Demonic Desire (Becoming Lust Book 2)

by Destiny Diess

  “Jasmine,” I whispered, her name rolling off my lips so easily. Memories of last night flooded through my mind, and I relaxed into the plush sheets and curled my fingers around her waist. “Come back to bed.”

  “Today’s the day,” she said. “You will officially become queen.”

  I frowned and groaned internally. “Don’t remind me.”

  She playfully slapped my shoulder. “Stop it. You’ll be amazing.” Tingles erupted over my skin. She nodded to a breakfast tray topped with Lust’s finest Fervor Crisps, bacon, and strudel sitting on my nightstand. “I made you breakfast. There should be enough for you and them.” She glanced at Eros and Lucifer behind me.

  Eros laid on his side, his fingers curled around my waist. Lucifer laid beside him on his back, head tilted toward Eros’s hair, breathing in his scent deeply. I eyed their proximity; something about it was so natural that I knew it had to have happened before.

  Jasmine stood, but I grasped her wrist and sat up. “Thank you,” I whispered, resting my head against the headboard and smiling. “It really means a lot to me.” To have someone in Hell, someone in Lust who cared about me… it felt nice.

  Her gaze flickered to my lips, and I brushed my fingers against hers, the same sinful desire from last night filling my entire body again.

  Something about the way she looked at me… the same way that Eros looked at me before we started dating. It made me all giddy inside. And while I knew what I wanted for once in my life—her for more than just one night—I had promised Eros that we wouldn’t date anyone else until our kingdom was under control. And our kingdom was far from under control right now.

  My gaze flickered to the closed curtains, and I dropped my hand. “Go,” I said hesitantly. I didn’t want her to leave, but if she didn’t leave now, I wouldn’t be able to ask her to leave later.

  When she left, I grabbed a crisp from the breakfast tray and bit into it, hoping it’d ease my anxiety. Something would happen today, something that even I wouldn’t be able to stop.

  Belial knew it. Dad knew it. Dr. Xiexie knew it. I knew it.

  Whether it would be the outcry of the people from not believing in me or the Unholy Trinity who’d make their appearance, I had to stay strong. I brushed my fingers against my ring and a burst of warmth spread through my body. My mind filled with memories I hadn’t ever experienced before.

  Memories of Mom and Dad.

  Meeting each other for the first time in Crimson’s Nouveau. Spending one sinful night under Lust’s rosy night skies. The look of pure joy on Mom’s face when Dad slid her ring onto her finger. Dad’s overwhelming emotions when Mom told him she was pregnant with me.

  I didn’t know what it was, but I wanted to believe that they were here with me today, through it all. A tear slid down my cheek, and I quickly pushed it away. Eros shifted next to me and reached for a Fervor Crisp on my plate. He smiled up at me with tired eyes. “Good morning, my little succubus.”

  Eros sat up next to me, his shoulder brushing against mine, and pressed his lips to my forehead. “You shouldn’t be crying,” he said to me. “This should be the best day of your life.”

  I rested my head on his shoulder and brushed my fingers over the ring again, hoping for another memory but not experiencing one. It was like that memory didn’t exist anymore, but, for the shortest moment that it did, it made me feel things I hadn’t felt since Mom died.

  “It is,” I said. Because Mom and Dad were watching over me—wherever they were.

  After a few moments of silence, Lucifer groaned next to Eros. “Why must it be so warm in Lust all the time? It feels like Heaven.”

  I picked a green apple off the breakfast tray and tossed it to Lucifer. “Jasmine brought you an apple.” The apple landed on Luci’s covered stomach. He tore the blankets off of him, stood up completely naked, and tossed the apple into the air. Instead of pulling on some pants, he walked right over to the balcony, pushed the doors open, and stepped out into the sun.

  Eros intertwined my fingers with his and brushed his thumb across my ring. “One day, I’ll get you one of our own.”

  My eyes widened, my heart suddenly pumping with excitement. Eros wanted… to get me a wedding ring? Something to symbolize us? A smile stretched across my lips, my emotions all over the damn place this morning.

