1
Lilith
Previous lifetime...
My sharp nailsclacked on the arm of the throne, and I grew more agitated with each passing second. Lucifer was my husband. He was hot as hell, pun intended, but he had become more and more of a douche bag over the past few years. Listening to him yammer on at our subjects was beginning to take its toll on me. It was as if spending too much time in Hell made him forget that I was his equal, Queen of Hell itself. If he mansplained to meonemore time, I’d make him suffer.
But more than that, it made him all dictator, which led him to just being a total dick. And as much as everyone thought he was a badass, he was a badass I loved to be around.
Normally. Just not like this.
Lucifer raised his voice in thatsuperior as fucktone, and my teeth clenched so hard together I thought I might’ve broken one. “So the gates must be patrolled, it’s our responsibility as—”
Moderating my tone as much as I could, I interrupted. “They get it. This isn’t news to anyone,dear.Our job is to make sure the demons don’t break through the gates. Been there, done that.”
Lucifer turned in his throne, his dark brown eyes deepening to black as anger filled his entire form. “If you’re so bored,dear, no need to stay at the meeting.”
I knew he expected me to lean back and shut my mouth. He’d been spending too much time with a bunch of the Fallen and the demons, all creatures who bowed down to him. Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t one of them.
Standing, my dark skirts fluttered about my legs, and all eyes in the throne room turned to me. I knew what I looked like. Long black hair, a body with curves in all the right places, and a thin-as-sin black dress, slit around my legs to allow me to move and fight. Sometimes I liked these dramatic moments when Lucifer was reminded of the effect I had on people. “I think I’ll pay a little visit to see the new hellhound pups.”
As I moved to leave, Lucifer suddenly appeared in front of me, grabbing my arm in a display of dominance meant for the whole room to see, but his voice was low and just for me. “I know you grow weary of this place, but soon we’ll have to spend our time as humans once more. I want to know everything will continue to run smoothly when we’re gone.”
I glanced back at him through my lashes. “This is Hell. It always runs smoothly. No one would dare stand against us.”
The muscles in his jaw loosened, if only by a little bit, and his lips formed a ghost of a smile. “You know how much I like it when you talk like that.”
I lifted a brow. “Talk like what? Like you and I are two powerful immortals who Heaven and Earth bow down to?”
He pulled me against him, and his lips crushed mine, stealing my breath. It was at this moment I remembered why he was my Lucifer. He knew how to play my body and my soul with just a kiss, leaving me shaking and wanting him like an addiction.Thiswas my passionate lover.Thiswas the man who fought at my side. And damn it, I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed him.
When he pulled away, he whispered, “Have fun with your lovers. And come back with a better attitude.”
My heart ached, and I opened my mouth to say something, I wasn’t sure what, but he was already on his throne, picking right back up with his speech. I tried to ignore the disappointment that rose inside of me as I headed for the big doors to the throne room. The demons parted before me like a wave, lowering their massive heads in a sign of respect.
Each of them was a variety of colors. Some had horns or sharp teeth, but all were humanoid, as they were once human, after all. These examples of demonity were well trained and not nearly as wild as many of the others. Thus, they were trusted enough to help guard the gates.
Nottootrusted. The Fallen were always between them and freedom, but they had their roles.
The doors opened at my approach, and I walked through the black castle with its many windows staring out at complete darkness. This was the Underworld. My home and a place beloved to me. Being the Queen of Hell had brought me everything.
Almost everything.
My long nails curled into my palms, slicing the flesh as I tried to push aside that longing, but it was always there, no matter how much I wanted to be free of it. I left the castle and walked down the white stone path. It stood at startling odds with the black sand that made up most of the landscapes, almost glowing in the light of the many torches that forever burned along the path. The same torches lined the streets of the little city in this section of the Underworld.
It was beautiful. Dangerous and alluring, just like me, Lucifer liked to say.
Time passed as I continued walking farther out into the wild. Demons bowed their heads at me as I strolled, and I inclined my head in acknowledgment. Sometimes it still felt strange. I‘d fought so hard to be seen as Lucifer’s equal that even now it had a surrealness to it that I could never entirely be rid of.
Not that I wanted to. Fighting for something important should never be forgotten.
Suddenly, a demon raced across the landscape. My gaze tracked it as it kicked up dust, coming closer and closer, and as I studied it, I realized that it wasn’t just one demon, but four.
My lips curled into a smile that was all teeth. Had they gone so mad that they’d forgotten to be careful in my lands? Hopefully. I was in the mood for a fight.
As they nearly reached me, I widened my stance and gathered power between my fingertips.
Their bloodcurdling roars told me they thought they'd found a victim. A lone woman walking along the path, out of the safety of the city. They were already imagining ripping me to pieces and feasting on my flesh.
