“Don’t try this on anyone else yet,” I said.
She shook her head. “We’ll wait and see if it takes.”
Chloe stepped into the hall to find someone who could help her bring the man back to the rooms they had prepared for the victims.
I stood, feeling drained, and looked at J.B. “Call me if you want me to help the special teams.”
He nodded. “I think we have it under control, but you could help by trying to find out where Focalor is. We know from my mother that he’s part of this.”
“He may just be in his court,” I said, thinking of Focalor’s appearance at Samiel’s trial.
“We’re not going to try to beard the lion in his den again, are we?” Beezle asked. “Because that didn’t go so well last time.”
“No,” I said. “I think I’ll give Grandpa a call.”
I dialed Lucifer’s number—yes, that really is as weird as it sounds, giving Satan a phone call—and waited for him to pick up. I got his voice mail.
“Azazel said Lucifer hasn’t been answering his calls,” I said to Gabriel.
“You think Lord Lucifer is in some kind of danger?” Gabriel asked.
“More likely he’s on vacation in Aruba and has his phone shut off,” I said.
“Or he’s decided to see if you can handle the pressure from your marriage yourself,” Beezle said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“He gave you what you wanted; now he wants to see if you deserved it,” he replied. “I could kill for a cupcake right about now.”
“Forget it,” I said, thinking over the implications of what Beezle had just said. “You think Lucifer is purposely waiting to see what kind of fallout there is because I married Gabriel?”
“It is an excellent way to see which of his courts would openly object, and which would fall in line,” Gabriel said. “Remember what we discussed this morning.”
I believe, truly believe, that we are permitted to exist only at his sufferance, and because it does, as you say, amuse him to watch us.
“If that’s the case, then Beezle’s probably right—”
“I usually am.”
“—and Focalor probably will send someone to kill me.”
J.B. looked troubled. “Should I assign a team to you for protection?”
I shook my head. “I can handle whatever Focalor’s got.”
And I don’t want any more blood on my hands than I have already, I thought. Most Agents, even highly trained ones, were not even remotely prepared for the kinds of horrors that lurked in a demon court.
“Make sure she doesn’t get hurt,” J.B. said to Gabriel, and they shared a long look.
“Why is it that when you two decide to be manly men you act like I’m not in the room?” I said crossly. “Come on, I’m sure we need to feed Beezle something healthy.”
“Carrot cake has carrots in it,” Beezle said hopefully.
“Yeah, and cream cheese frosting has calcium, too, I suppose,” I replied.
“I think the food pyramid is really about interpretation,” Beezle said.
We retrieved our weapons from security and went out onto the roof. Amarantha was missing, thank goodness.
“I forgot to apologize to J.B. for setting his mother on him full-time. He can’t be happy about that,” I said as we took flight. It was starting to snow lightly—like we needed more snow. It had taken me, Gabriel and Samiel hours to shovel the walk and the gangway.
Samiel tapped my shoulder. Do you think that Amarantha would try to stay in touch with her cohorts, even though she’s a ghost? We still don’t know who the third party is, the one who provided the technology to extract memories.
“You think we should track her?” I asked, intrigued. “That’s a good idea. She may try to get in touch with Focalor or with this other character. I’ll ask J.B. about it. We can probably take turns keeping an eye on her.”
“I wonder what happened to Violet?” Beezle said.
I shrugged. “She must have chosen the Door. Otherwise she’d be hanging around Amarantha, I’m sure.”
Beezle climbed inside my (dry-cleaned) jacket for warmth. I wiped snow out of my eyes, thinking it would be a good idea to get some goggles for this time of year. We landed in the front yard, shaking snow out of our hair.
Samiel scooped up a snowball and threw it at Gabriel’s face.
My exceedingly dour husband gave his half brother the evil eye. It was slightly less effective with snow and ice dripping off the end of his nose.
