The Devil in Her Eyes

The club was

alive.

Ori and Sybilla flanked me, my teammates, and the best friends I had after these last few months. Syb' was dressed to kill in a floor-length dress that glowed softly, the color shifting with the light. She was towing Orias, who looked uncomfortable in his suit, but smiled at her all the same. I'd been right about them being a couple, and they made a great one. There was the same love there that Lucy and I shared, deep and abiding.

I made fun of them at every turn... If only to watch Syb's normally unflappable demeanor break as she blushed. Now she dragged Ori towards the dance floor, laughing and tugging him forward despite protests that I couldn't hear over the thumping bass. A mass of bodies gyrated to a remix that thumped out of a sound system most places would kill for. Lucy walked a little bit ahead of me, teasing me with a sway of her hips that was more than a little exaggerated, casting little glances over her shoulder that smoldered and promised a night to remember.

I tugged at my suit, the comforting weight of my rune-inscribed Glock, loaded with a staggered mix of Hellfire and Enochian rounds tucked against the small of my back, two more mags sat on my opposite hip, loaded with a full spread of each.

No point in being unprepared, right?

Even if this place was one of Lucy's, and ninety percent of the patrons were loyal demons. Some things were hard to put down. I gently pushed past an ethereally beautiful woman that smelled like cigarettes, whiskey, and my mom's cooking, tailor-made to suck me in. She was dancing with a college-age guy who looked enamored, and that was putting it lightly... I could almost see the little hearts floating around his head. I found the regular guy... and the poor bastard had found a Succubus...

From what I understood, take the worst hangover you've ever had and multiply it a few times; that was the aftermath of a Succubus "attack." But either way? It was the ride of your life. The guy was in for it, and he'd have a hell of a story... that no one would believe.

She smiled at me, inclining her head; I smiled back with a small nod of my own and kept moving, leaving her trail of pheromones in the dust.

I had bigger fish to fry.

Lucy was leaning against the bar smiling at me as I approached, her horns and wings on full display, regarding me like I was something to eat.

Unf.

She tapped the bar and held up two fingers as I approached; the bartender slid glasses full of some deep sapphire liquid to her. She plucked them up and held one out to me.

"For you, my darling. It is your night after all."

I smiled, feeling my trepidation drain away as I took the glass, gently knocking it into hers with a soft

clink; I

leaned in so she could hear me over the driving music.

"

To us," I whispered.

The blush she rewarded me with was worth the price of admission.

"To us." She answered with a rosy, fang-filled grin.

I smiled and took a swig of the unknown concoction...Hmm, smooth, but with an aftertaste that let me know it'd knock me on my ass if I wasn't careful.

"What is this? I'm getting blackout vibes."

Lucy giggled, "A house special, aged seven hundred years, with a few spices not found on Earth."

I regarded the glass suspiciously for a moment and downed the rest.

"That's amazing; any chance for another?"

She smiled, "For my Prince? Absolutely." She turned and grabbed the bartender's attention, "Malek? Another round, please."

"Right away, ma'am."

I felt someone coming up behind me, a paranoid quirk. I spun and was immediately wrapped in a hug.

"Alright, mate! Happy Birthday!"

I smiled and lifted the smaller demon off the ground, "Hey Ari! I didn't know you'd be here."

"Like I'd miss my brother's party! War or no war.

I smiled and set her back down, "Well, I appreciate it; how's Mom and Jen?"

She grinned toothily, "See for yourself." Ari stepped to the side to reveal my girls, dressed to the nines and smiling widely. I stepped up and gathered them both in my arms.

"Hey, guys."

"Hey, kiddo," Mom whispered.

"Hey, man," Jen added, "We ready to party with the Devil or what?"

I grinned, "Hell yeah, we are."

The music cut out abruptly, the DJ, a demon with jet black skin and shining red eyes, came over the mic a second later and chilled me to my bones.

"Alright, everyone! Clear the dance floor! Our Queen has made a special request! I now present her and the Prince-Consort!"

Oh shit.

I couldn't dance at all; Lucy knew this. But as her fingers intertwined with mine and she flashed me a blinding smile, I knew I had nothing to worry about. There was a crowd ringing us as she lead the way onto the floor, watching every move we made. But I only had eyes for her.

