Prologue

Lucifer

500 Years Ago

T he darkness feels never-ending. Begging won't save me or my family. I knew that when guards took us from our house in the middle of the night. The Seraphim have made up their minds. I am a traitor to the angels. The prophecy doomed me and my three-year-old daughter. I just hope they won't hurt my mate and unborn child as well. I wouldn't put it past the Seraphim to call for their deaths. Better to kill everyone than risk the prophecy coming true.

That's the thing about prophecies; they always come true one way or another. It only says one of my descendants will bring about change. It doesn't say they have to be blood.

"The decision has been made," Seraphina calls out, quieting the room. "Unmask them."

With her order, the black bag over my head is removed. I can finally see everything and everyone around me. The full assembly has been called. That can only mean one thing. Someone is dying, just as I suspected.

A full assembly has only been called once before in my time of living, and we're all immortal. I was only a child but I remember my parents bringing us here. They had caught the angel that went on a murder spree, slaughtering families in the dead of night. He was sentenced to death. Surviving members of the slaughtered families were allowed to injure him until he finally succumbed to the injuries they had inflicted. The Seraphim said he was to feel the pain his victims felt. That was the last time a full assembly had been called. It was gruesome, but considering how gruesome his crimes were it wasn't surprising. We were all raised to understand the penalties of breaking Angel law.

Fuck.

With a roar, I pull against the bindings and guards holding me in place. I won't let them kill my family. Never. They can kill me but not them.

"SILENCE," Seraphina shouts, as her magic wraps around me holding me in place and silencing my roars.

I'm sure I look absolutely feral, my eyes wide in fear and anger. I will slaughter them all if they harm my daughter or mate.

A small whimper to my right causes me to turn my head with the slightest movement possible. My mate's blue eyes beg me to stop my fighting. She's terrified, shaking where the guards hold her. Tears stream down her face as her eyes move between me and our daughter who is lying in front of us unmoving. I only know she's alive because I can see the rise and fall of her chest but she still slumbers unconscious. I know for a fact my mate is not a threat. Aurora would never hurt a fly, her soul is too pure, a healer through and through. She shakes her head back and forth softly as she stares at me. No one would notice the movement if they weren't looking for it.

"Please, Lucifer," she mouths, begging me to stop fighting.

The fight drops out of me as I heed her words. She knows how bad this is. We may not make it out alive but she doesn't want to see me get hurt or die before we hear the decision. We had two years to come to grips and find another solution. Two years to spend with our darling daughter after we heard about the prophecy.

"The prophecy cannot come to pass," Seraphina's voice rings out clearly pulling me from my thoughts. "Lucifer, you have been found guilty of revolting against the assembly. You and your daughter will destroy us all if you are allowed to continue down your path. Any descendant of your bloodline is considered a threat to our society." Seraphina's green eyes pierce mine as she looks at me with anger and disgust while calling out the charges.

"Furthermore, your mate bond will be striped. You are no longer worthy of a mate bond, especially to someone such as our healer, Aurora. Your condemned soul is too tainted to be a true mate of hers. Malach if you would do the honors," Seraphina demands. To anyone who doesn't know her the way I do, they'd miss the venom in her words. She hates that the Fates matched me with Aurora. She said Aurora deserved more; a more powerful mate. One who can elevate her position. Not sure how more elevated it could get considering Aurora is the niece of one of the most powerful Seraphim, but who am I to judge? Seraphina begged me to reject Aurora, and let someone else mate her but I refused. Fate knew Aurora and I were meant to be together. I saw the strength and determination inside her soul. She was the other half I was missing and I wasn't going to turn her down. The decision lay with Aurora, and she chose me.

Malach walks down the steps from where the Seraphim sit. He's the keeper of bonds. Most know him as the one to bond souls together in the mating ceremony. Few know he is also capable of breaking those same bonds. It takes a ton of magic and is only used in dire circumstances, like when a mate is going to die but the other still needs or wants to live for their children.

"I wish things could have been different. I had such high hopes for you both, Lucifer," Malach whispers with a sigh. Bringing his hand to lay upon my chest over my heart, I can feel a tug deep within my soul, fighting back against the foreign power. My soul knows what is happening and fights hard to protect what belongs to us. Eventually, my soul tires, unable to stand against the onslaught of magic. The mate bond with Aurora snaps in half. The magic that held me in place releases, and my body crumples to the ground.

"The mate bond between Lucifer Morningstar and Aurora has been removed. From now and forever more, Lucifer will be known as a rejected bond. Forced to walk this world alone until death," Seraphina's voice rings out among the assembly. To me, it sounds muted. I hear her words, but the pain in my soul leaves me incapable of doing anything.

It takes my little bit of strength to look to my mate, the love of my life. She lays crumpled on the floor. The only sign of life is the rise and fall of her chest with each labored breath she takes. I want to call out, to ask her if she and our baby are okay, but I can't find the words or strength.

"Get her up!" Seraphina snarles. The guard drags Aurora to her feet as Seraphina walks over to her side. That's when I see him. My rival, Leto, hates my guts. He hates that I was matched with Aurora when he is obsessed with her.

They couldn't. They wouldn't. My mind and soul are at war with one another as I watch on.

"Aurora is too powerful of a healer to be left unmated. The Fates got it wrong before, but we've gained new knowledge that the system has been rigged. Aurora was never meant to be matched with Lucifer. She was meant for my son, Leto." A chorus of gasps ring out amongst the assembly hall at Seraphina's announcement while Malach begins to bind Aurora and Leto's hands.

