My lungs were burning. I was suffocating. That was why it was hard to feel the warmth emanating from his hand and scorching me. The heat grew and it felt as if I was burning now, on the inside. I tugged at his wrist, harder now. I wasn’t sure where I got the strength. I took a breath and felt my lungs fill a little.

  Abrax’s face was contorted in pain and concentration as he bore down on me. Blue flames, like solar flares, trailed off him like molten smoke. I ground my teeth as I burned and burned and burned. Until it felt like my insides were boiling. My skin was turning red. I gasped and felt more air reach my lungs. Then I was screaming, my fingernails digging into Abrax's thick wrist so hard that he was bleeding. His magic flames licked down his arm and flared at his hand. I was so sure he was killing me.

  The scent of sulfur filled the little hallway and I saw the blue flames were now on my body, lazily lashing out over the edges of my skin. I tugged his wrist with all my strength and it came free. I flung him off me and he stumbled back against the tile, panting.

  His body extinguished, the blue flames gone and the shadows of the hallway engulfing him. My own body flickered with slight and intermittent flames which slowly dimmed and then went out too. The burning was gone, but another feeling came over me. It slowly mounted, an unpleasant pressure roaring inside me. It was how I imagined getting hit by lightning would feel. I screamed, my voice hoarse. Power clawed inside me, trying to rip me into pieces.

  Guards and inmates rushed into the room and Abrax struggled over to me. He wrapped his arms around me, his own warm naked body covering my own. Shouting ensued and my screams stopped but I was thrashing uncontrollably. My body trying to hold on to the energy inside. Abrax held me tightly, trying to keep me from shaking too much.

  The feeling wasn’t abating though. The people in the bathroom looked too freaked out to come close. The energy bubbled and grew. I gasped and felt like I would explode. I had to do something!

  I grabbed Abrax’s black hair with both hands and tugged his head down. He was so weak I could move him easily. There was no fight in him. His mouth hung open, his eyes were half-lidded. He looked worn out, tired. His eyelids fell, his eyes fully closing. I felt like if I grasped him too roughly I’d hurt him.

  I dragged his face closer as energy tore me apart. I had no idea what I was doing, something was guiding me. I pressed my mouth to his and felt a great rushing of power move inside me like a powerful gust of wind. Energy sped out of me, escaping into Abrax. He sucked it in as I bruised my lips on his, pressing our mouths so hard together it hurt. Then, all the energy was gone and I instantly collapsed in his arms.

  Abrax hung his head down, breathing heavy. He felt stronger again, recovered.

  “Get the fuck out here!” A female guard yelled. I don’t think it was the first time she had said it. Two other guards had pushed the inmates out of the room. I breathed in and out evenly. There was no pain anymore, no anything. I felt a little depleted, and like I wanted to sleep.

  “What was that?” I asked Abrax. He sighed and got up, holding me like a baby to his chest. He must have noticed something and came over from his own shower since he was entirely nude too. My eyes widened and I covered my chest with my arms. In this position, I couldn’t see much more of him than his upper body, but my face still flamed knowing he was completely naked. He hummed.

  “I was wrong about the blushing.”

  “What?” I asked confused. The guard screamed again and aimed a taser gun at us. For once I wondered why they used tasers then realized their magic was affected by the walls of this place too.

  “Do you think I am about to attack?” He asked.

  “That’s why you think I blush?” He shrugged and walked out of the hallways. I noticed a clogged toilet, my orange and white clothes hanging out of it. I grimaced.

  “What’s going on?” The woman barked. I recognized her as the same guard that first showed us to our cell. Her dark blonde hair was pulled back into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. Abrax didn’t respond to her. I looked up at him and he looked back pointedly. I kept my mouth shut and tucked my chin into my chest.

