The Third Throne: Angel of Darkness (14 page)

“You are very special to me.  I would do anything to protect you.  I love you,” there he’d said it, finally.  He hoped it would evaporate her anger, but he found that it made him feel better.  He was relieved.  Now he could find out how she really felt about him.  Not that it mattered; he would never give her up.  If she hated him, then he would just keep trying to make her love him in return.  Being around her lightened his burdens immensely and kept the darkness at bay, he refused to let her go.

She couldn’t understand the sway he had over her, but she couldn’t deny it.  He was supposed to be the ultimate evil, but here he was sitting on her bed, professing his love to her, even though he clearly didn’t understand the definition of the word.  Unlike Hades, it didn’t feel like Lucifer was lying to her.  She didn’t trust him, since he was supposed to be the king of liars, but he didn’t act like he was conning.  He had contradicted everything he had said to her upon first meeting her.  She was to be his servant, yet he had requested nothing of her, aside from sex, which had turned into an intimate moment.

The reason for her punishment in the realms was still unclear, but she wasn’t convinced now that Lucifer had issued the order.  Maybe it truly was the punishment for all the suiciders.

“You have an interesting way of showing your love,” she growled, unable to contain her anger.

“I know I’m not an easy person to deal with.  I was once worthy of love, but now I am the product of the evil that permeates the wicked souls around me.  The darkness has taken over and I cannot fight it without Father’s love and light.  I pray that you find the strength to stay with me and learn to love me.  I will understand if you can’t, but I swear I will never give you up,” Lucifer stood up and walked over to her.

She recoiled in fear, but he persisted.  He couldn’t take her anger anymore.  He leaned in and kissed her.

All of her anger dissipated the second Lucifer’s lips touched hers.  He was warm and tasted amazing.  Her thoughts scattered as she leaned into him.  Maybe he was just really bad at relationships, or at least she hoped that was the case.  He seemed sincere when he said that he wanted her to love him.  He sounded more sincere than Hades when he said that Lucifer would cast her off when he was done with her.

She was confused until he ran his hand ran along her rib cage and took possession of her breast.  Her body responded to his touch and she needed him in that moment.  Even if he left her in a heap on the floor, at least she would experience something good for once.  This was so much better than the torture, though it was a torture unto itself.  She accepted his touch and pushed away the pain of the realms.

He ran his tongue along her lips and push into her mouth.  He rubbed his tongue against hers and moaned.

She sighed and forgot how to breathe.  She felt bolder this time and remembered her fantasies of him.  She put her hands in his hair and ran them through his thick waves.  He pulled her dress to the side and his hand collided with her flesh.  Sparks ignited throughout her body and she leaned into his touch.  His other hand was busy grabbing her backside and pulling her closer to him, molding her to his rigid body.

He broke away from the kiss and looked into her face.

“I have to taste you,” he was gasping for air.  She wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but she really hoped he wasn’t about to bite her.  It was a serious possibility that the devil was into kinky sex.

She was relieved when he lifted her up with one arm and laid her down on the bed.  He pulled aside the top of her dress to reveal her other sensitive breast.  She was embarrassed and shy for only a second until she saw the look of rapture on his face.  She felt exposed, but desire quickly spread through her and she relaxed, allowing herself to feel sexy under his burning gaze.

He growled as he stared at her enticing flesh.  Her hard, peaked nipples fascinated him.  He had to see them in full color.  Running his finger down her body, he allowed his power to flow across her.  Her gray corpse colored skin lightened until it resembled white porcelain.  His thumb brushed over her lips and they warmed from the blue-gray color of death with ruby-red.  He quickly kissed her and crawled down her body.  He licked at her full, plump breast, undone by their rosy pink color.  He relished the silky feeling of her skin.  He made his way around her stiff nipple with his tongue before capturing it in his mouth and sucking gently on it.  He laughed as she nearly jumped off the bed when he pulled and teased her responsive peaks.

She squirmed when he swirled his tongue and licked at her breast, causing warm moisture to escape from her core.  She was desperate for him and decided not to let him leave until she was fulfilled.  Devil be damned, she was going to get what she wanted this time.  Thankfully, he appeared to be in agreement.  He released her breast and gave her a mind-boggling smile.  He slid down her body and ran one hand up her thigh.  Her back stiffened and she grabbed at the sheets.  Yes, that’s what she needed.  She needed his hands on her body.  He was quickly becoming an addiction.

Lucifer smiled when he got the reaction he was looking for.  She was no longer afraid or angry with him.  She was enjoying this as much as he was.  He knew he had left her unsatisfied and actually felt shame.  He had never cared about his partner's needs before, but that was about to change.

