Chapter Twenty-Eight
H ot water met my clammy skin like a lover’s kiss, eliciting a groan from my lips. Slowly my muscles lost tension, and my body seemed to sigh in relief. My head on the other hand was a mess, refusing to allow me even a moment of peace.
Sipho came to the forefront of my mind, but thinking too heavily about him would do nothing other than breed resentment. Mostly for myself, but also that small portion of me that still blamed Xavier. Though I had forgiven him and accepted my blame, I could not help that voice in my head that pointed the finger at him.
Then I found myself thinking of Sterling and what kind of life I was running back to. Of course, those thoughts were even worse and made my temples throb. I did everything I could to push away all feelings, to make myself numb and calculating, the way Mia had always told me to be.
I thought of what training would be like, attempting to focus every bit of energy I had on what I would need to accomplish within such a short period of time. Realistically, this time with Henry would be my sole opportunity to learn combat skills, because Xavier and Mia would never allow it.
Maintaining that same train of thought until I was out of the bath was not easy, but I managed. When I was done, I padded over to the wardrobe. There were not many gowns. Apart from the red one Bellamy had purchased for me from Pino, I had only three others. One black, one lavender, and one a stunning blue that mirrored Bellamy’s eyes.
Each of them was light weight with no corset, cinching just below the breasts—my preferred style. I grabbed the blue and inspected it. Everything about the dress was distinctly me. Just like the vanilla soaps in the bathing room, and the entirety of my bed chamber.
I felt the suspicion rise, but pushed it down. Shoving the dress back into the wardrobe, I grabbed a pair of soft black trousers as well as a red shirt that had buttons up the front and long sleeves. Bellamy’s cloak lay on the desk, and I debated searching for another one. In the end, I decided to put on the stupid thing and leave my chambers.
He could deal with it.
I made my way down the stairs and out of the doors to find an empty hallway. Bellamy had told me as much, but it was strange not having a guard or someone waiting for me. Especially since I had asked Noe to send Henry, who I was hoping would lead the way. I was not too proud to admit that I would get lost in this maze.
Right on cue, I heard footsteps sound down the hall to my left. I leaned back on the wall next to the stairway doors, waiting for the carrot top to make his appearance. I was sure he would have a snarky comment or two, but if I could beat down my emotions about Sterling and Sipho, then I could ignore the moronic demon.
I turned my head towards the heavy breathing and pounding feet, but it was not Henry heading towards me. No, this male was far larger than Henry. Not in height, but in sheer muscle. His arms resembled small tree trunks, and veins protruded from his tanned skin, as if the muscles were forcing them to the surface. His jet-black hair and light brown eyes were nothing special, though there was a presence to him that, quite honestly, terrified me.
Looking away, I tried to seem uninteresting and bored, aiming to not draw attention. I should have known better; I had not done anything but draw attention since the day my powers manifested. The male stopped right in front of me, a scowl on his face and violence in his eyes.
Great.
“Are you that filthy fae princess?” he snarled, his voice so deep it rattled my bones. Filthy? I smelled far better than he did, nasty demon. I could have sworn I saw a flash of black smoke in the corner of my eye, but the growl from the demon’s throat held my focus.
“I am filthy? Are you aware that soap should be used daily? Or do you demons believe being wretched is appealing?” I shot back in answer. So much for containing my emotions. My power thrummed in my bones, a warning to myself and a threat to the male in front of me.
“Your bastard of a king killed my father,” he said, his face moving uncomfortably close to mine. I imagined that if Xavier killed his father, then it was well deserved. Likely even self- defense. I tried to convince myself not to respond, but then he spoke once more. “Your kind will get what is coming to you. Starting with you, stupid fae whore,” he spit.
I smiled, devilish and every bit The Manipulator I was feared to be.
“Oh sweet, hideous beast. You sure did choose the wrong day,” I said, smacking him lightly on the cheek before diving into his mind. I squeezed, softly at first, then harder. Hopefully Bellamy considered this a threat to my life, because I sure did, and I was too angry to stop now.
I wanted him to feel every second of this pain. The very hurt I had suffered time and time again. I wanted him to beg for me to stop. And then, I wanted to show him exactly what this fae whore could do.
His screams filled the hall, a beautiful piercing sound that made me laugh with glee. He crashed down onto one knee, ripping at his head, trying to claw my power out of him. I simply lowered myself, flashing my teeth and staring straight into his dull, brown eyes.
“You should be grateful that Xavier was the one who got to your father, because I promise that when I am through with you, burning alive will sound like a mercy ,” I seethed, running the back of my knuckles down his pinched face. Never before had I felt such exhilaration from harming a stranger, taking away their autonomy. Yet, I did not balk at this side of myself. In fact, I reveled in it.
Right as I was about to torment his mind, to pull out all of his worst nightmares and force him to live them once more just for the fun of it, my legs were swept out from under me, causing me to easily lose balance in my squatted position.
