Crimson {COMPLETED}

CHAPTER XXXVIII

LUCIFER'S POV

NOVEMBER 16
2:14 p.m

FOOTSTEPS APPROACH me and I look up from the book I'm reading. I decided to take a book out to the garden because I figured I would get some time alone but I guess not.

"Hi Lucifer." Christos smiles cheerfully at me. "How're you doing today?"

"Fine." I shut my book. Christos and Jackson sit down on the marble bench on either side of me.

They smile at me and don't speak a word.

"Can I help you two?"

"We were just hoping you could clear something up for us."

"I can try." I mumble.

"So you and Adalia met at a river one night? And she bit you? Correct?" Christos raises an eyebrow.

This again. Great.

I grab my book and stand up to leave. Jackson grabs me by the arms and pulls me back onto the bench, keeping his grip tight.

"Hey, let go. C'mon." I kick my legs, like that'll help. Jackson alone has what, a hundred times my strength?

"Answer the question." Jackson snarls.

"It's none of your goddamn business." I snap.

Christos smashes my foot like he's slamming on a car brake.

I sharply suck in my breath, holding in a scream.

But what if I do scream? There's staff all over this place. Someone will hear something.

Besides, Adalia will kill me if I let Christos know she practically kidnapped me.

And Adalia scares me more than Christos.

"Adalia!" I scream. She's probably nowhere near here but somebody will recognize my voice and run this way.

Jackson smacks a hand over my mouth and swears, glancing around to see if anyone is coming.

"Maybe Lucifer here isn't the shy, non-confrontational little kid we thought he was." Christos grins.

"Though I thought he was a lot smarter than to yell for her like that." Jackson unclasps his hand from my mouth and shoots me a warning look.

"Jackson Reed!" A scolding voice calls. "Let go of him, for God's sake."

All three of us whip our heads around to the garden trail and Adalia is storming over, fire in her eyes.

Jackson's grip on me loosens and I slide out of his grasp.

Adalia grabs me by the arm and pulls me to my feet, dusting me off.

"We weren't doing anything. Just showing Lucifer some brotherly love." Christos snickers.

"Keep your hands off him." She growls, making me jump. "He's going to be king one day, meaning he'll be able to make your lives hell if he really wants to. I wouldn't tempt him."

"Please, what's he gonna do?" Jackson sneers. "He's practically a toddler."

I go red in the face. "I'm nineteen."

"I'm over half your age kid." Jackson smirks. "I'll be ninety four in April."

Christos and Jackson start laughing at the look on my face.

"Keep digging yourselves a hole. Even if Lucifer doesn't use his power to get back at you, I will. Don't push it." Adalia drills her eyes into Christos'

"Oh no, I'm so afraid." Christos smiles. "I'm sure mother and father would love to hear you plan on abusing your power."

"Fine, tell them. See if I care. You could spill whatever you want about me and I'd still be a better heir than you." She grabs my hand and leads me to leave.

"I'm sure they'd love to hear that Lucifer is considered missing, back in the mortal realm."

Adalia stops walking and goes pale.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Her voice shakes.

"Missing posters are all over Lucifer's home town." Jackson reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a folded piece of paper.

He gets up and hands it to me.

Sure enough, it's about me.

On the bottom are Dad's address and phone number. Does he actually care that I'm missing?

Adalia grabs the flyer and reads it over. She rips it up into several pieces and tosses it to the ground.

"I wouldn't know why." She looks at Christos who is smirking ear to ear.

"I'm sure you wouldn't." He straightens up. "Which is why I already told mother and father about this situation."

I can see Adalia's heart practically stop.

"Fine. It's not my fault that Lucifer's folks don't know he's perfectly fine."

"Yeah, guess they assumed he was kidnapped or something." Jackson tilts his head.

"Guess so." She grabs my hand tightly and pulls me to the garden entrance.

"Adalia?"

"Lucifer you cannot tell them anything. They don't understand, the wouldn't understand." Her voice is frantic. "They'll spin this whole situation in a narrative to make Christos look like he'd be the better suited heir."

"I get it." I stop walking, making her stop to. "I'm sure everything will turn out fine."

She smiles sweetly. "I'm so glad you understand Luci." She grabs my face and pecks my cheek. "I knew you'd come around eventually. Would you like a snack, Love? I'm starving."

So we go into a small lounge and have some snacks while Adalia reads over some paperwork.

Meanwhile I sit in thought about the missing poster. Is Dad actually concerned about me?

I run through the whole conversation in my head.

"Adalia, how old are you?" I whisper.

"Do you really want to know?" She chuckles to herself.

I nod, fluffing a pillow I'm leaning against.

"One hundred and two. My birthday's at the end of the month though."

"Wow." I keep whispering for some reason. "My Dad always told me I couldn't even draw in girls my age, let alone an older woman."

She laughs. "'An older woman'? You say it like I'm a cougar."

"Well, I mean..."

She elbows me.

"Well didn't your father also tell you that you never remind a girl that she's getting older?" She smiles. She's wearing makeup as she usually is. The only time she's without it is when we're going to sleep.

"He did, but I don't understand why getting older is turned into this evil, bitter thing. Especially since you're, well, you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well I mean damn Adalia, I know you have no reflection but you should see yourself. You could pass for someone my age. You're beautiful."

"Aw, Luci. You're too sweet. You're beautiful too." She kisses my head.

I settle into the couching, resting my head in her lap.

This place is really starting to feel like home.