The Overture of Fear & Passion (The Daemonica Symphony Series Book 1) Page 12

  “You’ve correctly identified the four main elements, but what is the fifth element?” Ash asked, eyeing Juliet and then Niko. Juliet looked quickly away and rubbed her hands over her face, trying to focus her mind on what Ash was saying.

  “Spirit.” Niko said quietly, drawing her attention back to him once more, but his eyes were firmly fixed on the pen that twirled through his long fingers.

  “Thank you, Niko.” Ash said.

  “What we use as the umbrella term for all human emotions, thoughts, feelings, desires, etc we refer to as ‘Spiritus.’” Juliet sat forward in her seat, finally taking an interest.

  “Throughout history those with the power to manipulate the desires of others have been demonised – excuse the pun – for being the cheeky devils who bewitch the humans they live amongst. Historically, they’ve been the Demons responsible for so-called ‘possessions’ and for driving people mad. Because of the actions of a few errant Spirit Demons, the entire branch became less favourably known as Succubi and Incubi.” Juliet had heard of these from fiction but hadn’t really given them any credence.

  “You probably think you already know a bit about this sub-class, let me assure you that most, if not all of it, is an utter load of shit.” Ash smirked.

  “The only relevant and correct trivium is that Spirit Demons do in fact have the ability to dream-cast and dream-walk, which is not the same thing as sleepwalking. Dream-casting is the ability to manipulate the dreams or in very rare occasions the unconscious minds of other beings. Dream-walking is the ability to telepathically enter those dreams and therein manipulate the unconscious mind from within. In extremely rare cases, when an intensely deep connection is achieved, a Spirit Demon can manifest a physical response within the dream-state.”

  Juliet’s heart began to pound in her chest. She had been listening to these lectures for weeks now and she was finally getting the information she had come here for.

  Her dreams had always been so intense, even her nightmares as a child had always felt so completely real and her more recent dreams had left her physically responding as if her body had been doing all of the most sensual activities that she’d never known were even possible. It made so much sense now.

  She moved further forwards in her seat, her attention completely focused on Ash’s words.

  “Spirit Demons have historically been linked to myths such as Cupid and Eros: The God of Desire, Affection and physical attraction. The bow and arrow a symbol for power. To be shot with Cupid’s arrow is to be filled with uncontrollable desire. Christian theologians rebranded Cupid as a Demon of Sex and we later see the fictional emergence of Demons that consume human souls through the act of fornication. Demon historians hypothesize that those early Demons had a reputation for sexual mischief for which they were condemned.”

  “The modern Spirit Demon is more favourably suited to a life in politics. Through the diminishing of the blood line, Spirit Demons still maintain an invaluable asset in their ability to mentally coerce others, especially humans, into profitable business dealings. Characteristics such as “charismatic, charming and persuasive” are often attributed to a Spirit Demon. Which brings us to the main purpose of this session.”

  Juliet leaned closer still as Ash flicked open a heavy, leather-bound book on the table, revealing a horrible image of a female form burning on a pyre.

  “Full blooded female Spirit Demons were slaughtered as Witches throughout the dark ages and became virtually extinct. Those who weren’t killed in inquisitions were forced underground, unable to use their abilities on humans for fear of being discovered. The age of enlightenment for humans was the beginning of the move underground for many Otherworlders, and Spirit Demons were no exception. The current population of pureblood Spirit Demons is less than one hundred globally. All of which are male.”

  Juliet looked up in surprise.

  “That’s right, there is not a single pure blood female Spirit Demon left alive.”

  Juliet understood the cause for the emphatic pause. She’d been hearing the gossip and had learned that purity was something considered vital in this world. Many Demons looked down on anyone who was ‘tainted’ by mixed blood and believed it was better to let their species die out than cross breed with another.

  “Young male Spirit Demons are often living up to the bad reputation of their ancestral name sakes. Upon reaching sexual maturity at the age of twenty-five, males go through a transitional period where they become extremely sexually aggressive. It’s also during this phase that they are at their most vulnerable. Once a slave to their urges; Spirit Demons are often killed in self-defence by an unwilling sexual partner either human or Demon. While possessing Otherworld strength and an ability to heal rapidly, they can still be killed by traditional methods, if their assailant is quick enough.”

  Juliet swallowed and chewed her lip. She hazarded a glance at Niko and noticed a muscle in his jaw was twitching.

  “Some males become so brazen in their actions that they attract the attention of humans and are killed or are never heard from again.”

  Juliet, still watching Niko, noticed his face turn white with these words. Niko looked down and Juliet looked away, feeling embarrassed at herself for staring at him.

  I bet some of the girls around here wouldn’t mind taking care of his urges, she thought bitterly. She was distracted by the thought and hadn’t realised that Ash’s lecture had returned to the topic of female Spirit Demons.

  “It’s difficult to generalise the characteristics of a female Spirit Demon due to the mixed lineage of all remaining examples. Pureblood females used to reach sexual maturity at the age of twenty-one, in some cases now it either happens at the first point of sexual contact, or never at all. If she does reach maturity, it is at that point that her abilities to dreamwalk and dreamcast will become more powerful. As well as her other abilities, such as strength, healing and so on.”

