I really am stupid.
He played me, and I fell for the pretty words attached to the pretty face. And now I’m stuck here, at his mercy, while the love of my life is literally killing himself to get back to me.
Fuck it. If he doesn’t want to help me, then fine. I’ll get shit done, with or without his help.
I jump to my feet and head back into my designated bedroom to grab my things. When I reemerge just minutes later with my haphazardly packed bag, I find Lucifer has resumed his reading as if nothing has even transpired in the past five minutes.
“Where are you going?” he inquires, although his tone is one of disinterest.
“What do you care?” I go to the mini bar and cram as many overpriced snacks as I can into the pockets of my hoodie. I silently dare him to say anything about it.
“I don’t. Not really. But I thought you’d like to know that Nikolai is on his way over. You see, just because you don’t see me rushing out here half-cocked, guns blazing, that doesn’t mean I’m not making moves. I play chess, not checkers. And every move I make is to protect my queen. It would serve you well to remember that.”
“And that’s the problem, Lucifer. You’re still playing games. Would it kill you to just be real with me for a change? To stop with all the bullshit double meanings, and be honest?”
He half-snorts a laugh. “I was honest with you. You just don’t remember.”
He climbs to his feet and gracefully crosses the room to the door. There’s a knock just as his hand touches the doorknob.
“This isn’t over,” I grumble before he twists the handle.
“It never is.”
I have to admit, I’m so relieved to see Niko that my whole big, dramatic exit is put on the backburner. However, it seems that Lucifer doesn’t feel the same.
“What the fuck have you done?” he roars, loud enough for his timbre to be felt beneath my feet.
He peers out into the hallway and then turns back to me, and I find that his eyes are sparked with wild fury. And something else. A look I haven’t seen since that day in the café, when we stood shoulder-to-shoulder frozen in shock, watching the aftermath of terrorism overseas.
Fuming, Lucifer steps to the side and hurriedly waves Niko inside. It’s not until I see who’s trailing behind him that I begin to understand his state of dismay.
The Dark king and queen are as gorgeous and ethereal as I remember as they stroll in hand in hand, and I grow suddenly insecure about my own disheveled appearance. Dorian is draped in a dark tailored suit, his movements as fluid as water. His ocean blue eyes find me immediately, and while he doesn’t smile, something about his gaze goes soft when it falls on me. Gabriella is the perfect picture of natural beauty and grace in black pants and a fitted sweater, her long wavy hair loose down her back. Minimal makeup and jewelry, yet she exudes royalty. While her husband’s expression is much more guarded, she flashes me an easy smile before leaving his side to come to wrap me in a hug.
“It’s so good to see you, Eden.”
I swallow through the lump in my throat and squeeze her back, confused by this sudden rush of emotion. I barely know her, but there’s a warmth about the Dark queen that puts me at ease. She feels like family in a way, considering how much Niko has told me about her. And she showed me so much kindness when I desperately needed it the most. She’s a freak like me—an abomination that didn’t belong to just one world. That’s something that the others can’t fully understand.
But unfortunately, our happy reunion is cut short with the bite of Lucifer’s temper.
“What the fuck, Nikolai? Why is she here? How can you bring her here, of all places?” he rages, flicking a hand towards Gabriella.
Almost simultaneously, both Dorian and Niko step forward, their stances wide and fists clenched at their sides. Gabriella stands beside me and takes my hand.
“She’s my family,” Niko grits, his tone as cold as ice. “The world is falling the fuck apart, and you think I wouldn’t have them by my side? Gabriella insisted on helping Eden because that’s what good friends fucking do.”
“And where my queen goes, I go,” Dorian tacks on, just as icily.
Frustrated, Lucifer runs his fingers through his hair. My hand tingles.
“You don’t understand,” he begins, shaking his head. “None of you understand. She can’t be here. Because if she is, it will…”
“What? What could possibly happen? You’re being ridiculous, Lucifer,” Niko dares.
