Chained to the Devil’s Daughter (Mating the Elements #1)

44

Ash’ren

F ara’s trepidation radiated from her brown irises as she dragged her gaze to mine, trembling like it physically hurt. “Thank you for saving me.”

I crossed my arms. “How have you betrayed your queen?”

“Ash!” Searra hissed, but I ignored her.

Fara took a shaky breath. “I’ve been letting him into the herb garden. He said there was no way you would hold the throne,” she glanced dejectedly at Searra, who was rubbing her arm encouragingly. “H-he said, if I didn’t help, Devil would rain his godly wrath on my family.”

“Oh, Fara,” Searra said, pulling the woman into her arms again. “I understand.”

The herb garden. What the fuck would that puny-minded shit need from the herb garden? I chewed my cheek and thought a moment, staring in the direction of the rows of herbs.

Lutyl leaf. The Fire in my Belly, a memoir by Chef Tiki . I barked a laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Searra shot me a withering glare.

“We’ve found the one tampering with the soil.”

Fara let out another wailing moan and covered her mouth. Searra’s grip tightened as the woman fell to the ground, taking Searra with her. She patted the handmaid’s head, gently rocking her.

“Take him to the dungeon. No! The tower.” Searra stood, remaining close to her friend as she whirled to face the convict. “You’re going to regret this.”

Fuegis writhed in the clutches of my magic, thrashing and screaming. Curious to hear my enemy beg for mercy, I let loose the gag.

“Not the tower. If Devil’s still there, he’ll kill me! Send me to the dungeon, Searra, please!”

“My name is Her Bone-Blessed Majesty, you puny-skulled turdwad sandwich-fucker.” A laugh choked from my throat. I let out a low whistle, and Searra shot a proud glance my way. Firefly was pissed off indeed. “And no. I’d rather see you engulfed in flames.”

I licked my lips.

“Fine. I’ll go willingly. Please, Your Bone Grace, I don’t need all these bindings.”

I didn’t buy it. One look exchanged with Searra, and I knew she didn’t, either. Something dark flashed behind her peaceful blue eyes, something cruel that should not be causing my balls to tighten of their own accord. She smiled a wicked grin, and it was like I was looking into a much sexier mirror.

“You know me, your bone-blessed majesty,” the stain of the earth begged. “I’m a man of honor.”

“I do know you. I know that the moment you’re given mercy, you’ll exploit it. Like you’ve done to reach your status, like you’ve done to poor Fara.” Searra circled the torch Fuegis was tied to as she spoke, eerily calm. “I know that when I give Ash’ren the word to unbind you, you’ll lunge. And when you do, my king will turn you to ash.”

“No, no, I won’t!” His countenance had changed with desperation.

Searra snorted, but that fiery, sexy bloodlust burned in her gaze as she met mine. I nodded, ready to finally kill this stupid fool. “Fine. But your wrists remain bound.”

We got our wish right away. As soon as his feet were freed, the demon bowed his horns and headed straight for Searra.

I looped strands of fire around him and tugged, snapping Fuegis to the ground like a corpse. In less than a breath, my knee dug into the fuckwad’s ribs as I unsheathed my claws, poising them over his heart.

“Bad news. I know your dying wish was to bathe in my mate’s spit, but you’ll have to settle for my void-flames up your ass instead. The good news,” I whispered straight into his ear canal, “seems you won’t live to regret this after all.”

I took my time carving through the flesh, his screams a symphony to my ears. I was vaguely aware of the blood that spattered my face as I reached into the sunken cavity and gripped the beating heart. Staring deep into the demon’s eyes like a lover, I yanked the rotten thing out and cleansed it with void flames.

I couldn’t lie, it felt good. So good, I wanted to do it again and again. My adrenaline was off the charts, my whole body urging me to run to the tower and reenact this little play with Devil. Unfortunately, it felt like this was the exact outcome Fuegis had hoped for. Not even he was dumb enough to think he could lunge for Searra and not reap the Ash Render’s wrath.

The sound of a woman’s sobs broke through my daze. Dusting my hands on my trousers, I winced as that only made them worse. Bracing myself, I turned to meet my firefly’s gaze.

I’d expected resignation, maybe a hint of sadness. I hadn’t expected the burning heat of lust, her lids droopy, her face and cleavage flush. I glanced down her body, drinking in the pebbled beads in her tightly fitted dress. My gaze snapped back to her face, where her lower lip had slipped under her teeth.

Ahh. I knew that look as well as I knew the limbs leading to her window. To think we could have known each other for so long, and I never knew she had a violent streak hidden under her soft curves.

Fara bent over at the waist and expelled her guts on the garden floor, snapping Searra from our heated staring contest. As she returned to doting on her friend, I indulged in a long look at her rounded buttocks, making a mental note to snack on her sweet little ass tonight. Then I approached, gently grazing the swell of her bottom up to the small of her back.

“I’m going to check on Devil. Make sure he’s where we left him.”

“Do you think he escaped?” Searra worried.

“It wouldn’t be a surprise.” my tone was clipped, and I immediately saw its effect on Searra’s mood. I took her chin with my knuckle and forced her head up. “You did the right thing, letting him live. Your real life is out there, somewhere. I don’t blame you for longing for your home.”

“You are my home,” she said, tears gathering. She grasped my collar and tugged me forward. “He’s a threat to our people. Get rid of him.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.” She closed her eyes and breathed a moment. When they opened, a hardened queen stared back at me. “Kill him. Please. But don’t bring him here. I can’t be weak again.”

“You weren’t weak,” I said sharply. “But I’ll do as you bid, Queen Firefly.”

I pressed a kiss to her forehead, grimacing when it left a drop of blood on her beautiful face.

“Vengeance looks good on you.” She said with a giggle.

I growled. “If you look at me like that every time I slay our enemies, we will need to start pissing more people off.”

She snorted and quirked a brow. “You do enough of that already. We can’t execute everyone that doesn’t like you.”

“Mmm. I disagree.”

Fara made a pained noise. We turned to find her smiling through tears.

“You two are gross,” she said, sounding pitiful, and the words tore another sob from her. She let out a small giggle at the same time, then devolved into hiccups.

Searra’s mouth pinched in tamped laughter. “Go. Kill my father.”

“Your wish is my command.”

A command I would enjoy every fucking second of.