Blessed by Night

Malachi gently pulled Joanne's shirt over her head and let it drop to the floor.

Every time he saw her body, he beheld it with the same wonder as a shooting star.

Her slender, pale figure was soft and delicate. The subtle signs of age her body shows only add to her beauty. They paint a gorgeous tapestry of a woman who is as dignified as she is breathtaking.

The scent of soap wafts off her skin and curls into her husband's nose to entice him further.

Similarly, Joanne is gradually hypnotized by every button that comes undone on her husband's shirt.

When his chest is revealed, she stares at him just as hard as he is staring at her.

She gently runs her hands over his skin. Every subtle motion seems to send a new wave of euphoria through him.

The magenta light in his eyes becomes brighter.

Malachi abruptly pulls her closer and takes her breast into his mouth.

Her mouth hangs open breathlessly at the sudden and familiar pleasure.

The feeling of his tongue swirling around her nipple is not overpowering, but it does cause her heat to spread through her body at a more rapid rate.

As Malachi's hands slide down Joanne's waist, she feels a wave of electricity rush from her spine to her brain.

Her breaths became shorter and more frequent. As Malachi felt her squirm within his grasp, he instinctively brought her body closer into his own.

Everything about Joanne was intoxicating. From her breath to her heartbeat and even the softness of her hair.

Joanne gently grabbed her husband by his handsome face.

Their eyes momentarily met. The dual glow of their eyes confirmed that each of them was hopelessly trapped in the palm of the other.

Joanne smiles at him.

"Do you remember, like five seconds ago, when I told you that I didn't want to get pregnant?"

Malachi nodded slowly. Though if he were honest with her, he had almost completely forgotten.

"We should.. probably go and get into bed, huh?"

Mal slowly removed one of Joanne's nipples from his mouth and paid attention to the other. "Probably."

"Get under warm blankets... maybe watch a movie..."

"There are a few Daniel Caesar albums we haven't listened to yet..."

"That sounds nice..."

Once again, their eyes met, only now there were hints of amusement lying underneath their lust.

"...Do you think Sabine would be mad if we asked her to undo the fertility spell this late at night?"

"I think it's worth finding out."

"I'll text her right now."

"Better call."

"Right."

-

Hours later, Malachi knew he was no longer in the embrace of his lover before he even opened his eyes.

The familiar chill in the air and gritty stone surface against his back were both things that were all too telling.

If that didn't hit home his cruel reality, then the jovial, booming voice above his head certainly would do the trick.

"Welcome back to the Demon Domeeee!!!!"

Demonic roars filled Malachi's ears and caused the ground underneath him to rumble.

Lucifer seems to have rediscovered the art of pageantry ever since Mal last saw him. As he gets to his feet, he sees that the dark lord has turned his former hellish stage into an infernal stadium.

Demons are jumping out of their seats and thrashing about wildly. It is as if they can sense the energy in the air from the impending clash and are subsequently feeding on it.

Once Malachi finds Lucifer in the announcer's booth, he sees him in the gaudiest, most tacky announcer's outfit that he can even imagine.

And he is having far too much fun in his new responsibility.

"In corner numberrr one! We have Hell's newest shining star! Why, I dare say someone with this much potential hasn't been seen since… me."

The demons laugh thunderously as if Lucifer were Bernie Mac reincarnated. Malachi had heard funnier jokes about prison rapes.

"You know him, you love him, some of you even want to be above him!"

Malachi had to think of a way to stop being a demon as quickly as possible.

"Our brand new number 72! Andromalius the 86th!!"

"…What?"

Malachi looked around the stadium floor, but he was the only figure there.

He pointed to himself as he stared into Lucifer's viewing box.

"Are you deluded? I beat that bastard already."

Lucifer appeared at Malachi's side and wrapped his arm around his shoulder.

The dark lord leaned forward and proceeded to whisper in his ear.

"Oh, I forgot to mention... When you beat one of the 72, you kind of take their place... hope that's not a problem, but if it is, tough shit, I don't make the rules!"

"Then who the fuck does!?"

"NOBODY!"

Malachi attempted to shove Lucifer away from him, but the demon lord vanished in a column of flame before he could lay a finger on him.

He reappeared in his viewing box with his arm wrapped around a seemingly amused Lilith.

At the same time, Malachi felt a cold and malevolent presence appear on the platform with him.

"And his opponent! Our very own Keeper of the Forbidden Library and all-around mega-scholar, the one! The only! Rank 71, DUKE DANTALIONNN!!!"

The crowd of demons let out loud, throaty roars as they flung bloody rags and other unnecessarily crude things into the air.

Begrudgingly, Malachi turned around to get his first glimpse at his opponent.

Dantalion looked more like a religious leader of some obscure cult than one of hell's most powerful demons.

He resembled a figure from a forgotten age. A disgraced scholar of history.

An ankle-length robe covered the slender, pale figure underneath.

His complexion was ghastly, like stone lying amidst the harshest winter; his face showed not even the faintest trace of blood flow.

The man's hair was a haunting thing. It floated above his head in a twisted spire that unnerved Malachi.

He could have sworn that, for a moment he saw ghastly faces and screaming at him, as if to warn him of some great, impending danger.

The demon's eyes were closed to the world around them. In his right hand, he held a large book bound tightly in black chains and a heavy padlock.

With slow, measured movements, the demon raised his arm above his head.

And with no prior warning, his book burst open, and Malachi was rendered completely blind.