Chapter 20 — Anti-climactic

Bree:

Resting my head on Fallon’s bare shoulder, I caress my fingers up and down his chiseled chest and smile.

If anyone had told me over a year ago that I’d fall in love with Lucifer’s son, I’d have laughed in their faces. Hell, if you would have told me that the supernatural world exists, I’d have sent that person to the nearest loony bin. But here I am, in a literal hell and lying in my love’s arms.

After I woke up from my restful healing, Fallon and I talked about what happened. He was so upset that I almost died and about his behavior. It took a while for us to talk about it and forgive each other. After that, he ushered me to Lucifer’s office, where we discussed what has been going on since we went missing. I look around the room and note his design style. His office is tastefully decorated with leather chairs, a large rustic desk and various paintings depicting fire and flames. I’m sure there’s a story behind those paintings. The wall behind his desk is made up of exposed brick, and the others are painted a lovely royal blue color. What amuses me most is that his chair looks like an old-fashioned throne. No one can say that Lucifer doesn’t have a sense of humor.

Lucifer sits across from us, his gorgeous face set with relief. “How are you?

I place my hand over Fallon’s and smile at him. “I’m good now that Fallon saved me.”

He shakes his head. “You saved me first.”

Lucifer chuckles. “What about me? I helped too.”

Fallon looks at Lucifer and rolls his eyes. “I swear you can be so exasperating sometimes, Father.”

Lucifer’s eyes widen, and his lip quirks. “So, you do remember me now?”

Fallon nods. “I don’t know how I bloody forgot.”

He laughs. “I wholeheartedly agree. I mean, I’m quite an unforgettable bloke. Just look at me,” he waves his hand in front of his face. “I’m bloody gorgeous.”

I laugh at his antics. I know he sounds like he’s joking, but I swear that he’s mostly serious. He is the devil for a reason. “Now I know who Fallon gets his conceit from. But then again, Lilith is just as arrogant.”

Lucifer shrugs. “About that. I’ve temporarily bound Lilith’s power and bottled up all of the powers she siphoned from the army until we can restore their original vessels. Fortunately, the vessels she created became ashes as soon as the powers were split.”

Fallon gives him a grateful not. “I believe I know where Lilith might be keeping the demons those powers belong to,” he mutters.

I nod, remembering the cell she kept me in. “Yeah, Lilith kept cells in the basement of the house she took possession of.”

Fallon leans close and massages my back repentantly. “I’m so sorry for leaving you in that cell, luv.”

I pat his thigh. “We already talked about that, and I forgave you, Fallon. I know that it wasn’t the real you. I’m just glad that you remember us now. You remember everything now, don’t you?”

He arches a cocky brow. “I remember everything, little human. Especially the night Lilith came for us. I didn’t understand why you were so angry at me then, but I do now.”

He doesn’t say it out loud, but we both know he’s talking about the night we had oral sex, and he disappeared the next morning. I was so angry that he left without saying a word. It all feels so trivial now.

However, I can’t help but see that he might have gotten his soul back, but he’s still as cocky as he was after he lost it.

I tilt my head with amusement. “Oh my god, this is crazy,” I mutter bemusedly.

“What?” he asks.

I chuckle. “You’re the old you, but you’re also the other you too,” I search Fallon’s eyes and smile. “It’s like they both merged.”

“Why do you say that?”

I lift my palms up toward him in a baffled gesture. “Because you still sound like the same confident asshole that I’ve come to know. But you’re also the broody and bossy jerk I first met.”

His lip quirks as he analyzes my statement.

He rubs his chest in wonderment. “I think…I think it’s because I have a soul now.”

My eyes widen with shock. “What? You got your soul?” I caress his chest and smile. “I thought that Lucifer had reestablished the tether?”

He shakes his head. “No, I felt it. I felt my soul slip inside of me. That’s when the memories began to flood back. It felt strange but good. Like a missing piece of a puzzle was put in its correct place.”

“But how?” I ask. It makes no sense that his soul would just magically appear.

Lucifer’s voice cuts into our exchange. “Because you loved him and sacrificed yourself to save him. A true sacrifice must be made, and once the soul is restored, the enemy shall fall, and the offspring shall be redeemed.”

Rising from his seat, he places his hand on Fallon’s shoulder. “You cemented your redemptions when you refused to slay me and returned Bree’s love. You are redeemed, Fallon.”

His eyes look down thoughtfully.

“But he’s not exactly how he was before either,” I remark.

