Chapter Eighteen

Hope you all enjoy this Chapter. There are so many hints and foreshadowing moments in here so read carefully.

This chapter is also a mess so please don't come after me. I am a little messy right now, as I'm sure, are many other people.

Please vote, and comment your thoughts. It really gives me hope when people like the chapter and let me know there thoughts.

xox

I never thought that I would find a way out

I never thought I'd hear my heartbeat so loud

I can't believe there's somethin' left in my chest anymore

But goddamn, you got me in love again

I used to think that I was made out of stone

I used to spend so many nights on my own

I never knew I had it in me to dance anymore

But goddamn, you got me in love again

Chapter Eighteen - Bruises

Lucifer's POV

"Lord, we have had a breach in our barriers." I look up from the pile of work that I have scattered over my desk. I had put Nephele in my room, technically hers as well now since she had been residing there for some time now. Since I did not require much sleep, three hours every few nights if anything at all, I needed to finish some documents required for another Realms creation of a new God who would be a part of Hell. The news I had just received from Matthaeus, a humble server of Hell, did alert me.

If it was that fucking bird, it wouldn't be alive for much longer.

"Incoming or outgoing. Run damage diagnostics." I order calmly, about to go check on Nephele. Usually I wouldn't check on anyone, due to me not really caring and knowing the people I have minimal friendships with can look after themselves. Now it was different, I had my amare.

"No damage taken my Lord. Hell's barrier is still fully functioning and no mundane or other can get in without being detected, which makes this stranger than usual. The breach was incoming, we have failed to locate them. They are believed to be within the castle walls as that is where they went straight to." He tells me directly, a tablet in hand. I do not know how this creature got beyond the barriers, regardless, they just cost themselves some energy. Which will be needed once they meet me.

"Fuck." I snap to myself, thinking quickly. "Send the half the barrier guards to the castle and get them to sweep. Request Cerberus too, he will want to be here for this one. Ask him to sniff them out. I don't want to be informed of anything unless you have found them." I order and rub a hand along my face.

I needed to go check on Nephele.

"Get Adam, he will need to discover how they got in without help, and if not, who helped them." I continue quickly and walk out of the room and towards my end of the Castle. More specifically my mate who is causing more trouble than anything in eons.

Not that I was complaining, she kept me on my toes.

Nephele's POV

I was sitting on a red coloured rock in the Egyptian desert, waiting for my father to finish his work in the rather large dirt pit only a few metres away. There were mounds of the dirt they dug out to get to the remains of a small Egyptian town from many centuries ago to the left of the pit, on the flat ground. I was on the opposite side to that pile of dirt, under the shade the pale covering provided looking at some artifacts, not touching any of course, that my father and his team brought up a few hours ago.

They were beautiful sandy and terracotta coloured shards of old pottery and scribes. The site was found a week ago, and my father was called out to check the site out for a week before returning to the United States. I don't know why it was a small week trip, normally they lasted months, but I believe he was to find something specific and if it was here, they would send someone else to retrieve it.

I didn't question it at the time of course, I was barely fifteen years old.

In this nightmare I was in first person right until the unforgettable happened. Right up until now.

I was thrown out of my own body, a once terrifying experience when I first received this nightmare. I have now learnt to deal with this one better than my mother's one.

I take a breath, although I doubt that would have any affect inside my own head.

The scene is rather normal, nothing seeming to be out of hand. However, the calm and normal front is going to change.

The pile of dirt was extremely large and at such a young age I couldn't comprehend how heavy it was. It was all the dirt they had dug up to reach the village of pottery and apparently some skeletons, which was a few metres below the surface in some places. Now as I am older, I can understand that there are a few metres tonnes of sand and clay and dirt sitting on one side of the dirt hole, as if threatening to crumble.

They thought it was safe to leave it there.

They thought wrong.

I watched as the first few pieces of dirt started to fall and tumble down the side of the mound, which had to be around ten metres high.

Dread filled my stomach the instant I saw it, although I knew it would happen either way. From my position under the shade I would have never been hit, the dirt too far away and not in direct contact with me. But when you change perspectives once more and are suddenly thrown into a person who was in the pit when this happened, you scream. The dirt came in like a wave, a tsunami of dirt, clay, rock and sand.

I look around me, time slowing once more as it does in every dream where I watch my parents die. I see a female colleague of my father, the only one who made it out scramble for the side of the wall on the far end, the opposite end of where the dirt mound was. I don't know how she ever survived this, I don't know how she managed to get to the side wall in a matter of seconds but she did; and she survived.

