Lucifer brought Gabriel down to a different section of purgatory. “Pick,” he said.
“Pick what?”
“Pick a guard.” Lucifer was going to make Gabriel take the next step required of him while ruling Hell. “These souls,” he pointed at the cells on the right, “have been down here long enough to earn the right to choose.” He hadn’t wanted to spare the energy it would take to create a new Hell Hound or anything else lately. But Gabriel’s energy wasn’t nearly as depleted as Lucifer’s. “Ask one. Ask ten, should you find that many worthy. If they decide to stay and be a guard, turn them into one. Once you feel they truly are no longer worthy of the position, kill them outright and toss their damned souls to the malanum.” It cost Lucifer dearly to sound so cold.
“You’re serious?”
“Does it look like I’m fucking joking? This,” Lucifer pointed at the cages, “is what it fucking takes to rule down here. You make hard choices. You ask others to make them too. Sacrifices are made on a daily basis, brother. Time to start.”
Gabriel didn’t want to condemn any of the waiting souls though. Thanks to their fresh bond, Lucifer felt Gabe’s guilt already eating away at him. He wanted them in Paradise if they weren’t really meant to be here.
Well tough shit, they were still in Hell for a reason. The sooner Gabriel understood that, the better.
“What’s the matter, brother?” Lucifer’s smile was as icy as his tone. “You should be used to damning people by now with all those curses you’ve put upon the innocents.” He patted Gabriel’s back, “It’s okay, you can gift them a skill if it’ll help you sleep better at night. I know how you struggle with that.”
The hit was so quick, Lucifer almost didn’t have time to duck. Then they barreled into each other, fists flying, teeth gnashing.
“Hey!” Sara barked from the doorway. Tapping her daughter’s little bottom gently to soothe her, Sara’s voice turned calm and soft, “Both of you back off of one another. Now.”
Like it or not, Lucifer obeyed her. Holy Hell, what was going on with him lately? “Leave, Sara.” She’d most likely come, not even realizing the pull to be with Lucifer was actually from his soul in her. He worried about this happening. Sara showing up out of the blue like this confirmed it. Damnit. “Go, now.”
“Not on your life, Satan.”
“Leave!” Lucifer said louder. The baby started crying. Her little squeaks and noises were like nails on a chalkboard. The Devil winced from the sound. “Damnit, Sara, GO!”
She ignored him and came closer instead. “I’m not leaving until you two calm down.” She rocked the baby in her arms, “Whatever is broken between you two, fix it. Right now!” she stomped her foot. “We’re all depending on you. Every Hound is waiting for orders. If we’re willing to lay our lives on the line, certainly you two should be willing to lay your goddamn motherfucking fragile egos and lifelong grudges on the line too. Michael is out there. He’s fucking everything up. We’re out numbered. Out witted. Out magicked and out of time. So, stop your shit. Fix what’s broken, or Hell will crumble again. And this time, there won’t be any stopping it.” She shoved her finger in Gabriel’s pec, “Man up and choose guards. Go with your gut and fucking pick them.”
She stormed out of there with the baby still crying.
“I can’t do this,” Gabriel shook his head, “I can’t be like you.”
Lucifer had to use every ounce of self-control he possessed to not kill his brother for saying that. Was being like Lucifer that goddamn bad? The insult felt like a dagger to his heart.
Gabriel put his hand up, “I don’t mean it like it sounded. I mean,” he sucked in more air, “I’m not strong enough. Not powerful enough. Not…” he sucked in another long inhale, “Not righteous enough to be like you.”
“Yes, you are,” Lucifer got all in Gabriel’s face. “We’re equals, brother. Always have been. Always will be.”
Gabe’s gaze said differently though. He truly felt like he was beneath Lucifer.
“Just try. If you can’t, we’ll figure something else out.”
Gabriel nodded and rounded his shoulders. Walking up and down the wing, he studied each of the souls that had been locked into those cages over the past few months. After everything that happened lately, Lucifer didn’t have it in him to turn any. What power he possessed, he shared with the Hell Hounds he already had.
