Demon Bound (Bound Series, Book One) (11 page)

Axelle lets out a small squeak and ducks around Darius’s huge frame. He turns to her and advances on her and she feels the instinctive need to run, but she knows that will only encourage him, so she stands her ground.

“Darius,” she says politely.

“Bitch,” he replies through his twisted mouth. “You shouldn’t be wandering the halls without permission.”

“I wasn’t aware that I was imprisoned here,” Axelle says haughtily.

“You aren’t,” Luc says from behind her, making her jump.

Dammit! Why do they insist on sneaking up on her all the damn time?

“Luc,” she says with relief. She was not looking forward to spending another second alone with Darius. She knows what he can do, but she doesn’t know if he knows he isn’t supposed to hurt her. She doesn’t like her chances if he decides that she is a tasty morsel.

“You should be resting,” Luc continues. “Let me escort you back to your room.”

“No,” Axelle says shaking her head. “I don’t want to rest.”

“After this morning…” Luc clamps his lips shut and glares at Darius who is happy to stand there and eavesdrop. “You need your rest,” he finishes lamely.

Okay, so clearly Darius isn’t in the know about her role here. She doesn’t know if that is good or bad.

“Honestly, Luc, I feel fine. Better than fine. Great even. Strong,” she says with a smile.

He returns it briefly.

“I don’t want to be cooped up in my room,” Axelle says more firmly. She has assumed--rightly or wrongly she doesn’t much care--that she is no longer required to clock in to her Admin job, but lying around here waiting for the bomb to go off is not exactly an appealing thought either.

“Axelle,” Luc says. “Please, I need you to rest.”

“No,” she says rebelliously, crossing her arms. “I want to do something.”

“Something?” he asks not understanding her.

“Yeah, Luc, something. I am not made to sit around like some kind of queen or shit,” Axelle says getting annoyed. She feels a puff of air on the back of her head, which she realizes is Darius’s version of a laugh when she turns her head slightly to see his face.

“I want some more entertainment, like last night,” she continues while Luc looks like he is about to splutter acid all over her. She feels a stronger puff of air on the back of her head, which wafts her hair into her face. She pushes it back in irritation wondering what is so damn funny to the ugly demon behind her.

Luc glares at his minion over the top of her head as Darius says, “No, it’s not like that at all.”

Axelle squeals with surprise when Luc takes her roughly under her elbow and steers her quickly towards the stairs.

“Watch what you say out loud,” he growls in her ear.

“Why? What did I say?” Axelle asks looking back at Darius who is plodding away in the opposite direction, his shoulders shaking as he silently yucks it up at her. Asshole. “What did I say?” she asks Luc again who had ignored her the first time.

“Your presence here is subject to rumor, Axelle. As I am sure you can imagine this ritual between you and me is highly sensitive,” Luc tries to explain.

“What do you mean rumor?” she asks curiously.

“Well, you are residing here until such a time as you are prepared… it is causing all sorts of gossip,” Luc finishes with a frown and ushers her into her bedroom, which now has a brand new door attached to it.

“Hmm,” she says tapping her chin. “I wondered why that imp called me ‘lady’,” she adds with a guffaw. “They think we are together.”

“Yes, well, like I said: gossip,” Luc snaps at her as she laughs loudly. “Just be careful what you say in front of the staff.”

“All I said was I’m bored,” she answers him with a sexy pout.

“And I said you need rest. We don’t know if there will be any after-effects, Axelle. Please just do as I say,” Luc responds, ignoring her attempt at seduction. Man, he has the will power of a saint. She sees the irony and it makes her smile to herself.

“Fine,” she relents. “But, I don’t really want to be alone.” She shivers as she remembers what just happened to her. She supposes she does need some time to process this.

“I will get Yasmine to attend to you,” Luc says.

Axelle sighs and gives up on him. She turns her back and walks slowly into the bathroom, suddenly feeling very weary and in need of the huge Jacuzzi tub that she spotted earlier.

***

Luc watches her trudge off and he wants to follow her and hold her and tell her what an amazing female she is to have gotten this far. He is desperate to tell her why he is putting her through this; he wants to see her reaction to his news. He has never, ever thought about what would happen to the bitch that delivered him his child. As far as he was concerned job done, go back to your miserable life. Even with Jezebelle, he struggled to see a future for them and she was perhaps the only female to have affected him. But now, with Axelle it is all he can see and it makes him very uncomfortable.

He is in need of some reassurance that all of this is going to go according to plan. He loathes going to the old bat, but the Dark Oracle is the only one with the power to tell him what he wants to know.

