“Where’s Rainn?” I ask softly and in the nicest tone I can possibly conjure.
He scoffs and shakes his head. “Sorry, dear girl, it seemsRainn,” he pauses, accentuating the name dramatically before continuing, “Wasn’t getting what he needed out of you. He loves a good trade, and I had what he needed. So why would he be willing to barter with you?”
“You were at that meeting, did you send Diana to Hell?” I ask, his face making me angry, and right now, he should feel really lucky that this sneaky little trap is holding me back from breaking his nose.
“I couldn’t tell you why she attempted to go to Hell. She was told not to. It’s clear that blind action is a hereditary trait in your family,”
I breathe in and out deeply.I will not snap, not when we don’t have the upper hand.
“I find it interesting that you’re here, Lilith,” he says my name like it’s a nasty swear word.
“Where? In a stinky shipping container?”
“No, on Earth. I thought that Lucifer would hold his mate a little closer.”
I blink at him, confused. “What?”
“That explains it. I thought he was putting on a show during that meeting. It’s clear he hasn’t told you anything. It was so evident who you were to the angels. Lucifer doesn’t deserve happiness with the hatred he spills every day on Earth. Not just among the humans but toward the angels. You know, he was my favorite brother until he started to change. He thought he was better than all of us. It’s why God sent him away, she had enough of his posturing and sent him away.”
I tilt my head and take a good, long look at the angel in front of me. I might not have the ability to taste lies like Lucifer, but everything he’s saying feels like a lie to some extent.
“Well, I’m not with Lucifer, never was.”
“Ah, but he would care if something happened to you.”
“No, he wouldn’t,” I reply quickly.
He clicks his tongue. “Don’t worry, we will make it quick.”
Three more angels walk into the container, skirting around the outline of the white Devil’s trap I’m standing in. I recognize the woman—Rita.
She was rude, but comforted Diana during the meeting. She has a look on her face like she’s smelled something foul; she’s pinched in every way. I don’t recognize the other two angels, but the look on their faces are ones of clear malice.
“What’s your goal here? To piss Lucifer off? Because I gotta tell you, it’s really not that hard.”
“Oh, I don’t want to just piss him off. I want to hurt him so deeply that his only recourse is war.”
“Shouldn’t angels want world peace and all that shit?”
Rita scoffs and shakes her head. “The only way to get some semblance of peace is to overthrow Lucifer. It’s time someone else takes over the throne of Hell, someone that Heaven can work with.”
I turn my head to look at her.
“And who’s going to do that? Not one of you, I assume.”
“Of course not, we don’t want to live in that dreadful realm. But things are coming together now, and it’s time to hit him where it hurts.”
I blink a few times, trying to understand what they’re saying.They have someone powerful enough to take Lucifer’s place? And I’m a pawn in this scheme to what? Cause an uprising in Hell when Lucifer freaks out over my death.
I now know that the man cares about me, more than I ever realized. I think back to what Ezekiel said, and I wonder if I am his… What did he call it, his mate? Like his soulmate?
“Well, this plan sounds wonderful and all, but where do I start when it comes to all the flaws?”
Ezekiel stands, and the chair drags against the floor until it’s in the Devil’s trap.
“Sit,” he commands.
“Mmm… I’d rather not.”
