Page 13

Chapter Thirteen

As we exited the bus, the cold morning air slapped me right in the face, a sharp reminder that regardless of my infernal problems, we were still very much on Earth. Blowing out an icy breath, I readjusted my purse and hurried onto the sidewalk before the bus closed its doors with me still descending the stairs. Had I experienced that before? I’d never tell.

Rathiel walked beside me, his presence an unwanted shadow I couldn’t shake. He moved with a deadly, silent grace that definitely called attention to him, even though he was trying to blend in. He, however, kept his gaze fixed firmly ahead, as though nothing in the world could deter him from his self-appointed mission: to hover over me like the wannabe bodyguard he was.

“This really isn’t necessary,” I muttered, my voice laced with frustration. “I’ve been managing just fine on my own for a decade.”

Of course, he didn’t even spare me a glance. Why would he? Instead, his eyes scanned the street, searching for any threats, with an intense focus that spiked my irritation.

“Yes, well, a lot has changed,” he said, as if I didn’t already know that. “You are far from safe. Any of Lucifer’s fallen?—”

I waved a frantic hand and shushed him. “There are innocent ears around,” I hissed under my breath. “You can’t just drop the L-word like that in public!’

This time, he shot me a look, but I pointed at the people walking around us. Thankfully, they were nose-deep in their phones and oblivious to our conversation, but that wouldn’t always be the case.

“As I was saying,” Rathiel continued. “We must take precautions, Lilith. And if that requires me escorting you to and from work, then so be it.”

There was that name again. Lilith. No one had called me that in ten years. And every time he said it, I wanted to punch him in the throat. Yes, it was my name, but that name belonged to someone who didn’t exist anymore.

Instead, I rolled my eyes. “Surely, they wouldn’t be so stupid as to attack in broad daylight?”

“My brothers and sisters are dangerously intelligent. I doubt they’d make such a bold move, but I won’t deny there’s a chance. You’re strong, but you’re not invincible. Why walk blindly into danger when we can take precautions?”

His voice was cool, matter of fact, like this was nothing but a mission to him.

My frustration flared, pushing me to snap back. “I’ve handled things alone for years. I’m not some damsel in distress that you have to rescue. You, above all else, should know that.”

Rathiel grabbed my arm, his grip firm but not painful, stopping me dead in my tracks just as I reached the curb in front of the coffee shop. The sudden contact made me gasp and my pulse skip a beat, but I ignored that and instead focused on the anger simmering just beneath my skin. I glanced down at where his fingers pressed into my arm, then back up to his face, ready to tear into him with a sharp retort.

Except, I came up short when I caught the desperate glint in his eyes. “You don’t get it,” he said, his voice dropping to a fierce whisper that sent a small shiver down my spine. “I’ve seen what happens when Lucifer catches you unaware. I’ve watched you nearly die once, and I will not go through that again, Lily.”

I didn’t move. Rathiel’s words, and the raw edge to his voice, made my stomach twist painfully. He’d already told me about my near-death experience, though he’d opted not to divulge too many details. But the way he spoke about it now—with that haunted look in his eyes—rendered me speechless.

I stared at him, searching his face for answers. His crystal blue gaze caught mine, intense and unwavering, and seemed to pull me in deeper. Then, without warning, his eyes dropped—slowly, deliberately—to my lips.

My heart kicked into overdrive, and my breath stuttered. A pulse of something oddly familiar swept through my body. I didn’t understand it, but my body responded before my brain could catch up, warmth pooling in my core, my breath catching in my throat.

This feeling, this pull toward him, didn’t make sense. I should have been pushing him away, demanding answers. Instead, I stood rooted to the spot, trapped in the growing tension between us. His gaze, now back on mine, was like a brand, searing into me, awakening confusing feelings. For a split second, I saw something vulnerable in his expression that made my pulse quicken even more.

“Lily…” His voice was a low growl, filled with something that sounded like desperation. He didn’t finish the thought, didn’t need to. The way he said my name, the way he looked at me—it was all achingly familiar.

Pain lanced through my skull, and I stumbled backward, clutching at my head as the world tilted on its side.

“Lily?” Rathiel’s voice cut through the haze, his hands steadying me by the elbows. “Are you okay?”

I squeezed my eyes shut and breathed through the pain.

What had we been discussing? I truly couldn’t remember.

One moment, my thoughts had been a tangled mess, and the next, something blazed through it—burning away the thick cobwebs until I could think clearly once more. For a fleeting second, everything made sense. But just as quickly, the moment slipped away, and the cobwebs thickened again.

