"Lady safe. Wish to offer respect. Will wait."
The imps had never offered him respect, Luce reflected, but quelled that thought quickly, hoping Sptlk wouldn't catch it. "I don't want to discuss Mel. I want to ask about the illusions on Level Two. There are reports that the damned souls are without illusion on that level. Can you confirm?"
Sptlk's amusement increased. "Illusions gone. Orgy entertaining. Many hours, many souls. Many demons, too. Many thanks to Lady for spectacle. Debt now owed."
Luce tried to wrap his head around this. "Are you saying Mel dispelled your illusions? Before Mel instigated an orgy?"
"Lady order. We obey. Much amusement. Lord learn from Lady for eternal loyalty."
The graphic pictures Sptlk conveyed showed an intimate knowledge of Mel's body as well as some of his own fantasies, Luce realised with horror. The imps had watched him and Mel when they'd...oh, she'd kill him if she knew. Gaining the imps' eternal loyalty wasn't worth losing Mel if she found out he'd let them watch the couple make love.
"Lady already knows. Imps cannot hide from Lady. Lady sees through all illusion. Gracious permission from sexy, seductive Lady. Honour for us. Great honour for you. Redemption, too."
They knew. The imps had helped him disguise his soul for centuries – hiding it behind an illusive shroud so thick that none could penetrate it – so that no one else could know that his was the only soul in Hell that wasn’t completely tainted by malicious shadows.
"I need the illusions restored on Level Two and the shroud around my soul must remain, for no demon can know I'm not one of them. Can you do it?" Luce crossed his fingers. He knew he didn't need to ask for their price – Sptlk would show him.
The imp flashed his pointed teeth in a wicked grin. "Can, yes. Will, if Lady does not order otherwise. Lord must pay reparation to Lady for disrespect." Pictures flowed through the Sptlk's mind, each more detailed than the last, showing Mel's impassioned face as Luce pleasured her body in every way he knew how.
"She won't let me do that," Luce said hoarsely, unable to get the erotic images out of his head. If Mel let him do any of those things, he'd be in Heaven.
"Kneel and beg." Sptlk laughed and disappeared.
Aching for the angel, Luce strode across the office toward the private pool where Mel and Heaven awaited.
Fifty-Five
Mel languidly lifted a dripping hand and Lilith splashed into the pool. Mel sighed and waded through the water to the edge, stepping onto the limestone beside her bath. The demon charged through the water at the angel's unprotected back, her claws out and ready to rake.
"No," Mel murmured, turning and holding up her hand again.
Lilith stopped in her tracks, one hoof raised to take a step that she couldn't complete. "What have you done to me, bitch? This is some trick. A new angel like you doesn't have the power to stop me like this. Even if he'd turned you, you couldn't!"
Mel shook her shoulders, the rippling movement flowing into her wings as they faded into sight.
"What in Hell? Those aren't real!" Lilith hissed.
Mel turned sad eyes on the angry, immobilised demon. "Lili, I did everything you ever asked of me in the office. You, of all people, can hardly doubt my angelic patience. Even an archangel would have snapped at least once. But I never did. You owe me more favours than the rest of your corporation combined – and, one day, I will collect. I always do. As for the power to stop you...I can, and I will. Even here, I hold greater power than your lord. I am Muriel, leader of the Hashmallim, and I have come for him."
"Bullshit," Lilith spat. "The leader of the Dominations is Raphael. Everyone knows that. I've never heard of a female Domination."
"Do you remember Luce as an angel, Lili? When his wings were white?" Mel asked gently.
"His wings were never white. They were blacker than the night sky when he came to me. He sought solace in my body and I gave him everything. My life and my heart. He loves me, angel. You lie."
"You were human," Mel breathed. A tear slipped down her cheek. "Then you can never understand. Angels don't lie. And demons don't love. If he met you after he fell, he was no longer capable of love, Lili. He's deceived you for centuries, if he told you he did." She sniffled and struggled to smile. "He had the biggest, whitest wings of any angel I'd ever seen. I only saw him once, when I was in Heaven on business. He breezed past me, deep in conversation with two other Seraphim. I don't think he even saw me. I thought he was an arrogant prick then, too."
