knelt on one knee, head bowed in respect. "Master, I summon your presence." The voice of his lord and master echoed loudly amid the festivities of carnage. He ignored the screaming of the sadists, the pleas of the prisoners as they screamed for the master's attention. "General." Azazel appeared and pierced Orobus with a menacing stare. "We have erupted into an undetermined length of anarchy. How would you have me resolve this?" "You cannot resolve this pandemonium. It is not the first or last time anarchy has risen against me. Let the worst of it play out, so we may ferret out those responsible for its start." "M'lord. Many demons will die and the balance may be altered between realms." "Let the balance hang precariously. To sniff out a mouse you must play into the trap. Those will be reborn again into their station. I'm more interested in finding out who thinks they will benefit by disarming my council and turning every species against the other. In the end, their greed will give them away. Cunning and clever this person or people are not." 64

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"I have dispatched two guards to find my mate, Fatal, M'lord." "Ahh, the fated one. What will you do when you find she holds the key in this mastermind of lawlessness? A disobeying woman, a strong-willed woman will be hard to control. Perhaps I should have you bring her to me instead." "Master you couldn't possibly want one like her. Most see her as freakish and trouble not worth fighting for." "And here she has unlocked both her cultures and attacked me personally by commanding my people to commit anarchy while in another realm? That boasts of strength and power." "M'lord?" "She has but spent only one night here. How then do you explain her apt knowledge of my realm? I can see her, see into her mind and her knowledge is quiet extensive for one so young. Without clearance from me, she knows too much." "You sound amused instead of angry." Orobus looked up at his master and rose from the floor. "I'm amused. It's been centuries since I've had the desire to play risk, to battle against a known enemy." "Fatal is not the enemy." "Until she looks inside and accepts the nature of her beast, she's an enemy to both sides." "And your expectations, M'lord?" "Take control of your life-mate. Teach her so she's not punished for something she hasn't learned to control. I'm a bastard that lives for disaster and eternal torment. You have less than four hours to find her. Teach her or I will," Azazel said. 65

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Orobus heard and understood the unspoken words. No way would he allow his mate to be a victim of the torture level. "Understood," Orobus acknowledged with a nod and disappeared from sight at his liege's nod of dismissal. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Seven The wastelands greeted Orobus with the unpleasant sulfuric odor emitted to feed the vegetative Venus Flytraps snapping and striking at the slightest breeze. The watchmen tore at one another, the moats overflowed with red crimson. Heat from the Lake of Fire pushed the stench of decay into his nostrils. He didn't sense her there and moved on to the second level, his need to find her before he lost his mind with worry. As he wound his way around the second level, he avoided the acrid waste projected out of the mouths of the Flytraps. Ravaging beasts fought to eat the decaying micro-organisms to keep infection out of the second level. Trenches of flammable sulfuric muck flickered rays of red-orange light, giving him a reprieve of his sight. Watchmen had abandoned their posts, bodies floated in a river that split and branched into a series of networks. He kept on walking, drawing energy and instruction from his boss. Azazel had projected she wasn't in Hell but he felt her presence, the pull leading him to her. His mind rewound back to Azazel's words. Whoever had set the steps into motion for anarchy would suffer. He didn't pity the fool that would dare to go up against the leader of all. When he concluded his business, he planned to be there to witness the punishment first-hand. Legions upon legions had been infected by the mind control. Purgatory overflowed with the ones demanding a rebirth and a raise in station. 67

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Poor bastards would go back to the same level, since their deaths hadn't been sanctioned by the ruler. "Boss." Gaap had returned. "We haven't located her in any realm. Her scent is all over the place, her energy too, but she's not." "Where is Haures?" "Haures went through the barrier to Earth. He's infiltrated her tribe and searches for her there." Orobus dodged the serpent swooping down to catch it's prey. "Any word?" "Only a few of the elders are acting oddly. He believes they lie about her not being there."Gaap scanned the area around them, his eyes continually searching. "Hmmm." He'd ferret out the truth soon enough. "Her tribesmen value their precious god more than a slip of a girl." Orobus clenched his jaw. Worry set in that he may not find her in time to appease his lord. "Let us return to the other levels so we can do a quick sweep, ensure she's not down here and make a secondary plan," Gaap suggested and clapped his friend on the back in a way of brotherly support. "Have you any thoughts of why anarchy has occurred?" "No. The reason will come to light. My visions are seldom wrong and this last one had more to do with our lord and ruler than myself, though this feels vaguely familiar." The vision of her mind-fuck at the club came to mind. He shrugged it off, thinking she could in no way shape or form commit such an act against her own people, his people. He tripped over a body. Turning it over, he growled and swept 68

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the soft hair out of the woman's face. His Fatal lay before him stiff as a board, her body not in the river. He ran his fingers over the puncture marks on her neck, arms and wrists. Potent fury seized him. He leaned down to capture her scent and frowned. "Boss?" "It's not Fatal." He heaved a sigh of relief. "Are you sure? I've been following her scent for hours." Orobus rolled the demoness around onto her stomach and peeled her long tresses to the side to look at her neck. The small mark appeared no bigger than a thumbtack. "She's an indentured slave, a Chaaeleonidae demon owned by another leader." His head throbbed. Scattered puzzle pieces began taking a picturesque shape. Gaps in the picture prevented it from taking full shape. He damned the incomplete vision in his mind. The ugly truth would emerge when he brought Fatal home, and found out who didn't want her with him. "Boss. Who's demonic slave?" Haures helped Orobus look for the mark of ownership. "She belongs to Grand Duke Sizemous." Orobus fingered the Braille-like tag denoting ownership. "I don't like the look on your face. He's one of the most trusted, why would he have a doppelganger of your mate?" "Let's hope she serviced him or one of his at Contraband and sent them back enthralled. Any other reason will end his life. Azazel won't be lenient on treason. I won't be forgiving of harm befalling my mate." Orobus's mouth lifted up in a snarl. "We should report it," Gaap responded while looking at the still form. 69

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"In good time. Come on. Let me look despondent while Haures searches up top. No one down here knows another is searching, all links have been cut. His orders are to bring her to me. Should he find trouble, send an abhorrent demon to find me in the shadows." "Good strategy." "We have less than an hour to hear from Haures before I'm called before Azazel. If we haven't found her, I'll request taking punishment on her behest." In pensive thought, he knew he'd never allow her to take a punishment from Azazel. Orobus covered the girl's body with leftover brush and brimstone, making sure to cover her mark. He marked the time on his watch. Scavenger demons in the dark hours would drop Fatal's doppelganger into the fire for reincarnation. "Boss?" Six hours had passed when Orobus sensed the summoning from Haures. Unable to leave his current position in the dungeons, he responded to the link in the same manner. "Haures." "I've found Fatal. You should be present to hear the things being said." "I'm awaiting trial. Azazel's patience ran its course. I cannot leave this realm. Be my eyes and ears, you know the drill." "Fatal is not conscious and is locked up tight." The worry in his friend's voice bothered him. "I'll send Gaap to you. My visions showed me she'd awaken. I need your ears. Hear for me." 70

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Once Gaap had left to assist Haures, Orobus concentrated on his thoughts. The link to his mate seared him with its intensity. The pain she emanated in her unconscious state hardened his resolve for justice and aided in his speed to find her. He ignored the gut-wrenching anger rolling in his core and listened for the voice of the traitor or group of traitors. "Did I not tell you our brilliant plan would work? How could you ever have doubted my undeniable genius? Twenty-two years and our plan has come to fruition. The half-breed bitch will never be a problem again," A husky feminine voice gleefully responded. "Of course, but there are still complications, Taima. The half-breed still lives, still has a mate looking for her as we speak." Ominous, a voice crackled in a gravelly nature, one demanding compliance. "Orobus? Don't worry about him. I have plans for him too." Taima's demonic vehemence rang out. Orobus blinked and focused on the voices being projected to him. The woman's name clung to the tip of his tongue. Unlike her, the male she conversed with sounded foreign, not of his world. "My diabolical lady." Her partner in crime chuckled. "Azazel should have never demoted me. Keep your enemies closer than your friends or so they say. You're free to do with Fatal as you see fit. She's half dead now. Why not lengthen out the suffering she's caused you? Kill her like she killed your only son when she refused to heal him. Snuff out her life as she snuffed out his. Reborn he'll be little more than 71

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a slave this go-round when he should have been raised to the next status." "Haures," Orobus called. "The traitor is Taima. I can't place who she's speaking with, but Azazel knocked her down a peg years ago. The power-hungry bitch will get hers." Orobus snarled, pacing the small chamber, and took a moment to think. "Gaap, do you two have Fatal yet?" Orobus forced himself to calm down as he listened to Taima, Azazel's demented ex-secretary. It made sense, why he couldn't feel Fatal. Taima had tried to mask her, removing her from Hell onto the Earthen Realm. "Yes, boss. I've got her, transporting her now. Haures will stay behind to finish gaining evidence against Taima. The other male is a young demon lord named Rimmel. His wounded son happened upon Fatal when she'd changed and he asked for help. She'd been attacked recently and refused to help him. His son died and Taima found in him the perfect way to pay back his Leader." "She doesn't realize Azazel's waiting for proof that she has a hand in this anarchy." Orobus closed the link. The two names spoken solidified the bits and pieces flashing through his mind. With an armed escort Orobus met Gaap in his chambers to see to Fatal. "Boss." Gaap laid Fatal in his arms and stepped out of his personal space. "Gaap, thank you." She looked frail in her sleep. He ran his fingers over her dainty hands, brushing the broken fingernails. Images of her clawing at the enclosure to freedom 72

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hit him. Taima'd taken her to Earth so fast he hadn't been able to discern where she was. When he thought of the fear and anguish she must've felt he wanted to pulverize the asshole in charge. All in good time. He took a steadying breath and beheld her still form. Her face held smudged dirt from recent tears. Her injuries tore at him, but the lump on the side of her head worried him the most. All her life she'd been lied to, abused, abandoned and now all this for some bitch's greed. If he didn't have a punishment to attend he'd be dismembering every party who contributed in harming her. He ached to lash out, but held tight to the growing dark force within him. "So many people have hurt you. Taima lied, Fatal. We damn sure can love if we wish to. I'll prove to you demons are not all self-serving. You're worth protecting and cherishing." He brushed a strand of her hair aside and kissed her brow. He carried her to his bed and pulled down the covers. He laid her down with gentleness, fluffed the pillow and eased her head onto it. With a closed-off expression, he then pulled the covers over her. "Dantalain." Fatal's father appeared before him. "Orobus." "You're daughter needs you." Orobus held on to Fatal's hand. "I won't leave her side." Dantalain moved towards the bed. "If you do I'll kill you myself." Orobus spoke with deadly intent. "When it's time, there is much we need to discuss. You don't know all of it." 73

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He couldn't stomach her being punished for her act of compulsion, once again. He didn't want to think her capable of such cruelty, not his Fatal. In the past she had appeared oblivious to her gift. Orobus shrugged and disappeared with the armed soldiers. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Eight No matter how one described the torture levels of Hell, it remained a weak description. Yes, insane voices, demons and others moaned from administered beatings. Those who thought only demons lived in the deepest, darkest reaches of insanity had no comprehension of Azazel's sadist personality. Orobus ambled down the corridors awaiting the walk of shame and passed those in good standing, members of his class of distinction. Higher level demons who worked innumerable years to maintain position held a diplomatic immunity from punishment. Except for anarchy, the crime brought out Azazel's insurmountable wrath. No one wished to be the whipping post to alleviate his liege's anger. Whispers echoed throughout the walls. Descry demons projecting all images. He rolled his eyes, glad the demons couldn't speak. Stuck in the walls, they acted as a twentyfour-seven enhanced security system. Their large eyes transmitted information in code or sight straight to his liege. Without mouths, descry demons couldn't gossip or lie. Bad enough, the entire realm would witness his downfall, be privileged to watch, feed and take pleasure in his pain. If Azazel chose to, he could remove his prince status and home, could ruin everything he'd built over the centuries. Not that he would, his position as the seer gave him certain immunity to the worst of punishments. Fatal's actions required satisfaction. Azazel's sadist nature would not take a lesser punishment than a severe whipping. Orobus refused to 75

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let his master harm his mate if he could help it. He'd take punishment for his mate ten times over if it meant she'd be left without harm. Because, even in a short time he'd come to love her for her bravery, and because she needed a champion. The pungent stench of urine and feces hit his nostrils. Both mixed with the smell of fresh blood spent and old blood to make for a nasty concoction of pestilence and disease. This place stood to show all demons alike the horrors of betraying the liege. Any demon not worth exile came to be stripped, whipped and bled on a daily basis for eternity or until absolution. Twin iron doors stood before him. The serpent knocker fit smoothly in his hand. Orobus gripped the metal and let go, sounding the gong-like bell, and then moved to the side to await entry. Two enforcers opened the doors and flanked him on both sides. He walked with his head held up to his ruler and stopped. "My liege." He dipped to the floor and took one knee, bowing his head in reverence. "I'm here for my punishment." Azazel smiled darkly at his diplomatic subject. "Are you certain you wish to go through with this?" "One hundred percent sure," Orobus said. "You agree to receive any and all types of torture I hand out this day?" "Yes, my liege," Orobus concurred.