Lucifer nods. “That’s because when he held my tether, his temperament was dulled. He could only feel an echo of what he should have felt. And when he was soulless, his emotions leaned toward a more selfish aspect. But now that he can feel all emotions, he has balance.”

I look at him and shyly ask. “Do you really love me?”

He nods. “I’ve loved you from the moment I first saw you.”

Squealing with delight, I jump into his arms and hold him tight. “I love you too. I love you so much.”

Fallon wraps his arms around me and kisses me hard. The whole world disappears at that moment.

Lucifer clears his throat, breaking into our interlude. “I hate to interrupt your little love bubble, but I’m sure you both want to discuss what has occurred since you decided to take an impromptu holiday.”

I retake my seat and nod. “Is Lana alright? She must be worried sick about me.”

Lucifer rubs the back of his head and grimaces. “Lana doesn’t know you were missing. Since I knew she would worry, and I knew that you were with Fallon, I held off on telling her.”

My brow furrows with confusion. “But I was gone for nearly a month.”

He leans forward in his seat and wryly smiles. It’s an odd look, which alarms me greatly.

“I might have made it so that when she thought of calling you, she’d forget, and when she’d remember, her mobile would receive no signal.”

I snort with amusement. “And Lana never noticed?”

I don’t know if I’m mad at my sister or glad that she didn’t have to worry about me.

Lucifer snickers at my tone. “I’m quite powerful, luv. Azazel also made sure that Zoe was unaware while we searched.”

I shake my head dazedly. “Wow, okay. Well, I guess I’m glad.”

Fallon angles his head toward mine and smirks. “It seems that we all were busy distracting the females from worry. I’m sure my methods were a lot more creative.”

Heat creeps up my neck and cheeks when I think about how he distracted me. Lucifer looks at my red face and laughs. “Oh my, look at that? It seems that my son has made good use of his time.”

I squirm when they both laugh.

Trying to get us back on track, I ask the questions that have been rolling around in my head. “Have you decided what you’re going to do about Lilith?”

Lucifer nods. “I’ve decided that it’s best if I siphon her power the same way she did those demons. But unlike with those demons, I will place her power in the amulet Sahara used to siphon Zoe’s power and make Lilith human. Azazel was kind enough to provide me with the amulet.”

Fallon and I gasp with astonishment.

“You’re going to make her human?” Fallon asks incredulously.

Lucifer nods. “It’s a fitting punishment for her since it’s what she was meant to be before Adam cheated her out of the opportunity. It will be good for her to learn some humility.”

“Why don’t you just kill her?” I ask.

Both men’s heads turn in my direction. Fallon nods while Lucifer frowns. “I know that it might not sound like a rational choice, but I truly think she deserves the opportunity to redeem herself. Try to see it from her perspective. She was created and cast aside by the Creator and Adam. Then, I come along and use and discard her too. That’s why I feel that I need to give her a chance to change for the better. What she does with the chance I give her is up to her.”

My mouth gapes open at his sensible response. “Wow, that’s very magnanimous of you. I don’t know if I’d do the same if I was in your place.”

Lucifer titters. “Trust me, luv; it’s not an easy road to take. However, I’m no fool. I will ensure to tell her that should she fail, I will send her down to the farthest reaches of hell.”

Fallon gives Lucifer an admiring look. “That seems fair.”

I nod because I know that Lucifer’s right. Lilith is the way she is because everyone in her life has let her down. All I can do is hope that she won’t make us regret being merciful.”

I think about all that has occurred since Fallon and I met. Then I recall all of the things that Lilith confessed after she locked me in the cell.

“There’s something you need to know, Lucifer.”

Lucifer quirks a curious brow. “What is it?”

“After Lilith took me and forced Fallon to give up his tether in exchange for my life, she told me things that pertained to you and Lana.”

Fallon scowls. “You never told me that you spoke.”

I shrug. “You were unconscious, and after you woke up, you were pretty adamant about not talking about who you were when you had the soul fragment.”

He relaxes back in his seat and nods. “You’re right, luv. I was quite the git, wasn’t I?”

I take his hand and squeeze it tightly. “It’s okay. I’m past that now.”

Lucifer interjects. “What did Lilith tell you?”

I place both my hands on my thighs and take a deep breath. “Lilith told me that you were unaware of the true interpretation of the prophecy because she and a seer made a pact. In exchange for giving you the incorrect interpretation, Lilith would help save the seer’s child's life.”

Fallon’s brows rise with shock. “Bloody hell, that is unheard of. Seers are very strict about following their own code of ethics, and lying about a prophecy is considered quite disgraceful. The child must have been extremely important for them to make such a pact.”