“You,” Gabriel said. “Step forward.”
A soul approached the bars of his cage. Lucifer smiled when he saw who Gabe had been drawn to. He allowed Gabriel to handle the entire exchange…
“What is your name?”
“Liam.”
This was one of Tilly’s friends. Fresh from suicide, sad as it was. But he held onto something – some spark of justice – that forced his soul to drop here. And here he had stayed, patiently waiting for a chance at a better existence.
“You want to be a Hound or a Gatekeeper, Liam?”
“Gatekeeper,” Liam answered swiftly. “I’ve had enough of the living already. I’m not trying to go back to that shithole.”
“What makes you think you’d be a decent Gatekeeper?”
“Got a quick eye and reaction time. Can spread my focus out too, multi-tasking with my vision.”
Those attributes were decent, but not rare. Gabriel would know better than most what it took to make an excellent guard. He had once been a Cager after all.
“Prove it.”
Liam tossed him a cocky smile and didn’t even turn around to look when he said, “Guy on my right just rearranged his junk, Lucifer’s right eye is twitching, and the woman two cells from my left just put her hair into a bun.”
Dude had eyes in the front and back of his head to pull that off.
Gabriel turned to Lucifer, “I choose Liam.”
Chapter 23
Eve lay on the floor, restless as ever. The sun broke through the windows and the brightness annoyed the Hell out of her. Curling her wings tighter, she buried her head in her arms and tried to fall asleep.
The closet door opened and she pretended to not hear it close with a small click. She wasn’t sure which of her mates she wanted it to be. Preferring one over another wasn’t something she was capable of. She’d never be able to choose between them.
Boots thudded across the hardwood floor. The sound of a belt buckle loosening and sliding free came next. After that, she felt heat across her wings. But it wasn’t Lucifer. And it wasn’t Uriel. And it wasn’t Gabriel.
Constantine ran a finger across her feathers. The gentle act made her shiver and tense.
“Open for me,” he said.
She uncurled her wings and allowed him to see that she was naked. She watched his gaze rake down her body. He licked his lips slowly, staring longer at some body parts than others. Without a word, he stretched out on the floor next to her and rested his arm across her waist. He continued to look at her face, as if he was putting each of her facial features to memory.
“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”
He chuckled and kissed her nose.
Of all the Angels she loved, Constantine was the simplest and most complicated. He was a gigantic contradiction. She wondered if that was her fault. “You can’t keep freezing the others out, Con.”
“I don’t know how else to live.”
She rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling. “Why are we like this with each other?”
“Because we’ve never been allowed the chance to be any other way.”
“What way should we be?”
“Better,” he traced a finger down her right breast and made circles around her hardened nipple. “I’ve written countless stories about you, Eve.”
She felt her heart thud in her throat.
“And not a single one of them has an ending.”
“Why not?”
He rolled onto his back and stopped touching her. “Because I never see endings.”
“You are, without a doubt, the world’s worst
storyteller then.”
Constantine’s charm kicked in with his laughter. It had been a long time since she saw his face so filled with delight. “Damn I’ve missed you, girl.”
They stayed side by side, staring at the ceiling in the empty room. “I’m sorry,” Eve finally said. “I never meant for any of this to happen.”
He rolled over to his side and propped his head up. “Never feel sorry for your purpose.”
“It feels like my purpose ended up only damning the ones I love most. I’ve come to believe I was cursed to be cut from all of you as punishment for my very existence.”
“You can’t think like that.”
“Hard not to.”
Constantine ran a finger down the slope of her waist, “Uriel’s number disappeared when he escorted the first soul to their final destination. Lucifer’s number disappeared when he created the first Hell Hound. If they were meant to be and do those things, then Hell was meant to exist. If Hell was meant to exist, someone had to give it a point to be built. You’re the reason for a lot of good things.”
“I’m the reason for a lot of bad things too.”
