Chapter 21

Three days later I’m let out of the gothic bedroom, allowed to finally roam. I had been left to my own devices, and my isolation grew until I was actually excited to be let out to be with them again.

Now. I head straight out into the Club, down a long dark green wood corridor, with velvet draping emerald curtains leading to the place everyone partied with the dead.

It’s just before opening time.

Dressed in a light silver robe and my wings dragging behind me, I walk out into a well-lit Crypt.

Around a couch surrounding a smouldering fire pit, with a bubbling red cauldron on top, Horace relaxes back with his arms out along the top of the velvet black couch.

Fane is stirring the pot, Solomon looking in on the other side.

Darc is in the kitchen cooking something.

Ash is nowhere to be seen.

Um?

Speaking of.

He is unseen.

Until I see him.

Above me.

Up.

My mouth opens wide, as I see him nailed to the ceiling. Crucified.

He smiles down at me, in constant pain, dripping black blood from the wounds in his hands and feet..

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I yell at all the rest of them.

“Oh, shut up,” Horace growls dismissively and waves his hand through the air like I’m being dramatic about nothing.

Solomon sends me a disgruntled sideways look with his purple eyes.

Fane ignores me entirely.

Darc bangs some pots together into the sink, being rewarded with my glare.

“Punishment,” Darc answers me, “And the Lord Veil doesn’t enjoy it when I punish fellow demons – he considers it too reminiscent of a celestial’s focus,” Darc scoffs and tries to keep in a hard laugh, “Me,” a demon’s snarl echoes through the Club as he picks up a salad to present me, “He thinks I rise,” such rage.

I look at the boiled eggs, crispy bacon and fresh grilled chicken in the ceaser salad, and I ignore Darc’s dramatic snarling, to instead point to the bowl, and then to me.

Darc grabs a fork out of draw and stabs it through the middle, sliding the bowl along the counter top.

I walk over and pick up my food offering, while he waltzes around the counter and heads on over to his brotherhood.

I sit on a stool and eat my salad, while the fully grown demons focus on that bubbling cauldron.

“Why is the power diminishing,” Darc waves at the cauldron and snarls at Solomon and Fane, “Why is he taking our power still?”

“Kill her and the Lord Veil will release the squeeze on our powers!” Horace yells out, pointing at the cauldron and then at me, “He wants her dead – or given to the Procession as sacrifice. We’ll all fuck her and hand her over. Be done with her.”

They all turn to look at me, slowly losing my appetite as I eat the fresh chicken off the fork.

I place the salad back on the counter and answer them, “You make me a delicious salad, just to kill me after? You said I’m welcome here.”

“We kill Angels,” Solomon answers me.

“I thought you killed rotting souls,” I counter, glaring.

“Yes. But Angels try to kill us, so we have to kill them too,” Solomon snaps.

“Darc is just perplexed by your idiocy,” Horace chuckles, while his hungry eyes rake over me as he looks over his shoulder, “You’re the first to imprison us. Rather than go straight for the kill.”

“…mm,” I pretend to gulp down instead of talk.

Fane turns from the pot, after dipping his hands into the blood. He shows me his dripping crimson hands.

“Come,” Fane starts to walk toward me with his offered hands, “Take my hands.”

“Why?”

“I’ll tell you you’re fortune,” I feel Fane is telling the truth.

I stand off the stool and hold out my hands.

Instead of resisting, I’ve decided to co-operate.

But…

“Wait one second,” I have one question for Dane, before we clasp hands, “Who’s blood is that?”

“All of ours,” Fane waits for me to take it.

“What, no chance to murder today?”

Fane lets out a little handsome smile, “Not today,” he replies far too calmly.

I shrug, playing it as cool as I can, as I finally take his wet sticky hands, and our fingers clasp together.

Fane’s pointy ears seem to glow silver, while he closes his eyes, for a second, then opens them to stare into my own eyes.

“What is in store for me this week?” I ask.

“I’m trying to read your soul.”

“Trying?”

“It’s hard when you’re blinded with lust.”

“Oh,” I take my hands from his, “Nice fucking try,” I blush with irritation as I turn back to my salad, but realise my bloody hands won’t do me.

I storm around to the sink and blast my hands with the hot water, trying to get all their vampire blood off me.

As I wash and scrub at my hands with a fresh towel, I can feel the resounding silence from the brotherhood.

I can feel them staring at me.

When I finally dare to look up, they’re all coming for the kitchen.

I keep washing my hands, like I’m not finished.

“It’s not nice to swear, Angel,” Darc tells me off, with a bit of demonic amusement laced through, as he comes around for me.

Horace is on my other side, so I back up away from Darc, and end up leaning against Horace’s torso – while he breathes down over my neck. Hot. Demonic. Breaths. So hot.

“3 days,” I whisper, almost stuttering, my voice straining, as I feel Horace’s hands boldly slip over my hips and warm my torso as I turn my back into his front. Darc’s fingers lightly touch the ribbon of the silver silk robe I wear, tied over through the middle, “I had nothing else to think about,” I just admit the truth.

“It’s normal to feel nothing else,” Darc speaks down to me, moving me further flush into Horace, as he also pushes into my front, his hands falling over my rib cage, the right and left side of me – feeling the thumping of my racing heart-beat.

I don’t like Darc’s hands over my ribs. And Horace’s hands on my hips, heavy and confident.

It’s freaking me out.

Before I lose myself further, I swiftly slip out from between the two demons, away from their hands. My stomach aches with hot blood and hormonal pressure, spreading through my gut. All my nerves are singed with fire.

The lust Fane accused me of is real and it’s coursing through my veins at a high potency.

I escape to the fridge, where I go looking for a drink.

Cooled water.

It’ll do.

I grab a fresh bottle and turn around, screwing off the cap really rushed, as I see them all waiting for me.

Sitting on stools now – pretending that small seduction didn’t happen at all.

The counter separates us all.

A false sense of security. It’ll do.

“Who does the Lord Veil dictate to?” I ask, walking a step closer to the counter, while taking a nervous sip of water.

“He balances death and demons – reading our levels of descent. He feels descent,” Solomon explains, while slowly reaching up his hand – to point a finger at me.

I try not to react to how creepily similar it is to how the Lord Veil pointed at me the last two times he was close.

“He’s like, the grim reaper or something?” I wonder.

“No,” Darc tries not to laugh, “No, Angel. He’s just measures the soul.”

“Let’s keep things professional,” I try to reason, because I don’t have much energy left to resist another seduction. I was seriously fast on my way to descent otherwise, and I was done talking about the creepy Lord Veil, “Why – am I different? Why did I imprison you all? Why do you think, Horace?” I cough lightly to clear my throat, leaning my hip against the counter to try and look in control.

“Because you wanted to,” Darc answers instead, “ You acted on your will – not your divine purpose, which means you’re an Angel with a fault. Like Lucifer.”

“Don’t,” I snap at Darc, “Don’t ever compare me to –”

“I was the same,” Darc loses his not-so patient humour, “Some of us can’t help it. We fall. I fell to love and rage with it. You… apparently… something along that line also. I am forbidden to you, Wynter.”

“As a teacher, yes, I didn’t know you were a demon,” I snap, trying to fight the blush wanting to bloom, “Besides –” I didn’t want talk about that.

“Can someone please get me down?” Ash calls out now – sickly sweetly. We all look up to see him smiling, “I’ll be good?”

“I can’t stand it,” I make the decision for them.

I spread my wings and fly up to Ash – wrenching the nails from his palms and feet with my angelic strength. I carry him down over my shoulder, lying him on the couch.

Ash’s hands and feet heal closed in front of me, although he is still stained with black blood, while he looks at me with astonishment at my generosity.

I don’t make much of an expression.

I look him over and the others at the kitchen counter.

“Why am I here?” I ask, “To look pretty?”

None of them want to look me in the eye or answer me.

Really?

I stand where I am, until I see Darc raise his crimson eyes to catch mine after a long minute of consideration for the answer.

“Loneliness.”

Darc whispers it.

I have to blink twice.

You have to be kidding me?

“We kill rot, we please the dead. We fuck the undead. But there is nothing like what’s living,” Fane explains, “…but we can’t fuck you – or you’ll die.”

“Ash, he saved your life,” Darc adds next, “He shouldn’t have because now I’m doubting everything and I –” Darc trails off in a snarl.

“Give her to the Lord Veil, he will end it,” Horace is really trying.

“I can just leave?” I mention, “I can walk out the d –”

“We do not release what is ours,” Ash whispers up at me from the couch, his brows dancing, “You belong to us, it’s our decree.”

I raise my hand to my lips, and feel over the piercings lightly.

Hmm.

“They want you in celestial prison out there,” Solomon finally speaks up, “You leave now, you’ll be tortured either way.”

“I leave, or I stay and either way I go to hell?” I ask, trying to make a joke of it, “How do I achieve limbo instead?” that was a good question, right?

“Stay with us – but we cannot fuck you… so remain at arm’s length,” Darc holds out his arm to show, his fingers curl in with his uncontrollable anger.

“I can’t do it. I want to eat her,” Horace exclaims, holding up his hand toward me, “And not your pussy – I want more flesh –”

“Keep that to yourself,” Fane hisses at Horace, and then sends me a smile, “Wynter, if you don’t feel safe, just go back to the bedroom. Otherwise – we have decided to keep you here. You’ll die otherwise.”

“Angels are valuable aren’t they,” I conclude, “But if I don’t do my duty, or stray to the darkness – I’ll lose everything,” I motion to my wings, “Which is undead to you. The way you all live, it sounds like hell anyway. Emotionless.”

“It’s why we need you alive,” Darc and Ash murmur at the same time.

“If you want this soul to last – I’m going to need to gear up,” I point to the chandelier of daggers, then hold out my palms, “Bring me some weapons – I need to be armed. To protect my virginity.”

“This is the stupidest plan,” Solomon hisses at Darc.

“Leave it,” Darc murmurs so quietly I almost don’t pick up on the menacing drawl, “Leave her be. It’ll be slow.” Whatever that means.

“Arrows? Daggers? Needles for your hair?” Ash asks helpfully, finally standing to block the view of the others and to hold my gaze, “What else… a high collar perhaps. Chainmail for your throat. Leather for your skin? Thigh high boots? Do you want goth makeup? Do you want more piercings?” Ash pinches my eyebrow, “Mmm?”

I step back, “Let’s start with weapons. And some rules.”

“What might they be?” Darc inquires, still listening, and now curious.

“You can dare to touch me but others have to be around so you stop yourselves. So I stop myself. I want my own room. I need a job. So I don’t live aimlessly other than to be a piece of furniture that emits soul vibes.”

“You can choose any room,” Darc agrees, until he doesn’t, “But your job is to provide blood. You will not be preoccupied with anything else. Other than keeping us company. Now choose an escort.”

“An escort?” I furrow my brows. What the –?

“One of us, to stay by your side at all times. We’re going out tonight. To the Den of Witches&Wolves. It’s another club across town.”

“Why are you going near wolves that can kill you?” I snap.

“Armando’s family have requested a Trial of Proof – we must show them Armando’s true nature was rotting.”

“Armando’s family?” I feel sick at the thought, “They will recognise me.”

“So what,” Solomon growls my way, “Are you in?”

It’s too forceful to think twice.

I nod.

I don’t know why. Oh, I do… I do know why.

I just find it hard to admit.

I didn’t want to leave.

I truly felt addicted in an unexplainable fashion. Tied to them all through binds. Through emotion within my soul. This is where I wanted to be. I had no bond stronger.

And I don’t know why.

I just understand that I feel it and it exists.

And I dare say, looking into all their eyes – I think they can feel it too.

Simple attraction.

A fatal kind of love.

Chapter 22

I had to choose an escort. Ash the demon, Horace the heathen, Fane the fae, Solomon the demi-born or Darc the fallen angel.

I chose Ash.

I don’t know why, I just… I guess I just wanted to see Darc’s look of possessive jealousy when I did. Choosing his shadow twin.

Ash enjoyed the revenge as much as I enjoyed the choice.

But I kind of felt bad as soon as I did it. It was petty. But I… I couldn’t help it.

We’ve all dressed up to go out to the Den of Witches&Wolves.

They wear formal suits with bowties, weirdos.

I do wear thigh high boots and a short silver dress.

My wings kind of felt heavier than usual, and I wasn’t sure why, so I keep them to my back.

The Trial of Proof for Armando was waiting.

While I was nervous, Darc, Solomon, Horace and Fane head off early.

Ash remains.

“We’re taking a taxi,” he says, waiting by the exit as I finish eating a bit of fruit.

“Why though –”

“You can lose feathers if we run with you,” Ash slow blinks, like Gorgeous – who is sleeping on his back, arms stretched out on the couch by the bubbling cauldron.

“I guess that’s very thoughtful of you lot,” I walk toward him and put my hand on his elbow boldly.

“Why did you choose me to be your escort tonight?” Ash asks me, wickedly – his eyes sparkling with arrogance.

“Because I pitied you being crucified to the ceiling,” I answer.

“I enjoyed it –”

“Don’t make it weird,” I say through grit teeth.

“I was kidding, it hurt like hell,” Ash says something honest, or what seems to be honest – as we exit the Crypt, “Are you scared of Armando’s family now that he’s dead because of you? No judgement.”

“Let’s just get this over with. They have a right to know if he was really rotting or not. And if anything, I want them to see the truth,” It might be mean but he did fucking murder me.

“That’s my girl,” Ash opens the door for me to the taxi waiting on the side walk, and as I lean over and move in – I feel two of his fingers slip my panties and slip right into my pussy, following me in.

I barely keep in a gasp as I pull away from him and he manages to keep his hand there, so I end up awkwardly sitting on his palm in the back seat, while he tries not to laugh.

“Witches&Wolves,” Ash orders the driver, who’s looking at me suspiciously through the rear view mirror.

I blush bright red, lips pursed as Ash strokes his fingers in and out of my pussy secretly, spreading them inside.

I clench his knee with a hand and dig my nails in – but to him he just handsomely smiles and doesn’t have a care in the world.

“Wynter,” the taxi driver finally addresses me, “So you are with demons?”

“Say it again and I’ll rip your throat out,” Ash says to the innocent driver asking a sincere question.

Don’t answer him, Ash advises me, he’s an informer.

I don’t know what that means, but it doesn’t sound good.

“…I’m more a hostage, actually…” I half joke, laughing nervously, while Ash uses his free hand to place it over mine, his fingers in line with mine over his knee – he makes me press my nails in –.

“Harder,” Ash snarls quietly.

I finally manage to get the courage to pull off his sweet hand and kick out my legs toward him, pressing the bottom of the heals into his leg instead.

“Harder?” I hiss, threatening to stab him with the heels.

Ash doesn’t feel the heels, and just licks his fingers clean by putting them deep in his mouth, sucking on them like a lollypop.

The driver glances in the mirror but looks away, pale himself.

“Drive faster please,” I ask the driver, and he obliges – putting his foot down.

