Genesis Queen (The Road to Hell Series) (44 page)

Chest smoking, Elias coughed and disengaged from the spirits attempting to restrain him. “You misunderstand, Beliel.”

He understood perfectly. His twin not only wanted to kill his wife, but had engaged in his favorite pastime by torturing her first. Why Eliel wanted Hell to continue with the status quo was beyond his comprehension. Madison brought unlimited power to their domain, which was to all their benefit.

A flicker of movement on the other side caught his attention.

Celeste. One of
his
children. And Madison’s mother.

“
Ichnaday
, Celeste.” She went utterly still at the command, all color leeching from her skin. “
Xauht ej lih ciok yipkuxa
.”
Death is not your comrade
.

The floor screeched when Celeste went to her knees. “Micah, please, listen. I tried to tell him no, but—”

“Be gone.” Too angry to listen, he snapped his fingers and she vanished. He would tend to her eternal torture later.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Kur lift Madison, showing her more gentleness than Eliel ever had. Madison cried at being jostled and begged the dragon to end her misery.

“I misconstrue nothing, Eliel. It is you who does not see clearly.”

“She made you weak.”

“By whose standards?” Kur exited the room with Madison and Phoenix. “Why should I measure up to
your
standards?” He tapped the
Scepter
against his thigh. “Father attempted to bully me once. What makes you think you’d succeed where he failed?”

“I did you a favor.”

“You tried to kill my wife!”

Elias’s smirk confused him until his brother said, “Tried?” A dark chuckle reverberated in the chamber. “Madison drank from the
casket
. I succeeded in killing your wife, unless she accepts her status as Queen. That is the only hope she has.”

The
Scepter
fizzled out. Revenge against his brother must wait. Madison needed him if she would survive the
casket
—the drink of death. “This isn’t over, Eliel. Whether Madison lives or dies, you’ve declared war against me. I will not rest until you are chambered for torture. An eternity won’t be long enough to appease me.”

Micah portaled out of the room and straight into
Qugu Quta
. Kur handed her over the moment he appeared. The dragon joined Phoenix on the bone-crushed beach.

Madison
, he whispered telepathically.

“Amos is dead.” She wept against his shoulder, her body racked with emotion. “Elias forced me to kill him and Nix. Their blood is on my hands.”

“They’re both alive, kitten.” He rose from the waters and nodded toward the beach. “Phoenix joined me to save you.” As she peered at the Ark of Heaven, he erased her other fear. “Our son is secure. In the protective custody of Zennyo Ryuo and at last count somewhere around one hundred dragons.”

“Illusion.” She peered at him.

“Not my illusion. Eliel’s trickery. I cannot lie to you, remember?” Micah immersed them below the surface, going deep and burying them in the silt.

Madison wept against his shoulder. Tears of relief now that she realized Nix and Amos’s demises were fake.
You cannot imagine my horror of killing them
.

They’re alive
. He hugged her, offering comfort with his body.
But you remain in grave danger. Relax and allow the waters to heal your flesh wounds
.

Difficult choices would be hers to make soon enough.

***

Micah carried Madison out of
Qugu Quta
. With care, he set her on her feet. Unsteady, she managed to launch herself against Phoenix.

“I thought I killed you.” Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.

“I’m okay, baby.” Phoenix kissed her and ran his hands all over her back, his touch reverent.

“Elias mind-fucked her?” The dragon was known for the direct approach.

Watching the Ark with his woman…
fuck
. It was like staring into the face of his father wearing all His glory. Or in lame human terms, staring into the sun without blinking.

Uncomfortable Micah shifted his attention to the dragon. “Made her believe she killed Amos, too.”

“What will you do?”

“Undecided.”
I’ll hunt down and torture the bastard
. Death was too good for a traitor.

“So long as it serves and protects Madison, I’m yours to be used.” Kur touched her shoulder, his best guess, to assure himself she was indeed unharmed.