“No one’s perfect,” Con shrugged. “Well, except me. I’m pretty fucking close,” he ran the back of his hand down the stubble on his jawbone, “Have you seen this jawline? Fucking gorgeous, right?”
Eve laughed so hard tears slid down her temples. He went back to playing with her body, doodling all over it with his finger. Once the laughter died down, things got serious again. “Why are you here? Surely Lucifer’s got everyone busy and I’m certain you weren’t sent here to flirt with me.” Although she wasn’t complaining. She missed Constantine’s rarely shown sense of humor.
“I’m here to find what’s lost.” Rolling on top of her, he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her mouth. “I can’t find me anymore, Eve. I lost my way long ago, and haven’t found my path since the day the brotherhood fell. If I’m going to be any use to my brothers, I have to find myself again to do it.”
Brow furrowed, she reached up and touched his face. “Jesus, Con.” She could feel the weight of his words press down on her. It was suddenly hard to breathe. “Whatever it is you need from me, take it.”
Her energy. Her touch. Her compassion. Her strength. Whatever Constantine needed she’d relinquish to him in a heartbeat.
“Everything’s falling apart,” he whispered. “And this isn’t the ending I wanted.”
“So, let’s not write it,” she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again. His wings unfurled and bent like a shelter for them to hide under.
Con was the Angel who stayed to the side. He was the one who spoke little and heard much. He was the breeze, not the tornado. The warmth, not the flame. And that wasn’t because he couldn’t be more… it was because he didn’t want to be more.
She always wondered why.
Constantine’s potential was fucking huge. She could feel it. His spirit matched hers – vicious and wild. But he always kept his on a tight leash. Eve wondered if he ever once let himself go crazy.
He balanced with one arm and started unfastening his pants. Eve didn’t bother waiting for him to get fully undressed. Once she heard the zipper, she helped him tug his pants down his fine ass and spread her legs wider for him.
No foreplay. No words. No nothing but one hard, fast thrust. Eve’s body jerked and she gripped his hips, holding him still so her body could adjust to his size. He dipped his head down and nipped her neck and shoulders while slowly moving in and out of her. “Does this hurt?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” He picked up his pace. “Because it hurts me too.”
She understood what he was saying. This pleasure came with punishment for both of them. Angels were such glorious sadists somedays.
Raking her nails down his arms, she dug hard enough to draw blood. “Fuck me harder, Con. Make me forget my name.”
His pace quickened. His thrusts were so deep and hard, he slid them clean across the floor. Her head hit the baseboard and she slammed her arms up to brace herself against the white walls. Constantine’s wings snapped and stiffened, extending out and taking up the room. Her feathers cut into her back when her wings fluttered from the orgasm starting to build.
With a growl, Con pulled out and stroked himself hard and fast. “Show me that pretty pussy,” he grunted. She played with herself as he came all over her fingers and clit. The instant his pleasure touched her skin, Eve’s sensitivity went through the roof. He slammed into her again and continued to come inside her next.
He filled her. Fucked her. Drained her.
Annnnd repeated it five more times.
Thank god the room was bare of furniture. Constantine would have broken every bit of it with how wild he’d turned.
After several positions on the floor, Eve now stood against the wall with her face pressed against the cool paint and sweat dripping down her back. It was Constantine’s turn to leave his mark on her. She’d torn his back and arms to ribbons while she came. Now he pulled her hair and scratched a long line down her spine. Pressing the scar from her curse with the palm of his hand, he pushed and pulled energy from her body while ripping another orgasm from her with his dick.
Eve gasped, her knees buckled, the room spun. Whatever he was doing to her, she didn’t want it to stop. Ever.
“Fuuuuck!” he roared. His cock swelled and a fresh wave of hot liquid poured into her body. Constantine pressed his body flush against hers. She could feel his heart hammering against her back. Basked in the heat of his skin. Felt the sweat. The power. The desire and guilt. The room was thick with Constantine’s energy, it was a miracle they could find air to breathe.
“Better?” she whispered with her cheek still pressed against the wall.
