14. Uriel

14

URIEL

I push open the heavy workshop doors, the familiar scent of metal and magic greeting me. My latest masterpiece should be ready for collection tomorrow - a ceremonial blade commissioned by one of New Solas's praexa. Normally, I make these myself, but I left it to Raven to show Athena how to.

I find Athena hunched over a different workbench, her honey-blonde curls cascading over her shoulder as she focuses intently on what appears to be a simple dagger. The sight of her small form in my space sends an unexpected surge of... something through my chest.

But then I see it. My commission. The ceremonial blade lies twisted and warped on the main forge table, what should have been a crystalline edge now resembling melted glass. The runes pulse with sickly green light instead of the intended crimson. Dark energy crackles along its surface, eating away at the metal like acid.

"What the fuck happened here?" The words come out as a growl. The blade will need to be completely redone, which I can do, but Athena was supposed to be learning.

Athena lifts her head slowly, those golden-green eyes on me. "I don't know what you mean."

"Not that." I stride over to the ruined weapon, wings twitching with barely contained rage. "This." The blade actually hisses when I reach for it, the reversed enchantment rejecting my touch. "The runes are backwards. The whole fucking enchantment is backwards."

She purses her lips, taking it in like she didn't fucking do it. "I'm not sure."

I lean in close, towering over her smaller frame. "Then explain how this commission looks like it was dragged through the afterlife backwards?"

The fire in her eyes is so at odds with her natural sweetness - like summer flowers and smoke. It shouldn't please me, seeing a human so brave. But with her, it makes me want to fuck the defiance out of her. Especially when I think she did this shit on purpose since so many other runes have gone wrong at her hands.

And why? To torment me? To push me? Because if she wants to see me fucking mad, I'll show her what that will cost her.

"I don't know," she snaps, holding my gaze. Gods, she never backs down. "But I can help you fix it."

I bark out a harsh laugh. "Fix it? Little demon, this blade is beyond fixing. The enchantment has corrupted the core metal itself. I'll need a new one."

I stalk toward her, my wings spreading wide to block the workshop exits. Her small form backs up until she hits the workbench, tools clattering behind her. Her eyes flash but she clearly didn't expect this reaction from me. It's the first time she's backed down - even a little - and it stirs something primal in me.

"You have been fucking with me." My voice drops low, dangerous. "I know it."

"I-I'm not." Her chin lifts, defiant despite the tremor in her voice. "Why would I damage your work?"

I slam my palm against the bench beside her head, making her jump. She's bent backwards underneath me now. "Because you're tired of being the sweet, helpless little human. Because you want to prove yourself." My other hand grips her chin, forcing those golden-green eyes to meet mine. "Or maybe you just wanted my attention."

Her pulse races beneath my fingers. This close, I catch every detail - the slight flush creeping up her neck, the way her breath catches, those damnable innocent curls framing her face. She's everything I despise about humans wrapped in a package that makes my blood burn.

"That's ridiculous." But her voice wavers, betraying her.

"Is it?" I lean closer, my wings creating a dark canopy around us. "Then explain why the runes are manipulated in a way that is precise, focusing on one band to create the desire effect. That takes skill, little demon. Deliberate skill."

She tries to turn away, but I hold her firm. "I didn't-"

"Don't." The word comes out as a snarl. "Don't insult me by lying again. You wanted to show me that you aren't some human to push around? Congratulations. You have my full fucking attention now."

Her chest rises and falls rapidly, caught between fear and that stubborn defiance that makes me want to break her. The workshop feels too small, too hot, the air crackling with unspoken tension.

"What are you going to do about it?" she whispers, and there's a challenge in those words that sets my blood on fire.

"All mistakes get punishments," I snarl.

I grip Athena's shoulders, pushing her down until she's on her knees before me. I expect resistance, tears perhaps, but her golden eyes gaze up at me, not with fear, but with a spark of defiance that sets my blood ablaze. Her honey-blonde curls cascade over her shoulders, framing her face in an innocent glow that belies the fire in her eyes.

Gripping her hair, I jerk her head back. "Open."

The fire in her eyes makes me so fucking hard, but her lips part. Saliva gathers on my tongue and I open my mouth, spitting on her. I want to see her submit, to see her finally bend to me.

But when she swallows with her mouth still open, like she's waiting for more, I doubt that will be the case. Which makes me only want to push her harder.

I arch an eyebrow, a cruel smile playing on my lips. "Now, show me just how sorry you are for that blade."

She reaches up, her small hands tracing the leather ties of my pants. My jaw works as she unfastens it, her movements sure, deliberate. I watch her, my little demon, as she leans in, her breath hot against my skin. And then she takes me in her mouth.

A hiss escapes my lips, the sensation overwhelming. She's not tentative, not innocent. She's hungry, eager, taking me deep with a skill that shocks me. Her nails dig into my thighs, the sting of pain heightening every sensation. I groan, my hands fisting in her hair, the soft curls wrapping around my fingers like silk.

Her golden-green eyes lock onto mine, unyielding, unafraid. She takes control, setting a pace that's punishing, pleasurable. Her teeth graze my length, a tease of pain that makes my hips buck. A low growl rumbles from my chest, a warning, but she only takes me deeper, her eyes flashing with triumph.

She likes the pain, the power. It's written all over her face, in the flush of her cheeks, the fire in her eyes. She's not the sweet, innocent human I thought. She's a fucking revelation.

I guide her head, urging her faster, harder. She moans around me, the vibrations sending shivers down my spine. My wings unfurl, stretching out, blocking the light, casting us in shadow. Her nails dig deeper, breaking skin, the scent of blood filling the air. It's heady, intoxicating. I'm close, so fucking close.

Watching her on her knees, those golden eyes defiant and hungry, awakens something primal in me. This little human, so gentle and sweet, is taking everything I give her, proving she's more than meets the eye. Her nails dig into my thighs, breaking skin, drawing blood. The scent fills the air, metallic and heady. She's not just taking her punishment; she's owning it, claiming it.

Her mouth is hot, wet, and relentless. She takes me deep, her throat constricting around me, making my vision blur. Her honey-blonde curls bounce with each movement, a soft glow framing her face, a stark contrast to the dark hunger in her eyes. She's not just proving she can handle me; she's showing me she wants this, wants me.

I groan, yanking her head back as I fuck in and out of her mouth, going harder, seeing how much she'll take. Her eyes stay on mine, watering as her muscles constrict around me, and then she lifts a hand and squeezes around her throat.

Holy. Fuck.

Then she fucking moans around me, the vibrations sending shockwaves through my body. Her nails dig deeper, her eyes flashing with triumph. She wants this, wants to make me lose control.

And I do.

With a roar, I spill down her throat, my body convulsing with each wave of pleasure. She swallows every drop, her eyes never leaving mine. It's not just about the release; it's about the power, the control. She's proving she can handle me. And fuck, if that doesn't make me want to corrupt her completely.

Her lips slide off me, her tongue darting out to lick her swollen lips. I taste blood in the air, realize she's bit her lip, drawn her own blood. The sight sends another jolt of pleasure through me. I reach down, gripping her chin, forcing her to look at me.

"You think you've proven something, little demon?" My voice is a low growl, a dangerous edge to it. "This is just the beginning."