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Chapter Twenty-Seven

RATHIEL

She remembers .

The thought slammed into me with all the force of a divine reckoning.

I had fantasized about this moment a thousand different times in a thousand different ways, but I’d never believed it possible. For the last few weeks, I’d told myself she would likely never look at me the way she once had. That we’d never be what we once were. And all because of me. Because I’d completely and utterly panicked when we’d lost the war.

But now?

Now, she stood before me breathing hard, her lips swollen from my kiss, and I could see it. Her . The way her gaze lasered in on me with the same fierce intensity from before. She was no longer the confused, wary version I’d been dealing with since I’d found her on Earth. She was her again. The one who had led a rebellion and stolen my heart.

At first, I’d expected a fist to the face. And I wouldn’t have blamed her for it either. I deserved that and so much more for everything I’d put her through. She had every reason to hate me, exactly as Levi had once warned me she would. I’d stolen her memories, exiled her, abandoned her. Yet, instead of sucker punching me, she’d kissed me.

She’d chosen me , after everything.

I wasn’t worthy of her. I deserved the ten years of torture Lucifer had unleashed upon me, and more, for all that I’d done.

Levi cleared his throat and stepped forward, placing a steadying hand on Lily’s shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

My focus snapped back to her. I’d been so consumed with her remembering, by the relief crashing through me like a tidal wave, that I’d failed to consider how she was actually holding up.

“Like a herd of hellspawn trampled me, thank you for asking,” she muttered.

Levi let out a soft huff of amusement. “Sounds about right.” His gaze swept over her, scanning for any signs of injury. “Any pain?”

She hesitated before saying, “Just a headache. Feels like someone put my brain through a meat grinder.”

My gaze traced her features, catching the dark smudges beneath her eyes, the tension lining her shoulders, the slight squint against the ever-present glow of Hell’s light. Celestial healing would take care of most wounds—but this wasn’t a simple injury. This was her mind, reshaped, reforged. Matters of the brain differed greatly from physical injuries. Not to mention, this was something none of us had ever experienced before. It was brand new territory for all of us.

I stepped closer, my fingers twitching at my sides, aching to reach for her. “How bad is it?”

Lily lifted a brow at me. “Well, my brain just had to make room for a whole lotta memories that someone had neatly locked away, so…I’d say about a solid nine out of ten on the suffering scale.”

A muscle in my jaw flexed. Guilt dug its claws into me.

Levi shot me a look—one I knew meant told you so —before he gave Lily’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze and stepped backward. “You’re still standing, at least.”

“I am. And so are you.” Her voice softened slightly as she looked at him, then her gaze swept beyond him.

Slowly, she turned in a circle, taking in the sight of Mephisar, Sable, and Gorr, her expression shifting from disbelief to something quieter. Something raw.

“How?” she whispered. “When I last saw you, I thought you were dead. Lucifer—he… If you’re here, does that mean the others—Korrak, Calder, Varz?—”

Levi’s expression gentled, though his head shook in silent answer before he spoke. “We’re all that remains.”

Lily closed her eyes, her fingers curling at her sides. “But…how?”

Levi offered a small, knowing smile, though there was grief behind it. “Your father is powerful,” he said. “But he isn’t all-powerful. Killing me isn’t so simple a task. And Mephisar and Sable are formidable in their own right. Lucifer’s magic injured them, but didn’t break them completely.” He turned his attention to the massive war-beast still pressed against Lily’s side. “As for this little beast of yours, Gorr was simply lucky, I suppose.”

Lily gave a breathless, disbelieving laugh and shook her head. “Lucky,” she repeated, looking at Gorr, at the wyrms, at Levi. At all of them.

Then her gaze landed on me.

Warmth shone in her eyes and she reached out, closing her fingers around mine.

“I thought I was alone in this,” she murmured. “For so long, I thought I was alone. But I wasn’t. I never was.”

She squeezed my hand.

And I squeezed back.

