by Liza James
Lucifer casually steps up to it, removing one hand from his pocket and gently pressing it flat against the door. The entire piece shifts on a center balance. Where it opens inward on one side, it falls outward on the opposite, reminding me of the turn style doorways we have on the upside.
I follow, careful not to touch Lucifer or Nathanial as we fall in line behind him. The opening spills out into a massive room that’s draped with thick black and deep purple cords of fabric. The continued black theme masques the entire décor, but the sporadic details of purple continue to surprise me.
An enchanting chorus of music fills the air. It’s hypnotic and seductive, instantly flowing through my ears and drugging my blood. My body naturally lights up to it, my exhausted Succubus peeking her head out and curiously experiencing the sensations as well. I feel a shiver race up my spine when I sense Nathanial step up behind me, one of his hands slides up around the nape of my neck possessively. But I’m still fighting off my memories and the new discoveries so my heart thunders at his simple touch. I step forward, out of his grasp when I hear his deadly growl threaten the space between us.
His hand snaps forward and around the front of my throat as he impatiently drags me back against his chest. “I don’t give a fuck if you’re mad at me, or afraid of me, Stella. If you run off too far in this place, I’ll be the one who finds you and makes you pay.” His lips brush against the shell of my ear, his breath grazing my skin in fire and ice. “You can hate me all you want, but I’m getting you back to Luna and Elijah as soon as we’re done. Then you can run away without me chasing after.”
“Don’t fucking touch me,” I bite out, ripping away from his hold and taking a larger step into the center of the room. Nothing is making sense right now and being near him confuses my mind and blood even further.
His back tenses and stiffens in agitation. He rolls his head over his shoulders, cracking his neck as a tick settles deep in his jaw line. My eyes drop lower, to the heavy Adams apple that sits in the center of his throat. His golden hair is disheveled after everything that’s happened, but it doesn’t distract from his stark dominance at all. It doesn’t make him look any weaker either. He looks even more powerful, the ever-present shadow hovering over me, stalking my thoughts, and residing in my dreams.
But even in the midst of my innate draw to him, I’m fucking angry. Because he lied, and he left me to suffer when he could have been teaching me rather than Leon.
“Esme,” Lucifer’s voice rings out ahead of us and I whip my head around to see the witch emerge from a narrow door on the other side of the room. In the center sets a large throne like chair. It’s massive and made of iron, a master sculpture of both Demons and Angels clashing in war around the seat. A sea of purple washes across the inky darkness, swallowing some of the creatures while others struggle to continue the fight above water.
My head tilts in curiosity as I take it in, wondering what the significance of that could be to the Devil himself.
“Stella and Nathanial, I’m glad to see you’ve both arrived,” she says, and I’m surprised to see a genuine smile stretching across her face. She walks up to me as she throws her arms around my shoulders and pulls me against her in an embrace. “I’m sorry,” she whispers, and I know she’s referring to what I had to do in order to access the Underworld. I want to ask her questions, see if she can tell me exactly what to believe but before I have the chance, she turns and greets Nathanial as well.
Lucifer drops into the throne, lifting and draping one leg across the arm so that he can lean back and lift a lazy arm towards Esme. She tenses just slightly, barely noticeable but steps away and moves through a small grouping of people who scatter across the room.
I hadn’t noticed them immediately because I had been so drawn to the enchanting décor around the space. But now that I can focus, a ripple of fear coasts through me at the sight of them. They’re a mix of things I’ve never seen. Clearly demonic, a few monsters of my nightmares surrounded by others who look incredibly average.
What the Hell have I found myself in? And why am I strangely attracted to the darkness?
I’m pulled towards them, the few who are dancing in a captivating draw of seduction. It’s as if they’re moving with the sole purpose of attracting the Demons around them. I want to join in, feel the power they’re clearly emanating in the space around us. But Esme’s hand softly wraps around my wrist and pulls me back away from the group I gravitated toward.
