A Demon Scorned Ch. 04

Saban

I awoke in the night, still hours before dawn. That wasn't unusual for me. Demons didn't need as much sleep as humans. What was unusual was how refreshed I felt. I'd slept more deeply than I had since- Since before Anita sent me away.

I remembered the weeks immediately after she'd betrayed me. I'd slept fitfully, if at all, and I'd woken up wondering where Anita was. Worrying about her. I'd tried to convince myself that I didn't care if Anita was without my protection. And I'd succeeded. But now...

Now, with her in my arms once more, I wanted nothing more than to never let her out of my sight again. I wanted to hold her like this every night. I wanted... I sighed, and Anita shifted as my breath ruffled her hair. What I wanted would never come to be.

*

Anita

I awoke, and tried to stretch, but found myself unable to do so. I looked down, and saw Saban's tentacles wrapped around me. Oh, right. That was why I couldn't move.

I tried to twist around in Saban's grip, and his tentacles loosened. Soon we were face to face. Saban was awake. He stared at me, expression unreadable.

"Good morning," he said.

"Morning," I said, yawning. "How long have you been awake?"

Saban frowned. "None of your business."

I sighed. "Fine. Is there any way you could let me go? I need to pee."

Saban said nothing, but his tentacles loosed further, allowing me to squirm free. I hurried to the bathroom.

Most of the restroom was obviously unused. Demons generally didn't need to pee, or do anything else involving a toilet. Tooth brushing was equally unnecessary. I peeked into the bathing area. That, at least, had seen some activity. I choked back a laugh at the bar of soap in the shape of a duck.

I looked down at my naked body and considered the tub. I needed a bath. The little restroom in my cell hadn't had a tub in it, or even a shower. Would Saban mind if I used his bathroom? Only one way to find out. Shrugging, I turned on the tap.

As I slid into the hot water, I heard the door open. When I turned, I saw Saban in the doorway. He looked confused. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" I replied. "I'm having a bath. Feel free to join me."

The corners of Saban's mouth twitched. "It's my bathroom. I don't need permission to join you."

I patted the water next to me. "Then what are you waiting for? Get in. I'll even wash your back."

Saban slid into the water beside me. He hesitated, and then picked up the soap. "Hold still," he ordered me.

Instead, I tried to grab the soap. "How about I do you first? It is your bathroom, after all."

Grinning, Saban slid his tentacles around my wrists and waist. "I said hold still."

I squirmed in Saban's grip as he lathered up my body. When he turned me around, I spoke. "Do you really have to manhandle me like-" I let out a surprised squeak as a tentacle slid into my pussy.

Saban chuckled. "I feel like multitasking today. I'll have breakfast in the bath."

I yelped as a tentacle found my clit. At the same time, Saban picked up a cup and started to rinse off the suds.

It didn't take long for Saban to finish rinsing me off. By the time he finished, I was moaning. A cup of water over my head dampened my hair. The tentacle toying with my pussy began to thrust harder as Saban picked up the shampoo. He squirted a dollop into his hands and frowned. "If you don't stop squirming so much I'll get soap in your eyes."

I whimpered. "I'll stop squirming just as soon as you stop fucking me."

Saban grinned. "Well, I don't feel like stopping. Maybe you'd better just close your eyes."

I closed my eyes, and felt Saban working shampoo into my hair. Then I yelped as he started to play with my nipples. I could feel the tug of Saban draining my power. The idea that he could sense how I felt, could taste it in my magic, made my insides twitch. I whimpered.

"Good girl," Saban cooed as he worked his fingers against my scalp. "You're close, aren't you? I can tell."

I cried out as the tempo of Saban's fucking increased. As I thrashed in his grip, Saban calmly finished rinsing my hair. I groaned. He was right. I was close.

"Come for me," Saban purred. "Come for me, my pet."

I came, screaming. Saban pressed my wet form against his warm body, laughing. "Good girl!" I felt him feeding. Then all thought left my mind as I came again, even harder.

Finally, panting, I went limp in Saban's grip. He stroked my newly cleaned hair, sighing in contentment. Then he released me.

My eyelids fluttered open, and I met his amused gaze. "I believe you wanted to wash me?"

*

Saban

In some part of my mind, it was like I'd never left. As if she'd never sent me away. As I dried Anita with a fluffy towel, I tried to find my anger, my rage at her betrayal. Failed.

Anita turned, and met my gaze. "What now?" she asked softly.

The door to the bedroom opened. "High Lord?" It was Bartholemew, my secretary. "Where are you?"

I swiftly materialized some clothing. "One moment," I called to him. I turned to Anita. "Dress quickly," I ordered her. Then I left the bathroom.

Bartholemew smiled. "High Lord. You look like you slept well."

The corner of my mouth quirked up. "I did, at that."

Bartholemew nodded. "Do you remember that item you asked me to find?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden locket.

