Reignite
Page 16
"I'm what?"
Lucifer's gaze darted to the bed, to where Serah still sat, staring at him. It felt like he'd been away for half an hour, but he knew it would only be a fraction of a second to her. She would've never noticed he was gone, would've never seen him leave and come back.
She stared at him, waiting for him to finish what he'd been saying before he'd been interrupted.
You're an angel.
Yeah, because that would go over well. She'd either be certain then, that he was crazy, or he'd look like nothing more than a pervert with a cheesy pick-up line. Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?
Of course it did, asshole. I bled out in the fucking street.
He shook his head, brushing it off, as he slowly stepped toward her. She didn't cower away from him, more curious than fearful. Wide-eyed, she stared up at him when he paused in front of her.
"You're dreaming," he said quietly. "I'm nothing more than a figment of your imagination."
Reaching out, he pressed a single fingertip to her forehead, feeling the energy pulsing beneath her skin. It only lasted a second, a mere second of touching her again, before she fell back on the bed.
She was out like a light, fast asleep. She'd wake up after he was gone, and this whole encounter would be nothing but a vague dream.
Sighing, he gazed at her for a moment before leaving. He fucking hated when those holy rollers were right.
The humans had it all.
They lavished on earth, innocent and righteous, granted eternal life in paradise. Adam and Eve loved each other, their love sanctified by God, and they showed each other affectionately. They were obedient creatures, as obedient as Lucifer had always been, except they had something he didn't.
Free will.
It was a novel concept he couldn't quite wrap his mind around. The angels were created for a specific reason, to perform tasks dished out by the Dominion, orders from their Father. It was undeniable, unarguable. He spoke and they listened.
But humans were created and set free. Their job was merely to exist, with hope they'd always love God for their gift.
It caused something to twist inside of Lucifer, a shift in his make up, foreign thoughts and feelings invading the Archangel's world. He was a jealous sibling, wondering why his Father loved a different child more than him.
He resented Adam.
The human had everything.
Lucifer stood in the middle of the garden, beneath the Tree of Knowledge, the one and only thing forbidden to these humans. Lucifer lived an existence of obedience, yet these beating-heart creatures' only rule was 'don't touch this tree.'
A tree.
Reaching out, Lucifer ran his fingertips along the smooth bark. It was nothing special, nothing any different than the other trees in the garden. Had God not singled it out as special, none of them would've noticed it. It was a test, Lucifer knew… it was their Father's way of gauging their obedience, how faultless and perfect his beloved humans were.
Bullshit.
The woman named Eve lingered nearby, oblivious to his presence. She cast looks at the tree but never ventured too close. Maybe it was out of love, like their Father believed, but Lucifer detected something else. It was the first time he'd ever felt it. Fear. Fear of what would happen if she touched it, fear of whatever secrets the fruit held. Lucifer watched her for a while, his frustration mounting each second that ticked by.
He leaned back against the tree, crossing his arms over his chest. A green serpent slithered along the branch above him, drawing Eve's attention.
Eat from the tree, he thought, projecting the sentiment directly at her. She tensed as if his silent words rang loud and clear through the garden. Her eyes shifted around, her fear growing, before her gaze turned right back to the serpent.
She thought the creature was speaking to her.
Try the fruit, he thought. It's the best there is.
Eve stepped his way, edging closer to the tree than she ever ventured before. Her heartbeat was wild, the thumping like an echo in Lucifer's ears.
Her voice was quiet, her eyes hesitantly on the snake. "We're not supposed to eat from that tree. God told Adam—"
Nonsense, Lucifer thought, cutting her off. It's the Tree of Knowledge. Don't you think having wisdom is a good thing? Don't you want to be knowledgeable? Don't you want to be closer to Him?
"But—"
Try it, he thought again. Touch it. Taste it. Eat the fruit.
She hesitated, staring long and hard at the tree, before stepping even closer, her body unwittingly flush against Lucifer. Reaching up, she plucked an apple from the branch near the snake and brought it to her lips, hesitating once again, before taking her first bite.
A soft moan escaped the woman's lips as she closed her eyes, juice from the apple running down her chin. A smile curved Lucifer's lips as he watched her savor the forbidden fruit.
He wondered what it tasted like.
The Tree of Knowledge. He wasn't sure what the human got out of it, but he certainly learned something.
His Father's new children weren't as perfect as He hoped.
There's only one thing worse than Hell.
Hell without a King.
The moment Lucifer stepped through the sixth gate, the whirlwind sucking him down to the pit, chaos greeted him. The blur of surroundings around him cleared, the seventh gate in tact. It was different now, the magical translucent shield stronger, the sigils that had once marked Lucifer's skin now burned straight into the gate. It was the only way to keep the demons inside, to keep the evil from crossing through and heading right back onto Earth in Lucifer's absence.
