by Jana LaPelle
Dax nods, “Since this place has been erected, he has grown in power. Even my fathers are being fed by this place. They are loyal to Luc, but we fear that civil war is brewing within the Underworld. If it comes right down to it, my fathers will side with Luc but the other two ruling princes will more than likely side with Mammon. They are being fed by this place in return for their allegiance.”
“What does that mean for Luc? For The Underworld?” Poppy is quick to ask.
Dax moves away to the fully stocked bar and pours a drink, shaking his head sadly, “Nothing good for any of us.”
Before we can analyze this conversation further, there’s a knock on the door to our rooms, Dax is quick to open the door and allow rack after rack of clothing to be brought into our suite. Poppy squeals in delight but I can only dwell on our previous conversation. Somehow all of this is connected. I’m conscious of what is going on behind me, but for the moment, my attention is drawn to the floor to ceiling windows that showcase nothing but clouds. I’m drawn to the expansive view before me. I’ve never been so high above the ground. Not even when dragon flying. The day has drawn out and I’m surprised to see that sunset is upon us. This high up, all I can see is the blazing orange and red globe sitting on the horizon. I’m mesmerized as I stand toe to glass and lean my forehead against the barrier to see if I can see the ground below us. All I can see is the cotton-like clouds that blanket the building below us this high up reflecting the pink and orange colors of the sunset.
“Lillie JoBug, you have to come see this! This is awesome! What are you waiting for?” Poppy demands in her excitement.
Turning, I watch as my best friend in all the realms pulls one outfit after another off the racks, holding them up to her. A kindly older woman smiles and compliments her profusely, asking which of the outfits she would like to keep. Once confirmed, she whips out a wand and majics a spell over the fabric, and it suddenly morphs into Poppy’s perfect size, complete with wing holes. She squeals and dances about, pulling more clothing from the racks. Looking over, I find Daxell casually observing me when a call comes in. He just stares at me before turning and says, “Connect call.”
A holographic image flares to life in the middle of the room. A stunning woman appears before us and she only has eyes for Daxell. For a moment, jealousy burns hot and heavy in my chest before she speaks, “You’re here!” She gushes and smiles a brilliant smile and then she is flanked by two identical males, where she is all pale shades and shimmering silver, even her eyes are a most unusual gray, the two males are extremely handsome, with skin tones of milk chocolate, both looking very mischievous. This threesome is Dax’s parents. It’s easy to see where his coloring comes from but he shares more of his finely chiseled features with his mother, never the less, he’s the perfect blend between the three of them. I’m drawn out of my ponderings to hear, “Before you arrived, I took the pleasure of depositing a few of your things in your chambers. I know that in the past we have not insisted on your attending certain functions, but things are changing for those that dwell in The Underworld and your presence is required tonight at Mammon’s insistence, that and your guest. Daxell, this is serious. Do you understand?”
“Yes. I will attend but I do not want Lillie or Poppy anywhere near this gathering tonight.”
His father with the green eyes, Envy, pins Daxell with a penetrating gaze and imparts in a deep velvety voice, “You are in his house now, son. There will be no declining his invitation. Besides, we as a family must appear as a united front. That includes your mate if that is what Ashlinn’s daughter is to you. We are very much looking forward to meeting your chosen one. Meet us in our suite within the hour, we will dine together as a family before setting off to Mammon’s soirée,” He nods and with that, their image winks out as they disconnect from the call.
Daxell glares over at me and growls, “I never should have brought you here.” He stalks from the room and I’m not sure what to make of his sudden change of affection for me.
Cara comes to stand beside me and whines softly, comforting me the best she can. I lean down and whisper, “It’s okay, girl. We’ve got this.”
The witch amongst us bows and says, “May I?”
