Chapter 2
Chapter Two
This day could not get any worse.
Ash rolled his shoulders, wishing he could flex his wings instead. As a matter of courtesy and a sign of respect, he’d tucked them away for his meeting with Lucifer.
Someone of Ash’s stature did not walk around in full Demon mode unless he was looking for a fight. And that was something he had not done actively since puberty.
Oh! Those were the days. When seducing maidens was a privilege, and fighting to the death, never his, of course, was exciting!
Of course, being driven to the brink of insanity by an evil such as Molloch had caused Ash to lose his taste for bloodshed.
Besides, he stood little chance against Lucifer.
The man was a fallen Angel. He had a set of massive wings himself, not to mention stores of more magic and power than Ash or anyone else in Purgatory possessed.
Ash sometimes wondered if Lucifer missed Heaven at all.
He was a Demon and knew little of such things.
They dwelled in the same place, but they had little semblance between them.
Unlike Angels’ feathery wings, Ash’s own were sans feathers.
He also grew horns and a tail, as was the case with a great deal of the Demon born denizens of Hell.
Full Demonic regalia was only appropriate in wartimes. However, Ash found his Demon surging forward at times of great emotional turmoil, intense passion, irritation, and when prepping for a fight or battle. Definitely not cool to go all Demon in Lucifer’s office.
Not to mention it would be a huge fuck you to the most powerful being Ash had ever met.
Wasn’t it Lucifer who had ultimately saved him?
He owed him his life, and a little respect went a long way in his world.
Not to mention the fact, it was hard to travel amongst normals when in Demon mode.
Ash was not someone who could easily blend with the crowd with his bat-like wings and his short, but deadly, curved horns that protruded from either side of his head.
Those were exceedingly sharp and capable of poisoning a foe if scraped or impaled during battle.
Okay, fine.
He admitted he was rather proud of them. They were quite even in size and shape and could prove fatal to his enemies. Perfect, in his opinion.
He also had quite the tail. Protruding from his lower back was a long, powerful appendage that was extremely flexible and strong, with a razor sharp point that exuded the same poison as his horns, if triggered. Another reason he was a cut above the average Demon.
It was rare for a creature, a Demon especially, to be in control of his appearance.
Not to mention when or where his or her venom was released.
But Ash had that power, and more. If he willed it, his venom could eat through skin, muscle, and bone when it came into contact with an aggressor’s bloodstream.
The agony his venom could inflict was quite terrible, or so he was told.
Immunity was a fringe benefit of having it, he supposed. Still, it was not his favorite attribute. Flight had that distinction. With his ability to wield magic, the talent to summon and control fire running a close second.
Ash had an enormous eighteen-foot wingspan and could soar at top speeds carrying heavy burdens. And yet, all his strength, agility, and magical gifts were somehow not enough. Not anymore. Molloch had done something unthinkable. He’d caused a Prince of Hell to question his existence.
What fucking conundrum!
“Asmodeus, did you hear what I said?” Lucifer asked, and Ash could tell he was annoyed.
“Dating? Absurd,” he replied without thought. “Um, I mean, I am not looking for a bedmate, my lord.”
“I did not suggest you visit a brothel, Ash. I am talking about a deeper, more meaningful relationship with just one person. Your mate, Asmodeus. I think you should consider this. It is possible, you know.”
Did he know that for sure, though?
Ash nodded respectfully at Lucifer, but the idea now spoken had him quite perplexed. True, he was lonely. But dating sounded absolutely horrifying. Much as he hated to refuse Lucifer anything, it was not something he was willing to do.
“Thank you, my lord, but I have no desire to sip cocktails at the café and pretend an interest in the parade of supernaturals searching for someone to share a bed with. No disrespect intended.”
“None taken,” Lucifer replied, smirking. “And what of our fine local citizens? No one special there?”
“Ah,” Ash said, clearing his throat. “Let’s just say I am steering clear of both Goddesses and Demonesses in residence. I have burned more than one bridge in that respect, and do not want to perpetuate any myths about my reputation.”
