by Amy Sumida
“My uncle is investigating,” I said to Lucifer. “Hopefully, he'll have some information for me soon.”
“Until then, we need to get you back to Tír na nÓg,” Darcraxis said to me.
I glowered at my husband.
“I think this would be better discussed with a glass of something in hand and a comfortable chair to sit in,” Lucifer offered diplomatically.
“There's nothing more to discuss,” Banning said. “We appreciate your help, Lucifer, but we can protect our wife.”
Luke's expression tightened.
“Just say it,” Slate growled at Luke.
“Privacy would be better for what I have to say,” Luke glanced around at the beneathers who had emerged from hiding to see what had happened; those who hadn't been bathed in blood.
“For fuck's sake, say what you have to say so we can see to her safety,” Slate snapped.
“As you like,” Lucifer's voice lowered into a dangerous tone and his eyes flashed with light.“Your methods have failed her thus far. Elaria has been attacked on several occasions and even abducted by a god whom you failed to secure.” His stare narrowed at Slate. “A god trapped in your zone.” He looked around at the other men. “I am done tiptoeing around you. If you cannot protect her then I will!” The last bit rumbled with such power that it vibrated through the Zone.
Slate balled up his fist, shifted it into a Gargoyle claw, and punched Lucifer in the face.
Lucifer shook off the blow like a boxer and rounded on the Zone Lord, his lips pulling back in a barbaric grin. “I warned you that the next time you struck me, I would retaliate. Now, you will learn why you are so ineffective at protecting her.”
“Bring it, you feathered bitch boy,” Slate growled. “We'll see who's ineffective.”
“Stop!” I shouted at both of them.
“Let them be, little bird.” Torin laid a hand on my shoulder and drew me back from the fight. “This is long overdue.”
The men crashed together like a couple of mountain rams. Slate shifted fully into a gargoyle, shredded pieces of cloth fluttering away as his body mass increased to monstrous proportions. Chiseled jaw set, fangs bared, and eyes flashing silver, Slate pummeled Lucifer with his sledgehammer fists. Lucifer—for all his fury and threats—kept the fight physical and didn't resort to magic. He did, however, fight dirty. As soon as Slate paused for the briefest of moments, Luke blinded him with a sweep of his wing and kicked Slate in the balls. Every man there—and there was quite a crowd now that the Zone Lord and the God of Angels were brawling—winced in sympathy as Slate went flying.
Lucifer went to stand over Slate and ask, “Do you yield?”
I grimaced, knowing how hard it would be for Slate to admit defeat, especially to Luke. Except Slate did no such admitting; no yielding.
Lucifer suddenly went soaring backward, wings bent forward with his speed. As the god crashed into a pile of stones, dust puffing up around him, Slate got to his feet with a wicked grin. He spread his leathery wings and cracked his neck.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Slate sneered in his most condescending tone. “I'm a gargoyle; I have balls of stone.”
The watching gargoyles laughed and elbowed each other. I just shook my head. Boys.
Lucifer launched himself into the air, and Slate sprung up to meet him. They clashed again, this time above us, but the savage sounds of their fight carried downward. As did the blood. It began to splatter the ground, merging with the carnage that already decorated the street. Gargoyle talons struck God wings and a few feathers fell slowly, coming to rest on crimson puddles.
Bone cracked and Slate roared as he tumbled from the sky. His impact shook the ground, and the gargoyles around me winced. Lucifer landed gracefully as Slate's broken wing flopped on the street like a tapping finger. I caught my breath. What could I do? If I interfered at this point, Slate would be furious, but I couldn't just stand there and watch Lucifer hurt a man I loved.
“Have some faith in him,” Darc murmured to me as he kept his stare on Slate. “We are not the inept fools that Lucifer has painted us to be.”
“I know that,” I hissed. “And he didn't say you were fools.”
“No, only that we couldn't protect you,” Gage growled.
“Protect me,” I huffed. “As if I can't do that for myself.”
“All of us need help every once in awhile.” Darc gave me a heavy look; one that reminded me that even he had needed me to come and save him once.
I grimaced and went silent. Fair enough.
Angels and Gargoyles closed in around the fight, sliding amused glances at each other while eagerly watching the combatants. I wouldn't have been surprised if a betting pool started. Well, at least the fight wouldn't start another war. Hopefully not.
Lucifer approached more warily this time, eyeing Slate's pathetically fluttering wing as he closed his own wings tightly along his back. Their tips trailed in the gore, staining the white red. He didn't care; too focused on his quarry. Luke bent over and grabbed Slate by the throat then lifted him into the air just as Gargo had done. I bit my lip to keep from crying out; this was yet another low blow. It might have been more merciful if Luke had used Light to best my gargoyle.
Slate's eyes popped open and speared Lucifer.
Luke flinched but he asked again, “Do you yield?”
Slate grinned, revealing thick canines.