  Ash seemed to consider how best to continue. Juliet was of course on the edge of her seat, desperate for more information.

  “Another reason for low birth rate is that a female Spirit Demon, once sexually mature can only mate with a non-human lover. Due to the nature of her abilities, she will absorb the lifeforce of her partner to the point of death if that partner should be so unfortunate as to be human. Many female Spirit Demons have had the serious misfortune or accidently killing a bed partner throughout the years, due to carelessness or ignorance.”

  Juliet’s mouth dropped open, confusion shattering her thoughts. She was barely cognizant of Ash’s continued lecture.

  “Finally, the female is unable to be impregnated by any partner besides her Demon-mate. Luckily, this restriction does not apply for the male of the species and although they remain sterile until they reach maturity, they are then able to impregnate any female.”

  Juliet’s brain switched off for a moment as she tried to think of an answer that made sense. How could her father be human and her mother Demon if the result meant she could not have been born, or that it would kill her father? None of this made any sense.

  “There are some who fear that the species is a dying one as there are almost no cases of a female being born for several years, and while the branch is long living, eight hundred years give or take, they are not immortal. We could easily see a total species extinction within the next one thousand years.”

  “That concludes the topic, before we move on to Water Demons, are there any questions?”

  Juliet, still reeling, barely noticed when Niko cleared his throat.

  “Yes, Mr Dmitriyev?”

  “How do I-” He hesitated, clearing his throat again.

  “I mean, how does a Spirit Demon know when they have met their mate?” He asked and returned to chewing on the end of his pen.

  “Ah, trust you Niko, to ask such an interesting question.” Ash smirked and looked at Juliet.

  “A Spirit Demon will recognise his mate in his dreams. As I mentioned earlier, when an exceptional connection is fo
rged, such as that between mates, the pair will be able to manifest physical reactions within their dream state. This ability is almost unheard of outside of the bonds of mateship.”

  Just when Juliet already felt as though her world had tilted on its axis, another bomb blast catapulted her already tumultuous mind further into chaos. She looked at Niko, as if searching for a life raft in an ocean of questions that threatened to drown her. Niko locked eyes with her and his were ablaze. He had answers, she saw them there. She just had to be brave enough to ask.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Sitting propped up in bed, barefoot and wearing a crisp white tank top and jeans, Niko was trying to calm the whirlwind of thoughts that had been brewing since the morning’s lesson.

  Without so much as a knock, Juliet stormed through the door to his room, sending the papers on the nearby desk scattering in the wind. She scanned the room quickly before she found her target.

  He held a sheet of filter paper in his mouth and worked one in his hands, folding the delicate paper. His eyes turned up towards her and raised his eyebrows in surprise at the dramatic change in her usually calm demeanour.

  “What the hell was that?” She demanded.

  He paused his folding for a moment, knowing instantly what she was referring to. He then returned to his work as he considered how to answer.

  “I saw that look you gave me; you know something I don’t. Spill it.”

  Niko finished forming the paper crane and began to thread it onto a string of identical copies. Juliet assessed what Niko was doing and furrowed a brow in confusion.

  “What are you doing? Are you smoking again?” She asked.

  He removed the filter paper from between his lips and returned to his folding.

  “And lose our bet? Not a chance.” She came closer, nose pointing forward like a cat sniffing cream. Some of the heat left her eyes and she noticed the length of paper cranes between his legs, he was nearing one hundred.

  “There’s so many, that would take hours. Where do you find the time?” She asked, all trace of furious indignation evaporating.

  “I haven’t been sleeping.”

  “What, not at all?”

  “Not for a couple of weeks.” He said, looking up at her. She looked into his eyes and then back down again, her attention turning to the sketchbook by his side and she leaned over, taking a closer look at Niko’s unfinished sketch of a woman’s naked profile.

  Niko froze as Juliet came close enough for him to catch the scent of her hair which fell forward in a cascade of blonde waves. Faint tones of lilac and fresh linen filled his nostrils with their intoxicating perfume. Just like in his dreams, he thought to himself.

  He couldn’t resist the temptation and reached out to brush the strands of hair from her face, but his sudden movement seemed to startle her, and she inhaled sharply. He froze, waiting for her to make the next move as they stared into each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity. He felt her relax slightly and then her eyes dropped to his mouth, her tongue ever so slightly escaped her mouth to moisten her lips.

  Niko wondered if spontaneous combustion were something that could actually happen as a result of how turned-on he was in that moment. It took every ounce of his restraint to not reach out and grab her, throw her down on the bed and devour every inch of her gorgeous body. He forced his muscles to move at a glacial pace, knowing any sudden movement on his part would cause her to take flight.

  Endless seconds passed before there was only an inch separating his lips from hers and just as he was about claim her perfect mouth, thumping music began to pound through the wall adjoining his room to the one next door, sending Juliet backing away with wide eyes.

