Demons Amongst Us (The Book of Demons Saga #2) (9 page)

That word got him.  Well, that word and the pleading in Alexandra’s voice.  He never wanted to harm or disappoint her, and now was no exception.  Besides that, he really did not want to listen to her berating him for killing this inconsequential human for the next who knows how long until she got over it.  He opened his hand and Gary fell to the ground, gasping for his breath.

“What are you?” was all he could manage to choke out as he looked up at Balthazar.  He scrambled away from the imposing demon lord, scooting back on the floor.  Balthazar cracked his knuckles as he glared down his nose at the guard, flashing his fangs for added impact.

“You should thank the girl for your life,” Balthazar said. 
As he turned around he noticed the scowl marring Alexandra’s face as she glared at him from beside the jewel case.

“Stop calling me that,
” she bit out.  Of all the times, Balthazar was choosing now to irritate her, and she was not going to stand for it. 

“That’s what you are,” he said,
appearing just beside her.  “But we do not have time to argue about such things.  That human is likely going to raise an alarm.”

A
lex looked over his shoulder in the direction the security guard had occupied just moments before, and seeing him now gone, her heart sank into her stomach.

“We’re going to jail,” she whimpered, her face devoid of all
color and her eyes wide as the realization hit that they were in deep trouble now.  Her innocent fear made Balthazar want to laugh.

“Have you learned nothing
?” he said, as he looked down at her with a smirk.  His arm wrapped around her waist as his fist busted through the glass case of the Hope Diamond display and grabbed the jewel. 

A
screeching alarm rang out through the room.  Balthazar was not prepared for the assault to his overly sensitive ears and dropped the necklace, his lips curling into a snarl as his hands flew up to cover his ears.  Footsteps sounded from just outside the room, signaling the arrival of the security team that would be taking them away to jail.

Alexandra’s eyes darted around the room, her mind working frantically to
find an escape.  She saw the glittering chunk of diamond on the floor by her feet and she knew there was only one way out of this sticky situation.  If they were caught, it wasn’t just her life and freedom that would be forfeited.  Balthazar was something not of this world, not human.  He would be a scientific oddity, no doubt kept in some lab and tortured with endless experimentations.  She could not let that happen to him.  There was only one course of action that could save them from such a fate, but she had no idea how she was going to pull it off.

Balthazar could do nothing but try helplessly to shield his delicate senses. 
He had no idea what was going on, but through the haze of pain he felt, he could sense Alexandra’s heavy distress, and he knew he was the cause of it.  He tried to push the unbearable squealing in his ears aside and concentrate on helping Alexandra, on getting them safely out of here with the diamond.  He could see a plan forming in her mind, and when her eyes fell on the diamond he knew what she was thinking.  He saw the hesitation and fear on her face.  She was afraid she could not do it, but he knew she could.  He had seen the strength that lay beneath the surface of her clumsy, unsure exterior.  She only needed a little encouragement.

“Do it,” he growled out.  Her eyes snapped up to him and her mouth opened as if she was about to say something.

“You can do it,” he interrupted her protest prematurely, anticipating her fears.  “I have faith in you, Alexandra.”

That was all she needed to hear.  She snatched up the diamond and closed her eyes, holding the necklace tight to her chest.  Her mind was racing, with fear and doubt, but she forced it clear.  She concentrated on only one thing, pushing the chaos unfolding around her aside.  A slight tickle grew from her core and began to radiate out from her.  The diamond began to heat in her hand.  There was a brilliant flash of blue light and then nothing but darkness.

Alex could hear muff
led voices somewhere in the background of her hazy mind.  She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt like they were weighed down with bricks.  Her hands reached out, feeling silk beneath her fingertips. 

“She is waking,” Alex heard a very familiar voice saying, “
fetch my son.”

“But my lady,” another
familiar voice said, “the Lord Sultan…”

“I am aware of the decree,” the familiar voice cut in, “do as I say.”

“Yes, my lady,” the other voice said before Alex heard footsteps echoing off the walls in the growing distance. 

