Beneath the Watching

13. Stefan

13

STEFAN

The High Court was situated in a district of the Second Realm, a desolate wasteland equivalent to the human version of hell. The Realm was massive, sections of the world remaining unexplored by my peers or the inhabitants that existed for thousands of years without leaving their own, separate districts within the dimension.

After I’d transitioned myself into the courtyard of the large fortress, as was customary when one had been summoned, I was immediately accosted by the palace guards to have my business questioned. I stated the reasons for my arrival and was taken into another, smaller courtyard.

The landscaping changed from dried and cracked mud to a lush green carpet of grass lined with hedges of white flowers that bled crimson droplets rather than pollen.

It’d been many years since I’d last stepped foot inside the compound, and I had no remembrance of the flora or fauna. It occurred to me that perhaps Mabel would like a bouquet of unique flowers and made a mental note to bring some home.

The sky overhead was a deep navy blue with a brilliant yellow sun hanging low, the light emphasizing the blindingly bright ivory flowers and illuminating the red drips. Demons stripped of their corporeal forms known as wraiths glided along the grass, busy with whatever assignments they’d been tasked and largely ignoring me. Small yellow and black birds flitted about, dipping their long beaks into the flowers, and buzzing through the gray fog the beings left in their wake.

The atmosphere was heavy with a sense of foreboding and carried the weight of limitless authority. It was rare I was reminded of my place in the food chain, being so used to exerting my own will and having others fear me. Here, I was nothing more than a bug on an ant hill and I was very much not the one holding the magnifying glass.

I scanned for any lingering threats all while knowing I could be mercilessly cut down without warning. The stories of my kind being slaughtered for the slightest infraction were enough to keep me in check. I’d arrived unarmed as was required. Well, almost. They’d have to expect I’d strapped at least one spelled blade to my ankle though I was certain to be relieved of it quickly.

I climbed the steep incline of stairs leading to the guarded door. There was no way to estimate how long the trek took, with more steps appearing every time I’d thought I’d reach the end. Finally, I stopped outside the entrance and the keepers opened the double doors, waiting for me to walk through.

Immediately, I was enveloped in a scene engaging all my senses. The air was rich and fragrant, filled with the scent of blood, flowers, human flesh, and the smell of crystals—a fragrance only those of my kind could detect. My mouth moistened and I gave in to the pleasure and lust that coursed through my veins, allowing the ecstasy of temptation to flow if just for a moment.

“Stefan,” a familiar voice interrupted my moment of weakness. Josiah gazed at me with a smug smile, highly amused at my reaction to the assault on my spirit. “This way,” he directed, with an outstretched arm.

He was impeccably dressed, in a three-piece suit of the sharpest cut and finest quality, the hems of his pants precisely tailored to allow for glimpses of his well-heeled boots. They coordinated perfectly in light of their utilitarian purpose and appeared to have seen little, if any, action. I followed him to a desk, the milling occupants of the hall naturally and respectfully getting out of our way.

The woman behind the desk was exquisitely beautiful, her hair appearing as spun gold framing a face bearing bright emerald-green eyes. Despite her beauty, she was no competition for the girl waiting for me at home.

I felt this female human’s aura reaching for me, attempting to elicit a physical response and extended my own in refusal. Josiah chuckled lightly under his breath before arching a brow. I’d been here five minutes and already, I’d displayed another vulnerability as if I had shouted it from a rooftop.

“Place your hand on the counter,” the woman directed.

I did so and she tapped away at a screen. “Modernization,” the man beside me stated.

“I see that,” I replied to Josiah while my palm was scanned.

“It would be in your best interest to remove the blade from your leg,” he said as he turned toward me.

Sighing, I lifted my leg and unstrapped the metal, placing it in his outstretched hand. He tossed it on the desk and the woman grabbed it to tuck it somewhere underneath the counter. “I expect that will be returned to me?” I asked.

“Of course,” the man drawled, politely lying.

