Dance of Wings (Curse of the Guardians #7)

6. Scarlet

Chapter 6

Scarlet

I f you’d asked her that within twelve hours of getting a job with Cassiel that she’d be witnessing a Daemon summoning, she would’ve laughed. But there she was, waiting for the final preparations with both Aeron and Nahal stood each side. Their presence was not comforting against the energy that prickled, her skin feeling tight. It was as if the witches were sucking the surrounding air into their circle, leaving little for the rest of them.

“We ready?” Cassiel asked the High Priestess, who was apparently the head of the coven. She held a lit candle between her clasped palms, the wax melting onto her skin. If it hurt, she didn’t acknowledge it, because with a shallow nod she stepped across the first line of salt into the centre of the two concentric circles. Scarlet had watched them prep the room, meticulously engraving the strange pentagram design into the concrete, and then placing salt inside the lines.

The concept was alien to her, just like their power in general was. Celestrials didn’t hold anything so draining as a chi. They had more of a naturally inherited magic that couldn’t be replicated with some strange squiggles, or words on the tongue. So the idea that five witches, who each stood on the edge of a pointed star, could call someone using a spell was fascinating, if not disturbing. In her world there was no such thing as arcane, just abilities.

You could increase your existing knowledge in the field of your bloodline, but the only way to add a different ability was to have a child who’d inherit both parents’ gifts. It was why arranged matings were common amongst the higher ranks, and just another reason she’d left.

Scarlet blinked, having been lost in thought long enough that all five witches were now ready, their humming turning into a low chant that felt like nails on a chalkboard. The candles flickered in rhythm, clashing against the shadows that looked to swallow everyone whole.

The chanting rose, their words echoing violently against the walls. Goosebumps tickled her skin, and each feather rustled along her wings as the spell hit a crescendo. Cassiel watched, eyes transfixed as blood scented the air. He stood just off to the side, the candlelight harshening his features. His body seemed relaxed, but there was a slight tension along his shoulders that told her he was scared. Or maybe it was excitement?

“I, Archangel Cassiel, Sage of my name and child of Aetherna, summon you, Xahenort to be bound to my circle.”

Scarlet tore her eyes away from the Archangel, automatically searching for the strange cold that had whooshed at the mention of the name, threatening their only source of light. Smoke erupted from the centre of the pentagram, billowing up until it created a dome that stopped only an inch from the edge of the witches toes.

A man kneeled inside, head bowed gently with great horns piercing through his dark hair. Sharp wings appeared at his back, black membranes stretched across bones that widened until they dominated the area. Spikes decorated the top arch, scratching against the surface of the dome with little sparks.

Her chest ached until she realised she’d held her breath, only for what oxygen that remained in her lungs to freeze when the man looked up.

Red eyes full of pure rage, and before she could stop herself she’d palmed a knife. Cassiel walked to where the Daemon continued to kneel, the smoke finally lessening, making the dome transparent once more. “Xahenort…”

The man hissed, straightening to his full height in a single movement that set her on edge. “It’s Lucifer,” he said, his voice a gravelly tone that sent goosebumps across her skin.

Lucifer’s eyes swept across the witches before settling on her, where they held. Burned, even as she tightened her fingers on the hilt of her knife.

“You are bound to the circle using my blood,” Cassiel said, holding up a bloody palm that she had no recollection of him doing. “So you’re under my command until the demands are fulfilled.”

Lucifer laughed, dragging his gaze away to finally move to the Archangel. “Let me out of the circle.”

Cassiel took a step closer, only for the High Priestess to screech, “Don’t cross the salt!”

Aeron tensed, ready to intervene.

“Do you know what happened the last time I was summoned against my will?” Lucifer grinned, revealing slightly sharpened canines on both his upper and lower jaw. “I ripped everyone apart.”

The flames, still held by the five witches, flickered, seeming to match a heartbeat that definitely wasn’t hers.

“Piece by gruesome piece,” he continued, cocking his head with a smile that had turned teasing. “Now, what the fuck do you want to risk summoning me?” His black T-shirt had ripped when his wings had erupted, the skin beneath covered in the same lines that decorated both his arms, hands and neck. His skin, a golden brown shade, rippled with protruding veins. It was as if his entire body was posed for definition, his muscles rigid. Yet he stood with such confidence, as if he wasn’t the one that had been summoned against his will and held inside a circle made of salt and concrete.

“What do I want?” Cassiel moved forward, ignoring the witches scared glances until the toe of his shoes almost brushed the edge. He seemed to hesitate, as if contemplating touching the circle despite the warnings just because he could, and Scarlet, along with Nahal and Aeron, prepared for the worst.

“I want your cooperation.”

LUCIFER

Being summoned felt like fish hooks piercing through his chest. Every tug demanded obedience, and Lucifer hadn’t felt so powerless in a long time. It took a second to remember where he was, to swallow the panic that was just as inconvenient as the summoning itself.

