Nakedella:Book Four Read online

  “Lord Sun, why can you not see her? All the worlds under you are yours to survey. You have not seen her?”

  “No, they have taken her under the ground, and left no trace of her on the surface. I can not follow.” Tears flowed from his eyes again, leaving steaming trails across his golden flesh.

  “But why are the people of your city frozen?” She waved around her at the courtiers and out the window.

  “Without my daughter here, there is no reason for the city to exist. I created the city and invited the people when she was born and her mother passed into the underworld. It was to give her the companionship that she would need while I was on my daily journey.

  “On the day she was taken, a beautiful young man named Azazel came to the palace. He was gracious and charming. We had dinner and tea, enjoyed the dancers from the harem, and I returned to my quarters to sleep. When I woke, the palace was in an uproar and both my guest and my daughter were gone.” His tears flowed faster at the betrayal of hospitality.

  Nakedella’s feet twitched. Apparently, this was her next assignment. “I will try and find your daughter for you. All I will request if I bring her back is a boon.”

  “You will have whatever you wish of me if you bring my daughter back.” The fierce heat receded.

  Nakedella curtsied again. Then she took a step…

  Chapter Six

  The bright chamber that she appeared in was a surprise. An enormous bed with a sleeping demon on it took up most of the room. As she stepped forward, her anklets jingled, and the sleeper grunted and twitched at the sound.

  A hennaed hand grabbed her and dragged her off behind a curtain with the other hand over her mouth. The sound of moving jewelry and slithering silks seemed to echo in the silence.

  She was dragged out of the chamber and down a shadowed hall. Her captor stumbled to a halt in what was obviously a harem. “What were you doing in my husband’s chambers?” The hiss was one of the most hostile that Nakedella had ever come across.

  She took her time looking around before she gave her answer. The masculine foot that quickly darted under one of the cushioned tables was a definite clue as to the hostility.

  “I was brought here on a quest for the Stone Sultan, and I am seeking the daughter of the Sun. Who are you?”

  The woman was undeniably beautiful and incredibly arrogant. She viewed Nakedella’s sweat-and-travel-stained clothing with distaste. “I am the demon Orizeil’s wife. He keeps me locked in these rooms and never lets another man near me.”

  Ella fought a smirk. Based on what she had observed, there were no less than three men in this room hiding behind drapes, under furniture and in a chest. Shoes, feet or moving clothing were peeking out in all locations. “My lady, I understand the stress of being confined, and I beg your hospitality to bathe and refresh myself in this safe and protected area.” Hospitality was everything here; it was the best ploy to wait until the demon awoke. Nakedella realized instantly that that would be the way to get information on the demon Azazael. But how to approach this demon when his wife was hovering between them?

  “Yes, of course you may bathe, rest and refresh yourself.” Her nose wrinkled at the smell of sweat on her. “You certainly need it.”

  “May I have privacy to bathe? I am accustomed to it?”

  The demon’s wife was extremely leery of that request, but grudgingly gave her permission to bathe without interruption, at least until the Demon awoke. Then she would have her audience and be sent on her way.

  As soon as the wife had left, Nakedella began to walk slowly toward the bathing pool at the end of the chamber. Each layer of concealing clothing was discarded one by one, her jewelry bundled into the veil and the skirt simply dropped to the floor. The water was warm and steaming gently as her feet tested the waters.

  Satisfied, she slid her entire body under the water, then gasped for breath as her head surfaced. Through exploration she found a soap to use on her thick golden hair, and a heady jasmine scent to use on her body.

  She let her moans and sighs of enjoyment drift through the room, quite aware of the audience that was enjoying her performance. But if the men valued their lives they would remain hidden, as Nakedella had heard stories of men being found in a seraglio without supervision. Their deaths were always gruesome and well-thought out.

  After her bath, she rinsed out and scrubbed at her burgundy clothing. She really felt that it would stand her in better staid than using a new potion to clothe her.

  Feeling whimsical, she draped one of her tops over the chest of one of the hidden men, the veil across the table and the skirt was placed on the windowsill behind the drapes, where one of the lovers was hiding.

  Laughing quietly, she stretched luxuriously and lay on one of the divans. Her fingers gently trailed up and down her body as she waited for her clothing to dry.

  It wouldn’t take long as the fabrics were so light, but she decided to play with her audience. Her hands took on a deliberate purpose, teasing and exciting nerves that loved her touch, or any touch for that matter.

  Her nipples quickened under her touch, the flesh of her breasts swelling to fill her hands. A light moan broke from her, and she noticed the change in position of the hidden suitors. Smirking at the sneaky torture she was enacting, one of her hands stayed on her breasts while the other moved between her thighs, stroking lightly at the tiny nub of her clit that began to throb slightly as it anticipated her touch. She parted her thighs, one leg bent at the knee to offer an unobstructed view for whomever chose to observe her.

  Her fingers moved more and more rapidly, slick circles being drawn on her sex as the coil of desire tightened within her. A gasping shudder heralded her release, and she wound her body slowly back into a relaxed state.

  As she came, she could have sworn that she heard a responding groan from behind one of the curtains, but she couldn’t be sure.

