CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Raul, Tanya, Martina, and Beck were already at the table when Knox, Harper, and Jolene arrived. As Raul started to make small talk, Knox quickly realized that he was looking for clues as to whether or not Harper and Knox were more than anchors. Knox had known of course that his sexually possessive display in the reception area would spread throughout the Underground. It had been his plan. He wanted everyone to know Harper was taken.

What they couldn’t know was that he and Harper were mates, and he was positive that no one would consider it was possible. Everyone knew how detached he was. They wouldn’t imagine he would ever take a mate. Knox hadn’t seen it coming either. But then, he hadn’t seen Harper coming.

“Some anchors have sexual relationships,” Tanya reminded Raul irritably. “Big deal. Why are you hung up on the subject?”

Knox already knew the answer to that. So did Tanya. Hell, probably everybody at the table knew – except for Harper, because she seemed to miss male demon flirting cues. Probably because she was used to human males. “Harper’s off-limits, Raul,” Knox said as he played his fingers possessively through her hair. “I don’t share. And I’d never let anyone touch my mate.”

“Mate?” Tanya echoed, stunned.

Smiling, Raul whistled. “Can’t say I blame you.”

Martina whined at Harper, “You took Knox as your mate and you never told me?”

Harper sighed at her. “A lot has happened in the past twelve hours, okay.” And she really didn’t want to relay it all right there and then.

“I’ll explain everything,” Jolene told Beck and Martina. “But not here.”

Harper mouthed ‘thank you’ at her grandmother, who winked. Thanks so much for blurting that out to Raul when I haven’t even told all my family yet, Knox. The gossip would quickly spread. The culprit would no doubt be pissed at Harper and potentially even at Knox. Understanding hit Harper like a slap; she’d come to learn how Knox’s mind worked. You’re hoping it will piss off the culprit so much that they might even come after you.

Knox had to smile at her astuteness, even though it was a pain in his ass. I want to flush out the person targeting you, yes. If they’re angry enough about this, they might act rashly.

I’ll act rashly if you get hurt, you dumb bastard. The vibe of male amusement that stroked her mind only served to irritate her more. At that moment, waiters arrived at the table with their meals. Each course was as delicious as the one before, and she felt her tension slowly drain away. As always, the dessert was her favorite.

Feeling Knox’s hand lightly squeezing her knee, Harper snapped her gaze to his. He looked her dead in the eye, laser-focused on her in that way he often was. It sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine, though she still maintained he was a dumb bastard.

“I’m still hungry. You going to feed me when we get back to the suite?”

She knew he wasn’t talking about food. She could have said ‘Maybe’ and played aloof, but that would have gotten her another psychic finger-fuck. She wasn’t going to allow that to happen while her grandmother was sitting next to her. “I can do that.”

He tapped her ear gently. “Come here.”

“I am here.”

“I want you closer. Come here, Harper.”

“I think you should meet me in the middle,” she said. A crooked, sexual smile curved his mouth.

Cupping her chin, he leaned in as he pulled her toward him. “I love that dress on you.” He moved his mouth to her ear. “The trouble is…it’s keeping me from what’s mine. That just makes me want to slip my hand up your dress and find out if you’re wet for me. Are you, Harper?”

Well she was now. He didn’t need to whisper, he could talk to her telepathically. But he knew the whispering in her ear thing totally did it for her. “Don’t get me too wet. I’m not wearing panties.”

Knox’s cock twitched. He was hard and heavy, and he wanted to fuck that mouth that was pursed in an impish yet sensual smile. “One less barrier between me and what’s mine.”

She chuckled. “I guess so.” The sound of a throat clearing had her looking up to see Dario, stiff as a board. Knox didn’t move, and she realized his focus was still on her face. Oh, he knew Dario was there. Had probably sensed the guy approaching – Knox was always aware of everything around him. “Speech time, huh?” she said.

