Page 18 of King's Obsession

Being with Dougal sure made a difference to his spirit. Asmodeus got a sense that those in his realm were going to need to get used to this side of him because when he looked at Dougal’s eyes gleaming with amusement, he couldn’t find it in him to care what others thought—only what his blissful one thought of him.

It took much longer to get to the scroll room with the number of times they came across someone that Asmodeus felt compelled to introduce Dougal to. The words ‘blissful one’ slipped off his tongue so easily by the time he opened the door to the scroll room, he didn’t even hesitate when Rote came forward, looking perplexed. “Rote, this is my blissful one, Dougal.”

The historian gawped. There was no other word for it as he stared at Dougal like Asmodeus had suggested he was a mass murderer of demons. Shock and horror etched themselves into his features. “Your Highness…”

He didn’t appear to have anything more to say by the length of time that passed before Dougal offered his hand. “So, you’re the historian I feel I need to apologize to.”

“You do?” gasped Rote, automatically taking the hand.

Dougal glanced about the room, showing interest. “Yes, I do.” His free hand swept towards the enormous stacks and shelves. “I seem to have kept you busy for some time.”

“You have?” Rote bobbed his head in Asmodeus’s direction, a look of terror there. “I’m unsure how.”

Dougal chuckled and let go of Rote’s limp hand. “Asmodeus needed some answers, did he not?”

“Blissful one…” Rote’s attention waved between the two of them, his lips slapping together uselessly. “All this time?” he whispered, the terror not diminishing, and Asmodeus understood why. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. If I had—”

“Doesn’t matter now,” he said, waving off the concern, doing his best to keep his thoughts on the subject to himself. Rote was not to blame for wasted time. That was all him, so to distract everyone, he pulled a seat from the large table in the middle of the room. “Why don’t you sit, Dougal, and Rote will give you a brief rundown of the history of the demon realm.”

“I will?” Rote said, his voice several octaves higher than normal.

“Yes.” He scowled at the other demon. “You will.”

Dougal patted Asmodeus’s hand and took the seat. “Why don’t you tell me, and Rote can fill in any bits you miss out?”

Rote looked so relieved, whereas Asmodeus didn’t know how Dougal’s affable smile could make him do exactly what the troll wanted. Yet, moments later, there he was, sitting in a seat next to him, dragging several scrolls closer that Rote had brought to the table, thinking about where to start. “What do you want to know?”

“How did you become king?”

Chapter Eleven

Dougal

“The old family blood business is a big deal in your realm, isn’t it?” It was hours later, and Dougal had been quietly pleased that Asmodeus wanted to spend the night at Dougal’s house in the forest. Whether it was because Dougal’s mattress was more comfortable, or Asmodeus thought he’d sleep better if he didn’t have to worry about daggers and claws coming at them while they slept, Dougal wasn’t sure. But his mate looked a lot happier the moment they stepped through the portal.

Asmodeus yawned. He had stretched out on the couch, his feet up, in his human form this time. “You heard what Rote said. Back before there was a royal family, the demons living in the realm were literally tearing themselves apart. Families went to war with each other over stupid things. Finally, enough clear heads got together, one of them being my great-great-grandfather, and they determined that the only way to resolve family differences was to have one family who would make the laws everyone would have to abide by and rule them all.”

“And that was based on the one who had the longest true bloodline?” Dougal added some herbs to his cauldron that was quietly simmering over his fire and then scooped out two mugs of his cider before going over to the couch. Asmodeus moved just enough to give Dougal room to sit down.

“I’m not sure it was an exact science.” Asmodeus sipped the brew and smiled his thanks. “In those early days, brute strength played a big part as well. There were probably three or four family elders who were in the running for the position of the first king, so they held a competition among those family leaders and my great-great-grandfather came out on top.” He took another sip from his mug. “If that hadn’t happened, I might never have met you.”

“I’m sure the Fates would’ve found a way.” Dougal chuckled. “Go on. Explain to me how we wouldn’t have met if your great-great-grandfather hadn’t become the first demon king.”

“I only found you that first time because of the portal.” Asmodeus seemed very definite about that. “That portal was only available to royal family members. So, if I hadn’t been a direct descendant of the demon king, I wouldn’t have turned up in your forest that fateful day.”

“You could’ve translocated.” Dougal put his feet up on his battered coffee table and leaned his shoulder against his mate. “All the other demons I’ve met over the centuries—none of them have access to a portal. Only you. Everyone else just zaps between the realms. I assume you can, too.”

“I can do anything any other demon can do, and more.”

Dougal suppressed a smirk. His mate had done very well, handling the many demons they’d met that day and not tearing their skin from their bones. Dougal didn’t think he’d met so many entitled assholes in his life.

“The portal brought me here.” Asmodeus was clearly still thinking of what Dougal had said. “It brought me to this forest and to you.” He turned, his eyes narrowing. “Have any other demons ever come through that portal before or since?”

“No. As I say, the ones I see all zap or take a taxi here.”

“Ah, that’s it.” Asmodeus raised his finger in the air, a triumphant look on his face. “I remember now. Any demon that’s been here before, who has ‘zapped’, as you call it, they could all be traced. Translocating leaves a magical signature that can be followed. The portal allows the ruling king the chance to go to any realm they choose without the use of translocation. The crystals that create the portal prevent that movement between realms from being tracked.”

“Hmm.” Dougal rubbed the bristles on his chin. His beard would need tidying up before the party Asmodeus was so determined to hold. “So, you used the portal to go to other realms as well?”

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