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Then there was, as always, Darian. That boy would not leave her conscience alone, no matter how hard she tried to block him out. Though a fire burned inside her belly because of his bite, some small part of her soul held a soft spot for the cannibal prince, though why she couldn't understand. She sighed. That boy was screwed either way. Pity sparked through her for an instant, but she brushed it away. She couldn't afford to retract her complaint now, no matter how much a tiny part of her begged to have him brought back. No, the vote had already been cast. It pulled at her heartstrings to acknowledge that.
"My lady?" A deep voice rumble past her in the vast hallway. Low and melodic, she could hear hints of melancholy and shame mixing within the words.
She stopped, drawn out of her swirling thoughts. Cautiously, she turned around to face her new company. She gasped in surprise and backed up a step. She reached out and grabbed an edge of the wall, steadying herself.
Shit.
Darian stood before her, his head hung low. His eyes burned into hers, a deep indigo blue. They gave off hints of embarrassment and disgrace. And something else she barely saw flicker deep within those cobalt orbs: Guilt.
Reeling slightly from fear and surprise, Kara managed to take in his entire form. Hunched shoulders, hands in the pockets of his dark jeans and woeful eyes. His whole stance gave her the impression of a dog that'd gotten caught rummaging through the fridge. Though her senses were still on edge around him, something about his behavior now had her lowering her defenses a bit. The urge to eat didn't seem to be the first thing on his mind.
Darian chewed his lip nervously, pointed canines glinting in the soft light. "Can we talk, perhaps?"
Taking a deep breath and suppressing every emotion he made her feel, she nodded. "What would we be talking about?"
A soft smile cracked his morose demeanor. He took a single step closer, moving slowly so that he didn't frighten her. His smile faded, a look of intense pain now taking over his features.
"You...had me removed." His voice was low, pained.
Swallowing, she nodded sharply. "I don't appreciate being bitten."
His head dropped low, and Kara was faintly sure it would have crashed to the floor if it wasn't stuck to the rest of his body.
"My apologies, princess. My instincts got the better of me." He swallowed sharply.
An unsettling feeling blossomed in her belly: The bare beginnings of pity. She gave herself a mental shake. She'd sworn never to forgive him for what he did to her, for the mark he'd left her with. And yet here he was, giving her his best impression of an apologetic puppy. And here she was, feeling sorry for him. God, men were confusing.
"I'm sure they did." She motioned to her shoulder. "Your instincts left me with this." She mentioned the bite mark, faded but still clear, on her shoulder. She made a point not to mention his teeth marks on her breast.
He nodded slowly. "They will heal."
She cocked her head. "They?"
A soft smile grazed his lips. "As I recall, I felt you with two parting gifts."
Damn. I can fault him for tying to eat me, but I'll admit the man has a good memory.
Shaking off her surprise, she shot him a stern look. "I'm fairly sure your parting shots weren't what you came here to talk to me about."
He nodded slowly, his gaze - now a glistening emerald green -- burning into hers.
"All I ask is for you to give me one more chance." His eyes shifted back to indigo. "Withdraw my removal from this competition and I will show you exactly the man I am." He spread his arms wide, giving her a full view of his toned form.
Taken aback momentarily by his plea, Kara shook her head slowly. "I know exactly what kind of man you are, and I will not deal with that man again." She spun around and started to walk away.
A strong hand gripped her gently around the wrist, halting her escape. She stopped suddenly, fear and panic mixing in her belly.
"If I promised I would never bite you again - if I swore to you I would never harm you -- would you allow me back?"
She squeezed her eyes shut. This was one of the few time that she cursed her empathetic nature. The human half of her was always far more sensitive than it should have been, a consequence of being brought up with a mother who felt entitled to almost everything and neglected her daughter emotionally. She'd seen the way her mother's actions made strangers avoid her and drove her family mad. Creating a soft spot for almost everyone she came across was Kara's way of compensating for her mother's behavior. Her way of protecting herself from falling into the same misery her mother suffered from.
