Chapter 37 Burn it All Down
SOUNDTRACK: Madhouse by Sleeping Wolf
~ MELEK ~
I came awake in a luxurious room that looked familiar. For a moment, I thought it had all been a dream. But when I lifted my arm, blood was smeared on my skin and had run in rivulets to spatter on my leathers.
Yilan!
I gasped and leaped to my feet, desperately scanning the room.
I blinked.
The announcement.
Gall. Lucifer. Yilan.
The hound.
The cave.
I blinked again, as Gall stepped through a door to my right and started towards me. That’s why this room felt familiar. I was in the royal chamber at the palace, back in the city
Gall strode to stand at my toes, his face a hard, indifferent mask.
I didn’t flinch, but also didn’t speak as he stopped in front of me, his eyes full of flinty accusation.
Then he nodded without breaking eye-contact, and before I had time to think about how strange that was, something powerful kicked the back of my legs. My knees buckled, and I dropped to the stone floor. A hand planted on my shoulder, someone strong standing behind me.
“Go ahead. I won’t let him up.”
Ah. Jann. I should have known.
“Let him go,” Gall said. “If he stands, I’ll kill him.”
The grip on my shoulder lifted, and I was left staring up at my son from my knees on the floor. My pulse pounded in my ears, my heart hammering. A quick scan of the room revealed no sign of Yilan, and I hoped. I prayed.
Then Gall leaned forward, grabbed my chin and levered my head up so I stared at him—until he let me go and hurriedly stepped aside when Lucifer shifted to stand in his place.
He’d left me kneeling before Lucifer.
With a growl, I pushed to my feet—but Gall’s roar was met with Jann’s bulk, tackling me from behind. I struggled, but let myself be wrestled to my belly on the cold floor, and pinned.
Then, for the second time on this Godforsaken night, I found myself on the ground, with Lucifer squatting in front of me like a friend ready to clasp hands and pull me to my feet.
Except, he didn’t smile or offer a hand.
His expression was blank. And his eyes pure flame.
Please, let Yilan have gotten away. Please, just let her be safe—and the others warned, and—
“You are stronger than even I had hoped,” he purred as if we were already in the midst of a conversation. “I can see why your female chose you—and why the others follow you. There’s a reason we call you a bull.”
Unease skittered up my spine, as Lucifer stroked my jaw and tilted his head, his gaze measuring me.
I stared him down as best I could, with my head craned back and my jaw in his hand.
Lucifer’s tone was nothing short of seductive. “I could give you everything you’ve ever wanted—no nagging crown, but authority over those who determine the path. The freedom to walk away with your mate. Safety assured. All of it.”
“The only thing safe with you, is the assurance of pain and destruction,” I said thickly through clenched teeth.
“You may want to reconsider that position,” Lucifer said quietly, stroking my cheek with his thumb. “My offer is genuine. If you don’t take it, I’ll be forced to enact other plans.”
I didn’t respond, just stared at him until he leaned down to whisper in my ear.
“I’ll take your mate—because it’s my right. I’ll violate and abuse her until she loses the child you spawned. Then I will breed her myself.”
My heart leaped again at his insistence Yilan was pregnant. But Lucifer was named The Prince of Lies for a reason.
Still, he’d been true about Jann.
None of it mattered if he slit my throat, so I pushed the hope and the fear to the corner of my heart, and faced him down.
I said nothing, and did nothing. Because, as if a dear friend whispered in my ear, a voice in my head insisted that I remember to resist.
Lucifer stared at me. His features grew colder, but he offered no other outward reaction to my silence.
“Listen very carefully, Melek. I chose to bring you here in case we could work together. I offer you everything you would ever need in this world. You’d stop being a thorn in your son’s side, fighting for a crown you never wanted in the first place—correct?
Wouldn’t that be so much better? You get everything you want, and your mate and baby stay safe. I dream of the stock you would stud…”
He smiled and licked his lips and my stomach turned.
“Of course, if you continue to play this game,” Lucifer said lightly, “your time has come. Her time has come. When I’m done humbling you, I’ll walk out that door to her. She can’t hide from me—I see through the shroud. Her talent for shadow walking comes from me. Feeds me. Serves me.”
I was uneasy for a flash, but then… He lies, the voice in my head insisted. Resist.