Lilith struggled, but after a few seconds, she burst out laughing. "Yeah, he's an arrogant prick, all right." She seemed to calm a little as realisation crossed her face. "If he can't love me, you know he can't love you, either."
Mel smiled sadly. "But he does, Lili. It almost destroyed him as half his soul fought the other part of itself. I had no idea. He gave up everything to find me, because he thought I could help." She hesitated. "I did what I could. I had to help. Angels always do." She bowed her head. "I'm sorry."
Lilith's expression hardened again. "Not as sorry as that bastard will be."
The door swung open and Luce stood in the doorway, beaming. "Mel, my love, I'm finished. May I join you?"
Lilith let out a scream of rage and Mel released her in shock. The enraged demon launched herself at Luce.
Fifty-Six
Mel looked miserable, Luce thought. Were those tears on her cheeks, or just water from the pool?
Weight and pain hit him all at once. Something sharp seared his shoulders as he fell back against the floor, cracking his head on the stone. The blow blinded him, so he couldn't even see his assailant.
"Mel?" he gasped out. He tried to fight off the crazy, clawed beast, but its frenzy lent it more strength than he felt he had.
He got his hands around the creature's neck and squeezed, trying to crush the air out of it so it would stop.
"NO!" Mel shouted.
Luce felt the weight lift off him. Blinking through his pain, he saw the red, clawed creature suspended above him. He stared at it and it stared back.
"Lili?" he asked, mystified. Why would his most loyal lieutenant attack him?
"You're a fucking lying bastard, Luce, and I should never have trusted you. I'd give anything, never to have met you!" she screeched.
"Lili, I..." Luce struggled to sit up, but the pain in his head made him wince. What he saw of his chest was a mess of blood and ripped flesh. Lilith's claws had dug so deep she'd shredded skin and muscle. It made Mel's shoulder wound look like a slight scratch. He could see his own ribs and some of the organs beneath. Wait, was that his...
Mel's feet made no sound on the stone. She was simply there, kneeling beside him. "Shh, let me." She laid her hands on his chest, stroking the stinging wounds, and the burning started to subside. Mel lifted her fingertips to his temples, and his blurred vision cleared. "You have blood everywhere, Luce. I need to get you to the pool to wash it off." Luce felt his body leave the ground, floating on nothing.
"What the Hell?" He started to struggle, trying to find what, if anything, was supporting him.
"Luce. Just hold still," Mel murmured. He felt air on his skin as his clothes vanished, before it was replaced by cool water. Wavelets lapped the pool as Mel's gentle hands sluiced water over his chest. "It's in your hair, too. Immerse yourself completely – duck your head under for just a moment."
"What did you do to him? Why is his blood red? Did you turn him human, angel?" Lilith demanded, her voice shaking. Her red face had paled to pink in what Luce thought might be fear.
"He's taken his true form – that of an angel, as he originally was. Not as powerful as he was, or I am, but an angel, like me. One who is capable of love," Mel said. "It was his choice."
"And what about me, Lord Lucifer? Do all these years of service mean nothing?" Lilith spat at Luce.
Love and Lilith – now there were two concepts that didn't go together. He'd repaid all her services with his trust, as he let a former human rise in the ranks so that she was on
the same footing as the senior fallen angels. What more could she possibly want from him than the power she so ardently craved? He didn't know how to answer her, so he continued to stare.
"I'm done, Luce. You should probably get dressed," Mel said.
He dragged himself out of the pool and began to put on the clothes that Mel had left on the floor. He gave the shirt up as a loss, but his pants were intact. "What about you, Lili? You just tried to claw my heart out of my chest." He coughed and it bloody hurt. Perhaps she'd punctured a lung before Mel had patched him up. "I'm sure we have a circle in Hell reserved for souls who betray their sworn liege lord. I think it's a particularly nasty one, too."
"So demons can't love and angels can't lie? What can you do now?" Lilith asked bitterly.
"Demons don't love. They fuck and form alliances – that's all. You chose to become one. I never forced you." Luce shrugged.
