Dark Prince

Desiring a man was taboo in Venushti. The males lived on a separate planet and had their own government. Conception and artificial birth took place in a space station built between the two planets to keep both races thriving; male and female.

Angel hated males, but was never physically attracted to females, which was why she'd opted for a life of celibacy as a priestess. Could her past training as a sex slave be catching up to her? Did she truly have the soul of a whore? Was she to be cast out of her safe refuge after so many years because of these unconscious forbidden desires?

Memories from the past, before she'd been rescued from the Grei hunters, loomed in her mind; the hunger, the terror, the painful experiments that had made her scream and scream and scream...

Stumbling into her modest chambers, she made her way to her bathing chamber. As she scrubbed the dirt from her body she wondered where she would go if asked to leave. She had no home or family that she knew of in the galaxy. All she remembered of her childhood was being locked up in a cage with other children of different species. They'd fight like animals whenever food was tossed into the filthy cages where they were kept... until the cursed day Angel's blood marked her thighs. The Greis had pulled her out of the cage, strapped a chastity belt around her loins and dragged her to the slave markets to be sold.

With an angry snarl, she slammed her fists into the water—I'd rather die than have that happen to me again.

She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. Worrying would resolve nothing.

Once finished with her cold bath, she donned another robe, plaited her hair into a braid, and then rushed out.

Her silver sandals echoed in the cool corridors of her fortress-like home. The scent of ancient stone was just a subtle reminder that the Venushtian castle was many siglons old. The breeze and bright sunshine streaming in through the open archways defied her dismal situation. Even the colorful blooms of the gardens and the trees filled with twittering birds did little to lift her spirits.

Arriving at the double doors to the high priestess' council chamber, she paused to pull herself together. Angel took a deep breath and smoothed her hand down her clean white robe. It was the typical attire a young warrior wore when aspiring to be a priestess. The silver band around her waist was a symbol of her purity and the jeweled dagger strapped at her right thigh denoted her status as a level two warrior. Once she perfected her skills with a sword, she'd be promoted to level three. If that ever happens now—she thought in despair. Letting out her pent-up breath, she tossed her thick braid back and pushed the ornate wooden doors open.

The cool air that caressed her cheeks was scented with the sweetness of the flowers that grew in the gardens. She'd been in the council chambers many times during special ceremonies, but its grandeur still made her gape like a little girl. Tall crystal columns rose up to the vaulted ceiling, painted with a mosaic of scenes from various parts of their lush world. The stone walls were also decorated with paintings and had niches with statues of their finest warriors, all females, of course. Angel's feet moved across the various rugs displayed upon the polished stone floor until she stopped before the high priestess' dais.

Lady Serena smiled at her and motioned her forward. As was custom, Angel stepped up on the dais, head bowed, and knelt, making sure to spread her robes around her so her thighs were exposed showing the dagger. She opened her arms in a sign of reverence, palms up.

"Your holiness."

"You've grown into a beautiful woman, Angel." Lady Serena's husky voice made Angel blush. "The time has come for you to prove yourself and take the final vows."

Angel's head snapped up. All her fears dissipated. She placed her hands over her heart, feeling honored. "I won't disappoint you, Lady Serena."

The high priestess pulled her long dark braid forward and then leaned back in her chair. Her amber eyes looked down at Angel with maternal affection. "You could never disappoint me, little one."

Those were the very same words she'd uttered to Angel the day she rescued her from the slave markets of Xenar.

Straightening her spine and lifting her chin, Angel took a deep breath. "What's my task? How will I prove myself worthy of assuming the final vows?"

Lady Serena's smile faded. "The Edenian's violated our sacred grounds. They've taken the black stone and destroyed it."

Angel's heart raced as she covered her mouth in shock. "Destroyed it?" Only last sun cycle, she'd gone on a pilgrimage to the barren planetoid on the outskirts of the Edenian solar system to pay homage to the sacred black stone. As a matter of fact, it was pretty much around the same time she began having her disturbing visions.

"The members of the Edenian council had a collective vision that the last leader of their lost Master Guardians was frozen within the stone."

