The Third Throne: Angel of Death

by Tabitha Barret

  “Yes, I do know what that’s like. You sound like me a few years ago. I had given up too. I had no idea how I was going to make it through the next day, the next minute. Defeat was the word that came to mind every morning. Everyone I cared about was gone. I’d lost them all. There was nothing for me to look forward to, no one for me to love. I was close to the edge, and I nearly went over, but I managed to pull myself together, with help,” he had never admitted this to anyone before, with one exception, but he needed Annie to know that she wasn’t alone in whatever she was dealing with.

  “What happened to you?” she asked. Hearing the pain in his voice, she wanted to take him into her arms and comfort him.

  “My father was diagnosed with cancer when I was eleven. He fought for a long time, but it took a toll on him and my mother, and on me. He fought for five years, but in the end, he succumbed to the illness. I was there in the hospital when he died. My mother had brought me to see him one last time. They knew he only had a few hours left. I was in the room holding his hand when my mother stepped out of the room to speak to her friend. He died a few moments after she left. I felt his hand go limp and then, I thought I was seeing things, but there was a mist or a wisp of smoke just after his breath ceased. I believed then, as I do now, that I saw his spirit leave his body. I wasn’t scared when I saw it because it gave me hope that there was something to look forward to, some kind of life beyond death. The problem came when my mother turned to drinking to deal with the loss of my father. Life at home was hell, just like you said. I had to take care of her and me. Every day was worse than the one before. I had to watch her slip away. At first, she was angry, and then she became more and more despondent. A year after my father died, she nearly drank herself to death, but instead, got into the car, hit a tree and died.”

  “That’s terrible. I’m so sorry,” she felt guilty for complaining about her life. As Michelle, she had never experienced the loss of anyone, until after she had chosen to enter Hell.

  “Yeah, it was bad, but honestly, I always expected to go home to find her dead from drinking too much or doing something stupid while drunk. The weird thing was I knew she was gone before anyone told me. That’s the main reason why I started searching for answers about the afterlife,” Derick replied.

  “How did you know she had passed?” Annie took his hand and held it tightly, lending him her strength so that he could continue.

  “I was at school. I’ll never forget that day. I was sitting at lunch and I suddenly felt weak and sick to my stomach. I ran to the bathroom. The feeling passed, but I was still shaky. I turned on the faucet and splashed my face with cold water, trying to calm myself. Something in the mirror caught my attention. I swear, for a split second, I saw her. I saw my mother standing behind me, looking at me in the mirror. She had a sad smile on her face and then she was gone. I knew. I knew in that second she was dead and that she had come to say goodbye to me. I found out about an hour later when I was called down to the principal’s office. I was met by Benjamin, a close friend of my family. He told me what had happened. Part of me was glad that I got to see her one last time, but the rest of me was angry that she had allowed that to happen to her.”

  “I’m glad you got to see her one last time. So many people don’t get that experience. What happened after she died? Who took care of you?” Annie reached out and put her hand on his face. She needed to comfort him.

  “Benjamin, whom I call my uncle, took me in for a few months until I graduated high school. He’s looked after me ever since. He travels a lot, but he was around to help me get my head on straight and live each day for what it was, a fresh start. He helped me get into college. I needed to start over, and get away. That’s how I ended up in Tulsa,” he squeezed her hand, grateful for the contact.

  “I’m glad that he was there for you. I’m so sorry, Derick. Your mother wasn’t strong enough to fight for her family, for you. It’s a terrible tragedy and I’m sorry you had to endure it, but you’ve survived despite all that you have gone through. You could have easily turned away from the world, but instead, you decided to fight and live your life to the fullest. You have gone out looking for answers instead of sitting in your room crying because life isn’t fair. You didn’t let it defeat you, and that’s the best possible thing you could have done,” she was proud that he hadn’t succumbed to temptation and given up.

  Annie was ashamed of herself for complaining. Even though her life was a vicious cycle of torment in Hell, she had chosen that life, in some respect. Granted, it had been pre-arranged, but she was the one who had taken the final step.

  “Annie, you can be strong too, I know you can. Life doesn’t have to feel impossible; you can seek help, and talk to someone. If I didn’t have my uncle to guide me in my choices, I don’t know what would have happened to me. I can hear that you’re asking for help, that’s the first step, now you have to believe that you can be helped. So many people ask for help, but aren’t willing to do the things necessary to change, and to fix their lives. I may not be the best person to help you, but I’m willing to listen. I know we’ve just met, but I feel a connection to you like no else before you. I feel like I can tell you anything,” Derick confessed the secret that had been gnawing at him since his eyes first met hers.

  Annie chuckled. “You feel that way because we are sitting the dark by ourselves in a foreign place. It’s sometimes easier to talk to someone in the dark. We feel like we aren’t being judged because the other person can’t see us. The dark has some mystical properties that disappear when the harsh morning light hits us. We can say whatever we want because the darkness protects us from our fear of repercussion. Besides, even if I could ask for your help, I don’t think you could help me,” she said. Sadly, there was nothing that the mortal could do to ease her burdens, or make her life more bearable.

