Horrible shrieks and growls disturbed her rest to the point that she lost all trace of sleep. Her room was plunged into a dense darkness, one in which she couldn't see a thing. As she strained her eyes, a slight burning sensation stung her orbs, forcing her to close them. When the scorching passed, she slowly opened them only to discover that she could see almost as sharp as if the sun shone outside.

What strange abilities was she developing? Now she could see even in total darkness, nothing like the partial view of her Eyarim, which only showed her the energy emitted by creatures. However, even weirder was her frequent need to sleep every day.

Luzbel heard the terrifying sounds again, some closer than others, reminding her of a wolf pack stalking its prey.

She approached the window with curiosity, opened it and poked her head out, trying to catch a glimpse of the growling creature but only received the cold wind's blow on her face. The howls and growls got further away, making her stretch even more out the window.

Damn it! What the hell is out there?

Suddenly, the night grew silent, not even the howls were heard in the distance. The only thing letting its presence known was the wind blowing outside. She looked over her shoulder to her room's door and briefly thought of searching for Caspiel when she felt a death reeking breath hit her face's left side. Turning around, she ran face to face with a monster that could only have been brought to life from horrific human nightmares.

The horrible being had no eyes or nose but made up for the lack of those by having an enormous mouth that spread from side to side full of sharp teeth. His long whitish body looked like a giant worm and projected six bony legs resembling those of a spider. An abomination that must have been created with the sole purpose of causing paralyzing terror in its victims.

And yet she couldn't avoid the deafening shriek that forced her way through her throat and destroyed all the windows of the room. The animal seemed to take it as an attack because he pounced on her immediately, roaring like an angry lion.

A hand with long black claws plowed into the open mouth of the beast, tearing off what appeared to be his heart and crushing it before the creature could do something about it. Its lifeless body rushed out the window, falling with great speed and tearing itself to pieces against the sharp rocks at the bottom.

"That was a Daimker or demon seeker." Gaap's velvety voice whispered in her ear as she buried her face in his chest, seeking his protection. Her childish gesture caused him to laugh but instead of pushing her away, he wrapped her in a hug and kissed her forehead. "You must be careful with the Daimkers next time. Your scream was the cause of his attack." He bent down to graze her ear tip with his sharp fangs. "You sound like a banshee, dearest. So, you must control your emotions when you see them."

"It's easy for you to say when I'm sure you participated in its creation."

"No." He shook his blond head, denying her words. "These creatures already existed in this hole when the Fallen arrived here." The demon lord sighed and took her hand, leading her out of the room. "Come, you'll sleep in my chambers."

"Why?" She stopped them in front of a beautiful spiral staircase made in stone with intricate carved wooden balusters showing an angel being attacked by a demon. "Why I'm getting so tired that I need to rest constantly? Angels barely sleep so I thought that it was the same with demons."

"You're right, a mature demon doesn't need sleep but you're a Vespertilio in transition. Your body consumes more energy because of all the changes that it must endure; that's why you need to sleep every night."

"That word again," Luzbel murmured, looking at the floor. "What am I? What is a Vespertilio?"

"The rough translation is bat, but humans gave us another name." Gaap pinned her against the wall and raised her hand, rubbing his nose over the veins of her wrist with an expression of pure ecstasy. "Vampires; that's how mortals nicknamed us." His eyes turned red for a moment before biting her index finger and sucking a little amount of blood. "But that is a vulgar name based on our food source," he explained, licking his lips. "The Nocte Vespertili are more than blood thieves. Among all races of demons, we are the elite, the only ones with the ability to transform legions with just one bite."

The way Caspiel expressed himself about his demonic race was as intoxicating as the ecstasy she felt when his fangs pierced her flesh. It was more than pride, he perspired pleasure from each one of his pores when he talked about the kind of creature that he had transformed into. He loved his darkness just as she was beginning to like the one inside her, making her long for the archangel of her youth to shine light upon her again because with every passing minute she seemed to sink deeper into the abyss.

Sitting on the boundary between the castle grounds and the dark forest that stood behind him, Gaap enjoyed the laughter of his family while they had fun. Zafan teleported himself from one place to another, chasing the Raschertus he found and Luzbel practiced how to hide her wings under the skin. The girl swore that the act tickled her back but the reason for that reaction was still a mystery to him.

He watched as his queen suddenly became serious and looked longingly into the distance.

"I miss the times when you used to bring me flowers every day, Caspiel."

Why did she continue calling him by a name he had left behind millennia ago? Was it so hard to accept that Caspiel had disappeared and in his stead was born a demon that enjoyed inflicting pain to everyone?

"Flowers don't exist here," he told her in resignation, ignoring the use of his old name. She was like a little girl. If he continued correcting her, she would have more reasons to contradict him. "But I could bring you some Raschertus." His lips curled into a half smile just imagining her face when she saw what he referred to.

"What are they?"

Just then one of those beings darted in his direction and he had no problem catching it in his hand. He leaned over the black grass that decorated their land with his head resting on the back of his left hand and showed her the pixie-like being that he was holding from its small translucent wings.

