Guilt stung my chest and I winced. “Um… I have no idea.”
***
It turned out, I was not good at fixing things. We dumped the TV and I tried summoning a new one, the way I had the boulder and anvil when I was fighting, but I couldn’t keep it longer than a couple minutes. We realized why when I touched it and it poofed out of existence: they were just illusions made from hard light. Handy information to have. Sophie and I ended up on her bed, watching movies on her laptop and talking about our problems.
I only slept for an hour and a half, then I got up and texted Lucifer. The sun was barely up, but I knew he’d be awake. I slipped into some comfortable leggings, a tank top, and my fuzzy black bathrobe and stared at the cracked TV while I waited. He was only a five minute drive away, but I still jumped when he knocked. I’d wanted to plan the dreaded conversation, but couldn’t focus through my sleepy haze. Maybe it wasn’t the best time to have this talk.
But I couldn’t help myself. I was curious.
He looked polished as ever when I opened the door. His dark hair was combed back and he wore a suit with no tie—casual for him. A far cry from my messy bun, bare feet, and the dark circles under my eyes. His teal gaze still roamed over me as if I were dressed in all the finery he could afford, though, and it sent a chill down my spine.
Don’t get distracted, Lexi.
“I know you just texted me, but I honestly wasn’t even sure you were home,” he admitted. “Normally I can feel your aura before I walk into the building, but now…”
After my headache finally went away last night, my magic had settled to a manageable level. “It’ll build back up again soon, I’m sure. I emptied my boiling pot last night. My magic fits for now.”
He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head but didn’t reply. I invited him in, and he took a seat in the chair by the couch. I curled up in my usual spot, one knee pulled to my chest. He looked about as resigned as I was, eyes downcast, fingers lightly folded together. I followed his gaze to the crack in the table and winced, a phantom headache flitting through my skull.
“Ask your questions and I’ll answer honestly,” he said quietly.
I blinked at him. “Do you have any questions for me?”
He shook his head and met my eyes. “I only had one, but I don’t believe you’re the one with the answer.”
Frowning, I shook it off. If he wanted to know something, I had no doubt he could find it on his own. I took a deep breath, wrapping my arms around my folded leg to hide my shaking hands.
“I don’t blame you for keeping your secret,” I began uncertainly. “Telling anyone you’re the real Lucifer could go several ways, and most of them not good.”
He huffed a laugh. “Yeah, tried that a couple times over the years. The humans tried to have me killed. It didn’t end well for them.”
“My point is, I wasn’t exactly forthcoming about my dad being Loki.” I propped my chin on my knee and looked away. Childhood anxiety started to creep in thinking about how many times my parents had drilled into me to not talk about this out loud. I squashed it down the best I could; he already knew, and it needed to be discussed. “Until last night, the only person in the world who knew was my mom because he was afraid for me. Afraid of what the others might do if they found out I existed. I understand the position you were in.”
Lucifer's eyes widened and he straightened in the chair. “Your half-siblings. Nine Hells, Lexi, telling me could’ve put you in danger. I can survive anything the humans throw at me, but if one of the Æsir comes for you—”
“That’s why I need to know your situation,” I interrupted, steeling my voice. I lifted my eyes again, trying to project confidence my sleep-deprived self didn’t feel. “I need to understand how much danger I’m in now.”
He held his hands up. “You’re not in any danger.”
“Don’t coddle me, Luca—Lucifer,” I snapped, correcting myself quickly. “Please. Just tell me what’s really happening. What would I be involved in if I stayed?”
His entire demeanor changed, muscles relaxing, mouth very nearly cracking a smile. Almost as if my mentioning the possibility of staying made him happy. I wanted to, so badly, but it was a huge decision and I needed to go in with eyes wide open.
Lucifer schooled himself, closing up that glimpse I’d gotten. “I know what you study, so I suppose I don’t need to go over the war between Heaven and Hell, how we lost and fell from Grace some thousands of years ago, then basically switched to guerrilla tactics.” I nodded. “Well, a couple years ago, I called an official truce. Michael and I met on neutral ground and signed a treaty that would effectively end hostilities between our realms. My second-in-command at the time was Abaddon, and he—”
“Abaddon the Destroyer?” I gaped at him. I was already starting to feel a little out of my depth.
“He hated the idea of the treaty, said it made me look weak. He wanted Heaven to fall.” He let out a sharp breath and sat back. “He’d been repeating that for years, so I didn’t think much of it, until one day he came for me. The Sanctum is the one place in Hell I ever found peace, and it became something of a sacred spot for me. He breached it, leading a majority of my fallen brethren against me.”
I covered my mouth, listening intently. This was history in the making, and I was hearing a first-hand account.
“They restrained me with chains I’d made centuries before, designed to hold powerful beings like myself, since they couldn’t kill me. Abaddon took power, and they took pleasure in torturing me every few hours or so for months.”
“How did you escape?” I asked.
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “A friend. Not all of the fallen had joined Abaddon’s cause. Belial was always a loner, but I’d let him be. Apparently Abaddon wasn’t so generous and started demanding acts of fealty from everyone, threatening imprisonment if they refused. Belial unchained me and helped me escape.”
“Where is he now?” It was an irrelevant question, but I was dying to know. Lucifer, Abaddon, Belial, Michael. My excitement threatened to overtake my rational mind.
