Demon Spelled (27 page)

Lyx ducked and slashed, severing the archangel’s Achilles heels on both feet. Michael crashed to his knees, his sword-less hand breaking his fall. Otherwise, he’d have face planted the floor.

Foe defeated, Lyx was unsatisfied. He’d wanted a long, drawn-out fight to alleviate his anger. Lyx calmly approached the fallen male from behind. He pried the
angelblade
from his fingers. “You won’t need this any longer.” He’d gift it to the only other angel he knew—at least part angel…Sanja. “Admit to your defeat.”

“Never.” The archangel panted.

In response to Michael’s defiance, Lyx slashed him with his claws. Deep gouges were left along the skin of his chest. The wounds would take months to heal in Heaven, but they would be minor compared to what the
raptors
did to him. Lacerations on his arms exposed bone, while his legs were a mess of sinew and blood. Lyx’s hands and forearms were bloody from the altercation. The warmth of Michael’s blood splattered Lyx’s chest and both cheeks and Lyx bellowed a victorious cry.

Using the
angelblade,
Lyx sheared off one wing.

Bowing his back, Michael screeched and reached for the area where his severed wing once joined his body.

Lyx kicked the detached wing into Michael’s view.

“One down….” No need to say more when Michael knew the remainder of his implication. The other wing would be next.

The archangel tried to crawl toward the
zingline
in a cowardly attempt to run back home. He left a trail of yellow blood across the black floor. If he reached his destination, he’d be able to teleport from the room.

Lyx followed, his boots hollow thumps on the flooring. He allowed Michael the feeble moments of hope because there was no way Lyx would allow him too close to the
zingline
.

Jakira stopped his pitiful escape before Lyx had a chance. She buried a stiletto into the angel’s hand, which elicited a whimper.

Michael collapsed at her feet.

She wrapped her taloned fingers around his neck and lifted his upper body off the floor as much as he could elevate with his hand pinned by her foot.

She assessed him for a long while, her gaze cold and calculated. “Admit your defeat, and I’ll have Lyx spare the other wing.”

“Father will annihilate you, you demon whore!” Michael spit in her face.

“Foolish, prideful archangel. Two sins not tolerated by your Father.” Her black, starry-eyed gaze lifted to Lyx’s. “Finish him, Lyx.”

No further encouragement needed, Lyx separated the other wing from the angel’s back, slowly sawing the feathers off.

Michael screamed and struggled, but Jakira had worked her magic again, holding him motionless.

When the golden wing was free, Lyx flung it aside. Blood soaked the angel’s clothing, but Lyx wasn’t finished with him yet. He buried his talons into the angel between his shoulder blades and dragged them downward, stopping at the base of his spine, leaving his spinal column exposed. Standing over the fallen and beaten male, a foot on either side of the man’s hips, Lyx leaned closer and said, “I didn’t kill you, my record remains at one hundred thirty one thousand, one hundred and thirteen angels fallen to these instruments of justice.” He clacked his claws in the angel’s face and then strode away.

“Lyx?” Jakira called just as he realized he should’ve teleported away instead of going for the door.

He halted his stride and swiveled just enough to peer at her.

“You’re fucking sexy in action.” The shine in her eyes said she meant it too. “Too bad your sex-slave missed it.”

Somehow he knew Sanja would’ve been horrified by his ruthless actions. Not thinking about the blood coating him, he vanished to Troz and Sanja.

THE TERROR OF
reliving the memory of meeting her father had Sanja clinging to Troz like a koala bear at the top of a weak tree limb in hurricane-force winds. On some level she was aware Lyx had forced the recollection, but his influence wasn’t what bothered her. Rather her mother had stolen the event from her mind and they had never spoken of it again.
That
troubled her the most. She could understand Sybil’s reason for easing her through the difficult time initially, but how could she continue the lie for so many years? Had she even planned to tell Sanja the truth about her father? About herself?

Lyx startled her with his comment, “She’s an elemental witch.”

Troz’s grip tightened on her.

She already suspected he was in her skin where his hands touched her flesh. Lyx’s tone was so calm, collected, but the quality of death in the even inflections couldn’t be dismissed. What angered him? That she was a witch—couldn’t be because they’d already insisted she was one. Then what? “Fire witch to be exact. I’ll show you the rest later, but in the meantime, get her to safety.”

With no further instructions, Troz teleported them back to his bedroom. Even though her tears were drying up, and she realized they had no plans of handing her over to her freaky-scary father or the Queen, she still clung to him. Her human-like demon sat on the sofa with her cradled in his arms.

