Which made Lucifer feel even worse. Holy shit, Lucifer really damned them all taking on Hell, hadn’t he?
He cleared his dry throat, "Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you tell us this was going to happen before we made our decision?"
"Because that's not how the future works, Lucifer. First, you have to make the decision, then the future falls into place according to that decision. Once you made the choice to rule over the malanum, then I was able to see that you'd be bound to your oath, and that world, forever. To tell you that wouldn't change a thing. The decision was made. Hell was created. And that realm became your home."
"My cage."
"Your kingdom."
Lucifer exhaled slowly and let some of his anger blow out of him. "Why didn't you tell me she was still alive?"
"You know why."
Because it would have made it worse. To live in Hell knowing she was out there and he couldn't reach her would have been true Hell for him. Endless torture. It would have affected the way he ruled. He wouldn't have cared about his realm nearly as much as was necessary because ruling Hell would become secondary to finding her. And once he knew she couldn’t breach divine barriers and be in Hell with him, Lucifer’s kingdom would turn toxic with his resentment.
"Everything is as it's meant to be," Lazarus sighed. "That might be the only thing left that I know for sure now."
"Do my brothers know all this?"
"They know some of it." The Golden-winged Angel sank down on the step next to Lucifer. "I suggest you all get on the same page soon, Lucifer. The end is coming."
"No, it won't," his tone was deep and firm. "I'll not allow it."
Lazarus chuckled, "You always were the most stubborn of the Angels."
"I refuse to allow everything we've gone through be for nothing," Lucifer started walking off.
Laz called out after him, “Will you not also refuse to allow everything your pack has been through be for nothing too?”
Lucifer paused for a second. Then kept walking away. Something caused his left ass cheek to vibrate. Reaching back, he pulled his new cell phone out and quickly punched the screen to answer it. “Jack, what’s up, Hound?”
“Sara’s in labor.”
Luce gripped the phone with white-knuckle fever. “Where are you?”
“At the farm house. Can you get here?” There was screaming in the background. “Shit, Luce. You gotta hurry.”
“Get her to Hell. NOW!” Lucifer doubled back and booked it into the house, up the steps, “Tell her I’m coming. Tell her I’m fucking coming! Get her to Hell, Jack!” He practically busted down the bedroom door to get to the closet with the newly made portal Gabriel had created. Eve was sitting in the middle of the empty bedroom with Anam. Lucifer practically trampled over them to reach the closest door.
He wrenched the thing open. Annnnnnd…
Hit a wall.
The portal was gone. “FUCK!” He panicked and punched the dry wall. Water burst out of the hole, spraying his chest. He hit a goddamn pipe. Damnit!
“Lucy, what’s wrong?”
He didn’t respond. Gritting his teeth, Lucifer tried to calm the fuck down long enough to force his energy into a portal. He’d not had a chance to make one from this side, and was worried it wouldn’t even be possible. His arms displayed corded muscle and black ribbons of evil that twirled and pulsed as they moved over his limbs. He tried to ignore it, but the idea of how rocked he truly was right now squashed his confidence. What if the evil he harbored twisted his portals? What if they denied him the power it took to even make one?
“Anam,” he called in a morphed voice.
He felt the wolf before he saw it. Anam stood directly behind him, a little to the left.
“Come.”
The animal obeyed without question. As Lucifer braced his hands on the closet door trim, the wolf slid between the doorway and the Devil. With a long exhale, Lucifer dropped down and stuffed his face into the wolf’s fur and inhaled the scents of flowers, mild shampoo, musk, and wilderness. Just like he’d been forced to do a couple times with Sara lately, Lucifer grounded himself with the closeness of a pure slice of his soul and used its energy to focus.
“Lucifer!” Eve’s tone cracked the air in the room. “What are you—”
He didn’t look over at her. Keeping his focus where it needed to be, Lucifer pulled out his blade and cut across the palms of his hands. With a quick bark, he dismissed the wolf and slammed his hands on the doorjamb to the closet. The air pressure in the room squeezed and made his ears pop. Then came a terribly high-pitched ringing. He shoved all his energy into the portal spell and opened a gateway to Hell - One that was permanent.
