My Demon, My Love...

Reve was finding it harder to control himself every day. He wanted Azlyn so badly. He had never craved anyone this intensely before. It is not like she was the first beautiful woman or demoness, for that matter, that he could not have. However, this was different, he could feel his primal demonic-side calling out for her. There had only ever been one case before where a demon claimed to be mated to a human, and if he recalled correctly, it did not end well for either of them.

On the other hand, who was Reve to deny destiny? If he was truly fated to be with Azlyn then should it matter whether she is human or demon? The most important thing was the connection they had, right? Reve desperately wished that there was someone who he could talk to about this. The only person in the castle he trusted was his younger brother Kane and this was still not something Reve was sure that he could share with him. This matter was completely taboo, and he did not want to put this burden on Kane. They have seen the results of this pursuit before and they were not pretty.

Azlyn had no way of knowing how Reve truly felt and she could never reveal her feelings to him. She could not risk that he did not return her affections. She knew that he had made a display of keeping Blaz and Zareb away from her, but that could have meant anything.

For all Azlyn knew, Reve’s primal display could have been forced to convince her that he, actually, had feelings for her. This way she would give herself to him willingly, saving him the trouble of taking her by force. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that it must be a trick of some kind. There was no way, in all the realms, that Reve could ever be interested in her. He could, literally, have anyone that he desired in the entire realm without any effort. Why would he choose her? It had to be some kind of sick joke that he played with the slaves.

Azlyn decided to avoid any further intimate moments with Reve. She knew that she would not be able to evade being alone with him all together. She had to be alone with him in his room every morning and every night, at the very least. This did not mean that their interactions had to be intense or amorous in any way.

They had successfully gone two months with no further incidents between them. On this particular day, Reve had left just after breakfast and he had informed her that he was uncertain of when he would return. Azlyn had spent the morning cleaning his room and found herself with little to do as the afternoon began to drag onward. She finally decided to take advantage of her free time and head to the communal shower that was meant for the slaves of this wing of the castle to use.

Normally, Azlyn would not shower at a time when the shower was completely empty of all other slaves. There was safety in numbers. However, she did not get a chance to shower every day and she wanted to take advantage of the opportunity while she had it. So, she decided that she would take the risk.

Azlyn gathered her basket of standard-issue bath supplies for slaves, along with her moth-eaten towel. Then she headed down the hall towards the showers, humming to herself along the way. Azlyn was so caught up in her thoughts that she did not realize; she was being followed.

Azlyn wandered into the bathroom and walked past the toilet stalls to the large, open shower room. She stopped to strip out of her clothes and tossed them onto a long wooden bench that ran along one wall. She headed over to one of the shower heads on the other side of the room and turned it on high. She stood underneath the steady stream of water, allowing it to roll over her face and down her back. She found the experience to be very relaxing.

Nevertheless, Azlyn’s moment was soon ruined by the bathroom door closing and the sound of footsteps heading in the direction of the shower room. She did not think anything of it at first, assuming that another slave had a quick moment to fit in a shower, as she had.

Azlyn’s calm tranquility was quickly replaced by anxiety when she heard the snickering of two males coming from behind her. She instinctively covered her breasts and craned her neck around to see who it was that had joined her in the bathroom.

Azlyn’s anxiety was then heightened to fear as she realized that she was naked and alone in the bathroom with two of the demon guards. They gave her a sinister smirk as they began to eye her up and down. She knew that she was completely exposed and had little chance of escaping this situation. The demons began to creep closer and Azlyn recognized them as, Daegal and Jacan, the guards who were typically posted at the end of this hall.

“Did you two need something? If you give me just a moment to finish up in here, I would be glad to assist you with any chores that you may need completed.” Azlyn offered, hoping to diffuse the situation.

“We have everything we need right here, sweetheart.” Daegal hissed.

Azlyn could feel her skin begin to crawl as he spoke. She knew exactly what they were here for and she did not want to give it to them.

The guards stepped in closer to her and Azlyn turned around, backing herself against the wall and covering her body with her hands as she did so.

“Please, leave me be. I do not have much time as the prince is due to arrive home at any moment.” Azlyn pleaded with them.

“Don’t worry. What we have planned will not take long. The prince won’t mind either way.” Jacan sneered.

“Help!!!!” Azlyn cried out as loudly as she could.

Azlyn knew that it was highly unlikely that anyone would come to her aid, but she had to try. Just on the off chance that some kind soul was passing by, maybe they would rush in and save her before the horrific deed was committed.

“No one is going to help you, stupid slave!” Daegal smirked as he chuckled.

Jacan suddenly closed the distance between Azlyn and himself. He reared back his hand and slapped her across the face so hard that she fell to the ground. She quickly attempted to scurry away from him, pushing herself along the slick tile. Jacan took advantage of this and kicked her hard in the side of her hip, slowing her down.

“Please don’t do this!!” Azlyn begged, crying out loudly, still hoping that someone would hear.

