Devilish Mate

28

"After the other Elder Gods left, the Four Horsemen began destroying the realms of Earth, Heaven, Hell, and Faerie as punishment for our rebellion. A group of us, gathered from all the different races, fought and defeated them. Since it's impossible to truly kill an Elder God, we buried the Four Horsemen in secret locations across the realms of Earth, Heaven, Hell, and Faerie, and four of us—you, me, Archangel Michael, and High King Oberon—used our blood to seal their tombs." I scowled and finished off my wine. "I believe Adam and the Archdemons plan to release them now."

"Why?" she asked. "Why would they even consider doing that?”

“They know it's the only way they can defeat me." I shot her a wry smile. "None of the Archdemons are strong enough. They need the power of the Four Horsemen to take me down."

She took a bite of her potatoes chewing slowly, and then asked, "If the Four Horsemen are released, is that the beginning of the apocalypse? Like in the Bible?"

"Possibly. They nearly destroyed all four realms before we managed to stop them. I can't imagine what destruction they would unleash now after thousands of years in a tomb." My jaw clenched. "And even if the other Horsemen are released, we absolutely cannot allow my father to walk the worlds again."

"What can we do to stop it?" Hannah asked, her face pale.

"The Horsemen must be released in the order we sealed them, just as it says in the Bible. That means Pestilence is first. I’ve already sent people to that location to watch for any sign of Adam or the Archdemons. When they make their move, we'll be ready to stop them."

She nodded, though I could see our discussion was weighing heavily on her mind. It was a lot to lay at her feet, but I wanted her to know everything now. No secrets. No lies. No reason for us to be apart.

At some point during our discussion we'd finished our meal, and I rose to my feet and crossed over to her, offering my hand. "Come with me."

Her delicate fingers reluctantly slid into mine. "Where to?"

"We're going flying."

14

Hannah

I

dragged my feet as Lucifer led me outside to the edge of the balcony overlooking The Strip below. The thought of flying again made me nervous for some reason. Maybe because as I stared off the side of the building, I remembered the time I'd nearly plummeted to my death. My wings would have really come in handy then, I thought bitterly.

Or maybe it was because allowing my wings out and using them to fly meant accepting the truth about who I was. Not a human, but an angel. Something I hadn't even believed existed until a few weeks ago.

Or maybe it was because the thought of flying reminded me too much of that terrifying, confusing night when I'd been resurrected, when nothing had made sense and all I'd wanted was to escape.

"Have you flown since the night you regained your wings?" Lucifer asked, as if he knew exactly what was going through my mind.

"No." I shook my head, backing away slowly. "I can't."

He gently pulled me back to the edge of the balcony. "The longer you wait, the harder it will become."

I swallowed hard, knowing he was right. Every time I backed down from flying, it would become a much more daunting task. I had to rip the bandage off and just do it already, but that was easier said than done.

"Trust me," Lucifer said. "I won't let anything bad happen to you."

"Other than kill me?" I asked, before I could stop myself.

"It worked out in the end, didn't it?" His cocky smirk made me want to smack him over the head. "If I hadn't done that, you wouldn't have your powers or your wings now."

"Did you know that would happen?" I asked, staring hard at him. "You had your memories back then. You knew I was really an angel."

"I suspected rebirth would return you to your angelic state, yes, but there was no way to know for sure. I considered it an added bonus to breaking the curse."

"Still not okay," I muttered, shaking my head.

Lucifer's wings suddenly unfurled behind him, so dark they made the night sky look bright. The area around us darkened slightly, as if the shadows were drawn to his power. In his three-piece suit, with his wings spread, he radiated danger and masculinity like no other man in this world, or any other. There was no doubt when looking upon him that he was the monster spoken of in every dark tale throughout history. The devil himself.

"I believe it's time to show me yours," he said, and I realized I'd been staring.

After a moment's hesitation, I let my wings out, my silver feathers expanding at my back, eager to be freed. It felt good to let them out—like taking off a bra at the end of the day. "Beautiful," Lucifer said, as he reached out to lightly brush one of my feathers. "Look how you light up the night sky. My bright star."

His touch sent a shiver through me. Among angels, touching another's wings was an intimate act only done among family or lovers. That much I remembered, and yet I didn't pull away. Not when he looked at me like I was his entire world.

I tore my gaze away from him and stared down at the bright lights of The Strip. I could do this. I could. I'd already flown once, without even realizing I could do it. How much harder could it be now?

Lucifer took my hand and drew my eyes back to him. His quiet confidence lent me some strength, and I nodded to signal I was ready. Together we leaped off the balcony, spreading our wings wide, and though my heart leaped into my throat, Lucifer's firm grip on my hand kept me from panicking. Wind caught my feathers and kept me aloft, and then instinct took over and I flapped my wings, taking me higher.