A Demon's Wrath (13 page)

Cecelia stared with wide, disbelieving eyes
at the dying animal.

“Well done, Brian,” he whispered softly into
her ear.

Cecelia shivered deliciously again and felt
her body melt weakly. She turned back slightly to look up at him.
What she saw in his eyes was pure darkness and passion. She caught
her breath at the back of her throat as Drake wrapped his arm
around her waist.

“You’re too soft, Brian, even for a human,”
he said playfully.

Cecelia didn’t have time to respond, for he
kicked on his stallion, jerking them both forward, riding toward
the dead boar.

“Yeah, Brian, you killed the boar,” Lucifer
shouted.

“Good on you, Brian,” Adam said, patting
Cecelia’s back as he rode past.

Gerick jumped down from this horse, picked
up the boar as if it were a kitten, and laid it across his
stallion’s back.

“Come, we have a feast tonight,” he said,
climbing onto the saddle and laughing as he rode away. Lucifer and
Adam followed behind him.

“That was a very good shot, Brian,” Leon
said as he trotted past.

Drake started forward, when Cecelia said,
“Wait, what about my stallion?”

He stated, “It’ll find its way home.”

With that, they followed the others back to
the palace.

LUCIFER WAS LAUGHING LOUDLY, RECITING to
Vera how Cecelia had killed the boar. Cecelia herself could only
smile and shake her head at the animated tale that was the center
of everyone’s attention.

“And then Uncle Drake showed him how to use
the bow and arrow. And Brian shot it right in the forehead.”

“My, my, how marvelous it is, is it not,
Brian?” Vera asked Cecelia.

She said, “I couldn’t have done it without
His Highness.” Heat rushed to her face as she remembered his warm
breath against her ear and his hard body against her as he guided
her hand about the bow and arrow.

“Aye, that was a very good shot indeed,
Brian,” Adam said. “I’ve never seen one like it with a human
before.”

“Indeed,” Drake said. “Perhaps you’ve had
practice with the bow and arrow before?”

“I have, sire,” Cecelia said. “When I was
much younger. My father taught me.”

“A scholar taught his daughter how to
shoot?” Drake chuckled. “How fascinating. Come, tell us more,
Brian, about yourself and your vast knowledge of plants. Surely,
you must have encountered many during your adventure across a
number of kingdoms. Perhaps your father taught you with swords as
well?”

“I haven’t yet had the pleasure of visiting
that many kingdoms, sire,” she said honestly but haughtily. “So I
have nothing much to tell you. And yes, my father did teach me with
the sword.”

Drake raised an eyebrow at her.

Gerick laughed. “Well done, Brian. Well
done. Shall we have a duel? I’m eager to test your
swordsmanship.”

“A small thing like you can use a sword?”
Adam asked, incredulous.

“I can use the sword, Papa,” Lucifer said,
pulling at his father’s sleeve.

“Aye, love, a wooden sword,” Adam
replied.

Vera cleared her throat then and said,
“Come, we should retire to the drawing room so Robert can summon
his team to clean up our mess.” She stood, eyeing the butler who
was hovering to one side of the dining room. “I see he is impatient
to get started.”

Robert nodded his gray head politely with a
slight smile. Cecelia sighed in relief, and as everyone stood, she
hastily got out of her chair as well and headed to the door beside
Vera and Lucifer. The boy was skipping and humming when he suddenly
stopped and asked his mother, “Do I get to have port?”

“Nay, you may not. You will have chocolate,”
Vera replied firmly, in which case, Lucifer proceeded to practice
his scowl once again.

In the corridor, after all the men had
entered the drawing room, Cecelia stopped and turned to look at the
end to the door that would lead her around the corner to the
library on the other side of the building.

“Is something the matter?” Vera asked.

“I was just wondering if you would excuse
me. I need fresh air.”

“Why, of course,” Vera said. “Go along,
then. The air is especially cool at this time of night.”

Cecelia nodded with appreciation, and Vera
and Lucifer walked into the drawing room. Alone, Cecelia turned and
headed toward her intended destination. She was just turning the
corner when her arm was caught and she was shoved around none too
gently. The action was so quick she was out of breath as her face
met a wall of dark coat.

