Chapter 45: .•18.1•.

"I've happened to develop a taste for her blood," Nicholas said with a smirk upon shifting his gaze to peer at the demon again, gauging his reaction.

"It's so sweet and savory," his voice sounded so seductive and alluring in Diana's ear, even as he took a firm grip of her wrist and brought it closer to his lips, planting a soft and lingering kiss over the sensitive skin there. The girl stood there stiff as a stone, trembling from the utter shock and revulsion of laying gaze upon such a hideous and frightening creature. It was monstrous. And she felt so deathly afraid of it, that even Nicholas' touch and embrace seemed to have less of an effect on her now.

"I would hate to let it go to waste so soon...such a precious blood-source like her," Nicholas wrapped an arm around the human's fragile waist and pressed her closer into him, hearing her tiny little whimpers and sobs. She was shaking so hard now. But he couldn't have cared less. He was too focused on poking the wretched demon. Entertaining himself with this game they were currently playing.

"You're playing with fire, boy," Mephistos warned, his expression turning wrathful as he intently watched the way that the vampire was touching the frightened human. Playful. Sensual. Daring. It made him want to burn him where he stood.

"And why is that?" Nicholas' head tilted to the side, brow raising with evident interest.

"What does it matter to you, what I choose to do with one of my bloodbags?" He casually asked, right before tucking those strands away from Diana's supple neck, earning himself another small little whimper.

"I've already offered my sacrifice not too long ago," he added with a shrug. Right before placing a small kiss on the side of her neck. Evoking that little mewl that made the demon visibly twitch. He inwardly smirked. The bastard was getting so riled-up by this. He couldn't even begin to fathom why, but that didn't stop him from trying to vex him some more. He deserved it after all. He deserved to know what it felt like. Not having the upper hand for once.

"Why does this one matter to you so much?" He asked with a mildly interested frown, twirling a strand of Diana's soft hair over his finger. His other arm still holding her so tightly against him into an evident display of possession. She was his now. And he had no intention of giving her away in the foreseeable future.

"Isn't it obvious?" The demon replied with a roll of his eyes.

"I want her for myself," he slithered with a hunger that made Diana curl herself even further into Nicholas' chest, thoroughly repulsed and horrified by the way that the creature's yellowish and reptilian eyes raked over her body right after that statement.

"I want you to send her to me pure and untouched, with her virginity intact," the demon instructed, making the girl whimper and cry out a trembling "no", desperately pushing herself up against Nicholas' body with a force that made him almost stumble and lose his footing.

Nicholas' frown deepened, a hint of disgust tugging at his insides, aside of that considerably growing intrigue. Why was he so desperate to have her? And untouched nonetheless. There surely had to be plenty of virgins falling through the gates of Hell on a regular basis. Why her? Why did he appear to be so desperate to have this one specific soul?

He watched as the demon approached once again, a sick and dark look entering his gaze as he peered between him and the girl.

"Do it," he hissed out, his forked tongue making its appearance from between his jagged teeth. Licking his thin and blackened lips as he peered at the girl for a moment before reverting his attention to him.

"I said, end her," he commanded, firm and gravelly upon noticing Nicholas' momentary hesitance.

At that, Diana started to futilely thrash and squirm in his hold, crying like a frightened little lamb that was just about to get sacrificed. But Nicholas didn't even flinch, continuing to hold her trapped in his strong and unforgiving grip.

"Take her blood, make a fucking mess out of her throat. I don't care. Just give her to me already," the demon urged upon watching her struggle like that, visibly enticed by her little cowering prey behavior. He was even sporting a boner now, the vile motherfucker.

"No," the answer came out past Nicholas' lips. Swift and firm. Effectively making the human cease with her useless squirming and the demon stagger from the shock of being denied. For the first time since placing the curse upon Nicholas' body.

She was his. His bloodbag. His plaything for the time being and he didn't give a shit if the demon got mad for it. He had plenty of other souls to choose from anyway. He could go and throw his childish tantrums elsewhere for all he cared.

The girl startled in his hold as the foyer suddenly plunged into an abyss of darkness out of nowhere, rendering them incapable of even seeing a mere inch in front of them. It was pitch black. Complete and total absence of light as the sounds of voices whispering and hissing out words into a language they couldn't understand started to travel in the air all around them.

Nicholas remained steady, unfazed by this little parlour trick of the demon's. It might've scared the human but it definitely wasn't impressing him in the least. These shadows were once his after all. His natural element. The darkness that he'd been born with. What he'd traded for this form that he was currently in. And Addie's eternal love.

Candlelights suddenly flickered on all around them, bathing the room into a soft glow as they hung in the air as if being strung by invisible threads.

But the very moment that Nicholas' gaze trailed forward his mundane brown eyes grew wide from the staggering shock, his grip on the little human loosening before he let her go altogether. And with slow and hesitant steps, he approached the small ring created by several candles lying on the floor, containing a lithe and shapely figure.

"Nicky?"

"Addie..."