“Our child will be a demon who feeds on lust, in some form. It's in their nature.” His voice softens. “But they could be more than that. With our strength combined, they could become as strong as us. Maybe even an archdemon one day.”
“Mon Dieu,” I breathe, hand moving protectively to my stomach. “And were you planning to tell me any of this before our child was born?”
Az looks away. “I wanted to. Many times. But each time I tried, I remembered how you looked at me with fear when you first saw me. I remembered how you spoke of demons with disgust.”
My hands clench into fists. “So you decided to lie instead.”
“I decided to wait,” he corrects. “To let you get to know me before you judged what I am.”
“That wasn't your decision to make!” My anger flares, and with it, a vase on the nightstand shatters. We both look at it; Az with a surprised look on his face, and me, startled.
“You're manipulating the ether,” he observes. “The soul bargain?—”
“Don't change the subject,” I snap. “You took away my choice. You made me fall in love with someone who doesn't exist.”
“I exist.” He stands up suddenly, frustration evident on every line of his face. “Everything you know about me is real. My preferences,my habits, the way I touch you, the way I laugh when I'm by your side. The only difference is my title and ancestry.”
“That's not a small difference! You're the Archdemon of Lust. You've been manipulating desire for thousands of years.” A horrible thought occurs to me. “Did you... did you use your powers on me? To make me want you?”
Az looks genuinely wounded. “No. I enhanced your pleasure occasionally, but I did not manipulate your feelings toward me.”
I want to believe him, but how can I? “Yet you kept me prisoner for years. You refused to let me go.”
Az sighs. “Simone, I'm a demon. It’s in my fucking nature to take. And I was... possessive. Obsessed. I'd never felt for anyone what I feel for you.”
“And what is that, exactly?” I challenge.
“Love.” His eyes bore into me. “I love you, Simone. Believe that if nothing else.”
And a huge part of me wants to. But the betrayal is too fresh, too deep.
“Love requires trust,” I say quietly. “And you've shattered mine.”
Az steps toward me, desperation in his eyes. “Tell me how to earn it back. I'll do anything.”
I consider his words, weighing them against years of deception. “I won't leave,” I tell him finally. “Not now. Not when I'm carrying your child and bound to you for eternity. But I can't just forgive you and fall back into your arms.”
Relief and pain mix on his face. “What then?”
I narrow my eyes. “From now on, I need complete honesty. No matter how ugly the truth is.” Taking a deep breath, I straighten my shoulders. “And I need to see it. Show me who you really are, Asmodeus. Show me what you really do as an archdemon. Let me decide if I can love what you truly are.”
“And if you can't?” His voice is barely audible.
“Then we'll figure out a way to co-exist for our child's sake.” I meet his gaze steadily. “But we'll be partners in name only.”
Az nods slowly, my ultimatum like a physical barrier between us. “I'll prove myself worthy of you, little fairy. No matter how long it takes.”
I really wish I could believe him.
29
ASMODEUS
“Are you sure you want to see this?” I study Simone's face, searching for any hint of hesitation. After our confrontation yesterday, she demanded complete transparency. To see the world I've hidden from her.
She meets my gaze without flinching. “I need to know who you truly are.”
I suppress a sigh. This is not how I imagined introducing her to my realm. I'd hoped to ease her into it gradually, over decades perhaps. But she's right—I've stolen her choices for too long.
