Page 35 of Falling for the Devil

The angels remained prostrate on the ground, not daring to look up or speak. Good thing too because Lucifer wasn’t sure he could handle this in a calm, unemotional manner. Seeing that blade at Diana’s throat had wiped out his usual grace when confronted by conflict. He’d once burned down an entire planet without so much as becoming winded. Not even a breaking a sweat. But now heavy beads of moisture ran down his neck and pooled at the base of his spine. His lungs ached for air that he didn’t need for survival.

He knew the truth. One he didn’t dare speak. If he had been too late... if Diana had been killed... Lucifer would’ve pulled every angel there apart, limb by limb, sawed their heads off and stuffed their own entrails into their mouths before setting them ablaze with eternal fire. There would’ve been no mercy.

Even now, with her safe and the angels bowed, the backs of their necks exposed above the rim of their armor, he considered making them an example. Aquifas’s head would make a nice trophy to dip into molten gold and present to Zeus as a gift.

“Thank heavens, you’re here.” Puck pushed in front of Diana and hugged him. The little creepy man had the nerve to place his arms around Lucifer and squeezed... too tightly.

Lucifer shoved him away, but his nerves were haywire. Besides, it wasn’t Puck’s arms he wanted around his waist.

“Yes, thank you.” Diana’s intense gaze sent tingles racing to all parts of his body. To think those same warm dulcet eyes could’ve been drained of their glorious light, cold and dead. An image he never wished to witness flashed through his mind—Diana, limp and bloody, lying on a hard metallic floor. Her vacant eyes staring at nothing. The warm hue of her skin turned sallow. Her chest no longer rising and falling with the act of breathing.

The fire in his belly that ignited with the vision told him all he needed to know. He’d kill for her. He’d burn down the universe to save her alone. And may the Creator forgive him for these vile thoughts, but Lucifer didn’t care what punishment would be doled out to him. As long as she lived, that was all that mattered.

The realization should’ve frightened him. A day or two ago, it would have. But something had changed. He had changed. For better or worse, he didn’t give a damn.

A warm hand cupped his chin, pulling his face downward. “It’s okay. I’m still alive. But you need to calm yourself before you do something rash.” Diana’s thumb traced a slow circle over his cheek. Her voice lowered to a mere whisper. “I can hear your heartbeat, the blood rushing through your veins. Your eyes show me the fury you barely have a hold on, but you cannot act on it. There is a time and place. This is not it. Quite the contrary, we will need your brothers’ assistance to hunt down the beast that preys upon them.”

The smile that she bestowed on him, with a slight tilt of her chin so she looked up at him through thick, lush lashes, instantly erased all negative thoughts, leaving his soul quiet and content.

“There. That’s much better.” She stepped aside, giving him a full view of the soldiers on bended knees, their faces still toward the ground. Not one had moved.

“Rise, my brothers.” He commanded in a booming voice that echoed through the trees. “Aquifas, I believe that you owe the young lady an apology. And I’d make it a good one.”

The soldiers stood as one unit. No one dared to be out of sync with the rest of the squadron for fear of reprimand, he guessed. They had a right to fear, for his temper was on a short leash.

Aquifas sheathed his sword, then went back down on bended knee in front of Diana. “My lady, please accept my apologies. I knew not...”

“Damn straight, you knew not!” Puck burst in, leaning over Diana’s shoulder. “This is the goddess of the hunt! The daughter of the king of the gods, Zeus! If Lucifer doesn’t remove your head from your shoulders for this, I’m sure Zeus will.”

Diana craned her neck around to peer at Puck, her eyebrows raised. “That’s quite enough.” Upon pivoting back to Aquifas, her head dipped in condescension. “You and your soldiers are forgiven. But I don’t advise making that mistake twice. Had it been any other god or goddess, they surely would extract a severe punishment. You’re lucky that I’m of a milder temperament and too weary to bother.”

Aquifas started to stand, but Lucifer stopped him with a grunt.

Diana’s arms stretched out. “Now, you may rise.”

Although she only reached up to his lower chest, just above his navel, Lucifer could’ve sworn that Diana was looking down on Aquifas with disdain. She didn’t need a pedestal to showcase her royalty. She wore it in every fiber of her being like the true goddess she was.

“Aquifas, may I formally introduce you to Diana, a goddess and an ally. One that you should pray you never offend again.”

The soldier’s eyes went wide and questioning. “But her name...”

Puck cut in, “The goddess prefers Diana to her official name, Artemis. But you may refer to her simply as Goddess.”

Before he could continue, for it appeared Puck was gearing up to a full lecture for the gathered group, Lucifer intervened. “Report, Aquifas. We must not waste a moment if we are to capture the fiend responsible for the deaths of our brethren.”

The soldier eyed Diana and Puck warily. “Sir,” he began.

“It is quite all right. They are here to assist us. Nothing is to be kept secret.” Lucifer spoke with unwavering authority. He wanted to instill a sense of fear within them so no one would dare inflict ill-treatment on them again. For the sake of the mission, he’d let their attack on Diana slide, but he would neither forget nor forgive the transgression.

BACK ON OLYMPUS, WHEN Lucifer had erupted in fury over the news of the deaths of angels, Diana had been intimidated and even frightened. This... was different in a thousand ways. Lucifer was glorious! The energy radiating from him had been complete wrath! It had warmed her, covered her in a blanket of security. That anger had been on her behalf, and she didn’t doubt he would’ve ripped the head right off that pompous ass, Aquifas.

But that would’ve derailed their mission and put Lucifer at war with his brothers. Knowing something about familial feuds, Diana didn’t want him to suffer that special brand of torment. Regardless of words said, actions taken... family was family.

“Why don’t we take our discussion back into the liminality, where we can be spared from prying eyes and ears. These forests are full of them.”

Aquifas directed them back to the black looming hole that had opened in this world. His jaw was clenched. It didn’t take an oracle to realize he was far from comfortable with the idea of sharing anything with her.

His eyes cut to her. “Goddess,” the word was clipped as if he had to force it from his lips, “may I ask, how did you discover us in the first place? Our presence was disguised with divine spells to keep us unseen in this world, yet you walked right up and opened the door.”

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