I wanted to reach out to Kassiel, but I stopped myself. He didn’t seem ready for that yet. I sighed and set down Morningstar. “When I was Haniel, I wanted to see you, more than you can imagine, but my relationship with Lucifer had to be kept secret at that time. We made plans to tell you, but then Adam found me.”
“I understand.” He smiled, but it looked a bit forced.
I sat in one of the chairs and gestured for him to join me, hoping he would allow me a few moments with him to try to rebuild our relationship. “How are you? How have you been? I’m sorry that I missed so many years.”
“It's not your fault." Kassiel slowly sat in the other chair, his movements graceful, every aspect of him reminding me so much of his father. "After Mother's—your death—I changed my mind about the war. I pleaded with Father for a truce with the angels, but he wasn't ready to listen yet. The war didn't end for many years after that, but I never stopped working toward it, even as I acted as a spy for Lucifer.”
I let Kassiel keep talking, wanting to hear him, to just listen to his voice. My love for my son was so overwhelming it felt like it might burst out of my chest. How had I gone the last forty years without this feeling? And how did mothers live with this every day and not go insane? Or maybe we all were a little insane, but it didn't matter, because it was worth it. It was all worth it.
“Most recently I became a professor at Seraphim Academy on a mission for Lucifer, and with Olivia and the others, I helped stop a plot against demons," he said.
"Yes, Olivia told me all about it." I reached over and took Kassiel's hand, and to my relief he didn't pull away. “I’m so proud of you."
"What of you?" he asked, seeming a bit more comfortable now. "Tell me about this life. Lucifer gave me a quick rundown, but I want to hear it from you."
I bit out a sad laugh. "There's really not much to tell."
We talked for the next hour about our lives, catching up as if we were old friends, and I was delighted to hear that Kassiel shared my love of reading and history. In fact, he'd been the Angelic History professor at Seraphim Academy, which greatly amused both of us. I told him about my flower shop, and what Jophiel had done to me, and he told me about how he and Callan had hated each other for a long time. Of course, back then they'd had no idea they were basically cousins.
“What of your brothers?” I asked, hungry for more news of my sons. "Do you see them a lot?"
Kassiel shifted in his seat, looking uncomfortable again. "Not very often. Damien and I get together when we can, but he's in Faerie and outsiders are not welcome there. And Belial... I haven't spoken to him in years. Last I heard he's working as a bartender in New Orleans and laying low. Probably a good thing."
I frowned a little at that. I was beginning to realize my family was larger than I’d ever imagined as Hannah, but I sensed our family had grown distant and estranged, a side-effect of the curse, perhaps. But with the loss of my daughter so fresh in my mind, and the promise of one long, unbroken life ahead of me, I was desperate to reconnect with all of my sons and bring them together again.
* * *
After night fell, I decided to take a short swim in the infinity pool. It had been out there on the balcony all this time, tempting me with its cool waters, but for various reasons I hadn't taken a swim yet. On my shopping spree with Lucifer—which seemed like a lifetime ago—he'd picked out some skimpy little bikinis I would normally have been too shy to wear, but now I wore one confidently. Knowing who you truly were had a way of bolstering your self image.
Lucifer walked outside, carrying two drinks that looked fruity and fun, with little pink umbrellas in them. "I thought you could use a little refreshment."
I swam to the edge and took a drink from him. "Thanks."
"You deserve it. You've been working hard with the angels all week." A naughty grin crossed his lips. "And I've been working you hard after that."
I splashed him a little, rolling my eyes, even though his words made heat dance across my skin. All he did was chuckle and step back to avoid the water, and then he began slowly unbuttoning his shirt. As he revealed inch after inch of perfect skin and hard muscle, it was hard to concentrate on his next words.
“Tomorrow I plan to visit two of the Archdemons—Baal and Lilith—on a diplomatic mission to find out if the Lilim and vampires are working against me with the other demons.”
I took a sip of my drink, tasting the alcohol and the pineapple. “Probably a good idea.”
