Unlocked (Hell's Throne Book 1)

by M. L. Gabrielle

  My dad looked like he was about to protest but held back. He’s a stickler about party etiquette. If these kings are going to exclude Ab, then we can make an early exit. I let out a deep breath. “Okay. Let’s get this thing over with.”

  My dad popped us over to the party, which was in full swing at one of the king’s palaces. Saying that the ballroom looked beautiful would be a massive understatement. It looked like a secret garden.

  Everywhere you looked, there were massive blooms in shades of white and blush pink. There was a band playing classical music on a dais that overlooked the opulent room. The wall leading up to the dais was entirely covered with flowers.

  A massive dance floor was framed by circular dining tables, which were clothed in lush gold fabric. A mix of candles and miniature flower arrangements bordered a tall floral centerpiece atop each table. I may not be a fan of receiving flowers, but even I found this room to be spectacular.

  The ballroom was bustling with an incredible number of partygoers, which ticked me right off. There is absolutely no reason why Abaddon couldn’t be here. I’m taking Locke up on his offer to leave the party early so that I can spend time with Ab.

  There is no such thing as making a subtle entrance with my dad. Less than a minute after our arrival, beings were crowding around to catch a glimpse of Hell’s True King. I had no doubt that he was about to introduce me.

  I inwardly groaned. I know exactly what will happen as soon as I’m introduced as Hell’s Princess. Beings will kiss my ass because they want something from me, or they’ll try to use me because they want something from my dad. I’m well aware of how pessimistic that sounds, but I’m realistic.

  Thankfully, Locke picked up on my unease. Before my dad made any introductions, Locke wrapped his arm around my waist and led me to his brothers. My dad is going to be pissed that we bailed on him, but he’ll get over it.

  It wasn’t difficult to find Cade, Miles and Emmett. Partygoers were cheering them on as they did shots at the bar. Their eyes lit up when we approached. The guys looked ridiculously handsome in their tuxes.

  Cade wore a cobalt blue tux with a crisp white shirt and a blue bow tie. Emmett ditched his coat and rolled his white sleeves up his forearms, exposing his ink. Miles opted for a charcoal color tux with a matching vest and tie.

  All of the other men in the room paled in comparison to the four them. Beings couldn’t walk by without doing a double-take. I can’t blame them. The heirs are unfairly hot.

  Since this was our first royal party together, I whipped out my phone and started taking pictures. We were definitely getting some looks from the other partygoers. Some had sour looks on their faces, others watched us with amusement and a few looked at us with keen interest.

  Despite our efforts, it was nearly impossible to ignore the stares. It felt like we were on display, which was unsettling. I could sense that it had Locke on edge as well.

  Even though I was clearly with a date, multiple guys came over to chat me up throughout the night. Needless to say, Locke was not having any parts of it. He didn’t even have to say anything to these guys. With just one frosty glare from Locke, they would scurry away.

  Emmett came over and put his arm around my shoulder. “Did I tell you how hot you look tonight, Eve?” he asked. I knew he was just fooling around, but tonight is not the night to push Locke’s buttons. Miles and Cade at least had the decency to look away after stealing a glance.

  “Emmett, I’m one comment away from losing it. Look at her like that one more time, and the kings will be short one heir,” Locke threatened.

  I could feel that his hydra was very close to the surface. I grabbed Locke’s hand to get his attention. “Hey, will you dance with me?” I have no clue how to dance, but it was the only thing I could think of to calm him down.

  Locke led me to the crowded dance floor and wrapped me in his arms. I rested my head on his chest and could feel him relax a bit. “Do you know that this is my very first slow dance?” I asked, smiling up at him.

  My dad wanted us to act like we weren’t together, but I simply couldn’t do that. Locke is mine, and I want everyone to know it. He twirled me around and pulled me tight against his body.

  “I guess I need to make it a bit more memorable.” He leaned down and kissed me like no one else was in the room. A cough interrupted our moment, which neither one of us appreciated.

  I never met the kings, but I’ve seen plenty of pictures of them over the years. Standing before us was King Satan, who was wearing a big ass crown on his head. No joke, he was wearing an actual jeweled crown. I tried to hold back my laugh, which was really hard given the tart look on his face.

