Lucifer's Queen: A Paranormal Romance Read online

  “My king, I swear to you that I was unaware of her connection with my demons.” Asmodeus suddenly blurted. I sighed. I knew it wasn’t his fault. Hell, I hadn’t known either. “They would have been extremely careful had they known.”

  “I know.” I sighed. “It was stupid of me to assume that she had forever lost that connection with them. They’ve always been inside of her head. I had only assumed that they had disconnected from her when she came down to Hell.”

  “Your Father is trying to torture her, my king.”

  I gritted my teeth. “Father is beginning to really piss me the fuck off.”

  “My demons’ loyalty lies with her, and they will go against even my own orders to protect her,” Asmodeus informed me. I snapped my eyes up to him in disbelief. His demons did not disobey him for shit for fear of being killed – slaughtered. “Their will to protect her is stronger than your Father’s will to destroy her. Trust me on that. Nothing will happen to our queen.”

  Bela suddenly groaned, her eyes slowly fluttering open. “I will go fetch some soup for her,” Asmodeus said as he turned and walked back out of the room.

  “My love, how are you feeling?” I asked her.

  “My head.” She mumbled.

  I pressed my lips to her temple before I slid off of the bed and walked to our bathroom, grabbing the bottle of Tylenol off of the bathroom counter. After filling a small cup with water, I walked back over to her and sat on the edge of the bed, my body facing hers. “Here, my queen,” I said as I handed her the two tablets in my hand. “Take these. It is Tylenol.”

  She accepted the pills with a thankful smile in my direction before she grabbed the glass from me and swallowed them. I quickly took the glass from her once she was finished, and she leaned her head back against the headboard, her eyes shutting.

  I could feel the pain pulsing through my temples, so I knew she was basically in agony. And I fucking hated it – hated that all I could do was try to soothe the pain when I wanted to take it all away from her.

  Asmodeus stepped back into the room holding a steaming bowl of soup and a pack of saltine crackers. Bela groaned, a frown pulling at her lips. “I’m not hungry, Luc.”

  I sighed as I took the bowl from Asmodeus. “You need to eat, my love.”

  She shook her head. “I’m still not feeling that good. Please don’t make me.” She begged.

  I set the soup on the bedside table and grabbed her hands in mine. “Bela, my queen, look at me.” I softly commanded. She slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to face me. She was so pale that it tore at my heart.

  “My little destroyer, you are pregnant,” I told her. I gave her a moment, watching as her eyes widened in disbelief and her lips parted slightly in shock. I rubbed my thumbs over the back of her hands. “I need you to eat, Bela.”

  “How do you know I’m pregnant?” She asked me. Tears welled in her eyes. “How was I not the first to know?”

  “Oh, my love,” I whispered as I drew her into my arms. She trembled. “I had Rufus examine you after you collapsed earlier. He heard the baby’s heartbeat, and he told me to listen. I heard it as well. You are pregnant, my queen. You are carrying our little prince or princess.”

  She threw her arms around my neck, tears sliding down her cheeks. I just held her, allowing her to cry. Asmodeus silently took his spot beside the door, guarding the room and Bela. He closed his eyes, but I knew he was aware of everything that was happening.

  I gently pulled Bela’s face from my shoulder after a few minutes and pressed my lips to her cheeks. “Please stop crying, my queen,” I begged her. “I will cherish this baby just as much as I cherish you. But I need you to eat. The crackers may even help you feel a little better.”

  She nodded and swiped at her cheeks before she grabbed the bowl of soup from the table. I opened the crackers for her and gave her an encouraging smile. “Do not fret. You will make a fine mother, my queen, and everyone here will love our child just as much as they love you.” I promised her.

  “It explains why I was feeling so horrible today.” She said quietly. She sipped some of the broth off of the spoon and sighed, her eyes closing. “Oh, that’s helpful.” She whispered.

  “There is some ginger in it,” Asmodeus spoke up. She turned her head to look at him in surprise. I grunted, making Asmodeus’s lips twitch at my annoyance. “I had the cook put some in before I brought it here. It helps nausea.”

  “How the hell do you know so much?” I asked him.

  He only grunted. “I listen, my king.”

  I rolled my eyes before I looked back at Bela. She giggled. “It’s funny seeing you annoyed, Luc.”

  I flashed her a grin, loving the sound of her laugh. It soothed the more tormented parts of my soul. “Drink your soup, Bela.”

  She pouted at me, but took another sip, her eyes closing in contentment. The pain in her head was lessening by the second, and the churning in her stomach had almost completely disappeared.

  Guess I was going to have to start listening more, too, especially if I wanted to be able to help the more human side of my queen.

  FOURTEEN

  After Bela’s headache had gone away and the churning in her stomach had settled, she had demanded to train again. So, against my better judgement, I allowed her. Bela was becoming headstrong, becoming more independent and more like a queen.

  I was proud of her, even if it did drive me up the wall sometimes – like now when I just wanted her to fucking rest.

