by Maya Daniels
“Peachy.” The strained smile I offer him doesn’t convince him on the truthfulness of my words. “I’m fine, really.” Uncomfortable under his prodding perusal, I look at the open doors for the first time.
With lips parted in wonder, my fingers lift and trace the beautiful scenes depicted in what looks like etched, black glass. Angels and demons in the middle of battles have been carved in all their beautifully horrific glory. Their faces cut in sharp, determined lines, wings spread wide, or horns pushed forward. I can feel their pain, determination, and their hunger for victory, which is so intense that it takes my breath away. As my fingers glide over it, warmth spreads through my hand. Red pulsing light comes from the door, getting brighter the longer I hold my skin pressed on it. The ground under my feet trembles, forcing me to place my entire palm on the glass so I can stay standing.
“What in the fates is that?” Colt growls from somewhere, but I can’t pull my gaze away from the pulsing light.
“Hel…” Whatever Eric was about to say gets lost in the whooshing air that flings my hair over my face, blocking the light and the door from view.
With a loud gasp, I snap out of the trance that pulled me under as soon as I touched the door. “I need to get out of here.” Grabbing Eric’s hand, I’m ready to bolt out of the place, but when I turn, Colt is blocking my exit.” Get the hell out of my way.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, sweetheart.” Smirking, he folds his arms over his chest.
“You can. I just need to help you move.”
I only manage one step towards him when the doors start swinging closed. My eyes widen when Colt throws his body at me, and I have no time to brace for the impact. He slams into me like a battering ram, and with an oomph, my back hits Eric’s chest since he was right behind me. All three of us end up sprawled in a tangled mess of limbs, with only the Trowe standing above us. He is watching with interest, while the last silvery glow of the moon fades over his ugly face.
There is a horrible finality in the thudding sound when the doors close, pitching us in darkness. We all lay frozen for a moment before Eric starts spitting insults at his brother, pushing him off me. The incredulity of this whole thing makes me giggle. The giggle turns into a burst of hysterical laughter that echoes around us eerily.
“Hel.” Shoving Colt further away from me, Eric pushes the hair out of my face. I can’t see him, but I can feel his worried gaze on me. “What’s wrong? Talk to me.”
“The land can be overwhelming at times if you are not used to it,” a new voice says from somewhere above my head.
The simple words are spoken with a lilting accent, making them sound sophisticated. Whoever it is, they can be reading a dinner menu, and no sane person will be able to resist a sigh, the same one that passes through my lips. My entire body turns into a limp noodle, melting into a puddle on the hard floor.
Eric stiffens, a horrific growl coming out of him like a dog guarding a bone.
“Shhhh…” My hand slaps all over his face before I find his mouth and hold it closed. “Let him speak.”
Prying my fingers off his face, Eric huffs and lifts up, pulling me along with him. A masculine chuckle bounces off the walls, giving the illusion that we are in a cave underground. A memory nudges my brain like I’ve heard it before, but I can’t put my finger on it. Blinking in the darkness doesn’t help at all. Not knowing what fresh hell is about to hit us, now that my brain is out of the gutter thanks to not having Eric’s half-naked body all over me, I keep them closed and concentrate on sound.
“Enough with the theatrics.” Pulling me closer to him, Eric snaps at whoever is here with us. “She won’t appreciate it, I assure you.”
“What are you talking about?” My question ends with an embarrassing yelp when a tiny hand grabs mine before I remember the damn Trowe. “Stop touching me.” Snatching my hand away, I press closer to Eric. “That will get you stabbed really fast.”
“Apologies.” The beautiful voice floats in the darkness, full of amusement, a moment before candles burst to life all around us.
The wander of the orangey glow casting everything in an almost romantic light fades in a split second when my eyes land on the man facing us. He is in the middle of a long hallway, his hands pushed in the pockets of pressed, elegant pants, watching me with rapt interest. A black dress shirt with the top two buttons open stretches over his broad chest and tucks in the pants at his narrow waist. He is a sight to behold, as alluring as all the stories make him out to be, and then some. My mouth dries up, preventing me from swallowing the lump the size of Atlanta that is stuck in my throat. There is no mistaking who came to welcome us into his domain. If the power rolling off of him in waves didn’t give him away, the too beautiful face, more sinful than anyone’s face has a right to be, would’ve.