I know she did because I was the one who pulled her out.

I also know who didn't make it that day because I saw there lifeless bodies as enforcement dug them from the rubble.

I swallow the lump as she sprints to the side wall and turn my head to look around. I spot two guards who were here to protect us in case of emergency, meaning in case some criminals came looking for some money. They had discarded their guns to the floor as they somehow also ran away.

It may have just been their conditioning as they were military trained. They had their bodies wired to run in a situation that caused adrenaline to run.

Figures were that they were not fast enough.

Time still continued to slow as I made contact with the bright hazel eyes that used to comfort me when I was a little girl. The hazel eyes that made sure I was okay when I went to sleep every night. The hazel eyes that comforted me when I awoke from nightmares, the eyes that protected me from my brother's wrath.

The hazel eyes that belonged to my father.

I cry out towards him, as I always do. He looks at me confused, nothing but sorrow in his eyes as the shadow of the dirt becomes darker and darker. I scream at him to run; to get out of the way, acting as though I can save him but I know that is far from possible for this is but a dream.

I watch in horror as the wave takes him, his body being soaked in debris and dirt, a light bronze combination. I scream as I see his body taken; tears pouring from my eyes in angst. I knew there was nothing I could have done but I couldn't help it sometimes.

He, my father, was closer to the wave, cause that's how you would describe it. How the two lone survivors described it. A normal rock-slide would have never looked like this – a wave, a full formed wave as though something was pushing it into the air, curling it and letting it crash against the people below.

I stare at the spot as time speeds up once more, coming to a usual pace as the wave threatens to take me as well. I would normally run to the edge only to be taken as I reach my hand against the top of the wall, but I don't. I have given up the fight against this monster.

Instead I turn to my child's self and stare at her, the fear in her own eyes reflecting in mine as tears fly freely from my face. This is where the dream became real; where the dream begun to hurt the most. I only now noticed the ice blue aura that surrounded me back then, and maybe that was because it was happening to me now, or maybe it was just because I was looking directly at her; whatever it was, I noticed it.

I also noticed an unearthly figure dressed in white and gold behind the girl.

I locked eyes with the figure who stood behind my younger self. A woman who was there every dream, yet somehow went unnoticed. She was beautiful, even from afar. Knowing about the Gods, I wouldn't be surprised if she was the Goddess of Beauty or even Love.

However I doubted a goddess of something so pure could do what she does to me.

I watched as she whispered in my ear, one hand on my shoulder as my own eyes glazed over once more. I could feel her hand on my own shoulder, pulling me back softly. I could almost hear her voice, a soft-spoken command in my ear as my younger self followed what she said.

I never saw what it was like from within the dirt tsunami, and only found out what it was like in these dreams. The feeling of swallowing dirt and a weight of a thousand rocks thrown down on your body at once was far from pleasant. The feeling as you choked on sand, an infinite supply entering your nose, you throat, your mouth every time you tried to gasp for breath, every time you had to breathe.

The feeling of your legs snapping, the bones breaking free from the force of the rocks on legs. The feeling of your nails being torn, ripped, from your fingers as you scramble to reach the ground, only to know that it is impossible to rise beyond three metres of rock and sand.

The sheer force of the rock slammed into my right side as I faced the Goddess and my younger self. I watched in horror as the Goddess lifted her hand and the rock rose even higher, before slamming down on top of me with more force the previously. I watched as dirt surrounded my vision, as it got into my eyes, into my mouth. Till all I could breathe was dirt. Till all I could see was the darkness of the earth, and the figure purely dressed in white and gold disappeared from my view with the smirk I knew all too well. The smirk I had grown up with. The eyes that held so much love as they used to dance with me, now only held malice and hatred as she kept the eye contact until I was under the mountain of rubble. Until she could no longer see me. Until I was dead.

I didn't scream. I didn't claw. I didn't do anything to escape because I knew it was pointless.

But that was the dream in which I finally unleashed it all.

And I broke.

I wake with a start, my body flying up and hands gripping the satin sheets in a tight grasp as I choked for breath. My nails felt like they could rip through the sheets, my skin getting goosebumps from the thought of my dreams as white puffs left my lips. I gasp for breath, my lungs burning with the need to breathe as though I hadn't been before. I coughed, the sound not pleasant as my throat felt raw, as though I had been choking prior to when I awoke.

I gasp for air as I feel the want to vomit, but I knew I wasn't going to. My throat felt too torn to deal with acid coming in contact with that.