“Fairy!” The vibration of the word rumbled from his chest to her ear. Fairy must’ve appeared because he said, “A glass of
shelan
.” A few moments lapsed before he shifted and kissed her head. “Drink this, angel.”

Sanja leaned back enough to peek up at him. Troz indicated the liquor by tapping the glass with a talon. “Drink up.”

She licked her lips and tasted the salt from her tears. “What is it?”

“It’ll calm your nerves.” He pushed the glass to her mouth and tilted the glowing, blue flame liquor. When she tried to shake her head and would’ve reminded him she didn’t ingest spirits, he said, “I won’t take no for an answer.”

Like always, he removed the choice. With no hesitation, she downed the liquid and sputtered over the brew’s coldness as it created an icy path to her stomach.

Wasn’t expecting that
!

Coughing she covered her mouth with the back of her hand as he tossed the goblet on the cushions.

“We left Lyx. Shouldn’t we have stayed so you could help him?” Her voice sounded rough. Her throat still tickled from the liquor, and she fought against another set of racking coughs. “My—” No way would she call him her father. “That man could hurt him.” He’d terrified her half to death when she’d been twelve.

“Trust me, Lyx has this under control.” Troz brushed hair off her wet cheeks and wedged the strands behind her ears. “He’s extremely skilled at warfare. I’d get in the way with my politician skill-set. Jakira could micromanage Michael if she wanted, but I’m positive she’ll allow Lyx to execute justice. The one you should be concerned for is your father.”

“He’s not my father.” She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand again, her tongue slightly numb. “Donating DNA does not constitute one as a parent.”

In studious silence, Troz wiped the tears off her face with his thumbs. Holding her gaze, he licked the moisture from one of them. There was something so sensual about his actions, but she couldn’t explain why.

“He’ll never hurt you again.”

Sanja believed him. Not because Lyx was probably hurting Michael at this very moment. There was a sincerity about him she’d recognized from the beginning, something innate that she’d picked up on. As a youth, she’d realized her father held nefarious intentions toward her. He hadn’t needed to tell her his purpose—she’d sensed his disreputable objectives because he hadn’t come to catch up on old times. Love hadn’t been on his agenda. Still wasn’t.

Without thinking through her actions, she turned, straddled Troz’s thighs, and kissed him. As she ran the tip of her tongue along his bottom lip, his fingers clenched her hips. She thrust into his mouth, and he allowed her to control the embrace as their tongues united.

I need to be closer so I can feel him
. But she needed to know Lyx was okay too.

Sanja wrapped her arms around Troz’s neck and plastered her breasts against his chest. The material of her shirt was so thin she could feel the heat of him against her skin. Danger hadn’t really come to her door today, but she felt like doom had surfaced. Because of that she needed to confirm her demons weren’t harmed, to remind herself they were hers, and having Troz and Lyx inside her would go a long way in settling her alarm.

Sanja hoped Lyx returned soon so she could determine the status of his health.

She rubbed against Troz, and her nipples tightened at the friction. Moisture pooled between her thighs. Without panties, the fabric of her pantaloons clung to her intimately.

“Thank you,” she whispered against his mouth when she finally severed their kiss.

“For what?” His left thumb made swirling motions on her skin.

Forcing me to see an entirely different side of life.
Strange how her life felt fuller now, in a demonic realm, than it ever had in her human existence. “Caring about me. Protecting me.”

“You’re
ours
.” His palm dove into her hair, and he gripped her by the back of the head. “Of course we care for you and will protect you.”

Few had ever loved her and only her mother and Tera had ever cared enough to protect her. Now she had her very own demons she could count on.

“It is done.”

Startled by Lyx’s abrupt statement, she executed a high-pitched squeal.

Troz released his hold as she wrenched around in his lap.

Lyx was covered in yellow.

Blood
?

She didn’t realize she’d spoken the word aloud until Lyx said, “Not mine.”

The substance speckled his face, covered his arms to his elbows, and his chest was smeared with the gory stuff.
Jesus Christ Almighty
, he wore so much of it he looked as if he’d bled the angel dry.

She contemplated him. Noted he flaunted a set of horns she’d never seen before.

Sexy
.

His horns rose straight up from his scalp, only curving once they reached the tips. Dark purple like his talons, but they possessed lavender circles, reminding her of the rings that told the age of a tree. Seeing no evidence of injury, she opened her mouth to ask if he bore any. Before she could get a syllable out, he snatched her off Troz’s lap and crushed her to his chest.

The cool wetness of the blood transferred to her body, but it’d take more than a little bit of blood to make her squeamish. Sybil used the substance for various spells, so she’d been around it a lot. To discover her demons weren’t what she predicted was difficult to process. She would’ve expected torture from Troz, not Lyx, especially with his broodiness, while Lyx seemed so open and approachable. To discover they were the opposite of the personalities they showed her, messed with her head a little.

