The Devil's Beloved, a Steamy MM Fantasy Romance (part four)

Indulge with me behind the rose bushes

In today's chapter, I will introduce you to Abaddon, the hellish swarm-angel, but first, I must recount the strange goings-on involving Blarg and Agatha.

It all started when Blarg checked out a few books on bearded dragons. Next thing I knew, he was hanging out at a nearby café with a group of reptile enthusiasts (apparently, they love his green skin and tusks).

Blarg's a peculiar orc; some random thing will grab his attention, and he'll suddenly become obsessively interested in it.

Our apartment is now covered in lizard posters, coffee mugs, and every other kind of reptile-themed ornament he can find in the local shops.

Now he's keeping various bits of vegetables in his pockets, feeding Agatha little green tidbits every chance he gets. She puffs up and hisses at the rest of us, but rides around on Blarg's broad shoulders every chance she gets.

This morning, I awoke to the roar of the blender. As I groggily stumbled into the kitchen, I found Blarg making a smoothie. He turned his back and started rummaging through the icebox. Half-starved and parched, I poured half the mixture into my favorite mug, downing it in one long gulp.

A vile, swampy flavor filled my mouth. When I asked him what was in the drink, he stared at me blankly and said it was a blend of artichoke hearts and crickets. I spat out the remnants in disgust.

He shrugged and poured some of the ghastly green drink into Agatha’s drinking bowl. She puffed up with excitement and lapped it up eagerly.

As I dictate this, she’s curled up, napping atop Blarg’s head. He's so focused on programming his newest app he barely seems to notice. It seems our Dragon queen has claimed herself a loyal knight.

Now that I've caught you all up, let's return to our tale of romance.

***

The imp relayed the story to a Drekavac, who passed it on to an Ifrit, who in turn brought the whole thing to the attention of Beelzebub. The lord of rot found the gossip so amusing it mentioned it to Abaddon, Satan’s second-in-command.

The dark angel smiled knowingly. He'd had several of his own trysts with Satan throughout the years.

Abaddon was a tall, fearsome angel by nature, with command over the locust swarms that caused great famines in the mortal realm.

During the war in Heaven, he’d observed both sides carefully, turning on Lucifer at the last moment to save his own skin.

Abaddon was blessed with a gift for political maneuvering. Upon hearing of Satan's recent transgression, he sensed an opportunity.

He summoned a single locust to rest upon his outstretched finger, and instructed the insect of the message it was to deliver unto Heaven before sending it on its way.

He watched with satisfaction as the locust vanished through a small portal, knowing that once the scandalous gossip reached Heaven, he would have his chance to claim the throne of Hell.

***

Satan and Tzyeriel stepped out into the castle garden. It was a lovely enclosure covered in finely trimmed rose bushes, filled with the sweet scent of thorns and flowers.

They sat down on the grass, taking turns drinking wine. Tzyeriel wanted to bring several bottles on their impromptu picnic, but Satan insisted it would be better to pace their alcohol consumption throughout the day. The Seraph responded by giving him a sharp but affectionate pinch on the rump.

As they sat together, surrounded by the wall of rose bushes, Satan draped an arm over Tzyeriel's shoulder and said,

"I wish I could say last night was a mistake, but the truth is I'd do it all over again, even with the consequences we're bound to face." Tzyeriel leaned up against him, took a large gulp of wine, and replied,

"I wonder what else we could do while we wait to receive our divine retribution..." He grinned as he placed his hand on Satan's thigh. The infernal angel enjoyed his touch, but couldn’t shake a question that kept gnawing at him. He gazed into Tzyeriel's lovely red eyes and asked,

"How do you know so much about carnality? You're an angel of Heaven; I thought your kind were sworn to a life of chastity?”

The angel gave him a mischievous look and slipped his hand beneath his red robes. Satan sighed, smiling as Tzyeriel began stroking him in a slow, practiced rhythm. The Seraph leaned in and whispered,

“I'm not as innocent as I may seem.”

He slid Satan’s robe aside, revealing his erect, quivering member. The Seraph ran his hands down to his testes, caressing them softly, then used his other hand to unsheathe himself.

Tzyeriel paused his erotic ministrations, pulling himself on top of Satan so that they lay belly-to-belly. With gentle force, he took hold of the dark angel’s wrists and pulled them above his head, pinning him in place.

Satan’s breath quickened; he’d always shown dominance over his subjects, but being overpowered by an angel of Heaven filled him with an excitement he’d only ever felt with…

No, it was not the same as what he’d experienced with Abaddon. On several occasions he’d kneeled willfully before the swarm angel, but the emotions he felt for Tzyeriel were greater than any he’d known during his nights with his cruel enforcer.

Tzyeriel gazed into his eyes, his expression not one of brutal conquest, but those of a benevolent emperor. Satan murmured,

“I would worship you, I’d-“

Tzyeriel silenced him with a kiss. Unbeknownst to either of them, in that moment, a single tear fell down Satan’s cheek, landing silently upon the garden soil.

***

Hours later, they lay exhausted, entwined in each other's arms. Satan basked in his newfound sense of comfort. In that moment, a sense of contentment filled his being, making him momentarily forget what would likely be the inevitable conclusion to their affair.

As they dozed together, Abaddon watched from afar with a satisfied grin.

At that very moment, his locust messenger was flying swiftly toward Heaven. As it approached, it spotted a tall angel standing guard.

It was none other than Hadraniel, a powerful warrior of Archangel Michael's battalion.

The locust got as close to him as it dared, shouting as loudly as it could, hoping that the angel might hear what it had to say.

Unfortunately, Hadraniel's first instinct was to swat the locust away, swinging his open palm at it repeatedly. Only it’s quick reflexes prevented it from being crushed. They went back and forth like this for several seconds before Barachiel, an angel of blessings, approached them, and said,

"Wait, don't harm it! That locust belongs to Abaddon!"

Hadraniel paused mid-swing, looked at Barachiel pointedly, and replied,

"Wouldn't that be a good reason to swat it? The angels running Hell are devils, why would we want one of their pets hanging around here?" Barachiel put his hands on his hips and said,

"In case you weren't aware, Satan and Abaddon aren't particularly fond of us either; if Abaddon is willing to send one of his... pets to us, there must be a good reason."

Barachiel looked at the insect, who was busily poking its little antennae out from its hiding spot behind one of the gate's golden posts. He said,

"My apologies. I'm willing to talk with you if you have something important to share."

The locust cautiously crawled out into view. It flew over to Barachiel, where it rested on his shoulder and whispered something to him. Barachiel nodded in response.

As it continued speaking, the angel's expression grew paler. Eventually, it finished and flew away. Barachiel stood stunned, a strange look on his face. Hadraniel, concerned, asked,

"So, what did it say?" Barachiel swooned and fainted, crumpling to the ground.

***

Oh dear, it seems Agatha has discovered her reflection in the toaster. She's acting as if she intends to attack the bread crisper. Poor Blarg is attempting to negotiate a peace deal by offering lettuce, but she's determined to go to war.

I must intervene in this catastrophe. Perhaps my offering of an artichoke heart will defuse the situation.

Be well, and show great diligence in your smoothie consumption.