So ugly, they said.
So stupid.
So unnecessary.
Unwanted. Undesired.
I asked you another question, Legion. You will answer.
Though she wanted to look anywhere but at him, she forced her gaze to meet his. Lucifer was tall, with shiny black hair and orange-gold eyes. He was muscled, like Aeron, and handsomebut not as handsome as Aerondespite the inferno always banked in his expression.
What had he asked? Oh, yeah. What was wrong with her? I What should she tell him? A lie, definitely, but something he would believe. I jussst wanted to play a game.
A game, hmm? His lips curled slowly, wickedly as he strolled around her, closing in, studying, taking her measure and clearly finding her lacking. I have a better idea.
The heat of his breath somehow reached the back of her neck, and she shuddered. At least he didnt stab her as shed feared. Yesss?
We shall bargain, you and I.
Her stomach twisted into cutting knots. His bargains were notorious, for they always ended in his favor. Thats how hed escaped hell for a year to live unfettered on Earth. Hed bargained with the goddess of Oppression, the very one responsible for ensuring the walls surrounding this underground prison were solid, impenetrable. The one who had allowed many demon High Lords to escape. The one who had then died, her bones used to construct Pandoras box.
No? she said, and though shed meant it as a statement, it emerged as a question.
In front of her once again, he tsked. Dont be so hasty. You havent even heard what I have to offer.
It wouldnt be good for her, that much she could guess. II ssshould go.
Not yet. He spun on his heel and glided to his throne, where he eased down, relaxed, utterly sure of himself. Smoke reached him, surrounded him, and flames soon followed, dancing around as if happy just to be near him.
Legion tried to shift from one foot to the otheronly to realize her feet had been glued in place. There would be no leaving. Not until he was done with her. Still. She didnt panic. Shed been beaten before and had survived. Shed been called terrible names and laughed at; shed been thrown into seemingly never-ending pits and kicked into ice fields, unable to transport herself somewhere else.
I can help you get something you want, Lucifer said. Something youll do anything to possess.
Ha! There was nothing he could offer that would
I can help you win Aerons heart.
For a moment, she forgot to breathe. Only when her lungs and throat began burning, scalding, did she force her mouth to open and suck air inside. He couldwhat?
As you like to spy on the happenings here for the Lords of the Underworld there at the end, bitterness had filled his tone I like to spy on the happenings of the surface. I know youre enamored of Aeron, keeper of my darling Wrath.
Hearing his derision, she raised her chin. He lovesss me, too. He told me ssso.
Lucifer arched a brow. Are you sure about that? He was so angry that youd hurt his precious little angel.
The word precious used to describe that pig of an angel caused red spots to wink over her vision. She was Aerons precious. Her. No one else.
Lucifer waved his hand regally, and the air in front of Legion thickened, wavered, dust motes sparkling. Colors burst to life. Then Aeron was there, bending down and gently lifting the angels wrist to his mouth. He sucked at the poison Legion had injected in her, and her lithe body stilled.
Seeing his mouth on that disgusting interloper caused the red to brighten and rage to flood her. Rage and hate and determination.
How will you help me? she found herself asking. The scene disappeared and she was once more looking at Lucifer. Perhaps bargaining with him wouldnt be so bad. Perhaps she would be the one to come out ahead. She was smart. Resourceful. Right?
Lets face it, he said, gaze raking over her scaled body. Youre as ugly as a creature can be.
Her jaw dropped as wave after wave of hurt hit her, and she tried to backpedal, wanting to hide. She wasnt ugly. Was she? She was different from Aeron, yes. She was different from the angel, as well. But that didnt mean she was ugly.
I can practically hear the thoughts in your head. Allow me to address them. Yes, you are indeed ugly. Actually, saying youre ugly is being kind. I can hardly stand to look at you. In fact, to settle my stomach Im going to have to stare just over your shoulder while we finish this conversation.
She was ugly, then. Hideous. A monster. The devil himself couldnt even bear to look at her. Tears filled her eyes. How will you help me, then? she asked again.
