Revealing the Monster by Amelia Hutchins
Chapter Twenty-Eight
There was peace to be found in violence. Lucian had shown it to me, and even in our darkest hours, he’d made me see the light. ~Lena
I woke to feathers floating in the surrounding air. Lifting from the wrecked bed, I stretched out my sore, overused body. Lucian had sent me to church more times than I could count. We’d spent days in the bed discovering each other, or more to the point, accepting that we were actually in love with one another. It had been the best sex of my life, but I wouldn’t be admitting to it anytime soon, in case he thought it had anything to do with torturing me endlessly.
Standing, I winced at the pain between my thighs but smiled, remembering him growling my name and then moaning it in the same breath. The man was insatiable, and had enough stamina to rebuild the entire world. Moving to the bathroom, I turned on the shower and headed back into the bedroom to gather something to wear.
Hanging on the corner of the bed was a single navy blue dress with an A-line bodice. Beside it, dangling from a red piece of lace, were panties. I chewed my lip, rolling my eyes that he’d probably be removing them with his teeth tonight. The man had a ferocious appetite, and I was glad for it, considering mine was the same.
Grabbing the clothes, I headed back to the bathroom. Stretching my neck and stifling a yawn, I placed the garments on the counter and slipped into the shower. The water felt good against my sore body. I leaned my head back against the tile wall and closed my eyes, expelling a sigh of bliss. Everything seemed good, too good to last.
I’d become cynical. I knew that every time the world appeared to fall into place; it broke apart. Lucian had promised to find and bring Joshua back here to talk, since I couldn’t leave the club. The problem was that Joshua feared being stuck to Lucian’s side, just like me. He didn’t realize that it was the fury and seal within me that had caused that reaction when I’d first returned to life after becoming one of the soulless.
I washed up and turned off the water, stepping out of the shower as the mirror blurred. Rubbing my eyes, I opened them and gasped. The bathroom changed, shimmering to reveal an orchard that had trees with ripe, red fruit hanging from the branches of lush green limbs. Dressing quickly, I blew the air out of my lungs while eyeing the scenery suspiciously.
“An orchid filled with apples? Hmm, I wonder where the serpent is hiding,” I chirped, knowing it was one of Lucifer’s illusions. “Lucifer, oh Lucifer, how I loathe thee,” I sang it, my tone expressing boredom and tiredness I felt to the sliver of my soul.
Once I had the dress on, I stepped into the image and peered around at the deep valley that rolled on as far as I could see. Inhaling, I frowned, scenting Lucian in the breeze. It was as if he was right beside me, but a quick twirl in place proved he wasn’t anywhere within sight.
My feet moved over the softest grass I’d ever felt in my life. I bunched my toes together, pinching the grass gently while I moved deeper among the trees. The scene changed, revealing an elegant courtyard with spiraling towers that reached into the clouds. I stood on the border, between the courtyard and orchard, silently waiting for my tour guide to appear.
Inhaling deeply, I narrowed my gaze at something new. Mere feet away, a woman studied me through glowing green eyes. I smiled at her, and she backed up, running from me.
“Wait!” I called out to her retreating form, but she vanished.
“She’s come,” a voice said, but looking around didn’t reveal who or what had said it. “Our Queen is home where she belongs. She’s more beautiful than he said she was.”
“Who said that?” I demanded, searching the direction in which I’d assumed the voyeur had stood. Only nothing was there. “Lucifer? This isn’t funny anymore.”
The scene changed, revealing high cliffs that had precarious, deadly-looking rocks up the sheer face of it. I slowly approached, gazing up at the towering height to the top of it. Of course, I was within Lucifer’s dream world, which meant nothing could happen to me here.
I started climbing, hearing the voices, asking why I’d be crazy enough to risk the insane climb. My fingers ached by the time I’d reached the top. Hefting myself up onto the last rock, I stood, brushing my hands off on my clothes.
“Oh, wow,” I whispered while peering out over the landscape.
