Chapter Twenty-One
Dusk crept over the horizon by the time Jaxon escorted Evie back to her dorm room. Inian and Masteri Kuuri remained back at the healer’s center, strategizing how to eradicate this new infection. Inian mentioned something about contacting a council, but Evie didn’t understand what he meant.
“I can’t stay long, baby.” Jaxon’s regretful eyes met hers. “Jaoel should be waking up soon, and I need to be there for him.”
“I understand. Inian had the professors forward the assignments I missed today to my email. I’m going to stay in and get caught up.” Evie stepped through the doorway, edging over to make room for Jaxon to enter her room.
Closing the door behind him, Jaxon leaned against it, arms folded across his chest. His gaze searched hers before he admitted, “About this morning, we should have stopped you from leaving. Your confession caught everyone off guard, and we didn’t react well.”
Evie shrugged. “I understand. It was a pretty farfetched explanation. If the positions were reversed, I probably would’ve reacted in a similar fashion.”
“It’s not okay. We should have sat you down. Listened to you. We let Jaoel get in our heads, make us doubt you. For that, I will always be sorry.” A hand reached, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Grasping her hand in his, he turned her palm face up, his thumb tracing the lines delicately.
“Syameni, you are a special young woman. I wish things could be different between us.” Sad eyes met hers.
“What do you mean by different?” Evie’s heart skipped a beat, tingles spreading up her arm from where he touched her. “And what does Syameni mean?”
“It’s a term of endearment among my kind. You have the heart of a Surmata. I’ve grown jaded, viewing all humans as a necessary nuisance. In the short time I’ve known you, you’ve changed me, changed my perception. You’ve restored my faith in mankind once again.” He stared at her palm as if mesmerized by the sight of his thumb rubbing against her skin. “Because of you, there’s a chance my brother will be saved from a fate worse than death. A fate we didn’t even know was possible. I will always be grateful. Even if you aren’t mine, Syameni. I will always be here for you. I will be your shield against anyone who wishes to harm you. That is my pledge.”
During his whole speech, the giant Surmata never once looked up. He’d spoken earnestly, Evie couldn’t help but believe him. Shaken by his declaration, she swallowed her natural shyness and lifted up on her tippy-toes. Removing her hand from his, she used both to pull his head down to her, kissing his cheek lightly.
Her cheeks warm at her boldness, Evie released the smiling man and stepped back. Awkward now, she shifted from side to side. “Will you let me know how it goes with Jaoel?”
“Of course, Syameni. Get some rest. I need to speak with my Kaveri. Break the news to them. As soon as I know more, I will come for you.”
Evie nodded, grateful not to be excluded. She had mixed feelings about the others. She didn’t know where she stood with them. Would they be mad at her for not speaking up sooner? Did they really believe Jaoel’s accusations? Did they think so low of her?
Once Jaxon left, Evie tackled her homework. Now further behind since she missed her second day of classes, she worried she would never catch up. She needed to buckle down and concentrate on her assignments.
~
Hours later, Evie stretched and checked her watch. Past dinnertime, she decided to take a break and grab something to eat from the small kitchenette. Ravenous, but not wanting anything too heavy, she perused the offerings and grabbed a prepackaged sandwich, then headed back to her room. She had another chapter she wanted to finish. She’d eat while she worked.
A group of girls approached from the opposite direction in the hallway, and Evie stepped to one side to allow them to pass by. They whispered and giggled as they headed for the stairs. Evie shook her head, wishing sometimes she could be so carefree. She had no female friends. It would be fun to confide in another girl, sitting around, talking about guys. It would help her figure out all these feelings she had about each member of the Shadewolf team. She found all of the men attractive and even developed a crush on a few. Was that normal?
Closing her dorm room door, she dismissed her wayward thoughts, time to get back to work. As she crossed the carpet, a small scraping noise came from the closet. When she paused in her steps to listen, the sound didn’t repeat.
Stepping closer to her desk, she placed the food on top of the smooth wood. She twisted off the top of the bottle of water she left sitting there, taking a swallow of the now warm liquid.
Crash!
Evie jumped in fright, dropping the bottle onto the floor.
The noise came from her walk-in closet. Someone was in her room. Anger sparked in her veins, replacing the fear. It had to be Dominick or one of his friends, there to either spy on her or scare her.
Maybe they thought their little prank would send her screaming from her room, making a fool of herself. She would show them. She would not let them win.
She weighed her options. Ignore them and leave the room, or open the closet and confront them.
Boom!
Evie jumped again, almost screaming as the noise reverberated all the way through the room. Whoever was in the closet made a loud racket.
She dug the switchblade out of her bag. If this turned out to be more than a prank, she wanted protection. She crept towards the closed door, saying a quiet prayer as she reached for the door handle.
