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Slippery devil. Literally.
Nova continued, finally deigning a reason to dress. And it was about damn time, too, because it was difficult to carry on a conversation with a gorgeous naked man standing in all his glory after putting every experience I’d had with sex to shame. “Lucifer sought out every child born of your father. She killed anyone who would be a threat to her now or in the future. She destroyed families surviving with his blood, and that was when I realized how far gone with power she was; how little it mattered to her about maintaining the balance.”
“And that’s when you defected, I imagine?”
Nova carded fingers through his wet hair and nodded. “I refused to kill innocent victims of fate. It was only then when whispers of Creed’s escape from death reached our ears. In my pursuit of him, I learned about a possible half breed child he sired. That led me to Creed ahead of anyone else, and I put the rumors to rest before anyone went in pursuit of you. Unfortunately, it would take me years to find your true location.” Sitting on the bed, Nova motioned for me to take a seat beside him. “Being a half demon means your powers won’t manifest without the death of the demon who sired you. In this case, Creed.”
“So, you killed him.”
Nova lifted his chin, and his naked torso danced in the room light. “I did.”
“But if you’re powerful enough to kill the King of the Underworld, why do you need me?”
His intelligent green eyes dropped to the mark on his chest. “When I betrayed Lucifer and corrupted this mark, my powers were greatly diminished. I only managed to destroy your father because he was still weakened by my first assault. The sword you found on that wall, it was made with Creed in mind. It disabled his ability to regenerate his powers. Every powerful demon requires something different to truly destroy them, whether it is a certain kind of metal or combination of things. Like Superman and kryptonite.”
I can’t believe a demon just referenced Superman in his diabolical backstory monologue…
“You’re somewhat familiar with this practice because I’ve seen the powder the Shadow Stalkers developed that eternally binds low demons to their host bodies. This is a similar practice, but one that is unique to each demon you encounter. However, that’s something I will teach you how to figure out. Several methods can work on many demons. Creed, the Sworn Three, and Lucifer are stronger and require more to be destroyed.”
I figured the Sworn Three referred to the strong demons who served Lucifer, seeing how he mentioned that very number when talking about who’d come after me.
“I hope those are known things and not ones I have to figure out by trial and error. Not that I won’t enjoy the process, but I doubt I’d live to fight another day if I didn’t kill the assholes on the first try.”
“Be careful not to underestimate yourself.” Chuckling in his annoyingly handsome way, Nova offered me a sideways glance. “I’ve spent a long time preparing for this day, Lady. I have it all mapped out, but you are the final piece. Without you, I’m not powerful enough.”
“And that’s why you insist on dragging me here to make me more powerful?”
Tucking stray hair behind my ear, Nova’s smile disappeared. “I wished I didn’t require your assistance, but I do.”
I had so many questions, but I stuck with the ones that served my overall agenda. “I’m curious, does that mean the night you killed Creed was the entire reason I suddenly got my abilities?”
Nova sighed and nodded, confirming my suspicion. “If I hadn’t killed him, someone would have eventually. But I won’t lie, I took the utmost pleasure in it.” I didn’t need to ask why because Nova quickly added, “He raped your mother, Lady. And many, many others. Women were a means of pleasure to Creed, and he thrived off their fearful cries. He defiled every woman both in and out of Hell, and sometimes for weeks without letting them escape. Most human women he devoured, so they simply went missing. Your mother was lucky enough to escape, but she would later die giving birth to you.”
And then I’d eventually be thrown into the foster care system, where I’d be molested and abused by every man who’d come into my life thereafter. It was a cruel irony that not only was I the daughter of a demon, but one born out of rape.
What a fucking joke.
The twist in my stomach and familiar sensation of overpowering disgust nearly made it impossible to speak. Hands fisted, I clenched my jaw and swallowed the bile rising into my throat.
My initial reason for being there came rushing back to me; the reason I bashed in the heads of bad men and demons alike. The days I’d spent with Aidan nearly made me forget my vendetta forged in a terrible childhood. Now more than ever I needed to do this. For me and for my mom, who had the shitty luck of falling into the clutches of the literal Devil.
“Did you make sure that sick bastard suffered?”
Smirking, Nova took gentle hold of my hand. “Like I said, I wish to punish evil the same way you do. And yes, he suffered. I made bloody sure his death was excruciatingly slow.”
Good.
I might hate that I couldn’t be the one to destroy the evil bastard myself, but I took comfort in knowing someone at least made the asshole suffer. I still didn’t trust Nova, but the circumstance of my birth and abilities made me want to.
“So, I guess this is where I thank you for saving my life?”
Nova lifted a hand, his jaw clenching and unclenching for a second before he rose from his seat. “I played a role in this, so I’m merely trying to right the wrongs. They’ll come for you, and the only way to ensure Lucifer doesn’t succeed is our partnership.”
I tuned into the tingling power living inside my body, much more pronounced than it was before. “I lived every day ready to die. I’m not going to start worrying about that now.”
The fallen angel’s smile bewitched me the second it appeared. “You fear nothing, and that’s why I need you.”
Rubbing my face, I relented with a sigh. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
