Dark Prince Ch. 05

Devon headed to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. This time, his angels did not try to stop him.

A few moon cycles had gone by. He lived in the wilderness of the planet of Arboria, foraging for food, sleeping very little. The nightmares grew bloodier, the visions more realistic.

His angels still tried to reach out to him, but he shut them out of his mind.

Angel's image tormented him. He longed for her, just to hear her voice, touch her hair.

"It's better this way," he tried to convince himself. "I'll only end up killing her."

"And while you turn into a hermit out here, Lucien makes designs on your woman."

Devon tensed and did his best to ignore Samael's voice. The black devil chuckled. "How pathetic. They're going out tonight. All of them."

Devon knew that. Seth had spent the greater part of the morning begging him to show up.

"Lucien will be taking Angel with him.

The pain that zinged through his chest was almost unbearable. My Angel.

"Yes, master, your Angel. Why you don't go and claim what's yours is beyond me. You're the one she desires."

"She's better off with Luke."

"She loves you... Luke she feels sorry for. Hardly fair for the poor bastard, if you ask me."

"I'll hurt her."

The devil sighed. "You won't hurt her."

"I've seen it. I've seen her lying at my feet in a puddle of blood."

"Yes, you have. But you've never actually seen yourself deliver the killing blow, have you?"

Devon frowned, and then turned toward Samael. "What are you saying?"

The black devil shrugged, his brows raised. "You're forgetting that there's still a traitor amongst your precious angels."

Devon shot to his feet. "I thought... Who? Who is it?" he snarled.

Samael snorted, "How the hell should I know. The pact wasn't made with me."

"Pact? What pact?"

"It's complicated, dark prince."

Devon stiffened at the mention of that title. "I'm not..." He took a deep breath. "Who made a pact and why?"

"Well since you're dragging your feet at taking your father's throne, we have a second choice."

"What?" Devon's mind reeled. "Who?" Only Lucien and Seth were almost as powerful as him, and he couldn't fathom either of them actually stupid enough to want to open the gates of hell.

"I'm not in charge of the second choice. Don't even know who it is. But they know." He pointed at the horde of devils around Devon, hiding, and chuckling in the shadows surrounding him. "Ask them."

Devon snorted. "Like they'd answer. They only fucking thing they know how to say is master."

The snickers in the shadows increased as well as the chanted master.

Samael smirked, shrugging his shoulders again. "So, you're just going to let Lucien fuck Angel."

Again, that pain. He knew the devil was taunting him, but he also knew that sooner or later Lucien would have Angel. The gift of her virginity would be his.

"Well, she's not that much of a virgin you know. You did fuck her ass..."

"Stop... what? But that was a dream."

Samael laughed, throwing his head back, his white fangs gleaming. "She's a better liar than me. Gullible, master. Not only did you cum in her ass, you made her taste your essence. You marked her as yours. Now you're giving her away to your second in command." The black devil shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Master, just take the woman, and bring her with you to our realm. She'll be our princess. Our lord won't harm her when you set him free. Just wait. Lucifer will be very appreciative."

"I'm not dragging her down to hell."

"It'll only be temporary. Once we get rid of this distasteful realm, we'll all go back home."

"Right. And the divine angels of Ainrodonel will welcome us all with open arms," Devon snorted sarcastically.

"I guess there might be a bit of a skirmish at first, but since both sides are immortal and there won't be anywhere else to go or be cast into, they're just going to have to suck it up."

Devon turned, irritated and headed to the lake where he always took his bath.

"She's thinking about you right now," Samael teased behind him. "Would you like to see what she's doing?"

"No. I swore I'd leave her alone."

But the black devil didn't listen. Devon found his path blocked by a glass pane, with swirling red mists reflected within it. He drew back his fist to shatter the glass and stopped cold when the image of Angel appeared before him.

Angel sighed as Devon's lush lips nibbled at hers. His silky skin slid against hers, or perhaps it was she that thrust her achy little breasts against his maleness. She let her fingers sink into the wealth of jet-black hair that spilled over his shoulders to the middle of his chest; so soft and silky. Holding him still, she plunged her tongue past his lips, making him gasp. She'd had enough innocent teasing. Spreading her thighs beneath him, she ground herself on his erection. He moaned. Desperate, she palmed his ass and urged him to take her. His prick sank into her deeply, her drenched passage swallowing him whole. Strange... she thought it would hurt, but she only felt mindless with desire. He thrust against her as she cried out his name. Her nipples hurt and she rubbed them against his chest for comfort. He shuddered and whimpered her name. The ecstasy of feeling him in her was unbearable.

