Page 112 of Demon's Heart

Dante shot lightning at Luc’s face, a shielding red glow appearing in time to save him. “Oh, are you done taking it? Ready to fight?” Dante sheathed himself in a swath of protective black flame.

“No.” Luc stood. “I’m sorry, Dante. Ash. I’m not arguing or fighting. I’m sorry.”

“Bullshit,” Onyx spat, taking the word from Dante’s lips. “You’ve never been sorry a day in your life.”

Luc’s nostrils flared. “How would you know?”

“If you’re sorry, kneel down.” Ash pointed to the polished stone floor beneath his feet. “Take your punishment without protest.”

Lucifer took a step back. “What punishment?”

Did Lucifer think all he needed to do was shed a little blood, and they’d forget about everything? Dante snorted. “The punishment you should have faced centuries ago. For everything you’ve done.”

“No. Wait.” Lucifer held up a hand, his eyes darting to the side where a strange iridescent screen glowed.

Of course he had a plan. The apology was probably part of it. Dante had given him too much of a chance already.

What was he doing in this tower? The room was bare of furniture and decoration except for the glowing screen. There didn’t seem to be a door or opening leading to the lower levels. All around clear glass shone, demons gathering outside the windows.

Could they see in, or was the glittery, reflective surface enough to obscure the interior from all angles? No one seemedto be looking directly at them. Perhaps an illusion kept them hidden inside.

With a flick of his wrist, Dante closed the glass panels behind them, sealing them shut with a spell and trapping them in the odd space.

“Dante, just—” Luc’s eyes flared, cut off as a tendril of Onyx’s blue power encircled his neck.

“Open the prison,” Onyx ground out, face contorted with the strain of forcing the spell past Luc’s shield.

Ash dropped to his knees and pressed a palm to the floor, pouring power into the spell they’d crafted to open a prison that existed between realms. The magic worked best if they could tie the entrance to something physical, and the stone tiles would work fine.

Dante lent his power, murmuring along with Ash, but they needed Onyx too. Onyx grimaced as he cast a blue glow their way, still maintaining his hold on Lucifer. He needed help. Dante split his focus, gathering power for a lightning strike.

Lucifer grabbed the blue magic collaring him and pulled. The tendril snapped, and Onyx swore.

“We have to put him down first,” Dante shouted, abandoning the prison spell.

Ash stood, and together, all three shot lightning at Lucifer. He disappeared, and the spells hit the windows behind him, sending crackling energy through the glass and reverberating around the room.

The light pouring in from outside intensified as if someone had flipped a switch.

“Fuck. He’s gone to the Human Realm,” Ash shouted at the same time Onyx said, “Why didn’t the windows shatter?”

There was a thud, then Lucifer’s voice. “Please, we need to talk.”

They all spun around. Dante struck out with lightning. Lucdeflected with a shot of his own, the two spells colliding in midair with a thundering boom.

“Just listen for one moment,” Lucifer begged, almost convincing Dante he meant it. Like he really was sorry.

But he’d never been sorry. Not in thousands of years, for anything he’d done.

“Give us control of your magic, and we’ll listen to anything you have to say,” Dante countered.

Lucifer’s eyes flashed. “Control? Fuck that.”

Dante laughed. “I knew you didn’t mean it. You aren’t giving up. You came to hunt us, and now that the tables have turned, you’re scrambling.”

“Is that so?” Lucifer sent a bolt of lightning flashing in Dante’s direction.

Onyx blocked it before it collided with Dante’s shield.