Long before the time of man was the time of angels. Lucifer was the most beloved by God and the angel that was foreseen to become the next leader when God stepped down from the task. But then God decided that he wasn't satisfied with just the creation of this beautiful race of creatures. He made humans and loved them infinitely more than he did the angels. Lucifer grew to despise the humans that God loved so much and he turned against his fellow brothers and sisters. Because of his fury and pride, it was decided that he would be cast from Heaven. He was brought into the Chamber of Lost Souls and then he was doused from head to toe in Holy Fire. Normally, Holy Fire wouldn't dare harm a creature that was as pure as the angels were but, it is said that when an angel is said to fall from Grace, the Holy Fire burns everything away. It scorches not only the flesh but all the pureness and the capability to love as well. After that's over, they shredded his lovely obsidian wings, one by one. And once they had removed his wings—leaving only bloodied stumps remaining—they threw him from Heaven's gate. Once he had fallen to Earth, Lucifer realized that he was cursed. He was cursed to bear the sins, and the faults of humans for all eternity. His empty corpse became full again due to our sins, sufferings, and hopelessness. He was shown the full extent of what it meant to live without the grace of God. Lucifer suffered alone for thousands of years before he took all of the darkness from human hearts and some of his own darkness and thus the demon race was born. He has been the ruler of the demon race ever since that day. Since Lucifer is made from the darkness, and sins of humans—he is incredibly unstable and sometimes goes into fits of uncontrollable rage befitting the name Demon King. Even though God cast Lucifer out of Heaven, he had not forgotten his once favorite angel. He took the remnants from when the Holy Fire scorched him and formed it into a person—a human child. God hoped that one day, the child would mend the brokenness inside of Lucifer's heart. And so Grace Lancaster was born and their fates began to intertwine.

2: Chapter One

Grace Lancaster. Nineteen years old and—potential Queen of Hell?

Some might ask how I managed to find myself in this sort of predicament. Well, the short story is that I was born. That's it. I've been told since the time I could first understand what this all meant that I would become a candidate for Lucifer's bride. It was supposed to be some big honor because no human has ever been brought to Hell—alive. I was told that I had been born with a portion of Lucifer's soul, something that had been removed from him when he fell from grace which is where I got my name from. I supposedly embody everything that Lucifer doesn't have which I find kind of weird because I'm not some perfect person or anything like that. I've been treated differently since I can remember because once everyone found out that I was "that demon girl" they always tended to stay away from me. People with demonic ancestors had different physical characteristics than normal humans. Take myself for example, I looked almost completely natural. My copper hair fell down to my chest in curls. I was naturally pale and had freckles scattered across my skin like stars in the sky. I had big emerald eyes, well defined eyebrows, narrow jawline, and prominent cheekbones. But I had slit pupils like a typical demons and pointed ears as well which apparently made people extremely nervous. Because of the way I looked, I was often ostracized by the people around me. I've had people throw things at me, they've set my car on fire before. Luckily I was never seriously hurt. After trying to get a job I was actually qualified for, I wound up working as a waitress at a small diner in a town outside Chicago. It was nothing major, one of those small towns where everyone knew everybody.

I came to work one day and found myself staring at an extremely expensive looking car. A man got out of the car and went inside. He was tall and had a broad chest. He had short, blond hair and wore sunglasses, there was a scar over his right eye from what I could see. He had a thick jawline and prominent cheekbones. He was wearing a typical butler attire. It was composed of morning trousers, a white button up shirt, black tie, black waist coat, and a jacket to match. He looked like a cross between a secret service agent and a butler

I walked inside and put my apron on and I peered over from behind the counter and I brought over a mug. "Can I get you some coffee or something? It's a little nippy outside."

He looked at the menu and nodded. "That'd be lovely actually, thank you."

I set the mug down and poured him some freshly made coffee. I smiled politely and looked at him. "So where are you traveling from? I haven't seen many nice cars like that one roaming around a small town like this." I wiped the counter off and then walked over to take another customer's order.

"I've actually come here on business." He took a sip of his coffee and then added a cream and some sugar.

"Oh, that sounds lovely actually." I went back to wiping the counter down. "What kind of jobs do you do?"

"A little bit of everything—my boss is a bit of a pain. He requires that I do everything at least once so that I'm familiar with it."

I smiled. "That actually sounds wonderful. There really isn't anything around here that's suitable to my wants but hey, I can't complain. This small town is better than the big city was to be completely honest."

"Why's that? If you don't mind me asking."

"Because of the way I look, I got into a lot of accidents in the city. People threw things at me and they've once set my car on fire."

He seemed surprised. "Oh my, that's terrible. All because you have the physical characteristics of a demon?"

I was so shocked that he would openly say the word demon that I dropped a mug I was holding and it shattered onto the floor. I immediately bent down to pick it up and he came over as well and helped. "Oh no, please don't you'll get cut."

"No worries, I have leather gloves on." He helped me pick the pieces up and then looked at me. "Correct me if I'm wrong but—your name is Grace right?"

I nodded slowly. "Yes, that's my name."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Grace. I work for a very important man, can I assume that you know who I'm talking about?" He walked over to the trash can and threw them away.

I glanced around the diner and then nodded. "I think that I can guess who you're talking about. Let's not discuss this while I'm working, please."

When I was younger, I was told about the reason I was different from everyone else. I was blessed with a curse. When I was still inside my mother's womb, it was decided that I would become the person with the greatest link to the demon world. I had been born with a portion of Lucifer's soul residing in my body—it's the reason why I look so much like a demon without actually being one. The people that told me claimed that when I died, I had the greatest chance of becoming a demon myself because of my soul. And in regards to having a demonic soul, it gave me basically the same rights as a demon has. I was allowed to enter Hell and become part of their world as well as the humans. It also made me very unique and actually put me on a very short list filled with demonic royalty that had the possibility of marrying the Demon King. And that's why this man is sitting in front of me—to bring me back to hell to potentially become the next Demon Queen.

"Please excuse me, I almost forgot my manners for a moment. My name is Greggory, I work directly for the King. I am his personal aid and butler." He took a sip of his coffee. "Might I get some pancakes, if you don't mind?"

I nodded and then wrote down his order and handed it back to the chef that was working in the kitchen. When I turned around to face Greggory again, there were women swarming him. It was obvious that they thought he was extremely attractive and were basically throwing themselves all over him with no regard for the opinions of others in the diner. When the women saw me gazing at them, they quickly left his side in fear of what I might do to them. "What did you say to make those women so entranced with you? I don't think I've seen them like that before."

"I actually didn't need to say a word to them." He appeared to be quite flustered because of all the attention. "Unfortunately, we—are generally more attractive to mortals. Men and women alike. It's all heightened to make it easier to prey on our food." He rubbed his neck and his cheeks flushed. "I don't really like it though, all those women throwing themselves on me."

I looked at him curiously but I didn't feel as though he was any different from the people I speak to on a regular basis. "You don't seem any different to me." I mean, he smelled vaguely of cinders and a hint of—was it pastries? But other than that, he seemed like an average guy.

He looked at me rather curiously. "Huh, that's interesting. Even if you have the soul of a demon, you're still a mortal woman. You should be effected by it."

"Does that mean that something's wrong with me?"

He grinned and shook his head. "No, I don't think that there's anything that's wrong with you. I do think it's a little odd and I know someone that will surely be surprised since he can't rely on that to win you over anymore."

My smile slowly faded and I averted my eyes from Greggory. I let a small sigh escape my lips and then I turned around when the bell dinged and the pancakes were done. I set them down in front of Greggory and then pulled out a bottle of warmed syrup.

"Was I being insensitive? Is it a touchy subject for you? I can't imagine what you must have thought when you were told what your future held. If I didn't need to bring you along, I never would've come and disturbed your life. But, I think you realize that you don't really belong walking among these people."

"It's not that, I've prepared myself for that a long time ago. I knew that one day there would be someone to take me away to where I belong. I think what worries me the most is the fact that I have no idea what I'm getting myself into and the fact that he could absolutely hate me."

"Miss Grace, I wouldn't count on him hating you just yet. The King might be a fickle man but I don't think he could hate a woman as gorgeous as you are." Greggory smiled politely and then wiped his mouth after he finished his pancakes. He looked down at his watch. "I think we should get going soon. Is there anything you want to take from your apartment?"

"I can bring stuff with me?"

He laughed. "Yes, of course you can. Whatever you want that can fit into the car that I brought. It doesn't matter how full it is as long as the doors close it'll be okay."

I smiled and nodded. "If you wouldn't mind, there are a few things that I would like to bring along. Let me go tell my boss that I'll be leaving." I walked into the other room and left a note for my boss. I walked back and grabbed my coat and then walked out to where Greggory was eating his burger. "My boss wasn't back in his office so I left a note, I'm ready when you are."

