"Including you!"
"That doesn't count. I wasn't in my right mind then."
I stared at the waterfall as I voiced the secret dream I'd had over the last few months, one I'd been scared to even really consider since I didn't know if I'd be able to get Lucifer back. "While you were away, Asmodeus bought Brandy a house on the beach in southern California. I was thinking I'd like to live near her, since I miss her a lot, and she's pregnant too. We could raise our kids together." Then the hope faded as the reality of the situation hit me again. "But I also don’t want to put her or her family in any danger. You and I are always going to be Lucifer and Hannah, Demon King and Queen, War and Famine. We're never going to have a quiet life."
"No, although at the moment that sounds lovely." He stared at the waterfall for a few moments, then turned back to me. "We should do it. We'll always have duties and responsibilities, and there will always be some danger, but we deserve happiness too. As for Brandy and her family, we'll make sure they are well-protected at all times."
Could we really make it work? I wasn't sure. While Lucifer had been gone, it felt like everything in the demon world was so precarious, like it could all easily crumble to dust if I wasn't there to hold it together. But maybe if we managed to stop Pestilence and Fenrir things would calm down for a while. We'd be able to step back from the demon world, delegate more to our Archdemons, and enjoy a small amount of peace. I could dream, anyway.
A soft whinnying sound caught my attention, and we turned to see our two spectral horses moving through the grass. My ever-present gargoyle guards drew their weapons, but I held out a hand to show them this wasn't a threat. War's horse was red and huge, both beautiful and terrifying at once, though he no longer left fiery hoof prints behind him. Mine was smaller and jet black, with a luxurious mane that blew gently in the breeze.
"Where did they come from?" I asked.
Lucifer took my hand as we rose to our feet and walked over to the horses. "I'm not sure, but they will vanish when not needed. Perhaps they live in Void and can cross over somehow."
"That's so strange."
"The strangest thing for me was that Strife was the only one I could speak with the whole time I was locked in Heaven.” He greeted his horse like a long-lost friend. "Not that he ever said much back, but I enjoyed his company nonetheless."
The red horse nuzzled against Lucifer's hand, and I reached out to touch mine more tentatively. Her coat was smooth and clean, and I ran my hand over it, wondering what it would be like to ride her. She had no saddle, but I had memories of riding horses in various past lives, though I was surely out of practice now. I was tempted to climb onto her back, but I was pregnant. Then again, I was also a Horseman now, and somehow I knew I wouldn't fall off this horse that I was bonded to on a spiritual level.
"My horse is named Misery, though I'm not sure how I know that," I said. "We've only met once so far, right after I became Famine. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with her. Did I need to feed her? Brush her? House her?"
"They're Elder Gods themselves, in a way," Lucifer said. "Or maybe they're part of our own essence. I don't really know. Either way, they don't need to eat or sleep, just like we don't, though they might enjoy a good brushing now and then."
"I guess we're bound to them for the rest of time," I said. "If we get a new place to live, we should make sure there's a space for them."
Lucifer patted his horse with a smile. "We should go for a ride sometime. The only thing I enjoyed while in Heaven was riding Strife—he's faster than even I can fly."
"Good idea. Out in the desert sometime maybe?"
Our conversation was interrupted by a scream outside the garden, over by one of the hotel's pools. Lucifer and I were instantly on alert, and my gargoyle guard surrounded us with weapons drawn and their bat-like wings already out. When we rushed toward the sound, we were met by Azazel, her weapons drawn.
"It's Pestilence," she said. "He's here."
17
Hannah
A ripple of fear went through me, but I kept calm and nodded. I'd prepared for this, and I just had to make sure everything went according to plan. "Sound the alarm and have everyone get into position!"
"What's the plan?" Lucifer asked. We hadn't had time to go over it yet—we'd thought we would have a few weeks before Pestilence returned, at least.
"Just follow my lead." I didn't really have time to explain, not when Pestilence was on his sickly white horse, trotting around the large sparkling blue pool that had dozens of guests in or around it. Now they were either screaming and running, or falling to the ground sick—or worse. A few dead bodies already floated in the pool, and I swallowed hard at the sight of them. Pestilence laughed as he spread more sickness out in a putrid cloud and my hatred for him only increased, which I didn't think was possible.
My gargoyle guards rushed to form a barrier in front of Pestilence, their stone skin protecting them from his deadly plague, and that allowed a few more of the tourists to escape. What we didn't expect was that Pestilence wasn't alone this time—he'd brought a group of imps and shifter allies, and they all radiated disease like some sort of super-spreaders as they chased down other unsuspecting humans.
"He could infect the whole Strip if we don't stop him!" Lucifer said, as
