After a hard swallow, Remi said, “No seriously though, we should go after her.”
“Thank you,” Glory sighed with relief. “I knew you could see reason.”
“Yeah no,” Remi interrupted, jumping up with a malicious grin. “I just don’t wanna miss out on seeing Luci get beat up by a little girl.”
Glory groaned in disbelief, pressing her building migraine with her fingertips. “You’re impossible, truly.”
“Thank you.” Remi chomped happily at her sandwich. “I do my best.”
The sound of the heavy ebony door slamming wide was enough to startle anyone, the way it hit the wall with the force of a small truck. A fitfully resting King was an even easier target.
Lucifer bolted upright with a gasp, flinging himself out of bed and halfway across the room before his mind caught up with his instincts. As he took in the scene, his nerves spun on a tangential path from alarmed to anxious, and he gulped.
“Lucifer,” Mags said, smiling sweetly, but her eyes flashed with something dark and dangerous as she stood backlit in his doorway. The shadows of his unlit room concealed most of her expression, but a chill still ran down Luce’s spine.
“Mags,” he attempted to soothe her. “How are you feeling?”
“Betrayed,” she said shortly, tone clipped and cold. “I find myself feeling utterlybetrayed, Lucifer. And yourself?”
“Uneasy,” he admitted, deciding that honesty was the best course of action here.
“Yes, I should hope so.” She lifted a hand to inspect her nails, enjoying the way he flinched at the motion before he understood it. “Why don’t you come out of the bedroom, Lucifer? Let’s speak out in the light, shall we?”
“I’m not quite sure I like that idea.”
“This is no longer about whatyoulike, I’m afraid.” She stepped back, revealing her distinctly displeased expression. “Come out of the bedroom, now please.”
He bit his tongue and followed her into his sitting room, suppressing a shiver. “Mags, before you say anything, I need to explain myself.”
“No.” She closed her eyes, as if unable to bear looking at him. “No, I understand, Lucifer.”
“Oh good.” He relaxed slightly and attempted a smile. “If you understand?—”
“Iunderstand,” she continued firmly, eyes flashing as she glared, “that you took it upon yourself to decide what I would be doing. I understand that you consider your thoughts and desires tantamount to infallible. Iunderstandthat you must have absolutely no faith in my decisions, or respect for my desires.”
“Mags, no.”
“Then tell me,” she demanded, advancing on him until she had backed him up into his coffee table and he fell backwards onto it. “Tell me how else I should interpret your actions.”
“I was protecting you!” His claims were somewhat diminished by his current position sprawled across lacquered mahogany, and he scrambled back to his feet.
“Frommyself?!” She let out an incredulous laugh. “That’s absurd.”
“From making a mistake,” he insisted, reaching to grip her shoulders. Mags swatted his hands away and slapped her palms flat on his chest.
“No!” She shoved hard, knocking him away. “It’s myrightto make my own mistakes! You can’t treat me like some porcelain doll waiting to smash on the floor!”
Luce recovered from his slight stumble, brows raised as if to challenge her assumptions of his feelings. “Obviously you aren’t fragile,” he snorted, attempting to enfold her hands in his own. “It’s not your strength I question, but the motives of others.”
“You can’t seal me away from the world.” She yanked her hands away as if burned, curling into herself for a moment. “I have a life, and it ismy own. I swore when I underwent the Rising that I would use my power howIchose, that I would live the lifeIwanted, and that I would never be caged or chained again. You willnotundermine my oaths to myself,Lucifer.”
“I had no intention?—”
“Bullshit! Your only thoughts were of what you wanted, and damn whatever anyone else might think or feel!”
“Stop acting hysterical andlisten to me!” He bellowed, and her entire body went still.
“Go fuck yourself,” she hissed, then slapped him hard across the mouth. “Always about you, Lucifer! Listen toyou, do whatyouthink is best. You can’t even keep your own life in order, and you have the audacity to dictate other people’s!”
