When Simeon, a mountain lion shifter meets
Asher, a blood demon, there is instant attraction.
But, how can they act on the way they feel when
there is an entire kingdom at stake.

Asherkan Iblis is a blood demon, a slave to elves
and a soldier. He keeps the fact he has royal elvish
blood a secret. His half brother returns to broker
peace but reveals he is actually there for much
more and Asher faces a decision that could lead to
his death.

Simeon Blue, brother of the leader of the Feline

Guild, mountain lion shifter, is tasked to
accompany Phin on a mission over the Red
Mountains and into the Second Kingdom. He has
to talk to the Guild but all they want to do is stay
in isolation and his mission is fraught with
danger.

When Simeon is wounded Asher hides him and

suddenly, next to a kings death, a cousin's hate,
and Ludvik's black magic, love falls on the
agenda.

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author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any
resemblance to actual events or locales or persons,
living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

The Demon’s Blood

ISBN: 978-1-77111-664-0

Cover art by Angela Waters

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The Demon’s Blood

Supernatural Bounty Hunters 4

RJ Scott

Dedication

Always for my family.

Chapter One

imeon Blue made himself as comfortable as he
could when he had to sit on the hard wooden

chair in the kitchen. The Underground had made
this old, crumbling house their place to regroup
after the whole Winterhill debacle, but it was a
cold and unwelcoming place for a cat shifter who
craved warmth.

He’d been asked to stay after this morning’s

meeting, which was unusual in itself. Joseph, the
leader of this little band, prided himself on
openness and complete honesty, and to hold back
one of the team he’d pulled together meant there
were secrets to be shared. I don’t like secrets.

“You’re probably wondering why I didn’t

cover what we’d like you to do along with
everyone else,” Joseph said without preamble.

“I just assumed I would be going back to my

role as ambassador for the Feline Guild in Glitnir,”
Simeon answered carefully. “I’m probably most
useful there.” Not that Simeon liked that idea.
Considering that since Brody had been identified
as possible Underground and nearly killed, it had

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to mean that Simeon’s cover was certainly blown
as well.

Joseph shook his head. “No one with links to us

is safe in Glitnir, not with Ludvik rooting out
people like Brody. I thought his cover remained
impenetrable, but being friends with Levi was
apparently enough to get himself nearly killed.”

Simeon shuffled in his seat. He’d been the one

to stumble onto the attempted murder of Brody
and had a head wound as a souvenir. It was
healed now after a couple of shifts, but not before
he’d lost quite a bit of the red stuff.

“Okay, so, if I don’t go back to Glitnir, then I

can stay here and fight.” The minute he said the
words he knew Joseph wasn’t going for that at all.

“We could use your skills in fighting to protect

what we have, but, Simeon, what we really need is
your connection to the Feline Guild and the
Second Kingdom.”

Simeon sighed heavily. He knew it. He’d only

taken the ambassador post to get away from his
family and to kill two birds with one stone by
finding out more about Glitnir. He and a couple
other felines had a hard time trusting Glitnir and
its almost parasitic reach to the Second Kingdom
where he originally came from. Still, he didn’t
exactly want to be a diplomat, he wanted to fight.
And love. He quite liked the fighting, but he
adored the loving part. Or rather, the sex part.

The Demon’s Blood

Idly, he rubbed his chest. The last time he’d had

a feeling of lust was when Phin touched him. He
thought he’d connected to Phin, even if it was at
the end of a spell. Ever since Phin had laid hands
on him, he’d been wound up tighter than a spring.
He scratched at the place on his chest where he
knew Phin’s handprint still sat. Even after shifting,
the mark didn’t go. Fucking Phin into the bed
would have been a nice end to that encounter, but
the damn elf was all Joseph this and Joseph that.

Not that he could blame Phin. Joseph looked

pretty fine for a vampire, all serious and dark and
moody. But every so often there would be a light
in his eyes that Simeon knew would win any lover
over. A promise of love. Shame Phin was the only
receiver of that love, or sex, or whatever. Cats like
Simeon, while solitary shifters, were known to
have two or three lovers on the go at once.
Sometimes all at the same time. There was
something to be said for waking up in a tangle of
bodies all warm and cosy. Phin and Joseph
evidently didn’t subscribe to the whole multi
partner thing. Nor did anyone else in this damn
monogamous group.

“Great,” he said simply. Why was it everyone

else in this group got to do the exciting roles? He
smirked to himself. They probably needed
excitement if they planned on spending the rest of
their lives with the same partner. Not Simeon. He

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needed someone right now to scratch the itch.
After all, he was miles away from home, and in
the opposite distance. His casual lovers at Glitnir
were well out of reach now.

Micah, the other vampire, and Connor, a wolf

whose scent made Simeon’s nose itch
permanently, had been allowed to continue a
search for Connor’s family, which was bound to
put them in the way of bandits, or Glitnir
Werewolf Retrievers. Lucky guys. They were
tasked with spreading the word as they travelled.
What the hell this word was escaped Simeon. No
one had actually, specifically, said in this dark,
basement room what they wanted to achieve as a
whole. Simeon might appear to others to be
mellow, but even in sex he craved the order of an
absolute purpose.

Hell, everything he thought about at the

moment came back to sex. He forced himself to
focus on Joseph instead.

Their group hadn’t proved to be exactly the

solution to everyone’s problems. They were a seed
that had yet to germinate and grow. Supernatural
and human alike were still trapped in the steel
cage of tradition and history. He’d been doing fine
until Joseph had asked him to leave Glitnir to talk
strategy. As an ambassador from the Second
Kingdom to Glitnir, he was well placed to keep an
eye on things, but his visit out of the city had

The Demon’s Blood

turned permanent too damn suddenly. Joseph was
right, he couldn’t go back now if Ludvik was
really rooting out anyone he suspected of being
part of the resistance.

“I didn’t offer you a role because what I want

you to do means I need to share something with
you that I have to be certain you won’t reveal to
another soul, and only you alone can know.”
Joseph looked deadly serious.

Simeon felt himself frown. Where was the

openness now? A team, any kind of team with
secrets, was destined to implode. Especially a
team who didn’t all sleep together.

“I don’t like secrets,” he said firmly. Declan had

said the same thing this morning. Declan, whose
scent wasn’t as irritating as Connor’s, and his
incubus lover, Levi, along with Brody, were off
making contact with the bears at the foot of the
Trent Forest. Why it took two incubi to deal with
bears, Simeon didn’t understand, but he didn’t
question Joseph’s intentions. The vamp had magic
running through his veins and Simeon at least
respected the ancient power that resided inside
Joseph, even though he didn’t understand it.

The door opened and Reuben came back in the

room with a whoop and a clash of knives and
body armour. He looked faintly ridiculous when
you saw him sitting at ease, but Simeon had
watched the ancient warrior at practice with his

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sword and even he had to admit Reuben was
pretty good with the sharp stuff.

Simeon had even attempted to ascertain

whether Reuben liked males, but for some reason
his normal instincts evaded him whenever Reuben
joined him in the room. Probably something to do
with the fact Reuben was eight hundred or so
years old, and that he had been imprisoned by
magic. Reuben sat in the seat opposite Simeon and
next to Joseph. Simeon instantly felt like he was
under interrogation. What was Reuben doing
being part of this whole secret sharing thing?
Simeon straightened in his seat, but not before he
saw Joseph cast an irritated look at the manner of
Reuben’s entrance.

“Why is Reuben here then?” Simeon asked. “If

this secret is so damn special?”

“Because I have to know everything,” Reuben

announced grandly.

Joseph frowned and glanced at Reuben. “That

isn’t exactly accurate, but he has a point,” he
began. “Reuben is here to record the details I’m
giving you into the Vampire Book of Days.”

Simeon looked for paper or a pen, or anything

that indicated this information would be put to
record, but all he could see was a smirking Reuben
tapping his forehead. Simeon remained uneasy at
the thought Reuben could trap information with
his freaky, enchanted book-brain.

The Demon’s Blood

Simeon was also suspicious. “Why does what I

do, a member of the Feline Guild, need to be
recorded in some ancient book of blood suckers?”

Reuben scowled and made a move towards

Simeon. Joseph stopped him with a hand across
his chest.

“Bring it,” Simeon snarled in response.
“Not worth it,” Reuben replied disinterestedly.
Joseph sighed and suddenly appeared very

tired. “Firstly, so we can track if you break the
agreement to secrecy. Although what Reuben
wants to do with that information if you do break
the agreement, I dread to think.”

“I’ll kill him,” Reuben said with a sniff before

snarling with his fangs drawn. He stabbed a knife
into the wooden desktop.

Simeon merely raised an eyebrow in dismissal.

“You don’t scare me, vampire.” He laughed.

Reuben stood and leaned over the table and, in

a movement so quick it blurred, he had Simeon
pressed against the stone wall, Simeon’s legs
dangling and Reuben’s hands around Simeon’s
neck.

“Stop!” Joseph ordered. “For pity's sake,

Reuben, sit down.”

Reuben tightened his hold momentarily and

Simeon simply stared at him. His breathing was
compromised, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to
show it. Finally, Reuben released Simeon, then sat

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back down.

“You break your word, cat, I will find you in

that instant, connected to the magic in this
promise, and I will use my sword to split you in
half.” He flicked a fang with his nail as if to
emphasise the point.

Joseph continued immediately, as if Reuben

hadn’t just threatened death and mayhem. “I want
to use every tool we have in our arsenal. People
are looking for an escape from all the politics and
manipulation that is holding Glitnir static. But I
think, instead of wars, communication is the way
to make things happen in the first instance.” He
sounded positive and focused and Simeon
contemplated whether this was Joseph attempting
to talk himself into believing there would be no
wars in this revolution.

It was Reuben’s turn to frown at Joseph.

“You’re being naive. We’ll fight eventually,” he
said.

“I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that,” Joseph

corrected. Reuben opened his mouth to talk, but
Joseph silenced him. “Enough of your blades and
murder, Reuben, this isn’t your century now.”

Reuben looked mutinous, but then he subsided

into silence. Simeon had been freaked out that
Reuben came from the Vampire Book of Days. The
damn vamp had war on his brain and foretold a
battle where Joseph and his twin, Micah, would

The Demon’s Blood

lead an army to destroy Glitnir as it stood. As a
result, Glitnir and the Second Kingdom would
reunite into one happy, harmonious whole and
become the Third Kingdom. Simeon had to smile
when Reuben had grandly announced the name. If
anything, it was a little too normal. Joseph
preferred finding out what the hell was going on
first. Simeon found himself agreeing with Joseph.

The people in power in Glitnir, the huge Fae

Alliance led by Ludvik Peitrol, the Werewolf
Coalition, and the Vampire Clans Council, were
all about corruption. Weed out the corruption and
maybe Glitnir could be saved without fields of
blood being created.

Simeon wanted to hurry this conversation

along. His cat self itched to get out for a run after
being cooped up in here in a meeting for what
seemed like hours. “So you kept me back
because…”

“I need you to agree to go to the Second

Kingdom with Phin.” Joseph waited for Simeon to
disagree. When Simeon simply listened, Joseph
forged ahead. “Phin is presenting himself at the
elven court to talk to his father about uniting with
us to form a strong coalition. A force for good.”

“They won’t go for it,” Simeon said instantly.

There was a reason the Second Kingdom had
formed, and it wasn’t by chance. With the Red
Mountains separating them and Glitnir, they lived

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peacefully and untouched. Not to say there wasn’t
trouble in the kingdom. The Feline Guild owned a
quarter of the land, the elves half, and the blood
demons were a strong presence. Not to mention
all the other supernaturals who had decided the
kingdom was an alternative to Glitnir. There was a
restrictive caste system that kept the blood
demons indentured and with few rights, and
everyone hated everyone else. Still, it survived
and seemed to work. Not that Simeon got
involved. Cats didn’t do involvement, even more
so the mountain lions of the Second Kingdom,
who liked to live in isolation.

Joseph nodded his agreement. “I know. If it

comes to war—”

“Which it will,” Reuben interrupted.
“If it comes to war I want the Second Kingdom

to have a place in what happens. Our small
resistance is growing every day as more and more
of Glitnir inhabitants leave, either by choice or in
fear for their lives. Even now I hear that the Fae
Alliance is creating an army to defend Glitnir,
over and above the guards.”

“An army of what?” Simeon queried. “Glitnir

already uses its succubi, Retrievers, not to mention
half of a cat clan that we threw out. That doesn’t
leave much to expand an army.”

“Our intelligence didn’t specify, but…” Joseph

trailed off.

The Demon’s Blood

“Magic,” Reuben explained. “Not good magic

like Joseph and Micah, nope, this is black magic.”
Reuben paused dramatically, then waved his
hands in front of him. “Boiling and rolling inside
Leklan the Kappa and bleeding into the stone
walls of the city.”

Simeon blinked at Reuben’s words. The

vampire looked spaced out, like he was in some
kind of weird foretelling trance. Great.

Simeon leaned forward in his chair. “This is all

pretty much general knowledge. That Ludvik, or
Leklan as Reuben knows him, is far more
dangerous than we first thought.” He indicated
Joseph with a wave of his hand. “When you came
back from the dungeons of Glitnir you were
talking some crazy scat. I don’t listen to gossip,
but even I heard what you’d been shouting out.”

“That isn’t the secret,” Joseph said quietly. “I

need you to go to the Second Kingdom with Phin
to help him there. I need you to talk to the guild,
your brother…”

“Great,” Simeon sighed. The last person he

wanted to talk to was his infuriatingly superior
brother Jason. They’d fallen out a long time ago.

Joseph nodded and looked resigned. “I know

you’re not close, but as the leader of the guild, he’s
the closest they have to a representative that we
can get on our side. You need to tell them what we
know.”

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“What exactly is it we actually know?” Simeon

asked patiently. “There’s been a sharp lack of
concrete evidence.”

“Pass on our fears to him,” Joseph said. “Tell

him…”

“Tell him what?” Simeon leaned forward.

“Joseph?”

“I’m sorry, Simeon, I don’t have any other way

of telling you, but two felines have already lost
their lives in Glitnir. Your assistants, Dyllam and
Oscar.”

Simeon sat in shock. He’d thought the two cat

shifters would have made it out like Brody did,
assumed they were back in the Second Kingdom
with their families. News of losing two of those he
considered friends sent ice through his veins.

“How do you know? Have you seen their

bodies?”

“Reuben saw it.”
Vague relief passed where the ice had flowed

before. “Reuben saw it,” he said with a sneer.

Reuben made a noise halfway between a

dismissive snort and a snarl. Simeon stared at him
then jumped back as Reuben pressed his hand to
Simeon’s. The connection electrified and the
images sent to Simeon’s head were terrifying.
Nauseous, he watched his fellow cat shifters'
bodies being thrown onto a pyre. There was so
much blood. Simeon yanked his hand away and

The Demon’s Blood

pushed back until his chair hit the floor.

“What the hell,” he shouted.
“It’s what he does,” Joseph explained sadly.
“That’s in your head,” Simeon said bluntly.

“How can you live with that in it all the time?”

“It’s my job,” Reuben dismissed.
Simeon righted his chair and sat down again.

“So Brody got away but Dyllam and Oscar are
dead. How many others died in this purge of
Ludvik’s?”

Joseph hunched in on himself. “Too many.”

Then he appeared to shake off the thoughts
weighing him down and resumed the mantle of
leader. “There’s someone you’ll probably meet
when you go home. Phin will need someone to
have his back in the city when he talks to his
father. But there is an issue that has only just come
to light. The person you’ll meet is his brother,
Asherkan Iblis.”

Simeon tried to recall a brother, but came up

empty. “I wasn’t aware that the throne of the
Second Kingdom had two heirs?” Simeon voiced
his thoughts as a question and waited. Asherkan
Iblis didn’t sound like an elvish name. Sounded
more like…hell…was it a blood demon name?
Why would a brother to Phin have a demon’s
name?

Joseph continued. “Except for a few of us—

Micah, Connor, Phin of course, knowing—the

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brother connection isn’t common knowledge.”

“Why?” Simeon didn’t need to use his feline

gift for instinct to know that Joseph was
uncomfortable, anyone could see he was.

