Chapter 624: Two Lukes
"Well, this is interesting," Fyren said, his gaze dropping to his hands. He closed and opened his fingers, skin glowing faintly with flickering flames. "Even as a scion, I never received the mark of a divine being. It feels... tingly."
"A divine being? You mean me?" I asked tentatively.
"Indeed. Your mana is tainted by the gods, just as mine is infernal. But fret not, I quite like it," he said quickly, patting his hands soothingly. "Now, I imagine it’s quite uncomfortable for you, so I’ll get these bastards under control."
A wave of mana emanated from him, washing over me. For a moment, it seemed to flow into the Nexus, but it went deeper than that, to a bond I hadn’t realized existed. The voices of the demons went silent, leaving me alone with my thoughts for the first time since I’d marked them. Only Borealis remained, his presence nestled beside Fable.
When I glanced at Fyren, he simply shrugged. "He wanted to remain with you."
I opened my mouth to ask how it all worked and what I could use the mark for, but before I could, a pulse of mana erupted before us. Fyren’s aura spiked, flames licking at his body, and I instinctively tightened my hold on Luke.
The shadows of the night coalesced into the silhouette of a broad-shouldered demonkin. It was tall and masculine, wearing a sword on its hip. Its aura was powerful, causing the air to shiver and clench around us.
As the figure looked around, the darkness dissipated, revealing a familiar face.
"Luke?" I gasped, looking uncertainly between the apostle in my arms and the one standing above me.
The new Luke stepped out of the lingering shadows, his eyes darting around. A low growl rumbled in Fyren’s throat, but the apostle ignored him, looking directly at Luke lying on the ground. His eyes narrowed.
"What happened? Is he alright?" Luke asked.