"I think that I'm ready to go." He stood up and left money for his bill. "Well, let's go to your place and get everything you want to take with you." He offered me his arm and we walked out to his town car. He opened my door and then closed it when I got inside. I gave him directions to the small apartment complex where I lived and we spent the next two hours going through my things and deciding which ones I would like to take with me to Hell. After all was said and done we loaded the two boxes into his car and then said farewell to my tiny apartment. I got back into his car and he pressed a button on the dashboard and it was like we were being sucked into a black hole and the next second we were parked on a long driveway that was facing an enormous manor. It was an ancient Gothic style with gargoyles on the rooftops. Where banners once were hung, had now given back to nature's blazons. The archway of the front door was as noble looking as the day it was constructed even though it had started to crumble away. The backside of the manor was overlooking an enormous, shadowy forest which gave it an even more eerie air.

"Welcome home, Miss Grace. This is Hell's manor—home of Lucifer."

And thus, my life in Hell began.

 

3: Chapter Two

I was completely in awe of the whole situation I was in. I watched as the trees went by as the car drove down the long stretch of driveway. We pulled into the courtyard and I saw several servants washing windows and trimming the hedges. It was something right out of a fairytale.

I looked at Greggory. "I can't believe this is actually real. I can't believe that I actually get to live at a place like this. It's so beautiful."

Hell looked a lot like Earth did—there wasn't any fire coming from the ground and I didn't hear any tortured souls wailing in the background. The only different I could really spot was that the grass was the color of a sunrise, and that there were two suns that hovered in the sky.

He opened my door and grinned. "Well I can assure you that this isn't a dream. This is your new home, Grace. I hope you find it to your liking." He snapped his fingers and two of the servants walked over and grabbed my boxes. "It's time for you to meet the King, now."

He walked with me down a long hallway that was decorated with various battle scenes that was like something out of the bible. We reached a large door at the end of the hallway and Greggory knocked. "Lucifer—I brought Grace." I heard a muffled voice and then Greggory opened the door and motioned for me to enter first.

I walked into an enormous office. It was wooden paneled in a cherry gloss. There were two inlaid bookcases that were filled with different styles of books and there were three giant windows that looked out at a beautiful rose garden. Seated in a leather chair behind a molded, mahogany desk sat—a handsome man. He was dressed in a three piece suit and his jacket was undone to show his waistcoat. He had on a white shirt and a thin black tie on as well. He had an angular face, his cheekbones were slightly prominent, well-defined eyebrows, and a slender nose. His hair was jet black and was down to his collarbone in layers. I could see several piercings that ran the length of his slightly pointed ears. He looked at me with narrowed, bright crimson eyes—they were unkind looking.

"Who is this creature that you've brought before me? I thought you said you were bringing me another candidate for a wife." He dismissed me with a wave of his hand and went back to looking at the stack of paperwork that was in front of him.

Greggory looked shocked and slightly appalled. "Lucifer, need I remind you that she's the woman that was given part of your soul? If you send her back like this— I highly doubt that the Elders will be happy about it."

He made an annoyed face and then sighed dramatically. "Fine, put her somewhere where I don't have to see her daily. It would foul my mood if I had to see that horrid face each time I walked around the manor."

I crossed my arms and looked at the man in front of me. "Um excuse me, can you please not speak as if I'm not in the room? I guess I understand why you don't like me. I'm not everyone's cup of tea but you don't have to be so rude. Plus, you should really look someone in the eyes when you're talking to them—or in your case—bossing them around. It's called good manners but I can see you weren't taught those when you were younger. I personally think that you owe Greggory an apology."

He sat down the paperwork he had been working on and glanced at me through reading glasses. He took them off and then ran his thin, small fingers through his black mane of hair. "I think you might have me confused with a child that you think you can scold. I hate to mention this to you, but I am the Demon King. One such as yourself can't just come into my home and then proceed to lecture me about unimportant things. If it weren't for the Elder's, I would've fed you to my dear pets already." He smirked at me slightly and then turned back to his paperwork. "You may leave now."

Greggory made a disgusted noise. "Lucifer! For hell's sake why can't you get along with the people who might actually become your wife?" He rubbed his temples. "I swear, you do this to me on purpose. You're going to be the death of me—again."

I had to wonder why Greggory said again at the end of that statement but seeing how Lucifer was acting towards me right now, I could see multiple deaths happening.

A phantom-like figure appeared out of thin air onto Lucifer's desk, it soon took a more solid form of a white fox. It looked like one of the Japanese paintings of a Kitsune with a traditional mask on. It had a long, stream-like body with seven luscious tails flowing out from behind it. Its face looked like one of those fox masks that they sell at festivals in Japan. There were red half circles under its eyes and some that ran down the length of its body and tails in a tribal-like design. The tips of the tails were orange and red, and gave the illusion that they were flames. It had bright yellow eyes with red around the pupil. My, my Lucifer. Another potential wife? How many does that make now? Four? It snickered and glanced at me. She's—a mortal woman. I didn't think that was your taste. How interesting.

Greggory let out a groan. "Kai, this really isn't the time to make your presence known. Please don't egg Lucifer's bad behavior on."

There was another ghostly apparition that appeared on the opposite side of the desk. It took the form of a fox as well. It had the same basic body structure as the one called Kai. Except this one had blue designs where he had red and his eyes were blue with red around the pupil. It was easy enough to tell that they were twins. This one flicked its tails back and forth curiously. "She looks like she would be interesting to play with, brother. We've never had a human around the manor before. I wonder what Princess Kali will say when she hears word of Lucifer's new woman". He laughed and blue flames sparked from his maw. "I think she has some potential to be prettier than the other princesses, don't you agree brother?"

Kai shook his head. "Brother, you have no taste in women. You should really stick to where your interests lie. I'm afraid this is why you are the younger of us."

"I was born less than a minute after you, brother" He looked at me. "I don't think you're ugly, you could just use some work to make you stand out better. But enough of the commentary, I am Kurama and that is my older brother Kai. We are Lucifer's personal fox spirits. In Japan, we are known as kitsune. Welcome to the King's inner court."

Lucifer started tapping a pen against the desk and he seemed rather annoyed with everything that was going on in his office. He glared at me like everything was all my fault.

Kurama turned to the young king and then with a flick of his tail—he jumped off the desk and looked up at me with glowing eyes. "Follow me, little woman. I shall show you around the manor. I can show you all the good hiding spots and where we like to prank the princesses."

Greggory looked at Lucifer. "Are you going to give her a room or shall I just give her your chambers since you're never in there anyways."

"Put her in the garden cottage, I don't want to see her when I wake up in the mornings besides, the other women that are here shouldn't know that there was a human that was brought to go up against them for the spot of being my fiancée. It will cause a hassle that I do not wish to deal with."

Greggory crossed his arms. "I will not put this poor girl in the cottage out in the garden. Lucifer, be reasonable now."

I looked at both of them. "No, it's really okay. I can stay in the garden if that's where he wishes me to be. I don't mind at all, please don't make a fuss over something like this Greggory." I tried to smile like I actually meant what I was saying. I was actually quite annoyed with this punk of a King.

He sighed and shook his head. "You're far too kind to him, Miss Grace. Come with me and I'll show you the way through the garden."

Kurama looked at Greggory. "I'll show her the way through the garden. I want to get to know her after all, she might become Lucifer's wife someday."

Lucifer made a gagging noise and then lit a cigarette and blew smoke out and looked at me. "Me? Marry her? Get real, Kurama."

He snickered. "You forget, Lucifer. My brother and I—we see things from time to time—things that are yet to happen." He skipped out of the office and back down the hallway with the various pictures.

I bowed to Lucifer and Greggory and then followed Kurama down it and I got sidetracked by one of the pictures. It showed a beautiful man with obsidian colored wings but his face was twisted in pain and feathers from his wings were broken and falling around him. I looked at Kurama. "What's this a picture of?"

"Lucifer being stripped of his angel wings." He walked back over and sat down by my feet. "I hear that falling from Grace is a terrible process. You're burned alive by holy fire and it melts away all the good in your heart and soul and then they rip your wings off feather by feather. It's not at all a quick process."

I covered my mouth in horror.

"The story goes that when Lucifer fell from Heaven, he was scorched by holy fire and along with his flesh and wings that were burned away—the fire also stole his pureness, his goodness, his ability to love. It's said that he replaced those things with the sin of humans and the agony when their souls are sent to Hell. He is a living representative of everything that is evil, the darkness inside every mortal being is stored in his body. Lucifer is immortal because humans always sin and because of that sin—he suffers through an infinite lifespan." He averted his eyes for a moment. Because of what he's made up of, he's very—unstable. There are times where he loses himself and becomes nothing more than a savage beast—a true demon. At those times is when he's best known as the Demon King. My brother and I were sent here by the Elder's to keep a watch on his stability and we are to interfere if he starts to lose himself. They grow tired of having a liability on the throne, if he can't stabilize himself before another big episode happens—they will destroy him. All he could do was wait until death overtook him, well that was until you came along Grace."

