“Fair enough,” I relented.

  I was only pushing Lucifer because I wanted to see if he'd break and tell me what he'd been talking to Menaniel about. The fact that he didn't, made me trust him more. I would have probably gotten angry and just shouted the truth at him if the roles had been reversed. But Lucifer was right; if he had simply told me that he'd been secretly plotting to stop wars on Earth, I wouldn't have believed him; not if I hadn't heard it for myself. And if he had brought me into that room with him, I wouldn't have believed it either. I would have suspected that he was trying to impress me. Lucifer was smart to hide it from me. He probably hoped to make progress with the humans before my two months were up and then he could offer me absolute proof of his good intentions.

  The Devil was indeed a master manipulator, but it seemed as if he were now using his powers for good.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  The rooftop garden grew nearly as lush as the one Raphael had taken me to but much more restrained. Exotic, alien flowers overflowed marble pots and trees languished in long trenches. A classic cherub fountain trickled water into a wide basin surrounded by a neat border of yellow flowers, and several gold dining sets gathered around it beneath the shade of a golden arbor interwoven with grape vines.

  We breakfasted with a view of the city and clinked crystal glasses to a day well begun before we sipped our champagne. The food was as divine as the company, and I found myself enjoying both immensely. Lucifer may not have completely won me over, but I was beginning to trust him enough to relax around him. He kept the conversation lighthearted; another relief after our intense discussion earlier. When we had eaten our fill, he stood and offered me his hand.

  “Shall we go to Hell?” Lucifer asked with a wry twist of his lips.

  “Satan inviting me to Hell,” I teased. “How could I possibly resist?”

  I took his hand, and Lucifer pulled me against his chest. One strong arm wrapped around my waist and the other crossed my back. His hand reached up to lay against the back of my head as if he held a baby. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and looked up into his eyes. The indigo had lightened in the unrelenting sunshine. Lucifer's irises seemed to extend back into infinity; the glittering striations that mimicked stars laid over that expanse like the Veil we had to cross to enter other realms. I could get lost in eyes like that but not in a romantic way; in a terrifying, never to be found again way.

  “Elaria,” Lucifer's voice pulled me back. “Please stop staring at me. I withdrew my suit, but when you look at me like that, I'm tempted to renew it.”

  “Sorry.” I shook my head. “The sunlight does strange things to your eyes. They're a little scary.”

  Lucifer blinked and frowned. I don't think that's what he expected me to say.

  “Oh,” he stammered and looked away. “Then, I must apologize; my magic sometimes acts of its own volition.”

  “Your magic makes your eyes appear to be endless?”

  “If you see that again, look away,” he said urgently. Lucifer looked back at me with normal eyes once more; as normal as his eyes could get. “Look away with all speed, Elaria. My eyes...”

  “Yes?”

  “They can consume you.”

  Consume me. I shivered. Was it possible that Lucifer had killed his lovers by accident? Stranger things had happened.

  “Have they done that before?” I whispered.

  Lucifer swallowed roughly and his jaw clenched as those terrifying eyes watered. He stared over my head at the horizon until the sheen over his eyes dried.

  “Yes,” he said simply. “And I lost someone special every time they did.”

  I gaped at him.

  Do not feel sympathy for the Devil, my love. Kyanite urged.

  I can't help it. He's rather pitiful.

  I don't trust it or him.

  Tears like those are hard to fake, Ky.

  Kyanite went silent as I wiped a rebel tear away; a watery streak that had managed to survive Lucifer's steel will to not shed any. I rubbed the liquid between my fingers, absorbing his pain into my skin as I stared up at the Morning Star. Had I cried for anyone when I was Faenestra? What about Sara? Did I shed tears for her before I rampaged across Tír na nÓg to avenge her? I couldn't remember.

  You did cry for her. You wailed. And you cried for Gage, my love, Kyanite said gently. Do not compare yourself to this man; you are not alike. You were a goddess of fire and that made you passionate and aggressive. You cannot help the way you were. But still, you shed tears for your friend and your lover. Water from fire; drawn forth by love. You cut yourself in two for the men you love. Remember that. Somehow, I don't think this god would have done the same for his lovers. He consumed them, and it may have even hurt him to do it, but did he use any of his magic to stop himself? Or to make sure that it wouldn't happen again?

  “With all of your magic, can't you find a way to rid yourself of the parts that act against your will?” I asked Lucifer instead of answering Kyanite.

  “What do you mean?” Lucifer stroked my hair back as he stared at me.

  “I cut my goddess magic away to save my lovers,” I said. “Can't you find a way to make sure that your eyes never take another loved one from you again?”

  Lucifer gaped at me before asking hopefully, “Can it be done? Can I remove only that part of my magic?”

  Both Kyanite and I were startled by his response.

  “I believe so,” I finally answered. “I left Darcraxis with pieces of his magic when I cut out his godhood.”