Lucifer's gaze darted to the bed, to where Serah still sat, staring at him. It felt like he'd been away for half an hour, but he knew it would only be a fraction of a second to her. She would've never noticed he was gone, would've never seen him leave and come back.
She stared at him, waiting for him to finish what he'd been saying before he'd been interrupted.
You're an angel.
Yeah, because that would go over well. She'd either be certain then, that he was crazy, or he'd look like nothing more than a pervert with a cheesy pick-up line. Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?
Of course it did, asshole. I bled out in the fucking street.
He shook his head, brushing it off, as he slowly stepped toward her. She didn't cower away from him, more curious than fearful. Wide-eyed, she stared up at him when he paused in front of her.
"You're dreaming," he said quietly. "I'm nothing more than a figment of your imagination."
Reaching out, he pressed a single fingertip to her forehead, feeling the energy pulsing beneath her skin. It only lasted a second, a mere second of touching her again, before she fell back on the bed.
She was out like a light, fast asleep. She'd wake up after he was gone, and this whole encounter would be nothing but a vague dream.
Sighing, he gazed at her for a moment before leaving. He fucking hated when those holy rollers were right.
The humans had it all.
They lavished on earth, innocent and righteous, granted eternal life in paradise. Adam and Eve loved each other, their love sanctified by God, and they showed each other affectionately. They were obedient creatures, as obedient as Lucifer had always been, except they had something he didn't.
Free will.
It was a novel concept he couldn't quite wrap his mind around. The angels were created for a specific reason, to perform tasks dished out by the Dominion, orders from their Father. It was undeniable, unarguable. He spoke and they listened.
But humans were created and set free. Their job was merely to exist, with hope they'd always love God for their gift.
It caused something to twist inside of Lucifer, a shift in his make up, foreign thoughts and feelings invading the Archangel's world. He was a jealous sibling, wondering why his Father loved a different child more than him.
He resented Adam.
The human had everything.
Lucifer stood in the middle of the garden, beneath the Tree of Knowledge, the one and only thing forbidden to these humans. Lucifer lived an existence of obedience, yet these beating-heart creatures' only rule was 'don't touch this tree.'
A tree.
Reaching out, Lucifer ran his fingertips along the smooth bark. It was nothing special, nothing any different than the other trees in the garden. Had God not singled it out as special, none of them would've noticed it. It was a test, Lucifer knew… it was their Father's way of gauging their obedience, how faultless and perfect his beloved humans were.
Bullshit.
The woman named Eve lingered nearby, oblivious to his presence. She cast looks at the tree but never ventured too close. Maybe it was out of love, like their Father believed, but Lucifer detected something else. It was the first time he'd ever felt it. Fear. Fear of what would happen if she touched it, fear of whatever secrets the fruit held. Lucifer watched her for a while, his frustration mounting each second that ticked by.
He leaned back against the tree, crossing his arms over his chest. A green serpent slithered along the branch above him, drawing Eve's attention.
Eat from the tree, he thought, projecting the sentiment directly at her. She tensed as if his silent words rang loud and clear through the garden. Her eyes shifted around, her fear growing, before her gaze turned right back to the serpent.
She thought the creature was speaking to her.
Try the fruit, he thought. It's the best there is.
Eve stepped his way, edging closer to the tree than she ever ventured before. Her heartbeat was wild, the thumping like an echo in Lucifer's ears.
Her voice was quiet, her eyes hesitantly on the snake. "We're not supposed to eat from that tree. God told Adam—"
Nonsense, Lucifer thought, cutting her off. It's the Tree of Knowledge. Don't you think having wisdom is a good thing? Don't you want to be knowledgeable? Don't you want to be closer to Him?
"But—"
Try it, he thought again. Touch it. Taste it. Eat the fruit.
She hesitated, staring long and hard at the tree, before stepping even closer, her body unwittingly flush against Lucifer. Reaching up, she plucked an apple from the branch near the snake and brought it to her lips, hesitating once again, before taking her first bite.
A soft moan escaped the woman's lips as she closed her eyes, juice from the apple running down her chin. A smile curved Lucifer's lips as he watched her savor the forbidden fruit.
He wondered what it tasted like.
The Tree of Knowledge. He wasn't sure what the human got out of it, but he certainly learned something.
His Father's new children weren't as perfect as He hoped.
There's only one thing worse than Hell.
Hell without a King.
The moment Lucifer stepped through the sixth gate, the whirlwind sucking him down to the pit, chaos greeted him. The blur of surroundings around him cleared, the seventh gate in tact. It was different now, the magical translucent shield stronger, the sigils that had once marked Lucifer's skin now burned straight into the gate. It was the only way to keep the demons inside, to keep the evil from crossing through and heading right back onto Earth in Lucifer's absence.
