The Demon's Seduction (9 page)

Thalia had spread her legs further apart and pressed her pelvis against Leraye’s ass. Her buttocks moved with Leraye’s.

The contrast of Leraye’s darker, battle hardened body and Thalia's softer more feminine curves caused attraction swell within Zepar. Their sensual dance was a visual, erotic feast for his weary soul. And miraculously his cock surged to life. Zepar found himself echoing their erotic rhythm as he rubbed his own cock in time to their thrusts.

Zepar could see her whisper in Leraye’s ear but he couldn’t hear her words. The heavy sound of their breathing in the near silent dungeon chamber drowned out whatever she said to him.

“Do it.” Leraye ground out.

Zepar was mesmerized by the flex and play of Leraye’s muscles and the sight of her long slender finger. She’d lubricated the digit and now ringed the rosette in Leraye’s ass with her right hand even as she continued to work his cock with her left.

Tentatively, Thalia pushed her finger part way into Leraye’s ass. Zepar wanted to stop her, take over from her awkward moves and show her the proper way to breach that place of pleasure.

“Harder.” Leraye grunted.

Thalia shoved her finger in all the way.

Leraye groaned. “More.”

Without hesitation, she plundered his ass, working three fingers into him. The sleek lines of her arms were highlighted by the sliver of moonlight.

Thalia’s breath heaved in and out of her lungs, as she rocked her body in time to the dual assaults on Leraye.

Zepar loosened his breeches and he worked his erection while Thalia worked Leraye’s. He clenched his own ass with each purposeful invasion of her fingers. Each time he thrust his hips a powerful shame rose within Zepar.

And yet, he couldn’t look away.

The power in the interaction was immense.

The mingled scent of Leraye and Thalia perfumed the air and the temptation to join them nearly brought him to his knees. The phantom lover caught in the shadows. Unable to admit that he wanted to engage with them, yet equally unable to stop watching.

As Thalia worked Leraye’s body, Zepar saw the love between them. The gentle kisses she placed along the curve of Leraye’s spine. The way Leraye turned his head to gaze into Thalia’s eyes. Their connection was almost palpable in the steamy, confined air.

How could he have doubted them? And why was he so jealous?

With a muffled shout, Leraye erupted and spewed cum over the prison cell walls.

He watched the two kiss, as their lips met in a gentle, affectionate caress. A lover’s act. No, not just a lover’s act but the act of two people in love. Zepar’s heart pounded against his ribcage as he finally accepted their love.

His heart was empty, hollow. He was going to creep away, still cloaked in glamour, and hope they hadn’t noticed him lurking in the corner. But not yet.

Thalia leaned her forehead on the hard bulge of Leraye’s shoulder. His heart boomed against the sculpted planes of his pectorals. His scarred body filled her with an abundance of love. His muscles bunched more than normal as he strained to release his hands from the cuffs.

She hoped desperately that this interlude had helped him with his lingering lust for Zepar. Gods knew she understood.

“You going to let me go?” His voice rumbled pleasantly through her insides and she smiled at the contentment she heard there. He tugged again, but she’d used special cuffs that would withstand a Demon’s strength.

“Not just yet.”

She lovingly cleaned Leraye’s body and her own.

“How did you manage to acquire these?” The metal rattled in the somnolent air as he shook his wrists.

Thalia smiled secretively. “Never you mind.”

Zepar lingered in the corner. She must have sensed him earlier and just not realized it was him. Again. He’d been present at most of their more public exploits but she still had no idea why. The ache in her heart intensified and she wished, again, he would either join them or leave them alone.

“He’s here again?” he murmured.

She nodded. Her forehead rubbed against his sweat-slicked skin and she savored the scent of his essence. All male and all Demon.

“Let me go,” he said in a louder voice.

But before Thalia could retrieve the keys, another voice interrupted. A woman. “No, you don’t.”

Thalia turned around, her body in front of Leraye’s.

It was Judy, the woman who Thalia had been training to take over her place as a Grace. “What?”

“Shut up, Thalia.” The woman pointed some sort of weapon at Leraye. “You’ve served your purpose. Now move away from the Demon.”

Thalia frowned. “What?” She couldn’t seem to process what was happening.

“You think I didn’t know you were my contact?” Judy sniped. “I’m not dumb. The Fae told me not to speak of it. But I knew it was you. You’ve been helping me since you brought me here.”

