Page 30 of Endless Terrors
The devil had control over my dreams.
I filed the realization away as yet another reason I was outmatched by this terrifying being. From Lucifer’s posture and the way he moved, the display of power seemed casual, more thoughtless than anything. But the devil didn’t do anything without a reason. He wanted me to know he had power here, probably so I wouldn’t try to remove his head again. I didn’t have my sword, anyway.
I drew up alongside him and stopped, working to keep the fear out of my expression.
“Good evening, Lady Sworn,” Lucifer said.
His voice. I’d never heard the full power of it before; he’d always been hiding behind a host. There was a husky quality to it that felt like a fingertip trailing down my spine, yet there was iron in it, too. This was a voice that had seduced thousands and commanded legions. I wanted to stand there and listen to it all night, and I also wanted to run. Run until my lungs were burning and I was on the verge of collapse, and there was so much distance between me and this immortal monster that I’d never hear him again.
My own voice was hard as I replied, “I still have two more days.”
Lucifer inclined his head in acknowledgment. “You do. But I’ve come because you’re in the midst of making a decision, and when one is making a decision, they should have all the facts.”
As he spoke, the defined curve of his jaw moved. Every detail, every feature was like a living painting. I fixed my gaze firmly on the sea. “I have plenty of facts. Fact: I’d be an idiot to make any kind of deal with you.”
In my peripheral vision, I saw Lucifer face me.
“Fact,” he said. “There is beauty in my world. Hell is not what your stories make it out to be. Let me show it to you.”
He made another gesture toward the horizon. The dreamscape seemed to ripple, and a dark mass formed in front of us. I almost stepped back, unnerved, but Lucifer moved his hand again in silent command. The sky obeyed. That dark mass parted, like rolling mist or clearing smoke.
I waited tensely, but nothing came out. No shapes formed. I frowned, unsure what I was supposed to be seeing … and then the lights appeared. A breath caught in my throat.
Hundreds, thousands of lights spread across the horizon. Faint lines solidified into buildings. No, towers. There were dark, spindly things in between them, like weeds reaching up from a dark sea. I couldn’t quite make out what they were. The bright spots came from windows, the tops of the towers, and far below these, where I imagined there were roads and the noises of living things, like the cities from my world.
But it wasn’t one of the cities of my world, that much was obvious. Enormous, winged things soared over the towers, and there was nothing earthly about them. Lightning flashed, or at least I thought it was lightning, and the bursts of light made the red sky look like an inferno.
It was beautiful, in a frightening, wild way, although I would rather die than admit that to Lucifer.
Was this really Hell? Or was it just another lie? Maybe the devil was making his world less horrifying so I would agree to his deal.
I knew he was waiting for my reaction, so I didn’t give him one. “Funny, I thought there were supposed to be flames,” I remarked.
“Some parts are still like that,” Lucifer said. His voice sounded closer. “But there are other parts that don’t make it into the stories. Some parts that deserve a chance to be seen.”
I turned, unthinking, and a shock went through me when I saw the devil was right there. I was also standing closer to the edge than I realized, and my heel sent a rock skittering into the abyss. I stumbled. Lucifer’s hands flew out to catch me, but I regained my balance. He lowered his arms, standing so close now that I could see the blue in his eyes. His palms hovered over the backs of my hands, as if he was still thinking about taking hold. I was frozen, my entire being at war with itself. Torn between the instinct to run and the terrifying urge to stay.
As if he knew I was a flight risk, Lucifer didn’t touch me—his fingers stayed just above my skin. He moved a hand up the length of my arm and over my shoulder, like he was memorizing every curve and plane. My hairs stood on end, goosebumps appearing, like my body was rising up to meet him. Then, when Lucifer’s palm went downward, his thumb brushed my hardened nipple.
The warmth between my legs throbbed. I jumped and pulled away.
“Fact,” I rasped. “You’re a Nightmare-killer. You’ve murdered God knows how many of my kind.”
Lucifer drew close again. “I didn’t enjoy those deaths. And they did serve a purpose.”
I barely heard him. I couldn’t think. It felt like every nerve ending in my body was singing. I looked at Lucifer, my neck arched back, fighting the urges inside me. I reminded myself it was a lie, this reaction to him. Our mouths were a breath apart and I could feel the barest touch of his lips as he spoke.
“I want to know what you feel like,” he said.
There was the distant sound of someone’s zipper coming down. Mine, I realized faintly. Then Lucifer’s fingers slid over my skin, down into my secret places. Why wasn’t I stopping him? His fingers sifted through the thatch of hair between my thighs and gently eased them apart. A long finger slid inside me. I was so wet that he was met with no resistance, and I made a small sound, something partway between a gasp and a sigh. My hands were on his broad chest, but I didn’t remember putting them there.
Lucifer put his mouth next to my ear. “Fact. You want me, Fortuna Sworn,” he whispered.
I shoved him away, breathing hard from the wild cadence of my heart and the desire roaring through my veins. None of it showed in my voice as I spat, “I would rather light myself on fire. That would be less painful.”
He just looked at me for a long moment, his eyes gleaming. “I can see why lovers flock around you. It’s refreshing, your spirit. Incredible that it hasn’t broken after everything you’ve endured.”
“Stay out of my dreams,” I snarled, zipping my jeans. My face was burning.
