viceroy centaur, and the king of the fire demonarchy.
But now, Omort's gaze was fixed on Sabine's tablet. It was a
If a tablet fell from the wall and broke, all would know that someone had violated the terms of the agreement. Omort was waiting with dread for Sabine's to break- proof positive that she was having sex with Rydstrom.
'The demon's here in my dungeon?' Omort asked absently. 'For how long?'
Lanthe shrugged. 'Half an hour, I guess.' 'I see your sister isn't having as easy a time as she'd predicted,' Hettiah said with a smirk.
'No, that's not true, Hettiah.' It hadn't happened yet, but of course it would soon. 'I'm sure Sabine is finding this diverting-playing with him like a cat with a winged bird... .'
The demon ran a shaking hand over his mouth, then seemed to catch himself doing it.
With his gaze raking Sabine's body, Rydstrom began stalking toward her with slow, menacing steps. His eyes were growing black once more, but with desire or rage or both?
She assumed that he would try to escape, would likely seek to use her as a hostage, unless she could
seduce him to forget himself. She thought she still had a chance-he couldn't hide his body's reaction to her. Yet the conflict was plain on his face.
Rydstrom didn't know whether to claim her or kill her. 'What do you hope to gain from this?'
'I told you.'
''No,
Sabine could tell how much he hoped she was being forced into this. 'No, he has no one that I hold dear imprisoned. I was quite eager to fulfill this duty.' And to begin the prophecy.
Foretold centuries ago, it stated that if the Queen of Illusions bore the heir of the fallen king of the rage demons, that prince would unlock a source of incon-
ceivable power. If she didn't, the Pravus would fall to
its foes.
Earlier the demon had inhaled deeply, exercising more patience than Sabine had seen in a male in ages. But she sensed that with the possibility
She could see him shutting down. A muscle ticced in his scarred cheek, and his eyes glowed fully black. In a flash of insight, she realized she was seeing a side of] Rydstrom that few had encountered before.
'You have no idea what you're playing with,' he said,
his tone cruel.
'Tell me.'
'You won't win this.'
'No? Just imagine it, Rydstrom. I can give you whatever you want. I'll fulfill every secret desire you have.'
'What do you know of my secret desires?' Had his voice roughened? Again she probed his mind but couldn't get through.
When he was directly before her, he made no move to touch her. This close to him, she felt so small next to his great height. She could perceive the heat coming off
his body.
Without warning, his hands shot to her camisole, fisting the material. She stifled a gasp as he ripped it off her, exposing her breasts to him.
Collecting herself immediately, she asked in a femme fatale voice, 'Do you think them pretty?'
As he peered hard at them, his brows drew together in answer.
'Won't you touch them? You've waited all your life to pet your female like this.'
Just when she thought he would succumb, he wrapped her hair around his fist. He yanked her close until he was staring directly down at her.
'A little girl like you shouldn't toy with a demon like me,' he said with another yank, until her hands flew to his broad chest. 'You're going to lose, and when you do, I'll make you pay for this.'
'Is that so-'
He cut off her words with a brutal kiss. It was so different from the first time when he'd been striving to please her. Now he seemed intent on punishing her. But she liked how bold and firm his kiss was. She liked that he didn't fear her, though many males did.
She felt herself getting caught up, lowering her defenses. When she moaned, he seemed to be losing himself as well, a growling sound breaking from his chest.
Grazing his torso with her bared breasts, she murmured against his lips, 'Rydstrom, put your hands on them. You know you want to feel me once more.'
With a defeated groan, he covered her flesh. The heat and texture of his palms shocked her. A
When he pinched one nipple-hard, angrily-she gave a cry, anticipating pain; instead, pleasure flooded through her body.
What a surprise.
He pinched the other one until both peaks were plump and swollen. Then he grazed his flattened palms over them, up and down, his callused skin rasping her tender flesh.
He drew his head back. 'Your eyes are turning blue.' A timbre of pure masculine satisfaction marked his tone. 'You like my touch, female.'
I
Her breasts grew heavy under his ministrations, her sex damp. She'd waited so long for this. For him. She was so close to finally knowing what it would be like to have a man moving inside her. 'More,
He turned her so that her back was against his chest. Still fondling her breasts, he leaned in to run his face against hers, his breaths hot at her ear. When his big shaft prodded her, he ground it against her.
One of his hands trailed down her belly toward her sex. Her hips rocked up in invitation, but he teased his fingers at the line of her panties.
'Mmm. Touch me there, demon.' She trembled with anticipation as his hand slowly inched inside her panties. Illusions of fire began to appear, but she extin-guished them .. . barely.
Finally his fingers smoothed through her small I triangle of curls. He hissed in a shocked breath to I find she was shaven everywhere below it. His voice I gravelly, he said, 'So soft . . . will I find you wet, I sorceress?'
When he dipped into her slick folds, she moaned with pleasure. His body tensed against hers, and he muttered a harsh curse. 'You're ready for me.'
He spread her moisture to her swollen clitoris, then rubbed it with two fingers, circling again and again. There was no hesitation-he was deliberate, but agonizingly slow.
'It wouldn't take much to make you come on my hand.' As he fingered her flesh more aggressively, her eyes slid shut on a wordless cry. She was on the brink, scarcely noticing him raising the arm he held her with-
Until it was constricted around her neck in a choke-hold, cutting off her air.
She dug her nails into his arm. He didn't budge. Can't
'I can play dirty, too.' He let up his grip just enough for her to catch a gasping breath. 'Scream for a guard.'
'Don't need to ... one's here.'
An illusion of a masked guard appeared from the shadows with his sword raised, swinging for the demon's neck. Rydstrom released her, shoving her away to defend himself.