He changes his suit for some ceremonial robes. A long, red flowing cloak with a deep hood, which he pulls right up to cover his face.

He transports himself to her cave, deep in the center of hell and he awaits her words.

“You know that I can’t help you with this,” she says to him a moment later.

“You must,” he says to her, turning to face her.

She is older even than he is and it shows on her ragged face. He gives her his hand and she slices it open, letting the blood drop to the floor where a small fire suddenly appears that she stares into.

“There is nothing I can tell you,” she says eventually.

“Will she live to see this through?” Luc asks.

“Who can say?” the Dark Oracle says with a shrug.

“You can, you infuriating witch!” he snaps at her, clenching his fist so that he doesn’t strike her.

“I am a Seer, but not when it comes to this. The ritual clouds everything. I have told you this before,” she says back in the same bland croak as before.

“Then look past the ritual to the female. What do you see for her?” Luc asks.

“Another’s future?” the Oracle asks in a high-pitched voice, followed by a shriek of laughter. “Now, I must see what is in store for this bitch!” Her delight at scouring through Axelle’s fate makes him grimace. He has inadvertently put her on the witch’s radar and that will not bode well for her should she survive.

“Oh, she is special,” the Oracle says after a time of staring blankly into the fire. “I see why she was chosen.”

“Why?” Luc asks.

“Her fortitude and her loyalty to you know no bounds. She is in love with you,” the Oracle smirks at him and then continues to gaze into the flames.

Luc’s heart thumps as he waits for her to continue. He will ignore what she just said because it makes no sense. Axelle was picked because of her lack of positive emotions. She likes to hurt and cause chaos. She is a highly-sexed seductress which is why she keeps trying to screw him, it is torture for her not to be fucked when she wants it. She is a sadist, just like he is, and that is why they will make a perfect match should she survive the rest of this trial.

“She will walk through the flames of hell for you,” the Oracle says, breaking into his thoughts.

“I know all of this,” Luc growls, remembering the fires that had engulfed her earlier and that she pushed back. “Tell me something that I don’t know.” He is growing impatient.

“What is it that you
want
to know?” she asks him.

“Is she the one?” Luc replies immediately.

“The fates cannot tell you that,” she says.

“She has come this far,” Luc shouts at her. “Will she be the one?”

“Temper,” the Oracle says to him with a wag of her finger, “won’t change the fact that the fates cannot see.”

“Damn you!” Luc roars at her. “What use are you to me?” He advances on her, ready to tear her throat out with his teeth, but she holds her hands up in fear.

“Let me try again,” she says hastily, and crouches by the fire.

Time ticks away and then she says, “Bring me her blood.”

“Very well,” Luc says shortly and with a majestic sweep of his cloak, he disappears from the cave and back into his dark bedroom, where a surprise is waiting for him.

***

Axelle is luxuriating in the huge Jacuzzi tub when she hears her bedroom door open and close. With a frown, she leaps out of the tub and quickly wraps herself up in the big, soft robe that she finds on the back of the door.

If that blasted imp is lurking again, she will have Luc kill him.

It’s not, however, Stanford, but Yasmine.

“At your service,” she says formally and Axelle searches her eyes for any sign of the jealousy and hatred she witnessed a few days ago. There is nothing there, but a blank stare back. She has clearly been given her orders. Axelle decides to have a bit of fun with her, after all she is bored and Luc wants her to rest, so rest she shall.

“Rub my feet,” she says imperiously as she lowers herself to the cloud-like mattress.

“Very well,” Yasmine murmurs with her eyes lowered, probably so that Axelle won’t see the flash of anger.

Axelle leans back into the mountains of pillows with a sigh. Now that she is being pampered, she does feel a bit weary. She must have been running on the high of defeating the fire circle and making it into the next phase. She takes delight as Yasmine massages her feet with expert hands.

“Champagne,” she drawls with her eyes closed.

“As you wish,” Yasmine mutters and gently places her feet on the bed, and gets up to push the button for the bell to alert the servants. One appears moments later, dressed in the seemingly traditional, brown cloak with the hood pulled down low, head bowed and eyes averted.

Yasmine barks instructions at the servant and off he (or she) goes to execute the order.

She picks up Axelle’s feet again and starts to rub them.

“How long have you worked for Luc?” Axelle asks growing bored of the silence.

“Longer than you have been in existence,” Yasmine replies with a quick smirk.

