Chapter 27 Jules
Jules
The guard’s hand clamps down like a manacle, his claws digging into my arm. No matter how I twist and stumble, he drags me forward as if I’m a doll made of paper instead of a full-grown woman with a brain screaming get out, get out, get out!
“Please!” I gasp. “I didn’t mean to trespass—I was just trying to find my way out—back to the Bleeding Court!”
My captor ignores me and continues our steady forward motion. The stalls of the Carnal Bazaar fall away behind us, fading into shadow. Ahead, the world opens up, and my stomach drops.
A palace rises before us.
It isn’t delicate or graceful or anything remotely fairy tale.
It’s obscene… decadent…and terrifying. Spires claw at the sky, molten gold spilling like veins through black stone, glowing hot as if the entire structure is half on-fire.
Torches roar along its battlements, their flames crimson and hungry, licking the air like tongues.
The gates gape wide, sculpted into the shapes of entwined bodies—horns…
tails…fangs…breasts—all locked in endless acts of lust and torment.
I can’t stop staring because my eyes keep finding new atrocities.
Oh my God. Welcome to the world’s most horrifying sex castle, whispers a little voice in my head.
Before I can even take it all in, the guard yanks me inside where it’s actually somehow worse.
He drags me down a long hallway with golden walls and a highly polished, black marble floor.
On the golden walls are pictures of erotic art depicting acts I’ve only ever read about in the darkest of Dark Romance books.
I feel like my eyes are bugging out of my head as I glance at each one only to see a more explicit one right next to it.
At last, we reach a set of huge golden doors. The guard who’s dragging me along nods at the two standing on either side—also demons, though not as tall as him—and they swing the golden doors wide.
“Now, little Queen, you’ll meet my Don, Kael Varaxis—your new Master,” he rumbles to me and drags me inside.
The throne room spreads open like a fresh wound—obsidian floors inlaid with swirling flames of gold and scarlet spread beneath my feet.
Pillars rise like black ribs, wrapped in fiery chains.
Torches line the walls, their light throwing writhing shadows across the stone.
From the ceiling dangle iron chandeliers, dripping with both jewels and razor-sharp hooks, as if beauty and violence are inseparable here.
And there, on a dais of gold and black iron, sits the Demon Don—Kael Varaxis.
He is massive. More muscle even than Lucian, his presence oppressive—almost suffocating.
His skin is deep crimson, molten heat rippling under the surface like banked coals.
Horns sweep back from his skull, their polished obsidian gleam catching the light.
His eyes are pits of living lava, glowing with heat and hunger.
The golden throne cradles him like a lover, flames licking its sides in eternal worship.
When he sees me, the huge demon leans forward on his throne.
“And what have you brought me today?” He asks the guard, his deep voice rumbling through the room.
“My Lord—I found her wandering through the bazaar,” the guard says, dragging me forward. “It is a Curvy Queen.”
He rips away my hood and cloak, revealing me completely.
The slinky black dress clings to me, emphasizing every curve.
I hate that I’m not wearing any underwear under it, but I didn’t see any bras or panties in the closet when I went looking for something to wear.
My arms fly up to cover myself, but Kael’s eyes rake over me hungrily and I have the sinking feeling he can see everything, no matter how I try to hide my body.
“Well, well.” His voice is deep and rough with a growl that slides along my skin. “A Curvy Queen, here in my hall. What a gift.”
I swallow, hard and shake my head.
“I don’t understand. Why does everyone here act like…like plus-sized women are some kind of holy grail? Back home, I’m invisible.”
Kael leans forward, his sensual mouth twisting into a cruel grin.
“In the Human Realm, perhaps. But here in the Shadow Realm you are prized above rubies. Abundant flesh means abundant magic. And you…” His eyes narrow, burning hotter.
“…you are radiant, my Queen. Your aura bleeds crimson—it is brilliant…alive. Lust magic coils in you like a serpent waiting to strike.”
Heat creeps up my throat. First Lucian claims I have the Sanguis Vita in my blood and now this guy is saying I have lust magic—all because I’m curvy.
Well, I don’t believe it.
“You’re lying,” I say flatly.
Kael Varaxis chuckles, the sound deep and dangerous, rumbling like an earthquake under molten stone. He lounges back on his golden throne, draping one massive arm across the armrest as his eyes burn into me.
“Lying, am I?” His grin flashes sharp teeth, white against red skin. “No, little Queen. I see your aura—bright, blazing red—hotter than any flame in this chamber. It sings of lust…of hunger waiting to be unlocked. That is no lie. That is the truth written in your very blood.”
“I don’t buy it,” I snap, though my voice wavers. “This obsession—this whole Curvy Queen thing—it’s insane. You’re making it up.”
“No.” He leans forward, his lava eyes glinting.
“Your kind are rare in our land—dangerously rare. That is why the Magistrate outlaws you. Do you not know our history? Wars have been fought over women like you. Whole Syndicates burned to ashes because rival Dons coveted an Abundant Queen’s blood and body and magic.
Even now, each Syndicate craves you for their own ends. ”
He begins to count them off on his clawed fingers, his voice smooth and merciless.
