Chapter Seventeen

Please read the A/N at the bottom of this Chapter. Much love is going out in support of everyone in these challenging times. We are in this together.

Xox

Rose.

I don't really trust myself with you

Let you back in, forgive and forget

But then I get bruised

I just blame it on myself

Like it's all me, thinking I'm useless

Making excuses, not even you believe

Chapter Seventeen – Trust.

Nephele's POV

I stand slightly behind Lucifer, the warmth of his back keeping my shivering form slightly warm. As much as I hated to admit it to him and even myself, I liked the feeling of being close to him. It could just be my lack of affection from people in my life before this whole thing happened, or it could be something real. I was still trying to decide what it was, and I knew that I had to stay away from the devil with blue eyes, but I chose to savor it for now.

Savor the warmth.

I found it amusing how he could be warm all the time, not that I've purposely touched him. I was a cold-blooded human by nature, and for sure always cold. When I was little, I always used to stab my feet under people's thighs because my feet were also always 'ice temperature' apparently. That's what my dad used to say when I did it to him, he also used to laugh and say I was exactly like my mother; both of us having ice for feet.

I smile fondly at the memory, and am only drawn out of it when a rather large and hot hand is placed on my lower back. I almost jump at the contact; however I contain the gasp from his touch and rather let out one as my eyes land on the sight that Lucifer was protecting, hiding, me from.

I leapt into action almost as soon as I saw who was winning this aggressive looking fight, although they looked frozen in place.

"Angelina!" I cried out, pushing forward and pass Lucifer. He, however, grips my arm in a soft grip, the grip still strong as I cannot get out. Instead of letting me go so I can go pick up my best friend from the ground, he lifts his arms up and makes a strange pattern in the air. The two bodies, one of Lilith who was still looking rather aggravated, and the other Angelina who was looking rather, beaten up, were raised in the air. I calmed down, failing to continue to resist against Lucifer hold and instead stood still next to him waiting for what was to occur next.

"Angelina, as in your best friend Angelina? This girl is not your best friend." I stammer at Lilith's question, not knowing how to respond. Her voice had a hint of malice, possibly jealousy underneath.

Only then did I notice that Adam was on the railing of the majestic staircase that ascends onto the second floor. His face showed that or boredom as he looked at Angelina, who apparently wasn't Angelina on the floor, however when it moved to Lilith, I could see a look of concern brush over his expression. He did not move however, and stayed next to the railing. I had a feeling he did not want to further upset Lucifer.

I could feel Lucifer's anger at this rolling of him in waves, but he did not hurt me as he dropped his hold on my arm and instead placed a calm hand on my lower back. I slightly jumped at the touch, finding it strange, but I remain in a calm state. My mind was in some sort of shock, again. Call me weak, but I was confused as Hell. Pun not-intended.

I bite my lip as I stare between the pair of females in front of me, confused as to what caused this.

"Greetings Freyja. Now I have two questions for you. Lucifer speaks from beside me, his voice lower than usual and I feel as thought that has to do something with him expressing his authority in this situation. It was kind of dumb. "Firstly, what did you do to get Lilith to attack you so violently, and secondly, why are you here?" He states in a rather calm voice, however I could tell he was annoyed that his foyer was ruined. I did not understand why though, since he would not be the one cleaning it up.

My second point was that he called Angelina Freyja. I had heard the name before, I did not know who she was but she was definitely not Angelina if she was this Freyja girl.

"She is the Norse Goddess of Fertility, Love, Sex and collecting the 'beautiful' dead." Lucifer's voice fills my mind and I almost scream in fright but I contain it. He was obviously back to reading my mind, but does that mean that others can as well?

"No. I am blocking them from doing such heinous things." He answers again. I screw up my nose and look at him under my lashes with a look of disapproving.

Hypocrite.

Regardless of this, if she was the Goddess of Sex and so on, why was she here? She obviously had some royal dead collecting duties, as Lucifer mentioned in his sarcastic line about collecting the beautiful dead, but why was she here. And why did she look so much like Angelina, not even similar, identical to Angelina.

As I was lost in my mind, I was drawn out in a snap as the Angelina look-alike stood up from the ground gracefully and suddenly her battered body transformed into one that seemed to glow. Angelina was also so graceful that whenever she fell, it would appear that she was an angel when so got back up. Strange description I know, it is hard to explain anyway.

