Page 16 of Spring's Descent

“Stop!”

His voice reverberated through me, coaxing that dark, wicked part of myself to listen. Gods, he must be powerful. Only upper level demons were able to open the rift between realms. And it sounded like he was having no trouble keeping up with me, despite how depleted his magic stores must have been.

His presence alone made every inch of my skin tingle with electricity, the intensity growing as his thundering footsteps closed in.

Just a few more steps and I would reach the water.

“I said stop, little witch.” This time his voice was a whisper, the heat of his breath fanning my ear as if he were speaking to a lover rather than his prey.

Before I could do anything but gasp, my feet were lifted from the ground. Dark shadows wrapped around my waist, yanking me backward. I thrashed against his magic, the water’s edge rippling with the splash of stones I’d kicked.

I knew what he would do, what all demons did to their victims. He would use me to feed from, drinking in every drop of fear I could give him before handing me to The Night Children to use as a blood source. Or maybe he would sell me to someone else to use for breeding. Either way, I’d beused.

My lungs pulled in quick, shallow breaths as fear tightened my throat. More shadows wrapped around my wrists and ankles, making it impossible for me to get away.

Black boots crunched over citrine gems, the toes of them coming into view as his shadows held me in place. Tears burned my eyes, borne of shame and anger and an overwhelming sense of failing. The shredded material of my dress was doused in red, my skin a macabre painting of shallow cuts and bruises.

“Look at me,” the demon growled.

“Fuck off?—”

A gasp pulled from my lips as his magic wrenched my wrists overhead, forcing my chest out. I fought for balance, but his shadows held me suspended, the toes of my boots just barely grazing the ground.

My chest heaved as I gritted my teeth against the pain. I was an unawakened witch, already captured and unable to access even a sliver of earth magic. In all actuality, I was probably going to die down here, but I needed to try. If not for my sake then for Lark’s.

Being sure to take my time, I followed his command. My eyes lingered over thick thighs, the muscles beneath his pants just as sculpted as the chiseled planes of his chest. His arms were bands of muscles, the veins along his forearms standing out as his fingers flexed, maintaining control of the shadows that bound me.

I continued up—gods was he tall—to appreciate how his dark hair was cropped short along the sides, the longer pieces on top ending with a slight, stylish curl.

Forcing my chin up, I finally met his gaze. They looked like they’d been cut from the purest sapphires, the blues made even more alluring by the swirling flecks of midnight within. They held rage and power and a hard, commanding glint that showed he was someone accustomed to others bowing before him.

Every piece of him was perfection, as if an artist had glimpsed inside my mind and crafted him just for me.

Down girl.Why was it always the murderous ones that turned me on?

His lungs expanded around a large inhale, his lips twitching as if he knew exactly what I was feeling. As if he couldscentme. With renewed horror, I realized he could.

Higher level demons of The Dark Faction were said to have descended from blood witches who once lived in The Realm of the Living. They were among the first group of followers to worship Hades, and in exchange he gifted them power from The Underworld.

There were great advantages, such as heightened senses: sight, smell, even the ability to heal. But death corrupts. Unlike earth magic, which sought to give, death magic demanded a sacrifice. It consumed, feeding on life like fire on gasoline.

Judging by the widening smirk across his face, it appeared my demon wasn’t just physically strong, but magically as well, meaning he knew every dirty thought I’d just had about him.

Humiliation heated my face as I jerked against his shadows, but it only served to push my chest out further.

“No need for that, little witch. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.” He took a step closer as his eyes roved over my body. He cocked his head to the side. “Unless you enjoy the humiliation.”

“What do you want from me?” I meant it to come out strong, but the words were little more than a whisper as my thighs clenched under his probing gaze.

“Many things,” he said, his lips stretching into a wide grin. “But I wonder, what is it thatyouwant?”

I opened my mouth to tell him exactly what I wanted, but a thick band of shadows wrapped between my lips, gagging me, before I could. With a twitch of his fingers, his shadows were moving, tracing soft patterns down my suspended arms.

My breathing hitched as their caresses drifted lower, trailing along my ribs, grazing the tops of my aching breasts. A shiver rocked through me as I arched into his phantom touch, my eyes fluttering closed as I willed them to explore more, unable to resist the pull toward him.

The pads of his fingers came to my jaw, tilting my face up to his. “You look so beautiful, gagged and bound before me.”

I whimpered.