Daegal walked up behind Azlyn and grabbed her by the back of her long hair. He pulled her towards him as she clenched at her roots, hoping to keep her hair from being ripped out of her head. Once she was in front of him, he lifted her up to face him.

“Please! Don’t!” Azlyn begged, staring him in the eye.

Daegal grabbed Azlyn by her face and dug his nails into the sides of her head. He then tossed her across the shower and into the far wall. Azlyn screamed as she flew across the room. Her naked body made a sick smacking sound as it made contact with the concrete. She could feel the hot, sticky blood beginning to drip down from her nose.

“Help!!!! Help!!!!” Azlyn cried out again.

Jacan approached Azlyn, beginning to undo his uniform as he did.

“Cry out all you want slave. No one is going to stop what you have got coming.” Jacan mocked.

Meanwhile, Reve had returned to the castle and had gone straight to his room to shower. He noticed that Azlyn was not present when he arrived, but he decided to think nothing of it. He knew there was a high likelihood that she was merely off performing a chore, speaking with a friend, or getting some much-needed rest. He climbed into the shower and figured that she will have returned by the time that he was finished.

After the shower, Reve threw on some black slacks and a grey silk shirt, he wanted to feel comfortable but to still look good. He was a bit dismayed to see that Azlyn had still not come to his room. So, he walked across the hall and knocked on her door. He waited a moment, but she did not answer. So, he knocked again…

“Azlyn! It’s Prince Reve, are you there?”

There was still no answer.

Reve knocked again, this time using several, slow, loud knocks.

“Azlyn! If you can hear me, I am coming in!” Reve called out.

Reve swung the door of Azlyn’s bedroom open. He took a quick scan and realized that Azlyn was not in there either. He closed the door and began walking down the hall. He hoped maybe he could find another slave or a servant who would be able to give him an idea of Azlyn’s whereabouts.

Reve wandered the halls for a couple of minutes before he finally ran into a little red-headed slave girl. She was working diligently at dusting the many decorations that were lining the walls.

“Hello, miss.” Reve interrupted her.

“Your highness!” The little slave squealed, before giving a clumsy curtsey.

The slave was so surprised by Prince Reve speaking to her that she dropped the rag she had been dusting with and began to tremble slightly.

“No need to fret, miss. I am merely looking for my personal slave, Azlyn. Have you seen her? She has long white hair and is, probably, just a few years older than you.” Reve explained.

“I saw her wandering through here some time ago, sire.” The little slave managed to choke out.

“Did you happen to see where she might be going?” Reve was beginning to grow anxious, something did not feel right.

“It appeared that she was headed to the showers, your majesty. She was carrying her towel and bathing supplies.” The slave informed Reve.

Reve, quickly, headed in the direction of the slave showers.

“I would not go in there if I were you, sire! It sounded as though someone was ‘having their way’ when I walked by a minute ago.” The slave called after him.

Reve’s heart dropped into his stomach, he had heard this term used before; “having their way” was a slang that the slaves would use as a way of saying that another slave was being raped, without actually having to say the words out loud. As there was nothing that any of them would be able to do about it anyway. It was hard for them to acknowledge when it was happening at all.

Reve broke into a full sprint, running as fast as he could towards the bathrooms. All he could do now was hope that he got there before something horrific happened to Azlyn.

“Please, I beg on everything dark and evil, do not let any harm befall Azlyn!” Reve silently prayed, something he had never done before.

In the bathroom, Azlyn was in a complete panic. She had cried out for help several more times, but no one had responded. She was giving up hope that there was any chance that someone would come to save her.

They were now holding Azlyn down, so that she was unable to fight back or try to escape. Daegal leaned over her, staring into her eyes, with a sinister grin spread across his lips. He looked like a starving animal about to devour a meal.

Jacan began to climb on top of her, making grunting noises as he did so, reminding Azlyn of an overweight pig. She prepared for what was next to come; she took in a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly, so that she would not have to see what was happening.

Unfortunately, this was not the first time that Azlyn had been in this situation. This had happened to her countless times before. It was just another sad fact in the life of a slave, particularly a young female one. As she did every time that this happened, she prayed that it would end quickly and that the pain would be minimal.

Suddenly, Azlyn thought that she heard the door of the bathroom slamming against the wall. Moments later, she felt Jacan’s weight being lifted off of her body, followed by loud crash against the wall nearest to her. Daegal released her arms and jumped up off the floor, backing away from where she lay.

When Reve had entered the bathroom, he could hear Azlyn’s cries coming from the shower along with the laughter of her attackers. Reve ran to the shower as fast as his legs could carry him. What he saw when got there made him sick and his rage completely overtook him.

Reve’s primal side, immediately, began to take over and this time he did not try to hold it back. His horns grew by several feet as he allowed them to extend to their full length. His hair grew wild and unruly. His pupils dilated until his eyes were completely black. All of his teeth transformed, sharpening into points. Reve’s nails hardened and sharpened themselves, each one resembling a tiny dagger at the end of his fingers. His muscles bulged and swelled, threatening to tear apart his clothing.

