A few days later...
When Melfice stepped through the portal into the foyer of his mansion, it wasn't without caution. In his right hand rest his tome, orange and red flames dancing across its surface as his aetherial energy poured into the pages. He gave a cursory glance of his surroundings, first making sure that his Mistress was not lurking anywhere nearby. Then, he closed his eyes and began to concentrate.
She was above him, apparently having found solace in their bedroom. As he made his way towards her, his mind began to wander over the irony of the situation. Many times, it had been she who came into his home not knowing what to expect. She often purposely disobeyed him, sometimes to punish him for not paying her enough attention, others because it was simply her nature. Try as he might, regardless of what he did to her in return, he could never break her from her habits. In the end he was still giving her the attention that she craved, which is precisely why he did what he had done.
Melfice made it as far as the large, curving staircase before a torrent of rage, despair, and fury nearly brought him to his knees. He was forced to lean his right side against the golden banister, silently thankful that he'd managed to keep such a detail in mind when designing the place. His left hand lifted to rub at his temple, trying his best to rid himself of the succubus' overwhelming emotions. Why hadn't he felt them before? He'd been gone for a day and a half. Perhaps it gave her enough time to calm and his presence only served to rekindle her anger?
When he finally managed to block the sensation from his senses, Melfice continued up the stairs. The mask he wore, along with the tome he carried, were discarded along the way. He had no reason to hide his identity in his own home, and bringing what she knew to be a weapon into the room would surely do nothing but anger her further. He paused once he reached the room, lifting a hand to brush over the door that barred his entry. What awaited him within, and how would she react upon seeing him? His mind went in various directions at once, pondering over the various events that could take place once he stepped inside. After a moment to clear his thoughts, he turned the knob and pushed his way in.
The bedroom was not in disarray, which was far better than he'd often left it. When she'd angered him, he often chose to take the brunt of it out on the various objects about his house. The last time she'd managed to do so, only the bed remained untarnished. It seemed exactly the opposite with her, blankets strewn about and pillows tossed about the room. Melfice didn't seem to much care about the state of the bed itself; he was far too focused on the creature that lay at its center.
Shadiyah sat crouched, wearing hardly a scrap of clothing as she often did in the comfort of their home. No longer was she a Keeper of the Moon, but instead it was the succubus that awaited him. Long, bat-like wings protruded from her back, though they remained folded upon themselves for now. Her eyes remained fixated on him in a predatory fashion from the moment he'd walked in, solid black and feral. Her ears rest flat against her skull and her arms wrapped tightly about her lithe frame. He noticed several claw marks along them, dark blood seeping from the wounds to stain the sheets and likely caused by the long, black talons that were once her fingernails. Perhaps most alarming was the fact that she had been poised as if ready to pounce, teeth bared to show off her fangs in a snarl. He noticed that her makeup was marred, dark eyeliner smudged around her eyes and crimson lipstick smeared about her lips. She looked beautiful.
"I see that you now know how it feels to have the one you love be unfaithful to their word," he spoke to her as calmly as he could, knowing well that he did not have the time to silently admire her. He dared a single step toward her in order to test her actions. If she was going to kill him, well.. to go beneath the one you loved wasn't such a bad thing, was it?
He wouldn't get very far, perhaps only three steps before a growl rumbled from deep in his Mistress' throat, warning him not to come closer. She drew in on herself, curling her arms tighter about herself and digging her claws deeper into her own flesh to cause fresh streams of that dark liquid to fall to the bed beneath her.Â
"Now now, my dearest one," Melfice began as he lifted both hands, palms exposed in order to denote passivity. "I did not wish to harm you, truly. You know that you are the only one for me."
Shadiyah shook her head frantically, onyx eyes set on him in a spiteful glare. "No," she hissed. "You did this to harm me. You told me you loved me. You made me think everything was okay between us. And then you went and slept with that insufferable bitch! You think this is a comparable revenge?" she spat. "You had sex with her! I felt your pleasure. You stayed with her all night!"
"I informed you the night before I left that I would make you feel as I did." Despite the situation, Melfice seemed as calm as ever. "I stayed because I was asked to do so. As per the agreement of the contract that you broke, I am to remain her slave until a cure is found for her husband. I had to ensure that she realized the only power I gave her over me was that which I allowed. And was it not you that told me to ensure I return unharmed? I did what I had to in order to survive."
"Get away from me," she growled, apparently unphased by his explanation. She slipped as far away from him as she could, scooting back until she felt her wings brush against the headboard of the bed. "You disgust me. Get out of my sight. If it is pleasure you seek, crawl back to that whore's bed. You will find none of it here."
"Shadiyah.." he began as he took yet another step forward. "My dearest one, you know that you are the only one that could ever truly please me. As I've said before, if I wish to fuck someone solely for pleasure, why would I go to anyone but you?"
