Forbidden: Leadership

Chapter 19

-VALERIE'S P.O.V-

    I tried. And tried. And tried. For hours. And hours.
    And finally. Finally I was home. Finally I am home. Though I'm not pleased that I had to leave again.
     I walk out to the troops. Standing tall, ready for their lesson. They just don't get how easy their job is here. Iron hurts spirits, if they can land a hit. Swords are made of fucking iron. And so are their armour suits.
"Doing a different approach today."
    I summon Sekia and strap her to my back before taking one of their swords. It feels like a feather compared to Sekia. So easy to wield.
"Follow me."
    I begin walking through passage ways. And they follow as told. I had walked around the basically full view of hell whole trapped last weeks..
    I stand in front of cages, cages containing spirits. So many damned souls. It's sad.
"Now say one of these fuckers slipped out of the enchanted cages. What do you do?"
"Attack and get them back where they belong." The giggler speaks.
"Sort of right. But the thing you don't see is how tricky they can be."
"What do you mean?" A man says.
    I release one spirit. It begins attacking them immediately. They try and get him with sword but fail.
    The spirit dodges each stab, each swing and everything that the troops have to give him.
"On your sword there is a symbol. The symbol will help you land an actual hit beyond the iron alone. You just have to focus it and they might submit."
"Might?"
     I only nod to the recruit. I press my thumb to the symbol. The sword turns a fog like color.
"See with iron, it wards them. They shy away but do not fear you can actually hit them. Because hitting a ghost with iron is harder than you think."
    I raise the shadowed sword to the ghost. It slowly backs off in fear. I open the cage and in a huff of defeat, it goes back in.
"You see, the regular sword is on our plane of existence. While this one is on theirs. It can hit them on their level and not on ours. Ours it will just go through them and slightly weaken them, if you actually land the hit."
"What about your sword?" The giggler asks.
"These guys are dead, right?"
"Yes, Sire." The group says at the same time.
"Dead-Dead."
    I open the cage and one goes free. A hot aura raises around the ghost. He begins rising up. I pull Sekia free and strike him. He explodes with a gust of wind and a loud scream.
    The wind kicks all the soldiers down on their asses and I laugh to it.
"So. He's dead-dead. And is not coming back. You guys, however..." I press the blade to one of the men as he stands first.
    His eyes fill with instant fear. It makes me smile. It feels fucking good to feel properly again.
"You guys only have one life. If I stab you, you die. And there won't be a way you could come back."
    I put the blade away and the tense moment ends. "Now, let's try this again."
    I wave my hand and release a cage that was full. The ghosts scatter quickly. I take a deep breath and  focus a invisible barrier to keep them from really getting away.
    The troop chases after them in no fucking order. Nothing I've taught over the few weeks has stuck.
    I slow time but keep them in my time. The ghosts stay in place.
"What the fuck happened to order?"
    They look at me in shock. For a moment they stand still and then line up.
"You guys look like a bunch of idiots with swords. You already have the upperhand with iron for fuck sakes."
"Sorry, Sire."
"Go again. Don't look like shitty A.I zombies running after your prey."
"Yes, Sire." They get ready.
    I resume time and they go again. Some order. Some.
"Oh my fucking damn. I don't know why I'm trying when I can just put a barrier over hell for exits."
     And I should but it would take far too much effort. The ghosts are the only things that can leave. Other than that, hell has no demon releasing threat.
"Sounds like you're having fun."
"I am. I'm excited."
"Why?"
"Cause I have a wife to come home to."
     I look to the mess. Some captured, others on the way to being trapped. Eh. They're doing eh.
     I sigh as they finished. They line up again.
"You would have failed. And not being rude here but without the barrier I put up, they would have been gone."
     They stand attention, out of breath. Everything feels so much damn better with Ninfa back. Because this way, I can enjoy my tortures I give.
     The demon butler runs to me quickly.
"My lord, gaints have been caught with human feeding."
"Banish them here. I'll take care of them."
"What of their young?"
"Unfortunately same. The humans don't deserve such acts. And I made my law clear."
    Of course I feel bad for killing children and babies now that I have my own but they breed like it's nothing. Their young have tasted human and now know they can eat the beings. They can't. I can't allow it.
    He nods and runs off. I turn back to the army.
"Be back here tomorrow at the same time in the morning."
    I begin walking away. In the castle it holds the giants, chained up and ready for execution. I sigh.