Sliding his hand from her chin to her nape, Knox finally looked at Dario. He wasn’t broadcasting any fantasies tonight, which meant he could live.

“Before I give my speech, I just wanted to thank you for your hospitality this weekend, Knox. The entire event has been peaceful and enjoyable. I doubt it would have been so if you hadn’t been the host.” The Primes might have risked pissing off another host, but not him. After Knox gave him a simple nod, the demon headed for the dais.

“I have to admit,” began Harper, “I’m interested to hear what he promises.”

“You would consider voting for a Monarch?” asked Raul, shocked.

She snorted. “Not even in an alternate reality. What I mean is that he’d have to offer something different from Isla and Malden, and I can’t think of much else anyone could possibly suggest that would appeal to our kind.”

“Good, because then there’s a high chance his proposal will be dismissed,” said Jolene.

Dario’s smile was wide and pleasant. “Good evening, my fellow demons. If you’re listening after two days of speeches, you’re obviously not as bored as I’d expected. I’ll try to keep this short to minimize the risk of boredom, so listen carefully.

“I do believe the idea of a hierarchical system has merit. But I also believe it will not work for every Prime or every lair. Some demons simply aren’t built to submit, and I do not believe it would be fair to punish them for being who they are.”

“I didn’t see that coming,” muttered Jolene.

“And let’s be honest,” continued Dario, “it isn’t realistic to assume that we can punish every Prime. Some are simply too powerful to be forced to do anything. Any attempts to punish them would only result in them retaliating which, in turn, will soon lead to a war. Or being swallowed by the flames of hell, if that is indeed an ability Knox can boast to have, and I’m not eager to know what that’s like.” Chuckles spread around the room.

“If I am made Monarch, all Primes will have the right to choose whether or not they wish to be part of the new structure and, as such, whether or not they answer to a Monarch. If they choose not to join, their decision will be respected, not punished.”

“Well that’s different,” said Harper in a low voice.

“I am not tempted by the idea of a hierarchy where Primes of small lairs are automatically denied the influence and power that Primes of large lairs would have.” Dario shook his head. “Just because a demon has a small lair does not mean they shouldn’t have the same rights, respect, and say in their lives as other Primes. That is why I am proposing that, in addition to having a Monarch, we should also form a council.

“The Prime of each and every U.S. lair will have a place on that council – providing, of course, they accept me as their Monarch. This does not mean, however, that only the council will have power over decisions. It means that we can work together. Any major changes proposed will, like now, be put to a vote by all U.S. demons – other than for those who have a Prime that chooses not to answer to a Monarch.”

Dario’s gaze swept the room before concentrating on the camera. “There is one final issue I wish to address. Right now, we have lairs that span cities and even entire countries, but we do not have territories. Demons from different lairs can easily intermingle, and this is part of what results in conflict between lairs. I am proposing that each Prime be given their own territory – a territory that outsiders can only cross with permission. This would not only avoid many disputes, but it would make demons within their lairs feel much safer as they will be better protected.”

“Shit, that might just tempt a lot of people,” said Harper. Demons loved to own things. Having territory of their own would seriously appeal to them.

“As for the Primes that do not wish to answer to a Monarch,” began Dario, “however far their lair expands will be considered by those who are part of the new system to be their territory. They will have the right to punish anyone who crosses it, and no one will seek vengeance for such an act. It also means, however, that they will need to in turn respect the boundaries of other territories so as to avoid feuds.

“I truly believe this is a system that can work. Why do I believe that? Because it would benefit everyone, and it would inconvenience no one. The public will have a vote in each decision. No Prime will be considered more influential than any other as only the Monarch would have any authority. All lairs will have territorial boundaries that keep them safe. And any Primes that do not wish to be part of the new system are free to continue as they do now; I only ask that they respect the boundaries of other Primes, just as we would respect theirs. If you want a system that works for all of us, vote for this – vote for me.” He exhaled heavily. “Any questions?”

