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Archdemon Empress Luna

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You are fucked up." If Luna wasn't feeling vulnerable, she could have returned it to him and throw it into his face, claiming she didn't need his 'kindness', but she needed it for comfort.

She lifted the quilt to touch the baby dragon's forehead to distract herself from Sloth.

Luna asked quietly as she shifted in her seat, refusing to meet his eyes. "Do you kill them if you feel like it?"

"My animals had a higher status in the Hierarchy. I took the time to take care of each of them and training them because when they grow, they are utilized by the royalties as pets, as means for travel or used for war so to answer your questions, no." Sloth replied. "They are too precious and belonged to the higher Hierarchy rather than the imp you cared so much."

A shake in the head.

"You have gone mad, Archdemon."

Talking to Sloth had disheartened her and being with Archdemons for a longer time will make her think that all other creature's lives were worthless except hers and the people she cared about.

Luna sighed.

It was time to change the gloomy subject.

She threw eye-daggers at him. "Who's going to row the boat now?"

"You?" He quipped, and Luna expected that, lazy Archdemon that he was.

"There are no other people here except you and me." Placing his hands over his head, Sloth lay back on the ratted pillows, closed his eyes and relaxed.

"The baby dragon does not know how to use the paddle."

Rolling her eyes, Luna answered, "Well, obviously."

"I will hold the basket." He offered. "It wouldn't be a problem anymore."

The canoe rocked as Sloth bent over, crawling with his hands and knees towards her. "Lune, there is something I have noticed about you."

"What?"

Taking his time, Sloth was careful that the canoe wouldn't flip over. "I think the reason why you are suffering in Hell because you couldn't mind your own business."

Luna smoothed her sweating palms against her skirts, glaring at him. "I thought you are done analysing who I am."

Sloth pretended like he didn't hear what he said as he leaned forward. "If you didn't choose to become the High Priestess, all of these would not have happened."

"What do you want me to do, Sloth? Turn back the time?" Heaving a loud sigh, Luna asked incredulously, "Why did you even kill the imp all of a sudden, Archdemon?"

"You told me not to waste my time, and I didn't." He pulled the basket from her lap and replaced it with himself, kneeling over her.

Luna's skirts were pressing down against her legs when Sloth pounced on her like she was his prey, forcing her to lay her back on the thin cushions underneath him.

Gasping, Luna tried to shove him away from her, pushing at his shoulders and kicking her legs against his.

It would appear like they were a pile of bodies tangled against each other to the outsiders, and Luna couldn't escape.

Sloth was a tall, young man, but she couldn't believe that he was heavy.

"Don't move—" Sloth put one hand on her waist to steady her so that the canoe wouldn't capsize, "--or we would fall into the lake, and the wicked souls would eat you instead of us eating them."

Luna pressed her lids shut because she didn't like to face Sloth, cross-eyed when the man was too close. "Can you just talk without getting too close?"

She pushed off his chest and said in a warning, "Do you want to be killed by my Archdemon husband?"

"Now that you mentioned it, you reeked of Ravin and Luxen." Sloth's weight pressed her hips into the cushions as he opened the clasp of the cloak he had given her with a click.

He inhaled deeply, and his dark pupils had dilated, taking over his forest-green eyes. "Whenever I get near you, I can sniff a familiar aroma on your skin."

Glancing around to check if Ravin was there, Luna said in a whisper-shout, "What are you doing, Sloth?"

He started to unbutton the doublet Ravin had given her, pushing it back and baring her shoulders.

It was too late to shove his hands away from her décolletage.

Sloth caressed the back of his hand on her collarbone. "Luxen had a stronger scent on you compared to Ravin."

Feeling his warm breath against her throat, Luna shot back, wiggling underneath him, "So what?"

Now, you had the Mark of the Beast." Sloth trailed his hands over her sternum, leaving hot flames in their wake.

He whispered in Luna's ear, and his blond hair brushed softly against her cheek, "Did you mate with him?"

"No." Grinding her teeth, Luna replied. "I did not mate with either of them, Sloth."

Heat flushed through her body, and her heartbeat pounded like she was in a life-and-death situation.

"I told you I have a husband in the Vampire Realm." Her tone was final. "Now, get off me before I push you out of the canoe."

"Hmm. I can't connect the dots around you. You are always shrouded in mystery." Sloth had heeded her warning and retreated, folding back his wings.

Hands outstretched, Sloth helped Luna to a sitting position as he squatted across her.

"My servants had told me that Luxen had taken you from the Marriage Suite, and there was nothing that can be done. Something happened at Luxen's Kingdom, which had placed you in danger. You had used Archdemon magic against Luxen which made him the subject of ridicule of every Archdemon in Hell for his punctured wing." He narrated each statement as if he was ticking off a checklist on his fingers. "You were going to be punished, and Ravin had requested Satan a week so that he could care for you before he handed you over to the Grand Torturer."

"But why?" Sloth tilted his head, watching her warily, "Why, oh, why did you smell like you were bathed in Luxen's cum when you were with Ravin all this time?