Gasping, he let go of the closet and sucked in some air. That shouldn’t have taken so much energy to make happen. Damn. To seal his superficial wounds, Lucifer licked his palms with a long drag of his hot tongue. Black fire burned in tiny flames that reached his fingertips then vanished.
“Lucifer,” Eve tried to get his attention again. “What’s happened? Is it Gabriel? Con? Uri?”
“The baby,” he managed to say. “The baby is coming.”
He didn’t stick around long enough to elaborate. Instead, he marched through the portal and didn’t look back.
Chapter 18
Sara got as far as the hallway of Hell. Her entire pack was with her, each in various degrees of panic.
“Get her into my bed!” Lucifer hollered from behind them. Now that he was back in Hell, he could think clearly and felt his strength returning.
Kalen scooped Sara into his arms, the other Hounds flanked them and they ran.
“Put me down!” Sara slapped Wolf’s shoulder, “I can’t… Ow! Fuck! I’m not wrecking that bed by giving birth on it.”
Kalen ignored her and kept going, careful to not jostle her too much.
“Put me down! Put me down, Wolf!”
Kalen finally listened and Sara sank to her hands and knees on the floor. “Ow! Shit! Fuck!”
Tanner dropped down in front of her and said in his deep voice, “Beautiful, you can’t give birth here in the hallway, let us help you get—”
“Fuck you, Hound. You did this to me,” Sara grunted and pressed her hand on the side of her belly. “You all did this to me, you cock sucking pieces of – OW!” She reached out and yanked Tanner’s shirt, causing him to lose balance and almost fall into her. “Don’t go anywhere. You gotta stay with me. I love you so much.”
“We’re not leaving, Beautiful, swear it.” Tanner looked up at his pack. “Is this normal?”
“You have a living being try to claw its way out of your body and see how normal you are during the process,” Jack said. “Bloody hell, love.” He tried to get her to lean back.
Kalen squatted to get in her face, “What do you need us to do?”
Sara shook her head, sweat trickling down her temples. “I don’t know. I don’t–” she cried out in pain and started to crawl on her hands and knees away from everyone. “Oh my god. Oh my god.”
“What’s your gut tell you?” Lucifer maneuvered so he was in front of her, blocking her from potentially slamming her head on the stone statue she was crawling towards.
“I need to push.”
“Then push.” Lucifer kneeled. “I can’t help you with the pain. My power is too unstable, Darling.”
“It’s okay,” She let her Hounds reposition her then she barked as another contraction hit. “Not okay! Not okay!”
“Focus,” Jack purred in a steady, calm voice. “Focus on one of us, not the pain. You’re letting the fear of the unknown mess with you, love. Don’t allow it.”
“I’m going to be a bad mom! I can’t even—” she grunted with another contraction. “FUCK!”
As Sara howled through the intensity rocking her body, the rest of them prepared her for delivery. Kalen slid her leggings off – the fabric was soaked from her water breaking. Someone called for backup, towels, and a bunch of other things.
“Jac
k, put up a protection ring,” Lucifer ordered. He wasn’t taking any chances, even in Hell. “Tanner, go to her right and hold her leg up. Eli, take her left one.”
Kalen stayed next to Lucifer while Jack finished up the spells and cradled Sara’s head in his lap.
She screamed and cussed and clutched both Tanner and Eli’s arms. Her nails dug deep enough in their skin to draw blood, not that either of them noticed.
“I need to push!” she hollered. Sara bared down. Her jaw clenched, the tendons in her neck strained as she gave it every last drop of energy she had.
This process went on for ten more hours. Sara’s exhaustion was counterbalanced by the need to keep pushing. Her adrenaline spikes and fatigue were felt by all. Gabriel and Reggie arrived at some point with the supplies they needed. By the end, they were all sweating, covered in scratches, tears, and blood.
But it was so fucking worth it. On the final push, Sara locked her gaze on Jack, drew in strength from her entire pack, and with one shaking cry of triumph, delivered a healthy baby girl.
Lucifer cupped the small babe in his hands and swiftly started cleaning her off while Kalen cut the cord.
