I nodded sadly. “I cannot speak for Luc, but she is my heart.”
“Lucifer did what he had to do.” Luiz pulled his arm free delicately so that he could tuck a lock of my hair behind my ear. “He was blighted by his guilt. Blinded by his grief. He could not hold form for more than an hour at a time. His magic took advantage of his instability and it rained chaos down on the First Circle. He shut himself away for the good of Hell.”
“I did not know that.” I whispered.
Petra sighed in her sleep and Luiz shifted her into his arms in a princess hold. With a movement that could only have come from practice, he stood up and whisked her off to her bedroom down the hall. I was left bathed in the glow of Elsa and her talking snowman.
I looked down to the glass coffee table, and saw the photo album on top. Petra Dahlia Clark was stamped into the leather cover. My fingers twitched and I held the book reverently. I gazed at the years of my child’s life that I had missed.
Luiz Ramirez may have been a Hellhound, but he made a brilliant father.
Each birthday was marked with balloons and cake. Each tantrum was marked with a silly face and a selfie. Petra grew from a squawking infant to the stoic flower that I had met for the first time. I touched the clear plastic that covered the photograph. I traced the lines of her face.
Luiz stood in the doorway watching me.
There was a knock on the door. Moving quietly as to not wake Petra, he unlocked the chain and answered the door.
Uriah and the Guardian had arrived.
The bronzed warrior was dressed in jeans and a plain white t-shirt that stretched over his broad chest. His wings were hidden. His expression of thinly veiled contempt had not changed from the last time I had seen him.
When he had kissed me.
I blinked and looked away to gather my thoughts; my gaze was drawn to the white dog that sauntered into my apartment as if it owned the place and sniffed the air, searching for intruders.
Uriah stepped over the threshold. His large statue made the room appear to shrink. Luiz turned to me and winked before disappearing into the office and closing the door behind him.
“You need to come to the Summerland. The Lord has requested your presence.” Uriah said. There was no room for argument in his tone.
That did not stop me from trying. “I disagree. I have finally gotten to spend some time with my daughter and I plan to make the most of it.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“She is asleep.” Uriah crooked his brow.
“Nothing gets past you.” I snarled.
Uriah rubbed his hand over his face, exasperated. “Please.” He said through gritted teeth.
I looked at the closed bedroom door and then back to the golden eyes of the Angel. “I need to be back before she wakes up.” I brandished my finger like a weapon.
Uriah walked towards me and held out his elbow for me to take. “Of course.” He agreed and we Laced to the Summerland.
Chapter 15
I was escorted through the same paths as when I had first come to Heaven. Having woken up on the concrete floor of the Summerland dungeon. The woven branches that made up the walls were almost invisible under the lush green leaves and plump red berries. The wood carvings were the same, right down to the artwork of Lucifer’s fall. The addition of the nude couple in the corner made sense, considering what Abaddon had told me.
I shook my head and clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth.
“Something amusing, Dahlia?” Uriah said, tilting his head to the side. We continued walking. One of his steps was the equivalent of two of mine as his legs were so much longer. The Guardian trotted behind us; his wide almond coloured eyes searched for an unknown threat. Occasionally his crimson tipped ears would react to a sound in the distance.
“Just your depiction of Lucifer’s fall.” My voice was contrite as I pointed to the artwork on display. “Your Lord likes to jump to conclusions.”
His left brow quirked inquisitively. “Is that so?”
“I know it to be so.”
“And who told you this?” He laughed without humour. “Your master?”
“Abaddon.”
“His dog, then?” Uriah replied.
I kept my eyes forward as we walked down the familiar pathway to the cavern. The memory of water rushing through my lungs and the burn of the Enochian runes echoed through my bones. Everything inside of my body screamed for me to turn and run far, but Uriah placed his hand on the small of my back as if he knew my intentions.
I did not want to admit that the warmth of his palm through the fabric of my dress was as soothing as warm bathwater, and as electric as a leather switch to the clit.
