Page 55 of Wicked Savior
She walks closer to the edge. “Why are you here?” Her body leans toward mine, but her feet never leave the protection of the cave.
“To save you, of course,” I reply softly. “I know you don’t need a savior, but I need to be one. For you. Will you let me save you, at least for a little while?” My heart slows with my breaths, and my world narrows to this one moment.
“Are you still angry with me?” she asks, her eyes searching mine.
Am I? Yes. Probably not for reasons she might think. “Yes.”
“Good. I’m angry with you too,” she reveals. “And you’re late.”
“Gabriel killed your messenger,” I explain softly.
Her jaw clenches in anger. “I’m glad he’s gone, or this might have pushed me past my patience. He almost destroyed this cave with his latest tantrum.” She looks behind her. “I only stayed this morning because Fiona is bringing me supplies.”
“I’ll post someone to intercept her,” I tell her.
She takes a deep breath, steps out of the safety of the cave, and wraps her arms around my neck. “Yes, save me. Be my wicked savior. Show me your world. At least for a little while.” Her lips reach up and capture mine in a kiss so filled with longing, it eases something tight inside of me.
The sky begins to darken and rumble, and I lift my head. “We need to go.”
ChapterThirty
EVREN
Without a portal nearby, we shimmer to Lucifer’s home. The power of displacement is only given to those in the Underworld. One minute you’re standing in one spot, then suddenly your entire body disappears from existence and reappears in a different place moments later.
My insides feel scrambled, and when I open my eyes, the world is still spinning. I quickly shut them.
Lips skim the rim of my ear, making me shiver. “Keep them closed until your equilibrium returns.” He continues to stand there with his arms loosely looped around me.
A few minutes later, I open my eyes and look up, only to find a small smile on his face. “Are you making fun of me?”
Surprise flashes across his face, then he laughs. “No, just thinking about how nice it is to have you here. In my world. Something I never imagined would be possible.”
I glance around the room we’re standing in. “What’s this place?” A large fireplace burns along one wall. Tall shelves are filled with books and weird-looking glass jars. A beautiful wood desk sits against the back wall near a window.
My brows come together. “How do you have sunlight down here?”
He chuckles. “Cormal. When you were recuperating at The Abbey, he installed the ‘sun’ he designed for his own office.”
I walk over and look out, but all I see is sunshine. It even feels warm as if real sunlight is coming through the window.
When I give him a curious look, he raises a hand. “I don’t know how it works. You’ll have to ask him, but I missed the sun. Now I have it.”
I turn from the window to the shelves. The books lined up in an orderly fashion call to me and my inner need for knowledge. The first book title isPrinces of Sin.I skim the others in the same row.House of Envy, House of Gluttony, House of Sloth.The theme continues for the next four books, then it changes toCalamitas Demon, Vindicta Demon,Chaos Demon, and so on.
“Do these books catalog all the citizens of the Underworld by species?” I ask, pretty amazed at the collection in front of me.
Lucifer clears his throat. “Yes, I can’t take the… credit… for them, but I’m glad you find them interesting.” A bewildered look sits on his face. “I was actually thinking of getting rid of some of this outdated stuff.”
I run a finger down the spine of a book on the Hellhounds’ genealogy. “Fascinating. Viridians are scientists who specialize in the study of life in all its forms. Over several millennia, we’ve collected samples from millions and millions of species across the universes. Our fascination started because we were trying to solve our own fertility problems, but the collection has saved more than one species from extinction.”
He leans against his desk. “I never really thought much about what gods do. I guess I only attribute creation and destruction with them.” His voice is gruff with memories.
I stare at him for a second. “We preserve and study life, but I guess technically, we help create it, too. Everything comes from something. It’s why I asked for your blood—to see what species were included in your creation—and to figure out how you have evolved from your original genetics.”
He slowly stands up. “You mean as an angel? You think we came from a mixture of different species?” Laughter shakes his large shoulders.
I raise an eyebrow. “You think you poofed into existence? Really?” Stalking over to the desk, I hand him the letter opener I spied earlier. “Give me your blood, and I’ll tell you which species went into your creation.”
