I jerk awake choking on a scream, my arms and legs thrashing furiously as if I’m drowning and fighting my way to the surface. Even that would be better than my reality. Because I’m submerged up to my chin in a luxurious clawfoot bathtub full of red, boiling blood, and I’m being cooked alive.
I barely register a flash of movement before I’m hoisted from the tub in one swift movement. Lucifer grips my raw, naked body to his hard chest, cradling the back of my head to bury my face in his shirt.
“What happened?” he demands, his breathing almost as labored as mine.
“I… I fell asleep,” I sob. “I woke up and…”
I can’t say it. What I saw in that bathroom has burned itself into the forefront of my mind where it can plague me whenever I close my eyes. Even in this moment, as I try to blink away the images flashing through my head, it’s there. Waiting. Taunting. And the blood that has been scorched into my skin…I don’t know if it will ever wash off.
“I’m getting you out of here,” he says, and within a blink, he sweeps me up into his arms and rushes me out of the bathroom.
I expect him to put me on my bed, but he swiftly crosses the suite and goes to his room. Once we’re safely inside, he lays me on the bed, even having the decency to cover my naked body with the comforter.
“Did…did you see it?” I ask. Maybe it was all in my head—just residual terror from the dream. Maybe I didn’t just wake up immersed in boiling blood.
“I did,” he answers.
I don’t know if I should be relieved that I hadn’t imagined it all, or even more disturbed that something like this could even happen. How is it possible? The dream was unsettling enough. The blood, the razor blades, my name smeared in thick red on the shower wall. I know what it means. I knew it in Grant Park as I looked into Legion’s eyes and saw The Many staring back at me.
“He marked me,” I whisper. “They marked me.”
Lucifer shakes his head, but asks, “How do you know that?”
“I was in another dream. There was a long hallway with eight doors. Only one was open. I needed to go through it.”
Lucifer sits beside me on the bed. He doesn’t touch me, but his warmth seems to find me, expelling the haunting chill. “What did you see?”
I suck in a shaky breath. I don’t want to go back there, but I must. “It was raining blood. And on the door, those demon symbols had been carved into the wood. But not with a knife or tool. It looked…it looked like it was scratched in by fingernails. And there were razor blades all over the floor leading to the bathtub.”
I shiver, and Lucifer moves closer, as if he knows that I need his body heat and his comfort. “What was in the bathtub, Eden?”
I shake my head, trying desperately to stop the tears from falling. I’m stronger than this. Yet, all I want to do is run back to Irin’s fortress and never come out. At least there, I’ll know I’m safe. They may find me in my dreams, but they can’t hurt me there.
“I slid open the shower curtain, and the tub was full of blood,” I rasp, my voice trembling. “Gallons and gallons. Thick and steaming, like it was fresh. And on the wall, my name…my name was smeared in it.” I turn to Lucifer, my eyes wide with horror. “They know who I am. They know that I was there—that I was watching. Like they wanted me to come.”
“Could it be Legion giving you a clue?”
“No, The Many. He said it wasn’t him.”
“He was there?” Lucifer’s angelic face morphs into one of unrestrained rage when he rips himself from the bed. “And he didn’t try to help you?”
“I don’t think he could. It was like he was there but he wasn’t. Or maybe I just imagined him to be. Maybe I just wanted him there and my subconscious conjured him.”
“He’s stronger than that.” Lucifer roughly rakes a hand through his hair. “He’s stronger than he even knows.”
I watch as he scrubs a hand over his face, realizing that for the first time since he conned his way into my life, Lucifer is rattled. I don’t know if it’s from hearing my account or the blood bath or frustration over Legion, but something has definitely scared the Devil. And now I’m even more petrified.
“I’m going to go deal with the mess,” he mumbles. But before he can step away, I reach out and grab his arm.
“No. Please. Don’t…don’t leave me. Please.”
I’m pathetic, and begging Lucifer to stay goes against everything I believe, but being alone right now seems ten times worse than swallowing my pride. I can still feel the blood on me—thick and sticky and hot. The metallic tinge still stings my nostrils and nausea churns like a wave pool in my gut. I’m a mess, my eyes won’t stop leaking, and my hands won’t stop trembling. That dream broke me. The Many broke me. And until I can muster the strength to put myself back together again, I need him to stay.
He looks down at me, a slight frown dimpling his forehead. His lips part, but instead he shakes his head.
“I need to handle this.”
“But I—” I begin to plead.
He holds up a hand, cutting me off. “You won’t be alone.”
Lucifer sucks in a breath and closes his eyes. The air around him begins to shimmer and vibrate, the power radiating from his frame a palpable force. He releases a slow, sinuous hiss and then whispers, “Nikolai.”