Her light brown hair, which was a shade lighter than Angelina's hair, glowed under the low natural light that filtered into the room through the large sun windows. Her brown eyes seemed to sparkle an amber-honey colour due to no apparent reason, and her face. Oh my God, her face was flawless. How was that possible? I had blemishes and old scars on my face, and had a medium amount of acne when I was in my teen years, even some popping up every few months. However, this individual appeared as though she had none, ever. She was beautiful, but why did she look so much like Angelina.

Undenyably, this goddess looked different than Angelina in certain ways. She was taller, leaner, had a smaller chest area – which was fine and we cannot be judgemental about that shit because it doesn't matter – different eyes and hair. But a lot was the same. Her movements, the way she stood up, the way her face looked in general. It was strange but I couldn't deny that I felt like I knew this person in front of me.

The more that I think about it, Angelina also had never had any visible acne, spots, blemishes. She was flawless. I gasp, my head, which was lowered in thought, shooting up to make eye contact with the Goddess as she was about to open her mouth and answer Lucifer.

"You have been playing in the human realm as Angelina for the past eight, nine years, haven't you?" It was an accusation, for sure. But I had a feeling I was right. "You look exactly like her, or almost like her. You have the same movements as her. You were her, or she was you, for the past nine years of my life." I stare at her, the guilt that washes over her face, the sadness that soon follows and my eyes widen, realising I was right. She was an imposter. Angelina was not real.

I did not know what to say to this.

It was stupid, I know. So, cliché that I should have seen this coming for I had read this in so many books before. Absolute stupidity.

She was my best friend. We had done so much together since I moved into her house when I was fifteen years old. We used to sneak out into the kitchen, out of all places, to snack at midnight like best friends did. We used to go to those stupid high-school parties, shed be the one to get drunk and I'd be the one to stay sober. We used to laugh together, watch Rom-Com's together, have fun together. She took care of me when my brother continuously broke my heart, and I used to hug her whilst she cried about the guys who broke her heart, and laugh when she went after every single guy that caught her fancy. I used to think that was just her, but I guess now it makes sense, since she was the Norse Goddess of Love and Sex.

How naïve was I being? How could I note pick up on the strange disappearances she partook in? What about how strange it was for her to be talking in the middle of the night, talking to people in her room with hushed voices. How did I not pick up on her strange behaviour? How did I not know she was hiding something?

I take a step back automatically, not noticing Lucifer's arm tighten and pull me further as his hand now rested on my waist.

"Nephele, I didn't lie to you ever." She says and I furrow my eyebrows at this. "I couldn't tell you, I swear I couldn't tell you, and even if I could, I wouldn't have." She continues and I shake my head at her, tears welling up in my eyes. "I was sent by Odin and Zues to look over you, I had to maintain my silence or I would have been punished. You have to believe me." I frankly don't care who sent her and I don't care whether she would have been punished or not.

"Did you know?" I state through gritted teeth. "Did you know about Derrick? Did you know about this whole thing?" If she knew about Derrick, she knew that he would try to take me away. She should not have left me at the party if that was the case. She left me there so she could go get a fuck, go fuck some pretty frat boy, whilst I was being beaten and assaulted. If it were not for Lucifer, that night would have ended differently and I know it.

She left me to get assaulted, beaten and possibly sexually assaulted, whilst she was fucking some boy in an upstairs bedroom.

I didn't care if she couldn't tell me about her identity, I didn't care that she was sent to protect me. What I cared about was the thought the our friendship, my one and only best friend who I thought was my best friend, the one who would always be there for me, the one who would be by Maid of Honour at my Wedding and would help me choose my dress since my mum wasn't here, left me when no best friend, or woman, for that matter should have.

"Did you know Angelina? Or should I call you Freyja now since your other identity was a lie?" I ask again, my voice deadly calm as my throat physically started to hurt with the emotions I was containing.

"It is not that eas-" She starts but I cut her off, repeating what I said.

