Gabriel backed away, gave his daughter a compassionate nod, and disappeared.
“Alazar, I need a moment with Derick,” she patted Alazar’s chest and smiled at him.
Alazar nodded. He resigned himself to the task of reacquainting himself with Hell. There were a few Fallen Angels who were not going to be happy to see him alive. He decided to start with them. As he recalled, some of them owed him a few debts.
Alazar strode out of the hall with renewed purpose. He needed to remember that Hell was his home again.
Derick watched Anjali walk toward him, her eyes glued to the floor. She looked like she was trying to find the right thing to say. She finally closed her eyes and took his hands into hers. She kissed his palms and sighed.
“You have no idea how sorry I am,” she whispered against his skin.
“This wasn’t your fault. I get the impression you didn’t know who Cassie was or what she was planning. Alazar told me about her and I’ve seen for myself that she’s crazy. I’m just glad that those Council guys locked her away,” Derick tilted Anjali’s chin up and saw the sadness in her eyes.
“Her former servant Aganon try to kill me, the one who pulled you off the tower roof. He used a blue flaming sword like the one Michael had. It went straight through me. That’s why Lucifer had to save me. I swear, had I known who Cassie was, I would have killed her without a second thought. I wanted to keep you safe from my world, which is why I walked away,” she whispered.
“You could have told me the truth in the beginning. I would have believed you,” he replied. He rubbed his hands along her soft cheeks.
“I wish I could have, but I wasn’t allowed to. I know you would have believed me,” she smiled, knowing it was true. “Since you know the truth now, I can tell you whatever you want to know.”
Derick smiled at the offer and asked every question he could think of in rapid-fire succession. He carefully listened to Anjali recounting how Aganon had attacked her, how Lucifer had saved her, and what her life was like in Hell. He made mental notes about not trusting Hades, bowing to everyone, and staying far away from Lucifer. He was upset when she told him about her fight with Maraquette and how Radek had died saving her life. He owed Radek more than he wanted to admit. He had a hard time believing that the shy girl who had beguiled him in the parking lot that night was a Head of Hell and knew how to kick a Rogue Angel’s ass. She looked like the same girl, but she was more real to him now. There were no more lies and half-truths. He felt closer to her than anyone he’d ever met.
Derick followed her as she walked up the staircase to her bedroom. He explored her room as she stood next to the fireplace. She looked nervous, but tried to hide it. The room didn’t look like the room of a tyrant, or a young woman. The furnishings were modest and sparse compared to the girl’s rooms in his dorm. There weren’t any posters of rock bands, or kittens hanging from ledges. There was nothing girly about the room, though it was clearly a woman’s room. It had a plush red couch, black vanity and mirror, black coffee table and chairs, and floor to ceiling bookshelves that held various types of books ranging from Shakespeare to romance novels.
He wandered back toward the bed and nearly fell over when he closely examined the tall metal bed frame that had hooks and strong metal loops attached to it. Here he thought his sexual tastes were racy.
Anjali watched Derick move around her room, slowly taking in her possessions. It felt odd having a man, other than Lucifer, in her room. It felt naughty somehow. CJ was the only boy she’d allowed in her room back home. She had always blushed when he sat on her bed. Watching Derick explore her room made her more than blush. She imagined having her way with him on the end table.
She cringed when he noticed the torture device known as her bed. “I inherited that. My predecessor was pure evil,” she shyly shrugged.
“Then why keep it?” Derick smirked. He ran his hand along the strong frame and played with the interlocking loops.
“There are certain items of hers that I keep as a reminder of what can happen if you let power go to your head. She allowed herself to become a tormentor for Lucifer, like his attack dog. He lost control of her. I don’t want to be like that. On a positive note, the bed is very strong and does have a few interesting qualities,” she bit her lip to contain her smile when she thought about some of Lucifer’s suggestions about the bed.
Derick couldn’t hide his amusement when he stepped away from the bed. “We’ll have to put it to the test sometime,” he muttered quietly and ran his hand through his hair.
Anjali held her breath. What she had to say next would erase Derick’s pleasant mood. “You know that I didn’t want to make you my servant, but there was no other way,” she mumbled while fiddling with her dress. This was going to uncomfortable.
Derick paused. He pictured all the things the term “servant” implied.
Anjali looked up quickly when she read his thoughts. “No, it’s nothing like that,” she said. She hated to see images of people being beaten and humiliated in his mind.
Derick put his hand over her heart. “This is your world and I can see that things are very different here. I saw the men standing near Lucifer and Hades and watched how they acted. I even saw the difference in Alazar. I half expected him to threaten the Council and try to kill them, but he stood quietly by your side, dutifully. There was a lot of formality. I have to get used to that. I signed up for this, so I accept what is required of a Nachtghul, as you called it, and will do my best to serve you,” he lowered his eyes and bowed his head.