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"Very well then. Strip and follow the enforcers to the post overhanging all levels of Hell." Azazel moved to the rack of instruments and picked out his favorite two. "As you wish." Orobus complied and unlaced his boots and stepped out of them. He stripped off his pants and let them fall off his muscular thighs. He looped his fingers into his boxers, pulled them down, and stepped out of them. He shrugged out of his shirt and tossed it with the rest of his clothes. Ripped muscles glowed in the basking light of the fire-blazing inferno. Nude and used to heat, he turned and walked over to the posts. After seeing many placed upon the iron holdings, he knew to assume the submissive position. "Orobus, for the crime of anarchy against your liege you are sentenced to two-hundred lashes by whip and onehundred hits by ball and barbed chain. Do you accept your punishment?" Azazel asked. "Yes, my liege," Orobus replied. "Will you call out to the one who should be in your stead?" Azazel desired a clear answer before commencing. "I take full responsibility for my mate's actions," Orobus restated. "No healer will see to your wounds, or fix you by means of magic. No reprieve will be awarded to you during the switching of instruments. Today will serve all a warning of angering me. At the end you'll be let go punishment served. Should you feed on the pleasure of being beaten, additional blows will be added." He strode across the room.

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Orobus watched Nergal, chief enforcer, step up with the nine-section chain whip. The sections chinked, a sign that his whipping would begin shortly. Anticipation grew into irritation. Orobus wanted it done and over with. As promised, the rush of the chain whip sung through the air and landed with dead-on accuracy, welting his back. He held in a stifling groan and tensed in response. The recoil and release of the whip struck his back again with small barbed darts releasing a painful poison puncturing his skin. Fire boiled underneath his blue skin, two miniscule drops of toxin heightened the pain to astounding levels. Again and again it whispered in the air until finding its home on new sections of his unprotected skin. Orobus refused to scream out. He kept his eyes narrowed and dared his peers to openly laugh at his predicament. He taunted them and counted them weak for they never would stand up for their own. He snapped his head and turned to look at his punisher. He burned to scream in agony, the vipers poison eating at his internal organs. How much could he take? All of the pain. Rivulets of blood beaded and congealed, rolled down his back, side and chest. Close to losing consciousness, he didn't register the change of devices. The barbed ball connected with his chest, puncturing enough to cause excruciating pain. He withstood on shaking legs and straining arms, his body sweat drenched profusely. Brows furrowed, he focused on each strike, counting down till completion. Those who watched swam before his eyes, blurred until he saw nothing. Paralyzed nerves didn't send triggers to his brain. The last lick 78

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of the ball and chain brought tears out of his eyes. His mouth bled from his incisors slicing open the tender tissue of his cheek. His body trembled when released. A resonant guttural sound of agony ripped out of him, echoing throughout the furthest recesses of Hell. His heart stopped, vision cleared and Fatal's distraught face loomed in his mind. "Fatal." "Why?" brushed gently across his conscience. Her confusion bothered him. The horror she must see in their link gave him the resolve to answer her. "To prove I love you." His world went black following this last transmission. Pain lanced Fatal's heart. She watched Haures and Gaap lay their boss on his stomach on his bed. The look they gave her ignited her fear. His pain and suffering at the cause of her hands could very well prove to be his death. Bile rose in her throat, threatening to rise up. She clenched her stomach. He looked a sight, all bloody, torn and bruised. The stench coming from him oozed from the nicks all over his body. She touched him with gentle finger tips, afraid that if she made the slightest move he might lash out at her. She took a breath and laid a shaky hand on his body and grimaced at the heat rising up on him, burning her palm. "I will heal you." Tear drops welled in her eyes. Deep within her, a part of her cracked and broke. Feeling deep emotions for him left her unnerved and afraid. How could she trust this man after he brought her where she didn't want to be or belong in the first place? But then looking at him and what he'd just put himself through, made her jumpy. She shifted her body to avoid 79

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brushing up against him. Gathering her energy, she placed warm palms on unaffected skin in preparation of her craft. When his eyes flew open and he jerked away from her, startling her, she tipped backwards. His hand grasped her shirt and yanked her back up. "You need rest, you're ill. Let me heal you, please." She pleaded. "No healing," his raw voice ground out. "But why? You're hurting and it's hurting me." "Azazel ordered no healing. Heal me and you disobey him and all of this happened for nothing," Orobus said. "Why? I don't understand." Fatal moved her hands into her lap. "He is a bastard, Fatal, and a sadist. Rules are different down here. The sooner you learn them the better we'll both be." Orobus shifted on the bed in obvious pain. "Surely you won't be harmed again if I just take some of the poison out." She frowned and wondered what kind of leader would punish so cruelly. No way did he hear her thoughts before she voiced them. Then again, he surrounded her, filled her, had taken root in a part of her she'd hid from others. His presence in her mind scared her even more. She blushed and couldn't fathom why he chuckled at her in his condition. "Azazel is the Devil, Fatal, of course he'd harm me. Every time you disobey an order down here, I'll pay. Do you not grasp the enormity of your actions? Using compulsion is forbidden. You've done it twice. I gather the first time you 80

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didn't know, this time you were conned into doing it, but it doesn't make the damage on the levels any less." "I know. I remembered it all when I woke up. I couldn't believe I'd commanded you to... And then I pieced together the alleyway where the demons attacked a human and how I saved him. I had a thought and mumbled it and suddenly what I wanted to happen happened. But I don't understand why Taima betrayed me? I thought she loved me. I may not have wanted to come home, but I wouldn't have harmed anyone without them provoking me or attacking me, and now you're hurt. This is a nightmare come to life." Shame filled her and she sucked in a breath and bit the inside of her cheek. "What should I do to ease how you feel then?" She felt the need to make a part of it right but wished she could erase what she'd unleashed. "Don't worry babe, we'll figure out the why's later. Lie next to me and talk until I fall asleep. All Demons have some level of healing. The higher up in the food chain the more natural healing we possess. I will heal within a fortnight or two." "All right." She slipped her house slippers off and slid onto the bed. Using her heels, she dug into the mattress to scoot backwards, careful not to bump his body. She lay on her side with her back to him and fought her brain as it screamed at her to move into his embrace. "Don't lay facing away from me. Turn over so we can talk." He nudged her. With a sigh, she rolled over and looked at him. "Hello." His smile was weak. "Hi." Fatal itched to move. Intimacy intimated her. 81

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"Why did you never come back to Demonic Persuasion?" he asked. "I was embarrassed by what happened and how you made me feel." "You don't have to be so far away, Fatal. You look like you're about to roll off the bed if I breath too hard. Come closer." "I like my space." She frowned, but acquiesced and moved close enough for him to touch her if he wished. "Better. I understand that, but once your demonic hungers increased, you still chose to go to a seedy club. You could have come to work for me." He grimaced. "I had to feed somehow." She left out she didn't care for how he made her body react, and even now she forced her body to mind her brain. "Nervous? Why the sex club?" "Why are you so nosy?" she attacked. "You're my mate and talking passes the time." He placed a hand on her hip. "You should sleep, you'll heal faster," Fatal urged. "Why, darling, you're not afraid to answer a few small questions are you?" "I'm not your darling, and no, I'm not afraid." "Spill." Orobus tightened his hold on her. She looked away from him and shrugged. "I enjoy painful sex. I enjoyed being in charge and instigating it for once." "Painful sex?" He frowned and looked at her. "Yeah. I like it rough. I can't get off any other way. Well, no one had ever done what you did at the club." She bit her 82

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tongue in an effort to keep some of her personal life to herself. "How many times were you taken advantage of up there?" "What happened on my grandfather's land is none of your business." She closed herself off from him and rolled back over to school her features. When his hands encircled her waist and dragged her back into him, she kicked and lashed out. His string of expletives shocked her into stillness. She put the pillow over her face, refusing to turn and look at him. "But it is, babe." He sighed and moved in the bed. "No, there are parts of me I'll never share. Accept it or I'll leave. I don't owe you for taking the beating. I didn't ask for you to be kind to me or to touch me with respect. I didn't ask you to care." He would be like everyone else, she knew it. He'd pretend to be nice and then leave and she'd be alone again. "And go where? You can't leave Hell, Fatal. Damn, woman, you don't even know your way around the levels yet. Which reminds me, there are areas unsafe for you to venture in. I'll assign some men to show you around or take you myself." He yawned. "I don't need babysitters. I can find my own way. Been doing it my whole life," she muttered under her breath. Orobus sighed. "Until I say you are ready, you'll have babysitters. How long has it been since you've fed?" "Since you stole me from the club." "We'll take care of feeding you when I wake." He closed his eyes. 83

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Thank God, she thought he'd never tire of talking. She peeked over a shoulder at him and watched his lids stay closed, light snores followed. The rise and fall of his chest comforted her. Silence, her best friend, had come again. His arm lay half draped over her side. She didn't fight it or move it but closed her eyes as well, thinking that just maybe when he woke, the last thing on his mind would be running his mouth like a female. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Nine Orobus woke from the healing slumber and observed the beauty next to him. How someone as small as Fatal could go up against the world astonished him. Her grit and strength surprised him even more. He slid out of bed, leaving her in peaceful slumber. Naked, he headed to the master bath. The worst of the pain had passed, the deepest of the welts had closed, forming scabs. He touched the tender skin on his lower back and groaned. Opening the door, Orobus entered the shower and turned on the hot water. Steam filled the glass-encompassed tile. The jets cascaded over his body, streamlining down his upper torso, following the defined groves of muscle indentions, traveling the path down his navel, cock and balls. He leaned against the wall with the palms of his hands. He lathered sandalwood soap on his wash cloth and scrubbed his body, his mind lingering on Fatal and her flighty antics. He rinsed off in a hurry, his intentions for Fatal crystal clear in his mind. He smirked and turned off the water. Grabbing a towel from the hook, he dried off and wrapped it around his waist. One quick glance toward his bed gave him a perfect glimpse at her splayed out still fast asleep. Debating his next move, he stepped out of the bath, woke her with a soft kiss to her lips, and smoothed her silk tresses from her face. He enjoyed her startled jump and sat next to her. "Morning, beautiful." "You look good." She yawned. 85

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"Can't get enough of looking at me?" he teased and nipped her lip, taking the small moan she gave to tease her into compliance. He wound his hands into her hair and pulled her onto his lap, determined to steal the thoughts in her mind. Under his hands, her shivers pleased him. His cock pushed against the terrycloth barrier against her wiggling bottom. He sucked in her small whimpers of pleasure and massaged the nape of her neck. He broke from the kiss and nipped the swell of her neck. "What's gotten into you?" "What? Giving you a morning kiss is bad?" He licked the column leading to her collarbone with the tip of his tongue, and chuckled when she nearly jumped off his lap. Hooked in the crook of his arm, her efforts were futile. He smiled when she relaxed and leaned into his soft caresses. "I want you now." He growled against her skin, brushing his goatee across the hollow of her neck. His lips parted and his fangs elongated, drifting a line across her pebbled skin. Small pin pricks of blood teased his palette. "Take me then." Her breathy sounds fell appreciative on his ears. He nipped again and drew her T-shirt off her body and ripped her panties off with a swift tug. At her exclamation, he silenced her with a kiss and drowned in her sweet taste. "Not like this. Not your way." He pulled the bondage straps from his bed posts. "Tie me down babe, we're gonna play a new game." He chuckled when she blinked and scrambled off his lap. "Tie you up?" 86

