Chapter 31

CHAPTER 31

M alissa hurried through the dark forest, just as she had done that first fateful night nearly three months before. She had made the trip so many times now, she didn't even need her night-eyes to find the way. She could have done it blindfolded, so well did she know the location of every winding root and treacherous stone. She was heavier now than she had been that first time, her belly big and rounded with the child growing inside it, but that did not slow her down. If anything, she moved even more swiftly than before, gliding through the darkness like a spirit, like a demon.

She paused once, to adjust the satchel that was slung across her body, and she placed her hands against her belly, as if to feel the child sleeping within.

"We're almost there," she whispered. "Almost free."

She would have to think of a name for him soon. A name suitable for a demonchild. She and Beliath had not spoken of that yet, but there would be plenty of time to discuss it soon, once the demon was free from his bondage and they had begun their new life together, far from Drachenval and the darkstone ring.

Malissa lingered for a moment and listened to the forest around her. The first few times she had made the night journey to the clearing, the darkness had been oppressive, and she had feared whatever creatures may have been hiding within the shadows, but tonight she was unafraid. She felt at home in the darkness. She smiled.

"Let's go," she whispered to the child in her belly.

She took off again, moving as fast as a person could move without running. The limbs overhead were beginning to shed their leaves, and shafts of moonlight pierced through the gaps, giving the forest an even greater sense of magic.

It was an excellent night for a ritual.

After what felt like an eternity, Malissa could finally see the clearing ahead of her, and she let out a soft cry of elation. She jogged the rest of the way through the woods and out into the open air. By the time she reached the darkstone ring, she was breathing hard, and her heart was beating fiercely.

She took off her satchel and set it upon the altar. Then she stripped off her gown. A few minutes later, everything was ready. Malissa was naked with the grimoire in her hands and the five candles burning around her.

She started with the summoning spell.

It had been several weeks since she had last recited the incantation, but she still knew the whole thing by heart, and it rolled off her tongue with ease. With every word she spoke, her pulse quickened.

As soon as she finished the summoning, she felt the demon's presence behind her, and goosebumps pricked her flesh. The great beast hugged her from behind, drawing her back against his hard muscles and his even harder cock. Dark wings folded in around her, blocking out the candlelight, until it felt as if the only things that existed in the whole universe were herself, her demon, and the baby he had made inside her. With one hand, he cupped her breast. With the other, he stroked her pregnant belly. The warm, smoky scent of him surrounded her.

"Angel," he whispered, his breath soft against her ear. "I have missed you."

"I can tell," she said, nestling her backside against his throbbing erection. "I've missed you too."

The hand on her belly moved down between her legs, and a long middle finger separated her folds, which were already wet with desire.

"I can tell," the demon purred.

Malissa gasped and shivered with arousal. It had been weeks since she and Beliath had been together, and she wanted nothing more than to have him bend her over the altar and use her as roughly and deeply as he wished. However, she knew that now was not the time.

She turned around to face him and placed her hands against his broad, smooth chest. His orange eyes blazed like molten iron above her.

"It is the day of the equinox," she said.

"Yes. I can feel it."

"I feared I might not make it out here tonight. Wulfgang returned from battle earlier than expected."

Malissa could feel the demon's skin heat with jealousy.

"Wulfgang? Did he…?"

"No," Malissa said. "He tried to, but he… wasn't able ."

Beliath rumbled angrily, but Malissa could sense that his anger was not directed at her.

"His little prick betrayed him, eh? He's lucky. His death would have been much longer and more painful otherwise."

"You still intend to kill him?" Malissa asked.

"Oh, of course."

"Good. I left some things behind at the castle that I would like to retrieve. We can kill two birds with one stone, as they say."

Beliath chuckled.

"Such a wicked little angel. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. First, you must free me from this ring. Then I intend to breed you until my lust has been slaked. It will take a full day and night at least. After that, we can deal with your so-called husband."

"In that case," Malissa said with a grin, "we'd better get started."

The demon opened his wings and released his grip on her body so she could do what needed to be done. She picked up the grimoire from the altar and turned the pages until she found what she was looking for—the spell to release a demon from a darkstone ring.

The incantation was long and complex, and in order for it to work, it had to be recited from start to finish without a single error. Perhaps it had been designed that way to ensure that no one would accidentally set a demon free. During the past several weeks, Malissa had studied the spell obsessively, and she had committed much of it to memory, but she still chose to use the book tonight, just to make sure she got it right.

Even with the book, it was still a struggle. On the first attempt, she got about a third of the way through before her tongue got tied, and she had to start over from the beginning. On the second attempt, she got tripped up at the halfway mark.

" Shit! "

Beliath placed one huge hand gently atop her shoulder.

"It's alright, little one. There is plenty of time. Don't try to rush."

"I know, I know, I'm sorry. I'm just ready for it to be over already."

Beliath smiled and gave her shoulder a reassuring rub that felt way too good. Her nipples hardened in response. Her sex throbbed.

"Try again," he said calmly. "A little more slowly this time."

"Alright, but…" She glanced at the hand on her shoulder. "Maybe you could stop touching me?"

Beliath gave her a quizzical look.

"You don't want me to touch you?"

"That's the problem. I do want you to touch me. I want you to touch me everywhere. But it's distracting, and I need to focus on the incantation."

"Ah." Beliath removed his hand from her shoulder and walked around to the other side of the altar. "Better?"

Without meaning to, Malissa let her eyes drop from the demon's face to the long, hard erection sticking straight up from his pelvis. She could see his veins ticking with his pulse, and a single dewdrop of precum glistened at his tip. Her sex clenched at the sight of that perfect member, and the thought of how good it would feel moving in and out of her body.

"Um…"

Beliath smirked, then vanished completely. A moment later, his disembodied voice spoke to her from across the altar.

"How about now?"

"That should work."

Malissa took a couple deep breaths to settle her nerves, then she picked up the grimoire and started to read again. She only managed to get through a few lines, however, before a sound from the forest broke her attention. It was a soft rumble, like the sound of distant thunder, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

"What's that?" she said, looking back over her shoulder toward the trees.

"Someone is coming," said Beliath.