The Devil's Mark (Book 1)

Chapter Twenty Four: Skinny Dipping

Jason

Times were changing I could sense it, feel it, all on account of the ring that was now sealed around my finger. The diamonds sparkled in the sun cascading colors of pure light along the walls of the castle as Lucifer continued to show me around the place. He was acting like a kid in a candy store, eagerly showing me all the different rooms and what they would be used for on a daily basis. The castle had a pool, a ballroom, a grand staircase, a dining room, a modern-sized kitchen and an underwater master bedroom.

"So what do you think?" He asked, smiling.

"I love it. But you really didn't have to go through all this trouble."

"I know. But I wanted to do it. I made you promise that I would give you the world and I intend to keep it. This castle is just the beginning."

Eight hours later as the sky turned black and the stars came out while the moon shimmered on the ocean. Lucifer was hard at work in the kitchen making us dinner while I sat on the edge of the counter, sipping my drink.

"Smells good," I said. "What is it?"

"Lasagna Bolognese. You'll love it. I also took the liberty of adding my own personal touch."

"Can't wait. Hey, listen, do you mind if I take a swim right after dinner?"

"Not at all," he smirked. "Only if I get to join you."

"Hmm. I don't know how I feel about that smirk, mister."

"Oh, please, you love this smirk."

I laughed. "That maybe true. But I also know what it means."

Dinner was finished shortly after that as Lucifer put the dirty dishes in the sink and went to the mini bar to grab his favorite drink of the evening. I went to our bedroom and began to strip, when the realization that I didn't have a swim suit struck me in the back of the head like a rubber band to the arm. Oh, boy, this is awkward. Lucifer came up behind me with his arm around my waist as he watched a family of sharks swim by in formation.

"What's wrong?"

"I just realized that I can't go swimming. I don't have a swim suit."

"Nonsense. Just swim naked."

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks as I turned red and slipped from his grasp before walking into the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and stripped out of my clothes while grabbing a freshly laid towel from the nearby stack next to the shower. But when I returned to the bedroom Lucifer was gone. A massive bed, bigger than I have ever seen, sat with an antique gold and ivory headboard up against the wall as it faced the ocean. The sheets were red and made of silk, draping down onto the floor like a pool of blood. I sat down for just a moment only to bounce up and down as I grabbed the bedpost to steady myself. What is this? A waterbed?

I quickly hopped off the bed and I left the bedroom, trying to memorize the layout of the castle so I could find my way around without getting lost. There was no map of telling me where I was. No one to help me find my way around in this maze of tunnels and dead-ends. When finally after an eternity I smelled the scent of chlorine as it lead me down a long corridor that exited out into the pool room. The ceiling was hand painted, depicting a scene of a fight between two armies, heaven and hell. While another painting depicted an angel falling from heaven and being cast down into hell. Lucifer.

The paintings were designed in a way that if you were to stare at them long enough, they would almost come to life on their own. But no matter eerie it was, they still looked beautiful at the same time no matter how you looked at it. Suddenly, what sounded like someone gasping for air as they came up out of the water, Lucifer swam to the edge of the pool.

"Took you long enough," he said, wiping his face. "I was afraid you might have gotten lost."

"I did get lost. But I found my way here, eventually. How's the water?"

"Lovely and it's warm. Come join me."

The towel slipped from my waist as I sat down near the edge of the pool and got my feet wet. Lucifer pushed off from the side as he swam towards the center and laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

"These paintings," I said. "They look almost..."

"Real? It's because they are. They tell the story of my fall and how I came to be what I am now."

"Would you tell me the story?"

Lucifer was silent for a moment, his body making tiny ripples in the water. "If that is your wish."

"It is. I want to know more about you."

"Fine. But I'll tell you later. For now, let's swim."

I slipped off the edge and fell into the water as I swam freely beneath the surface. The water felt nice and warm just like he said it would. Suddenly, a hand grabbed my ankle as I twisted around and tried to see through the chlorine as Lucifer pulled me into him and kissed me on the lips. We came up to the surface with our lips still locked together in heated frenzy.

"I can't wait to marry you," he said, after a moment.

"Why? Because I'll be yours forever?"

"Most definitely."

"But how would that work? I mean, you're immortal and I'm human. Sure I have the ability to come back from the dead again and again, but that's about it. I'll be in seventies in 50 years while you're still going to be smoking hot."

"I know," he said quietly. "But there is a way around that. It just involves a long and grueling, painful process."

"Couldn't be more painful than coming back to life."

"Trust me it is. In order for you to be immortal like me. You would have to die permanently and be reborn again."

"So what does that mean?"

"It means that I would have to kill you, rip out your heart, drain your blood and bring you back to life with my own blood."

I felt sick to my stomach all of a sudden. "What would I become?"

"A devil, like me. You'll have all of my powers including my strength and none of my weaknesses. Virtually, you would be indestructible. No one could touch you. Not even me."

I smiled at the thought. "Cool."

Lucifer shook his head. "'Cool' isn't the word I'd use for this type of discussion. This is a very serious matter we're talking about here."

"Sorry."

We left the pool together, without saying a word as we grabbed our towels and headed back to our room. Lucifer remained silent as he went to the bathroom and hopped in the shower, while I sat on the couch that overlooked the ocean floor. His words hit me then like a smack across the face as I brought my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them for added comfort. A school of fish quickly swam away as if something or someone had frightened them as the image of Lucifer appeared on the glass behind me wearing a towel.

His hand touched my shoulder as I felt the heat radiating off his skin. "I'm sorry if I scared you about becoming like me."

"No, no. It's just that...You gave me a lot to think about, that's all."

"I don't know what else I can do to help make it feel any less scary."

I shook my head as I patted the empty spot next to me. "We can talk about that later. Right now, I want to hear more about you. You promised me that you were going to tell me the story of how you became the devil after your fall from heaven."

"Very well. It all started shortly after the earth had been created..."

Author's Note: Hey guys. I know, I know. Another midnight reading, but oh well! Hehe. Here it is. I can't wait to hear of Lucifer's backstory. :) Love you all. Goodnight.  And remember to vote, comment and follow for more future updates. Xoxoxo