Grace and Glory

by Armentrout, Jennifer L.

  “And you won’t be the only one, it appears,” Grim replied, and I had no idea what he meant by that. “Unnatural things come from unnatural deals.” His attention flicked to Layla. “This one can tell you all about that.”

  I couldn’t exactly make out Layla’s expression, but she looked a little offended by the statement.

  But then his icy focus was once more on me. “Just so you know, I wouldn’t have brought him back if it had come down to you summoning me.”

  Another wave of shivers danced over my skin. “You knew I planned to do that?”

  “Of course I did.” A tight smile appeared on Grim’s face. “I always know. I’m like Santa, but with more death.”

  “Wow,” I murmured. “That comparison just ruined Christmas for me.”

  “No life is worth being brought back,” he said. “Not even his.”

  His comment sent a bolt of irritation through me. “Not to be rude, but why are you here? Just to lecture us?”

  Silence filled the kitchen as Zayne shifted closer to me.

  One side of Grim’s lips kicked up. “Pretty much.” He paused. “And I think you were knowingly being rude.”

  I crossed my arms. “I was. It’s not personal,” I said, using Lucifer’s own words. “It’s just that I’m a little tired of angels doing nothing more than talk and air their grievances while everyone else is having to do the dirty work.”

  “Hey,” Zayne said. “I’m more than talk.”

  “You’re a Fallen. You don’t count in my sweeping and mostly accurate generalization,” I reasoned. “And by the way, why do you sound like you have a British accent?”

  Grim eyed me. “Why would you even ask that?”

  “I’m just curious.”

  “You shouldn’t question what you cannot possibly understand.”

  I rolled my eyes. “That makes no sense.”

  “Well, at least I don’t sound like an American. ‘Y’all comin’ down to the crick to catch some catfish for a fish-and-fry,’” he mocked. “That’s how you sound.”

  “We do not sound like that.”

  “Yeah, you kind of do,” Roth said.

  “What?” Layla demanded. “Even me?”

  Roth shrugged. “Yeah, not as bad as Trinity, though. I blame West Virginia for that.”

  My eyes narrowed. “I’m offended.”

  “Your accent is cute,” Zayne assured me.

  “I didn’t even realize I had an accent,” I said.

  “And I didn’t realize I was here to talk about accents,” Grim replied.

  “I also didn’t realize there was an actual reason,” I muttered.

  Grim raised a dark eyebrow in my direction. “You know who you remind me of?”

  “Someone you’ve probably killed at some point for annoying you?” I offered with a yawn.

  He smirked. “You remind me of your father.”

  My lip curled. “I think I’d rather remind you of someone you murdered.”

  “You both have a quick mouth and lack of tact,” he continued. “Both you and your father are lucky I find that amusing.”

  I opened my mouth, but Zayne curled his arm around my shoulders as he said, “Was there another reason?”

  “Yes. I’m here to drive home the importance of you all finding Lucifer as soon as possible.”

  “That’s the game plan,” Zayne said, squeezing my shoulders before I could say that with...well, with less tact.

  “He’s not going to break any major rules,” Roth chimed in. “He won’t expose what he is beyond messing with people.”

  “If you think that’s what he’s doing, then I overestimated your intelligence,” Grim snapped.

  Roth’s brows lifted. “Ouch.”

  “Lucifer is most likely out there, right now, trying to procreate a real-life, breathing son who won’t be a disappointment to him.”

  My mouth dropped open.

  “You’re kidding, right?” Layla asked. “Please tell me he’s not out there, trying to create the—”

  “Antichrist?” Grim finished for her. “Yes, that is exactly what I’m saying, and he’s probably already well on his way to doing it.”

  “And how is creating the Antichrist not breaking a rule?” Zayne demanded.

  “Because that’s a part of the big plan.” Grim paused as Robin trotted into the room, the squeaky fudge bar in his mouth. “A plan that wasn’t due to start anytime soon, but then again, Lucifer wasn’t expected to roam freely among mortals anytime soon. But here we are.”