Samiel gave Gabriel a taunting look and scooped up another handful of snow. Gabriel raised his eyebrow at Samiel but made no move to defend himself. Samiel tossed the snowball toward him and Gabriel blasted it out of the air with nightfire so that it backfired all over Samiel.
“That’s not conspicuous or anything,” Beezle said, peeking out of my jacket.
“Yeah, guys,” I said, laughing at the outraged expression on Samiel’s face. “No magic…”
Samiel threw a bolt of nightfire at Gabriel’s feet and made the snow fly up underneath Gabriel’s overcoat. Gabriel narrowed his eyes.
“Uh-oh,” I said. “Whatever you’re thinking, I don’t think it’s a good…”
Gabriel sent out a bunch of tiny nightfire pulses, almost like an automatic weapon. They surrounded Samiel’s feet and sent high shooting sprays of snow and ice onto his face and coat.
Samiel must have decided that it wasn’t worth it to try to beat Gabriel magically, so he dove for his brother and tackled him. Gabriel landed on his back in the snow and Samiel smashed a handful of it in Gabriel’s face.
I was now laughing so hard I could barely breathe.
“You think this is funny, do you?” Gabriel said menacingly.
Samiel turned and gave me an appraising look.
“Don’t even think about it,” I said, holding my hands up and backing toward the porch.
Gabriel rolled lightly to his feet and stalked toward me.
Beezle flew out of my jacket. “I’m not playing this game.”
Samiel snatched Beezle by the ankle out of the air and buried him in a pile of snow. Beezle came out spluttering and glaring.
“That’s it, nephilim boy,” Beezle snarled.
Bring it on, gargoyle.
I turned to run up the porch steps as Gabriel reached me. He grabbed me around the waist as I laughed and screamed. “No, don’t, no, don’t!”
He tossed me into the snow face-first and I got a mouthful. I rolled over as he landed on top of me.
“Well, this is nice,” I said, and kissed him.
I vaguely heard the sounds of Beezle and Samiel’s continued battle.
“We should go inside and leave them to it,” Gabriel murmured.
“Good idea,” I said.
Then a familiar voice broke into our reverie.
“Gabriel ap Ramuell, you are under arrest for defiling my daughter.”
Gabriel lifted his head, a shocked expression on his face. I twisted around in the snow.
Azazel and two of his flunkies stood in the front walk. Samiel and Beezle were frozen in place, staring.
“Let me up,” I said to Gabriel urgently.
He stood, pulling me to my feet.
“Get off my property,” I said to Azazel.
“I am here to take this thrall into custody so that he can be tried before the court of the Grigori for his crimes,” Azazel said coldly.
“Not this again,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You’re not taking him. He’s not a thrall anymore and he’s not defiling me—at least, not against my will.”
Beezle snorted.
“I have had quite enough of your insolence, daughter,” Azazel said. He waved to the two foot soldiers that stood behind him. “Take him.”
I pulled Lucifer’s sword from its sheath. “If you take one more step toward my husband, I will make sure you don’t leave here with all your limbs.”
They stopped, uncertain, and looked at Azazel.
&
nbsp; “You cannot defy the will of the Grigori!” Azazel shouted.
“And you cannot defy the will of your lord,” I replied steadily, keeping my eyes on the two flunkies. “Lucifer freed him, Lucifer married us, Lucifer is not going to be happy that you’re still annoying me about this.”
“You are my daughter. It is my will you obey. I have betrothed you to Nathaniel ap Zerachiel, and you will marry him. The thrall will be killed for his insolence,” Azazel said. “I will take him myself if I have to.”
“No…you…will…not,” I said, and I felt the power of the Morningstar flowing through me.
I was putting on another light show for the benefit of my normal neighbors. One of these days video of me acting like a freak was going to wind up on the Internet, and then the government would be knocking at my door asking if they could use me as a weapon. I wondered if Lucifer would help me then, or if it would suit him to see me get carried away to some top-secret bunker.
