Page 65 of Forged in Twilight: The Complete Series

Lucifer yanked the chain from his throat. As Sam watched with bated breath, he accepted the scroll from Polly before dropping the glittering, golden key into her hand.

He did it. He did it.

He gave her the key.

And all it cost Polly was her soul.

Sam tried not to hyperventilate but it was fucking tough. Only knowing that Lucifer would make his mate pay if he discovered he was there kept Sam where he was. And now that she’d signed her soul over to him, Lucifer could do whatever he wanted to Polly—

Gritting his teeth, Sam just resisted the urge to rip the scroll out of Lucifer’s hand when, suddenly, Polly giggled.

Lucifer’s blue eyes darkened. “Something funny, human?”

“Well, yeah. Actually. I didn’t really think that was going to work. Hey, Ace. You can come out now.”

What was she doing? Sam had no idea—this was not part of the plan—but his soulmate was calling for him. Even without using his true name, he’d always answer her.

Dropping down to the earth, he winked into sight.

“Samael,” hissed Lucifer. “I knew I smelled your stench.”

Polly huffed out a breath. “Look who’s talking. At least he doesn’t reek of rotten eggs.”

“Silence, human!”

With a roll of her brilliant green eyes, she held up the key. “This is it, right? No fooling?”

The celestial magic pulsing from their lost talisman was undeniable. “That’s it.”

“Good. Then we got what we came here for. Ready to go home?”

“You’re not going anywhere, human,” snapped Lucifer. “I own your soul!”

“You mean that stupid piece of paper in your hand? Good luck enforcing that.”

With trembling hands, Lucifer ripped open the scroll. From just behind Polly, Sam could see that the line where Polly had scrawled her name was gone. As if she’d used invisible ink instead of Lucifer’s blood-red pen, there was no sign that she’d written her name there.

“I don’t know how you did that, and I don’t care. Give me back my key,” roared Lucifer, spit flying as he sent the scroll up in smoke.

With an innocent look on her beautiful face, Polly held out both of her hands. “What key?”

They were empty.

Lucifer threw back his head, a howl ripping out of his throat that had car alarms blaring and dogs barking from blocks away.

Flames erupted around him, singing the grass. The fire licked out at Polly, but even before Sam could cocoon her in his wings, she shot a smarmy, smirking look down the length of her nose.

The fire winked out. The only sign that it had lashed out at her at all was the burnt grass at the edge of the sidewalk, and a few streaks of soot dotting the front of her shirt. Her sleeves burned bright with fiery red embers. Completely unconcerned, Polly used her thumb and her forefinger to extinguish the few smoldering spots.

“How are you still standing there?” demanded Lucifer. The fire looming around him might be gone, but in the depths of his dark pupils, they lingered. “You should be naught but ash!”

“That’s the best part of being an atheist,” Polly retorted to Sam’s eternal pride. “I don’t believe in God, and I don’t believe in you, either. Or your deals. Nice try, though.”

Then, with that smirk he’d come to adore, she pressed her palms to her lips before blowing Lucifer a kiss.

In another circle of flames that rose high above his head, the lord of Hell howled his rage. Sam lunged forward, wrapping Polly up in his wings even though she’d proven that Lucifer couldn’t touch her.

When the flames receded and the heat dissipated, the last of Lucifer’s bellows drifting off into the night, all that was left standing was Polly, Sam, and the prize she held in her grip again.

Lucifer was gone, and though Sam knew deep down that his retreat wouldn’t last, it was good riddance to his fellow Fallen.

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