Lucifer's Cage (After Dark Book 6) by Sarah Bailey (short story to read .txt) 📗

was drowning in him. He held her close. When she pulled away, her face was flushed.

“I couldn’t leave without doing that one last time,” she said.

“A goodbye kiss?”

“I think you just gave me a goodbye fuck.”

He chuckled, kissing her again. This wasn’t goodbye, but he refrained from saying so. He was going to get her back no matter what.

They walked back into the room. Jaxon raised his eyebrows at Candace, but she shook her head.

“It’s time,” she said.

He nodded. The two of them got to work drawing an intricate pentagram within a circle. When they were done, she beckoned him over. He stood just outside the circle next to her. Jaxon began to speak in Latin. It was a low chant.

Lucifer put his hand out, a soft glowing ball of power appeared in his palm. He sent it towards the bowl by Jaxon’s feet when the witch nodded to him.

The circle began to shimmer with a purple light. It swirled for several long minutes before clearing. They could all see the streets of London reflected back at them.

“It worked,” Jaxon said.

Lucifer looked at Candace. Her eyes were brimming with tears. He brushed his fingers against hers. Her head snapped up, violet eyes full of turmoil.

“I don’t want to go,” she whispered. “I don’t want my fate.”

The sight of her and her words almost broke him. She’d said all she wanted was him. All he wanted was her. And there was nothing he could do right now which would make the situation any easier.

“Come on, Cadmi, it’s time,” Jaxon said.

“Okay,” she said, her voice cracking on the word.

She turned away, reaching out and taking Jaxon’s hand. The two of them stepped up to the newly created portal. Before she stepped in, she looked back at him. Tears fell down her cheeks unheeded.

“Goodbye,” she whispered.

Then the woman who’d stolen everything from him walked through the portal and out of his life.

And he couldn’t understand why it made his heart ache so much.

Chapter Thirteen

Candace stepped out onto the dark street with Jax. Her cheeks were wet with tears. She brushed them away with her sleeve, but her eyes were still streaming.

What have I done?

“Cadmi?”

“Yes?” she sniffled.

“What’s wrong?”

She didn’t look at him. She wanted to curl up in bed and shut out the world.

“Nothing.”

He grabbed her by the arms, turning her to face him.

“Why are you crying?”

“Just leave it, Jax. I’m going home.”

She tried to pull away, but he held fast.

“Is it about him? What happened between the two of you?”

Lucifer.

Her heart ached with an intensity that almost crippled her.

“Nothing. I don’t want to talk about it. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

She tore away from him, walking quickly down the street.

“Cadmi!”

“Don’t call me that.”

She didn’t turn back to look at him. In the next street over, she realised they’d landed not far from her flat. It was the one small mercy in all of this.

Letting herself in a few minutes later, she locked the door and went straight into her bedroom. She ripped off her clothes and crawled into bed, sobbing for all she was worth.

Fuck. Damn it. Why? Why? Why do I feel like this? Why is leaving him so fucking heartbreaking?

She knew the answers to those questions. Admitting it to herself was a whole different ball game. The weight of her feelings crashed down on her. Burrowing deeper in the covers, she clutched her knees to her chest. The ache she felt there was unending.

Fuck. I love him. I’m in love with the Devil.

And nothing she could say or do would change that fact.

It was her own stupid fault for sleeping with him. For allowing herself to indulge in her feelings for him. How would she face anyone now? She was in love with someone the world considered evil. He wasn’t evil to her. Brutal maybe, but Lucifer had been gentle with her too. She’d seen a side of him she knew no one else got to witness.

She cried harder, her sobs echoing in her ears.

Why didn’t I just stay with him like he asked me to?

She could’ve. No one but Jax would’ve known. Running away and staying with Lucifer was cowardly. Duty came first. Duty to her family.

She awoke with a jolt, the sunlight streaming in through the open curtains. She groaned, pulling the covers over her eyes. Reaching out, she found the bed empty. She sat up. Lucifer wasn’t there.

This isn’t Hell. This is home. Shit.

She hadn’t seen daylight in two months, having got used to living in perpetual darkness down in Hell. They had electric lights, but it wasn’t the same.

She hauled herself out of bed and jumped in the shower. A wave of pain shot through her heart. She couldn’t help dissolving into another fit of sobs.

She got out when they finally abated, dressing and going through into her open plan living room. Her mail was piled up by the front door along with her purse. Jax must’ve posted it through the front door. She rifled through it, finding her phone. It was dead.

She picked up the mail, dumping it on the kitchen counter and stuck her phone on charge. Next, she threw out all the out of date food from her fridge, freezer and then the cupboards just for something to do.

When she turned her phone back on, it was flooded with texts and voicemails.

She listened to the voicemails, grimacing when she realised most of them were from her father.

“Candace, where are you? Why did I have to hear it from Jax that you’ve not been home in days?”

Because I was in Hell, Dad.

“Are you