Page 142 of Wicked Believer
He always had far more patience for this sort of thing than me.
“You’re in Hell,” he says. As if she couldn’t have gathered as much from the sight of me.
The nun approaches us both slowly, like she’s uncertain whether to be afraid. “You ... kept your promise?”
I lift a brow.
“That there would be a special place for me.”
“Caught that little play on words in the middle of my verbal sparring session with my siblings, did you?” I tilt my head, watching her curiously. “Does that surprise you?”
She doesn’t answer. She glances down at her hands. “I ... don’t deserve to be here.”
Azrael and I exchange a solemn glance.
“No,” we both say.
Her eyes grow wide, like she’s seemingly shocked we all agree on something, but she’s too terrified to do anything but whisper. “Are you ... are you going to send me home then? Where I belong?” Her gaze flits helplessly toward the ceiling.
I wave Azrael off, coming to sit fully upright in my chair. “Tell me, Ms.—”
“Santiago. Maria Santiago.”
“Ms. Santiago,” I say, using her God-given name as I smirk wickedly. “Tell me, are you familiar with the story of Lazarus?”
Chapter Forty-Seven
Charlotte
I don’t know what to make of Jax’s reading—or her prophetic vision, I guess?—as I ask Dagon to speed back toward the penthouse, toward Lucifer.
I still love him, after all, and I barely know Azrael.
But I won’t deny there’s some kind of weird attraction between him and me.
An understanding that seems to run bone deep.
I find Lucifer alone in his home office, having recently returned from Hell, if the smell of brimstone on him is any indication, and poring over what appears to be—
“Are those—?”
“The Dead Sea Scrolls? Yes.” He doesn’t glance up from where he’s reading.
“And why are you—?”
He clears his throat. “I’mtryingto locate something.”
“Locate something?”
He rubs his temple like he’s quickly growing impatient with me. But I don’t have time to be annoyed at how dismissive he’s being.
“About your Mother,” I say.
That gets his attention.
“She wants vengeance against God for locking you and your siblings away.”
Lucifer sits back in his chair, steepling his fingers as he looks at me. “I’m aware.”