  “Dani has a crowd today,” Lucifer said, leaning over the balcony and ruining the goddamn moment. “Didn’t think there’d be this many people here.”

  After pressing my lips to Eros’s, I wrapped a robe over my body and walked out onto the balcony to gaze over the edge. Hundreds and hundreds of demons were pouring out of Chastion, filling the walkways, and heading straight to the palace to get a spot to view the Courting Pit.

  “God…” I whispered.

  “She can’t help you down here,” Lucifer said, chuckling. He noticed a couple people down below and cursed under his breath. “I’ll see you at the ceremony. I have to take care of some things.”

  When Luci left, Eros grabbed another Fervor Crisp, broke it into two pieces, and handed me one. He wrapped his arms around me from behind and stared down at the demons below. “They’re all here for you,” he said in my ear. “Don’t be nervous.”

  “I’m terrified. Absolutely terrified.”

  “Remember what I told you at the skating rink,” Eros said, feeding me his crisp. “You’re the strongest of them all. You have nothing to worry about. Believe in yourself.” He placed his lips below my ear. “Because you will be queen.”

  I smoothed out my red silk dress in the mirror and tried my hardest to smile at my reflection. But with every passing moment, my stomach tightened. How many people would challenge me for my throne today? How many people would I have to prove wrong? What would I really have to do to show everyone that I was the only queen that could sit on my father’s throne?

  Eros curled his fingers into my side, his cinnamon scent wrapping around me like a comfort blanket. Standing in a fitted suit with horns glistening under the sun and eyes impeccably dark, he grinned at my reflection. “It’s time.”

  After turning around to face him for the last time before I became queen, I tried steadying my quivering lips. “Do you promise to stay by me the entire time and for all the years to come?”

  He grasped my hands and pressed his lips to my knuckles, kissing me the same way he did the first time I met him in that old apartment. “I promise.” And, then, he guided me to the ground floor. More guards than usual stood around the inside of the palace. Even through these thick walls, I could hear the crowd of people chatting outside.

  When we reached the palace doors, Esha looked at me. “Are we ready to begin?”

  All I wanted to do was run back upstairs, lock myself in our bedroom, and wish this day away. But instead, I smiled and nodded my head. Sure, I was ready…

  The guards opened the double doors, and sunlight flooded into the room. I stood just out of sight, still in the shadows of the palace. God, give me strength. I took a deep breath and stepped into the light, feeling the warmth immediately on my bare skin.

  Eros took my hand and led me down the palace steps. Demons from all kingdoms were standing on the steps, being held back by Lust guards. They were lined up on the walkways, trying so hard to glimpse at me. My heart pounded in my chest, and I squeezed Eros’s hand tighter, carefully trying not to trip over my own feet, tumble down the stairs, and make a fool out of myself.

  There was a grand walkway from the stairs, around the castle, and toward the Courting Pit—which was right outside the throne room. Demons stared at me, and I kept eye contact with them, hoping I wasn’t giving off any fear. And, finally, after walking for what seemed like forever, we reached a colosseum-looking structure.

  Every blood-sucking, flesh-eating monstrosity in Hell filled the stadium made from marble and stone, standing at least ten stories in the air. The walls to the throne room had been knocked down, and there was a red velvet carpet leading from the center of the colosseum to the t
hrone itself. Lusts’ ruby red crown sat on the throne, a hazy black mist drifting around its tines.

  I swallowed hard and hesitated right by the entrance as the crowd suddenly quieted down. In the center, there were six large golden chairs—supplied by Greed—where the other six commanders sat, their heirs sitting in the first row of seating.

  When Lucifer saw us, he stood and smirked. “May I present you Dani Asmodeus.”

  Well, this was it. I brushed my fingers against my parents’ ring. I would not let them down. I hooked my arm around Eros’s and walked toward the center of the stadium. Thousands upon thousands of eyes were fixed on me, and an unsettling feeling sat heavily in the air.

  Kasey and the nasty rumors she had started flashed into my mind. I glanced around, trying to find her minions, when my eyes landed on Maeve. She smiled at me from the first row, where my court was seated, her eyes an excited green. They were calming.