“Have you had sex with him?” Axelle asks, needing to hear tales of his prowess and depravities.

Yasmine hesitates just a bit too long.

“You haven’t, have you?” Axelle asks, suddenly glad that she hasn’t. “Has your sister?” she adds eagerly.

“What Jasmine does is not my concern,” Yasmine answers.

Jasmine? And Yasmine? How original.

“You must know,” Axelle presses.

“She has performed acts with the master,” Yasmine reluctantly spills.

“Well, duh,” Axelle sneers. She remembers the blow jobs from her ritual sex.

Yasmine squeezes her foot tightly in protest and Axelle grunts at her and wiggles her toes.

“Do not think you are special because he has joined bodies with you,” Yasmine says. “He has a new bitch in his bed every night.”

Axelle grits her teeth. That is not something that she wanted to hear, although it does sound about right.

“No, I am special because I have been chosen,” Axelle says and revels in the look of envy on Yasmine’s face.

“You are not the first, and you won’t be the last,” Yasmine says to her.

“Oh, I intend to be the last, bitch,” Axelle retorts. “Now go and get me something to do. I am growing tired of your presence.” Axelle is thoroughly enjoying bossing this wench about. She could get used to living like this.

“Of course,” Yasmine says with gritted teeth. “What is it you wish to do?”

“I want a male,” Axelle says wickedly. “Go and bring me one.”

“No males,” Yasmine replies with a shake of her head. “My liege has instructed me to please you if that is what you require.”

“No, I require a cock,” Axelle says. “Go and bring me one, now.”

“The master has an assortment of instruments that you are welcome to,” Yasmine says. “I will bring a few to you, but no males.”

Axelle sighs again. A girl with her sex-drive had to try. She is really so horny it is starting to cloud her thoughts. “Fine,” she mutters and dismisses Yasmine.

There is a knock at the door a few seconds later and Axelle calls out, “Come in!”

As expected it is her champagne, and not just a glass, but a whole magnum all to herself. Mm, she is definitely seeing the plus side to this mysterious binding.

“Thanks,” she says as the servant pours her a glass out.

She glares at him when he takes a seat on the bed and pushes his hood back. Her eyes go wide when she sees it is Evan.

Luc peers curiously at the semi-transparent being floating an inch over the top of his bed.

“Hello, lover,” Jezebelle drawls and wiggles her fingers at him. “Miss me?”

“How are you here?” he demands her. “Your essence was devoured during the ritual.”

“Ah, not entirely true,” she says and floats over towards him. She places her hand centimeters from his face and his breath catches. “You want me to touch you,” she whispers. “I want that too.” Jezebelle heaves a sigh and drops her hand.

“Tell me how you are here,” Luc says stepping back from her. His mind is racing. What is she doing here, now of all times?

“Before you bound with me, I extracted a small portion of my essence and left it in the portrait downstairs,” Jezebelle reveals. “An insurance policy, if you like, just in case I didn’t make it.”

“You
didn’t
make it,” Luc says. “What has that got to do with why you are here now?”

“I knew that my chances were slim. I was strong, but you’d had others who were just as strong as me that failed. But, I know you, Luc, I knew that one day, when you found one that got further than the others, you would keep her close by so that you could keep an eye on her. I knew you would bring her here. And I also know demon bitches. Jealous little wenches,” she says giving him a seductive look. “They would be drawn to the portrait, wondering who the lucky female was to have been given a place of honor in the foyer. One touch by one strong enough to have gotten this far and
voi
l
à
!
”
She holds her arms out and cocks her hip.

“You are not exactly up to much though, are you?” Luc says and crosses his arms. Seeing the only woman he has mourned for when she flickered out of existence is getting to him.

“A technicality,” she shrugs. “All I need you to do is strip away most of the essence of the blonde bitch and let me enter her. I will be able to feed from the remainder of her essence and I will take over her form.
I
will be the one to give you what you want.”

Luc narrows his eyes at her. “Your essence isn’t strong enough to give me what I want,” he says sharply.

“So leave it until the last phase,” Jezebelle says, stung by his words and struggling not to show it. “You know you want it to be me,” she whispers to him, moving closer.

He did want it to be her. For so long he wished it, but now that Axelle is here and proving herself worthy, he has changed his mind. “Not anymore,” he says coldly.

Jezebelle flinches at his words, but she remains as defiant as ever. “If you don’t do this for me, then I will be forced into entering her form anyway. I have enough left in me to give her a bit of a fight and she will be so busy trying to get me out of her body that if the next phase just happens to come upon her, oops, she might not make it this time…” Jezebelle gives him an evil smile and he clenches his fist. He believes she will do exactly that. She is a trickster by nature--it is what attracted her to him in the first place--and he knows she will do this in an attempt to force his hand.