The music started slow and sensual, rolling guitars, gentle drums, and violins. Lucy let go of my hand and walked into the middle of the dance floor, her heels clacking softly, amplified by what could only be her magic. She spun and raised a hand, crooking a finger, silently asking me to join her, and I knew what to do; I saw every step, every move she'd make, and how to flow with her effortlessly. The exchange took a moment, and I knew she was keeping it quiet. A little birthday gift to keep me from making a fool out of myself.

But that was

her

, wasn't it? Ever since she blew into my life, she'd made me a better man, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Whether she was giving me enough money to take care of my family without any expectation of anything in return or holding me when my thoughts turned evil. I was hers, and she was mine, in every sense of it.

I tossed my coat into the ether and stalked towards her, playing the game. She feigned fear, backing up a few paces before I caught her, and she smiled seductively like she knew any other way to be... Our movements blended together as the music built, whirling faster and faster around the floor, our feet coming close to impact more than once only to miss by a hair. Her wild smile told me she was having the time of her life, and it was infectious. I gently took the lead, rolling her across my back and catching her under my arm, dipping her low and backing up as she let her heels drag along behind her, one elegant knee barely grazing the floor before I pulled her into an embrace, her leg riding high on my hip as the music came to an end.

For a moment, nobody breathed.

And then the applause started; demons and what few humans there were blew the roof off the club with thundering roars, cheers, and whistles for Lucy and me. She leaned in and kissed me softly, sending heat rushing all the way to my toes.

"Happy birthday, my love."

I didn't even think to ask how she knew I always wanted to learn to tango; she was wrapped around my soul... and I never wanted it to end.

The night was one for the books; we drank and danced. Jen got absolutely hammered and took off with a demon for parts unknown. Mom sat and talked with Ari and a Succubus for a good part of the evening until they got her drunk enough to hop on stage and deliver a surprisingly outstanding rendition of "Heartbreaker" to the roaring crowd of demons.

Pat Benatar would've been proud.

Lucy had dragged me off to a dark side room after mingling for a bit; I'd shaken some hands, still not really comfortable with the whole "Prince" thing, but seeing Lucy look so damn happy made me care less and less as the night wore on.

Now though?

Now I was in my element...

"Oh, Zack!" Lucy bit a knuckle to keep from screaming; one arm was thrown behind her on the desk, holding herself up so she could watch me work.

A thrill of pride shot through me as her thighs tightened around my head. She tasted better than I remembered...I dug my fingers into her soft ass, really making sure she got what I was trying to say. That elegant dress bunched around her hips as I licked and sucked on her clit until she shuddered, her sweet juices flooding across my face, biting her knuckle so hard she drew blood that hissed and snapped as the drops made contact with the floor. I bolted up and kissed her, her tongue sliding across my lips; she moaned at her own taste before returning the kiss in full.

I felt the gritty line of hot blood as her hand caressed my cheek, and it only spurred me on...every soft smack as our lips parted before we dove back into each other was magic. Her hand moved, smearing her blood into my skin.

And it drove me wild, a growl slipping from my throat, heat spreading from every drop that touched my skin.

There's a kink I didn't know I had.

Blood of Lucifer?... Talk about a niche.

She reached for my belt with a trembling hand, and I pushed her away, grinning as I took my belt off at a languid pace, watching her watch me, her breath hitching with each rasp of leather. Her reaction to me never got old. And yeah, I got off on it. The actual Devil was panting, turned on, and

needy...

for

me.

Her legs spread wide like a bitch in heat, begging me with her eyes to fuck her senseless; I wanted to mark her, hurt her in all the best ways, in every way that I knew would bring a screaming orgasm from my Queen.

I reserved the right to be on a permanent ego trip about it.

And then, as fast as the animal showed up, he was beaten into submission when our eyes met, love rushed in, and all I wanted to do was slowly make her mine, touch her tenderly, and whisper sweet nothings into her ear. I wanted to love her in all the best ways too, and that won out.

I pushed my jeans down just enough, her hands batted mine away, and she fished out my rock-hard cock, hooking her thumbs into my vacant belt loops and pulling me in. I gasped, and she moaned as I hilted inside her in one thrust. It felt like coming home and Christmas all in one.

The irony.

She gasped every time I moved, her stilettos banging against the desk as I ruthlessly and tenderly fucked her with everything I had, leaning forward to press her forehead against mine, one hand sliding up to brace against the back of my neck. The feel of her was robbing me of everything outside our little world like it always did, silky, impossibly tight, and wet, tailor-made for me.