What did he mean by that? Why would Lucifer be waiting for death to take him? Why am I so important to his life? I knew I embodied everything that Lucifer had lost but was I really that vital to him? I glanced back at the picture and I noticed that it had vanished from its spot on the wall leading me to wonder if i had really seen anything at all.

4: Chapter Three

Kurama led me through a maze of shrubbery before we stumbled upon an old cottage. It was white brick with ivy crawling up the sides. There were two windows on either side of the door, they were painted a faded, and cracked turquoise color.

"This is the cottage that Lucifer spoke of. It used to be used as the gardener's home but now they just come and go as they please so there's no telling how dusty and gross it is on the inside. Are you sure you want to live out here? I could easily change the rooms around in the manor and give you the one with the best view." He looked at me curiously.

I shook my head. "No, there's no need for all that. I like this place and this is where Lucifer wanted me to be." I walked over and opened the door with the key that Kurama had in his mouth.

It was small on the inside but it had a lot of natural light that crept into it. It was wooden paneled on the inside, the wood was painted a stark white but it had started to crack and peel which revealed some of the natural wood and gave it an older feel. There was a loft bed with a latter that led up to where a mattress was to be placed. Underneath the loft was a small kitchen, it had a sink with a little counter space, and a small stove top. There were two wooden shelves placed on the wall over the sink that had slots to put dishes in and two drawers underneath the sink in the cabinet. I walked into the bathroom and the hardwood was time worn and gorgeous. There was a Victorian style tub with a wooden bath mat, a window that opened up to the view of a rose bush, a pedestal sink, and a small chandelier that hung down from the ceiling. I walked back in where Kurama was sitting on the small table that was attached to the wall in between the two windows.

"You seem really pleased with this arrangement. Well, there's a lot to dust and get cleaned before you can actually live here. I'll go get a bucket and some things to clean with." He immediately vanished in a flash of blue flames.

A few moments later he appeared again with a bucket, a wash cloth, and Greggory in tow.

Greggory looked at me and smiled. "I happened to see Kurama sneaking around the supply closet and when I asked he explained that you were going to clean this place up. I thought I might pitch in a little so that it could go faster." He unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them up. "I might not look like it but I was quite the cleaner when I was younger." He grabbed the bucket and walked over to the sink and filled it up. "So there's a dinner this evening for the guests of the house." He brought the bucket over and dipped the rag into the soapy water. "It' basically to show off the women that will be candidates for Lucifer's wife."

I looked at him with fear growing in my expression. "What will I need to wear? I don't think I have anything that will be decent enough for a house party here."

"I think it would be interesting if everyone just came in casual clothing. I bet you could rock jeans better than the princesses could." He cackled and then dusted off the table with the tips of his tails.

Greggory looked up from scrubbing the floors. "Don't worry, I have that all figured out. I went out earlier before I picked you up and got a dress that I think will be absolutely gorgeous on you. After we finish cleaning, you'll have a nice soak in your tub and then I will begin working on your hair and makeup." He grinned. "I'll make it so every man's eyes are on you."

"You can do hair, Greggory?" I looked over at him a little shocked.

"Greggory does everything worth mentioning in the manor. He's a jack of all trades basically. Lucifer works him to the bone. I honestly don't know why he sticks around when he's had offers from other nobles that are willing to pay him twice as much to come and work for them. Maybe it's because of his loyalty to Lucifer's brother."

Greggory flushed a bright shade of pink. "Samael has nothing to do with why I choose to stay. I wasn't always so good at everything. When I first met Lucifer, we were only a few hundred years old. I couldn't even tie his shoes properly, one evening at a party, he fell down the stairs and everyone laughed except Lucifer. He then proceeded to grill me every waking moment until I could perform any task that he asked of me. He paid for my education and for the work that I would need to gain certain skills. Whatever you may think of Lucifer from your recent encounter with him, I can guarantee you that he's not what he seems to make himself out to be."

"Greggory always tries to make everyone see the best out of the young king but so far we've seen no results. Since Lucifer has taken the throne, things have definitely been better for the kingdom but his people skills are severely lacking. We're always hoping to catch a glimpse of the king that Greggory sees him to be."

"I don't think he's so much as a bad guy but I can tell there's layers that surround who he really is." I finished wiping off the kitchen and I glanced over at the boys. It took us quite a while to finish dusting, scrubbing, and making everything livable again but once it was finished—the cottage was absolutely perfect. Greggory left to retrieve the outfit that he had bought for me and while everyone was gone, I decided to try out my new tub. The maids from the house had brought down some towels and necessities that I would find useful. I stripped away my dirty, sweaty, clothing and then turned the water on and poured some lavender bubbles into the warm water. I climbed into the tub and then I think I might've dozed off because the next thing I knew there was a knock at the door.

Greggory peeped his head in and looked at me. "Sorry to intrude but if we don't get started soon—you won't be ready in time for the guests to greet you." He walked over and hung the dress bag on a hook that was sticking out from the wall by the mirror. "I think you will look absolutely stunning in this dress." He smiled and then cleared his throat. "Well then, I'll go make some relaxing tea for you to drink while you get ready." He walked out of the bathroom and shut the door.

I got out of the bath water and then wrapped myself in a luxurious robe and shuffled out into the main room in the cottage. It was filled with the smell of apple tea.

Greggory offered me a cup of tea and then rubbed my head with a towel. "Well, let's get started—shall we?" I walked into the bathroom with him and watched as he dried my hair. It was like being at a salon as his fingers moved through my hair methodically. I closed my eyes and allowed him to work his magic. When his fingers no longer moved through my hair, I opened my eyes. He had somehow managed to tame my wild hair and he curled it loosely and when I looked at the back of it with a mirror he had pulled some of it back into a waterfall braid.

"I think you must be magic, Greggory. This is absolutely fabulous." I smiled.

He seemed pleased with himself. "I think we should just go with skin tones for your make up to be completely honest. I want to make your eyes pop." He then began on my make-up. And once he was finished, I opened my eyes. He had done almost a soft-pink that made my eyes seem to stand out. He used a volume mascara and then gave me a nude colored lip gloss to finish it off.

I walked over and opened the bag and gasped as I saw the dress. "You think I can really pull something like this off?" I looked over at him. Inside of the bag was a beautiful, strapless, beaded, emerald dress A-line dress. "Is it really my type of dress? Is it too showy?"

"I think it's a good look for you, you'll definitely be turning heads at the party if you wear that dress. The emerald will highlight your copper hair and brighten your eyes. Kali, Lily, and Melanie will all be wearing extremely flashy dresses so I wanted to make sure that you could stand beside them without feeling self-conscious but I didn't want to overdo it." He glanced at my expression. "What do you think about the dress, Miss Grace?"

"I think that you're sadly overlooked, you're absolutely amazing. I really appreciate everything that you're doing for me, Greggory."

He seemed really happy to be complimented. He rubbed his face to try to hide the color change in his cheeks. "You're the only one of the women that have entered the manor that has actually treated the staff like people not things. I really appreciate it."

Kurama looked at me and grinned. "If anything happens tonight, I can always light their dresses on fire. Nothing says royalty in Hell like fire charred dresses. He snickered. If you'll excuse me, I'll go make sure that the servants announce your name when the other girls are called. Lucifer is known to forget to put names on things and I don't want you to be embarrassed in front of everyone." He disappeared with a blue spark.

"To be completely honest, I don't think that I've ever seen Kurama this excited to help one of Lucifer's guests before. Usually he and Kai are planning on ways to torture the newcomers. Luckily, I don't think that will happen with you which is a good sign."

"Well I'm pleased that Kurama likes me but I don't think his brother does very well. But then again I can't say too much because I've only met him once." I looked at Greggory.

He hesitated. "Kai has—circumstances that keep him from being thrilled about your arrival. But I doubt he truly hates you, he rarely gets along with anyone besides his brother. I don't think you have to worry about him doing anything, he respects Kurama too much to play a prank on you. You're on a good track, the twins don't hate you." He took my dress out of the bag and offered it to me. He turned around while I put my slip on and then he had to help me get into this dress because it was like a Chinese finger trap. But once it was on, I felt like a princess.

I walked into my bathroom and looked in the mirror that was hanging on the wall. I turned to Greggory with a shocked expression on my face. "It's absolutely beautiful, Greggory. Thank you so very much." I turned back to the mirror. The dress hugged my body just enough to give me the illusion that I actually had curves. Greggory had been right, it highlighted my copper colored hair and then brightened my emerald eyes—giving my face a whole new light.

"You look like a princess, Miss Grace. I think you're ready to be escorted to the house for the party." He smiled at me.

Kurama appeared and he was grinning. "I just happened to make sure your name was written down and I changed the seating arrangement a little bit it should go over quite funnily with the princesses. Tonight will be a magical evening." He looked at me. "You clean up very well, Grace. I might actually make an appearance at this little gathering."

