by Lexi C. Foss
Followed by a hint of confusion.
“Do it again,” I urged him, noting the flicker of color in her aura.
He did, this time holding it beneath her nostrils and forcing her with his mind to inhale. She gasped, the wind swirling through the room dying in an instant as she fell to the floor at his feet, her hair a tangled mess of dark waves.
Grigory released her from his mind and knelt beside her, his fingers running through her thick locks. She panted in response, her chest heaving with exertion as a myriad of colors slammed into her aura.
The most prominent was red.
Anger, I thought. Because I could feel her fury. But it was no longer directed at her son.
“Charis,” she choked out, confirming what Narissa had told Grigory.
The Neptune princess took the bag from the floor and pulled out another fig, then returned to the sitting room to press the item to each guard’s nose.
“It’s not just Charis,” Grigory said softly, drawing my attention back to him. “It’s Napia, too.” He went back onto his heels and blew out a breath. “I have a lot to tell you, Mother. But let’s get you a drink before I start.”
Lux didn’t say a word while Grigory told her about the army, the sea dragons, and Narissa being the true heir to the Neptune sovereignty. As soon as Narissa had corroborated the statement, Jeremiah had returned at Grigory’s request to take the princess to Valora and Adrik.
I remained behind and listened as Grigory continued the story by telling her how we escaped. Which included a detailed account of my growing powers.
“So before you tell me she’s not a worthy mate, consider everything I’ve just said. And understand me when I say that she’s mine and there’s no fucking way I’m marrying Napia. The only female I want is Zaya,” he concluded, his arm stretched out behind me on the couch.
He leaned back and waited for her to say something.
She had a cup of tea in her hand and a blanket draped around her slim shoulders.
Her guards were back at their posts, their auras blaring red with anger from having been duped by a sea demon.
Lux’s aura, however, had cooled a bit, to a strange yellowish orange. “I see” was all she said before taking another sip of her tea and carefully setting it on the table beside her.
“Do you?” Grigory countered. “Because I mean it. I’m not marrying that sea witch.”
“Oh, that’s quite evident,” she replied before brushing her skirt with her palms and standing. “Lucifer,” she called into the surrounding air.
I started. Oh, no…
The room crackled with darkness, and I tensed against Grigory as the King of the Underworld materialized beside her. He was dressed in a sharp suit, his eyes dark with interest as he looked directly at Lux.
“Yes, my love?” he asked, pulling her in for a kiss.
Lux placed her hand against his chest, pushing him back a little. “I think you have some explaining to do.”
“Why? What have I done this time?” Lucifer nudged Lux’s hand away and pulled her tight to his body.
Grigory coughed, causing Lucifer to glance at him. “Ah, Prince Grigory,” he greeted, the devil in his midnight gaze. “Oh, and my darling Zaya, my prized creation. How lovely to see you both.”
He held out a hand, forcing Grigory to stand to shake it. Then he pulled me in to graze my cheek with a kiss.
The familiarity of that touch burned inside me.
We’d only met in passing, mostly because of his daughter.
Yet he stared at me warmly now, as if he knew every detail about me.
My prized creation, he’d said. What does that mean?
“I think you’d better explain yourself, darling.” Queen Lux shifted away from her lover. “This has your mark written all over it. Colorful auras? Knowledge of realms not yet visited?” She arched a brow. “What have you done this time?”
Lucifer smiled, releasing Lux to walk toward me. “Yes, I suppose an explanation is needed.”
Grigory stepped closer to me, his palm finding my lower back, but said nothing. We all knew better than to demand something from the King of Darkness. Only Lux was brave enough to question him, and her relationship with him was… unique.
Lucifer studied our joined position, a smug grin appearing on his face. “I see my plan has worked perfectly.”
“What plan?” Grigory asked softly, his mind riddled with tension. He wanted to command Lucifer to stop playing games, but he held himself back.
