Atieno said, “Thank you, Nyx. Your powers are amazing and make my job so much easier. Your mother, Addilyn, was a close friend of mine, and if you ever need anything, I’m here for you.” He turned to the man in the chair. “Kael, your crimes against your community are punishable by death.”
“We could rule the world together,” Kael said.
I couldn’t hold my tongue, even though this was Atieno’s show. “Ha, you think you can rule the world? You would need a hell of a lot bigger army than you planned. My father would take you down with a snap of his fingers.”
Atieno let out a groan. “Your father would trick others into doing his work. You realize it would probably be us who would need to take him down if he tried that whole army thing. We just went through a mission for your dad. Where did that get us?”
I let out a huff. “We only have a few more days.”
“It’s like living in hell,” Atieno said.
I smiled up at him. “But we got out for a little while.”
Gideon cleared his throat. “I want to be the one to kill him.”
Atieno shrugged. “Have at it. You have the king’s blessing.”
With a flip of Gideon’s wrist, the cuffs broke around Kael’s arms and legs. He made a run for it, but he only got a couple of feet before Gideon wrapped his hands around his throat. Kael reached out, grabbed a knife off the table, and flung it. The knife headed straight for Nyx. Conley spun her and grunted. His eyes widened. He set Nyx on the floor and collapsed next to her, the large knife protruding from his back.
“No!” Nyx screamed.
“I love you, my treasure,” Conley whispered.
“No. You can’t die.” Nyx pressed her hands to the wound. “Do something, Kirin.”
“I can’t. He hit an artery.”
I was the only one in the room who was able to fix this. Lucifer owed me. I pushed Nyx out of the way and pressed my hand to Conley’s chest.
“Don’t do it, love,” Atieno said. “You know what happens when you bring people back.”
I continued to let my magic flow. “Yes, I know. We are currently living in hell, but Dad owes me. I have it in writing.”
Using all the energy I had, I pressed my hands to his chest and pulled back to the second the knife went in. Then I blasted magic, causing the blade to fly in another direction and hit the ground with a clatter. It missed Conley. He was no longer hurt, but I needed to find Lucifer and use the favor he owed me before someone else died. That was the issue with my power—I could bring people back to life, but someone else would die for every person I brought back.
When I released my hands, I faintly heard Nyx gasp and Conley say something before the world went dark.
14
Gemma
The scrapes down my side were almost healed but not because my body was magically better. Nope. Evanora still insisted I was dying. She said the only thing that would make me better would be to drink the damn potion that tasted like sour milk. It did help the scrapes heal, along with my broken foot. Lucifer had spent the last two days waiting on me night and day. There was no doubt in my mind anymore—I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.
I still worried that binding our souls together might not fix all my issues, though I thought it might give us a little longer together. But instead of binding to him, I could keep drinking the potion, as long as Evanora found a way to make it taste better.
We were lying on the couch in the living room, watching a marathon of Lucifer. He grumbled about every aspect of the show, saying it wasn’t right. He should have been happy someone had made a show about him. He pointed out that he hadn’t been asked to be a part of it or given any money. Lucifer felt Hollywood should pay him for using his life story, even if they didn’t get it right.
In the middle of an argument about this, the portal next to the fireplace was activated. Lucifer jumped to his feet, pulled out his flaming sword, and stood in front of me. Atieno walked through the purple portal with Pandora in his arms. I quickly moved to the side, and he set her down on the couch. Atieno knelt next to her and ran his hand over her hair.
“What did you do to my daughter?” Lucifer barked as he dropped down next to Pandora.
“Don’t get your horns in a twist. She brought someone back and passed out.” Atieno didn’t look away from Pandora.
“She shouldn’t be using her powers. You know how much these babies are draining her. Why would you allow that?” Lucifer pressed his hand to Pandora’s chest.
“To start with, she just found out about the triplets before going. Secondly, she’s your daughter. No matter what I said, she had to do this. I told her to stop, but she insisted you owed her and nobody would die. You need to fix this before we lose one of the…”
Lucifer chanted in the language of the underworld. Wind sliced through the living room, catching me off guard. I placed my hand on the chair to stay upright. The louder Lucifer chanted, the stronger the wind was.
Pictures flew off the wall and crashed to the ground. A set of crystal dishes slid to the floor. But everyone's eyes were on Pandora as she lay on the couch. The fire went from a small flame to big ones that shot out the chimney. Heat poured into the room, causing sweat to break out down my back.
But he didn’t stop. Lucifer continued to chant. The smell of brimstone filled the room as the fire roared. Atieno still had one hand on the couch and the other on Pandora.
Lucifer finally stopped chanting, and everything came crashing to the ground and shattered. “Nobody is going to die.”
“The babies?” Atieno looked down at his mate’s stomach.
“Those three are still there, but she can’t do that again. It was close…” Lucifer frowned down at his daughter. “She has more than herself to think about. If it was up to me, we would take that power away.”