Greggory glanced down at his watch and then cleared his throat. "It's time, Miss Grace." He offered me his arm and led me out of the cottage. "Remember, don't be nervous. You're just as much a part of this world as we are."

Kurama was trotting by my feet. "Before I depart, I should tell you that I scheduled you into the King's dance log."

I looked at Greggory with wide eyes. "What does he mean that he wrote me into the king's dance log? I don't understand."

Greggory scratched his head. "Well you see, the king has a log of dance partners that he usually sticks to so that each woman on the guest list can dance with him but lately he's been dancing with fewer women. I guess Kurama likes you a lot because he put your name on the list. I wonder who he deleted off it." Greggory kind of smirked. "I'm hoping that it was Kali. She's the biggest pain of all of them, in my eyes."

I looked in absolutely horror. "Wait a second, does that mean that I took someone else's spot? I can't do that. What if someone notices?"

Greggory laughed. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, Miss Grace. I'm sure everything will be fine." He opened the doors to the party and the music hung in the air.

As I stepped into the ballroom I realized that tonight would be the first time that I would be introduced as a candidate to become Queen of Hell. My stomach tightened into knots and I took a deep breath. This was it—the moment I had waited for. As soon as my name was announced my life would never be the same.

5: Chapter Four

My name was called out and I stepped into the beautiful ballroom. It was gothic style like most of the entire manor was. The ballroom had a 35 foot ceiling and an organ loft, musician's balcony, and an elegant stone fireplace. The windows were arched and stained glass which gave the room a mystical appearance. There were iron chandeliers that hung down from the vaulted ceiling that also helped cast a glow on the dancers that took to the beautifully timeworn hardwood floors. I couldn't believe that I was standing in such a magnificent place with music and dancing. As I got caught up in looking at everything, Greggory had left my side. I took a deep breath as the nerves started to come but I didn't have to wait long until someone saved me from going into having a panic attack.

A man appeared before me with a wily grin upon his face. He had a narrow face with close-set blue eyes with yellow around the pupil, thin eyebrows, and high cheekbones. He had gorgeous, shoulder length, snowy hair. He was wearing fitted black slacks, a white button down shirt, an emerald tie, and a black fitted vest. "May I have this dance?" A familiar voice called out from his thin lips. He took my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor.

"K-Kurama, is that really you?" I couldn't believe my eyes.

"I told you that I thought I would make an appearance at the party. I haven't used this body in quite a long time. Let us enjoy the festivities." He twirled me away from him and then pulled me against him and grinned. "We're catching some attention. I don't think they're staring at me either."

I blushed and looked around. Kurama was right, we were attracting glances from everyone on the dance floor. They murmured amongst themselves and then the music was stopped. Our eyes were immediately drawn to the staircase that came down from the musician's balcony. There—bathed in the moonlight—was Lucifer. He was looking elegant in another three-piece suit but he wasn't wearing his jacket. It seemed to be his signature outfit but he looked good wearing them. This time it was a black suit and waistcoat, a crimson colored shirt, and a thin black tie. He waved his hand dismissively and the music continued. He walked down the stairs and then around the dance floor to where his throne was perched above everyone else.

I noticed after it was too late that I was standing alone on the dance floor. I felt extremely uncomfortable and I was about to fight my way through the dancing couples when another extremely handsome man caught my hand.

He had an angular face, prominent cheekbones, well-defined eyebrows, and a slender nose. His left eye was a diluted crimson color and his right eye was an icy blue, and he had gray hair that was pulled back out of his face. He was tall and slenderly built, almost the spitting image of Lucifer except that he looked to be in his early thirties. "You look like a lost puppy out here on the dance floor by yourself." He grinned and exposed needle-like, ivory fangs. There was something strangely familiar about him, I couldn't figure out what it was until I took a deep breath to steady myself. He smelled like pastries and cigars.

I looked at him curiously. "I don't mean to be rude but, who are you exactly?"

He chuckled. "My name is Samael, I'm Lucifer's big brother." He looked up at the balcony when the music started playing a slow song. He moved us to the beat with grace. "I heard from a little buff birdy that you're the new girl in line for my little brother's heart. I decided to see what kind of woman you were for myself."

"I've heard a mention of you before. It's a pleasure to meet you. I can see the resemblance between you and Lucifer."

"Don't tell my brother that. He isn't exactly thrilled that he's related to me since I'm a bastard child that was born before him." He dipped me down when the music quieted and then brought me back up during the crescendo. "I was the child of a brief affair with an angel that our father had. But enough about me, tell me about yourself. What brings a mortal woman to the depths of Hell? Money? Fame?"

"I'm here because I don't belong on Earth. I was ostracized because of my demonic appearance. Besides, I was born with the soul of Lucifer so I was always destined to make my way back to Hell."

Samael seemed surprised to hear that I carried a portion of Lucifer's soul. He also seemed quite angry. "I told the Elder's not to take a portion of my brother's soul from his body because it would cause his stability to become unstable. But of course, they didn't listen to me because of who my mother was." He shook his head. "What no one tells anyone is that I left Heaven when my brother was cast out. I became a demon as well because I couldn't allow him to suffer this torture alone. My curse was that I could no longer eat food without getting sick. I am doomed to drink the blood of living creatures for the rest of my existence." The music ended and Samael looked at me curiously. "I must attend to some personal issues now, I do hope you stick around Miss Grace Lancaster, it will be truly interesting to see how you fit into our chaotic world." He stepped away from me and disappeared into the crowd.

I noticed that Lucifer was giving me an unamused facial expression. I walked over to where he was sitting on his throne. There was a woman sitting in his lap that was feeding him grapes. It looked like something out of an old Greek movie. "This party is beautiful, Lucifer. The music and the dancing are something straight out of a fairytale."

He seemed rather annoyed with my very presence. "What are you even doing here? I never invited you to this gathering."

"Well you see—Greggory told me about it and he got me this gorgeous dress and told me that I should attend. Kurama made sure my name was on the list and so here I am." I looked at my hands. "I heard that we have a dance together so I thought I would come over and ask when that might be."

"How about never? I have no intention of dancing with the likes of you. Now disappear from my sight." He waved his hand for me to leave.

I crossed my arms in annoyance now. "You don't have to be so much of a jerk when you tell me things. Whether you like it or not, I'm going to be around here for a long time. I don't plan on going anywhere and the Elders won't let you get rid of me because I have a piece of your soul inside me. So you might as well get used to seeing me around the manor and at least invite me to parties, its proper manners. Stop acting like a spoiled child. You think it's easy for me to drop everything and come to a place where I don't know anyone and have to deal with it?"

The woman in Lucifer's lap was wearing a magenta colored ball gown that matched her eyes. She had pale skin, and long brunette hair. She looked at me. "You should just accept rejection, sweetie. You don't have a chance against Lily, Melanie, or myself so back out quietly or I will make your life miserable." She grinned devilishly. She stood up and then tripped over her own foot and poured her glass of wine all over my dress. She faked looking surprised. "Oh my, I'm so clumsy. I got red wine all over your pretty dress. I guess you're going to have to excuse yourself."

Suddenly there was a load crack and the lights went out. Well, all but these tiny blue flames that were lighting up along the floor like a pathway. I followed the trail and then I ended up back in the office where I had first met Lucifer. Kurama was still in his human form and there was blue flames coming from his fingertips. "I heard that you had an accident with some red wine. Kai graciously broke the lights and I helped secure your getaway. And now it's time for you to change." He grinned.

I sniffed and wiped my nose and looked at Kurama. "You're saving me again, I can't thank you enough."

The door opened and another gorgeous man walked in. He had the same facial structure as Kurama but his eyes were yellow and he had short, white hair. He walked and looked at me. "Don't cry, you idiot. Kali just declared war against you. She doesn't count you as a rival, she barely counts you as trash."

Kurama cleared his throat. "Now, now brother. Let's not make her cry, she's already had a tough time this evening. It's time to transform this little duckling into a beautiful swan. Your magic is better at mine in this category so I'll let you do the honors. Give her something that will knock the king off his feet."

Kai looked at me with a curious expression. "Well, let's get to work then." He rubbed his hands together and then blew on them and sparks of red flames flew out. He blew on them a little harder and the flames flew to surround my body and when they began to melt away there were some that stayed on my body in the shape of a luxurious silver dress. It was backless and had three-quarter inch sleeves. The fabric tugged against my curves and accentuated everything. My shoulder blades was left bare, it came together at my lower back and hugged my mid-thigh. "How's that Kurama? Does it fit with what you were thinking or should I remove some more of the fabric?"

Kurama grinned devilishly. "I don't see how any straight man could resist her in that dress. You outdid yourself, brother." He clapped his hands and looked at me. "It's time for you to get back out here."

I walked over to the mirror and gasped. "Oh my word, Kai this is beautiful." I looked back over at him with sparkling eyes.

He rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue. "Tsk. Don't be sarcastic."

"No! I really mean it." I looked at him. "It's seriously beautiful. You have a real talent for this. Thank you so much for doing this for me even if you might not like me."

