Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance: Paranormal Romance Boxed Set (77 page)

Golden light shot down over him and Lucifer raised his arms, shielding his face as he diverted course, flying backwards to evade the scorching beam. He clenched his jaw as his skin peeled and clothes burned away, the combined scent filling the air.

“Lucifer.”

He broke free of the light, twisted towards her and dropped hard, his wings faltering as his shadows dissipated.

Nina shoved past the Hell’s angels and ran towards him.

Lucifer hit the pavement with such force that he shook the ground of Hell, causing her to stumble. She refused to fall though, her arms flailing at her sides as she struggled for balance and kept running towards him. He willed her to go back as he tried to push himself up and fought to bring his shadows back as his body raced to heal the burns that covered him.

She shook her head, tears spilling onto her cheeks, as if she had heard him and refused to obey.

He growled a curse and pushed his palms against the splintered black flagstones. His hands had already repaired themselves, leaving perfect white skin and long black talons behind. He gritted his teeth and mustered his strength, calling on every last shred of it to fuel his healing ability. Smooth skin raced up his arms and he could feel it moving up his legs, but he feared it wouldn’t be quick enough.

He could feel Mihail behind him, could sense the angel approaching him, and knew without looking that the male was coming to strike him down while he was weakened.

His Hell’s angels took off, powerful red wings beating the air as they went after the remaining guardian angels. He would be mad at them for going against his orders later. Right now, he needed all the time he could get in order to gather the strength to fight.

Shadows fluttered from Lucifer’s bare shoulders, giving him a sliver of hope that felt like torture, because at the same time despair burned in his heart.

Despair that grew with each step closer Mihail came.

Lucifer managed to turn towards him, grunting as white-hot fire burned in his bones and the scent of blood filled the air, his blackened flesh splitting open in places. Around him, flashes of light told him that his men had done their work, sending the remaining guardian angels back to Heaven.

Leaving only Mihail.

Mihail raised his flaming blade and cut through the air with it.

An arc of golden light formed and shot towards Lucifer.

It seemed it ended here.

Just when he had found a reason to live again, a reason to strive to be a better man and rise onto his feet once more, casting aside his need for vengeance and embracing the light that flickered within his heart.

His eyes widened as she appeared in front of him, standing in the path of the blast.

Shielding him.

“No!” Lucifer tried to kick off towards her, reaching for her with both hands in order to grab her and teleport her to safety with the last of his strength, but his leg gave out and he hit the ground hard.

The arc of light reached her.

Black shadows exploded outwards from her, engulfing both her and him and tearing through the light, driving it back. They streamed around him in all directions, lashing at the remaining spires of the courtyard and sending Mihail flying through the air.

Lucifer stared in disbelief.

He knew Nina was pregnant without a doubt now, because Mihail had come for her, and the baby would attempt to protect her from harm as it viewed her as a vessel, something vital to its survival, but it was no more than a fertilised egg at present.

It wasn’t possible the baby was already sentient and aware of the danger its mother had been in.

A tsk sounded behind him.

“I thought I warned you about messing with my family?” Erin stepped around Lucifer, her red eyes locked on Mihail.

Lucifer couldn’t quite believe it.

His daughter had come to help him.

His daughter had openly called him family.

He stared at her and she glanced down at him, winked, and then grimaced and covered her eyes.

“Would you put something on?” She shuddered and turned away, fixing her attention back on Mihail.

Lucifer looked down at himself. Perfect healed pale skin. Every inch of it exposed.

He closed his eyes, drew down a deep breath and did something he hadn’t done for a very long time indeed.

He called his armour.

The violet-edged obsidian breastplate covered his upper torso, the pointed strips of metal materialised over his hips and his black loincloth, and greaves appeared around his shins with his black leather boots. He sat back on his heels as his vambraces enclosed his forearms, each bearing a rampant dragon on them.

