18. Fuzzy Images

QUINN

"The Nephilim knows we've been watching."

It was not my intention to eavesdrop on the conversation, especially since Archer's weary tone warned the call didn't come with good news. Hell, just because I had bonded with Asher on a level that left me just shy of being equal to him in rank didn't mean he'd brought me into the fold where his personal business was concerned. It wasn't difficult to decipher that there was something huge going on from that first week alone.

Demons didn't meet with angels for the sheer hell of it and Marcillo looked like he had been ready to break every sacred law his kind held dear. So how did things shift to involve a Nephilim? As far as history was concerned, I didn't even know they existed. They certainly weren't walking down the street like an everyday resident.

I twisted the knob to help bring more heat into the shower stream, treasuring the way it was driving all the tension from my body. I hadn't moved much during the three days Asher had been unconscious except for a quick bathroom break. Every time I ventured away, I always made sure the door was locked until I was done. While it was nowhere near the agonizing level the prince endured when he woke, it certainly reminded me of the part of my childhood where I spent most of my days locked in the dog cage.

"How the hell would he know?" Nico growled. "We were under the impression that you trained your own men well enough for them to remain hidden — to not get too fucking close to the targets."

Archer responded with a livid snarl that was loud enough for me to hear it over the water. "I don't need the disrespect from you, Tormix. I know how to train my people."

The demon lord released a snort "Obviously not."

Even from the other end of a phone currently located somewhere else entirely, I could still sense the surge of rage tearing through Archer as he stumbled into his native tongue. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that every other word was a creative swear word meant to get under Nico's skin. I cringed, relieved they weren't all in the same room. That was an energy level I simply couldn't handle being near.

"Knock it off, the both of you," Asher hissed. While the rage was just as present in his tone as it was with Archer's, he managed to maintain more control over the searing emotion to where both demon lords were suppressed into a sudden silence. "It doesn't matter how the Nephilim caught on. My only concern is why he would take Xaide alive."

I couldn't explain how I could sense Nico's nonchalant shrug without having the bathroom door wide open and eyes on him, yet I knew he did. "The usual comes to mind," he muttered. "Xaide is one of Archer's most trusted assassins. While he wouldn't have much insight into the operations directly tied to Asher, he still has knowledge about yours." He added a noise that sounded like an annoyed growl. "As much as you like him for his success rate, it would be wise to take him out before the Nephilim can break him."

"Xaide will die before he talks!"

"We are all fully aware of his unwavering loyalty to both you and the crown, Archer." The prince's tone took on a dry edge flooded with the venomous warning that he wasn't going to tolerate the bickering much longer. If it wasn't for the exhaustion still clinging to him, he would've put an end to it immediately. "The point is…should that become a possibility, are you willing to remove him from the equation and take away the risk?"

"Willing? Yes. Able to?" The demon lord was quiet for a moment. "No. The manor is heavily guarded, especially on the outside. The Nephilim has recruited a mixture of races here, Asher. The only one I don't see are vamps. There are plenty of traitors willing to back up his play. We won't be able to get in unless we throw everything we have at them — and don't give a fuck about them knowing we're there."

As much as I wanted to continue paying attention to the conversation, their words were starting to become muffled. The sudden shift in that sense took me by surprise until I noticed the other ones were beginning to become affected, too. I slapped a hand against the tile wall as the room started to tilt around me with red dots scattering my vision. It didn't matter if I was doing nothing more than breathing, it felt like I had taken it upon myself to spin in circles.

What the fuck is going on with me?I sucked in a ragged breath, reaching up to shift the shower head so that I could rest my forehead against the wall and still be comforted by the hot stream. It was such a small movement that I didn't think it would agitate this, yet the dizziness simply spiraled out of control. I squeezed my eyes shut. No, no, no!

This needed to stop — now.

"Were you followed?" Fingers brushed against my cheeks.