  “I’ve got a werewolf with a broken skull. You know anything about that?” She spat at Abrax. She had a spine. I’d never seen anyone speak like that to him. Everyone was afraid of him. Well, except the warden. I shivered and then realized I was really cold now. All the heat from before was entirely gone. I pressed my numb fingertips into my cold lips and imagined they were turning blue. Abrax remained stoic, looking at the wall and holding me against him. The woman finally scoffed.

  “Get the fuck out of here.” Abrax moved to leave. “And get some fucking clothes on!” She barked at us. Oh my God were we about to walk through the big room wearing nothing? My stomach flipped as he walked through the bathroom opening but I quickly realized everyone was gone. Where were they? Outside?

  We got to the cell and he set me down on my feet in the middle of the room. I shot towards my extra set of clothes and tried to tug them on as fast as possible. As I got the pants and white top on, my eyes snagged the blurry mirror above the sink. I jerked forward in shock, my mouth hanging open.

  My eyes! They were glowing blue. But as I watched them they quickly dimmed until they were back to normal.

  “My eyes!” I said to Abrax. I turned and saw him facing the bunks, pawing through his blanket to gather his extra pair of clothes, completely naked. My eyes widened and latched on to his butt. The sides were concave, the cheeks round and strong, there were two dimples where his back ended. All my questions about what just happened flew out the window as I noted his thick hairless thighs and exceptionally sculpted backside.

  Then he tugged on his pants and I was almost sad. Wait, sad? I lightly tapped my cheeks with my hands. Abrax turned around shirtless and I tried not to look but couldn’t help it. Luckily he tugged his white tee shirt on quickly. He grabbed his orange shirt, buttoned it and moved towards the cell opening.

  The gate swung and locked in his face. Considering it was way too early for lights out I figured we were being punished again. Abrax sighed and jerked his head at me.

  “What were you thinking? You were just laying there and taking it.”

  “What?” I sputtered. He stomped up in my face and I backed up against the wall.

  “Did you want that to happen? Why not fight back! Why not yell out for help!”

  “I-,” my face scrunched in confusion, “I couldn’t!” I yelled at him. He was blaming me? He was mad at me? His dark eyes seared me but instead of my normal fear, I felt anger bubble up hotly. “What’s your issue?” I spat. I pressed my palms into the cool cinder blocks behind me. He leaned in his face etching in more anger.

  “My issue, dumb little girl, is what just happened between us.” His words dipped lowly. His voice rattled deep in his throat. I watched his lips move as he talked.

  “What just happened between us?”

  “Don’t you know anything? Aren’t you supposed to be obsessed with demons?”

  “There is very limited information. The topic is taboo and I can only know what I read,” I said defending myself. I could smell the cheap prison soap on him. I eyed his thin, white shirt. It was tight on him, stretched across his muscled frame. His eyes narrowed at me in suspicion, like he didn’t believe me.

  “I passed my magic through you.”

  “How though? What about the magic canceling walls? Is demon magic not affected?” He pressed his rough palm over my mouth and leaned in.

  “Best to stay quiet about that,” he whispered so lightly he had to feather his lips over my ear. I shuddered and tried to jerk from his palm. He moved his hand away but stayed close.

  “Am I changing?” The suspicion was alive inside me. There were too many things to discount now. My eyesight, my changing body, the glowing eyes. I’d seen his magic transfer into me. Seen it burning on my skin.

  “I do not know,” he said blankly.

  “My eyesight is better, my body is...different. My eyes were just glowing!” I said as loud as I dared. People were moving around again, being brought back in after the drama of the bathroom. Abrax observed me. He was too close as usual. He didn’t seem to understand personal space when it came to me or maybe it was his way of asserting his dominance.

  “Yes, you are changing,” he admitted. His eyes flicked up to mine. “We both will.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Abrax decided the werewolf issue needed to be dealt with. He was plotting something but I wasn’t sure what. I wasn't privy to his inner workings. He hid his feelings and thoughts behind black eyes and a domineering look. Not a line out of place on his symmetrical face. He hadn’t shown any emotion since that moment right after the attack.