“Asher is a blood demon.”
Simeon whistled and sat back in shock. So his

instinct was right. “Older or younger than Phin?”

“Asher is older.”
“There’s complicated inheritance in the

Kingdom, but even I know, cross breed or not,
Asher is the heir.”

“But the king isn’t going to acknowledge he

had a relationship with a blood demon, let alone
that there was any chance she could have been
pregnant. He doesn’t know he has an older son.
Common knowledge is that he is a quiet king who
just wants to protect the current status of
segregation between the classes. Blood demons are
seen as servants, soldiers. That is their place.”

“A blood demon as king? That is unthinkable.

Okay, ignoring the whole brother thing, what is
the purpose of Phin visiting? The king is the last
person to want anything to do with Glitnir. Are
you thinking Phin will talk him around?”

“It isn’t common knowledge, but the king

called Phin home a long time ago. Phin wouldn’t
step foot in the Kingdom until blood demons were
given equal rights. There was an impasse. The
king decreed Phin won’t take his place as king

The Demon’s Blood

now. In Phin’s place, he chose a representative to
replace him if he should die.”

“The king’s cousin, Delsaran,” Reuben

interjected.

Simeon knew the elf by name, but not by

intention. He had been away from home for a long
time now.

“Delsaran is active in limiting any and all blood

demon rights, and appears to back the idea of
complete isolation of what he calls the filth. His
suggestion is that all non-essential demons leave
the city and the Feline Guild open their arms and
take in the remaining blood demons.”

Simeon had no comment to make on that.

Ideologically, he was of the opinion everyone was
equal, otherwise he wouldn’t be part of this
rebellion against the corruption of power. But if he
was honest, he knew little to nothing about blood
demons, only that they were beings created
thousands of years ago by Vampires as walking
blood banks. Only when the vampires had no
more use for them, relying on synth instead of real
blood in the most part, did a separate blood
demon home become necessary.

Way back when the Glitnir and the Second

Kingdom split, by majority the vamps went one
way, the demons the other.

Other than that little bit of taught history, blood

demons didn’t register much on the Feline Guild

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radar, nor on Simeon’s. There were no blood
demons at Glitnir—they weren’t allowed over the
Red Mountains and out of the Second Kingdom,
on pain of death.

He pulled his thoughts back to the matter in

hand. “So we are going to the Second Kingdom to
get the king to sign up for our whole breaking
down Glitnir issue. And our cover is that Phin is
returning home to broker a deal?” Simeon asked
carefully. “I guess I’m coincidentally travelling
there as well, as a representative of the Feline
Guild?”

“That about sums it up,” Joseph said. “Phin can

port one other person. You would be there as his
guest.”

“And you think you can get Phin to agree to

this?” He tilted his head in question as he recalled
Phin stalking out of the meeting as soon as Joseph
suggested the journey home. Clearly, there was
dissent between the lovers already, and they’d
only been together a day.

“Phin doesn’t want to go home. Hell, I don’t

want him to go home. His father hates him,
Delsaran says that if Phin sets foot in the
Kingdom, he will be a dead man.”

“Delsaran already has that much power?”
“The king is dying,” Reuben said.
Joseph glanced at the other vampire and

nodded. “He has but a short time, and Delsaran is

The Demon’s Blood

ready for the throne. As far as the king and
Delsaran are concerned, Phin is dead to them
anyway.”

“But you’re sending him there?”
“I have to. Without the resources and backing

of the Kingdom, it’s unlikely anything we do in
the way of political manoeuvres will make any
difference.” Joseph added the last with fear
evident in his voice. Frustration now leaked into
his voice. “But if anyone can stay safe and scout
for us it is Phin, and with you as his backup, I
would feel happier. I know you are a fighter and I
trust you.”

Simeon inclined his head in respect. “I can do

that.”

Joseph looked relieved. “Phin has his own

agenda. He says Asher should be king, that being
half elf, half blood demon, he would join the
Kingdom, make it stronger, pull it into this
century.”

“And you agree?” Simeon asked. “I mean, is

that like a secondary mission here? Get the blood
demon on the throne? Is that really what Phin is
going for?” He had so many questions and
suspicions, but he could see the hesitation in
Joseph.

“Like I know what is going on in Phin’s head,”

Joseph said softly. “I may be able to read his
thoughts, but when it comes to Asher, I don’t get

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much past my own anger and insecurities. And
don’t get me started on Phin’s father and what he
did to Phin.”

“What did he do to Phin?” Simeon asked

carefully. He needed to know more than all of this
random talking to make sense of what he was
going to be doing back in the Kingdom.

“He’ll tell you in time,” Joseph hedged.
Simeon understood exactly where Joseph was

coming from. “You realise what you’re sending
Phin back to? The felines hate the elves, who hate
the blood demons and the felines. The Second
Kingdom is stuck in a class system that is
frustrating and I would be banging my head
against a stone wall if I even thought I could get
anyone to see sense. I don’t have any opinion on
blood demons, but my own brothers hate me and
want to kill me, while my mom wants me to settle
down with a nice lioness and can’t understand my
wish to fuck men.”

“I’m convinced you will make them listen. You

can show them the memory of what Reuben
shared with you.”

Simeon looked down at his hands. “I can?”
Reuben snorted, “What can I say, it’s a gift.”
“Whatever I show them, you have got to

remember, the mountain lions are spread out
everywhere and we all live in isolation…” The
enormity of everything suddenly seemed to crush

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in on him and he had to consciously stop his claws
from extending. “I can’t even get my mom to
listen to me, let alone anyone else. Hell knows
what Phin will be up against, diving back into that
cesspool of royalty scat.”

His eldest brother being leader of the Feline

Guild didn’t make this any easier. Simeon had
long since given up fighting with Jason over the
need for integration. The different felines were
happy as isolated singletons up in the mountains
with their own lives, unwilling to get involved in
anything. Hell, I need that run.

“I agree, Simeon,” Joseph said quietly. “Phin is

stronger than he thinks, but I hate doing this. It’s
not easy asking my lover to go to a home he left
with no intention of returning to, or to face the
prejudice he despises. But when it came to
thinking who to send with him, I didn’t have any
hesitation. You can look out for him, maybe talk to
your family? See if the guild would be interested
in what we are doing.”

“They only do what benefits them,” Simeon

said.

Joseph stood and Simeon copied him. Evidently

this sharing session was coming to an end. “Will
you go?”

Simeon nodded. He was committed to this

cause and he was going home anyway. So what
could go wrong if he was escorting Phin? Simeon

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would be able to handle the felines, if they all kept
their claws sheathed and their old issues hidden
away. Phin was the heir apparent despite the
king’s cousin usurping the place. And maybe this
Asher, who apparently straddled elf and demon,
could be quite useful to know.

“Yes. I’ll go.”
He was part of the Underground and he knew

what he had to do.

The Demon’s Blood

Chapter Two

sherkan Iblis.”
Asher moved from his position at the side

of the room to the desk at the front in automatic
response to his name being called. He was one of
the I’s so he wasn’t waiting as long as some of the
others in the room. There were twenty of them
here. Twenty blood demons for the random
checks that kept the blood demon register up to
date. The sense of anger in this room was so thick
he could almost taste it. These sessions were
humiliating, tiring, and the questions were never
ending.

He sat in the hard chair in front of the officious

elf who was as bored in the extreme as Asher was
frustrated.

“Name?”
“Asherkan Iblis.”
The elf traced down the list of names like he

was looking for Asher’s entry when he’d just this
second called Asher’s name. Asher could see a

“A

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power play when it was placed in front of him.
“Species?”

Asher pushed back the instant irritation. If he

was an elf, or a bear, or even a god damned feline,
he wouldn’t be asked that question. “Blood
Demon.”

“Generation?”
“Seventy second.” The elf didn’t twitch. Asher

was descended directly from the original blood
demons, a founding line that was unbroken until
his mom had decided an elven king was
something she wanted. She’d died for that, but not
before Asher had been born and hidden. In the
world of blood demons, Asher was as royal as
Phin was to the elves.

“Age.”
The elf didn’t even bother to look up at Asher at

a single one of these questions. To be honest,
Asher was more than okay with that. To have the
elf looking at him and judging him was something
that cut Asher to the core. If they even knew he
had the added royal elvish blood in his veins, they
wouldn’t treat him like this. He stopped that train
of thought, as he did every time. He wasn’t stupid.
Being a blood demon and the bastard son of the
king would lead to him being very dead in an
instant. Pride pricked at him to say something,
caution had him holding his tongue.

“Thirty one,” Asher answered. He’d just passed

The Demon’s Blood

a birthday, not that the elf would comment on this
either. Phin had appeared with a basket of fruity
shower gels and soaps and innocently blinked as
he explained Asher spent a long time in the
shower. Asher loved Phin, but his little brother
was a freaking brat at times.

“Family?”
“Deceased.”
Every time he ran through such simple answers

his chest clenched. His demon step-father had
long since passed on and he never knew his
mother, she had died when he was very young.

“Designation.”
“Soldier.”
“Your mark?” The elf actually had to look up at

this moment as Asher held out his arm to expose
the small tattoos inside his wrist. A simple circle
confirmed blood demon, a triangle showed he was
a soldier. The first he received at birth and it had
stretched and contorted slightly as he grew. The
second he received when he reached eleven and
was tracked to be a soldier. He carried them both
with pride and didn’t snatch his hand back as the
elf scratched the surface of Asher’s skin with a
dull blade, just to make sure they were the real
deal.

“Leave your financial information at the front

desk on your way out,” the elf dismissed him
curtly. “Don’t think of leaving without handing it

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in.”

Asher

stood.

He’d

heard

that

last

admonishment to the others before him and when
he caught the eyes of the next up for checking, he
nodded in a sense of brotherhood.

One day they wouldn’t have to do this. One

day, Asher would make Phin see that Phin had to
be king, and as king, he could make the Kingdom
a better place. One day, Asher would get Phin to
stop running.

Asher dropped off his financial summaries,

signed the forms that declared he was promising
faithfully to be absolutely honest on pain of death,
then walked out into the early evening. Heavy
dark clouds moved slowly across the sky and
there was the distinct promise of rain in the air.
Shrugging his jacket on, he then pushed his hands
deep in his pockets and took the alley around the
administration building. He realised he was being
followed and stopped in the shadows until his
stalker caught up with him. He sighed with relief
when he saw it was only Vesstan. His oldest
friend, they’d lived in each other’s pockets as
children, and as adults they were soldiers
together.

“Heard you got called for a check,” Vesstan

said without preamble. He handed an unopened
bottle of Salvere to Asher, then fell into a

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comfortable stride next to his friend.

“It’s been three months since my last one,”

Asher shrugged as he said it. He pocketed the
Salvere despite desperately needing a drink.
Vesstan might well be okay with flouting the no
alcohol on the streets law that applied to blood
demons, but he wasn’t prepared to take the chance
of being arrested if he could help it. He did well at
flying under the radar.

“Four for me,” Vesstan was despondent. “I hate

it knowing any day soon I’ll get called,” he added.
“Have they added any new questions?”

“Nothing.”
They walked in silence along the road that led

to their section of the city. Both lived within
walking distance of the barracks and that was the
closest any blood demon lived to the centre of the
city. All other designations of blood demon lived
outside the city walls and were literally
shepherded in to work.

“You still on for tonight? For a drink?” Vesstan

asked as they reached Asher’s front door.

Asher nodded and let himself in his place. He

watched Vesstan walk away, then shut his door.
Another meeting tonight where there was more
argument, more discussion and after which Asher
always felt so damned drained. Leaning back on
the only thing between him and the city he banged
his head against the wood. He felt dirty—he

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always did after he’d been called in. Like the
administration had run their hands all over him.
Stripping as he walked, he ended up in the
bathroom, and started the shower. The water was
hot and he scrubbed his skin with apple gel until it
reddened. Then he tilted his head back and
allowed the water to waterfall over his face.
Finally he felt relaxed enough to calm himself
down. He’d have to apologise to Vesstan later—he
hadn’t been that communicative.

He turned off the shower and briskly dried his

hair before wrapping a towel around his waist.
That bottle of Salvere was calling him and he could
imagine the taste of the sage and the buzz of the
alcohol as it hit his system. Strolling back into the
room he realised two things.

Phin had yet again managed to catch him in the

shower.

Phin had bought a friend.
“Hells teeth, Phin,” Asher swore loudly. The

towel loosened and he frantically grabbed at the
ends.

“You’re always in the shower,” Phin sighed.
“I had a check today,” Asher defended, then

wondered why he bothered. Phin looked different.
Wrong. Stressed. Pale. “Are you okay?” Suddenly
suspicious of why there was someone else in the
room he consciously moved between Phin and the
other man. Tall, with shaggy hair, broad

The Demon’s Blood

shouldered and wide chested, he screamed shifter.
From the amber striations in his eye Asher
assumed feline. The tall feline scented the air and
wrinkled his nose.

“Asher, meet Simeon,” Phin said flatly. “He’s

here with me.”

Simeon held out a hand to shake but Asher

frowned and ignored the offer. “I can see he’s with
you,” he said. “Why is he with you? Why is he in
my house? And where is Joseph?”

“Joseph is back at the safehouse doing

whatever Joseph thinks is best. Me? I had to drag a
mountain lion through a portal and his big ass
was heavy.”

“And he’s in my house, why?” Asher still had

his back to Phin and stood staring directly at the
new guy, Simeon the lion shifter, with the
beautiful amber eyes.

“His brother is the leader of the Feline Guild,

blah blah,” Phin said tiredly.

“I say again, he’s in my house, the one with the

wards that you put there. How and why did he
get in? Are we killing him?”

Simeon frowned at this, but to his credit he

didn’t move. He just stood there looking all kinds
of bad ass.

Phin touched Asher’s shoulder. “It’s fine. He’s

Underground. You can back down. He knows
we’re brothers and he’s here to help us.”

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Asher stared at Simeon pointedly but the cat

didn’t back down. Instead, he extended his hand
again.

“Simeon,” the cat said. “You’re very pretty,” he

added. His voice was a deep growl and Asher felt
the rumble through his own body.

“For a blood demon,” Asher said automatically.

He’d heard that sentence a lot. How he was very
pretty for a blood demon. Seemed like some of the
elf inside him had been responsible for some of
that. Demons were usually hard faced, a little
more like the vampires that made them. He was
softer, more like Phin in looks, but not enough to
attract too much attention.

“No. I don’t know many blood demons, really. I

was in the mountains in isolation, and went
straight to Glitnir when I was sixteen. I meant
you’re very pretty, full stop.”

Asher finally took the hand and shook it

mechanically. The sound of a soft snore had Asher
releasing the grip and turning to face his brother.
Phin sprawled this way and that on Asher’s bed
was something to worry about. Phin had
boundless, sparky energy. What was the sleeping
about?

“He said something about Joseph keeping him

up for the last three days,” Simeon said softly. “He
had difficulty producing the portal for us to travel
through.”

The Demon’s Blood

Asher crossed to Phin and placed a hand on his

forehead. He seemed a little hot. He assumed Phin
and Joseph hadn’t left each other alone since they
left here a few days before, hence he was tired. But
that didn’t account for the temperature. With a
sigh at the fact that Phin had let himself get run
down, Asher crossed to a drawer and pulled out
some herbs. With Simeon’s eyes on him he
pressed them and mixed the juice with a little
Salvere, then he assisted a sleepy Phin to swallow
the mixture. Phin tried to argue, but Asher wasn’t
letting his brother get away with that.

Finally, Phin lay back down and immediately

went back to sleep.

“He’ll sleep it off,” Asher said.
“We need to get to see the king,” Simeon

pressed. “There isn’t time for sleeping.”

“There is, if you want Phin at his best to deal

with what he needs to deal with. He’ll sleep for a
few hours.”

“So what do we do while we are waiting?”
Asher crossed the short distance to his small

closet and pulled out his two solitary off-work
garments, a close fitting pair of black pants and a
loose blue shirt. Grabbing underwear, he
disappeared into the shower.

“Have a seat,” he said over his shoulder before

shutting himself in. Quickly he was dressed and
finally he could lean against the sink and stare at

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his own reflection while he thought about what
the hell was going on here.