Panic filled her at the thought of Derick being submissive to her. It killed her to know it would be necessary at times, especially around Lucifer. “The bowing and kneeling are a way of maintaining control over the Fallen and the servants; otherwise, they would challenge Lucifer at every turn. I don’t want to control you or intimidate you. What we have is special, not only do we love and respect each other, but we can hear each other’s thoughts. If you have to bow before me, you can say anything to me in your mind. You can tell me to go to hell, you can tell me about the weather, or you can tell me that you want to stab Lucifer. Think of it as acting. It’s a small concession, but it’s the best I can offer,” Anjali took his hand from her heart and kissed the backs of his knuckles.
“Can I tell you how hot you look in that dress?” Derick imagined bowing before Lucifer while thinking about having sex with her in the cemetery.
She giggled and nodded. “Yes.”
“I don’t know. I think it’s going to be a lot harder to do this when I can see that you aren’t wearing a bra,” he smirked. He hoped to be able to serve her body in all sorts of wicked ways.
She raised her eyebrows at him, but calmed herself. Taking his hand, she led him out of her room and down the stairs to the servant’s quarters beneath her room in the tower.
Slowly opening the heavy wooden door, she motioned for Derick to enter. The room reminded her of her living quarters in Lucifer’s tower when she had first arrived in Hell. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. Why had she agreed to subject Derick to this?
“This will be your room,” she said with a heavy heart.
Derick spun around, stunned by her declaration. He had assumed he would stay in her room.
Answering his thoughts, she explained her reasoning. “Derick, I want you to have a place all your own, a sanctuary from the craziness of my life. You will need a safe haven. Besides, it will be easier to lie to Lucifer about your absence,” she looked at the grooves in the stone floor. She afraid she wouldn’t be able to say what she needed to if she saw his beautiful face.
Derick’s breath left him in a rush. He was numb. Instinctively, he knew that she was going to send him away to hide from Lucifer. Maybe he was reading her thoughts, but he knew what she was going to say.
“Your home is in Tulsa, where it’s much safer. You can come and go as you please. You can appear from time to time to prove that you are still with me, but I can make excuses that you’re off
on errands for me or in your room doing research on my angels. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you from harm,” Anjali trembled when she thought about letting him go.
“No. You’re not doing this to me. I swore that I would stay by your side and I meant it. I don’t care about Lucifer, Hades, or any of them. I stared Lucifer in the eye and told him that I loved you. I fully expected those to be my last words. I’m not going to start hiding from him now. I agree to stay out of his way, if needed, but I want him to know that I’m not going anywhere,” Derick said. He was angry. He had to find a way to convince her that this was the wrong decision.
She shook her head as he spoke. “You haven’t seen him at his worst. He’s hurt me when he’s in a rage; he won’t hesitate to kill you. I would be lost without you,” she whispered. Tears welled up as she spoke.
“Trust me, I’ve seen his rage. That’s why I won’t leave your side. You need someone to fight for you. Alazar is more than capable, but he said that he has to tempt mortals, which means he won’t always be here. Besides, I need you too. Please don’t push me away again. Tulsa isn’t my home any more than New York was. I wasn’t happy there. I drifted from one thing to the next, never really enjoying anything, just like my relationships, if you can call them that. I know now that I was searching for you. I thought that I wanted to know about the afterlife, but maybe deep down I knew it would lead me to you. I heard Gabriel say that the men you loved sought you out life after life. I believe with all my heart that I was trying to find you and now that I have you, I’m not letting you go,” he stood directly in front of her, determined to make her see reason.
Anjali closed her eyes and thought about a way to explain how dangerous her world was. She remembered Derick’s warning to her about walking around the dark castle just before they started the investigation.
“I’m not sure if Alazar really explained what I do here. On top of keeping Lucifer sane, Hades and I also oversee the Realms of Torture, punish the Fallen that disobey, and oversee the immortal prisoners in the Hall of Shadows, prisoners that range from false gods to Rogue Angels to werewolves. If there are escape attempts, we have to deal with them. You have to understand, there are things that constantly try to kill us. I also help Lucifer with the Realm of Nightmares, where the truly heinous souls are punished. Derick, I punish souls. I create ways of inflicting pain so that I can make the wicked suffer. If that wasn’t bad enough, one day when the world is on the brink of falling into darkness and madness, I will unleash my Predznak and kill everyone. I will level buildings, raise the seas so that they consume the land, and leave the rest to burn. Standing here in the castle, it’s not scary; it gives you a false sense of security, but out in the realms, you will see things that will turn your stomach and make you wish that you were at home under your covers. This isn’t the version of Hell that you picture in your mind when you try to come up with the worst things imaginable; this is real and horrific. I’ll understand if you don’t want to do this. You joined me because you love me, but you didn’t consider all the problems that come with being with me. It would be wonderful if you can help me, but I won’t be angry if you can’t do it. Just say the word and you can live out your existence in the Mortal Realm, far away from Hell,” she rambled. She couldn’t bear to look at him.
“Anjali, you live in Hell and are bound to the devil. I didn’t think that it was going to be Super Fun Land and happily after ever. I knew that it would be dangerous and challenging. I don’t care what you say, I’m not leaving you. I accept that I may need this room to find solace, but I fully expect you to be with me, in my bed, while I find my solace,” he pulled her close and kissed her.
She held back for a second, then embraced him and kissed him. Pouring all of her fear, anger, and desire into the kiss, she grabbed him tightly, running her hands through his hair, along his back, and down to his ass.