My mind flashed back to the day I'd had Anita kidnapped. I remembered the surge of rage I'd felt upon seeing the locket around her neck for the first time. Rage rose within me once more. She'd replaced me. Anita had sent me away, and, before the year was out, she'd taken another lover.

I took the locket with the unknown man's picture inside. "Where did you find it?" I tried to sound casual, but knew my eyes were giving my feelings away.

Bartholemew swallowed. "It- it ended up in a vent. One of the maintenance workers found it."

I nodded, and pocketed the trinket. I'd look at it later. Right now, it hurt too much.

Anita left the bathroom wearing the simple outfit she'd worn the night before. I scowled at her. "Bartholemew, get someone to take the wizard back to her cell."

Anita blinked. "Saban, I-"

I cut her off. "We will talk later. Right now, I have business to attend to."

*

Anita

As I hung off my hands and feet on the ceiling of my cell, I sighed in satisfaction. Today was the day. I would escape, and go home. Then I'd figure out what to do about Saban. Maybe, once I was no longer his prisoner, we could discuss why I'd dismissed him, not as captive and captor, but as equals. And maybe... I mean, we could probably never return to what we'd once had, but...

I shook my head. There would be time enough for such musings once I was safely home. And, anyways, the idea that Saban would forgive me was probably ridiculous.

And yet... He'd been so gentle with me last night. Maybe-

As I remembered last night, as well as my bath this morning, my concentration broke, and I plummeted to the floor. Ouch. I stood, rubbing my backside, and wondered what Saban was doing right now.

*

Saban

I looked down at the unconscious Egear, frowning. The magic he'd used to save Anita had been very painful, and had the potential to cost him dearly. I knew from my time with Anita that using magic after a head injury, especially big magic, could damage both the mage's sanity and magical abilities. He might never be the same after this.

I'd asked around about him. He was not particularly powerful, but he was studious. Odds were high he'd known what he was risking to save Anita. To serve me. I could trust him. Unfortunately, he was unconscious, and might never wake.

I looked down at the notice me not pendant in my hand. It had allowed the thugs to sneak around without being seen, but it would not have fooled the wards guarding the inner keep. Someone had let them in. Specifically, someone with access to the wards. That meant one of my priests.

So. The traitor who'd attempted to enslave me was not the only one. She had pledged loyalty to me, just like the other priests, and I had not seen a lie. My ability to sense falsehoods was apparently fallible. Just like so many other things in this world...

My priests likely did not realize I had a working knowledge of warding magic. Most demons didn't know much of magic beyond how it tasted. Odds were high they didn't know I knew one of them had let the thugs in. So far, none of them had come forward with the suggestion that there was a traitor in their midst. Were all of them in on the conspiracy? Or were some simply not willing to risk my wrath?

I could just ask my priests if any of them had let the thugs in, and trust in my ability to sense lies. But what if my ability failed, as it had with the captured traitor? Then I would have shown my hand for nothing.

I was not accustomed to such musings. Normally, if I had doubts about one of my subject's loyalties, I could simply open their mind and take a look. Humans were different. I could not open their minds, so I had to judge them based on their actions. And their actions often did not speak of what was in their hearts.

I had gone to question the priest who had tried to make me her familiar, and had found her dead, apparently of suicide. Had she ended her own life to avoid my wrath? Or had it only looked like suicide? Had someone wanted to be sure she couldn't talk?

So many questions. The most important one, however, did not concern the loyalty of my priests. What had those thugs wanted with Anita?

Anita. The turmoil of my thoughts shifted. Why was I still so obsessed with her? After all that had happened, I should hate her, but I didn't. Not really.

My hand went to the locket, tucked into the pocket of my jerkin. I scowled. She'd betrayed me. And yet...

I shook my head. I should not dwell on such matters. I had duties to attend to.

*

Anita

After nightfall, I put my plan into motion. A quick sleeping spell, and the guard at the door was unconscious. Another short incantation, and the door unlocked. I hurried out into the hall.

The path between my cell and the nearest outside window was empty. Thank goodness. I'd had no plans for how to deal with being spotted. I cast my wall sticking spell and climbed out the window.

It took me a few minutes to make my way down the walls of the inner keep. The wards that kept unwelcome visitors out did not deter me from leaving. Once I made it to the ground, I skulked across the open space between the inner keep and the outer bailey.

Climbing the outer bailey's walls took time. I was not in the best of shape, physically or magically. However, I did eventually make it to the top.

Biting my lip, I timed my next move carefully. When the pattern of the guards on top of the outer bailey left my path unobserved, I scurried across the broad roof and started down the other side.

The city outside the walls of the castle was bustling with activity, but no one was looking for an escaped wizard. Not yet, anyways. I was able to steal a horse and make it out the gate without too much trouble.

Outside the city walls, I kicked my horse into a canter. I had to make it as far as I could from town before people started looking for me. I couldn't use the roads; that would be the first place they'd look. The horse and I vanished into the Cendanian forest.

