The star crossed lovers

XXV

Davina felt an unexpected wave of relief wash over her as Lucifer made his decision. The tension that had gripped her heart slowly loosened its hold, allowing her a brief moment of peace. Knowing that Ethan would be under Lucifer's protection—despite everything—was enough. It meant she could finally focus on what needed to be done. Her plan was simple in theory: first, she would track down and eliminate the one who had hurt Ethan, then she would turn her attention to the elder wolf gods Victoria had spoken of. But a creeping sense of doubt clawed at her. Nothing was ever that simple.

As she looked back at Ethan, his small, tear-filled eyes stared up at her with a quiet desperation.

"You're leaving again," he whispered, his voice cracking. "You always promise to come back, but... you never do."

Davina felt her chest tighten at his words. He was right—she had left him so many times before, each time with the same promise on her lips, and each time the separation had only grown longer and harder. This time was different, though. She could feel it. The weight of her future path and actions pressed down on her, making it difficult to breathe. She crouched down to Ethan's level, taking his small hands into hers.

"I will come back," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I swear it, Ethan. This time, I won't let anything stop me. But I need you to be nice while I'm gone . Take care of both of them and yourself Davina ." She voiced out her last words for wolf knowing that deep down she is there in him and she can hear him  . Her heart ached at the fear she saw in his eyes—the same fear she felt deep within her own bones. She forced a smile, gently brushing his hair back.

"But what if something happens to you?" Ethan whimpered, his grip on her hands tightening as if afraid to let go.

Before Davina could respond, the Imp stepped forward, its sly eyes gleaming with mischief as it crouched near Ethan. "Don't worry, kid," it said, its voice deceptively light. "Your lady will be just fine. After all, she's got the Almighty Lord's protection. He won't let anything happen to her."

Lucifer froze. His eyes snapped to the Imp in sudden shock, the words slicing through him like a sharp blade. I never said that. His glare bore into the small creature, a silent warning to watch its tongue, but the Imp, unfazed by his displeasure, continued smiling at Ethan unaware of the turmoil it had just unleashed within the dark lord.

Just as Lucifer tried to push the moment aside, the voice of Lust slithered its way into Davina's mind, dark and insidious. "Yes, we will be fine... afterall I have not tasted him yet."

Davina's body jolted in surprise, her breath hitching as a rush of heat surged through her, accompanied by a wave of embarrassment. She felt exposed, vulnerable, as if the demon's seductive whispers had stripped her bare in front of Lucifer. She wondered if they are standing true to its name - demons , this was all intentional by them .  A shudder ran down her spine, and she internally cursed Lust, trying to silence the demon's intrusive desires. How could she turn off these voices? And worse, was Lucifer hearing them too? 

Her eyes darted toward Lucifer, dreading what she might find in his expression, but he had already turned sharply away, clenching his jaw. Yet she knew—he had heard it.

For Lucifer, hearing Lust's words was like being struck by a force he had not prepared for. The raw temptation in the demon's voice made his heart race, igniting sensations he had long since tried to suppress. He hated the way it clawed at his control, tearing through his carefully constructed defenses. He couldn't afford to feel this way—not for her, not anymore. But the demon's voice slithered into his mind as well, a reminder of what had once been, of what he had buried deep. Already for him with the confrontation with her was painful - all the feelings he had supressed from centuries and decades had started to surface up slowly .His skin prickled with the knowledge that she, too, was struggling against the torrent of emotions they could no longer deny.

But Lucifer refused to let it consume him. He couldn't. He wouldn't. Not again. The last time he had allowed himself to feel this way, it had nearly destroyed him. The agony of losing her and his people had been unbearable—a wound that had festered over the centuries, never truly healing. And now, the thought of letting himself care for her again, of letting his heart break one more time—it was too much to bear. The very idea of her leaving him again, walking away as if he were nothing, would destroy him in a way far worse than any physical pain ever could.

He could still remember that day—the day he had awakened alone, trapped in the depths of hell with a dagger lodged in his chest. The memory of it haunted him, lurking in the shadows of his mind, threatening to pull him back into the darkness he had fought so hard to escape. Even now, he felt that same suffocating weight pressing down on him, dragging him deeper into the abyss every time he allowed his feelings for Davina to surface.

Lucifer's steps quickened as he left the room, his heart thundering in his chest. He couldn't stay. He couldn't let himself be near her, not when every second in her presence threatened to undo him. His control was slipping, the cracks in his armor widening with each passing moment, and he knew that if he stayed any longer, he would break as Davina's presence—her absence—was a wound that time had not healed. He feared it never would.

The truth was, her leaving twisted his heart in a way he didn't want to acknowledge. Watching her go everytime tore open old scars and left fresh wounds. But he knew he couldn't stop her, couldn't show her the weakness she had once exploited as for her he might not be that important as that other man but for her - Yet, no matter her name, she would always be her to him.

He made his way to the far side of the palace, climbing to the top of one of the grand towers. From there, he could watch her leave without her seeing him. His heart tightened in his chest as he caught sight of her making her way through the courtyard below. The wind played with her hair, and she cast one final glance toward the palace before stepping through the gates.

For the briefest moment, she hesitated, and Lucifer felt his own heart pause. He could sense the conflict within her—the longing, the hesitation. But she didn't stop. She kept moving forward, her determination carrying her away from him.

Regret clung to him like a heavy cloak. He had already forgiven her for the past, but the scars it left behind were still there, etched into his soul, unhealed by time. He had forgiven her, yes—but forgiveness didn't erase the pain of loss it bring along . It didn't erase the longing.

The truth was that he didn't want her to leave, but he couldn't stop her. He had no right to. Their history, their shared pain, had built a wall between them—one neither of them seemed able to tear down.

From the tower, he watched her until she disappeared from sight, the distance between them growing with every step she took.

In the silence of the empty palace, Lucifer stood alone, his eyes lingering on the path she had taken, his heart torn between the unforgiving past and the inescapable reality of their present. He had always known that time couldn't heal everything—not the scars, not the regrets, not the longing that simmered just beneath the surface.

And yet, in that moment, all he could do was watch her leave, unable to stop her, unable to say what needed to be said.

Davina, too, felt the weight of his gaze even though she couldn't see him. She knew he was watching, and in her own heart, there was a familiar ache—a longing she had tried to push away but could never quite escape. Despite everything, despite the pain and the betrayal, she still wanted him to call her back, to say something that would make her stay. But she knew that wasn't going to happen. Not now. Not after everything. She finally turned back to take a one last look to the his palace but its was vanished like it never existed . This was what he was to her - one minute he is there and the other gone .

Their past had left wounds that time couldn't heal, and neither of them knew how to bridge the distance that had grown between them.

As she disappeared into the darkness, both of them were left with the same unspoken thought: What if.....