Curse of the Fallen by Eve Archer
Chapter Thirty-Three
Dominick
“Come on, Dominick,” Lilith purred. “Don’t look so shocked. You know I’ve taken many forms over the millennia. I was even the Queen of Sheba. Now, that was fun.”
My stomach churned at the realization that I’d lain with Lilith, the goddess of darkness and the mother of demons. The last time I remembered seeing Lilith, she’d been Adam’s first wife, but that had been before she’d abandoned him and become the queen of Samael. Not that I needed to worry about the devil getting jealous, since Lilith had entertained herself for thousands of years by seducing men. And me.
“Why?” I managed to say, even though my throat was dry.
She ran the razor-sharp blade down her tongue, producing a crimson stripe, which she then swallowed. “I’ve acquired a taste for fallen angels. And the leader of the Fallen? That was just too delicious to resist.”
“So, you changed your appearance and tricked me?”
“You knew I was a succubus.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “You didn’t care. All that interested you was pleasure—dark, twisted pleasure, which I gladly provided you.” She glanced down at her own form. “And I rather enjoy my latest incarnation. Anyone who says that blondes have more fun hasn’t tried this look.”
I squeezed my eyes shut to block out the memories flooding my mind. Jaya straddling me and riding me with wild abandon; her tied to a bed, with a silk blindfold over her eyes; her and another succubus running their tongues eagerly over my entire body. I gave my head a desperate shake. “If I’d known—“
“What?” she snapped. “You were fine with fucking a she-demon, but you draw the line at the creator of demons? Typical angel.”
I growled, taking a step toward her, but Rami put a hand on my arm. “Dom.”
Both Gadriel and Asbeel shifted their stances, and I knew their wings were at the ready and blades were tucked inside their jackets. Mastema’s gaze flitted around the room, clearly sizing up his odds against four Fallen. With his two guards and the ones flanking Lilith, he had the numbers, but demons did not have the immense power of angels. We might not have retained the magic to perform miracles, but our speed and power was unmatched. And our wings were as formidable as the rest of us.
“Listen to your number two,” Mastema said. “It would not be wise to make a move against Lilith. Not unless you wish to have an all-out war between demons and the Fallen.”
I lowered my gaze to Rami’s hand, and he dropped it, but his eyes held mine with a flash of warning. His warning wasn’t lost on me. I had no desire to provoke a war with the prince of demons, even if I wanted to tear his head off and rip Lilith’s arms from her deceptive little body.
“You wanted your she-demon?” I flicked my fingers dismissively at her. “You’ve got her. Now take her and go. I was done with her years ago. She is nothing to me, and she never was.”
Lilith bared her teeth at me. “That’s what I hate most about angels. So cocky. I thought fallen ones might be humbler, but you’re as arrogant as the archangels.”
A low rumble came from where Gadriel and Asbeel stood. Being likened to the archangels was a serious insult to a Fallen.
“You should go,” Rami said, his own voice dark and low. “Before Dominick changes his mind about being benevolent.”
Mastema jerked his head to his demon guards. “I suppose I should thank you for your hospitality.”
“Never darken our island with your shadows again,” I told him as he moved toward the doors. “That is how you can thank me.”
“I’d almost think your anger was because I’ve chosen the prince of demons over the leader of the Fallen,” Lilith said, “if I didn’t know how obsessed you are with your human angel.”
Mastema stopped and pivoted to me, bracing his legs wide. “Human angel?”
I clenched my jaw so hard my teeth ground together.
“The leader of the Fallen has found himself a woman with the most powerful angelic trace I’ve ever sensed,” Lilith told him, taking long, languid steps to join the prince of demons and resting one hand on his shoulder. “She’s his most valuable possession.”
Mastema’s smile was slow and predatory. “Is this true?”
“Who I claim as a mate is no concern of the demons,” I said. “Not even the prince of demons. You have no dominion over me.”
