Noah
After Lucifer’s exit, I use my closet to call for Keira; I need her strength despite how she hurt me. But when she stumbles out of it with hands bound, bloody and beaten, I forget all about our breakup.
Scooping her into my arms, I carry her to the bed and lay her gently down. I rip apart the ropes that hold her and kiss her tender skin and every cut as she weeps. I’ve never seen her like this. I’ve seen her afraid. I’ve seen her in pain. But I’ve never seen her actually…unhinged. She always looks so perfectly put together, no matter what. But now her hair is disheveled, her skin bruised and bleeding, her face covered with tears and snot. She’s hysterical.
“What happened?” I ask when her crying slows. My cell started ringing the second she appeared, but I’ve ignored it. I’m pretty sure I heard the doorbell, too, but the media can wait. Lucifer can wait. “Why couldn’t you break the rope?”
“Lucifer. He took my powers so I couldn’t fight. He caught me trying to save Grace.”
“He stopped you even though I sent you there?” I’m shocked. He did this because of me. He’s hurting the people I care about to make me fall in line. Well, screw that.
“He didn’t want interference with his punishment. He left her to be the first murder victim of a serial killer. It wasn’t pretty.” Keira works her way to a sitting position, caressing her wrists.
I let this information sink in as she goes on.
“You think I look bad? I’ve seen a lot, but what that guy did to Grace? That was seriously messed up.”
So many conflicting feelings rush through me, but rage builds again beneath the surface. This time, it’s focused on one target—and it isn’t my sister, her Angel boyfriend, Emily, or my parents.
“Lucifer.” I spit the name like a curse. “He’s out of control.”
“Noah.” Keira puts a hand on my shoulder to get my full attention. “He’s the Devil. No one—no one—can stop him.”
“You tried to tell me this could happen, but I was too stubborn to listen. I didn’t think he’d leave you with Grace and that killer just to get back at me.”
Keira sucks in her bottom lip like she’s afraid to answer. “I’m fine. In fact, if you hadn’t called me, I would have ripped him apart by now.” But she won’t meet my eyes, and she’s hugging herself. As brave as Keira likes to pretend she is, I’ve seen how she cowers before Lucifer. I hate it. And I hate him. It’s his fault she broke up with me. I realize it now. It’s all so crystal clear.
“But he took your powers. He left you there, bound. He meant for that guy to kill you.” Each sentence feeds the monster inside of me, and my rage builds just like it did with Hale. Keira can tell—I see how she’s watching me, like she’s afraid I’ll lose it. But I’m not blowing this. This time, I’m smarter and stronger. I will protect her, and I won’t let Lucifer bully me or hurt her again. Keira should be treated with kindness. She’s suffered enough for any mistakes she made during her life on Earth, and Lucifer must see that. Why does he continue to punish her?
“He meant for Grace to die. I just got in the way.” Keira says the words quickly like she’s trying to put out a fire.
My stomach sinks, and I stare at her. “Grace… She died?”
“Well, no. Not really. I mean, she’s already dead. She’ll be fine. We’re always fine; we just reappear back in Hell. She’ll have her Demon powers back and everything.”
“But what about you? He’s going to be pissed you escaped, isn’t he?”
Keira averts her eyes in answer, which only makes me want to hurt him more.
“He won’t punish you, Keira. Not again. I swear that to you.” I tilt her face up so she can see that I’m telling the truth. I will protect her. I will find a way to defeat Lucifer.
“Just hold me, Noah,” she says, but she won’t look me in the eyes. She doesn’t believe I can do it. But this time I’m not offended by it. This time, I get it. She’s been abused for too long. I’m going to fix that.
I do what she asks. I pull her against me and kiss her head. “I should have known right away that it wasn’t you talking.”
“What?” she asks, looking so fragile in my arms.
“I should have never doubted your feelings. You only broke up with me because of Lucifer.”
She smiles, and it’s beautiful, like a flower opening toward the sun. “Of course it was because of Lucifer. I never want to hurt you, Noah. I’m so sorry.”
I’m too emotional to speak, so instead I bend over and kiss her. It starts sweetly, but she grips my hair in her hands and suddenly, I want to inhale her.
She responds with her usual fervor, and we lie back on the bed, tangled together, reaching and grasping every bit of each other, like we want to become one person. I used to think Keira was an all-powerful Demon who didn’t let anyone get in her way. Now I see her and know her for who she really is: a damaged girl who’s fought her whole life—and long after—against cruel circumstances. She’s just as strong, but also vulnerable. She may not always make the right decision or the “good” decision, but neither do I—and imperfect people need love, too.
We deserve each other, Keira and I, and I intend to show her that.
I’ve forgotten everything but Keira when Lucifer clears his throat from right next to the bed.
We both spring up. Keira screams.
“Shut up, Keira. I’ll deal with you later.” Lucifer’s hand flies out, clutching a dagger, and before I can react, he’s stabbed her in the heart. Her eyes grow big as she looks to me, face filled with fear. She falls to the side, blood seeping from the wound.