Lilith flexed her claws and reached for Luce. "Are you just going to leave me hanging here, angel?" she demanded. "Let me down!"
"Are you going to try to hurt him again?" Mel asked.
"He seduced me with promises he couldn't keep, lied to me for centuries! I deserve retribution!"
"I understand your anger, but you deserve no such thing. You chose your fate and he's served his penance. Heaven accepts his contrition, Lili – you should, too."
"Go to Hell, angel. I don't want your pity or preaching. You've turned the Lord of Hell into a lapdog. Take him to Heaven and castrate him – see how long you can keep him then! Leave and let me down."
Mel nodded. "You've made your point clear, Lili. If I ever see you again, it will be to collect what I am owed. Nothing else." She turned a smile on Luce, who finished buttoning his pants. "Let's go, Luce." She held out her hand and he took it.
Fifty-Seven
Soft cloud formed beneath his feet as a gentle breeze caressed his freshly healed skin. He should be wearing a shirt, he decided, concentrating. No, a whole suit. This was definitely a formal occasion. Maybe even a tie...no. A shirt unbuttoned at the throat looked far sexier. Such a pity all he could manage was black.
"What do you think?" he asked Mel.
She smiled as her eyes wandered across his body. How did she do that? The longer she looked, the more turned on he became. Oh God, he was going to walk into Heaven with a hard-on. Hell was one thing, but here...
"You need your wings, Luce. This is one of those times when appearances count. You're making an entrance that no one dreamed was possible. Make them remember who you are – the angel Lucifer, Lord of Hell." Mel's voice was mellifluous, her warmth melting the icy fingers that clutched at his heart.
He hesitated. "Wings and shirts don't go so well together. I always end up ripping things. Ripped clothes won't work if I'm trying to look impressive."
"Like everything in this place – your body, your clothes, all of it – your wings and your clothes are simply an illusion. It's all about appearances." She reached for his chest and tapped a shirt button, which glowed gold. Mel smiled. "Even the blood my body shed the last time we were here was an illusion."
It had seemed so real – Hell, her blood had even tasted real. He couldn't lose her again. He wouldn't lose her again. He seized her hand and spread his wings. He breathed deeply and prayed that this time, for the first time ever, he'd be allowed happiness.
The breeze ruffled his feathers as Mel's musical laughter rang out. "As if I needed more feathers," she said, so quietly it was barely audible. "I'd forgotten how heavy they are."
Luce looked and looked again, just in case he'd been mistaken. He didn't remember her wings being quite so wide – surely they were bigger than his! She flapped them twice, her feet leaving the cloud beneath them as the powerful lift carried her body with it. She was still laughing as she drifted down, folding her wings neatly behind her. Her pearlescent skin glowed from within as Mel turned her dazzling smile on Luce.
"If it's all right with you, I'd prefer not to give fuel to the rumours that I walked naked through Hell for you," Mel said.
Luce's heart dropped faster than she had done, just moments before. "You're ashamed of what you did for me? Even I can't believe you did it. I want to see the faces of some of those righteous angels when they realise what you've done..."
Now Mel's smile was serene. "I don't regret my actions for a moment, but it might be easier for the angels and souls waiting for judgement if I have some clothes on, is all. I'm sure they'll all hear the truth and it will only add colour to the legend. Most of them won't notice the angel beside you, but if they do, it might be best if my arse is covered. Like this, we look like something off the cover of one of Lili's dark erotica books – the CEO in a suit, with a scantily clad young woman at his side."
Luce grinned back. "Well, if you put it like that...if you're going to wear sexy lingerie, I think I'll be walking behind you to take in the view, instead of beside you."
"Then I'd best be a little more modest," Mel said softly, closing her eyes. A shimmer began over her breasts, cascading over curves to dim her steady glow, so that her skin was merely glittering instead.
Luce blinked and managed to miss the final step that set her transparent dress opaque, but it was the colour that arrested his attention. She wore the gold silk dress he'd seen in her wardrobe, clinging to every curve as if it loved her as much as he did. His knees went weak. He was going to kneel and beg, the moment he got her all to himself in Heaven. "I thought you wore white," he said.
