Chapter 2
Ava headed in the direction of what sounded to be one hell of a party. As she stepped onto the crowded street and soaked in the scene, relief settled over her like a warm blanket. The carnival-like atmosphere boasted vendors selling everything from jewelry to T-shirts and henna tattoos. Others hawked food, the mouth-watering aroma making her stomach growl.
Unfamiliar hunger pains rumbled in her stomach, but with no money, there would be no food. Reality took hold as she realized she was no better off than the pathetic creature she left passed out in the alley. Determined to find the other Celestial exiles, she kept walking. Hopefully they would provide shelter until she could get on her feet. After that, she planned to exact revenge on Trayan, God of Lust—the scumbag responsible for her exile.
The street sign on the corner identified the location as Freemont Street. She had watched enough reruns of CSI to know that this was the old strip. A canopy covered the street, displaying cartoon characters that danced to the beat of music. The happy sound pulsing against her eardrums belied the loneliness and vulnerability that seeped into her soul.
A chance look at her reflection in a store window stopped her dead in her tracks. Before tossing her in the portal, the Mother Goddess had degraded her with one final insult. As if being ejected from her home wasn’t bad enough, her exquisite aquamarine mini sheath, emerald-studded belt, and sleek silver pumps had been replaced with a blood-red cropped tank, a black leather mini, and sky-high acrylic heels. Ava hardly recognized her own reflection.
Auburn waves sprung from hair that had once been carefully coiffed into a sleek French twist at the nape of her neck. Mortified by her appearance, she let her hair down and ran her fingers through it, taming her wild locks the best she could. She’d gone from chic, sophisticated sex goddess to street-walking party girl in an instant.
At least her clothing had a little bit of sparkle, although she had to admit cheap rhinestones forming the word ‘SEXY’ across her chest didn’t quite compare with her beloved diamond pendant. One quick glance at the other females on the street reassured her that the sleazy attire might actually help her blend in.
Weaving her way through the crowd, she had no clue about which direction to take. Wondering how she would find the other Celestials, she paused for a moment. Were any of them living in Las Vegas? Would they offer her refuge? She couldn’t just stop someone and ask if they had encountered any Celtic deities roaming the streets.
Tears of frustration pooled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. With her head pounding and her stomach clenching with hunger, her resolve to stay positive crumbled.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart. Why so sad?” A deep, honeyed voice scattered her thoughts. With short-cropped blond hair, chocolate-brown eyes, and a reassuring smile, the man’s friendly façade couldn’t hide the lack of emotion in his gaze. His tailored black shirt, unbuttoned halfway to his waist, revealed a toned chest. Tight black jeans emphasized long, muscled legs.
The stranger took her hand in his. Instantly, her blood turned to ice and her sex goddess instincts kicked into high gear. This guy was bad news.
“I’m Deritus. And you are?”
“Not interested in you.” Wrenching her hand free from his grasp, Ava turned her back on him and retreated in the opposite direction as fast as she could manage in the ridiculous heels. A firm grip on her shoulder spun her around.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to blow me off.” A sinister chuckle escaped his lips. “Surely a Celestial wouldn’t be so stupid as to make me angry.”
The air temperature plummeted. Deritus knew what she was. As much as that unnerved her, something about him compelled her in an unnatural and sexual way. He was a predator, and she was his prey. As she attempted to push past him, he grabbed her arm and jerked her closer.
No one touches this goddess without permission.
Ava’s temper ignited like a raging wildfire. No self-respecting sex goddess would put up with being manhandled.
“Let. Go.” Her gaze locked with his as she tried to break free from his bone-crushing grip. She could feel his frigid breath on her face. His scent intoxicated her—a potent aphrodisiac bidding her to succumb to his will. The confusion of being attracted and repulsed by him at the same time caused her head to spin.
His eyes flashed molten red, and she realized she was face-to-face with a demonic being. She looked for an escape route. Every instinct told her to run, but her feet refused to move as if super glued in place.
“Don’t be afraid, Ava. I just want to get to know you.”
How did he know her name? Her journey to Earth had been unplanned, at least on her part.
The demon’s soft brogue couldn’t cover the dark intent in his voice. Long, slim fingers with manicured nails twisted the thick gold chain around his neck. His lusty gaze raked over her body, making her feel cheap and dirty.
Panic swept through her. Turning, she tried once more to break free from his grasp. The demon’s fingers dug into her flesh with a force so strong she wondered if the bones in her wrist would turn to dust from the pressure.
