Page 143 of All's Hell That Ends Well

Mammon, however, yelled from where he stood with Belial, “You’re one to talk! You’ve been humping my uncle all over the place!”

Bending down, I scooped up a handful of snow, formed it into a ball, and threw it at Mammon. It harmlessly landed five feet next to him. Mammon stared at the failed missile, then burst out laughing so hard that he doubled over and Belial had to catch him.

“I’ll have you scrubbing toilets in the palace!” I shouted, clenching my hands into fists.

That only made him laugh harder, the misfit.

“Wait, you live in an actual palace?” Taylor interjected.

“Uh, yeah. It was Lucifer’s, but since Azazel and I took over the throne, we’ve moved in, because it’s, like, super central within royal territory. And it has all the bells and whistles and is perfectly set up to accommodate the rulers of Hell.”

Not too long ago, it might have been unthinkable for me that I’d voluntarily make that palace my home, especially with Lucifer still residing there, too. But so much had changed in the meantime.

Lucifer still had his quarters in the private wing, though he only spent one week out of the month there—the rest of the time, he was on Earth, watching over Lilith’s reincarnation.

He’d left to go see her not long after the battle with the archdemons. As soon as his wings had regrown, he’d takena contingent of trusted warriors and set up camp near little Liliana’s home. He not only guarded her from a distance but also made sure to do occasional closer checks to prevent anything untoward happening to her in private. That girl was now more thoroughly protected than probably anyone in human history.

And I’d never seen Lucifer as contented and at peace than when he returned from a trip to Earth. According to him, even without speaking to her, even knowing she wasn’t the exact same person, just being near her and feeling that familiar energy was enough to soothe the pain of having lost her all those years ago.

“This is even better thanThe Princess Diaries,” Taylor said, pulling my attention back to her. “Man, I’d love to see the palace. Bet it’s super pretty.”

“I can take pics and show ’em to you next time.”

“Yes!” Tay clapped her hands. “Oh, speaking of pictures.” Turning to Belial, she snapped her fingers. “Babe! Come here, please.”

And like any male who was a goner for his woman, Belial immediately heeded her call. “What do you need, love?”

She batted her lashes at him, and I’d be damned if there wasn’t actual, deep affection in the way she looked at him. Like he hung the moon and gave her the stars.

“Show her the photos,” she said.

Belial reached into his pocket again, and this time, he drew out a phone. Unlocking it, he swiped for a moment, then handed me the device.

I stared at the picture for a few heartbeats without comprehending. Then it sank in, and my pulse stuttered.

“Is that—yours?” I asked in a high-pitched voice, pointing at the adorable baby on the screen.

Tay nodded with the brightest smile I’d ever seen on her, and Belial puffed up his chest.

“You have a baby?” I’d had no idea that my voice could go that high. Tears filling my eyes, I looked at Tay. “You’re a mommy?”

“Yes,” Tay said, tears of her own thickening her voice.

“Omigod!” I swung my arms around her and pressed her close. “Congratulations!”

When I pulled back, I cast a smirking look at Belial, then looked back at Tay and asked with deliberation, “So, who’s the daddy?”

“Oy!” Taylor hollered.

Belial glowered at me.

Mammon and I both snickered in unison.

When I sobered, I turned to Taylor again. “Okay, I need full deets on this. How did this happen?”

“Um, Z, I feel like I’m not the person to explain to you how babies are made.”

Mammon guffawed, while I playfully slapped Tay’s shoulder.

---