Queen of the Darkness

submits to a great many things—and begs for more."
    Hekatah looked into his glazed eyes and shivered with excitement. The air was filled with the earthy tang of sex. She had him. He just didn't know it yet. "A partnership would serve us both well."
    "But you already have a partner, Hekatah—one I will not deal with in any way."
    She waved a hand dismissively. "She can be taken care of easily enough." She paused. "Darling Dorothea hasn't been sleeping well. I think I'll give her a little cup of something that will help."
    He stared at her with those glazed eyes, a man aroused to the point of being frightening—and terribly exciting.
    "In that case..." Daemon's hands cupped her face. His lips brushed against hers.
    She was disappointed by the gentleness—until he really kissed her. Mean, dominating, unforgiving, demanding, painfully exciting.
    But she was demon-dead. Her body couldn't respond that way, couldn't...
    She drowned in that kiss, staggered by sensations her body hadn't felt in centuries.
    He finally raised his head.
    She stared at him. "How... It isn't possible."
    "I think we've just proved that's a lie," Daemon crooned. "I punish women who lie to me."
    "Do you?" Hekatah whispered, swaying. She couldn't look away from the cruel pleasure in his eyes. "I'll take care of Dorothea."
    He kissed her again. This time she felt the mockery in the gentleness. There was nothing gentle about him. Nothing.
    "I'll take care of Dorothea," she said again. "And then we'll be partners."
    "And I promise you, darling," Daemon purred, "you're going to get everything you deserve."
----
    9 / Terreille
    Dorothea woke up late in the morning and groaned at the pain in her belly. It felt like a year's worth of moontime cramps had settled in her gut. She couldn't get sick now. Couldn't. Maybe a cup of herbal tea or some broth. Hell's fire, she was cold. Why was she so damn cold?
    Shivering, she dragged herself out of bed—and fell.
    After the shock came fear as she remembered the brew Hekatah had made for her last night. To help her sleep. What had she been thinking of not to test something that came from Hekatah's hand?
    She hadn't been thinking. Hadn't...
    That bitch. That walking piece of carrion must have used a compulsion spell on her to get her to drink it—and then to forget that she'd been ordered to drink it.
    Her muscles constricted, twisted.
    Not sick. Poisoned.
    She needed help. She needed...
    Her cabin door opened and closed.
    Gasping from the effort, she rolled onto her side and stared at Daemon Sadi.
    "Daemon," she whimpered, trying to hold out a hand toward him. "Daemon... help..."
    He just stood there, studying her. Then he smiled. "Looks like witchblood was part of last night's little brew," he said pleasantly.
    She couldn't draw a full breath. "You did this. You did this."
    "You were becoming a problem, darling. It's nothing personal."
    She felt the pain of the insult even through the physical pain. "Hekatah..."
    "Yes," Daemon purred, "Hekatah. Now, don't worry, darling. I've put an aural and a protective shield around your cabin, so you'll be quite undisturbed for the rest of the day."
    He walked out of the cabin.
    She tried to crawl to the door, tried to scream for help. Couldn't do either.
    It didn't take long for her world to become nothing but pain.
    Daemon closed the door of the prison hut he'd been using whenever he needed to stay somewhere for a little while. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he withdrew the Jewels he'd gone to Dorothea's cabin to retrieve—Saetan's Black ring; Lucivar's pendant, ring, and Ring of Honor. He knew her well, knew exactly where to probe for a hiding place. It hadn't taken him more than a minute to slip around her guard spells and lift the Jewels while he stood there and talked to her.
    He studied the Jewels and sighed with relief. Both men had put strong shields around the jewelry before handing them over to those bitches, so there was no way the pieces could have been tampered with or tainted. Still...
    Setting the Jewels into the washbasin, he poured water over them, added some astringent herbs for cleansing, then let them soak.
    This would be the last day, the last night. He could endure it that much longer. Had to endure it.
    He closed his eyes. Soon, sweetheart. A few more hours and I'll be on my way home, on my way back to you. And then we'll be married.
    Picturing Jaenelle slipping the plain gold wedding ring onto his finger, he smiled.
    And then he remembered the