Hell's Phoenix Deleted Scene

This deleted scene came about right after Nix broke in Hell. There are several reasons why I deleted it. 1) Nix didn't sell his soul, so there would be no physical manifestation of his soul for Micah to wear. Nix covenanted his lineage, that's a huge difference from selling his soul. 2) I thought it worked better for Nix to feel Madison's magic on the opposing tsunami than for a demon to approach Micah with the possibility that Madison lived.


Which way do you think works better?

Disclaimer: This scene is unedited and was removed from the book prior to submitting Hell's Phoenix to my publisher, Decadent Publishing.

♥♥♥♥♥

Micah watched Phoenix peel skin from their newest victim. He fiddled with his pinkie ring and felt pride for his creation. In the final moments of Madison's life, she'd uttered the words to protect Nix from gross injustice from a multitude of demons. Smart, yeah, and he'd been so damn proud of her.

Being a former Sherlock, many demons wanted a go at the mortal's soul. But Madison's protection hung around him like a thick cloud, an odd mixture of violet, red, indigo and gold. A unique combination to express her soul.

        Micah stroked the twig shaped crystal dangling from the hollow of his throat. Inside resided one-half of Madison's soul, the mortal half because the demonic half already held honors of a spot in Hell. The soul swirled inside the crystal with the same colors as the ones surrounding Phoenix.

        If he could just locate the other half the immortal had murdered—the demonic half—he could recreate her. In his spare time he searched for her missing essence, but grew more frustrated with each day's failure. Demons searched non-stop, but all of them met with the same failure.

        The immortal had done a damn good job of destroying that half.

        Micah crossed his legs and rested his hand on his thigh. The ring on his pinkie caught his attention. Phoenix's soul was housed within the square crystal. In life the man had never been boxed in. For eternity, his soul rested in a box, a swirling mist of green and gold.

        His two most prized possessions. Madison's and Phoenix's souls. He didn't miss the irony that Phoenix's soul rested next to the white-gold wedding band Madison slid onto his finger twelve years ago.

        The soul screamed, ripping his thoughts to the present. Phoenix used the hook-like apparatus on the soul, ripping through flesh, muscles and tendons with ease. All the while Phoenix wore a wicked smile and a dark gleam in his green eyes, humming the tune Highway to Hell.

        Oh, yeah, Micah savored his new creation. The man had been difficult to break, taking longer than any before him, but the satisfaction of altering him ranked close to the delight he felt for Madison and Amos. Phoenix was a better student than he'd ever imagined possible, learning quickly, not dodging anything he asked of him. Most that broke couldn't execute every request without being placed back on the torture rack for reinforcement. The only time Phoenix had flinched was when asked to eat the heart of their victim. He hadn't balked over the orgies with males, females and demons alike, but embraced them with gusto. Neither had he recoiled when Micah invited him to his bed. The former Sherlock especially pleased him sexually.  

        Micah rose from his lounging position and neared Phoenix and his victim, the piercing screams music to his dark soul. He kissed Phoenix's neck and cupped his ass as Phoenix whacked the hook into the thigh of the male on the rack. Phoenix turned to gaze at him over his shoulder and blew him a kiss.

        "You're turning me the fuck on," Micah told him. He always grew hard when Phoenix doled out soul searing torment.

        A smile twisted Phoenix's lips and he licked the blood of his victim off his fingers. Micah groaned. He understood why Madison had become enamored of this man. Elias claimed he was weak for the mortal world because he enjoyed defiling them. Maybe it was true, because Micah loved one mortal with everything in his fiber and adored the reformed mortal standing before him.

        "Your Majesty," a low-level demon interrupted just as Micah moved in to kiss Phoenix.

        At the interruption, Micah morphed into his demonic form, forcing back his rage at being interrupted. "What?" he growled at the kneeling servant.

        "A word in private, if you please."

        "This had fucking better be important or I'll eat your intestines."

        The demon didn't even shiver at the threat. That alone told him the importance of whatever the demon had to say.

        "Continue, Phoenix. We'll pick back up when I return."

        Phoenix nipped Micah's chin playfully and he shuddered at the teasing come-on. Fuck him, he couldn't wait to taste Phoenix on his tongue.

        Outside the torture room he glared at the low-level demon capable of producing a solid imagine here in Hell only. Topside, he had to borrow a human body. The demon was male, light brown hair, brown eyes, thin lipped, crooked nose and sallow complexion, most likely his appearance in life. He wouldn't have been a mortal to remember.

        "Speak," Micah commanded.

        "Your Queen lives."

            Three words and Micah's entire world altered.

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