Date with Destiny-Demon Style Ch. 08

Yes, I know this one took a really long time to post. I apologize. Please understand that life has an evil sense of humor. It's called Murphy's Law and it crashed into me hard this month. I'll try and type the next ones faster.

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The door at the top of the dungeon's staircase clicked open, followed by rushed footsteps resounding off the stones. Sucking in a quick breath, Kara flattened herself against the shadowed wall and waited. Lucifer did the same, his chains clinking quietly when he moved. The waited silently, listening to the footsteps as they drew closer.

Her heart pounded, thundering in her ears. For all she knew, those footsteps could be Emiline coming to kill her since she and the three surviving princes had captured the whore's sons. Ladrian had said Emiline would kill her if anyone suspected her of going against the wretch's plans. Why not do it now and remove any future problems?

In the gloomy shadows of Ladrian's dungeon, Kara and Lucifer exchanged glances, both waiting for any sign of their mutual enemy. Slowly, she allowed tiny cracks in her control to appear, letting her demon blood flow out bit by bit. She released just enough to turn her irises red and elongate her nails, enough to give her a good burst of strength if they came under attack.

The footsteps drew closer, growing louder with every passing second. She took a deep breath, centering herself and preparing for an assault. If she had to kill to get out, she damn well would.

"Kara?" Lyzander's deep voice broke through the dark silence.

Simultaneously, she and Lucifer let out heavy sighs of relief. Lyzander, thank God. She stepped out from the safety of the shadows and smiled at the incubus prince. He smiled back, his pale blue eyes shining in the soft light of the sconces. He held up his hand, letting Ladrian's ring of keys jingle softly on his finger.

"You found them?" She smiled, happy that they could start cleaning up this mess.

He nodded. "They managed to find the twins. They're a little roughed up, but otherwise fine."

"Excellent." Well, at least someone else was safe.

She grinned at him. He grinned back, stepping forward to sweep her up in his arms long enough to claim a scorching kiss. She didn't mind the heat or intensity of his kiss; she relished his power and forcefulness. It was when his tongue began to slip past her lips that she pushed him gently away. They had more important things to focus on.

She patted him on the shoulder. "You unchain the big man there. I'll see if I can coax one of the terrible twosome out of sleepyland."

Lyzander's face showed his disappointment for an instant, then he nodded and made his way to Lucifer. While Lyzander rummaged through the ring of keys to unlock the first chain, she turned her attention to the still sleeping brothers. She walked quietly towards them, carefully not to startle them awake by upsetting any of Ladrian's toys. God, the man had chains and weapons everywhere. It was amazing that none of them had tripped and broken something yet.

She bent down on one knee, staring at the older of the two brothers. Malnos, though slightly bruised and battered, came out faring far better than his younger brother. Ziron had the shit kicked out of him by Lyzander; the bruises and cuts on his face and body alerted her to at least two broken bones and a whole lot of aspirin.

She returned her focus to Malnos. Now that he was asleep and completely harmless, she could finally take a good look at him. Truth be told, he was an incredibly striking young man. The angles of his face were sharp enough to cut glass. His blue-streaked black hair hung just past his ears, shielding his emerald eyes from the world. The red scrip flowing across his chest gave the impression of scarlet wave rolling over his flesh. If he wasn't chasing her and trying to conquer the underworld, she'd give him an honest shot. He at least looked the part of a gentleman. Maybe there was hope for him.

But he was trying to take over Hell and kill the others. So she had to force down her curiosity about him and remind her self that he was, for the moment, an enemy.

Reaching out one hand, she gently slapped his cheek. She was concerned for a moment that his cheekbone might slice her skin. She tapped harder, pulling back her hand when he stirred. His eyes fluttered open, still hazy with sleep. Those emerald orbs focused instantly when he saw her face, his features hardening.

"Congratulations, you caught us. What now? Execution?" His voice was sharp, almost menacing.

So much for hoping he would be a gentleman.

She shook her head. "No. Not yet, at least."

He lifted his chin an inch, defiant. His emerald eyes bored into hers, almost on fire with their intensity.

Shit. Now he's starting to act like me.

"I'm not going to have you killed yet." Se said the words louder, making sure he heard them.