Lucifer waves a hand over her, and she disappears.
“What the fuck?” I jump out of bed and move toward him.
“It wasn’t a holy blade. She’s not dead. Yet.” Lucifer adjusts his cufflinks. “I thought I told you to respond to the media. Instead you’ve been reclusive and playing doctor with a Demon.”
“I am not one of your servants, Lucifer. Why did you do what you did to Keira and Grace?” I continue forward until we’re nose to nose.
Lucifer’s shadow grows huge, blocking out all light except for the fire in his eyes. But I don’t fall for parlor tricks. He hasn’t killed me because he needs me—so let him get pissed.
“You have an interview.” Lucifer snaps his fingers and I’m dressed in a suit and tie like the one I wore to Grace’s funeral. But this one is nicer than anything I’ve ever owned. He snaps again and I’m in a comfy chair, blinded by bright lights and the noise of a crowd.
“There you are! Thank goodness.” A woman’s voice. Someone adjusts my tie and another someone dabs makeup on my face.
Amidst my confusion at the sudden change of scene, I’m still shaking with barely controlled rage, squeezing my fists into the chair on either side of me.
“We’re on in ten.”
My surroundings finally come into focus, and I find I’m sitting on the set of a morning show, one I saw my mom watch a thousand times when I was little. The woman speaking is a famous news anchor—Linda something—and a stage crew is bustling around.
“Five…four,” counts a guy near the giant camera focused on my face. The entire set goes so quiet, I can hear the breath of the anchor near me.
“… And we’re live.”
Music blasts around us, and the anchorwoman smiles hugely. “We have the exclusive first interview with Noah Howard, the man everyone’s calling a hero. Noah! You attempted to save the life of Governor Tate. You may well have saved countless other lives because you singlehandedly took down a crazed shooter with your bare hands. What made you do it? Why not run for cover like everyone else?”
She stares at me expectantly. I swallow and glance at the camera. The whole thing is disorienting, which I’m sure Lucifer intended—to unbalance me. My hate toward him flares. But I have to keep some perspective and play it smart. I need to beat him at his own game, which means I need to keep playing along. I take a deep breath and force a smile.
“Well, I guess I didn’t even think of that. I just saw the gun, and my first impulse was to stop it from happening.”
She nods like I’ve said something profound. “You’ve had a tragic life so far, having lost your sister to a drunk driver when you were just fifteen. Some people may have fallen to pieces after that. I’m sure it was difficult for your family. But you graduated early with honors. You sailed through college. You have degrees in computer science and chemical engineering.”
I nod, unsure how or when that was supposed to have happened.
“And you’re working on your law degree at Yale?”
“Yes. But I’m home for vacation,” I venture a guess.
“Good thing for the citizens of Seattle.”
I shift my weight, trying not to look like a starstruck kid. Keira’s blank eyes keep flashing through my mind.
“Noah, you’re a man of few words. You’d probably prefer to live a quiet life with your family. I’m guessing you don’t love all this attention. Is that right?”
I pause for a second before answering. “I thought I did. I mean, who doesn’t love attention, right? But I want it to be for something I deserve.” It’s true. Have I really done anything worth all the praise? Am I that special? I don’t know any more. And why did they bring up Grace’s accident? What does that have to do with the man I am?
“Naturally! But I believe you’re in the public eye because you do deserve it. You’re a hero, Noah! What’s next for you?”
I picture Keira, frightened out of her wits, then stabbed mercilessly by Lucifer right after I promised I’d protect her. I think of Grace, killed by a sadist only to reappear back in Hell and be set up by Lucifer again. What’s next is following the path Lucifer set out for me, but not for the same reasons I thought I should before, and certainly not because that’s what Lucifer wants.
“What’s next? World domination.” I say it, pause while she looks slightly confused, then smile. She relaxes and laughs. I laugh along with her, though it’s anything but funny. “But seriously, I was thinking of maybe running for office.”
Her eyebrows rise, and her expression grows hungry. Here’s the exclusive she was hoping for.
“We all know how corrupt so many politicians are. We need someone with the people’s best interest in office, don’t you think, Linda?” I wonder if Lucifer is listening somewhere, but I doubt he could possibly know what I really mean.
“Well, I for one would welcome someone like you, Noah. Clearly you’re intelligent and not afraid to fight for what’s right.” She turns to address the camera. “You heard it here first, folks. Noah Howard. It’s a name you’re going to be hearing a lot more of down the road. We’ll be back in a few minutes with internet sensation, Pepper: the cat that rescued a dog from drowning.”
Music blares, and we rise while everyone around us buzzes and runs about once again.
“Thank you, Noah, and good luck.” She shakes my hand and then turns away. I barely take a step before I’m transported again. This time I’m in a greenroom stuffed with flowers and a full buffet of food. The television in the corner shows one of the country’s most popular talk shows, and the host is announcing my name, “up next.”
Lucifer’s voice sounds in my head. “You have a full schedule today, Noah. Keep it up, and I might just forgive you.”
Maybe. But I’ll never forgive you, Lucifer.
So watch your back.