“Waiting for you in his office, Mistress,” he grovels.
Without waiting for him to reply, I swing my wedding dress over my shoulder and conjure up a portal leading right outside his office. I feel my body change back into my demon form as I step into hell. My skin turns a bright burgundy color as my black spider-webbed wings shoot out the back of my dress and lay against my back. My tail swishes back and forth with the irritation of being here instead of back home. In lieu of horns like most demons, I have beautiful white glowing tendrils that line my hairline and fall down my cheeks.
He, at least, got smart over the years and put up a block so I couldn’t pop right into his office, but it doesn’t stop me from barging right in like I own it. What am I saying? I do own it. All of Hell is mine. Since I was the first of my kind and I was cast out and into this pit, it belonged to me. I became its ruler, but having that title and that responsibility soon got tiring and I appointed my bestie to the job. I wanted to explore and didn’t have the drive to lord over people day in and day out like Lucifer did. So he became the figurehead.
Flinging the door open, I walk in and look around. Instead of an office filled with books, there’s a big oak desk with a substantial, high-back chair, and plaques and pictures of himself are dotted all over the walls. Some of them even have a few important people over the years cheesing next to him. He still has that obnoxious self-portrait of himself and King Louis the VIII hanging over his fireplace.
His office hasn’t changed since the last time I was here. Was that five years ago or ten? I can never keep track of time when it comes to Hell and its operation. Every level has its own time zone, per se. For instance, the highest level has no difference in time, while in the seventh circle of Hell, you spend one day there, and it’s the equivalent to a week in Purgatory. Lucky for me, I’m housed on the first level along with the stronger and prominent demons that have the most power. And then you have Adam, the first human that lost his soul to the underbelly of Hell. He has the honorary position here, but that doesn’t mean his shit don’t stink.
“Lilith! Nice to see you. Please come on in.” Adam’s deep sultry voice purrs, and all I see is red. And I’m not talking about the walls. This fucker is ruining my afternoon.
“Yes, yes, I know. What the fuck do you want, Adam?” I say, clenching my teeth.
“Oh, don’t be like that, Lilith. Here. Look, I even had your favorite drink made to show you how sorry I am to call you away before your departure,” Adam says, pushing his blond hair out of his gray eyes. He motions to the drinks laid out on the table in front of him, but I’m in no mood. Yes, it’s customary to sit down and have a drink while you talk shop, but I’m hoping to quickly answer his questions and get back home.
“Cut the crap! I don’t have time for your nonsense today.” I lay my dress on the back of the sofa as I walk over to stand in front of him.
“Tsk. Tsk. Lilith. You know the rules. We drink and then do this talk. I promise this won’t take long. I just need help in setting up some stuff before you leave,” he assures me and reaches for his Hell’s Fireball shot. Since when did he change from Bourbon?
“Fine, but make it quick,” I say and reach for my Peek-a-Boo pucker shot, throwing it back in one swoop.
Slamming down my drink, I throw my hands on my hips and let the glass fall to the floor, staining his carpet.Like I care in keeping his precious rooms clean.I glare down at Adam. He really is handsome on the outside, but he is pure sludge on the inside, and that’s saying something coming from a Demon. I like to do evil things. It’s what I do. It’s who I am. I take pleasure in sinful activities, but that doesn’t mean I’m malicious about it, or skin babies alive. This Demon has standards, but the slick snake that’s sitting in front of me, he’s almost worse than L.A.M.B. put together. Those boys—Lucifer, Astaroth, Murmur, and Beelzebub—are inseparable, and the biggest assholes you could run into. Yet, they’re my best friends; they have been since the beginning, and I don’t know what I would do without them. Adam has nothing on them if they put their mind to it, but he has given them a run for their money at times, all on his own.
Adam shifts in his seat and pulls at his light blue sweater. “Relax, Lilith. Have a seat so we cantalk.”He pats the cushion next to him, and my hackles raise.
“Just get on with it, Adam. I don’t have time for this. I was just here yesterday. Why didn’t you tell me whatever it is when I was here then?”
