by Sarah Bailey
Candace turned on her heel and strode towards the doors. The attendants pulled them open and she walked out, leaving the fae to stare at their dying queen. Lucifer stood for a moment, unable to quite comprehend the turn of events.
What will she say when she discovers I decided she had to kill her mother? I have to tell her. Now.
Gwilliana took her last breath and collapsed in a heap on the floor. There was a scream from one of the fae women followed by a growl from a male.
Lucifer didn’t stop to survey the damage inflicted any further, he turned away, chasing after his witch.
He caught up with her outside her mother’s mansion. He put a hand on her arm, stopping her in her tracks. She turned to him, eyes full of tears.
“I killed her,” she whispered. “I killed my own mother.”
Fuck. How can I tell her when she looks like that? No, I have no choice.
He let her go, taking a step back.
“I’m sorry, little witch, this is my fault.”
She frowned, tears rolling down her cheeks. She tried to reach for him, but he stepped away again. He needed to keep his resolve to tell her and he couldn’t do that if she barrelled her way into his arms.
“What? You didn’t make me kill my own mother.”
“I… Candace, my Father was here. That’s why time froze. He gave me a choice, to have you for a lifetime or to have you for eternity.”
“He was here? Shit, I’m sorry. That must’ve been awful. Surely you chose for us to have eternity?”
He looked away. The affection she held in her eyes was completely undeserved. He wasn’t worthy of her. Not after the choice he’d made.
I’ve been so fucking selfish.
“Eternity came at a price, little witch. The price was to damn your soul. You had to take a life. Her life. To prove yourself worthy of me. He demanded I decide and if I told you, He would’ve taken away any choice. I’m sorry.”
The moments of silence and stillness unnerved him, but he didn’t look at her.
What if she hates me? I know she said she wouldn’t but how can she not?
He felt a hand under his chin. She turned his face back towards her. When he took in her expression, his heart thumped in his chest. Her tears had stopped, but she didn’t look at him in anger. Love radiated from her.
“Lucifer, you showed me how cruel He could be when you gave me the gift of your worst memory.” She put a hand on his heart. “I love you. I told you, nothing you do will change that fact. You’ve given us forever. If I hadn’t killed her, she’d have killed me. That’s what her spell was. I just turned it back against her. I don’t care that I’ve damned my soul. If that’s His price, then fucking so be it. I’m tired of expectations and duties. All I want is you and me. It’s done now, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Then neither of us can change it. I know why you chose it.”
She cupped his face, pulling him down towards her. When their lips met, he groaned, tugging her into his arms. She pressed herself closer, her hands curling around his neck, fingers in his hair.
I love you, little witch. I love you forever.
“I love you too, my beautiful dark angel.”
When they released each other, they both smiled. He wiped away her lingering tears.
“Should we return home?” he asked.
“I need to do something first. Just one thing then I promise we can go home.”
She went up on her tiptoes and whispered it in his ear. He picked her up and they took to the skies.
§
He placed her gently down on the ground outside a house in a quiet street. She kissed his cheek and walked up to the door, pressing down on the bell.
A few minutes later, it opened, revealing a blonde girl with green eyes.
“Oh, hi,” the girl said.
“Is he here?” Candace asked.
“Um, yes… I didn’t expect to see you. He told me you were fighting.”
“We were. Look, I just need a minute with him, Sam.”
Sam turned, shouting Jaxon’s name. He walked out a moment later, stopping dead when he spied Candace with Lucifer standing a few feet behind her.
“Jax, I don’t want you to say anything. I just want you to know I forgive you. Whatever has happened in the past can stay there. I didn’t want to leave with there being bad blood between us. You’ll always be my best friend.”
Jax was silent for a moment before he stepped out and wrapped his arms around Candace. Lucifer stiffened, holding back a growl.
I still don’t trust that boy, but this is for her.
“I’m sorry, Cadmi,” Jax whispered. “I just want you to be happy.”
“I know.” She stepped back from his embrace. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”
He nodded. She turned away from him and walked back to Lucifer.
“I’m ready,” she said.
He picked her up, his wings flaring out. Sam let out an audible gasp.
“Who’s that?” she hissed at Jax.
“Lucifer, Cadmi’s lover.”
“What?”
“I’ll tell you about it in the house, come on.”
