Chapter 12
Istood at the edge of the prince’s bed, desperately trying to distract myself, smoothing my fingertips over a wood-carved sex scene in one of the posts. It was a vultus licking the pussy of a human woman with their long tongue, and it was sinfully detailed for being so tiny.
“Here he comes,” Alekus said, sucking the last of his herbs before flicking them into the fire. “You remember what I said?”
He’d given me instructions on how to behave once the king arrived, which was maybe his way of trying to be helpful, but it wasn’t.
“Keep your mouth shut,” he’d said. “Show him respect. Oh, and sure as fuck don’t call him a demon.”
A knock on Alek’s door signaled the arrival of the king. He commanded them to enter as he gave me a quick nod, like, Demon. DON’T call him a demon.
The door opened and four armed soldiers filed into the room, hands on their swords as if always prepared for a threat. I couldn’t imagine what would be more threatening than the fucking king.
The temperature spiked first. I glanced at the fire to see if it’d grown larger, but it was just him. The king.
The hairs on my arms stood erect as he strolled into the room. The last time I saw him, he and his commander were fondling me into unconsciousness. The last time I saw him, he did not look like this. Like pure royalty.
The fabric of his long robes was more like drips of black tar that reflected the light from the candles in these unpredictable flashes as he waltzed into the room.
His beautiful long hair spilled down his shoulders in a cascade of black that couldn’t help but draw one’s attention with the way it seemed to bounce a little slower than his steps, as if he was underwater.
The only color on him was a white gold crown circling his head, the spikes so sharp I couldn’t comprehend how they weren’t piercing his alabaster skin, but somehow it worked, strikingly. Like everything else about him. He was silk and oil.
“Father,” the prince said, hands pinned behind his back as he bowed.
“Hello, Alekus,” the king said, his tone the same casual-bored as his son’s. “Something wrong?”
“Yes, Father. I imagine there might be something wrong. With your head.”
My brows lifted at the cutting insult.
Alek gestured toward me. “What, pray tell, is this?”
“This is a human, son,” the king said. “It is what most of us eat.”
That earned a few murmured chuckles from the soldiers.
Alek grinned at his father. “Well, this is one way of letting everyone know you’ve gone mad.”
“Have I?”
“Let’s review, shall we? While I was gone, you took a human whore from the gods know where and chained him to my room without my approval. You don’t think that’s a tad deranged?”
“You call it deranged. I call it necessary.”
“Necessary? You’ve chained a whole person to my chambers against his will. Is this what the crown stands for now? Ignoring the very processes that make us civil?”
The king pinned him with a sharp look. The tone of this conversation was already surprisingly heated, like they’d had it before. “The crown stands for nothing without a rightful heir.”
“Oh, yes, that’s me. I nearly forgot.” Alek chuckled, something about it empty. “It’s not as if I’m reminded every day of its looming threat.”
The king stalked further into the room, increasing the temperature with his presence. “Have you even taken the time to inspect your shiny new guest?”
Something about the way he angled his shoulders toward me but didn’t look at me was unsettling.
“Have you even seen what a gift I’ve brought you?” he asked. “What a delicacy?”
“Of course,” Alek said, arms folded. “It’s difficult to miss something chained to my floor.”
The king slid his eyes to me, and I gulped. “Well, hello again, sweetness. Don’t you look delicious?”
My nostrils flared.
“Gods, I love what they’ve done with you,” he said, his tongue snaking from his mouth to wet his lower lip as he eyed my body. “It’s exactly what I had in mind.”
“I did not agree to this,” I said, teeth clenched. “I didn’t agree to die—”
It was like someone drove a nail through my tongue.
Not only did pain lash through my mouth, but it’d shut so tightly, I couldn’t pry it open. My eyes widened in panic as I clawed at my lips, a muffled, muted noise the only sound I could make.
“Oh, sweetness,” the king said, clicking his tongue. “It was cute at the brothel. It really was. But the crown does not tolerate candor from humans.”
I screamed but my mouth wouldn’t open. It wouldn’t fucking open.
“Your Majesty,” he said, his footsteps toward me quiet and calculated. “It’s, I did not agree to die, Your Majesty. And it’s done with a kneel.”
My mind was whirling, but I forced myself to lower to my knees on the floor, my chain spilling around me as I bowed my head.
“That’s so much better,” the king said, his voice gentle. “Isn’t that better, Alek?”
I blinked at Alek, pleading, but there was zero expression on his face as he watched me struggle, his arms folded. “I don’t really care, either way.”
