Demon King (Claimed By Lucifer Book 1)

by Elizabeth Briggs

  He leaned back, releasing my hand, and began to swirl his cider as if it was wine. “Do you ever want more from life than working in a flower shop? Or is that your heart’s desire?”

  I bit my lip and looked away, his question touching something deep inside me, something I tried to ignore. I did want more. Desperately. But I also had a duty to run my parents’ shop, and I couldn’t run away from that. “I’ve taken a few online classes here and there, and sometimes I wish I could go to college and get a degree, but I don’t really have time. I have to run the shop and keep my parents’ legacy alive. That’s enough. It has to be.”

  “Hmm…” He sounded as if he didn’t believe me. “When you dreamed bigger, what did you want to do?”

  “I don’t know. Sometimes I dreamed of becoming a landscape architect and designing outdoor spaces for people.” I shrugged and wiped my mouth on my napkin. “It doesn’t matter, since it will never happen.”

  “A job involving nature and plants. Seems like that would suit you.”

  I glanced around at the amazing view with a small smile. “I love being around plants. Always have.”

  He nodded like he’d expected as much as he pulled a big, red pomegranate from the picnic basket. He held the fruit toward me. “Would you like some?”

  I nodded as I inhaled the delicate, powdery fragrance. Just a touch of sweetness that hinted at the luxury within. He must have known it was one of my favorite fruits. I wondered if he knew my trick for cutting into one.

  With a small knife, he sliced off the stem, revealing the center and the parts of the pomegranate that didn’t have seeds. After turning it on its side, he scored down the fruit, following each section. With his hands, he broke the pomegranate into sections, the seeds both beautiful and bountiful on each one.

  My eyebrows shot up. “Did you teach me that trick?”

  “Actually, you taught me.” He picked up one of the sections and held it close to my mouth. I bit into it and the tips of his fingers brushed my lips, sending tingles through me as juice exploded over my tongue.

  His eyes stayed fixed on my mouth as my tongue darted out to gather the stray juice off my lips. “In one of our past lives, they called me Hades. You were named Persephone.”

  I nearly choked on the delicious fruit and stared at him in shock. “The goddess?”

  “Angels, demons, and fae were often portrayed as gods in mythology. You were actually a fae of the Spring Court in that life.” He winked, a naughty grin slanting across his mouth. “I snatched you away from Faerie to live with me in Hell, much to your parents’ dismay.”

  I shook my head in wonder, trying to absorb his words. The vase in his library made a lot more sense, along with the narcissus flowers in my room. Was it my favorite flower because it subconsciously reminded me of my past life? What other things from my previous lives influenced me now? Favorite food, favorite color, even the way I drank my coffee—how much of that was from my current life and how much was from before? Having so much knowledge just out of my reach was maddening.

  “It was a time of relative peace between the supernatural races, where we all moved freely between Earth and the other realms.” Lucifer kept feeding me the pomegranate seeds, holding them to my lips as he spoke. I let my tongue touch the tip of his finger, watching as his eyes flared, but he didn’t miss a beat. “You ruled alongside me in Hell for many years, though your mother made you spend part of you time in Faerie too.”

  That did align with the myths about Hades and Persephone. I closed my eyes and searched my soul for some memory of this, but found nothing. “What happened to us?”

  “All good things must come to an end.” Something dark lurked in his expression, something that made me wonder if my memories were repressed for a reason. He stood and held out his hand, as his shadowy black wings erupted from his back. “Come. Let me show you the Canyon the way it’s meant to be seen. At night, in my arms.”

  I couldn’t refuse him, even though the thought of flying again made my hands tremble. All I could picture was my terrifying fall off the edge of The Celestial, and the way he’d caught me mid-air with a jolt. But he hadn’t let me fall then, and I knew, deep down, he wouldn’t let anything happen to me now either. The devil was dangerous and deadly, but he would never hurt me.

  He lifted me up in his arms, carrying me like he did the other night, as though he was rescuing me from something. I squeezed my eyes shut and clung to his neck as his great wings flapped, sending a rush of cool air all around us, and we launched straight up. He held me close to his chest as we flew higher, and I tucked my face against his neck, afraid to let go.

