Dread Allies: Shadow King

Eaglafonn was Alexio’s reward for unwavering loyalty in the face of countless enemies. He had fought hard, struggled, learned, suffered, and worked for it. It had been penance and absolution as well. It was a prosperous tiny kingdom barely six centuries old. It was beautiful. It was his home.

Alexio had been humbled by the gesture, and when he was crowned Ri sgail, the Shadow King, he had set about making sure that his kingdom remained safe. Tnuthduil’s enemies stayed on the other side of the border with his lands at Eaglafonn.

The conjurers to the west had a long-standing peace arrangement with Asmodeus. Leviathan’s lands to the south were never a problem. The demons and the wargs got along well.

It was the Demon Lady of Sloth and Ruin that he was always concerned with. Slugs were slow and hard to destroy and left a mess of everything when they tried to cross through Eaglafonn’s territory.

Alexio was fair with his men. He trained with them and worked with them daily, one on one. They accepted his flaws. He, in turn, accepted theirs.

He cooked his meat. He soaked in heated baths. He wore heavy clothes. He had been the first demon Asmodeus had ever made. The six demon princes had all been experiments as well. His friends had become his brothers over the centuries.

Alexander Eagla had been a broken human man. Cut down by a sword in battle, he lay dying in 1052. His fellow human companions had left him to die even when he cried out for their help.

Asmodeus had offered him a chance, something different. It was not healing. It was a rebirth, a chance at a life he could not have imagined.

“Do you fear death?” Asmodeus had crouched down before him in the dark on the long-forgotten battlefield at the end of his time.

“No. I fear never having lived.” Alexander had spoken the truth.

“Would you be made again?” Asmodeus spoke the question in a quiet manner that felt as if it belonged in a bedroom instead of a debris field dotted with rotting corpses and ravens after the battle.

The question had confused him yet appealed to him. The feeling was lost in his legs. The pain in his chest from his crushed ribs made it hard to breathe. He had accepted. It was not fear of death that had prompted his choice. It had been a desire for more. Lust and Envy were brothers after all.

Asmodeus had nodded and reached out a hand to him. Alexander took it, and the Demon Lord of Lust dragged him into a cave. The metamorphoses had ripped him apart and put him back together again.

He was sure he did not die. The dead no longer felt pain. Alexio had suffered it all.

Time passed. Alexio had never been sure about how much time. Asmodeus had gifted him with the use of the magic of the night, the magic he had been born with yet knew nothing of. It had been the shadows that had destroyed him then remade him.

He was made a demon, perfect, whole, and ever desirous of the dark edge of fear, pain, anticipation, and pleasure. He became Alexio Asmodai. Asmodeus took him to the Netherworld.

The cold of the Netherworld got to him. It had made him shiver constantly. Asmodeus had fine fur garments made for him with fur-lined boots, gloves, and hats.

The cold was banished. It had made him a bit insecure at first. Alexio spent that first hundred years practicing shadow magic at the palace of Tnuthduil.

Asmodeus had settled a library of books on the subject on him and ordered him to ‘learn it all’. Alexio did not want to make Asmodeus regret having gifted him a new life. He had learned it all.

Time was different in the Netherworld. How long it took seemed immaterial to Asmodeus. It only mattered that Alexio mastered the magic completely.

The raw flesh commonly consumed by most in the Netherworld would not remain on Alexio’s stomach. Iron pots, pans, and kettles were acquired. Alexio learned to cook on the hearth and with the wood burners. He stopped starving. It was all new, and Alexio learned to survive in the Netherworld.

Eventually, Asmodeus grew to trust his abilities. More responsibilities were settled on Alexio. He accepted them, conquered them, and thrived. He became in the Netherworld the kind of man he had always wanted to be.

Alexio practiced the sword and his horsemanship. He practiced in the cold wearing his heavy clothes until he was nearly as quick as Asmodeus and his new demons. Then he bested Asmodeus himself.

His surprise was such that he stumbled back and fell on his ass in the practice yard. Asmodeus had roared his laughter, helped him to his feet, and named him First Demon. Alexio lived up to the title.

Asmodeus had learned his lesson. He sought other immortals from which to make demons. Demons and demoness were mostly made from grotesques after Alexio’s weaknesses were manifested, and his brothers had all had similar issues.