As the burn in my throat eases and the constant ache on my lungs cease. I collapse against the soft and comforting pillows, taking a deep breath as I savour the masculine - cologne, fresh, sharp - scent this room had. I never really noticed it, but I did love the smell so I didn't really bring it up with Lucifer.

I close my eyes to try and calm my racing heart. My neck was still throbbing painfully but I didn't think anything of it. I was probably just becoming sick again anyway as I easily got sick and if I got a cold they normally resided and affected my throat.

I rub my eyes and fully sit up, knowing I won't be sleeping anytime soon. I never did after my nightmares. I knew that I didn't sleep very long, due to the fact that the curtains still held back the darkness of the night, which was evident as no light was streaming through the cracks. Also, it was very late when I fell asleep.

I sigh rather loudly at having to get out and grab a cardigan to go over my trackies and my white t-shirt, it being very cold in the room. The floor was even worse than the air, and I almost wanted to screech. Even if I did, I don't think my throat would like it as it is still very sore.

On a scale of one to ten, it would probably be a six. So not life threatening in other words. I don't need to have it checked out anyway.

I rush to the walk-in-wardrobe, cursing to myself every time my feet makes contact with the ground. It was way to cold in here. I quickly check my hands to make sure the cold isn't coming from me, as it has been before, and from what I can tell, it didn't. My hands were not blue or icy or anything. Normally they would be expelling a white light but they weren't. I shrug my shoulders to myself and turn to leave the wardrobe, exiting swiftly. Whilst I was in there, I also grabbed a pair of UGG boots, finding some pale ones hidden in one of the draws.

I was very grateful for whomever stocked this wardrobe.

I slip out the doors to my room, ignoring all the little details as I left as they were rather unimportant and not worth noting. I just decided to walk around and hopefully find something to do. I could try to find the library again but that would be too hard, but if I did stumble upon it I would finish the jig-saw puzzle I had just started in there.

So instead of being the normal and grounded person I was, who almost always had a plan, I decided to just roam.

I had walked past the turn off for the kitchen and living area. I really liked this area of the castle. It was very nice; homely even. I would love to live her. But that was the thing, I was pretty sure I did since I was Lucifer's mate. I don't know what that meant between us but I figured it meant I would live here. I don't know how I felt about that yet; I had many mixed emotions about this whole thing and I had just processed the whole Angelina – Freyja scenario.

I don't know how I felt about that yet. She just broke the twelve years of trust I had managed to give her. She knew this whole time and yet she didn't tell me that I was beyond human. It was insulting.

I knew I couldn't be human anymore, which broke my grounding, shattering the earth I stood upon. I couldn't be a mundane individual when I could spike people with ice storms.

I had still yet to figure that all out so bare with me.

I shake myself out of my thoughts. I honestly just wanted to relax for an hour or two, without sleeping of course. So instead of deeply thinking about challenging topics I pick a door just past the kitchen area entrance and enter, smiling to myself when I find a beautiful room.

The room was grand, so grand. The walls, in contrast to the hallway walls and open skies, were a white-cream colour with gold trimming where the wall grooved out. Above, the ceiling wasn't for around seven metres, making enough room for a glass chandelier to hang delicately from the middle of the room. It was suspended from the ceiling, surrounding it was beautifully carved patterns similar to those of roses and leaves. The room had three overarching windows facing opposite the door, the windows being outlined by a white wood trimming that seemed to be in perfect condition. To floor tiles of some sort, although it was hard to describe. At best I would describe it as the floor of a castle's ballroom, where people can dance and have fun for the whole night.

I realised why the floor was like that when I looked over in the left corner, the corner closest to me, and found a beautiful glimmering black piano. The room was beautiful, the chandelier glimmering a soft pastel light down upon the floors below.

I smile sadly to myself, letting the door shut with a soft thud. My dad and I used to play piano, one of the only instruments I can play properly. My father had taught me in spite of my mother, as my mother desperately tried to teach me her instrument but I failed horribly. However, I didn't fail horribly at the piano. I was now a grade six out of seven and was going for my seventh grade in a few months after the college year had finished.

Except I don't think that was happening now for obvious reasons. The thought did make me sad but I pushed it aside and continued walking over to the beautifully polished instrument. I bite my inner lip as I reach the stool, deciding to play and practise for the next few hours, thinking that it could possibly ease some angst and stress. It usually did.

