WITHOUT YOU #2
“If the entrances to Hell are sealed, it’s for a reason. They want to talk, Lucifer. Hear them out. For her.”
“For her? Heaven doesn’t give a fuck about her!”
He shakes his head. “Your pride will get her killed.”
I laugh. “And you care?”
“You know I don’t. Not about you. But this isn’t about either of us. It’s about her.”
“You lied to her,” I bellow.
He huffs. “Living tall in that glass house, Luke,” he seethes, using the name I’d given to Tori. “It was you who deceived her first.”
I take a threatening step forward. “I’ll end your miserable existence right here, Ezekiel. Say one more word and I swear I won’t be able to stop.”
All the fight seems to drain out of Zeke. His shoulders sag and he looks tired. Defeated. “Meet with them, Lucifer. If you care about her at all. Help us.”
“Why do they want to help her, Zeke? What aren’t you saying?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know.”
He’s not lying. Heaven’s plans for Victoria haven’t been fully outlined to him. There’s a sense of unease flowing through him as his mind works through all the scenarios he’s put together where she’s concerned. He does care for her.
“Heaven won’t work with me. Not where Victoria is concerned. They’ll use her to bend my will, but in the end, there will be war.”
His dead eyes penetrate mine. “He took her to Hell, Lucifer. We can’t enter without your permission, and my guess is Heaven needs in.”
My stomach falls and coldness creeps in. “Fuck,” I bellow, and the ground shakes. I throw my arms up, summoning every demon within miles to my side.
“What are you doing?” Zeke asks, looking around at the darkness crawling in.
“Going to find a damn way home to get her myself,” I growl.
He scoffs. “You think God is just going to unseal the entrances for you?”
“He will or he’ll die. Slowly.” I grit every word through my teeth. “I’ll go to war with Heaven … again.”
Zeke shakes his head. “You have too many traitors to take on Heaven, Lucifer. It’s not Heaven you need to war with. It’s your rogue demons. You need our help.”
I pull my hair at the roots, hating the truth in his words. Hating that despite every promise I ever made to myself, here I am, once again, at the mercy of Heaven.
“When? When do they want to meet?”
“If they sent Lee, I’d assume now.”
From the moment I was cast to Hell, I vowed to never look back. To never need Heaven and all its trappings. Half the benefit of being the lord of Hell is that I’m my own master.
But for her … I’ll fall to my knees at His feet.
“Take me to them.”
I follow Zeke to the location the archangels have chosen, drawing all demons still under my control within the vicinity to trail behind as I move along. They creep along the shadows, staying hidden to the human eye.
There was no summons, but my fury calls to them.
My eyes roll when we enter St. Michael’s Cemetery. Heaven’s flair for the dramatic never ceases to annoy me. As if to further aggravate me, Michael, Leeanna, Malachi, and Zeke stand shoulder to shoulder in a worthless show of dominance.
“God sent the muscle,” I quip, smacking my lips in utter disrespect.
“Hold your tongue, Satan,” Michael’s voice booms. Trees quake at the force, and thunder rumbles overhead.
I throw my head back and laugh, wiping away a nonexistent tear just to further piss off the four stoic beings glaring in my direction. My hands rise in mock surrender. “You have me here; what do you want?”
“Drop the theatrics, Lucifer,” Zeke bites out. “Have you already forgotten Tori?”
All humor dies at Zeke’s words. The reminder of why I agreed to this crashes over me, bringing me back to reality.
“Interesting,” Leeanna muses. “Satan does have … feelings.” The way she says feelings, as though the thought is repulsive, instantly enrages me.
My hand flies up, curling into a fist, and Leeanna’s head jerks back, both hands flying to her throat. Zeke’s eyes widen.
“Let her go!” he roars, but doesn’t make to come closer.
Michael’s head snaps between mine and Zeke’s, but he doesn’t so much as speak.
Fucking pathetic.
“What’s wrong, Michael?” I ask, tilting my head to the side, never releasing my hold on Leeanna. “Afraid to give me a reason to prove that I can end you with one flick of my wrist?”
Leeanna chokes and splutters, clawing at her throat. I won’t kill her, but every angel here knows if I want to, I can. In one simple move, her existence would be snuffed out.
“Lucifer, stop,” Zeke implores. “Stop with the fucking pissing match. This is wasting time.”
He’s right. This won’t get Victoria back.
I drop my hold on Leeanna and she crumples to the floor with Michael falling to his knees at her side. Malachi takes a step toward me, appearing murderous. Zeke’s hand flies to his chest, stopping him in his tracks.
“Why am I here?” I growl.
Michael helps Leeanna to her feet, and they all once again stand shoulder to shoulder as though I wasn’t squeezing the life out of one of them moments ago.
“We need your cooperation. Victoria must remain in Hell for a short time,” Michael says, finally deigning to speak.
Leeanna flinches just barely at the words.
“Why?” I seethe, growing tired of this worthless back-and-forth.
Heaven doesn’t abide the fallen. If they’re keeping tabs on her after she fell for me, they plan to use her in some way.
“Why?” I repeat, menacingly.
“It will all be revealed in time.” It’s all he offers.
“You want her to suffer?” I bellow, growing more irate with every second.
I won’t allow them to hurt her.
I’ll tear down every inch of Hell to find her, and anyone helping Nolda will meet the most horrific fate imaginable. And I’ll do it on my own.
“Don’t be an idiot, Lucifer. We’d never allow Victoria to be hurt,” Michael says, drawing the attention of every angel present.
“I don’t understand,” Zeke says. “Don’t get me wrong—I care about her, but why do you? She fell.”
I frown. “Zeke’s the lowest order of angel present, yet he’s the only one here talking any sense.”
Michael looks to Leeanna and Malachi before he speaks. “Heaven allowed Victoria to fall. We … encouraged it.”
My head snaps to Michael, and Leeanna gasps.
“What?” The word escapes my lips in equal parts horror and complete shock.
“We needed a solider on the ground to help rally the Nephilim. You’ve been sleeping on the job, Satan. We need to keep humans safe from your demons.”
My teeth grind. “I’m not Heaven’s operative.”
“You’re Hell’s keeper, and your demons continue to get braver. This Nolda is just the latest example.”
That might be true, but there’s more to this that Michael isn’t saying. There are plenty of soldiers to convince to help their cause. And Michael forgets, I can taste lies. No, there’s something more to Tori.
“I’m to believe that’s the only reason you’re barring me from Hell? Bullshit. Unless God plans to replace me with Victoria, this makes exactly zero sense.”
Zeke’s brow peaks and a frown mars his face. He’s not buying it either.
“She’s important. That’s all you need to know.”
“What do you want from me?”
Michael takes a step forward. “Your oath that you’ll take back control of Hell when it’s time.”
My eyes narrow. “Fine. You have my oath.”
Michael takes one more step until we’re nose to nose. “And your oath to leave Victoria alone to fulfill the destiny she was born for.”
Not happening.