She was mine, and I was hers.

"Zack..."She gasped, "Oh...Zack, please! More!"

I slipped a hand down and flicked my thumb across her clit, her eyes went wide, and her whole body glitched, pussy tensing around me beautifully... so I did it again, and she fucking came apart, digging her nails into my back and howling to the ceiling, wings flaring wide. I silently thanked the universe that the thumping music outside probably drowned her out.

I loved what I did to her.

She came down slowly, shaking and shuddering around me, eyes glowing softly. She was so beautiful it hurt...and then she started to move, her ankles hooked around my hips, and her hips rolled against mine.

"My darling..." she whispered, "My Prince...my love...fill me up?" She cocked her head, eyes flickering, and bit a nail.

I wasn't even close to ready for that level of dirty talk. Everything about her was too much, from the impossible ways her pussy gripped me to the faux-innocence in her rhetorical question.

"Ah, Lucy...fuck!" I almost whimpered.

"Yes! Give it to me!" She giggled, egging me on with a wide smile that stuttered against the pleasure racing through both of us.

Who was I to refuse my lady?

She rolled her hips faster, pinning me against her with all her strength and

grinding...

"Give me all of it!"

She growled that almost manic gleam in her eye built and built, the dynamic had changed, now she was all demanding embodiment of darkness...

I was there for it in a big way.

The dam broke in the face of her lustful demands. I shook and came apart and

came.

Falling against her and digging my nails into the wood of the desk, emptying the last few months of longing inside her. She moaned and stroked my sweat-soaked hair, reveling in it as much as I was.

"Oh, my darling...I love you...."

I leaned in harder; all I was capable of at that moment, letting my head fall onto her shoulder, so drained that the only thing holding me up was the love of my life.

"I love you too, Luce." I ground out in between panting breaths.

She smiled, and it was radiant.

"I must say, I enjoy you taking control...It thrills me to be...manhandled."

I slipped out of her to a gasp from both of us, pulling my slacks up.

"Noted, My Queen..." I grinned a little at her smirk.

" 'My Queen,' is it? Could it be that you desire to be shown your place?"

I smiled, "Lucy, in those heels and that dress, looking good enough to eat?"

"Again?" She interjected with a saucy grin.

"Again," I agreed, "You could give me orders all day, be just fine with me."

She raised one perfect eyebrow, "Noted, My Prince."

I chuckled, shaking off the lust and love as I dug for my smokes, lighting two and passing her one. "I wonder, Luce, what we're gonna do when this is all over?"

She cocked her head, "After this little kerfuffle we find ourselves embroiled in?"

I nodded, taking a deep drag. "I'm still trying to come to terms with being half an angel, us, the whole thing. I spent my whole life with blinders on, and they were suddenly ripped away. Now I have you, and believe me, I'm thankful, but I haven't had any time to process it. I mean...fuck, I'm sorry, I'm doing a terrible job explaining this...."

I felt our fingers intertwine, her thumb running over my knuckles, comforting me as her red eyes stared into mine; her voice was so tender when she spoke.

"You're doing just fine, my love, better than. Go on."

I ran a hand through my hair.

"I gave up before you showed, you know that. I was a ghost, barely living. Then you come along...." I squeezed her hand, pulling on my smoke, "And that was enough to handle; I could spend the rest of my life unpacking the fact that you even exist, let alone what you feel for me. Then the attack, and the war...Now in a few short months, I went from a borderline alcoholic to a soldier fighting against something I barely understand; it's a little much sometimes...."

"Do you wish we'd never met?"

The question laid me open down to my soul, how could she even ask me that? But when I glanced over, she looked so damn terrified that I knew jokes were out of the question. I tugged on her hand, pulling her into me, dropping my cigarette, and crushing it out with my heel. Her perfume invaded my senses; the feel of her threatened to overwhelm me.

"Never. The thought never crossed my mind, Lucy. I love you more than my own life; you and I were made for each other; I never would've believed it. But I do now, with all my heart."

She gently nudged me, relief washing across her face, "Charmer."

I smiled, staring at my shoes, feeling that old vulnerability washing over me, the rank insecurity of being held up so high by something so beautiful, "Only when you're around."

