3. Chapter Three

Jovie Rae Taylor always looked sinful when she dreamed.

As fascinating as she was when she was awake, I loved to watch her sleep. The slow, steady litany of her breaths fell around me as I lurked in the corner of the room, the same way I had every night for the last three years.

Ever since her essence pierced through the darkness and awakened my long-dormant bones, since the first whisper of her delicious sorrow called out through the universe and bid me to find her, she'd been mine. I might not have had the strength to cross completely into the mortal plane, but soon there would be nothing holding me back.

Each time she acknowledged me, I grew a little stronger, recharging the black magic infused into my cursed soul. It mended my rotting flesh, slowly reversing the toll a millennium in Hell had taken on my body. Every time I crossed her mind, I got a little closer to taking her, to claiming her, to ruining her.

Now that she'd seen me—truly seen me—it was only a matter of time before I had enough strength to cross through the veil separating our worlds. Hiding her pathetic mirror in the closet wouldn't save her. It wouldn't even slow me down. It had been a grueling three years to get to this point, suffering on the brink of starvation without ever being able to taste her, but I just needed to bide my time a little longer…

I moved across the room silently, not corporeal enough for my footsteps to make noise, and stood next to the narrow twin bed beneath the room's only window. Her skin was flawless and corpse pale in the moonlight slivers that slipped in through the blinds, her vibrant hair spread across her pillow like an infernal halo. Silver piercings glittered in her nose, eyebrows, and ears, making her look like a precious jewel herself.

So fucking stunning.

I threw my hood back and mentally traced her jawline, her cheekbones, and the curve of her lips, all features I'd painstakingly branded onto my memory. I'd seen every inch of her—more than once—without her having an inkling that she was being watched, and every inch of her was perfect.

Knowing it wouldn't work, I reached to brush my fingertips along the milky skin of her neck and trailed them down to her exposed collarbone. My digits were nothing but wisps of smoke that swirled and faded to nothing, but I imagined the warmth of her flesh against me nevertheless. It had been this way far too long, and being denied the touch of her skin only made me feral for more.

I wanted to trail my fingers over every inch of her body, squeezing her perfect thighs until dark bruises formed. I wanted to run my tongue along her every crevice, tasting her until she begged me to stop. I wanted to stuff her holes full of my cock, brutally fucking her until she was a sobbing, whimpering mess beneath me. I wanted to drink her sorrow and feast on her fear. I wanted to take what was left of her battered, broken soul and tear it from its mortal shell.

I wanted to devour her, destroy her.

My cock thickened at the thought of slowly ruining her, using what was left of her essence to sever my soul from Hell. It would only take one mortal, one disposable human to break the bond and set me free from my millennium old curse, and I would enjoy every second of it.

Jovie shifted on the bed, the tiniest moan slipping through her parted lips, and a growl rumbled in my throat.

Wretched depths.How I wanted to shove my cock into her delicate mouth, plunge it into her throat until the muscles convulsed around it. After she swallowed down my seed, I'd sink between the cradle of her thighs and bury my cock in her perfect pussy, filling her with cum.

At the thought, my cock swelled even more, straining against the front of my pants.

"Fuck," I hissed, knowing she couldn't hear me. Like my footsteps, the noise couldn't break through the barrier between our realms.

I could have faded, retreated back to the depths of Hell and found a willing demoness to get my dick wet, but that wasn't what I wanted. Nor would it have truly sated the bone-deep ache throbbing through me like a heartbeat if I'd had one. There was only one female who could quench the intense desire, and she currently laid before me, entirely unaware of my presence.

She stirred again, an unintelligible syllable passing her lips, and my gaze focused on her mouth. My cock gave a defiant twitch as thoughts of fucking her throat stirred to life again, and I shoved down the waistband of my black pants, freeing my rock hard erection. If I couldn't yet have her the way I wanted, I'd come to the thought of her, even if I knew the expended energy would drag me back to Hell. I wasn't strong enough to remain on this plane indefinitely, so I'd need to return to the blackest bowels of my prison to recharge afterward, but fuck I needed this.

Gripping my shaft, I squeezed and slowly pumped my hand, imagining I was fucking into Jovie's tender flesh instead. I imagined her tied up for me like a sacrifice, unable to fight as I drained the essence from her, begging me for mercy. Her screams would echo through the deepest chasms of Hell, but they would only fuel my feral need to claim every inch of her. Then, and only then, would I have the power I needed to cross into this realm.

It was the last step of many to escaping Hell forever.

I picked up the pace, shadows oozing out around me and dripping to the floor, swirling at my feet. Once I gained enough power, I fully intended to fuck her with them, watching as the dark magic filled every one of her orifices. I couldn't feel them, so it wouldn't be as good as fucking her with my cock or my tongue, but it would be incredible to watch. A delicate angel being ravaged by darkness.

My balls drew up tight as I neared the edge, the last image in my mind being of Jovie on her knees. Her pale pink lips were wrapped around my cock, tears in her eyes as I mercilessly fucked her face, and a growl tore from my throat.

I jerked and sent spurts of pearlescent cum spilling toward the floor, but they only evaporated into smoke when they hit the ground. Until I claimed Jovie, until I severed the bond chaining me to Hell, no part of me could remain in this world forever. That was my curse, the price I had to pay for my transgressions.

Relieved for the moment, I tucked my cock back into the fabric of my trousers and nearly stumbled. Just as I'd thought, the little bit of energy I'd wasted to sate my incessant need had been too much. I could already feel the drag of Hell tugging at my bones, threatening to tear me back into darkness if I didn't concede to the call.

Damn it.

There was nothing to do in my realm but wallow in the blackness, biding my time. After being trapped in Hell for thousands of years, the sweet, stinking heat didn't have the same appeal that it once had—not that it had ever been much to brag about. It was especially difficult to return now that I'd found my salvation, the mortal that would set me free from eternal damnation.

I had to leave to recharge, but I would be back. Soon, I wouldn't have to leave the mortal realm at all.

Soon, Jovie Rae Taylor would be dead and I'd be free of my curse.