“Welcome, Helena.” His lips pull on one side in an almost smile while I gape at him stupidly. “These are unpredictable times, I’m afraid. You will have to forgive me for wanting to confirm who you really are before I allow you entrance.”
“The door.” Balling my fists, I let my anger come to the surface, clearing the fuzz in my brain. The asshole was messing with my head on purpose.
Inclining his head regally, like I’m a puppy that learned a new trick, he keeps watching me. The floor under my feet starts shaking violently, but he doesn’t bat an eye. His smile keeps growing, pissing me off even more.
“Lucifer.” Squeezing the name through clenched teeth and glaring at him, I lift my chin defiantly. “Your buddy Michael didn’t manage to intimidate me by throwing his powers around. Neither will you.”
I’m grateful Eric stays out of it, allowing me to show this jerk that I’m not a scared little girl they can all push around. It might help him get my forgiveness for being an ass and not telling me the truth. Lucifer throws his head back, his black hair brushing his shoulders. The allure of his laughter makes my skin pebble.
“Come.” After he is done laughing at me, he turns and starts walking further into the never-ending hallway. “We need to talk.”
“Like shit was not weird enough, your father has to look like he is your age, huh?” spitting the words angrily at Eric, I stomp after Lucifer. Like that’s the most important thing. Ignoring the fact that first Colt, and now Lucifer, knew my name before anyone mentioned it gets shoved in the back of my head for later.
Eric doesn’t answer, only lifts an eyebrow at me. We continue down the hallway with the Trowe taking point and Colt bringing up the rear. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was a security measure in case we decide to bolt for the doors. Glancing over my shoulder at the said doors, a shiver passes through me. I hope there is another exit from this place.
Stumbling slightly, I frown at the floor. The smooth mirror-like surface is cracked at uneven intervals like a mega-earthquake has hit the place and split it open. The cracks are no wider than an inch or two, not enough for us to drop through it—a fact I’m more than grateful for. Tiny flames flicker like someone has placed tea candles to mask the scarred floor. The deeper we go; the more silly things seem. With only fires for light, it feels like we are walking through a night sky. The faint scent of musk drifts through the air.
“Look, mistress.” The creepy voice of the creature yanks me from the magic this place is using to mess with my brain. He is pointing excitedly at the fork in the hallway, the direction I saw Lucifer’s back disappear a second ago. When we reach it, my feet falter, but Eric doesn’t let Colt see my hesitation. Tugging me along, he steers us through this new twist in Lucifer’s labyrinth.
Clocks.
Hundreds of clocks in various shapes and sizes cover both sides of the walls. As we pass them, I notice none of them are working. They are stopped, all of them at the same time. No matter where I look, six o’clock stares at me from each mechanical face. Glancing at Eric, I see him flicking his eyes, checking the damn clocks as well. His gaze narrows, and I can almost hear his teeth grinding. Squeezing his fingers, I shake my head
subtly to stop whatever he is planning on doing. His nostrils flare, but he gives me a barely perceptible jerk of his head. We need to hear what Lucifer has to say and get out of here.
If we get out of here.
The gloomy thought is like a knife through me, so just like everything else, I leave it for later if there is a need for it. I’m sure if they wanted me dead, they would’ve acted differently. Maybe they’re trying to get me to cooperate without being forced. Whatever their agenda is, I’ll have to act as a willing participant until I’m out of here.
Everything will be fine, I tell myself sternly.
I need information and Lucifer has it. I’m not foolish enough to think he will give me what I want without getting something in return. Whether I’m willing to pay the price or not, that’s left to be determined.
“We are almost there,” Eric says softly next to me.
As if his words conjure it, the end of the hallway appears. Double doors, wide and tall enough to fit a tank, wait for us, partly open. The slit between them looks wide enough for us to walk through, one by one. Uneasiness claws at me, but I stiffen my shoulders.
