CHAPTER 23: The Devil Bleeds
1207 Words
The scream never fully left Heaven’s throat.
It shattered into silence the moment Lucifer stepped between her and death.
Black claws pierced straight through his side.
For one impossible second—
Everything stopped.
Rain continued pouring across the ruined palace.
Thunder echoed somewhere far above the kingdom.
Demons still fought throughout the courtyard below.
Yet Heaven heard none of it.
She only stared at Lucifer.
Black blood dripped slowly from the wound staining his dark clothes while the demon responsible froze in absolute horror.
Because it had just injured the King of Hell.
Lucifer lowered his gaze toward the claws buried in his side.
Then slowly looked back at the creature.
The crimson glow inside his eyes deepened violently.
The demon began trembling.
“N-no…”
Lucifer grabbed its face instantly.
The scream that followed was inhuman.
Darkness swallowed the creature completely while black flames erupted through its body until nothing remained except ash scattered into the storm.
Silence followed afterward.
Lucifer remained standing motionless near the shattered balcony edge.
Black blood continued dripping steadily onto the palace stones beneath him.
Heaven finally moved.
“Lucifer—”
Holland grabbed her wrist immediately.
“No!”
She pulled free instantly.
“He’s hurt!”
“He’s the Devil!”
“And he protected me!”
The words escaped louder than intended.
The entire ruined balcony fell strangely quiet afterward.
Because everyone present had witnessed it.
Lucifer took the attack for her without hesitation.
Without thought.
Without caring what it cost him.
Even General Cassian looked shaken by it.
Heaven rushed toward Lucifer despite the blood staining the floor around him.
Rain soaked through her clothes instantly as she reached him.
“You’re bleeding.”
Lucifer looked down at her strangely.
Almost confused.
As though the wound mattered far less than the panic in her voice.
“It will heal.”
“That thing stabbed through you!”
“Yes.”
“You sound unconcerned!”
A faint shadow of amusement touched his face briefly.
“I have survived worse.”
But Heaven’s hands were already trembling near the wound.
Black blood coated his side unnaturally dark against the rainwater washing over him.
And suddenly—
The mate bond struck her again.
Pain.
Not hers.
His.
The force of it nearly stole her breath.
Lucifer stiffened slightly the moment Heaven felt it.
Their eyes met instantly.
“You can feel it now,” he murmured quietly.
Heaven’s expression shifted with alarm.
The pain flooding through the bond felt wrong.
Ancient.
Heavy.
Like carrying centuries inside a single wound.
Holland approached cautiously behind her.
“Is he dying?”
Lucifer looked deeply unimpressed.
“You sound hopeful.”
“I’m considering possibilities.”
Despite the situation, Heaven almost laughed in disbelief.
Lucifer noticed.
And somehow—
That tiny reaction softened his expression slightly again.
Dangerous.
Too dangerous.
Far below in the shattered courtyard, Azrath slowly rose from the crater Lucifer had smashed him into earlier.
Blood stained the rebel lord’s armor while black fire burned across half the ruined palace grounds behind him.
Yet he was smiling.
Actually smiling.
“Oh…” Azrath laughed softly beneath the storm. “This is worse than I imagined.”
Lucifer’s attention snapped downward instantly.
The warmth vanished from his face completely.
Azrath spread his arms mockingly.
“You bled for her.”
The surviving demons nearby began murmuring uneasily.
Fear spread through them now.
Because the impossible had happened.
The Devil protected someone.
Not strategically.
Not politically.
Emotionally.
Azrath’s smile widened.
“You truly love her.”
The entire palace went silent.
Even the storm itself seemed quieter afterward.
Lucifer’s expression became unreadable.
Heaven’s heartbeat stopped painfully inside her chest.
Love.
No one had spoken the word aloud before.
Not like this.
Not openly.
Holland looked horrified.
Cassian looked ready to faint from sheer exhaustion.
And Lucifer—
Lucifer looked furious.
Not at Azrath.
At the word itself.
“You know nothing about me,” Lucifer said coldly.
Azrath laughed harder.
“I know enough.” His molten eyes shifted toward Heaven again. “And now everyone else does too.”
The surviving demons began retreating slowly.
Not because Azrath commanded it.
Because they were afraid.
Afraid of what Lucifer might become now.
Afraid of a Devil capable of attachment.
Lucifer sensed it instantly.
The fear.
The whispers.
The change spreading through Hell itself.
The wound in his side suddenly felt insignificant compared to that realization.
Azrath slowly backed away through the burning courtyard.
“This war no longer belongs only to Hell, old king.” His smile turned cruel. “Now it belongs to her too.”
Then darkness swallowed him completely.
The rebel lord vanished.
The remaining demons retreated moments later into the storm-filled skies.
And finally—
Silence returned to the ruined palace.
Heavy exhausted silence.
Rain poured endlessly around them.
Bodies covered the courtyard.
The chapel had collapsed halfway entirely.
Fires still burned across parts of the capital city beyond the palace walls.
And standing amidst all the destruction—
Lucifer suddenly looked tired.
Not physically.
Something deeper.
Older.
Heaven stepped closer again carefully.
“The wound…”
Lucifer glanced at the black blood staining his side.
“It will close soon.”
Yet strangely—
It wasn’t healing.
Not fully.
Heaven noticed immediately.
“So you can lie.”
Lucifer looked mildly offended.
“I rarely lie.”
“It’s still bleeding.”
His silence answered enough.
General Cassian approached cautiously afterward.
“The palace infirmary remains intact.”
Lucifer’s gaze sharpened instantly.
“I do not require human treatment.”
“You’re injured,” Heaven said firmly.
“I’ve endured worse.”
“And you’re stubborn.”
For one brief second—
Lucifer almost smiled again.
Holland stared between them in disbelief.
“You two are arguing right now?”
Neither answered him.
Cassian rubbed tiredly against his face.
“I officially hate all of this.”
The surviving guards began clearing bodies throughout the courtyard while servants cautiously emerged from hiding.
Fear lingered everywhere now.
Because nothing could return to normal after tonight.
The kingdom had seen Hell.
Seen demons.
Seen the Devil himself standing protectively before their princess.
Rumors would spread by sunrise.
Chaos would follow.
Lucifer sensed it too.
His expression darkened slightly while looking across the ruined palace grounds.
“This changes everything.”
Heaven quietly looked toward him.
“It already changed.”
The words settled heavily between them.
Lucifer’s gaze slowly returned to hers.
Rain dripped from dark strands of hair across his face while black blood still stained his side.
And somehow—
He looked more human wounded than terrifying.
That realization frightened Heaven deeply.
Because she should have been afraid of him.
Instead she wanted to help him.
The mate bond pulsed warmly again.
Not pain this time.
Something softer.
Relief.
Lucifer looked away immediately afterward as though annoyed she felt it.
Then suddenly—
He staggered slightly.
Only barely.
But enough.
Heaven caught his arm instantly.
Lucifer stiffened at the contact.
The palace courtyard fell awkwardly silent again.
Because the Devil looked moments from collapse.
And Heaven held him like she refused to let him fall.
Holland exhaled sharply.
“Oh this is getting dramatically worse.”
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