Page 23

Chapter twenty-three

B eing back in the abbey was eerie. The smells, the silence, the color of the sun setting over the horizon were all the same; still, this place felt foreign. I had spent most of my life within these walls, yet Deus’s home had become more of a haven than this place ever had been.

I stood in the empty courtyard, now dusted in a fresh coating of snow. The lights were dim and the doors to the entrance were shut. Much of the abbey had been repaired since the fire had eaten through the old bricks the night I had been taken, but signs of work were still evident.

A soft touch graced my back. I turned to see Deus looking down at me with a tender smile. “How are you doing, my love?”

I shrugged. “Better than I thought I’d be,” I answered, leaning into his comfort.

He wrapped his arms around me, holding tight. “So, this is where the love of my life was raised?”

“You mean kept prisoner?”

“I suppose it’s all about perspective.”

“Are we ready?” asked Levi, approaching us.

“As always,” answered Deus. I looked around at the other four princes, Lilith, and G. Everyone else had remained at Castle Salvo.

Lilith stayed close to my side like a faithful guard dog. Mammon kept his eyes on her, assessing her new position as my keeper. I had decided to wait until after our meeting with Satan to tell the group about Mal’s true identity. I could only handle one catastrophe at a time.

I assessed the demon female, still unsure if I trusted her completely. She had been lying for thousands of years, hoping a time would come when she would enact her revenge. She was full of secrets … I could feel it.

“Incoming,” called Mammon to the rest of us. We all gathered in a group, watching as Satan appeared in a stormy haze of blue and red smoke. He came alone, as he promised, no minions in sight.

The fog finally dissipated, revealing the tall, broad demon prince built for war. His crimson hair was a deeper shade of red than the last time I had seen him. His facial hair was neatly trimmed, and his brown chocolate eyes swirled taking in the lot of us. He took a step forward, his thick black boots thudding against the stone of the courtyard. Snowflakes fell on his leather jacket, sizzling before they could stick.

He stopped in front of Deus, looking him up and down with disgust before his eyes turned to me. The left side of his mouth turned up in a half smile.

“You, little goddess, are impressive,” he said, then turned back to Deus. “I thought for sure you were going to kill her.” Ripples of rage trickled down the bond between me and Deus. “Especially after she outsmarted you and Lucy. In fact, I remember you saying specifically that you would enjoy having her hung naked from your bedroom ceiling while you fucked Victoria right in front of her. Yes, that was it, because you had that redhead down on her knees sucking your cock while you—”

Bam . Deus’s fist flew faster through the air than I could process. Satan wiped the blood from his lip, laughing as he turned back to face Deus.

“And that,” said Deus, stepping up to him without a hint of intimidation or fear, “is why you have always been the outcast. Unwanted by anyone who has ever known you. You are a pathetic stain on this existence that should have never been given the gift of life.”

Wrath’s eyes blazed with a mixture of red and blue turning to a deep, rich purple. His jaw clenched along with his fists.

“Brothers,” said Belz, “though we have a long history together, this is not the time nor place to unpack that very large bag of sibling rivalry. May I suggest we get back to the actual purpose of this conversation?”

“Right,” Satan said, turning his head towards Belz. “You mentioned you could offer me something I wanted. I’m curious, how is it you know what I want?”

“Because of me,” Lilith said proudly, sauntering to my side.

Satan arched an eyebrow, taking a step towards Lilith, placing himself above her dominantly. To her credit, Lilith stood tall, unwavering. Gor laughed softly.

“And what, sweet Malphasia, do you presume to know?”

She smirked. “Oh, you and I both know exactly how capable I am, so I’ll skip the dramatics and get to the point. You no longer find our boy Lucy fit to run Hell.”

Satan tilted his head, narrowing his eyes on her. “And?”

“And we all agree with you, for once,” she answered.

He paused before laughing. “My brother’s lapdog, presuming to strike a deal on his behalf.” He looked to Deus, then back at Lilith. “You’ve trained your demon scum well, brother. A little mouthy for my taste, but I can’t deny that my cock seems to like your snarky little tone.”

“Well, maybe I should be talking to your cock then,” Lilith bit back, “as it appears to have more braincells than the current asshole I am looking at.”

A haunting laugh rattled deep in his chest before he assessed the group of us. His attention caught on G who was standing next to Gor’s side. Satan’s smile widened. “What is it with this family and their obsession with witches. Now, who are you exactly?”

Giana stepped forward, still within reach of Gor. “Giana Simonelli for the Luna Coven.

“Ah, the spirit,” he said, turning his eyes back to me. “You sneaky little bitch.” He clicked his tongue and stepped in front of me. Deus moved closer, but I stood my ground. “Hasn’t anyone told you, you’re not supposed to steal souls from Hell? And now you’ve stolen two.”

