DEATH SUITS HER_A Supernatural Reverse Harem Romance Adventure

by Leighton Lawless

  I stand, rooted in place, not believing my eyes.

  Are they really here? Am I really here? What the fuck is this?

  “I—it can’t—you’re okay,” I mutter.

  Jenkins smiles warmly.

  “Of course we are. Now, are you gonna come over here and give us a hug or what?” Jenkins asks.

  It’s too good to be true, which means, of course, that it can’t be. Yet…

  I move toward the table and gather up Jenkins and Noah in my arms and embrace them.

  I hug and kiss them. I smatter their cheeks with my lips. I take it all in. I close my eyes and savor the moment.

  That is until I hear it.

  The guttural snickering emanates out from them before they transform.

  The simulacrums of Jenkins and Noah begin to take their true forms. They’re a pair of translucent demons who titter and point at me as if they’re jurors accusing me of wrongdoing.

  I ball my fists. Enraged, I shudder and sink into hopelessness.

  I knew better, but I wanted to believe.

  Their chalk-white hands reach out and snap at me. They grasp my shoulders.

  I wheel around and try to look away but can’t. I have to see.

  I spin back around and come face-to-face with an androgynous figure, who’s a cross between Trent Reznor and Annie Lennox, meets Lucifer, the Morning Star, the Old Serpent, and he’s taken on the appearance of a young boy.

  He’s clad in an obsidian black robe with long swooping hair like snake tails. His face is the color of expensive, fine china, sinister and enigmatic.

  He’s aged but young. He’s as beautiful as the reputation that precedes him.

  He’s the Devil in the flesh and incarnate, and he’s come to meet me personally.

  I can’t help but shudder.

  “The last time I lay eyes upon your sweet face, you were cowering like a frail kitten at my front gates,” Lucifer says in his soothing voice. “Feels like yesterday.”

  “You’ve got a bad memory, not to mention a shitty abode,” I snarl.

  Lucifer gesticulates with his hands, motioning like an artistic orchestra composer. In truth, Hell and the world itself is in some ways his playground.

  According to the terms of the truce, he has the ability to inflict his influence at will. That is, as long as he doesn’t stray too close to Heaven.

  “It grows on you,” he says. “Yet, it doesn’t have to. Do you really think I intend to stay here forever?”

  “I don’t care what you do,” I say, anger launching from my voice. “I want my son back. You either return Noah to me, or I’ll finish the Holy War you started. I will end your dreams here and now.”

  Lucifer chortles.

  “Sure you will,” he sniffs. “You and your army of six…my apologies. I almost forgot about Brody sacrificing himself. What a noble act. Five. You challenge me with five, one of whom is a Nephilim without the powers of an angel. Do you really think you can win this, sweet Samya?”

  “Where’s Noah?!?” I demand, ignoring his attempt to throw me off.

  I hate his silver tongue. He always did have a way with pretty words. He tells people exactly what they want to hear, no matter how many lies he has to spread to make them believe they want what’s actually wrong and terrible for them.

  “Noah?” Lucifer teases and sneers with a grin. “He’s a scrapper, that boy. Chip off the old block. But you’ll forgive me if I tell you that he’s seen some things down here that will require decades of therapy. Even if you could get him back up above, it won’t be the same Noah. Not anymore. You’re too late, lovely. Are you sure he wouldn’t be better suited under my compassionate and significantly more forgiving guidance?”

  I lunge at Lucifer, but he flicks a wrist, stopping me where I stand.

  I’m paralyzed, unable to move anything other than my mouth.

  He doesn’t deserve this kind of power.

  “I will find a way to hurt you,” I say and spit at him.

  Lucifer chuckles, his features morphing from that of a young boy to an old, wizened man, and then to a sultry woman, androgynous features and long, flowing hair.

  He’s the Great Deceiver in every sense, physical illusions, false words, and illusory truths.