Crimson and gold eyes looked down at him, curiosity burning in them together with a desire to mention that he had the same armour as two other angels. Asmodeus, his creation, and the fallen angel, Nevar.

Lucifer glared at the owner of those eyes, daring the immense Hell’s angel to say a word about it.

The large red-haired male merely grinned at him, and Lucifer knew he had stored it away for use at a later date.

He was about to make sure the wretched maggot never spoke of it, even though he knew that killing Veiron would only get him into trouble with his daughter, when Veiron shifted towards him.

It was then Lucifer noticed the squirming bundle in his thickly-muscled arms, pressed against the soft material of his black t-shirt.

The thought of his grandson in danger was the last straw. Darkness washed through him again and his wings tore from his back, his horns flared from behind his pointed ears and he staggered onto his feet.

Mihail would never touch his family.

He lumbered forwards, slowly gaining strength with each step. Nina turned towards him and was moving the second her eyes fell on him. His heart warmed, filled with light at the way she looked at him with love and concern in her eyes despite his demonic appearance.

Just as she reached Lucifer, Dante erupted in a fit of giggles, stealing her focus.

She stared at the little boy as Veiron bounced him in his arms, a stunned expression settling on her beautiful face. Lucifer knew what she was thinking without needing to probe her mind. She was shocked to not only see an infant on the battlefield, but hear him laughing as if they were having a picnic, not a fight for their lives.

In time, she would come to understand Dante’s ways.

The boy had no fear of battles.

If anyone dared to attempt to harm him, Dante’s shadows would instinctively destroy them.

He was more powerful than both Lucifer and his mother right now, but it would change as he grew older, becoming aware of the world around him and learning other ways to protect himself.

Erin planted her hands on her hips and faced Mihail.

“You mess with my pops, and you’re messing with me too.” She glared at the angel as he picked himself up. “Whatever fucked up plan Heaven has, they can shelve it. Dante will never be my father’s vessel. Nina’s baby will never be your pawn. And I’m not a power in the mortal realm or some bullshit excuse for you to hurt Nina and mess around with her like this. If Heaven even so much as thinks about touching her, or the baby, you’ll damn well discover where my allegiance lies.”

Lucifer had to hand it to his daughter, she knew how to strike a bargain.

Erin looked back at him and smiled. “It lies with my family.”

He cursed himself for being a sentimental fool, but her words touched him. He didn’t deserve her after everything he had put her through, and he didn’t deserve Nina, but both were a balm that were healing his wounds and making him whole again.

The light that Erin had brought to life in him, Nina had made blossom, until it and the darkness held sway over equal measures of his soul.

Lucifer knew he would never be good again, that his sins were still blemishes on his soul that he would bear for eternity together with his duties as the ruler of Hell, but he could still be a good man for those who were dear to him.

For those who loved him for who he was now and would never betray him.

Mihail readied his sword.

Lucifer threw his hand forwards and the male grunted, his expression tightening as he fought the wave of power Lucifer sent at him. He increased the pressure on the angel, scowling at him as the male fought back and struggled to remain on his feet. Lucifer growled, the darkness within him growing again as he thought about everything the angel had done to Nina.

Sweat broke out on the male’s brow, his face reddening as his legs trembled.

They buckled beneath him and he hit the cracked black pavement hard, his breath leaving him in a rush.

Victory belonged to Lucifer.

The darker part of himself said to deal the final blow and remove Mihail from his life forever.

Nina shifted, drawing his focus back to her. She looked between him and the angel, a touch of concern and wariness in her eyes.

Lucifer huffed.

Looked at Mihail.

A few days ago, he wouldn’t have hesitated. He would have destroyed Mihail. Now, he found he couldn’t do it. Now, when he looked at Mihail, he saw the man he had been millennia ago, and the light inside him said to ensure that what had happened to him didn’t happen to the angel.

