Chapter 55 #2
“I want to stay with you.” He whispered shakily, his face flushing again as he stared up at him. “More than I have ever wanted anything. I love you. But…I will not let you treat me like that. You cannot. If you want me to stay.”
Leviathan’s head tilted curiously and seconds later he was raising his hand, his large palm coming up to cup the cheek he had slapped. Cullen swallowed hard, his eyes widening at the shivers the touch sent through him.
“Very well.” Leviathan said softly, stroking his thumb along his cheek. “I will not strike you again.” He paused. “Or force you to kneel.” A sudden clank from behind him made Cullen jump. But his eyes did not leave Leviathan’s. “But you will prove your loyalty to me before the night is up.”
A soft grunt had him spinning around, his eyes popping wide at the sight of the kneeling figure chained to the center of the floor.
He was bloody and shirtless, wearing nothing but the same blue pajama pants he’d been wearing when they’d left the academy.
The blood at his temple had dried, though his brown hair was still coated in it, his skin still speckled and streaked.
The scent hit Cullen but for the first time since he’d become a demon, it didn’t bring that darkness flooding into him.
He didn’t move or breathe as he took in the tears on Walker’s face or the cloth tied around his mouth to muffle his panicked crying.
“What…what is he…”
Something slid across the floor, smacking into his feet. He stepped back with a yelp of shock, but froze when he saw the long blade–this one made of white and red bone– that had come to a stop in front of him.
“Levi…”
“I will not have him come between us again.” Leviathan said quietly from behind him.
“You choose now. If you want to stay here with me, be my equal, be my partner, kill him. If not…” Shadows flicked across the floor, rising up behind him and making him flinch again.
“I may love you, Cullen. But I do not play around with loyalty. You will be my partner, or you will be my slave. If I have to tie you to the bed, I will. And you will not leave it again.” A long, sharp claw swiped against his throat, drawing a strand of hair off it.
Cullen swallowed hard, his legs trembling as he met Walker’s gaze.
“Make this easy on us both, pet. Get it over with and we can go back to what we were before. We can be better than we were before.”
“Better?” He echoed weakly, his stomach tying itself into a knot. He couldn’t imagine what better would look like but…he couldn’t deny that he wanted it.
Leviathan’s lips came down on his shoulder, making him jump.
“Just one little stab. One little slash. Make up for how you hurt me.” Magic pulsed and the knife flew to Cullen’s hand, making him gasp.
Across the room, Walker began to scream around his gag, struggling back against the chain that bound his wrists to the floor.
Clearly, he had no doubts Cullen would do this.
It made him feel angry all over again. Didn’t he know him better than that? Did he think him a murderer?
Show him one. Leviathan whispered into his mind, his lips coming down on him again. You are mine. You are meant to be like me. He kissed him again and this time his lips lingered against his throat, making Cullen’s eyes flutter shut.
“‘It is better to reign in Hell,’” Leviathan whispered into his ear, “‘than serve in Heaven.’” Cullen gasped, recognizing the words from John Milton’s poem Paradise Lost, one of the countless bits of literature they’d studied at the academy.
Leviathan smiled against his skin. “Lucifer knew him. They were friends, I believe. Lucifer got drunk one night and said those very words to him. They had already been our mantra for many, many years.” He nipped at his throat; Cullen flinched as those sharp teeth pricked his skin.
“I will teach you the meaning of them now. Kill him.” He nudged him forward.
Cullen hesitated, clutching the hilt of the knife in a sweaty hand.
“C…can’t I prove it some other way?” He asked weakly, more tears welling in his eyes.
“No. This is what I want from you.”
He hesitated again, drawing in a slow breath, and then slid forward a step, his eyes falling to the floor. Cowardly, he supposed, but he couldn’t bring himself to look at Walker while he considered this.
But what was there to consider, really?
He wanted to stay, to be Leviathan’s equal. So he would do it. He didn’t have much of a choice.
Walker grew more desperate the closer he stepped, the chain clanking loudly and his cries growing more shrill with each passing second.
It’s torture to let this drag out, isn’t it? He wondered silently as he came to a stop in front of him. Torture to let him fear and cry and wait…
He didn’t deserve it, though. Not even if he’d betrayed him. Lied to him. It made Cullen furious but…
Was he really selfish enough to do such a thing?