The later demons were not gifted with shadows or other magic, rather seduction. Asmodeus was better able to teach the sedr magic. Alexio took command of the demon host as Asmodeus’ second in command.

Alexio knew he would have to prove himself as more than a failed toy to the other demons. So he worked twice as hard, and Asmodeus never turned his back on Alexio.

Together, they rode into battle against those that would attempt to take what Asmodeus claimed for himself. Together, they secured the borders of Tnuthduil. He became friends with his liege.

Alexio made sure that the loyalty Asmodeus had shown him was not wasted. He spent centuries doing everything that Asmodeus demanded. He did it all without complaint and with excellent results.

He became a Grandmaster of the Shadow. He never stopped his arms practice either. None could stand against him with a sword for centuries. Not until Wade.

Alexio had earned his title as the First Demon of Tnuthduil. Wade had just helped him maintain the edge. After Wade was sent to build the dragons in the Leaindeail, Asmodeus gifted land as well as title to Alexio. He had served as the Ri sgail for centuries at Eaglafonn afterward.

It had not been easy, but life was good. Returning to his castle after a long successful hunt felt good. When he arrived there was a crate waiting for him.

“First Demon, where would you like this package? The Demon Lord has decreed that you are to deal with this.”

His men at arms who had remained on watch while he led the hunt, seemed anxious. They were loyal. They too owed their existence and current levels of comfort to Asmodeus.

Eaglafonn was the best position in the entire demon host except for perhaps the palace. His men preferred Eaglafonn to Tnuthduil. Alexio was humbled in the face of their loyalty.

Alexio slid off the horse, and it was led away by the groomsman. His servants were all mutes or convicted criminal slaves. They would not speak of what they saw or heard to anyone, ever.

The loyalty of his men on the frontier border was without question. The precariousness of their position demanded it.

If it ever came into question, his sword would end that question. He did not worry.

The giant crate was interesting.

“What is it?” Alexio wondered aloud as he walked around it.

Asmodeus had been in the Leaindeail quite a bit over the last week. The demon grapevine said he had found his queen. Alexio had been shocked and strangely happy to learn that. He had honestly not believed it possible.

His second, Yuri, placed a letter with the Demon Lord’s wax seal on it into his hand and shrugged. With Asmodeus, anything was possible. The man did things to him, just because, and to watch. Alexio knew his king. The Demon Lord of Lust had all the vices a man could have.

The man once trained a human in Druid magic for Leviathan just so he could watch the man be corrupted by the demoness. Wade was a good man even if Asmodeus had warped him.

Leviathan turning him as a warg had been a good thing. Wade was one of the few true friends that Alexio claimed outside of the men who served him at Eaglafonn and his liege.

Alexio broke the seal to open the letter and end his musings. Funny the envelope smelled of Wade. Maybe he was just imagining it. He would call on Wade soon. He missed the warg.

He needed a good sword fight. Wade was one of the few who could beat him. It was never certain who would win. They were truly well matched.

As he examined the crate Alexio realized that it smelled of the warg. That was odd. Had the contents come from Leviathan?

The crate made noise. Whatever was inside was alive. That was intriguing. He may have found a new distraction.

He hoped it was not a hellcat that Asmodeus expected him to tame. Why would Leviathan have the warg chasing hellcats? The crate was too small for a horse.

Alexio shook his head. He still had work to do from the hunt. It was always best to finish one job before he started another one. The crate would keep for an hour more.

“Take it to my quarters. Carefully, and do not drop it.”

Asmodeus liked to send him more work. No doubt the Demon Lord would challenge him yet again. No matter. He would meet this challenge as he had all the others.

Time did not matter in the Netherworld. Only the results mattered. Alexio was First Demon. He would not fail.

Lex,
I got you something. You must keep it safe. It is similar to you in a way, and I knew you would know how to care for it. I will come to see how well it works out later. Be sure it has no visible marks. I trust you will know what to do with it.
Mode

A riddle? Alexio strode from the keep after seeing the meat correctly handled. When he stepped into his rooms, the servants had the fire warming his space. The others did not need it. He did.