“Do not blindly follow orders, Mihail. Sometimes it is not the best course of action, no matter how much loyalty you feel.” Lucifer lowered his hand to his side and glared at the angel when the male’s icy eyes widened. “Do not think I will not kill you if you ever dare to come near me or my family again. I will not let you have Nina, but I will not fight you either. We have a common enemy now. Our powers are best expended fighting the princes of Hell.”

The shock in Mihail’s eyes only grew and Lucifer raised his hand again before the angel could voice the words he could see running through his tiny mind, questioning whether he meant they were now allies in a battle to protect the mortal realm.

“You are banished from this realm. Do not set foot in it again.” Lucifer flicked his fingers towards Mihail and the angel disappeared.

Leaving him with just three people looking at him through shocked eyes.

He glared at each of them in turn.

None of their expressions changed so he growled for good measure.

Nina actually smiled at him.

He huffed at her, realising that he was always going to fail to intimidate her. She knew him too well and knew he wouldn’t hurt her.

Erin grinned and jerked her thumb towards the place where Mihail had been. “Did you at least send him somewhere horrible?”

Lucifer cracked a smile. “The middle of the arctic ocean. There is nothing more irritating than wet feathers and freezing conditions.”

Veiron grunted in agreement.

“Nice.” The crimson in her eyes faded as she glanced at Veiron and Dante, her smile gaining warmth and losing its humour.

She took measured steps towards her husband and child, and embraced both of them. Dante squirmed and opened bright golden eyes, and reached for his mother.

Lucifer bit back a sigh at the tender sight of his daughter taking her child and cradling him, her gaze soft as she peered down at him.

Coming to know his daughter had made Lucifer miss knowing of her when she had been a baby. He had come to realise that he would have enjoyed being there for her, raising her and watching her grow into an incredible woman, and that perhaps he would have been set on his path towards the light long before now.

He might have become a man more deserving of Nina’s love.

Love that part of him still feared he would never have.

He lowered his gaze to Dante as Erin rocked him. He had missed his daughter’s childhood, but he was determined to be there for Dante as the boy grew up. His intentions hadn’t been noble when he had brought Erin and Veiron together, had awakened her powers and set her on the path towards having Dante. He had desired the boy as his vessel, but that desire had disappeared the moment he had set eyes on Dante.

He could never bring himself to corrupt the boy.

His golden gaze slid towards Nina where she stood just feet from him, her green eyes filled with tenderness as she watched Erin with her son.

She was pregnant.

His child grew inside her and that flooded his heart with warmth and light, filled him with emotions he would have considered a weakness just days ago.

Before he had met her.

Now, he didn’t want to extinguish those emotions. He wanted to embrace them.

He would ensure Nina survived the birth of their child, and he would give that child everything they desired. He would do his best to raise it well with her, because now he felt capable of doing such a thing.

Now he knew how to cherish rather than corrupt.

Dante reached for Nina. Erin looked to her and back down at Dante. The boy stared up at his mother and she nodded, as if she had sensed something from him and was responding to it. She turned with Dante, carried him over to Nina and held him out to her.

Nina’s peridot eyes darted between the boy and Erin, her uncertainty making Lucifer’s feet move, carrying him towards her so he could offer the comfort that she needed. When he reached her, she glanced at him, and then down at the boy again. She pulled down a breath and very carefully reached for Dante, taking him into her hands and lifting him.

Dante giggled and pressed chubby hands to her cheeks.

Erin smiled. Veiron smiled too.

Lucifer had the feeling he was missing something, and he didn’t like it.

“Explain,” he snapped and Erin raised a single eyebrow at him.

Then grinned.

“Around the time someone went invasion of the body snatchers on me, Dante learned to use telepathy.” Erin glanced back down at her son, her eyes shining with love and amusement. “He wanted to hear my voice. He hasn’t been able to switch it off since then… so we’ve kinda been subjected to a constant stream of baby babble most of the time and I can’t tell you how annoying that is.”

She glared at Lucifer.

He refused to apologise for what he had done. It had been necessary.

“You can understand him sometimes though?” he said and Erin nodded.