by Maya Daniels
“Your turn,” he says tilting his chin up to urge me to talk.
As if! “You’re lying,” I say simply. I’m not sure he is, but something is off.
“I don’t lie.”
“You just did.”
“I most definitely did not.”
“Okay, fine. You didn’t lie, but you skirted the truth.”
We scowl at each other with narrowed eyes until he throws his hands in the air dramatically and pushes off the wall, pacing up and down in front of the bed.
“I have no idea what I did, okay? I was not myself before I came to wake you up and you coming out of the astral realms, your soul holding on by a thread to this lifetime … it made my power out of control.” He stops and points a finger at me like I’m a two-year-old. “And that is the truth!”
“Okay, I’ll take that for now.” I’ll get back to it later after I tell him what happened. Maybe things will make more sense then.
“Well? Speak,” he snaps, and I lift my eyebrows. He seems to be on edge again.
“Want to calm down a bit before I tell you? Because unfortunately, I was not in a realm with unicorns skipping rainbows. It will get you more upset.”
“No. Speak.”
“Fine, asshole,” I bite out, then I tell him everything that happened from the point when I found myself in the mist to the moment I opened my eyes with him holding me on the bed. As I speak, his eyes widen. It’s almost comical. When I get to the part about Derik, a sharp pain stabs in my heart, but thankfully it goes away just as fast as it comes. I guess after so many betrayals, I’m used to the sensation now. I can tell the pity finds its way into his eyes as I retell the encounter, but there is something else there that stops me from commenting. It makes my stomach flip-flop for no reason, and it takes me by such surprise that I forget all about being angry and not wanting his pity.
He stalks towards me, taking my right arm in his fingers gently. “Let me see,” he growls, and I focus on the top of his head that’s bent over my arm. Only the Goddess knows what is going on with him.
That reminds me of Inanna.
“She knew, Lucifer. I don’t know how she knew what would happen, but she did. And she just left when I started waking up with a poor apology about how she’s sorry she couldn’t save me from the pain.” I don’t even know why I’m telling him all this.
I’m missing Remi, Jezzinta, and Meda so much I start sharing my thoughts with Lucifer. How pathetic. He says nothing, though, as his fingers trace a pattern on the inside of my wrist. It’s so soothing that I close my eyes and take a deep breath. As I exhale, he drops my arm and lifts his head.
“He marked you, the bastard!”
His eyes are glowing and it makes me realize that if anyone has ever seen the angel like this, it’s no wonder they compare him to a demon or Satan. It’s unnerving, so I reach with my hand and touch his face. Just like before I passed out, he closes his eyes and leans on my palm like it’s the most natural thing to do. My stomach flip-flops again and I snatch it back like he has burned me. His sad eyes find mine, but the emotion disappears in a second, the all-knowing expression replacing it. I’m glad for it because I know I can deal with that.
But what did he say? Ah right, he marked me.
I glance down, twisting my arm slowly out of fear it’ll hurt again if I move too fast. On the spot where Lucifer was tracing shapes there is a branded apple on my skin. I laugh! I couldn’t hold it in if I tried.
“You think that is funny? You have lost your mind, Alexia!” he yells, and I stop laughing.
“He put a brand on me like I’m a cow, and you think that’s not funny?”
“It is not!” he snaps.
“You know, Lucifer, when I look back now to the first moment I saw him, I realize what kind of a moron I was. Every time Tomas and his minions were around, Derik was accidently there to save the day. Instead of seeing it for what it was, fool that I am, I took it as a sign that he was meant to be in my life. So instead of going crazy and destroying myself in the process with such thoughts, I decided to laugh. If you have a problem with that, get the fuck out of my room,” I finish calmly and start laughing again. Maybe he is right. Maybe I did finally lose it, but I can’t stop laughing, not even if my life depended on it.
