Infernal God
Claimed By Lucifer Book Three
Elizabeth Briggs
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www.elizabethbriggsbooks.com
Contents
1. Lucifer
2. Hannah
3. Hannah
4. Lucifer
5. Hannah
6. Lucifer
7. Hannah
8. Hannah
9. Lucifer
10. Hannah
11. Hannah
12. Lucifer
13. Hannah
14. Hannah
15. Lucifer
16. Hannah
17. Hannah
18. Hannah
19. Lucifer
20. Hannah
21. Hannah
22. Lucifer
23. Hannah
24. Hannah
25. Hannah
26. Lucifer
27. Hannah
28. Hannah
29. Lucifer
30. Hannah
31. Hannah
32. Lucifer
33. Hannah
34. Lucifer
35. Hannah
36. Lucifer
37. Hannah
Excerpt from Seraphim Academy 1: Wicked Wings
About the Author
1
Lucifer
Heaven had once been beautiful. Now it was as desolate as my soul.
For months I'd been trapped here among the empty ruins of this once great civilization, under the sun that never truly set. Though I'd been born here thousands of years ago, living in Hell for so long had changed me. I desperately longed for night, for even one minute of complete darkness, but such a thing was not to be found in the Land of Light.
All I knew was a burning rage that simmered below my skin, fueling me in place of food or water or sleep. I needed none of those things now that I was an Elder God. I'd become War, second Horseman of the Apocalypse, and my purpose was to sow chaos and discord—as soon as I escaped. I had to find a way back to the human world to find the woman who had imprisoned me here. To kill her.
As I gazed across the shimmering ocean before me, I patted the neck of Strife, my one companion in this wretched place. The smell of brimstone and the sound of hoofs against the stone had become as familiar to me as breathing during our time here. Like me, my trusted steed required no sustenance, and no matter how hard or fast he ran, he never grew winded or fatigued. He'd simply appeared after I'd become War, and though he couldn't speak, we had a connection I didn't understand yet couldn't question. I was a Horseman, and Strife was my horse. It was that simple.
I nudged Strife across the white, gleaming sand toward the flowing waves. He moved faster than any horse, as fast as the sports cars I used to drive when I lived among the humans. Together we'd raced across Heaven for so long I'd lost track of the days as we searched for a thin spot between worlds. We’d checked all the places in Heaven that I knew had once been portals to the other realms, where I might be able to use my power to break through to Earth. All but one.
The Bermuda Triangle. Also known, rather fittingly, as the Devil's Triangle. There was a reason humans tended to go missing there. I hoped to exploit it.
White-hot rage burned in my gut as I pictured the woman who had trapped me here, and I squeezed Strife with my calves and heels, urging him to go faster, ride harder. Anything to get us out of this place so we could begin enacting our revenge.
Her alluring face had consumed my thoughts since the moment she'd disappeared through that portal, leaving me imprisoned in Heaven with Strife. I couldn't stop thinking about what I would do with her once I found her. I would bend her to my will, force her to her knees, make her pay for what she'd done. I would utterly destroy her. And then I would destroy her world.
Soon, war would spread across Earth, and then into all the other realms. Angels, demons, humans, fae—none would be spared my wrath, and all would bow to me. As it always should’ve been. As was my right.
I was the King of Demons. I was a Horseman of the Apocalypse. I was a god.
I urged Strife into the waves, where his hooves skimmed across the surface of the water. He could run over sea or land, desert or snow, it didn’t matter. I spread my wings as we rushed across the dark blue ocean, enjoying the feel of the salt water on my skin and feathers. I held on with my knees and spread my arms, relishing in the power coursing through me. War had strengthened me, given me divine and righteous purpose. Nobody could stand against me. Not anymore.
After hours riding across the waves, I sensed something up ahead, a change in the air, a tingling sensation across my skin. We grew closer with every stride, and I wiped saltwater from my face for the thousandth time as I focused on the small island with an unmistakable magical signature.
Long ago, the realms of Heaven, Hell, and Faerie had permanent gateways open to Earth, and ancient monuments had been erected at the sites of them. When these gateways were closed, many of the locations became old ruins, like Stonehenge, or Chichen Itza. Others were lost in time, like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon or the Lighthouse of Alexandria. This spot was one of the latter, an island that no longer existed on Earth, though it remained here in Heaven.
Using my knees, I urged Strife up onto the sand. Ancient stones of a once-great civilization loomed before me. This island had been abandoned long before Archangel Michael closed off Heaven permanently, and all that was left were a few crumbling pillars and stone walls covered in overgrown vines. Palm trees and lush green vegetation had taken over, but Strife had no problem finding a path through it until we found the center of the island. The large stones here formed a circle around a thin sliver of light, shining like a ray of pure sunshine, suspended in midair. Just a tiny tear in the veil between the worlds, but it was enough.
Strife pawed impatiently at the sandy dirt with his hoofs and blew fiery air out his nose. I felt it too. Humanity. Desperation and decay, with a strong tinge of passion and fear. The feel of their world beckoned me toward it. I’d found my way to Earth. Soon I would have my revenge, my glorious retribution.
