Page 63 of Wicked Savior
He hasn’t come to check on me once. Angry now, I carefully store the canisters in individual steel boxes to ready them for transport. I’m adding the last one when Cormal arrives.
I swivel around to face him, and he holds his hands up. “Don’t shoot the messenger. Or in this case, your ride.”
“Do you know where he is?” I ask in a determined voice.
“He wants you to return to the palace. As soon as he’s done, he’ll meet you there,” he informs me, his voice carefully neutral.
“Take me to him,” I order him, then backtrack a little. “Please.”
“He said—”
Fists clench, I step into Cormal’s face. “I don’t care what he said. Take me to him.”
Cormal’s eyes study mine, then he nods his head in agreement. “Don’t let him kill me.”
I give him a dismissive shrug. “Who would miss you? Who do you have besides a group of criminals who would mourn you for five sad minutes, then fight to take over your empire? Meri? You’re like a lone wolf circling her, but for some reason, you won’t commit.”
A choked laugh escapes. “Harsh. True, but harsh.” He slides a glance at me. “Who would miss you?”
The loneliness of my existence has hit hard over the last couple of days. Maybe because I didn’t know what it was to truly be with someone until Lucifer. “Touché.”
Instead of the glossy black marble halls of the palace, we land in a field full of grass, dirt, and a few strange looking animals that resemble cows. I turn in a circle. There is nothing around for miles and miles except a ginormous arena. Similar to the domed arenas used by humans for their sports, it stands tall, at least six or seven stories high, and several hundred feet across.
Cormal grabs my arm. “Are you sure you want me to take you inside?”
Intrigued, I nod. “Yes.”
A half smile appears. “This should be interesting.”
When we arrive inside, I see Lucifer high above in the center of the ceiling, shouting orders to the males flying at dizzying speeds below. “Faster. He’s gaining on you. Place the stone. On the marker. Now!”
The males drop something on the ground, then shoot up in the sky, barely avoiding the beast behind them.
“Done!” Lucifer shouts, clicking something in his hand. “One minute, twenty-two seconds. It’s closer. Pick them up and we’ll run it again.”
Daire flies down to pick up the stone but stops when he sees me.
“What’s the hold up?” Lucifer shouts from above.
Daire’s icy blue eyes are lighter than his father’s. The last time I saw them, they were filled with loathing. He inclines his head and moves across the arena to where the dragon is hovering in the sky.
Daire, the dragon who I assume is Valerian, a phoenix, a griffin, and a wyvern hover uncertainly in the air. Lucifer immediately swoops down and lands in front of Cormal and me. He strides forward, his eyes locked on Cormal, and I step in front of him.
“I … I thought you were avoiding me. I ordered Cormal to bring me to you so I could give you a piece of mind, and I find you training flyers for the bombs. Damn it.” The rest of the words are lost to the knot in my throat. I’m so used to working alone or with my mother, it didn’t occur to me he would take charge of this part of the plan. I was so mad and had all these great lines prepared in my head. A laugh escapes.
“Cormal, leave. Everybody else, take a break,” Lucifer orders, and every one of them disappears. He yanks me into his arms. “I’m sorry, love. When I left, I was so angry, and I didn’t want you to see me that way. It took me a while to calm down. When I did, I was so consumed by the thought of you doing this on your own, or finding a worse alternative, that I knew I had to try to find a solution.”
I reach around and grip him tightly, fisting his shirt in my hands. “It’s the sweetest gift. Thank you.” Leaning forward, I nibble on his lips. “You’re going to have to release Gabriel soon, and I’d rather do this while he’s out of the picture. I’ve been worried we wouldn’t be able to prepare for everything, but this saved us.”
He threads his fingers through my hair and pulls my head to his. “I’m a ruler, you know. Used to being in charge.” Laughing out loud, he combs my hair using his fingers. “We’re good together. What do you think of splitting your time between Viridian and here? As long as you stay away from his domain, you should be safe. It also allows you to go back and replenish your powers or check in with your people.”
I bite my lip, considering it. The thought of leaving him in a few days is already tearing at me. Time passes differently in the two worlds, but that might be an advantage. “Yes. I want to figure a way to be with you, even if I need to spend time in two places, like your Hades and Persephone.”
His lips settle on mine, and I cling to them, letting them soothe the sting in my heart from his absence.
With a heartfelt sigh, he pulls away and jerks his head toward the arena. “I think we have a plan that will work. Want to see?”
When I nod, he puckers his lips and whistles loudly. The five creatures from earlier fly out into the arena.
