Demon Kissed (Cursed Angel Collection)

by Michelle Madow

  I can’t believe I’m about to ingest a potion created by a witch. But while I do feel queasy at the prospect of drinking the shimmering liquid, I grip it tighter, readying myself.

  Now is the perfect chance for me to do this. Zeke didn’t join us at dinner tonight, and I’m sure he’s worried that I’ve been avoiding him since the night of the cancelled parade. He gave me access to his suite, so I’m sure he’ll be pleased by my coming by. Plus, if I take the potion now, it’ll have time to wear off before breakfast.

  Staring at the potion is only making me anxious, so I uncap and down it before I can think about it further.

  The liquid is cold—ice cold—and I shiver as it slides down my throat. The cold is so strong that it burns. I curl over the vanity and hold my head in my hands, as if that can stop the pain.

  Did Teresa poison me? It feels like it… but no, she wouldn’t do that. Because poisoning me would mean poisoning Adriana.

  Teresa would never hurt her sister.

  I take a few steady breaths, relieved when the cold dissipates. It takes only a few minutes until I feel normal again. I study my reflection in the mirror, glad to see that besides a watery glaze to my eyes, I look the same as before. I blink a few times and wipe away the water, making sure not to mess up my makeup. Much better.

  Now, I’m ready to see Zeke.

  Carlos walks with me for the short distance to Zeke’s suite.

  “No doorbell?” I ask.

  “Ezekiel would never allow anyone to ring for him.” He laughs. “If Ezekiel wants to see you, he calls for you.”

  “Right.” I take a deep breath, staring at the door. “I suppose that’s why he gave me access to his suite.”

  “Are you going to use it?” Carlos motions toward the lock.

  “In a moment,” I say. “First, I’m going to knock.”

  I knock, but there’s no reply. So I knock again, louder this time. Nothing.

  “I guess he’s not here,” I say, disappointed. Frustrated, too. Because I need to see Zeke within nine hours. Otherwise, Teresa spent all that time creating the potion for nothing.

  I have to find him. But first, I should leave a note so he knows I’m looking for him.

  “Wait here,” I tell Carlos, pressing my finger against the keypad. “I’ll be right back.”

  The door clicks open, and I reach for the handle, letting myself inside. Nothing has changed since the first time I was here—everything is polished and sleek and in its proper place. I search for a pen and paper, but can’t find them in the living room. Perhaps I should try the kitchen?

  I take a few steps toward the kitchen, and there’s a crash from the other direction.

  From his bedroom.

  It must be Zeke—he’s the only one besides me who has access to his suite. Maybe he hadn’t been able to hear me knock from his bedroom? His suite is huge, so it would make sense.

  I hurry toward his door, relieved I won’t have to go on a hunt to find him, after all. And I can’t wait to speak with him. Because regardless of my hesitation about using the truth potion for personal needs, it’ll be incredible to know with certainty that his feelings for me are as true as he claims.

  Eager to see him, I open the door, gasping when I find him mid-thrust on top of a naked—and very bruised—Maria.

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  The door slams against the wall, and he snaps his head up, his eyes meeting mine. He has Maria pinned facedown on the bed, his pants off as he takes her from behind. A lamp is in pieces on the floor. That must have been the crash I heard.

  “Adriana,” he growls, although he doesn’t move away from Maria.

  I stare at him, speechless, watching as Maria backs into him and he shudders in what looks to be pleasure.

  His eyes turn black, and he reaches for her neck, snapping it in a second. She goes still—a lifeless heap beneath him.

  I don’t need to see her face to know that she’s dead.

  He killed her. In the midst of having sex with her.

  It’s so twisted that I can barely comprehend it happened.

  “I should go,” I stutter, unsure why I let myself stay for this long. Why did I let myself in at all? It was so, so stupid.

  “No.” Zeke pulls himself out of Maria’s dead body, grabs his pants, and puts them back on. He doesn’t bother with his shirt, and I can’t stop myself from running my eyes over his sweaty, defined abs. “I gave you access to my suite. I want you here. I want you to stay.”