  Lucifer started the ceremony off with a few traditional speeches about the original seven fallen angels turned commanders. I shifted from foot to foot, glancing at my throne and back into the crowd, hoping to spot someone who’d challenge me so I could prepare. But after an hour, I couldn’t find anyone or anything out of place.

  “And, now…” Lucifer started. “Does anyone wish to challenge Dani, the rightful heir to the throne, for her kingdom?”

  Everyone quieted down—not a single word being spoken in this entire crowd. My heart pounded against my ribcage, and I took deep breaths through my nose. My gaze shifted from commander to commander, to section after section, waiting for someone to ruin this day for me. But nobody spoke a single word.

  Not Biast.

  Not Sathanus.

  Not the Envy Queen.

  Not anyone… until her.

  Maeve stood up from my court. “I do.”

  Chapter 35

  My eyes widened, betrayal stabbing me right in the damn heart. What the fucking hell was she doing?

  Maeve stood up from her seat and stared at Lucifer. “I challenge Dani for the throne.”

  God, I should’ve seen this coming and I should’ve trusted Kasey. But I was blinded with betrayal and hurt. And now, I’d pay for it.

  Eros tensed behind me, looking more confused than I was. The silent crowd suddenly burst out into a cheer. Demons were hooting and hollering, screaming at the top of their lungs, waiting for some action.

  If I could just stay calm enough until she made her first move, I could defeat her easily. We wouldn’t have any more trouble. Javier… Javier wouldn’t lose control.

  “Quiet,” I shouted, rage building high inside of me. Every demon in the entire stadium became deathly quiet again, sensing my wrath. Even Sathanus sat back in his seat, looking at me as if he recognized me as Javier himself.

  Eros grabbed my wrist before I could step forward and accept the challenge. “Dani, be careful.”

  I snatched my arm away from him, my jaw twitching. If she wanted to challenge me, then I would accept it. I had to. I would not accept defeat or give up my father’s dreams for me. This kingdom was mine.

  “Melinda,” Maeve called, turning toward the crowd. All the way at the top of the stadium, someone stood. Maeve curled her lip into an evil snarl at me and said, “Bring her.”

  Melinda walked down the stairs toward us, holding a chain tightly in her hand and dragging a woman behind her. The woman—so weak—couldn’t stand on her own. Her knees were bloody, her body smacking over and over against the concrete stairs, leaving a trail of sanguine blood.

  When she reached the ground, my heart dropped. I shook my head and stepped back, bumping into Eros. No… No, this couldn’t be happening. That wasn’t just any woman… it was Dr. U, the one woman who had sacrificed her life to raise me.

  Heavy silver chains were wrapped around her wrists and her neck. Both of her eyes were swollen shut. Purple bruises and dirt, open gashes and blood covered almost every inch of her body. I parted my lips to shriek, but nothing would come out.

  All I could feel was an intense pain and a growing rage.

  Melissa—who had been Dr. U’s pretty pink-haired date—threw Dr. U to the ground like she was nothing. Something inside of me snapped when she fell face first onto the concrete in front of all the other commanders. I growled and lurched forward, ready to kill them both, but Eros grasped my hand and pulled me back. “Dani,” he whispered into my ear. “Don’t act off your emotions. They want you to get angry.”

  Dr. U’s cute dress was soaked with red blood and had been ripped in seven different places. This was my fault. All my fault. If she had never found me, she wouldn’t be here right now. She would be at work, living her life to the fullest. Not in Hell, facing death head on.

  “Thanks to Melissa,” Maeve said, eyes twinkling green with envy. “We’ve found out who Dani Asmodeus really is.”

  My stomach tightened, but this time I didn’t feel that constant tug of anxiety. This was it… the beginning of the end. Everything was about to go downhill from here, I could just feel it. I clenched my fists by my side, eyes flickering from Maeve to Dr. U.

  Dr. U gazed up at me. “I’m sorry, Dani.” Her voice sounded so fragile. “She went through all my pap—”

  “Quiet!” Melissa said. “Or I’ll hang you out your office window again.”

