ValiasVillain (5 page)

No wonder he wanted revenge on her. Although she still
didn’t know what the fifty-year thing was about, she’d want revenge if he’d
done the same to her. She’d want the kind of revenge that ended in his slow,
super-painful death.

But how? She had no real memory of the event until now. How
had he gotten there? Wait, he said thirty years ago. Thirty years ago, she’d
gone through her transition to full
Sempire
. That’s a time when
Sempires
need more semen than usual. She’d never had any memory of it. Her mother had
mentioned her having a difficult time due to her father’s
Sensus
demon
DNA. Apparently, the
Sensus
demon DNA was tough to conquer, but her
mother had never gone into detail and Valia had never thought it important
enough to ask about.

She’d awakened one day and been ready to embrace the life of
a
Sempire
. It’d been easy for her. Simple. She hungered. She sought. She
experienced. She fed. Now that she thought about it, she realized she’d never
felt fulfilled. Not until meeting up with Rydin in the club. That must be why
she’d been drawn to him and why she felt so complete when he was near. She’d
bound his aura to hers. In a sense, their essences were one.

If he thought he was pissed at her now, he’d really be
pissed and hate her when he found out what she’d done to him. No wonder she’d
always been extra exuberant about her lifestyle, feeding more than necessary.
She’d been trying to fill a void she hadn’t understood. She thought it was only
her natural need for semen, but it was also a need for him.

Had he felt that way too? That longing? That feeling of
being incomplete? Always trying to fill a void?

Guilt racked her as she paced back and forth, unsteadily as
she weakened more, around Rydin’s home. Her
Sensus
demon abilities were
usually minimal at best but the aura binding explained why Rydin’s aura was so
clear to her. She had to undo it and she swore she would find a way once he
released her. Then maybe they could both find some peace.

She doubled over and clutched her stomach as a pain speared
through her. She needed to lie down. What she really needed was to feed but
there was no way to make that happen until Rydin returned. After remembering
what she’d done to him, she didn’t even feel right taking nourishment from him
but she either had to talk him into it or talk him into letting her go early.

She was afraid to go back to sleep, afraid of what else her
dreams might show her, so she sat in the large, shabby chair beside the bed and
tried to get comfy but still keep her eyes open. But she was too tired and
sleep overtook her.

* * * * *

Rydin sat on a bench outside the pizza joint, Navie’s Pizza.
A few other stores sat in a horseshoe-like configuration in the plaza. He sat
on a bench that rested in a grassy area at the open end of the horseshoe. The
sun shone brightly and the urge to close his eyes, lean back and relax was
overwhelming. Rydin loved the sun and there was no sun in the demon realm.

He pictured Valia sitting next to him, the sunlight glinting
off her red hair, casting an orange glow over her soft skin. Did she love the
sun as much as he did or did she prefer the light of the moon? Was she snooping
through his things or lying on his scratchy sheets? He frowned at that. She
thought him poor and lacking class. Hell, maybe by her standards, he was.

He examined the other shops around the pizza joint. Van’s
Linens and Lingerie, Shay Jewels, Perfect Perk, The Donut Hole, Yum Subs. He
didn’t know how long he’d be waiting here and he’d only have one more full day
with her after tonight. Too bad there wasn’t a grocery store. He’d love to see
the look on her face when he brought her fresh kiwi and pineapple.

He shook his head. He didn’t need to be thinking of her. He
needed to take care of business, but who knew how long he’d be waiting around
for this mystery demon. He didn’t dare port away to a grocery store, but he
could at least make use of the linen store. He’d show her he wasn’t poor and
classless.

He found himself striding toward the linen store before he
realized he’d made up his mind. He stopped at the double glass doors and marked
his view of the front of the pizza place. Clear. He stepped inside. There were
only a handful of shoppers inside. Good. He didn’t dare go farther into the
store and lose his vantage point.

Shit. What was he doing? This was ridiculous. Just as he was
about to leave, a petite saleswoman said, “May I help you with something, sir?”

“Sheets. I need sheets,” he said only sparing her a sideways
glance before returning his gaze out the door.

