He didn’t know what lay ahead for them, but he had promised her they would figure it out together, and he meant it. From the moment he had laid eyes on her in the subway station, he knew he was in trouble. He rarely got involved in other people’s business, but the sight of that guy harassing her had made him want to wring his neck. Des was far from helpless, but he felt the need to protect her, the desire to hold her safe in his arms. He wasn’t usually brave enough to ask out girls like that either, but he couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing her again. And now here he was, holding her just as tightly as she had taken hold of his heart.
He looked at the wolf necklace he had given her, lying against her collarbone. His uncle believed it held a connection to his soul, and he felt like his soul was now entwined with hers. Slate liked to scoff at the idea of true love or soulmates, but even his brother seemed to be falling under her spell. Was it a spell, some sort of witchy power she was exuding over him?
He ran a thumb lightly along her pouty lips that managed to have a slight frown even in her sleep. He didn’t think any spell was this powerful, and even if it was, he didn’t care. He didn’t want this feeling to ever end, and he wasn’t ready to give it up for anyone, demon or not.
If she was losing her mind, he would help her fix it. If she was losing her soul, he would find it for her, even if he had to travel to Hell to retrieve it.
Born of Fire
Des felt someone brush a hand lightly across her forehead and rolled over with a yawn. She felt so warm and cozy that she resisted even opening her eyes, hoping she would drift back to sleep. The heady smell of wood smoke filled her nostrils along with something like hot metal. Wait, was something on fire?
She sat up and knocked her head against a low, rough surface, looking up in surprise at the dark rock above her head, illuminated with streaks of glowing red laced through it like veins. Looking back down to her bed, she cried out and scrambled off of a bed of glowing hot coals.
The floor was covered with the undulating glow of burning hot embers, and she hopped on her bare feet in the cramped space until she realized there was no burning pain. She inspected her exposed skin in amazement, but felt no intense heat, only a comforting, penetrating warmth like the woodstove in the country. She wiggled her toes in the coals and watched sparks dance in front of her as she made her way out to a wider section of the strange cave, where a river of brilliant magma flowed through the center. Blue bursts of flame rolled across its red-orange surface like waves, and without thinking she reached down to run her fingers through it like water. She stopped at the last minute, picturing her fingers stripped to the bone by the heat, and shuddered.
“Don’t be afraid. It’s part of you.”
She jumped and turned to see a man in a trim black suit, standing on the coals like her, although he wore polished black shoes on his feet. Lucifer.
“How did I get here,” she asked, wondering if here was Hell. “Am I dreaming?”
“You are. And I am not really here. I am a part of you.”
“It is all a dream? You’re not real?”
“Oh no, I am very real.” He touched a finger lightly to her forehead and her body went rigid with the shock he gave her. “But I can’t enter your dreams this easily. That’s all you.”
“But you’ve been in my dreams all this time. Or in my nightmares…”
“Which one is this?”
Des looked around her at the sparkling cave and back to him. He wasn’t nearly as frightening in his human form, and the surreal light softened his features and highlighted his peculiar eyes. “I don’t feel afraid,” she said. “But shouldn’t I?”
He grinned. “Maybe you should trust your instinct. What do you feel?”
“Warm.” She spread her arms to take in the sensation. She was so rarely warm in the fall and winter. “And… safe.” That surprised her, considering she was next to Lucifer himself, the very dragon that had terrified her until yesterday. And yet she felt like nothing could harm her. She felt like she was home. She wrinkled her forehead, confused.
“Hell has its own allure, its special beauty, doesn’t it? It starts to get under your skin.” He shrugged his shoulders and his skin rippled faintly with iridescent red scales. She watched him in fascination, wondering if he would transform in front of her. His eyes flashed to yellow slits, then back again to round pupils, gazing at her intently. He raised a hand and beckoned to her.
“Come.” He glanced down the river, and back to her, holding out his hand expectantly.
“What’s over there?”
“What you were born for,” he said as if it was obvious. “Your throne.”
Des sucked in a breath of warm, dry air. Her throne? The idea was mesmerizing. What sort of court would a queen of Hell keep? Something whispered in her head, and it sounded like her mother. Or maybe it was Adrian, whispering encouragement in her ear. Or was he telling her to stop, to consider what she was doing? She shook her head and the voices dispersed. Lucifer’s voice replaced them, soothing and deep.
“My daughter,” he whispered softly, although the sound echoed throughout the cave and through her mind. “Come with me.”
She took two steps forward and closed her hand around his, feeling a surge of energy flood her body, making her giggle at the sensation. It was like the surge of wind before a storm, like the hypnotic beat of wild drums, like the powerful rush of a plane engine taking off. It was impossible to resist, and she followed him down the winding river of fire, into the glittering darkness beyond.
To be continued…
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About the Author
Paula Arwen Owen is an author and artist from Brooklyn, NY. Her writing and her art are inspired by myths, dreams, and the paranormal. Her stories are full of magic, passion, and suspense, exploring the epic struggle between darkness and light and the line between dreams and reality.
Paula’s cut paper artwork has appeared in books, magazines, and can be seen in local galleries and public art displays, as well as in her online store on Etsy. She lives at the edge of an enchanted forest in New York’s Catskill mountains with her husband and a variety of creatures, domestic, wild and mythical.
Blood of Angels is her first series, a young adult paranormal romance set in New York City.
See Paula’s new work and sign up for her mailing list at www.arwendesigns.net.
Paula’s art, decals and signed copies of her book are available on her Etsy store: www.etsy.com/shop/arwendesigns.
Follow Paula's latest books at the publisher's website, www.moonlightpressbooks.com.
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