Chapter 30

Deep green eyes shattered, the breaks webbing all over his eyes, over the white portion all the way up to the pupil. It looked as if it would be rough but up close they were smooth, it was under the surface where the cracks had appeared.

Jace had just completely frozen. It was Zebedaios who broke the kiss.”Oh you’re very naughty aren’t you?”

Jace just gaped at him, his mind racing. The horns seemed as if they were part of his mask and yet they were real, bursting from his forehead. Thick and strong bases the mask had covered.

“Are you quite pleased with yourself, unmasking me like this? Are you happy with yourself,” Zebedaios sounded as if he was scolding a child.

Jace’s body filled with terror.

All of his life he had been told of the blight that demons were. It was the royal Phoenix’s devine duty to wipe demons from the face of the earth. Demons were nothing but chaotic pests, they weren’t like other myths and mortals with emotions and complex thoughts. He had been told that demons only existed to ruin, ruin everything that was good.

Demons were created from negative energy, beings of pure corrupt soul. Not created by any god or goddess. They had a bloodthirsty desire to feed on the negative energy within souls, killing inorder to consume more and more. Possessing mortal and myth alike to grow their power and satisfy their hunger.

Yet here was Zebedaios.

What intentions did he truly have?

He couldn’t hide the fear on his face as he looked up at Zebedaios. “Are you planning to consume my soul?”

Zebedaios smiled, those shattered eyes even looking kind. “No, I have no need for such things. There is quite enough here to sustain me. You don’t have to be afraid.”

“What do you mean?” Jace asked, his guard still very much up.

“I don’t need to kill to survive,” Zebedaios said, smiling.

He still held Jace in his arms, not quite with the tight grip that he had had during their kiss but a loose and somewhat reassuring grip that Jace could push out of whenever he wanted to. Yet Jace didn’t.

“Stop your mind games on me Zebedaios, or I will destroy you,” confidence flooded Jace’s voice and his eyes grew brighter.

Zebedaios lent away from the light but he did not let Jace go. He looked down at Jace with a kindness that was disarming. “I’m not playing mind games with you, Jace.”

“His magic you’re using on me, to make me attracted to you. Stop it,” Jace said, though he also had not let go of Zebedaios.

Zebedaios laughed, it was not a cruel laugh, as Jace would have expected from a demon. It was the kind of laugh he would hear coming out of Thariel. “How very homophobic of you Prince, what would your sister think?” with a smile Zebedaios said, “I’m not using any magic on you.”

Jace felt as if his very world was crumbling.

How could Zebedaios be a demon and still be like this? And how could he be so extremely attracted to a demon?

It was against everything the Phoenix stood for and he was their Prince.

He softened the light from his eyes and Zebedaios relaxed again, pulling Jace in close. Filling Jace’s nose with jasmine and lemongrass. His heart raced being held by Zebedaios. It felt so extremely right.

He had never been so attracted to another man before, much less one so completely wrong for him. Yet he wrapped his arms tighter around Zebedaios, worried the demon would just disappear in the blink of an eye.

“I’m sorry I took your mask off,” he whispered.

Zebedaios’ hand toyed with one of Jace’s curls that fell down his back. “While a Phoenix like you should know better than to remove important articles of clothing but I forgive you.”

Jace found himself smiling.

It felt so completely surreal. Jace had never dreamt before in his life yet he wondered if this was what a dream felt like. The impossible being true yet more than true, comfortable and completely right. Zebedaios was playful and mysterious yet there was such a kindness that poured off him that Jace couldn’t deny. It went against everything he had been taught about demons to a point it sounded like an oxymoron. Cruelty was supposed to be synonyms with demons. Yet Zebedaios’ words and actions contrasted so heavily with everything Jace had been taught. The way he held Jace, the care he was giving Jace in allowing him to process the situation. He wasn’t even angry about being unmasked.

Jace looked up at his face again, looking past the shattered demon eyes. Zebedaios had a beautiful face. A strong brow that supported the horns and sculpted cheekbones.

Jace blushed and Zebedaios chuckled.

“It seems your curiosity has satisfied Prince.”

“Why are you here?” Jace whispered.

“To play with you in a more private setting,” Zebedaios purred, his eyes flicking around, pointing to the fact that there was no one out there with them they were completely alone.

Zebedaios could have tried anything in the times he had had Jace so alone and vulnerable yet he seemed so content with just holding him.

“How could there be a demon in the palace of the Phoenix? It just doesn’t make sense how you would be able to exist,” Jace said.

“Yes I do have to be careful not to show myself. However do you really think a place such as this would be free of demons, really think about it. But don’t be scared,” he stroked the side of Jace’s face, lightning striking, “I like it here.”

Then Zebedaios started to disappear.

Jace let go of the demon allowing him to fade, though he didn’t want him to go. He lent back against the frozen castle wall, just trying to process what had just happened as Zebedaios’ smiling face faded away, along with the mask on the ground.

Jace’s heart was still racing. He knew that Zebedaios’ existence was in active danger, he now felt awful for telling Lynn and Thariel of his existence. What if they told April or Gaufrid?

Jace had a very important secret to protect.