Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

A dank, musty smell hung heavy in the air as Ashe shivered in the damp, cold dungeon. She couldn’t help but compare her situation to less than a fortnight ago when she was trapped in Belial’s ownership. At least there she’d had interaction with others and the ability to go outside. Here she was alone, save for the occasional food drop. It seemed Leviathan killed rather than kept his prisoners.

The flickering torchlight cast eerie shadows on the damp stone walls, illuminating the modest space that had become her prison. She huddled in the farthest corner, arms wrapped around herself seeking out warmth that didn’t often come.

Time had lost all meaning in this underground prison, but she knew it had been too long for Lily to come for her. The angel had sworn she’d be safe, but Ashe had to assume Leviathan had moved too quickly, preventing Lily from intervening.

“You could have been happy in that tiny cabin.” The bitter words received no response from the emptiness.

She’d been so caught up in going home, in saving Lily, she’d believed she could do the impossible.

And you wanted to feel his kiss.

The dirty thought was one she’d had countless times she’d last seen Leviathan. His body against hers for those brief moments had been enough to trigger all the desire their dance had days prior.

There was something about the prince that threatened to drive Ashe into a grave. He was sinfully sexy and more skilled than any human lover she’d taken since her stepmother paid her no mind.

Prince Leviathan had taken Ashe’s world from shades of gray to bursting color and it nearly got her killed.

But it wasn’t enough for him to listen—not enough for her to feel his attraction to her, which had shocked her into silence at first. She’d assumed his attraction to the demon-enchanted version of herself had been due to physical beauty, but he’d responded in a similar way when she was just herself.

The heavy iron door she’d come to know was the dungeon entrance creaked open, startling her out of her dark thoughts. Ashe tensed, expecting the familiar, terrifying figure of Leviathan.

He’d come down only long enough to snarl or pace while looking at her. It was almost as if he could see the other enchantment when he got too close to her.

Finally, he entered. His dark silhouette framed by the moonlight through the terribly small window. He had shed his armor, revealing a chiseled form that seemed at odds with his icy demeanor.

Ashe’s breath caught in her throat as she remembered the last time she’d seen his exposed skin.

“Tell me,” Leviathan held a silver key up in his hand. “Did you murder the demoness who owned this necklace?”

Ashe recoiled.

This was the first time he’d come and those were the words he chose.

“You still do not believe that necklace is mine?”

He was pressed against the bars before she could blink, a feral snarl peeling back his lips.

“I know the necklace is not yours.” He dangled it in front of her. “This is a demon collar. Something that only a demon may wear.”

Ashe’s knees went weak at the sight of her mother’s ring on the necklace. Even altered, it seemed to bring her a calming peace.

“What is that look?” Leviathan’s voice shook the floor beneath her feet. A reminder of his power.

“That is mine.”

“Then you would have to be a demoness,” his snarl followed behind as he whirled and stalked away.

Ashe’s heart raced as she watched the Leviathan retreat, his powerful steps shaking the very ground beneath her feet.

She knew he was wrong.

The necklace was hers. The ring was her mother’s, but the chain was hers from a necklace her father gifted her as a young lady. Now, in this hell, the ring and chain held a small part of her humanity in this hellish place. It was the only thing she had left from the life she once knew, and she had clung to it tightly.

Seeing it and then losing it once more left a hollow hole in her chest.

Ashe forced in a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Her thoughts raced as memories flooded her mind. Memories of her old life before she was sold into slavery by her stepmother to pay off a debt that wasn’t even hers.

The scent of burning wood filled the air, making her nose twitch as she remembered fireside nights with warmth and stories. A sharp pain pierced through her chest at the thought of never feeling that comfort again. But there was no time for sorrow now. She had to focus on escaping this wretched realm.

Leviathan’s words taunted her, a lingering echo of a conversation that should hold no importance.

Doubt and despair flickered in the air around them, their dark presences mocking her as if they hovered close by. She shook her head, trying to banish their whispers. No matter what he said or how much he doubted her, she knew in her heart that this was hers. And if he wouldn’t accept that, well she would prove him wrong by wearing the damn thing once again.

The air held on to his scent, It was musky like a predator who’d been on the hunt for days and yet also sweetly addictive like forbidden fruit. His dark wings cast ominous shadows against the walls behind him, and then disappeared shortly before the thud of the heavy door as he exited.

“My necklace and ring are enchanted,” Ashe spoke to no one, as if she could will it into the prince’s consciousness. “If he doesn’t believe that, how will I ever leave this cell to steal my kiss?”

Ashe’s chest heaved as she tried to calm her racing heart. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the feel of the cool, thin chain resting against her neck - of the smooth gold under her fingers.

When it failed to provide solace, Ashe opened her eyes and stood up from her spot in the corner. Ashe gritted her teeth to avoid letting out a frustrated scream. The weight of Leviathan’s words, his lack of belief, seemed to press down on her shoulders like a boulder.

Leviathan’s scent still lingered heavily in the air—he was a dominating presence even when he wasn’t there. It was intoxicating yet repulsive all at once; like roses and blood mixed with rot. His absence left behind a hollow ache inside of her that seemed to reverberate with every beat of her heart.

She turned her head slowly, eyes roaming the small cell, seeking solace in the dim light of an old lantern hanging from the rusted nail on the wall. It barely gave off any light, but it was enough to cast shadows that danced across the damp walls and cold floor of her prison. She took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. This wasn’t right.

The silence was deafening as she waited for him to return. Every sound amplified by the emptiness of the room, bringing her hope of his return. Even when she knew the noises were little more than rats scurrying.

Tears burned in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Not now, not when there was still so much at stake. She had hoped that Leviathan would be as intrigued that she’d been there as she’d been to learn her inner strength. But no, she was just another pawn in his twisted game.

Ashe was going to die in this dank cell because it was the only choice. She would not spend the rest of her days locked up here, hoping and praying the day might come when a demon grew a heart.