The physical contact was so sudden that my eyes flew open and my first instinct was to jerk back. Distance was required, yet my body seemed unwilling to budge a single inch. Shock tore through my veins when I found myself gazing up into light brown eyes nestled beneath deep chocolate brown wavy hair. Even the tanned skin completing the look had my stomach churning with butterflies.

What the fuck is wrong with me?I didn't know this man, yet my body seemed to think he was heaven on earth. Even those pale lips and the one single freckle under his right eye seemed to have me ready to melt. Judging by the way he was holding me, that had probably already happened.

"No, Lazarus," a soft voice purred. "I left them all behind in Montana. No one was following me after that car explosion hit the news."

The shock grew within me until my vision grew hazy. That was definitely not my voice. Mine wasn't anything special when it came to an angelic touch that would leave a man swooning, but I certainly didn't speak so softly. Then there was the name to consider. It simply confirmed that I didn't have the slightest clue as to who this man was and I remembered my men with accents.

A pleased chuckle escaped Lazarus. He leaned forward, brushing those lips along my jawline. I could feel the trembles ripping through me, reminding me of how my own body would react to Asher's touch. The fact I was experiencing something similar with someone I'd never met — in a body that didn't feel like mine — left me nauseated. "You did well, Calianna. It convinced your father to file a flight plan back to Italy. Gave my men the perfect chance to strike."

The icy chill continued to grow within me as a delighted gasp seemed to escape my body. "They did it? Salvatore is dead?"

Fucking hell. This wasn't good. I had known that Salvatore was Asher's father, but I had no idea he had a sister. One that was clearly the black sheep of the family, at that. The admission helped something vital to dawn on me. Now Asher's rage prior to our interrupted love making session made perfect sense.

Just because they didn't seem to have the ideal father-son relationship didn't mean Asher had held a better standing with Salvatore than his sister did.

Regardless of the information being shoved into my face from a man that was nothing more than a complete stranger to me, I was struggling to comprehend just what was going on. I could still feel the faint sensation of tile beneath my hands, which didn't sync at all with the soft touch of Lazarus' skin when they found their way to his cheeks. It was almost like I was being forced to bear witness to someone else's reality.

Lazarus' pale lips curled into a coy smirk. "Sergio timed the bombs to go off as soon as they made it into the air. He will be honored as the martyr that helped start a war that favored us both, love." His grin faltered slightly when a soft gasp was squeezed from Calianna's lips. "What is it? Are you having second thoughts about the path you've chosen?"

My head shook slowly. "No, not at all… I am thrilled to hear that my father is dead. He was nothing more than a pathetic coward with too much power. It's just a small headache, that's all."

The Nephilim's light brown eyes narrowed into thin slits. "I have something perfect that will help distract you from such a mild issue." His thumb danced along my cheek, leaving a trail of goosebumps that seemed to have Calianna's knees weak while making my stomach churn.

Her breathing hitched. "What is it?"

"Come with me." Pulling his hand away from her face, he seized one of Calianna's and started pulling her through the rundown foyer. He didn't offer anything further to help hint at what Calianna's surprise was.

While she didn't seem to find it frustrating and he appeared genuinely excited by it, I was engulfed by nausea so powerful that I had to be vomiting in reality. I wanted nothing more than to break from this and prevent it from ever happening again. My own soul was beginning to feel violated just by bearing witness to this.

Lazarus led her toward the back of the house to a door tucked underneath a stairway. The locks built into the outside of it had already been undone, allowing him to immediately take her down the crumbling steps just beyond it. Calianna's pace was matched to his, allowing them to descend it with record time. His surprise didn't become clear until they rounded the corner and a man chained to a metal chair was revealed.

Calianna's breathing slowed as her confusion shifted into a mixture of disbelief and horror. "I-Is that…? Is that Xaide?"

Her companion released a soft hum. He released her hand as soon as the bleeding man came into sight, allowing her to drift to a halt halfway across the room while he continued his approach. All it took was a small gesture on his part for the bald man slicing into the bound prisoner's skin for him to pull back with a slight bow of his head. "It's time for you to prove you really believe in my cause, Calianna. That every single race here at the manor is fighting for."

