âThis way, darling, we need to get you into my bed.â Jasper beckoned Eva to follow him from the living room of his mansion. He had brought her down into Imperium and was going to give her a tour. If things worked out and she became a constant companion, he was considering beseeching Abriella to make her immortal, but at the moment she was still human.
âReally, Jasper. No seduction first, how disappointing.â She gave him a fake pout, knowing well why they were heading into the bedroom. Still she had to give him a tease. Eva did so enjoy the looks Jasper would give her when she needled him. It was quite enjoyable.
Stopping, the demon turned to face her, a mischievous smirk upon his face. âNow, my darling little witch, you do know me better than that.â He reached out and took her hand to pull her closer to him, his other hand reaching up to tuck one lock of hair behind her ear, then trace down her neck with barely a whisperâs touch. âThere will be plenty of time forâŚâ he paused, âmore enjoyable endeavors, once we return. But for now, we must keep that delectable body of yours in one piece during our tour.â He gave her a wink and dropped a kiss on her forehead. âNow be a good girl and letâs get you in bed.â He leaned down next to her ear, âfor the first time this eveningâŚâ
âYou are totally incorrigible.â Eva chuckled, her sultry voice caressing his senses like soft velvet. âI have to admit, it is one of your better qualities.â The two were now grinning as he led her down the hallways towards his bedchambers, their hands still together with fingers intertwined.
Jasper looked back over his shoulder with his trademark cocky smirk in place and blue eyes sparkling in the light. There was no doubt he was enjoying the banter, and looking forward to showing his favorite witch around the realm he normally resided in. In fact, she was the ONLY witch heâd ever brought to Imperium. There was something special about her, and he didnât need Abriellaâs rules to want to keep her safe.
âHere we are, my darling!â Jasper threw open the double doors with his free hand to reveal the large bedroom that contained a massive gilded and carved wood bed, elegant furniture and fireplace. Gold and blue adorned everything and the crystal chandelier on the ceiling sparkled and cast tiny rainbows across the ceiling. It was a truly elegant and impressive sight.
âYou certainly donât do anything halfway, do you?â Eva took in the room as they fully entered, obviously impressed that he did not have a typical bachelor pad and that it looked like he actually cleaned up after himself. âYou have some decent digs, demon.â She winked over at him with a smirk on her lips that were the perfect shade of red.
âNow, my darling witch, you should know there is nothing small or half-way about me.â He grinned a devious grin, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her in close to him. âI thought that was one of the things you liked about me.â His nose ran along hers, his eyes sparkling with mischief and seduction intertwined. âOr was I wrong?â
âOh, stop it!â She gave a throaty laugh as she slapped his chest lightly, brushing her lips over his. âYou know very well better than that. Now, are we going to get to that tour, or spend all day in your bedroom?â An amused smirk formed on her lips.
âAs tempting as THAT offer is, I did promise you a tour, and there is a new hellpuppy in Ariochâs torture chamber that you need to meet. He is the most adorable little thing. Teeth like a shark and urine like battery acid. Already he has learned to elicit the most melodious screams from his victims.â Jasperâs grin was beaming. âIf you're a good little witch, I might one day even get you one.â
âPromises, promises.â She chuckled and rolled her eyes, although the promise of a hellpuppy did sound rather fun.
âCome on, you. To the bed with ya, before I change my mind or Abriella does about letting you down into the torture pits.â Jasper smacked her ass, shaking his head as he guided her over to the king sized bed. He really did have fun when Eva came down to Imperium or he went topside. Both of those had been happening more lately, which he did happen to enjoy.
âYes, master, have to make sure Iâm a good girl now.â Eva lay down when she reached the bed, an impish smile gracing her painted lips. She did so love teasing him, it alway led to the most fun of times.
âNot too good, I am a demon after all, darling.â Jasper winked as he covered her with a light blanket. âClose your eyes, now.â
Leaning over her he placed a kiss in the middle of her forehead. Not really required for the separation of her soul from her body, but Jasper did love the dramatic flair. Besides, it never hurt to show Eva a little extra attention and affection.
