He groped at his jacket and ripped it free clumsily, bile rising as he saw the blackness spreading up his arms.
“Do not balk from it,” Atropos urged, stopping a few steps from his thrashing form.
Brooks whimpered, pleading with whoever would listen to stop the spread. He didn’t want to lose control of himself. Whatever lurked inside him was evil and the idea of watching the demon’s actions through his own eyes sent tremors down his spine.
“This is who you are!” she yelled above the storm.
Brooks lifted his shirt, and clawed at his skin, desperate to stop the spread.
Faster than he could register, Atropos rushed forward and pinned his back to the rock, her crown of thorns a menacing silhouette to the storm on the horizon. She placed her thumb against his forehead and in that instant time slowed. Lightning spread like a winding river rather than striking as the rain fell in lazy, gluttonous drops from the sky.
Brooks stared deep into those orbless depths as Atropos breathed three words straight into his essence.
“Embrace your chaos.”
WhenXialaydownfor bed that night, the high from her song still rushed through her system. The destruction it wrought on humankind was horrific, but when the power flooded her veins it was… exhilarating.
Intoxicating.
She was just as addicted to her power as other daemon were.
Xia looked to her nightstand where a beautiful purple anthias now circled the water in its new home, its shiny scales reflecting off the light from her chandelier. Gilded seaweed curled around the bottom of the ornate bowl and spiraled above the top like tentacles reaching for the sky.
Xia watched the fish bump against its glass prison and knew she should feel guilt. She was, afterall, a prisoner in a glass castle. Instead, she pushed those feelings down to the deepest part of her mind and lived in the small joy her fish brought. This was the only way she could thank those who sacrificed their lives to feed her power, and she would cherish them.
Xia’s thoughts drifted to her power as she watched her new fish swim. When she used her song on daemon kind it acted as a drugging agent. Sometimes drugs were brought back from the human lands, but they were just appetizers compared to what she was capable of.
Her song was both stimulating and lulling, arousing and calming. Perfect for a Devil trying to wipe the pockets of his patrons clean.
When she danced for them, her naked body on full display as her hips led the rest of her body, arousal rose thickly in the air. Eyelids fell as erections rose, and they were happy to pay Club Hel to keep her on stage.
She never saw any of the money, of course. The Devil draped her in fine silks and luxurious jewels, kept her fed and made sure her materialistic whims were seen to. It wasn’t out of kindness though. She was his most valuable possession and he made sure she looked the part.
The Devil’s workings weren’t her concern tonight, however. Her confidence was at an all-time high from the power her song brought her on the beach. Her magic was overflowing and even the guilt from the lives she’d taken couldn’t keep her down. Flashbacks to the red stained rain sent shivers down her spine as her body recalled the rush of power. The blood that was pulled from the veins of her victims mixed with the water that washed down her was euphoric.
Xia’s hands roamed over her body, skin soft from the fine soaps and oils she’d used to wash the taint of Club Hel away. She wasn’t in the mood to spend the night alone. Before, she may have attempted to sneak around the club dedicated to the Christian’s deadly sins to find a willing participant on Level Lust, but ever since a grumpy, sarcastic schizophrenic entered her life…
No one on Level Lust would be good enough.
She pulled her restless hands above her head and tucked them under the pillow to keep from straying down her body again.
Sometimes they were lucky and could speak whenever they hit their lows but, tonight, she was high.
Xia settled into her downy pillow and focused on her breathing until it became slow and even. A few twitches from her restless legs and she was fast asleep.
***
Xia opened her eyes to near darkness, the only light visible was the soft blue rays of moonlight shining from a window. She stepped forward slowly, her bare feet making soft patters on the cold tile floor.
As her eyes adjusted, she could make out metal framed beds lining the walls on either side. Right below the lit window was an occupied bed, but she couldn’t see who or what lay there.
Her heart raced as she considered the probability of this being a nightmare woven by the Lord. He was known for slipping into her dreams to continue his torture.
Her steps became more hesitant as she scanned the room and tried to stay in the light as much as possible.
There were no sounds other than her footsteps and harsh breaths. She threw a paranoid glance over her shoulder and saw nothing but darkness so black it swallowed the room.
As she got closer to the illuminated bed, she watched the thread-bare sheet rise and fall to the rhythm of the stranger’s breathing. The face was turned away, but a head full of hair so black it shone like ravens feathers fell over the pillow. The body twitched ever so slightly at random intervals. Whoever this person was, he was dreaming hard.
