Ruthless (The Seraphim Series Book 2) (10 page)

“Lucifer.” She didn’t have to say the name loudly; she knew he was standing behind her. She could feel his breath on her neck.

The lights flickered back on, and she stayed completely still as everyone gasped in terror. The Devil was standing in the room. Benedict had paled but still took a step towards her. She stopped him with the rise of her hand.

Lilliah was petrified, but she refused to show it. She refused to give Lucifer that satisfaction.

“Where is Azrael?” She stepped away from him and then turned, hoping her body wasn’t visibly shaking.

“It’s so great to see you, Lilliah.” His voice made her skin crawl.

“Wish I could say the same.” She tried to keep her face devoid of any emotion. “Where is he?”

“You’ve healed beautifully.” Lucifer’s eyes skimmed her body. “That’s good to see.”

“You repulse me.” More gasps came from behind her. “Tell me where Azrael is.”

“I repulse you?” Lucifer laughed, placing his hand over his chest. He gestured to their audience. “You’re surrounded by these insects, and I’m the one that repulses you?”

“Insects?” Lilliah’s body jerked at the word. “Insects? You’re the only monster that I see,” she repeated, her eyebrows knitted together.

“They are all impurities. Like humans, they’re diseases that need to be eradicated. They’re not like me and you. They don’t have pure blood running through their veins.”

“They didn’t brainwash my boyfriend either.” She clenched her jaw, wanting nothing more than to hit him with everything she had.

“Brainwashed?” Lucifer laughed, ignoring her question. “That’s what you think I did? I think you can be more creative than that. And the beating? As you so eloquently put it.” He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “Look at that as more of a demonstration of what I can make Azrael do.”

He looked cool and relaxed, and it made Lilliah furious. For a second, her anger beat her fear. “Where is he?!”

“Now, now. There’s no need to shout.” His smile had disappeared; she’d offended him. “Azrael is busy. I wouldn’t worry about him if I were you.”

Realising her mistake, Lilliah backtracked. She would crawl on her hands and knees if it meant getting Azrael back. “Bring him back to me. Please. Just … just let him go. I need him.”

Lucifer straightened, clearly liking having control. “I know. That’s why I took him.”

Lilliah fell silent. Realisation slowly dawned; nothing she could say would change Lucifer’s mind. He was here to taunt her—nothing more. She wouldn’t get Azrael back unless she took him. Balling her hands into fists, she pushed down her nerves.

“Give him back to me or I will find a way to take him back, and then I’ll find a way to kill you.”

People cried out, shocked, and even Lucifer couldn’t hide his surprise. Her heart thumped in her chest, but she stood a little taller.

“How do you plan to do that?” Lucifer leaned forward, eyes blazing. “No matter where you go or what you do, I will always be one step ahead. I will always win. You can either join me and we can take Heaven together, or I will kill your boyfriend, your mother, your brother, and even your best friend.”

Lilliah’s fingernails dug into her palms.

“Then I’ll enter Heaven and kill Michael. After it’s all over and you’ve watched everyone you’ve ever loved die in the most horrendous way possible, I’ll kill you. Either way, I win. There are no surprises.”

Lilliah didn’t know what came over her, but without knowing how, she’d reached up and had grabbed Lucifer’s head in the tightest grip she could manage. Her body shook as fire flew from her hands, burning Lucifer’s face. He screamed and pushed Lilliah away. She crashed into the people across the room.

“I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you all!” he screamed. The room shook, the doors burst open, and then Lucifer vanished.

Chapter 8

“Heard you kicked ass.”

Lilliah looked up as Rebecca walked into Benedict’s office, or at least the room he had claimed while they were at The Cure. She was sitting on the floor, her head resting on her knees. She tried to muster up a smile but failed. The Lucifer incident had happened an hour ago and doubt had since crept in, as had complete and utter fear.

“I think I made the biggest mistake.” Lilliah looked up from where she was sat on the floor and rubbed her face.

“Why?” Rebecca sat beside her.

“I hurt him.” Saying the words out loud made it more real. “He can kill everyone I love in the blink of an eye, and I goaded him.”

“I heard you scared the shit out of him.” Rebecca nudged her arm, trying to coax a smile out of her, but Lilliah could hear the panic in her friend’s face. “It’s all anyone can talk about.”

The witches and warlocks had scattered after Lucifer’s disappearance. Running back to their holes, as Benedict had put it. She couldn’t blame them. She wanted nothing more than to go home and to have her boyfriend back and pretend that everything was okay, but she couldn’t. She was in the eye of the storm.

“I thought everyone had left.”

“They want to.” Rebecca crossed her legs. “But they don’t know where to go. I mean, where the heck is safe from Lucifer?”

“Nowhere, I guess.” Lucifer was an evil she could never escape. Images of her mum, her family, her house all came rushing at her. Everyone she had ever cared about was in danger. “What if he goes after my mum?”

Rebecca reached into her pocket for her phone. “I spoke with Sebastian. He’s with your mum, but they’re not at home.” She pulled up a text message and leaned over to show Lilliah.

“Is that worse or better?” The question came out more bitter than Lilliah had intended, and she cringed inwardly.

