Torturous Love - 6. Chapter 6

I was nervous as I waited for Zai to come back to the house. Shindae had dressed me and it was obvious that the big demon had a flare for the dramatic. A knee length kilt, pleated, in a heavy black wool and furnished with a chunky leather belt. The hardware was all brass, a couple of cogs and pipes making up the buckle and keepers. The boots were tall with big square silver buckles running up the sides, and the shirt was, in comparison to the rest of the outfit, an almost transparent grey silk with an open collar and white pearl snaps.

I fiddled with my cuffs, continually touching the gems and silver at my throat. I had wanted to shout at Zai for that, to fly into a rage and scream at him, show him my anger, but Shindae had explained that too. A Chain of Possession could be used to capture a person and keep them close, a way of exerting power. A Chain such as this, set with gems that defined their Master, was used as protection, ownership, insurance. More than a way of marking territory, Shindae had explained that the Chain would keep me safe and ward off other demons. No other could hurt me while I wore the Chain of Possession, and only the Master could remove it.

I felt it when he arrived, a signal in my head that he was back. I reached out my empathic sense, something I had learnt to do recently but with little success, and his mind was so open that I seemed to drift right in.

Hey there little boy.

Mean. Where have you been all day?

You miss me? Even Zai’s mental voice was smug.

No. Clumsy, and still a bit peeved, I slammed the connection shut, and felt alone again, and nervous.

Zai opened the door about a minute later. He was clean and his long hair was slightly damp. He was dressed in a loincloth and some assorted bits of mismatched leather armour. He dropped a gauntlet on the floor and stared at me, one glove hanging from his hand, forgotten.

After a long silence I open up my mind to feel his emotions and was struck by a wave of lust and desire that was strong enough to try and knock me off my feet.

Dammit all, but you are sexy.

“What?” I knew I was blushing, “No I’m not!”

The horned furred demon strode over to me in quick steps. His soft hand on my neck was delightful. I was horrified with myself. This creature had stolen me, tortured me, and yet…

Hush… Zai’s voice in my head was soft, ashes in the rain, then “Don’t think like that. Please.”

I was a bit lost for what to say, so I said the obvious.

“How was work?”

“Good. Sitka and I had to go explain to an ice elemental that freezing humans willy-nilly is not actually condoned by the Palace.”

“There is someone freezing people?” I was shocked. The idea of being frozen to death by a random demon didn’t sound so good.

“No, there was. He’s dead now.”

“What!” I recoiled from Zai, he sounded so calm. I shouldn’t have been shocked, after all-

…you thought I was going to kill you. “I’m an enforcer for the palace Tobias, we go after people who piss them off. You know, demons who kill outside of what they need. The ones who don’t try and cover their tracks.” Zai’s hand was back on my neck, stroking just under the collar of the silk shirt, “I see Shindae had fun with you.”

“He has an odd taste in clothing.”

“Oh I don’t know,” Zai smiled, his muzzle split into a toothy grin, “You look good to me.”

Suddenly I felt the overwhelming sense of the bed behind us, the warmth and closeness of Zai’s body. We were alone in the room, clean, healed, the big plush bed behind us. I took a step backwards, almost automatically, and Zai followed me closely. The space between us was warm with our breathing, Zai was an inch away, my skin prickled at the distance. My legs hit the back of the bed and I fell back, the folds of my kilt riding up my thighs. Zai followed me down.

“Hey pretty boy,” one hand caught my chin and titled my head up, “Kiss me?”

Feeling half maddened by lust, half guilty for feeling the way I did I put a hand into Zai’s silken hair and kissed him. The heat of him burned my skin, his thigh between my legs stirred my cock and I could tell that he liked my quickening hardness. He purred. I placed my other hand in the small of his back, stroking the velvet soft fur and brought him down on top of me. The barriers around my mind flew open and there he was. I almost didn’t notice his hands stroking my skin, peeling away my thin shirt to expose my newly scarred chest, working under the folds of my kilt.

And all I could do was stare at his mind. It wasn’t staring, because you don’t do it with your eyes, it was like feeling with a sense other than touch. Zai was…shy, small, kittenish. Everything in his mind was grey and golden. Zai purred against me, his body vibrating along my own. I grinned. I liked what I had seen inside Zai’s head. Master or not, I was not being a pushover this time.

I rolled Zai over and straddled his hips. Zai grinned. He lifted himself up on his shoulders, keeping his horns off the bed and fixed me with a sultry sort of gaze.