I cleared my throat. “What were we, um… What were we talking about?”

“Lily?” Rathiel repeated. The pressure on my arm increased, and Rathiel guided me toward a nearby bus bench. “Sit,” he ordered.

For once, I didn’t argue. My knees bent of their own volition, and my butt hit the cold bench. Rathiel didn’t speak, but he crouched in front of me, his hands a gentle presence on my thighs. I focused on breathing and hoped the pain soon passed.

Finally, I opened my eyes and lifted my head. The sunlight didn’t spear my eyes, and relief loosened my shoulders.

“Are you alright?” Rathiel asked, his voice gruff.

I pressed my fingers against my temples and rubbed. “It’s never happened like that before.”

His brow furrowed, his concern etched in every line of his face. “What hasn’t?”

I exhaled sharply, lowering my hands from my head. “The headaches—they usually come when I try to remember something. But this time…” My voice trailed off, the words sticking in my throat as the realization hit me. I glanced up at him, my pulse quickening. “This time, I wasn’t trying to remember something. It was you. You were standing so close to me…and it triggered a memory, I think. The pain hit before I could figure out what it was.”

“Does this happen a lot?” he asked.

“More than I like. And it’s always when I try to remember something.”

“I’m sorry,” he murmured as he rose from the ground and sat on the bench next to me, his hands dangling between his legs. “I never knew that would be a side effect. I had no idea the artifact could cause that.”

A bitter laugh slipped out before I could stop it. “That’s why you don’t mess around with Lucifer’s toys.”

He flinched, and I almost felt bad. Almost.

I pushed myself up from the bench, shaking off the lingering discomfort. “Come on,” I said, my tone brisk. “I have to get to work. If you’re coming with, try not to make a spectacle of yourself.”

“I’ll be discreet,” he said.

“Yeah, right,” I muttered.

* * *

Rathiel definitely was not discreet.

From the second we stepped into the coffee shop, it was clear he didn’t blend in. Heads turned, conversations paused, and the usual hum of morning chatter dulled to a low murmur as every set of eyes in the place zeroed in on him. Most were regulars who rarely glanced up from their laptops, but today, they seemed to forget about their devices and instead openly stared at Rathiel. Even Mr. Grayson, an elderly gentleman who always sat by the window engrossed in his newspaper, peeked over the top of it to get a better look.

Frowning, I turned and studied Rathiel.

Okay, yeah, he was drop-dead gorgeous in a way that should absolutely be illegal. He might be the biggest pain in my ass, but even I could admit he was breathtaking.

Thankfully, Rathiel didn’t seem to notice the attention—or if he did, he certainly didn’t care. He strode through the shop with a confidence that bordered on arrogance, his presence commanding attention whether he wanted it or not.

I, on the other hand, just wanted to pretend like everything was perfectly normal. I ducked behind the counter and tossed my purse into my locker in the back room before quickly tying on my apron. But when I stepped back through the door, Rathiel was still the center of attention.

Jazz abandoned her task of refilling the pastries and sidled up next to me, her eyes wide with curiosity. “Hi,” she whispered, barely containing her excitement. “Who the heck is that guy? He came in yesterday asking about you. So, who is he, and why’s he here?”

I tried to keep my tone casual as I grabbed a rag and started wiping down the counter. “That’s Rathiel. He’s…my cousin.” I hated the lie as it rolled off my tongue, and from the twisted grimace on Rathiel’s face, so did he. But it was the easiest way to explain his presence without delving into anything remotely close to the truth.

Jazz blinked. “Cousin?” Then she shot me an appraising look. “Well, isn’t your family tree rife with good genes.” Then she grinned. “Cousin means he’s open season then, hey? He looks like he stepped straight out of a magazine. Is he a model or something?”

I snorted, imagining him on the cover of the Hellhounds and Demonic Horses magazine. “He’s just visiting. Don’t get attached. He’ll be leaving soon.”

Jazz gave me a look that said she absolutely planned on attaching herself to him, in any way possible. “Visiting, huh? Well, I hope he comes in often while he’s in town. He’s definitely good for business.”

I rolled my eyes with a smile. “You’re hopeless.”

“I’m just saying, a little eye candy never hurt anyone,” Jazz said, grinning as she finally picked up a tray of croissants to restock the display. “And speaking of eye candy, how did your date with Jack go? I’ve been dying to hear the details.”

I busied myself with the coffee machine, more to avoid meeting Jazz’s curious gaze than anything. “It was…nice,” I said, keeping my voice as nonchalant as possible.