"Did you know? It is an easy question; yes or no." I persist. I have no words other than that and right now, I do not want to deal with this bullshit. I can feel the room grow cold, and I can feel the familiar feeling of ice on the tips of my fingers. I don't bother looking down, knowing that there is ice and snowflakes flowing around my clenched hand. I have had this happen before, but I never told anyone. It happened when my father died, and it is a story for a different time. It was similar to when I was in the room with Blue and the door was frozen; I had the same ice and blue colour flowing around my hand when I got mad at Lucifer.

Except it was never this bad.

"Yes." I don't say anything as the room grows to an even icier temperature. I close my eyes, holding back my tears with great restraint and turn around shoving Lucifer's hand from my waist as I move the go up the stairs. I didn't want to be here anymore, and I hated people – sorry, Goddess' in particular, anyway.

"Ele, wait –"I turn around on my heel, only around five steps up the staircase and glare at my former friend. Former friend, because friends would not do that to a person.

"I am sorry, but when did I say you could call me that? Only people who actually care about me can do that; and considering you obviously left me with someone who you knew was out to harm me in more ways than one, I don't call you a friend because friends don't do that shit. Now, the exit is behind you so I insist you take it." The glare I mustered was icy cold, giving her one final look before I turned around and continued making my way up the stairs.

I reach the top of the stairs easily, the cool marble beneath my feet feeling like heaven as I walk across it; even though I had shoes on. I turn the corner towards the left, remembering the way Lucifer had shown me to my room from the foyer area. I don't get lost this time, my mind still buzzing however as I walk these dimly lit halls.

There was so much to think about. So many things had happen in the last twenty-four hours, if it was twenty-four hours, and I had yet to process it. I also had so many questions; some about Lucifer, some about what Ange- Feyja was doing here and a lot about this new found power.

I smile sadly to myself, the power was cool and all, if you could call it a power, but I wanted to know where it came from. I also wanted to know why Angelina, or whatever the fuck her name was, left me that night.

I sniffle to myself, wiping the jumper sleeve I was wearing underneath my eyes to prevent the escaping tears from escaping any further.

Pull yourself together. Breathe.

I remind myself; I need to not be weak in these times. I had so many things to ask Lucifer, and I still was confused about why I was here. I was dragged into this world for what reason? Because I was his 'soulmate' or 'twin-flame?' That was also a thing I was confused on, although he did explain it rather well. Or was that just because he was rather attractive?

See! This is my point, I was beyond confused about so many things. I don't know what was expected of me here nor what to expect and I kind of was missing my medical classes. I was halfway through my university course in Medicine, and I only had another three years before I could be a resident at a hospital. I was looking forward to helping people, regardless of my dislike to the general human population.

Look, I disliked interacting with people, but I wanted to help them. But this isn't even what I am confused about! My head keeps going in circles and I don't know why I am here, well I do but I don't at the same time, and I am confused to what is happening around me and –

Apparently I was so lost in my head that I didn't even notice the broad and warm chest that was right in front of me until I walked into it. I stumble but with a puff of air, raising my hand to my nose as an arm wraps around my waist to steady me. Lucifer's throaty laugh is what I hear as I come back into the real world and look up at him with a small smile.

"Well hello to you to." He states with a sarcastic smirk planted on his lips. I request my mind to stop thinking about them as soon as possible, knowing that he is probably reading my thoughts and I don't want him to know what I am thinking about doing to them.

"Don't tell me you are mad at me for doing what I just did?" I ask, noting how he was still rather stiff and rigid. He seemed annoyed at something.

"Turned on by that, sure. Mad? Definitely not. She deserved it. I still have to ask her a few questions about her appearance and what not, but what she did was uncalled for and I do not forgive her for putting you in danger like that." My heart skips a beat at his comment but I ignore it.

"Oh, you cant just do that. Just because I am your soulmate or twin-flame or whatever, doesn't give you romantic relationship rights old man." I say back, smirking to myself at how successful that sounded. "Oh, and I'm not going to be sorry about what I said to her; it was the best finishing statement in an argument I have ever said." I add to what I previously said, with an even wider smirk and a little hint of happiness there.

Trying to lighten the mood much.

"Well, more of a twin-flame mea amare, if you want to be spiritual now, as a twin flame is like a 'soulmate on crack' as they say. Also, I don't want you to be sorry about that, it was hot." I roll my eyes at his smile and step back from his hold. Regardless of what we were right now, he didn't have boyfriend privileges so he could only touch so much.