“Okay. If you’ll follow me—”

“No. I’m waiting for someone. Pick some out for me. The
softest you have.”

“Um, well… I’ll need to know size and if you prefer Egyptian
cotton or satin and thread count. There are so many choices.”

“Queen. The best you have.”

“Well, that’d probably be our fifteen hundred count Egyptian
cotton. Do you have a color preference?”

“Green,” he said without hesitation. He loved the way she
looked in green. “Light green.” He spared a quick glance around the store and
at the bewildered saleswoman. “And one of those dresses in green.” Without
looking, he pointed to the left wall.

“The lingerie?” At his nod, she asked, “What size?”

Hell, he had no clue. Size sexy-as-hell. He glanced at the
saleswoman again. “Your girth, larger breasts, six inches taller.”

In his peripheral vision, he saw her blush before she walked
away. She returned five minutes later. “Sir, will any of these work?”

She held up three items for him. He quickly scanned them and
chose the short shiny one. He was shocked when the woman announced his purchase
totaled $257.14. He was out of his element. Luckily, he always carried at least
one thousand dollars with him when on assignment.

With his purchases stowed in a handled, brown bag with Van’s
Linens & Lingerie printed in curly script, he made his way back to the
bench to watch and wait. He supposed the shopping bag helped him blend in. Just
another shopper.

A sense of unease crept through him and he had the almost
uncontrollable urge to port to the demon realm to check on Valia. There was no
way for him to know if she was in danger, but he would swear he felt her fear
and it ate at his guts. He fought it, tried to stay focused, ignore the tricks
his imagination was playing on him and within ten minutes, the unease lessened.
She was safe as long as the rod was in place. His desire to continue his
revenge must be making him delusional.

After the sun went down, Rydin entered the pizza place,
picked a table that gave him the best view of people coming and going, and
ordered a beer and a slice of pizza. He was shocked that all of the employees
were demons of various kinds.

Three hours and five beers later, his target walked through
the door and headed behind the counter where he greeted employees and
disappeared through another door that read “office”. The male wasn’t dressed as
the other employees and he assumed he must be a manager. Fifteen minutes later,
the male had not reappeared and Rydin grew impatient.

He walked to the counter and asked to speak to the manager,
hoping his assumption was correct. The mixed-breed demon scooted away to do
Rydin’s bidding without question. A moment later, his target appeared.

The demon’s eyes widened as he spotted Rydin. Not an
uncommon reaction considering his enormous presence.

“What can I do for you?” he asked cautiously.

“I need a word with you. Privately.”

The demon leaned over the counter and looked from side to
side before speaking. “Are you him?”

Not the reaction Rydin expected. “Him who?”

“Give me one minute,” he said and walked back into the
office.

What the hell was that about? It wasn’t often that Rydin was
surprised on his assignments. This demon obviously had been expecting someone
else and it looked as if it would work in Rydin’s favor.

The demon strode out of the office holding a large envelope,
told the employees goodnight and looked at Rydin while nodding toward the door.
Rydin grabbed his bag and followed him out.

Once outside and down the walk away from the shops, he
turned to Rydin and handed him the envelope. “I need your help.”

Rydin reached out his hand as if to take the envelope, but
instead grabbed the male’s arm and slapped one end of the gold cuffs on him.
“You’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’m not here to help you.”

The cuffs didn’t faze the demon and he still held out the
envelope to Rydin. “Please. There’s fifty thousand dollars in the envelope and
I can get more. It’s yours if you’ll help me rescue my sister. That Incubus has
her.”

Okay. Now he knew why the guy looked familiar. He hadn’t put
it together when Debol had handed him the picture. “Your sister is a
Sempire
,”
he stated.

The demon shook his head. “Yes. That bastard has been
holding her for six months. Help me get her out.”

Rydin couldn’t imagine Valia being at Debol’s mercy for six
days much less six months and it sickened him. Regardless of what she’d done to
him in the past, she didn’t deserve that sort of punishment. For the first
time, he sympathized with his mark’s plight but he would carry out his task
regardless. Sympathy changed nothing, but he felt compelled to explain.

