Lucifer (Dark Angels Book 1)

by Mandy Lee

  “I’m not sure.” Uriel croaked, his throat raw with emotion. “After that day, I could no longer feel his presence. He’s either passed on or he is being held in Halja. As an angel, I cannot enter that realm. I had to make the most difficult decision of my existence – remain silent and keep your existence a secret, or alert the light and the dark to the possible presence of my son. I chose to safeguard your life.”

  Katia sobbed as her father held her. She cried for the loss of the mother she never knew, the father she’d never gotten to know, and the brother she may never know. She cried until she ran out of tears and all that was left were the dry sobs that wracked her body. The others in the room averted their eyes to give Katia and her father time to reconcile the painful reality of their story. Only Luc’s eyes remained locked upon them. Moving slowly he advanced to the couch and crouched down in front of them.

  “Uriel, I know this is the worst possible time, but Satan tasked me to bring Katia to him. If your son is alive, then why would he need Katia? Why wouldn’t he have already attempted a binding?”

  Glancing down at Luc, Uriel replied. “He may have tried the binding already with Keir but it wouldn’t have worked. He would require both of them. Together, they are complete, two sides of the same coin, the dark and the light.”

  Confused, Luc shook his head. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”

  “One cannot be bound without the other as they are connected at the deepest level. They share one soul.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Resting in the comfort and safety of her father’s embrace, Katia sifted through the missing pieces of herself that had finally come together. Everything that set her apart from the rest of the world, her adoptive family, her friends — those smashed pieces of her heart were knitting together. She was someone with a real history, a past that was more than conjecture.

  She was an immortal creature, an endangered species; she shared a soul with her brother. Whether he was alive or not, a part of him lived as long as she was breathing. The thought comforted her at a base level. Katia was dimly aware of conversations happening around her. The others were making plans and leaving to execute them.

  Turning her head, she glanced at Luc. He looked so afraid for her as he had a hurried conversation with Amir, who nodded in agreement to something Luc said. He turned, pulled wide the curtain in the fabric between worlds, and disappeared from view. Luc stood rooted to the spot looking shell-shocked and staring blankly at the space where Amir had stood. She wanted to reach out to him to comfort him but her body felt so numb, the shock of all that she’d learned had paralyzed her.

  As she stared at him, Luc turned slowly to face her. She watched as his expression shuttered and became impassive. A coping mechanism, she mused. The same one she used when she tried to distance herself. For some reason, he cared what happened to her but didn’t want to. Strange, she thought, because she was in the same place.

  Luc gazed at Katia from across the room as she rested in Uriel’s arms. Sergei sat at her side - a pillar of strength in the storm. The past forty-eight hours flashed through his mind like a runaway bullet train. This was definitely not what he'd had in mind when he woke up two short days ago. He had somehow been cast as the accidental protector to a beautiful creature he was drawn to who could end up being the catalyst for Sheol on Earth. Aside from his inexplicable feelings of tenderness toward Katia, he had a sudden burning desire to save her, not just to prevent a war — because it was her. Squaring his shoulders, Luc headed toward the small group huddled on the couch. Taking a seat on the coffee table in front of them, he looked Uriel dead in the eye.

  “I need to know everything you can tell me so I can keep Katia safe.”

  Uriel searched Luc’s eyes seeking answers of his own. Clearly finding what he’d been looking for, he nodded for Luc to continue.

  “We know why my employer is interested in your daughter, but I also need to know is what other abilities she has. What can be useful or dangerous while we’re on the run?”

  Uriel dropped a quick kiss on Katia’s forehead and replied. “She is able to heal very quickly. As she was raised amongst humans her healing abilities have mimicked theirs, now that she’s in the company of other immortals, they will return to their normal state.”

  “We’ve already seen that,” Luc murmured.

  Nodding, Uriel continued. “As a Chimera, her other abilities will depend upon a couple of factors. The Chimera are not bound to Sheol or Heofon. They are able to absorb the abilities of any creature they come in contact with. Those abilities and the light or dark essence associated with them will become a part of her.”

  “Is it something Katia can do instinctively, or does she need to learn how?”

  “It’s a skill that will come naturally to her. That being said, her abilities will likely be limited. Without her twin she is only half of the puzzle.”

  At the mention of her brother, Katia stirred in her father’s arms. Wiping the stray tears off her face she turned toward Luc, straightening up, and raising her head. Her gaze was steady and confident again. Luc could only marvel at her strength as she sat across from him looking as regal and confident as a queen despite everything she had just been through. Clearing her throat, Katia looked back at her father. “If my brother’s alive I need to find him.”

  “That may prove a challenge,” Uriel replied as he reached up to stroke her cheek. “As I said, I lost track of his essence the day your mother was killed. If he’s alive, the only place he could be is within the walls of Halja. I doubt Satan would have kept him alive once he discovered the binding couldn’t be accomplished.”

  “If there’s even a tiny chance he’s alive, I have to find him. I can’t just forget about him as though he didn’t exist.” Despair laced her voice, her eyes flicking back and forth between Uriel and Luc.

