Page 1 of Controller's Obsession

Chapter One

Merihem

King Asmodeus glanced at Merihem, and that one look said it all. Merihem was in the demon shit. The level was yet to bedetermined. He didn’t have to wait long when Asmodeus said, “Your actions have no rational basis, Merihem.”

Being forcibly taken to Dakata’s family home so Asmodeus could confront his friend's action in the demon realm, which Merihem had aided and abetted, didn’t seem like such a good idea now the demon king was furious with him, too.

“He came at my request,” Dakata, his closest and best friend, defended. “They all did.” Merihem didn’t need to look at the others in the room to scent their fear. Dakata’s family had all helped their brother seek out the dryad Wanda in the demon realm. It was the destruction and death that came afterwards that had pissed off the king.

“I’m well aware of who aided you, Dakata. And as this is a situation, not encountered in many eons, I will need to seek council.” Asmodeus’s gaze swept the room, landing on each individual. “That does not mean this is an end to this matter. There will be consequences, as no one has the authority to run amok in my realmwithout my permission.”

With that threat barely hitting the air, Asmodeus whisked them, as in himself and Merihem, back to his palace, leaving the others behind, likely quaking in their boots. Merihem barely gained his footing when the King sat on his throne silently.

Oh fuck, he’s brooding. This was not good!

In all the years he’d been ‘Controller’, Merihem had never pissed off Asmodeus enough to gain a threat or reprimand.

Asmodeus held all of Merihem’s attention as the King of Demons tapped his long claws against the arm of the chair, looking down his long, thin nose at Merihem. “Can you explain why I shouldn’t cast you into purgatory for the part you played in the destruction of Dusken?” His tone was almost bored while he continued to tap his claws. Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap…

Such a ploy did not fool Merihem. Others had let their guard down and found themselves flayed alive for their stupidity and Merihem tried to avoid such a state. He had been Controller in the demon realm and, subsequently, the human realm too, for long enough to know he was in serious trouble.

His position gave him a lot of power and prestige, something he’d enjoyed. That was what he’d used to aid Silas, Dakata’s blissful one, to find Wanda, Silas’s sister.

A prat in the demon realm had mouthed off about Dakata’s situation and, in turn had left Dakata vulnerable to attack. A position Merihem held a lot of guilt for, as well as a weight of responsibility. So, he had not considered fully—before helping his friend—just how furious Dakata would be. Never having had a blissful one—not that Merihem wanted one—he’d misjudged the destruction and mayhem Dakata would cause in his rampage.

Stupid—he couldn’t deny it.

Considering everything now, he chose his words carefully. “Your Highness, Dakata’s stressful situation brought out my need to assist him, as I have done since childhood. I made an error injudgement by not coming to you first. I apologize. In my defense, Wanda had limited time with her life connected directly to that of her trees.”

“What concern is that of ours?” Asmodeus asked, just the faintest hint of irritation as his fangs clicked together.

“Dakata explained that Silas is his blissful one. That connection is something we were taught to hold as sacred. That we should honor that above all else.”

At least Merihem was hoping he’d remembered what they’d taught him in demon school correctly. He’d not heard of an actual case before Dakata. The problem was that he didn’t need to see the skepticism from their ruler. He had heard it when Asmodeus stated to Dakata that he’d need to seek advice. He never did that—ever.Asmodeus was rattled by Dakata’s blissful one and that didn’t bode well for anyone in the demon realm.

The huge demon rose from the ornate chair that sat in the middle of a room that, though in the demon realm, looked more like a human’s home, only more decadent. Walls adorned in deep purple velvet matched the plump leather seats of the same color. The only chair that wasn’t purple was the gold and black ornate throne the king used. The Persian rugs scattered over the black marble were older than Merihem.

He moved silently towards Merihem, his coal-black eyes held Merihem’s as he towered over him by half a foot. He was by far the biggest in the demon realm. Clawed fingers ran overMerihem’s cheek, down to his throat, the claws digging in, giving him a reminder of exactly who was in charge.

Merihem didn’t breathe or dare to swallow as they stared at each other, both weighing up the situation. Only one was in control, and it wasn’t him.

Asmodeus’s eyes flashed red, and his lips rose in a sinister smile. His lips moved, and Gebre appeared in the room, Merihem’s underling.

“Gebre, how far are you from completing your controller training?”

Merihem winced at the reality of being stripped of his role and responsibilities.

“Your Highness, if intensified, three or four days should see me ready.”

He’d never be ready in Merihem’s opinion because the other demon enjoyed some aspects of his role a little too much. Gebre relished the kill, prolonged it beyond what Merihem would class as necessary.

“Good.” The claws drew blood as Merihem started to sweat about what was about to happen. The red ate up all of Asmodeus’s eyes. “Finish his training, ex-Controller then you will find yourself banished to the human realm to helpyour frienduntil I find the answers I seek.”

Four days later, that threat, the one that Merihem had hoped wouldn’t happen, did. In Dakata’s office, Merihem jabbed a finger into Dakata’s massive chest, uncaring he was provoking his friend. “Asmodeus, he sent me here as a punishment for helping you without seeking permission. I’m stuck in this realm until,”—his fingers made a motion for inverted commas—“I prove I can be trusted.” It stung. Asmodeus had been so fucking vague, it just added to the overall pissyness of the situation.

“Did he say how?” questioned Dakata, looking concerned.

“To keep your siblings in order!” Merihem grumbled, sagging as he said it. He glanced at Luka and Christa and groaned. “It’s fucking babysitting. How damn degrading is that?”

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