Halfling (editing in process)

Chapter Nineteen

Aria was surprised when she didn't wake up in the bed she had fallen asleep in. She sat up, her naked body caressed by silken sheets. She yawned and ran her fingers through her hair, looking down and expecting Payne to be beside her, only to be met by an empty bed. She frowned lightly, looking around and pondering where she was. The room was draped in crimson silks and pillows, and aside from the lavish bed she was sitting in there was barely any furniture in the room.

"Payne?" She called quietly, wondering if the demoness had taken them somewhere in the middle of the night.

The memories of the previous night made her blush softly; the demoness had even followed her into her dreams. The night had been one of heat and pleasure. Payne had been so incredibly gentle with her, so caring and slow. And then they had descended into the dream world and things had gotten... Interesting. Her face reddened a shade darker and rose from the bed, wrapping the sheets around her, noting the bracelet was sending out mad pulses of energy. She gently touched it, winching as it sent a jolt up her arm, making the markings on her arm glow softly for a few moments.

"Payne? Where have you taken us? I don't think I'm ready to try those things you showed me last night that you keep in your home."

She smiled ever so softly when she felt fingertips brush her naked shoulder, a soft gasp leaving her as the bracelet shot energy up her arm.

"I am afraid that Payne isn't here." Lucien growled his voice full of malice. "At least not yet. You'll get to see her soon, you little whore." He shoved her forward, her feet tangling in the sheets and sending her to the floor.

She looked up at him, keeping the sheets over her chest as she looked up at him, pure shock in her eyes.

"Lucien? What are you doing?" She questioned, her eyes narrowing as she moved to get to her feet, only to have him shove her down with his foot again.

"I wanted you pure. I wanted you untouched but no. You and Payne had to go and ruin it for me, didn't you? I see why your father kept you in that forest for so long; you take after your whore mother, don't you?"

He smirked as Aria growled and tried to push up against his foot, only to have her breath leave her as he drove her into the ground once more.

"You've gone mad." She gasped out, her hands moving up to try and pry his foot away from her sternum.

"Oh no, not mad. I've seen the light, as they say. While you and that elf ran around on your scavenger hunt and Payne was fawning over you, I grew powerful. I've been planning this for a long time Aria, and with your father focusing on you, it gave me the freedom I needed to start building my power up. I didn't know it was so easy or I would have done it long ago. With your little companions weakening Azael it was so simple for me to destroy him, and I realized how weak he had gotten. But then I realized he had kept you for too long; he should have gotten you under control years ago; after all, you have become a powerful little creature haven't you? If you would have found that last artifact you might have been able to defeat him on your own; but I beat you to it. I got the power, and now I have you. You would have been so much sweeter if you and Payne hadn't decided to fuck around." He pressed her harder into the floor, his foot creeping up to press against her throat. Aria thought she saw his eyes flash to crimson for a split second, but when she stared into his eyes again they were an icy blue, filled with rage and underneath that, lust. "But I'll still get power from you. I'm going to keep you here and you will be my little slave. I will drain you away until you wish you were dead, heal you, and then do it again and again and again. How long do you think you'll last until madness consumes you Aria?"

He noticed the pool of darkness swirl under Aria and smirked. "Oh no. Don't you think you can shadow your way out of this." He gripped her hair and pulled her up, causing her to cry out. He slapped a cuff around her other wrist, a soft whimper leaving her as she felt her magic drain away from her, leaving the bracelet the only thing pulsing against her arm, and then... It went dead. The cold metal rested against her skin, and she felt totally alone; and it terrified her.

"Where is Payne?" She gasped out, gripping her hair to try and save some of it.

"She's not here right now, I told you that before, were you not paying attention? I still have to go get her. You'll get to see her soon, but first, you and I have business to settle. You know that I don't like to take women against my will, but damn you, you have made it difficult to me. I have been vying for you since you matured, and you have turned me down every single time. Then Payne comes into your life and you are head over heels for her. She likes to hurt people; she hurt you again and again and reveled in it when you first met. You know what sick fantasies she probably twisted? You, bleeding and broken on the floor while she got off to your pain? She likes that you know, you hurt her she gets off, she hurts you, she gets off. How could you choose her over me?!" He roared, throwing her to the side by her hair.

"You were too far up my father's ass for me to ever feel things for you. You were a spy, a messenger and you loved to torment me when I was little! You knew what my father wanted to do to me and you told me nothing! You kept me there like a pawn!" She yelled, getting to her feet, shamefully keeping the sheet around her. "And where were you when he took me? Where were you when he had me on the ground, when he was about to... to... You were waiting! You were watching! You would have watched while he did that to me just so you could have your moment of glory! Even if Payne wasn't here I would never, never choose you!"

She expected him to continue to scream at her, but he only smiled, and that terrified her. She took a step back, her face pale as he started towards her. Her foot snagged on the sheet and tumbled backwards, only to have him catch her at the wrist, keeping her stable.

"Now Ari... You know I won't take a woman against her will." He purred, lust beginning to cloud over the rage in his eyes. "But I will make a woman want me against her will."

He gripped her wrist and she gasped as heat traveled down her body in a rush. The same heat coiled low in her belly, her legs trembling as her blood began to boil, her bones going liquid. She began to go limp in his arms as he took her around the waist, a sick grin appearing on his face.

"Lucien stop!" She gasped out.

She reached up to try and push him away, to strike him, anything to fight against the fog pressing against her mind. Panic rose to fight against his magic, but without hers, she was weak as the countless women that had most likely met the same fate.

He didn't stay anything as he laid her down in the bed she woke in. She felt the fog close over her, pushing against her panic, erasing her resistance. A groan of horror escaped her when she realized just how powerful he had gotten. Before, it would have been easy to meet his magic with her own, or even without it. He had been weak, he had been a lackey, a lesser incubus with his head firmly placed up her father's ass.

Not anymore.

When he pressed his lips againsthers she had no fight left; her mind clouded by his magic, she kissed him back.