45

    What stands before me is not my husband. He's tall like my husband, though, and nearly as painfully handsome. Wearing nothing but black slacks, his strongly chiseled body and powerful arms are on full display. Snow-white wings are relaxed, splayed out along the dark tile floor. A mass of long wheat-blond hair and piercing blues eyes offset his tanned flesh and chiseled features.

I stare at him, swallowing loudly. This can't be good.

He smiles softly at me. "Miss Harlowe, I presume?" His voice is deep, resonating, and simply divine.

I manage to steady myself. Gorgeous as he may be, Michael is not my Lucifer. There's no seductive darkness, no playful evilness about him to stir my hormones awake. He's a squeaky-clean goody two-shoes who cast my husband down into these pits because his dad couldn't handle being questioned. Motherfucker.

I lift my chin an inch. "Your Highness will do, thank you."

His brows rise an inch. "Your Highness? Settling into our role already, are we?"

I scowl a bit. "What could you possibly want? I don't believe your name is on the guest list."

His smile widens, showing two rows of immaculate white teeth. "I come to you on behalf of my father."

I gulp quietly. "What does he want?"

Michael steps forward, his arms swinging wide and his wings fidgeting to life. "What he always wants. To offer you freedom and love and redemption."

"Redemption?" I ask sarcastically. "What do need to be redeemed? I've done nothing wrong. I never made a deal or killed anyone. Why would I need to be saved?"

Michael shakes his head, his smile never wavering. "Poor innocent Amelia. Forced into marriage with my heartless brother by her mother and crushed by the untimely death of her father. Such a sad trail of misfortune follows you, and all because your mother wanted to be queen."

His tone leaves a bad taste in my mouth. "So? My mom's selfish. Who isn't at some point?"

He comes closer, closing the space between us. I stand my ground; backing away here won't do me any good. If I keep my stance firm, maybe he'll fly away.

"My father isn't," he nearly sings the words. "He never is, was or will be."

I scoff. "I doubt that."

His smile fades into a mask of seriousness. "What makes a loving woman like you say such blasphemous things?"

I stare coldly at him. "Sodom and Gomorrah ring a bell? Or the thousands of people he killed off because they worshipped someone besides him?"

"Such vague references." He's some close enough to me that I can feel the heat -- not an icy chill -- radiating off his skin. "Plague killed off most of those poor souls."

"Uzzah?" I counter. "He that ark. He didn't tag the damn thing.

Michael is rendered mute for a moment but recovers. "A foolish act by a man who knew better...but a fair point."

I can't help a small smile. "Thank you. You're too kind."

He starts to slowly circle me, trapping me in my place by extending hid wings to make a barrier. "And you're quite an enigma."

"How so?" I ask sweetly.

"So charming, so graceful, so intelligent, so..." he gives me a once-over, "...physically blessed. I don't understand why you would to stay with Lucifer."

I shrug. "He's not as bad as your family makes him out to be."

"Isn't he?" Michael looks at me incredulously. "You've only spent three days with him. I've spent millennia around my brother. I'd like to think I know him a little better than you."

"Maybe, but all you and your dad can see is that bad parts of him," I fire back. "You've forgotten the good person he used to be."

Michael takes a long breath and closes his eyes for an instant. "You're quite insightful for a human, I'll give you that."

.

"I just don't understand you'd choose to stay here with my brother." Michael resumes his circling. "No doubt he's told you bits and pieces of his past."

I nod. "No details, but he's mentioned a few of his own sins."

Michael scoffs. "His own sins. Ironic how he punishes those who have done the same wrongs as hum."

"Not all of us are being punished for what have done," I counter

"People like you are the exception, Amelia."

"There's an exception to everything, even your brother." I manage to soften my tone a bit. "He's still your family. Despite what he's done, don't you still love him?"

Michael sighs. "Of course, but I cannot forgive hm. He denounced father and has created hysteria over the entire planet. He's caused so much harm, inflicted so much pain...he's still my brother and I love him, but I'm not sure I could ever welcome him back."

I grit my teeth. "Since we're on the subject of people who've done harm, perhaps your father should be here as well?"

Michael turns away from me, side-stepping from my change of subject. "Why, Amelia? Why do you willingly stay here with him?"

I lift my chin and answer as honestly as I can. "Because he's the only person besides my father and Richard who really cares for me."

Michael screeches to a halt, whipping around to stare at me. "You honestly think he about you?"

I nod again. "I do."

"What on earth would make you think such a thing?" His eyes are wide with horrified shock.

My flyspeck of an ego swells slightly. "For one thing, I'm the first queen he's ever had. Surely putting up with me is evidence enough."

"Amelia-" he starts.

"He's also sweet and kind to me." A tiny smile is growing on my lips. "And intelligent and honest."

"That's all a ploy-"

"He's also one hell of a lover." I smirk.

Michael rolls his eyes and groans. "He's simply fooling you! He has no heart or love in him! He's hollow, nothing but hatred and anger! He can't please you at all!"

My hands fly to my hips as I glare at him. "The hell he can't! I don't see you or any of your brothers flying down here to lay me out on a bed."

A soft smile breaks his stoic expression. "With my dear, believe me when I say I would love to."

I scoff. "As mach as I'm sure you mean that, I'm afraid I must respectfully decline. I'm far too comfortable with my husband to ever be pulled astray by you."

He smile widens an inch. "Pity. That chest of yours is magnificent."

I nearly burst out laughing. "You brothers!"

He gives me a confused stare. "How so?"

I shake my head. "Both of your are entranced by my boobs."

Michael gives a sly smile. "I'll give my brother credit, he chose a very entrancing woman as a queen."

I'm honestly flattered by Michael's compliment, but I've had enough of this conversation. Neither of us is going to back down on our view of Lucifer, so we might as well call it a draw and walk away. That will leave us both unharmed and might end the confrontation on a friendlier note.

"You're a very gracious person, Michael, and I respect your passion when speaking about your father," I decided to end this as soon as possible. "But I'm afraid I won't be swayed so easily from my views, either. I'm married to Lucifer, and I've resolved to make the best of it. Despite what you and your family may think, he is still my husband. Until he does harm towards me, I won't turn my back on him."

Michael sighs and shakes his head. "So trusting, even when it's the devil himself. How you humans do it, I will never know."

I shrug. "Your father granted us free will."

"That he did, but I never imagined it would be so misused." His eyes narrow at me. "You decide to stay married to evil rather than join the light?"

I stare at him, offended to my core. "Ted Bundy has killed over thirty women just because he wanted to, and you're singling out because I'm staying with your brother?"

"Because you willingly choose to stay with Lucifer! Bundy has no choice!" He's pissed now, and I back away a step. "You have all the opportunity in the world to make something great of yourself, and you decide to stay here with my brother! How could you, knowing his past?"

Frightened as I am, I stand my ground. "Because I've seen the slices of good that are still inside him. They're buried under years of shit and anger, but they still exist! Just because you choose not to see them doesn't mean they're totally lost! It doesn't give you the right to chastise me, either!"

His eyes blaze with fury. "Insolent fool! You'll get yourself killed one day because of your trust in him. I know my brother in ways you cannot comprehend! He'll tear your heart out sooner or-"