“A little.”
When he pulled all the way back, Eve wobbled. Con was a voracious lover. She’d forgotten how intense he could get.
“Who did you do this with?” she asked out of nowhere. Some skills were natural, others were practiced. Constantine had fucked her senseless before, but never like this. “Whose bed have you shared?”
“Wouldn’t you love to know,” he tugged on his pants and grabbed his belt.
“I’m not mad, I just…” want to thank whoever taught you to let the fuck go, “curious.”
“Curious still, eh? Thought you’d have learned your lesson about how dangerous curiosity can be.”
If he wasn’t going to tell her, fine. She shunned him for centuries, and he had every right to fall into the arms of another lover, no matter how much it hurt her heart to admit that.
There was a shift in his body language. Her hackles raised. “What more do you need?” Never in all her days had she felt this much angst from Constantine. And given their long history, that said a lot. “Tell me what more I can do to help you.”
He stared at her for a moment, drenched in sweat and regret. He looked more lost now than when he’d arrived.
“Don’t deny us ever again.” After one last kiss, he opened the closet door and left her there covered in his scent. “Not ever, Eve.” He slammed the door shut.
Chapter 24
Gabriel and Lucifer held onto each other and stumbled their way out of the Time Out Zone. Liam was now officially a Gatekeeper and would need training. Reggie said he could handle it. Lucifer didn’t like the idea of Reggie splitting his time between the Prisons and Purgatory but they didn’t have much choice. Here’s hoping Liam was a quick learner.
Uriel met them halfway down the hall, “We got problems,” he said coming closer. “Holy fuck, you two are a goddamn mess.”
Gabriel flipped him the bird and kept moving forward. “Recreating someone takes a lot out of you, asshole.”
“You actually did it?”
“Of course, he did,” Lucifer let Gabriel stand on his own, “Did you doubt he would?”
“No,” Uriel’s gaze landed on Gabriel. “Jesus fucking Christ, brother. You okay?”
“I�
��m fine.”
Gabriel wasn’t fine and they all knew it. “Hey,” Lucifer grabbed his shoulder and squeezed, “Liam chose his fate. That’s not the same as cursing him, brother.”
Gabe swallowed and nodded. Then kept walking to get away from them.
“Look, we gotta talk about the red sky,” Uriel jumped right into the next shitshow. “Lazarus said some things earlier. We need to go check on Lilith.”
“You’ll have to go,” Lucifer waved him off. “I can’t get there and Gabriel’s gonna have to stay here for now.”
Uriel left immediately and Lucifer headed into his bedchamber. He was so goddamn exhausted he could barely walk.
Gabriel fell face down in the bed with a grunt and Lucifer dropped next to him.
“Where’s Uriel gone to?” Gabe asked with a groggy voice.
“To see Lilith. Something about the red sky. Laz said someone needs to get up there and check on her.” Lucifer placed his arm over his eyes. His sheets smelled like pack and infant. Wherever Sara was with the baby, Lucifer hoped she stayed away for a bit until he got right in the head again. He felt more off kilter than ever before and that made him dangerous to be around.
“You should have gone instead of him.”
“Can’t,” the Devil sighed. “I could no sooner get into Heaven than Lilith could drop into Hell.”
“Things have changed.”
“Others have not. Besides, I’m too weak anyway. I can’t show up there like this. I’m too dangerous to be around that many innocents.” Lucifer destroying so many malanum had a price that still needed to be paid – He would have to destroy an equal amount of the innocent to regain his balance. He wasn’t about to put himself in a realm that was nothing but temptation like that. The Devil knew his limits.
“You did well, choosing Liam.” When he didn’t get a response, Lucifer added, “I should have never thrown your curses in your face like that. It was a low blow and I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine. It was uncalled for and wrong. I only did it to push you.” The silence that followed was terrible. “You’ve always made sacrifices to keep everyone safe. And I know, back at the brotherhood, you protected me as best you could. I’ve always admired you for your courage.”
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