Hell’s Consort

Newest Chapter For Highest Tier (August 2021)

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Archdemon Empress Luna

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"Apollyon. It wasn't like you aren't strong enough to carry this!" Luna reasoned out,  "Don't tear—"

  The wooden frame broke into splinters, and she  wailed, "Husband!" 

The Vampire King tore the canvas from its wooden frame brutally and held it in his grasp as he stormed deeper to the woods.

She didn't try to chase him because his rigid posture told her otherwise. Luna stood there with her toes slightly touching the bottom of the laid out paintings.

Frozen in place, her wide eyes could only trace Apollyon's broad back as she covered her open mouth in shock. 

She couldn't believe that her husband would actually destroy such a harmless painting, but Luna knew the reason why Apollyon had a strong reaction.

As she watched from a distance with an ache in her throat, Luna wanted to reach out to Apollyon and comfort him.

It was because of the residual resentment in his heart.

The sight of it must have ripped the unhealed scar open, so he saw the need to dispose of it. Princess Ourania tried to kill Luna and their baby, and both of them couldn't forgive that.

Nevertheless, she agreed that the family portrait was ironic and could only exist in a parallel world where Princess Ourania was a kind and caring mother and King Gwythyr wasn't a ruthless chauvinistic pig.

Her husband would have a lovely childhood and grow like the gentleman he should be.

No, actually, she should take that back.

If the Vampire King were raised as a gentleman a long time ago, Luna wouldn't be able to marry him and become his beloved Empress.

  Startled ravens cawed as they stretched their wings in flight while squirrels squeaked as they scuttled down the tree trunk.

Apollyon had unintentionally disturbed the animals preparing for their slumber.  He had thrown the piece of woven linen cloth through the nearest branch it could find. 

Every loud step he took as he returned to the bonfire felt like iron weights were circled his ankles by how heavy his footfalls were. 

Then, it started to rain.

Raindrops soaked like liquid magic against their chilled skin as well as the ground and trees around them. Then, squeezing her eyes shut, she lifted her head to the midnight blue sky.

The pitter-patter of the rain soothed her soul.

This was the first time Luna had witnessed rain in the Summer Realm.

The gods and the goddesses might have wanted her to see it before they left.

This will be her last day in the Summer Courts.

  When a little girl with faerie wings attached to her face and a werewolf had visited their mountain cabin, where Prince Aspen temporarily hid them from the prying eyes of the Spring Monarchs, Luna was sceptical when Princess Sapphire revealed that she was Apollyon's half-sister and she and Apollyon's mother was alive and well.

They wholeheartedly believed that Princess Ourania desired to see them out of longing.

In the past, she thought that seeing Apollyon's mother, a Princess in the Summer Courts would be an honour.

Unfortunately, her wish that took a darker turn.

A horrible nightmare.

Meeting Apollyon's mother had left a bad taste in her mouth.

  The rain grew stronger, which made their clothes drenched even more.

Xerxes approached her and informed her urgently, "We need to move and find a shelter, Empress. There is a cave behind the waterfalls." 

The cave was a good sanctuary during the storm to continue examining the remaining paintings.

"Does it have enough space for the six of us?" Luna mumbled as her lower lip tasted the rain trickling down her face.

"Yes. It is rather spacious in there."  Xerxes said out loud as he stalked towards Princess Sapphire, who slept on the makeshift bed with Rere. "We need to move our things to the cave. Please hurry, Your Highness." 

Luna turned her attention to her Archdemon Familiars, "Sloth, take Rere with you and help Ravin carry all the things we have to this cave."

Sloth rubbed the moisture of his face and gave her a sharp grin, "I shouldn't have to carry them myself if you would allow us to summon our demon servants."

Luna shook her head, "Servants do not have servants, Sloth." 

"Move, and I will allow you to rest after we have settled on the caves."

"I will be in charge of other paintings, wife."

Luna  turned her head towards her husband, who was busy putting all the paintings in the  sack, "—and don't you throw everything away."

Apollyon's countenance showed frustration. "If I see one more family portrait, I am going to do just that."

"Husband. I will honour your wish—"

'--because I love you.' Luna finished in their mind link. 

"Thank you. Now shut your beautiful mouth and go to the cave first." Apollyon scolded her and pointed at the waterfalls, "I'm the only one allowed who can make you wet, alright?"

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True to his word, Xerxes led them to the hollow, cave-like structure behind the waterfalls, which he called the rock shelter as he carried Princess Sapphire in his arms.

As she went deeper into the caves, Luna realized that they could go further that the huge cascades couldn't reach.

All of them can actually rest and spend the night there since the floor wasn't that wet.

The stone walls were bumpy with fingerling of tree roots growing through.

At the mouth of the cave, the loud yet pleasant roar of the waterfalls was a majestic lullaby to the ears. 

The rock shelter itself was filled with dirt, twigs, dirty leaves, either tracked in by animals or blown by the wind, but it was alright.

Five out of six…

No.

Four out of six…

No.

Three out of six people in their group can use magic to clean all this mess.

Apollyon had already put her sister to sleep.

Ravin and Sloth had completed their tasks to carry all the makeshift beds by transporting them inside the caves in a snap of a finger.