Page 104 of Demon's Desire

“I still have Ash and Dante’s power. I can protect you better than your power alone.”

Onyx’s mouth dropped open. “I’m not letting you use stolen power on me.”

Luc growled. “Fuck, Onyx. They’d want you to be safe. Of all the things I’ve done with what I stole, let me do this.”

Onyx hesitated. “You actually want me to get out of here alive.”

Luc gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing. “I said I’d get you out. Now, stop fighting me.”

Fighting Luc was all Onyx had known for millennia. Breaking the habit went against everything in him. The Devil could turn around and betray Onyx as soon as they were free, but Onyx believed Luc didn’t want him dead.

Wasn’t Luc’s care and protection what he craved? He could give in until Valac was dealt with.

“Hurry up,” Onyx snapped.

Luc’s lips curved in a tentative smile, and power enveloped Onyx.

While shields were usually constructed of immortal fire, this was invisible, the magic familiar. Ash and Dante surrounded Onyx—so did Lucifer—in a snug, soothing embrace that wound around him from head to toe.

To top it off, Onyx sheathed himself in protective fire, and Luc did the same. Turning toward the wall, Onyx concentrated on the grouting between the stones and transformed it to dust. He pushed a stone through the wall, and it fell to the floor on the other side.

They quickly made a hole big enough to accommodate a person. Onyx crawled through and stood, stepping over the discarded stones.

“Another cell. Great.”

Luc appeared at his elbow. “Don’t bother with the door. It’s humming with magic.”

“How long did the hallway look when you were out there?”

“I didn’t see. My eyes were too busy healing.”

Onyx wrinkled his nose. “Let’s try the back wall. We need to get out of the cells, away from the protective shields before they come looking.”

Luc nodded, and Onyx de-grouted the back wall of the second cell. Luc carefully pulled out the first stone and peered through the hole. “We’re good. No one’s there.”

Onyx helped pull the wall apart and crawled through after Luc. They didn’t seem to be in a cell. The space was larger but still had no windows, and only one door.

A shout came from behind them, and Onyx whirled around. “Shit. Sounds like they’re in our cell.”

Luc blasted through the wall in front of him, opposite the door, apparently no longer worried about being quiet. Dust rained down, and Luc’s fiery red form disappeared into the next room.

Onyx hurried after, pausing to throw up a hasty magic barrier over the gaping hole.

Luc grabbed his arm. “Come on.” He dragged Onyx through an open door.

A shout came from ahead, and Luc sent lightning down the corridor. A blast hit Onyx’s shield, causing his fire to flare. They ran away from the shouting and banged through a door into a stairwell.

“Think one of these walls leads outside?” Onyx shouted as they ran.

“Let’s find out.” Luc blasted through the wood and plaster. It seemed they’d left the stone behind.

Night air greeted them, and Onyx leapt outside, Luc at his back. Onyx freed his wings, correcting his fall and soaring upward.

His head smacked into a solid barrier, pain flaring. “Argh!” He rocked back. Nothing was in his way. Demon sense flaring, he found a powerful spell spanning the open air.

“The whole courtyard is sealed off,” Valac called.

Onyx whirled around, seeing Valac and two other demons holding Lucifer in mid-air as a third wrestled a rune-covered collar around Luc’s neck.