Page 10 of Ashes to Ashes

He leaned forward, devouring every word, watching her lips move as if they held him under some spell. Ashe was somethingrare and wondrous, something he had never encountered before. In this room full of debauchery and sinful passions, she was a flower growing from the cracks in the concrete, pure and untouched by the filth that surrounded her.

Envy creeped out.

His envy.

An envy whispering to steal her from Belial and make her his so that all would worship him and the prize he’d acquired.

Leviathan knew the sensation well, but had never bothered to learn how the recipient of it felt. A part of him wanted to snuff the stepmother out of existence purely for her poor choices.

This human, sold into slavery by her own stepmother, had no idea why she was there or what kind of demon had purchased her. She was a mystery to him, a puzzle he needed to solve - and keep close, if only for his own amusement.

Leviathan leaned against the cold marble wall, his black wings spreading out behind him he contemplated the strange desires merely listening to this female brought. His sharp features betrayed a mix of curiosity and possessiveness, unable to believe what he was hearing.

“And if you could go and make her live out her own bargain?” he asked, already knowing the answer from the pure anger radiating on the air around Ashe.

“Absolutely,” Ashe’s single word sliced through the air like knives as she spoke of the woman who raised her with such venom.

A shiver ran down his spine at the thought that such innocence could harbor such darkness within herself. “And what became of this stepmother? Shall we drag her here?” he asked softly, unable to hide the hunger in his voice now.

“I don’t know if she is still alive or not,” anger slipped into sadness as the glimmer of tears formed in her eyes.

Her words hung heavy in the room and filled him with an overwhelming sense of guilt. It was his sin that drew her here, and it was clear she could offer his realm nothing in the way of power. Even though he had no intention of hurting her, his envy grew stronger with each passing second. He couldn’t resist tracing a claw down her cheek gently before placing it on the back of her hand.

Her small intake of breath was enough to fill him with an emotion he didn’t take lightly.

Lust.

Her pulse quickened under his touch as Leviathan drew his fingers around her wrist. He leaned in closer, his dark eyes locked on hers as he spoke in a low, gravelly voice. “Tell me, little one, what is it you truly desire?”

Ashe’s breath hitched a second time at his words. He didn’t deal in desires, but at the end of every day, what a person desired most is what they envied in others. The ends were the same.

“I. . . ” she trailed off, allowing him to sense her confusion and hesitance.

He wasn’t known for being patient when it came to getting what he wanted. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled her off the chair and into his lap, his body stirring with her weight on him.

“Now,” he said firmly, turning to face her with an intensity in his gaze that made her visibly shiver. “Tell me your deepest desires.”

Ashe swallowed nervously and gazed into his eyes. Leviathan knew she would find herself lost in the depths if he willed it to be so, but he didn’t want that. Not yet, at least.

“I want. . . freedom,” she finally admitted in a small voice.

Leviathan arched an eyebrow in surprise at her answer. He had expected something more materialistic or self-serving from such a young woman placed in such circumstances.

“Freedom?” he repeated incredulously. Of all the things she could have chosen, he should have expected this one, but hadn’t.

“Yes,” Ashe nodded firmly now that she had said it out loud.

“And what would you do with this so-called freedom?” Leviathan challenged, his tone slightly mocking.

With a determined glint in her eye, she continued, “I will make sure that no matter where my stepmother may be, she finds herself here, even if it means sacrificing my own freedom in the process.” The words were spoken with a fierce determination and a sense of justice as if Ashe was willing to do whatever it took to bring retribution upon their oppressor. The air seemed to crackle with an energy of vengeance and resolve.

“I see,” Leviathan loosened his grip on her wrist.

Ashe leaped up, separating herself from him even though the look in her eyes gave away the desire she clearly felt.

“Very well, then. Perhaps one day Belial will allow you to make your own deal.” He rose, purposefully letting his wings stretch wide and graze her arm as he tucked them back against himself. Envy isn’t just for the living.”

Leviathan smirked, enjoying her attempt to hide her true thoughts from him with his little morsel of information. He was not fooled by her facade, but it amused him nonetheless. Still, if he were going to demand Belial sign over this creature’s soul, he needed to see if she ever felt envy.

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