2 YEARS AGO.
Lilith could hear her heart pound rapidly in her chest as she raced down the steps of the underground Passage Rebekah had told her about. Her feet slapping the stone floors coupled with her frantic pants were the only sounds that could be heard in the dark tunnel. An old escape tunnel made in the Castle for the royal family in case of an emergency. An emergency such as this one.
Signifying its lack of use, the bricks of the tunnel walls were cracked and dust-laden and that was only what her weak eyes could pick up in the dark passageway. The occasional squeak of a rodent echoed but Lilith had no intention of lingering around long enough to find the source of the sound. Even when she felt something creep over her bare feet, she didn’t look down to find out what it was.
She had to escape.
This tunnel was her only hope because the moment she got caught, the moment Octavier laid his hands on her would be the end of life as she knew it.
She had to leave her home.
The once beautiful castle had been taken over by the sorcerer, Octavier the Mad, an especially powerful member of the great sorceri. The fiend had fallen upon their kingdom like a storm, clearing anyone and anything that stood in his way, including her father.
In the battle to capture the Castle, the Silva Fae king had stood no chance despite being a very powerful magic user himself. The once adored king had fallen miserably and now his decapitated head served as an ornament for the castle gates for all to see.
Lilith had rid her stomach of all its contents the moment she saw her father's head strewn over the castle gates. The sight still haunted her dreams. Her loving father who’d done anything and everything in his power to please her, her father who would shed tears whenever she boded ill, that same father had fought to protect her from Octavier and had fallen as a result.
Her older brother, the heir to the throne was now imprisoned in the dungeons of the very castle that was supposed to be his and her mother had taken her own life at the sight of her mate's dead body. Lilith had received special treatment. Rather than a dungeon, she’d been kept locked up in her room with guards constantly watching her to avoid her escape.
The fiend, Octavier visited her occasionally trying actively to coerce the marriage vows that would bind her to him for eternity. Before he’d laid an attack on her home, he had constantly sent marriage proposals to her, ones her father rejected without a second thought. For obvious reasons. She didn't understand what he needed her for but she wasn't willing to find out. With a man like Octavier, it could never be anything good.
She couldn’t help but feel her refusal to marry him was what led to the downfall of her family and kingdom. The thought of surrendering herself to him crossed her mind many times but each time she would remind herself that her father had died trying to keep her out of Octavier’s clutches. His death wouldn’t be in vain.
In the time she was kept locked up, Lilith had fallen ill and as a result, Rebekah had been called upon. Rebekah was Lilith's aunt and also the doctor who was responsible for Lilith until she came of age. Rebekah, having examined Lilith, determined that Lilith's ailment was merely the result of mental fatigue. With all that had happened in the past couple of days, it was to be expected.
However, the doctor had lied about the gravity of Lilith's illness in order to return and care for the girl. To Rebekah, Lilith was like her own child and she would do anything to protect her. Under the guise of treatment, Rebekah had informed Lilith of the secret passage that led to a portal, one that would take Lilith far away from Silva and far away from Octavier's clutches.
On that night, during the change of guards, Lilith slipped out of the room and headed towards the passage. She left a clone of herself in the room to deceive anyone that went to check up on her and buy her some time but with her clumsy magic she didn't know how long it would last. She had to get as far away as possible before they figured out she had escaped. Sprinting like she never had before Lilith thought inwardly,
'I'd rather die than get caught here.'
PRESENT TIME.
Music, booze, women. There was once a time when Dion had thought these things his sanctuary. After all, they were things he’d long been forced to go without.
Back home he felt constantly pressured. He always had to put up a front so as not to disgrace his family. He was from the most noble (uptight) demon race in existence, the Plaxus. They prided themselves in their morality and control in comparison to other demon races and as a prince, he was expected to be the embodiment of that control. Even if it meant denying himself the things he wanted the most.
It took a mere two hundred years for him to grow weary of the lifestyle. He vowed he wouldn't live the rest of his immortal life constrained and miserable so he left the Plaxus plain, finding solace in the mortal realm.
Now here he was, In a bar specifically for immortals, surrounded by the things he once coveted and yet he felt lacking. Like a crucial part of his being was missing.
"Dion my man!" a strong hand slapped his back while the owner sank into the couch beside him. Asher, a good friend of his and the biggest hedonist he knew was the culprit. The burly male brought a glass of booze to his lips while his deep brown eyes were trained on a scantily dressed nymph in front of him.
"Where's Malcom?" Dion asked. Malcom was his best friend, a former vampire mercenary who had quit to spend more time with his mate, a fae girl he had saved from traders. No one had expected the turn of events with Malcom but Dion was glad to see him happy. As if on cue, a tall, lean but muscular man walked into the bar with his arm around a small redhead. His blood-red eyes were trained on her with a content smile playing on his lips. Dion still found it surprising to see that sort of smile on Malcolm's face.
As he stared at the couple walking towards their table, Dion felt his chest tighten and he frowned. Lately, whenever he saw the two together he would feel this way but he couldn't understand why.
"The love birds were making out in the car so I left before they could make me feel any more uncomfortable." Asher answered. Malcom and his mate, Olivia slid into the chairs across Dion and Asher.
"Long time no see Dion!" Malcom spoke with that smile on his face
"Indeed." Dion agreed "You don't seem to have my time much since you quit.” Malcom had been the first friend Dion made after leaving Plaxus. So out of sheer boredom, he’d frequently accompanied the vampire on various jobs, including the one that had led to Malcom crossing paths with Olivia for the first time.
At that moment a bare-chested nymph slid into the couch right beside Dion a seductive smile plastered on her face. There was once a time he would have gladly indulged the lustful female but now all he felt was irritation. If someone had told him he would grow tired of tupping random females, he never would have believed.
"Ah, I do apologise for that. I just can't stand to leave her alone for too long." Malcom gave Olivia's thigh a squeeze. By now another nymph had attached herself to Asher, the one he had his eyes on earlier. She positioned herself in his lap while his big hand roamed her fair thigh. The nymph beside Dion started to get ideas cause she traced her clawed fingers up his thigh.
"I can’t complain, I'm just glad you're happy." Dion forced a smile and they continued to talk, catching up on things and talking about anything random. Talking with Malcom had lightened Dion's mood a bit, momentarily distracting him from the strange sensation in his chest. By now Asher and the nymph were having a full-blown make-out session, while Olivia rolled her eyes at the two.
The nymph beside Dion was clearly becoming impatient with the absence of a response from him. She started to trail her clawed finger towards his crotch and Dion slapped her hand away in response. He glared down at her and she shrunk back with fear, he wasn't aware but his eyes had begun to change into the black colour characteristic to demons. The nymph stumbled away from their table obviously not wanting to face the wrath of a demon.
Asher and Malcom watched the exchange with curious eyes, Dion was never one to turn down the advances of any female let alone a needy nymph. He had always made sure to enjoy pleasure wherever it was offered but here he was turning down a chance at good s*x.
"Is everything alright with you?" Malcom asked. Dion himself didn't understand what was wrong with him.
"I'm fine but I think I'll take a raincheck." Dion stood up to leave "We'll see some other day."
"Alright. . ."
As he headed towards the door, Dion turned back briefly just to catch Olivia looking up at Malcom with loving eyes, Malcom's expression mirroring hers.
As Dion stepped out, he had a passing thought,
'I'm jealous'