by Jane Hinchey
Swooping in fast and low, I scooped him up in both arms, holding him close against my body. I zoomed high into the air, twisting and turning to avoid the arrows the Zuska began shooting at us. Levi was panting, breathless but alive.
“What kept you?” he wheezed.
“I couldn’t get through the portal,” I explained, “so I took a quick trip to Heaven to get some help. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” But something in his voice told me I had another male on my hands whose feathers were well and truly ruffled. Great.
“I’m sorry you got taken, and that I couldn’t come for you sooner.” My apology was sincere, and I pressed my lips to his neck.
He jerked away. “It’s been weeks, Lucy.”
“No, it hasn’t. It’s been a couple of hours at most,” I argued.
“Bull. Shit,” he spat. “Look at me. Do I look like I’ve been here for a couple of hours?”
I glanced at his clothing, torn and dirty, and took in his long, filthy hair. I couldn’t see his face properly, but there was a beard now covering his jaw.
“Shit. Fuck! I’m sorry! Time must move differently here. I came as quickly as I could, I swear. I had to get help.”
He kept quiet while I told him of my trip to Heaven, the confrontation with my brothers, the news that dad was missing, and the subsequent creation of the Sword of Souls. Slowly, he relaxed in my arms, and I was relieved he believed I hadn’t left him here to rot.
Dacian was waiting for us at the portal. He greeted Levi with a slap on the back and a grunted, “Glad you’re still alive.”
We hurried through the portal. It wasn’t until I’d sealed it with the sword that I relaxed. Levi was back—back on Earth, where he belonged. I put the strange vibe I was getting from him down to the fact that he’d been trapped in another dimension for weeks. That would rattle anyone, especially if death was imminent. The thought that he could have died filled my mind, and my eyes soon filled with tears. I’d almost lost him. The relief that he was standing here in front of me now was overwhelming, and I threw myself into his arms, uncaring that Dacian muttered, “Oh, for fuck’s sake” and stomped away.
Levi returned my embrace, pressing his face into the curve of my neck, breathing deeply. Shivers danced over my skin, covering me in goosebumps.
“I want you so damn much,” he whispered, the evidence pressing hard against my abdomen, “but not here. Fucking in a cemetery isn’t on my list of things to do. At least not today.”
I shivered, anticipation making my knees weak. “Let’s go home.”
Pressing myself to his chest, smiling in wicked delight when his arms wrapped around me tightly, I extended my wings, and within seconds we were standing at his door.
Mr. Meow greeted us, weaving between our legs and threatening to trip us. I bent to rub his ears, squealing in surprise when Levi stepped up behind me, clasped my hips, and pushed his hips against my butt.
“I like this,” he growled, and I just about came then and there. “But…”
“But?” I questioned, twisting my head to look at him over my shoulder.
“I need to get cleaned up first.”
“What if I like it dirty?” I couldn’t stop the words tumbling from my mouth.
“Oh, you’re still going to get it dirty, don’t you worry.” He slapped my ass before releasing me, disappearing into the bathroom before I could respond.
“I need the sword back.”
Dacian’s demand caught me by surprise, and I squealed, spinning to see him standing in the living room, arms crossed over his chest. Oh, he was pissed, and given what he’d probably just witnessed, I couldn’t blame him.
“Right.” Stepping back, I rapped on the bathroom door. “Levi? Dacian needs the sword back.” I’d noticed the Sword of Angels strapped to Levi’s belt when I rescued him. The bathroom door swung open so fast I stepped back in surprise.
“I don’t think so.” Levi’s eyes were hard and cold, and his hand rested protectively on the hilt of the sword.
“That—” Dacian nodded his head at the sword. “—is the Sword of Angels, and it doesn’t belong on Earth. I’m taking it with me.”
“You gave it to me. I’m keeping it,” Levi shot back.
“I let you borrow it. Now it’s time to give it back.”
“Boys,” I warned. The air was thick with testosterone. The last thing I needed was these two fighting.
“Don’t fret, Lucy,” Dacian sneered, “I won’t hurt your boyfriend.”