“He knows,” he whispered to his reflection. For

some reason, Phin had chosen to share Asher’s
parentage with a feline. Why would he have done
that? Felines and Demons weren’t friends. The
damn guild cats were isolated in the mountains by
choice. They didn’t mix with the demons, and vice
versa. The more people who knew, Phin, Joseph,
and now this Simeon? That was a dangerous
equation for Asher to be part of. Not for the first
time, he contemplated leaving. Porting out of here
with Phin and never coming back. Then he
remembered his friends, an extended network of
other blood demons, and elves, who wanted
equality in this Kingdom. For some reason, he had
become an unofficial leader of the group, and how
that had happened he didn’t know. He turned
away from the mirror and leaned against the small
sink. What would he, personally, miss here? Apart
from Vesstan and the small matter of demon/elf
dissent, there was nothing holding him in the
Realm. Still, something was gripping him, like if
he left he would be letting down every single
blood demon who had to wear branding and give
their lives over to the king and his much more
suitable subjects.

He didn’t want to run, nor abandon his few

friends, or even the entire blood demon race.

The Demon’s Blood

Damn his brain for being so fucking screwed.

RJ Scott

Chapter Three

imeon sat and waited patiently for his little
demon to come back out of the bathroom. And

yes, he was absolutely sure that Asher would be
his, and soon. Something inside the demon, the
pretty, sexy, hot headed guy, was calling to
Simeon’s cat and Simeon wasn’t going to fight it.
Of course, Asher wasn’t so little, but compared to
Simeon he was just the right size to be picked up
and used in all the best possible ways.

On the bed, Phin rolled onto his side and

muttered something under his breath. For a
second Simeon was pulled away from thinking
about Asher. Phin was going to walk into the
palace and put himself in front of his father, just
like that. What would he do next? Would he
suggest that the Second Kingdom talks to the
Underground, forms alliances? Or would he just
simply say, I am the heir apparent, and that would
be the end of it?

And where did that leave Asher? Think of the

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man, and the door opened. Asher came out
looking fresh and clean and Simeon’s cat self
stretched and purred in his head.

“You hungry?” Asher asked.
Simeon hadn’t even considered food, but his

body suddenly decided it wanted food more than
anything else. “Yes,” he said.

“I have some rice and beans, and I could

probably get some fresh stuff. It’s not fresh
anymore, I found it and froze it, but it’s good.”

Simeon frowned. Asher hadn’t mentioned meat

at all. Perhaps he had forgotten.

“That sounds lovely,” Simeon lied. Asher left

the main room with the bed and a desk through a
door into a tiny kitchen. There was no way Asher
and Simeon would both fit in, but he could stand
at the door and watch. Asher opened two
cupboards and pulled out various boxes, then
opened a small unit that held frozen packages.
Simeon scented the air, but of course frozen lumps
of whatever, even if they were meat, smelled of
absolutely nothing.

“So why are you here?” Asher asked evenly. He

dumped the frozen lumps into a pot and threw in
a handful of herbs and rice, then placed the whole
thing in a small oven. He switched it on then
turned to face Simeon, leaning back against the
unit as he asked. The whole thing had been a few
seconds, just to give Simeon time to think.

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“Joseph wants me to get the Guild to back this

new resistance. He also said I should accompany
Phin and watch his back when he is with the
king.”

“The king wouldn’t hurt him,” Asher dismissed

Joseph’s concerns out of hand. “Garrick wants his
son back and waiting in line to carry on. Of course
Phin would need to tie himself to a female to
continue the line. Can’t see that happening, can
you?”

Simeon shook his head. He’d seen Phin and

Joseph together and nothing was more incendiary
than the sparks of silver magic that happened
whenever they touched.

Asher continued, “It’s Delsaran you need to

worry about, with all his grand plans of separating
so many demons away from the Kingdom to go
god knows where. Garrick will still try to talk Phin
around, though.”

“What about the fact Delsaran is being

groomed to take his place?

Asher shrugged but Simeon could see there was

something in Asher’s eyes that spoke of the
demon wanting to say more.

“Talk to me.”
Asher turned back to the food and peered in the

oven as the counter was working its way back to
zero.

“Nothing to say,” Asher said firmly.

The Demon’s Blood

“Delsaran is the choice the king made,” Simeon

pressed. “Why do you scowl at that, when Phin
clearly doesn’t want the throne and you won’t
fight for the throne.”

Asher crossed his hands over his chest as he

faced Simeon.

“Who told you that?”
“Which part?” Simeon asked being deliberately

obtuse.

“That I won’t fight for the throne.”
“No one. I kinda guessed the fact that the eldest

son of the king has chosen to hide himself away in
this room is one way of not fighting.”

Asher’s expression was neutral. “You don’t

know anything.”

“Then tell me why you don’t fight?” Simeon

needled the demon. He wanted to see Asher’s
careful composure slip a little.

Asher tapped his head. “If I raise this above the

parapet? If one hint of who I am hits the news,
then I am dead. If the king doesn’t kill me, then
Delsaran will, and if he doesn’t manage it then my
own race will turn on me as a bastard mix of the
two.”

“You don’t know that,” Simeon pressed.
“I’m happy with my life as it is,” Asher said

firmly. The oven beeped and Asher turned to deal
with the meal. Simeon stopped him by grabbing
his wrist. There was so much sadness and

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resignation in Asher’s eyes, and Simeon wanted to
shake that out of him.

Asher made to pull his arm away but Simeon

held tight.

“Let me go,” Asher said evenly. There was no

fight in the demon’s expression, only more of that
carefully constructed calm. Layers of the damn
stuff. Simeon’s cat hissed its disapproval, but
Simeon couldn’t be sure it wasn’t actually hissing
at him for holding Asher so tight.

“I want to understand you,” Simeon said.
Asher attempted to shake his hand free but

Simeon tightened his hold.

“Why?” He asked. “We’ve just met, you don’t

know me, you don’t know why Phin and I made
the decisions we did.”

“My cat wants to know.”
Asher rolled his eyes and irritation flooded

Simeon at the action. “Hell, save me from shifters
and their inner animals and the almost manic need
to tear through everyone’s defences.” This time
when he tugged his wrist, Simeon released his
hold. He caught that he’d held too firm and
caused a mark on Asher’s pale skin. Suddenly the
impetus to know everything about Asher subsided
as Simeon’s cat decided it had enough of
interrogation.

“Sorry,”

Simeon

said

immediately.

“Sometimes…”

The Demon’s Blood

“Yeah, yeah,” Asher pulled the container out

and lifted the lid. Immediately the scent of herbs
and spices filled the room and Simeon’s stomach
let out a loud growl. “Your cat wanted to know
and so on, and it gripped your human self with its
scratchy little claws and demanded you nearly
snap my wrist. I get it.” Asher scooped the
heavenly mixture into two bowls and passed one
to Simeon along with a spoon. “Eat,” he
instructed.

“I didn’t meant to hurt you.”
“Eat.”
They moved into the room and to the table in

the corner and Simeon had a clear view of Asher
and the sleeping Phin.

“There is one thing I can tell you,” Asher said

between mouthfuls.

“Go on.”
“You remember the last vote the king pushed

for, the one for blood demon rights? Remember
how it was voted down? Your cat family did that.
Voted no, even thought they had no idea. Paid off
by fuck knows who.”

“I wasn’t here,” Simeon defended.
Asher huffed a small laugh. “The eternal excuse

from everyone lucky enough to escape their
birthplaces.”

They subsided into silence. Simeon wasn’t

entirely sure how he was going to counter the

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whole cat clan voting to keep demons without
rights. Jason, as his closest relative, had probably
used his proxy vote. Had Simeon been one of
those absent votes who had tipped the only
referendum the monarchy had allowed in three
hundred years? Tipped it in favour of keeping
Demons as nothing more than indentured
servants, or slaves?

He didn’t care. Scratch that. He couldn’t care. He

had other things to think about. He had to get
Jason and the other felines in the guild to talk to
Phin about the Underground, he had to have
Phin’s back when they saw the king, and he had to
get out of this damn place alive. Simple.

“I get you don’t care,” Asher said in a dead

tone.

“What?” Had he said something out loud? He

didn’t think he had.

“You don’t have to say anything. I can see it in

your expression.”

Asher scraped the remains of what was in his

bowl and scooped the spoonful into his mouth.
Then he left the table and dropped the bowl in the
sink.

“I’m going out,” he announced at the door.

“Don’t touch anything, don’t leave, and for all
that’s holy, let Phin sleep.”

The door slammed shut behind him and the

noise of voices outside receded as Asher walked

The Demon’s Blood

away.

Simeon finished his meal quietly, then copied

Asher and placed his bowl in the sink. He rinsed
off the dishes and wasn’t sure what to do next
with himself. Phin was asleep, Asher was off
doing whatever blood demons did. His thought
process didn’t go much further than that before he
was out of the door, ensuring it closed tight
behind him. He wasn’t ready to curl up as a cat
and sleep this out. He wanted to see where Asher
was going, what he was doing, and maybe, just
maybe, get himself a little piece of the sexy
demon.

Scenting the air, he easily latched onto the smell

of shampoo and shower gel and an intriguing
undertone of something spicy and edible. Asher.

He kept to the shadows outside the building

and realised they were moving further out of the
city. He didn’t catch sight of Asher, but the scent
didn’t dissipate and remained strong and had
mingled with another demon. Then there was
more, and finally he reached the place where
everything stopped. The city opened up here into
the forest that surrounded it on all sides. Deep and
dark, it was a place for shifters and those outside
of Kingdom rules. Cautiously he stepped into the
forest darkness and was grateful that he had a
cat’s vision even in his human form.

There was a meeting here. Demons and elves?

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He thought the two kept well apart in the city, but
somehow Asher was attending an event. He
dropped his clothes and shifted quietly. Padding
through the undergrowth, he circled the gathering
and hunkered down in the thick bushes. He
couldn’t see Asher, but he could see around
twenty souls, half demon, half elf, and things
didn’t look to be going so well.

“I can’t believe you’re standing here, when you

got called in today for the check, and yet you
defend your lack of momentum.”

Asher stepped into the small circle of light cast

by two torches and crossed his arms over his
chest. Something swelled inside of Simeon—fear,
or respect, he wasn’t sure which, but to see a
demon face down an elf was a rare thing.

“We bide our time,” Asher said. “What did you

want me to do? Take in a knife and slit the
administrator's throat?”

“Maybe that would start something,” another

elf said softly. He was closest to Simeon and he
could hear the words and the shuffling feet of
those in agreement as they added their opinions to
others by way of whispers.

“Why? What is it you want to start?”
“Don’t get involved, Vesstan,” Asher said, with

a hand on the other demon’s arm. “If we are to do
anything about getting another vote then we need
to be careful—”

The Demon’s Blood

“A vote? What are you? An idiot? There won’t

be another vote.” The same elf stepped towards
Asher, and Simeon’s muscles bunched in
readiness to put himself between the angry elf and
Asher.

“You want a war?” Asher snapped the

question. “Against your king? And with two
thirds of blood demons quite happy with what
their lot is in life?”

“I don’t know what I want, what any of us

want,” the elf said tiredly. “All I know is that
something has to start this, and I don’t know what
that will be. We have the chance to bring this to
the floor next week and if we got enough
support…” he trailed away and Simeon crept
closer. He wanted to be sure to see Asher’s face
when he finished.

“Let’s keep on as we’re doing,” Asher finally

said. “Move to get the debate on the floor.”

The group dissipated until only Asher and the

demon called Vesstan were left standing in the
small clearing.

“They call for war every time,” Asher said

sadly.

Vesstan pulled him in for a hug and Simeon

hissed in anger. He actually heard himself do it
and consciously slid lower to the ground when
Asher looked over in his general direction. Asher
leaned in to Vesstan and they talked so low that

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Simeon could hear nothing. Frustrated, he realised
now was the time to be moving back to Phin and
the bedroom so that Asher would find him all
curled and waiting. The two demons moved apart
and left in different directions. In seconds Simeon
moved off at a lope and was back at his clothes
and dressed and on his way back to the room
before the demons were anywhere near him.

His problem arose when he returned and of

course the door was shut. He knocked on it loudly
and heard swearing inside. Finally, after what
seemed like an eternity, Phin opened the door.

“What the hell?” he mumbled. Simeon quickly

pushed inside and closed the door, then guided
Phin back to bed. Phin didn’t argue, nor did he ask
questions. He crawled onto the mattress and fell
back asleep. Simeon stripped, shifted, and leaped
onto the bed before curling nose to tail next to
Phin, then closed his eyes.

He heard the door open, listened as Simeon

locked up and sensed when the demon stood next
to the bed.

“You can quit pretending,” Asher said softly.

Then he scruffed Simeon between the ears before
stroking fur until his hands rested on Simeon’s
neck. In a second those same hands closed around
his throat and Asher held tight, closing his grip
until Simeon’s claws extended and he tried to get
free. Asher’s hold was like iron and Simeon

The Demon’s Blood

writhed under it, unable to shift or move. At the
last second, just as his eyesight began to cloud
over, Asher released his hold. Simeon
immediately shifted, and naked or not, he
scrambled off the bed and pushed Asher away
and back until the demon was against the wall.

“What the hell?” Simeon demanded.
“You think I didn’t know you were there?”

Asher shouted in his face. “You think because I
am a blood demon that I am stupid as well?”

Simeon shook his head. “No, I don’t think that,

you’re not…hell…I was curious.”

Asher pushed him away, and despite his size

Simeon stumbled backwards, caught off guard.

“Well, you know what curiosity did,” he said

calmly.

Phin scrambled off the bed, his blond hair in

disarray and his stance defensive. “What’s
wrong?”

Asher pointed at Simeon. “He followed me to a

meeting. He knows too much. You need to kill
him.”

Phin’s mouth fell open and he looked from

Asher to Simeon and back. Simeon wanted to
defend himself, but he couldn’t find the actual
words.

“I’m not killing him,” Phin said finally.
Asher folded his arms across his chest. “I will

then,” he said simply.

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Simeon, naked as the day he was born was past

feeling vulnerable.

“No one is killing me,” he said with a snarl. He

stepped towards Asher as he said it, and Asher
raked a glance from head to toe. An expression of
disdain crossed his face.

“Had you pinned, Kitty,” he said with a sneer.
Simeon’s cat desperately tried to calm him

down but Simeon was way past any kind of
control. He would wipe the infuriating smirk from
that demon’s face if it was the last thing he did.
Stepping forward, he extended his claws, only
stopping when Phin moved quickly to stand
between them.

“Enough,” he said. His tone brooked no

discussion and Simeon stood in his attack pose
until he saw a smirk curl up the corner of Asher’s
mouth. Freaking ass was laughing at him. Didn’t
he know who Simeon was?

“Send him back to where he came from,” Asher

said. “Back to his litter, or whatever cats have.”

“I’m not sending him anywhere,” Phin

explained carefully. “He’s here to talk to his
brother, and smooth the way with the king. I don’t
know why he followed you.” At this moment Phin
looked pointedly at Simeon, but Simeon wasn’t
going to explain himself or his instincts to want to
know everything. Phin sighed noisily. “Until the
morning when I can get to see my father, can we

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please just play nice?”

Asher tilted his head with a thoughtful

expression on his face. “Nice?” he said. “I can find
some string for the cat to keep him occupied.”

“Fuck you, demon.”
“Not in this life, kitty.”

RJ Scott

Chapter Four

hin looked down at the clothes laid on the bed
and frowned.

“What is it?” Simeon asked. He tightened the

belt on his dress pants and cursed at the feel of the
material stiff against his body. He hated the
ceremonial dress, the black and scarlet uniform of
the Feline Guild with the gold bars that indicated
he was a general. Only by birth and only on
special occasions did Simeon feel like he was any
part of the guild. He glanced in the mirror to
check if his sword was in place correctly, then
brushed some hair from his shoulder. The last
time he had dressed in ceremonial costume was
for his parent’s funeral. That had been ten years
before.

“I hate wearing this scat,” Phin moaned.

