Hell’s Consort

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Archdemon Empress Luna

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The imp held the rope that bound the canoe to the shore, pulling it to the docks.

Sloth was the first to step into the canoe as the imp flew around Luna in agitation.

Luna knew the imp didn't like to be near the obsidian lake.

Ravin noticed it and generated a hundred golden orbs hovering in the dark purple skies, illuminating the Obsidian Lake.

The body of water abruptly went still like it was a huge black mirror.

The wicked souls had sensed that the Archdemons would be hunting them for food just like how preys do. 

Luna and Sloth were thinking the same thing when he whispered, "You should extinguish the lights, brother. You have alerted the prey of our presence."

Hands outstretched, Sloth was ready to catch Luna if she fell to the lake and hurt herself. "I got your wife, Ravin."

Luna placed her cold hands on Sloth's warm ones and led her down towards the canoe. "She is safe with me."

The Archdemon of Gluttony nodded, leaving a single orb emitting a faint, cozy light.

The imp finally untied the canoe's tether from the stone pillar and jumped in, gripping the paddle in her tiny yet strong hands.

He handed the basket that contained the baby dragon to Luna as they sailed away at a slow pace. 

"Return to me, Amare." The Archdemon of Gluttony didn't forget to stroke her hair twice before kissing her in the forehead.

Luna's eyes widened as she froze in place, not expecting an Archdemon to be too sweet that she could hear every single pound of her chest, drowning her ears.

  It felt like she wasn't there for a few seconds.

Luna didn't even notice that Ravin had gone back to the Castle, and she was still standing there in a daze while the canoe had already set sail.

Sloth had pulled her hand down to sit, placing the basket in her lap.

The gentle current soon caught hold of the canoe, and they drifted across the lake.

The dark, murky waters underneath the canoe fell away with every row of the imp.

This scene might have been romantic if it was her husband, Apollyon, with the canoe with her instead of Sloth, who had an absent smile plastered on his ivory face.

Soon.

Apollyon will come back to get her soon.

Luna started to feel anxious because the most unreliable man in the entire Circle of Hell was in front of her, and she was in the middle of another dark lake similar to the one she had fallen into at Luxen's Kingdom.

Shaking her head, Luna swore she was not about to fall like an idiot dragged by demonic sirens just because she couldn't swim, only to be swallowed by a gigantic white Lotus and wrapped in Angel Dust.

"I have you all alone." Seated at the opposite side of her, the Archdemon of Sloth's back was hunched over as he hugged his knees, swaying to a slow rhythm.

He was like an unbothered child in a young adult body—not an adolescent.

Sloth looked about two years younger than her in physical appearance.

"Even the Archdemon of Sloth had hidden agendas, hmm?" Luna thought that Sloth had brought her here for a purpose, and it's not only because he and the baby dragon was hungry.

Knowing Sloth, he was a lazy Archdemon, so it would be reasonable that he didn't want to suffer hunger as well.

Plus, he had Simone and Phillip to feed him and looking after everything in his Castle, so why didn't they provide for Sloth and the baby dragon?

"I know you want something from me, Sloth." Luna snapped, "Don't waste my time."

"Alright." He grumbled, pouting. "I guess I have no choice."

Sloth bent forward and crawled towards the imp, who had her brows knitting in concentration as she rowed the paddle, her back facing the Archdemon.

Oblivious to Sloth's attack, the Archdemon grabbed her by the shoulders, snapped her neck, and tossed her out of the boat as the wicked souls swarmed like piranhas towards the dead imp who had lolled its head to the side—broken neck and purple tongue sticking out. 

It took her a minute to react, and the first thing she did was release a primal scream.

Clasping her hands at the edge of the boat, Luna was about to jump out to save the imp.

The only thing that stopped her was she couldn't swim, and she didn't want a repeat of what had happened at the frozen lake with Luxen.

These wicked souls would want to eat her to gain power like how the demonic sirens had almost done.

"Lune." Sloth was about to stand up from his seat and stop her, but the boat almost overturned from the imbalance.

"Don't try to save the imp." He held out a calming hand and remained seated.

Sloth's forest-green eyes gleamed in the darkness. "Its death wouldn't affect your life in the long run."

Swallowing hard, Luna observed the dark evil shadows rose from the lake's bottom to open their mouths, tearing the imp into pieces.

What if she was next in Sloth's long list of people to kill?

Speechless, Luna's mouth fell open as she picked the paddle at the center of the canoe, which was in the imp's small hands just seconds ago, not taking her gaze of Sloth.

Her fingers had trembled, gripping the scull like it was an efficient weapon against him while her other hand sought comfort on the basket she had on her lap.

Luna thought that Sloth was as slow as a turtle.

It turned out that you can't rely on impressions alone. 

She couldn't believe she had watched Sloth kill the imp in just a split second, and she hadn't even blinked yet.

If she weren't experiencing full-body tremors right now, Luna would have hit Sloth with the weighted paddle in her hands and slapped his handsome face with it.

  "What the fuck, Sloth?!"