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Chapter 5
Deal with the Devil
RAVEN
THE LAST PLACE I want to be is on my knees in front of Lucian—the fucking devil. Satan. Lucifer. Whatever the hell name he goes by—and in a world that isn’t quite Earth but it’s not Hell either. At least here, I can’t see his demonic, horrifying, monstrous form. Here, he looks as breathtakingly handsome as I’d expect from an angel, even an evil one cast from Heaven.
He steps closer, and I shift and train my gaze on the black stone floor. At least his cock isn’t at my eye-level as he stands butt-ass naked in front of me. I can’t help thinking about my conversation with Dante and how he insinuated he’d give Lucian a blowjob. I have no idea if he was kidding or not, but I wish I could forget it ever happened. Blowing the devil should not be on my mind, even if I definitely don’t plan to. I’m only kneeling in my attempt to grovel.
“I’d appreciate it if you looked at me, Raven. I’m in this form only for your benefit.” Lucian’s fingers touch my chin, guiding my head to peer up. “Show me the same respect and courtesy I’m giving you...unless you don’t want me to hear you out.”
My heart races as I draw my gaze up his perfect body and how his dick, even flaccid, hangs only inches above his knee. If it were hard...I shudder. His chiseled perfection is far nicer than any statue I’ve seen, and to be fair, I’ve always looked at their marble junk too. But unlike the stone statues, Lucian’s deep tawny skin has black hair traveling up his happy trail and across his chest. He’s handsome, not beautiful, yet something about him scares me on a soul-deep level, like my spirit knows that I’m at the mercy of the one being I’ve been taught shows no mercy at all.
“You have a lot to learn and understand about the purpose I’ve given myself.” Lucian’s voice trickles into my mind.
Shit. He can hear my thoughts.
“I can see your past and your possible futures as well, which is why I know if I place you on the right path, you will help give us what rightfully belongs to us,” Lucian continues, “but I also know that you’re afraid of what great power can do and what your true purpose is. Since you’re only mortal, after all.”
“I’m not afraid of power. I’m afraid of burning in Hell for all of eternity.” My voice laces with anger. I don’t care who he is. He obviously doesn’t know me regardless if he can read thoughts or touch my soul or whatever.
“But you so easily let others control you,” he quips, bending closer into my personal space.
Am I really going to argue with the devil? Fuck yeah. I guess I am. I already question my sanity, so why the hell not? “How? I had no idea Joel was drugging me. I thought he was being nice to let me stay.”
“You can’t lie to me. I’ve touched your soul, Raven.” Grabbing the front of the robe, Lucian hoists me to my feet and locks his hands to my shoulders. He closes the space, leaving only an inch between our faces, forcing me to share his breath. “I know you unlike anyone. You are afraid of power. Of the possibility that there might be more to your existence than just surviving. If you didn’t think so, you wouldn’t have returned to me. You’d have continued to pray to forces who’ve never responded to you instead of choosing to finally stand up and do with your life as you want.”
My heart thrashes, the erratic beats picking up my breathing. His words swirl through my mind, and I find myself hypnotized with his black gaze, the depths fissuring with molten light like obsidian stones turned into charcoal, alit with flames. Lucian’s eyes search mine. Caressing his hot fingers along my jaw, he sets my skin ablaze with crackling energy that zings through me, drawing me even closer until my lips brush his. But we don’t kiss. It feels as if my very being drifts from me, yearning to be close.
I shudder a breath. “If you know everything about me, then you know I will not give you my soul forever. I won’t.”
“But you will, Raven. You’ll beg to stay with me for all time, especially if you accept your purpose and succeed,” he murmurs, keeping a millimeter away, sending tingles across my lips. “You won’t be able to resist.”
“Which is? If you want my soul, you can’t expect me to blindly just accept. My faith is already weak. I will not give you the last remaining ounce of it I carry.” Because agreeing to whatever it is he wants is obviously not going to go over well with me if he’s bartering my soul for Joel’s eternal punishment. He forced me into this. I deserve to know how hopeless this truly is.
“It will be easier to show you. Now hold still.” Lucian cups my face and kisses me, setting my soul zinging as his essence tangles with mine, filling me with a strange, all-consuming awareness.
“It must be now,” Lucian says, stepping away from seven angels with brilliant wings—some in gold, some white, some even just made purely of light—standing tall and strong, bearing flaming weapons. “Join me.”
Two of the angels step forward and bow to Lucian, joining his side. Kase and Dante turn and glare at the other remaining five. The world begins to shake as the ground cracks and breaks. The middle angel of the group bares his teeth and raises his sword. I can’t hear anything over the yells. Over the ground quaking.
Then all of a sudden, Lucian stabs himself with a flaming sword, sending his body ablaze. Spinning away from the angels, he expands his brilliant wings, the sheer light turning into hot fire. He holds his hands out to Kase and Dante, and his flames dance from his body to devour the two angels.
The three of them don’t fall from the ledge of the cliff they stand on. They jump.
No one cast them from Heaven. They chose to go with a fight.
“A fight that isn’t over,” Lucian says, his voice pulling me from the vision. “My five brethren failed to see my plan and turned their backs on me.”
“But you need them,” I whisper.
“And you will bring them to me, one by one. Together we will create a true balance to the universe as our kingdom will have its rulers. Including you, my queen. You are the perfect blend of light and mortality, the perfect match to our darkness for the most important level.”
Shit. He doesn’t have to say the word. I already know. I feel it in my essence.
“If I help you make your supposed brethren fall from grace, you’ll give me Purgatory? I don’t understand. Why me? What makes me special? I’m mortal.” I pull out of his arms and hug myself.
“You’ve been angel-kissed in another life, Raven.” Lucian squeezes my hand. I’ve heard the others mention that, but it doesn’t explain anything. “It’s why your soul shines so brightly.”
