“Where is Lucas?” I ask Freya, who’s rubbing against my legs, hoping I’ll give her some of my bacon, which I will. She lets me know he’s in his office, and I take my food and coffee with me, walking to the front of the house. You don’t realize just how big this house is until you walk from one end to the other.
“Whatcha doing?” I ask when I get into the office. Lucas is sitting at his desk, and the blue glow of his computer screen illuminates his face. He’s wearing a white t-shirt and my favorite gray sweatpants.
“A property in Paradise Valley just came up for sale.”
“Are you going to buy it?” I sit on the window seat, admiring the snow for a second before going back to my food. Freya jumps up next to me, and I let her steal a bite of eggs from plate.
“We might,” he presses, insistent as always to remind me that I’m not only his wife but his partner in everything. “I need to do a bit of research on the area. They have a university, which I’m not familiar with, but it seems they have decent traffic through the downtown area, which would be good for a business.”
“It’s the Saturday after Thanksgiving. You shouldn’t be working,” I say and then take a bite of food.
“The last downtown property that went up for sale sold in two weeks. The market is hot right now, and if it’s a good investment, I don’t want to miss out.” He glances up from his computer. “We could go out tonight. You can get dinner and we can check out the area. It’s been a while since I took you out on a proper date.”
“I have heard about a pasta place in Paradise Valley that’s supposed to be to die for.”
“Have you been to Paradise Valley before?”
I nod since I just shoveled another piece of pancake into my mouth. “A few times,” I say once I’m done chewing. “They do have some good shops and places to eat. It has a small-town feel but is bigger than Thorne Hill since they do have that college. It’s a Catholic college, I think.”
“Yes, the website says it’s known for its nursing school, and it appears to be very selective and hard to get into.”
“I didn’t go to college in the traditional sense.”
“Neither did I.” Lucas grins and gets up from his desk. “Would you like to go out tonight? I did see there is a Christmas store that’s only open from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve.”
My eyes light up. “Really? We’re going. As soon as the sun sets.”
Lucas chuckles. “I still don’t understand your obsession with Christmas, but if it makes you happy, I’ll indulge you.”
“I’m aware it’s weird,” I admit. “Any psychologist would love to analyze the shit out of it. That feeling of safety got so ingrained in me, and the older I get, the more I do like Christmas. Obviously, we’re both aware my life can be crazy, and I never know what’s going to happen or if I’ll live to see another day.”
Lucas frowns at me, but I continue.
“Being able to be all cheery and invite people over for drinks and food and getting everyone I care about gifts just makes me happy.”
“I do understand that. Except for the food and drinks part. Lie naked on the table with your legs open for me, though, and I’ll eat.”
We had sex not that long ago, but a shiver goes through me, making my pussy quiver for him. Fuck, I’m one lucky lady.
“Your phone is ringing,” he says, able to hear it while I can’t. “I’ll get it for you.”
I pick up a piece of bacon and get one bite in before Lucas speeds back into the office. Kristy’s name and photo show up on the screen. I quickly finish chewing and answer.
“Hello?”
“Hey, how are you?” she asks.
“I’m good. You?”
“Good, too, freezing right now, though,” she replies.
“You must have stepped outside the door.”
“Yeah, and Ruby is with me, so don’t worry. We’re being extra cautious, and I take it you are.”
“Of course.” I pick up another piece of bacon. “Everything is going to be fine.” The lie rolls off my tongue so easily I almost believe it. “I trust Michael.”
“Yeah,” Kristy says, unconvinced but humoring me for my own sake. “Me too.”
“Go back into the Covenstead,” I tell her. “It’s snowing and I’m cold just thinking about being outside.”
“It’s freezing. I work this afternoon, so I’ll be back in town. Text me if you need anything.”
“I will. And same if you need anything.”
“Love you, Cal.”
“Love ya, too, Kristy.” I end the call and put my phone down, trading it for my coffee. “Show me the property you’re interested in?” I ask Lucas.
He goes back to his desk and picks up his phone, coming back over and sitting by me on the window seat. It was original to the house, and while we hoped to keep the century-old woodwork, it was beyond repair from years of water damage. The vampire carpenter Lucas found did an amazing job making this look like it fit right in with the rest of the house, especially this office, which looks like something from the Victorian era. Lucas wanted it like this on purpose, saying he rather enjoyed that period of time.
“It was a jewelry store. The owner recently retired, and the building will be vacant starting in January.” He shows me photos of the storefront, which is nestled between other businesses downtown.
“What would you put in there?”
"I’m not sure. I need to see what else is in town and how busy it seems tonight before I can make a decision. With it being a college town, any sort of restaurant would most likely be profitable.”
“Would you have to go to Paradise Valley a lot after you open some sort of business?”
“At first, just to make sure things are to my liking. You know we own many businesses, don’t you?”
“Yeah.” I break the last piece of bacon in half and pop it in my mouth. The hipster bar in Lincoln Park is Lucas’s most recent business venture, and he said he was hoping Eliza could take it over. He’s more involved in that particular business than he is in his others solely to train Eliza on how to manage something of that caliber. Anything that opens in Paradise Valley would be on a much smaller scale, I’m sure.