Don’t show weakness. With that mantra in my head, ignoring the cold sweat sliding down my back, I keep moving. The flickering of light through the cracked open doors tells me there is more candlelight in that room, as well.
Eric guides me with a warm palm pressed at the small of my back, unaware of the turmoil in me. He looks pissed, but not worried. That’s a good thing, right? When his fingers catch on the dagger I have tucked in my waistband, I stiffen, almost stopping in my tracks. Guilt stabs me when he only adjusts his hand, ignoring it. I’m getting paranoid the longer I am in this castle of doom. Before we walk through the doors, it hits me why I’m creeped out so much. This hallway is as silent as the one leading to Maddison’s office. The silence is so oppressive that it’s enough to drive you insane.
The Trowe waits for us at the doors like he can feel my trepidation. In a way, I’m grateful for the gesture, regardless of how much he freaks me out.
“Come in,” Lucifer calls from inside the room. “Time is wasting.”
“Does time matter to you?” Steeling my spine, I strut inside like I own the place. “Looking at your collection out there,” I start, itching a thumb over my shoulder and staring at his back, “I would think you couldn’t care less.”
“So reckless.” Chuckling, he looks over his shoulder. “Sit.”
Since it’s not a request but a command, I bristle. Eric, knowing me too well, grabs me by the elbow and drags me closer to his father, plopping me on soft cushions. When my ass sinks in softness I’ve never felt before, I finally look around. The room is wide with high ceilings. Bookshelves line the walls, stacked to bursting with leather bounds and scrolls. Four sofas are placed in a half-circle in front of the most prominent fireplace I’ve seen, one chair fit for a king nestled between them. Lucifer is standing with his back to us, staring at the roaring flames. Opening my mouth to start pissing him off more, the words get stuck in my throat when my eyes flick above the mantle. Black wings with greenish-silvery tips that shimmer like a rainbow are stretched above the fire, framed in glass. Something about them brings tears to my eyes, but I blink them away. All the anger drains from me, and I clear my throat, twice, before I can speak.
“You knew who I was before I even told you my name.” I can’t hide the accusation in my voice.
Turning around slowly, Lucifer keeps his accessing gaze on me for a long time before turning to Eric. After he pushed me on the sofa, Eric didn’t sit, but he also didn’t move even an inch away from me. Looming above me, he stares at his father with his arms crossed over his bare chest. Colt stays leaning on the doors we used to walk in, and the Trowe roams around the room, sniffing everything within reach.
“I would say it is nice to see you, but I can tell it’s not mutual.” Lucifer smiles sadly at his son.
“You wouldn’t be wrong.” Obviously, in Hell, Eric is a man with very little words.
“I have Helena to thank for seeing my son in over a century.” Inclining his head at me, I almost jump up to curtsy like an idiot. The fallen angel sure knows how to affect people.
“This is not a family reunion,” Eric snaps. “What in the fates is going on, and how did Abaddon manage to get past the wards in the portal to the human realm so soon after a hunter sent him back?”
“With a bullet between his eyes,” I quip when he is done, in case we are taking records of how the demon died. Eric squeezes the bridge of his nose with a thumb and forefinger, so I glare at the side of his head.
“I am to assume it was your doing?” Cocking his head like a bird, Lucifer’s black eyes twinkle, and what looks like quicksilver passes through them a few times.
“You are avoiding my question,” Eric growls.
“Mammon has gone insane.” Waving an elegant hand with long fingers, Lucifer wrinkles his nose, twisting his lips like he smells something bad. “I have let him do what he pleases for too long. Like spoiled children, they are throwing a tantrum, thinking if they take my place they can do what they want.”
“Can they?” I wince internally when his eyes lock on mine again. I should learn to keep my mouth shut. “Take your place I mean.”
“What do you think, girl? Have I ruled this realm since the beginning because anyone can take it from me?”
