Liam thought about that for a while. He had to admit that the idea of peace was a good one. His life had been bereft of peace since the death of his parents, and he couldn’t imagine how Declan would take this theory. He imagined it would be with a lot of shouting. He and his brother were so used to fighting demons and monsters that the idea of being at peace with them was alien.
But it was a good thought, too, because Liam was tired of fighting. He was tired of being constantly on the move, of rough, field medicine with the back of Declan’s truck being triage, of living on oily, flavorless takeout or microwave burgers bought at gas stations. He was weary of living out of the truck and sleeping in sleeping bags in decrepit and abandoned buildings, shivering or sweating in the elements. He was sick of going for days, sometimes weeks, without a hot shower or a decent meal, and here, in this building owned by Michael, in an apartment that was safe and clean and had hot and cold running water, was the promise of a good future, a happy and secure future.
“It’s going to take a while to adjust,” Liam said finally. “I mean, I’ve been doing this my whole life. I don’t really know any other way to live. So, it’ll take some time to get used to it. But overall, yeah, it is a good goal. The best goal.”
Baxter smiled at him, warm and fond, and Liam smiled back. “It’s not going to be instantaneous,” Baxter said. “I think there’ll be a lot of resistance and we’ll still have to go out and deal with rogue elements from all walks of Creation, whether its demon or angel or monster. But eventually? It’ll be awesome.”
Liam leaned over and pulled Baxter into his lap. He wound his arms around him and kissed him soundly, then a second time for luck. He rested his forehead against Baxter’s and said, “I hope so. I really, really do.”
“MORE AND more individuals are starting to guess the truth,” Lucifer said.
Adramelek looked at his lord curiously. “Oh?”
“Yes. Regarding the agreement that God and I have.”
“Oh,” Adramelek said. “Yes, I think so.”
“The Archangels have already figured it out,” Lucifer went on, “I thought they would be the first to do so. Agrat and Lilith have also, which means that Shateiel will know too.”
“What about the humans?” Adramelek asked.
Lucifer shrugged. “I do not care about humans. But I suspect they will begin to work it out before too long. It would not surprise me in the least to learn that the surviving Nephilim have discovered it and that Ishtahar knows of it. If, indeed, she does not already. I would not be surprised to learn that Remiel and Agrat told her.”
“Hm, that’s true.” Adramelek considered it. “I suppose that the monsters and the magic users, with their connection to the earth, will discover it soon, as well.”
“Most likely.” Lucifer lay back on his bed, olive-gold skin radiant against pure white silk sheets. “Come here, Adry.”
Adramelek went, crawling over to sit cross-legged beside him. “Where’s Lilith?” Adramelek asked.
“Purgatory,” Lucifer said. “She and Agrat take turns spending time with their niece and nephew. As I understand it, they all get along rather well. Lilith is meeting some giants today. I do not expect her back here for some time. You know she has a great affinity for giants.”
“Oh yes, because the first ones were her children. I remember.” Adramelek lay down on his side, pressing himself tip to toe against Lucifer’s warm body. “Did we remember the silencing spells and protections?” he teased.
Lucifer burst out laughing. “You may be sure of that, beloved Adramelek. I do not particularly wish to broadcast my private entertainments to all who have ears to hear.”
“Amen,” Adramelek said. He rested a hand on Lucifer’s stomach. “Are you certain this arrangement is all right?”
Lucifer quirked an eyebrow as he looked at him. “That we are lovers as much as Lilitu and I? Yes, of course. Why do you ask?”
“Lilith is not exactly known for her forgiving nature,” Adramelek said delicately.
Lucifer snorted. “You forget, Adry, that I am the lord of Hell, and my power is greater than hers. Then, too, she has her own paramours and knows that I have other lovers. Had other lovers. There are none so satisfactory as my own kind, particularly when he has been with me since the very beginning and is the most loyal soul I have ever had the privilege to call friend.”