“You said that any Prime who doesn’t wish to be part of the new system can opt out,” called out a Prime on their left. “What if none of the Primes here wish to join?”

“It’s a very good question, since there is a possibility that it will happen,” allowed Dario. “All I would ask of those Primes is that they respect the boundaries of my territory – nothing more, nothing less. I will form a council from the demons within my own lair, and each future decision I make will depend on votes.”

“So you intend to implement some kind of system, even if it’s only within your own lair?” asked another Prime.

“Yes, because I believe very strongly that it can work; that all demons should have the right to have a say in their lives.”

“When you say that all Primes would be given their own territory, how would you measure the boundaries of that territory?” There was a disturbing amount of interest in that voice coming from the back.

“Let’s say, for instance, that the demons living within a Prime’s lair covers half of Manhattan. That will be their territory. If it covers the whole of Manhattan, all of that will be their territory. In other words, it will only expand as far as those living within their lair currently reside.”

“But what if a small number of the lair live among demons that belong in a separate lair?” Malden asked. “It’s extremely rare, since lairs like to stick together. But what if that was the case?”

“I would say the simplest answer would be for those demons living away from their lair to move closer to it. However, they could also request to switch to the lair they currently live among, or simply ask permission from the Prime of that territory to live in that area without having to join. As you say, it’s an extremely rare situation, so it will hardly affect anyone.”

“Okay, but what if demons want to relocate to a location that is within the territory of another lair?” persisted Malden.

“My answer to the previous question would also apply here. They would need to either switch lairs or request permission from the Prime of that territory to reside in that area without joining that lair.”

There was a short silence before another voice called out, “The problem I foresee here is that although many of the public may like your system, they won’t benefit from it if their Prime chooses not to join you.”

“They are always free to join my lair or another that is part of the new system.”

“That could mean a lot of demons join his lair just to have more rights,” Harper said to Knox. He nodded.

“I have a question,” declared Raul. “There are places in the U.S. that demons don’t inhabit. What if Primes suddenly decide that they want to claim those territories? Wouldn’t that lead to war?”

“No,” denied Dario. “The issue would be discussed by the council and myself. An agreement would be reached.”

Raul’s brows raised. “Without the votes of the public?”

“It’s not a decision that would directly affect the public. Asking them to vote on every little thing would eventually bore them.” That was actually true – something Isla and Malden hadn’t considered.

“All right, here’s something to consider,” said Raul. “We all know how much our kind love Las Vegas. This is where most of Knox’s demons reside, which means it would then be considered his territory. We couldn’t cross that territory without permission, could we?”

“No. But I can’t imagine that Knox would wish to keep us away. If nothing else, it would affect his businesses.”

“What about the Underground? He created this place, he runs it, so that would also make it his territory.”

“Yes, so you would need his permission to come here. Again, though, I don’t foresee him preventing outsiders from coming. He created the Underground for our kind, not for himself.”

“Let’s ask him.” Raul turned to Knox. “Would you let demons from other lairs cross your territorial lines? Would you let us come here the way you do now?”

“That would depend,” replied Knox.

“On what?”

“Whether or not having territories causes demons to see outsiders as enemies,” said Knox. “It’s true that lairs intermingling can cause conflict. But if Primes start claiming territories, that will effectively create divides. Suddenly lairs will consider other lairs to be potential enemies. I won’t have here or Las Vegas suddenly becoming a battle ground.”

A Prime to their right spoke. “Knox has an excellent point. You say your system will unite us, Dario. Instead, it could just divide us more.”

“I see how Knox may view it that way.” There was no judgment or hostility in Dario’s tone. “But I truly believe this system could work. The Primes would be working together, all demons would have equal rights, and we would be united. It would make us stronger. That can never be a bad thing.”

As Dario left the dais, Beck spoke. “I thought that the only demon who’d present a reasonable case would be Isla, since the other two just want to avoid answering to someone else. But all three of them have presented proposals that just might appeal to the public.”

