Chapter 42 ∣  Anarchy

-Eris

Maverick...

My vampire.

He stood near the front line of guests that had attended Keegan's coronation and a surprise wedding. He wore onyx cargo pants and his black combat boots that had been lightly dusted with the burnt orange from the Dominion Plane's surface. His shirt had been removed, his winter white hair was pushed to the left side of his face, those beautiful hazel eyes were not filled with love, nor with affection. Pain and hurt coursed through his irises, radiating through his veins to his entire body, until they had shifted, replaced with black rose orbs.

Void of any emotion now, Maverick took a step toward Keegan and King Bram, my body unable to move as I sat sideways, my hands planted on the floor. With caution, I brought my chin up, my eyes lingering on his form as I'd never seen him this way. When he had come after me the time Declan and kidnapped me, I saw anger. Now, there was nothing.

"How did you get into Hell? Unless, that is," Keegan's eyes shifted from my trembling body, back to Maverick, "You killed yourself in order to come after this succubus. Then again, when a vampire dies, they usually go to another circle of Hell, so I'm curious, how are you here?"

Maverick said nothing, his eyes locked onto Keegan like he was the ultimate prey that he was about to catch and kill. I'd never seen this side of him. Yes, I saw him kill Declan in order to save me, but as I asked, "M-Maverick?" He never once cast me a glance, those abyssal eyes of his showing nothing.

Keegan displaced his weight, taking a few strides toward Maverick and asking, "Don't feel like talking, vampire?"

Again, silence answered Keegan's question.

My heartbeat was erratic, my breathing catching as I continued to observe their stare down. I could see Maverick's muscles tense when Keegan asked, "What makes you think Eris wants to go back with you anyways? Hm?"

I shook my head, feeling my body finally moving on its own as I stood up shakily.

"She's already given herself willingly to me," Keegan drove the unseen dagger deeper into Maverick's heart. After he had spoken those words, I finally received a glance, Maverick's black rose eyes piercing into my soul, tears starting to build and threatening to fall. "I can see why you would want Eris, she's an excellent fuck toy, now isn't she?" He paused for a moment, noticing Maverick's stare faltering, "But that's the think about toys; they become too used and broken, old and unwanted. If I can't control her, she's better off dead than against me."

His eyes drifted from mine and then rested on my neck, my fear growing at the thought of him knowing how I had betrayed him. He wouldn't forgive me, he'd kill me...

"Well, I was planning on killing her," Keegan sighed with irritation, "But, I know you want to as well. Let it be known, I'm not completely selfish, you can kill your succubus. Betrayal hurts, doesn't it?"

My heart stopped. I knew Keegan had been planning to kill me within the recent weeks, though I had no plan of being able to escape from him. Now that Maverick was here, and Keegan had revealed to him my betrayal...I knew he'd want to kill me too. Who wouldn't? After all, what I had done was unforgivable, after the way Maverick had only shown me such kind love and affection...

I could have fought harder...

I could have trusted in him...

But...I didn't

I didn't deserve Maverick.

But I didn't deserve to die over this!

If I thought my heart was beating loud and fast before, oh it turned up a notch when Maverick began to walk toward me, his combat boots echoing off the floor. I drew a shaky breath, watching as Keegan moved away and stood next to his father, their eyes filled with amusement as I was petrified.

"Tell me," Maverick's words were icy, but they were not directed at me, "What does it take to seduce a succubus?"

I backed away, ready to run, when the crowd behind me dissipated, allowing for me to move further back, but only to be greeted by the hard wall. Maverick's steps continued, the crowd moving away from my sides as I attempted to sprint to my left. A strong hand wrapped around my exposed upper arm, pulling me back and holding me against the wall.

"Not much," Keegan replied, "For me anyways, as a succubus is the weaker of the sexes in the Dominion Plane. She's practically putty in my hands, all too willing to fall."

My eyes stared at Maverick's bare chest, both of his hands wrapped tightly around my upper arms, my back pinned against the wall. The tears I had been suppressing finally fell, gliding down my cheeks and rolling down to my chin.

"So," Maverick's voice startled me, my eyes lifting to meet his black rose, the tips of his fangs were already slipping past his lips as he spoke, "You seduced her...that's not willing." His eyes shifted back for a split second, catching a glimpse of those hazel pools and feeling something pull through me, driving me hard toward him, but I was still restrained against the wall.

The pull was followed quickly by warmth and electricity racing through my body, ending where he had his hands wrapped around my upper arms. It was like that one time I encountered him, though this time it felt overwhelming like it was consuming my senses.

What? What is this?

It wasn't my demonic side begging to be unleashed.

It was my soul.

The same soul that felt like something had been ripped away when Keegan stated, "I didn't seduce her the first time. She may have thought so, but I simply manipulated her already weak mind. It's not my fault she's so easy to break and sway. I just gave her that little extra push."

Maverick's eyes had shifted back, stating, "I'll be the judge of that...as that is a conversation for another time."

Quicker than Keegan could shift, both of Maverick's hands left my upper arms, clutching onto the collar and snapping it into two pieces. My anxiety had reached new levels, understanding that his anger had been partially a ploy for him to free me. The fragments of the collar hit the floor, and for the first time ever...I felt free.

I had my soul...

I had my vampire...saving me from another monster.

"M-Maverick..." I whispered out, noticing a hint of anger coming through his expressionless eyes.

