Undying Devotion

Shannara’s confused expression met the man’s shocked face. They stood looking at each other as though in utter disbelief. She thought he a madman, and only just came to the realization that this may actually be really happening.

“You dare rejec-” The other man-thing that had dragged her here was quickly shut up with the wave of a hand from the handsome-looking prince before her.

“Was she not told?” His voice had an effect on her she couldn’t entirely understand. His eyes never left her, she felt like she was being drawn into those eerily beautiful jewels.

“I merely tested her to see if she was worthy.” Her kidnapper seemed panicked all of a sudden.

Her head snapped toward the other man as her mouth fell open and her brows creased. “You call killing people, assaulting and kidnapping me a test!?” She fumed. “What the hell kind of test calls for that!”

The smaller man cringed as the one in the suit growled, seeming to join her in her anger. The sound was unexpected and animalistic, she didn’t think such a sound could come out of a human. It sent the hair on the back of her neck on edge.

“My-my lord, it’s not as she says. I simply had to-” He was cut off again as he was grabbed around the throat. She hadn’t even seen the refined man move, but she felt it. A gust of wind appeared to rush past her, her hair flying up and drifting down as though caught on a breeze. One moment he was standing inches from her and the next he was ramming the other man into the wall behind her. How did he do that?

“How many times have I said that we don’t make a scene in the human world? How many times have I told you not to make a mess!?” His voice held a menacing tone. “The other may permit it, but I do not!”

“B-but I didn’t...” He was gasping for air as the hold on him tightened, threatening to crush his windpipe. “I was clean and neat, I merely copied another human to blend in.”

She couldn’t contain her fury anymore, whether she was or wasn’t dreaming at this point she’d had it with this situation. “You killed an incident woman and stuffed her insides in jars, and for what!? Because you had seen someone else do it!?” She strode forward, her blood boiling. “Would you jump off a cliff if someone else did, would you chew off your own arm, would you walk on hot coals!? No of course you fucking wouldn’t.” She was yelling now.

The man pinned to the wall struggled and began to transform. Horns grew from his forehead as his claws elongated and his face morphed into something more devilish in nature. Watching in complete horror she released she hadn’t imagined it before, Shaking her head she took a step back. What had she gotten herself into? What was this place and why was she here?

She heard the blood-curdling sound of ripping flesh as the suited man appeared to strike but not in the way she had anticipated. Her eyes bulged as she felt fear form in the pit of her stomach, she watched the beast’s head tear off its shoulders. This man before her ripped the creature’s head clean off with his bare hands. It was Impossible... and yet she witnessed it.

Blood sprayed as the neck was completely detached, he held the head in a clenched fist as the lifeless body fell to the ground. He turned to face her, a grim look on his face. But all she could see was how his beautiful clothes were now soiled with the splatter of his kill. Her body stiffened as he took a step toward her, was she next?

“I’m sorry for my footman’s behavior. I never intended for him to take lives.” His voice was low, not caring or condescending but careful.

“Then what was his intention!?” She asked in a slight panic.

“To find me a suitable woman, one that doesn’t flinch at danger, one that faces it head-on. Someone that can stand by my side.” He tilted his head, his eyes softening. “I believe he might have found what I was looking for, albeit through different methods than what I had intended.”

“You’re all out of your minds!” What else could she say?

“That may be, but nonetheless, it’s true. You, are the one I want.” He took another step forward.

“What about what I want?” Her eyes darted to the head in his hands, the blood still dripping from it.

“Compensation?” He asks.

She needed to play this carefully. Her heart was racing, her mind alive with fear, dread and an intense need to survive. “I will not leave a killer on the loose, take me home so I can finish my work!” She ordered. She could figure this weird trip out once she was safe and sound at home.

He frowned. Clearly, it wasn’t want he wanted. She could see the wheels turning inside his mind as he looked her up and down. “And once your work is complete, would you join me in this realm, as my wife?”

She shook her head. “I will agree to hear you out, I don’t agree to marry someone whose name I don’t even know.”

He raised a brow. “So full of demands.” He smiled tossing the head over to the body behind him. “Very well, we have a deal. Once your work is complete then.”

She felt a rush of air, she gasped as he grabbed her head in his hands firmly jerking it back, making her look up at him. Her breath caught as his eyes locked with hers, she couldn’t move. Captivated by him, his very being invading every one of her sensors.

“Sleep now, my Queen. Our time will come.” He whispered.

Her eyes were growing heavy, she tried blinking them open but even her body was betraying her as it grew lucid in his arms. She heard him cackle, the sound sending a chill up her spine, and she was gone. The world faded to dark as she unwillingly fell into his embrace.

