30

"After you, your highness." I smile back.

I follow eagerly, holding onto his hand for dear life as we race out the door and towards my new beginning. Or my doom.

We race down the now empty hall, with Lucifer practically dragging me down the corridor. It might be easier for me to just let my feet slip and have him haul me the rest of the way, but my legs won't listen and I try to keep pace with him. We zip past the numerous door that line the hall. The doors of the foyer open just in time to let us in before slamming shut. Skidding to the right, we bolt through another set of doors and down yet another cavernous hall. We're moving so fast I'm surprised there isn't a line of fire behind us.

Near the end of the new hallway Lucifer starts to slow down, going from an Olympic sprint to a steady jog. I can keep up with him easily now, and I race beside him and match his pace.

He smiles sat me. "Ready?"

I swallow. "I guess."

He smiles wider. "You'll do fine."

The hallway dead-ends into a marble wall. On either side of us in another hallway, slimmer and darker than the ones we've just raced through. Lucifer slows his pace again to a leisurely walk and steers me into the left hall.

It's nearly pitch black in this hall; no sun-lit windows or welcoming guards to show us the way. The only light comes from the soft flicker of the sconces embedded into the marble. The lights make our shadows dance and sway as we walk, making it seem as if they don't really belong to us. At the end of the hall I can see a hulking guard demons standing beside another carved wooden door, but I can't make out the design. Beyond it, I can hear the growing chants of demons and damned souls as they await their new queen.

We stop just outside the enormous door. The chanting is as clear as crystal now: they want us, they want Lucifer, they want to see me. My heart is pounding so hard my ribs start to crack. My lungs have stopped working, and I have to shake myself to restart my breathing before I pass out. I've never been this nervous. True, I'm a teenage human girl about to be presented as the new queen of Hell to hoards of demons, but I've never felt this truly terrified in my life.

"You okay?"

I jump at the sound of Lucifer's voice. "Not really."

He smiles at me and brushes a stray strand of hair from my face. "You'll be just fine. Follow my lead and you'll get out of here in one royal piece."

I nod shakily and stare at the door. My fate - queen of the underworld and wife to Lucifer - lies just beyond that hulking mass of wood. At this moment, it feels more like a guillotine than a door.

He smiles at me one last time, and then turns to the guard and nods. The guard nods back and turns, grasping the handle of the door. He pulls it open, revealing a red velvet curtain behind it that blocks us from view. Trust my husband to spare no expense on theatrics.

Lucifer turns back to me and cups my face in his hands. "I go first. Taros here will motion when it's your turn."

I nod. "I'm nervous."

He nods back. "Good. I'd be terrified if you weren't."

He spins on his heels and strides through to door, pushing the velvet curtain aside and stepping through. There's a roar of cheers and screams as demons and damned souls praise and condemn their king. Lucifer starts to speak, his rich voice drowning out the roars of the crowd.

I can't hear what he's saying. My heartbeat is thundering in my ears, drowning out all sound. My breathing is faltering again, and I turn away from the door to collect my self. I do my best to take calm, even breaths, to slow my thinking and ease my twisting stomach. Slowly, my body acclimates to the shouting crowd and the idea of standing in front of demons. This really shouldn't be that hard or frightening. I've already held my ground with Bradfield, haven't I?

I feel a soft tap on my shoulder. I turn to see taros staring at me expectantly. He steps back and motions toward the door, bowing his head respectfully. I nod and curtsey in response, the n turn and take tentative steps toward the curtain. I pause just before it, listening to my husband speak to the crowd and taking a few last calming breaths.

"I am ecstatic, elated actually, to introduce our new queen!" he roars to the crowd.

They cheer back at him, announcing their excitement.

"On your knees, worthless maggots, and hail your new queen!"