“Yes, darling. What plan?” Lux echoed.
“Why, she’s a present to you, my love,” Lucifer replied, glancing at her with a look of astute adoration. “A gift to please you, as I know that if your son is happy, then you’re happy. And when you’re pleased, then so am I.” He held his hand out to Lux, and she came to his side once more, her eyes glittering with approval. He pressed a kiss to her lips.
“And how is Zaya a gift for me and my son?” she asked him.
“She’s unique and exquisite.” He spun her around and pulled her back to his chest. “The harbinger of the apocalypse, to be precise,” he murmured into her ear. “One of my best creations. Just wait until her powers really bloom.”
My lips parted. “I’m… wh-what?”
Grigory echoed my sentiment.
But it was Lux who asked, “And why would I want that as a gift?”
“Because she’s the perfect mate for your son, darling. He’s a strong man, and no ordinary demon would suffice. So I created Zaya by taking pieces of all my horsemen and placing them inside her soul before using her mother as a surrogate.”
My lungs stopped working.
That didn’t make any sense.
I knew my parents.
This couldn’t be right.
And what horsemen?
“Have you started sucking out souls yet?” Lucifer asked me.
I gaped at him in response.
“Ah, yes, I see you haven’t. Well. That’s coming.” He glanced at Grigory. “She just needs a little bit more of your blood, I think. That’ll do the trick.”
“My blood?”
“Mmm, yes, you’re the key to unlocking the box, so to speak. It’s part of your true betrothal.” Lucifer frowned at him. “You couldn’t possibly think I wanted you to marry that horrid snake of a female?” Silence fell. “Oh. You did.” His lips went to Lux’s ear. “Really, darling. You know me better than that.”
“Well, I didn’t foresee this,” she replied, an angry gleam in her gaze. “You mated death, famine, war, and pestilence into a Graystall halfling, all to appease my son?”
He shrugged. “My four horsemen, my four kingdoms. Yes. But for you more than anyone else.” He sounded pleased with himself. “She’s a product of Graystall, Nova, Noxia, and Neptune. A beautiful creation, I might add. And a fitting queen for your son.”
Caluçon had felt like home.
Then Noxia.
Then Neptune.
No wonder I recognized the realms. They were part of me. They’d crafted foreign memories in my mind of kingdoms I’d never visited yet knew.
This can’t be real.
I pinched myself, certain I’d fallen into another insane nightmare. All that walking through the swamp had left me exhausted. Clearly, this was just my mind fucking with me.
I’m just a normal person.
Grigory’s blood awoke my powers. Sort of.
This isn’t really happening.
“You’re absolutely not normal, and this is absolutely real,” Lucifer replied, hearing my mind. “And it isn’t Grigory’s blood that truly awoke your powers. It was life experiences that placed the key in the box; he merely turned the latch when he saved you. And most recently, he opened the box, through love.”
I didn’t understand at first.
Then the memories came, causing me to stiffen. “Necros,” I whispered.
Grigory growled, pulling me more firmly into his side as if he could protect me from the truth. But it was already in my past. It’
d already happened.
“Yes,” Lucifer replied flatly, allowing me to glimpse the powerful man beneath the veneer.
The true depiction of evil.
The creator of the Underworld.
The Devil himself.
“The attack brought your powers to the surface, and imbibing Grigory’s blood accelerated the process. It’s why you’ve been able to adapt so quickly. Why the auras, your strength, and the memories of my horsemen are all awakening inside you now.”
“And having me tormented, nearly broken, was truly necessary?” I asked him, my ire mounting inside. Because how cruel and fucked up was that? He’d done the same thing to Valora, his twisted mind working in ways of punishment and torturous fate. Surely there was another way to unlock power in this universe?!
“Yes. It was the only way.” No apology, just an emotionless statement. Seeing him with Lux, holding her as his prized possession, almost made him relatable. But I saw the darkness inside him, the savageness guiding his harsh resolves.