Derick moaned. This was what he needed. He’d missed her touch. The pain of her leaving him alone in the castle, believing that he would never see her again, left his mind and was replaced by lust.
Anjali broke the kiss and tentatively looked up at him. “I’m still Lucifer’s servant,” she knew he would understand her meaning.
“I saw the way that he looked at you. I get it. You serve him in more ways than one. Alazar implied that there was more to your relationship with him as well,” he sighed. He saw the way that Alazar looked at her, like she was his reason for living.
“I was created to be his Master. There is a pull between us that I can’t deny,” she shrugged, unable to explain it.
“This is your world. I’m not going to judge you. I just want to be a part of it,” Derick put his head against her forehead and stared into her blue eyes.
“I stay with Lucifer to keep him from going over the edge. You have to understand, he is completely evil when he is away from me. There’s something inside of me that he responds to. It reminds him of Heaven. He doesn’t love me, Derick, not really. He loves the way I make him feel. I’m the elixir that keeps him from destroying everything to get back home to Heaven. He sees me as his reward for a difficult job, but he can’t always be near me; otherwise, he is too kind. There has to be a balance between seeing me and staying away from me,” she explained. She watched Derick puzzling out what all of that meant.
“So you keep the devil in check, so to speak,” he replied simply. “I understand what you meant when you said things were complicated with him. Like I said, I’m not going to judge, but I’m not going to hide,” he wrapped his arms around her and laid his head on top of hers.
“Love is staying for the hard stuff, isn’t it?” she sighed and nuzzled his chest.
“Yes, it is. I’ve never loved anyone before you. I will never love another,” he leaned down and rubbed his lips against hers.
“There’s something I have to do,” she smiled and pulled back to look into his eyes.
Derick frowned, but nodded.
Anjali took Derick’s face into her hands and kissed him passionately. She pushed some of her borrowed power from Lucifer into Derick and quickly pulled away.
Derick was dazed from the kiss. He felt warm and tingly.
“I have given you the ability to come and go from Hell as you please through the Hall of Mirrors. You also have the ability to create things at will. You can use this power to redecorate your room. If you want, you can go to Tulsa to settle your affairs and bring back your personal items. You might want to say goodbye to your friends so that they don’t try to find you,” Anjali was nervous that going home to get his belongings might be his breaking point. It was one thing to say you wanted to leave home. It was another to actually do it.
“I thought that when we came here, I would never see the world again, I mean the Mortal Realm. I figured that I would be stuck in Hell,” Derick looked questioningly at her. He wasn’t sure if she was still trying to make him leave Hell.
“I go to the Mortal Realm often to gauge how far the mortals have fallen from grace. I also have to find my other nine Predznak. Alazar was the first one I found. I can only imagine what the others will be like,” she leaned her head against his chest, searching for the strength to deal with the other angels.
“I’m sure you’ll win them over, just as you did Alazar. You have me to help you,” he gave her a dazzling smile; though he was worried about what the other angels would be like based on what he knew of Alazar.
“Do you feel well enough for a road trip?” she asked cautiously.
“I’m feeling better by the second now that you’re with me,” he winked.
“Come, you have to get your stuff, and I need to be close to you. Hell is no place for public sex, I assure you,” she laughed and grabbed his hand. She dragged him out of his bedroom and into the Hall of Mirrors.
Derick was shocked by her admission, but couldn’t wait to touch her. It had been too long since he’d claimed her.
I know where I want to take you, he showed her the place in his mind and was stunned
when they arrived at their destination so quickly.
“Where are we?” she looked around the small room.
There was two of everything in the room, two beds, desks, and closets. A mini fridge sat by the door covered by books. Posters of haunted houses and blurry photos of cemeteries lined one side of the wall and the other had a clear wall space with only one poster hanging on it. It was a Star Wars Episode IV poster with the full cast.
He quietly pulled her over to the bed with the navy comforter. He watched her look around his room, curious about his life.
She assumed that the bed with the green comforter belonged to Pete. She noticed that Derick didn’t even glance at it when they arrived.
“Pete got what he deserved, Anjali. I’m not going to cry for him. His family can come get his stuff. It means nothing to me,” he said when he saw her staring at Pete’s photo collection.
“I wish things could have been different,” she replied. Her throat tightened when she thought about Pete’s betrayal.
“He chose his path, and so did I,” he shrugged. “I don’t want to think about him anymore. All I want is to be inside of you, in my bed,” he declared confidently as he took in the sight of her standing in his room with her tight sexy dress.
She frowned as she pointed to the bed. “I thought you could only be satisfied in places where you could get caught,” she said, confused and a little sad that they weren’t going to have sex out in the open. She wanted to please him.
“That was before. To be honest, I was upset in the cemetery when I thought about someone seeing you naked,” he said. He took her face into his hand and kissed her forehead.
She pouted a bit, but smiled when she realized that he was distinguishing her from all the faceless women that he’d had sex with in meaningless places. He wanted to make love to her where he lived, where he slept. He didn’t want a quickie in a bathroom. He wanted to take his time with her.
The Third Throne: Angel of Death Page 60