“Stay away from her,” he says quietly. He has no need to raise his voice. She knows him well enough to know that he is furious she is trying to blackmail him.

“No can do, baby,” she says floating in a circle around him with her hands behind her back. “I want what was so cruelly taken from me, that which you stole from me. I was in my prime when you decided to use me for your ritual. I deserve a second chance, and that wench is going to give it to me. Whether you help me or not is your choice, but remember that you have a lot at stake here as well, lover. I will give you a day to decide.”

“Stay away from her,” he growls. “If I see you again, Jezebelle, I will get Darius to finish off the rest of your essence, and you know you are a delectable treat for him.”

He has the pleasure of seeing her afraid, even if it is for just a moment. Darius has always found his past lover a fascinating specimen that he was dying to suck on due to her rare heritage.

Jezebelle brushes off his threat with a little, tinkly laugh. “So delectable that I am sure I can convince him to suck every last drop out of that slut you currently have housed in
my
old bedroom instead. Then what, Luc? You lose again.”

“He knows better than that,” Luc sneers at her. His guard wouldn’t dare to even think of touching Axelle.

“Not if I can offer him something he
really
wants,” she drawls at him.

Luc glares at her in disgust wondering why he ever found her so attractive. She probably would give it up to Darius if it got her what she wants. She never did let much get in her way, but ultimately she just wasn’t as resilient as she thought she was.

“Now who is the slut?” he asks ready to end this conversation for good. “Go anywhere near her and you will regret it. That is a promise.”

“We’ll see,” Jezebelle singsongs and then she is gone from his sight. It will be taking quite a lot of her strength to stick around, even in semi-corporeal form. This is a worry for him that he has to take a precaution against. He wanted to go straight to Axelle to get her blood for the old hag, but now he has to prepare an athame. He isn’t going to give Jezebelle a chance to get to Axelle; he has to protect her at all costs. Jezebelle has put him in a precarious position with her threats. He is incapable of getting rid of her while she is in her current state as she technically is no longer under his rule. She is something else entirely. He will have to wait for her to enter a form and be whole again before he can destroy her. Damn the little bitch! He doesn’t need this complication when things are so perilous. All he can do right now is make sure that Axelle is protected from his former lover.

***

“
Evan
? What are you doing here?” Axelle asks loudly and he shushes her with a little glance towards the door.

“I had to see you, to see if you were okay?” he replies taking her hand.

“I’m fine,” Axelle says. “Really, I’m great.”

“Are you?” he asks earnestly, giving her a searching look.

“Why are you so concerned?” Axelle asks him. “You barely know me.”

“I am worried about you,” he says biting his lip.

“Well, you have nothing to worry about,” Axelle reassures him and leans back into the pillows. “I’m horny as hell, but otherwise just perfect.”

“Luc not giving you enough?” Evan says derisively and Axelle snorts with mirth at his unexpected humor.

“He isn’t giving me anything at all. No male is,” she says with a great, big sigh. “I am to remain unsullied.”

“Unsullied?” Evan repeats with a slight frown, and then he glances down at the bronze bangle. He shuffles a little bit closer to her and trails his hand absently up her thigh.

She claps her hand down on it and he looks up at her innocently.

“What are you doing?” she asks him sharply. If he carries on with this she is going to jump him.

Evan doesn’t answer her, he just leans into her and presses his lips to hers, forcing his tongue into her mouth. He grips her upper arms tightly and pushes himself against her, positioning himself in between her legs.

“Evan,” Axelle struggles to remove her mouth from him. “Stop this.”

He ignores her and she is just about out of will power.

“Evan, don’t do this to me,” she says and gives him a solid shove in the center of his chest. “Luc made it very clear….”

“This isn’t about just you,” he snaps at her, but he slumps on the edge of the bed and doesn’t touch her again.

Axelle glares at him mildly insulted. “Then what is it about?” she asks after a moment of gloomy silence. “Why do you want to break the ritual?” she adds in a whisper.

“Because I know how dangerous it is,” he says eventually.

“How?” she asks puzzled. “I don’t even know what it is for yet. How do you?”

“I
don’t
know,” he says. “All I know is that I knew someone who had the same bronze bracelet as you and they disappeared never to be seen or heard from again. She died. I just know it.”