“Worse, Dario’s proposal might appeal to the Primes,” commented Martina.

“I think that if the Primes start worrying that the public will want a Monarch, they’ll prefer it was Dario, because it would gain them territory – more power. Even Isla can see that.” Jolene tipped her chin toward the she-demon in question; she was currently glaring at an unsuspecting Dario, clearly seething.

Knox whispered into Harper’s ear, “I have to say a few words and remind everybody what happens next.” The moment he walked onto the dais, the attention of the room settled on him. “Over the course of this weekend, you’ve heard all three proposals, and you’ve heard the opinions of many Primes during the Q&As. Now it’s time to form your own opinion. There are pros and cons of having a Monarch, and there are pros and cons of each proposal. A vote will take place in the Underground two weeks from now. Anyone who votes will only be able to do so once, and each vote will be anonymous. If you vote in favor of a Monarch, you’ll need to also specify which candidate you wish to elect. So think it through, and choose your fate wisely.”

It was as Knox reached Harper that the Primes began to head to his table. Gently pulling Harper to her feet, he spoke briefly to each demon as they thanked him for hosting the event. Knox was sure to refer to Harper as his mate, wanting the news to spread fast.

When Malden approached, he was wearing a very smug smirk. Knox had the feeling that he believed his proposal would be the most favored. “It was good seeing you, Knox. Where’s Raul?”

“He already left with his anchor,” replied Knox.

“I had hoped to say goodbye. Never mind. Jolene, it’s always a pleasure. And Harper, you take care.”

She nodded, smiling. “You too, Malcolm.”

To her amusement, the tick in his cheek did a crazy dance as his smirk fell. “It’s Malden.”

She smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. “That’s right, sorry.”

As the Prime marched away, Knox smiled against her mouth. “Such a tease.” He inwardly groaned as he sensed a very unwelcome she-demon approaching. Isla’s coming.

My evening is complete.

“Hello, Knox.” So deceptively pleasant.

Knox lifted his head. “Isla.”

“I just thought I’d say farewell. We’ll talk again soon. Oh, and do reconsider electing a Monarch. I could improve so much for our kind.”

His smile was as forced as hers. “Your plea is wasted on me, Isla.”

“You always were stubborn.” Her tone was full of nostalgia. Turning to Harper, she held out a small, black velvet bag. “I wanted to give you something, Harper. Call it a peace offering.”

Dubious, Harper raised a brow. “Yeah? What is it?”

“Open and see.”

Curiosity alone made Harper take and open the little drawstring bag. Inside was some kind of silver chain. She pulled it out, realizing there was a silver pendant hanging from it. It was engraved with a triquetra and had a gold dragon attached to it. It also fairly buzzed with power.

“It’s a protective amulet,” Isla explained. “Be sure to wear it.”

The genuine concern in the she-demon’s voice made Harper look up. With a regal nod, Isla turned away and left. “I’m guessing this thing is cursed or something, because there’s just no way that that woman wants me protected.”

Knox took the amulet and closed his hand around it. “There’s power in this.”

“I know, I felt it. But it didn’t feel bad.”

“It isn’t.”

“You’re saying Isla wants to protect Harper?” Levi was clearly skeptical.

“No,” replied Knox. “I’m merely saying there’s no negative power attached to the amulet.”

“Maybe she wants to appear concerned for Harper, hoping it will make us think she’s innocent in all the shit that’s been going on,” theorized Tanner.

“That seems more likely than her giving Harper some kind of lucky charm.” Martina scowled at Harper. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed that you don’t wear the necklace I gave you with the fishbone charm on it. It’s for good luck.”

Harper frowned. “How can it give good luck? Things didn’t exactly go well for the fish.”

Beck’s laugh earned him a glower from Martina.

“Well, sweetheart, I’m afraid we have to leave.” Jolene gave Harper a tight, one-armed hug. “Come visit me soon, bring Knox. And Tanner and Levi can come along.” She smiled. “It’s always nice to have things around that are pretty to look at.”