Overactive libido. I chided internally. You’re not a Seventh Circle Demon, Dahlia. Control yourself.
The edge of his wing brushed my own, and the sensation was akin to being teased with the head of a cock before it plunged inside. I ignored the accidental touch to the best of my ability.
“You can’t discount the truth because it doesn’t fit with your image of your perfect master.” I spat, on edge from the unwelcome sensations that came with being in Uriah’s presence.
“Says the Treachery Demon.” Uriah scoffed.
“I am more than that. Look at my wings.” I smiled sweetly and allowed them to stretch to their full width like a lazy cat. “Don’t they look lovely?”
Uriah’s golden eyes narrowed; the colours of his irises rolled like a constantly moving ocean of precious metals. “And yet, I can’t smell a drop of Angelic magic inside of you.” His lips twitched as if he wanted to smile at his own comeback.
We stopped at the entry to the cavern. The tangy scent of damp against old stone invaded my senses. The echoing drip of water beckoned me closer.
“We can’t all be weak enough to seek out depressed humans.” I hissed in a low voice. I raised my fists and moved them as if I was a crying infant. “Boo-hoo. Can I eat your sadness please?” I mocked.
“And lies are so much better?”
“They taste sweeter.” I smacked my lips. My statement had been a guess as I had no idea what sadness tasted like. I did not know what had come over me. Uriah inspired an immaturity and defensiveness about my character that I did not understand.
“At least Angels can change the negative into something else. Sadness to happiness. Anger to inspiration.” Uriah rolled his neck, as if he was itching for a fight.
“I’m sure I could do that if I wanted to.” I shrugged. “I just don’t want to.”
“I don’t know what she sees in you.” Uriah leant in closely and poked my sternum with his middle finger. I gripped it and placed his palm on my breast.
“And yet, you want me.” I breathed, licking my bottom lip.
Uriah jerked away; he pulled his hand back to his chest. His lips pulled back into a feral snarl and he pointed to the entrance of the cavern.
“Go.” His voice was a low growl.
His voice made my stomach clench.
I knew virtually nothing about the Seraphim Angel and I laughed to hide the fact that he affected me in a way that both confused and dizzied me. He angered me beyond reason and made my body spark like a firework.
My laughter continued to bounce off the stone walls as I walked to the edge of the rainbow lake. The water was completely still. I debated tapping my feet to wait for the Lord of the Summerland. Instead, I dropped to my knees and scooped a handful of the pearlescent water into my palms. Its leaked through the spaces between my fingers. Despite the ambient temperate of the cavern being warm, the water was ice cold and numbed my fingertips.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” A childlike voice rang out behind me. I jumped and flew forward into the water, soaking myself from head to toe. My wet dress clung to my body like a suction cup. I turned around with a fierce scowl.
“Don’t sneak up on people.” I snarled.
“I am willing to bet that I am the only person that can sneak up on you.” The Lord of the Summe
rland clapped her hands together happily, before reaching down to offer to help me her hand.
I slapped her hand away and pushed myself to my feet.
“You called?” I said as I used my magic to wring the water from my dress and dry myself.
The Lord of the Summerland brushed her raven black hair over her shoulder, exposing her ebony breast. I ignored it. She walked over to one of the large boulders at the edge of the water, and sat down. She shuffled until she was comfortable and rested her chin on her hands. Her skin was so dark that her body was an absence of light and example of curves and womanly angles.
“Your report.” She said, her eyes sparkled and sifted through every colour in the spectrum.
“My report?”
“Tell me about Lucifer. What is happening in Hell?”
A pang of jealousy made my brain itch and my hands ache to wrap around her neck. “You gave me wings so that you could use me to spy on your ex-boyfriend.” I voiced it as a statement, not a question.
Her head cocked the side, her bottom lip trembled in a pout. “No, I didn’t.”