The bound man jerked slightly, his body taking far too long to realize the blade was no longer carving into him. His head hung forward slightly, although his light brown eyes swung toward Lazarus and honed on him despite the continuous movement. "You are foolish to believe you can bring down the crown with false promises, Nephilim."

The nausea swirling in the pit of my stomach only grew. So this was the being that had both the prince and his demon lords concerned. Now I felt even more tainted by that initial embrace. Gods, I just want out of this! I don't want to see any of it.

So why was I being forced to?

Lazarus' lips curled into a smirk and he tossed his head back, allowing a chuckle to echo off the filthy walls around them. "Everyone has a weakness, demon. That includes your infamous prince. All it takes is the process of elimination. Is the bastard addicted to a drug that only one race can produce? Does that cock demand a fresh pussy every night to satisfy that pathetic hunger of his? Or perhaps he's just a fool that was controlled by the king like a puppet. Were his thoughts even his own?"

If I had any control over this body, I knew the snarl clawing its way up my throat would rip from my lips. The Nephilim's word choice certainly left me ready to draw some blood. The fact that the thought would even cross my mind should leave me absolutely shitless. Old Quinn certainly wouldn't touch violence in any manner. New Quinn was more than willing to do so. So where did that leave me when it came to the infamous tasks called for by the old ways?

Would it make or break my chances?

Xaide spat on the floor, leaving a thick spot of blood tainting the pavement. The Nephilim had already moved around the back of his body, which meant the action was purely done as an insult. "You've chosen to ally yourself with the wrong prince, bastard. Marcillo will fall by the turn of the year."

"Why's that?" Lazarus continued pacing until he drifted back into the demon's peripheral view. His smirk merely grew as the demon honed in on him with a snarl. "Are you betting on Asher's skilled strategy methods or…that bastard child he seems to think will make a fine queen?"

While disgust started coursing through Calianna's veins, my own nausea was spiraling out of control. I yearned for the ability to control her hands just so I could dig her nails into her palms. The pain would help me maintain my focus as the panic threatened to completely consume me. He knows about me.

How was that possible? I certainly didn't make a habit of letting myself be seen by anyone out in the real world, especially because of my tainted blood status. That alone prevented me from getting a legal job. It kept me extremely isolated from everyone but my mother and the organization I'd chosen to get involved with. Considering that everyone else had been killed a week ago, there was no possibility that the Nephilim could have learned about my existence through any of them.

Sergio timed the bombs to go off as soon as they made it into the air…

My world threatened to screech to a halt. Sergio — the same name as one of Salvatore's bodyguards. He'd been present for the entire dinner, which meant he knew about me all the way to the growing bond between Asher and I. The slimy bastard had given Lazarus all of the juicy details before the explosion took him.

Xaide responded with a scoff. "There is no chosen queen," he growled. "Your source was wrong."

Lazarus cackled. "That's not the impression I got when he informed me of the family dinner Salvatore carried out with Asher and those pesky demon lords of his. No king would put bought pussy to the test if there wasn't a bond already established. Alas, I don't give a damn if your kind accepts her as his choice. I'll remove her from the equation the same way I will with everyone who puts their loyalty behind that spoiled brat."

A whimper echoed within my mind. With every passing second, I yearned to break free from this and return to the real world. It didn't matter if I risked throwing up as soon as I snapped back to my own body. I was willing to take it if it meant I could stop bearing witness to how the nephilim viewed the rest of the world — all the way down to little ole mixed-blood me.

Calianna started to approach Xaide, which only made my own nausea even worse. She cocked her head to the side while her approach attracted the demon's attention. All it took was a swing of his eyes for her to flinch.

"You've embarrassed your family," Xaide snarled softly. "You have no right to call yourself an Aeternus."

