Page 7 of Undesirable
Frost looked more than a little confused at the greeting. They were friends. He had never called Frost by anything other than his name. “Is that greeting your way of letting me know we’re no longer friends?”
Riku waved him inside. “No…unless you no longer wish to be friends.” He genuinely hoped that wasn’t the case. “I need your professional services.”
Frost stepped inside. His green gaze slid Yuri’s way, as if Riku’s claimhad his concern skyrocketing over Yuri’s burns. “Are you okay? Are you in pain today?”
Riku wanted to talk all over their conversation, but Yuri had gotten burned because of him. He needed to know the answer to Frost’s questions, since he had been too self-involved to ask.
“I’m fine, other than a few spots. Hopefully, they eventually heal too. Thank you for whatever you did yesterday. I don’t know why I couldn’t heal on my own. That’s never happened.”
A sweet smile touched Frost’s lips. “You’re very welcome. If it helps, I don’t know how I heal people. It just kind of happens.” Frost looked a little concerned over the admission. He wondered if anyone bothered to talk to him abouthis growing powers.
Right now, Riku had bigger issues. An unhinged Lucifer was bad for everyone. “I need you to kill me.”
Every eye snapped his way. “What?” Both men said the word at different volumes at the same time.
Riku gave him a sharp nod. His mind was set. If dying was how he got into Hell, then he was willing. “Lucifer needs me. Hell is the only place I can be with him, but I’m a godling. If there’s a way for me to die, I don’t know it. You’re an expert on anatomy. So, I need you to kill me.”
Frost’s mouth opened and closed several times, like a fish out of water.
“No.” Yuri sounded broken. “You can’t die. I can’t handle that. I got burned foryou! My fur still hasn’t grown back in spots.”
Riku reached across the table and took his hand. He squeezed. “No one really dies. If Lucifer can visit me, I can visit you. Everything earthy I own is yours now. But I have to go to my mate. He needs me.” Riku swallowed. His voice broke. “And I need him. It’s unnatural to live without your other half. I can’t do it.” He focused on Frost. “Please.”
Frost closed the door. “All right, then. Let’s figure this out.”
The first real spurt of joy hit since all this bullshit began. Frost would help. Riku would find a way to Lucifer, and he would be the one who begged. They would be together even if it killed him. Whoops. He supposed it would.
With his feet braced on the coffee table, Lucifer threw a ball and waited. Brownie brought it back. It was a monotonous game. He was bored, but Brownie was entertained. The sound of the rubber ball hitting the marble floor gave him something to focus on and busy his mind. He couldn’t think about anything important. Lucifer refused tothink.
Something scurried across the corner of his vision. His head whipped in that direction. A tiny white fox jumped from spot to spot, trying—badly—to stay hidden. He had no idea why Brownie showed no interest in the animal, except maybe because it was no animal. He smelled heaven.
Lucifer drew the scent deep into lungs. It was cotton candy and sunlight. It had been so long. He hated the smell. “You’re either very brave or extremely dumb. I’m leaning toward the latter. Show yourself before I make you.”
The fox became a tiny guy. Blond hair with blue eyes that mimicked the sky. Angel colors, but he was no angel. He was something else. Something scarily powerful. Luciferwasn’t the most powerful creature in the room any longer. That was why Brownie hadn’t reacted.
A small wave greeted him, making him more curious by the second. “Hi.”
“Um. Who the fuck are you?”
“Tamil. Everyone calls me Tam, though. I guess you can choose which you prefer since you’re my… uncle.” He said the word slowly as if unsure. “Great uncle. Great, great uncle. I don’t know. I’m Celeste’s great grandson. Micheal Jr. is my dad.”
Lucifer recognized the scent of magic now. It was very similar to how Frost smelled, except a billion times more powerful. A nephilim. No… not a nephilim, but a druid shifter angel. Holy shit. He was a trifecta of power. Lucifer also smelled something else.
“Come here.”
Tam twisted his fingers and didn’t budge.
Lucifer didn’t miss the way he shook. It was obvious he was scared and suffering a huge PTSD episode, but he still stood tall. Fascinating. “I won’t harm you.” He couldn’t if he wanted, but Lucifer never revealed weaknesses.
Tam shuffled closer.
When he was within striking distance, he moved before Tam could jump away. He ran his hand down Tam’s arm.
Tam was back across the room in a flash. His gaze darted from side to side,as if watching for an attack, but the shaking had stopped.
Lucifer waited him out.
Tam’s expression turned confused. “What did you do to me? I feel better.”