Once she’d said her goodbyes to Martina and Beck, Harper turned to Knox. “After we’ve picked up our luggage from upstairs, I’d like to go to my apartment and see what survived the spell.”

Having returned the amulet to the velvet bag and placed it in his pocket, Knox took her hand. He’d shove the amulet in a drawer somewhere later. “I’ll have Keenan take the luggage to the mansion while we go to your apartment. It’s going to be a mess, baby. Be ready.”

It turned out he was right. One step inside the apartment, Harper halted with a groan. The place looked like an abandoned house – the furniture still standing was stained with the ash of the items that had been destroyed by the venom. It was dark, damp, and smelled like a morgue. Like rot and decay.

“You know, it makes no sense to me that the practitioner would perform a spell that put so many snakes inside and then only a few outside,” she told Knox. “The snakes slithering on my front door were a huge fucking warning that there could be more inside. Why give me that warning?”

“I don’t think any were supposed to get outside. But a few escaped through the letterbox, something the practitioner obviously hadn’t considered would happen.”

“Maybe. But why not just do a simpler spell that hid a few snakes inside – they could have taken me off guard and easily bitten me. At first, I couldn’t understand it. But now, looking at this mess, I’m thinking that they put all the snakes inside because they intended to do this much damage. They wanted to destroy my stuff to hurt me, and to help vent their anger. If it’s a reaction to finding out you and I are mates, the news obviously didn’t shift their anger to you.”

And that pissed Knox the fuck off. “Come on, let’s see what’s still intact, box it up, and get out of here.”

So that was what they did. With so much dark energy filling the space, it was a relief to get out of there. The smell seemed to cling to her flesh and clothes. She scrubbed at her skin in Knox’s shower, trying to wash it away. But it was as though the scent of rot had clogged her nostrils. Settled on the sofa in the living area, dressed in her sweats, she inhaled the coffee Meg – bless her soul – had made, hoping it would chase away the horrid smell that seemed to haunt her. According to Levi, it would take a little more work from the incantor to remove the stains of the spell from the apartment.

Beside her, Knox was leaning over the box on the table that contained the things Harper had rescued from the apartment. Meg had washed each one before placing them in a different box, ridding them all of the scent of decay. She really was fabulous.

“What are all these?” he asked.

“They’re just knickknacks. You know, sentimental stuff.” She lifted out a hand-painted skeleton-shaped trinket box. “I got this from a market in Mexico. We didn’t live there long, but I loved it there.” Returning the little box, she pulled out a tiny, beautiful piano replica. “This is from Switzerland. We didn’t stay there long, either. Lucian got me this when I told him I wanted a piano – his idea of a joke.” She carefully put the piano back and pointed to a wooden carved model of the Colosseum in Rome. “He bought me this when we were in Italy. We stayed there for over a year. I loved it there.”

Knox turned in his seat to face her, propping his elbow on the top of the sofa. “Jolene was right.”

“About what?”

“You have good memories of your time with Lucian.”

“I’ve told you before that I enjoyed the traveling, and that I wouldn’t change my upbringing.”

She had, but Knox hadn’t seen how that could be possible. He hadn’t seen how she could have enjoyed years of having no real say in basic things like where she lived. Knox tucked her hair behind her ear. “Tell me more about Lucian. I need reasons why I shouldn’t kill him.”

She shot him a mock scowl. “Lucian isn’t cruel. Self-centered and absentminded, yeah. At the core of all that, he’s very lonely.” All demons were plagued by loneliness, and Lucian felt it acutely, which made him seriously restless. “But he doesn’t have the emotional maturity to do anything about it or to connect with others. So he lives with a hole inside him. Once upon a time, he tried to fill it with drugs, alcohol, women, gambling, and all kinds of dangerous shit. He’s past that phase now, but he can’t fill that void. I’m not sure if he even knows exactly what he’s looking for in life, but he’s always searching for it, and he’s always searching in all the wrong places.”