Xahenort.

A name only few knew, and yet it had forced his presence from one place to another. Lucifer bared his teeth, his wings breaking free from his back to rip at one of his favourite T-shirts. He used them to test the surrounding circle, his spikes scratching against the magic trapping him. It felt weak even with a bare push of his own power, easing some of the pressure inside his chest. Just another reminder that he would never be put in a position of submission ever again.

“Xahenort…”

Hissing out a breath, he jumped to his feet. “It’s Lucifer.”

His gaze swept across the relatively empty room, taking in the five black witches whose auras tasted like dirt, and the four celestrials. He assumed it was the Councilman who’d summoned him, but found himself drawn to her instead. She was still the first female angel he’d ever seen in reality, and she was somewhat… fascinating. Nothing like he expected her to be, and nothing like the strong men of her Breed whose frames matched their powerful wings.

No, she was… small, only made taller by the high arc of her wings. White, so pure, and fluffy with feathers. The complete opposite of his.

Blonde hair was plaited loosely to one side, and a heart shaped face with thick lips pressed into a thin line. She wasn’t impressed with his attention, and it made him want to close their distance so he could darken her pale skin with colour, something she must have read in his expression if he went by the tightening of her fingers on her blade.

Lucifer barely stopped himself from breaking the circle with sheer force just to see whether she’d actually stab him.

“You are bound to the circle using my blood,” Cassiel said, holding up a bloody palm like it meant anything. “So you’re under my command until the demands are fulfilled.”

Lucifer laughed, finally dragging his gaze away from her curious blue eyes to the cunt who’d summoned him. “Let me out of the circle.”

So I can play with the pretty little angel, he wanted to add.

Cassiel took a step closer, and Lucifer tensed, arcane burning his fingertips before one of the stupid bloody witches foiled his fun.

“Don’t cross the salt!” she screeched like a banshee.

Lucifer was going to kill her first.

“Do you know what happened the last time I was summoned against my will?” he asked in a low, gruff voice. “I ripped everyone apart. Piece by gruesome piece. Now, what the fuck do you want to risk summoning me?”

“What do I want?” Cassiel stepped forward until he almost brushed the edge of the circle, and brought the whole thing down.

Lucifer tried to relax his muscles, seeming unbothered with the situation when all he could think about was ripping the Archangel’s head clean from his body and dancing in the spurt of blood. Preferably naked.

“I want your cooperation.”

Lucifer waited, his head cocked slightly.

“Aeron will become your partner.”

The one he assumed was Aeron stepped forward, actually meeting Lucifer’s eyes without flinching. But there was fear there, the room reeking of it. The witches were the strongest, which was amusing considering it was their power that brought him there in the first place. And yet his very presence made them almost wet their knickers.

“Spy, you mean,” Lucifer snorted, enjoying the slight unease darkening Aeron’s gaze.

“As we’ve already established, I don’t trust the Guardians to fulfil their duties.”

“I’m not a Guardian.” The truth, even if he did live and fight alongside them. He was essentially an interloper that never left. Sometimes he thought it was time for him to finally go out on his own, especially considering each of his brothers have now found their mates. But then he was crushed beneath such loneliness that he decided to stay a little longer. Besides, if he left, who would entertain them with such a stellar personality?

“You and the Guardians have failed to contain Gideon, so Aeron will provide much needed assistance. You will be under his command, and –”

“How can he assist me if I’m his personal bitch?” Lucy interrupted, sizing up the second largest celestrial. His wings were a pale blue, and would look fucking fabulous covered in blood and glitter.

“You will not kill him, or any other celestial found in this room,” Cassiel continued, an extra edge to his tone. “You’ll contain Gideon, that is an order.”

“You do realise that’s not how this works?” Lucifer smirked. “The rules of the summoning is a negotiation. An exchange, of sorts, in which we both need to agree.”

Cassiel looked annoyed, looking over at one of the witches that must be the High Priestess. She stood on the element spirit, which made sense as spirit was the catalyst to the spell. Her aura wasn’t particularly impressive, and felt like oil when he pressed his hand forward to test the strength of the circle. It burned against his palm, but quickly shaped around his fingers rather than repel.

Pathetic, really. Almost disappointing that it was these witches that had summoned him after so long.

Cassiel whispered, his words coarse towards the High Priestess until he returned his attention to him, only to reiterate the same demand. “What’s the price?”

Lucifer raised his brow, trying his hardest to look bored. He could wait it out, for the witches to tire and for the circle to fall. He could feel it in the pulse of the room, the candles that flickered faster and faster. He wouldn’t even have to wait long before he could simply punch his way through, and destroy everyone in the room.

But for some reason he didn’t.

“Well,” Cassiel pushed, showing the first sign of impatience.

