by Janie Marie
Her scream had Lucifer taking a step forward, but Asmodeus shot an arm out to stop him. Lucifer breathed out, forcing himself to simply watch as her blood flew through the air and stained her white camisole after Lancelot got a good scratch across her shoulder.
Jane resumed her attack, though. She was crying. Tears and sobs he had not heard from her before had him paralyzed. And none of them were from her physical pain. She was seeing her abusers when she looked into the werewolf’s eyes. She’d always seen Stephen when she looked at Lancelot.
She frantically darted her eyes around the field, focusing on one of the armory tables. She held a hand out, stunning the crowd when a silver blade came flying at her. Not flinching or turning away, she snatched it out of the air before leaning over Lancelot. Still using her power to hold the werewolf down, she wiped some of her tears and held the blade over Lancelot’s torso.
“What the fuck is she doing?” Thanatos asked.
Lancelot’s roar was sickening as she began cutting into him.
“Damn.” Asmodeus laughed. “She is ruthless.”
After she was done, Jane leaned over Lancelot’s face, her lips moving, but she had spoken too softly amongst the roaring fires and crowd for anyone to understand what she was saying. She pointed the dripping blade in Lancelot’s face and said more words before spitting on him and standing.
She backed away so Lancelot could stand and threw the knife out of range of their fight.
Lucifer had yet to figure out what she had done to him but chuckled when Lancelot finally stood with four tall letters carved into his stomach.
She used silver so it would scar his flesh and copied what she’d seen Lancelot do to his own victims.
Lancelot raised his claws to the sizzling mutilation and growled. He lifted his head, snarling, but stopped as he observed Jane crying. A sort of wolfish laugh escaped Lancelot’s massive jaws, and to Lucifer’s displeasure, a large portion of the crowd began to laugh as well. They were mostly Keres and many of Lancelot’s higher ranks.
“Calm, my king,” Thanatos said, shifting slightly.
“She is healing from her pain, Lucifer,” Asmodeus said just as low as Thanatos.
He huffed, watching Jane circle the laughing monster and wipe her tears only to have more fall. Lucifer had no idea how they could find her weak. She had just beaten the shit out of Lancelot and scarred him so that he would always know she’d beaten him.
Jane suddenly looked at Lucifer. Tears clung to her dark eyelashes as more mixed with the blood on her face. There was so much pain in those pretty eyes of hers, and his ability to see her past only enabled him to understand her sorrow more than anyone, except perhaps Death.
They didn’t look away from each other, not even when fights began to break out in the crowd, and she gave him a smile. It was full of sorrow but still the most beautiful sight of his life.
Lucifer smiled back.
Her smile stretched wider, and she turned away to return to her fight.
“I believe your queen was thanking you,” Asmodeus said.
Lucifer stopped smiling, but he still saw hers in his mind.
“It appears that our queen has her own cheering section fighting for her already,” Thanatos said, pointing to where several vampires and even human slaves had started attacking those laughing at Jane.
A few female demons took flight, joining a few Keres already soaring through the smoke-filled sky. Lucifer growled low in his chest. These were many of the Keres mothers and their daughters, all loyal to Lancelot.
Jane’s eyes darted up to them as they dove and spun in the air. Their laughter stung his ears. He was about to order his generals to take care of them, but Jane’s eyes caught his again. They were so bright and flooding with tears, but she wanted to fight.
Lancelot tried to use her distracted moment to charge her, but she hollered out, holding out her hand to lock him in place.
It enraged Lancelot and he roared, looking at his harpies for help.
Jane looked back at Lucifer, and he gave her a quick nod. She looked up while still holding her hand out toward Lancelot, keeping him still, and then raised her other hand to the sky.
Everyone looked up, shocked to see the Keres freeze mid-air before they were suddenly slammed onto the ground with terrifying screeches that echoed through the field.
The crowd screamed, watching some of them break into pieces. The true demons hovered as they yelled insults at her and at him. Lucifer returned his attention to Jane. She was staring straight at the demons. Sweat was dripping down her face, and her outstretched arm was shaking as Lancelot continued to thrash in the hold she had on him.