“Well,” I said, “when you become King of Hell, you can stop me, but until then …”

He froze, stiffening his posture. “What is she talking about?” he asked his brothers.

“She,” I said, “is talking about a way to give you everything you’ve always wanted. A key to Lucifer’s land. His power. His kingdom.”

“And what about Lucifer?” Satan asked. “Do you just plan on asking him nicely to step down?”

“We’ve found someone that knows how to capture him,” I answered.

Satan laughed, shaking his head. “There is nothing in this realm or the next that can hold Lucifer.”

“Not according to the first goddess vessel,” I let slip. Mixing some truth into the story.

Satan went absolutely still. “How do you know about Talia?” he asked.

“ Bingo, ” I said through my mind to Deus.

“ We’re not done yet. Keep playing the game, my love. You’re doing brilliantly. ”

“I’ve been building a gate to where she’s been hiding all these years,” I answered. “She’s somewhere safe only I know about, here on earth.”

“Impossible. She died thousands of years ago. I was there.”

I huffed. “You’re a prince of Hell, and you think a body means someone is gone forever? As we’ve proven time and time again, death can be easily manipulated when a moon goddess is involved. It was Talia’s plan to hide from Lucifer.” I paused, making this up as I went. “She’s been using a spell to keep herself alive all these years, until the time to enact her revenge had come. She knows how to restrain Lucifer and she’s willing to help us.”

“You’re lying,” he said, looking to his brothers. “Her remains have never left Lucifer’s castle.”

“And thus, why we need your help,” I continued. “The remains Lucifer possesses aren’t Talia’s. They’re her mother’s, which she wants back in exchange for helping us capture Lucifer.”

Satan laughed, not saying a word. I didn’t know if I had mixed the lies and truth effectively enough. His silence was torturing me. I was done waiting.

“Look,’ I said, walking into his personal space. I felt Deus go on alert through the bond. “You can either help us or not, it really doesn’t matter either way. I personally would not like to go to war with Hell, but I know that’s your thing, so I am sure you can’t understand. This way, you get something you want, we get something we want. Mutually beneficial and all. But, if you don’t want a chance to prove that you are just as good—if not better—than Lucy at ruling, who am I to question you?

“Instead, I’ll make a doorway into Hell right on the front steps of pride’s castle, and with the help of the other sins and their legions, I’ll lay waste to what you desire most, take the bones for myself, and then make the bargain with Talia. And I’ll make sure to tell her how much of a non-participant you were in helping retrieve her beloved mother’s remains, so she locks your ass in the cage with your favorite brother for all eternity. Sound like a plan?”

I heard Deus yelling before I registered what was happening. One moment, I was in the abbey courtyard. The next, I teetered on top of a bridge, fighting to regain my balance so I wouldn’t fall into the busy traffic far below.

Satan let go of me, walking a few paces away on the thin steel beam. The wind shoved against me, threatening to toss me off the high platform. Cars zoomed and honked below. It was night, wherever we were.

Satan paced back towards me. I readied myself, lighting my flames. He smiled.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m not going to kill you. Not today, at least.”

“Like you could,” I answered.

“All juiced up on that mating bond. I see.”

I shrugged arrogantly. “Among other things.”

He laughed, placing his hands on his hips. “I like you, Seren. You’re a hell of a lot better than that Victoria bitch. Always with the whining and the pouting day in and day—”

“Why did you bring me here?” I said, cutting him off. “What do you want?”

He walked over to me, stopping once we were face to face. “You’re lying,” he sneered.

“What?” I replied.

“About Talia’s mother’s bones,” he said, turning back to pace in frustration. “Talia despised her parents, especially her mother. She burned her alive, if I recall correctly, bones and all. Nice try though.”

Fuck! I yelled in my head. “The offer still stands,” I said quickly, trying not to miss a beat. “You bring us the bones; you get the keys to Hell.”

“How did you find out about Talia?”

“She found me,” I answered.

“How?” he growled.

“I don’t know. She just … appeared.”

“From where?”

“I am not saying another word,” I answered firmly. “Agree to do as we’ve asked, or this conversation is over.”

He chuckled, bending his neck back as he stretched. “This family is a pain in my ass.” He assessed me, his eyes surprisingly soft. He growled in a … sensual manner, wrapping his fingers in a piece of my hair. “I’d like to know,” he moved his lips to my ear, “why Father chose Asmodeus as your mate, when you are clearly more suited for me.” Before I could stop him, his teeth were buried in my neck, clamping down barbarically.

I yelped, stumbling back in shock. His hot tongue grazed across the sensitive part of my skin. I gritted my teeth. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

He laughed, his teeth red with my blood. He licked his lips and moaned. “I’ll help you, little goddess, in exchange for the keys to Hell.”

