Chapter Thirty-Five

'Cause I'd never treat me this shitty

You made me hate this city

And I don't talk shit about you on the internet

Never told anyone anything bad

'Cause that shit's embarrassing, you were my everything

And all that you did was make me fuckin' sad

So don't waste the time I don't have

And don't try to make me feel bad

Chapter 35 – The Reckoning

Nephele's POV

"Nephele."

I gulp and turn my head to the familiar voice resonating the hallway behind Lilith who sits against the wall smugly.

"Mind telling me what is going on?" I look at his dark eyes with equally dark hair hiding most of his forehead which I bet would be crinkled with anger right about now.

I slump to the floor and face him completely, spreading my legs out as I regain some form of conscious thought.

I watch his eyes intensely, seeing that they flash blue before returning the deep red they get when he is mad.

He looks at Thanatos and Lilith individually, giving Lilith a pointed look and Thanatos a harder one. Lilith disappears seconds later, looking at me with hidden glint before her body evaporates into thin air.

Thanatos seems to notice the look as he ignores Lucifers own glare. In response to what he just witnessed, he looks at me with sharp eyes, asking a question through his look. I nod my head in understanding, but keep my gaze on Lucifer who stands tall with a hinge of red aura flowing from his body.

"Thanatos, leave before I seriously kill you." I narrow my eyes at Lucifer, but he doesn't waver in his stance and instead charges forwards towards me. I felt as if I was his prey in that moment, my heart raced, but it wasn't out of fear alone, and I wasn't scared of him either. I knew he wouldn't harm me; I just knew that he was mad at me.

I was probably more scared of what Lucifer would do to Thanatos.

"Lucifer – "He is cut off by a sharp blade of dark red power leaving Lucifers hand, the pure power of the move rippling through the air as it comes barrelling towards Thanatos. I watch with surprised eyes, but am thankful that he disappears less than a second later, letting the sharp magic dissipate into the wall behind where his head was mere seconds prior.

Now it was my turn to negotiate my fate.

"Lucifer, lets talk this out- "He reached me before I can finish my sentence, picking me up from the ground with a swift movement of his hands. I stand on two feet, where his red eyes scour my body looking for broken skin or bone.

I narrow my eyes at him, pushing his man-handling hands away from me. Except my pushing does nothing as his hands just return as they pat down my sides.

"Lucifer stop petting me, I am fine."

"You are careless."

"That, I think, is rather blunt and rude of you." I decide being cheeky is my way out of this, except he isn't giving into it.

Men.

"I think it is deserved."

His grip tightens on my hip, his knees bending as one hand swoops to the bend of my knees and he swoops me from the floor. I let him support me, his arms holding me against his chest in an intimate hold. Except whilst the hold is intimate, the anger that rolls of his body removes any aspect of this being a loving hold.

Our bodies dissipate and seconds later I am materialised on the bed back in Lucifers bedroom. I sit up on the made bed, and glare at lucifer who stands in the middle of the room between the bed itself and the large fireplace opposite, which now, due to my demand, is sporting a 70-inch television hooked up with all the necessities.

At the time he said I was mundane, but I guess I got him addicted to some Korean TV show because now he demands we watch it instead of the American drama we also started.

That point is now irrelevant though.

"What were you thinking?" His voice was rough but it didn't scare me.

"What was I thinking? I was doing a training exercise with Thanatos and Lilith. What were you doing?" I counter with narrowing eyes but a calm voice. I did nothing wrong, in fact, I did the right things.

"I came back because I wanted to surprise you, and I find out half dead on the floor with Thanatos's neck sliced and Lilith on the floor next to you. You aren't supposed to get that hurt during training; it is detrimental to your future health."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean."

"You shouldn't be fighting that hard now." I can fight that hard now if I wanted to. I don't get what his deal is. Other than being an overbearing male, he has never prevented me from training in the past few weeks since I have started.

"It is training, you cannot expect me not to at least try to deal with threats that I will be dealing with in a matter of weeks!" I express, maybe a little louder than I should have. But he was getting on my nerves.