---

My pussy is dripping by the time we arrive. The memory of Ash’s fingers doing their magic was enough.

I was trying not to show it but he knew it was messing with me. Yeah, it felt good, I couldn’t deny it. I can’t look at him as I walk side by side toward the club entrance.

I have to rub my legs together hoping that eliminates any evidence of a flood.

I keep my head down and Ash puts his arm around my waist for protection.

Now that I’m clearly guarded and possessed by this notorious vampire in Quindell City – we enter the club.

And?

A few steps in – and it’s loud.

A screaming, deafening silence.

A crowd.

And a circle.

The brotherhood was already here with the pack of wolves – and witnesses looking on.

I am only glad it is mostly just Armando’s family tonight. They were a huge pack, but they are here for the trial… not to kill.

Every. Eye. Lands on me.

Yes. It’s disconcerting. Especially looking at Armando’s parents. The father holds up the mother from collapsing, and her eyes run tears just at the sight of me.

“Hold it in, so we can begin,” Darc uses his easy authority learnt from being a teacher – to keep everyone calm enough.

Ash brings me past the crowd at the edges and Armando’s various cousins, to give me a good view of the Trial of Proof.

There is a small pit of fire burning already, and Darc holds Armando’s bloody shirt. The blue shirt he wore when he died in the Crypt.

“Tell her the bargain,” the mother interrupts anyway.

Darc looks over at her and then at me, trying not to make it a big deal.

“This burns and the Lord Veil will decide if he truly was rotted through – or if he was pure. If he is found to rot, we simply leave. If he was found to be wrongfully slaughtered,” Darc has to pause as the mum hiccups, and he tries not to look impatient, “We return to the Dark of the Under – and we bring Armando back.”

I nod.

I’m too scared to say anything.

I just want him to complete the Trial.

“Do it,” Armando’s older brother snarls at Darc – impatient too, and his eyes rise to mine with a passion to kill.

I lean back into Ash’s chest, my heart rate surging with adrenaline.

“Lord Veil,” Darc calls him forth, “Judge this sunken soul,” he throws the shirt on the small fire, and it starts to burn, and Darc can’t help but explain, “A quick way to determine the verdict is if the ash turns to Sacramental Soil or remains Ash. Soil is rot. Ash is a sign of purity.”

Ash is a sign of purity. Pah. What a funny statement.

We all look as the shirt burns, not too fast, not too slow.

When the shirt is gone, Darc moves aside some of the wood with his boot to show the remnants.

We all lean in.

It… looks like…

I gulp.

It looks like ash, I think? But it’s honestly hard to tell.

Darc also stares kind of hard, and I notice his jaw lock. A breathlessness enters the crowd.

“Lord Veil,” Darc calls louder, “Judge this sunken soul. He judges all souls,” he tries to distract.

As Darc steps back – from the crowd steps a veiled figure in shadow – robed all around in black.

I’m glad I’m not the focus of his intentions tonight.

The Lord Veil stoops low to the pile and places his hands into it.

Not a second passes.

“He is pure,” The Lord Veil remarks – before vanishing in shadow.

N-

No. How could that be?

How could that be?

If he was not rotting – what the hell was I?

Ash’s arm comes around my waist, trying to reassure me – but it doesn’t stop this moment from escalating hard and fast.

Even Darc looks concerned.

“You will return to your Dark Graveyard and return my son!” Armando’s mother steps forward, relieved and broken down all at once, as she falls down in tears, sobbing. She only hacks on a few hard breaths before raising her haunted eyes to mine, “Demon whore! You did this to him! He was coming to save you!” she screams at me, going hysterical – she tries to jump to her feet to attack me but the pack run in and hold her back as she screams for blood.

Something doesn’t feel right about any of this.

My wings feel like heavy weights on my back. I can barely lift them and they droop low – I can’t even hide them.

“As we agreed,” Darc can sense it too, a strange shift in the air.

Darc and I both sense it together.

We both abruptly look up at the same time – to the same spot.

From above.

In the corner of the club, in the far right corner of the ceiling, a distinct shadow appears.

An angel with white wings.

But a skeleton for their form.

They are looking at me, head tilted with menace.

I gasp, “The Angels are rotting. God is dead –?!”

“How dare you say that!” the father snarls at me next, hearing me, “How dare you!”

Get her out of here, Darc hisses in his brother’s heads.

Solomon, Fane and Horace step in front of me and Ash, blocking our view, while Ash quickly drags me back out toward the exit.

“I will bring your son back,” I hear Darc snarling at the raging pack, using a demonic celestial tone to shut them all up and make them listen, “But he has twice run out of chances. The fountain of eternal youth has drained. He will be the last returned to Earth. If you wish to save Armando from any rotting twice – don’t trust any angels again. This is a decree, from a Fallen Angel. God is dead. I’ve seen it now. The angels are dying. Protect yourselves – we are no longer enemies.”

Ash uses some speed to get us out of there and around the corner. The bleak grey and outside air, mostly polluted with exhaust fumes of the night city hits me – but does nothing to relieve that strange heaviness in my wings. Once on the street and shoved into another taxi, I’m trying not to hyperventilate for an entirely different reason.

God is dead?!

Something happened Up Above.

Something damn serious.

“The Crypt,” Ash whispers in the Taxi driver’s ear, “Pleeease,” his fingers hold the top of his skull and he whispers something else in his ear.

The driver’s eyes glaze over and it looks like he’s sleeping.

Yet still driving.

Ash turns back to me, sweat dripping down my temples.

“What the hell happened in heaven?” I whisper to Ash, who was born a demon, far away from such heights.

“When Angels rot, lies quickly permeate everywhere. I believe Armando was rot. But the Angel in the ceiling foiled you. There is no more balance,” Ash raises a brow, “And if we’re all bad, we’ll all rot… no one likes the rot. No demon. No mortal. We’re all dead if we do not rise together.”

“The army in Dark Academy?” I whisper.

Ash nods, “Yes,” he whispers back, reaching over and tickling under my chin with his fingers, trying to comfort me, “We were right not to kill you,” I am confused by his lighter tone, as his finger swipes up one of my stray tears.

When he shows it to me, it sparkles with heavenly light – like my wand.

He smears the sparkling tear on my forearm, across my wrist, following a vein, before he picks up my hand, showing me my own skin – a sheen. A bright sheen. And it’s not sweat. It’s… weird, it’s like a heavy metal.

“I don’t know what happened. But it looks like there is only one left,” Ash says, seriously, looking me in the eye, “You’re the only angel left, Wynter.”

“Oh my g –”

Ash smirks but presses his finger to my lips.

“Don’t risk saying someone’s dying name in vain – you must be protected. At all costs. God might not have died just yet,” Ash trails off, “I can’t believe I just said that – anyway.”

“What happens if God dies?” I already know the answer, but I know the demon won’t lie.

“Oh. The world will surely burn. And all of us will go down with it. No one benefits from this,” Ash chuckles, nervously, sadistically or masochistically, I don’t know.

“What do you think happened? Take a guess,” I wonder.

“A celestial betrayal at the highest order,” Ash shrugs a shoulder, “It happens every few thousand years or so. We’ve been preparing for it. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”

Yeah.

I wasn’t so sure about that.

Chapter 23

A strange imbalance fills the air of Quindell city, as I remain in the Crypt, sitting on a pool table, exhausted while fiddling with a cue.

The Brotherhood of vampires has descended quickly into the Under this early morning at 3am, the witching hour.

I tried to come with them, but they all resisted.

Now I was here alone with Gorg – who is now awake and sitting on the kitchen counter, slow blinking at me.

“How does it feel, being an Orc in a feline body?” I murmur and receive no reply beyond a creepy stare.

So I look around the empty club.

It was safe when locked. All kinds of curses and spells repelled intruders. So, I was safe while Darc and his brothers went to retrieve Armando.

However, I was not looking forward to him coming back to life and walking through here.

Nor was I enjoying the weight of all angels being channelled into my bloodstream.

The bloodstream my vampires wanted to suck out of me.

The bloodstream they wanted to kill, because they wanted me to fall for them. Now I really had to keep my sexual distance, while living with them. Which strangely enough, seemed like the safest option in all this crazy celestial panic.

I speak out loud again, “They said time passes quicker for me, while they fool around in Dark Academy – so I wonder what they’re really doing, probably provoking the army to rise up… how is a war going to save anyone, Gorg? Violence. More v –”

I hear a hiss and I look over to see Gorg suddenly pounce off the counter and spring across the room, skidding under a couch.

The fuck? He was meant to be my security!

I hold the pool stick tighter and look around the silent club room.

It’s too large. Too empty. And suddenly too eerie.

“Don’t even try to scare me, Horace,” I warn, “I’m not jumpy like that.”

The few dim lights in the club start to flicker.

Then they stop. So I ignore it.

Until they flicker again.

Then abruptly die.

A pitch black darkness slams a blanket over everything, this is right before a crimson red light blooms from nowhere and touches every corner, including me.

I gulp and then freeze.

Because in the middle of the room.

By the cauldron.

Is a fucking monster.

I’m frozen solid by the appearance, of what seems to be a wolves’ head on a man’s giant furry body.

A… Lycan?

I gulp a second time, my lips suddenly dry. I knew nothing about them. But generally, they were horrible creatures. And this one didn’t exactly appear friendly. I half expected the monster to suddenly launch and rip my face off.

“Hello,” I whisper to the creature, trying to diffuse that feeling of dread.

I am not sure if I’m being hunted or pranked.

But I’m truly too scared to move a muscle until I know.

The monster starts to come closer.

“How did you get in here?” I ask quickly.

“Hell,” his breath stinks of rotting flesh, and his guttural voice isn’t something I want to argue with.

I just nod and listen. Ok, he came from hell. Now what?

“The Descent of All has begun. Hell rises,” the Lycan changes from a silhouette in the red, to a fully featured white wolf, his head isn’t far off from the fucking chandelier, that’s how tall he is. I see the rows of fangs all around, dripping with saliva. A hungry Lycan, “I am the messenger only. I speak for the devil.”

No shit!

I just stare at him.

What the fuck was I meant to say? Um –

“My name is Wynter,” I choose to introduce myself.

“My name is Obsidian,” He smiles, “It’ll be a slow Descent to madness. Only the mad will survive this. Evil will start to outweigh the heroes. Reduced to a lone angel… poor pup. You weren’t meant to survive this. But the devil has allowed you a chance. Now the game has a spin. May you win.”

“…thanks?” I utter, “So… is that all you have to say?”

I just want him to deliver the message and go.

“How does an angel breed another angel with one soul left? The devil will not rise to the occasion. You will remain the only one, until the End,” Obsidian leans down toward me, growling in my face, his breath getting into the back of my throat, “Would you like to meet it sooner? I can take you there now.”

“No thank you,” I answer again, short, but this time – about to be overcome with fear and an urge to gag. I don’t want him to get any closer than that.

“Fucking pretentious,” he looks me over and finally turns around, “You’ve been served by the devil, Wynter. Consider yourself lucky for the warning.”

I watch the red light disappear.

Pitch black blankets over everything again.

But the lights don’t turn back on.

And I can’t see a damn thing.

My heart rate skyrockets as nothing happens next, while my mind runs rampart.

I sit still on the pool table for a solid minute in the pitch blackness, with silence and slow rising terror, until eventually I feel like the Lycan is gone.

But I can’t be sure I’m alone.

Well – I’m not. I had been sensing their return.

“Run, you dog!”

I hear a snarl in the darkness – and a yelping high pitched werewolf getting kicked.

Darc is furious, but as someone finally turns on the lights – I see a large Alpha wolf running along the club floor, disorientated and confused.

With the lights now on, the wolf suddenly sees me and pauses between bar stools. Armando’s handsome red wolf, is now cowering and lowered to the ground as he snoops for an exit.

Except now his hackles raise. While daring to stare me down.

“You’re second chance is over if you stay,” I warn Armando, with a bit of a shaky voice. But more from the adrenaline from before.

I’m just glad I’m not looking into Armando’s human eyes right now.

Fane opens the exit with Solomon, and Armando’s wolf nose twitches. He spins and runs for the exit.

He splits.

Fane and Solomon shut the double fronted doors to the Crypt. I lower my shoulders in relief.

Horace walks around to the bar to retrieve wine glasses, coming over swiftly to me and the pool table I’m still seated on.

Darc stands back near the couches and the cauldron, just under the chandelier of rusted daggers.

He’s looking a little exasperated about freeing my murderer.

Ash picks up Gorg from under the couch, and strokes his back, while Gorg surprisingly accepts the petting.

“Why does it smell like hell in here?” Ash asks, as Horace comes to me with five wine glasses.

He places them in front of me, and hands me a big fat knife, then stands back and waits.

“Blood,” Horace is hoarse with thirst.

I pick up the knife he gave me, a fucking butchers knife, and I look at him like he’s an idiot.

“I just got a visit from a Lycan from hell, in this ‘safe’ Crypt – you can forego the blood,” I toss the knife aside, “I was told the Descent has begun. A slow decline into –”

“Madness?” Darc finishes for me, seemingly not too worried, “You don’t have to donate, as we agreed you would, but we can bite.”

Oh great, he’s in a snarky mood.

“You don’t seem that stressed out that I just had a visitor from literal hell,” I stay on that topic.

“Lycan’s don’t tend to hurt angels – just every other fucking thing, like us, and we weren’t here, so why would I worry?” Darc asks, shrugging. So selfish.

“Come, come, now,” Solomon appears like a snake behind me, snatching up my wrist and boldly sinking his fangs into it before I can protest.

I wince as he drinks, and Fane looks on patiently, with ready eyes.

Solomon takes a little, then passes my arm to Fane’s awaiting fangs.

Instead of complaining, I swiftly look away to Horace, Ash and Darc coming up to surround my other side.

“I’m the last angel so take it easy – I was told,” I pause as I focus on Darc, “With my death no more angels will exist, as none exist to impregnate me,” yep, ironic, while talking at another angel.

“Why are you staring at him like that?” Horace asks me, mocking me as he notices the tension rising between Darc and I. Especially as Darc just stares morbidly back.

“What the hell are we going to do now?” I snap, “If all the angels are fucking dead. And the devil wants me alive to make ‘the game’ more fun. What does that even mean for us?”

“It means the world goes on, as ever,” Ash answers, leaning his head into Darc’s shoulder, proving how creepy it is as two of them, so identical, stare at me, their heads so close together it’s like they sprout from one neck, “But all the stakes land on your shoulders, Wynter. You’re everything pure now. Holding it all together. By one. Little. Thread.”

“Better not break it,” Fane drawls demonically on my left, and I turn to see his lips red, as he heals the wound with his hand wrapped round my wrist, applying pressure.

“She’s the greatest treasure of all, the last sparkling angel,” Solomon comments on my strangely bright sheen, “We won’t break you, Wynter –”

“Indeed. We’ll cherish her,” Darc adds, taking over very sarcastically.

I turn to glare at him.

“Hmm,” I growl.

“Do you like to dance, Wynter?” Darc asks, randomly, raising a demonic brow, “I can teach you.”

