Thanks to a dare gone wrong, Maggie Brumfield finds out the hard way that Heaven and Hell are real.
Prince Laudon, Lucifer's son and the current ruler of Hell, has locked Maggie into a sinister deal that grants him temporary ownership of her soul...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
ღ
LAUDON'S POV
Laudon barely acknowledges his father, the only person on his mind being Maggie as he launches himself across the arena to be with her.
The panic brewing inside of him only subsides by a minuscule amount when he pulls Maggie into his arms, breathing her in as she hugs him back just as tightly. The scenario rapidly unraveling before him is exactly the scenario that he did not want happening. His plan had been to keep Maggie far, far away from his father by any means necessary. He would have somehow figured out a way to break the spell that ties her soul to Hell, preventing her from having to find a replacement. But now all his plans have been doused in gasoline and set on fire.
Lucifer's senses are sharp, and his intuition rarely led him down the wrong path. He will have many questions for Laudon after this battle is over, and there will be no lie that Laudon can tell that will be convincing enough to draw Lucifer's attention away from the not-quite-human girl who currently stands next to the spirit of his formerly imprisoned mate.
"Maggie." Laudon's mouth lightly grazes her ear, causing her to shudder in his embrace. "You really shouldn't be here, love. It isn't safe..." Laudon pulls back just enough to cup her face, his red eyes scanning for potential missed injuries. "You and my mother need to leave immediately. You still have time to get away from—"
"I'm not going anywhere without you. Your fight is my fight," Maggie replies, her voice stern and decision final. "We're in this together, okay?"
Laudon can do nothing but sigh and submit, resting his forehead against hers. "Together."
Before their conversation can continue, Lucifer whistles loudly, redirecting everyone's attention back to him as the shaking of the ground concludes. "This is not at all the warm welcome that I thought I would receive upon returning home."
Lucifer takes his time looking around the room, his gaze lingering on Neira for several beats before eventually moving on. When he reaches the elder demons, he pauses, his black eyes narrowing at the five unfamiliar faces. Saying nothing, he snaps his fingers again. They explode where they stand, blood and a few pieces of flesh flying and landing on Zul.
"I have so many questions that I am not sure where to start..." Lucifer sighs, then looks at Zul. "Old friend, it appears that you no longer approve of my son being in charge while I am away on business. Please explain to me the reason why you felt the need to challenge him for the throne, and why you believe that you could do his job better."
Zul had not been prepared for any of this and it shows on his face as he respectfully bends the knee to Lucifer. He thought he would have taken Laudon out long before now. He thought he would have had a lot more time to come up with a proper excuse for why he felt the intense need to kill the king's son. Lucifer's unexpected arrival has undeniably thrown Zul off track, effectively massacring what little optimism he had left at taking the throne.