Angel went from shock to outrage. "The ones responsible for the war?" The war had sparked a number of similar invasions across the galaxy, still recovering from the bloodbath of the fallen angel, Davariel and his legions of demons and devils. Grei hunters invaded her native planet and after taking every male and female of reproductive age into custody, they proceeded to blow the planet into tiny pieces.

Lady Serena's eyes narrowed. "That stone saved the life of our matriarch, Aarien. It crushed a Trod ship that was preparing to destroy the royal vessel. It doesn't matter to us what was inside it."

Angel ducked her head, contrite. "Of course, your holiness."

"I understand your anger, Angel. That's why I'm giving you this task." Angel raised her eyes back up to the high priestess' solemn face. "You are to fetch the demon and bring him back. He belongs to us."

Angel's mouth dropped open. "Demon?" Oh, goddess, no!

"That's what they call him. Devon Angelos was raised by Seraphs as a Master Guardian. I'm guessing he's the product of fornication between a human and a demon." The priestess shuddered. Angel felt sick, but for different reasons. "Why they didn't see fit to kill him at birth is beyond my comprehension. Then again, I've heard that he has the most splendorous beauty." Angel blinked at her in confusion. How could she find beauty in a male? They were hideous, hairy, smelly creatures, more animal-like than human. Lady Serena continued, oblivious to Angel's internal turmoil. "How could he not be beautiful? A demon, after all, is nothing more than a divine fallen angel."

Angel had been taught the difference between the wishful titles bestowed to humanoids with supernatural powers and the immortal entities that sometimes crossed over from the realm of Ainrodonel. "You want him brought here?"

Lady Serena scowled. "They defiled sacred grounds. It was established that the small area on the planetoid surrounding the black stone was sacred to our people. If we allow them this, what will come next?"

"Of course, your holiness. But what will we do with him once he's here?"

"He's a powerful Master Guardian, an archangel. We can use him as an oracle—keep him bound in the temple—it doesn't matter. The Edenians will not get away with this."

Angel's pulse raced at the thought of having to face this Edenian Master Guardian. The memories of her life as a slave were still fresh in her mind. She had no family, her people were still in bondage, scattered all over the galaxy and her planet no longer existed. And it's all his fault! "What if he refuses to comply?"

Lady Serena arched her brow, her eyes cold. "Then you kill the unholy bastard."

Angel bowed her head again. "Yes, your holiness. I will not fail you."

Rising to her feet, she backed away until she stepped down from the dais. After bowing one last time, she turned and strode out.

Cold fear washed over her as she made her way down the corridor to her rooms. Her visions, was it a glimpse into the future, or simply her mind playing tricks on her? Fear was replaced by fury. No man will ever have me—much less a vile demon. She did her best to clear her thoughts of the black memories of her childhood.

In her rooms, she let her robes fall to the floor and knelt in a bright patch of sunlight spilling from the open balcony doors. Opening her arms and tilting her face into the light, she closed her eyes. She emptied her mind of all thought and simply let the power of the goddess fill her. She would need the goddess' strength for her upcoming task. Angel remained in this position until the three moons of Venushti rose high in the night sky.

Her body grew weary, her knees ached. Rising from the hard floor, she went to her personal bathing chamber and immersed herself in the chill waters of her bathing pool. She scrubbed her hair and skin with a rough sponge.

Outside, the wind blew softly, whispering through the trees and castle turrets. A few night creatures called out in the lonely night, adding to the melody of darkness surrounding her.

The soft, yet deep voice of sin and temptation kissed her ears like a dulcet caress. Angel, help me, please.

A shudder went through her as she gasped, dropping the sponge. Her eyes searched the empty darkness and she found herself wishing she'd taken the time to light at least one candle. A dark cloud crossed over two of the moons visible in the narrow window of her bathing chamber and a cool draft gave her chills. Her hand grasped her dagger from her thigh strap as she crawled out of the pool. Angel ran to the doorway and pressed her back against the rough, stone wall. Water dripped down her skin, making a puddle at her feet as she listened to see if she could pick up any noise in her sleeping chamber. The wind rustling through the outdoor foliage and a few night larks chittering in the surrounding trees were the only sounds she heard now. She peeked around the wall and checked every dark corner of her room. Moving around to the balcony doors, she peered out before emerging into the night's cool embrace. The dark cloud moved on, releasing the two silvery moons from its gloomy prison. Down below, the trees danced to the music of the night breeze. She could see brief glimpses of the gardens with its flowering bushes, fountains, and cobbled walkways. The Mystic forest stretched out to the nearby hills blinking with the lights of a village not far from the castle.

