Page 102 of Demons & Damnation

Malcolm, still in his human form, folded his arms over his chest and smiled. “When you don’t react like this upon hearing her name then you can shower me with jibes about my wife all you like.” Malcolm took another step towards him, closing the gap between them. “But not a minute before. Do we have an understanding?”

Seconds ticked by, the tension in the air thickening with every millisecond. The two demons stared each other down, neither flickering nor giving in.

Lucifer took his eyes from Malcolm and flickered them towards Kyla. “Fine. We have an understanding.” He looked back at Malcom. “But don’t expect to pull rank over her, too.”

“Why are you so interested in her? You don’t normally bend the rules for something as small as one murder.”

Lucifer closed his mouth, his size slowly shrinking to its previous state, along with his teeth and fingernails. “She’s an elemental, Malcolm.”

“I’m well aware of that. You’ve never been too bothered about them before, Lucifer. So what’s going on?”

“I couldn’t possibly share that information with an ex-employee.”

Malcolm rolled his eyes. “Stop being an asshat and tell us what you know.”

Lucifer sighed, his eyes returning to their former jet-black depths. “Fine. Abaddon is her father. If you bothered to do your research on elementals, you’d realise that every single one of them has a mystery, unknown father. Can you guess who father’s them all?”

Lily gasped. “Of course. Now it makes sense. That’s why if one dies, they’re not replaced—none of them are replaced until that foursome is all dead.”

“Them’s the brains,” Lucifer said, fist-pumping the air. “You got a keeper there, Malpass.”

“I’m sorry,” Kyla said, holding a hand up. “But who the hell is Abaddon?”

Lucifer burst out laughing. “Oh, sweetheart. Think of me as the CEO and Abaddon as the MD.”

Kyla didn’t know what to say to that. “Oh.”

“Quite so, hmmm? What a lineage you have—my MD Abaddon for a father, a general for a grandfather, and a prince for a demi-soul. Who would have thought?”

Kyla’s mouth dropped open. “What? A what?”

Azazel scrubbed his hands over his face and stifled a groan. This was not what he wanted to happen right now.

Dylan looked at him, worry flooding him in an instant. “What is he talking about?” he whispered. “What the fuck is going on?”

Malcolm looked over his shoulder at Azazel and then back at Lucifer. “You have got to be kidding me?”

“Unfortunately,” Lucifer said, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “I’m really not.” He looked over at Balthazar and said, “Why don’t you tell him, Balthazar, what little spell you cast for this year’s holiday destination for you both?”

Malcolm turned his attention to Balthazar, eyeing him up as he waited for his answer.

Balthazar looked down at the floor, feeling more than a little foolish. “Amor aeternus,” he said, his voice all but a whisper.

“You moron,” Malcolm said, balling his fists. “You purposefully brought that idiot into my granddaughter’s life?”

“Hey,” Azazel said, taking a step forwards. “It’s not like either of us knew that Kyla would be involved in any way, is it? Hell, I didn’t even know he was doing that until I heard him cast the words.”

“Erm,” Kyla said, tentatively holding a hand up. “What the hell is a demi-soul?”

“Soul-mate, honey,” Lucifer said. “The other half of you—the part that completes you. And lucky for you, you have my finest prince, Azazel. Ta-dah!”

Kyla turned to look at Dylan, watching the sheer horror flood through his eyes. His skin paled ten shades of white and he moved his eyes to stare at the floor, his shoulders hunched. A little piece of her broke away.

“Don’t they make such a cute couple?” Lucifer said, his eyes lighting up with life.

“You’re an asshole of the highest degree,” Malcolm replied. “You know what needs to happen first. I can’t believe you’re putting her in this position after what she’s just been through.”

“No time like the present,” Lucifer said. He rolled his left wrist over, checking his skull shaped watch. “Speaking of, I must dash. Now, you two,” he said, looking at Azazel and Balthazar. “You know what you need to do.” Lucifer held his hands out, palms facing up. Seconds later two red roses materialised, one on each hand. “Hopefully, I’ll see you both at the end of your holiday. If not, well,” he shrugged his shoulders. “Been nice knowing you.”

---