“Ha,” is all I say.

“I’m the best dancer,” Horace growls over Darc, and tries to impress me, “Every angel needs to know how to dance. Choose me.”

“Why?”

“Because if you ever trip and fall into hell, or get dragged down there – you need to dance to get out,” Darc adds, “If you don’t dance gracefully, every movement, proving your angelicness… you’ll melt.”

“I don’t plan on going to hell. Ever.”

“Neither do we,” Ash adds, “It’s just a precaution.”

“You’re all too fucking calm, and I don’t want to dance,” I snarl at Horace last of all.

Darc leans over to grab the top of my head with his long demonic sharp claws, making me face him again, trying to possess my full attention.

He whispers in a sexy drawl, “We’re calm, as it’s all going according to plan.”

I don’t know what he means… but I do know it can’t be anything that’ll benefit me.

Chapter 24

Wynter’s POV

As Darc states ‘it’s all going according to plan’ – my vampires all bite me to have a deep drink.

“Fucking hell –” I sigh and fall back on the pool table, as the five of them control me completely.

Something in their bites this time is far more possessive and easy, like they consider me their property at this point. An angel in the arms of too many demons.

My consciousness disconnects from my body and I fall into a void of fog, seemingly being brought to the edge of the Under.

In this place, floating like a ghost, I see a girl with long blonde hair, covered in grime, dirt and filth. She is also an apparition, visiting me in my death-dream.

She’s leaning against a tree trunk and a branch, breathing heavily herself.

She’s totally naked too.

She’s a sight to behold – because despite the strangeness of her appearance, she doesn’t seem in trouble. Instead, she seems powerful in her own right.

I fly down to her.

“Hello?” I ask her – and she gets a bit of a fright, staring at the ground, she now looks up, panting for breath, she takes me in and her eyes widen.

“Who are you?” She gasps out.

“Are you dying?” I ask, just trying to make sure.

“No I’m getting fucked Lycan-deep in the ass,” she whispers so quickly I can barely understand her, then she is closing her eyes, barely comprehendible, “I’m losing my damn mind what a weird dream. W-w-wait, I’m… asleep?”

“Very, like me, on the edge of death,” I walk a little closer to her now, a little confused why we are meeting here together.

“My name is Silvia,” Silvia forces out a normal response, a little husky and hoarse, like she needs a drink of water, before closing her eyes again.

“Wynter,” I respond, “Do you need my help? Why are we connecting in this realm?”

“I didn’t reach out to whoever you are,” Silvia opens her eyes and looks at me harshly but uncertainly, “I don’t know what the fuck’s going on.”

I feel a shift in the air, probably the same time she does.

We both pause our breaths at exactly the same time and turn toward a dark shadow in the trees.

The stranger remains out of reach.

“Hello?!” we both call out in unison.

In response, I swear I hear Darc chuckling from the trees.

“Are you dream-dropping?” I snap, “I’m only in here because you and your brothers drank too much blood already, you dumb piece of shit.”

When I don’t get a reply straight away, I feel a little confused.

“You know Darc?” Silvia perks right up, her ears twitching.

“You do?” I ask back.

“N-no, but I need to deliver a message,” Silvia blurts out, suddenly a little more awake and coherent.

Before she opens her mouth again, the whole dream seems to get hijacked by a whole other mind. A headache overwhelms me as I watch every colour-twist and meld together, until I’m dizzy within the dream and trying to regain control over it, an impossible task.

Whoever this was, was powerful.

But it’s just Darc now, that suddenly appears before me, wearing nothing but a crown of thorns and leather pants that seems to be wet with blood. His skin is reddish too.

“I just had a bath,” he chuckles, “Finally it’s nice to meet you – you received my message about my intent, ironically right before my messenger was slaughtered.”

“I didn’t kill that monster you sent to me if that’s what you’re insinuating,” I say, trying to wrap my head around the fact this must be the Devil… but how and why the fuck does he look exactly like Darc and Ash?

“She did,” he answers me, “Not you.”

“That girl back there killed a Lycan?” I doubt that very much.

“You’re not asking the question you want to ask,” The Darc-lookalike whispers it with a smile, as if reading my thoughts, like he knows how rattled I am by his familiar appearance.

“…tell me who the hell you are…” I murmur. He just smirks and refuses to answer, “Don’t leave me hanging –?”

“Don’t beg. You’re not hanging yet, Wynter,” he squats down into the dirt and picks up a handful of the stuff, standing up to let the soil slip through his fingers – and it breezes over toward me, swirling around, “It’s interesting that you’re not dead yet to be very honest with you.”

“What happened in heaven that made all the angels die?” I ask instead.

“Total despair… mortals, a pathetic source of light, were judged as dead in faith – now madness will fucking reign,” he seems entirely giddy about this.

“But did God die?” I ask this one carefully. I don’t want him to lie to me.

“God kneeled to me – so I may govern the madness left behind.”

Bullshit.

“The world will not die under my watch,” I say it defiantly, “I’ll never let you reign. Whoever the hell you are.”

“Ah, you speak exactly of our game now. Good girl. It’s called a Silver-Winter. Will the two Queens bow to the dark, or fight and win for the new era of human survival, bringing with it a sweet winter to foster the spring?” he raises a brow, “…I place my bet on your bloody murder by my other two…” he says it cheerfully… well, that was fucking dark. And I’m a little confused what he’s talking about. I try not to appear confused.

“Um. We’ll fight and win. Obviously,” I almost stutter, but I don’t dare to appear weak right now.

“So you’re willing to kill my brothers?” the stranger raises a brow, “We’ll never stop destroying the light, including yours,” His brothers? What was he talking about. I’m both speechless and shocked. Darc and Ash didn’t have a third brother… did they?! Fuck they did, didn’t they –

“Not if you fall in love with the light first!”

It’s not me who screams it.

I watch as the colours stop swirling, to reinstate themselves to where they should be. Temporary control is back once again.

Behind this Devil, Silvia appears, blood running out of every hole in her head. But she’s wearing a golden crown.

The Devil laughs, even as she holds her hand up and all kinds of crazy shit starts to happen.

I watch as the trees bend, roots dart out toward him and the soil starts to liquify as it swallows him whole, sucking him down, and he goes down all the way laughing demonically.

He shuts up as soon as the soil of the Under stabilises, he’s gone, and then only Silvia and I remain. She takes off the crown and throws it down to the ground at my feet.

“I think you should wear this,” Silvia whispers, dropping to her knees and holding her head in her hands, “Oh no, Onyx, please… nooo. Don’t wake me up, don’t wake me – no! STOP,” she screams as if in extreme pain, and then the whole vision of her vanishes.

I’m staring at the forest ground, and the golden crown almost touching my toe.

Before I can reach for it to inspect it – there is a touch at my elbow.

My heart nearly jumps out of my chest as I jerk around to see who’s next to me.

I turn to Darc.

To Darc?

“It’s me,” Darc says, calmly. Indeed. Vampire of Dreams. I stay still, as he leans down and picks up the crown instead, “Fuck, this looks… familiar…” why is he so calm and amused almost?

“Hmm,” I gulp, feeling my terror is only just held at bay, “Can I wake up now?”

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Darc growls, dropping the crown in the dirt, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Are you the Devil?” I ask blatantly.

“Why would I be the devil, I’m a fallen angel,” Darc asks, suddenly realising how dumb that reason is, “I’m not the Devil.”

“Well I just met him and he looks just like you,” I blurt, still looking at Darc like he’s a liar.

“The Devil appears however he wishes to, like your perfect fantasy,” Darc whispers, teasing me, “I’m sorry you met such a horrible man.”

Insincere.

“Hmm… yeah.”

“What?” Darc snaps, annoyed because he doesn’t understand why I don’t blindly believe him.

“Just wake me the fuck up,” I snap at him, “Please.”

He steps behind me and moves into my ear now, pretending to brush my ear lobe with a fang.

“Like this?” Darc hisses through his teeth – then actually bites down, following through on the threat and waking me the fuck up pretty damn quickly. What a literal prick!

I was going to have to literally stab him for that one. These damn vampires and their need to pierce me…

I wake up with a fright with Darc taking his bloody fang out of my ear, while the rest of the fucking vampires stand around me, their chins covered in my blood – as my angle body heals faster than ever.

“Fucking demon asses,” I flutter my wings and launch off the table away from them, flying to the ceiling and the rusted dagger chandelier. I swing from it for a bit, until I feel myself need to soar away.

I swoop over all of them toward the exit. I kick open the doors and leave – while I feel their extreme distaste and lack of appreciation as I decide to get some fresh air.

Try to kill me for leaving – I don’t fucking care.

My wings were made for me to fly, I was not going to crawl for them the way they wanted.

Especially when I felt Darc’s lies crawling under my skin like a poison.

Why. The. Fuck. Were they all lying to me. I had to find out what it was they were hiding. But a part of me feels I already know. I got all my answers in the strange dream.

The infamous brotherhood of vampires from the Crypt were trying to end the fucking world. No wonder I imprisoned them in the first place. I should have kept them there. Distorting my reality with false dreams, doing a dishonour to my trust, all so they could follow through with their destiny toward death.

I was literally dealing with sexy piece of shit lying ancient vampires – trying to fuck me and end the world at the same time. Great.

It couldn’t get any more hopeless – other than… well, now I had a friend.

I needed to find her.

Silvia.

“The Silver Wynter,” I whisper it as I fly up into the clouds, towards the silver sun’s reflection off the moon.

Almost incoherently, I can almost hear strange howling down from the forests, echoing all the way up to my ears.

It’s a little strange because it’s so low, it’s almost just in my head, but I feel a shiver down my spine too.

Something was coming to Quindell city.

Something else monstrous.

[ Note: Timeline connects to Onyx Lycan Nightclub : Chapter 23.]

Silvia’s POV

I wake up from a horribly realistic nightmare – and I’m laid out on Onyx’s bed, free of the gag he tightened around me when I fell asleep.

I can’t see but my vision is tinged red – while my head feels horrid. A headache like no other pounds through my temples, and when I cover my face with my hands, they’re all sticky with my blood.

“Oh my god,” I gasp, “The crown –”

“You wore it again?” Onyx, my Lycan King is over me, shaking my shoulders, “Silvia?!” he’s deep snarl is almost hoarse with panic.

“Y…yes,” I start off strong, but my voice drops to a whisper, as my head lolls back and my brain switches to some low functioning mode. I feel like I’m sinking.

And my physical body is paralysed.

I hear a howl for help. Onyx – oh Onyx, he cared so much! I wish I could communicate to him.

The echo of his howl through my very soul haunts me – the terror in Onyx’s throat is something I’ve never heard before.

Am I going to die?

But I dreamt… of an angel? Called Wynter.

Maybe she was my guardian angel? Maybe? Hopefully? I didn’t want to die now!

Help me, I call out to her. I saved her from Phantasy. From the Devil himself. She would have to repay me some kind of favour right?

But I hear no response back.

What now?

Silvia.

I hear her call to me. She did hear me!

I gasp back awake suddenly, my heart thumping hard. I see Onyx has changed to his human form, after giving me mouth to mouth resuscitation, his hands clamped over my chest from pumping desperately.

So I did die?

But now I’m back. He saved me.

I blink, still feeling weak, as Onyx looks down at me in shock and horror – believing I had died. Perhaps not believing I could be brought back.

Wynter was with Darc – she must be in Quindell city!

“My beautiful bitch, you can’t die,” Onyx grabs my face gently, looking into my eyes, “I’m sorry.”

“You actually fucked me to death,” I laugh hoarsely, “…I don’t feel so good…”

“She needs an angel’s blood,” Onyx and I hear Sloan from behind him, looking in from a distance, “She’s got shadow-chills. She’s not even really alive. Her soul is being pulled down. I see it happening.”

Pulled down? Phantasy.

Oh fuck no.

“I don’t know any fucking angels,” Onyx snaps back at Sloan.

“There’s one in Quindell city with those fucking vampires you hate,” I whisper, “Her name is Wynter. She can help me.”

“How do you know?” Onyx asks desperately – just as I feel my heart slowing again, and I feel a hand reaching for me from within – then a hellish heat is grabbing my ankle.

I scream before I fall back under, and when I look up and down – my ankle is black like an endless void.

Come to melittle Lycan whore, Phantasy wraps around my mind, Let’s play a delicious game of–

I block him out.

“Onyx,” I gasp, “Take me to Quindell city right now,” I scream, “RIGHT FUCKING NOW!” Onyx scoops me up in his arms, nodding, “Run like hell,” I beg him, terrified – as I feel Phantasy crawling into me, under my skin like a fucking worm, trying to get my attention.

Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you – I try to resist with the chant ongoing in my head.

I didn’t want to become a toy for the Devil.

Unlike Onyx – the Devil was not the kind of evil you wanted to play with.

Chapter 25

Wynter’s POV

There is a shadow running through the forest, with it, I spot the unique mane of blonde hair. It is Silvia with her Lycan!

I fly down to intercept him at the edge of the forest leading to Quindell City, and I wait off a road in front of the darkness with my wings spread to grab the Lycan’s attention.

Seconds later, after hearing branches break and snap, I see the red eyes beaming at me from the forest – as an eight-foot silver-furred giant man with a wolf’s head pushes aside the brush and walks toward me holding Silvia in his arms. She is pale, pastel blue with eyes open but only the whites showing.

She is near dead if not already.

“My name is Onyx. Are you the one to help me?” he asks rather politely for a Lycan and I nod.

“Follow me to the Crypt – I owe Silvia my life from the Under… you came from far away? You are very fast!” I mention.

“We don’t have time to fucking chat about my speed,” Onyx was trying to keep his composure, but let’s a monstrous growl rip through me now.

I note his urgency and immediately take off into the air. I know he’ll follow me as I fly – leading him back to the Crypt.

I would give her my blood and my care. She would be better in no time.

****

I enter into the Crypt and march past the lurking vampires, “We have a guest to attend to – behave, because I owe her my life – and ignore the Lycan please,” I snap this quickly to warn them all, and Fane and Horace both share a confused look, while Darc is cooking some concoction in the cauldron, and Solomon and Ash are lounging about on the couches.

Now they have my full-attention, quickly standing and hissing as they all smell the Lycan kicking down the front doors to enter next.

I turn around, and I motion for him to follow.

There is no welcome from my vampires, or acknowledgement.

Aside from Onyx telling them, “Silvia brings a message from the Devil, which she can-not relay if she’s dead.”

I lead the way to the bedroom, while my vampires now follow, annoyed but too curious to leave us all alone.

I make sure the gothic bed is clean and then I pull back the sheet s Onyx comes into the room.

“Bring her to this bed, she’ll need to sleep now within a healing coma because her soul is locked in hellish chains. It will take me some time to unwind the lock,” I watch Onyx carefully place Silvia down with love and care, and then he shifts into a human, pacing up and down as he finds spare clothes to jump into, to cover his… well… it’s kind of inappropriate to talk about his giant dick even while flaccid but… yeah. Damn. I look up before he sees me staring with wide eyes and I point to chair that he can sit on, “Let her rest. You can stay by her side.”