He pulled back an inch, regarding her carefully. The man wasn't stupid. He knew when a threat or trick might be coming, and he knew how to guard himself for the situation. She gave him credit for that.

"I've been considering letting Ladrian having a little fun with you first." She gave a sharp smile, hoping to scare him.

Instead, he smiled back. "Really? And would you be joining us?"

Her smile dropped. His question took her by surprise. Joining them? What the hell did that mean?

She cocked her head. "Joining you how?"

He shrugged, still smiling. "Doesn't matter. You could stay and watch us be punished or you could take part. I'd love to see you chained naked to a wall."

Too late, asshole. Been there, done that.

She made a sound of disgusted exasperation and dropped her head. What did she expect? He was a horny demon prince. It's not like he'd act with any common sense when dealing with her. He was probably imagining her in bed with him as he sat there. How wonderful.

"So, what do I need to do to have you release me?"

She lifted her head to look at him. Malnos was giving her an incredible impression of an innocent puppy begging for table scarps. His eyes were wide and shining, begging her to let him go.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Why should I? You've chased me, assaulted me and attacked the other princes. You hardly seem like someone I could trust out of chains."

Smiling, he shook his head. "Oh, ma cherie. You don't understand. I am very trustworthy. It is my brother you need to be concerned about. He can be very grincheux about being chained."

She had to scan her memory bank for a moment to translate. Grincheux...testy. She always considered French unnecessary. It sounded too high-class and unnecessary. That, and she couldn't pronounce a single sentence without getting tongue-tied.

"Oh, how sweet. You can serenade me in French while Ladrian tears out your spine." She made a small grimace meant to scare him off track.

It didn't work.

He laughed. "My dear, I can beg your forgiveness in six different languages. All you need to do is say which." He leaned in close. "Shall it be German? Or Spanish? Or perhaps Romanian is to your liking."

You shutting up is to my liking.

She shook her head. "None, thanks. I'm more interested in hearing you scream out in pain for attacking Darian."

At the mention of his name, Malnos' eyes narrowed and he groaned. "Ugh, you still have feelings for that wretched little playboy?"

Startled at his hostility, she narrowed her eyes to match his expression. "Yes, I do. Is there a problem with that?"

It was Malnos' turn to be startled. He'd obviously know she was strong-willed, but he probably wasn't expecting her to be as offensive as she was.

"I do have a problem with that. He took a chunk out of your shoulder, didn't he?"

"What does that have to do with--"

"So you're saying a cannibal prince that devoured you on your first night is more trustworthy than I am?" He cocked his head to the side, waiting for her answer.

She stood, placing her hands on her hips. "Well at least he's not going to kill me!"

"What makes you so sure?" His voice was honestly inquisitive, destroying any idea she had of accusing him of irrational hatred.

"Excuse me?" Her jaw was dangerously close to crashing to the floor.

"I'm not saying he'd do it intentionally, or that's he's some kind of evil manic. But he is a cannibal. And he does have a hot temper attached to a short fuse. How do you know that he won't fly off the handle or lose himself in a sexual frenzy and bite off more of you than he should?"

Mentally, she took a step back. Biased as he was, Malnos had a point. Darian had a notoriously small fuse, and she'd yet to see the full extent of his anger. Besides, he'd already shown interest in the taste of the flesh. She doubted that his appetite would fade much now that her virginity was gone.

But she knew the real Darian. A kind, sweet, sensitive man that would protect her and chase down any threat. A man that would stand his ground and used his brain over his brawn. He was intoxicating, and she knew that around her, he would never allow himself to lose control unless absolutely necessary.

She decided to call his bluff. "He may have a short fuse, but he's got an enormous amount of control. He wouldn't dare bite me unless I said he could."

It was a good call. His attempt at deception had failed him, and he hung his head an inch. Pride swelled in her heart. She may be a sensitive female, but she was far from foolish or stupid. She crossed her arms over her chest and smiled.

In an instant, he flipped his head up and looked at her, a small smile on his face as well. "So, are you going to let us go?"

Is he neurotic or something?

She glared at him. "No! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

He cocked his head. "Nothing, princess. I'm just a bit eccentric." A slow smile spread across his lips, making her spine twitch in unease.

