9. Chapter Nine

My mortal surprised me, yet again.

I"d expected her to cower before me when I finally made my appearance, to cry, to scream, to soil herself in sheer terror. I"d been looking forward to it, imagining the moment for so long. I had everything perfectly planned. The only thing I hadn"t counted on was her falling short of my expectations.

Not only that, but she"d called for me. She knew I was there, lurking in the shadows, even if she didn"t understand why. Not even fear could destroy her curiosity or protective nature, which left me in awe.

Who knew someone left to rot in Hell was still capable of such emotions?

At first, I was disappointed by her lack of tears, but the sweet fear that bled from her made up for it all. I drank it in, even draining her until she lost consciousness, but it wasn"t enough for me to break through the veil and sever the magic binding me to hell.

I needed more, needed her blood on my hands. I needed to be free of my curse.

Freedom was so close I could taste it. A few more days of her obsessive thoughts and delicious fear would be enough. Then, I"d have the strength to break through the barrier separating our worlds.

I just had to be patient.

I"d waited a thousand years for this. A few more days were nothing but a blink of time in comparison.

Despite my disappointment, I couldn"t help but be impressed. My mortal was braver than she let on, a fire within her burning like an inferno. She wasn"t the weak, helpless female she appeared to be, which would make ending her that much more enjoyable.

I didn"t want her to surrender easily.

I wanted her to fight so I could see that fire one last time. I wanted her to think she stood a chance. I wanted to see the conviction in her eyes. Then, I wanted to watch the light fade from them, her demise brought about by my own hand.

A smile curled my lips at the thought.

Not much longer now.

She was sleeping peacefully, her chest slowly rising and falling with each breath she took. She"d kicked her blanket off at some point, exposing most of her thin frame. Her breasts nearly spilled out of her black tank top, pink shorts hugging her ass.

Breathtaking, as always, without even having to try.

I stepped forward, admiring the way the slivers of moonlight fell across her pale features. I liked her most in this lighting, the way she looked like the ghost of someone who'd died way before their time. Poetic, considering her imminent death.

Sweat dotted her forehead, and as I stopped next to the bed, she kicked at the blanket, exposing the rest of her slender, porcelain legs. I frowned at the tiny bit of cloth concealing her features, wishing she slept naked instead. This would have to do for now. It wasn't like I didn't have the rest of her memorized. I could vividly imagine what she'd look like splayed out before me, her pussy dripping wet as she stared up at me in horror.

Death and damnation. I reached for her thigh, my fingertips dissolving into wisps of smoke just before making contact, and I cursed internally. What I wouldn't give to feel her warmth, to drag my fingers over every inch of her body. To taste her, to feel her. What I wouldn't give to sink my fingers into her pussy as she slept, pumping into her slowly until her walls tightened around me.

My cock twitched, my shadows billowing up around me, swirling through the air. It was frustrating being this close to her, yet so far away, the cursed veil continuing to guard what I wanted most. My gaze shifted to the shadow tendrils swirling around me, wondering if they too were still unable to cross the barrier. It was worth a try, especially considering how easily Jovie saw me this morning.

Curiosity peaked, I allowed a single shadow tendril to curl up over the side of the bed and tease the length of her thigh. Unlike my fingers, which couldn't make contact with the mortal's skin, the shadow moved along her freely, caressing and licking her porcelain skin.

My chest clenched, an ancient reflex I'd nearly forgotten, and the shadow danced higher, teasing the hem of her shorts. She flinched, shifting without waking up.

I froze. Was it possible she could feel my shadow? Or was her movement just a coincidence? If so, it was the first time I'd managed to make physical contact with her. She might have been able to see me, but she couldn't feel or hear me. Could she?

I inched closer, a dark smile curling my lips, as another shadow slipped further up her body, diving beneath the thin material of her shirt. My cock throbbed with need as her tank top shifted, accommodating the shadow tendril. It curled around her nipple, squeezing gently, and the softest moan escaped her lips.

