of your dick. I’m quite looking forward to it.”
“Shut it,” I snarl at them. I don’t need a commentary. Fact is, the slimy prick is right. And not to be all whiny and shit, but it’s not my fault. I’m the Anti-Christ. Horsemen turning up in their droves kind of sets off a chain reaction that I can’t control. I ignore the voice in my head that tells me that if I’d sent Killian or Xavier away weeks ago, a lot of the shit wouldn’t have happened to begin with.
I take in a deep breath. Annihilating him won’t solve anything. It will just make things worse. I’m about to rise above the dissing, when Roberta lands next to me, shaking the ground slightly with her massive form.
“Not now, Roberta,” I growl.
“Just here for support, Your Majesty,” she murmurs. “We can figure this shit out later.”
I cast her a sidelong glance. She doesn’t seem to know what the fuck has happened. Doesn’t she know that Famine arrived, and the Apocalypse started? It reassures me that she had nothing to do with this fuck-fest.
“I hear your complaints and don’t disagree with them. Except the female part,” I add with a low growl, pointing Babe in the general direction of Snot Prick. I get a sick kind of pleasure seeing him flinch and back away.
“What?” he splutters, in spite of his fear.
I know I’ve confused him along with my circle. What can I say? I’m growing and all that bullshit.
“Being the Anti-Christ in charge of Hell is a challenge that is proving to be a pain in my ass. Trust me. I get where you’re coming from. But listen up, dickheads and cuntfaces. I rule Hell. That isn’t changing, so get used to fucked up shit happening. Hell has burned down around our fucking ears tonight, but those of us standing here, have made it. Be grateful for that. Many of your peers didn’t and more besides abandoned our Realm for the Wastelands in a cowardly show of chicken shit. You should all be proud that you stayed and survived to tell the tale. You are all going to be fundamental in rebuilding our home. Hell will begin to repair itself, but it’s going to take time. In the meantime, everyone will have a job to do. See Roberta for assignments.” I see her nod emphatically. “We have survived together and now we have to remain united. I need every single one of you.”
Silence.
I can feel the astonishment and pride coming from my circle. Gregory most of all. He will see this as personal growth and all that crap. But I feel a sense of accomplishment that makes me smile.
When Snot Prick falls to his knees, his head bowed, the satisfaction swells up inside me.
“All Hail the Queen,” he shouts out, which gets the other Demons into action. They submit to me, dropping to their knees, their words of acceptance and respect resounding around the center of Hell.
I wish my Dad was here to see it, but he needed to be with Mom and his family.
“Now get to work,” I say.
I turn to my males with a renewed sense of confidence that spurs me on to do what I should’ve done in the first place. “Let’s get our daughter and see what shape the residence is in. I don’t want her first night in Hell to be in a dank cavern. Oh, and we need to think of a name.”
With a slow smile, I flame out back to the cavern knowing that I can do this. I can be a mother. And a fucking good one at that.
8
Xavier
I groan and turn over. I’m uncomfortable on my back. It startles me out of my slumber, which is very odd. I don’t sleep. I open my eyes and stare at the ceiling of the cabin.
“Are you healed?” Killian asks, pacing over by the front door.
I frown and sit up, remembering. “Ouch,” I moan softly, prodding my stomach gently. My flesh has healed, but I feel like my insides are still gaping open. “Yes and no.” Fuck. Luc did some serious damage. Not that it’s surprising. The former ruler of Hell is designed for this kind of destruction. It is a stark reminder that Annabelle could also inflict this type of harm to me. Not that I think she would, but the fact that she could is something that I tend to forget. The only other creature who could possibly hurt me is currently like a