Chapter 11: Reflections

**Nerina**

I am taken to an anteroom and then straight to a deep, dark sulfur pool. It covers me up to my neck.

I gag on the smell of sulfur.

‘My’ twin submerges me in the surface, and I come back sputtering and choking in another pool, this one made of fire. The flames hit my skin, but I don't burn or feel the heat.

Eventually, I am literally expelled from the fire pool by the Louboutin heel of ‘my’ twin in my butt.

I return to my apartment naked but clean.

“Hey!” I shout as I rub my backside. “That was unnecessary!”

I try once again to remove the burning bracelet from my wrist. But as I twist and turn, there is no clasp, no hinge, just a solid band of bronze that is loose enough to be moved but too tight to be taken off.

I try my old trick and dislocate the thumb of my left hand to try to get the bracelet off, but even that doesn’t work. It’s definitely stuck, and now I have a sore thumb to match my burning arm.

“Great.” I murmur as I put the digit back in place with a grimace. I push my hair out of my face and look at myself.

Still naked.

I dive into the shower stall, needing to wash the sulfur smell out of my hair and cleanse the horrible nature of the night.

As I get into bed tonight, my stomach tightens, and I stop denying the fact that somehow, for some reason, Zachiel has bound me to him.

I am a Bound Demon.

With a heavy sigh, I close my eyes, determined to fix this tomorrow. I will go to Zachiel and tell him he made a mistake, that I’m not the special creature he thinks I am. Then, I survived that sexual ritual, so what? I am a weak fool and don’t deserve this honor.

Yeah, that sounds good.

I practice this speech as I fall asleep.

**

Zachiel**

Once again, I see my Demon bitch as she sleeps. This time, I am doing it in the comfort of my living room. She is restless and probably already feeling the effects of phase two.

I sit on my black leather sofa and tilt my head to get a better view of the projection of Nerina on the wall in front of me. The image of her is very clear, thanks to our special connection, and I can enjoy watching her now at my convenience.

This essence of hers is something completely different. I knew this all along, but I needed her to prove to me that she was worthy, and the punishment I gave her in the process was worth every second of her discomfort. She is a stubborn creature and needs to be reminded of who possesses her. Her face while Stanford watched her masturbating was a picture of rage and humiliation.

The best kind.

This excited me far more than I wanted, and just the unpleasant mental image of Stanford fucking her with his fingers made me refocus on the task at hand.

I think of the pain I felt in her escape as she struggled and fought to get away from me for the second time. But I let her go knowing that if she managed to return to Earth, it would be worth taking another look, and that she would potentially be the only one for this life.

And she did.

I took great pleasure in returning her to my domain and locking her in solitary confinement for seven months. Her torment was pure pleasure for me, and I delighted in every second of her frustration, waiting to see if she would break. But once again, she defied the odds I had stacked against her and seemed to thrive instead of wilt.

I knew then it was time to officially choose her and truly test her.

“My sovereign.” Vaska, my current dalliance, calls me. “Come back to bed.”

I ignore her. I have no desire to be with her at this moment. I want to keep watch over Nerina to see if she survives the night.

She is tossing and turning, throwing her arms above her head. She is sweating profusely; I can see the beads of sweat on her forehead as I enlarge her projection. Her face is contorted as she throws off the sheets due to the fever, only to drag them back over herself when the chills begin.

I find it somewhat amusing to see her suffering.

It almost makes me want to go to her and heighten her discomfort just to see if she can take it, but I can't mess with her now. She is far too precious to me.

Vaska calls me again. I furrow my brow at the interruption.

“This big bed is so empty,” Vaska says slowly as she enters the living room, completely naked and smelling like a bitch in heat.

I glance over her ebony skin, but I find that now it does nothing for me. I’ve gotten over her after two days.

She must see my vacant expression and knows her time has come.

“My lord,” she says, raising her hands.

“We are good together, don’t do this.”

I have no more words for her. She was a good enough fuck while it lasted, but now I have more important concerns. Nerina is starting to shake violently and seems to be following the same path as the last one.

I sigh.

No one, except my dear Jezebelle, has managed to get past phase two.

“Darius,” I say calmly.

My personal bodyguard appears silently from the shadows. “Take care of this, will you?” I do not take my eyes off Nerina as I block out my ex-lover’s screams while Darius attacks her, tearing her to pieces just for the blood and the violence before consuming her essence.

Darius is special. An essence eater is a rarity, and I value and ensure he is kept well-fed and happy. This is the third woman this week that I discard, and Darius's power is at its peak right now. He will need a release very soon.

“Go to the dungeons and find a piece to take out your frustrations on.” I casually order my Demon guard.

“Sir.” Darius grunts in appreciation and disappears to find a new, weak soul to vent his depravity on.

I would normally take the chosen one of Darius to the public for the rape and torture, but tonight I am fascinated by the scene on the wall. Nerina is still thrashing; her body is tossing around the bed. Her demonic essence is trying to break free from her human form to escape the agony, but this is the moment of truth. It was here that all of my bitches, except one, died, wilting into such an unrecognizable form before their essence dissipated into the void. I watch with slight disgust as she vomits on the side of the bed, but this piques my interest. I sit up and look closer.

I am on the edge of my seat, almost rubbing my hands in joy when I see her crawl from the bed to the bathroom to empty her stomach's contents.

She survived.

Once again, she took what I gave her and prevailed.

A broad smile crosses my face as I sit back and watch her rinse her mouth and then go clean herself up. She gets up even faster than Jezebelle, and this awakens in me a burning lust I can't help but feel. My cock gets hard, and I almost wish Vaska hadn't been dispatched earlier.

It doesn't matter. I will take another little whore to fulfill my orders. She can suck me off while I continue to watch my treasure enter phase three with the new strength that has been granted to her, so she can complete her task.