With her hands and wrists bound, all she could do was take everything I gave her, while she gazed up at me with wide eyes and moaned around me. Her mouth was so wet and hot, and I loved the way she tried to suck me deeper, even as she was being thoroughly ravaged by the shadows around us. I grabbed the edge of the headboard above her as I rocked in and out of her mouth, and her little whimpers got more frantic as my magic brought her to orgasm. I spilled my seed into her mouth and across her lips, making her drink it down, before I finally released her.
She watched me with a dazed look as I climbed off the bed and removed my clothes. My cock was already hard again. There were benefits to being the devil, after all.
I trailed my fingers over her smooth, flat stomach, over her ribs and to the curve of her breast. She tensed, not even breathing, as she waited to see what I’d do. She was powerless, but happy to be that way. No, she had plenty of power, and we both knew it. Hannah was in my bed, bound and spread for me because she wanted to be.
I drew closer to her, then bent over her beautiful body. “My queen."
I took one of her nipples between my lips, sliding my tongue over it as I sucked it deeper into my mouth. She moaned, the sound coming from deep within her, and she twisted as she tried to move her hands and legs. “I want to touch you.”
“This isn’t about what you want. This is all about me.”
"Then take me," she begged.
I lifted myself over her body, lightly touching her nipples with my chest and she bit her lip at the contact, muffling a groan. My cock nudged against her entrance, and I surged forward, filling her completely. Proving she was mine. Again. Still. Always.
She arched her hips against me, taking me even deeper as she strained against her shadow bindings. I bowed my head and kissed her roughly as I thrust into her, my rhythm gaining in pace. Then I reared back, grabbing her hips and lifting them up to meet me as I kneeled between her thighs. She cried out over and over with each stroke of my cock, and I loved seeing her give herself up to me like this.
As her cries became more frantic, I rocked into her faster and harder, using my immortal strength and speed to fuck her like no one else could. As an angel, she could take it, and soon she tensed beneath me, her face contorting in a way that truly made me king. She writhed and screamed my name, and I thrust inside her one last time before the pulse of her body around my cock tipped me over the edge.
The shadow bindings around Hannah’s wrists and ankles disappeared, and I gathered her up in my arms. She wrapped herself around me and I held her close, looking into her blue eyes, so full of truth and light. The perfect match to my darkness.
"I love you," I said, my chest suddenly tight. "And I need you. Now more than ever."
"Yes, you do," she replied with a slight smirk. Then she touched my face tenderly. "Whatever else happens between us, I will always fight by your side. Now and forever. I am your queen."
I gripped her tighter at the thought of what we up against in the days to come. For once, I wasn't sure we would be victorious—but at least we would face it together.
28
Hannah
During the entire long plane ride from London to San Francisco, my thoughts had flitted between apprehension at seeing Jophiel again, fear at what Adam and Belial might be doing now, and exhilaration from the previous night with Lucifer. Even when I was angry, I couldn’t resist him, and the way he clutched my hand in the limo now told me he didn’t want me anywhere except right beside him. Lucky for him, I had no interest in being anywhere else.
We drew to a stop in front of the obnoxiously large white house my sister owned, and I took a deep breath as our driver opened the car door. Even as an angel I had to take a minute to stretch my back when I stepped out of the limo. After an eleven-hour flight and then the drive from the airport, I was ready for a strenuous yoga session. Yoga…or something else athletic. I eyed Lucifer’s ass as I followed him up the steps. Callan was right at my heels, along with Olivia and her other mates.
Jophiel threw the door open and stared at us, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly agape before she seemed to recall herself. “This is quite the unexpected visit. I'm happy to see you..." Her eyes landed on Lucifer and her tone turned frosty. "Some of you."
"Can we come in?" I asked. "We have something urgent we need to discuss."
"Of course." She stepped back. "Come inside."
Lucifer and I stepped inside first, then moved out of the way so Callan and Olivia could follow us. Kassiel, Bastien, and Marcus remained outside, keeping an eye out in case the Archdemons arrived.