  Her galloping heart slowed to a relaxed beat and she rose, rinsed her juices from her fingers, and dressed. Nakedella was sitting demurely in her clothing when the demon’s wife came to collect her. “He’s awake. Don’t keep him too long.”

  “This won’t take long at all. But you may want to let your suitors out the back gate; they are all feeling a little anxious at this moment.” She nodded cordially to the astonished woman and left her behind in the harem, making her way down the hall to the demon’s chamber.

  He was sitting up at a table having his noon meal when she walked in. With a short gesture, he offered her the place across from him.

  “So why have you come to this demon’s home? You are far away from home, Nakedella.”

  “Demon Oriziel, I have come to ask you what you can tell me about the demon Azazael and the Stone Sultan.”

  “About the Sultan, I know nothing. But the demon I can tell you about.” He paused in his eating. “What will you offer me in exchange?”

  “Whatever you wish of me. I have few riches to offer you, but what I have are open for negotiation.” She smiled and looked him in the eye. He was quite handsome for a demon. The black horns rising out of his burgundy-tinted skin were quite attractive, if you liked demons. Nakedella thought wistfully of Drygan’s horn, and decided there was no comparison.

  “Let me think this over. I have rarely been given such a tempting offer freely.” He gestured at the table, and the platters of food refilled before her eyes. “Please help yourself. You are my honoured guest while you are here.”

  “Thank you. Your lady was…hesitant about my welcome.”

  He looked her over from head to toe and threw his head back in amusement. “Yes, I can imagine. She does not do well with other beautiful women in the vicinity. It takes away from her time with her lovers, I suppose.”

  Ella’s jaw opened, “You know about them?”

  “Indeed. She comes to my bed reeking of sex. It is hard to miss.”

  “You don’t care?”

  “Oh, I did at first, but if I killed everyone who had ever fucked her, there would be
no nobles left in this part of the kingdom.” He shook his head in annoyance.

  “So this change of heart is fairly recent? I had heard that you were viciously possessive of your wife, and that you would kill any man who came near her.”

  He sighed heavily and toyed with a glass of wine. “That was a conceit that my wife put about. She loved the thought that I would kill one of her lovers, and used it as a means to blackmailing them to her will. If any of them had the nerve to face me, I would have set them to rights about it.”

  She began to laugh. Her vain hostess would indeed put that kind of a rumor about and use it to get what she wanted.

  “You, on the other hand, do not smell of sex with a man, but I can smell your heat from here.”

  She blushed lightly. “I wanted to give your wife’s lovers some discomfort as they hid from me, so I pleasured myself out in the open.”

  He laughed again, a hearty and rich sound that invited one to laugh with him. He was truly good-natured, for a demon. “That alone will gain you the information that you wish. They must have been shaking with the urge to throw themselves upon you.”

  “Well, I believe that one of them was forced to uh, ‘relieve’ himself on the draperies. I don’t know about the other two.” She nibbled at a piece of pastry. “May I ask why you are so calm about your wife taking lovers?”

  Another heavy sigh, “I am over nine hundred years old. She is a beautiful woman and I can take her as I wish. I simply wish to less and less with each passing year. And as you may know, once you have submitted your body to a demon, you crave the carnal embrace.”

  She almost jumped in surprise. “No, I didn’t know that. I thank you for that bit of information, as it will definitely change the plans that I had for getting the Sun’s daughter back.”

  “That is what you are trying to do?” He laughed again. “Good luck. He has watched her for years, lusting after her until she was finally of age for him to take her. If she has not yet surrendered to his embrace you might have a chance, but if she has, she will not leave him willingly.”

  Nakedella pondered her plan of attack; it had taken some rather harsh turns in the last few minutes. She quietly filled her belly and sipped at the wine proffered by Oriziel.

  Chapter Seven

  Nakedella rose, and the room spun around her. Her hand fluttered out to catch herself and she found it gripped in that of the demon.

  “You really shouldn’t eat in a demon’s home unless you receive a promise of leaving it without harm, Nakedella. I trust that this will educate you sufficiently.” She was swept into his arms, and a bright whirl of magic surrounded them.

  Her mind was fighting the bright sparks that filled it, but she couldn’t seem to clear her thoughts. Someone took possession of her, taking her from Oriziel’s arms and walking away with her.

  She was trying to struggle out of her stupor, but the haze clouded her vision as a locking collar snapped around her neck. Manacles took her hands prisoner, and a rattle of chains was the last thing she heard.

  “Ow.” Her head was pounding. She sat up slowly and was unsurprised that she was unclothed. The demon was right, she had been stupid. She had been walking around this new land with no idea of the creatures that inhabited it, and now she was going to pay for her ignorance.

  Ella looked around her. It was a harem, but unlike any she had seen so far. As far as the eye could see were chambers made of silken panels. Within each of these chambers was a bed, and chained to a link in the wall was a female. Some were djinn, some were demon, a few were human and some Nakedella could not identify.

  Her nearest neighbor was a djinn woman about twenty feet away and Ella whispered to her, “What is this place?”

  The woman’s blue face turned toward her in astonishment, “Where did they find you?” She lounged on her side, completely at ease with her nudity.