Simeon didn’t doubt it. While his clothes were stiff
and ceremonial, Phin’s uniform, for want of a
better word, was all flowing layers and billowing
cloaks. The benefit of these was that Phin could

The Demon’s Blood

hide weapons in the folds. The drawback was he
was likely to kill himself trying to get the weapons
out from the material. Layer by layer he dressed.
Then with a click of his fingers, his messy locks lay
smooth around his head and the plaiting in the
back holding hair away from his ears was perfect.
Adding his own ceremonial weapon, a long
wickedly curved sword to the belt under his top
cloak, he finally stood in front of the mirror and
scowled at his reflection.

“I hate this,” he repeated.
Simeon nodded his agreement. All these layers,

scarlet for the cats, black for the Kingdom, Gold
for his status, platinum for his family, an
undershirt that was white, a cravat that fell in
perfect snowy folds, it was all too much. Still, it
was what court demanded of a visiting dignitary,
and he and Phin needed to remember that was
what they were. With a resigned sigh, Phin pulled
on the small gold crown that fastened to his plaits,
and suddenly he was very much the King-in-
waiting.

The door from the bathroom opened and Asher

walked out. Simeon nearly swallowed his tongue.
Some kind of wrapped material over his groin was
all the demon wore. He hadn’t realised that Asher
would be coming but given that the way he was
dressed, or not dressed, was what the Kingdom
demanded of the blood demon slaves, he assumed

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Asher was part of this foray into the inner
sanctum.

Asher’s chest glistened and was free from hair,

the tattoo that circled his neck more obvious as he
wasn’t wearing a shirt. Simeon knew what it said.
In elvish, it stated that Asher was a servant of the
Kingdom, and it would also hold the family name
of the branch of elvendom who took responsibility
for him. His feet were bare and his shaggy red hair
had been shaved away until only a little remained.
In his lobes he wore gold rings that joined with a
small gold chain around the back of his head.

Fuck. Simeon had never seen anything so sexy,

or disturbing. He didn’t want Asher to be
anywhere looking like this. Confused, he couldn’t
understand his instant hate for what he was
looking at. Was it the marks of a slave? Was it the
permanence of an owners mark around his neck?
Was it just that he was near naked and others
could see what Simeon’s cat craved? What Simeon
desired.

“You can’t go,” he blurted out. He waved a

hand at Asher, “not like that. Phin, tell him he
doesn’t need to have all those marks on show, tell
him.”

Asher held up a hand to stop Phin from

responding and to halt Simeon’s comments. “It’s
what is expected,” he said softly. “Just as much as
your swords and scarlet, or Phin’s cloak. It’s a

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uniform. I go in as a backup, as slave to Phin’s
family. No one looks at the slaves, or questions
what they are doing.”

Simeon wanted to argue so badly his chest

tightened. Something deep inside him prodded at
his conscience. He’d seen blood demons at work,
always dressed, never ceremonial with the
possession tattoos in place. The demons usually
had shirts that covered the marks. This wasn’t
right, to humiliate someone like this.

“I’m not humiliated,” Asher explained.
Hell. Had he said something out loud? Or was his

expression giving him away?

“We need to go,” Phin interjected. “This is your

last chance to stay here, Ash,” he added.

“He can’t go,” Simeon said again. Then he

turned to Phin. “Tell him.”

“I did,” Phin said quickly. “But he’s resistance

as much as we are.” Simeon made to interrupt but
Phin silenced him with a shake of his head. “We’re
all in uniform,” he said. “Just remember that.”

“Well, I don’t have to like it,” Simeon huffed.
Asher stepped closer and Simeon could smell

the oil that scented the demon’s skin.

“What worries you most, cat?” he asked. “That

I’m a slave, or that I’m naked?”

Simeon groaned at the word naked. He knew

exactly why he didn’t want Asher naked in front
of everyone. He didn’t know what to say, so he

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said nothing, only his expression must have given
him away.

“And that is the problem,” Asher said softly.

“You don’t care I am a slave, that my race is kept
this way, you just don’t want people to see my
body. You are not a man I want to know.”

Simeon wished he could defend himself. He

couldn’t.

* * * *

The three were quiet on the way to the inner

court where the king was presiding. Phin had
given no heads-up that he was even in the Second
Kingdom, let alone that today he was visiting his
father. Asher wasn’t entirely happy with that.
King Garrick wasn’t known for liking surprises,
and Delsaran would probably look at their arrival
as something akin to betrayal.

Phin said he didn’t want to be king, and so a

new heir had been chosen. Delsaran was the
king’s cousin, Phin’s cousin, and was officially the
next in line for the throne. A hard elf, he wanted
demons kept in their place as slaves, and he had
the backing to carry it all through. As they drew
closer to the palace at the centre of the city it was
all Asher could do not to stop Phin and drag him
back to safety. Rumor had it Delsaran ruthlessly
replaced any and all dissenters to his appointment

The Demon’s Blood

as heir with his own sycophants. Having Phin
there, vulnerable to attack, was the only reason
Asher was even here today. He was going to look
after his little brother, if it was the last thing he
did.

Wearing nothing almost sent him back into the

bathroom the minute Simeon looked him up and
down. He’d seen confusion in the cat shifter's face,
and something else as well. Interest. They didn’t
have time for all of that now. There was work to
do.

The closer they got to the king, the more people

pointed and spoke. Phin led the way, Simeon a
step behind, and further back Asher with his eyes
to his feet. They made an odd procession, of sorts,
on their way to the king. The whispers grew loud.

Orophin…what is Prince Orophin doing here…Phin is
here…The Prince…The king’s son is home…

Only when they passed through the main doors

to the king’s chambers did everything fall
blessedly silent. The guards here were respectful,
and allowed Phin entrance. They balked at Simeon
but at a single word from Phin he was allowed
through. They never even looked at Asher,
although they tripped him as he went through and
he stumbled. He felt rather than saw Simeon look
back at him but he didn’t look up to meet his gaze.
Asher said nothing and so no one took any notice
of him.

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Just the way he wanted it.
Beyond the next door was the king. A second

set of guards, and this time Phin was stopped.
These were elite guards, in ceremonial uniform,
but not the sapphire blue of the king—they wore
the dark green of King-in-waiting Delsaran.

“I want to see my father,” Phin said

unequivocally. The guards simply stared at him.
“I am Orophin Tiwele, Prince of this Kingdom,
and you will let me in to see my father.”

Still nothing. Asher prayed that Phin wouldn’t

do anything rash. They were outnumbered in this
palace a hundred to one, and not even with his
skills, a cat shifter and Phin’s magic could the
three of them hope to win any kind of battle. Just
as Asher saw Phin’s back straighten and he knew
something was going to be said, the door was
flung open inwards. The man who stood there,
with hair as black as night, a rare colour for elves,
stood dramatically framed by the ancient oak.
Delsaran himself.

“You’re alive!” he announced theatrically. Then

he drew Phin in for a hug.

“Uncle Delsaran,” he heard Phin say. Delsaran

was no Uncle of Phin's. Hell, he was barely a
second cousin, but he’d demanded Phin call him
that ever since Phin was little. Asher remembered
Phin explaining how Delsaran made him uneasy.
“I’m here to see my father.”

The Demon’s Blood

“You didn’t hear?” Delsaran said in surprise.

He pasted a suitable look of grief on his face, but
the emotion didn’t reach his eyes. “I guess you
wouldn’t. We tried to contact you, but it’s so
difficult.”

“Didn’t hear what?” Asher heard fear in Phin’s

voice. Phin and the king might not have a close
relationship, but Garrick was still Phin’s father.
Only as he thought that did he realise what he’d
been focusing on—Garrick was his father, as well.

“Garrick is bed-bound now.” Delsaran shook

his head sadly. “He’s fading fast. He wanted to see
you, but, you couldn’t be found. He’ll be so
pleased to have a chance to say goodbye.”

Asher held back his shock at the words and the

almost blasé way Delsaran threw them at Phin.

“Is this why the throne room guards are in

green livery?” Phin asked calmly. Only Asher
would know the ice that was in every syllable of
that question. “I thought that only happened
when a king died.”

Simeon took a step to stand at Phin’s shoulder.

His six and half feet of scarlet and black was a
sizeable backdrop to Phin. Delsaran glanced
briefly at Simeon but appeared to decide he wasn’t
worth focusing on. Then he moved to one side.

“Come in, I’ll take you to your father.”
Phin walked in, Simeon followed. Delsaran

made to shut the door on Asher.

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“The slave stays with me.” Phin’s tone brooked

absolutely no argument.

Delsaran raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

Asher walked in and three new guards moved to
ring the entire group as they skirted the large
throne room. Every single available surface was
covered in the green and grey of Delsaran but
Phin said nothing else. This wasn’t a King-in-
waiting, this was an elf who was already, in his
head, the ruler of this Kingdom. Apprehension
skittered down Asher’s spine, and he was acutely
aware of the three guards at his back and a tension
so thick you could almost taste it. The odd group
walked the labyrinth of corridors behind the
throne room. Delsaran said nothing to Phin as
they walked.

Finally, they reached an ornate door, and

Delsaran pushed straight in without knocking.
Phin was immediately behind him, Simeon, then
himself close after. Phin stopped the guards from
entering.

“Surely a son visiting his sick father does not

need guards in the room,” he said evenly.

Delsaran hesitated momentarily and his blue

eyes were suddenly filled with wariness. “Of
course, Orophin.”

“Your Highness,” Phin said firmly. “As heir to

the Kingdom, that is how I should be addressed.”

Asher tensed at the words—even more so when

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Phin carried on despite Delsaran looking like a
fish catching flies. “Also, I believe the sapphire of
my line should replace the green in the throne
room.”

“Orophin—”
“You can leave us, Delsaran,” Phin said with

finality.

Delsaran mostly did as he was told, although he

dragged it out. First he told the guards to leave
with orders to investigate replacing the ceremonial
colours, then he crossed to the large bed and
leaned in through the drawn curtains around,
Asher assumed, the king. Finally he strode out of
the door, but he stopped and turned on the
threshold.

“Ten years you have been gone, Orophin. Ten

years I have supported your father, put down
slave rebellions, even negotiated with the cats, and
all that time, where were you? Off making a point
about slave rights like some miscreant teenager.
Your place isn’t here in the Second Kingdom any
more. You should leave soon.”

Phin took a step towards Delsaran. “Are you

threatening me, Delsaran?”

To his credit, Delsaran held his ground. He

obviously thought little of Phin, which would
probably work in their favour in the future. No
one here outside of Asher and now Simeon knew
Phin had magic. Unless of you course you counted

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the nurse who hovered like a spare part by a rear
exit door.

Delsaran inclined his head. “Of course not,

Your Highness.”

With temper sparking in his expression he

drew the door closed. Suddenly it was just the
three of them, the king, and a nurse. Simeon
glanced out of the large picture window with
views of acres of grass and the forest and
mountains beyond. Simeon locked the oak door
and waited for further instruction.

The Demon’s Blood

Chapter Five

hin…” Asher said softly. Phin spun on his
heel to face Asher and Asher was shocked at

the raw grief on his brother’s face. Maybe that ten
years thing had hit home. Asher never questioned
that Phin wanted to see the world, and that he
hated the way Asher was treated. He had never
once called Phin on the fact that he could do more
for the blood demons if he actually stayed put.

Phin shook his head imperceptibly, then

focused on the nurse, who shrank back into the
drapes at the window as he approached. She
looked terrified. Phin held out a hand and she
visibly flinched. Carefully he pressed his hand to
her shoulder and she visibly relaxed. Whether it
was because he’d used magic or because he
exuded peace and calm, Asher couldn’t tell.

“Can you explain to me what is wrong with my

father?”

“I can’t, Your Highness,” she said so softly that

Asher moved closer to hear.

“P

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“What do you mean by that?” Phin encouraged.
“Only that no one knows what has happened.

He was failing in his health, then a few months
ago he took a turn for the worse.”

“Are you his only nurse? Does he have a

doctor?”

“He sleeps a lot,” the nurse answered. Asher

wondered at the random reply, then he saw her
touch her ear then place a finger on her lips
indicating quiet. Phin nodded his understanding.
Whatever was said in the room was being heard
outside.

“Thank you.”
“I will leave you alone,” she said with a curtsy.

Then she left through the other exit.

Phin spun on his heel to face Simeon and

Asher. With a quick flick of his wrist Asher saw
the silver sparks of magic surround the three of
them with a cloak.

“The bubble will allow us to talk. Asher?

Thoughts?”

“The green everywhere concerns me. Last time

I was at the palace was for manoeuvres and
everything was still in the Tiwele colours. The
guards appear to be new and wholly loyal to
Delsaran.”

“What about you, Simeon?”
“Everyone is on edge,” Simeon said. He

pointed at the door. “There’s one hell of a lot of

The Demon’s Blood

evil and ambition mixed into Delsaran.”

“I sensed he wasn’t that happy to see me.”
“Don’t have to have magic to see that,” Simeon

groused.

Phin nodded. “Will you watch the door?” he

asked Simeon, who said he would and instantly
moved to stand between the entrance door and
Phin. He left the cocoon of magic and stood
resolute against the old oak. Asher made to move
to cover the other door but Phin stopped him with
a hand on his arm.

“What is it?” Asher asked instantly.
“Stay with me to see our father?”
“He isn’t my father, Phin. We covered this

when we first met.”

“You have his blood in your veins. Please. I

don’t want to do this alone.”

Some of the ice surrounding Asher’s heat

melted at the plea. Phin wanted his help. His little
brother looked lost and needed him. Asher would
do anything to take that hesitation and fear from
Phin’s eyes. He walked to the bed and
unceremoniously dragged back the layered drapes
around the bed. The light from the window fell in
a strip of light across the face of someone who
Asher thought he would never see again.

“Father,” Phin gasped from behind him.

Unceremoniously, he clambered up the side of the
tall bed, then sat cross-legged near the king’s

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head. “Father?” he said again, this time a little
quieter. The old king didn’t move a muscle. His
eyes were shut and his skin papery and pale.
Covers were tucked up to his chin and slowly and
carefully Phin pulled each layer away to his waist.
He was dressed in a nightshirt and Phin
unbuttoned enough to see his chest.

“What are you doing?” Asher asked curiously.

Seeing the man who never knew he had a blood
demon for a son lying here near death left no
emotion inside Asher. He didn’t feel sad, or
grieving, or angry. There was simply nothing.

Phin glanced at him. “Poison,” he said. Then he

placed the flat of his hand to the king’s thin chest.
Shaking his head, he closed his eyes. “Magic,” he
added. “I’ve seen this before. In Joseph’s
nightmares.”

Asher had no idea what his brother meant. He

was startled when a golden stream of light
sparked from Phin’s fingers and tracked through
the king’s body with frightening speed, tracing
through veins and arteries. It seemed like the king
was entirely golden.

“Is he going to make it?” Asher asked because

he felt he should.

“This magic in him is too strong. I can’t seem

to…” Phin stopped talking as the gold sparked
back at him. “Even I can’t save him, not here.
Maybe if Joseph was with me? Maybe he could…

The Demon’s Blood

the magic is too deep.”

“The guards are grouping outside the room,”

Simeon whispered from the door. Asher glanced
back to see Simeon pull his sword from the
scabbard and stand steady and absolutely ready.
“There are more,” he tilted his head and scented
the air. “Ten, at least.”

Phin frowned and indicated Asher should

cover the other door. He extended the magic
shield to cover Simeon but Asher could see his
brother was weakening, his skin scarlet with
exertion.

“Prince Orophin?” A voice came through the

door protected by Simeon. Delsaran had returned.
“We need to talk to you, Your Highness.”

Simeon held up a hand and closed and opened

it three times. Asher nodded his understanding.
Fifteen now, at that door. He pulled the small
knife he had in the fabric at his hips and listened
carefully, but the other exit wasn’t being
barricaded with a phalanx of guards. That only
meant one thing. There was no way out through
the other door. It probably led to an ante room
which was also full of guards in waiting. He shook
his head to let Simeon know. Then he carefully
manoeuvred a drawer unit, old and solid wood
into place and forced it under the door handle. He
glanced out of the window, but the damn palace
was built on a hill and all that was outside this

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particular room was a sheer drop.

“How quickly do we need to get the King to a

doctor, Phin?” Simeon asked.

Phin looked up and shook his head. “I don’t

have any idea. He has an infection tied to magic
that is eating away at him. He has to have more
than me fighting this.”

“We need to get him and you out of here,”

Asher said.