Kai crossed his arms. "I don't not like you. I just don't think that this world is the best one for you to be living in. Although you aren't fully a human because of your physical appearance, you're definitely not a demon. Which means that you're weak and vulnerable to the poisons that could be planted in your food and the people around you who wish to feed on your flesh."

Kurama glanced at me. "What you have to understand is that as fox spirits—we live an indefinite amount of time. We've seen what this world does to humans up close and personal." He glanced over at his brother and then dropped his eyes to the floor.

Kai sat down. "I'll share a story with you because my younger brother seems to be taken with you. I fell in love once—with a mortal woman. Oh, she was incredibly beautiful. I was young and naïve and I made a careless mistake and brought her into this world and she had a run in with someone that disliked Kurama and I and paid the price for our sins. I lost the love of my life and since then I haven't wanted to see another mortal woman come into this world."

Kurama averted his eyes from mine and then ran his fingers through his hair. "Well now you know why my brother doesn't want you here. I want you here though, I think that you bring something new to the table. Don't back down from Kali's threats this time. You're just as much a candidate as she is. Remember that, Grace." He grinned. "Plus you look damn good in the dress that my brother made for you."

I hugged the twins and then found my way back to the party. I hugged the wall and watched Lucifer dance with several beautiful women, the last of which was Kali. When the music stopped he paused and his crimson eyes scanned around the room until they locked with mine. He motioned for me to come forward. I hesitated and walked out onto the dance floor where he was waiting.

He walked me out onto the middle of the dance floor and then twirled me around and then pulled me against him. He was very slender yet I could feel the muscle lying just under his skin. "Do you always lecture people who you've only just met or am I a lucky man?"

"I give lectures whenever I see fit, actually. It doesn't matter if the person is a king or not." I looked at him. "You just so happened to need those lectures at that specific point in time. If you'd like, I could give you another one on how you're supposed to place your hand on my waist and not my butt."

He smirked and moved his hand back to my waist. "You're a very difficult woman to deal with."

"And you're a very difficult boy to get along with, yet here we are—together. Two difficult people are dancing together and the world isn't ending." I couldn't help having a sarcastic attitude with him. "You should really change how you treat others, it isn't becoming of a king to be so indifferent to your people. Your attitude affects the people more than you think it does."

"So you think you know more about governing than I do? Please tell me, when did your last reign end, oh great one?" He glared up at me with those crimson eyes.

I just released my hands and walked off the dance floor. I passed through the crowd and I could hear murmurings about me and I just needed to get some air. I opened a pair of glass doors and was brought out onto a patio in the garden. I heard the doors open a few minutes after me. I glanced over and I saw Lucifer light a cigarette up and look at me. "You're going to kill yourself smoking like that."

He just laughed shortly and then blew a puff of smoke into the air. "You know, ever since I was born I've gotten whatever I wanted without argument yet when you come along, I get scolded like a child. I've never met a woman quite like you, and I've met my share of women." He smirked slightly.

"Well, you deserved a good scolding because you were being a jerk." I looked at him. "And what I don't understand is you've got so many people believing in you but you can't show them anything worth believing in."

"Ouch, that's a little harsh don't you think?" He leaned against the railing and looked at me closely. "You know you're not that bad once I see you up close. You looked horrid when I first met you earlier."

"Your complementing skills need definite work." I looked at him and then up at the stars that were glittering in the sky. It was a little chilly out. I felt fabric against my back and that's when I realized that Lucifer had placed his jacket around my shoulders and had walked back inside. I smiled slightly and shook my head. I didn't quite understand his hot and cold routine but I knew something for sure—he wasn't all bad.

6: Chapter Five

I heard the door open again and saw Kurama walk over to me.

"Dinner is about to be served, let's go back inside." He took my arm and escorted me back through the doors and into the ballroom that had been drastically changed. There was enormous wooden tables placed where the dance floor once was and elegant candelabras were lit along its length. There were name cards set before each place setting and when I finally found mine I noticed that I was sitting right beside the king himself.

He looked at me with a slight smirk. "Well look who it is. Come to join me for an entertaining evening?" He noticed my name card. "Sit, sit, if your name is there then that's where you've been placed."

Kurama looked at Lucifer with a wily grin. "Please take good care of my date tonight, your majesty." He helped me into my chair and then bowed his head slightly and walked off without so much as a noise.

I noticed that Lucifer was staring at me with his head in his hands. "You know that it's considered bad manners to have your elbows on the table?" I was mainly just toying with him now because I enjoyed scolding him.

He grinned and then took a sip of wine. "I guess you'll have to punish me later then, won't you?" His eyes shifted slightly when he noticed a woman walking over. "Oh this will be very interesting to see."

Kali kicked my chair and then looked at me. "Um, what are you doing sitting in my chair?" I glanced at her with a confused expression. "But, this has my name plate in front of me so technically this is my seat. I'm sorry but you're going to have to sit somewhere else."

"Everyone knows that I always sit by the king and Lily sits beside me and Melanie sits beside Lily." She motioned to the woman behind her and crossed her arms.

I looked at Lily for the first time. She had porcelain skin with raven colored hair and hazel eyes. She looked very timid and not someone who should be running for the hand of the most powerful man in Hell. "Hello Lily, it's a pleasure to meet you." I looked behind her and saw a blonde woman that had a pixie cut. She smiled and showed a row of dangerously sharp teeth. "Hi Melanie."

Lily smiled slightly. "It's nice to meet you t-too." She bowed her head and then looked away nervously.

But Melanie seemed fit for the job. She walked over and eyed me carefully. "I would consider your options before you decide to go against us and try to weasel your way in with the king. We've been here far longer than you have and you're nothing but a common mortal who can easily be disposed of."

I looked at Lucifer with a completely stunned gaze at the blatant threatening I was receiving.

He put his wine glass down at looked at the other women. "Now, now ladies. There should be no threatening involved. I hold no one above anyone else and that should be made clear right now. If you're truly upset about the setting arrangements then I know the people you should talk to." He motioned to the two men sitting on his left side. "I'm sure that you all know the twins. I saw Kurama messing around with the name plates a little earlier today, I'm sure if you brought it up with him that you could come to some sort of agreement."

Kurama flashed a dazzling smile. "Oh my, are you ladies not happy with the seating arrangement that I made?" He glanced at Kai. "Whatever shall I do brother? They seem very unhappy."

Kai glimpsed over at the women and then sighed dramatically. "Well I suppose that you'll just have to re-do it since the princesses aren't happy with the way things are set." His eyes looked menacing.

Kali shook her head and smiled politely. "Oh no, never mind. Please don't go to any trouble about it. We'll simply sit where our names are located." She ushered the other two women away.

I caught a glimpse of Melanie grinning like a demon as she pranced away with Lily in tow.

Kurama looked at the king. "Well Lucifer, it seems that one of your fiancées is planning something tonight. I think my brother and I will excuse ourselves from this beautiful dinner and have a look around." Both Kurama and Kai stood up at the exact same time and then disappeared into the crowd of servants.

I noticed Kali was seated about five seats away and she was looking absolutely murderous. Lily and Melanie were nowhere to be found and I thought that was kind of odd.

Lucifer stood up and fixed his suit. "Honored guests, thank you for joining me this evening in welcoming four beautiful women who could all potentially be my wife one day. We've spent the evening drinking and dancing and now it is time for the main meal which has been wonderfully prepared by my chefs. I hope you enjoy." He raised his glass and then smiled and sat down.

The waiter's brought in soups that were unbelievable. I ate more than I've ever eaten before. About half-way through the soup, my tongue began to feel a little numb but I simply blamed it on the hotness of the spices and the temperature of the meals. By the entre I was feeling a little dizzy and the numbness was starting to spread to my throat. I immediately felt as though I was going to throw up. I quickly removed my napkin from my lap and then proceeded to exit the ballroom and I found my way to a planter and I threw up. My stomach was shouting at me in pain and I was having a hard time swallowing anymore because my throat was completely numb. With the numbness came the inability to breathe correctly because I couldn't feel anything moving. As my vision blurred, I noticed a figure walk past me and then scream. I could vaguely tell that people were being alerted to my weakened state. I forced myself off the floor so that I wouldn't cause a scene for Lucifer. I stumbled down a darkened hallway and I tripped over my own feet but I was caught in someone's arms before I hit the ground. My vision was blurring together but I could make out was one crimson eye. I went unconscious in a pair of icy arms. I was swimming in the darkness, there wasn't an ounce of light around. I could feel a burning sensation but other than that there was absolutely nothing.

When I finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel, I found myself in a bedroom. The walls and ceiling are the original hand oil paintings. It's the original marble and handcrafted porcelain fixtures. It was done in Louis XV paneled bedroom and was reminiscent of Versailles. I was in a beautiful Victorian styled queen size bed with elegant molding. When I looked over, I noticed that there was a couch against a window and a chair to match. My head was throbbing and my vision was still a bit fuzzy but when I looked at myself I noticed that I wasn't wearing anything but my underwear. I gasped and immediately reached out for something to cover up with and I felt a body in bed with me. I let out a small scream and then fell backwards off the bed. I looked up from where I landed to see a figure glancing at me.