She looked up to see Drake close above
her.

“Getting lost already? Outside is this way,”
he said, and still with his hand wrapped firmly around her arm, he
led her toward the door.

Cecelia wanted to tell him she didn’t want
to go out for the fresh air and what she really wanted was to find
the Pearl of Life Potion Book. But she couldn’t really tell him
that, now could she? So she kept quiet and allowed him to lead her
into the exotic garden outside.

The smell was wonderful, and Cecelia closed
her eyes and simply inhaled the pleasant scent.

“Do you like the fragrance?” Drake
asked.

She nodded without looking at him. Her heart
started to beat outrageously fast and loud. She moved her arm so he
could let her go.

“And the flowers?”

She nodded.

“Can you only nod your head?”

She shook her head.

“Can you actually speak?”

She nodded.

“What are you, Brian?” he said to
himself.

“What do you mean, sire?” she asked.

“Your aura tells me something, yet you
present yourself as something entirely
other
. What are you
really?”

“I don’t understand, sire. What do you mean
by that?”

“Are you a man, Brian? Or are you a boy? Or
are you something in between?”

Cecelia could only smile at that. “Perhaps I
am in between. Neither a man nor a boy,” she suggested
playfully.

“Nay, Brian, you confuse me very much. Your
aura is so clear, yet you are so blurred. You are neither a man nor
a boy. And nay, neither are you in between a man and a boy.”

“What do you see in me, sire?” Cecelia
asked, very curious to know what he thought of her.

“Can it be that you are in between?”

“But you just said I am neither man nor boy,
nor am I in between these two,” she replied, looking at him with
interest.

“What I mean, Brian, is that perhaps you are
between a man and a woman.”

Cecelia blushed and her eyes widened in
shock. “Sire, I assure you I am not,” she said. Angry at his odd
assumption of her gender, she turned on her heel. She’d taken a
couple steps when Drake roughly caught her by the slenderness of
her arms and drew her back to him. She nearly collided against his
massive chest as she came to him, out of breath.

Drake moved his hand and tightly cupped her
delicate chin as he gazed down at her. “You draw me to you like no
other I have ever met. Why?” he said more to himself than to her as
he looked deep into her eyes. “There is something about you.
Something…”

Cecelia licked her lips and swallowed. The
touch of his fingers was making her feel rather weak. No man had
ever touched her this way before. No man had ever been this
intimate with her.

She tried to pull back, but Drake only held
her tighter. Then he chuckled. “Ah, I see now,” he said, as if he
had her figured out.

Cecelia panicked, thinking he’d figured out
her plan, and struggled harder. Oh God, she hoped he hadn’t deduced
she was a female and she was here to steal his Pearl of Life.

“You’re hiding your intention, Brian. And I
don’t like that. I’ve had my suspicions since I saw you yesterday.
You too are here for the Pearl of Life?”

Cecelia blinked and her face became red with
dread. She noted the bright glint in his eyes. He knew he’d hit the
spot.

He chuckled. “Perhaps I should put you in
the dungeon to prevent you from acting out your plan?”

Cecelia glared at him and finally managed to
free herself from his imprisonment. She staggered back a little
before finding her footing.

“What evidence have you that I plan to steal
your precious jewel?” she managed, her voice shaking along with her
body.

“I warn you, Brian. To steal the jewel is a
serious crime in this kingdom. The punishment is death.”

Cecelia’s heart skipped a beat. Death was
it? To steal this powerful jewel of his?

She took another step back. “Only a barbaric
kingdom would commit such a barbaric punishment,” she stated. “What
if the act was to help the life of another? Would that be
considered a crime too?”

“Indeed, Brian, it is a crime. Like I said,
perhaps I should put you in prison—”

“I refuse to be imprisoned, sire. Least of
all here in this barbaric Demon Kingdom with a king such as you who
only kills because you want to and considers it appropriate,” she
spit venomously. Suddenly, no matter how much she tried to forget,
the images of her home being burned down and her father killed by
these demons were strong in her mind. And now, to stand here before
the very demon who destroyed her family, she just couldn’t handle
it.