This was a male who thrived on violence and pain.
Yet he fancied himself the creator of our kind.
A monster.
A king who enjoyed playing with pawns over his eternal chessboard.
And I’d been his latest move.
“It had to occur to give you the purpose I intended,” he continued. “You’re not a harbinger for the human realm, Zaya. You’re meant for the Underworld, where your primary function will be to rid my realms of dark souls. Particularly, to destroy those who seek pleasure in the pain of others without remorse. Now that you’re familiar with them, you can remove them.”
Souls like yours? I wanted to ask him. Hadn’t he gotten pleasure in my torment? Sacrificing me like a lamb for slaughter with the expectation of watching me grow?
“That sounds like more than just a gift for my mother,” Grigory pointed out. “Seems like you want Zaya to remove anyone who might pose a threat to you.”
“And to your mother,” he added, kissing her on the temple before releasing her. He moved to her side, facing Grigory. “But yes. It’s a perk. However, I also did this to ensure your happiness. Oh, and to stop the joining of two realms. Nothing good will come from that.”
He made it sound so simple, as if my life were a mere game to him. And I supposed it was. “Is there anything else I need to know about my true origins?” I asked him. “Any other surprises lying in wait?”
“No, I think that’s it.” He turned thoughtful, as if taking my questions seriously, and began ticking items off a list. “Harbinger of the Underworld. Created from the four horsemen. Strong. Kill any demons with black auras that you see. Live happily ever after with Grigory. Make Lux happy. Yes, that’s the summary, I believe.”
“Only black?” I asked him. “I see many colors.”
“Yes, those are their energy signatures coming through, typically tied to emotion. Should make things interesting for you.”
Interesting, I thought. An understatement.
I stopped for a moment and stared at Lucifer, noting his lack of an aura. Oh, I knew his soul was black deep within. But on the surface, I couldn’t see anything at all. “So, what if I don’t see an aura?”
Lucifer grinned, clearly amused. “Then you remember you’re talking to me, and I’m not known for revealing my true intentions.”
Of course not.
Why would he?
Lux sighed. “Really, Lucifer, this is… a lot.”
He glanced at her. “It’s no different than raising Adrik for Valora. I crafted the perfect queen for your little king. Surely you see that?”
“You played with my fate,” I replied, my annoyance mounting. “You had me raped to awaken my powers.”
He returned his focus to me, his expression hardening. “One night of torment to unlock a lifetime of power. You’re welcome.”
My teeth ground together at the condescending tone, and a knife fell into my hand at my side before I could even think it through. And then it went sailing through the air, aimed directly for his chest.
Lucifer caught it with a flick of his wrist.
He eyed it with interest, then set the knife on the table beside him, and smiled at me before looking at Lux once more. “So, when’s the wedding? I’ve been looking forward to this day for some time.”
Zaya slept, her mind quiet.
After the last however many hours we’d been awake, I wasn’t surprised. Not only had we been through hell, but Lucifer had just dropped a huge bomb on her.
On the one hand, she finally had answers.
On the other, it was a total mindfuck.
I sighed, leaning down to kiss her on the forehead. Sleep well, my love. She moved on the bed, a smile crossing over her face as though she heard me. Given everything else thriving between us, she probably had.
A harbinger of the Underworld.
A position of great power created out of the four realms and their horsemen.
My head spun as I tried ineffectually to digest all the information I’d heard.
Auras.
Four horsemen.
A gift.
The latter was the part that stuck in my head. Zaya was a present from Lucifer to me. How did I even start to digest that? The horrors of her life were linked to me. They were done to her because of me.
I wasn’t naïve enough to blame myself, but it hurt to know she’d been tormented in a game of fate, all because Lucifer wanted to create the perfect bride.
For me.
A soft knock at the main door to my suite brought me out of my reflection. Stealing a last look at Zaya, I moved from the bedroom to the outer sitting area.
