Devilish Mate: Claimed By Lucifer Book Two Page 2

  I had to find the truth about who I was as Haniel. I knew that, deep in my core, even if I couldn’t explain why.

  I lowered my hands and took a deep breath. “I need to see my sister.”

  “Of course. But before you go, I will warn you that you may not want those memories back.” Lucifer’s mouth twisted and he looked away. “The truth of what happened might be too painful to bear. Even now I wonder if I was better off not knowing.”

  “I have to know. No matter how bad it is.” I crossed my arms, using my wings to keep me alight. “And really, can it be any worse than being killed by my own mate?”

  Lucifer gazed up at the heavens. “Will I pay for that crime for the next century?”

  “At the very least!”

  His voice lowered as his eyes landed on me again. “Don’t forget I did it for you. For us.”

  I let out a long breath. “I understand why you killed me, but that doesn’t mean I’m okay with it. I’m not sure how to forgive you, or how to move forward from this.”

  His face darkened and he shot toward me on his black wings, until he was only a breath away. “Forgive me or not, it matters little. You’re my mate. You always have been, and you always will be.” He took my arms as he stared into my eyes with intense focus. “Even if you can’t see it now, you’ll realize in time that this had to be done. The curse had to be broken. This was the only way.”

  I let out a burst of golden light and used my wings to jerk back from him. “That doesn’t make it okay!”

  He shook his head. “You need to rest. In the morning, we’ll take the private jet to visit Jophiel.”

  “No. I need to confront my sister, but I’m doing it alone. Besides, the last time we were all together, you and Jophiel nearly killed each other.”

  He pressed his lips into a tight line. “I can’t let you go alone.”

  “You can’t stop me either.”

  “Then take Azazel at least.”

  “Fine.” My wings flapped slower, and I felt the weight of the evening dragging me down. “After I get some rest.”

  Lucifer suddenly swooped me into his arms and flew me toward the penthouse, holding me close as his shadowy wings carried us forward. I tried to protest, but was too exhausted to do anything but glare up at him. My traitorous body wanted to curl up against him, and my heart beat faster at being pressed close against his hard chest. My brain might be screaming that it was all wrong, but the rest of me wanted to savor every second in his arms. Lucifer was right—he was my mate, and no matter how angry I was, I’d never be able to escape that fact.

  As soon as he set me down in the penthouse, I turned from him and ran, my shoes crunching on broken glass from the earlier fight. I couldn’t spend another second with Lucifer and all my conflicting emotions. I headed straight to the guest room where I’d been staying, and it was a relief to find it untouched from the battle that had raged earlier.

  I closed the door and leaned back against it, feeling out of breath and shaken to my core. My knees were weak, and my mind almost demanded I give in to my panic, but my newfound powers were draining me fast. Or maybe it was dying and coming back to life—I imagined that would really take it out of a person. I collapsed on the bed, my limbs weak and useless, and the sweet relief of sleep took me quickly.

  But I didn’t sleep for long.

  Four hours after I’d gone to bed, when everything was deathly quiet in the penthouse, I shoved some clothes into a duffle bag. Enough for a few nights. Maybe more. Maybe forever.

  Then I slipped out of the penthouse. Alone.

  3

  Hannah

  No one stopped me on my way out of the penthouse, or down the long elevator ride to the lowest level of the garage in The Celestial Resort and Casino. Why would they? Everyone who worked in Lucifer’s hotel knew I was his woman. They had no idea of the turmoil inside me at the thought of being his mate for the rest of my life. My only life now, thanks to Lucifer breaking the curse.

  I headed through the private area of the parking garage, where Lucifer kept all his expensive sports cars, toward the yellow Lamborghini I’d borrowed (aka stolen) from my sister Jophiel yesterday. I wasn’t looking forward to another long drive back to San Francisco, but I also needed to speak to her immediately—and without Lucifer present.

