Demon Tempted (Karmic Lust) (18 page)

Asmoday thought to give him sloppy seconds. No, Vestis wanted it all, and he planned to take it all.
Oh Asmo, if you’d only treated me as an equal today things might have been different. Right now I will let you have the glory and one tomorrow soon it will be my time to have the victory and to sit in this very throne.

He didn’t need to rule the world as Asmoday wanted. He just wanted to rule the demons that had been in this very chamber. He’d show Luc that he could do a better job than Asmoday ever had or ever would. One thing about him was that he knew how to bide his time. Rushing into this quickly could get him killed before he’d even had a chance to get word to Luc and see what he’d want him to do. Asmoday was cunning or else he wouldn’t have been able to hide his intentions from Luc.

Vestis had learned from the best, and his time was coming and very soon. He’d give Asmoday time to get his plan rolling and then he would make a visit to Luc and play out his hand. One thing he was good at was a poker face. It wasn’t so hard to play at that with Asmoday, seeing as his desire for him was real, but that was where it stopped. Loyalty was something that demons had very little of unless true leadership showed up.

Eva held her breath as Asmoday entered the room. The determination in his steps made it clear that they would not like what he was about to do. Lili shrank against Eva and held on to her so tightly her fingers bruised her skin.

“Don’t let him take me,” Lili whispered against her ear. “Please, Eva, don’t let him take me again.” Lili had already recounted the story of how Oz O’Dea had come to the shop when she’d been opening up and the next thing she’d known she’d woken up in the Nether. He hadn’t hurt her, but he had terrified her.

“What do you want, Asmoday?” She tried to inject a confidence in her voice that she wasn’t feeling as she held her trembling sister in her arms. She scooted up on the bed, urging Lili to get behind her as she confronted Asmoday. Lili scrambled behind her, gripping Eva.

“What do you think I’m here for, Eva?” She could hear the humor in his voice, and once again she was reminded he was crazy as fuck.

“If I could even begin to understand you, Asmoday, then I would have the answer to that question. Since I have no clue, how about you just quit beating around the fucking bush and tell me?”

“Motherfuck, girl, your anger is a sweet aphrodisiac. You do this just to turn me on, don’t you?”

She sighed. “If I wanted you, really desired you, your stupid ass wouldn’t have to ask that question.”

“Then perhaps I will slake my lusts on your poor sister there. She looks so ripe for the taking.” Lili gave out a shriek at his words.

“How many times have I told you, you will not touch her, Asmoday?”

“You’ve said a lot of things, dear Eva, which you haven’t proven to me one way or the other. You’ll have to do some proving of that to me. But for now I think I will satisfy myself in causing your sister more terror.” Asmoday snapped his fingers, and two rather large demons appeared. One grabbed Eva and the other Liliana.

Liliana and Eva both screamed and struggled against their captors fruitlessly. Asmoday let out a loud bellowing hoot as he watched them fight to no avail.

“It’s of no use. Your fighting only makes things harder for you. Struggle as much as you like. It only adds to my pleasure. It’s time for my games to begin.” As he uttered in the ancient language, the almost pleasant room disappeared to reveal that it truly had been just an illusion. The cave was dark and dank, with what appeared to be water sliding down its walls and onto the floor. The heat within the room because of all the fires was close to unbearable. Both women gasped for air as they tried to adjust their breathing to the change in temperature. The random fire here and there was what made it possible for their eyes to see.

“Asmoday! Please, I beg of you—let Liliana go, and I’ll do anything you want me to.”

“You’re going to do that anyway, Eva. So killing your lover and the other two will be just an added bonus.” Lili yelled profanities, kicking and struggling against the demon who held her.

“What could you possibly gain from all of this? Luc will kill you.”

“Luc is none the wiser. It will stay that way and then when it’s too late, you and I will rule all.”

“I’m not some puzzle piece that will help you rule the world.”

“You’re wrong. You have the power to make me strong. I’ve scrutinized through the years. Your greed and lust fuel me and make me stronger.”

“Then you should realize what you’re saying is futile and beyond crazy. Nothing I wanted came to maturity and lasted.”

“That’s because you didn’t have me in your equation.” He had an answer for everything she said, and she could tell he wasn’t going to be deterred.

“Then I will add you to the equation, but you have to promise me you won’t hurt Lili. Please do this for me.” It was more than obvious at this point that if that demon didn’t have hold of her, she’d be lying prostrate on the ground. Begging him to not hurt Lili wasn’t an issue for her. If he wanted begging, he’d get it. But the bastard would pay in the end for that embarrassment.

Asmoday looked as if he would consider it. He leaned his head to the side and tapped a finger against his lips.

“Let her go,” he said to the demon that held her. She fell to the floor as the demon did what was asked of him, though he did not move away.

“Strip for me, Eva,” Asmoday ordered. There was no change in his tone. It was as if it were something he’d asked her many times.

She knew it was a test. She glanced once at Lili to see how she was faring. Though Liliana had tears streaming down her face, she was not as bad off as she could be. If she could get Asmoday to free Lili then all of this would be worth it.

“No, don’t, Eva,” Lili pleaded with her.

“Stop, Lili, I have to. If it makes it easier for you to close your eyes, then close your eyes. But I have to do this.” Something in her voice must have registered with Lili that she was serious, and she calmed down. Eva nodded at Lili, and then squaring her shoulders, she faced Asmoday.

Walking closer to Asmoday she unbuttoned her blouse slowly then parted it until she exposed her bra. The shirt slipped off her shoulders as she shrugged out of it. She unsnapped the front bra clasp and opened the bra, letting it hang to the sides.

