Page 121 of Lucifer's Mirror
“Then why not leave it hidden?” Khaosti asks. “Leave him locked up there for eternity?”
“Because nothing lasts forever,” Hecate replies. She looks at me. “Lucifer is getting stronger. He won’t stop until he finds you—and hewillfind you. He’s tied to you by blood, and he can sense you through the shadowguard who hunt you. We have to stay one step ahead of him.”
I remember what she said about finding the mirror being only the first step and not the last. And I know this is just the beginning. My freaking destiny.
“And what happens once we have the mirror?” I ask, though I suspect I don’t really want to know the answer.
“Then you go to Hell and face your father.”
My father: Lucifer. Good old Dad. “Why?”
“Because it’s what you were born to do.”
Chapter 56
Kiss and Tell
I’mguessingit’spastmidnight when we get back to the cottage.
Khaosti has been silent on the walk back from the bridge. I’m not sure what he’s thinking. Maybe he’s processing everything. He can join the club; it’s a lot to take in.
Time travel.
I was actually born more than 5,000 years ago. I turn to Khaosti. “You know what this means?” I say.
He shakes his head. “I’m not sure what anything means anymore.”
“It means that I am, in fact, older than you. By about 5,000 years. So no more telling me I’m too young for anything.”
I’ve made a decision in the last few hours: I want to make love with Khaosti. Sooner rather than later, because who knows how long it’ll be before the shit hits the proverbial fan.
No one has actually asked me yet where the mirror is. I suspect Hecate didn’t want me to talk about it in front of Khaosti. She still doesn’t trust him. And how can I blame her when I don’t entirely trust him myself? That hurts, but it is what it is. It doesn’t stop me from loving him. Wanting him.
Hecate suggested, back at the bridge, that I need at least a day to recover from my ordeal before I head out again. Thank Christ. I’m drained emotionally and physically. I long for a bath, my bed, and sleep.
Khaosti has come to a halt, and I stop beside him. He doesn’t say anything, but he takes a step closer and slides his hand behind my neck, his fingers warm and firm. He tugs me toward him, and I raise my head. In the dim light, I can see his golden eyes glowing. Then he lowers his head, blanking out the dim light, and kisses me.
I never want him to stop. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer. Heat sizzles through my blood, and everything around me melts away as I’m lost in the moment. It feels so right. I knew it would be good with us when we gave in, but it’s so much better than anything I could have imagined. My heart races, and I kiss him until I run out of oxygen and have to gasp for air, then I kiss him again. His hands are in my hair, sliding down my back, resting on my waist, and pulling me even closer. He’s so hot and hard, and for a second, I push myself against him.
Then I pull away. “Later,” I murmur, a promise. He nods in response.
I don’t want to let him go, but I slowly raise my head and glance over my shoulder. Hecate stands there, tapping her foot and looking extremely annoyed.
“Can we go?” she asks. “I, for one, would like my bed.”
Bed sounds like a good idea to me. I glance up at Khaosti, and I’m guessing he thinks the same. His golden eyes are dark with desire, and I almost sway toward him.
“Please,” Hecate says. “This isn’t the time or the place.”
I look around. We’re on the main thoroughfare of the village, but no one is in sight except for us. Still, she’s probably right. I’m not sure there is a time or a place that would be right for this, but I know I want there to be. With a sigh, I drop my hands from his shoulders and take a step back. For a moment, something feral flashes in his eyes, and I think he’s going to reach for me, but then he nods and turns back toward the cottage. I fall into step beside him, with Hecate behind us—no doubt in case we decide to stop again.
I know she’s just looking out for me. But I’m all grown up and ready to make my own mistakes. Part of me suspects that Khaosti would be a mistake—maybe one I would never recover from. But my heart—not to mention my body—tells me it would be worth the pain.
There’s a light glowing in the window of the cottage. It feels like home, and my heart aches because I know I have to leave.
As we enter, Hecate says, “Go clean up. You smell. Both of you. I’ll get some hot food on the table, and then you can sleep. We can all sleep.” She looks at me. “And I think we should keep this from the others until you’ve had time to process it.”
It sounds like a plan—the fewer people who know my not-so-illustrious heritage, the better, as far as I’m concerned. I nod, and with a last reluctant glance at Khaosti, I head to my room. I peel off my clothes along with the bandage around my throat, groaning as I stand under the hot water. My body is black and blue. There’s a huge bruise around my rib cage. Pity I can't heal it—I’ve remembered that I’m a healing witch, among other things. But my training in those matters is limited, as I never had access to other witches after I left Hecate when I was four. Khendril and the others taught me a lot of theory but nothing practical. Besides, I still hadn’t come into my magic by the time I lost my memory—it must have happened sometime in the last three years and gone unnoticed. Maybe now I can finally learn how to utilize my powers. Something tells me I’m going to need every advantage I can get in the times to come.
