I couldn’t bring myself to sleep; Thane clouded my thoughts.“Still thinking about him?” Daemon asked. We both knew who he was referring to.“No.” I lied. “I can tell when you are lying.”“What difference does it make? It's not like you will let me go to him.”“And what if I can?”“Vox wouldn’t let you.” I stated."You know, I have never truly been a 'free' creature. Every time I feel as though I’ve achieved it, I realize I am still in servitude."“It had been from Jade to Bruce and then… Vox.” I said to him, and he nodded in agreement.“I want to ask you a question, and I need a genuine answer from you. When I was gone with Jade, you knew what was going to happen to me. Did you at any moment regret your decision? Did you ever think about me?”I was silent for a long while. “Daemon, I…”“Just answer the question.”“You want an answer, then it’s ‘No:. I never regretted my decision; I never thought about you—at least not in the way you think.”“Do you hate me, Riley?”“I sometimes beli
Tears welled up in my eyes the moment I spotted Thane. For a moment I thought he was dead, but then I noticed the slight rise and fall of his chest. His facial hair was a bit more grown. I spotted the remains of food they must have kept for him, but knowing him, he would never eat anything from them; he would rather die, and that’s what was happening: Thane was dying. I fell to my knees beside him and managed to lift his body. He was cold, very cold. I immediately pulled off my jacket and wrapped it around him. “Thane!” I cried, but he didn’t seem to hear me. “Thane!” I cried louder, and finally he stared at me. “How… how…” “Don’t speak. I brought you food.” . Only when he was done eating did I speak up. “I’m sorry; I wish I could have done something.” “Are you alright?” He asked; I couldn’t believe him; I should be asking him that question. “I am going to get you out of here, Thane. I promise you.” “Riley, it’s better you stay put. You will get hurt if you make any rash dec
Daemon stood before me, furious. I crawled away from him. “Don’t touch me.” I warned, but the Daemon I knew was gone, and the monster—the demon—was all I could see. “I’m going to hurt you, Riley, and this time, you deserve it.”A kick to my abdomen sent me flying through the air, and I crashed into the wall with a cry. He walked to me, taking deliberate steps. I aimed for his ankle, trying to make him lose his balance, but he didn’t even flinch at my strike. He picked me up by the hair, his grip firm, no doubt I would lose a few strands. I head-butted him; dark blood poured down his nose, but he didn’t seem to notice that. He slammed me face-first into the jagged cave wall, and I crumpled to the ground.Blood dripped down my face. I curled into a ball as my vision blurred—maybe from the tears, or maybe from the blood.He picked me up once again, this time by the arm, and in a matter of seconds we were back in our room.“Take a bath, wash up. I have work to attend to.”With that he w
“So the Lycan’s curse, it was never real?” I asked her, and she nodded, wiping the tears off her face. Despite everything, I couldn’t bring myself to feel even a tinge of sympathy for her; Thane had been like a brother to Axel, and yet…Maybe I was just being unreasonable; I mean, if I had been placed in her place and Thane or Ethan’s life was at stake, wouldn’t I do anything to get them back?“No, it wasn’t,” she answered.If this was the truth, then why didn’t Thane tell me any of these? It could be possible that he knew nothing about it yet, or maybe he kept it away from me because he didn’t want me getting involved. He wanted me safe, but he was wrong. I wasn't safe with Daemon; I had lost his trust and gained his hatred.“Why should I believe you?”Everyone seemed to be a traitor; I didn’t know who to believe and who not to, but one thing was clear: I had no choice, and so I was ready to stake it all.“So many times, I have wanted to tell you the truth…”“Like back in the garden?