  So, for the past two days, she had been training almost non-stop with Kyle, but she had gained control of her magic, and now, Kyle was simply training her on how to wield it to do what she wanted.

  And she looked fucking magnificent as she fully embraced her true self, finally becoming comfortable in her own skin.

  I only stepped in to remind her to eat, drink water, relax when she wasn’t feeling good, and force her to come home and get rest at the end of each day.

  “You chose your queen well, my king,” Asmodeus said from next to me as he watched Bela use her magic on her brother, sending him flying back a few hundred feet.

  I smirked. My queen was stronger than her brother, and he was the Angel of Death.

  “She chose me, Asmodeus. I would not have brought her here if she had not chosen to be here with me.”

  “It is clear that she loves all of us, my king – even those of us who are not worthy of such things.” He looked over at me. “She is perfect.”

  Bela suddenly stopped, and discomfort flared through my abdomen quickly followed by nausea. With a muttered curse, I appeared at her side. I wrapped one arm around her waist and pressed my other hand to her belly. “It is time to call it quits for the day, my queen,” I told her.

  Shockingly, she nodded her head in agreement. “Okay.” She closed her eyes, a quiet moan of discomfort sounding from her. “I don’t feel good at all.”

  I leaned down and slowly lifted her into my arms, being careful not to jostle her too much. I knew vomiting wasn’t comfortable for her, and I wanted to avoid it at all costs. Even I wasn’t fond of that raw, burning sensation in my throat.

  Kyle walked over and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. “Feel better, Sis.”

  He disappeared right after. Asmodeus silently followed behind me with her other three guards as I carried her back towards the castle. Asmodeus suddenly released a low rumble. I looked over my shoulder at him in question, but he only shook his head.

  I clenched my jaw but forced myself to keep walking. Something had happened, but he didn’t want to alarm Bela. But I needed to know what the fuck was going on.

  Later, my king. Asmodeus suddenly spoke into my mind. Your brother is handling it for the moment as are my demons. Let them do their job.

  I protectively tightened my arms around Bela. What the fuck is going on, Asmodeus? I demanded as I turned a corner in the castle.

  The witch has made her move, and she is attacking my demons, trying to work her way here to the cas
tle. Your brother and my people are holding her off. Take care of the queen, my king. This will ultimately be her battle in the end. She needs to rest as much as she possibly can before her mother makes it here.

  I forced myself not to lose control of my temper. My queen would not be facing her mother – especially not while she was pregnant. I would not run the risk that something happened to her or our baby. If Bela lost our child, I knew it would devastate her. My queen would never recover from that.

  Already, she was so attached to our little one. I’d lost count of the number of times I’d caught her with her hands over her belly with a soft smile on her face.

  She would make an amazing mother, and I would not let a single fucking soul rip that opportunity away from her.

  Asmodeus suddenly roared, and the sound of demons screeching reached my ears. Bela jerked her head up off of my shoulder, her wide, alarmed eyes meeting mine. I quickly set her on her feet as demons surrounded us, protecting their queen.

  Asmodeus burst through the circle, his body rippling, his true form begging to be released. “My king, let me get her to safety,” Asmodeus begged me.

  “No!” Bela snapped. Black magic filled the air, almost feeling like it was burning my skin. My queen’s eyes flashed gold with the color of her magic, and her skin began to shimmer.

  “We need to get you to safety, Bela,” I told her. “This is not an option for you.”

  “Like hell, it’s not!” She snapped up at me. A thunderous growl ripped from my chest. “This is my fight. She ruined my body, almost ripped away my chance at forever with you.” Pain lanced through my chest – her pain – at the reminder. “What I did to my father was an accident.” Her eyes burned with tears, and my soul screamed for her, begging to destroy everyone around us because of her pain. I could feel it as if it were my own. “I was not in control of myself. I was being tormented and controlled. But she has come into my home and has tried to destroy my people. I will not stand for this, Lucifer.”

  I gripped her arm, yanking her up close to me. “You will go with Asmodeus and allow him to protect you, Bela.” I snapped down at her, not in the mood for her hard-headedness right now. This wasn’t the time for her independent streak to show.

  She defiantly glared up at me. “He is the one person in Hell who is not affected by any kind of magic. You will go with him.”

  “No!” She shouted. Her power pulsed from her body, knocking me back a couple of feet. Her glow shined a little bit brighter. It was a fucking beautiful sight.

  “You’re not strong enough to stop her,” Asmodeus told me. I roared, my wings ripping from my back. “Your child holds the same magic she does. She is twice as strong right now. All we can do is protect her here.” He told me. “Arguing with her right now is going to be pointless, my king.”

  “Bela, I swear to you, I will burn the entire fucking world if something happens to you.” I snarled. “There will not be a piece of humanity left.”

  She reached up and gripped my face in her hands. Her magic filtered into me, relaxing me and calming me. “Have faith in me, my king.” She begged me. “I am strong enough for this.”

