Page 90 of Blood of Night (The Thorne Hill)

I’m thrown back, falling backwards over several pews. Pain radiates through my body and my right wrist, which was already sore, hurts like it never has before. I try to push myself up and falter, quite literally unable to use that arm. “Fuck,” I pant, knowing my wrist is broken. Gritting my teeth, I somehow get up. Blood drips down my face and I limp forward, determined.

“You know,” Paimon taunts as he steps onto the altar beside Murmur, achingly close to Juliet. “I should have waited until you squeezed this thing out from the start.” He pulls a blade from his belt. “Look at her, so useless and needy.” He makes a face of disgust and brings the blade to his face, licking it before holding it over my daughter. “This way, we will be bonded from the start and she’ll learn her place. And that place is at my feet.”

Murmur sets Juliet down on the altar and her cries echo around us.

“No,” I cry and try one last attempt to hit Paimon with an energy ball. Murmur deflects it, sending it back at me. It hits me in the shoulder and I fall back, landing on my broken wrist. I scream in pain but drag myself forward.

This isn’t happening. It can’t be.

“Juliet,” Lucas grunts, trying as hard as he can to break free from the black smoke. Crying out in pain, I push myself up again, right as Lucas breaks free. But it’s too late. Paimon has the dagger positioned above our daughter and with a smirk, he brings it down.

ChapterThirty-Nine

“No!” I scream and suddenly I’m pushed back. But this time, someone catches me. Great white wings are spread before me, and hellfire springs up around Lucifer. My dad grips my shoulders, holding me upright and my uncle is here too.

“It’s okay,” he tells me, fingers pressing into my skin. Warmth spreads through me, healing all my wounds in an instant. The dagger clatters to the floor and I look, eyes wide with terror for blood. It’s like time has stopped, and then I hear Juliet cry.

She’s alive.

Michael straightens me up and I inhale, fueled by pure rage. I step around Lucifer and see Paimon shimmer out of view. Murmur staggers back, holding his hands up.

“Lucifer, my old pal,” he says and then drops to his knees. Lucifer’s eyes are glowing like red hot coals straight from the pit of Hell. I run up the altar steps, crying with relief when I pick up Juliet and see she’s unharmed. Lucas is at my side in an instant, putting a hand on Juliet, needing to make sure she’s okay.

“Don’t even try,” Lucifer says to Murmur and waves his hand. Hellfire springs from the ground. I’ve seen it swallow demons whole before, and it only takes a few seconds. Lucifer is burning Murmur slowly on purpose, punishing him for what he did to me.

Lucas wraps me in his arms, putting Juliet between us both. I can’t stop crying and I go back and forth between hugging Lucas and Juliet to checking and making sure she’s really okay.

“It’s all right,” Lucas tells me as he strokes my hair. “She’s okay. You’re okay.”

“What should I do with these, brother?” Lucifer asks and I look up, blinking away my tears. The seven people Murmur intended as sacrifices are in some sort of trance, kneeling before the altar.

“Heal them,” Michael tells him. “If you remember how.”

Lucifer looks at me and winks. “I’ve done a bit of healing recently.”

I sniff and lift my head off Lucas’s chest. “You…you came.”

“Of course, my daughter.” Michael comes up the altar steps and takes Juliet from my arms. “She is unharmed,” he says and then whispers something to her. She quiets down and he hands her back to me. I kiss Juliet step close against Lucas. “Would you like to go home?”

“My car is here.”

“We will handle it.” Michael turns waiting for Eamon to join us. He slowly walks toward the altar, looking like he’s not sure if he wants to join us. I can’t really blame him. Lucifer puts a hand on one of the victims, healing them and then making them fall asleep. Lucas and I step closer together and he puts his arm around me right before Michael flies us home.

“How are you feeling?”I set a glass of wine on the coffee table and kneel down next to Kristy.

“I’m good,” she tells me. “Like really good. I had paper cuts on this hand and the start of carpal tunnel syndrome. They’re gone. I should have gotten healed by an archangel sooner.”

“And here I am hoping you don’t have to get healed by one again.”

“Is anyone going to ask about my nails?” Eliza holds up a hand. “It takes months for vampire nails to grow like this. And I mean months, like half a fucking year.”

I sit on the couch between them and put my arms around her. “I love you, you know.”

“Don’t push it. I got blood in my hair and my pigs won’t come out of their hidies.”

“And now I want to say I love you,” Kristy laughs and takes a big drink of her wine. “Okay, but what is the deal with the hot blonde vampire?”

“Kristy! Listen to you,” I joke and she laughs. “And honestly, I don’t even know.” I look at Eliza. “I’m sensing there is a lot more history between them that we don’t know about.”

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