Daemon’s hands slipped down my hips; I felt like I had been placed under some kind of spell. My mind knew the right thing to do, but my body… my body was under his spell. Tears streamed down my eyes; this reminded me of time I'd spent under Bailey's control, when I knew what I wanted, but I had no control over my own body. His bite had never had this powerful influence on me, and I guess this was all thanks to Vox.I knew for a fact that right now, if he touched me, if he… did more than just ‘touching,’ I wouldn’t be able to fight him. What I felt now, it was natural, and I hated it. His hand slipped into my pants pocket, and before I could understand what he was doing, he pulled away. He held the piece of paper Pricilla had earlier passed to me in his hands.“I’ll always be one step ahead of you, Riley.”“Is not what you think.”“It’s not?” he asked, and I shook my head. “Then what is it?”“It's nothing.”“If it’s nothing, then you wouldn’t mind this.”In a flicker the paper caught
I didn’t like the fact that Vox chose the garden for our meeting. This was Riley’s spot. “Vox. Welcome back.” I said to him, I didn’t need to place a fake smile on my lips. Demons weren’t like humans; they couldn’t be easily deceived with falsities. I didn’t like Vox being in this pack either; I couldn’t control him—actually, it was the other way around; he controlled me, and I hated being under another’s control. Of course it always feels exciting at the beginning, but then all of a sudden… it’s just not.“I can see you have not done as I asked. Perhaps you still need more time?”“I have been a bit occupied.” I answered.“With what, if I may ask? Could it have been your little trip?”“What trip?”“You visited the Lycan, didn’t you?” he asked, and I gave no response. “She made you do it.” He added, it wasn’t a question; he was simply stating facts.“It was a mistake that won’t repeat itself.”“I do not believe you. The queen seems to have you wrapped around her finger. You will have
RILEYI waited until Daemon left before taking the crumpled paper out of the drawer.If he had given even a single glance at the piece of paper he had set on fire, he would have known it wasn’t the right one. It was pure luck that he had searched the wrong pocket. I too had believed it was all over. It wasn't until I had unconsciously dipped my hand into my pocket did I realized it was still there—the portion of the map Pricilla had given me was still there, and that meant there was still a chance. I could find Thane.I was well aware of what Daemon could do if he discovered I had escaped but if I did find Thane, then it would be worth it...Two days. That’s how long it took for me to get to the first location. I had only managed to spot a small scrawny building but other than that, there was nothing else on the wide expanse of land. I had been about to continue on with the journey when I noticed the dim light coming from one of the windows in the building. Someone was in there.I wa
Logan seemed to be considering what Bella said as an option.“It would be easier to do that, but we have a lot on our table; we wouldn’t want a lovesick demon against us too.” He said, but Bella didn’t seem to agree to that. “I believe you can watch over her while I’m gone; she poses no threat — not with the toxin still in her system.”“I will be happy to watch over her.” Bella replied with a smile. She had changed— I noticed. All that had gone on between Thane and me had changed her, and now she was someone entirely different.The moment Logan left, Bella brought out a small dagger.“Killing me won’t be a wise option.” I reminded her.“Who said I am killing you?” she asked. She pointed the dagger at my throat. “It wouldn't hurt to leave a mark or two.” She brought the dagger closer to my collar and then she made a small cut, enough to draw blood. She smiled at the sight before going ahead to make an even deeper cut. “You know this is no fun when you aren’t in tears.”She stabbed the
Despite making it clear that I wanted him gone, he easily pushed past me and walked into my room. I slammed the door a bit too hard.“What! What is it you want to talk about?”“Would you listen?”“Well, you didn’t give me an option now, did you?”“Once you spoke about the both of us, leaving the pack behind and going far away… I couldn’t do that because of Vox, but with him gone…”“No.”“What do you mean, ‘no’?”“It is exactly what you think. I will not go anywhere with you.”“So you had said that only to… fool me?” he asked, the hurt clear in his eyes.“That had been why you didn’t aid Vox, hadn’t it? Because you believed that if he was dead, then there would be nothing in the way.” I asked, and his silence confirmed it.“I should have known. As long as Thane lives, there will be no space for another.” He said, and his eyes… They held a promise. He turned, heading for the door, but I blocked him.“You will not harm Thane.”“Of course.” He said, a smirk on his face. “I won’t.”I slamm
Bruce watched Jade; her eyes trailed to the amulet in his hands.“So what will it be now, Jade?”“I’ll have the Jewel back.”“I can’t give it to you; I have made a bargain with Vox. The life of my daughter, the queen, will be at risk if I do not have this at the time of Vox's return.” “There has to be another way.”“There is no other way.”“Then I’m sorry.” Jade says. It wasn’t wise to make an enemy of the sorceress, but he had made a promise to Riley; she would be disappointed if he failed her.He closed his eyes and muttered a spell. He didn’t want to hurt the sorceress, but he wanted her out of the way. The spell would only make her fall into a deep slumber; the moment this was over, she would awaken.He opened his eyes, only to see Jade unfazed. “I came prepared; I knew you wouldn’t be willing to give it up so easily.”The warlock didn’t expect the kick Jade had sent at him; she was never a physical person. She got him hard in the kneecap, and he had let go of the amulet, she us
“You must have thought me stupid. Do you for one moment think I didn’t have a backup?I might have had high hopes that you didn’t kill Ralph, but I was no fool; I know who you are and what you are good at. You don’t keep to your words, and so I made sure I was protected. There is a reason I have lived for so many years.” Jade says, the smile remained on her face, “I know how to stay alive.”Her eyes glowed.“I will send you to the otherworld, where you belong.”“No! Daemon, kill them all!” he commanded, but Daemon didn’t move an inch.“I did warn you; you are setting yourself up for destruction. You didn’t listen; you brought it upon yourself.”“I will return, I promise you… and when I do, every one of you will pay!” His words held a promise.“And how long will that take?” Daemon asked. “A century? Two? Three?” “The tendrils… They stop him from using any of his powers.” Jade explains, “Even Nexus herself has her favorites, and it turns out… you aren't one of her favorites.”Jade’s ey
RILEY’S POVBruce had pleaded with me to trust him. I wish I could; I wish his words were enough. But Seeing was believing. Still, I had no other choice; there was no way around it. It was either I play along, or I let Vox know that the amulet wasn’t in my keep—that would lead to my death or a punishment ‘much worse than death.’We had only a few hours left.A few hours, and Vox would be here, right outside Bruce's house. This decision was going to determine ‘everything.’. I tried to keep calm; I had to put on my big girl’s panties. Fear was no good in times like this; it didn’t let people think straight. I was a queen; it was time I showed it.Too soon, the time was up. Three days was spent.Vox was right on time, with Daemon by his side.I and Bruce stood by the doorway of his building.“We meet again, young warlock.” Vox says to Bruce.“Has the Demon Overlord decided that I have suffered enough for my crimes?”“No punishment would ever be adequate for the atrocities you committed.