Lucifer gives me a confused look. “Who was the child that the Seer would agree to do something that would corrupt the integrity of their legacy?”

I bite my lip, unsure whether I should fully reveal the truth. I mean, Lana’s my sister, and I need to protect her. But then again, look at where secrets have led us all.

“Well, apparently, the child was conceived from a taboo relationship between a seer and…and an archangel.”

Lucifer winces. “It wasn’t mine, was it? I swear I was far more discreet after finding out about Fallon.”

Fallon laughs at Lucifer’s alarmed expression.

I shake my head at his horrified tone. “No, it wasn’t yours, so you can relax. Lilith didn’t say who the father was, but she did say that the child only showed angel traits, and most angels would confuse her for a pure angel.”

He angles his head thoughtfully. “The Creator would not take too kindly to having a half-breed child with whole angel abilities walking around freely. But I do not believe that would be reason enough to hide the child.”

I swallow as I consider how best to explain why the Creator would have a problem with it. “He might if he knew that she would be your mate,” I reply quickly.

At my words, his expression becomes ashen. He slides his fingers through his hair and frowns. “The child is Lana. Lilith’s the one that hid Lana?”

I nod carefully. “Yeah, but Lilith didn’t know who she was until after she made the pact. In fact, she was pretty pissed that she ended up protecting your mate.”

He gives me a distracted nod. “So, what did Lilith do? How did she protect Lana?”

I deflate in my seat. “Lilith cast a spell to place Lana into a newborn’s body. But because Lana’s an angel and angels are immortal, she had to be reincarnated into a child’s body every time the human body perished. The downside was that the child had to be born in the same line as the North Star, which is why Lana is my sister. According to Lilith, Lana is also cursed. She said that even though Lana was born human, her angel side would know her forfeited fate. Which I guess means that Lana’s angel side would know about your existence and that her destiny as your mate would never be realized because of your dispute with the Creator. She also said that Lana would never be complete until her human and angel side merged, and she was reunited with you.”

Lucifer’s expression shutters. I don’t know him very well, but I can tell that he does feel something for Lana. I’m just not sure what it is or if I want to know. I can’t deny that I am seeing another side of him that I never thought I’d see. I didn’t grow up in a Christina household or anything, but I did grow up with the Christian belief that God was virtuous and the devil was evil. But now that I’ve spoken to him, I realize that not everything is as black and white. The mere fact that he loves Fallon is giving Lilith a second chance and helped Fallon protect me; it tells me that he’s far more benevolent than the scriptures state.

Fallon rises from his seat and holds out his hand. “We should give Lucifer a moment, Luv. In the meantime, how about I take you to see your sister?”

I take his hand and nod. “That sounds great.”

Looking back at Lucifer, I give him a gentle smile. “Take care, Lucifer.”

His smile is distracted as he waves us goodbye.

Fallon squeezes my hand and nudges his chin. “Let’s go.”

Once we’re outside of the office, Fallon pulls me to him. “Are you ready, luv?”

I wrap my arm around his waist and nod. “Take me to my sister.”

Within seconds, we’re both standing on a trail in the middle of several rock formations.

“Bree!” A female voice calls out to me.

A wide smile appears on my lips when I see my sister rushing wildly toward me. Her ponytail flutters behind her as she gleefully opens her arms and enfolds me in them. “Oh my gosh, what are you doing here?”

I grip her tightly and kiss her cheek. “Hey, little sis. I figure you’d miss me, so I had my angelic taxi bring me over. “I point to Fallon, who gives me an amused grin.

Lana looks between us, her expression turning sly as she observes our easy interaction. “Hey, Fallon. Thanks for bringing my sister to see me. Now, you two are looking cozy. Is there something you want to tell me?” she angels her head and widens her eyes excitedly.

Fallon slides his arm around my shoulder and smirks. “Would you care to tell your sister, or should I?”

I elbow his firm stomach and roll my eyes. “Well, since you’ve been gone, Fallon and I have grown closer.”

Fallon snorts. “Is that what we call it now?”

I blush. “Okay, so it’s more than that.” I look at my sister and bite my lower lip bashfully. “There’s so much I want to tell you. Can we go somewhere private?”

Lana slides her palms across her dusty cargoes and nods. “Sure, my cabin is that way.” She waves to another trail nearby. “Come on.”

I move toward her, but Fallon halts my motion. “I think you and your sister should talk alone. I’m going back to Lucifer and help him and pick you back up tonight,” he hands me a cell phone. “Call me if you need me to pick you up sooner.”

