16. DAEMONIKAI THE RELENTLESS.
Chapter sixteen
DAEMONIKAI THE RELENTLESS.
"When will you go back home?" Aekeira asked.
Lord Vladya’s body went taut.
They were fishing by a secluded stream. Lord Vladya had caught several fish, while Aekeira hadn’t managed to catch any. Not that she expected to.
Emeriel had always been the expert in this, but Aekeira enjoyed the simplicity of the act with him.
"Not anytime soon," he said, noncommittally.
It had been three weeks since Aekeira began visiting him regularly. She would arrive each morning and stay with him most of the day. Whenever she asked about his return to his people, she received the same answer.
She understood his hesitation. After what happened, going back wasn’t easy. But the people of Blackstone needed their lord.
Every morning, Aekeira found baskets of fruits on her doorstep, his people showing they approved.
She spent more time here than in the fortress. In truth, she practically lived here now, returning to her quarters only at night.
Except on the ‘bad days.' When he went through dark episodes of feral madness. Those days, he would insist she leave.
"Another one." Lord Vladya's eyes brightened.
A subtle tug on his fishing line signaled a bite, and Aekeira smiled as he expertly reeled in a large, flapping fish. His fifth.
"Dinner, my lady, is going to be delicious."
"It certainly will be, my lord," she chuckled, her heart swelling.
Aekeira would never get tired of having all of his attention. Spending the entire day with him, soaking in the sight of him. It felt like one of her fairytales, where this male was all hers.
Moments like this made her wish the outside world wouldn't intrude.
Lord Vladya seemed more relaxed. Lighter.
Was she finally getting glimpses of the male he used to be?
Her insides warmed up at the thought. She was happier than she had been in years.
***
Back in the cave, after their satisfying meal, Lord Vladya went outside to gather firewood to keep the cave warm against the chilly evenings.
Alone, Aekeira wandered to another part of the cavern.
A pool?
Smooth rocks formed a basin holding the crystal-clear water. A waterfall splashed down from above, feeding the pool. This must be Lord Vladya's bathing spot.
The water was inviting and Aekeira had the urge to shed her clothes and slip inside, letting it soothe her tired muscles. But she hesitated at the edge, fidgeting with her skirt.
"You know you can use it, right?"
She pivoted.
Lord Vladya leaned casually against a rock, arms crossed.
Aekeira blushed. "I was just… thinking."
His gaze was soft, lazy with affection. "You could take off those pretty clothes and enjoy the cool water."
"It’s tempting," she admitted, her heart beating faster.
"Then do it." Pinning her with a look that held fire, he ordered softly, "Take off your clothes, Aekeira."
A shiver snaked down her spine, and she lowered her head, shy.
But if the last two years had taught Aekeira anything, it was that merely breathing wasn’t truly living, and good times were often cut short. He was finally here with her, and Aekeira didn’t want to waste time on hesitation.
Throwing caution to the wind, her hands reached for the laces of her corset.
"I'm… uhmm…" She glanced over her shoulder, cheeks flushed. "I'm going t-to need help."
A second later, he was behind her, his breath warm against her neck. His hands replaced hers, deftly untying the ropes before slipping the shoulder straps off. It didn’t take long before Aekeira stood bare before him.
“Even with my dulled lust sense, you still drive me crazy,” his voice was huskier with desire. Wrapping his arm around her midriff, he inhaled in her scent. "Get in."
Aekeira stepped into the water. The coolness enveloped her, and she let out a soft moan. Lord Vladya waded in fully clothed, gliding to her. Rising above her, he pressed their lips together.
I can't get enough of his kisses.
As they sent sparks through her veins, awakening her nerve endings, she reveled in them. She was so hungry for him.
It was torture to curb her desires these past weeks, but Aekeira had to, it made things easier for him. But today, she let go.
"Hell," he breathed, breaking the kiss, his fat erection pressing against her thigh.
"Are you going to…?" she trailed off, hopeful and uncertain at the same time.
"No. We won’t have sex, but I will pleasure you." He planted a tender kiss on her neck. "Spread those sexy thighs for me, Aekeira."
Heat flooded her cheeks, but slowly, she parted for him.
His hand crept up her inner thigh… up… up… he cupped her womanhood. "I’ve missed you too much,” he growled, possessively.
Aekeira arched against him, her body trembling with need.
"But I’ve missed this too." His fingers caressed her, spreading her wetness. “So damn much.”
Eyes sliding shut, she moaned.
He stroked her, slow but sure. Seductive, but with intent. "I never realized how much of a light you were until everywhere went dark without you."
"Ahh…" she cried out, wound tight. Needing him. "Inside, please."
