Page 6 of The Demon King's Destiny

“Stop doing that,” she commanded.

His eyes narrowed. “I’m not doing anything to you.”

“You are. Your voice … it’s …” she couldn’t finish. The things his timber were doing to her were too embarrassing to articulate.

Marrok couldn’t see the flush under her olive skin, but he was sure it was there. It was the early signs of the saatus bond. The moment he had first seen her, even though she’d been a small child, he’d known what she was to him.

He should try to keep his magics out of his intonations. Demons naturally released power when they spoke. Being an elemental, and his mate to boot, it probably had a greater impact on Evelyn than was fair.

Fate was in no way subtle with its signs of matehood, especially with the demons. No, when a demon saw his saatus—his true mate—he knew. She might not realize it, but she would feel something when his magics touched her.

Now that she was closing in on adulthood, he could feel the mild pull. Luckily, the little witch was still too young for it to push either of them into the mating frenzy.

It was dangerous for her to be dragging him into her dreams. He wasn’t sure how powerful the draw would be while their bodies weren’t touching, or if it would matter while he dreamwalked. If this was any indication, it would become a problem if she was but a little older.

If circumstances were different, in a few years, he would bring an army to her father’s doorstep and demand her hand. Nothing, not even the Goddess herself, would keep him away from her.

Alas, he did not have that luxury. It was starting to look like he never would. His past being what it was … coupled with the troubles of the present? He couldn’t afford to look hopefully into the future.

The Sundari Kingdom was in the middle of a crisis, one he was barely containing. His worst fear was this calamity would spill over the Southland’s borders and spread throughout Imperium.

His drastic measures had barely made a dent. At least the madness hadn’t gone further than the Corak Peninsula. Minus the random rogues showing up here and there, or the ones making it past the wall.

He’d resorted to setting up a penal colony on the southernmost tip of Sundari. He’d built a blockade, cutting off the isthmus from the rest of the kingdom.

The cliffs around Corak held ancient magics originally created to protect the area from invasion. No one could cross through the invisible partition to reach the land. This also meant no one could leave the land to reach the water.

With so many demons falling into madness, he didn’t have anyplace else to put them. He was discovering more rogues with each passing day and his life had become one of constant battles in his determination to maintain peace. His days were spent hunting rogues, killing them, or transporting them to Corak.

Life was too dangerous in the Southland for an elemental. It was better for the girl to forget she’d ever met him, even if only in a dream. His demon soul protested and, with effort, Marrok silenced it.

“What’s wrong?” she questioned, taking a step towards him. She noted his thick lashes and how starkly they demarcated the shape of his eyes. Females would be jealous.

“Nothing. Why do you ask?” He hadn’t so much as blinked while wrestling with his inner demon.

“Your pupils constricted. Usually, they’re so big I can’t see the amber of your eyes … or, they were the last time I saw you. I think it’s because you’re easily agitated.”

“Then what, pray tell, am I if not agitated for being dragged here? Unwillingly, I might add.”

“Sad? At the very least, you’re unhappy. Whatever it is, you’re lamenting. It’s not your best look.”

His lips quirked. She was precocious, especially for a female of her age. Females rarely spoke so informally in his presence, if they spoke at all.

All demons, especially she-demons, could intuitively sense the emotional state of others. Their powers were rooted in the energies of the mind. Though those around him could sense his mood, they knew better than to call him out on it. Marrok was King.

Little Evelyn—a virtual stranger—had been able to do it with a single look, and she’d had no difficulty saying it aloud.

“Observant little thing, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

Marrok chuckled, tempted to continue the conversation. She was captivating. He could tell her mind was sharp. A beguiling intellect was a very dangerous thing. Demons valued mental prowessabove all else, even physical beauty. That she possessed both was a temptation he might not be capable of fighting.

Standing this close, mere feet apart, his nostrils flared. Even through the barrier he could pick up her scent. She smelled like midnight dew on a desert rose.

He shouldn’t be here. Marrok needed to make sure she didn’t call to him in her sleep again. If, by some miracle, he found a way to quell the insurrection occurring in Sundari, he would consider seeking her out once she was of age.

If not, well, he didn’t want to think about what would happen if he and his people turned rogue. He needed to be very clear with Evelyn to stay away from him.

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