  “I’ve got you, Hannah. Open your eyes.”

  His wings kept us steady, and I dared a peek over his shoulder. The sun was very low on the horizon, just peeking above the mountains in the distance. Dusk had never been so beautiful before, as a rainbow of colors reached across the sky, painting a canvas over the entirety of the Grand Canyon. I relaxed my hold on him as I gazed around us, soaking in the wonder of nature.

  “It’s incredible.”

  He nodded, but his eyes were distant as he took in the moment when the sun vanished and the sky turned indigo. “This is what day looks like in Hell.”

  His voice held so much longing, and I wondered if he missed his other home. I wanted to ask him why he lived here and not there, but then we were flying and all thoughts rushed out of my mind. I tightened my hold on his neck as he flew along the cliff walls, through the winding valleys, and dropped down to skim just over the river. His grip on me never once faltered and he was always completely in control. Even when the gusts were strong, he used them to lift us up instead of being buffered. I trusted him, in a way I’d never trusted any other man.

  I shifted myself in his arms to see better as he flew up and spun around, before diving back down. Fear no longer seized my muscles and gripped my throat, and instead something new had taken over. Elation. Adrenaline. Joy. It was a lot like when we’d been in the race cars. It felt…natural.

  As night fell, it got harder for me to see, though the myriad of stars above us made for a gorgeous backdrop. Somehow Lucifer’s wings were even darker than our surroundings, like they were blacker than night itself. My focus shifted to the man holding me instead of my surroundings, since I could still make out the features of his face. I slid my hand along his neck, up to his stubbled jaw, then to his sensual mouth. “How can you see where you’re going?”

  “All demons and Fallen can see in the dark,” he said, his voice easily carrying over the wind.

  He flew around a curve in the canyon, but then something shot toward us from out of nowhere. Something huge. Lucifer suddenly dropped, plummeting down to avoid the thing hurling toward us, and my stomach lurched as I clung tightly to him again. There was a huge rush of wind as the thing flew past us, and then Lucifer turned to face it.

  Then there was light—no, fire. Coming out of a huge mouth. With giant fangs.

  Holy shit. Was that a fucking dragon?

  The fire illuminated a winged, reptilian creature the size of an SUV, before flames hurled toward us. Lucifer stretched out a hand and darkness, even blacker than night, shot out and consumed the flames, until the light faded.

  “Hold on tight to me!” Lucifer yelled, as he flapped his wings and hurled us toward the dragon.

  With a shaky breath, I tightened my grip around his neck and tucked my legs in as close as I could. There was nothing else I could do, and I felt so damn powerless and terrified.

  The dragon roared, sending shivers of terror through me, but it was hard for me to see him in the darkness until more fire emerged from his mouth. Before he could unleash it, tendrils of magic so dark they blended into the night erupted from Lucifer’s hands and shot toward the dragon. The dark tentacles circled the dragon all around, coiling over it and tightening in place like a net.

  But then Lucifer swore under his breath in a language I didn’t recognize, his gaze on something to the right. I turn
ed and spotted more fire emerging from two other dragons’ mouths, as they loped toward us on reptilian wings.

  Lucifer turned and flew faster, arms tight wrapped around me, toward the helicopter. As we shot through the air at breakneck speed, the other dragons chased after us, moving just as quickly. Lucifer moved instinctually, avoiding the bursts of fire that blazed hot trails toward us, and I tried not to scream when one came dangerously close.

  Azazel and Gadreel descended on the dragons, and I watched in awe as they whipped, whirled, and surged around the enormous creatures, wielding glowing white swords. But then we turned a corner of the canyon, and in the darkness of night it was impossible for me to see what happened next.

  Lucifer reached the helicopter and landed hard on the rough stone, the ground trembling under the impact. I glanced back, but didn’t see any hint of the battle going on out there.

