The next morning, if it was morning in this place, Elias woke to someone stroking his hair.
He froze.
Varian's fingers combed lazily through his curls, cool at the tips and warm at the base, as though his hands were fire smothered by velvet.
"Good," the demon murmured. "You didn't bite me in your sleep."
Elias jolted upright, yanking away from the touch. "Don't do that!"
Varian laughed, rolling back on the bed. "Touchy."
"You can't just touch me while I'm sleeping!"
"I can do a lot of things to you while you're sleeping," Varian said with a sharp grin. "But I've been restraining myself. You should be grateful."
"You kissed me again last night!"
"Several times," Varian said proudly.
"You're insane."
"And you're mine." He tapped the collar. It pulsed against Elias's throat like a second heartbeat. "Still looks good on you."
Elias threw a pillow at him.
Varian caught it midair and tucked it behind his head. "You need discipline."
"You need therapy."
He sat up, eyes glinting. "Get dressed. Today, I introduce you to the others."
"What others?"
"The court. My court. Every prince of the void has his pets and servants. You'll be introduced as mine."
Elias stood, clutching the blanket to his chest. "I'm not parading around as your pet."
Varian appeared behind him again—always too fast—and whispered against his ear, "Then behave like a masterpiece, not a mutt."
Elias flushed hot from the tips of his ears down to his chest. "You're disgusting."
Varian's lips brushed his jaw. "You've no idea how far I can fall."
Then he vanished in a cloud of smoke.
—
A robe waited for him—dark red, backless, high-collared. Soft as sin. Elias dressed with a scowl and followed the trail of flickering torches out into a hallway carved from obsidian and fire.
The moment he stepped through the towering door to Varian's throne hall, all eyes turned to him.
Dozens of beings filled the space—creatures of shadow, beauty, and horror. Some looked human. Others wore masks of bone or nothing at all. Every one of them stared.
Elias wanted to disappear.
Then Varian rose from his throne.
"May I present," he said, voice booming, "Elias, the mortal who bound me."
The crowd whispered.
Elias glared at him. "I didn't bind you."
"You summoned me. Close enough."
Varian walked down the steps, took Elias's chin in his hand, and kissed him hard in front of them all. Possessive. Forceful. His tongue slid past Elias's lips like it owned the place.
Elias struggled. The court laughed and cheered.
When Varian finally let go, Elias was breathless, humiliated—and disturbingly flushed.
"This," Varian said, "is mine."
And Elias, heart pounding, realized:
He was.
For now.
---