There was that name again.Lilith.No one had called me that in ten years.And every time he said it, I wanted to punch him in the throat.Yes, it was my name, but that name belonged to someone who didn’t exist anymore.
Instead, I rolled my eyes.“Surely, they wouldn’t be so stupid as to attack in broad daylight?”
“My brothers and sisters are dangerously intelligent.I doubt they’d make such a bold move, but I won’t deny there’s a chance.You’re strong, but you’re not invincible.Why walk blindly into danger when we can take precautions?”
His voice was cool, matter of fact, like this was nothing but a mission to him.
My frustration flared, pushing me to snap back.“I’ve handled things alone for years.I’m not some damsel in distress that you have to rescue.You, above all else, should know that.”
Rathiel grabbed my arm, his grip firm but not painful, stopping me dead in my tracks just as I reached the curb in front of the coffee shop.The sudden contact made me gasp and my pulse skip a beat, but I ignored that and instead focused on the anger simmering just beneath my skin.I glanced down at where his fingers pressed into my arm, then back up to his face, ready to tear into him with a sharp retort.
Except, I came up short when I caught the desperate glint in his eyes.“You don’t get it,” he said, his voice dropping to a fierce whisper that sent a small shiver down my spine.“I’ve seen what happens when Lucifer catches you unaware.I’ve watched you nearly die once, and I willnotgo through that again, Lily.”
I didn’t move.Rathiel’s words, and the raw edge to his voice, made my stomach twist painfully.He’d already told me about my near-death experience, though he’d opted not to divulge too many details.But the way he spoke about it now—with that haunted look in his eyes—rendered me speechless.
I stared at him, searching his face for answers.His crystal blue gaze caught mine, intense and unwavering, and seemed to pull me in deeper.Then, without warning, his eyes dropped—slowly, deliberately—to my lips.
My heart kicked into overdrive, and my breath stuttered.A pulse of something oddly familiar swept through my body.I didn’t understand it, but my body responded before my brain could catch up, warmth pooling in my core, my breath catching in my throat.
This feeling, this pull toward him, didn’t make sense.I should have been pushing him away, demanding answers.Instead, I stood rooted to the spot, trapped in the growing tension between us.His gaze, now back on mine, was like a brand, searing into me, awakening confusing feelings.For a split second, I saw something vulnerable in his expression that made my pulse quicken even more.
“Lily…” His voice was a low growl, filled with something that sounded like desperation.He didn’t finish the thought, didn’t need to.The way he said my name, the way he looked at me—it was all achingly familiar.
Pain lanced through my skull, and I stumbled backward, clutching at my head as the world tilted on its side.
“Lily?”Rathiel’s voice cut through the haze, his hands steadying me by the elbows.“Are you okay?”
I squeezed my eyes shut and breathed through the pain.
What had we been discussing?I truly couldn’t remember.
One moment, my thoughts had been a tangled mess, and the next, something blazed through it—burning away the thick cobwebs until I could think clearly once more.For a fleeting second, everything made sense.But just as quickly, the moment slipped away, and the cobwebs thickened again.
I cleared my throat.“What were we, um… What were we talking about?”
“Lily?”Rathiel repeated.The pressure on my arm increased, and Rathiel guided me toward a nearby bus bench.“Sit,” he ordered.
For once, I didn’t argue.My knees bent of their own volition, and my butt hit the cold bench.Rathiel didn’t speak, but he crouched in front of me, his hands a gentle presence on my thighs.I focused on breathing and hoped the pain soon passed.
Finally, I opened my eyes and lifted my head.The sunlight didn’t spear my eyes, and relief loosened my shoulders.
“Are you alright?”Rathiel asked, his voice gruff.
I pressed my fingers against my temples and rubbed.“It’s never happened like that before.”
His brow furrowed, his concern etched in every line of his face.“What hasn’t?”
I exhaled sharply, lowering my hands from my head.“The headaches—they usually come when I try to remember something.But this time…” My voice trailed off, the words sticking in my throat as the realization hit me.I glanced up at him, my pulse quickening.“This time, I wasn’t trying to remember something.It was you.You were standing so close to me…and it triggered a memory, I think.The pain hit before I could figure out what it was.”
“Does this happen a lot?”he asked.
“More than I like.And it’s always when I try to remember something.”
“I’m sorry,” he murmured as he rose from the ground and sat on the bench next to me, his hands dangling between his legs.“I never knewthatwould be a side effect.I had no idea the artifact could cause that.”
A bitter laugh slipped out before I could stop it.“That’s why you don’t mess around with Lucifer’s toys.”
He flinched, and I almost felt bad.Almost.