We headed out of the foyer and down a long hallway as I looked at the familiar furnishings. The black marble walls were filled with paintings and statues of Roman and Greek gods as well as various, other creatures. We passed an open atrium with pterodactyls hanging upside down from the rafters, swinging lazily as if there were a breeze. Creatures such as those thankfully hadn’t been seen in the Fourth Realm, much to the benefit of humans.

Josiah fished for information about Ilya and Ramone’s business, and I gave him as little as I could. It was easy, as I didn’t involve myself often, only offering the men the occasional bit of legal advice.

Clearly, Josiah knew more than he said but even his kind had their limitations, few as they may be. Ilya was brilliant in his work and knew exactly how to cover the true nature of what they did with elaborate sorcery and curses designed to prevent outside knowledge of the company’s inner workings.

“Your loyalty is admirable though perhaps misplaced,” Josiah remarked. “You know breaches in the hierarchy will not be tolerated.”

His words were spoken lightly but I knew the weight behind them. Ilya and the other man would only be left unchecked for so long. While it wasn’t my problem, I was mildly concerned for my friend. If he and Ramone continued their trajectory, they’d usurp their superiors. But Ilya knew how to take care of himself and must’ve known the risks.

By the time we reached our destination, Josiah had made it clear the High Court was aware of the mess my best friend had found himself in. They were tracking the progress of his woman, a source of magic, and the soap-opera like drama between Ilya and Ramone. He gave no opinion of the events; he’d merely divulged their awareness. There had to be a reason he’d given me this insight; nothing was done without an ulterior motive in the Court.

“May I ask what the interest is?” I glanced at him when we’d stopped outside the entrance to the throne room.

“You may. However, that is not for me to tell.”

Josiah turned forward, halting at the guards’ crossed blades. I stood beside him and waited before he announced, “My Lord, Stefan is here to meet with you as requested.” He bowed his head lightly, raising it when he was answered.

“Come forward.” A voice called out.

“Sem will see you now,” Josiah said, trailing behind me.

The swords lowered and Josiah ushered me into the open space with the sound of our shoes lightly tapping the marble. The scent of blood and desire hung thickly in the atmosphere invading my spirit and nearly choking me.

The throne was on a short dais, set against the far wall with what would’ve been a water feature if it weren’t for the crimson tone of the liquid. Blood gathered in the edges and crooks of the ceiling, never congealing but flowing down in a thin wash and disappearing into the floor. A hint of orange hung in the air above the throne and encompassed the entirety of the far side of the room.

Sem sat robed in black and silver, a naked woman on his lap. She appeared nearly unconscious as his silver talon tipped fingers plunged in and out of her core while he simultaneously drank her blood and essence. Rivulets of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he shuddered.

I stopped several feet in front of the grisly spectacle and his personal guards closed their ranks in a move of protection. A hand dropped on my shoulder suddenly, shoving me down before I felt a boot hit my back. I was pushed face-first against the cold marble.

“Bow down before your Lord,” Josiah hissed.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I’d let myself get too comfortable, lulled by Josiah’s friendly conversation, and distracted by the gory scene. Anger rankled me, yet I remained prone while the shoe pinned me to the floor.

“Stay,” he ordered as if I were a dog.

“We’ve never met in person and yet you dare to defy me,” Sem remarked, commenting on my seeming lack of reverence.

I heard rather than saw the body be tossed to the floor. A swish of fabric then indicated that perhaps the man had risen from his seat. As much as I wanted to look, I didn’t, for fear of instigating anyone further. A thin trickle of blood running along the ground entered my vision and I squirmed, earning more force between my shoulder blades.

“He may rise to a kneel,” Sem announced.

The weight lifted from my back, and I placed my palms down to move to the allowed position. Glancing up, I saw Josiah glaring at me, arrogance dancing across his features. A lock of his hair had fallen across his brow, and he pushed it back before stepping to the side.

Sem circled and I tracked the progress of his robes until he came to a stop. “Stefan, the ever-useful half breed.” He laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll never tell. So, I understand you have a human ward.”