I push of my UGG boots, liking to be in socks when I played the piano as it was easier. If I had my own, bare feet would be better but I didn't want to be disrespectful to the owner of this one so I didn't. I pursed my lips as I shuffled over on the set, playing one foot on the right peddle, leaving my other two to switch between the middle and left peddle. It was similar to driving a manual car in that sense, but I enjoyed this a little bit more. I place my fingers gently on the keys, strumming my fingers over them gently as if getting a feel for the piano. I tested out one key, getting even more comfortable with the piano as I relax a little. Finally, when I felt like I was ready, I begun the song that I had memorised, a mix of keys and notes floating into the air to create the masterpiece of La Valse d'Amelie by Yann Tiersen.

And I played continuously for what seemed like hours and hours but probably was only a mere minute or two. The room was still dark a little dark as the chandelier didn't leave much for light when I jumped from my position with a fright.

"Don't let me stop you from playing Amare. I thought you were very good." Lucifers voice comes from the doorway where he looms. "Can you play again?" He continued in his compliment which I found very sweet.

"Oh, thank you." I respond with smile, "Can you play?" I ask gently, avoiding playing again. Truth is, I was very scared to play in front of people and I was wanting to tease him for something I know and he doesn't, so I diverted his attention. He seems to get that and smiles at me.

"I can but I doubt it would be any good." He says and I smirk to myself, patting the stool next to me. He seems to hesitate but comes to sit down next to me. He was in his usual business attire which I didn't understand since its not like he has a company to run, he only has to deal with people here so why wear a business suit? I think about it for a second but discard it when Lucifer lands next to me rather gently for the size the man was.

I clear my throat with a blush at my own thoughts and turn to the piano, grabbing his hand whilst spreading apart his fingers. I like the roughness of his calloused hands, finding them comforting and warm. They also were very large. I place his hand across the piano keys, demonstrating to him how you have to position your hands.

"You can't change this positioning." I say, looking him dead in the eye, knowing he wants to move but doesn't because I'm holding his hand there.

"Why?" he asks like a little kid. I want to groan.

"You really think I have the answer? You are a million years old you oaf; you figure it out." I reply in a snap and instantly want to cover my mouth. I blush a deep crimson at what I just said, noticing the way his smile perks up at what I just said.

"I am not old, and secondly, even if I was, I have had plenty of experience." I almost screech at his words and the sexual innuendo that was implied. So instead of pushing him away physically, I screw up my nose and swat at his arm. His laugh is what follows my actions, with mine also following a few seconds later when he grabs but of my hands, putting me in a very compromising position.

The jealousy that bloomed in my stomach when he said what he said disappeared as he leant in a little, butterflies replacing the jealous tendrils. I bite my lip as I look into his eyes, searching the storm for any hint of deceit and conceal. Instead I found want and love, admiration even. Those emotions filled my body with warmth as I realised he wanted me, somehow as much as half of my mind wanted him back.

We were close enough for our noses to touch gently, our breath mixing softly. I smile at him gently, one hand easing out of his grip to come to the side of his neck as his own fingers slide against the side of my cheek smoothly.

He looked like he was about to say something, and I felt like it was something to do with the way we he was looking at me, before his mood changed entirely. His eyes dipped down to my neck in horror, his eyes widening as his fingers gently drop from the side of my cheek to my neck. He touches my neck softly, which was painful so I jerked back out of instinct.

I furrow my eyebrows and look at him cautiously, watching his every movement. I realise that he was angry; and the only reason he wasn't destroying the room right now was because I was there.

I drop my hand and pick up his hand, the shaking of his body proving as evidence to his anger.

"Luci, what's wrong?" I whisper delicately, not thinking anything of the soreness in my neck or the way he was staring at it as though it was death itself. His eyes snap up to mine, the furious storm that was blowing within them both memorising and scary at the same time.

I wasn't scared though; I trusted him.

He didn't say anything. He didn't even give a warning when the ground fell from my feet and I was blown into another room still hand in hand with Lucifer. I open my eyes with a flutter, violently blinking to the newness of the light and trying to recover from the nausea that follows winnowing.

As we land in the new place and wheeze for air as I come around and finally notice where we are. I gasp at Lucifer, who looks like he wants to tear the walls apart. I watch in a daze as a shadowed figures enteres the room, looking at Lucifer before leaving after his command.

"Et dices ei voca medicum propter eam urgere. Ut Adamum et Lamiam in ergastula et Freyja ad referre ad me." I look appealed at his request as it processes through mind and I understand.

(Call for the doctor and tell her it is urgent. Get Adam and Lilith to take Freyja into the cells, then report back to me.)

I am on a soft bed, the bed being the bare minimum but still soft. It was covered in pale blue sheets and had a single white pillow at the head. I knew I was in an infirmary the moment I arrived. The smell being an obvious indication, the sterilisation scent being extremely strong in particular, but the calling of the doctor also made sense then.

