Black Wings

Page 43

“I’m kind of thirsty,” I said. Lucifer said something in a language I didn’t understand, and a bottle of water appeared in the air. “Hey, neat trick.”
“You have killed my firstborn son,” Lucifer said. “This is a crime in the law of my kingdom.”
I felt something inside me go still and cold. After all of this, was I going to be killed simply because I had destroyed the nephilim?
“However, in doing so you freed Evangeline’s soul from this Earth, and for that I am grateful. So I have decided to grant clemency in this matter, and you will be forgiven publicly for your crime.”
“Hey, great,” I said, speaking without thinking. “I just couldn’t sleep tonight if I didn’t have your approval.”
There was another gasp from Nathaniel and I could practically hear Gabriel rolling his eyes in frustration. I thought for a minute that Lucifer might rescind his offer of clemency and have my head chopped off right there, but he surprised me. He laughed, and his laugh was such lovely music that I had to laugh with him while the other three gaped in wonder.
“You are my own granddaughter,” he said. “Your spirit does me proud. However ...”
I felt the cold sting of dread again.
“You have been granted clemency, but you still owe me a boon for the death of my son. I will be calling on you sometime in the future for the repayment of this favor,” he said, and his fingers tightened on mine in a way that made me understand this favor was nonnegotiable.
“And what makes you think,” I said, but very softly, so only he could hear, “you can make me do anything that I don’t want to do?”
He smiled, and his smile was not the beautiful smile of the first and most glorious angel that he was. It was the smile of the devil, and I felt my bravado shrink a little.
Lucifer leaned forward so that his mouth was at my ear. “I can make you do whatever I like, Granddaughter. There is a secret in your heart that I know, and if you want to protect his life, you will obey me.”
He leaned back to look in my face and then slanted his eyes toward Gabriel. My blood pumped faster and my hands grew cold, but I said nothing. How did Lucifer know? To admit that I loved him would condemn Gabriel to death in an instant. I lifted my chin and matched him stare for stare.
“This secret that you think you know—how would you discover the truth of such a thing?”
“Perhaps a little bird, so recently close to your heart, whispered it in my ear.”
Evangeline. That bitch.
“Perhaps the little bird was mistaken,” I said.
“Be careful, Granddaughter. You are the last child of my heart, but it is my kingdom in which you tread,” Lucifer said, and he kissed me again on the cheek. This time his kiss was as cold as stone. “I will see you soon, Granddaughter.”
He pulled away from me and clapped his hands. The other three were at his side in an instant. “And now, to return home.”
Lucifer opened a portal filled with swirling mist. “Thrall, you will return as Madeline’s bodyguard for the present time.”
“Of course, my lord,” Gabriel said, and knelt before Lucifer.
The Morningstar met my eyes and I arched an eyebrow at him. I knew why he sent Gabriel back with me, and it wasn’t for my protection. It was to remind me every day of what I would lose if I disobeyed Lucifer’s wishes.
Gabriel entered the portal before me. I had started to follow when Nathaniel grasped my hand.
“Madeline,” he said, and his eyes were very earnest. All the haughtiness had fled. He seemed overwhelmed. I felt a little sorry for him, although not enough to want to continue this farce of an engagement. “I . . . I will see you in fourteen days’ time, in Azazel’s court.”
“Okay,” I said, and let him kiss my hand. It seemed like the thing to do. I nodded at Azazel and Lucifer and stepped backward into the portal, more than ready to go home.
Just as the portal was about to close, I saw a flash of movement in the cavern. For a moment I thought I saw green eyes lashed with fury.
Samiel, I thought, and then he was gone, and the portal closed.
We stepped out of the portal into the intersection at Clark and Belmont, and I realized that Lucifer had somehow known exactly where I wanted to be at that moment. It made me wonder about the full extent of his powers and, therefore, about the full extent of mine.
Most of the intersection was still roped off with yellow crime scene tape, and it was almost eerily quiet. There was still a faint and lingering stink of sulfur in the air.
“Why are we here and not at your home?” Gabriel asked, frowning.
“There’s something I forgot to do,” I said, and flapped my arms at him. “Go stand over there.”
“I am not to leave your side,” Gabriel said.
“Just go stand over on that corner,” I said. “I’m going to sit on this bench right here. You’ll be able to see me the whole time.”