The next thing I know she is bustling about, grabbing items off of the racks of gowns and dresses, and holding them up to both of us. Poppy looks at me and her smile is contagious. I’m not looking forward to meeting Mammon, but the rest of the evening could be really fun. More than likely, though, it could become a fact-finding mission. The witch holds up a cream gossamer gown with a beaded off the shoulder bodice for Poppy, it looks stunning on her against her fair complexion and midnight black hair. The back is completely open to the waist, for obvious reasons. I look to the witch and ask, “You know what she is?”
She smiles and nods, “My name is Willow, I’ve been assigned to the duke and to you. I have many special talents, one of which allows me to differentiate breed.” She nods to Poppy, and says, “Your friend here is very unique. I have never met a halfbreed between a sprite and satyr.”
I interrupt her, “Willow, no one must know what she is. Especially, Mammon. He’s a collector and he will want her. Give me your vow that you will not -”
I do not serve Mammon!” She denies vehemently.
“Then who do you serve?” Poppy demands, unexpectantly.
“Morgwais sent me to this place to be her eyes and ears. She is my mistress and I serve only her. Now that we have settled that. How may I serve you, Lady Lillie and Lady Poppy?” She smiles serenely back at us, her softly lined face belies her age, and there is a twinkle in her dark brown eyes.
“Do you know her as Neamhain as well?” I ask.
“She is Morgwais to the witches within her coven. She has and always will be Morgwais. Neamhain gifted this persona to us, she enlightens us, she strengthens us, she is our coven leader. She is many things to many others but to us, she is Morgwais.”
“Then why does she not show herself to us as Morgwais? Mama is always grumbling that she misses Morgwais, but Neamhain just laughs and says maybe one day when she is needed again. I have no memories of meeting her in that form.” I mutter.
Willow smiles, “Then you are fortunate. Morgwais only shows herself in times of grave change, grave danger. I fear that the time for Morgwais is upon us again. The Morríganites are gaining power. Here, time is running out. You both must be fitted for gowns for this evening's events. You must trust no one! Do you hear me?” She demands as she walks to the door to our suite to allow a swarm of sprites into our chambers that usher Poppy into her room with her gown. Willow picks up a pair of simple strappy heels and waves her wand. Suddenly, they are transformed to match the gown that Poppy will be wearing and hands them off to a pair of sprites as they hurry after the others.
Turning to me she says, “Come here young goddess, this should do nicely.” She pulls a slinky little black number from the rack and holds up to gauge my size, with a flick of her wand, it majically morphs to my size. Pulling a simple pair of heels from the rack she flicks her wand again and they transform into something magnificent.
I can’t help but ask with a grin, “Are you my faerie godmother?”
Willow smirks, “Don’t be daft, child. I’m better than that, I’m a double agent. Come on, go put this on and let’s get you ready to meet your future in-laws. That’s right, whatever comes your way, the duke will be by your side.”
Knowing that I only have about twenty minutes to get ready for my evening, I take the gown and race into my room. I quickly change and take a look at myself in the mirror. The gown is solid black with a sweetheart neckline that dips low over my cleavage. The bodice is beaded with black onyx gemstones and covered with a fine lace that loops up and slightly over my shoulders, my arms are covered in the delicate lace to my wrist. The gown is form-fitting with a rather daring slit up to my left thigh to almost my hip. I open the door to my room and a swarm of sprites enters and begins weaving my unruly hair into complicated braids
. I marvel at their talent before spinning in front of the mirror. Two sprites appear carrying my tiara and place it upon my head as they interweave strands of my hair over it. Then Willow places a pair of heels in front of me and I gingerly step into them. They perfectly compliment my attire for the evening. I step out into the open common room of the suite. The troop of sprites has left and Willow is packing up, she turns and winks at me, “You’ve got this.” She smiles as she closes the door behind her.
