The Devil's Lover: The Wish (15 page)

Nervously, she entered a small café
several blocks away and ordered a bottle of water. She sat down on
the chair for a short moment, gathering herself before she snuck
into the bathroom when the clerk had turned away. She scanned the
bathroom first, then walked to the last bathroom stall and locked
the door carefully. Releasing the breath she had been holding, she
retrieved the pregnancy test from her bag and opened it.

Her hands were trembling as she held
the applicator in her hands. She took the time to read the
directions on the little paper that came with it then followed the
directions. Closing the toilet lid, she sat on it for the full five
minutes. Dozens of thoughts raced through her mind during those
five minutes. At the end, if felt as if she’d been there for hours.
With another deep breath, she picked the applicator up off the
plastic in her lap to read the result.

The applicator dropped the floor. She
was going to faint. The result was positive, confirming her
suspicions, but how could that be possible? She couldn’t be
pregnant! It wasn’t possible! Who was the father?

She found herself crying softly. Fear
and confusion battled in her head. What had happened in those two
missing months? Has she fallen in love? Was she raped? Why couldn’t
she remember? How could she forget something so important? She let
out a sob and lowered her head. How could she go home like
this? 

†††††

He couldn’t find her. Chevalier was
becoming more frustrated as the hours ticked by. She hadn’t come
home and didn’t even bother to call. He had looked everywhere for
her, but it was like finding a needle in a haystack in this city.
Where could she have gone? She had nowhere to go. If anything
happened to her, what would he do?

He couldn’t face that yet. He could
not allow those thoughts to distract him. He had to find her, and
quickly before she got herself into trouble and he couldn’t protect
her. Think, Chevalier, where would that girl have gone? Thinking
hard, he remembered a few places she would go before the whole
Lucifer debacle, and he decided to search each one.

He was relieved when he found her
sitting by herself on the beach. He approached her, took off his
jacket, and placed it around her frail shoulders. Her face was
covered in tears.

"You shouldn’t do that to me,” he said
in a soft voice. "You know I panic easily. What’s going
on?"

She didn't answer, her face buried in
her hands. He could take a guess.

"I think I'm pregnant,” she finally
spoke, her voice a whisper.

"Oh, that,” he said in a light hearted
tone.

"What do you mean 'oh, that'?" she
sobbed. "I don't even know what happened or who the father
is!"

"Why wouldn't you just assume that
it’s mine?” he asked.

"I don’t know. Hana asked me if it is
yours or Lucien’s,” she said. “She mentioned him twice. Who is
he?”

“
He’s nobody. I think you
can take him right out of the equation.”

“
What am I going to do?
I’m still in school and… Chevalier, I’m scared.”

“
There’s not much you can
do. Stay healthy and let me worry about the rest.”

She turned to him. "Chevalier, you
don't have to do this. If I made a mistake and...”

She couldn't finish the
sentence.

"Are you insulting me?” he shouted at
her. "Don’t you think I’d know if I'm the father or not? Why would
I claim a responsibility I have nothing to do with?"

She couldn't answer.

They sat there until dawn. The gentle
breeze helped her think the situation through. "What happened
between us?” she asked.

"I wronged you,” he confessed. "I
attacked you because I was pissed that you had belittled my
manhood. I shouldn't have done that.”

"Do I keep it?” she placed her hands
over her lower abdomen. "I mean...could I?"

"You shouldn't have to think like
that,” he drew her closer to share his warmth. "Stop worrying. Let
me worry about the rest. I really believe I can make you happy,
Kali. Please have faith in me.”

†††††

The demons were standing around in
clumps, patiently waiting and speculating about what was to come.
They communicated with each other through telepathy, as if they
were afraid of being overheard. Wines of ancient vintage were being
served around the room. Even with their concerns, the demons
thoroughly enjoyed the libations.  Only Soren dismissed the
beverages.

He was deep in thought, doing a little
speculating of his own. He lifted his eyes when he noticed a stir
on his master’s bed. He was beside him in a few quick
strides.

“
You are finally
conscious, my lord,” Soren said. Almost by instinct, he knelt down
to one knee before his master. The others in the room sank to their
knees to offer their homage, as well.

“
How long have I slept?”
Lucifer asked as he rose from his bed. He brought his hand to his
temple in an absurd attempt to quell the throbbing in his head.
When the last of his memories sluggishly returned, his blue eyes
darkened with rage. 

“
It has been three new
moons,” Soren informed him.

“
Where is that
woman
?” Lucifer demanded, unconsciously
placing his other hand over his heart.

Chapter 15: His
Wrath

“There they are,” Soren pointed to the
couple walking arm-in-arm down the sidewalk. “She looks as
beautiful as ever. They say that a woman is most beautiful when
she’s in love.”

Soren could see anger dancing in
Lucifer’s gaze. He grinned to himself, satisfied with Lucifer’s
reaction.

“
Why are we going shopping
for the baby now?” Kali asked Chevalier. “You can’t even see my
belly yet.”

“
But I just can’t wait
until the baby comes!” Chevalier said excitingly. He opened the
door for her and led her into the baby specialty shop.

“
Buying it stuffs doesn’t
make it developed any faster,” Kali sighed. “And we don’t even know
if it’s a boy or a girl, yet.”

“
I have a feeling it’ll be
a boy,” Chevalier picked up a little blue bib and placed it in
their basket. Chevalier rubbed Kali’s belly and smiled. “Your mommy
is so careless,” he said to the baby. “You’ll be coming soon and
she hasn’t even prepared anything yet. Lucky for you, daddy’s a
little more considerate.”

Kali was distracted by the other older
women in the store. They were staring and whispering to each other.
She felt uncomfortable. “They’re whispering about us,” she said to
Chevalier.

