Right. One of his superpowers was detecting lies. “And the kiss I saw?”
Loki shook his head as he carefully poured batter into the pan. “Most likely a manipulation to make sure you saw what you did. The devil adores you, kiddo.” He stuck his cupcakes in the center oven and set the timer, then stopped in front of me. I moved the syrupy concoction from the heat and faced him. “He may not be bound by the same rules humans apply to themselves, but there is a world of difference between what you two have and what he might’ve had with anyone else.”
“Because of the prophecy?” I asked sardonically.
He pressed a finger to my sternum. “Because of this.”
Heat flared under his finger, reminding me of the inferno it became with a simple touch from Lucifer. My dad smiled knowingly as I swatted his finger away. “What am I supposed to do?”
“About?”
I gestured vaguely in the air. “All of this? If Lilith is somehow working her hoodoo on him, and if she knows about me even though I’ve never seen her before today, shouldn’t we tell him? Or, you know, do something about her?”
“If it was that easy, she wouldn’t be the problem she is today,” Loki huffed. “My style of chaos circulates around mischief and pranks—mostly. Lilith, on the other hand, wields it like a surgeon to her advantage, so neat you’d never know she was there.” He lifted his head and directed a sly smile at the back door. “I believe Captain Muscles is here for you, daughter.”
A glance at the clock told me my regular shift was ending. Chloe had taken over the front counter a couple hours ago and was scheduled to close with Kameron and Izumi, who would be arriving any moment. I hugged Loki quickly, then crossed to the sink to wash up.
“What was that for?” he asked, sidling up next to me.
I shrugged. “Just for being here, Dad.”
His cocky expression softened and he pressed a kiss to the side of my head. “Always.”
When Kameron stepped back inside a few seconds later, he was gone. I ran through the updated Christmas menu with him one more time, but he insisted they could handle it. Even though they were still new, they’d picked up quickly, though I still left the recipes easily accessible.
Then I swapped out my chef coat and slacks for my black Nightmare hoodie and jeans and snuck out the back. Sure enough, Nathan was leaning against a tree in the park just past the ongoing construction.
“I feel like you’re stalking me,” I said as I walked up. “Are you stalking me, Nathan Decker?”
A few weeks ago, I might’ve fallen for the grin he flashed at me. “Is it really stalking if you enjoy the company?”
I laughed and crossed my arms. “But seriously, is Lucifer paying you to hang out with me all the time or what? Not that I’m complaining—I actually do enjoy the company. Just curious.”
He lifted one massive shoulder. “He only asked me to have your back.”
Huh. That wasn’t the response I’d been expecting, but I couldn’t keep the bite out of my voice when I replied. “You mean, keep me out of trouble? Because I’m pretty sure you’re failing there, big guy.”
“I’m not here to police you, Lexi,” he said, holding his hands up. “He said, and I quote, ‘she’s not some weak damsel in distress.’ Lucifer just asked me to stay close and help you fight, should anything come for you when he’s not nearby. He asked me because I’m your friend.”
“Help me?” Skepticism colored my tone. “Not stop me? Protect me?”
Nathan wrinkled his nose and looked away. “I mean, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want me dragging you directly into danger like I have been, but it sounded like he knew they might come for you one way or another. And your magic is powerful, even unfocused as it usually is. If you learn to fight on your own—”
“He won’t worry about me as much when he’s off doing Lucifer things,” I finished for him.
“And…” He trailed off with a wince. “Well, I’m here to do it again. I think.”
I glanced around, pretending to look nervous. “Do what, exactly? Should I be afraid?”
“There’s another attack coming, but something about it is different,” he explained. “The vision is cloudy and unclear in a way they’ve never been before, like looking through a dusty window you can’t wipe off. I can still sense the location, but it’s… it’s like someone or something is interfering, intentionally trying to block my Sight.”
The possibilities were endless when I thought about all the parties involved, but thinking back to the conversation I’d just had with Loki, a stone formed in the pit of my stomach. If what he said was true, it would be next to impossible to catch Lilith’s involvement, but my gut told me I was on the right track even if I couldn’t prove it. The real question was, did she work for Abaddon, or was her involvement here of a more personal nature?
“Where?”
“A park near here that borders the harbor,” he said, pushing away from the tree. I followed, wishing more than ever that I could teleport us straight there. “Sasha and Cale are already on site. They said there’s a lot of people there.”
“I thought you said this Cale person was in North Carolina.”