âNow,â he held his arm for her to take once her soul was next to him, âlet our adventure begin.â
The two couples entered together, devious smirks all around. Their host would have no inkling of the actual motivation behind their attendance. Had he, he might have considered revoking the gold leaf edged invitations that he'd had hand delivered to the ladies that were now entering his mother's mansion on the arm of a demon and an angel.
Instead his hubris had overpowered all and he'd sent the invitations. Seeing them both now, a wide grin spread across his face. Those that doubted him would soon come to understand that he could come to run the family business just as well as any of them. He would show them, he would show the all! And with those two ladies on his side, no one would doubt that he could pull in contacts and associates that would form an empire.
Jasper and Adriel knew they had little to worry about from the mortals milling about. In fact, the mortals should be fearing them. Only slightly less lethal were the women they walked in with, the witch and the grigori. So, there was no fear that anything would happen as they momentarily left the beauties to obtain drinks from their host's bar.
With the latest bauble that Jasper had gifted her, a blood red ruby, around her neck, Eva was damn near untouchable, and Anna was a power immortal in her own right. Eva and Anna were the perfect juxtaposition of dark to light in almost all ways - magic, complexion, business dealings. They could both be ruthless and devious when the need arose, and it most certainly had this night.
For the next few hours, liquor would flow, conversations would as well, dances would be shared, and food enjoyed. The end goal would never leave the mind or sight of the foursome, but they would allow themselves some enjoyment before the pinnacle of the night.
There was supposed to be an announcement at midnight. One about the usurping of the throne of the Shelby dynasty. However, that announcement never would come. Â
At a quarter til, Anna lured their host into his office with seduction she had honed over the years of having to distract beings in New Orleans. The men were in the room, but kept to the shadows, they were mere observers in this endeavor. Once the door was closed, and privacy ensured, Anna pulled their host very, very close.
âMichael, you really never should have double crossed Tommy, cher. I'm afraid you have to die now. And then you can rot in Caligo.â Anna whispered it in his ear and then pulled back just in time to see his eyes go wide as Eva slipped her blade slowly between his ribs to embed it in his heart.
Both women then moved to the side, joining hands as they watched the life drain from Michael Gray. A large crimson stain growing on the beige oriental rug beneath him. Jasper and Adriel came to stand on either side of the two women. The quadruple being the last thing Michael saw as he slipped into the hereafter.
âRight then,â Jasper quipped with a devious smirk. âTime to take this bastard down to Caligo. Arioch is so looking forward to a new play toy. He has a new cerberus puppy, you know, needs a chew toy.â He winked and kissed Eva on the cheek before ripping Michaelâs soul free from his body with a *pop*. âBe right back, love. Donât want to keep the Demon of Revenge waiting, he gets testy, you know.â With a wink, the demon was gone.
âHe does enjoy doing that.â Adriel chuckled as he waved his hand. All fingerprints and memories of the foursome were removed from the entire party. When Michaelâs body was found, there would be nothing to tie them to it, and therefore, nothing to tie Tommy to it either. Jean Pierreâs attorney was getting him released from jail presently on the trumped up charges Michael had orchestrated with the Bowery Boys from London. Theyâd also brought over a few friends from the French Quarter to help him get some payback for that.
âHe promised to take me to see the puppy tomorrow, Iâll have to give our regards to Michael again. It was such a nice ending to the party.â Eva smirked and winked. The surprise on Michaelâs face had been quite delicious.
âWant to join us for dinner? Weâre going to myst down to Tuscany for some authentic Italian. I know an amazing cook down there that is over a century old and has some tricks up her sleeve. You and Jasper are more than welcome to join.â Anna smiled. She was glad her friend had found a woman that complimented him so. âThereâs also a siren down there that needs a talking to, so weâre going to take a dip in the Mediterranean. Always a fun time. We like to do it naked.â She winked at Eva.
