Cassandra

I wake slowly, my mind struggling to surface from the depths of unconsciousness. Everything feels sluggish, like I'm moving through a vat of jelly. The first thing I'm aware of is the softness beneath me, the warmth of a blanket draped over my body. The second is the dull, throbbing ache in my arm.

My vision is still blurry and unfocused. A shape moves around the room, indistinct and shadowy. I try to sit up, to orient myself, but a gentle hand on my shoulder presses me back down.

"Easy." It's Luce's voice, low and soothing. "Don't move just yet."

"Luce?" My throat is dry and scratchy. I swallow with some difficulty.

"I'm here." His face comes into focus above me, his dark eyes filled with concern. "You're safe. You're in my room."

His room? How did I get here? The last thing I remember, we were by the lifts...the searing pain in my arm...

I try to lift my head, to see the wound, but the world spins sickeningly and I fall back against the pillows with a groan. "What happened?"

"There is poison in your wound." The muscle in his jaw ticks as he grows silent for a moment before he continues, "Some kind of demonic toxin in your bloodstream. It's what made you faint."

Poisoned? A sliver of fear travels down my spine, cold and clammy. "What...what does that mean?"

"You'll be fine. I can get rid of it." His voice has gone soft, almost tender.

Gently, he helps me sit up and assists me in getting my jumper off. The red-soaked fabric of the sleeve clings wetly to my arm before we pull it down. Left in nothing but my thin vest, I shiver as the air hits my skin. Luce fluffs up the pillows behind me and leans me back so I can sit against them.

Blinking, my vision clears as I take in my surroundings. I've never been in Luce's bedroom before. Even in my disoriented state, I can feel his presence here. Can sense him in every carefully chosen detail, every luxurious texture.

The room is nearly the size of my entire flat, with walls of a deep, rich blue, like the midnight sky just before dawn. Intricately carved furniture of dark wood gleam in the soft light from the bedside lamps. I'm on a massive, king-sized bed... His bed.

On the walls, there's bold abstract artwork and shelves of books with an eclectic mix of ancient tomes and modern classics. It's a room that speaks of power, of elegance. But also of comfort. A sanctuary from the world outside. I can imagine him here, shedding the weight of the world, the burden of his duty. He'd be sleeping right here, in this bed... Does he sleep naked?

I hiss through my teeth as pain shoots up my arm, interrupting my straying thoughts. Luce probes the edges of the wound, watching as crimson wells up from the deep furrow left by the Hellbound's claw. Making a soothing noise, he creases his brow in concentration as he puts his hand over the gash.

Warmth blooms beneath my skin. A gentle tingle that spreads up my arm and through my whole body. The pain recedes like a tide going out, replaced by a languid, golden glow. I can feel it working, feel the poison evaporate, the wound knitting itself together.

It's different from our previous times touching. This is deeper, more intimate. Profound. A connection that transcends the physical. It's as if he's pouring a piece of himself into me, and I feel warm and safe, like sinking into a hot bath after a long day. Is this how he feels when he skims from me? This sense of...contentment.

"There, I think that should do it."

I feel bereft when Luce takes his hand away, pulled back to reality far too quickly, not unlike jerking awake from a dream. Sitting up straighter, I look down at my arm. The wound has vanished as if it never was, not even a faint scar left behind to mark its passing.

"That's amazing." I trace the unmarked skin where the gash was only a moment ago.

"Cass, please don't scare me like that again."

The quiet words draw my gaze back to Luce, and for a moment I think I misheard. That he didn't speak at all. Then he leans forward and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, the whisper of his knuckles against my cheek sending tingles across my skin. His eyes meet mine. My throat is dry and I struggle to swallow.

When my tongue darts out to wet my lips, he watches the movement, and something ignites in his eyes. Deep and dangerous, the same dark desire that's already burning in me.

"Cass..." My name leaves his lips on a sigh, and when he touches me again, tracing a line across my collarbones, the sensation is different to before. Heat kindles low in my belly as each brush of his fingers ignites sparks across my sensitive skin.

Bending his head and dragging his mouth along the line of my neck, he groans, his hands gripping my hips. He's forever holding back. Keeping part of him locked away from me, and I hate it. I need him to succumb the same way I do. Give in to this thing between us...whatever it is.

Teeth graze my racing pulse before his lips close over it, sucking lightly. I moan, my hands tangling in his dark hair, and I revel in its silky softness against my fingers. The pleasant hum of Luce's touch vibrates through me, and I'm all too willing to surrender to its sweet allure.