Knox got it then. “Someone so lost can’t concentrate on the needs of another person.”

“That’s exactly it. Demons aren’t built to be alone. But he’s been alone for a very long time.”

So had Knox, but he didn’t see that as an excuse for the selfish behavior Lucian had shown. “He had you.”

“That’s not the same as having a mate, though, is it? And to be fair to him, he never tried to use me to fill that void. He could have clung to me the way some lonely parents do, could have held me tight to him to make him feel loved, cherished, and important. But he never did. I think that by raising me to not need anyone or anything to complete my life – to only enhance it – he was trying to make sure I didn’t turn out like him.”

While that made sense, Knox didn’t want it to make sense or he’d have to let some of his anger at Lucian go. He couldn’t deny one thing, though. “He does care for you.”

“I believe he does. When I first went to live with him, he told me that he’d done me a favor by leaving me with Jolene; that I was better off without having him around permanently. He warned me that he was going to screw up, and he apologized in advance for it. He really isn’t a bad person, Knox. Just unable to meet the needs of others, because he can’t even meet his own needs. So please don’t kill him,” she added with a smile.

Knox sighed. “It’s important to me that you were happy. I just need to be sure.”

Harper regarded him thoughtfully. “You didn’t have a great upbringing, did you? Ooh, he tenses,” she chuckled. “Come on, you can give me something. You once said you didn’t belong to a lair before you moved to the sanctuary. Where were you?”

Knox threaded his fingers through her damp hair; everything within him recoiled at the idea of revisiting that time in his life, but this was Harper. “People would nowadays describe it as a cult. Back then, it was just a group of demons that detached themselves from their lair and formed a Prime-less group, pooling all their resources and claiming a plot of land.”

That answer certainly threw Harper. “Why did you all leave the lair? Was the Prime a bastard or something?”

“I don’t remember a lot about the Prime, but I remember that everyone feared him. So some of them left as a group, but they didn’t join another lair, because they all rejected the idea of having a Prime. They didn’t want to be ruled, they wanted peace. They wanted to be free.”

“But they didn’t get that peace,” she guessed. He didn’t answer, just stared at her with eyes that gave away nothing. “You promised you’d try sharing,” she reminded him.

He sighed heavily. “From what I can remember, it wasn’t so bad in the beginning. The females and the children were treated like royalty. Everyone was happy and close and felt free.”

“What changed?”

“One of them, Riordan” – the name alone infuriated Knox’s demon – “appointed himself as a sort of messiah. He preached about the corruption of lairs; calling all Primes power-hungry authoritarians who didn’t care for the safety of those under their protection.” The bastard could have been talking about himself. “In effect, he was actually making himself their Prime. And they didn’t see it.”

When moments went by and he said no more, she asked, “How old were you when the ‘cult’ was formed?”

“Three. By the time I was five, it was an isolated totalitarian society. Little by little, Riordan took over. He introduced a dress code, a job chart, a timetable, and guidelines that placed a lot of restrictions on everyone and made them reliant on him. In addition, he cut everyone off from the outside world.”

“Keeping them all isolated and inducing dependency would have made it easier for him to brainwash and control them.” It was little wonder that Knox was such a control freak and had such a total aversion to relying on others. Someone had once ripped control away from him. He’d taken it back, but it had made him determined to never lose it again. “Didn’t anyone speak up?”

“Not many, because he and his helpers punished any form of subordination. Riordan did whatever he had to do to keep his power.” Manipulated. Intimidated. Exploited. Oppressed.

As usual, Knox’s exterior was calm and his tone was even. But she’d come to know him so well that she could sense his buried rage. And she just knew that the answer to her next question would be bad, but she had to ask, “What did they do to you?”

He leaned toward her. “Maybe your question should be…what did I do to them?”