Jophiel put her hand on Callan’s arm, looking up at her son with love. She touched his face gently. “I’m so pleased to see you. It's been too long."
He bowed his head slightly. "I wish we were here under better circumstances."
She turned to Olivia next and gave her a nod, but no other acknowledgment. I sensed this was the reason for the tension between Callan and his mother. Or at least one of the reasons.
Jophiel led the way to her living room and we all settled around the space, taking spots on the couch or sitting in the fancy armchairs, though Olivia remained standing long enough to pick up one of the tiny crystal angels on display.
"Please don't touch those," Jophiel said in a stern voice. Olivia quickly set it down and took a seat beside Callan, while Jophiel studied each of us in turn. "I can tell this isn’t a social call. Why are you here?”
“The Archdemons have released Pestilence,” Lucifer said flatly. No preamble, no sugar-coating. Just the facts. "He's possessed Adam's body."
Jophiel’s face paled, and her fingers curled at the base of her throat. “No. The first Horseman? Why? How?”
"It's a long story, one we don't really have time for right now," I said, knowing Jophiel would feel the truth in my words. "But we all saw it with our own eyes. It's real."
Lucifer leaned forward, meeting Jophiel's stunned expression. “We both know that means War is next. We need Michael's key to Heaven so we can be ready to stop them."
"Michael's key?" Jophiel asked, still in shock from everything we'd just told her.
“Do you have it?” Callan asked.
“Yes. I was saving it for when you were ready." She turned her glare upon Lucifer again. "But I won't give it to the King of Hell, no matter the circumstances."
Callan rose to his feet, and his large form seemed to command the room. “That key is my birthright. I should be the one protecting it.”
"No," Jophiel said, completely unaffected by Callan's display. "It's safer with me. You've clearly failed to stop Pestilence. What makes you think you can stop War too?"
"Jo, please," I said. Maybe a direct plea would help her see beyond her old prejudices against Lucifer. "You're in danger as long as you have the key. It’s a target on your back. Adam or one of the Archdemons will find you eventually.”
Her face registered the merest hint of surprise. “I’m shocked you care.”
"Of course I do. You're my sister." I spread my hands. "I'm pissed at you. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to forgive what you did. But I still love you. I don’t want you to die. And we really need your help."
"If War is freed, it will mean the end of peace," Lucifer said. "Not just for humans, but for all of us."
"Yes, I've heard stories of what happened last time from my parents." Jophiel pressed her lips together in a tight line as she considered. "Though I grew up hating demons, and you most of all, Lucifer, I supported Michael in ending the Great War. I have no wish to go to war again." Her eyes rested on Callan and then on Olivia, and her face softened. "Especially when my son has found happiness."
Olivia's eyes widened. I wondered if this was the first time Jophiel had ever hinted at accepting her as Callan's mate. I wanted to tell her not to take it personally. Jophiel saw everything in black and white, and Olivia's very existence was a shade of gray.
"Thank you," Callan said, reaching forward to squeeze his mother's hand.
She gave him a soft smile as she rose to her feet. "I'll go get the key, but I want to be part of the fight against Pestilence. If you go to Heaven, take me with you."
"Very well," Lucifer said, inclining his head slightly.
She walked from the room, and I blew out a small breath as my shoulders slumped in relief. As we waited, Lucifer sat back in his armchair and crossed his legs, like this was his place instead of his former enemy's. Callan's hands tightened around Olivia's, and she leaned against his shoulder.
I was watching them when something at the corner of my eye made me turn my head. “What was that?”
"What?" Callan asked, instantly alert.
I stared at the wall on the other side of the room. The one with the dresser against it. There had been movement there, like a ripple in the air. Everyone’s gaze followed mine to where I’d seen…something. I stood and walked closer and felt a sense of wrongness, like when someone told a lie, except it was coming from that corner.