He inches closer and sits on the bed, lifting my arm. His eyes are on mine the whole time, and I shake my head to let him know it doesn’t hurt. Still, I laugh and giggle like crazy. Understanding that the pain is gone, he pulls gently on my hand so I move towards him, but I resist. I want to laugh, not move. His eyes go sad again and he pulls harder, so involuntarily my upper body moves towards him and he engulfs me in his arms, placing my head in the crook of his shoulder with one palm on the back of my head. As my nose touches the skin on his neck, all laughter leaves me and sobs erupt from me, like they were only waiting for that skin-to-skin contact. I cry for myself, for my sisters and everything they are going through because of me, for my life, and for the death that constantly eludes me. His arms tighten around me, and I continue for what feels like forever. The tremors from my body affect not just me, but him and the bed, too.
“Let it out, witch, it’s okay. I’ve got you, I swear it. I’ve got you and will not let go again,” he mumbles in my hair, and it makes me cry harder. I don’t stop until we hear a knock on the door and Daisy pokes her head in.
Chapter 11
“Oh … I’ll come back later,” Daisy mumbles, her hand still on the door and pulling it closed.
“Come in, old woman. I’m sure you’re better at this than I am,” says Lucifer, and for some reason I feel hurt by those words, so I push away from him, wiping my eyes with my hands. I’m angry at myself for crying. Lately it seems like all I do around him is cry.
“No one needs to be good at it, I’m fine. I guess the shock of being played for a fool never gets old,” I tell no one in particular.
“Oh, dear child, you didn’t deserve this.” Daisy walks in quickly, sits on the other side of Lucifer. and draws me in for a hug.
I hug her back, but I tug myself away shortly. As I was crying, the emptiness in my chest grew wider with each tear, like I have a black hole in me. The thought it chills me to the bone. Whatever bricks I wrenched out from the walls I have built around me lately were pushed back in their place. Now those walls are an impenetrable titanium fortress.
Good. I want it that way.
“I know where Remi, Jezzinta, and Meda are,” I tell her. “And I met another woman there, Faith, but the monsters got her before we made it to the forest. I need to go back to bring them home.”
I don’t go into explanations about anything else because I’d like to pretend it didn’t happen. Forgetting the whole thing sounds like a great option right about now. I’ll push it to the back of my mind and never think of it.
Daisy turns to me with sad eyes brimming with tears she’s fighting to keep from sliding down her cheeks. A sharp jab settles in the black hole of my heart, but I take a deep breath and push it away. The time for stupid emotions is over. It’s funny how detachment works. I think I can understand the mindset of an assassin now—look at everyone like an object and don’t allow any form of emotion to penetrate your shield. I wonder why I haven’t done this before. It would make things much easier for everyone.
“Oh, Tiamat was in the same realm, too,” I say as an afterthought.
“She was?” Daisy’s eyes go so wide it’s almost comical.
“Yes, she was. Well, she was hanging from a ceiling in a temple. I believe she was present, but I’m not sure if it was a projection or if she manifested herself there.”
“I’m grateful to the Goddess you’re safe,” says Daisy softly, more to herself than to me I think.
“I’m not grateful to her that I’m back here. I needed to stay
there. There’s a lot I need to do in the form of payback to some individuals there.” My voice sounds strange to my own ears—calm, cold, and emotionless.
The tears in Dai
sy’s eyes spill over but she presses her lips into a thin white line and says nothing. Then her eyes go to my neck. Lifting her arm, she touches the necklace. I had totally forgotten about it until now. Glancing at Lucifer, his narrowed eyes are staring at it too. I lift one eyebrow at him, daring him to say a word. I need to go back to the damned realm. There is too much anger and hurt bottled up in me, and it’ll be better used there, where I can get the girls out, than on my tantrums fixed on the angel here.
“I shall accompany you there.” He makes the statement as if he is addressing his subjects.
“How noble of you, my lord,” I say sarcastically and roll my eyes at him.
“I’ll need you to grab herbs, pastes, bandages, whatever you can find and have them ready. I don’t know what kind of condition they’ll be in, judging by what I saw in that temple. My grandmother’s book, too, in case we need a spell from it,” I tell Daisy.
“A spell from it?” She echoes my words.
“Yes, a spell. They are held by dark wizards. I wouldn’t put it past them to have some sort of binding spell on them. Each is powerful in her own right, but I’m sure they would’ve come back on their own if their powers weren’t bound.”
