“Yes, my love?” he asked, pulling her in for a kiss.
Lux placed her hand against his chest, pushing him back a little. “I think you have some explaining to do.”
“Why? What have I done this time?” Lucifer nudged Lux’s hand away and pulled her tight to his body.
Grigory coughed, causing Lucifer to glance at him. “Ah, Prince Grigory,” he greeted, the devil in his midnight gaze. “Oh, and my darling Zaya, my prized creation. How lovely to see you both.”
He held out a hand, forcing Grigory to stand to shake it. Then he pulled me in to graze my cheek with a kiss.
The familiarity of that touch burned inside me.
We’d only met in passing, mostly because of his daughter.
Yet he stared at me warmly now, as if he knew every detail about me.
My prized creation, he’d said. What does that mean?
“I think you’d better explain yourself, darling.” Queen Lux shifted away from her lover. “This has your mark written all over it. Colorful auras? Knowledge of realms not yet visited?” She arched a brow. “What have you done this time?”
Lucifer smiled, releasing Lux to walk toward me. “Yes, I suppose an explanation is needed.”
Grigory stepped closer to me, his palm finding my lower back, but said nothing. We all knew better than to demand something from the King of Darkness. Only Lux was brave enough to question him, and her relationship with him was… unique.
Lucifer studied our joined position, a smug grin appearing on his face. “I see my plan has worked perfectly.”
“What plan?” Grigory asked softly, his mind riddled with tension. He wanted to command Lucifer to stop playing games, but he held himself back.
“Yes, darling. What plan?” Lux echoed.
“Why, she’s a present to you, my love,” Lucifer replied, glancing at her with a look of astute adoration. “A gift to please you, as I know that if your son is happy, then you’re happy. And when you’re pleased, then so am I.” He held his hand out to Lux, and she came to his side once more, her eyes glittering with approval. He pressed a kiss to her lips.
“And how is Zaya a gift for me and my son?” she asked him.
“She’s unique and exquisite.” He spun her around and pulled her back to his chest. “The harbinger of the apocalypse, to be precise,” he murmured into her ear. “One of my best creations. Just wait until her powers really bloom.”
My lips parted. “I’m… wh-what?”
Grigory echoed my sentiment.
But it was Lux who asked, “And why would I want that as a gift?”
“Because she’s the perfect mate for your son, darling. He’s a strong man, and no ordinary demon would suffice. So I created Zaya by taking pieces of all my horsemen and placing them inside her soul before using her mother as a surrogate.”
My lungs stopped working.
That didn’t make any sense.
I knew my parents.
This couldn’t be right.
And what horsemen?
“Have you started sucking out souls yet?” Lucifer asked me.
I gaped at him in response.
“Ah, yes, I see you haven’t. Well. That’s coming.” He glanced at Grigory. “She just needs a little bit more of your blood, I think. That’ll do the trick.”