My devilish savior.
Lucifer descends the center aisle of the stadium seats, his footsteps echoing despite the thousands of black-eyed people that silently trail him, at the ready.
His legions. Thousands of them.
All brought topside to protect me.
I can hardly comprehend what I’m seeing.
“I believe you and I have a few scores to settle, Mother.”
“Lucifer.” Lilith’s voice takes on a nervous edge, like she’s desperate to placate him.
My devil of a fiancé certainly knows how to command a room.
My heart flutters, the heat in my body rising in admiration as his gaze flicks toward me.
Go,he sends down the line of what’s left of our connection.Get outnow.
I give the barest shake of my head.
The choice is mine.
And I’m not leaving here without Jax.
The hellfire in Lucifer’s eyes turns molten, and I know that the next time he has me alone in the playroom, he’ll punish me for risking myself like this.
I press my lips together, suppressing my coy grin.
I look forward to it.
Slowly, I inch toward Jax, trying not to draw Lilith’s attention. Michael is still too busy trying to undo whatever bind Lilith’s placed on him, which appears to have stymied him in more ways than one and Azrael is working hard not to draw any further attention to himself.
“I only ever had your best intentions in mind, sweetheart,” Lilith says, placing her hands over her chest as she makes her plea. “You know better than anyone what your Father’s like. It’s high time He get a taste of His own medicine. Locking my babies away, siphoning my power, and now abandoning us all? Well, you might see where I thought havingyoutake His place would be a better—”
“Enough, Mother,” Lucifer growls.
And to my shock, Lilith falls silent in deference to him.
I can see the way she might have once catered to her cherished baby boy, spoiling and doting upon his every need.
I roll my eyes. No wonder he always expects to get what he wants.
“If you so much as lay a hand upon Charlotte, I’ll throw you back into the Abyss and lock you in the cage Father put you in, and you will never lay eyes on a single one of your grandchildren.”
Lilith’s lip quivers. “You wouldn’t.”
Lucifer’s nostrils flare, the expression he gives her loud and clear.
Try me.
Lilith begins to tremble, her hands clenched into fists as the ground gives a sudden lurch, nearly knocking me and everyone else in the room off our feet.
The blade falls from my hand, clattering to the floor, but I can’t even consider how I’m going to try and reach it as time and space start to warp around us unpredictably.
My eyes fall to the Goddess’s face, and I realize, it’s ...
Lilith’s tears.