“You know she can’t survive without him now. She must be
addicted to his semen.”

The demon scowled, a vein ticking at his temple as he spoke
through gritted teeth. “I’m aware of her situation but I won’t leave her there
to suffer at the hands of that thing. I’ve been searching for a cure.”

Rydin scoffed. “There is no cure.”

“I have to try. Help me.”

The desperation in the male’s voice would not sway him. “How
did you know I was coming for you?” Rydin asked.

“Navine, my sister, told me. Described you. She wanted to
warn me. Wanted me to hide.” He shook his head.

The
Sempire
was under Debol’s constant watch so how
the hell could she have gotten a message to her brother in the human realm? Was
Debol setting him up? “How?”

He shrugged. “Astral projection is my ability. With a twist.
My physical body still functions when I project and I can project to two places
at once.”

Rydin had never heard of that but he definitely saw the
benefit and why Debol would want him on his side, but he didn’t see how it
would be helpful in freeing his sister from Debol. No, he couldn’t help them.
He couldn’t believe he’d even entertained the idea.

“And you thought you could buy my help?”

“I had to try.”

“I cannot help you.”

“I know you can’t harm him because he holds your contract,
but you could distract him or something. Work with me,” he pleaded.

Rydin shook his head. “It’s time to go.”

Pain exploded in Rydin’s nose and the metallic tang of blood
coated the back of his throat.
Damn it.
Nose broken twice within two
days. He shook off the punch and grabbed the male by the throat. He was strong,
but he was no match for a
Ferox
demon.

“Do not try that again,” Rydin warned. “I am going to
deliver you to Debol. I have twenty years left on my contract. Perhaps, one
day…”

“Twenty years?” the demon exclaimed. “We won’t last twenty
years.”

“It’s not my problem,” Rydin said harshly and ported to the
steps of Debol’s home.

The demon fought him with fervor now that he knew Rydin was
a lost cause in his attempt to rescue his sister but Rydin subdued him and
cuffed both hands behind his back and then took him in a chokehold into Debol’s
home. A guard collared the struggling demon before they were allowed inside
Debol’s office.

Once inside, the
Sempire
jumped to her feet. “No!”
She cried as she ran and threw her arms around her brother. She turned to
Rydin, the look of hatred on her face causing a strange sensation to course
through him. Guilt? He’d never felt guilty about his jobs before. It was what
he had to do and he did it.

Debol sneered at Rydin and said, “Bad timing.” He then stood
and called Navine to him while pointing at the floor beside him. “In your
place,
Sempire
,” he said cruelly.

She snarled at him and turned back to her brother. “Baden,
are you hurt?”

“No. I’m sorry, Navine.” He looked despondent. “I’ll figure
something out.”

“
Sempire
!” Debol yelled.

She jumped and returned to her knees beside him.

“You will pay for your defiance,
Sempire
,” Debol
promised her.

“I’ll fucking kill you,” Baden spat at Debol, then turned
his gaze to Rydin. “Both of you.”

Rydin wanted to get away from this scene and get back to
Valia. He’d been away for eleven hours and he had that sense of her being in danger
again. “If I’m done here…”

Debol waved a dismissive hand at him and he got the hell out
of there.

* * * * *

Rydin’s gut clenched as he saw the door to his home standing
open. He ran inside making a quick survey of the interior. She wasn’t there.
Shit. He’d been certain she wouldn’t try to escape knowing she was in the demon
realm with no way to port out.
Dammit
. This realm was too dangerous for
a spoiled female like her who knew nothing about it.

He ran back outside searching for her. He had no idea when
she’d left and how far she might have gotten. He hoped like hell nothing had
found her. The creatures here would show no mercy. She was strong, he knew that
firsthand, but she’d be no match for the evil lurking here. The thought of
anything happening to her shot panic through his system, the adrenaline
electrifying his nerve endings.

He stopped abruptly, sensing her nearby. Hell, he could
smell her pineapple scent.