He ran his hands along her outer thigh and pushed her dress up above her hips.  She was a sight to behold.  He had dreamed of this moment.  She was here and she belonged to him.  He licked her thigh until he reached the nook of her leg.  He spread her legs apart and positioned himself between them.  She was panting and clawing at his shoulder.

Lucifer paused for a moment as he thought about the fact that she might be a virgin.

She’d better be a virgin
, he sneered to himself.

He didn’t want to startle her or make her think he was attacking her, though he very much wanted to dive in.  He forced himself to take it slow, at least at first.

The tip of his tongue tentatively made contact with her opening.  He found that it was impossibly soft, and tasted sweeter than anything he’d ever experienced.  Suddenly he felt like the virgin.  No one had ever meant this much to him.  He was afraid that he wouldn’t please her.  All the other women had been enthralled by him and excited to be taken by the devil.  He couldn’t seem to enthrall her, so he had to rely on technique.  He suddenly questioned his abilities.

He moved his tongue slowly against her warm skin.  She was already wet for him and it drove him mad.  He wanted to thrust his tongue inside of her, but he needed to build up to that.  Her moaning and squirming made him impossibly hard.  He rocked himself against the bed to relieve some of the pressure.  She had tried to lock her legs around his head, but he held her thighs apart so that she was completely open to him.  He wanted her to know that he was in control and he was going to damn well please her.  Heaven above, what was this woman doing to him?  When had he ever cared about someone else’s feelings, other than pain?  He was lost to her.  He knew that now.

He stroked and suckled her flesh as she made adorable incoherent noises and panted.  She sounded enthralled and sexy.  He strained against his pants knowing he had to stay focused on her.  She was frustrated and desperate, exactly how he wanted her.  He slowly slid a finger inside of her, but didn’t push any further.  She jerked and screamed, but still held her control.  She wasn’t mindless enough for him yet.  He pushed his finger deeper and held his breath until he found what he was hoping for.  Yes, she was a virgin.  Good, now he wouldn’t have to commit murder.

Wait, he liked to commit murder.  He would contemplate that later, right now he was enjoying the softness of her skin as he worked his way up to her sensitive spot with his tongue.  He circled her enticing nub with his tongue and slid his finger in and out of her wetness until he found a rhythm that worked.  She rolled her hips to meet his thrusts.  She had given up her hold on his shirt and was clutching at the sheets again.

Lucifer thrust his finger in and out while rubbing against the deepest part of her.  He enjoyed licking her and swirling his tongue through her folds.  When he thought she was ready, he added a second finger and pushed his way inside.  She was so tight and warm he had trouble focusing.  He imagined what it would feel like to push his hard length into her body.  He began to shake and sweat while his erection pulsed and ached.  He needed to stay in control, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.  He allowed her to ride his fingers as a thousand images burst through his mind.  He needed her in every way possible.  He curled his fingers inside of her, tormenting her, making her writhe and buck.

He rubbed and licked his way back up to her apex, nestled beneath her dark curls and took her nub into his mouth.  He suckled her until her body tightened around his fingers and shook.  She was screaming out in enjoyment until finally, her body grasped his fingers and she took her release.  The bed quaked as she uncontrollably writhed and clawed at the bed.  Her head flew back and forth, as she yelled out his name.  She was actually yelling his name.  Pride surged through him for the first time.  He had done this.

She slowly calmed and panted until she could breathe again.  He removed himself from her body and lay down next to her.  Her hair was wild and tangled.  Her eyes were half-closed and sexy.  She looked completely sated.  He was fascinated by her full parted red lips.  He wished her lips had been red when she had her mouth on him.  She was exquisite.  Most of all, she looked happy.

“I left in a hurry last time.  I shouldn’t have done that.  I was surprised by my reaction to you.  I’m sorry,” he pulled at her hair until it was fanned out around her like a dark halo.  Hades was right; he was turning into a sap.

“That wasn’t nice,” she sighed and pouted slightly.

“I don’t know where to begin with you.  I never seem to know the right thing to say,” Lucifer was honest with her.  He didn’t know why it felt like the right thing to do, but she couldn’t hate him more than she already did.  What did he have to lose?