Lazarus had been content to continue pacing until those words left the demon's mouth. He twisted around and backhanded him, sending the chair back and leaving the bound man to crash against the hard pavement. His nostrils flared as his rage coursed through his veins. "The only people embarrassing themselves are those of you supporting Asher's rise to the throne," he growled.

"I had no desire to be an Aeternus heir." Calianna's voice was barely above a whisper. The nervous energy woven within those words matched the way she had drawn her hands up against her chest. It was a desperate attempt to make herself appear smaller with the hopes the demon would disregard her. "All I wanted was to be free, to live my own life! Why was that so much to ask for? Who has the right to sell their own flesh and blood to another family to simply bear children? To be seen and not heard?"

I flinched as the rage buried deep within her finally managed to claw free. Even Xaide seemed taken aback by it, flinching.

That kind of outburst was clearly not the type a timid soul like Calianna was used to allowing. She panted as she continued to glare at the fallen demon. The emotions were still tearing through her with so much strength that I expected to see red dots painting our vision. How she managed to bring such a wild rage back under control, I had no clue.

Lazarus' steps slowed, the Nephilim on the other side of the bound man. His light brown eyes locked on us. Although there was a hint of amusement lurking within those pale irises, his energy seemed to shift entirely. "Do you want to free yourself from the ties keeping you bound to the family, Calianna?"

Her breathing hitched. "Y-Yes."

An eyebrow rose. "Do you really want to be free of them?" he challenged.

My head rose slightly, almost as if Calianna was bringing up a defiant jaw — just like I did with Asher. "Of course I do," she hissed. When he released a stifled noise, the irritation seemed to grow within her. "Are you doubting me, Lazarus?"

"Not at all, love." He strayed toward her, taking great care to avoid the small puddle of blood Xaide had spat. That grin seemed to grow as he reached into his back pocket and tugged a folded pocket knife free. He flicked the blade out and dangled it in front of her by the handle. "No one gets to stay here without proving their loyalty. Warming my bed does not excuse you from that. So I want you…" He angled his body slightly to give her a full view of the bound demon. "...to show me how badly you want this freedom that you crave. No ties to your family…the bloodline…the name…your brother. If you want to sever all those ties, you will bind yourself to me the same way everyone else has."

It was clear by the look in his eye that he expected Calianna to immediately grab the blade from him and go to work on Xaide until he was appeased. The fact that she hesitated seemed to bring an icy edge peeking out from beneath the surface.

"There are no free rides to the kingdom I am going to build, Calianna." Lazarus' voice was low, masking any of the emotion lurking within. He brought the weapon closer. "If you want to join us as the rest of the world burns so we can rebuild everything from the ashes, you will slice into him until he is ready to give us what we want to know."

Xaide spat blood again, this time causing it to scatter on the filthy wall ahead of him. "If this is how you attempt to recruit the ignorant souls to take on the crown, then you must not have an army at your beck and call like you claim. No one swears loyalty by taking a blade for you."

The Nephilim chuckled, turning his head slightly so that he could peer back at the demon. "Oh, they're not on the receiving end. There's absolutely no point wasting my time attempting to convince you to see things my way. I know most of you tie your loyalty deep within the demon lords, as well as that pathetic prince of yours. Now you, my dear…" His eyes swung back toward Calianna. "There's a chance of redemption for you. Swear your loyalty to me by spilling his blood."

Every part of me expected for the prince's sister to back away and refuse to accept the blade. Yet it quickly became clear that the weariness I felt was just my own. Calianna reached out, finally taking the blade from him. She tightened her grip on the handle until it fit comfortably in her hand. "How much should I cut?"

Those lips curled into an icy smile. "As much as your heart desires, my addictive little demon." He gripped us by the shoulders, encouraging us over to Xaide before she could get cold feet and bolt. A hard squeeze was all he gave before he released us.

The choice was clear: either Calianna drew blood to prove herself to the Nephilim or she would end up in hot water real fast.