  “Get in!” he yelled, as he helped me into the chopper. The very rock behind me shuddered with the rage in his voice, and I scrambled inside the cockpit.

  He slammed the door shut and then vanished, literally just…disappeared into the night. A second later darkness surged into the cockpit with me and coalesced into his form, while my jaw dropped to the floor. Damn, how many powers did he have?

  “What the hell was that thing?” I asked, as I hurried to buckle myself in to the seat.

  “A dragon shifter. A demon of greed.”

  Shit, I really had seen a dragon. I’d started to doubt myself as soon as we were out of sight, like maybe it had been a trick of the light or something, but no. A fucking dragon! Breathing fire at us!

  “How dare they attack us?” Lucifer growled, as he started up the helicopter. He was beyond furious, but also something else. Terrified, I realized. For me. “You’re my mate. They know better than to hurt you. If they’d harmed a hair on your head, I’d wipe the rest of the fucking dragons off the face of this world.”

  The helicopter lurched into the air and my stomach plummeted as it rose higher and higher. I held my breath as we zoomed off, and in the distance I saw the flash of bright lights and burning flame, and prayed my two bodyguards would make it out alive too.

  When we got back to The Celestial, Lucifer was still furious. He immediately summoned some Fallen guards to watch over me, and then he gave me a hasty kiss. “Now that you’re safe, I have to go back.”

  I nodded, my hands trembling a little, my stomach twisted with worry for Zel and Gad. This time Lucifer took off on his wings, flying faster than he’d done with me, and then vanished into the night. With a sigh, I realized he would have stayed to fight the dragons if not for me. He probably could have defeated them easily, but he’d run because he was worried for my safety. My mortality was holding him back. He feared losing me again so soon.

  I was the devil’s weakness.

  19

  Hannah

  I fell asleep in Lucifer’s bed alone, curled in his black silk sheets. He joined me late in the night, murmuring softly that both Zel and Gad were all right. The three of them had killed one dragon and captured another, but the last had escaped. Then he tucked himself around me and held me close as I fell asleep again, feeling safer in his arms than anywhere else in the world.

  When I woke in the morning, he was already gone. A note told me he was investigating the attack and that he’d prefer it if I stayed in the penthouse today. Fine with me. I had a library to explore anyway.

  After a front row seat at an epic dragon battle last night, plus all the mind-bending discoveries of the last few days, I was ready for some quiet time to myself. I took a long, hot shower in Lucifer’s bathroom, which was even more luxurious than mine, and found it was already close to noon.

  Lucifer had ordered an enormous spread of food from room service for me—from colorful tropical fruits I’d never even heard of, to smoked salmon and pre-massaged beef, artisan breads and tiny egg omelets with flakes of truffle. Then there were exotic chocolates dotted with gold and cheeses flown in from all over the world. It was probably the most expensive buffet I’d ever been to, and there was no way I could eat all of it.

  I noticed Gadreel standing by the door, acting as my bodyguard today. He wore jeans and a faded t-shirt, showing off his impressive arms, and with that golden hair and those blue eyes, he looked like a college football player more than a Fallen angel.

  “Where’s Zel?” I asked, while I began making up a plate of food.

  “She got hurt last night and Lucifer made her take the day off to heal.” He smirked. “There was a lot of arguing. She takes her duty to protect you seriously.”

  My chest tightened at the thought of her getting injured. “Is she all right?”

  “Yeah, just a little dragonfire on her legs. Nothing she can’t heal herself in a day or so, but hurts like hell in the meantime.”

  I tilted my head as I popped a piece of cheese in my mouth. “Heal?”

  “All supernaturals heal faster than humans. One of our many gifts. There’s also a type of angel called Malakim that can heal others, but we prefer not to ask them for favors if we can avoid it. Old rivalries, and all that.”

  “Right,” I said, nodding slowly. My plan today was to scour Lucifer’s library for anything about angels, demons, or my past lives. I still had so much to learn.

  I gestured at the huge buffet. “Please, eat anything you like. There’s way too much for me.”

  He gave me a warm smile as he pushed off the wall and walked toward me. “Thanks.”