Simeon flexed his muscles. “We’ll have to fight

our way out.”

Asher moved to stand next to him. He only had

his sword, but he was also a scrappy fighter and a
trained foot soldier. He could take a few down
before they got him. He just wished he wasn’t in
ceremonial dress. A hissing popping sound came
from the bed and Asher watched as Phin arched
back and yelped in pain.

“Phin!” Asher was torn between his duty as a

soldier here and his brother.

“There’s shields on this magic,” Phin panted

through obvious pain and clutched at his chest.
“Perverted magic. Ludvik Peitrol. It’s…evil…I
can’t fight it…I need…” He stopped and clenched
his other fist in his hair.

“Take the king and go,” Asher ordered.
“I’m not…I can’t…not leaving you,” Phin said

between deep breaths.

“I’m serious, Phin. Port him out of here, take

The Demon’s Blood

him to Joseph, or wherever you need to be. We’ll
take care of the guards.

“What?” Simeon asked immediately. “We

will?”

Asher looked at the big cat shifter. “You up for

it?”

Simeon looked directly at him then grinned

broadly. “Me. You. Fifteen plus guards and a
pissed off, wannabe elf-king? With one sword and
a small knife? God, yeah.”

“Asher…” Phin sounded tormented. “Please

tell me what to do.”

“I mean it, Phin, what else are you going to

do?” Asher gestured towards the king. “Leave
him here? He’s evidence of what is happening,
and whoever the hell this Ludvik guy is.”

Something heavy smashed against the door.

The solid oak didn’t break, but it shook a lot of
dust.

“Ash…” Phin looked torn.
“Can you come back?” Simeon asked. “Get

Asher?”

Asher immediately stared right at Simeon.

“Why me?”

Simeon shrugged. “You’re his brother.”
“He should take you,” Asher said immediately.

The thought of the gorgeous, infuriating cat being
gutted on his watch was not one he was prepared
to entertain.

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“You’re—”
“Guys. I can only do this once.” Phin was

broken. His voice cracked, exhaustion on his face.
He was looking for a decision from Asher and
Simeon. As one they turned to each other.

“The king,” Simeon said.
“Our father,” Asher said at the same time.
Phin had tears tracking down his face and pain

etched into his expression. “Ash.”

“Love you, little brother. Leave your weapons

and give me some clothes.” Phin snapped his
fingers and Asher sighed in relief at the dark pants
and shirt that now clothed him. A final gift from
Phin was the sword he tossed Asher’s way.

“Remember the falls. I love you, Ash…I’m

sorry.”

“Go. We’ll be okay. See you on the other side.”
Then in a flash, Phin dropped the shield that

protected him and his father from listening ears
and they were gone.

Another crash against the door and suddenly

Asher was faced with the enormity of this
decision. Thinking on his feet, he held out his
hand for Simeon’s sword.

“You need to shift.”
“That’s your plan? You take the swords and I

shift?” Simeon didn’t sound convinced.

“Then we’ll open the door.”
“Just like that.”

The Demon’s Blood

“Let’s face it, they won’t be expecting us to do

something that stupid.”

“You just said it yourself,” Simeon shook his

head.

Twisting the swords in his hands and settling

his stance, Asher looked directly at Simeon.
“Stupid sometimes works. Get out there, we’ll
clear a path, I know this palace, follow me and I’ll
get you out.”

Simeon yanked at his clothes until he stood

naked in front of Asher, who tried his hardest not
to stare.

“Just one thing,” Simeon said with a voice

already turning to a snarl and a hiss. In a quick
move he grabbed Asher close and kissed him. The
kiss wasn’t soft or teasing, it was teeth and tongue
and blood. Asher nearly cried out at the taste of
Simeon and the feel of him holding Asher tight.
They parted as quickly as they met and Simeon
crouched and shifted into his cat in an instant.

Asher nodded at the golden mountain lion then

with an sharp inhalation of breath he unlocked the
door and threw himself into the shocked guards.

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Chapter Six

imeon lost sight of Asher almost immediately.
There were a few less guards than the fifteen

he’d identified but he didn’t have time to worry
about how many or who they were. The two
closest to him were already writhing on the floor
with chunks of flesh missing from their legs and
he leaped over them to the next barrier. At first,
the guards moved back and away as Simeon, in
cat form, jumped at them but they soon became
bolder when they realised Simeon wasn’t killing
but incapacitating. He was facing down four with
swords and when a blade sliced into his neck, he
snarled his displeasure and bit down hard on the
nearest arm.

When a guards head bounced into his

peripheral vision, he realised Asher wasn’t
holding onto the niceties of this escape. He was
killing to get out. Simeon backed off and judged
what he needed to do and briefly caught sight of
Asher near the end of the corridor.

The Demon’s Blood

“Simeon!” Asher shouted over the fighting. A

sword swung so close to Simeon’s face he thought
he lost fur and with a sharp slash of claws another
elf guard fell. He had the advantage in this
enclosed space—the guards needed space to
swing swords, all he needed was his claws and
teeth. Sliding sideways in a puddle of blood on the
floor saved his life as a guard managed a stabbing
motion that went through Simeon’s thigh as
opposed to his spine. He heard Asher’s voice as he
struggled for purchase in the slippery mess. Then,
abruptly, his claws found empty floor and he
vaulted the last of the guards.

He limped through the last door, trying to keep

up. Asher led them down corkscrewing corridors
that appeared to double back on themselves at
every turn. Finally, the overwhelming scents of elf
and blood were replaced by fresh air, and with a
few more twists in the path, they burst out into
daylight. Simeon stumbled as he fell out of the
door and twisted quickly to stand up on all four
paws again. He couldn’t help the snarl of pain as
the wound in his haunch pulled and tore.

“Fuck,” he heard Asher curse and looked up at

the demon for guidance now. His muzzle was
coated in blood, which meant he couldn’t scent
direction or other cats. He didn’t even know what
side of the city they had tumbled out of. “Can you
run?”

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Simeon began to trot away from the city—it

was the only answer he could give. He was
limping and dragging his leg, so it was more of a
stagger than an actual trot, but finally, Asher
seemed to get the idea. Quickly catching up with
Simeon, he ran ahead into the forest and Simeon
quickened his pace until the two of them ran side
by side through parts of the forest that Simeon
didn’t recall ever seeing before. They were
running uphill and the pain as the muscles
attempted to knit themselves was agonizing. He
wouldn’t stop. He pushed harder and harder and
they reached a peak, then with a flying leap Asher
jumped into nothing, and Simeon didn’t know
anything else but blind belief that Asher knew
what he was doing. He followed the demon and
jumped into nothing but air.

He twisted as he fell, then suddenly there was

water and he dropped face first, as a mountain
lion, into icy cold water. The momentum of the
jump took him deep down and he thought he
might never rise to the surface and panic gripped
him. The water was dark at this depth and Simeon
couldn’t work out which way was up. Pushing
with his paws against a shelf of stone, he
desperately tried to get to the surface but the pain
was too much and he began to falter. All this way,
with blood, and fighting, and he was going to
damn well drown in a lake.

The Demon’s Blood

Hands gripped him. Asher. And in seconds he

could draw in great heaving breaths of air.

“Shift,” Asher demanded.
Simeon yowled in horror and he was caught

between cat and human as blackness pulled at the
edges of him and he lost consciousness.

The light stabbed at his eyes and for a second

he couldn’t understand why. The glow of
something intense burned him and he closed his
eyes tight.

“Sorry,” a voice said. Not just any voice. Asher.

“You heal pretty quick for a nearly dead guy,”
Asher’s voice added. “You can open your eyes
now.”

Simeon didn’t want to believe Asher. What if he

opened his eyes and that damn burning happened
again?

“Come on, kitty, show me those pretty little

eyes.” Asher teased.

Simeon looked inside himself and realised he

was in human form, his cat slumbering and
happily at peace. Carefully, he opened his eyes
and this time the room, or wherever they were,
was darkened. He blinked the blurriness away
and attempted to move. Fire shot through his head
and his thigh and his throat felt like it had been
torn out.

Asher’s hand held him down. The touch was

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reassuring and centred the anxious feelings
curling inside Simeon.

“You have a pretty nasty wound in your thigh,

but I’ve seen worse and when you shift again I’m
sure it will heal. The slice out of your neck is a
little more problematic.

Problematic, how? “Wha?”
“Don’t try and talk,” Asher encouraged. “It was

very deep. The bleeding has stopped and I don’t
think it hit any arteries but it was clean and a
sharp blade.”

“Okay.”
“I said don’t talk,” Asher admonished. “Now I

need you to shift again and sleep like a cat.”

“Can’t…”
“Shift. I mean it. Shift now or I’ll finish you off

myself.”

Simeon called to his cat, attempted to connect

but nothing happened. Then Asher began stroking
his chest.

“I can’t believe Phin left a mark,” he was

whispering as he stroked. “A big tall guy like you
felled by an itty bitty elf and he leaves a handprint
on your chest.” Asher traced the fingers of the
print and hesitated on the index finger part where
it sat close to Simeon’s nipple. Casually, he traced
the hardening nub and Simeon’s cat self woke up
with a shake. Suddenly apparently very eager to
see what was going on, it was then very easy for

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Simeon to shift into his cat. A purr rumbled in his
chest as Asher scratched between his ears and he
shuffled a little so he could lay his head in Asher’s
lap.

Nice.

When he woke next time he was still in cat form

and he shifted to human as swiftly as he could.
His thigh was no longer hurting so badly and his
neck felt better. He shuffled to sit upright and
with a few choice curse words he was finally
sitting with his back against the back of a bed.

A bed?
Where were they? He thought they’d jumped

into a lake, and were in a cave? But no, this was
definitely a bed. A strong solid mattress and quilts
and blankets and soft covers. In a room that was
undeniably bedroom-looking.

“Hey, you’re awake,” Asher said from the door.

He was wearing dark pants and a scarlet shirt and
looked like he’d just come from the shower. As he
neared him, Simeon could swear it was the same
shower gels and shampoos as at Asher’s place.

“Are we in your home?” Simeon asked

disorientated.

Asher laughed. “This? No, this is mine and

Phin's place. He made it so we had somewhere to
meet and talk outside of the city. A safe place. It’s
warded, and to a passerby it looks like another

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part of the forest. But take that leap of faith and
you land in the spring water.”

“Leap of faith? What if I’d hesitated?”
Asher shrugged. “You’d have fallen to your

death.” Then he brightened. “I knew your cat
would follow me.”

“Pretty sure of yourself there, demon.”
The light in Asher’s eyes dimmed a little and

Simeon was immediately contrite.

“My name is Asher.”
“I know.”
“Then use it.”
“On one condition. Stop calling me kitty, or

indeed any derivative of cat.”

Asher narrowed his gaze, then smiled. “Deal,”

he said. He settled the tray on a small table and
pushed it closer to Asher. “Steak, potatoes,
gravy…”

“You made this?”
“I can cook.”
“I thought you only ate vegetables. There was

no meat in that thing you did before.”

Laughter pulled at Asher’s mouth. “I was

fucking with your inner animal,” he said with a
smirk. The fact that he used his fingers to create
speech marks around the words inner animal made
Simeon squirm in bed, ready to jump the man and
pin him to the deck in anger. Then the idea of
pinning Asher to the floor caused Simeon’s cock to

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wake up and he decided that the whole train of
thought needed to stop, there and then.

Suddenly hungry, he fell on the food but soon

realised swallowing was hard with his throat all
bandaged. He placed a hand to the bandage and
yanked it away. He needed to shift again and the
ache in his neck was just worse with the damn
material around it.

“I had to do stitches,” Asher offered carefully.
Simeon ran a hand over the wound and the

smooth regular bumps of thread. “It was that
bad?”

“Shifting made it worse. So I closed it up with

some stuff Phin left here years back after we
scrapped with some felines in the forest. It’s
spelled or something so when you shift it stays. I
had a small bit left and hoped it worked. It was a
pretty gaping wound.”

“Thank you.”
Asher smiled at the words. “You’re welcome.

When you shift next time, you’ll find the stitches
fall out, or at least I think so.”

Simeon chewed on the most perfect piece of

rare meat and swallowed carefully. With each
swallow he felt better. “So tell me more about this
place.”

“Two bedrooms, kitchen, yard, medical kits,

weapons, the usual.”

“And Phin made it? Hang on, did Phin get the

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king to Joseph? Does he know you’re okay?”

“He knows,” Asher said.
“Okay.” Simeon relaxed a little more. “So yeah,

Phin made this place, how did he do that?
Magic?”

“Yeah. But we added to it, it’s a home away

from home.” Asher climbed onto the bed next to
Simeon and lay on his back with his hands linked
under his head. “We needed somewhere
because…” Asher’s voice trailed off but Simeon
didn’t push him.

He continued, “When we first met, Phin could

tell I was his brother—half brother—but I didn’t
believe him. He had to convince me of who I was,
and why I was alive. My mom was long since
dead, no one knew who my father was. That
didn’t matter, blood demons are a strong
community. I wasn’t left to fend for myself, so
don’t go feeling sorry for me.” He glanced up at
Simeon with conviction in his eyes.

“Okay, I won’t then,” Simeon said, because he

felt he was being expected to say it.

Asher looked back to the ceiling. “Turns out, as

things like this happen, that me, a lowly filthy
blood demon had two kinds of blood in his body,
that of his mother from a long line that led from
the original blood demons and that of the king
who evidently decided he wanted to break with
tradition and cheat on his wife for a blood demon

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woman.”

“I’m sorry,” Simeon offered.
“I said I don’t need pity,” Asher said quickly. “I

don’t need meaningless platitudes. I have a
brother, and he’d be a hundred times the leader I
would be, only the idiot won’t take it until blood
demons rights are equal to elves. Which, in turn, is
never going to happen unless we have a decent
king in place.”

“One day, Phin will realise that.”
“Maybe.” Asher shrugged, which was quite

difficult lying down. “So we decided to have a
place that was hidden. It was our sanctuary, our
place to talk and become brothers, and if we ever
needed somewhere to go, to hide, then this was
the house to be doing it in. Wards protect it,
walkers would never find it, and even if they send
out hunters to find us they’ll never spot us. We
could be standing waving at them and still, all
they would see was mountain side.”

Simeon finished his dinner and put the plate

back on the table. Drinking down the juice that sat
next to it, he finally scooted down to lie next to
Asher.

Asher held out his arm. “One more shift,

Simeon. Come on, I’ll scratch your ears.”

Simeon glared at the demon but it held no heat.

His cat really wanted to be scratched and Simeon
himself really wanted a cuddle. It had been a long

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time since he’d had one of those. The last thing he
heard was Asher chuckling low in his throat, then
he shifted and curled up in a ball under Asher’s
arm.

“Just to say, Simeon, if you can hear me

properly. I kind of liked that kiss.”

Simeon nuzzled up into the hand then he

allowed sleep to pull him under.

The Demon’s Blood

Chapter Seven

hin sat in his usual position, cross legged on
the floor opposite Asher. He had arrived a

few minutes ago and was now trying to convince
Asher to go back and visit with the king.

“He said he wanted to see you,” Phin explained

again, with the emphasis on see.

“And I say again, he never wanted to know me

before. Why now?”

“Because he nearly died. It’s changed his

perspective.”

Asher huffed a response that was half disbelief

and half laughter. “What about you? You left the
city because you hated him.”

Phin grimaced. “Yeah, him and what I was

being forced to be, and most of all, what you were
being forced to be.” He sighed dramatically and
couldn’t look Asher in the eye. Then he admitted,
“Like I was going to get anything done by running
away.”

Asher couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

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Was Phin really sitting here saying he’d finally got
his head around his place in the world?

He couldn’t resist teasing his brother. “Who do

I have to thank for this change in position?”

“Joseph,” Phin said firmly. “I guess,” he added

lamely. “He spent a long time talking with our
father, and I listened a lot. He’ll always be stuck in
the past—not Joseph—the king. Father can’t see
why things have to change. According to what he
says, the Kingdom has been a place of two types
for centuries. Why change what works.”

“Okay, Phin, hold on.” Asher held up his

hands. “This is not convincing me to visit him.”