  A sharp footstep behind me made me jump and spin around, my wings flaring out behind me and a bright glow emanating from my skin. Azazel stood before me, her long hair framing her muscular shoulders, her dark skin gleaming under the light I was radiating. She was dressed for combat in black leather with her daggers strapped on, and she stared at me with open hostility. “What fresh hell is this?”

  “I’m leaving.” I gripped my bag tighter. “You can’t stop me.”

  “Not that. Your wings.” Zel gestured at them with blood-red nails, and when she spoke her voice dripped with disgust. “You’re an angel now?”

  I looked over my shoulder at the silvery feathers, and then with some effort managed to make them vanish, along with the glowing light. Damn these powers. I still wasn’t sure how to control them.

  “It appears so,” I muttered. “Trust me, I’m just as shocked as you are.”

  Her dark eyes narrowed. “How? Lucifer would’ve noticed if you were an angel. We all would have noticed.”

  I let out a long sigh. “I don’t know. All this time I thought I was human too. That’s why I’m leaving—to get answers. Lucifer says my sister Jophiel hid my powers and my memories from me, and I’m going to confront her now.” I stared back at Zel. “Is this going to be a problem for you?”

  “I have no love for angels.” She sounded like she was speaking through gritted teeth. “But I swore to protect you, and that hasn’t changed. I failed once, and that won’t happen again—even if you are an angel.” She curled her lip when she said the last word.

  I fought off a pang of disappointment that a pair of silver wings could change so much between us. “I’ll gladly accept your protection, but I could really use a friend,” I confessed.

  “I don’t make friends with angels.” Zel stalked toward the yellow convertible. “Is this our ride? Not bad. I’ll drive. We all know angels are useless after dark, and you look like you’re about to fall asleep standing up.”

  She wasn’t wrong. I tossed her the keys with a yawn. “Thanks.”

  “Where to, little mortal?” She threw open the car door and then paused. “Hmm, I suppose I can’t call you that anymore.”

  I opened the small trunk and threw my bag inside. “San Francisco.”

  “Long drive.” She slid into the driver’s seat. “We’ll switch once the sun comes up.”

  I nodded as I sank into the leather seat on the passenger side. As she started up the car and drove us out of the parking structure, I wadded up my jacket as best I could to make a pillow, then leaned against the door of the car and closed my eyes. Four hours was definitely not enough sleep after what happened last night, but I had to find answers.

  Yet as I closed my eyes and willed myself to get some rest, sleep proved elusive. My thoughts were too wild and chaotic, too full of questions that had no answers and memories that only brought pain. I could barely grasp my head around the fact that I was an angel now, that I’d died and been reborn again, and that everything I thought I’d known about my life so far was wrong.

  I’d only been away from home for a little over a week, but already my flower shop seemed like a distant memory. In that short time, I’d learned about the supernatural world and that I was part of it. First I’d learned I was Lucifer’s mate, cursed to die and be reborn in an endless cycle. I was Eve, and Persephone, and Lenore, and many others whose names had long been lost. But now I’d also learned I was an angel. Not Hannah. Haniel. My entire identity had been swept away and replaced in a matter of days.

  And Lucifer had killed me.

  Maybe for good reason, but not with enough surety that I’d be resurrected. Not nearly enough. He had assumed the angels coul
d bring me back, but what if it had failed? I should have been given a choice in the matter at least, but he took that away from me. He made the decision to break the curse on his own, acting like the big arrogant king he was, and now we both had to live with his terrible crime for the rest of our lives. Our immortal lives.

  As an angel, I wouldn’t age. That was a huge shock right there. Of course, with the curse broken—if it really was broken—this was also my last life. I thought I’d feel relieved about that, and yet it sent a trickle of fear down my spine. If Gadreel—who we now knew was Adam reincarnated—killed me again, that would be it for me. A final death.

  Of course, with the curse broken it also meant we could kill him too. For good this time.

  I sure as hell hoped he could be killed anyway. I had memories flickering in my head of Adam in numerous incarnations, and all the times he’d murdered me. Even in lives Lucifer never knew about, where Adam found me as a child. I shuddered especially hard at those memories and all the wretched, disgusting things he’d done. That monster had to be stopped.

