Page 11 of Premonition of Peace

I was the idiot that fell for it once.

And as Piper would say, fool me once—shame on you. Fool me twice—eat lead.

“I like him,” Peace interjected, looking up from her latest smutty romance. “He’s refreshing.” She thumbed the page of her book, toying with the corner. “Lucifer doesn’t expect us to be perfect. He loves us as we are—even if it’s unconventional.”

“He’s not a stable variable in our lives,” Ann countered. “He’s unpredictable and utterly impulsive.”

“Not to mention manipulative,” The Warden chimed in.

Bad Nat cocked her head and crossed her arms. “And yet, the Prime still fell for him.”

“Fell. Past tense.”

Bad Nat snorted. “Save the lies for Lucifer. You’re not capable of moving on because of this memory of yours. Every moment exists in the present. There is no past. You fell for him, and you are still falling. You want to talk of blessings and curses? That’s the real one you’re afflicted with. You can’t let go.”

I shuddered.

The silence was damning.

The truth couldn’t hide.

But that didn’t mean I was going to address it right now. Shaking off their commentary, I focused back on Lucifer as I settled on the couch, sipping at my tea. “Circling back, why are you still here, Lucifer? Isn’t there literally anywhere else for you to be? I have a hard time believing you want to spend your second chance hanging out in my little apartment.”

His expression darkened briefly before he masked it with an easy smile. “I’ve lived all over this world. I’ve seen the great wonders. I’ve watched empires rise and fall. In truth, I find the world a bit boring after all this time,” he said. I swallowed hard on my toast. “But let’s not beat around the bush. You don’t really think I want to be anywhere else. You’re simply upset about being left out of the plan for my return.”

My anger spiked, running through my chest. “Gee, I wonder why beingusedwould have that effect on me,” I replied caustically.

The muscles in his jaw tightened. “I didn’t use you.”

“Bullshit.”

“Okay, fine, in the strictest sense I used you. Answer me this, would you have done it if you knew it would bring me back? Would you have still fucked the devil knowing I’d no longer be your dirty little secret in the light of day?”

“I’m not doing this with you—” Lucifer disappeared and reappeared directly in front of me. He squatted down, putting us face to face. “How did you do that?”

“We’ll get to that. First, we’re going to address my question. You have a choice, little witch. Answer or kiss me.”

I leaned in close, the scent of blood and sex filling my nostrils. “Read my lips, devil. Fuck. Off.”

“So be it,” he murmured. Lucifer closed the gap between us. His mouth conquering my own. I stayed frozen for all of a second. That’s how long my willpower lasted.

Right as I gave in and softened to him, Lucifer pulled away. I chased him, too late to stop myself. He smirked like the devil he was. “Now, let’s try this again. Would you have helped me come back? The truth, Nathalie.”

I sighed, setting my toast and tea on the coffee table. “I don’t owe you anything now. Not until I ask you a question.”

“Oh, but you did. You asked me how I moved from the kitchen to here. To answer your question, I can travel between the veil and the living realm now.” That was handy. Also inconvenient because it meant he could still spy on me all he wanted. “Now, stop playing games?—”

“How dare you,” I snarled.

“Answer the fucking question, Nathalie. If you want me to fuck you, I will gladly take you on this couch and every other surface in your home, but for once, be honest with me. Be honest with yourself.” The darkness in his tone didn’t scare me, but it did make me pause.

All at once the exhaustion crashed down, leaving me tired. Just like with Marcel, I didn’t want to fight.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I hadn’t thought about it, so I’m not sure where I’d stand.”

Lucifer hummed. “If I asked you, either you’d tell me yes—in which case you were directly responsible for my return. Or you’d say no. And let me tell you a secret, Nathalie.” He leaned in close, our lips so close that they brushed just the tiniest bit as he spoke. “I never bought your lie that you wouldn’t bring me back because you didn’t want to play god, but if given the choice—when no one would get hurt—if you said no . . .” His eyes closed and when they reopened, they glowed with power. “To say I’d be angry is an understatement. I want you. I desire you. I would do anything for you. It may not be love in the traditional sense, but it’s as close to it as a demon can feel. Ichoseyou. And whether you want to admit it or not, you chose me too, little witch. The day you took my blood you made your choice. That decision set us on this path, to which there is no return. So, I will be patient. I’ll take all parts of you that you won’t even give to the men you admittedly love—but eventually, I’m going to have the rest of you too.Thatis my purpose now.”

My breath stalled in my lungs.

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