“Oh, wow. Breathe dude. I didn’t mean to insult you; I’m just asking. Until a couple of months ago, I thought they made you up.” My eyebrows hit my hairline, pure innocence plastered on my face.
“Did she just call me dude?” Lucifer looks from Eric to Colt with what I think is shock on his face. Bracing myself for him to go ape-shit, my jaw hits the floor when a deep belly laugh shakes his body. “You are so much like your father.” Slapping a hand on his thigh, he keeps laughing.
“My…” Blinking fast, I try to unlock my jaw and untangle my tongue. “You knew my father?”
“Knew?” All laughter dies down, and he frowns at me. “I KNOW your father. I don’t know how Mammon managed to trap him. I have no doubt Satanael is well and will find a way out.”
All air gets sucked out of the room, and everything around me fades to blessed darkness.
Eric
“Satanael’s daughter.” After making sure Helena is as comfortable as she can be, I turn to my father. “I don’t know why I didn’t connect the dots when Raphael talked about her parents.”
“Raphael?” Leaning an elbow on the hand rest of his chair, he places one ankle over his knee, smoothing his pant-leg thoughtfully. “He has an interest in the girl I take it?”
“Everyone has an interest in her, thanks to that bastard Abaddon.” Pushing the words through clenched teeth, I scowl at my fists. “I will skin him alive when I get my hands on him. It’ll take him a few centuries to regrow all the parts I will rip apart with my bare hands.”
“You fought tooth and nail for this not to be your problem.” My father’s words feel like hot oil poured over my insides. “You renounced your title and your place by my side to make sure this will never be your problem.” The silence is pressing the weight of the worlds on top of my chest. “What changed?”
Knuckles white, I relish the pain when my claws burst and sink into my palms. A muscle ticks in my jaw, the sound of my grinding teeth too loud to my ears. Saying nothing, I keep glaring at my fists. The fates have played the biggest joke of the millennia on me.
“Colt?” I flick my gaze to him when he addresses my twin brother.
“Yes, father?” Always the obedient one, he snaps to attention. I glare at him for that.
“Leave us!”
Colt’s face turns red in fury. Nostrils flaring, he opens his mouth, thinks better of it, and storms out of the room, slamming the doors behind him. As petty as it may be, I smirk at the closed entrance.
“Well?” With a narrowed gaze, he prompts me.
“What do you want me to say?” Pushing off the sofa so I don’t w
ake Helena, I start pacing in front of the fireplace.
“How about answering my question.” Lifting a hand palm up, and wordlessly calling me an idiot, he waits patiently.
“I am not you.” Whirling on him, I get in his face. “I will never be you, and I will never play these mind games all of you enjoy.” Flinging a hand at Helena, I make sure he understands me without a shadow of a doubt. “And neither will she. I will bet my soul on it. You and Santanael have another think coming if you think you will make her do anything she doesn’t want to do.”
“Boy, you have already lost much on your bets.” His gaze lands over my shoulder above the mantle. It’s like a physical punch to the chest. “Soon you will have nothing left to bargain with if you keep it up.”
“She is my mate!” roaring in his face, my body shakes with the force of holding back and not punching his smug face. “I will give all I am willingly to protect her from your schemes.”
“That cannot be!” Lifting to his full height, his face darkens with anger. “You gave up that right and swore her off when you turned your back on me.” His power slams into me, hitting me square in the chest and lifting me off my feet. My body hits the wall, and the sound of bones breaking is accompanied by excruciating pain. “Colt took your place. I will sever your bond, and you’ll have your wish. You will be free to roam the human realm.”
Fear and anger push me up. Swaying on my feet, I face him. The pity in his eyes rips my heart to shreds. With an anguished roar, I tackle him. He will have to kill me before he takes her away from me. Our tangled limbs hit his chair, breaking it to pieces. Splinters pierce my skin, rearranging broken ribs and bones. He flings me off him like a piece of lint, straightening up. With determination set on his face, darkness swirls around his fingertips like tendrils of a Kraken ready to devour my essence. Only him or an Archangel can destroy the soul of an immortal.
And my father is about to destroy mine.