  “But…” I stare at Maria’s naked body splayed out on his bed.

  He raises an eyebrow. “Did you like what you saw?”

  My cheeks heat at the memory of him thrusting into her. “You killed her,” I say, forcing myself to focus.

  I want to ask why he was with her at all, but I know the answer. I’m not oblivious to the purpose of his concubines. He has needs, and the concubines fulfill those. He never said he would stop using them for that purpose, and I didn’t expect him to stop doing so—especially since I haven’t yet had sex with him.

  “Why did you kill her?” I ask instead.

  “You’ve been avoiding me since I told you I loved you,” he says swiftly. “I figured you wanted nothing to do with me. I didn’t expect you to come here. But you did, and you walked in on me with her.” He glares at Maria, as though she’s a piece of vermin instead of a human being he just killed. “I never wanted you to see that. I was angry—no, I was infuriated. So the darkness took over. Maria’s been there for me to take out my… less-than-angelic aggressions on—but I never wanted you to see us like that. Besides, she’s taunted you and the other girls. Because of that, I didn’t try to fight the darkness. It was time for her to go.”

  I step back, surprised by his brutal honesty. But why should I be surprised? Of course he’s going to be honest. I took that truth potion.

  “It’s not right,” I say, unable to tear my eyes away from her corpse.

  “No,” he agrees. “But the darkness had to go somewhere. Better her than you.”

  “What happens if the darkness takes over and I’m the only one around?” I ask.

  “I’ll fight it.” He holds my gaze. “I’ll never kill you.”

  “Why?” I need to hear him say it now—with the truth potion affecting him.

  “You know why.”

  “I do.” I nod. “But after what I just walked in on… I want to hear it again.”

  “Because I love you, Adriana,” he says, as natural as ever. “You’ve stolen my heart, and I could never live with myself if anything bad happened to you. I’ll protect you with my life. I swear it. What do I have to do to get you to believe me?”

  His words—his undeniably truthful words—make me freeze in place. Demons aren’t supposed to be capable of love. But maybe that’s not true. Perhaps it’s a lie we’re told to make us see them as monsters—to make us see them as the enemy.

  “I have an idea,” I say, forcing myself to remember why I’m here in the first place. I must find the Flaming Sword before the truth potion stops working. “But first—can you remove Maria’s body? I can’t focus with a corpse in the room.”

  “Fair.” He raises a hand and lights her body up in flames. All that remains is a pile of ashes on his bed.

  “Thank you.” I nod, although the ashes aren’t much better.

  “You still look distressed,” he observes.

  “Can you blame me?” I ask. “I may not have liked Maria, but she didn’t deserve to die.”

  “She was always going to die,” he says simply. “I already explained what happens with the darkness—I will not explain again. I can’t change what I am. If you can’t accept me for my flaws, then I’m going to have to ask you to leave. Go back to your sector, to your home with your family, where you’ll be far out of my reach. I’ll never stop thinking about you, but at least you’ll be safe.”

  “What if I don’t want to go back?” I raise my chin, more determined now than ever to figure out a way to destroy th
e darkness and free Zeke from its hold. “What if I want to stay?”

  “Then you’ve chosen to love me despite my flaws, and I’ll only love you more for it.”

  I walk to him slowly. Once I reach him, I lay my hands against his chest, stand on my toes, and press my lips to his. He returns the kiss, slowly at first, and then with more passion. Soon, our bodies are pressed so tightly together that it feels like our souls are intertwined. He’s saying he loves me with each kiss, with each touch, and I want to stay here like this with him forever.

  But I need to figure out where he’s hiding the sword. Reluctantly, I pull away, gazing into his eyes as I figure out how to begin.

  “Is that all you needed to believe me?” His voice is low and rough. “A kiss?”

  “That’s how I showed that I see who you are past the darkness, and that I love you and will fight to be with you,” I say. “But I do have a question for you.”

