Then Lucifer reluctantly released Evangeline, and she turned to go. Just as she was about to enter the portal, she glanced back at me and gave me a small nod. I returned the gesture, and she disappeared, the portal closing behind her.
Then Lucifer turned his starlight eyes on me and said, “Granddaughter,” and held out his arms to me as he had to Evangeline.
I felt compelled to run to him, to embrace him, to feel the warm glow of his approval on me, to kneel to him and call him my lord. This last impulse checked me. I might be his granddaughter, but I was also—as I had told Evangeline—my own self. I was Madeline Black, and I kneeled to no one.
I walked to him sedately, and put my hands in his. He kissed each one of my cheeks and the magic in my blood sang out in recognition of its kin. The room grew brighter, filled with the light of two suns, and I heard a gasp.
I looked toward the bend in the cavern and saw Azazel, Gabriel and—ugh—Nathaniel. My father looked like he was about to bust open with pride, but I had no eyes for him. It was Gabriel I was concerned with, Gabriel who was smiling at me. I felt relief bloom in my chest. He was alive. He was safe.
Then I met Nathaniel’s astonished gaze—he was the one who had gasped—and gave him a nod of thanks. His head bobbed up and down in response but I think he was a little shell-shocked at the idea that his betrothed was related to Lucifer.
“My granddaughter,” Lucifer said, and I turned my gaze back to his. “Tell me what has happened here.”
So I told him, about Ariell and Ramuell, about the plot to overthrow him that started with Evangeline and their children and continued even as Ariell was the last conspirator to survive Evangeline’s wrath. I told him of Evangeline’s decision to go with Michael, and of her attempts to kill Ariell through me. I told him of Antares and his attacks upon me. I told him that Ramuell had eaten Ariell, and torn my heart from my body. I told him that I had returned to life and killed the nephilim with the light of the sun. I didn’t mention Ariell’s child. I didn’t want to draw Lucifer’s attention to half-nephilim children with Gabriel standing right there. He might decide to change his mind about the stay of execution he’d granted so many years ago on Gabriel’s life.
Lucifer said nothing as I recited my tale, only kept my hands grasped in his and his eerie starlit eyes fixed on my face. When I was finished I was a little hoarse, and very tired. My injuries were gone but it took a lot out of a girl, coming back from the dead to defeat evil.
“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.
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.