He gazed down at his yellowed, curling nails, as if he hadnt a care. I, powerful being that I am, can make you pretty.
How? she insisted.
To start, Id give you silky, flowing hair. Any color you desired and far better than the angels. Id give you smooth, creamy skin. Again, any color you desired. Id give you bedroom eyes no man can resist. A tall, slender body with big breasts. Men go crazy for those, you know. And while a forked tongue has its uses in bed, Id probably get rid of that. Your lisp is annoying.
He could make her pretty? Pretty enough to win Aeron? Hope bloomed in her chest; the mere thought of finally being with the man of her dreamsliving as husband and wifehad her shedding one reservation after another. What do you desire in return?
Oh. That, he said, shrugging as if it were of no importance. All Id want is to possess your new body.
She frowned. I dont underssstand. How could I win Aeron if Im notme? How could I win Aeron if you are me?
He pinched the bridge of his nose. I see youre stupid, too, which means well have to fix that, as well. I didnt mean Id possess your new body right away, my single-minded friend. I would be allowed to do so only if you failed to win him.
Her frown intensified. Being beautiful didnt mean shed automatically win?
The silence earned her a shake of his head. Clearly breaking my meaning down as if I were talking to a child didnt work. What else can I do?
Her cheeks heated, and it had nothing to do with the fire around them. She wasnt stupid or a child, damn him! Youre trying to confussse me on purpossse.
Actually, Im not. I dont want you crying foul later. So listen closely. I will give you nine days to seduce Aeron. I would say all you have to do is gain his declaration of love, but you already have that. What you dont have is his sexual attraction, and thats what you really want. So get him in your bed, of his own free will, and you win our bargain. You may keep your new body and live happily ever after. Without my interference.
Everything sounded fair and wonderful and perfect. Everything but the timing. Why only nine days?
Does the reason matter? It wont change anything about the bargain.
Resistance. Of course the reason mattered. Tell me, she insisted.
Fine. Nine is my favorite number.
A lie, definitely. She could push, but Was learning the truth more important than gaining a chance at that which she desired most?
No.
And if I fail? she asked. Hed told her what he wanted, yes, but she needed every detail.
Well. His fingertips traced circles on the arms of his throne. If you fail to seduce him into your bed, for fucking, not sleeping, within the allotted time, you must allow me to possess your new body, as I said. For however long I wish.
There it was. The final detail. He would be able to control her for however long he wished. In other words, forever.
But why would he want The answer slammed into her and she gasped. Lucifer viewed her as his ticket to escaping hell. Because Legion wasnt bound to hell, but to Aeron, she was allowed to leave this place. Lucifer was not. He was trapped here.
If she gave him permission to overtake her, he would then be free to leave. What he wanted, they would do. She would be aware, yes, but her wants would cease to matter.
If it were as simple as taking control of her body and using it to escape, Lucifer wouldnt waste time bargaining with her. But demons couldnt possess bodies, human or otherwise, without permission. Even the demons in Pandoras box had needed the gods blessing to possess the Lords.
It all comes down to whether or not you think you can succeed, Lucifer said. Do you? I certainly do, which makes me feel silly for even offering this bargain. Perhaps I shouldnt have. In one fluid movement, he pushed to his feet. I mean, there are other, weaker demons I can
Hold on, she rushed out. Jussst hold on.
Slowly he eased back down.
She couldnt let this chance slip away. The angel, who was incapable of speaking a lie, had told her that Aeron saw her as a child. That Aeron considered himself a father figure to her. That would never changeunless she did something drastic.
Termsss must be ssspelled out.
Havent they already?
Not from my end.
He clutched a hand over his chest. You dont trust me?
She shook her head. A bargain was binding, even for creatures such as them. Once they both agreed, she would be trapped, the bargain a living entity inside her. There could be no changing her mind. If she failed, she would concede what shed promised, unable to stop herself.
Im wounded. But very well, he said. State exactly what you expect from me.
