Serah.

Lucifer, she screamed. I’m coming for you.

"I’ll be a son of a bitch," he said, unable to stop the smile from turning the corner of his lips, a laugh escaping as he exhaled.

Footsteps ran down the corridor, the large, wooden double doors thrusting open. "There's an intruder at the gate!"

"I’m aware." Luce’s gaze turned to the demon that burst in. Lire, the leader of the Dark Legion, was one of the few given free rein to roam Hell. He considered himself Luce’s right-hand man, but Luce treated him as a messenger boy. "Do you think I’m an imbecile? You think I don’t know what goes on in my kingdom?"

"No, My Lord!" He frantically shook his head. "It’s just . . . it’s one of them. What do you want us to do?"

"Show her in," he ordered, "and be nice about it, will you? You offend my guest, and you’ll be the one strapped to the wall tonight."

The demon flinched, nodding submissively before scampering back out of the room. Luce’s eyes instantly snapped from the door to Robert, catching him as he tried to sneak a peek at their next few cards. Luce angrily clenched his hand into a tight fist, his knuckles popping from the strain. The man let out a loud shriek of agony as he clutched his arm, his right hand twisting as the bones crunched sickeningly, shattering into tiny fragments and ripping out through the skin. Blood ran down his arm, dripping onto the concrete floor.

"You think you can cheat me?" he spat. "You think I won’t know?"

"It was a mistake!" he screamed. "I’m sorry! Please! I won’t do it again!"

The red in Luce’s eyes flared, overtaking the blackness, as the floor beneath their feet vibrated. The ground behind the man opened up into a swirling black vortex, torturous screams bursting out with savage fire, so ferocious Luce grimaced. Flicking his hand, Luce sent the man flying backward out of his chair, straight into the raging inferno, the bright orange flames swallowing him whole. His shrieks were silenced as the vortex abruptly closed, everything silent and still.

"You’re fucking right you won’t do it again."

He slouched back in his chair again, drumming his fingers some more, waiting. He could sense her as she drew closer, the air stirring with something he hadn’t felt in a long time. She brought sunlight with her, the darkness lightening, as fresh air radiated from her.

The moment the doors opened, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back, taking a deep breath. She was speaking, her voice rose passionately, but he ignored her words, too consumed by her fragrance. It was so strong without the gate filtering it, so intense that he shivered as he inhaled. The radiance filled his lungs and seeped out through his body like oxygen, fueling his life force.

"Are you even listening to me?" she asked, slamming something down on the table in front of him.

Luce opened his eyes again, peering at her. He cocked an eyebrow at her stance, her eyes narrowed, her hands on her hips. "Nope."

"You’re insufferable. Absolutely impossible."

"Thanks," he said, waving his hand toward the table, the recently vacated chair shifting out. "Have a seat."

"No."

He sighed at her stubbornness, his gaze turning to Lire lurking in the doorway. "Leave us be. Make sure there are no interruptions."

"Yes, My Lord."

"My Lord," she mimicked, her lip curling in a sneer. "Blasphemy."

Luce tried to keep a straight face, but his amusement was too much. A half-smirk turned his lips as he shook his head. "You’re fearless, angel. I’ll give you that. I honestly didn’t think you had the guts to do it. I hoped you would, of course, but no one ever has before. I don’t even think my brother is brave enough to come here."

Serah’s fierce expression softened. "No?"

Luce shook his head. "You’re the first to ever willingly step through that gate."

Surprise flickered across her face. "I am?"

"Yes," he said. "You see, it’s dangerous down here. Very dangerous."

"Only an angel can hurt another angel," she said confidently. "And you’re barred from hurting an innocent, so nothing here can hurt me."

"True," he said. "And even if I could hurt you, I wouldn’t . . . but there is something else I would do, something possibly even worse."

Her body tensed. "What?"

"Keep you."

She just stared at him blankly as if she was trying to process that. After a moment, something flickered across her face, something he knew well, something akin to sheer fucking terror.

She realized he could.

"Relax," he said, motioning toward the chair again. "I said I would, not that I will. It's tempting, though. I must admit."

Serah hesitated before moving toward the chair and sitting down timidly in it. She remained silent, her eyes guarded as she watched him. Luce’s gaze drifted from her to the crinkled paper she'd slammed down on the table, his eyes immediately falling upon the drawing of the devil. He let out a sharp, bitter laugh, brushing it to the side as he waved his hand, the deck of cards flying toward him. He picked them up and casually started shuffling.

"Do you know how to play War?"

"War isn’t a game."

"In this case, it is. It’s a card game."

"Oh."

"It’s easy. All you have to do is turn the top card over. Whomever has the highest number wins the hand. The first to lose all their cards loses. A child could do it." He split the deck down the middle, twenty-six cards each, and slid half of them down the table to her. "One game. If you win, you ask your questions and then you can go."