Knife in hand, she turned the knob and flung the door wide open. Evie’s eyes couldn’t penetrate the closet’s heavy shadows. Moving over to the right of the doorway, she lifted her hand, knife and all, searching for the light switch.
She flicked it.
Nothing happened.
Shaking now, she lowered her arm as she squinted into the darkness, trying to get a better look. Nothing stirred, but the hair on the back of her neck stood straight up, a sure sign something was in the room with her. But as her eyes adjusted, she relaxed. No one hid in the small space. The noise must have come from the room on the other side of the wall.
Feeling silly, Evie lowered her knife, arm dropping to her side. She entered the closet and reached up to check the bulb. Finding it loose, she screwed it in tighter. Light flooded the room. Smiling, she turned the light back off and closed the door.
As she walked back toward the desk, she paused again as a shuffle erupted on her left. Pivoting in that direction, hands suddenly gripped her shoulders, stopping her in place. A chill ran down her spine as she was jerked back against a hard chest. Someone leaned over her, hot breath whispering down the back of her neck.
The lights flickered, and then the room went dark.
Without a word, her feet were jerked out from under her, and she fell hard to the floor. The attacker grabbed her by the hair, dragging her towards the bed. Evie screamed as she was pulled up roughly and slammed head first into the wall.
Dazed from the impact, she fell to the ground once again. Hitting the floor jarred her, the cloud of confusion dissipating. She needed to escape from this unknown threat. She tried to regain her feet, only to find herself picked up and thrown against the wall once more. A hand encircled her throat, pinning her in place. She looked around frantically, but no one was there. Straining to peer in the pitch-black room, Evie saw no hint of the person who held her prisoner. Something pinned her to the wall, something without a corporeal body.
Dread filled her as she realized what held her.
“Little human. What does Velhar want with you, I wonder? What’s so special about you that he is willing to move heaven and earth to corrupt you with his evil?” a male voice snarled, and the smell of sulfur filled her nostrils. The hand around her throat tightened, pulled her forward, and slammed her head back against the wall. “Answer me, girl!”
He lifted her off the floor until her feet dangled in the air. Unable to breath, she couldn’t speak even if she knew the answer he sought.
He growled at her in impatience.
Suddenly, she was airborne. She covered her head in reflex, right before crashing into the headboard, her shoulder and back taking the brunt of the impact, then landed hard on the mattress.
Her head pounded, and blood dripped down the side of her face. Her abused body protested as she curled up to make herself as small as possible.
It proved a useless move because her attacker hauled her up, this time by the back of her shirt collar, and forced her to stand next to the bed. She swayed in place, unable to find her balance. The world spun.
The ring on her hand warmed and a sense of déjà vu enveloped her. Her hand twitched, achingly empty. “Trying to call your blade? It won’t come. Velhar made sure he was protected against its vampiric power before giving it to you. Since I am his, that protection extends to me.”
As blackness crept in, panic overcame all rational thought. With a last-ditch effort, she tried to break free of the demon’s hold. Her panic blossomed into outright terror when her attempts failed. A wall of darkness encased her mind, and she slipped into its depths.
“Sleep well, little human. When you awake, you and I will have some fun.” His words, barely a whisper, rushed over her. As his hand encircled her throat tightly once more, darkness took over, and she knew nothing else.
~
Warm air shifted around her, rousing her to consciousness. She fought it, exhaustion pulling her back toward sleep. The crackle of the fireplace soothed her, and the feel of cool silk sheets against the warmth of the room lured her under once more. Her breathing evened out. As she slipped back into slumber, the bed shifted as someone lay next to her.
A muscular arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her into a hard body that curled around her like a favored blanket. She snuggled closer in contentment. A small laugh reached her ears as the man lying behind her fitted her tightly against himself. Small tingles vibrated down her body as he held her close.
“Little one, how you tempt me.” His voice whispered in her ear as he nibbled her earlobe. His touch moved behind her ear, and his nose rubbed against the sensitive flesh as he breathed in her scent. “You smell divine. I could eat you all up and still not have my fill.”
She snuggled closer as he traced small circles on her stomach, below her belly button. More tingles erupted, and her skin warmed at the intimate contact.
Wanting more, she groaned out, “Please.”
With a gentle chuckle, his hand trailed lower, teasing her as it moved across her hip, only to circle back up under her belly button. Taking his sweet time, he repeated the motion, over and over. Her stomach muscles clenched in response, her hips bucking back against the hard length behind her. Her hips moved away and a moan answered her. He gripped her hip tighter, pulling her against him once again.
Excitement filled her as he kissed down her neck, biting her softly before soothing it over with a light kiss. Needing more, she raised her arm back to encircle his neck. She gripped his hair, pulling him toward her. She needed to kiss him.
“Dashiel,” she moaned as he came closer. Wanting to see him, she tried to force her eyes open, but her heavy lids refused.
