Dance of Wings (Curse of the Guardians #7)

35. Lucifer

Chapter 35

Lucifer

T he pain wasn’t that bad. It was the grogginess that was pissing him off. His head felt too heavy, rolling weakly on his neck. It was a strange sensation, as was the fact his tongue seemed stuck to the top of his mouth.

Rule number one of hosting, offer water.

Panic seized him, stealing the limited breath from his lungs. It was fleeting, the light above fighting the memories of being stuck down in the dark. Of course he wasn’t back in the Nether, and the suffocating pressure radiating across his torso was actually a strange metal contraption made from gold.

Bougee .

Squinting up at the light above, he quickly glanced around the room. White tiles, metal shelves displaying weird jars with floating… were those organs?

Fucking hell.

“Good, you’re awake.” Cassiel wheeled himself over on a stool, his white coat spotted with red. “Hadriel mentioned you were too stubborn to die.”

“Ah, that’s how you got my name.” His voice sounded like it had been suggestively rubbing itself with sandpaper. “How is he? I haven’t seen him since I left him to wither and hopefully die a dramatic and painful death.”

Lucifer continued to study the room, finding his eyes drawn to where some of the tiles were shattered on the wall. He was in a generic lab, which was almost disappointing. Where was the originality? Where was the drama?

Okay, he got a point for the cool jars.

“Does this hurt?”

Lucifer stiffened, Cassiel removing a chunk of his skin with a worrying amount of accuracy. “Hey, I liked those.”

Cassiel had sliced off one of his glyphs, placing the chunk of flesh on a separate tray.

“Get your own fucking tats. Stop stealing mine.”

“Fascinating, truly fascinating.” Concentrating, Cassiel traced the inked flesh with the tip of his finger. “These markings are only used by druids, and most aren’t able to handle more than a single design. Yet you’re covered.”

“Yes, yes. My cock’s huge too… Fuck!” A groan was forced from his throat. It felt like acid was being dripped across his chest, radiating out with a dull ache.

“You’re able to manipulate magic primarily found in the Fae realm, as well as complete incantations designed for witches. Does your blood hold the enzyme to activate spells, too?”

Lucifer chuckled. “If you wanted my autograph, you could have just asked. This seems a little much.”

Cassiel didn’t seem to care for his sense of humour, which was a real shame. “It doesn’t matter, I’ll know soon enough. Out of all my subjects, you are by far the most superior.”

“Wait, so I’m not your first? Way to make a guy feel special.”

There were red tubes leading from different parts of his body, connecting to a strange machine that beeped every thirty seconds or so. Removing half his blood without killing him was one way to keep him weak, he supposed.

Wiggling his fingers, he tried to call to his arcane, but as soon as he ignited his chi a jolt of lightning stiffened his muscles.

If Cassiel noticed, he didn’t comment. Lucifer groaned, rolling his head a little to shake some of the drowsiness. No one could say he wasn’t a tryer, and the second time he tried he felt the familiar tingle at the tip of one finger.

Cassiel touched something on the cage, and if his wrists and ankles didn’t seem to be stuck, he was sure he would have jumped from the table.

The arcane cut off as quickly as it came.

“Fuck!” Lucifer cursed, gritting his teeth. “Keep going, and I’ll come,” he joked, tugging on his wrists. They didn’t budge, and from the severe pain he would say they were pinned with something sharp.

“Oh, you can thank Scarlet for those.” Cassiel reached over and tapped the top of the blade currently impaled through his arm. He also seemed to have matching daggers through his thighs, pinning him like an insect. “She informed me that you can’t seem to drift while impaled.”

“Aren’t I lucky.” Chains rattled, metal scraping against metal. “Should I feel special that I get the cuffs too?”

“I find it best not to underestimate someone of your strength, and together it works better than these bullets for long periods of time.”

Cassiel held an obsidian bullet between his thumb and forefinger.

Bit annoying the fucker was using something he, Kace and Jax designed to take down Gideon. Embarrassing, actually.

“So what? You’re going to assault my insides for a while before handing me over to Gideon? Seems a bit excessive.” He was trying to shake off the mental fog, but he kept finding himself looking at that crack in the tiles.

“Gideon’s nothing but a fool,” Cassiel commented, shaking his head. “He’s gluttoned himself, and it won’t be long until his mortal body can no longer handle it. And when he does, I’ll be there to pick him apart. Now, stay still.”

Lucifer laughed, the sound stopping short when the movement pinched whatever was inside his chest. “Yeah, sure mate. You keep living in lala land.”

Cassiel disappeared from his view, so wiggling slightly on the cold fucking table he looked over the other side. He spotted white feathers on the floor, as well as a pool of blood. His groggy brain pulled up images of Scarlet being hurt, and panic burned its way through him, only settling once he felt the echo of her heartbeat. The relief eased his muscles, because it meant she was alive even if her pulse was far too slow.

“Don’t worry,” Cassiel said, following his line of sight when he appeared back holding a cup. “I haven’t killed her. Not many women of her calibre pass willingly from Aetherna, and complete too. Her abilities are too important.”

Lucifer barely controlled his growl, not wanting to give anything away. “Nice cup. Do you bring it out for all your guests?”

Cassiel smirked, holding it against Lucifer’s side with an uncomfortable pressure. “I see you recognise the chalice. There are only a handful of celestrials who are able to decipher this relic. Even less that are able to handle the magic it bestows.”

“Let me guess,” Lucifer groaned. “You happen to be one of them? I bet you’re the cunt that deciphered those pages for Gideon, too.”

“Well, in part. I believe it was that mutt brother of yours that translated the majority of it.” Lifting the chalice away Cassiel studied the way the gems around the rim glowed. Red smeared the lip, and with a quizzical look he set it down. “You Daemons do love your deals. I finished what your brother started, but obviously kept a key piece of information to myself.”

Lucifer chuckled. “Well, obviously.”

Cassiel hummed low in his throat as he wrote something down on his little notepad. “The chalice grants the ability to absorb another’s power, but it’s designed for a group, and was never meant for a single person,” he said, so casually it was as if they were simply discussing the weather and not a device that could power someone up to level 2.0. “There’s only so much power a single being can take before they can’t take anymore.”

“If you’re going to speak in riddles, knock me back the fuck out.”

Cassiel frowned, lips pursed. “Gideon wants something he can never have, the power to truly control Chaos. It’s believed to be the creation of everything, and no single person should be able to command it.”

“Let me guess,” Lucifer drawled. “You’re the exception.”

Cassiel moved on to a knife. “Of course not, I only wish to study the effects. The last catalyst needed to unlock the chalice is someone unworthy, and when Gideon finally takes too much, he will be what powers it.”

“Ahh a classic double cross. I like it,” Lucifer mused, wincing when something pinched just beneath a rib. “Let’s hope Gideon goes pop just like you say. It would solve a lot of problems for me.”

Cassiel’s knife paused, and Lucifer’s body jolted, the blades pinning him to the table slicing further. He was surprised he could still feel his hands and feet, but as he could he was happy to know he was healing the damage at a rate that wasn’t going to kill him anytime soon. Probably.

“But just so we’re on the same page, as soon as I figure out how to escape, I’m going to really enjoy pulling your spine out through your throat.”

“Oh, but there is no escape.” Cassiel reached behind him for a needle, the tip glistening as he tapped it a couple times before placing it at the base of Lucy’s neck. “Not for you, and not for her.”