Chapter 154: Seducing the Sin of Pride
Pazuzu’s POV
"I came here to marry you, Luceriel," Pazuzu repeated, leaning closer until the sharp, intoxicating scent of fresh mint filled his senses, the very scent that had driven him half out of his mind, forcing him to invade Verolona a week ago and plunge the actual master assigned to train the human into a deep, magical slumber.
He hadn’t slaughtered the real master. Killing him would have set off alarms across the realm and alerted Luceriel far too soon. So he had simply put the man to sleep and spent an entire week carefully studying his magical arts, not because he gave a damn about instructing Azriel’s human, but because of Luceriel.
The Sin of Pride. The one fated to be his.
"You have gone completely insane!" Luceriel snarled.
With a sudden burst of movement, he grabbed Pazuzu’s wrist, twisting it sharply behind his back before launching a vicious kick.
Pazuzu caught Luceriel’s leg mid-air, shifting his weight to flip the proud prince onto the floor. They crashed down together, Luceriel’s thighs instinctively wrapping around Pazuzu’s neck in an attempt at a stranglehold, but Pazuzu threw his weight over with ease, pinning Luceriel’s wrists firmly above his head.
"Let go of me, you annoying prick!" Luceriel hissed, his chest heaving. "I don’t care how you snuck into Verolona. I am going to lock you in the darkest cell I have."
"Marry me," Pazuzu proposed again, a dark, wicked grin spreading across his face. He found no small amusement in the way rage had consumed Luceriel’s features. Luceriel’s vivid green eyes were blown wide with fury, burning so intensely it felt as though he might strike Pazuzu down where he lay.
"Get the hell away from me!" Luceriel retorted.
A dark, triumphant smirk touched his lips as he glanced down.
Pazuzu followed his gaze, his eyes widening as thick, glowing green vines rapidly sprouted from the floorboards, coiling tightly around his body. The moment they bound him, an overwhelming exhaustion hit him, draining every drop of his demonic power and forcing him to go entirely limp atop Luceriel’s body.
"I warned you, didn’t I?" Luceriel muttered coldly. He shoved Pazuzu’s dead weight off him, stood, and hurriedly dusted off his immaculate robes before turning back to face his captive. "Are you responsible for my lack of visions? They stopped appearing a week ago, the exact time you set foot in Verolona."
Pazuzu merely offered a wicked, unbothered grin, shrugging his bound shoulders.
Luceriel’s eyes flashed with anger as he reached down, wrapping a firm hand tightly around Pazuzu’s throat and hoisting him clean off the ground until he dangled in midair.
"You obnoxious bastard! Tell me what I need to know!"
Pazuzu let out a dark chuckle, shrugging again despite the constriction around his windpipe. "How am I supposed to speak when I’m tied up like this? There’s no way I can answer you, now can I?" He flashed Luceriel a deliberate, teasing wink. "Though, I must admit, I rather love the feel of your hands wrapped around my neck."
"Pervert," Luceriel spat, slamming Pazuzu hard against the stone floor. "If you refuse to speak, the dungeons will suit you fine. I’ll make sure you spill everything after I torture the truth out of you."
Pazuzu burst into rich, echoing laughter right from the ground.
"Your laughter annoys me, you useless demon."
"I’m simply in awe of how casually you speak of torture," Pazuzu mused, his voice smooth despite the impact, mocking the prince’s well-known aversion to such crude methods. "Especially when you’re the one brother who despises getting his hands bloody. You will never torture me, Luceriel, because—"
PUNCH.
Luceriel’s fist collided squarely with Pazuzu’s face.
"Oh, darkness," Pazuzu groaned softly, closing his eyes for a fleeting second. It wasn’t the pain that made him react. It was the sensation of Luceriel touching him, sending a dark thrill straight down his spine that nearly drove him mad.
Seeing the thrill in Pazuzu’s eyes only incensed Luceriel further. "Why do you talk as if you hold all the power? Is this truly how powerful the Sin of Pride is, or are you merely a weakling carried by a grand title?"