The cool air against her damp skin made her shiver. Wrapping her arms around herself, she walked back into her sleeping chamber. With a weary sigh, she collapsed onto her bed, sleep claiming her almost immediately.

It didn't take long for one of the nightmares to begin. Angel raced through a canyon made of black ice that curved endlessly onward. She gripped a heavy sword in her right hand and her boots stomped with each desperate step she took. She wanted to run faster, but her thighs felt as if they were already on fire. Fighting a losing battle with exhaustion, she felt herself slip. Her body slid about twenty feet before she was able to stop the momentum by impaling her dagger into the ice with a grunt. She lay on the ground, face-down, panting, the wind pulling away misty clouds of breath from her lips. Her hair was splayed around her like a white veil, blocking her view. With a groan, she struggled to her knees and shook her pale tresses out of her face. She'd come upon an opening in the canyon, an enormous lake stretching out as far as the eye could see beneath a cloud-choked sky the color of ashes and blood.

Her eyes focused on a solitary figure not far from her. The wind blew through the silken strands of black that spilled to the middle of his back. Blood, the color of pitch, seeped from where two seven foot wings protruded from his back, light grey and bat-like. Her eyes followed the path of flowing black blood trailing down the contours of his trim waist, firm muscled buttocks and thighs; down over skin as white as driven snow. The demon started to turn...

Chapter Two

Devon kept his head bowed. He didn't need to see to feel the ten pairs of accusing eyes that burned him with hatred. The council members sat in one of the larger conference rooms aboard Alpha 6. They occupied a semi-circular table made of black granite, and the screen behind them continuously showed scenes of a bloody war that had exploded within the Edenian solar system the night the Master Guardians disappeared.

Three hundred years. I was frozen in a suspended animation ball for three hundred years. How the hell did that happen? He simply could not wrap his head around that fact.

Devon raised his eyes and looked through the heavy fall of black hair that partially covered his view. Twenty guardian soldiers stood alert all around the room, their weapons held against their chests, their eyes trained with deadly intent on him. Their hate poured over Devon like acid. He wanted desperately to shield himself from the negative emotions, but they'd forbidden him to use his powers. He knew they couldn't force him to comply, still, he obeyed hoping they'd stop viewing him as a monster.

"It was a conspiracy planned and executed by the Master Guardians. We were attacked from all sides and within the solar system."

"There was no conspiracy." Devon shook his head. "I swear to you. Most of us have been... " He swallowed and corrected himself, "had been together since childhood. We were all linked." Except Remien—he thought bitterly to himself.

"Then how do you explain what happened?"

The whispering began again, dark voices that started tormenting him a few night cycles ago. Devon looked around, but no one else was talking. Every eye was nailed on him. Oh, God, I'm losing my mind! He closed his eyes and hung his head in despair.

Kill them all, Devon.

Sweat began to bead on his brow. The voices grew louder.

"Was there or was there not a power struggle among you?"

Kill. Be our master.

Devon clenched his teeth to keep from screaming.

Kill them, dark prince.

Devon shook his head. "No."

The sound of a fist hitting the table made him jump and look up. "You were involved! Confess, you God-forsaken demon!" a woman demanded in a shrill voice.

Devon, kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.

The lighting flickered and dimmed, the voices telling him to kill intensified until they were screaming all around him. Before Devon's eyes, the walls grew moldy, blood began trickling from the edges of the ceiling until it ran in torrents across the floor. The faces of the council members contorted, eyes rolling back to reveal only the white portion, black veins appearing like lacey webbing over every inch of exposed flesh. Their lips turned black, peeling back into a grotesque smile that revealed rotting broken teeth. The guardian soldiers' eyes turned red, and crimson tears poured down their cheeks.

The distinct sound of glass cracking had him turning. Fire licked at the corners of the glass wall behind him. A sky choked with roiling red-black clouds replaced the view of Jupiter and space. Hundreds, if not thousands of devils, swirled in the skies, below, more crawled out from a rippling pool. Their eyes glowed like yellow beacons with slits for pupils. They were chanting as they approached the glass—master... master... master...

