1
Narcissa
The dead were an unthankful group of losers that didn’t care if you died for them.
If you think I’m being dramatic, I wasn’t. In fact, right this moment, I had a group of spirits complaining very openly to me about their thoughts on Hell. As if I had some control over it. Hate to tell you buddy, but I didn’t want to be here either! I groaned, looking skywards, examining its crimson color as I tried to gather any residual ‘I can deal with this bullshit’ energy. I found absolutely none. Weird. It was almost like I was on fucking empty.
Do you know who I could blame for that? Without a doubt in my mind? My fucking mother. Bitch. She literally set me up. I inhaled sharply, shaking my head. I mean really, who sets up their own daughter? What the hell had I ever done to her? Was I that terrible of a daughter? I didn’t think so. Hell, I thought I was pretty freakin’ fantastic, thank you very much. I would love to have me as my daughter. If that made sense.
Dry winds carrying red colored dust whipped around us as we walked towards the massive, glinting city in the distance. The open, barren, obsidian-covered landscape, with jagged rocks and dusty red sand, was filled with endless wandering spirits. Spirits that were annoying the shit out of me currently.
I should banish their asses to the Other.
Of course, this was only one of several layers within the Demonic realm, but it was the most known. ‘Hell’ was far shorter than the term ‘Demonic realm,’ so I understood why humans had chosen that label long ago. Although, how they could have such an active belief in Hell and not ghosts, witches, and shifters was beyond me. It was like they thought they knew everything about this universe. I literally held the ability to take life itself… and I still didn’t know everything!
I narrowed my eyes at the kingdom in the distance, trying to refocus on the very pressing goal ahead. So what was my plan to get us out of Hell, you ask? Simple. I was going to walk my ass right into those not-so-pearly gates and demand the high king of this realm send me back so I could kick my mother’s, Nero’s, and his little brother’s asses.
Heck, maybe Mr. High King of Hell would be super chill and even help me out. After all, the two asshole princes and their father, as members of a lesser kingdom, were under his rule, so he had the power to squash them fairly easily. He also had the power to tell me to fuck off. I’d heard rumors that he was a bit of an asshole, so my prospects weren’t looking very high.
“Lass,” Declan’s accented voice chimed, “we need a plan. We can’t just storm the bloody hell in there.” I was really glad right now that I had zapped him, because I would have been pissed if I’d had to listen to his adorable Irish accent. I mean, who did the bastard think he was, being so cute? I turned and narrowed my eyes at him as a wicked glint lit up his emerald gaze.
Sometimes I wondered if he could read my mind. Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me.
For just a moment, I almost faltered in my steps because an overwhelming giddy feeling that was sooo not welcome right now hit me right in the chest. Holy crap. This stunning demi-god of luck was in love with me. Me! I blinked, trying to clear my thoughts, and kept walking, his chuckle making me scowl. If he had been a bit less attractive, my life would be far easier. Honestly though? I don’t think I could ever find him unattractive, no matter what he looked like.
His personality—his blunt confidence yet softer nature with just me—was one of like a million reasons I was in love with him. I looked over at him again, trying to be secretive about it, only to find him watching me. The man flashed me a sexy smile, running a hand through his crimson-dipped hair that was a near oil color near the roots. It was a stark yet stunning contrast to his handsome ivory-toned, chiseled face that was peppered with freckles.
Looking at the man was an experience, but touching him? Kissing him? Far better. I tried to ignore the urge to attack him, wanting to feel that damn lucky charm lip ring against my skin.
No.
Now was not the time, Narc. I just had to get out of Hell first. Right? That seemed reasonable. Then again, we were going to need a rest stop soon. I even saw the landscape changing up ahead to a more forested region with shade and comfortable places to relax.
Yep. I had now decided we would need a rest stop. That could include a sex break, right? A scowl slipped on my face as I tried to deal with the reality that I had to handle all this shit before doing something more enjoyable like spending the day in bed with one or all of my men.
At that thought, I was now in an even worse mood than before.
“Come on, lass,” Declan encouraged while wrapping a massive, hot arm around my waist, his tall muscular body not making me feel any less frustrated. My fingers twitched, wanting to find their way under his clothes so I could feel his ridiculously cut body. I could just imagine how good his large, rough hands would feel on my hips as he bounced me up and down… “I promise everything is going to work out how it’s supposed to.”
“You can’t promise that,” I mumbled, leaning into him so that I could inhale his familiar clover scent. His magic, playful with a dark twist, looped around my own, making me shiver with excitement.
“Sure I can.” He offered a sexy wink that had me melting. “I’m a demi-god of luck, I know shite like this, lass.”
“Oh yeah?” I arched a brow. “Is that how your magic works?”
“My magic?” he asked, tilting his head almost thoughtfully. “You know, I’m not sure how to exactly explain how my magic works.”
Before I could say anything or inquire more about his curious response, a noise had me turning to find that we had actually been traveling rather quickly, the change in landscape meeting us head-on.
Instantly, the sounds of creatures moving around in the forest had me a bit cautious. I didn’t feel worried or scared, though, because this place felt oddly like… home? Well, not exactly, but I felt comfortable here despite how foreign it was to me.
Then again, it didn’t really matter if I felt comfortable here, did it? That wouldn’t solve my problem. Well, problems. I frowned as the reality of why I was down here brought me to a standstill, the fight and anger draining out of me a bit.
Had my own mother really set me up?
I was not a crier, but the sense of betrayal had me feeling a bit sick to my stomach. Maybe Nero had been lying? I didn’t think he had, though—it would have been such a random lie, and I knew they were aware of my lack of a relationship with my mom as it stood.
Shit. I mean, did she really not want me to be Queen bad enough that she would sell me to my enemies? Sacrifice New Orleans and possibly entrap me in a demonic kingdom with Asmodeus, the creepy bastard? If that was true, then I guess I had underestimated just how much she disliked me. The concept shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did.
The one plus side I could pull from this? New Orleans hadn’t been left completely alone. I trusted Zachariah, Raphael, and Dorian. They would realize something was wrong and put it together. I also trusted my grandmother. She would be furious. I smirked slightly at that, knowing that she wouldn’t go easy on my mother. Hell, that may be ‘banish to the Other’ worthy.
I slouched slightly. Did I want that? I had no idea. I hated her, or at least that was what it felt like right now, and if she had done this... I mean, there was no excuse… but did I want her gone forever? No. She was still my mom at the end of the day.