Chapter 2: It happened

Lucifer

                            I watch from my perch on top of a hill as Lana leans over a small refuge near two rock formations and places a vile beneath the stream before she labels it with a pen. I have to admit, the Canyon is stunning with its rust-colored limestone plateaus, blue skies and winding river. It reminds me a bit of hell, without the demons. For weeks, I’ve been watching Lana traverse through the Canyon and gather data. I make sure to cloak my presence because I don’t want her to get the wrong idea. I’m not a bloody stalker. I just want to make sure she’s safe.

              My eyes drink in her athletic form hungrily as she traverses through the water. I might not want to be mated to her, but I can’t deny that she’s extremely beautiful. Feeling heated, I longingly appraise how her tank top and cargo shorts cling to her firm breasts and arse. It is an amazing sight to behold. Swallowing deeply, I observe as tendrils of her blond hair escape her loose bun and her ivory skin glows like alabaster beneath the bright sunlight. Unaware of my appraisal, Lana wipes the back of her hand across her sweaty forehead and bends down to look at something in the water.

              For nearly an hour, I follow Lana as she navigates through the Canyon and photographs the landscape. I’m about to head home when I notice that the rock formation that Lana climbed earlier is about to erode and plunge her into the steep ravine below. Lana is too high up to not be badly wounded by such a harsh fall. Before I can think it through, I apparate to the rock and reach for her arm before she completely falls over.

              Lana grips my hand tightly, her eyes wide with shock as she swings above the ravine. “Lucifer?” she mutters incredulously.

              Smiling slyly, I lift her back onto the rock and hold her against my chest. Her hands unwittingly settle against my shoulders as she looks intently into my eyes.

              “Falling for me already, Luv?” I mutter, bemused.

              Lana’s brow quirks at my cocky tone. Is it naughty of me that I take a great deal of joy in vexing her?

              “What are you doing here?” she asks.

              Leading her further from the edge, I loosen my grip on her waist and shrug. “I was just stopping by. Aren’t you going to thank me for saving you?”

              Lana takes a step back, gathers her discarded equipment and shows me a rope that tethers her repelling hook to the other side of the rock. “Thanks, but I was fine,” she mumbles dryly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to work.”

              Before I can retort, she winds her way back down the Canyon and stops at the edge of the river. I follow behind her and stop when she turns to face me. “Why are you following me?” she asks.

              Leaning back on a flat rock near the river, I stretch my legs in front of me and shrug. “I’m just curious about what you are doing.”

              Lana pinches her bottom lip between her teeth and looks down at her collected work. “If you must know. I’m testing the level of pollutants in the water and taking pictures of the landscapes. Now, I’m very busy, so if you could please go away,” she waves her hands in a dismissive sweep and turns her back to me, which irks me further.

              Jumping up from my perch, I stop behind her and whisper in her ear. “I’m wounded by your coldness. A man might think that you don’t enjoy his company, luv. And you and I both know that is not the case. Or do I need to remind you with another kiss?”

              With every word out of my lips, her breathing quickens and her body trembles. Lana unintentionally leans closer, her sweet body making heat scorch across mine as I settle my palms against her narrow waist. Closing my eyes, I inhale the sweet scent of her silken tresses and stifle a moan as her heat kindles my desire. “Did you forget our kiss already?” I nip her earlobe as I pull her hips close to mine, “Answer me.”

              Shuddering with pleasure, Lana turns and faces me. “I…I haven’t forgotten.” She clears her throat and steps out of my embrace. “What…what do you want, Lucifer?”

              “What do you mean?” I ask.

              She narrows her eyes. “I mean, it’s been a while since I last saw you. Is there a reason you’re here? Other than to annoy me, of course.”

              I shake my head and nudge her back to the edge of the water. “Quit being such an arse and show me what you’re doing.”

              Lana takes a long-suffering breath and rolls her eyes before she explains her research. To my surprise, I find myself interested and even ask questions that seem to impress her. Nearly an hour passes before she finishes gathering what she needs and makes her way back to her camp. “You know a lot about science,” she mumbles.

              My lip quirks. “I guess it helps that I’ve been around almost as long as humans have existed.”

              Her step falters at my words. Amused, I steady her and say, “It pleases me greatly to know that you seem to forget who and what I am.”

              Her head snaps in my direction. “I don’t know how that is even possible. I mean, you’re the king of hell. It’s not like you’re a normal man.”

              Feeling offended by her tone, I grip her elbow and pull her body to mine. “No, I’m most certainly far more than any normal man.”

              She scoffs. “You certainly don’t lack humility.”

              My lip quirks. “It’s difficult to be humble when I have the power to make anything happen.”

              Lana rolls her eyes and answers cattily. “Actions have consequences, Lucifer?”

              Her familiar words ring through my head like a sieve in the chest. I remember The Creator making a similar statement the day that I chose to fall. Even after thousands of years, the comment still fills me with contempt. “Consequences are for those who believe they’ve done wrong,” I answer. “…and power can take many forms. Humans like to tell themselves that power is evil, yet they wield the little bit they gain like a whip.”

              Lana’s expression sours. “That’s not true of everyone. I would never wield power to hurt someone.”

              My brow quirks. “Oh, wouldn’t you, luv? Tell me, Lana, what would you do for your sister? Would you stand by and let her die if you had the power of life, or would you save her knowing there might be consequences for your actions?”

              “I’d save her, of course,” she answers swiftly.

              I give her a knowing smile. “Believe it or not, that’s an abuse of power. Your love for your sister might cause the death of an innocent. As you said, actions have consequences.”

              Her expression falls as she considers my point of view. “I…I guess you’re right,” she begrudgingly replies. “I never thought of it like that.”

              I shrug. “You see, not everything is black and white, luv. What you consider unconditional love, someone else might consider selfishness.”

              Lana looks down at her hands as if she can find a satisfying retort. “But people can change, can’t they? They can choose to make the right choice and right their wrongs.”

              I shake my head at her naivete. She truly wants to believe that if given immense power, people will do good with it. I can’t fault her for her ideals when once upon a time, I was an angel who envied humanity’s gift of free will.“I guess that is what free will is for. Not everything is world-ending, Lana. Power can also save lives or even help you make a marvelous cup of tea. Tell me, Lana; If you can have anything in the world, what would you ask for?”

              Lana gives me a helpless shrug. “I guess if I could ask for something right now, I’d ask for…a bath.”

              I chuckle at her simple request. “That’s all you want? A bath?”

              Lana nods. “If you saw the makeshift showers we use, you’d understand why taking a hot bath in an actual bathtub is as close to heaven as I’d get at the moment.”

              I laugh at her turn of phrase. If she only knew how close to heaven she really is. It still amazes me to know that she’s unaware of her angelic alter ego. Even knowing how she came to be in a human shell makes me wonder how it was possible.

              Sometimes I wonder if she’s faking her ignorance. But her human reaction to certain things disabuses me of my notions. What I will never understand is why The Creator never told me of her existence. Would I have given up hell if I had known that I had a soul mate? I shake my head at my wayward thoughts. It’s too late to question my choices. And it’s too late to go back and change what could have been. The only option for me now is to move forward. There’s no reason for me to think otherwise. At least, that’s what I think when I’m not looking into her enigmatic eyes.