Liora bit her lip. “I, uh, might have done that too.”
He opened his eyes, incredulity filling them.
“Okay, so we’re not so different after all. You just can’t see it because you have this image of me in your head that is more suitable for a fantasy princess than who I really am. Look at me, Asmodeus, because I’m telling you the truth.” She squeezed his hand and looked deep into his crimson eyes. “I’ve killed demons for fun. I’ve killed them because I was angry, because I was scared, because I wanted revenge and because I was bored. I’m not a saint. I’ve fought demons I had no reason to fight. I’ve gone out of my way to hunt down demons who weren’t even on our naughty list because I was itching for a fight. I’m a reprobate. I’m bad. My coven made me take a trip to Paris to cool off because I went nuclear on a few demons and almost got someone from my coven killed in the crossfire.”
He stared at her.
“Now, tell me we aren’t so different,” she whispered and hoped he didn’t find another excuse to tell her otherwise.
He slipped his hand free of hers and brushed his knuckles across her cheek. The hard planes of his face softened and his gaze narrowed on hers, the darkness in it fading to reveal warmth. The faintest smile curled the corners of his sexy mouth.
“We are not so different,” he murmured and tipped her head up, lowered his mouth and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
When he released her, she smiled. “So I’m in… I can fight too?”
“No.” He turned on his heel and she scowled at his back.
“Coming anyway.” She ignored his huff and followed him.
Remus gave up whining and moved alongside her, his head almost level with hers. Romulus had gone on ahead but was waiting at the end of the corridor, where it turned and led down to the courtyard. The walls shook again. What was out there?
Asmodeus stopped at the end, pressed his back against the wall and peered around the corner. The next second, she was on her back with Asmodeus on top of her, his hands over her head to protect it. Romulus and Remus were beside them and heat washed over her, blistering in temperature, and bright gold filled her vision.
Fire.
A mighty roar shook the castle.
“What the hell is out there?” She stared at the ceiling and the smoke lazily curling along it. “A freaking dragon?”
Asmodeus pushed himself up onto his elbows and gave her another incredulous look. “You are familiar with the creatures of Hell.”
Not incredulous. Impressed.
“I was joking!” She pushed him off her and tried to sneak to the end of the corridor to see if it really was a dragon tearing up the courtyard. Asmodeus grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him.
“Wait here.”
“Wait here? While you what? Slay a dragon?” There was no way she was letting him outside the do that. It sounded big, and it had fire and who knew what else in its arsenal.
He nodded.
“No. No way. You are not fighting that thing.” She pulled him away from the end of the corridor, back towards the interior of the castle. He stopped dead and she grunted with effort as she tried to convince him to keep moving. He didn’t budge an inch.
“It is not my first dragon.”
“But it might be your last,” she grumbled and she wasn’t about to let him go off and get himself killed after he had given her the most fantastic sex of her life and she was still shivering with small aftershocks from it. “I plan to keep you in one piece for as many years as I can.”
He stumbled forwards and she looked back at him, catching the goofy smile on his face before he schooled his expression. He liked it when she talked about keeping him. She could work on that.
“I need you in one piece… whole… because you owe me more fantastic sex.”
He grinned now. “It was good.”
“I said fantastic, didn’t I?” She pulled on his arm. “Now, move.”
“I am not accustomed to fleeing.” He stood his ground again and she sighed.
“It isn’t fleeing if you technically haven’t started fighting.” She wasn’t banking on that one to work. She was running out of ways to keep him distracted and keep him from fighting. She had to do something.
“It is so.” He twisted free of her grip. “I am the King of Demons. I do not flee from dragons.”
Magic began to lazily spiral around her hands as her panic and anger rose. It was stronger than before, fed by the books in Asmodeus’s library. Hell was a different realm but it was still part of her world, just as Heaven was. Could she teleport?
She looked at Asmodeus as he drew his second blade and prepared himself, and then at Romulus and Remus.
