“Have the human male captured and brought to me. The angels are to be neutralized. Make no distinction between angels and the fallen — kill them all. Mobilize every minion in this castle immediately. And locate my sisters. I have something special in mind for them.”
Nodding, the demonic pair disappeared leaving Satan alone in his office. His blood continued to boil as he waited for his quarry to be delivered. With the balance disrupted he would send his sisters into the human realm to prepare for his arrival. For now he had Lucifer to torture and Katia to bend to his will. If they thought they could beat him in his own house, they were out of their fucking minds. Game on.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Katia’s heart sank to her feet as she and Uriel stood in front of an impressively solid door that glittered in the shifting light of the hallway. The seemingly impenetrable door was the only thing standing between her and her brother’s freedom. There was no lock, no key, only a handle that refused to turn. Katia sighed in frustration and threw her hands up in the air.
“How are we supposed to get this open?” she asked, turning to her father. Katia raised a questioning eyebrow at the amused look on her father’s face. Katia couldn’t help smiling back at him; the crooked smile that lifted up his lips made him look younger and more carefree. The constant sadness that darkened his eyes and had vanished and was replaced by a devilish sparkle making him look like a mischievous twenty-five year old. That this man was her father astounded her, anyone looking at the pair of them would take him for her brother in a heartbeat. To complete his roguish transformation, Uriel gave Katia a sly wink.
“You don’t give angels enough credit, my daughter. There are some benefits to my state of being, starting with the ability to call upon the power of the light to counter dark magic. As fate would have it, this door has been sealed through the use of said dark magic.” Lifting his hand palm up, Uriel showed Katia the angelic sigil glowing upon it. It sparkled pure and golden.
“Wow,” Katia breathed. “It’s beautiful.”
“And incredibly useful for opening doors," Uriel said with a wide smile.
Katia laughed as her father placed his palm against the door, whispering an incantation she couldn't quite make out. Seconds later she heard the sound of gears and tumblers moving and they were music to Katia’s ears.
“That is the most fantastic sound I’ve heard all day,” she said turning to her father with a smile.
Uriel grabbed Katia’s hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze as he pushed the door lightly, swinging it open to reveal the second door. “One more to go,” he said. Katia could barely contain her excitement as Uriel worked his magic on the inner door. Here she was, standing at her father’s side as they worked together to free her twin. The only person missing was her birth mother. Katia felt a twinge of regret that she would never know the amazing woman who's love had inspired an angel to defy the universe. Pushing those thoughts aside, Katia turned her mind to her brother. As the inner door began to swing open, she grasped Uriel’s hand and looked up at him. As their eyes met, Katia saw anticipation and trepidation warring within. Blowing out a shaky breath she nodded to him and they stepped over the threshold of the darkened cell together. The room was quiet as the grave, so Katia heard the intake of breath from across the room as clear as a bell. Uriel muttered an incantation, “Lux es tenebris.”
“Light from darkness,” she whispered. As the words left her lips, light exploded as a caldelabra came to life, flames licking upwards. Light bathed the stone cell in a soft, warm light, illuminating a young man crouched in the far corner of the room. Katia’s breath hitched. Her eyes devoured the young man’s face. Caught up in the surreal moment, Katia almost missed the low, raspy whisper as he spoke.
“You’re really here,” he whispered incredulously.
Releasing her father’s hand, Katia stepped tentatively toward her brother. Her eyes stung as tears threatened to spill. Rising from his crouch, her brother took a halting step forward. Katia sobbed, unable to hold it all in any longer. As the sound escaped her, an invisible wall between them crumbled and they rushed toward each other. Katia flung her arms around him with so much force she almost knocked him off his feet. Her brother hugged her tight to his chest and buried his face in the crook of her neck.
“Keir,” Katia sobbed.
“What?” he rasped quietly. “What is Keir?”
“You, your name,” Katia said as she squeezed him tighter. A feeling of completion washed over her as she connected with the missing half of herself. She felt him shiver in her arms.
“I have a name.” Keir began to sob quietly.
Tears streamed down Katia’s face as she spoke. “Yes, and you have a sister and a father...I'm Katia...well, Elaina...I have two names...long story.”
Uriel stepped forward. “My son,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.
Katia stepped to Keir's side allowing him face Uriel. The two men stood staring at each other for a moment before stepping forward and embracing. They held each other tight until Keir began to laugh. Katia and Uriel shared a dumbfounded look as they watched him. Keir continued laughing and swiping at tears with the back of his hand as they leaked out of his eyes. Straightening, he shot them a radiant smile that transformed his face.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s just that I’ve dreamed of this my entire life. I’m not quite sure what to say or do. This is everything I’ve ever wanted. A family, people I belong to. There has always been this…hole in
