It didn't happen often, but sometimes when we were in our Earthly cycles, we remembered our eternal lives. If he remembered me, that would explain all the touchy-feely protective stuff. He'd probably been hoping I'd remember and be the sister he remembered.
"You and Luc need to go home," he said. "The gates are weakening."
My heart sank. "Oh, but this has been such a nice Earth cycle. Lucian has been wonderful."
Gabriel nodded. "I know, but it's time. How old are you?"
"Forty-three" I replied, and the implications sank in. "Oh, man. That's the longest we’ve ever been away.”
Gabriel nodded, his blond hair slipping from behind his ear.
I took his hand. "Come sit down and visit with me while Lucian is away. He has no idea who he is, of course."
Gabriel nodded. "I know. If he did, he would've recognized my owl."
Gabriel's chosen animal form was an owl. Always had been.
"Of course." I shook my head as I walked into the living room. "You would think I would have remembered that."
He sat on the couch, and I sat close. I didn't know how long it would be before I saw him again, or if my memories would remain without him nearby to help.
Angels and Fallen were tied to Earth. We lived in our own realms, Heaven for the Angels and Hell for the Fallen. But being out of the Earth realm weakened us, and every five hundred years or so, we were reborn as humans, lived a short human life, then returned to our own realms. The only catch was that while we were human, we remembered nothing of our eternal selves, usually. Gabriel said Adam remembered being Michael. If that was true, it was a rare occurrence.
"How is Hell holding up?" I asked with my arm through his and my cheek resting on Gabe’s shoulder.
"The gates are weakening," he said again. "Lower-level demons are starting to slip out."
Fear tickled up my spine.Anydemons escaping Hell could wreak havoc on Earth. There was a reason we had the gates. They were sorely needed. "That's not good."
He shook his head. "No. And it's only going to get worse. We've got to get Lucifer back to Hell or the gates could weaken to the point of crumbling."
I waved my hand at him. "Oh, that won't happen."
"Lilith." He put his hand on my shoulder. It felt strange to not be called the name I'd been born with. My human and eternal memories were fighting for room in my all-too-human head. "Lucifer has never lived on Earth this long. No Angel or Fallen has. Thirty-Five has been the longest recorded human-cycle, and that was several thousand years ago."
I nodded. "I know, but it's a fluke. Something will happen and we'll go home soon." He was overreacting. "Can't we just enjoy this time together until Lucian gets home?" I asked.
Gabriel squeezed my hand and smiled at me. "Lucifer. He's Lucifer, try to remember."
He was right. It was exceedingly easy to slip back into my Constance memories and let Lilith slip away. "Lucifer. Yes. Well, try not to worry, brother." I pulled my hand from his and stroked his cheek, missing my sibling. The baby bump separating us, getting in the way of a proper hug. Making me miss Lucian.
Lucifer.
The baby. My heart squeezed in fear and horror. "Oh, for the love of Hell," I cursed. "The baby."
Gabriel nodded. "I wondered how long it would take you to get there."
"How?" I asked, wrapping my arms around my stomach. "In the thousands of years I've been alive, all the times I've been human, I've never been able to get pregnant. Gabriel, how could this have happened?"
It had been a part of the Fall. When Lucifer and I abdicated our thrones and left the royal family, we'd been given edicts. One was that our lives would forever be tied to one another. The other was that we'd never be allowed to have children, neither of us. Not together, not apart.
Gabriel stared at my stomach. "That is something we need to find out."
Chapter 6
Michael
I wasn’ta human named Adam. I didn’t putt around in a house, and I didn’t feel strangely protective of the woman next door. No, I was Michael. An angel. And that woman? She was Lilith, my sister.