“
Ignore them,” Chevalier
kissed her cheek. “They’re just jealous that their husbands aren’t
even half as good-looking as me.”

She smiled and gave him a playful
push. “You’re so conceited, Chevalier.”

Lucifer clenched his hands into fists
to stop their trembling. “So she’s carrying his child,” he
said.

A storm of thunderclouds
abruptly formed over the city. "That woman! She betrayed me in the
three months that I was asleep!
She chose
to forget me and now she's carrying his child
? I’ll kill her! I’ll kill them both!”

Soren held Lucifer back.

“
Let me go, or I will kill
you too!” Lucifer shouted at Soren. His eyes were furious. “That
woman…that woman betrayed me in the worst way! She has his child!
She’s carrying a child that’s not
mine
!”

“
If I let you go, you’ll
destroy the entire city,” Soren said calmly.

“
Why should I care about
happens to this city or to this world for that matter?” he brought
his fists to his chest. It felt like a fire was burning under his
skin. “I just want to kill her! I cannot forgive this
betrayal!”

“
He could always bring her
back from the dead,” Soren reminded Lucifer. “He’s a demon like us.
If you want to seek vengeance, my master, then please hold on to
that anger.”

Lucifer stared at her smiling face.
Killing her was not enough, he decided. She would have to pay
dearly for this atrocity. He would make her suffer for each smile
and laugh she gave to another man. He would crush her heart and her
spirit until she crawled back to him and begged for
death.

†††††

Chevalier sighed as he looked at her,
worried. She was sweating profusely in her sleep. Her body twisted
and turned most in ways that looked really uncomfortable. His hand
reached for her shoulder to wake her, but he paused when he heard
her soft murmurs. With a hint of sadness in his eyes, he resumed
nudging her gently. He whispered her name until her lids opened
from her honey-glazed eyes. She jumped a little at the surprise of
being awakened.

“
You were having a bad
dream again,” he told her softly. “Do you want some
water?”

She shook her head and turned onto her
other side.

“
It is too hot for you in
here?” Chevalier asked. He walked to the other side of her bed to
crack the window open. When he looked at her, she turned to the
other side. “Is it the baby?”

She shook her head again. “I’m fine.
Please leave me alone for now.”

“
Okay,” he nodded. Kissing
her gently on the forehead, he turned off the light and left the
room.

†††††

Lucifer couldn’t get her out of his
mind: her face, her smile, everything about her. He wanted to kiss
her like he used to. He wanted to hold her. He couldn’t remember
wanting anything more for the last eternity. He hated what she'd
done to him. That was why, in order to cleanse her from his
thoughts, he must erase her existence entirely!

“
You must listen to me,”
Adria said. She had come to his bedchamber without his
permission.

“
Be gone!” he roared at
her. He was in no mood to be trifled with.

“
My Lord, please do not
trust Soren completely,” she warned him hastily. “Can’t you see
what he is doing to you? Are you so blinded by love that you cannot
see that Soren is manipulating you?”

“
How dare you enter my
room without my consent?” he demanded an answer. His pale blue
eyes glowed.

She gasped, trying to hide her
fright.

“
My apologies, I had no
ill intentions,” her voice was much softer. "I cannot stand by idly
and watch him destroy you. If you kill her, my lord Lucifer, you
might reawaken your instinct. I admit that I hate her, I truly do!
In the months she was here, she monopolized all of your attention.
Even more hateful, I saw you look at her as if she were the only
woman in existence. You smiled. You laughed. You caressed her with
such gentleness as if you were afraid to hurt her. I was jealous. I
was so jealous I wanted to kill her, but you must not kill her
yourself! I cannot allow you to kill whatever is left of what you
can still feel!"

“
The woman betrayed me! In
the three months that I was asleep, she betrayed me and is carrying
another man’s child!”

“
Are you sure it is
another man’s child? Is there a possibility it is
yours?”

Her questions dazed him. The
possibility had never occurred to him. Despite everything in their
favors, his kind lacked the means to reproduce. Due to their
immortality, it was quite intentional. Conception was so rare that
the last demon to hatch was at least ten thousand years old. And
Kali was human. Astronomical odds were stacked against
him.

“
Do not trust Soren,”
Adria advised. “He has lost himself to his demonic instincts. Go
see her, my lord. Clear things up before you lose yourself, too. I
will not intrude on you any longer.”

As soon as she finished the sentence,
she bowed, turned toward the window and flew out.

Lucifer was alone once again. “A
possibility that it’s my child…”

†††††

“Show yourself!” Chevalier demanded
when he smelled a demonic scent in the atmosphere. He had hoped
that he would never have to see another demon again. Perhaps it was
far too much to ask.

Soren emerged from the shadows into
Chevalier’s kitchen. “Your senses have become much sharper,
Chevalier,” he complimented.

“
Why are you here?”
Chevalier asked, agitated. It was apparent that he was displeased
to see Soren. The feeling was evident on his face.

“
Is that how you greet an
old friend?” Soren asked. "I'm deeply hurt.”

“
Why are you here?”
Chevalier repeated his tone grave. The sooner the demon stated his
business, the sooner he would leave.

“
To help you, of course,”
Soren replied. “I’m on your side, after all. Heed my words and take
Kali away. Hide her somewhere Lord Lucifer cannot find her. And
most importantly, you must mask her scent with
sandalwood.”

“
Why?” Chevalier
asked.

“
That dreadful demoness
turned on me!” Soren was referring to Adria. “Lucifer will soon
find out the truth about Kali's pregnancy. And he will come for
her. No, for them. Will you stand and do nothing, while they are
taken from you?”