âNow, how could I turn down an offer like that?â Eva grinned deviously. Naked fun with her demon was always a good time and if that siren looked at him wrong..well, accidents did happen and she knew Anna was always amused when Adriel had to fix things. She and the other woman did get along so well.  Yes, this was turning out to be a very good night.
Within the world of the Nephilm, from whence his Queen came, the gift of a blade was one that meant the highest respect, for it meant that you cared that the life of the person you were bestowing it upon was protected and continued. For that reason, Jasper chose what he considered a worthy blade for his favorite witch for Valentine's Day. And while it could not rival her beauty, a rose would accompany it.
âWell, well, well, if it isnât Eva ShelbyâŚâ Jasperâs sarcastic tone dripping with his heavy British accent came from the shadows as Eva had been heading to the herbalist. It brought her to a stop as she spun to see exactly who it was that was calling her name at such a late hour in that area of town. The voice sounded familiar, too familiar.
âI know you?â Her eyes narrowed, chin lifting as she surveyed him. Her senses prickling at the man before her, no not a man. Who was he, and why was he here?
âOh now, darling, youâve made enough curses and sent me on enough missions to do your bidding, you might not know my face, but you do know my real name. Donât invoke it now though, that would not be seemingly, just call me Jasper for the moment.â Seeing her eyes widen was delightful for him. Oh, it was sinking in for the witch as he drew closer to her, the tap of his silver tipped cane making a nice thud each time it hit the dirt of the road between them. âDonât worry, Iâm not here to threaten, I just thought we should meet. You see, a dear friend of mine is a dear friend of your husbandâs. So, there will never be a threat on my part. She is far too important to me, in addition to our business arrangement.â He winked with a cocky grin as he strutted, yes strutted over towards Eva. She was beautiful, he could well see why Shelby had married her. Â
âThe blonde? Anna?â Evaâs eyes narrowed as she took measure of the fair haired, tall male sauntering towards her. She knew sheâd sensed something different about the woman heâd mentioned, not threatening, justâŚdifferent. Now with the male before her, he was giving off seriously dark energy and she had a feeling she knew somewhat what it might be. Â
âAh, so you do know her, darling.â Jasper grinned smugly. âSheâs no threat either. Quite fond of your Thomas, she is, but if you think you are territorial, you cannot even imagine what an angel who finally found his mate after waiting since the dawn of creation can be like.â His lips twitched up even more. âHe has stopped pulling the wings off of the one angel who kept being an asshole and flirting with her though, such a mess,â he chuckled and gave a false shudder, âfeathers and angel blood everywhere and having to be around so much Light to have them put back on.â His eyes rolled with a slightly disgusted look on his face. âAnd sheâs just as disgustingly besotted with him.âÂ
âAnd now you want?â Did this male ever shut up? No? Eva cantered her head still with narrowed eyes as she regarded him.
âAh, yes, darling. I was getting to that, you see.â Once more with the self assured grin. âIt is All Hallows Eve, as you well know, and the veil is oh so deliciously thin, and your curses have all run their course.â His eyes narrowed at her as his grin turned wicked in nature. âI need you to make a few more, invoke my name for some bidding, damn a few people, the usualâŚ. Iâd just like to add a bit more wickedness to my repertoire, garner a few more souls to my stash, assist one of my favorite witches in her endeavors to set her husband up at the top of everything. Iâm only on this side of the pond for a short time more before I mosey back over to New Orleans and Iâd like to collect some extra gravitas before I do. And you, little witch, shall get whatever it is your little black heart desires in return, as always.â He grinned and winked. Jasper might be a demon but he did believe in even exchange of services after all. Normally he did not deal directly with the witches who summoned him to do their bidding, but there were special cases. As Eva was attached to someone near and dear to Annabella, that made her one of those special cases.Â
âCan I watch?â Now it was her smirk that turned devious. There were a few of her husbandâs enemies who had thrown slurs in her direction in languages they did not think she knew, who underestimated her, or think she did not deserve to be considered in their social class. She would love to see them get their just rewards a the had of her friendly neighborhood demon.Â
âAh, now there is a catch darling, I canât make youâŚ.â he paused for a second and thought. No, he could not make Evaâs physical body invisible, however there was something he COULD do, and that would allow her to watch. âIt is going to take a little navigation on your part, but I believe we can come to an arrangement. See, due to agreements that keeps certain organizations from obliterating me, I cannot make your corporeal body invisible. However, once you are asleep, if you were to summon me from within your dream and bid me to carry out these murders from within your dream but have them take place in the corporeal realm, well, Iâm afraid Lady Shelby, I would be bound as a demon to do that. At which time if you so instructed me to take your incorporeal spirit along keeping it too safe, well, I have been summoned after all.â Jasperâs grin was devious and mischievous. There were ways around all rules if you were creative enough. He hadnât found a rule in Heaven, Earth, or anywhere else he hadnât been able to circumnavigate.Â
âThen we have a date, Jasper.â Evaâs grin matched his as her voice became smooth as velvet. For some reason she knew that she could trust this demon, if for no other reason than he would be getting what he wanted out of the arrangement either way. Killing her would only bring him trouble from her husbandâs friend. âTill then.â She inclined her head to him before heading on her way.