"Exactly 'training', not fucking 'kill yourself through battle simulation'." I scoff at his retaliation.

"In case you didn't know, we have a War to fight, and we don't have much time left. We only have our people versus hers. The Gods won't fight because they are too timid with my mother's presence, and we are running out of options." It was the truth.

I was aiming to speak to some Gods tomorrow with Lucifer, since apparently, they are friends (which is something that I still cannot get my head around – the mythology of them hating Lucifer is incorrect in most cases, and I say most).

"You don't think I know that? I know more than anyone out here about the cost that comes with war Nephele. I know more than any God alive that this War is going to determine the centuries to come, and I know more than any God what it will take to win this war."

I stare at him, realising what this is about.

I gape at him, and tense my core muscles as I aim to crawl towards him. Except as I tread upwards from the bed, he takes a step back, stares at me with dark intent before I walks out of the room.

I watch his back heave as he grabs only the door hand, swings the door open before slamming with a loud thud behind him. I stare at the door both in shock and worry.

He was worried about losing me again. That's why he put up the fight. He is comparing this training with the actual thing, and he is thinking that he is going to lose me to my mother and I will never return again.

I get his fear but I am worried too.

But doesn't he see that I am training so she can't take me away this time?

I sigh and move back against the headboard of the bed, assessing the wounds that Lucifer didn't seem to pick up earlier in his little man-handle-eye-balling move.

I stand with a breathy groan, feet padding against the floor as I waddle to the bathroom adjacent his side of the bed. I enter and quickly close the door, worried he would come back and get angry again at the bruises and cuts I am addressing.

Nothing really hurt that bad, which was a decent sign. It meant I was either growing stronger, or that I didn't get hurt that bad.

I walk to opposite the mirror, and run my fingers across the bright red marks that are splattered across my neck. I screw my nose up at the nasty bruise forming, if it would ever form which I have a feeling it won't.

I sigh and pick up the tube of bruising cream. I forgot the name and cannot be bothered reciting it to memory.

I turn my head to the blue furball that sits atop the shower glass in the opposite corner of the bathroom, her blue glowing eyes staring at me through the mirror, watching me apply the ointment to my skin.

She gives me a knowing look, as if she is communicating with me in a form of secret language only the two of us know, making me laugh aloud. She fluffs her feathers and closes her eyes once more and continues to ignore my presence.

She hasn't been very active within the past few days, and she hasn't exactly been persistent in communicating with me. She did sleep on the little doggy bed I got her though, which made me happy she was comfortable. Except she slept a lot. I felt like something was either draining her energy or she was preparing herself for something that was coming. I had a feeling the latter of the two was the correct answer.

And I had a feeling that the latter of the two was the impending war.

It was something that wasn't spoken about often, and nobody dare speak my mothers name apart from myself and Lucifer. It was as if those preparing for inevitable didn't want to accept what was happening.

We knew what was occurring, we all did. These walls would hold forever, and neither would the borders to the realms.

She wanted me back, and the Gods were contemplating doing just that.

It was the easiest way to get rid of one of the most feared Gods to ever walk these realms. Give her what she wants, and she will leave. What they didn't understand – even though you would think that they would – was that even if she did get me, it wouldn't stop.

She wanted total control.

She wanted total power over the realms.

And to get what she wanted; she would use me.

I was going to be her weapon – something expendable that would win her the power she desired so badly.

I was expendable. She would use my powers at any cost necessary to win what she craved, and no one seemed to care that that is going to happen if I was handed over like a rag doll.

I hadn't met with any of them yet, but I heard Lucifer at night arguing in his office to someone about what was the correct decision. I didn't know who it was, but I had the idea that they didn't like me.

I sigh, cupping my hands under the running faucet that sprayed cool water. I bring my cupped hands to my face and splash it against my burning checks. Gripping the edges of the sink, I look into the mirror, water running in the background and just stare at my own reflection.

