Page 20 of Falling for the Devil

“You... I... we...” Lucifer sought the best explanation for their predicament and his current condition, but incoherent words stumbled from his lips.

Finally, her mouth softened and she blinked a few times, tears sliding down her porcelain cheek. “Are... are we... dead?” One hand stretched out to him, her fingers seeking something solid to touch, but finding empty air instead.

“No, at least I don’t believe we are dead. There are few methods of successfully killing an angel. Although if anything could cause our end, a black hole would be a viable candidate, I suppose.” He reached out to Diana, taking her hand in his for he had mastered the art of holding onto something of substance even if he was in his purely energetic form. He’d only learned how to do so while trying to grab onto her while she’d been floating around in space, being sucked closer into the black hole. It was a skill he intended to hone to perfection. Perhaps one day, even without a body, he could hold her in his arms, kiss her as she’d kissed him in the lagoon... perhaps even more. But first, they needed a way out of this empty space.

Diana blinked more, perhaps trying to ascertain if he was lying or how this had all happened. “Then... why are you so... shiny?”

Oh, yeah! That! Of course, his spiritual body lighting up the endless pit of darkness could lead one to believe this was Heaven or something close to it, but it still tickled something inside him she’d think that way. He couldn’t control the way his lips quirked up at the sides, nor stop a soft chuckle escaping him.

“Long story, but you have my solemn vow that you’re not dead. I’m not dead. We’re just out of sync with the laws of the universe at the moment.”

She visibly relaxed, the initial horror draining away from her narrowed eyes, the lines around her mouth and creasing her forehead smoothing. “Oh, that’s all? Okay, then. I don’t suppose there’s anything to eat here in this... place?” Her eyes darted around. “Is there anything else here? I can’t see a thing.” Diana held up a hand to cover her eyes. “Mind dimming those lights, sunshine? You’re blinding me.”

A choked laugh rumbled in his throat. They were caught inside a black hole with no foreseeable way out and the goddess was cracking jokes! He should be relieved she was so calm in this situation, but still... even he wasn’t that serene.

Lucifer willed his divinity to fade to that of an altar of flickering candles. “Is that better?”

A slight nod was her only answer as she craned her neck to look around. “Love what you’ve done with the place. It must take your servants all day to keep it this free of clutter and dust. You must have them instruct Puck on the proper way to clean a room. He’s such a disaster!”

In turn, he glanced around. Yep. Nothing. Not a speck of any form of life. An empty pit of nothing. He had placed a reinforced energetic cocoon around them just as they’d been sucked into the black hole. In it, they’d be safe. She’d be able to breathe. But they couldn’t float around in the abyss forever.

“Oh, unholy bells! Puck!” Her face transformed again into one of horror! “Where is he? And... Olivier?” Tears slid down her cheek. “Please tell me Puck’s not dead, that he’s safe. I’ll never forgive myself for allowing him to come along on this journey.”

A weight landed in the bottom of his gut. He had no answers for her. In all likelihood, the servant was dead unless Olivier had grabbed him while he’d made a beeline to rescue Diana. But... knowing his brother, he wouldn’t have bothered. For a holy angel, he sometimes lacked the gift of empathy for any non-angelic beings.

Lucifer always believed the truth was best, but he hated to say the words. “I’m sorry, Diana. I don’t know, but it is highly unlikely he survived.”

Her lower lip trembled. At first, he thought she’d stopped breathing for the rest of her body had gone still. Just as he was about to grab her arms to shake her, she released a long, stuttered exhale that at its end erupted into anguished sobs. “No,” was the only coherent word she uttered.

Something inside him broke at that one simple, piteous sound. He pulled her into his arms and held her until her cries had wrung their last from her tortured soul. He had only thought the strange creature to be a lowly servant, a nobody to one such as her. Okay, he’d also thought Puck was a bit on the creepy side and made him uncomfortable with those red eyes. But it was obvious he held a special place in Diana’s heart. Alive or dead, Lucifer felt a twinge of regret mixed with the more bitter taste of... was that jealousy?

“He... he was a pain in the ass but... he was also a true faithful friend. May the Creator show mercy on his twisted little soul.” Diana’s words were spoken so softly that they almost floated by his ears unheard, followed by a series of sniffles.

“I am truly sorry. I just... I didn’t want to give you false hope. I have no idea what happened to him or Olivier. I could think of nothing else but getting to you before it was too late and I didn’t pay attention to anyone else.” His hand traced up and down her back as he’d seen others who had offered comfort.

She pushed back a little from him and tilted her head up, tears streaming down her flushed face. “Thank you. For saving me, that is. You could’ve left me to die, but I’m grateful you didn’t. I just wish...”

The words did not need to be said. He understood. In hindsight, he should’ve at least attempted to save them all, but in that moment, his entire being had laser-focused on her, saving her. Nothing else had mattered. If given the choice again, knowing what he did now, he’d still make the same decision.

Of course, considering they could be floating in the abyss of the black hole for eternity, immediate death would’ve been more humane.

Chapter 11

When You’ve Got Nothing to Lose

Grief swept over Diana swiftly like the tide upon the shoreline but didn’t recede. Instead, it marred her down in its heavy, wet sand, trapping her in its misery. Not even the glorious warmth of Lucifer’s arms around her seeped in to pull her free.

It was so strange. He was no longer present in a physical sense. He was pure spirit. But he could still touch her, she could still feel his warmth, hear his heart thrumming. Even without a body, his touch elicited something deep within her, despite the heaviness of her despair over Puck.

But why was it that when she tried to touch Lucifer back, her hands slipped through empty air?

So annoying.

A fresh tear slipped over the edge of her lower lid, through her lashes, to trickle down her cheek. Puck! He’d been such a pain in the butt most of her life. But he’d grown on her, slowly. It had taken at least a solid decade or more before she could tolerate him for more than a few moments at a time. How many times had she demanded he leave her alone, to go home, or to just go away? How often had she maligned him for obnoxious comments? He’d shocked her and educated her with his quips and keen insights into the hypocrisy of the gods. That was doubtless the reason none of the other immortals could stand his presence... at all. More than a few times, Puck had returned to her rooms with a black eye or split lip from one of her brothers smacking him for lack of respect or some other equally bad reason. First, she had laughed at him and told him he deserved the mistreatment. Then, over time, she’d softened to him. He’d always been a loyal friend. One who told her the truth no matter if she liked it or not. He’d comforted her when she was sad, encouraged her to step outside her comfort zone and try whatever she wanted despite the naysayers—mainly her own family—and had set her straight when her ego got in her own way.

Diana would never understand why Puck had stayed. She’d released him from his self-perceived obligation to her, from the time when they’d first met.

It had been silly, really. She’d gone into the woods one morning, without a chaperone, just wanting to practice her archery skills without her tutors or brothers’ harsh critiques. The day before Ares had had her in tears, humiliated by his loud lectures on how she was doing everything wrong. “You couldn’t hit the side of the palace from five paces away, little sister. It'd be better if you just join the knitters’ circle. Maybe one day they’ll make you an honorary Fate.”

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