Lucifer's stare quivered with the barest trace of anxiety.
Suddenly, Slate's thick legs sprung up and his monstrous, clawed feet settled on Lucifer's chest. He shoved and somersaulted backward, freeing himself easily from Lucifer's grip to land nimbly on his feet. The gargoyles roared and applauded their leader. Lucifer let out a long, annoyed breath and stalked forward.
The Zone Lord shifted his shoulders, settling his wings out of the way as he centered his attention on Lucifer's throat. He didn't understand that even now, in the midst of this bloody brawl, Lucifer was holding back. All he saw was a man who had saved me when he couldn't. Someone who had made him feel inadequate and who then threw that inadequacy in Slate's face.
That was an insult my guy couldn't let slide.
Slate stalked forward, mayhem in his silver eyes, and Lucifer lifted his hand. Light began to fill his palm. The duel had just escalated into something far more sinister, and Lucifer knew it. He couldn't hold back any longer, not if he wanted to keep all his limbs. He glanced over at me with regret, and I widened my eyes at him in shock and panic.
Lucifer stuttered to a stop, staring at me.
Slate kept walking, shoulders tensing in preparation of the kill.
Lucifer did the opposite, relaxing into his stance and lowering his hand.
I gaped at him. He was going to take the fall and let Slate take his pound of flesh; most likely quite literally. He'd do it not to assuage Slate's wounded pride but to save me from the pain of seeing my lover beaten. Breath shivered into my throat. Lucifer smiled serenely and nodded as if to say; yes, I do this for you. But Luke was throwing away much more than a win. If the Host saw their god fall to a gargoyle without lifting a hand to defend himself, they'd lose faith in him. This one duel might destroy everything Lucifer had been trying to rebuild. His tenuous control on the city of Heaven would falter. Angels who were still wary of him might rebel again, and Lucifer would have to quell their threat. The Host, and possibly all of Angelus, would suffer for Slate's pride.
No; for me. All because Lucifer loved me.
“Stop!” I shouted and ran out between them.
I skidded on the blood, and Slate caught me.
“Elaria, I must finish this,” Slate growled. “Move aside.”
“Not like this, Slate,” I said firmly. “Exchanging a few punches for the sake of your male egos is one thing, but I won't stand by and watch you maim each other. Lucifer is our ally, not our enemy. If you do this, that will change.”
Our audience shifted uncomfortably.
Slate looked up at Lucifer, and the me
n considered each other.
“Can we simply agree that we both want what's best for her?” Lucifer asked, not bothering to name me. They both knew who he referred to. “I want her safe. Perhaps that has clouded my judgment and made me say things I didn't mean.”
“Is that supposed to be an apology?” Slate rumbled.
Lucifer blinked in surprise. “Yes, I suppose it is.”
Slate heaved a deep sigh and reached back to straighten his wing. Bone crunched as he set it. Angels and Gargoyles alike winced, but Slate didn't even twitch, just kept staring down Lucifer.
“Slate, please,” I whispered. “You've made your point.”
Slate shifted his stare to me and the slicing silver softened. He laid his broad forehead against mine and sighed again but this time, he folded himself around me as he did.
“I would do anything to make you safe,” he whispered. “Anything, Elaria. I'd tear down this zone myself if it would protect you.”
“I know, sweetheart.” I stroked his stony cheek. “Everyone knows, even Lucifer. You have nothing to prove.”
Slate kissed me, his wings folding around us even though it must have pained him, and tucked me in against his massive chest. He shivered against me, and I knew then that this wasn't merely about pride, it was about fear. Slate was afraid. For me. That fear needed an outlet and Lucifer had been a convenient one. When Slate eased back, I nuzzled his nose and smiled at him.
“It's going to be all right,” I said confidently. “We just killed a god, I think we can handle a few sea assassins.”
Slate groaned and let me go. “Elaria, why must you always tempt fate?”
I chuckled and looked over at Lucifer. “Because fate doesn't stand a chance when I have both of you on my side.” I motioned Luke over. “Come here and make nice so we can go to the palace and talk like civilized people.”
“That's all I wanted.” Lucifer smirked.
“If only that were true,” Slate muttered.
Chapter Forty-Three
“Are you all satisfied now?” I asked my men as we settled in one of the palace's sitting rooms.
We had poured ourselves drinks while Slate went upstairs to change back to human and put some clothes on. I waited until he rejoined us before I confronted them.
“A little,” Gage admitted in that open way of his. “Though I would feel even better if I'd been the one throwing the punches.”
“I'd be happy to oblige,” Lucifer said in that low tone again.
“Hey!” I pointed in Luke's face. “Stop this bullshit right now.”
Luke winced and looked away.
“You're getting a pass because I know you kept that fight as fair as possible, but you had no right to say what you did, Lucifer. That was rude. Just rude.”
“Perhaps,” he admitted.
