A tear of happiness slid down my cheek.
“Why are you crying?” There was alarm in his voice.
I tried to imagine how his face looked but gave up.
"Nothing's wrong." I shook my head. “It's just…I love you, Lucian.” The words rolled off my tongue, true and strong. I loved him from the moment we met. When I was a child, he’d never admonished me for my questions. As an early teen, I’d treasured him as a close friend, a confidant. And now, as an adult, I loved him as a man—a divine being who didn’t shy away or make me feel less because I was human.
“Anna…” A soft sigh blew from his mouth. “My dear, dear Anna. So lovely and sweet.” He placed the pads of his fingers over my eyes and warmth spread across the skin.
A jolt of pain shot through my head.
I cried out and stumbled from his arms, clutching my face.
"Shh," he whispered. "Give it a moment."
Just as quickly as the agony stabbed through my eyes, it disappeared. Only a soothing warmth lingered.
“What did you do?” I whispered, dread and excitement competing inside of me. Something felt different in my head, like a little jolt of electricity from the buildup of static charge. "Lucian,what did you do?" I demanded, tracing my closed eyelids, running my fingertips over the lashes, my eyebrows. Everything was the same, yet it wasn't. I couldn't put my finger on exactlywhathad changed, but I could feel a fundamental shift in my mind, in my very bones.
“Open your eyes, Love.” He placed a hand under my chin and tipped it upward.
I did as he asked. A blinding whiteness replaced the perpetual black I'd known nearly my entire life. "Wh-what…I don't understand." I dropped to my knees, squeezing my eyes shut once more to embrace the darkness.
Lucian's grip on my upper arms never shifted. His wings rustled like they always did when touching the floor, the sound telling me he squatted next to me. "Open up, Anna. You are in the dark no longer."
Slowly, I squinted, forcing myself to tolerate the brightness after being in blackness for so long. Blinking rapidly, tears of pain and joy streamed down my cheeks.Is this true?How I had longed to see once more, to not just feel the colors under my fingers as I painted, but to see the different variations of hues I remembered before I lost my sight. I'd once begged him to heal me, and he'd refused. I'd accepted his decision and stuffed that dream away, knowing how dangerous hope could be to someone like me.
But now? He'd blessed me beyond measure. "Is this real?" I didn't think my heart could feel any fuller, but somehow, it did.My God, how I love this man.
“Completely real, dear one." He cleared his throat. "Happy Birthday, my Anna. I should’ve done this a long time ago.”
I had to squeeze my eyes shut once more to give them time to adjust to the blinding light. I still couldn't see anything but knew it would come with time. My heart was so happy and full I was afraid it would burst.
I lunged towards Lucian, knowing he wouldn't let me fall, and let him wrap his arms and wings around me as I cried ugly sobs.
Chapter 19
Lucian Elysium
Present Day
Whathastakenmeso long to do this tiny thing for her?
If I weren't the devil, perhaps I would have felt more guilt. Humans had it rough, as they so deserved, but this one human in particular deserved a better life.
I could say I had no motive behind my actions, but that would be a lie. My motives were illogical and complex. Even I wasn't quite surewhyI waited so long to heal Anna. Perhaps I held out due to fear. Not of her, but of myself.
Once, near the beginning of time, I had been considered the most beautiful not based on my looks—well,mostlynot because of my looks—but because I'd been God's favored due to my empathy, my integrity, my love. She'd seen into my heart and known me. She'd placed me as her second in command and unwavering in her trust.
But something had happened once she'd decided to create humans. Something dark, petty, and ugly had twisted my heart at the thought of other beings demanding her attention.She chose weak, soft humans over me and my devotion to Her.
In a full rage, I'd rallied many angels in Her army by using fear and bigotry to incite those still on the fence. War had raged for eons, until unfortunately, She'd finally won. Bound and dragged to God, I'd submitted and accepted my fate. In a cruel twist of humor, She'd sentenced me to mete out justice to her pathetic creations who strayed too far from Her light.
'You wish to rule so badly, Lucian, to destroy everything I've ever created out of jealousy? Then you will rule those you hate ,'She'd said.'You will realize one day that humans are not your enemy.Youare. Love—true love—is eternal. It is forgiving. It is unforgiving. It is weakness. It is strength. It is truth and it is lies. It is everything and nothing. And it will be your downfall.'
On that last word, she'd slammed me out of Heaven, literally locking the gates, which meant I could not use the portal between space and time to enter her realm. Instead, the only path available had lain between Earth and Heaven. One could say I've been slumming it ever since.
Ithasbeen quite the fitting punishment.
