Princess of Lust (For the Love of Evil) (3 page)

Raum wasn’t helping the situation, either. While he was a potential blood mate to Natalia, he didn’t have the same right to her affections Gregor did as her concubine, but he still loved her and she loved him. Considering Raum had a concubine of his own, he knew how she felt about Gregor. He would no more harm Gregor than he would harm her, but if Gregor continued to try to keep them apart, she was afraid Raum would do…something. She didn’t know what, but she could sense his patience with her concubine reaching the snapping point.

She sighed and thumped her head against the gilded window frame of her carriage. She would talk to her father when they returned and ask him for advice on how to handle this love triangle. Well, actually, it was a love pentagon, because she also had carnal relations with the captain of her guard, Eline, and Raum’s concubine Kirin, but they didn’t seem to bother Gregor as much. It was probably because Gregor had become friends with Eline’s concubine and knew Eline loved her very much, and Kirin was the closest thing he had to a friend in Hell. Raum loved his concubine as well, but because Kirin was another male, Gregor didn’t view their relationship the same way.

If only she could get him to understand that her heart, her emotions weren’t those of a true human. She had more than enough love for all of the men, and she loved them each in different ways. The dark part of her soul, her demonic essence, viewed each man as her lover. Raum was the master of her heart, and when they were together she yearned to submit to him. Gregor was the keeper of her heart, the man she trusted beyond all others. Because of their psychic bond, she knew without a doubt Gregor would never hurt her. And last but not least, Eline guarded her heart. Like a knight of old, he would fight for her to the death.

Eline rode on one side of her coach, mounted on her Nightmare. He was the only person other than Natalia that Nightmare would let ride her, and they made quite a picture together. The liquid black silk of the horse’s coat blended into Eline’s shiny, onyx-black armor. His demon-pale skin had hints of subtle gray to it, and he constantly scanned the surroundings. He was such a handsome man. The memory of his powerful thighs flexing against her bottom as she rode him seared through her. An echo of her lust must have reached Eline because he turned to the carriage and caught her staring.

Embarrassment heated her cheeks, and she slumped back, staring out the opposite window as his muffled laughter came through the window. She pretended she didn’t hear him and resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him. She kept on waiting for one of them to demand that she be theirs alone, but other than Gregor, everyone seemed perfectly content to share her time. Though she’d been in Hell for months now, it didn’t change the fact she’d been raised in the mortal world, where a woman indulging in her passions got labeled as a whore. Some members of the Court of Lust would view her blushing as a sign of her humanity, a weakness to be exploited for their own benefit.

She closed her eyes and took in deep, cleansing breaths in an attempt to clear her mind. Her soul held a staggering amount of power, and she needed to keep her focus on it. The sumptuous silver silk seats embroidered with her father’s crest in scarlet thread were far more comfortable than anything she’d ever felt on mortal earth and the countryside slowly rolling past her window was as beautiful as any she’d seen. Too bad the peaceful image was ruined by one of her personal guards riding next to the coach, his black armor gleaming as he constantly scanned the surrounding area. She was tempted to ask him to move, but an unobstructed line of sight seemed like a petty request when it could make her vulnerable to attack.

The energy from the stone shifted in her body, and she groaned softly as her bones ached. If only she had made the transition to full demon, she would be able to do this and so much more for her father. Every day, she heard about how she was too mortal to do this type of demonic magic, or too human to endure that particular spell. It frustrated her that no one could tell her when or even if she would ever make the full transition.

She glanced at her pale arms, trying to imagine her skin lit with the iridescent shimmer that all full demons had. Her short nails would become golden claws, and she would even develop retractable fangs. Already her eyes shifted colors when she was in the grips of a strong emotion, but she had yet to master the ability of speaking in others’ minds—something all true demons learned not long after puberty. The best she could do was a vague trickle of emotion, so subtle that the person she tried to communicate with couldn’t even be sure if it was their emotion or hers.