“How fast can you get them?” I asked, holding my bleeding neck. Before he could answer, a black mist appeared overhead. Lilith shot out of the shift before Deus appeared, her knives hurtling towards for Satan. He dodged one but wasn’t fast enough to avoid the second. She buried the curved blade in his thigh, before nailing him in the stomach.

“Stop!” I yelled, just as Deus appeared. Lilith looked back at me. “He’s agreed to help. ”

Deus rushed to me. I pulled the collar of my jacket over the bite mark on my neck so my mate didn’t kill Satan before he was of use. Satisfied that I was alright, Deus turned back to Satan.

“Tomorrow,” Satan said, and disappeared into the fog that lingered high above the bridge.

“Are you alright?” Deus asked, taking my face in his hands.

“Yes,” I answered, nodding to Lilith with thanks. “Let’s get back to the others.” He nodded and we all shifted back to the abbey.

“Thank Aradia,” G said, flinging herself into me as we landed.

“Is he dead?” asked Levi.

“He’s apparently agreed to help,” Deus informed, turning his eyes to me. “How did you do it?”

“He claims that Talia didn’t give a shit about her mother and burned her to ash. I didn’t tell him much, but it was enough to get him to agree.”

Gor appeared at G’s side, wiping a stain from her face. “Sweetheart,” he said to her, “you appear to be bleeding.”

G grabbed her face in shock. “It’s not mine,” she answered, turning towards me.

“Crap,” I said, just before Deus pulled back my jacket, revealing Satan’s teeth marks.

“What in the fuck is this?” Deus growled.

“Your psychotic brother bit me,” I replied.

Mammon and Belz burst out laughing.

“And why, in Father’s name, was he that close to you?” Deus asked.

“I don’t know. We were talking one minute and then the next thing I knew, he was burying his teeth into of my neck.”

“What where you two talking about?” he asked. I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest. “Seren!”

“He said that he didn’t understand why your Father made you my mate and not him, since I am obviously better suited to be Wrath’s mate. Wherever he got that crazy conclusion from.”

“He said what?” growled Lilith with rage.

“Time to go, sweetheart,” Gor said to G, shifting her out of the courtyard.

In the next second, a massive force of power unleashed from Deus, sending everything and everyone flying backwards. The others destroyed a stone column, a statue of Mary, and a bench. Before my body slammed into anything hard, Deus’s arms were there, shifting me out of harm’s way.

Once his shadows faded, I pushed off him, my own rage and anger taking hold.

“What in the hell was that for?” I said, fuming.

“You let another male bite you!”

“I didn’t let him do anything, you demon baby! And I got him to agree to our terms. If the price was him taking a chunk out of my neck, so be it.”

“You are my mate,” Deus said, now face to face with me. “Mine!”

“Your point?”

He growled, the stone cracking beneath his feet from his power.

“Seren darling,” intervened Belz, approaching with caution. “You must understand, we are all … jealous in nature, but none of us have ever had a mate before. I mean, we’ve watched plenty of poor saps go through the process, but my—oh for fucks sake, Deus. Just find Satan and beat the crap out of him already. I’m done being the mediator today.” Belz ran a hand through his hair and shifted out of sight.

Levi laughed, looking from Deus to me. “Good luck,” he said, shifting.

Mammon reached for Lilith, but she pulled away, looking as if she was going to cut his balls off. He grunted, his face furrowed in aggravation, then lunged, shifting and taking her with him.

My mate continued to fume, pacing across the courtyard. After a few minutes of the silent treatment, I finally approached, waiting until he graced me with his attention. He took a deep breath, hands on his hips, turning his eyes towards me.

“I didn’t ask for this,” I said, trying to remain soft.

“I know … I’m … sorry,” he replied, as if it was killing him to apologize.

“Thank you. Now, can you please heal the thing on my neck?”

He grimaced, pushing my hair away from the wound. He hovered his hand over the bite, his magic erasing his brother’s mark. He went to pull away, but I stopped him, wrapping my arms around his waist. I smiled, the weight of the situation lessening.

“Jealous much?” I asked playfully.

A corner of his mouth turned up into a smile even though I could tell he was fighting to keep it hidden. “If I recall, you did light a few women on fire while you were in Hell.”

My eyebrow arched. “That was completely different. They deserved to die after—”

He pressed his forehead to mine. “And I will make Satan pay for even looking at you.”

I smiled. “Can we please go home, my little demon baby?”

“Only if you promise to shift into the shower immediately so you can clean the foul stench of Wrath off you. And then …” he paused, looking down at me with heavy eyes, “allow me to mark you anywhere,” he kissed the side of my cheek, “and everywhere,” another kiss, “I please.”