Steel

Chapter 25

"Or is it Azrael, the Fallen who found redemption in the form of a soulmate? Ah yes, I know. I know your soul is tied to his. I know what you did in the Hellfire. Very clever, by the way. I underestimated you," he complimented, but it only made my blood curdle. "You don't truly think you both will make it out alive, do you?"

"Like I said, the future is variable," I snapped back. Lucifer sighed, as if in pity.

"My dear, everyone you hold dear will die unless you join me. That is the future," he said gently, pulling his hands out of his pockets and turning his palms towards the sky. I watched in horror as the landscape around me changed. Suddenly the buildings were charred, half demolished, the street covered in abandoned cars and bloodied bodies.

I wanted to hurl.

"Look closer," Lucifer urged gently. I didn't even think twice before my vision focused on one particular body. One that I knew all too well.

His cerulean eyes were cast towards the sky, clouded over like the Washington sky about to rain. His jaw was slack, lips slightly open as if about to whisper something. He was covered in blood. One of his wings had been torn off, and one of his legs sat at an unnatural angle.

I didn't feel myself fall until my knees hit the ground.

Beside him lay a brunette, eyes closed and lips set into a frown. She was encircled in his arms, both of her wings sliced off, leaving only bloody stumps in their absence. Her neck was bent at an unnatural angle, like it had been snapped.

It was me. Dead, in Grey's arms.

I could've sworn my heart had stopped beating, that the air in my lungs had frozen solid. The only feeling I had in that moment was the sharp gravel of the street pavement digging into my bare knees.

"Get out of my head," I croaked, my breath barely escaping my trembling lips.

"Join me, and I'll spare you and those you love," was Lucifer's only reply.

The ground beneath me began to shake, buildings creaking at the sudden insult. I slowly pulled myself off my knees and turned to face him. I didn't dare let my soul escape my chains- if he knew my power, he would want me dead even more than he did now.

I knew very well that his offer was a lie. I would not be spared, and neither would those I cared about. He wanted to gain my trust and betray me.

"Get out of my head," my voice boomed down the street, sending shockwaves through the earth and cracking the street pavement. Lucifer's eyes narrowed at me, as if he weren't sure what was going on. I knew my soul was contained- I wasn't glowing yet. The earth continued to rumble, and then it exploded in a bright flash of white light, yanking me backwards.

Air flooded my lungs as I sat upright in bed, my heart racing and forehead beaded with cool sweat. Tears stained my cheeks, my lips still trembling. I felt the mattress shift as Grey slowly sat upwards next to me, his hand running along my spine.

"What happened?" He murmured gently in a raspy morning voice. I didn't dare look at him. The image of his dead face flashed in my head, ringing in my ears like a fire alarm.

"Bad dream," I whispered out, my voice breaking. I felt his other arm snake around my waist and pull me against his chest. His forehead rested against the side of my head, his thumb rubbing circles onto my shoulder.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked gently.

"Lucifer. He was in my head," I breathed out. There was a pause, as if Grey's breath had caught in his throat.

"What happened?" I felt his jaw tighten. The thumb rubbing circles on my shoulder stopped.

"He asked me to join him, that he would spare my life and the life of those I loved if I did," I explained hoarsely.

"What else?" He grumbled our, grip tightening on my waist.

"He showed me the future if I refused," I whispered, a lone tear racing down my cheek.

"No future is certain. It's variable, is always changing," Grey responded sternly.

"He showed me us. Dead," I replied, turning to meet his eyes. They flicked back and forth between mine, before fluttering shut as he leaned up and pressed his lips to my forehead.

"That's not certain, Greene. You know that," he murmured, brushing my hair behind my ear.

"But it's definitely a possibility," I tightened my jaw, shutting my eyes to try to stop the bitter tears that threatened to pour out.

"You can't think like that. You know that we will both do whatever it takes to protect the other. We need to think that that's enough," he grumbled back.

"But what if it's not? What if I can't-," my voice broke as tears began to cascade down my cheeks. Grey hushed me and ran his thumbs across my cheeks, wiping them dry.

"We can do this. And if this is the end, then this is the end. No amount of time with you will ever be enough, but I'm eternally grateful for what I've been given. If what I've been given is all I get, then that is enough," he whispered gently. "And if there is anything after this afterlife, I will find you. I will make more time for us."

"What if there's nothing after this?" I breathed, my watery gaze meeting his. Those glacial eyes remained steady and cool as they gazed back at me.

"Then I will pass into oblivion happily because I was blessed to love you for as long as I have," he replied softly, running his thumb across my cheek and gingerly pressing his lips to mine. "Now, love, its 2:30 in the morning, and we both need sleep."

I nodded, sniffling and laying back down beside him. He pulled the comforter up over us and wrapped an arm around my waist to hold me against him.

"If Lucifer tries to get in your head again, let me know and we'll go watch a movie until I can get a hold of somebody to block him out," he grumbled in my ear, hot breath fanning my neck. I silently nodded and snuggled in closer to him, praying that whatever future Lucifer showed me remained a dream that I could wake up from.