Falling for the Devil: Book 1 of the Gods & Monsters Trilogy

by Isadora Brown

  But something was amiss this morning. Harleen couldn’t explain how this was so, but when she opened her eyes, she felt that something was just… off. Maybe it was because instead of waking up with Andrew’s arm wrapped around her waist, he was curled up on the other side of their California king bed. Okay, sure, it wasn’t a common occurrence, but that didn’t mean anything was wrong. Yet, despite her attempts at rationalization, she couldn’t shake the feeling. Instead, she tried to reassure herself by rolling over in order to be close to him. Just as her head touched his shoulder, Andrew quickly sat up, a gasp slipping out of his mouth as though he was surprised to be woken up so suddenly.

  Harleen quickly sat up as well, furrowing her brow. That wasn’t what usually happened. Instead of kissing her cheek, he seemed to be shaking something out of his head. Maybe even Satan had his own nightmares.

  “Good morning,” Harleen said while simultaneously trying to stifle a yawn but failing.

  “I’m late,” he murmured, shaking his head so his disheveled hair followed his movements. “I’m so fucking late. Goddammit, I should have set that fucking alarm.”

  Harleen frowned at his frustrated tone. He hadn’t even looked at her, least of all responded to her greeting. And what, exactly, was he late for? He hadn’t told her about having to be anywhere today at any sort of time, and he had a couple of hours before he was expected in Court… It was then that Harleen noticed that Andrew was already off of the bed, sliding his black jeans on.

  “Wait,” Harleen said, sitting up but keeping the covers wrapped around her body so she didn’t appear indecent. “Where are you going? You don’t have to be at work for a while.” She smiled. “Can’t you stay for just a little while longer? I’ve missed you these past few days.”

  For whatever reason, Andrew turned to her, his dark hazel eyes the coldest she had ever seen them. “I don’t know if you know this, but I run this fucking place,” he growled, running his fingers through his hair. “So no, I just can’t stay in bed with you for five more minutes. I can’t! I have a place to run. I can’t just do whatever you want to do and completely forget about my people. You knew that when you married me.”

  “Do you forget that I didn’t have a choice about the whole marriage thing?” Harleen snapped, getting out of bed in order to stand due to the fact that she was too frustrated to feel relaxed. However, she made it a point to ensure that the silky bed sheet stayed around her body. “You know, I’ve been relaxed about the entire situation. You’ve never been sold out by a family member.”

  “Only my Creator sent me down here!” Andrew yelled, throwing his hands out. “Yeah, I’ve never been sold out by my family. God just abandoned me!” He dropped his hands. “You know what? It doesn’t even matter. It doesn’t even matter because you’re going to have to get used to it anyways. This is what I do, and you can’t change it. Sorry.”

  Except Andrew didn’t exactly sound sorry.

  “Yeah, I should have just stayed up on earth with Rosco,” Harleen muttered. Okay, so it was the worst thing she could say right now, especially since Andrew didn’t particularly like Rosco. But she couldn’t help it. She was furious with him. Whatever problem he was having, he was taking it out on her, and Harleen didn’t appreciate it at all.

  Andrew narrowed his eyes in Harleen’s direction, his entire body tense. He opened his mouth to speak, and then shut it. Of course the devil himself would never admit the tightness of the chest, the funny feeling that somehow felt like pain currently burying itself in his stomach, had anything to do with what Harleen just said. He knew he was hurt by her comment, and he wanted nothing more than to hurt her in return.

  “You know, when I first met you,” he finally began, and the sound of his voice caused Harleen to freeze, “I was surprised you even had a boyfriend. You. You, to me, are nothing more than wasted sloppy seconds, and if you want to go back on earth to be with that tool, then I’ll be happy to send you back myself.”

