After the Fall

Sal nodded. “He was a god among men.”

“Yes, he was, but I digress. Well, the hazel-eyed woman was a sight to behold. And the devilishly handsome archangel had lain with most of the beautiful women in the land, all except for one.”

“No,” Lash groaned. “I won’t listen to your lies.”

“Please, no interruptions. I haven’t gotten to the best part yet,” Lucifer said sweetly. “Oh, but you look in such pain. I’ll get to the point. Nine months later, the lovely woman gave birth to a dark-haired son. The boy was different from his older brother, always questioning, doing his own will—the complete opposite of his brother and very much like his father. Can you guess who he is?”

“Lies. Lies. It’s all a lie,” Lash growled.

“Every word I’ve uttered, every vision I’ve shown you; they all are true.” Lucifer’s voice dropped to a low pitch. “And deep inside yourself, you know it.”

Lash snarled and threw himself forward, desperate to get loose and strangle Lucifer. He gasped as the chains around his waist pressed against him, searing deep into him. His head fell to his chest as he struggled to breathe. “Raphael...Raphael is my father.”

There was a rumble deep in Lucifer’s chest. “Look at me, Lahash!”

Lash squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to listen to Lucifer’s demands. He thought of Raphael and the words he had said to him in the courtyard not so long ago. “I’ve always been a father to you,” he had said.

I’ve always been a father to you.

I’ve always been a father to you.

A father.

A father.

My father.

He held onto those words and repeated them in his mind like a mantra, refusing to listen to Lucifer’s obvious deception.

He heard the sound of bubbling liquid, and a sudden gust of heat slammed into his body. Then searing liquid splattered onto his chest, and he wailed in agony.

Against his will, he felt his head being lifted and his eyes being drawn open. Once they were open, he saw Lucifer’s hand up, manipulating him and the lava to do his will.

“Look at me and see the truth that is set before your eyes, Lahash. It is Raphael who has lied to you. He is not your father.”

The cave grew still. The only sound was the crunching of volcanic rock as Lucifer took a step forward to the edge of the lake.

“I am.”

Crushing waves of white noise filled Lash’s ears, beating, pounding Lucifer’s words into his mind.

I am.

I am.

I am!

Lash jerked his head to the side. No! I won’t believe!

“Look at me, Lahash!”

Again his head was pulled in Lucifer’s direction, and what he so desperately wanted to deny was standing right in front of him. He took in Lucifer’s tall, lithe body, his dark wavy hair. A wave of cold smashed into his heart, shattering it into a million pieces. He closed his eyes in despair.

It’s true. He moaned. That’s why Raphael loved Jeremy. Jeremy was Raphael’s true son, and he...he was a bastard.

“Ah, I see you have accepted your fate. You’ve never really fit in with Raphael and his family, heavenly or earthly. I regret that I did not take you in sooner, but I was young then, and my sole focus was to build my empire. By the time I was ready for you to join me, you were gone.” He clapped his hands together and smiled. “Well, that’s all in the past. Now we can start over. And with Naomi and you in our little family, we can defeat anyone who decides to challenge us as I move toward my total domination of Earth.”

Lash’s eyes flashed open. “I told you, she’ll never join you, and neither will I,” he seethed. “I don’t care who you are. You can kill me, and still, Michael and the others will defeat you.”

Lucifer laughed. “I do not fear Michael’s army. His belief in the free will of man, or shall I say men and women, is his downfall. Oh, I’m very secure, and my association with Senator Jane Sutherland guarantees it. It is she who will lead us to the victory I seek.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Lahash, I’m shocked. Surely, a seraph would have taken the time to learn human spiritual writings. Even Saleos here knows the prophecy. Tell him, Saleos.”

“It is foretold that ‘a woman, known as the whore of Babylon sitting on a scarlet beast, will make herself drunk with the blood of saints and will be the leader among leaders on Earth.’ Anything else I need to teach him?” Saleos scowled.

“No, I’ll take the liberty of telling him the good part,” Lucifer said. “It is written that ‘the beast’”—he grinned, tapping his broad chest—“‘will hate the whore and will burn her with fire.’ Hate is a strong word. Maybe not hate, but I do admit she’s turning out to be a handful lately.”

What have I done? Lash felt the blood drain from his face. All those years ago when he was on that plane, he had thought he was saving two children, instead of just the one he was assigned to. He thought he was saving a kind-hearted little girl, and now she turned out to be what humans considered the antichrist? Was this all his fault?

No, he had to believe that Michael would’ve had someone else go after her if they thought she was a threat. “That’ll never happen. Michael will stop you both.”

“Ah, but it has already begun. Although I will miss my dear sweet Jane once she has served her use.” He looked intently at Lash. “My son, there is no need for you to have her fate. I ask you one last time. Will you join us?”

Lash glared at him. “No.”

Lucifer’s lips tightened into a thin line, and his eyes narrowed. “So, be it. Saleos, head out to the press conference in Gardenville. No one is to touch our precious Jane. Hear me?”

Sal nodded.

“You two,” he snapped at the pair of dark angels. They went to him quickly and bowed. “Bring Naomi here. Alone. Have your way with her, then kill her.”

Two pairs of black eyes turned to Lash, giving him an evil smirk.

“No!” Lash roared as he jerked on his chains. “Don’t you touch her!”

Lucifer turned to him, his eyes cold. “Make sure he is kept alive long enough to see it.”

18

Naomi stood at the entrance to the hospital room, watching Chuy as he slept. His large body was sprawled over the chair in the corner. On the other side of the room, Megan slept on the edge of Emma’s bed, clutching her tiny hand. The only sounds in the room were the beeps and whirls of the machines and Chuy’s soft snoring.

When she returned to the room, she had found Chuy and Megan planning how they would turn the media’s attention to the damage Prescott Oil was doing to Gardenville and other small towns in Texas. Chuy had told her that Lalo was close to getting all the information they needed and would give it to them at the press conference, which was to be held in an open field just outside of Prescott Oil’s business offices. Megan had made one final call to Emma’s father, making sure that he would be there by morning to watch over her. It seemed everything was set and all they had to do was wait for morning.

The sun peeped out of the horizon, turning the sky into a haze of pink and purple. Naomi glanced at the clock and frowned. Jeremy wasn’t back yet, and in only a few more hours, Chuy and Megan would be leaving to the location where Senator Sutherland was making her presidential announcement.

Jeremy had been gone for what seemed like a long time. She warred with the thought of going after him.