He unbuttoned his trousers next, but his gaze remained on me the entire time. “I’d like you to join me.”
“I’m not sure how much use I’ll be.” After all, I was still learning my place in the demon world, and I wasn't sure it would help Lucifer's cause if he showed up with an angel on his arm.
"You might not be sure, but I am. I’m stronger with you by my side. I’ve always appreciated your advice and wisdom." His slacks fell to the ground, leaving him in tight black boxer briefs that did nothing to hide his impressive package. “We’re a pair. Dark and light, wrong and right, day and night. For all eternity."
He dove into the infinity pool on the far side, where the water seemed to disappear over the side of The Celestial. Watching him was a luxury, with his waist narrowing from broad shoulders, and his taut stomach rippling with muscle. He plunged below the water and his form wavered beneath the surface as he swam in my direction.
He burst up in front of me, tossing his head back, his dark hair gleaming under the stars. Water ran in rivulets over his broad shoulders and down his hard chest, and I couldn't tear my gaze from his body. Everything about Lucifer called to me, making him impossible to resist.
“Well?” His rich voice sounded by my ear, and his wet skin brushed over mine.
I sucked in a breath as a rush of desire caught me by surprise. What had we been talking about? Oh, right. Going to see some Archdemons. "Yes, I will go with you."
“Good. I need you with me, Hannah." He moved closer and took hold of my hip. “And I want you. Now.”
Desire shot through me, and the fire in Lucifer’s eyes only strengthened it. He tilted my chin up, then his mouth came crashing down. I pressed against him, urgency thrumming a second heartbeat in my body, pushing unrelenting waves of desire through me. He drew a sharp inhale at the touch of my tongue against his lip and I pushed farther into his mouth, touching against the delicate skin there.
He wrapped his arms around me and crushed me to him, and the halter top of my bikini loosened before falling away. “Oops,” he murmured against my mouth.
“Why, lord and master of Hell, what do you think you’re doing?” I asked.
“Needing you… Wanting you…” He loosened the ties at either side of my bikini bottoms. “Having you.”
His eyes darkened with lust as his hand slid over my ass to cup the left cheek, and he kneaded it slightly. I all but melted against him as I drew heavier breaths.
“Touch me, Hannah," he commanded, as he dropped his head to press his lips to my neck, soft open-mouthed kisses scorching me, searing his touch onto me, making me his.
I shivered and the water rippled around us as I slid my hand between our bodies. My bikini drifted farther away, but I didn’t care. I touched Lucifer’s abs, smoothing my way over the dips and ridges of the muscles there, and he inhaled a breath, far from unaffected by my touch. I paused, listening to the stuttered rhythm of his breathing, and he rumbled a growl of discontentment.
“Don’t stop.” He pushed his hips toward me, and the hard bulge in his boxer briefs jutted against my stomach. I arched my neck, giving better access for his kisses. His tongue flickered out in a lazy trail toward my collarbone.
I teased my fingers along his waistband, slipping them beneath it as he nibbled and nipped my skin. His hand slipped to my thigh, and I automatically widened my stance as my body begged for more. I groaned before I crashed my lips to his as I gripped his cock through the thin fabric.
He moaned and responded by pressing his hand bet
ween my legs, his fingers brushing my clit too fleetingly before he covered the area with his palm. He drew away and looked into my eyes. “Mine. It’s always been mine.”
I nodded, hoping my desperation for him didn’t show on my face. I could barely hold still. I wanted to grind against him, and I pushed his boxer briefs down his thighs, freeing his glorious cock.
"Your pride's on display again," I said.
He chuckled as he looked down between us. "I better do something about that."
He grabbed my lips and lifted me against him, the water buoying me up so I could wrap my legs over his hips. I ground against him, bearing down just a touch. Fresh heat blazed through his eyes as he pressed himself against my entrance. Then he thrust upward, the movement so fast, I blew out a breath of surprise.
I ground down again, releasing a sigh as my body stretched around him. He groaned and pushed deep, filling me completely before setting a steady rhythm that rubbed me in all the right ways. The water lapping around us was strangely erotic, moving in time with our bodies as we joined together in this ancient. primal dance.