Using a move Bastien had taught me, I lifted my hand and light blazed from my palm as I directed it toward the wall. The illusion was ripped apart, revealing Adam and Nemesis standing in the corner of the room. No one had sensed them before—not even Jophiel. Nemesis was more powerful than I’d known.
Lucifer and the others immediately leaped to their feet, responding to the new threat. But before we could react, Adam raised his arms, the air turning thick and sludgy in front of him, and it spread farther into the room, coating everything with an oily film. It happened so fast, I didn’t even have time to draw on my powers, and then the others were bending over and coughing behind me. Only I seemed to be spared.
Adam looked like something from a nightmare, his skin yellow and blistered, his white hair coming out of his scalp in clumps, leaving raw, bald patches that oozed a putrid looking liquid. When he turned his gaze on me, his glowing white eyes had taken on a glint of madness, almost like he was feverish, which he likely was. Perhaps the raw sickness he carried with him all the time held him in a state of suspended decay.
Nemesis tried to create more illusions, but I radiated the light of truth to stop her, then threw darkness at Adam, though it was mostly ineffective, partly because I still didn't really know how to control it. I backed up, trying to get to Lucifer, when the window beside me shattered and Belial flew inside—wielding Morningstar. Of course he'd taken it. I should have known. Even so, for a brief fleeting moment I thought he might have come to help, until I saw him go after Callan.
Jophiel ran into the room, her sword held high, as she defended her son with a roar. She traded blows with Belial, until Adam released a wave of the sickness directed solely at her. As it hit her, the color drained from her face, and she wobbled as the sickness stole her ethereal glow—whatever had lit her from within that I hadn’t noticed until now. She swayed, moving in slow motion, as her gaze became panicked. She hit the floor and Nemesis was immediately beside her, plucking what looked like a large diamond from her body.
I screamed for Marcus, as the world around me turned to complete chaos. Kassiel and the others who'd been outside rushed in, throwing up their arms to combat the smell of sickness in the air. Bastien immediately took on Nemesis, using his Ofanim powers to combat her illusions, while Marcus began to heal Jophiel, and Kassiel tried to drag a sickly Olivia out of the room.
Lucifer recovered from Adam's attack first, and he rose to his feet and summoned a sword of shadow in one hand and a ball of hellfire in the other. I gathered darkness and light and stood beside him, preparing to take on Pestilence. If nothing else, we would die together.
We released our magic at him, and though he staggered back from the attack, it wasn't enough. Adam raised a hand and blasted us both with enough power to send us crashing back against the farthest wall.
“I’m a god now.” Adam's horrid laughter filled the room. “Nobody can stop me. Not even the mighty Lucifer.”
Nemesis grabbed Callan by his blond hair and yanked his head back. Belial moved forward and rested the blade of Morningstar to his neck, where a thin line of blood appeared. “Anybody moves,” he said, “And pretty-boy dies.”
“No!” Olivia and Jophiel cried at the same time, but Jo’s voice was weak and insubstantial. Little more than exhaled air.
“Use the key,” Nemesis ground out, her words directed at Callan as he tried to resist her hold. “Or we lay waste to all these people you love.”
Callan glared at them as Nemesis pressed the gemstone into his hand. It glowed slightly as soon as he touched it, like it contained a touch of Heaven's light within. "I won't."
Adam grabbed Bastien and infected him with his sickness, making the angel's skin turn a sickly green. "I will keep going. You can watch everyone in the room grow sick and die, until you open the way to Heaven."
“Fine." Callan’s teeth were clenched, and we all knew it was far from fine. “But I don’t know how you expect me to do this. I’ve never seen this thing before, let alone used it.”
“It will respond to your will.” Even Adam’s voice was changing, becoming more of a hiss and losing the rich tones it had held before. “The key will recognize you, son of Michael. It knows your bloodline.”
Callan took a shaky breath and held the gem out before him. The room filled with an other-worldly light, and a shimmering hole appeared. It shone and sparkled, the colors pearlescent, and it was nearly impossible to tear my eyes off of it.
