Fix Me Up (Unknown Succubus Series book 2)

Facing Demons

I was probably an idiot. No, I was most definitely an idiot. After dinner had ended I had decided to sneak out into the garden. My gut told me the gargoyle might be there again. Guilt ate at my nerves but I held myself together through sheer willpower. I hadn't spoken of my plan to anyone. My friends would try to talk me out of it. But I needed to prevent any unnecessary bloodshed. No one was going to get hurt in my name. I'd only just gotten back to my friends. Disappearing was not something I planned to do. My life now held more responsibilities. I was the ruler of a damn kingdom and I wasn't going to let people suffer because of my own bad choices.
  A good ruler is able to solve problems peacefully and quickly. I was going to resolve my issues with Luke in order to protect my friends, Jasper's kingdom, my own kingdom and myself. Luke might have been promised a Succubus but that wasn't going to be me. He had no right to possess me. I was a queen and I was damn well not going to be treated like an object.
My thoughts caused bitter anger to bubble inside of my chest. Steps turned into stomps the closer I got to the garden. Standing tall with cracking skin was just the creature I'd been hoping to find. The gargoyle watched me with a knowing expression. It had known I would show up. Hell, I knew I was going to show up. It wasn't in me to just sit back and let others fight for me. I was a woman of action and no one was going to die for my sake. This mess wasn't something I'd intentionally gotten myself into but it was a mess I was going to clean up and set straight.
  "You're a smart girl after all." The gargoyle grumbled with a pleased nod. My eyes narrowed at the stony beast. He was definitely belittling me. The insult didn't hit but it was annoying.
  "Let's just go before someone realizes I'm missing and more trouble happens." I muttered bitterly. This was my choice but it put me on edge and twisted my insides up with guilt. My friends had just arrived and I was leaving without consulting them. I hadn't asked for their input or help. I wasn't giving them a chance to stop me. It was selfish of me and I knew that. But I wasn't going to risk them getting hurt for me. There'd already been enough pain and suffering because of me, because of my existence. Closure was a big motivator for my decision. If I was strong enough to face Luke and refuse him to his face as a queen he would have no hold over me. Jasper and his people wouldn't become involved in a war if I just took control of my own life for once.
The time for just letting things happen to me were over. My life was going to be decided be no one else anymore. There would be no more giving in and just accepting things. Jasper cared for me and it would be wrong to continue things with him just because he provided safety when I was vulnerable. I was disappearing again but in the end everyone would understand. They wouldn't agree with me making this decision, that didn't stop them from supporting me and my dumb choices. I wasn't going to rely on others to step in and save me anymore. No matter how many times I'd claimed to be strong I'd never shown real strength entirely on my own. I'd always had someone backing me up. This time I wasn't going to rely on others. I was going to confront that devil and make him realize just how out of his reach I am. He had age and controlled powers on his side and I was still very much unprepared.
  "Teleportation magic is rough for first timers, try not to lose your dinner on me." The gargoyle rasped before taking a step closer to me. It took a moment for me to process the whole teleportation magic thing and by the time I was able to comprehend it my surroundings had already begun to fade and blur. My body jerked forward as though I were on a roller coaster. Nausea bubbled up from the place my stomach should have been. My insides felt rearranged when the world came back into focus.
I recognized Luke's bedroom through a haze of extreme motion sickness and vertigo. "I'm going to hurl." I groaned weakly under my breath. Gritting my teeth helped keep the urge to vomit down. Out of all the ways I'd been transported places teleportation had to be the worst for my gut.
  "I have delivered the Succubus. Allow me to take my leave, Majesty." My lovely gargoyle friend announced before literally teleporting himself away in a flash of light.
  "Aspen. I knew you'd return, you're certainly predictable." Luke's voice broke through my wall of intense focus. It took all of my effort just to keep myself from throwing up. A cold sweat had formed along my back as I weakly stood. "Did you enjoy yourself on your little getaway, love?" He purred the question in a lowered voice but his eyes were narrowed darkly.
"You had eyes on me the entire time so you already know the answer. Luke, whatever deal you had with our kind is null. You want a Succubus to produce an heir but that won't be me. As a queen I am on equal footing with you and therefore, can reject you and that deal. I refuse to be a pawn that is controlled. You have no right to me so drop this and call of your army." I spoke determinedly despite feeling as though my internal organs has gone on vacation out of my body. Facing Luke was a little intimidating but he couldn't hurt me again. Not if he had planned to use me for children and not after I'd been in contact with my own kingdom. I wasn't going to be scared by him.
"I don't allow such insolence, surely you haven't forgotten that already?" He snapped aggressively at me before stepping closer. I opened my mouth to reply but my knees gave out beneath me. The teleportation magic had sucked my energy down to the reserves. Physically, I could barely keep from throwing up or passing out. But that wasn't going to stop me from ending this.
"It doesn't matter what you allow because I am not yours. I formally reject you and whatever fake courtship you made up for my advisors. Stay away from me and my friends, you monster." I growled viciously from the pile of limbs I'd turned into on the floor.
"You don't get to make that choice. You belong to me Aspen." Luke snarled back as his hands wrapped around my arms tightly. He lowered his face until it was inches away.
"Don't touch me. I'm not yours and you need to get it through your head that I will never be." My voice was weak and I grew tired just speaking. I fought the urge to collapse completely. Luke opened his mouth to respond but my eyes slid closed and I went limp in his grasp. I lost the fight against teleportation magic and fainted. Once again, I was in the lions den passed out and entirely vulnerable.