Onyx snarls at me as he sits.

I turn to see the vampires have entered to stand around the end of the bed, so quietly I didn’t even notice their entry. I walk up to Solomon and put my hand into his coat, fishing around his belt and smiling lifelessly up into his eyes as I find a hidden weapon. I just guessed he’d have one on hand. He smiles back at me for being so close to his lips, as I slip the knife off of Solomon to use for the next part. I walk to Silvia and make a small incision in my wrist over a vein, feeding the angel’s blood to Silvia’s blue lips.

I pass the knife back to Solomon, who eagerly tastes the free blood from the blade with his pierced tongue.

Ignoring him as I’m helping Silvia, I feel her reach out.

Wynter help me! she lets out a cry of distress from her soul to my mind. Her body starts to tremble with adrenaline as my angels’ blood starts to help her heal.

A little is all that’s needed.

Now I needed to give her a boost of light, to get her out of Hell.

I call forth on my wand, to touch it upon her forehead and hope that sucks her mind back up, with the touch of an angel’s light.

Just as I touch it to her head, Silvia goes deathly still.

Her breaths stop momentarily.

And then –

She screams!

It makes us all jump out of our skin. But her eyes move behind her lids, then her breathing speeds up, as a whimper escapes and tears leak out of her eyes.

Then her eyes start to open.

She’s awake already!

Onyx watches over her, while I stay close on her other side. Silvia quietly observes my vampires who look on solemnly from the end of the bed. She turns to her mate to whisper, “…the devil was tormenting me.”

“You had a message?” Darc asks now, interrupting their sweet reunion a little rudely to be honest, “What is your message, Silvia?” I glare at him and he pretends not to notice.

“He’s coming to play. Phantasy,” she answers him.

Hmm.

Phantasy?

I wonder who that is… but by the looks shared on Darc’s face and the rest of his brotherhood, this is shocking but familiar news. Darc is about to open his mouth again when Onyx now interrupts him.

“Now she’s done her devil’s duty, you can leave her side,” Onyx yells at us all and lets off a growl from his human throat, “GO –!”

“Don’t bark at me, dog,” Horace laughs loudly, staring right back at Onyx with a challenge. Darc rolls his eyes and puts his arm in front of Horace’s eyes, breaking their contact with the menacing Lycan.

I better diffuse it too, “Who is Phantasy?” I interject.

All my vampires look anywhere but at me.

In fact, they rather look at their shoes.

“The Devil,” Onyx’s voice fills the room with authority as he answers me instead, “If you find the company of vampires as distasteful as I do, you’re welcome in my nightclub – at any time you crave solitude… among other things,” oh… among other things… ? I blush a little at that, and my vampires all glare at me for reacting in such a fashion.

“I’ll…” I look over Darc and the others and I mock them with my lusty whisper, “…remember the offer.”

Darc smiles at me emotionlessly and then he tells Onyx, “You can take your slut home now,” I gasp at that, and Darc stares back at me with no regret, “What? She smells like Lycan balls,” he screws up his nose in disgust. The others look just as grossed out.

They’re all terrible hosts.

“She’s the Lycan Queen,” Onyx speaks now, rather calmly considering the insult, “She carries my pups.”

“I’ve never eaten Lycan pups before,” Horace whispers deliciously, and it’s the last straw.

Onyx immediately starts to pace toward him, straightening his borrowed suit – while Darc, Ash, Solomon and Fane smartly move Horace out of the room and slam the door on him, before a fight starts.

Onyx composes himself, kind of amused how quickly they protected Horace from the pissed off Lycan in the room.

“Thank you,” I murmur, before looking to Silvia, “Shall we tell them what the Devil said to us? About the Silver-Winter?”

“Tell us all. What was said?” Onyx asks me, curious.

So I explain, “Phantasy said to us, will the two Queens – Silvia and I – bow to the dark, or fight and win for the new era of humanity, bringing with it a sweet winter to foster the spring,” I turn to Silvia and grab her hand to help her sit up, as we share a look of comradery, “We’re going to save the world. From the likes of madness,” I look at Darc, Solomon, Ash, Horace and Fane with a firm challenge in my eyes, “I have not Fallen to their games – and Silvia… she has not… um…” I look to Silvia for something she can add.

“Um,” Silvia chuckles nervously now, getting her strength back, “I – I… I’m not afraid of Lycans? They’re the scariest demon and I kind of… don’t care?” She laughs nervously as she says it. But she is brave to not be scared. Onyx was terrifying, even to these ancient vampires.

And now Onyx is amused.

But then Darc has to interrupt, “A monster fucker,” he motions to Silvia, then looks at me, “…and a demon slayer. Sounds like a game Phantasy would enjoy.”

So Darc did know the Devil after all and he admits it with his familiarity now. I fucking knew it.

“Phantasy is your brother, isn’t he?” I snap.

Darc looks sheepish.

“Well,” Ash interjects now, catching my eye, “We shall discuss that over some spirits,” then he looks to Silvia and Onyx, “Lycan and whore, welcome to join?”

“You haven’t introduced yourselves,” Silvia growls her annoyance.

“Ash,” Ash bows, and before the rest of them sign off to an early grave with Onyx, I decide to take over the introduction.

“Solomon has all the piercings, he does blood rituals, usually with Horace – who is outside, because he… well he likes to eat people. Fane has pointed elf ears, he’s like a Fae vampire, and reads destinies, Darc is… a fallen angel, Ash is his shadow twin, but I’m starting to doubt they told me the truth, since there is now a third to add to the equation.”

“Thank you for the introduction,” Darc smiles at me with his teeth but his eyes don’t reciprocate the same smile. Now he turns on his heel and kicks the door open to Horace waiting outside. The vampires follow. Solomon decides to stay at the last moment.

I smile at Silvia and when Solomon tries putting his arm around my waist to drag me out – sly snake – I wrestle out of his hold and he puts his hands up in temporary defeat, not wishing to fight me.

“I can walk myself, I’m not going to fuck Onyx! Relax,” I hiss at him and Solomon’s mouth twitches but then I quickly turn and walk past him to exit the room anyway, to allow Onyx and Silvia some private space.

God damn it. I was humiliated and embarrassed by my vampire’s bad manners.

“You just want to be the centre of attention!” I yell at Darc who leads the way back to the club, “Silvia is my friend and you all treated her and her mate like trash – think of the consequences, it’s good to have allies –”

“She is your ally, not ours,” Darc speaks back to me without looking back at me. Arrogant prick.

“The least you could do is respect my friend,” I hiss, “She’s a Lycan Queen – for fucks sake, and she saved me from Phantasy in the Under. You have a lot of explaining to do, by the way –”

Just as I’m talking, I hear a female squeal. Moments after that, we can all hear the pounding happening in the bedroom.

Already?

“Fucking dog, fucking in our place,” Darc hisses under his breath, “Lycan’s are dangerous, Wynter.”

“You called Silvia a slut in front of him,” I whisper back, exasperated.

“They’re fucking right now,” Horace laughs and walks past us all to fall over onto a couch, relaxing, while Fane sits on the back of the same couch, and taps his finger nails along his thigh, agitated as he keeps looking back at the room.

“What is it, Fane?” Darc heads to the bar, “I’m making cocktails – I’ll decide what you get,” he tries to distract and, or, impress me as he points at me. I sit on a bar stool, while Solomon sits next to me, and Ash goes to help Darc by drinking straight from a bottle of wine.

I shake my head and look to Fane, who still looks concerned.

“I cannot read her,” Fane murmurs, “The slut,” Not him too. I glare at him and Fane adds, “She’s marked… tainted. That kind of blockage means she wore the Devil’s Crown.”

“Well shit, that slut is doomed then,” Solomon breathes through his teeth, “Damn.”

“Is the crown gold?” I ask, “Silvia mentioned I could wear it?” I look to Darc, who just stares through me. When I look at all of them, they refrain from answering, “You all have a lot of explaining to do,” I mention, “Darc. Are you the Devil’s brother… or what?”

“No…” Darc shakes his head, “…it’s a little more complicated than that. Being hell bound is quite restricted, being a King of Hell, that is,” Darc has shaken up a blood red concoction and pours it into two cocktail glasses for him and me.

“What is that?” I ask, since it looks as red as blood.

“Juice from blackberries from the Under, mixed with vodka… and rose water… made from rose petals in the Under… try it, it’s a really nice cursed drink,” Darc cheers my glass I have not touched and he drinks his own, “Oh and cherries,” he adds.

I don’t touch it, I just stare at it.

“Why would I touch a cursed drink?” I ask, blandly – did he think I was stupid?

“Why not?” Solomon scoffs, “Scaredy cat.”

“And you won’t goad me into drinking a curse,” I roll my eyes.

Solomon is outright annoyed I’ve rolled my eyes at him, and he reaches up a dangerous hand to readjust my snake bite piercings, his thumb lightly brushing over them as he slips his sly thumb into my mouth, then opens my mouth, and with his other hand already on the cursed drink – I’m focused on his menacing eyes as he tips my head back and the drink.

It sloshes it into my mouth and I swallow it.

Okay.

For a split second I lost control – it’s like Solomon controlled my – right… possession. I hated it when they did that.

“Mmm?” Solomon waits for me to approve of the drink.

I think about it. It’s… okay.

“Very nice…” I lie, “…but too sweet and sour at the same time,” I answer, kind of feeling weird, “And bitter. What’s the curse?”

“Amnesia,” Darc answers, “Oops.”

“No,” I whisper, “Not again – please tell me you’re lying.”

“…don’t panic, sweetheart, it doesn’t set in for another 24 hours, or until you touch the moonlight,” Darc drawls, “So everything we do tonight you’ll forget tomorrow. That’s all. I promise,” he seems… honest. But – why?

“You drank some too,” I mention, confused.

“Curses don’t affect the Devil,” Darc admits, shrugging, “I –”

We hear thumping.

We all go silent as we watch Onyx and Silvia appear – she had just-fucked hair, as she is carried out over the Lycan’s shoulder.

She waves at me, grinning.

I wish I could tell her with my eyes, to somehow contact me.

I just show her my panicked look, but I can’t talk in front of these vampires, always distorting my reality. Wanting to wipe my memories again. One second they were my friends, the next my fucking demise.

“Goodbye,” Silvia calls out, “See you soon! Come visit!”

Right – there was my answer, Onyx Lycan Nightclub!

A haven.

At that, Onyx even looks back at me and we lock eyes for a small moment.

And I read the answer there.

I could go there.

It was safe.

Onyx and Silvia walk out the front two doors of the Crypt, and as they creak shut I turn back to Darc, Ash and Solomon.

“Just say you’re the Devil – why are you hiding it from me?” I ask Darc.

“I’m not the Devil,” Darc admonishes, “I’m just a reflection of him.”

“So… Ash… and you…” I speak slowly, trying to understand.

“It’s my theory only. A light and dark reflection. Light – from the Angel, me,” Darc points at himself, “And the Shadow self,” he nods to Ash, “We are two reflections. But Phantasy is the Devil. We are his reflections. Good and bad,” even though they were both bad, I might add.

“So you’re not equal thirds,” I state.

“No-where near it,” Darc licks his lips, “I’m not the Devil but I am a part of him. I see him in the mirror.”

“Nasty fucker,” Ash whispers at me, and even he looks a little distressed at the thought of Phantasy. So they are mere reflections of him. Interesting.

However… “Why did you give me the curse in that drink?” I ask now, “This information is vital. I don’t want to forget it.”

“It’s not the information that’s the problem,” Darc explains, “It’s the invitation that I’m worried about.”

“The Devil invited himself to visit,” Fane calls out to me, “Phantasy is coming.”

“You can’t – close the door?” I wonder.

“No,” Darc shakes his head, and his eyes darken to be quite serious now, “But I wish I could, Wynter.”

“Why?”

“You’ll want to forget the next 12 hours – which is as long as he’ll stay with us,” Darc murmurs, “I’m sorry in advance.”

He looks rather concerned.

The others are all quiet with the shared concern.

So this is really fucked up if they’re reacting like this.

“If Phantasy is coming to play with me, I will defend myself,” I curl my hand into a fist, “I am the last angel, after all.”

“Wynter, he was a former archangel, you have no hope in hell,” Darc raises a brow at me, “Just submit for the night and you’ll be okay.”

“He’s fucking Lucifer,” I hiss.

“Yeah, so what,” Darc shrugs, “Names change. He got bored of that name. Eternity is a long time.”

“Are you for or against him?” I ask, “I need this to be clear,” but no one seems to want to answer me, “…are you scared of him?”

“Respect is the better word,” Solomon speaks up, “Just respect his power and you’ll be safe.”

“Respect,” I raise both brows, “The real question. Is how. Especially if God is dead or gone or wherever the hell he is. How do I survive Phantasy?”

“Don’t go insane,” Darc suggests, “He doesn’t want to kill you, he wants to play with you, there is a difference. Keep your head on.”

“Well you can just tell him I don’t want to play with him,” I snap, “Full stop.”

Darc looks behind me, then quickly looks down to start another cocktail.

Solomon immediately takes some of my left over cocktail as well.

Ash is keeping his eyes down, along with Darc.

The guest who invited himself is right behind me, isn’t he?

I don’t feel the Devil. I feel nothing. But I know he’s there.

I inhale slowly and refuse to be frightened, as I eventually feel cold air tickle my ear so innocently.

“You can tell me straight to my face… if you don’t want to play with me,” Phantasy has the audacity to sound hurt.

I have to be brave.

I spin on my stool to face him direct.

Another pretty Darc, but this one is naked with blood stained skin with his leather pants and a chain around his neck… a thick bloody chain, in a loop… as if he’s tempting me to tug and choke him.

What the fuck.

I stare at it too long, before I look over his lips and into his red eyes.

“Hello again, Phantasy. Welcome to the Crypt,” I welcome him coldly, “I hear you invited yourself. Unfortunately, you cannot touch me because I have not Fallen and you don’t have my permission. So you can fuck right off.”

Solomon basically spits out his drink. Darc drops something.

Horace has fallen off the couch, while Fane is staring at me with wide eyes. They were so dramatic.

Phantasy puts two fingers into his waist band and takes out a letter from his cock, and hands it to me without a word.

I take it politely, then open it, taking off the blood red seal.

I read it.

‘Fuck you. You whore.’

Lovely.

“No, thank you,” I frown at him, “You’re creepy. Now let’s get to business. What’s the game, Lucifer?”

Yeah-p.

I disrespect him by using his old name.

And immediately I feel the wrath rise in the room.

Everything starts to feel… hot… especially from the inside.

I think I have an instant fever – and not the good kind.

Phantasy tries really hard not to react outwardly, as his lips move a little, and his cheeks heat a little, then pale quickly.

I’ve shaken him a tiny bit.

I know that much. In a split second my fever drops, and I feel back to normal.