Her lips moved, and he read them as she told herself, “You can do this, Jane.” Then she screamed up at the sky as a loud boom and a huge ball of energy left her other hand. It hit the eight demons, knocking them in different directions.
She didn’t waste any more time staring at the empty sky. She snapped her fierce eyes back to Lancelot as he hurled curses at her, still paralyzed by her power.
“Locate the demons and bring them to me,” Lucifer told Asmodeus. “In chains.”
“They’re already being recovered,” Asmodeus replied, neither of them looking away from Jane as she squared her shoulders.
The Keres that hadn’t died on impact began to stand, and three immediately charged her.
Jane turned her head slightly, her gaze focused on the huge flames that sat around the camp. The flames intensified. She smiled and held her hand out.
The roar of the fire caused many to scream in fear. Then, suddenly, flames from three separate infernos flew toward Jane’s palm. For a moment, Lucifer feared they would slam into her, but she caught them in her hand.
They slammed into her palm, hovering a few inches from her flesh. Her legs and arms shook under the pressure while she roared, holding all three balls of fire.
The three Keres stopped and stared for a moment before turning to flee, but Jane screamed louder and shoved her palm out, sending the flames toward them.
Cries from the crowd echoed and those in the flames’ path ran for safety. She didn’t just hit them to send them to a fiery death. Instead, she closed her little fist and yelled, watching the flames spread out in a huge circle and swirl around them until they were all hugging each other as they sobbed on their knees in its center.
Jane kept staring at the fiery prison with her little hand shaking uncontrollably, but she didn’t do anything else. Darkness kept trying to appear, and she would shake her head. She was still fighting her demon.
Lucifer smiled proudly, even though he knew he should feel the opposite.
The swirling inferno continued to hold Jane’s victims captive, but she appeared torn or too distracted to finish them.
Without saying anything, Asmodeus and Thanatos flapped their wings and took to the air. They landed beside Jane, but she was still focusing on the fiery prison she’d created.
Thanatos squeezed her shoulder as he whispered in her ear before he and Asmodeus approached the fiery tornado.
Asmodeus nodded to her when his demonic chains swirled around him, and Thanatos held out his hand, summoning his scythe. Eight other figures dropped around the roaring fire. Each demon or Fallen held one of the demons Jane had knocked out of the sky.
Jane cut her eyes to Lucifer’s. He nodded, and she withdrew her hand to let the flames die. The three naked Keres screamed, but Asmodeus shot his chains out and restrained them. They wept and clawed at the chains, but it was pointless.
Lucifer took to the sky as well before landing behind Lancelot. The crowd was frantic, some trying to flee, unsure of what would happen.
Lucifer grabbed Lancelot by the throat and called light into his hand, burning Lancelot’s flesh. “Let him go, Jane.”
She dropped her hold, and growling, Lucifer slammed Lancelot on his back.
“How dare you disrespect her and call for them to attack for you.” Lucifer grabbed Lancelot’s fur and yanked h
is head up to look at the eleven chained demons and Keres. “Ares?”
The vampire stepped out of the crowd. “Yes, my king.”
“Slay your friend’s whores,” Lucifer said before whispering to Lancelot, “My queen is no whore, but yours will die for you.”
Lancelot howled when Ares nodded and drew his sword. Ares walked up to the first Keres in Asmodeus’ chains, swinging his sword at her neck without hesitation. Her blood sprayed out, and he moved to the next two to repeat the execution. Their blood sprayed up like fountains, and Asmodeus released his chains, letting their bodies crumple to the ground.
Finished, Ares turned and kneeled in their direction.
The crowd screamed out in fear when Asmodeus’ chains wrapped around two demons that the guards held. The first exploded when he wrapped her tight, and the second was slowly pulled apart. Her flesh ripped, spilling her insides across the dirt.
Thanatos nodded to the first fallen angel who held another demon. The Fallen forced the pleading demon to her knees and held her still.