“I am not certain that Lord Lucifer ...” he began.
“Look, can we just follow the spirit of the law right now? I need to be alone for a minute.”
Indecision warred in his eyes, and then he relented. “All right, Madeline. For now.”
I plopped on a bench in front of the donut shop and waved at Gabriel as he took up a post directly across the street. My wings emerged, and I winked out of sight.
I had to wait only a few moments. He’d been expecting me.
“Hello, James,” I said, as a young man with floppy blond bangs and almond-shaped eyes sat down beside me.
“You said you wouldn’t let the monster eat me,” he said.
“And I didn’t.”
“It almost ate you.”
I thought of staring into Ramuell’s gaping maw, hearing the cries of the dead souls inside him. “Yes.”
He shivered and rubbed his ectoplasmic hands over his ectoplasmic arms. “I don’t think I want to stay here. Too many bad memories.”
I smiled at him. “I know just the place to take you.”
Beezle was furious with me for going on an adventure without telling him. He also had a cut above his eye. It turned out that Nathaniel had knocked Beezle around a little in order to get him to reveal that Gabriel and I had gone to Greenwitch’s. Nathaniel’s treatment of Beezle killed any pity I had briefly felt for the angel. I redoubled my vow not to marry the jerk under any circumstance whatsoever. Then I popped a double batch of popcorn for Beezle and spent some time cuddling with him on the couch while he ate.
Gabriel disappeared downstairs as soon as we got home. A couple of hours later, after Beezle had returned to his nest on the roof, the half angel knocked on the back door and walked in through the kitchen. I got up from the sofa and put my arms around him, breathing in the apple pie smell of him and wishing he could stay with me forever.
“I am so happy that you’re alive,” I said into his shoulder.
“As am I,” Gabriel murmured. “My heart nearly stopped when you told the tale of your battle with Ramuell.”
I held on tight for a few more moments, trying to stretch it out. I knew what was coming. He pulled away from me and kissed my forehead.
“Madeline, we cannot pretend anymore,” he began, and I covered his mouth with my fingers.
“Don’t,” I said lightly. “Just don’t say it. I’m Lucifer’s granddaughter, after all. Who knows what might change in the future?”
His look told me that he didn’t think very much would change at all, but he gave a little shrug and released me, stepping back to the door.
“I’m not giving up on you,” I called after him.
“And I,” he said, giving me a very small smile, “would not be so foolish as to bet against you.”
J.B. came by a few hours later, after I’d showered and napped and was standing in the kitchen contemplating take-out menus. He looked like he’d been through hell. He collapsed in my comfiest chair and tilted his head back, closing his eyes.
“What’s the deal?” I said.
“The upper brass don’t know what to think. I didn’t want to tell them about you and your mission ...”
“Thanks,” I said.
“. . . but I did tell them I thought the creatures that attacked the office were demons. They had no other explanation so they accepted it. They’ve been rushing around researching demons and trying to rebuild the wards.”
“J.B., why weren’t any of the deaths at the Agency presaged? I figured out why Ramuell’s murders weren’t, but what about Antares and the other demons? We should have known that Antares and his pals would attack.”
He shrugged. “The big guys at the top have been pretty close-lipped about that. Best I can figure is that since our system didn’t know about or recognize demons, then the seers couldn’t either. I’m not really sure how that works.
“The cleanup has been a total nightmare. We’ve convinced the city and the press that there was a gas leak that caused hallucinations and explosions, and that it was related to a similar incident on the north side at Clark and Belmont. On the positive side, I’ve been promoted. It seems the regional manager was eaten by some kind of glob monster, and several of the survivors credited me with heroism during the battle.” He smiled grimly, his eyes still closed.
“So you’re not my supervisor anymore,” I said, not knowing what else to say. It didn’t seem appropriate to congratulate J.B. for a promotion that came at the expense of someone’s life.
“No,” he said, and opened his eyes. “So this means that I can finally ask you out on a date.”
My mouth dropped open. In a week of surprises, nothing could have shocked me more than J. B. Bennett asking me out.
He took in my expression, smiled a little and then shifted around to get more comfortable, closing his eyes again. “You can answer me later.”
Something occurred to me. “J.B., have you been monitoring Agents with your secret powers?”