“What the fuck do you mean; he kept it fair?” Slate growled. “He kicked me in the balls.”
“But he didn't use his god magic until you looked as if you were going to pull off his wings and shove them up his ass,” I pointed out.
“Graphic,” Lucifer muttered.
Slate blinked then refocused on Lucifer. “You held back?”
Lucifer shrugged. “I kept it fair, as she said. You weren't using magic either. You could have been throwing boulders at my head the whole time, but you didn't.”
“You're damn straight,” Slate growled.
“Will you stop?!” I shouted.
The men went still.
“I'm tired of all of this,” I lowered my voice. “I just got attacked—again—and instead of getting a nice cuddle, I get to watch more brutality. Well, fuck you, Slate. And fuck you too, Lucifer. In fact, fuck all of you for making me stand there and witness that nonsense as if I were the prize for the winner. I'm done.”
“Little bird—”
“Don't fucking 'little bird' me, fairy,” I snarled at Torin. “I'm a grown-ass woman who handled my shit just fine before all of you big, strong men strutted into my life and started 'taking care' of me.”
“We know that, Elaria,” Declan put emphasis on my name. “And we've talked about this. We're a team now; a family. We take care of each other.”
Yeah, you need to fucking chill, RS muttered.
You can shut the hell up too, you backstabbing bitch! I shouted in my mind.
Rude.
Stop biting my words! I screamed at her.
Even more rude.
“If you knew that, Declan, you wouldn't feel so smug about watching Slate beat on Lucifer,” I shot back. “He loves me.” I waved a hand at Luke. “That's how he feels. Get the fuck over it. I'm not with him, I'm with all of you. Why isn't that enough?”
My men grimaced.
“Thank you, my vicious,” Lucifer said.
“Oh, I'm getting to you. Wait your fucking turn,” I growled.
Lucifer blinked, and Gage snickered.
“Shut it, Gage!” I snapped.
Gage shut it.
“I have made allowances for you, Luke,” I said. “I've stood up for you with my family, and I've tried to be as kind as possible to you. Because I know this isn't easy on you, and you have been good to me; a true friend who has saved my life over and over. I owe you but, more than that, I love you.”
The room went silent, every man holding his breath as he stared at me in shock.
“As a friend,” I asserted.
The only one who wasn't surprised by my amendment was Lucifer and that annoyed me a little. I expected my lovers to have more faith in me.
“You're a good man, Luke, and you're improving every day,” I went on. “I see the way your angels treat you, and I know you're becoming an amazing leader. I admire that and I respect you for it.”
“Thank you,” Lucifer whispered.
“But what I don't respect is you throwing your weight around with my men and challenging them like you just did,” I went on. “All that does is hurt me. It doesn't accomplish anything positive.”
“I know.” Luke sighed. “I realized that at the end of the fight, and I apologize for my behavior.” He shifted his stare to my men. “I fear for her, and when I'm afraid, I want to take control. But I can't take control here and that scares me even more. All I can do is offer my help and hope that you'll accept it.”
Aw, why can't we add him to the Cock Collective? RS whined.
Shut up, you brazen hussy! Kyanite roared.
What? He's hot and he's proved himself. Not to mention how powerful it would make us. Lucifer is a good choice for Elaria.
Kyanite went silent.
Too soon? RS asked.
I don't love him like that, I said to the voices in my head. And I don't think I could have sex with Lucifer. Not after what happened between us.
Of course not, my love, Kyanite said smugly. There are some wounds that even time cannot heal.
“We accept your help,” Darcraxis said to Lucifer then looked at the other men. “Don't we?”
“Yeah, fine,” Slate grumbled. “But there isn't anything to do. Elaria is going back to Tír na nÓg where she'll be safe until her uncle finds out who hired the assassins.”
“Or maybe we could discuss things before you make decisions about me without me,” I said in a syrupy tone that did nothing to hide my irritation.
“I thought I had.” Slate swung his head toward me. “Isn't this what we decided on before?”
“Yes, before,” I agreed. “Now, it appears that Lucifer has a suggestion, and I'd like to hear it.”
Everyone looked at Lucifer.
“I think we should set a trap for the next assassin,” Lucifer said.
“Set a trap using what as bait?” Banning asked warily.
Lucifer looked at me.
The room erupted into the roar of enraged males. I sat back in my seat with a huff and sipped my drink. Why did I even bother? I got myself so wound up every time. I should just let them bluster—as alpha males are inclined to do—and then do exactly as I please. They'd settle down
on their own in a few minutes and then I could hear the rest of Lucifer's idea.
I looked over at Lucifer then pointedly at the empty seat beside me. He grinned and joined me. Everyone else was standing—looming is probably a better word for it—and gesturing wildly as they shouted at us, each other, and the room in general. Even my calm Darcraxis and easygoing Gage had joined the riot. The thought of putting me in danger, right on the cusp of my close call with death, had turned them into savages.