Rebecca looked unimpressed. “Because of what you’re going through, I’m allowing one bitchy moment. You’ve just had it.”

Lilliah tried to laugh, but it came out more like a snort. “And what if I have another bitchy moment?”

“Then I’ll kick your ass.” Rebecca didn’t laugh, but she smiled and shrugged.

“So Mum and Seb are safe.” Lilliah was speaking more to herself than to Rebecca. She’d hoped saying the words aloud would make her feel better. It hadn’t. All it had done was highlight the fact that they were in danger.

“I’ve just royally pissed off the Devil.” She turned to Rebecca, and threw her hands in the air in defeat. “I have no idea what I’m doing. When Lucifer was in front of me, I knew what I needed to do. I knew how to use my powers. Now, it’s gone again.” She held her hands out in front of her, imagining the fire flowing like it had before.

Rebecca didn’t lean in to hug her; she just listened as Lilliah spoke.

“What use are powers when they come and go like that? Why couldn’t they have come back when Lucifer was actually attacking me? When I could actually have used them to protect myself?” Lilliah dropped her head in her hands and growled. If the powers were in her why couldn’t she control them? Why didn’t it come naturally, like breathing?

Rebecca patted Lilliah’s crossed legs. “Is this what you’re doing on the floor? Practicing your magic?”

“Trying to. As you can see, not a lot is happening. If I could just get the powers under control, I would be able to protect everyone. I’d actually be able to fight Lucifer and we’d stand a chance of winning.”

“No one expects you to have all the answers. You can’t put that pressure on yourself to save everyone. This isn’t just your fight, Lil.”

“It is, though,” Lilliah burst out, unable to hold it in anymore. “Lucifer took
my
boyfriend. He wants
me
to join him in his sick war. He wants to get revenge on
my
father, Michael.”

Everything she had been feeling came pouring out, until she sat on the floor breathing heavily but feeling lighter.

“Okay.” Lilliah swore Rebecca had sat up straighter, but she wasn’t looking at her to tell. “This can’t happen. You’re allowed to be sad, Lil, you’re allowed to not have every answer. You’re only human.”

Only human. If Lilliah was only human then she wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place. She’d be back in London, going to college and hanging out with her friends and possibly meeting her mother’s knew boyfriend.

“I wish I was human. But I’m not, I’m an angel.”

Rebecca waited until Lilliah had quieted. “Okay, so we need a plan.”

“We do. I just don’t know where to start.”

“I don’t think anyone out there had a clue, either. They’re just running around and yelling at each other.” Rebecca reached over and took Lilliah’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “So this is where I step in.” She gave her a huge, fake smile, but quickly dropped it and got down to business. “First things first: How did Lucifer know you were here?”

Lilliah shrugged. She had no idea, and until this moment, she hadn’t even questioned it.
Good bloody question, Becca,
she thought.

“Well, that needs to stop.” Rebecca looked so adamant that Lilliah couldn’t help but get pulled in.

Lilliah nodded. “But how?”

“We’re surrounded by witches and warlocks. There must be some kind of spell that can block him out.”

“Or hide us.” Lilliah’s mind was already racing at the possibilities. Why hadn’t she thought about this before? “He must have been able to track me or something. He can get inside my head. I just need us and my mum and Seb to be safe and out of his reach. Is that possible?”

“Fuck knows. So let’s find out. I mean, remember what we found out about those psychics?”

“The Delphines?”

“Yeah. Who are they? How many people know about them?  What kind of visions do they have? I think it’s weird they haven’t been brought up before now.”

“You’re right, that is unusual.” Lilliah racked her brain, thinking of everything they had found out about the Delphines. As soon as Benedict had told her it was useless information, she’d kind of pushed the psychics out of her mind. Luckily for her, though, she’d brought Azrael’s laptop.

“And another thing we need to do is talk to Benedict. Last time we tried to do this on our own, we basically wasted a night, so let’s talk to him first and take it from there.”

Lilliah felt better. Not completely better, but she wasn’t as afraid. Rebecca had a talent for soothing her nerves the way only a best friend could.

“You know what?”

“What?” Rebecca was already standing.

“You’re amazing. I needed this pep talk.” Lilliah stood as well. “You’re getting really good at them.”

“Yeah, it’s my superpower.” She winked. “This is what friends do.”

They found Benedict a few minutes later. A bunch of panicked people had him surrounded and they all turned as Lilliah and Rebecca approached.

“You.” One of them pointed at Lilliah—an older man with aged blond hair and huge blue eyes. “You’re a fool. You’ve put us all in danger.”

Before Lilliah could speak, Rebecca held out her hand and stepped forward. “Hold on there, Harry Potter.”

Lilliah snorted.

“This isn’t Lilliah’s fault. She’s basically a human and you’re the ones with powers. So why don’t
you
do something?” Now it was Rebecca who was pointing.

The man looked astonished that someone would speak to him that way. “No one can take on Lucifer. And we have seen her power. What kind of magic was that?”