She was a long way from being out of danger. He hoped they could rectify that problem immediately. “Locate Petra and Cael. Afterward, return to Zennyo Ryuo and update them about Madison.” He’d almost forgotten Petra and Cael scoured various nooks and crannies in Hell looking for Elias. Once they located his brother, they were to report immediately. So focused on his brother’s betrayal and saving Madison, he’d overlooked notifying them. “Guard Amos. We’ll return once Madison is vigorous.”

“If Madison needs me or us, have her summon us.”

The dragon vanished while Micah nodded. He looked at Madison. His
everything
loved another man. Phoenix held her snuggled against his chest, her arms wrapped around his waist. The Ark of Heaven lent support through silence and his embrace. What the King was about to do would be the worst betrayal he’d committed against her.

Micah cleared his throat. “She’s not out of danger.”

Whatever the Ark saw on his face must’ve felt like discovering biblical secrets that damned the universe, because the other man’s expression turned grave. A one-move head nod and Phoenix swung her into his arms. Madison curled against his chest, face buried between the other man’s shoulder and neck.

“We’ll use a portal.” He touched Phoenix’s arm and a moment later they were in his hellish bedchamber.

Phoenix made no effort to release her. Still naked, he thought it all sorts of hot the way the Ark cradled her. Clothing her hadn’t entered his mind. No point in modesty now.

“Your seriousness is freaking me out, Micah.”

Madison shivering in Phoenix’s arms freaked him out. “She drank from the
casket
.”

The Ark blanched.

Madison twisted in Phoenix’s arms and peered at Micah. “That’s the magic I drank from the goblet?”

He nodded.

“Elias told me it would give me the power to bring back either Nix or Amos.” His brother’s subterfuge chilled him to the bones. “What does it really do?”

“It’s the drink of death. Some fallen choose to sip from it so they can go into oblivion.” He took a step closer and cupped her cheek. “Claiming your status as Queen—for real this time—as well as sex with…Phoenix, might save you.”

“You’re lying.”

Goddamn his inability to prevaricate with her. He walked across the room and scrubbed his face with his palms. Only when he felt certain he had his emotions under control did he face her. “Madison, you need to own your hellish status. Half an hour ago wasn’t soon enough.”

“Truth.” Her knees visibly trembled. The reaction had nothing to do with her fear of becoming the Queen. She was too pale. The dark circles beneath her eyes were stark. Her lips were a subtle shade of blue and were cracked. And not from any hit Elias had applied. The
Qugu Quta
had healed all of her cuts and abrasions. This was the inevitable sickness of the casket. “So cold.”

As if to verify the truth of her statement, she shivered and rubbed her arms with her hands. Just as he was about to offer his support, Phoenix wrapped his arm around her waist. She melted against the other man, but the shaking continued.

“I know you are, kitten. That’s why you should claim your status immediately.”

“Micah, you don’t think sex with Nix will help.”

“It might.”

“Lie.”

“Madison, the alternative isn’t an option.”

“Sex with you?”

Unable to witness the revulsion he’d see in her eyes, he scanned the room. He fisted his chest, rubbing the spot over his heart. Who knew doing the right thing would hurt so much? Never again would he allow himself this much vulnerability. Pathetic fools loved this hard. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “First, you need to own your status. Without the extra power you’ll harness from the rank, you won’t be able to dilute the power of the
casket
’s magic.”

Frankly, he wasn’t sure how she was still breathing. Or if she could survive. No one had ever lived afterward.

She laid her palm against his cheek. Startled, he jerked and lowered his hand from his face. Unable to gauge her thoughts, he waited for whatever she’d say. “After I become your Queen”—Micah tingled at the idea of her being his queen—“will your seraph help my Lynx?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Truth.” Her thumb traced his jaw. “And sex with
you
will help my succubus, as well.”

The short answer was yes. The power in a King’s sexual energy was potent enough to heal a succubus of anything. He refused to pressure her into his bed. “Sex with Phoenix might help your succubus.”

She
tsked
him, the sound alone calling him a liar.

“I
am
the flame, and the flame
is
me.” Her thumb ran across his jaw. The advent of power raised the hair on his arms. “Hell shall bend its knee to Hell’s Genesis Queen.”

Blue flames erupted over her body. His fated Queen stood straight and proud before him, the fire a testament to the royalty she had just become. Only the unceasing shivers racking her body detracted from the beauty of Hell’s power entering her.