*****
It was just after midnight when Jasper got the tingle of a summons. Being a powerful demon, he did have the choice to respond, but he knew from whom this summons came and with a smirk he mysted into her dreams. Finding himself in a clearing within the woods just outside of London he found it âquaintâ. Â
âI do like the atmosphere you set, Eva.â He chuckled as he looked over at the witch and extended his hand that had his signet ring with his demonic sigil on it. âShall we. Make sure you do not let go of my hand or you shall be pulled back into your dream. You are somewhere safe arenât you?â
âI am asleep in my husbandâs arms, nowhere safer.â Eva gave him a smug smirk of her own as her hand slid into his larger one.Â
In a flash, they were outside of the home of a politician who had made it his mission to undermine Tommy. Of course that was never a smart move on a good day, but on this night, it was even a worse one. As the duo walked up the stairs, Jasperâs head tilted as he looked over at Eva with a devious and quite pleased smirk. âReady for some mischief and mirth, dear witch?â He gave her a wink before they walked straight through the closed front door.
Then it was up the stairs to his bedroom. While Jasper always did appreciate a good snack of a plump human, tonight he would not be indulging in such delicacies. At least he would be refraining while Eva was with him, once her soul was returned to her bodyâŚwell, what happened, happened.
The master bedroom was easy to find from the prolific and voluminous snoring. If for no other reason than to bring peace to the house, Jasper was going to enjoy this death. Thank the Source, and possibly the Divine, that none of the residents of the Palace made such a cacophony whilst he tried to slumber or no doubt the lovely Abriella would have slit his throat by now. Â
âNow, darling, put your little hand right over his heart. Yes, just like that.â Jasper was grinning downright devilishly. âPush down through his chest and squeeze. You can go as slow or as fast as you like.â He couldnât help by chuckle at the look of relishment that was upon her beautiful face as she ended his life. At the last moment, the manâs eyes flew open and Jasper was sure he could see them. Heâd have to ask when he was next in Caligo. He did so like visiting victims, after all.
âNow, on to the next one. Isnât this so much fun?â He grinned, his teeth winking in the moonlight filtering in through the windows.
By the time that Jasper returned Eva to her dream, there were eight dead men and two dead women, NEVER flirt with Evaâs husband, in London. Eva had learned object manipulation, and there was a fire still burning. Oops? However, none of what happened could be tied back to anyone in the Shelby family at all. Of course not.
âNow, remember, darling,â Jasper started as he prepared to depart, âyou owe me some delicious curses soon too.â With a wink he was gone, and definitely glad that the name she thought she had for him was NOT it.
//This started out as a blurb...turned into a 1-shot at just over 800 words...
RED GOES BEST WITH DEATH - JASPER & EVA
âJasper!!â Brieâs voice echoed off the stone walls and vaulted walls of the palace; her high heels sounding like gunshots as they resounded off the tile floors as she searched for him. When she found him slinking out of the door to his quarters, she pinned him with a murderous glare.