Michelle was happy for the first time since she’d died.  She was reveling in the pleasure he had given her and was no longer upset that she didn’t have panties.  His touch was consuming.  Every part of her came to life.  It was nothing like she’d imagined.  Her fantasies were silly compared to the reality of Lucifer.  His hands on her thighs caused her to lose her mind, until he put his tongue on her.  There was no more Hell, or Hades, or Caves of Darkness, there was only Lucifer and the explosion of sensation that he gave her.  She had learned the meaning of craving.  She finally understood true desire.  She had never begged for something as hard as she did when he teased her.  It was all she could do to remind herself how to breathe.  His hands were warm and commanding, yet gentle, contrary to what she had expected.  The way he moved his tongue and fingers was fascinating and gave her chills while igniting her at the same time.

She hadn’t known what to expect when it came to an orgasm.  She had pleasured herself a few times, out of curiosity, but was convinced she was missing some key information.  What she felt with Lucifer destroyed all her other experiences.  The pleasure kept building and mounting until every cell in her body lost control and she thought she would black out.  She wasn’t sure that she hadn’t.  Sadly, she had a feeling that CJ could never come close to what she had just experienced.  It made her a little sad to think about it like that, but he was lost to her forever.  This was her life now.  Hopefully, Lucifer would forget about the other women he had in his bed and keep her, as long as he stopped throwing her into the realms.  Perhaps she could persuade him to do both.

She shyly smiled while pulling her dress back over her breasts and lowering it over her hips.

He smirked at her, but didn’t say anything.  He was afraid if he insisted she remain naked, she would close herself off to him.  He hated to see her clothed, but was excited by the thought of slowly ripping the dress from her body.

She looked at Lucifer and noticed that his eyes and hair were lighter again, but not as light as when they were first together.  He was beautiful.  She had never seen anyone like him.  He was strong and powerful.  She could easily see him as a tyrant, but around her he seemed at ease and almost, content.  She found that she enjoyed being around him.  He was certainly better than Hades.

“You said that you don’t know where to begin with me.  Why don’t you tell me about yourself?  I know nothing about you.  I know about this place, but not you,” she remembered a quote from Lincoln, “The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.”  She wondered if she could be friends with the devil.

Lucifer faltered for a second, then sat up, and moved to the edge of the bed.  This was the moment he had dreaded.  He didn’t want to tell her about himself.  He was enjoying the look of contentment on her face and wasn’t ready to ruin it yet.  She was looking at him with desire and trust.  He knew if he told her his story, that look would turn to disgust and fear.  He wanted one more moment of what felt like happiness.  He collected his thoughts on how best to begin.

He took a deep breath and started from the beginning.  “I used to live in Heaven with Father, and my brothers and sisters.  It was perfect and beautiful.  We didn’t know pain or discomfort.  If we argued, it was over petty, childish things.  Looking back, we really didn’t have much to argue about.  We respected each other and took care of one another.  All of the angels served a purpose.  I was the Bringer of the Dawn.  I woke everyone from their rest and helped them start their day in a peaceful and productive way.  Father had shared His knowledge with us and we all basked in His love.  We did His will and we had no reason to question Him.  My life was good and I was happy.  I know now that I took it for granted,” Lucifer smiled when he thought about home.  He normally tried not to think about it since it brought him pain and misery, but with this wonderful girl by his side, he could think back on his old life and remember it fondly for the first time in eons.  Every second around her made him love her more.

As he spoke, she closed her eyes and tried to envision Heaven.  He spoke about a place where the sun lit every corner and filled it with warmth.  White marble structures rose out of white clouds and angels walked around in pristine white clothing, their wings in full view.  They spoke peaceably to one another and laughed about innocent things.  They strolled through green meadows and fields of endless flowers.  There was a feeling of happiness that permeated the air.  It was a place where you felt safe and welcomed.

“It sounds nice.  I understand why you miss it.  Will I ever get to go there?” Michelle asked.  She would do anything to get out of Hell.

Lucifer stiffened.  He never wanted her to leave, let alone go to Heaven.  She was going to stay with him for eternity and be his own personal Heaven.  There was no debate or question about it.

“I’m afraid not, my dear,” he spoke solemnly as he turned over her wrists.

“Oh,” Michelle got the message.  Kill yourself and you’re banned from Heaven.

“Yes, well, I can’t go there either, unless summoned,” he looked at her sympathetically.

He knew he should let her go, it would be the right thing to do, but he would never do it. 

“You see, everything was perfect, and then Father created other creatures to satisfy His curiosity about life and love.  He made fantastical beasts and beings that defied logic called the Veteres, or the Old Ones.  He created worlds for them from His vast imagination.  Unfortunately, many of the Veteres didn’t survive.  The creatures had no souls and turned on one another and us.  They ultimately had to be eliminated or imprisoned.