A hand slipped into my field of view, gentle fingers cupped my chin, and lifted my gaze from the floor, filling it with beautiful crimson eyes and perfect lips quirked into a breathtaking smile. "Then it is a fortune that I will never leave your side, yes? You will never again be without a level of

je ne sais quoi.

"

I couldn't hold it together; I snorted, Lucy snorted, and before long, we were both giggling like idiots. She hooked her fingers into my belt and pulled me closer; her grin was almost blinding, magic flashing to fix her makeup, hair, and our clothes.

"I suppose we had better return to your party before our guests become suspicious."

I smiled, leaning forward and pressing my forehead to hers.

"Probably a solid move."

She giggled, grabbing my hand and leading me back into the club; Mom was weaving while her Succubus buddy and Ari did their best to hold her up. Jen was grinning from ear to ear with her new friend, a seven-foot-tall demon named Amon that was built like a brick shithouse, bounding up to me as the four-winged chemical weapon expert, Lillin, called out to Lucy, distracting her for the precious few seconds we needed for Jen to stuff something into my jacket pocket, patting it and smiling.

"You don't wanna know what I had to do for that."

I grimaced, "I really don't, kid...like fucking ever."

Her laugh was the stuff of legend.

Lucy was holding me up, gloriously hammered as I was.

"I love you, you know that, right?" I slurred, leaning into her a little harder.

She giggled a little, "And I, you, darling. Only a little further now."

In a roundabout way, Lucy owned the Villa Maia, a swanky hotel on the banks of the Saone; she'd had it cleared out for us, hence our unmolested drunken run to the bedroom. She keyed open the door and dragged me inside. The opulent room spun a little but didn't detract from its beauty even for a second; the riverbank lay just outside the windows that had been thrown open to allow a light breeze to roll in. The massive canopy bed was the centerpiece, and I face planted in it, giggling to myself about how dumb it was that Lucy even looked my way in the first place; I was one goofy bastard.

It was the greatest con-job in the history of existence.

"Oh my love," Lucy chuckled, "Too much fun, hmm?"

I nodded into the impossibly soft mattress.

"May I help?" Her question came full of barely contained humor.

I nodded, "End it, right now."

Her arms wrapped around me, magic flashed, the alcohol haze dissipated, and the spinning stopped, I wasn't quite sober, but I wasn't dead drunk anymore either. Grateful didn't begin to describe it.

"You have my life, if only you would ask it of me, my lady," I mumbled into the one-million thread count sheets.

Her laugh was musical as she collapsed next to me.

"Poetic, but no, I think I'll keep you."

She whispered it at the end, and my course was laid out before me, clear for the first time in a very long time. My hand fished for my pocket as she rolled over and stared at the ceiling with a smile on her face, clearly enjoying my presence as much as I did hers. The quiet moment was likely the last one we'd get for a long while. Luce shimmied a little, getting closer, her shoulder brushing against mine, fingers ghosting over the back of my hand before curling around it, the warmth from her spread all over.

The little rune-inscribed box felt like it weighed tons.

In the silence, I knew...I knew that no matter what came next, she was it. Every other woman on Earth, in Heaven or in Hell, vanished the day she breezed into my life. The piece of her that settled against my soul wrapped around it and chased away the pain of a world that had done its level best to destroy me, time and time again, she'd saved me. I owed her everything and more. The gentle hum of her love made manifest rolled over me like a warm blanket on a cold day.

I loved her more than anything.

Lucy rolled on top of me, light as a feather; her unoccupied hand came up to run through my hair, crimson eyes staring into mine, silvery hair curtaining around us. She planted a gentle kiss on my forehead, letting her lips linger for a moment before pulling away, making me miss her a little, "I love you." Her whisper was soft and oh so sweet.

"I love you, Lucy."

She settled onto my chest, purring a little and nuzzling into my cheek, "I could stay like this forever."

I wrapped my arms around her, "Yeah, baby girl...me too...."

But it wasn't to be as the phone rang, Lucy groaned, letting her head fall on my chest. I ran my fingers through her hair.

"Always with the interruptions...." She growled.

I smiled, planting a kiss against her scalp, "Could be important."

She burrowed into my chest, "Not interested. Not tonight."

The ringing finally ended, only to resume seconds later; Lucy sighed and rolled off me, snatching the cell off the nightstand, answering it with a huff.