  Uriel shook his head sadly. “You can’t do that.”

  Confusion and anger coloured her expression as she turned back toward her father. “Why not? If he’s still alive, that means he’s been held captive for over thirty years! I can’t just let him rot away forever as someone’s prisoner!”

  Sighing sadly, Uriel looked back down at their linked hands. “If I’d been able to reach him myself, I would have gone to Halja in search of him years ago, but angels cannot enter. If Satan does have your brother and were to gain possession of you as well, he would be able to complete the binding and leave the confines of Halja. We cannot allow this to happen.”

  Luc reached out and placed his hand gently on Katia’s knee. “Our first priority right now is finding a way to keep you safe and hidden. Amir agreed to take us somewhere in the human realm for the next day or so, but we need to come up with a long-term plan. I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to deal with your brother later; there’s just no other option.”

  A mixture of resignation and gratitude were written across her face as Katia replied. “Why are you helping me? Why didn’t you just take me in? You don’t know me. You don’t owe me anything. I…I…thank you just seems so lame right now.”

  She was looking at him as though he were a good man. All Luc felt was dirty and deceptive. If she knew who he really was, she’d be running in the other direction so fast his head would spin. Luc pulled his hand back from where it rested, and swallowed past the lump of guilt and shame that had taken up shop in his throat.

  “If Satan gets to you, the world won’t be the same. I can’t allow that to happen.” Luc wished he could be the kind of man she thought he was — the kind of man who had the right to tell her the truth. I just can’t let him get his hands on you. I'm in awe of you Katia, and I will keep you safe.

  Katia seemed unable to meet Luc’s eyes as she replied, “Right, of course…the fate of the world.” She gave a dry laugh. “I still feel like I should be waiting for someone to jump out with a camera telling me I’ve been punked. The fate of the world rests in my hands; it’s like something out of a movie.”

  Sergei took Kati
a’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Look, I know all of this is coming at you at warp speed. I can't imagine how hard all of this is for you.”

  Turning her head to face him, Katia gave Sergei a wry smile. “It’s amazing how quickly you can get used to the supremely weird. As much as I’m still pissed at you for keeping all this shit a secret, I’m glad you’re here for me. At least there’s still one thing in my life that makes sense. You’re a good friend, Sergei; I’m lucky to have you.”

  “I’ll always be your friend,” Sergei said softly, looking down at their linked hands. “So, where will you be taking her?” he asked, looking back up at Luc.

  “I don’t know,” Luc said, shaking his head. “Amir will take us somewhere off the grid. He’ll be the only one who knows. The fewer people who know where we are, the better.”

  “Sounds reasonable,” Sergei replied, giving Katia’s hand another squeeze before letting go.

  “How long before we leave?” Katia asked.

  “As soon as Amir gets back. We're putting Sergei at risk the longer we stay here. As soon as Satan realizes I’m not playing ball, this building will be one of the first places he looks,” Luc said. Turning and giving Sergei a pointed look, he added, “You should probably clear out of here, too. He’s got your name and knows you’re close to Katia. He may send someone here to get information.”

  Sergei nodded. “Yeah, I’ll probably take a quick nap after you guys leave. I’m pretty wiped from lack of sleep and that locator spell took it out of me. I’ll pack up a few grimoires in case you guys need me again and head out later tonight.”

  “Do you need a place to stay, or do you have something in mind?”

  “I should be good. There’s a coven house not far from here that I’ll probably hole up in.”

  Luc reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and handed it to Sergei. “Put yourself in my contact list."

  As Sergei typed away on Luc’s phone, a curtain of air began to shimmer on the far side of the room. A moment later, Amir was stepping in, leaving the doorway between dimensions open behind him.

  “Sorry to break up the family reunion, but we’ve really got to head out,” he said, shooting a sympathetic look at Katia and Uriel.

  Katia turned toward her father and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. “Will I ever see you again?”

  Closing his eyes, Uriel breathed in her scent as though he were trying to permanently imprint it on his memory. “Heofon-willing, we’ll see each other again very soon. I’d like nothing more than to finally get to know my daughter. We’ve already lost so much time together and there’s so much I’d like to tell you about your mother.”

  Katia pulled back and smiled at her father. “I’d like that very much.”

  Luc nodded at Katia and she took a deep breath. Together they rose and made their way to Amir. Turning back one last time, Katia raised her hand in farewell to both her father and Sergei. Both men waved back to her as she placed her hand on Amir’s shoulder and they stepped into the shadow world.

  “So, where are we headed?” Luc asked Amir as they began their walk down the misty corridor.

  “Little out of the way place I found in a small town far, far away from here. Trust me, it’ll be the last place anyone will look for you guys.”