“All I ask is one thing, Wynter,” Phantasy speaks calmly, “You’re virginity.”

“Obviously my answer is no,” I answer straight away.

“I know,” Phantasy tilts his head to the side, conceding, “When the time comes – you will ask me. Is that clear to you?”

I could be a smart ass and say no.

But…

I better not push my disrespect too far tonight.

“Yes, very clear,” I answer direct.

Phantasy turns from me now, and walks off to Fane and Horace and the cauldron casually. No magic. No foreboding hell music. No smoke. No demons. Nothing bad. Yet.

As Phantasy talks quietly and casually to them.

I turn around to Solomon, Darc and Ash.

“Well that wasn’t so bad, was it?” I ask.

“You did well,” Darc congratulates me, smiles, “At pissing him off.”

“He doesn’t seem that upset to me,” I half shrug.

Solomon puts his hand on my knee and squeezes it.

“Take another drink,” he drawls, “You’ll need it, babe,” Solomon offers a fresh cocktail. I shake my head when –

“Drink it, my lovely pure virgin bitch.”

Phantasy calls out, sending a shiver of disgust down my spine, as I turn to see him commanding me with a direct look.

What a fucking piece of shit –

“Or what, asshole?” I snarl at Phantasy, breaking my composure already.

“You know I control how bloodthirsty these fuckers get?” Phantasy asks me, giddy and furious all at once, “I control their lust, their desire, their rage, their greed – everything,” he deepens his tone to a snarl now, “I’ll unleash them on you,” and right after snarling, he calms right now, “I can’t change their hearts but I can change their energy. Do you understand me?”

Fuck. Yeah.

“I understand,” I immediately comply. I could take Phantasy’s bullshit – but to have my vampires turn on me…? No, thank you. I – I didn’t want that.

“Good little whore, learning so very quickly,” Phantasy mocks me and the electronics in the whole club start to malfunction afterward. The lights start to flicker off and on, the noise of power surging through to the sockets whines and start to zap – until everything explodes or burns out, “Oh damn,” Phantasy whispers in the dark, “I guess we’re going to have to bring a little fire to the party,” as he says that, the chandelier full of rusted daggers starts to burn a red horrible glow that reminds me of murder.

Which reminds me of Armando.

Who is now alive.

I feel instantly sick to my stomach.

I take the drink and I drink it.

“What happens now?” Phantasy asks exactly what I was about to think, as he appears in front of me in a cloud of shadow cast from the fire, “You never call me Lucifer again and you dance with me gracefully tonight. I judge another angel’s purity – better than any other,” Phantasy’s lips really curl with that. His words are vile and mean and cruel, I don’t trust him at all, “You take orders from me now. Professionally, baby. I’ll be checking every area of purity within you,” he smiles with that, “Everything. Everywhere. Don’t worry, you’re allowed to feel it,” he whispers now, “You just can’t initiate anything. Or I will judge you unfavourable. Do you understand? Tonight we celebrate the last beautiful Angel… alive. I can’t wait to dance with you… because you’re quite feisty, aren’t you? When you Fall, from a considerable heavenly height, we will sacrifice you. Sound delicious?”

“So… this isn’t a game, this is clearly a test,” I try to ignore all the noise, as I ask, “What do you want from me?”

Phantasy raises a hand and pinches my nose gently, “I want you, to fight me.”

Fight?

Just to be sacrificed when I fell?

“You want a fucking meal by the end of the night,” I snap.

“So what if I eat angels,” Phantasy whispers, “You are delicious, after all… we’ll all feast.”

I finally understand, I think; Phantasy simply wanted me to Fall by the end of the night. In less spectacular terms, he wanted me dead; to eat.

I close my eyes, as I wrack my brain for an answer.

What did Silvia scream?

Not if you fall in love with the light first!

Love.

With light.

Huh.

He wants me to fight. When he could just kill me. He wants to play. When he could just theoretically get to the point.

Silvia was onto something.

I think it was safe to say; the Devil had a crush on me – and I dare say on Silvia too. He wanted both of us. This spells true to me and my own ability to judge. He had a spark in him – lust almost, but tending to love more so.

When I open my eyes, Phantasy is just standing there, running his eyes all over my face, drinking me up, with eyes that don’t hide his need.

Fine.

He wanted a fight – he’d get one.

Chapter 26

At some point the club doors swing open, and there is an influx of goths and the supernatural in disguise, flooding the whole area and sucking the oxygen right out of the room. What little oxygen is left, is burned by the rusted dagger chandelier blazing above, setting the room’s temperature soaring while everything is tarnished with the deep and penetrating crimson hearth above us.

It was Hell in the Crypt.

The people in the club aren’t dancing, but feasting and gyrating. Vampires are drinking and gorging into the innocent. People are fucking with their clothes on while standing. Those who do dance, look like they’re losing their minds to possession. But it wasn’t drugs, it was just the evil so pure and putrid at the same time, poisoning everyone’s minds cohesively.

Sanity did not exist tonight.

The ring leader was Satan himself.

Phantasy is one with it all, anointed by people offering their bleeding parts.

The smell in my throat is iron. It’s disgusting.

Even my own Ancient Vampires, who love drinking blood for sustenance – look uncomfortable with the smell of rust and iron and ash driving every participant mad.

Thankfully I’m not thrown into danger. My possessive and freaky brotherhood flank me at all times, standing around me, keeping the others away from me as the satanic music starts to bleed through the walls, not just the speakers.

This club was turning into a fever dream.

I should be glad I had a cocktail that would sever my memory with tonight, but I want to remember it and I wish Darc and Solomon didn’t coerce me into swallowing the curse.

We’ve managed to stay close to a pool table the entire night so far, but at some point I’m planning to slip away toward the cauldron, where people are donating blood freely.

Because it’s escalated, and it’s been escalating for the last ten minutes.

When I dare to look across the Crypt, there’s already bodies littering the area all around near the cauldron. Dead mortals, mostly females, who fell victim to Phantasy’s charm as he lurked around said cauldron, looking lonely and sexy and foreboding. He slit their throats, casually throwing the corpses into the cauldron, where they disappear.

The dead should be bothering me, the souls trapped and hurting inside the Crypt. But I feel nothing of the sort. And I can’t stand it anymore. I don’t know where he’s taking their souls!

I know it’s bait. I know it’s all a carefully conceived trap. And I tried to ignore it, but my conscious was alight with the need for justice. I needed to do something about Phantasy’s blood thirsty mania.

I wait for the opportune moment that my vampires are distracted by the end of the next pool game, focusing on who will win. When they’re focused on the shot being lined up, I slip backward into the crowd and then turn toward Phantasy, stalking straight toward him before another girl falls victim to his sad puppy eyes luring them forward one by one.

One such girl looks underage and out of her mind, stumbling toward him.

Fuck!

I sprint forward and immediately put myself between her and Phantasy, but she doesn’t take no for an answer. She tries to skirt around me, to reach the devil – so I have to step closer to Phantasy who is sitting against the rim of the bubbling cauldron, cooking a damn stew.

“Get out,” I face the girl and grab her shoulders, trying to shake her out of the hypnotic trance, “LEAVE!” I scream it at her in a brief lull in the music, and when she doesn’t answer me, I feel a blade touching the inside of my palm.

A – what?

Offered from Phantasy.

“Do the honours for me, why not,” he drawls into my ear, “You’ll like the power –”

I take the sacrificial blade anyway and I do hold it up against her throat, whereby the girl finally snaps out of it at the last second.

As her adrenaline spikes, her eyes dart down to the weapon and her lips smack shut.

“This was for you just now, I just saved your ass, unless you wanted this kind of fucked up end to be your last breath,” I warn her and the young woman finally leaps backward and sprints away into the crowd, looking for the exit.

I lower the blade and have a small smile on my mouth, happy she is free – when I notice a crowd congregating by the only exit.

Instead of escaping, the awaiting demons swallow her in a cloud of ashy fog and I can’t see what happens, but I do notice the floor flooding with a metallic dew.

Shit. Are you kidding me?

Of course Phantasy ignited their hunger and evil nature to bloom and cut her off. He couldn’t be stopped when he wanted to play. And his games were just fucking sick, full stop. Death of the innocent, of the naïve, of the mortals he so despised.

I spin to Phantasy, already my eyes are full of tears, ready to confront him with his blade.

Instead, there is no time for talk, I can barely see his chest before he’s moved right around and behind me, pushing me dramatically over the bubbling cauldron. The blade is still in my palm, but now his hand is around my fist.

He shoves the blade against my throat and I can’t match his power.

Phantasy isn’t even trying yet.

I can see him in the blood, his reflection behind me, ready to slaughter me next without a second thought.

“Time to dance your way out of hell,” Phantasy speaks coldly, without emotion, and no smile.

I whimper as I try to pull back, hoping to be saved at the last minute.

The blade starts to press – when he suddenly pushes me into the cauldron instead.

I expect to hit the bottom.

I expect to drown.

Except that’s not what happens at all.

I just sink.

And I keep sinking.

Until I’m gargled up and spit out of a bubbling pit – in the middle of a grey forest.

Fog all around me is breathing in and out as I crawl through wet soil and dead leaves, slowly finding my feet again.

As I stand, there are girls all around me, looking just as confused as me.

They’re in their ripped and scattered night club outfits, struck out of their trance in the Under, with no injuries – but painfully aware they are in big trouble.

We are not in Hell.

We’re just in the Under. But that still wasn’t good.

There’s at least twenty of us.

My wings are dripping in the red blood, and I flare out of wings to shake off the droplets, wiping the mess out of my eyes and off my lips.

“You’re an angel?” the girl closest to me, dressed in leather pants and a black tank top, with a cross necklace around her neck, asks me with hope, “Can you help us? Is that why you’re here?”

“I will help,” I answer her faithfully, before calling to the rest of them, “Do as I say. Don’t fall behind. We need to get out of here right now. We won’t play the devil’s game. You must refute him. You must resist. Come with me.”

As I’m finishing my speech, the girls start screaming, cutting me off.

They’re looking at the bubbling pit behind me.

When I turn around, Phantasy is pulling himself out of the bloody spring, smiling as he pulls himself up, covered in everyone’s life blood.

“I’ll let them live, Wynter,” Phantasy tells me, after they’ve all stopped screaming, to now hide in the forest, “On a simple trade. Agree to what I want. You won’t have to dance for me. You won’t have to suffer. Just agree to whatever I tell you to do next.”

He doesn’t specify anything.

And I’m not really sure he means virginity, although I’m sure that should be what he intends to coerce out of me. Phantasy was the type to rub it in, though, so I’m not sure why he’s asking me like this. So cryptically.

I look back at the girls, waiting for my reply, as they slowly peak out, all their wide eyes are hopeful for my saving grace.

Sigh.

Fine.

“…set them free…” I murmur, “And prove your bargain right now.”

Phantasy’s power becomes obvious in the next second.

The ground feels like it shifts, then stabilises.

The girls cry out again as they are swallowed by the gyrating soil, shifting and swirling, sucking them straight… down.

To Hell.

When I look hard at Phantasy, he explains happily.

“They were fodder for the demons, but – they’ll be more free as slaves, for the Lycans in hell, my dogs need company too you know?” as he’s talking, he provokes me into an attack.

I bring forward my wand and I attempt to strike him in the chest with it.

Phantasy doesn’t flinch.

My wand touches his chest, sparks so bright – then dies, burns, and crumbles to ash.

I jump back, trying to summon my wand again.

It’s gone. He killed it.

My mouth opens and closes, terrified.

Phantasy starts to chuckle,

“What do you want from me?” I snarl at him.

“Shh, I’ll spare you,” he looks at my legs, my stomach, then my eyes, “If you wear this,” he reaches behind his back, and I expect him to take out a golden crown.

Instead what I see almost brings me to my fucking knees.

Holy shit.

It’s a silver halo crown.

Glowing and floating above his hand, it drips with holy reverence.

“How can you hold God’s halo?” I whisper, feeling defeated.

God must be dead!

Phantasy drops to his knees, to be at my level.

He sits back on his heels and offers it to me, “Take it, Queen,” he is such a mocking bastard, “Hold it.”

It was the thing he wanted me to agree to, in return for sparing the girls’ lives. Even in the most fucked up way. But fuck. I had no choice.

I timidly reach out, my palm open, fingers spread wide.

Phantasy slowly leans over toward me, and stops half way.

“You must know, if you aren’t pure, it’ll burn you for infinity,” Phantasy says.

“Then how are you holding it,” I ask.

Phantasy shrugs and waits for me to take it.

“I want you to hold it,” he says.

Now he sounds patient and kind.

Fuck him. I get an idea.

I lower my hand to my knees instead. And then I lower my chin.

“Just put it on my head, and let’s see what happens,” I suggest, confident I won’t burn alive.

“…that’s brave,” Phantasy leaps up, stepping forward to place the silver halo around my head.

He’s not bluffing. He puts it in its place.

I start to feel a heavy weight, growing by the second.

A light burning starts to scorch through my body and the halo singes my head for a moment, scanning, reading my mind and soul, before it suddenly floats above my head.

I can look up.

And as I look up, I can see beyond the Under.

I can see the Hell beneath. I can see Earth and Heaven above.

I can see everything.

This is Power – but, it’s something more too. It’s a message.

In the Under, there is a place, where a man is trapped and my gaze is pulled toward it magnetically.

The owner of this halo wants his crown back.

And now, I can see him!

Phantasy had God in a maze.

Roaming and lost, without his halo – he was being tortured by naked ghosts floating after him, trying to tempt him into sin.

He’s naked with flowing silver hair and a handsome face, contorted with longing for help.

He needed help.

He needed saving!

As he walks, so lonely, he looks up and I follow his gaze.

On the rocks I see a name ; Silver-Wynter Asylum.

Freshly carved from gothic rocks. The rest is a maze of brick and mortar. And God is like a mouse in an experiment.

The halo above my head spins off my centre, starts to contract and then slams itself over my finger, tightening like a screw.

There is no pain, but when I tug at it, it’s immovable.

My special vision is gone.

When I look back at Phantasy, he seems just as intrigued by my experience as I do.

“Huh,” he murmurs, looking on with a basic curiosity.

“You’re a sick fuck –” I whisper.

“Don’t,” Phantasy holds up a finger, “Start on me. Whatever you saw, it’s his creation down there, not mine.”

“But you tricked him,” I say, “Into the Under.”

“…well, not really…” Phantasy holds out both hands, shrugging, “But I will say this, Wynter. He doesn’t forgive me.”

“Oh really –”

“He’s much harsher than I am, when it comes to judging people. Catch my drift? You and your little whore friend, Silvia – are precursors to Armageddon. God and I agreed. You and her – need to persuade him otherwise. Or else, we’re flooding everything. I suggested burning, he was more keen on drowning.”

“Ok. Stop. Whatever you’re saying about God, is a total fucking lie,” I know it’s a lie, Phantasy is just manipulating me, “You trapped him. I have to free him. That’s all this is.”

“No, it’s a test,” Phantasy drawls over me.