Adramelek smiled. “You flatter me, Lightbringer.”
Lucifer reached up and tugged him down for a kiss. “Hardly,” he said, a light breath against Adramelek’s lips.
RAZIEL CLOSED the lid of the last crate of objects that were to be taken to Heaven and stepped back, nodding to the polite pair of Ophanim who were waiting to carry it to his lab. As the two stepped forward to pick up the crate, Raziel looked around the room, a large reading room in the bowels of the British Library, with satisfaction.
It had taken a little over a week to sort through everything. He had wanted to be certain of what he had before the Grail was taken somewhere safe, and so it had remained on his person at all times. He had wrapped the three pieces in silk and secured them in a strong leather satchel that he refused to take off. It was, at times, cumbersome, but Raziel was quite prepared to deal with that if it meant keeping the Grail safe.
Now, the room that had served as sorting and storage facility for a week was empty, save for some scraps of paper and several pieces of packing materials. Penemuel was seated at the long table, his fingers steepled before him, looking quite pleased with himself, and Chloe was preparing tea at a small coffee and tea station in the corner. Uriel sat on the table, looking around, and Raziel, once the Ophanim had vanished with their burden, walked over to his lover and rested his hands on Uriel’s thighs.
“All done?” Uriel asked.
“Yep. All done.” Raziel smiled.
“Good.” Uriel ruffled Raziel’s hair. “I’m fucking relieved to see the back of it all. Yeah, yeah, I know it’s going upstairs to Heaven and your labs, but it’ll all be safe up there.”
“Yes, I know.” Raziel straightened his hair. “Those few items that I felt would be all right to leave down here will be an excellent addition to the collection of Bible archaeology the British Museum possesses.”
“They were exceedingly pleased,” Penemuel said. “I lingered for a moment outside the acquisitions office—their excitement was infectious.”
“Did they believe you were the agent of a benefactor who wished to remain anonymous?” Raziel asked him.
“My lord, I think they would believe anything in order to keep the items you gave them. It was very generous.”
“Humanity has the right to know its history,” Raziel said. “Some of it, anyway. Those pieces were not magical in any way; they were simply ancient and connected to the Grail legend and Joseph of Arimathea. That story has more weight here in Britain than anywhere else, so there is no other museum that should be the keepers of those artifacts.”
“I completely agree with you, my lord. I merely think it was a generous thing to do, giving them away. Didn’t you want to keep them?”
Raziel considered that question. Then he shook his head. “No, I have enough cluttering up my part of the Land of Light. Uriel’s forever stubbing his toe or banging his funny bone on this or that artifact or book; if I kept any more that weren’t totally essential to have—for everyone’s safety, not just my own interest—I think he’d burn them.”
“You got that right,” Uriel said. He pulled Raziel into the circle of his arms. “But I’d do it with love.”
“How can you burn something lovingly, pray tell?” Raziel asked.
“I don’t know. I’d figure it out.” Uriel kissed the top of Raziel’s head. “So, tomorrow, we’re hiding the Grail?”
“Yes.”
Penemuel raised a hand. “I don’t want to hear where.”
“I wasn’t going to say,” Raziel said. “Thanks, Chloe,” he added, as she brought over tea for them all. “It isn’t something you should k
now, anyway,” he went on. “The Holy Grail needs to be safe, yes, but it doesn’t need to be visible for that. It just needs to be on Earth.”
Penemuel leaned back in his chair, holding his cup of tea in both hands. “I feel as if we are standing on the edge of a precipitous change in our lives,” he mused. “This century has so far been the most extraordinary in which I have lived. Not only has there been the end of a terrible war, but there has been redemption, forgiveness, the end of living under the shadow of Semjaza, the ongoing alliance between Archdemons and Archangels, the discovery of Nephilim, and now the restoration of the Holy Grail and salvation of Purgatory, Hell, Earth and Heaven. We live in very interesting times.”
Raziel shared a look with Uriel. Uriel shrugged. “Might as well tell ’em, babe.”