Calyx let out an exaggerated sigh, clapping his hands together. “Well, this is all very touching. Truly, it warms my heart.” He pressed a dramatic hand to his chest. “But, if we’re finished with the sentimental nonsense, I’d like to remind everyone that we have plans to make, a kingdom to usurp, and Lily’s dear old Dad to kill.”

Levi’s expression cooled instantly. His gaze snapped to Calyx with barely restrained irritation. “Your presence here is still a question mark to me,” he said smoothly. “You fought on Lucifer’s side, and now you stand here like you have a stake in this fight.”

Calyx, unbothered as ever, rolled his eyes. “Well, in my defense, I prefer being on the winning side of things. Which, for quite a while, was not yours. However, I’ve since changed alliances. Lily and I have come to an arrangement.”

Levi’s jaw tightened slightly at that, and his gaze turned toward me. “Perhaps you and Lily would like to take a moment? I imagine there is much the two of you should like to discuss with each other.”

There was. So much that I wasn’t even sure where to begin.

Lily must have felt the same, because she tightened her grip on my hand and nodded.

Levi inclined his head in acknowledgment, then turned back to Calyx, his eyes dark with intent. “In the meantime, perhaps you and I should have a little chat.”

Calyx chuckled, but there was something dark behind the amusement. “Ooh, I do love a good interrogation.”

I ignored them, focusing only on Lily as I gently tugged her hand, leading her away from the group.

From behind us, there was a quite huff.

I glanced back to see Gorr, muscles tense, eyes locked onto me as if debating whether to let me take Lily anywhere out of his sight.

Levi stepped in front of the war-beast without hesitation, placing a firm hand against his massive plated hide. “Easy,” he murmured. “They’ll be back.”

Gorr whined, his tail flicking, but after a long moment, he relented.

I led Lily away from the others, my grip firm but careful. She didn’t resist, nor question where I was taking her. Maybe she already knew.

The encampment was little more than smoldering wreckage now, a hollowed-out graveyard of what it once was. But some things remained.

Like the lookout tower. It had once been a raised platform overlooking the wastelands, its crumbling stairwell leading up the side. A necessary vantage point during the war, a place where sentries kept watch, and whispered strategies in the dark. Where she and I had stolen whatever moments we could between battle, exhaustion, and bloodshed.

It had been ours.

But now, it was nothing more than a platform of stone with no way up. The stairs were long gone, as was the railing that had once encircled it.

I slowed as we reached the base of what remained, glancing at Lily. “I figured we could be alone here, but I’ll have to fly us up.”

Her brows lifted. “You think that thing will hold us?”

“If it doesn’t, I’ll catch you.”

That earned me a quiet snort, but she didn’t argue.

I stepped behind her, wrapped my arms around her waist, then took to the air. The platform shifted a bit when we landed, but thankfully, it held steady. I didn’t release her yet, though, until I knew for sure it wouldn’t crumble beneath our feet. Only when I was sure we were safe and steady did I let her go, not that I wanted to.

I expected her to step away, to put space between us. But she didn’t. Instead, she turned in my arms and met my gaze, searching.

“Still planning to punch me?” I asked, bracing for the inevitable.

“Thinking about it,” she admitted.

I squared my shoulders. “Then do it. If you need to, hit me.”

Lily blinked, clearly caught off guard. “What?”

“I deserve it.” My voice came out steady, but raw. “For everything I’ve done. For what I took from you. For?—”

Her fingers curled into my shirt, gripping it tight, and for a brief, bracing moment, I thought she really was going to hit me. But instead of a fist, she let out a slow, measured breath and…shook her head.

“You already know how I feel about that,” she muttered. “I will punch you. Just not right now.”

Relief curled through my chest, but it was short-lived. It didn’t change what I’d done. It didn’t erase the past.

I lifted a hand to her cheek but hesitated before making contact, waiting to see if she would stop me. She didn’t. So I let my fingers brush against her skin, warm beneath my touch, her heartbeat steady and there .

She was here.

