Chapter 16 Lucifer #2
Luc cleared his throat. “So, do we know any witches or vampires willing to risk their eternal lives for all the damned?”
Nico grinned, shaking his head. “I might know someone. He’s going to be even more shocked than the day he met you, Onyx.”
They shared a smile, and some of Onyx’s tension seemed to leak away. “Ugh, Rowan. He’ll love how important this is, and how important he’ll be if he helps.”
“Only you could shed his willingness to risk himself in a bad light.”
“It’s a skill.” Onyx lifted his chin. “Let’s rally the troops. I hope you like strippers, Luc.”
As the sun set, Luc and Onyx landed on the roof of a building in the Business District. Nico looked relieved to be back on a solid surface.
The phone in Luc’s pocket vibrated, pulling a smile from him. No one had his number except Onyx and Dex. He extracted and unlocked it.
Dex:
Hey! Work’s good. You trying to say you miss me or something?
Luc:
Missing you is only the beginning. Can I see you?
“What are you grinning at?” Onyx appeared at his elbow and peered at the phone screen.
Luc quickly pressed the device to his chest. “Dex messaged me.”
“Since when is he talking to you again?” Onyx punched him in jest. “You could have mentioned that sooner.”
Luc’s face heated. Was he blushing? He never blushed. “I didn’t come to talk about Dex.”
“You should have. This is all for him. I know helping witches is the right thing to do, but you wouldn’t have gotten it in your head to try if it weren’t for finding your mate.”
“No, I’m a terribly selfish person. Thank you for reminding me.”
Pinching his arm playfully, Onyx took on a gentler tone. “That’s not what I meant. Dex inspires you to do better. That’s not a bad thing. So, what’s he texting you about?”
Luc rubbed his arm, his phone buzzing with a new message. “He’s just replying to me. Ollie talked to him, and I saw him last weekend.”
Onyx’s eyes flashed. “Way to bury the lead.”
“It’s complicated. Letting him go might kill me.” Luc’s voice cracked, and he coughed to cover it.
Fuck. Why was saying it out loud far more painful?
Onyx grabbed him, fingers digging into his arm. “Then don’t let him go. Don’t stop with freeing witches. Create a world where you don’t have to lose Dex.”
Luc laughed bitterly. “Create a world?”
“Yes,” Onyx growled. “You believed you could change the world once upon a time, when Dex was merely an idea. Now he’s real. So, what are you going to do?”
The challenge hung in the air.
It was true, he had believed he could change the world back then. And he had, just not the way he’d hoped.
Luc’s fire sparked. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“Then stop saying you’ll lose Dex. Believe you can do this. You’ve believed stupider things with ten times the conviction. Get your shit together.” Onyx glared with fire in his eyes, his cheeks red and feathers standing on end.
Fire roared to life in Luc’s chest. Not in anger. Love flooded him, burning away his bitterness.
He had to stop acting like he was doomed.
Luc ruffled Onyx’s hair, eliciting an indignant snarl.
“Thanks, brother. Good thing I’ve got you keeping me in line. Feel free to slap me next time I get like this.”
“Gladly,” Onyx muttered, frantically fixing his hair.
Luc turned to find Nico staring at them fondly.
With a smile, he led them toward a service door. “Rowan and his coven are meeting us on the top floor.”
“I hate to ask, but they aren’t the kind of coven that worship me, are they?” It was usually witches who worshiped Satan, not vampires, but it was better to be sure.
Nico snorted. “Fuck no.”
“Thank goodness.” Luc detested his followers.
He’d never asked for their devotion. Thinking they owed him for their magic was one thing, but there was no need to take that belief and use it as an excuse to harm others or commit vile acts in his name.
They went inside and headed along a hall to an open door. Nico entered first, Onyx at his heel. Luc followed, his wings and other features tucked out of sight, same as Onyx.
The room was bare and windowless. Luc couldn’t imagine what it was used for. A tall, slim man in a suit with long black hair stood in the center, his hands resting casually in his pockets.
“Nico, you continue to astound me with the company you keep.”
“I’m full of surprises. Let me introduce you to Lucifer.”
Luc resisted rolling his eyes. “Please, call me Luc.”
One of Rowan’s dark brows rose. “Pleasure to meet you, Luc. The Valero Coven welcomes you.”
He didn’t introduce the dozen vampires surrounding him. Not even the three standing closest—two large men and one tiny woman with a formidable air—who were hovering behind him like shadows.
Luc got straight to it, explaining his plan to gain entrance to the Eternal Realm for witches and vampires.
“The council claims to be altruistic and will be loath to admit otherwise. They’ll have to concede when faced with the fact they’ve punished innocents, or risk upsetting the balance of power in the Eternal Realm,” he concluded.
Rowan took a moment to digest. His posture hadn’t so much as shifted the entire time Luc spoke. “If all that’s needed is a well-reasoned argument, why wasn’t this done long before now? Saving witches in the beginning might have stopped the creation of the vampire species.”
“I don’t disagree. At the time, I was focused on stopping any further spread of magic, and no one in the Eternal Realm would have listened to me.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Onyx added. “The Eternal Realm needs to face its mistakes. Demons can’t change this alone.”
Rowan’s lips thinned. “I support your cause in principle, but how do you plan on making that happen?”
Luc stepped forward. “We can’t, but you can. Come with us to the gateway and show them. You might not come back, but you could help change the fabric of your world and the ones beyond, ridding the universe of the Realm of the Damned.”
Rowan smiled a cold, calculated smile. “And they say the Devil will tempt you. Let my coven discuss it, and I’ll be in touch.”