“Come, Stella. We have things to discuss before you indulge, but I promise I’ll show you around in just a bit.” There’s a thread of warning in her voice, one that immediately puts me on alert. But she also seems somewhat relaxed here in the Underworld, or at least comfortable in the way she moves around here.
She brings me back toward Lucifer and Nathanial, who have already dived into conversation about Sunan. “Yes, I have been aware of her sightings. We’ve been keeping track of her. She has abducted a few Cambions, but she’s only managed to trap the weak ones, those who have been too stupid to stay away from her ruse,” Lucifer says dryly as Esme passes him a small tumbler of what I assume is whiskey. Just as she’s about to step away, he lunges forward and tightly grips her waist, dragging her back and into his lap. She tenses, her eyes glancing to me briefly before relaxing in his hold. I can’t tell if the comfort reaches her eyes, but I have a feeling she isn’t here by choice.
“I’m not sure if she’s been in touch with Amelia, but we’re keeping a closer eye on her just in case.” Nathanial comments, just as a slender woman steps up to his side. I didn’t notice her at first, but now I realize she was one of the little monsters who were dancing moments ago in the group. She holds out a glass to him, a similarly colored liquid that sloshes around the edges. But my spine freezes in place as her clawed finger drifts down his bicep and towards his hand. She lifts up on her heeled toes, the tiny leather skirt and red strapless top she wears stretches and pulls against her small body. She leans forward and my blood begins turning to ice in my veins. I’m fucking angry with him, but I don’t want to watch another woman, another Demon put her hands on him. She’s whispering something in his ear when his free hand slips around her waist and he pulls her against him.
What the fuck?
She giggles—fucking laughs—as her long, sharp tongue slips out of her red stained lips to trail across his neck. But he slaps her on the ass, and mutters that he’ll find her when the conversation is over.
My eyes narrow on him, my blood pulsing and throbbing like a detonated bomb impending explosion. I let my gaze fall to Esme, who watches us intently with a sympathetic expression lining her features. But Lucifer, he looks absolutely thrilled as his fingers trail long patterns up and down Esme’s thigh. She kicks her leg up and over the other, effectively pulling from his touch when his hand bites down against her flesh to pull it back within his reach.
“Sunan isn’t a threat to us as of yet, but depending on what connections she’s made, she could quickly turn into one. She hasn’t accessed the Underworld, but if she tries to make contact, I will let you know. However, I did recently hear that her family heritage has been revealed.”
Nathanial pauses mid sip at this revelation, and I try to regain my focus on what they’re discussing. “Her heritage? But that hasn’t been common knowledge. I was told she had that information bound by a spell.”
A sadistic smirk pulls at Lucifer’s lips as he leans up and drags his teeth across Esme’s ear. “That’s true, it was. It’s unfortunate I don’t have my own little witch to access the magic needed to break it.” He pauses as he slowly grips the fabric of her skirt and lazily drags it up her thighs. Esme’s eyes fall shut, her lips pulling into a tight line. She doesn’t give him permission to do what he’s doing, but she doesn’t stop him either. “Oh wait, I do.”
My eyes remain on his hand as it roughly grips her knee and pulls her apart, spreading her legs open in front of Nathanial and I in the midst of our conversation. I glance up to Esme’s
face, to gain some sort of reading on what she’s feeling, but it’s trained on Lucifer as a scowl works over her lips. I barely hear the faintest sound of her voice as she speaks, but I make out a quick “Wait,” as his fingers trail up to the top of her thigh. He drags them back down again, slowly, teasingly, until bringing them back up only an inch higher than before. He doesn’t even acknowledge her comment but brings his hard gaze back up to her eyes as a silent threat transpires between them.
“Esme hasn’t broken the bond yet, but she will. And when that happens, I’ll have all the information I need on the potential power Sunan holds.” Lucifer doesn’t look at us as he continues speaking, he keeps his eyes on Esme as her lips part and her breaths pick up in speed the closer he gets to grazing his touch in between her legs. “And you will break it, won’t you kitten?” His ringed knuckle brushes against her pussy and my eyes immediately fall to the action. I quickly look back to Esme and watch as she slips into a trance of pleasure and quietly replies to him.
