Seducing the Succubus (25 page)

Which meant Semiazas had found out the hard way that the ring had to be willingly removed. He wouldn’t even be able to cut off the human’s finger to retrieve it, since his intentions would be known and the inherent Archangel energy in the ring would thwart any such attempt. Most beings assumed the jewelry gained such powers because Adam had made them during his time living in the Garden. Since Uriel had given the set to her the night he’d broken his vows, neither of them had ever bothered to dissuade people from their assumptions. And with Adam and Eve long since dead, the story had become “well-known” lore.

“You’ll have to do better than that to keep my interest in this discussion.” She turned to walk toward her personal entrance to the throne room.

“I’ve seen Uriel’s downfall.”

She froze and turned to face him. Semiazas was many things, but his visions were always accurate, and even though Lilith knew it would be a twisted account, she couldn’t walk away without hearing it. “You have my attention . . . for the moment.”

“I’m not ignorant of your plan, Lilith. You sent those four bitches to petition Lucifer to cage me all those years ago, and now that I’ve escaped, you’re looking to do the same thing again. I won’t allow it.” His voice was a low hiss of warning.

“You’ve now lost my attention.” She shrugged with a smile and started to turn away again.

“Uriel will fall. He will join our ranks of those who rebel against God, and all to protect you, queen of the whores.”

“You’re late to the party, Semiazas. Uriel has already carried out that revolt back when he refused to kill me at the Garden.”

“So you mistakenly think repeated violations won’t try God’s patience?” Semiazas laughed. “Where will you end up when the end comes, Lilith? You’re a being without a side, which means you’ll be left standing alone when the music stops.”

She didn’t miss his clear reference to Armageddon, and she narrowed her eyes. “What are you trying not to tell me, Semiazas?”

“Uriel will betray God again, and it will be for you, and the world will fall.”

Lilith’s blood ran cold, but she tried to hide any visible reaction from the demon. “Uriel’s choices are his own.”

Impatience snapped in Semiazas’s gaze. “Give me the four succubi and I’ll ensure you have a place in the new hierarchy once the humans are no longer an issue.” He smiled and stepped forward. “You have plenty of other followers. What will these four matter?”

“This entire meeting has been a waste of my time. I am officially banning you from visiting even my throne room, Semiazas, follower of Lucifer. Be gone.”

With a snarl, he rushed forward but vanished well before he reached her.

She hoped it was worth it. She’d just pissed off Semiazas for a small measure of safety that he couldn’t return to her throne room. Lilith shuddered and vowed to sink into her hot springs as soon as she found some breakfast.

Semiazas stumbled forward
as he rematerialized back in Hell, at the portal point he’d used to visit Lilith’s throne room.

The fucking whore had banished him!

He clenched his fists and looked around for something to kill to work off his anger and frustration. Unfortunately, all the demons and other residents of this part of Hell were all staying well hidden. He supposed his reputation preceded him—which could both be good and bad.

He currently stood in the administrative section of Hell, which resembled tightly packed office space, so he settled for pounding his fist against one of the large lava stone walls that separated this section from what was affectionately referred to as “the pit.”

Pain lanced through his hand and down his arm, but his blow didn’t do anything to mark the wall. Inside Hell and even inside Lilith’s lair since neither was in the human realm, he wasn’t impervious to pain, but at least the sharp dose of pain had helped to evaporate his immediate anger.

He wondered if the humans would see the irony that a large portion of Hell resembled corporate America so closely that they could be interchangeable. He shook his hand, trying to shake away the remaining pain.

He’d hoped Evelin could get him past the throne room of Lilith’s lair, but he should’ve known the queen wouldn’t allow it. The bitch hadn’t survived this long by taking stupid chances—or at least too many.

He would almost respect her if he didn’t owe her and the four succubi for locking him away for the last seven hundred years.

Damned politics! He couldn’t attack her directly because he’d bring down the wrath of the Archangels on his head, and by extension, God.

Even though Semiazas had no respect for the ineffective deity, Lucifer would have his head if he brought that kind of attention to himself.

Unlike the denizens of Heaven who had thousands of rules of morality to adhere to, the demonic realm seemed to thrive on the principle that as long as it didn’t cause Lucifer any trouble, then they were all free to do as they wished. Just one of the many reasons Semiazas knew he’d made the right decision on who to follow.

But at times like this he wanted to curse Lucifer’s one rule, which prevented Semiazas from getting what he wanted.

He took a deep breath to regroup and dematerialized back to his torture chamber.

He quickly rematerialized in between the two vertical circular racks that spread-eagled his two current residents so he could torture them at will.

Unfortunately the man had been so near death when he arrived that Semiazas had been forced to give the man a blood transfusion to heal and survive. He’d need it to withstand the torture. After all, his human body wouldn’t be damaged in Hell, but the human mind would make the pain and suffering the soul experienced very real, and too much could shatter the mind beyond redemption. Not that Semiazas would mind giving the human a free lobotomy, but he needed him for leverage, especially since his bid to get Lilith to give him the four succubi bitches hadn’t panned out.

He’d tried using a soul gaze on the man, but someone had gotten there first so his wasn’t effective. That’s when Semiazas had found the human wearing Lilith’s ring, although all efforts to remove the damned thing had proven unfruitful.

He’d tried cutting off the human’s finger, hand, arm, or anything else he could to remove the ring, but it was as if the thing was charmed so that the wearer could only remove it willingly. And apparently, torturing the man to make him “willing” wasn’t fair game either, since that hadn’t worked. The human had weathered the pain of his limbs being severed, but when it was over, both the limb and the ring remained where they’d started.