  “Sounds good. Lead the way.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  As Katia stepped into the room, Luc moved to shut the door with a click behind her. Room thirteen — it figured. Not only were they now stuck in the crappiest motel known to man, Amir had dropped them in room thirteen — his idea of a sick joke. Luc hoped it wasn’t some kind of omen for the rest of their plans. As Katia walked around inspecting the room, Luc walked over and tossed the room key with the gaudy orange plastic tag onto the dresser. The Red Roof Inn was most certainly not a five-star accommodation. The décor was nineteen-seventies chic, faded and scratched with the passage of time. Water stains decorated the ceiling like a large-scale Rorschach test. As he looked around, Luc made a mental note to slap Amir later for bringing them here. Turning to face Katia, who was now inspecting the bed sheets for cleanliness, Luc cleared his throat.

  “Amir said he would stop by both our apartments to pick up some of our stuff. He’ll be by tomorrow to drop off a bag.”

  Glancing up at him, Katia gave him a tired smile. “Sounds good.”

  Taking another look around the room, Luc realized they had another problem on their hands.

  “You take the bed. I’ll sleep in the chair,” he said, pointing to an exceedingly ugly orange armchair placed next to a table by the window.

  “No, you won’t,” Katia said shaking her head. “We’re both adults here. Either I’m taking the chair or we’re sharing the bed. You’re already doing so much for me; you should at least be comfortable.”

  Hearing the determination in her voice Luc nodded in agreement. “Alright, but we’ll share the bed. I don’t want you sleeping in a chair.”

  “Good. Then it’s settled. I’m just going to take a quick shower. Between kidnapping, drugging, dimensional travel, and the drama at Sergei’s...” She trailed off.

  “Go for it. I don’t blame you.”

  With a laugh, Katia turned and headed into the bathroom, closing the door softly. A moment later Luc heard the sound of running water. Grabbing the television remote off the dresser, he turned it on, lowered the volume, and set the channel to the news. He hoped background noise might help lull Katia into sleep.

  It had been a horrendous couple of days for her, and Luc knew he was a big part of the stress. With any luck, he could also be a big part of the solution. Some good had come out of this whole nightmare. Katia now knew where she came from; hopefully that would bring her some kind of peace, that is, if they could get out of this mess without one or both of them being tortured or killed.

  Frowning and lost in thought, Luc took off his jacket and t-shirt, tossing them over the back of a chair. He was about to strip off his jeans, then stopped, and re-thought that plan. Katia was stressed enough without worrying about sleeping next to a half-naked virtual stranger. The jeans were staying on. Luc figured he should put the t-shirt back on too. He didn’t want to invite any questions about his Sigil. It wouldn’t be the most comfortable night’s sleep, but it was the right thing to do.

  With a half-smile, Luc laughed at his own train of thought. Being a gentleman and putting someone else first, that sure wasn't how he had thought of himself in a long time. The funny thing was, the more he turned it over in his head, the more he liked it. He liked that he liked her. He was starting to like that he wanted her to like him. Turning toward the mirror with a smile on his face, Luc froze as he took in his reflection. It wasn’t possible. Raising his hand to the blackened sigil over his heart, he traced a vein radiating outward. Instead of the thickly raised blackness, he ran his shaking finger over a vein of dully-flickering gold. Frowning, he leaned closer to the dresser mirror. The sigil itself was still midnight black; however, the shade of the veins tracking outward had lightened, more than one showing evidence of a low-level glow. What was this? In centuries the only change he had noticed in his sigil was the increasing pain and throbbing, along with the insidious spread of thick inky veins. He placed his palm flat against the sigil and applied light pressure. For the first time in centuries, he felt no pain at the contact. He stood there in shocked silence for what seemed like an eternity before a soft voice broke the spell.

  “Are you okay?”

  Turning his head toward the sound of her voice, Luc was struck dumb yet again, but for an entirely new reason. Katia was leaning with one shoulder against the doorframe, the steam from the bathroom hung in the air around her like mist. She was wearing the oversized white t-shirt from earlier, but now it hung loose, covering the tops of her thighs, leaving the rest of her shapely legs bare. Her wet hair hung in one long braid draped over her shoulder. With her doe-like mismatched eyes, fine features, and small stature, she looked like an otherworldly
princess that had wandered out of her fairy tale and found herself in this awful motel. Luc’s breath caught in his throat.

  “Yup, everything’s good,” he said in a strangled voice.

  Giving him a dubious look, Katia headed toward the bed, pulled back the covers and sat down leaning against the headboard. Luc turned back to the mirror, watching her reflection as she flipped her braid over her shoulder and leaned her head back with a sigh. Locking eyes with his own reflection, Luc started to mentally panic. There was a small problem — well, not a small problem, and it was getting bigger by the second. If he didn’t get this under control, she would have no doubt that he was attracted to her. And he couldn’t stand there staring at himself in the mirror until she fell asleep. Sports stats? Nope, not working. Watching her kiss Sergei at the café? Nope again. Satan and the torture he’d be in for if they got caught…yup, okay that was definitely working, the problem was becoming less obvious. Moments later, he breathed a sigh of relief and was able to turn and walk toward the bed without embarrassing himself. Taking a seat beside Katia, but leaving a respectful amount of space, Luc turned to face her. “How are you feeling? It’s been a rough couple of days.”