“A test,” I agree, just to shut him up.

“We always test men, why don’t we test woman? My humble suggestion,” Phantasy raises a brow, “Your kind chose the serpent and the apple, it’s in your nature, now choose what’s right.”

I’ll tell you what, he knew how to goad me. I fucking bite the bait again. I can’t help it.

“And we’ll all go to Eden if I prove myself? Besides. I’m an angel, not a mortal, you idiot –”

“You’re still a woman,” Phantasy looks me over again, “One I can’t wait to fuck and devour, but, I will wait. Patience is a virtue after all. And I’m far too curious what a whore like you will do, when you are tested under God.”

“I’m a virgin,” I remind him, “You’re the whore.”

“Cute, so feisty. He chose you to save him, so now go,” Phantasy ushers me off, like a happy guide in a video game, “God bless your heart and soul, Wynter. Ha. Women, good luck,” he scoffs under his breath, quietly to himself at the end, as I turn and begin to walk away.

Women.

Women.

Ha! So funny, how women were seen! A whore when I’m a virgin. A bitch when I’m right. A chew toy for the man who wants to play. Blood and pussy for a vampire. For the devil. For demons. For any being that wanted soft, sweet flesh.

And now God wanted a piece of a woman?

Fine.

I had his damned ring – he could have it back, and the wings, and the glory.

At this point, I just wanted to be free of all these games and free of coercion and the butt of all jokes.

I stride toward a place of his creation.

An asylum.

Great start.

Appropriate for hysterical females who are desperate for attention, after all.

Chapter 27

I’ve found God in his asylum ruins, which appeared as a complicated maze. He wasn’t hard to find because he wasn’t hiding from me.

I can only see the back of his head, as he stands by a crumbling statue of an angel, and leans on it arrogantly.

God is an eight foot tall human with silver hair flowing down his back, and a sexy round butt. Who would have known that would be my first impression? Oops, I guess.

I stand behind him, still stained in blood, with his halo tightly wrapped around my finger.

Without calling out to him, since he knows I am right behind him, I simply hold out my finger with his lost crown.

“Uh, hi,” I start, already choosing to make this the most professional and sexless interaction I can muster, “I’m here. Here’s your halo. I’ll help you get out of the Under, this place is putrid, isn’t it? If that is my quest, and my test, well, I’m here to be your mule, your whatever, to free you, to fight for you, as is my duty as an angel. The other angels might be dead but I have not fallen,” my last words change him.

From still statue listening to my words thoughtfully, to suddenly tensing with… with emotion.

I immediately seal my lips shut but keep my hand outstretched.

God turns toward me, naked in all his glory. I finally see his face.

To say I’m blown away is an understatement.

I’m transfixed by his perfect face, with the saddest eyes I’ve ever seen. Black universal pits of pain and sorrow and sadness.

Everyone’s suffering is within him.

This is something I shouldn’t be shocked by, yet I am still shivering on the spot with the shock of it.

I – I wish I could ease that pain.

But it’s not just pain. It’s torture upon torture. Bad decisions, violence, addictions, lustful urges – swarming within him, locked inside and tamed.

Every bad sin was absolved within him.

“Oh my god,” I whisper, totally out of shock and not trying to insult.

I find it hard to keep my hand raised, but although he glances at my hand, he refuses to accept the ring.

So I lower my hand instead, holding my elbow with my other hand.

“How can I help you?” I whisper the question, the air in my throat almost fleeing from the insane amount of soul-energy he omits, “Can you tell me, what happened to you? What happened to the angels? Why did they fall and–”

“You obliterated all the rest, why hesitate with her?” Phantasy speaks behind me. I tense up and when I look over my shoulder, Phantasy is standing on top of a crumbling wall, slowly sitting down and leaning into the pillar next to him. Looking over the top of me, he addresses God direct once more, “I even delivered her to you. Ungrateful. The last angel for you to swallow. Go on.”

Um, what?!

I hide my wings and take a few steps back away from God, when I realise what Phantasy is implying.

I wasn’t sent to save him? I was sent to die?

Phantasy wanted God to kill me?!

I am uncomfortable now standing between them, as the air feels like it could cut me open and tear me atom from atom if I do one little thing wrong.

“She was the only Angel in the Under,” God speaks – and it’s not a normal voice, but a command and pure truth together. I bow my head when I hear it, “A place I cannot interfere with.”

“So? That was before. Here she is now, your last disappointment,” Phantasy really tries to encourage God to slaughter me.

There is a heavy moment of silence.

I feel God judging me and my body waits in anticipation.

1 second feels like a damn decade, just to hear –

“Wynter can live,” God decides, and the weight of the world lifts off my shoulders.

Thank God!

I smile as my shoulders droop, and I almost burst into tears on the stop.

“Thank you,” I gasp my relief, “THANK YOU!”

God turns to me now, and walks toward me, his thumb reaching for my forehead.

He grips my head, commanding… “With their sin.”

Ah – um – wait.

What!

I can live with their sin.

Shit. Fuck.

I expect pain to rip through me at his command and his touch.

I expect darkness to consume me, to taint me and screw me up.

But nothing of that sort happens.

God lets me go.

A touch so strangely mortal.

As God stands back, I notice the ring around my finger abruptly slips off my finger and fall into the ashy soil, growing with weeds.

It loosened and escaped my skin.

“You will enjoy it,” God tells me, critically, almost hopeful of a negative response, “And you will not fall, but you may sin.”

“WHAT?” Phantasy snarls, interrupting, “That wasn’t a part of our deal.”

“My Angels will all return. Wynter will freeze. But sin will keep her alive. You bare corruption in holy ranks, a daughter of submission to demonic desires – so none of mine will follow them,” God explains to me, so I properly understand my role.

“But she was tainted,” Phantasy tries to argue.

“No, she was completely pure,” God explains, now addressing Satan, before addressing me once more, “Which makes this a tragedy for your soul, but we need a warrior who can defeat Lucifer at his own speed. Be brave for me.”

That last boost of confidence shoots power right through my very soul, and I find myself smiling again.

As God confidently tilts his head at Phantasy, he disappears in a cloud of glorious holy glitter.

“Well, that was fucking awesome,” I blurt out, turning to Phantasy – who has run away from me.

HA!

I spin around, hands on hips – when I notice movement in the shadows.

From the ruins, I watch as a brotherhood of vampires step out into my vision.

Darc, Ash, Solomon, Fane and Horace. In black cloaks, students of the Under and Dark Academy, they’ve found me in the maze, coming from all sides.

I’m still bloody but my wings are still white! I’m damn proud!

“Did you listen into all that?” I ask them, a tad excited.

“Wynter, we listened,” Darc’s voice is hoarse, and his thumb brushes over his lips, as he tries to hide his fangs, and the redness flushing his lips from pale marble to pink, “…an eternal virgin… no matter what’s done to you…”

“Well, maybe it means that but – wait,” I don’t like the way they’re all creeping forward, still blocking off all exits. Above me is a crumbling roof, with only a small space to fly through, I don’t know if I’ll even fit, “Can you stop stalking around me like that please? Please?”

I ask them all lightly, pleading and half-laughing at their behaviour.

Solomon answers for me, stopping them all with a flick of his wrist, as he opens his coat, to reach in to take out a small knife.

He shows it to me, and throws it to the ground between us.

He looks at me and then the knife.

“Evening the odds?” Fane asks his brother, approving.

“You can’t be serious. This is fucked up,” I add, finally losing my smile.

“Shh, angel,” Horace has snuck up behind me, “…your fresh and free to drink and fuck and torture now… you’re a sacrifice from the Almighty himself,” Horace ‘bites’ my ear, except his fang slips through my pierced ear instead, where the tip of his fang, caresses the side of my neck. I can’t pull away or it’ll rip my ear.

I freeze still, as Horace’s ice cold hand runs down my spine, between my wings, following along a sensitive nerve. I tremble, hard.

I am so still in my sudden panic, and I feel them on the outskirts of my body, wanting to take possession of my mind and soul.

I’m vulnerable.

Free.

But a sacrifice to sin.

I didn’t think of the consequences to this –

“Hey. Don’t run,” Ash calls out, raising a hand, seeing the panic in my eyes, “Don’t make it worse – we’re just hungry and now we can really take a proper fill of you, please… just stay still.”

I wish I could.

But I can’t. My instincts tell me to get the hell away from them.

I flare out my powerful wings, uncaring that my ear will tear – I ignore Solomon’s offer of a small blade, and I fly for the hole in the crumbling stone above me.

My ear piercing rips, but I reach the ceiling with my finger tips – but they all grasp on my ankles.

I scream for help, I scream for Silvia – for anyone who is near!

“Help!” my fingertips scrape and bleed on the rocks above as I refuse to let go, “NO! LET GO!” they’re all holding onto my ankles, about to drag me back down into their embrace.

I’m scared now.

I’m actually terrified for once.

Because before this, they all had to be very careful around me.

And now?

God had christened my mind and body for open and eternal defilement.

“Please, oh God, please, I don’t want this,” I try one last time to beat my wings, and I manage to kick one leg free, t-then the other!

A miracle!

One more blast of my wings and I can climb up through the hole.

I’ve curled my legs to my chest.

I’m keeping my feet out of their reach.

I’m crawling forward to get myself up, to flare my wings on the roof of this crumbling temple.

My bleeding fingers scrape across rock, but as I’m clambering up, my fingers touch a pair of black leather boots on the way.

I’ve just crawled all the way through, and now I’m face to face with inescapable death.

Darc climbed up here.

He doesn’t grab me.

He just looks down at me, my fingers curled over his polished thick shoe laces, twined and perfectly laced up.

He sees me crying from defeat and he is cold and emotionless.

“I’m sorry, Wynter,” he murmurs over me, totally faking it.

“I – no,” I beg him, “Just let me go, pleeease…”

Darc leans down and cups my red face with both his strong hands. He lifts my cheeks up, squishing them together with his soft cool palms.

Somehow he does it gently, pulling me up all the way to his face. Darc has squatted down and my hands find his knees. I lock eyes with this Ancient Vampire, trying to calm me down.

But what was there to be calm about?

He ate Angels.

He killed virgins.

And now I was free fucking real-estate.

“You’re so fucking gorgeous when you’re crying like that, Wynter,” Darc means this, leaning forward, he claims my mouth with a deceivingly gentle, even beautiful kiss.

He’s mouth opens and his fangs tease my teeth as his tongue rolls over mine.

A new problem has arisen.

A problem I didn’t know would exist until now.

I – I can give in now. With no consequences to my purity. And as I’m realising that, I can taste him better.

…and he tasted fucking delicious.

Like the best thing I ever tasted in my fucking life!

I clamber up his legs, trying to get closer to his mouth.

Darc pulls me in even closer as I pull myself forward.

My nails dig into his chest, as he sits back on the roof and I whimper into his mouth.

My tears dry up. My mouth is on fire. Desire floods through me – and my blood, running down my neck? Darc has pulled back to inspect it, running a finger through it, he shows me it’s colour.

It’s not red. Or black.

It’s pure holy light. A tiny silver river of blood that trails down his palm.

Yup. Even as I gave into that unholy kiss with a vampire, I’m immune from being tainted.

God’s trick on the devil.

No matter what Phantasy or his demons did to my mind, or to my body, or to my soul – I was resistant.

“Kiss me again,” I beg Darc now, but first he licks his finger clean.

“You’re in trouble now, little angel,” Darc grabs both my cheeks again, keeping me steady, as my chest rises and falls with each new breath, and his brothers wait below for him to bring me back.

He certainly has captured me.

“What kind of trouble?” I dare ask him, suddenly excited.

Darc thinks I’m adorable, as he kisses my mouth, my nose and both my closed eye lids.

Then he lightly puts his mouth by my ear, where his tongue flicks through the wound and heals it at the same time as taking another fresh taste of me.

“What kind of trouble? The kind you can’t escape,” Darc kisses my ear, then pulls back to wipe any stray tears off my cheeks with his thumbs, “It’s a real fucking shame, you know,” he looks angry now.

“Hmm?” I’m confused.

“When you wake up, above,” Darc slowly shakes his head, waiting for it to sink in, “You won’t –” oh no. He doesn’t need to explain the rest now, he sees that I remember.

The bloody cursed drink!

I was going to forget this whole night ever happened. I was going to forget this kiss. I was going to forget God. And I was even going to forget their depraved stalking.

My eyes widen. Oh – fuck no.

“Time to return to the land of the living, sweetheart,” Darc stands up, while I fall through his arms, feeling defeated.

My head hits the ground as I just close my eyes, shutting them tight.

I – I didn’t want to forget this.

I needed to know this.

Because the moment morning arrived… God only knew how my vampires would drive me mad.

They could drink me.

Tempt me.

Fuck me.

And I wouldn’t fall – but I wouldn’t know it, even though they did.

And they were going to love the terror that caused in me.

“You bastards,” I whisper into the stone, “Don’t play with me up there – please,” I lift my head and jump to my feet, catching Darc’s eyes, “Tell me what happened. Promise me?”

Darc is waiting, hands in his pockets, looking solemn as he looks me over. Unexpectedly, he nods, grim but agreeable, without saying anything.

“Really?” I push my luck.

Darc hesitates, but he doesn’t refute it.

Now he just pulls his hand out of his pocket and offers it to me.

I ignore the offer.

“Nah – no thanks. Your hands are going to be all over me soon – I think I’ll take this last moment of freedom to soak it up, being a free virgin, if you don’t mind,” I don’t mean to offend him, and he seems to get it.

Shrugging, he puts his hand back into his pocket.

I turn away from him, looking over the expanse of his dark inbetween world.

Why did I come here in the first place?

Armando.

And then this thought occurs to me.

“Darc. Can I commit murder up there… and stay pure?” he knows exactly what I’m referring to.

“You won’t stay pure, but you’ll stay pure,” Darc answers correctly.

That’s right. I could. I could finally get revenge.

Armando never faced justice!

Well… now he could taste a bit of his own fucking medicine. I can’t wait.

“Hmm,” I wonder aloud, “What’s the perfect way to torture a werewolf, rather than just plain old death…. Darc?”

“Turn him into a Lycan,” Darc suggests, “It’s fucking painful. He’ll suffer more in those morphing spells than being simply dead and rotting in hell.”

Well.

I guess I’d have to find the spell for that.

“Do you want to remember this wrath?” Darc asks, “I will remind you if you want.”

“Oh, you don’t have to remind me of that, Darc,” I laugh sharply, “Trust me. Some people seal their own fate. A life for a life. It’s justice. As an angel, I always strive for justice, it’s in my blood,” and now? So was sin.

Chapter 28

I wake up, after my body slips off a smooth porcelain – bringing my head down into warm liquid, covering my mouth and nose.

I open my eyes in a panic out of my sleep – seeing nothing but a blood fog.

My arms shoot up out of the bath, I grab the rim and pull myself out, gasping in air, and whimpering with the shock of almost drowning.

When did I put myself naked, in a bath of blood?