“You. Don’t. Know. What. This. Means,” Lucifer snaps. “You told me she was in Skiathos, far away from Eden and all the apocalyptic shit going down here. I had this handled. As long as she stayed away, I could try to contain the problem. I could keep it from escalating any further. Now…shit.”
Ok, now I’m worried. Lucifer doesn’t get rattled. He doesn’t lose his shit in front of company. Me, he rages at yet he’s always very much in control of his words. But seeing him so worried, almost frazzled, I know this can’t be good.
“Why don’t we sit?” I softly suggest, hoping to diffuse the situation long enough for him to get his thoughts in order. “Can I get anyone a drink?”
I try to discreetly empty my pockets of my stolen snacks at the wet bar, then pick up a few glasses. Luckily, the room always seems to have plenty of alcohol. And this definitely seems like an occasion for booze.
“I’ll help,” Gabriella offers, before cutting her dual-colored eyes at Lucifer. When we’re far enough away from the men settling down on the couches, she turns to me.
“Are you ok?” she whispers.
I weigh her words before answering. “I’m good. He hasn’t hurt me.”
“And you trust him?”
I don’t want to tell her the truth, although I know she can sense it in my hesitance. “For what I need him for.”
She nods and focuses on pouring scotch into glasses. “Say the word, and I’ll take you with us. We’ll be gone before he even notices what’s happened. You can escape all this. You can have a life, Eden—a family.”
I turn to her with a small smile. “Thank you. I mean it. And if things go south, I may take you up on that. But for now…I’m good.”
She nods again, returning the sincere sentiment.
We join the meeting in the sitting room, setting the glasses on the coffee table. Lucifer takes his and downs it in one gulp.
“So would you like to explain why you’re about to cross a very clear line that may end in unnecessary bloodshed?” Dorian inquires after a few beats. He takes a sip of scotch, his stare unwavering.
Lucifer glares at him, yet doesn’t challenge his words. Dorian is a king—the king. And while Lucifer may hold dominion over the evil dead, he certainly has no jurisdiction when it comes to the Dark Ones, a species of elemental warlocks and witches created by God. For all intents and purposes, they’re on an equal playing field.
“What my big brother means to say is, why the fuck are you losing your shit over his wife’s presence?” Nikolai cuts in. “I know you, Lucifer. You may think you’re a good enough actor for your sycophants and followers, but I know enough about you to recognize when you’re worried. And, Luc, you’re worried. So cut the shit. Tell us what’s wrong.”
Lucifer shakes his head, his jaw locked tight enough to break bone.
“If there’s a problem, I can…”
Dorian lifts a hand, cutting Gabriella off. Not in a dismissive way though. In a way that says, you don’t need to go anywhere. And you damn sure don’t need to explain yourself.
“You wanted my help,” Niko begins. “You summoned me here, even though you claimed I was free. So explain. You at least owe me that.”
Lucifer stands and strides to the bar to refill his drink. Every eye tracks his lithe movements, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
And then it does.
“If she is here, that means that we’re running out of time. Her presence isn’t just coincidence. It’s destiny.”
“She has a
name,” Gabriella pipes up, her voice carrying an air of authority. “Do not speak of me as if I’m not sitting here.” Just as Dorian is king, she is queen. And if I remember correctly, much more powerful than her husband.
Lucifer nods slowly and takes his seat before offering, “Apologies. But you’ll have to understand that your arrival is not welcome. Not because of who you are, but because of what you are.”
“What exactly are you referring to?” Dorian questions. “We know what she is—half Dark and half Light. What business is her pedigree to you?”
“I have no interest in her parentage, not exactly. You see…your wife is one of the Firsts, meaning she is the first of her kind. And because of that unique fact, she has been cursed with a great power that she cannot even control. She’s not even aware of it.”
“And does any of that have to do with the fact that—oh, I don’t know—Legion has been possessed by a horde of evil souls?” Niko cuts in. “Not to mention the arrival of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, which is a pretty big fucking deal. With all of that bearing down on this world, how the hell are you more concerned with what Gabriella is? What does she have to do with any of that shit?”