“Yes,” she says, letting her head roll back and her legs fall open even wider. I glance at Nathanial, who is clearly practiced enough to keep his eyes on Lucifer and ignore the heated tension breaking forth between him and Esme.
But I’m weak. And I’m starving, so my eyes continue falling in rapid cycles between watching them interact and then focusing on his hand moving against her core.
“Nathanial, have you found your Fated yet?” Lucifer asks casually, briefly glancing back to meet his eyes before returning his attention to the witch. He slips his hand through the side of her panties, dragging his fingers through her pussy until she’s whimpering in need.
Lucifer’s comment distracts my attention, effectively yanking my Succubus from the moment as I turn to look at Nathanial.
His face is unreadable, perfectly impassive as he answers without hesitation. “No,” he says flatly, just as a soft moan escapes Esme’s lips. Her skin is shining with something subtle, as if she’s literally glowing under his touch. Her hips subtly roll against his hand while he continues working her to the edge of release.
“That’s lucky for you, isn’t it?” Lucifer taunts, suddenly pulling his hand from between her thighs and righting her back so that she’s sitting straight up. He pulls down her skirt, effectively closing her legs before he lifts his hand to his mouth and sucks his finger between his lips, licking any remain of Esme off his flesh. I don’t even think he got her off. But by the subtle flush to her cheeks and heated tension lingering in her shoulders, I highly doubt she did.
“Stella, do you know what happens if Nathanial bonds to his Fated?” Finally, slowly, Lucifer’s gaze comes crashing to mine, paralyzing me in place with that haunting voice of his.
“Lucifer,” Nathanial barks, stepping forward and intentionally cutting off the conversation.
“What? The information will mean nothing to this girl because she means nothing to you.”
I flinch at Lucifer’s words, absorbing them. Then I square my shoulders and meet his gaze head on, “Tell me.”
He fucking knows. He knows exactly what she means to me. Lucifer laughs loudly, wrapping his arm tightly around Esme’s waist before pushing her off of his lap. He stands behind her, holding her against his broad chest as they stalk toward Stella.
This is it. This is when she’ll find out the truth, realize she could never want this life. She would never damn herself to a place like this, not after what she had to go through to get here.
“Maybe later, baby girl.” Lucifer drops his lips to graze her ear as his eyes rake up to me, intentionally using my fucking nick name for her. My blood boils but I refrain from launching forward and ripping his goddamn head off. “Until then, Esme, let’s show Stella around. It’s about time she got acquainted with Hell.”
Esme reaches forward and steps out of Lucifer’s hold, taking Stella’s arm in her own as they walk ahead of us. I can see the way Stella’s shoulders are tense with confusion and I know she’s livid with me, especially after the stunt I pulled with that little Demon.
But I’m pissed too. And we’ve been building up to this occasion, this moment when she finally severs our ties and runs away. I’m ready for it, already detaching myself from the future destruction.
“What’s with the purple?” I hear her ask, looking back over her shoulder at Lucifer.
“I know, it’s not the color most people associate with their mundane visions of the Underworld. Esme, why don’t you explain the importance of it?” He nods his head towards the blonde witch, as if he’s asking her to share her knowledge, like he values her opinion. But I know the truth, it’s in the way she tenses at his words and her eyes narrow at his touch. Even when she’s enjoying it, she doesn’t have a choice.
“Lilacs, Violets, Lavenders. Shades of purple represent power and royalty. They also evoke feelings of spirituality, awareness and fulfillment. It’s a common color that depicts dream states, enhances spiritual enlightenment, and psychic ability. It also influences my magic. It’s a very important piece of our world.” Esme speaks the words lyrically, her voice a soft draw of kindness in this dark realm.
“And as you’re about to learn, little Stella, we’re all about spiritual satisfaction, power and the release.” Lucifer’s rough voice is laced with intrigue and desire as I watch his gaze follow the girls intently.
