Page 214 of Crimson Promises
His sudden arrival temporarily silenced our argument.
“Welcome back, Ben. Did you have a delightful trip? I would apologize for the delay in your arrival, but I frankly don’t give an iota of a shit,” Lucifer barked.
Ben's eyes, wide with surprise, scanned the room before settling on the empty space between Lucifer and me.
I took a wide step to the right, putting more space between the Devil and myself.
He sat there, a bewildered expression on his face, as though he had been thrust into the midst of a storm he couldn't quite comprehend.
“Didn’t think you would,” Ben retorted. Gradually he rose to stand.
I couldn't help but notice the disheveled state of his attire, a stark contrast to Lucifer's impeccable presence. His arrival had clearly been unexpected, and I wondered if this was a result of Lucifer's doing or a mere coincidence. I narrowed my eyes at Lucifer. His focus remained trained on Ben.
As my eyes met Ben’s, I could see the questions and concerns in his gaze. I gave my head a quick shake. Now wasn’t the time.
“Looks like my timeline had no bearing once you were both ensconced in the Threshold of Whisper’s sands of time.” Lucifer placed both hands in his pocket as he leaned against the desk, holding the astrolabe. He held out his hand expectantly. “Though, I will say I was mildly impressed by the fact that you survived the first task. I was eagerly awaiting news that you perished in your attempts.”
“Sorry to disappoint you.”
“No apologizing required.” He waved his hand in the air dismissively. “You still have another task to complete, which leaves plenty more opportunity for death. Plus, your survival means you have something that belongs to me.”
Ben brought himself to his full height. “Don’t you mean it belongs to Archangel Chamuel?”
“Tomato, to-mah-to,” Lucifer drawled.
Ben’s face reddened. “I think it’s a pretty big distinction you’re failing to acknowledge. You had to send us to do your dirty work because you could never obtain it. Could you?”
The corner of Lucifer’s mouth kicked up. “And this, Bennett Caelum, is why you were a low-ranking official in my army. You lack foresight. While you are correct, I could not collect the Vision Relic, I was able to leverage a deal between the two of us. We seem to have a long history of those. It saved me from doing the dirty work, and regardless of how it happened, it still ended up in my hands.”
“Not exactly.” Ben rocked back on his heels.
I interlaced my fingers behind my back as my gaze volleyed between them. Another display of their peacocking.
“Are you re-engaging on our deal, Bennett?” Lucifer’s eyes had a hard edge to them. “It seems you need reminding of the deal's original terms: Two tasks. Complete them, and she goes free. Fail them, you will perish, and Aurora remains here in Hell with me as my wife. Have you changed your mind and no longer wish for Aurora, your beloved, to go free?”
“I have not,” Ben answered. His jaw set.
“Well then, you have completed the first task, and as we had stipulated in our arrangement, you are supposed to give me the relic. Though how it deemed you worthy to accept it goes beyond my immense knowledge on all things.” Lucifer extended his arm.
“I’m not the one who has it.”
Lucifer’s hand faltered in mid-air. The usually composed archangel now emanated an aura of seething fury. His pupils narrowed to fiery slits. The intensity of his gaze bore into Bennett, who stood before him, his face a mask of apprehension. Lucifer's anger radiated from him in palpable waves, causing the air to crackle with tension. I could almost feel the heat of his fury. The volcano of his anger might indeed erupt.
I slowly moved towards him, bracing myself to be burned by his anger. He caught my movement out of the corner of his eye. I grabbed onto the corded muscle of his forearm.
“I have it,” I said.
Lucifer's eyes met mine, and in that instant, they blazed with an intensity that was nothing short of breathtaking. In those fiery depths, I saw a tumultuous mix of emotions—desire, frustration, and a raw hunger that seemed to simmer beneath the surface. It was thrilling and unnerving, like standing on the edge of a cliff, unsure whether to take the plunge or retreat to safer ground.
He blinked a few times, shuttering his emotions behind his courtier’s mask.
“I should have figured they wouldn’t find that dimwit worthy to carry the relic. Are you going to give it to me, Little Star?”
I reached into the pocket of my leathers, where the pendulum of the relic had folded into a small circle the size of a pocket watch.
“You know what it is capable of?” I asked, the relic clutched to my chest.
“Of course,” he said before repeating Haziel's explanation word for word.