He removed the gloves and his cloak. His tunic would suffice him in his quarters. He found the pry tool on the table and set about opening the crate to learn what work Mode wanted him to undertake next. He opened the crate and found something completely unexpected. He was immediately enthralled.

It was a woman. A human female and she was alive. She was gifted then. Not fire. Her hair was dark brown. Only the redheads were den lasair. Not sedr or Druid either. That was not possible in human females. So envy, shadows, or death. She was not a conjurer. No black hair meant it was not death magic either.

She was huddled in the crate shivering. Even with the fire, the Netherworld was cold to her. Her human clothing was not warm enough here. She would need heavier clothing as he wore.

Alexio drew her out and set her down in a chair. She was small as women were in general. He wrapped his cloak around her. It smelled of sin and shadows as he did. It was warm, and scent marking her as his property would keep her safer until he decided what he was to do with her.

When his scent mixed with her lighter fragrance of tangerine, he wanted to taste her. It had been some time since he had been in an intimate setting with a woman. She was dangerous.

Her fear spoke to him. The delicious flavor wafting around him teased him relentlessly. Her big wide green eyes followed him. The thin grey ring around her irises and the grey striation within the green spoke of the shadows to his magic. She watched his movements.

It had been a long time since he had visited the Leaindeail to get relief. He had followed all his orders and ignored his own needs in favor of accomplishing what the Demon Lord desired. It was not easy. It had been necessary.

He reread the message as he drank in her fear. She was irresistible. She was quiet. That was appealing in a whole other aspect.

Lex,
I got you something. You must keep it safe. It is similar to you in a way, and I knew you would know how to care for it. I will come to see how well it works out later. Be sure it has no visible marks. I trust you will know what to do with it.
Mode

It was not more work, not exactly. It was a gift. Of course, he would have to keep it safe.

Asmodeus did not work that way. He expected loyalty and effort as payment for the existence he afforded. His gifts always required work.

Alexio was reliable. Perhaps Asmodeus had felt he deserved a reward. Eaglafonn had been successful for six centuries.

If she appeared unmarked until he claimed her, she would remain safe. When Asmodeus approved his work, then he would mark her. The shadows would prevent anyone else from touching her.

The appearance of innocence would warn most in the Netherworld not to touch her. What was required was that she consent if he decided to turn her.

If she was like him, then she had shadows. Did she know? Her fear suggested that she did not. She was not panicking. She was fearful, and she seemed resigned.

Alexio knew exactly what to do. He knew how to feed her, keep her warm, care for her. He knew exactly how to make her his queen.

Unlike other demons, Alexio would not have to wait if he chose to fuck her. She only needed to agree. She would learn to love him. She would beg him for what he needed to give her. He would claim her and make her his demon queen.

The years spent tainting himself in the Domhain had been forgiven. He had redeemed himself at last.

Centuries had passed since Asmodeus had rewarded him for the work he did. He had put thought and effort into choosing a reward for Alexio’s loyal service.

Alexio smiled at his gift. He was no longer condemned to his loneliness. Asmodeus had given him a consort.

He was the only demon who would not just wish to use her as a host. He could not take a host. He could turn her immortal as he was and keep her.

She was beautiful, too. Her brown hair was long, wavy, and soft. Her green eyes sparkled with unshed tears. Alexio would claim a mate.

The Demon Lord was a good liege. He watched over his people. He had seen Alexio’s struggle with loneliness.

He would come to see that Alexio had followed his directive. It was a hint that her destruction would be frowned upon. She had likely cost Asmodeus something, so his liege had an investment to protect.

No matter, Alexio would not allow harm to come to her. He would follow his orders. He had not become First Demon and later the Shadow King by failing in his missions.

“What do they call you?” He asked her as he let his hand trace her face.

She was young and soft. Touching her was exhilarating. It had been long indeed. She did not jerk away from him. She just froze.

Aaah… she was a submissive. Alexio’s cock got into his mental talk. He would have her. More than that, he wanted her.

“Sumeye Zeynep, my lord.”

She addressed him as if he were a human noble. He must seem so to her. She would eventually learn otherwise. For that moment her obvious level of deference was still appealing.

Her voice was soft like her skin. He wanted to hear her speak more.

“Tell me, Sumeye, why are you here?” What was her truth? Did she know how she came to be in a crate?