Reve rushed the guard he knew as Jacan, knocking him off of Azlyn. He carried Jacan to the nearby wall, lifted him up, and slammed him against it as hard as he could, turning him upside down as he did so. Reve dropped Jacan on his head and quickly turned his attentions towards Daegal.

“Your highness…we apologize. We did not…realize that this would…be a problem. We have always been…allowed to do this…before.” Daegal trembled, as he flattened his back against the wall.

Reve did not respond, he did not want to give them the satisfaction. Instead, he reared back his fist and swung as hard as he could into the bottom of Daegal’s chin, breaking his jaw, and knocking Daegal out, instantly. He smirked down at Daegal and an evil gleam shone in his eye. He wanted to kill them, but he knew that he should not. He would have to explain why he killed them, and he could not legally justify the murder of a demon in order to protect a slave. They did live in a lawed society, after all.

Instead, Reve turned to Azlyn who still lay on the floor in shock, quivering. She was too afraid to move as she could not comprehend what was happening. Had Reve just saved her? If he did, why had he? She had not expected anyone to help her, but least of all, another demon. Even though Reve had been kind to her before, hurting a demon in order to save her was something she could have never even dreamed he would do.

Azlyn suddenly felt herself being lifted off the ground. Reve had placed an arm under her knees and one behind her back. She felt so comfortable and safe in his arms as he wrapped them around her and pulled her close to him. He grabbed her towel and clothing, tossing it over her, so that no one else would be able to see her naked form.

Azlyn wrapped her arms around Reve’s neck. She was so afraid and shaken by the situation, she did not care about etiquette right now. The only thing in this moment that made her feel better was Reve and she wanted to hold onto him as tightly as possible. She buried her face into his chest and closed her eyes, breathing in his scent. Her blood was soaking his shirt, but he did not seem to care.

Reve carried Azlyn all the way back to his bedroom. Everyone that they passed in the hallways stopped and stared, mouths’ agape. Reve knew that this scene was bound to start some rumors about his relationship with Azlyn. He did not care. Azlyn was safe and that was all that mattered to him.

They passed a group of three guards that were gathered at the end of the hall. Reve informed them that Jacan and Daegal were unconscious in the slave shower. He wanted them arrested and thrown in the dungeon to be dealt with at his discretion. The guards quickly ran off to the slave bathroom; a bewildered look on their faces.

Once they reached his bedroom, Reve took Azlyn straight into his bathroom and set her down in the middle of his shower. He turned on the water and stood there with her, helping her to rinse off her blood. Azlyn did not move and she did not speak. Her mind was in shock and her body was stiff.

Reve shut off the water and left for a moment. While he was gone, Azlyn looked down at her body. This disgusting form had caused her nothing but trouble. She hated herself. She wanted to be free of all of it; she wanted to be free of Azlyn and everything that she stood for. Tears welled up in her eyes and began to pour down her cheeks. She wished that Reve had not left, she did not want to be alone with her thoughts.

Reve returned to the shower with a large, fluffy black robe. When he realized that Azlyn was crying, he immediately wrapped it around her and then used it to pull her close to him. He held her for a moment and let her cry onto his chest, allowing her tears to mix with the blood already on his shirt. Then he scooped her up and carried her back into his bedroom.

Reve gently laid Azlyn down in his bed. He brushed her hair away from her face and then took a moment to study it; trying to get a glimpse into her eyes. She still had not spoken and Reve was unsure of what to do for her. He wanted to help but did not know how.

“I think that you should sleep here for tonight.” Reve suggested. “This way I know that you are safe.”

Azlyn still did not respond. Instead she stared at Reve with perplexed look.

“Do not worry. I will not force you to share the bed with me. I will take the floor for the night.” Reve explained, hoping this would ease any fears that she may have had.

“No…please…” Azlyn stammered.

“What is it?” Reve pressed.

“Please…stay…with…me.” Azlyn requested, barely able to speak.

“You want me to stay in the bed with you?”

Azlyn nodded ‘yes’ in response as she reached out for Reve’s hand. As they touched, they could both feel that spark of electricity rushing between them again. But neither acknowledged this to the other. Instead, Azlyn quickly released his hand realizing that he probably did not appreciate the gesture. Little did she know, how very wrong she was; he never wanted her to let go of his hand. That gesture had meant more to him than she would ever understand. He had needed her from the moment they met and, now, he knew that she needed him too.

“I am just going to change my clothes really quickly. Then I will be right back with you. I already locked the door, so no one can get in. You are safe.” Reve assured her.

Azlyn laid in bed, clutching the robe as tightly to her body as possible. After a moment, Reve returned, he climbed over her, carefully, and got behind her in the bed. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his chest. He buried his face in her hair and took in a deep breath.

Reve could feel Azlyn immediately begin to relax in his arms. Her breathing calmed, and her heartbeat slowed. After some time, he was certain that she was asleep. He could not believe how perfect she looked in his arms. He watched her sleep for a while until he, himself, was overcome with exhaustion and drifted off.