Alexandra intertwined her fingers and stretched her arms high over her head, yawning lazily as the deep stretch trembled through her. She had spent the entire day on that damned cot while two demons carried her through the countryside. They had finally stopped at the edge of a forest whose trees were so large and close that she couldn’t see more than a couple feet into it. Tavi had disappeared into the forest while Balthazar began barking orders at the other demons. Alex was looking forward to stretching her legs a bit and walking around. This country was beautiful, but the speed they had been travelling didn’t give Alex the chance to see much of it.
“You’ll remain here,” Balthazar said coming up behind Alex. “We shouldn’t be long.”
She whirled around, her face fixed in a scowl. He was so close to her that she had to take a step back before the blush rose on her cheeks. She hadn’t planned on going off on her own, but the way he presumed to order her around made her want to do exactly that. She hated the way his presence clouded her mind.
“Girl,” Balthazar said, sensing the argument about to spew from her, “Don’t contest my orders. I don’t have the time or patience to deal with you.”
“But I—“
“Just do as you’re told,” he bit out, interrupting her as he took a step forward, leaving barely a breath between them. She took a step back and glared up at him.
“I just—“
“No,” he said, his eyes narrowing on her as he took another step forward, trapping her between the trunk of a large tree and his body. He placed a hand on either side of her and leaned down so that his eyes met hers. These woods were filled with things that could kill her in a heartbeat and he was already at a disadvantage trying to protect her from them. The last thing he needed was her trying to run off in a fit of suicidal rebellion. “Just stay right here. Understand?”
Alex let out a heavy grunt as she used both her hands to shove one of his out of the way. She barely got two steps before Balthazar had an arm wrapped around her torso.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Balthazar asked, his breath tickling in her ear. She could feel the firm muscles of his torso pressing into his back. She felt a heat pooling in her core that she quickly suppressed.
“I have to use the bathroom,” Alex snapped as she tried to squirm out of his grasp. His grip was like a vice and she only succeeded in twisting her shirt around her.
“Lord Balthazar,” Tavi said, emerging from the forest to interrupt the escalating quarrel. Balthazar let her go, his attention fixed on his younger brother. “The forest is clear.”
“We should go now, before it gets dark,” Balthazar said. His eyes skimmed back over to Alex. “Leave a man with her.”
“Are you sure?” Tavi asked, looking from Alex to the small group of scouts that were with them. “We could cover more ground with all of us. We need to know his precise location and the number of men with him before we can attack.”
“The girl’s helpless,” Balthazar said, his smoky blue eyes rolling onto Alex. “I don’t trust her by herself.”
“Hey, I’m right here,” Alex said, balling her hands on her hips. “I don’t need a babysitter and I can protect myself just fine.”
“Two men,” Balthazar said with a growl of frustration. His eyes simmered on Alex. The look he was giving her had brought grown demons to their knees in fright, and yet she continued to stare defiantly back at him. He huffed as he looked back at Tavi. “That should keep her out of trouble.”
Tavi nodded as Balthazar stalked away into the forest. Tavi chose a pair of scouts to stay behind with Alex, much to her continued protests, and led the rest into the forest after Balthazar.
The sky was rapidly darkening and there was still no sign of Balthazar and the rest of the men. Alex strained her eyes to make out her demon protectors as they leaned against a tree trunk just a few steps from her, conversing amongst themselves.
“What’s your name?” Alex asked, her voice soft as she walked over and sat in the cold dirt next to them. One demon turned his head slowly towards her, glaring silently. Alex brought her knees towards her chest, hugging them close to her.
“Look, I’m just trying to be nice,” she said, “There’s—“
The demon silenced Alex mid-sentence with a sharp growl.
“You don’t have to be rude,” Alex snapped, her face turning to a scowl. She was just trying to pass the time with a little friendly conversation. There was no need for them to be so dismissive of her.
“Silence,” the demon hissed, his eyes squinting into the darkness of the forest. Without another word he walked into the thick blackness. Alexandra sat up a little straighter, eyeing the other demon as he whipped his head around him and sniffed at the air.
A vicious growl ripped through the silence only seconds later, echoing through the trees. Alexandra’s eyes threatened to bug out of her skull as she tried to peer into the darkness. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest as she shot to her feet. She looked to the demon standing next to her, trying to figure out what was going on. He backed up a little closer to her as he continued to look around him. Alex heard a scuffle beyond the tree line, and a loud yelp rang out, followed by silence once more.
“Hey,” she called out, “Are you O.K.?”
“Quiet,” the other demon snapped, the distress apparent in his voice. “Stay by me.”
Two shining yellow eyes appeared behind the blanket of the night. A demon stepped out into the dim light of the rising moon, a smirk on his face and his body covered with blood.
“I’m perfectly alright,” he said taking a step closer to Alex, his eyes locked on her. The blood dripped from his clawed hand. “But I’m afraid that other one has seen better days.”
Alex could see the pointed tips of his canines sticking past the upturned corners of his lips. Her heart fell into her stomach. She took a step closer to the other demon, but his back suddenly exploded, splashing hot blood all over her. As her mind adjusted to the scene, she realized another demon had impaled him through the chest. Alex screamed at the sight of the shredded demon and turned to run but was stopped by a firm hand wrapping around her. She struggled to free herself from the iron grip, pulling little droplets of blood where the demon’s razor sharp claws bit into her porcelain skin.
“Father will be pleased,” Raza said, his eyes shimmering as he closed the space between himself and Alex. Sandwiched between these two new demons, Alex felt her knees begin to buckle. Raza traced a bloody hand along her narrow chin as he pulled her face up to meet his.
“Perhaps I will be as well,” he said with a husky as his face inched closer to hers. Before she could turn away his lips fell onto hers in a forceful kiss that tasted of other people’s blood. She pulled away from him, her face contorted in disgust as she tried to spit the awful taste out of her mouth.
“Give it time,” Raza said with a little chuckle as his eyes danced over Alex. He looked over her shoulder to the other demon. “Take her, but be careful. I don’t want her harmed.”
16