My confusion only lasts a mere second before I hear a knock at the door. In the next moment, Lucifer dematerializes and he welcomes our guest. He’s aggravated, wondering why the hell he’s been summoned. Lucifer tells him that he’ll see soon enough. Even with a fraction of my confidence restored with his presence, I don’t breathe. Not until Niko’s beautiful face comes into view.
“Eden,” he rasps, when those ice blue eyes fall over me, his expression crumpled. I know what he sees—me, naked in Lucifer’s bed, sopping wet, my skin streaked with blood. The tears fall even faster, but I quickly dash them away.
“She’s been dreaming of Legion. Of The Many,” Lucifer explains, and I’m grateful. I can’t speak of it again. Not right now. “He…they…they’ve been showing her things. Clues. When she woke up, she was in a tubful of blood. And it was boiling.”
Niko rushes to my side, getting as close as possible to assess any injuries. He isn’t afraid to touch me, and for that I’m glad. Even with his icy fingers running over my bare shoulders, his gentle caress reminds me that this is real. My nightmare is over.
“Are you hurt? Let me tend to your burns,” he insists, careful not to pull the comforter down to expose my naked flesh.
I shake my head. “There’s…nothing. My skin feels a little raw, but it doesn’t hurt, promise.”
He doesn’t look convinced and continues to inspect the patches of skin that aren’t concealed by the blanket. “Your flesh should be melting off your bones,” he mutters quietly, his voice marked with awe. He looks to Lucifer. “You were right to call for me. I’ll take care of her.”
Lucifer nods once. “I need to deal with this.”
Then without so much as a glance in my direction, he’s gone.
Niko turns back to me and tenderly grasps my hand. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”
He leads me to the bathroom, insisting that he’ll be right there the entire time. I’m more than a little reluctant to drop my sheet in front of him, even though just a week ago, I was ready to shimmy out of my thong and offer my supernatural essence and my body to him during the breathing ritual. I’m such a fool. I’m stronger than this, yet I’m allowing him to care for me like a child. Like a meek little girl who’s afraid of the dark. Still, I don’t ask him to leave, even after he turns on the shower and offers to wait outside the bathroom door so I can get in. The time for modesty has come and gone, and I’d rather be embarrassed for a few seconds than look up to find it’s raining blood again.
“Are you ok?” he asks from the other side of the shower stall once I’ve stepped under the clear, warm spray.
I look down at my feet as pink-tinged water trickles down the drain, and lie, “Yes.”
“If I would’ve known this would happen, I wouldn’t have left. You know that, right?”
“I know.”
“I thought you were safe. You were back at Irin’s. You had the Se7en and Lucifer and…I thought you were safe.”
“I know.”
I quickly shampoo the blood from my hair before shutting off the water. I keep waiting…I keep waiting for it turn red. Keep waiting for Niko to disappear and for Legion to be on the other side of that shower. Lucifer was angry with him. He believes he could have fought The Many, that he should have done something. At this point, I can’t even fathom what they’re capable of.
Nikolai has a big fluffy towel outstretched for me when I slide open the glass door. As respectful as always, he doesn’t look, even as he wraps it around my dripping wet body. When we reenter the bedroom space, the bed is made and the sheets are no longer stained with blood.
“Here. Put these on,” he says conjuring a pile of clean, fresh clothes from nothing. I smile gratefully, and he turns to let me dress.
“Done,” I call out quietly after slipping on the soft leggings and oversized sweatshirt. He even included undergarments and cozy socks. Sometimes I swear he can read my mind.
Nikolai spins slowly, as if he’s afraid to spook me. “Better?”
I nod. “Better. Thank you. I’m glad you’re here.”
“Are you tired? “
“No. I couldn’t sleep even if I wanted to. I just keep thinking about…” I shake my head. “It felt too real. Like I wasn’t just dreaming it. It was as if I was here but I was there too.”
“And you think it’s Legion or The Many who took you wherever you were?”
“I don’t know. The first time it happened, I thought maybe it was me that was mentally reaching out for him, trying to find him.”
“Wait…it’s happened before?”
“Yes. But this time…it was much, much worse.”
He leads me to the sitting room and we raid the mini fridge, which is thankfully stocked with overpriced booze and snacks, and I describe the bar in my dream. Then, somehow, after not enough food and a tiny bottle of Jack, I tell him about that hallway with the ugly yellow wallpaper with pink flowers.
“The Se7en think we’re in Detroit. That demonic symbol has been popping up everywhere, so we split up, hoping he’ll turn up. Legion has only been gone two days. There’s no way he could have done all this alone.”
“But maybe there are lesser demons acting on his behalf,” Niko muses. He rips open a bag of peanut M&Ms and pours them out on the mirrored coffee table.
“That’s what we’re thinking. But that would mean he could have been conspiring with them this entire time. Do you really think he’s capable of betraying us all?” My stomach knots as I wonder about our time together. Was that really him? Or something else?