The breath whooshed out of me as my back connected with the shiny black marble, my head hitting with a crack. The demon was still on the ground, whimpering slightly as he recovered from the pain, but now another stood above me.
The black smoke from earlier, that must have been them.
Their figure was blurry, though so was everything else around me. But I could just make out their outline, smaller than the first male’s, but not slight in the least. Before I could so much as take a deep breath, I was ripped up into the air by my shirt, the red fabric ripping at the shoulder.
“And when I am done with you, your throat will be raw from my cock.” He chuckled. I felt his hot breath hit my face, and then heard his intake of air as he smelled me. “Then I will bathe in your blood and pray to Stella that I can do the same to your lovely queen,” he added, licking up the column of my neck as if I were his next meal.
I would not cry, I would not cringe, I would not cower. If this were to be my end, then I would go out swinging. I grabbed onto his wrist and stared him directly in what I hoped was the eye, still unable to see beyond the general outline of him.
“Eat shit, demon,” I rasped right as I brought my knee up and into his groin.
He let me go, hunching over in pain from my hit. My feet found the floor and by some mercy from Eternity, I stayed upright. I started sliding away, following the wall to the right where I knew my chambers were.
Reaching blindly for the handle, I nearly cried out in joy when my hand made contact with the cool metal. I turned it right as my hair was yanked from behind, pulling me backwards. The first demon had me now, his monstrous arm wrapping around my waist and his mouth coming to my ear.
“Die, fae filth.”
I waited for the blow to come, begging that Eternity took me despite my sins. But just as I resigned myself to this unavoidable death, I felt a wave of power fill the hall.
I knew who it was when the demon released me, his gasp sounding from several feet back. Warm hands met my cheeks, a blot of orange flashing in my vision. Henry’s arms encircled my shoulders, Ranbir’s power diving into me, healing my wounds from the inside out. My eyesight cleared in time to see Bellamy stalking towards us, death incarnate.
The demons tried to flee, but Bellamy disappeared in a waft of black smoke. I turned to face the other direction, where Bellamy had reappeared right in the center of the hallway, blocking their escape. The slightly smaller one whimpered, his body shaking so forcefully that he was practically convulsing.
Bellamy sneered at the two, walking to them leisurely. His eyes said everything. He was soaking up their fear. Enjoying it. Basking in it. White light began leaking out of the larger one, who stood in a way that made me think he was poised to fight.
The demon prince simply laughed once more, eager for the challenge. And then the big oaf charged at his prince, yelling as if he were running into battle. Bellamy summoned his black fire, willing it to take the shape of a sword.
Henry left my side to grab onto the smaller demon, holding him to prevent his escape. Though based on the fear radiating from him, I did not think he would have tried. Ranbir remained at my side, his power stinging its way through me. The big demon threw out a punch, aiming for Bellamy’s jaw, but the prince dodged it with ease, dancing back and then kicking out his leg.
When his foot made contact with the demon’s neck, it sent him flying. The male smashed into the red wall, his arm and forehead gushing thick, red blood. I could not stop myself from grinning as Bellamy picked the creature up and head butted that same jagged cut.
The demon screamed once more, this time cut off by the black fire that sliced his head off, severing it in one clean stroke. Bellamy watched as the body flew to the ground, but my eyes followed the head, which bounced into the wall and rolled across the hallway. A shiver coursed through me.
“Ah Diazo,” Bellamy whispered, walking over to the decapitated head and kicking it back towards the lifeless body. “How you and Conrad disappoint me. So many years of aiding me with the fae, and you let one measly vendetta get in the way of it all.”
All-encompassing, that was what his voice was. Bellamy spoke with the type of authority and foreboding that could command armies and tear down empires.
“Did I not say that no one touches my princess?” he growled, losing his previous composure.
I realized then that Bellamy was speaking to the demon who was now audibly crying in Henry’s arms. I averted my gaze from the dead body, and saw Bellamy press his hands to the sides of the demon’s head, cradling it. Hiccups escaped the demon’s lips, snot pouring out of his nose and mixing with the string of saliva that leaked from his mouth.
From my vantage point, I could not see exactly what Bellamy was doing, though when the demon called Diazo started screaming, I imagined it was nothing kind or affectionate like it appeared. But I was still angry, broken, and so, so tired. Which was why I reached out and shattered the mind of the male yelling in agony, whose face I now realized was being slowly burned from the inside out.
It was a simple act, just a quick thought that squeezed his mind like a boil, popping it and leaving nothing behind. The male slumped to the ground, blood leaking out of his nose, mouth, eyes, and ears. Bellamy’s face whipped towards me in fury, but Henry smiled, a wicked kudos of sorts.
“As I said once before, Elemental, I am no one’s but my own,” I rasped, reaching my hand up to my head to verify the bleeding had stopped. Bellamy seemed poised to argue, or possibly even dote on me. However, I was in no mood to participate in this dance of his. I would thank him later. “Now if you will excuse us, I believe Henry and I have a training session to attend.”