Lucifer took to the skies, smiling. They landed in Hyde Park and were through the portal half an hour later. He didn’t put her down, taking her straight into their bedroom. He placed her on the bed, crawling over her with a grin on his face.
“What are you so happy about?” she asked, brushing a lock of hair from his face.
“My queen is finally home with me.”
“Are you suddenly turning soppy on me?”
He frowned, growling a little. He took her wrists and pinned them above her head.
“No. Do you need me to teach you a lesson, little witch?”
She smiled at him, shaking her head.
“No, but I do need to speak to my dad.”
He released her, sitting up on his knees between her legs. She pulled her phone off the bedside table where she’d left it earlier and dialled. He’d modified it for her so she could speak to those on Earth she cared for.
“Hello Candace,” her father said when he answered.
Lucifer shifted back, capturing each of her legs and tugging off her shoes.
“Dad, I need to tell you something.”
“I already know, my child.”
Lucifer trailed his fingers up her calves, earning a hard stare from his little witch. He grinned, the smile wicked.
“You do?”
“You know the fae speak to their loved one for one last time before their soul fades.”
“She came to you? That’s… oh.”
Lucifer pushed up her dress, hooking his fingers into her underwear and tugging them off. She looked at him but didn’t comment.
“She’s sorry it happened that way. Her anger for you faded the moment she realised what she’d truly done. It’s okay, I know it was her or you.”
“It was. She went mental at me after I told her I wasn’t going to do her bidding. Perhaps I shouldn’t have provoked her with the prophecy and who it’s really about.”
Her dress bunched up around her waist. He leant down, kissing her inner thighs. She let out an almost inaudible gasp but didn’t stop him.
“You worked it out then. I knew you would eventually. I hope you and he are happy together. I love you.”
“We will be, love you too, Dad. Why did she appear to you?”
He buried his face in her softness, tongue lashing out against her core. She bucked her hips.
“I think your mother always regretted the way she left things between us. She often told me I was her greatest love, though she had many men before me. Perhaps that’s why. I think my love for her faded when I realised how little she cared about your happiness. I still cared for her though. She gave me you.”
Lucifer put his hand on her stomach, keeping her pinned to the bed as he continued to pleasure her.
Little witch, you’re mine. The taste of her is intoxicating.
>
“I don’t… hate her. I don’t feel so great about what I did, but she left me no choice.”
Her hand tangled in his hair, clutching his scalp.
She wants me to stop, but I can’t. I need her. Fuck do I need her. I’m going to fuck her when she’s off the phone.
After everything that had occurred, all he wanted was to remind them both of what they fought for.
Each other.
“I know she didn’t.”
“I… uh, Dad, I have to go now.”
“Okay, Candace. Keep in touch.”
“I will.”
She hung up, throwing the phone away and groaning.
“Lucifer, that’s not fair.”
He chuckled, raising his head.
“I told you, all’s fair in love and war.”
She raised an eyebrow, pointing at him.
“You’re a very bad angel.”
“Mmm, I just wish to make love to my queen.”
“Is that so?”
“I intend to make love to her for eternity.” He moved, crawling over her. “I also intend to fuck her, break her and ruin her over and over again.”
“And punish her?”
“Mmm, yes, that too.”
She tugged him towards her by his hair.
“Then make good on those intentions now before I combust on the spot.”
He grinned, kissing her. He took her hands, pinning them to the bed again. She wrapped a leg around his waist, holding him to her.
“I love you forever.”
And I love you for eternity, my little witch.
Playlist
Bad For Me - King Henry, Elle Watson
Ground Zero - Colton Avery
Look Away - Eli Lieb, Steve Grand
Hypnotised - Years & Years
Don’t Trust Myself - Robinson
Love Is Madness - Thirty Seconds to Mars, Halsey
Happy Now - Kurt Hugo Schneider, Madilyn Bailey, Matt Yoakum
For No Reason - Jake Isaac
Breathe - Ne-Yo
Lose You Too - SHY Martin
Bad in Common - SHY Martin
Fetish - Selena Gomez, Gucci Mane
Get You Alone - Sleeping Wolf
Bad Love - Sleeping Wolf
Lost My Mind (Acoustic) - Alice Kristiansen
Let’s Hurt Tonight - Chase Holfelder
Every Other Man - He Is We
Savages - Kerli
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Sarah's Sultry Sinners
Acknowledgements
Thank you for reading this book. As an indie author, reviews are very important to me. I hope you consider leaving one if you enjoyed it.
