Justice For The Fallen ✓

8.1 Melkyal

Trigger Warning: adult themes - the setting is a  place of debauchery, though there are no explicit descriptions 

The actual Parlour of Dreams made me stop in my tracks and gape in a mixture of dread and amazement at everything at once. The place was full of demons, witches, sorcerers and everything in between. The stench of dark magic combined with a heavy scent of incense, the sweet waft of perfumes and bitter tones of alcohol in different forms flooded my nostrils. That alone was enough to get my head spinning.

Most demons didn't even bother to wear glamours here. I could spot many different horns, tails, hoofs, and wings with all possible skin tones. But some individuals looked inconspicuous, so it was hard to say if they were the Fallen, humans who dabbled in dark arts or some merge of the two.

The place was rowdy. Musicians─a pack of demons wearing black leather coats─were playing some loud cacophony assaulting my ears. The quick beat of the drums was trying to orchestrate my pulse. While it was utterly different from angels' music, and the vocalist was more screaming than singing, it had a certain appeal.

The rest of the main room was in complete chaos. Some guests were sitting at the tables trying hard to outshout the general clamour and have a conversation, while others were dancing all over the place, ignoring their surroundings completely and bouncing off unfortunate patrons from time to time, earning a hiss or bared fangs.

Raised platforms were erected in several places, with long metal poles, where the demon girls wearing very scandalous outfits danced. My mouth went suddenly dry. I gulped and quickly looked away as their movements were very... disturbing.

I realised that Sannarah had already moved away, making her way towards the crowded bar. Heeding her warning, I tried to follow, but a clawed hand grabbed my arm, stopping me. I turned and came face to face with the most beautiful creature I've ever seen.

Her face was all sharp angles with high cheekbones and a pointy chin. Her purple skin gleamed in the candlelight, and silky white hair fell elegantly down to her waist. She was almost as tall as me but very slender with long legs and curves in all the right places. She smiled, showing pearl-white teeth and fluttered her long snowy lashes. Her piercing yellow eyes gazed deep into mine.

"Hello there, Handsome," she said in a low sultry voice that would raise the pulse of any man. Or woman. "You're not from around here, are you? I would remember you."

"I... N-no, not really," I stuttered, suddenly feeling hot. I tried to look away, but those beautiful eyes were mesmerising, and I was already taken prisoner by their irresistible charm. Everything around me seemed to dim to inconsequential background noise. The only important thing right now was this magnificent creature in front of me, and I would do anything to feel the touch of her velvety skin or taste full, perfectly shaped red lips.

"Oh, you look lost, you poor thing," she continued, and her hand travelled up my arm, stroking it gently and sending a shiver of pleasure through my body. "How about I'll show you around, hm? I can think of a few ways you can thank me later."

Alarm bells started ringing at the back of my mind, but my thoughts were foggy, and I couldn't focus on anything except those enchanting eyes.

"As you wish," I mumbled like an idiot before I could stop myself.

She smiled, and even though I was utterly enamoured already, some part of my mind screamed that it was a predatory smile. She leaned close to me, her warm breath tickling my ear. "We're going to have so much fun."

My heart raced so fast that it was hard to breathe. The world around me seemed to disappear completely, and I felt like I was falling. It was not scary but exciting.