  “You know you can ask me anything,” he says.

  “It’s a silly question, really.” I bite my lip, giving a small shrug. “But I’ve been wondering about it since the day I arrived at the Watchtower.”

  “Now you have me curious.” His gaze is lighter now—almost playful.

  “Okay.” I take a deep breath, and begin. “As you know, families pass down the story of how you came to power—how you won the Flaming Sword from Uriel and used it to claim this land as your own, becoming king and building a thriving society out of the ruins of what was left of the world after the realms collided,” I say, repeating the twisted history story that Teresa told me all families truly do tell their children—or at least tell them in public.

  “Yes,” he says, his eyes gleaming. “I remember that day well. Why do you bring it up now?”

  “Because all my life, I’ve dreamed of seeing the Flaming Sword with my own eyes.” I shrug again, as if admitting a silly childhood fantasy. “I know there’s an image of it on our coins, but it’s not the same as seeing the real sword. Don’t you agree?”

  “The rendition on the coins is perfect,” he says. “But yes, it’s hardly the same as seeing the real thing.”

  “Can you show it to me?” I move closer to him, resting my hands on his hips. “The real Flaming Sword?”

  “I keep the Flaming Sword in a secret place.” His eyes dart around the room. “You must understand—the sword is what I used to claim the city, but it’s also very dangerous.”

  “Even to you?” I laugh, as if the thought of anything being dangerous to him is ridiculous. “I thought you were invincible.”

  “Nearly invincible.” He winks. “There’s only one thing in the world that can kill me.”

  “The Flaming Sword?” I part my lips slightly, as if I’m shocked by this news.

  I hate deceiving him like this, but it’s for his own good. If Teresa can figure out how to use the sword to destroy the darkness in his soul, he’ll be free of it forever. And I wish I could be honest with him about the plan, but witches are persecuted here. I can’t risk telling him that Teresa’s a witch until she knows for sure that she can do this. I can’t risk him having her killed.

  “Yes.” He nods. “Which is why I keep its location hidden. Only a trusted guard member knows where it is.”

  “Don’t you trust me?” I ask.

  “You know I do.” He growls and kisses me again, tangling his hands in my hair and pulling me closer. “I gave you access to my suite,” he says. “What more can I do to prove how much I love and trust you?”

  I lean back, my lips nearly brushing against his when I look up at him and say, “I want you to show me the sword.”

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  “Come with me,” he says, holding his hand out for me to take.

  I take his hand, and he leads me to the wall on the other side of his bedroom. He pushes against the wooden panel, and it moves back and to the side for him.

  “A secret passage,” I say.

  “Yes,” he says. “Only three people in the world know it’s here—me, my head guard, and now you.”

  The passage leads to a small, dark room with a circular iron stairway in the center. From up here, the stairs appear to go on forever.

  I rest my hands on the railing and peer down. “How far does it go?” I ask.

  “To the basement,” he says.

  “We’re going to walk down seventy floors?”

  “No.” He laughs. “That’s just a failsafe plan. We’re going to take the elevator.”

  He presses a button on the opposite wall—an elevator panel. The elevator doors blend in with the wall, practically unnoticeable.

  They open immediately after he presses it.

  “After you,” he says, motioning for me to go in first.

  The inside of the elevator is industrial and bare. I suppose there’s no need to decorate it, since Zeke and the head guard are the only ones who use it. There’s a keypad and two unmarked buttons inside. Zeke enters a code into the keypad—0129—and a light above it blinks green. Then he presses the lower unmarked button, and the elevator begins to descend.

  What’s he thinking right now? I look over at him to try to figure it out, but he stares straight at the doors, his expression blank. Does he wonder why he’s showing me this? Would he be showing me this if it wasn’t for the truth potion?

  Eventually, the elevator stops moving and the doors open, revealing an ornate room—with the Flaming Sword floating in an orb in the center.

