I smirk, sucking my lower lip between my teeth. His nostrils flare, his eyes narrowing as he senses what I’m about to do. I feel the shift in energy, and a low, feral sound rumbles in his throat as he narrows his eyes at me.
“Husband,” I whisper.
I lay panting,the ache between my thighs blooming all over again in the most intoxicating way. Korithax lies beside me, his chest rising and falling heavily, sweat still glistening on his golden skin.
“I’ll never, ever, tire of being inside you,” he murmurs, voice low and rough with after-sex satisfaction.
I blush, giggling as I bury my face into his arm. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it either. He was right about what Ethan did. Yes, he’d taken my virginity—but he didn’t claim me. He didn’t make love to me. He didn’t have filthy sex with me. He just… took.
But Korithax? Korithax touched me like I was a living altar. He worshipped every inch of me. Maybe it wasn’t gentle—maybe it never would be—but it was mine. Ours. I liked how he treated me in bed. I loved the way his hands explored me like he was memorising every curve. The way his mouth devoured me like I was his favourite meal. The sinful sounds he made when he tasted me, moaning like I was a prayer answered. Those sounds would echo in my head for a lifetime. This seven-foot god of a man, this demon prince, was entirely mine.
Maybe Elyistria had heard my quiet, desperate pleas and sent me the man of my godsdamn dreams.
A sharp knock breaks the silence, and Korithax snarls. He freaking snarled, like a wild animal being disturbed from its peace.
“Down boy,” I giggle, swatting at his chest. In retaliation, he slaps my ass.
I yelp—just as a voice calls through the door.
“Your Majesty, Elyistria asked me to remind you of your breakfast arrangement. She would like to see you within the next half hour. I shall return to escort you shortly.”
“Thank you,” I call out, trying to suppress my laughter.
Korithax groans dramatically and wraps his arms around me, dragging me against him.
I snort, trying to wiggle away. “I have to get ready. I can’t keep a literal magical goddess waiting.”
“Of course you can. You’re the future Queen of Hell.” He grumbles against me.
“Future being the keyword,” I mutter, rolling my eyes. “And I’m pretty sure you already pissed her off enough yesterday with your whole Child of Ruin tantrum. I’m not looking to add fuel to that particular fire.”
He scowls but rolls out of bed with me, his hair tousled, wrapped around his horns. His elongated ears poke out from his onyx locks, and his dark eyes shine in the glowing light. I stand for a moment and just marvel at the sight of him, fresh out of bed with sex hair. I can’t help the snort of laughter that escapes me.
“Why are you laughing?” He asks, tilting his head.
“Because I’m standing in a freaking magical realm, god knows how far away from earth, with my seven-foot demonic god of a freaking husband. Who, not to mention, is standing butt naked in front of me, with his sex hair wrapped around his horns. It’s all so absurd, yet feels entirely right.”
The grin that splits his face has those freaking butterflies going feral yet again. His too-white teeth shining, the sight of his elongated canines sends a shiver down my spine at the memory of them digging into my throat just a few hours ago.
“Me. Daisy Sandoval. A boring, twenty-year-old mortal girl, married to the most feared twenty-thousand-year-old demon in the universe.” I laugh again, the sound echoing through the vast space.
He prowls towards me, holding either side of my face with his hands as his expression turns serious. “There is nothing boring about you, little flower. You are fucking divine. A prayer answered. The most magnificent creature I have ever laid my eyes on. And you are mine. In this life, and every life after.” He presses his forehead to mine as I stare at him in shock. “If death takes me, I’ll claw my way out of the grave. If the gods erase me, I’ll set the universe ablaze to return to you. Across lifetimes, across worlds, I would crawl through ash and ruin just to touch your hand again.”
I blink up at him, his words settling in every crack, every fracture of my soul, mending it in its own, tragically beautiful way. He places a soft kiss on my lips, a rumble sounding in his chest. He pulls me in tight, the kiss quickly turning heated as he trails his hands over my still naked flesh.
“I have to get ready.” I breathe, pushing at him softly.
“Fine,” he sighs. “But only because we’re going to need her help to get back home once this is done.”
Home.
The word sends a flutter through me. I’ll be going home, to Zeriavoss. To the obsidian halls and the skies that flicker with never-ending blood-red lightning. Back to the demons I’d started seeing as my own people. I’d be going as an immortal, to become a queen. My life had taken a turn so sharp; I was still trying to catch my breath. Yet there was one thing holding me back from truly being happy.
“When do you think I’ll get to see Talia and Ezra again?” I ask, gnawing at the inside of my cheek.
He gently brushes a thumb over my jaw before planting a soft kiss atop my head. “As soon as we return and it’s safe, I’ll take you back to the mortal realm. I swear it.”
I nod, but it doesn’t chase the anxiety away that’s been eating at me since I agreed to this deal. We both knew it wouldn’t be that easy. We didn’t know how the Divine Six were going to respond to what we’d done.