Lucifer’s expression is grim when he mutters, “Everything. She has everything to do with it.”
His shadowed gaze touches each one of us, the rareness of his vulnerability so startling that I hold my breath. And when he speaks, I still can’t manage to release it.
“The Four Horsemen have been activated, which is why Gabriella can’t be here. Because the Horsemen aren’t men at all. They aren’t even necessarily passengers of evil. They’re women—the First Women. And the Dark queen just rained down terror in Europe, killing thousands of men, women, and children. Gabriella is War.”
A note of silence. A heartbeat. A sharp breath. A blink of a wide eye.
And then…chaos.
Dorian flashes to his feet and is crouched over Lucifer, his eyes as pale as opal. Niko tries to pull him back, yet his own expression is painted in fury.
“What did you say?” Dorian seethes just inches from Lucifer’s face.
“Your wife is War, the Red Rider. The one responsible for slaughtering all those innocent people. You wanted to know, and now you do. So you can either take your seat or suffer the same fate. The choice is yours.”
“Lies. All of it. Gabriella is a queen, and a protector of humanity. It would be wise of you to consider the weight of your accusations. Look around. There are three of us and one of you. And word is, you’re not even powerful enough to control your lesser demons.”
“Demons?” Lucifer snorts a laugh, casually crossing his legs. “What do I care about demons? You forget, I was an archangel, one of the first of creation. I was here before you, and I’ll be here after you.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Sensing the real threat of violence, Niko manages to wedge himself between his brother and Lucifer.
“This isn’t what we’re here for. Lucifer, why summon me only to feed us a fallacy? You better have some proof to back up your claim.”
“Proof? Turn on the fucking news. Read the names of the thousands of casualties, struck down in their homes, their schools, their hospitals. There’s your proof.”
Lucifer’s words only work to provoke Dorian further. Blue flames erupt at his fingertips and lick up his forearm. His eyes go paler still. I look over at Gabriella but her expression is blank, her glossed gaze unblinking. Why isn’t she stopping this? Or proving Lucifer wrong?
“Bullshit,” Niko spits. “Why should we believe you?”
Lucifer’s glare hardens, and his lips are tight with fury when he answers, “Because I willed it so.”
Both Niko and Dorian still. The blue flames enveloping the Dark king’s hands recede yet his magic dances at his fingertips, ready and waiting to be unleashed. The thickness of silence is so stifling that I’m struck with the impulse to say something—anything. Even though I have absolutely nothing to offer to refute Lucifer’s claim.
“Maybe we should take a breath and calm down,” I quietly suggest. “There has to be a good explanation for this. Niko, Dorian…please. Sit and let’s hear him out so we can find out how to fix this.”
“There is no fixing this,” Lucifer replies solemnly. “But I want to tell you—sincerely—that I didn’t intend for things to happen this way.”
Niko and Dorian spare each other a glance before taking their seats. Dorian settles beside his wife and takes her hand. She still hasn’t spoken or moved. I don’t even think she’s registered his comforting touch.
“Tell us. Tell us everything,” Dorian commands as calmly as he can muster.
Lucifer nods once. “After the fall, I knew that the war between Heaven and Hell was imminent. The angels would be ruthless, using every advantage at their disposal. Humanity was the perfect pawn. So I made sure there was a way for me to hit them—to hit God—where it hurt.”
“You found a way to spark the apocalypse,” I surmise.
“Yes. At the time, it was out of spite. Them knowing I had the resources to actually do it…it was a power play. Something for me to dangle over their self-righteous heads. It was never my intention to actually carry out my plan. Not now at least.”
“And Gabriella…” Dorian pipes up. “What makes you think it was she who inflicted mass murder? Because I assure you—that would have been impossible. She’s been home with me in Skiathos. She hasn’t left my side, and she damn sure hasn’t unleashed her power onto innocents. You’ll have to do better than a fairytale.”