“I’m sorry,” I said, the words heavy, filled with everything I could never take back. “For all of it.” I drew in a slow breath, forcing myself to keep going. “I panicked. When I saw him rip your wings off—saw him cut you down…” My throat tightened. “You were dying, Lily.”

She didn’t argue. Didn’t deny it.

“I barely reached you in time,” I admitted. “I thought I’d lost you. And after everything—after fighting so damn hard for so damn long—I couldn’t lose you too. I couldn’t let him take you from me.” I shuddered. “I lost my head. All I could think of was saving you. Getting you the hell out of, well, Hell. Keeping you away from your father. I—I didn’t handle any of this well.”

Her laugh surprised me. “No, no you did not.”

Lily closed her eyes. Inhaled. Held it.

For a moment, I thought she was bracing herself to finally swing. My muscles tensed instinctively, ready to take whatever blow she dealt. I deserved it. Every ounce of her fury, every bit of pain I had put her through.

But then she exhaled, slow and steady. When she opened her eyes again, the fire was still there—still burning bright—but something else lurked beneath it. Something softer.

“I forgive you.”

The words hit harder than any punch ever could.

I stiffened, barely managing to keep my expression neutral. I had expected rage, a fresh wave of anger, some kind of reckoning. But forgiveness?

Lily tilted her head, watching me carefully, like she could see every single thought colliding in my skull.

“I don’t deserve that,” I said after a beat, my voice quieter now, rough around the edges.

She sighed, but not with exasperation. If anything, it sounded like she had just unburdened herself of a weight she’d been carrying for too long. “Maybe not,” she admitted. “But I’m giving it to you anyway.”

I searched her gaze for any hesitation, any sign that she didn’t mean it, that she was saying it for my sake rather than her own. But there was nothing. No doubt. No resentment.

Just truth.

I didn’t know what to do with it.

Lily had every right to be furious. She had every right to make me suffer for what I’d done. But instead, she was choosing to let it go. Not forget it. Not excuse it. Just…let it go.

“I should be angry,” she continued, watching me closely. “I was angry. Hell, I am angry. But you know what’s stronger than my anger?”

I shook my head slightly, unable to speak.

She squeezed my hand.

“Relief,” she whispered. “That I remember. That we’re alive. That we’re here. The thing about regaining my memories is I have a fresh perspective. If it weren’t for you, Lucifer would have killed me. And no matter how angry I am about the rest, I am happy to be alive. To be here with you. We almost lost each other once. I refuse to waste any more time being mad about something we can’t change.”

A shaky breath left me as I reached up, brushing my knuckles along the edge of her jaw, just to feel that she was real. That this wasn’t some twisted dream my mind had conjured in a moment of weakness.

“You forgive me?” I asked hoarsely, as if saying it out loud would make it easier to comprehend.

Her lips curled slightly. “Yeah. I do.”

I didn’t deserve her. I knew that. But like she’d said, I refused to labor on it anymore. If she wanted to move on, I could do that. I owed her that.

I kissed her then, slowly, tenderly, like I had all the time in the world. My lips moved over hers in deliberate, aching strokes, savoring the warmth and shape of her mouth, the way she melted against me despite everything we’d been through.

She sighed into me, a quiet, shuddering sound that sent heat rolling down my spine.

I slid my hands down her length, skimming the curve of her waist, memorizing the feel of her, the way she fit against me as if the last ten years had never happened. She was here , in my arms, real and whole. And by some grace of mercy, she had forgiven me.

That knowledge unraveled something deep inside me.

The slow, measured rhythm of our kiss changed. Quickened. Heated.

Lily scraped her nails down my back, dragging over the ridges of my old scars and fresh wounds alike. A shiver raked through me. Her damn touch set me aflame every time. No matter how much time passed between us. Every muscle tensed, every nerve came alive with sheer sensation.

I backed her up until her spine met the one remaining wall of the ruined parapet, trapping her between my body and the crumbling remains of our past. Her breath hitched as I pressed against her, pinning her there, my fingers sliding beneath the hem of her shirt to splay against the bare skin of her back.

