As I followed them inside, my heart was torn. It would've been so nice to stay here and enjoy the rest of our human-cycle together. Raise our baby, act normal. And Lucian was so sweet for wanting to find the dog's owners. Lucifer would've done the same, I was sure.
"What should we call him?" I joined them in the kitchen.
"Hmmm. How about Jellybean?" Lucian grabbed the dog's face, which to him looked like a sweet retriever. I knew what he looked like underneath and naming a Hellhound Jellybean was just a delight. In a way, he resembled an American bulldog, if American bulldogs were jet black with red eyes and the size of small horses.
"I love it," I said. "Hello, Jellybean." I crooned to the ecstatic dog while Lucian cut the steak into bite-sized pieces for him. As if the beast wasn't capable of going out and catching pretty much any prey it wanted for his dinner.
Oh, well. Jellybean was a part of our complicated, tragic family now.
Chapter 11
Previous lifetime...
Lilith
Too soon,we would have to start our human life cycles, and the thought made my heart ache as a need to enjoy every moment of that time with my angels came over me. I went to the half of the castle that was out of Hell, specifically the built-in part of the between so that I could spend time with Gabriel and Michael. Here, it felt less like a castle in Hell and more like a modern home. And in this place, I also got to feel more like a woman, and less like I had the responsibility of an entire realm on my shoulders.
And my angels just got to be people too.
"Gabriel," I called, moving through the hall into the comfortable sitting room. "Michael!"
Gabriel, my jokester, appeared, lying down on the couch.
Michael walked into the living room from the kitchen, crunching on an apple. “So, what’s the game plan before you have to be human again?”
Gabriel sat up on the couch, leaving me room to sit down beside him.
“Lucifer has given memorethan enough instructions,” Gabriel said.
Michael grunted, and Gabe and I swung our gazes to him. “I told him I’d pass on any important information Lilith missed, but that’s just because I know she’s getting irritated by him.”
Man, I was going to miss these guys so much.
I scooted closer to Gabe on the couch and patted the open cushion beside me. "Come here."
This situation was never easy on any of us. Probably not even Gabriel, even as callous as he seemed about our human life cycles. To be fair, we'd all lived and died so many times that they'd become a bit blasé. However, the days beforehand we all felt a little extra sentimental.
With both guys sandwiching me, and nothing immediately pressing, I relaxed, sinking into the couch cushions with a sigh.
Michael put his hand on my leg and his head on my shoulder, so Gabriel mimicked him. They were silly like that and often tried to outdo each other. It wasn't a place of jealousy, exactly. More like boyish competition.
"Okay," I said with closed eyes as I rested my head on the back of the couch.
They grinned at me, twin smiles on faces that looked nothing alike.
"I wish Lucifer was here," Michael said. He was right.
"But we'll make it up to him later." I didn't have time for remorse. It was our agreement. When we couldn't all be together it was okay to take comfort in each other."
"Well, now what?" I asked.
Gabriel sounded tired. “Now, we enjoy the little time we have left before you become human again.”
I wanted to say something to reassure him, but there wasn’t anything I could say. So, closing my eyes, I let my angels hold me. Things would change soon enough.
Chapter 12
Constance-Lilith