“My magic,” Lilliah said sounding a lot calmer then she felt. She waited for another person to question her, to demand to know more about her powers, but they didn’t. Instead they all stared at her, as if she was going to put on a display for them at any moment.

“I agree with Rebecca. None of this is Lilliah’s fault. If you think it is, speak up now, and then get out.” Benedict stepped forward; again no one spoke.

Lilliah crossed her arms. Benedict was a badass. She knew it, and they knew it. Everybody knew it.

After a few seconds of silence, Benedict headed down the hall, motioning with his head for Rebecca and Lilliah to follow.

“How are you feeling, Lilliah?” He glanced at her, his eyes doing a once-over, checking that she was physically okay. She liked that. She also liked that, after what had happened with Lucifer, Benedict had given her space.

“I’m doing okay,” she told him honestly as he opened a door for them. “We’re ready to do something. You know? To get this show on the road.”

He stared down at her. “I never doubted you.”

Benedict had more faith in her than she had in herself. She dug her hand in her pockets, feeling a little uncomfortable, but also a little proud. Rebecca nudged her arm and smiled at her with a look that said,
“See? Benedict knows you’re hard core.”

He had led them into a huge social room that contained a few chairs, sofas, and a fire burning at the back. It was completely empty.

“I can picture myself reading in a room like this,” Rebecca said, looking around.

“If you read,” Lilliah reminded as she walked over to lean against one of the leather sofas.

“Yeah, if I read.” Rebecca fell into the seat opposite Lilliah, her eyes still scanning the walls.

“You mean you don’t read?” Benedict’s mouth hung open, the look on his face pure sarcasm. “I am just shocked.”

Lilliah laughed a little.

“That’s it, all of you laugh.” Rebecca snickered along playfully. “I read biographies and magazines. I’m proud of that. So the next time there’s a quiz and you want to know who designed Princess Diana’s wedding dress, or the name of Madonna’s first husband, don’t come looking for me.”

Rebecca looked so serious that all Lilliah could do was shake her head. “Noted,” she finally said before turning to Benedict. “We have a plan.”

Benedict folded his arms.

“Is there a spell that can hide people from Lucifer?” Benedict pursed his lips, thinking, so Lilliah explained. “When I say
people
, I mean my family.”

“There
was
a spell, but not anymore.” He looked at Lilliah, clearly refusing to elaborate.

“‘Was’?” Her eyes darted to Rebecca to make sure she hadn’t gone dumb. Rebecca looked as confused as she felt.

“Yes.” Benedict nodded simply. “Was.”

“So spells have a shelf life or something?” Rebecca asked while Lilliah wondered whether Benedict was dodging the question.

“No. There used to be a spell, but it was deemed too technical and was forbidden to be practiced.”

“Too technical?” Lilliah shrieked in disbelief. “What the heck does that even mean?”

“Yeah,” Rebecca said, with the same confused and silently bewildered look on her face that Lilliah imagined was on her own. “I think it’s time you warlocks took off the stabilisers and started riding with the big boys.”

Benedict didn’t look impressed, so Lilliah ignored Rebecca’s attempt and tried a different approach. She didn’t want to insult Benedict, but she had to admit it just didn’t make any sense.

“Why was it deemed too technical?” she asked, shooting daggers at Rebecca with her eyes, but she ignored her.

“When you hide someone, as you put it, it’s like cloaking their soul so it can’t be tracked or traced. Tampering with the soul in any way is dangerous and not worth it.”

“But … what about my old necklace?” Lilliah’s hand rose to her neck where her necklace usually hung. She hadn’t worn it in months. It had originally been used to hide and protect her from those out to harm her, but thanks to Ada Washington and Lucifer, it was now useless.

“The Archangel Michael put the spell on that necklace. I’m just a warlock. I don’t have that kind of power.”

“What about the family of psychics?” Rebecca sat forward, tapping her hands on her knees. “Why doesn’t anyone go looking for them? Why can’t
we
go looking for them?”

“The family of psychics are protected so no one can find them. They asked for this to happen, of course.”

Lilliah pressed her lips together to hide her amusement. Everything was so absurd she had to laugh. “I’m sorry. So let me get this straight. There isn’t a spell that can hide someone.”

“No, there is a spell,” Benedict corrected.

“Of course. So, there isn’t a spell that can hide one person, but there’s a spell that can hide an entire family.”

“Yes, that’s what I’m telling you.” Benedict straightened and smiled politely. “Well, I’m going for a walk in the gardens.”

Lilliah and Rebecca watched incredulously as Benedict walked out of the room.

What was happening?

Rebecca stood. “What the fuck was that?”

Lilliah shook her head. “I have no idea.”

They looked at each other, Lilliah knowing what Rebecca was thinking:
Follow him!

Benedict was standing in the gardens—gardens Lilliah had had no idea were even there. The space wasn’t particularly big, but the neatly trimmed hedge and small flowerpots made it cosy, as if it were hidden away from the busyness of The Cure. Two cushioned seats sat in a corner, next to a small path that led to a more open space. She could hear the faint sound of water—a small fountain maybe? One thing she did know was that she loved this place. Even the buzz of New York traffic couldn’t ruin its tranquillity.