I touched the sliver of light and pushed my power into it, drawing on the considerable reserves available to me as War. Old magic formed a barrier between the worlds, and I sliced through it, tearing the hole wider. Light burst through as I ripped the jagged portal open, until it was big enough to walk through.
Strife charged forward without hesitation and we passed through the portal. His hoofs splashed against the water as we emerged on Earth in the middle of the ocean, the island reclaimed by the dark depths of the sea long ago. I drew in a deep breath of crisp salty air, as the sun sank below the horizon and the sky darkened. Finally, the glorious night.
The stars and moon appeared overhead as Strife galloped forward across the dark blue waters. Toward my kingdom in Las Vegas. Toward the woman.
It was time to get my revenge and retake my throne. Then my apocalypse could begin.
2
Hannah
Las Vegas heat was intense in May, but as an angel, I reveled in it. The warmth from the bright sun overhead was one of my few comforts these days. If I was being honest, life had been a bitch since I'd trapped Lucifer in Heaven. With War possessing him, he was safest there. I knew that, but I hated every second he was gone, and until I could find a way to save him from himself, I didn't see that changing anytime soon.
Six fucking months and still no sign of a solution. It didn't help that for the first three of those I’d done little more than sleep and puke my guts up. Morning sickness, afternoon sickness, evening sickness, all the damn time sickness, and my body didn't care that Lucifer was gone and someone had
to step up to rule.
That person was me, of course. Pregnant, exhausted, heartbroken me. I'd barely managed to keep things together, but somehow I did it.
I became the Demon Queen.
With a lot of help from my friends. All of them pitched in during my time of need, going above and beyond in their efforts, and I couldn't have done it without them. Azazel protected me and kept me from losing my sanity. Samael and his assistant Einial ran the business side of things and kept the other Archdemons happy. Olivia and her angelic mates became my intermediaries with the angels, while my youngest son Kassiel helped me research everything I could about the Four Horsemen. They were all family—but they couldn't fill the void that Lucifer had left.
I took a deep breath and inhaled the floral scent around me from the other project that had kept me busy over the last few months—Persephone's Garden. The Celestial Resort and Casino's newest relaxation zone was almost ready to be revealed to the public in all its glory. There was nothing else like it on the Vegas Strip, a lush expanse of green with bursts of color forming a tranquil oasis in the middle of the desert city. Nature doing her thing with a little help from me. I'd included all my favorite plants, from olive trees and weeping figs, to lilies, violets, and irises. My favorite spot was a stone bench surrounded by Persephone's signature flower, the narcissus, better known as the daffodil.
There was only one last thing to complete—the magnificent waterfall. I moved along the path toward it, letting the fine spray soothe my heated skin. Once it was finished, the waterfall would become a gateway, allowing guests to walk underneath it to access other parts of the garden. The only thing unfinished was the secret cave behind it, which would not be for hotel guests, but possibly the most important thing I'd ever built.
Pride filled my chest. Lucifer had given me this space and I’d found my happy place in creating this garden over the past few months. I’d filled it with life and beauty, and although I could only just now bear the scent of some of the flowers, it was my place. Somewhere I could be fully me, with no demands on my time or my energy, where I could be alone with my tumultuous thoughts.
Or nearly alone. Even now, my ever-present gargoyle guard had fanned out into whatever pattern they’d determined would best protect me in this space. They weren’t intrusive, but they were always nearby, usually in their human forms so as not to scare the hotel guests. Should any threat arise, they'd instantly sprout wings and talons, their skin turning to stone as they protected my life, and that of the precious cargo I carried.
The irony of it all didn't escape me. It wasn't all that long ago that I’d killed gargoyle after gargoyle in the penthouse when they'd attacked me, and now they were my biggest line of defense. How things had changed.
“Hannah," Azazel's voice called out from across the garden. She was near the lilies, and she carried their scent as she approached.
I stroked my hand idly over my bump and turned to face my best friend. As I did, my daughter kicked against me, and I smiled at the reminder of her presence. But then my smile faded as I wished Lucifer could be here for this, to experience her first movements and the joy she brought. I was nearly at the end of the second trimester. He’d already missed so much. I'd never even had a chance to tell him I was pregnant, let alone with a daughter.
“The Archdemons have gathered for the meeting,” Azazel said. Her thick hair was braided down her back and her dark skin gleamed under the setting sun, though she squinted against it even in her sunglasses. The hour was later than I'd realized, and soon it would be dark. That was when the demons came out in Las Vegas. My demons.
I nodded but winced a little as my baby kicked again, this time right in the ribs. She was a strong one already. Much like the daughter we'd lost once before. Sometimes I wondered if this was the same soul come back to me, giving me a second chance to be her mother. There was no way to know of course, but the idea brought me a tiny bit of peace.
This time I wouldn't lose her. This time, if Adam tried to hurt her, I'd rip his fucking throat out. And this time, he'd stay dead.
Zel noticed me wince, and her hands immediately moved to her waist, the hilts of her daggers against her palms. "Is everything okay?"
