Page 106 of Stroke of Shadows

“What the fuck just happened?” Jax grunted, held steady by Axel. He was as naked as the day he was born, the huge gash he’d suffered as his beast not as worse as the man.

“We just took down a Daemon.” Sythe pumped his fist in the air. “And no one died.”

Lucy finished his business, turning to them with his cock in hand. “Other than shit head here.”

“Luce!” Axel groaned.

“What?” Lucifer tucked himself away. “So Jax can have his cock out, but I can’t? That’s discrimination. I’m just as hung.”

Sythe dragged a hand down his face, barely able to keep down his laughter.

Lucifer pushed against his shoulder. “I don’t think he’s missed us.”

“Why the fuck would I miss you guys?” Sythe grinned. “I was living the high life with that nepo prick.”

Jax stretched, hissing out a breath. “Speaking of the nepo prick, where is he?”

Wyatt disappeared before his brothers arrived, and he’d likely taken the chalice with him.

“He’ll be dealt with, don’t worry.” He’d made a promise to Harper.

“I fucking hate churches,” Lucifer grunted, glaring at what remained of the square, white building. “They give me the creeps.”

It had collapsed into the basement, the foundation destroyed. Sythe couldn’t bring himself to care.

“Also, what happened to, ‘hey Luce, how’s it been?’” Lucy continued in a rant. “No, I finally hear from you after what, three months? Only to get, ‘get your arse over to a fucking church like a good boy.’”

Sythe snorted. “Trust me, I didn’t call you a good boy.”

Axel chuckled. “Please don’t. Luce doesn’t need any more of a complex.”

“Fuck you all.” Lucy glared at them. “I’ve just helped take down a Daemon, one of my own kind, and this is how you repay me? You wouldn’t have been able to do it without me.”

“You didn’t think we could take him on our own, Batboy?” Jax asked, the wound already looking better. He’d sat up, blood smeared across his skin.

Lucifer glowered. “Both Bishop and Gideon were part of the Originals. You can’t predict how their magic’s corrupted over time.”

“We’ve taken down an Original before.” Axel frowned.

“Dirk was a pathetic excuse of a Daemon,” Lucy grunted. “He was number six in the power range only because Dargran, Murath and Alrameth butchered themselves in territorial wars.” He frowned at the decapitated head. “Bishop’s always been weak. Barely ranked fifth. He was a leech, attaching himself to someone bigger and stronger to survive.”

“Attached himself to Gideon.”

Lucy nodded before returning his attention to the head, his body seeming to tense. “There’s a reason Gideon was king of Hell.”

“Don’t you dare fucking kick it.” Sythe grabbed Bishop’s head, gripping it by the hair.

“Ruin fucking everything, you do,” Lucy muttered, clicking his tongue. “Do you think we’re going to have any trouble with the praying people now their church is fucked?”

“Praying people?” Sythe chuckled.

“I don’t know what the fuck they’re called!” Lucy crossed his arms, clearly pissed off at not being able to launch Bishop’s head with his foot. “I’m literally the Breed most faiths base their boogeymen on. So I apologise if I don’t know the appropriate term.”

“Fuck, I’ve missed you guys so much.” Sythe shook his head, unable to keep the smile from his face.

“Oh, so you have missed us.” Lucy scowled at him.

Jax coughed, reminding them where they were. “We should probably get out of here. Sy, does this mean you’re coming home?”

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