“No!” I grit through my teeth as he throws me against the opposite wall of my exit. A high pitch ringing blasts in my head, causing me to wince.
Just as I’m getting my bearings, he is in front of me, one of his hands grabbing my entire mouth and silencing the scream I release. The opposite grabs my shirt and bra in one go, easily tearing the fabric and shrugging it to the ground.
Alaric, please come in, you filthy fucking bitch!
I thrust a solid kick at him, but as before with my punch, it does nothing but make him laugh through a sinister sneer. As his fingers hookunder my pants, I scream through his palm. My head jerking from side to side while I try to bite at his flesh. The swings I throw at him are more like me just wailing, until I nick my own arm in the process and draw blood.
The moment he stretches out my pants, the soft tearing of fabric bouncing around in my head, I crystalize daggers of my blood and pierce them right into his eyes.
He justfucking sighs. Piece of shit.
As I release a scream, my solid crimson melts into a liquid that pours down his cheeks. It’s barely visible against his skin, and as he grins, my blood spilling over his lips, hetsksme. The tearing of my pants isn’t as smooth as my shirt, and he struggles through my kicking.
Damn it!My eyes dart beyond him to the door that stays motionless.Gods be damned!
“Someone’s coming for you. He will not touch you.”I don’t recognize the male voice in my head, but I don’t lean into the security it tries to give me.
In a move that cracks the wooden bookshelves behind me, he pushes against me and steps away, leaving me standing here naked. My clothes are either shredded on the floor or lazily hanging at my boots.
The moment I suck in a deep breath, it escapes as a deafening scream.
“All the fucking same!” I drag my arm over my breasts, squeezing tightly and shaking my head. My opposite hand comes to cover my pussy. “All of you. Mortals, Demons, Fallen; fucking filth.”
“Move your arms.”
“Fuck you, you piece of shit. You’ll have to take my limbs off to see me. Have fun raping a godsdamn potato.”
The moment he’s going for his pants, I close my eyes.
Just as I’m about to withdraw into myself and become an empty shell, the door swings open, causing an involuntary gasp to escape my throat. I brace myself to see that holy bitch standing there, ready to throw him the nastiest look I can muster for taking his sweet-ass time.
Except, it isn’t him.
Cascading black hair drapes all the way to the floor, framing an oval face that I’d classify asperfect. Eyes that are blue with flecks of gold stare right into mine, and a sensation of calm washes over me. A cradle of warmth cups my heart and tears pool into my eyes.
“Vile, Belial. Fucking one of our daughters.”
“Several times removed,” he growls. “What are you doing here?”
This hadn’t been my plan. Not to seeher, but holy fuck, my knees shake as I quickly fall to them.
The black dress that curtains her pale form cuts deep to her belly button, showing off her chest that rises as she takes a deep breath. Shebrushes past Belial, and comes to kneel in front of me. At our closeness, I can see the light freckles on her face that are splattered from cheek to cheek like stars in the sky.
Her light pink lips slightly part, but just as she’s about to speak, Belial roars, “You aren’t meant to be here, Proserpina!”
“Nor is she,” she says, drawing her hand up to caress down my cheek. “You know better, my love.”
I was unsure of what I’d feel, or do, if I ever met her. I imagined she’d be as evil as the ruler of the Beyond himself. But she’s gentle with me, and for the first time in over ten years, I crave that. The care I missed from my mother washes over me, and tears fall as I blink them away.
Her opposite hand, the one not cradling my face, slides down my shoulder, and the weight of it draws my gaze down. The same gown she wears now drapes overme.
As her hand moves to cup my cheeks, she begins to rise, and as though commanded, I stand with her. We’re nearly the same height; she might have an inch or two on me, but not much.
“You should not have come.” She leans in and presses her lips to my forehead. “My husband is not to summon you. I know you are young and do not understand the way things work yet, but?—”
“I can do what I please—” Belial shouts, but as if someone hit the mute button on a remote, the room shrouds in silence.
“Only I can do that.” She draws her hands across my face, pulling strains of my hair behind my ear and down to my chest. “Your eyes ask a million questions. Unfortunately, I do not like to get involved with conflicts revolving around the mortal world.”