  Locke stood behind me and settled his hands on my hips. “Princess Evelyn, I’m thrilled to meet you finally. We’ve been anticipating your arrival. I formally would like to introduce you to my chosen heir, Miles. I believe Miles would like to have the next dance.” Satan’s eyes were glued to Locke’s hands as he pushed Miles toward me.

  “Nice to meet you too. The last dance left me a bit breathless, so I’ll just talk to Miles and the other guys at our table.” Locke chuckled and kissed my head.

  I watched as a fuming Satan stormed away. Miles gave me a wink. I’m pretty sure his girlfriend wouldn’t appreciate him getting pimped out by Satan. Although I’ve never met his girlfriend, so who knows.

  The three of us started walking toward Emmett and Cade, who were currently being swarmed by girls. Judging by the smiles on their faces, I don’t think the two of them mind attention one bit. I noticed that Locke was eyeing the group of girls suspiciously.

  Miles patted his back. “Talia isn’t here. I already checked, and her family didn’t get an invitation.” Locke’s lips tipped up. “They’re going to be livid.”

  Are they seriously talking about one of Locke’s ex-girlfriends right in front of me? I stepped out of Locke’s hold. “Talia?” I asked, not bothering to hide my annoyance.

  Miles let out a laugh as an amused Locke pressed his lips to my temple. “Talia is Emmett’s ex. I’ll fill you in later, but I was just making sure she wasn’t here.” Emmett had an actual girlfriend? Now I’m intrigued, but I’ll save my questions for later tonight.

  The flock of girls seemed to double as Locke and Miles approached. I’d rather go back to an angry Satan than deal with girls drooling over Locke. Girl after girl came over to introduce themselves.

  Some were subtle with their flirting; whereas, other she-demons outright propositioned him. Those were the girls who were just asking for a beat down. I was getting dangerously close to losing my cool.

  Cade and I were taking pictures together when I noticed a statuesque she-demon sashay over to Locke and Emmett. She was wearing a short red dress that showed off her ample cleavage and long legs.

  She introduced herself and then started hysterically laughing at something Emmett said. My feet were already moving when I noticed that she was inching closer to Locke.

  The girl shifted to Locke’s side when she saw me approach. Did she not see the look of death he was giving her? My eyes narrowed as she whipped out her phone. “Sweetie, would you mind taking a picture of us?” she asked. Cade snorted beside me.

  Her brows furrowed as I stalked closer. This isn’t the place to make a scene, so whispered a little something into her ear. The girl reeled back with wide eyes and hightailed it back to her table.

  Emmett and Cade started cracking up. “Do I even want to know what you said to her?” Miles asked. I shrugged my shoulder. “I simply made a suggestion.”

  Locke chuckled and pulled me close. “What am I going to do with you, little hellion?” I smiled up at him. “How about we track down some hors-d’oeuvres. I’m getting hangry.”

  Locke and I were about to hunt down a waiter when two tall demons in custom made tuxedos approached. They’re around the same height, but that is where the similarities end.

  King Leviathan is on the slimmer side with dark brown eyes and long black hair that was braid
ed down his back. Whoever told this guy that a braid was a good look on him should be fired immediately. King Belial, on the other hand, is much easier on the eyes with his muscular frame, short auburn hair and baby blues.

  Both kings gave me a predatory smile, which immediately put me on edge. I stepped back into a solid chest. Locke gripped my hips and placed a proprietary kiss on my neck. “Thank you for having us,” Locke said to the kings.

  Much like Satan, they did not appreciate Locke’s show of affection. Both kings were glowering at him. I gave them a megawatt smile.

  “Yes, we’re having a great time. Thank you for asking. Too bad, Abaddon isn’t here, though.” Sometimes, I just can’t help myself.

  Leviathan’s eyes narrowed. “Princess, come, let us introduce you to the other heirs. I think you might find that they have much to offer. I know Emmett has been raving about you.”

