Of Light And Shadows

“That’s enough, Jezebeth.” The red haired woman was stood under a moon gate made of marble, sequestered in a museum basement away from the general public. She was whispering under her breath, speaking poisoned incantations to the gate. Jia could see the pure white magic inside it becoming sickly grey, darkening almost to black as Jezebeth’s hold on it solidified.

“I told you to stop.” This time was different to her last encounter with ley line travel. Jia found she was able to communicate, her soul manifesting in its true form right in front of Jezebeth’s face.

Those green eyes flew open and a startled snarl ripped from her red lips. Jia smiled and waved at her, taking several steps towards her. Jezebeth shrank back but didn’t let go of the gate.

“How are you here? What are you?” she demanded, her voice bursting out of her in a shocked hiss.

“I’m here to stop you. Let go of the gate.”

“I don’t think so.”

“This is your final warning, Jezebeth. Let go of the gate or I will make you. You remember what happened last time right?”

“That was you?” The demon woman gritted her teeth in frustration and removed one hand from the gate, snapping her palm to send a wave of shadow at Jia.

It struck her and passed right through, hurting her but not throwing her back like she expected it to. She gasped at the sensation before returning the gesture, feeling the ley lines swell behind her and fill her with energy.

Instead of shadows, light burst from her palm and slammed into Jezebeth like a freight train, throwing her off her feet and out of the gate where she landed in a crumpled heap on the ground. The gate itself returned to normal, it’s steady thrum resuming as though it were never harmed.

“Tell me why you’re corrupting the gates,” Jia demanded, stalking over to Jezebeth’s battered form and crouching down.

“Never,” the demon hissed. Jia moved to grab her but it was too late, and the demon was swallowed by a shadow portal that closed behind her an instant later. She cursed loudly before returning to the gate, checking once more that it was functioning normally.

When she was satisfied, she allowed herself to be pulled back along the ley lines until her soul returned to her physical body abruptly enough to leave her dizzy.

“Jia! I told you to wait!” Lucifer scolded when she staggered, catching her in his strong arms before she could fall.

“Sorry,” she replied with a wan smile. “I couldn’t wait. Jezebeth was corrupting one of the gates.”

“What happened to her?”

“She got away again. She took a shadow portal somewhere before I could grab her.” Jia pushed away from him gently so she could stand, pleased when her knees didn’t buckle. “I saw God again.”

“You what?” Lanthia gasped.

“I saw God. They asked me to protect all of the gates. They called me Nephilim.” Lucifer’s dark brows crept upwards as he studied her.

“And you’re doing that now, then? Monitoring all of the gates at once?” She nodded. “Is that why your true form is exposed?”

“I think so.” She pulled her wings in, feeling her chest get full and her connection to the gates dampen drastically. “Huh. I can’t monitor them and maintain my human skin at the same time.”

“If God has asked you to do this then you must,” Lanthia warned. Jia nodded and let her wings out again.

“Looks like you’ll be stuck with your wings for a while then,” Lucifer mused. “I’m just glad you’re safe.” He pulled her into a hug, resting his chin on the top of her head for a moment before pulling back to kiss her softly.

“I think I need to eat something and rest a bit,” Jia admitted. “I’m not about to faint but I do feel sick.” Lucifer raised his hand to call a portal and she shook her head. “I think shadow walking might actually make me throw up.”

“Alright. Lanthia, would you prefer to return home now or later?” Lucifer asked.

“Now, if you will. I have much to discuss with my sisters.” The demon prince nodded respectfully and called up a portal to the human realm, leaving it open until he was sure Lanthia was safely through.

“Let’s get you upstairs to eat something,” he murmured softly, kissing Jia again with more gusto now they were alone. He didn’t pull back until her heart was pounding and her mate bond shone brighter than every other golden rune on her skin.

“I thought you were trying to avoid making me dizzier,” she chided.

“I couldn’t help myself. Your true form is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.” His fingers traced a tingling line across her cheek and down her jaw. “I love you, Jia.”

“I love you too,” she answered gently, stretching up to kiss his cheek lightly. “Now I really need to eat something before I actually faint.”

A quiet meal with Lucifer became an impossibility as soon as the rest of the Academy members saw Jia. Their eyes widened in unison at her new wings, glowing hair and iridescent runes, and then she was surrounded by all of the devils, Evander, Sellik and several other familiar faces clamouring to know what happened.

