I angled my head and his smile widened.
“Nacheran is my uncle on my mother’s side.”
I gaped at that. “You were playing Lucifer this whole time.”
He shook his head. “Not like you think I was. I did small things. Things that wouldn’t be noticed. Things that could never have been tied back to me.”
“You let me think you were Lucifer’s bestie.”
A languid shrug. “I couldn’t afford for you to know otherwise. If you failed, and Lucifer learned that I had anything to do with it, I would be slaughtered, and so would everyone who worked with me.”
“But ultimately, you betrayed him. You brought me the keys. And you opened the pocket realm.”
“It was time to make a choice. And now it’s time I made another one.”
My eyes heated. “I don’t want you to go.”
I didn’t know where this was coming from, but it was just too soon. Everyone was leaving. Everyone. And Pischiel had been a giant, smug pain in my ass for most of the time I’d known him, but he’d also been the one constant I’d had in this place.
Samael reached out and took my hand once more. But to his credit, he stayed silent. Any jealousy he’d felt when I’d bonded Pischiel to us was either gone or hidden.
“I know you have no feelings of lust for him, little witch,”Samael said.“Which is why I’m allowing him to live. Besides, I believe the male will return if you allow him to leave. If you allow him to spend time in normalcy.”
I squeezed Samael’s hand.“You played with him as a child. He saved my life. You’d never kill him. Don’t pretend with me, mister.”
“Hush.”
Samael had managed to help me contain the sorrow that had almost broken free. Pischiel remained silent, his expression blank, clearly aware that we were talking about him.
“What will you do?” I asked him.
His smile was blinding. “My uncle offered me a position as his advisor. I’m still determining whether I want to take it. If not, I’ll figure something out.”
My lower lip trembled, and I ruthlessly clamped down on it with my teeth. Pischiel rolled his eyes and stalked up the steps, ignoring Samael as he tensed next to me. Then he leaned down and wrapped his arms around me.
“I’ll be there whenever you call,” Pischiel murmured in my ear. “I’m proud of you, Danica.”
He pulled back, and I took a shaky breath, smiling up at him. He glanced at Samael, and pride unfurled in my chest as my bondmate held out his hand. Pischiel’s eyebrows shot up, but he shook Samael’s hand, then turned and strode down the steps.
Garadiel was next. “Your majesties.”
He bowed low, clearly more of a fan of the usual formality.
“Rise,” I told him, and he straightened, his gaze flicking above our heads. The gold words remained on the wall, still shifting each time someone new walked in. Unlike Lucifer, both of us wanted the words to stay. They were a reminder that we were here to make our people's lives better. To sacrifice forthem.
I smiled at Garadiel. So much of the tension had left his face that he almost looked like a different man. Yusilin had survived, thanks to some fast-acting by her friends who’d gotten her to a healer, and Garadiel had spent the past few hours clamped to her side.
I was rooting for them.
I felt Samael’s attention and shifted on the hard throne. I kept zoning out, and I nodded at Garadiel.
“What are your plans now?”
“To serve in any way I can,” he said immediately. He turned to Samael. “I didn’t think that you could be the one to save us. But her majesty convinced me otherwise. I will serve and protect her to the best of my abilities.”
Samael nodded. “There’s a lot of that going around.” He shot me an amused look, then glanced back at Garadiel. “I have a task for you.”
“Anything.”
