The Overture of Fear & Passion (The Daemonica Symphony Series Book 1) Read online

  “Would you have any family back home in Scotland? Relatives of your parents?”

  “Aye, I’ve cousins and a granny. We kept in touch a wee bit. Now that you mention it. It would be kind of alrigh’ to see th’ ol’ places we used tae live. An’ there are some bloody good distilleries I’d fancy goin’ tae.”

  Juliet smiled at the look in his eyes, it was so different to the grouch she’d first met when she’d arrived.

  “Wha ‘ave ye’ done tae me?” He asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Ye’ve been ‘ere two weeks an’ already ye’ve got me wantin’ tae up an’ leave.” He said with a chuckle.

  She shook her head, “No, that wasn’t my plan.”

  “Aye, yer a villain ye’ are.” He said with a wink.

  “Wha’ abou’ ye then? I got th’ feelin’ las’ nigh’, that yer a wee bit new tae th’ Otherworld. How’s sumin like tha’ ‘appen?”

  Juliet sighed and told him her story, he was a good listener and Juliet felt so comfortable with him. It made the words flow from her.

  “Well, don’t we make an odd pair. You bein’ a Demon, completely used to the human world. And me a human, completely used tae th’ Otherworld. Bloody peculiar.”

  He looked at his watch and stood suddenly, nodding towards the door.

  “C’mon. It’s gettin’ stuffy in ‘ere an’ it will ‘ave cooled down outside by now.” He said, heading for the door. He held it open for her as she jumped up and followed his lead.

  “Where are we going?” She asked.

  “I’ll take ye’ down by th’ lake. It’s a bonny spot in th’ afternoon.”

  They chatted as they walked, William leading the way so that he could occasionally stop and hold a branch out of her way or offer a hand to help her over a felled tree. But the path was mostly clear, and the sun had dipped low enough to allow long shadows to cool their backs as they went.

  As they approached the lake, the path widened before opening into a clearing that met the rocky shore. The water was so still that it acted like a mirror, reflecting a perfect copy of the trees and sky. When she looked to her left, she saw the whisper of the tallest castle turret beyond the dense forest.

  “Like it then?” William asked, his hands in his pockets and a smug look on his face.

  She smiled and nodded, “Yeah, it’s not bad.”

  “Did ye bring yer phone wi’ ye?” He asked, looking at her pockets.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Give it ‘ere. I’ll take yer picture for ye.”

  She raised an eyebrow at his offer, it had been made clear that there was a no photography rule, but she let it slide, he worked here after all. So, she handed over her phone and walked closer to the lake.

  William waited for her to smile, pointing the phone at her, then without warning he tossed it on the ground and ran towards her. She screamed as he tackled her around the middle, picking her up and lifting her into the air. But he didn’t stop there; he kept running with her bouncing uncomfortably upon his broad shoulder.

  “William! No!” She yelled, figuring out his intention when she heard the sound of his legs splashing through the water and his movements slowed. But he ignored her pleas, and she was suddenly and unceremoniously dumped into the frigid water.

  With a yelp, Juliet quickly stood and gasped in a breath as she wiped at her face. She glared at William who was roaring with laughter.

  “What the hell?” She yelled, splashing water at him, which only made him laugh harder. He clutched at his side, his laugh combining with a cough and a wheeze before returning to a laugh when he noticed her hands on her hips and the scowl on her face.

  She couldn’t help it, the way he laughed was contagious and soon she was laughing too. His laughter cut off and his eyes bulged momentarily before he looked down and cleared his throat. Juliet looked down to see what had caused such an odd reaction and realised with embarrassment that her white t-shirt, which was sopping wet, was now also completely see-through. To make matters worse, she wasn’t wearing a bra. She sucked in a breath as she quickly lowered herself into the water until it came up to her neck. She turned her back on William, her cheeks burning.

  She heard him coming up behind her, but she didn’t turn around. She wasn’t a prude, but wet t-shirt competitions weren’t high on her list of ways to get a guy’s attention.

