Being one of the Devil's children is tough, especially when you have a heart of gold like Lux Morgenstern. She's spent her life flying under the radar, avoiding trouble and prying eyes. But everything changes when she captures the attention of Micha...
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Seeing Gabriel stand directly in front of Lux, a sudden wave of fear washes over me; my muscles tense, and my jaw clenches. While no one around seems to notice, Lucifer gives me a look that says everything. His eyebrows are slightly furrowed, and his eyes shine with that familiar intensity he always has when he's uncovered a truth.
He and I were close in the past, before his fall. He and I were like brothers, and no matter how much time has passed since then, he still seems able to see through the internal walls I try to keep as high as possible. In hindsight, maybe it's from him that Lux inherited this ability to so easily know my intentions or understand my motivations.
Or perhaps it's that special bond between us, this connection we can't quite explain.
For the first time in my life, I'm afraid of Gabriel's actions—I fear he might hurt the person who means the most to me, and Lucifer has just seen that fear because he feels it too. Not as a lover, but as a father.
I'm not a father myself—not yet—but I recognize the paternal instinct of the fallen angel when I see it.
What is she thinking, standing up to Gabriel like that? Doesn't she know what he's like? Doesn't she know what he's capable of in a heartbeat?
Yet, despite the terror and anxiety radiating from her delicate body, my soulmate doesn't budge an inch. She doesn't back down, facing him with courage. Lux believes in what she's fighting for, and no matter the obstacles, she won't let the fear she feels make her lower her gaze—or her voice.
Gabriel seems beyond insulted, the shock clearly written in his eyes as he tilts his head slightly to the side to scrutinize her better—and I hate the way he looks her over. Long seconds of silence stretch before he bursts out in mocking, joyless laughter. "And here I thought you were the least invested of Lucifer's brood—I even doubted you were truly his daughter, just another lost child he picked up like a stray dog from the gutter. Seems appearances can be deceiving."
"Insult me as much as you want if it helps you feel powerful, Gabriel, but it doesn't change the truth I'm telling you," she replies before any of her siblings can step in to defend her, sensing their intentions without even turning around. They protect her. Knowing she's the weakest of them, thinking power is measured by the abilities they inherited from their father, they've always watched over her more closely. But my beautiful redhead doesn't let them shelter her any longer, summoning her courage to make Gabriel listen to reason. To finally make her voice heard.
"Maybe everything that's happening is simply your fault. Maybe it's your bad influence that's causing the fluctuations in power, the strange events, and everything else. Maybe by eliminating the real threat—" he says, taking another step toward her, now only inches from Lux, towering over her, "you—we could naturally and quickly fix all our problems."
"Have you ever considered that the real threat might simply be the lack of balance caused by our useless and endless war?"
I see the last of Gabriel's patience leave him as he raises a hand to Lux, grabbing her by the throat. The sound she makes— that sharp gasp of surprise when her hands fly to his wrist—electrifies me, and I'm on Gabriel before her brothers, her sister, Nina, or even her father have the chance. My hand slams onto Gabriel's chest, and his eyes meet mine, shocked, as though I've just betrayed him. Now I understand what Lux feared seeing in her family's eyes.
