I scoffed, mentally berating him.
“Yes, I’m wearing a dress.Get over it,” I sniped, my teeth already chattering.“Now, let me start this little conversation so I can go back inside where it’s warm.I don’t care what you have to say, I’m not going back to He?—”
His gaze snapped up to mine.“Your father wants you dead.”
I shut up.
So, things had progressed then.I’d told myself this could happen.Logically, Lucifer wanting me dead was hardly shocking.What else could I expect from the literal devil when there was a prophecy claiming I would destroy him?
But hearing it out loud differed from merely thinking it.
And it hurt that he’d sent Rathiel to do the job.
I wasn’t surewhythat bothered me so much.Of courseit would be Rathiel.Of all the fallen, he was my father’s favourite.He’d trained me to fight, to survive, and had molded me into the weapon Lucifer insisted I become.
Was that why it hurt?Because I was closer to Rathiel than I was to my own father?Or maybe it was because deep down, I’d always believed that if my father ever decided to kill me, he’d do it himself.
Guess I should have known better.
What a crappy end to a wonderful evening.
ChapterNine
My handinstinctively moved to my side, grasping nothing but the thin fabric of my dress.The warrior in me wanted to reach for a weapon and plunge a blade deep into Rathiel’s chest.But I had nothing—no swords, no daggers.Just my magic, which I couldn’t unleash here without turning this street into a front-page spectacle.
I scanned the area, taking in every person nearby.Friday night crowds filled the street—people glued to their phones, a couple arguing across the road, while a man attempted valiantly to parallel park his massive “I have a small dick” truck.Too many witnesses.Fighting wasn’t an option.
Maybe I could slip away.Use the shadows to vanish before Rathiel had a chance to react.But even as I considered it, I knew it was pointless.He’d tracked me here, to a random restaurant during a date.If he could find me here, he could find me anywhere.Running wouldn’t stop him—just delay the inevitable.
Except, Rathiel didn’t look like he wanted to kill me.I stared at him, taking in every detail—the dark, brooding aura that had always set me on edge, the calm stance, the loose hands at his sides.Not a hint of fang or hostility.The more I studied him, the more I realized he seemed almost…concerned.And that made no sense.Rathiel didn’t care about me.He never had.
My thoughts flashed back to Deidre’s taunting words in the mine.She’d claimed my father had been torturing Rathiel, breaking him apart piece by piece.I hadn’t believed her then, but now I wondered if there was some truth to it.Had Lucifer released Rathiel and sent him after me?Was this some game to win back my father’s favour?
If so, why approach me here in public?Why warn me?Why not strike when I was alone, vulnerable?
None of this added up.The Rathiel I knew was smart, lethal, ruthless.If he wanted me dead, I wouldn’t have seen him coming.I’d just be dead.
“Did you hear me?”Rathiel demanded, his voice gruff and edged with a desperation I wasn’t accustomed to hearing.“Your father?—”
“Wants me dead, blah, blah, blah,” I interrupted, lifting my chin defiantly.“I’m more concerned about you right now.What do you want?Are you here to kill me on his behalf?”
Rathiel’s eyes widened slightly, a crack in his usually stoic façade.“What?”
“Deidre said you and Lucifer had a falling out.”I didn’t mention the torture—I had a feeling he wouldn’t appreciate me bringing that up.“Is that why you’re here?To kill me and slip back into his good graces?”
“Deidre?”Rathiel’s brow furrowed.“When did you see Deidre?”
“Not important,” I said.“Answer my question.Are you here to kill me?”
His expression hardened, but there was a flicker of something else—something I couldn’t decipher.“No, Lilith.I’m not here to kill you.”
His words hung between us, heavy with unspoken truths and unresolved tension.I studied his face, searching for any sign of deception.His eyes held mine steadily, and I found myself wanting to believe him.
My mind raced through the possibilities.If Rathiel wasn’t here to kill me, then what was his purpose?Why warn me about Lucifer?Was this some twisted game, or was there a chance he was genuinely trying to help?
“Then what do you want, Rathiel?Why are you here?”
He took another step closer, and the muscles in his jaw tightened.“I’m here because you need protection.Lucifer won’t stop until you’re dead, and I refuse to let that happen.”