  “I’m sorry, Juliet. I uh, I was jis’ ‘avin’ a laff. I didn’t mean t’ embarrass ye.” He said quietly.

  She saw a piece of red checkered fabric from the corner of her eye and realised he was holding out his shirt for her. She rose, reaching out for the shirt with one hand and encasing her breasts beneath her other arm. There was no need, William was looking in the other direction, his face nearly as red as the shirt which she quickly pulled on and began to button.

  She looked down and examined the fabric, confident that it was suitably thick and would protect her modesty. She turned made a sound of distress, causing William to turn, his brow creasing.

  “What’s th’ matter?” He asked.

  “My foot. I think it’s caught on something.” She said, wiggling on the spot.

  William moved closer and studied the water that concealed her lower half, leaning forward and lowering his arms in the lake, Juliet waited until she could see the shift in his centre of gravity and then struck out her leg, hooking it around both of his while wrapping her arm around his neck and pulling them both sideways. The manoeuvre worked perfectly, with William falling entirely into the lake and Juliet slithering away while his shock distracted him. Now it was her turn to really laugh, and God it felt good. It had been so long since she’d had a good, hard laugh. Too long, she realised.

  William spat out lake water, shaking his head like a wet dog. Within seconds the clearing was filled with the sounds of splashing, shouts and laughter as each of them tried to drown the other in mock warfare. Juliet could tell that William was holding back, his size and strength making it impossible for him not to outmatch her. There was something irresistibly sexy about his gentleness.

  As the sun dipped lower behind the tree line, a ceasefire was called, and they were both breathing heavily as they drifted deeper into the lake.

  “Where’d ye’ learn moves like that?” William asked, as he watched her.

  “Oh here and there.” She said, shrugging her shoulders. His eyebrow rose into a question mark and she laughed.

  “When I was twelve, we spent a year in Israel and my dad’s the protective type. He made me take Krav Maga classes.”

  William whistled.

  “I kind of enjoyed it, so I kept it up. I used to go once a week.”

  “Aren’t ye worried abou’ gettin’ hurt?”

  Juliet shook her head, “The classes are pretty tame; you wear a lot of padding…” Juliet’s mind drifted, the classes had proved completely useless when she’d needed them back in Paris. But she remembered what her father had told her about the man appearing to have caved in the wall behind him and there was a thought that suddenly occurred to her. She hadn’t even noticed it at the time, but now it fell into place. She would take some serious knocks; kicks and punches that would crack ribs for her classmates, but she always walked away without so much as a bruise or scratch.

  She shook her head as her mouth fell open.

  “Wha?”

  “I can’t believe I never realised sooner. I was so conditioned to believe I was human. I didn’t even notice that it was staring me right in the face the whole time. I haven’t even had a cold since I hit puberty.”

  She begun to shiver, as the adrenaline from their play left her system combined with the sobering effect of her realisation. William watched as she wrapped her arms around herself for warmth.

  “Time to get you back to the castle, Princess.” He said with a wink.

  THE WALK BACK to the castle was filled with the sounds of the forest, the squelching of wet shoes and William’s deep voice as he told her about the years he spent tr
avelling through the highlands. He had the gift of spinning a tale with so much detail that she could practically smell the heather. He helped her again over tree roots that invaded the path, but this time, he kept a hold of her hand.

  “Thanks for today.” Juliet said, as they approached the meadow beyond the forest.

  “I really needed it.”

  William smiled and nodded, “Any time lassie.” He looked down at his sodden clothes and muddy shoes. He released her hand and rubbed the back of his neck as he frowned.

  “Agh, I’d walk ye back to yer room, but the doc’ll ‘ave me hide if I traipse this muck in the castle. I’d take me shoes off if I was ye an’ make a run fur it.”

  Juliet nodded and kicked off her sneakers. She leaned down to pick them up and held them close to her chest as she backed away from William with a smile.

  “See you later?”