  Letting out a muffled curse, he put aside his work and went to Juliet, taking her hand and giving up all concern for frightening her, since his neighbour had already taken care of that. He was struck instantly by the sensation of goose bumps that formed over his entire body the second their hands met, but not wanting to stand around overanalysing it, he pulled her towards the door, grabbing a shirt along the way and throwing it over his shoulder.

  They were already halfway down the hall before she suddenly came back to life.

  “Where are we going?” She asked.

  “There’s somewhere private, it’s quieter. Come on, it's not far.”

  He led her to the end of the hall and through a doorway before reaching a narrow staircase. He let go of her hand to allow her to go through first, while he took the opportunity to put on his shirt.

  As they climbed the stairs that were curved from a few hundred years' worth of foot traffic, he resisted the urge to stare at her ass which looked hot as hell in the tight jeans she was always wearing. She looked back occasionally, before they eventually reached the top floor and Juliet’s face took on new life. He always marvelled at the way her face would broadcast whatever was on her mind. She would make a terrible poker player.

  He followed her through the sunset-drenched hallway, glass windows and ceilings allowing the space to be flooded with amber light. The marble floors echoed their quick footsteps as they made their way through. Niko’s eyes turned heavenward as he looked more closely at the gilt framework encasing each enormous pane of glass, trying to see it all through her eyes. She twirled in a circle as she looked around at the simple beauty of the space.

  The wide-eyed look of wonder captivated him. Every muscle in his body called out for him to grab her and take her now that he finally had her within such close reach, where no one would interrupt them. But she deserved answers, he reminded himself. He was still struggling with the enormity of it himself and he wanted her to be aware of all the facts. Once she was fully informed, he had every intention of pursuing her with the determination that Demons were famous for.

  He headed straight for the door behind her, opening it and waiting for her to follow. She raised an eyebrow and walked past, entering the room ahead of him. He’d found the place weeks ago, when he’d decided he would take himself on a private tour of the castle since he’s missed out on the official version.

  The forgotten library had become Niko’s refuge, a project to occupy both his time and his mind. He’d done his best to clean out the room, discarding broken furniture and replacing them with more comfortable pieces from other parts of the castle. The peeling wallpaper and dishevelled bookcases had welcomed his attentions. He’d even managed to find a broom and mop and had begun to tackle the labour of undressing the chandelier from her gown of cobwebs.

  The domed ceiling was his next goal. He just had to work out a way to get up to the roof so that he could clean what seemed like a century’s worth of mould and dirt. Then the room would be flooded with natural light, making it the perfect art studio. In its current state, the room was dim and eerie, so Niko set to work switching on the half dozen battery-powered lamps he’d set up around the room.

  He snuck a peak at Juliet who seemed transfixed, her head turning around in slow circles as she tried to take in everything at once. Niko watched her reaction, waiting for a hint of recognition to appear.

  He took her hand again and lead her to a leather settee. He didn’t yet to trust himself to be so close to her, so instead of sitting he began to pace the room before making his way to where he’d stashed a bottle of whiskey and a glass. He poured two fingers and offered her the glass, downing the drink in a gulp after she shook her head.

  Niko needed more than whiskey to settle his nerves. His mind was complete chaos.

  “Niko talk to me. You know something I don’t, clearly. I’m so confused, and I need you to help me understand.”

  He nodded as he looked at her, running his hand through his hair before shoving his fist into his pocket, anything to keep his hands from reaching out to grab her. He was still aroused, simply being in her presence had him uncomfortable with need. He swallowed another mouthful of whiskey, this time straight from the bottle, letting it burn its way down his throat as he searched through the chaos of his mind for the
words he needed.

  “Niko, please.” He felt a whisper of her mind as it reached out to his. She was trying to get him to open up, but unlike the brute force of Odette’s mental intrusions, Juliet’s was more like a caress.

  He started to answer, but changed his mind, not happy with the words that were coming to mind. So instead, he turned his back to her and began to remove his jacket, dropping it onto the lounge and then slowly lifting his singlet above his shoulders.

  He heard her gasp at what he knew lay beneath. Thin scratches nearly healed, crisscrossed his back. The scratches of a lover that had raked her nails across his flesh in a moment of pleasure. She stood and came to him, reaching out to touch his bare back. Looking over his shoulder, he nearly let her, wondering if her touch would feel the same now as it had in his dreams. But he knew she didn’t understand yet and he needed to make her.

  “Who did that to you?” She asked, failing to hide the jealously from her voice and the angry pout. Niko was surprised by the question, he wondered if she genuinely had no idea or was feigning ignorance to maintain some sense of modesty. He had to hide a smile when she crossed her arms, apparently frustrated by his lack of response.

  “Niko, if this is your way of telling me you have a girlfriend, you could have just told me, you didn’t need to show me the evidence of your fantastic sex life.”

  He smiled and pulled his tank top back on as he began to interrupt her, but she pressed on.

  “I mean, I get it, you're a Spirit Demon and you need sex and all that. I didn't realise you had reached maturity already; I get things wrong about this whole Demon thing all the time. But I could tell from the way you looked at me in Ash’s lesson that there is something going on that I need to know. Something you know...”

  She paused momentarily as she continued to stare at his now covered back. He could see the cogs working in that beautiful brain of hers.