Who was he kidding, Lucifer knew exactly why he didn’t.

“Her,” he said, meeting the pretty little angel’s unfriendly expression.

“She wasn’t offered.” Cassiel paused a moment before answering. “Therefore not an option.”

“For collateral, I’ll mark her soul as mine. She’ll be treated as an equal partner until Gideon is destroyed.” Lucifer felt the circle around him weakening until it barely hung by a thread. “Better decide, fuckface. Your basic arse coven is losing their control.” He pressed his hand further into the circle, sparks flying from the pressure.

Cassiel grit his teeth, but Lucifer noted there was appraisal in his gaze. As if this was all some fucking test. “Fine. You’ll be under Scarlet’s command –”

“Equal Partners,” Lucifer growled. “She’ll have no control over me, and I won’t kill her in return.”

“You won't kill her, or any other celestrial in this room,” Cassiel repeated, emphasising the point.

“Deal.” He held out his hand, his crooked smile blazing with challenge.

There was no hesitation when Cassiel broke the salt, bringing down the surrounding circle. His handshake was firm, lasting only a second before Lucifer winked, and drifted straight behind the High Priestess. He barely allowed her scream to escape her throat before he broke her neck, her body not even hitting the floor before he turned to the second witch and tore off her arm. He allowed her to scream, the shrill sound welcoming before he used her own appendage to stuff her mouth and break her teeth.

“Stand down,” Cassiel barked, a flash of gold in Lucy’s peripheral. The other celestrial, the one with the brown and orange wings, had been prepared to intervene.

Cute.

Lucifer turned, blowing him a kiss before he pounced on the third witch and pulled her heart out through her own ribs. It wasn’t until a few minutes later, the fourth and fifth witch dead by his feet did he look back over his shoulder at her.

She stood with her legs widened, hand confidently clasping a blade. She didn’t even flinch when he drifted so his chest almost touched hers, her height barely hitting his jaw. He smirked, that smile widening when she craned her neck back to better meet his eyes. She wasn’t exactly scared, self-assured in the bargain he made with her Archangel. But she was cautious, tracing the splats of blood that were hot against his skin. With her watching, he retracted his wings, and concentrated on forcing his horns back beneath his skull. It was as normal as he could make himself while anger perforated his core.

“Remember you’re bound to the bargain,” Cassiel warned, sensing the tension.

“Like I could forget,” Lucifer said, dipping his head until his breath brushed delicately along her lips. And then he kissed her. Not a peck, but a full on kiss.

She stiffened, opening on a gasp, and before she could react he pinned her arms to her side, and stuck his tongue inside her mouth. It had been a long time since he’d marked a soul, and he didn’t quite remember it being so erotic. That being said, he didn’t have to kiss her to mark her.

He just did it for the shits and giggles.

He groaned into her mouth, her lips so fucking soft that he wished she’d kiss him back with the same ferocity in which she thought about hurting him. The mark had already settled on her tongue, and he could feel her pulse of life behind his own ribs. But he didn’t step back, pressing harder against her until she was trapped against his body. He didn’t care about the audience, or that he had to get back and inform Riley of a new player in the game.

Not when she tasted like…

A dull ache between his legs, and he thought maybe she’d finally stabbed him with that little knife of hers, but no. She’d just kneed him in the balls.

Lucifer jumped back with a chuckle, making sure she was watching him before he licked her taste from his lips. “I guess I’ll be seeing you soon, love,” he said, winking at her while simultaneously flipping off the other three celestrials.

Bringing up an image in his brain, he drifted to the location he knew Riley would be, and landed on a bed.

Alice screeched, arcane searing Lucifer’s skin before he rolled to the side, and landed on plush carpet with an audible thump. Scrunching his eyes closed, he waited on the floor.

“You fucking prick,” Riley growled, followed by a rustling of fabric.

“Is it safe?” Lucifer said, risking one eye open. He looked up to find Alice peering down at him from the edge of the bed, sheets covering her modesty. Riley kicked Lucifer’s leg, not bothering hiding the fact he was naked. “Were you guys just fucking?”

Least Riley had the decency not to have an erection. Now that would have been awkward.

“Did you at least finish before I interrupted? If not, I can give you a few more minutes.”

Riley’s nostrils flared, his beast swirling across his irises. “Give me a good reason not to fucking eat you right now.” The tattoos that decorated his skin glowed a pale white, which wasn’t unusual when he was so close to his mate.

Lucifer chuckled. “Is that a promise?”

“Lucy,” Alice sighed, pushing back her hair from her sweaty face. “This better be important. What happened?”

Lucifer slowly straightened to his full height, careful not to face Alice full on when Riley was so close to his beast. Despite his antics, he didn’t actually have a death wish.

“Yeah,” he began, casually picking at his nails as if everything hadn’t just gone to shit. “So, we might have a problem.”