Page 72 of To Crave Truly

Lucifer looked down at me, a sadness in his eyes and his jaw tight with an expression I couldn’t decipher. “Their love was complicated. It was pure in the beginning, and I was happy and proud that Mordecai had found her, that they shared something I didn’t, but as the years passed, Mordecai’s thirst for power grew. His mind darkened and soured his love for her. She despaired and pleaded with him to change, but he wouldn’t. His obsession clouded everything and eventually, it drove her to a desperate end.”

“She jumped off a cliff, didn’t she?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said slowly. “How did you know that?”

“I shared a dream with him once. A memory, but I don’t think it was a real one.” I remembered the way she’d fallen, the way Mordecai had screamed and the almighty, soul-consuming grief that Mordecai had felt. “I think it was from his torture down in the Pit.”

Lucifer hummed in thought behind me. “It’s possible.”

“If he was mad before he went into the Pit, what does that make him now?” Cassian probed.

“Unpredictable and unable to be reasoned with.” Lucifer held me tighter. I didn’t think he even realised he was doing it.

Jasper fixed his eyes on mine. “It makes him incredibly dangerous. We need to come up with a plan.”

“Yes,” I said solemnly, “but there are still a few things that I don’t understand. Like which Celestial is involved? And what are we going to do with the Witch Queen. Alec is right. She should pay for what she’s done.”

Lucifer’s body temperature rose behind me, his anger coursing through our bond. I risked a look back at him and, sure enough, his eyes were blazing.

I cupped his jaw and brought his gaze to mine. “Talk to me.”

“I never meant for any of this to happen. I just wanted the loneliness to stop.”

Tears welled in my eyes as I caught a glimpse of his vulnerability beneath all that rage. “I know. It’s not your fault, but we do need to stop him. We can’t let him destroy everything.”

“I know,” he replied bitterly.

“Let’s split into two teams,” Jasper started. “Alec, Lori, Rae, Cassian, and I will visit the Witch Queen. Lucifer, you take the others to the Upper Realm. We need to know what’s going on up there.”

“Are you giving me orders, Vampire?” Lucifer drawled.

“Yes. Now move your ass.”

“Ooh, are they going to fight,” Saskia stage whispered to Rae.

My best friend giggled. “Shall I get popcorn?”

I shot daggers at the pair of them. “Jasper, it’s a great plan. We can divide and conquer.”

“Fine,” Lucifer growled. “For you Lori, I will go. I will also talk to my brother Michael to see if he knows anything.”

“Good,” Jasper retorted.

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever happened to you two getting along?”

Saskia and Rae sniggered.

Lucifer pressed a quick kiss to my lips. “Stay safe, please.”

“I will.” I kissed him back quickly, then he was gone.

“I still can’t get over that,” Rae said with a smile.

“What?”

“That you’re with the Devil!” she said as she strolled forwards. “Whatever happened to the cocktail waitress who liked simple things?”

Jasper huffed a laugh. “She got kidnapped by a vampire.”

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