“For the last time, I am your father.”
“In name only,” I spat.
“In the only way that matters. You will do as I say, or you will be punished.”
“No,” I said.
One of the foot soldiers made a sudden move toward me, but I was ready for him. I kept my right hand on the sword, and with my left I blasted him with regular fire. His designer trench was set ablaze immediately and he ran screaming for the nearest snowbank.
“Anyone else want to try?” I said innocently.
“Do you truly think your powers are superior to my own?” Azazel said softly. “I am the right hand of Lucifer, and have been for ages untold. Do you believe that you could defeat me in a fight?”
“Try me,” I said, and then, in an undertone to Gabriel, “Take out the other one before he gets any stupid ideas.”
Gabriel blasted the second soldier with nightfire. This one was a little more savvy than his friend and so managed to dodge out of the way. He threw his own spells—some kind of purple sparks—at Gabriel and the two of them dueled their way across the tiny front lawn and onto the sidewalk. I really hoped that no one decided to walk down our street at just this second.
Samiel and Beezle dodged out of the way of the other two.
“Sam, take Beezle inside,” I said.
“Why should I miss all the fun?” Beezle complained.
“You can watch from the window,” I said, keeping my eyes on Azazel.
My father looked cool and stone-faced and not at all scared of me. I, on the other hand, was terrified. Not of defying Azazel—that had been a long time coming—but of the consequences if I lost. Azazel might lose status among the Grigori. I would lose the love of my life. I had to win.
Maybe some of this was on my face. Maybe Azazel saw me waver for a moment. He struck before I had time to prepare.
A bolt of lightning shot across the space between us and hit me square in the chest. Electricity sizzled all over my body and my teeth rattled in my jaw. I kept a tight grip on the sword and slashed up with it as Azazel leapt to me, another lightning bolt ready at his fingertips. The bolt bounced off the sword and into a nearby tree, which gave an ominous crack.
We have some fairly large trees on the north side, and this was a three-story catalpa. I sincerely hoped it did not crash into the street and smash my neighbors’ cars.
I jumped to my feet and swung the sword at Azazel, who looked surprised that I was actually doing it.
“You dare…” he said.
“I swear to the gods, I can live the rest of my life without hearing that phrase,” I said.
Azazel blasted me again, this time with some spell made of small gold sparkles. Wherever they touched me, they burned like acid.
“Thanks for ruining another jacket,” I said. “I’m not made of money, you know.”
I slashed down with the sword. He danced out of the way but the blade managed to slice through the arm of his coat, which was much nicer and more expensive than mine.
“Now we’re even,” I said.
Azazel narrowed his eyes at me. “You have never truly given me the respect I deserve.”
“You have never earned it,” I replied.
We stared at each other for a moment, taking each other’s measure.
“I will not yield to you,” I said.
“I gathered as much,” my father said.
I slashed forward with the sword. I wasn’t about to engage in a magical tête-à-tête with a creature who had significantly more power than I did. Azazel blocked the blow with some kind of shield spell and began shooting various forms of fire, electricity and other things that hurt me.
I grimly settled in for the long haul. Some of his spells hit me. Some of them I managed to knock away with the sword. At every opportunity I pressed forward, looking for an opening.
Azazel’s remaining flunky cried out, and Azazel’s eyes slid to left, just for a moment. I had him.
I slashed him across the face with the blade, slicing open his cheek. He staggered backward, more in shock than in pain, I believe.
“I think that will leave a mark,” I said. “Something tells me Lucifer’s sword will defy any permanent healing.”
My heart was cold. There would never be space there for Azazel. I’d wanted a father all of my life, and when he finally showed up he was interested only in obedience, not love.
Azazel stood alone. His foot soldiers were down for the count. I held the sword before me, his blood still fresh upon the blade. Gabriel moved beside me, prepared to strike.