  Lucifer shivered. “Cut out his godhood. I'm sorry, but that sounds ghastly to me. And yet... if it is possible... yes. I would like nothing more than to rid myself of this curse. To be free to stare at a lover for as long as I wish without consequence; that would be a blessing. A miracle.”

  “Well, you are a god.” I shrugged. “Make yourself a miracle.”

  Lucifer threw back his head and laughed. It reverberated out from his chest and off mine. I had to lean back to keep from getting jarred. Lucifer's body began to glow with his pleasure; the Morning Star lighting up the world. I finally closed my eyes and turned away. But he didn't stop there; he lifted me above him and swung me in a joyous circle. I didn't open my eyes until Lucifer began to lower me. As he brought me down past his face, our lips brushed together, and we both inhaled sharply.

  Lucifer set me on my feet; his laughter replaced by stunned awareness. His gaze skittered over my face, searching for something, and when he found it, he lowered his lips slowly until they were a breath away from mine. They froze there—our breath warming each other's skin—and then abruptly rose to press against my forehead. Before Lucifer could say or do anything more, he clasped me tightly and ran for the edge of the roof.

  With a leap, we were in the sky, Lucifer's wings spreading out above us. I stared at them as they beat the currents into submission; gleaming feathers pulsing with magic that radiated around the god. I sighed deeply and steadied my resistance. As much as I could appreciate Lucifer's appeal, I didn't want him. I couldn't. But he'd been so sublimely beautiful in his happiness that I had felt a strange desire blossom. Ironically, he had been the one to save me from it.

  I am uneasy, my love.

  You and me both, Ky, I whispered in my mind as I stared at the Morning Star's beguiling face.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  The continent of Hell came into view faster than I expected. Lucifer flew extraordinarily fast to get us there, and I had a feeling he added a pinch of magic to his efforts. In mere minutes, we reached the shores of Hell; a tropical region that bordered the entire continent. Docks bristled from the beaches with ships tied firmly to them. That startled me; I hadn't expected Demons to be seafarers. But hey; why the hell not?

  More inland, homes congregated in loose villages and the land dried into a rocky landscape spotted with bubbling pits of magma. The Lake of Fire had recovered from Lucifer's rising and had melted its black crust back into magma. It lay quarantined in the center of the continent, only the barracks nearby. We landed in one of the villages, miles away from Lucifer's ex-prison; only a glow on the horizon to betray the lake's position.

  “What was the purpose of the Lake of Fire, anyway?” I asked Lucifer as we waited for the Demons to join us. “Why did you make it?”

  “All of the magma pools provide heat and energy for the continent,” he said. “They don't have to rely on magic here; the pools power everything. That particular lake needed to be larger because of its prime position.”

  “Brilliant,” I murmured.

  “I didn't think it was so brilliant when I laid trapped within it.” He smirked.

  “No; I don't suppose you did.”

  The Demons came out of their homes and hesitantly gathered around us. Slick, reptilian skin in crimson, umber, and pumpkin covered lithe bodies tipped with claws and ebony horns. Leathery wings rose from their backs instead of feathered ones, and the eyes that stared at us had slit pupils within red irises. An antithesis of Angels, but still, I could see some similarities. Their body types, facial features, and even the shape of the wings reminded me of the Host. Lucifer smiled at his other children and went forward to speak to them. They tensed, and he froze.

  “Don't be afraid,” Lucifer said gently. “If you don't offer me harm, I will show you the same courtesy.”

  They murmured and shifted restlessly.

  “I made you second,” Lucifer went on, “but I don't love you any less than I love the Angels. You are my children; I formed you to be exactly as you are. I understand why you bargained with your cousins; why you guarded the lake for them. I hold no grudge. I only want to move forward and be the god I should have been to you.”

  The Demons seemed to relax. One of them stepped forward.

  “Morning Star, why are you here?”

  “To make sure you have returned to your homes safely,” Lucifer said. “And to tell you not to fear retribution from me. Live in peace, Demons. I will watch over you.”

  They didn't cheer like the Angels, but they started to smile and nod; open to the hope that their god may truly have returned as a kinder version of himself.

  “You brought the Spellsinger with you,” another demon pointed out.

  “She doubts my sincerity,” Lucifer said without rancor. “As do all of you.” He held up a hand when they began to look wary again. “I wanted her to see that you are well, as I said you were.”

  “Why don't you check on another village while I wait here?” I suggested to Lucifer.

  “What?” He frowned. “Why?”

  “So they may speak freely to me, and both of us can learn to trust you,” I said. “Go on.”

  Lucifer chuckled. “Very well. Elaria will be leaving Angelus in less than two months. If you are mistreated, she will alert the other races of your plight, and they will doubtless come to save you. So, feel free to be absolutely honest with her.”

  Then Lucifer spread his wings and leapt into the sky.

  As soon as he was beyond earshot, the Demons converged on me.

  “Is it true, Spellsinger? Does he want peace?” One of them asked.

  “It seems so.” I shrugged. “Frankly, it's too soon to tell. What have you experienced? Anything suspicious?”

