Page 106 of All's Hell That Ends Well

“As queen,” Lucifer purred, “youmakethe rules. And you wouldn’t entertain others—they would entertainyou. Really, when you think about it, this position would bring you the highest amount of freedom from constraining social requirements in all of Hell. You don’t like parties? You don’t have to attend. It’s your prerogative. And if anyone dares speak ill of you for it, you chop off their wings and make them crawl. Problem solved.”

I stared at him for a moment, my eye twitching, then I turned to Azazel. “Let’s step outside for a bit, okay?”

Azazel sighed but nodded and got up, and together, we left the room and paused outside in the hallway.

“He’s right,” Azazel said as soon as the door had fallen shut.

“About which part exactly?” I crossed my arms, lifting one hand to nibble at my thumbnail, unease tightening my stomach.

He exhaled roughly. “All of it.”

My brows drawing together, I studied his face. “You’re actually considering this.”

He was silent for a long moment, his gaze lit from within as he regarded me with unnerving attention. “What is it that you’re afraid of?”

I huffed out a breath. “What is there not to be afraid of? You only think about the power, but what about the dangers? Sitting on that throne makes you the biggest target in all of Hell. Even with how feared and respected Lucifer was, he still had to squash rebellions and fend off attacks all the time, not to mention the murderous conspiracy that developed right under his nose and which brought us to where we are now, in a roundabout way. Do you really want to live like that? Always looking over your shoulder for the next would-be traitor?”

“What I want,” he said with quiet conviction, “is to have the authority necessary to make sure you’re the safest you could be. You think this is about my lust for power? It’s about you, aboutus. Yes, I’ve been climbing the ranks for thousands of years. I’ve always been ambitious, but I was content with my position as cherub until I met you. Until I found that, suddenly, my heart is walking around outside my body, vulnerable and in need of protection, and I realized that the higher I’d climb, the fewer bonds of allegiance and political constraints would conflict with my protection of you. And when you ascended to Heaven, I set everything on becoming archdemon because it would give me the authority I needed to claim you when you fell from grace.Youhave been my motivation to rise high ever since you stepped into my life.”

My chest drew tight, my throat closing up. “Azazel…”

Stepping closer, he cupped my face with both hands, speaking softly into the space between us. “I have told you many times that you’re my first priority. I will always put your safety first. You might think that being an archdemon is less risky than being the King of Hell, but I can tell you, it’s not. We’d face betrayal and rebellion with me in that position as well. A high rank will always invite challenges; there will always be greedy eyes fixed on where we stand. Ask Daevi how many times she’s had to prove her right to be archdemon against contenders, orhow many quarrels she’s had with other archdemons over the millennia. Being the supreme rulers of Hell may be perilous, but it also gives us the greatest authority to enforce our standing and be independent of any who would try to bind us in political machinations.”

I grasped his hands framing my face and inhaled a shuddering breath. “But I’m not weak any longer. I’ve got power, and I can defend myself. You don’t need to climb even higher just for my sake. We’d be fine continuing as we are now.”

“Even as archdemon,” Azazel gently said, “I am beholden to a greater power, would have to bend and obey the supreme authority of Hell, to a point. Think this through, Zoe. If I don’t take the throne, and Daevi doesn’t want it, who’s left? Imagine any of the other archdemons in Lucifer’s stead. Or—Hell forbid—Samael. Imagine they have power over me, over us. Do you want to live likethat? With the threat of the political games they could come up with to fuck with us?”

He let that question hang between us with all the heaviness of its implication, and my stomach soured, my heart squeezing with fear as I did imagine what someone like Ashtaroth on the throne would mean for Azazel and me.

Or for humanity at large.

I sucked in air, my heart thumping wildly. “Not just us,” I whispered. “They’d fuck up Earth, too.”

Azazel nodded, his expression grave. “And we wouldn’t be able to stop them. Not if they’re in charge of Hell. A command to arms against Heaven by the supreme ruler of Hell is a binding order. I would have to follow it, whether I want to or not.”

Closing my eyes, I leaned into his hold, grabbing the front of his shirt. He slung his arms around me and pressed me tight, his power a soothing caress against my senses. Every breath I took was infused with his scent, his essence, and it sank into me until my fear unraveled, that knot in my stomach loosening.

“Okay,” I murmured against his chest. “But this is only temporary, right? When Lucifer is ready to bring Lilith back down here, you can switch places again.” I lifted my head and sought his gaze. “With the way things are between you right now, with you two being on good terms and everything, he can be in charge again, and it won’t affect us negatively.”

His expression was pensive as he twirled a lock of my hair around a finger. “Yes,” he said eventually, “that might be possible.” There was a note of caution to his tone that I couldn’t quite place. “Let’s talk this over with him.”

I nodded, and together we went back into the room, where Lucifer now sat in the company of a hellcat—Laphor?—stroking its fur with an absent-minded air about him. At our reentry, he looked up and raised a brow, a hint of his old arrogance shining through.

“Have you come to a decision, or do you need a marriage counselor?”

“Haha,” I said dryly as I sat down on the couch. “It’s called healthy communication. Look it up.”

Lucifer’s eyes traced to Azazel, who’d settled beside me again. “Well?”

“We agree,” he said, and it filled me with warm fuzzies that he was including me in that statement. For it wasn’t just his choice alone, as it wouldn’t only be him affected by that new station.

“We’ll rule in your stead,” I said, crossing my legs and folding my hands over my knee, “until you come back once she’s ready to follow you here.”

Lucifer held my gaze as he slowly, distinctly said, “I won’t be coming back.”

I froze. “What?”

He took a moment to sip on his amrit before he explained, “I will watch over her as she grows, and I’ll return to Hell inintervals as will be necessary to replenish my strength, but when she’s come of age, I will make her remember, win her back, and stay with her, on Earth.” His eyes glinted with ancient power. “Permanently.”

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