“Did you not pay the bride price to my father? I was told I would be released when I arrived at my husband's residence in California. Is it always so cold in California?”

She was confused. Sumeye believed she was in California, and Alexio was to be her husband. He nearly laughed at that. Although her fear was real, she was resigned to her situation. Early August should be rather warm in California. Someone had coached her on what to expect.

Sumeye had been sold into slavery by her father. She was property. She fully expected Alexio to claim her as his wife. She thought he had arranged her purchase.

Had Asmodeus purchased her? Not likely. He had more likely come across her in some other fashion.

“Tell me, how much was paid? I can’t recall.”

Demons did not lie. She would mistakenly believe that he was so wealthy that he could not be bothered remembering such details. He was that wealthy. He did not pay for sex.

On the contrary, sex had once paid him. He did not need to buy a bride. Alexio had never even considered doing so. He was not above twisting her expectations to meet his desire.

“Ten thousand American dollars, my lord. I am twenty already.”

The father should be murdered. She was only just of an appropriate age. Alexio did not keep up with money values in the Leaindeail and the Domhain any more, even though he did own a fairly large amount of property as an investment. The girl was surely worth more than that.

A lesser was worth more. A good whore had been worth more centuries ago. He suddenly wondered if she was clean. What did they call it in the Domhain? Innocent.

“Are you innocent? Has any man touched you?” Few would purchase damaged goods. Perhaps that explained the low price.

“No one has touched me, my lord. I am still pure for you. When our mother died, my father sold my younger sisters quickly for more money. No one else wanted me.”

Was she pure for him? That was so deliciously perfect.

Her father sold the younger sisters for more? Humans were disgusting vile creatures. Children were never to be touched.

Alexio was suddenly nauseous. The never-ending torture that Asmodeus would inflict upon a child rapist was not worth the crime. Humans should do the same and stamp out that practice.

When the Demon Lord had first begun his conquest of Tnuthduil, he had publicly tortured those who harmed the lessers. They were still publicly tortured and forced into slavery.

Sumeye had been wrong. Her self worth had been cruelly manipulated. That would be to his advantage as well. She would be more than willing to please him if she thought that he was her only hope for shelter.

Many would have wanted her. Her father had been dealing with child molesters, and she was old for pedophiles. A decent man looking for a wife would have chosen her readily at auction and paid far more.

Did humans still auction people? He thought he had heard that only sex slaves were still common.

“Then I am lucky. I do not like children. Paying good money to get what is wanted is always worth the expense. Getting what was wanted at a low price is even better. Please, call me Alexio. Do you have any questions for me?”

Not a lie. Her mind would twist her truth. She frowned at his name. Had she been told differently?

“I was expecting you to have an American name.”

A frown marred her pretty face. She recovered quickly. “I have heard that some pay the bride price, and do not marry. Do you intend to claim me?”

She feared the unknown. She feared the known equally as much. If she were not married in the Domhain, then she became nothing more than a slave to be used, sold, traded around. Marriage secured her place, granted her shelter and protection.

That pissed Alexio off. Asmodeus had saved her. Then he had gifted her to Alexio. She would belong to him. She would not be used or traded. Alexio might do a lot of things. He did not share.

Marriage would not work though. He was immortal. The whole ‘until death do us part’ clause just did not make sense. There would be no death, and he would not be parting from her.

“I will claim you. I will not marry you.” Lying was pointless and impossible.

He would do as he wished when he wished. She would learn. He would take care of her well. Sumeye would be his queen.

“Will you cast me aside then?”

Her fear was genuine, and it scented the warm air so that he could almost taste it. He let the silence draw out as if he were debating her question. He would never let her go. Only a fool would anger Asmodeus by throwing away a gift from him.

She feared him using her then throwing her away. That would not be happening.

“No, I intend to keep you with me. You will never be leaving me. You are mine. You will always stay mine. No other will have you. You are not however in California. This is my private estate of Eaglafonn. No one knows that you are here.” He crushed her hope then.

He watched as Sumeye learned she would never be free. If she had thought to flee, she would not if she had no hope for anything different or better. It satisfied him knowing that she would be less likely to cause him trouble.

She lowered her lashes in acceptance of the situation. His cock throbbed seeing her long lashes trace her cheek. There was no time like the present to begin the process to turn her into what he needed.