Phin sighed noisily. “So I sat with him, and he

listened to me because he kind of owed me for
saving his life, and while I’m not sure it’s all gone
in, he agrees that we could look to putting the
whole demon thing to a vote.”

“The demon thing,” Asher said calmly. He had

to hold his temper down. How could Phin sit here
and talk about what Asher lived as the demon
thing.

“Shit. No. I didn’t mean it like that.” Asher

made to stand and Phin gripped his brother’s
hand and held tight. “Please don’t leave, don’t
hate me, I didn’t mean…hell, Asher…you’re my
brother…I freaking well left the city because I
hated what it was doing to you.”

“I’m not sure that helped much,” Simeon said

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from the doorway.

Asher looked up at the feline shifter and

smiled. He looked a lot better, and was at least
standing upright without falling over now.
Actually, Asher thought he should ask Phin to
heal the remaining injuries that stubbornly would
not close up, including the stitches that refused to
disappear on his neck.

“This is a private conversation,” Phin snapped.
Simeon shrugged, then very deliberately, he sat

down next to Asher. “You know what, Phin,
there’s things Asher won’t say, that your brother
won’t tell you, but I have only known him a few
days and I can see what he thinks without trying.”

Phin looked affronted, then dismissive. “I

don’t—”

“Listen to me. You don’t like the way things

work in the city, you argue with your dad, I get
that. I even understand that, I don’t even know
my dad, but I bet if I ever met him that he would
be a complete dick like my brother is. But you left
in protest over blood demon rights, and you left
your brother alone. Your leaving didn’t do much.”

Phin nodded as Simeon spoke and Asher

weighed up whether this was Phin listening or
Phin contemplating how to kill Simeon.

“Exactly,” Phin said quickly. “I did it all wrong.

Joseph made me see that, our father made me see
that, what Simeon said is absolutely right. I want

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the three of us—me, you, the king—to push
government, get equality, make this right. Will
you come back with me just for an hour? Just to
talk.”

“I can’t leave Simeon,” Asher protested.
Simeon placed a hand flat on Asher’s thigh.

“Yes, you can. I’ll be asleep and I’m safe here. Go
to wherever Phin has your father, and talk, then
come back here to me.” He leaned forward and
Asher was at first hesitant. Was Simeon going to
kiss him in front of Phin?

They pressed lips together in a very chaste kiss

and Phin huffed a laugh. “So it’s like that, then?”
he said.

Simeon used his free hand to cup Asher’s chin

and tilted his face to deepen the kiss. Then he
pulled away. Asher found himself chasing for the
kiss and went scarlet at having kissed the dazzling
shifter in front of his own brother.

“Very much like that,” Simeon said. Then, to

Asher, he added, “Hurry home.”

* * * *

Asher paced outside the room. Phin had gone

inside a few moments before with the nurse
responsible for the king’s care.

“You okay?” Joseph asked carefully. Asher

stopped pacing and turned to face his brother’s

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partner.

“Far from okay,” he said irritably.
“I can’t even imagine how you feel,” Joseph

began diplomatically.

“No, you can’t.” Asher wasn’t ready for the

warm and fuzzies just yet. Joseph seemed like a
good guy and Phin loved him, but he didn’t really
know the vampire that well. Of course, given the
whole vampires creating blood demons as food
connection, he was hesitant to be too friendly. The
creation of blood demons might have happened a
millennia ago, but there was an inbuilt flight or
flight in him whenever he came up against a
vampire. Which didn’t happen often.

“This means a lot to Phin,” Joseph pointed out.
“It’s the only reason I’m doing it. For Phin.”
The door opened and Phin gestured for Asher

to go in.

“Good luck,” Joseph offered with a sketchy

wave.

“Yeah,” Asher muttered. Then, drawing his

composure together, he stepped into the wide tall
ceilinged room that King Garrick of the Second
Kingdom held court in. Asher expected grandeur,
but all he got was a very slight man, who looked
worse than Asher thought he would, lying tucked
under brilliantly white sheets. His head was
slightly elevated on pillows and a smile crossed
his face when Asher moved closer.

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“Asherkan Iblis,” he said in a raspy voice. “I

knew your mom.”

Asher crossed his arms over his chest. “Seems

like you knew her quite well.”

“A strong woman, very confident, you look like

her.”

“Good to know,” Asher dismissed.
“You have a look of Phin about you as well,” he

added.

“I know.” He was being honest. He knew he

was a little too soft in the face for a demon—he
was just lucky no one else had noticed.

“Do you have magic as well?” The king

appeared curious.

Asher glanced at the closed door, as if Phin was

stood there watching. “He told you about that.
And no, I don’t.”

The king shuffled a little to sit more upright

and he coughed as he did so. He was so frail, older
than Asher remembered from the odd few times
he had seen the king from a distance. Asher
stepped forward to help but found himself
stopping just out of reach.

“I didn’t know about Elsa,” the king said

carefully. “Your mother was one of my wife’s
maids. She made me laugh, made me happy. You
won’t be able to believe this I am sure, but I loved
her.”

“No, I don’t believe that.”

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“Why? Because an elf cannot love a blood

demon? I have proved that isn’t true.” He
coughed again. “Would you pass me my water?”

Asher hesitated, then remembered he was here

to listen. If the old elf died for lack of water, then
Asher wouldn’t get to hear a thing. He helped the
king to drink, then placed the cup back on the
stand.

“So, you loved my mom,” Asher summarised.

“Good to know. Are we done now?” He wanted to
provoke the elf king to snap and show his true
colours.

“Far from it, Asherkan.”
“Asher. People call me Asher.”
“Asher, then,” the king nodded. “You can call

me Garrick, or Father.”

“Okay, Garrick,” Asher said, deliberately

snubbing the second option. “What happened to
my mom?”

“Please, sit,” Garrick said. There was a thread

of determination in his voice and Asher was
compelled to sit. He chose the part of the bed that
was the furthest from Garrick and waited for
answers.

“I did love her. We would meet in secret. A

member of elf nobility and a blood demon? That
wasn’t ever going to happen, and I had so many
young elves snapping at my heels for control of
the Second Kingdom. I couldn’t leave my society

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approved wife, which is what I wanted to do. Elsa,
your mother, left. One day I woke up and she
wasn’t in my life anymore. My wife, Phin’s
mother, she told me there was a problem at home
and that Elsa promised to return. I was lost
without her and waited each day for her to come
home. She never did. I would travel out in
disguise, or send trusted servants out, all to find
her, for months, then years, I looked. But she had
vanished. Then word came that her body had been
found. She had died a year before, maybe more.
The blood demon community had closed its ranks
and I decided that my relationship with her
should remain hidden.”

“And you didn’t know she had a son? Ever?”
Garrick bit his lip and a troubled expression

sketched on his face. “I didn’t. And even if I did?
What would have happened? The Kingdom
would never have accepted a mixed blood heir. If I
had known, and publically accepted you? That
would have led to inevitable war. As I grow older,
my influence wanes. Already Delsaran has
grasped control of the Kingdom. He will never
accept a demon as his king.”

“We know about Delsaran,” Asher offered. He

listened to what Garrick said, and every logical
rational part of him knew that everything he said
made sense. Even if he had known he’d fathered a
son, putting a half breed on the throne was akin to

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starting a war. It was simply the worst thing that
could happen in this fragile place with its politics
and drama. Still, a part of him, the small part in
his heart that craved family, was angry that his
mom had never been in his life to tell him about
Garrick. Being excluded from a father, not
knowing his mother or brother, that was a scar on
his heart that would never heal.

“So, it comes to this, my son. I am pleased to

know that you are here and that you have Phin’s
best interests at heart. He doesn’t want the
Kingdom, he was born for a different purpose,
with his magic and his connection the Vampire
Prince, Joseph. Will you accept my blessing as heir
to the Kingdom and fight for your home?”

“What about your statement it would cause

war?”

Garrick closed his eyes briefly. “War is what we

are heading to anyway. The kingdom is split, and
too much influence from Glitnir is driving a
wedge even deeper between the elves, the demons
and the felines. A man, Ludvik Peitrol,
approached me. He said he spoke for the Fae at
Glitnir and offered me magic in return for my
support in his endevours to control Glitnir in
entirety. I turned him down. He went to the next
in line, Delsaran.”

“Ludvik is a name that keeps cropping up,”

Phin said with heat. “His desire for power is

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backed up by dark perverted magic.”

Asher thought of Simeon and his animosity to

the felines in the mountains, and of his friend
Vesstan who probably wondered where the hell
he’d gone. If everypne could be brought together,
the felines, and the city, cats, elves, and blood
demons, maybe a new age could be ushered in?
Was he really the demon to do this? Could he help
keep Ludvik’s magic away from here?

“I don’t know if I can be the person you want

me to be,” he answered truthfully. “I’m not as
strong as everyone thinks I am.” He wished he
could recall the words as soon as he said them. He
didn’t allow others to see chinks in his armour,
and self doubt was very much an issue.

Garrick moved his hand from under the covers

and held it out. “All it needs is for you to clasp my
hand, and if my blood runs through your veins
then the tattoo seal will pass to you.”

Asher’s fingers immediately went to his neck

and the tattoo that lay there. “I’m already
marked,” he snapped. Then he thrust his hand out
wrist up so that the two marks appeared. “Slave,
and soldier,” he added, with hate in the words.

Garrick didn’t waver. “Then let me add another

mark to the ones you carry with pride and
fortitude.”

Asher’s mouth fell open. This elf wasn’t saying

the other marks would go, he wanted to add the

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king’s mark to those he already had.

“I don’t understand,” Asher said finally.
“Those signs on your skin show what kind of

man you were. Resilient. I want to give you the
next sign on the map of your life.”

Asher tilted his head. “And Phin doesn’t want

it?”

“I don’t want it,” Phin said from behind him.

Asher hadn’t even heard him come in the room.

“But doesn’t Delsaran expect the mark now?”
“Never,” Garrick was vehement. “He is

overstepping his authority on a million different
levels. He may have a drop of my blood in him
but he was never what I wanted for my home.”

Finally Asher held out his hand and clasped the

king’s hand. The burning of a scar on his skin
made him yelp in pain. Heat rushed through his
veins and he doubled over in pain before pushing
himself to stand brave. Garrick sighed deeply and
relaxed his hold.

“I didn’t know you, Asherkan Iblis, but there

was always a place in me that loved you as much
as I loved Phin.”

Asher brought back his hand and examined the

stylised sun on his inner arm. It was large, with
flames that extended into his elbow then as he
watched, traced to his upper arm. Stunning.

“Phin?”
Phin stood the other side of the bed and

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grasped his father’s hand.

“I love you, son,” he said gently. “Watch out for

your brother.”

The room fell quiet and Asher looked up from

his examination of the design on his arm. He saw
Phin had tears on his cheeks and when he
followed Phin’s linked hand to Garrick, he could
see what passing the king’s mark on had done.
Garrick was dead. His sightless eyes were wide
and staring and a faint hint of a smile was on his
lips. Asher slid off the bed and stood next to Phin.

“I’m so sorry, Phin.” He placed his arm over

Phin’s shoulders and held his brother tight. He
didn’t grieve for himself, he hadn’t known Garrick
at all, but he grieved for his little brother. “So
sorry.”

The Demon’s Blood

Chapter Eight

imeon sat for a long time at the side of the
waterfall and pool and just stared into the

water. How long he’d been there he didn’t know,
but it was a good place to think. Every so often he
dropped a stone into the water and counted the
ripples that moved outwards to the side. His
reflection distorted in the moving lines and he
concentrated hard to place all the tiny fractured
pieces of him into a cohesive whole. A bit like his
thoughts, which were all over the place.

He didn’t know what the hell was going to

happen with Asher going to see the king. Nothing
good, he decided. Feelings for the demon—
conflicted, confusing emotions—jostled for
position inside him. When they'd first met,
Simeon’s feline self was absolutely obsessed.
Something about Asher was connecting to the
feral, animal side of Simeon, and damned if his
human self wasn't just as enamoured.

Asher had said he wanted to kiss Simeon when

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he came back, but was that going to happen?
There was something so hot between them,
attraction, lust, and he wasn’t able to fight the
attraction. He was falling head over heels for the
small demon. Not small…he’s not small…I’m just
huge…Simeon huffed a self deprecating laugh.
Slipping off his boots and socks and rolling up his
pants, he dangled his feet in the water. There was
a spring that fed this place and while the centre of
the pool was icy, the edges were warm.

“You look sad,” Asher said from his side.
Startled, Simeon looked up at the demon

standing next to him. He’d been expecting him to
dive into the pool through that magic barrier
thing, not just appear next to him.

“How…”
“Phin brought me back.”
Simeon peered through Asher’s legs. “Is he still

here?”

Asher deflated and with a deep sigh he sat

down next to Simeon. “He’s gone back to organise
the funeral.”

“Hell, Asher, the king died?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry,” Simeon said softly. It felt like the

right thing to say.

Asher was quiet for a while. “Why did you look

sad when I first saw you?”

Simeon smiled and looked directly at Asher.

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“Usual stuff. I need to see Jason, sort out this feud,
rally the guild to stand with the demons against
the elves, fuck, I don’t know where to start with
that one.”

“I have something to tell you,” Asher said. He

held out a hand and Simeon didn’t hesitate, he
gripped hard. “But first I need to ask you
something.”

“Go for it.”
“What do you feel for me? Is there something

here that we can make more of? When we
kissed…”

Simeon squeezed his fingers. “That was kind of

a harsh kiss.”

“You think we can try again?”
“Now?”
“Now.”
They leaned in to kiss, and this time the touch

was gentle, soft and nothing more than a touch of
lips. A faultless kiss. Simeon was more used to the
hard, fast kisses of someone who expected the big,
bad cat to be all pushy and forceful. Something
about Asher tamed his wildness a little. They
separated and Asher smiled at him.

“That was nice,” he said. Then in a smooth

movement he straddled Simeon’s lap. The weight
on him was perfect and he groaned when Asher
wriggled to get settled then cupped Simeon’s face.
“Can we do that again?” he asked. Sitting like this,

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their faces were nearly level and they kissed again.
Starting slow, they explored each other smoothly.
Simeon was near purring from the soft treacle-
smooth feelings sliding through his body. Asher
tilted his head and deepened the kiss, asking for
entrance with teeth and tongue until finally they
could taste each other. Simeon wanted to touch,
but he was supporting his weight with his hands
flat behind him and he had to simply sit and allow
Asher to lead the embrace.

He was so hard, and when Asher began to

press down on his hard cock with his ass,
Simeon’s cat prowled and poked at him to get on
with the plan and mark the demon as his own. His
canines pricked at his gums and Asher laughed
into the kiss.

“Sharp,” he said with a smile. Then he

deliberately licked at the sharp teeth and Simeon
could taste blood. Asher teased him and Simeon
was seriously going to come in his pants if the
damn demon didn’t back off and let him control
this.

“You don’t need to control,” Asher whispered

in his ear. Simeon mewled as Asher nibbled on his
ear lobe then bit a small path of heated kisses into
his skin and to his throat.

“I didn’t…say…” Simeon defended. He could

swear he’d said nothing.

“You didn’t,” Asher’s voice was in his head. His

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lips weren’t moving but Simeon could hear him.

“Can we…are we…”
“Yes.”
Oh fuck, this was so hot. They kissed and

rutted and touched and all the time the coolness of
the water lapped at Simeon’s feet. Until finally,
they reached that point when it was all or nothing.
Simeon broke the kiss.

“Bed? Floor? Anywhere,” he said a little

desperately.

Asher smirked then scrambled off of Simeon’s

lap. He held out a hand to help Simeon stand and
in less than a blink of the eye they were inside and
stripping clothes as they made their way to the
bed. Simeon watched as Asher’s pants hit the floor
and he got his first real look at the person he was
going to be taking as a lover. Hurriedly, he
pushed at his own pants and pulled his shirt over
his head. Underwear gone, he was naked as the
day he was born, as was Asher.

Which is when Simeon saw it. The tattoo that

spread from wrist to shoulder, intricate, a sun
with rays, in stylised thick black.

“Fuck, Asher,” he said with heat. “What did

you do?”

