Lucifer's Bride [Complete]

54

Kerion does his best interpretation of a shrug. "Leyna needs a bit more training before she graduates. I thought the whore queen herself could offer us a bit of advice."

Belphagor's eyes flick to me. I risk a glance up at him, biting my lip involuntarily as I do. Those green orbs narrow a bit in disgust, then soften suddenly. Then they widen, as if he's just realized something astounding. He cocks his head to the side, still staring at me but utterly confused.

He looks back at Kerion and speaks in a hushed voice. "Come with me." He spins and begins to make his way down the hall, parting through the sea of demons like he's Moses.

Kerion looks at me worriedly, but turns and follows Belphagor. I stay right behind him, walking just to the side of his abdomen so his body shields me from oncoming demons.

"Why is the hall so busy?" Kerion asks.

"Michael's arrival really set the boss off. We're taking refuge until his mood calms."

Shit. He's still angry. Damn it, Michael!

We walk through the demons, then take a sharp right down one of the many halls that lines the main corridor. We take another right and suddenly we're engulfed in pitch-black darkness. I grab onto Kerion's leg for support until my eyes adjust. They don't need to. Belphagor claps his hands and a little flame alights in the single sconce above us.

We're in a tiny alcove hidden between the walls of the fortress. In here, we're hidden from the view of the other demons and safe from suspicion.

Belphagor turns and starts at me, his eyes narrowing in anger and disbelief. "You tell me the truth, Kerion. This isn't Leyna."
I stare at him, thunderstruck. My heart nearly stops beating and my lungs seize up. Can he see through Leyna's trick? How can he tell? Is he going to kill us?

Kerion steps forward. "Belphagor, what would make you think-"

The demon raises a hand, cutting of Kerion's words. "I said be honest. I've known that witch too long to be fooled. This woman is far too demure and quiet to be Leyna."

Shit.

So I've failed at pretending to be Leyna. I can only hope she's stumbling at being me as much as I am being her.

Kerion sighs. "Unfortunately, this isn't Leyna."

Belphagor glares at the old spider. "Then who is she?"

"That's quite a story, Bel. Perhaps one best suited for less hectic times," Kerion's struggling to push us forward, overpowered by the rank and power of the angel before us.

"I said be honest with me, old spider! Who is this girl?" Belphagor's furious now, annoyed that Kerion's avoiding the question.

You're queen, aren't you? Stand your ground, dummy.

I nod to myself and gather whatever strength I have left. Before Kerion can answer, I raise my head and look straight into Belphagor's eyes. "How dare you yell at him. He's done no harm to you, only offered me help. If you're so curious as to who I am, then question me!"

Those piercing green eyes widen in shock. My heart rate picks up again. I've stunned him enough to keep him from attacking Kerion, and I may also have set the stage for proving who I really am. If I can hold my ground for a bit longer, Belphagor might figure this out and offer us his help, too.

"You ask who I am. I am your queen, Belphagor. And while you are in my presence, whether I am in my body or not, you will show respect to Kerion. He has done more kindness to me than most humans have. You will not yell at him again, or you will face my wrath as well as my husband's."

Belphagor stands in stunned silence for a moment. Then his eyes narrow and his mouth turns down into a scowl. My throat locks up again, and I wonder if my attempt to prove myself has backfired and only pissed him off.

"How did she do it?" Belphagor's voice is low, furious...deadly.

It's my turn to be stunned, but this time it's out of relief. The gears in his head turned enough to put the pieces together, and now he's pissed at Leyna for switching bodies with me. Small wonder, since he probably hates Leyna as much as I do. She's probably slighted him or made derogatory comments about his character. Bitch.

I shake my head. "I don't know. She surprised me in the hallway, kissed me and took off with my body."

Belphagor snarls and slams his fist into the wall, causing the stones to shake and streams of dirt to pour onto my shoulders. "That bitch! I knew she was up to something!"

"That obvious, huh?" I ask softly.

He snorts angrily. "That woman has been plotting to take the master for centuries. Unfortunately, your majesty, as a human, you've provided her with the perfect chance. You're not demonic, so you have no defense against her tricks. Stealing your body was the simplest way she could get her prize without having to do anything to earn him."

I scowl at the ground. "So I was just her easy way out."

Belphagor nods apologetically. "Yes. Leyna has never liked actually doing any work, so in a twisted way, being a queen suits her well. But we know her well enough to never allow her to actually run for the position. With her in charge, nothing would get done, the master would be out of commission, and Hell would fall into ruins within months."

I stare at him, bewildered. "But I'm human. What makes me a better choice?"

"Because you are human," he smiles. "Firstly, the master has wanted to find a virgin girl to corrupt for centuries, so having you as a queen fits his fantasies perfectly. Second, you're far more balanced and dependable than Leyna, which means even if Lucifer gets taken out for a few days, you'll make sure things still run smoothly. That, and you've actually got a spine to you. You may be human, but you've got more credibility and strength in one finger than Leyna will ever have."

Try as I may, I can't hold back my triumphant smile. One of my husband'sright hand men has just solidified my status as queen and shot down Leyna inone blow. Maybe, just maybe, we can win this stupid game.

Kerion sighs in relief, then steps forward. "Belphagor, we're going toneed your help if we're going to get Amelia's body back."