Sensing he wasn’t done, I remained silent.

He paused. “Mabel? I believe that’s her name.”

I flicked my eyes up, my hackles raised and my heart pounding as I tried to counter an emotional response. “Yes, my Lord.”

“Eyes on me,” he snarled. I’d swiveled my head to watch Josiah. It’d felt like he’d moved, but he was still in the last place I’d seen him. When I complied, Sem said, “You care for her.”

Unsure how to reply without placing her in even further danger than she may already be, I stayed silent again.

“You don’t need to say a word for me to know,” he said, his voice low. I felt an invisible hand grip my chin, forcing my head back to meet his gaze. He sucked air between his teeth, his razor-sharp canines on full display. “Your Third Realm Satan wants her, but you will bring her to me.”

Bile filled the back of my throat thinking of Julian getting his hands on her and the already present twist of anger expanded in my belly. I knew the red tinge of my aura was on full display with my malice gathering in the atmosphere.

If I had been a smarter demon, I’d have drained countless corpses of their essence before I’d arrived and had more strength to fight. As it were, I wasn’t and so I didn’t, being much too prideful a man to take the necessary precautions.

If I made it out of here, I’d have to lower myself and give in to that animalistic side of my nature. I wouldn’t make the mistake twice. I’d have to occasionally leave Mabel behind and in the dark, and travel to the Third Realm for food. Her being exposed to that necessary side of me was nothing I’d ever want her to witness.

“You mean to keep the oracle from me?” Sem innocently leaned his head to the side, raising a hand to his chin. Some of the blood on his face transferred to the back of his hand.

It rankled me these beings seemed to know more than I did; I hadn’t the chance to dive deeply into Mabel’s phenomenon. “Are we certain she’s an oracle?” I asked, fighting my building alarm.

Sem appeared deep in thought for a moment before he replied. “It seems you need to get back to your roots, my dear Stefan.”

He glanced at a uniformed man hovering on the sidelines, who then took off through hall. “You’ll stay here tonight and have dinner and fellowship with us, perhaps even entertain us with one of your rousing sermons. I do enjoy the cries of the saints.” He let out a guffaw. “Brilliant work, pastoring.”

I remained quiet as I awaited my fate. “Josiah, lead him to our guest quarters,” Sem ordered.

The man replied, “Yes, my Lord.”

Struggling to get my breathing under control, I replied, “Thank you for the honor.”

I followed my chaperone down the same hallway the uniformed man had traversed, and we found him standing outside the entrance. He bowed his head and announced, “It is prepared, Sir.”

“Thank you, you may leave.” Josiah waited for the servant to go before he turned to me. “You’ll be retrieved in three hours.” He left without another word or backward glance, his tall form confidently striding away.

Opening the door, I walked into the sumptuously appointed room. Deep, thick cushions lined the furniture and bed, racks were stocked with books and various skulls and crystals were displayed along shelves between lit candles. Soft mood-enhancing music streamed in from somewhere and I approached the bed, moving a heavy brocade curtain out of the way.

When I shoved the material to the side, it revealed the woman from the front desk pleasuring herself with a large, barbed dildo. Her back was arched off the bed as she thrust the silicone between her thighs. My cock instantly sprung to attention, pressing painfully against the zipper of my slacks while my mouth filled with saliva.

I squeezed my eyes shut, seeing Mabel’s luscious form in the throes of ecstasy. Whipping out an arm I grabbed the woman’s arm and dragged her off the blankets. “Get out of here,” I snarled at her. Josiah and Sem knew exactly what they were doing, and I wouldn’t stand for it.

She’d yelped when her bare ass hit the stone flooring. The force of her fall sent the dildo bouncing across the ground until it conveniently landed in the lit fireplace. The hiss and crackle of the rubber toy was momentarily distracting before I focused on her again. “Get out of my room.”

