Hell's Consort

Newest Chapter for Highest Tier (August 2022)

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Archdemon Empress Luna

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Why was she feeling sleepy all of a sudden?

"Are you alright?" If her eyelids would just stop falling off as she rested one cheek on Sloth's solid chest, she would have detected the amusement in his soft voice.

This was bad.

As her consciousness blinked in and out, it became a constant struggle to pry her eyes open.

Her fingers released the stallion's lead rope of its own accord.

Now, all she could see was black.

She was five blinks away from oblivion.

As if on cue, both of her arms went lax and they dangled like empty swings swaying from the breeze.

She vaguely felt the muscles on his forearms flex when he pulled her waist even closer to support her weight.

Luna couldn't bring herself to care as long as she could continue to lean against this warm and tall pillow willing to catch her when her knees gave out.

"I feel so sleepy now." She mumbled, burrowing her nose against the rough fabric of his cloak. "I don't know why I had a hard time sleeping earlier."

Her head on his chest moved slightly up and down when he inhaled deeply and exhaled.

After clearing his throat, he asked. "Do you want to sleep with me?"

Luna's annoyance made her limp hand gain a bit of strength to clutch at his loose garment.

"You're asking for a slap." It was a warning that she could fulfill if he pushed too far. "Again."

"I mean... I will have the maidservants arrange a comfortable bed for me on the floor while you sleep on the bed. You don't even have to pay attention to me." Sloth clarified as if those statements were enough to persuade her.

He seemed unafraid of her, thinking it was a threat made by a kitten instead of a lion.

In fact, it made her even more suspicious.

"If you allow your powers to weaken, I can make you sleep and wake up until next year like your husband did." His voice deepened.

She swore she could almost imagine that cheeky smile on his face when he said it.

Sloth's murmuring lips on her hair felt like butterflies had barely landed on top of her head.

Luna wanted to lift her chin and glower at him but she couldn't do so out of laziness.

She contented herself with doing that in her mind's eye and slapped him hard on the back, instead.

"Stupid Archdemon!"

Sloth's body jerked forward and the sudden force almost knocked her backwards, too.

"Ouch. My back hurts."

The horse swished its tail in agitation as it snorted in the air.

"What are both of you doing? Bickering, in the middle of the road?"

That opened her eyes quick.

Luna heard the unique accent she had been quite familiar with but didn't expect.

Both of their heads turned to the direction where it came from.

"Cederic." She breathed.

Sloth released her immediately as if he had been scalded or maybe, he just didn't want someone else to see them hugging each other like they were long-lost lovers.

Weak-kneed, Luna almost fell to the ground but quickly regained her balance.

She gritted her teeth, swearing her Archdemon Familiar would pay for shoving his Master for no reason.

Cederic raised an eyebrow as he watched her and Sloth with interest.

"So, a year of the Vampire King's absence shifted your attention to this rascal easily? Really? After all, you've been through?" He moved closer to them but not within Sloth's striking distance.

He examined the Archdemon standing beside her from top to bottom as if assessing whether he could defeat him if he challenged him into a duel or not.

"You might regret it once the Vampire King awakens." Cederic added rather nonchalantly as he stared at her.

Well, now that Cederic just reminded her of the problem at the top of her list, she wondered if he alreadt knew that Apollyon had awakened at the Tower Room.

Did somebody from the castle inform him of this shocking news?

"That's right." Sloth bobbed his head up and down as he stared at Cederic. Then, he circled an arm over her shoulders and pulled her beside her. "The absence of Lune's mate had caused her to fall in love with me. It's a one-sided love so you don't have anything to worry about." Sloth drawled, his voice dripping with both nonchalance and sarcasm.

Luna elbowed Sloth in the elbow hard enough to dig a hole in the ribs.

Ouch!"

Now, he was forced to separate himself from her to preserve his safety.

She understood that this particular Archdemon was playful but that attitude should only come out at a specific time and place.

"I'll never trade a diamond to a rock, Cederic." Luna told the skeptical vampire with conviction so that he wouldn't believe the nonsense coming out of Sloth's mouth.

"Did you just call me a rock?" Sloth asked with a grona as he rubbed the pain off his right side.

It was late for Luna to feel awkward after Cederic had seen her hug Sloth due to a sleeping spell she hadn't anticipated so she stirred the subject away from them and focused on another thing. "Anyway, Cederic. Have you seen Ravin?"

The ancient vampire began to inch closer now that Sloth was far from her.

Feeling cornered from his earlier accusations, it made her want to run from him.

Yet, she hugged her cloak around her like a shield and stood her ground.

"Are you loyal to Ravin now that the Vampire King is indisposed?" He inquired, maintaining eye contact with her.

"What do you want me to do? Hover around him like a ghost in his room for a year?" Her voice quivered with suppressed anger.

Clouds had covered the moonlight, making Cederic's grey eyes glitter in the darkness.

"That's what you are supposed to do, Your Highness."

She was tempted to just that but she still have to live her life for their children.

Then, Cederic continued with a sincere smile. "In all honesty, I had no problem with you looking for Prince Ravin so you don't have to put your guard up. He ordered me to return to the Castle just in case you were looking for him."