Page 59 of Falling for the Devil

He was grinning. Not just a small, satisfied smile, but a full-on grin that lit his eyes up from within... eyes that no longer held warm, welcoming amber hues like spun gold. No, they were jet-black similar to the orbs of obsidian that her mother kept on her nightstand to ward against evil while she slept. His skin, previously sun-kissed, had paled even further.

And that smile... something about it sent an icy shiver through her veins.

“We made it!” Lucifer beamed, his arms thrown wide as if displaying the desolation around them.

Swallowing the threatening fear, Diana stepped away from him. “Where are we? You meant to bring us to this forsaken place?”

He glanced down at her, frown lines creasing his forehead. “This is where we needed to go. We’re mere steps away from returning to where we began.” A brief reflection of uncertainty crossed his usually confident face.

“What aren’t you telling me?” That lump of fear grew, lodging in her heart making it difficult to breathe. She wanted to mention his physical changes, but now did not seem like the right time.

“Nothing. Nothing at all. If”—his voice wavered for a moment—“everything is where it’s supposed to be, we should be back on Methuselah soon.”

That was not reassuring in the least. And she refused to go any farther until he explained the situation to her satisfaction. Diana had no desire to remain in this deserted land, but so far, they’d leaped from one dangerous realm to another with no rhyme or reason. Hopping into yet another unknown setting could not be a promising idea.

She crossed her arms. “Explain... should.”

Lucifer groaned and rolled his eyes.

How dare he roll his eyes at me!

Fire erupted in her belly. Not the good kind, either. He could not dismiss her concerns with a simple “I’m a fucking angel and know best!” response.

“Diana”—his tone was as condescending as her brother, Ares—“we don’t have time to strategize, plan, and take inventory of our weapons. We must leave. The sooner, the better. Last time I checked, we’re far away from what remains of my legions on Methuselah. Not to mention I have a demon prince I’m anxious to rip apart.” He grabbed her wrist with lightning speed and yanked her to him. He peered down at her with impatience shining in his eyes, his lips thinned in a grimace. “Now come along, else I’ll leave you here.”

Chapter 27

The Heart of the Cosmos

Leave me here? Is he fucking serious? Surely not. Not after everything they’d been through in such an abbreviated time. For the love of Zeus, she’d even saved his life! Ungrateful, self-righteous angel brat!

Under normal circumstances, Diana reserved the brunt of her ire for her obnoxious, misogynistic brothers. She’d only known Lucifer a brief time, but her opinion of him had always been high. That was until he went from dashing romantic hero to a bastard within a blink of an eye.

She attempted to pull herself out of his grasp, to no avail. Shoving him didn’t help matters, either. If he gripped her bicep any harder, her bones might just snap like a twig.

“What the fuck is wrong with you? Let me go, you bastard!” There were other more colorful words zigging around her brain. She was so flustered with Lucifer’s transformation that her tongue couldn’t latch onto any of the good ones.

His response? Nothing except lifting a finger to his lips to shush her.

Again, what the fuck?

A snide grin spread across his face as if he’d heard her thoughts.

Dammit! Could angels do that, too? Now that would be her luck.

He led—no, he dragged—her down the steep, craggy mountain. The soles of her feet burned, forming blisters, from the heat emanating from the ground. Once in a while, he’d stop and press a hand to the rocky facade. Once, he pressed his ear up to it like he was listening to the heartbeat of the stone itself.

Each time he’d stop, Diana tried to break free again. Not that there was someplace she could run to. Besides, she believed him when he’d said that he’d leave her here. Considering she had no idea where she was and no desire to stay based on what she’d witnessed so far... right next to his side was the only place she could be.

About halfway down, Lucifer made increasingly more stops. This time, though she could’ve sworn she heard the thump, thump, thump of a heartbeat. Seemed to make sense that it was her own, or even Lucifer’s heart thrumming in a deep, regular rhythm. But no... that wasn’t it.

The earth itself seemed to have a heartbeat. A strong one that grew louder the closer they drew to the base of the mountain.

Not ten yards away from the sandy ground, Lucifer jerked to a stop in a deep crevice that dented the mountain face itself. Without releasing her, he stepped further into the shady opening and placed his hand against the wall. Her skin rejoiced from the relief provided by the scant shade. It must have been twenty degrees cooler.

Lucifer let go of her arm to inspect the wall. Something had been inscribed into it—some pictures, but mostly symbols she didn’t recognize. Lucifer’s hands skimmed over the surface. What grabbed her attention was that the etchings began to glow and he began chanting in an unfamiliar tongue.

The air around them turned downright icy despite the ever-present scorching heat since they’d arrived on this dreary brown desert planet. Diana exhaled, blowing out a puff of white mist that formed into exquisite miniature frozen designs before dropping to the ground at her feet. Her teeth chattered, too.

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