  “You had your chance, and you blew it,” Lucifer says in a more feminine and softer voice. “Now the only way you’ll ever see your boy and save your friends is if you bow down before me and say the magic words: ‘I am the way into the city of woe, I am the way to a forsaken place, I am the way into eternal sorrow. I am the way and the life. True eternal life, unencumbered by the bounds of archaic and unnecessary rules. I alone should be on the throne. I’m a better choice than Him. His first creation, the favored angel, has surpassed Him. But to each his own.”

  He snickers.

  “Fuck you,” I reply. “You’ll never hear any of that come from my mouth. No matter how much you torture me. No matter what you do. I don’t care if you do win the final war. I will never bow down to you.”

  Lucifer waves a hand, drawing loops in the air and causing flashes of light.

  The images swirl and form into the shape of Noah.

  “The problem with creatures like us is that we don’t die a pretty death, no matter how noble or ‘amoral’ our actions are,” he hisses. “But this doesn’t have to end badly for you, Samya. Think about what I could do for you. You could get your family back, and we could bring all of existence to its knees. That’s why I orchestrated this—why I’ve done everything I’ve done. I worked with certain interested parties to snatch your son, so you’d have to come down to me. I wanted to see you in action. See, if you show me that you have what it takes to sit at my right hand, you will be placed in a position of power the world has never known. And when we conquer what is ours by merit, you will be rewarded with all your heart’s desires. We are more, we are special. If He didn’t want a challenge to His authority, then why did He create me in the first place? I was meant for this. You’re meant for this. I dare you to tell me I’m wrong.”

  “I’ll never bow down to anybody ever again,” I reply. “You’re barking up the wrong tree.”

  “But you’d bow down to the Absolutist, wouldn’t you?” he asks. “A Creator who’d turn his back on you and your family. A God who chose his second creation over his first. You still think He’s merciful when He does nothing to help and allows me to set you up, bring you down like Job Part Two?”

  I remain silent as Lucifer’s head slinks. He snickers and glides around me.

  “If you don’t bow down, the only way you’ll ever see your son again is to continue fighting,” he says. “Perhaps you’ll see him on the other side of the battlefield.”

  I can feel flames burning in my eyes as they become volcanic and lock on Lucifer.

  “I choose to fight,” I answer. “And when it’s done, I’ll come for you. I’ll find a way to end you.”

  “I seriously doubt it, my soon-to-be martyred friend, but I’ll be waiting,” he says and rises while keeping his eyes on me. “Of course, all bets are off if just one of your compadres turns against you.”

  “They won’t,” I declare.

  “Sure,” he sniffs. “But are you sure they’re as strong-willed as you? Alexander the Great sold out in five seconds for a bedchamber filled with sexual conquests bearing beauty that takes your breath away. He’d never even imagined how much pleasure could be had. And five seconds isn’t even the record. See, that’s the one thing that mortals and fallen angels have in common...they all have desires, or they wouldn’t have ended up in precarious positions to begin with. That creates a natural way in, a price for anyone and everyone.”

  A giggling Lucifer melts into the shadows as the false visage of Noah reappears for an instant and then vanishes.

  I break free from the paralysis once Lucifer is gone.

  In my rage, I rush out of the building.

  My eyes fall on the rest of my team lying in bloody heaps, being feasted on by ravenous
demons. The sight is unbearable.

  I scream as my knees buckle. I close my eyes.

  “It’s not true,” I mutter. “It’s not real. He’s a liar.”

  I open my eyes. The waking nightmare has faded.

  I flinch, shake off the torturous images, and begin striding back to the others.

  At the top of the boulder wall, a friendly hand touches my shoulder.

  “Bad dream?” Jessup asks.

  I glance over my shoulder at him. It’s definitely him and not an illusion.

  I can tell because he smells of sweat and the blood of those he’s slain.

  “I read that someone famous once said ‘the center of every man’s existence is a dream,’” he adds.

  “What the hell does that mean?” I ask.

  “I have no idea,” Jessup admits. “Seemed like the right thing to say.”