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"Uh-huh. They buckle easily enough." His eyes never left hers as he crawled to the middle of the bed and stretched out. His towel parted and slipped off his body leaving his jutting member standing up. Fatal licked her lip and eyed his cock. It made her pussy weep with want. How she burned for him. "Okay." She took one of his wrists and slipped the leather cuff around it, then latched the buckles to their counterparts. She straddled his chest and leaned over to secure his other wrist. One look at his lust-filled eyes caused a skittering of excitement to thrum through her body. She turned around to lean over his long legs but had to move closer to the edge of the bed. The ankle brackets took more finesse than she thought when securing them around him. Her mound bumped across his cock between her swollen lips with every jiggle she made. She found having him at her disposal turned her on. Anticipation flowed like honey through her veins. Who would have thought bondage could be so sexy? "Now what?" She looked into his eyes. "You play. This is your time to do what you want, explore however you like. If you want me to touch you at any time, unbuckle me. Enjoy having control; take it nice and slow or hard and fast. Trust yourself and me." "You won't break the ties?" She needed to know. "No." Fatal rocked forward on her knees and licked his pierced nipple. The metal and the texture of his skin hardened the buds of her own nipples. Her hair fell over her face, hiding her from his eyes while she toyed with his other pierced nipple. 87

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She ached to lick her way down his body to his thick cock and suck him dry, but lacked the courage. She saw the struggle of his need and how he wanted to touch her in the way his hands were clenched into fists. "Having problems?"She smirked. "No," he coughed out. "Liar." So he hates my teasing licks and touches. She kissed a path down his chest, tasted every spot of perspiration and then she brushed her breath across his cock. Never before had she seen a man's sex close up. Her tongue darted out and licked the milky drop filling the reservoir of his mushroomed tip. The flavor stayed on her tongue as she encased him with her mouth. Amateurish, she moved his stiff cock to the back of her throat and sucked her way back to the head. She noted his clenched jaw and the way he thrust up to eagerly meet her mouth. Her enthusiasm to please worked. His body tensed with her every action. Having power over him brought a chuckle from her lips. Fatal wrapped her fingers around the base and stroked up while she sucked down, slow, then fast. Her tongue flitted and licked the stem and the underside ring of his head. She licked a final time and then looked at him. "I like having you at my mercy." She climbed higher up his body, impaled her pussy over his dick and slammed down. He felt so good buried inside her. Moving over him with her muscles clamped around him, a kaleidoscope of colors exploded behind her closed eyes. "Goddamn, babe." With a moan, she said his name, "Orobus." 88

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"Ride me, babe." He fought against the restraints. She rose, slammed down on him, and the bed creaked with her thrusts. The tip of his shaft hit the bottom of her womb, she ground her pussy on his pelvis, needing the friction the movement provided. "I want your hands on me," she moaned, well past the moment she wanted to scream. "Untie me, Fatal." "You ordering me around, hot stuff?" With a groan, she lifted off him and untied the restraints. "You want me to slap your sweet ass, don't you?" His guttural tone sent shivers to her very bones. Her nipples begged for a touch from his mouth. "Yes, I do." She fumbled with the buckles and freed one hand. She was illprepared for him to displace her from him, and watched him yank free of the second tether. Soon, a rip sounded in the room and his feet were no longer enslaved. The predatory look he gifted her with sent tremors of sweet anticipation to her pussy, making her swallow hard. "Oh, babe, the things I'm gonna do to you." He grinned at her and crooked a finger, beckoning her to ride his cock again. She seated herself again and found a steady rhythm. He ran his palms across the globes of her ass, eliciting a soft moan from her mouth. Her pussy juices covered his cock. He groaned and thrust up into her, no longer allowing her to take control, but forcing her to share it with him. He grabbed her hair and drew her neck down to his mouth. He grunted and sank his fangs into her tender flesh. Her climax pulsated around him, drowning him in a richer cream, the flood of wetness lubricating his cock as he thrust hard into her. 89

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"I thought I had the control?" She shivered. He raised his mouth and fangs from her skin and licked. "Not hardly, but you tease damn well for a beginner." He slapped her ass again and flipped her over. "Now it's my turn." His snack time short lived, he drove into her, intending to make her shudder and writhe under him. "Oh, God," she screamed. "No god, just a demon on a mission." He pounded and pummeled her core, and then lifted her legs around his neck and jerked her hips up for a deeper angle. He fucked her sweet and slow, refusing to let her increase the speed or rise up to meet him. Her muscle spasms grew harsher, thick and more frequent in nature. Her face was awash with pleasure when he looked down on her. He licked a finger and ran the pad over her distended nipple. Her heavy breasts fit well in his hands and bounced with each solid thrust. "No more. Please," Fatal pleaded. "Ready to let go now?" He chuckled once more and slid out of her pussy. "Yes, no, why'd you pull out?" She screamed and hit him. He shook his head and slammed back in. "Better, babe?" He chuckled. "Umhm." "Let go," he said, ordering her to allow the climax to happen instead of holding on to it. "I can't let go. Please get rough with me." She writhed. "No, babe. Open for me, now," he urged and slid up and down, the tip of his cock nudging her sweet bud each time he withdrew. She drew closer and her body was so tense it had 90

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no other recourse but to blow. Like a geyser, she opened for him and screamed her beautiful head off. His dick stuck in her core throbbed hard for his own release, but until her muscles backed off it would remain elusive. She gripped him so tight in the throes of passion, her fingernails dug into his back. "That's it, sweet," he said until he could move slowly again. He felt his own body begin the final descent into bliss. He growled deep when she nuzzled his neck and bit down, feeding herself without his coaxing. Pumping off into her while holding her head, he came hard and fast, spurting his seed into her womb. He took a slow breath to clear the fog from his brain. "Try to kill a demon why don't you?" Although reluctant to slide out of her, he knew he must. He weighed too much and he felt the bed swallowing her underneath him. "How did you know I'd like that?" "You didn't know what you'd like. I've plenty to teach you." He offered a wide big smile. "Ego?" "Not at all." He kissed her softly and rolled over onto his back. His arm looped around pulling her after him so her head could rest on his shoulder. "I want to do that again." "What?" "Tie you up." Fatal laughed. "We'll see." He stroked her hair, holding her for a few moments in silence. "I'll never hurt you, babe, not on purpose in any event. I know you don't want to see your father or mother but I think it's time to learn the whys." He spoke truthful to her. 91

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"I'm conflicted and I'm no good at talking," Fatal said. "There has to be a start. You have a brother dying to meet you, and I think I was wrong for judging your parents all these years, even now for failing you. I get this niggling there's more to all of this." "Why would you be wrong?" she asked incredulously. "Unspoken words prove to be the loudest, no one looked for those." He kissed her neck. "I'm not ready to let them in, or let you in." "It takes time, babe, time that'll never come if you don't take a baby step in a new direction." He stroked her back and kissed her head. "If I promise to try, will you let me work for you?" "At the club?" "Yeah, I'd like to serve there." Fatal hugged her body tighter to his. "You don't have to try anything, babe, to work with me. I'm asking you to trust me enough to take you to your family." He realized her hurt ran deeper than he'd expected. "Only if you'll stay with me and I can leave if it gets to be too much," she responded. "Deal. Now about working. When I'm down here, Marzena is in charge, as she always is in my absence. When you're safe and things are settled here, we'll go topside together." "What does my brother look like?" Fatal asked. "He looks like your father with your coloring and your same color eyes." "How old is he?" she asked. "He's seventeen, eighteen in a few months." 92

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"Are they good parents? Did they love him and teach him?" "Yeah, babe, they're damn good parents, would've been the same to you." "Like you said, we'll see. I don't need parents now." "You may feel different later on. Don't cheat yourself." "I like solitude," she lied. He snorted again. "It's all you've ever known. You don't know what you like." He tugged on her hair. "You're doing it again." She sucked in a breath. "What?" He feigned innocence. "Being an asshole." She stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm demonic. I'm not all bubble gum and ice-cream." "That sounds so good." "Did you feed enough?" A frown marred his features. "I don't know what enough is." He shifted her to lie fully on his chest and brushed her hair behind her ears. "Your body will tell you if you need more. Your fangs will refuse to withdraw back, and the pain will drive you crazy." "You make me sound like a vampire." She gave him a weird look. "You don't need blood for food purposes. You can eat human food. We have a stocked kitchen. Blood helps you heal, blood keeps your powers strong as a demoness, and you need my blood to fuel our bond. It strengthens us to be close to one another." Her tone softened. "Will I starve without you?" 93

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"No but you'll grow irritable if too much time has passed. If I die, I'll be reborn within a fortnight, memories intact, but you'll have separation anxiety until I'm with you again." "Sounds lovely." Her sarcasm didn't go unnoticed. "Smart-ass woman." With a parting slap to her ass, he walked to the bathroom to shower. He reappeared not ten minutes later, wrapped in a short towel, heading for his closet. "If you'd have joined me, we'd still be in there exploring." He turned from his wardrobe and winked at her. "Your turn, babe." "Uh, now?" She blinked. "No time like the present to go visit your family, beautiful." Quickly dressed, he walked back and took her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. Tenderly he brought her wrist to his mouth and kissed it. Fatal slapped at him. "Stop it." "As you wish." He waited with limited patience as she took her sweet time showering and dressing. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Ten Orobus shimmered with Fatal in a cloud of smoke and sulfur with his staff in hand. In the realm, level four held many of the prominent houses and figures. Orobus chose level three so he could keep a close eye on his foot soldiers and the others two floors beneath them. He pulled her toward her father's residence. Architectural structures of grotesque granite loomed before them. Dark and gothic rows of homes stretched further than the eye could see. He brought them to the front door and rang the door bell. "They have door bells in Hell?" "And animals. In fact, your father has a few demonic hounds." "Oh." Her eyes darted about her new environment. "Don't be nervous." He gripped her hand tighter and smiled when Hakan answered the door. "Sup, O?" The young man greeted them. "Meet your brother, Hakan." Orobus gave Fatal a nudge, urging her to speak. "Hakan," Fatal greeted her brother in a cool tone. "Come in." Hakan moved aside to allow entry. Orobus continued to hold Fatal's hand into the foyer. He took in Hakan's closed body language and unapproachable attitude. He'd wanted a smoother transition between siblings and hoped the situation would improve when meeting the rest of her family. As things stood he didn't like one bit how she stiffened when she greeted her brother. 95

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"Mother will be down in a few minutes. Father's still fixing things from Fatal's fuck-up," Hakan taunted, not showing an ounce of courtesy toward his sister. Orobus groaned when Fatal let go of his hand and clocked her brother upside the head. "Take it back. I didn't fuck up," Fatal yelled and tossed one more clout to the back of Hakan's head. "No, and yes you did. He's ensuring no one will harm you for what you did," Hakan argued and touched the back of his head. Orobus watched the melee unfold. Hakan pinched Fatal in the arm. Fatal countered by knocking his feet out from under him while belly-flopping down with her elbow in his gut. He chuckled when she straddled her brother and mashed his face with her hand while pounding his sternum. "Enough, Fatal." Orobus turned to Hakan. "The situation was out of your sister's control. What happened with the mass order is complicated. There are higher powers that are guilty. Your sister was a pawn in their scheme." He snorted as they continued to fight as if he'd not said a word. Gritting his teeth, he waited for them to get years of separation and angst out of their systems. "No one hits me and gets away with it," Fatal grunted and continued to fight her brother. "She started it and I'm gonna finish it, been waiting a long time to knock her off her high horse like she's too good for us," Hakan said. "You fucking piss-ant," Fatal screeched. "I was never wanted!" 96

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Orobus crossed his arms and glared at Fatal. Surprisingly enough Hakan tangled his hand in her hair and gained the advantage. Orobus waited to interfere. When Hakan trapped his sister and rolled them so he was on top of her, Orobus's patience ran out. "Hakan," Orobus grabbed his foolish brother-in-law off his mate. "Have some respect for what's mine." "My apologies, I stepped over the line." "You'll learn to control your demon in time, apology accepted." Orobus smacked Hakan on the back. Red faced, Hakan addressed his big sister. "You were wanted, Fatal, enough for there to be a permanent void in our family with your absence." "Whatever, Hakan." "I don't want to fight, having you home is supposed to be a happy occasion." Orobus counted to ten and came precariously close to strangling both. Then Hakan leaned down and kissed his sister on the lips and tweaked her nose. Mirth exploded and Orobus's laughter rang through the room. Descry demons peeked out of the walls to gain a closer look at the family interaction. He watched Fatal kick her brother and then she scrambled backwards and went ramrod stiff. He knew family dynamics were new to her, as was rough housing and, interaction. Intent on easing her anxiety, he walked over to her and slipped his arms around her waist, nuzzled her neck and kissed her behind her ear. 97

