The corridors of Hell twisted like a serpent's spine as Lucifer led me deeper into his domain. My wedding gown—crimson silk that clung to me like a second skin—felt heavier with every step. The whispers of the Sins still slithered in the shadows, their laughter curling around me like smoke.
"Do you think she'll weep?"
"I hope she fights."
"He hasn't taken a bride in millennia—imagine the hunger he's held back..."
My throat tightened. I had bargained for my people's freedom, but I hadn't let myself think beyond the vow. Not truly. Not about this.
Lucifer's hand rested against the small of my back, guiding me forward. His touch burned, even through the layers of silk. I wondered if he could feel the way my pulse fluttered—a trapped, frantic thing.
The doors to the bridal chamber loomed ahead, carved from blackened bone and etched with scenes of damnation. My steps faltered.
Lucifer paused, tilting his head. "Nervous?"
I swallowed. "I've never... I don't think I'm ready " The admission spilled out before I could stop it, why did I say that? I was denying him of his right, what if he doesn't care and takes me. I looked up at him determined to plead with my eyes.
His lips curved. "I know."
Of course he did. The Devil knew every sin, every secret, every trembling inch of mortal weakness.
The doors swung open without a sound.
The chamber beyond was both lavish and grotesque—a nightmare draped in finery. A bed of dark velvet dominated the space, its canopy hung with chains that glinted too sharply to be mere decoration. Candles flickered with unnatural flame, casting long, grasping shadows.
My breath came too fast.
Lucifer stepped in front of me, cupping my face. His thumb traced my cheekbone, slow, deliberate. "You fear me," he murmured.
It wasn't a question.
"Yes," I whispered.
"Good." His eyes gleamed. "Fear is honest. It means you understand what I am." He leaned closer, his breath scorching against my lips. "But you will learn this, too, Sylvia—I do not take what is not given."
I stared at him incredulosly . "You—what?"
A laugh, low and velvet-dark. "Did you think I would claim you like a beast? You are my wife. Not my chambermaid." His fingers tangled in my hair, tilting my head back. "The Sins may hunger for a spectacle, but you and I? We have time ."
Then he released me.
"Sleep," he said, stepping back. "The bed is yours. I have to attend to something urgent."
"My Lord" I said shakily, "call me azhrael" He asserted, okay , " azhrael I continued, what would the demons think if You're leaving the chambers at this time ?". He looked into my. Eyes his stare piercing as he said "Don't worry wife they won't see me "
And just like that, he was gone.
The chamber doors closed behind him, leaving me standing alone in the gilded dark, my heart pounding, my skin still burning where he'd touched me.
Relief crashed over me—followed by something sharper, hotter.
Confusion.