Her fingers gripped his tight ass hard as she rocked her hips against him, fucking her aching pussy on his rigid erection. With each surge of his flesh within her, her pleasure notched higher. Angel sank her teeth against his snow white flesh. Devon moaned and shuddered in her arms. They fucked harder, wilder... total abandon... agonizing bliss. Taking a deep gulp of air, she let out a cry of sheer rapture, her body shaking with the intensity of her release.

Angel gasped for breath, staring at the ceiling of her quarters on Alpha 7. Her pussy was still clenching, quivering... around nothing. Pants turned to sobs as she pulled her hand from between her legs, glistening with the proof of her release. It had only been a dream... again.

"Devon," she called out bitterly. "Where are you?"

How can I love someone so much, it's like a gaping hole inside me not having him. Like I swallowed glass... as if my heart were wrapped in a vine of thorns...bleeding...for him.

"Oh, Devon," she whispered, hugging herself. "I love you... and I miss you... you aggravating Mongurah. Where are you?"

Tears trailed down her cheeks and her nose ran until all she could do was hiccup in misery.

It was still dark, but she rose, knowing she wouldn't be able to find rest again. The light of Venushti's moons filtered into her chambers, making the water in her bathing pool look silvery. Gritting her teeth from the cold, she immersed herself and began scrubbing her skin until it felt raw.

It was no use. Her traitorous body still longed for him. Perhaps the whip?

Release me.

Angel gasped, her eyes darting around the room.

Release me—the voice whispered again.

Mist formed at the entrance to her bathing chamber, swirling, barely visible. Her eyes strained to see, then widened. Devon's face, but more childlike. The vision blurred, then became more solid near her.

Release me—the child cried, its ghostly arms reaching for her before vanishing completely.

Angel's heart raced, her eyes searching the darkness around her. What had she just seen? Goddess, it looked like Devon, but she was certain the hair was white, not black, and it was a child. The first time she'd seen the apparition, she remembered it looked more adult.

She shivered, rising slowly from the bath. Walking to the wide doors of the balcony, she knelt in the light of the moons. Bowing her head, extending her arms she began to pray... to Devon's god.

Angel rolled her shoulders. The Venushtian sun beat down upon her head, almost blinding her. Even though she was barely dressed, in her warriors training outfit, her body perspired.

Morana stood before her, training sword in hand, dressed the same as Angel, Black klowt, and leather strip over her breasts. No shoes were required during training in the rocky training arena. The young warriors sparred in the harshest of surroundings. Not far from Angel was a muddy pit, bordered by thorny Brocrose.

The other girl sneered, her contempt visible in every rigid line of her muscular body.

She charged and Angel met her attack by feinting to the left and swinging to her flank. She connected her first hit, making Morana yelp, and then snarl in fury. Again, she attacked, but Angel blocked her blow, swung her leg and connected with Morana's kidney.

Morana swung her fist and hit Angel in her nose. Stars shot before her eyes, and a solid blow to the back of her head knocked her over. Dazed, she felt blood run down her chin.

With a furious yell, Morana picked her up as though she weighed nothing and tossed her into the muddy pit.

Angel fell facedown. When she tried to rise, the larger female pressed her foot behind her neck, submerging her face in the muck.

Angel couldn't breathe. Twisting she kicked out, connecting with Morana's crotch. While the woman clutched herself in agony, Angel struggled to her feet, coughing and spitting mud from her mouth.

A violent shove, had Angel sprawling back into a brocrose bush. The sharp thorns cut into her flesh, making her hiss.

She heard Moran's yell of victory and saw the woman racing to give her a blow that would surely break her ribs. Angel snarled, gathering her anger within her, seeing it as a ball of white fire and hurled it at Morana.

The dark-skinned warrior flew back thirty paces, right into the iron fence that bordered the training arena. Her body hit with a solid crack, flipped over the black, pronged bar and then hit the ground with a solid thump. Morana looked like a broken doll, her eyes closed, her limbs twitching.

Angel watched horrified. The other trainees and trainers ran to the fallen girl, casting terrified glances at Angel.

Rowie appeared next to Angel and helped her out of the thorny bush.

"Row? What... I don't... Did I do that?"