"Stop talking to me! Stop lying!" the succubus cried out to him, shaking her head from side to side in a frenzy. Nowhere else to go, she leaned over herself to curl into a ball and make herself as small as possible. Her hands came up to clasp over her ears, pinning them down in order to better drown out his words. "Stop stop stop stop stop!"
Despite her pleas, Melfice continued forward to settle down on the side of the bed, curling one leg up beneath himself as he silently observed her. She tried in vain to move further away, to make herself smaller, but it just wasn't possible. Melfice was certain by now that he was safe. If she hadn't attacked him yet, she likely wouldn't despite how angry and deadly she seemed to be. He'd spent enough time with her to know that deep down, underneath the claws and the fangs and the distant personality she kept, she only wished for him to love her.
"I've never told you a lie and I've never sought to fool you," Melfice continued with renewed confidence. "I've told you that I love you, and there is only one other person that has heard those words from me that were not of my blood. I was honest with you about my intentions, and I give you my word that it will never happen again so long as you continue to remain faithful to me, as I have always said. I do not wish to sleep with anyone else. I do not long for another's arms around me, nor do I desire for my lips to touch anyone's but yours. You are my light, my Shadiyah. My world, my other half. The necklace you wear proves it."
"No! I don't believe you!" she snapped. "You think this is the first time I've heard all of these things!?" She gave a bitter bark of laughter. "You are just like the rest. They all betrayed me like you have. They all left me like you will."
Melfice inched his way closer to her, not caring about the blood that now marred his robe as he passed over it. He settled before her and slowly took her wrists in his hands to gently remove her hands from her ears. He was careful in his movements, not wanting her to mistake them as some sort of attack.Â
"No, my love. If I wished to leave you, I would not be here now. I'd have done so long ago the moment you first disobeyed me. You are the only thing in this world worth fighting for, and I will always be forever yours, no matter what." The words were barely above a whisper and he released her wrists. She stared at him for some time, brow furrowed as she clearly warred with herself about whether or not his words could be trusted.Â
Her began to well up with tears and she gave in, moving forward to crawl into his lap and bury her face in the soft fabric of his robe. The two wrapped their arms needily about one another, she desperate for her to hold him and he thankful that she allowed him to do so once again. She sobbed quietly in his arms for several moments and he let her, allowing the eerie silence of the room to embrace them.Â
"Come now, my dear. Allow me to submit myself to you. You may punish me however you so choose. No tricks. No desires to out smart you. Do with me as you please this eve, and I will endure it the best I can." He held her tightly and placed a series of soft, sweet kisses along her crown. She shook her head in refusal, seemingly content with burying her face deeper in his robe as she continued to sob. He gently rocked back and forth, keeping her close and hoping that the motion would soothe her. Eventually, he stopped to lean back and take another look at her form. Yes, she was absolutely beautiful. ..But she also looked completely pathetic. He knew that she would be angry and resentful, but never did he think that he could ever reduce her to such a state. Was what he did really worth it if this was to be the outcome?
"Please," he whispered to her, the word not quite a plea. "Drink from me at least. I deserve that much. Mend yourself of these wounds that I inflicted on you." No, she had certainly not done them. They were caused by his actions, and thus he was the guilty one.
That, at least, drew her attention up to him. She tried to blink away her tears, forced to unfurl her arms from around him so that she could wipe her cheeks dry with the backs of her hands. She reached forward to undo his robe, pausing once she noticed the scars of wounds that she'd inflicted so long ago.Â
"Melfice?" she hesitated, peering up at him uncertainly. "When you changed your appearance... why did you leave the scars?"
Her question caught him entirely off guard, as could be seen by the surprise that flashed across his features. It was quickly replaced with a soft smile, and he leaned forward to rest his forehead to hers. "Because I wanted to always remember the day that I brought you into this world, the single-most important event in my life. When I look in a mirror, I am constantly reminded that you.. for some reason.. decided to spare me that fateful night. I am reminded of your power and your strength, and that every day I awake next to you is a gift that you have allowed."
That seemed to be enough to convince her judging by the way that she pushed the robe further apart to expose the rest of his chest. She saw fit to bless his flesh with kisses along his collarbone, lips curling into a gentle smile as he shuddered beneath her touch. She loved the effect that she had on him, often able to disarm him with a few well-placed kisses. "I love you, Melfice," she whispered against his skin.
"And I love you, Shadiyah," he responded. Despite how much he absolutely adored the feel of her lips against him, he used his nose to gently nudge her gaze up to meet his. The two became lost in one another, though the silence between the two seemed louder than it had ever been before. Then their lips met, both needy and hungry and wanting far more than the other could possibly give. It took only a gentle nudge from her for him to be guided back against the bed, she crawling atop his frame and continuing the trail of kisses along his chin. His eyes fell shut and he relaxed, allowing her to work and feed from him as much as she desired. This was the pleasure that she had thought he sought from others. Gods, how good it felt by comparison.
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