However, the sight of the devils was not what terrified him. Standing before the devils, turning to look at him was... himself... a demonic version of himself, standing in the same exact position, like a reflection in a mirror. Giant, grey, black-veined devils wings were tucked against his back, a sneer twisting his face.

"Devon!"

His reaction was immediate. He spun back around with a snarl as he summoned his divine sword. The guardian soldiers pointed their weapons, screaming at him to stand down. Most of the council members flung themselves to the floor covering their heads like cowards; a few others fainted onto the table.

Devon blinked in confusion. Everything had been only an illusion and here he was holding his sword in battle stance before a bunch of terrified Edenian's. With just a thought he could crush them all... kill them easily. They were weak, did not know how to use the power innate in all living creatures. He, on the other hand was like a god in their midst.

His wayward thoughts made him frown.

Why in God's name am I contemplating murder? He shook his head slowly, acknowledging there was something seriously wrong with him.

The doors to the room opened and in stepped a familiar figure. Dr. Quinn fought his way through the guards that stood watch outside. They grabbed at his white coat, still, he managed to make it to Devon's side.

The silver-haired doctor gripped his shoulders and looked up into his face. "It's alright, son. Everything's going to be alright."

All the energy Devon possessed seemed to drain from his limbs and he crumpled to his knees. Dr. Quinn put his fingers against his throat, then placed his palm against Devon's forehead. Devon closed his eyes. Touch. He needed the touch of healing hands. Dr. Quinn tipped his head up and told him to open his eyes.

"Are you mad, Quinn," one of the council members spat, peering over the edge of the table. "Get away from that demon!"

"He's not going to hurt anyone." Dr. Quinn turned with a glare. "Put those stupid weapons away! You should know they're useless against him!"

Devon willed his sword away. His head hurt and for a moment, he wished they would use their weapons on him. He wouldn't use his power to disable them. He'd welcome death with open arms.

His mind drifted. Where are they? What the hell happened? Lucien, Seth, Rowie, Annie, Zak... Remi. It couldn't have been Remi.

Remien's face appeared in his memory. He was an eye-full, with his exotic blood-red hair and green eyes. Devon recalled the day he'd brought the shifter aboard Alpha 7, Remien had scowled the whole trip. Devon linked his mind to his, but not too deeply. He didn't want to intrude on Remi's privacy. The dragon's thoughts were riotous, his anger almost a living thing within him... still, Devon had sensed vulnerability. He couldn't help reach out and caress his cheek. Remien jumped at the contact, his eyes looking at Devon in shock.

"It's going to be okay."

Remien gripped his hand and stared at it wide eyed. His breathing accelerated as he pressed Devon's hand back against his face, this time with both hands.

Devon was taken aback when the red-haired shifter jumped into his arms and hugged him. "I can feel you! I can feel!"

Devon let his arms go around him, feeling him shudder with emotion. He let his power sweep the shifter's body and felt the anomaly immediately. Remien's sense of touch was damaged, and his brain waves were strange. Could it be because of his ability to transform into a dragon?

Remien stiffened in his embrace and Devon felt the first waves of wary energy that flowed from him.

The were-dragon pulled away, the scowl back in place. "What did you do to me?"

"Nothing, I... " Devon's eyes narrowed. " You've been damaged... "

Remien sneered. "Yeah-yeah, I know. I'm damaged goods. So what?"

"No. I didn't mean it that way."

Remien's eyes narrowed to slits, his nostrils flaring. "Yes you did." Flames began dancing on his skin and a wicked grin curled the edges of his lips. "I can do all sorts of things with my damaged self."

Devon tried not to laugh at the shifters implied threat. He held out his hand instead, creating a blue-white fireball in his palm. "Like this?"

Remien's grin melted away and he blinked in astonishment at Devon's fireball. Devon was caught once more in the were-dragon's annoyed green gaze, a low growl rumbling in his throat. "Show-off."

Dr. Quinn's hand shaking Devon's shoulder jarred him to the present... exactly where he didn't want to be. His anger began to stir.