“Come, Jane,” said Lucifer, not looking away from the slaughter happening several yards away. “Rest, my queen. You still have a fight to finish.”
“Thank you,” she said.
He looked up and saw her just inches from him and lost his fierce look. She smiled and touched his face, jerking when electricity sparked between them.
A little chuckle escaped him; he was surprised this would happen now. “Take it, Jane. It will help renew your strength.” He knew she understood him as she nodded, but he stopped her from using her hand. “From my lips, my beautiful queen.”
Lancelot growled and thrashed below him, and Lucifer used his light to burn away more of Lancelot’s flesh.
Jane leaned down Lucifer, touching his lips with her shaking fingers before pressing her lips to his.
“That’s my girl,” he mumbled against her mouth, ignoring the screeches roaring around them as he pushed his light into her with his kiss.
She pulled her lips back.
“Beautiful, Jane,” he said, watching her silver glow shine even brighter. He turned back to watch his generals punish her attackers.
Lucifer shivered as Jane stepped closer to him. He was kneeling over Lancelot, so she was above him. She trailed her fingers along his wing, and he had to concentrate on not pulling her down under him to claim her.
Thanatos held his hand over the mouth of the female demon and watched a black mass spill out of her hissing lips.
“What is that?” Jane asked.
“Her soul,” Lucifer answered as Thanatos closed his hand, sealing it inside him.
Jane watched, playing with his feathers for a few seconds, but she flinched when Thanatos brought his cursed, angelic scythe down on the first victim. It only took a single swing to remove her head.
Thanatos stepped over her disintegrating corpse to have the next one lowered in front of him. This one cried and flailed, but Thanatos showed no reaction as he withdrew her soul as well.
“By the way.” Jane’s breath tickled Lucifer’s ear.
He didn’t even realize that she had bent down to him again. His eyes flicked over to her, but he punched Lancelot’s snarling face first.
“I forgive you,” she said, smiling when his eyes widened. “It’s okay, Luc. Thank you for this.” She pressed a kiss against his cheek before standing up straight. Her fingers were there in his hair, though, and this time, he allowed himself to enjoy her touch.
He felt warmth in his chest, but he ignored it and watched Asmodeus whisper to one of the demon females. She fell to her knees for a moment and then stood again. One of Asmodeus’ guards handed the demon female a blade while a different guard dragged another of the demons to stand before the other woman.
“MOTHER, NO!” the second female screamed.
Asmodeus was a gifted demon, and Lucifer understood he’d just instructed the first demon to slay her own daughter.
Jane’s breath hitched, and Lucifer suddenly felt the urge to shield her from this. He turned his face into her palm. “Look away, Jane. I will tell you when to look again.”
“Okay,” she said sadly when the daughter screamed with her mother as she brought the blade down again and again, until her daughter was a pile of unmoving flesh.
Lucifer sighed and pressed a kiss to her palm for some reason before turning to watch the slaughter continue. The demon mother screamed for her daughter after Asmodeus lifted his enchantment. Asmodeus didn’t make her wait for her death. He quickly reached out, grabbing the hysterical mother by the throat, and crushed it.
They continued, taking turns on the last two. Thanatos pulled the souls of his victims inside him before ending them. Lucifer looked down and smiled at the agony in Lancelot’s eyes. He knew many of those demons and Keres had shared Lancelot’s bed more than once. Some even bore his spawn.
“Open your eyes, Jane.” Lucifer noticed her tears, but she nodded that she was fine and looked toward his men.
They roared over their kills for her, and suddenly Asmodeus roared louder and transformed into his massive dragon form. His roar shook the sky as he spewed fire into the air. Some of the crowd cheered while others fled for safety.
Jane gasped, tightening her grip in Lucifer’s hair before sliding her hand to the side of his face.
“It’s okay, my queen. He is honoring you.” Lucifer kissed her hand again just as Thanatos let out his own roar and surrounded himself in darkness to reveal his armor and black hooded cloak.
