Chapter 19
Chapter
Nineteen
~ Princess Blake ~
P rince Callan, Mason, Nate, and Alaric step into the cage with me, and the moment the cage door is shut, a demon at the side of the room pulls a lever. All three cages lift into the air simultaneously, and I widen my stance as the cage rocks a little. In the cages at our sides, a handful of half-naked demons dance to the music, and I look at my mates and then at myself.
“We need to strip,” I tell them.
“What?” Alaric growls, looking unimpressed.
Nate and Prince Callan are already lifting off their shirts, exposing panes of hardened muscle, and Mason follows their lead. I slide down my dress, and my mates’ gazes heat as they stare at me in my lacy black bra and matching bikini bottoms. I hadn’t expected to end up in a cage, but it’s always best to be prepared when visiting a club on the Devil’s Lane—the stretch of street in Seral City where the most exclusive clubs are.
“We need to look like we belong here,” I explain to Alaric, and he begrudgingly pulls off his shirt before removing his pants like the others. By the time the cage stops in line with the balcony, all five of us are half-naked.
Copying the dancers in the cages around us, I start moving to the music. The thudding tempo isn’t as loud up here, so we should be able to hear the demons speaking at the meeting, but first, we need to blend in. If we fuck this up, we might be revealing our identities sooner rather than later, and we have one chance to get the information we need.
Trying to be subtle, I peer over at the balcony which leads onto a private floor of the club. There’s a small bar, a selection of leather couches, and a long table, surrounded by seating. Eight clan leaders are seated there, including Dante, who’s positioned facing us, a drink on the table before him.
“We see you,” I tell him, “But don’t make it obvious when you spot us.”
“You say that as if you’re somewhere close,” he drawls, intrigued, and the moment he spies us, a slow smile pulls across his face. “Now I knew tonight would be entertaining, but I didn’t quite think it would be this exciting. You do realize what that middle cage is for, I presume? And the entertainment you’ll have to provide to avoid suspicion?”
Heat blooms low in my belly. “As long as we get the information we need.”
Dante’s dark chuckle vibrates in my head.
Trying not to think about it for the moment, I glance at the demons at the meeting using my peripheral vision before looking away again. “Seated on Dante’s left is a clan leader named, Gloria,” I explain to the others. “She runs the Blackthorne clan, which is one of the demon clans with the most members. Gloria has been the leader for over two centuries.”
“And the demon to his right?” Alaric asks.
I eye the skeletal male with a wicked scar that traces over his lips and down his chin. “That’s Scyro from the Zetar Clan. He’s known as one of the most ruthless clan leaders in Seral. He killed eight members of his family to get his position.”
“Tortured some of them, too,” Dante adds grimly.
Slowly, I list the names of all the demons around the table, with some input from Dante every so often. They’re all easily identifiable and all from influential demon clans, including Hanz from the Silver Sun clan. The clan that owns the club.
I’ve just finished explaining their backstories when a tall demon in a navy suit walks from the staircase. An impressive number of knives hang from the belt around his waist, and a distinct tattoo of a blade is visible on his collarbone. He strides toward the table, flanked by six muscular demons who break off and take up positions around the space.
“And that would be Ivar,” I tell the others. “Leader of the Fallon Blade clan.” Despite already hearing that he’s the one behind the meeting, I’m still surprised when I see the clan leader. After General Josek tore down the Fallon Blade clan house, I left orders for the demon guards to scour the city for the Fallon Blade clan members. I thought Ivar would stay in hiding, and it feels like a bad sign that the clan leader is willing to risk such a meeting.
“Ivar has a history of opposing the laws put into place by King Dalton,” I say. “He’s unpredictable but cunning, and shouldn’t be underestimated.”
“Sounds like a charmer,” Nate comments dryly.
We watch as the demon leader claims the only unoccupied chair left at the table. His gaze sharpens as he peers at the demons already seated, and a smile tugs at his thin lips when he sees Noah. Or at least, when he sees Dante disguised as Noah.
Dante smiles at Ivar and lifts his drink into the air before bringing the glass to his lips. “I’ve never liked this bastard,” my demon mate murmurs. “Whenever he’s at a party, you know there’s going to be trouble.”
My gaze is still fixed to Ivar when Nate’s hands roam over my body. “You need to keep movin’ gorgeous. If you keep starin’, someone’s bound to notice.”