“Who?” Axelle asks. He looks distraught so it must have been someone he cared about.

“My sister,” he says to her utter surprise.

“Sister?” Axelle splutters out. “How did you end up with a sister?” Demons are created from the souls of the living sent here after they have died. They don’t have relatives as their human soul is destroyed and not at all the same as the demonic essence that is created in its place.

Evan sighs. “It is a long story,” he says.

“I’ve got time,” Axelle says so eager to hear his story.

“I wasn’t created, neither was my sister, Jezebelle. We were born of a human woman who was possessed by a demon and impregnated by demon male,” he explains.

“Twins? Spurned from two demons?” Axelle says out loud and then regrets it as Evan gives her a murderous look. “Wow,” she adds almost impressed. “You are something special.”

“Not so much,” he says stiffly. “I am just a lowly Reaper. This is my real form, what I looked like on earth. We are different to you, but I am not special. I think Jez was though.”

“So how did you end up down here?” she asks.

“Our demon mother sacrificed Jez and me to your precious Luc when we were sixteen. We have been here ever since. Well, I have. Jezebelle, as I said before, got involved with the Devil and lost her essence because of it. He killed her, just like he is going to kill you!”

“Oh, Evan,” Axelle says. In spite of herself she actually feels something stir in her over his obvious pain. “It’s not like that. Jezebelle wasn’t…” Axelle trails off and bites her lip. She was going to say Jezebelle wasn’t strong enough, but that wouldn’t go down so well.

“Jezebelle wasn’t what?” he presses her.

Axelle hesitates.

“Strong enough?” Evan barks at her. “Is that what you were going to say?”

Axelle shrugs her left shoulder and avoids his intense gaze.

“Oh and you are?” he scoffs at her.

“So far,” she says heatedly.

“Whatever. I have tried to warn you, but you obviously want to go on this suicide mission.”

“I am prepared to see this through,” Axelle says stoically.

“Then you are stupid,” Evan says. “Here I thought you were all about self-preservation.”

Axelle gapes at him. “How do you know anything about me?” she snaps at him.

“Oh, your reputation goes far and wide. One of three to escape once sent back. The fearsome seductress that enslaves men for her own enjoyment. Yeah, we all know who you are, Axelle,” he says. “Are you saying there is more to you than your rep?”

“Yes!” she shouts at him. “I am loyal to my creator. He gave me a task and I will see it through or die trying!”

“Or die trying,” Evan repeats. “Jezebelle was just as foolish as you.”

“I am not Jezebelle,” Axelle says haughtily.

“He cared about her,” Evan says suddenly. “In whatever way he is capable of those kinds of feelings, he cared for my sister. And he still put her through whatever this is. Don’t assume that he cares about you now or will care about you after this is over. Do yourself a favor and break the ritual.”

Axelle just glares at him. He has no right to barge in here and start making demands. As she searches his face, she remembers the portrait downstairs of the beautiful woman. She thought she had looked vaguely familiar and now she can see it. She is Evan’s twin sister. The one female that Luc seemed to care enough about to place a painting of her in his foyer. Axelle pushes down the burning jealousy she feels and takes it out on Evan.

“Get out. This has nothing to do with you and I don’t want to see you again,” she says and turns her back on him.

“Axelle,” he says gently and reaches for her.

“Get out!” she yells at him and he snatches his hand back, right before he is launched through the air and lands with a sickening thud against the wall by the door.

“What the…?” Axelle starts sitting up only to shrink back when she sees Yasmine transform from her olive-skinned, gorgeous self into a complete monster. As she roars in anger at Evan, her jaw elongates and then widens so far she looks like a hippopotamus. A hippopotamus with wickedly sharp teeth. Her arms extend and her fingers turn into razor-edged talons.

“Yasmine!” Axelle calls to her as she advances on Evan.

Yasmine turns to her and roars in her face with her giant maw. Axelle shrinks back slightly but doesn’t back down. “Leave him alone!” she yells.

“NO. MALES!” Yasmine bellows at her and Axelle shakes her head.

“We didn’t do anything. Let him go, now!” she commands, testing her shaky authority.

Yasmine ignores her and lumbers towards Evan.

“Run!” Axelle shrieks at him as she flies off the bed towards Yasmine. He doesn’t need telling twice, leaving Axelle to fight off the Yasmine-monster all by herself.

Good thing she has suddenly discovered that she has more power than she has ever had before. Including some very kick-ass offensive surges of raw power that extend from her hands when she holds them out to Yasmine to fend her off.