Contractually Yours Alpha (Riley)

Chapter Seventy

Chapter Seventy

"I once told you the difference between a sorcerer and a warlock: a sorcerer is born into magic while warlocks have to earn theirs.

Our magic comes from a... dark source. All my life, I hungered for power. I believed I wasn't born to live an ordinary life and I wouldn't settle for less. I studied every supernatural creature, and that's how I knew about Vox." "Who is Vox?" I asked Bruce.

"He is the Demon Overlord, a powerful entity, and he saw me as useful. I went on missions for him- while I wasn't skilled in the physical aspect, my knowledge and resourcefulness made up for it. I wanted to become his favorite, but with Vox, things don't work that way. You are only important to him when you are of use.

I was able to complete all my tasks; I did really bad things, none of which I am proud of, and finally I was rewarded; he made me a warlock. Just as I had wanted.

Still, I wanted more, and my greed got in the way.

A warlock's magic never does die. If a warlock kills another, he gets a portion of their strength, so the more you kill, the more powerful you become. Of course, when I discovered that, I shifted my target. I began hunting for other warlocks; they are the hardest to kill, but I had my ways. I killed ten of Vox's creatures, and I buried their bodies beneath this very building. With each warlock I killed, I got stronger, and finally I believed I was ready to take him down too

If I killed him, I would be the next Demon Overlord, and so I began plotting. I was simply careless; I let the wrong people into my circle, and they ratted me out. Vox discovered everything I had been up to, and so he hunted me. I was able to stay hidden for some time due to the protection spell I placed on myself.

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That had been around the time I met your mother.

The thing about a warlock's power is that the more it's getting used, the weaker it becomes. My protection spell wore out, and your mother, Kate and our unborn child were in danger. I had to let her go. It was the hardest decision I had ever made. I didn't plan to abandon her; the plan was to return to her when things were safer.

I had gone after yet another warlock; I needed to be stronger if I was going to face Vox, but it turned out to be a trap, and the Demon Overlord was waiting. He didn't kill me as I thought he would, but instead he sentenced me; I would forever be caged in this building, just like the warlocks I had ended and buried

beneath it.

For decades I had tried everything to escape this place but I couldn't, and that's why I wasn't there for you and Kate."

"Where is Vox now?" I questioned.

"He is in hibernation or something similar to that."

"Doesn't that mean you are free?"

Chapter Seventy

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"No, it doesn't. I had only managed to leave this godforsaken place a dozen times, and that had been because I was consuming demon blood."

"That had been what you needed Daemon for, wasn't?"

"Yes. Earlier, the sorceress, Jade, had made me an offer; she was going to supply me pure demon blood, and in exchange I would help her on her quest. I never planned to help, but I accepted the blood; it only took some time before she realized I was never going to keep to my part of the plan, and so..."

"She stopped supplying that."

"Yes. Somehow Daemon discovered me, and so he offered me a constant supply if only I could help him lock Jade away. But the more I took the demon blood, the weaker I became; it had almost killed me the last time. There is no way out for me, except Vox freed me.", "You said something about Jade asking you to join her on her quest. What had that been about?" I asked. "Jade wants to revive Vox, the demon overlord."

"And why would she want to do that?" It had been Thane who asked this time.

"Vox had captured her lover; he believes she only can awaken him when the time comes, so only then would he let her partner go."

"But she can't, can she?" I asked.

"No. She had been trying, but it's not working; it's like something is wrong. She wouldn't give up though; she would keep trying till it worked, and Vox knew that.

"If he is a powerful overlord, then can't he just wake himself? Why does he need her to do that?"

"It doesn't work that way, Riley. He might be powerful and all, but when he goes into hibernation, he can't just wake up; he needs someone to revive him." Today's Bonus Offer