Page 87 of Absolved In Death

“Okay. That way, I know Hell is in good hands, and I can still be hands on,” Lucifer admitted.

“But not so hands on that you don’t let go and your relationship tanks,” I reminded him.

“Yeah, if you fuck my bestie over, I will make your life Heaven on earth,” Q threatened. He and Michael got into so much trouble, their friendship should be illegal. I loved how it got under Lucifer’s skin, too.

There was a knock at the door, and Lucifer called Diana in. Tank, Claw, Fang, and Feta, trailed behind her, taking up their usual positions at her heels.

“Dad, what’s up? I was in the middle of deliberating soul appeals.” Ah, soul appeals. One of her favorite things to do at work, given her passion for law.

Lucifer ran our idea by her, and she didn’t give a single reaction. She stood tall, regal as fuck, as if she owned the place. And she would, sooner than she thought.

“What do you think?” he asked her.

“Hmmm, I’ll bring it to the table tonight, and see how the guys feel. I’m not going to commit to anything until we make a decision as a group.” I appreciated her thoughtfulness on it, but she didn’t know the guys already knew about the plan. And they all whole-heartedly supported it.

Mal had bragged for days about how,“I upgraded her from Princess nickname status because I knew she'd be Queen of Hell one day.”

“Let’s go get ready for dinner, and you can tell me all about your day,” I offered, taking her hand and walking us back to our apartment. Sometimes we faded, but other times, we just needed a good walk.

Hopefully it would get her thinking about how necessary this plan was. I had hope that she’d make the right decision.

Diana wore a sheer lace black dress, with long sleeves and a plunging neckline. The back part trailed over the ground behind her as she walked through the parted crowd with her head held high.

She’s about to be royalty,Voice sniffled through tears.

Every step brought her closer to her destiny as the Queen of Hell–the first female Satan. My Little Goddess was about to make herstory. She met Lucifer at the altar in the front of the ballroom, her face a calm, placid mask of strength and badassery. She faced him, and placed her hands in his.

“I’ll keep the pomp and circumstance short. Today I pass over the Satan position, with all its rights, privileges, and responsibilities, to my daughter and heir apparent Diana Rossi Morningstar. The woman who led us to victory against Red four years ago. Who has worked tirelessly to rebuild Hell and repair the damage from the war. Who has forged relationships with the most unlikely allies, and lifted our existing alliances with us as we rise to greatness.”

The crowd cheered, and every single person looked happy. Hopeful. I had been worried about naysayers and sexist pieces of garbage trying to ruin this for her, but no one dared to defy her or stop her from wearing the crown.

“It’s time to pass the mantle to a worthy successor. Someone who reminds me so much of her father—the handsome one, obviously,” he said, gesturing to Michael, “And her mother. Who cares so deeply for others and wants to see them succeed. Who believes in creating a world of free will where everyone can live their hearts’ desires.”

He handed her his gold crown. It was circular, with no ridges, cap, arch, or embellishments. Plain and strong like the man himself. “As is the tradition with every Satan, it is time you make your own crown. For it signifies your dreams, aspirations, and leadership. It reflects who you are, what you will do.”

Diana closed her eyes as her magic weaved around the crown in a neon, glittery show, morphing right before our eyes. Instead of a circular band, it almost resembled a tiara, with arches around the entire circumference. The filigree was feminine and delicate, yet indestructible. It was made of a black, shining metal encrusted with twinkling rubies and black stones. The front of the crown had a black teardrop pearl in the center of it. When she opened her eyes, her mask slipped and she looked astonished at what her magic had created.

Lucifer placed it on her head, then hugged her. When they parted, he walked over to where Michael and Marilyn sat, at the edge of the altar.

Diana magically amplified her voice as she sniffled back tears. “Eight years ago, my life changed. I was a regular college student who aspired to go to law school and worked as a bartender at a trendy jazz club. I had no clue who I really was until my men abducted me and faked my death to keep me safe from Red. One of them told me I was prophesied to save theworld, so they taught me about my magic, the paranormal world, and how to stay alive.

“Not only did I live, I thrived. I found myself. I forged a new dream and purpose. I fell in love and created a family I never knew I needed. Together, we defended our home. We built a new Hell. And we’ll continue to do great things. I am your Satan, but I have a team behind me that makes everything possible. I rule a people who believe in our vision. Everyone, have a drink tonight. Party hard. Celebrate a new era of the Morningstar dynasty!”

She’s the most beautiful Queen,Mal linked the guy mindspace. The five of us started it a while back, so we could plan surprises for her.

She really is…but she’s gonna look even better when I fuck her with just her crown on later,I said.

Um, no. I’m going to fuck her first with just her crown on,Bash growled.She's my claim.

Yeah, and as your other claim, I’m joining in. We get to go first,Mal agreed.

Or we can have an orgy later, so everyone gets a turn. Sharing is caring,Feathers reminded us all.

Once again, Feathers dropped some wisdom on us. He was right, of course. Sharing was caring…and it meant extra holes for me to fill.

Fine. We can celebrate as a group later, if our Queen so graciously allows it,I begrudgingly agreed. I looked around the room, and realized she was gone.Where is she?

She and Desmond went down a hallway a few seconds ago,Mal said.

I can feel some arousal down the soulbond. He’s trying to get started without us,Feathers said in a disappointed voice.

If you snooze, you lose,Desmond’s cackled.Don’t even bother trying to find us, I faded her somewhere private.

Oh challenge accepted,Bash said.

The guys and I met outside the ballroom, and started to make a plan. I loved a challenge, and so did my Little Goddess. With five partners, three dinosaurs, one dog, and the entirety of Hell to rule, she’d get them in spades.

31

THE END

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