Dance of Wings (Curse of the Guardians #7)

30. Lucifer

Chapter 30

Lucifer

“ T ell me why I had to come again?” Jax asked, his steps silent as they both navigated the woods of the Forest of Dean. Large trees with warped roots dominated the area, creating dips within the earth with some being as sharp as a cliff.

Lucifer spotted the wardens, spiritual guardians sometimes found in the older forests. They pulled power from the ancient trees, and he made sure not to pay them any attention. As long as he didn’t hurt the surrounding nature, they should keep away.

“You’re my backup,” Lucifer chirped, hoping the quiet yet observant arsehole didn’t notice his underlying strain.

“Sure.” Jax narrowed his eyes. “So why Ruhne?”

The small pixie gasped dramatically. “What do you mean why Ruhne? So fucking rude.”

“He’s the entertainment,” Lucifer continued, shooting the pixie a wink.

Ruhne grumbled, his wings whistling slightly as he zipped at speed between them. “Fuck you both.”

Lucifer clicked his tongue. “Sorry bug, you’re not my type.”

Ruhne glared, but there was no ice behind the expression. Finally rolling his eyes, he settled on Lucy’s shoulder, his weight barely registering.

“So, why do you look like you’re about to burst from your skin?” he asked, and Lucifer wanted to groan. He was worried about Jax noticing, but he didn’t even think about the pixie. “Something to do with that angel?”

Jax shot him a side glance, but thankfully remained silent.

“No,” Luce lied, looking down to scratch at the glittery black nail varnish on his thumb.

He’d left Scarlet at the edge of the city, watching as she flew away without even a backwards glance. As if they hadn’t just spent the last few hours getting to know each other’s bodies more intimately than he’d ever allowed anyone else.

She’d discarded him so easily, and yet rather than be pissed, he was determined more than ever to understand her secrets. Only patience wasn’t exactly one of his virtues, so it was definitely testing.

“Liar liar pants on fire,” Ruhne sang, his voice shrill. “Like, if you’re not going to make a move. I will.”

Lucifer jostled his shoulder, but the bugger clinged on with no issue.

“I think the issue is he’s already made a move,” Jax commented.

“I prefer you when you’re silent,” Lucifer growled.

Jax chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m going to assume she turned you down.”

Lucifer stopped, shooting Jax a glare. “Look at me. Not only am I charming, but I’m a fucking catch.”

“Clearly not to her,” Ruhne mock whispered.

Lucifer ignored him, keeping his attention on Jax. “I should have asked Thunder to assist. At least he doesn’t give me shit.”

“No,” Jax said dryly. “He just tries to eat you.”

Lucifer snorted. Jax’s beast was not a fan, but Lucy didn’t take it to heart. They were literally trained to kill him. So the fact he was alive and kicking while living under their roof was a testament to how fucking awesome he was.

“You know I’m into that.”

“Fucking toadstool,” Ruhne muttered. “Has anyone ever told you your sexual preferences are borderline psychotic?”

Jax shook his head. “Says the pixie that threatens to fuck eye sockets.”

“I can remove your eyeball within ten seconds,” Ruhne added, swinging his legs as if he was on a ride. “And don’t you forget it.”

Lucifer stopped, his boots crunching the leaves beneath his feet. Turning in a circle he stretched out his chi. He could feel the wards in the woods, but rather than listening to the ‘fuck off’ vibes, he tested them to find the strongest ones. He’s set off so many he was surprised he hadn’t burst into flames.

“Hey J,” he said casually, aware of a presence that had been following them for around a mile now, but as it felt like a witch he’d decided to let her trail behind. She hadn’t made a move to harm them, and each step further past the thickening trees was a step closer to Leo’s territory. “Have you ever heard of the Null?”

Jax frowned.

“Seriously?” Lucifer hummed low in his throat. “What kind of celestrial are you?”

“A shit one,” Ruhne answered for him. “He doesn’t even have wings.”

