Zoya paced at the Castanova compound on the edge of the sea right up until the last second, rage seething from every pore in her body. She raked a brush through her long, white hair, roughly scraping the bristles of it into her scalp just short of drawing blood. Cursing under her breath, she gathered her hair, sweeping the brush upward in rhythmic strokes until all of it was gathered on top of her head into a high ponytail. In the pit of her stomach, a knot twisted. She’d come home empty-handed, and she knew Lilith would not react to this turn of events favorably. But most of all, she’d failed to free Sally’s soul, and the defeat ate at her. When you’re always a winner, you forget what it feels like to lose.
At her feet, Terrance, her chocolate Labrador Retriever, barked once. She’d promoted him to the head of the pack when she’d freed Magnum from his dog body after years of servitude. It was a jarring sound that snapped her out of her self-destructive spiral.
“What is it?” she snarled at him.
He lowered his head and focused on a spot on the ground, delivering the update she forgot she’d requested. “I’ve prepared the altar for you, and the dog is waiting inside.”
“Very good,” Zoya said. “You’re dismissed.” He jumped to his feet and the metal choke chain around his throat jingled like a bell as he departed. Not able to delay the meeting any longer, she exhaled and opened the door to her meditation chamber. Inside, Rocco yipped and snarled at her when she entered. Seeing the mafioso reduced to a teacup Yorkshire Terrier briefly slid a smug smile across her lips. It never got old, reducing a man drunk on his own power into a helpless creature trained to serve her every whim. Rocco growled and barked again and she rolled her eyes. This one would never learn his lesson.
With a scowl, she snapped her fingers, sending a sharp electric jolt through him like a shock collar. His resulting squeal was satisfying, and it briefly placated her ever-present lust for revenge.
“Use your words,” she demanded when he circled the room, yipping non-stop for a solid minute after the shock.
“Free me now or I will end you!” Rocco’s speech distorted into a high-pitched Munchkin-style voice, like he’d deeply inhaled helium from a balloon. Zoya found it amusing and roared with laughter. “What in the hell is happening to me?” His voice was even more ridiculous the more frustrated the tiny dog became.
“Do you hear how pathetic you sound?” Zoya mocked him. “With that intonation, your intimidation techniques have lost their usual fervor, darling. I can’t take you seriously at all when you sound like a chipmunk.”
Rocco growled and then emitted two high-pitched whines.
“I suggest you calm down because we’ve got a deal to make with the devil.” Zoya appraised the tiny Yorkie, hoping Lilith would accept this paltry sacrifice. “Or should I say she-devil?” She mused, “As much fun as we have had together, and it has been a raucous good time, you’re a necessary sacrifice I’ll need to make to get back in Lilith’s good graces.”
“Lilith?” Rocco’s head cocked like she’d asked him if he wanted to go for a ride.
“Oh! She’s a hot one. You’ll see.”
Zoya struck a match on slate and watched the flame light up the room's darkness. One by one, she lit the bank of black candles and sticks of incense in the black obsidian dish. She waved the smoke toward her body and hummed one long note, circling her hands in front of her torso as she kneeled in front of the altar. Zoya chanted and the tines of a tuning fork created a soundwave that rippled through the air.
“What the hell is that noise?” Rocco cried and raced to Zoya’s thigh, where he lay down next to her and covered his ears with his paws while his body trembled. A burst of warm light illuminated Zoya’s face, and she chanted louder as the flames grew and transformed into a wall of light. Through the portal, a vision of Lilith’s nude form emerged. She was seated on a golden throne where Sally knelt at her feet, massaging them with oil. Zoya’s eyes alighted on him, and she felt a tingle of jealousy. Feeling her eyes on his back, Sally turned and his forlorn gaze tangled with hers, sending daggers to her heart. Her personal failure to set his soul free made it difficult to maintain eye contact.
“What is this?” Lilith spat with contempt. “You were to bring me a child, not a worthless dog.” She stood to her full six-foot height and leaned forward, crossing her arms across her naked breasts.
“Who the hell do you think you are?” Rocco stood up on his haunches, his distorted voice taking all the power out of his words. “You are the one responsible for the death of my child?” He attempted ferocious barks at the wall of flames that only sounded weak and pitiful.
Zoya huffed in outrage, reached out to grab the annoying dog by the scruff of his neck, and placed him on his back in a submissive position. “Shut up! Where is your personal accountability? Your violence is as much to blame as mine for the loss of your child.” She returned her focus to the vision, ignoring any further interaction attempts with him. “The child is gone, My Dark Queen.” Zoya waved one hand at the cowering dog. “I was hoping to make a deal and offer the father of the child in his place.”
Lilith leaned further out of the portal and, with one fiery hand, grabbed the tiny dog by the scruff of his neck, inspecting him with a scowl. After a brief hesitation, she decided to accept the offering and attempted to pull him through. But as she did, he struck an invisible barrier and fell back to the floor with a pained yelp. Undeterred, she reached through the portal again and again, but each attempt was a failure.
“All dogs go to heaven,” Lilith explained. “I guess we’ve proven the old adage true.”
“There is a simple solution to this problem, mistress,” Zoya offered. “I will return him to his human form.”