Her heart, always a fickle thing, began to pulse with empathy. She remembered the numerous times she herself had begged for forgiveness. And how many times had she given others -- who had done far worse than leave a bite mark on her skin - a second chance? She reminded herself that on the rare occasions that her heart overruled her mind, her heart was rarely incorrect.
"Please, princess. I beg of you, let me stay. Give me one last chance to win your approval." His voice was low, sorrowful, desperate.
Sighing heavily, she felt that empathy come roaring back. Swallowing her pride, she finally conceded to her heart's softer side. "If you promise never to, and I mean never, bite me again...you can come back."
Quicker than she could blink, Darian had stepped around to face her head-on. Dropping to his knees, he wrapped his hands around her back and pressed his cheek against her bare belly.
"I swear to you upon this black heart in my chest, unless you ask it of me, you will never feel my teeth against you skin." His words, though muffled against her skin, were clearer than crystal to her heart.
She smiled softly, reaching down tentatively to stroke his night-black hair. A tiny blossom of hope grew in her belly. Maybe, if she could push past his cannibalistic nature, she could find a good, honest man in Darian. It was a hell of a long shot, but the chance was there.
Haughty laughter interrupted her inner musing.
"Well, well. Look at this! The Lust prince on his knees for the princess! How fitting!" A darkly heavy voice rang around the hallway.
"Isn't it, brother? It seems quite appropriate since the animal bit the poor girl!" A lighter voice, but just a dark, joined the fray. "Although, considering he's the son of the Lust ruler, it's quite ironic that he's on his knees."
"You're right! He should be on his back!" The deeper voice rang out, consumed with laughter.
She whipped her head around to see the two non-twin brothers, Malnos and Ziron, standing in the hall about ten feet away. The brothers were grinning like fools, clearly enjoying Darian's silent misery.
Why in the hell are they here?
Tearing her focus away from the gorgeous prince begging for her mercy, she pulled herself gently away from Darian's embrace to face the brothers. From the corner of her eye she saw Darian stand and turn to face their new company, anger in his now-crimson eyes. Standing so she caught the brothers' gazes, their laughter died away. The taller one, with black hair and emerald green eyes, cleared his throat and bowed his head. His brother followed suit an instant later.
"My lady." A smile crossed his lips as he surveyed her naked form. His smile faded when his gaze fell on her stern expression. Both brothers straightened, clearing their throats.
"You must be... Malnos and Ziron." She made her voice as uppity as she could.
Both men grinned. The tall one bowed again. "That's us. I am Malnos, my lady."
His brother shook his sandy hair from his eyes and smiled wide. "And I am Ziron."
"I see." She cocked her head at the brothers. "And what, my dear Greed demons, was so funny just now?"
Both men stared at her with a look of shock that shifted into a feeling of extreme discomfort.
Malnos spoke up. "Nothing, princess." His forced smile couldn't have been more evident.
She raised her brows. "Really? I could have sworn I heard you laughing at Darian." Adding effect, she turned her head to look at Darian. "Did you hear the same?"
Surprise, followed by a sinister understanding, flashed trough his eyes. "I did, my lady. I heard them quite well."
She returned her gaze to the brothers, who were now looking more uneasy than ever. The younger brother, Ziron, kept flicking his hazel eyes around the hallway, looking for an escape route in case the situation turned ugly.
Her kind smile concealed her inner rage. If there was one thing she hated more than being bitten, it was someone laughing at another's misery. She'd been on the receiving end of that treatment far too many times for her to find any humor in their actions.
"You know...Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe I'm the one who holds the power in this contest. Which means I can disqualify you if I think you're being world-class assholes. Right?" She gave them the most sugar-coated smile she could muster.
A look of panic passed between the brothers, who began shifting their feet nervously.
"Our apologies, princess. We meant no harm to Darian." Malnos' voice trembled slightly, clearly not used being called out on his mistakes.
"Oh, I'm sure you didn't. And I understand that I can't have you banned from competing just for laughing at him." She watched their expressions change from worried to relaxed, foolishly thinking they'd gotten away with their deceit. A false sense of security was exactly what she wanted them to feel.