  I manage a slight smile at this, which makes Jessup happy for a brief moment.

  Michael whistles and points to the horizon.

  “We cannot afford to stop now,” he says.

  Jessup and I stride over and begin carefully navigating down the rocky outcropping toward the narrow valley.

  Hines gestures to a cluster of buildings.

  “Might be easier to go that way,” he says.

  “We’re not going that way,” I reply and shake my head.

  “I think I saw something inside of one of the buildings,” Hines argues.

  “I said that we’re not going that way,” I say.

  I watch carefully as Hines looks over at the buildings.

  I follow his eyes and see that he’s staring at what appears to be a beautiful woman inside, beckoning to him.

  “It’s not real,” I explain. “It’s a trap to draw us in and break us up. The Silver-Tongued Serpent admitted to me that he intends to turn us against each other. He’s going to use our desires to do it.”

  Hines looks again. He doesn’t seem to hear my words.

  He’s under her spell already.

  The creature grins seductively and disappears back into the building.

  Hines moves forward.

  I flank him on the right and follow. I’m the reason he’s here.

  I can’t let him fall prey to a demon because of my actions.

  24

  We All Have Our Inner Demons

  Something toils in the murky half-light inside the building. I can hear it creeping about.

  After the false visage of Noah that was used to ensnare me into a fireside chat with Lucifer, I get the distinct feeling that this is a trap too.

  I grab Hines’s arm and try to pull him back, but he won’t budge.

  “We don’t know what’s in there,” I warn. “But I’m certain it’s not friendly.”

  “It might be Noah,” Hines says as he rushes forward and deeper inside the building.

  Hines noses through a corridor just past the main entrance.

  I follow and find the dimly-lit interior suffused with a warm glow and the smell of incense.

  The place is a den, a siren’s den. Nothing good will come from this.

  Hines’s eyes burn as he takes in the surroundings. It’s a large open space with a hallway leading out from the center.

  A dark figure is visible at the other end. Hines steps closer.

  Over Hines’s shoulder, I see that the dark figure we’d laid eyes on before is a beautiful, nude, lissome woman. She raises her left hand and curls her finger, beckoning to Hines.

  I rub my eyes and blink. When I look again, the woman has vanished.

  I look backward, gaping, and see that the front door is shut behind us.

  It’s only the two of us in here, and we’re all alone. I call out for the others, but no one responds.

  Hines proceeds through the open space and down the dark hallway.

  I follow and note what looks like spores or motes of dust swirling in the air. I cough and inhale some of the spores, which taste like chalk.

  The end of the hallway is lit by tiny votives hanging from a loop of wire overhead. The firelight casts strange shadows on the walls.

  Hines calls out for the mysterious woman. He turns a corner and enters a room with a raised and circular bed.

  I rush to catch up but keep my distance.

  The woman lies there, chest down, head propped up on her palms. She smiles.

  “You made it,” she coos. “Your presence gives me pleasure.”

  Hines swallows hard.

  “Who are you?” he asks. “What do you want with me?”

  “The one who was always here,” she replies with a giggle. “And I want all of you.”

  She’s a succubus. I study her unparalleled beauty.

  Up close she looks less like a living creature and more like an object of worship carved from the finest marble. A million questions race through my head.

  I open my mouth to speak, but I’m somehow caught in her illusions as well.

  The succubus brushes back a lock of auburn hair and parts her lips.

  I move to warn Hines and get between them, but the succubus glimpses me, and the wooden door slams shut in my face.

  My head swims. There’s a bitter and metallic taste on my tongue.

  I feel faint for a moment as the barrier of the door breaks her spell.

  My head becomes clear again. I can’t let Hines fall prey to her. This can’t happen.

  I bang at the door.

  “Hines!” I shout. “She’s a succubus. Fight her.”

  There’s no response.

  I lean in and press an ear to the door.

