12. A Flicker of Hope
Steel
For my entire life, the Barista had always been someone everyone in my family loved and trusted. He was my uncle. He was my parents’ best friend. He was who everyone in the monster world went to when they needed help.
He was the Barista.
But as I pulled Layla into my arms, I wasn’t so sure we knew him anymore. The real him.
Severing a fated mate bond . . . It was unthinkable. And even if Layla was tied to an entity like that, it was their choice. Not his.
“Layla,” the Barista rasped, kneeling down next to her. He reached for her, but she recoiled against me. “Layla, sometimes fate is wrong.”
“Leave me alone,” she said. “I cannot look at you right now.”
“Layla—”
Lucifer threw his hand up, the cafe rippling with power as he drew a portal. The Barista gasped as he was shoved through, disappearing from all of us.
The moment he was gone, Lucy got to his knees, his shoulders shaking. His eyes were so dark and sad. I’d never seen him like this in my life.
I knew he was powerful. I’d heard the stories, of course. How he used to be the enemy, how he used to hurt people. But the Lucy I knew was different. He was a father and an uncle and always helped.
But right now, he didn’t look like himself. Underneath the sadness, there was anger.
He drew in a deep, steadying breath. “I sent him to hell. It’ll take some time for him to portal back. Not too long, but long enough for him to be full of regret.”
“Good,” Oli said, coming closer to us. “I called Trixie.”
Lucifer nodded. “Thank you, Oliver.” His attention settled on Layla. “My darling child. A bond can be saved, even if it is severed. The pain you feel . . . it will fade eventually. And if you let it be, you won’t know the difference.”
Layla wiped her eyes angrily. “And how would you know?”
“Because once upon a time, your father severed our bond.”
“What?” Layla and I both gasped.
Lucifer took another breath and looked away from us. “Don’t pity me. I deserved it. This was a long time ago. But he severed our bond with his scythe and we spent ages fighting each other.”
“I knew you used to be enemies,” I said, swallowing hard. I couldn’t help but look at Oli, who I wanted to take home and mate with more than anything else right now. I wanted to complete our bond. Even the thought of it being taken from us hurt.
“I didn’t know . . .” Layla trailed off.
“We take fate for granted,” Lucifer said, slowly getting to his feet.
He shrugged his shoulders, the scent of burning flesh scalding my nose. I realized his wings were growing back.
“There is fate, and then there is free will. And in a perfect world, they align. But sometimes, the world is not perfect. Sometimes we make choices. Sometimes we make the wrong choice. And sometimes fate is wrong too. What happened . . . I do not know the consequences. Your Papa and I were scared that Death had returned to harm our family. It’s why we’ve been keeping secrets.
But, if he came here for Tana . . . I do not know what to think.
But I know we will figure it out as a family. ”
“No,” Layla said. She pushed away from me and got to her feet, her shoulders squaring.
I stood and instinctively reached for Oli. His arm slid around my waist. I pressed my face against the top of his head. Even though we weren’t mated, I could feel a wave of emotional exhaustion from him.
Both of us needed each other right now. And I certainly hadn’t forgotten about him speaking to his wife.
“This isn’t something we figure out as a family,” Layla said. “This was my choice. My fate. And it was just stolen from me.”
Lucifer winced. “He was trying to protect—”
“Stop,” Layla whispered harshly. “Just stop. Go. Go find him. Maybe go check on Tana. Mom will be here soon, and I’ll speak to her. I just need space.”
He nodded silently. “I love you,” he whispered. “I am so sorry this happened.”
Layla’s shoulders sagged. “Me too.”
Lucifer nodded and then stepped back, opening a new portal. He was gone in a blink, leaving the three of us alone.
Tears streamed down Oli’s cheeks, his face etched with concern. “Layla,” Oli said softly. “Your mom is on her way with your aunts. She told me she’d be here soon with Luna, Quinn, and Naomi.”
Oh shit. If she’d called Naomi and my moms, then my uncle was in the deepest trouble.
“What else can we do?”
Her eyes were lifeless as she turned to look at the spot where Death had stood. “Nothing,” she whispered, her voice emotionless. “You can do nothing. But thank you. Are you . . . Well, I’m guessing you’re Oliver?”
“I am,” he whispered, wiping away his tears. He offered her a watery smile.
“I wish we were meeting under better circumstances. I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he said. “Truly.”
I rubbed his back, swallowing hard. The cafe was eerily silent aside from the wind howling outside and the rumble of thunder. She slid her palm over her chest, her cheeks flushed as she looked toward the open door.
“It was so strange,” she whispered. “It was as if I’d known him my entire life. Did he hurt you?”
Oli shook his head. “No. He was rather gentle. Strange, yes. But . . . he let me speak to Alia.” His voice cracked. “I am grateful to him for that. I will be able to move on in the way I’d hoped to.”
Layla kept looking out the door as if she were waiting on something. “The two of you should go home,” she finally said. “He’s not coming back. Not yet. And you have your own unfinished business.”
“We’ll stay until someone else is here with you,” Oli said. “I’m sorry. I’m too much of a dad to leave you alone right now.”
She glanced back with a half smile. “You have kids?”
“Two daughters in college,” he said. “They’re amazing.”
Talking to her seemed to be helping. I was glad he was here too, because I had no idea what to even say. The cafe was a wreck, there was still blood and broken glass everywhere, and I was so sad for my cousin.
I heard a car door slam and stiffened, sensing my parents were near. “Uh, well. You’re about to meet my moms.”
Oli’s brows shot up. “What?”
“Sorry, this may end up being even more overwhelming.”
Mama, or Aunt Luny as Layla called her, was the first to the door. Her bright yellow eyes landed on Layla, darted to me, and then to Oli. Before she could say anything else, my mom squeezed past her and hurried to Layla, pulling her into a big hug. Layla let out a quiet sob.
Mom’s eyes met mine and she made a face as she held onto Layla. “Trixie and Naomi are on the way. I don’t know what happened, but we were nearby. Got here as fast as we could.”
“Quinn drove like a maniac.” Mama stepped further into the cafe, stepped over piles of glass, and then reached me. She pulled me into a big hug, but I knew her attention was still on Oli. “Is your mate okay?”
“Yes, Mama,” I said. “This is Oliver.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” he said.
Oli held out his hand, but she just chuckled, her tail flicking behind her. She shook his hand, clearly amused by that. “It’s so good to meet you, Oliver. We’re very happy for Steel. We will plan a proper lunch together and meet without disaster present. Yes?”
“I’d like that,” Oli said.
“Quinn is Steel’s second mom,” she said. The three of us glanced over at her and Layla. My mom had sandwiched Layla’s face between her hands and was whispering to her.
“. . . severed my bond.”
“What?” Mama sneered, her spine stiffening. “He did what?”
I tugged Oli against my side as the three of them started talking over each other. “We should go home,” I said to him.
His bright blue eyes filled with surprise. “Shouldn’t we stay to help?”
“No,” I said. “We have a big family. They will take care of Layla in ways we can’t. If we are needed, they will call.”
“The two of you should come over Tuesday night,” my mom said. “Oliver, I’m sorry, I want to meet you as well.”
“No one owes me any apologies,” he said patiently, frowning at her.
Ah, yeah. She probably looked like she was in her twenties to him.
“We’re going to go,” I said. “We’ll meet later this week. Layla, if you need anything, please call.”
“Thank you, Steel.”
I nodded and before Oli could protest, I swept him into my arms.
It was time to get the hell out of here.