Chapter 45 Bast
The longer I sit here, the angrier I get.
How could he do that to her?
After everything we’ve done to keep her safe, he just put her through the worst pain imaginable.
It would be one thing if he didn’t have feelings for her, but I know he does. I’ve seen the way he watches her when he thinks nobody’s looking. Felt him in the shadows, smelled his concern, joy, and even arousal when around her. He came here and asked for asylum to protect her.
More than that, why does this have her questioning Lucifer? She seemed more than happy with their bond, and while he might be absent often, I didn’t think he did anything to cause her to second-guess it.
I’m missing something.
“I have to go talk to Luce about this.” Talian cracks an eye open to meet my gaze before nodding and letting it fall closed again.
It’s clear he isn’t going anywhere. I wouldn’t be either if I still held her in my arms… but I don’t.
She made the choice to go to Talian. It shouldn’t hurt, but it does. Something about the way it all happened feels wrong.
Talian is her mate, but… wait.
Maybe that’s why she went to him?
Fuck, I hope I’m wrong.
“If you need something, just call. I’ll be here in seconds.” Ruin nods, giving me a mock salute from his spot on the end of the bed where he leafs through Aeri’s copy of Dealing with the Devil.
My feet carry me through the castle as I follow his emotions, so strong I feel like I’m choking on them.
How had I missed this before?
I enter the dining room to find it covered in blood, Asta in shackles hanging from the ceiling, a puddle of blood at his feet, his skin torn to shreds, and Lucifer half shifted.
Shit.
Neither so much as glances my way as Lucifer sets Asta on fire with a flick of his wrist.
It’s not hellfire, since that doesn’t hurt us, but blazing blue flames that only he can wield. A way for him to torture demons should they step out of line.
To his credit, Asta endures it with only a few strangled groans and minimal thrashing.
Another flick of his wrist puts the flames out, and Asta hangs there by his wrists, his skin charred and bloody.
It might not be comfortable, but Asta’s strong, second only to Lucifer. This isn’t really that bad for him.
So why isn’t he healing?
I look around but don’t find anything that might be interfering. My eyes move over him again and come to rest on his cuffs.
Luce is pissed, and while I agree, maybe even think this punishment is too lenient, I don’t have time to stand around and let him get this out of his system.
Aeri could wake up at any moment, and while she chose Talian, I still want to be there for her.
“Go away, Bast, I’m busy,” Lucifer growls as I make my way toward him.
“Well, get unbusy because I need to know what he said to her.” I stab a finger in Asta’s direction and can’t keep the sneer from my face when he looks up at me.
His skin is slowly coming back; the cuffs are slowing his regeneration, but not stopping it.
Slow regeneration is more painful, but I’m sure that’s the point.
Good.
I hope his hair takes days to come back; he can walk around bald. He deserves it.
“He rejected their bond, if that wasn’t obvious from the immense pain she’s currently in and the way he doesn’t fight his punishment. Come on, Bast, you’re smarter than this.”
The way he says it gets under my skin, no doubt the way he intended. Despite knowing I’m playing into his little game, I reach out, taking hold of his emotions, and force him to his knees.
I’ve never used my powers against him before, never had a reason to, but this…
Aeri.
Yeah, she’s reason enough without her being in pain and so fucking sad.
What a double-edged sword this is, though, because the reason to push me just so happens to be the reason I’m pretty sure it works.
I’m able to overwhelm Lucifer with fear and sadness, neither emotion he felt very much of before he had a mate.
With Asta unable to move and Lucifer on his knees, I take the opportunity to speak.
“What did you do?” I turn to Asta, and he looks at me but doesn’t respond. Funny how even burnt to a crisp, he manages to be so stoic. Any other time, I might appreciate it, but not right now.
Right now, I need answers.
“What did you say about the rest of us?” That seems to pique his interest, and I’m pretty sure that if he had eyebrows, they would be pinched in confusion.
