Page 194 of Crimson Promises
ChapterTwenty-Four
Bennett
Days blended together, gauged by the sporadic meals shoved through the narrow slit in the door. I nibbled on the few edible morsels, avoiding the greenish mold creeping on the bread's crust. Aurora had not been back to see me again, and each silent hour stoked the embers of my worries, wondering if she was okay. I hated that I was caged here without any access to protect her.
I had little to do other than ponder the prophecy Lucifer had recited. The more I turned it over in my mind, the more it became clear that my relationship with Aurora had been foretold from the seer. Had Michael heard it? Is that why he selected me for the task of watching over Aurora? But there were plenty of fallen angels.
No matter how much I tried to redirect my thoughts, to immerse myself in memories of happier times, or to distract myself, those dark tasks rose like behemoths, casting an impenetrable shadow on the tasks that awaited me.
Night after night, I'd lay on the hard, cold stone floor, a makeshift bed that did little to comfort my aching body or troubled mind.
A frequent visitor in my tormenting dreams was Aurora. I would see her draped in a pristine gown of white, looking heartbreakingly beautiful. Her eyes, which once sparkled with mischief and determination, were now dulled, resigned to a fate she neither chose nor wanted. As she walked down an aisle made of shadows and whispers, Lucifer waited at the other end, his smirk cruel. His gaze always simmered with heat as the dress they stuck her in was little more than a sheer sheet.
The backdrop of these dreams would often change–sometimes, it was a grand cathedral with towering spires that seemed to pierce the very heavens, and at other times, a dark forest where the trees moaned in sorrow. But the ending was always the same. Just as their hands would touch and the finality of their union became painfully clear, I'd wake up in a cold sweat that clung to my body.
When the metallic creak of my cell door finally broke the stillness, my pulse skyrocketed. With their emotionless faces, the guards indicated the waxing crescent moon's arrival, igniting a dread in me unparalleled to any I'd ever experienced.
They gave me a change of clothes, fighting leathers, and a pack with a few essentials inside.Guess Lucifer really wants this flower.
Nothing in the clue Lucifer gave to Aurora matched anything that he had repeated from the seer’s prophecy. Forcing me to conclude that whatever Lucifer was forcing me to complete benefited him alone. I blinked against the light of the torches.
You need to retrieve a rare flower from the depths of the Heartless Forest. It blooms only under the light of a dying star.Where the fuck was I going to find that in an entire forest?
The guards led me with inescapable force through the dim stone corridors, their hands clasped firmly around my arms. Their rhythmic march, harmonized with the echoing of their armored boots, steered us outside.
The Heartless Forest, despite its menacing title, was a vast expanse of breathtaking beauty. Ebony trees towered above, stalwart as ancient sentinels standing guard. Their limbs, contorted and twisted, reached desperately into the abyss, much like a drowning man would gasp for air. The forest held its own macabre magic, alive with shadows from forgotten lore. Within its depths, glints of eyes peered—those of the nightshade fae, known for leading wanderers to their doom, and the obsidian wolves, creatures with coats as dark as the midnight sky and teeth sharper than the most honed blade. Drifts of mists, like ghosts of memories past, curled and twined around gnarled roots, hiding malevolent sprites and lurking nightmares.
Conspicuously absent from this picture was Lucifer. His missing form puzzled me, for I had half-hoped, half-dreaded his input.
But my thoughts scattered like leaves when my gaze landed on Aurora. The sight of her stole my breath. Draped in thick wool tights and battle-worn leathers. Those garments, though designed for combat, accentuated every curve, every lean muscle. This wasn't the student who had looked up to me with wide, innocent eyes. No, this was a woman—fierce, determined, and unyielding.
She shouldn't be here, shouldn't be part of this twisted game that she was unwillingly the center of. Yet, another part, the selfish one, was relieved. I would rather face the trials with her by my side than be separated.
One of the guards cleared his throat, bringing me back to the present. "You've got forty-eight hours," he rasped, "After that, whether you succeed or fail, you'll be transported back to the Master's throne room."
I nodded, committing his words to memory. My hand unconsciously reached for Aurora's, our fingers intertwining.
It would be a lie to say that we were the same people we were before we entered the gates of Hell. Things between us here became irrevocably broken, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t find a new path forward together. Forgiveness would not come easy, nor without pain. I knew it would be a long while before I would forget the look of lust in Aurora’s half-lidded gaze from Lucifer’s touch. Right now, our joint survival and safety trumped all else. And just like I began that journey with her all those years ago when I agreed to Michael’s terms, Aurora and I walked hand in hand into the shadows to combat another threat.
* * *
The world beyond the threshold of the Heartless Forest was different. Twilight embraced the forest by casting an eerie glow amongst the trees. The forest stretched infinitely. With each step, the uncertainty of what lay ahead deepened. We tried to keep our footfalls light best not to disturb the blend of chitters, rustles, and distant growls that welcomed us into the Heartless Forest.
A breeze, cool and laden with the heavy scent of ancient trees, caressed my face. On its back, it carried an aroma foreign yet familiar, like an old memory you can't quite place—a blend of damp, fertile earth.
I found my fingers brushing against the hilt of my blade, which I had kept concealed while imprisoned in the dungeon. A reflex, really, as every instinct screamed about the lurking dangers. I never did figure out if Lucifer knew of it already and didn’t care or if he was trying to lure me into a false sense of hope. Neither would be above his reproach. My eyes darted, attempting to pierce the thickening gloom.
Beside me, Aurora moved hesitantly, her hands balled into fists, ready to release her power at a moment’s notice.
Her features were more composed today, and part of me yearned to shake her. Crack the cool mask that I adopted numerous times over the years. A mask she had been able to penetrate. Aurora was typically an open book. Everything you ever wanted to know was right there on her face. Not today, though. It was the same expression she wore when Lucifer had summoned her to the atrium. Even the bond was coiled tight. Part of her had frozen me out. Maybe it was better this way, forcing us to focus on the task.
A reminder of what hung in the balance.
"You sure about this, Aurora?" I murmured, every word layered with unspoken worry.
Her confident nod didn't match the uncertainty in her eyes. But I admired her for it, even as a part of me loathed the vulnerability of having her with me. Part of me that should have been focused on the task was constantly assessing her, the bond, trying to get a better read on her.It's a weakness, a voice whispered, echoing that deep-seated wound that love only exposed a man's throat to be cut.
A rustling interrupted my introspections. A silver fox, its coat shimmering like quicksilver in the dim light, appeared. It gazed at us with intelligent eyes, seemingly weighing our souls, then flicked its tail and disappeared into the underbrush, leaving behind an echoing silence.