If she didnt, she would receive no more than that, but most assuredly less. I have to be prettier than the angel, with pale hair, golden skin, brown eyes and big breasts. All the opposite of the little bitch. I want the entire nine days, with no time warpsss. As she spoke, her excitement grew. She was really going to do this. She was really going to try and win Aerons heart. And I want to be awake when Im with him.
Damn, Lucifer said, an amused twinkle in those fiery eyes. You caught me on that one. I planned to put you into a coma until your time was up.
And she had stopped him from doing so. She was feeling very proud of herself at the moment. See? She wasnt stupid, after all. You cant kill him, either. If he diesss before time runsss out, the bargain diesss, too.
Agreed. Now, are those your only demands? he asked, ever the indulgent lord.
I dont want to ssspeak with a lisssp, asss you sssaid. I want to firssst appear before Aeron, not halfway acrossss the world, jussst asss I am, and then I want to change bodiesss in front of him. That way, he wouldnt think she was Bait or a Hunter and try to get rid of her before she could seduce him.
Very doable. Is that all?
She gulped, considered, then nodded.
Once more, he stood. He splayed his arms, fire leaping from his fingertips. Then its agreed. You shall have everything you named. But if you fail to lure Aeron, Lord of the Underworld and keeper of the demon of Wrath, to your bed and inside your body within those nine days, you will return to this throne room, where you will willingly consent to my possession of your body.
Another nod.
Say it, he demanded, no longer the kind and benevolent man hed pretended to be.
I agree.
The moment the words left her mouth, a sharp pain tore through her. Grunting, she doubled over. She couldnt breathe, was fading, every muscle she possessed spasming. But just as quickly as the pain had sprouted, the bargain birthing to life inside her, it left her and she straightened.
And so it is done, Lucifer said. Then he gave her the same smile hed bestowed on her when hed first brought her here. Wicked, satisfied. Did I forget to mention that, when you fail, my first order of business will be to murder each of the Lords of the Underworld and set their demons free?
CHAPTER TWELVE
AS THE NIGHT GAVE WAY to dawn, the citizens just now awakening and emerging to begin their days, Aeron stalked the streets, Paris at his side, both remaining in the shadows, silent. Perhaps Paris, who hadnt hesitated in his choice of companion this timedid that mean he was finally getting over Sienna?was as lost in thought as Aeron was as they headed back to the fortress.
Olivia had cried herself to sleep, and hed held her through those tears. When shed finally fallen into unconsciousness, hed flown her to Gillys apartment, thinking that things would be easier that way. If she couldnt talk to him, she couldnt tempt him to forget his purpose. But he hadnt left right away. Paris had needed time with his chosen, so Aeron had snuggled in next to the angel.
Once again, hed found that he liked holding her. Which was all the more reason to finally get rid of her. But as hed walked away from her, meaning to do so permanently, hed no longer been sure he wanted to get rid of her. Not that hed ever been sure, but damn, his resolve had been shaken.
Seeing her in Gideons arms had given life to a possessive streak he hadnt known he possessed, the earlier incidents with William and Paris paltry in comparison. The thought of Olivia roaming these roads, determined to have fun, alone, so easy for the plucking His teeth ground together, a common occurrence whenever he thought of her.
A man passed, claiming his attention. A human. Mid-twenties. Large. Instantly Wrath began growling, chomping for freedom, conveying images of meaty hands swinging atand connecting witha sobbing female face.
Wifebeater, Aeron realized as Wrath flashed more of those images through his mind.
Youre worthless, the man liked to yell, spittle spraying from his mouth. Im not sure why I married you. You were a fat cow then and youre a fatter cow now.
For once, Aeron didnt try to stop himself. What if Olivia had been the target of that rage? What if Legion had been? Allowing Wrath to pull his strings without any resistance, loving his demon more than he should, without the taint of guilt, he turned on his heel, raced forward and closed the distance between himself and the man. A man who gasped when Aeron grabbed him and spun him around.
What the hell?
Aeron, Paris called, weary.
Aeron ignored him. You disgust me, you insignificant little shit. Why dont you try beating me?