He slid a finger inside her wet heat.
A long, trembling moan followed, echoing off the cave walls. Her libido, which she was sure had died after him, was alive again. And on fire .
"Never realized you were the breath of fresh air I needed until that new moisture vanished, leaving only dead, stale air behind," he whispered into her ear.
Her heart bloomed, like roses unfurling to sunlight. This male… how had she lived without this? Without him?
Carefully, he worked a second finger into her tight, hungry channel, beginning a slow, rhythmic glide.
Aekeira was suddenly glad she wasn’t standing, her weak knees wouldn’t have been able to support her. Tremors broke out, goosebumps not far behind. Gods. Gods.
She was already fighting an orgasm.
Teetering on the edge. It was right there, demanding she give in.
But she bit her lips hard, digging her toes into the ground. I need this to last. I need this to go on forever.
"And even across universes, your blood called to me," he growled, his deep voice like gravel. "It gladdens my soulless heart that tonight, I finally get to answer."
He sank his fangs into her neck.
Holy…!
Back arching off the rock, Aekeira wailed as she came. It barreled through her defenses, flooding her with pleasure after pleasure.
Lord Vladya’s furry hand held her writhing body still as he thrust his fingers into her starved body.
His grip possessive, as if Aekeira’s private place were his right. His to invade, his to open up. His to claim.
Fangs withdrawing, he took the thoughts right out of her head. "This is mine," he snarled, plunging his thick fingers deep and scissoring. "Every part of you is mine, my sweet, pretty little Aekeira."
Her body convulsed as she was submerged in ecstasy. Drowning.
At last, she slumped against him, boneless and utterly spent.
Only then did he withdraw his fingers. Giving her a raw, heated look, he brought them to his lips, licking them clean before letting out a guttural groan of absolute undisguised hunger.
" Hearths , it almost feels like my sex drive isn't asleep." He growled, staring pointed between her open legs, to her exposed core, a savage look in his eyes. "The things I want to do to you…"
She felt completely exposed. Open to his eyes. But she forced herself to keep her quivering thighs parted for him. To let him see .
Taking a deep breath, he pulled away. Rising, he lifted her from the basin, carrying her back to his makeshift bed. Lying her on the soft surface, he began toweling her body.
His manhood was still hard and proudly erect, tenting his pants. That must be uncomfortable.
“Are you alright?” Aekeira voiced in a small tone. “Do you want me to—”
Her grand lord shook his head. “I’m fine. I told you tonight is for you.”
Looking up at him dreamily, she reddened.
"If I had my soul," Lord Vladya’s voice was low and gruff. "I would attempt a bonding ritual."
Aekeira’s drowsy eyes flew open. Had she heard him right?
He nodded, his expression solemn. "I would."
"Really?" she couldn’t help how small, how hopeful, her voice sounded.
Another firm nod.
Aekeira’s heart thudded in her chest. He wanted to do it… for her?
"I vowed never to have the ritual again. After Tiara, I swore off it. But if it weren’t so impossible, I would risk it all again. I would want you to be my bondmate."
He toweled her hair gently. "I’m not a prize, Aekeira.” His voice was flat, but his eyes rested on her with a tenderness that felt almost surreal. “I’m a disaster. A burden. A nearly feral one, at that."
"You are none of those things," she said fiercely, aching inside. "Don’t speak of yourself that way."
He closed his eyes, his jaw clenching. “If you were Syren, and I had my soul, I would have fallen at your feet and begged you to bond with me. To be my bondmate."
And I would have said ‘yes!’.
‘Yes, I want more than anything else in the world to be your bondmate.’
I would have screamed for joy, so loud all the animals in the woods would hear.
Tears brimmed in her eyes as she sat up and threw her arms around his neck.
His arms went around her, and he held her tight…almost crushing her. Aekeira buried her face into his neck, inhaling his familiar scent as her shoulders shook with silent sobs.
Aekeira didn’t know which she wanted more. To be a Syren, or for him to regain his soul.
Both.
She wanted them both so desperately, it hurt.
***
"Kneel before she sees us," Grand King Daemonikai snapped.
Ottai cast him a look as though he’d lost his mind, then crossed his arms with a sullen sigh. "And why must I hide with you? I’ve done nothing wrong."
Daemonikai leveled him with a superior look, one brow arched.
With a resigned sigh, Ottai finally crouched beside him behind the sheltering rock, muttering under his breath.
Together, they watched Emeriel in silence.
"Are you going to her?" Ottai huffed quietly.
"Yes."
"When?" Ottai pressed, glancing at the king.
Daemonikai didn’t respond. For now, he was content to watch her from a distance as she moved gracefully, tending to the gardens.