I tried to swallow—difficult to do with my head craned back—but it couldn’t be true, because Yilan had drawn away from Lucifer as they were approaching, and Lucifer was here with me.
I didn’t believe he’d willingly leave her behind after knocking me senseless. So that had to mean he hadn’t seen her.
Right?
Resist.
Lucifer’s gaze flared with anger, but his expression didn’t change. Without warning, he released my chin. My head dropped and my chin hit the stone so hard my teeth clacked. With a simple command, the pressure on my back disappeared and Lucifer retreated, beckoning Gall forward.
I scrambled to my feet—trying desperately not to sway, though my head spun—and tugged at my leathers, preparing to fight.
Of course, all my weapons had been removed.
Then, Gall came to stand right at my toes, looking down on me—which was impossible. He’d been an inch shorter than me for years. However, now… now I raised my chin slightly to meet my son’s eyes.
“Gall—”
“Don’t talk to me.”
Gall’s ears were red—a sign of distress.
I tried to calm him. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not going to hurt you—I won’t even fight—”
One moment Lucifer was halfway across the floor, staring at me, the next he stood at Gall’s shoulder, his head turned to whisper in Gall’s ear, while his eyes stayed on me.
The longer that fucker whispered, the more I saw my son shift. His eyes glowed. His body swelled.
Then I caught the words.
“…no more indulging him. He needs to die—he’s your only rival. With him out of the way, the others fall to you like pawns on a chessboard.”
I saw the flicker of uncertainty in Gall’s eyes, and my heart pinched—my son had never quite been able to remember which piece on the board traveled in which way.
“…This is your moment, Gall. It’s all yours. He’s yours.”
“If you’re so certain, why not kill me yourself?” I snarled at the Fallen. “A true leader does his own dirty work.”
Gall’s gaze slid to Lucifer, who smiled.
Lucifer smiled at me. “What do you think I’m doing?”
I expected him to step up to me—with further threats, or yet another blow to drop me. But to my surprise, instead he turned back to Gall. All warmth and humor on his face evaporated, leaving only the cold, cunning Fallen to face my son, who began to sweat.
“I will only say this once, Gall, and you know I mean it: Kill him, or I, who hold the power of life and death, will take your child, and your mate… and your crown.”
I went still. Why doesn’t he do this himself?
Gall’s eyes widened, but just as he sucked in a breath—bracing himself, I thought—a deep chuckle rose behind me.
“Oh, I’m going to enjoy watching this.”
Jann swept past me to stand on Gall’s other side, smiling in a not dissimilar attitude to Lucifer, which made my skin crawl.
I only scowled. “I always knew you were a traitor.”
“Funny, because I was certain I had you convinced—particularly once you left your mate with me and mine.”
I snapped my teeth at him, and Gall blinked, but he gathered himself quickly when Jann turned to lean around him to Lucifer and point between us. “It’s going to be fun watching these two finally clash. I’ve wondered who would win, now that you’ve strengthened Gall.”
Lucifer’s smile was blinding—and terrifying. “My son will win. He will always win, because he has me,” he purred, locking eyes with me. “The only question is, how much damage Melek can do before he dies.”
“I won’t let him,” Gall insisted, stepping back to give himself room, and adopting the defensive stance I’d pummeled into him for years. “I know how he fights.”
Just as I tensed, mentally scrambling for a way to distract Gall from an actual fight, there was a blood-curdling scream outside the chamber door.
Lucifer frowned and tipped his head at Jann, who trotted to the door to peer out, then pulled it back, a look of shock on his face.
Two bloody bodies sprawled on the floor outside the door.
The two guards they’d left posted.
Jann, speechless, turned to look at Lucifer, whose eyes were flames.
I took one look at the cut throats, and the way the men had fallen right where they stood, and I laughed.
“You thought you could take me, and leave my mate alive? Dear God, for an immortal, you’re remarkably stupid.” I chuckled again and pretended to look around the room to see if anyone shared my joke, while searching for items I could use as shields against Gall.
In my head, I prayed. Because if Yilan was already short on strength, she wouldn’t be able to traverse the palace easily—and if she had brought the army, this wouldn’t just be a matching of wits. It would be all-out war.
In my heart of hearts, I feared whether we had enough to win.
