“We can fix this again,” Necros said, his focus landing squarely on me. “You know I can control and wield her power. I’m happy to serve as the conduit once more.”
Lucifer chuckled. “I’m sure you are, Necros, but you’re not the one she’s chosen.” His smiling eyes went to Adrik. “You’re everything we desired and more, King of Shadows.”
“We?” Adrik repeated, his dark brow inching upward.
“Yes.” The feminine response came from the shadows as a female with long, dark hair and sable eyes slid into view.
Adrik’s lips parted. “Lux.”
She bowed her head, just enough to show respect without belittling her position of power. I’d never seen the Queen of Noxia in person, but she was every bit as beautiful as I anticipated. And energy seemed to pour off her in waves now that she’d revealed herself to the room.
Necros frowned. “Are you here to retrieve your wayward son? The one you claim as your own who is not who he seems?”
Lux’s lips curled in delight, her head shaking back and forth, amusement gracing her gorgeous features. “Oh, no, King of the Dead. I’m not here for my son.” Her dark irises flitted to mine. “I’m here for my daughter.”
“Our daughter,” Lucifer corrected, his tone indulgent.
My mouth worked without sound, my confusion reaching a precipice that left me dumbfounded before them. What?
“That’s not possible,” Adrik interjected. “I would have known.”
Lux’s smile held a touch of sadness. “Influencing the minds of children is easy, Adrik. You know that. All it takes is a little illusion to hide what their eyes truly see.”
He stared at her for a long moment, then released a laugh of disbelief and shook his head. “There was never a prophecy. You’ve been fucking with my head since the beginning.”
“No prophecy?” Lux tutted at him. “The King of Shadows will destroy the King of the Dead through the use of the Daughter of Light’s heart.” She glanced at Lucifer, the male claiming to be my father. “Lucifer Morning Star, the lightbringer, the father of our lands, the fallen one who brings light to the darkness.”
“You masterminded all of it,” Adrik accused. “Every detail down to this very one.”
“It’s true we may have crafted the prophecy to guide you all, but isn’t that the point of a destiny?” Lucifer asked, sounding curious. “To create the paths for you to walk, with a little nudge along the way?”
“Why?” I finally managed to demand, my voice a rasp of sound. “What about Graystall?”
“The justice bearers are all my creations, hence their ancestry in the stars. They are the ones I use to guide the Underworld, to enforce order where required. It wasn’t hard to convince the Queen and King of Graystall to raise you as their own and make you their heir apparent, darling child. We even gave you the Queen’s eyes.” He glanced indulgently at Lux. “Hmm, but I do believe they darken to a deep blue shade when she engages her fire, similar to your irises when you call upon your own flames. Yes?”
“Yes,” she agreed, smiling at me. “A gift I bestowed upon her while she grew in my womb.”
“Among many others, in addition to my light.” His focus shifted back to me. “Which is why you possessed too much power, even as an infant, for you to truly prosper. So I provided you with an appropriate upbringing to ensure your understanding of humanity, justice, the principles of right and wrong. It was the only way to guarantee that you could properly lead. Otherwise”—he turned to Necros—“you would have ended up like him.”
“That’s one hell of a risk,” Adrik cut in. “What if she grew up just like him?”
“But she didn’t,” Lucifer replied with a smile. “And the beauty of it is, his actions ensured that she didn’t. While yours crafted you into the perfect candidate to serve at her side. With a little grooming from my beloved.”
Lux bowed her head. “It was my pleasure to raise such a fine king for our darling queen.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“This was all a way of raising me?” The forced marriage. The rape. The agony. A part of me wanted to laugh. The other part desired destruction of the worst kind. But as the flame rose on my fingertips, Lucifer blew it out.
“If you’d been raised as mine, you would have never seen the Underworld as you do now. You have a heart, Valora. That heart is what will help you rule. And yes, it was crafted beneath a wave of cruelty, but now it will thrive in a sea of warmth. Your warmth.” He looked to Necros. “I believe you’ve served your purpose. Valora, I release you of your vows to this vile creature. What is yours is now yours again, including your loyalty, fealty, and protection.”
A vise around my heart released, causing me to shudder, as Necros fell to his knees with a look of astonishment on his face. “What? After everything I’ve done for you? In your honor?”
Lucifer snorted. “We both know it was never for me, King of the Dead.” He glanced at Lux, a curious note in his voice as he added, “How aptly we named him.”
“Indeed,” she agreed, smiling. “His reassignment with the Reaper will be well-appointed.”
“You slaughtered my kingdom,” Adrik growled, the words for Lucifer and Lux, not Necros. “To what? Create a new regime? To guarantee my loyalty? To craft the perfect mate for your daughter?”