Lucifer leaned forward, supporting my ass with one hand as he gripped the edge of the pool behind me with the other. Something about his shift in position changed his angle and I groaned as heat pooled low in my belly.
My gasps became rapid pants, each more ragged than the last as I tried to brace against an onslaught of sensation building inside me until I couldn’t fight it anymore. I clamped my thighs around him as I melted to nothing in his arms, feeling like I was the water from the pool, cascading down over the sides of the building. I rode my orgasm for as long as I could until the pulsing of my body brought Lucifer to climax too.
Lucifer dropped his head forward, his forehead resting against mine. "Do you forgive me yet?"
"No," I replied, though I didn't put much conviction in the word. I still wasn't sure if forgiveness was possible, but I'd stopped hating him, and my anger had faded. I understood more of why he'd killed me, and a part of me was secretly grateful. He'd restored me to my true self and broken the curse, giving us the possibility for true happiness for the first time in our ancient lives. I only wish it had happened differently. But that was true of so many things in my past.
"You will." Lucifer smirked as he ran his hands slowly up my arms. “You can kill me next if it will make you feel better.”
I shoved him back with a laugh. "Don't tempt me, or I might take you up on that."
16
Lucifer
I stepped out of the limo in front of Baal’s mansion in upstate New York as the sun slipped behind it. The dark, gothic mansion was impressive in the waning light, the turrets reaching high toward the emerging stars, the wrought-iron gates both beguiling and unwelcoming. It was exactly what one might expect from a vampire king. The kind of place a soul could get lost in. I wouldn’t have been at all surprised to find a graveyard around the back and a belfry of bats nearby.
I straightened my cuffs and glanced around, then reached out to help Hannah from the limo. She wore a long silver gown with the emerald necklace and earrings I'd gotten her on our first shopping spree, and it pleased me to see her finally wearing them. A sign she'd accepted her place as my queen.
She looked up at the mansion and bit her lip nervously, but I had complete faith in her. She’d always had diplomacy and astute business sense before in her many lifetimes as my queen. Those weren’t qualities that would leave her just because she was still making the right connections in her memories.
A handsome male vampire in a suit opened the door for us and gestured us inside with a low bow. Another vampire in a suit brought in our bags from the limo, then whisked them off to our guest room. I had to give the older vampires credit for their hospitality, if nothing else.
Lilith stepped into the foyer to greet us, wearing a long gown the color of blood with a high slit up the thigh, her curves alluring because she couldn’t wear them any other way. "Welcome! I'm so pleased you could join us. It's lovely to see you both."
She went to Hannah first, and kissed her on the cheeks. My mate smiled warmly and said, "Thank you for inviting us into your home. It's lovely."
Lilith laughed at that as she moved toward me. "It's not my home, but I appreciate the sentiment anyway."
“Lilith.” I leaned forward to accept her cheek-kisses and touched her shoulder briefly. “I’m surprised to see you shacking up with Baal. You’ve never lived in one place for long.”
“I'm only staying here because of Lena. She needed us after she and Ekariel were rescued from that horrid cult.” Lilith shuddered a little, and I sensed the depths of pain in her voice. She'd spent years searching for her daughter, who went missing as a child, but once she found her, the girl was in bad shape after being in captivity so long. Baal had even resigned from his position as headmaster of Hellspawn Academy to help care for her.
"How is she doing now?" I took Hannah’s hand in mine, reminding myself she was beside me, drawing some strength from her presence.
"Better." Lilith led us down a long hallway, this one only marginally less opulent than the grand entrance hall. "She no longer screams every night. Small victories."
“Glad to hear it." I sensed the mood needed to be lightened, and gave her a devilish grin. "And tell me, are you rekindling your old flame with Baal while you're here?"
Lilith's soft laughter echoed through the hall. "I do need to feed, naturally."
I raised an eyebrow. “And Gabriel?”
She lifted her chin with a secretive smile. "The Archangel does come to visit me from time to time."