She arched into me.

“Rathiel,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, but I heard it as clear as a battle cry.

I trailed kisses down her jaw, her throat, tasting the salt of sweat and the lingering ash of this cursed land. She tilted her head to give me more access, her pulse fluttering beneath my lips, fast and frantic.

Hunger spiked within me—not for sustenance, but for something far more primal. The craving to taste her—to sink my teeth into her throat, to claim her in every way possible—surged through me. It wasn’t just bloodlust. It was her I wanted. The heat of her pulse beneath my lips, her intoxicating scent, the way she surrendered to me without fear.

I dragged my mouth lower, my fangs aching with the need to pierce, to take . But I hesitated, a part of me knowing if I indulged now, I wouldn’t stop. And I had far more important things to enjoy right now.

I skimmed my hands up her bare sides and brushed the underside of her breasts. Lily’s fingers threaded through my hair, tugging just hard enough for it to sting.

I responded with a low growl, answering her call with one of my own. I pushed her sports bra up and palmed her breasts, running my thumbs over her nipples. She moaned and arched her body into my touch.

Every sound she made sent molten heat straight to my core.

It had been so long.

Too long.

My restraint, already frayed, snapped entirely when she hooked a leg around my hip and pulled me tighter against her. She was warm and wanting, her body pressed flush against mine, and every inch of me burned with the need to claim her. To remind her—remind both of us—what we meant to each other.

I grasped the back of her thighs and lifted her, encouraging her to wrap her legs around me completely. She clung to me as though afraid to let go, her mouth finding mine, devouring me the same way I did her.

She showed no hesitation. No second-guessing.

And thank all the world for that, because I needed her.

Her arms slipped around my neck, and I turned, carrying her across the platform. I lowered her onto what remained of the stone floor, barely registering the uneven surface beneath us. Her hands roamed everywhere—sliding over my chest, my back, my arms—seeking. They dipped lower and she fumbled with the clasp of my cargo pants, her frustration clear as she practically ripped at the seams.

I grinned against her lips. “Impatient?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Shut up and help me.”

I did—without question.

We stripped out of our clothes and tossed them aside in a messy heap, uncaring where they landed. Her skin was fever-hot beneath my touch, her body so familiar yet so new all at once.

I took a moment to drink her in.

To memorize the way she looked at me, flushed and breathing hard, her pupils wide with need. The scars that lined her body, marking every battle she’d survived. The strength in her limbs, the stubborn set of her jaw, the way she trembled not from fear, but with anticipation.

She was quite truly the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

And she was all mine.

Her hands locked around my neck and she pulled me down to her. Her hands mapped me just as eagerly as I had her, tracing the muscles in my back like she was relearning the topography all over again. And in a way, she was. We weren’t the same as we were ten years ago. We’d lost too much, suffered too much. But right now, none of that mattered. Because we were together.

I slid my fingers between her thighs, and she gasped, her body tightening beneath me. I stroked her slowly, teasingly, relishing every shiver, every intake of breath, especially when I slid my middle finger inside her.

“Rathiel,” she whispered again, pleading now, her fingers digging into my shoulders.

I moved within her, slowly, carefully, giving her time to adjust, all while teasing her clit with my thumb. It didn’t matter how much time had passed, I remembered exactly how to bring her pleasure.

Her eyes closed and her back arched when I pressed a little harder, quickening my stroke a bit more. She bit her bottom lip, and a flush rose to her cheeks. Her hands swept down my back, cupping my rear, gripping my ass with her nails.

I slowed my touch and kissed her again, needing the feel of her mouth on mine. I resumed my efforts between her legs, my fingers and tongue working in tandem.

Her inner walls tightened around my finger a heartbeat before she climaxed. She tore her mouth from mine just as she gave a small cry. Her breath shuddered past her plump lips, and her fingers clutched me hard.