Sweet Divinity, this little Hound was so tiny. So perfect.
“Holy fuck, Beautiful, you did it!” Tanner smashed his lips to Sara’s forehead.
“Well done, love.” Jack did the same.
“I’m so proud of you,” Eli grinned. “She’s beautiful, just like her mama.”
“She’s quiet,” Kalen said, breaking the spell of joy. “She’s…”
Lucifer cradled the babe in his shaking hands and went in a true state of panic. Kalen was right. She was too quiet. The child, so perfect and pure, was breathing but… something wasn’t right. A chill swept down Lucifer’s spine.
There was no energy in the child.
None.
No aura. No hum. No nothing that every other being carried with them from the moment of conception until they went to their grave.
The Devil’s heart started thrashing in a frantic pace of terror. Before he spoke a word, he did an inventory: The babe’s body was warm. Her little swollen eyes were barely opened. Her lips were pink, skin a healthy tone. Her thick dark hair had a little curl to it. Her little belly puffed out with steady breaths.
On the outside, she looked perfect.
But on the inside… Something. Wasn’t. Right.
“Give me my baby,” Sara cried. “Give her to me!” His Darling turned into a vicious creature. Protective. Scared. Feral. Her motherly instincts had been ramping up over the past few weeks, and Lucifer wasn’t surprised to see her be so protective of the newborn. He handed the babe over immediately. Sara cradled her, rocking as much as she could in her position on the floor. “Hey, sweet girl. Wake up for us.”
The baby was still breathing. She was certainly alive, yet…
“Guys,” Sara whispered, “her eyes are opening.”
Tanner swept a hand over his mouth while they all looked at the baby. One of her eyes was green, the other a brilliant blue.
Angelic Blue.
“Sire,” Jack said with razor blades in his tone. “Why does our daughter have your eyes?”
Lucifer was stunned speechless. While his mind raced to answer, his emotions turned him into a ball of silence. Fuck.
“She feels empty,” Sara said through her tears. “How’s that possible? To feel empty?”
It clicked then. “Hand her to me.” Lucifer thrust his arms out. “I know what’s wrong. You have to give her to me.”
Sara obeyed, reluctantly. “What’s wrong with her?”
“She’s Hound. The first pure Hell Hound in existence.” Lucifer rose on trembling legs, carefully cradling the baby in his arms. “She’s divine. That’s why one of her eyes is the same shade as mine. And she’s the first of her kind… so she’s….”
“She’s what?” Tanner growled.
Kalen got all in Lucifer’s space and gently placed his hand on their baby girl, “Spit it out, sire.”
“She’s soulless.”
The air in the room evaporated. Sara started crying. Tanner comforted her while Eli and Jack joined Kalen. Eli shrugged out of his shirt and handed it to Lucifer to wrap the baby in. While carefully swaddling the fabric around the tiny creature, Lucifer kept his hopes on a tight leash.
“I know someone.” His cheeks actually started to tingle with panic. “I might have someone who can help.”
“Then go get them.” Wolf snarled.
“She can’t come into Hell. We have to go to her.” He passed the babe to Kalen. “You carry her, I’ll lead.”
Tanner stayed back with Sara, Gabriel, and Reggie, while the others went with Lucifer.
“I can’t promise this is going to work,” he warned as they neared the door leading to Gabriel’s home. “And if it does, there’s a second issue we might face after that.”
“One bloody thing at a time,” Jack hissed. “Fuck me, I can’t believe this is even possible. How does a babe come into this world with no soul?”
“It was also that way for humans once.” Lucifer didn’t want to talk about it, he just wanted to fix the baby.
They entered the human world through the empty bedroom closet, but Eve wasn’t there. “Eve!” Lucifer roared. Between the silence in the house and the silence of the baby, Lucifer’s dread coiled tight in his gut. “EVE!” Where the fuck was she?
“What?” she said from behind the bathroom door. Swinging it open, she wiped her face with a balled-up tissue and her nose was red. Her eyes grew the size of saucers when she saw the baby in Kalen’s arms.
