Page 61 of An Unexpected Ascension (A War Between Worlds #1)

THE DEMON

T he first few months sitting on the throne were tiresome. However, without Greygore bound to Lucifer, we can come and go through worlds as we please. I’ve missed my friend, but I know he and his wife are much happier in a world without so much darkness.

The quiet moments here in the manor are fearsome with memories and shame, but Briar has been keeping me busy one way or another. With revitalizing the city, molding a purpose in our regency, and reigning order, I’ve had my hands full.

But the one particular thing that keeps me from dwelling inside my own mind is the sight of her naked on my throne and screaming my name.

Actually, it’s the only thing my mind can focus on as I sit here on my opulent seat of bones.

My Angel steps off the dais, leaving my side to approach the kneeling man. She stands over him like a starving shadow of death ready to swallow him alive. He quivers. His eyes glued to his hands shaking in his lap .

This man with the dark hair and beard peppered with grey can’t bring himself to look at Briar, but I haven’t looked away.

Not from the way her black leather pants cling to her thighs and curve over her ass. Or the way her dark hair cascades down her back, hitting the little strip of flesh peeking out just below the hem of her black shirt.

But what I’ve been dying to see is the way her face masks into a work of art at the sight of Lucifer’s gift to us. I almost want to beg her to turn around, to give me with whatever lies inside her jade eyes. Yet, I hold my patience.

“P-please,” the man whispers, bowing his head even further.

Briar brings the tip of her boot to the man’s chin and forces his eyes to hers. There, glowing back at her are a mirrored image of her own.

There’s a subtle tension that stiffens the muscles in her back before she relaxes. She lowers her foot and finds me over her shoulder.

“Did you know about this?”

I shrug. “Lucifer thought it would be a nice surprise.”

She nods. “Well, then. What to do with him.”

She circles him in thought like a lioness playing with her dinner. Upon each new round, she taunts him with various ideas.

“Do we leave him in the dungeon to rot away? Feed him to the Hell Hounds? Let him wander around in the dark until he loses his mind?”

“Oh, I do like the last one,” I tell her.

I shift forward to rest my elbows on my knees while I give her a little wink.

“Send him back to the Portae Inferi? If the hounds don’t find him, the crows will have enough to eat for weeks.” She shrugs. “Wait! How could I forget about the demon of fear?”

My brows quirk up in thought. “That’s quite creative.”

Briar grabs the collar of her father’s shirt and pulls him to his feet, handing him over to the guards at the door .

“Yeah, I think a few nights out there will be perfect.”

She gives him a little wave as they drag him from the room, leaving us to ourselves.

“Come over here.” It’s an order, but my command comes out huskier than I thought it would.

All those feral thoughts inside my mind were whirling around, waiting anxiously to get this little she-devil alone.

With a sadistic, little smirk, she saunters towards me. An angel in all black. She stops as her feet meet with mine. Leaning back into the throne, I look up at her.

“Now, kneel.”

She scoffs. “Yeah fucking right.” Instead, she climbs right into my seat and straddles my hips. “You know I belong in this throne just as much as you do.”

Her whispers are hot against my neck as she tangles her fingers in my hair. My fingers flex along her thighs before sliding and digging into the flesh of her ass. I press her against me, and she nearly purrs.

“Just as long as it’s like this with me beneath you.”

“Always.”

She says the word on a light, airy breath, but damn if it doesn’t weigh heavily inside of me. Then those lips come crashing down against mine in a world-shattering kiss. If I didn’t already slay a God, I’d gladly do so again just for this moment now.

I wrap my fist in her hair, preparing to devour her right here on this throne. To show her every depraved thought that was just playing inside my head while she was taunting her own father.

“You know what I would have done?”

She shudders as my fingers tease the skin beneath her shirt.

“Tell me.”

“I would’ve had him sit and watch while I fucked you right here in this throne.

I would’ve forced his eyes open as I defiled you in the filthiest ways and then, I would’ve peeled his eyes out of his head and displayed them on the mantel in my room so he would never miss a single second of the way I have you beg for my seed. ”

Her mouth curves up into a devious smile. “It’s not too late.”

“The only problem is, I’m not a patient man. You’ll just have to beg for it without an audience present.”

A dark chuckle rumbles through the space as footsteps approach.

With an unnerving swagger, Garroway saunters towards us donned in apparel meant for Hell. His wild and untamed hair frames the sharp features against his pale face.

“If an audience is what you need, then here I am!” He jests.

A teasing smirk cuts across his face as his eyes rove over Briar’s back. Slowly, she crawls off of me to give the God of War her full attention.

“What do you want?” Briar quips as she folds her arms across her chest.

She steps down from the dais to face the darkly God.

“Well, isn’t she fun?” He gives her another once over as if assessing product, before shoving her to the side. “But I’m afraid the men have important business to discuss. Feel free to excuse yourself?—”

“Don’t even start,” Lynx growls, cutting him off before he can finish the sentence.

His eyes narrow on the angel before finally finding mine again and he glowers. “We have a problem.”

“Get on with it, then.”

The command from Briar stirs a wild gleam in the God’s eyes. One that solely rejects the idea of taking orders from a woman, but as I sit and wait, he reluctantly begins to speak.

“There’s been a shift in the After Verse with Achaz’s death and Lucifer’s ascent. It seems the Universe isn’t pleased with the recent events and has called a gathering with the Gods.”

This news pulls me to the forefront of my seat. I assess the deity before me, searching for sincerity.

“And what of Lucifer? Why isn’t he here warning me of this? ”

“He’s been sentenced with confinement for the time being until your cases can be heard. I can only imagine it shall be the same with you.”

Briar’s eyes snap back to find mine. Worry and fear written all over her face.

Without so much as another warning, the world cracks open.

Splits in pieces and splits again. Like a kaleidoscope, everything whirls together with geometric patterns until the center bursts up and out with a golden hue washing over everything, snuffing any sign of the red sun.

It eats the darkness away until it no longer feels like this is Hell.

I reach for my Angel, wrapping her hand in my own and tugging her into me.

Hovering before us sits a universe in and of itself. This cluster of energy and light and power. It sucks us in and spits us out at the very same time, and I have no choice but to look because to look away would be useless. It’s everywhere all at once.

And then it speaks to me.