Halfling (editing in process)

Chapter Twenty

Payne woke to an empty bed.

The demoness frowned as she sat up, expecting to find her new lover laying there, still wrapped in the sweet embrace of slumber, but instead there was an empty space, the coolness of the sheets indicating that the girl hadn't been there for a good while. Had Aria woken up before her and gone to get them breakfast? She wanted to wake Aria up with a kiss; and then a little more than a kiss, for a few hours maybe before they would get a late lunch. She smiled lightly at the thought. She rose to her feet and snapped her fingers, the dress she was wearing the night before appearing on her body and she wandered outside. She frowned when she didn't see Aria among the waking humans. She shut her eyes and tried to sense her and couldn't. She went outside and looked around, trying to find her.

"Looking for Aria?"

Payne turned to find Lucien leaning against the wall in the shadows, a satisfied smirk on his lips and mischief in his eyes.

"Yes, have you seen her? I have... Plans for us today." She commented, a soft smile coming onto her lips.

"Oh yes, I've seen her, I arranged something special for the two of you, I got her early so she could assist me. Do come, I am assuming that the elf wouldn't want to party in Hell. After all, the death of Azael is a gift to us all."

Payne nodded and took his hand and in an instant, they were in a small, dark room. Compared to the way that Lucien had decorated the other parts of the castle this room was strange. The walls, instead of being covered in the silks he loved to surround himself in, were bare. The floor shared the same decoration, the cold stone underneath Payne's feet the same dark obsidian that Azael liked to use. There were only two things to the room, a door and a sobbing girl chained to the wall, hair over her face. Pain shivered, the misery pouring out of the girl was delicious and made delightful tingles go down her spine.

"Lucien, I don't unders- hey!"

She gasped as the cuff slid around her wrist, a low growl leaving her as her magic slipped away from her. She pushed away from him, trying to slide the cuff off her wrist. "Give me the damn key Lucien, you know I don't like you messing in my stuff. Whatever joke you are trying to pull knock it the fuck off."

He smirked. "I would worry less about yourself and worry more about your lover. She and I have spent a good part of the morning together while you have been sleeping. We had lots of fun, didn't we Aria dearest?"

Payne's eyes jumped to the girl on the wall, focusing on her now. What she thought to be a simple soul slave focused into the naked body of her lover, easily distinguished by the dark marks on her left arm.

"Aria?" She questioned quietly, moving up quickly to her, gently taking her head in her hands. "Aria... Look at me Aria."

The girl's red eyes slowly rose to meet Payne's before dropping. Her face was tear stained, her eyes red and puffy. She refused to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry Payne." She managed between sobs. "I tried to resist, I tried Payne! I was too weak... I'm sorry... Oh Gods I'm sorry." She whimpered, anything else she tried to say was covered by her sobs.

Payne turned, her eyes blazing with pure vehemence. She stormed up to Lucien, pulling a dagger from her skirts. "What the fuck did you do to her?!" She screamed.

Lucien smirked and sent out a blast of energy, knocking her back and sending the dagger skittering away. "I took what was mine. And just think, the energy that I got from her is more than enough to turn the great Payne, one of the most sadistic fucks in this place, into a weak little girl, just like her." He answered, moving to her and snapping his fingers. Chains shot up from the floor and wrapped around her wrists, pulling them around her back and pulling her to the floor. "Just the kinks you like huh? Now then. We have some punishments to get to." Lucien moved over and picked up the dagger from the floor. "Oooh. Got the right blade as I thought you would. Excellent. What were you planning on doing with this? Our kind can't regenerate when you cut them with this blade, nasty little enchantment you put on it. Were you planning to carve your mark into my little Halfling? Put your mark on her with this so it would scar and never heal?"