“And yet, the first thing you do when in my presence is to ask about Lucifer. The Lord’s Favourite.” My voice was calm and measured. “The man who gave me a crown. The man who planted his child inside of me. The man that ached with such madness upon my death that it was a miracle that the First Circle did not crumble?”
“Is what you have together? Love?” The Lord let out a pealing laugh that sounded like bells. “I’ve seen your past. Your days, weeks and months inside of the darkest pit. I've felt the way your fingernails snapped against the walls when you tried to climb out. Was that Love?”
“Better than whatever you seem to be holding onto, you psychopath.” I replied tartly.
The Lord cocked her head to the side. “Am I not allowed to be angry when I was bedded so that my treasures could be stolen?”
It hadn’t occurred to me before, but I had to ask. “You only slept together once?”
The Lord’s expression grew guarded and her arms crossed over her chest. “So?”
I wanted to pinch the bridge of my nose and exhale. It was like speaking to a toddler (or what I imagined a conversation with a toddler would have been like, as I had no real-world experience).
The Lord stood up and slammed her foot to the floor, like a petulant child. A calming chill rushed from the phantom the cold water of the lake, and Nova relaxed. Her demeanour grew warm and her eyes grew wiser and more mature. The ebb and flow of the underground lake manipulated her like a puppet.
It was like watching someone with split personality disorder. I had experience with handling both of Luc’s personas, the jester and the darkness. I saw where he had inherited the trait from. The Lord of the Summerland.
“There is unrest inside of Hell.” Nova stated ominously.
I nodded, unsure of how much information to divulge. I did not want her to seek out points of weakness and launch an attack on my home.
“The war is between two of my children.” The Lord tugged a lock of her hair and gazed into the distance.
“You did not create the Leviathan.” I stated, the Goddess ignored me as she stared across the glassy surface of the lake.
We stood in silence; I was about to break my own rule and be the first to speak when Uriah cleared his throat from the hallway.
“Nova has gone. You can’t speak to her when she’s like this.” Uriah said in a stiff voice. I nodded and took a breath as I prepared for the slippery feeling of travelling from the Summerland to the Human Realities. Uriah walked to my side and took my elbow. The Guardian trotted to join us and nudged my hip.
“You’re still tasked with watching over me?” I questioned with an exasperated tone.
Uriah scoffed. “This isn’t a walk in the park for me either, Princess.”
The white dog yipped.
“I don’t know what his motive is.” Uriah scowled at the canine as if he could reply.
He didn’t.
After my rather frustrating meeting with the naked playboy bunny of the lake, Uriah led me to an open courtyard with a fountain in the centre. The water flowed seamlessly from the spout of a copper woman's jug. The water feature refracted every colour imaginable onto the surrounding marble.
“Is that the same water as the lake?” I asked as I drew nearer. I found myself wanting to touch it, but drew my hand back as if the rainbow water was a dangerous snake.
Uriah manifested a goblet from thin air. It must have been Angelic magic because I had never seen a Demon create something that could hold water. When Demons’ glamoured objects, they looked pretty but they were seldom strong enough to commit to their purpose.
He dipped his golden chalice under the water; the metal flashed as the liquid inside sloshed against the edges of the cup. He held it up to inspect under the light before taking a delicate sip.
“Ambrosia.” He explained with a grunt. “I believe you have something similar in your cesspit of a dimension?”
“Vinum.” I nodded and eyed the water with distaste. “But Vinum is created from grapes grown in Hell. You appear to be drinking your master's bath water.”
Uriah waved the chalice away with a snarl and stormed away. The Guardian stayed by my side, if he could have spoken it would have been chiding, I could tell. His doggy expression was one of eye-rolling superiority. I patted him on the head with a sickly-sweet smile.
Another Angel shimmied into existence in the courtyard; their wings were a hodgepodge of bronze and silver.
They must have been lower in the ranks than Uriah was.
