"But one of us will have to make a sacrifice to host Famine," Olivia said in a quiet voice.
"I'll do it," Kassiel said, and everyone else at the table chimed in offering their bodies instead. Warmth filled my chest, along with a heavy dose of sadness. There was so much love at this table. So much bravery. I couldn't bear to lose any of them either.
Zel rose to her feet. "It has to be me. I'm the oldest and strongest, and unlike the others here, I have nothing to lose." Her dark eyes turned to me, glimmering with both pain and determination. "You know it's true."
I pressed my lips together, but then nodded. Azazel was a good choice, as much as I hated to admit it. She was one of the few who might be able to control the Elder God inside her, and unlike the others, she wasn't in a relationship. She'd lost her fated mate years ago, and as far as I could tell, she had never truly gotten over it. I wasn't sure she could.
But she was also my oldest and dearest friend, who had stood by my side for centuries, across hundreds of different lives. What if she became a monster like Lucifer? Would I have to stop her next?
The thought brought tears to my eyes, but I knew she was right too—it had to be her.
"It's decided then," I said. "Azazel will become Famine's host. Einial, please send a message to High King Oberon informing him we will need admittance to Faerie as soon as possible."
"I'm going with you," Kassiel said. "And we'll need to get Damien too."
My chest tightened at the thought of finally seeing my other son. I'd wanted to visit him in Faerie for months now, but it had never worked out with everything else going on. Now we needed him—Damien was one of the only people who could open Famine's tomb.
"Before you go, let me check on you," Marcus said, rising to his feet. "Are you sure you're not injured from Lucifer's attack?"
"I'm fine," I said, for what felt like the hundredth time. No one seemed to believe that Lucifer had never really been a threat to me. Or that I could take care of myself, even while pregnant.
"You should let him check you out, Mom," Kassiel said. "Or at least check the baby. We want to make sure you're both fit to travel to Faerie."
"Okay, okay." Yes, I was six months pregnant, but I was also an immortal being with Archangel blood and memories dating back thousands of years. I wasn't exactly fragile. But I knew their concern was only a sign of love, so I made myself let it go.
Marcus walked around the table to crouch beside me. I turned enough for him to put his hand on my bump, and a soft white glow emitted from his palms. “Your daughter is strong and powerful. Just like you."
"Thank you." I let out a slight sigh of relief. Not that I'd been worried, but after losing a daughter before, it was always a comfort to know this one was doing well.
"I should go with you too," Marcus said, as he stood up. "Just to be safe."
"No, I need you to stay here in case Pestilence returns," I said. "If he does, the people at this hotel will need your healing desperately. You'll remain, along with Olivia, Bastien, and Callan."
Callan jumped to his feet. "Fuck that. I'm coming with you. The others can stay, but you need at least one angel with you. That's my niece in there, after all."
I pressed my lips together, but then reluctantly nodded. I should have known he would be eager to go with me as soon as I told them my plan. "All right, and we'll take some of the gargoyles too. Samael and Einial, I need you to keep things running here while I'm gone."
"Of course," Samael said. "We'll be prepared in case Adam or Lucifer should return."
For their sake, I prayed that didn't happen, or I might not have a kingdom left once I returned from Faerie.
6
Lucifer
A thin sliver of moon hanging over California lit my way as I galloped toward Angel Peak, a small angel-only town where Archangel Gabriel currently resided. Like a fool, I'd once made peace with the angels, but War had shown me the error of my ways—and now it was time to start that ancient battle once again. It was eternal and endless, the conflict between light and dark, good and evil, day and night. It was not about the victor, but about the fight itself, and it must continue.
The angel woman, the one living among the demons and carrying my child, she wouldn’t want war. Somehow I was certain of that. But what she wanted didn’t matter. All that mattered was bringing the angels to their knees. Then the humans, and the fae after that.
Using my powers of darkness made concealing myself easy in the shadows of the night as Strife rocketed through towns, down highways, and over large swathes of land. It felt like no time at all before we stopped in the front yard of Gabriel’s quaint little mountain home, situated near Seraphim Academy, where all the good little angel boys and girls went to school.
“Gabriel!” I thundered as Strife cantered around the house. "Show yourself!"
When I reached the back porch, I found him waiting for me. Gabriel was sipping a beer and seemed to be expecting me. With his sandy hair, faded jeans, and friendly face he looked like someone's favorite uncle, not the leader of all of angelkind.
“Hello, Lucifer,” he said in a sad voice. A weak voice. “They told me you’d found a way out of Heaven. I wondered if you’d pay me a visit.”
"We have unfinished business between the two of us." I jumped from Strife and he reared back with a loud squeal, then thundered away. He’d