As depressive as it sounded, I missed being a medical student. I was beginning rounds, and I missed knowing that one day I would save lives, and help families be together. I wanted people to have a family; something that I never had back then. I missed wanting to help, to save, to protect others. I missed that part of me; and I hadn't come to terms with its leave.

But I had to get on with it. I had to move on; that was life.

What a pragmatist I had become.

I snorted at the thought, rousing the feathers of the blue bird who still eyed me wearily. She seemed to be noting important details of my interaction with myself in the mirror, and I could practically hear her voice in my head, telling me I was a self-obsessed psychopath who was admiring themselves.

Well guess what Bluey, I am not the one who stares at themselves in the mirror for hours, puckering their feathers and making moves at themselves.

I roll my eyes with a gracious smile and move away from the sink that was draining its water, doubling back and making sure the faucet was off. It was a habit of mine; to make sure all taps were off before I left any room in an act to conserve water. Same went with the power point switches, ensuring that the red little dot was switched in the opposite direction.

Re-entering the bedroom, it was obvious that night was falling in the realm, with the dark red skies billowing overhead. The balcony door was slightly ajar, and I frowned, but walked over to it, closing it as I shivered due to the chilled breeze that filtered past the sheer curtains.

I don't remember it being open earlier, but I guess I did open it earlier this morning before training to let some fresh air in the room for Blu. She liked sitting on the balustrade of the balcony as well.

I turn around with a spin, the hair on my neck standing up as a shiver ran down my spine, but not from the cold.

With my eyes scanning the room, the feeling doesn't leave my body.

"Blu." I call her, knowing that she would be able to sense whatever I was spooked about – if I was actually picking up on something.

She squawks briefly, her call calm, as she flies into the room, with wings spread. Vibrant blue feathers sparkle under the bedroom light, but I try not to get caught up in her beauty as she lands only a few feet away from me on TV's cabinet.

She looks around with drooped eyes, squawking once before turning her neck into her chest and closing her eyes completely.

She doesn't seem bothered by whatever spooked me, so I disregard my feeling as me just being paranoid.

I shake my shoulders back, and move towards the bed. Opening the covers, I slip between the sheets with ease, dimming the lights through the switches and dials on the side of my bed.

The bed sheets crumpled over my body, and with a huff, I debate moving into the centre of the bed as that is where I usually slept. But, in the end I don't move to the centre, and instead remain where I am on the edge of the bed. I didn't know when Lucifer would be back, nor right now, did I really give a damn. If he wanted to act like an insolent child, he will be treated as one.

So, I close my eyes, the feeling of someone watching me not going away and only growing stronger as I feel into the deepest of sleeps, one which not even the mightiest of dreams could properly wake me from.

I stood on the balcony of our bedroom, the curtains wavering towards me as I stared through them and into the dark room. It was hard to see inside, but I could make out the shadows of a bed and the short hall which led to the grand doors. The door was open, and I furrowed my brows, knowing that I closed them earlier before I went to sleep.

The second that the body I was in moved forward with lightening precision, I knew that I was dreaming, and I wasn't actually awake.

The body I was dreaming in walked forward, pushing past the open curtains and entering the private room.

The room was shrouded in darkness, and it wasn't easy to make out the side details of the room, but I could. I knew where everything was regardless, so I could navigate around the area. Except this body couldn't. They stopped as soon as they entered, trying to focus their eyes to the darkness.

Outside it wasn't that dark, with the red tinge in the skies indicating it was probably around three in the morning. There was a moon, full and bright shining down, which had cast a light on the balcony, making it easy to move around and see out there.

I breathe in deep, figuring I should watch what this person does, and see what my dream is trying to tell me.

The body's head turns towards the space in the bed where I am sleeping. From the corner of their eye, I see Blu rise. Her head removes itself from her breast, and her feathers ruffle out as she looks in the direction of which I stand. She seems to notice us, but hasn't made a sound yet to alert the two sleeping bodies in the bed of the intruder's presence. Instead, she just stares, alert but seemingly unworried.

