His voice, calm yet commanding, whispered from everywhere at once. “Kneel.”
An order.
My knees buckled immediately, my head bowing in submission without conscious choice. Even though my body wasn’t in my control, my mind was, for now, and it was freaking out. What would I do if Lucifer commanded me to do something I didn’t want to, something I couldn't bear?
Fuck.
“It’s interesting,” he mused casually. “The son of an angel choosing Hell. Not many things can surprise me, count yourself unique.”
An involuntary shiver and several dazed blinks later, I tried to open my mouth, but my lips stayed sealed, gaze locked on the earth beneath me.
Lucifer continued speaking like we had all the time in the world, and we weren’t in the middle of a freaking battle between demons.
“Tell me, Diablos Hughes, why did you choose Hell over Heaven?”
Words poured from my lips, unbidden and immediate. "The choice was simple. My heart knew this was my path."
“Why?” Lucifer demanded.
“Because my mate is a demon, and I want to spend my life with him. I want to complete our mate bond and become a demon. I can't serve Heaven and still belong to him.” My words vibrated with honesty, but Lucifer hummed skeptically.
“Interesting, but try again.”
“I’m not sure I understand, my King.” Where the fuck didmy Kingcome from?
Lucifer laughed out loud. No, it was more like an evil cackle giving concrete evidence that your doom was coming like a freaking train without brakes and with light speed.
Oh shit.
"Oh, your mate is another unexpected twist. A demon raised by an angel, tragically ironic. What a shame for my demon, and what a tragedy this will create for the posh angel" He paused, savoring my unease. "What you said was the truth, but there's more. Why did you truly choose to pledge your soul to me?"
“Because Hell feels like home.” The words burst forth, startling in their truthfulness. Understanding surged through me.
Choosing Heaven would have been impossible. I may not know what real Hell was like, but I knew what Hell felt like on Earth, and in my mind. Parts of me were forever changed because of that. Anywhere else, and it would have felt foreign to me.
Besides, Dagon belonged to Hell, and my heart, my very essence, belonged to him. If pledging myself to Lucifer was the price for our eternity, I'd pay it without hesitation. I had paid it. Regret was nonexistent.
“That’s the sincerity I wanted,” Lucifer approved coldly. It was a bit funny, the devil and sincerity in one sentence somehow didn’t sound right. “Do you know what will happen now?”
I shook my head, not trusting my voice.
“Do not be fooled for even a second, boy. You may be bonded to the bow and arrow, and you may be the Archer,” the Archer? What does that mean? “Butyour precious weaponandyoubelong to me. Never forget that. And never forget how powerful this object it. It doesn't just hurt a demon, it kills them for aneternity. Of course, it can't kill me. Sadly, it can't kill an angel, but it can hurt them significantly. Never forget that either.”
“I won’t forget, my King.”
“Good, because if you do, your mate and your precious family will pay the price. Speaking of your mate, would you like to hear a secret?” He didn't wait for my answer. “Your mate's familiar is a dragon. Did you think I'd ignore something so significant? Dagon was always destined for my inner circle.”
No. No, please, no.
Panic erupted violently within me. "Please don't take him away!"
“What would you offer in return? Don’t mistake me for an angel, boy. I don’t just do favors without gaining something. I demand compensation”
“I’ll do anything,” I blurted desperately.
I didn’t care what I had to do. I couldn’t let Lucifer take away Dagon.
Lucifer's amusement deepened chillingly. "Anything? That's good to know. Remember your promise well, Diablos. You're free now. Until I call upon you."
