Page 23 of Hell's Queen

“We were never allies.” We stare at each other. “You were a girl my son happened to fuck with multiple others and—”

“Father!” Ryker snaps, with a few different growls from others.

“You corrupted him into thinking it was okay to not be king. You made him believe he could have you and share. I don’t like that. We aren’t allies, Asura.”

“Queen Asura,” I correct. “I did nothing to your son, and the fact that you can’t see the real reason he left proves a point. After breakfast, we will be gone. I hope you can forgive my father’s actions long enough to realize we have the same enemy, and they won’t stop.”

He stares at me before sitting. “It was nice meeting you, and you are vastly different from your father.”

“You knew my father at the worst time of his life. He wasn’t even King at that point. You have yet to meet me at my worst.”

After a short meal, I had Ozias figure out where we could go that would be safe. Agnus and my brothers left a little bit ago to start putting up force fields around each palace of Hell. There are a lot of us needing shelter. If we go back to the academy, we risk the academy being destroyed and us attending classes. Ozias found us a place that wasn’t putting many people in danger. After packing, I move aside Ryker. I can tell he is hurt, but I stay silent. I touch his shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers.

I shake my head.

“If I was king—”

“You’d be as miserable as he is.” His pink eyes find mine. “You are doing the best you can. We are all doing the best we can, and we have shelter for a while.”

He wraps his arms around me, lifting me slightly. “God, I love you. I can tell you’re stressed—”

“I am not!” I am.

“And you are comforting me.”

“I lost my father. I don’t want you to lose yours, too.”

Ryker pulls back, looking down at me. “I won’t. We might not talk, but he was there when we needed him, even for a bit.” He straightens before speaking to the others. “Everyone ready?”

Looking at our group, my head spins. Four hellhounds, three Soul Reapers, a vampire, and me, the Queen. I nod as Ryker opens a portal to where Ozias said to go.

I trust Ozias enough to not put his family or us in harm’s way again, though I know they would take us in.

Ryker looks back at his father and gives a wave. I smile, touching his hip as we both go into the portal together last.

The first thing I see when stepping from the portal is a mountain of men who won’t get out of my way. I push through them and see a vast throne room with a striper pole right in the center. A familiar face sits on the throne, his blonde hair a calculated mess.

“Lucifer,” I say with a smile on my face.

Ledger makes a disgusted noise behind me as I hold my arms out for a hug.

“Hello, darling. How are you doing?” Lucifer smirks, embracing me.

“All right. You?” That childhood crush rages wild in my chest, and I wonder if I can add him to my harem.

He smiles sadly. “I’m okay.” My eyes stay glued to the pole in the middle of the room.

“Where are the millions of kids?” Ledger asks, earning a glare from me.

“They are all at the academy for the week, and they come home on the weekends,” he says. “I’ll show you to all your rooms.”

Lucifer has a more enormous palace than we did, but he also has many kids. His house was always fun to be at when we were all younger. He places me in one of the bigger rooms with a huge bed. I swear I can have Ledger sleep sideways, and I doubt he would touch the corner of the bed. I sit on the bed while he shows the others to their rooms. My mind races with what I can do on the pole. It wasn’t for Lucifer’s eyes, though I wouldn’t mind. I just wanted to dance.

There’s a knock on my door. I expect it to be my men, but it’s Lucifer. “I have work. Please make yourself at home. The throne room is open as well, and I’ll be home late.” Our eyes meet, and it tells me all I need to know. He saw me looking at it.

I wait at least twenty minutes before I run down to the throne room and close the door. It takes me a second to inspect and ensure there are no cameras here. The last thing I need is for any one of Lucifer’s kids or him to see this.

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