The Devil's Masquerade: The Poison Read online

  The Devil’s Masquerade:

  The Poison

  Jennifer Loren

  Books by Jennifer Loren

  The Devil’s Eyes Series

  THE DEVIL’S EYES

  THE DEVIL’S REVENGE

  THE DEVIL’S SON

  THE DEVIL’S MASQUERADE: THE REMEDY

  The Finding Ava Series

  FINDING AVA

  RECKLESS

  THE HAND THAT HOLDS MINE

  http://www.jenniferloren.com/

  First published by Jennifer Loren, 2013

  ISBN-13: 978-0-9888027-2-8

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

  Any unauthorised distribution or use of this publication may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  Representation and Management, More & More Professional Literary Services

  http://www.moreandmorepls.com/

  Copyright © Jennifer Loren 2013

  Acknowledgements

  Content Editing: More & More Professional Literary Services http://www.moreandmorepls.com/

  Copyediting: Erinn Giblin, Yours Truly, The Editor

  Proofreading: Jacqueline Tria

  Cover Model: Lionel Clerc

  Cover Design: Hang Le, By Hang Le

  http://byhangle.com/

  Interior Design: Polgarus Studio

  http://www.polgarusstudio.com/

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Prologue

  Dark venom, the black poison that is the name to which his servants call his toxin which he administers through the teeth of his ruby-eyed dragon. By the time you hear the squawking dragon take flight, it is too late; the venom has already entered through a main artery and is creeping through your veins with a slow burn until it reaches the ends of your soul. Its goal is to render you powerless, to break down all of the barriers and defenses that keep you from becoming the killer Asmodeus wants you to be. Then, it is just a matter of time before your heart begins to harden, your soul to become his, and you forget all that you had once held dear. There is no fighting it. There is no recovery from his darkness or running from his evil. The best you can do is not fight it at all, allowing yourself to succumb to death. However, the strongest and the ones with the most to live for fight; they fight and try to hold on, and that’s what he wants. He wants you to fight, to show strength that is like no other, to show that you cannot be defeated. It is the unyielding that can be changed into the most deadly of killers. Asmodeus will be unstoppable once he has the absolute warrior to help him control and to kill.

  Even if you are aware of what he wants he will find a way. He will distract you; make you believe that he is your friend that he is going to help you survive. You begin to think he is going to help those you love and once you believe in him, you turn your back to him. When your vulnerable back is left defenseless that’s when you hear it and then you feel it. The slow burning poison changes into a raging fire that brings you to your knees, your eyes become black and overcome with darkness, you can hear nothing, but your own screams of torment. It is days before you awake again, and your mind is weak and dazed while he fills you with thoughts of violence and control and devotion, to him. Numb, closed off from all else, you are completely vulnerable to the poison’s will. Your final transformation is complete when the poison kills any last fragment of the life you had, when you are broken, destroyed and your heart is hardened, and you are left as nothing but a merciless disciple of Asmodeus.

  No there has never been a cure to his poison, there has been few to live through it. However, one found a way to not only live through it, but to escape it after a remedy. The love of one woman stopped the poison’s hardening of his heart, revived his life and gave him a new mission, a new mission to kill Asmodeus, otherwise known as, Dennis Savage.

  Chapter 1

  Dante

  This is only the fifth day of my training, and there is still so much I have yet to learn. My father, however, seems pleased, pleasing me. There have been many days of exhausting tests of my will and my strength, but today, I am expected to practice battling one on one. My first competition is not an easy one; it is against my brother, Saldean. My little shadow, and Saldean’s full sister, cheers us on from the sidelines. My half-brother is older than me, and my half-sister is younger. Being right in the middle of the two puts me at odds with my stepmother on a daily basis. She dotes on my brother and sister every chance she gets, but I am her biggest disgrace. I don’t see eye to eye with Belinda, and if there is one thing I know with certainty, it is that she would love for him to kill me to restore her dignity. My adoring sister is torn between her mother and the brother she follows around. I don’t know how much longer I can hold off my older sibling. He is getting stronger by the day, and my father is becoming more supportive of him. Saldean is only a few years older, but it’s just enough for him to work me over a couple times. My father finds weakness a detriment to the family and has no problem ridding himself of it if necessary. The only way I stand a chance is to deviate from brawn and use my head to gain power. I know my brother well. I spend time watching his moves and learning his first step, his second, and every one thereafter. Before long, I know every step he is going to take before he takes it. I use this knowledge to plan my attack on him, and I beat him to his position, dropping him before he can react. My tactical approach secures win after win. Saldean never learns; he only sees what is in front of him, believing his strength should assure a victory. As strong as he is, he is predictable, and I am able to out maneuver him before he can change his strategy. To my father’s surprise, my wit outdoes my brother’s strength, time and time again; however, he seems pleased. Brains beat strength every time, and every time, my father moves a little closer to the edge of his cushioned seat. He never thought it was possible, but now that it has happened, he has all the more reason to go against my stepmother’s wishes and make me next in line for head of the family. The only thing that keeps my stepmother from suffocating me in my sleep is my father. She knows her death would instantly fall upon her if she laid a hand on me, but that
doesn’t encourage kindness on her part. In fact, the circumstances remind me of growing up.