  King Belial nodded in agreement. “I think you would get along with Cayden famously. Locke, there are quite a few girls from my kingdom that I’d like for you to meet. Why don’t you come with me while the Princess gets acquainted with Cayden and Emmett?”

  I could feel my rage coursing through my body. First, they didn’t invite Ab, and now the kings trying to set up Locke? Screw them. “Thank you, but I have to decline. My boyfriend and I were just about to sit down and eat. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

  Without waiting for a response, I gave them my back and walked toward our assigned table. Turning the hosts to dust would be frowned upon, right? Locke sat down next to me and pulled my chair close to his.

  “I can’t stay here much longer, Locke. I just don’t think I can handle another run-in with the kings or one of your groupies tonight,” I sighed.

  A waiter handed us a glass of champagne, which we both downed. Locke slowly ran his hand up my bare leg. “I understand. You handled them well, little hellion. We’ll head home after dinner. I have plans for you tonight.” Now, that sounds promising. I leaned in and kissed him.

  I sat up and bumped right into the waiter, who was about to set a glass of white wine on the table. I watched in horror as the wine spilled all over my dress. Locke and I jumped out of our seats. “Hellfire! I’ll be back,” I said.

  Locke motioned to go with me, but I put my hand up to stop him. I need a breather. A waiter pointed me in the direction of the nearest restroom. After I clean off my dress, I need to find my dad and let him know that Locke and I are cutting out early.

  I looked down at my dress and cringed. Hopefully, this won’t stain. I really like this dress. Running into the bathroom, I wet a bunch of paper towels under the faucet. I was starting to dab the stain when I felt a pinch on the back of my arm. Then everything went black.

  43

  Eve

  I began to wake up but couldn’t pry my eyes open. I’m having a bad case of déjà vu. My entire body was sore and not in a good way. My joints were achy, and my mouth felt like it was full of cotton. What the Hell is happening right now?

  I tried to call out to Locke, but my words were all garbled. Then I tried to pull on our bond, but it felt off. Is Locke okay? Did something happen to him? Something is very wrong here. My heart started racing, and my head was pounding. Then, I was pulled back into the darkness.

  I’m not sure how much time passed before I regained consciousness. I still couldn’t move, but I heard someone talking. “She should have woken up by now. How much did you give her?” a man demanded. He was not a happy camper. His voice sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place him.

  “You were supposed to give her just enough to knock her out for one hour, not several! He told you to give her half the dose she was given at the party. Did the others start to wake?” He must be on the phone because I couldn’t hear the responses.

  “No, shit! You gave them double the amount you gave to her. That means they’ll be out for a few more hours! Is it that difficult to follow an order? You had one job!” The man let out a yell in frustration.

  After a minute of silence, he began to speak again. “We have a problem. She gave them all the wrong dosage in their drinks. They’re not going to be up for a few more hours.” You have to be kidding me. I’ve been drugged - again.

  Not only was I drugged, but it also sounds like I’ve been kidnapped. Fan-fucking-tastic. I tried yanking on my connection with Locke again, but it still didn’t feel right.

  Wait, this dude said that the others were also drugged. Did he mean the heirs? That would explain why I can’t get through to Locke. This isn’t good. How did this guy manage to capture me? I’m rarely alone.

  Shit - The party. It’s all slowly coming back to me. The girls who were fawning all over the guys. The meddlesome kings. Champagne spilling all over my dress. I must have been taken from the bathroom when I was cleaning off my dress.

  Wow. These people have some balls to kidnap me from a party that was being thrown in my honor. That’s probably a very bad sign. It seems almost too desperate. There were so many beings at the party. Wouldn’t some being have seen me being taken?

  Hellfire, I have to get out of here. Wherever “here” is. If only I could open my freaking eyes. It’s like my body is fighting against my mind. No, it’s my power trying to protect me.

  These beings don’t realize what a catastrophic mistake they made by taking me. Locke is going to lose his mind when he wakes up. He is going to annihilate everything in his path to get to me, and I don’t mean that figuratively. Every demon in Hell is at risk right now.

  “Come on, my beautiful girl. Wake up for me,” the guy whispered in my ear. Oh. My. Hellfire. Who is this creepy dude? Maybe I shouldn’t wake up.