Semiazas ground his teeth in renewed frustration.

He’d given several of his most creative demons free reign with the human male with the admonition not to break his mind. But the man had only given up the information that he owed Lilith and that’s why he accompanied the succubus—Jezebeth—wherever she wanted to go. Either the human didn’t know the portal location the succubus was headed to or he was very strong indeed.

That left persuasion of another kind.

Upon learning that the demon who had inhabited the man to capture the human male in the first place had failed to get him to talk, Semiazas had banished it, which left Semiazas with another male subject to play with while forcing the succubus’s companion to watch. Humans were so sentimental.

“And how are my guests doing tonight?” Semiazas leaned close to the man’s face, irritated when the human didn’t even open his eyes. Semiazas slapped Noah hard across the face, using all the supernatural force he could muster. The human’s head snapped around on his neck, and his eyes fluttered open, but his gaze remained defiant.

“Oh good, you’re awake. Just wanted to thank you for all the information you’ve given me.”

The man hung limply on the black metal rack, his naked body gashed and bleeding in several places, the way he’d been for several hours since Semiazas had left him to stew over his situation. The great thing about torture in Hell was that the man could hang here for eons and still be in this same condition. Semiazas couldn’t see the damned human maintaining his stubbornness and composure for quite that long. Unfortunately, that kind of time was a luxury he couldn’t afford right now.

Semiazas turned away from the man and stalked toward the second man, the one who had been possessed by the demon.

The tangy scent of fear filled the air and Semiazas breathed deep, enjoying the heady aroma. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.” He turned back to Noah. “I can sense your fear, but it’s buried deep. His is right here on the surface where I can enjoy it.” Semiazas slapped the man hard, his head snapping to the side and a low whimper escaping as he closed his eyes tight as if that would remove him from the reality of what was to happen.

“Stop. Leave him alone.” The human’s voice was raspy and dry as if each syllable scratched up his throat like a razor blade.

Semiazas turned back with feigned surprise. “I’m sorry, did you say something?” Without turning back to face him, Semiazas grabbed the man around the neck and began to squeeze. The older man cried out, probably more from surprise than pain.

Noah’s gaze narrowed, and he ground his teeth.

“One little word, human, and I’ll let him go.” Semiazas shrugged. Humans were a dime a dozen. All he cared about right now was finding those succubi and completing his revenge. He grinned as his long-range plans spilled through his mind like promises for the future.

“Your word?”

Semiazas laughed. “You would trust that? I think not.” He grinned. “Let’s do it this way.” He waved at the rack the man hung on and he disappeared. “He’s back where I found him in the first place.” Semiazas left out the part that he was entirely naked. “But I can get him back, or another human in his place, if you don’t hold up your end. Fair enough?”

Noah nodded and swallowed hard as if evaluating his options. “Greece.”

Semiazas raised his brows. “Greece? And why were you two on a road in Arizona if you were going to Greece?”

“I didn’t have all the details, but there will be a portal opening in Greece.”

Semiazas narrowed his eyes and studied the man. His soul gaze might not work on this human, but he’d had practice reading the meat sacks since this pitiful excuse for a species began. As unlikely as the answer sounded, it held some truth. There was still something the human held back, but at least this was a step in the right direction. “Fine. Then it looks like you and I are taking a trip to Greece, my boy. I hope you brought your sunscreen to enjoy our trip, because if you’ve lied to me, it’ll be an eternity before you see the sun again after this.”

Gabriel
rematerialized near where Raphael was busy healing several humans who looked like they’d been tossed around like rag dolls. The immediate scene was frozen, Raphael the only movement within the area besides herself.

He glanced up to meet her gaze, his expression grim.

She hurried forward, icy dread curling inside her stomach. “What’s wrong, Raphael?”

“I was just summoned by one of the four succubi sisters.”

Gabriel frowned and glanced around at the frozen scene of destruction. “Was she responsible for all this?”

Raphael shook his head. “No. A demon possessed a human, smashed everyone up, and then dematerialized with the succubus’s companion.”

Gabriel frowned. There was something more she was missing. “The companion sent by Lilith?”

Raphael nodded. “I promised to help look for him.”

“We were ordered to stay clear—”

Raphael stood, cutting her off with an impatient gesture. “Not officially. And even then, we were told only to stay clear of the succubi sisters themselves. Michael never said anything about the companions Lilith sent to help them find their way back to her lair.”

Gabriel shook her head. “True,” she slowly admitted.

“I could use some help finding him. Any ideas where to start?” He waved a hand in the air and the scene resumed around them with the men slowly sitting up, disoriented, but healed and healthy.

Gabriel avoided Raphael’s hazel gaze. She had no reason to feel guilty for her previous relationship with Semiazas, but that was logical, and emotions seldom listened to logic. “Why do you think I would know more than you about where to find him?”

“You know I’m not passing judgment, Gabriel.” His words were soft and gentle.

She raised her gaze to his and searched his face, finding the truth of his statement.

“You two were very close before he made his choice to follow Lucifer. You know him better than he knows himself.”

She sighed.

Raphael laid a hand on her shoulder and met her gaze with a small smile.

“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t need help.”

Gabriel studied Raphael and pursed her lips as she thought of where Semiazas might take a human hostage. “His old stomping grounds we used to spend time at are now all part of Hell, but there are a few likely places.”