Alex tried again to open her eyes, prying her lids up with all the force s
he could muster.  The light in the room made her immediately shut them again, but the spell of deep sleep had been broken.  When her eyes finally focused she saw the beautiful face of Lady Carolina, looking down at her with concern, her crystal blue eyes.  She was in the massive private apartment of the harem.  Pink marble lined the walls that reached to the high, wood beam ceiling.  Lengths of fine silk were draped strategically to decorate and separate the apartment into various sections.  Thick multi-colored feather stuffed cushions littered the floor around low tables perfect for light conversation. 

“You are finally awake,” Carolina said with a warm smile that showed the tips of her fanged canines, “my son will be pleased.”

“Lady Carolina,” Alex greeted her with a smile, truly happy to see the Sultana again.  “Where is Balthazar?”

“Alexandra,” Carolina’s voice turned suddenly chastising, her smile dropping, “You must remember to address my son with his proper title.”

“Of course,” Alex said with a smile and a roll of her eyes.  She wouldn’t get into the fact that while they were in her world, he had become quite accustomed to her simply calling him by his name.  “Where is Lord Balthazar?”

“I’m afraid he is no longer the Lord Sultan,” Carolina sai
d, and a hint of a frown crossing her regal face

“Is he ok?” Alex said, shooting up in the bed.  Her sudden concern for Balthazar made Carolina want to smile.  “What happened?”

“He is fine,” Carolina said, her elegant, manicure clawed hand patted at Alexandra, soothing herself as much as Alex.  “However, he is only a prince again.”

“I don’t understand,” Alex said, her face still twisted in confusion.

“His grandsire has returned,” Carolina began to explain.  “And a Lord Sultan rules until his death.  Lord Ashdad is the rightful ruler, and until his death, Prince Balthazar will remain only a prince.”

“Oh no,” Alex said, her eyes searching Carolina for
comfort.  She knew how much this must hurt Balthazar’s pride, and she felt a sting in her own chest at the thought. 

“Where is he?” Alex asked softly.

“I have sent for him,” Carolina said, “but I am afraid you will not have much time together.  Lord Sultan Ashdad has decreed that you two be separated.  He insists the bonding process begun between you two be broken.”

“No,” Ale
x said, shaking her head, “he can’t do that.”

Even though Alex was not yet ready to complete their bond, it had given her an odd amount of pleasure to know that one day they would.  She had never really thought about any guy in that way, but Balthazar stirred something so deep inside her that she just could not lose it now.  And she knew nobody would ever match up to him and the way he made her feel. 

“I’m afraid he can,” Carolina said, “and he has.  You know how things work here, Alexandra.  There is nothing any of us can do.  If the Lord Sultan gives us an order, we must obey.”

“But you sent for Balthazar,” Alex said, “
you disobeyed him.”

“And I am sure I will face dire consequences for such an act,” Carolina said.  She saw the concern for her flash across Alexandra’s face. 

“Do not worry about me, girl,” Carolina said with a forced smile.  “I am still the Sultana.  My punishment may be severe, but I will survive.”

“But I don’t understand,” Alex said
.  She felt like she had woken up into a nightmare.  “Why would he make us separate?  That doesn’t make any sense.”

“It
does not have to,” Carolina said, with a sigh.  “He is the Lord Sultan.  His will is incontestable.”

“I don’t care,”
Alex said as she tossed the sheets off of her and scooted out of the thick feather bed.  “We have a major problem, and I can’t solve it without Balthazar.”

“Prince Balthazar,” Carolina said, correcting Alex with a small scowl.

“It is alright, mother,” Balthazar said as he entered the room, catching the last bit of the conversation.  He too was not pleased with his grandsire’s decision.  It did not sit right with him for a variety of reasons.  In fact, there were a lot of things that Ashdad had done that did not sit right with him. 

“I will leave you two to talk,” Carolina said, rising from the cushion she had occupied beside the bed in her private apartments.  “But hurry.  I suspect it will not be long before Lord Ashdad g
ets word of this and puts an end to it.”