Asher stopped in his tracks and uncertainty

spread across his face. “I didn’t really have a
choice,” he said firmly. “Phin refuses the throne,
and with his magic, his place isn’t there, and I

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want something for the Second Kingdom that
someone like Delsaran will never understand.
Unity. Elves, demons, felines.”

“You want to take on the guild?” Simeon asked

in shock.

“No, I want to talk to them, with you, and make

them see there is another way, different than us
being separate entities.”

“And you are king.”
Asher closed his eyes and his hands clenched

into fists at his side. “I should have told you first,”
he said. “But I wanted your honest reaction.”

“To what? To falling into bed with a king?”
Asher opened his eyes again and there was

utter confusion mixed with hope in his expression.
“Yeah.”

The same conflicted emotions mixed inside

Simeon. Doing this wasn’t just some one night
thing. His cat wanted Asher so bad that even now,
the impulse to fuck Asher was strong, and his
human self was just as keen on the idea. Both parts
of him wanted so much more from Asher, but his
human side wasn’t so quick to claim fated mates.
Could he be with a king?

Oh hell, Asher is king.
“You’d be next to me in everything,” Asher said

quietly. “Every step I take as king, you would be
with me. If we make love, then I would never let
you go.”

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“You’d be my only lover. For the rest of my

life,” Simeon summed up.

“I know felines have more than one, but blood

demons love only a single person at a time.”

Not even the thought of giving up other lovers

dissuaded Simeon. Hell, being with Asher
sounded exactly like what Simeon had in his own
head. The decision was easy, and he gathered
Asher in a hug then lifted him off his feet. Asher
quickly got with the plan and wrapped his legs
around Simeon’s lower back. In this position
Asher was protected and Simeon had total control.
His cat mewled in pleasure.

“Making love to a king? That is kind of hot,” he

said. Then he kissed Asher and everything was
right in the world.

They stood this way, and Asher was like no

weight in Simeon’s arms, even though he wasn’t a
lightweight. Somehow Simeon felt like this was
balance. He crossed to the bed and encouraged
Asher to fall back on the white covers. Seeing his
lover lying there waiting was all the impetus
Simeon needed to join him, and he caged Asher
with legs and arms and deepened kisses. Asher
clung to him and Simeon settled himself to one
side so he wouldn’t squash Asher. Even in the
kisses, Asher moaned his protest.

“On me,” he ordered. Grabbing at Simeon’s

hip, he pulled him and didn’t stop until Simeon

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blanketed him.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Simeon teased.
“Gods, I could love you,” Asher said. “Seven

days is all we’ve been together, and most of that
you were unconscious, but there is something
about you that speaks to my heart and soul.”

Simeon groaned. “Don’t say poetic meaningful

things like that when I don’t have the words to say
what I feel.”

“Tell me what you want to say,” Asher

demanded.

“The same. Exactly the same as you. Lust, need,

all mixed in with some hope.”

He pressed down and their cocks slid next to

each other and the sensation of soft over hard
intoxicated. They kissed as Simeon set a pace. He
was used to that, and felt happy to be the one
leading this…but maybe next time…

Asher did something with his tongue and teeth

on Simeon’s throat and rational thought
disappeared. He was desperate to be inside Asher,
to bite down on him, mark him like the mark of a
king sat on Asher’s arm. Asher might be king, but
Simeon wanted to be forever-lover, and that
meant more.

The feel of something cool on his hand had him

opening his eyes and he saw slick dripping and
Asher looking up at him innocently with his
hands in a jar at the side. When Simeon didn’t

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immediately move Asher slid himself around until
his legs were wide under Simeon.

“Come on,” Asher demanded in his head.
Simeon moved a little to the side so he could

open Asher for him but stopped at the sight of his
flushed lover so hard and needy below him. He
wanted to taste. In a smooth move he slid down
Asher’s body and licked his way along Asher’s
cock. The taste was nectar and he swallowed him
whole. Asher bucked up under the ministrations
and this allowed Simeon access and he took
advantage. Pressing his fingers against Asher’s
hole he drew a small shape and encouraged the
muscle to relax. When he was certain Asher knew
what he was doing, he pressed his first finger
inside and at the same time began to move on
Asher’s cock. From root to tip he sucked and
enjoyed and hummed his approval. One finger
became two and when everything felt loose and
soft he added a third, then crooked the fingers to
find that gland that was going to send Asher high.

Asher’s pleasure became incoherent noises as

Simeon gently stroked the spot and kept up the
licking and sucking on Asher’s cock. This was
ecstasy, he could feel inside him what Asher felt,
knew what it was like.

“St—stop,” Asher stuttered. “In me…”
Simeon didn’t argue. He released Asher’s cock

and moved to his knees before roughly pulling

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Asher towards him. He wanted inside, he couldn’t
wait. Angling Asher, he pushed in, and finally
when he was so deep inside that he couldn’t
decide where he ended and Asher began, he
waited.

“You said you could love me,” he whispered

harshly. “Say it again.”

Asher opened his mouth to speak just as

Simeon moved, pulling out then sliding back in.

“I ca…I…Sim…”
Simeon felt as powerful as a king himself as

Asher came apart in his arms. Asher let Simeon
guide it all and finally Asher arched and shouted
as his come roped across his stomach.

Simeon’s canines fully descended and he threw

his head back and howled as he fucked his way
through his orgasm. Finally, when he finished,
literally and figuratively, he eased out and fell
panting to one side of Asher.

“I could, you know,” Asher said softly. “Love

you. Hell, if you leave my side I start to pine. I
think I already do.”

Simeon, ignoring the mess between them and

the exhaustion that stole his capacity to think,
cuddled Asher to him.

“Me too, Your Highness, me, too.”

The Demon’s Blood

Chapter Nine

sher stopped just before the forest. Something
about this part of the Second Kingdom made

him fearful and anxious. Simeon looked like he
belonged here, stalking ahead into the verdant,
tangled undergrowth.

“Wait,” Asher said quickly.
Simeon stopped and turned on the balls of his

feet.

“Are you okay?” he asked, concern lacing his

voice. He crossed to Asher quickly and hugged
him close. “You look pale.”

“Should I go into the city first?” Asher asked

into Simeon’s chest.

Simeon held him at arm's length and frowned

at him. “We talked about this. Delsaran’s made his
move, and there is nothing we can do against the
mass of soldiers he has without the Felines behind
us.”

“What if Delsaran sees I am king now and just

rolls over?” Hell, he was just going over and over

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the same old arguments here. Two days wouldn’t
make an awful lot of difference in the grander
scheme of things.

Simeon nodded. “Do you want to go there

first?”

What made this worse was that Simeon entirely

supported the decisions Asher faced. It didn’t
matter what choice Asher made, Simeon would be
there beside him. Asher glanced into the trees.
Something felt wrong here. Like they were being
watched.

“I feel like someone is watching us,” he thought.
“Agreed,” Simeon thought back. “Let’s keep going

and I’ll see what I can scent. Keep your knife close.”

The two of them stepped into the shadows and

Asher followed Simeon close. He didn’t hear
anyone following, but then he’d never heard
Simeon when he and Vesstan were meeting with
the elves of their little war council, only sensed he
was there. Thinking of Vesstan, Asher knew he
had to have a difficult conversation with his
friend. Vesstan was all about demon rights and
equality, but often at the expense of elf rights. His
perfect world consisted of just blood demons who
answered to no one.

As for Jason, Simeon’s Feline Guild brother, he

didn’t know what he was going to say to the other
shifter. Simeon stopped in his stride and held up a
hand, and that made Asher cease thinking so hard.

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101

Simeon had obviously scented something. When
the mountain lion shifter dropped to a crouch,
Asher dropped as well, with absolute trust that
Simeon knew what he was doing. Simeon glanced
back and placed a single finger on his lips,
indicating quiet. Asher nodded and held the hilt of
his knife firmly. Asher listened hard but could
hear nothing. The snarl came from behind him. He
found his face planted in the dirt, with claws in his
back and the wicked weight of something on his
back that snarled and spat. His knife flew from his
hand and he watched as Simeon looked back in
horror, and shifted in seconds. His clothes ripped
and hung in tatters as he launched himself at
Asher’s head. Asher closed his eyes, thinking this
could be the end of things when the heavy weight
was pushed violently from his back.

A scream ripped the air and Asher scrambled to

stand. He grabbed the knife on the way up and
turned to face whatever hell Simeon had thrown
himself into.

Horrific noise echoed in the trees as Simeon’s

golden cat scrapped and bit at a slightly larger
darker furred cat. The intense fight left blood
speckled on Simeon’s muzzle and screams so
unearthly that Asher had never heard anything
like them before. Without thought he launched
into the battle with his knife high. A thump on the
leg from a huge paw and he was thrown against

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the nearest tree. Stunned, he watched the two cats
break apart and Simeon moving to stand between
him and the other mountain lion.

In a second, Simeon shifted, as did the other cat.
“Fuck you, Simeon,” the other cat, man,

shouted. He bled from a chest wound and blood
coated his left arm.

“Don’t you touch him,” Simeon hissed. He had

blood on his back and Asher reached a hand out to
touch the wound, but withdrew the movement
when he realised Simeon visibly bristled with
energy.

“What is he? Your pet?” the other spat.
“He is my fated mate and your king,” Simeon

shouted.

Hell, who was Simeon telling this to—what

happened to low key discussion?

“Cats don’t have fated mates,” the other said

with absolute conviction, “And I have no king,” he
added with force.

“Jason, you have to listen to me.”
So this would be Jason, just as tall and broad as

Simeon, but with darker hair, the leader of the
Feline Guild here in the forests. This was who
Asher needed to talk to.

“I don’t have to listen to a thing you say,” Jason

shouted. “You were the one who left.”

“You were the one who tried to mate me off to

a she-cat I didn’t even know.”

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103

“It was for the good of the guild.”
“Fuck the guild.”
Hell, their voices were simply getting louder as

they exchanged words. In the end, they would be
cats again and scrapping and injuring each other.
Asher pushed himself to stand straight and very
deliberately he stepped around Simeon with a
gentling hand on his arm. Simeon hissed at the
touch and his eyes held the amber striations of
mid change. Not to mention that his curved and
wicked claws were extended.

“I’ll deal with this,” Asher said firmly, and

hoped to hell Simeon was too emotional to read
the absolute fear in Asher. He’d seen what a lion
shifter could do to a demon in the back street
fights that Vesstan had dragged him to.

He held out a hand. “Asherkan Iblis, son of

King Garrick, and now king in his own right,” he
said with as much gravitas as he could muster.

Jason ignored his outstretched hand. “I’m not

touching a demon,” he snapped.

Simeon growled. “I will kill you, brother,” he

warned.

Jason quirked a brow. “You could try, brother.”

He spat the last word with so much anger and
hate that Asher took a step back.

“Show me the king’s mark,” Jason ordered.
Asher fought his instinctive no, and instead he

undid his shirt and shrugged it off his shoulders

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104

until he stood bare from the waist up. Jason
stepped forward, his claws partially extended.
Simeon made to move but Asher held up a hand.

“Let him look,” he said softly. “Please,” he

added when Simeon tensed.

“Yes, Simeon, little cat, all domesticated,” Jason

said snarkily.

“Stop bitching and look,” Asher said irritably.
Jason scraped a nail over the tattoos around

Asher’s neck. “A slave's mark,” he said with the
glitter of humour in his eyes. Then he traced to the
slave mark on the inside of Asher’s wrist and the
added shape that indicated soldier. Asher turned
slightly so Jason could fully see the designs that
his father had given him.

Jason peered close then chuffed his

disapproval.

“So is this the bit where you demand I go to my

knees and swear allegiance, Your Highness?”

Asher bit back his instant reply. There was

something to be said for the idea of Jason on his
knees to both Asher and to Simeon. But when
Jason called him Your Highness, he could hear a
similarity between the voices of the two brothers.
Admittedly, Simeon called him Your Highness in
an affectionate manner, while Jason’s, on the other
hand, dripped with sarcasm. He could look past
that.

“I don’t care to have you on your knees,” Asher

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105

said simply. “But I am your king, and you will
gather the guild and you will listen to what I have
to say. Otherwise I will call the elves to arms and
one way or another I will have unity between us
even if it is at the end of a sword.”

“Is that all? Gather the guild, he says,” Jason

laughed and appeared to dismiss the threat. “That
will take weeks.”

Asher looked very pointedly at Jason. “Simeon

will take me to a place where we can meet. You
don’t have weeks, I don’t have time to spare on
your delaying tactics and your fellow mountain
lions who are all miserable and hidden away. You
have two hours to get them to the meeting place.
Simeon?”

“Council,” Simeon confirmed.
“What Simeon said. We meet at the council

space in two hours.”

Jason straightened and stood tall. For a second,

Asher imagined the shifter was going to go all lion
on him and rip him to shreds. Instead, he seemed
to be considering the options given to him, until
finally he came to some sort of decision.

“Three,” he said. Then he shifted and ran into

the forest.

Asher let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been

holding. Simeon moved closer, and for a second
Asher allowed himself to lean back against
Simeon.

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106

“Is he always like that?”
“Mostly.”
“And you hate each other?”
Simeon sighed. “Mountain lions don’t do well

in groups,” he said carefully. He bent to pick up
the remains of his pants, then threw them away in
disgust. “Another pair ruined,” he said.

“But you are brothers.” He couldn’t understand

how brothers couldn’t be like him and Phin.

“By blood and nothing else.”
“What if you needed him?”
Simeon narrowed his eyes in thought. “He

would always be there for me,” he admitted.

Asher shook his head. He didn’t understand the

complicated family dynamics going on here. But
he needed to, if he had any chance of forming an
alliance to make the Second Kingdom strong and
able to present a united front for Joseph’s idea of a
unified Third Kingdom, including Glitnir, with all
supernatural beings being equal.

They walked a short distance to a path that any

normal person would miss and made their way
deeper into the gloom. By the time they reached
the space that Simeon called the council area,
Asher ached from stumbling around plants and
roots. Simeon circled his arms in the wide open
space. The area was nearly circular, maybe more
oval, and the trees that surrounded it had been
trained to form a kind of leafy roof that blocked

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107

out most of the sunlight.

“Do you always meet in the dark?” he asked

curiously.

“We have good eyesight,” Simeon answered.

He stepped closer as they stood in the centre of the
circle. “Even in the gloom you’re gorgeous,” he
added.

Asher shook his head. “You already fucked me.

I’m a sure thing,” he said with a laugh.

Simeon closed the remaining distance and

cupped Asher’s face. “I didn’t fuck you, we made
love,” he said softly. “And, Your Highness, you’re
not a sure thing, and I will spend every single day
of the rest of my life earning your love.”

“Oh…” Asher managed to say. He’d never

heard anything quite as romantic as what had just
been said to him. He closed his hands behind
Simeon’s neck and locked them there. “I need a
kiss,” he said.

Simeon appeared happy to oblige. He gripped

Asher’s hips and nearly bent him backwards in
the hottest of kisses and Asher felt desperate for
more when a cough cut into the kiss. Simeon
released his hold but kept close as Asher
straightened.

“Did you know someone was here?” he asked.
“About halfway through the kiss,” Simeon

admitted. “They have to know you’re mine so
they’ll know I’d die for you.”

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108

“Will you stop doing that,” Asher said quietly.
“What?”
“Making sweeping, dramatic statements about

what you’d do for me.”

“Okay.” Simeon mimicked zipping his lips

closed.

Asher took a moment to compose himself then

turned to face the cough. Jason stood naked,
leaning against a tree, his arms crossed over his
chest and a smirk on his face.

“Sorry to interrupt, Your Highness.”
Again with the sarcasm. I wish he’d stop.
“Do you want me to stop as well?” Simeon

answered the thought.

“No, I love it when you call me that.”

“I love you.”
“You can’t say that now, with your brother looking

to kill me.”

“If he kills you, I want that to be the last thing you

hear.” Simeon teased him and Asher grinned at his
lover.

“I love you too. Now shhh, so I can concentrate.”
Jason straightened from the tree. “Are you

talking to each other in thought?” he said with
disbelief on his face.

“I apologise,” Asher said.
Jason stalked closer and Asher heard the curse

in Simeon’s head. Then Jason stopped directly in
front of them. “You can communicate without

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109

talking—like mountain lions who mate can?”