"This is a Raschertus." He shook the little one as the creature begged for his pathetic life. "Tiny demons like the fairies of human folklore."

"And for what would I want these little devils?"

"To drink them, of course." He swung the pixie-like demon to his mouth as he watched the horror-filled expression of Luzbel; but before he could even bite the insect, Zafan came and snatched it from his fingers. The boy was very quick when he wanted to be!

"You caught one, dad!" he exclaimed, licking his lips in advance. "May l?"

Those deep violet eyes watching him were identical to those of his fourth wife and he couldn't refuse his son's petition. That demoness had died giving birth to Zafan so the least he could do for her was pamper the little boy they had created together.

"Go ahead," the demon lord said, and the boy wasted no time ripping the Raschertus head off and sucking the blood as if he had a juicy fruit in his hands.

His future queen's face showed disgust but deep inside those golden eyes he could see the undeniable spark of thirst and desire. It was obvious that she was in a constant struggle against her growing darkness. How wonderful!

"Leave that morality that doesn't fit you behind and let the darkness seduce you." Gaap pushed Luzbel against the floor with a mischievous smile on his lips and began kissing her passionately. "Come my love, I want to seduce you. After all, you are already lost, is it not?

"Zafan can see us," she managed to say between delicious sighs.

He just ignored her and continued raining kisses down her neck while planting some love bites. She gasped as his hand massaged her breast and played with the nipple until the tip turned rigid between his fingers. Without wasting time, he covered the other breast with his mouth and was rewarded with his gannet shar nails digging into his shoulders, but the pleasure didn't last long as the moment was interrupted by a familiar cough behind him.

"Sorry to interrupt, Father, but I needed to know when you want me to begin my new duties."

"Aaaaah! And you interrupted them for that stupid question, Venian?" Zafan complained poking his head behind his older brother. "Don't you see that they were about to make me a little brother to play with?"

Luzbel blanched and quickly hid behind the shelter of her wings, prompting the laughter of her audience. Gaap shook his head and the comparison of his future queen with a girl returned to his mind. He sighed and ordered his son to take his duties as guardian the next day in addition to take his little brother to play in another place. But before Venian could comply, the child was in a balcony of the third floor taunting the young demon and screaming his lungs out: "Catch me if you can, slug!"

They will be like that for long hours! He laughed to himself when his children disappeared and looked at the young woman beside him.

"Are they gone?" A golden eye watched him between black wings, but after realizing they were alone, she left her hiding place. "I am so ashamed!" Luzbel moaned, tucking the wings under her skin.

"You mustn't be," he whispered and again pushed her against the grass. "We weren't doing anything wrong. The binding ritual is just a procedure to confirm what everyone already knows: that you are completely mine."

He turned the girl's face to the side, revealing a slender, pale neck to his hungry eye, and dug his fangs into her. A groan was drowned against her skin as he savored that virginal blood in his mouth, heating an area that desperately longed to possess her.

How much he desired the woman in his arms confessed her love for him! That had been his wish since the first time he saw her. He always knew that his soul was twisted from its creation. For what other reason would he desire the love of one of his sisters so fervently? But he never wanted a brotherly love with her, he wanted her to love only him and no one else because he couldn't bear the idea of sharing her with others... much less with God.

"I want it." Her sweet whimper was music to his ears as she lifted her hips to rub against the bulge in his pants. But when she drew him close intending to bite his skin, he was forced to gently push her back to the ground.

"You're not ready yet, Luzbel," he whispered, slipping a hand under her dress and slowly moving it up her thigh to touch her lower lips. "And it will be impossible for me to stop our union if you bite me."

The sex wasn't the problem, what really worried him was that once their blood mixed the merging of their powers would begin and if she wasn't ready, the process could kill her. He needed her to complete her transformation so they could perform the ritual successfully. And she wasn't a full demon yet.

She complained, begging him to give her some of his blood but he shook his head. Ignoring her, he leaned over her breasts, licking and sucking while massaging her clitoris, bringing out several passionate moans from her. He put his middle finger inside her wet passage while he dug his fangs into the breast under his mouth and the girl responded arching her back, giving him greater access to her.

The blood boiled inside him, moaning when he began pushing his finger in and out, and she responded by rolling her hips at the same pace. Desperate, he yanked open his pants, releasing his aroused member from its leather prison, leaning over Luzbel and rubbing himself against her needy center.

She screamed and, clutching his buttocks to get him closer, begged him again for a bite. His arousal almost forced him to give in, but he managed to refuse her in the end. His gannet shar's eyes turned red at his denial and she attempted to bite his wrist, luckily, his head was clear enough to realize it on time and put some distance between them before everything went to hell.

"We can't do it. I will send someone to bring you blood," he whispered regretfully and vanished, leaving her alone in the darkened garden.

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A/N: I hope all you like it the story so far, only one chapter left.

☆ Gannet Shar= little light (demon tongue)