Celestial Entrapment

Checkmate

She leaned against the golden doorframe with her arms crossed over her bosom. Smooth and scaly green skin like a snake, piercing black eyes with fiery yellow and red irises in a sharp face with high cheekbones, and long hair, crimson and resplendent as a blood moon. Her wicked smirk chilled Seth to the bone. 

"Hm, I must say I'm surprised at you, Seth. And I'm not just talking about your eye-appealing body."

Loredana chuckled and her eyes traveled down. Seth hastily snapped his fingers to make some clothes appear on his naked body. His dagger materialized in his right hand as well. He slowly rose from the bed, ready to defend himself. How the hell had the Hellion gotten into his home, into his Circle, without him knowing about it?

"What are you doing here, Loredana? You and I have nothing to talk about."

"So you don't like my present?" She gasped in mocked indignation. "I'm hurt, Seth."

"Present? What pre-...?"

Seth froze when he saw her eyes rest on something to his left. No... He turned his head to look at Benji. The fallen angel gave a weary sigh and got up. With a wave of his hand, he dressed himself completely in black leather, a wardrobe unbefitting of an angel. 

"For what it's worth, I liked you. You were very agreeable."

"Wha-What?" Seth drew back from the angel.

His green eyes flashed between Benji and Loredana, his mind trying desperately to make sense of it all. The Hellion pushed herself away from the door and walked over, her golden sleeveless dress flowing about her.

"Don't hurt yourself trying to figure this out, Seth; I'll gladly explain everything." Her demeaning voice cut through the demon like a knife. "You see, Benjamine is mine. My precious little slave. I found him years ago, and I made him an offer he couldn't refuse. He left Paradise for me, and he has been such a good boy ever since, helping me get what I want."

Her hand raked through the angel's hair, giving a quick tug. He gleamed with adoration and obediently bent his head to her. 

"My Queen." 

Loredana turned her attention back to Seth. 

"The other Rulers were fairly easy to sway, but you... You've been making things difficult for me, Seth. You left me no choice but to resort to extreme measures. I decided to dangle my darling Benji in front of you,  knowing you simply couldn't resist what he could offer you. And I couldn't resist the delectable irony of trapping the Lord of Lust in his own game."

Seth's skin crawled when an icy shiver ran down his spine. His vision blurred, and he felt the ground give way beneath him. His thoughts ran wild. 

No, no, this can't be happening. This cannot be happening! No! H-How?! Why did I...? Goddammit!

The demon fell to his knees, pulled down by the crushing feeling of a heart being shattered by betrayal. A heart... 

Oh no...

"You were the instrument of your own downfall, Seth. So blindly focussed on obtaining grace to obliterate me that you forgot what it would do to you if you got it like this."

It was the one rule of Hell. The single law that was drilled into every demon the moment they were created; you see an angel, and you kill them. Don't fall for their words, don't fall for their beauty, and do not, under any circumstance, touch them. Kill them before they have the chance to beguile and spread their light. Because when divine light touches a demon, when grace wraps up the festering residue of a demon's soul, it heals. A second chance is given to be good, to be... human. 

"This is getting embarrassing. Help him up, darling. We can have more fun with him later."

Benji hurried to carry out his Queen's order and stepped up to Seth. The demon's body trembled, overwhelmed by sudden rage and bloodlust. His eyes locked with Benji's. Beautiful light-blue eyes. How he hated them!
Seth grabbed Benji's wrist and jumped up to his feet, screaming. His dagger plunged into Benji's chest. The angel gasped, taken completely by surprise.

"Damn you!" hissed Seth, hot tears rolling down his cheeks.

Benji tried to speak, but only blood spat out of his mouth. The light in his eyes faded as Seth twisted and drew back the blade. The Queen's slave was dead before he hit the ground. 

Seth stumbled, his eyes traveling from the angel on the blood-soaked floor to the dagger in his shaking hand. It was too much. The weight of a human heart, of Benji's grace, of his very life, clinging to him was more than Seth could endure.
But Loredana snatched the dagger from him and threw it away before he could end it. Seth tried to move, but her hypnotic gaze hooked him. He stood frozen, easy prey for the serpent to devour.

"Ssh, it's okay," Loredana spoke comfortingly. "It's okay, my pet."

She cupped his face.

"Not all is lost. Benjamine was a fallen one, so his grace won't fully turn you human. I can't take away your beating heart, but I can help you remain a demon, Seth. I'll take care of you, I promise I will. You know you have no one else to turn to and no choice but to stay with me. For if the others do discover what you did... you will suffer a fate worse than death."

She stroked his tears away.

"Why?" whispered Seth, broken. "Why did you do this to me?"

"Because... you fought back." Loredana breathed against his lips. "And now, you're mine, little king. Check... mate."

When her full lips kissed Seth, Benji's body glowed. Golden chains appeared and burned away, leaving the angel's remains scorched and mangled. Seth felt an intense heat around his limbs, and he pulled away, yelling in pain. 
With the angel's grace also came the angel's tethers. Seth had dared to oppose the Queen, he had dared to move against her... and he lost.
He was Loredana's.

Forever.