“You traitor.” Leraye snarled from behind her.

Thalia whirled to face him. “You think I betrayed you?”

“Get away from me.” Leraye’s face had hardened into contempt and hate. His words came from a far off place as if the wind blew around her in a tempest. He was listening to Judy. He thought Thalia was a traitor.

Thalia blinked, unable to snap out of her shock. Her head roared. A gaping hole hollowed out her chest and froze her feelings into ice.

Leraye believed Judy.

Not Thalia.

Thalia had given him everything. Everything she had to give. And he believed that she would betray the Demons. How could Leraye believe Thalia would harm him, harm any Demon? She loved him.

Oh, Gods. She loved him.

Leraye tugged on the handcuffs. Thalia moved away from Leraye, who believed Judy, and closer to the keys on the bed.

Thalia saw Zepar materialize behind Judy but he couldn’t reach her in time to disarm her.

“We will destroy the Demon of Battle and cripple Prince Gaap and his minions.” Judy raised her weapon and pressed the trigger.

"No!"
With a hoarse cry, Thalia launched herself between Leraye and the deadly stream of electricity.

A blast glanced off Thalia’s shoulder, but the bulk of the shot streamed past her and into Leraye. The pain, a searing white hot burn, felt as if her body was rent in half and she fell into the darkness.

***

Zepar lunged for Judy, but he was too late.

The first blast struck Thalia and she went down hard.

Leraye was frozen.

With an inhuman roar, Zepar tackled Judy. His blade sliced across her jugular so deeply that he severed her head from her body.

In a flash, Zepar knelt to Thalia’s inert body. She lay so still. Her chest barely moved.

Leraye’s body began to twitch. Whatever the blast had been if it had hit Leraye full on, it would have frozen him again or killed him. Instead Thalia had borne the brunt of the wicked zapper.

Leraye towered over them. The cuffs dangled from each bloody wrist, his hands clenched into fists of rage.

“Leave her,” Leraye said harshly.

“You idiot.” Zepar lifted Thalia gently into his arms and started for the dungeon steps. “She did not betray you.”

There was no blood. Which was almost worse. Nothing to staunch. And yet a vicious burn slashed her right side.

Leraye thudded behind him. “You're so sure.”

“She just threw herself into certain death to save you.” Zepar tried to be as gentle as possible as he raced for his chambers.

She lay limp in his arms.

“Get Barbas,” Zepar spat. “We must see if he can save her.”

Zepar hovered over Thalia as she lay on the chaise in his chamber. His chest was heavy as he fought alongside Thalia for each breath. Leraye knelt beside her, keeping vigil.

Barbas, the Demon of Healing, lounged wearily in the ornate chair next to the fireplace. His dark skin, dark hair and dark eyes rendered him more like a Demon of Doom than one who had taken an oath to heal. He had tried everything to heal Thalia’s wounds. “I can do nothing further.”

Zepar was desperate. There had to be something else. "Nothing?"

Zepar could barely hear over the sound of his own labored breathing. Leraye's chest rose and fell harshly. And he knew Leraye was caught in the same anguish. It had been over twenty-four hours since Thalia made her sacrifice and nothing had revived her.

"We could try a transfusion."

"Take my blood," Leraye blurted.

Zepar would gladly offer his own blood too but he knew that Leraye needed to atone for his moment of doubt.

"We will have to use the blood most compatible to her type," Barbas said patiently.

But after a small test, Barbas determined that neither his blood nor Leraye's was suitable.

At that moment, Prince Gaap entered Zepar's chamber. "How is she?"

They explained the dire situation to the Prince. Zepar ended with, "We need compatible blood."

"Try mine." The Prince held out his arm.

In that moment, Zepar knew he would lay down his life for Gaap.

As Barbas tested Gaap's blood, the Prince revealed his true reason for the visit to Zepar's chamber. “The human, Judy, is dead.” It was a statement.

“Yes, my Lord.” Barbas replied. "I verified her death myself."

Gaap said, "It would seem now we know why the Fae did not attempt to kill you on the way home from the village."

"A ruse to conceal any stink of Fae we might have uncovered." Leraye hypothesized.

It made sense. Dammit. They had thought nothing of it when they brought the women to the castle and bathed the Fae's touch from them.