  The Demons looked at each other and frowned. They shook their heads.

  “This is the first time we've interacted with our god since he was put into the lake,” a female demon said, her canines displayed prominently as she spoke.

  “Before Lucifer was imprisoned, what was he like?” I asked.

  They all smiled wickedly; admiration brightening their eyes. The breath caught in my throat. I'd assumed that all human myths were mostly false but with that one look, I knew that they'd gotten some things very right. The Angels may have abhorred the things their god did, but the Demons had delighted in them. They had loved who their god had become instead of who he'd begun as. They weren't wary because they were afraid Lucifer might harm them, they were worried that he had truly changed. They wanted their Devil back.

  “I see,” I whispered as my pulse sped up. “You fought the Host for him, didn't you?”

  “We did,” one man said proudly. “And we nearly won.”

  “But then you took the job of guarding Lucifer in his prison,” I pointed out. “Why?”

  “What choice did we have?” Another shrugged. “At least he was with us.”

  “Then why flee when you suspected he was rising?” I countered.

  “Our god is a fierce, vengeful god,” a demoness said with deep respect. “He punishes any defiance swiftly and with great malice. We knew he would kill us first and then wipe out the Host.”

  “Even though you fought for him?” I asked.

  “We lost,” the same man who said it earlier, repeated the words with venom. “Failure is not acceptable to our god.”

  Those words, above everything, gave me a clear picture of the god Lucifer had been. Why he thought he could come here and calm the Demons with talk of peace was beyond me. He should have stayed far away from Hell.

  “Shit,” I hissed as I stared off the way he'd flown.

  “What is it?” One of the others asked.

  “What would you have done if Lucifer came here alone and offered you peace?” I asked urgently.

  The Demons shifted their stares evilly at each other.

  “Fuck!” I swore. “Kyanite, I need you to get me to him.”

  How? Shall we sing a flying song?

  “I will take you,” one of the men offered.

  I narrowed my eyes at him.

  “Peace may not be what we're after,” the man said quickly. “but we don't want a war with our god either. If he's willing to overlook our failure, we may be willing to wait and hope that this is all a ruse. After all, that would be just like the Devil.” He grinned gleefully.

  The crack of lightning struck nearby, and I flinched.

  “All right.” I held my arms out to the Demon. “Just get me there quickly.”

  The Demon's grin widened and he scooped me up as if I were a fainting damsel. I clung to his shoulders as he launched us into the sky, his leathery wings cracking the air with the effort. We rose diagonally, hundreds of feet up, and quickly spotted a nearby village where Lucifer stood surrounded by a hoard of furious demons. They shouted and bared their teeth at him as he held his hands up in appeasement.

  “There!” I pointed. “Put me down beside him!”

  “We'll be torn apart,” he protested calmly. “There's no room to land.”

  “If Lucifer is forced to hurt his children, it will tear him apart!” I shouted.

  “Then do something, Spellsinger!” The Demon shouted back.

  The creepy, Gothic piano of “Diabolical” by NYXX tolled out above the Demons tauntingly. Kyanite knew what I needed before I did and had supplied me with the perfect solution. If the Demons wanted the Devil back, I'd give him to them. I'd make them believe Lucifer was as diabolical as they craved him to be. I'd do it to save him from reverting to that very state.

  The Demons went still as my voice trickled over them; magic infusing every word. Lucifer's head swiveled up in shock and his jaw dropped open a second before he recovered. Then he stared up at me as if I were the Goddess I had once been. A smile slowly spread across his face as he caught my gaze—held it with his—and sent magic rushing down that connection.

  It filled me gently but powerfully; a grateful wave of ruthlessness. I pushed the tide of it out of me with my words, shoved his dominance into his demons and used my spell to convince them that the god before them was still the one they admired... and he would destroy them if they didn't take the olive branch he offered.

  The Demons stepped back.

  The one who carried me used the opportunity to land. He set me down and nodded at Lucifer when he rushed over to us. Lucifer took my hand, more of his magic flowing into me, and faced down his children beside me. His eyes started to glow and his skin quickly followed suit. Soon, the Demons cowered in the light of the Morning Star.

  My warning continued to lash over them, a horror movie soundtrack perfect for the Prince of Hell. Lucifer's wings spread open behind us and his power became a physical thing, pulsing out with my magic. I showed the demons his greatness and his cruelty; wrapped them in addiction for what he could be to them. And then I asked them a question. Gave them a choice. Make it now; decide to kneel or die.

  It was just what the Demons wanted to hear.

  Every head lifted with a satisfied smile upon it, eyes braving the glory of the Devil. The Demons went to their knees around us and worshiped their god.

  I let the song go; listening to the echoes of its dying cross over Hell. In its place came the cries of the Demons; praising Lucifer. I glanced at the Morning Star and felt his hand tighten around mine as his lips pressed together. I saw sadness in his eyes along with acceptance. He had truly believed his demons could change with him. Now, he saw proof that they couldn't, and he had to come to terms with that.