Swiftly, I wove a ward around myself to keep Saban from tracking my magic. All I had to do now was make it across the border.

*

Saban

I stared morosely out the window into the night, my mind wandering between the issue with my priests and the puzzle that was Anita. Who could I trust? Did I honestly, after everything, still... Still love her?

When Egear woke, I would discuss the issue of my priests with him. He should be able to provide insight, if he was sane. As for Anita...

I wanted to have her brought to me, so that I could sleep with her in my arms. I snarled. One mortal woman should not have this much effect on me!

My mind went back to when my love was still new, before Anita knew I cared for her. Back when I was still pledged to serve her, my obedience ensured by magical bindings. She had been my mistress, my captor. I should have hated her for what she'd done to me. Instead...

I shook my head. I'd never been able to resist my feelings for her. Not then. Not now.

My hand went to my pocket. I still hadn't opened the locket. Making myself angry during my daily routine hadn't been a good idea. Mortals were so fragile. Now, though... Now my day was done. I bared my teeth. Perhaps seeing my replacement would make me hate her again.

I fumbled with the catch a bit. It was pretty complicated. Finally, though, the locket opened between my fingers.

Then it slipped between them to fall to the floor. I blinked in shock, my mouth open in a silent cry. The man. The man in the picture.

It was me.

*

Anita

I walked along a creek in the forest, leading the horse and listening to the myriad of small noises of the night. Vaguely, I wondered what had happened to my locket. I remembered Saban ripping it off and throwing it away, presumably believing it held the picture of another man. It was probably in a vent somewhere. Saban would have mentioned it if he'd seen what was inside.

I wondered if I could ever patch things up with Saban. He had every reason to hate me. But... But the relief in his eyes when he'd gotten me away from the thugs had been very, very real. When we had sex after that he'd been gentle with me. Then we'd slept together, and Saban had cradled me just like he had before I'd sent him away. And then that morning in the bathtub...

I frowned. While I'd been thinking, the small noises of night creatures had died away. Now it was quiet. Too quiet. Not good. I looked around suspiciously.

The horse reared, jerking its reins from my hands. Then it bolted. A purple tentacle looped around my waist, keeping me from running. A female voice behind me purred, "Hello, beautiful."

A greater demon. Shit. And my power was still mostly bound...

I whirled to face my captor. She had taken the form of a truly stunning woman, with wavy black tresses down to her waist, long lashes, and flawless golden skin. Her lips were inhumanly red, as if she'd used rouge, and her eyes were piercing and dark. A small, delicate nose, high cheekbones, and a dainty chin completed the perfect picture that was her face.

I looked down, taking in her unrealistic figure, barely covered by a diaphanous white gown. Her breasts were way too perky for their size and lack of support, and her ratio of hips to waist would be normally impossible to achieve without a strong corset and a lot of practice. Her feet were every foot fetishist's dream, tiny and well formed.

I blinked. "What the fuck?"

The demon chuckled. "Never seen a demon before, sweetling?" Her purple tentacle coiled tighter. Two more reached out from behind her back to snare my wrists.

"Not one as dolled up as you are," I responded. Ok, I needed a plan. There was no way I could get loose. Even if I did, I couldn't outrun her. With the collar and wrist bands on, I couldn't fight. That left me with only one option.

"I like to look pretty," purred the demon. "I like to watch the human boys stare. You know, before I capture and torture them."

Saban, with his preference for feeding using lust, was a rare exception to the demon norm. Most preferred to taste their victim's pain and fear.

The demoness pulled out a coil of rope. "Aren't you going to struggle?" she said, pouting a bit. "I like it when they struggle."

"Fuck you," I replied. I began to unweave the ward that kept Saban from tracking my magic. My only hope now was for him to find me before the demoness made me her dinner.

*

Saban

I stared down at the locket on the floor. My face. Anita was wearing a locket containing a painting of my face. A pretty good painting, too, I noted irrelevantly. I wondered who'd done it.

What did it mean? Why would she have a picture of me? Did... did that mean she loved me? If so, why send me away? A million questions whirled through my head in a maelstrom of disbelief and confusion.

I sank to my knees and scooped up the locket. It was spelled, I noted, to preserve the painting. Anita had cast that spell. To protect her picture of me.

I shook my head. I... I had no idea what this meant. If she cared for me, why dismiss me? Why?

I had only one way of finding out. I needed to ask Anita. She was the only one who could tell me how she felt. Why she'd done what she did.

A few minutes later I was standing outside her cell. The door hung open, and the guard lay unconscious on the floor. I peered inside. Anita was gone.

Had she been kidnapped? I examined the spell on the guard and almost laughed. It was Anita's work. Somehow, she'd managed to work some magic through the cuffs, and she'd used it to escape. I shook my head. As resourceful as ever.

Then I froze, fear rising in me as I realized the implications of what I had found. Anita had escaped. She was out there. Alone. Unprotected. Power still mostly bound. In the wilds of Cendan. Which were, I remembered, full of wild demons.