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Fatal's body relaxed against Orobus. He turned her to face him and chucked her chin, forcing her to take solace in his arms. Instantaneously the fear and panic she emitted departed and her breathing shallowed. "You're a horrible brother." She glared at Hakan, leaning into her mate. "That's the point. I'm supposed to be and I have twentyone years to make up." "Orobus, he smirked at me." She frowned and flicked a narrow gaze at Hakan. "It's a guy thing, babe." "Men." Nahale's voice broke into the skirmish as she entered the room. "Nahale." Orobus leaned away from Fatal to greet Nahale and kiss her cheek. Light spread across Nahale's face, making him smile. "Fatal meet your mother, Nahale." "My daughter, it's been a long time in coming." Teary eyed, Nahale leaned over to embrace her daughter for the first time since her birth. "Mother," Fatal dropped her hands to her sides unable to return the embrace. Orobus sighed and nudged Fatal on her lower back. Keeping his hand on her had a calming effect. "Nahale," he smiled as she pulled away from Fatal to turn to him. "Hakan has quite a mouth on him recently. Wonder who's been influencing him..." He took attention away from his mate to give her a chance to compose herself. 98

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"Heard his mouth all the way upstairs. I didn't raise my son to talk like an ill-bred human teenager. Those lessons and your friends coming back from their studies of Earth have given you bad habits." Orobus hugged Fatal's tense body, exhibiting nervous edginess, prepared to flee. He grinned as Nahale cuffed her son's ears. "My friends talk like this, Ma. C'mon. You wanted me to fit in, right? How am I going to fit in if I don't act like my boys, Mama?" "I knew exposing you to human behaviors was a bad idea. You've forgotten your place as the next Dinya. Now I find you here acting foolish, wrestling with your sister." Nahale pointed a finger at him. "There'll be no more lessons or garbage talk out your mouth." "Yes, ma'am." "Now what would your father say about you getting pinned down by a girl?" Nahale quirked a brow and took a seat. "How about, I acted smart in this instance. If I'd rolled her over and made her wince, Orobus would've pulverized me. Who wants to piss him off?" Orobus snorted. "Fatal can take care of herself." "Damn straight I can," Fatal said. "Fatal," his baritone voice rang out, hiding his smile at her reluctance and the pout gracing her lips. He breathed on a sigh and took her hand, prompting her to follow him to the couch. To his great irritation Hakan wedged himself between them. 99

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Orobus peered around to Fatal and noticed her flushed cheeks. "Sir, you've had her for like three whole days," Hakan reminded Orobus. "Mind your mouth, boy." Orobus reminded him. "When will Dantalain return?" he directed his question to Nahale. "Any moment now. Most of the outbursts have been quelled. He's reporting to Azazel right now regarding Taima. Chained, Gaap and Haures brought her in." "Good." Orobus kept elbowing Hakan in the ribs until he got the point and moved. "Babe." He motioned for her to slide over next to him and pointed for Hakan to sit his ass down on the end of the leather sofa. "Much better view." Fatal sighed. What seemed like an eternity of waiting, in reality was thirty minutes. Orobus stood when Dantalain came into the room, crossed the short distance and offered the customary handshake. "How'd it go?" "Calm for now. Azazel is in a mood though. Avoid him for now if you can and have a seat. There's much to discuss." Dantalain settled into an arm chair. "Welcome home, Fatal." "So you all keep saying." Fatal snorted. Orobus noticed a flicker of emotion flash in his mate's father's eyes and cut his gaze at her. With raised brow, he issued a silent command and knew she'd understand. "Why did you hate me so much you left me?" Her clipped voice filled the air. "A bit much, babe, for the first question," Orobus said. "No, she has a right to ask." Nahale spoke softly. 100

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Orobus drew his mate onto his lap. "I'm fine so quit touching me. I don't want to be touched." "Okay." He knew her comfort zone had flown out the fucking window when she screeched at him. He hated seeing her discomfited, only wanted to offer his support. Even Hakan had backed off. "This is as hard for us, Ackchetta, as it is for you," Nahale interjected. "I fail to see how it compares. One little happy family down here living a normal life, and I'm up there living alone. I'm hated by everyone, have been made to hate everything, including myself." Orobus observed quietly, ready to offer her his support. He couldn't fathom what it must've been like up there being invisible to family. When down in Hell family meant everything. She needed to heal and to find she wasn't to blame for the hatred heaped upon her. "They gave us no choice and demanded to let you live there long enough to learn about your heritage. They promised to return you to us, but when we got down here, your grandfather changed the rules, locked us out," Nahale spoke. "Bullshit. Are you telling me that if you'd petitioned Azazel he wouldn't have allowed me to return?" Fatal's angry tone rose up an octave. "Fatal, I'm the only half-bred mate allowed to live here. Others have asked and been denied. We did ask. Azazel, our ruler, decreed you could come to us by choice once you became of age, or once Orobus prepared to bring you to his 101

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home." Nahale wrung her hands as she finished her explanation. "Does our ruler hate half-breeds? Will I be just as bad off here as I was up there? If so, no thank you, I'll go to Earth and live among the humans, marriage contract or not." Orobus pinched the bridge of his nose at the verbal fuck you and tightened his jaw bones until they popped. "You're not going anywhere. Azazel has nothing against half-breeds." Orobus's calm voice hung on a thin thread. "Whatever. So now I'm here, lame-ass excuses or no. The end result is the same. I've been fucked over since my birth and now I'm supposed to forget it happened and be happy because all of a sudden I'm surrounded by family? It's not going to happen. I don't need anyone." Fatal crossed her arms and shied away from her mate. Dantalain gave his daughter the once over. "You have your mother's temper and my attitude." "Aren't you about ten years too late to extol on my biological traits? I'm nobody but me. I don't act like you or have my mother's mannerisms." Fatal defiantly stared them down. "Enough, Fatal. No man wants his mate to be disrespectful. They're trying their damnedest to make amends, something demons don't do." Orobus snaked his hand around her waist, dragging her back against him. "La dee da, let's hold hands and sing together," Fatal retorted.

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Orobus disliked seeing his mate act with no respect for her parents, no matter how hurt she was. The least she could do was put forth an effort. "Let her be, Orobus. She has every right to hate us." Dantalain rubbed Nahale's leg. "You're wrong. I don't hate you. I'd have to love you to feel such a deep emotional tie to you. We may share the same blood, but it stops there. We're not even friends and when Hell freezes over and your ruler is a popsicle on a stick, perhaps then I'll consider you more than just the two who brought me into the world." Fatal turned her back to them, emotions running too high. "It's time to call this meeting to a halt. My apologies." Orobus stood with abruptness and forced Fatal to take his hand. "Choices made from love, can turn out wrong. We've always loved you, daughter. Next visit will go better." Nahale's sorrow-laced voice filled the room. "I'll see you to the door." She rose from her seat to lead them out. "Until next time, daughter." Dantalain heaved a sigh. Orobus pulled Fatal after him until they turned down the main pathway toward the third level in Hell. He took in her slumped form, her dejected gaze, and his anger dissipated. "The chip on your shoulder is weighing you down?" "Fuck you, I told you I wasn't ready." He knew she burned hot with anger. He wasn't prepared to feel her rage, or for her to unleash her fury on him. Being fist-planted in the mouth by a too-hot-to-handle mate caught him off guard. He didn't have time to recoil and block her fast 103

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jab, or her second. The more he moved, the quicker her punches landed dead on, his mouth, nose, throat and ear before he grappled with her and took control. "Damn it, woman, you don't want to fight me." "Yes, I do." She screamed as if the torment came from her soul. He should hire her as a bodyguard, fucking spider-monkey. She climbed all over him, hit all the right pressure points to take him down. The demon inside him growled to be released. Past the boiling point, he hit the roof. His body changed from dark brooding man to menacing beast. He couldn't stop the horns from protruding from his head. Sulfur coated his grey flesh and permeated the air around them. Orobus hissed, and his forked tongue flicked out, catching a drop of blood on her exotic skin. He wrapped a hand around her delicate neck in a vice grip. With gritted teeth, he ignored the urge to snap her spine and shot her a glare instead. Peels of smoke enveloped them, leaving clouds of ash raining down on the scorched spot left in their wake. Smoke still unfurled around them as they arrived at his home. Orobus gave Fatal one final chance to calm down. He snorted and trapped her delectable, angry body between his powerful thighs and fought the urge to throttle her. She continued the endless struggle of fighting him tooth and nail. Whatever small remnants of patience remained in him, left. The smoke cleared with his long strides. He snarled low, a sound sure to knock fear of the unknown into her. Too enraged to open the door, he grasped the iron knob and pulled it off the hinge, paying little heed to the crashing 104

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sound of the door hitting the floor. Enraged, he slammed her against the wall. "No one ever told you pissing off a demon is bad sport? Angering your mate is even worse." He growled and ripped her clothing from her body, enabling him to plow into her unhindered by cloth. Her wet sheath meet him, he felt the need to work off the excess energy she exhibited. Her bucking body changed to pliancy, and she shifted beneath him. "Fuck me hard," she moaned. He knew she needed it hard and fast. Her hunger spoke volumes. "Hard and fast." He lifted her from the crater hole in the wall and carried her into the kitchen. With one long swipe, dishes and clutter on his table crashed to the floor before he laid her across the surface. The wood under them cracked and splintered, but held strong against their combined weight. He shook off the slivers of wood under his skin and held fast to her body. Wet and hot, she clung to him like a fine glove, pulling him deeper into her core. The lovely vision of her demonic form made him want her more—magenta with blue eyes, a definite exotic beauty. Her nails ripped into him. His actions had her bucking off the table, writhing under him in pleasure. Her ardor, her scent of arousal assailed his nostrils, had him salivating to possess and own every inch of her strong-willed body. "I will break you of this senseless need to self-destruct, and let yourself be loved." He spoke each syllable as he surged in and out of her welcoming body. "In a pig's eye," she spat. 105

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"Don't tempt me, sweetheart, to act my worst." His lips crushed hers. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, taking advantage of her parted lips poised to retort. Fueled, he licked the very recesses of her mouth, drawing her within him, pounding with savage thrusts. One hand anchored her hip, giving her no reprieve to move back or gyrate against him. He planned to fuck the rage out of them both. Sweatdrenched, he plunged time and again into her sweet pussy. She took the brutality well. Her nails dug into him, encouraging his worst. He noticed her flushed form, her trembling body, her legs tense around his hips. He pinned her with a steely gaze, plunged one last time into her fruitful body and released his seed. "Orobus," she cried. Spent and calm, he shifted and picked her up. Her lids drooped and her body shifted from exhaustion. He brushed the wood chips and splinters off her skin and carried her into their room. Once he got the sheets pulled down, he lowered her onto her side and took great pains not to jar her exhausted form. After he covered her, he stood there for many minutes. His mind swam. What in the heck am I gonna do with her? While sleeping, she held the look of an angel. Awake was another matter entirely. "Give her time," he mumbled to himself, and climbed into bed beside her. One arm slid under her body. He pressed up behind her, his body spooned with hers. I'm not the spooning type. The last thought entering his brain bothered him. [Back to Table of Contents] 106

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Chapter Eleven Fatal woke up sore and alone, the bed next to her void of warmth. The hearth flames flickered with dying embers. Two barely two-feet-tall demons worked with firewood. They looked at her, smiled with their big black eyes and returned to stoking the fire. "Master is with his demons, his legions. We're to see to your needs while you rest, Mistress Fatal. M-master says no wandering around—places are not safe for you," the tiny servant stated. "What is your name?" Fatal asked. "Ronwe and this is my sister, Cusion. We'll run your bath and leave you now," Ronwe spoke, as he moved around. She watched Cusion lift her lowered head to acknowledge her, and then hurried over to her brother with haste. "You could've at least told me about the servants," she muttered and pulled the pillow over her head. Huffing would get her nowhere. She rose from the bed and decided to wash and dress. The decor in Orobus's house charmed her. She enjoyed the openness of his master bath. A bar of lilac soap rested on a shelf, too girly for her tastes. She stepped into the tub and picked up the sandalwood and dragon's blood scented soap. She'd have to find a spicier fragrance, less sweet for her taste. Until then, she'd use his. The water refreshed her, woke her and helped rid the fuzz in her brain. A hint of a smile tugged her lips. No one, particularly a man, would tell her what she could or couldn't 107

