Page 284 of The Spider Queen
His nostrils flared and then he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they flashed. “Damn foolish thing to do, Stella.”
“How do you know my name?” I asked. I peered over his shoulder at the open door to see the clouds turning gray.
He saw me look and then held up his hand and the door banged shut behind him.
I jumped and scampered, so my back hit the headboard. Bringing up my knees, I wrapped my arms around them, attempting to make myself invisible.
“This is a dream, this is a dream, this is a dream,” I repeated, closing my eyes. After a few minutes of silence from my companion, I peeked one eyelid open. He hadn’t moved from his spot; his hands were clenched into fists.
“You still think this is a dream?” His voice was cool, collected. Yet somehow, I knew what he was hiding beneath it.
He was livid.
His rage rolled off him in waves. I felt it batter against the wall in my mind.
“I…” My voice trailed off when he raised his hand again and windows appeared. It had been sunny and clear when I’d jumped from the ledge. Now the sky was black, thundering. Lightning streaked across the sky.
“This isn’t a dream, Stella.” My name slithered across his tongue, possessive and full of heat.
“Where am I? Who are you?”
His wings unfurled from his body. They were black, thin yet clearly powerful if they allowed him to carry me while he flew. They weren’t feathered at all, but more like the wings of a bat.
The clouds outside the window grew even darker and I shrank back in fear.
He smiled. It was cruel and mocking. “I told you who I was the night we met.” He paused, letting his words and the memory of his introduction sink in.
My brain stubbornly refused to accept them. I shook my head. “No. It’s not possible. You can’t be—you’re not—”
He bowed. “Lucifer. At your service.” He stood up and raised his hand. The door opened. “If you jump from this room again, I will not save you.”
Lucifer strode to the exit. He peered at me over his shoulder. “Welcome to Hell.”
And then he dove off the ledge, disappearing into the dark.
I got up off my spot on the bed and went to the door. Despite the rain falling in slanted sheets, no evidence of it entered the room.
Enchanted.
The word flew through my brain.
I slowly shut the door, closing out the storm. I leaned against the heavy wood and then sank to the floor.
None of this made any sense at all.
It would’ve been easy to discount what he’d said, but I’d witnessed everything myself. Seen it with my own eyes. Been pressed up against his chest as he’d swooped in to save me. This was long past the point of lucid dreaming.
I started to shake when I thought of him and the feel of him against me.
Why was I here?
I walked across the room, counting the number of steps it took to reach the other side. Spacious. Decadent. Not at all the type of place one would keep a prisoner.
He said if I jumped, he would not be there to save me. Did I really want to test that theory? It seemed like a lot of trouble to stick me up here among the clouds with no real means of escape.
I obviously must have meant something to him.
Him.
