Page 24 of Her Demon Daddy

A bright blue light makes me flinch. It shoots down from the sky and lands on the grass next to me before opening up into a large circle. Dark purple lines swarm through it, and I can tell Oltyx has sent me a portal.

I look at my men and the xaphan, my heart racing and adrenaline pumping. I have to decide before time starts again. In a panic, I get the men that have survived and bring them to the portal, pushing them through until I’m the last one left.

I look around at the xaphan and dead demons in the clearing and close my eyes.This better be worth it,I think as I jump in after my men.

I tumble onto dry sand and cough it out of my lungs. Turning on my back, I look at a dark sky with lightning rushing through it. There are no xaphan in sight.

I get up and look around at my men. They’re still tranced but getting their bearings back. I look up, see a castle high on a sanded hill, and laugh.

“I did it,” I whisper through chuckles. “I saved them. I’m their leader.”

My face falls, and my eyes brighten with hope as I look at them in their confused state. They don’t know where they are or who they are. I laugh again as I stand up and look at the castle. Oltyx hasn’t only saved my life, but he’s also given me the most incredible opportunity of my life.

“I can be their King,” I whisper as the electricity flows through the sky above me. “Iamtheir King.”

I shoot up in bed and clutch my chest. I’m drenched in sweat again, and my head is pounding. I look at Siara next to me in bed and rub my hands over my face. I look around at the castle I first saw that day when I arrived through Oltyx’s portal and shake my head. I thought to myself before I leaped into that portal that this better be worth it, and now, I’m not sure it was.

13

SIARA

Ifeel my body turn over in the sheets as I begin to wake. The brightness shining through my eyelids makes me crack them, and I see Asmodeus sitting on the edge of the bed, looking out the window. The crack of sunshine in the stormy skies makes his contours even more defined, and I look at him in amazement.

I can’t believe he showed me his face, much less that he slept with me. I feel giddy and hopeful as I stare at him in silence. I wonder where his head is as he leans back and the definitive lines of his back muscles flex.

I remember how he held me last night before we came together. He looked into my eyes intentionally, like he wanted me to know how much he cared. I’m trying not to get too ahead of myself, but my feelings for him are getting stronger. They’re to the point that I don’t care that he’s a demon. In my eyes, he’s as much a human as I am. He's just taken a different path in life. We come from two different worlds, but we’ve been able to meet in the middle. isn’t that what all love is, anyway?

Still, I don’t understand why he hides his face, and his servants in the castle have to be blind. Is he that embarrassed by his looks? He’s gorgeous in so many ways. His jawline is sharp and accentuated, while his eyes are pure black, they reflect whatever’s in front of them like a crystal ball, and his skin is light-gray, which only makes his facial definition more prominent.

I move slightly in the sheets, and the sound makes him turn around and look at me. He smiles, the first one I’ve ever seen on his face, and leans over the bed to kiss me.

“Good morning,” he whispers.

“Good morning,” I echo as I place my hand on his cheek lightly.

He kisses it and stands up, the rays of the sun casting a shadow over the right side of his contoured abs. “I have something for you.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes.” He holds up a finger and walks toward the door. “I’ll be right back.”

He leaves, and at first, I wonder why he didn’t put on his robes. I sigh and shake my head. I keep forgetting all of his servants are blind. This is such an odd kingdom.

I roll over closer to the window and rest my head on my hand as I look out at the landscape. The wind isn’t blowing very hard today, so no sand is getting kicked up from the ground. The clouds look a little less dark, and part of me feels like the weather is almost reflecting my emotions.

He enters the room, and I turn around to see him holding a tray of food. My mouth opens in shock, and I shake my head, chuckling. Sitting up in bed, I look at the display he’s brought me and grin at him.

His servants would bring us food. the fact that he got it for me himself makes me elated. I watch as he sets it down in front of me and feel him kiss me before I take a bite of the bread on the plate.

“Now, when did I become important enough for a King to serve me breakfast?” I joke.

He smiles, almost sadly, as he sits next to me on the bed. He looks at the sheets, and I wonder if I’ve offended him. He recovers quickly and grins at me again. “King is only a title…” He pauses and looks out the window. “That’s something I wish I had learned a long time ago.” He waves his hand and laughs awkwardly, almost as if he’s dismissing his own comment, before he gazes at me. “Will you let me take you on a proper tour of the palace later?”

“Yes, of course!” I exclaim. I’ve wanted to see more of the rooms that seem to be hidden among the long, winding hallways.

“Great.” He stands and calls in his servants.

I quickly pull the covers over me, horrified because I’m still naked. “Asmodeus!” I whisper angrily. “What are you doing?”

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