Rolling valleys spread across the east, while a vast ocean of tranquil seawater covered the north. To the west, a palace that looked like it had been plucked from a magical gothic kingdom sat, surrounded by waterfalls with the same Caribbean blue-green water flowing from them. I turned south, taking in immense mountains that looked like some shit you’d see in National Geographic magazine, stretched out as far as I could see, reaching for the heavens.
“Hello?” I called, cupping my hands around my mouth to smirk at the loud echo that exploded through the world. “This is unreal,” I admitted, peering down the cliff I’d scaled moments ago. Frowning at the idea of climbing back down, I scanned the ground, learning it was some sort of rock pillar and not a cliff at all. Upon further inspection, I found a silver box sitting in the center.
“What is she doing now?” a disembodied feminine voice whispered.
“I can hear you. Show yourself,” I growled, searching the small area where I stood yet still appearing to be alone.
“Where is he? If she is here, how is he not with her? Did she come—alone?” a male asked, causing me to spin toward his voice.
“This isn’t funny. Show yourself, now,” I ordered, looking around.
“She cannot see us, right? We promised to remain out of sight. He would be so angry if we disobeyed his orders.” The woman sounded thoughtful, but there was actual fear in her voice.
“Either show yourself or get the hell away from me, now,” I seethed, unnerved at the idea of not being able to see a threat this close to me.
“Do you think she came for the babe?” the male asked his female companion.
“What babe? Is Makenna here? Please, she’s in danger.” My voice trembled, causing them to go silent.
“Apparently, she didn’t come for the babe,” the female announced. “We should go, Cain. If he discovers us here close to her, he will consume us again. We’ve seen her beauty and know what drew our king to our new queen. She’s exquisite and perfectly matched to him.”
“Indeed, so she is. Her eyes, though, they’re filled with pain. Can you see it? You would think she’d be more akin to the other’s taste. His shadows would devour her and deliver her from them with his power. I wonder why our king claimed her first since he vowed never again to fall for a mortal.”
“You are indulging in your fantasies again. The Shadow Lord will never cave to your lust, Cain. Really, these delusions you have of him, and your need to continue pandering to gossip is what landed you here in the first place.”
“I’m very aware of how I got here, Catlin,” the male said, both oblivious to my questions as their voices got further away from me by the moment.
Frowning, I turned to the silver box that looked large enough to stand inside. Moving closer, I ran my fingers over the outside, watching as glyphs ignited on the ground around it. Then, stepping into the box, I screamed as it dropped straight down without warning. It halted, and I tripped on my rush to get out of it, staring at it like it was possessed.
“Where the fuck am I?” I asked absently, standing to dust off my dress as I glanced toward the palace.
There was only one way to figure out where the hell I was, and it was by heading to the one place that was sure to have people that weren’t invisible. Walking down the hill, I paused at the entrance to the courtyard, waiting for someone, anyone, to appear and send my ass away or welcome me inside. Neither happened, which led to me to entering like some creep on my tiptoes.
Inside, I struggled to keep my jaw off the ground. There were statues and fountains everywhere I looked, and flowers blossomed as the scenery changed. The day became night, and snow fell from the sky. The gentle fragrance of night blooms and other nocturnal flowers filled the air. I strode toward a glowing bloom, lifting my fingers to brush them over the radiant petals.
Soft music began playing, forcing my attention on a statue that held a harp. I frowned, stepping closer, and saw the strings move with no one touching them. Beside the statue was a pool of gleaming water, and my mouth opened in awe and then snapped it shut. Peering into it, I noticed what looked to be souls swimming in the translucent depths.
Kneeling, I stared into the bottomless pool of souls, leaning forward and reaching out to dip my fingers into the water, but something touched my shoulder. Turning, I searched the vacant courtyard, slowly moving my gaze back to the souls. Finally, I reached into the pool, grabbing one of the wispy souls, and screamed as it burned me.
Cradling my hand against my chest, I stood and gazed around at the ethereal beauty of the place in which I’d found myself. Lucifer had to be fucking with me. He’d always been in the immediate vicinity when I’d arrived in whatever landscape he’d conjured.