  “Tha’ ye will, lassie.” He said, “Oh an’ jist one more thin’”, Juliet raised her eyebrows waiting for him to go on.

  “Righ’ best if ye stay outta th’ forest after dark.” He said ominously.

  “Why’s that? Are there dangerous creatures that come out at night?” She asked with a smirk.

  “Well, yeah. Not to mention it’s bloody treacherous if ye can’t see where yer goin’.” With a wink he nodded in the direction of the castle and she smiled and turned to leave. After a few paces she looked back but he’d already gone.

  She did as she was told and made a run for it, but the warmth in the air had already mostly dried her clothing, so she was no longer dripping wet.

  She made it almost all the way to her wing before being spotted. Niko’s eyebrows rose instantly as he scanned her bare feet and wet hair.

  “Go for a swim?” He asked.

  She nodded, biting her lip.

  “Nice shirt.” He said.

  She looked down, forgetting that she was still wearing William’s shirt.

  She returned her gaze to Niko and shrugged.

  “Not mine.” She said.

  “I gathered that.”

  They stood silently, each staring at the other for a moment before Juliet broke the stalemate and approached the stairs. Before she could get passed him, Niko’s hand reached out and stopped her. He inhaled slowly, his eyebrow lowering.

  “He can’t give you what you need, Juliet. He’s human.”

  She looked at his hand on her arm, the hold was gentle, but his words stung. What was so wrong with being human? She wondered.

  “How’s Clarissa?” She asked. Grasping at straws to point out his hypocrisy. His frown deepened as he searched her eyes.

  “Is that what we’re doing? Playing games?” He asked, his voice low. She stared back at him; her attention drawn to his lips. She shook her head, denying his accusation and fighting off the urge to kiss him.

  “I’m cold.” She said, lying. In truth, she was starting to warm up a little bit too much. He released her hand and looked away. She resumed her climb up the stairs without looking back, but she could feel his eyes on her the entire way.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Niko had quickly worked out the difference between when he was dreaming and when he was dreaming. There was something sharper about the dream, the colours seemed brighter, the sounds were clearer, and the sensations were more intense.

  He was standing in front of a lit fireplace; he could hear the crackle of flames as they warmed his skin through his clothing. He was wearing a suit, something he would normally never do, another clue that this was not an ordinary dream.

  He reached out and tapped the face of the frozen clock on the mantlepiece, but it remained stuck at three-o-five. Looking up at the domed roof and observed the lack of sunlight filtering through the murky glass. He turned and looked around the room; hundreds of candles illuminated the space, their flickering light creating dancing shadows on the walls and ceiling.

  He found Juliet lying nearby; dressed in a white goddess style gown that exposed her naked back as she lay on her side, her hair fell in a cascade of golden waves across the velvet lounge.

  Niko hesitated only briefly before going to her. He was still feeling the sting of seeing her wearing another man’s shirt. He hadn’t wanted to fight with her, he wanted to take her to his bed and make her choose him over the human. But instead, he’d let Scott get him completely drunk and had passed out.

  He kneeled down beside her sleeping form and slowly reached out to stroke a finger along the curve of her back up to her neck. Juliet’s eyelids twitched but remained closed as a smile formed on her full, pink lips. Taking that as an invitation, he repeated the path his finger had taken with his lips instead. She turned to meet his mouth with her own and she rose slowly, pushing up off the couch with one hand and wrapping the other around Niko’s neck.

  He cupped her delicate face in his hands and pulled away, wanting to admire her face. Her eyes glittered with the light of the twinkling candles and her skin glowed golden and radiant. All thoughts of their earlier conflict vanished as he watched in pure fascination as her mouth parted slightly and desire flooded her eyes. She began to work the fastening of his belt, and what had only been the beginning of an erection roared to full life.

  His want for her was painful, but he wasn’t interested in rushing things, even if they did always seem to get interrupted. He pulled her hands away and her bottom lip pushed forward in the most delicious pout he had ever seen. He rubbed his thumb across her cheek and over the protruding lip as he whispered her name.

