BRAVING THE DARKNESS: One Night With The Demon King
BENEATH HER DARKNESS: The Alpha’s Little Demon Book 2
Chapter 41 – King Arturos
LUCIUS.
I didn’t know it was possible to feel this happy despite the fact that my kingdom was under attack. I was so used to taking pride and being boastful of my accomplishments, but this happiness Patrea was giving me was beyond me. For the first time, I got something because it wanted me, not out of force or rebellion.
Patrea was alive, and she survived my mark because of one thing: she loved me.
And I knew at this point that I could do everything, anything, to make sure she wouldn’t regret braving the darkness that came along with loving me.
“Welcome to Kalmerus, my queen,” I told her as I stared directly into her amber eyes before they blazed red. And it just made me excited.
My hand gripped her jaw tightly as I crushed my lips against her, kissing her brutally hard, and my queen just accepted my kiss wholeheartedly before she snaked her arms around me.
But I knew I should stop kissing her, or this might lead to other things, and we had a kingdom to protect. I pulled away from her lips, but she whimpered and pulled me back, kissing me again, and I couldn’t help but smile as I gently bit her bottom lip before pulling away again.
“We need to get back, or we might not have a kingdom to rule,” I told her in a low voice as my thumb caressed her cheek. Holding Patrea gently this way just felt natural. “Oh, I’m sorry. I totally forgot that.” She said as red tints crept up her cheeks.
“No No. No need for apologies. I want nothing but to hold you in my arms, to kiss and f*uc*k you, but now that you’re back here with me, I want to go out there and protect Kalmerus more than ever.” I cupped her face with both hands. ‘I want to rule this kingdom with you.”
“You’re overwhelming me.” She said as she took a deep breath.
“Am I? Pardon me, my queen, but I will take it slow from here. We will discuss this again, but for now, let’s save Kalmerus.” I told her as a smug smirk crossed my face. She nodded her head and beamed at me “I will be honored if you fight beside me,” I added, and I meant it.
“I don’t know how to use your powers yet.”
“That power Is yours, not mine. And whatever I have, you’ve got more because you’re also a witch. Use what you think is best suited, and I will just be beside you, behind you, watching and protecting you if you need me.”
“I love you, Lucius.” She said, her eyes blazing red as her mouth smiled warmly al me. Patrea was looking al me as if I were the most precious thing in all of these realms.
“I love you too. my queen.” My hands were still on her face. I didn’t think I would ever get tired of looking at her Patrea was just so beautiful and indeed a sight for sore eyes.
“Stop staring at me and let’s save Kalmerus,” she said as a wide grin curled on her lips.
I looked at her one more time before I changed her clothing. Nothing special, just a full-body suit that would make it easier for her to move.
“Wow. I’m not sure I can handle this clothing, it’s too sexy.” She said her cheeks were burning red.
“Do you want me to change it if you’re not comfortable?’’
“No I like it. I feel like a princess geared up for battle.”
“You’re demoting yourself because I see a warrior queen.” I winked at her before I reached for her hand, and she took it without a second thought, “Ready?”
She nodded her head, and with our hands clasped together, we were sucked into limbo and ended up at the place where the battle was still ongoing.
My eyes scanned the whole perimeter, and I could see my demons were in an advantageous position. Lucija had been doing a good job of decapitating most of them before they got totally burned, but like any demon, as long as their hearts were intact, their king could revive them to life. So they kept coming back.
‘If you kill a demon, you need to claw their hearts and crush them. Or Arturos can bring them back to life.’ I told her through our mind connection.
Her body jolted, and I forgot to tell her that I was now able to mindlink her But she nodded her head as she opened her palm and began chanting something, and soon air swirled in her palm before flames danced around it.
I knew I should be killing demons, but I wanted to make sure Patrea was secured until she could decide what weapon she would be using.
