Chapter 30 #2
I shook my head. “You made me think it was my idea. You played me. You used Sera’s attempt on your throne back then to kill two birds with one stone.
I have been devoted to you, protected and worshiped you, Lucifer, my entire life.
You are my family, my king, my maker, the first being I ever loved.
” I looked up at him, holding his beautiful yellow eyes, and my heart cracked in two.
“I would have done anything for you, and I have, over and over again. I’ve given my body, my blood, devoted every moment of my life to you and what you wanted, yet you couldn’t let me have one thing for myself? You couldn’t let me have Lothar.”
He flinched, the first and only sign of real emotion. “Roxy, please—”
“You have destroyed any chance Lothar and I had to be together. We have hurt each other beyond measure. He hates me now, because of you. He despises me. There is no future for us. You’ve ruined the rest of eternity for me, and you don’t even care.
I would have laid down my life for you, Luci.
Don’t you see, I would have remained your most devoted servant until the end of time.
Loving Lothar doesn’t take away the love I have for you.
They are not the same. You are my king and my family. Lothar is the love of my life.”
“Why do you think I sent you with Lothar on this mission? It is because I knew you could reawaken the bond between you both. Yes, I could have stepped in at any time while you and Lothar were away, but I let it play out, I stayed away because I knew the outcome. I wanted you to find your way back to each other. I regretted what I did to you both back then, and this was my chance to make things right.”
“I don’t believe you.”
He sucked in a breath.
I’d hurt him, but I wasn’t going to take it back.
“It’s the truth,” he said roughly.
“Even if I did believe you, it’s too little, too late,” I rasped.
“No, it’s not.”
“Yes, it is. Because now I’ve lost both of you.”
“You will never lose me,” he said, his gaze wildly searching mine. “I’ll always be right here.”
“But that’s the thing, Luci, I won’t be.” I shook my head. “I’m already gone.”
“No.” His yellow eyes flared. “I won’t let you to leave.”
“The only way you’ll stop me, is killing me.”
He cupped my face, and this time I didn’t shove him away. “I was trying to make things right and I hurt you again. That is the last thing I wanted. I’ll do anything you want, Roxy, to fix this.”
Nothing could make this right. Nothing. Still, I gave him an answer, because time was running out. “Kill Seraphina.”
By the time we exited Hell, the city was in chaos. The power was down. Humans ran around looting and fighting. Fire alarms were going off, cars were left in the streets haphazardly, while demons prowled, taking advantage of the mayhem.
We ran toward the source of the surging power, until we were finally close.
Lucifer snarled when he saw Seraphina, glowing, her intense strength rolling off her.
“She isn’t this strong,” he bit out. “The angels did this. They increased her powers. Then those fuckers set her free.”
“The forgotten prophecy,” I yelled over the storm whipping around me.
His jaw hardened. “Yes. They want to change the course of fate.”
A roar reached me through the storm. Lothar.
I searched for him, and my heart almost burst from my chest when I saw him.
He was on his knees in front of Sera, his body at an odd angle, while his brothers and the knights blasted her with their power over and over again, trying to get Seraphina to release him.
Fury burned through me as I drew knives from the sheaths at my hips. I needed to move now, while she was distracted. “I’m going in. Be ready,” I said to Lucifer.
He nodded. “We always have been a good team, Rox.”
“Just be ready,” I said, and in the cover of shadow, I sprinted around the perimeter of the lot until I was behind her. Lothar roared, blood sliding down his face from his eyes, nose, and mouth. Her powers were depleting, but she was still incredibly strong, and she was killing him.
I gave Lucifer the nod, then gritting my teeth, sprinted at her and leaped in the air.
She dropped Lothar, sensing me, and spun before I could reach her.
She slashed her hand through the air. It had the same effect as a blade, and I felt the scar at my side tear.
The pain was nothing compared to my rage, though, not even close.
I slammed into her, wrapped myself around her, and thrust my blade into her temple, jerking it around and scrambling the bitch’s brains.
It wouldn’t last long, not with her healing abilities, but long enough for Lucifer to do what he needed to.
He strode forward, his immense power flowing from him. He was incredibly strong, but with the angels’ interference, he wasn’t strong enough to destroy Sera on his own, not like she was. Now he had a fighting chance.
His eyes glowed brightly, and beams of light burst from him, from all around him.
He was incandescent as he lifted his hands and, baring his teeth, sent all that power straight at Sera.
It slammed into her chest, and she screamed, struggling as he lifted her off the ground.
I didn’t let go of her, twisting my blade, not letting her rapid healing abilities unfuck her mutilated gray matter.
I felt her body heat, so hot it burned my skin, but I refused to let go. No, I clung tighter and pressed my mouth to her ear. “Bitch, just so we’re clear. Lothar is mine,” I snarled.
Seraphina shrieked in outrage—and exploded. Her body literally blowing apart.
I dropped, landing in a crouch, and spun, searching the lot, making sure she was truly gone. When I turned back, the hounds and the knights were staring at me.
“Holy fuck, Rox,” I heard Roman say.
I ran to Lothar, dropping to my knees beside him. “You alive?” I choked out. He had multiple broken bones and was bleeding badly.
“Take more than that to kill me,” he choked out.
I let out a sigh of relief. Sera’s powers would make his recovery slow, but it wouldn’t be fatal.
Bright light flooded the lot, and I looked up as three angels landed several yards away.
“You’re a little late,” Lucifer said and strode toward them. He took them in from head to toe. “We don’t even warrant an archangel or two? They sent you three chuckleheads instead?”
The one in the middle bristled. “We are more than powerful enough, I assure you.”
“Well, it doesn’t really matter now, does it? You missed all the fun.”
“We came as soon as we could,” another one said.
“Sure you did,” Lucifer said. “You also let her think she’d escaped prison all on her own and boosted her powers to levels Seraphina should never have possessed.”
They didn’t bother to plead their case and were gone a moment later.
“They were watching the whole fucking time, weren’t they?” Zenon growled. “They had no intention of taking her back.”
“What does this mean?” War added.
“It means that we need to be on guard. The angels want change, and they are willing to do anything to get it,” Lucifer said.
I tried to stand, and Lothar grabbed my arm. “Where are you going?”
“I’ll be right back,” I said and smiled down at him as I gently pulled from his hold. Rome said something to him, and I quickly backed up and walked into the shadows, my heart shredding even more.
My phone beeped, and I pulled it out of my pocket.
Luci: Don’t leave. Come home.
I looked up. Lucifer stood across the lot from me, Sera’s scattered remains between us. I quickly typed my reply.
Roxy: I will always love you, Lucifer, but I’m not sure I can forgive you. If you love me, too, you’ll let me go.
He looked down at his phone, and I turned mine off and shoved it in my pocket before he could reply. Lothar was still on the ground and I heard Relic ask where I was, which was my cue to leave.
I spun around and sprinted away. I didn’t look back.
Lothar told me he wanted freedom, and I loved him too much to force him into something he didn’t truly want. I’d taken so many choices from him, but not this one.
To make him happy, I would give him his freedom—I would set him free.