Page 134 of Guarded
Really, I should let them know that. It was only polite,after all. Then they could decide whether their immortality was something they wanted to risk on their master’s behalf.
I was willing to bet a large sum of money that it wasn’t. Not for most of them, anyway.
Letting my power infuse my voice once more, I let my message carry clearly over the river. “Lucifer is holding my fated mate hostage. I commend you for protecting your master, but know this—if you stand between me and my mate, I will execute you. I will not stay my hand or show a drop of mercy if a single hair on his head is harmed.”
More murmuring. The reminder of him being my fated mate hadn’t hurt. They knew as well as I did that the bond was sacred. Whether the bond was in place or not was irrelevant. They were your mate.
Each of them would do the same if their mate was the one in danger.
I tutted when Lucifer still didn’t appear. Another few blasts had the second circle disintegrating. Hell was going to have a massive renovation project on their hands by the time I was done.
Assuming there was anything left standing.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” I sang, my words amplified. “Don’t be shy, Luci-boy. No point letting everyone else have all the fun.”
A dark head appeared in the distance. Despite my bravado, a shiver went down my spine.
Lucifer.
He was here. Finally. But he was alone.
There was no sign of Jeremiah.
My hands curled into fists as my wings spread wide. I’d do it if I had to. I’d cross the river and find him.
Before I could do that, Ispotted Jem.
When I did, all my fear vanished. It was replaced with fury.
Ice-cold, murderous fury.
I’d been wrong. He was with Lucifer, not walking at his side though.
No, Jem was being dragged along behind him. By his throat.
A buzzing started in my ears. It went under my skin to my neck. Down my arms. My spine. My legs. It moved through my body until there wasn’t a part of me that wasn’t touched by it.
Lucifer was hurting Jeremiah.
Lucifer was hurtingmy mate.
I unleashed a blast of power before even clocking what I was doing. It was aimed at Lucifer’s face, arcing through the air and lighting up the shocked faces of the demons it passed.
No one attacked Lucifer and lived to tell the tale. Except his sons, of course. But they were an exception.
I was about to become another. I’d never been more determined to beat someone before. Then again, I’d never had motivation like this either. I hoped I never would again.
Like me though, Lucifer wasn’t foolish enough to walk into this unprepared. My hit ricocheted harmlessly off his shield.
I growled as Lucifer smirked, dropping into a defensive crouch. “You don’t want to do this, Lucifer. It’s not just my wrath you’re inviting by holding Jeremiah, but that of the Seraphim. And your sons.”
“Is that so?” Lucifer drawled, magic carrying his words to me with ease. He made a great show of looking at the barren wasteland around me. “Because it looks to me like you’re alone.”
“Not for long.” I bared my teeth. Wherewerethe others? I’d thought they’d be here by now. “I’m merely the welcoming party. But you can stop this all right now by handing my mate over to me.”
Lucifer clicked his tongue. “See, there’s an issue with that. Jeremiah can’t belong to you, because he already belongs to me. I own him.”
Red flashed in front of my eyes, but I fought it back. I knew exactly what Lucifer was trying to do, and it wasn’t going to work on me. He was trying to bait me into losing control. Into stepping over that line.