“Father understood His mistake and He created mortals, complete with souls, and gave them free will so that they were different from angels and the other unique beings.  The mortals survived and flourished.  He loved them and was proud of them.  Then free will turned some of the mortals against Him.  They chose not to believe in Him and love Him.  They knew nothing of fear or consequence.  Father had to change their world so they didn’t end up like the Veteres.  He didn’t want to have to destroy them, so He created a system of punishment and reward.  That’s when Hell was created.  If the mortals loved Father and lived good lives, He would allow them to join with Him in Heaven upon their deaths, until they were ready to return to the world and live again.  If they hated Father and led lives of evil, they would be punished in Hell for their deeds, until they learned from their mistakes and were ready to return to the world to have another chance to obtain their Heavenly reward.

“Some angels argued that Hell was too severe a punishment for the mortals who were indifferent, who neither sought to please Father and live by His rules, nor lead a life of evil.  It was suggested that a Middle Realm be created.  Those who ended up in Purgatory were neither rewarded, nor punished, but simply existed knowing they weren’t good enough to walk through the Gates of Heaven.  They were encouraged to live better lives so they could one day be with Father,” Lucifer explained.

She had no idea there were creatures called Veteres that once roamed the world.  She was also surprised about Purgatory.  She had a feeling that if she hadn’t killed herself, she probably would have ended up there.  Looking back on her life, she didn’t think she had done that many good things, at least good enough to go to Heaven.

“Why were you kicked out of Heaven?” Michelle asked, wondering what terrible thing had landed him in this vile nightmare.

Lucifer blinked a few times and looked at her.  “Kicked out?  I certainly wasn’t kicked out.  Despite what the mortals believe, we are doing what Father wants.  He commanded the angels to punish the wicked mortals so that they may learn from their mistakes.  We reprimand them for their crimes and put fear in their hearts so they turn away from evil and repent.  Father wants them to understand that there are consequences for turning away from Him.  The truth is we are the bad guys, but we were never thrown out of Heaven and there was no Holy War.  We volunteered for this honor.  Only those who truly loved Father were willing to make the sacrifice required to reign over Hell.  We left our home and all its comforts to come to this wasteland because we loved Father enough to do it.  Oh, don’t you let those pretentious, gutless brothers of mine, who were too weak to answer the call, tell you they are better than we are.  We suffer so that we can do Father’s will.  We go without, for Him.  We are surrounded by the evils of men and are forced to endure it so that Father’s will is fulfilled,” Lucifer shouted as he jumped off the bed and paced around the room.

“I didn’t mean to offend you.  I’m sorry,” Michelle knew she had hit a nerve.  He was agitated and she was trying to understand why.  If he had volunteered to be in Hell, then it must hurt him to know that mortals believe he was tossed out like garbage.  If she had made a huge sacrifice to do something important, she wouldn’t want people believing that she had been forced to do it.

“I’m sorry you have to see my anger.  It’s just that my brothers, the ones who were too scared to leave Father’s side, are the ones who mock us for what we have become.  They hate us, when they should hate themselves.  I was the first to step forward and answer Father’s call.  He told us that it would be a difficult job and only those who held love in their hearts for Him would be able to withstand the loss of Him.  We would have to remember our love because we would no longer be able to feel it.  We would become cold without His light surrounding us.  We would become cruel because of the wickedness battering our senses from all sides.

“We had to turn into monsters to understand the cruelties of the mortals to inflict damage upon them.  You have seen the realms.  We, the Fallen, had to create them.  We studied the evil actions of men and designed the tortures to fit their crimes.  They had done things we could never imagine.  We never killed one another.  We never truly harmed each other.  Lies were forbidden to us.  Sure, there were angels who were less than noble, but the angels that would be considered Rogues didn’t exist until after the mortals were created.  Only after the evil in the hearts of mortals had started to taint some of the angels, did they turn against Father.

“The story you’re talking about, whereby I was supposedly kicked out of Heaven, were really accounts of angels that had learned jealousy from the mortals.  They became resentful that they were not Father’s favorites anymore.  They questioned why Father would design a being that had a choice about whether or not they should love Him.  Those angels turned against Father and became Rogues.  For the first time, we had to kill our brothers and sisters.  Rogue Angels are dangerous because they plot against Father and the rest of us, Heavenly or Fallen. We have to hunt them and imprison them here.  Then there are angels who have lost faith in Father and want to leave his domain.  They are allowed to leave Heaven or Hell, but they are classified as a Forgotten Angel.  They are not allowed to return to Heaven and the other angels are supposed to turn their backs on them.  Of course, emotions often get in the way and Heavenly Angels will sneak off to visit their Forgotten brothers and sisters.  Unfortunately, my family has splintered apart because of free will.  It has changed us forever,” Lucifer sighed and sat back down on the bed.