His icy, blue eyes hardened. “Now you’ve piqued my curiosity, Dominick. I must see this human who’s captivated the leader of the Fallen. Since you were cast down, you’ve only used women in pursuit of pleasure. Never bothering yourself with a female more than once, and never allowing your emotions to linger.”
“It seems you know a great deal about my habits.”
He shrugged. “I make it a habit to know my enemies.”
“I dallied with Jay—Lilith for longer.”
He brushed this aside. “She is a succubus. She is the succubus. She would have been hard to resist and quite addictive. But humans hold no such powers or charm for the Fallen. This one must be rare, indeed, for you to be obsessed.”
Lilith flipped her hair off her shoulder. “She’s pretty enough, but I’ve seen Dom seduce supermodels with less enthusiasm.”
“How long has it been since you’ve found a female with an angelic mark?” Mastema asked, licking his lips.
I didn’t answer, instead cutting my gaze to Rami, whose expression was furtive.
Mastema’s smile vanished. “I must insist, Dominick.”
Rage flared within me, boiling up from my depths and sending heat skittering over my flesh. “You do not come to my island and make demands. I don’t care if you’re the prince of demons. I will gladly send you back to hell.”
“You’d rather risk your brethren in a battle with my demons, instead of giving me a glimpse of your human obsession?” The blue of his eyes was nearly consumed by the black pupils.
I clenched my hands into hard fists. “My Fallen would rather fight your demons than have to bow to their prince’s demands.”
Mastema’s shoulders rolled back, and he opened his arms wide with his palms up. “Surely she is not worth all this?”
“It is not about her.” I unfurled my dark wings with a loud whoosh. “It is about you.”
Mastema took a step back, and his demon guards stumbled.
“You have no power over me, or my fellow Fallen. You do not have the right to demand anything from us. You are no longer welcome in my sight.”
Instead of retreating farther, Mastema lunged forward with a roar that could only be called demonic. I spun quickly, blocking his attack with a strike of my wings. As I made a full rotation, I caught Rami’s eyes and motioned for him to go. He would know without me speaking what I wanted him to do.
As Lilith raced toward me, her curved blades glinting, Rami dashed from the library. Mastema was too busy fending off Gadriel, who’d thrown himself at the prince of demons, tackling him to the floor. Mastema’s demon guards took a moment to realize what was happening, but then they sprang into action, trying to pull Gadriel off their boss.
The air was punctuated with screams and bellows. Blades flashed and fists flew. I fended off Lilith’s lightning-quick offensive, my wings taking the brunt of her onslaught until Asbeel grabbed her by the back of the shirt and tossed her across the room. She landed on a large mahogany table, rolling off and dropping to the floor in a crouch.
The sounds of our battle brought more fallen angels, warriors emerging from within the fortress and descending on the fight even as it spilled out into the courtyard. The air whirled as fallen angels flew down from above, landing with black wings unfurled and shimmering in the sunlight. But even as more Fallen joined the fray, demons appeared along with them.
I grunted as I grabbed a demon from behind, snapping his neck and tossing his limp body aside. Mastema must have snuck more demons onto the island than I’d been aware of. It would explain how he’d broken Lilith from the dungeons, and why he’d been confident enough to provoke a battle with me.
This was more than just a succubus being jealous that I’d rejected her attentions and chosen a human over her. If the prince of demons was involved, this was much more.
I scanned the courtyard and the flailing bodies. The last I’d seen of Lilith, she was running after Asbeel as he darted from the library. I spotted Asbeel skillfully warding off a pair of demon attackers using only his fists, but I didn’t see Lilith anywhere. Her long, black hair was distinctive, but it was nowhere to be seen in the fight. My stomach churned as I thought of where she might have gone, but I shook it off. If anyone would defend Sara and Ella with his life, it was Rami.
An ancient demonic war cry made me spin around.
Mastema’s face was contorted with wrath and delight. “Are you ready to perish, angel?”