  From the other side, the sounds of soft footfalls and the flick of a tongue against flesh fill the air. She’s seducing him into the throes of passion and death.

  I hear claws raking through skin. Hines screeches in pain.

  The succubus’s deep, guttural laughter echoes through the door. Moans of pleasure follow.

  I work the handle, but it burns my fingers. I unsling my bladed chain and swing it into the door hinges, breaking the metal and prying them loose.

  Then, I kick at the door until it collapses inward.

  Hines is naked and in the grasp of the succubus, her claws digging into his back.

  My eyes are distracted for a moment by the width and length of my friend’s manhood. It’s impossible not to consider that this moment will be worth revisiting in the future. If he has the skills to match his natural gifts, we could both indulge in pleasure. He’s not only in danger of being killed, he’s in danger of escaping the friend zone.

  For the moment, however, I simply need to save his life and soul.

  The succubus’s face has changed. Her head lolls, and a cadaverous grin tugs at her mouth. Her features are distorted, and the young woman has become an angry and twisted old demonic crone.

  She cackles at me.

  If I hesitate for even a second, she’ll be able to cast her spell of seduction once more and trick me the way she’s manipulated Hines.

  I sling a dagger at her head, but she shifts just enough that the blade only pierces her left shoulder.

  She smirks as if she likes the pain.

  Hines looks to me with confused eyes.

  “What is this?” he asks.

  I don’t have time to explain. I launch at the succubus and plant my elbow into her jaw, sending her spiraling to the ground.

  She rolls over and comes up clawing, gliding with the grace of a ballerina.

  She swings her talons at Hines.

  He gets hold of himself and kicks at her legs, which gives me enough of an opening to make my move.

  The succubus rears up and leaps into the air, attaching herself to the ceiling.

  She’s a creepy-crawler. I’ve missed my chance.

  The succubus drops down and snaps at Hines, biting him.

  The two of them collapse to the ground and struggle, rolling over.

  She snatches Hines’s wrists and shoves them to the ground. Her lips crease open to reveal a mouthful o
f jagged fangs. She goes to bite into Hines’s flesh.

  I fire a slug, and the succubus’s head vaporizes, turned into bone-confetti. Smoke rings rise up from her headless corpse as it slides off of Hines.

  He looks up at me. I lower my Mossberg shotgun.

  “Come on,” I say. “No one has to know about this.”

  “I’m naked,” Hines says, as he looks down. “I feel like a frat boy who just had the time of his life and doesn’t remember any of it but regrets all of it.”

  “Just get your clothes back on,” I reply. “We’re leaving this den.”

  He obliges and gathers up his clothing, armor, and weapons.

  Back outside, I motion for everyone to follow me down into a dry riverbed that snakes toward a dark wood of twisted trees.

  “No more chasing after mirages,” I say as we move down together. “If it seems too good to be true, then it likely is.”

  We’re about to enter into a myriad of deception, as the battle forward becomes murkier and more demented.

  We’ll have to trust in each other and our faith if we’re to have any chance at all.

  25

  The Lost Ninth Roman Legion

  As we continue our march toward the desiccated trees, Hines looks over at Dominic.

  “If you would’ve told me yesterday I’d be fighting demons, snakes, and succubae in a place just short of Hell I would have called you crazy,” Hines says. “Never thought we’d actually end up here.”

  “This isn’t even that bad yet,” Dominic replies.

  “You’ve seen worse?” Hines asks.

  “Did your old man ever tell you about what we did in the First Holy War?” Dominic asks.

  “I never knew my father,” Hines answers. “When Lucifer discovered that he’d escaped the battle at the gates of Hell, demons hunted him for centuries. He hid well for a long time, but right after I was born, they slaughtered him.”

  Dominic takes a liking to the ground for a second.

  “He was a hell of a warrior,” he says. “Saved my ass a time or two.”

  Hines takes this in. “Hope I can live up to him.”

  “Then you had better get mean, junior, because things are about to get a whole lot worse,” Dominic says.