Chapter 13 #2
“Yes.” Leviathan said quietly, not turning around from his place on the bed.
“I let you sit up here and stew in your rage and self pity until you tried to jump out a window. You seem to make dumb mistakes like that when I leave you to your own devices. So tonight you’ll come with me and have some fun. ”
“Parties aren’t fun for me at all.” He scoffed, snatching up the first clothes he saw before rounding on him. He was still facing away from him, looking completely unlikely to move. “I hate them. I won’t enjoy it at all.”
“We shall see.” He leaned back on his hands then, clearly getting comfortable. “Get dressed.”
Heat rushed to his face. “Get out.”
“I’m not even looking. And it’s not as if I haven’t seen it all before anyway.”
The flush grew hotter. “Being a creep doesn’t mean I’m comfortable with you being in here. I’m not going to undress–”
“Do you think a robe would stop me?” The question was quiet. Dangerous. A threat. “Do you think being dressed would stop me? There is no difference.”
After a long moment, Cullen dropped the clothes to the floor with an annoyed scoff.
“Fine then.” He shrugged the robe off and chucked it across the room before hurrying to put his clothes on, his eyes not leaving Leviathan’s back.
Once he was finished, he straightened and picked up his robe, heading back into the bathroom to hang it back up.
“The servants will do that–”
“Are you so inept you can’t hang up your own robes?” Cullen scoffed as he moved back into the bedroom.
Leviathan gave him a displeased look and raised his chin.
“The party is partly a celebration to welcome you to our world. You will come. You may kick and scream and fight me, but I will drag you there myself.” He smiled.
“Or you can walk in maturely, on your own two feet and keep some of your self respect.”
He blinked slowly, realizing what he was meaning by a party. “Wait. There will be other demons there?” He wasn’t sure why that hadn’t clicked before.
“Many. Good friends of mine. And some low level creatures who lucked into an invite.”
Cullen looked at him in horror. "You want a lone Diviner alone with a few hundred demons? Is this how my torture is going to start? They'll eat me alive."
Leviathan rolled his eyes. "You're mine. Nobody will harm you. They wouldn't dare anger me in such a way." He gave Cullen a smug look. "But if you get a little scared you can always call out for me and I will bring you with me up to my throne and hold you on my lap like a good little slave."
His cheeks began to burn again. "Never gonna happen."
Leviathan smirked. "We'll see."
To his surprise, Leviathan had supplied him with new clothes for the occasion.
They’d been so nice that he'd dressed without complaint, and then moved to the window, where the crimson sun was setting, sending dark blotches of burgundy across the palace.
He'd tried to open the window for fresh air, but had found it sealed shut. He'd rolled his eyes at that, but he knew it wasn’t a terrible idea. The dark urge was still there, still looming over him, but…he wouldn’t try it again. He knew that somehow.
He wondered if the windows had been sealed since that first day Leviathan had caught him sneaking off to the balcony.
Had he seen something in his eyes that made him realize what he was doing? Or was it as Cullen suspected, and the bastard had some kind of access to his mind? Since Leviathan had shown up so quickly, mere seconds after Cullen had made the decision, he would have guessed it was the latter.
The thought didn't sit well.
He cast another longing gaze out the window–and froze when he saw the dark figures coalescing on the barren landscape just on the other side of an old stone bridge.
The fear that gripped him at the sight of the demons appearing from thick patches of shadows in front of the palace was like nothing he had ever experienced.
Evil seeped from them in a nearly visible wave, washing over the ground and flowing across the bridge as they crossed it. He could hear faint laughter, even from here, with the window closed, and the sound was so…human. He might have been drawn to it, had he not seen the faces of the creatures.
They were all varying manners of grotesque; tall, spindly demons with big black eyes, short round ones that had no eyes at all, only huge gashes in their faces where their mouths should be.
Low level demons. Some he could have taken down with only a dagger or two…
His hands twitched at his side, brushing against smooth fabric instead of the hilt of a blade.
Stupid. He should have brought some back with him from the training room…
But it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Because the next demons that walked across the bridge… They were humanoid and dressed like regular people, in clothes far nicer than his own. High level demons. He wouldn’t have stood a chance on his own against them.
He frowned and moved away from the window, his stomach twisting. He was about to be in a room with all those creatures…
A thump on his bedroom door drew him out of the dark thoughts. He took in a slow breath before going to open it, trying not to notice the tremble in his hands as he pulled it open and faced Leviathan.
His eyes caught his attention instantly, his lips parting in surprise at the sight of them. No longer the pitch black of a snake's eyes, but…human. The pupil was still a small onyx circle, but a smooth, natural white surrounded it.
“H…how…”
Leviathan smiled, and Cullen nearly took a step back when he realized how handsome he looked like this, with those natural eyes and these clothes that were so human, so…
Fuck, they matched. The bastard. Of course he would have planned something like that.
Though Leviathan’s clothes were a few shades darker, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up in a way that Cullen might have admitted was attractive if he had been anyone else…
“I thought you might like this more.” Leviathan murmured. “It was something I overlooked before, but I’m sure my eyes…upset you.” He met Cullen’s gaze evenly. “I can teach you how to do it if you wish.”