  The words definitely hurt, but it was how Andrew had spoken – cold and soft – that got to Harleen. She felt her breath escape from her, and her eyes immediately fill with tears she absolutely refused to shed. It was only after Andrew slammed the bedroom door shut did Harleen realize he had left. And it was only then that she finally allowed herself to cry. She couldn’t understand why Andrew had been so mean to her, and at that point, she didn’t want to rationalize it or give him any excuses. He was a complete dick to her that morning, and he would realize it. He had to. They just needed some time apart, in hopes that maybe they would both calm down.

  Why do we say things we can’t take back?

  They were both at fault, and she knew it, but Andrew’s words had cut her deeply, and she wasn’t sure if she would recover as she might have otherwise.

  Andrew shouldn’t have been surprised at seeing Sean standing next to the bedroom door. He was Andrew’s alarm clock if Andrew didn’t wake up on time, and it only took mere seconds for Andrew to realize that Sean overheard them fighting, and as a result, decided to stay out of the way and wait until they both cooled off. Andrew was also aware that Sean had an opinion about everything, and as a result, grabbed the shirt Sean had in his hand, and slipped it on, waiting for Sean to say whatever he needed to say.

  “That probably wasn’t the best thing to do, sir,” Sean said, his hands behind his back and his eyes looking at his shoes. He looked up now, though, in order to lock eyes with Andrew. “But you already knew that.”

  “How was I supposed to know that she was up there with him?” Andrew said as they began to walk down the hallway, away from the bedroom door. “She didn’t tell me anything about it.”

  “I don’t think you have to worry about it,” Sean said. “Maybe she just saw him up there. It doesn’t mean he saw her. You guys were fighting; when you fight with someone you care about, you know exactly how to hurt your sparring partner, and if I may, you both know each other well. But what you should take from everything is the fact that whatever happened on earth, she came back to you.”

  Andrew rolled his eyes. “Yeah,” he muttered dryly as he stopped in front of the door to a bathroom. “Yeah, only because she felt obligated to do so.” Before Sean could dispute him, he disappeared inside the room, and all but shut the door behind him.

  Sean let a sigh of frustration slip out of his nose. When were these two going to get over their pride and just admit they fucking loved each other? God only knew…

  Thirty

  It was hard to say when Harleen got upset with her husband, but she knew that he wasn’t helping matters by slamming the door in her face and getting out of the castle in order to get to work without at least attempting any sort of apology. Maybe Harleen demanded too much of him. She knew Andrew could get stressed out due to his job, a position he normally enjoyed, and maybe it wasn’t right for her to automatically expect that he stop his entire world just to talk things through with her. But there was no reason for him to have snapped at her, and on that count, she felt that she was allowed to be angry. Maybe it was a good thing he had left anyways. This way, they wouldn’t have said anything they would later regret, as they already had, and maybe they’d cool off by the time they saw each other that night.

  However, Harleen couldn’t wait around the castle for eight hours, allowing her thoughts and her frustrations to simmer. She had always been the type of girl to start a fight just to get the fight over with and resume normalcy. It wasn’t as though she liked confrontation, per se, but she preferred it over being passive, and especially waiting.

  With that thought, she decided to change into a comfortable pair of jeans and an oversized sweater. She had been meaning to walk through town anyways, just to get a feel for it, and she had wanted to do it alone. Her hair was a decidedly a recognizable feature and she found one of Andrew’s baseball caps and put it over her head, housing her thick hair and pulling the bill of the cap down so it covered nearly half of her face. When she was satisfied with her appearance, she exited her ro
om and managed to leave the castle with no one being aware of her exit.

  There was a crisp cool breeze, but other than that, the weather was temperate, and though Harleen felt herself get goose bumps due to the cold, she rationalized that the brisk walk she was about to take would keep herself warm.

  And so she began.

  The main streets were all familiar to her. The restaurants, the shops, the bookstore where she had first bought her book on the art of making love, and she even passed the Courthouse itself. Here, she was disappointed to admit that she lingered a little longer than perhaps she should have, but when she realized this, she pushed forward. They wouldn’t be resolving their spat anytime soon, and no way was it going to be on a public street corner. Just because this was Hell didn’t mean there wasn’t any kind of paparazzi, and Harleen didn’t want the general public to think that she and her husband were immature as to not solve their personal problems at home.