I was beginning to fear that she wouldn't move fast enough to earn his approval, especially when Lazarus' mood seemed on the edge already. Yet, she surprised me by dipping into all those memories that seemed to have driven her from home. It wasn't long until there was enough of a searing heat tearing through her veins that she finally started for Xaide.

That sudden change within her seemed to have caught the demon's attention to where his brown eyes honed in on her. There was only a weary energy lurking within his aura to expose the belief that Asher's sister had finally been convinced to go against her own blood. Yet the tension haunting those muscles couldn't be tied to the fear of pain. He was preparing himself for the inevitable.

"Start the recording," Lazarus spoke so softly that his command didn't catch Calianna's attention.

With Calianna's attention now fixed on Xaide, I was forced to depend on the quiet shuffling and a click for me to comprehend the fae had jumped to obey. The excitement came off him in waves and made my nausea a thousand times worse. He loved the idea of recording Xaide's torture.

I don't want to do this. I could feel my own body quivering as Calianna knelt beside him. Even the slight adjustment of the weapon bringing the light above us reflecting directly into my eyes couldn't make it dissipate. The horrible sensation haunting me only got worse when she gathered enough courage to drag the blade along the demon's cheek.

Xaide clenched his teeth, sucking in a sharp breath. "Are you that willing to betray your own flesh and blood?" he hissed. "You still have a chance to leave, Calianna. Go back home. Beg for forgiveness from the Council."

I could feel our eyes misting as the endless rage started to give away to other emotions: agony and sorrow. "I can't," she whispered. "All that waits for me back in Italy is a death sentence."

When she shifted the blade to start cutting in another direction, he jerked his head back in a feeble attempt to put an end to the pain. Still, there were no noises of pain being squeezed from his lips beyond the hisses and low guttural growls. He didn't attempt to speak again until she finally pulled the weapon away. "Asher is not your father," he managed through clenched teeth. "There is still a chance for you to go back home."

"For what?" Calianna's voice started to shake. "For him to toss me into the dungeons beneath the manor and throw away the key? He'll leave me there until I rot away, Xaide. Why would he bother to keep an eye on my punishment when he has such a unique pussy waiting for him here in the States?"

Rage trickled into my veins. Why is everyone so fascinated with talking about my pussy? I was over it, so done that I was ready to return to the real world and suffer the aftermath of this agony. Relentless nausea and a shitty hangover was still far better than dealing with the insults.

I just didn't realize that my own emotions were starting to merge with hers until she turned the weapon in her hand. "Out of sight… Out of his fucking mind!"

Calianna brought the dagger down with so much force, managing to sink it into his shoulder, that it prevented Xaide from remaining quiet. He jolted back with a howl of pain.

Lazarus drifted back into view with a low chuckle. His eyes were fixed on the blood already pooling from the wound. "Do you feel that, love? That's the sweet sensation of your freedom in your hands. No more taking orders from the rest of your family. No more being bound by laws that predate your birth. You are free of your brother."

Now that the Nephilim was springing tempting promises in her face, Calianna seemed to accept the blood covering her hands. She snapped the dagger back only to sink it right back into the demon's shoulder. As he roared in agony, she screamed, "I will not be owned! I am not property to be sold off and bear the heirs of a man I don't even love! I am still a fucking person!"

The hot and sticky liquid coated her hand. Every time she pulled the weapon free, blood droplets were flung into our face. She was too caught up in her own rage to really notice, but there was nothing to keep it from processing in my mind. My stomach churned as it trickled down our cheek, coming far too close to our mouth for comfort. Hell, the next time she pulled back, one did end up hitting our tongue.

No! I don't want to do this! Panic seeped into my veins. I was desperate to break away from this just so I wasn't forced to endure any more of it. The frantic emotions seemed to grow within me until I felt like I was thrashing around in a skin that didn't belong to me. "I don't want to do this!"

