Page 60 of Found In Destruction

“Still a better choice thanyou,” Lucifer snickered. “At least Diana has potential and isn’t fucked up like you are. You’re mental, Damon. Damaged. Broken. Even as a child, I knew something wasn’t right with you.”

“Sure you’re not talking about Oisín?” he panted, struggling to get the words out with how weak he was.

Diana just left? That doesn’t seem right…Desmond linked us.

Yeah, you’re right. She was so determined to do this… I’m going to check on her too,I linked. Lucifer was hiding something from us. He wouldn’t just glaze over Diana being sick.

Ares popped back into the room, a devious glint to his eyes. I’d only seen this look on his face while he was elbow deep in battle or torturing someone.No, don’t go. You’re going to miss the show. Trust me, you’ll want to see this.

Agreed, y’all are gonna want to stick around,Azazel assured us. I switched my focus back to Lucifer.

“You always had such jealousy toward Oisín. Your brother is so talented and smart, magically gifted, really.” Lucifer had a point. Oisín Morningstar was a renowned menace to the magical community. I counted myself lucky to be on his good side, let alone someone he considered a friend.

“Oh yeah, so magically gifted that I was able to trap him into a debt and force him to spy on his own sister as a cat for years. Real prize,” Damon huffed.

I felt despair curl around him and took a light pull of it, then promptly spit it out. His sadness tasted rancid. I didn’t need a power boost that badly.

“Oh yeah, body morphing…a Morningstar power you didn’t inherit. Instead of being jealous and hateful toward Oisín, you should have taken the opportunity to learn from him—teamed up with your more powerful sibling and worked together. But you’reyour mother’sson, so I guess you aren’t capable of higher thought. Or working with someone beyond lying on your back…”

Oh fuck, that was the classiest, most epic your mom I’ve ever heard,Bash linked me.

Ouch,that was a low blow, but one that obviously hit its mark. Damon’s face screwed into a scowl, and little wisps of steam escaped from his ear.

“Don’t you say shit about my mother! She loved you and you left her for a fucking water nymph! You flaunted your boyfriend in her face for years. You abandoned us!” Damon shouted, gasping for breath.

“She was a one night stand who knew the score. I only moved her into Hell so I could have a hand in raising you, but a fat lot of good that did me. You turned out to be a failure. A waste of genes and potential. You’re a disappointment and I regret letting your whore mother bring you into the world.”

“Stop it,” Damon mumbled through tears. He wascrying…None of us had been able to make him cry so far, let alone get such an emotional reaction from him.

“No, you need to hear it,” Lucifer bellowed. “You couldn’t even get rid of a presumably mortal girl and secure your throne. You had to team up with Red—an usurper—so you could have some morsel of rule over Hell that was your birthright in the first place! You’re a disgrace to the Morningstar name! A son I never wanted who’s only brought me shame and disappointment. I wish you were never born!”

“I’m sorry,” Damon sniveled, his head hanging low. Tears streamed down his face and he choked on his own snot like a coward. “I just wanted you to love me! To be proud of me!”

The guys and I all looked at each other in shock.

Yeah, what a way to get your dad to love you… Treat your siblings like shit, try to steal his throne, fail, and then attack him with his sworn enemy,Ares scoffed. He would know, he had daddy issues that were almost as bad.

“The only way I would have a shred of pride in you is if you told us where Red is hiding. That way I could take the throne of Hell and usher in a new era of Morningstar glory,” Lucifer quipped. “But you already said you didn’t know, so you’re useless to me—again. What a shock.”

Lucifer strode toward the door, throwing over his shoulder, “Have fun, boys. He’s yours to play with until you break him or somehow kill him.”

“Wait,” Damon rasped. The Prince of Darkness turned toward him. “I know…where Red hides,” he forced out around gasps. “He doesn't feel safe in Hell, so he keeps his forces there and hides…” he took another deep, rattling breath… “In the Fourth Realm, in a recreation of his castle in Pandemonium.”

“Are you sure? How do I know you aren’t lying to me?”

Damon offered his battered, broken hand to Lucifer. “I’ll make a deal with you that I’m telling the truth.”

Lucifer walked up to Damon, reached out his hand for a shake, then slapped him across the face. Then he backhanded him. His body vibrated, and his tall, stoic form melted into a curvy, cackling woman.Hells bells, Diana morphed into her father.

“Daddy doesn’t love me!” she mockingly shrieked. “Boo fucking hoo, Damon. You’re such a cliche. Such a sad, sorry excuse for a man, you should be ashamed of yourself for breaking so easily.”

“Wh-what?” he stuttered. “You’re not Lucifer?”

“Keep up, moron. I guess since you don’t have it, you may not know how morphing works. I turned into Lucifer so I could hit you where it hurt—your daddy issues. You were right earlier, I can’t do wet work with you, because it doesn’t work. You may be impervious to pain, but you’re an emotional wreck.”

“You’ll never beat him,” Damon breathed barely able to speak. “He’ll stop at nothing to rule Hell, and you’re just a girl in his way.”

Diana pulled his head up by his hair, looking him in the eye. “Wrong again, brother. I’m awomanin his way. A fucking nightmare waiting for him in the dark. I’ll ruin him, just like I ruined you. When Lucifer reigns over Hell again, I’ll spend eternity punishing him for what he did to me. You won’t be so lucky, unfortunately.”

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