But as I close my eyes, the endless scroll of women's faces from his dating app encroaches on my mind. With a bitter taste on my tongue, my hands fall from his hair. Noticing my lack of enthusiasm, he pulls back, his gaze searching my face.

"What's wrong? Do you want to go see your sisters?"

"No, it's not that. Well, I mean...I do. But that wasn't the reason for this." I let out a frustrated huff. "I just...I keep thinking about all those women."

"I see." There's a line between his brows as he ponders my statement for a moment. "I know it looks bad. But they meant nothing to me."

"That's the problem, Luce." I take his hand and grip it a little tighter than is probably necessary. The low hum of pleasure ignites instantly, as always. "They meant nothing to you. Apparently, you barely remember any of them. Not once did you look back after you left them to see if they were all right. If you had, maybe some of them would not have been attacked. Instead, you continued on to your next conquest. Your next meal."

A look of distaste crinkles his nose like he's smelled something rank. "Please don't talk about it like that. I don't eat anyone."

"At least not that way," I mutter and I take a moment to realise I've said it out loud.

His eyes widen as he stares at me, then his mouth curls into a smirk and he leans closer, his hot breath fanning my ear.

"What's the matter, Cass?" he purrs. "Do you want me to eat you?"

Heat rushes straight to my core, and goosebumps travel across my skin. With an angry huff, I push him away and leap off the bed.

"For fuck's sake, Luce!" I snap. "I'm trying to have a conversation with you here. Can you be serious?"

Something changes in his expression and as he gets to his feet before me, I almost regret pushing him. There's an intensity in him that wasn't there a second ago.

"You want me to be serious?" He steps closer, forcing me to tilt my head to meet his gaze. "Earlier when you fainted, it was the most scared I've been for ages. And it fucking terrifies me. You're mortal. Vulnerable."

"Well, I'm sorry we can't all be fucking self-healing immortals." The sarcasm drips from my words like acid.

"No, Cass..." He shakes his head, his lips set in a grim line. "You're missing the point."

Reaching out, he cups my face. My anger still simmers below the surface, but curiosity tempers it. When his thumb brushes across my mouth, my lips buzz from the touch, and I exhale softly.

Luce's expression softens as he stares down at me. "What I'm trying to say... You're different, Cass. Whatever this thing is between us...it's unlike anything I've experienced before. And the thought of losing you today was... I don't even want to think about it."

"What are you trying to say?" The question comes out a lot more breathless than I had intended, but apparently, I've forgotten how to breathe.

"I don't know." His grip on my cheek tightens fractionally. "All I know is I can't lose you."

My heart is beating wildly, trying to escape my chest. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here."

He makes a low sound at the back of his throat, then curses softly and backs away.

"Will you never give in?" I ask, emboldened by his confession.

"Trust me, if I thought it was safe, you'd be back in that bed. Naked and gasping." The look he gives me sends a hot surge of anticipation through me, warmth pooling between my thighs. He leans a little closer. "I meant it earlier, Cass. I would love to eat you out."

"I..." No words materialise, as I can't help but imagine his dark head between my legs.

His lips tease the shell of my ear. "I bet you'd taste divine."

I might faint. He needs to stop teasing me. Deciding to move our conversation on to a safe subject, I take a step back. "Let's go check on Meg and Aura. The attack might have scared them."

We go back out to the lifts, but before we can call one, Zeph arrives from the stairwell, his face uncharacteristically grim. "We have a problem."

"Another attack?" The very thought makes my stomach churn.

"No, nothing like that." Zeph shifts his weight, as if bracing for a blow. "It's...well, it's Meg."

Ice floods my veins. "What do you mean? Where is she?"

He swallows hard. "She's missing. Dare went to check on the girls after the intruders were dealt with and...she wasn't there. Ben and Aura said she went to get her laptop and never came back."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

Luce's hand finds the small of my back, steadying me. "We'll find her," he promises, but I can hear the tension beneath his comforting tone. "She can't have gone far."

But even as he says it, I feel a sinking certainty in the pit of my stomach. A cold, creeping dread that whispers about how this is only the beginning. The Hellbound attack was a distraction. A feint to draw our attention while they stole what they truly came for.

My sister.

How could I have let this happen?

I push the button for the lift, needing to go to the lower levels as soon as possible. When it doesn't immediately arrive, I press it again and again. I'm supposed to protect her. Keep her safe. And now...

Tears burn at the backs of my eyes, but I blink them away furiously. I can't fall apart now. Meg needs me. Needs all of us.

"Cass," Luce says next to me, his voice soft. "Maybe she's just wandered off. She could be absolutely safe sitting somewhere with her phone playing a game."