“Are you working this street, darling?” The demon maneuvered against Ava, trapping her body against a brick wall. “If you are, you’re working for me now.” His breath smelled of mint as his ice-cold lips brushed against her cheek.
Behind him, she noticed three young women hovering together in the street. Their vacant, defeated expressions spoke volumes. A cloud of hopelessness surrounded them. Deritus obviously had them in his thrall, and she didn’t have to guess who was next on his list.
The demon noted the change in her attention and turned toward the girls. “Leave us!” He demanded. “And if you desire my attention tonight, don’t come back empty-handed.”
The trio scurried away, disappearing into the crowd. Deritus was capable of controlling his victim’s thoughts and actions. Without her powers, she couldn’t help the young women or herself. Sympathy tugged at her heart as she watched them go. Her duties as a sex goddess included protecting women from this kind of abuse.
“What are you?” she asked.
“You’ve never encountered a sentient incubus?” Deritus cocked a brow and grinned, revealing a row of glistening white teeth. “You’re in for a real treat, Goddess.”
Deritus gained power through sexual conquest. Unlike most incubi, a sentient incubus didn’t need his prey to be asleep as he stole their free will. More than a ghostly appearance haunting a midnight dream, sentient incubi consisted of flesh and bone.
“It’s been ages since I had a Celestial. I can hardly wait for the rush.” His compelling whisper lulled her into complacency for a brief moment, but her subconscious roared back in protest. In order to survive she must block out the sound of his voice and keep her eyes averted from his mind-numbing gaze.
“Don’t fight me, Ava. This can go easy, or it can go really hard.” He chuckled at the double entendre and twisted her arm behind her back, forcing her to the doorway of a vacant building.
She screamed, trying to attract the attention of the revelers on the street, but her cries went unnoticed above the deafening celebration.
Deritus clamped his free hand over her mouth. One swift kick from him and the metal door slammed shut, creating a barrier between the two of them and the outside world. Ava glanced around the dark, moldy room. The windows were covered with yellowing newspapers. No one could see them from the street.
She bit the demon’s hand, still covering her mouth. Swearing profusely, Deritus yelped, jerked his hand from her mouth, and held his palms up in mock surrender. Laughing, he licked his lips and glared at her with his fiery gaze.
Sex goddess versus sex demon—round one.
She steadied her nerves. Panicking now could mean losing the ability to think for herself. Unless she wanted to end up being a zombie sex slave, she needed to keep her composure. Gathering every scrap of energy she possessed, she smiled at the demon and beckoned for him to come closer.
“That’s more like it, baby.” His voice oozed seduction and confidence, but he was mistaken if he thought she would surrender without a fight. He closed in on her, his movements predatory and deliberate.
The moment he came within reach, she kneed him in the groin and stomped on his foot with her icepick heel. Attempting to gain her freedom, she bolted toward the door.
Deritus bellowed in pain and lunged at her, catching her at the waist as he yanked her backward. She cried out in agony as he slammed her onto the floor.
Seething with fury, she glared at the demon. No way would she grovel at his feet and beg for mercy.
No longer in his hot, smooth-talking human form, Deritus now appeared as a demon. With skin a mottled mixture of gray and black and eyes red-hot, swirling and hypnotic, evil rolled from him in waves.
“Bitch! I’m going to fuck you senseless.”
Ebony horns sprouted from his head as he grabbed her by the shoulders. Her breath caught in her throat. She could see her death in his molten gaze.
Closing her eyes, she prepared for the worst. One look and she would be under his control. Deritus backhanded her across the face, the sting momentarily taking her mind off her eminent demise. A drop of blood trickled from her split lip. Defiant, she slapped his face in return.
He trapped her against the cold, concrete floor as his calloused hands moved up under her top. Revolted by the feeling of the demon’s claws against her sensitive flesh, Ava shook with disgust. Panic-laced thoughts of the incubus taking her against her will swirled through her mind.
He will have to kill me first.
She kicked him again with what little strength she could summon. He laughed, placing both hands on either side of her head, holding it still. Squeezing her eyes shut tight, she could hear his soothing voice inside her head.
“Open your eyes, Goddess. Look at me. Surrender and experience ecstasy beyond your wildest dreams.”
Waves of compulsion flowed from the demon, robbing her of the will to fight him. The urge to give in to him engulfed her mind, shoving thoughts of survival aside. Her resolve to resist him diminished.
In one final act of defiance, she screamed again. The sound reverberated around the concrete room, dying just as the last shred of fight in her faded. As she opened her eyes, her final thoughts filled with irony. Her worries of how to survive in this realm had been way too premature. The first night here would most certainly be her last.