“Of course, you’re right. I’m just not thinking straight at this moment.” She shakes her head.
“I’ll break the binding spells when we find them,” Lucifer says in a matter-of-fact way, and I can’t stop my remark.
“Yes, almighty Lucifer, the All-Knowing. Maybe you should’ve checked for spells before you gave that bastard whatever power you gave him, if I remember correctly. You know, the wings he sprouted when he was fighting Enlil.”
Lucifer rears his head like I just punched him in the face and takes one step back. I know I should feel bad and should apologize, but strangely, I’m not inclined on doing any of that. I even feel the corners of my mouth lifting in a bitchy smile at his discomfort.
“Unfortunately, even I can be deceived with sentimentalities, witch, but I have every intention of showing my gratitude for it in person,” he growls.
“Yeah, whatever. I don’t have time to dwell on your bruised ego. I have shit to do.” I wave my hand nonchalantly and reach to touch my necklace to go back. With lightning-fast speed, he snatches my wrist. I look at him, stunned. What the fuck. Is he going to try and stop me from going back? I’m getting ready to start cursing and arguing but he shuts me up.
“I’ll transport us there. That necklace will take you to a different realm.”
“No, it will not! Azalea said it’ll bring me back to the Dark Realm.”
“Is that what she calls herself these days? Azalea?”
I can hear the anger in Lucifer’s voice, but I can needle him for information later. Now I just want to get this done with, so I don’t argue.
“Ok, never mind. Let’s go! There’s no time like the present!”
“Not until you eat something, witch. I have no intention of carrying you around astral planes.”
Like on purpose, my stomach growls like an angry bear at his words. Daisy snorts a laugh at the same time, slapping a hand over her mouth. Her wide eyes land on me like she’s surprised herself. I shake my head at her but don’t make any smartass remarks. After I eat, we’ll go. I can’t remember the last time I ate, if you don’t count the few bites three months ago before I passed out. I keep asking myself the same question all the time. How am I alive? I swear, it’s a mystery.
“Okay, let’s go eat and not waste time.”
Daisy and Lucifer exchange a quick glance at my words, but I can’t see where what I said would cause a silent-eye talk between the two, and if I’m honest, I don’t care. I swing my legs off the bed and stand up, happy that my knees don’t buckle after being horizontal for an extended period of time. Slowly but surely, I find my way to the kitchen, but Daisy, who is following me like a shadow, points at a chair and goes towards the fridge.
“I guess I’ve been given my orders,” I tell Lucifer over my shoulder and plop onto the chair.
He shakes his head like I’m a spoiled child for making remarks like that, but I give him my most innocent wide-eyed expression. He snorts, turning his eyes quickly towards Daisy to see if she heard him. Seeing that makes me smirk at him. I’ll almost believe the angel gives a fuck about who thinks what of him. Daisy walks back with plates full of baked pasta and my mouth waters at the sight. I inhale the food in less than a minute. Lifting my head up from the plate, I realize they are not eating but staring at me with worry.
“What? I was hungry,” I say defensively.
Without a word, their gazes fall to their own plates and they start eating. Since I have to wait, I get up, get one more plateful, and eat that while giving them sideways glances every time they watch me. I’ve always been a bottomless pit when I’m hungry. I can eat a horse, as my grandmother used to say.
As soon as Lucifer puts his fork down, I jump up. “Okay, let’s go.”
“Let us be on our way, witch.” With a sigh, he lifts himself off the chair and comes to stand in front of me. He swirls his hand, opening a portal right in the middle of the kitchen like it’s the most natural thing in the world—while we witches have to open circles and use our life force to do it, and even then it’s not guaranteed. Meda would hate his guts.
Grabbing hold of my hand, he mumbles, “I hope you don’t get sick.” Before I say a word, he pulls me through it.