“But that rep was well earned. Gave you the moniker Demon of Lust, did it not?” Lucifer baited him, but Ash refused to rise to it. “Besides, I thought those rumors about your disposal of Sarah’s seven husbands quieted down long ago.”
“Hardly,” Ash barked, unable to resist the opportunity to put that nonsense to bed. “Sarah was some piece of work, let me tell you. For the record, I never killed any of those lucky bastards. They simply deserted her and blamed me. More like the Demon of gullibility!”
He’d been young then, but it still stung that Ash had been taken for a ride. And by a woman who’d managed to both marry and lose seven men. In the end, he was unsure who was worse, her exes or her!
“Ha! And all feared your jealous wrath for eons after! You poor fellow, being lusted after by throngs of women and dreaded by rivals for their affection. Must have been awful,” Lucifer said with false sympathy.
The Lord of the underworld laughed aloud.
Something that was also new and unusual, but not unwelcome. Even if it was at Ash’s expense.
“Yes, well, now that’s over with—”
“Seriously, though,” Lucifer turned suddenly serious. “I know about what went down with Molloch and that little Werewolf from New Jersey. It was bad, Ash, but you pulled through. You didn’t let that evil bastard corrupt you. But I am sorry for you. It cost you some of your heart.”
“Molloch is a vile blight on the universe, Lucifer. There is no denying that. But the truth is, I didn’t love Grazi.
I admired her, respected her, but it was not love,” Ash reflected with an uneasy sigh, the ache in his chest still there despite his having realized what he’d felt for her was respect and a deep regard.
“Still, torturing her fated mate—” Lucifer grimaced and shook his head.
Ash nodded, allowing the familiar shame to flow over him and ebb just as quickly. He’d come to terms with it, but he was done explaining.
The past was complicated. His role in the recent Wolf activities was not all together favorable, but in the end, he’d managed to undo the damage and help their cause.
Did it justify the means?
That sort of thing was above his paygrade. Judgment was reserved for other ethereal beings. Not for Ash.
“It was the only way to save her,” Ash replied succinctly. Even if he had a hard time convincing himself that was the only reason he’d done what he had.
“Grazi’s mate understood why you did it, Ash. Good man, that Ronan Madden. Good Wolf too. I am sure the girl forgave you as well.”
“Indeed,” he replied.
It had hurt Ash. The entire thing with Grazi, Ronan, and the others. But it was not love.
Never love.
How could he ever be worthy to feel that of all the torturously human emotions?
No matter how much he wanted to.
Demons were not meant to feel the glory of love in all its purity.
He was no Fallen Angel like Lucifer, and he was not a Shifter either.
Loneliness was his only destiny. Ash, Asmodeus or Ashmedai as he was sometimes called, was a Demon.
And he meant that in the foulest, most despicable use of the word.
He was born of Hell, cast into Purgatory, and had to fight and claw to claim his station there. A true Demon with the ability to pass among humans was coveted and rare. It was what elevated him among the others and helped make him a Prince among his kind.
“I know your time with Molloch has changed you, Ash,” Lucifer said, interrupting his train of thought.
“You are not all transformed, Asmodeus. Some of you is still in there, I’d wager.
That part that loved life so and lived with such vigor.
I am certain with the right provocation, in this case I mean a female, you will find your appetites renewed.
Speed dating, old man, that is your opportunity! ”
“I’m afraid I have lost more of myself, Lucifer, than even you can see. I am destined to be alone now, as I ever was,” Ash whispered.
“No, my friend. That carefree spirit that made you such a successful Prince of Hell is still there. You are not to be alone forever. Not now that I’ve found my own happiness. I forbid it!”
“If anyone could banish loneliness, it would be you, my lord,” Ash said and grinned. “But I deserve it. I do. I’ve done terrible things. I don’t know how to come back from that. Not sure I want to.”
