31

    Taros gives me a gentle shove. I straighten my spine, square my shoulders and pause the edge of the curtain aside. I stride through the velvet shield, entering a world of celebration, wonder and pain.

I step onto an enormous white granite balcony, almost five feet wide and fifty feet long. The banister has numerous posts of marble carved into the shapes of various demons and succubae. To my right, Lucifer stands at the edge of the balcony, grinning g at me broadly and holding out his hand. I smile back and step forward, taking his hand as he leads me to face the waiting crowd.

Below me is the infamous Fire Pits, an endless desert of liquid fire rivers and screaming souls. A swarm of demons and succubae kneel on the banks of the rivers, staring up at me expectantly. They're seated accordingly, with the highest ranking demons and fallen archangels knelling closest to us. Behind them, the princes of Hell's many torture circles, followed by their children and the lower ranking demons. Kara and her lovers are in the fourth row, grinning up at me with true honest joy. Claire and her demons are in the row behind them, all giving me the same elated expression.

I smile back, relieved to see a few people I know here. I feel slightly less alone.

I pause suddenly, peering out into the crowd. Within the row of human servants, hiding amongst the virile beauties and lithe young men, is my mother. Dressed in rags and chained to iron hoops in the ground, she's taken one hell of a fall from her previous position as a member of royalty. On her arm, I see a brad emblazoned into her flesh, a twisting, swirling mark of black and gold that denotes a servant of Lucifer himself.

I almost giggle at the irony. Two days ago, she marked her status as part of English royalty. Now, she kneels amongst other damned souls, doomed to serve the royals who live here. Man, karma's a bitch.

Lucifer turns to me, tapping my shoulder so I snap back to reality. I turn and face him, nearly getting lost in his infectious smile and bright eyes. He's so excited he's almost giddy. I'm certain that he'd be bouncing right now if it weren't for the formality of the occasion. I don't think I've ever seen anyone this happy, but with Lucifer especially, it's a wonderful sight.

"Amelia Harlowe," he grabs my hand a lifts it, pressing his palm to mine, "You now take on the role of the Hellion queen."

I nod. "Yes."

His brows rise an inch. "You're prepared to take on such a demanding, arduous task? Many human souls have passed through these gates, all thinking they could best me. All have failed. You think you can master such a role?"

I square my shoulders. "I can handle it."

"You have one last chance to turn away and renounce your duty here. Will you take that chance?"

I shake my head. "No. I will take my place as queen and rule as I see fit."

His grin has nearly split his face in half. "And so you shall."

He turns away again, leaving me standing completely still and staring blankly at him. He faces me again, holding a beautiful crown in his hands. It's made of solid black iron that twists and winds around itself to form the base. Pure gold leaf and multicolored jewels cover every inch of the black band, giving it some since of royal worth. Thirteen razor-sharp twisting spires rise from the knotted band, each nearly five inches in height and topped with a glittering black jewel.

"Amelia Harlowe, I now crown you as the Hellion queen."

He lifts the crown and places it gently on top of my head. It's surprisingly heavy, but nothing I can't handle. I straighten my spine and smile at him, solidifying my choice.

He grins back and turns to the crowd. "On your feet, worthless pieces of shit! Show some respect you your queen!"

The mass of demons shifts as they stand, each inclining their head s in respect to their master and new queen. The succubae follow their lead, inclining their heads regally. I can see Leyna seething below me, her bright yellow eyes locked on mine. She looks like she's about to explode from rage, and I do my best to suppress my smile. Between me being Lucifer's female preference, my boobs and now my crown, I've beaten Layne three different ways and solidified myself as a worthy adversary.

Human? Yes. Queen? Fuck yeah.

Lucifer grabs my hand and lifts it high, turning me so we can watch as our admirers cheer us on. Once again, I'm sure most of the applause is forced. Their lives are probably at stake here. If they don't perform well, Lucifer might have them tossed into the rivers. I smile at them, silently promising that I will try to treat them with as much respect and kindness as they deserve.

With one final cheer from the crowd, Lucifer takes my hand and gently pulls me through the curtain and out the door. Taros closes the door behind us, and we fly down the darkened hallway again. Lucifer's dragging me down the hall again, bursting through on room after another and practically leaving a trail of smoke behind us.