She’d woken at some point in the night. Her eyes fluttered open to familiar surroundings. She was in her bedroom, when had she gone to bed? Her eyes burned as though she hadn’t been asleep for very long. Feeling around for her phone, she couldn’t find it. Frowning she sat up trying to recall the last thing she did before she had fallen asleep.

She was on the couch with her case files when the CIA took her... her frown deepened. Had that really hadn’t or had that all been a part of her weird dream with the handsome demon man? Shaking her head she flung the covers off, getting out of bed to find her phone. It was likely still in the front room. Turning the hallway light on as she went she noticed a cold breeze flowing through the house, had she left a window open?

Rounding the corner she came to a halt looking at the gaping hole that was meant to house her front door. She closed her eyes willing herself to still be dreaming. But as the bitter-sweet chill of the wind wrapped her in an icy embrace she knew she was awake.

But just how much of what had happened should she believe? With a soft sigh, she retrieved some tools from the garage and reattached the door to its hinges. Testing it she nodded, happy with the quick fix for now, she would have to sand back the splintered wood and re-varnish it later.

Locking the door she retrieved her phone and headed back to bed. Though, sleep did not appear to want to come easy for her. Instead, she lay awake browsing her phone. Masie had messaged her during her little ‘adventure’. Who was going to believe her if she told anyone at the station about what had happened? She didn’t even believe it. She thought about telling Masie but even then, as she typed it out it sounded like a delusion.

“I’m sure it happened.” She pondered out loud.

“It did.”

She threw her phone at the noise on reflex and jumped out of bed into a defensive stance. Nobody else should be in this room with her, she had;t heard anything out of the ordinary or seen anything out of place aside from when she had gotten up.

“Ouch! That small metal object nearly took out my eye.” That voice, it was him! Her dreamy man from the other side.

“What are you doing here?” She retrieved her pillow ready to use it as a weapon, not that it would do much good. Had she fallen asleep again?

“I returned you home as promised.” He explained.

“Yes but, why are you in my house!?”

“Because I do not have a dwelling of my own on this side, and I wish to be of service.” His voice was smooth and refined. Good heavens, if he didn’t stop talking to her that way she was going to melt on the spot. How could a man be so sexy and so terrifying at the same time?

“How did you get in?” Holding the pillow at the ready, she didn’t trust this beast at all.

“I simply entered through the front entrance.” He waved his hand as though this was normal.

“It was locked!”

“Ah, it did show a little resistance, yes.”

She groaned. “Did you break my door again!?”

“Does it not belong on the floor? That was how it was when we arrived.”

She threw her pillow at him, catching it with ease he looked at her with a puzzled expression. Ignoring him for the moment she rushed to the front of the house, the cool breeze was starting to become the new normal at this point. Rounding the corner she confirmed her suspicions.

Her hand rested on her temple as she looked at her poor door. “Does no one know how to use a door correctly?” Would her insurance cover this? She doubted she could fix it a second time without getting a new door.

He had followed her still holding her pillow. “Is there a problem?”

She took a slow and steady breath, she couldn’t let her anger get the better of her and snap at the man who could probably snap her neck in response.

“Please leave.” She managed through gritted teeth.

“But-”

“LEAVE!”

He seemed quite taken aback by her tone. As though no one spoke to him that way. Forcing herself to calm down she added. “This is not the way things are done in this world.” Playing to his tune seemed the best option here, as she didn’t appear to be waking up from this. “You need to be invited to stay in someone else’s home. You can’t simply enter.”

He frowned. “As I said I have nowhere to go.”

“Then go home! To that other place or whatever.” She insisted.

“But I must assist you in your goal.”

He was beginning to give her a headache. “How could you possibly help? You know nothing of this case.”

“But I could be of assistance to you. I’m not from this realm and have abilities that can be of aid.”

That tweaked her interest. “How?” She asked raising a brow.

“I am stronger, I can track scents and I can sense things that humans cannot.” He smirked clearly proud of himself.

“What and who the hell are you?” She finally asked.

“Ah yes. I am yet to introduce myself. I am the Demon Lord Arion.” He placed the pillow and her phone on the table in the center of the room.

Approaching her he took a knee and gently lifted her hand to his lips. Placing a kiss on the back of her palm he smiled up at her with blistering eyes. He was so determined and she was utterly taken aback, but she couldn’t fall for it, she wouldn’t.

“And you Shannara, you are to be my Queen.”

She rolled her eyes, was she stuck with this lunatic now?