She hesitated making her next statement, watching them carefully. The wheels began to turn in her mind, her suspicions fitting together like perfectly shaped puzzle pieces. It suddenly made sense why the brothers would show up just as Darian was begging for her forgiveness. She recalled their smiles in the last selection she'd made, how they looked like they'd just sent someone to their death. The last of the pieces slid into place, locking the whole scheme into place.
Yep. World-class assholes.
Her smile turned slow, almost menacing. "However, I can disqualify you if I feel that you're a danger to me or one of your competitors."
The brothers' looks of easy confidence faded to confusion, then slowly shifted to concern.
Her smile remained. "And I think you are a danger."
Malnos, not yet understanding her plan but sensing danger, attempted some major damage control. "My lady, what have we done to make you feel threatened?"
Her expression shifted to subtle anger, hiding the boiling rage and disgust beneath her skin. She motioned to Darian, still staring at the brothers. "You told him to bite me, didn't you?"
While Malnos scraped his jaw from the floor, she noticed Ziron frantically pushing his brother toward the courtyard, trying to put distance between themselves and their now furious princess.
"Come on!" Ziron's voice was a harsh whisper. "Let's go!"
"Go where?" Darian's voice rang out. "Where will you run to? To your father? To Lucifer? Which of them will save you?" His eyes, now bright amber, burned with the pure joy that comes with beating an opponent. He smiled slyly at them, pride at exposing them showing in his face.
The men stopped for an instant, glaring at him.
Malnos' glare changed to a cocky smile. "What difference does it make? Lucifer isn't here, so you can't charge us with anything."
"So it was you!" Fury now raced through her veins. She pointed at the brothers, faintly aware of her demon side roaring to life, shifting her eyes from cobalt blue to a deep scarlet. "I don't care if Lucifer isn't here to judge you about this! I'm the one you're fighting over, and I'm the one who decides who I marry! I can't stand cheaters, and I despise people who manipulate others! I will never choose either of you, I swear that! I never want to see either of your disgusting faces again! Get out of my sight!"
Quicker than lightening, the brothers were running down the hall at full speed. Her fury now fading, she collected herself. Taking deep breaths, she felt her demon side fade into the back of her soul, her eyes returning to their usual cobalt blue. She looked up at Darian, startled by his expression. A mix of fear and shock was etched into his beautiful features.
Sudden laughter cracked his stunned expression. "My, you have a bit of a temper, don't you?"
She gave him a proud smile. "It's helped me win a few arguments here and there."
Bubbles of laughter still inhibited his speech, and he had to lean against the wall for support. "Your mother must be terrified."
"You think that was bad? You should see me when I'm PMSing. They've found corpses." She was laughing too, the soft chuckles releasing more of her anger.
If you can't make fun of yourself, who can you laugh at?
She stifled her laughter. "So what did they tell you to convince you to bite me?" Her tone became serious again. Curiosity got the best of her again. What words could make a cannibal prince risk his chance at marriage - and ultimately, more power - by snacking on the woman he was vying for?
A bubble of caustic laughter came from Darian. "All they had to tell me was that you were a woman and a virgin. In the world of cannibalistic demons, that's striking pure gold. There is no more delicious flesh than that of a virgin princess." He laughed again, sarcasm scorching the sound. "Don't fault them for taking advantage if my weaknesses. It's a cut-throat contest you're dealing with here."
Her own laughter stopped as well. She leaned her back against the smooth marble wall, crossing her arms defensively. "Why not? What makes it so vicious?"
Darian sighed heavily, preparing himself for what she was sure to be on hell of a lesson.
"Let me start with the basics. This whole thing can get extremely confusing at times. There are seven main princes of Hell, each of whom rules a particular circle of Hell based on the seven sins. Lust, Greed, Anger, you know the drill. Your father is one, so is mine. The whole thing looks like it came straight out of Dante's Inferno. Anyway, there are less powerful demons that work under the princes who have children of their own. Parthos is one of those. Each prince, as well as their underlings, can have as many children as they want, but girls like you are particularly rare. Only one child in about a hundred thousand is a female. The rest are boys. The fact that you're so outnumbered is why girls like you have all the power in this. Got it so far?"
She nodded, now fascinated with the complexity of her situation.
