Page 36 of Ashes to Ashes

“I am not distracted,” he replied sharply, flicking a hand dismissively at the demon.

“But you’ve hardly paid attention to our reports,” another minion chimed in nervously. “Is everything all right?”

Leviathan’s eyes flashed with annoyance as he turned to face them. “Do not question me,” he growled. “I am the prince of this realm, and I will do as I please.”

The demons fell silent, suitably cowed by their master’s words. They knew better than to cross Leviathan when he was in a foul mood.

But even as he asserted his dominance over them, Leviathan couldn’t help but notice a sense of unease gnawing at him. It was true that Ashe’s presence in his dungeon had distracted him from his duties as a ruler, but it wasn’t just that. There was something about her that called to him - something beyond her beauty or her fiery spirit.

“Why have you not killed her yet?” one of the demons dared to ask.

Leviathan stiffened at the question, feeling a surge of possessiveness rise within him. He knew the others were waiting for an answer as well.

“This is why you’ve not killed her,” another voice spoke up before Leviathan could respond. It belonged to Azazel, one of his most trusted advisors and closest confidants.

Leviathan turned to face Azazel, who met his gaze unflinchingly.

“Another moment in her presence would plague you after,” Azazel was too smart for his own good.

“Silence!” He commanded, his voice echoing off the stone walls. “The affairs of the human have no bearing on this meeting or any other unless I see fit to include it.” His words carried with it the power of a demon prince, forcing his will to flow from himand remind the others of their place. “We will focus on Belial’s murder and nothing more.”

After listening to the voices for a moment, Leviathan turned his gaze back to them. They all knew better than to question his commands, yet their hunger for power and lust for destructive fun was too strong. But he could sense they’d only dared ask because of his preoccupation with the human girl, Ashe.

He wondered why she danced in his mind as he closed his eyes in frustration. Her image made him feel alive and breathless with desire, yet she was nothing more than a simple plaything. . . or so he tried to convince himself. Yet it seemed that even though he knew better, he couldn’t control his thoughts of her. He could almost imagine the taste of her sweetness on his tongue, daring to believe she would gaspe when he kissed her softly, so passionately, wanting him to stop but unable to resist it as she melted against him like she was made just for him.

In the eyes of demons, humans were nothing more than playthings for their twisted desires - kill or fuck. They could either be used and discarded like broken toys or released to roam free in a world they barely understood. His mind was consumed with thoughts of her, and it troubled him deeply.

As he opened his eyes once more, he saw Azazel’s gaze on his, unblinking and accusing as if knowing exactly what Leviathan was thinking about— Ashe. He didn’t like it when anyone knew his secrets, especially not about something so personal and weakening. Still, they had more pressing matters at hand. Belial’s murder.

“Go,” Leviathan commanded to the others sternly. “Take care of your own plans.” Without waiting for their responses, he dismissed them from the room with an elegant wave of his hand. The air whistled through the space where they once stood as they left him alone with his thoughts about her - which only madehim worry more about what would happen if they continued down this path together.

He needed to destroy the human, but only after getting the answers he needed to dispose of her mortal coil.

CHAPTER 19

Ashe’s eyes drifted out of focus as she stared into the bleak void that had become her world. Time seemed to blur together in this desolate realm, making it impossible for her to distinguish between days and weeks. The dim daylight provided little relief, casting everything in a perpetual gloom. And the emptiness of the land only amplified the overwhelming sense of loneliness. Even her meals appeared as if by magic, seemingly materializing in thin air and leaving the same way. The emptiness of the dungeon only amplified the overwhelming sense of loneliness.

She could not remember the exact moment when she gave up hope of saving herself and Lily, but it seemed like ages ago. Without any contact, Ashe would never convince Leviathan she owned the necklace.

And the thoughts of his last word—her terror that there could be some truth to them—they haunted her every time she shut her eyes.

Ashe lifted her head from off her arms, her neck cracking from so little activity. The gown was heavy and soiled, but it was all she had to protect her modesty in the event that someone did enter. Her usually lustrous hair lay in tangles around her face,and her skin had lost its rosy glow. She had become a shadow of the person she once was.

With a sigh, Ashe forced herself to her feet, clutching the bars for balance as she stumbled over to the water basin she’d had delivered last night. The chilled water did little to revive her weary spirit but at least it cleared the cobwebs from her mind and wet her parched mouth.

Despite her attempts to push it away, thoughts of Leviathan plagued Ashe’s mind as frequently as memories of home. His all-encompassing presence had lured her in, and with each passing moment spent in solitude, Ashe felt her desire for him grow stronger. She was afraid of his envious hold on her, yet she couldn’t deny the pull towards him that tugged at her heart and mind.

Stop it,she hissed at herself, knowing that replaying their night together was futile and likely the realm playing tricks on her mind. But when her thoughts weren’t on him, they were on the preposterous notion that she was somehow a demon, not that Lily had merely enchanted the ring too well.

Her bare feet found purchase on the damp stone floor, each step echoing loudly in the otherwise silent chamber. The stench of her own body grew horrendous, and she wished that someone would come and offer her a way to cleanse herself.

The faintest creak snapped her gaze out through the bars of the cell. It had been so long since Ashe heard the sound of the door, she assumed her mind played tricks on her.

Only, the faint boom of it shutting was so real she worried she’d finally begun to lose her mind. The sound of footsteps echoing down the corridor grew louder and louder, seeming to grow closer.

As a slight vibration traveled across the soles of her feet, Ashe realized someone had truly come. These sounds were not in her head.

Her heart raced faster, her breath catching in her throat. It seemed like an eternity before the visitor appeared before her cell.

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