Soul Conquered (6 page)

Lucifer tilts his head in consideration. “I’m pleased
to hear you admit that there is only one way this can go. You’ve come far in
the short time you’ve been with me, Grace.”

My shoulders sink even farther toward the ground.
Asking that question did imply that I’d given up on any other possibility. And
he didn’t even answer, which basically confirms my worst fears. Either Josh
will be forever unreachable up in Heaven, or he’ll come back here and I’ll be
unable to resist seducing him. And when we do make love, it will likely be for the
last time. All that time in Heaven wasted because I was angry and never
understood until now the position he was in.

My heart shatters, but it seems I’ve finally come to
the end of my tears. Instead of sorrow or pain, I feel hollow and dull, like
nothing can really touch me now, good or bad. Perhaps this is my body’s way of
dealing with so much emotional pain; a defense mechanism to protect me from
ceasing to function completely.

“Stand up straight, Grace. You want to be attractive
for Randy. Never forget that your job comes first.”

I nod, standing tall in my stilettos. “I get to visit
Noah when Randy swindles the casino.”

“Attagirl! Yes, you do. I’ll take you first thing in
the morning. And by the way, I love how you said ‘when’ and not ‘if.’ That’s
Demon talk.” He pinches my cheek, and I smile in compliance. “Now go get him.”

First thing in the
morning
.
That means Lucifer expects me to stay the night with Randy. The thought is too
frightening to contemplate right now. I have to focus on one task at a time.

The moment I step into the next room, Randy greets me
with a wolf call. Suddenly I feel naked again. The silk zigzags only over my
breasts and hips, exposing my navel and most of my back. There’s no room for a
bra in this outfit. And there were no hose in the closet to cover my legs, which
peek out of the ridiculously long slit in the skirt. Then again, if the slit
weren’t there I’d probably never be able to walk; the material hugs me so
tight.

“Baby, with you looking like that, no one’s going to
give a damn what I’m doing.
I
may not even remember.” He comes over to
me, setting down the bottle of wine he’d been looking at. He’s taken the rest
of the day to sober up, which gives me more confidence in his ability to rob
the casino.

Rob the casino. I’m asking a man to steal. I feel
lightheaded and stumble a little in my heels. Randy’s arm is around me in
moments, and he scoops me to his side. The rough material of his tuxedo jacket
rubs against my exposed skin. I realize he must use the same soap or shampoo
that Josh uses, because the memory of Josh’s arms around me comes rushing back,
making my pulse quicken and my cheeks warm.

“You okay?” Randy asks softly. He brushes some curls
out of my eyes.

I blink. I can do this. I have to do this to get to
Noah. It’s not like he’s robbing some poor old woman, it’s a casino with lots
of money—a place that robs people of their earnings all the time and
really won’t even notice it’s gone. And it’s just a one-time thing. It’s not
like he’s killing anyone.

I smile. “I’m okay, prince charming. I just forgot to
eat today. That’s all.”

He smiles back, an adorable dimple digging into his
left cheek. He’s not a bad guy. He’s trying to help me.

“Well, we have to feed you then. Wait here.” He runs
around to the wet bar in the room and comes back with a plate of olives and a
glass of whisky, which I stare at, mouth agape. “It’s all we have. But go
ahead. The drink’s for me. This’ll help give me a little courage for tonight.”
He winks and takes a sip of whisky.

I can’t afford to have him off his game, so I take the
glass from his grip and down the rest, nearly coughing at the burn in my throat
and the fire in my stomach. Not yummy.

“Sorry,” I say. “I need it more than you. Now let’s
get out of here already.” I take his hand and tug him toward the door.

Keira

I’m finally with Noah. He called
me to him. I don’t like that he knows he has that power over me, but I’ll file
that worry away for now since I can’t believe he actually called me despite
Lucifer’s wishes. When I think of it, excitement bubbles from the tip of my
head to my toes and all I want to do is kiss him.

So I do.

In between kisses, he tells me about Lucifer’s plans
and how he glamoured Emily. He tells me how I’m the only one he wants and that
she’s nothing compared to me.

So I kiss him again.

“The only thing I’m not sure about,” he says as I
nuzzle his throat, “is what to do about Grace.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, working my way over his ear
then turning his face toward mine so that our breath mingles. The feel of his
stubble against my palm sends currents of anticipation through me.

“Well, she’s around now, you know? She still thinks
she can get to me and, like, I don’t know, make me her good little brother or
something.”

I tangle my fingers in his wild, golden hair. “And why
do you think that upsets you so much when you know you’ve won?” I guess I was
hoping he’d be okay with Gracie being around. Ever since she listened to me
when I asked her for help protecting Noah, well, I’ve gotten kind of used to
her. And I trust her love for Noah. All she wants to do is help him.

