Demon Untamed (25 page)

After allowing Ethan to thoroughly
persuade
her, Sonya finally consented to return to work.

Ethan had been right about Jade. The complaints Sonya received over the next few days were staggering. Apparently the chit couldn’t mix water and ice without somehow sabotaging the flavor.

But she kept Jade on, for the most part, and simply split shifts with her. Working with Ethan full time wasn’t the best idea. Downright dangerous, in fact.

Sonya twisted the cap off a chilled bottle and handed it to the waiting female across the bar. She recognized the girl as one half of the kissing twits from when Ethan had nearly turned her pub into a brothel. Ethan brushed up beside Sonya and rested his hand on the small of her back as he served the second part of the female’s order—a strongly mixed drink for her lover.

As the twit strode away, Ethan’s hand obstinately traveled lower toward Sonya’s backside. She turned her head to glare at him.

He’d taken to doing things of that nature often, such as casting her glances filled with dark promises, even after she’d asked him to not to. If anyone saw the way he leered at her now, her brothers would surely hear of it.

Yet she couldn’t muster the proper amount of anger to censure him with any real conviction. That look alone forced a jolt of sexual anticipation down her spine, straight to her core. It didn’t help that every night he made good on his unspoken, erotic promises, taking her to a land where nothing but ecstasy reigned. She shivered, recalling how the previous evening he had introduced a length of chain into their play.

Sonya had been instantly wary, had even fought back at first, but the wicked gleam in his eyes had her delirious with hunger and surprisingly submissive.

After he’d won out, rendering her helpless and attached to her own bed, he’d leaned down and brushed his lips over a tender spot of her neck, then gave a soft nip. Sonya had gone wild, her fangs lengthening, throbbing. She hadn’t even tried to hide them. Instead, she bared them in a silent warning. But to her surprise, Ethan had offered her a satisfied smirk.

Even now she thought him mad to willingly take her to that dangerous place, but she supposed that’s what the chain had been for. Just in case she had lost control. Very clever, as far as tempting a demon went. Although part of her sensed there was more behind it than just caution. She imagined he enjoyed having her fully under his control. And as she had lain there, vulnerable and exposed, he’d taken his time learning every nuance of her body and driving her mad.

He now knew that when he palmed her breast, she would squirm. When he explored between her thighs with his tongue, she would cry out. And when he stopped, she would growl. He always chuckled at that.

Though it had been a touch unnerving to be bound in such a way, she couldn’t deny her excitement at discovering what he would do next, the anticipation. The only thing he didn’t do was disappoint.

Feeling herself flush at the memory, she clenched her jaw and pushed Ethan away. “Get to work. We have customers who are thirsty.”

He leaned in close to her ear. “I’m parched myself, but I guess I’ll have to wait till later to have my fill.”

She ground her teeth to keep the traitorous smile off her face, but failed in the attempt. “Stop it.”

“Stop what? I’m doing nothing but tending to our clientele.”

She rolled her eyes. “Go organize the stock room if you can’t behave.” Loads of new supplies still sat in crates on the floor from when Sebastian had acquired them.

“Very well, but I’m only doing it now because I was going to anyway. Not because you ordered me to.”

“Whatever you need to tell yourself.”

He gave her a heated once over, lingering a little too long before disappearing. It made her glad she had donned this particular outfit this morning. The tight black top offered a glimpse of her midsection. The auburn skirt hugged the curve of her hips, the hem covering just enough not to flash a peek of her undergarments. Of course, she had to be careful about bending over.

Briefly, she considered following Ethan into the stock room and locking the door behind. Perhaps she’d find a bit of chain of her own to use on him.

“Hi Sonya.” Kyra’s familiar voice drew her attention. The Faieara was making herself at home on the ship and, surprisingly, Sonya found her to be quite pleasant. Sweet like Anya, yet not as sheltered or naive.

The fact that Sonya actually liked Kyra grated. Sooner or later, Ethan would begin courting her. No matter what that meant for Sonya, she was determined not to let it bother her.

Zoey appeared next, and claimed a seat at the bar next to Kyra. Zoey was equally likable, if a bit silly. Although that could merely be caused by Kyra’s translation of her crude English into the common space language the rest of them spoke.

“The usual?” Sonya asked, grabbing a set of empty glasses. The two had been regulars in The Demon’s Punchbowl since their arrival. They both loved to dance, which was probably what heartened Sonya to them in the first place.

Kyra nodded in response, but Zoey asked, “You got anything with bite?”

Sonya paused, hearing the words spoken in perfect Demonish.

Kyra noted her reaction. “What’s the matter?”

“Has someone been teaching you guys Demonish?”

Kyra shook her head. “No. Why?”

Sonya glanced back at Zoey. Cale must have taught the girl a few easy phrases. If so, Sonya expected the Earthling had no real idea what she might be saying, which was dangerous, considering the source. No doubt she’d start sputtering stuff like, “My top is too tight. Won’t you help me take it off?” or “I have a surprise for you in my pants.”

Yeah, that sounded exactly like something Cale would do.

To Kyra, Sonya demanded, “Ask her who taught her to say that.”

“No need,” Zoey replied, startling both Sonya and Kyra. “I understood you perfectly, and no one taught me to say anything in…whatever it is you called it.”

Her diction was perfect, with inflections specific to Sonya’s old village.

Sonya growled. “Stop fucking with me. You’re speaking it right now.”

Kyra shook her head, looking even more confused than Sonya. “No, she’s speaking English.”

“No, she’s not.” Sonya glanced around the room, seeking Cale’s smug face. She was now convinced that he’d had sent them in to screw with her.

Kyra and Zoey shared a confounded look.

Irritated by the game, Sonya called Ethan from the back.