“Please don’t hurt me. I will be good.” She whispered as her tears fell. Her pain and fear added to her beauty and allure for him. Oh yes, she would be very good, and he would hurt her, a lot and often. She would please him.

“Yes, you will be good. I can feel it. I will hurt you. I will do it often. You must accept this. You will feel pain from my hand as I desire it. I will not ever damage you. Now, I need you to show me that you will be good for me. Come to me.”

She rose shakily to her feet and walked over to him. He was six feet tall. He looked down at her. She was not a tall woman. Perhaps five feet two or three. She would feel his dominance.

Sumeye would know his strength and power. She would know he was in complete control of her and the entire situation. He would hurt her first, mark her as his. Then he would fuck her, and he would continue to hurt her forever. Eventually, she would beg him for it.

“Kneel for me.”

Sumeye knelt before him. She was the perfect height kneeling. He idly wondered if Asmodeus had secretly measured the distance from the floor to his cock before he picked a female for him to turn and claim. Then he dismissed it.

Not even Asmodeus was that detail-oriented. Was he?

She was trembling on her knees at his feet. Sumeye’s fear teased him. It tempted the demon inside to consume her entirely. He refused. Destroying her was not an option. Tasting her was.

“Put your hands on me so you do not fall.”

Her hands pressed against his thighs. They trembled, and her fear made him smile. Looking down at her kneeling before him made him desire her further. Her soft tiny hands could not even cover the muscle above his knee. Alexio wanted her.

“Close your eyes and tilt your head back.” She did as he desired.

She offered no resistance. Her submissiveness had him hard for her. Asmodeus knew him too well.

She was exactly the kind of woman he had always preferred. His liege could not have chosen a better gift. Sumeye would be perfect for him.

He placed his hands on the sides of her head and weaved the shadows. Her shadows attempted to intertwine with his. She was like him.

He could tell she lacked even self-taught skills. She was innocent of her power and men.

His excitement grew, and dark fantasies of shadow sex flitted through his mind. Her shadows touched his caressing him at first. It made him tingle with unholy anticipation.

Alexio let his shadows sear his name into her mind. Her pain and fear fed him. His power grew from the energy she radiated. He marked her mind heavily. Only if another tried to use her would they know it.

Her breathing grew erratic. She fought the mark and the pain. It was pointless. She lacked the skill and the strength to stop him.

His shadows penetrated her mind easily almost casually. She was his. Sumeye slumped against him, and the shadows took her completely. She was all but unconscious. It was better than a collar. She would not resist him in the future.

His name, his voice, his image, his scent, and his touch were all wrapping into her mind. She would think of him, dream about him, she would talk about him, seek him out, want him. The shadows would nudge her slowly to him, and eventually, she would beg him to own her soul.

When she loved him completely, the shadows would simply disappear, replaced by her love of him. She would become dependent upon his possession. It would be too late then. He could easily supply her addiction at that point. Alexio would have his queen.

He bent and picked her up, undressed her completely, and put her in his bed. He stroked her soft silky skin with his hands as he smiled down at her. Her light brown almond-colored skin was a marked contrast to his pale white. She was beautiful. The difference enchanted him.

Perhaps Gwendolyn had shown something to Asmodeus. It was something the Demon Lord thought his second in command should also know.

Was there power in having a consort? Leviathan had believed so. Maybe Asmodeus had learned a secret that Alexio must also understand.

Alexio walked into the kitchen when she fell asleep and served himself some of the soup he had been slow cooking. Tomorrow, Sumeye would begin sharing his life with him.

He would start by taking her for himself and learning if she was indeed pure for him. It would taint him. It would be worth it.

When he finished his meal, he washed the dishes and served himself some tea. Alexio sat down in the chair she had sat in and wrote a list of things he would need. He penned a letter to Wade as well.

He called a servant to take the list to a demon going into the Domhain. He would have what he needed by the purple of the morning. Wade would visit with him soon as well when he got Alexio’s message.

Alexio yawned and removed his tunic and leggings. It was likely arrogance. Still, he always slept nude. If he became the shadows, he would not be cold.

There was little chance he would need to resort to that. He embraced Sumeye and slept comfortably in a warm bed with a beautiful woman in his arms.