I hadn’t even realized I’d stopped dancing, and I curse, diverting my gaze and rolling my hips against my shifter mate when Ivar’s glance slides to us in the cage.
“You’ll need to do more than dance, princess,” Dante points out, his lips curving up at the sides. “Unless you wish to draw attention.”
“You mean something like this?” I say, pulling from Nate and reaching for Alaric, pressing my lips to his. If anything, the grumpy assassin was going to be the one to get us caught out, but thankfully, his muscles loosen at my touch. He cups the back of my head, kissing me back hard.
“That’s a good start,” Dante muses.
Mason presses in behind me, gripping my hips, and despite the fact I’m still trying to pay attention to the meeting, my body flushes with heat.
When I lift my leg, Alaric grabs my thigh, holding it at his side. Mason’s hands rove over me, exploring from behind, his lips brushing against my skin, and despite where we are and why we’re there, I need my mates. Like they can sense it, Nate and Prince Callan stalk closer, crowding around me. I take my lips from Alaric’s, and turn my head, kissing Prince Callan and then Nate.
With every touch, every caress, the bond between us hums to life.
“Whatever happens, you can’t let me come,” I tell them, my breathing heavy. “The last thing we need is my tattoos letting off a light show.”
Nate gives me a feral grin. “I think we can handle that.”
The look in his eyes has my heart beating wildly, anticipation thrumming through me.
“I mean it,” I tell him, because I get the feeling he hasn’t gotten the point. “You guys can’t come either. Our tattoos, remember?” Luna has disguised our marks, but considering what happened with our tattoos when we bonded, I’d rather not risk it.
“Like I said,” Nate replies. “I think we can handle it.”
I glance back at the meeting, only to find a few of the demons are watching us expectantly. Ivar is busy talking about the current state of Seral, and how he disagrees with the way the city has been run, but the demons around the table keep glancing my way. Fuck.
“Can’t they just focus on the meeting?” I grumble.
“You are rather distracting, princess,” Dante drawls. “You might not be wearing your usual face, but even with Luna’s magic suppressing your power, these demons can likely feel it. They’re drawn to power, and without knowing why, they’ll simply be looking to you as a cage entertainer.”
I let out a long breath. “Then I guess we’d better give them a show.” I run my hand down, grabbing at the front of Alaric’s pants, and the male’s nostrils flare.
~ Dante ~
It’s hard to concentrate while my delectable princess is being pleasured in a cage for the entire club to see. Nate and the others bring her to the edge over and over again never letting her find her release, and my balls ache. I grip my leg under the table and wish I was gripping my cock instead. I want to be with them, making our mate writhe, her cheeks flush with heat as her pleasure builds. I want to be the one sinking into…
I let out a rush of air through my nose and force myself to focus on Ivar. The meeting. That’s why we’re here, and I’m well aware that later Blake will be questioning me, searching for any information she missed while in the cage.
At the thought, my gaze connects with my mate, and my lips curve as she whimpers while Alaric drives his cock into her. Even with another face she’s still perfect. My mate. My princess.
The Fallon Blade leader is now talking animatedly, and I lean back in my chair, drumming my fingers on the table as I turn my attention back to him.
Ivar rests his elbows on the table. “We all know this has been a long time coming. We need to act. The balance between the clans has always been fragile, and it’s time we do something about it.”
Ah, a meeting to discuss the overthrow of the king . How predictable. So far there’s been no mention of the witches, and it’s mostly just been Ivar dribbling about how he thinks he could be a better leader than King Dalton. Which is laughable. The clan leader has always been too quick to reach for his blades. King Dalton might be ruthless, but he’s always been strategic.
“But it is a balance,” Gloria counters, her lips pursed. “What do you propose? That we put you on the throne?”
Ivar’s expression darkens as he stares down the she-demon, opening his arms wide. “If there’s another here who you think would be a more suitable candidate, then please, I’m all ears.”
Gloria hesitates before saying, “We could let the demon princess?—”
“That halfblood?” Ivar sneers. “You’d rather have her rule rather than a true-blooded demon? The angels never wanted her, and neither should the demons. She doesn’t have what it takes to rule.”
My tail flicks down by my legs, and I struggle to contain my anger. My gaze finds Blake’s, and while her eyes are hard, she subtly shakes her head. Mason, Alaric, and the others are still giving her attention, but going by their hard-set expressions they’re just as pissed as I am.