  I had no idea where he was now though. He’d taken off after stealing Samael’s ancient journals from Lucifer, which sounded like it was going to be a problem, though I wasn’t sure how exactly. I shoved the missing journals out of my mind—I’d leave that one to Lucifer. I had more immediate problems to deal with. Like confronting my sister and figuring out who the fuck I was.

  Adam would find me eventually though. He always did. But this time I would be ready for him.

  While Zel cruised down the freeway at breakneck speed, I adjusted my makeshift pillow and tried to get comfortable. Lamborghinis were sexy little cars, but not exactly designed for one to sleep inside. Not that the car was the real problem. No, the problem was that I couldn’t get my mind to turn off. Over and over the moment of my death played through my head on repeat, like a bad horror movie I couldn’t turn off. Sometimes other images broke through from my past lives, just to fuel my anxiety. Some were memories of other times I’d fought with Lucifer in the past, like my brain couldn’t help but drag up the worst things to torment me with.

  Dammit. Focusing on the past wouldn’t help me get answers now. I forced myself not to care about Lucifer, not to even think about him. I focused on slowing my breathing in an attempt to calm down. I wouldn’t achieve anything by allowing my frustration to overtake me. And what I needed more than anything was rest.

  Sleep sank its claws into me eventually, but just before it claimed me completely, another face flickered in my mind of one of the men who’d been there tonight when I’d been resurrected. Dark hair. Green eyes. Lucifer’s smile. I’d seen him at the Devil’s Night Ball too. My heart clenched at the thought, and something about him spoke to me on an almost cellular level. He was important to me somehow, but I had no idea why. The memories were too tangled, and they wouldn’t obey my commands yet. They came and went as they pleased, even as I sought desperately for one involving this man.

  Finally, a name came to me as I succumbed to sleep. Kassiel.

  Who was he?

  * * *

  After the sun rose, Zel woke me up by shoving my arm, hard. I yawned and took over in the driver’s seat, while Zel immediately fell asleep beside me. I envied her for that. I’d always been a terrible sleeper, plagued by what I now knew were flashes from my past lives. The only time I’d ever slept well was when Lucifer was by my side. I shoved that thought away before the anxiety came back.

  As I drove, the sun hit me through the windows and filled me with warmth and strength, and eventually we made it to San Francisco. I found my way easily to my sister’s house, as if I’d always known the path, and someone buzzed us past the gate. I parked in front of her two-story mansion that looked like a French chateau, which sat on top of a hill with amazing views of the bay. Everything inside and out was white and beige, although at least the outside had a few touches of color from some pink roses.

  Zel made a sound of disgust as we got out of the car. I ignored her as I made my way to the door, which opened before I reached it. Jophiel stood on the other side with a smile, her straight blond hair gleaming in the sunlight. She wore a white suit with a skirt and a pink shirt, and every inch of her was far too perfect to be human.

  She came forward on her white heels and took both my hands in hers. “Hannah! I was worried when you took the car, but I’m so glad you’ve returned. Did you realize I was right about Lucifer all along?”

  I jerked my hands away and bit my tongue. I wasn’t sure how to answer that. Instead, I met her eyes and said, “I’m here for answers.”

  “Answers?” my sister asked, cocking her head as if she was the picture of innocence.

  “About my life.” I swallowed against the anxiety making my throat tight. “About Haniel.”

  I had the satisfaction of seeing Jophiel’s face pale at that name. Her fingers splayed at the base of her throat, and if she’d been wearing pearls, she probably would’ve clutched them. “Lucifer told you. I knew I should never have given him back those memories.”

  “Don’t blame Lucifer for this one.” With some effort I made my wings flare out behind me, making Jophiel’s eyes widen. “He had to tell me when these things sprouted from my back.”

  “Shit,” she said, dropping the innocent act entirely.

  An angry bright glow surrounded me. “My powers have returned. I want my memories back too, along with an explanation. And it had better be a damn good one.”

