Elara’s Perspective

Elara had braced herself to prepare for this meeting. She had found quite a bit of circumstantial evidence that there was something shady occurring in this case that she had taken on. She wondered how the woman who brought her the information had found out about wrongdoing happening within the AWIO. All the pretty brunette woman said was that she had a source, but she would not elaborate any further. When Elara had gone through the file, she knew she was going to take on the case. Something was off about this man, James Holt, and she was going to figure it out.

Curiosity had caused her to confront the man directly rather than just simply reporting her findings. That might not have worked anyway considering one of his possible accomplices was the devil woman heading HR. In all possibility, it was the devil who was orchestrating this. Elara had wanted to observe the situation first hand.

When she arrived at the meager apartment, she almost believed she had made a mistake. Would a devil really live in a place this run down? Her doubts were washed away when she saw the man at the door. Not only was he gorgeous to look at, but he was draped in illusion magic common with devils. It took all her willpower not to quiver when responding to him. She elected to **** casual speech out and try to acknowledge him as little as possible.

His voice was a friendly but sexy baritone that seemed to echo in her mind. He had well-kept golden hair, piercing blue eyes, and a muscular build. He looked surprisingly young and fit for a middle-aged man. She had seen his photo in his AWIO personnel file, but this was not the same man. Some features were similar, but either he had gone through a lot of cosmetic surgery or something else was at work. She had never felt so aroused by just looking at a person before.

After walking around the apartment and doing a preliminary assessment, she had conjectured that this man might be under powerful magic control. That would explain the situation. She had prepared for any scenario, but her charms and spells aimed at deflecting seductive magic were not holding out in this den of debauchery. She was worried she had bitten off more than she could chew.

When the time came for her to reveal her hand, the man had admitted she was right. She was not prepared for what the full truth was.

The man rose from his seat and approached her like a cat stalking prey. The room darkened–not from a lack of light, but as if the very walls recoiled from the presence of something ancient and great. His mortal guise flickered like a mirage before melting away, revealing something far more devastating.

His eyes—once merely captivating—now burned with an otherworldly fire. Twin horns curled elegantly, each ridge was carved with infernal symbols that pulsed with purple light. His very presence exuded warmth, temptation, an unbearable gravity that threatened to pull her closer despite every instinct screaming to resist.

“Asmodeus…” She thought out loud, barely able to process what was happening.

“Oh, you know me? You’re quite clever, aren’t you?”

His hand lifted, fingers brushing the air between them, and in an instant, unseen hands—phantasmal, caressing, lingering—pressed against her skin, barely there but undeniably real. Her pulse raced.

“What do I do with you now that you’ve found me out, Elara?” He cooed. No training could have prepared her for this psychological ****. She had thought Lexi was the threat here, but she had been wrong. Incredibly wrong. The meager protection charm she had prepared stood no chance in the face of Asmodeus’ overwhelming power.

Most prey animals went into fight or flight mode in the face of danger. Elara felt unable to move. She could not tell if she was frozen with fear or desire.

He grinned, slow and wicked, fangs glinting as he leaned in. “So tell me, Elara… now that you see me for what I am, are you afraid?”

The weight of his presence pressed down upon her, but whether it was suffocating or intoxicating escaped her. Even for a witch who was sworn to the power of magic, this was far more than she had bargained for.