Even as I nod, I just know that's not true. Meg might struggle with impulse control, but she wouldn't be stupid enough to go exploring while we're being attacked.

The descent in the lift seems to take an eternity, each passing second a twist of the knife in my chest. When the doors finally open, I burst out into the corridor, ready to tear the place apart brick by brick...

But Luce is there, his hand on my arm, his voice low and urgent. "Cass, wait. We need to be smart about this. Let's get everyone together."

I want to scream, to rage at him for his calm, his composure. But I know he's right. That panic will only cloud my judgement. So I follow him to the command centre, where the others are already gathered. Aura hurries up to me when we arrive, her face pale and her eyes wide with fear.

"Cass...what if they took her? What if the Hellbound..."

"Don't." My voice is sharp and brittle. "Don't say it. Don't even think it. We'll find her. We have to."

Dare comes up to us, still wearing his torn shirt. "Tell us what to do."

"The security cameras," Luce says. "Start there. See if you can spot her and track her movements. I'll coordinate the search from here. We'll fan out and search through the whole building."

Dare nods, already moving. "On it. Cass, with me."

I follow him down a twisting maze of corridors, my mind a whirl of fear and desperate hope. Maybe she did just go exploring after all. Maybe I'm worried about nothing. Dare leads me to a room I've never seen before, a wall of monitors bathing the space in an eerie blue glow.

"Here." He points to a bank of screens, each one showing a different part of the building. "Start looking. Anything out of place, any sign of Meg or the Hellbound."

Frantically, I scan the feeds for a glimpse of my sister. The offices are dark and silent, except for the floor where the attack happened, where a few security guards are still sweeping the rooms. The archives are empty and still. Restaurant—nothing. The armoury, the training rooms...

There. A flicker of movement. Meg is sprinting down a dimly lit corridor, her face a mask of terror. And behind her, gaining fast...a Hellbound, its eyes black and its mouth set in a horrific grin.

I stab a finger at the screen, my heart in my throat. "There! Where is that? How do we get there?"

But Dare isn't looking at Meg. His eyes are fixed on another monitor, one tucked away in the far corner of the room. "Fuck," he breathes. "The dungeons. How the hell did they get into the dungeons?"

"Dungeons?" I whirl on him, my blood running cold. "What dungeons?"

He shakes his head, his face grim. "No time. We have to go. Stay close and do exactly as I say."

Nodding, I make to follow, but something on the screen halts my steps. Meg rounds a corner, switching to another screen...and collides with a tall, gaunt figure. A man, I think, but there is something off about him, something that makes my skin crawl.

"Dare?" There's a quiver in my voice. "Who is that?"

The man on the screen moves like a predator, all coiled grace and lethal intent. When he slams into the Hellbound pursuing Meg, it's with a force that shakes the very walls.

There's a blur of movement as they fight. The Hellbound is strong, fast...but the stranger is faster. They grapple, there's a twist...and it's over. The Hellbound falls, its head lolling at an unnatural angle.

Meg scrambles back, her eyes wide and her chest heaving. She says something, her lips moving soundlessly on the grainy feed. I can't tell if the man answers her. His back is turned to the camera, but his head is cocked as he watches her.

He lifts a pale hand and beckons her over with his finger. I touch the screen with my hand as if I could physically stop her from moving.

"No, Meg!" I don't realise I'm shouting until I hear the words echo in the small room. "Run! Get out of there!"

But she can't hear me. Can't see the danger, the darkness exuded by this man. To my horror, she takes the steps separating them and tilts her head back, exposing the tender column of her throat. An offering.

A surrender.

"No," I whisper, my fist clenching helplessly as the stranger leans in, his mouth brushing her neck.

This can't be happening. It can't be real. But the evidence is right there, stark and undeniable. My sister, in the arms of a monster.

"Let's go," Dare's urgent voice breaks me out of my frozen state. "Come on."

I tear my eyes away from the screen, ready to follow him, when a flicker of movement catches my eyes.

The stranger lifts his head from Meg's throat. His eyes lock onto the camera. Onto me.

He can't possibly see me, and yet it's like a physical blow, the intensity of that stare. It pierces me, strips me bare, leaves me raw and reeling. There's hunger in those eyes, a fathomless, aching need...but there is something else, too. Something dark and dangerous.

That's when it hits me. I stumble back, my breath coming in shallow gasps.

He reminds me of Lucifer.

That hunger. The quiet desperation in his movements. It's exactly the way Luce was when I found him in his office low on power.

"Who is he?" I demand in a strained whisper. "Dare, who the fuck is that?"