Sanja wrapped her arms around Lyx’s neck as he anchored her to him with an arm clamped about her lower back. Using his free hand, he tangled his hand in her hair until her scalp stung. Angling her head to his satisfaction, he glared at her, his orange eyes flashing with purple prisms…another nuance she’d not witnessed before now.

“You’re emotions are out of control?” With the new attributes—horns and eye color—it was all she could gather.

“Yes.” As she watched, his horns elongated and curled like a ram’s. “You fucking thought we allowed Jakira to inspect you for purchase. That we’d allow you to leave with your father?” The bland tone of his voice warred with his obvious ire. That intimidated her. This wasn’t the Lyx she thought she knew, but rather a demon she
could
see brutalizing her father.

“I—I’m sorry.”
Lame
. But she couldn’t help her insecurities. They’d been built on a lifetime of experience.

Lyx said something in demon, sounding pissed off.

Her belly cramped with unease, strong enough she feared she’d vomit.

Troz replied in the same language. His breath puffed against her shoulder, indicating he’d drawn closer. They carried on the conversation for several moments.

“I warned you the next time I had to repeat myself—that we won’t ever release you—I’d discipline you,” Lyx suddenly switched to English. “I’m going to spank you for doubting us.”

The shaking began immediately, starting in her knees and working upward. She wished they hadn’t reverted back to English. Had this been what they discussed in their strange tongue?

Yeah, he’d warned her not to question their commitment to her. But that’d been five or six days ago. Not that she could help her self-doubts. A lifetime of reinforcement had taught her individuals seldom lived up to their word.

“Don’t,” Lyx said when she opened her mouth to argue. “Don’t even think about protesting your punishment or I’ll add more swats to your backside.”

The caress of Troz’s talons hooked beneath the back of her shirt, and in one stroke the material ripped. He tugged the garment aside. Her pants followed and were yanked away.

“You were forewarned of the consequences.” Her purple demon released his grip on her hair and palmed her cheek. Gentleness from his touch and gaze overwhelmed her with emotion. She’d upset him with her doubt, but the incongruity of his demeanor baffled her. How could he be angry with her and tender at the same time?

Lyx palmed her ass. “You’ll accept your punishment because you wish to
please
me.”

These big hands swatting her backside, she couldn’t imagine how painful the chastisement would be.

“I do wish to please you and Troz both.” Her voice wavered, humiliating her with the evidence of her weak disposition. “But not even as a child was I spanked. And I cannot help what I think.”

“Bullshit!” Did the purple prisms spark brighter in Lyx’s eyes? She thought they did. They testified to his anger.

“To think I
worried
for you while you faced my father alone!”
Oh, gawd, I just screamed at Lyx
.

Troz spoke against her shoulder, “Sanja, do not prod the angry bear. Isn’t that your people’s saying?”

Not quite the saying but close, and she got his point. Didn’t mean she could adhere to his advice. They were talking about perpetrating violence against her person, and she’d told them she was a baby when it came to pain.
Okay, except for when they make me come with pain. That’s heavenly.

“Accept the chastisement graciously.”

Graciously? Fuck them both! “I thought I deserved a reward from you both for pleasing you?”

“San—”

She interrupted Lyx before he could say more. “Swap the reward for the punishment.”

“No.” That sounded like an unyielding ‘no’.

Her nerves soared higher. Panic teased the edges of her mind. “But, Lyx—”

“No.” Oh, yeah, the prisms ate up all the orange in his eyes. “You won’t learn your lesson that way.”

“If you’d stop reading my mind, this wouldn’t be an issue.”

“You invite me in when you project everything. Thoughts and emotions. You give it all to me for free.” He got in her face, going nose-to-nose with her, the quietness of his voice alarming. “I cannot ignore them, goddamn it!” She opened her mouth to plead if necessary, but he talked over her. “When I’m done, your ass will be red. Do you wish to add five more swats to your spanking? Because that’s what one more argument will get you. I tolerated the screaming solely because I feel your fear. I won’t abide further insubordination. Got it?”

The assurance of further violence gained her attention in a way all their arguing hadn’t. She snapped her mouth shut, her teeth clicking together.

“Good girl.” He swung her into his arms, and she buried her face in his neck, trying to hide from her inevitable fate. It wasn’t like she could control her thoughts, but maybe she had bought into these fears too much. They’d purchased her to bear their children. Selling her less than a month later would’ve been counterproductive and pointless in buying her to begin with.