Nausea threatens to bring up everything I ate, but I gulp air like a fish out of water, trying to hold it down. It takes a few moments until I get my bearings and I’m sure the food will stay in my stomach. Cold sweat gathers on my forehead and the palms of my hands go numb, then tingle. Still breathing through my nose just in case, I straighten and glare accusingly at Lucifer, who is giving me the “I warned you” smirk as I wipe my hands on my thighs. I guess it must be nice to be an angel, since he manages to change his clothes while walking through the portal. He is dressed all in black, his shirt stretched across his wide chest, all but ready to burst at any moment, and there’s a cloak clasped at his neck. I roll my eyes and start turning to see if we are at the bottom of the mountain, only to freeze. Seeing what I’m wearing, I whirl back to him, pissed.
Grabbing hold of the white floor-length dress, I thrust my hand holding the fabric towards him. “What the fuck am I, a virgin sacrifice??”
He throws his head back laughing a deep belly laugh as I pull and stretch the fabric, gawking at it with what must be a horrified expression. Thanks to the huge moon, the fucking thing is see-through, and I bend at the waist to see what he sees. Yup! I might as well be naked, as this dress doesn’t cover much. I realize I have a cloak, too, which is hanging off my shoulder, thanks to my acrobatic twisting to see if the dress hides my body. As fast as I can, I grab the sides of the cloak and wrap it tightly around me. At last he stops laughing, but he’s still chuckling.
“Asshole!”
“I figured we had better blend in, witch. I’m shielding us both, so they will not know we are here. I suggest you pull the hood as far down as you can.” Pulling his own, he walks past me as if he doesn’t care whether I follow.
I’m shaking, squeezing my fists into the fabric of the cloak, wishing it was his neck. Heat builds in my palms, and I abruptly release it so I don’t burn the cloak while I’m wearing it. Taking a deep breath, I jiggle them like a weightlifter preparing to pick up a truck, the I turn to follow him only to stop and stare again.
We’re on top of the mountain where the temple stretches up all Dracula-like towards the sky, looming over us like a dark cloud of evil. Apparently, Lucifer stops to wait for me, because he stands a few steps away with the temple to his back. The moon’s glow is casting silvery shadows across his face, and his eyes are glowing through his half-lidded gaze. He truly is a sight to behold, but that isn’t why I gawked like an idiot. There is a golden glow outlining his body, and as I watch, it pushes at the darkness around him, almost as if trying to hold it at bay. With every pulse of the gol
den light, a shimmer of rainbow passes through it. I know my mouth is open. My jaw is almost hitting the ground, but I’m mesmerized by it. Slowly, I take a few steps, reaching my fingers towards it. It’s like I’m in a trance when I make contact with it. Just as my fingers are about to touch the golden glow, he grabs my wrist.
“What are you playing at, witch?”
“Can I touch it?” I lift my gaze to him and can only imagine that my eyes are as round as they can get without popping out of their sockets.
“Touch what, exactly?”
“The golden glow that’s pushing the darkness away from you.” I lower my eyes as I speak, staring at it again, and jump a little when he drops my arm and takes few steps away.
“You see it?” He’s frowning at me like I’m a snake about to bite him.
I wish I could slap him. “Of course I see it. I’m not fucking blind! It’s not exactly subtle. It’s a couple of inches around you,” I snap, waving my hand at him and pointing at his body.
“No one but I sees my power, Alexia. What you are seeing, if I believe that you see it, is the shield I have on both of us. Do you see it on yourself, too?”
I bring my arm up and turn to face the same way he is, thinking maybe the moonlight has something to do with it, but I can’t see anything. No matter which way I turn, I still see nothing but my skin and the darkness around me. Although now that I think of it …
“I can’t see it on me, but I can definitely tell I have a shield.” He narrows his eyes and is about to speak but I cut him off, putting my palm in his face. “When I was here the first time, even merged with Inanna, the evil still penetrated my thoughts. I almost let go of the rocks and fell down the mountain. I’m not suicidal now, if it makes you feel better.”
“This whole thing is crazy,” he says, obviously frustrated.
“Well, we can talk about crazy when we’re back home. Let’s get the girls first. We’re wasting time. It seems like I keep saying we’re wasting time, yet shit keeps happening left and right. I’m starting to think it’s happening on purpose so I don’t get to them on time.”