Rowie gripped Angel's nose gently, making her sneeze, and then turned to look at Morana. She raised her hand and closed her black eyes.

With a confused frown, Angel turned to the crowd gathering around Morana, and was surprised to see the other girl opening her eyes and struggling to stand.

"Angel, you can't stay here anymore. You're developing the traits of a Master Guardian. You need to be trained."

Angel turned to Rowie. "How did you know? Is that why you're here?" Angel looked down at herself. She was clean of all the blood and mud that had covered her. Her eyes went back to Rowie's.

Rowie shook her head. "I only came to invite you to go out with us. We're all going to Haddasha to unwind a bit."

"Haddasha?"

Angel turned again to the others. Everyone was murmuring and giving her hostile stares. They no longer wanted her there, not that they ever really did. Her home was no longer her home. It never really was. She had no home.

Rowie's finger under her chin had her turning her head back to the raven-haired beauty. "You have a home, silly... with us." She smiled. "You're one of us now, an Alpha 7 Angel."

Alpha 7 seemed empty. Devon was long gone, and Remien had decided to leave shortly after. No one knew what had become of Lillique, nor did they care. Lucien, Seth, and Zak had spent the last few months doing odd jobs for interplanetary dignitaries, escorting royalty or rescuing council members from hostile aliens.

Between the three of them, they'd managed to amass a small fortune.

Annie had succumbed to a deep depression from the loss of her child and kept to herself mostly.

Rowie took Angel into what she called the entertainment lounge to show her old crystal-vids of Alpha 7's prior occupants.

The white-winged Seraphs took Angel's breath away. There had been thousands at one time, but as they grew older, they stopped being replaced. They tried to recruit Edenians, but for the most part, the primitive Edenian would become power hungry and had to be removed. A few years before the reign of the angel of destruction, they managed to recruit a beautiful female. Angel frowned when she saw the young woman. Her face, mostly her eyes, seemed familiar. Her inky black hair was as smooth and as satiny as Devon's.

Devon.

Angel closed her eyes, feeling the usual painful twist in her heart.

The sound of a child's laughter had them snapping open again. A little raven-haired boy of about two sun cycles, scampered away from a Seraphian female.

"I'm gonna get you," she giggled in a high pitched voice.

The baby squealed in delight. He tripped and Angel gasped, thinking he'd surely fall, but the baby floated in the air, then zipped away as if he had wings.

"Fy, Awie," he giggled.

"Yes, Devon. You're flying."

Angel's mouth dropped open. She covered it quickly to stifle her sob as she gazed at Devon as a baby. He was the most breath-taking child she'd ever seen.

The next scene had her tears flowing as the female Seraph went into his room. Devon sat crying uncontrollably.

"Otha baby."

"What other baby? Are you having that bad dream again?"

Devon shook his dark head, his ebony locks were a fall of satin around his little shoulders. "No," he insisted on a wail. "Not falling fum heaven. Baby. I wan baby. Wan baby, peez!"

Angel stood abruptly. Rowie gave her a curious look and paused the crystal-vid.

"I think I've seen that baby."

Rowie's eyes widened. "What baby?"

Angel began to pace the big room, remembering the entity of fire she saw first, then the child.

"I've only seen him maybe two or three times. It's a being made of pure light and fire. You can barely make out the body but I see his face and hair clearly." Angel turned to Rowie, who was leaning forward in her chair, eyes round, "The entity has Devon's face, but his hair is white."

"Like yours?" Rowie looked paler than normal.

Angel's heart thumped so loud she was sure the other girl could hear it. "Yes. Exactly like mine."

Rowie's jumping up with a shriek of joy startling Angel. She continued to jump up and down, squealing like a crazy woman. "Oh-m-God! You're going to have a baby with Dev! You're seeing the baby's spirit."

Angel flinched. "What? No! It can't be! I..." Angel felt herself flush furiously. She'd never copulated with Devon... at least not in a way to become pregnant.

She paled. Her dreams. Were they really dreams? Was he visiting her, using his powers to have sex with her?

Rowie gripped her arms, making her jerk her head up. "Hey, relax. You're not pregnant yet."

"Who's not pregnant?"

They both turned toward the masculine voice.

Remien and Lucien stood in the doorway to the entertainment room. Angel felt the tremor that went through Rowie. Angel was glad she wasn't the recipient of the heated look the weredragon cast Rowie. It was a wonder the fire alert system didn't go off.

