Hell’s Consort

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Archdemon Empress Luna

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Luna refused to listen to Ravin when he implied that she couldn't distinguish her real husband from a shapeshifter.

She didn't listen, letting the shapeshifter got what he wanted with her—sex. 

Ravin had insinuated an idea into her head that it was the Archdemon of Lust, and Luna assumed it was a poor manipulation tactic coming from him. 

Now, another Archdemon had pointed it out.

Luna didn't expect Sloth to support Ravin's earlier statement.

Sloth didn't push through with his theories. 

The Archdemon had enough respect to give her the space she needed to process this.

She couldn't hide and run away from the truth anymore.

Gritting her teeth in anger at herself rather than these Archdemons, Luna couldn't stop the tears leaking from the corner of her eyes as she let out a small whimper. 

  It was her fault.

Why couldn't she recognize her own husband?

Was Luna that desperate to be with Apollyon, agreeing to have sexual congress right away so that she could feel his presence, making her feel protected and secure in his embrace?

Was Ravin right from the start all along?

Did Luna really love the Vampire King for real when she couldn't recognize the difference between the real and the doppelganger?

Was their relationship just purely sexual aside from the Blood Bond?

Luna's heart thudded dully in her chest as her whole body went numb.

What did she even love about Apollyon?

Did she love him for who he was, or was it because of that damned red strings tying their souls together?

She couldn't answer her questions, and she didn't know what to do next.

Where will she go from here now that she had cheated on her husband?

Would she still deserve him when he was faithful to her despite her disappearance?

Ignorance was bliss, and self-loathing was her best friend.

Her husband might have forgiven Ravin for tying her up and licking the Angel Dust from her body if she was to tell him because it was for her own welfare. 

She swallowed hard.

Apollyon didn't have to know that, but if the truth would come to light, then she would have no choice but to admit that it happened.

This was the reason why the 'Apollyon' who visited her in her dreams had told her he didn't care whether other men touched her or not because it wasn't him in the first place!

  Would Apollyon still accept her despite Luxen marking her from the inside?

Berating herself for her actions, Luna tried to live in denial, and she preferred to live in that lie...but she couldn't do it forever.

Patting her leg to bring her thoughts back to the present, Sloth asked softly, "Are you alright?" 

Luna wasn't alright.

  "Fuck you, Sloth." In an instant, Luna rose from the canoe's stern and held Sloth by the collar.

She wanted to vanish and cease to exist rather than suffer from this one terrible mistake that could potentially ruin her life.

If she couldn't have Apollyon's forgiveness, she might as well feed herself to the evil souls settled under the lake and drag the Archdemon of Sloth with her.

"You are attacking me for telling the truth." Sloth didn't struggle, but he let out a dejected sigh. "You even wanted to save the imp when no one was pointing a sword to your neck to do it."

He shook his head and clicked his tongue. "Wrong choices will lead to unfortunate events."

Baring her teeth, she growled as fear and exhilaration ran through her veins. "Don't get me angry, or the both of us are going to swim in these Obsidian Lake.

He deadpanned. "I know how to float."

Luna raised her chin as she lashed out with a snarl. "Since you are too lazy, I doubt you know how to utilize those arms so that you could swim."

"You are right." Sloth quickly agreed, thereby ending the argument. "I don't."

"What's done is done." The Archdemon lifted his hand to her face, wiping the tears staining her cheeks.

"Stop crying over spilled milk," Sloth murmured and forced her to release his grip from his shirt by squeezing her wrists. "Now you know the truth. We should move on."

Luna let go as she pleaded in tears. "Do you think it would be this easy for me?"

Hugging her knees to make herself smaller, Luna rocked back and forth in sorrow.

  "You are an Archdemon with no life. You sleep, eat and wake up." Luna observed grudgingly as fat tears started to drop from her cheeks again. "You had no motivations." 

If she had enough strength to become a mature Archdemon, she would have challenged Sloth and defeat him so that she could live the kind lifestyle he had. "You just move with freedom, ride that go-with-the-flow wave of yours."

Shaking her head, Luna whispered, "That's not who I am."

"No." Sloth insisted as he wore a thoughtful expression. "You can't change the past, but you can still change the future, Lune."

"I wouldn't let you hold yourself back because, in a way, it would hold my ideals back, too." He said cryptically, and there was this unnatural stillness before he continued, "The next thing I'm about to tell you will require you to move on very fast." 

"What do you mean?"

"You know Lune?" Sloth began in a low murmur that she had to lean forward to hear him. "Luxen's deception was the first revelation I have figured out today. You should be prepared for what I was about to say next." 

Once again, Luna figured out that Sloth was in that strange zone in his head.

"You should have started crying when I finished because you, my sister-in-law, are going to cry uglier the moment I reveal more secrets to you," Sloth spoke in the air rather than making eye contact with her, and Luna's brows knitted in confusion.

"I'm not sure if there was something worse than what you told me." Luna sniffed, "Spit it out, then."