TORQUE
The ball is in a giant domed glass structure in the west garden. The full moons hang low in the sky, making the pale lavender of dusk float over everything.
Mammon and I are one of the first guests to appear at the party. Some Dark Demons are lounging around, but most of the clan hasn’t shown.
There are three shadow thrones in the room’s front. I can’t imagine Anima sitting on a throne, but now that she’s a Dark princess, it will be her duty. A pang of sadness creeps up. I’d prefer her to be sitting on a throne made of blood.
“King-who-isn’t Torque Sanguis and his guard Mammon,” a squire calls out as we enter through the doorway. I grin my teeth at the reference, but he isn’t wrong.
We stride over to the drink table, where a fae who smokes with dark magic hands us two glasses of what looks like demonwine, but when I smell it, there is a distinct coppery scent. A dash of blood added.
I raise my glass to the bartender before taking a sip. It’s delicious. Mammon groans when he finally tries it.
“Gods, that’s fantastic.”
“We should find out what type of wine it is and take it back to Hallowed Grounds. I bet the boys wouldn’t be arguing that wine is too pussy to drink them.”
Mammon laughs into his glass before chugging the rest of it. I’ve missed being with my friend, laughing and joking. For centuries, we did nothing but fight, fuck, and eat our way through the Blood Realm.
The room fills. With more Dark arriving, there are more stares. Males push their females to the other side of the room, and they herald some children into another area.
Mammon’s fangs flash at a particular female, and she practically runs away screaming. I roll my eyes at the complacency of this place. We’ve suffered for thirty years in the Mortal Realm with our demons being hunted, and they’re worried Mammon will corrupt them.
“What are two Bloods doing at the Dark Court? You must be asking for a death wish. We don’t want blood scum in our lands,” says a young male demon. He’s cocky in the way twenty-something men are on earth.
“We have no quarrel with you, so please leave the vicinity,” Mammon says, standing a bit in front of me. His hand goes to his sword at his hip, and he scowls.
“This is our lands. You don’t belong,” one of his friends say. They’ve formed a semi-circle in front of us. Tension builds in their stances, the look of wanting a good fight declared in their eyes.
“As my general has said, we have no fight with you. Nox invited us, Now. Leave,” I ground out.
“Fuck you, Blood.” The original smart-ass takes a step, but before he can move any farther into the room, a small alabaster hand is placed on his shoulder, tugging him backward.
All the men turn to see the tiny demon, angry and amused. She’s beautiful in her ruby-colored gown. My color. She pulled her onyx hair up into a low bun, curls slipping out. I want nothing more than to touch them.
On her right forearm is a jewel-crusted dagger, rubies and onyx glinting in the twilight. My eyes graze down her body, and I chuckle. Only Anima would wear pants to a demon ball.
“What the fuck? Get your fucking hands off me, bitch,” he growls, trying to get her to release his shoulder, but she digs in harder, reaching for a pressure point. He crumples into himself, landing at her feet.
“Again, you need my help,” she says with a smirk. Hubris is tucked inside the pleats of the dress’s train. Her curves are on full display. It makes my cock jump to think what she’d taste like. She’s more beautiful than I could ever wish for.
“I did not need your help, little witch.” My taunt has her eyes sparkling silver.
The still-standing males circle around her, preparing to attack, to fight for their friend.
“You’re going to get your dress dirty.” Nox shadow smokes into the room behind her.
She rolls her eyes and sighs. “And you’re ruining my fun. Can I just kill one?”
He laughs as he pulls her to his side. “No, daughter, you cannot kill the next generation of lords.”
The young males jump back at the mention of her being Nox’s daughter. Where they were once ready to fight, now they are bowed so low they’re practically lying on the floor with their comrade.
She ignores them all.
“Is this party going to be boring?” she asks, shoving the young lord with her high-heeled shoe and walking right past him. I keep pace at their back. I don’t want her to alone tonight.
“We’ll have entertainment, but not the kind you would prefer. Maybe I could persuade you to come to the dais and have a seat? Many wish to meet you,” he asks, guiding her over to the room’s front.
She stops, shrugging out of his grasp. “I’m not sitting on a throne. I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea.”
“Of course,” he says with a tight smile. “Let me get you a drink, and we can mingle.”
“Okay,” she says. He gets sucked up in the crowd. Before she can disappear, too, I grab the back of her arms, pulling her closer to me.
“You’re beautiful,” I whisper into her ear.
“Are you sure? Or am I useful?” she grits out.
I spin her around to face me. “What are you talking about?”
“I know exactly what you’re planning. Using our bond as a treaty to get Nox to agree to peace. What’s the goal, Torque? Ruling both kingdoms?”
She pulls away from me, chin tipped up to stare at my face. “I never said that.”
“Not to me, no. But you felt the need to tell Mammon before your evil plan. Don’t worry, he didn’t snitch. I overheard when I came to see you this afternoon.”
“You’re taking it the wrong way. I didn’t mean for it to sound like I was using you. But our combined powers