  As she walked, Harleen found herself grateful that nobody had yet to recognize her. She wasn’t dressed up in the usual dresses she had worn at public outings, and since no one was around her to protect her, she could understand why people did not assume that she was the queen. At least she wouldn’t have to answer silly questions such as where she was going, where her husband was, and was she all right? Instead, she could observe and explore, two things she loved to do when she was alive, and hadn’t changed since her move Down Under.

  Harleen chuckled at her stupid joke before crossing the street and looking around. The streets were beginning to get unfamiliar but not intimidating, at least not yet, and she was so consumed in her thoughts that she couldn’t recall how long she had been gone. It could have been fifteen minutes or a couple of hours for all she knew. And yet, Harleen wouldn’t allow herself to care. So what if she had been gone for a while? She was Queen after all. If Andrew could do whatever the hell he wanted to, then she could do whatever the hell she wanted to do.

  It was then that she realized she was still angry with her husband, and she pressed forward, her steps rigid and determined to be as far away from him as possible. Harleen didn’t exactly know why she was this upset; it was probably what he had said to her so callously. She knew he didn’t mean it, or at least, she hoped he didn’t. If it was true, then why had he wanted to marry her in the first place?

  She wasn’t sloppy seconds.

  God, what an asshole.

  Harleen stopped walking when she realized she had reached the outskirts of town. She hadn’t even noticed how far she had walked until just then. This also meant that Hell’s Everglades were a couple miles north. She knew she promised Andrew that she wouldn’t go there, and when she made it, she had intended to keep it. Yet there was something about rebelling against what he had said just to piss him off, just to hurt him the way he had hurt her. It was silly and petty and immature, and maybe if Andrew had at least acknowledged he was wrong, she was wrong, they would talk about it later, she wouldn’t even consider it. Now, however, she couldn’t stop her feet from walking those two miles.

  Andrew hadn’t even told her why she shouldn’t be there anyways. He didn’t trust her enough to tell her why he was protecting her, and that only added to her anger. She wasn’t some child; she had a right to know why she couldn’t be there just as much as she had a right to be there if she so chose it.

  Her frustration clouded her judgment, it would seem, but Harleen was determined, if anything, to prove something to herself. As such, she continued her hasty walk until she reached the familiar, vacant Everglades. It wasn’t snowing. The weather was chilly, but nothing consisting of snowfall. It was the perfect time to explore.

  Harleen cocked her head to the side as she dove deeper into the Everglades, her eyes taking in the different paths that led who knew where. She decided to take one, just to see where it would lead her, and was surprised when, after a good fifteen minutes, she came upon a stream. The sound was relaxing, and she decided to rest for a portion of time. She had been walking a long while after all.

  After lying down, Harleen shut her eyes and tried to concentrate on only the sound of the running water, but soon Andrew’s face popped into her mind, and she couldn’t help but dwell on it. She knew that she was in love with him, and maybe it was a good thing she hadn’t said anything yet. He might have taken advantage of it, mocking her feelings or telling her he didn’t feel the same way. God, she still couldn’t believe he was that big of a dick, to call her those names…

  She was so consumed in her thoughts that she didn’t notice three people approach her. They didn’t look as though they were from town whatsoever, their grins dark, their eyes even darker. They were dressed for the weather, in big, brown cloaks, hoods over their heads. They were whispering to themselves, unsure of just who this woman was.

  “It is her,” the lone woman insisted. “Look at the tiny nose. The cupid’s bow. The red hair peeking out from the cap.”

  Somehow, she had her party convinced and they all smiled at each other, a smile that had yet to reach their eyes. In a manner of seconds, they had Harleen surrounded, and it was only when one of them spoke did Harleen realize she even had company.

  “Well, well, well, a Queen without her husband,” one of the men said, looking at Harleen with narrowed eyes.