I can’t see yet, but at least I can breathe normal again. I rub my hands over my eyes, clearing my vision.

When I open my eyes once more, I instantly lose control of my body.

Slow creeping movements, as my muscles convulse at their own whim.

My legs stretch out and push me back into the bath, my arms fall back under the blood and my spine is stiff straight, expressions forced off my face as I’m staring at the five naked vampires, standing in a line, in a massively empty bathroom.

It’s sparse beyond pale marble tiles, cracked grout and blood stains on the walls, with a few flickering and broken lamp shades.

The room seems to be empty aside from a few old sinks and this bathtub, full of rotting blood.

In a line, my naked vampire brotherhood are on presentation for me, awaiting me to take the first breath of the morning. I’m trying to gather my scrambled thoughts together.

…like why were they taking control of my body, I could feel them all inside me, their wills combined, overpowering my own, keeping each limb in place like a doll.

Horace looks hungry and ready to bite, Fane is staring into a void of nothing, rather than me, too interested in being within my soul instead. Solomon is next to him, holding a wine glass full of silver metallic blood – my angel blood, full to the brim of the glass. He drinks it in front of me, drinking so fast it drips down the corners of his lips, while he keeps taunting me with his amused purple eyes. Ash is standing still next to Darc, who is at the other end of the line.

They’re all fucking ripped and hot as fuck – but it’s hard to appreciate when they’re all in my head.

Control over my tongue has not been offered back to me, but Darc reads the question in my haunted gaze.

“You won’t remember, but you asked me to remind you what happened last night when Phantasy arrived,” Darc explains, “You were blessed by the Almighty. You are free of sin… no matter what you feel. You’re free of being poisoned by us. No matter what we do to you. No matter what you ask us to do,” the hungry vile demon comes out in him then, a delighted but low snarl, letting it sink in.

Slowly, one by one they let go of my soul and body, until I can move my eyes, wriggle limbs, and move my tongue.

I reach for my cheeks, feeling numb after their possession, I try to rub warmth back into my face.

I look through them all, trying to decipher if this is deception.

It was in their nature to fuck with my mind. I had to be very careful.

“Why am I in this bath, and why are you all naked?” I ask, and the question echoes rather uselessly around the room.

I shiver with the silence beyond my breaths. They are so still and ready to pounce. I find myself looking down and sinking into the blood, inch by inch I get lower, trying to appear smaller, as I narrow my eyes and look back at them over the rim of the tub.

What was the threat level?

I’d say the worst it had ever been.

But I’m… not scared.

Rather.

I’m.

I’m –

Darc looks down the line of Ancient Vampires.

“We all drank from you already, the blood kept pouring, and when it goes old, that’s when it turns red,” Darc speaks for them, and they all agree, “We had to put you in the bath so it stopped flooding the floor…” he looks over me, “We’re naked because we had our fill. So now we can focus on a different kind of hunger–”

“Wait. I’m in a tub, of my own old, rotting blood?” I ask, blinking many times, “Are you fucking shitting me?”

They do look different. I know why they look extra ripped. Instead of being tall and limber and skinny from lack of sustenance, all their bodies are full and pumping with power that they sucked out of me. They almost look alive again.

“We can fuck you, we could even kill you with our insatiable needs – and you’ll live through it anyway… you have, as you can see all around you in your blood… babe,” Horace speaks up, his voice rougher than ever with anticipation and depraved desire, “…and you won’t fall… you’ll stay pure as an untouched virgin…”

“Horace, don’t give her anything else,” Solomon snarls, “Shut up.”

Horace starts to snarl back at his brother, and I see his fangs are glistening like polished needles. They’re really strong right now, and needing to unleash that pent up unholy energy. Fucking shit, I’m so fucked right now.

“A cross, or the floor?” Fane asks gently, not to me, but his brothers.

“The floor,” Darc and Ash choose together, speaking as one.

The rest?

“The cross,” Solomon booms.

“The cross,” Fane hisses and Horace whispers it.

What cross.

I dare look behind me and over the tub, and I see a fucking humongous cross laid out on a bench.

Okay, no, nope, NO WAY! I can’t do that.

I jump out of the bath tub and flare my wings, blood splattering everywhere across the tiles, as I put one foot on the rim of the tub, while one is still in the blood. I’m ready to take off. Somewhere.

“There’s nowhere you can go,” Darc barks with laughter and a confidence I’ve never heard from his lips before.

This is real bad.

This is really, really bad.

They could control me.

They could make me do whatever they wanted.

And none of them seemed to have a second’s worth of hesitation anymore.

What had changed?

Perhaps – perhaps they were telling the truth about last night.

“Fuck me but I actually believe you,” I blurt out now, to all of them, “I believe it.”

“Great, so you can choose what you do next,” Darc snaps, a little impatiently now, and completely consumed by a demon’s arrogance, “…no more thinking about it…” he whispers that and starts stalking toward me.

His brothers quickly pace forward with him, lining the room. I can’t go anywhere. I find myself trying to hide back in the bath, I dunk myself in, no longer grossed out by the blood.

I just keep myself hidden in the rotting liquid, while they start to circle the tub before reaching in for me.

Oh, crap. I thought making myself smaller would help them slow down.

It didn’t work.

They reach for me all at the same time. Darc slips his hands under my arm pits, hoisting me up, while my wings are pinned to my back. Horace holds one elbow, Fane the other. Solomon and Ash grab a leg each.

They all hoist me up like a feather, and start to carry me back toward the cross.

“What the hell are you all doing?” I whisper the question, “W-what the hell–”

Apprehended, I’m being filled with pure terror for the unknown. What did they want from me?

As they lay me down on the wide plank of wood, thin silver chains are wrapped around my wrists, keeping my arms totally spread apart. They leave my legs alone.

At least, I assume they will, until I hear and see a metal pole scrapping across the ground.

Not a pole.

A leg spreader?

This was it.

This was fucking it.

They were going to take my virginity. I was going to burn in hell.

I finally start to scream. I try to bring forth my wand – but no matter what I do, it doesn’t appear! Where the fuck was it?

FUCK!

What happened last night that made them this fucking bold? They would doom me. There was no way I could be free to commit sin, only to remain pure, it was impossible.

No matter my shrieking and protests, all I do is get them smiling and hard quicker – psychotic freaks. The spreader is put between my legs, and the rough shackles are snapped around my ankles, keeping me wide open.

Darc is behind my head, his fingers spread out across my cheeks as he keeps my head down.

He’s watching them closely as Horace connects a chain to the middle of the spreader, and throws it up behind Darc’s head, threading it through a loop in the wall.

What the hell were they doing now?

Solomon walks over and pulls the chain through, loops it up onto a hook and releases what’s left.

My legs have been pulled up above my head.

And my pussy? Is now freely on display. Damn these vampires.

And I’m totally stuck. Like. Stuck-stuck. Spread and stuck.

I’ve stopped screaming. Because I could tell they only fucking loved that sound.

Now I’m dead silent.

Acceptance.

This was the end of our little adventure. They were giving into their desire to fuck me to death. Fuck this fuckery.

All these hot demon vampires are staring at my pussy, and now I can only do what’s left in my control. Move my eyes. I roll them back up to Darc, still cradling my head like a perfectly content sadist.

“You didn’t have to chain me up like this,” I whisper, and gulp, “Why would you do that to me after everything –”

Darc strokes his finger-tips over my cheeks, bending his fingers and smoothing them out again, feeling my soft skin.

“Why? Because we don’t fuck soft, we fuck hard,” Darc explains, straight to the point, “And you’ve got a lot of demons to satisfy.”

Now I use the only card I have left.

Already my throat feels like it’ll close up.

“I never said yes,” I tell him, mouthing it and barely getting the words out.

You know why it was so hard to say?

Because I… because… I…

“You never said no, oh please, no,” Darc waits, then says plainly, “Say no. You have my word.”

Oh shit.

That moment, right there, when those sexy fucking words fall out of his lips… he has me fucking entranced with a rare moment of truth.

No deception. Just truth.

My lips part, I suck in a deep breath, and then I exhale it slowly.

I make my choice.

I don’t say anything.

I blush, madly, and it creeps up and down my neck and then creeps over the rest of my exposed skin. I tremble hard with my decision. I was insane for it, but I can’t lie and say I don’t want it.

Because I do want it.

Really fucking bad.

Darc’s fingers slide down to my neck, until he’s holding my throat and looking down at me, eating up my shame filling my sad puppy eyes.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” Darc drawls, making it worse, before leaning down and straight up biting my breast and licking over my nipple, teasing me with his sharp as hell fangs.

I strain my neck in an arcing position from the hot pulses his touch shoots through my sensitive nerves. Darc can feel my pulse shoot right up in anticipation because his hands are still clasped tight around my throat. I look back and see his hard cock, straining near my head. So close.

Oh fuck me.

And the others were all about to destroy my pussy. The simple power of that fact is making me really fucking wet.

I feel myself tremble again all over with the thought of it, with Darc’s kisses over my chest, while one of his hands travels down my neck, over my stomach, making my hips buck uncontrollably. I wanted them so bad it was humiliating as an angel to admit it.

Now I’m just staring at his rock hard abs, right over my face the more he leans over me

Fuck it. I stick out my tongue and lick down his skin, I can’t help it.

I taste the salt off his skin and I lay back with my whole body erupting with more nerves on fire.

I am ready.

Two of Darc’s fingers with those cold and many rings, run over my pussy and tease my clip, before spreading my lips below.

“Who wants to take her virginity from her first?” Darc’s question confirms a special hell that awaits, “I’m taking her throat,” it’s a snarl that heats my womb, as he speaks over it, and sweat starts to bead on my skin now painted with drying blood.

I’m putting the pieces together as I acknowledge them. If my purity never left. I could never lose my virginity – no matter what.

As I’m thinking about that, Darc’s two fingers now bend and curl right into my pussy, his rings follow, as he pushes them deep and I squeeze so damn hard over his damned fingers.

He keeps them there, deep where it’s throbbing, feeling me pulse and squeeze, squeezing harder each time. I need more. I need him to move them.

I close my eyes and forget to breathe as my hips rise again, higher, and a whimper escapes my throat as I feel my legs straining in their upright and bent back position. It was slightly uncomfortable being so iron bound in one set position.

“Does it hurt, Wynter?” Darc asks, out of the blue.

“A little,” I whimper.

But his response is – interesting. To say the least.

“Shh.”

Yup. He shh-ed me. Maniac.

Darc leans right over and teases my pussy with his fangs next.

Oh hell no, get those needles away from me! I move my hips back down, his fangs deceptively move aside and then his tongue softly rolls over my clit instead, my instincts kick right in and I bring my hips back up toward his teeth, where his fangs softly tease my flesh without penetrating – but about to.

Fuck.

My will power is gone, and this time none of them had to take it.

I’ve just succumbed. Lying under his rock hard abs, still looking so delicious, making me salivate beyond what’s normal. Argh, damn it!

Submission was a downright bitch!

Chapter 29

Hold… on…. a minute.

Darc’s abs fill my vision, and soon his cock is inches from my mouth and I’m ready to kiss it. Horace and Fane hold an ankle each, while Horace sucks on my toes, Fane licks my ankle… Solomon jumps over the cross to get to me. I’m low down enough that he can just stand over my pussy… but Ash… stands behind him, and he puts a hand on Solomon’s shoulder, while looking over at me.

And behind Ash… there is someone else?

All of them or just me?

Was there a voice in my head?

Asking me… something?

I’m confused, until I blink and in a quick flash and time stops.

The particles in the air, freeze.

All I see is one giant man with black raven wings, gold moon eyes with a tint of purple, looking more Lycan than vampire… and more angel than demon. He wears a familiar golden crown with thorns, he looks more full, he looks more special… if that makes sense.

I blink again and he is gone.

But I can’t get him out of my head.

Come back, I whisper uncontrollably, because you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life, let me see you again.

All of them, he whispers, almost shyly, in my head.

I blink again and he’s back.

Meanwhile the brotherhood are gone, time is still again, but this man… has Horace’s mouth.

Ash and Darc’s body.

Fane’s quietness and composure.

Solomon’s presence.

I know who this is. Phantasy seems dead, but locked away. Pride.

Now I’m staring at a man who represents destiny, distortion, dreams, dishonour and death.

“Luci –” fer.

He slowly raises a finger and presses it to his lush lips, shushing me, and even winking.

I shut my lips.

I’m shy, his gaze doesn’t feel like one but all of them.

Darc, Ash, Solomon, Horace, Fane and Phantasy, all six of them, bound together in some super-form. An archangel, except his wings are three times the breadth of mine, and his presence is exceptionally more full of souls.

A strange thing to say of the devil, but this man was pure menace and temptation all at once.

I stare with wide, open eyes as he steps forward and kisses behind my knee, while looking down at me through my humiliating pose.

The kiss has me writhing.

The chains have come in handy after all. They stop me convulsing off the cross.

His hand curls around my ankle, and more pleasure pulses through me. I gasp out as he moves closer to my pussy – boldly licking right through me, and then straight over my clit. Contact.

I drop my head back, my eyes roll back into my head for a moment. I don’t cum, he holds that back for now, but I felt injected with pure love in that moment. That was unfair. That feeling. Whatever the hell it was. It was vibrating off me, a feeling of pure sensation through every nerve. Connection.

I open my eyes again to look.

Lucifer is soo… quiet, as he moves between my spread legs to lean over my face, his black curls unfurl and float forward through the crown, as this celestial being locks eyes with me.

I’m staring in at all of them, and my heart skips a beat.

“…I think I’m in love with you…” I whisper it at him.

He whispers it back to me, “Me too. You’re my favoured one. You take my mind… Wynter…”

And then he kisses me.

And I accept.

But Lucifer’s lips aren’t the only thing that match mine. His hot body pressed into mine, his cock finds my wet pussy and teases the outside, so I lift my hips and whimper into his hellishly hot mouth.

Lucifer smiles into my lips and doesn’t give me what I want straight away, instead he stops being so cute.

Lucifer lifts up his head a little bit, so our eyes can lock.

He slips into my pussy… and into my mind. Corruption.

Like I gave him the key and he just enters me – my whole entire soul.

It’s like sacrificing your soul to the devil.

For what in return?

I wanted nothing.

I wanted nothing else.

Lucifer starts to fuck me.

I’ve never been fucked before and he helps me with that, matching my speed of moving back, while he is with me, in my head, and his cheek ends up against mine, leaning in.

Why was he being so cute.

Fuck!

My pussy is struggling to squeeze any harder.

“Faster,” I beg in a shy whimper.

I’m going to fuck you slow for days, so I think I’ll take whatever time I need to corrupt you, angel.

I close my eyes and try to relax, but my body is fighting back, trying to fuck him faster.

“Mm, please,” I beg him again, “Otherwise I rather have all of them and have it really hard right now. Please, fuck me up, oh please –”

Lucifer pulls right up to tilt his head and he looks down at me with a handsome and full smirk. He pushes his dick deep and stops thrusting, just keeps me panting, as his palm touches my cheek, running down to my neck, while his other hand, plays with my hair, wiping it off my face.