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do. For too long she'd relied on herself and her own judgment. Finishing up in the shower, she dried off and shimmied into a pair of pants, top and boots. Then she came to an abrupt halt. What had happened to her weapons? She looked under the bed, under the mattress, on the nightstand and then rumbled through Orobus's things. "Damn it." She looked in his wall-locker without success. Her weapons had disappeared. "Ronwe," she called out. "Yes, Mistress Fatal," came the resonate reply. "Have you seen my weapons?" "Ah Mistress, the master left you a note on the dresser." "Thank you, Ronwe." She must have tossed the note off while ransacking the dresser and its contents. After digging in the mess, she found a small slip of paper and opened it. Sorry I'm not there to wake you, babe. Business has cropped up. I should be home shortly. Ronwe and his sister Cusion will be working around the house, replacing our broken furniture. I hope you're not too sore. When I return, I'll give you back your weapons. Didn't want you dashing into danger while I'm gone. Later, Babe, Prince Orobus "He can't be fucking serious." She'd always kept her weapons on her person from the moment she'd learned to use them. She let out an aggravated growl and slammed her feet into her boots. "Fuck it, I'm going out without them." During her tirade of slamming everything around in the house, she came up with only one viable solution to her predicament. Hakan. Things hadn't gone so well when they 108

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first met. She found she wanted to know more about her family, and that maybe she owed him an apology for engaging in a fight with him. "Ronwe, if my mate comes home, please tell him I went to visit my brother." Fatal offered the dwarf her sweetest smile. "We were instructed to keep you home, Mistress," Ronwe replied, pausing from his work. "Ronwe, correct me if I'm mistaken. I'm mistress right now. Is your job to enforce Orobus instructions, or transmit what he said?" "It's my job to relay his orders," he replied and resumed his household duties. "Thank you, Ronwe. I'll take his orders into consideration. Surely going to see my family wasn't a part of his message." With a smile, she left the house. She took the same route they had when Orobus led her to her parents' house. An eerie stillness had converged on the street. She'd assumed Hell was one great big non-stop party of mayhem and madness, not streets filled with homes and demons who moved along minding their own affairs. Luck was on her side when she spied her brother walking an animal and holding something wiggly. Hands behind her back, she approached him and smiled. "Morning, or night." "Morning, Fatal," Hakan said. "Why do you call me Fatal instead of Ackchetta?" "Fits you better, I suppose." He clicked his teeth, bringing his hellhound to heel. "You found me before I found you." He showed her the small pup in his arms. "Huh?" she asked. 109

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"I'd hoped to see you during my stroll of the grounds. I thought maybe you'd like to see more of your home." The black ball of fur gave a growl and tried to chew through his collar. "You have a new puppy." She reached down to pet it and jerked her hand back when three rows of teeth bored into her fingers. "Bella, no!" Hakan scolded. "She's not mine. I stopped by the breeder's place and picked her out for you, a present as an apology for being an asshole. Besides, Orobus is gonna be gone a lot, and I thought you'd like a friend." He held the wiggling pet of fur and teeth out to her. "I've never received a gift before. Apology accepted." A smile spread across her face. She took the hellpup from him and cradled her in her arms. "I'm sorry too, for everything." Fatal's eyes watered with emotion. "Her name is Bella?" "Jezebella is her name. But you can change it if you'd like." He shrugged. "No, Jezebella is perfect. Is she tamable?" She shied away from the hound's mouth. "Feed her bones with fresh meat every day. Ronwe and Cusion will get fresh food for her. The bones will sharpen her teeth." "How big will she get?" Fatal asked. "A bit smaller than my hound Cannibal, around four hundred pounds. Their hearing is hyper-sensitive, so is their sight. There are areas in the belly of Hell where sight is blinded by obsidian blackness, a void so to speak. Exiled scavengers and hunters live there. You must never go there. 110

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Azazel and Orobus would eat me alive and spit me out," he said. "Any male family member is responsible for your safety until you learn demon magic. With your mate gone, right now it's me." "Then why tell me about it?" She placed Bella on the ground and watched her run in circles around the chain, attacking the tether granting her freedom. She walked side by side with Hakan and watched how he ordered Cannibal around and interacted with him. "You need to know where you should go and where it's dangerous," he said. "Well, it wouldn't be dangerous if I had my weapons." "Yes, it would. I don't venture there often. Believe me, sis, this is a place best left alone." Fatal sighed. "But who would know you took me there?" She pondered. "I've watched Orobus transport us by thought. I'd really like to learn." "Eyes and ears are everywhere, Fatal. You have no idea how bad shit goes on down there. I got trapped there when I was young and it wasn't pretty. Azazel came to get me out. Not only that, but I don't think Orobus wants you to know how to move around on your own just yet. Angering him would be bad on my part." He grimaced. She sighed. "And look, you're still alive. Just one itty-bitty peek and we'll come back. I'm dying to know what's down there." "Death is down there, Fatal," Hakan groaned. Looking for trouble, the hounds snapped their heads up and growled. 111

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"Psssht death, whatever. Warrior brother's a big scaredy cat?" She rubbed her pet's horns and quirked a brow. "You're insane. Our mother and father would skin me alive. I shudder to think what Orobus would do if I allowed you to persuade me to take you to the exiled portion of Hell. It's below level one and is no picnic down there, girl. It's nothing but a wasteland of darkness. Up here is bad enough in certain sections. Down there, what will protect you? And don't look at me with those big pleading eyes!" "From the description you gave me, you must know what's down. Come on, you lived through it. One minute and I promise we'll return. I want to see for myself. C'mon, you know you want to show me." She reached down and ran her fingers over Bella's back to still her, until Hakan nodded his head. "Then take me, little brother. Show me how you use your magic." She took his hand and scooped Bella back up into her arms. "This is a bad idea. Learning to transport is not a cake walk. Practice makes perfect and nausea will happen if you don't do it in baby stages. I'm wasting my breath. Fuck. Stay next to me, Fatal. You get two seconds to look around, and then we're coming home. Keep your eyes open because the time will go fast." He took her arm and transported them to the wastelands. He held her hand tightly."See! Why do you want to be here?" "Stop complaining. I want to know everything about Hell." "Well, hurry, this is the lowest level. We're in Hell's guts. Where the worst get ingested and spit out into abysmal 112

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darkness, hence it's dark. Forgotten." Hakan halted their movements and turned to face her. "What is the real reason you're doing this?" Fatal shrugged. "I don't like being told where I can and can't go. I've been taking care of myself for years. I refuse to be some helpless female. Orobus has no respect that I'm an independent woman, and I'm overly curious." "Trying to get me to teach you magic tricks without his okay is sneaky and a good way to get on his bad side. Why can't you just accept he cares for you, and let him teach you on his own time?" "I don't want to answer that." [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Twelve "It's dark." Fatal whispered. "Why are you whispering? There's nothing here to see." Hakan took her arm and enacted the transportation ward to leave. "Nothing." She watched him enter the spell protecting the doorway, looking for the glint to access the portal. "Damn it." "What's wrong?" Fatal asked. "The transportation ward to leave has been changed." "What does that mean?" A tremor of anxiety coursed through her. She rubbed Bella and looked at Cannibal. Her brother's dog seemed anxious with his perked-up ears. "I can't see anything." "Yeah, I know. It's part of Azazel's sick sense of humor. We need to find cover. The dogs will alert us to lurking demons looking for a feeding." He pulled Fatal alongside him. "Are we in trouble, big trouble?" She swallowed hard. Only Hakan grasping her arm kept her from skidding down a barely visible embankment. "Tell me that's not the sound of bones sliding down the hill that I just kicked." "The savages eat what they can find and leave the bones. This land is filled with bones littering the ground. I wouldn't fear what's out here, Fatal. You'd be better off fearing what will happen once we're retrieved by someone." "Cannibal, lead us to safety." He held tight to the leash with one hand and held Fatal's with the other. 114

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"Who will come and get us? Is there no one down here to come escort us back or enact the ward for us? I don't like it down here. This is beyond eerie. I hear nothing, see next to zilch, and the ground feels like solid rock. How are we going to get back?" "One of the princes might come get us, transport us in cuffs to Azazel's holding cell, or Azazel himself will come. Until then we're stuck here. I could shed light, Fatal, but to do so would bring beasts out we don't want to see. Think boogeyman times five, add in rows of teeth, putrid saliva and matted hair. Then multiply that by four hundred or more." "Tell me you have weapons." Fatal stopped dead in her tracks. "I have a sword," Hakan replied. "Holy fuck. What is one sword going to do?" She jumped out of her skin when something rubbed against her. "Don't do that." She kicked him. "Don't do what?" He brushed her foot away from his. "Don't touch me." "I didn't." His voice dropped an octave. "Funny. Try to scare me why don't you. You brushed your hand against my arm." She held the wriggling Bella tight. "I swear to you, I didn't lay a hand on you. Unless I have three. I have Cannibal in one hand and your hand in the other." "Shed light, Hakan. Now." Her grip on the pup tightened. No way would she or Bella become fodder for the beasts. "More will come if I turn on light. It's not a good idea." 115

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"Shed the damn light. We can't see a thing." Even to her, her voice sounded panicky. "Breathe and relax little sister, Cannibal will take us to safety. He can see well in this environment." "You also said he'd react if one came near." She let go of his hand and walked backwards. Her stomach somersaulted. "Fatal! Damn it, what a stupid thing to do. Come back here," Hakan ordered. "No. Something is wrong, very wrong." She froze, paralyzed with fear. "Nothing is going to happen to you." Hakan turned and looked for her. "Shed the light. Shed the damn light." She turned around in circles, her haunches up, wanting to reach for weapons she didn't have. The light her brother produced shocked her further. Streams of white rays spread out of his hands, so bright it blinded her against the contrast of obsidian black. "Owwh ... owwh that hurts." She squinted. "There you are. Come over here and hurry up." He looked up and swore. "What are you cursing at?" She followed his gaze. "What in the fuck is that?" Cannibal growled, bearing sharp rows of teeth. Bella whimpered and burrowed into Fatal's neck and shoulder. "Fatal whatever you do, don't move." Slowly healing from punishment, Orobus lay on the platform with Kani hovering over him. He'd since talked to his boss and gotten back down to business. Fatal's actions couldn't be blamed on Azazel and he knew that Azazel didn't 116

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have a choice but to punish someone for what had happened. The dream demoness performed the monthly ritual of retrieving important images from his brain. He grimaced through the extraction and concentrated on having the puzzle pieces melted together on one image board. "Almost done, Prince Orobus." "Good. Azazel, any luck putting the scrolls together this time?" He put the sheet back over his eyes to protect them from the blinding rays. His visions came and went. On occasion he had a nearly complete one, enough to foresee what might occur. Tricky by nature, the visions could change on a whim by one small shift in pattern. It's how they found the conspiracy to thwart Azazel. Since his mate's birth, small bits and pieces had eluded him. At least now he realized he hadn't failed in his job. Fatal directly affected him, therefore the images came and went, and never presented a complete picture. Fate played out by hand. The advantage being, he could hand his knowledge to Azazel, thereby giving him the upper hand. His eyes dimmed when Kani stopped poking through his brain. He sat up and walked over to the optical plasma, took out various holographic scrolls, and placed them together to change patterns. "I see Hakan taking over his Native tribe?" He looked to Azazel for clarification. "Your mate is not a pawn, although they used her as one. She's the first puzzle piece. I'm sending Hakan to take over leadership on Earth. We'll take the current leader's place and give them hospitality suites in the dungeon until Taima talks about her co-conspirators." Azazel walked around the images. 117

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"Her family is not going to agree to let him go there." Orobus took the scroll, slid it back into the port, and reached for a second one. "I am reassigning him to investigate and lead his people. None will realize he's a demon. He resembles a warrior, can adapt like a chameleon." Azazel smiled. "Who's this young girl with you bearing your mark?" Orobus asked. "Don't know, a new slave?" Azazel shrugged off the screen. "She has the look of royalty. Maybe you'll get mated in the future." Orobus laughed. "Hardly funny. I've avoided the noose for countless centuries." Azazel frowned. "What?" Orobus asked. "The walls are moving." Azazel tuned into the walls. Orobus took notice. The descry demons rarely came up here during his monthly meetings with his lord unless an emergency had erupted. "Fatal." He cleared the muck from his brain and realized she'd been missing for hours. "She's in the wastelands with Hakan." Azazel filled in for him. "I shall fetch them, my liege." Orobus rose to transport. "No, I'll retrieve your mate and her errant brother." He flashed a sinister grin. "As you wish, Azazel." Orobus spoke with reverence. "I'm not going alone. Come."

