“Yeah, yeah, I know.” She growled. “I saw you with that woman earlier.” She snarled, but went on. “Baalth let it slip that you’d had a visit from Lucifer, and I wanted to be sure you were okay.”
Baalth didn’t let anything slip. If Veronica knew it was because Baalth wanted her to know and it served a purpose. The only question was whose? “So, you’re following me because you’re worried, huh?”
She shifted on her feet again. “Well, not just that.”
I laughed and motioned for her to continue.
She swallowed, and it took a moment for her to respond. “Baalth wanted to know what Lucifer told you.”
“Why? Was he afraid Lucifer might spill some grand secret?” I laughed again. “Like maybe that I’m his son and not his nephew?”
Veronica’s eyes shot wide.
“Damn it, you knew! Are you fucking kidding me?” My cheeks went nuclear and I stuffed my hands in my pockets to keep from throttling the life from her.
Her own cheeks turned pink as she stumbled over her words. “I–I-I just…shit, Frank. I just found out myself. Honest.”
I drew in a deep breath and paced in a circle. For all our history, Veronica was a loyal subject to Baalth since he freed her from Hell. She’d have kept the secret to her grave if Baalth had asked her to, but it pissed me off every time I was reminded of her priorities. We hadn’t had the best of marriages, but damn, a secret like me being the son of the Devil isn’t something you keep from your ex. It was just proof of the divide between us. Evil Knievel wouldn’t try to jump that shit.
“Well, Veronica, I’m fine. When Baalth gets back, if he ever does, you can tell him Lucifer didn’t tell me shit.”
She grabbed my arm. “What do you mean, if he gets back?”
I turned and met her eyes. There wasn’t a hint of deceit there. She didn’t know. Shit. This was the second time I’d had to break the bad news, and I didn’t like the job. “Baalth was hurt…hurt bad. He’s gone to Lucifer to see if God can piece him back together.”
Veronica stumbled and I caught her before she could fall. Her moist eyes rolled to meet mine. “He’s gone?”
“He’s a stubborn bastard, you know that. He’ll be fine.” I hoped she couldn’t see the doubt in my eyes. He’d looked like nuked dogshit, and I wasn’t sure he’d make it even halfway there. Then there was the whole thing about God having to be the one to heal him. Baalth had better hope the Big Guy was in a forgiving mood or he needed Baalth for the war effort, otherwise it’d be a long trip for nothing. “Poe on the other hand…” I’d tried to bite that last bit back to keep from piling on, but something deep down inside me didn’t think it was right. While I hated Marcus, he looked like a lost dog when I dropped Poe’s body off. I didn’t have time to help the guy with the DSI showing up, and all. He could use some support, and Veronica would be better at it than me.
“Dead?”
I just nodded. The tears in her eyes broke free and spilled down her cheeks.
“Marcus is gonna need someone, you know?”
Veronica squeezed my arm and pulled away, wiping at her face. “I better go.” She gave me a quick hug that lingered a little long, and then finally pulled away. After a quick peck on the cheek, she started down the hall only to stop after about ten steps. She turned back to me and whispered, “I’m…I’m sorry.”
I waved her apology off. “Don’t worry about it.” She stared at me for a moment, her eyes moist, and then left.
Once she was gone, my senses ringing blank, I went back to where Mihheer was being held. He was still out when I got there.
“You take the scenic route?” Katon asked, holding his hand out.
I passed him the skin key and shrugged. “Ran into trouble.”
Rahim and Katon stiffened but I waved it off. “It was just Veronica. It’s good.”
Katon shook his head and handed Michael the piece of skin. The mentalist took it in a tentative grip and rolled his eyes toward me. “You didn’t say it was written on a chunk of someone’s ass.”
“Asmoday’s, to be specific, but you didn’t ask.”
He grunted and stared at the tablet. “This is going to take some time.” He turned to Rahim. “Can you keep him out for a while?”
Rahim shrugged. “We can at headquarters. Out here, all I can do is imitate Frank and hope it doesn’t kill him.”
“Then let’s take him to DRAC and make sure he’s shut down. I want to find out where his master has taken Scarlett.” Katon’s fists were clenched as he inched closer to Mihheer. He wanted his turn, and only his concern for Scarlett was holding him back.
Rahim saw it, too. “Let’s go. You got everything you need, Frank?”
I thought about it for a second and decided it was best if I didn’t go with them. “You don’t need me there. I want to stir up the cavalry for Scarlett and check in on Karra. Chatterbox still can’t reach her. It’s starting to make me nervous.” I turned to Michael. “Leave a link open, please. I’m gonna need help if I want to make the trip quickly.” He nodded, and I looked at Rahim. “Can I hitch a ride out?”
The wizard nodded, and I told him where I wanted to go. After a round of goodbyes, we went our separate ways.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Back in Iran, I was starting to wonder how many more times I’d be able to pop up outside Eden before word got out that I was the son of Satan. I can’t imagine I’d be very welcome after that, not that I was now. Fortunately, this time, I’d phoned ahead for Duke Forcalor. I didn’t want to play pat-a-cake with Uriel. I think he already knew who I was, which was probably why he was so hostile. Can’t say I blame him.
As I stood on the hot desert sand waiting for the duke to drop down from Heaven, I picked up another familiar essence alongside him. Narrowing my eyes, I raised my hand to shield them from the sun and stared upward. Two golden trails spiraled down toward me, one a good distance ahead of the other.
My pulse raced as I watched them descend. I had to turn away as the first of the angels hit, dirt kicked up into my face. It didn’t matter. I knew who it was the instant she grabbed me by the back of my neck and pressed her sword against my throat. I was amused until I felt the point of her blade.
“Is that a sword at my neck, or are you just happy to see me?”
“What did you do, Frank?” Scarlett screamed.
She was alive. I took a tentative breath, doing my best not to help her slit my throat, and smiled. “Glad to see you’re alive, cousin. We’ve been worried you.” Forcalor landed behind her.
“I’ve been in Limbo, looking for Azrael.” She pressed a little harder against her blade. “Where is he, Frank?”
My first instinct was to plead innocent, seeing how she hadn’t asked if I’d killed him. His body should have been right where I left it. Since it obviously wasn’t, I didn’t see any reason to take credit for killing her prisoner. “I don’t know.”
It’s hard to think being bad isn’t inherited at this point. At least, technically, I didn’t lie to her.
Scarlett glared at me. “Don’t tell me you didn’t have anything to do with his disappearance. There was blood and a bunch of bullet shells, DA slayers to boot, all over the place.”
“Hey, don’t get me wrong, I matched stubborn silence with violence, but I don’t know where’s he’s gone.” That was the truth, if you don’t count the twinge of his essence I’d stolen after I shot him in the head. I certainly didn’t know where his body went. “I didn’t get the answers I was looking for and he wasn’t talking. We left it at that.”
She stared at me for a long, frightening moment, before she pushed me away with an angry grunt. “Then he could be anywhere in Limbo, by now.”
I didn’t think he could get far with a hole in his head, unless something came along and scooped him up.