“She’s soulless,” Lucifer said. He watched the terror, jealousy, pity, heartbreak, and anger dance across her features. He didn’t have time to explain. The longer Sara went not knowing the fate of her daughter, the worse she’d get. Dropping down to his knees, the Devil kept his pleading gaze on Eve and said, “Please, Eve. Give her something. Anything. She’s a new breed. A Pure Hound. She can’t not have a soul.”
The Hell Hounds Lucifer created, were remade from what had already once existed. But this child was a new creature – flesh, blood, and who knows what she was going to be capable of. Without a soul though, Holy Hell, Lucifer couldn’t even go there. Those thoughts were too dark, even for him.
“I beg you, help us.” Lucifer hoped his desperation was loud and clear. For this child, I’ll do anything.
Eve’s hands went over her mouth. Closing her eyes, tears cascaded down her face and she nodded. “For you,” she whispered. “I’ll try.”
Her attention went directly to the silent baby cradled in Kalen’s large arms. Wrapped in Eli’s shirt, her little eyes crossed and tried to focus on Eve once the Angel was about five inches from her little face.
“Come here, precious.” Eve carefully took the babe from Wolf, and froze when he growled threateningly at her. “I won’t hurt her.”
Lucifer rose to his feet and placed his hand on Wolf’s shoulder, “Trust her.”
“Do you trust her?” Wolf’s aggression was like a vibration in Lucifer’s bones.
“Yes,” he admitted. “I trust her, Wolf. I even trusted her with my own soul long ago.”
Kalen relaxed and relinquished his daughter.
Eve glanced at Lucifer nervously, “I’ve been drained dry for lifetimes, Lucy. This might not work.”
“Try.”
That’s all any of them could do. Try.
Eve nodded before nuzzling the baby’s nose. The universe held its breath while Eve pressed her mouth to the baby’s pink lips and blew gently. When Eve pulled back, the child’s little arms and legs started flailing all around and the most glorious little cry echoed in the empty bedroom.
“Holy Hell,” Eli’s head tipped back in relief, “that was the scariest moment of my life.”
The other Hounds all passed their daughter around before Jack said, “Let’s bring her back to Sara, now.”
“Tell my Darling I’ll be there soon.” Luce wanted
to hold the baby again, but now wasn’t his moment.
“Thank you,” Kalen said to Eve. “We owe you a debt I’m not sure we’ll ever live long enough to repay.”
“It’s my purpose,” Eve smiled at the pack. “Think nothing more of it. I’m just glad I was able to help.”
They left through the newest portal into Hell and Lucifer held his breath as Jack and the baby stepped into it. The Voodoo Man vanished out of sight with ease, taking his daughter with him. Lucifer didn’t know if he wanted to laugh, cry, or howl. The second issue he feared turned out to be nothing at all. Thank. Fuck.
He feared the child would be unable to cross the barrier. That she’d be blocked, for whatever reason, like Eve. Although, now that he thought about it, that didn’t make much sense. She was Hound. She was born in Hell. Of course she’d be able to come and go without trouble. He let himself exhale the rest of his fears in one long sigh.
“She’s beautiful,” Eve said with pain lacing her voice, “has her daddy’s divine eyes.”
“She’s not mine,” Lucifer said, but she refused to look at him. “She’s my pack’s.”
“Your pack’s?” Eve swallowed the lump in her throat and stepped back. “I see. Well, I’m glad your pack has created a new life together, complete with a brand-new baby. How perfect.”
Lucifer immediately grabbed her arm to stop her from bolting. “Not our pack, Eve.” He was fucking this whole thing up and knew it. Damnit. “My Hounds’ pack. Sara’s pack.” But she didn’t know Sara, so that wasn’t helpful either.
“Is there still an our pack, Lucy?” her wings bristled.
“Was there ever a time when there wasn’t an our pack, Eve?” He swallowed the guilt he had for everything that happened between the day of the brotherhood’s battle to now.
Eve pulled out of his grip and crossed her arms.
Oh fuck no. Lucifer stepped into her space, forcing her to back up. Eve kept going backwards too and part of him loved it, the other part wished like Hell she’d stand her ground with him more aggressively. But maybe aggressive wasn’t what she felt right now.
Raise the Dead Page 15