“Yes,” Asher said puzzled. Why was this an

issue? He glanced at Simeon, who wouldn’t look
directly at him. “I thought it was what happened
in general with fated mates?”

Jason shook his head. “The last time…our

parents.” He gestured with his hand between
himself and Simeon. “It is rare. An utterly perfect
moment has to happen for your thoughts to
connect with that of a mountain lion. We don’t
share very easily.”

Asher caught movement from the corner of his

eye and looked directly to see the shapes of
mountain lions coming to the edges of the circle
and shifting to human as they settled.

“Everyone is here,” Simeon said softly. Jason

stared right at Asher, as if he could see into his
soul. It unnerved Asher, but he stood his ground.

Jason didn’t move from his spot and Asher

steeled himself for the inevitable attack in which
he died horribly. The fear coursing through him
must be something that Simeon could feel and he
couldn’t stop how it threatened his own calm.

“I’m not saying that anyone here in the guild

will follow you, but for what it’s worth…” his
voice trailed off as he gracefully fell to one knee
and bowed his head. “As leader of the Feline
Guild, I recognise you as king.”

Asher was at a loss at what to do now, and

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Simeon made it even worse when he copied his
brother’s action and bowed to Asher. That’s not

right, none of this is right. I am a blood demon, I can’t
do this, I’m only half elf—

“Stop panicking. Play your part, Your Highness,”

Simeon thought. And was there laughter in his
tone? Asher thought so, but he couldn’t tell
properly. One by one, each mountain lion in the
guild made a choice. Some turned and
disappeared into the forest, others knelt like
Simeon and Jason, and more, at least ten, stood
with arms folded or with their hands clenched in
fists and stared at Asher.

“Thank you,” Asher acknowledged. Jason stood

and Simeon moved just as quickly. The small
group of dissenters that bothered to stay were
what Asher hoped would be the ones he could
turn. One by one, the shifters who knelt moved
closer, with the others ranged behind them. Where
should he start? With the murder of Garrick by
magic filled poisoning, with Ludvik’s connections
from Glitnir? With the prophesy of the Vampire
twins? What about blood demon rights? What did
he say about that? And the fact that a vast majority
of elves were quite happy with the way things
were going and didn’t want to change a thing?

“What did you want to say?” Jason prompted

with that same smirk on his face. He might have
knelt and acknowledged Asher as king but he

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111

wasn’t giving any leeway on the whole respect
thing. Asher guessed he needed to earn that.

“Just that somehow we need to get back into

the city so we can get control back from Delsaran
and his guards.”

“How many guards?”
“I have no idea.”
“Good start,” someone said in the small group.

Simeon and Jason both snarled a warning and the
group murmuring subsided. Seemed it was useful
having the brothers on his side. Now if only he
could get Jason to stop smirking.

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112

Chapter Ten

hen it came down to it, twenty three of the
guild joined with Asher, twenty four if you

included Simeon. Which meant there were
probably a hundred guards on Delsaran’s payroll
for each of them. Asher’s strategy was clear. Chop
the head off the monster and the masses would
lose their direction. Simeon’s eyes lit up and Asher
had to explain that he didn’t actually mean chop
Delsaran’s head off, but just get to the core of the
city and neutralise the man who would be king.
Asher thought about contacting Phin, but last he’d
heard, he was tracking down Declan, who had
somehow got in the middle of a succubus
situation and had disappeared. Nothing was
freaking simple. He kind of needed his brother’s
help.

“Okay, so the plan, then,” he began.
“We know the plan,” Jason said with barely

contained impatience. “We have ten minutes to
get into the city, through the back ways that you

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113

have very clearly described to us. We ignore
everything except finding Delsaran. We neutralise
him. End of story.”

“Please…” he turned to the group who were

spread out among the trees at the edge of the city,
some shifted, some in human form. “Everyone
stay safe, don’t do anything stupid. Stay alive. No
one has to die today.”

A couple of the shifted mountain lions snarled

at this. Asher wished he could tell whether this
was a good thing or a bad thing. He looked at
Simeon for reassurance, but Simeon was clearly in
focused mode. He’d tied his golden hair back in a
tail to keep it from around his face and his eyes
glittered with intent.

“Focus,” he said more to himself than to

everyone else. They’d chosen the classic entrance
time of guard change in the early dawn, but were
doubly aware that this might well be expected.
Hell, Asher could second guess everything and
he’d go mad. He was a foot soldier, not a
strategist. How could he even be a king if he
couldn’t lead an army? Close to hyperventilating,
he pressed a hand to his chest.

“Everything will go well, lover,” Simeon

telegraphed with a sharp canine-tooth smile.

Asher straightened his stance, gripped his

knife, and hoped to hell Simeon was right.

“Time to go,” he said.

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114

* * * *

Simeon checked the entrance and made the

strategic decision to enter as a cat. He shifted as
soon as they entered the palace. He led three other
shifted mountain lions and four in human form,
plus he had Asher in his sights at all times. His
lover's uncertainty could well get him killed.
Maybe, at the end of things, that was why Simeon
had been partnered with him, maybe Simeon
would always be destined as the strategist and
fighter that Asher needed now.

They entered by the kitchens and the blood

demons working there simply melted away with
their backs to the walls. A couple looked at Asher
with no recognition. Asher realised he had
somehow become something different in the space
of a week. A free demon. Soon, all of these would
be free and the marks on them would be a sign of
liberty, not of possession. Not long.

They took out two guards at the top of the stairs

to the main corridor and Simeon caught sight of
some of the group darting left, others going right,
then it was his and Asher’s turn to move forward.
They reached the moment of no return. Ahead of
them were the throne room and the private
apartments that Delsaran used. There was no one
guarding the door and Simeon hesitated.

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115

“This isn’t right,” he thought.
“I agree,” Asher said back quickly. “But what

else can we do?”

Simeon scented the air but it was difficult to get

a read. He knew Jason would be protecting the
back exit from the king’s rooms—he needed to get
inside the front and actually confront what the hell
was going on in there. Asher was King. His place
was at the centre of this city.

“Stay low when we move.”
“I will.”
“Please don’t do anything stupid,” Simeon

pleaded in a mirror of the little speech that Asher
had given earlier. “The guild have your back.”

With a nod, Asher loosened his stance and with

Simeon's swords held in guard position, he
pushed the door open with his foot. The throne
room appeared empty, or it looked that way at
first. Then Asher let out a strangled noise and
hurried to the centre of the room.

“Stay with me,” Simeon ordered. But Asher fell

to his knees next to a man, a demon, blood in a
pool around his body.

“Vesstan,” Asher keened.
This was way past a trap—they wouldn’t be

getting out of here without a fight. The huge oak
door they’d just pushed in through slammed shut
and the noise of the locks had them trapped from
behind.

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Asher stumbled to a stand. “Why would they

kill him?” he demanded. He turned in a circle.
“Why would you do that?”

“Asher, we need to get out of here.”
Asher brushed at blood that had soaked into

the knees of his pants and stared down at the
blood on his hands. Vesstan didn’t deserve to die.

“Where do we go?” Simeon asked quickly.

Asher looked at him and couldn’t make sense of
what was happening.

“Go?”
The only way out would be through the

convoluted corridors and the door that remained
open. Then even this was blocked by an influx of
guards, and at the rear, Delsaran.

“Murderers. Kill these two,” Delsaran ordered.

The guards moved forward with intention on their
faces.

“You’d kill your king?” Simeon offered

desperately. He moved between Asher and the
guards with only one intention in mind. He would
die before they touched Asher. He couldn’t count
the number of guards from here, or make out,
through the bottleneck, how easy it would be to
get to Delsaran. The odds weren’t good. A
commotion behind the oncoming guards could
mean anything— more guards, or maybe other
shifters had managed to circle and attack from
behind. Simeon and Asher might well be trapped

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117

in this room, but Delsaran and his guards would
be sandwiched between them and any other guild
members.

“He is not your king,” Delsaran shouted. The

guards weren’t hesitating. Simeon groaned
inwardly. Weren’t the bad guys supposed to
grandstand for a while giving the good guys a
chance to get out?

“Show them,” Simeon ordered Asher.
“Show them?” Asher sounded confused and

Simeon grabbed his arm.

“The tattoo.”
Then in an instant everything about his lover

changed. Simeon moved to stand next to Asher
and pulled at his shirt to expose the king’s tattoo.
Abruptly he stood there as king. The guards at the
front stopped and the ones behind them barrelled
into them. The front row, five guards, looked
bewildered.

“How can a demon be a king?” Delsaran

shouted. “He is lying.” He held out his hand and
Simeon gasped as his sword was wrenched from
his hand and flew to the corner of the room.
Similarly, Asher yelped as his knife cut his palm
and joined the sword. The guards took advantage
and without weapons, Simeon knew they were
dead. He crowded Asher back against the wall
and shielded him with his body.

“Simeon, no, let me talk,” Asher said.

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118

“Talking’s not working.”
Asher shoved him forward and stood at his

side. “Then I’m not hiding.“

“He is your king,” Simeon shouted as they

advanced. Twenty feet, fifteen, ten, he could see
the determination in their eyes and Delsaran
hovering behind. Suddenly inspiration hit,
something Reuben had said. You break your word,

cat, then I will find you in that instant, connected to
the magic in this promise, and I will use my sword to

split you in half.

“He’s half demon and half elf. Your king was

his father.”

“What are you doing?” Asher snapped.

“They’re not listening.”

“No,” Simeon agreed, as suddenly the guards

froze in place and all noise died. “But Reuben is.”

A flash of white, and Reuben had Simeon on his

knees with a sword at his throat. Simeon closed
his eyes and allowed himself to relax. He would
die, but Reuben was here, wielding magic that
was as ancient as the first blood demon. He would
protect Asher.

Everything moved so slowly. He heard Asher

shout no, he felt the blade slice into his neck, then
suddenly, nothing. Reuben stood back and away,
his sword at his side. Asher talked, and hell,
Reuben, tense and furious, listened. Simeon
scrambled to stand, though his muscles felt like

The Demon’s Blood

119

they wouldn’t hold him upright. Then Reuben
crossed to the corner with the weapons and threw
the sword to Simeon before handing the knife to
Asher.

“I can’t hold this much longer,” Reuben said

with a bloodthirsty grin. “Let’s kill. Ready?” All
three assumed a fighting stance and in an instant
the guards began to move again, the noise
increased, and abruptly they were in a fight for
their lives. Reuben was a master swordsman,
wielding the blade as easily as a child played with
a stick-sword. The first guards fell where they
stood, utterly horrified at how things had
magically turned. Simeon remained next to Asher
and was never more relieved to see members of
the guild attacking from the rear. Soldiers
dropped their swords and fell to their knees, until
only Delsaran remained standing, with mountain
lions behind him, and Asher, Simeon and Reuben
in front.

“Nowhere to go,” Simeon snarled.
Delsaran held out his hand and in his palm a

small orb of silver shone as it spun. “I’ve got
magic,” he said with glee then he rushed them
with murder in mind.

Reuben moved so fast that it was a blur of

motion and his muscles flexed as he pushed the
sword straight through Delsaran’s chest. A look of
astonishment masked Delsaran’s face and he

RJ Scott

120

toppled backwards.

“And I have a sword,” Reuben announced

dramatically as he twisted it in Delsaran’s body.
Reuben held tight to his sword, then pushed the
elf’s body with his foot. Delsaran fell back to the
floor, falling from the sword’s hold with a
sickening tear of skin and muscle. The orb
dropped with him and rolled away, turning black
as it went. Reuben turned to Simeon and Asher.
“I’m going home now,” he said, then disappeared
in the blink of an eye.

The guards, seeing Delsaran dead and with

mountain lions at their rear, laid their weapons on
the ground. Everyone waited with expectation.

Simeon looked down at the bodies on the

floor—Delsaran, the demon called Vesstan, a few
guards. Then he looked directly at Asher. “So,
Your Highness. What do we do now?”

Asher blinked at him with a kind of panicked

expression on his face. Then, just as quickly, he
drew himself tall and nodded.

“The guild needs to clear the throne room,” he

said firmly. As soon as he spoke, several of the
guild moved into the room, rounded up guards
and in a flurry of motion and cursing the throne
room was nearly empty. Two carried out
Delsaran’s body and Simeon saw pain in Asher’s
eyes when they returned for Vesstan.

“He was my friend,” Asher said, even though

The Demon’s Blood

121

Simeon hadn’t asked.

“I’m sorry,” Simeon said gently. “A lot of

friends will die before we all have true equality.”

“Sir? Your Highness?” Jason had his hand on

the pulse at the base of Vesstan’s neck. “I have a
pulse.” Jason scooped the demon, covered in
blood, into his arms. “I’ll get him to a medic.”

Simeon gripped Asher’s hand. “There’s a

chance he will live.”

All Asher could do was shake his head. Simeon

thought his lover was probably in shock.

Everything slowly returned to calm. Vesstan

was stable in the king’s bed being attended by the
same nurse who had warned them the room had a
listening device. The guards most loyal to
Delsaran were given the choice to go or stay.
Three members of the guild decided to join
Simeon in the city as an informal protection team
for Asher. One of them was Jason, who spent a lot
of his free hours at Vesstan’s bedside.

Three days had passed since the fight in the

throne room, and it was to that room that Simeon
went after dark had fallen. He found Asher exactly
where he expected to. Sitting cross-legged on the
floor in front of the carved stone throne. Two
felines stood on either side of him, but they melted
away as soon as Simeon entered.

“Your

Highness,”

Simeon

began.

RJ Scott

122

“Announcements have been made and your
Coronation is set for two weeks from now.”

“Simeon?” Asher asked gently. “The throne

looks cold.”

Simeon looked at the stone not more than a few

feet in front of them. “I imagine when you’re
crowned that they'll cover it in blankets or
something,” he said helpfully.

Asher huffed a laugh. “I didn’t mean that,” he

said. “I get why I need to be crowned, I
understand it needs to be official so that we can
get everything settled. I had three groups of
concerned elf citizens try to buy me off again
today.”

“How much this time?”
“A lot. Enough to go live in the house at the

waterfall and never leave.”

Simeon tilted his head and pretended to

consider it. “We could just stay naked all day.”

Asher looked up at him with a smirk on his

face. They hadn’t been together in anything more
than a hug since the throne room incident. “I like
the idea of that,” he offered.

“Or, we could test out the throne by you sitting

on my lap and see how it feels to be king.”

Asher pulled his lip between his teeth and

frowned. “I don’t feel much like a king.”

Simeon offered a hand and Asher stood. They

embraced quickly then Simeon set Asher loose.

The Demon’s Blood

123

“Come on,” he said. He climbed the three steps to
the throne that was easily big enough for the big
mountain lion shifter and Asher. Asher followed
and sat carefully on Simeon’s lap, curling his
hands around Simeon’s neck and holding tight.

“You were born a king,” Simeon whispered.

“Doesn’t mean you’ll instantly know what to do.”

“I have to work it out for myself,” Asher said

just as quietly.

“With help. Me, Joseph, Phin, your friend

Vesstan, hell, even Jason, who refuses to go home.
We can start with small steps. Manage the equality
issue, calm people’s fears.”

“Can we do that? What if the elves riot and the

demons want revenge?”

Simeon sighed. “Then we’ll work it out

together.” He didn’t want to say that he doubted
any of this would be smooth. He didn’t need to.
Asher knew that.

“I love you, Simeon Blue. Thank you.”
Simeon huffed another laugh. He didn’t want

thanks, he hadn’t done anything yet except try to
stay alive and keep Asher alive.

“I love you, too, Your Highness.”
Asher cuddled in close, then slid off Simeon’s

lap. “Come on then,” he said with heat in his eyes.
“Let’s go to bed.”

About the Author

I am a writer of male/male novels and short
stories.

From cowboys to bodyguards, and firemen to

billionaires I write dramatic and romantic stories
of love and passion between men. My first real
love will always be the world of romance and my
goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a
troubled road to reach happiness, and more than a
hint of happily ever after.

I am the author of the award winning books,

The Christmas Throwaway and Oracle. I am
known for both my Texas series charting the lives
of Riley and Jack, and also my Sanctuary series
following the work of the Sanctuary Foundation
and the people it protects.

Document Outline

Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
About the Author

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