“Tell us what?” Chloe asked.
“Penemuel’s right,” Raziel said. “We are in interesting times. We are on the first steps of eternal peace. The Apocalypse isn’t going to be heralded by war, death, famine, and pestilence, and it isn’t going to be the end of everything in existence. What it is, is the setting aside of differences and the understanding between all that each reality exists for a reason and is dependent on each other. Lucifer is happy in Hell as the Lord there; God is the same in Heaven. Worldly governments do their thing here on Earth, and Purgatory is governed by no one as monsters don’t see the need for such things.”
Penemuel blinked. “Are you saying that now there will be peace between Heaven and Hell and the war is over?”
“Yep.” Uriel stretched. “Oh we’ll be around, putting out the fires of fanatics from both sides, assholes like Camael who think that God’s wrong. But ultimately, we won’t have to do that. Everyone’ll know that everything’s fine.”
Penemuel looked stunned. “But-but… what about you? Archangels? Archdemons?”
Raziel laughed. “We’ll be here. We’re as eternal as God. Our duties are the same, but this time, they’re focused on protecting the peace, not destroying the demons. Unless the demons break the rules, of course. Then we’ll kill them. Or the Archdemons will kill them. Whoever finds them first. But otherwise… yes. Peace for all.”
Penemuel was staring at him as if he had grown a second head.
“Seriously?” Chloe asked. “What about the Bible?”
“It’s a good little history book,” Uriel said. “Of parts of the Middle East.”
“Wow,” she said. “A lot of people are going to need a long time to deal with this.”
“And that’s another reason we’ll always be here,” Raziel said. “We’re mediators, too, you know. Not just war and violence, and in Uri’s case, fire. God is love, after all, and God loves peace. So, yay for God and for peace.”
“Did you just say yay for God?” Penemuel said.
“Yep!” Raziel grinned at him.
Chloe burst out laughing. “You’re the weirdest Archangel, Raz. I like you, though. You’re fun.”
“Well, I’m glad, because I like you too. I like me as well, and Pen, who sits gaping like a fish, and Uri.”
“You better more than like me, brat,” Uriel growled.
Raziel looped his arms around Uriel’s neck. “Yeah, it’s true. I love you, Uri.”
“Damn right.” Uriel kissed him. “Love you back.”
“You two are so cute,” Chloe said.
“Cute is not in my vocabulary,” Uriel growled. “It’s a disgusting word. It means ugly but interesting, and I am not fucking ugly.”
Chloe started to laugh again. “Okay, mighty Uri, if you say so. I think you’re pretty interesting, though.”
“I agree with the girl,” Raziel said.
“Shut up,” Uriel growled. But there was a smile on his face. “Tomorrow’s the day, then?”
“Tomorrow’s the day,” Raziel said.
“Then you and I are having some R and R and going to our house in Queensland for a week-long sex marathon,” Uriel said.
“Fuck, I love the way you think.” Raziel beamed at his lover and Uriel winked at him.
Chapter Seventeen
THEY MET on the banks of the Little Langdale Tarn, not far from where they had gathered the first time they had been in this part of the world together, seeking the Holy Grail. It was a cold, wet day, rain sheeting down in stinging pellets, and Gabriel drew his coat tighter around him as he shivered. It was a completely different environment from the balmy warmth of Belle Coeur, and moving from the tropics to the cold and wet had been a bit of a shock.
Michael was with them, too, and Gabriel worried and fretted and worried some more. Since the attack on him in Purgatory, Michael had—with some grumbling—followed the restrictions that Gabriel and Raphael had imposed on him, and Gabriel had not wanted Michael to come to the Tarn today. Michael had ignored him, though, and short of tying him down, Gabriel couldn’t think of a way to stop him. Even then, Gabriel wasn’t sure that would successfully keep Michael at home—his lover could have used his power to free himself and joined them.
“I am fine, I assure you,” Michael said.