She had never teleported more than one person before and she was leaving no one behind to face that dragon.
“Liora!”
The world exploded around her. Pain blasted every bone in her body. Her ears rang and dust choked her lungs. Darkness invaded and swirled around her. Heat licked her hands.
Doggy heat. One of the hellhounds was licking her hand.
Liora frowned and cracked her eyes open, and squinted as they stung, the acrid smoke making them water. Something heavy pressed down on her. Something whined, sounding pained.
Liora choked and felt around in the darkness. Asmodeus. He had shielded her again, using his body to take a violent blow that would have easily killed her. She blinked away her tears and saw through the smoke. Half of the castle had fallen down, nothing but rubble a few metres further along the corridor where the entrance had once been.
“Asmodeus,” she whispered and shook him. He didn’t respond. Her heart leaped into meltdown mode and magic crackled along her arms. The hellhound licking her hand yelped and she silently apologised. “Asmodeus?”
He still didn’t respond. Was he breathing? She fluttered her hand over his throat and found a weak pulse. Her relief bloomed and died within a heartbeat.
Through the clearing smoke, she saw bright green eyes the size of car windshields, surrounded by iridescent blue scales that shone green and pink in the light of the fires blazing around her.
Dragon.
It hissed and sharp teeth the length of her arms and legs came zooming towards her.
Liora wrapped her free leg around Asmodeus, grabbed the mutts by whatever she could reach and closed her eyes, praying to Mother Earth for a helping hand. Heat and the stench of smoke wafted over her, a sharp spear lanced her side and then cool air surrounded her.
Someone swore in French.
Romulus and Remus shot to their paws, snarling and snapping at her cousin, protecting her and Asmodeus even though they were injured too. Blood spotted their black fur, making it glisten, and she could see red gashes in places on their muscular bodies.
Apollyon cursed and metal scraped along leather as he drew his sword.
Liora rolled Asmodeus off her and leaped between him and the hellhounds. Well, she attempted a leap. She fell flat on her face between the two canines, one arm reaching out in front of her.
“No,” she mumbled into the wooden floor.
“Liora?” Serenity said and then made the stupid mistake of rushing to her. That set the two hellhounds off again. Serenity shrieked and leaped away from them. Apollyon rushed forwards and shielded her, waving his sword at Romulus and Remus.
“Ungh,” Liora grunted and pushed onto her hands and knees, and clumsily shoved Apollyon’s sword away from Remus.
Remus’s ear flopped but quickly perked up again. Apollyon didn’t seem to notice. He was too busy staring at her.
“What happened?” he demanded and didn’t he sound just like Asmodeus when he was feeling stroppy and temperamental?
She sighed, coughed to clear the smoke from her throat, and looked over her shoulder at Asmodeus.
“Dragon,” she said and wrapped her arms around Remus’s neck. He kindly stayed put as she pulled herself onto her feet. Her right leg screamed in pain and she cursed it. Was she destined to be forever hobbled?
/>
“Dragon?” Serenity parroted.
Her cousin clearly had hearing difficulties.
“Big scaly thing. Green eyes. Huge fangs. Tendency to breathe smoke and fire.” Liora cast a hand down herself to emphasise the smoke and fire part. Her crimson top was singed in places and black soot covered her.
“Liora,” Apollyon warned and she ignored him.
She turned and hobbled to Asmodeus. Remus remained with her, acting as her crutch, and then sat beside his master, allowing her to gently ease down his body to kneel beside Asmodeus.
“Asmodeus?” she whispered and gently patted his cheek. Still no response. She checked his pulse again. It was stronger this time.
Liora closed her eyes, placed her hands on his cheeks and focused. She had tapped a lot of magic to transport him and his hellhounds all the way to Paris but it was quick to come to her, as if it had reserved some of itself for this task, knowing she would need it.
