Lucifer let go of Alec, and he crumpled to the ground like a stone. I sank to my knees beside him and a vice gripped my chest as I looked down at the eyes that once held so much mirth and life. They now stared back at me with all the emptiness of a void.
I placed my hand on his chest, hoping that I could save him like I’d saved Fenris. But my demon was gone. She had slunk away, and although I could feel the energy I had stolen pumping through my veins, without the help of Lucifer channelling power into the bond, I didn’t have the strength to save Alec.
Tears choked me. I smoothed his hair back from his face and I let the tears fall. I’d failed to save my friend. He was dead and it was all my fault.
I’d let him die right in front of me.
Rage swept through me like an inferno and my scream ripped through the silence of the night. I charged at Lucifer, my anger and agony fuelling my attack. I could barely see through the tears, but my rage was too big, my pain too incomprehensible that I barrelled into Lucifer with everything I had. I could feel Lucifer draining my energy through the bond and, without the added power boost, I was back to being merely human. My attack on him was pathetic. I knocked him backwards a few paces, but he stood his ground. I was determined to wipe that smug smile off his face, but he blocked every one of my hits. It was like he knew my moves before I made them. And he wasn’t fighting back. Not really. He just stood there, taking the beating like he knew he deserved it.
As my energy faded, so did my anger. Gut wrenching sobs wracked my body as Lucifer wrapped his arms around me. I didn’t want to like it, I wanted to shove him away, but I didn’t have the strength to fight him. So I lay there, wrapped in his embrace, and sobbed into his chest. I hoped I ruined his fucking shirt.
“Come on. Time to go home.” Lucifer picked me up in his arms and carried me like his most precious thing. I had no fight left in me. I wasn’t worthy of being saved so I let him take me. His wings unfurled behind him and I couldn’t even marvel at the beauty of them. Grief had numbed me and in my sorrow I couldn’t care.
We launched into the air and together, Lucifer and I disappeared into the night.
Chapter 30
FENRIS
I heard Lori’s scream and my heart clenched. No. Where was she? What happened?
I turned in the direction of the sound and saw Alec drop to the ground.
Shit. I forced my legs into action and ran to Lori. What the fuck was Cassian playing at? Why wasn’t he doing anything?
I could see Lori kneeled over Alec. She thought he was dead, but I knew something she didn’t.
Why was I moving so slowly?
Lori threw herself at the man who’d thrown the dagger at Alec and my blood ran cold. Lucifer, how was he here? This wasn’t possible?
Unless….
Oh, god. He was Orion. He’d tricked Lori and somehow she had managed to give him enough power to manifest here. This was all kinds of fucked up. I cursed myself. How did we not see it?
Lucifer wrapped her in his arms and took to the sky. He’d taken her. He’d won.
Dread settled in my bones as I reached the spot where Alec lay dead on the ground. I didn’t stop running until I had slammed my fist into Cassian’s face.
“Why didn’t you stop him?” I roared as the rest of the team came to join us.
“And end up dead like Alec?” he seethed. “I’m not that stupid.”
I ran at Cassian again, but Jasper held me back
“Enough,” he ordered. “Fenris is right, Cassian. Why didn’t you do anything? You know what’s at stake.”
“You didn’t see the way she kissed him. She’s already lost.” Cassian spat the words at us in disgust.
“You don’t know that,” Jasper bellowed.
“I know enough not to follow her blindly. We’ve already lost Alec because he was a fool. I will not allow my life to be forfeit because you can’t see that she is in way over her head.”
“But what about the prophecy?” Saskia chimed in. “You can’t let her fall into Lucifer’s clutches. It will mean the end of the world.”
Cassian laughed menacingly. “She might not even be part of the prophecy. If you ask me, she’s better off in Hell.”
Jasper let out a low growl. Ah shit. It was time to come clean before all hell broke loose. “Alec isn’t dead.”
Three pairs of eyes all turned to me.
“What?” Jasper demanded, the single word short and sharp.
I bent over Alec and pulled the knife from his chest. It made a sickening squelch and I tossed the blade to the ground as I stood back up.
“Alec has no heart and therefore cannot die.” My words were followed by the sudden gasp and spluttering cough from the man in question. All eyes fell on Alec as he came back to life in front of them. I could have laughed; their faces were a picture. Saskia had her hand over her mouth in shock, Jasper looked like he was chewing thorns and Cassian looked almost impressed.
Jasper took a step forward and stared at the two of us. “You have some explaining to do. Everyone back to base. Now.”
The terse command had the rest of the team springing into action. I held my hand out to Alec and pulled him up from the ground.
“You alright?” I asked Alec as he examined his chest for a wound.
“Yeah. I hate coming back from the dead. It’s unpleasant.” That I understood. I had done it once when Lori had saved me and it was not an experience I would ever want to repeat. He looked around and I knew he was trying to find her. “Lori?”
I shook my head. “Lucifer took her.”
“Shit. Are we getting her back?”
“I hope so.” I really did. for some reason the thought of losing Lori so soon was unbearable. “I imagine that will come up at the meeting we are no doubt about to have. If we get through this team meeting alive, you will owe me big time,” I said to Alec as we strolled back to base.
He grinned back at me. “What’s the worst Jasper can do? Kill me?”
“If you’re lucky, that’s all he’ll do to you.”
***
LORI
Don’t think. Don’t feel. Don’t open your eyes.
I was cold. So cold. I shivered and the hands holding me in the sky tightened around my body.
Lucifer cradled me against the warmth of his body. A body I had craved to feel only days ago now made me feel sick to my stomach. I hadn’t just bonded to a fallen angel I had bonded to the fallen angel. How could I have been so stupid?
My demon filled my mind and crawled to the surface. Her presence filled my mind in a way I had never felt before. No, go away. Not now.
She laughed. Ssh. Just go to sleep. It’s my turn to play now Lori. And I’m going to have so much fun.
To be continued...
Find out what happens to Lori in the next instalment. Her adventure continues in To Crave Madly
Coming soon.
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To Crave Darkly: Trials Of A Morta: Book One Page 25