Rocco tried to scamper away, but Lilith’s hand came through the portal and clasped his neck. Zoya reached out one palm and concentrated all her energy on him. The wall of flames leaped from Lilith’s hand, passed through the dog who howled on contact, and then over to Zoya’s wrist. The searing pain and scent of burning flesh and singed hair infiltrated her nostrils. Acrid smoke made Zoya’s eyes water and sparks flew from her hand. In one surge of strength, Rocco burst into flames. Then he crossed over completely, sprawling out naked on the granite rocks next to Sally, who was still seated at the foot of Lilith’s throne.
Rocco stood up. Roaring and enraged, he charged at Lilith, clawing at her with his fingers. An amused expression slid across Lilith’s features as he ricocheted off her body and fell to the ground with a loud grunt. When he mustered enough energy to stand, Lilith fastened a thick metal collar around his muscular neck, causing his rigid veins to bulge with fury. In an instant, he dropped to his knees in front of her. “I’m sorry, My Queen, if I have not pleased you.” The words came out of his mouth against his will. Confused by the apology he’d just made, he shook his head to clear it. Rocco yanked at the collar in desperation as his eyes darted around the cave of the hellish rocky landscape he was now imprisoned in, searching for an exit.
“Shut up,” Lilith chastised him. “From now on, you will only speak when you have been spoken to.” A blue vein in his neck bulged, and anger colored every feature of his face. He opened his mouth to defy her, and a metal ball gag shot from her hand to clamp down on his mouth. “Did you think I was playing games?” She rolled her violet eyes and shook her head. “Stupid creatures, the entire lot. Men never learn.”
“I couldn’t agree more, mistress,” Zoya said, eager to prove to Lilith they were similarly minded.
Lilith stood and spread her legs wide, resting her hands on her hips. Obediently, Sally scrambled to his feet and stood behind the glowing woman. His fingers encircled her tiny waist and made their way up her torso. Seeing the sensual display, Zoya shifted uncomfortably on the balls of her feet and averted her gaze. She couldn’t bear to see what came next. “Zoya, my child, you must fix your gaze on me.” Lilith grinned like a lioness on the hunt and tipped her head down as black horns emerged from the top of her head. Salvatore’s shaking fingers dexterously wandered up to her breasts, and he cupped one in each hand. He closed his eyes, and Zoya saw tears break free from the corners of them and cascade down his face. Lilith moaned in delight as the tips of her peach-colored nipples hardened with arousal. “This is your penance. To watch in bitter agony as the green monster of jealousy takes root in your soul.” Zoya rankled and bit back her usual harsh retort. “Sally is a very skilled lover, but you already know this.” Lilith closed her eyes as her pleasure intensified, and Zoya felt it like a sucker punch. Zoya watched in horror, her heart breaking as Sally’s fingers walked down Lilith’s hip and tangled into her mound. She bit her lip to prevent a wounded cry from escaping. She would not show weakness. Breathing in through her flared nostrils and out her mouth, tears blurred her vision until she couldn’t see it at all. Lilith’s breaths came faster, and she cried out as an orgasm crashed over her. Afterward, the dark queen was glowing, her skin dewy and resplendent.
“You have served me well, Salvatore.” Lilith detached the chain that was connected to Rocco from her wrist and clipped it to a metal handcuff already on Salvatore’s wrist. “This is your reward for pleasing your mistress.”
Salvatore’s eyes darkened into black holes of hatred. He tugged on the chain and yanked Rocco to his feet, and then quickly disappeared into the blackness. Zoya swiped her eyes with her hands, grateful for the end of Lilith's sexual gratification and Sally’s participation in it.
When Lilith’s eyes bored into hers, she curtsied and averted her gaze.
“Although I accept your sacrifice, it does not fulfill the terms of our agreement. I know it was difficult to witness my pleasure with your beloved, dark daughter, but that is why it is considered a punishment. It’s the only way to convey the seriousness of your infraction.”
Zoya compartmentalized the betrayal and tucked it away into the recesses of her mind. Intellectually, she understood what transpired, but in her heart, the jealousy burned. The only way to avoid repeating the act was to make a new deal. She bowed. “The infant died in utero. It could not be avoided. There must be another way I can garner your favor and earn the release of Sally’s soul.”
A fireball burst into view and obliterated the entire vision. A cunning smile stretched across Lilith’s features as her attention focused elsewhere for a few seconds. “Looks like the Gabriano and Lombardo reunion is hitting a few bumps, and I must intervene.” She stood. “Testosterone is the downfall of mankind, but at least it always proves to be entertaining.” Lilith’s eyes leveled on Zoya’s as she contemplated her plea. “Bring me another worthy sacrifice, and I will consider your request.”
The flames shrank then sputtered out, and Zoya was alone in the meditation chamber again. Her skin was flushed, and she felt desperation sear through her soul. Her thoughts circled back to Lilith, writhing her hips against Salvatore’s hand. “No!” She shook her head to clear it, but the image returned over and over in her one-track mind. Stuck in a spiral of jealousy and rage, one truth emerged. She had to find a way to free him because she could not bear the thought of his sexual servitude to Lilith for an eternity.
Sale
Sale
Sale