Gabriel grunted. “You keep saying that, but you’ve been very tired and you’ve been resting a lot. You need to heal up and get your strength back.”
“I am fine,” Michael said again. “The injury has healed and now the scar tissue is showing. It is as it should be. You worry over much.”
Gabriel grunted a second time. “One of us has to.”
Raphael shot them an amused look. “He’s doing really well, Gabe,” he said. “Mike’s got a strong constitution. And he wasn’t poisoned or anything or stabbed near his Grace, like a certain Archangel of War was during a certain fight with Semjaza.”
Gabriel flushed. “Fine. Whatever. He’s fine.”
“I am,” Michael said. “I promise you, Gabriel, I am well. Tiredness is to be expected, is it not, Raphael?”
“Yeah, of course. In a day or so, he’ll be back to normal.” Raphael looked at Gabriel sympathetically. “I know you’re worried and you had a fright, but Mike’ll be back to a hundred percent in no time at all.”
Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt stubborn, wanting to ignore Raphael’s words, but he couldn’t. If Raphael, the Healer of Heaven, said that Michael was almost back to his usual self, then it must be true.
“Okay.” Gabriel huffed. “I’m still going to worry, though. None of you can stop me.”
“I would never deny you the opportunity to needlessly give yourself an ulcer,” Raphael said. “If you need something for that, let me know.”
Gabriel stuck his tongue out and Raphael laughed.
“Are we ready to go?” Raziel said, interrupting the conversation.
“Yes. But excuse me”—Michael stepped forward—“do we not have to properly cleanse the two parts of the Grail that have suffered?”
“Yeah. I took care of the basics when I first grabbed them, but a proper cleansing needs to be done. We’ll do that down in the cave.” Raziel gave Michael a long look. “Maybe we should ’port down there. I’m not sure you’d be able to wriggle through all those tunnels in the state you’re in.”
“See?” Gabriel hissed to Raphael.
“What? Michael is not in any danger. It would be unwise for anyone recovering from an injury to exert themselves too much. It has nothing to do with you coddling him as if he were made of glass,” Raphael said.
Gabriel subsided with another huff, grumbling to himself.
“How did you cleanse them in Purgatory, Raziel?” Samael asked.
Raziel chuckled. “I was a little pressed for time and I was quite peeved, so I simply opened a vein and filled them with my own blood and some of my Grace.” He shrugged. “Then I healed myself up. It wasn’t much, really, and we did have rather pressing matters to deal with at that point.”
“Indeed,” Samael said.
“All right, then. No more questions? Good. Form a circle,” Raziel said, “and we’ll all ’port down together.”
They did so, taking each
other’s hands, and when they were in a ring, the rain coming down harder than ever on them, they moved, taking the location coordinates from Raziel’s mind.
The cave where they had found the ancient vampire who had guarded the Grail for centuries was unchanged. It was cool and dim with slivers of light reflected and refracted from the crystal ceiling lighting up the corners and spots here and there in the center of it. The floor of the cave was sandy and the roughly squared-off rock that had served as an altar for the Grail was covered in a light coating of dust. Raziel blew it away and then opened his satchel as the rest of the Brotherhood stretched and looked around the place.
“It is a good place,” Samael said. His voice seemed to echo in the cave. “It is safe and secure, and once we add our own protections to it, it will be inviolate.”
“Exactly,” Raziel agreed. “It was a good idea you had, Gabe.”
Gabriel grunted.
“What’s got into him?” Raziel asked Michael.
“He is fretting,” Michael said, “over my alleged frailty.”
“Huh?” Raziel looked puzzled and Gabriel turned away.
“He is worried because I was injured,” Gabriel heard Michael say. “He will recover soon enough.”
“But you’re all right, aren’t you?” Raziel asked.
“Michael is fine,” Raphael said. “He’s so fine that I’m getting damn tired of saying it. Probably not as tired as you are, though, Mike.”
The Bone Cup Page 19
