Violet waves erupted from him, encasing him in a sea of protection.
I growled, irritated at being cut off. Annoyed that he still possessed so much of his own aura to create such a shield.
And then he shouted to the skies above, demanding the Almighty’s presence to give him his due. “Lucifer!” he bellowed over and over again.
The floor shook.
Marble pillars cracked.
The sky above cackled with resounding explosions.
Valora grabbed my arm, forcing me back, her palms caressing my cheeks, my head, my neck. She’d created some sort of perimeter, the fire burning brightly. But I knew it was no match for what was coming.
Necros had called upon the Supreme Being. The fallen angel who dictated all of the Underworld. And the rumble beneath our feet said he was responding to the call.
We were doomed.
Killing Necros, we could accomplish together.
But neither of us was ready to face Lucifer.
“So we go down fighting,” Valora whispered, her lips close to mine. “I’m with you to the end, Adrik. Even if it means giving you my inner star. I’ll give it all if it means remaining by your side.”
I kissed her, accepting the vow, the promise, the pledge for eternity. Even if it was short-lived, we were in this together now.
My sweet star.
My Valora.
My queen.
My heart.
An overwhelming blindness sent us both to our knees, but her perimeter remained, glowing harshly and preventing entry.
Until a sweep of a stern hand dissolved the power to ash.
Lucifer had arrived, his expression one of esteemed boredom. “Well.” He glanced around, taking in the damage of the once great throne room and gazing out at the grounds beyond. “I see you’ve been busy, daughter of mine.”
“Daughter?” I repeated, wondering if I’d heard him right.
“Mmm,” the Devil replied, his hands clasped behind his back as he wandered the room. “Interesting redecorating choice,” he commented, his gaze on the bronze-covered walls. “Might I suggest something a little more ornate for the future throne room? Perhaps a sparkle of light?”
Necros stirred on the floor, his feet sliding beneath him as he stood to his full height. “Gold,” he said flatly. “It’ll be gold.”
“Will it?” Lucifer asked, sounding intrigued. “I always saw Valora preferring more vivacious colors, like pink. But what do I know?” He shrugged, the gesture somehow exceedingly elegant. “Oh, yes, I know quite a bit.” His lips curled into a charming smile, one befitting his stature.
“Are you aware of the destruction that little whore just caused?” Necros asked, folding his arms across his broad chest. “She’s taken down half of Caluçon.”
More, I thought, calling the life strands to my mind, seeking the ones I’d yet to destroy who’d earned their fates. I’d released them when Adrik required my energy, knowing I could find them again.
Harness it, Adrik whispered. We’re going to need all of it, Valora.
For Lucifer, I realized. I don’t understand why he’s acting this way.
He’s the Devil. He acts however he wants.
“I do,” Lucifer murmured out loud, his obsidian gaze twinkling with the stars of the night. Whether it was in response to our internal exchange or to Necros, I wasn’t sure. And the Devil didn’t clarify. “Nothing occurs in the Underworld without my knowledge. I am the Creator, after all.” He glanced upward, sighing loudly. “Not that I’d had much choice in the matter. Alas, here we are. Serving our fates as required.”