I look over to see Daxell standing in the doorway to his room, his look is smoldering, but his face belies his unease. He paints a rather fine picture standing there in his evening attire, his scowl etched upon his striking face. He wears a coronet befitting his station as a duke of The Underworld and he looks more withdrawn than ever. Just when I thought that we were connecting, he has begun pulling back and I don’t know what to do about it. What happened to the duke being by my side? From where I’m standing, he looks like he’s about to bolt.
20
We Are So Screwed!
(Daxell)
God. Lillie Joanna is beyond gorgeous, she is exquisite. Mammon is not going to abstain from asserting his dominance and reign here in this place of his. This den of sin. The moment he lays eyes on her and realizes who she is, she will be lost to me. He will demand that I turn her over as restitution for his previous losses. His arrogance knows no boundaries and his rapacity is all-encompassing. I can’t allow her to step foot in front of his evil highness if I can help it. If she does, that will be it. I will have to speak with my fathers before we are required to present ourselves this evening. I know that I’m being a cold-ass bastard, but I turned away from her none the less. I need to distance myself from her if we are going to make it through the night. Just seeing her dressed like that has the ability to weaken my resolve, to give in to her every whim. Glancing at myself in the huge full-length mirror in my room, I cringe at my appearance. I truly despise having to wear this obnoxious getup. The suit, the cape, the coronet. None of this is me and now LJ is caught up in this fucking freak show, all because I was a stupid ass and thought that I could keep her safe. Hold her apart.
Sighing, I walk back into the main room. Seeing LJ, Cara, and Poppy all standing near the full-length window. I startle all of the females in front of me when I announce, “I’ve changed my mind about this evening. You ladies will trace back here after dinner with my parents and wait for me here. I want no argument on that point.”
LJ steps forward in her ultra-high stiletto heels, “Not on your life, demon boy. We’re here for a reason, and you promised your help.”
“Princess, the shit is about to hit the fan. I don’t want you anywhere near this gathering. I don’t rank high enough to keep you safe from Mammon.” I huff, barely able to keep my demon from making an appearance, not that he will stay down long once entering Mammon’s gathering.
Lillie saunters toward me, “Silly demon, no one can take me from you. I belong to you and you to me.” Her beautiful sapphire eyes smile up at me seductively.
“So, what’s it going to be, stud muffin?” Poppy interjects, her lips twitching.
Sighing, I pull LJ to me. Her gown hugs her every curve. The black fabric showcases semiprecious jewels that mimic the night sky on her slender frame. I whisper, “Tonight will make or break us. I fear that you are not prepared for what lies before us. I never should have brought you here. Either of you.” I don’t wait for her reply and pull away to open the door to our suite so that all of us can ascend to the next level of this monstrosity in the clouds. Cara bounds up the steps to the next level, her fluffy tail wagging as she disappears around the corner.
“You worry overly much. Come on, demon boy. I want to meet your parents and then we can worry about what comes next.” She takes my hand and I relax for the moment.
I bring her fingers to my lips and kiss her knuckles tenderly and whisper, “They are going to love you.”
She smiles smugly, “I know. I’m adorable.”
I laugh begrudgingly and pull her to me and whisper, “I know you are, but you need to heed my warning about tonight.”
She nods earnestly, “I will. I promise, Daxell.”
We quickly climb the stairs, Poppy races after Cara, leaving us to bring up the rear. I take LJ’s hand and as we arrive on the landing, my father opens the door to their suite and announces, “You’re late.” His warm brown eyes twinkling before a huge smile breaks over his face. “Welcome! Come on in, we have the table set and your mother is beside herself. Ladies, it is our great pleasure to welcome you tonight.”
“Thank you, father.” I incline my head at our greeting.
Asmodeus, my father, inclines his head and smiles in greeting while waving us all into their suite. I take a moment to look around their apartment. I’ve never been here but it has my mother’s stamp all over it. The large open atrium is sleek in design. The travertine floors gleam with a high polish. The suite is at least two stories and I look up to watch my mother descend the spiral staircase with my father, Leviathan, in tow. She sweeps her arms out dramatically as she spots LJ at my side. My mother is beautifully clad in a stunning gown of shimmering silver that hugs her body. When she reaches the last step and moves toward us she reaches for LJ. Her smile lights up the room.
