Page 30 of Falling for the Devil

On the far side of the planet, darkness had concealed the raging winds and lightning of an epic storm laying waste to the shoreline of the island Olivier was aiming for. Being inside the angelic vessel protected them from the elements; however, both Diana and Puck rolled around like seashells caught in the ocean’s tide as it battered the coast and just as quickly withdrew back into the dark depths only to be smashed against the sand once more.

“Holy mother of a—” Puck’s scream trailed off as he slammed into one side and bounced back to the other.

It might very well damn him, but Lucifer couldn’t stop the laughter bubbling up while he stood stable as an oak tree amid the chaos. The rumbling started in his chest then flared out to his extremities, erupting from his lips in rhythm to the deafening thunder around them. He bent over, arms crossed his torso, and tears streaming down his face.

If he wasn’t damned, then he knew by the evil glare Diana flashed when she stumbled by him that she would see to it that he paid dearly. But it was worth the price. Her hair swished and swayed each time they were rocked by another blast of wind. Her feet tumbled this way and that, never finding a firm purchase on which to stand. Her cheeks flushed brighter than her glorious hair.

Something smacked into him... hard, knocking him off-kilter. He wobbled for a split second, his arms flailing out like a bird. But it was too late. He tumbled and, along with him, the large object that had hit him. Puck. The little creep had landed right on top of him with a loud “oomph.” Lucifer blinked up to find Puck’s beady eyes boring into him, hate written in them.

Had it been an accident from the turbulence or had Puck tackled him out of spite?

A melodic, sing-song giggle echoed in the cocoon, then another “oomph.” Diana catapulted across the space, somersaulting right into the only person that remained standing. Her knees slammed into the back of Olivier’s head. The oversized angel fought to stay on his feet and in control of their descent, the divine layer of protection surrounding them cracked with the impact of a shiny projectile from the outside. It made a small dent, but more cuts splintered out from it, webbing their way around the entire bubble.

“Get ready to fly!” Olivier’s scream was barely audible over the thunderous snap accompanying the shattering of the one thing designed to keep them safe.

There was no weightlessness this time. The planet’s gravity kicked in. Diana and Puck plummeted, the ground not as far away as he’d hoped. They dropped so fast that by the time Lucifer caught sight of them, he only saw a speck of bright red against the pitch darkness.

The sheer call of his will unfurled his wings from beneath his armor. One robust thrust forward, and he dove after them. Lightning crackled around him. Its energy sputtered through the atmosphere, buzzing through his body. He prayed it didn’t sizzle his wings this time.

Faster. Faster.

Diana was still a mere blip far below him. Lucifer focused all his attention on that speck of red. Another giant flap of his wings propelled him closer, but still out of reach. Another, and he could make out both Diana and Puck clinging to each other. Their screams carried on the raging winds.

“Hold on,” he begged. “Hold on.”

A giant swoosh of his wings boosted his speed enough to erase the distance. Almost. The jagged mountains below were rushing up to meet them. Time was precious. One more moment and they would all crash onto the ground, bones shattered, and souls released from their bodies.

He yelled, realizing they couldn’t hear him. Still, he prayed they would. “Reach up for me!” His mind willed Diana to hear him. The thought formed in his head. All it took was a giant push of mental energy to send the words out like a megaphone.

First, her head jerked up. Wide, terrified eyes locked on him.

“Your hand! Give me your hand!”

By a miracle of the Creator, she did! Diana reached up. Her other arm stayed wrapped around Puck, who clung to her waist.

Her fingertips grazed his outstretched hand and fumbled. For a heartbeat, Lucifer feared it was too late. The peril of the dark-purple mountains loomed near. Diana didn’t look away from him though. Instead, her arm strained to make up that sliver of space between them.

You can do it! Grab my hand! His mind called out to her with fervent hope.

Another thrust of his wings shot him toward them. A slender hand wrapped around his wrist. With his other hand, Lucifer yanked, pulling Diana and Puck to his chest, veering up and sideways, the prickly trees below scraping across his shins.

He aimed for the island in the distance. The same one they had planned to land on to conduct surveillance for the monster—or monsters—killing his angel brothers and sisters.

Where is Olivier?

The duo in his arms shook from fright. It couldn’t have been from the cold, because the weather was muggy and hotter than a desert in the mid-day sun. He didn’t blame them. They’d almost perished... again. As before, he took the guilt upon himself.

They hadn’t even started the hunt and already he’d endangered Diana thrice. How was he ever going to protect her from the unknown monsters if he couldn’t save her from himself?

Chapter 15

A Stranger in a Strange Land

Rain pelted his body like dull arrows, capable of bruising but not likely to pierce the skin. Raging gusts of winds assaulted him from all sides making him veer off his flight path. Lightning flashed all around. Lucifer knew that they were vulnerable out in the open like this. If they were struck, death was imminent. Yes, he would survive, but his companions would not.

Dark gray clouds obscured the ground from view. He’d intended to fly low so he could get a visual of the evergreen-covered island, but they had almost smacked into another mountain top. Lucifer pumped his wings to carry them higher. With the wind pushing them one direction, then another, he could only guess if he was on the right course.

Electricity buzzed through the atmosphere. Indeed, this was a storm of epic proportions even for a planet where this type of weather was commonplace. Lucifer could count on one hand how many times he’d visited Methuselah when one or both of its twin suns had been shining.

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