Unholy Love

Chapter Seventeen

I stand completely stagnant. My body immobilised and unable to move as I stare at the person walking through the doors, some light instrumental music commencing again. He is looking everywhere, at everyone but me. I keep holding my breath wishing and hoping he looks at me. Please look at me, just look at me.

He doesn't.

He is so poised and sure of himself. Chin up and shoulders back. I have never seen him this self-assured before. It feels like everything turns into a fuzzy background noise and I see all in slow motion. Lucifer gliding across the ballroom, people raising from their bowing and curtseys, some demons trying to grab a hold of him like he is a famous celebrity.

I wish his mask wasn't on, that way I would be able to see his facial expressions much better, but right now he looks cold and distant. He is and knows he is better than everyone else in this room. The devil is arrogant and unapproachable looking. The nervous shivers running up and down my spine as I just can't take my gaze away from him.

Faintly, and very briefly I can see his face much better as he walks past me. Eyes of palest watery blue, like a creature who's spent it's life in perpetual shadow, from me. As his eyes look at mines again, standing before me I still don't know what to do with myself. Do I take the hand he is holding out for me? Do I turn and run?

I feel Lilith nudging me and when I twist my head to look at her, she is gritting her teeth and mouthing, "You do not keep the king waiting."

Without realising my actions, my hand places itself into his and he squeezes, tightly, almost putting me in a shock of pain and he tugs on my arms and harshly pulls me into his embrace so that we are ready to dance.

A deep and dark song comes blasting around us with a somewhat upbeat tempo. He pulls my constricted waist closer to him and begins waltzing us around the ballroom, still not ushering a single word. Looking into his eyes they are still emotionless. I want to say something to him, but for the first time in a while I'm afraid.

I bite my lip and guise away from his face, looking at the creatures that surround us, watching us, slowly gathering into pairs to join us into the cinch. I have never danced the waltz before, but his control of my body is so dominant that following his lead is done with ease.

"What are you staring at?" he asks me, his voice deep and sinister making me fretful to answer his question.

"They are all looking," I say with my speech all husky.

He laughs maniacally with a sexual undertone. Spinning me out and back into his arms.

"You don't miss much do you?"

He swings us around almost too aggressively.

"You seem different," I state making him look at me confounded.

"Different how?"

"Like a different man that I am meeting for the first time."

I gulp loudly waiting for his response, gazing into each-others eyes.

"This is me Annabelle, all of me," there is a hint of sympathy in the way he is looking at me right now. Why? Because he is not what I expected him to be?

We dance through the rest of the song in silence and when another tune begins playing, he continues to dance with me, gazing down at my timid body.

"Lilith did a good job, you look beautiful tonight Annabelle."

"Will you tell her that or shall I pass it on?" I ask annoyed at the sudden change of conversation. I wasn't up for talking about Lilith, especially after finding out he left some major details out when telling me about her, never mind the threats.