"You're coming with us." Adam grabbed my arm suddenly, yanking me to my feet. “You’re mine. You’ve always been mine, Eve."
"No!" my sister suddenly yelled. "You will not hurt my family!"
Jophiel spread her beautiful copper wings and launched herself at Adam. She looked so deathly ill I wasn't sure how she even moved, but she managed to knock him back, releasing me from his grasp. In return, he flung his hand out, sending a concentrated stream of sickness just for her. The diseased air twisted around her, making her gasp. Jophiel dropped to the floor, hitting the carpet with a thump and not moving again.
Rage poured through me, giving me strength, and I channeled my light and dark energy, sending out pure waves of it woven together like an intricate braid, aimed straight at Adam. The blast drove him back, but the Elder God inside him fought me.
"Come on already," Nemesis yelled, halfway through the portal. Belial had already disappeared inside it, I saw with a huge wave of sadness and disappointment. "Leave her!"
She still had an iron grip on Callan and dragged him through the portal with her, and Adam cast me one last glare before he followed. The portal closed instantly behind them, leaving the rest of us with no way to follow or fight.
29
Hannah
Marcus rushed everyone outside, away from the noxious fumes, and he carried my sister with him. We all stumbled out onto the front lawn, the others coughing and weak, barely able to walk. I grabbed onto Kassiel and helped him regain his footing, needing to be near my son, to make sure he was all right. Once we'd made it to safety, I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a tight hug, relieved he was okay.
I pulled away to see Marcus kneeling beside my sister. He looked up at me, his expression mournful, his eyes glazed.
“No,” I whispered. “It can’t be. She can’t have—” I’d been so pissed at her, so damn angry, but now… She was gone. “Can’t you resurrect her? You brought me back!” My words were desperate and thin, like even they held no hope at all. Why hadn't I been born a healer too? Who cared about truth, when the people you loved were dying around you?
Marcus’s face crumbled. "I wish I could, but I'll barely have enough energy to heal everyone else as it is. I'm sorry."
Marcus’s shoulders slumped, and I staggered backward into Lucifer’s waiting arms. He held me close as I sobbed, my grief loud in the shocked silence that filled the air. Marcus moved to Olivia next, healing her from the poison Adam had spread. Everyone had been hit by it, but some had been worse off than others. Kassiel, to my relief, had barely in
haled any of it, and was only coughing a tiny bit. Olivia, on the other hand, had been inside from the beginning and could barely move, and Bastien was in pretty bad shape too.
When Marcus finished with the others and moved to Lucifer, my mate held up a hand. "I'm fine. Save your strength."
Marcus nodded, with shadows like purple bruises beneath his eyes. He'd worn himself out healing everyone. I'd been the only one untouched by Adam's disease—he wasn't ready to kill me yet. He always did like to make me suffer first.
If not for Jophiel's final act of bravery, Adam would have dragged me through the portal with them too. I could only imagine what torment he'd had planned for me in Heaven. I only wished we'd been able to stop them from taking Callan too.
"She sacrificed herself for me," I whispered. "She did horrible things, was so…” I stopped and searched for the right word. “Misguided at times, but she did bad things for the right reasons.” I looked at Lucifer and begged him to understand, although I couldn’t speak those words.
His hand curled around mine. “That I will agree with. She did everything she did out of love."
Another sob escaped me. "I never got to make peace with her for what she did, and now it's too late." I would have forgiven her eventually, just as I forgave Lucifer. It wasn't in my heart to hold grudges for too long—except when it came to Adam. That fucker was going to pay. Someday. Somehow.
Olivia sat on the grass against Kassiel, curled up in his lap, with Marcus and Bastien on either side, their hands resting against her. They were all upset, worried about Callan, and occasional tears slid down Olivia’s cheeks. I was worried too—he was my nephew, and Jophiel's son, and I owed it to her to rescue him.
Devilish Mate: Claimed By Lucifer Book Two Page 18