“As if you could!” Levi protested, starting to withdraw the sword from his belt loop. Oh, good grief, what were they doing? Idiots.
Holding out his hand, Dacian muttered something. The sword ripped free of Levi’s grasp, flying across the room and into Dacian’s hands.
“What the hell?” Levi yelled.
“Sword of Angels.” Dacian smirked. “I’m an Angel, you’re not. Remember?”
“You’re an asshole.” Levi’s voice was laced with fury, and I looked at him in surprise. Where was this coming from?
Dacian shrugged, a self-satisfied look on his face. “Maybe. But the sword wasn’t meant for you, just like she’s not meant for you.”
“Dacian!”
Before I could say anything further, he spread his wings and disappeared. Rubbing a hand over my face, I struggled to get a grip on what had just happened. The two of them fighting over the sword, then Dacian’s dig about me? I was going to have to sort things out with him, I realized. No more tip-toeing around his feelings and worrying about hurting him. I couldn’t stand by and let him sabotage my relationship with Levi because he was jealous.
“I think you should go.”
“What? Why?” I spun, my heart freezing in my chest. I’d just found Levi. Why would I leave? Plus, we’d just been about to get intimate. I had no intention of going anywhere.
“I’m tired.”
Looking now at his drawn face and empty eyes, I berated myself for being so selfish. He truly did look awful. Not only was his skin covered with a layer of dirt, but he also had bruises and scratches. He’d lost weight, sported a scraggly beard, and his hair was a red hot mess.
“Let me help.” Cupping his face in my hands, I smiled softly when he didn’t pull away. He was skittish and I couldn’t blame him. He’d endured what no human should have to endure. He needed time to adjust to being back home, and I had to respect that. I sent my healing power into him, and before my eyes, his cheeks filled out, his injuries healed, his hair smoothed itself out, and there was a sexy five o’clock shadow where his beard had been.
“Thanks, but—” He wouldn’t meet my eyes, instead stepping back into the bathroom. “I still want to be alone. I want a long, hot shower—alone. I want to sleep—alone.” The emphasis on the word “alone” stung. Not to mention, his whole demeanor confused me. He was all over me one minute, then turning me away the next. I wasn’t used to hot and cold, didn’t know how to take it. But I loved Levi and I had to respect his wishes. After what he’d been through, it was the least I could do.
“Okay. Just…call me? When you’re ready?”
“Call you how? You live in Hell, remember? It’s not like there’s a phone line between here and there.” His sarcasm was so uncharacteristic that I took a step back. What was wrong with him?
“Use the psychic link. Like you did the first time you contacted me. I’ll hear you.”
“Fine.” The bathroom door slammed, leaving me stunned. This was not the homecoming I had envisioned. Not knowing what to do with myself, but not wanting to anger Levi further, I gave Mr. Meow one last fuss before returning to Hell.
5
“Back so soon?”
Dacian’s taunt was the final straw. I hadn’t been expecting to find him waiting in my office, and his presence along with his sarcastic dig grated on my nerves.
“What did you do?” I accused, hands on my hips, eyes narrowed.
“What did I do? Oh, that’s rich.”
“
Why are you all acting so crazy?” I cried.
Dacian was jealous, as if I had been cheating on him. Levi was just being plain weird, but I attributed that to weeks he’d spent constantly on guard and in fear of his life. He’d need time to adjust. But Dacian? Okay, so his memories had only just returned—or so he said—but it wasn’t like him to act like such a douche.
“Maybe you’re the crazy one,” he said.
That was it. I’d reached my limit. I flew at him, punched him in the jaw, and followed him to the floor, intent on unleashing as much pain as possible. How dare he come to my home and treat me like this?
We tussled on the floor in an undignified brawl for several minutes. I heard Ashliel laughing and clapping and dancing with glee at the spectacle we were making, but I couldn’t rein it in. I was pissed off and fed up, and I was going to take it out on Dacian. He clearly felt the same way. His fist caught my head, snapping it back. Pain radiated from my jaw.
“Ow. Fuck.” I toppled, cradling my face. He’d broken bones. I winced as I channeled my magic to heal them.