The wheels of the carriage clattered as they went from the dirt road to the giant paving stones leading to her father’s palace. She leaned her cheek against the window, looking into the sky where the shining black towers pierced the gold-and bronze-laced clouds. Somewhere inside, her father waited for them. The closer they got to the palace, the more the energy strained to escape her grip—as if sensing its true master nearby.

Raum helped her from the carriage with Gregor a split second behind. She took Raum’s hand as he led her down and didn’t miss the murderous glare Gregor gave his back. Kirin stood off to the side, and his hand stroked his hip where his sword would have been. Eline gave her a questioning glance, but she shook her head minutely. He bowed and left, leading Nightmare into the stables.

“I want you to come to my estate after this, Natalia,” Raum murmured as he slid his lips over her knuckles. Passion filled his voice and phantom hands caressed her hips. “Let me take care of you.”

A pleasant burn resounded through her body, and she had to stiffen her spine to keep her focus. “I need to finish setting up my apartments in the palace.”

Gregor gave Raum a nasty smirk. “Yes, we need to pick out our bed.”

Raum’s smile revealed his fangs. “Make sure it’s one big enough to hold me, and Kirin as well. I know how much you love being pressed between us.”

Gregor’s face flushed, and he took a small step forward. “Funny, I’ve never needed another man in bed to satisfy her. Is Kirin your stud horse? Does he have to finish the job you can only start?”

Kirin gave Gregor a hard glare. “That was uncalled for.”

Natalia leaned back against the side of the coach, clutching her aching head as they argued. Their anger, resentment, and jealousy battered at her shields, and each harsh word became a small cut on her soul. She whimpered but the soft noise was drowned out beneath the increasing shouts of all three men as their anger exploded. At the harsh scrape of steel being drawn out of its sheath, she struggled to open her eyes past the pain. Raum had drawn his sword about halfway out, but Kirin stepped in front of Gregor with his hands held out, fighting to keep the men from each other.

She tried to speak, tried to stop them, but it was all she could to control the power inside of her, surging and lurching like a restless animal against the bars of its cage. Black spots danced before her eyes, and her body became a battleground. What would come first? Would she pass out, throw up, or be incinerated from the inside out by her father’s power?

“Silence!”

The stern female voice rolled through the stone courtyard, rebounding until it echoed with the power of a deep compulsion. Man and demon alike clapped their hands to their ears, and Natalia crumpled to her feet, her forehead pressed to the smooth stones. Immediately, hands grabbed at her and the men started to snarl at each other again, but in much lower voices this time.

“Back off. I’ve got her.”

“Get your damned claws off her, she’s my mistress and the palace is our home.”

“You’re nothing but an ignorant human—”

Galina’s silken voice cut through their growls. “Have you lost your minds? Look at what you’re doing to her!”

Natalia struggled to sit, ignoring the male hands attempting to support her. She reached out and Galina, her father’s head concubine, clasped her hand and helped pull her to her feet. As usual, the beautiful woman was magnificently dressed in an almost transparent peach gown that showcased her spectacular body, but only a fool would miss the strength and power emanating from her. “Thank you.”

“Captain Eline, your lady needs you.”

Raum stepped into her line of sight, his sensual mouth tight with worry. “I—”

“You’ll return at once to your estate until the high prince summons you.” Raum started to protest but Galina held up her hand. She narrowed her eyes at him and said in a warning growl, “That is a direct order from the high prince, General Raum. Ignore it at your own peril.”

Natalia scarcely paid any attention to the drama around her. The ache in her bones was back again, worse now that they were at the seat of her father’s power. His essence had been poured into the stones of the palace and the energy inside her wanted to return to its source. She could almost pinpoint where her father was, somewhere far above them in the westernmost tower.

Big arms lifted her, and she pressed her face against the smooth metal covering Eline’s chest. He smelled of man, leather, and a scent she could only identify as
hers
. As she clung to his powerful frame, taking strength from their connection, she heard Galina talking with Gregor in a low voice. “Pull yourself together. She needs you right now. The power of the cornerstone is trying to break free and your anger is destroying her shields.” Gregor said something too soft to hear and Galina sighed. “I know. Trust me, I know. After we get this over with, I promise I’ll have a talk with him.”