“You, sire, are the worst creature within
these nine kingdoms. I will tell you now that I will avenge my
father no matter what may come.”

Drake had no idea what she was talking
about. He roughly caught her wrist, pulling her to him. “Then
avenge him now, this father of yours, whomever he may be.”

“Let me go, you beast!” she snapped, swung
her small fist up, and got him in the chest. He caught her wrist
and before he could think or stop himself, he grasped her roughly
by the nape of her neck and crushed his lips against hers.

Cecelia was shell-shocked for a moment that
the demon king was kissing her. Though his lips were firm and hard
against hers, she found it oddly pleasant, and her body became weak
from the warmth and nice sensation. When he deepened the kiss,
urging her lips to part for him, she came to her senses and tried
to fight her way free.

Drake finally decided to let her go, and she
staggered back, breathless.

Blushing intensely from the short, intense
experience, she turned on her heel and ran back into the castle. In
the hallway, she stopped, leaned on the wall, and took deep
breaths. Her heart was still pounding hard as she thought about
that kiss.

Why? Why did he kiss me? Why do his touches
stir something deep inside me?

Perhaps he was playing with her. Perhaps he
knew of her plan to steal the Pearl of Life and now he was playing
a game with her?

But he was kissing her as Brian, a boy. What
was wrong with these demons? And how did he come to know she
intended to steal his pearl? Cecelia shook her head. Nay, that
couldn’t be. Demons could surely not read minds. Perhaps he just
guessed and she responded too hastily.

“Brian!” Lucifer suddenly appeared beside
her, which made Cecelia jump in surprise. “You look upset. Are you
angry with Uncle Drake?”

When she saw it was only Lucifer, she told
herself to calm down. It wasn’t Drake here to claim her and throw
her into the dungeon. Smiling at the boy, she shook her head
vigorously. “Nay.”

Lucifer, however, wasn’t convinced. He
cocked his head to one side and said, “Are you sure?”

“Very sure,” she said, nodding.

“All right. Come along. Tea is ready.” The
little demon grabbed Cecelia by the hand and led her into the
drawing room.

They had their tea, and Cecelia was glad
Drake didn’t join them. About an hour later, Vera told Lucifer it
was time for him to go to bed, which the boy expertly begged and
pleaded to stay for just another ten minutes but failed miserably.
Cecelia excused herself as well, begging that she was very tired
after the hunting.

* * *

Drake suspected he was going quite mad. Nay,
not mad. Perhaps he’d finally realized he preferred a male lover
after all. Perhaps Gerick was right. That was why he’d surprisingly
kissed Brian in the heat of his impulsive enthusiasm. And Drake had
never been impulsive nor that enthusiastic for sex before he met
Brian. That was why he rarely bedded any woman that came his way.
Even though those women were few and far between since they were
too frightened of him and his dark scowl to consider him a
bedmate.

Aye, there was no doubt about that. He was
attracted to the boy. A human boy at that. In that, the Demon
Kingdom was doomed to suffer because if he had no proper bride to
bed and she couldn’t bear his blood, it would mark an end to all
demons.

Despite such a dire situation, Drake
couldn’t help himself and laughed loudly until his stomach hurt. It
was a good thing too that he was alone. If anyone were to witness
him laughing this much, his fearsome, infamous name would be
ruined. Be damned, but he didn’t want that.

Once he’d managed to calm down, he viewed
his situation more objectively. Aye, he couldn’t afford to choose
who his lover was to be. He was a king, and his kingdom came first.
He didn’t have the luxury like Gerick, who had both male and female
lovers yet was bound to none. Drake was a principled demon. He
would stick by his bride’s side, regardless if he loved her or not.
Aye, he needed a female tonight to prove that his comrade down
there was still working in proper order. And he would find such a
female even if he had to leave the castle for the city to get one
this night.

IN HER BEDCHAMBER, CECELIA FORCED herself to
go to sleep, for she would need the energy for what she was about
to do come early morning. Yet all she could think about was Drake
and his kiss. Instantly, his image appeared in her mind’s eyes, and
her heart skipped a beat. She gently felt her lip, the spot where
he’d touched her with his, and groaned.