“She spoke of a contact in the castle when she attempted to kill Leraye.” Gaap frowned, his face dark and worried.

Zepar nodded, a solid lump in his throat as he remembered how close Leraye had come to death. And how close Thalia lay to death now.

"The Prince is a match." A smile burst on Barbas's face. "This is good.

"Do it," the Prince said imperiously.

Within minutes Barbas had set up a transfer of Prince Gaap's blood to Thalia.

Zepar was too overcome to speak. Leraye knelt before the Prince, his head bowed low. "Thank you."

Once the transfusion was complete, Zepar went to Thalia's left side and Leraye to her right.

"You are certain that Thalia was not the traitor?" The Prince asked.

Leraye jumped to his feet, fists clenched, face fierce. "She is not."

Zepar got ready to restrain Learye in case he was foolish enough to attack. "I could see her face when Judy attacked. Thalia did not betray us." His conviction rang through the tense chamber.

"I had to ask," the Prince said mildly.

Zepar relaxed slightly.

“If Thalia was not Judy’s contact, then we have another traitor in this castle,” Gaap said ominously as he rolled down his sleeve.

“That was also my assessment.” Barbas concurred.

"I need you to find that traitor.” Gaap directed the command at Barbas. Zepar knew that Barbas sometimes acted in other capacities for the Prince.

"As you wish," Barbas replied.

Gaap spoke to Zepar and Leraye. "You will speak of this to no one."

Zepar nodded.

"I will be happy to give my assistance," Leraye said fiercely.

Zepar also pledged his aid.

Gaap looked at them both, a serious weight in his face. "Concentrate on your consort's recovery," Gaap said. "And then we will see."

Prince Gaap had just given his permission for them to claim Thalia as their own. A particular joy filled Zepar. But the blessing would not matter if she didn't recover.

Gaap said, "I will pray for her." And then he left.

And once again Zepar was left in his chamber with the still, silent Thalia and Leraye and Barbas. Thalia's chest had sunken in and her lips were pale, nearly blue with lack of oxygen. She was fading before their very eyes.

"Why won't she get better?" Zepar lamented.

"Her body is capable of regeneration.” Barbas rubbed his thick-fingered hands over a tired face. “But it’s as if her mind is not willing. She has given up.”

Leraye dropped his head to the chaise. “Gods, what have I done?” The mighty Demon of Battle had been destroyed by the probable demise of one slight woman.

Zepar stroked his palm over the smooth curve of Leraye’s head. With his other hand, he clasped Thalia’s fingers tightly and willed her to live. “Fight, damn it.”

Barbas lifted his dark gaze to the hand Zepar had rested upon Leraye’s head.

Their vigil reminded Zepar far too much of the way they kept watch over Leraye when they’d first brought him home. Zepar’s chest hollowed at the desolate look in his old friend’s eyes. How could he ever have thought that Leraye and Thalia didn’t love each other?

“I saw the glimmer of power when you kissed in the dungeon,” Zepar spoke. “Before Judy blasted her. Should we try it?”

Leraye didn’t even answer. He just jammed his mouth to hers desperately but nothing happened. No spark.

Nothing.

Leraye backed away slowly. The fire crackled merrily in the fireplace. The snap and hiss, normally a pleasant sound, at was at odds with the somber expectation that hung in the air.

As Zepar stared into Thalia’s slack face, a desperate idea floated in his mind.

Zepar curled his fingers into a fist. "What if we try to revive her, the way we revived Leraye.”

Barbas shrugged. “Stranger things have happened.”

Leraye stared into Zepar’s eyes, his pale blue tormented gaze lit with emotion. “You were able to bring me back.”

A frisson of concern skittered up Zepar’s spine at the hope in Leraye’s gaze. What if they couldn’t do it? What if it didn’t work?

“We have to try,” Leraye said fiercely. “We have to.”

“By kissing Learye. Breathing air into his lungs together. We literally breathed life back into him.” Zepar continued to clutch Thalia’s hand in his own, fearing that if he let go she would slip away as the sun slipped beneath the horizon.

Barbas stared steadily at the two of them. “Try it. And call me if there is any change.”

“You’re leaving?” Zepar said desperately.

“There’s nothing more I can do for her,” he replied solemnly. "And I have a traitor to find."

With that Barbas left.