At some point Eline had taken off his gauntlets, because he began to softly stroke her hair back from her face, careful not to disturb the dragon-skin diadem covering the top part of her head. Even when he began to walk he didn’t stop the slow, steady drag of his fingers as he ran his hands over and over in a soothing motion. Oddly, it reminded her of the way her mother had stroked her when she was sick, and her heart ached for one more touch of her mother’s hands. She wondered if her mother and the man she’d known as her father had been given a proper burial and what the people of Kazan, Russia thought about Natalia’s disappearance. Did they think she killed her parents?

Goose bumps broke out over her body as they entered the transportation orb that would take them to her father’s section of the palace. Transportation—yet another bit of magic she was too human to do. Even the lowest devil could use the orbs, but she had to be escorted through them. They exited the mist and she turned her head to see what level they had come out in. Rather than approaching her father’s personal suites, they were on one of the many public areas that serviced the inhabitants of the Court of Lust. Even after spending the last few months in Hell, she still hadn’t seen all of the palace.

This particular area boasted silver-laced black marble floors reflecting the people strolling over it almost like a mirror. High above, a magical night sky with the twin moons of Hell glowed down, providing a soft, cool light. White stone pillars, carved to resemble trees, held up the ceiling behind the illusion. Among the bare branches of the trees, will-o’-the-wisps glowed in different jewel-toned lights. Damned souls, devils, demons, and a scattering of human concubines gathered in small clusters of conversation beneath the tree boughs.

“Where are we? What are we doing here?” she asked in a soft whisper.

Eline kept pace with Galina. “This is the Minor Court of the Succubus. The high prince is meeting with the queen of the succubi and we are to meet him at her chambers.”

All too aware of the crowd tracking their progress, Natalia didn’t ask any more questions. A pretty maid in a black dress and lacy white apron dropped into a curtsy as they passed. Natalia turned her head and looked around, noticing a distinct lack of males on this floor.

As usual, a hiss of whispers followed in their wake as they passed. Gossip was always a favored pastime of any royal court, but when that court hovered on the brink of war, rumors seemed to take on a life of their own. She wanted to tell Eline to set her down so she could project strength by walking on her own two feet, but she was afraid she would fall and that would be even worse than being carried. Galina and the other ladies of the court had tried to teach her the manners of a noble, but Natalia had a hard time remembering what to do. As Asmodeus’s only living child, she should be a symbol of his power and strength, but unfortunately all most demons and devils saw when they looked at her was her humanity.

Energy hummed and shivered over Natalia’s skin. Eline must have noticed it because his grip on her tightened and he resumed stroking her face. Nausea began to knot her stomach and she groaned softly as the motion of Eline’s gait made it worse.

“Almost there,” he whispered against the top of her head. “Just hold on a bit longer, my princess.”

They reached a set of silver double doors engraved with sinuous forms of nude women arranged in graceful poses. On either side of the entrance, five guards stood in full battle armor. The helmeted figure to the right of the door stepped forward as they neared. It was only when the figure spoke that Natalia realized the guard was a female.

“Greetings, Princess. The High Prince Asmodeus and Lady Pyriel are awaiting you inside.” She knelt and held out both of her hands. “Captain Eline, I would be honored to escort the Princess inside.”

Natalia looked in confusion at Eline and he said in a low voice, “Men don’t…do well in the presence of the succubus queen. Especially not in her private chambers.”

“Oh, of course.” She slowly slid down his armor-covered torso, faintly wishing they were alone and she could feel the magnificent body beneath the metal.

Eline placed a gentle kiss on her inner wrist. “Lady Pyriel is one of your father’s staunchest allies. Nothing will happen to you while you’re in her care. I will wait out here.”

The female guard held out her arm, and Natalia was of a mind to refuse it, but the power from the cornerstone seemed to be traveling through her limbs right now and she could scarcely feel them. It was akin to having a leg fall asleep and trying to walk on it. She took the guard’s offered arm and held on tight as they entered the suite where her father waited.