  “You know how we were just talking about the Seals?” Roth looked at me. “Some theorize that the Antichrist is the first Seal.”

  “Yay.” I let my head fall back. Were there seriously not enough messed-up things already going down?

  “Wait. Correct me if I’m wrong, but for Lucifer to bring the worst child known to be possible into the world, he can’t use any form of manipulation, right?” Layla said, and Grim nodded. “Then how can he already be well on his way to accomplishing that?”

  The corners of Grim’s lips turned down. “I’m not going to explain to you how that’s possible.”

  “What?” Layla threw up her hands. “I think it’s a valid question.”

  Cayman popped his head in the room, the mask having been washed from his face. “Have you not seen our darkest of dark lords? He’s a good-looking man. And he can be charming...when he wants to be. All he has to do is hook up with someone. It’s not like he has to tell them, ‘Hi, I’m Lucifer and I’m going to get you all kinds of impregnated with the Antichrist. Congrats! It’s a boy!’”

  “That sounds incredibly problematic,” Zayne pointed out as Cayman disappeared back into the living room.

  “He is Lucifer.” Grim bent down and scratched the top of Robin’s head without getting nipped. “His middle name is problematic.”

  “God.” I dragged a hand over my face. “I really don’t want to think of procreation any more than I already have to.”

  Roth’s hazy features formed a frown. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Just procreation in general,” Zayne tacked on, and then quickly steered the conversation back to Lucifer. “Is there a way you could give us a good starting point when it comes to where we might find Lucifer? Technically, giving your best guess isn’t intervening.”

  “He has a point.” Roth pushed away from the counter.

  Grim snorted while Robin trotted toward me, yellow eyes wide. The toy squeaked in his mouth. “All I can say is that if I was Lucifer and looking for a one-night stand that turns into a lifetime of Hell, I would go where people are more inclined to make bad life choices.”

  “The bars,” Zayne and Roth answered at the same time.

  “We’re going to have to split up.” Layla sighed as she glanced down at her dress. “I need to get changed.”

  “Same. I smell like Hell,” Roth said as I started to reach for Robin. “If you value your fingers, I wouldn’t do that, Trinity.”

  I froze. “But Grim petted him.”

  Robin clamped down on the toy, squeaking it.

  “That’s because I’m Grim,” the Angel of Death replied as Roth followed Layla out of the kitchen.

  Robin spit out the toy and sat, swishing his bushy tail.

  “You’ll bite me if I pet you, but you want me to throw your toy?”

  He let out a little yip.

  “Doesn’t seem fair.” I swiped up the toy and gave it a toss toward the living room. I grinned as the fox took off. “He looks so soft. I just want to pet him. Once.”

  “He is very soft.” Grim snagged my attention, having moved closer to Zayne and I. “You should be nicer to me.”

  “Probably,” I admitted. “But it’s been a rough couple of days, and I ran out of being nice to scary dude cards roughly around
the time Lucifer showed up and opened his mouth.”

  “He often has that effect on people.” Grim gave a faint smile. “I can answer a question that both of you would like answered.”

  I stilled as my heart turned over heavily.

  “I’m not sure if I should be concerned that you know we are in need of answers to any questions,” Zayne stated, and I seconded that.

  “I’m death. Like I said before, I’m always watching, and there is very little I don’t know.”

  I held up a hand. “Please don’t make a Santa reference again. I don’t think I can handle two of them in one night.”

  That faint smile turned into a lopsided grin. “I’m going to do you both a solid and clear something up for you, and I’m only doing this because you both need to focus on the mess you’ve made—”

  “I would like it to go on record that I was not a part of the bringing Lucifer topside discussion,” Zayne commented.

  I shot him a dark look, and one side of his lips curved up.

