Page 174 of Crimson Promises
Each step led closer to where I knew Lucifer was waiting. I was on the precipice, staring into the face of a fate that would forever alter my existence, and all I could do was steel myself for the fall.
* * *
The guards hauled me into what appeared to be Lucifer’s atrium. Vaulted ceilings were adorned with floating tea lights that threw shards of light across the room. The room was framed by soaring glass windows that offered an unencumbered view of the Heartless Forest, a hauntingly beautiful wilderness that bled into the horizon. The beauty of the forest was a stark contrast to its ominous name, its ebony trees standing like ancient sentinels, their twisted limbs reaching out into the abyss as if in silent supplication.
My attention was drawn to a golden cage in the center of the room. The ornate filigree bars sparkled in the tea lights. A reminder of the captivity that defined my existence here.
But I held onto my dagger. It served as a tangible reminder of who I was—Bennett Caelum—and that even in the face of despair, I would not go willingly into the endless night. I had a bargain to fulfill. Flashes of sapphire eyes filled with pain and hurt haunted me. It seemed that despite my pain, love could not be shoved down and smothered. She was not the only guilty party. My betrayal was far worse. And for us, I would endure. For our future, I would fight.
If Lucifer decided to shred my wings and tear me to pieces, at least I would die trying to save the person I cared about most.
My attention was drawn from the twilight sky when one of the guards jabbed my shoulder blade and pinned me to the ground, my nose kissing the ground. With my dagger still concealed, my ears twitched as two sets of footsteps entered the room.
A scraping noise came from behind where the guards held me down. The scrape was grating like someone was sharpening a metal blade against a hard surface. I tilted my head to lean one of my ears against my arm to try and muffle the sound.
The guard finally loosened the pressure on my body in time for footsteps to climb a platform. I lifted my head higher. Basking in the scene on a black throne was Lucifer. His blonde hair was styled away from his eyes. With skin as pale as snow and eyes that were ruby red, his expression was inscrutable, making it impossible to discern what he was thinking.
Lucifer Morningstar, The Prince of Hell. He had led an army of Ordinaries into a civil war with The Gifted, The Originals, and the Ordinaries who remained loyal to their side. In a matter of weeks, he had amassed one of the strongest armies the universe had ever seen, and had it not been for key players on their side, Lucifer would have won. He was strategic, brilliant, and charismatic, but beneath all that beauty lurked a danger that I had only learned existed afterward. There was a reason he was banished to Hell.
Then I looked to an identical albeit smaller throne, one level beneath his. If I had not already been on the floor, my knees would have buckled.
Instead of blue, she was dressed in a gown of golden splendor. Aurora sparkled brighter than the candles floating overhead. The dress was a sweetheart neckline, and the corset boning had her décolletage on full display. Her expression was shockingly neutral. More than that, it seemed devoid of emotion or feeling. She just stared at me blankly. Her hair was curled and flowing, held away from her face with two flower hair combs. They, too, were gold but had diamonds inlaid where the petals should have been.
“Ah, Bennett, so gracious for you to join us on what will be a special evening,” Lucifer’s voice lilted.
The muscles in my body went rigid. If I shifted my arm in just the right way I could unsheathe my dagger?—
“Allow him to rise,” Lucifer instructed his guards. In one swift moment, I was lifted off the floor without getting the chance to arm myself.
Fortunately, the guards didn’t release me. They moved their grip down my arms to both elbows. Without them keeping me standing, I would have sunken to the floor.
“Doesn’t she look stunning this evening, Caelum?” Lucifer purred as he reached out to stroke the crown of Aurora’s head.
I curled my hands into fists. I avoided meeting Lucifer's eyes, focusing on her instead. Aurora was eight feet from me. She didn’t flinch when Lucifer touched her. Aurora didn’t even look repulsed. She looked catatonic.
“Answer me,” Lucifer demanded.
“I thought it was a rhetorical question,” I spat out.
“You should be more careful with throwing around your defiance, Bennett.” Lucifer dragged his finger down through her hair around the shell of her ear until the tip of his finger was underneath her jaw. Her gaze remained fixed on a point above the guards. “Because you will not be the one that pays the price.”
I gripped my wrist with my other hand and squeezed, using the pain to focus and keep the rising tide of my anger in check.
“She looks breathtaking, as she always does,” I said. I needed time to figure out if Aurora was under a spell. Her actions on the balcony seemed out of character, but I couldn’t be sure. Now, I was sure he put her in some kind of trance. I had to cling to the knowledge that her healing abilities would hopefully burn through whatever magic Lucifer used as quickly as possible.
“Finally, you’re starting to understand the rules.” Lucifer’s eyes trailed Aurora from head to toe. “You’ve certainly been busy all these years. Protecting, guarding, and fucking, I’m sure—the one I’ve been coveting.”
I took a step forward, my nails digging into my wrist now.
“Ah, ah, ah” he tsked. “You will remain where you are, or if you’re not happy with the freedom I’ve offered, I can always find more suitable accommodations.”
While Lucifer’s gaze was wholly trained on me, I felt our bond uncurl. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed she blinked a few times.Finally.
Time. Aurora needed that to adjust to where we were and what was happening.
Holding Lucifer’s attention, I asked, “What exactly do you want from us, Lucifer?”
“Us? I think you have things sorely mistaken. There is no you and Aurora. Whatever you meant to her will crumble like the remainder of God’s Heavenly army once I’m through exposing who you truly are, not only the shiny parts you let her see.”