I finally snapped back to my senses and joined him, placing my feet over Logan's chest to keep him from moving. Axel thrust the sword into his heart and twisted. “Now look who won’t be seeing the light of day.” I said to him as his eyes rolled to the back of his head.I turned to Axel, still astonished.“The warlock had opened the portal. I don’t know how I managed to get here, but I don’t have much time. I can feel it—the portal is about to shut.” Axel said.“Thank you.” I said to him, accepting the sword from his hands.“I can’t believe even in death, I’m still saving your ass; you need to give me a raise or something.” He demanded. The smile faded from his face almost instantly. “Riley—what about Riley? Did she survive?”“Yes, she did, and we have a child… His name is Ethan.”“Let me guess, you came up with the name?”“It was a joint contribution, but… yeah, I did.” “Make sense; Ethan is clearly a rewrite of your name, Thane.”“I didn’t have that in mind.”“Yeah, yeah.” I could
I picked up the sword and staggered to my feet.“I have dreamt of this day.” He began. “You were the brother who got everything he wanted; even the moon goddess was on your side, but I… I never got those things. Don’t you think I wanted them to? Don’t you think I wanted to stay away from the shadows and rule? Don’t you think I wanted my name spread abroad?”“It is not my fault you chose to be a coward; no one forced you into hiding, but you were afraid of your own shadow. I will always be willing to take the risk—because that’s what living means.”I was right; he knew it, and that maddened him. I watch the frown curve on his lips.His sword came at me, but I blocked it. He didn’t stop with the attack; he came at me again and again. I hated the feeling of weakness; I hated the fact that we were unmatched and I was lacking. I wasn’t as fast as I used to be, nor was I as strong, but I wasn’t giving up either.I managed to give him a nick in the shoulders.He growled, coming at me harder
THANE POVMy system slowly got accustomed to the pain the Lycan’s bane brought, or maybe I was just getting numb.I barely heard the footsteps approaching. It was Flynn; Slade followed next.“This is almost too sad to watch.” Slade began. “Watching a powerful man fall from grace is indeed sad; it reminds me of what I had to suffer.”I gave no response.“The time has come.” Flynn said, “He is weak enough; the ritual can be completed.”He placed down the brown bag he had brought along with him. He took out some bottles from the bag; I could only recognize one, the smaller bottle in the middle filled with a blackish liquid. I recognized it because that was the very same thing which had been continually administered to me from time to time. Lycan's Bane.“For Slade to take over your body, you will have to be killed. I will give you a minute. Do you have any last words?” He asked, eyebrows cocked at me.What was he expecting me to say? Perhaps I could make promises that I will get back at
“So… Do you have the amulet?” Daemon asked me as I got dressed.“Not exactly.”He was right in front of me in the next second, forcing me to take a step back. “You know you have to stop doing that.”“Riley, you don’t play games with Vox. He will have you killed, and for leading him on, he might exact a punishment worse than death on you.”“I know that.” I admitted, running my hands through my hair — something I had seen Thane do when he is agitated. “He says he has it.”“Who?”“Bruce.”“And you believe him?”“I don’t have an option.”“Stop saying that; you do—or at least you ‘did.’. You didn’t have to play hero; if you remained at the pack, Vox wouldn’t have any wish to kill you; you would have been safe.”“You are right; I did have an option.” I agreed. “Just not one I was willing to take.”He took a step back. “Have it your way then. You’ve always been stubborn.”I took a deep inhale. “I need your help.”“You need my help?” he asked, surprised by my statement.“Yes. Vox only gave
“Did you for one moment think about what would happen if things had gone the other way? – I mean, Vox could have killed you even before you had the chance to place a bargain.” Daemon said to me, and his worry for me still caught me by surprise.“Believe me, that did cross my mind more than once.”“And yet you were willing to risk it all for… him.”"Yes, I was," I answered, making myself comfortable in one of the office chairs. “Things are going to change, Daemon, and it will happen really, really fast.”“You seem so confident now; it looks like you’ve forgotten what I can do to you.”“No, I haven’t, but you see, Vox would want me alive now more than ever, so you can’t really kill me.”“I don’t have to kill you to have my fun.” He reminded me, a smile curved on his lips, exposing his fangs. I held back a shiver as the memory of how it felt when he bit me flashed past my mind. I had hated it because my body loved it; I hated it because I had no control, and he... Daemon was in full cont