LJ curtsies and bows her head and then says, “I’m honored to make your acquaintance.”
“My dear, it is I that is honored! Come, ladies, let us get acquainted while the men catch up.” She pulls LJ and Poppy after her. Cara looks back at me, her dark brown eyes questioning, cocking her head she studies me before turning to follow LJ.
Dismissing Cara and her curious look my way, I turn to both of my fathers and say in hushed tones, “I need to speak with you privately. Do you mind?”
“Follow us. I have a feeling I know what is on your mind.”
They lead me into a room that looks like a study with all warm-colored woods and supple leather-bound chairs and couches. Both of my fathers are decked out in similar attire, dark suits and laurels befitting a prince. Levi turns to me and hands me a crystal lowball glass with a dark amber whiskey on ice, and asks, “I assume this has something to do with the lovely goddess you have invited into our midst and her intriguing friend?”
Taking a deep gulp of the liquor while mulling over my concerns, I turn to both of them and ask, “How can I keep both of them safe from Mammon tonight? He outranks me. We came here to see if we could ferret out a growing faction of followers for the fallen goddess, Morríganna, but now that we’re here, I realize that I should have come alone. I never should have agreed to bring her with me. I had no idea as to the foothold that he has here. How can I keep LJ safe tonight? Is it possible for us to bow out of this gathering?”
Asmodeus eyes me, his chocolate brown eyes twinkling but his concern bleeds through before he responds, “So, she is the one.” He says it as an affirmation and not a question. “You should know that Mammon is aware of all of us from The Underworld that has gathered here and his invitation is not one that can be declined. Son, you must attend and at the very least, your little goddess with you. The intriguing otherworldly beauty may be able to avoid the summoning this evening, but I sense that she will steadfastly follow her friend.”
“There must be something that can be done!” I demand, not wanting to admit defeat so quickly.
“Stake your claim, Daxell. If Lillie Joanna is your heart’s desire then you should brand her as your own.”
“Father, you don’t understand. It’s not that easy. I can’t just claim her, she’s a goddess.”
“So?” Both of my fathers ask, “We really don’t understand what the problem is here. At least ask that she wear your colors, the colors of our established house in our realm. She’s halfway there, she’s all in black, you just need to add a splash of green and crimson.”
“I know that you both are used to taking what you want but … I want her to understand just what she is getting into. I don’t want her to leap first and r
egret it later because it will be too late at that point. My demon is proving to be a possessive bastard. She needs to be sure and we barely know one another.” I turn to view the night sky beyond the floor to ceiling window but all I see is a reflection of the room behind me. I’m surprised by the look on both of their faces, they look contrite which is not a look that I’ve ever seen them wear.
Levi moves to stand by my side, nodding, he acknowledges my concerns, “Son, I envy the newness of this relationship. Discovering what you have and what is still to come. What I don’t envy is how you are holding yourself back. That is not something that I would ever want to relive.” His hand comes down on my left shoulder as his words sink in.
Asmodeus is on my other side, he picks up where his brother left off, “That’s right. As much as we knew we didn’t want to live without your mother, we also didn’t want to damn her to live in The Underworld with us. We get it, but in the end, it was her choice and she surprised us at how strong and resilient that she has been. Initially, we were going to let her choose between us, but she would have none of that. She said, and I quote, “I have enough love in my heart to love you both, equally.” She changed our lives Daxell. Your mother is beyond compare and we are the luckiest males alive to have her accept us both into her heart. All I’m saying is, don’t underestimate your little goddess, because that would be a mistake.”
Chuckling, I turn to face both of them in the dim light of the masculine study, “I think I get it. I need to be myself and don’t underestimate the female I’m destined to be with.”