  Jophiel nodded slowly and gestured toward her front door. “Come inside.”

  4

  Hannah

  I hid my wings and stepped inside Jophiel’s entryway, but she held up a hand when Azazel tried to follow me.

  “The demon isn’t welcome in my house,” Jophiel said.

  “Fallen,” Zel snapped. “And I go where she goes.”

  “Azazel is my bodyguard,” I explained.

  “You don’t need protection here,” my sister replied curtly.

  “I’m not so sure of that,” I muttered. “But we can do this out on the porch if you’d prefer. I don’t care either way.”

  Jophiel let out a sniff, but then stepped back to allow Zel to enter the house. If I’d thought Zel was sneering before, it was nothing compared to the look on her face as she walked inside and saw the white marble floors, gleaming chandelier, and sweeping staircase. I’ll admit, it was a bit much, but it wasn’t like Lucifer’s penthouse was much better.

  My sister led us into her living room, which was spotless and shining, as it had been every time I’d visited. We passed the display of angel figurines, which Zel eyed with distaste before plopping down on the white couch.

  Jophiel’s lips pressed in a tight line as she watched Zel, like she worried the Fallen might drop dirt on her pristine white furniture. Then Jophiel turned her eyes back to me and gave me a thorough examination. “Are you all right? Has something happened with Lucifer?”

  The concern in her voice broke through my anger and impatience, reminding me that she cared about me, at least enough to notice when something was wrong. But how could I respond to that question? If I told her everything that had gone down in the last twenty-four hours she’d give me an “I told you so” speech, and no one in the history of the world wanted that from their older sister. I also wasn’t sure how much Zel knew about my death and rebirth. And frankly, I just didn’t want to talk about it right now.

  “I had a rough night,” I managed to say. “Adam attacked me, but I fought him off and he escaped. But that’s not why I’m here.” My hands clenched at my side as I stared my sister down. “I need to know who I really am. You took my powers. You took my memories. Why? How?”

  She barely reacted, except for the slight twitch of her mouth. “Please, sit down and I’ll explain everything. Then you can decide if you still want your memories back. But first, allow me to get you something to drink at least. You look exhausted.”

  “Coffee,” Zel said. “Black.”

  Jophiel
shot her a glare before leaving the room, and I sank down into a white armchair with golden piping. I put my head in my hands and waited, trying not to let the anxiety overcome me again.

  A few minutes later, my sister returned with a silver carafe of coffee and a tray of fancy-looking pastries. She poured me a coffee as she said, “Perhaps your guard can give us some privacy for this discussion. Some of it is of a sensitive nature.”

  At her words, another wisp of memory floated to the front of my mind. I was in a pub with wooden tables and beams across the ceiling. The smell of stale beer lingered in the air, and the raucous calls of the barmaids and customers echoed in my ears. Zel sat beside me, along with another woman with fiery red hair. They both wrapped their arms around me as we laughed and toasted to something, though the details eluded me. A warm sense of friendship and belonging surrounded me, and then the memory faded.

  I shook my head to return to the present. I couldn’t live like this, with half-memories making themselves known at random. This had better be a temporary side effect of my resurrection and nothing more.

  I realized Jophiel and Zel were waiting for my response. I didn’t know very much anymore—certainly not things I’d counted on as true only two days ago—but I knew I could trust Zel. I’d had few true friends over my many lifetimes, but she was one of them.

  “Azazel stays.” My voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.

  Zel smirked and poured herself a coffee, then grabbed a tiny fruit tart with powdered sugar off the pastry tray and popped it in her mouth. Jophiel offered me a pastry as well, but I shook my head. My stomach was in knots, and I had a feeling it wouldn’t get any better during this conversation.

  “Tell me about Haniel,” I said.

  Jophiel sat in the other armchair and crossed her legs primly. “Very well. As you probably have realized now, you are not truly Hannah, but Haniel, an angel of the Ofanim Choir, and my half-sister. You were born in the early twentieth century in Heaven to two Archangels—Anael and Phanuel, our father.”