"Why in Hell's name are you screaming this early in the damn morning?" I was being stared at by two brightly colored crimson eyes. He rubbed his head and yawned. "You've been unconscious for three days and when you wake up—you start screaming. How is that any way to show thankfulness at what I've done for you?"

"L-Lucifer? Why am I in bed with you?" I stood up slowly and then realized again that I was standing in my underwear. I quickly climbed under the covers and looked at him.

"The evening of the party, someone poisoned your food apparently. Kurama and Kai can't tell if they did it purposefully to get to you or they miscalculated and were trying to poison me instead. Either way, they made me sick. I've been recovering for the past three days as well."

The door opened and Samael walked in with a tray of soup. He noticed I was awake and he grinned. "Oh good, you're alive. I was beginning to think that I drank too much of your blood—which was delicious by the way except for the taste of poison." He walked over and set the tray down on Lucifer's lap. "I was kind of surprised to see you stumbling around like you were. If I had taken a dose like that in a mortal body, I would've been dead. You collapsed and I took you to old Louie's room and then proceeded to drink the poison out of your system. Luckily, those have no effect on me." He perched himself on the edge of the bed and looked me over carefully. "Louie came and found us while I was in the middle of feeding, he was looking sick as well. Since you two are connected via his soul, it has an effect on him as well just not to such an extent. You've both been resting here since then and my little brother has made sure you were fed properly." Samael grinned. "Isn't that right Louie? Good ole mouth to mouth."

I turned a shade of red and looked at Lucifer. "M-mouth to mouth?"

Lucifer tried to play it cool. He glanced over at me and got out of bed. "It was the easiest way to make sure you were eating properly. If you have a problem with me trying to save your measly life then please—complain."

Samael laughed. "I think that my brother means to say he's happy that you're conscious again." He glanced over as Greggory walked in.

Greggory was looking rough today. He had bags under his eyes and just looked exhausted. He noticed Sam's presence and then flushed a light shade of pink. He saw that I was awake and his eyes brightened up. "Oh thank goodness you're okay. You had everyone worried sick." He smirked. "Even Lucifer was worried about you. He made us keep you in here so he could watch—"

Lucifer threw a book at Greggory's face and then went back to his paperwork. "If you're feeling fine then go ahead and leave now. I'm very busy and I don't have time for this." He glanced over at us. "Go on—out. Everyone leave."

Samael walked over and pinched Lucifer's cheeks. "Now, now, Mr. Grumpy Gills. What has you so frustrated? I could easily lend you a few of my…" He paused and looked over at Greggory and then cleared his throat. "Well, never mind actually." He ran his fingers through his hair and looked at his brother. "You should get laid. Sexual tension in that body of yours must build up fast." He ruffled Lucifer's hair and smirked. He walked off and then casually smacked Greggory's butt.

Greggory turned absolutely pale and averted all eye contact. He immediately left the room in a daze.

Lucifer rolled his eyes and sighed. "He's such an annoyance sometimes." He glanced over at me. "Love is such a hassle. Don't you think, Grace? It turns people into such idiotic things. Take my brother for example, he's even more strange than normal. Love is such a useless emotion."

I laid back in bed and looked at the ceiling. "I don't believe that. I think you believe in love so much so that it hurts." I rolled over onto my side and looked at him. "You're the one person that believes that love can save someone but yet you refuse to allow yourself to feel those kinds of emotions because of the pain that could result from it." I didn't want to admit it but I still wasn't feeling good. My vision was starting to blur again and I couldn't understand why.

He sighed and set the paperwork down. "If you're going to stay in here and cause a ruckus then you can at least be useful." He grabbed a stack of papers and walked over to the bed. He climbed into the bed and laid his head against my chest.

"W-What are you doing?"

"My neck was hurting from sitting at my desk so I thought that your chest might be more comfortable. It is—just barely." He glanced over at me and then smirked. "Now be quiet so I can do some work."

And that was how we spent the next two hours, he laid against me while looking over paperwork and he would occasionally say something to me. After a while I noticed that he wasn't reading anymore and when I looked over I noticed that he was fast asleep. I found myself running my fingers through his hair. It was actually pretty soft and it smelled like cherry shampoo. I decided that I would let him sleep instead of forcing him to get off me. Seeing him completely defenseless like this was different than I was expecting. Now that I got a chance to look at him without him glaring back I could really appreciate just how gorgeous he actually was—child-like body or not. He had long, raven colored lashes and such pale, smooth skin. I envied him a little for it but then I realized how much pain he went through to get to where he was today. I felt the bed shift slightly and Kurama made his entrance.

His tails flicked back and forth. "And so the king is resting with his queen. Such a lovely image right now, it should be a painting." He looked at me. "How are you feeling, Grace?"

"I'm okay now, my head hurt earlier but it's starting to feel a lot better." I looked at him.

"It's the connection you have with the young king here. You're feeling better because he decided to rest against you. Physical contact links up the two parts of the soul and allows a healing to begin over your bodies. We can't exactly tell you why or how it happens but that's the gist of it."

"So he's doing this because he realized that I still wasn't feeling well?"

"I think that being around you the past few days has changed the king slightly. The staff feels it as well. There are rumors that he's finally found a serious lover." He looked at Lucifer.

For some reason, I couldn't even think about him finding something serious with someone. I know I hadn't known him for very long but—I didn't like the thought of him lying in bed like this with someone else. And at that very moment, I knew that my life wouldn't be the same because the stubborn king was starting to become am intricate part of my life.

7: Chapter Six

Lucifer slept with his head against my chest and his body intertwined with mine for quite a while. Kurama had curled up in the curve of my neck and had fallen asleep and when Kai came looking for his brother, he too fell asleep against me. Everything was nice and peaceful until Kali came stumbling into the room wearing nothing but lingerie and carrying a bottle of champagne.

She saw me and absolutely flipped her shit. She rushed over and grabbed me by the hair and yanked me off of the bed. "What the hell are you doing in bed with my fiancé? You little skank!"

I reached up and tried to get her to let me go but she wouldn't release me. Samael actually walked in with perfect timing and managed to pull Kali off of me with some ease.

"What's going on here, ladies? Don't tell me you're having a cat fight and forgot to invite me." He laughed a little and then tossed me a glance. "What's going on Grace? Mind explaining for me?"

I looked over at Samael and then noticed Lucifer was sitting up in bed looking very annoyed.

"I can safely assume that Kali came in here to sleep with me and got jealous when she saw I was resting with Grace and the twins." He looked at Kali. "Am I wrong?"

Samael released Kali and sighed. "I don't think that I'm jealous of you on this one, Louie." He looked at Kali. "I think you should leave, he was obviously with Grace today."

"I don't think I should have to leave just because he fell asleep with that little skank. Everyone knows that I'm sleeping with Lucifer so they expect me to share his chambers with him. So she's the one that should leave." Kali glared at me.

I don't know why that shocked me, knowing that he was sexually active with her—I should've guessed but it had me completely speechless. I immediately got up and I picked the twins up into my arms and I quickly rushed out of the room. I found myself running through the hallways until I managed to find a staircase and once I was down I raced out into the garden and I made it safely to my cottage. I shut and locked the door once I was inside. I set the boys down on my bed and then I went and put on a kettle of water to boil for tea. I couldn't understand why I was feeling this way, I shouldn't be bothered by the people that Lucifer has been with but somehow, I was.

There was a knock at my door and Greggory popped his head in. "Lucifer told me that you ran out in quite a fashion." He walked over and sat down. "Is there anything I can do? Did he say something inappropriate to you?"

"No, he didn't say anything to me, he didn't say anything at all. I kind of freaked out for a minute and I needed to get away from him and Kali."

"Kali was in there?" He seemed surprised.

"She came into his room with lingerie on and a bottle of champagne and said that she came to get laid and at first I didn't understand and then I did and when I thought about Lucifer being with her… I—freaked out and had to leave." I rubbed my face and sighed. "I think I should back out of this gracefully, I don't have a chance if they're intimate. I don't even remember when I started to care what he thought. I certainly didn't when I came here but things have changed."

"It changed when you—"

There was a clearing of the throat and when I looked around I saw Lucifer standing against my doorframe. He was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a thin, white, T-shirt. He was looking at me with a curious expression. "You bolted from my chambers without so much as a thank you for saving your life or letting you stay in my bed for three days while you were unconscious. You know, some people would consider that being rude." He crossed his arms. "Something freaked you out but I can't understand what it was."

"It's nothing, I just didn't want to disturb your eventful evening with Kali. It seems that you two have a busy night scheduled so I didn't want to ruin it." I averted my eyes.

