“I said, who the fuck are you?”
Chloe watched as Lily licked her lips in the sexiest way possible. The point of her tongue darted out and licked the top of her lip slowly, as if she was licking off the last bit of ice cream.
The demon’s golden eyes watched and if possible, grew brighter in the already well-lit room.
“Lily Bellum, animal lover, spiritualist, and all around demon lover.” The demon’s
nostrils flared. “I had no idea demons were so...big,” she said, her fingers climbing up the front of his chest. “I like,” she said, practically purring. The demon snatched her hand away and brushed her off him. He took a seat at his desk with a feral scowl on his face.
“Tyrian, let’s get to business. I don’t have time for silly women and games.”
“You heard him,” Lily said to Tyrian. “Chip chop.” She hopped onto Telal’s desk and smiled at him. “Your hair is beautiful. A luscious blue—my favorite color.” The demon’s jaw flexed side to side until Chloe heard it crack.
“Get off my desk.”
“No,” she said and swung her sandaled feet. Chloe couldn’t help but grin at her sister.
This poor demon. Once Lily set her mind on something, she didn’t stop until she got it. The Bellums were a tenacious bunch like that.
“What did you learn?” Tyrian asked.
The demon cast Lily a hard look then said, “The news isn’t good. The Bellum sisters chose possibly the worst location to perform a spell, especially to say the spell wrong,” he growled, cutting Lily a look.
Lily shrugged. “We chose the location for its magical properties.”
“That you did,” agreed the demon, “but you also cast the spell above the burial ground for one of the most dangerous demons in existence. Its name is Karr gh’elic Crumanja.
According to demonic lore, the demon was once normal but craved power. Using a mixture of dark magicks, it grew more powerful and more dangerous. It was killing demon women and children for sacrifices and black worship. Dozens of demons banded together to rid Karr from the earth.”
“They didn’t do a very good job,” Chloe noted.
Telal glared at her. “They did until three foolish women stepped onto his grounds and cast a summoning spell.”
“It wasn’t a summoning spell,” said Lily. “It was to keep you men away from us. We had every right.”
Telal leaned back in his chair and drummed his long fingers on his thighs. “You were wrong and it won’t stop until it dies or it kills her.” He looked pointedly at Chloe.
“How do I kill it?” Tyrian asked. The demon cracked his neck side to side.
“Not easily. As I said, it took dozens of demons fighting it to subdue it long enough to bind it magically. They put it in a cage and buried him deep within the earth, below the rift where only the idummi live.”
“Why didn’t they just kill it?” Chloe asked. Her stomach clenched in warning. She was feeling sicker by the minute. The same sick feeling she had when the demon climbed out of the ground and roared her name.
The demon leveled his bright amber eyes on her. “Because it can’t be killed. It’s too powerful and every moment it’s free, it will grow more so. We have no idea what it’s capable of at this point or what it’s even doing. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s trying to amass a new army already.”
“That’s not true,” Lily said. She hopped off the desk and closed the distance between her and the demon. He looked appalled and shocked that she’d do such a thing. But then she turned towards his desk, giving him her back. Her bare back. The demon’s eyes glowed brightly as his gaze wracked over her.
“You know nothing about it, lilit.”
“Au contraire, my soon-to-be demonic lover. It can be killed. I dreamt it. Chloe will cast a spell that puts the demon back into the earth.”
The demon stood and put some space between them. “Nonsense. Ridiculous. A dream?
You are just spouting lies now, lilit.”
“She is not lying,” Chloe said and took an aggressive step towards him. He cocked an eyebrow at her that said he wasn’t impressed. “Lily never lies. Her dreams have been known to come true. Lily, how do we get this spell so we can get it done?”
“I don’t know,” she said, shrugging. “I can do some research and write one up with you.”
“In English, please, I don’t want to summon anything else.” Lily giggled and perched herself back on the demon’s desk.
“You are on my work. Get off,” Telal said with barely controlled anger.
“Chloe and Lily, you will work on the spell immediately. If it works then we’ll kill the demon, set a trap for it. If not, we’ll wait until it attacks again. We don’t have the demonic magic to bind the demon. It will have to die,” Tyrian said.
“It’ll only amass a bigger army,” the demon warned.
“Let him.” Tyrian seemed completely unfazed at the thought, while Chloe couldn’t help the unsettling feeling sitting in her gut. “Let’s go.”
Lily whined but stalked to the demon. He took a step back and stared at her, astonished.
She whispered, but Chloe still made out the words. “I dreamt of us. Perhaps I’ll tell you all about it one day. I think you’d like it, Telal. Call me...anytime.” Then she walked away, grabbed Chloe by the hand, and they left.
“Let me guess,” Chloe said, “you like him.”
Lily fanned herself with a hand. “The demon is hot. Blue hair! And did you see his skin?
No wonder I was licking him everywhere in that dream. I’m ready to go back in there and—”
“Enough!” ordered Tyrian. Chloe couldn’t help but laugh as they climbed into the
elevator. Instantly she remembered what they’d done in this same elevator mere days ago. She looked up at Tyrian but he didn’t meet her gaze. Chloe sighed. Oh well. She would just pursue the commander later tonight. After all, she hadn’t put on this dress for nothing.
Rayn met them outside of the demon’s headquarters and warped them back to the castle.
Lily kissed her goodnight and said she was off to bed to dream of her demon. Rayn
drooled after her, and Chloe didn’t know what to do. Tyrian left quickly and soon she was standing in the room alone.
Lily’s words ran through her mind. Take a chance. Be brave. She hesitated for a moment, then stalked after him. He was not getting away from her tonight.
Chapter Twenty-two
Henry climbed out of the shower and grabbed a towel. He looked at his complexion in the mirror and noted how pale his skin was getting. He’d have to feed soon.
He didn’t keep a frimar as many of the warriors did. Some even shared their blood concubines. In return for their blood service, the women were gifted with fine luxuries like jewels and clothing. Henry had always thought it seemed very...mistress-ish. It was probably his demon side that made him think so since no one else seemed to feel the same way.
He also didn’t need blood as often as full-blooded vampires did. So when he did find himself needing, like he did now, he would usually go into town, find a dark-haired woman and charm her—one of his demonic gifts. As he sat on the edge of his bed and towel dried, he couldn’t help but feel dirty. It shamed him what he did.
That it was another he pictured while taking whichever female’s vein he’d chosen. But it was so easy to see her there, her beautiful dark skin waiting to be broken, waiting for him to sink his fangs into and suck.