She shrugged a little, though it made her wince. "I make no promises."
"My queen, the portal is ready," Mirabella said, from behind me.
"Thank you." I ordered everyone to go through it, while I did my best to repair the area. The spot where I'd healed Zel would never recover though, I feared. It would remain lifeless, a grim memorial to her neath death.
Callan carried her through the portal, and then there were only a few of us left. I glanced back at the tomb and the statue towering over it one last time, feeling a strange mix of affinity and hatred for the place, no doubt from this new part of me that had been trapped there for thousands of years.
Mirabella lightly touched my elbow. "Before you go, I wish to thank you for saving me and Eira from Famine."
I blinked at her. "Eira?"
"Fenrir's daughter, the ice wolf. She's half-fae from the Winter Court. Her mother died when she was a baby, so she was raised by Fenrir among shifters. She was a messenger for the demons like me, and a good friend, at least until Fenrir turned against Lucifer." Her voice trailed off with a hint of sadness. It was a good reminder that this civil war had torn apart our people, and Lucifer and I would have to do a lot of work to heal it, even once we stopped Fenrir. At least Nemesis was gone now.
"I do everything I can to protect my people," I said to Mirabella.
She bowed low, and I turned toward the portal. It was time to get back to Earth to face Lucifer.
To face War.
12
Lucifer
After realizing the woman and my child were gone, I'd destroyed the penthouse in a rage. I barely remembered any of it, and only came out of my berserker frenzy when Samael and some angels rushed in to try to stop me. How foolish they were, thinking they could stand against me. A touch of my power turned them into mindless warriors craving blood, and now Samael served me once more. As for the angels that were with him, they were chained up in the basement of The Celestial. We'd use them as prisoners of war, or possibly bait, if needed.
I poured myself a drink and stood on the edge of the balcony, gazing down at the city I owned. A city that would soon know bloodshed and terror as the war between angels and demons began once more. Samael was currently rallying our forces, preparing them for battle. Soon the angels would be here too. My blood raced at the thought of the fighting that would soon break out across these brightly-lit streets. I craved the clash of weapons and the spray of blood, the cries of agony and of triumph.
I turned back to look at the destroyed furniture inside my penthouse. The black leather couches and the piano had been familiar to me, bringing back many memories, but other parts of my past were gaping black holes. Now they were in pieces, the leather ripped, the piano smashed. No matter. It was better this way. There wasn’t a room in my home that didn’t smell of the woman, and her presence invaded me with every breath I drew.
But she wasn’t here now. Samael wouldn't tell me where she'd gone either. Somehow he managed to resist that one question, but I would get an answer soon. Those who wouldn't bend to my will would break.
I needed to find the woman and bring her here. Now that I'd kissed her, her absence created a hole in my chest, one I hadn’t expected and didn’t know how to fill.
As soon as I had that thought, War filled me with fury at the woman for making me feel that way. Now that I'd taken my rightful place as Demon King, I needed nothing and no one but myself. Especially not her.
Samael appeared in the entrance of the penthouse. “Lucifer.”
“Your king,” I corrected him. I gave him a hard look, and he inclined his head.
“My king. A large group of angels is approaching the city."
"Excellent." I downed the rest of my drink. "Are our soldiers ready?"
"Yes, but..." He hesitated, and I felt him fight against my control. "Are you sure this is the best course of action?"
“You dare to question me?" I slammed my empty glass onto the bar, and it shattered in my hand. "The war against the angels never should have ended. I made a mistake when I made peace with them, but the days of peace are over now. We won't stop until they surrender, or we destroy every single one of them."
Samael gave a quick shake of his head but pressed his lips into a line. "Of course, my king."
The bastard was stubborn, no doubt about it, and far too calm for my War powers to incite. But I had other tricks as Lucifer. I hadn’t used my persuasive powers on Samael in a very long time, but I couldn't have him questioning me either.
"You followed me when we first left Heaven and made Hell our home. You will follow me again now." I laced power into my words and gave him a cocky smile. "We can’t let the angels win after all these years, can we?"
“No, we can't,” he murmured. His strength finally gave out against my own, and he bowed his head. "I will follow you anywhere, my king. Even into this war."
"There will be no war," the woman's voice said behind me.
I jerked my head toward the penthouse entrance, where the angel woman known as Hannah stood. Something about her was different, and it took me a moment to realize why—she emanated the power of an Elder God. How the fuck was that possible?
Three tall, dark-haired men fanned out behind her, and more confusion invaded my