“Shit.” Dacian was beside me in a second, his face contrite. “I’m sorry. Fuck, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“Yes, you did. Just like I meant to hurt you. Come on, Dacian, don’t start lying now. This is us…remember?”
“That’s just it. I remember loving you. And you leaving. That’s what I remember.” He sat with his knees drawn up, arms resting on them, head bowed. “I don’t remember grieving or healing.”
“It’s been, like, thousands of years since then,” I whispered, feeling his pain. It radiated from him, and I wanted desperately to ease it. He’d been through this already. It was unfair he had to go through it again.
“My brain knows what you say is true, but my emotions? They haven’t caught up.”
“How can I help?” I moved to my knees, my hand on his arm.
He blew out a heavy sigh. “I don’t know. It’s in my head, right? Can you…”
“Get in your head?” I guessed where he was going.
He nodded. “You’re the only one I trust. Things still aren’t right up here.” He tapped his temple. “I need everything sorted. I need to be on the top of my game to find God.”
“I guess I can try?”
“Just promise me you won’t mess with anything, Lucy. Don’t change anything. Not to save my feelings or make me feel better. I just need the truth. I need my life back.”
“I promise I’ll just unblock whatever is blocking you.”
“Oh, man. You two spoil all the fun.” Ashliel flounced away, apparently disappointed that our fight was over.
Dacian and I grinned at each other, then he jumped to his feet, holding out his hand to haul me up.
“Let’s get comfortable, shall we?” He headed to the sofa and I followed. Taking a seat at one end, I indicated he should lay down with his head in my lap.
“Thanks for trusting me with this.” I looked down into his blue eyes, tried to ignore the love I could see blazing in them. He’d be over that soon enough. I wondered if he’d loved again after me. He probably had, for Dacian had a big heart and was a good man. What had become of her, his latest love? Had he forgotten her as well? Was she waiting for him somewhere, wondering what had happened?
“Hey, what’s that expression for?” He touched my cheek, bringing me back to the present.
“Nothing.” Clearing my throat, I flexed my fingers and then placed one palm on his forehead. “Let’s do this. Close your eyes.”
I concentrated on the connection between us, where my flesh touched his, and followed it from the tips of my fingers to his forehead, then deeper, along the superhighways of his mind. And as I moved through his mind, I found them—plain, everyday doors, only some of them were crossed with yellow tape. Locked. Approaching each of those doors, I tore down the tape and flung them open, letting his memories loose.
It didn’t take long, but it was exhausting, for I felt each memory as it fled its prison, as it burst through me and into him, to find its rightful place. They were a kaleidoscope of images, moving much too fast for me to make sense of them. I was actually grateful for that. To see and know all of his innermost thoughts would be way too intrusive.
Finally, I was done. Removing my hand from his forehead, I opened my eyes to look down at him, only to find him out cold. I lifted his head and eased myself out from under him, leaving him to sleep it off. I sent up a silent prayer that I’d done the right thing.
Standing beneath my waterfall shower, I let the warm water flow over me, trying not to think of Levi. I failed. Every minute or so, I was reaching out to our connection, feeling for the bond, and while reassured that he was there, he also wasn’t calling for me. I was wondering why, but I was also hurt.
Me. Lucifer. Crying in the shower because my feelings were hurt. A tongue of flame licked from my fingers, and I curled my fingers into a fist to contain it.
“Keep your emotions under control,” I whispered to myself.
“I say let them out and have at it,” Ashliel commented from her perch on the granite bench in my bathroom.
“What, and destroy everyone in my path because I’m having a temper tantrum that things aren’t going my way?”
“Why not?” She tossed her hair over her shoulder, the flames following a nanosecond later.
I laughed. “You’re such a bloodthirsty little thing.”
Ashliel and I were as different as chalk and cheese. Whereas I delivered punishment and inflicted pain because it was my job, I didn’t enjoy it. I often felt bad about it. But not Ashliel. She enjoyed it, even reveled in it. She made the perfect second-in-command.
Turning off the shower, I stepped out, accepting the towel Ashliel handed me.
“You should do it,” she said, head cocked to one side.
“What, unleash my temper?”