  He lifted her up gently, sliding his hands into her hair and kissing her again, sucking her bottom lip into his mouth until her lips eagerly parted and their tongues began to dance. Her hands found their way around his waist and pulled him closer to her. She writhed against him, sending his blood racing as her hips pushed against his straining hard-on. He was beginning to lose control, his reason for wanting to take his time becoming foggy.

  He again broke the kiss, and his breath came in short bursts. Her nostrils flared in response and she pulled at his tie, swinging him around and pushing him down on to the lounge. She quickly straddled him, taking charge again. She kissed him, roughly, hungrily. She sucked his tongue into her mouth and the sensation had his dick twitching within the confinement of his pants. He reached down to adjust himself and Juliet nudged her hips forward, bringing her core directly over the bulge in his pants. He could feel the heat of her through their clothes.

  He placed his palm on the apex between her thigh and hip, stroking the sensitive skin on her inner thigh. She moaned and continued to writhe against him, encouraging Niko to apply more pressure and to move his other hand from her neck down to her breast.

  He found the nub of her erect nipple and began to rub small circles over the hard bud. Juliet jerked, throwing back her head and arching her spine. She began to pull at his tie, her hands moving quickly to remove it before ripping at the buttons of his shirt.

  Niko shrugged out of his jacket and discarded the remains of his now shredded shirt and moved both hands to her hips. He watched her face as he slid his thumb lower; quickly finding the soft knot of flesh he was after. He resumed the slow circles, applying firm pressure while also kneading her hip with his other hand.

  Juliet raked her nails across his chest; the sensation of her short but sharp nails biting into his flesh combined with the pressure building in his cock and he began to breath heavily as need overwhelmed him. But he could tell she was close, and he wanted to make her come before he had his own release.

  He applied more pressure to her clit, and she moved forward, wrapping her arms around him. She nuzzled the curve where his neck met his shoulder and inhaled deeply. Niko felt an intense pulling sensation, from his dick to his heart. It felt as if his very soul was being pulled out of his body. At the same moment, Juliet began to cry out in pleasure and clawed at his back as she shuddered and trembled on top of him.

  Her release sent him over the edge, coming harder than he ever had in his life. He fell off t
he couch, cursing in pain as he landed on his still hard cock. Confused and disoriented he realised he was awake and very much alone.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Alright then, what’s next?” Ash said, looking around the table. “Ah, yes. As we have already discussed, Demon power lies in the control of elements. Can anyone tell me what all five elements are?” As the only part-Demon at Livingstone, Ash was left in charge of Daemonican tutelage. Ash’s spontaneity meant that they had no permanent schedule and were often summoned at a moment’s notice to wherever Ash felt inspired to teach.

  Juliet had arrived at the conservatory and had been ushered over to Ash’s table, where the only other Livingstone Demons sat.

  “I thought there were only four elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water?” Scott said, as he looked up from the swirling glass of water in front of him. It had been empty when Juliet had arrived in the conservatory, but he’d used his affinity for water to fill the glass and play with the contents.

  In spite of the interesting display, Juliet was struggling to pay attention. It had been three weeks since her last dream of Niko, but it still crept into her thoughts any time her mind wondered, especially when she was close to him.

  She was entirely conflicted. She’d been spending more and more time with William, sharing weekends with him at the pub. They’d even spent long hours getting to know each other as they hung out; taking long walks through the forest or swimming in the lake. But they were taking things slow and hadn’t done more than flirt and hold hands.

  But she couldn’t deny she had feelings for Niko, but the strength of those feelings scared her. She knew a relationship with Niko would be intense. When she’d kissed him, she felt her centre of gravity shift, as if the earth itself had tilted on its axis. The idea that something that powerful could take control of her was terrifying.

  The feelings she had for William were genuine, there was affection there as well as sexual chemistry. But most importantly, she knew she could remain in control with him. And control was something she needed right now when everything in her world had become so unsteady.