He flapped his raven wings and brought his scythe down to his side before both he and Asmodeus’ dragon form kneeled to them.
“Go to them, Jane.” Lucifer gave one more encouraging kiss to her palm.
Slowly, she walked toward the fifteen-foot-tall black and red dragon and the former general in Death’s army. They kept their heads lowered for her, and Lucifer smiled upon seeing the entire crowd now on their knees. She looked like a goddess as she crossed the blood-soaked field with her silver light still flickering. His light suited her.
When she was just a foot from them, she turned to look at him. Lucifer grinned at the childlike smile that spread across her face as she mouthed, “A dragon” to him. He nodded, watching her turn back to the King of Demons with her hand outstretched so she could pet his smooth black scales. Asmodeus’ stomach rumbled loudly as Jane stood on the tips of her toes and kissed his snout.
Lucifer chuckled when she startled and stepped back after Asmodeus let out a purr that sounded more like a vicious growl, lifting his head. She smiled again, then moved to Thanatos. She didn’t look as excited about him, but Lucifer saw the plea in Thanatos’ eyes when he lifted his gaze to her after she touched his shoulder.
It surprised him how much Thanatos seemed to want to be in her favor. Jane looked at his scythe, her lips trembling for a moment. Lucifer knew she must be thinking of Death and frowned. He didn’t want her thinking of him anymore.
Jane pushed Thanatos’ hood back. She stared at his face for a moment before resting her hand on his shoulder to kiss his cheek.
“That is how you should honor your queen, dog.” Lucifer growled at the giant head of Lancelot.
Lancelot whined under his hand when he squeezed him harder. Lucifer simply stood up, yanking up Lancelot’s huge body and dragging him to Jane and his two impressive generals.
Jane glared at Lancelot but smiled when Asmodeus roared, flapping his gigantic wings.
Coming to stand beside Jane, Lucifer put a hand on her waist and pulled her close as he addressed Lancelot. “I have a feeling that your head is still too thick to see how foolish you have been in regard to my orders and the honor of your queen.”
Lancelot got on all fours as he took in the remains of the demons and Keres.
“I’m surprised that you can form an attachment to the opposite sex,” Lucifer said, wrapping a wing around Jane to keep her relaxed. She leaned against him as a strange heat surged between their bodies.
“You know th
ey were more than whores,” Lancelot said after transforming into a human again.
“Really?” Lucifer asked.
Lancelot nodded but didn’t look up.
“Well, you should not need me to explain my attachment to my queen.” Lucifer pointed to the mutated wolves in chains. “Your experiments do not please me. I fear they are just as uncontrollable as you are. Shall you destroy them yourself, or do I need to have it done by someone more competent?”
“Do it yourself!” Lancelot spat at his feet.
Jane hissed and moved to attack, but Lucifer held her to him and tilted his head to the side. She was shaking with so much rage now.
He lowered his lips and whispered in her ear, “My queen?”
She stilled, and he continued.
“I still want him to live.”
She ground her teeth together, making him smile and kiss her cheek.
“Shall I leave him for your knights so their war with him can finally end?”
She looked at him, her lips brushing his when she spoke, “What if he hurts them?”
He chuckled and kissed her quickly. “Do you doubt your brave knights, Jane?”
“No,” she whispered.
“Good.” He kissed her again. “They will slaughter him with the news he brings. Worry not, my queen. It will be an extension of my gift to you. You have pleased me greatly this morning.”
She gave him a little nod and looked back down.
“I believe my lovely queen wishes to continue her fight with you. However, she does not wish to honor you with death, so I will call the fight’s end. From this point on, you and your wolves are under the command of Ares. I will have an assignment for you that must be carried out quickly, but not before you serve a small sentence. Now, stand.”
Lancelot rose to his feet. Lucifer laughed, looking at the inflamed letters engraved into his skin.
“Queen Jane, I do believe you could be an artist.” Thanatos laughed darkly.
“Are you ready?” Lucifer whispered in Jane’s ear.