A small grin popped up on his face. "So you actually can get jealous. I never would've thought that you would be jealous of Kali though. Why are you jealous of her anyways? Is it because she and I have had a physical relationship?"

I turned a slight shade of red. "I couldn't care less about the people you've shared a bed with, actually."

He walked over and looked at me with those crimson eyes of his. "Is that so? Well then you don't have any problem with me returning to where Kali is waiting for me? I mean, if you couldn't care less then you don't mind that I'm about to go sleep with her, right? If you said you had a problem with it, I might reconsider going back to my chambers tonight."

I didn't know how to respond. If I told him to go ahead and go back to her then I would hate myself but if I asked him to stay, who knows what he would think of me.

Greggory cleared his throat. "I think I'll take my leave because the tension is suffocating me." He bowed and then walked out into the garden.

"So what'll it be Grace? Stay or go? It's your choice." He grinned.

I hesitated and then looked at him. "I—I want you to stay." My voice was slightly louder than a mumble.

He looked at me and smiled. "Did you really tell me that you wanted me to stay with you? Oh my. How scandalous."

I looked away. "It's not that big of a deal. I just think you should spend time with your potential fiancées equally instead of just keeping to one of them."

He looked at me. "Well the way I hang out with my other fiancées is different from the way I treat you." He reached out and pulled me closer to him. "Are you telling me that you'd like to be treated the same way I treat the other girls?"

I pushed against his chest and looked at him. "Don't start with the sexual advances. I'm not into those kinds of things and you know it. And I think that's why you like being around me rather than the other girls. Because I don't have any interest in having sex with you, I make you angry and that drives you crazy. I can't be fooled by your silly attempts to win me over and that makes you want to try even harder. Let's face it, I might not be royalty, I might just be a normal human but you think that I'm the better choice."

"I think your stay here has made you arrogant." He grinned devilishly. "So you think that you're a better choice for my wife than the other women?" He pondered that for a few minutes and then looked at me. "I think that you would make an interesting queen but you don't have the knowledge of our world to take on that roll." He walked over to my kitchen and looked at it carefully. "How do you manage to fix anything in this tiny space?"

"I haven't really gotten a chance to use it just yet but cooking for one person shouldn't be that difficult." I walked over to where he was standing.

"I guess you can come and eat with us in the main dining room since your kitchen isn't appropriate to fix food in. There could be some leaks or something that we're not aware of. So until I have a chance to get someone to look at it, you'll be dining with the twins and myself." He glanced over at me. "Does this sound reasonable?"

I sighed and looked over at the twins that were sleeping on my bed. "I guess I can live with it for now. But, will Kali and the other two be there as well? I really don't want to have to deal with them."

Lucifer shook his head. "I don't eat with the ladies. It's normally the twins, Greggory, my brother, and myself. I have the women eat in another part of the manor. You'll be the first woman to eat with us in a very long time." He walked to the door and looked at me. "Well, come along Grace. Greggory has a fit whenever I'm late for dinner." He rolled his eyes and sighed.

I walked with Lucifer back through the garden and I was lead to an oval dining room that looked like it was loosely based off the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles. There were beautifully carved columns which held up the majestic ceiling that was inlayed with indirect lighting. There were three massive arched windows which have us a fantastic view of the woods and the mountains in the distance. The marble table was set for around fourteen people. There were iron candelabras that were sitting on the table. The twins, Samael, and Greggory were already sitting at the table when we walked in.

Samael looked at me and his eyes widened. "Is my baby brother bringing a woman to our mealtime? Oh—I think I might be having a heart attack." He grabbed Greggory's hand and placed in on his chest. "Am I dying?"

Greggory flushed a shade of red and then stood up. "Miss Grace, I didn't know you would be joining us this evening. Hold on a moment and I'll go tell the staff to prepare you something."

Lucifer stopped Greggory. "It's okay, she can just eat some of mine. I always order too much from the chefs anyways."

Samael dropped his plate on accident and the entire dining room went silent at hearing what Lucifer had just said. Sam looked at his little brother. "You are going to share your food with someone?" He laughed. "You were the kid that never wanted any one to have his cookies yet you're willing to share a meal with Grace?" He glanced over at me. "You're a lucky woman."

I glanced over a Lucifer who had sat down at the end of the table. He was looking at me impatiently. I walked over and took my seat beside him and then a servant brought out his dinner and an extra set of silverware for me.

Lucifer opened the meal and began cutting the chicken. He stabbed at a piece of it with his fork and then offered it to me. "Taste it to see if you like it." He waited for me to take the bite off his fork.

I could feel the eyes of everyone in the dining room on me and that made my face heat up. "You don't have to feed me like a child, I can do it myselfsh." He shoved the piece of chicken into my mouth without a warning. Although, it was cooked to perfection and the gravy that was poured on it was fantastic. I reached over and took another bite from his plate and then looked at the guys who were staring at me.

Samael was giggling like a school girl beside Greggory. "Do you two need the room? It seems there's something serious going on between you two."

Lucifer looked at them. "You two can flirt openly with each other but I can't share a meal with someone I might end up marrying?"

Greggory looked away embarrassed. "I think I'm going to go get some more to drink." He got up and left the table.

Samael looked at his brother. "Lay off with teasing Greggory, he's embarrassed enough as it is without you constantly bringing up the fact that we're sleeping together."

"I've already told him multiple times that I don't have any problem who he chooses to share his bed with, Samael. So I don't know why he's so embarrassed about it." Lucifer ate a bite of chicken and looked at his older brother.

"Maybe because you're not only his boss but his best friend and he actually wants you to approve of his relationship with your older brother." Sam shook his head. "Hell forbid you actually do something decent for him though."

I cleared my throat. "Okay boys, settle down. There's no need for this to get any more serious." I looked at Sam. "I think Lucifer is happy for both you and Greggory but he has a hard time expressing his emotions. And from what I know about Greggory, he isn't exactly the type of person to brag about his relationships so I don't think he really minds that Lucifer hasn't said anything about you two. So let's just try to have a decent meal without fighting."

Samael looked at his plate and then sighed. "Louie, I'm thinking about moving back here—for good." He glanced over at him. "Being back here made me realize how much I miss being your big brother and I missed being around Greggory too."

Lucifer drank some wine. "Well, you're always welcome to come back—this was your home too at some point."

Samael grinned and seemed pretty content with the answer that Lucifer had given him.

I glanced over at Lucifer and couldn't help but smile. Despite everything that he put people through, he was actually a big softie. Dinner was actually really nice, the twins played pranks on the servants and Samael flirted with Greggory while Lucifer just sat back and watched everything. It was like being around family and it made the hole in my heart a little smaller.

8: Chapter Seven

Lucifer glanced over at me when the other boys were all busy getting themselves drinks. "Why don't you come with me for a while?" He got up from the table and took my hand and led me out of the dining room. He led me up a spiral staircase that was hidden from plain sight and he showed me into an enormous library. There was at least three levels of wall-to-wall bookshelves lined with books of all different languages. He walked over and lit the fireplace with a snap of his fingers. There was a staircase up to each different level of the library and down in front of the fireplace was a couch to lie on while reading.

I looked at him completely stunned. "I didn't know you had a library." I ran up the stairs closest to me and immediately began rummaging through the books. He had everything I could think of on these shelves.

Lucifer followed me up there and then leaned against the railing and watched me with a grin on his face. "So you're pleased with this right? Why not pick something out and come read to me."

I glanced over at him while looking through the different languages that The Odyssey was written in. "Didn't you mention earlier that you had a lot of work to do?"

He shrugged. "Greggory can handle the sorting of the papers by himself, I want you to read me a book, so pick something out and meet me downstairs." He turned and walked back down the stairs and over to the couch.

I picked a random book off the shelf and I went down to where he was sitting. I made myself comfortable on the couch and he laid down with his head in my lap. I blushed a little and then cleared my throat. I spent the next hour reading through Grimm's Fairytales while he listened quietly.

He turned to look at me. "What would you do if you were married to me?"

I set the book down and then thought about it for a moment. "Well, you're the king of Hell so I guess I would need to learn more about it before I thought about becoming the queen. But, I think I would try to support you in the decisions you make and I would hope that I would love you because of who you are and not your title."

"Love me and not my title?" He looked at me curiously.

"Being king is just a title that was given to you, it isn't who you are. You're Lucifer before you're the demon king. And if you're going to marry someone—you should marry someone that knows the difference between those. I mean, I guess there would be days when the king needed his queen but most of the time you would just need your wife as a man and not as the king, right?"

He was silent for a few minutes. "I suppose you're right, Grace. I should marry someone that would think of the good of my country."

Greggory came in looking out of breath. "Lucifer, the elders have summoned you." He looked at him.

Lucifer sighed and got up. "Do you know what they want?"

Greggory shook his head and then looked at me apologetically. "Sorry Miss Grace, but I have to steal the king for a while." He followed Lucifer out of the library.