“The garland you ordered is out for delivery,” Lucas says, lowering his phone. “We can put it up today, if you’d like.”
I smile, nodding enthusiastically. “Is there an ETA on the delivery?”
“No, just arriving by six PM tonight. What about exterior lights? Would you like to order some?”
“Of course! I think classic white lights would look pretty on the house, with pre-lit garland on the porch and maybe two really big red bows each side of the arch where you walk to the front door.”
“You’ve thought about this, haven’t you?”
“Maybe once I slightly entertained the thought.”
Lucas laughs and kisses my forehead. “What do you want to do today?”
“I kind of want to do nothing.” The idea of lounging around with Lucas sounds amazing, but the thought of having nothing to distract myself with makes me anxious. My heart skips a beat, and I know Lucas can sense my nerves. “I’d love to read, actually. The library has big windows, too, so sitting by the fire watching it snow would be perfect. A few of my favorite authors just released a holiday anthology with little Christmas stories about some of their previous characters. I preordered it months ago and kinda forgot about it until now.”
“Then read,” he says with a smile. “I’d like to do a bit more research, and then I can join you with a book of my own.”
“That would be really nice.” I cut off another slice of my pancake.
“Do you want me to start a fire for you?”
I shake my head. “I can get it.” I wave one hand in the air, wiggling my fingers. “It’s easy to start fires with magic. I honestly don’t think I could start one without it.”
“There is a technique to it.”
He goes back to his desk, and I finish my food, watching the sno
w fall. Scarlet races ahead of me when I take my dishes into the kitchen and barks by the door leading to the covered back porch, needing out.
“Give me one second,” I tell her, getting the boots I took off and left in the kitchen last night. I hurry to put on my winter coat and go outside with her, unable to keep the smile off my face as I look around.
I’m not the biggest fan of the cold weather, but I’ll be the first to admit how gorgeous fresh snow is. It muffles everything, and the earth feels still and peaceful. Scarlet jumps down the stairs, leaping and bounding around the yard, stopping to eat snow before taking off again. There are only a few inches, and it’ll probably melt by tomorrow.
I inhale, soaking the silence in. It’s definitely not going to last long, and when I look out at the woods behind the house, my anxiety goes through the roof. Just last night, we almost died in that spot.
Just last night, a powerful demon broke himself out of a demonic prison because he found a loophole that would enable him to bind my angel powers so he could possess me. If he figured it out, others will, too, and it’s only a matter of time before they do.
Michael warned me more demons will seek me out. They’ll want to destroy me before I can sit on the throne, but they could also want to do what Bael wanted to do. And before we knew Bael’s true plan, we thought he was going to try to force me to be his demon-bride, which is another very real possibility.
And that’s not to mention if my angel side of the family finds out about me, I’m toast.
I swallow hard, trying to push the lump that’s rising in my throat back down. I suck in a shaky breath, curling my fingers into my palms. I can feel magic humming around me, and I don’t want to send off another blast of power that will alert anyone—or anything—that I’m here and I’m not who I’m pretending to be.
Because right now, I’m the Queen of Hell, and part of me is craving to feel the crown of hellfire surround my head again. But then something else occurs to me, something I don’t think any of us have considered yet. If I’m the Queen of Hell, doesn’t that make my daughter next in line for the throne?
The porch lights behind me start to vibrate and glow, fueled by my fear. Demons have wanted me dead for years. It’s no walk in the park, but I can handle it. Demons going after my newborn baby? No way. I can’t handle it, and more importantly, I don’t want to do anything that puts her at risk.
I close my eyes, trying to release the energy I’m collecting before I blow something up. My friends put themselves at risk by hanging around with me, but like Kristy said, it’s her choice.
It won't be my baby’s choice.
And as much as it breaks my heart to even think about it, there’s a very real fact that my baby won’t be safe with me. Michael hid me in plain sight, and it worked for years. If Lucifer doesn’t get back on the throne, maybe it would be for the best if we did the same with my daughter.
Chapter 6
“Too much?” I stand back, tipping my head. “No way, right?”
“It’s a little much,” Nicole says and then winces. “That’s a lot of garland and decorations.”
“Nearly a thousand dollars’ worth,” Lucas grumbles, and I give him a pointed look. We’re in the foyer, and Nicole, Naomi, and Kristy just got here. We’re going to the Covenstead for lunch, and I need to talk to Tabatha. She has another meeting with the packmaster of the surrounding werewolf packs, and they’re trying to figure out exactly who came up with the idiotic idea to go to war against us on our own turf.
They’d lose either way, but bringing the Ley line into it is a surefire way to get their furry asses handed to them. We witches are able to tap into the Ley line, using it to enhance our powers. Other supernaturals only benefit from a rift in the line, which can happen when a demon comes through the Gates of Hell. I sent Bael down to Hell by burning him with hellfire, and I have no idea what kind of ramification that had on the Ley line.
“You’re always telling me to spend money on myself,” I retort, looking at the garland I just strung up on the main staircase. My package didn’t arrive until late last night, which worked out fine since Lucas and I stayed in Paradise Valley until around ten p.m. It’s not too far from Thorne Hill, but the snow slowed us down. We had a nice night, and I very much enjoyed the Christmas shop.