Cerberus on the other hand; who now sleeps at the end of the bed on his own little bed that I insisted we get him, pips up as soon as the figure takes a step within a metre of the bed.

Cerberus had grown on me, although we didn't get much time together as he went wherever Lucifer did. But the white fluff-ball dog was a good guard dog when he wanted to be.

Of course, he could shapeshift and appear to people in a form that he deemed acceptable for the person, so whilst I saw him as a white chihuahua most of the time, Lucifer saw him a Doberman unless he was in my presence, then he saw the same as I did. It was quite strange.

Cerberus shifts forms in front of my eyes, the white fur being replaced with a shined brown, as the small dog morphed into the typical Doberman that stood oddly tall, with oddly large teeth.

He stands on the floor, eyes glowering at the intruder.

But he doesn't bark, or growl, or anything. He just watches with suspicion.

The figure moves closer to my side of the bed which faces the window, their hand reaching forward as if they are trying to reach out to me.

To my hair I realise, as I notice the blonde strands lain out across the pillow. I was curled into a ball, with my back turned to Lucifers own. His chest seems to be falling and rising slowly, indicating he is in the later stages of sleep and I doubt he would be able to rouse at all despite the person being a foot away from me at this point – of course if this was real.

The body retracts their hand, looks at the back of Lucifer and smiles. Or I feel like they smile. I can't tell for sure, but I know that I can feel their face muscles retract.

I feel or watch as the body takes their hand and places it against their thigh, to where there is a strap. I furrow my own brows, noticing that I can still move my own expressions within the body, but also feel their own movements as if they were my own.

I had no control over them.

I realise as they looked down at it, and tried to scream aloud but it was no use. The raised the blood red engraved dagger above their head, the mirrored glint of their face passing through the pristine blade as it rose above their head. I screamed even louder as I saw the face – the eyes – looking back at me. I screamed and I screamed as they brought the dagger higher and higher, their body stretching with satisfaction.

With the dagger in hand, they brought it to above my neck, in a quick movement that accelerated my heartbeat. As if this whole process gave them some sort of sadistic satisfaction, they dragged the dagger along the skin of my neck, not throwing it down as I expected them to.

I watched them toy with the point of the dagger, dangling it and pressing it into the soft skin just above my main artery. I choked as I saw their eyes again through the twisting blade, a glimmer of their face reflected back in the shallow light, sending chills down my body as I processed.

They laughed lightly, somehow not worried about the sleeping hulk next to me, as if they knew he would not awake.

No, no, no

It was in the next second that the dagger was plunged into my neck, and I screamed louder than previously. I watch as blood pours from the wound and my eyes open, wide and vibrant as I look at the attacker directly.

I watch them, grabbing at anything with my hands as I move around.

I cry out at me; cry out for me to move, to get out, to push, to scream, to scratch, to get away. But it's useless. I watch as the attacker twists the knife and I choke on the blood. I maintain eye contact with the dying me, watching as the vibrancy leaves my eyes. I cry and try to escape this cage I was in as I watch her gurgle on the blood bubbling from both her mouth and her throat. The bright read streams down her chin, connecting with the rampaging flow exiting her body from her neck. The blood pools at the crook of her neck, seeping into the bedsheets in the space between her and her lover.

I cry and scream as I watch the scene, grabbing at my own neck in the interim for comfort, only to pull away with bloodied hands and a bubbling scream.

I jumped back; except I didn't jump anywhere from this body.

I couldn't escape this; I couldn't get out this time.

I began to panic, blood seemingly pouring from my neck and spreading streams of its claws onto my imaginary body. I tried to step back again, trying to escape from whatever this was, and instead of stepping out of this body, I fell into the black void I was so used to.

Tears blurred my vision as I fell, blood stripping itself from my skin as I fell into the real world once more.

And I gasped awake, a scream bubbling at my skin as I shoot up from my sleeping position. I fight the scream, swallowing it down as I bring my hands to my face and shakily breathe.

I rip my hands away from my face a moment later, realising that I am still in the bedroom where the dream just occurred.