  “Like I said, I’m here to listen to whatever you have to say. I won’t judge you, I promise. Though you’re wrong, I don’t need to sit in the dark to tell you what I’m feeling. It’s true, it’s more intimate with the lights off, but I would tell you anything you wanted to know, regardless of how much light there was,” Derick stood up, still holding her hand.

  “And what do you want to tell me?” she watched him move to stand in front of her.

  He carefully pulled her to her feet and pulled her into his arms. “I need to kiss you,” there, he finally said it.

  Annie closed her eyes. She wasn’t sure she could do it. How do you cheat on the devil? She pondered the question and thought about all the pleasant times she’d had with Lucifer, but the pain of her injuries pushed them all away. She had agreed to stay with Lucifer for the sake of his sanity and because he needed her, but he had never promised to be what she needed. He cared about her, when it suited him, and when the darkness wasn’t consuming him, yet he had allowed the darkness to cloud his judgment and break her arm without consequence. The debate was over. The man who held her understood her better than Lucifer, or was at least willing to try to understand what she needed.

  “I want you to see me, so that you know who you’re kissing,” she didn’t want to be confused with an ex-girlfriend or a fantasy girl.

  Derick felt around Annie’s utility belt and found a glow stick. He cracked the stick and dropped it to the ground, causing a red light to surround them. He was rewarded with an amazing sight. Annie’s eyes were hooded and her lips were parted. She was ravishing and begging to be kissed. He undid the catch on the utility belt and threw it across the arm of the throne to his right.

  He found her lips and indulged himself in their silkiness. His heart lightened and his entire body trembled. She tasted like honey and her lips were filled with passion and heat. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip and took it into his mouth, lightly sucking on it. He didn’t care where they were, he was going to show her how he felt about her before she disappeared into the night.

  He pressed his body into hers and continued to kiss and devour her mouth. His hands were drowning
in her lush hair. His left hand traveled down her back, pulling her closer to him, until he reached her ass. He’d been dying to touch her and feel her against him. Reaching around, he slid his hand down the back of her leg, snatched up her knee, and pulled it around his body. He trailed kisses down her cheek to her jaw, and down her neck to her collarbone. Nuzzling her neck, he found her sweet spot and licked at it, making her groan. He pushed his hard shaft against her jeans, seeking relief. He could feel her warmth through her jeans and it drove him mad.

  Annie enjoyed the simplicity of Derick. She didn’t fear him and she wasn’t apprehensive about him harming her. There was no hesitation in his movement, no secret motive. She doubted that he would withhold any information from her, even for her own good. She was angry that she hadn’t met him when she lived as a mortal.

  Derick reveled in the feel of her hands on his body. She was as desperate for him as he was for her. Her hands were everywhere, his hair, his face, and his back. He had always been distant with the women he had dated and had sex with, careful never to give himself over to them completely. He gave them physical pleasure, but never emotional satisfaction. The woman in his arms was nothing like the others. He wanted to give her his heart, his very soul. This was more than sex; he wanted to stay with her forever. He felt free in her arms.

  He lifted his head and stared into Annie’s eyes. He gently lifted her chin and kissed her mouth while still looking into her eyes. It was a level of intimacy that he had never dared to try before. He wasn’t afraid to open himself up to her.

  Annie looked into Derick’s eyes and pretended for a moment that she was a normal girl. They had no future together and she hated herself for indulging in her fantasy, but she wanted something blissful to remember when life with Lucifer chipped away at her soul. Derick represented the hope that someday she might be happy and could be with someone who cared about her every day, not a few days out of every few months. Derick pushed away the loneliness. The ice that had built up to protect her from an unbalanced Lucifer thawed, leaving a fire in its wake.

  Annie pulled away from his kiss and tugged at the zipper on his black fleece jacket. She didn’t want the thick fabric between them. He obliged her by ripping the jacket from his body and enveloped her in his arms and his musky cologne. She pushed her chest against his and moaned. His chest was firm and muscular, which was a pleasant surprise. She hadn’t pegged him for a card-holding gym member.

  Derick couldn’t hold out any longer. He dropped to his knees and brushed her inner thighs with his hands. Her hands clung to his shoulders for support. He liked that he could make her pant just by touching her. Her breath was heavy as he slid his hands up to the button on her jeans. There was no uncertainty in her expression. He made his intentions clear as he leaned in and pushed his face into her apex. The sound that she made was nearly enough to make him come in his pants. He bit her jeans and shivered to find them moist with her desire.

  Annie couldn’t believe his boldness and shook when she saw the look of undiluted yearning in his eyes. He was going to take her right there, which was both unnerving and enticing. She’d never been intimate with a man in the Mortal Realm, or without a door nearby. As often as Lucifer had tried to take her on his throne, she had always denied him, afraid that Hades or a servant would see them.

  “What if someone comes in here?” she asked. Her question was barely audible.

  “They can watch,” he whispered as he grabbed her hips.

  Annie threw her head back and stopped breathing. She cleared her thoughts and put the image of Derick biting her jeans firmly into her mind and stopped fighting her conscience. All she wanted at that moment was Derick.