“This is not over,” Azazel said, taking in the situation and correctly interpreting that he would have his butt kicked if he stayed any longer.
“Yes, it is,” I replied. There was no anger in my voice, only steady determination. “I renounce you as my kin. You may be a father in name, but that is all that you will ever be. I refuse the inheritance of your court and the appellation of your name. From this day forward you will have no platform from which to demand obedience from me, and I will not give it. I renounce you and everything to do with you.”
The air between us shimmered with heat, and then there was a heavy crack, as if the cord that bound that two of us by blood had been severed.
Azazel appeared stunned. Blood dripped from his cheek, the slash that ran from the top of his ear to his chin.
“You…you…cannot…” he said, spluttering.
“I just did,” I replied.
Gabriel was by my side, taking my hand. “Let’s go inside.”
We walked away from Azazel, and my heart was a fist of ice.
16
THE DAY AFTER THE INCIDENT WITH AZAZEL I CALLED J.B. to check on the progress of the victims. The first man that they’d tested had woken up disoriented but cognizant of his surroundings. They were proceeding with cautious optimism through some more people before going full-scale. J.B. was convinced the prognosis was good, but he didn’t want to call Wade to bring in the cubs until they were sure. During the same conversation I convinced him that keeping track of Amarantha’s ghost was a good idea.
“But I don’t want you to do it,” J.B. said over the phone.
He sounded distracted. I imagined he had a lot on his plate. Upper management at the Agency wouldn’t give him a break on his regular duties just because he had to deal with this other massive issue of memory stealing.
“Why not?” I said. I was a little offended that my services were being refused for a second time. “You don’t think I’m competent enough?”
“You’re too competent—that’s the problem,” J.B. said. “Do you know how many phone calls we intercepted yesterday about an altercation on your front lawn between three angels and a crazy woman with a sword?”
“Umm, my father was being an…” I began.
“Sixty-two,” J.B. said. “Sixty-two phone calls. Do you know how hard it is to keep these calls from actually reaching the authorities? Do you know how much trouble I get into every time you do something like this?”
“I don�
�t know why I get the blame,” I said angrily. “Azazel was the one who showed up on my lawn threatening to take Gabriel away to his death. What was I supposed to do, let him?”
“No,” J.B. sighed. I could almost hear him pulling on his hair. “I’m just grateful no one has caught you on their phone’s video camera—yet.”
“J.B.,” I said. “I’m sorry I’m nothing but a headache for you.”
“You’re worth it,” J.B. said.
He hung up before I could apologize again.
So another day passed, with our little family behaving as normally as we knew how to be, given that we were composed of an Agent, two angel/nephilim crossbreeds and a gargoyle. Lucifer still wasn’t returning my calls, which gave credence to the notion that he wanted to see how I handled the fallout from the marriage.
“The least he could do is make some sort of proclamation from afar,” I said to Gabriel the next evening as we walked home from the grocery store.
The trudge through the snow was not pleasant. We lived about eight blocks from the nearest grocery. Many people had done a half-assed job of shoveling the walks in front of their buildings. The snow was tamped down into an icy, slippery crust in many places, and it made for treacherous walking even when you weren’t laden with bags of food.
Something gray and misty darted across the road when we were about a block away from home.
“Hey,” I said, staring. “That’s Amarantha.”
Gabriel frowned. “Do not get any ideas, Madeline. J.B. asked you not to follow her.”
I looked around, but I didn’t see any Agent in the vicinity. “No one else is doing it.”
I was already pushing my wings out, disappearing into the night. The grocery bags fell to the ground.
“Madeline,” Gabriel said, scooping up the bags.
“I want to know what she’s up to,” I said.
“She is near our home. Doubtless she was attempting to haunt you and found that she was unable because of the spell the Agency provided.”
“She’s not hanging around as a ghost to haunt me or J.B. That’s a side benefit. She’s still out to get revenge against Lucifer. I’m sure of it.”
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