My hands tighten around the back of his neck, and I thread my fingers through his hair. “That’s one hell of an apology,” I whisper.
“Don’t mistake me for a knight in shining armor. I’ve been around eons, and in all that time only one other girl briefly made me feel something. The rest have been a physical release. I didn’t think I had it in me to give more, but I’m going to spend my life trying to.”
An irrational flare of jealousy rocks my soul. What did I expect? He was older than dirt by his own definition. How old is dirt?
“How long?”
He frowns. “One night.”
Huh, a one-night stand caught the enigmatic Archan in her clasp. She must have been a hell of a woman. “That’s not what I meant. I want to know how long you’ve been around.”
“If you define the birth of the universe as a calendar year, then humanity has only been around for the last minute of December 31st.”
That’s a freaking awesome and unfathomable way of defining humanity, and also a little humbling. “Okay, but what about you? How long have you been around for?”
He tilts his head. “In context; since about April.”
If I was sitting on a chair, I’d have slipped off in shock. Wait, yup, my legs have given way and my body is sagged against him. He’d been around for three quarters of the universe’s existence. Holy shit.
“It’s a lot to take in,” he rumbles, holding me close.
“Being in Heaven and then returning as a goddess is a lot to take in. Fighting beside gods and falling for one is a lot to take in. This is unbelievable. It’s a perspective on my existence I didn’t need.”
He cups my chin and tilts it towards him. My breath catches as galaxies reflect back at me. His eyes aren’t black, they are blazing like the stars got stuffed inside his magnificent orbs. I know without a doubt that our reality, even to the extent of Heaven and Hell, is but a tiny fraction of what lies out there. “I will be here with you every step of the way as you adjust to this new life. There are rules, limits, and expectations which bind you as a god. Humans aren’t held to the same standard. Well, not in their mortal life.”
“Speaking of mortals, we should return to the gang. We’ve been here for hours. They must be losing their shit right now.”
He smirks and then manipulates the universe to travel across space and time. We arrive back at Lucifer’s apartment, the guys planted in the same spots.
“You didn’t need to stay and wait for me,” I say, feeling guilty.
Duncan frowns and eyeballs my shirt, then my hair. Lucifer looks at my head, narrows his eyes, and grins. I pat the top of my head. “Better not be a spider,” I mutter.
“You’ve been gone for a few seconds,” Zee says, stepping towards me and picking up a strand of my hair. “How did you end up wearing his shirt and with just fucked hair?”
I run a hand over my hair, feeling the wild curls. “I’ve been gone for hours.”
“Time moves differently where I took you,” Archan explains.
Jed whistles low. “You took her there? How’d she take that?”
“Like a bitch in heat,” Zac mumbles.
I shoot him a glare. “Jealous, Zacy? I broke up your little bromance again?”
I wait for the barb. He folds his arms across his chest and sighs. “No, Natia, I couldn’t ask for a better woman for him than one who will give her own life to protect him.”
“High praise from Mr Grumpy Pants. Whatever next? Pigs flying?” I spin towards Archan. “Is there anywhere in the universe where pigs fly?”
A slow grin spreads across his lips. My eyes widen. “I want to go. The second I’m wearing Lawrence’s intestines around my neck and have ensured the monsters are tucked away nicely in Tartarus, I want to go where the pigs fly. Call it a vacation.”
“Honeymoon?” Jed teases. Right, the claiming mark. I shake my head. Something to address another day. Right now, we need to get down to business. Except not in the devil’s boudoir—it seems so cliché.
“Okay, we need a base to plan our next moves, somewhere you guys can update me on where you are.”
“Not the cave,” Duncan says, sliding his gaze to Zac.
“HQ, upper level boardroom,” Archan says.