“Should I have you guarded? Watched? Do you need a doctor? Chloe says I need to be more mindful of others—”
“No, my lord, I’m not suicidal. I fully intend to go on living here, in Purgatory, changed as it is.”
“My mate prefers things this way,” Lucifer said, looking out of the window from his office. “I admit, it is a might nicer. Don’t you think?”
“Perhaps,” Ash said, shrugging. He did not care one way or other.
The fire and brimstone bit was a tad overdone.
The skyline was clearer now, changing from reds and yellows to blues and grays depending on time of day and season.
Of course, there was always the odd flash of lightning, but that had more to do with the temperamental god, Zeus, than the actual weather.
Beneath the striking firmament of the Underworld, teaming with Angels, Demons, Gargoyles, and other various winged creatures and Shifters, there were modern, urbane developments.
Houses, cafes, and shops lined the streets, most of the homes were quaint and village like.
Lucifer’s castle still stood as befitting his stature.
Ash’s old residence had been demolished in his absence, but he owned a fine manor now. Appropriate for a Demon of his rank. It stood apart from the others, outside the center of things, which had always seemed too crowded for him. He enjoyed his privacy, if not his solitude.
Purgatory had truly become something incredible.
A thriving community, not just a weigh station of sorts.
The change the Underworld had gone through was really quite dramatic and all for the love of a mate.
Unbelievable. Though, truth be told, Ash was envious of Lucifer.
Of the joy he’d found with the coming of his soul mate.
“You know, change is not always bad, Ash.”
“That is true for some. But I have no place in this new world of yours, Lucifer. I came here today to ask you to send me away. Send me on a mission, somewhere far away, in the pits perhaps? I can’t do nothing.
We both know I do not deserve to be here, in my castle, mingling with the lot of you. I am far too tainted now, Lucifer.”
Silence encompassed him as the Lord of the Underworld considered his request. It was bold to ask anything of Lucifer. He knew that, but Ash could not bear the loneliness anymore. Not when new couples were springing up everywhere he looked in Purgatory these days.
There was a time when Ash had believed in the Fates and looked forward to their matchmaking for himself, but his time in captivity and bound to the Demon Molloch had changed him.
That evil creature had made Ashmedai the messenger of his evil plots. Poisoning his brain and using Dark Magic to control another Demon was foul work, indeed. In the end, Ash had defied him at great cost to himself, but it had been worth it.
The teen Wolf he’d grown to care for had defeated the curse. Lucifer then caught the beast while Molloch was distracted by the Werewolf rebellion, and thereby freed Ash. The thin scar visible from his left armpit to his hip was all that remained of his plight. A tiny reminder of his cruel past.
And so, here he was now. Back home in the Underworld.
Among friends.
And yet, so very alone.
Ashmedai did not deserve happiness. He owed penance for his crimes, though committed against his will. Ash knew that and would live out his long existence trying to make up for it. He had no other recourse.
“Is this your true wish, Ashmedai?” Lucifer asked.
Unable to respond for the lump in his throat, Ash nodded once. A short, quick movement as he sealed his own fate.
“Then,” Lucifer stated slowly. “I have a task for you, Ash. A job, if you will. And I will brook no refusal.” Mellowed somewhat with his mating, Lucifer was still Lucifer.
Powerful and used to getting his way, mated or not.
Ash might be at a crossroads in his own existence, but he understood that very well.
“Yes, my liege. I am ready to carry out your wishes.” Ash bowed his head respectfully, turning to face Lucifer, hands clasped behind his back and his feet the standard shoulder length apart.
His stance one of rest, and yet always on guard.
Trained as a warrior, despite his fleshly reputation and title, Ash was a champion legionnaire.
He waited, prepared to carry out Lucifer’s command to the best of his ability.
Honor and duty would allow nothing less.
“I command you to attend tonight’s speed dating at the Cafe. That is an order, Ashmedai.”
Well. Shit.