Walking upstairs, Elizabeth was ready to get cleaned up. Catching her hand at the top of the stairs, Belial pulled her towards the sitting room instead. Lucifer was waiting casually on the couch, drinking some sort of concoction that she was sure he had brought with him. It was thick and red in color. With every ounce of her being, Elizabeth prayed that it was a daiquiri or tomato juice, even though she was pretty sure she was wrong.
Belial kneeled after entering the room and only rose after Lucifer made a waving motion with his hand. Elizabeth wasn’t about to kneel and immediately took a seat on a leather chair across from the Lord of Darkness. Belial had decided it would be best to stand slightly to the side of her. She preferred if he didn’t. It was unnerving, but she remained silent.
Staring at Lucifer’s drink, her stomach churned. He took a few more sips savoring every drop. The thick liquid oozed down the side of the clear glass and appeared to be congealing with every passing second. Shuddering, Elizabeth crossed her arms and looked away. Smirking, Lucifer lowered his cup. He had wasted enough time and needed to get to the reason for his visit. “So, Belial tells me you were visited by an angel last night.”
Elizabeth’s eyes bugged out of her head and her mouth fell open. That was news to her. Ben had never shared with her what he had found. Glancing at him, he remained as still as a statue, staring off into space, almost like he was in a completely different world.
Not waiting for an answer, Lucifer continued, “It appears they are more serious about getting to you than I previously thought, so I’ve come to offer you more protection.”
Elizabeth wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but before she could say anything, another man entered the room. His skin glowed and his long hair was white in color. He had pale, gray eyes and even his clothes were light in color making him a walking ad for monochromatic design. He was gorgeous like the other men in the room and she was beginning to feel unbelievably plain in comparison.
“This is Crocell,” Lucifer said. “He is my Grand Duke and one of my most trusted men.”
Elizabeth wasn’t sure what to say and found she was having trouble formulating any thoughts. Struggling, she finally managed a sentence, “Um, here’s the deal...”
The sound of her voice startled all three demons, jerking them back to life. All eyes were on her, making her feel extremely out of place. Glancing at the floor she tried to regain her bearings. Her leg twitched nervously but she needed to continue. “I don’t need any more protection, as you put it.”
Lucifer cocked an eyebrow at her. Frowning, he took a deep breath. He didn’t believe her. Belial was having problems keeping track of her. His reports were less than favorable and Lucifer wasn’t about to lose another one of his kin to an unfortunate accident. Opening his mouth, he wasn’t able to speak. Elizabeth cut him off before he could say anything.
“I know you don’t believe me,” she said, “but if I’m in as much danger as everyone claims, then the fact that I’m still here has to say something, right? And besides, I don’t have room for another person to stay here, and let’s face it, Crocal or Crocell or whatever his name is--doesn’t exactly pass as human. He’s glowing, for Pete’s sake.”
Belial and Lucifer glanced at the newcomer who didn’t like having fingers pointed at him. Crossing his arms over his chest, Crocell glared hatefully at Elizabeth. Lucifer took her complaints seriously, though; picking up his glass, took a few more sips of his drink. Staring at the floor, he contemplated his options carefully.
While Elizabeth had his attention, she had one more question nagging at her. “If you don’t mind me asking, why do they want me dead? I still don’t think I’ve heard the reason yet.”
Lucifer was still deep in thought. His eyes remained locked on the floor while his hand methodically swirled his drink, causing the thick red liquid to slide up and down the sides of the glass. Glancing at Ben, she was pretty sure he wouldn’t talk as long as his boss or master or whatever was present, which only left one person to answer the question.
Sure enough, Crocell was dying to pipe in, and now saw his chance to strike. His voice was deep, much deeper than Elizabeth thought it would be, but it was smooth and pleasing to the ear. His eyes narrowed in on her when he spoke and she was sure she caught a slight condescending tone to it. “You are kin of our lord. That fact alone makes you a target.”
Her eyes went blank. Grimacing, Crocell continued, “The angels are similar to humans in that they are power-hungry. Every time God takes His rest they wrestle for power amongst themselves and try to position themselves closer to God for when He wakes. Occasionally these power struggles end up spilling over into our domain and the Earth.”
That was easily the best explanation she had gotten so far, but it still seemed to skip over what she wanted to know. Figuring since she had one of them talking, she kept prying, “But why does this war or power struggle or whatever affect me? I mean, I get that I’m related extremely distantly and all, but why does that even matter?”
Piercing his lips together, Crocell’s eyes narrowed at her. He didn’t feel that it needed further explanation. It didn’t matter. All she should need to know is that her life is in danger.
Lucifer came out of his daze and blinking replayed her question in his head. “It’s quite simple you see. Angels hate crossbreeds.”
Grinning, he took another long sip of the thick red liquid. Elizabeth’s stomach instantly churned and a nauseous feeling crept into her throat. After swallowing, Lucifer licked his lips slowly and continued, “The angels think themselves a pure race and any sort of contamination of the bloodline should be eliminated. The fact that you’re offspring of my own bloodline just adds fuel to the fire. If you die, the odds of a full out war starting is highly likely, and for certain angels, this appears to be the ultimate goal.”
Her eyes grew wide. Whatever he was drinking seemed to be a good thing. She never heard him talk so much, much less give so much information willingly. She definitely had a lot to absorb but at least now she understood what was happening around her. Nodding at Lucifer, she was satisfied with his explanation.
