Chapter 28
SIMONE
After those initial three days of hiding in my bedroom, I started to accept my new reality. My lover, the father of my unborn child, is actually an archdemon.
I'm running my fingertips along the edge of the black tourmaline necklace he gave me, claiming it was from his mother—who I now know is Lilith—when I sense a shift in the air. The manor has been so empty, so quiet that even the slightest change is noticeable.
He's back.
I stand up from where I've been sitting on our bed, smoothing my dress over my baby bump.
The knock at the bedroom door is hesitant. So unlike him.
“Simone? May I come in?” Az's voice sounds rough, uncertain.
Part of me wants to scream, to tell him to leave, to never show his face to me again. But I've had enough of hiding. This confrontation is days overdue.
“Come in,” I call out, my voice steadier than I expected.
The door opens slowly, revealing the man I thought I knew. He looks the same—tall, broad-shouldered, devastatingly handsome—yet completely different now that I know what lurks beneath the perfect visage.
“You look better,” he says, his eyes traveling over me cautiously. “I've been worried.”
I laugh, the sound brittle. “Now you're worried? A little late, isn’t it?”
He winces, taking a single step into the room. “I guess I deserve that.”
“You deserve a lot worse.” I cross my arms. “You're the Archdemon of Lust. The actual Asmodeus. Father of incubi and succubi. And you let me fall in love with you while believing you were just a fallen angel's son named Az.”
He reaches toward me, then seems to think better of it, his hand dropping back to his side. “I wanted to tell you—”
“When?” I cut him off. “After I was bound to you for eternity? After our child was born? Or were you planning to wait a few centuries, hoping I wouldn't notice?”
Az closes his eyes briefly. “I was afraid, Simone.”
“You were afraid?” My voice rises. “You're an archdemon! What could possibly frighten you?”
“Losing you.” The words are so quiet I have to strain my ears to hear them. “I was afraid of seeing disgust in your eyes. A little like what I'm seeing now.”
“It's not disgust,” I correct him. “It's betrayal. It's rage. It's heartbreak.”
Az steps closer, and I hold up a hand to stop him.
“Don't. I'm still processing the fact that everything between us started with lies.” I roll my eyes. “Of course, the kidnapping came first.”
“Not everything was a lie.” When I scoff, he continues, more urgently. “The way I feel about you, that was never false. And you know it, little fairy.”
I practically growl at him. “How would I know? How could I possibly separate truth from lies with you?”
Az lets out a frustrated sound, then with a flick of his wrist, objects start appearing on the bed beside me. A beautiful new dress, glittering with diamonds. A first-edition copy of my favorite book. A music box playing a lovely, haunting melody. A huge, glittering diamond ring.
“What is this?” I ask, staring at the growing pile of gifts.
“I want to make things right,” he says. “I want to show you how much you mean to me.”
I grab the dress and throw it at him. He doesn't dodge, letting the heavy fabric hit him square in the chest.
“You think presents will fix this?” I shake my head in disbelief. “This is exactly the problem! You think you can buy forgiveness with things instead of honesty.”
The pile vanishes with another gesture from him. “Fuck, Simone. Tell me what to do then. Tell me how to fix this.”
“The truth,” I demand. “All of it. No more secrets, no more omissions. Start at the beginning.”
Az sighs, then nods. He doesn't try to approach me again, instead sinking into the armchair by the window. It's strange seeing him so subdued—the powerful being who held me captive for years now looking like he's the prisoner of my judgment.
“As you now know, my name is Asmodai, though I've had many names through the ages. Humans seem to prefer Asmodeus. I was born in Hell, the child of Lilith and Samael.”
“The first woman and a fallen angel,” I murmur.
“Yes. Neither was particularly interested in raising a child. Ashtaroth took me in when I was young. He taught me how to control my powers, how to rule. He’s a brother to me in all but blood.”
I take a deep breath. “And what exactly do you rule? What does it mean to be the Archdemon of Lust?”
He meets my gaze steadily. “I rule over a vast territory in Hell. I command legions of demons, particularly those associated with lust and pleasure. Incubi, succubi, sex demons of all varieties. They're my children and subjects. I feed on desire and pleasure. It sustains me.”
My stomach twists at this revelation. “You fed on me. You even said so one time, and I laughed it off.”
“Yes. But I didn't take anything you didn't willingly give, Simone.”
My stomach twists. “And the others? Before me?”
Az hesitates. “There were... many. Across millennia. Some human, most not.”
I swallow hard, trying to keep my voice level. “And our will be a demon.”
“Our child will be a demon who feeds on lust, in some form. It's in their nature.” His voice softens. “But they could be more than that. With our strength combined, they could become as strong as us. Maybe even an archdemon one day.”
“Mon Dieu,” I breathe, hand moving protectively to my stomach. “And were you planning to tell me any of this before our child was born?”
Az looks away. “I wanted to. Many times. But each time I tried, I remembered how you looked at me with fear when you first saw me. I remembered how you spoke of demons with disgust.”
My hands clench into fists. “So you decided to lie instead.”
“I decided to wait,” he corrects. “To let you get to know me before you judged what I am.”
“That wasn't your decision to make!” My anger flares, and with it, a vase on the nightstand shatters. We both look at it; Az with a surprised look on his face, and me, startled.
“You're manipulating the ether,” he observes. “The soul bargain—”
“Don't change the subject,” I snap. “You took away my choice. You made me fall in love with someone who doesn't exist.”
“I exist.” He stands up suddenly, frustration evident on every line of his face. “Everything you know about me is real. My preferences, my habits, the way I touch you, the way I laugh when I'm by your side. The only difference is my title and ancestry.”
“That's not a small difference! You're the Archdemon of Lust. You've been manipulating desire for thousands of years.” A horrible thought occurs to me. “Did you... did you use your powers on me? To make me want you?”
Az looks genuinely wounded. “No. I enhanced your pleasure occasionally, but I did not manipulate your feelings toward me.”
I want to believe him, but how can I? “Yet you kept me prisoner for years. You refused to let me go.”
Az sighs. “Simone, I'm a demon. It’s in my fucking nature to take. And I was... possessive. Obsessed. I'd never felt for anyone what I feel for you.”
“And what is that, exactly?” I challenge.
“Love.” His eyes bore into me. “I love you, Simone. Believe that if nothing else.”
And a huge part of me wants to. But the betrayal is too fresh, too deep.
“Love requires trust,” I say quietly. “And you've shattered mine.”
Az steps toward me, desperation in his eyes. “Tell me how to earn it back. I'll do anything.”
I consider his words, weighing them against years of deception. “I won't leave,” I tell him finally. “Not now. Not when I'm carrying your child and bound to you for eternity. But I can't just forgive you and fall back into your arms.”
Relief and pain mix on his face. “What then?”
I narrow my eyes. “From now on, I need complete honesty. No matter how ugly the truth is.” Taking a deep breath, I straighten my shoulders. “And I need to see it. Show me who you really are, Asmodeus. Show me what you really do as an archdemon. Let me decide if I can love what you truly are.”
“And if you can't?” His voice is barely audible.
“Then we'll figure out a way to co-exist for our child's sake.” I meet his gaze steadily. “But we'll be partners in name only.”
Az nods slowly, my ultimatum like a physical barrier between us. “I'll prove myself worthy of you, little fairy. No matter how long it takes.”
I really wish I could believe him.