He thinks for a moment, and I have to remind myself that this is what I asked for. I want a real answer, and this is how I get it.
“Nothing,” he says after what feels like an eternity of waiting, and I can’t stop the scream that rips from somewhere deep inside. The sound bounces off the walls, the sound of a beast, and I relish it.
I’m going to rip him apart. Whatever he did or said has Aeri questioning me, questioning her bond with Lucifer.
“What makes you think he said something?” Luce asks, seeming to finally take this seriously. He remains on his knees, a king so fully defeated by his own emotions. I’d like to say it's pathetic, but I’m not much better right now.
“She’s sad, and not just because of the broken bond,” I sneer at Asta, letting him see just how disgusted I am with him. “She started asking if she was worthy and why we would want her, but I don’t know, it felt weird.”
“Weird how?” Asta asks, and I growl in answer.
“You don’t get to ask about her!”
“Just because I refuse to be bonded to her doesn’t mean I don’t want her to be safe,” Asta spits, showing the most emotion I’ve seen since Luce pulled him back into the dungeon and started beating his ass.
“Weird how?” Luce asks, pulling my attention back to what matters.
My shoulders slump, and I feel like someone’s draining the fight out of me the longer I stand here. I don’t want to fight. I don’t give a shit about Asta. All I want is for Aeri to be okay… for her to look to me for guidance and safety instead of the uncertainty I saw earlier.
“She specifically asked what would make her worthy of demons and the devil. I know it sounds silly, but Aeri never refers to us like that, and I just thought maybe Asta said something and she was repeating it.”
I look to Luce and then to Asta, but neither seems to have anything to offer.
“At least I’d hoped he’d said something.” Because, despite how angry I am, that would be for the best. The alternative is that she came to that conclusion on her own, which hurts even more.
“I should get back before she wakes up.”
I make it almost all the way to the hall before Asta chooses to speak.
“I didn’t say anything about you or Luce, but he did.” I turn confused, wondering who he’s talking about, and see him nod to Lucifer, who is currently standing, staring off into space, wide-eyed and pale.
“What?”
It’s Asta who quickly walks me through the conversation he and Luce had after.
“But that doesn’t make any sense. She was with us. She wouldn’t have heard you… right?” I look between them, needing one of them to assure me.
Of course, it’s Asta to answer, and despite my annoyance with him, I listen because now, looking past my pain, I see his.
I was right; he does have feelings for Aeri.
I’m still mad, still want to wring his neck for the pain he caused her, but maybe not rip his head off mad. I am glad he’s also suffering; he deserves far worse.
“No.”
Asta’s no sounds more like a question than an answer, and I fist my hand in my hair in annoyance.
“Well, mates can speak through their minds the same way we can. It’s not unheard of to reach out when in pain or experiencing other strong emotions. But she’s mortal, so the chances of her knowing how to are slim to none.”
I didn’t think it was possible, but somehow Lucifer's face gets even paler at his words.
“You’ve done it before…” I know I’m right the second I say it. I saw him in conversation the other night on the wall. I’d thought it was with one of the others.
“She thinks I’m going to leave her…”
“You are going to leave her, you fucking piece of shit!” I scream, running at him and punching him square in the jaw.
I’ve never hit anyone before, not with my fists at least, and now I see why. It fucking hurts, but I can’t deny it is satisfying, though.
“No,” he chokes, not even the least bit phased by his nose that is now gushing blood. “I would never, could never.” He shakes his head, looking down at his hands before his gaze meets mine again, and I see the truth in his words.
“It’s wrong and selfish, but I can’t let her go. If she’ll have me, then I am hers, forever.”
I want to hit him again, despite the pain in my hand, but I don’t. I’ve wasted enough time away from Aeri.
“How do I fix this?” Lucifer calls to me as I leave.
“You broke it, you fix it. Figure it out your damn self, but not tonight. She’s exhausted.”
And so am I.