"What's that smile for?" Caution made her take a step back.

"Just imagining how that royal pussy of yours would taste. I've been thinking about picking the locks and taking you by sweet surprise." His smile turned lazy, almost effortless.

Shit.

She backed up step, fear now taking the place of uneasiness. Her eyes flicked up just in time to see his long nails pick the lock of one restraint -- the main restraint. The one chain that held all the others in place. With the lock undone, most of the remaining chains fell to the floor, taking his still-sleeping brother with them. Malnos stood, now only captive by the manacles on his wrists. His eyes locked with hers, his smile growing wider as his long nails began to work of on shackle.

"Strange. These lock never come undone, and Ladrian has the keys." His voice was low, almost an animalistic growl. A perfect compliment to his hungry smile.

"Lyzander!" Her voice was shaky, fear now clogging her throat. She took two more steps back, trying to put some distance between them before Malnos freed himself.

"Almost done!" His voice was calm, but she could sense the urgency in it. "Two more and Lucifer's free."

"I bet you taste like honey mixed with wine." One pin of the lock clicked into place. "I can't wait to find out."

Trying to back step again, she stumbled and fell to the ground. Still panicked, she crawled backwards to the far wall and pressed up against it.

She heard one shackle drop to the ground on her left. "Hang on!" Lyzander was frantic now. His voice shook as he rushed to unchain the demon king.

Finally, the shackle on Malnos' wrist was broken and clanked to the floor. His smile became a grin. One lock left and he could ravage her. He began on his other wrist, his eyes never breaking from hers. Only seconds remained for her to figure out an escape plan before he released himself.

One lock pin clicked into place.

Two.

Three.

The iron chain fell to the ground at the same instant he vaulted from the floor. Screaming, she closed her eyes and waited for the impact of his body against hers.

But instead of being crushed by a horny demon prince, she heard a strangled grunt and a tremendous crash. Opening her eyes, she saw Malnos laying face down on the stone floor, a deep dent where his body had landed. Darian was straddling his waist, holding his adversary's wrists behind his back. His eyes had shifted to a deep indigo and his canines were bared in a feral grimace.

Thank holy sweet mother of God!

Darian managed to tear his gaze away from Malnos to lock eyes with her. He gave a tired smile and nodded. She swallowed and managed to smile back. Still recovering from her near-rape experience, she noticed Lyzander in the corner of her eye. The man looked as if he were in a still shot from an action movie. Frozen mid-step halfway across the room, his eyes wild yet focused. Several heartbeats passed before he moved, his body relaxing. He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling a sigh of relief.

Magically, he managed to grimace slightly at Darian. She could see in his eyes he wasn't happy to see him, but he was glad to know someone had stopped her attacker. She smiled to herself and laughed internally. They may be princes, but they were anything but civil when it came to sharing her. Even if she was being attacked.

Turning her head, she noticed a now free Lucifer leaning against one of the walls, watching the scene play out. She sighed. Leave it to the demon king to sit and watch instead of helping.

Hearing more voices, her eyes flicked up to see Ladrian, along with the twins, racing down the stairs. He heart skipped a beat. Riordan and Tristan were safe! Maybe that meant the rest of her suitors were, too. She hoped so. The last thing she needed was the guilt of know those men were killed off because of her.

Ladrian ran to her side and knelt down next to her. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and stroking her hair. His tenderness never ceased to amaze her. He loved to torture people, and yet he would be the first shoulder available to cry on. If Darian was the brave one and Lyzander was the fighter, then Ladrian was the chivalrous one.

Smiling, she pressed her face into his chest. She felt the heat radiating off his skin, and she relished in the warmth. Heat was her weakness and this man had tons of it. She also noticed the majority of his most recent scar had healed, leaving only light bruising around the edges. Good. If they did get the chance to sleep together, she had a good feeling he'd be up to the task now.

Turning her head, she watched as the twins made their way to Darian. Each brother grabbed one of Malnos' arms, keeping him still as Darian stepped off him. The twins then raised her attacker to his knees, holding him steady so he couldn't get away.

