Page 117 of The Road to Hell

She’d chosenme, after everything.

I wasn’t worthy of her. I deserved the ten years of torture Lucifer had unleashed upon me, and more, for all that I’d done.

Levi cleared his throat and stepped forward, placing a steadying hand on Lily’s shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

My focus snapped back to her. I’d been so consumed with her remembering, by the relief crashing through me like a tidal wave, that I’d failed to consider how she was actually holding up.

“Like a herd of hellspawn trampled me, thank you for asking,” she muttered.

Levi let out a soft huff of amusement. “Sounds about right.” His gaze swept over her, scanning for any signs of injury. “Any pain?”

She hesitated before saying, “Just a headache. Feels like someone put my brain through a meat grinder.”

My gaze traced her features, catching the dark smudges beneath her eyes, the tension lining her shoulders, the slight squint against the ever-present glow of Hell’s light. Celestial healing would take care of most wounds—but this wasn’t a simple injury. This was her mind, reshaped, reforged. Matters of the brain differed greatly from physical injuries. Not to mention, this was something none of us had ever experienced before. It was brand new territory for all of us.

I stepped closer, my fingers twitching at my sides, aching to reach for her. “How bad is it?”

Lily lifted a brow at me. “Well, my brain just had to make room for a whole lotta memories thatsomeonehad neatly locked away, so…I’d say about a solid nine out of ten on the suffering scale.”

A muscle in my jaw flexed. Guilt dug its claws into me.

Levi shot me a look—one I knew meanttold you so—before he gave Lily’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze and stepped backward. “You’re still standing, at least.”

“I am. And so are you.” Her voice softened slightly as she looked at him, then her gaze swept beyond him.

Slowly, she turned in a circle, taking in the sight of Mephisar, Sable, and Gorr, her expression shifting from disbelief to something quieter. Something raw.

“How?” she whispered. “When I last saw you, I thought you were dead. Lucifer—he… If you’re here, does that mean the others—Korrak, Calder, Varz?—”

Levi’s expression gentled, though his head shook in silent answer before he spoke. “We’re all that remains.”

Lily closed her eyes, her fingers curling at her sides. “But…how?”

Levi offered a small, knowing smile, though there was grief behind it. “Your father is powerful,” he said. “But he isn’t all-powerful. Killing me isn’t so simple a task. And Mephisar and Sable are formidable in their own right. Lucifer’s magic injured them, but didn’t break them completely.” He turned his attention to the massive war-beast still pressed against Lily’s side. “As for this little beast of yours, Gorr was simply lucky, I suppose.”

Lily gave a breathless, disbelieving laugh and shook her head. “Lucky,” she repeated, looking at Gorr, at the wyrms, at Levi. At all of them.

Then her gaze landed on me.

Warmth shone in her eyes and she reached out, closing her fingers around mine.

“I thought I was alone in this,” she murmured. “For so long, I thought I was alone. But I wasn’t. I never was.”

She squeezed my hand.

And I squeezed back.

Calyx let out an exaggerated sigh, clapping his hands together. “Well, this is all very touching. Truly, it warms my heart.” He pressed a dramatic hand to his chest. “But, if we’re finished with the sentimental nonsense, I’d like to remind everyone that we have plans to make, a kingdom to usurp, and Lily’s dear old Dad to kill.”

Levi’s expression cooled instantly. His gaze snapped to Calyx with barely restrained irritation. “Your presence here is still a question mark to me,” he said smoothly. “You fought on Lucifer’s side, and now you stand here like you have a stake in this fight.”

Calyx, unbothered as ever, rolled his eyes. “Well, in my defense, I prefer being on the winning side of things. Which, for quite a while, wasnotyours. However, I’ve since changed alliances. Lily and I have come to an arrangement.”

Levi’s jaw tightened slightly at that, and his gaze turned toward me. “Perhaps you and Lily would like to take a moment? I imagine there is much the two of you should like to discuss with each other.”

There was. So much that I wasn’t even sure where to begin.

Lily must have felt the same, because she tightened her grip on my hand and nodded.

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