The newcomer held a beautiful female form, not unlike a prepubescent girl with short blonde hair and eyes that took in everything with a shrewd inspection. The young-looking angel bounced to my side when she spotted me in the corner.
“Has the fun started yet?” She asked, eying Uriah who stood on the other end of the room. “Someone will challenge him if Uriah stays still long enough. I guarantee it.”
Considering I had golden wings, it was probably a fair assumption that Uriah and I belonged to the same choir. The smaller angel was clearly an idiot.
“No sense of humour.” She shook her head and laughed, her eyes never leaving Uriah's skulking form in the corner. “My name is Beth.”
She held out a hand for me to shake, but the edges of her fingers crackled with Angelic magic. I did not know if there was some magic-laden angelic secret handshake that I should have been aware of.
“I don’t care.” I cocked my head to the side. “Leave me alone.”
Beth's smile faltered and her gaze flicked back to the bronze warrior in the corner. A horned jealous beast roared behind my face but I squashed her down. Confused by her presence.
“Yes. I too have no sense of humour.” I confirmed without emotion.
The Angel’s smile was shaky as she walked to the other side of the fountain; she couldn’t have gotten away from me fast enough.
I strode towards Uriah; the sound of the Guardians clicking nails on the marble accompanying me.
I tapped the bronze haired warrior on the shoulder. His wings flickered in irritation. “Yes?” Uriah quirked a brow.
“Did you bring me to some sort of Angelic party?” I hissed as I eyed the winged tossers that appeared out of thin air and congregated around the fountain.
“I have better things to do.” I hissed.
“You don’t sleep and your daughter won’t wake up for another eight hours. I think that’s a lie.” Uriah drawled.
I crossed my arms over my chest. My golden feathers ruffled in anger and seemed to draw the attention of every person in the room.
It was a flurry of colours; the feathers were reminiscent of every precious metal of which I could think. Only one other person in the room had golden wings (apart from Uriah and me). An albino male with his eyes closed in the corner. He appeared to be meditating.
“Who’s that?” I asked with the tilt of my chin.
“Gabrie
l.”
“The Gabriel?”
“Please don’t become one of those fan-girls.” Uriah groaned.
“I'm surprised you know the term.” I said drily.
“I went to all of the midnight twilight premieres.” He informed me with a straight face. “I also enjoy Tumblr.”
I would have thought that he was serious, if I hadn’t scented the lie or basked in its warm and delicious glow.
“You have a good poker face.” I noted.
Uriah placed his hand on his chest. “Your approval gives my life meaning.”
Gabriel walked up to Uriah's side and slapped his shoulder with force.
“We all know that your life belongs to the Lord of the Summerland.” Gabriel said before extending a hand in my direction. “I don’t believe we have met.”
His gaze raked over my golden wings; his lips curled salaciously. I ignored his request to partake in his weird Angelic handshaking ritual.
“An unknown Seraphim.” Gabe's red eyes flashed. “How queer.”
Uriah shifted from one foot to the other. “A recent development.”
“Tell me, little one. What deeds did you perform to become chosen by our Lord?” Gabe licked his bottom lip.
I furrowed my brow and turned to Uriah, ignoring the new company completely. “He doesn’t know who I am?”
“Bask in it, Dahlia.” Uriah manifested a goblet and took a long slug of Ambrosia. “Every person here would not be so accepting if they were acquainted with your past.”
Gabriel used his thumb to draw out his bottom lip. “Now I am intrigued.” He admitted.
“I’ve joined your merry band of golden arseholes.” I said cheerfully. “I want no part of your weird secret handshake.”
Uriah shook his head and scoffed at my comment but Gabe smiled indulgently.
“There were twelve of us.” Gabriel informed me. “Before Abaddon, Ba'el and Lucifer fell.”
“I am aware.” I said, taking Uriah's goblet from his hands and sipping his froufrou God's drink. It tasted like Ribena. I licked my lips and surveyed the goblet.
The Devil's Lullaby (The Devil's Advocate Book 2) Page 14