She’d try to make as if she were enjoying it. She was going to do anything to get him to release Lili. As vain as Asmoday was, if he thought she were enjoying giving him a show, then he would be rather thrilled. The clue that she was right was the lustful grin he had spreading across his face as he beheld her breasts.

“Ahh, now that’s pure beauty, Eva. You have such lovely breasts.”

Eva dropped her hands to her sides, not continuing till he told her to. He’d told her to strip, but she knew he liked to give orders and tonight would be no different.

“Carry on, Eva. I didn’t tell your sexy ass to stop.”

“Just making sure you didn’t want to just ogle at my breasts some more.” She couldn’t help that snide remark.

“Oh I’m going to do more than that. So much more than that to you and you’ll love every fucking bit of it.”

Shit, this sucker really was all about himself. If there ever were a more narcissistic male she didn’t want to meet up with him. Asmoday was enough. She’d heard that Luc was narcissist, but then he was supposed to be glorious to behold. She’d never had the pleasure or displeasure to meet up with him.

After taking her bra off the rest of the way, she worked off her pants and underwear, tossing them to the floor as well. Her body held a fine sheen of perspiration because of the heat. Asmoday’s gaze traveled up her body, slowly taking in every nuance of her bared flesh.

“Turn around slowly.”

She did so even with all of the eyes taking in her every move. The slow turn was almost a dance with the added music of her sister sobbing in the background and the snarls coming from the other two demons, along with the general sounds of the underworld.

She turned her thoughts inward and thought of Clay. How he held her and made her feel safe. He was her safety and with an assurance born of the love she would not deny anymore. If she ever got the chance to tell him she’d let him know it. Even if it never was returned, she had to tell him. She’d let him know she’d been lying when she said that all she wanted was a fuck from him. She would love to be able to experience that and more with him. Though as time went by with Asmoday that seemed like a distant dream that would never happen.

She completed the turn and came face to face with Asmoday. He moved his clawed hands to cup her breasts. She could not suppress the shudder that went through her. It was one of revulsion.

The gleam in his eyes told her he figured that shudder to be something akin to pleasure. It was in that moment that the thought of him raping her became a reality. That’s what it would be if he even tried touching her in that way. She didn’t want him. The one she wanted was somewhere searching the inferno for her and Lili.

“We have the two you seek.”

Asmoday’s clawed hands tightened on her breast, and he uttered a curse. She’d heard the words just as he had. There was a brief second she didn’t think he was going to let her go as his grip tightened yet again and then finally he removed his hands from her breasts. She kept her eyes tightly closed, biting her lip to stop crying out from the pain that radiated outward from his claws digging into her tender flesh.

The words sank in, and she opened her eyes. Asmoday clapped his hands in excitement. He grabbed her by her arm and pulled her along with him. She clawed at his hand trying to free herself to get back to Lili, who had heard the words as well and had begun struggling.

“Rahab, keep her here and don’t let her free and by any means don’t leave her. If you do I will violently end your life. Do you get that?”

“Master, I am yours to command. I’ve been in your legion since the beginning. I wouldn’t ever perceive to go outside your rule.”

Asmoday got Eva under control and drug her from the room kicking and screaming. She could hear Lili crying her name. The sound was heartbreaking. They were being separated, and she’d lost control.

“Asmoday, where in the hell are you taking me now? You have to let me stay with Lili.”

“A very special place where I should have put you in the beginning,” he growled out.

He thrust her into another area. This time it could literally pass for a hole in the wall. She fell to her knees only to scramble quickly up and try to rush back out, but it was too late. Asmoday had already shielded the room with his magic so she could not leave. Asmoday was gone, and there was no way out for her unless another demon knew how to scry away the spell.

She couldn’t hold out hope for that so she moved about the tight space, investigating it and inspecting to see if there was a way out. Nothing. Not even a small crevice she could squeeze through. Asmoday was running worried. Clay and Samael must be close. Who else could the other demon have been speaking about that would cause Asmoday to drop everything he was doing?

Dropping to the ground in frustration, she wrapped her arms about her legs and sat her chin on her knees.
Think, Eva. What can I do to save my family? What could you give Asmoday to appease him and in the long run save the others?
The only thing she could possibly do was to give herself fully to Asmoday as a sacrifice. The others would not die because of her past mistakes nor would they die because of anything else she did in the present.

The issue at hand was that Asmoday was off his rocker and went back and forth on what he truly wanted from her. He’d said he wanted her but when she offered herself up in return for the freedom of the others, then he’d flip flop around on it. Perhaps the real deal was that he wanted her and wanted to kill them anyway.

Her eyes went wide at the thought.
That’s it! That’s what he wanted. The sick fuck wants me, but he wants to kill the others too.

She’d have to get him to believe it was what she wanted too. He could lie. Well, then so could she. She was going to turn herself into an actress and give him what he wanted. She’d spent most of her life lying—what would be the difference now? The difference would be saving Liliana, Clay and Samael and defeating Asmoday.

Clay and Samael had been so busy working their way through the labyrinth of tunnels in the abyss they didn’t see the ambush. They’d fought long and hard, but the legion of demons kept coming until they were subdued. Clay was angry with himself for allowing complacency, which he contributed to having spent too much time above and away from the Netherworld.

Clay and Samael were tethered and upside down with their hands and legs bound by demon magic that glowed as it held them fast. He turned to see how Samael was faring. Besides the big scowl on his face, he appeared fine.

“Well I’d say struggling isn’t going to help us,” Samael uttered.

“Yeah, every time we do, the binding spell makes it even harder to move.”

Besides the spell, they were surrounded by at least twenty demons though it was hard to count them when one was upside down. They’d been going through the maze of tunnels and had gotten comfortable with the fact that no one had stopped or opposed them coming in. That’s when a horde of fiends had subdued them and bound them in the ancient trusses.