Now that I was on top, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do next. The kissing was good, but now Zai’s chest interested me. His leather armour was a mess of buckles and I worked at all the pieces covering him while he ran claws fingers up my things and under my kilt. Zai’s fingers curled around my now rigid cock and I gasped, my fingers digging into his fur. I unbuckled the belt around his hips with shaking fingers and freed the demon’s own erection. And after that… I didn’t really know what to do.

You’re not nervous are you babe?

Um… I leant down and kissed Zai again. His lips were so soft, contrasting to his sharp teeth. Help me?

Zai cast his arm across the bed, reached for something underneath and handed me a small bottle of lube. I gulped.

Go on.

I uncapped the bottle and squeezed some of the thick clear gel onto my fingers. Zai had moved away the folds of his lion cloth and discard the other pieces of his clothes and I wrapped my wet hand around the heat of his shaft. This brought forth a delightful hiss of pleasure, air sucked in between sharp fangs.

Good boy.

I stopped lubing his cock and looked at it. Wet and glistening, longer and thicker that my own, grey like his fur with a gentle curve to the rounded tip and ending in a knot as big as my fist. I was a little ashamed at how much I wanted it. Was this some new power, this ability to twist my emotions, my desires, or was I just plain wrong through and through, wanting someone, something, that had hurt me so much. I fingered the collar around my neck with my dry hand and tried to recapture how angry I had been when I threw a spoon at Shindae. I had cursed him then, wanted rid of him and this place and…and I couldn’t find that rage, it was gone. My own shaft throbbed insistently, wanting attention below the confines of the kilt.

I fumbled with my belt buckle, feeling hot, and Zai brushed my clumsy hands out of the way and did it for me. He leant up and kissed me again.

Lift your hips, now slide forwards a little, that’s it. Zai took his own slick shaft in one hand, guiding it to my entrance. I hovered. He waited. A year jagged by in a heartbeat. It may have been only enough time to blink, slowly. It’s up to you babe. Go slow

I inhaled, then let out the breath slowly as I sank onto him. The pain was a kiss in the dark and then gone as I felt my hole stretching and expanding to permit his slippery cock. I didn’t breathe in again until I felt his furry lions under my inner thighs, my balls resting on the thick knot. I breathed, Zai’s hands were on my hips, simply resting, applying no pressure. I lifted myself off him until only the head of his cock remained inside me, panting at the effort required not to just fling myself into this with abandon. No, this time I wanted to be in control, to be able to experience the pleasure.

I pushed down again, marvelling at the sensations which pulsed through me, the wall of desire that wrapped itself around the sensible part of my brain and told it to shut up and have fun. Zai leaked emotion, lust and wanting coming off him in waves, wonder and excitement mixed in. I clenched my buttocks and felt his gasp at the tightening of the muscles around his cock head. This was fun. I pushed down again, wanting to take the whole thing, knot as well, but Zai’s firm hands cupped my arse and stopped me.

Oh, you’ll want to wait for that. You’ve not had that before.

Really?

No, I was too busy clawing at your lovely skin. Zai’s hands moved to my hips, gripping now, his short sharp claws on the very edge of tearing into me, and he began to move me up and down on his long shaft. I had my hands on his chest, his shoulders, grabbing at the strong arms that held me, wanting to go faster, harder and to stop all at once. My mouth made the decision for me.

“Ugh…ahh!”

Zai smiled.

Ah…yes you are so sweet. That’s it, good boy. Zai’s hands moved down to my thighs, his claws tracing tickling patterns on my skin as I began to thrust against him. The slipping and pounding of his long cock into my waiting hole began to drive me crazy, and every time I reached the base of his cock and felt that widened knot I wanted to push ever further.

Zai found the lube from where I had left it and let go off me long enough to place a dollop in his hand. My thrusting lessened to watch him wrap him palm around his knot, working the lube across it. The last of it went on my own shaft as he began to massage me in time with my rising and falling thrusts. I pushed down against the feline demon, and felt him push up towards me. The knot started to sink into me and I screwed up my eyes, my hands clenched in the bed sheets as my hole stretched to accommodate him. Every other muscle tensed and I felt Zai’s hand in the back of my head as I bent over him.

So wonderful, you beautiful thing you. Oh… “Yes!”

I gasped as the whole of Zai’s length became buried deep inside me. I felt so full, and stretched and it felt so good. I thought I should be guilty about that but Zai was panting, stroking my own cock with one hand, both of us incoherent with desire and lust. I rocked against him, or hips grinding together as Zai’s knot plugged me fully, the length of his shaft stroking me to ever greater heights of pleasure. When Zai’s claws broke the skin of my shoulder I cried out, a mix of lust and rage and pain and dug my own short fingernails into his fur. Zai’s fans gnashed, his acid gaze pinning me like a moth to a board as we clutched at each other.

