“Darling Diana. You do need protection from me.”
Without further elaboration, he stepped forward and took her other hand to lead her into the depths of the steaming, rumbling mountain.
Deciding not to argue the point, she peered sideways at him. The glorious Archangel of Light was all hardened muscle and resolve.
“So... do you have a game plan or are we doing things my way?”
“And what is your way? Winging it, at this point?” A low chuckle echoed off the walls to intermingle with the sound of hissing steam in the distance. “Or are you just enjoying the ambience of this lovely place?”
A giggle—an unfamiliar bubbling in her chest that she hadn’t felt for what seemed like centuries but had only been a matter of days—escaped. She clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle the noise pinging off the solid rock walls. “Yes, it’s quite enchanting. Not sure I want to vacation here again, but...” Diana was laughing so hard she couldn’t finish the sentence.
“I’ve missed that.” The laugh died away at the sadness in Lucifer’s voice. “You should laugh all the time. It’s the loveliest sound I’ve ever heard.”
Was her head spinning? It must be. One moment, he was sweet and chivalrous. The next, he was an asshole. He would woo her with a longing glance then rile her blood with his emotionless, nonchalant attitude toward her. She didn’t know if she should jump into his arms or gut him with the dagger he’d provided.
Unable to decide, she allowed him to lead her further without challenge. The smell was either lessening or her senses were becoming accustomed to the stench. The deeper they wove into the cavern, a burnt orange light began to illuminate the narrow path, flickering like a bonfire against the sleek black rocks.
“I should’ve asked before, but if this mountain erupts, what are our chances of not being drowned in scorching lava?” Diana had survived the heat of Hades on family visits, but she’d never gone bathing in the boiling River Styx nor dipped her toes in the moats filled with molten fire.
Lucifer peered down at her and shrugged. “Damned if I know.”
“Great. That’s just great,” she muttered.
“You didn’t have to come, you know. Your job was fulfilled when you found this place. With both Asmodeus and Sathanas, our guise of luring them with lust is not viable anymore. Asmodeus... sure. But not the other.”
Another giggle escaped her. “But considering our situation, I’d bet the wrath boiling in my belly would be quite the draw, don’t you?”
“Umm,” Lucifer muttered, making the safe decision not to pursue that possibility. He continued as if she hadn’t thrown out the ugly truth. “Putting you into the direct line of danger does not sit well with my soul. I have this overwhelming need to protect you, but you”—he tucked a strand of her hair dripping with sweat behind her ear—“insisted. If anything happens to you, I...”
What? He what? His words died away as if he’d lost the ability to speak. Dammit! Diana would’ve killed to know what came after that incomplete sentence.
Her mouth opened to ask, but his hand shot up to stop her. His eyes were no longer on her. Something had grabbed his attention ahead of them in the tunnel.
When he looked back at her, he mouthed, “We’re not alone.” Leaning in, he pressed his lips to hers and whispered so low she could barely register the words, “Whatever happens, know this... I love you.”
What?
Stunned, Diana wanted to say the words back to him, but wasn’t given the chance. He jerked her behind him, his sword held out in front; another appeared in his other hand. All she had was a little dagger, no bigger than a fillet knife! Didn’t quite seem fair.
A boulder seemed to have landed in her gut, weighing her down, and cutting off her airway. Whoever the culprit or culprits were—assuming they were correct in their assumptions—the tiny hairs on the back of her neck and Lucifer’s demeanor were clear clues that the evil was too close for them to run away now.
They tiptoed silently along a corridor that seemed carved out of the jet-black rock. Before they crested the next bend, Lucifer shifted the swords into one hand then pressed her against the wall, out of sight, a finger raised to his lips.
So slowly it appeared his head wasn’t moving, he peered around the corner. In the harsh umber light, he paled. That was far from being a good sign. Still grasping his swords, the hand held behind his back raised two fingers.
Both demon princes were already there. Waiting.
“It’s not nice to spy on friends. Do stop playing hide-and-seek, Lucifer. You are no longer a child... or so we’ve been told.” The voice boomed.
Diana nearly jumped out of her own skin. She would’ve squealed in terror, but her own hand clamped over her mouth.
Lucifer inclined his head, seeming to indicate for her to stay put. With fear paralyzing her legs, that wasn’t such a bad idea.
“And bring your little friend.” Another voice, raspier and deeper, ordered.
As a child, she’d feared nothing greater than her own father’s brusque tone demanding her to kneel while he scolded her for whatever tiny infraction she’d committed. That didn’t even compare to the sheer terror coursing through Diana’s heart in that moment. Conscious thoughts were ripped out of her body, her movements no longer her own, her body followed orders she wasn’t giving it.
DIANA BRUSHED RIGHT by Lucifer, not even bothering to wait for him to shield her. What was she thinking?
