Hades

my head, but at the same time I needed answers and ironically, I had a feeling Lucifer would tell me the truth. “I’m a little confused. I understand it was you who wanted me here, but what I don’t understand is why.”

Lucifer’s lip curled up in a smile. “It’s true,” he said. “It was with my consent that Arakiel brought you to us.”

“But I’m no one important. Why me?”

Lucifer leisurely drummed his fingers together over the top of his cane. “You’re a pawn, my dear,” he said. “As you know, Heaven has launched another one of its pathetic little healthe-world schemes.” Lucifer rolled his eyes. “The whole thing is incredibly tedious — we make a mess, they clean it up and so on and so forth. And we’re bored of the whole thing, which is where you come into it.” His pale eyes watched me lazily. “I used you to send out a message.”

“What message?”

The swarthy Diego suddenly stood up, taking it upon himself to clarify. “That it’s game on.”

“What does that mean?” I asked weakly, struggling against the rising panic in my chest.

“Well, I guess it’s safe to let you in on the secret now that you’re here,” Lucifer drawled. “Let’s just say it’s time this little family feud was brought to a head.”

Jake, who had so far remained silent for the duration of this conversation, chose this moment to speak. “Dragging an angel into Hell against their will is a sign,” he said. “It marks the beginning of the war.”

“There’s going to be a war?”

“There was always going to be a war,” Lucifer said, “ever since my self-righteous prick of a brother had me evicted.”

“We’ve been waiting a long time,” Diego added in his clipped Spanish accent. “To show them who’s boss, to let them know just how fragile their precious little planet really is.”

I swallowed hard and shook my head. “No,” I said. “It’s not true.”

“Oh, yes,” Nash piped up, enthused by the turn the hearing had taken. “We’re talking about the final showdown, the face-off between your daddy and ours.”

“You better believe it, little angel,” Lucifer added. “We’re on a one-way road to Armageddon. And what a show it promises to be.”

I stood rooted to the spot, hardly daring to breathe. Part of me hoped the demons would suddenly burst out laughing and reveal I was the butt of some cruel joke. But deep down, I knew it was no joke. They were deadly serious and the world was in dire trouble. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. They believed my capture was going to work as a catalyst, the final straw that would tip the angels over the edge. Would it really work? Hell had lashed out, would Heaven now have no choice but to retaliate? Lucifer had condoned my abduction to rally against My Father and stir things up to trigger a final confrontation that would be bloodier than ever. He knew it was a step too far, but that was the point. He was throwing down the gauntlet and waiting for Heaven to take up the challenge. He was opening the gates and inviting war in.

The hearing seemed to have gone off on a tangent. Jake brought it back to what was uppermost in his mind.

“So will you leave us be?” he asked. “Father, the angel has served her purpose and poses no threat. I ask that she be entrusted to me.”

“Oh, dear,” said Lucifer with an exaggerated sigh. “I’m afraid I can’t do that.” He lifted his cane and pointed it directly at me. “Not after the little show Miss Church put on for us yesterday.”

“She belongs to me!” Jake’s voice was too strident in the lofty warehouse. I was no strategist, but even I could see that he was losing ground. He needed to curb his emotions if he wanted to get anywhere here.

Lucifer sat up straighter and Jake dropped his head humbly, showing regret for his outburst.

“When I put you in charge I wasn’t aware you had invested emotionally in the project.” Lucifer spoke these last words as if they left a bad taste in his mouth.

“I … I haven’t,” Jake said. “I knew she would be a prize, and I thought only to add to our conquests—”

“Don’t lie to me, boy!” Lucifer roared so unexpectedly that those assembled jumped. “You have coveted her right from the start. I would never have trusted you with this had I known the extent of your obsession.”

Jake looked up to meet his father’s gaze. His jaw was twitching now. “It’s what you taught me to do: Reach out and take what I want.”

Lucifer gave a hollow chuckle and his tone softened. “To want is different than to need,” he said. “You wanted the boy with the lame leg and the brat from Buchenwald. But Bethany … you need her and your attachment is weakening you, siphoning your strength. It disturbs me to see one of my strongest fall like this.”

“I will redeem myself, Father,” Jake said.

“You will indeed,” Lucifer replied. “I will see to it personally that you do.”

“What can I do?” Jake bowed his head and Lucifer clicked his tongue softly.

“You are my child, one of my most accomplished children. Don’t worry.” He smiled indulgently. “Daddy will fix everything.”

“He’s not one of your children,” I cut in, unable to stop myself. My mouth appeared to have made a decision independently of me and kept moving even though I knew with every fiber of my being that I should shut up. “If you recall it was My Father who created him … and you, by the way.”

Jake spun on his heels and flashed me a deadly glare. Lucifer only cocked his head to one side and regarded me with mild amusement.

“Look around you, little angel,” he said. “The world is in ruins and you are in Hell. Where is your father now? Why doesn’t he come and save you? Either he doesn’t care or he isn’t as powerful as you seem to think.”

“He had the power to cast you out of Heaven,” I said brazenly.

“And why do you think he did that?” Lucifer flashed me a brilliant smile. “Why do you think he built this underground cage to contain me? It’s because he was scared. One does not need to lock up that which is not dangerous.”

“If you’re so dangerous why don’t you bust out?” I challenged.

“Can’t.” Lucifer shrugged and waved a hand around him.

“But I can breed an army and send them out in my place. It’s called a loophole, darlin’.” He turned his attention to Jake.

“I admit I can see the attraction. She’s quite spirited, isn’t she?”

“I’m sorry, Father,” Jake implored. “She doesn’t know what she’s saying, do not take offense.”

“I’m not offended,” Lucifer said, “but I’m afraid you cannot keep her.”

Jake’s eyes filled with alarm despite his efforts to appear composed.

“Is it true what your brothers tell me … did she conjure life?” Lucifer asked.

“Yes, but it was an accident. It won’t happen again, I’ll make sure of it,” Jake insisted.

“You’re not following me, boy. Her presence has raised hope. You introduce hope in Hell and everything we’ve worked for goes up in smoke.”

“I’ll keep her under lock and key. I’ll do whatever it takes. You have my word.”

“I can feel the righteousness rolling off her in waves. It’s nauseating. Is it just me or can anyone else feel it? She’s already infected our world with her compassion and that dreary lovethy-neighbor attitude. Her very presence here is an aberration.”

“But, Father, think of the gains.”

Lucifer looked dismissively at Jake. I could see he was ready to bring the proceedings to a close. “I gave you permission to bring her here; I never said she could stay.”

“You cannot take her from me!” Jake sounded like a petulant child and even stamped his foot.

Lucifer leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “There is nothing I cannot do if I so desire,” he replied. “You are at my mercy here and don’t you forget it. I could strip you of your powers for this. Lucky for you, I don’t like to see my sons downtrodden.” He gave an exaggerated sigh. “I can’t help my paternal instincts.”

“So you’re going to send her back?” Jake sounded crushed.

“Send her back?” Lucifer arched an eyebrow. “This ain’t some fairy tale, boy. We don’t work that way down here, you of all people should know that.” He shook his head in dismay. “See the damage she has done to you