Page 61 of Found In Destruction

The real Lucifer stepped into the room with a stone that looked eerily similar to the one he was trapped in. “Payback is a bitch, Damon. Hope you enjoy your new forever.” He flipped the stone into the air, catching it in his hand.

“Was everything she said true?” Damon whispered to his father.

“Yes,” he simply confirmed with no further explanation.

He and Diana joined hands, and a bright light burst from where they met. Damon was there one minute, then gone the next. Diana caught me staring at the stone and passed it to me. Damon’s face was imprinted on it, like a carving. I felt his negative energy when I held it, and the urge to put it down and walk away washed over me like a tidal wave. I handed it to Bash, who similarly passed it off to Ares. The stone made its rounds amongst us.

“The magical skill used to make this is impressive,” Desmond said as he passed it to Lucifer. “Diana…you’re ruthless…”

She smiled at him, then hugged Lucifer. “I didn’t do it alone. Lucifer told me what I needed to know to get him to crack, andZaz helped me reach the conclusion of what strategy I had to use to get the job done.”

Ares lifted his shirt, showing his abdomen to everyone. In a blank spot right above his six pack, was a portrait of Diana. But instead of her normal sweet, sultry face, she was steeled, a glint in her eyes that matched Ares’. “This is how you looked after you revealed yourself to Damon. You’re a queen among women, Little Goddess, and now I can always look at your face and be reminded of how hot you look when you’re crushing someone’s dreams.”

“Well, that wasn’t creepy at all,” Lucifer snarked. “That’s an impressive likeness, Ares. Come on, everyone, let’s put this stone where it’ll never see the light of day and then grab something to eat.”

“Proud of you, queen,” I praised her as we traveled to our next destination.

“Queen?” she asked.

“Yes, Queen. Your princess days are over.”

26

DIANA

The first thing Lucifer had ordered after we confirmed Red’s involvement was for Ares and Apollo to do a sweep of the Fourth Realm. We needed to know if Red was actually there and what his setup looked like in terms of protection. Once we knew what we were up against, we’d be able to strategize.

After a full day of training and debating courses of action, my fathers and I went to Michael’s barrack to sit and wait for their return. Michael’s place was cozy, and quiet, because the guys weren’t here to argue about the revelations from earlier today. We each had a glass of whiskey in hand as a nightcap.

“So where do we strike first?” I asked my fathers.

“Bash made a solid argument—-cut off the head and the body dies. Without a leader the army will be easy to take out,” Michael said.

“But the army may have up-and-comers who are scheming after the top spot. As long as they’re there to command, someone will try to deploy them for their own gains.” Lucifer also made a good point.

“Zaz and Mal think we should divide and conquer, but I’m hesitant to break our resources up,” I admitted. “We don’t know his army’s size or abilities and whether or not he’s alone in the Fourth Realm.”

“You’re smart to be hesitant. The unknown isn't something you chase after. We shouldn’t do anything until Ares and Apollo return,” Dad said.

“If you had to choose, what would you do, Luci?” Michael pressed. “The longer we sit on this the more we invite retaliation. Damon was truthful; Red won’t stop until he’s put down.”

Lucifer leaned back, thoughtfully swirling his glass around and watching his whiskey move. I thought about it all day, but was torn in two separate directions. Neither option seemed ideal. I swirled my glass, taking in the woody, caramel notes wafting up and tickling my nose.

“The guys worked for Red for years and they’re torn. We can’t agree. Azazel can’t get a clear vision as to who wins the war…but I could travel forward in time and ask…” They both whipped their heads at my suggestion.

“Hard pass.” Michael said at the same time Lucifer snapped, “NO.”

“Why not? It’s a solid option. I can consult with one of us from the future and use the plan we made.”

“Because until we make and execute a plan, you won’t know if it actually works. The future builds on itself, like blocks. Our decision is a block that’s needed to know the after effect.” Michael took a deep sip from his glass.

“It’s not safe, and your safety is my top priority. Please, for the love of common fucking sense, don’t do it. Don’t think about it. Don’t tell me you won’t do it and then sneak off and do it anyway. I can’t bear to see you hurt again,” Lucifer implored.

He was right—they both were. It was an awful plan.

“We need Ares and Apollo to get back ASAP,” I offered. “This is his area of expertise, and Apollo is one of the few people who can travel across the Fourth Realm.

As if I had called them back, both men appeared in the middle of the sitting room. They were in black tactical gear, and Apollo’s hair was tied in a low, understated bun. Ares’ snapped his fingers, changing into gray sweatpants and a short sleeve white tee shirt. His tattoos rippled with movement, the constellations sparkling like actual stars.

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