“I just don’t want to see her. I want to forget she
ever existed, just like what I wished for my parents.” He pulls me in for a
deep kiss, and by the time he pulls back to keep talking, I’ve forgotten the
subject.

But he hasn’t. “It’s just that it was weird seeing her
there, a slave to Lucifer. She sacrificed her soul for the brother she wanted,
not the brother she
has
. Why can’t she see that? Why can’t she just
accept me for who I am?”

I draw a deep breath and stand, stretching. “She’s
learning now that even good people do bad things. It’s a tough lesson for her,
but she’ll get it.”

“It’s too late, though.” Noah sounds sad.

“Too late for what?” I ask, pulling on his jersey and
inhaling the scent he’s left behind.

“To go back to where she belongs.”

I snort. “Who’s to say where anyone belongs? Grace was
the most Angelic person I’ve ever met, and now look at her.”

Noah stands, gathering me back toward him, but when I
lift my face for another makeout session, I meet an expression so hard it could
be made of stone.

“What do you mean, ‘now look at her’?” he asks, grip
tightening on my arms. It doesn’t hurt, but I’m not slipping away easily.

I cock my head, not sure yet how I feel about this
version of Noah. It’s exciting, but a little too close to the person I worry
he’ll become. And now he has power over me, a fact that won’t seem to stop
bothering me. “Are you sure the Boss isn’t listening?” I ask in a whisper.

“I know when he’s here,” Noah says, glancing at his
closet. “I can’t explain it, but it’s like the blood in my veins pumps harder.
It doesn’t hurt…more like a weird feeling. So
tell
me.”

I nod and answer his question about Grace. “She’s
taken every bite of bait Lucifer’s set out for her. She hasn’t fought or struggled
as far as I can tell; all it takes is a tiny bit of torture and she just reasons
it away like every other unlucky SOB I’ve ever corrupted.”

Noah seems to realize he’s gripping me too tightly and
immediately pulls me into a much more comfortable position. I sigh, burying my
face against the contours of his chest until I find his heartbeat.

“Why is Lucifer doing that? Is he trying to impress me
by making her do things she doesn’t want to do? I already told him I wasn’t
interested in having her as a servant.” His voice vibrates against my cheek as
I listen, pressed against him.

“I think he truly wants revenge. He says he never
forgets a transgression, and she beat him once. You don’t best the Devil and
get away with it. It’s a cold, hard fact, Noah. Which is why I worry when you
do stuff like demand things from Lucifer that you know he doesn’t want to
give.”

“Baby, you aren’t a
thing
.” He dips me, making
me squeal, and grins an adorable grin that makes my heart rate triple. “And
this is different. I am Lucifer’s equal. In fact, I think I’m the slightly
better, more modern version. Don’t you agree?”

The words frighten me, but I let a giggle escape
anyway. Maybe it’s the way he wiggles his eyebrows. “Yeah,” I breathe. “Yeah,
you’re definitely the better model. Just don’t make me admit that to
him
.”
I can’t admit to Noah that, as much as I care about him, he’s no match for
Lucifer.

Noah scoops me into his arms and carries me to the
couch while I kiss him deeply, but my mind winds back to Grace and how I left
her to deal with Randy. I try to shake her out of my thoughts while Noah works
his mouth down my stomach, but I remember what Lucifer wants of her, and it
isn’t just to help him con the casino. I know Lucifer—he wants to break
her completely, and the best way to do that is to make her cheat on Josh. I
can’t help but imagine her face; so pale and innocent when I first met her with
Josh in the library.

Damn it! Focus, Keira. I’ve been waiting for this
since we were interrupted by the little Angel herself. But as Noah kisses each
of my fingertips, I recall the burnt flesh of my finger and how Grace healed me,
and I remember how she’s grown on me.

I push away from Noah and sit up on the bed feeling
like I’m going to puke.

“You okay?” he asks, sitting beside me, all concerned.

“Yeah. It’s just… I’ve never felt this before, but I
don’t like it.” I can’t name the emotion and that bothers me even more.

Noah presses a palm against my forehead, like he’s
afraid I’m ill. Demons can’t get sick, but I sure feel like it. I’m still
nauseous. I pull a pillow over to hug.

“What happened?” he asks, so sincerely concerned it
makes normally pleasant butterflies flutter around amid all the chaos in my
stomach.

“I was thinking about what you said. About Grace. And
then I felt…funny.”

Noah narrows his eyes at me. “Are you feeling sorry
for my sister?”