  “Evelyn should be waking soon. Put the bracelets on her. I don’t want her to have any access to her power when she wakes. I’ll come back in a few minutes. I need to check on things,” a different voice said.

  No. No. No, this is not happening. Wait! Ash! Ash, I need you to take a tiny physical form. Do it now. Don’t let them see you. I hope this works.

  Suddenly, I felt something cold snap on my wrists. Then my power, which I can typically feel running through my body, completely froze. It feels so incredibly wrong. Who are these assholes?

  I felt someone touch my face, and my eyes flew open to see a familiar angel with brown cropped hair and brown eyes. I know his jacket is covering up the colorful tattoos on his arms. “Daniel,” I barely whispered.

  What the hellfire? I’m so confused right now. Why would Daniel kidnap me? Uncle Mikey was going to ask him to be my bodyguard on campus for Hell’s sake.

  “Shh. Baby, don’t try to talk yet. Here, drink some water.” He held out a cup with a straw. I looked at it skeptically. “I promise that it’s just water. Drink up.”

  He gave me a soft smile. I probably shouldn’t trust the creepy kidnapper, but I am so freaking thirsty. “Good girl,” he cooed, petting my head as I drank.

  I pulled my head back and narrowed my eyes at him. “Hands off. I’m not a fucking pet. Where am I, Daniel?” I snapped. I could barely get the words out because my throat was still too dry. His smile faltered. Good.

  I took a moment to look around the room. I had to be in some sort of palace. The room was massive, with a large crystal chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling.

  I was in a large four-poster bed with Corinthian column posts. There were matching nightstands and a dresser on the far wall, which makes me think that this is someone’s bedroom. Hopefully, this isn’t Daniel’s room.

  Aside from the main door, there are two doors at the far end of the room. They most likely lead to a balcony and a possible exit. We must be somewhere on Terra because angels, except for the four Archangels, can’t travel to Hell. As a she-demon, I obviously can’t visit Heaven.

  Daniel gripped my exposed thigh, bringing my attention back to him. “Don’t even think about it, baby. This place is heavily guarded and shielded.” I sat up and moved away from him. “Why are you doing this, Daniel? I don’t understand.”

/>   “Once you do your part, we’ll be free to be together. It will be how it always should have been, baby.” I scrambled off the bed and darted toward the bedroom door. I kept trying to open it, but it was locked from the outside.

  “I’m not your baby, and we’re not doing anything together. Get me the fuck out of here!” I started banging on the door. I can’t be trapped in here with him.

  “That’s where you’re wrong, princess. You were promised to me, and I’m definitely collecting. You were always meant to be mine,” Daniel said, raking his eyes over my body. Gross. How did I ever have a crush on this guy?

  I tried pulling on my connection with Locke again, but there wasn’t any change. I hope he’s okay. I wiped away an angry tear that escaped. Daniel stood up and started stalking toward me.

  I ran in the other direction to try and put space between us. “Don’t come any closer. I meant it, Daniel.” I was furiously trying to pry the bracelets off of my wrists. They were silver cuffs that were etched with runes.

  “Unfortunately for you, Evelyn, they can only be opened with a special key. I hope the accommodations are to your liking.” I looked up to see fucking Leviathan, who was standing next to Daniel. I wanted to slap that smug smile right off of Leviathan’s face.

  “You’re holding me captive in a gilded cage with a delusional angel. How do you think I like the accommodations? You have to let me go, Leviathan. This won’t end well for you.” I don’t know who looked more pissed, Leviathan or Daniel.

  “Is that how you speak of your betrothed? He fell for you, Evelyn. I expected you to be a bit more appreciative,” Leviathan sneered.

  Does he mean that Daniel fell from Heaven? Angels can fall by choice or by being cast out of Heaven. I must have looked baffled because Daniel started to speak.

  “I fell from Heaven when I killed Remiel for saying such vile things about the girl I love.” I sucked in a breath. Oh my hellfire. I may have been upset with Remiel, but he did not deserve death. “Wait, I just saw him the other day. This isn’t making sense.” I wiped away tears.