I walk along the wet road towards the wreckage. A car crushed against a tree, the front of the vehicle not even recognizable as it tragically embraces the strong trunk of the tree. Skid marks from tires show me its path as I walk to the driver's side. A young woman's body crushed between the steering wheel and the driver's seat; they would need to use her driver's license to identify her. I place my scythe on her swollen forehead and watch her soul leave and float beside me before her soul shifts into her human appearance. She looks at me in confusion before her bottom lip pouts and starts to quiver. Instead of her, I hear a young baby cry out. Her eyes widen in panic, before looking to the car. 

"My baby!" she cries out, she then looks at me begging me with her eyes. "Please help her," Tears roll down her face as she falls to her knees, grabbing my robe in desperation. I sigh as I look at the car and walk towards the sound of crying. I look into the car and see a car seat protecting the infant. The infant screams in terror, and I open the door. The shrill of her cries seem louder, and I allow my body to materialize to the human world so that I may pick her up. The mother peers over my shoulder as she looks down lovingly at her child, though sad tears still rush down her cheeks. She tries to touch the crying infant's forehead, but her hand goes straight through, causing her to sob harder.

 I look at the crying mother for a moment; it was impossible to let a soul materialize to touch human bodies. No reaper had that power, yet something comes over me as I find myself touching the woman's forehead with two fingers, a slight glow goes through before I let my hand drop. I then hand her the baby, a surprised gasp goes through her as the infant coos in her arms. 

I look ahead and see a truck coming our way. I look back at the mother and see her already looking at me with a pained expression, but she nods her head in understanding while clutching the baby closer to her. She looks down at her infant once more, and I hear her whisper how she loves her so before rushing towards the truck, waving her hands frantically. The car pulls over an older man rushes out, making sure the woman is okay, she hands him the baby as he calls 911. The man quickly walks to the wreckage with the baby in arms, and with his back to her, I take the materialization away; she is no longer visible to the living. I watch the older man stop in shock as he spots the woman's mangled body in the car, he turns around frantically looking for her as he explains to the police where the wreck is.  

I turn back to the woman and extend my hand; her lip trembled as she struggles to hold herself together; nevertheless, with one last glance to her child, she takes my hand. Knowing she has no other choice. My wings break from my back, and I carry her to the gates of heaven. 

**

Somehow I find myself back on earth on the banks of a lake. The lilac purple that mixes with pink, pink cools to orange and orange burns to the golden sun. I materialize myself and close my eyes as I feel the breeze flow through my hair as the departing sun's rays kiss my skin goodbye. I open my eyes as she continues to slip beneath the lake, the moon not far from taking her place.

"Thana, are you okay?" I don't turn my head at Avalyn's voice as I stare at the fleeting sun as if I had never seen a sunset. 

How could I put into words the grief I was feeling, how could I explain that the devil awakened my aching soul? How do you tell someone that Lucifer made me crave the warmth of a sunset, even if I am only left with the cold from the night sky in the end? I had been scorned from love before, killed by it. Yet Lucifer made me want to forget about it all, and I could not understand why. I had gone more than a century without love, to the point of forgetting its definition. Love was only an illusions humans constructed, and yet here I was dressed in envy of the sunset.

"I want to feel it again," I whisper as a dark sky takes over where the warm colors once were.  I squeeze my eyes shut and look down as I start to miss the warmth from the sun as the cold emptiness of night sky takes its place. "I just want to feel it again."

"But you don't want to get hurt," Avalyn observes as I feel her step beside me. "Maybe you're not meant to have the sun, maybe you are meant to have the moon and stars," I look to Avalyn in confusion and notice her looking up at the dark sky covered in sparkling stars and a bright clear moon. 

I furrow my eyebrows at her observation that didn't make much sense. I purse my lips in thought before I can say she sighs. "Well duty calls, sorry I couldn't stay to talk longer," Avalyn states as she grabs my shoulder and squeezes lightly.  I don't say anything as I hear her wings carry her away. I stay a moment longer before leaving and flying home.

****

****

I stand before the house, grey shutters, a porch that wraps around. A flag raised high in the air. I watch as the werewolf sighs in anticipation; after six long months, it is good to be home from fighting a war. 

The sunset lights up the smile on his face as he walks quickly to the door, opening it quickly he races up the stairs, I calmly climb up behind him, knowing the events soon to follow. I see him get to the bedroom door and open it. I hear a female gasp in surprise, along with the string of apologies. Another man is desperately trying to calm the werewolf down, and then the growling and shredding of skin. A terrified scream followed by a gurgled cry. 

I sigh as I hear the weeping of the werewolf.

"Ah, you got to love what lust will do to people," My eyes widen in surprise at hearing her voice. 

I turn and immediately spot the pink eyed sin. Lust licks her lips and winks at me. 

"I heard you and boss man got into a fight." She giggles as she slithers closer to me, a hand touching my shoulder, making me slightly flinch, making her giggle again. "Don't worry; I'm not here to hurt you or anything, of course, unless you want me too," Lust offers with a seductive look. "I am really good with my tongue," I cringe as Lust flicks her tongue at me suggestively. 

"Not interested," I state coldly with a glare. 

