Tree Of Souls (Transfusion Saga #6) - Stephanie Hudson Page 0,16

volcanic rock with glowing magma showing through the cracks, as it had arisen from Hell’s own rivers of fire with the sole purpose of causing death and destruction as it was currently creating an opening in the floor. A growing circle of energy where I was unknowingly summoning up that same liquid fire I seemed able to command, and it was now flowing up through the opening I had made and being absorbed into the tips of my molten crusted fingers, each digit cursed for an eternity. It was as if it was reaching for its demonic puppet master, the edges of the flames licking out and scorching the stone floor, turning it black like my own burnt skin. Its infection spreading like soul weed, snapping outwards with every inch grown from the glowing hot serpents that continued to reach for me, as it was obvious that I was the one dragging them up from the portal I had made from Hell.

“Lucius, let go.” I heard Dom’s voice coming closer, after first taking hold of Keira’s shoulders and pulling her further back, nodding to his son to protect her as he took their place.

“I am not sure I can,” I confessed, my voice barely being that of my own, as it only just made it through the hold this undiluted rage had on my demon.

“Yes, you can my friend, you just need to fight it.” I looked up at him and saw the sincerity of those words in his purple gaze, his own dark wings now hiding his family from my view.

“She ran from me,” I told him, giving him the root of my rage.

“She ran from us all.”

“But she is mine.” My demon growled for us both as I felt the first tentacles of flames curling around my arm, feeding the venom in my flesh with a power I could barely contain. Dom looked to my hand and closed his eyes a second longer than what was needed, for it was the first time he had seen it since I’d lost it completely all those years ago.

“Then the Fates will grant her back to you,” he told me in a strained tone that said so much more.

“You can’t know that,” I said gritting my teeth at the very thought of the words I spoke.

“Oh, but I can, for they granted me back my own,” he said looking behind him and lowering a side of his wing to see his wife, who had tears in her eyes. But I found the sight too painful to look at anymore…for he had his Chosen One. He had fought for her and won! I snarled down at my hand, the hand now cursed by the first sinful act of an Angel of God and one that turned to poison. The one I had no choice but to sacrifice at the gates of Tartarus before it grew back into little more than a cursed hand of the Gods!

“Luc, don’t go back there…don’t listen to what that hand is telling you to do,” Dom said for he knew what it wanted me to do. It wanted me to burn the entire place down beyond its foundations and even past the realms of Earth, sinking it into a portal in Hell I knew I had the power to open. I wanted his happiness consumed and twisted back into the hatred of mankind!

I wanted a war.

I wanted death.

And I wanted destruction!

I wanted to scorch the Earth, ridding it of all life until there was nothing in it but her! I wanted nothing in this world but her by my side for all of eternity!

“I want her back!” I snarled fisting my Devil’s hand. Dom released a sigh and told me,

“I know.”

“I WANT HER BACK, DOM!” I roared again, now looking back at him and he closed his eyes once more before telling me in earnest this time,

“I know, my friend.” I forced the hard lump of pain down my throat before I felt as if I would choke on it and heard Dom take in another breath before telling me,

“I will help you…I will help you get her back, Luc.” I took another breath, one that didn’t come easily, for I knew how hard those words had been for him to say and therefore the true meaning behind them.

“Then you accept my claim?” I asked near fucking ready to follow through with the destructive nature of my hand should he say anything but what I wanted him