  With a plate of food in one hand, I headed into the library. My eyes immediately landed on the sword on the wall behind Lucifer’s desk, and I swallowed back the memories of dead gargoyles it brought to the surface. Was I a fighter in one of my past lives? How many times had I wielded Lucifer’s sword before?

  I set the food down and found the area of the library with the books on history and mythology, and then spent the next few minutes pulling out everything that looked even remotely helpful. I spread them out on the floor and sat in the middle with my plate beside me, munching on food while perusing old tomes and newer books alike.

  Hours passed, and I still felt like I knew nothing. I sighed and put the book on Hades and Persephone down in my lap. It was informative, but how was I to know how much was true and how much was legend? I’d been through a dozen books on angels and demons and the Greek gods, but I wasn’t sure I’d really learned anything new. Now my neck was starting to crick from leaning forward over the pages, and my butt hurt from sitting on the hard marble for so long. I let out a long sigh and began massaging my neck, hoping it would loosen my tight muscles.

  “Everything all right?” Gadreel asked, from where he sat in an armchair. He’d been alternating between eating and idly playing on his phone while I’d been in here. Not a fan of books, it seemed.

  “Just a bit stiff.” I stood and stretched some more, then crossed the room to sink into the armchair beside him. Sitting on the floor had been a terrible idea, but it was the only way to see all my books. “I’ve been trying to research angels and demons, but it’s such a big topic. I’m not sure why I thought I’d be able to learn everything in a few hours.”

  Gad chuckled softly. “It’s probably easier to just ask one of us. We’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

  “I appreciate that.” I sat up straighter and tucked my feet under me. “How did you come to work for Lucifer?”

  “I’m one of the younger Fallen, which means I’m only a few centuries old and was born in Hell as a Fallen, not an angel, unlike Azazel or Samael. I fought in Lucifer’s army in the Great War back in the 19th century, and since then I’ve worked my way up through the ranks and proved my loyalty, until Samael made me his assistant.”

  It was something of a relief to hear he wasn’t as ancient as the others, even though I would definitely not consider a few centuries old to be young. “The Great War—the war against Heaven, right?”

  He nodded, with a sad smile. “I knew you then. In one of your previous l
ives. Do you remember?”

  I shook my head, but the feeling that he spoke truth lodged in my chest. “Can you tell me about that life?”

  “I’d be happy to. You were a beautiful Fallen angel named Lenore with raven-black hair and wings, born around the same time as I was in the 18th century. We fought together, side by side, and you were a fearsome warrior.”

  “A warrior?” My eyes slid to the sword on the wall again. Was that when I’d gotten my fighting skills?

  He leaned his head against the high back of the chair and grinned. “Oh yes. You cut down so many angels in Lucifer’s name. But you were also kind and funny, and like now, you loved books. You would often go to Earth and hang out in London, talking to the gothic writers there like Lord Byron, Mary Shelley, and Edgar Allen Poe. You inspired a lot of their stories, actually.”

  “Really?” My eyes widened at that. It was a relief to hear I’d done something in that life other than kill angels, and I’d always loved all those old gothic books—to hear I’d actually met the authors and inspired some of their stories was really incredible.

  He chuckled at that. “Yes, and Lucifer encouraged it. He liked that they were writing about the creatures of the night.”

  I let out a long sigh. “I wish I could remember it.”

  “It might come back to you in time.” But then his smile dropped and he looked away. “Although maybe it’s better you don’t remember.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You died on the battlefield of Hell. An angel in gold armor cut you down right in front of my eyes. You took your last breath in Lucifer’s arms, whispering his name, and many of the Fallen wept for days over your loss.” His face was a mask of regret, as he sucked in a deep breath. “For what it’s worth, I killed the angel who did it. I just wish I’d been a little faster and could have saved you instead.”

  I’d scooted to the end of the chair as he talked, held captive by this glimpse into my own life and death. I wasn’t sure how to feel about this new information—sadness? Regret? Confusion? All I had was loss and emptiness. “I had no idea about any of this.”