Lucas put in an all-cash offer on the building and right now plans to rent it out. Real estate is a true long-term investment for someone who could live forever. Lucas holds onto a lot of the property he’s purchased over the years, selling it for a huge profit fifty or so years later.
“Yourself,” Lucas presses. He’s holding a box with a nine-foot flocked tree in it with one hand, as if it weighs nothing at all. It’s going in the library, and I’ve decided to do a rose-gold theme for it.
“Gran forbids we put our tree up until December first,” Naomi states, raising an eyebrow as she looks at my slightly overdone foyer.
“That’s in two days. You better hurry. I’ve already mapped out a Christmas activity to do every day from now until Christmas Eve,” I say seriously.
Kristy eyes the twelve-foot tree in the foyer. “Did you warn Lucas how you go overboard at Christmas?”
“More overboard than this?” Lucas asks hesitantly.
I adjust a section of ribbon on the big tree and then look Lucas right in the eyes. “You know how much Christmas means to me. For the month of December, I dress as an elf and respond only to the name Holly.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh my god, no! You really thought I’d get that obsessive about something?”
Lucas shrugs guiltily. “You have to admit it’s a possibility.”
I roll my eyes. “I just like Christmas, okay? It’s…it’s safe.”
“Safe?” Nicole echoes. “How is Christmas safe?”
The twins know about my past, but I’ve kept most of the details to myself because I don’t want pity, and because I’m a grand champion repressor. “When I was a Martin, the cameras were always rolling so no one tortured me over Christmas breaks. I was allowed to leave the research lab for that week around Christmas, and though it was all fake, I was treated like a human being.”
“That’s really fucked up, Callie.” Naomi’s brows furrow with concern. “I really think you should work through those issues.”
“I have.” I rest my hand on my stomach and smile happily, looking at this over-the-top but about to get even more extra foyer.
“I love you, but you haven’t,” Kristy says, wrinkling her nose.
“She’s right,” Lucas agrees. “I do like seeing you happy.”
I shrug. “There could be worse things, right?”
“Oh, uh, yeah,” Nicole replies right away. “And I like it, really. I feel like I’m in a Christmas movie set in some small town in Vermont.”
“And you have no idea if the high-powered lawyer who returned home for the first time in years is going to fall for the single mom who knits Christmas sweaters?” I add eagerly.
“Exactly! The angst in those movies kills me,” she says, and we laugh. I yawn, fix another piece of ribbon, and wave for my friends to follow me through the house. “We should head out so we’re not late for lunch. It takes longer to get to the door from this house.”
It stopped snowing and the sun is shining today, melting the surface of the snow. It’ll freeze and be a sheet of ice in the morning, typical of Midwest winters. The temperature is supposed to rise next week, with highs in the mid-forties and lots of wind.
We all bundle up, Lucas gives me a kiss goodbye, and we set out, walking through the woods to get to the door. Kristy informed our tight-knit group of what happened, and now that we’re out of the house and away from the distraction of my intense Christmas-ing, tension hangs above us. I didn’t want anyone to treat me differently when they found out I’m a Nephilim, and I don’t want them to treat me any differently now that I’m technically the new Devil.
Nicole and Naomi walk behind Kristy and me, and I can hear them whisp
ering something back and forth to each other. I know they have so many questions, and along with finding out that I’m the Queen of Hell, I also dropped the bomb on everyone that Lucifer is roaming the earth and that I’ve been talking to him for a while now…which makes things a little awkward, I know.
“Are you having your annual Christmas party?” Kristy asks, though she knows I am. We talked about it yesterday. Bless her for trying to make me feel normal, and to talk about anything to fill the silence.
“Yeah. I’ll see what days work the best for Tabatha and Evander today. I’m hoping Abby can come, but since she didn’t work on Thanksgiving, I think she either works Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I have no idea when Phil works, but it’s possible they could both have shifts at the same time on holidays, though I think his schedule is more Monday through Friday than Abby’s.”
“Does he know we used to call him the Penis Doctor?” Kristy laughs.
“I’ve never mentioned it, but I think I should tell him.”
“Penis Doctor?” Nicole echoes. “Is your brother-in-law in porn?”
“No,” I say with a laugh. “He’s a urologist. He doesn’t only work with men, but back when I saw Abby’s engagement photos and no one had bothered to invite me to her bridal shower, let alone tell me she was getting married, I started calling him that. I misjudged him, and I’ll happily admit I did.”
“He does seem rather accepting,” Naomi notes.
“Oh, he’s still scared of Lucas,” I tell them. “But he tries, and I think he’s finally accepting that Lucas isn’t going to hurt anyone because it would piss me off.”
“And it would be wrong,” Kristy adds slowly.
“That, too,” I say, though we all know Lucas wouldn’t hesitate to rip someone’s heart out—literally—if they crossed me. He’s wanted to kill Scott since the moment he met him, and he’s only holding back for my sake.
Reign of Night (The Thorne Hill Series Book 7) Page 5