Taking another sip of the mystery liquid, Lucifer continued, “I’m going to rely on your judgment as far as protection goes. If you feel Belial is doing an adequate job, then I will leave him to his means. One more injury, however, and Crocell is here whether you like it or not.”
Elizabeth wasn’t pleased with his decision but he wasn’t going to wait around for her to protest. Standing, he carried his glass to the door and quickly exited the room with a happier- looking Crocell following him. Elizabeth remained seated until she heard the front door close behind them. Almost instantly her entire body relaxed. Leaning back in the chair, she fell into a slouched position and looked over at Ben who already had his eyes locked on her.
“What?”
He shook his head and then he too exited the room, leaving her to brood over everything she had just learned. By the time she finally emerged from the sitting room, the water was running in the spare bathroom. Ben was taking a shower, which meant hers would have to wait. She wasn’t feeling hungry but was glad he had picked up food the night before. It was Chinese. Not her favorite but, grabbing a container of egg drop soup, she quickly heated a bowl and sat down to eat.
About halfway through dinner Belial walked into the kitchen. He wore only a pair of pajama bottoms and his bare chest and back glistened with a few missed water drops. Her mouth immediately fell open and she nearly dropped her spoon. She watched him bend over to search through the fridge. His pants stretched with him. The smooth fabric showed every curve of his butt, not leaving much for the imagination. Her heart was pounding within her chest. He knew she was watching him, but gave no inclination that he noticed or cared.
Elizabeth slowly returned to eating when he took a seat across from her. Making every attempt not to stare at him, she failed miserably and found herself g
lancing up every few seconds just to gawk.
After dinner, she forced herself to take a shower. She didn’t want to pry herself away from him. She really appreciated the view but at the same time she didn’t want to be creepy either. Grabbing a nightgown from her dresser, she headed into the bathroom and started the shower. It only took a minute for the water to warm up and stepping into the tub, she stood completely still, letting the water wash over her. It was soothing and the warmth on her skin almost calmed her soul.
“Thank you.”
Jumping, Elizabeth let out a piecing scream. Her feet slid out from under her and she hit the wall. Trying to regain her balance, she struggled to find sure footing in the slippery bathtub. Finally huddling in a corner, she crossed one arm over her chest while the other found a place between the tops of her legs.
“What are you doing in here?!” Her brain was racing but nothing made sense.
Belial didn’t answer her and instead the shower curtain opened. Panicking, she whipped around and ran into his chest. Immediately his arms wrapped around her, pulling her into him. Her eyes clamped shut, but he didn’t move and allowed the water to rush over them silently. It was warm and, despite her embarrassment, strangely comfortable standing in his arms.
His fingers eventually found her chin, guiding her head up towards his. His lips grazed her cheek, following the curve, until they locked onto her mouth. They were warm and soft and moved expertly, revealing he had years of experience. Soon enough they had a steady rhythm going. She was more hesitant than him, but he found her shyness alluring and it only made him want her more.
Breaking away, he grabbed the soap and building up lather in his hands, ran them all over her body. Staring at her neck, he gently wrapped his fingers around it while his lips locked onto hers once more. Moving onto her shoulders, he was extremely gentle, spending extra time and attention on her wound, ensuring it was clean. The muscles in her back tightened and her leg vibrated when his hands slowly slid farther down her body.
Clinching her hands into fists, she let out a deep breath when his hands washed over her stomach and then slid around hips and down to her butt. Her heart was racing and she could feel the blood pumping and circulating through her veins. After washing off her legs, he slowly ran his hands back up her body, kissing her stomach and breasts on the way back to her mouth.
They remained in the shower until the hot water was gone. Climbing out of the bathtub, they helped each other dry off. Elizabeth’s hormones were going crazy. Ignoring the clothes, they wrapped the towels around each other and leaning in, Belial kissed her more. Wrapping his arms around her, he lifted her off the ground and carried her into the bedroom while remaining locked together.
Setting her down on the edge of the bed gently, he leaned over her, moving from her mouth back down to her neck. Something didn’t seem right, however. Gripping the sheets, Elizabeth replayed everything that had happened in her mind. Something was nagging at her but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
Pushing him away gently, she asked, “Why did you say thank you earlier?”
A thin smile parted his lips. Leaning in he kissed her again and whispered close to her ear, “For defending me. You stood up for me when Lucifer was ready to call me back.”
Pulling away from him, Elizabeth leaned back so she could see his face. His smile faded, but he wasn’t deterred. Leaning back in towards her, she placed a hand on his chest, stopping him. “So let me get this straight,” she said. “All of this is because I rated your job performance as satisfactory in front of Lucifer?”
Belial’s smile disappeared. Sitting next to her on the bed, he was a little offended by what she said, but remained calm. “No, it’s not that at all.”
Elizabeth cocked an eyebrow at him and, crossing her arms, waited for a better explanation. Looking at the floor, he mumbled so softly that she had to strain to hear his response. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while now but only got the nerve to do so today.” Glancing back up, they locked eyes and he said, “I didn’t think you would be receptive until recently.”
Unfolding her arms, she nearly laughed. “Hold on, me saying you’re doing your job well is what told you I’d be receptive to this?”
A huge grin crossed his face and his eyes glowed making him look even more radiant. Letting out a puff of air, he stood and leaning back over her whispered in her ear, “No. You wanting to spend the night in my bed is what told me.” Grinning, he straightened and left the room without saying another word or looking back.
Chapter 13