“As my mate would say,” Jax growled. “I’m not a fucking encyclopaedia.”

“It’s this place celestrials can go to if they suffer a violent death,” Lucifer continued, keeping his tone conversational to anyone listening as he set off more wards. “I’m hoping you’d know how to get someone out of it.”

“I thought they were dead?” Ruhne asked. “Dead is dead. There’s no coming back from that.”

“Sounds like some type of purgatory.” Jax’s frown deepened. “I’ve never heard of the Null, but if it’s to do with souls, that’s your territory. Not mine.”

Lucifer paused, his boots crunching the leaves.

The wind was strangely calm, the critters unnaturally silent.

Ruhne tugged on Lucy’s hair. “Why are we stopping?” he whispered.

Three. Two. One…

“That’s close enough,” a dark voice snarled, and Jax stiffened beside him.

Lucifer barely hid his grin, knowing he’d sensed the other Daemon before even Jax’s beast. Oron stepped out from the shadows, his red eyes darting between them. Lucifer’s shoulders sagged, the tension he held disappearing. Oron wasn’t a friend, but he wasn’t an enemy, either.

Lifting his hand, Lucy gave an awkward wave. “Hey mate.”

“Xahen?” Leo frowned, his eyes settling on Jax. “Guardian,” he greeted, dipping his head.

“And me!” Ruhne shouted. “I’m here too, you know.”

“Apologies,” Oron said, bowing slightly at the waist.

“Please, call me Lucifer,” Lucy corrected. “And I’ll call you Leo.”

It was a test of respect, and after a beat Leo nodded. “It’s been a long time.”

“Not long enough.” Lucifer gestured over Leo’s shoulder. “You can call off your witch now.”

Leo’s red eyes darkened, his body turning towards the woman who stepped out from behind him. He purposely placed himself in front, and Lucy noted the tension doubling now the witch was in view.

“Fucking toadstool, I didn’t even know she was there,” Ruhne muttered, tugging at Lucifer’s hair to steady himself. “How cool was that!”

“Jax,” she said, her smile soft. “How nice to see you again. Although, last time you were furrier.”

Jax nodded, but remained silent.

“You were in a coven with Kyra, right?” Lucy asked, making sure his gaze kept moving and didn’t hover over her blind eye, or the nasty scars that surrounded it. “Kyra Farzan?”

The witch looked towards Leo, her touch gentle when she reached across to stroke his arm. He immediately relaxed beneath her touch, and Lucifer’s eyes locked to it. “I’m Faye.”

“She wanted me to tell you she got out,” Lucifer said. “And that she hopes one day you’ll forgive her.”

“Forgive her?” Faye’s laughter was rough, as if her vocal cords were damaged. “What happened wasn’t her fault. We were all trapped and forced to do things we didn’t want to do. She’s never needed forgiveness.”

Leo pulled her towards him, angling her away. She went without protest, holding onto his arm. “How did you find us?” he asked, anxiety radiating from him in waves.

“Kez. Although he goes by Blaze now.”

“That cunt,” Leo snarled, only for Faye to calm him down with soft words not carried by the wind. “What do you want?”

“To see whether you’ll fight when the time comes.”

Leo froze, and it was Faye that answered. “I think we should take this conversation inside.” Tugging on Leo’s hand, she turned to the thickest tree and pressed her palm to it.

Lucifer hadn’t noticed the spell engraved in the thick trunk, mostly hidden by green vines. Roots creaked, lifting up from the forest floor to reveal a hidden crevice just beside the tree.

Faye stepped inside, down some steps before beckoning for them to follow.

Lucifer looked over at Jax, who nodded at the silent conversation. “I’ll wait here,” he said, his eyes lingering on Faye as she disappeared below. He’d clearly noticed the way she subtly stiffened at their voices.

Waiting until Faye wasn’t on the steps, Lucifer began to descend, surprised at the size of the cave.

“This is so cool.” Ruhne let out an excited sound. “It reminds me of the forests of Asherah.”