Before she could collect her senses, I gripped my shaft and guided myself toward her. She hadn’t yet opened her eyes when I slid inside her in one smooth thrust. Her body was more than ready for me.

Lily’s eyes flew open, and she stared at me, her face flushed with need.

“Rath…” she murmured.

I gave her—and me—a moment to acclimate, then braced my weight above her and started to move. Lily reached above her head and flattened her palms against the stone wall, holding herself in place, preparing for what she knew was to come.

Our lovemaking had never been slow. Or gentle. And though I’d begun that way, it wouldn’t remain so. It never did.

I moved within her, savoring the way her body welcomed me. The way she clenched around me, pulling me deeper. The way her breath hitched and her nails raked down my back, leaving burning trails in their wake. She arched against me, her head falling back, her throat bared in a way that sent a primal surge of possession roaring through my veins.

The pace between us shifted, grew desperate. We met each other stroke for stroke, matching each other in need, in hunger, in sheer desperation to reclaim everything we’d lost. The ruins around us faded into nothing. There was no war, no rebellion, no battle waiting beyond this moment. There was only her, only me, only this.

“Lily,” I murmured against her skin, pressing my lips to the hollow of her throat. My name spilled from her lips in response, a broken, reverent whisper that shattered what remained of my restraint.

I moved faster, driven by the way she clung to me, the way she gasped and moaned, the way she needed me just as much as I needed her.

“Rath…bite me,” she whispered with a teasing smile.

Were this any other time, I might have laughed. Instead, heat rushed through me. I stilled above her, my breath ragged, my body taut with restraint.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

She nodded eagerly. Her fingers tangled in my hair, guiding me down, a silent plea I couldn’t deny.

A low growl rumbled in my chest as I dipped my head to the curve of her neck, where her pulse hammered just beneath the skin. I resumed thrusting, listening to the catch of her breath, then pressed my lips to the hollow of her throat, my breath hot against her skin. Her scent flooded my senses, intoxicating in a way nothing else had ever been. My tongue traced the delicate line of her pulse, savoring the anticipation, the shudder that ran through her as I lingered there.

Then I sank my fangs into her.

She gasped, her body tensing beneath mine, but it wasn’t pain that tightened her grip on me. It was pure, raw pleasure—for us both. I groaned against her the instant her blood hit my tongue, rich and electric, sending a jolt of raw power through my veins.

Her breathing quickly turned ragged, gasping, a sound that nearly sent me spilling over the edge. I forced myself to be careful, to drink only what I could take without harming her. It was the hardest thing I had ever done. The sheer bliss of it, the bond snapping taut between us, the way her body shuddered against mine—it was almost too much.

But I would never hurt her. Not again.

I laved my tongue over the two puncture wounds in her throat, then lifted my head, meeting her gaze. Lily’s chest rose and fell in heavy, uneven breaths. She swallowed, and for a moment, I thought she might speak—but then she surged up, fisting a hand in my hair, and kissed me.

I resumed my pace, enjoying the feel of her mouth faltering against mine as she cried out, the way she gasped and moaned, the way she needed me just as much as I needed her.

And when she reached that peak—when her whole body tensed beneath me, trembling, shaking, her mouth parting on a silent cry—I followed her.

The moment stretched, suspended between us, as the last of the tension unraveled and left us breathless, bodies tangled together on the cold stone. I rested my forehead against hers, our breaths mingling, our heartbeats still racing in the same frantic rhythm.

Neither of us spoke. There was nothing that needed to be said.

Instead, she lifted a shaky hand and brushed her fingers over my jaw, tracing the scar Lucifer had given me. I turned into her touch, pressing a kiss to her palm before capturing her hand in mine.

She quietly laughed. “How can you miss something without knowing you miss something?” she asked.

I chuckled, then stole another kiss before whispering against her mouth, “I love you.”

Lily’s fingers curled around mine, and a slow smile touched her lips. “I love you too.”

I responded with my own contented smile. Because no matter what came next—the war, the rebellion, her father—we had each other. And that was all we needed.