“I was assigned to you,” she whined. “Please take me, I can’t leave until you fuck me. I’ll do anything you want, even drink your piss.”

Grabbing her by her hair, I yanked her to a standing position. “I don’t want you and I never will. Get out of here before I drain you and throw you in the fire with your plastic penis.”

She grabbed onto my sleeve, and I raised my hand, ready to slam her against the wall. “They’ll kill me. You have to sleep with me.”

“Why?” She was much too eager to get me into bed; there were hundreds of other men she could’ve spread her holes for. For all I knew, her overused cunt had been spelled specifically for me.

She stammered, “You’re...you’re an honored guest.”

I chuckled, knowing I was no such thing. I flicked my fingers, sending her crashing against the door without laying a hand on her. She landed in a heap, her ass and dripping pussy facing me. My hand went to the door frame and my boot to her rear as I kick-rolled her body into the hall. I was certain a maintenance crew or something of the sort would take her to an infirmary, or whatever they did here for situations involving unwanted deliveries.

I’d been unable to send her as far away as I would’ve liked, having run into a barrier spell. It would seem they didn’t want me wandering around unchecked or unsupervised. I felt confident she wouldn’t test me further and listened for a moment to her crying in the hall before I turned away and shut her out.

It was moments like this I was bitterly reminded that if I were like Ilya, or even Ramone, I wouldn’t be trapped this powerless and under the control of conspirators.

Josiah came at the appointed time to chaperone me, looking as immaculate as ever and instigating my ire. My own appearance was slightly disheveled and being used to maintaining full control over my destiny and my appearance, the discomfort was nearly intolerable.

“Was the woman dissatisfying?” he asked, wrinkling his nose in the direction of the fireplace.

I dutifully trailed after him as he exited the room. “She was unwelcome.”

He looked mildly irritated before quickly masking his face and returning to his professional stance. “She was favored by me, but she will be replaced.”

Replaced? “I’m certain she will.” It was unclear by his tone whether he meant he’d send me another gift or if he’d find another woman he “favored.” I couldn’t imagine he’d have any difficulty finding someone willing. I was completely uninterested in either option; more concerned about when I’d be allowed to take my leave than anything else.

The man tossed a grin my way, the tips of his pointed teeth making a brief appearance as we traveled down the corridor. Josiah nodded a greeting to a few passersby while others practically hugged the wall and pulled their collars up, attempting to get out of his way.

Some glanced at me with trepidation but for the most part it was clear who the superior predator was, and unlike usual, it wasn’t me. To his credit, Josiah didn’t take the opportunity to emphasize that fact as many others would. It seemed the quiet grace of his vampire blood tempered the wild narcissism of his demonic roots.

After what’d felt like an eternity, we arrived at a set of tall doors.

“Dinner is significantly less formal than court,” Josiah stated, gripping the door handle. “Please feel free to indulge.” His eyes sparkled with hunger as he swung the panel wide and swept his arm to the side.

Entering the dining room, I took it all in. A long table graced the center of the space, covered with sprawling vines and lit candelabras. Heaps of grapes and some types of meat were piled on platters arranged around the receptionist who’d now become the main course of the evening’s meal. The woman who’d been masturbating on my bed was now trussed up like a holiday turkey, unmoving, but for thin streams of blood trickling from various places.

Sem and what I believed were his advisors or other high-ranking members of his court, were seated at the table, engrossed in conversation. My gaze briefly lit on a familiar-looking woman, outfitted completely in purple, but I couldn’t place her. Carafes filled with wine, blood, and likely a mixture of both, were being poured by white-gloved servants.

“No infirmary for the woman? I believe I broke many of her bones,” I remarked, turning to Josiah. He’d stripped his jacket off and handed it to an attendant before beginning to roll his sleeves up.

“She failed,” he replied.

“She didn’t try very hard.”

He gave a hearty laugh and placed his hand on my shoulder. “You may find her more to your liking, now.”

