Page 7 of Sins of the Succubus

He shoves me towards the door, and I stumble out, my cheek stinging and my heart heavy.

As the pain pulses through me, my mind drifts back to a time when life held promise. I remember sitting by the river near our village, weaving flower crowns and dreaming of the day I'd meet my true love. In my childish fantasies, he was always kind and gentle, with eyes that sparkled when he looked at me.

A bitter laugh nearly escapes my lips. How naive I was.

Reality crashes down on me as I hear the rowdy voices from the bar. My husband's words echo in my head: "Make sure our new friend is well taken care of."

I close my eyes, fighting back tears. What if one day, I end up pregnant? Whose child would it be? The thought makes me sick.

"Neela!" My husband's voice cuts through my thoughts. "Get out there now!"

I take a deep breath and step out. He grabs my arm, his fingers digging into my flesh as he steers me towards the bar.

"See that one?" He points to a dark-haired figure seated alone. Even from here, I can feel an aura of power radiating from him. "That's the demon. Go. Talk to him. Do whatever he wants."

I swallow hard. "But I?—"

"No buts," he hisses. "This could be huge for the bar. For us."

"You mean for you," I mutter.

He tightens his grip. "What was that?"

"Nothing," I say quickly.

"You'll do as I say, Neela. Remember your place,” he threatens, my mutterings clearly not flying under his nose unheard.

"My place?" I repeat in outrage, letting my anger get the best of me. "Is that what you call this hell you've trapped me in?"

Thaelar raises his hand, ready to hit me for a third time. I fight the instinct to flinch away, to make myself as small as possible the same way I have since I married this monster.

"Go ahead," I grit out instead. "Give these fine patrons a show. I'm sure they'd love to see how you treat your prized possession."

Thaelar’s eyes dart around the room and his hand quickly returns to his side. “This isn’t over,” he promises before stomping away.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what's to come. My husband's threat hangs over me like a storm cloud, his words echoing in my mind.

With leaden feet, I make my way towards the demon. He sits alone at the bar, an aura of power and danger radiating from him. As I draw closer, I notice how different he looks from the other patrons. His features are too perfect, too sharp. His eyes, when they meet mine, seem to hold the depths of the Abyss itself.

5

DREMLOR

Ilean back in my chair, a smirk playing on my lips as I watch the scene unfold before me. The dark elf, all puffed up with his own importance, gesticulates wildly at the human woman. She's a sight to behold, that one. Her feline eyes flash with a fury that would make lesser beings cower.

"You'll do as I say, Neela," the dark elf snarls, his voice grating on my nerves. "Remember your place."

Neela. It rolls off the tongue like silk, fitting for a creature of such exquisite beauty. She stands her ground, chin raised in defiance.

"My place?" she hisses. "Is that what you call this hell you've trapped me in?"

I can't help but chuckle. Her spirit is as intoxicating as her appearance. The dark elf's face contorts with rage, his hand raised as if to strike her. I tense, ready to intervene, but Neela beats me to it.

"Go ahead," she taunts. "Give these fine patrons a show. I'm sure they'd love to see how you treat your prized possession."

Fuck me, but she's got balls. I've seen countless beings in my time, but never one quite like her. The despair that drew me herestill clings to her like a second skin, yet beneath it burns a fire that refuses to be extinguished.

The dark elf lowers his hand, his eyes darting around the room. "This isn't over," he growls, before stomping off.