Jazz wasn’t having it. “Nice? That’s all I get? Come on, Lil, spill. Did you have fun? Did he kiss you? Are you seeing him again?”

My cheeks warmed, and I was grateful for the distraction of the steaming milk in front of me. “Yes, I had fun. Yes, he kissed my cheek. And yes, I’m seeing him again.”

Jazz practically squealed, nearly dropping the tray she was holding. “Ah, that’s awesome! I’d hoped you two would hit it off. But what about Mr. Broody over there?” She jerked her thumb in Rathiel’s direction, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “You sure he’s just a cousin? Because that man looks at you like he wants to eat you alive.”

I nearly choked on the steam. “What? No, Jazz. It’s not like that. He’s just…protective.”

“Protective, huh?” Jazz waggled her eyebrows, clearly enjoying this way too much. “Well, if you say so. But just so you know, if I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t mind being ‘protected’ by someone like him.”

I glanced over at Rathiel, who now sat by the closest window, his intense gaze fixed on something outside. As though sensing my attention, he turned his head, and our gazes met. I bit the inside of my lip and found my thoughts drifting back to the conversation we’d had outside the coffee shop, and the way he’d looked at me. There was something about him I couldn’t ignore. But thanks to the lingering pain in my head, I wasn’t able to dive into that topic.

Everything about him confused me. Last night, I’d been ready to roast his wings over an open fire. Today, though… Yeah, I was still pissed, but somehow the anger had lost its bite. As Lucifer’s daughter, I tended to stray more toward vengeance and punishment than forgiveness. But with Rathiel? For some reason, it didn’t stick. Maybe I was just exhausted. Holding onto fury took a lot more energy than I had to give right now.

“Lily,” Jazz’s voice cut through my thoughts, and I blinked, realizing I’d been staring at Rathiel again. “You okay? You seem a little…distracted.”

I shook my head, forcing a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a lot on my mind, I guess.”

She grinned, then threw me a wink. “I bet. Hard to think when you’ve got that hanging around.”

When I didn’t respond, Jazz gave me a playful nudge with her elbow, drawing my attention back to her. “Are you sure you’re fine?”

I glanced back at Rathiel, who watched me like a hawk. But this time, there was something different in his expression. The intensity was still there, but something almost tender softened it. My breath caught, and I quickly looked away, feeling a rush of heat creep up my neck.

Jazz chuckled, clearly amused by the entire exchange. “Yeah, you’re not cousins,” she said, laughing. “That’s not how relatives look at each other.”

I groaned, rubbing my forehead. “Fine. He’s not my cousin. It’s complicated.”

Jazz arched an eyebrow, her grin widening. “Complicated, huh?”

I shot her a warning look, but there was no malice behind it. “Just drop it, okay?”

“Fine, fine,” she said, holding up her hands in mock surrender. She winked at me again before moving back to the pastries, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I pressed on with my day, but I couldn’t shake the lingering effects of Rathiel’s gaze. There was a part of me—buried deep beneath all the anger and confusion—that was drawn to him in a way I didn’t fully understand. Maybe it was the way he’d spoken to me earlier, or the way he kept insisting that he was here to protect me.

Whatever it was, it was making it hard to focus. I took order after order, my mind still spinning with everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. The next time I glanced up, I drew Rathiel’s attention. And this time, neither of us looked away. I held his gaze, searching for something—anything—that would make sense of the conflicting emotions churning inside me. But all I found was that same intensity, that same unspoken connection that seemed to hang between us, as heavy as it was confusing.

Jazz sidled up next to me again, a knowing smile playing on her lips as she caught the silent exchange. “Yeah, definitely not cousins,” she teased, her voice low so only I could hear. “More like ‘I want to rip your clothes off right now’ kind of vibes.”

I stifled a laugh, shaking my head. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

“Just calling it like I see it,” she said with a smirk. “But hey, if you’re not going to make a move, maybe I should. Think he’d go for a blonde?”

This time, I did laugh, the sound easing some of the tension that had settled in my chest. “Good luck with that,” I said, rolling my eyes.

Jazz’s eyes gleamed with mischief, but then she leaned closer and whispered, “All teasing aside, Lil. Just be careful, okay? In my experience, these situations—two guys circling around the same girl—never end well. For anyone involved.”

Her words struck a chord, and I nodded, appreciating her concern. “I know, Jazz. Thanks.”

Jazz gave me a quick, supportive squeeze on the arm before heading back to her duties, leaving me once again with my thoughts and Rathiel’s gaze burning into my back.