  We were changing, he’d said. I got the feeling he knew more about our bond then he was letting on. I got the feeling he was hiding a lot.

  What did I know about him? Nothing. I hadn’t really wanted to at first but regardless, you learn some things about a person when you spend all your time together. That wasn’t the case with Abrax. I’d have thought he just popped into existence the day I summoned him if I didn’t know better.

  Who was he in Hell? Did he have friends there? Family? Had I unknowingly ripped him from his family for my entire lifetime? The idea seemed ridiculous. No one thought of demons as people. Just ghastly monsters roaming around being evil in their realm.

  How old was he? How old did demons get? What did he do in Hell? Clearly, he had no qualms with fighting. He genuinely seemed to enjoy it. That, with all the other little details I’d picked up about him, painted a generalized idea of his life.

  I imagined Hell as a bleak place. Dark and violent. That demons often fought for power and glory and really, whatever reason they wanted. Abrax didn't act sadistic and seemed interested in gaining prestige and power while also assuring safety. His violence often seemed wanton at first, but in hindsight, I could see that there lurked a master tactician moving pieces on a chessboard.

  Then, there were all my questions about demons and Hell in general. I’d been distracted from my keen interest in them on account of being incarcerated. Imagine that.

  My eyes were tracing the uninteresting bottom of the upper bunk. Everything was uninteresting here, but I looked regardless. There was nothing else to do. Lights were out thirty minutes ago but I couldn’t sleep. Too much stuff to think about. I had a million questions. The ones about Abrax seemed more important now that he had pushed his power through me. Something felt different. Altered.

  “Abrax,” I called delicately to test if he was awake. I chewed on my lip in the silent room.

  “Abrax,” I said louder this time. The worn-out springs in his pathetic mattress squealed.

  “What?” He responded sharply. A million questions ran through my head. How am I changing? How is he changing? What was he going to do about the werewolves? Instead, my mouth opened and I asked something I wanted to know instead of something I needed to know. Something that might be pointless enough for me that he’d actually answer.

  “What’s Hell like?” Fire and brimstone, according to humans. A place for the soulless to exist in peril. I heard a low rumble of displeasure and thought he was going to tell me to shut up.

  “Fine,” he sighed. He sounded well awake and I smiled at my good luck. Likely he was as bored as me. I heard him shift on the bed above me. “It’s hot and dry. More rock than plants. A hard terrain to thrive on. There are fewer demons there than humans here it seems. I have not seen much of your world. It's hard to compare.”

  “Are there cities?”

  “Sort of. There are castles, where legions live. People live within the surrounding walls.”

  “Legions? Like demon armies?” He grunted.

  “Yes. They follow their leaders. Kings, mostly.” I began to imagine a desert world with a medieval society.

  “Were you part of a legion?”

  “No, Faust, I was not.” He sounded amused and I frowned at his answer.

  “How old are you Abrax?”

  “How old are you?”

  “Oh,” I said in surprise. “I’m twenty.” He snorted in amusement.

  “I’m about two hundred.”

  “What? Two hundred years?” My mind reeled at the information. “How long do demons live?”

  “Demons are killed. There is no determining when that will be.”

  “If you aren’t killed, how long will you live?”

  “Forever.”

  “Holy shit. Are you young in Hell?”

  “Besides the Ancients, I am one of the oldest.” The oldest? They have everlasting life and yet two hundred years is the oldest?

  “There must be a lot of killing.” We remained silent for a moment. “Do you have to fight over better land?”

  “Yes. There are other reasons too.” Again we sat in silence for a while. More important questions began bubbling up in my mind.

  “I’ve been wondering…” I trailed off and Abrax grunted for me to continue. “Was it random that I summoned you?” The silence stretched on a long time but I laid in hope he’d say something. About the time I figured he had fallen asleep, he answered.

  “It’s not random,” he said lightly with his deep voice.

  “What determines it?” Abrax sighed like I was the most annoying little brat in existence.