“Oh…Zai!” I want to scream and cry and shout all at once. I felt him thickening inside me, the big knot swelling, pleasure snapping up through my sinuses. His hand around me was hot, every muscle hurt and screamed in pleasure all at once. I shuddered as I came into Zai’s skilled fingers, panting, curved over him, my fingers in his hair and horns. He thrust up from the bed, his loins hot against my own and I gasped as I felt his cock expand inside me as he came. White hot streams of his seed poured into me, the knot tying us together.

I collapsed against him, sweating and breathing hard. Zai’s fur was warm and damp on my skin.

“You’re amazing.” I could feel Zai smiling when he spoke, his voice hot on my neck.

“I…thanks.” I panted, hardly able to think past the heat and swollen pleasure that remained inside me, “That was…”

You didn’t expect it to be so good?

I didn’t know anything could be so good. I leant up on one elbow and stared at my demon Master. Why didn’t you tell me?

Zai chuckled, his hand stroking my hair. You wouldn’t have believed me little one.

I tried to lift myself from Zai but we were locked together and the horned demon placed possessive hands on my hips.

Stay.

OK. I started to scratch Zai’s skull under his silken hair, which brought forth a happy purring noise. And I was starting to get used to the idea of being content there for a long time when the door clicked open and a voice arrived with it.

“-they can’t just stay cooped up in here all day! Zai we need to- Oh!”

I twisted around to see a demon who looked like a mix of Shindae and Zai. He had black skin and big thick horns and a short muzzle with onyx eyes. He stood there and grinned. I yelped, tried to get up from Zai, but was still trapped by the now softening knot. We fell off the bed awkwardly and there was a distinctive plopping noise as Zai and I separated. I grabbed at the blankets on the bed, cowering back from the demon in the doorway.

Far from embarrassed, the demon who stood in the doorway simply grinned and leant against the jamb. Zai sat naked on the bed and yawned.

“So this must be Tobias,” the big horned demon smiled in a slightly possessive sort of way, curiosity written all over his face, “Zai you didn’t tell me he was quite so pretty.”

“Well I don’t want you stealing him away,” Zai got up from the bed and came over to me, coaxing me up off the floor, “Tobias this is Sitka.”

“Hi.” I wrapped myself more securely in the blanket, distracted by the damp trickle of Zai’s cum now leaking from me and down my thighs.

Sitka smiled.

“Dude we still have to drop in our paperwork. And Kiorl sent word from the palace. He wants us to go in.”

“Really? It was pretty standard, I doubt we need a debrief.” Zai stroked my shoulder. Don’t be scared pretty one, it’s OK.

“Bring him with.” Sitka yawned, teeth flashing, “And get cleaned up. The Prince doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

Sitka vanished as quickly as he’d come and I stood staring at Zai for an explanation.

“Nakedness isn’t a big thing here.”

“No really?” My voice dripped with sarcasm.

“He didn’t know he was interrupting,” Zai stared at me and there was a long pause. “I’m sorry.”

“Better.” I put out a hand and touched his muzzle, “Bath?”

After we’d cleaned up Zai dressed me back in the kilt, boots and silk shirt ensemble and we meet Sitka and Shindae at the foot of the main stairs. Seeing the three demons together was a bit of a shock. I was in Hell. Hell. Where there were demons. Demons who didn’t look like me. I felt small and pale and very alone. And then Zai wrapped a warm arm around my shoulders and pulled me in close to his side, tight and possessive. All the demons dressed similarly, loincloths in various shades and fabrics, and assorted belts and buckles. Zai and Sitka went shirtless, Shindae wore a silk brocade waistcoat and they all had bare feet.

I stayed in close contact with Zai as we went to the palace, winding down between streets of fire and lave rock. The jewelled Chain around my throat seemed to burn against my skin, reminding me of its presence. Zai carried on a conversation with the other demons to which I didn’t listen. My empathic powers seemed to work better here and I felt emotion leaking from the other two demons. Sitka felt concerned, vaguely worried about their trip to the palace. Shindae exuded a calm satisfaction, smugness written all over his features.

The palace was huge, amorphous, made of black stone with pinnacles that seemed to reach all the way to the fiery stars. Zai hugged me tighter as we went in, escorted by a little creature that looked very slightly like a fat fish in a suit.

“Where are we going Zai?”

“The Prince is having one of his little soirees,” a new voice spoke from the gloom cast by the naphtha lanterns, “And I invited your new Master to come and show you off.”

