Chapter 49 Careful What You Wish For
SOUNDTRACK: Steambound by HexMouth
~ MELEK ~
Gall sucked in and shot to his feet. I put a hand back to soothe him, to give him something solid to ground him. “Don’t worry,” I said softly. “Just resist. That’s all you have to do, Gall.”
“My ears were burning, I believe my name was mentioned?” Lucifer said lightly, but his eyes glittered like precious jewels.
“No one asked you here. No one wants you here. You weren’t invited, and you aren’t welcome. Leave.”
Gall tensed behind me and Lucifer smiled. “I believe my grandson is quite eager for me to be close… because he knows I hold something precious to him—and that if he strays, I won’t give it back.” Every syllable spoken casually, but enunciated so the consonants were clipped and bitten off.
“Leave.”
The Fallen arched one brow, and regarded me like I was a joke he’d heard before, but still enjoyed.
“Such a preacher,” he said softly. “Such a pretty, pretty speech—and yet… so much fear in your life, Melek. So many moments of ugliness and darkness. So much death.”
I nodded. “My life has been full of them all. But if I’m wrong, then you can kill me right now. Please. Go ahead.”
I felt the clench of Yilan’s fear through the bond, as I opened my arms and offered my chest to Lucifer, who had stopped just out of arm’s reach.
Lucifer’s eyes remained gold, but shone black with the purest hatred I’d ever had cause to witness. It prickled my skin, and made my knees quiver—but I didn’t back down. I couldn’t. I knew it.
He tipped his head, those eyes locked on mine. “Pride comes before a fall, Melek. Step very carefully—or you may get exactly what you fear.”
He didn’t touch me.
Barely breathing, I turned my back to Lucifer and looked at Gall, who’d been staring in horror at the Fallen, but now turned to me.
“I love you, Son. I’ll never kill you. I’ll never ask you to kill another soul.
No matter what. I know we can find Istral.
I know we can keep your baby safe. So, don’t listen to him.
Because if he could have killed me before now, he would have.
He’s been lying about this since the dawn of time and—”
“Kill him.” The words were low, dark, and seething.
Gall flinched and turned to Lucifer, pleading in his eyes.
“Don’t listen to him, Gall,” I urged. “He hasn’t brought you anything but pain and fear.”
I didn’t even see the Fallen move. One moment Gall sat on the bench, and Lucifer stood two paces from him. The next, Gall cried out, bent backwards over the thick tabletop behind him, Lucifer’s hand clamped on his neck, pushing him back so hard he flailed and his face went red.
“I am finished with the games. I gave you a task and you failed me. Me. Your only remaining family, Gall,” he said with a dark glance towards me.
“If you want to have a life and a family, there’s only one way forward.
Together. Without me, you’re nothing. Without me you’re stupid.
Without me all these people—including this pretend father—run rings around you and use you and treat you like a child.
I never treated you like a child, I treated you like the king you were made to be. ”
Gall spluttered, gripping Lucifer’s wrist. But the Fallen didn’t release him, so he couldn’t speak.
“Let him go.”
Lucifer didn’t stop. He leaned over Gall so their noses almost touched.
“I can give it all to you. The entire world. Not only the Neph—every nation. They’ll all chant your name.
No more idiot. No more pity. No more smirks behind your back—because right now, they all laugh, Gall.
You know that. They all look at you, and remember the idiot that you were.
And they don’t give two shits about you. But I do.”
Gall’s eyes slid sideways to find me. I shook my head, praying Lucifer let him get some air.
“I’ve proved that I’m loyal. Over and over again,” I said hoarsely. “You know that. I love you, Gall. I’ll help you. And I’d never call you an idiot. Stop listening to him. He can’t kill you. He can only make you afraid.”
“Ah, such noble passions—but fuck all reality.”
Gall shook his head. Lucifer raged on, eyes black.
“Remain, Gall. Remain and be king. Remain and be my grandson, the heir to my throne—I gave you power. I gave you men! True followers, bound to your crown, remember? Deny me now, and I will destroy you and your family. Or… perhaps not?” Lucifer’s tone was thoughtful, almost playful, as if the idea had only occurred to him in that moment.
I hissed at his cruelty. “That baby she carries is mine anyway. Oh, don’t get sad eyes, Gall.
I was going to let you raise him. It’s quite comical that you thought you could father a child.
I wanted you to believe that. Knew it would give you joy—that was my gift to you, Gall.
But if you plan to defy me, what’s the point?
” he hissed. “You want truth? There’s no seed in you.
No spawn. I let you believe it, so she wouldn’t be embarrassed, and wouldn’t have to tell others it was me who impregnated her. ”
Gall struggled, his face turning purple and his eyes wide, teeth bared. He fought.
“It’s not true, Gall!” I shouted. “You loved your mate. You two—”
“He thrust himself on a helpless human woman. She needed to be shown what true pleasure was.”
“It’s not true!”
Gall fought, whipping his head back and forth, clawing at Lucifer’s arm, though the Fallen didn’t seem to struggle to hold him.
“Resist, Gall! Not with your body. Deny him in your heart! You love. You give. You’re thoughtful and good. He can’t stand that you have value without him. It’s killing him. Resist.”
“She’s afraid you’ll be angry, Gall. I promised to keep her secrets, but… oh well. Whoops. I suppose I’ve let it all out now, haven’t I? Perhaps that is for the best. You seem to enjoy the idea of adoption,” Lucifer drawled, cutting his eyes to me.
Gall twisted and flopped like a fish on the end of a line, but he couldn’t loosen Lucifer’s grip. For a moment I wavered—was it possible Lucifer could kill him? Had I been wrong?
Fear sang through my body, and I turned to look for Yilan, to reach for her—only to find Lucifer staring at me, smiling, that avid hunger on his face.
The truth smacked me between the eyes, and I stepped right into his space, pressing myself against the arm that held my son breathless. “Let him answer you. If you’re so strong and so powerful, if you’re so right, let him answer you. Take your hands off him you Fallen fuck.”
I shoved him once, like a child in play, but Lucifer hissed, jerking away from my touch so his hand came off Gall’s throat, who bent forward, sucking open-mouthed at the air, wheezing.
Lucifer snarled, standing toe-to-toe with me. “Touch me once more, and sign your own death warrant, General.”
“The day I die won’t be decided by you. Leave. Now.”
Lucifer smiled again and shook his head. “You poor, misguided, idiotic man. Can’t you see? I can be anywhere, at any time, and you can’t—”
“Leave!” Gall rasped, his voice harsh and ragged.
Lucifer jerked. His head snapped towards Gall, and his eyes went black as night. “Listen, piglet, if you ever want to see—”
“Leave us alone! Leave me! GO!” Gall screamed so hard his head trembled.
Lucifer snarled, his voice almost as ragged as Gall’s. “You’ll regret this, you stupid little shit—”
“I’m not listening to you! I never want to see you again!”
Lucifer jerked like he’d been struck, opened his mouth, and roared.
Then, while his roar still echoed in the banquet hall and out into the corridors, he blinked out of sight, as if he’d never existed.
I stood frozen for a moment, gaping. Then whirled, searching the room high and low. Had the Fallen just moved out of sight? Would he attack? What—
A strange, strangled noise rose behind me and I turned again… to find Gall on his knees, eyes staring into the void, with a look of horror and fear.
Then he toppled to the floor, and began to convulse.