No. Am I? That’s ridiculous. Though I guess that’s why
I was so angry at Lucifer when I saw how he’d trussed her up like a whore. I
thought it was just because I was thinking of myself, but maybe…

“I… I keep thinking about how Lucifer has her with my
assignment, and how I came right when you called but left her there.” I tell him
everything I’m thinking because I need someone to help me make sense of this.

“You feel guilty about leaving her to do Lucifer’s
bidding without you.” Noah laughs and settles back, like it’s all a big joke.
Well, it doesn’t
feel
very funny.

“Ugh. If this is guilt, I don’t like it. No wonder
Angels always seem so uptight. They’re trying to keep from spewing their lunch,”
I mumble. “Why on Earth would I be guilty, anyway? Grace made her own decision.
I told her not to do it, but she didn’t listen. It’s not my responsibility.
It’s not my fault Lucifer’s torturing her. Damn her! She’s contagious.”

I realize what I’ve said a minute too late. Noah stops
laughing and strokes the stubble on his face. “You told her not to fall?” he
asks.

“Well, yeah. Lucifer sent me to retrieve her, but I
panicked. I wanted to be with you, and I didn’t care how. I told her she’d be a
slave down here, but I thought maybe upstairs there’d be something to, you know…help
you.” I clear my throat, waiting for the rage.

Noah sits quietly for a minute, though, eyes dark and
brow furrowed so that he looks much older than his sixteen years. “You mean,
like, make me repent so I wouldn’t be the Antichrist anymore or something? How
would that help us be together?” he asks.

“I wasn’t thinking straight. I thought… I think… I
just didn’t want…” I pull in a deep breath, trying to steady myself so I can
spit it out. Finally, I hug the pillow tighter, pulling my knees up close and
staring at my hands. “I didn’t want you to become
him
. I love you, and I
didn’t want to lose who you are.”

There. I said it. Out loud. I could use a drink. Even
so, I stay still until I feel his hand brush my cheek.

“You won’t lose me, Keira. I have no desire to be like
Lucifer. In fact, I don’t think he’s doing such a fantastic job. For starters,
if I were in charge, you’d rule beside me. You’re a queen, Keira, not a servant.
Who knows? Maybe I will be in charge one day.”

I draw a sharp breath, eyes snapping to meet his. My
stomach flutters for a whole new reason, but this time it’s about us. Me, a
queen. What a beautiful thought.

But I know Lucifer. I’ve known him for centuries, and
as much as I want to believe in Noah, I can’t picture anyone succeeding if they
tried to take over. Nor can I bear the thought of Noah in the Pit for all of
eternity if he fails. But how can I explain that to Noah without losing him? He’ll
think I don’t “believe” in him.

“Keira?”

I haven’t moved. I’m not even sure if I’ve blinked.
But since I have no words to explain what I’m thinking, I do what I know I’m
good at and throw my arms around him, tackling him to the mattress and drowning
any more treasonous talk with kisses.

“I wonder,” Noah says as I explore every ridge on his
chest, “if I can send her back when I take over. So I don’t have to see her.”

“Hmm?” I ask, focused on his body.

“Grace.”

“Oh.” I stop and roll onto my back next to him. It seems
Grace is going to come between us in bed whether we like it or not. “If you
were in charge, you could take away her Demon status. But you can’t send her
back to Heaven, and she—” I stop before I let the words escape.

“She what?” he asks, leaning on his elbow to see my face.
He has that hard look again.

“It’s just that I can’t imagine her being tortured in
Hell for all of eternity,” I say, my voice breaking, whether from fear of how
he’ll react or the actual thought of Grace being tortured, I’m not sure
anymore.

But he softens and his eyes glaze over like he’s
seeing something that isn’t there. “Those are the only two choices in Hell?” He
sounds young again. He flip-flops so fast, it’s hard to catch up. Or maybe it’s
all the years of bitterness and pain I’ve experienced since my death that make
his perspective seem so naïve.

“And not many people get the choice that I did. For
them, it’s all or nothing. You know, once you die, if you were bad, that’s it.
Torture forever. Punishment for your sins. For the rest of eternity. It doesn’t
feel right to me, but what more could there be? It’s Hell.”

Noah’s lips turn up at the corners. “I’d like to see
it.”

“Well, you can’t. Not until you’re dead, and I don’t
want that to happen any time soon. Then you
won’t
be Lucifer’s equal.”
And therein lies the seed of my fear. Lucifer is tricky and if Noah were to die
somehow… Can the Antichrist die? If Lucifer isn’t happy and wants a different
one, maybe…

“If I were in charge, I’d change things,” Noah
declares. He’s so confident, which only worries me more. And I don’t want to
imagine him dying at Lucifer’s hand. I can’t. All I want is to feel his body
against mine.

“Kiss me,” I answer.

He obeys.