My eyes were going to start watering as I turned to the king once more.
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll let us do the talking, yes?” He brought one finger to his lips and whispered, “Shhhh.”
The sensation constricting my mouth suddenly released, and I gasped a breath when I could part my lips again, which no one seemed troubled by. No one cared.
I quickly fumbled to a stand, holding my hands over my mouth as if to protect it from whatever that was. What was that?
“Oh, Alek. Have you even seen the eyes, though?” The king continued his slow meander toward me, and I instinctively backed away. “The hair? It’s real, you know. I tested it myself. Isn’t that unique? Doesn’t it fill you with voracious hunger?”
My chain got snagged on something, preventing me from backing away any further. Then I realized it was because he’d stepped on it.
He laid his rich dark eyes on me, and said, “Come to me, boy. Let me have closer look.”
My heart clamored in my chest but not even from fear so much as disbelief. He was mad if he thought I was willingly going anywhere near him.
“It’s okay, young human.” He beckoned me forward. “I won’t hurt you.”
I didn’t budge. I stayed as stiff as possible, leaning away.
“You’ve done it before,” he said, his smile unnerving. “Remember how much fun we had? Come. I won’t even make you take anything up your ass.”
This cocksucker. He’d had his fucking mouth on me. I wanted to scream.
“Well.” He chuckled, tossing his hands up. “You can all be my witnesses. I tried it the nice way.”
An invisible grip seized my body. They were hands—two, no four. Maybe even six. There were so many of them hauling me forward by my arms, pushing me from behind, and shoving me down onto my knees before him, so close his robes brushed my nose.
“And look at that,” he said. “He obeys so well.”
I whipped around to try and see the force that had dragged me forward, but there was nothing. There was no one. I’d never felt that before. I’d never seen their powers performed in such a way that it could viscerally control a person. Not even close.
“Now imagine, Alek,” the king started, hands pinned behind his back as he began a measured, circular stroll around me. “Imagine all this was for you. Think of the possibilities. Ask yourself what it is that you want.”
I huddled into myself, on high alert, scanning the room like I might be able to see the hands if they tried to grab me again.
“Think of how you want him to behave. As you know, he’ll do anything you wish with a little persuasion.”
I glared at the king. No, I wouldn’t. He might be able to keep me from talking, but I’d fight tooth and nail.
“He could dance for you?” the king suggested, and my ears heated at the thought. “Would that please you, son?”
Alek’s expression didn’t flinch. “I dislike dancing.”
“Then what if we have him shower you in praise?” The king kept his fake smile intact. “Whisper in your ear how intelligent and handsome you are.”
“You don’t think I get enough flattery all day long?” The prince scoffed. “Father, look at me.”
The king flicked his gaze upward, his patience waning. Then he stopped cold and said, “He could…beg?”
“P-please,” I sputtered, and my eyes widened even further. I shook my head. It wasn’t me. It was my voice, and I’d said it, but it wasn’t me.
“Please, what?” the king asked, smiling down at me. “What is it you want, sweetness?”
My body was paralyzed. Invisible hands held my arms down and kept my chin lifted. I was panting, but there was no stopping myself from saying, “T-touch m-me. I w-w-ant him to t-touch-ch me.”
His perfect grin spread. “Oh, did you hear that, Alek? He wants you to touch him. What luck.”
My lips parted to curse him, to spit at him and tell him to go to hell. Then my jaw trembled shut again, held tight by the same invisible vice.
“You know what I think?” the king asked, caressing my cheek with the back of his hand, and my eyes rolled shut as I tried to fight it, tried to pull away, but I couldn’t. “I think you should crawl to him. Show him what a good boy you can be. Then maybe he will reward you.”
Hands. Tendrils, rather. Somehow icy and searing hot at the same time, they waxed over my skin like a vast webbing. I wasn’t just being pushed. I was being influenced from the inside as my body lowered itself to hands and knees.
Then I began to crawl. But it wasn’t just any crawl. It was slinky and sexy with my spine forced into a deep arch and my ass lifted in exposure to everyone. I wasn’t submissive by nature, but that was what this felt like. The most submissive thing I’d ever done.
Every demon in the room started to react.
It was impossible to turn my head to see them, but I could feel their arousal.
I could feel their twitching, writhing, salivating as my chain dragged the floor between my legs on this sensual fucking crawl to the prince.
My fingernails scraped the wood as I tried to fight it, but there was no fighting.