Page 11 of A Study of Blood and Ichor

“How well did she fuck when she warmed your bed?”

Luke’s shields must have faltered yesterday when Vain made the comment that got under not only my skin, but likely his as well.

I extended three fingers toward the wards and swirled them in the air once. Vain roared in agony as Rory’s body convulsed.

I needed to be precise and articulate with my spells. Weaving my magic into a balance of pain to hurt Vain, while inflicting the least amount of physical damage to Rory was an intricate dance. All the hexes I knew that were capable of breaking most demons would be far too risky to attempt unless I wanted to scar Rory for life. So, I settled on a minor torture charm that had served me well in the past.

I bit my bottom lip to keep myself from grinning ear to ear at Vain’s screams. With another swirl of my fingers, I let the spell fall away, leaving the demon panting while still splayed out before me.

“You’re a cruel little thing,” Vain said through labored breaths.

I stopped in front of the demon as it craned its head toward me again. “I never claimed to play nice.”

Vain winced, then its eyes softened. “Despite being the monster you think I am, would you believe me if I told you that it would be in all our best interests if you let me go?”

“If you’re trying to compel me, it won’t work.” I motioned to the wards. “Your glamours hold no power while you’re within the pentagram.”

“I won’t have to compel you to do anything,” it said. “You’ll soon be eager to obey all on your own.”

A small laugh escaped my throat. “You are so desperate and pathetic, it’s almost charming. After we’ve exorcised you from Rory, maybe I won’t banish you straight back to Gehenna. I think you might deserve to be chained down here for eternity.”

The demon growled but sounded more pleased than angry when it said, “You love degrading me, don’t you?”

I stiffened but held my gaze. “Seems like you love it too.”

The hardening bulge beneath Rory’s dark jeans proved it. Was I sick for enjoying toying with Vain as much as I did?

“Can you blame me for indulging?” it said. “The thought of you taking me brings me the utmost pleasure.”

“I would never give you the satisfaction,” I said, thankful the demon couldn’t see my toes curl inside my shoes.

“That sounds like a fun challenge. If you let me go, I can prove my worth to you.”

“If you want me to let you go, then you’re going to have to beg.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

Vain’s eyes widened. “What?”

What, indeed.

“You heard me.” I crouched in front of the demon, my arm resting on one knee as I held its bemused stare. “Beg.”

The demon laughed again, this time throwing its head back. The flash of teeth was nothing short of predatory. “Tempted, are we? Are you trying to turn me on?”

I ignored the question. “I can make your time here a living hell if I want to, worse than Gehenna itself. I can find ways to make you experience pain you’ve only imagined in your nightmares. I can break you. All you have to do is say one little word, and maybe then I’ll consider holding back.”

Vain was smiling, shooting me that adoring, malevolent gaze again through darkened eyes that I could only glimpse beneath the sweep of Rory's hair that fell forward. Ominous and alluring. Villainous and worshiping. That look alone could be my undoing.

“Please,” Vain growled softly.

It was a fascinating thing to hear a demon submit as I held them prostrate. The sound of it was nearly intoxicating. I leaned in closer. “Again.”

“Please.”

The space between my thighs throbbed at the sound of its velvety voice, shaking me out of my power-hungry haze.

What the hell was I doing? I was actually enjoying the feeling of a demon submitting to me. It felt…thrilling, dangerous. Exciting.

And I needed to stop before it got out of hand.

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