  My brother and I have always gotten along, and my sister has followed me around like a lost puppy most of our lives, maybe because I had more patience with her than anyone else. The three of us were brought up sheltered from most of the outside world. We were properly and privately educated by the best instructors money could buy. We were cared for by many servants, and never once do I recall any of them denying a request. However, father would not allow any of us to get out of line, even for a moment. Discipline was important to him, and only he was allowed to dictate our punishment. My stepmother was never more than a figurehead, a caring mother to her children and an evil witch to me. Belinda always had something nasty to say to me, and I allowed it until I finally realized that my blatant displays of obedience and unwarranted kindness were getting me nowhere. The verbal abuse from her lasted until I was fifteen, until the day I had enough. That day, we were all sitting down to dinner, and she decided to prove how smart her son was to Father. She would ask him question after question, all greatly simplified for him. Father was pleased and congratulated Saldean for his advancing education. The witch could have ended it there, but instead, she decided to try to humiliate me by posing questions that even she didn’t know the answers to.

  “That is not correct Dante. Why don’t you do something simple like eat your food without spilling it,” Belinda says, shaking her head with a laugh.

  “Actually, he is correct. You are the one that is wrong.” Father replies. “Perhaps you should try eating your food without spilling it.”

  “How did you know that?” she asks with her usual pointed stare. “I know, for a fact, that your studies have not reached that level yet.”

  “Just because my studies stop, that does not mean I am incapable of learning on my own. Unlike Saldean, I don’t spend my free time playing with my penis,” I answer, drawing a rare laugh from my father and even more rare silence from my stepmother.

  She never bothered to directly speak to me ever again, and I have been perfectly fine with that.

  After that dinner, father took a special interest in me and hired an elite assistant. Oliver Rabbie is one of the most intelligent men available, a highly-skilled professor from one of the top universities in the country. He is well-bred and speaks as if he stepped out of a traditional English novel. With Rabbie, I learn more than I ever could have from any other tutor. He has been a proud attendant at my battles whether it is with one of my father’s assassin’s or with my brother, and he is always an ally against my stepmother whose silence does not stop her from trying to distract me during battles. Throughout this battle session, one of my father’s top assassins gets the best of Saldean. I am only allowed to know that my brother was outdone and defeated; I am not allowed to know how he was defeated so I am given no advantage when I step into the room to begin my own battle with the man. The moment I step out in from of him, the man salivates. My father sits back and watches with no emotion, my sister hides her face in her mother’s arm, and Belinda smiles, assuring me that this is not going to be an easy fight.

  Rabbie pulls me to his side. “Think, plan, be patient,” he says before glancing over at my stepmother, “and be prepared for distractions. That witch brought in a whistle.” I nod and move towards the lunatic who’s ready to tear my head off. If I fail, I don’t know if father will stop him or if the disappointment will be enough to justify my death.

  The man blazes from one side of the room to the other before suddenly stopping much closer than I expect, but I don’t move. He dashes around once again then darts at me, tumbling over my head when I duck. He looks a little shocked but once again begins his dizzying attack. He lunges, trying to force me to move; however, I jump and allow him to slide under my feet. I don’t understand his motivation to get me to move until I realize he is trying to get me to run, to turn my back on him just once. When he begins again, my stepmother blows her whistle, catching only my opponent’s attention. I use that moment to take hold of his face and jerk it towards mine, capturing his eyes. “Die!” To my feet, he falls. I turn back towards my father and nod at his now standing figure.

  “Yay, Dante!” Galena yells, clapping for me. “Great battle brother!”

  Father smiles and nods back towards me. “Ma Joie,” he whispers.