“As much as I’d also like to cut that sneer from Ivar’s face, stopping him now won’t help us,” Blake says.
“No, but it’d make me feel better,” Alaric growls.
Blake grins.
Around the table, a few of the clan leaders look around nervously. Likely, they’re searching for Blake’s crow spies. Even now, the demons fear my princess, and my lips twitch with amusement.
“I would rather have peace,” Gloria replies shrewdly, sitting straighter in her chair. “The princess has shown strength, and I believe she could keep this realm together. What do you have to offer?”
“Demons respect power and experience, and the only power the princess has is because of her father. Without him, the throne is there for the taking,” Ivar snaps back. “As for experience, she’s never seen a war. I was there when the witches came all those years ago. I haven’t forgotten the battlefield.”
“So you’re a soldier,” Gloria says. “That doesn’t mean you’d make a good leader.”
Ivar has one of his blades out in an instant, and he stabs it into the table before him. “I can unite this realm like no other!” he snarls. “The clans are divided, but with me leading, we could be one clan. And if we take the throne before the princess returns to Seral, everything will already be in place before she has time to act.”
“You talk of unification, but all I hear is a demon wanting to rule us all,” I drawl, unable to help myself. “You seem to forget, the clans weren’t created by the monarchy. The decision was made by demonkind. So the different clans had the power to deal punishments and rule their clans as they saw fit. As long as we followed a set of overarching laws, demons were given more power.”
Ivar’s right eye twitches, and he smiles cruelly as he turns his gaze to me. “And look how those overarching laws have grown over time. This freedom you speak of is false. Creating clans wasn’t the answer. All we needed was the right leader.”
“And you believe that’s you?” Gloria scoffs.
Ivar’s nostrils flare, but he schools his expression before speaking. “If I rule, the clan leaders would become my advisors, and they would have their say in the laws that are created. For example, I could make it that there is no punishment for visiting the human realm. Why shouldn’t we feast on such easy prey? They are the ones who call us. All we’re doing is giving them what they seek. Wouldn’t you agree, Noah? We all know your leader, Dante, has a habit of bringing humans here.”
I’ve said the same thing to Blake many times when she’d caught me with humans, but now hearing it from Ivar’s mouth makes me sick. I never harmed the humans, and my demons only bedded those who consented. Within hours, they were also returned to their homes with little memory of what occurred. There was good reason for the laws against demons taking advantage of the humans, and I hadn’t realized how damaging my actions were until now.
I avoid Blake’s pointed stare though I can feel her attention on me.
Ivar stares at me expectantly, and I’m forced to give him the answer he desires. “It would be a…relief to have some of the laws lightened.”
The demon leader’s eyes shine with approval. “You see! I can make Seral a much more…pleasurable city to reside in. Together we can reshape the city.”
In theory, I do see some sense in Ivar’s argument. It’s a pity that the demon is as untrustworthy as they come, and I highly doubt he would listen to the voices of the demons for long, if at all.
“For such an impactful change, the demons should have the chance to vote again. To voice whether they wish to disband the clans,” another demon says.
Ivar’s eyes twitches again, and he forces a smile. “Something we can discuss when I’m on the throne.”
There’s a beat of silence as all the leaders digest this.
“I may not always agree with King Dalton,” Gloria says slowly, “but he’s maintained peace for this long. We’ve not seen another war since the witches, and I believe the princess would uphold his legacy.”
“His legacy?” Ivar sneers again. “Since the war with the witches, the king has hardly offered much to our realm. He’s been so concerned with keeping us battle ready that he closed himself off to any other possibilities that might present themselves.”
“Other possibilities?” asks Scyro.
Ivar noticeably shifts, not necessarily uncomfortable, but uncertain. “Possibilities that could mean big changes for the demons. Since the war with the witches, we’ve been seen as the realm that needed to call for aid. The ones who couldn’t handle our own when the time came.”
“Any realm would have needed assistance,” Gloria counters. “It was simply unfortunate the witches targeted our realm rather than one of the others.”
“None-the-less the demons don’t hold the respect that we once did. But I can bring that back. When I’m king, I can make Seral great again.” Ivar’s eyes sparkle, and I don’t miss the fact that he said ‘when’ not ‘if.’
Ivar has always been a vocal leader, but he’s never been this brazen before.