“Hey Kiorl.” Zai smiled at the figure in the shadows and I strained my eyes to see him. I let go of Zai and my reached out my empathic sense to the shadows. I recoiled back quickly from something that felt icy and hard like frosted steel, sharp like a knife. I grabbed hold of Zai’s arm and let out an involuntary squeak of alarm.

“Oh dear,” the silken voice purred, “I seem to have upset the little one.” The figure that stepped from the shadows looked like a panther, except that he walked on two legs and wore his hair in a messy Mohawk flashed with electric blue. The long tail flicked and swayed and the demon called Kiorl gave Sitka and Shindae each a half hug. I eyed him sceptically.

It’s OK, Zai’s emotions spoke to me in my head, pouring calm reassurance on my worry, Kiorl lives in the house with us. He’s a friend. He’s fun.

Are you sure?

He’s also important and powerful and we need him to like you.

That made me shake and shiver, but I managed a smile for Kiorl as he greeted Zai.

“Well aren’t you just a pretty little thing?” Kiorl put a hand under my chin and I met his gaze with more or less a clang, “Nice, very nice. You do know how to pick them. What’s your name boy?”

“Tobias.” I was proud that my voice didn’t quiver when I spoke. Kiorl fingered the Chain around my neck.

“I see you got him tagged already.” Zai dropped the gems against my neck, they were not warm, “Come on, it’s started.”

We followed Zai through the dark corridor in which the other demons could see just fine to a circular room with a low domed ceiling, painted to look like soft doughy clouds. There were naphtha lanterns on each of the dozen pillars that supported the dome, turned way down low so that it was soft and warm and sort of twilight. The floor was spread with a multitude of carpets in many colours, patterns and tassels interwove across the white stone. All the furniture was soft and worn looking, aged with many bums on seats, the pattern of use, of sitting around a talking. There were a few…people… there already.

Demons of largely humanoid shape sat around, lounging on chaises and armchairs. A pair of marble pale snake like people sat together in a brocaded wingchair, the slightly small of the two spinning something between his fingers which looked like crochet made of spider silk, chatting distractedly in a language I couldn’t fathom. I let my eyes roam across the room, seeing a heated discussion between a husky the size of a horse with black fur and eyes made of storm clouds and a fierce yet diminutive childlike figure covered in soft brown feathers. But there was one figure that drew me. And not just me.

Despite the relaxed, informal sort of atmosphere this figure drew all s newcomers, an aura of power bigger and stronger than anything I had ever felt. I held Zai’s hand, squeezed it, and felt him return the gesture. He knew this person, but he understood my fear. I tried to reach out with my empathic sense and felt Zai tug me back, sinking mental claws into my senses and jolting me sharply into my own body.

No. Not here, not to him. Never. He could kill you with a glance if he wanted. Don’t.

I nodded, mute and petrified.

The figure for whom this awe came must have been the Prince. We was too powerful or beautiful to be anything else. And he was beautiful. It was like a slap in the face, a demon with the kind of face that painters would give to angels. He was small, surprisingly so, pale and thin with narrow features, pointed chin and almost elfin in his appearance. He wore his long hair loose, a cascade of silk over one shoulder, and was dressed in a simple kilt and long tabard, both of which seemed to belie their richness and expense. His eyes were grey, sharp as flint and soft as ashes and he wore a genuine smile of delight for our arrival.

The Prince stood from his chair and embraced Sitka and Shindae both. The pair of demons went to take up seats near the big dog and the little feathered kid and joined in their argument with gusto. Kiorl put a hand on his Prince’s forearm and smiled.

“Sire,” he began.

“Oh hush it Kiorl. There is no need for that in front of invited guests.”

I was shocked at how surprisingly normal his voice was. He spoke with an easy sort of accent, almost similar to my own. Then he turned to look directly at me and I felt the if he wanted to, that voice could move mountains.

“My lord,” Zai half bowed and made a sweeping gesture towards me, letting go of my hand, “My human Tobias. For your consideration.”

“Really?” I was released from the stormy gaze as the Prince snapped his attention across to Zai, “This s most unusual for you Zai. You have never brought a human home for consideration before.” A pause, during which I wondered what on earth that meant, “Actually I can’t remember when you last brought a human home at all. Getting lonely are we?” Zai didn’t answer that and the Prince turned his attention back to me. He took my hand it his and he was warm, “I am Nassau, it is lovely to meet you. Come and sit with me and tell me of England.”

He turned to lead me to his chair, which rearranged itself into a double curved love seat. Only then did I notice the wings. So blown away had I been by his beauty that I had failed to notice the huge bronze-gold feathered wings that rose from his shoulders. He sat facing into the room, his seat specially formed to allow for his wings, and I sat facing the other way, the seat curving around me gently, turning my to face him.