I sat there in the silence for a while until I heard a pair of heels walking on the polished, hardwood floors. I sat up and saw Kali walking over to me looking absolutely smug. She stood in front of my and crossed her arms.

"Stay away from Lucifer. I'm giving you a warning now." She glared at me through narrowed eyes.

"Why are you so threatened by my being around Lucifer? I don't really understand since you're supposedly sleeping with him. Is he starting to get bored with you? Is that why you're so angry with me? Because I don't have to sleep with him in order for him to give me attention."

She reached out and grabbed my throat with her bare hands. Her eyes were absolutely animalistic. Her grip tightened enough to cut off the supply of oxygen to my brain. "You're obviously not understanding what I'm trying to tell you. I blame it on your human mind—it's too slow to process the words coming from my mouth." She bent down and looked at me. "I'm warning you, stay away from Lucifer. Or I will make your life miserable."

I reached out and clawed at her hand to release my throat so that I could breathe again. When she released me, I gasped for breath. I threw her an icy glare. "Why do you want me to stay away from him so badly?"

"He's about to become a father." She looked at me with a serious expression on her face. "I'm pregnant with Lucifer's child. Which means that you're not needed anymore. He'll marry me because that's the law around here." She walked off without another word.

It felt as though her fingers were still wrapped around my throat. I couldn't imagine Kali actually getting pregnant but—she was. Lucifer was about to become a father and he would marry her obviously because she's the mother of his child and what would become of me? Would I be forced to go back to earth? I rubbed my head and took a deep breath to steady my shaking body. I heard footsteps and I thought it was Kali coming back to drive the knife in deeper. But when I looked up, I saw Samael walking in wearing a pair of sweatpants that were obviously too big for him so I assumed they were Greggory's and nothing for a shirt.

Samael noticed me sitting on the couch and he walked over to me. "What's wrong? You're paler than normal." He perched himself on the arm rest and looked at me curiously. "Did my brother do something stupid?"

I felt tears fall and I laughed a little and wiped them away quickly. "No, I'm just being a little over emotional."

He looked concerned. "That doesn't look like over emotional to me. Are you going to tell me what happened or should I find out another way?"

"Lucifer's going to be a father." I could hear my voice crack at the end of the sentence. I couldn't believe how upset I actually was.

"You're pregnant?" Samael looked at me fairly shocked. "I knew my brother worked fast but I didn't know he worked that fast."

"No—I'm not pregnant—Kali is." I averted my eyes from Samael's gaze.

"Where'd you hear this from?"

"She told me herself when she told me to stay away from Lucifer."

"Have you asked my brother if it's true or not yet? Because she could be lying just to keep you away from him. I wouldn't put it past her to do something like that. She's an evil little bitch." Samael plopped down onto the couch. "I've had a woman do that to me before. It turns out that she was actually pregnant—but it wasn't my child."

"You've had a woman do that to you? But I thought you were—"

He grinned and laughed. "Male or female doesn't really matter to me much. I've been with both and everything in between. But, Greggory was the only special one. I always kept coming back to him and he would always take me back, even when I thought that he wouldn't." He cleared his throat. "I know my brother pretty well, he's an asshole and he uses people for pleasure because he doesn't believe in having serious relationships, I think you should talk to him about it if it bothers you this much."

"But I have no right to ask him about his physical relationships with the other women. That has nothing to do with me and they've been around him a lot longer than I have so it doesn't surprise me that he would've been with someone else." I sighed and leaned back against the couch. "What's going to happen to me, Samael? Am I going to be sent back to Earth if he decides to marry Kali?"

"I can't really answer that question, Grace. I have no idea what will happen to you once he decides on someone to marry." He looked at me. "I was hoping that my brother would decide on you. You're a challenge and you make him absolutely furious but I think that's why you're the best choice."

I looked at Samael and tried to throw him a smile because I know he was trying his best to cheer me up but it really wasn't working out very well. "I think I'm going to go to bed now, actually. I'm still tired from everything and it's been a long day."

I got up and walked out of the library and realized I had no idea how to get back to where the garden was so being the idiot that I am, I decided to wander around until something looked familiar. Now that being said, I walked around the house for probably about an hour and I had absolutely no idea where I was. The next thing I knew I could smell the familiar smell of cigarette smoke and when I turned the corner, there was a dead end and I saw Lucifer perched on the window—smoking.

He glanced over and looked at me. "What are you doing all the way on this side of the manor?"

"I got lost while just wandering around trying to find something familiar and then I smelled your smoke so I came over here to see what was going on." I walked over to the window where he was sitting and looked out the window at the beautiful view of the mountains beyond the forest.

"Makes sense I guess." He blew smoke out and sighed. "I have to pick a wife within a week."

I looked at him. "What do you mean you have to pick a wife by the end of the week? I've only been here a week and I don't think that's really fair. How long hav—"

Him smirking at me made me stop talking mid-sentence.

"I already know who I'm going to pick, Grace." He blew a puff of smoke up into the air and grinned.

I could feel my heart drop into my stomach. It was Kali, I just knew he was going to pick her. I mean, after all she was having his child so why wouldn't they get married? I took a deep breath to steady myself. I couldn't believe how I was feeling right now. It was like someone had punched me right in the chest, I was having a hard time breathing.

"That's great, Lucifer. It's Kali right? I mean, she's having your child after all so I kind of thought you two were going to get married. Congrats, I'm sure she'll make a fine queen although she'll have to change that horrid attitude of hers." I laughed nervously and noticed his expression.

"What on earth are you talking about, Grace? Why are you uttering such ridiculous claims? Kali—pregnant?"

I suddenly realized that he must not know about it yet. I gasped and covered my mouth. "E-excuse me." I dashed off without worrying about the fact that I was utterly lost beyond belief. I stopped running when I thought I had gotten lost in the maze that was the hallways of the manor. I hoped I was far away from Lucifer so that he didn't come searching for me. I took a deep breath to steady my racing heart and leaned against the wall. The door that was to my left opened and I saw the human version of Kai step out in a pair of pajama pants.

He looked at me confused. "What are you doing on this side of the manor? I didn't think that anyone came down here anymore." He rubbed his chest and yawned. "Why do you look so shocked to see me?"

A rush of emotion came over me and I just flung myself into Kai's arms without thinking about how he might react. But he didn't toss me aside like I thought he would've, instead he embraced me tightly.

"What's got you so worked up?" He rubbed my back lightly and then sighed.

"Lucifer said the Elders gave him a week to find a wife. But, he told me that he already knew who he was going to pick."

"Well you knew that he would have to pick one of you eventually, right?"

"I know who he's going to pick, Kai." I looked up at him and smiled slightly. "It's going to be Kali, I mean—she's pregnant so why wouldn't he pick her?"

Kai ushered me into the room and then closed the door.

I looked over and noticed a girl asleep in a bed and I blushed. "Was I interrupting something, Kai? I'm so sorry, I'll be going now."

He rolled his eyes. "It's nothing important anymore, I'm finished and she's asleep so you might as well stay since you're obviously upset about something." He walked over to the table and picked up a muffin and then offered me one.

I shook my head and then started pacing back and forth.

"How do you know that Kali's actually pregnant or that he'll even pick her?" He sat down in a chair and kicked his feet up onto the coffee table.

"Well they had an intimate relationship so that means—"

"That doesn't mean anything, Grace. Your views on sexual relationships are a lot different from ours. Demons are naturally sexual creatures—more so than humans. Our lives go on for thousands of years. We don't look for people to spend forever with because in our vocabulary forever means—forever. For humans, forever is just until they die. Just because Lucifer was sleeping with Kali doesn't mean he has any special feelings for it. She was just the girl that was available when he needed a physical relationship."

"But, being physical with someone should be really important and not something you do just because you can." I looked at Kai with a stunned expression.

His mouth twitched into a smile. "That view is why you're so charming and why you're a really good match with Lucifer. He doesn't care who he sleeps with as long as the end result is his pleasure, you on the other hand won't sleep with someone unless you love them. You bring a whole different thought process to the table and I think that's why you and he fight so much. I'd be pretty surprised if he didn't pick you as his wife, honestly."

I blushed and looked at my hands. "But he doesn't love me, so marriage would be pointless."

"Marriage in our world isn't about love, it's about power and advantages. For Lucifer, who is our King—he can't afford to marry for love. He has to marry whomever seems to have the best qualities for the position of Queen and someone who can bear him an heir. He could easily have a mistress if he found someone that he thought he loved."

I didn't want to hear about Lucifer having an affair because he didn't love the woman he was married to. I felt like no one around here understood what it meant to actually be in love and want to spend the rest of your life with someone. I had nothing more to say to Kai so I simply left the room without another word. I wandered around for about forty-five minutes before I found something that looked familiar. I had finally found my way back to the main part of the house and I was thrilled to return to the garden and into my cottage.

When I opened the door, I could see a shadow sitting at my dining room table. I reached for a frying pan and I held it in my hands as I fumbled around for the light switch.