Demon King (Claimed By Lucifer #1) - Elizabeth Briggs Page 0,70
beside her, Kassiel, sparked an odd reaction in my body. My heart beat faster, almost painfully, tugging inside my chest in a physical reaction I couldn’t explain. I lifted my hand and rested it over the bodice of my dress as I waited for the response to the man to die away. Then it vanished as quickly as it came upon me. How odd.
“And your other daughter?” Lucifer asked, as if he was genuinely interested.
Lilith inclined her head slightly. “Lena is still recovering from her time with that awful cult, but she improves every day.”
I had no idea who they were talking about. What cult? But I didn’t ask. Lucifer had been a good sport when I took him to that seedy dive bar, so I figured I owed him this. I could smile and nod along with these people, even if their conversation did make me feel like a child at an adult party.
“Excuse me.” Lucifer pressed a kiss to my cheek. “I must speak with Fenrir. I’ll return in a moment.”
He headed over to speak with a large, bearded man with wild gray hair who stood in the corner. The long-haired man named Baal joined them a moment later.
“I have no idea who any of these people are,” I muttered.
“Fenrir is the Archdemon of shifters, and Baal is the Archdemon of vampires.” Lilith cocked her head. “You know, I think this might be the first time all the Archdemons have been in one building in decades. Lucifer demanded our presence here tonight. I wonder if he has something planned for us.”
Had he summoned them here because of me? But why?
Lilith slipped her hand in the crook of my elbow as she led me to the buffet. “Don’t worry about the others. They’re all jealous. Who wouldn’t want to be on the arm of the Demon King?”
Maybe she was right. Tonight’s sin was supposed to be envy, after all. I watched Lucifer as he prowled across the room with barely restrained power in every one of his movements, and noticed the way everyone responded to him. Treating him like a king.
And me?
I was Persephone being claimed by Hades, and I had no choice but to enter his underworld and become his dark queen.
23
Hannah
Lilith and I grabbed a few fancy appetizers to eat at the buffet, and I was grateful to her for sticking by my side even though she didn’t know me at all—at least, not in this life. As an introvert, parties were hard enough. Add in the fact that I was the lone human at a ball full of demons and it was hard not to run back to the penthouse as fast as I could.
“Ah, there’s my son now,” Lilith said, raising her hand to wave him over.
The man who approached could only be described as sex on a stick. With dark hair, bronze skin, and muscles galore, he looked like some kind of international model on a billboard somewhere. He wore a plain black mask and a black suit, oozing sex appeal with every step, although he didn’t make my heart flutter the way Lucifer did. He looked like the kind of guy you had one crazy, unbelievable night with, and then never saw again. In that Fuck, Marry, Kill game he’d be Fuck every time.
Unless you’re Brandy, maybe.
“Hannah, this is Asmodeus,” Lilith said.
He reached out to take my hand, then bowed a little and brushed his lips against my knuckles, sending tingles through me. I hoped Lucifer wasn’t looking, or Asmodeus might be flying against the wall soon. “An honor,” he said, his husky voice sliding along my skin like silk.
I nearly fanned myself. Shit, I needed a cold shower after five seconds in his presence. How had Brandy withstood a week of this? No wonder Lucifer had said there was no way she could have resisted leaving the bar with him.
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” I said, after extricating my hand.
“All bad things, I hope?” he said with a wink.
I laughed, unable to resist his charm. “Things I had a hard time believing until now.”
Lilith pressed her hand to Asmodeus’s face. “Have you been feeding? You still look a bit weak from your ordeal. I’m sure any number of demons here tonight would be happy to help.”
He pulled away. “I’m fine, mother.”
“All right, dear.” She ruffled his hair with obvious love, then excused herself to speak to someone else, leaving me alone with the incubus.