  The strength I feel, the desire I have, and the fire in my veins all feed a hunger to kill again.

  Chapter 2

  Dante

  Now that my father understands my abilities, he has decided to put me in charge of the family business. This is my first chance to associate with people outside of our realm, beyond servants and paid employees. It is odd, at first, dealing with people who want to say no to me, who want to deny me what I want. My growing strength and knowledge helps me improve my family’s territory and our stronghold over the city. I break one barrier after another in a much shorter time than expected. Our once unnoticeable territory now controls the city. Even the elected officials answer to us. My next order of business is to build a tower of respect to represent our family, or rather, my father. The tower, a high-rise of immense radiance, will sit on the highest part of the city and be named “Sovereignty.” We have already begun construction, despite there being one obstacle that is giving me trouble. One small business is unwilling to sell their building, forcing us to share our triumph on the hill, not something my father is willing to do. This land has been dismissed up until now because the owners have been a mix of ex-cops and other public servants. However, we were able to get them all to sell to us by offering a price they couldn’t refuse. That is, all except for the busy mechanic’s shop, Simone’s Auto Body. Simone’s is being supported by the police department, feels no need to bow down to anyone, and is not swayed by any amount of money we offer. The nuisance has forced me to take care of this one in person rather than sending my usual assistants. My father believes I should have an easier time of it since the owner recently suffered a severe heart attack. The owner’s misfortune has left his daughter in charge. I have never had a problem dealing with women. I ask, and they do. Sometimes, I don’t even have to ask. My father always had women around us while we were growing up. Since we were home schooled and were never allowed to leave the compound, we couldn’t meet girls of our own age, so father had women brought to us. We were encouraged to learn how to pleasure them properly. Some would pretend they didn’t want to be there, but one look in their direction and a simple kiss to their cheek, and I easily lured them back to my bed where I would fuck them all night and throughout the next day. Soon, sex and women were easy for me. All I had to do was glance in their direction and they would run to me, dropping to their knees and begging to suck my dick. I never had to do much of anything other than say what I wanted, no matter how awkward or vulnerable it made them feel.

  Now, I have to negotiate with the daughter of our enemy. Knowing my usual success, I plan for an early end to my day. I walk into the shop with all the confidence in the world, and why shouldn’t I? No one has ever denied me. I am a Savage, the devil in disguise. The moment I feel her presence though, something inside me begins to crack.

  “Hi, can I help you?” she says without much acknowledgment to my existence. I wait until she finds it necessary to meet my eyes. The moment she looks up, a lump forms within my throat that I can’t swallow fast enough to speak. She breaks the awkward silence with a smile, “Cat got your tongue handsome?”

  “No. I … I. I need to talk to the owner of this establishment,” I say resuming a tall stance.

  “Well you got her. What do you need?”

  Breathing in deeply, I look into her eyes, “I need to buy your business today.” She laughs, forcing me to stand back, unsure how to react. “I don’t think you understand. I am not telling you a joke, I am making you an offer …”

  “I am not telling you a joke … wow, you are so serious. I heard you sweetie. I am just not interested in selling. My grandfather started
this business, and I am not about to give it up. Too much history, you know. This place means something to my family, especially to my brother and me.” She smiles before turning her back to me and rushing around as if we have finished our conversation. She is talking to her employees and discussing changes to the disgusting place while I can do nothing more than follow her around like a puppy. She suddenly turns back to me, “Do you need something else because I have a lot to get done today?” I shake my head, and she… smiles. I don’t remember much after that.

  I somehow managed to make it back home. I couldn’t give my father much of an explanation as to why my mission at the garage was unsuccessful. All I could do was say that I thought the situation was in need of some serious investigation before we can go much further. He believes our enemies are behind the trouble, and even though I know better, I am not about to tell him any different.

  The next day, I try several more times to speak to the frustrating woman, but every time, she dismisses me or, even worse, ignores me. I have never in my life experienced such a frustration. Galena suggested I come up with a backup plan. A backup plan? I know what she means, but it is not something I have ever had to consider. I don’t know what other kind of backup plan I could come up with that would help me with the horrible woman, so instead, I create a plan to go around her. I spend the next few weeks making side deals and organizing a solution that will work around the small body shop rather than attempting to face-off with her. The solution works well for me. I can oversee the construction of our great building and watch her at the same time. There has to be a reason why she can deny me. I have heard of people being able to do this, but I have never seen it in person.