Soon, my queen was throwing a circle of air with jagged edges combined with fire at every demon trying to lunge at her She was slicing demons in half while the rest of my demons were clawing hearts and crushing them. And I think she was enjoying what she was doing. I sprung into action as soon as I was aware she could handle herself and my demons were around her. I could see Artutos at the far end, and I needed to take out ma*s*sive numbers of demons before I could get to him. I wanted his heart in my hand
Before coming here, I only wanted to protect Kalmerus, but I had a new goal in mind. I wanted Athwart as well. Killing him and eating his heart were the only ways to get it. I was busy attacking demons along the way when my attention was caught by Lucija’s white wolf, Angel, descending from the air and landing beside Patrea In no time, Patrea was already climbing at her back, and they began rising and gliding in the air – with Angel firing ice and Patrea with air and fire.
I knew Patrea was in good hands, so I put my whole focus back on my own battle — killing demons and clawing hearts. But it was a big mistake.
A loud growl erupted in the air and shook the ground, and I knew it came from Stone.
My head snapped to the direction where his growl was coming from, and I followed his line of sight Angel was fumbling down from the air as her wings were broken and caught fire. Stone was already diving in the air to catch her, which he did, but before he could pull an unconscious Patrea, Arturos had already grabbed Patrea’s wrist before they disappeared mid-air.
A loud hiss escaped my throat as my body spun around, searching for where they would reappear. I couldn’t reach Patrea’s mind as she was unconscious, but I could still feel Arturos’ aura.
They were still here.
A loud laughter filled the air as everything stayed still, including the air. All the demons stopped fighting all at once, and all attention was on Arturos, standing on a burning boulder, carrying Patrea in his arms. He was too high, and it would take time to get to where he was by flying. And I would never be able to appear beside him because our powers and auras were equal at the moment, and he would repel my advances. In the same way, he couldn’t just appear beside me even if he wanted to. His laughter was hurting my ears and crushing my heart.
My jaw clenched and my hands coiled into tight fists as the demon mark on my chest kept burning brightest. “Let her go and face me,” I told him. “Don’t be a coward and shield yourself behind a female.”
“A heart for a heart, Lucius. Kalmerus or this female in my arms.” He answered back.
There was no question I would give up my kingdom for her, but I knew he would still end up killing her after. Females are worth nothing to demons My breathing hitched as I stared at him with a fire burning in my eyes. I saw Lucija transform back into her demon form and slowly heal the burn on her shoulders.
“If you touch even just a strand of her hair, I will make sure you and all of your descendants will vanish in this realm,” I warned her.
“You can’t scare me, Lucius. I don’t care about anyone as much as this female meant to you.” He laughed evilly as his grip around Patrea tightened before he shouted. “Again! Kalmerus, or this female?”
A roar from his demons ripped through the air as my body let out a force I had never experienced in my whole life.
I knew it was impossible to protect Patrea if another king was holding her.
But I got to try.
My body at the moment felt like I could do everything Like I was invincible and powerful.
I needed to save my queen.
I closed my eyes and envisioned Patrea’s body glowing and burning with a fire that burned even at the hands of the strongest demon.
And then it happened. A loud scream filled the air, and it made my eyes snap open.
Arturos was roaring as he let go of Patrea’s body, which was engulfed in a red fire.
I wanted to rush to catch her, but my body was undergoing such a transformation that my feet were rooted to the ground.
“No!” I screamed as fire erupted in my whole being and burst out like an explosion, but there was nothing I could do to stop Patrea from hitting the ground below.
I keep sending shields her way, but they were being caught by the f*uc*king demons standing around the area where she was about to fall.
I roared one more time, and I saw Stone already flying beside her but could not come to touch her while Arturos’ demons kept attacking him.
My vision blurred as I tried to stop the fire around Patrea’s but it wouldn’t stop,
“No! No! No!” Her body would be crushed if she hit the ground.
And then it happened: a floating water globe shot past from behind me and struck Patrea’s body, enveloping her in a bubble that broke her fall before the bubble floated in my direction.
My head snapped back, and I saw Althea with her eyes closed, hair standing as she chanted in a language I couldn’t understand while a big black wolf was standing behind her, stopping several demons from reaching her.
Soon Lucija appeared on her right and Stone on her left as she continued to summon Patrea’s body to come to her. They were all here to protect my queen.
I didn’t waste time and linked with my demons to launch an attack. It was only then that I realized I had transformed into something else.
Like Lucija, my ultimate demon form had surfaced.