No.The word pierced through him, strong and harsh.No. Not her.
Leviathan was one thing. He knew him. Had lived with him before coming here, in a way. Leviathan had been kind to him and gentle and said sweet things even if he didn’t mean them.
But this woman…this demon…It just wanted him. It wanted to touch and take and hurt. And she smelled like cherries and he hated cherries and his head was spinning and–
“Leviathan!”
The word tore from him in a vicious scream, his voice carrying out of the alcove and over the music. He hadn’t even realized he’d inhaled, that he’d found his light in the darkness and that it belonged to someone who was arguably worse than this woman touching him.
The world paused, the woman’s face going stiff with surprise before sheer horror raced across it. She spun–and Leviathan was there, his eyes wide and burning with rage as they flickered between the two of them pressed up against the wall. His eyes met Cullen’s for a single heartbeat and Cullen wondered distantly if this had been a mistake, if Leviathan would misunderstand and he would die here–
But Leviathan turned his fury on the woman instead, his hand shooting forward to grip her by that long, beautiful braid, his fingers curling hard against her scalp.
“What happened?” His voice was soft, dripping with fury.
Cullen swallowed through a dry throat and whispered, “She touched me.” He shook his head and felt something warm on his cheeks. “I-I didn’t…I didn’t want it…” His voice caught and he realized distantly that he was crying.
The woman began crying as well, begging Leviathan to forgive her, that she hadn’t realized he was his, that shehadn’t known and she would never have done it if she did. Leviathan only stared at her with those crazed, furious eyes, an aura of death rolling off of him.
“Cullen.” He asked, the soft tone sending a bolt of terror down Cullen’s spine. “Are you hurt?”
“N-no.” He mumbled, slurring. “But I…I drank…something…” His head throbbed, dragging a groan from him. “I feel sick…”
“I see.” Leviathan whispered. He looked up at him then, pinning Cullen with that terrifying gaze. “Stay here.” It was an order–but not a forced one. A request, seeped in rage and protectiveness. But only a request.
He shoved the woman to her knees, making both her and Cullen gasp, and then he turned and dragged her from the room, tearing down the silk curtain as he went. It tumbled to the ground, looking very much like a pool of blood on the floor. But Cullen pushed past the image, stumbling weakly to the curved entrance of the alcove to watch Leviathan move through the crowd.
They parted for him, the music silencing and the light in the room growing a little brighter as he dragged that woman along by the hair. She kicked and screamed and clutched at his hand, and not a single demon moved to help her. Not a single one spoke up–or seemed particularly surprised that she was being punished in such a way. Cullen couldn’t quite say he was either.
Leviathan dragged the woman up those unforgiving stone steps, pulling her all the way up to that beautiful bone throne before he finally stopped and turned to face them all. His hand tightened in her hair, yanking her head back and forcing her to look up at him.
“Kneel.” He demanded.
33
The order sent every single one of them to their knees, a few terrible cracks reverberating throughout the room as knees shattered from the suddenness of the drop. Everyone had gone down without a moment's hesitation.
Everyone but Cullen.
He wasn’t sure how but…he sensed Leviathan had not included him in the order, had not meant the harsh words for him. A few demons nearby looked at Cullen in shock, but they said nothing, did not move a muscle as Leviathan began to address them.
“Gehenna, you dared to put your filthy hands on something that belongs to me. Why?” He yanked her hair hard, forcing a yelp out of her throat as her head jerked back. Cullen watched with wide eyes, blinking through the fuzziness in his head so he could watch what was unfolding.
“I…I didn’t know he was yours, Leviathan–”
He slapped her. Cullen jerked at the sight, his lips parting in surprise when the harsh sound rang through the room.
If this had been another woman, another situation, Cullen would have spoken up and told him to stop. But the scent of cherries was all over him now, and he could still feel the slimy touch of her mouth on his neck. So he said nothing, only watched, his side pressed hard to the entrance of the alcove to keep him standing.
“So,” Leviathan murmured, seeming almost calm as he examined the woman kneeling before him. “You think you can just come into other people’s homes and take what belongs to them? Touch what isn’t yours?”
“Please!” The woman sobbed, pressing a hand to her cheek. “I didn’t know, Leviathan! I hadn’t heard that he was yours, only that he was beautiful and–”
“So it was everyone else in this room who failed to convey the message that Cullen Crombie belongs to me?”
Murmurs went up around the room, demons shifting uneasily at the implication that they could be blamed and punished as well. Cullen didn’t turn to look at any of them, could not look away from Leviathan at the top of that dais, that throne gleaming behind him, where he had just announced to all these demons that Cullen belonged to him. He’d said the words before, of course, but like this, an all powerful prince laying claim to him in front of all these people…it made his stomach tighten with need. Made something fierce surge through his chest, some strange urge to claim him back.
“What shall your punishment be?” Leviathan asked then, glaring scornfully down at her.