  “And you both need to focus on the task at hand,” Grim continued, ignoring both of our comments. “There’s a reason why there’s no record of any Trueborn reproducing.”

  My breath caught as Zayne’s arm slid away from my shoulders. He took my hand in his, but my fingers felt strangely numb. I was too caught off guard to really be freaked out about the fact that he was even aware of any of this.

  “You know why it is forbidden for Protectors and Trueborns to fall in love. Their love interferes with their duty to protect mankind, weakens them both mentally and physically. Or so they say. I am of the belief that there are few things more empowering than love. Only the already weak would be further weakened by it. But the Alphas were of a different mind. They created that rule. The same sentiment was directed toward offspring. Most Trueborn were made sterile when they reached adulthood. The age of which varied greatly during the years Trueborns fought beside Wardens,” he explained. “It was so ingrained in both the Trueborns and the Wardens that the idea of becoming pregnant was considered taboo, nearly sacrilegious. But then a Trueborn who hadn’t yet been sterilized fell in love with her Protector, and from their forbidden union, a child was born. This was not received well.”

  “This is what brought on the end of the Trueborns and Protectors.” Zayne’s hand tightened around mine. “Isn’t it?”

  Grim nodded. “The Wardens demanded the pregnancy be ended before the Alphas could become aware. There were some Trueborns who agreed, but there were others who didn’t. Those who stood behind the young couple and demanded that their child be able to live. As it was, the Protector was already physically weakened by their love. Divine punishment rendered.”

  “But that wasn’t enough,” I whispered, clearing my throat. “Something happened to them—their child, didn’t it?”

  Those cold, hard eyes met mine. “Their child was never given a chance to breathe its first breath. Both the Protector and the Trueborn were slaughtered in their sleep by those who believed they were carrying out what God wanted.”

  Horrified, I pressed my other hand to my chest.

  “This enraged those who supported the couple—it even enraged many who did not. The Trueborns and their Protectors turned not only on the Wardens but the Alphas who’d finally intervened. It was a bloody mess wiped from history.” Grim dipped his chin. “As most things are by those who do not wish to own up to their dark deeds. This is why Trueborns died off. That is why there is no record of any having reproduced.”

  My heart started pumping fast as I stared up at the angel.

  “As with any being that carries the heavenly fire in their blood, procreation is extremely difficult, volatile and unpredictable,” he went on while I felt like I might collapse into a puddle of anxiety. “While some may find it unfair or odd how easily two mortals can reproduce, it’s actually not all that easy for them. It’s about timing and luck—good or bad, depending on how you look at it—but it would frankly be shocking for a child to have resulted from one heated moment of unplanned passion between a Trueborn and a Fallen.”

  I repeated those words and I was still unsure if he was saying I was or wasn’t pregnant.

  Apparently Zayne was just as uncertain. “So, she’s not pregnant?”

  “You two would have to put a whole lot more effort into it if that was what you were attempting to achieve,” Grim answered, his gaze returning to me. “No, you are not pregnant.”

  “What?” Roth exclaimed from the doorway, startling me. My gaze swung to him and I saw both him and Layla standing there.

  Both of their mouths appeared to be hanging open.

  Zayne shifted his stance so that he partially blocked me from their view. “Can we get a little privacy here?”

  I saw what I thought was Roth’s arm rise as he said, “You know, I actually don’t want to be a part of this conversation, anyway.”

  “But why would that even be a conversation?” Layla protested.

  “Come with me, shortie, and I’ll explain to you what can happen when two people have sex—better yet, I can show you—”

  “I know what happens,” Layla snapped, and whatever else she said was lost as Roth dragged her from the room.

  I waited until they were gone. “How would you even know if I’m pregnant or not? Can you see inside my uterus?”

  Zayne looked over at me. “I can’t believe those words just came out of your mouth.”

  “I can’t believe those words came out of my mouth, but they did.”