Just like that, the tension from the day’s court proceedings dissipated.
She was a vision in her elaborate gown, its golden patterns shimmering in the sunlight. Simply breathtaking.
Even his people admired her, which surprised Daemonikai. They were… kinder with her.
At first, he was suspicious. But after seeing how some interacted with her—the way the younglings flocked to her, their mothers watching with trusting smiles—he began to believe.
He was awed at the way she handled the children. Emeriel would make a wonderful mother.
A pang of longing rose in him, but he quickly squashed it.
Since their encounter two days ago, he had watched her from a distance, following her quietly whenever he had the chance.
Now, she tended to flowers, assisting the slave workers. The contentment on her face as she moved among the blossoms was… mesmerizing. Daemonikai could watch her all day.
"Perhaps you should actually talk to her instead of stalking her, Your Grace," Ottai remarked dryly.
Daemonikai shot him a reprimanding look. "That’s an undignified thing to say. I do not stalk."
Ottai raised an eyebrow. "Let’s see. You followed her from the sick female's house, to the woods where she gathered herbs with Livia, then to the training field where she practiced swordplay, and now, to the garden."
Well, now that Ottai laid it out like that, it did sound like stalking. Not that Daemonikai would ever admit it.
"I merely follow discreetly," he corrected firmly. "I do not stalk."
The fourth ruler smirked. "If you say so."
"Quit it," Daemonikai growled.
"Have you tried apologizing?"
"I have," Daemonikai sighed. Her heartbreak ran deep. He could still recall vividly the raw pain he'd seen. The misery, the resolve.
"She wants nothing to do with me anymore," he conveyed, not bothering to hide the bitterness in his voice. "It’s a wonder she even agreed to return in the first place."
"Oh, that took quite a bit of convincing." Ottai told him, shrugging. "She’s harder now."
"And stronger." Daemonikai remembered her impressive archery skills and swordplay. Pride swelled in him.
His Soulbond was a woman of many talents.
"Pain has a way of changing people," Ottai said quietly. "It starts from the roots, twisting everything until one becomes numb to all that matters."
A sentiment they both understood all too well. "Only I caused this pain." Daemonikai’s jaw locked tight. "It was all my fault."
"You did what you thought was best,” Ottai offered. "But maybe the separation was necessary. It forced you and Vladya to truly understand what these women mean to your lives. Sometimes, one does not know the value of what they have until it’s gone."
I only hope I haven't lost her forever.
It was fascinating what coming to terms with oneself can achieve. Now that he had made peace with his conflicting emotions, understanding that going after Emeriel didn’t betray Evie’s memory, he felt most comfortable.
Reaching for this new star—Emeriel—was not a transgression. It was a chance at life, at healing.
And for the first time in a long while, the will to live was stirring in him.
He still had nightmares about that night he lost it all, and he still thought of them, but he no longer wished to die with them. Daemonikai wished to heal .
Not just to honor their memory, but to honor his. He wished to live for them… to live for himself . For Emeriel.
"I refuse to believe I've lost her forever. I will win her back,” he stated with resolve. “I have no intention of giving up."
"I don’t think you’ve lost her, either. Beneath all those layers of armor is a woman who loves you more than life itself, Your Grace," Ottai said quietly, glancing back at her. "She stayed by your side through it all. Even when the chill of the frostfever became unbearable. She never left. She fought to keep you warm with her own body, despite the danger to her own health.”
The grand lord shook his head in remembered disbelief. “Beneath that tough exterior is a girl who is hurting, afraid to extend her love again."
Daemonikai’s eyes followed Emeriel as she approached an elderly slave woman struggling to carry a heavy bucket. Without hesitation, Emeriel took the bucket, carrying it across the garden.
Underneath it all, she's still the same soft-hearted female he once knew as Galilea.
And Daemonikai would reach her.
He would tear down her defenses, one brick after another, until he found that girl again. And this time, he would never let her go.
"And Vladya? What about him?" he asked Ottai.
"Aekeira is with him. She spends most of her days there."
Daemonikai nodded. "She will bring him home."
"I hope so. Blackstone is empty without him."
"She will," Daemonikai said confidently. Now, it was time he do the same.
Rising, he climbed the rock. "Wish me luck, Ottai."
"I absolutely will. Seeing as you're rather terrible at this whole courting thing."
"Of course I am." Daemonikai threw a glare behind him. "I’m four thousand years out of practice."
The fourth ruler's lips twitched at the corners. "I wish you all the luck in the world."
Daemonikai clapped him on the shoulder, then strode down the hill toward Emeriel.
It was time to try again.