"We'll see what I can touch." He mutters under his breath and I laugh.

"It's rude to read other people's thoughts old man, and besides, boyfriend privileges my friend, boyfriend privileges." I state back with a goofy smile.

"Friend-zoned, as you millennials say." He stops abruptly, seeming to think about something before he continues. "Would you like to watch a movie?" I am taken back by his offer, finding his quieter voice kind of funny once I realise, he thinks I will say no. I shake my head with a smile and look back up to him.

"Sure, as long as I get to choose." I smile at him and turn on my hell, noting that I had indeed walked past my room and made it too the kitchen on my journey that I intended to end at my room. I hum smoothly as I enter the kitchen, feeling the Devil following me with curiosity. I begin to rummage through the cupboards and pantry, looking for a large bowl and the other desirable food; popcorn.

"Do you want some help." Lucifer asks from behind me as I jump to reach the blue and yellow sachet, yes; I am making microwave popcorn, except I could not reach the sachet as it was on the highest shelf above the island bench. Even with my 5'10 and-a-half height, I couldn't reach it. I was tall for my age, and yet the simple task was impossible. I could feel the sachet between the tips of my middle and index finger when I stood on my tippy-toes and really elongated my arm.

"Why do tall-tall people put the necessities on the top shelves?" I ask, irritated. This is very mundane and I know it was, I was, at the moment anyway, just trying to avoid the topic of Blue, my sudden Ice Powers, and this whole thing. It may seem ignorant to do so, but honestly, I was so mentally exhausted.

This was worse than the final weeks in Senior Year.

I couldn't compare it to that, however, my subconscious thought it could. High School was stressful to everyone, and it had nothing to do with this.

"Popcorn and fatty foods are not a necessity amare." I can hear the smile in voice and it makes me turn around with a snarl.

"Says you though since your opinion officially doesn't matter here. Now pretty please get the popcorn for me." I scrunch my nose up in distaste and move away from the counter so Lucifer can grab the food for me. I watch as he swiftly, and quite easily, grab the sachet from the top shelf. "So the Devil is useful." I mutter to myself as he hands the popcorn to me.

However, before the popcorn sachet was ripped from the tips of my finger-tips, just before I can grab it. I gasp and look up at Lucifer with a sad face. He looks down at me with charming blue eyes and a mimicking pout.

"Useful? I am quite useful I will tell you." He says with a laugh. I sigh, fake turning around sadly, trying to get him to give it to me. As the sad-turning doesn't work, I quickly flip back around and jump into the air trying to get the packet that he now holds up high in the air. I continue to jump repeatedly up into the air, like a maniac may I add, trying to get the packet that I really want.

I stop jumping after my fourth or fifth jump and step back with a blush, only now realising how close I was to Lucifer. I bit my lip and look up at him, only to meet his hooded gaze as he too, stares back at me. I clear my throat and think about my movie choice, a method to get my mind off him.

"Uh, I am going to go choose the movie in the living area whilst you make the food?" It was meant to be a statement but came out as more of a question since I didn't know if he wanted to make me food. I blush and turn away from him, almost running into the joining television room where we had previously eaten pizza a few nights, maybe seven nights, ago.

I hum a song I had stuck in my head, one that I had forgotten most of the lyrics too. I smile as my fingers start playing the rhythm in the air, as if I was playing the piano. I used to play, well I still did up until a few weeks ago. My father taught me from when I was little, whilst my mother taught my brother the violin. Both my parents loved music, and they used to be able to play well; not that they were off professional standards. I know my dad was an archaeologist and he was often away on trips, but I don't know what my mother was. I don't remember, same how I don't remember a lot about her.

I shake my head to get myself out of the distracting thought when I hear the microwave in the kitchen beep. I swallow the quickly forming lump in my throat as I grab the remote of the coffee table and navigate my way to Netflix. It was amazing how down in the underworld they had Modern appliances; another thing I had to ask about. Although I bet the answer, I would receive would be similar to something like 'I make this place to suit what you know', or something similar to that. How thoughtful but also kind of creepy at the same time.