Lucifer’s Cage came to me right before I finished Death’s Angel. This was the one I wasn’t meant to write, but Lucifer had other ideas. When I introduced him into the After Dark universe, I wasn’t expecting him to be such an interesting, dark and complex character. Writing him was an absolute joy.
When I set out to write this book, I decided it was going to mix things up. The first five books were about girls who’d never been introduced to the supernatural. I wanted to be able to explore factions between communities from the point of view of those who’d grown up in it. And if I was going to write Lucifer a love interest, she had to be special, unique and able to call him out on his bullshit. When Candace, a half witch, half fae came along, I knew she was perfect. The two of them were electric together. She came alive on the page in a way I hadn’t expected and I love her all the more for it.
I think the hardest challenge for me was writing the fall from Heaven scene. It’s such an iconic moment and I really needed it to have the right impact. It showed so much vulnerability. The version of Lucifer before the Fall differed greatly from the archangel we see now. My Lucifer was never going to be evil. Sinful perhaps, but there’s so much more to him. Bringing out those sides to him in this book gave me such a complex array of emotions. I felt Lucifer’s pleasure and his pain as I wrote his words.
I’m aware I pushed the boundaries in Death’s Angel, but Lucifer’s Cage took things to a whole new level. It is the steamiest book in the After Dark universe and I make absolutely no apologies for that. Lucifer was never going to do vanilla. An archangel who’d fallen and ruled Hell. As if vanilla would ever be satisfying for such a man. The chemistry between the two of them was always going to be explosive and I enjoyed bringing that to the forefront.
And of course, lastly, I’m really looking forward to bringing you the next book in the series. I couldn’t leave the story of what happens now the fae queen is dead untold. The ripple effect in the universe is always far reaching.
I’d firstly like to thank my wonderful readers for joining me on this journey. I wouldn’t still be writing this series if it wasn’t for you and I hope this was just as satisfying for you as the previous books.
I need to say a huge thank you to my best friend and fellow author, Sab. You are my hero and my twin. When I told her, I was writing Lucifer’s story, she was so excited. That’s when I knew it was the right decision to continue the series. How could I not when my bestie was desperate for his story? She’s been with me every step of the way since the release of Demon’s Destiny and I could not ask for more.
My next huge thank you goes to Sean McMahon – the wonderful author of the Restarter series. He has been a constant source of support and love. Getting to meet him in person was an amazing experience. He’s there when I need him and always willing to offer advice. Having a fellow indie author who understands all the struggles is a blessing.
And last, but not least, thank you to my husband for putting up with me. You know I wouldn’t be doing any of this without you. I love you to the stars and back.
Blood Magic
A forbidden friendship. Two worlds colliding. Blood and magic.
When Jamie returns to London at the behest of his older sibling, he does not expect to run into a princess, let alone the youngest daughter of the newly crowned King of the Fae. The innocent Dani is looking for excitement, fun and a little darkness. The sinful Jamie cannot resist the call. The problem? Gavin doesn’t want him anywhere near Dani. Not when there is unrest in both the vampire and the fae communities.
As Jamie and Dani form a fast friendship, one fateful night changes everything. Dani is caught between loyalty to her people and her relationship with the playful, flirtatious vampire. And Jamie isn’t about to let the fae girl who sets his world ablaze out of his sights.
How far are they willing to go for each other? And what happens when Gavin and King Mitah discover the forbidden friendship between the princess and the vampire?
Coming Soon!
About the Author
Born and raised in Sussex, UK near the Ashdown Forest where she grew up climbing trees and building Lego towns with her younger brother. Sarah fell in love with novels when she was a teenager reading her aunt's historical regency romances. She has always loved the supernatural and exploring the darker side of romance and fantasy novels.
Sarah currently resides in the Scottish Highlands with her husband. Music is one of her biggest inspirations and she always has something on in the background whilst writing. She is an avid gamer and is often found hogging her husband's Xbox.
You can find more about Sarah Bailey in the following ways:
Sarah's Website
Facebook
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Thank you for taking the time to read this book.
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