Page 183 of Crimson Promises
Shame on him, but shame on me for believing him. For trusting a man other than my father. I’ve learned this lesson time and time again. Everyone always left, so what was the point of trying?
A cool touch on my elbow pulled me from my thoughts. Lucifer’s mouth was drawn into a thin line, and for a split second, he looked almost remorseful. I blinked and must have imagined it. His usual cocky smirk was back in place. I couldn’t deny the pull I felt towards him, the allure of his charisma, the seductive gravity of his power. But to be his wife? To bind myself to a force that reveled in chaos? No, that wasn't a fate I could accept. My heart might be bruised, but it was still my own. I wouldn't surrender it, especially not to someone who reveled in the very pain I was feeling.
Lucifer's crimson eyes darkened.
"You think you can refuse me?" Lucifer's voice was a silky threat, every word dripping with danger.
I straightened my posture, refusing to be cowed by his immense presence. "I think I have every right to make choices about my own life."
A smile flickered across his face, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Life is a fleeting thing, Aurora. Especially when you're in my domain."
I took a deep breath, rallying my courage. "You might rule this realm, but you don't rule me. I am not some pawn in your games, Lucifer. You can't force love or loyalty."
He took a step closer, his warmth alluring and threatening. "Who said anything about love? This is about power, about alliance. You are the key to winning the war."
"But at what cost?" I asked, my voice quaking with a mix of fear and determination. "If you think binding me to you will ensure your victory, you are gravely mistaken. I will never be a willing participant in your schemes."
Lucifer studied me for a long moment. Then, smirking, he whispered, “I think you’ll learn I can be quite convincing.”
“I think I’ll take my chances. Let me return home. I have nothing to offer you.”
Lucifer's smirk still hovered, but there was a glint in his eye. "Aurora, do you even understand the full extent of your power?"
"I know my abilities well enough." My thoughts flickered to all of the hours Ben and I had spent practicing holding my magic, shaping my abilities, and using what little I could for offensive maneuvers. I avoided using my powers since dinner that very first night because Lucifer threatened my father’s life. I would rather be Lucifer’s prisoner forever than risk him. He was all I had left.
He chuckled, circling around me as if I was a puzzle he was trying to solve. "Oh, but you only know the surface. Your magic is ancient, far older than anything I've ever encountered.Dimidiums are rare, but one with healing magic is a raindrop amid the desert—extraordinary. Especially one with the ability to control life.”
His statement gave me pause. The world seemed to narrow to Lucifer's voice and my racing heart. "What are you talking about?"
Stopping in front of me, he reached out, and though he didn’t touch me, I felt the cool brush of his power skimming the barrier of mine. "Your magic isn't just elemental or spiritual. It's foundational. It has the potential to bring life to those who have passed and kill those who could never die. You control life and death. The prospect to rewrite history.”
Faintly, I heard Bennett gasp, “The Originals.”
I swallowed hard, trying to process his words. "Why would you want to rewrite history?”
He leaned in so close that I could see the fire dancing in his eyes. "To create a new order, a world where Heaven and Hell are mere stepping stones. Where we, together, could reign supreme."
I recoiled, shaking my head. "You're mad. I would never be a part of something like that. I’d rather die than side with you.”
“Your body’s response to me tells a very different story.” He smiled, but it was cold and sharp, like the edge of an ax. "You think you have a choice, but the war is coming, Aurora. And I will not lose this time. You will follow my orders, or your precious Bennett will pay the consequences.”
“You’ve made sure I don’t care about him. Should have thought of that before you revealed his betrayal.”
“Regardless of his actions, you cannot erase love so easily. Your anger towards him will still benefit me, don’t you worry. And no matter how furious you are with him, you are a decent person,” he taunted. “You will not let him die at my hand. Of this, I am sure. Let’s also not forget your adoring father, Stephen.”
“I’m the one you need. Why are you threatening Ben?”
“Precisely. Bennett is replaceable. You are not. The beauty of young, star-crossed love is how easily it can be manipulated." Lucifer slid a hand around my waist, bringing me flush against his side.
"Long ago, I was God’s most revered. I was crafted in his image and represented his hope and faith in the world he had created. I shined brighter than the stars and the sun. He promised me the throne. One day, He would want to rest. I was to rule once He abdicated.
“The Creator of Heaven and Earth grew tired of the politics. More and more of the responsibility to rule Heaven and overseeing the mortal world was delegated to The Originals. They butchered everything.
“In the beginning, there were no castes. People with varying levels of magic lived in harmony. Bloodlines were mixed. It was no utopia and still had its social, economic, and political issues. The Originals paint me as the one who is damned, and in some ways, they’re right, but the populace was growing, and it was getting more difficult to, in their words, ‘enact God’s will to their satisfaction.’ Ironically, Michael, two others, and I voted against it. Everything we did was decided upon by a voting system. Azrael and his pompous ass had schemed with the others. It would deliver more power and less maintenance, he promised. The hierarchies were created for everyone to learn their place in Heaven’s society. To preserve the magical bloodlines." Lucifer sneered, "They were all fools. I pleaded with the Almighty that this would spell the beginning of the end. It was time for me to take over. Only the ruler of Heaven would be able to reverse the decision made by The Council. He refused. Said it wasn’t time and to trust the decisions of my brothers and sisters. At that moment, I knew he would never give up the throne. For all his proclamations about peace, gratitude, and service, he was just as thirsty for power as anyone else."
I tried to push against his hold as his fingers shifted, softening into a clasp that was almost protective, almost... tender. His palm rested against the curve of my waist, I was caught off-guard by the gentleness, the unexpectedness of it unnerving in its intimacy. It felt incongruous, this delicate handling by Lucifer, and it left a confusing warmth spreading from where his hand lay. His thumb brushed against the fabric of my dress in a touch so featherlight, I might have imagined it. So stunned was I by the gesture I remained where I stood.
"I was more beloved than God. More powerful, more charismatic, more everything. I had amassed respect and adoration for my opposition to the implementation of the hierarchies. The Ordinaries, like me, had been cast aside, their promises for the future stripped from them. We were forced into a mold that stunted our potential."
