Page 4 of To Crave Madly
“So, you don’t want to destroy the world?” I asked incredulously.
“Not at the moment. I haven’t had that thought for several years. I have a desire to change a few things, but I have a feeling I would need your help to accomplish that.”
“Why me?” Worry churned in my gut as I waited for his response.
He leaned towards me and tucked one of my chestnut curls behind my ear. “Because you are just as powerful as I am and together, we could achieve anything.”
That was an uncomfortable thought. I wasn’t sure I was quite ready to go on a quest to change the world. I wasn’t even sure Iwantedto.
Lucifer must have sensed my reticence because he took a step backwards to give me some space. “But we have all the time in the world. I’m not in a rush to do anything at the minute.” He pinched my chin between his thumb and forefinger and forced me to look deep into his eyes. “The thing that concerns me now is that someone is looking to get rid of you. And I cannot have that. It was my intention to keep you here and have my wicked way with you, but now I can see it’s not safe in the Under Realm. I know it’s not safe anywhere but Hell is a place full of liars and sinners. You need to be a monster to survive down here and you, little dove, are no monster.”
His thumb trailed across my bottom lip. “What are we going to do about it? The keeping me safe part not the wicked ways part.” I could feel a blush creeping up my neck as he stared down at me with hunger in his eyes. I was such an idiot. Why would I say that? Wait, I knew why. His thumb kept drifting back and forth across my bottom lip and it was distracting me, pulling me under his devilish spell.
Lucifer smirked. “Wearen’t doing anything. I will look into it, butyouare going back to that base you currently call home.”
“But…”
“No buts,” he interrupted. “You will do as you're told, and you will like it.”
Oh, god. That commanding tone had me clenching my thighs. “Yes, sir,” I replied mockingly, but at the way his nostrils flared at my agreement and the use of the word ‘sir,’ I might have to try that again sometime. I was distracted from furthering that thought by a short, sharp knock at the door.
“Who’s that?”
A wolfish smile graced his lips. “That is your new bodyguard.”
“What?! No! I don’t need one. Lucifer, don’t walk away from me!” I called out to his retreating form, but all I got in return was a chuckle.
“I beg to differ, little dove.” He turned to face me when he reached the door. “You were attacked and almost killed, despite living with a team of assassins. Youdefinitelyneed a bodyguard. I will not entrust your safety to such a bunch of amateurs.”
“I’m surprised you’d entrust my safety to anyone but yourself.”
“Well, I wouldn’t, but Torsten knows that if you get harmed, he will die a painful and horrible death.”
“Isn’t that a bit extreme?”
Another chuckle accompanied by a wry smile. “I only deal in extremes.”
Lucifer opened the door and in walked the most terrifying creature I had ever seen. I had to use the word ‘creature’ because ‘man’ just didn’t cover how impressive he looked. He was tall and broad-shouldered; he completely blocked Lucifer from my view as he entered the room and walked towards me. He towered above me by well over a foot. I had to crane my neck backwards just to take in the full effect of this titan of a man.
Shoulder length ebony hair fell in dishevelled waves about his alabaster face. His skin was as pale as his hair was dark and the contrast made his skin glow with an unnatural light. His jawline was sharp enough to cut glass and his cheekbones were high and his skin smooth. His eyes finally met mine and I was suddenly filled with wonder. His gaze was direct, pinning me to the spot. But it wasn’t his all-seeing gaze that had me awestruck. The colours of his eyes were beautiful. They were mismatched: one, vibrant bright gold and the other shone like liquid silver. The colours were so vivid, and the longer I stared at them, the more I became convinced that his irises swirled like infinite whirlpools of brilliant colour.
“If you continue to stare at him like that, I might get jealous,” Lucifer said as he walked back to my side. “Torsten, this is Lori. Lori, this your new shadow.”
“Hi,” I offered weakly. This guy was intimidating as fuck.
Torsten nodded in acknowledgement of my greeting. I turned back to Lucifer. “Is Torsten a mute?”
“He only talks if ordered to. Torsten is the perfect soldier; he’s ruthless, loyal and obedient. He will protect you with his life.”
“Tell him to speak freely. The poor man looks uncomfortable.”
Lucifer stared down at me, mirth dancing in the depths of his eyes. “Shadow Fiends are only bound to the orders of their Master. You are his Master; he will not answer to me. He is not my bodyguard. If you want him to speak, you must order him to do so.”
“You mean hehasto do everything I say?”
“Without question. He will kill for you, die for you, do anything for you. It is yours for the asking.”
I blanched. I wasn’t sure I was comfortable with this arrangement. Torsten’s eyes flicked between Lucifer and me. Perhaps he wasn’t comfortable with this either. Well, we were stuck with each other so we would have to just be uncomfortable together.