Lucifer swallows thickly. “She most likely wouldn’t have known she was even doing it. It isn’t something she can control or even stop.”
“If that’s the case, how do you know she was responsible?”
“Think about it: of the eight houses of the Dark, which one is Gabriella derived from.”
“Polemos,” Dorian answers. “Her father, Alexander, is Polemos.”
“And what does that translate as?” Lucifer’s eyebrows raise, urging him to go on.
It’s Gabriella who utters the word. “War.”
Lucifer turns to the Dark Queen, who still appears to be petrified in horror. “Gabriella, do you remember…anything? Any blackouts? Any lapses in time that you can’t account for? Have you been feeling weak or ill?”
Finally, she blinks. “No, no,” she stammers. “Of course not. I’ve been with my family the entire time. After Nikolai informed us of what was going on here, we thought it best to strengthen our wards around our palace. We left Skiathos after what happened…after the bombings. We knew we couldn’t sit in our castle and do nothing when people were dying. We wanted to help.”
She snatches her hand away from her husband and wrings her fingers in her lap. Her dual-colored eyes narrow with contempt as an angry crease forms between her brows. “This is ridiculous. I’m not capable of killing all those people. Even if I was powerful enough, I couldn’t…I wouldn’t. I lived most of my life thinking I was human, and in many ways, I still am. Those people are my people. Their blood is my blood. If I blacked out and did some horrific shit like this, don’t you think I would know that?”
Now it’s Dorian’s turn to cast his gaze to the floor, his jaw tight with unspoken truth.
“What is it?” Lucifer asks, noting the sudden shift in his resolve. “If you know something, spit it out.”
Dorian shakes his head, but says, “Two nights ago, I found her wandering the halls. I called out to her, but she would not answer. She was sleepwalking. I touched her shoulder, hoping to wake her or coax her back to bed, and when she turned around, I knew…I knew something was off. She looked at me like she couldn’t see me at all, and her eyes…they were red. Then she smiled at me, and it was so unlike anything I’d ever seen. No warmth, no fondness. It wasn’t hers. She wasn’t her. And when she said, “Come and see,” it wasn’t her voice. I should have known my wife had been stolen away. Those were the only words she uttered before she collapsed
into my arms.”
Come and see.
The same three words I heard in my dream.
The same three words that were etched on the fogged glass.
He lifts his chin to turn to his wife. His own eyes are shaded with despair. “I’m so sorry, my love. You are my life, my whole world. And I didn’t know. I couldn’t stop it.”
Gabriella’s bottom lip trembles just slightly before she nods. “It’s not your fault. I did this. I…killed all those people.”
I expect Nikolai or Dorian to ensure her of her innocence, but it’s actually Lucifer that comes to her defense. “No, you didn’t. There was nothing you could have done. Nothing that I could have done. The moment Pestilence was unleashed, it was only a matter of time.”
“And who is Pestilence, exactly?” Niko questions.
Lucifer brings a hand up to rub his temple. “The first wife. The mother of evil. Lilith.”
“Lilith?” I gasp in disbelief. “That’s why this deadly flu strain originated on the West Coast, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Lilith is the White Rider. I had hoped we had more time, seeing as she’s across the country. I thought that we could get to him before War was activated.”
“Him?” I know whom he refers to, yet I still need to hear him say it.
“Legion was the only other soul who knew how to unlock the Horsemen. It was a secret he would die with, even with us at odds. He knew that information could and would destroy the very humans he had sworn to protect, so he would never surrender it freely. Plus, it would take great power to ignite them, far beyond what he has even now.”
“But what if he isn’t just using his power?” I query. Every eye focuses on me. “Think about it: Legion killed Raphael, right? Then he wounded Uriel before stabbing Jinn. What if he somehow absorbed their power?”
Lucifer shakes his head. “It would have transferred to The Redeemer. It would have literally siphoned their life force.”
“But Jinn didn’t die instantly, right? He’s still alive. What if it was tampered with in some way that disabled it? What if that means Jinn isn’t really dying at all?”