Page 33 of Promised to the Demon King (The Demon Brides #1)

‘Good Morning, Bucky!’ Roz's melodied voice caused Nova to groan and roll deeper into her body pillow. She didn't know how he did it, but it genuinely smelled like Asmodeus. How was it possible? Perhaps everything he told her was, in fact, the truth, and he, being a King in Hell, was able to put his masculine scent on her pillow for comfort. She liked that idea.

Could she truly see herself with a demon King? That was the question weighing heaviest on her mind. No, it was weighing on her soul.

Was that what she wanted for herself?

"It's too early for this!" Nova's muffled voice barely came through the pillow she spoke into.

‘That good, eh?’ Roz teased. She lay on her side, her head resting on her wrist as she watched Nova fight for more sleep. "You have a lot on your mind so soon in the day. Talk to me, little star."

Nova rolled to her back, and her eyes stayed on the overhead ceiling.

"I am having a moral dilemma, Roz." Nova finally said.

‘Then voice it out, and we'll work through it together,’ Roz offered. She always listened to Nova unload her inner thoughts and voiced her opinions when asked.

"My dream guy is a real-life Demon King in Hell. It's not mere dreams but real life. Is it wrong for me to be considering that as my life plan?" Nova turned and looked at her best friend with a complicated expression. "I was always told to follow the word of God and be a good person, but what if what I want to most is in Hell and not Heaven? Does that make me a bad person? My dad is in Heaven; should I not want to go there and be with him? I am so confused and conflicted." Nova pauses and sighs. "lost."

‘Firstly, you are not an Evil person. You are the purest person I have ever met. I have seen true Evil, Nova and you are nowhere near that line. Every King needs his balance, and you are it for him. When a King of Hell has his balanced Queen, he leads stronger and more efficiently. King Asmodeus is a great King, but a Queen by his side will only benefit him and his Ring. I need you to understand that you are not a bad person. You are not an evil person. You are not a selfish person. What you are is an inspiring person. You are strong and courageous. You speak your mind, but only when you understand a situation. You don't speak empty words; not many on this plain can say that. You were born to lead, little star. Do not ever doubt yourself or your worth. Hell or Heaven, it doesn't define you. Following your heart does. Your Father in Heaven will not be upset; he will understand. I promise you that. He has only ever wanted you to be happy. Does this dream King make you happy?’ Roz asked her the most straightforward question. It was a resounding Yes!

"He does!" Nova didn't hesitate to respond.

‘I don't just mean with all of those pillow humps either.’ Roz sent her sarcastic wink, causing Nova to blush and turn back into her body pillow in embarrassment.

"Roooooz!" she whined as the room filled with laughter.

‘Then stop worrying about what other people think. Let's get up, get showered and figure out how we will be taking that bitch of a mother down before we head hand in hand to pledge our unwavering loyalty to mister temptation down below.’ Roz winked and leapt out of bed.

With another groan, Nova followed her lead. Maybe Roz was right; she was focused too much on what others wanted and not what she wanted.

The first thing she did when she walked into the attached washroom was look at her reflection. The baby horns, the blackened claws, the bolder features—all of it was gone. She was certain it wasn't a dream. She remembered Asmodeus telling her that she would look like her normal human self when she woke up, but that didn't mean that they weren't there.

"Roz?" Nova called out.

‘You rang--’ Roz sang, entering the washroom.

"You promise you'll never lie to me, right? If I ask you a straight question, you'll always be honest in your answer?" Nova continued to examine herself in the mirror as she spoke.

‘Without hesitation. Ask me anything you wish to know, my Queen.’

"Are you a demon?" Nova shot out.

‘I am not. I am a Demoness.’ Roz corrected.

Nova turned and looked at her lifelong best friend. It was as though she was suddenly seeing her with different eyes. "So you lied to me? You said you were my imaginary friend."

‘Wrong. I told you that only you could ever see or hear me here. You assumed I was your imaginary friend because when you talked about me with your father, he explained what an Imaginary friend was, and it was decided that I was one.’ Roz leaned against the door frame, waiting for more questions. She'd wanted to be upfront with Nova for years. Nova is a very mature young adult, and Roz felt she should have been better prepared for this information much sooner.

"You never corrected that presumption, though." Nova furrowed her brows.

