Page 20 of Fated to the Demon Lord

My chest tightened. I’d heard enough. I turned, prepared to hurry to my room.

“There is no need. I understand the concept,” Lord Vaelor responded, his voice clipped.

“Oh, but I insist.” Throk’s delivery was sleek, with a rough edge of cruelty to it. “Raxus, go and possess the human in the hall.”

“Gladly.”

Shit, no. I raised my skirt and ran.

Raxus coalesced into existence in front of me. I ground to a halt, tripping over myself as I tried to reverse course.

“Oh, I’m going to enjoy this,” he snarled.

And he moved, his body pushing into mine, fading past my skin—entering me. My muscles locked, and I fell sideways, striking the wall before collapsing to the floor.

Six

The world around me faded, leaving only agony as I fought for my right to exist within my own body. My vision tunneled and my limbs spasmed. I tried to focus, to push him out, but he beat me back, reaching in and latching onto my soul. He sank too deep into my insecurities.

So much pain, little one. Let it go, and I will take over.

“No,” I moaned out loud. I raked my hand over my skin, trying to tear him out of me.

A mother who left you. A brother taken from you. Who do you have? Nobody.

I scraped into the skin on my head, my throat. My nails sank into my chest and came away with flesh and blood.

You are alone, and you are mine. Give in.

“Never…”

Shall we go deeper? He pushed inside, latching onto me, forcing me back until my mind recoiled. You will give in to me.

The doors flung open, and Lord Vaelor entered the hall with Throk close behind him. Everything felt distant, as though I were watching from far away, the sights and sounds muffled.

What is this? Oh, but there is more. More pain, more insecurity. And fear… yes, so much fear.

“Stop!” I couldn’t let Raxus in. I couldn’t let him see. My mind appeared as a line, and he only needed to extend his reach a bit more, and I’d break.

“As you observe,” Throk said, “they’ll resist at first. But inevitably they give in.”

Lord Vaelor glared down at me with growing fury. “You agreed she’d be mine to do with as I pleased. To torture at my pleasure.”

Shall I delve even father, Raxus taunted, or do you yield?

A sob escaped me. I yield.

And with that, my limbs ceased to be my own. I went limp—but then, like a puppet being controlled on a string, Raxus forced me to my feet.

“The demonstration is almost complete,” Throk said, unconcerned.

Raxus’s presence inside caused unnatural pain. It was like a blade forever slicing into my soul, going ever deeper. There was no recovering from this. No relief existed past this suffering. Gods, make it stop. Make it end.

Yes, you are afraid, aren’t you? How easy it would be to reach in and snap your sanity. Obey me and I’ll give you one more second before I destroy that pretty mind of yours.

“Once she yields, she is completely at his mercy,” Throk spoke as if he were nothing more than a clinician. He motioned to my body that Raxus controlled..

My arm rose, and my mouth opened. He forced my forearm between my lips and bit down. My body trembled as I clenched my jaw harder and harder, until the skin split and blood flowed from my mouth, spilling down onto the floor.