And me?
I was Persephone being claimed by Hades, and I had no choice but to enter his underworld and become his dark queen.
23
Hannah
Lilith and I grabbed a few fancy appetizers to eat at the buffet, and I was grateful to her for sticking by my side even though she didn’t know me at all—at least, not in this life. As an introvert, parties were hard enough. Add in the fact that I was the lone human at a ball full of demons and it was hard not to run back to the penthouse as fast as I could.
“Ah, there’s my son now,” Lilith said, raising her hand to wave him over.
The man who approached could only be described as sex on a stick. With dark hair, bronze skin, and muscles galore, he looked like some kind of international model on a billboard somewhere. He wore a plain black mask and a black suit, oozing sex appeal with every step, although he didn’t make my heart flutter the way Lucifer did. He looked like the kind of guy you had one crazy, unbelievable night with, and then never saw again. In that Fuck, Marry, Kill game he’d be Fuck every time.
Unless you’re Brandy, maybe.
“Hannah, this is Asmodeus,” Lilith said.
He reached out to take my hand, then bowed a little and brushed his lips against my knuckles, sending tingles through me. I hoped Lucifer wasn’t looking, or Asmodeus might be flying against the wall soon. “An honor,” he said, his husky voice sliding along my skin like silk.
I nearly fanned myself. Shit, I needed a cold shower after five seconds in his presence. How had Brandy withstood a week of this? No wonder Lucifer had said there was no way she could have resisted leaving the bar with him.
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” I said, after extricating my hand.
“All bad things, I hope?” he said with a wink.
I laughed, unable to resist his charm. “Things I had a hard time believing until now.”
Lilith pressed her hand to Asmodeus’s face. “Have you been feeding? You still look a bit weak from your ordeal. I’m sure any number of demons here tonight would be happy to help.”
He pulled away. “I’m fine, mother.”
“All right, dear.” She ruffled his hair with obvious love, then excused herself to speak to someone else, leaving me alone with the incubus.
“You’re Brandy’s friend.” He said it as a statement, his voice becoming more serious. “I’ve heard a lot about you too, and it seems I owe you my thanks.”
I shrugged, the action making my shimmering cloak flutter. “All I did was nudge Lucifer in the right direction.”
“You’re a good friend. Brandy is very fond of you.” The way he said her name made me think he cared for Brandy too.
I remembered how she spoke of him at the spa. “I’m not the only one she’s fond of…”
His shoulders stiffened and pain crossed his green eyes. “Brandy is special, but it’s impossible for the two of us to be together. She knows that.”
“Maybe, but I know Brandy better than anyone and she’s never backed down from a challenge. She’s also never spoken of any other guy the way she spoke about you.”
He studied me. “May I tell you a secret?”
Err…me? I’d met the guy two minutes ago. But I nodded. “Of course.”
He closed his eyes as if in pain and let out a shuddering breath. “I haven’t slept with anyone since meeting Brandy. My parents want me to feed, and I know I need to, or I’ll die. But I can’t. I don’t want anyone but her.”
“But you can’t have sex with her?”
“Only once, and then never again. Not without killing her.”
“Is there no way around that?”
“No, there isn’t. Unless…” He trailed off and looked across the room, his gaze landing on his mother. “There might be a way. But I’d have to give up everything. For a human I barely know.”
I spread my hands. “I can’t tell you what to do. All I know is that Brandy would love to see you again. Maybe all you’ll have is one crazy, wild night together that you remember for the rest of your lives. Or maybe you both decide you want more and find a way to make it work. Either way, you should go to her.”
“I think you’re right,” he said, his voice distant. Then he took my hands and bowed slightly. “Thank you, my queen. I always did appreciate your wise counsel. It’s good you’re back.”
My mouth fell open. “You’re welcome?”
He straightened the cuffs on his shirt. “I have a long drive ahead of me. I better get going.”
“Give my love to Brandy.”
With a nod, he vanished into the crowd, and I hoped I’d done the right thing. There was obviously something there between the two of them, and if nothing else they needed to get some sort of closure. Hopefully they’d be able to find a way to be together too.
And now I was alone again. I scanned the crowd for Lucifer, but didn’t see him anywhere. Plastering a pleasant expression on my face, I worked my way to the edge of the room, nodding at people I didn’t know and shaking more hands than I wanted to think about. The darkness along the walls was deeper, but there was also an area with tables. My feet throbbed in my heels, and I collapsed gratefully into the chair closest to the wall, then slipped off the expensive, sky-high heels.
Being a human among demons was intense to say the least, but it was far easier to handle from over here. The other guests barely paid any attention to the edges of the room, focusing all of their attention inward instead to observe each other, sometimes with suspicion gleaming in their eyes from behind those masks. It made for great people watching, though.