"I knew it." I leaned over to Hannah and spoke in a low voice, as if sharing a secret. "Lilith and Gabriel had a secret affair years ago, resulting in Olivia. It seems to have started up again."
Hannah's eyes danced with amusement. "How scandalous. I wonder how many other secret relationships happened over the years between angels and demons."
"Oh, plenty." Lilith winked at Hannah. "Gabriel was certainly not my first angel, but we succubi do like to sample a wide variety of delights."
"If you're seeing Baal and Gabriel, that means you'll only need one or two more to be satisfied," I said. "Might I suggest Samael for one of the open positions?”
Lilith sighed. “Samael is angry with me for granting Asmodeus’s wish to become mortal.”
I lifted a shoulder in a casual shrug. “He’ll get over it.”
“He doesn't understand that it was difficult for me too. I don’t want to see my son grow old and die.” Lilith sashayed across a finely tiled floor as an impressive conservatory rose above us, the leaded glass windows dark at this time of day, with a mixture of floral and fruited scents hanging in the air. “But ultimately I want whatever makes Asmodeus happy, and I have to respect his decisions.”
"For what it's worth, he does seem very happy with Brandy and her family," Hannah said.
“Ah, the things we do for our children," Lilith said with a sad smile.
We walked through a final doorway and out into an impressive garden. Winding paths led between mature bushes lit by tiny fairy lights, and candles hung in jars here and there. Night-blooming flowers filled the space with sweet scents, and tiny white blooms cascaded over a gazebo.
Hannah squeezed my hand tightly as she looked around. “It’s magical.”
Lilith only flashed a small smile of acknowledgment before she led us toward the gazebo, where a table and four chairs had been arranged, with candlelit wine already waiting for us. We all took seats around the table, and I poured us each a glass of wine.
“How are you, Hannah?" Lilith asked. "I see you've become an angel since we last met, but I won't hold that against you, I promise."
Hannah flushed. "Yes, it was a surprise, but I'm finding my way."
Lilith leaned forward and rested her hand over Hannah's. "I have no doubt you will. I'm sure you've discovered your son and my daughter are now an item. That makes us practically family."
"Yes, Kas
siel and Olivia seem to complement each other well," Hannah said, but then she bit her lip. "I'm hoping to connect more with my sons. It's been so long since I last saw them, I feel like I don't know them at all anymore. And they don't know me either."
“I understand," Lilith said. "I’ve only recently reconnected with my daughters after years of being apart.” She paused as if searching for the right words, her gaze far away as she looked out into the darkness beyond the gazebo. “It will take you some time, and it will be difficult, but it will also be worth it.”
Before Hannah could continue the conversation, Baal emerged from the house, drawing our attention. He looked like a vampire from an old movie with long black hair, cold blue eyes, and sharp cheekbones.
“Welcome to my home,” he said with a formal British accent, his gesture vast as he encompassed the house and gardens, his smile wide. He gave me a slight bow. “I’m pleased to have you here.”
I nodded. “And we thank you for your hospitality, Baal.”
As he sat down, he made another gesture with his hand and a man in a tuxedo brought out a cart laden with covered dishes, as if he’d been waiting behind a rhododendron all along. The aromas of well-cooked food overtook the delicate floral fragrances, and the waiter served a mixture of perfect vegetables and steak before quietly taking his leave.
When we were alone again with plates full of delectable food, I cleared my throat. “There’s no point in pretending. As nice as all this pomp and ceremony is, I’m here to find out if you’re involved with the other Archdemons in the conspiracy to overthrow me. I know you’ve long harbored thoughts of taking my place as the Demon King.”
Baal let out a low chuckle. “Ah, Lucifer. I do appreciate how you’ve come straight to the point. Yes, in the past I planned to move against you, but not anymore. Your son helped rescue my daughter. I will not forget that." His gaze strayed back to Lilith, full of obvious love. "Besides, Lilith would never forgive me.”
Devilish Mate: Claimed By Lucifer Book Two Page 10