She lifted her lips, seeking his, and encountered his jaw. Kissing across it, she moved up his cheek, loving the feel of his light scruff. Teasing him in return, she kept her lips away from his. She kissed back down his cheek, moving towards his ear. She bit down and mimicked his move from moments ago, moving behind his ear, breathing in his scent. Sulfur mixed with a heady vanilla scent filled her nose.
New awareness awoke her befuddled brain.
It wasn’t Dashiel holding her, touching her. Alarmed, she rolled away from him, falling over the edge of the bed and onto the floor.
Away from his touch, the fogginess in her brain lifted, and her eyes opened. Devastation crashed through her. She wasn’t in her dorm room, back in her new bed. She was somewhere else in an unfamiliar bedroom.
From her vantage point, she couldn’t see all of the room, only black walls. Turning to her right, she took in the blood-red, silk sheets on the massive bed she fell out of. Hesitant to confront the creature on the bed, she rose up on her hands and knees, crawling forward. She hoped to get a layout of the room to help her figure out her location.
She peered around the bed’s iron frame. The stone fireplace, with a large hearth, encompassed the entire wall in front of her. The only other item in the room was a large mural on the wall to the left. When she took a closer look, she gulped in shock. Beings of all sizes and shapes draped their naked bodies around one solitary figure. Engaged in sexually depraved acts, they left nothing to the imagination.
She shuddered as she recognized the face in the mural. Velhar, in all his naked glory. The only known half-breed of his kind. Half incubus, half fire demon. One of the strongest demons in recorded history. He ruled his section of the underworld with an iron fist, showing no mercy to his enemies. His name inspired fear in all beings of the underworld. Evie had read about him during her last foray in Inian’s library.
Terror froze her in place when she realized who was on the bed with her, touching her. Panic threatened to consume her, and her chest tightened, the earlier blackness returning to seep within her vision. She balanced on the edge of darkness, on the verge of passing out.
“Easy, love.” The words, filled with his power, floated down from the bed to play a calming melody in her head. Instantly, her body obeyed, opening her lungs, forcing in air. The darkness receded.
With no other choices, Evie gathered her courage and stood, her back to the demon.
Glancing down, she took in the pink baby doll negligee she wore. It barely reached the tops of her thighs. The sheer top showed a hint of her nipples through the fabric. The rest of the outfit, fully transparent, hugged her curves, showcasing her body in full view. Her matching pink panties, with a small scrap of cloth in the front, turned into a thong in the back, leaving little to the imagination. With her back to the bed, she gave Velhar quite the show without even realizing it.
Mortification filled her, helping to stoke the anger that simmered under her fear. She turned to face the bed, hands on her hips, and glared at the being sprawled out, one arm under his head, lying on his pillow. The other hand idly stroked his naked chest, caressing up and down. The rhythmic motion instantly drew her eyes down as she tracked his hand.
Gorgeous in his human form, women easily fell under his influence. Long, jet-black hair spread out across the pillow behind him. His broad shoulders and the smooth plain of his chest tapered into ridges of muscle that outlined his stomach. Lower, a small trail of black hair traveled downward, begging her gaze to follow it to his narrow waist and hips.
He wore nothing besides a pair of silky black pajama pants, the kind with a string at the waist. She licked her lips in appreciation. At his groan, she glanced up into his handsome, smirking face.
“Like what you see, little one? Come back to bed, and you can touch all you want.” His eyes showed the truth of his words.
She shook herself, fighting off his influence. His greatest power was seduction, and he mastered it centuries ago.
His hand moved further down his body, and she gasped as waves of lust rolled through her body. Need instantly flared back to life, urging her to give into his invitation, dissolving her small resistance. She needed to speak before she succumbed.
“No!” She forced the word out.
Like a light flicking off, the warmth and lust he inspired disappeared, leaving her cold and desolate inside. Evie regained control of her body. By uttering her refusal, his power would not be able to capture her again that night, unless she allowed it.
Velhar stood from the bed, body stiff and eyes glowing red in rage. “Who taught you to fight my influence? No one should be aware of my interference.”
“T-there was a picture,” Evie stumbled out.
“Picture? What picture?” The demon scowled, fury still burning bright.
“A book in the library. About the history of demon marks. It mentioned you specifically because of your ability to mark a human through, uh, s-sexual intercourse.” Evie blushed as she spat out the last part.
“Interesting. I forgot books about me even existed. As long as no one else knows about me, my plans will not have to be altered.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I won’t tell anyone we spoke,” Evie hedged. She didn’t know where she was, but she’d agree to anything to return back home.
As Velhar chuckled, goose bumps rolled across her skin. “You lie so prettily. I wish we had more time. I would show you what I do to little girls who aren’t truthful with me. It would involve you chained up with that pert little ass in the air, ripe for a spanking.”