He continued. "Since there are so many demons having children, it was decided when these things first started that only the first three tiers of demons could have their children participate. That means, for example, only Lucifer, my father and the top demon working under him can have their sons compete for you. Otherwise the system would be overloaded with half-demon boys looking for a mate."
"Now, there are ways to lighten the load for this. The sons that aren't old enough to mate aren't included in this mess, as are the demons that are too old to bear children. So the girls now have a smaller gene pool to pick from. Naturally, Lucifer and the other princes' sons have the first shot at the princess. If they don't work out, the secondary rulers of the circles have their sons try for the girl."
"But what happens if the girl doesn't choose any of them?" She cocked her head at him. She was leaning against the wall with her shoulder, giving him her full attention.
"She has to. If she doesn't pick from any of the men she's been given, then all the rejects cycle around and she starts again. She has to pick a high-ranking demon. It keeps the power within the families and makes sure no outsider comes in to screw the system up."
"So why does this happen in such small numbers? There can't be that many of you." She tried to laugh, but his stern expression killer her giggle.
Darian heaved another heavy sigh. "That's where things get complicated. Let me give you an example. When you first came into this, there were over a thousand half-blood sons that had been born. Now, in accordance with the rules, some have to be eliminated. Take away the boys who are too young and you're left with about eight hundred. Next we get rid of the sons who are too old to have kids, which leaves us with six hundred and fifty. Finally, we remove any potential mates that are known dangers, the ones who are mentally unstable and the like. That leaves us with a grand total of five hundred and fifty suitors."
Her jaw dropped. Over five hundred men competing for her affections? Her head started to spin, the magnitude of her decision-making crashing down on her.
He noticed her shock but did nothing to calm it. "Now, keep in mind, you're the only princess eligible for marriage for the next...how old are the other daughters?"
"Um..." she scanned her memory for a moment. "They're fifteen, twelve, eight, six and two."
Darian nodded. "So you're the only girl who's suitable for marriage for the next three years. Which means, until the fifteen-year-old becomes and adult, you have almost six hundred men competing for you. That's why you have so much power in this, because you're so outnumbered. If you don't like me or any of the others, there are five hundred and thirty two half-demon sons waiting to take our places."
Overwhelmed and confused, Kara pressed her back against the wall. She slid down the smooth tile, settling down on the fire-warmed floor. Squeezing her eyes shut, she cupped her face in her hands and took several deep breaths, trying to clam the swirling thoughts in her head. Five hundred men? Five hundred men?! Her mind spun in dizzying circles, trying desperately to hang onto some semblance of normalcy.
Could she possibly go through five hundred men? Could her soul handle breaking that many hearts? She figured that after the first fifty disappointed suitors she'd pack up and go home. She hated turning people down, even if it was for a good reason. In her mind, turning down a promising man just because he didn't meet her exact criteria was a contemptible reason.
Darian's hand rubbed her back, an honest attempt to soften the blow. She looked up at him, searching his face for hints of something -- anything -- she could feel was ordinary and comfortable. His eyes had settled on a light silver, a color she considered warm and welcoming. His smile was soft but warm. She smiled back, happy to know that this impulsive, cannibalistic price was, on the inside, a truly decent man.
"Ah, princess! There you are!" A high-pitched voice, one like the tinkling of silver bells, sliced through her new-found joy.
She turned to see a voluptuous succubus, clad in nothing but tight black lingerie, standing in the mouth of an adjacent hallway. Her eyes glowed a blood red in the soft firelight. "We've been looking all over for you. It's time to make your next selection."
Kara stood up shakily, with Darian launching himself up to support her. She looked at the succubus, all blonde hair and decadent curves, with questioning eyes.
"But it can't be. There's no one around." She looked around the hallway to confirm her statement. It remained as empty as ever. "It must be so early."
The temptress laughed, a musical sound that, had she been a man, she would have fallen for in an instant. "They're all in the main hall waiting for you. It's nearly eight in the morning, princess."
"Eight in the..." she trailed off, her head spinning.
"We let you sleep in, princess. Your night with the twins must have been especially satisfying." A sinister smile crossed her lips, hinting at secrets she didn't quite understand.