He hesitated, giving his own wrist a slow squeeze for encouragement before he nodded. “I…I would…like that.” He hadn’t realized something like that would be possible. But if he could look human again, even in such a miniscule way…
“Then I will teach you.” He smiled. “After you play nice at the party.”
“What?!” He demanded. “But you just said–”
“I didn’t imply that I would do it immediately, Cullen. A kind gesture for a kind gesture seems fair enough to me.”
He glared at him, his jaw clenched. But after a long moment he sighed and let his gaze fall to the side. “What do I have to do?”
“Play nice, as I said.” He reached forward to touch his cheek, but Cullen slapped his hand away.
“Don’t embarrass me. Don’t hurt any of my guests.
” He stepped closer and Cullen tensed, his face growing warm under his gaze.
“And if I ask you to dance,” he murmured, sliding a slow hand down his arm.
Cullen bit back a gasp at the goosebumps that followed the movement. “You do not turn me down.”
“Not worth it.” He scoffed, stepping away from him. He fought the urge to rub the spot on his arm that had prickled. “I’ll just stay…like this.”
Leviathan chuckled. “You’re not a very good actor, you know.”
He said nothing, only glared at the floor as his face grew hot.
“Come on, pet.” He purred, sliding forward another step. “It’s just a night of simple fun. I promise none of your human friends will ever find out.”
“Stop making it sound like that!” He snapped, his face growing hotter.
“Like what?” He chuckled. Cullen gave no response. “One little word from you and this could all–”
“Fine!” He spat, shooting a furious gaze up to him. “I’ll do it, okay? I’ll…play nice.” He shifted uneasily at the words, though he supposed he’d already been playing the part here and there. It might not be so bad. “But…I want a blood vow.”
Leviathan’s smile vanished. “What?”
He raised his chin. “A blood vow. To make sure you can’t go back on your word.
” It was something that all people could do, if they knew the right phrase to call on the magic, if they knew how to tug on the correct strings of their souls.
Even demons, should they be persuaded to make the vow, could not go against it for fear of death. Or so the stories went.
After a few long heartbeats, Leviathan gave him a small nod. “As you wish.”
Cullen blinked in surprise and lowered his crossed arms to his sides as Leviathan approached again.
After another sly smile, Leviathan raised his wrist to his mouth and bit down.
Blood ran in a slow line down his arm as he drew it away again.
Cullen tried very hard not to think about the last time he’d seen his wrist gashed open like that.
“Well?” Leviathan asked softly. “Give me your hand.”
He hesitated, swallowing hard, and then offered him his hand.
Leviathan brought it to his mouth, bending it back a bit so he could reach his wrist. His eyes remained on Cullen’s as he brushed one of his fangs against the delicate skin–and then sank down.
Cullen winced and gasped, and Leviathan gripped him tighter, biting down a little harder.
Blood ran down his arm in a thin line and, as he watched, Leviathan’s human eyes flickered to that terrifying pure black again.
“Levi–”
The terrified word broke off with a gasp as Leviathan drew his teeth out of him again. Cullen watched in horror as Leviathan’s tongue darted out, following the line of blood down his wrist.
“S-stop that!” He gasped, his face going red. “You freak! That’s so gross!” Even as he said the words, he could feel that terrible dizziness washing over him again at the scent of the blood, leaving him feeling weak and–
Leviathan let go of him, shooting a hand forward with a quick jerk to cup the back of his neck.
Cullen gasped as he yanked him forward, his forehead knocking gently against his.
A muscle feathered in Leviathan’s jaw before he slowly shut his eyes and said something in a guttural, incomprehensible demon language.
Cullen jolted as sharp magic pierced into his chest, his hand coming up to push Leviathan away in panic. Leviathan only gripped his neck tighter, holding him still as magic threaded between their chest in three intense waves of pain, like a knife stabbing into him and back out again–
The pain vanished as if a switch had been flipped, leaving only a phantom sting in its wake.
He pressed a hand to his chest in shock and then turned a horrified glare up to Leviathan.
“What the hell was that?!” It hadn’t been a blood vow.
At least, not the kind he’d been told about.
It was supposed to be a simple lock of the hands, a few low words–Testor eam in animam meam et sanguinem meum–I swear it on my soul and my blood–and then a gentle curl of heavenly light around the wrists… Not whatever the hell that had been.
“An older version of your blood vow.” He murmured, licking the blood from his own wrist. Cullen darted his eyes away, telling himself he definitely did not find something psychotic like that hot in any capacity. “A stronger version.”
He exhaled harshly. “And what did you say? In that other language? Did you just screw me over with some creepy demon magic?”
He sneered. “I’m not sure why you think I would do such a thing, when I’ve been nothing but kind to you, but no, it’s nothing outlandish.
Simply our bargain in an older tongue. You do as I say tonight, you don’t cause trouble, and I’ll teach you how to change your eyes.
” He blinked and when he opened his again, they were that dangerous inky black once more.
“Tonight,” he murmured, bringing a hand up to touch his face.
“You are one of us. Tomorrow…we can play human.” He chuckled and pressed a thumb down on his lip.
Cullen was about to bite him, but he drew away, his hand dropping to his side. “Let’s go.”