THE DEVIL'S HANDMAIDEN DARK REALM SERIES BOOK 1

Chapter 12. DEFIANCE

Satan sits alone at his throne, awaiting Nicole's arrival. As he anxiously taps his fingertips on the iron arms of the chair, tiny sparks give brief light to the dimly lit room. His eyes glow red with fury when a beautiful white butterfly catches his eye as it flutters above him. When it lands near his hand, an evil scowl spreads across his face as he plucks it from the chair, places it in his mouth, and ferociously grinds it between his teeth.

When he hears Nicole's footsteps as she enters the ballroom, he sits up straight in his chair and observes her closely as she makes her way down the aisle toward him. When she finally reaches the altar, she bows and asks, "You summoned me, my Lord?" He motions for her to stand and come forward. She takes a small step toward him and then stops. He can see that she's scared because she's trembling. He grins. Her fear only delights him more. Nicole's mind quickly flashes back to the night of the masquerade ball, and she has a sinking feeling that he has called her here to meet that same fate.

"Come forward!" He demands, in a very commanding voice. As she takes the next few steps, she can feel the heat radiating out from his fingertips as he continues to tap them impatiently on the chair.

Once she's stepped forward as far as she can and stands before him, she closes her eyes, holds her breath, and waits for her judgment. "Nicole, I asked you to do one thing for me and you failed, miserably I might add. But, because I'm such a patient man, I'm going to give you one more chance to prove yourself to me. So, I'm sending Blaze back to Drokken tomorrow and I'm sending Allesandra on her first assignment. She's going back to Earth to claim my next arrivals, and I'm sending you with her. You will put your petty differences aside and you will gain her trust and ultimately become best friends with her. I need you to keep an eye on her and report back to me. I don't think I have to tell you what happens if you fail this time, do I?" "Of course not sir, I will do my best!" "Good, now that that's settled, go prepare for your trip and don't breathe a word of this to anyone. I want this to be a surprise." She bows again, and he excuses her so she can go get ready for the trip.

Blaze hurries back to Allesandra after his meeting with his father. He pounds on her door and, by the anguished look on his face, its obvious things did not go well. When she answers the door, he wastes no time, pulls her in close, and wraps her up in his arms. "Blaze, what are you doing? You act as if you're saying goodbye to me." When he doesn't say anything, she starts to cry. "No! This isn't fair. I don't want you to go. Please do something. Talk to your father again, make him see that we want to be together and beg him if you have to."

Before he can even respond, they are immediately interrupted by a knock at the door. "Who's there?" Blaze calls out. "It's Sebastian! I've come with news. Let me in brother!"

Blaze rolls his eyes and reveals to Allesandra that he's not thrilled with his brother's intrusion. He then opens the door. Sebastian struts in, ignores Blaze, and walks straight up to Allesandra and takes her hand. "Allesandra, my dear, you look lovely. I think red is definitely your color, sweetheart." Blaze steps in between them and glares at his brother. "What do you want, Sebastian? Has father sent you to check up on us?" Sebastian laughs and turns his attention to his brother. "No, quite the contrary, actually. I have taken it upon myself to warn you about his plans for Allesandra after you leave."

Blaze's face begins to turn as red as Allesandra's dress as he presses him for more details. "What have you heard and why have you suddenly taken an interest in what happens to her?" Sebastian playfully pats him on both sides of his face and answers, "Oh believe me, I care. I care a lot, because after you're gone he has asked me to escort her back to Earth for her first assignment, sort of a chaperone slash mentor, if you will. He wants me to teach her how to use her new powers properly. We can't have her, and these are his exact words, "running amuck and leaving carnage everywhere she goes. Because, let's be honest, she doesn't know what the hell she's doing yet."