  The button and zipper on her jeans were quickly undone, but he forced himself to slow the pace by gradually pulling the jeans down her legs, kissing each bit of blessed skin that was exposed. Once he removed her pants, he knelt down in front of her. He traced the skin on her stomach above her panties with his lips, and then tugged at the material with his teeth. Gliding his nose down her panties, and taking in her sweet scent, he found what he was desperate for. He licked her most sensitive area through the silky wet fabric, making her yell his name. It was by far the best noise he’d ever heard.

  His tongue moved to the crook of her leg as his teeth grazed the edge of her panties. He thought about tearing them from her body, but was patient enough to finish his descent to her smooth thighs. Reaching around, he cupped her perfect ass and kneaded it. When her legs threatened to give out, he shifted closer to her and pulled her right leg over his left shoulder. Holding her weight on his shoulder, he clamped his arm down over the top of her thigh to support her. With his right hand, he pulled her panties aside, and pushed his tongue through her folds and across her slick skin. He indulged his curiosity and found every place that craved attention. He rolled his tongue over her clit and then dropped down quickly to lap at the opening of her core.

  Annie’s mind was buzzing. Pleasure shot up through her lower back, overwhelming her senses. She should be embarrassed that she was half-naked and moaning uncontrollably where anyone might see her, but she didn’t care. Derick’s hands and tongue were the only things tying her to reality.

  She had trouble standing, even with his help. Thankfully, his shoulders were strong and he didn’t seem to mind her clawing at them. Every time she moaned or cried out, he increased his strokes and gripped her tighter. She knew that some men went down on women to prepare them for sex without taking much pleasure from the act. It was clear that Derick was as excited as she was. She thought about how hard his cock would be and nearly lost control.

  Derick moaned when he felt Annie’s body shake and clench while he explored every dark place. When he could no longer contain his excitement, he shifted his hand so that his thumb could reach her swollen nub. He dipped his head further underneath her and tightened his hold on her right leg. He felt her skin stretch as he inserted his tongue into her core and thrust into the most perfect place he had ever encountered. His thumb circled her nub and then he paused to tease her. He pushed his tongue into her as far as it would go and circled her core while mimicking the action with his thumb.

  She screamed, unable to contain the searing heat inside her veins. He knew exactly what she needed, even when the knowledge was unknown to her. The world was a haze of light and sound. Just when she couldn’t stand another second, he increased the speed of his thrusts and caused the pressure inside her body to climb until she could no longer hold on. Her core tightened as he plunged his tongue into her.

  Derick shuddered when Annie gasped and screamed out his name. His agonizing erection found relief as he came violently in his pants. The feeling of her body succumbing to his touch was dizzying. No other woman had responded to him like this, though he rarely gave them the chance. He didn’t stop licking her until he tasted all that her orgasm had to offer.

  Annie’s body was no longer under her command. She faltered as Derick moved his shoulder away from her, until he carefully guided her to the ground. Kneeling in front of him, she attempted to slow her erratic breathing. Derick smirked smugly at her.

  She put her hands in his hair, and tried to straighten a few wayward locks. He was beautiful. She leaned in to kiss him, but stopped when she saw movement in the doorway. Looking around him, she caught the glimpse of someone, but couldn’t tell if it was a person or a soul, since her brain was still catching up to reality. She prayed that it wasn’t Radek coming to check on her.

  “What’s the matter?” Derick was instantly concerned. He turned his head in the direction she was staring.

  “I thought I saw someone, or something. I don’t know,” she panted.

  Derick flushed at the thought of Pete or Morgan seeing her without her pants. Not only was it beyond unprofessional for him to be intimate with someone during an investigation, but he didn’t need to hear it from Pete. Pete had already embarrassed him in front of Annie last night.

  He grabbed her pants and handed them to h
er. He got up and looked around for his camera. “We should get going. I have no idea who it was since we’re supposed to call out if we think we’re near other team members, so we don’t give them a heart attack. Do you need help with your pants?” he knew her legs were still shaky and wanted to steady her if she needed help.

  “Derick and Annie, are you still alive? You haven’t checked in,” Josilyn’s garbled voice echoed over the walkie-talkie that was hanging on the arm of the throne.

  Derick sighed and forced himself to remember that they were supposed to be working. He grabbed the walkie-talkie and held down the button. “We’re good. Finishing up in the Throne Room. We let the camera run to see if we could find anything. Moving on to the Knight’s Corridor.”

  Annie growled. The thought of someone spying on them angered her more now that her wits were about her. She immediately calmed herself when she realized that she had selfishly ignored Derick’s needs.

  “Are you okay?” she motioned to his crotch, knowing that she was leaving him unfulfilled.

  He held out his hand and pulled her to her feet. “I’m pretty good for the moment,” he should have been embarrassed by his lack of control, but Annie had topped what he considered his best sexual experience. He could only imagine what it would be like to be inside her.

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to leave you in pain,” she said shyly. After seeing someone in the doorway, she didn’t want to continue in their current location, but was more than willing to take him somewhere more private. In fact, she was suddenly aching to do so. She wanted to hear him call out her name.