Without a single word, Maverick turned on his heel, speeding across the room at top vampiric speed and knocking Keegan into the opposite wall. The few demons who had been standing in the way were knocked off their feet, some more injured than others, but all moved away as they regained their composure.

Maverick hissed at the prince, stating, "You had no right to take Eris from me. She was finally happy, and you ripped that away from her!"

"Wh-What do you think she'll be with you?" Keegan spat, pushing to his feet and glowering at my vampire. "You're the fucking rogue pureblood vampire...a damn prince who couldn't just follow his society's orders. How safe is she really going to be with you?! When did you plan on telling her? When you were being sought out by the hunters? When you were right about to die?"

Maverick lashed out, punching him in the face and knocking him on his ass once again, "Then you should know not to piss me off. I don't have to answer a damn thing that comes from that disgusting mouth of yours."

It was true then...Maverick was the rogue prince...when had he planned on telling me?

My life really had been in danger standing at Maverick's side. Not just when Declan kidnapped me, but the hunters really could have come for him at any time and I would be an accessory to his killings.

Surprisingly, King Bram stood in silence, maybe wondering if his own son was worthy of being his predecessor, and this was now a fight to prove his worth.

"You were going to KILL her!" Maverick's emotions were raw, Keegan standing from the floor and punching Maverick in the face. He barely moved, his eyes being brought back to gleam with hatred, "You don't get to say another damn word to further fuck with her mind. I'll damn well tell her when I want to, not because you are forcing the knowledge!"

"Apparently," Keegan sneered with slight amusement, watching as Maverick's body was fading, becoming slightly transparent, "I do. Who's going to stop me? Not you anymore."

"Eris!" Maverick yelled, seeing his eyes shift back, the look on his face tore my heart apart, watching him being ripped away from this plane of existence.

Fear? Yes, it still existed within me and I'd be a fool not to fear Maverick, gazing with wide eyes as he disappeared before my eyes. There wasn't a single trace, but what had replaced his image, was Keegan, displaying his fully demonic form. His muscles rippled, his shirt torn away as his wings ripped his clothing away, his electric blue eyes narrowing at me.

No...How? What? Maverick...

King Bram had done the same thing, the tension in the room was thick, the demonic creatures residing within it, cautiously shifting from one foot to another.

"Are you really going to sit back and continue to let these two ruthless beings rule over you?" My voice was much braver now, my stance changing as I felt the familiar electricity spark over my skin. Within a split second, my leathery bat-like wings expanded from between my shoulder blades, my tail already shifting side to side from beneath the red dress I wore.

Keegan and King Bram bared their multiple sets of fangs at me, the fear bubbling to the surface as no one dared to make a move against the powerhouse duo that stood ready to kill anyone who would oppose them.

Please...no one likes them, why are they so afraid?

Fine...I may be afraid, but I'll damn well go down fighting than sitting around sniveling until they decide to pick me off.

I pushed off the ground, using my wings to carry me into the air and fly directly above the two royal rulers. A small startled scream escaped my lips, noticing Keegan had grabbed my right ankle, using his strength to pull me down to the ground. During my descent, I focused on the electricity moving through my body and using my trapped limb as a focal point. Keegan immediately let go, feeling the charge move through my body and into his.

It wasn't a fluffy little spark or shock.

No, I meant to kill.

Not even realizing it, King Bram had flown behind me, quickly wrapping his tail around my neck and sending me flying into the ground with such force, there was an indent my body left behind as it made an impact.

I scrambled to my feet, but not before Keegan kicked me in the ribs, my body feeling intense pain when I was struck from behind, collapsing to my knees. I held my ribs, gritting my teeth as my body began to finally heal at its full capacity, but not without having to focus. I'd only healed one rib by the time King Bram had grabbed a fist full of my long dark hair and yanked me viciously to my feet.

Keegan approached me, punching me in the stomach as I cried out, throwing my hands in front of me and contacting his chest. I narrowed my eyes, my electric blue ones meeting his when the electricity charged through the palms of my hands and coursed through his chest, racing directly to his heart.

If King Bram hadn't pulled me away from his son, he'd have been a crispy incubus, but instead, Keegan fell to his right knee, clutching his chest and gasping for air. The feeling of a tail being wrapped around my neck, made my eyes squint, the air almost being completely cut off. I focused on his tail, attempting to use it in order to divert the electricity, but he knew better, crushing down on my windpipe and making my vision cross.

The darkness was consuming me, my body becoming numb.

I was almost completely unaware of the sounds surrounding me, the growling and hissing of many creatures. My eyes slid shut, hearing the pounding of my heart in my head, my voice lost as no air was consumed by my lungs. How ironic...I'm going to die in Hell...

It didn't stay that way though, my back felt something solid behind it, relishing in the air that filled my lungs, renewing my life.

How?

My eyes were opening slowly, but my vision was still blurry, the forms of many creatures running and soaring through the air. Was I dreaming?

"Your vampire was too late, but I'm not..." it was the voice of another succubus, her features coming into my field of view, "You have your soul back...take care...try to forget and never have to come back to this place...it's not worth it." Her voice was soothing, my mind fogging at her words, but I let go, knowing I was out of King Bram's and Keegan's reach.

I exhaled, my mind wandering to Earth not knowing where I could possibly appear...but then I reached out and found it...

Maverick...his energy drawing me as it welcomed my broken body.

"Eris?"

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To Seduce a Succubus by K. A. Young.

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