Something touched his hand, and Michael glanced down at Luce’s fingers encircling his wrist as a cooling sensation spread along his stinging skin. Michael leaned his shoulder into Luce’s, trying to convey his gratitude without words.
Even if he’d had the energy to speak, the force rippling over them would have whisked the sentiments away. The wrecked foundations of the building shifted; the walls warped and cracked against the strain. The floor rolled under their feet like a wave, and Michael fell hard against Luce. The other man pulled him close to his chest, as if trying to tuck him away and shield him.
But the chaos was all around them; there was no escape. In the center of the ruined apartment, Foster began to scream, a furious bellow of raw fury. With a loud crack, a chunk of the ceiling came down and punched a hole clean through the ratty carpet and into the apartment below.
The last straw had finally broken. The building shuddered violently, and then the floor was yanked out from beneath them, crumbling away to little more than open air and fragments of rotten wood.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Mags was going to pace a hole into Lucifer’s favorite rug, partly out of worry and partly just to spite him a little bit. She was still furious for what he had done to her, but time to process his intentions had cooled her fury into something smaller and easier to tuck away for an appropriate moment.Now her main concerns were the revelations they had uncovered, and his attempt to bring Foster back from the brink.
“Can you just sit still for maybe thirty seconds?” Remi snapped. Her leg bounced an erratic pattern against the edge of the desk she perched on, subconsciously jostling faster with each revolution Mags made into the carpet.
“He should be back by now,” Mags insisted, cutting an irritated glance at the other woman. “He said an hour, and it’s been two.”
“And wearing a hole in the floor is going to make it better?”
“Leave her alone.” Rag prodded Remi’s side, making her jump away.
“We’re all anxious.” Cami smiled as Remi swatted at her husband, and Rag stepped out of her range. “No reason to ruin the carpets.”
They were more than nervous, but they loitered in Lucifer’s sitting room, waiting for him to return with his son, content to let Mags do the pacing for all of them.
Suddenly, Glory rose from her seat near the doors to the sitting room. “Someone’s coming.”
Rapid footsteps echoed into the room. Multiple people,running.
“Oh shit...” Remi muttered, leaping off the desk. “That doesn’t bode well.”
Bal burst into the room first, his normally carefully tied hair flying loose around his face as he shouldered the door heavily aside. “The King requires our aid.”
Mags jerked out of her cyclical path. “I fucking knew it!”
Sachi whipped around to stare at her in shock. “Since when do you curse!?”
“That is so not the issue right now,” Cami chastised her husband.
Judas was hot on Bal’s heels, almost crashing into his boss as he raced into the room behind the spymaster. “We need to go, now.”
Remi spun on her heel and came storming at Balthazar like a womanpossessed.“Bal, I swear on every soul in the Pit, you have one minute to give me more details before I summon the rustiest blade in this realm and start removing parts.”
“You really are a vicious little thing.” Bal gave her an alarmed look, then turned to Rag. “Blink twice if you need help.”
Rag winked salaciously and kissed his fuming wife on the top of the head. “Willing victim, bro.”
Bal shuddered, and Remi snapped, “The point, Balthazar!”
“A call for help came from Michael,” the spymaster said gravely, all levity gone. “The sign Luce said to wait for, I think. I sent Cwall ahead while I came to tell you. I was hoping that maybe...”
He broke off, and then all eyes followed his glance to Gloriana. She tensed, shrinking back into the cushions of the couch.
“What?” she asked defensively, clasping her hands over her chest. “Don’t look at me!”
“You’re the one that makes portals.” Remi started towards her, but was cut off by Mags. She crossed the room in three strides, an impressive pace for someone of her stature, and stopped before the blonde, taking Glory’s hands in hers as she sat beside her.
“Please, Glory. It’s the only way we’ll get to Lucifer in time,” Mags said, her voice barely above a whisper, giving her a beseeching glance.
Glory yanked her hands away as if scalded. “It’s not aboutwantingto do it!” She jumped to her feet, pacing away and then turning back. “I can’t without Jophiel.”