This was it, wasn’t it? The last shred of his humanity. Killing an innocent person for his own gain…
Something ached in his chest, but he found himself reaching for him, his hand coming down on Walker’s shoulder to hold him still.
“Hold still.” He whispered, his voice breaking.
“I’ll make it quick, I promise.” Walker screamed and cried and Cullen thought he might be sick at the sight of it.
“I’m sorry, Walker.” He breathed, raising the knife.
His hand trembled so hard he worried he might drop it.
He hesitated, staring into those lovely blue eyes he’d loved for so long–and then plunged the blade forward, burying it in his heart.
Bones cracked and skin tore–and Walker vanished from under his hand, as if he’d never been there at all. Cullen stumbled back with a gasp of shock, the knife clattering from his hand–and Leviathan caught him, pulling him back into that wide chest.
“Very good.” Leviathan purred, the sound rumbling against Cullen’s back.
“I…I don’t understand…”
“It’s so easy to dive into that pretty, pretty head of yours.
” Leviathan whispered, his fingers brushing against his throat.
Cullen felt the shift of magic and Leviathan’s body was suddenly small again.
Well…normal size, anyway. He nuzzled his cheek against his, wrapping an arm around his chest to pull him closer.
“So easy to make you see what I want you to see. We’ll have to work on that. ”
He exhaled shakily. “It was…fake?” Leviathan nodded. “I…I didn’t kill him?”
“He remains alive for now. Though humans are so very fragile. I wouldn’t be surprised if he meets an unpleasant end soon enough.” He kissed his neck. “Not that you’ll ever see him again either way.”
Cullen sagged against him with a heavy sigh of relief, his hand coming up to wipe the tears from his eyes.
“I thought I was a fucking murderer.” He breathed, surprised when he felt a little bubble of stressed laughter coming into his chest. “You’re such a fucking asshole.
” He wiped at the tears on his face, but more instantly came, followed quickly by the laughter, finally spilling out in a wild, breathless torrent that made him hunch over.
Only Leviathan’s tight grip on him kept him standing.
“I hate you…” He choked out through the half-crazed laughter, his chest aching.
“No, you don’t.” Leviathan murmured, kissing the spot under his ear. Cullen’s laughter slowly began to trail off as he lingered there, his lips soft and hot. “You love me.” Leviathan’s hand slid down between his legs, startling a yelp out of him. “Say it again.”
“I…” He gasped, his hips pumping forward into his hand as he started to grow hard. “Stop it… We need to… I’m mad at you…for tricking me…”
“And I’m still mad at you.” Leviathan whispered, rubbing him harder. Cullen dropped his head back with a soft groan, his hand curling around his wrist. “Let’s make up.”
“Levi…”
“We’re past it now, pet.” He murmured, trailing his lips down his throat. “Let’s move on.”
“I, um…” He moaned and arched into his touch as his hand came up, brushing over his chest. “We should talk…”
“Later.” He began to unbutton his shirt.
“N-no, now…” He spun in his arms, pushing away his reaching hands. “Listen. I didn’t want–”
Leviathan kissed him, his lips unbearably soft and sweet. Cullen was instantly lost to it, sighing softly as he stepped closer and parted his lips for him.
“We’re okay?” He asked breathlessly, his hands tugging against the sides of the shirt he now wore. It was a strange contrast to see him in such human clothes after seeing him in that other form wearing something so ethereal.
“We’re okay.” Leviathan murmured, bringing his hands up to cup his face. “Unless you’d like to fight about the illusion now.”
Slowly, Cullen shook his head and curled his arms around his back, pulling him closer. “No more fighting.” He whispered, bringing his mouth to his.
“For now.” Leviathan promised, letting his tongue flick against his lips. He started to move closer, but Cullen drew away, pressing a gentle hand to his chest. Leviathan looked at him curiously, his hands stroking gently down his back. “What’s wrong?”
“Why did you change back?”
Leviathan stilled. “What?”
“Your body.” He mumbled. “Why did you change it back to this?”
He hesitated. “You were scared of the other form.”
“Yes.” He admitted quietly. Then, even quieter, “But I liked it.”
Leviathan remained very still, his eyes searching his face. Cullen waited, his cheeks burning while he tried to find the words to explain.
But Leviathan only chuckled and stepped back from him, looking devious. “Are you sure?”
His throat gave a hard bob. But he gave a small nod–and Leviathan smiled.