Page 123 of Unbinding the Demon
As I admired the tranquil scenery of the lake and the glimmering ice-adorned mountains behind it, I thought of the night Azathoth and I had spent out there in the boat. I smiled at the treasured memory of us professing our love to one another and snuggled closer against him. I realized it didn’t matter where we were because my home would always be in the arms of the demon whom I loved.
“Azathoth?” I asked, interrupting our silent moment.
“Yes, Buttercup?”
My thumb caressed the back of his tattooed hand. “Do you remember when you first asked me if I loved you, and then you asked if I would ever leave this world with you?”
He turned to look at my profile with love twinkling in his golden gaze. I was still staring off toward the mountains. “Yes,” he whispered, and a smile fluttered across my lips.
“I would still leave this world with you.” My words were soft, almost a whisper, as I continued to peer over at the golden, glittering peaks. “Even to Hell.” I turned to meet his gaze with the smile still on my face.
His citrine eyes glowed with overwhelming love, mirroring the gilded sunrise which softly bathed his features.“Oh gosh! Aza—”He abruptly yanked me up onto his lap and cut off my startled gibbering with an excited kiss. One of his hands caressed my cold, rosy cheek, while the other held me firmly against him. His lips smiled with joy as they danced against mine, the world glittering all around us. My hands glided up his warm, hard chest, then wrapped around his neck, burying themselves in his lustrous obsidian locks.
He gazed at me with complete adoration as he pulled away, taking his time. “I love you,” he whispered breathily, a smile dancing on his lips as his thumb tenderly brushed my cheekbone.
“And I love you,” I said with a slight giggle. “But, um, I don’t think I’m ready to go just yet. Not after everything that's happened,” I added with reluctance, while shifting my gaze back and forth between his eyes.
His smile softened and a look of compassion fell across his face. “I understand and agree. You need time to grieve and heal.” He placed yet another tender kiss on my forehead, holding me close. “We’ll leave whenever you’re ready. I don’t care if it takes a week or a decade; I’ll gladly wait for you. There’s no rush.”
“Thank you.” I squeezed him and nuzzled into the crook of his neck. “So, what was the third thing Aunt Elowynn asked of you?”
A sly, wicked grin stretched across his face. “Well, it was an easy commitment, since it was something I already fully intended to do.” He shrugged. “She gave me her blessing and had me promise to love and take care of you...for all eternity.”
I scoffed playfully and played it cool, even though his words made my heart flip with joy and butterflies flutter in my stomach. “Yeah, well, I still haven’t agreed to be your bride or whatever for all eternity. Maybe I should make you earn your way into fulfilling that promise,” I teased.
“You’re right, you haven’t agreed to be my bride for all eternity...yet. But you’re still mine for all eternity.” He hugged me tighter while laughing evilly like the psychotic devil he was. I gave him anare-you-fucking-kidding-me?look. “When you drank of my evil, that strengthened the bond which my claim creates to the point of no return. It’s unbreakable now. Even if one of us were to die, it would remain. We’d just have to wait for the other to reincarnate, that’s all.” I glared at him as he peppered kisses all over my irritated face. “You’re quite literally stuck with me forever, Buttercup.” He booped my nose. I angrily bit at his dumb finger, causing him to chuckle. “Hey, don’t get all feisty on me! I got Elowynn’s blessing to do what I did, and I now have a necromantic covenant to uphold, after all!”
I may have acted angry, but deep down I was thrilled and comforted knowing he’d always be with me. Besides, if Aunt Elowynn gave him her blessing, then what the hell, fuck it! I trusted her judgment enough to gladly stay with a crazed, menacing demon for all eternity! I was madly in love with the big, diabolical oaf, after all, and there was no one else I’d rather spend the rest of my life with.
“So now what? Are you going to scorch my soul or whatever it was to complete our weird matrimony thing?” I questioned, waving my hand in a circle.
He laughed again. “Yes, but not yet. I don’t intend to do it while your grief is so fresh. Once it’s subsided enough, then I’ll properly ask you to become my bride. I don’t wish to force or rush you into the final step.”
“Thank you.” I smiled up at him with a look of love.
The snowflakes continued to twinkle around us in whimsical whirls, as his lips charmed mine into a loving kiss. I quivered beneath his warm, spellbinding touch, enjoying the comfort of his strong embrace. Once the kiss broke, emerald green connected with glistening gold, and we stared deeply into each other’s eyes.
“Azathoth, I’m glad that you’re my demon.” I gently placed my hand on his cheek.
He leaned into my touch with a loving smile. “And I’m glad that you’re my Buttercup.”
We stayed within our ivory canopy of oak and ice for a while longer until the golden dawn resigned to the midmorning sun. Once we went inside, we sat with William by the warmth of the crackling fire and drank some hot tea. Although the rest of the day was filled with heavy sorrow and grieving, I was grateful to have had Azathoth by my side to comfort me through it.
And as we continued to mourn the loss of our loved ones, the wintry skies continued to weep their glittering tears.
51. The Dreamscape Seas
-Five months later-
Bright beams of late afternoon cascaded down from the crystal-clear skies and glimmered upon the frolicking waves. Salty sea winds whipped the flying Jolly Roger, displaying a menacing skull and crossbones. White sails billowed in the breeze, and the ocean waters crashed against the mighty vessel. It rocked to the deadly lullaby of the sea as if hummed by Poseidon himself. A noisy flock of seagulls squawked as they circled overhead, while dolphins jumped playfully through the lustrous waves.
My ruffled blue Victorian dress flounced in the breeze, with my breasts threatening to burst from the tightly corseted bodice. They heaved within the confines of the white lacy frills that adorned the edges, as I struggled against the thick ropes that wrapped several times around my upper body. I was bound to the ship’s mainmast, a captive of the sea.
As I grumbled and squirmed, a group of unruly marauders boisterously cheered, celebrating the victory of my capture. “Avast ye, hearties...” A crusty old salt with an eye patch, a missing tooth, and an unkempt gray beard said as he pointed to me with his tarnished cutlass. “We’ll be gettin’ a mighty fine ransom for this one!”
The rambunctious gang of filthy sea looters applauded. “Splice the mainbrace!“ one of them yelled as they sloppily poured celebratory rum into mugs all around.“Drink up, me hearties! Yo-ho!”
As the crew lauded about their triumph, an eerie ocean wind blew through my long, wavy locks. It slightly messed up my elegant half-up bun and thick side braids. Dark, foreboding clouds crept over the horizon. They suffocated the sun and brought an unsettling sense of dread along with them.
