Dying for the Devil

6

Winnowing into a dark room, I pulled myself away from Lucifers' grip and immediately whirled on him.

"Where is she?" I hissed through my teeth. His answering laugh left my blood cold in my veins.

"She is unharmed as I promised you" he replied, his demeanor cool and collected. He stepped toward me, and I stepped back, pressing up against the wall of the room. He stepped again, closing the small distance between us.

His fingers found their way to my hair, running through them softly.

"I was willing to give it all up for you Adeline" he murmured, his eyes trailing my face. I glared at him, willing myself to withstand his touch that once made my toes curl and my heart flutter.

"Don't lie to me. You never intended to give any of it up. I'm sure Serilda had plenty to do with that" I replied, matching his cool attitude. His eyes narrowed at me, as if really assessing me for the first time since I'd been gone.

"You've changed little bird. It seems you may have found your wings after all" he laughed low, sinking his fingers into my hair at the base of my skull and pulling, my head tilting upward. I hissed at the pain it caused, and glared fiercely back at him.

"You know what happens now Adeline. You will be broken and reborn into darkness to fight at my side" he said.

"Never. I'd rather die." I spat back, his amusement shining bright in his fiery eyes.

"How funny" a feminine voice spoke from the darkness, "I'd rather that too" Serilda laughed, stepping out of the shadows and falling into place beside Lucifer.

"Serilda" Lucifer started, "How lovely of you to join us" he said. She placed her hand on his chest, leaning in to place a chaste kiss on his mouth. Lucifer didn't take his eyes off of me.

"You're clearly well aware that Lucifer and I are to be wed... Properly this time" she added, a smirk clear on her face. Lucifers' gaze never shifted from me. His stare was burning and intense, putting me on edge.

"Where is she?" I asked him again, "Please... Please don't hurt her" I begged.

"I promised you she would remain unharmed" he replied before adding, "I can't guarantee she will be the same as she was before, but she won't be harmed... In a physical sense anyway" he laughed.

Lunging forward, I swung my fist into his face, causing him to stagger back. In the same movement, I swung my leg around, landing a precise kick to Serilda's chest. She stumbled back and clutched her chest, trying to suck in gulping breaths of air.

Pushing myself away from the wall, I winnowed through the entryway, taking down the guard who was there. Winnowing further, I desperately reached out for any sign of Evie. Pushing my way through each floor of the rows and rows of cells, I ignored the screams of pain or horrible sickening laughter from those trapped inside.

"Evie!" I shouted, "Where are you!"

"Adeline! I'm here! I'm here! Please!" Evie cried out. Immediately I winnowed into the holding cell she had been locked into. Tugging her into my arms, I spoke quickly and carefully.

"Go straight to Gabe, he will protect you. Find Micah, tell him I love him" I said before I projected my winnow, sending her out and back to the field where we had been taken from. Her eyes met mine briefly, conveying words she didn't have the time to say.

The cell door slammed open as Lucifer stepped in, pulling the door closed behind him. He wiped the remaining blood from his mouth, spitting onto the floor at my feet.

"That was very, very naughty Adeline" he said, the venom clearly in his voice.

"I told you I was willing to die before helping you, I will not allow those I love to suffer" I retorted, levelling my glare at him.

"Then you are a stupid fool. They will all die in the end because of you" he replied as two guards stepped in, clicking shackles against my feet and wrists.

"These shackles will not allow you to use any of your abilities while you are imprisoned within them, a mistake I made once, andl will not make again" he said.

"You chose the wrong side Adeline. You could have come with me, you could have chosen me" he said, and a flash of hurt graced his beautiful face, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.

"You could have chosen me too, but you didn't. You chose the dark part of yourself, like you always planned to. I never would have been enough and you knew that. You lured me in, and used me knowing how vulnerable I was... And I thought it was love, but I was wrong. I know what love feels like now. Its unconditional, and that's something you could never give" I spoke, a sadness piercing my heart as I took my own words in.

He watched me for a moment, shaking his head slightly.

"You think he gives you unconditional love? He is just the same as me. He doesn't love you. He loves himself, he loves that part of himself that lives within you. If you died, he wouldn't care for you once you were gone. He is my equal in that matter, and once I break you, you will finally see him for what he is" he replied, his voice like steel before disappearing.

Glancing around the small cell, I noted the lack of bed, furniture and basically anything else. A small pot sat in the corner of the room, and I cringed at the thought of having to use it. His style of lock-up had changed since I'd last been held like a prisoner, another memory I cringed at.

How could I have been so blind to it all? I knew the answer to that already. His abilities along with my desperate need to be loved.

Sinking down against the wall, I felt the exhaustion kick in. I felt mentally drained, but I never realized just how bad I'd let myself get. I could feel the room drain me, and my magic fizzled, and rendered useless.

Drifting off at some point, I awoke with a start. My neck felt incredibly tight, and I knew falling asleep against the wall would prove to be a mistake.

I couldn't tell how long I'd been sleeping. Everything in this place warped all sense of time.

Oh gods! The Golden moon!

I had to get out somehow.

Dragging my fingers across the cell floor, a sharp scrape against my finger had me jolting my hand up. I watched the blood slowly drip out from where I'd cut my pinky finger on something sharp. My fingers reached down again to pick the object up.

A small slither of metal had been tucked against the wall. Assessing it between my fingers, I took note of the way it had been purposely carved by someone... Or something that was once locked away in here. A shiver rolled down my spine as I exhaled sharply at the thought.

Bringing my thoughts back to the sharp object in-between my fingers, I realized this could be used it to pick the locks on the cuffs restricting my hands and feet.

Moving swiftly, I inserted the makeshift key into the lock on my feet and after several attempts, a small snick unlocked the shackles. Quickly making a move to unshackle my hands, the lock clicked open and the handcuffs clattered to the floor.

"What's going on in there?" the guard called from the door. I praised whoever watched over
me in that moment, whoever was kind enough to ensure the room was pitch black. Quietly, I pushed away from the wall, sliding against the edge of the door. After a moment, the jingle of keys in the door alerted me to the guard unlocking the door and stepping in with a small lantern, holding it up and squinting into the darkness. Quiet as the wind, I stepped behind the guard, snaking my forearm around his neck and slamming his head back into the wall. His body instantly crumbled, and I winced from the sound.

"Sorry" I whispered before stepping over his body and out into the corridor.