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The first thing Orobus heard was Fatal screaming at her brother to do something. He looked at Azazel for permission to interfere. "Not yet. She has yet to realize the peril she's in." He held up a hand to stay his friend from moving forward to retrieve what belonged to him. "Don't say that!" Fatal looked behind her and screamed. "Fuck me, we're surrounded. Do something!" "I'm holding the light, there's not much I can do until we're retrieved," Hakan roared back at her. "Retrieved? Oh God, let them eat me then." Hakan laughed. "Fatal showing signs of fear?" He flashed his hands and turned the light in circles. "It's not funny. Every time you move and shed light in one direction, the others close in on us. I have a bad feeling about this." She bit her lip and stroked the shivering Bella. Growls and howls, insane hackling that reminded her of hyenas pierced the air around them. "It's gonna be okay, Bella." "They're coming closer." He ducked from the beast circling them from above. "What's looming over us?" She moved closer to her brother and looked at the dark beast landing in front of them, wings spread out. It let out a roar, causing the scavengers to edge backwards. The sound rattled Fatal to her core. She peeked at her brother who remained calm and steadfast. "You knew." She poked him hard. "We're not safe yet, Fatal. The Gryptor is just the beast designated to watch over the lands. It's been ordered to 119

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protect us ... which means either Azazel is watching, or both Azazel and Orobus are on their way." "I hate feeling helpless." Fatal moved into the protective wings of the demonic griffon and pulled Hakan with her. "Now what?" she asked. "We bow." Hakan pushed her. "I'm not bowing on these bones and rocks. Have you looked at the ground?" "What are you, a demon or a sissy?" He took his shirt off and placed it on the ground. "Bow now." He got on his knees and bowed. "For what?" "For me." An ominous voice, devoid of amusement, crackled in front of her. "Azazel." Fatal got her first look at the leader and wondered how a man so serenely beautiful could be so damn mean. Cringing at his intense gaze, she dropped to her knees and bowed, mimicking her brother. "Tell me why I shouldn't leave you here to the land and its elements?" Azazel's rage rocketed through the air and drove the beasts and savages back. "M'lord," Hakan said. "Silence!" Azazel turned his attention to Fatal. "Now where were we? Oh yes, why shouldn't I leave you down here?" "Because I'm sorry?" "No you're not. I can see everything in you from your misplaced courage to your greatest fears. Yes, I see you have a healthy dose of fear for me, literally none for the savage lands. What has you quaking most?" 120

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"I only wanted a small peek. I didn't mean for us to get stranded here. Don't punish my brother. It's not his fault." "I'll deal with your brother on my own time. This place is forbidden unless I give you leave to come here. Seeing how that will never happen, come here again and I'll let them begin to eat you before bringing you home. Then, I'll flay the skin off your back for disobedience. Do you understand me?" Azazel snapped into her face. "Yes, sir." "Orobus, take her to my rooms and meet me there with the rest of her family. Hakan and I will be waiting." [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Thirteen Azazel disappeared and took Hakan with him. Not trusting what words would come out of his mouth, Orobus merely sighed. Taking Fatal's arm, he slipped his hand into hers. He expected her to follow after him. Until she could project a crystal clear image of where she wanted to land, she could end up anywhere in Hell, including in the river of fire. Unwilling to let her burn before she could master her own transportation, he touched her while projecting their destination himself. Picturing them both at Azazel's home took them through thin air, transporting them effectively to Azazel's residence. He led her toward a series of doors and opened them. Standing back, he motioned for her to walk through and then followed behind her. His body tense, his jaw clenched, he glanced at Fatal and tightened his lips. If she held her breath any longer she'd pass out. Irritation consumed him, he ran his hand through his hair and drop down onto a chair. "Are you going to talk to me?" Fatal put the pup on the floor and pulled up a stool beside Orobus. The small ball of fur sniffed the ground, wagged her stubby tail and jumped onto Fatal's lap. "We're waiting for your family to arrive, Fatal." "And until then?" "I have nothing to say to you right now." He averted his eyes from hers. "Oh, all right." 122

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Orobus watched his mate fight to compose herself. The silence stretched on an interminable amount of time. His quick glance into her thoughts told him she wanted to fix the insult and make the guilt she felt go away. Her hurt tugged at his soul and he wondered if the tears she held back would flow freely down her beautiful face. Her body language changed the moment her parents walked into the room. He realized this was her first relationship ever, with family and a significant other. While he felt for her he refused to fix things for her, she'd have to take the steps herself. Her cheeks inflamed red when her father looked at her and shook his head. When she moved closer to him, he shifted over, but did not allow his body to touch hers. "Mother, Father." She looked at them individually. "Any idea on why we've been summoned?" Dantalain asked. "Azazel will be here shortly. He'd like to speak to Hakan in private," Orobus said. The four of them paced the room for nearly an hour before Azazel entered the room with Hakan following him. Orobus comforted his mate's uneasiness. No doubt the dark ruler dressed in all black was anything other than ominous. "I've brought us together to discuss, or rather to tell you, what I've decided to do with Hakan's future," Azazel began. Fatal sank into the chair. "What do you mean? We always assumed he'd take Dantalain's place one day," Nahale whispered. "Have you noticed your son's gifts, Nahale?" 123

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Fatal rubbed her pup's fur. "I don't understand. Is he being punished because of me?" "Yes and no." Azazel paced the room. "He shouldn't be in trouble because of me." Fatal laid the pup down by Orobus and rose. "Sit, Fatal, let him finish speaking." Fatal looked at Orobus and resumed her position on the chair. "I knew by taking you there, laws would be broken. I'm not in trouble because of you." Hakan took a seat and leaned back. "I'm not being punished because of you. Don't worry about me, I'm fine, sis." Azazel held up his finger commanding silence once more. "Now, then. While it's true I don't like chaos or disruption in my lands, I realize it's called Hell for a reason, and quite frankly it's always chaotic. Actions always have positive and negative consequences. Hakan showed a weakness that could've led you both into peril." Azazel steepled his hands together. "Taima's betrayal has brought to light a conspiracy that will become a royal pain in my ass for the next few years or longer. Taima isn't smart enough to pull off something monumental alone, nor can she keep her mouth shut. I had my reasons for sending her away. Just as now I have reasons to place Hakan on his rightful path." Orobus anchored an arm around Fatal. "It will be alright," he whispered into her ear as Azazel continued his long drawnout speech. 124

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"Hakan will take Sani's place and will blend himself into their world. We'll provide a secure link to enable him to converse and report back to us while he undoes the damage to the Navajo in the last twenty years." "No!" Fatal jumped up. "You can't send him there. Look at me! I'm a confused mess. I don't know what's up or down, but I know living up there separate and treated like nothing is the loneliest existence of all!" "Calm down, Fatal." Orobus stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down? You can't be fucking serious. Some ruler you are. You'll send my brother into..." Her words dropped from her mouth when she looked at her liege's beet red face. "Silence," Azazel snarled. "I can't let you take my son away from me. Losing my daughter killed me inside," Nahale interjected. "We don't have a choice, Nahale. Azazel is right. Strategy is the key in discovering the truth." Dantalain's stoic face softened. "It's my path and out of my hands. I go where my liege bids me. I do so to further protect my family and to seek revenge for past wrongdoings. My demon side is submerged within me. The warrior calls out for revenge. I'm more warrior than demonic. While I feel the rage, I do not hunger or thirst for destruction. I don't shoot fire from my hands or speak in ancient tongue. I glow with light and I've never shifted into demonic form," Hakan explained further. "But your eyes are like mine," Fatal said. 125

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"Demon magic, glamour. My eyes are dark brown. You're not the only one that tried hard to fit in somewhere. I don't need blood to survive, Fatal. I feed every now and then, but just for sport. The only demonic gene that didn't skip over me is my ability not to fear." "The idea holds merit. By sending Hakan to the tribe, not only will he be able to assert rules, he'll make changes that both benefit the Navajo and mixed races. He is a born leader, and doesn't hold our baser grotesque form. While we light fire and can breathe it, he can only emit blinding light. Babe, I understand your fear. It's misplaced. He has the choice to tell them who and what he is on his own terms and he was raised knowing both cultures." Orobus nuzzled Fatal's neck, hoping to quell her fears. "Son, you can't mean to leave us." Nahale's voice cracked, riddled with emotion. "It's time to go. I have a job to do, unless you want the same alienation to happen to future generations who aren't to their liking. You can, of course, beg me to stay, and as my mother, I'll stay as long as I'm able. But know this, every day I spend here is another's personal hell like Fatal's. There have to be other half breeds up there, maybe not a demonic one but another kind. Until I can see for myself that no one else is suffering or being treated like she was, I won't rest." Fatal addressed Azazel. "Don't make him go. Please, don't make him go. What if he gets trapped up there? How will we help him? Orobus, please." "Sorry Fatal, my hands are tied." Orobus couldn't avert the pain she felt. She had to trust him and their liege. 126

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"I'm not powerless, child. He goes," Azazel addressed Fatal. "That's it? You say he goes and he goes?" She screamed a shrill sound and raised her fists into the air. "Fatal," Dantalain warned. "What, father? Do you not give a damn about your son?" "Tread lightly, daughter. Azazel will only take so much disobedience and back talk." "Do you think I don't know how to ignore insolence?" Azazel raked Fatal over with a hard gaze. Orobus understood the pain his mate was in. He watched as she sank deeper in her chair, closing herself off from all of them. Decorum meant he owed his liege his attention and would have to explain their laws to Fatal at another time. When her eyes beseeched him for answers, he turned to finish listening to Azazel speak. Her body tensed and he watched her rise, leaving the room without permission. He noticed the pup on the floor and counted the seconds till she came back in and retrieved it. On the one hand he got what he wanted—Fatal's instinct to protect family, on the other hand, he needed to work on showing her how to respect Azazel or he'd be in for endless punishments in her stead. Night approached and Fatal found herself unable to rest. Ronwe had built a fire. She'd picked up a book from Orobus's bookshelf and read the pages without absorbing the words. She knew only they remained with Azazel to forge plans and strategy for her brother's departure. Conflicted about his leaving, she wanted no part of what she believed disastrous. 127

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Whatever their reasons, her motto "let sleeping dogs lie" came to mind. How did one come to terms with their past to live in the future? The anger pulsating through her body fed her demonic nature. Spending years up there alone bothered her, and now they'd send her brother up there to live as she had. Bella needed her nightly bone. She walked to the fridge and retrieved the cellophane-wrapped bone, placing it on the floor at her feet. Jaws snapped inches from her toes. "Bella, watch out!" She'd barely had time to move her foot before the puppy descended on the bone like a starving piranha. Growls, grunts and chomping ensued. Bella's tail wagged and she settled down to devour a bone half her size. Sharp tingling crawled over Fatal's skin. Orobus had stayed near, even after she'd walked out. Her attention on Bella partially blocked her from his presence as he walked into their bedroom. Afraid and yet wanting to speak to him, she kept silent and waited for him to speak first. She thought about ignoring their problems, but quickly discarded the notion. Not used to people caring or the warring emotions inside left her with a loss for how to make amends or apologize. He moved past her, his thick black hair tied with a leather thong. Hunger seized her but not for blood. Hunger for skin on skin contact washed over her, a comforting belonging need. Her vocal cords froze, locked up. Unable to articulate her needs, she stared off at the wall in order to hide her discomfort. Still he didn't seek her out or speak to her. Alarm 128

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pushed her into hysteria. What if he never spoke to her? Scrambling to her feet, she tripped over herself and the bed's coverlet to get to him. "I don't know what to do." Her voice squeaked. "About what?" Orobus asked. "This. Us. Everything." Her tongue tripped on the words. "This will resolve when I feel like communicating. Us depends on you and everything is much bigger than you'll allow yourself to see." "You're not talking to me." "I know. What's there to say? You're a born rebel forced to come here. You don't need anyone or anything and you wish to go back to live with the humans on Earth as long as it's away from your grandfather and his tribe. Our ways down here don't work for you. I believe that's the gist of it. So tell me, what is there to say?" Orobus asked. Fatal cringed. During their meetings with Azazel she'd pretty much said the same thing, albeit in anger. She didn't actually mean it. "I don't want to be alone." "Are you sure?" He placed his shirt on the dresser and sat down on the bed. "I-I'm sure." She had to fight to keep from tackling him, running her hands through his bound hair, down his tattooridden chest. "Sex doesn't solve everything," he snapped. "I'm not, I wasn't." She stuttered and turned red. "Liar. Hands through my hair, down my chest, your legs around my thighs?" His brow lifted. 129