‘No, I did not. It was decided that it was best for you to believe that through your childhood until much closer to your ascension date. Especially with Carol running around telling everyone you were the Devil’s Daughter, you would have been targeted if you told people what I was. I have never lied to you, however. The title attached to me doesn't change anything else.’

"How can you say that? You built our relationship on a lie or false assumption. Don't you think that you were in the wrong?" Nova fired in frustration. “I guess you wouldn't understand the difference; however, demons are known for deceit!"

The harshness of her intent caused a sharp spike in Roz's chest. She didn't deserve Nova's backlash. Her origin has nothing to do with their bond, and it hurt that it was being brought into question.

Roz didn't say anything. She simply left the room. She left the penthouse and returned back to her sleeping chamber in Hell. She needed to collect herself. Demons and Demonesses don't show weakness in front of others, and Nova deeply wounded her with her accusation.

After she spoke, the room was silent. Nova turned around and noticed that Roz was gone. A weight fell on her chest. She didn't mean her words. She was angry and hurt that she had been left in the dark all this time, and even still, she was certain she didn't know everything.

Asmodeus still held back much information, even though she knew he did. She was promised that all would be revealed after her ascension, but that bothered her. She was forced to follow blindly without the facts.

"Roz?" Nova called out. She needed to apologize. She never meant to hurt Roz, and it was wrong to lash out the way she just did. Roz was always by her side, regardless of being an imaginary friend or demoness. She was her best friend for a reason. She trusted her completely.

Nova sighed and left the washroom. She didn't see Roz in her bedroom and quickly went to the living room and kitchen.

"Roz?" Nova called out again. This time, she was scared. She didn't want to lose her only real friend over an argument. "Please come back. I am truly sorry." She whimpered.

Everyone was always leaving her. She was filled with dread. What if Roz didn't come back? The thought shook Nova to the core. What was she going to do if Roz left her permanently?

Nova slumped miserably on the sofa. Her thoughts and heart filled to the brink of madness; she had too much to process, but her only friend was gone now.

There was one place she needed to go to get clarity. She just hoped that Father Donovan was available for counsel.

Meanwhile, Allister and Thomas worked tirelessly in the luxury office at Carter Construction. They were on a tight timeline to complete everything.

"Is Roz ready to lead the Reaper in the direction we need him to go?" Allister asked Thomas as he read through the paperwork.

"She is, my King. She can begin when you give the okay. In addition, I can confirm that Carol is pushing ahead with that proof to gain her divorce." Thomas answered.

Allister nods. "Do it, and get a judge to accept this case quickly. Feed Timothy the information we need him to have. Nova is close, and I feel her strength growing with each visit to the Ring. Our demons and souls are beginning to take notice of the shift. There are already rumours that the King is finding his true Queen. I want to get this sorted, and then we can focus solely on Nova's ascension." Allister was a bundle of nerves. Their conversation last night in his realm as his demonic self was heavy talk. He gave her a lot of information to process, and she was taken aback by the changes in her physical appearance. He knew she was holding back much of what was on her mind, but he knew she needed time to process it before he could press her for it.

"I feel it too, My King. She has also become more aware of the deceit around her. She has been watching us more closely; she knows we withhold things from her. I see it when she looks at us. That is her hybrid awakening and alerting her." Thomas offered. Allister nods.

"Last night, I told her the origin of Father and Mother. How Heaven and Hell became. I told her that the earth is neutral plain for the two realms. She asked for more, but I told her that was all for now. It is only a matter of time before she pushes again." Allister smiled and looked up at Thomas. "She has her baby horns. They came in last night in my chamber."

Thomas opened and closed his mouth; no words could form. "That's--" He didn't see her in the morning; they left before she awoke, trying to get a head start on Timothy and Carol Carter's decline before their time was up.

"We're so close now. Soon, we can return back home, and our Nova will come with us."

Thomas exhales in relief. "I hate this vessel's body. I can't wait to return home, my King." Allister chuckled and shook his head. He couldn't imagine being a demon. Thalons size trapped and compressed inside that scrawny form. He was thankful that his own vessel was larger. It wasn't nearly large enough, but it wasn't the size of Thalons' vessel. They would have this comedic memory together for eternity, and he couldn't wait for the casual reminders decades down the road. His longtime friend would hate every reminder tossed back at him.

At the thought, a devious grin takes hold. He couldn't wait for the laughter, all four together in Hell.

But first…

Judgment must be served to those who have wronged their Queen!