The room starts to sway, and I blink my eyes against the blurriness.
What the...
I reach out to grab the arm of the sofa and miss, crashing to the floor face first.Ouch!
Adam’s voice floats over to me on waves of dizziness. “Well, Lilith. I told you to have a seat.”
The last thing I feel is a sharp stabbing ache in my back, causing blinding agony to crash through my body before nothingness descends upon me.
CHAPTER3
Weakling
Carl
Turning back to my computer, I quickly type in the formula for the correct antidote. I can’t wait to show my love that she was right, adding in the extra ingredient did balance out the unstable concoction. Saving the file, I power down the computer, saying my final goodbyes to this side of medicine. I plan to continue my work while we are gone, but focus more on the human aspect of things since we will be on Earth. I’m sure plenty of humans could use the knowledge I bring to the table. I just have to be careful not to share too much, or I could be tipping the lid before we are ready.
Indeed, it will be a lot easier to share our existence with the humans on Earth once we take over on the council, but I have to be careful until then. These next twenty years will be trying, but I’m looking forward to it. I never thought I would ever live this type of life, let alone get married after leaving the Fae kingdom. I was kicked out and shunned almost a thousand years ago. I left behind my royal birthright—by no choice of mine—to pursue my love of science and magic. Or at least that’s what I tell myself. The real story is much darker.
As the crown prince of the Spring court, I was obligated to visit other kingdoms and because of this, I ended up becoming the perfect pawn in someone’s game. With the murder of the Summer court’s crown prince, I found myself disowned, stripped of the only life I knew, and forbidden to ever return. I knew what the reason behind this was, but I chose to look at it for what it really was: freedom. I was given a new life. A chance to choose what I wanted in my life. The blackmail that came from the King of the Elves was a blessing in disguise and gave me a clean slate to leave that horrid lifestyle behind. I left with my head held high and joined the Academy at a much later age than expected.
I was graciously allowed to pursue my study and learned how to control my magic and combine it with my love of science. I’m unique in the fact that my magic doesn’t have a class. I’m able to help manipulate elements in salves and healing ointments on the spot with a conduit. The best way to describe it is to give me a patient in pain, and I’m able to heal them by taking the salve and putting it on them. My magic attunes to what they need and works to change the cream to heal them. I guess the simplest way to say that was: I’m a natural healer. I just enjoy the idea of blending magic and science to make a better world, and I’m on the brink of that.
I wouldn’t have been able to get this far if it wasn’t for the Academy taking in a runaway Fae boy, and the help of a Demon—no, no, she’s more than that. She’s the original Demon, my love, the glue that keeps us together. She’s my everything. My mate!
That alone should be an anomaly, since Demons don’t have mates. Most demons just form legions and say they are all mates, but that’s not entirely accurate. Since Lilith is one of the most powerful beings there is, she’s also the most fragile and susceptible when it comes to her mind, and she needs mates to help keep her balanced. That’s where the need for mates comes into play, and she’s the only one that needs them. I’m just lucky that I’m one of them. If I could, I would show off my starburst mark that’s between my shoulder blades everyday.
I’m practically giddy to head to Earth and start this new chapter in my long life. I feel like that young Fae man walking into class and spotting the hottest Demon in the whole realm all over again. It was the Fates that brought her to me. I was beyond shocked that she talked to me that day, so when she started talking about particle physics, I about died. A beauty that had brains too? Unheard of.
She was a creature I’d never seen before, so when she had first brought Daniel home, I had not taken it lightly at first. There was a part of me that felt like I was lacking, even though it’s my nature as Fae to have multiple partners. I wanted to be enough for my love, but I quickly understood that Daniel did bring a lighter aspect to our dynamic. He made her laugh and took her dancing while I stimulated her intellectual side. After that revelation, it was easier to accept Matthew and Jessup when Lilith brought them into the Harem. Matthew was the sensitive Mage that kept up with her emotional needs, and Jessup gave her the Alpha vibes she craved. All of us were needed to fulfill her needs, and we were glad to do it.