I could barely even register that those words had actually left Calianna's mouth — or the fact that Lazarus' goon was quick to end the recording as soon as it hit the air. One blink was all it took for the bloody scene before me to quickly change. Our body was pinned against the pavement beside Xaide with a hand coiled around our throat. It didn't even seem to matter to Lazarus that the demon was gushing enough blood to where the pool was on the verge of soaking into our clothes.

His upper lip curled. "Are you truly ready to free yourself from his grasp, love?" he hissed.

"I-I am! I swear it!"

Lazarus' grip tightened, squeezing off our airflow. "Someone desperate to break free from their family's hold wouldn't utter the words you just did, Calianna. Either you are attempting to pull a wool over my eyes or you didn't come here alone."

She clawed at his hand, our lungs already burning from the lack of airflow. "I…came…alone! I…swear it! No…one…followed me!"

His light brown eyes narrowed into thin slits. The blood pool had finally spread enough to where it started coating our back. While it was enough to drive Calianna's panic to another level, he kept her pinned. He lowered his face until only a matter of inches separated us. "I'm not concerned with who might have tailed you to our location, love… There's someone else in that head of yours and they've seen everything."

Calianna started thrashing against him, desperate for oxygen with darkness already haunting our vision. That didn't mean Lazarus was willing to loosen his hold. As far as he was concerned, she'd brought an intruder with her.

It just happened to be me.

For a moment, I could feel more control over her body. We just happened to be in perfect sync with trying to pry his fingers off our throat. The more he held on, the more I could feel both of us slipping away. The shadows surged forward to collect and I had no idea if it would grab both of us. That didn't stop me from clawing at my throat with panicked gasps.

"Quinn!"

All it took was Asher's voice for the darkness to dissipate immediately. It took me far too long to realize that I had crumbled onto the floor and my head was pounding from a nasty headache. Even my shoulder was throbbing in agony. That didn't mean a thing when it came to the nausea finally coming to collect. I jerked away from the prince, my stomach emptying within seconds.

Nico swore under his breath, grabbing a towel from a nearby rack. "Are you sure there's only a small part of her humanity left to erase? Demons don't throw up from a concussion."

The nausea refused to release me until my stomach was completely empty, acid and all. My body was consumed by painful aches, making every tremble I endured hell on earth. I didn't have the strength to protest Asher pulling me into his arms. "W-What happened?" I rasped.

He kept me pinned against his chest, doing his best to keep me from moving while he took a closer look at my head. "We were hoping you could tell us, pet. All we heard was a scream and I found you on the floor, bleeding." He nudged some of my hair away from an area where the pulsing seemed to originate from, squeezing a sharp hiss from me.

The sharp pin needles dancing along my skin ceased as soon as the demon lord managed to reach past us and shut the water off. I trembled against Asher, offering up no protest as he shifted to allow the towel to be wrapped around me. "I-I don't understand…I was just…taking a shower while you were talking to Archer."

"Now how did she know that?" Nico grumbled, drifting into my peripheral. His crimson eyes locked on me. "Were you eavesdropping on our conversations, love?"

My skin crawled from the term of endearment. It left me enduring flashbacks from my experience in Calianna's body and I wanted to be as far from it as I could manage in my current state. I tucked my head down, desperate to stop the agony.

"Don't push your luck, Nico," the prince snarled. With me all bundled up, he eased an arm below my legs and hoisted me up against him. Although it squeezed a whimper out of me, he carried me back into the chamber and eased me down onto the bed.

I couldn't bring myself to break the silence until he eased down onto the mattress behind me, keeping me upright. With so many emotions tearing through me, I couldn't bring myself to let my eyes stray toward either of the demons. There was a layer of shame haunting me that I just couldn't shake. I didn't know how. Sniffling, I lowered my head and closed my eyes. "It was like…I had been yanked from my body and shoved into someone else's. I felt everything she did. Saw everything through her eyes."

The demon lord casually came into the chamber with his arms crossed over his chest. "She?"