Theo, the captain of my gargoyle guard, appeared beside us as if summoned by Zel's concern. He was tall and muscular, with black hair and a slight French accent, and his hands were already turning to claws. “Did you sense a threat?”
I shook my head and flashed them both a quick smile. By now I was used to them being overprotective, even if it could be annoying sometimes. "No, it's nothing. I'm fine."
Theo gave a cursory look around the garden anyway. "Let me know if you need anything, my queen."
"I will, thank you."
He bowed stiffly, then retreated again. Theo was the younger brother of Romana, the new gargoyle Archdemon. Their mother, Belphegor, had conspired against Lucifer in a plot to overthrow him, but Romana and Theo had chosen a different path after her death. They'd sworn loyalty to Lucifer, and now served me in his absence. A good thing too, because the gargoyles had proven to be the only people immune to Pestilence's plague attacks as long as they were in their stone form. That was one of the reasons Azazel had chosen them for my security. A smart move, since Pestilence aka Adam came for me three months ago.
It was hard to tell how much of him was Adam anymore versus Pestilence. They seemed to have merged into one horrid entity hellbent on destroying the world...and taking me as their prize. I supposed that meant there was still some of Adam left in there, which gave me hope for Lucifer too.
There was no way I was letting Adam take me, and I'd burn the whole world down before I let him hurt this baby. He'd already taken a daughter from me once, but never again. So when he came for me, as I knew he would, I was ready. My unusual mix of light and darkness powers had only grown stronger with my pregnancy, and my gargoyles and I managed to fight Adam off, weakening him enough that he had no chance but to turn tail and run. No one had seen him since.
Probably a good thing, since before his attack he'd been making people sick all over the country. With Archangel Raphael's help, I'd formed a task force comprised of angelic healers and gargoyle warriors, who worked to clean up the chaos Pestilence caused. It was only a matter of time before he emerged again, and when he did, we would be ready. I glanced back at the waterfall, peering past the water at the cave behind it. A cave with a tomb inside it strong enough to hold an Elder God.
Or so we hoped.
3
Hannah
I walked, or perhaps slightly wobbled, into the meeting room with Zel at my side. I tried to appear cool, calm, and confident, hoping I looked like I knew what I was doing, even while my daughter continued to press against my ribs in the most uncomfortable way. Life didn't stop when you were pregnant, especially when you had a kingdom of demons to rule.
Samael was already there, along with the Archdemons Lilith, Baal, and Romana, to represent the Lilim, vampires, and gargoyles, respectively. I nodded to each of them as I took my seat at the head of the long table, but I couldn't ignore the fact that there should have been three more Archdemons present. The dragons were still staying away, remaining neutral after the death of their leader, Mammon. His son, Valefar, had not officially stepped up as Archdemon yet, and I suspected he was waiting to see what happened before he chose a side. The dragons' numbers were so low that I couldn't blame him for being cautious, even if I hoped he would join us.
The other two Archdemons, on the other hand, would not be welcome even if they came crawling back at this point. Nemesis, Archdemon of the imps, and Fenrir, Archdemon of the shifters, had gone too far in their attempts to overthrow Lucifer. They couldn't be forgiven for what they'd done. If it weren't for them, Pestilence and War wouldn't be released, and Lucifer would still be here. Of course, some of the blame also rested on my oldest son, Belial. He'd been the mastermind behind it all, at least at first, but I hadn't seen him since we'd trapped his father in Heaven. He appea
red to have turned a corner at the end of that battle, as if he might have regretted acting against his father, but his continued absence troubled me. Now I wasn't sure where his loyalties lay.
Samael's dark eyes met mine in a silent question, asking if I was all right, asking if we could begin. He'd become indispensable to me in these last few months, a true friend I could depend on for anything, even though I knew he was hurting too. He wasn't one to show emotions, but Lucifer was his oldest friend, and he dearly missed him also. I gave him a slight inclination of my head, signaling I was ready.
Samael nodded to me and cleared his throat. "Now that our queen is here, we can begin. May I have everyone’s attention?”
“You always have my attention," Lilith murmured as she gave him a little wink. As usual, she looked gorgeous with her dark curls and blood red lips, her green eyes accentuated by a low-cut dress of the same color. As the oldest succubus, she oozed sensuality even without trying, a perfect representative for the sin of lust.
Samael allowed his gaze to linger on her, but his eyes turned hard as they moved to her lover, the vampire Archdemon Baal. Samael and Lilith had been an item thousands of years ago, and so much history between them led to a lot of unresolved issues. Not least of which centered around their son, Asmodeus, and the fact Lilith had turned him mortal so he could be with my human friend, Brandy. I wasn’t sure Samael would ever get over that, or accept that he would absolutely lose his son one day. Even so, it was impossible to ignore the way Samael and Lilith looked at each other, and as a succubus, Lilith needed more than one lover to keep her sated. I secretly hoped the two of them could work out their issues one day, but Samael was pretty damn hard-headed sometimes.
Infernal God (Claimed By Lucifer Book 3) Page 1