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"Keep your shirt on then." Furious, she clamped her mouth and mind shut. "Not in my house. I'll strip nude if I wish. Do you think that if I fuck your sweet body now, claim my pussy again, it'll make you feel better? Do you believe a good fucking will resolve this mess?" She teetered on answering him. Arms crossed, she sighed and moved away from him toward the door. "Bella needs me. I'll be back." "Do not turn your back and walk out. Bella can wait, she's fine. Come here." "Why? So you can reject me?" Fatal asked. "I don't have the patience for this. Come here." Orobus's tone dropped. Fatal crossed over to him. "Yes?" "Sit, so we can discuss our relationship." She sat next to him, hands in her lap. "Discuss what?" "Dynamics. You've never been in a relationship. We're going to do a crash course in how things go. I could very well fuck you and sate you, give us both reprieve, but after that we'd be right back here, angry and separate. I don't do sex for the sake of sex. Cherishing you has nothing to do with physical, but rather the emotional. Sex is my way of showing how special you are. At times a violent taking is necessary. Not this time. You'd feel rejected once I got up and left." "Why would you leave?" Fatal bit her lip in confusion. "What reason do I have to stay?" "You're my mate, Orobus." "That's not the point right now. Being mated isn't enough." 130

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"I'm sorry." "Sorry for how you've been acting, sorry for disrespecting my wishes, or sorry you got caught?" Orobus asked. "I don't..." Her voice wobbled. "Yeah, I know. You don't need this. I can finish your thoughts for you. You don't need this, you don't need anyone. And until you realize you do need someone, we'll hit the same wall." "You didn't let me finish. Of course I need you." Fatal tugged on the hem of her shirt, her voice cracking. "Prove it, tell me why." "When we went down to the lowest level, darkness cloaked us. Hakan brought the light and my brain kept screaming I shouldn't be there. I shouldn't have goaded him into breaking Azazel's rule. I felt fear, and wished for you to take me away from it. Those feral beasts held no humanity. For once I became the prey. I needed you to save me ... from myself." Tears welled up in her eyes. "You had to place yourself in danger and drag your brother into it to realize you needed me? Do you know I expected you to be dead by the time we got there? The beasts don't care, Fatal. They've been forsaken. Minding Azazel is the last thing on their deranged minds. The Gryptor dispatched to watch you and Hakan followed orders. My stomach churned at the thought of finding bits and remains of the woman I love. I took your weapons to keep you safe, to show you your life held value to me. And you ran off looking for trouble." "What do you want from me?" 131

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"Right now. I want you to leave. Go to Azazel. Taima's waiting for her punishment. We can continue this argument for the next two hundred years if need be." "Will you be here when I get back?" What if he left her for good? Could she deal with coming home to an empty house? "I'll be here. That's the thing about relationships you don't understand, sticking it out. You gave me a reason to stay. On some low level you know you need me. Had you not, I'd have only moved to the spare room, giving you space to figure it out on your own. Now go, Azazel hates waiting." [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Fourteen Orobus's attitude and demeanor continued to confuse her. One moment the man ran hot, the next cold, leaving her weary and ill tempered. Fatigue assailed her, not only in spirit but physically. Dread suffused her mind, body and soul. After Orobus's punishment she found out how Taima had betrayed her. At first denial hit her, then the heartbreaking truth. Taima, the woman she'd loved and trusted from an early childhood had been a total lie, a false idolization. The closer she got to Azazel's dungeon, the slower she dragged her feet over the upcoming confrontation. How much more would she be forced to endure before she found peace? She needed answers to all of the why's running rampant in her brain. Hand poised, she knocked and entered. Taima, bound to the wall in wrought-iron manacles, struggled against her bonds. Fatal approached Azazel. "Please forgive any disrespect I showed today." "I don't forgive, I'm the devil. However, I can forget your actions. Please remember, this is not the world you grew up in." He offered her a rare smile. "Yes, sir." She looked at Taima's ill-kept form. "No longer clean and pristine?" Contempt poured from her lips. "I'll step out and leave you ladies alone." "Azazel, untie her first." Fatal crossed her arms and looked at the bitch that'd ruined her life. "As you wish." He nodded. 133

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"Thank you." The wall gave way and the manacles disappeared. When Taima fell to the ground, Fatal made no move to assist her. The door thudded shut when Azazel walked from the room. Fatal narrowed her eyes into small slits and approached her ex-mentor with mixed emotions. "Why?" "Power and prestige, isn't that what every girl wants?" Taima replied and sat up. "Power in what way? I'm of little value down here." "No. Your downfall would have given me everything. Mostly the ability for me to return to Azazel's bed." A dreamy expression crossed Taima's face. "You betrayed me for sex?" Fatal snarled and struck out with her booted foot, connecting with Taima's ribs. The need to avenge her hurt screamed in her mind. Taima doubled over. When she could speak it came out in spurts. "Not just sex, no. The elders said I had a chance to win Azazel back, sit next to him as he ruled and to bear his children. What more powerful job could there be than having the devil's brood?" "You fell out of his favor years ago. Orobus said that he almost exiled you! What makes you think he'd have trusted you when he trusts none, certainly not enough to lay with him?" "There are prophecies at work. He has his seers and they have theirs. I would have had it all if it wasn't for you. The chance came to keep you secluded and unaware of your future. To ensure mine, I took yours away." Taima's insane laugh carried through the chamber. 134

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"What did I ever do to deserve such treatment? You know what they did to me up there." Fatal's hands shook with incomparable rage. She closed them tightly into balls and drove one into Taima's nose. Blood met her knuckles and she struck again. Taima groaned in pain and covered her face with her hands. "You were born. Your birth changed many paths down here. Leave it to your father to breed outside the race. The sad part is you don't even know who and what you are. I did my job well." "Why were you recruited?" Fatal opened her bloody hand and looked at her knuckles. A sliver of satisfaction curled in her body from the damage she'd caused Taima. "To ensure you'd never trust a soul, to keep you ignorant among other things. Things still have to come to pass. I might still get my reward." She held a far-off gaze, almost as if none of the current was happening. "Demented bitch. He doesn't want you. I trusted you, loved you." She punched her again and again. "He will. I have the traits he needs in a mate—brutality, cruelty and intelligence. I'm good at my job. Befriending you was easy. You wanted someone to love you. Don't take it personal. It was business, plain and simple." Taima swiped the blood from her face and placed her hand in her mouth, licking it clean. "Don't take it personal?" She looked at Fatal and blew her a kiss. "Pain is decadent, makes you know you're alive." 135

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Taima's taunting worked. Fatal let out a scream and body slammed her. "Don't take it personal that you fucked my life up?" She gripped Taima's jaw and forced her to look at her. "Let me clarify something for you. I trust my mate and I'll learn to trust my parents. I'll never trust Azazel but that's neither here nor there. I completely trust my brother. You failed at your job. I will not give you the pleasure of winning like you have for the past twenty-two years. I'll forgive them and move on, Taima. You lose. Goodbye." Fatal spat the words. "You'll see what happens in the future. So will Azazel." Taima writhed on the floor, holding her bruised and bloodied body. Fatal ignored the bitch and summoned Azazel by using the descry demons within the walls. "My liege." Fatal bowed with respect. "Have you decided punishment?" Azazel stepped from the shadowed walls into the center of the room. "I have, sir." "Torture, banishment, whipping or lashing?" He walked around Taima, taking in the small amount of harm done to her. "Nothing." Fatal fought her inner demon telling her to take retribution in the most savage of ways. "Did you say nothing?" He squatted down to pull a strand of hair out of Taima's face. "I'm granting her mercy, sir." Fatal clenched her fists and shut her dark side off. 136

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"Is that all you wish, Fatal? No beatings, bleedings, torture to the extreme?" Azazel prodded her to punish the bitch more. "No. None. Let her live with others, let her live near you without having you. Give her time to reflect on the suffering she brought due to her obsession with you." "Your punishment will be carried out." Azazel nodded with a scowl on his face. "I have to go. I have a mate waiting for me and a family I want to get to know before one is to leave on his own personal journey. And, Azazel, thank you." Fatal paused before taking her leave, to see if he'd grant her punishment as law or enact his own. "Get out of here, Fatal. Second chances are rare in this realm. Let's hope she lives up to it. Your decision will be carried out." He clasped his arm around Taima and hefted her up. "You should be thankful for your life." In true sadist nature the smile Azazel turned to Fatal made her cringe. On those parting words, she set off to make things right with her family. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Fifteen Fatal ran. One day she'd figure out how to do the demonic shimmer. Her pulse pounded and her breathing was more like a wheeze than a breath. The hot sulfuric air slammed into her lungs. She tripped and stumbled over uneven ground, her lithe body pushing towards exhaustion to reach her destination. Second sense motivated her onward. Demons moved out of her way, making a wide berth. She threw doors open and continued her jog. Levels of stairs swiveled down. Taking air into her lungs, she gasped for second wind and kept running, stair after stair, level after level, and stopped to wipe the sweat from her face. Previously Hakan had given her a rundown of important places she needed to remember. Residences weren't in the same zone as soldier headquarters. Her father's command post was on the surface of level three. She made a mental note to ask her mate how many sublevels made up each section of Hell. Then she took off again down more floors. She hit the base and walked past the hallways searching for the right door. Completely winded, she found the door marked with her father's name and wrenched it open. Foot soldiers, diplomats, and other demons turned their heads to look at her, she didn't care. Only one man held her interest, her father. He stood at the front of the atrium addressing important matters. She wiped her sweaty hands on her pants and took off full steam toward Dantalain. Generals stood, soldiers withdrew 138

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arms. Fatal ignored them all and hurtled her body into her father's arms. "I forgive you," she whispered and let go of the rage and pain consuming her soul. His heartfelt comforting embrace welcomed her home. She cried for all she'd missed out on, and for the pain they too had endured. Her father held her steadfast, stroking her head and whispering in their tongue. She closed her eyes and let the love held in reserve for her flow through her body. Dantalain didn't say a word to his men. Instead he shifted the two them to the family home and carried Fatal into the living room. For some odd reason she became petrified that if she let go he'd disappear. She knew she'd interrupted an important meeting, yet she couldn't wait to be in her father's arms a minute longer. "I'm not going to leave you, baby." His whiskey-smooth tone soothed her raw nerves. "I'm so sorry for my actions." With a sniffle, she let go. She smiled through tears at Nahale when she came into the room and wiped her eyes with the cuff of her shirtsleeve. "Mama." "Welcome home, Ackchetta." Dantalain grinned. "Look what tumbled into me during my monthly meeting." Fatal noticed the ridges of his handsome face had relaxed and the visible lines vanished. A light in his eyes made her heart melt. Her mother held the same peaceful air about her. She dropped her arms from her father and walked into her mother's arms. "Just so you know, I'm probably going to be a 139

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horrible daughter. I've never been one before," she said against her mother's neck. "One day at a time, Ackchetta." Nahale smiled. "I've been Fatal my entire life. I don't know who Ackchetta is." "We'll find out together. I imagine she's strong and full of courage." Nahale wrapped her arms around Fatal in a tight hug, refusing to let her go. "I can't breathe," Fatal said. "From all that snot in your nose from crying," Hakan said in the background. "Group hug!" "He's kidding right?" Fatal peeked over her mother's shoulder and looked at her brother bearing down on them, arms wide open. She eeked out a grunt when Hakan embraced them both and lifted them off the floor. "Father?" "Come on, a group hug won't kill you, Pops." Hakan joked and joined in on the mushy moment. "You're all too much." Dantalain hugged his family. "If word gets out, my demon bark will be considered nonthreatening." "Hate to tell you this, Father, but when you held me in front of your men and stroked my hair, you probably lost all mean demon brownie points then." Fatal sniffed and kissed his cheek, before doing the same with her mother and brother. "Damn. I'll have to dish out corporal punishment. Any thoughts who?" Fatal laughed. "I volunteer Hakan." She ducked out of the embrace and smirked. 140

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"Oh, really? I volunteer you." Hakan caught her and lifted her off her feet. "Stop. No. Stop. I'm ticklish." Laughter peeled from her lips. Behind Hakan, she noticed her mate and smiled at him. Hakan kept tickling her and she smacked him. "My bad, Fatal." He dropped her on her ass on the floor. "Ouch. Call me Ackchetta, brother." She dusted her ass off and stood up. "Have I walked into the twilight zone? Is my mate around?" Orobus asked. "In the flesh." Fatal grinned and rubbed the bruised area of her behind. "She's sexy in the flesh if it's really her. Word around Hell is a sexy ball of energy busted through a diplomatic meeting and jumped into another man's arms." His brows rose and mock jealousy rang from his voice. "My father's arms don't count. Why? Are you jealous?" "Not at all. How can I be when word is out that Dantalain is a great big teddy bear." Orobus cupped her face and ran his thumb down the side of her jaw. "I understand now," Fatal said to her mate. "I can feel your peace, and I'm glad. Change will make our relationship work better." "Good." She leaned into his tender touch, a grin on her face. "I have some business at the club. Marzena needs me. Want to come along?" "I think I'd like to spend some time with my family and meet you later." She kissed the side of Orobus's hand. 141