A chill went down my spine. Taking someone's powers wasn’t something I ever enjoyed. Especially when it wasn’t the choice of that person. Pandora was sound asleep on the couch. If I took her powers, it would be like taking a small piece out of her.
“That is not my choice to make.” Atieno clutched Pandora’s hand.
“She’s going to have to make a choice. I will not do that again.” Worry crossed Lucifer’s face. In the magical world, things weren’t always easy to undo. There were consequences for every action, and I had a feeling Lucifer had just paid one of them.
Pandora’s eyes fluttered open. “What happened?” She looked from Lucifer to Atieno. “The last thing I remember was Conley going down and Nyx crying. I rested my hand on his chest and went back to the moment, but it took more out of me than usual, and I used my magic to push the knife away. Did we make it here in time?” Pandora’s voice shook with worry.
Lucifer glared at his daughter. “That is the one and only time I will ever clear that for you.”
“Nobody died?” Pandora asked.
Lucifer stood and walked back over to me. “I think you should let Gemma take that power—” He held up his hand to keep her from saying anything. “What would have happened if I wasn’t here? You would’ve lost someone close to you. That might even include your babies.”
Pandora gasped, and tears ran down her face.
“Lucifer…” I walked over to Pandora and addressed her. “I would never take them without your permission. Even if I did take them, I would keep them in my special place to give back to you or pass down to one of your children.”
“The power has brought me a lot of pain over the years… it also brings great sadness because I want to save people, but I can’t all the time.”
Atieno pressed a kiss to Pandora’s forehead. “You are an amazing woman with other kick-ass powers. You won’t lose everything if you decide to do this.”
“If, and only if, I agree to do this, I’m done running hell, and you can never ask me again, even in some backward contract. I’m done.”
“Two more days, and then you can be done.” Lucifer glanced out the window. “I can’t
guarantee you will never run hell, but it won’t be for a very long time.”
“No tricking me into running hell.”
“The next time won’t be a trick.” Lucifer let out a sigh. “And if a different set of stars align, you won’t ever have to worry about it. Believe me, I hope the stars align the other way, but only time will tell.” He looked at me as he spoke.
I knew my decision to be with him or not be with him could cause two different paths. Hera had showed me what would happen if Lucifer and I weren’t together. I didn’t know if it would get worse than that—only time would tell. But I didn’t plan on us going down that path. Most people didn’t see the caring side of Lucifer, except those in his close circle. I couldn’t imagine a better man to spend my time with than him.
“Okay.” Pandora slowly sat up on the couch, and Atieno sat next to her. “You will also pay for my wedding.”
A smile spread across Lucifer's face. “I will definitely pay for a wedding in hell.”
Atieno rolled his eyes, and Pandora shook her head. There was no point in arguing about the location. Each side would need to compromise. It would be interesting to see the first wedding in hell. All other supernaturals mated with a bite or bound their souls together forever.
I took the seat on the other side of Pandora and gripped her hand. Testing my power, which I hadn’t used in years, I reached out for the source of her powers. When I pinned down the one that could bring life back, I let go of her hand. Pandora had tears running down her face.
“We can do this another time. This is a big decision and not one you should take lightly. Especially since someone guilted you into it.”
Lucifer huffed on the other side of the room but didn’t say anything.
Pandora looked over at Atieno. “Can I have a second alone with Atieno?”
I nodded, stood up, and grabbed Lucifer’s hand. He didn’t look like he wanted to give the couple time to think. I pulled him out of the cabin and down to the trail. With Lucifer’s hearing, he would know what they said if we stayed closer, and this was a decision that Pandora and her mate needed to make alone.
“You know I can’t hear this far away.” Lucifer pouted.
“I know. That’s why we’re out here. It will also give you a chance to tell me what you gave up for your daughter.”
“It’s nothing for you to worry about.” His eyes flashed red, telling me it was something big.
“Lucifer, if we are going to make this work, you need to talk things out with me. Your burdens are also mine.”
He walked over to the swing, sat down, and pulled me onto his lap. At first, when he started to place kisses on my neck, I didn’t think he was going to tell me. Then he said, “Every favor I grant has to be equal to the favor I give.”
I’d never known how his system worked. The only thing I knew was when someone asked for a favor, Lucifer figured out what it would take to accomplish it. Sometimes it was a person’s soul. Other times, it was spending time in certain parts of hell.
“Okay. So what did Pandora do to get this favor?”
Lucifer let out a long sigh. “She told me how to save you. Over the past few days, we’ve been texting back and forth. I wanted to confirm that what Hera said was true. I already knew you were important to me…”
“But you were still worried I might die.”
Lucifer ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t like the world when you’re not in it, so yes, she said she found a way to save you. Technically, it would be a life for a life.”
“That sounds like it would be even.”
He sucked in a breath. “It should, but since we didn’t mate and you don’t want to be with me— and I knew this for a while—that train of events would lead to this moment, and when it happened, it would change Pandora’s and my future.”