The breath I managed to take wasn't much of one, yet it shook as it flooded my lungs. "Calianna."

Both demons stiffened immediately with Nico's crimson eyes finding their way to Asher. "Well, fuck. If pictures of her reaching the manor weren't enough... Although I don't understand how a mixed blood like Quinn was able to astral project. Her mother was human. No magic in those veins."

"Her father was Faxiss blood." The air shimmered beside my leg as a first aid kit was formed from thin air. Asher didn't acknowledge his remark while he flicked it open with a finger and got to work cleaning my wound. He had a tight enough grip on me to where I couldn't pull away from him. The hissing I threw in his direction certainly didn't seem to phase him. "Someone along that bloodline must've had abilities the rest of us didn't know about."

Nico responded with a scoff. "Someone knew. You don't go after a ruling family unless they're a serious threat. Anything within the vision area would certainly draw enemies."

The prince remained silent and the lack of a response certainly left me yearning to curl up on the bed. There was no doubt he had rage lurking beneath the surface, tearing through his veins with so much heat that it rivaled three days ago. All it would take was one more thing before he snapped.

Would anyone be safe from that kind of rage?

Blowing out a breath, Nico trained those eerie eyes on me. "What did you witness through her eyes, Quinn?"

I kept my gaze low. "I-I saw a demon they'd taken prisoner. Xaide. They had him tied up in the basement, but Lazarus wasn't interested in trying to turn him. He was using him to make Calianna prove her loyalty to him."

The demon lord straightened slightly at the mention of the Nephilim's name. "Did she?"

"I don't know if she killed him…" I turned my hand slightly. It didn't matter if I had finally managed to snap myself back to the real world, I could still feel the blood coating my skin. My stomach churned. Gritting my teeth, I slowed my breathing with the desperate attempt to keep my body from betraying me once again.

Asher snapped the box shut. "It doesn't matter if she killed Xaide or simply inflicted pain. It is a crime to turn against a demon of high ranking. Those that work beneath the demon lords are granted the same level of protection as the lords themselves."

"That's not the only thing…" My voice was soft.

Nico arched an eyebrow at me. "What else is there to tell us?"

It took everything I had just to force more air into my lungs. Pain trickled through my veins with fresh strength, leaving me to wince. It took Asher's arms tightening around me for me to find the strength to speak. "He…He could sense me there…in Calianna's head. He was choking her when I finally managed to break free."

All it took was a slight shift in the air for Nico's expression to change. "I'll call Archer."

Although the demon lord's departure from the room caused a heavy silence to settle within the room, it didn't leave me with the overwhelming sensation to claw at the walls. Even with the prince stiff behind me, struggling to control his rage, his presence brought the exact comforting presence I needed. My frantic emotions were finally getting under control. There was just the infuriating migraine left to deal with.

I didn't realize Asher had shifted until his palm barely grazed my hair. "You're very fortunate that you didn't hit the glass wall on the way down, pet. That small bit of humanity left lingering within you might make healing such a wound difficult."

"Doesn't sound like there's much hope of getting rid of this concussion." A weary sigh escaped me.

As quickly as his rage had surfaced, it seemed to simmer just as quickly. The prince nudged my hair away so that he could graze the back of my neck with the tips of his fingers. "Nico will be returning with a witch once he's given Archer updated orders. She will heal the wound so that it is no longer a concern. It will take time, however."

I wrinkled my nose. "Why's that?"

"Amara resides in the deepest ring of his pit. It reminds her of home, I suppose."

Pit? Home?Those two words in the same sentence certainly didn't make any sense. I shifted on the bed so that I could peer back at the prince with a baffled expression. "You make it sound like Nico's got his own personal Inferno in his basement."

The edges of his lips twitched, bringing with it a wave of relief just from the sight of it. "Pet, his pit inspired the Inferno. That is beside the point."

I arched an eyebrow at him. "I wasn't aware this part of the conversation had one."