I scoff. How ironic, talking about the release when he always drags Esme to the very edge and then doesn’t let her come. He ignores me and continues on his little tour.
“The Underworld is filled with different levels of domain; each one being ruled or lead by a single entity. Each level houses different Demons. Some are used as dwellings for punishment, others are used as residences for pleasure. In short, the Underworld is a stretch of space and time that has no end. It’s constantly growing, flourishing in the midst of the sin that’s rooted in the depths of earth. The magic that courses through Esme’s veins, and other witches, is the same magic that flows through the Underworld and Arcadia.”
We step out through the entrance we initially came through and walk a few paces until we reach a new door with the number six etched across the top half. It’s scratched into the surface, rough and ragged so that the wood splinters and leaves a harsh carving behind. It’s messy, a vision of something destroyed in order to achieve the carving. Just below it, on the bottom half of the door is the number nine, also etched into the wood. But this number was engraved in flawless detail, it curves and swirls in a way that resembles seduction and sex.
Esme slowly opens the door and a wave of music immediately surrounds us. It’s different than what was playing before, while the earlier music was still enchanting in its own way, this sound is absolutely addictive. I can already see Stella’s shoulders and spine visibly relax at the rhythm of it. Her hips sway with each further step we take into darkness. A soft shine of that now familiar lilac glow spills from the obscurity ahead of us.
Stella and Esme take the lead while Lucifer slips in front of me and I’m immediately on edge at the fact that he stands between Stella and me. We continue walking through the narrow hall, black and graffitied brick cascade the walls on either side of us. A few Demons and other entities line the path as they converse, passing each other a variety of different objects—joints, cigarettes, little colorful pills that they swallow.
Soon enough, the music grows louder and blasts around us as we enter into the true darkness. It’s a crowded room of pure anarchy and I feel the need to step in and pull Stella against me. But I don’t, I let her go, let her experience this portion of Hell for herself. She needs to make up her own mind.
The only lights in the room are the bright flashes of strobes, a mix of purple and red beams that sporadically bounce across the group of people tightly filling the dance floor. I’m innately drawn to the tangible tension that easily flows through the room. It’s a thick feast of sex and power, and I know without a doubt that Stella is bewitched by it. Hell, it’s nearly impossible not to be. Even I, who ha
ve been an Incubus for years now, the biological desire to feed and fuck and let my natural instinct take over consumes me in this room.
I look to Stella, who’s gaze is slowly scanning the area. There’s a bar to our right, a gothic style iron counter spans the entire length of the large space. Tall chairs are lined in front, while heavy chains drip down from the ceiling. A couple of Demons stand behind the bar, mixing and handing out drinks to whoever asks. There’s no law here, no rules people have to abide by, no fear of judgement or backlash. We’re hidden in this realm, we don’t have the same regulations that apply to the earthly world.
Usually, I prefer the upside. The organization and innocence that is represented on earth. There are clear lines of right and wrong and I know that Stella usually prefers those lines as well. But ever since we met, ever since her Succubus was released and my Incubus met his match, I can’t deny the darkness that's run rampant through my mind. I crave surrendering to the depravity that's become an undeniable part of us. I’m tired of pushing back, of fighting it away. Now, I want to embrace the Demon and let it destroy us.
Lucifer steps around Esme and takes Stella by the hand, pulling her tightly behind him as they weave their way through the crowd of people. She follows willingly, and I stand back to watch what unfolds. Esme stays at my side, keeping her trained gaze on Lucifer as well.
"Are you worried that she won't choose you?" she yells over the loud music, letting her eyes slowly drift to meet mine before falling back to Lucifer and Stella. He stands behind her, pulling her back to his chest as they begin moving to the music.
I pause, replaying her question in my mind until she speaks again. "That she won’t choose this place?"
"She can't choose this world. She doesn't belong here," I state plainly. She shines too brightly for this darkness.