“Quiet!” Lucifer called, cutting off the flurry of questions before they could completely overwhelm her. “As I’m sure you can imagine, Jia has had a long day. Leave her alone to rest.” He glared at his brothers and Evander. ”All of you.”

“You’re seriously going to make us wait until tomorrow to find out what the hell happened to her?” Evan complained.

“Yes,” the demon prince snapped in a tone that brooked no argument. “I want all of you to go away.”

Jia smiled apologetically, quietly glad that her mate was able to be so firm with them. She was sure if he wasn’t there she’d have been strong armed into answering questions for the rest of the day and well into the night.

“Thank you,” she said quietly when the others had shuffled off, muttering under their breath. “I think I’m going to head upstairs. Do you mind bringing something to eat up with you?”

“Of course not,” he smiled. “Go rest. I’ll be right behind you.” Jia rubbed a hand across the back of her aching neck and trudged out of the room, still slightly unbalanced with the new weight of her wings pulling at her shoulders. She stretched them out experimentally as she walked, finding she could move them without any resistance, though her shoulders were beginning to ache under the strain.

It was strange that the hallways and corridors were all the same and yet she’d changed so much. The ceilings were still high, vaulted and intricately carved in wood as smooth as satin and almost as dark as Lucifer’s hair. The carpet beneath her feet was plush and thick, a rich red so deep that it looked like nobody had ever walked on it. The wide, curving staircase carried her up to familiar hallways and past paintings she’d all but committed to memory.

When she reached Lucifer’s door and closed it behind her the sigh of relief that escaped her was long and loud. So much had happened and was still happening that her head was buzzing, the beginnings of a migraine tapping away at her temples. All the time she could feel the pinprick points of each and every moon gate calling out to her, permanently occupying a good deal of her attention. Jia hoped the amount of focus required would lessen over time.

The hot spray of Lucifer’s shower helped ease the ache in her shoulders and felt heavenly on her new wings. She showered slowly and deliberately, scrubbing every inch of herself as though she could scrub away the stress of her new role.

Towelling her wings dry was awkward; she stretched them around herself to try and dry the feathers right to the tips. Eventually she was dry enough to leave the bathroom and find clothes, selecting a tank top that had a back low enough to accommodate the new limbs sprouting from her back. She opted for a pair of Lucifer’s jogging bottoms, breathing in the sweet scent of his fabric softener mixed with the delicious tang of his cologne.

She was in bed and almost asleep when the demon prince finally entered his room with a tray of food balanced in his arms.

“I didn’t know what you’d want so I got a bit of everything. I brought tea too.” She smiled tiredly as he set the tray down, sitting up against the pillows and reaching for the steaming cup eagerly.

“Thank you,” she sighed as the sweet liquid touched her tongue. “I feel like I haven’t stopped running and fighting and thinking for a month.”

“How are you adjusting to your new wings?” he asked, taking a seat beside her and tossing his suit jacket onto a chair by the fireplace.

“They’re heavy. I’m managing well enough but they throw me off balance. They’re impossible to dry properly after a shower too.” She reached out to pluck a sandwich from the tray, smiling as she bit into cream cheese and salmon. The taste reminded her of Mrs Raylen and how she’d always been more of a grandmother to her than a boss.

“Unfortunately I’ve never had to keep my true form long enough to get it wet,” Lucifer answered, unfastening his tie and top two buttons. “Would a hairdryer work?”

“Are you really suggesting sitting here and blow drying my wings?” she chuckled.

“Why not? It’s better than wetting the bedding or catching a cold.”

“Alright, if you’re willing to sit there I won’t argue.” He winked and went to retrieve a hairdryer from one of the drawers in the bathroom, carrying it back in with him and kicking off his shoes at the same time.

“Maybe it’ll help you relax a little,” he suggested as he plugged the appliance in and sat beside her, the mattress dipping slightly under his weight.

“Who knows?” Jia shrugged, reaching for another sandwich. “I’ll take whatever help I can get right now.” Lucifer chuckled and switched on the hairdryer, running it over the soft feathers with slow, careful movements.

The warm air and the nice sensation of it fluttering through the fine feathers of her wings had Jia dozing where she sat, her eyes drooping until she crashed into sleep.