“Ignore him, he’s bluffing,” Lucifer said quietly, calmly to Gall, and put a hand on his shoulder. Gall took a deep breath then turned to stare murder at me. “Now, do it.”
Gall nodded.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Gall,” I said quietly as I sank down, loosening my knees, my hands poised for action, looking for any weapon either on Gall, or in the room, that I could use for defense without doing him harm. “I’ll defend myself, but you don’t have to worry. I won’t let you kill me.”
Lucifer hacked a single, humorless laugh as Gall’s hands tightened to fists.
He looked down at himself—a flaw from his early years when he first started working with weapons, and I’d told him how to hold them.
He always checked to see if he was doing it right, leaving himself open for attack, because he’d taken his eyes off his opponent.
A second later his head snapped up, eyes wide as he locked on me. I almost smiled.
He’d realized I hadn’t hit him when I could have.
I nodded. “I meant what I said,” I murmured. “I—”
“Use this,” Lucifer muttered, shoving a spear into Gall’s hands. I backed away immediately, towards one of the windows, because that weapon gave him reach and I needed some gauntlets, or something to let me brace.
As I shuffled back, I realized Gall still hadn’t moved.
I hesitated, looking at Gall, and my heart swelled.
My son stood before me… trembling.
Fighting.
Hope sprang anew in my chest, as I tried to reach for him. “You don’t have to do this, Son. No matter what he says—you don’t have to do it.” I babbled on, gentle reassurances to soothe my son, but something about that statement I’d offered thoughtlessly, rang a gong in my head.
No matter what he says… you don’t have to do it…
Lucifer stood to Gall’s right, his eyes flat and hooded. “Gall, that is an order.”
No matter what he says… you don’t have to do it…
Then a memory from just moments ago… “If you’re so certain, why not kill me yourself?” I snarled at the Fallen. “A true leader is willing to do his own dirty work.”
Gall’s gaze slid to Lucifer, who smiled.
Lucifer smiled at me. “What do you think I’m doing?”
Another scream sounded in the hall outside the room, and Jann snapped to look, then growled. He was about to run, but Lucifer called him to a halt with a single, snapped word.
“Knock Melek unconscious until his son can find his ballsack. You do not help him kill. The king will rise, and he will take the power from Melek to rule his people. Are we understood?”
Jann nodded. Then he stepped back into the room, as Lucifer strode for the door.
“Neither of you leaves this room until he’s dead at Gall’s hand—and no whining, Gall. After all, you’ve already killed one father. Might as well make it a pair.”
I snarled against the cruelty of the comment, and Gall flinched. I couldn’t focus on that yet. Gall was still uncertain. I had to figure this out. My head spun with the questions, and hints of conclusions I was scared to draw. But I couldn’t resist a taunt as the Fallen stormed out.
“Tell my mate I send my love! I’ll be at her side soon.”
Lucifer halted, then turned on his heel to face me, his eyes a chilling picture of malice. “Oh no, I’ll give her my love. And when you’re gone, I’ll kill your child, then give it to her over, and over, and over…”
His smile turned my stomach as he blinked out of sight.
Which was when it all clicked into place in my mind.
Hever had always said, Lucifer wasn’t God. He couldn’t be in two places at once.
He’d told me to fight on multiple fronts, to divide his attention and ability to apply power. But only tonight I was seeing the true limitation of the Fallen.
Because he could have killed me a dozen times over—even before all of this. He could have killed me in the tent in the warcamp, when Yilan and I first bonded.
He could have killed us both, in the tower in Theynor.
He could have killed me out in the forest tonight—and again minutes ago when I was pinned on the floor at his feet—but he didn’t.
Because he couldn’t?
…No matter what he says… you don’t have to do it…
Resist, that voice from the Creator whispered again. Resist.
The picture unfolding in my head was so simple, and yet so complex, I was speechless. I desperately needed a moment to just think.
As Gall faltered in front of me, then pulled himself up, I was still finding all the pieces of the puzzle.
“I can do it. I can do it, Jann!”
Jann strode towards us both. “Of course you can, Gall. But don’t worry. You leave him to me.”
I opened my mouth to tell my friend and my son what I’d figured out, to get their insight, but just as I inhaled, Jann’s jaw went tight.
He swung the butt of his spear up so quickly, and I was so distracted, I couldn’t get a hand high enough to block it.
It cracked the side of my head and I went down like a felled tree.