Hellfire Crown by Meg Xuemei X.

CHAPTER 11

Tessa

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Hello, Tessa Morrigan,” the devil purred. His voice was like a dark, malevolent music that no human could create or duplicate.

His green eyes brimmed with unholy power that could make almost any creature want to crawl into a deep hole to hide and never come out. That kind of power now lashed at me like a storm, trying to pin me down and render me paralyzed.

I didn’t freeze though, not as he’d planned for me, but chills slithered up my spine nevertheless.

I’d never told him my last name, but now he’d learned it. That meant while I was getting myself into the Bride Trails, he’d been busy as well.

Dread filled my being. I wasn’t ready to face Lucifer yet.

But first, where was I?

Last I remembered, Loki had taken off in the middle of the pre-trial party. Consumed by my irrational jealousy, I’d tracked or been lured into a murder scene.

The dukes and their elite demon sentinels had been searching for the murderer I’d profiled, but the killer seemed to have vanished into thin air. His corrupted scent had evaporated even before we’d left the crime scene and had the cleaning crew bag the body.

Uneasiness haunted us. But at least we knew that new enemies had trespassed in the Underworld and were among us now. We’d have to wait for Loki to return to track the invaders while the dukes doubled their patrolling effort.

Loki’s crew insisted I sleep in their king’s temporary chamber in the Morningstar Palace. The construction workers were still rebuilding the red castle, half-destroyed by the pureblooded archdemons’ uprising. After Loki and his team had slain two of the archdemons, he’d incorporated the surrendered rebel armies into the dukes’ armed forces.

We’d long since suspected that gods from other realms and their minions had come to Earth, but we hadn’t expected some of them to infiltrate the Underworld.

A realization bloomed in me. I was asleep in Loki’s vast bed, one of the dukes standing sentinel outside the bedroom and Snow While curled at my feet snoring.

And Lucifer had invaded my dream. He couldn’t breach my shield when I was awake, but in my most vulnerable state, he had succeeded. Chills filled my mind. He was in the realm.

In my dream space,

I stood very still, regarding the devil.

Contrary to what people thought of the devil, he had the appearance of a golden boy. His face was so perfect and gorgeous that it reached a level of obscenity. Colors of sunset streaked his pure blond hair that billowed around his broad shoulders.

His aura was inky dark, yet he had the power of light that could turn any being to mere dust.

His lips were sensual and full of lies. His physique seemed mightier than before, and when he spread his wings of ivory feathers to their full length to show off his glory, I knew beyond any doubt that Lucifer had returned to the realm, the only place that could boost his power and enhance his beauty.

Loki might be the new king, but Hell had been built by his father.

Lucifer’s beauty and power couldn’t touch me. Gorgeous, powerful men had no use for me, just like my ex-mate.

And this superior being was pure evil, also like Ragnarö.

He’d caused endless suffering during his reign, and his Great Merge had brought centuries of war upon Earth.

He’d hurt Marigold, my kin. He’d cut her open every day for months while she’d been trapped in the Underworld. And this motherfucker had terrorized and abused my mate when he was a child.

While my hatred for him burned, his blood contract chained me to him. Neither he nor the magic of the blood contract would release me until either I or my mate was dead.

My rage could tumble mountains, yet my face showed absolutely nothing. I wouldn’t allow myself to alert my mate’s enemy. I couldn’t strike him down while he was my employer. When the day came, I’d hurt him like a motherfucker and avenge my mate and Mari or die trying.

“Hello, Lucifer,” I said impassively. “If this is a social call, isn’t it more suitable to meet in person?”

“So you can stab me in the back?” he asked sinisterly.

“You sent me to stab your son in the back instead.”

“So you started warming his bed,” he snapped. “You let him mark you. I can smell his stench all over you.”

“That’s rich coming from you,” I said with a shrug. “He could have inherited your stench as your son, though I would hope not.”

“I see you have no remorse,” he hissed. “Is my son such a good fuck that you already forgot about the blood contract, Morrigan? You have no business being a world-class assassin anymore. You’re done. Your reputation is ruined.”

“Sure, I’m so saddened,” I said.

“When I offered to fuck you, you turned me down.” He narrowed his green eyes at me, his expression vengeful. “I’m superior to my mongrel son in every way. No woman has rejected me before.”

“Last I heard, your ex-queen not only divorced you but diligently seeks to kill you,” I said.

“Did my worthless son tell you that?” he huffed. “Lilith never divorced me. Archangels don’t get divorced. However, there was some misunderstanding between Lilith and me. My son and the brat, Celeste Marigold, only made it worse. Anyway, you wouldn’t understand, and it’s none of your business. It’s in the past now. I’ve moved on and look to the future.” He paused as if pondering something deep before I had his full attention again.

“You haven’t answered my question, Morrigan. Is my son such a good fuck that the ice maiden who never allowed any man to touch her now lets my son hump her like a whore?”

“Aren’t you colorful?” I deadpanned. Remaining emotionless was always the best defense against villains. “If you must know, there are many reasons I prefer the son over the father. Loki is superior to you in every way. I bet you’ve now learned about the other half of his heritage. He’s not a half-mortal but the son of a fallen archangel and an Asgardian goddess.”

I was fishing for information.

He didn’t deny it, which further confirmed my conviction that Lucifer had returned and he had new allies. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so bold.

“The Asgardian goddess fooled you, didn’t she?” I continued. “You should have known a mortal woman wouldn’t have the strength to bear a son to an archangel. Who would think the master of manipulation and lies was being deceived and used?”

A sour look twisted the devil’s extremely handsome face for a second.

“You’ll never be able to run from the blood contract,” he said maliciously. “You see, I took a precaution. Over the centuries, I watched woman after woman fall for my son, for reasons I couldn’t perceive. But bitches are dumb. I thought you’d be immune to his incubus power, but in the end, you aren’t special either. You fell for him harder than any other of the bitches and became the one who bears his mark. You let me down, Morrigan, but I outsmarted you by insisting on the blood contract as insurance. I suggest you take the contract seriously before it drives you to the land of madness with no return. Next time, after you fuck my son, try to cut his head off before he can come. Deliver his head on a golden platter, collect the gold, and be on your way. Be a smart girl.”

“Tell me this,” I asked. “Did you also strike a deal with Ragnarö?”

Even in this dream space created by Lucifer, I managed to keep my breathing even, though my pulse skyrocketed. I watched the devil closely as I tossed the abrupt question at him to throw him off balance. He’d learned that I was a Morrigan, so he must know by now that Ragnarö and his bloodhounds were hunting me. I could tell if he lied or not.

My ex-mate couldn’t get into this realm. No Ice Fae or Ice Giants could, except for me, for I was the mate to the king of the realm. Other than the fact that I could be killed in one of the Bride Trials, the Underworld was actually a haven for me.

Lucifer smiled like a serpent, his lips stretching wider. “Now your burning curiosity amuses me, Morrigan.”

I studied the devil and let out a frosty breath. He did indeed have a deal with Ragnarö.

“Be my messenger boy, Lucifer,” I said with icicles in my voice. “I do look forward to seeing the Ice God one day, to remove his icy ass from my throne. As for you, Satan, you can fuck off.”

I called for my ice storm to shut Lucifer out just as a force shook me awake.

Drenched in cold sweat, I found myself in the warmth of Loki’s arms.