“Tell me of England.”

“You’ve been to England?” I was surprised at me question, but it seemed such an odd thing to be asked in this place.

“Oh yes. I do so love to visit when I can, but it has been many years. You have been to London?” I nodded, “Tell me. I love to remember London.”

“Well we went for Chinese new year back in February,” I wasn’t sure where I found the strength to talk to him, but the words came anyway, “And it’s so busy these days. There were lanterns everywhere, and the WingYip supermarket got all refitted with extra tills and things. We got winter melon when we went up. You know, the crystallized sweets? I went with some friends and we got right at the front for the Loin Dance in Trafalgar Square. I wish we could hav got a seat on one of the bronze lions, but we could see fine…”

We seemed to talk for hours, and Nassau the Prince wanted to know everything. He surprised me with his knowledge, able to describe with me different exhibits from the British Museum, knowing some of the café’s and pubs I mentioned. Zai hung near at first, listening in, but eventually his attention was distracted and when I next looked for him he and Kiorl were sprawled on a chaise, chatting to the snakey pair.

“Do you love him?”

The question shocked me back to the Prince, who was looking at me intently.

“I-,” I stopped, having no idea what I was going to say, “I don’t know. I don’t see how I can, he took me away from everything I knew.”

“And yet…” the Prince voiced my uncertainty.

“Yes. There is something. I don’t know.”

Nassau open one wing and the chair arranged itself under us so were seated side by side with nothing separating us. His wing wrapped around me, shielding us from the assembled company. The Prince plucked a long flight feathered from his wing and handed it to me. It was heavy, much heavier than a feather should be.

“This feather will grant you a wish,” he put a hand over mine, “Don’t use it yet. It can do anything. You could wish to be a demon, be immortal and stay with him forever. You could wish for time to go backwards and return home. You could wish to be king, to have all the riches you could ever desire. Anything.” Nassau smiled, and his smile was slightly sad, “Wait a while, years if you want, and use it however you want. It is my gift to you.”

“But…why?”

“Your Zai brought you to me for my consideration. Only I can turn a mortal creature into a demon. That is what he wants for you. To stay with you forever. There is something inside you that he adores. And you are also an empath. Very rare.”

“How did you know?”

“Oh little Tobias,” Nassau chuckled, which was an odd noise to hear issuing from the throat of a Prince, “I know a great many things, and Zai cannot keep his talent hidden from me, though many demons would be revolted by him for it. Empathy is not something often valued here. And especially not by my father.”

“Oh. Is that why Zai told me not to use it?”

The Prince moved his wing and pulled me closer to him.

“As much as I like Zai, he is still wary of me. He and his brothers were supposed to be Princes of Hell, but it didn’t quite work out. Here,” he held out a slim hand, “You can use your skills on me. You’ve found they’re stronger down here haven’t you?”

“Yes. Are you sure?” I was nervous, despite the almost normality of chatting to Nassau. He was a Prince, and I didn’t like to think of the sort of power that would make Zai scared.

“I’m sure.”

I closed my eyes and reached out with my mind in a way that still felt new and strange. Nassau’s mind was a complex, almost floral pattern, and a sense of ancient longing spread through me. Nassau’s mind was huge, his experience massive and oppressive, and I felt myself losing hold of my own mind in the great complex mass of it all. There was a loneliness so huge it was untouchable, and I was slipping.

Suddenly I couldn’t find the divide between myself and Nassau, couldn’t find the way back to my own body. I panicked.

There were hands on me, a sense of touch, and I felt Zai’s velvet soft fur on my skin. I followed the trail back, and found myself, by degrees, back in my own body. I was sitting in Zai’s lap, his arms tight around me and I let go of Nassau’s hand.

“I thought I’d lost you.” Zai’s voice shook, scared. Great flames, let me never be separated from you again.

“I’m OK,” I sounded better than I felt, still staring at Nassau. I have no idea what happened. I didn’t know anyone could feel so lonely.

You came back to me.

I stared at Zai, feeling weird. Feeling sort of relieved to touch him.

“I like your new boy Zai. A good choice. You two go have fun.” Nassau touched my shoulder as I got up, still holding the red-gold feather in one hand, “Remember what I said. Anything you want. Go meet the Asina brothers, you’ll like them.”

I stood, and Zai wrapped a possessive arm about me. I put the feather into a pocket of my kilt.

He approves of you.

You think?

He gave you a wish. Stay with me?

I looked at Zai, stroked his arm and smiled.

“I haven’t decided that yet.”