Page 62 of Dark Captivation

His hand ran along my leg and he gazed at me with longing. “That’s why I’ve planned a trip for just you and me to go to Sandalia.” He turned to me, taking my hands and kissing them sweetly. “Won’t you come with me?”

His dark smoldering eyes burned into mine, awakening my hot hidden desires and triggering erotic thoughts that had been buried since we were in the cave.

I needed to keep my wits about me when Malek was involved. He was so irresistibly seductive, and he knew it. If I wasn’t careful, he could charm me in any direction he wanted, including over a cliff.

“What’s Sandalia?” I asked.

“The interdimensional resort. It’s absolute paradise and the number one getaway of choice for Earth’s wealthiest and most famous demons.” Ferina fluttered in on angel wings, her eyes glinting with intrigue as she strolled over to the bed. “It just opened 2 years ago, and it’s been at the top of my bucket list ever since.”

She tiptoed, stretching her hand as high as it could go for emphasis and Malek’s lips pursed, unmoved by the puppy pout she was giving him.

“The answer is no, Ferina.” Malek dragged his palm down his face and her brow curled downward. “You’re not third wheeling on our vacation. I want some alone time with Sunny. Only Sunny.”

The possessiveness in his voice when he said my name made my toes curl.

“Okay, okay. Just hear me out.” She fanned her palms up and down. “You’re going to want me when you get to Sandalia’s party dimension. You know that nobody can break it down like me.” She swung her hips side to side, bending her knees and really grooving to the beat that only she could hear.

“You know. I think she has a point. It just might be a little more fun if she came along.” I joined her, mimicking her hip movements and peeking at Malek through the corner of my eye, just to see his reaction.

He gripped his chin considering me with a blank expression.

“As much as I love the image of my bride dancing, Sandalia is sold out for the rest of the week. The only way for Ferina to come would be for me to order them to take a ticket from someone who already purchased it.”

“Oh please, don’t give me that. You just want alone time with Sunny so you can get all up into her goodies. Admit it!” She flicked his nose and a tiny growl rushed through his lips.

His eyes switched over to me, embarrassment flashing within them.

“Dear, sweet sister. Can I talk to you in private please?” He said between clenched teeth, trying to seem calm.

“Nope. You want to chew me out, right here will do just fine.” She fluttered her lashes at him, folding her arms at her hips.

“I deserve a vacation with my bride. I never stopped you from going off with David on the canyon trip last month, nor with Mark to Coral Springs the month before that!” Malek exclaimed.

Ferina stared Malek down for a good long minute, and gave an ugly laugh. “You could have come if you wanted but you never asked.”

“That’s because I would rather slice off my own ears than listen to my sister’s vacation sex moaning!”

I sat at the edge of Malek’s bed, put my feet up and watched my favorite tv show. The adorable demon’s sibling squabble hour. Normally I hated watching people fight but this was different. Every word they threw at each other was so carefully chosen so as to not cross a line. It was angry, but playful and serious, yet hilarious. Every jab showed more and more just how much they loved each other in their own imperfect way.

As a woman with no siblings or family, I envied them. But being allowed to watch them like this filled a family shaped void in me that I didn’t even realize needed filling.

Their argument devolved into a struggle, not one of violence, but the kind you might see between two puppies. Ferina wrestled her brother to the floor and Malek fell willingly, holding back his strength so as to not hurt his sister.

Their tussle turned to laughter, and I wondered just how a demon with such a profound ability to love could be planning a war that would plunge the world into mass death and darkness. Malek was truly a complex being of extreme duplicity.

Yet, that goodness that shined through him was all the evidence I needed to make sure that he wasn’t unreachable. There had to be some way for me to break down his rigid walls and make him see that this world wasn’t something he needed to control.

It was time to head to the resort and Malek had packed so many suitcases you’d think we’d be gone for months instead of a couple days. When Ferina called this place an interdimensional resort, I didn’t know what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t this.

We stood in the hallway just outside of the library. A wide floor length mirror reflected Malek, our mountainous pile of suitcases and me.

Malek silently watched his own reflection as if expecting something to happen. Several minutes passed and nothing changed.

I was about to ask him what exactly we were waiting for, when a short man appeared in the mirror. He had a gray beard that dragged on the floor and a black baggy hat that made him look like one of the dwarves in Snow White. He stepped out from behind Malek’s reflection. Strangely, he only existed in the mirror .

“Welcome to the portal to Sandalia, my King and Lady. Before your transmission, would you like me to send your luggage directly to your room so you can start today’s activities immediately upon arrival?” he asked.

“That will be perfect. Thank you,” Malek said.

---