She let out her breath and gently pushed her magic into Asmodeus, seeking his wounds, healing him from the inside. His bones cracked back into place and healed, and his heart beat harder, growing stronger. Organs repaired themselves and the burns on his back and his charred feathers disappeared.
Her head turned and her heart missed a beat, and she reluctantly severed the connection. She curled up on his bare chest and listened to his heart beating, strong and steady again, a heavy comforting rhythm against her ear.
He groaned. She smiled.
“Liora!” He shot up, knocking her awkwardly off him, and she bumped into Remus. She cursed and Asmodeus’s red eyes darted to her, the panic in them faded, and confusion replaced them shortly followed by something close to fury when he realised where they were.
“You saved me… again,” she said, hoping to distract him from the angel standing behind her, towering over them both. Romulus and Remus closed ranks, coming to protect him and her, growling whenever Apollyon or Serenity looked as if they might move. “You really have to stop doing that.”
Asmodeus managed a smile and slowly lifted his hand. He grimaced and frowned, and she could almost feel him forcing himself to keep moving. She took hold of his blackened bloodied hand and brought it to her face for him, and kissed his palm.
“I swore to protect you,” he husked and she smiled now, closed her eyes and savoured how good it felt to have him touching her again, alive and well, when she had feared she was going to lose him.
Remus snarled.
Liora lowered Asmodeus’s hand to her lap and petted the hellhound. He looked ready to eat Apollyon but confused at the same time. Remus’s gaze shifted to her.
“This is your master’s not-so-nice-twin… Apollyon. He won’t seek to harm us. Will you, Apollyon?” She looked behind her at the angel and he glowered, sent his swords away and folded his muscular arms across his broad chest. “Will you, Apollyon?”
He said something in the demonic language. Remus got to his paws, lowered his head and snarled, revealing his black fangs.
Asmodeus growled too.
“I don’t know what you just said, but take it back or we’re leaving.” She petted Remus but he didn’t calm this time. The black fur down his back stood on end.
“He said we dogs of Hell will return there or he would send us back in pieces.” Asmodeus hauled himself onto his feet and wavered.
Liora got to hers and pressed her hands against his chest, steadying him.
“I will not remain here.” Asmodeus tried to move a step and collapsed against her.
“You’re really in no condition to argue. Neither of you. Serenity, I will leave.”
“Apollyon will not harm Asmodeus… or his… ah… chiens?” Serenity threw her a desperate glance.
“Hellhounds,” she supplied and nodded. “There, see. The big evil angel won’t harm us.”
She stroked Remus to soothe him, keeping hold of Asmodeus with her other hand so he didn’t fall.
“You need to rest,” Liora whispered to him and he said nothing, just glared at Apollyon over her head. “Asmodeus?”
He dropped his gaze to her, stared at her for the longest time, and then subtly nodded. She was glad he wasn’t going to fight her on it. She didn’t want to make him feel weak in front of Apollyon, but he did need to rest. He was still injured. Her magic had only quickened the healing process for him.
“We can go to my room.” She pointed across the living room to it.
He would have to navigate past Apollyon and Serenity, and the cream couch, but she would be behind him every step of the way in case he needed her. What she really wanted to do was sling his arm around her shoulders and help him walk there, but like his counterpart, he had an overabundance of pride and was liable to snap at her if she made him feel weak.
Asmodeus managed to reach her temporary room with only a few wobbles. Remus and Romulus tried to squeeze through the narrow doorframe at the same time and ended up snapping at each other. Liora sighed, grabbed Romulus by his scruff and pulled him through first. She swore the hellhound had as much pride as his owner. He always wanted to be first before Remus.
She closed the door and Apollyon immediately muttered something to Serenity. Her cousin would handle him and his concerns. Liora was only planning to remain here as long as it took Asmodeus to regain his strength and then they would need to find a new home. She had no doubt that if the Devil had sent a dragon to kill Asmodeus in Hell, he would gladly send the same one to kill him in the mortal realm.
