Hell's Throne (The Devil's Assistant Series - 5 ) - Unedited

Hell's Throne - Chapter 12

The morning after should have been awkward. Yet, even though the covers had slipped during the night and half of my body was exposed, I didn't have a care in the world. Instead I snuggled further into Lucius's side, stroking my hands across his chest. We had made love to one another – it hadn't just been sex. Just thinking about the intensity of emotion he had managed to evoke was enough to bring tears to my eyes.

"Everything okay?" Lucius asked in a sleepy grumble as his hand caressed lazily up and down the length of my spin.

"Everything is perfect." I replied, leaning up and kissing him, taking my time so that I could savour the moment.

Lucius murmured his agreement, his arm wrapping around my waist and hugging me tighter to his body.

"I know it only makes it more obvious how much older than you I am, but I wish you could have met my granddaughter. I think you would have liked each other." Lucius murmured, his lips brushing against the top of my head. "I kept my visits to her few and far between to stop her from being a target, but her gift allowed her a certain level of foresight. She would often make an impromptu visit – always without her mother's permission- to see me. Just me."

Reaching for his hand, I laced my fingers with his even as I squeezed my eyes closed. The awe in his voice, that someone would actually make the effort to visit him, was enough to cause an ache in my chest. It never ceased to amaze me how insecure he could be. Lucius was the devil. He was a powerful fallen angel who had spent millennia ruling over the underworld, playing around with the lives of mortals at his own whim, and yet he had just as many issues as the rest of us.

"She was a fighter. She was a painter when she wasn't consumed with her visions. And she had a good heart."

I turned my head and pressed a soothing kiss to Lucius' chest. "I'm sure we would have gotten along."

Opening my eyes, I lifted my head. Lucius was looking down at me, his blue eyes clouded over as he lost himself in his memories. His eyes shimmered as tears gathered, one lone drop breaking free and carving a path down his cheek. It hurt too much to see his pain – the loss he would forever feel.

Closing the distance between us, I took his lips in mine. Gently, I coaxed him back from the memories with gentle kisses. It took a moment, but then his lips felt less like stone and his hand tangled in my hair as he pulled me tighter to his body. Hungrily, his devoured my lips. My lips ached from the bruising kisses the night before, but I didn't care. I parted my lips even as I draped myself over his body so I could get closer. So I could feel more of him. So I could taste more of him.

A knock sounded on the door.

Groaning, I pulled my lips away from his and leant my forehead against his chest. My breath came out in uneven pants but I made no effort to move off of him. Our time alone was always fleeting and a part of me hoped that, if we remained quiet enough, our visitor would leave.

Another loud thump echoed throughout the room.

"I'll be there in a minute." Lucius shouted, lifting his hands and rubbing his face tiredly. "I guess we should return to reality."

"Yes, we should. But I don't want to." I admitted, rolling off of him and snuggling into the duvet. I noted with embarrassment that, due to our activities during the night, all of the pillows had been knocked on to the floor.

"Well, you could stay here all day and wait for me. We can continue where we left off when I am done?"

Reaching out blindly, I slapped Lucius on the chest and climbed from the bed. "That's not going to happen. There is too much to be done. I'm a very important person don't you know."