He’d never actually put much effort into creating an illusion like this, though. The only place that had ever felt real was his castle, which had sent chills down my spine from the wailing I’d heard in the distance as I’d held Makenna.
Glancing at my fingers, I winced at the red, raw flesh resulting from touching the water. Sucking my bottom lip between my teeth, I looked at the huge, foreboding doors that sat atop an enormous obsidian staircase. Taking in my surroundings, I noted the blanket of snow covering the path into the courtyard and the gate that I hadn’t heard close behind me.
Unlike the other places I’d been to, this one wasn’t sending off warning bells. It felt—right. Good gods, I wasn’t ever going to admit that out loud and hear Lucifer bragging or using it against me when he sucked me into his realm.
Starting for the staircase, I listened to the whispering wings that grew harsher as I got closer. My bare feet moved slowly over the sheer, sleek obsidian stairs. I frowned when I looked down and saw a golden sheen left behind from my steps, like footprints following me. What the hell?
Pausing at the doors, I wondered exactly how I should announce my presence. Did one have to be invited into a palace, or were you supposed to go inside and then reveal yourself? In the movies, footmen or something similar would open the doors, right? A moment before I would have knocked, covering my bases, the doors opened.
“Because that’s not freaking creepy, right?” I muttered, stepping inside.
My eyes grew rounded as my jaw dropped at the breathtaking beauty inside. Obsidian flowed from the stairs, covering the floors. Massive glittering chandeliers hung from cathedral ceilings created of stained glass, allowing even more light from the moon to enter the palace.
“Hello?” I called out, listening as my voice echoed throughout. Paintings of landscapes, battles, and mythical creatures covered the high walls. Yet, nothing visible gave a clue as to where I was or who owned this magical land. “Is anyone here?”
I felt like Alice after she’d fallen down the gaping hole in the ground. Only I was missing a cool cat and rabbit to show me around. Frowning at the thought, I crept further into the interior toward a grand staircase, pausing as my foot touched the step and my surroundings changed to reveal images of me?
Everywhere.
“Now I know it’s you, asshole,” I muttered, rolling my eyes at a picture of me naked, lounging on an enormous bed. My hand rested beneath my head, and my eyes were closed. I looked—sexy. Not that I would admit it, since the creep had taken the photo in the lower level of Lucian’s club. A sheet covered my bottom half, leaving my breasts exposed. Someone had gone wild with Photoshop because they had never looked that good. “Creep, did you enjoy watching me sleep?” I screamed up the staircase, expecting to hear Lucifer’s laughter.
The images on the wall changed, revealing me in other locales, causing my brow to furrow. Where the hell had he been when he’d taken these photos? And why were they at angles that looked as if he’d been standing right beside me?
A soft cry started from up the stairs, and everything within me went still. Tears burned my eyes, and my feet began moving toward the faint cries of an infant. My heart thundered painfully against my ribcage, but when I reached the landing of the staircase, the world began to spin around me.
“No! No, please,” I whispered as weightlessness overtook me. The palace spun around me, and I turned my head, trying to focus on a large door at the end of the long hallway. “Harbinger,” I sobbed, but my voice didn’t come out loud enough to be heard.
Hands touched me, and I peered up into Lucian’s worried stare.
“Lucifer?” he questioned softly. Worry deepened his midnight eyes, darkening in question.
“I don’t know,” I replied, sitting up from the bathroom floor. Lucian pulled me to my feet, staring down at me before he grabbed my fingers, holding them up to inspect them.
“Where were you, Lena?”
“I don’t know, but it was amazing,” I stated, frowning as I leaned against Lucian, inhaling his soothing scent. “I heard him, Lucian. I heard our son crying. I couldn’t get to him, though. The world started spinning, and I lost the door. I’m crazy, right? I thought it was Lucifer, but it felt—safe. I felt safe there.”
“Did you touch anything?” he asked, still staring at my fingertips.
“A pool, one that had souls swimming in it,” I admitted, watching his eyes narrow on me. “Something bumped me, but I couldn’t stop myself from reaching for them.”
“Indeed, who wouldn’t want to stick their hand into a pool filled with damned souls?” he muttered, pulling me with him.