  I clenched my jaw. Every bit of me rejected this. I wanted her safe and away from harm.

  “You had better hope so,” I warned her.

  The ground shook, but Bela stood strong, her glowing, golden eyes staying locked on mine. “Nothing will happen to me.” She swore. “Because if something does, then something happens to my baby. And I will never allow the ugliness of this world to touch my child.” She promised.

  She then released me. Demons screeched, their feet pounding the floor. A sexy, wicked smile tilted her lips. It almost diminished my rage. “Have faith.” She told me.

  I gritted my teeth. “I’m trying, my queen.”

  She wrapped her hand around the back of my neck and leaned up on her tiptoes. “I am Lucifer’s queen.” She softly spoke, her lips brushing mine. I growled as I gripped her hips, yanking her body closer to mine as I wrapped my wings around her – cocooning her. “I may have a soft heart, Luc, but when someone fucks with my family – with my people – I will destroy them.”

  “She’s here,” Asmodeus informed us. My skin began to burn from the black magic. It felt like poison being poured over me.

  Bela suddenly kissed me, her tongue meeting mine almost instantly. A possessive growl sounded from my chest as I kissed her back.

  The burning sensation disappeared, and she pulled back from me. “She cannot touch you, my king.”

  With that, she stepped back from me. Asmodeus roared, his body changing and shifting until he stood in his true form. A massive giant stood before us, his skin gone. You could literally see his muscle and his blood vessels. His eyes were black, soulless pits.

  Bela grabbed my hand in hers. “Do not let go.” She told me. And despite her bravery, I could feel her fear as if it were my own.

  I squeezed her hand. “Never, my queen.” I pressed my lips to the shell of her ear. “Destroy her,” I whispered.

  FIFTEEN

  BELA

  My mother glared at me from the entrance to the castle. Asmodeus’s demons were surrounding me – protecting me. Lucifer was holding my hand in his, keeping me at his side. Asmodeus was a gigantic, silent force standing behind me and Lucifer, ready to move forward and protect me if needed.

  Even my brother was standing beside Asmodeus.

  I was well protected, and it was making her furious.

  My hand shook in Lucifer’s as I met her hateful, furious gaze. I swallowed thickly. I’d never been able to be the child she’d wanted. I was different – so different – because my fate had been set in stone long before I was born.

  I was supposed to be Lucifer’s second chance at redemption, and I was supposed to take his position, crowning me the queen of Hell.

  But it hadn’t happened like that, and before long, Lucifer was preparing – ready to make me the queen of Hell – but alongside him. He didn’t want redemption.

  He wanted his queen.

  “I did not mean to kill Father,” I spoke up, so many emotions clogging my throat, filtering into my voice. I swallowed thickly. “It was an accident, Mom. I was not in control.” I pleaded with her.

  Lucifer released a roar and ripped his hand from mine, dropping to his knees. His eyes blazed with rage. I tried to move towards him, but an invisible force kept us apart.

  “Let him go!” I yelled at her. I didn’t want to face off with her like this, but I knew I would have to. She didn’t care about my feelings – didn’t care about hurting her daughter.

  She only wanted revenge.

  “You took my mate away from me – took away my husband – my forever!” My mother screeched. I glared at her. “I will not leave until you feel this same pain that I do!”

  My magic pulsed around the room, knocking her into the wall. “I said to let him go!” I shouted. “Now, mother!”

  I could feel her magic crawling over my skin. Lucifer roared in pain, and that’s all it took. A demonic screech ripped from my throat as my magic pulsed, knocking everyone to the ground. It wrapped around my mother’s body like hands and dragged her to me.

  Her eyes widened in fear as she tried to escape, but black magic was no match for mine. I was powerful – more powerful than she or God had imagined I would be.

  I gripped her head with my hands and glared down into her eyes. “Pity you let hatred be your downfall.” I snarled.

  I snapped her neck. All of the black magic escaped from her soul, slithering into the walls of the castle. Lucifer jumped up from the floor just as my body swayed, my own magic coming back into me like a sledgehammer into my chest.

  “Bela!” He shouted.

  His arms came around me, his knees sickeningly connecting with the floor as he caught me.

  “Bela?” He asked, panic in his voice. My eyes slowly fluttered shut. “My queen, talk to me.” He begged.

  “I’m tired,” I mumbled.

 
“Bela!” He roared. The screeching of demons and the roar of Asmodeus was the last thing I heard before that familiar darkness blanketed me in its comfort.

  ✶ ✶ ✶

  LUCIFER

  Rufus was quickly by my side with his nurse, Emma. “Take her to your chambers, my king. I am sure she only passed out from overexertion, but I just want to be sure.”

  “Get rid of the body,” I ordered Asmodeus as I stood up with my queen cradled in my arms.

  “Already have it being taken care of.” He told me as he shifted back into his more human form. “The queen?”

  I drew in a deep breath. “I don’t feel any pain, and our bond is calm. As Rufus said, I think it is only because of overexertion, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”