  “Never mind that. What is this place?”

  “The harem of the Midnight Demons.”

  “What are the Midnight Demons, and what do they want us for?”

  “For one hour per evening, the strongest demons in the land create doorways that connect our chambers to theirs via a vortex. They take their pleasure from our bodies and return us before dawn. Here we stay to fight the cravings that are brought upon us until noon, when they fade. After that we rest, and at midnight the doorways open once again.”

  “How did all these women get here?”

  “Most were sold into this servitude. Some were stolen from their homes, and a few of us were traded by our husbands. How did you come to be here?” Her silver eyes spoke of her resignation at her fate.

  “I made the mistake of eating at a demon’s home. He drugged me and brought me here, as far as I can tell.” She struggled upright and noticed her wrist manacles with chains connecting them. “I noticed that you don’t have cuffs on you.”

  “Yes, it is odd that they have confined you. I have never seen them do that before, and I have been here for months.” She sat up and flipped her black hair over one shoulder. “My name is Hani, by the way. I don’t know if we will be placed side by side after the night shift, but it has been nice chatting to someone.”

  “My name is Nakedella. Nice to meet you, Hani.” She bowed as far as she could with the restraint of the chain in place. “Do you have any friends or family who are looking for you?”

  “Perhaps. The Morathi family is very proud, and might object to my being used as a concubine for a range of demons.” Hani looked pensive. “Do you have anyone who will come for you?”

  Nakedella paused. Did she? Would any of her former lovers miss her? Drygan might, but he might just return to Alak and recommence his life. “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know if anyone will come for me.”

  “Well, it’s almost midnight. You had better prepare yourself for life as a demon’s pet. If they like you, they request you night after night.”

  She absorbed that little tidbit and closed her eyes to fight the tears welling up. Chained to a wall was not the way that she wanted to live her life. Nor was servicing demon after demon, and then returning to an endless cavern full of mourning women.

  A shimmering gong broke through the silence that had fallen between them and Hani tensed in preparation for what would come next. The silvery swirl of sparks dragged her back along the line of the chain and dumped her on a covered divan surrounded by silken draperies.

  A shadow moved beyond the curtain and a voice drawled, “If it isn’t the famous Nakedella. You have been creating quite a stir in our fair realm. I am amazed that you were foolish enough to be caught by something so trivial as drugged food.”

  “I am amazed that a humble woman such as myself would have caused any type of a stir to begin with. I was only looking for a few answers on behalf of someone who is in no position to ask them himself.” She didn’t bother peering through the veils that surrounded her. She was firmly linked to the wall and her host was not going to stop toying with her anytime soon.

  “Ah, but a woman of your particular skill set is always worth noting. The Demon Azazael is most concerned over your presence here.” The curtains twitched.

  “There is no reason for concern. I am only on an exploratory mission for the Stone Sultan. I hope to find the cure to his curse. I was drawn to the Sun in my explorations and he told me of his daughter. There was no reason for the demon to be alarmed. Should I find the Sun’s daughter, I was only going to report her condition to her father.” It was a fact. Anything else she had planned was none of his business.

  “You do know what you are here for, don’t you?”

  “What? To be a sex toy for demons night after night until time ceases to have meaning?”

  He laughed, the harsh bark becoming for the seven-foot silhouette just outside her curtains. “You have been busy. It is usually the woman’s first demon that will tell her all the details of her enslavement.”

  “I am not a slave, I am a prisoner.”

  “Ah, such optimism. A prison
er has hope of escape. A slave has only to accept and obey.” He moved closer, the outline of his horns visible through the gauze. “That you hope to escape is amusing. No women have escaped the Harem of the Midnight Demons in centuries. Although I think if anyone could manage it, you could.”

  The curtains slid aside, and there was her first captor. Seven feet of diabolical evil. His nose had been flattened by the hand that created him, and his black enamelled horns curled away from his forehead with the grace of a ram’s accoutrement.

  Aside from his goatish features, he was not unpleasant to look at. His skin was silvery-grey and his erection an onyx in the darkness and shadows of the dais. “So, I have been brought to you…?”

  “Because I requested you. There is a long line of demons who wish to taste the sweetness of your flesh, I just happened to be first in line.”

  “How long will I be with you?”

  “Only a few hours, until dawn. You will be quite tired by that time.”

  She snorted. “Or you will. Very few males of any species can tire me.”

  “Oh, a challenge. I do so love a challenge.” He began to crawl toward her with lascivious intent in his eyes, and she deliberately relaxed against the pillows and silks and let him do with her what he would.

  His taloned hands did bring her to arousal swiftly, moving over her with efficient competence that spoke of long experience. “Well, I am glad to know that you have had plenty of practice.” She simply arched into the hands that now gripped her tightly and spread her thighs for his enormous cock.

  While she was wet, she was nowhere near to orgasm, and his urgent thrusts simply tightened the muscles surrounding him until he spilled forth with a shudder and grunt.

  As he gasped for breath, she waited until he decided to try her again. While she did enjoy sex in almost all its forms, she did not care for being confined against her will, and she had no trouble making her preferences known.

  “Why did you provoke me into taking you?”