Asmodeus flopped down onto the bed, wrecking the cream bedclothes with his soot-covered body.
“You dare bring me back here?” he grumbled and she didn’t quite hear the usual level of anger and indignation in his voice. It seemed more like grousing to keep up appearances. Was he secretly glad they were safe and she had brought them here, to Apollyon and Serenity? Her cousin and his twin were powerful, more than able to keep them safe for the time being.
“Consider yourself lucky my spell worked and we’re still alive and not toast. It was a pretty close call.” Liora pressed her hand to her side and flinched. The bastard had got her. She had feared as much.
Asmodeus’s eyes darkened but not with anger. Concern filled them. “You are injured.”
He held his hand out to her and she went to him. “Let me see.”
Liora lifted her top up and revealed her left side where the dragon’s tooth had pierced her. Asmodeus sighed and relief filled his eyes. He touched the wound, fingers gently brushing her skin.
“It is not deep. You are fortunate, my little mortal. A dragon has a poisonous bite when it intends to wound and toy with its prey, able to inject a nerve toxin into the veins with a single scratch of its fangs.”
Her heart shot into her throat and she leaned her hip outwards so she could see the wound. It was nothing more than a small red crater on the fleshy part of her side. “I’ve been poisoned?”
“No. Hence, you are fortunate. The dragon feared my master. His mission was to capture you unharmed. He did not dare poison you.” Asmodeus bent his head.
She gasped when he sucked the wound, the feel of his mouth latching onto her flesh taking her back to making love with him and his biting her, and sending another shivery aftershock rocking her.
Asmodeus drew back and smiled. “You think wicked things even at a time like this?”
His voice had gone thick and gravelly, raw with passion, just the way she liked it. Liora stepped between his legs and raked her fingers through his short wild black hair. He tipped his head back and looked up into her eyes.
“I do, but you are in no condition.”
He frowned. “But I owe you more fantastic sex.”
There was that flicker of pride in his eyes again, the one that made her smile in spite of her attempts not to. He liked that he had pleased her.
“Rest now. Making love later.”
“Making love?” he whispered, huskier than before. “I like the sound of that.”
“It’ll give you something to l
ook forward to while you rest.” She gently pushed his shoulder and he fell backwards onto the bed.
“You must rest with me too.” He tried to catch her hand and she evaded him.
“I need to speak with my cousin and warn them about what they might be in for. Besides, I have the feeling that if I crawl into this bed with you, we will do anything but rest.”
He growled and his eyes darkened.
Liora leaned over him, pressed her hands into the mattress on either side of his head and kissed him slowly, drawing it out and pouring her feelings into it, relishing being able to do this with him. She pressed her forehead against his so their noses touched and sighed.
“You do need to take more care of yourself.”
“Why?” he whispered and she shook her head.
“Because you’re not alone now. You have a responsibility to be more careful, because I don’t want to face a world without you. It would break the heart you stole from me.” She kissed him again before he could respond and his hands claimed her waist, keeping her on top of him. He kissed her softly, far more gently than she had anticipated, as if he wanted to savour it too.
He settled back against the bed and kissed her cheek. “I will be more careful.”
She drew back to smile and thank him, and frowned when she found him with his eyes closed.
“Asmodeus?” She patted his cheek, afraid he had passed out again.
His lips parted on a snore.
Liora smiled, kissed his chin, and stood. She gathered the duvet and covered him as best she could while he was laying on top of it. “Pleasant dreams. Hope your first one is a doozy.”
She turned to the two hellhounds and checked them over, taking note of any bad wounds. Remus licked a particularly nasty gash on Romulus’s back while Romulus licked one on his left front leg. She patted Remus on his shoulders and he moved aside for her. She placed her hand over the cut on Romulus’s back and focused there, watching the flesh knit back together. Once it was closed, she moved to the next wound, and then the next, until both hellhounds were healed.
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