“Why rush? We have eternity,” Lucifer answers me, so peacefully. As he watches me, he fucks me a bit harder all of a sudden, keeping us locked together with our minds.

My body doesn’t handle the change in pace. I squeeze so hard, I heat up with a fever and my body lets go.

I cum, my whole body fighting the chains, trying to fuck him hard.

Lucifer sinks in with his hard iron dick and doesn’t move again.

“I only want one thing from you,” Lucifer says, seriously, losing the adorable sweetness, “As we have all said – submission. That means respecting my choices.”

“I –” I’m breathless.

“Do you understand?” Lucifer asks, “I am your boss, after all.”

He wasn’t joking. He was a higher-ranking archangel; I could do nothing but obey.

I nod.

Lucifer takes his cock out of my pussy and walks closer to my face.

One more step and his balls are over my trembling mouth.

So… close.

I stick out my tongue but Lucifer pulls back to give me his cock instead. I take it in, willingly. Unholy, that taste was delicious. And he’s unfairly huge too.

He fucks my mouth open while the darkness of his flared wings, highlights his red moon eyes.

As I suck his cock deeper and I think of my vampires as I close my eyes.

All of them.

That’s enough treating you tonight my darkest love.

Lucifer’s voice shifts to demonic scattering, separating, and transforming.

I feel heat and the celestial cock disappears from my mouth, only for me to blink… and all my vampires are back.

Darc is fucking my pussy with his fingers, while his cock lies over my face.

I lean back and lick it.

More.

Darc hisses and leans up.

“Give it to me,” I whisper up at him.

“It’s my pleasure…” Darc scolds me, as he grabs a hold of my throat and moves my head back. I open my mouth, and he slides his cock over my tongue.

None of them seem to know what just happened.

But I don’t care.

I just want them to fuck me now.

Solomon steps between my legs, so he’s on his side, while my pussy is just a hole he can fuck down on.

That’s exactly what I want.

Solomon’s coolness touches me, and his dick stretches through my tightness, straight down. Split. He takes my virginity again.

I gasp and Darc pushes into my throat. I choke.

He doesn’t move, although his hand caresses the bulge in my throat, and then he moves out, letting me breathe.

“You okay down there, angel?” Darc asks, catching my eyes as his fingers very lightly twist my nipples, “…harder…?” he whispers, cheeky.

I keep my mouth open, wanting him back in. I want to taste him. I want more of him again. I don’t want to feel empty ever again!

As Solomon fucks me, my legs are tingling with the fangs running down my skin, teasing my flesh.

Solomon himself is lightly biting my toes, pushing off Horace from being so greedy.

Meanwhile, I feel my body sinking.

It’s such a strange feeling.

“My turn,” Horace snarls, animalistic, but instead of the voice bringing me up, I keep sinking lower and lower.

The room is getting darker, as Solomon, after barely being inside for a minute, is forced to move for Horace, who steps where he was, and slowly pushes into my pussy, while sticking his thumb into my ass, while his second thumb rubs directly over my clit in perfect slow circles.

I could kill him.

Who would’ve guessed he knows how to worship a pussy best?

I swallow more of Darc until I choke myself for being too enthusiastic with my abruptly rising need to orgasm, but this time he keeps fucking deep into my throat while chuckling and goading Horace.

“Keep torturing her. We’re going to fuck you for days, Wynter, switching, sharing, it’ll be a hell of a fucking thrill, don’t you think?” Darc starts to stay deep, and I know he is going to be the first to dump his cum into me. I use my tongue to taste his shaft, as he presses into my throat balls deep against my face, I have to hold my breath, while his shaft pulses and he cums straight inside. He feels around my throat as I swallow, and he doesn’t pull out until I’ve swallowed a few more times. “Fuck, you love to suck, don’t you whore?” Darc is grinning with all his teeth after he pulls out.

Ash comes up to replace him, while Darc slinks back into the shadows, slinking away to look at the rest of them devouring me.

Ash immediately pinches my nose and smiles mischievously.

“Don’t trust me,” Ash whispers, as I open my mouth, he releases my nose, and immediately places his identical cock, back into my mouth, “Because I’m going to use you like a fucking toy,” as he warns me, Horace steps out and repositions himself, grabbing both my ankles, he sinks in deep, just as Ash holds my throat and does the same to my mouth.

I don’t stand a chance.

They’re perfectly synchronised.

I lose myself to this, a dick pounding into my pussy and my throat, in this moment, as the room gets even darker and seems to pulse with red light. I don’t really know what’s happening, but it must be some kind of demon magic igniting as they fuck a virgin, over and over.

Horace fucks me so hard while Ash doesn’t let me breathe at all.

I cum so quick, so big, it’s embarrassing even as I feel lifted to another dimension.

When they pull out of my writhing body, I open my eyes and look around me while tears of pleasure drip down the sides of my face.

We’re not in the weird bathroom like before.

We’re in Hell.

All around me, I see burning trees and red light, while my naked vampires casually surround me, each doing something different and completely and utterly radiating with demonic energy, fulfilled.

“I feel like I could fucking kill a Lycan with my bare hands right now,” Darc is leaning on a tree, crossing his arms over his chest, as his veins pulse with my pure blood, and Fane sinks his fangs into my thigh, drinking a bit, before releasing me from his bite, but not sealing the wound.

I watch as my leg bleeds down, and Fane shows me his bloodied lips. He is so serious as he leans between my legs, over me, as his cock stretches my tight pussy.

His fae ears twitch and he kisses between my breasts with his painted lips.

“I could fuck a Lycan,” Horace retorts with a guttural growl, taking a break from smelling my feet.

Darc rolls his eyes.

“I could call a Lycan over, and ask his opinion of that,” Ash whispers into Horace’s ear.

“Oh, please do, I’d love to see that interaction transpire,” Solomon laughs and casually stalks over to my face, where I awkwardly look between him and Fane, “You’re still shy, Wynter?” Solomon asks me, deeply curious, as he holds my chin, and stares into my mouth as his thumb runs over my snake bite piercings that he gave me, “Anymore silver you want to wear, I’ll fashion some for you.”

“Ears and lips are enough for me,” I whisper, while staring at his hard cock, so close to my lips, yet so far away.

“It’s nice having a companion to constantly defile,” Solomon pats my cheek as he pinches my nose like Ash did, even though it’s unnecessary, and then he starts to face fuck me casually, like he’s done it a thousand times before.

“Do you smell that…?” Fane asks Solomon quietly, “Dog,” they growl simultaneously.

“What are you doing here, Onyx?” Darc sounds frustrated but not very surprised.

“I guard this territory you dumb fuck,” Onyx snarls and I choke on Solomon’s cock in terror at the sound.

“Do that again, oh, fuck, please,” Solomon encourages Onyx, who paces by as a shadow, emanating extreme heat and pheromones which encourage my heart to beat more rapidly.

I feel like screaming but Solomon keeps fucking me deeper and deeper, while Fane leans over my body as if protecting it from Onyx momentarily as he passes us to face Darc instead.

“You were saying?” Onyx’s voice lowers and a demonic vibration crashes through the area, a challenge to another demon.

“I didn’t say anything,” Horace hisses like a snake.

I hear Ash choke while barely holding back a snort.

Solomon finally rests deep, his shaft pulses and he makes me swallow every last drop like Darc and Ash did.

As he pulls out, Fane moves forward to suck on my tits, licking while his hands run along my ribs down to my waist.

I momentarily get to see what’s going on.

Onyx is dwarfing the vampires, inspecting the area, “We won’t linger,” Darc murmurs politely enough, but simply to get rid of the unwelcome Lycan as quickly as possible.

“But why are you here?” Onyx asks, “Is she a sacrifice?”

“Permanently, beast,” Darc scowls and smiles at the same time, “She was a virgin, then is again, then isn’t, then is… forever… she’s like a witch, performing the ritual and giving the equivalent power – to us. Of course, she never asked to fuck a dog – so you’re welcome to leave…”

“Careful, vampire, you’re getting on my nerves,” Onyx shifts around, despite being surrounded by very sneaky vampires, Horace, Ash and Solomon slowly pace to surround all his perimeters, while Fane keeps fucking me.

Onyx clashes with Fane as they glare at one another.

“Why don’t you fuck her a little slower?” Onyx teases Fane, “She’s falling asleep.”

Fane bares his fangs at Onyx, “She’s cumming quietly, that’s why.”

He wasn’t lying.

I was embarrassed to cum with a Lycan around.

Onyx’s demon eyes meet mine, and he sees my tense face as I try to keep the twisting expressions off my face.

Meanwhile, Fane and I fuck together, my hips move up and he fucks down, now putting a hand on my throat as he leans up and meets Onyx’s challenge, “Fuck off, beast – she’s not yours. You have your favoured whores.”

“I prefer the insane over purity anyway,” Onyx brags, “But you’re all going to leave, because I said so. Phantasy’s orders. No crossing without an invitation.”

“Phantasy is in love with this angel,” Darc calls out, “Leave us be, he’s just scarred of what she means. He’ll cope if he finds us.”

“I could fuck a Lycan,” Horace whispers again.

He’s tempted Onyx.

The heat in the forest exponentially increases as Fane leaves my throbbing pussy, quickly untying me from the chains and the spreader, as I see shadows move quickly in the forest.

Onyx’s pack of Lycans join him.

As they gather around, Horace quickly shuts up, and even Darc looks a little worried, holding up his hands.

“We apologise, we should have asked first,” Darc says through grit teeth, while side-glaring at Horace.

“We’re so sorry,” Horace laughs out a fucked up fake lie.

“Just shut your mouth,” Solomon hisses at Horace.

Meanwhile, I’m free of my bounds and the cross.

Fane helps me up, holding my hand.

As I stand and flutter out my wings, I slip my fingers from Fane and stand away from him as Onyx spins directly to me, naked and covered in my old rotting blood.

His eyes flash with my freedom, perhaps considering taking me to punish them.

“Lucifer sent me here,” I tell Onyx, “…he has more authority than Phantasy…”

“You saw the real Lucifer? He alludes us all, bitch,” Onyx asks, amused but also serious.

“…oh yes…but he doesn’t allude me…” I whisper, more seductively than I intended, “Don’t piss him off, he is our boss… after all…” when I choose my words carefully and glance at the brotherhood of vampires, they all look proud.

They were all Lucifer, just split apart, and not even the Lycans knew that.

Phantasy was their call man.

But the real devil was in disguise.

Only I knew.

“You always tell the truth,” Onyx smirks with all his teeth, “I like that, bitch. We have our orders, let’s go,” Onyx directs his pack, as they leave, he sneakily walks by me, and his sharp-as-hell claw tickles along my stomach, and then he’s gone, vanishing with his lightning speed.

My womb shivers deeply.

I cross my arms over it.

I blush hard.

Did a Lycan just… turn me on –? They were beasts. Yuck.

Darc, Ash, Solomon, Horace and Fane walk up to me, standing around me, all their glorious, hard, naked bodies, quickly distracting me.

“Don’t get any ideas, you belong to us,” Darc tells me, “Coming here wasn’t a good idea.”

“I told you we shouldn’t use the slaughter room, it always sinks the victims here, and the Lycans always wander in to check out the blood, you know that,” Solomon growls, “I fucking told you.”

“Oh, but the risk was fun,” Fane shrugs a shoulder.

“I could fuck a –” Horace tries to butcher the joke, but Solomon closes his mouth.

They all look at me.

“…slaughter room…?” I ask, raising a twitching brow, “What is your s –”

They all smile too innocently.

Was it the room I was woken up in? In that blood bath?

“Oh, nothing,” Darc shakes his head, keeping in a smile, “Let’s go home.”

“No more slaughtering… you have me,” I laugh very awkwardly, “Okay?”

“Well, that’s true,” Fane agrees, “But… never mind.”

“It was used for black magic,” Solomon explains, “When we were bored. Or feeling like revenge.”

Revenge.

Revenge.

I get an idea.

“…when we return…” I murmur, “…maybe Armando would like to visit… the sl – ”

Darc moves in, stepping forward he grasps my chin and looks right into my eyes, humoured but also strict, “We like corrupting you, but you’re not allowed to be corrupt. That’s our job. You keep your hands clean.”

“Armando murdered me,” I whisper now, losing my smile, “I deserve revenge.”

“You’ll get vengeance,” Darc smiles, dark, “Trust me. You will be protected for eternity… smile, Wynter.”

Okay. I smile softly.

Demonic possession, a natural and intended expression… or both?

Either way, I can’t help it.

It’s pure insanity, and I am the purest sinner… surrounded by demons, and I am at peace.

I have to ask.

“…does Phantasy still want the world to burn and be full of madness…?” I ask them all, “Or am I enough?”

“You and Silvia seem to serve the darkness well… while remaining so sweet… but we’ll see,” Darc’s lips twitch with a sad mouth, “Don’t trust us. But you can trust us.”

“Stop,” I try not to laugh, and he smiles fully now.

“You’re just too easy to freak out, angel,” Darc smirks. He is so handsome. They all are.

I bite my lip and grab the hand of Fane and Solomon, while smiling at Ash, Darc and Horace.

“Shall we return?” I ask, “To the Crypt? I think I need a drink.”

“I think I need a drink too,” Darc murmurs, catching my eye.

I feel my thighs clench.

I shake my head to try and clear it of the lustful thoughts.

“I need to pray, like, every day,” I whisper to myself, closing my eyes, “Fuck. Oh God.”

“I love you,” Fane says deep and sexy out of nowhere, leaning in, turning my head and kissing me full on the mouth. He tastes so good, and my knees start to go weak, they shake and tremble and Fane and Solomon both have to haul me up by the arms.

“You little fae prick,” Darc scowls, “Always stealing destiny’s moments, huh?”

“Got to get in quick,” Fane puts a protective arm around my head, until I’m in a headlock, as he swivels around me, “She’s my toy. Fairies are possessive, get over it.”

“I’m not a toy,” I growl out, “I’m a sexy pure angel. Release me! Let me go!”

Fane does not release me.

The others just stare at me very solemnly.

Because I lied.

Okay.

Fine.

“Keep me forever?” I whisper seductively, and I whimper, to all of them, “And f –”

“Shh,” Darc quickly puts a finger to my lips, “Let’s go,” he turns, to lead the way, “And someone gag Horace… so we can get out of here alive, yes?”

Ash volunteers.

He steps into Horace, and he kisses him on the cheek and then the mouth.

Ash leans back and boops him on the nose.

But Horace? Is left… speechless.

Solomon chuckles, Fane smirks, Ash turns to follow Darc.

We all start to move.

Horace is silenced.

And I? Feel weirdly… at ease.

Since dying and coming back to life in Dark Academy, for once I don’t feel like a prisoner… or a victim… instead… I feel completely fucking badass, and completely fucking blessed.

It was a little ironic, but I’d take this destiny none the less.

Serve these demons.

Save the world.

---

This is the end of Dark Academy.