I search the title of the movie up in the search bar, of course after making a new avatar and profile for myself since there was none to begin with. I smile when I find my favourite movie ever; Legally Blonde.

I was also much looking forward to the new movie that was supposed to be coming out in May of 2020, which was still a few months away.

(A/N This is taking place in 2019, September we will say. She hasn't been exposed to the chaos of humans and toilet paper yet.)

I hear Lucifer's footfalls echo the small space between here and the large kitchen so I press play and watch the opening credits. I have situated myself on the corner of the couch, as it was the warmest place on a couch and it had a soft-fluffed navy-blue blanket that I could potentially steal. I cross my legs and lean into the couch as I pull the blanket from its neat position over the couch and wrap it around me. Lucifer enters my field of vision and I look up at him with a smile.

Lucifer hands me the bowl of popcorn, him not having one which I found strange but didn't bring it up, and sat down a metre away from me in the middle of the couch. I watch him cautiously as he somewhat looks up at the screen before his eyes close and a laptop, which look a lot thinner than what was possible in my world, with a very, very large yellow document folder next to him. I purse my lips at this, an estranged look probably marring my facial feature before I turn back to the movie, ignoring how Lucifer was doing work.

I wasn't mad or anything, I was totally fine with him doing work as he obviously did have a job to do, but I couldn't help but feel like a burden to him. Furthermore, why was I even here?

I knew I was his 'mate', very cliché again may I add, but other than that, why was I here? Why was it me to be his mate. I was a mundane, as he called me, a normal person. I couldn't possibly suit was he needed in a person to rely on. Maybe I wasn't a mundane after all, since I had this ice-thing that was relative to my emotions. Did me being his mate have something to do with my powers? If they were mine of course, I don't know anymore.

My point to this was why was I his mate? Out of all people, and was it based on personality types or something else? These thoughts were driving my mind to death.

Literal death, pun-intended now.

I groan internally in both annoyance and tiredness as my eyes watch the movie, but my mind was nowhere near the land of Elle Woods. It was stuck on the mate topic. Such as, how would we progress, are we a couple, are we dating, are we dating! Does he have to stay loyal to me now, or does he cheat on me, if we were a thing because I don't know whether we were a thing or whether we weren't a thing. All the books with these demi-gods and all that stuff, were made because their parents had some personal time with a mundane being and boom, the demi-god was born.

As you can tell, this is so confusing. I don't know what this is.

I continually munch on popcorn, the salty taste filling the craving I was having in the moment, however whilst I was watching the TV, I wasn't really paying attention, no matter how much I tried to. I place the popcorn down beside me, pushing it closer to Lucifer in hopes he would eat some, feeling bad that he wasn't eating any of the popcorn he had made.

Focusing on him for a few seconds, his fingers stop gracefully flowing across the keyboard as if it was his piano. I was in awe for a few seconds until he grabbed some popcorn out of the bowl, his eyes burning into my own. It amazed me that an eye colour could be so, morphable, as in it changed so often but somehow always looked similar.

More questions arose from this thought, and then even more seemed to follow.

I take a deep breath and eventually close my eyes, totally ignoring the sounds of the movie. I push myself down into the couch, resting my head and the back of my neck and head against the soft grey fabric of the couch. I turn my body to the side to face Lucifer, although he was a metre away. I honestly don't know why I did that, just as I don't know why I choose to be near him and seek his comfort like I had done in the past few days.

Sleep came on strongly, and soon my mind just gave up the struggle for control. I just needed to rest I figured, the need to sleep was so strong at this point it was amazing that I had managed to stay awake this long, considering my story-telling and thoughts in general is all over the place. What scared me whilst falling asleep was the thoughts of happiness and the Devil, two things that never go together, that plagued my mind as I fell into the void of nothingness.

All I knew that if this kept up, kept my contact with the Devil himself up, I don't know if I could control my feelings for much longer.

And I don't know if I wanted to.

Okay, so I know this chapter is a mess but please bare with me. I feel like this chapter isn't clear and I don't think it is meant to be. Nephele has been whisked away into this unknown world and a lot is coming out of the dark and being made known; it is going to be mentally exhausting and confusing for anyone.

Personally, what are your thoughts on this chapter?

Word Count is  5060 Words.

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SONG: that way - Tate McRae

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Rose xo