Page 114 of Demons & Damnation

“Will you ever feel anything for me, Cassia? Anything more than just care and goodwill?”

“Octavio,” Cassia replied, her voice quiet and calm, despite her rapidly paling colour. “I am married to Lucius. To your brother. I love him. We have a child together. I will always love you, Octavio, but only as my husband’s brother. Out of respect for yours and his relationship I have said nothing to him, but you need to stop this before I say something to him. This has gone on too long.”

Tears started welling in Kyla’s eyes as she forced herself to watch the scene unfold. As Octavio’s face clouded with hurt and rejection, he lunged at Cassia. She jumped back but found herself restrained by the grip he still had on her wrist.

Pulling her back towards him, he swung them around and pressed her back against the wall. With her free hand, Cassia slapped at him, screaming at him to let her go, to stop.

Octavio released her wrist, giving the woman both hands to now push back at him. However, seconds later, he grabbed both of her hands in one of his. Pushing them against the wall, he rested them on the top of her head, keeping them in place with his fingers whilst using his palm to push against her forehead and keep her head still.

Realising all she had left was the use of her legs, Cassia kicked out at him, yelling at the top of her lungs for him to take a moment and think about what he was doing.

Locked in some kind of trance, Octavio ignored her completely. When she next kicked a leg out at him, he pushed his thigh against her, trapping her leg between him and the wall and placing himself right between her legs.

As he fiddled with his robes and then lifted Cassia’s, Kyla felt her heart go into overdrive. She knew what was coming, why the brothers were now demons, there was only one way this could end, but a small part of her still hoped the woman would fight her way out.

Kyla shut her eyes and turned away, her legs trembling as her tears spilled down over her cheeks. When Cassia fell silent, Kyla knew.

Hearing a loud grunt a minute or so later, Kyla choked back a sob. When she felt an arm slide around her shoulders, she screamed and scuttled sideways, opening her eyes to see Azazel staring at her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I thought...” she looked over at the scene still playing out before them. “I thought it was him.”

Octavio released Cassia. Without even giving her another glance, he turned and stormed away, his shoulders tense and his back ramrod straight. Cassia collapsed onto the floor, sobbing her heart out as she quivered all over.

The agony piercing Azazel’s eyes made Kyla want to kill Balthazar for him, and for what he did to Cassia. The woman had shown him nothing but kindness.

“Let’s go,” Azazel said, holding his hand out for Kyla.

She hesitated, not sure what she would see next. So far, the only demonic act had come from Balthazar. What had Azazel done to deserve being a demon?

Placing her hand in his, they walked back out into the street, time flashed by them, day blurring into night over and over. Heading them back into his house, Azazel stood them in the entrance way.

Kyla watched as a tired looking Lucius appeared, his face thinner but his muscles more defined, his clothes dirty and dishevelled. He’d clearly been away at war. “How long after is this?”

Azazel sighed. “About four months.”

Kyla’s heart stopped. No, she thought. No, no, no.

Lucius strode into the kitchen, his handsome face creased into a huge smile. Upon seeing her husband, Cassia ran at him, throwing her arms around his neck.

“I love you,” she cried, burying her face in his neck as tears poured from her.

Lucius pulled back from their embrace, his eyes scanning over her. “What’s wrong, my love? Don’t cry. I’m home now.”

Cassia, like a floodgate had been opened, let everything pour out of her, all the emotion she’d kept bottled since that fateful night.

Taking her into their bedroom, Lucius settled her on his lap and coaxed her to tell him what was wrong.

“Something awful happened. A man came in the night...” She recalled the events of that night to him without telling Lucius who the man was.

Lucius, visibly raging at his wife’s tale, shook all over, his hands clenching into fists as his face turned bright red. “Who was it?”

Cassia bit her lip. “I don’t know. I couldn’t see him.”

Kyla sucked in a sharp breath. “What?”

“She didn’t want to ruin our relationship,” Azazel said. “Even to the end she was nothing but selfless.”

“Lucius,” Cassia said, placing her hand on his cheek. “I’m bearing his child. I don’t want it. You need to kill me.”

Kyla whirled around to face Azazel head on, her eyes wide. “Tell me you didn’t kill her.”

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