“You speak of taking out the king before the princess arrives. King Dalton is one of the strongest demons to have lived. How exactly are you proposing that we defeat him?” Scyro asks.
Fuck. That’s all it takes for the conversation to change.
Ivar beams at Scyro. “Going by my intel, the king is weak. It’s why he’s retiring. So now is the time to send in an assassin.”
“An assassin? Presumably, one who won’t fail this time?” Gloria mocks.
“This time?” I drawl, curiosity getting the better of me.
“Careful, Dante,” Blake warns, though from her intense gaze, she’s as interested in the answer as I am.
Grabbing the dagger he’d stabbed into the table, Ivar pulls it out, examining the sharp edges of the blade. “We had a Drozac assassin on board to help us some time ago,” he says, surprising me with an answer. “Assigned by the order. Unfortunately, the king turned up during my initial meeting with the assassin, and I had to make it seem as though the assassin had come after me. It was unfortunate timing.”
A Drozac assassin? My brows lift, and my gaze goes to my bond brother in the cage before flicking back to Ivar. “And what happened to this assassin?”
Ivar shrugs, spinning his blade, handle upward on the table. “The king had been quick to take care of him, with my assistance of course. It was a disappointing time for all involved.”
I nod like it’s the answer I expected, but considering the sudden pale shade of Blake’s skin, I know she heard every word. Alaric squares up his shoulders and he pulls away from Blake, his eyes blazing with fury, but then Blake and the others are there, surrounding him. Blake runs her hands up his chest, trying to soothe him.
“He’s talking about West,” Alaric growls, his fury rumbling like thunder in our minds. “I was told West was killed in Seral when he tried to assassinate a clan leader. But if what this Ivar says is true, then it was only a cover up, and the leaders of the order of the Drozac were involved. West was never here to kill a clan leader. He was here to kill the king.”
“And Ivar turned on him,” Blake says softly. “I’m sorry, Alaric. All I knew was that a Drozac assassin had tried to kill a clan leader and was executed. I never knew who the clan leader was. I promise we’ll make Ivar suffer before this is over. But not now. Not yet.”
“So, who is the assassin this time?” Gloria asks. “And how do we know they’ll be able to get the job done?”
“We need to know this won’t be traced back to us,” another says. “If the king hears of this, it’ll be us in the royal dungeons.”
Ivar leans back. “This assassin will not be traceable. Not that it will matter when the king’s head is rolling on the floor.”
“What does that mean?” Scyro growls.
Ivar hesitates before saying, “On this you’ll simply have to trust me. The less you know the better in the off chance I’m captured. Above all, your safety is my top priority.”
“Yeah, right,” Blake mutters.
“And what do you need from us?” Hawke, a burly demon with a scruffy beard, and the leader of the Bloodsky clan asks gruffly.
“Everyone here leads either one of the largest, or most respected, clans in Seral City,” Ivar says, smiling. “I need to know that when the time comes, and the king has been taken care of, you’ll back me for the position of king. With your support the other demons will find it easier to accept the…transition.”
For a moment, no one speaks. The clan leaders all peer at one another, trying to gauge their responses.
Ivar pockets his blade and drums his fingers loudly on the table. “So, what do you say? Who’s ready to unite the demons and bring about a new era for our realm?”
I’m not surprised when one-by-one hands slowly go up around the table. My hand is one of the last. I don’t need a target on my back, and voting against Ivar won’t stop this.
“Well, I hope the princess doesn’t find out that you’re supporting a traitor,” Blake jokes in my head. Her words are light-hearted, but it’s obvious she’s seething about all of this.
Alaric is still tense, but the rest of them are back to kissing and touching one another, pretending not to watch the meeting.
“Mmmm I’m hoping I’ll be able to ask for her forgiveness,” I murmur back.
There’s a dark gleam in Ivar’s eyes as he stares around at the show of hands. Everyone has given their support, including Gloria, despite her earlier doubts.
“Well then,” Ivar says gleefully. “I’ll set the assassin in motion in the coming days, and I’ll be in touch when it’s done. Thank you all for coming.” He grabs the drink on the table before him, and he toasts the air before sculling the contents. Slamming the glass back on the table, he stands and straightens the collar of his shirt. Gesturing with his head, his guards around the room form up behind him as he heads for the stairs.
The clan leaders hardly speak as we file from the room after him.