Infernal God

27

16

Hannah

A

s we stepped through the archway that led to Persephone's Garden, the first hint of nervousness took root in my chest. Lucifer had given me this space six months ago, back when it was nothing more than an empty lot and a dream. He'd known I would miss the flower shop and would need a connection to nature even in the middle of the Nevada desert. But then he was gone, and I'd had to design and implement the garden all by myself, trying to make it a place that the guests of The Celestial Resort & Casino would enjoy. Now I dearly wished for his approval.

It had been two days since Lucifer had become himself again and things were starting to feel normal once more. Azazel had fully recovered, thanks to my gift of energy, followed by Marcus's healing. Belial and Damien were staying in the hotel for now, though I doubted they would stay for long. The meeting with the Archdemons had gone well, and Lucifer and I were getting used to being Elder Gods. There were definitely some benefits to not needing any sleep.

Lucifer held my hand as he let me lead the way through the winding paths, under the dense trees and past the perfectly arranged plants toward the waterfall. "It's gorgeous."

"You like it?" I asked, turning a big smile on him. The sound of the waterfall soothed me instantly, and I inhaled the sweet fragrances of the flowers.

He nodded and raised my hand to his mouth, brushing his lips over my knuckles. “It’s beautiful. Just as I knew it would be. As all your gardens have been.”

"I was nervous doing it without your approval since this hotel is your baby," I said, as I walked to my bench. After I sat, I patted the smooth stone beside me. “This is my favorite spot.”

“Might be my favorite spot, too.” He grinned and sat as close to me as he could, pulling me into his arms. He dipped his head and kissed my neck, a promise of more to come. "You didn't need my approval. You had my complete faith when I gave you the project."

I arched my neck to grant him better access to my skin. "I know, but it would have been nice to be able to run decisions by you first..."

"I doubt I would have been much help. You know I'm not good with all this...nature. I leave that to you."

I rolled my eyes. It was true, Lucifer couldn't name any of the flowers near us if he'd tried. He was completely useless in that area. "We're hoping to open it to hotel guests next week."

"They're going to love it. It's really going to elevate the hotel's profile."

I practically beamed with pride at his comments, but then I noticed his frown as he stared at the waterfall. "What is it?"

“I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think we should move away from Las Vegas.” He looked out over the garden like he could see the city itself through the foliage. “I love the very air here. It’s saturated in sin, but I want to concentrate on you, and on our daughter.”

I leaned against him, finding that spot on his chest that seemed to have been made just for me to snuggle against. “I've been thinking the same thing. We need a fresh start. The Celestial is great and all, but a casino is not the best place to raise a child."

"No it's not, and I'd like to move somewhere safer, and more easily defensible." He gave a rueful glance up at the building. "Those damn floor-to-ceiling windows."

I let out a laugh. "I know! We must have spent a small fortune repairing them over the last year or two."

"It's like no one knows how to use a door anymore," he muttered.

"Including you!"

"That doesn't count. I wasn't in my right mind then."

I stared at the waterfall as I voiced the secret dream I'd had over the last few months, one I'd been scared to even really consider since I didn't know if I'd be able to get Lucifer back. "While you were away, Asmodeus bought Brandy a house on the beach in southern California. I was thinking I'd like to live near her, since I miss her a lot, and she's pregnant too. We could raise our kids together." Then the hope faded as the reality of the situation hit me again. "But I also don’t want to put her or her family in any danger. You and I are always going to be Lucifer and Hannah, Demon King and Queen, War and Famine. We're never going to have a quiet life."

"No, although at the moment that sounds lovely." He stared at the waterfall for a few moments, then turned back to me. "We should do it. We'll always have duties and responsibilities, and there will always be some danger, but we deserve happiness too. As for Brandy and her family, we'll make sure they are well-protected at all times."

Could we really make it work? I wasn't sure. While Lucifer had been gone, it felt like everything in the demon world was so precarious, like it could all easily crumble to dust if I wasn't there to hold it together. But maybe if we managed to stop Pestilence and Fenrir things would calm down for a while. We'd be able to step back from the demon world, delegate more to our Archdemons, and enjoy a small amount of peace. I could dream, anyway.

A soft whinnying sound caught my attention, and we turned to see our two spectral horses moving through the grass. My ever-present gargoyle guards drew their weapons, but I held out a hand to show them this wasn't a threat. War's horse was red and huge, both beautiful and terrifying at once, though he no longer left fiery hoof prints behind him. Mine was smaller and jet black, with a luxurious mane that blew gently in the breeze.

"Where did they come from?" I asked.