He emerged a few moments later, greeting them with a smile. “Ladies.”

“Ethan, do you speak any Demonish?” Sonya bit out.

“A little bit. Why?”

She turned to Zoey. “Speak, girl.”

Zoey leaned back, gaping. “What am I, a dog?”

Sonya faced Ethan expectantly. “Well? Did you understand what she said?”

“Well, yeah, but that’s because she’s speaking Denaloid.” Ethan quirked a brow at Zoey. “For what possible reason would you have to learn that language?”

Zoey’s jaw dropped. “It’s English. You’re all speaking it.”

Kyra gasped, her eyes widening. She looked at Zoey. “I think we should ask Portia about that spell she put on you. I suspect when you speak, people will hear it in their most common language. In turn, you’ll hear them in yours.”

Ethan turned back toward the storeroom, muttering, “The Serakian, huh? Well, that’s convenient.”

Sonya agreed. The little witch turned out to be useful after all. She realized she had yet to meet Portia. Perhaps she would seek her out a bit later.

“Hey.” Sonya gave Zoey a sly smile. “If Cale comes in, do me a favor and mess with him a little.”

Chapter 23

Sebastian surveyed the bridge, calculating the number of crewmen he would have to replace after their arrival at Uli Rings. Engineering, security, and navigation. In a few days, the entire ship would feel hollowed out and empty.

Luckily, the core duties could be handled by Aidan, Cale, and himself. Rex, too. He was turning out to be a valuable acquisition. Before he’d been stranded on Undewla, the demon had worked with a crew, much like their own, and knew his way around a ship.

“Aidan,” Sebastian called. “How many responses have we received from those transmissions we sent out?”

“Only a handful,” Aidan replied. “But several of them are promising. A legion of incubi has already set out toward Evlon, according to their last communication. If we stay on schedule, they’ll arrive a few days after us.”

The stop at Uli Rings would be a short one. There Sebastian would put the word out that the ship was hiring mercenaries and any other battle ready individuals. After that, they’d meet with the Dragons of Legura, and then head off toward Evlon.

Aidan continued. “Another transmission from the Zerker mentioned possible aid, but I got the feeling they were divided on the matter.”

“Let us hope they get un-divided.” According to records, the Zerker race was an exponentially fierce, battle-hardened people, maybe even more so than the demons. “What of your clan? Have they responded?”

Aidan let out a heavy breath. “Yeah,” he said flatly. “They’re not interested.” He assumed an air of indifference, though Sebastian knew he must be fuming. A clan he had once gone to great lengths to honor had too easily turned its back on him, and this last rejection was clearly a final slap in the face. Sebastian could relate. His own—once beloved—family had, in a sense, done the same.

“Perhaps the Legura clan will have more scruples, eh?”

The corners of Aidan’s lips hitched upward at the snub. “We’ll see.”

The door whooshed open and Cale entered, a gleaming note in his eyes. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and his expression mischievous. “You’re not going to believe this.”

* * *

The weight of Ethan’s impending doom bore down on him as he entered his room and kicked off his boots. He felt drained from the long day. And tomorrow would be even longer, unless the demons came for him tonight while he slept. But he doubted that. He imagined they would want him fully awake when they attacked, for amusement purposes.

Should’ve been more careful
.

Earlier, he’d palmed Sonya’s succulent backside while Cale and the others had sat just across the bar, completely oblivious. To Ethan’s surprise, she had responded positively, slithering the tip of her tail to tease his crotch.

Then, Jade, who wasn’t even meant to take a shift tonight, had stepped behind the bar and caught sight of their actions. Sonya had offered Jade a dangerous look that, for anyone else, would have been a clear warning to keep their mouths shut.

Ethan supposed he should have gone after Jade when he’d initially read her intent, but for some reason, he allowed her to carry out her destructive mission. He imagined it was because he was tired of hiding his affection behind closed doors. Unfortunately, Sonya felt differently. She’d prefer to keep the liaison veiled from everyone until its inevitable end.

Nonetheless, it was too late. Thanks to Jade’s big mouth and vindictive personality, their secret had probably already reached the ears of one of Sonya’s kin.

He’d considered warning Sonya about what could potentially be a messy revelation, but he feared she would preemptively end things between them, as well as what she might do to Jade. Besides, there was a chance he’d be able to deal with the situation in a discreet manner. Sonya wouldn’t even have to know about it, if he played his cards right.

First thing in the morning, he would approach Sebastian and Cale. If he went to them now, and found the news had put them in a rage, there’d be no talking to them.

He sighed. Even if they had a little time to assimilate the information, there probably would still be no talking to them, but it would be a relief to get everything out in the open. He just hoped he’d survived the wrath that followed.

For now, he intended to spend the night away from Sonya. If her brothers came looking for him tonight and discovered him in her bed, even his magic would not spare him their fury.

He shrugged out of his shirt and relaxed on the cold mattress, letting his muscles sink in and trying not to feel deprived of Sonya’s warm heat next to him.

In an attempt to distract his mind, he wondered how Kyra was getting along with the book. He’d lent it to her shortly after her arrival so she could look it over. With no new information being revealed, it was of little use to him. He closed his eyes, worried what that meant.

Was this the end of his service?

The sisters were finally gathered, safe aboard
Marada
. The demons had volunteered to take over the next few steps—rallying allies and supporters to the cause—and the ship was on its way to Evlon with only a few stops at various space cities between here and there. What was left for him to do?

Fight, he supposed. And then possibly die in the process. The king’s last words before sending him off planet repeated in his head. He could still feel the regal hand clamped on his shoulder as he’d said, “If you survive to carry out your mission, you will be made a prince among our people.” The declaration had brought such honor to him, the like of which he’d never felt since.