“Don’t push your luck.”
“How about a sandwich?”
“Vin!”
“Hey, I’m asking nicely here...”
“I’m going to kill you. I’m actually going to kill you.”
“Angel of Death. Like to see you try.”
“Now I
CODA
THEY CAME FROM all over; the Twelve, the Fallen. Earthbounds, Descendeds... Lucifer’s choir and many of Gabriel’s.
Some rebelled and remained, but many answered their Archangels’ calls, and they came.
Some of them brought half-borns. Some came alone.
Some of them brought their followers – there were more than a few bored Fallen who had set themselves up as cult leaders in the chaos of the previous months... and given the short time they’d had, Lucifer was impressed.
Hidden from the unfriendly gaze of the angels, he looked out over the crowd that had assembled before him.
“Michael thinks he can outmanoeuvre me,” he said to Gabriel, standing behind him. “Let’s see him outmanoeuvre this.”
And as he raised his fist, a cheer went up, loud enough to make even Lucifer’s ears ring. He turned and smiled at his generals: at Forfax – idly toying with a fob watch, now he had lost his cane – and at Xaphan with his scarred face and with Florence, eyes downcast, on his arm; at Mammon, who had been so busy stirring the riots in the city, and at Rabdos, who brought new meaning to the word ‘pandemonium’ – at least, he did when he put his mind to it. He beamed at Gwyn, who stood behind Gabriel, and he beamed at Rimmon, whose left hand had yet to recover from his beating, and rested claw-like in a sling.
But most of all, Lucifer beamed at the figure on the far side of Rimmon, whose eyes met his without fear as he bore Lucifer’s banner; most of all, Lucifer beamed at Toby, and as another cheer went up, he threw his head back and he laughed.
“It’s time to take what’s ours.”
About the Author
BORN AND RAISED in Wales, Lou Morgan studied medieval literature at UCL, and now lives in the south-west of England with her husband, son and the obligatory cat. Her first novel,
She likes cathedrals and pizza (but probably not at the same time) and can be found online at loumorgan.co.uk or wasting time on Twitter as @LouMorgan.
Acknowledgements
EVERYONE AT SOLARIS Books, for all their incredible work and support: Jonathan Oliver, David Moore, Ben Smith, Pye Parr and Michael Molcher.
Kim, Bryony, Paul and Lee for the names.
Juliet, for the kwan.
Will and Vinny, for the phone calls, and for the occasional judicious application of beer and / or sanity.
My friends and my family, for their extraordinary patience and encouragement.
James and Oliver. Always. Because.
I am also grateful for the guidance on police equipment and procedures I’ve received: any inconsistencies or errors are entirely mine, and not those of my generous advisors.
Most of all, I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported the first book, and to everyone reading this now. It means the world.
With all my heart, thank you.
LM
Rebellion Playlist
JUST AS I did with
Angelic Sigils
The angelic sigils which appear in
