Page 106

“And yet you came to Hell to see me. Which means you’re either very stupid or you think you have a chance to do whatever you came to do and get out alive. Or have you rethought my offer? What is it, I wonder? We will find out one way or another.”

Okay, so that’s not ominous at all.

Lucifer moves closer, slow, deliberate, watching my reaction. I force myself to stay still, to meet his gaze, even though every instinct screams at me to step back. The air itself seems to hum with his power, thick with shadows that dance just beyond sight.

Then the demon from Hell fades, and the man is back. Strangely, it doesn’t make me feel any better. I know what he is. Softly, he says, “We don’t have to be enemies, you and I. We are blood. And how we deal with each other is your choice. You’re not a puppet to do the bidding of others as they pull your strings.”

A chill runs through me. “Nobody is pulling my strings,” I say. But haven’t I felt all my life—well, at least when I could remember who I was—that I had no free choice?

He cocks his head again, considering. “You don’t believe that. There are those who tell you that you have a destiny. That you are special.”

“You don’t think I’m special?” I give my best fake pout. “I’m hurt.”

He smiles again. “Oh, there is no doubt you are special. You are blood of my blood, after all. And if the rumors are right, you have great power.” His gaze drifts over the collar at my throat. “And yet, right now, you are powerless.”

I smirk. “Am I?” Okay, so that’s a total bluff. But he doesn’t know that. “Maybe I’m just waiting to see what you offer, how this plays out.”

“I offer you life.” His voice is velvet and fire, curling around me. “Come with me, Lilith. I can show you what you truly are. What you were meant to be. No more fear. Just pure power. Deep inside, don’t you long to forget the plans and ambitions of others and just live your life by rules of your own making? At my side. Together we could be a force of greatness not seen since Selene and Vortex strode the worlds.”

For one second, I want to believe him. I want to reach for that power, to take what he’s offering, to stop fighting a battle that feels impossible to win. But wanting to believe him is a completely different thing thanactuallybelieving him.

What does he really want?

What do I want?

Does he actually have a scrap of paternal feeling for me? Does he want to keep me alive, or is it just a means to add to his power?

The sad, pathetic thing is, I want him to care for me. That’s what I always wanted when I had no clue who I was. A family. Somewhere I belonged. Someone to love me.

And I realize that I now have all those things. I have a family. I have Zayne, Josh, and Hecate. I have someone who loves me. And not for the power I can bring to the relationship. Forme. Flawed as I am. Khaosti’s words whisper through my mind.

And I shake my head. “Thanks all the same, but I don’t think so.”

Lucifer sighs, stepping back as if I’ve disappointed him. “A shame. But I expected no less. You are young. You still believe in heroes.” His gaze darkens, and the air thickens around us. “Soon, with a little time and encouragement, you will learn.”

I don’t like the sound of that. I clench my fists. “Where is Khaosti?”

His expression shifts, something almost like amusement flickering in his eyes. “Ah. The wolf-prince.”

A knot of ice lodges in my gut. “If you hurt him—”

Lucifer waves a hand dismissively. “He is alive. For now.”

“That’s not an answer.”

His smile is slow, dangerous. “No, it’s not.”

Rage coils inside me, but before I can say anything, he lifts a hand.

A blast of power slams into me, knocking the breath from my lungs. The shadows around us surge, rising up like living things, wrapping around me and dragging me backward.

Lucifer watches, impassive. “I’ll give you time to reflect on your choices.”

The doors behind me swing open, and I’m thrown backward into darkness.

I hit cold stone, and the door slams shut.

A flame flickers to life in the center of the room, and a figure moves in the shadows.