  “Wow.” I step out of the elevator and onto a plush Turkish rug, staring up at the sword. It’s huge—almost as tall as I am—and made of gold so pure that it shines even in this dim lighting. The orb around it pulses with energy so strong that I can see it waver.

  Zeke joins me, and I hear the elevator doors close behind us. “Is it all you imagined it would be?” he asks, placing his hands on my shoulders.

  “It’s more incredible than I believed possible,” I say, since it’s true. “But what’s the orb thing around it?”

  “It’s a boundary spell,” he explains. “To keep the sword contained, I had a witch cast that spell soon after I came to power. After all, I can’t risk anyone getting hold of it.”

  “Because it’s the only thing in the world that can kill you,” I say.

  “Exactly.”

  We admire the sword for a few minutes in silence. I can’t believe I’m here—staring at the ancient sword forged by Uriel himself. The sword he kept by his side during epic battles throughout history.

  The sword Ezekiel stole from him.

  “What are you thinking about?” Zeke asks. He’s so close that I easily lean back into him, and he wraps his arms around me, holding me steady.

  “I’m thinking about how lucky I am that you trust me enough to show me the one object in the world that makes you vulnerable,” I say. “Thank you, Zeke. Bringing me here means so much to me.”

  “The Flaming Sword is no longer the only thing in the world that makes me vulnerable,” he murmurs in my ear.

  “Really?” My heart races at the intensity of his tone. “What else is there?”

  “You.” He spins me around and his lips are on mine again, kissing me with more passion than ever before. “Marry me, Adriana,” he says, looking at me with so much intensity that it’s like he’s staring into my soul. “Marry me and become my queen.”

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  “What?” I pull back, startled at his proposal.

  “You heard me.” He drops to one knee and takes my hand. “For centuries, I thought I would never find love again. I gave into the darkness that consumes my soul, convinced I was doomed to an existence of being alone. Then you burst into my world and changed everything. You reminded me of a light that I thought I’d lost—you reminded me of what it feels like to love. I’ve been around for a long time—long enough to know that a love like the one I feel for you is rare. And I don’t intend to lose it. You would be doing me the greatest honor, Adriana Medina, if you agreed to be my wife—and my qu
een.”

  I’m so shocked I can barely breathe. I feel like a traitor. Because he thinks he’s proposing to Adriana Medina—a Gold who auditioned to be his concubine.

  He has no idea that he’s proposing to me—Rebekah, a messenger angel of Heaven sent to kill him.

  He would never love me if he knew who I really am.

  “I don’t have a ring yet,” he continues. “I’m as shocked at this proposal as you are. But it feels right. And I promise to get you the most beautiful ring you can ever imagine. So… do you accept my proposal? Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  “I don’t know what to say.” My eyes well up with tears—but not with happiness, as one might expect in a moment like this. They’re tears of frustration and guilt.

  Because I do love him, and I know he loves me.

  But the two of us were doomed from the start. Even if I say yes, there’s no way this will end well.

  “Say yes.” His eyes burn with desire. “What’s holding you back?”

  “It’s just…” I search for an explanation—something that will explain my hesitation without giving away the truth. “You’re immortal. I’m not. I’m going to grow old and eventually die, while you remain the same. You love me now, but will you still love me thirty years from now, when I look old enough to be your mother? Or your grandmother?”

  “Ah,” he says, understanding crossing his face. “I see. But this doesn’t need to be a problem. We’ll find a solution to your mortality, Adriana. I’ll search far and wide for a way for you to become immortal. Together, we’ll rule this continent as its king and queen. Just say yes. Say yes, and we’ll be together forever.”

  “Yes.” The word slips from my mouth without my realizing it. The moment it does, he stands up and pulls me into his arms, spinning me around and kissing me again.

  “Say it again,” he says, and my heart’s fuller than it’s ever been.

  At the same time, I feel like I’m falling down a roller coaster, and I don’t know if I’ll ever find my way back up. What am I doing? I’m going back on everything I was created to be—I’m turning my back on God and Heaven.