At least I knew it wouldn’t be Napia.
My mother had sent the guards to her quarters to demand her arrest, only to find out that the bitch had fled with her consort and her father. I knew it wouldn’t be the last we saw of them, but at least I had some peace tonight.
I opened the door and found Valora on the other side wearing a worried expression.
“May I come in?” she asked.
I responded by moving out of her way and gesturing her into my sitting area. She walked past me, her long pink skirt swishing against the ground.
“Adrik told me what Lucifer said about Zaya,” she said softly, pausing in the center of my room with her hands clasped before her. “Is she okay?”
I cocked my head toward the bedroom. “She’s pissed, yet thankful to understand her history. I’m not sure how she’ll feel in the morning about it, but for now, she appears to be resting peacefully.”
Valora nodded, her expression darkening. “I really have the worst father in the world, don’t I?”
I grunted. “Yeah, you kind of do.” I motioned for her to sit down while I fixed us some drinks. Blood wine for me, regular wine for her. She accepted the glass with gratitude, then relaxed into my sofa while I took over the chair adjacent to her.
“Your father is…” I trailed off, shaking my head and unable to continue that statement. “I can understand his intentions, and I see the way he is with our mother. He obviously cares for her, but to put Zaya through everything with Necros, similar to what he did to you…” I also couldn’t finish that sentence without losing myself in a string of curses.
I swallowed a gulp of my wine before adding, “The most fucked-up part about all of this is that I’m glad Zaya is in my life, which makes me feel selfish as hell.”
Valora considered that while taking a much smaller sip from her glass. “I think Adrik felt similarly at first. He was furious with Lucifer, yet grateful for my existence, and it created a bit of a conundrum.”
“It feels wrong to be thankful, and yet…”
“You are,” she finished for me. “Lucifer’s methods aren’t kind, but they do work. I’m a better ruler for my kingdom and more powerful from the trials he put me through. He also emboldened my spirit, forcing me to see the good in every situation rather than thrive on my growing strengths. To do that, I had to kno
w what it was like to not feel privileged and protected, to better respect my own natural gifts.”
“And you think his methods were what was best for Zay?” I wondered out loud.
“I think you already know how his methods have impacted her. She’s stronger than ever before. She’s confident. And most importantly, she’s found love.” Her eyes glittered at that last part. “But it took you long enough to act on it. I truly thought putting you in the same room at the wedding would help spur things along, but you’re both so stubborn.”
“You put us in the same room on purpose?” It had shocked the hell out of us both that night, but we’d rolled with it. I’d taken the couch, while she’d slept on the bed.
“Actually, Adrik did.”
I nearly sputtered out the sip of wine I’d just pulled into my mouth. It was a struggle to swallow. “Adrik?”
“You don’t think he’s blind, do you? He’s known about your attraction for months, just as I have. It’s quite obvious, you know.” Valora folded her hands neatly in her lap, the stunning pink diamond engagement ring Adrik gave her sparkled in the lights of my room. I needed to find something as pretty for Zaya when I made her my wife. Possibly in the color blue.
And wow, where had that thought come from?
“You’re good for her,” Valora added, approval evident in her tone.
“Am I?” I asked, setting my glass to the side and rubbing a hand over my face. “I just can’t wrap my head around all of this. Lucifer created her for me, yet she’s a harbinger for him, too. Does that mean she has to collect souls all the time? Won’t that put her life in constant danger?”
Valora laughed softly. “Oh, I think it’s actually rather appropriate. It’s giving her what she always needed.”
“Meaning?”
“Power. And I don’t mean the kind that rules kingdoms, but the kind that comes from the soul. She grew up a halfling, the lowest of the low in Graystall society, and she’s blossomed into a beautiful warrior. Her confidence shines, as does her heart. I think this is the right path for her, even if I don’t agree with the road Lucifer forced her down to get there.”
I considered that. “She’s very strong.”
“Yes.”