"Luci." I whisper quietly as he looked as though he was deep in thought. He had one hand woven into my hair that fell in soft bronze to blonde waves down my back. He seemed to be enjoying himself whilst he did because he didn't respond until I threw my shoulder against him. It did hurt a little but it was okay.

"What is wrong with me?" I ask softly, with wide eyes and looking at him as though this was stupid. Which it was. My neck wasn't that sore, I only had a bad dream and I was beginning to get sick.

"You aren't sick and why didn't you tell me?" He asks solemnly. I roll my eyes.

"It was just a dream. You don't sleep with me, nor are we dating so I don't find the need to inform you." I inform annoyed because honestly, we were close to kissing and I haven't eaten yet.

"It wasn't just a dream. It was a nightmare; you should've come to me. And that doesn't mean shit to us, you know that." I bite my lip at his words.

"But we don't have any status, you haven't even asked me to be your girlfriend and you have failed to informed me on this whole bond thing. I don't know what to do." I respond, leaning my head against his shoulder cautiously as my throat started to throb.

"I have called for food. If I knew it was important to you, we would already be dating little cloud." He responds and my insides blush for me. That was cute.

"But –" I was cut of by him pressing a finger to my lips softly. He was being awfully touchy today and I don't know how I liked it, but I did.

"Duly noted Amare" He laughs and kisses my forehead softly. I smile and cross my eyebrows at his actions. I just realised he avoided the question. I huff, crossing my arms and turned to him. I crossed my legs on the bed and looked at him expectantly.

"Lucifer." I say.

"Yes?" was his response. It made me want to scream at him in frustration. That was not a response when he knows what I am asking about.

"What is wrong with me? Why am I here?" I ask softly, seeing him looking at the ground as though he doesn't want to say it. I pick up his hand, which was previously in my hair but has now fallen to his side as though he failed to do something. I place his hand in my own and softly draw patterns, looking at him under my lashes as if telling him it was okay. He doesn't reply for a few seconds, and I doubt whether he had heard me, even though I knew he did.

"You have bruising around your neck very similar to what bruising would look like if someone was choked." I can hear the pain in his voice as though he felt it was his fault. He thought he had failed as a mate to protect me. I had read enough teenage romance fantasy books to know that.

Normally, when a victim is choked, he or she cannot breath properly or talk properly for a specified amount of time afterwards. I was able to breath fine, except for a few seconds when I awoke, and I am fairly certain I could talk properly so the idea that I was choked is very unlikely.

I gasp at his revelation, bringing my free hand to my own neck to touch it, as if checking. I look down at the floor, probably expecting me to let go of his hand.

But I didn't.

I didn't let go and instead, pulled his arm towards me and hugged him, feeling safe in his arms. He was hesitant and I felt him tense up at the sudden amount of contact, but he soon relaxes and places his arms across my body and holds me tight to his chest, as if I could slip through his grip at any second. He continues to hold me in his hold for a while, time passing relatively slowly which welcomed, due to the ability to savour the moment.

"It wasn't your fault." I push the thought to the forefront of my mind, knowing he will hear it. The words were soft spoken and made to be soothing as I could feel the monstrous storm the brewed below the surface. I could sense his anguish, pain that he wasn't there, frustration that someone was allowed to touch me without him being about to protect me.

Although we weren't physically close yet, the idea to Lucifer that I was his mate, something I finally understood, was everything to him.

He jumped to the conclusion that it was someone who was there with me, who caused these bruises which I had been shown through Lucifer's eyes. Dark, purple and somewhat pretty bruises laced my neck like a choker. However, for the bruises to be that dark, the bruises would have to be caused by something, someone, with great force. I was surprised he didn't see them earlier in the piano room, but then again it was insanely dark in there.

Shadows blend in with shadows.

"I will kill them Amare. I will bring them hell." His words were violent, aggressive and dominant ones that floated around in my mind for a while as I contemplated the rationality of it all.

I knew he still felt at fault for this.

But I also know, if he found out who did this, if anyone did this, his threat would become a promise.

Personally, what are your thoughts on this chapter?

I think it is a beautiful mess not going to lie. Things are brief, quick and too fast. I hate it. I think it is meant to be this way for a reason.

BONDING SESSION for Nephele and Lucifer!

Q: What are your thoughts on Lucifer and /or Lucifer and Nephele's relationship?

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Word Count is 5303 Words.

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QOTC:  What is a ship name for Nephele and Lucifer?

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Let me know your thoughts below:

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