Page 92 of Blood of Night (The Thorne Hill)

And he knows I’m here.

“He’s going to attack my father,” I say and get to my feet after handing Juliet to Lucas.

“Callie,” he tries but I shake my head and hold out my hand.

“I’m the abomination,” I mumble. “He’s here for Lucifer and then me. I can’t let him do that.”

“And what are you going to do?” Lucas gets to his feet, holding Juliet with one hand and reaching out for me with the other.

“I don’t know, but I have to do something. We have to do something. My father and Lucifer are only here because of me. They exposed themselves to save Juliet. We owe it to them to do something.”

Lucas looks into my eyes but shakes his head. “You need to go to the Covenstead. Now. I can take you.”

“Fine. Let me use the bathroom first,” I say, hating myself just a little for what I’m about to do. I take a few steps toward the bathroom and then turn, holding out my hand. “Somnum.” I grab Juliet as Lucas slowly slumps to the floor and give her to Kristy.

“I’m sorry,” I tell her. “I promise it’ll make sense eventually.”

Aware Eliza and Eamon are staring at me incredulously, I rush out of the house, finding Lucifer and my father in the front yard. Uriel stands several feet in front of them. He takes the form of a man with brown hair and dark eyes but is smaller than I expected, though I know physical size has nothing to do with an archangel’s powers.

“I didn’t want to believe it,” Uriel says, talking to my father. “But the signs were all there. You two were close before and it only makes sense the Fallen One had help breaking out of his cage. The others will be so disappointed in you,brother. We’ve looked up to you since the beginning of time.”

“And you’ve been a dick since the beginning of time,” Lucifer retorts.

“The nephilim,” Uriel goes on. “I can sense that it is here. Bring me your bastard child, Lucifer Morningstar.”

“That’s not possible,” my father says and his wings unfold behind him. “Because the child is mine, and she is not a bastard.”

I sidestep, moving just in time to see the shock on Uriel’s face.

“You’re lying,” Uriel tries.

“No,” Michael says, squaring his shoulders. “The child is mine and you will leave her alone.”

“Very well then.” Uriel’s lips curve into a smirk and he holds out his hand, summoning a dagger. Fuck. An archangel is going to die tonight if I don’t do something. But what can I do? Moonlight glints off a shiny stone in the front yard and my lips part. Uriel isn’t far from the magical traps we used on the Horsemen. If I can get him there…

“Wait,” I shout and jump down the porch steps, holding out my hands. I move between Lucifer and my father, looking Uriel right in the eye. “If you want them, you’re going to have to go through me.” My heart thumps in my chest, beating so fast I can feel my pulse in my throat.

“That was my plan all along,” Uriel says with a laugh.

“Callie, what are you doing?” my father asks and I look over my shoulder, meeting his eye for just a second.

“I’m doing what should have been done the minute I was born.” I sidestep again moving into the yard. The traps are only a few feet from me now. Holding up my hands, I take another step. “I didn’t ask to be born, nor did I know how much trouble my existence could cause. For that, I am sorry.”

Uriel holds the blade up, confident he’s going to gut me alive right here in my yard. And there’s a good chance he will. “You seem open to reason.” He almost croons to me.

“I am. The last thing I wanted was to cause trouble or for anyone to get hurt because of me.”

Lucifer leans in, whispering something to my dad. Of course, he’d know I’m up to something. He’s quite literally the master of tricks like this. Uriel steps into the middle of the first trap, and I throw a hand down, sending a jolt of blue hellfire right down to the Underworld.

“What are you—” Uriel rushes forward but is contained for now. This won’t hold an archangel long, but I don’t need long. The front door opens and slams shut right as sand starts to swirl before Uriel. Lucas is by my side in an instant, his strong arms going around me to protect me from whatever is coming.

But he doesn’t know I’m the one who called Osiris.

The sand swirls faster and faster until the God of the Underworld is standing before us. He turns, locking eyes with me, and then gives me a bow. He sweeps his hand forward, and a million beetles erupt from the ground, climbing on Uriel. The air is tense and I suck in a breath, not sure this will work. Blue hellfire springs from the lines of the trap, glowing bright and tall against the night.

As quick as it came, it’s gone, and Osiris and Uriel have disappeared from sight. My lips part and I lean forward, letting out an audible sigh of relief. Holy fuck. It worked. We all stand there, staring at the spot where Uriel once stood. The air clears and the energy starts to settle back into place. Uriel is gone, dealt with for now. He can’t call me an abomination or threaten my father anymore. Lucifer is off the hook as well. He can go back into hiding or do whatever the fuck it is he was doing before.

And I can get back to my family.

Yet everything has a cost, I know. For this, I’m willing to pay.

“What did you do?” Lucas’s hands clasp around mine and his dark blue eyes search me, desperate and terrified of what I’m going to say. I inch closer to him, heart swelling in my chest. Fuck, I love him so damn much. He was willing to become a Horseman of the Apocalypse for his daughter and me. I’m willing to make sacrifices too, especially if it means he gets to walk in the sun.

“Yes, daughter,” Michael echoes, coming up behind me, and I eye the powerful men in my family who stand beside him. I hope they understand when everything comes out. “What did you do?”

I swallow hard and close my eyes, letting out a breath. “I did what I had to do.”

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