  “That has to be one of the most disturbing things I’ve heard, and I’ve heard a lot.” Grim’s lip curled behind his beard. “Death and life are two sides of the same coin. I can sense when the youngest life has taken root and know when the process of death has begun long before the body begins to rot.”

  “I bet you’re amazing at dinner parties,” I whispered as I exhaled slowly.

  I wasn’t pregnant.

  Thank you baby gargoyles everywhere.

  Relief swept through me, leaving me a little dizzy and guilty. Like should I be this relieved to learn I wasn’t expecting?

  I thought about how I’d just mouthed off at the Angel of Death.

  Yeah, I should be this relieved.

  But there was this teeny, tiny, seed-size sense of disappointment. While I had serious doubts about my parenting ability, Zayne would’ve made an amazing father. It would’ve been kind of awesome to have seen that.

  But this was one less thing to worry about—to stress about and worry about having to protect.

  “You two can have children,” Grim said, dragging my attention back to him. “Maybe one day, if that is what you decide you want. It will be hard but it won’t be impossible. What your child would be, well, that would be interesting. A possible whole new class of angelic bloodlines. Evolution. Isn’t it grand?”

  My head was turning over a whole lot of stuff at the moment. “Wouldn’t our child just be a...Trueborn since we both have a lot of grace in us? Or like those with way watered-down grace?”

  “Your child would’ve been like that—like you,” he said. “But that was before.”

  “Before what?” Zayne asked.

  Grim’s smile spread. “Find Lucifer. Take care of Gabriel, and then worry about that. In the meantime, I would invest in birth control.” His ancient gaze drifted from Zayne to me. “I’ll see you again.”

  And with possibly the most unnerving words the Angel of Death could ever say, Grim vanished from the kitchen.

  “He’s...” I slowly shook my head. “He’s something else.”

  “That he is.” Zayne turned to me.

  I looked up at him, mind still reeling. “The actual Angel of Death just popped in to yell at us and to tell me I’m not pregnant. Our lives are so strange.”

  A smile played over his lips as he placed his hands on my upper arms.
“It is definitely strange. How are you feeling about what he told us?”

  “I...” There were so many emotions and thoughts rolling through my head, but there was a lessening of tension in my chest. “I feel relieved? Does that make me a bad person?”

  “No. It doesn’t. I also feel relieved.” Curling his arms around my shoulders, he stepped into me. “Don’t get me wrong. If you were, we would’ve been okay. We would’ve figured things out, but now...”

  “Now is so not a good time for any of that.” I rested my chin on his chest. “At least we know it can happen.”

  “He did give good advice about birth control.” His lips twitched.

  “That was advice I never needed to hear from the Angel of Death,” I retorted. “As were his parting words, but I guess all of us—or at least most of us—will see him again one day.”

  Zayne’s jaw hardened. “That’s not going to happen.”

  I smiled as I rested my cheek on his chest. He said that like he could somehow prevent death from taking me. He couldn’t. One way or another, I would meet death. Hopefully it was a long time from now.

  “But it’s good to know that it is possible. You know?” He threaded his fingers through my hair. “If down the road we decide we want to.”

  “What? Ruin a child?”

  He laughed. “Yeah, that.”

  Another smile curled up my lips. I still felt a little guilty for being so damn relieved, but I was so not ready for that. Not with everything going on. Maybe not ever, but at least that would be a choice we would get to make.

  “What do you think he meant about the whole ‘before’ part?” Zayne asked. “About what our child would be.”

  “God, that’s anyone’s guess. We’re going to have to obsess over that later.” I started to pull back.

  Zayne stopped me, dipping his chin so that when he spoke, his lips brushed my cheek. “What happened to the Protector and the Trueborn? That’s not us. That will never be us.”

  “I know.” I stretched up as far as I could, and he lowered his head the rest of the way. I kissed him. “Whoever would be stupid enough to try that wouldn’t be walking back out of our bedroom.”