“No wonder you hate us,” she murmured.  She wanted to reach out and comfort him, but she was unsure of his reaction.  She didn’t think the devil embraced people for comfort.

“I don’t hate mortals.  I admit there have been times when I wanted to destroy them so that I could get back home, but I don’t hate them.  My grudge is not against them.  I do wish they would stop being evil, but I love them because Father loves them.  I do Father’s will and I do not question Him.  Sometimes when the darkness overtakes me, it becomes too much of a burden for me to bear, and I act out.  I am ashamed of my actions, I am, but sometimes the madness wears me down and I forget who I am.  I serve a purpose here, though not everyone agrees with it, but I do not question what Father expects of me.  I punish because He wishes it.  I stay here, surrounded by anger, agony, vengeance, fear, deception, distrust, insanity, and death because that it what I am told to do,” Lucifer had tears in his eyes as he thought about all the that he had endured while residing in Hell, trying to please Father.

“I had no idea.  I’ve seen all that this wasteland, as you call it, has to offer and I understand that it couldn’t have been easy for you to deal with.  I’ve seen the Fallen and how cruel they have to be to carry out the punishments.  I’ve seen the horrible crimes the souls have committed to deserve their punishments and trust me; sometimes it doesn’t seem like enough.  Some of those people are really sick.  Sometimes I don’t think fire is a harsh enough castigation for them,” Michelle thought about a number of the murderers she had seen and what truly despicable crimes they had committed.  They had slaughtered innocent lives and felt no guilt for it.

Lucifer was shocked.  She could see the crimes of men?  What had she meant by that?  Did she remember more than she was letting on, or was she speaking about her life as Michelle?  He didn’t know much about her last life in the Mortal Realm.  “What do you mean?  Have the Fallen who guard the realms told you about the souls and what they have specifically done to deserve their penalty?”

“No.  I can see their crimes in my head.  I know the souls are here,” Michelle shrugged, not knowing how to explain it.

“How is that possible?  When did this first happen?” Lucifer was shocked.  He knew she was powerful, but she shouldn’t be able to do that as a mortal.

“I’ve always been able to do it.  I don’t know why it happens.  When I was alive, I dreamed of Hell almost every night, though now that I’m here, I know that I didn’t see everything.  I never saw you or different parts of the castle.  When I would fall asleep, I would end up here and have to navigate through the realms.  I could see the souls around me and their sins played through my head, showing me their deeds.  I never questioned why they were being punished.  I knew.  I could see their crimes when I was awake too.  Walking through the mall was always uncomfortable since I could feel the sins pouring off the people around me.  I thought I was crazy.  I could see spirits of the dead, which was freaky,” it felt odd saying the words aloud after keeping them a secret for so many years.  Of course, if she couldn’t tell the devil, who could she tell?

“You dreamed of Hell, yet you never saw me?” Lucifer couldn’t breath.  He truthfully knew nothing about this girl.  He wondered what else she could do.  He became nervous and stood closer to the door.

“I never saw you.  I didn’t think you existed.  I wasn’t sure that my dreams were real, until I woke up at your feet.  I have to say I was shocked when I saw you and figured out who you were.  I never expected to end up in Hell.  I was kind of banking on the insanity theory, but apparently, it was more like foreshadowing of my future.  Now that I know that, I’m a little pissed.  I shouldn’t have been able to dream about ponies and rainbows and then end up in Hell,” Michelle was sad to know she would never dream about rainbows again.

“Yet you heard me when I spoke to you?  Who did you think was speaking to you?  Was there anything else unusual about your life?” Lucifer was intentionally vague, hoping he hadn’t stepped into quicksand.

“I didn’t know who was talking to me.  I tried to ignore it since I would have been locked away for hearing a disembodied voice.  You were like a soundtrack playing over the scenery.  Typically, I heard you while asleep.  Aside from the nightmares, the sin reading, and the spirits, my life was pretty normal.  Well, except that I never felt like I fit in.  Most people ignored me, including my parents.  I felt invisible,” she looked away from Lucifer, knowing she was weird.  Tears pooled in her eyes.  She would do anything to have her crappy life back.

“Can you read my sins?” Lucifer held his breath.  If she could see all the crimes of his past, she would never be able to accept him.

Michelle shook her head.  “No.  I can’t read angels the same way.  I mean, I get feelings sometimes, but it’s hard to do.  I can sometimes tell when an angel is lying, but I can’t tell why.  It’s a tingle or a gut feeling when something is off about what they are saying.”