The Devil in Her Eyes Ch. 05

"They kept me alive as much as you did. I'd die for my family."

She hummed happily, leaning against me as we walked. Heading for her quarters, the room was as I'd come to expect, wood paneling and a roaring fireplace, a massive canopy bed, was the centerpiece, an equally opulent bathroom sat just through a door on the far end. Boy howdy was that shower calling my name.

I reached for the quick-release clasps on my plate carrier, but Lucy beat me to it, gently sliding the armor off and letting the broken plates fall to the floor. Her fingers danced across my gear, undoing buckles and straps, letting the bloody items fall to the pristine carpet. I just stood there and watched her work, marveling at her beauty, how much she loved me; it was all there in that quiet gesture, the whisper of cloth, and the snap of plastic.

She took care of me like she had before I even knew she existed.

She gently undid the zipper and slipped her hands under my shirt; I let her tug it over my head; she gently kissed my chest before working on my belt, dropping the bloody Crye pants to the floor, I stepped out of them, and she grabbed my hand, leading me into the bathroom and kicking the water on.

She shed her own clothes methodically; the pin that held her silvery hair back came first, her jacket next, the black turtleneck followed. My eyes followed her as she unzipped her pants, letting the soft material slide down her perfect legs to puddle at her feet.

Her hand found mine again, and she pulled me under the spray, steamrolling over both of us, the floor of the shower running brown and black as blood and carbon sluiced down the drain, running off me in rivers.

Lucy grabbed a washcloth and gently scrubbed the more stubborn spots, humming as she went, I'd never heard it before, but something about it spoke to me, bleeding away what little fight I had left.

I leaned into her and let her work. I was beyond exhausted, something else had taken my place out there, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I'd been the animal again, all of the therapy, all the countless hours I'd spent burying it. Lucy's orders had ripped it out of me again.

And I'd liked it.

What does that say about me?

They deserved it.

They want to destroy the world and everyone in it.

Mom.

Jen.

Ari.

Lucy...

Everyone I'd ever met or would meet, these animals would burn the world I loved until there was nothing but ash left.

I knew what side of this line I was on.

So what if I had fun with it?

Except everything about that was wrong.

"Hey," Lucy whispered, "I can hear your gears turning, love. What you did tonight doesn't make you a monster. You're fighting for the life and soul of every human being on Earth, every demon in Hell, and every Angel in Heaven. You should have no doubt that our cause is just."

"I liked it, Luce, like Syria, I enjoyed hurting them, I knew they were afraid, and it thrilled me. But I know I only felt that way because of what they are. Still, I feel...odd about it." I whispered into her shoulder, sighing.

She dropped the bloody rag and wrapped her arms around me, "You are a warrior, from how you came into this world, to Syria, through cancer, and to this moment, you are a fighter. When you fight for so long, it becomes the only thing that drives you; I was the same until you came along." She pressed her lips to my neck and smiled against my skin.

"I love you, you are extraordinary, and my world is better for your presence. Please don't beat yourself up over being the warrior that you were made to be. Embrace it."

I nodded, leaning against her, "I love you too, Lucy, promise me something?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't let me forget who I am, the good man under all of this, okay?"

Her grip tightened, "I will remind you every day if that's what it takes."

The Angel's words came rushing back, "Luce, what's a Nephilim?"

Her words, spoken with a chuckle, almost stopped my heart.

"A hybrid offspring of Angel and Human, why do you ask?"

A/N: A little backstory on our boy, the war against the radicals begins and Zack has questions that need answering.

Until next time!