"Oh, come on don't be so uptight, I'm one of the fun sins. In fact, I'm one of Lucifer's favorite," Lust states with a wink. "Greed and I are the ones that make the most mess, we are like gods on earth," Lust states as she excitedly hops up the stairs. "Greed and Wrath make up most of the wars; Pride makes sure they go on for so long. Gluttony keeps them hungry. Sloth makes them too lazy to change anything. Envy and I make sure to mess up all the holy matrimonies," Lust gleefully boasts as she then opens the door to show the bloody mess with the werewolf crying into his bloody hands.  Lust smirks, "And they make it so easy."

I harshly sigh as I make my way into the room, looking at the two mangled bodies. 

"What is the point of you telling me this," I ask tired of the bullshit. 

"Because I'm also Lucifer's favorite because I respect him, I do anything for him. He is my master, and you hurt him." My eyes widen at the threatening look on Lust's face as she stalks to me. "When Lucifer tricked that bitch into eating the fruit we were created, he created us. So our loyalties lie with him at the end of the day," Lust slowly explains as I watch her closely. "So hear me when I say this, you hurt Lucifer again, One if not all of the sins will have you for dinner." Lust states as she gets in my face. "Is that clear, your majesty?" She finishes with a huge smile plastered on her face as she mockingly curtsies. 

I don't say anything as she takes a step back. "Now, just to make sure you get my message," Lust starts as she then whistles. My eyes immediately widen as I hear loud, strangled growls. 

Hell hounds. 

I quickly collect the two souls and let my wings break from my back and take me away. I could take them, but I'd preferably not with two souls. I hear them gaining on me as I will my wings to carry me faster.

I arrive at hell and quickly let it suck them in before turning and bracing myself for the hounds. Seven hounds bound up and promptly start growling while snapping their jaws at me. Seven doesn't seem to bad, but most hell hounds had two or more heads, and they aren't like normal hounds, their saliva is venomous, thankfully not deadly for me, but it can paralyze me if my body is injected with too much of it. 

I take my scythe out and get ready. I twirl the scythe in my hand as I eye the hounds, waiting to see which will pounce first. Their pitch-black eyes watch me closely as they stalk towards me. 

Three quickly pounce on me, I cut one head off with the scythe and dodge the other attacks.  With a missing head, the hound tries to bite my feet, but I weave it and cut the other head off. The hound's limp body falls, I hear a growl as I turn, dodging just in time I kick the dog. 

"Ah," I cry out as I turn back around and hit the hound that has a hold on my leg. I quickly bring my scythe down, chopping both heads off. Two down, five more to go. I try to keep my weight off my throbbing right leg; I dodge to the left when another hellhound pounces at me. I cut his head off as another hound pounces and bites my shoulder. Another pain-filled cry leaves me as another one bites my arm. I shake my head as the venom starts to attack my body. I weakly knock one hound off of me as another one bites me again, making me stumble. I feel my body go limp as I fall backward off the entrance to hell. My eyes widen as I try unsuccessfully to move my arms as I free fall. 

Is this the end? 

Is this really how I die? Falling to my death is a very anti-climatic way to go considering my other deaths. 

Suddenly arms grab me, carrying me bridal style. Large dark wings carry us back up to the entrance of hell. Lucifer doesn't cast me a glance, his face set in stone. I lie limp against his chest as he carries me through the gates into the familiar hallway. He carries me into a room I've never been in before; it looks like a guest room. He lays me on the bed and doesn't say a word for a moment, making the air become thick around us. He then places his hand on my head; my eyes widen as his hand glows, and I can move my body. 

He takes a step back as he lets his hand drop; his dark red eyes keep his emotions hidden as his face remains cold. I slowly lift myself from the bed. 

"Do you know why I have respect for you, Thana?" Lucifer's low voice taunts the air. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion as I shake my head no. "Because you apologized to me when we first met. Your pride didn't lead you as it does with others." 

My eyes widen in surprise at his words, though I'm not sure where he was going with this. "But I don't like to be toyed with Thana," Lucifer's voice gets darker as he takes a threatening step towards me. 

Our eyes are locked as his intense gaze shakes me to the core. I can't even begin to speak. I realize he is waiting for an answer, "I wasn't toying with you, what I said was the truth, nothing has ever been easy for me. Being with you would be another bullet in my head or dagger in my heart. I don't want to go through that again," I state defensively. 

Lucifer strokes my cheek as he tilts his head, "I wouldn't let that happen," Lucifer whispers, and I shake my head as I sidestep away from him. 

"Two sins have already attacked me," I point out, and he smirks at my words.

"My sins will act out, but they would never kill you," I turn away from the devilish look in his eyes. My back tenses up as he steps behind me, grabbing my shoulders as he leans down to my ear, letting his lips brush against them. "Unless I command them to," I shiver at the darkness in his voice that oddly ignites my body. 

How did this man have this effect on me? 

******

Thoughts?

this chapter was hard to write, my computer kept messing up and I kept getting distracted and the baby likes to kick a lot when I'm sitting. I almost gave up on updating today but knew I needed to push through.

anyway don't forget to vote and comment!!