“I’m sure you don’t need to dumb it down for me.”I inform him on a huff.
“It’s not that.”He gives a slight shake of his head.“If you read the bible, there’s actually very little mention of Lucifer.But there is a ton of mythological lore around him, Lilith, and Michael.It’s just easier to give you the highlights.”
“Okay.”I nod in consent.“Cliff notes version it is.”
He pulls his bottom lip between his teeth, his head shaking slightly as he chuffs.“You are such a Lilith.”
I arch a single brow, blinking in confusion.
“Stubborn.Defiant.Proud.”He pauses.“Just a couple of the descriptions used about her in stories.”
“I am not-”
“See?”He wags a finger in the air between us.“Case in point.Defiant.”He snorts, crossing his arms over his chest as he begins.“Lucifer, and Michael are often referred to as two of the most powerful angels, if not most favored, to God.But Lucifer becomes a little too full of himself and believes he’s greater than God, and ends up leading a rebellion against him.Michael is the archangel who leads the heavenly forces against Lucifer during the rebellion, defeating him, and ultimately casts him down into what’s now known as Hell.That’s how Lucifer came to be known as the devil or Satan.”
“Where does Lilith play into all of this?”I wonder out loud.
“Lilith was actually created to be Adam’s wife before Eve.But she never loved Adam, and didn’t want to listen or obey him.Because of this, Eve was created, and Lilith was freed from her commitment to Adam.She was described as being a rebellious female demon, helping Lucifer in his rebellion against God by giving him her children to use in his army.”
“Were Lucifer and Lilith in love?”I shift, turning my body toward his.
He shrugs.“It depends on what interpretation you read.There are many.When he was in Heaven, Lucifer was known as the Morning Star, while Lilith was known as the Goddess of the Night.Together they represented light and dark.Good and evil.Their relationship was described as fiery and intense.But because they were cast into hell, their bond was tested endless times as others tried to tear them apart.It’s said their devotion endured through the ages, proving that true love and passion knows no boundaries, even in the darkest of places.”
“I don’t get it.”I muse out loud.
“What’s not to get?”His forehead wrinkling as his eyes narrow, a hand reaching up to scratch at the scruff under his chin.
“Why would your parents name you what they did?Lucifer and Michael were enemies.”
He shrugs.“We asked my parents the same thing when we learned about the tale.”
“And?”I lift my hand, motioning for him to continue.
“It depends on who you ask.My mom says one thing, and my dad another.”He fingers the edge of the sheet pooled at his waist.“She claims she wasn’t familiar with the story, and just liked the individual names.But my dad says that her pregnancy with me was pure hell, so she thought Lucifer would be a fitting name, while her pregnancy with Mikey was the complete opposite, thus named him Michael.”
“Do you think it’s true?”I gape at him, wondering if a mother would actually name her child after the devil.
“Who knows.”His gaze finds mine.“My parents divorced about ten years ago, and not under the best of circumstances, so they don’t tend to say anything nice about each other anymore.”
“That sucks.”My brow scrunching as I frown.“I’m sorry.”
“It is what it is.”He shrugs, sliding his body down the length of the bed, his head resting on the pillow.“Gonna go to sleep now.”He reaches for the switch on the lamp beside the bed.“Don’t want you to think I’m being rude, but I’m beat.”
“Thank you for letting me stay.”I rush out, genuinely grateful and a little surprised, to be offered temporary sanctuary in his room.
“Let’s get one thing clear; I’m keeping my hands to myself because I said I would.Not because I want to.”The lamp clicks off, the glow of the city seeping into the room, casting just enough light to keep the room from total darkness.“Don’t mistake discipline for lack of interest, Kitten.”
My heart skips a beat at his response, a fleeting thought crossing my mind that maybe I wouldn’t mind if he wasn’t so disciplined.
ChapterFour
Luc
How Soon Is Now
The Smiths
I blink,my head a bit fuzzy as my brain switches from sleep to awake.I slept hard.I raise my arms and stretch, rolling over onto my back, freezing when I realize Lily’s still in the bed with me.I glance at the clock.It’s almost eight.I’m surprised she’s still here.