Precum leaked out the head of my cock, soaking the front of my pants, and a growl rumbled in my chest. If I didn't come soon, I might shatter apart, although I hated the idea of jerking myself to the sight of her a second time. I preferred to be between her thighs, soaked in her arousal as I found release.

With a sharp inhale, I guided the first shadow beneath her shorts. The darkness hooked around the fabric, slowly dragging them down inch by inch until her center was exposed. She shifted again, obviously disturbed by the movement, but it wasn't enough to wake her. Whatever she dreamed about kept her firmly in its grip, even as she kicked out of her shorts and let them drop to the floor.

I wasn't a believer of luck, but I couldn't ignore my good fortune. She'd just made things much easier for me.

A third shadow tendril slipped up around her, disappearing beneath her shirt and caressing her other breast, while the first teased the inside of her thigh. I moved slowly to ensure she didn't wake up, every one of my shadows' movements measured, calculated.

Would it have made a difference if she did? No. A part of me wanted her to wake and find me towering over her, to hear her high-pitched screams as I swallowed her in darkness. However, something about defiling her in her sleep, when she was none the wiser, had my cock aching for release and my balls tingling. She was unable to fight or scream. I could do whatever I wanted to her, and when she woke in the morning, she'd have no memory of it.

The thought did dark, twisted things to me.

It was much better this way, with my mortal completely oblivious to my presence. I wanted the first time I took her to be branded on her memory for the rest of her unavoidably short life.

This? This was just a game. A delicious game to pass the time until I could bury my cock inside her and feel every inch of her constrict around me as she came to the sound of her own screams.

A whimper fell from Jovie's lips, drawing a groan from my own, and I watched as one of the shadows flicked up the length of her pussy, teasing her folds. It circled her clit until it swelled into a firm nub, glistening arousal dribbling out of her at the touch. It slid down her skin, dripping to the bedsheets.

My cock was rock hard, aching for release. I needed friction, needed to find relief, and if I couldn't come inside Jovie's perfect pussy, I'd come to the sight of it instead.

More shadows joined the others, gently gliding over the mortal's exposed skin, caressing and squeezing her until a steady stream of soft moans drifted from her lips like a prayer. The shadow teasing her clit slipped lower, pressing against her until it disappeared inside, and I shoved down the waistband of my pants, releasing my painful erection.

I fisted my shaft as the shadow worked in and out of Jovie's pussy, swelling with every thrust until it was a tight fit. She looked stunning with my shadows between her legs, but I knew she'd look even better with my cock inside her. I groaned, wanting to close the distance between us, even if I knew it wouldn't make a difference.

She couldn't feel me, only my shadows, but that didn't stop me from climbing onto the bed and settling between her parted thighs. Holding myself up with one hand next to her head, I continued pumping my cock with my free hand, egged on by the noises Jovie made as the shadow continued to fuck her.

"Soon you'll feel me instead," I said, my voice low even though I doubted she could hear me. "I want to feel that tight pussy around me, and those lips…"

I trailed off as one of the shadows snaked around her neck, creating a necklace of darkness, and squeezed softly against her tender skin. Her breathing stifled, a low moan falling from her parted lips, and I could tell she was close to climaxing.

"That's it mortal," I said, squeezing my shaft harder as my balls drew up tight. It would only take another few seconds for me to come with her. "Come for me."

Her hips bucked beneath me, her legs trembling as the shadow tendril worked into her harder and faster. A higher, fuller whine escaped her mouth as she came, and my orgasm gripped me. I cursed, fucking into my hand as I spilled ropes of cum on Jovie's stomach—at least, I would have, if they didn't evaporate into curls of smoke the second they touched her skin.

I leaned down, licking the seam of her mouth, even though I couldn't feel it. She smelled delicious, fruity and sweet like her body wash.

My shadows retreated, withdrawing into me after they released their hold on her, and I smirked at her sleeping form.

"I'll burn this world and that below to get to you," I assured her, tucking my cock back into my pants as the tug of Hell dragged at my limbs, threatening to tear me from this plane. "Every inch of you belongs to me and no one else."