Demon's Kiss by Devereaux, J. (best sci fi novels of all time .TXT) 📗

just seemed to draw people to her, givinga kind word here, bestowing a warm smile there.

Then there was Templeton, who somehow managed to convincepeople to trust him even though, by all evidence, he was patentlyuntrustworthy.

Catching the thoughts, the images, Asmodeus nodded. “Justso. So Templeton cast this circle or had it cast and when he brought it intobeing he did so with the intention that it be a trap.”

His own sense was that it was likely that whoever had helpedto cast it hadn’t done it willingly, and had paid for it with his life. Therewas dark magic at work here, such a sacrifice would have been necessary tocreate magic this strong.

“Like most such traps, it was designed to allow prey toenter but not to escape. So, as with the firepots, I can conjure them here butI can’t conjure them, myself, or you out. As with my brothers. If they come inanswer to my summons, they, too, would be trapped.”

Puzzled, Gabriel asked, “Why doesn’t he just summon themhimself, as he did with you?”

“It takes energy to summon and to hold them,” Asmodeusexplained. “There are some laws even magic must follow, as for example when Isummoned the firepots. First, they must exist in reality, I cannot call them upout of clear air, it is not possible. I could perhaps summon the materials tomake them, but for the firepots themselves to be as they are, they must firstexist. So, these came from my own quarters on the other plane. There are otherlaws as well.”

He hesitated, took a breath. “I said when they brought youto me that I was starved, and so I was, for the energy to do magic. Each of usonly has so much energy within us, we can only do so much in a given day withoutrest and sustenance and so it is true of magic. However, give us a dire needand we will find more energy to do what must be done but there will be a priceto be paid for that later. And so another source of energy must be found.Templeton has magic enough to secure his minions, to secure those with weakerwills, such as the one at the podium. He hasn’t got the energy to summonanother.”

Whereas Asmodeus grew stronger with each feeding.

Gently, reassuringly, he tightened his fingers on her waist.“So, they brought me you to feed from, not knowing the value of who theybrought. Food can only give so much. It is life that gives so much more thansustenance, like striking flint against steel to make a spark that gives birthto flame, which also gives light and heat in its turn. So does magic work,” hesaid. “If for good, then it adds, like flour, water and yeast make bread. Iffor ill, then it’s like the leak in a dam, draining away energy and life.”

Asmodeus looked into the shadows around them and the men hiddenwithin and said, “I doubt they know Templeton feeds off them in his own way,although not as I do you. He feeds off all of them nonetheless, diminishingthem. He would need many more men to be able to do more than he has. I suspectit takes the energy of all these to simply hold me.”

“You’ve tried to escape,” she said, a simple statement offact.

“Many times, my angel,” Asmodeus said grimly. “If nothingelse, to drain their energy as much as possible and to keep it drained so hecannot achieve that aim of bringing my brothers here, and in hopes of my ownescape.”

Bitterly, he held up an arm, shook it, as if to free hiswrist from the iron bracelet. “So long as I wear these though, I cannot getfar. They are as much chains as the one on my ankle. Cold iron, which groundsme and holds me here bespelled by Templeton to bind me to him.”

The chafing of the iron had faded as he grew accustomed toit, although so long as it touched his skin it would continue to pain him. Butit had grown easier to bear.

He looked at her.

“So,” he said, “in your own way, my angel, you have magictoo. Your magic is healing, but it is all of society that you heal, using yourmagic whether you know it or not to follow the path that is yours, of rightingwrongs, of bringing those who would do ill to justice. And, on a smaller scale,to heal the pain of those who have been wounded, by being their warrior,fighting for them where they cannot. That is the path that is truest to yourheart.”

Chapter Four

Awakening, it was oddly surreal for Gabriel to find herselflying next to a long, deliciously hard body—Asmodeus, a gorgeous, incrediblysexy demon. The Demon of Lust. That thought made her smile, thinking of histouch, of the incredible feel of him, despite the memory of what had come afterthat particular revelation.

Not much less surreal though was finding herself in thissituation at all. It was so bizarre.

Yet, despite the circumstances, she found herself strangelycontent, complete, as if a piece of the puzzle inside her that had always beenmissing had finally been found.

Asmodeus lay curled against her back, his body intenselywarm, his legs and tail twined about her. He held her loosely but protectivelyin his arms, with one curled across her stomach. One thing was certain, she’d neverbe cold as long as he was there.

Idly, curiously, she played carefully with the iron braceletaround his wrist, only now noticing that the skin beneath it was chafed andirritated, inflamed. It looked painful, which pained her. It had to ache nearlyconstantly. She turned it, examined it, holding some of it away from his skinwhere she could. It looked as if the damn thing was welded in place. How hadthey gotten it on? They had to have pinned him to the floor with the power ofthe Book as they had when they had whipped him.

Her stomach churned at the memory. She took a breath andwilled the memory away.

How would they get it off? There had to be a way. She lookedover her shoulder at Asmodeus. His incredible beauty