“Simone,” I begin, taking a step toward her.
She backs away, shaking her head slightly. “Archdemon?” she whispers. “Archdemon of Lust?”
Sataniel's laughter fills the space between us. “Isn't this delightful? She didn't know!” He turns to Simone, bowing with exaggerated courtesy. “Allow me to make proper introductions. This is Asmodai, or Asmodeus as humans prefer, or Asmodee as the French say. Archdemon of Lust and Pleasure, father of incubi and succubi, and sire to hundreds of demonic offspring. And you, my dear, are carrying his most recent demonling.”
Simone's face drains of what little color remained. Her hand goes protectively to her round stomach.
“You lied to me,” she says, her voice barely audible, her eyes burning as she glares at me. “All this time...”
“Not entirely,” I counter, desperation making my tone sharp. “Everything between us is real. Everything I…”
Even though he probably knows, I can't bring myself to voice my feelings in front of the Devil.
“How can I believe anything you say now?” Tears gather in her eyes. “Three years, Az… Asmodeus… whatever yourputainname is! Three years, and you couldn't tell me the truth? That you're… evil?”
Sataniel watches our exchange with undisguised amusement. “Such drama. Reminds me of the early days with your mother, Lilith.”
Simone turns to Sataniel as if noticing him for the first time. I see the moment she notices his otherworldly beauty and allure, her mouth going a bit slack. The sketchbook slips from her numb fingers, clattering to the ground.
“Who… who are you?” she asks him breathily. I can't help the stab of jealousy I feel as she gazes at him, even though I know no one less than an archdemon could resist the Devil's charisma.
“Oh, how rude of me.” He tilts his chin, his mouth set in a sadistic smile. “Sataniel is what I was known in Heaven, though you mortals prefer the term Lucifer. Or, if you prefer, you can call me Master.”
I use the ether to transport myself to Simone's side as she sways, catching her before she hits the ground.
“Don't touch me!” she hisses, stepping back until her back rests against the wall. The look on her face makes me want to throw myself into the Burning Pits.
“Please, My Prince,” I say to Sataniel, hating that he reduced me to begging. “You said what you came here to say. She knows the truth. Please, leave us.”
“I cannot do that yet, Asmodai. We have something to discuss, the three of us.”
“I have nothing to say to you,” Simone whispers bravely.
“But you do, little Cambion.” Sataniel's voice turns hypnotic, compelling. “You carry a child of immense power. Power that comes with danger. Yet you are mortal. Without protection, both you and the babe are vulnerable to... ambitious forces in Hell.”
I hate that he's right. I close my eyes, trying hard not to say something that would get us both killed. “What do you want?”
“You two will bind your souls.” He states it matter-of-factly, as if suggesting we sign a human prenuptial agreement. “An irrevocable binding that will connect the halfling to your power, Asmodai, and tie her to you for eternity.”
Simone's breathing quickens. “Bind our souls? What does that mean?”
Sataniel's diamond eyes lock onto her. “It means, my dear, that you would sell your soul to Asmodeus in exchange for a portion of his power. It would ensure your safety and your child's.”
Simone's throat bobs as she swallows. “And if I refuse?”
Sataniel's smile is wolfish. He's enjoying this and openly showing it. “Then you leave me no choice but to ensure your safety in other ways.”
I straighten, ready to protest, when my surroundings change. One moment, I'm standing in our mansion, the next I'm in the Burning Pits, my ears assaulted by the sounds of wailing souls.
“Fuck… No!” I roar, lunging forward and grabbing the bars of the giant cage I'm suspended in. Simone's sitting in her own cage, her eyes wide with fear, her hand resting protectively on her stomach. When she starts crying, sobs shaking her body, I finally learn what it means to have a broken heart.
24
SIMONE
Ican’t believe I was taken from everything I knowagain. Just as I started getting used to my life with Az, the whole thing imploded.
Asmodeus. Archdemon. Evil.