“You gave up hell so Pandora’s baby would live.” I turned and straddled Lucifer. “What happens if we decide to bond, and I want to be your mate?”
“I’m not going to force you to be with me so I can rule hell forever. It wasn’t right that I didn’t tell Pandora, but it’s not going to happen for centuries to come.”
My sexy man was sacrificing the one thing he cared about to save his grandkids. Hell was part of Lucifer. The day he would have to give it up would crush him, and he wouldn’t live much longer after that.
“I already decided to be with you. I would’ve bonded to you last night, but you wouldn’t touch me.”
The scratches on my side were still pink, and he’d been worried they would open and my guts would fall out or he might break me in half—not his exact words.
“So you want to be by my side and not because I might lose hell?” he asked.
“Yes,” I growled against his lip as I nipped it.
“There’s no going back after we bond.” His words came out husky.
“Do I get my own throne?”
Lucifer ran kisses along my neck. The world around us disappeared, leaving just Lucifer and me.
“You can have anything you want.” He’d just slipped his hand behind my back and unclasped my bra when I heard a throat clearing, followed by a giggle.
Lucifer’s fingers stilled, and he looked over my shoulder. “Do you mind?” he snapped. “We were in the middle of something.”
“Well, I made my decision, and the sooner we get this over with, the sooner we will be out of your hair and you can go back to doing whatever it is you were doing. As long as it happens once I’m gone. I don’t want to have to gouge out my eyes because I saw you naked.”
“I’ll be there in a second,” I said.
“We could go into the forest real quick.” Lucifer smiled. “They can wait in the house.”
“Or I can go do this quickly, and we can spend hours together,” I countered.
“Make it fast and kick them out. I want to kiss every inch of your body.”
I climbed off Lucifer’s lap and walked back into the house. Pandora sat on Atieno’s lap, talking in a hushed tone. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was no longer fighting the pull of Lucifer, but I could hear their quiet conversation.
I cleared my throat before walking over to the couch. “You know you don’t have to do this. You can keep the power and not use it.”
“But I can’t stop myself. Even if Lucifer didn’t owe me a favor, I think I would have saved Conley. In the heat of the moment, it’s hard to think about What if?”
“Okay, lie down on the couch.”
“Will it hurt?” she asked.
“No. It might feel like you’re missing something for a while, but over time, it will heal like a broken heart does.”
“Okay, I’m ready.”
I knelt on the floor next to Pandora and rested my hand against hers. It didn’t take long for me to find her powers reaching through her body. She even had other powers hidden away. To help with the loss of the one power, I opened the gates of the others.
It would take time, but Pandora would be extremely powerful. I concentrated on the yellow power—the power to bring people back. My magic pulled at it until it let go and coursed through my body. In the back of my mind, I opened the box that held all the powers and slid the yellow power into place. I locked the box back up so the powers couldn’t escape back into the universe.
A wave of tiredness came over me. With my eyes still closed, I felt myself falling and heard Pandora saying something before arms wrapped around me. And then the world went dark.
15
Gemma
The loud noise was annoying me out of my sleep. Why did the voice have to be so loud? Couldn’t they see I was trying to sleep peacefully?
“She’s not waking up,” Lucifer yelled.
I slowly opened my eyes to see Pandora, Atieno, Lucifer, and Evanora hovering over me.
“Is there a reason you’re not letting me sleep?”
Lucifer glared down at me. “You’re not supposed to be sleeping. After you took Pandora’s powers away, you passed out.”
Now it came back to me. I’d pushed myself a little extra so I could also unlock a couple more of Pandora’s powers. This would help her not feel the loss of the one I was removing. I must have used too much energy, and it caused me to pass out.
“I’m fine now,” I said.
Evanora shook her head. “You’re not.” She pushed a cup toward me. “Drink.”
Pandora gagged and walked away. I felt the same way about the liquid, only I didn’t have the option of walking away and not drinking it.
“Can you tell me what it is? I really don’t want to be growing a strange limb.”
She let out a huff. “It’s Lucifer’s blood, a couple of spices, and a mixture of his essences.”
I started to gag. “You’ve been feeding me parts of Lucifer?”
Even Lucifer paled. “Why?”
“Because you two are idiots and didn’t bind years ago. Now she is suffering and holding back. When I give her parts of you, it keeps her body from shutting down. Simple.”
Simple would have been her telling me this from day one. I might have bonded with him then, knowing it was his blood keeping me alive. I planned to bind with Lucifer that day anyway, but my body was so weak that I needed the boost to be able to last until then. After about three deep breaths, I downed the potion. It still tasted like crap.
“I need to get back to my chickens.” Evanora stood and walked through the portal.
Heaven knew what she was doing with a bunch of chickens. I never wanted to find out. She might use them in one of her potions.
Pandora reached out and grabbed my hand. “You did something. I felt the one power leave, but I got a rush of something else. What is it?”
Fated Mates of the Underworld, Books 1-3 Page 37