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"All right." He stroked her cheek. She took his hand and placed it on her heart and then leaned up and kissed him on the lips. I'm glad we didn't have meaningless sex earlier," she mouthed. "It'll make our next time very hot." He gave her one of those cocky smiles and disappeared. "I've so gotta learn how to do shimmer." "When you're ready, he'll teach you how." Hakan put his arm around her shoulder. "Don't try it alone, you could end up in the fires." "So what are we going to do now?" She nudged her brother and placed her arm around his waist. "Hang out, listen to rock music. Talk." "Sounds fun. I'd like to get to know you before you leave." "I won't be gone permanently. I'll come home for visits— under seclusion, of course." Hakan drew her tighter against him, in reassurance. "I just worry you're walking into a death trap," Fatal said. "Contingency plans are activated. Trust father and me enough to do things the right way from now on. Clean slate all around. This is the first day of our family life together." "I'd like that." Fatal smiled, and it wasn't pasted on her face. A light warm feeling radiated from within her soul. "Why don't you want us to call you Fatal anymore?" Hakan looped an arm around her shoulder. "Because Fatal was a girl who had to protect herself when she had no family and Ackchetta was the girl stolen from her family. I no longer have to protect myself and my heart. I'm no longer lost, I'm home." Fatal realized she truly had a 142

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family of her own, the past ceased to hurt, the future looked bright. She followed Hakan back to his room and closed her eyes, expecting to see nude posters everywhere. When she opened them with caution, she found herself surprised. Books littered his desk, filled gigantic bookshelves running the four walls. Not just reading books, big bound books of different languages. "Don't tell me you're a book worm." She took a closer look at his selection and sat on his bed. "A big one. I didn't play sports and muscle tone didn't hit me until a few years ago. I spent sixteen years scrawny. Books filled the time. Honestly, I never thought I'd fill out or grow." He shuddered. "Do you have any girlfriends?" "A few during school. It's different here. Mothers are shoving their daughters at influential sons when puberty hits hoping for a contract to bond, much like a betrothal." "Like mine?" She still had questions on how she became contracted to Orobus. "No, yours happened before you came into the world. Social climbers want their daughters secure. Azazel has some fucked-up rules, but they work. If a parent disobeys a law he damn well can be a bastard. Some get their kids taken away and fostered. If it doesn't appease him, he marks them as slaves in some other household until the debt is paid. "Is that the punishment for well-off families?" "No, any family. I've seen the highest of Azazel's staff stripped to nothing. It's why he changes wards and spells so much. He trusts no one. Orobus and Father are the only two 143

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males who have rooms in his home. They've earned his trust for centuries but his trust comes with a price." Hakan picked up a book and placed it in order on his shelf. He turned to Fatal and crossed his arms. "Are you scared to leave here?" Fear for her brother made her nauseous, she looked up at him with a wavering gaze. "No. I'm ready. I've been ready for the past year." Hakan uncrossed his arms and stepped closer, enough to put his hand on her shoulder lightly. "I expected your room to be different. Where is Cannibal?" Changing the subject helped to alleviate the onslaught of the need to protect, and let go. "He's in the kennel. I won't be able to take him. Do you want to watch over him for me?" "Yeah. He'll miss you though." She smiled and looked around his room, absorbing more about her brother than what words could tell her. "So what's O's club like?" "Loud music, drunken slobs, half-naked chicks, sexual platform on stage." "Damn. I'm ready, let's go." Excited, Hakan grabbed his wallet. "Hakan, can you even go there?" "Sure, you did." He pulled her up off his bed and smoothed the rumpled indention. "Who am I to say no? Do that demon magic, take us out of here." "Hold tight." He enveloped her in a hug. 144

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Fatal laughed and held on to him. Amazing how a few seconds later they stood in the alleyway leading to the club. She looked up at the familiar sign and pulled her brother toward the long line. "Follow my lead." She'd retrieved her weapons from the spot Orobus told her he'd stashed them before they left, just in case. "Sexy man." She gave her mate a mischievous smile. "You should have a keeper." She licked her bottom lip and ran her gaze from his groin to his abs, to his tattoos, to his abs and groin again. "Fee's ten bucks." She walked up to meet Orobus halfway. "You're worth so much more than ten bucks. Why don't you step over to the alleyway and let me take care of you." "Fee's ten bucks and no weapons. Are you armed?" Orobus dealt her a smoldering look. "I'm always packing. She hiked her skirt up and whipped out the blades. Next she handed him the sticks wound up in her hair and the stars from the sides of her, and dropped them into his palm. "What about the one on your back?" He'd spun her around, retrieved the weapons before she could, spanked her ass and delivered a mind-blowing kiss to her lips that was meant to make her breathless, unable to speak. His tactic worked. She plucked the ten dollars from her breast and dropped it in his hand. "Bad boy." "Baby, wait till later." She laughed and took her money back. "I need cash for drinks." 145

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Hakan watched with a smile and passed Orobus. "Sorry, O, but you won't be feeling me up. She told me to follow her lead." "Get in and have fun." Orobus chuckled. "What? No kissing my mate?" Fatal joshed her brother. "Look, Ackchetta, I mean Fatal. I understand why you want to be called by your birth name, but face it, you've been Fatal forever and I'll never remember to call you Ackchetta. No I'm not kissing your mate or handing weapons over to him. Follow your lead? Twisted sister." "Then go have a drink on the house." [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Sixteen Fatal approached the bar and leaned over. "Where can I sign up to do a show?" "Anytime," Marzena shrieked when she saw Fatal. "Nice to see you too." Fatal's mouth parted in a wide smile. "You made it back!" "Yep." "You gonna work the bar tonight?" Marzena poked at her. "Maybe, but first I want to sign up to do another show." "You know he waited for you to come back for weeks. He even got grumpy when you didn't. I thought for sure after the act on stage he'd never let you out of his sight. For all the years he's been my boss, no one's ever affected him the way you did with your act." "Nice to know." Fatal burned to get on stage to see if she still affected her mate the same way she had the first night they'd met. "Same show?" Marzena asked. "Yep, but nude with body paint." Fatal wiggled her brows in giddy excitement. "Nude?" She blinked but pulled out her pad of paper. "Yep." She stole a glance over the bar. Hakan was engaged in conversation with a pretty human. She could tell they had chemistry, openly flirting with one another. Her brother appeared to be enjoying himself. Fatal headed toward the stage. She had to give Marzena props. Her song began to blare. Once again she took the 147

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stage, not looking for a mate, but poking fun and torturing him. Again the beats washed over her and she gyrated. One thought and her clothes vanished. Painted symbols covered her skin. She danced for herself, half demonic, half Navajo, a true piece of art. She smiled and blew the torches to flame. The song halted and demons and others parted, making a wide berth for Orobus to walk through. "Fatal, what are you doing?" His voice crackled in agitation. "I was dancing." She stomped her foot and put her hands on her hips, a pout on her glossed lips. "Not in public anymore. The first time damn near gave me a heart attack. Divert your eyes or meet my fists," he growled to the patrons of his club. "That wasn't nice, baby." Fatal shook her head. "I'm a demon, love, you're the only one I reserve my nice qualities for." He hopped onto the stage and lifted her into his arms. "Where are you taking me?" "To privacy. They had their show." Orobus shimmered with Fatal in his arms. "You left Hakan there!" Fatal blinked and wrapped her arms around her mate, stifling a laugh against his shoulder. "Hakan is a big boy, he knows how to get home." "Where are we?" "On the roof. Look, you can see all of downtown from here." He stood behind her, his hands touching her everywhere. 148

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"On the roof of your club?" She moaned when his hands found her slick core. She spread her legs, giving him better access and dug her nails into his thighs. "Yeah. It's a nice night." "Just so you know, this is not romantic, it's bad." "I'm a bad boy, baby," he murmured into her ear. She heard the hiss of his zipper and bit her lip. "You do that on purpose," she ground out and moved her ass. His hands spread her cheeks from behind. The action turned her on. And then he bent her over, pressed his palm into her back and slammed home. His possession happened so fast, her thoughts vanished. "Umhm, now shh." "Orobus." The night sounds diminished. She only heard her panting and his harsh growls each time his cock slid out of her pussy. With muscles clenched, she bit her tongue and screamed. "Scream louder," he commanded and surged into her again. "I c-can't, someone will hear me!" She moaned and slammed herself backwards on his cock, wanting as full of him as possible. "I brought you out here so no one would hear you. Now scream." He slapped her ass again. "Baby," she moaned and held on to mortar and brick to keep from falling down. Closing her eyes, she trembled, and took his rough pounding. Seconds away from climaxing he halted. Her eyes opened and she stamped her foot in annoyance. 149

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He turned her around to face him and lifted her legs up. "I just want to watch your face." He brushed his hand over her jaw line. "You're trying to kill me." She wrapped her arms around his neck and locked her ankles behind his back. His cock brushed her entrance and hit her womb seconds later. "Yeah, like that. I like that a lot." She tilted her head back and undulated against him. His jarring thrusts broke her until she wept with the need to climax. He soothed her with short growls. Unable to nip him with her teeth, she screamed. Her body melted into oblivion, cascading her release all over him, marking him for those needy bitches in his club vying for his attention. She smirked, knowing he'd carry the scent of her sex all night. Just as soon as she thought he was done, he anchored her down and filled her with his seed. Her legs buckled, jellylike, proving it difficult to stand, let alone walk. She heard his chuckle and gasped when again they disappeared and manifested into his private office. How sweet, he set her down on his desk and left her. She watched him head into his bathroom and come out with a wet cloth. "Done this much?" she asked. "Not here. He stroked his length clean, tossed the soiled napkin into the trash and approached Fatal. "Let me clean you, baby." He gave the pretense of bending to lick her clean, his lips hovering right over her clit. Instead he withdrew another warm wet napkin and wiped, toggling her clit when he was done. "I can lick you at home later." 150

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"Tease." Slapping at his teasing, Fatal groaned in exasperation. "You should go home and wait naked for me in bed." He winked. "Funny. I'll do just that." She dressed in the clothes he pulled out for her, walked out of his office and grabbed a mixed drink from the bar. Spying Hakan, she maneuvered through the crowd over to him. "I'm heading out of here." "I'll be home later." "Go get 'em, killer!" She vanished on her own and showed up in their bedroom. "Damn, it worked!" Orobus came to bed at dawn's breaking hour. He kissed her cheek and told her Hakan made it home safely, and promptly passed out asleep. She ran her hand over his hair and snuggled into him. A lump lodged in her throat. Her brother kissed her cheek. "It's time, Fatal." Hakan tried to ease his sister's fears. "I'm not ready. We've only had a month to get to know each other." Distressed, she couldn't staunch the flow of tears streaming down her face. "We'll have more time once I'm settled and can travel back and forth," Hakan promised. Fatal looked at Orobus for support and bit her lip. "Be safe, Hakan." "I will." Hakan kissed her cheek. She stepped up to kiss his cheek. "Love you." Fatal sniffled. 151

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"I love you too, big sis." He accepted a kiss from his mom and handshakes from Azazel, Orobus and his father. "Take care of Fatal." "She's in good hands, son." Dantalain shook his son's hand. "I'll see you all soon." Hakan bowed. With those parting words her brother vanished from her to a place where she'd worry about him for months. She leaned into Orobus with slumped shoulders. "He is following his path as you have done yours." Orobus kissed her forehead. "I don't like it." She scowled. "No, I'm sure you don't. Let's go home. He'll find us when he has news." The End About the Author: Being smart and sassy with a great sense of humor comes easily for Mahalia Levey. An avid reader of books, she found herself enchanted with disappearing completely into the worlds authors created. One day she vowed to herself she'd be one of them. Then family life came, and college right after. Swayed from her childhood course of action, it took many years for her to get back to that place she held dear as a child. Now she is running full steam ahead to keep up with the many ideas flowing freely. She plans on taking her work to higher levels and expanding her genres. 152

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Her main focus is giving her readers variety. Her works in progress include paranormal, fantasy and mainstream romance. Taking characters and watching them grow past what she's imagined is her true passion.

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