Extinguish by J. M. Darhower Read Free Book Online Page B

shirt open, exposing more sigils covering his toned body. On his chest, over where a forgiving heart should reside, a massive distorted black hexagram was engraved in his skin, the elaborate six-pointed star contained in a circle. She studied the mark as it throbbed on his flesh, pulsating like a steady heartbeat.
    Reaching up, Lucifer slowly traced the mark with his calloused fingertips, wincing. "The closer I get to the gate, the more painful it is."
    "It keeps you locked in there?"
    "Yes."
    "It seems . . . flimsy." For such a creature, she expected more security than a simple glorified tattoo. "Superficial."
    "I thought so, too. I actually laughed when I saw it. I laughed at our Father, at Michael, at all of you pesky, perfect angels when I was cast down into this pit with these marks. I was an Archangel, and they expected this to keep me imprisoned?" He laughed bitterly. "First thing I did was head straight for the exit. The moment I hit it, the moment it had me in its grasp, I felt true torture for the first time. Felt like I was being ripped apart. And then the reapers pounced, hell-bent on keeping me locked in here, and destroyed whatever smidgen of goodness was left inside of me."
    He buttoned his shirt back up, covering the mark.
    "Does everyone down here have one of those?"
    He shook his head. "Only me."
    "Why?"
    "You know, it's quite sad how in the dark He keeps you. Instead of interrogating me, why don't you just ask our Father?"
    She couldn't, and he knew it. No one questioned Him. His word was gold. He told you only what you needed to know.
    "I get free rein in the pit," he offered after a moment. "The others are trapped in their own little cages, their personal nightmares. They slip their restraints, escape their Hell, and their only obstacle is getting past the reapers. I'm the one imprisoned by this gate."
    "There's a reason for that," she said. "You’re kept in there for a reason."
    He scoffed. "You think I don't fucking know that?"
    She wasn't sure why she'd said that, knowing it would only provoke him. "I'm just saying, you know . . . that's why I'm staying on this side."
    "You think I'll hurt you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly. "You think, if you got too close to me, I'd happily unleash the beast? That Satan would annihilate the pretty little angel?"
    "Well . . . yes."
    He kicked at the ground again. "I have no desire to hurt you, but even if I did, I couldn’t."
    "You can't?"
    "Nope."
    "I don't believe you."
    Lucifer shook his head, sighing exasperatedly. "You’re beginning to be tiresome, angel."
    Serah wasn’t sure what to say. She wasn’t there to entertain him.
    "Look, if you dump frozen ice in a bucket of scalding water, what do you end up with?" he asked.
    "Lukewarm water, I guess."
    "Precisely," he said. "The two extremes even out. We're the same here, you and me—angels in Hell."
    "Except I still have my Grace."
    "You do," he agreed. "I can sense it, you know. I feel it emanating off of you. It's extremely powerful. Makes me miss my own."
    "Is that envy?" she teased. "Still sinning, I see."
    "Sweetheart, you don't even know the half of it. I envy you more than you could possibly understand."
    "Why?" she asked. "You had everything I have plus more, but you gave it all up."
    "I did," he said, his voice hard. "And I don't regret it. What I did was justified, whether you believe it or not. But that doesn't mean I don't miss parts of that life . . . parts of that world . I miss spring, and rain, and the sun, and fucking fresh air. Do you know what I'd give for fresh air, to not have to breathe this wretched filth every day?"
    " Give up this war?"
    He laughed. "Nice try."
    She shrugged. It was worth a try.
    "Most of all, though, I envy your innocence. I envy your ignorance. I wish I didn't know the things I do." He shook his head as he grumbled angrily to himself, the words incoherent to her. "You smell like flowers today, by the way."
    "I was in a field earlier. There were