"No! Please don't do this!" I beg, my plea falling upon deaf ears as I watch Malach wrap a white and yellow ribbon around Aurora and Leto's clasped hands. My mate has tears streaming down her face, but otherwise, she doesn't fight the hold the guards had on her. She can barely hold herself up as it is. The trauma she is being put through isn't good for her or the baby, but I have no way to protect her anymore. Our bond is shredded, torn apart forcefully, leaving me no way to take her hurt and pain into myself.

"I now pronounce you mated," Malach's voice rings out loud and clear through the assembly hall. Cheers and applause sound from all around the room with the announcement. It's like none of them care what just happened or the pain that took place. They only want to keep their leaders happy, and if cheering for Leto's forceful bonding to my mate is what they want then that is what they give them.

I watch as Leto grasps Aurora, pulling her into him and kissing her forcefully. Even from across the room, I can see how disgusted she is by him, but obviously, no one around her seems to care, only me, always only me. Leto breaks the kiss and spins her around, pulling her back to his chest as his arms wind around her stomach, his hands resting right over the very spot our child grows inside her. I break my eyes away from his hand placement, moving them up my mate's body until her eyes met mine. Her expression is broken, like she has resigned herself to her fate knowing that she can't fight it. Sadness, fear, and guilt, all are present as our eyes clash. Gathering the small bit of strength I hold onto, I fight my guard's hold in an attempt to get to her, comfort her, and hold her one last final time.

One of them slams his fist into the side of my head causing me to see stars as I fall back to the floor. With my eyes locked on my mate, I catch Seraphina standing behind her with a smile on her face, knowing she is getting away with everything.

"I am so happy to have you a part of the family, Dear," Seraphina tells Aurora loudly enough for me to hear before she raises her hand calling for silence in the room. When the crowd quiets down she moves slowly and with purpose until she stands in front of me. "We have two orders of business left before this trial can conclude today. Lucifer, you are a threat to the angels and put our society at risk. We decided death would be too kind, however; placing you in a cell isn't good enough either. Instead, we are stripping you of your wings. No longer will you be an angel, you are now and forever will be considered a fallen. Welcome to your damnation."

The second the words leave her mouth, I watch Archangel Michael and Archangel Gabriel walk in my direction. When they reach my crumpled form, each grasp one of my wings and pull before they start cutting each wing off. The pain is astronomical. Blackness takes over my vision as sweat pours down my face, and I scream in agony. Never have I heard of this punishment before. I am the first and I hope like hell I can be the last. Never in a million years would I wish this pain on anyone. It takes all my willpower not to pass out. I refuse to give anyone here that satisfaction. My eyes lock on the blood running from my back and pool underneath me. The angels are taking everything from me and I plan to get my revenge one day, somehow.

"TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF MY DAUGHTER! What are you doing to her?!" Aurora shouts, her words making my head snap up to witness her fighting against Leto's hold. If she keeps it up, she's going to hurt herself or, worse, the baby. FUCK .

"AURORA!" I scream, trying to pull her attention to me. I need to get her calmed down before I can fight for our daughter. I can't lose all three of them because of this hell. "Aurora, Baby, please," I beg, holding back tears. "Stop fighting. You're going to hurt yourself." I growl the last part and her eyes finally snap to me. If she didn't love me the fire burning in her eyes would burn me alive from her anger.

"They are going to hurt our daughter, Lucifer!" she snarls, pulling against Leto's hold one more time.

"I know!" I shout, my voice breaking. "I fucking know, Baby. I need you to be okay, to keep fighting. WE need you." I put emphasis on the 'we' for her to remember how much more we have at risk. I watch as the fight drops out of her and her eyes widen before she schools her expression. Her mouth opens and closes but no words come out. When I know she will behave I begin my fight. Shoving all the pain I feel away, I push the last guard holding me until he lets go of his grip on my shoulder. They think without my wings I have no strength left to fight. They are wrong.

Rising to my feet, I storm toward Seraphina and Michael where they hold a knife to my daughter's throat. Seraphina stands there with a smile on her face as she watches me get closer step by step, Michael tightens his grip on the handle of the blade he holds and a small amount of fear enters his eyes. He knows how protective I am of my family, the fact that I am still standing, still fighting, scared him. I thought I was close with them, Michael and Gabriel, my friends, my brothers, but it's clear they would never go against the law. Taking my wings is one thing, harming my daughter is another. Our friendship will never be salvaged from this.

"LET GO OF MY DAUGHTER," I ground out, my fists clenching at my side, my jaw tight with every word as I clench my teeth.

"Her life is forfeit. Your bloodline is a danger to us all," Seraphina answers like she's proud of herself. "Do it," she commands.

Michael flinches slightly, that is all I need, charging to get my daughter, desperate to save her from this fate. Right as I reach them, Gabriel steps in my path, grabbing me as I reach out to grasp my daughter. My fingers narrowly miss her own outstretched to meet mine. Michael does his job following Seraphina's orders. The only kindness he shows is to end it quickly and lower her body slowly to the ground. Gabriel lets me go as everyone backs away. I drop to my knees, pulling my daughter's warm lifeless body onto my lap.

Grief, pain, and anger, all roll into the next. I can't control my emotions, I can't stop the hurricane that breaks free inside of me. The Seraphim have gone too far. Seraphina has gone too far. Taking the life of a little girl because of fear is uncalled for. Vengeance will be mine. They are worried about a prophecy, well now I am determined to ensure it comes true.

Rising to my feet, I cradle my daughter in my arms. My eyes meet those of Aurora's whose crumpled body lies on the floor in a heap, her cries the only thing to pierce the wall I built around myself. I can't go to her. Not now. They'd never let me near her. I give her the one thing I can, and with a nod, I promise to bury our daughter and find a way to free Aurora and our unborn child if it is the last thing I do. Turning my back I walk out of the room, out of the council chambers, and out of the town.

Fuck the angels.