A picture formed in her head, her tied up, crying out as his hand roughly caressed her backside. Yearning blossomed, a longing deep in her core to taste what he offered. She stomped down on the desire, and kicked out her leg, striking out at the man in front of her. Her foot came into direct contact with his balls. He doubled over, roaring his displeasure.
“Quit trying to use your influence on me. It would be rape, and even you can’t be that despicable.”
Velhar regained his stance, holding himself. His eyes narrowed with anger, but he gave a grudging nod. “I was having a bit of fun. Most humans like to lose themselves to my influence. That way, there’s no guilt when they cheat, lie, steal, or even murder for me.”
“I’m not like most humans,” Evie ground out, appalled by her fellow humans. All for a moment of pleasure.
He regarded her silently before admitting, “No, you’re different. I don’t understand it. Most humans are corruptible. Everyone I’ve come in contact with has had a price.” He grabbed her hand. “Come, my little human. Sit with me, and I’ll explain why I commanded your presence.”
Chills crawled along her spine. Filled with trepidation, she wondered what new methods he would use to try to coerce her to accept his seduction. One of the beauties of magic, he could not take her unwillingly. Consent needed to be given.
A noise to her left drew her attention, and she watched in fascination as a doorway formed within the wall. A moment later, another male walked in, also naked from the waist up. Not in pajama pants like Velhar, but in loose fitting jeans.
“You called, Master?” The man bowed low, his eyes on the floor.
“Yes, Luther. I sent Quinton to the human realm to retrieve Evie for me. I gave him express orders not to harm her. He failed. Seek him out, and bring him back to face punishment.”
“As you desire, Master.” The man bowed even lower, his head and torso almost parallel with his legs. As he rose to walk out, he gave Evie a quick grin and a flirty wink.
Velhar sashayed over to a settee in front of the fireplace. A settee Evie swore wasn’t in the room when she first inspected it. He patted the seat beside him and waited until she joined him.
“You looked cold. Since you won’t allow me to warm you, I thought this the next best thing,” the confusing demon offered.
Evie tried, knowing instinctively her request would go unfulfilled. “You could let me get dressed.”
“Why would I do that? Your delectable body was made to be put on display. Why you hide it under those deplorable hooded things is beyond me.” He ogled her, his eyes running up and down. “Such beauty should be celebrated, not hidden away like some catholic nun repressing even a hint of her sexuality.”
Evie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. The heat in his gaze rekindled, and she didn’t want to encourage him. “You said you would explain why I was brought here? And where are we, anyway?”
Huffing out a disgruntled complaint, he turned away from her. The area stilled around them. Shadows, which danced upon the walls around them, stopped mid-motion and the room held its breath, waiting for him to speak.
“Needing to speak with you, I pulled you into the dream realm. Your physical body is back in your dorm room, safely tucked away in bed. As for why I brought you here, it’s simple. Something unnatural has occurred on the earthen plane.” As he shifted back in his seat, motion resumed in the chamber. “Something is affecting my world. A demon is living in your realm, one who has gathered enough power to transcend into a higher being. With this new power, he plans to wipe out the Surmata. I cannot let that happen.”
“Why? I mean, why do you care about the Surmata?” Evie leaned closer to the fire, trying to combat the sudden chill that consumed her body.
“I don’t care about the earthen realm. I only care about mine. If the Surmata were to be killed off and the whole race annihilated, the consequences to my realm would be far reaching. My kind, regardless of power levels, would be allowed to run amok. This possibility threatens my power base.”
“Okay. You’re protecting the Surmata for selfish reasons,” Evie mused. “That makes more sense than the thought of you being altruistic.”
“You are quite smart for a human. I like that in a woman.”
Evie rolled her eyes and continued like he didn’t interrupt. “Why am I here?”
“Easy, little human. You are my weapon against my unseen enemy. I gave you the gift of sight. Too bad you don’t remember the encounter with Luther.”
“What are you talking about?” Confusion filled her. She knew with certainty she’d never met the half-naked man who called Velhar master.
“In time, you will remember. Speaking of time, we are out of it. One of your mates is searching his dreams for you. If you don’t make an appearance, he’ll realize something’s wrong and come looking for you.”
Velhar stood and offered Evie his hand. She took it without question. “What mate? And who’s searching for me?”
“Never mind, little one. You fought off my influence before I could finish healing your physical body of the injuries you sustained. There must not be any trace of Quinton’s presence. You won’t remember this visit. Not until the time is right. I’ll use your mate’s dream and the lust it generates to heal your remaining wounds. It will offer me enough power to mentally cross over the realms momentarily.” He smiled down at her, his eyes alight with power. “This will not hurt a bit. In fact, your mate is particularly randy tonight. I think you will quite enjoy yourself.”
With a brief flash of light, Evie fell into darkness once again.