The earth had naturally formed the space between the trees, with the roots crisscrossing above in a makeshift roof. A fire was alight in the centre, warming the space with the smoke escaping through gaps within the ceiling. Furs and pillows were piled around the edges, as well as a few handmade chairs and a table. There were even flowers, hanging from the roots in a range of colours.

Lucifer reached up to touch one, smiling that something so beautiful could thrive living below the surface.

Leo stood by the left trunk, clearly unable to relax as he hovered close to his witch. She didn’t seem to mind, reaching over to the pot that was already hanging over the fire. She produced a couple of cups, carefully pouring in the sweet-smelling liquid before handing him one, and awkwardly holding the other out for Ruhne.

“I’ll take that, thanks,” Lucy said, holding out his hand. He turned slightly, finding the table to set both the cups down. Ruhne immediately jumped off his shoulder, hovering above his drink with a frown.

“It’s just dandelion tea,” Faye said, her smile warm, if not a little tense. “See?” She lifted her own cup to her lips.

Lucifer took a tentative sip, conscious of Leo’s reaction. He tugged Faye gently so she sat opposite, with the fire between them. Lucifer wasn’t under any illusion that if they made a wrong move, Leo would strike.

“Thank you.” Cupping his drink, Lucy absorbed the heat while trying to look as unthreatening as possible. Which was actually more difficult than you think considering his size. And the fact Leo had witnessed him at his worst. But at the same time, Lucifer had memories of Leo being just as brutal.

“Gideon can’t be stopped,” Leo said after a moment, some of the tension bleeding from his shoulders. “He’s too far gone.”

“So you’re just going to hide?” Lucifer tried to keep his tone calm, but it came out sharp. “It’s a cute little cave, but it won’t protect you.”

Leo licked along his bottom lip, features settled into a resolute expression. “He’s evolved.”

“Which is why I’m asking for help.” A crack, followed by a stinking heat as liquid poured over his hands. As calmly as possible, he placed the broken cup onto the table. Shooting Faye an apologetic smile, he returned his attention to Leo. “You know Gideon. He’ll never be satisfied unless we stop him.”

“And how do you suppose we do that?”

“By becoming more powerful than even him,” Lucy responded. “At least temporarily.”

Leo leaned back against the wall, his disapproval accentuated by the dim lighting. “That’s impossible.”

“We both know it’s not.” He purposely turned towards Faye, only returning to Leo once Leo growled a warning. “I have people I want to protect, and so do you.”

Faye remained quiet, nothing but the crackling of the flames and the slurping of Ruhne as he attempted to dip his head in the drink.

“You’re just as crazy as I remember,” Leo said after a moment, glancing down towards Faye when she gently touched his shoulder. “ Você n?o sabe o que ele está perguntando .”

“I understand enough, and he’s still right. We can’t just hide away forever and hope he goes away.”

“ Meu amor... ”

“We’ve both felt the wrath of Gideon,” she said, cupping Leo’s cheek with her palm. “We know what he can do, and if there’s a way to fight, we should fight.”

Unmistakable jealousy burned beneath Lucifer’s skin. They proved it could work, that a Daemon could be more than just violence and death. It was clear in the way Leo looked at her with the utmost care, and Faye’s returning affectionate touches.

Leo closed his eyes, pressing his face further into her palm. Slowly he nodded.

“We will help,” Faye said, her smile soft. “Anything you ask.”

Lucifer met Leo’s gaze, and he gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Faye may believe she understood the risk, but she didn’t truly know what it meant to help. It wasn’t Lucy’s place to explain, but Leo understood, and he’d just agreed to syphon his power at a core level in the hopes combining would be enough.

He understood that if Lucifer failed, and the power wasn’t enough, everyone he was attuned to could fall with him.

“Tell me what you need,” Leo said, and wariness flickered in Lucifer’s chest before he squished it.

There was no room for worry, he had to be confident he’d last long enough to destroy Gideon. There were no other options if he wanted to survive.