"I did, and sometimes I still will," Mel responded, glancing down. "I like the simplicity of being Melody Angel, but your escort must be Lady Muriel. My time for hiding is done. Today it's time for a show of power, and an angel of my rank must be clothed in gold." She lifted impish eyes to his face. "I need to look good enough to be seen with you, Luce. I believe the human term is arm candy."
Luce leaned in close so that his lips brushed her ear. "You know that'll make me think of how sweet you taste, every step of the way."
"As long as you look impressive, your thoughts can wander wherever you like," Mel replied, turning her head to claim a kiss. "Are you ready, Luce?"
He released her reluctantly, so that their only contact was their joined hands. "As I'll ever be."
Together, they strode forward.
Fifty-Eight
A billow of cloud blew aside with a flutter of Mel's wings. Now he could see the crowd that awaited them – the benches bridging the gap between them and the Book of Judgement were full of angels and some saintly souls, too. Far more than on the day they let Mel die.
Mel wouldn't die today, Luce swore. At the slightest hint of trouble, they'd both fly and to Hell with the consequences.
His eyes kept straying to their audience. There were very few wings in sight, and none as magnificent as Mel's. Even his stood out, both for their colour and size. Perhaps he should have thought to wear something lighter – a grey shirt and suit, instead of his customary black. He wasn't sure he could do anything about the colour of his wings.
Luce glanced at his sleeve, which looked a little lighter. He focussed harder on the fabric, willing it to change.
"Relax, Luce," Mel murmured. "I won't let anyone hurt you."
He laughed. "I was thinking that I should've worn a lighter shirt."
"Let me help you with that." Her voice was barely a whisper, but he heard it clearly. Her hand landed on his thigh and stroked up his side to his shoulder before caressing his arm.
Under her lingering fingers, his sleeve shifted a few shades lighter still. He glanced at the seated souls and their escorts to see if they had noticed the change. He couldn't catch anyone's eye, he realised, watching each of them look down as he passed, as if they were afraid to lock gazes with him. Just like that innocent little escort last time – the one who'd been terrified of him. Now Luce dropped his own gaze to his feet. His pants were dark grey, he noticed, but the lightening colour wasn't enough to lighten his heart. He didn't belong here.
Mel stopped, and, to
uching his cheek, she looked into his eyes so that he could see the love that filled her soul. "Don't forget that you're the angel I love, claiming your rightful place at my side in Heaven. Every angel here aspires to what you have. Do you want them to remember you as the arrogant angel who strode into Heaven, the miracle of redemption no one believed possible, or the broken demon who was beaten by a girl and dragged back here?"
Luce couldn't help it – he burst out laughing. "Which would you prefer me to be?"
"If I wanted to drag in a broken demon, would I have given you a choice?" Mel whispered. "Though I think we could make quite an impression if you go for the red, bulging muscles and I fly in, with you hanging from my hand by one huge leg..." She glanced down, smiling wickedly. "I think you might intimidate angels as much as demons that way – but it's not particularly dignified. Best if you keep your pants on, I think."
"I love you, Mel. Lucifer the arrogant angel, at your service." He straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin, sensing her merriment but not daring to catch her eye or they'd both laugh. She knew him better than he knew himself. He'd had centuries of practice being an arrogant demon – an arrogant angel couldn't be much harder, surely.
They continued past the line of benches and he tried not to look at the watchers any more. All that mattered was Mel and their destination.
Luce fixed his eyes firmly on the gates as they grew larger with every step he took. Glowing pearl and not steel; the base of the bars shrouded in misty cloud. Today his misgivings were gone – today they would swing open more smoothly than the stone gates of Dis. Somehow, Mel had infused him with her certainty. He prayed for her to be right.
Mel drew him to a halt beside the gate guard, who still wore a white dress. The angel bowed deeply. "Welcome home, Lady Muriel. I think I speak for every angel in Heaven and Earth when I say we're relieved to see you return, safe and sound."
"Did you really think I wouldn't, Peter?" Mel asked gently.
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