  “Why does that matter?”

  “Because I don’t have any clue about who you are or what’s going on with me and our bond. All my knowledge about demons and summoning is seriously lacking. It's forbidden magic. Things are changing about me. You talk like you know more. I need to know something.” I was rambling in my desperation to squeeze information from him.

  “I was a king,” he admitted.

  “What?” I asked quietly in surprise. A king? Abrax was a king? Crown, legion, castle? I imagined him sitting on a stone throne, dripping dark dominance into a room filled with underlings who feared him. A shiny crown nestled in his black hair, the horns protruding up powerfully.

  “And I’ll be a king when I get back,” he said without emotion.

  “They’ll let you be king again just like that? Even if it’s a hundred years later?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re that powerful?”

  “No,” he sighed. “I am not a normal king. Most win their thrones through violence and greed. They strive for it. They thirst for it. I am a king by default.”

  “Like, the rightful king of Hell?” I gasped as a thought came to me. “Are you Satan?”

  “Satan?”

  “Lucifer!”

  “Lucifer...oh. He was one of the first.”

  “The first kings?”

  “No, human. One of the first summoned.”

  “Oh. I guess that makes sense.”

  “Does it?”

  “He’s famous here. Some religions claim he’s the ruler of Hell.”

  “He was a king for a time,” Abrax admitted.

  “And he was summoned too? Is he your relative?”

  “In a sense.” He was offering information like breadcrumbs and I wanted the whole loaf of bread. I nibbled on my lip and tried to connect the dots.

  “Is it only certain families that get summoned?”

  “No,” he sighed and said nothing else.

  “Tell me. I need to know.”

  “You don’t need to know,” he snorted.

  “Fine, I’ll trade you for the knowledge.”

  “You have already given me your soul. What are you offering?”

  “I don’t know. My food? I’ll do your chores? A favor?”

  “A favor,” he said quickly. “Of my choosing in the future.”

  “It won’t cause me harm, will it? Get me killed?”

  “Done,” he agreed swiftly and I questioned whether I was an idiot. I shrugged it off though. No reason to worry about it until it was time to pay up. Plus, it couldn’t hurt me, so really how bad could it be?

  “Most demons do not look like me. They have goat heads, or hooves for feet, or are giant snakes. Maybe as many types of demons as types of animals that walk the earth but in all of Hell, there is only one of my type. Before I was born, there was still only one like me, and before him and so on, there is only ever one of us”

  “So, at any given point there is only one human-looking demon?”

  “Precisely. We are The Summoned. For only we can cross the divide and walk the Earth. It has been over five hundred years since the last summoning.”

  “You’re kings?” My eyes were wide in excitement as he offered up information freely.

  “We are given the title of Summoned King. I inherited the title when I was born, from the one before me. We are considered special and revered for our ability to travel to Earth. I’m not a true king though. I have a castle faraway from the rest. I have a small, elite legion only meant for protection. I am more like a religious leader.” It was the most I’d ever heard him talk. I enjoyed the deep, smooth cadence.

  “All because you can be summoned?”

  “Yes.”

  “But it’s been over five hundred years. They still care?”

  “Most no longer care about the Summoned King and they do not lust after my far away castle. The Ancients maintain it and are the only ones who still care. There was a time when the Summoned were more important. There was prestige and power to the title. There is still a certain awe to my appearance, but that is it,” he said. “I did not believe I would be summoned, Callista. I found the entire thing to be the silly old religion of the Ancients.” I was quiet, surprised he shared something personal. Then my mind began churning with even more questions.

  “Why though? Why only one? Why do you look human? Why do only ones who look human get summoned?”

  “You would not like the answer.” His voice dipped down deeper and quieter. As if the words were more important and more intimate.

  “Why?” I asked. I heard him shift on the bed.

  “Have I shared enough to appease the deal?”

  “No, what about what happened yesterday. You healed me.”

  “Yes. I shared my power with you.”

 

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