Malnos looked up at the room full of his adversaries and smiled. God, that man either had a very twisted sense of humor or an incredibly bloated ego. She couldn't decide which was right.

Standing to his full height, Darian grabbed Malnos' chin and lifted it sharply up, his crimson eyes boring into his opponent's.

"Poor thing. Trying to get the princess but thwarted by the 'dog' of the princes. How unfortunate." His voice was the same condescending tone Malnos had used on him in the hallway.

Malnos only smiled. He wasn't giving up anything.

Lyzander now joined the fray, the two princes working surprisingly well together when dealing with a mutual enemy. They didn't hate each other that much, just enough to cause a rivalry.

She watched for a while as all four princes interrogated Malnos, with none of them getting very far. To his credit, Malnos maintained his smile the entire time, mocking them with his sense of imperviousness. She grimaced. They were wasting time. Lucifer was now free, but they had to find the others, kill Emiline and basically save Hell from total chaos. But they didn't even know where Emiline was, let alone what she was planning. There had to be a way to find out...

Of course!

And idea - one so simple and obvious it amazed her - raced into her mind. Pulling gently away from Ladrian's comforting embrace, she stood, shook her head clear and pulled off her shirt. She tossed it to Ladrian, who caught it with all the skill of a major league umpire. He looked up at her with confused eyes. She smiled and winked.

Hesitating for a heartbeat, she noticed Lucifer -- still partially hidden by shadow -- leaning against the far wall. His arms were crossed, his golden eyes bright. He smiled at her - a slow, knowing smile that told her he knew exactly what she was planning. She smiled back innocently. He understood, unlike many people she'd met, that she was far too intelligent to be mistaken for some ordinary flighty teenager. She could plan, manipulate and lie with the best of them. He father had once told her she had a poker face Ted Bundy would be proud of. Only she had the sense of humor to take that as a compliment.

Adjusting her bra so that her breasts were on full display, she turned and made her way over to the group of princes still questioning Malnos. Riordan noticed her first, his eyes first excited, then quizzical. She smiled and motioned for him to be quiet. He smiled and nodded.

She walked up behind Darian and tapped his shoulder. He turned and stared at her, his eyes shifting from an angry red to a dark green. She flicked her hand, silently asking him to move. He hesitated, getting one last look at her breasts before moving away. She stepped forward, gently elbowing Lyzander aside. His reaction matched Darian's perfectly, but he also moved aside for her.

Squatting so she could be at his level, she took in the image of the broken prince. His head was down, his blue-black hair hanging in his eyes. Supported and restrained by the twins, he let his body slump low, making them hold his full weight. Even now he was working their system to make them strain over him. Asshole.

Reaching out a hand, she gently cupped his chin and lifted his face. He was still wearing his obnoxious smile, a move that made her contemplate smashing him in the gut. Thankfully, his smile faded when his eyes found her conveniently displayed breasts. She heard his breath catch and she smiled.

She may be insecure about how petite her chest was, but she'd be damned to say she didn't notice the reactions from guys on the street when she wore a low-cut top. Her breasts may be small, but they were glorious in the eyes of men. One look and they fell to their knees.

Male mind grenades. Works every time.

"Malnos, sweetheart. I need you to do me a favor." She flashed a seductive smile and made her voice sweeter then sugared honey.

Forcing himself to tear his gave from her chest, his emerald eyes locked with hers. He swallowed loudly, clearly aware that with her body on display, he was at a disadvantage. She softened her smile and caressed his cheek.

"I know this is going to be hard for you, since you're so loyal to your family, but I'm willing to make you an offer."

I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse. Marlon Brando, I love you.

He nodded, both looking defeated and eager to hear her deal.

She'd never win an Oscar, but her acting skills were far form scream-worthy. She'd learned long ago that if she widened her eyes and bit her lip, people would do damn near anything she asked. It wasn't a trick she used often, but when she did, men would try their hardest to make the world shift.

She did that now, making her eyes wide an innocent. She stroked her thumb along his cheekbone, giving him a soft yet sexy smile. The look in his eyes -- a mixture of longing and admiration -- told her that he was now hers.

"If you can take us to your mother, and you can convince her that we're willing to do anything she asks, I promise you can get a good, long look at me. Alone. Naked."