He gave me a playful hip bump, making me laugh. I popped a truffle into my mouth, feeling the familiar warmth settle in as everything finally felt back to normal between us.
On our way out, we swiped a tray full of chocolates and lemon bars, snickering like master thieves, fully aware they were meant for us—well, at leastsomeof them.
Once back in my rooms, I changed into sweats and curled up with Oliver in my sitting area. We recapped the past few days, catching each other up. It wasn’t until I finished my side of the story of what happened with Ni that I remembered my father’s accusation.
Dread pooled in my gut, and I worried my lip. “Oli,” I said, taking his hand. “I promise I won’t be mad, but… did you let something slip to Ni about who I am?”
Horror swept across his face, draining the color from it. “Not exactly.”
“What did you say?” I exclaimed.
“I hardly told Ni anything! I just mentioned having a friend who’s high up in the world, and Imighthave glanced your way, but it’s not like I blurted out, ‘Hey, Lucille is Lucifer’s daughter.’”
I heaved a sigh and flopped back. “You might as well have,” I said. “Think about it. We got into the Tormentors because of the king. They know that. They also know thatneverhappens, and the general sure doesn’t show us any favoritism. And here we are, living in the castle. It doesn’t take a genius to put your words and the signs together and come to the right conclusion.”
Versus the wrong one, where they thought I was having sex with my father. I shuddered.
“I’m so sorry, Lucy,” he said, sounding as if I’d gutted him. “Ididn’t think—I?—”
“It’s okay. It’s not like she was trying to kill me. She just wanted to send me to the Immolation Circle and have me burned alive for eternity,” I said with a laugh.
“That’s not funny.”
I shrugged. “Maybe not. But she failed. And Lucifer wanted to know if we needed to worry about anyone else.”
“Ni and I weren’t near anyone when we had the conversation, and she can’t exactly talk, so I think it’s safe to say no.”
Relief washed over me as I settled deeper into the cushions, turning my palm this way and that. “It wasn’t a bad guess on her part, though. Honestly, I wished it would’ve worked… well, until I ended up portaling to a circle of Hell.”
Oliver, still looking a little shaken, nodded. “Yeah, that would’ve made things a lot easier.”
We sat in a comfortable silence, the warmth from the fire a soothing presence.
“Why’d you use your Glory on Ni and not your Infernus?”
“Because I woke up to a knife slicing me open. Fear was my first instinct.”
Oliver nodded, his expression softening with understanding. “Michael.”
“Yeah. And I’ve never actually trained with my Glory.”
He patted my leg. “Well, that’s about to change tomorrow. Better get some rest for our long day ahead.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you were invited.”
“You bet your ass I am. The general just doesn’t know it yet.”
I snorted. “I’ll bring the popcorn.”
Oliver scoffed and shoved a pillow in my face before dashing off to our room. I laughed and scrambled after him, hurling decorative pillows in his direction.
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
LUCILLE
Isat on the heated bench in the greenhouse, nibbling on a roll as I waited for Lucifer. He was late, which left me to wonder about Ni.
