“Pretty,” I murmured as I started following a path that led deeper into the foliage. I could still see the stars twinkling above, but there were sections of the sky obscured by a canopy created by the trees. It was magical in a way that had nothing to do with actual magic. The sort of fairy-tale setting that could only exist in dreams. The warmth of the night air coated me like a soft blanket, and I tipped my head up as I breathed in the rich scents of earth and night-blooming jasmine. Crickets chirped in the distance, adding gentle ambiance to an already idyllic setting.
Walking along the mossy path, I ran my fingers over blossoms that seemed to glow when the moon’s rays hit them, my pace slow and relaxed. This was a sanctuary. A safe place for me to retreat when the world outside became too much.
The path veered to the left, and as I followed the slight curve, a new tree came into view. It was planted in such a way that it clearly took pride of place in the garden. It was massive, far larger than any other. It also exuded ancient power, which made zero sense, but this was a dream, so natural laws didn’t exactly apply.
When a familiar blond head caught my eye, I suddenly realized exactly where I was and what I was looking at.
“Are you kidding me?” I muttered. “The Garden of fucking Eden?”
Lucifer was dressed all in black, his golden hair standing out starkly against the darkness he draped himself in. There was never any doubt he was beautiful. But as a cloud shifted and moonlight spilled over him, he was simply mesmerizing. I’d never seen a man glow the way he did.
The snake.
The morning star.
I huffed, annoyed that in avoiding one dark and broody ass’s dream I’d landed smack dab in the middle of another’s.
Lucifer smirked at me, a brilliantly red and perfectly ripe apple in his hand. “The Garden of Fucking? Hmm, I quite like the sound of that.”
“Well, this has been fun, but I’ll be leaving now.”
I turned to go back the way I came, but the sound of his footsteps followed, and his fingers encircled my wrist. “Wait, please don’t. I was only having a laugh.”
Spinning to face him, I searched his eyes. “Why would I want to be here with you? This is the place you started the fucking patriarchy.”
“I beg your finest pardon. I did not.”
“Yes, you did. That apple? Consider it your boot on Eve’s neck. You haven’t let up since.”
The apple dropped from his hand and he glared at me. “The woman was starving. All I did was offer her a choice. What happened next was up to her. And that bootprint you’re accusing me of? It was definitely Adam’s. He has much smaller feet.”
I softened just a hair, latching onto the knowledge I could leave this dream any time I wanted. Perhaps this encounter was an opportunity rather than a problem. So I began a slow stroll toward the tree, allowing my curiosity to take the lead rather than my fear.
“Why?” I asked as he came up next to me.
“Why what?”
“Why all of it? Why fall? Why sabotage the humans? Why try to take control of the world?”
He sighed and plopped down on a bench that had appeared out of nowhere. “Haven’t we already been over all of this? Why the incessant need to rehash ancient history?”
“Because at best you’ve given me half-answers. When you give me a straight answer at all.”
Lucifer groaned and allowed his head to fall back. The angle gave me a surprisingly erotic view of his throat, and I hated myself for not only clocking it, but also the resulting lady tingles.
“You are nothing if not persistent.”
I flashed him a bright smile. “You’re welcome.”
“I fell because I saw the writing on the wall.”
“What does that mean?”
“He loved the humans more than us. He replaced us the same way one replaces a toy they’ve lost interest in. No worse than that. Like a dog whose humans decided to have a baby and no longer had the time or inclination to care for their first child. We were cast aside. Abandoned. Made to play babysitter to the siblings we never wanted.”
“So you have daddy issues. That doesn’t exactly make you special, Lucifer. Lots of us have trauma, you don’t see everyone else trying to start an uprising and overthrow the natural order.”
“How would you feel if you were told you were the favorite, only to be demoted when someone else came along, andthen,insult to injury, you’re expected toguardthem as well?”
