Hell’s Consort

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Archdemon Empress Luna

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With lips trembling, Luna turned her head. "Luxen?"

It was the Archdemon of Sloth.

Ravin didn't wait for Sloth to approach them because what was there to stay at the patio and talk when Luna had already destroyed the table at the gazebo?

Until now, Luna didn't notice that her hands were shaking with the force of her anger.

Gritting her teeth, Luna shot up from her seat as she turned towards them, standing at the hidden gates at the gardens' entrance.

Luna was careful not to trip along the fine sand, and she squinted at her footwear as if she had seen them for the first time.

The female servant had let her wear ankle boots paired with a tight-fitted salmon pink gown, claiming that it was His Highness's orders.

As warmth flooded her cheeks, Luna wrapped her arms around herself as she shivered, recalling how Ravin had placed her foot in her mouth.

She wanted to forget how it made a thousand butterflies fluttering in her stomach. 

"Pretty Lune," Sloth called out as he raised one hand awkwardly in the air.

He just lifted his open palm as if he was pledging his allegiance, not even bothering to wave her over.

Sloth was probably lazy even to do something small as that.

Tilting his head, Sloth made his voice louder this time. "Hurry up, will you?"

She winced. Luna took that personally coming from someone who was the Archdemon of Sloth. 

"Yes, I'm coming over." Luna did the exact opposite, sauntering towards the fountain, similar to how ladies from the Consortium did it in the Masquerade Ball.

Ravin pressed his lips together, holding back a smile while Sloth narrowed his eyes at her while he tapped his foot impatiently on the marble.

With his forest green eyes in a daze, Sloth pouted, "You took too long."

"No, Sloth." Luna stepped forward to enter their circle. "You are the one who took too long."

She rolled her eyes, scowling at no-one-in-particular. "You haven't witnessed the drama that was my everyday life."

"I guess I was late to the latest gossip in the Seven Circles." Sloth blinked. "Again."

Ravin raised an eyebrow. "Did you come here just to gossip, then?" 

"Not my intention at all…" Sloth paused, scratching his chiseled jaw in contemplation. "—so I just woke up—"

"Nothing new right there—" Luna quipped.

Sloth shrugged with nonchalance. "I am not averse to gossip if we still have time for that."

"So, what brought you here in the first place?" Ravin glanced at him before shifting his gaze to examine the large basket he had been carrying ever since he entered the gate to Ravin's patio.

"Ah~Yes." Sloth took a few seconds to process the question.

He had shaken his head vigorously, not to show disapproval but to wake up his stunned brain, waiting for it to catch up. "The conversations keep changing without my permission."

Sloth observed, blinking. "It took me a moment to understand."

Moving closer into Sloth's personal space, Luna grabbed his collar with her fists to interrogate him of his time with the Archdemon she feared the most. "Is this how you survived from the Grand Torturer?" Luna's time was running out. "Torturing him with your lethargic attributes?"

She stared at him with intense focus, needing all the knowledge she can get from Sloth to survive the Grand Torturer without suffering.

"Can everyone wait for me to speak so that I can address all your questions?" Sloth clasped his long, slender fingers on her wrists as he stepped backward.

"I am confused as to why I am being choked." Face flushing, Sloth shut his eyes tight and spoke. "I have two people talking to me at once, and I had a hard time catching up."

"Stop it, Amare." Ravin wrapped his arms around Luna's waist in a back hug, pulling her body away from Sloth. "You are giving him a hard time because your face is too close."

Ravin growled softly. "He wouldn't like it."

Luna didn't let go of Sloth's collar, completely ignoring the one behind her. "Should I make it one person by eliminating Ravin?"

"You were moaning for me a few days ago, and now you want to kill me?" The Archdemon of Gluttony brushed his wing on her shoulder.

He whispered in her ear, "Feisty, bad girl."

  "Shut up." Luna looked over her shoulder and glared at Ravin.

"I will discipline you after this." Luna could sense the hunger, sex, and passion in his deep voice, making her freeze in place. 

"Moaning?" Sloth's eyes widened with shock.

"I licked all of her—"

Luna let go of Sloth to face Ravin, poking an accusing finger at his broad chest. "Shut up."

"You are still young, innocent, and inexperienced, Sloth." Lifting both of his hands in surrender, Ravin moved his gaze from the crown of Luna's head to give Sloth a conspirational glance. 

"You can't relate to this conversation." Ravin chuckled.

"I am slowly regretting my decision to visit the First Circle of Hell from the Seventh only to be insulted the moment I arrived." Exhaling, Sloth fixed his cravat and smoothed his suit with one hand. "Maybe, I should go back and sleep."

"Yes." Grinning wolfishly, Ravin nodded in agreement. "Don't dare waking up."

"Ravin!" Luna scowled at Ravin, who just gave her a half-shrug.

She had a feeling that the Archdemon of Gluttony was doing this for attention.

Luna couldn't believe a day would arrive that she would be defending his brother-in-law.

Glaring at Ravin, she snapped, "How rude!" 

"Sloth is an involuntary celibate who had no interest in women."

Sloth and Luna both gasped at Ravin's bold statement. 

There was a pregnant pause.

Did the Archdemon of Gluttony imply that Sloth was gay?

"Perhaps, that's b-because…" Luna stuttered as she explained in frantic gestures.

Sloth looked like he was about to sleep or faint in his position.

Poor brother-in-law!

Clearing her throat, she said as if this would explain everything, "He had mentioned that he was a shaman before in his past life whose spiritual practice later crossed to the Dark Arts."