“You have to remember—Legion was most likely clueless about what was going on. I don’t believe he would do that to the Se7en, or to you. And if somehow The Many had been plotting unbeknownst to him, it couldn’t have been for long.”
I pluck up a blue M&M and pop it into my mouth. “What do you mean?”
“The Legion of Lost Souls was awakened the night The Alliance took you. Before then, The Many had been suppressed. They weren’t powerful enough to overtake Legion, even without his power.”
“So if The Many were conspiring with any lesser rebels, it had to have been after he regained the power from the amulet.”
“And where were we after that night?” Niko lifts a brow, urging me to realize what we should have known from the beginning.
“Irin. You think she would support a demon rebellion? Given her stance on violence?” I don’t dare to mention why Irin’s beliefs go against the theory that she would be involved.
“No. But she has many members of her staff who could be easily seduced to do their bidding. We all saw how they threw themselves at Lucifer. Who’s to say they weren’t interested in more than just pleasure?”
I shake my head. “He’d never be involved in something like this. He wants to put a stop to this as much as the Se7en do.”
“And you trust him?”
“I don’t really have much choice, do I?” I shrug. “All I know is that he was there. After Grant Park, after my dreams…he was there.”
Niko solemnly casts his azure gaze down to the floor, so I quickly tack on, “Just like you would have been there if you knew what was happening.”
He doesn’t look at me when he mutters, “Is that why you’re here with him? Because I wasn’t?”
“No,” I reply earnestly, hoping he believes it. “You are my friend, Niko. I care about you. Lucifer is…Lucifer is a necessary evil.”
“I get that.” He uncaps a tiny bottle of scotch and downs it in one swig. “Just…just be careful, baby girl. He may be nice to look at, but there’s nothing but rot and death underneath the façade.”
I smile, and for the first time in a long time, it’s genuine. “You’re nice to look at too.”
He laughs, then leans forward to leave a kiss on my forehead. “I’m going to stay close. I have a house nearby, so I’m only a call away. Gabs and Dorian are in Skiathos but I may summon them. If something’s going down in my city, I need to be here.”
“Your city?”
He grins crookedly, nostalgia gleaming in his gaze. “Used to be. I ruled for decades until…well, let’s just say my exit was not by choice. But in many ways, my heart is still very much here.”
I nod, understanding. “Amelie.”
His grin stretches wider. “She came from a long line of New Orleans witches who once controlled all magic in the city. My father felt that their coven had grown too powerful, and sent me here to abolish it. I was good at my job and good at taking what I wanted from them and anyone who stood in my way. Until I met Amelie.” The light in his eyes dims a fraction. “They blame me for her death, and I don’t begrudge them that. So I turned New Orleans back over to them. For now.”
We decide to flip on the TV to steer the conversation to other, less heartbreaking subjects, and I’m thankful for the distraction. Talking to Niko makes me feel like myself again. I’ve been afraid before—I know what real fear is. But what happened in that bathroom cannot be easily forgotten. And if I am to do the impossible and face every terrible, disturbing act of violence that The Many have planned for us, then I need to suck it up and move forward.
“That’s odd,” Niko remarks.
I turn the volume up on the national news channel and tune in. I’ve been out of the loop for so long that I had forgotten about the usual corruption our world was already wrought with. Political depravity, sexual abuse scandals, wars for profit… humanity is already doomed on its own. Maybe The Many can’t hurt us more than we’ve already hurt ourselves.
We listen intently to a story about a new flu strain that’s sweeping the West Coast. People are dying. Schools are closing in fear of spreading it further. The flu shot has been deemed useless, and the CDC is at a complete loss as to what to do to combat it.
“Fuck,” I spit. “Demons are literally running wild and now people have to worry about the flu?”
“It’s messed up,” Niko remarks. “And the angels aren’t intervening.”
“Would that be any better? The farther they are from Earth, the better. They’ve proven that they have their own agenda when it comes to mankind.”
“Yeah, but these people are innocent. Kids are dying. Someone has to take responsibility.”
“And someone will.”
His voice is so haunting that I literally yelp with fright before turning to find Lucifer standing right behind us.
“Holy shit! Where did you come from?”
He ignores my question and stalks to the loveseat, his eyes glued to the screen. His clothes are pristine, as always, not at all stained with the blood that had transferred onto his crisp white shirt from my skin. Not a hair out of place and no indication of harm. I can’t help it, but I sigh with relief. He’s been gone for hours, and I couldn’t help but wonder what had called him away. Whatever it was, whatever it is, it’s still plaguing him.
“It’s starting,” he murmurs, still not meeting my eyes.
“What’s starting?” I question. “What’s going on?”
He slowly turns to finally look at me and I see that his violet, sparkling gaze is churning with swirls of obsidian and his alabaster skin has gone ashen.
“Lucifer…” I whisper, the fear creeping back in. “What is it?”
His tone is as cold and dark as death.
“Pestilence.”