Chapter 17: Curtsy to your king
1312 Words
Arabella
The food tasted divine, which I wisely didn’t say out loud, I could only imagine the word divine would set Lucifer off into one of his grumpy moods.
While I ate, he spoke with Dagon and my thoughts drifted back to when he had picked me up and our eyes had met.
Up close, his eyes were extraordinary and beautiful, I’d noticed they were a blue so pale it almost looked white, and they were blended with an ice violet and ice green, flecks of rose gold ran through them.
During that moment, I think I may have realized I’d fallen in love with him just a little bit, I would never forget the kindness he had shown me during my most embarrassing and vulnerable moment. When he looked back at me, I had quickly hidden my feelings, I didn’t want to anger him or for him to think I would ever do anything to ruin his chances with Hecate.
Lucifer came and dropped himself down beside me. “For such a petite female, you sure can eat a lot.”
I glared at him for that, and he put on an innocent face. “What?”
I put the fork down, and he grabbed it and put it back in my hand. “Eat Belle, I was only teasing, besides I think it’s the first time I’ve truly seen you eat a full and proper meal.”
“You should, you know,” I said quietly.
“I don’t need to eat.”
I giggled at that and said, “no, I meant about my stepmother and what Dagon said, you should have your revenge.”
He looked at me confused. “Why would you want that? I never figured you for a revenge kind of girl.”
I shrugged, “I’m not, but she is dangerous, and I think left to her own devices she will cause much chaos and destruction to innocent people, she may even try to take you or one of your demons again. You could lock her up?”
He laughed and then dropped the laughter when he saw I was serious. “Well, here in my realm there isn’t much locking up, it’s more t.orture and punishing.”
“There must be a way to imprison her, surely?”
“Better to just t.orture her, leave her with the damned souls until she dies and becomes one of them.”
Fear shot through me at his cold and calculated words, but I didn’t show it. “Let’s just imprison her for now.”
“I’m telling you, with someone like her, eternal t.orture in hell is better.”
“Lucifer! What is it with you and t.orture, why do you want to t.orture everyone?”
He shrugged casually, “fine imprison her if you like, I’m just saying t.orture would be a better option, that’s all.”
“Don’t you want revenge on her? You don’t sound very bothered for a beast.”
“I do, but I’m in no rush.”
“Why not?”
He looked at me thoughtfully as though he were thinking of how to explain in a way I could understand.
“I’m not human, I never have been, I have no soul, therefore I have never lived, never been alive. I am the perfect example of an immortal in a way.”
When he looked at me to make sure I was following, I nodded, and he carried on. “Well, I am neither living nor dead, can’t be dead if I’ve never been alive, it’s confusing, anyway, let’s say I live more in the spiritual realm, and here, my realm, is technically on the spiritual plane, it exists outside of time and space. It’s eternal, so to me and my demons your lifetime is a blink of an eye really, we are very patient because we have an eternity and your lives are so very very short to us.”
I was so stunned and overwhelmed by the information, my brain struggling to come to terms with it all, that I was speechless.
He snapped his fingers in front of me. “F.uck, I didn’t break your mind, did I?”
I jolted back to reality and playfully slapped his hand away. “I’m fine, but I’m confused, how are you in the flesh shouldn’t you be unable to physically touch me?”
He ran a hand through his hair, his perfectly tousled and beautiful hair, I locked those thoughts away and concentrated on his answer.
“It truly is difficult to explain to a human, I cannot physically interact with humans in the earth realm unless they are very open to the spirit world and even then, it takes a lot, but in your realm and others I can because the land has magic, I tap into that power, and so I am able to interact as though I am just as alive as you. Of course, when you die it doesn’t matter, we can physically touch because you will be a part of the spiritual realm, living in it as your true self and without the costume.”
“Costume?”
He waved his hands at my body, “your meat suit, the body, when you die you leave it and all its negative thinking and protective shields of non belief and layers that prevent you experiencing a touch from the spirit world or hearing us.” At my confused face he muttered, “I can’t explain it very well, basically it acts as a kind of armour and with that, on top of convincing yourselves the spirit world doesn’t exist, you don’t allow yourselves to experience it.”
It made enough sense and I dropped it as I could feel his frustration increasing. I was finished with the food when Hecate came seductively walking down the hall and towards us.
I watched as nearly all of the male demons watched her, some had lust in their eyes and others simply enjoyed watching the beautiful goddess walking by them.
Lucifer watched my face and turned to see what I was looking at, when he saw Hecate, he became almost clumsy, I would say flustered, but he didn’t quite allow himself to show how flustered he was, he sat up straighter and cleared his throat. “Hecate, you’re back early.”
She curtsied to him, and he bowed his head in acknowledgment. I watched fascinated, so their playful banter and relaxed interactions were only for behind closed doors? Here in front of everyone, she showed him respect and treated him like the king he was and in turn, he showed her respect in turn for her own that she had shown him.
Was I supposed to curtsy him, and be respectful? Fear flowed through my body as I recalled the many times I had been disrespectful, I had never curtsied him in any way and I had just now playfully slapped his hands in front of his demons. He wouldn’t punish me for any of this, right?
“I thought perhaps we could talk sooner, if you are free, of course, Lord Lucifer.” She curtsied a second time.
He looked back at me. “Hmm, I don’t suppose you would mind if I go talk with Hecate? Dagon will look after you while I’m gone.”
I knew they both wanted to do much more than talk with one another, and I nodded my head. “Of course.”
He gave a nod and called Dagon over. “Yes king?
“Take care of Belle for me while I’m gone.” Dagon tipped his head, and Lucifer got up and led Hecate out of the hall.
I looked up at Dagon, who grinned and said, “so what would you like to do sweetie?”
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