I accept the phone and his kiss. “I’ll see you later then?” he states.

I nod and kiss him back. “Yeah, later.”

He takes back at that moment and poofs out.

“It’s so weird how they can do that,” Lana comments as she takes my hand and leads me toward the trail.

Eventually, we reach a small wooded clearing containing several small cabins. They remind me of the tiny homes we watch on the house improvement channel.

They all look about the size of a shed. The façade is made of wood paneling, and there’s a small porch with a chair sitting near the steps.

I follow Lana inside and smile with delight when I see that the inside is painted a pleasant sky blue and has a galley kitchen, a picture window and a full-sized bed. “Where’s the bathroom?” I ask.

She points to a closet-sized room. “Right there. It’s a compost toilet. The shower is a communal tent in the back. Not great because the water is usually cold, and the tank is too small to sustain a long shower, but it’s doable.”

She walks to the bed, opens up a side panel that turns into a small table, and slides two stools beneath it. “Sit down, sis. Do you want some coffee?”

I nod and watch as she places a small pot on her tiny stove. “Wow, you’re a real mountain girl now, huh?”

She laughs as she hands me two tin cups. “It took some getting used to, but I can’t complain. At least it’s not a tent, and I have a real bed and kitchen. Plus, there’s a small generator that keeps it from getting too hot or cold here.”

She pours some coffee on each cup and hands me a packet of sugar and dehydrated cream. “So, what’s up? How did you end up with Fallon considering you can’t have sex because the world will end?”

I nearly choke on my coffee at my sister's blunt question. Lana has never been the type to beat around the bush.

She smiles, understanding my reaction. “Spill the beans, sis.”

Taking a deep breath, I settle the tin cup back on the table and recount most of the events of the past month. I do leave out the parts about her, seeing as that’s too much a burden for her to bear at that moment. I figure it’s something I can discuss with her once she’s back home and less stressed. Once I’m done, I breathe a sigh of relief.

Lana looks stunned. “So, the prophecy was bullshit?” Lana asks.

I nod. “Well, only the part about me getting pregnant. But yep, Fallon was the Erue.”

“You must be so relieved,” she states.

I blow out a breath. “It is good to know that I can be with someone and not end the world. And now that Fallon has his soul, things are as they should be between us.”

Lana places her hand over mine and smiles. “I’m happy for you, sis, and I’m glad you’re alive and well. Please remind me to kick Lucifer’s ass when I next see him. The asshole had not right to keep your kidnapping from me.”

I shake my head at her annoyed tone. “It was better this way, sis. I mean, there was nothing you could have done, and you would have been worried out of your mind.”

She arches a brow and angrily pulls off her khaki sweaty button-down shirt, leaving her in her plain white tank top. “Well, it still doesn’t matter because I’m going to give him the dressing down he deserves.”

I pat her shoulder with a snicker. “Alright, sis. You need to calm down.”

She drops her shoulders, her shoulder and pouts. I narrow my eyes at her attempt to look innocent and push her back down on her stool. “Oh, now you don’t, miss. You’re not ten anymore, you know. I’m on to your fake pouting to get your way.”

She loses her pout instantly. “But I’m so good at it,” she whines playfully.

We both laugh and take a comforting breath. “I guess I’m fine with it since you and Fallon seem to be doing well. Just don’t expect too much,” she crosses her arms in front of her chest.

“I won’t,” I reply.

“So how is it?” she asks with a wiggle of her brows.

I mirror her posture, pretending to misunderstand her question. “How is what?”

Her lip curls into a jeer. “You know exactly what I mean. But if you need me to be clear, I’m asking how the sex is. Is he gentle? Or is he the kind of guy who is cool and aloof in public but a wild man in bed?”

I laugh at her somewhat accurate tone. “Let’s just say that Fallon knows exactly what he’s doing.”

Her mouth opens in disbelief. “Oh, come on, sis. That’s all you’re going to tell me?”

I give her a wry nod. “Yep, so you might as well change the subject now.”

We talk and laugh for hours until Fallon reappears and takes me back home. But before I leave, Lana makes me promise to keep in contact and not go gallivanting around without letting her know.

Fallon and I materialize back in my apartment. To my disbelief, the apartment is clean. Fallon must see my surprise because he mutters. “Lucifer had someone keep it up while you were gone.”

Turning to him, I take his hand and lead him to my bedroom. “Take me to bed,” I mutter.

Without another thought, he thoroughly ravishes me, and it’s wonderful.