âYou bellowed, my Queen.â He bowed before her, trying to subdue the smirk on his face. The tone of her voice said that she was not amused and pressing her might not be pleasant.
âExcuse me? I what?â One perfectly shaped brow rose as Abriella resisted the urge to dust him for the second time in a week. Resurrecting him was a pain and he whined.
Jasper coughed, one day sarcasm was going to get him handed over to Cruz, who might not bring him back from the dead.  âGoddess, I take it you are displeased.â His smile was tight now and he wondered what he had done, this time, to garner her ire.
âWould you care to tell me why there is a female, human, Earthly witch in my Palace in Imperium, in your chamber specifically. You have been advised that snacks need to be consumed elsewhere.â Both brows rose as she pinned him with a very direct glare from her hazel eyes that made it clear he had better start explaining or pain would follow.
âNow, Abriella, she is not a snack. She is aâŚfriend.â He watched her lips and eyes thin simultaneously. âAnd sheâs not from Earth, well not this Earth, well not this current one, or at least not this timeline for this current one.â She was going to let Cruz hit him, or maybe Adriel. It was going to hurt and mess up his perfect face.
 âYou brought a date..to Hell?â Abriella closed her eyes, she did not have the words, not for Jasper, not today. Not after having just passed Seamus with a corpse he said killed in Constantinople, and when she corrected him it was now Istanbul, he said that - noâŚshe had been in cold storage a while. She needed fewer human eating people in her Palace. âYou know whatâŚjust skip that questionâŚhere, enjoyâŚâ Abriella handed him two bottles of red wine and turned around before Jasper could elaborate on anything. She had to be losing her mindâŚ
For a minute Jasper stood a little befuddled, then shrugged and turned back and entered his quarters where Eva was waiting, and looking a little nervous. âI think Abriella is softening on me, love. She gave gifts and no injuries, this time.â He grinned as he strutted over towards the curvaceous and devastatingly gorgeous dark haired beauty who now looked amused.
Evaâs brow rose as an amused look formed on her face. âShe normally leaves you with wounds?â Jasper had normally spoken fondly of the other woman, but now Eva was having her doubts.
âOnly when Iâm acting the most like me and Anna isnât around to soften the blow.  I must have been extra charming this evening.â Setting one bottle down on the table next to him, he wrapped his arm around her waist and used his now free hand to pull her tighter against his side. âOrâŚâ He spoke very low and close to her ear, âshe wanted us to have a very, very good time when we go topside, my darling witch.â
Eva gave a throaty chuckle, the candlelight in his main foyer dancing in her dark eyes as she gazed up at him with a mischievous smirk forming on her crimson painted lips, âmaybe it is both?â She proffered. They were, after all, going to keep all the human deaths limited to taking place outside of Imperium. A rule is a rule after all.
âYou know, love, you may be onto something there. I think we should enjoy then. Wouldnât want to disappoint the Queen by not partaking of her gift. Iâll have to introduce you sometime when sheâs a little less worried about snacking on humans.â With a wink, a cheeky grin, and a kiss to her cheek, he let her go so he could open the first bottle of wine.
âThat might be advised, the little blonde friend of yours is so delightful. We should go monster hunting with her sometime.â Eva wasnât quite sure what that entailed, but if it was as fun as the debauchery they were about to embark on, then it had to be just utterly delightful.Â
âNow, darling, for that one, your body has to stay in my bed.â He saw her brows go up and laughed outright. âThey are literal monsters and you are still a bit too fragile for my liking to allow you around those yet.â He shook his head as he handed her his glass. âSo, spirit gets bound to me, body gets to take a nap. We all win.â He winked and raised his glass towards her. âTo a night of death and debauchery with my absolutely favorite witch in creation.â
Jasper just could not let the holidays pass without a treat for his favorite witch. Granting her heart's desire, letting her tag along on the reaping of souls, and of course some sparkling new baubles for her collection. Who could say he didn't enjoy a season whose primary color was red...