“Balthazar,” Alex said with a relieved smile as she threw her arms around his neck.  His hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer to him.  He breathed in her scent deeply, the smell of his favorite fruit that tinted her scent bringing an added measure of comfort. 

“I am relieved you are awake,” he mumbled with his nose in the crook of her neck.

“How long have I been asleep?” she asked pulling back from him to look at his face.

“Three days,” he replied as he pulled her back into him.  He wasn’t yet ready to let her go.  He knew Ashdad would be here shortly to separate them and he wanted to feel her in his arms for as long as he could.

“Why did Ashdad separate us?” Alex asked, hugging him back.  Balthazar reluctantly released his grip on her with a sigh.

“My grandsire is not what he seems,” Balthazar said.  Alex could see the consternation behind his eyes when he spoke and it worried her.  “He has done many things that I cannot understand.”

“I’m sorry,” Alex said, receiving a questioning look from Balthazar, “about the Lord Sultan thing.  I know how much it meant to you.”

“I will be Lord Sultan,” Balthazar said.  “That is not what concerns me.”

“What is it?” Alex asked.  Although Balthazar always hid his emotions well, she had come to understand him, and she could tell when he was upset about something. 

“I have only a concern for my kingdo
m,” Balthazar said.  “I am not sure that is the case with my grandsire.”

“Wh
at has he done?” Alex asked him, her concern growing. 

“Hasan’s honor has been restored,” Balthazar said, his eyes glowing with anger at the mention of such a thing.  “He disrespected my father, Ashdad’s own son, and yet he once again walks among the princes, sharing the same title as I.”

Even though Alex had sympathy for Hasan the last time she was here, he had helped in her kidnapping and she had seen him for what he truly was.  She knew he didn’t even deserve his life, much less to be in the same category as Balthazar. 

“Have you tried to talk to him?” Alex asked, thinking maybe there had just been some misunderstanding.

“Of course,” Balthazar said, “he will not listen.  He believes he is correcting my mistakes.  He believes that you will be safer away from my side.”

The last words sent a
rush of pain through both of them.  They had been through so much together, had grown so close over the last few weeks, that neither one wanted to be apart for any length of time, much less forever. 

“He can’t tell me what to do,” Alex said,
putting her hands on her hips, her eyes hardening as determination flashed across her face.

“Alexandra,” Balthazar said, grabbing her face with his hand.  He paused, wanting to tell her so badly to be careful with her words, but
he was stunned by her beauty in that moment.  She was so defiant, in everything she did.  It did not matter who she faced, she was fearless.  And he loved her for that.  His lips captured hers in a forbidden kiss as his arm snaked around her slender waist and pulled her to his body.  She molded easily to his muscular form, accepting his kiss and fighting against his lips with her own.  His hand tangled in her hair and he tried to pull her even closer than she already was.  He could sense Ashdad approaching and he knew they had such precious little time remaining.  He intended to use that time memorizing every nuance of her sinfully perfect touch.

Alex pulled away from him for a moment, wanting to look into his eyes, wanting to say something, but Balthazar would not have it.  He pulled her hungrily back to him, his tongue parting her lips and seeking passage into her
mouth.  There was nothing she could do but comply.  He intoxicated her, awakening her desires, and she wanted nothing more than to be in that moment with him. 

Balthazar wanted to groan as his nose caught the smell of Alexandra’s arousal floating around the room like a thick fog.  His inner beast scratched at the cage he had it in, wanting to be freed, wanting to take over and take Alex right there, the consequences be damned.  He finally pulled himself away from her, a heavy pant passing his lips as he tried to suppress his own growing desire.  As he looked down at Alex, her lips swollen and wet from his vigorous attention, eyes half-lidded, and a light pant of her own, he knew he would do anything he had to.  He would have her, even if it meant defying his grandsire.  A fierce growl ripped through the columned halls of Carolina’s apartment snapping the lovers out of their
passion induced haze.