| |
––––––––
RAUM WAS READY TO TEAR the head off the idiot who had interrupted him just as he’d been about to bring Ember to orgasm. “What?” he snarled down at the minion.
“I’m sorry, my lord,” the demon stammered, wringing his scaly hands together. “There’s a problem in the food markets in the catacombs.”
“Get Azazel to deal with it,” the Guild Master said. His temper was frayed and he was in no mood to deal with something so trivial.
“He’s not in his office, my lord,” the small brown creature said. His tail was curled around his leg and his knees were visibly shaking. So were his tiny, useless wings. “I couldn’t find him anywhere in the guildhall and he’s apparently not in our District, either.”
Raum took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. “What is the problem that’s so pressing that you need me to deal with it?” he asked. His painfully hard erection was fading now that the beautiful and extremely naked demoness was gone.
“An argument broke out among the stall owners,” the lackey said. “They’re fighting and are making a mess of the markets. The Mistress of the Markets was knocked out cold during the fray.”
Fights among hell spawn usually ended in death. Normally, Raum wouldn’t bother to intervene, but the stall owners were needed. They controlled the small supply of food the magic of Nox provided. Food was carefully rationed so everyone had at least something to eat. If they could pay for it, that was. “I’ll take care of it,” he said grudgingly, then flicked a look at his still open window. He was glad Ember had decided to visit him. With luck and patience, he was confident he would be able to win her over.
He mused about her reaction to him as he left the guildhall and headed for the closest entrance to the Demon District. Ember was far more vulnerable in her human form. Her body was soft and pliant and sensitive to his touch. He’d fantasized about having her naked and beneath him too many times to count. He’d come so close to having her, only for the opportunity to be rudely yanked away.
By the time he reached the food markets in the catacombs, his temper was white hot. Bodies lay here and there with teeth and claw marks mixed in with slices from the knives that were used to cut up the food. The brawl was still in full swing and no one was paying any attention to him. The stalls had been demolished and food had been sent flying everywhere. Hungry lesser demons were darting in and out, gathering up as much of the spoils as they could carry before fleeing.
The snarls, growls, grunts and screams of rage and pain would drown Raum out if he attempted to shout at them. There was only one way to put an end to the chaos, so he embraced his inner evil. Morphing into his demon form, Raum sent his demonic essence out and it sank into the brawling mob.
Taking a deep breath, he roared as loudly as he could and everyone froze in terror. He waited for them to turn to him in dread, then he brought them all to their knees with his demonic essence. “Are you mindless animals?” he shouted as they writhed in agony. “Are you no better than the rogues who infest the Shifter District?” Burning on the inside, they were beyond the ability to respond. “You will obey my rules, or you will face my wrath!” Raum thundered. To emphasize his threat, he blasted them with his demonic essence until their shrill screams and shrieks echoed throughout their District.
Withdrawing his power, Raum changed back to his human form and adjusted his cuffs. “I want to speak to the stall owners, if any of them are still alive,” he said icily.
Moaning and groaning in residual pain, the demons he hadn’t ordered to face him fled from the market. Only a few remained. They gathered around and clumped together, staring at the ground and quaking in terror. The Mistress of the Markets lay facedown on the ground, still out cold.
“Who instigated this fight?” the demon lord asked.
One of the stall owners pointed at a mauled body. “It was her, my lord,” he mumbled.
“Well, I suppose she’s beyond punishment now,” Raum said in annoyance. “You will all become slaves for a month to the demons of my choosing,” he declared. They blanched, but didn’t dare complain. “I will choose new owners of the stalls to replace you in your absence. If you grovel enough when your sentences are over, I may allow you to return to your positions.” His tone hinted that it would be very unlikely that they would succeed. He would speak to the Mistress of the Markets when she recovered and decide what her punishment would be.
“Yes, my lord,” they all chorused, still too afraid to meet his eyes.
Furious that he’d had to break up the fight and that so much food had been stolen, Raum returned to his office in the guildhall. He chose a minion to dictate his orders to, then chose some demons he knew to be at least somewhat sane and reliable to take over the stalls. He made a separate list of the hell spawn who would become slave masters for the offending fools. There was no need for him to check up on whether his orders were being obeyed. After the display of power he’d just shown them, no one would be stupid enough to defy him.
Sending the lackey away to carry out his orders with a wave of his hand, Raum sat back in his chair and swiveled around to face the window. It was too dark for him to see Ember, but he could sense her hunkered on the rooftop across the square. He couldn’t sense his second in command. Like the minion had said, Azazel wasn’t in the Demon Guildhall. If he also wasn’t in the catacombs, that meant he was probably meeting with Onvier. The pair were probably hatching more plans to inconvenience him right at this very moment.
Raum’s lip curled at the thought of the Magic Guild Master having control of Azazel. His second had always been malleable and easily led. It irked him that Azazel had given his loyalty to another. “After everything I’ve done for him, he dares to betray me,” the demon lord muttered darkly. Sure, he’d tortured him horribly, but he’d also elevated Azazel to the second highest position in the Demon Guild. “Damned ingrate,” he grumbled.
Rain blew through his window and wind scattered papers on his desk to the floor. He picked them up, then crossed to the window to close it. He knew Ember was watching him even though he couldn’t see her. Her eyesight was far better than his when she was in her demon form. He blew her a kiss, then chuckled when he pictured her screwing up her hideous face in disgust.
His mood lifted slightly as he took his seat again. Ember’s unexpected visit had worked in his favor. The demon could be charming when he wanted to be. He’d bedded plenty of women in his human form, so he knew how to bring them pleasure. A flicker of excitement rode down his spine at the memory of pinning the hellion to the ground in his demon form. It had been difficult to rein in his need for dominance and not to take her. It was going to be a struggle to woo the stubborn female, but he was determined to succeed. He’d given her a taste of what he could do to her. Now he just had to coax her into his bed so he could finish what he’d started.
A wide smile of anticipation lit up his face and hellfire danced in his eyes.