“The Thirstborn of the Crimson Syndicate—Lucian’s brood—seek your blood. With it, their cursed Thirst ripens, sweetens, and grows potent enough to heal, to bind, and to break ancient afflictions.”
He lifts another finger.
“The Flesh Peddlers of the Carnal Bazaar—my people—desire your lust magic. You ignite desire with every breath, every glance. Harnessed, you are a fountain of pleasure…and profit.”
Another finger.
“The Ossuary Circle—necromancers cloaked in death—covet your lifeblood, thick with power. With a Curvy Queen to drain, their spirits walk stronger, and their wraiths bite deeper.”
He leans back, savoring my wide-eyed horror.
“Shall I go on? The Savage Den, with their beasts and their shifting skins—they hunger for your heat. Your magic makes their transformations easier, less costly. You would stoke their feral rages.”
Another finger lifts, slow and deliberate.
“The Gilded Warrens of the Dragon Clan desire your fertility which translates to the ability to multiply gold and increase treasure. Curvy Queens birth strong half-blood heirs, children fat with magic who keep their decadent courts alive and the wealth flowing in.”
A last finger curls upward. (Yes he has more than five fingers on his hand.)
“As for the Briar Court—those Fae bastards want your endurance. A Curvy Queen can withstand more pain, more pleasure, more of their twisted rituals than any fragile slip of a girl. And of course, your magic will augment and increase their own. No glamour backed by the magic of an Abundant Queen can be pierced by mortal eyes.”
He lowers his hand, eyes gleaming.
“So you see, little Queen, every Syndicate wants you. Every one would kill for you. That is why the Magistrate forbids you to be brought here from the human world. Because your existence alone is enough to spark another war.”
My mouth is dry. I shake my head.
“Then whoever brought me here…they broke your laws.”
“Indeed.” Kael’s grin sharpens. “And such crimes must be punished. Tell me, who smuggled you through the Nocturne Gates?”
I clamp my lips shut. No way I’m selling Lucian out to this monster. I might not like him much, but I like him more than the Demon Don—that’s for sure.
But it turns out, I don’t have to say a word.
The guard who dragged me here reaches for my discarded cloak.
“Let’s see if we can find some clue as to where she came from, my Lord,” he rumbles.
I bite my lip as he searches the cloak. First, he finds the small sack of gold coins and tosses them carelessly away.
They land on the obsidian floor with a clinking sound.
Then he reaches into the other pocket…and pulls something free.
My heart lurches when I see the gleam of gold in his big hand.
Crap! He’s found Lucian’s signet ring! He brings it forward to the throne and offers it with a bow to the Demon Don.
Kael plucks it from the guard’s hand with a low chuckle of satisfaction. He turns it over in his palm, the ruby chips that depict the blood in the chalice glinting in the torchlight.
“Ah,” he murmurs. “So it was my old nemesis, Don Lucian, who brought you here to the Shadow Realm. How very fitting—he always did keep the best treasures for himself.” His gaze spears me, molten and merciless. “I dare say he will be most displeased to learn I have captured his Curvy Queen.”
My chest tightens. Lucian…
Kael’s grin widens.
“No doubt he’ll come for you soon. Let’s give him something to think about when he arrives, shall we?”
He raises one clawed finger, tracing the air. Dark words roll from his mouth in a sing-song cadence, each line thrumming with power.
“Blood of red and curves divine,
Heat and power must combine.
Desire rise—let hunger grow,
’Till Lust consumes from head to toe.”
The spell slams into me like a tidal wave. I actually stumble and almost fall from its impact.
And then I feel the effects.
Heat floods my veins, sudden and scorching. My breath hitches, my thighs pressing together instinctively. My nipples harden, aching points beneath the thin fabric of the clinging gown I wear.
“No,” I whisper, horrified.
No, I can’t be feeling this way! Not here!
But I can’t stop the power of the spell—it goes on and on, pushing me further and further into the land of pure lust.
Fantasies spark in my mind, vivid and unstoppable.
Lucian’s storm-gray eyes blazing into mine…
his mouth descending to my breast, fangs grazing but not biting—just teasing my nipples.
I can almost feel his big body pressing me into silk sheets, his hand between my thighs, stroking until I writhe under him, his thick fingers invading my pussy… only to be replaced by his cock.
God, stop—why am I thinking this? Why can’t I stop seeing these visions?
The heat intensifies, pulsing low in my belly. I squeeze my thighs tighter, trying to stop the ache building there. My body is trembling, every nerve screaming for more…more…more.
Kael laughs softly, leaning back to savor the sight of me squirming.
“Yes, there it is. You feel it, don’t you? Lust is your gift, little Queen. No spell can conjure what isn’t already there.”
My lips part as I release a broken moan. I bite down hard on my lip to cut it off, humiliated and terrified.
I’m burning alive in my own skin—and the worst part? Every single fantasy is of Lucian. My captor, my Vampire Don—the man I swore I didn’t want. I keep imagining him touching me…tasting me…
Oh God. I’m going to come right here, and I can’t stop it!
What am I going to do?