I scan the room with wide eyes, noting every single detail in the darkness but unable to find anything that sticks out.

Except everything is the same as it was when I went to sleep. Apart from the body laying next to me with their back turned against me, the bird and the chihuahua still lay in their respective positions, seemingly asleep to the nightmare that just took place.

The curtains were closed, as was the balcony door, and the fire below the tv burned a bright orange with the embers glowing as the flames were slow.

I look over at Lucifer, only to notice is back still rising and falling gently, indicating her is roughly sleeping. I don't want to disturb him, one part of me out of spite for our argument, and the other part out of care for his sleeping pattern. He didn't sleep often, and not a long time when he did sleep, but I did know that he needs to recover from the stress over the past few days.

I whimper slightly, bottom lip trembling as I keep my tears inside my eyes. The pain in my chest swells as the pressure to not cry grows stronger. Looking around the room one more time, I lie back down on my side, curling around myself into a tighter ball that I was previously in. I close my eyes as tears threaten to spill over my lids, hopefully stopping them from falling at all as I try to return to sleeping. I let out a shallow breath and try to talk myself down, hyper focusing on my breaths and sniffles to help me relax.

I feel the bed move and I tense up further as Lucifer moves to face my back. I stop breathing, stop sniffling and stop moving, in hopes he was just turning whilst sleeping.

But my hopes didn't go through, and I felt his arms wrap around my ribs as he pulled me to him. I turn over in the process, facing him head on with teary eyes and a runny nose. I look at him in the eyes, bottom lip still trembling weakly and eyes watering even more.

His face softens and he crushes me to his chest as I begin to cry. I feel his hand pat down the back of my hair, and the other hand caress the skin of my back through the shirt I was wearing. I cling to him like a bear; wrapping my legs around his waist and pushing myself closer to him to find some sort of comfort.

He shushes me, just holding me which I appreciate.

"You know, just because I am mad at the situation, doesn't mean you can't come to me my love." I sniffle against his neck as the vibrations of his voice runs through my cheek. I nod my head weakly and let him continue to pat me.

"I'm not mad at you either Nephele, I am mad at the situation we are in."

"You aren't?"

"I am mad at everything but you." He kisses the crown of my head, and just holds me close. "Go to sleep my love." His words were soft, but his voice held a sharp note and I could tell he had linked into my mind to know what I dreamt about.

"But what about- "

"I don't sleep, my love. I don't need it as often as you do. We will talk more in the morning, I promise." He strokes my hair, as if he wants to calm himself by touching me. I nod into his chest and calm my breath against his neck, letting my eyes close naturally.

"Lucifer?" I whisper in between sniffles. He hums softly in replying, letting me know that he was listening.

"If it comes to it, you will have to kill me." I let a lone tear slip from my eye as I say the phrase. I feel him tense, his hold only tightening on me. "If it comes to it, you cannot let her get me again. If I die by her hands, she'll only rebirth me, and I don't want to do that again Lucifer. It'd be better for you to kill me. I know that if I die by your hands, I will actually die, but you cannot let her have me this time. It won't end the same way as it has everytime before an-"

"Its okay, it won't come to that." The grain in his voice was strong, indicating that he was choking up with emotion at the thought.

"Lucifer, promise me. If it comes to it, I want you to be the one." I wrap both my arms under his and hug him, nestling my chin into his chest before settling. I feel him swallow deeply above me.

I know what I am asking for has a massive price.

But it is one that we must pay to win the war.

"Go to sleep Amare." He pinches my side with a smile, but I know the smile is more about desperation to avoid this topic.

"Lucifer." I insist in a whisper.

"I promise." He only buries his head in my hair and continues rubbing my back. He knows that this may be the only way if it comes to it. We both do. "Now go to sleep." He whispers with a roughness I haven't heard before.

I close my eyes, letting one final tear fall and let my mind wander a little, thinking about what is becoming the inevitable.

Word Count: 4821

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SONG: Happier than Ever - Rock Part -

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