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FILLED WITH UNACCUSTOMED power, Azazel left Onvier’s mansion and took to the sky. He flew over the wealthy suburbs and crossed the river to the Vampire District. Raum’s scouts were everywhere and he didn’t want them to know he’d been in the Fae District.
The demon landed in one of the filthy, dark alleyways and lifted the heavy metal door that led to the catacombs. His physical strength had increased along with his demonic power. The minion who was watching the door cowered away from his glowing red eyes. As Raum’s second in command, Azazel was at the top of the demon hierarchy. Soon, he would be at the very top and everyone would bow down to him.
Azazel strode through the tunnels and spied a lowly female scurrying down a side pathway. Half his size, she had mossy green skin and spindly wings with a membrane that was almost thin enough to see through. “You!” he barked and the hell spawn froze.
She cast a look over her scaly, misshapen shoulder and blinked her glowing green eyes at him. “Yes, my lord?” she asked in a high-pitched, squeaky voice.
“Come with me,” Azazel ordered. She bowed subserviently, but he could see she was quaking in fear as she followed him. She had to run to keep up with his far longer strides as he made his way to his private chambers.
Opening the door, Azazel motioned for the lesser demon to enter first. She hurried past him and wrinkled her nose at the smell of old blood, waste and terror. The witch he’d forced to torture herself to death had expired. He’d dumped her body in the refuse pit where all of their rubbish went. Seeing the torture implements on the table and the shackles on the wall, his newest victim hugged herself and began to whimper in fear.
Azazel closed and locked the door, then put his huge hand on the lesser demon’s shoulder. She squeaked in terror and he grinned savagely. Nothing gave him joy like causing pain and fear to his victims. “You’re going to help me with an experiment,” he told her as he propelled her across the room.
“I’ll do anything you wish, my lord,” she said in a voice that shook almost as much as her legs.
It wasn’t uncommon for demons to torture each other for pleasure. She had no idea she wouldn’t be leaving this room alive. He sneered inwardly that she probably thought he would just satiate his lusts on her, then let her go. Hell spawn were far tougher than humans. She would last a lot longer than the witch had, but he didn’t intend to use the tools on her. He needed to figure out how strong his demonic magic was now that his power had been boosted so much.
Azazel shackled the minion to the wall, then stood back to study her. She kept her eyes lowered and her shoulders hunched. He reached inwards to call up the blackest magic that only the most powerful hell spawn could use. He’d only ever been able to conjure up a small amount of his essence before. Now, it rose at his call and swirled around him, waiting for him to use it as he saw fit.
Feeling his power, his victim head shot up and her eyes widened with increased fear. “That feels similar to Raum’s magic, my lord,” she said and licked her dry lips with her green tongue.
“Does it?” Azazel asked in a pleased tone. “Am I as strong as he is?”
She hesitated, then nodded, but he knew she was lying. “I think so, my lord,” she said nervously. “I’ve never been as close to him as I am to you right now, though, so I can’t be sure.”
Azazel knew he still fell short of Raum’s might, but he was confident Onvier would be able to change that. The more power the elf stole from the members of his guild, the stronger their triumvirate would become. “You’ve never felt the caress of our ruler’s magic?” he asked as he stalked closer to the minion.
“No, my lord,” she confessed, then shied away when he lifted his hand and reached out to stroke a talon down her cheek.
“You’re in for a treat,” he said with a grin. He placed his hand on her head, then blasted her with his demonic essence.
Convulsing as torment unlike anything she’d ever felt before flowed through her, her jaw clenched and her eyes rolled back in her head. She couldn’t move and her shrieks of agony were muffled by her teeth that were locked together. Dark magic permeated her every cell. It made her feel as if her insides were on fire and were being melted with acid at the same time.
Azazel withdrew his demonic essence and examined the small demon. Her jaw unlocked and she slumped to the floor. She was panting in agony and drool dripped to the ground. Her muscles twitched constantly, as if she was still being tortured. She’d lost control of her bowels and sat in a puddle of urine and feces. “It hurts, doesn’t it?” he said, then chuckled. He’d suffered this torment himself countless times over the centuries that he’d lived in hell. Raum had tortured him for a full decade until he’d sworn his everlasting loyalty to him.
The fear of having the demonic essence poured into him had been enough to ensure he would never turn on his master. Things had changed after Raum had decided to come to Nox. He’d become caught up in making deals with numerous secret allies. Raum didn’t confide in his second in command. He expected Azazel to blindly follow his orders and to be an obedient lackey. Azazel had watched how the other Districts were run and had become increasingly unhappy with his lot in life. When Guild Master Onvier had approached him with the proposition of becoming his ally, he’d realized this could be the key to gaining his freedom.
Azazel practiced his new magic on the minion until she passed out from exhaustion. His grin was wide and joyful even though his quarters stank like a latrine. He couldn’t wait to be able to turn the tide on his master. “Soon, Raum will know what it feels like to be chained and to be subjected to the agonies of demonic essence,” he whispered, clenching and unclenching his fists in anticipation.
That would have to wait until his triumvirate had gained enough power to take down the leaders of Nox. Until then, he would have to hide his new strength and pretend that nothing had changed. Raum was cunning and not much got past him, but he was also arrogant. He didn’t believe anyone would actually have the courage to defy him. The demon lord would soon find out how wrong he was.
The minion groaned as she roused from unconsciousness. Her eyes had barely opened before she was slammed with demonic essence again. Azazel wanted to make sure he had full command of his power before he challenged his master.