“No, silly.” She laughed. “Go see Levi.”
“He said he wanted to be alone,” I protested, wrapping the towel around myself and knotting it between my breasts.
“And he has been alone. You’re worried he hasn’t called? Go find out why. You fought so damn hard to get him back and now he’s blowing you off? You should get those answers…you deserve them.”
“You’re right.”
Buoyed by her encouragement, I dried off and tossed the towel at her, striding naked into my dressing area, where I surveyed row after row of dresses, pants, and pantsuits. This time, I settled on a long dress that brushed around my ankles, cinched in tight at my waist, and cupped my breasts in a becoming halter neck. In red, of course, to compliment my dark hair.
“You look stunning,” Ashliel said.
She always had been my number one cheerleader and I appreciated her more than ever now, especially since Levi’s rejection had bruised my ego. But had he really rejected me? He’d asked for some alone time. Did that count as rejection?
Yes, a tiny voice answered. Because he’d primed you for an epic love-making session, had been rubbing up against you, then he sent you away.
Tired of my own inner monologue, I gave Ashliel a quick hug before materializing in Levi’s apartment. Mr. Meow greeted me immediately, purring and rubbing against my legs.
“Hey, boy.” I crouched, running my hand over his silky head and down his body. He purred in approval. “So where’s your dad, eh? Is he sleeping?”
“Trying to,” Levi grumbled from the sofa. Peering over it, I saw him sprawled on his back, towel tied around his hips, one arm thrown over his eyes.
“Sorry if I woke you.” Suddenly full of doubt, I backed away, toward the door. I shouldn’t have come. He’d specifically asked for some space, and I’d blatantly ignored his request. If our roles had been reversed, I’d be annoyed too.
“It’s okay. I’m sorry, too,” he said.
That stopped me in my tracks. “You are?”
“Yeah.” He removed the arm from over his eyes and sat up. “I’m sorry I asked you to leave. I wish I hadn’t.”
“You do?” I couldn’t keep the delight from my voice, and I winced a little at my own enthusiasm when I saw his lip curl in a smirk.
“I was just…overwhelmed?”
It was more of a question than a statement, and I crossed to him, perching on the side of the sofa as I clasped one of his hands in mine. “A lot has happened. And for you, a lot of time went by. No wonder you thought I’d abandoned you. I’d never do that to you, Levi. Ever.”
“I know.” He squeezed my hand, his hazel eyes intent. “I did things, Lucy. Bad things.”
Sucking in a breath, I whispered, “Like what?”
“I killed a man. I killed Zuska.”
“In self-defense?”
He nodded, not meeting my eyes. “But…I think he tricked me into it. I think he wanted me to do it.”
“Why?”
“To alert the rest of his tribe that I was there. As soon as his blood hit the ground, it alerted them. They hunted me from that point on.”
“That’s an extreme way to get his tribe’s attention. To sacrifice himself.” I frowned. Surely Zuska could have taken Levi to the tribe instead? It made no sense. Unless… “Do you think he felt he’d failed in his mission to permanently take up residence on Earth and open the portal? Did you get a sense that, to him, failure was not an option? That death was the only alternative?”
Levi was silent for a moment, digesting my words. Then he shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. We didn’t really talk. It happened right after we’d come back through the portal.”
I rested my palm on his cheek and leaned in close. “Levi, you did what you had to do to survive. You were in a realm not meant for humans. You’ll be forgiven.”
“Is that what you think? That I’m worried God won’t forgive me?” He sounded surprised.
“Aren’t you?”
“No. I mean, you’re living proof that Heaven and Hell do exist, but…I don’t know. I just…”
“What?”
The silence stretched between us, and I wondered what was going on behind his gorgeous eyes. I had no sense of what he was thinking or feeling. Then the blank look was gone. His eyes twinkled, his lip curled, and with a whispered “Come here,” he cupped the back of my neck and pulled me to him. The second his lips touched mine, all thought fled. Whatever I’d been worrying about was gone. It was just the two of us, and the heat of his mouth, the slide of his tongue, the shiver that travelled the length of my spine and settled between my thighs.