Those stunning golden eyes flashed, only it didn't bring with it a fresh wave of rage. The mischievous edge I found myself so addicted to was slowly taking over. Asher leaned forward, that smirk growing. "Just because you're suffering from a concussion doesn't mean I won't take the time to punish that ass of yours for that snarky attitude."

There was no telling if it was the concussion talking or if the silent threat of punishment excited me. I could feel a pool already collecting beneath me just from the mere suggestion of it and I had no problem poking that bear with a stick. I lifted my chin sharply. The movement alone caused his eyes to narrow, which only encouraged me to take it further. "Would you really punish me when I'm wounded?"

Asher brought his face closer, lowering his voice to a low growl, "Pain makes us stronger, pet. If we're going to eliminate that little bit of your humanity, you'll just have to accept that. So yes, I will take you over my knee and slap that ass red until we correct that behavior. I have no problem letting the witch see your punishment."

My cheeks grew hot as the very idea of someone else witnessing something so personal circled my mind. It was certainly nothing close to Nico watching Asher pry orgasm after orgasm from me, nor was it anything like sucking on the demon lord's unique cock. Was I against pushing the prince until he yanked me over his knee, running the risk of someone new walking in on us?

Absolutely not.

The prince's golden eyes narrowed, almost as if he could sense the defiance within me growing stronger. "Quinn Faxiss…"

Delighted chills trickled down my spine when the name of my father — my ancestors — rolled off his tongue with such a breathtaking grace. I released the towel that had been draped around my shoulders, letting it tumble behind me. Goosebumps danced over my skin, yet I didn't snatch it back up. I simply turned and eased onto his lap, straddling him. "What if I want you to? Demons thrive on pain, right? So show me."

Asher's hand lashed out, catching me by the jaw. "Are you attempting to get me to carry it out, pet?"

I ran my tongue along my lower lip, encouraging his golden eyes to drop and follow every single movement I made. "I want you to follow through with your promise."

His eyebrow rose slightly. "Now is this my…defiant pet talking? Or that concussion of yours?"

I drew back enough so that I could deliver a nip to his hand. "Does it really matter? I'm challenging you, Asher. Show me that you're willing to punish me no matter the time or the place."

The prince cocked his head slightly, his upper lip curling just enough to expose his demonic fangs. The sight of them sent strong shivers down my spine. His lips curled into a smirk from my reaction. "Very well, then." That was all he gave me before he shoved me aside. His fingers curled around my ankles and a quick jerk drew me over his lap.

A loud squeal escaped my lips when he delivered one hell of a slap to my ass. The pain tore through me with so much strength that I was seeing a mixture of red dots and bright stars. It wasn't something I had ever anticipated enjoying, yet I couldn't deny that I was hungry for more as soon as that sting started to fade.

Asher didn't leave me waiting for very long before he smacked me again. "Look at that…" He purred. His hand only lingered on the fresh red mark before he dragged his nails along the delicate skin. It wasn't long until they brushed against my pussy. As I jolted against him, he slid one inside me. "You do enjoy it. Just a few strikes and you're already soaking."

The squeal quickly dissolved into a squeak. My fingers dug into the mattress as he shifted his hand around, grazing that finger all along my pussy walls. "Y-Yes!" I wiggled my hips against his hand, attempting to draw him in as deep as I could.

With me trapped on his lap, the prince had no problem continuing to tease me while he used his spare hand to squeeze my ass. "What's that, pet? Yes, what?"

I groaned, letting my head drop against the bed. A part of me was grateful the area of impact was located near the back of my head, allowing me to press into the mattress with everything I had. "Yes, I love the pain!" It turns me on like no tomorrow.

Asher tugged his hand free, delivering several more smacks. The negative energy that had haunted him after I regained consciousness and was able to offer the information that I had seemed to have disappeared. He was completely absorbed by my current bodily reaction. "I'm sure we will uncover quite a few new kinks for you by the time the tasks begin. Why don't we get started?"