“How could you possibly know that!?” Michael yelled.
I was ready to yell back at him, but I stopped myself as a tear escaped my sister’s eye.
“Look.” I held up my hands in a universal I-give-up gesture, which deeply pained me to do. “Do you really think that real divine relics would be burned by holy fire?” That made both of them pause, so I kept going.
“The only damn reason I was up here,questioning”—I sneered at Michael—“your angels, is that I think Father is missing, and I’m convinced an angel knows something about it.”
They gave me surprised looks, but while Michael’s was riddled with suspicion, Meta looked down at the floor in thought, and I knew she knew something.
“Meta, what are you thinking?” I didn't think she would’ve done anything to Father—she was more loyal to him than even Michael—but I had to know what was going on in my smart sister's head.
She looked over at us sheepishly. “Well, I haven't told anyone, but I haven't talked to Father in over a week.” When Michael gasped and my eyes bugged out, she rushed to say, “I didn't think it was that big of a deal. He occasionally vacations or goes out into the universe to explore before coming back, and all is fine.” Something in her voice told me that even she didn't believe what she was saying.
“So why the hesitation?” Michael asked before I could, and I growled at him. This wasmyinvestigation andmyrescue mission. Anyone with a flaming sword, especially up his butt, was not welcome on the party bus.
“Well… usually he tells me when he’s going to do something like that, but this time… he didn't. I didn't want to worry anyone, so I’ve been in his sitting room, waiting for him to return.” Her soft, sweet voice held notes of uncertainty, and I knew that something was wrong.
“Well, never fear, sister. Your big brother, Lucifer, is on the hunt. I will find Father,” I proclaimed magnanimously as I placed a fist on my chest in solidarity.
Michael crossed his arms and scoffed at me. “Yeah, no. I thinkI willtry to find Father. I’m the only one with genuine tracking skills here. How about you mosey on back to Hell and let a real angel take care of the big stuff?”
I pretended to roll up my sleeves as I said in an American twenties accent, “Why I oughta. You wanna see an angel? I’ll give you an angel.” I wound up my fist, ready to lay one square on his perfectly smug face for trying to cut me out of my own Frodo quest.
“Stop!” Meta yelled. We both turned towards her as she surged forward. “Look, we can't tell anyone about this, so, Michael, I will cover for your absence with the others.”
I started to make a whiny voice before she shushed me, and I settled down.
“But I think you guys should go find Father,together.”
Michael opened his mouth to object, but she shushed him too. I grinned at him and stuck my tongue out.
“Stop it, you two. This is serious, and I think having both of you on it would cover all our bases. Lucifer was the one who realized it first, and he isn't even in Heaven anymore. Those kinds of instincts and intuitions will be useful.”
I started to raise the roof with my hands, but she smacked them back down.
“And Michael should go because heisthe best tracker. He can find anything and anyone if you give him a direction to go in, so you will both be going to find Father. Agreed?”
She looked between us with a hopeful look as she whispered, “We need Father back for the balance or all will be lost.” Well, when she fucking put it like that. Michael sighed and my shoulders slumped as we conceded that she was right.
“Fine,” I growled.
“Okay,” Michael barked.
Meta looked pleased and gave us both a hug. She turned to leave but stopped when she was reminded of the mess we’d made. She sighed as she looked at me.
“I'm sorry, Lucifer, but I’m going to have to blame this on you, even if I believe it was fifty-fifty on the blame scale.” She had the decency to glare at Michael.
I nodded as I gave her one of my signature cruel smirks. “No problem, Meta. All that does is give me more street cred.”
She laughed at me before she said, “It was really good to see you, Lucifer. I miss you, brother.” Then she took off into the sky, leaving me with Mr. Grumpy Pants to start our quest to find our father.
Oh goodie.
Chapter 33
WhenIfirststartedto wake up, I was hoping that everything that happened was a dream. Had I really called Death, D-Dog? Could I possibly have booped Fame on the nose? Had I really made a deal of giving them three questions? A piece?! I fucking gotrailedon that deal. I groaned at myself, calling myself a whole bunch of names, because I was positive that it had been the worst deal in devil history. Like of all time, the fucking worst. The angel voice that was always in the back of my mind whispered,But you learned some things about them too. And she was right.
My new mates were the fuckingFour Horseman of the Apocalypse. Didn't that just put the cherry on the top? It made sense now why their powers tasted so different. So unique in flavor and potency. If I remembered the fable correctly, they should be chock full of power, energy that just kept growing and growing until it was time to release it at the end of the world. And they were all mine. I licked my lips in anticipation.