Any woman who wasn’t my jasmine-scented ebony-haired beauty waiting for me at home would be found not to my liking. Unlike the majority of my peers, I wasn’t promiscuous. I’d seen the damage the behavior could cause and witnessed the benefits and strengths of faithfulness. The power of loyalty was a weapon to be kept close and controlled rather than spread out, inviting suspicion and resentment.

My sister had fallen victim to a lack of loyalty and faithfulness. Her crime was to inadvertently divulge our mother’s indiscretion to her maid, and she paid the ultimate price by giving away her whereabouts. When our mother was threatened with banishment for the humiliation, that was when she took my sister’s life.

There was nothing I could do to change anything that’d happened, and I hadn’t been home when the attack occurred. My failure was an everyday constant reminder of why I kept mastery over my emotions and impulses. To do otherwise was to invite disaster.

Shaking my head to toss the painful, unwanted, and unexpected thoughts away, I trailed after Josiah and approached the table, taking a seat. Josiah sat beside me and poured himself a glass of blood, resting his elbows on the table. “Help yourself,” he nodded at the carafe.

Blood was not a necessary source of nourishment for demons as it was for vampires, but the spiritual aspects of the liquid made it an occasionally useful choice. Depending on the characteristics of the being it was sourced from, one could enhance their magic or gain insight, possibly even enjoy an altered consciousness.

Alternatively, one could be poisoned or cursed.

“Stefan, thank you for joining us,” Sem called out to me, raising his hand as if it hadn’t been a direct order to be here at this very moment.

Resting my arms on the table, I replied, “Thank you for having me, my Lord.” Josiah had mentioned it was a less formal occasion, but I stuck with the title in a show of respect.

As I poured myself a glass of blood, not wanting to insult my host, the featured centerpiece of the table twitched lightly and moaned. “Josiah...”

Sem laughed and the man she’d just pleaded for took a knife from his sleeve and plunged it into her thigh in a flash of movement. A keening wail emanated from her outstretched throat while her muscles twitched in agony. Invisible bonds held her to the table and stopped her from finding any relief from his blade.

Anger and pain wafted from her body, scenting the air. The irresistible essence of her torture wound around us, adrift in the ether as if on a breeze. Combined with the weight of lust in all its forms and the other delectable fragrances permeating the atmosphere, I couldn’t resist my instinct to inhale. I savored the flavors and lightly replenished my stores.

I shuddered as I felt the magic coursing through me and let my guard down, permitting a show of my nature. Privacy be damned, the smartest thing to do was to give in even if only minimally.

Josiah smirked at me as he pressed his cup against her leg, leaving the steel in her flesh. After he set his cup down, he slid a beautiful set of silver talons atop his fingers similar to what Sem had worn and began stroking her thigh. I watched her skin curl into spiraling thin strings while he casually sipped on her life force.

“Josiah,” the woman cried as her fight began returning to her.

He stopped the careful strokes and plunged the razor-sharp tips of his rings into her thigh and squeezed, lifting himself slightly to get a better grip. “You let the Court down,” he growled at her.

Her head shook back and forth. “No, no, I tried. I told you.” Her back arched as he held his other hand toward her, teasing at removing her soul from its physical vehicle. Her scream filled the room. “Please,” she yelled.

His eyes narrowed and I sensed more was at play than what I’d been led to believe. “I don’t abide liars or traitors.” He snapped his wrist, and I watched as he consumed her. He shivered and then spat on the floor in distaste, casting a disgusted glare her way before straightening his back and running his hand down his chest.

When he glanced at me, his eyes glowed much as mine did, but with an illuminated liquid black rather than a crimson hue.

He’d looked at me with something akin to pity and I’d almost expected an apology, but he raised his brows and settled back in his seat instead. The fleeting emotion I’d detected left me disturbed, unable to translate the meaning or its significance to our surroundings.

Sem smacked his hands together and left them clasped in front of him, the deep folds of his robes gathering around his wrists. “So, Stefan, when can we expect Mabel’s arrival?”