Page 83 of Endless Terrors
“I saw your running shoes when I came to the loft. Right before you cut off my head,” he said wryly. There was a gleam in his eyes, as if the memory amused him.
I bet Jacob Goldmann didn’t find it so amusing, I thought, wishing I could say it out loud. Remind Lucifer of the fact that I knew he was a cold-blooded murderer. But I was playing nice tonight. I kept my mouth shut and gave him a swift, expressionless once-over. He wore what looked like a designer sweater, and I was struck by the strange thought that Laurie would appreciate the devil’s fashion sense.
“Will you join me in the dining room tonight?” Lucifer said, halting next to the table. His fingers rested on the cover of the book I’d shoved away.
It was the same question he asked me every night, and I’d been expecting it. Depending on it, actually. Almost every time he extended the invitation, I said no. But Lucifer would get suspicious if I changed my tune for no apparent reason, so I pretended to hesitate, turning my face toward the window. I stared at those distant flickers and tried to focus on why I was doing this.
Why, then, could I only think of flying? Flying through that dark sky, my shoulder against a warm chest, the wind in my hair and my eyes as I lost myself to that vast, foreign horizon.
I gritted my teeth and shoved the memory away. I’d hesitated long enough. I spun back to Lucifer and hurried past him, muttering as I went, “Fine. But only because I’m desperate for a change of scenery.”
He didn’t say anything, but his amusement permeated the air around us as he followed me toward the elevator. I jammed the button with my thumb, since it was the only part I could actually do. The doors slid open immediately, and we got on together, facing the doors at the same time.
“Have you found anything interesting during your time here?” Lucifer asked. He pressed one of the symbols on the screen, and I tried to watch without making it obvious. I was still trying to figure out what each of them meant.
“Not a thing,” I said flatly. It wasn’t even a dig or an attempt to piss him off—I really hadn’t found a single goddamn thing in that library. Suddenly I wondered if that was by design, and I fought the urge to give Lucifer a suspicious look. His stance was relaxed, his expression calm as ever. A king in his castle, completely assured of his power and hold over everything.
Well, we would just see about that.
Ding. The doors opened again, and the two of us strode down the walkway. I couldn’t tell if it was my own nervousness, but the air between us felt like it crackled with tension and unspoken words. We were both hiding something, and neither of us was about to give. Tonight’s game had only just begun.
I took a subtle, fortifying breath and kept my gaze on the open doors at the end of the hall. Dagan and the female guard stood on either side of the towering entrance. I’d gotten so used to them that I no longer reacted to Dagan’s scaled skin or the black claws the female had in place of fingernails.
The dining room had been prepared for our arrival. Along three walls, sconces glowed bright. The fire was high and vibrant, casting its heat all the way to the doors. With fluid, long-legged strides, Lucifer went over to the table. He wrapped his long fingers around one of the chairs and pulled it out for me, flashing a charming smile that revealed slight indents in his cheeks. Not quite dimples, but close, and they drew attention to his sharp jawline.
Heat spread through my lower belly again. Why did the evil ones always seem to be the hottest? I fought back a scowl and sat down, handling the chair more roughly than was necessary as I pulled it closer to the table. Lucifer sat with more grace, of course, and that infuriating smile still hovered around his lips.
Once again, I reminded myself I was playing nice. I couldn’t ask the devil where he’d been all my life and if he could crawl back there, or tell him that he looked like a before picture. We’d both know that last one was a lie, anyway. I gritted my teeth and reached for my glass of water just as Saida appeared and set down two plates of steaming, elegantly arranged food. Lucifer thanked her and stood to retrieve the wine bottle.
“Would you like any, my lady?” he asked. I shook my head. It was probably a moot point, avoiding the wine when I’d been drinking the water, but I also wanted to stay clear-headed. Lucifer just turned and poured some into his own glass, then returned to his chair. “The chef prepared one of his favorite dishes in hopes you’d come tonight. It’s called bazzollath.”
I noticed that he didn’t tell me what, exactly, the dish was. I would probably vomit all over it if I knew.
The origin of the meat didn’t matter, though. Just like every other meal we’d shared together, I didn’t eat it. I just pushed the food around my plate or flattened it with my fork. Lucifer didn’t try to force a conversation, and I decided to use the silence to my advantage. I waited until he had nearly finished eating before I made my first move.
“I’m bored,” I declared. “Let’s play a game.”
Lucifer didn’t bat an eye. He sat back in his chair and regarded me for a moment, holding his glass of wine in a light grasp. I still couldn’t guess at his thoughts, but I’d learned enough about him at this point to know his wheels were turning. Once more, it struck me how similar Lucifer could be to the males I’d left behind in my world. I wasn’t sure what this said about my own mind, that I was continually drawn to people like him. Probably something I should bring up in my next therapy session.
First, though, I needed to get home.
“Very well. Lady’s choice,” Lucifer replied at last, just as I felt my resolve harden all over again.
I looked down at the table, my brows furrowed. I allowed a few seconds to pass. Then I lifted my head and said, “Truth or dare. The first one to yield loses the game, of course.”
“I suppose the winner gets something out of it?” Lucifer asked, sounding amused again. As if he knew exactly what I was doing. He made a gesture to Roger, who dipped into a bow and slipped from the room.
As Lucifer refocused on me, I felt my heart quicken. This was it. This was the first pivotal moment for the new plan I’d come up with. I had rehearsed what to say during all those hours of preparation. My thoughts tended to muddle whenever I was around Lucifer, and I couldn’t let that affect my chances of getting home.
“If you win, I will have dinner with you every day this week,” I stated.
Lucifer cocked his head. He didn’t argue with my suggestion, which meant I’d done well with that part of the plan, at least. “And if you win?” he asked.
I commanded my pulse to slow down. Breathe, Fortuna. Just breathe. When I answered, I sounded steady, and even the oldest courtiers of the Unseelie Court wouldn’t have known that every nerve ending in my body was burning with anxiety. “If I win, I am free. I get to leave this tower whenever I want, and none of your people can come with me, or follow me.”
I stopped, and I fought the instinct to hold my breath. Lucifer would hear my lungs go still and realize how important this was. Seconds ticked by, the silence disturbed only by the fire’s crackle. Then, instead of giving me an answer, Lucifer turned in his chair and said something to Saida in Enochian. The demon nodded and hurried out.
She returned less than a minute later, holding another bottle of wine in one hand and two glasses in the other. Lucifer took the bottle from her, and once she’d put the glasses down, Saida removed the old ones. As she retreated, Lucifer poured. I gave the wine a puzzled glance and kept waiting for his response, expecting him to warn me of the untold dangers beyond the tower. But in the end, he just raised his glass and said, “There’s a truth spell on the wine. Once you drink it, the game has begun.”
