Page 26 of Her Demon Daddy
“You’re not going to be able to write much today, are you?” he asks in a low whisper.
“Absolutely not,” I say through a heavy exhale as I lean up and kiss him, my face entering his hood as we find each other’s lips.
He picks me up and presses me against the bookshelves. I wrap my arms around him, and he walks me toward his desk. He sits me on top of it, the cool glass sticking to my ass cheeks. I run my hands over his rough battle armor and velvet robes as his hands grip my hips tightly.
A knock on the door startles us, and he pulls away from me quickly while I hop off the desk and rush to the bookcase, running my fingers along the backs of them like I’m deciding which to read next.
A demon enters and bows lowly to Asmodeus. I don’t recognize him, but Asmodeus seems to know him well. He almost receives a different treatment than the other servants. a more familiar and friendly tone echoes from Asmodeus’ mouth as they speak to each other.
“I’ve gathered the information for you, my liege.”
I look at Asmodeus, expecting a command to leave the study. To my surprise, he waves the demon into the room.
“Continue, Tolmond.”
“There were only a few direct sources I could find on Oltyx,” Tolmond begins.
I try to tune out their words. I want to be respectful since Asmodeus has given me so much already. I can’t help it, though. My curiosity keeps getting the best of me each time I try to tap out of their conversation. I only catch glimpses of words each time my mind draws back to their voices. “Oltyx, demon God, storms.”
That’s all I let myself hear. I turn around and notice a stone on the bookshelf across the room from me. It’s about the size of my palm, maybe a bit larger, and it looks smooth. I can almost feel it in my hand now as I study it intently from a distance. It feels like the world stops, and I cock my head slowly as I fixate on it. I begin walking slowly toward it like it’s beckoning to me, not caring that Asmodeus and another demon are in the room.
“Thank you, Tolmond,” Asmodeus says deeply as I’m halfway to the stone.
His voice breaks my concentration on the odd rock, and I turn around to face him as he sighs and looks at me.
“I’m sorry, Siara, but I have work I must attend to.”
“That’s alright.” I smile innocently.
“I’ll have my servants escort you to your room, and I’ll be up to visit you tonight.”
“Okay,” I say gratefully as he calls Drar'ran into the study.
I walk out of the study with Drar'ran and take a last look at Asmodeus before leaving. He’s sitting in his chair at his desk and running his hands along his hood, seemingly stressed. I chalk it up to daily King matters, whatever those may be, and head to my room with Drar'ran.
* * *
Asmodeus should have been herehours ago. It’s almost midnight, and normally we have dinner at six o’clock. I know he’s a King and has an entire world to run, but I can’t help but feel that something is amiss.
My brain is on overdrive, and I’m too worried to pace around my room anymore. I’m surprised I haven’t left tracks on the carpet yet. I put on a robe over my thin nightgown and wrap it around me tightly before opening the door and checking the hallway for any of his servants. Once I determine it’s safe to leave, I walk down the stairs slowly and cautiously as I make my way to his study.
I open the door and peer in to see nothing but a dimly lit room. He’s not here, and I frown. I think maybe he’ll come back, and in the meantime, I can do some more writing. I go to the shelf and grab my notebook and pen and sit down in my usual chair, scribbling words on the paper until I’ve written three poems.
I sigh and look out the window, surprised at how much the stars have shifted in the sky since I sat down. I roll my eyes and put my notebook and pen away, leaving his study feeling disappointed and even more worried. I’m about to close the door and look elsewhere when I see the stone on the other bookshelf reflect some of the light from the moon outside.
I glance at the hallway and still see no one around. Slowly, I walk back into the study and gently shut the door behind me. I walk over to the bookshelf, the fixation beginning again.
I don’t remember picking it up. I don’t know when I walked to the window to look at it in more detail. I snap to and inhale deeply, a bit unnerved by my sudden lack of memory.How long have I been here? How long have I held this in my palm?
I’m about to put it back when I notice an oddly placed button on the back of it. Cocking my head to the side with blank eyes, I run one of my fingers over it. The button is more fragile than I thought, and it clicks down suddenly. I wait for a second to see if anything happens, then go to put it back on the shelf. Maybe it’s another one of the ancient artifacts that he keeps in this room for some reason.
Right before I set it down, it begins to glow a bright blue, the light illuminating the whole study. I can’t look straight at it, or it hurts my eyes too much. As quickly as it began, the light fades. I panic, not wanting to stick around to figure out what that was.
I leave his study quickly and gently close the door behind me as I dart to my room. Asmodeus might be furious if he finds out I’ve messed with his belongings. I hope against hope that it was a weird fluke, maybe some odd nightlight he keeps there, but my gut tells me it was something more serious.
As if my gut could predict the future, the ground begins quaking violently as I’m halfway up the stairs. I sink to the ground and hold onto the banister as I watch the weapons fall from his walls and the chandelier shakes above me.What have I done?
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