    I slow time so I don't have to hear the cries. Hear the pleas for salvation. Cries of the kids and babies.
   I make a stab to each of the giants. Taking heads would make too much of a mess and I don't care for it. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
"I know you're there. Wondering why the world is slow. I have to do something. I made the law and now I have to follow through. And I can't stop thinking about Dakota."
"You're doing what you have to as a leader. You would never hurt Dakota because she is not a monster, and they are."
"Another reason I love you with all of me. Help me through the things I hate about myself."
    I sigh and open my eyes. Driving the blade into the children one by one. With Ninfa's help, it helps ease the fact I have to do this.
   I change myself into a dragon. Burning the bodies to ash. As I return to form, I resume time.
   The butler and guards stare at the floor for a moment. Scorch marks cover the ground. They look up to me in shock and in fear.
"I'm going home. The day is done. Clean up the ashes. If you need me.."
    I summon a button thingy. Closing my eyes for a moment I connect myself with it before handing it to him.
"Try to not need me."
"Yes, my lord. Emergencies only."
    I nod. I head to my mothers chambers and lock the door behind me. Making a blood mark to the portal, invisible wall, so it only allows me to pass. I walk through and make landing into the living room.
"Oh. Hi." She says as she walks out of the kitchen.
"Not expecting me home so soon?"
"I had doubts."
    I sigh. "I can tell."
    She stands on her tippy toes and lightly kisses my lips. I wrap my arms around her and feel myself smile against her lips as she smiles against mine.
"Where's Dakota?" I say as the kiss parts.
"Nap. Just put her down."
"How about I treat my wife to some time alone?"
"What do you have in mind, Val?"
   I pick her up and silently walk off to our room. Lucky she put Dakota in her room vs ours. I sit her down on the bed, or try to but she pulls me on top of her.
"I've missed you."
"I've missed you too."
    She leans up and claims my lips. I almost forget how soft her lips are. Almost forgot how teasing the kiss is when she purposefully makes it slow.
     Her hands travel under my shirt and up my back. Warm and soft against my skin as she runs them along me. The kiss suffocating but addicting and neither can pull away.
    I have to. For air, but I need more. I want more.
    I pull from her lips only to kiss down her jawline to her neck. I lay slow kisses down her neck, her soft skin is so warm. She is in gasps to my kisses, light moans even.
    I'm becoming more and more aroused to the foreplay and I know she is. I trace my hand along her perfectly sculpted body, lingering at her hips. Continuing my slow kisses to her warm and soft skin.
    I lightly bite her. Her heartbeat feels interesting against my tongue, feels good as it races quicker to my actions. A light amount of blood is given and I know my teeth have broke skin. She moans out to it though so I'm glad I didn't actually hurt her.
    I start slowly kissing further down her neck to her chest. Her shirt is definitely not helping. And I want more.
     A loud and rather annoying buzz happens in my head. And the only thing I can think it would be is hell. I just left 10 minutes ago and they already need me again.
     I sadly pull away. My sexual tension is at a high and I want to give her everything. Every type of love. Every type of pleasure... But according to hells call, it's an emergency and this has to wait.
"I'm being summoned..."
     She hides her very red from blushing face in the pillows. I hear a frustrated yell and it makes me laugh.
"I promise, love, we will definitely finish this later."
"I'm going to die of sexual frustration right now, I swear."
     The buzzing grows louder. More annoying. More disappointing.
"Apparently I'm like the dark lord or some shit and I have to keep the bowels of hell at bay and the monsters in hiding."
    She turns her head quickly to me. A grin but a fire in her eyes only makes me want her more. She pushes me off of her and I fall against the bed.
"You should go. Before I pin you down and make sure you can't."
"Oh is that a promise? Cause if it is tha.."
    She pushes me off the bed with her feet. "I swear Valerie. You need to go."
     I stand and throw my hands in the air in surrender. "Fine. Fine."
    I make a motion between us with my hand. "This is not over."
      The annoyance crosses my face as I appear in the castle in a flash. The butler and guards are to my side instantly.
"Sire, the hound has escaped and is in the loose."
"Which hound?"
"Demi."
"Oh. Great. The only one that never obeys worth a shit. Get the cage fixed. Gather a few witches from their stakes and create a spell to keep her in until I can create a barrier."
    I take a running start to the doors. "I'll take care of the rest."