  My jaw twitched, a growl ripping its way out of my throat. My vision blurred, and I saw red. Red blood from Dr. U. Red eyes from Mom’s killer. Red. Red. Red. Red. Red. I ripped myself out of Eros’s grip. Rage swelled inside of me, and I licked my fangs.

  “She’s trying to make you look weak,” Eros said. “Don’t give into her.”

  But she was about to tell my damn secret to everyone in Hell and she had hurt Dr. U, I wouldn’t be a coward this time. I stared right at her and grazed my finger against my family ring, feeling so damn torn. Mom was telling me to calm down, Dad was telling me to fight, and Javier was telling me to surrender control.

  I knew that if I lost control, I wouldn’t be able to stop this time. And that freaked me out almost as much as everyone knowing that I was part angel. But it wasn’t only that…

  Dr. U was here. If I lost control… I might hurt her. I might kill her. And if I didn’t, someone else might. I couldn’t risk it, not when we were surrounded by thousands of demons, not when Maeve was about to spill my darkest secret, not when Dr. U was the only family I had left.

  “Take Maeve to The Chains,” I said through clenched teeth,

  “This is the Courting Pit,” Lucifer said, leaning my way. “This is where people challenge you. Nobody can nor will be brought to The Chains.”

  Maeve cleared her throat. “Look at her empty threats,” she said. “She can’t bring me to The Chains, she can’t hurt me, she can’t even kill me because the thought plagues her mind.”

  Dr. U weakly pushed herself to her hands and knees. “Stop,” she said, voice frail and hoarse.

  “Your soon-to-be commander is weak because she is not only Asmodeus’s child…” Maeve smirked at me and spoke to the crowd. “But her mother is Fatima, the angel who stole Asmodeus’s heart and made him weak.”

  A deafening silence erupted through the crowd, but the thoughts in my head were loud. “Kill her… kill her now.” They were driving me wild, savage, feral. “Take her soul.”

  My jaw twitched again. Every moment, it was getting harder and harder to control myself. I needed to figure out a way to protect Dr. U. Somehow, someway. She laid there so helplessly beneath vile creatures she shouldn’t have ever had to meet.

  “An angel cannot rule our kingdom,” someone said from the crowd, breaking through the silence.

  I had tried to prepare for this uproar… But the words still cut me like a Wrath’s claws. People didn’t believe a half-angel had what it took to lead Hell. My gaze shifted from Dr. U to the commanders to the entire crowd, locking onto Biast. With his tail curled in the air and his devilish red eyes focused on me, he smirked.

  This was a big fucking game to him
. He wanted me to destroy myself… and it happened. He didn’t even need to lift a damn finger for me to screw everything up before it even began… that was, if I wasn’t careful.

  My gaze drifted back to Dr. U, and I knew exactly what I had to do.

  “Protect everyone I care about,” I said to Eros.

  “I’m not leaving your side.”

  “You can’t protect me from this. This is my fight.”

  Eros clenched his jaw and looked away, his fingers brushing against mine. “Okay.”

  I pushed my shoulders back and stepped forward. “Let me speak,” I growled. The crowd continued to erupt into fits of howling. Javier clawed at my insides, wanting all demons to face our wrath and to know what I really was capable of.

  When nobody quieted down, I growled louder. The people who hadn’t lost faith in me turned toward me and bowed their heads in respect. But the ones who didn’t continued to spew hate in my direction.

  “Quiet!” I shouted, my voice booming through the stadium. More and more demons eventually quieted down, and I stared between everyone who had betrayed me, then finally stared at my best friend Maeve. “How could you all think my father was weak?” I asked, nostrils flaring. “He was one of the first seven angels to fall from the Heavens. He ruled Hell for thousands and thousands of years before an Envy stole his kingdom from him. And that fucking Envy barely ruled for two decades before her own son killed her.”

  More memories of my father—of falling from the Heavens, of the pain that ran through every fiber of his being as he slammed onto the grounds of Lust, of the moment he was crowned as king—ran through my mind. Something about standing here, in this very spot, being bashed by demons who didn’t even know me and my power… it made me feel things that only a commander like my father would have felt before.

  A lustful desire to rule. An undeniable urge to make the people obey. Power.