Luceriel landed another punch to his face, followed by another, and another, until a sickening crack echoed from Pazuzu’s jaw and a trail of dark crimson blood leaked from his nose.
Pazuzu couldn’t even remember the last time he had bled. Under normal circumstances, his demon body would have knit the flesh back together in an instant, but Luceriel’s holy vines were actively suppressing his demonic energy, leaving him entirely unable to heal or draw on his magic.
"How is that for a brother who doesn’t know how to hit?" Luceriel demanded. He reached into his robes, pulled out a silk handkerchief, and meticulously wiped the blood from his knuckles, his pride unyielding. "I despise getting my hands filthy, but you have thoroughly pushed me past my limit. You dared to enter my kingdom, kill one of my masters, and—"
"I didn’t kill the master," Pazuzu interrupted, shaking his head slightly. "I only put him into a deep sleep. And I did it all because I longed to see you. I’m glad I came. Your beauty is truly out of this world. Your brothers may be striking, but you are far more magnificent than any of them."
Luceriel froze, his green eyes widening as they locked onto Pazuzu’s. "You met one of my brothers? Which one? Tell me!"
Pazuzu chuckled again, watching the fiery reaction. It was fascinating to witness firsthand the bond the brothers shared, unbreakable, each one fiercely dedicated to protecting the others at all costs. He had seen that same loyalty in Azriel, when the man had accepted a mind compulsion rather than willingly betray Luceriel’s location.
"I asked you a question, you useless demon. Which of my brothers did you meet?"
"Call me Pazuzu," he purred, undeterred by the rage. "You should get used to saying it, because soon enough it’s the only name that will be slipping from your lips, once we are married."
Luceriel let out a furious growl, stepping back and thrusting his hand forward. The green vines wrapped around Pazuzu constricted instantly, digging deep into his skin. "I don’t care what delusional fantasies you have. There is no way in hell I am letting a demon dictate a single thing to me!"
"What..." Pazuzu groaned as the pressure tightened further, feeling the last of his strength being squeezed steadily out of him. "Are these..."
"You must have been sleeping far too long if you’ve missed out on basic magic," Luceriel said, his voice dripping with pride and disdain. "These vines restrict all power, regardless of who or what you claim to be."
"And how long do you honestly think they’ll hold me?" Pazuzu asked, a slow smirk spreading across his bruised face. "You mentioned losing your visions a week ago. Aren’t you curious enough to find out why they vanished? Aren’t you desperate to know the truth?"
As he spoke, Pazuzu casually shifted his wrists behind his back, feeling the quiet warmth of his own palms. The holy vines were draining his energy, yes, but he had already worked out his escape.
The blood of a supreme demon king was inherently corrosive, capable of corrupting and neutralizing divine magic on contact. He hadn’t survived centuries of war just to be permanently trapped by a few magical roots.
"I will find out the moment I drag you to the dungeons," Luceriel declared, his voice ringing with authority. "If I cannot extract the truth myself, I will invite Lumiel to break you until you explain your presence here!"
Pazuzu chuckled darkly under his breath. Using his sharp nails, he quietly sliced a thin line across his own palm, letting his dark demon blood seep out and coat the restricting vines.
"You’re just as stubborn as my servant reported," Pazuzu said smoothly, keeping his posture unchanged to avoid tipping Luceriel off. "Dignified and unyielding. The true Prince of Pride."
"Shut your mouth! I am summoning my royal guards to seal you away forever."
Pazuzu raised his palm slightly, letting the blood saturate the holy vegetation around his wrists. "The human being trained under my tutelage, he’s Azriel’s pregnant mate, isn’t he? Seraphel."
"So you’ve pried into his affairs as well."
"I know everything about him," Pazuzu said, smiling softly, continuing to speak in a calm, distracting tone while his blood ate steadily through the holy spell. "And I will kill that boy without a second thought if you refuse my proposal."
The moment the words left his mouth, the vines dissolved into ash.