Every desire he owned was wrapped up in this woman. Achieving his goal was bittersweet. He could love her, but he would never have her.

To keep his hands off her, he jammed his fists into his pockets. “Hell’s power looks stunning on you, kitten.”
As I knew it would
.

Madison migrated straight into Micah’s personal space. Her much-too-cool hand slid into the short hairs at the back of his neck. The smoldering kiss of her blue-flamed body pressed against his. Even fully clothed, he could feel the turgid peaks of her nipples through the silk fabric of his dress shirt. Angel claws burst forth and he fought to get his demon under control.

She stared him straight in the eyes. “Make love to me, Micah.”

The request galvanized him. Those words had never come from her except for in his fantasies.

“Why?” He needed to be very clear he understood her request. “To help heal you?”

“Because I want to feel
you
inside me.”

Nowhere would he rather be than inside her.

She wiggled a little closer. Her other arm draped along his shoulder, and her fingers fiddled with his hair. “I’m not the same woman you married.”

No kidding. She was improved.

“We’ve been headed to sex since you offered me protection. I need to know my husband intimately.”

Husband? Muscles tensing, his cock jerked to life and an earthquake of responses—excitement, hunger, and desire among them—raced along his spine at the solitary word. He hadn’t heard her call him by that title in a long while and didn’t realize how much it would affect him.

“No.” He ran his finger down her face. “I don’t believe this is what you want.” Not really.

“Five months ago you wouldn’t have flinched from my request.”

“I’ve watched you die twice since then.” One real, one fake. Either way, both had altered him forever. “That type of tragedy changes a man.”

“Don’t suddenly turn moralistic on me, Micah.”

“Not even when I served Father did pesky morals bother me. I do this for you. Phoenix has the ability to borrow powers; he may sponge mine while he takes you.” He moved toward the bed and halted when Madison shoved him from behind.

With a balled fist, she struck him again when he faced her. “I want you. I told Nix I wouldn’t be able to resist you if I let you in.”

No need to look at the Ark when he vocally agreed with Madison. “She did.”

“I hate you more for saying no when I not only need you, but want you.” She swatted him again, but crumpled to the flooring on the heels of her burst of violence.

“Leave her!” He held his palm toward Phoenix. “I’ll handle this.” Kneeling beside Madison, he placed a finger beneath her chin and tilted her head back. “We’re wasting precious time with your life, kitten.”

“I want
you
,” she whispered. Her body was coated in gooseflesh and she shuddered nonstop.

“You want me only because it’ll heal you faster. In a week when you’re rehabilitated, you’ll regret it. With Phoenix borrowing my powers, you’ll be just fine.” He hoped. Her lips had turned a vivid shade of blue, rather than a subtle color. The chills were constant, and she’d gone pasty white. He feared she was getting ready to schmooze with the Grim Reaper. Permanently this time.

“I…want…you.” The chatter of her teeth broke up the words.

“I’m a hardcore lover, Madison. Not easy like your Phoenix. What if I wanted to bend you facedown on the bed and fuck you? Hard. Until you’re cross-eyed and so sore you can’t walk out of Hell?” From what he’d seen, Phoenix had yet to show her the rough kind of sex.

“Then…do…it.”

His eyebrows danced upward in surprise. Positive she knew not what she truly asked for, he elevated to his feet and stared at her submissive pose.

“She’s losing time and you know she’s not lying.” Phoenix looked ready to snatch her off the floor. “I’ll watch and won’t interfere. Just help save her life.”

Yeah, not one single cringe. She believed she wanted him, but what if she changed her mind in the middle. What did he have to lose? Nothing, as far as he could determine. Madison would be Phoenix’s when this was over, either way.

Phoenix snatched her off the floor and aligned her spine against his chest. Over her shoulder, the Ark’s gaze centered on Micah’s, a silent challenge he’d witnessed on the other male’s face before. “If your fucking husband’s not man enough to try and help you, Mads, I will.”

A tremor racked her body. This time Micah wasn’t certain if it was from the
casket
or from Phoenix’s words.