Lucien pursed his lips, trying to hide his smile and motioned for Angel to accompany him out of the super-charged room.

She couldn't leave fast enough, unfortunately, Remien gripped her wrist just as she passed him.

Angel sucked in a breath as she stared into his glittering green eyes.

With a small smile, he pulled her in for a hug. Angel froze in his arms. "Aren't you going to say hi properly?" his deep voice murmured in her ear.

Again, his heat scorched her. She stared wide-eyed at Rowie through the strands of blood-red hair that stuck out from his head. His lips brushed her temple and he pulled back. His warm smile turned sultry when he looked at Rowie again.

"So you think you can just pop in after all this time and I'm just going to fall into your arms?" she heard Rowie snap.

Angel took that as her cue to rush out. Once the door closed, Lucien put his hands on her arms. He searched her eyes. "I missed you."

Angel lowered her eyes in shame, her memories of the nights filled with lustful dreams of Devon... only Devon.

Lucien's arms went around her in a gentle hug. She felt him press his face to the crown of her head and breathe her in. Slowly, she let her arms go around him, feeling guiltier for once again thinking how much like Devon he felt. Lucien shuddered.

"I love being hugged. It's been a while since someone's touched me..." he let the meaning hang clear between them.

Putting a little distance between them, Angel found herself at a loss as to what to say.

He took her hand. "Come on. Think of the transport hangar."

She frowned. "Why?"

"Just do it, newbie."

Angel blinked, feeling confused. Nevertheless, she obeyed, bringing to mind Alpha 7's transport hangar.

"What do you see?" Lucien stepped behind her, his hands gripping her shoulders gently.

"The hangar's mostly dark... except where Seth's standing." She saw the weretigre, his silvery-blond hair longer, dressed in his usual black Master Guardians uniform. Seth's arms were crossed over his well-sculpted chest and he bore his usual frown. "Even in my imagination he's a sour-puss." To her amazement, Seth's eyes widened. He looked directly at her, in her mind and scowled deeper.

Lucien chuckled. "What more do you see?"

Angel's eyes stung with tears. "Seven Vipers." Annie, Rowie, Lucien, Zak, Seth, Remien, and Devon's. But it was only wishful thinking. Devon's wouldn't be there because he'd disappeared. They knew where he was, but she didn't. He hadn't communicated with her since before they left Utuduo... so long ago now.

Lucien's kiss at her temple had her jolting out of her sad musings. "Concentrate, baby. See Seth. Feel Seth. Feel the Vipers... the flooring beneath your feet... draw it to you. Feel yourself there."

Angel let his voice lull her. The colors around her turned liquid, solidifying into the colors of the dim hangar. She felt a brief dizzy spell and closed her eyes. The scent of cold metal and glass tickled her nose. The familiar scent of the hangar. She opened her eyes to see Seth glaring at her.

"I'm a serious person, not a sour-puss," he protested.

Angel's jaw dropped.

Lucien kissed her temple again, chuckling. "Congratulations. You just successfully teleported from the eleventh level to the hangar."

Seth unfolded his arms from his chest and pointed one finger to the ground before him.

Angel frowned, wondering what it was he wanted. If he thought she was going to kneel before him to beg for forgiveness...

Seth rolled his pale blue eyes. "Just teleport here," he breathed in an exasperated tone.

"What for?"

He scowled deeper. "Practice, newbie. And try to gather in your thoughts. You're broadcasting so loud it's embarrassing."

Angel's face went hot.

"Seth, go easy on her."

Seth's eyes remained on Angel's face. "I thought she was a warrior. Do you want me to go easy on you, Angel?"

The edge of disapproval in his words made her stiffen. He was right. She was a warrior. His lips twitched as if trying not to smile.

Angel looked at the area in front of him and drew herself there. Everything blurred slightly and before she realized what had happened, she was standing on Seth's booted feet, nose to nose with him.

She gasped and lost her balance, flailing as she felt herself fall back, but he caught her up to him, making her blush.

He was young, but strong, as fine looking as the other Alpha 7 angels. Seth's face flushed scarlet and he leaned away from her to glare at Lucien when he began to laugh behind them.

Her thoughts! "I'm so sorry," Angel blurted feeling awkward, but then she narrowed her eyes and gripped his arms, her fingers wrapping around the nice bulges she found there. "Wait a minute... you are an attractive young male." If anything, Seth's blush deepened. "You should be accustomed to hearing those kinds of thoughts thrown at you, you silly male."