The Fallen and the Forgotten

Chapter 28

They gave hope to Lane, that she could have something with her own Mate, Nybbas. She was no longer an Angel, so she could no longer call him her Chosen.

“Zachriel risked his life to protect me, as well as our family. Uriel lost his, and I refuse to lose any more brothers. I’m not asking permission to save Zachriel, especially since no one has even tried to save him since he was taken. They all just assumed he was dead, even when I told them time and time again that I was dreaming about them being alive.” Rage filled Lane as she thought about her family’s sad smiles, and tear filled eyes as they would tell her it was just a dream. That her brothers were coming to visit her, letting her know they were okay.

Lane never told her family that she was seeing her two older brothers being tortured, she didn’t want to worry them. Only Rummy knew the truth behind her dreams, and he had agreed with her that her brothers were alive.

Rummy! How could she have forgotten?

“I understand that, but this isn’t something to be taken lightly?” Death words registered to Lane, but she was looking around the room, trying to spot her oldest friend. When she couldn’t see him, guilt and anguish made Lane hang her head, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

“I know just how dangerous this will be, I’ve been to the catacombs before. I wouldn’t do this unless I knew it was necessary, which in this case, it is.” Her voice was softer when she spoke; her fatigue was becoming more prominent.

Lane didn’t know what she had expected, but knowing that she had lost her best friend when she became a Demon, was practically unbearable. Too much had happened in such a short amount of time in her life that she just wanted to crawl into her own bed and sleep for years.

Lane felt a warm hand gently clasp her, and she looked up to see Nybbas watching her, his sapphire blue eyes were rimmed with silver, and full of worry. This demon, this man, was her Mate. He cared about her in a way that even her own brother couldn’t comprehend.

Lane knew that everyone made mistakes, and for Nybbas, growing up in Hell, having to kill others to survive wasn’t an easy thing. Not to mention he was constantly supervised by Lucifer himself, and the Demon of Lust was his father. She couldn’t blame Nybbas for doing the things that he’d done. Even her nightmares, as bad as they were, gave Lane hope that her brothers were still alive.

Nybbas had never let Lane actually be hurt, he tried to protect her in his own way, and Lane was grateful for that. She knew that Nybbas cared for her deeply, if not loved her. Did she feel the same way, though?

To that, Lane had no solid answer.

She cared about the Demon, he had saved her life more than once, and he had taken care of her when she was unable to fight the toxic blood that poisoned her system. But did she love him? Could she, after everything that had happened, everything that he had done to her?

Lane felt herself sway on her feet, and Nybbas wrapped his arms around her, helping her stand. She leaned against him, allowing him to support her full weight, enjoying the feeling of being pressed up against his warm body. She rested her head against his chest, listening to the rhythmic beating of his heart.

Lane felt Nybbas picked her up bridal style, and she looked up at his face. He looked down at her and smiled softly, “I’m taking you to bed, you’re exhausted and need sleep. This can wait until you’ve rested.” His deep, baritone voice cause shivers to travel up Lane’s spine and she could do nothing but nod as he carried her into her bedroom.

As they walked through the living room, Lane was appalled to see the disaster, and she felt her eyes widen as she took it all in. She remembered how it got this way, but she still hated to see her home look like this.

Her bedroom was, thankfully, still relatively normally. Her sheets were covered in blood and shredded, but other than that, her room looked the same as it had the last time she had seen it.

‘When I was still an Angel’ she thought sadly.

Nybbas gently placed her on the bed and lay beside her. Somehow, he had sensed that she didn’t want to be alone at the moment. Lane had never been more thankful.

She closed her eyes as Nybbas played with her hair softly, whispering sweet nothings to her. She was asleep almost instantly, and for the first time since she was a little girl, Lane had no nightmares.

Nybbas

He held the sleeping body of his Mate close to him, reveling in her sweet scent and soft breathing. She felt right in his arms, it was where she belonged.

Nybbas was using his powers to make sure that she slept peacefully, not allowing nightmares to interfere. He had lifted his mark from her body while she slept, a mark that had been placed in her mind so that whenever she slept, no matter how long, nightmares were all she had.

He had used it on numerous beings, to make sure they never have a full nights rest. They would always be plagued with nightmares, which meant they were easy targets for their enemies. Though it was an ingenious tool for him while in Hell, he now saw firsthand the consequences it had, and he felt nothing but guilt and self-hatred.

He knew that most people either went crazy or ended their own lives. He had taken a sadistic pleasure in knowing that he caused them to do that. Now, he hated it, despised what he had done.

“She doesn’t hate you, y’know?” The voice was soft, as if not the wake Lane.

Nybbas didn’t have to look up, he just kept his eyes trained on his Mate’s peaceful face. “She should. After everything I put her through… I hate myself.”

“She’s stronger than she looks, and she doesn’t have the ability to hate anyone. She cares too deeply, and has too much hope in the people that she meets to ever feel resentment and hatred toward them.” Remiel said from his place against the doorframe.

“I wish I could believe you.”

“She came back from Hell for you, and she took back control from her Demon. She survived Nybbas, and she’s here, in your arms.”

Remiel had a point, Lane had survived the changing as well as ten years in Hell, living under the control and attention of Lucifer. Whereas most would have given up, Lane had remained, and flourished from it.

She had made friend with Luke, as well as Wrath, and that’s only the two that Nybbas knew of. She had been protected by demons, and that was unheard of.

The tiny woman in his arms was stronger than any demon Nybbas had faced, and he was awed to be in her presence, and proud to call himself her Mate. He only wished that he was able to feel worthy of it.

“Fate wouldn’t have made you Mates if you weren’t meant to be, if you weren’t perfect for each other. You both have flaws and pasts, but what matters if what you make of the future.”

Nybbas nodded, “I’ll earn her love, even if that means travelling back to hell and back a million times. I will kill Lucifer if she asks me to, and take the crown from any kings head. I will protect her with my life.” Nybbas said, promising himself, as well as his Mate and her brother.

Nybbas would do anything and everything in his power to make her happy, starting with saving her brother from the deepest, darkest pits of Hell.

“In that case, we have much to do before that little spit-fire awakens. Hey, do you have any real food in this place?” Wrath said from the doorway, causing Nybbas to finally look up.

“I don’t know, why don’t you just order pizza or something?”

“What the hell is pizza?” Wrath growled, causing Nybbas to roll his eyes.

He gently kissed the top of Lane’s head, before crawling out of the bed. He walked out of the bedroom and shut the door, careful not to wake Lane up.

Though everything in him craved to crawl back into the bed with his Mate and just hold her, Nybbas knew he couldn’t. He had a house full of hungry Angels and Demons to feed.