by Holly Hunt
universe together.
I needed my Clarissa, and she was dead.
The thought brought a fury to my mind that seared red-hot through me. With a growl, I physically heaved at the strings knitting the universe together and the magic literally repaired the fabric of the cosmos, closing the tear. The ground stabilized and I cursed, using the magic I could see glowing in my hands to pull Aspen back into Seventh Heaven from the Void. He was shaken, but looked okay.
"Lucifer, are you all right?" Beelzebub repeated, stepping gently towards me, his hands up to show he was weapon-less, that he wouldn't hurt me.
He touched me on the shoulder and I collapsed to my knees, crying. I put my hands to my face, sobbing into them, and realized that they were still covered in God's drying blood.
I didn't hear anything from my Demons, but suddenly the six of them gasped. I felt my tail vanish, and I felt my hands change. I shook my head, knotting my fingers in my hair and pulling at it.
Of course I would return to being an Angel.
I'd lost everything.
Again.
I listened to the Demons as they marveled to themselves, exclaiming with delight about their wings becoming white again, their hair glowing again, their skin a light brown once more.
Something dinged, and I continued to sob, my head bowed, as I hugged myself. I heard the sound of the elevator doors separating, but I didn't register them or the gasps that followed, not really.
"Where is he?" a quiet voice asked, making me look up. I knew that voice.
Standing between Jayce and Billy Dune was Clarissa, smiling down at me. She took a step towards me, and the next thing I knew, I was kissing her, holding her as tightly as she was holding me.
The former Demons were smiling at us when I pulled back from her, though I didn't let her go. I just kept staring at her, until I realized that Clarissa's hair was glowing as well, giving it a halo-effect, and her skin was brown, whereas it had been pale white before. She matched the Angels around us, and me.
"Thanks for that welcome, God," she said in a teasing tone, her arms around my neck. "It's wonderful to be welcomed into Heaven in such a manner."
I smiled down at her, refusing to look away in case she vanished. "How is this possible?"
She smiled at me, her blue eyes glinting. "Well, I died, didn't I? There was bound to be some sort of side-effect of that."
My happy mood diminished. "So you're an Angel now?"
She grinned up at me and kissed me. "Well, for about four seconds, I was a Demon, but someone killed God and took Her place, reversing that particular decree."
I felt my lips curve up into a smile. "Then it was worth attacking Heaven to take out Jehovah. I got you back." I leaned in to kiss her again, but she held me back with one hand.
"But there is one thing I need to speak to you about, Lucifer."
The smile dropped from my face. "Like what, Issa?"
"Oh, nothing big. Just the lies you told me about sleeping with Jehovah."
My face grew red, the blush heating my skin. "I—I— um…"
She looked to the Demons, who were gazing anywhere but at us. I could tell they were eavesdropping.
"Hey," she said, turning my face back to her with two fingers on my jaw. "I just need to know that you won't do it again."
"Lie to you? Of course not."
Clarissa tilted her head, looking me in the eye. "Cheat."
"Oh." I blushed harder, hearing one of the formerDemons snicker. "I won't. Why would I cheat on my perfect woman?"
She looked me in the eye for a few seconds, then smiled. "I believe you. Don't disappoint me."
"Issa, there's only one thing I won't do with all the power I now command: disappoint you."
More of the former-Demons snickered. I ignored them, as did Clarissa, and she kissed me happily.
"Good. Because if you do, even being the most powerful being on Earth won't save you from me."
I smiled. "Issa, honey, if there's one thing I know, it's that you can be a really scary bitch when you want to. I haven't forgotten that you were a Hellraiser once."
"Good."
I hugged her tightly. "Hey, Issa, seeing as you're having my child, and I have no secrets left from you..." I hesitated, then pulled back from her, going down on one knee and resting a hand on the slight bulge in her abdomen.
"Clarissa Juliette Avario, will you marry me?" I blurted out, looking her in the eye.
Clarissa stared at me. I held her hand in mine and a diamond ring appeared on her finger. It wasn't extravagant, but I knew her tastes—she wouldn't like an extravagant ring. We'd already gone looking for one, before she became pregnant, and I knew the one she wanted.
She didn't even look at the ring, throwing her arms around my neck and kissing me. I heard the Demons celebrating and laughing in the background as I held her to me.
"Yes!" she yelled, pulling back and looking me in the eye. "There's nothing I'd like to do more than live for eternity as the Devil's wife."
Epilogue
Jehovah
Beneath the crust of the Earth, where men will fear to tread, a Rift awaits the curious.
A part of the Realms governed by both Lucifer and Men, the Rift is a sacred, unholy place, filled with the ghosts of all previous Rulers of Heaven.
Among the inhabitants dwell the Titans, creatures of myth, magic and malice so strong they cause illness in people who come too close to them. The Twelve creatures have been warped and twisted by the ever-present darkness of the Rift, becoming more Demonic than humans could ever dream.
It was in this place that I found myself upon my death at the hands of Lucifer. The darkness pressed in upon me, threatening to overcome me with despair and weakness so it could break free and turn me into one of Them. Welcome, sister, one of the monstrous Titans called form the darkness. I could feel it passing me, feel the air currents, but I couldn't see anything. I might as well have been blind.
I'm not meant to be here, I'm not one of you! I screamed, hearing no sound but knowing my thoughts would be heard.
If you are here, sister, you are meant to be here. Something that felt like the tail of a snake wrapped around my ankle.
And we want you here, a new voice said. We've waited twelve million years, Jehovah. We want our revenge for
being forced into this hellhole in the Earth...
I fought the tendril's pull, trying to claw up and away from the shape, but I could tell I wasn't moving anywhere. Yesss, the snake-Titan hissed, his claw wrapping around my ankle. Revenge isss oursss...
I screamed as he yanked me down, down into the depths of the darkness, where nothing would ever find me again.
About Holly
Ms Hunt, apart from her well-established career as a writer, also finds times to ringlead a circus by the name of 'The Rainbow Coven', an international collection of bizarre―and sometimes downright freakish―young people who share a love of writing and of members of the same sex. She manages to fit writing in around it all―how she manages to
do it, though, not even she is sure.
Visit our website for our growing catalogue of quality books.
www.champagnebooks.com
Table of Contents
Cover