  “Whatever is she going to do without the dear, dear, Ruler of Hell?” the woman asked, and though her voice sounded rich with concern, she smirked once more, as though she found this entire situation to be funny.

  “You know,” the second man said, “I don’t know. But I think we could help her out. What about you guys? Don’t you think we should help her? She is Queen, after all.”

  “I think we’re helpful people,” the first man agreed. “What do you say, Your Highness? Do you need our help?”

  “No, really,” Harleen said, sitting up. Her gut was churning, and she knew that this wasn’t right. Something was wrong. These people didn’t look to be from town, and for whatever reason, they didn’t seem to be on friendly terms with royalty. “I was just taking a walk, and I think I should get going…” She let her voice trail off as she pushed herself in a standing position, her body tense.

  “We can help show you the way back to the road, Your Highness,” the woman said, coming up to her. “We’d be absolutely delighted.”

  “No, that’s okay,” Harleen said, but no matter how much she refused, they wouldn’t listen.

  Thirty-One

  To say Amber had a good night last night with her Knight was definitely an understatement. Ever since the night where Harleen fell from the sky, the night Amber met her match, the two had been inseparable. He was chivalrous, and knew exactly what to say to cheer her up if she had a bad day. And he knew exactly how to touch her and please her and kiss her and hold her.

  Amber was in love, it was as simple as that.

  She had not wanted to get out of bed this morning, and even stayed an extra five minutes after her Knight had all but begged her to. However, as all dreams do, the five minutes ended and she had to get up. After changing and one quick, lingering kiss, she promised she would see him again that night, but she must get going. He finally relented, but only after one last kiss and if maybe she could apply for some vacation time.

  Amber sighed at the memory, walking into the castle in a slow, leisurely pace, her head in the clouds – if Hell had had any. What she saw, however, caused her to frown, despite her previous felicity. Sean was still walking up and down the hallway, his hands behind his back, his head tilted down, and his eyes fixed on the floor. Amber knew Sean well enough to know that this what he did when something stressed him out, and even though many things did stress him out due to the fact that he was Satan’s personal assistant, she had never seen him like this before. Well, maybe once or twice, but definitely not recently.

  “Sean?” she asked, arching a brow as she walked towards him. “Sean, what’s wrong? Is everything okay?”

  Upon hearing her voice, Sean stopped and turned so he could
lock eyes with Amber. “Oh Amber, thank God you’re here,” he said and hurriedly strode over to her before wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

  “Sean,” Amber said in a voice that revealed she was just one strand away from losing her patience. “What’s going on?”

  Sean released her and ran his fingers through his perfectly coiffed hair. “Oh my God, Amber, it’s horrible,” he told her, shaking his head. “Like truly, truly horrible. Andrew and Harleen got into this huge fight and Andrew said some things, like he usually does, and then, without even apologizing to his wife, he left. I’ve been trying to talk to Harleen about it, but every time I knock on her door, she won’t answer. I’m afraid she doesn’t trust me as much as she trusts you.” He looked at her once again, his eyes pleading. “You need to try, okay? I mean, if she doesn’t answer you, you can still go in.” His look turned flat. “And don’t say I can too because I’m gay because that’s just ignorant. Will you please try? For me?”

  Amber rolled her eyes but nodded nonetheless. “Dramatic much, Sean?” she asked him as she began to head up the stairs and to the bedroom. “You know that with someone like Andrew marrying someone like Harleen, there’s definitely going to be fighting and they’re going to say things they don’t mean, but somehow, things are going to work themselves out just like they always do because they love each other whether they’ve admitted it or not.” Amber took a large breath, not exactly prepared to have gone off on a small tyrant.

  By the time she finished, they had reached the bedroom door, and Amber knocked. “Harl?” she asked. “It’s me, Amber.” Silence. “Listen, I heard what happened this morning. Do you want to talk about it?” Still silent. “Okay, I’m coming in. If you want me to not come in, tell me.”