No surprise there. My Archangel blade was made by the Creator, my Father. None of the other gods could perfectly replicate something like that, though the Olympians came close once or twice. Hence the reason the smith had been invited to join. I’d hoped for Zeus’ support as well, but he chose to take a neutral stance and focus on his business empire.
Part of me wondered if he would maintain that stance after the large-scale attacks Abaddon was throwing lately.
I turned back to Miranda, who was watching me carefully. “Is it possible to cast a wide coverage memory spell on the humans? We barely got Paris under control, we really don’t need the extra headache of trying to explain more supernatural events. The humans will panic, and that could cause problems in our fight.”
“It’s possible,” she said, her voice thoughtful. “We would need a little extra power boost, but with a slight modification to the ward spell, we could do it. With the sudden storm and all the lightning, it wouldn’t be that difficult to make them believe it caused a water spout and a minor earthquake.”
“Good.” I leaned forward on the counter, meeting as many eyes as I could. “Our first priority is healing. Apollo, find Chloe and work your magic on the critical patients first. Hephaestus, let me know the moment those weapons are ready to go. Nathan, I need your latest scout reports. Oya”—I nodded to the dark-skinned woman in the corner—“please keep watching the skies until the wards go up.”
She flashed a sharp grin. “I have not had such fun in far too long. I will keep watch,Bi`li´si`.”
As the crowded dining area emptied, Cale leaned close to Nathan. “I always thought the big, bad Lucifer Morningstar was supposed to be the dominating alpha type. Pity, that’s my favorite kind.”
Nathan raised a disbelieving eyebrow and I hid my amusement behind a slight cough. “Do you even know what a real alpha is? It sure as hell isn’t the toxic masculinity bullshit today’s popular fiction turned it into. A real alpha makes sure to take care of their pack first and will fight to protect them. That’s the kind of alpha he is.”
Huh. Maybe the kid wasn’t so bad after all.
Cale gave me another appraising glance and a coy smile. “I can still work with that.”
The big guy shoved their shoulder toward the door. “Good luck wrestling him away from Lexi.”
“Twice the challenge,” Cale laughed, “for possibly twice the reward. I’m in.”
I rolled my eyes and approached Apollo, nodding my head toward the pair. “What’s the story with that one?”
“Child of Isis,” he said, rubbing his face. “Got her shapeshifting and, to a lesser extent, her healing gifts. I’ll probably grab them before I head to see the witches.”
He followed them out, which left me with Miranda and, to my surprise, Belial. The antisocial Fallen with perpetual bed-head was normally one to avoid a crowd, but he’d been patient with the meetings I’d held so far. I knew he only wanted to go back to his solitude, and I wanted that for him, too. His loyalty had been unexpectedly reassuring.
“How’s Lexi?” He toyed with the silver hoop in his lip, grey eyes glancing behind me to the door leading to the kitchen as if he’d see her there. “I saw you holding her after the whole Leviathan thing. Lots of blood.”
Despite the concern in his voice, the images that came roaring back put me on edge, sharpened my tone. “I didn’t realize you two were such good friends.”
Miranda placed her hand on my arm, a calming warmth emanating from the simple touch. The woman was truly fearless. I took a deep breath and pushed it out through my nose, settling myself again. Belial raised his hands in surrender, but I could see the worry in his gaze.
“Sorry. She’ll be fine, just… resting for now.”
“Now I’m even more worried,” Belial replied with a hint of a smile. “Apologizing instead of yelling? Are you sure you’re not possessed?”
I opened my mouth, then huffed a laugh, some of the tension leaving the room. Was I possessed? Probably. But change was necessary to avoid stagnation, to overcome obstacles. For immortals, it was a challenge, but a worthy one, and I prided myself in my ability to adapt to new circumstances.
“I’ll get to work on that spell.” Miranda pulled me into a hug before I thought to react, the smell of sage clinging to her. “Take care of my baby girl, Sam.”
Belial lightly pressed his fist to my shoulder. “When you see Kam tomorrow, tell him I got him some new seeds.”
“What—hey, Belial!” He vanished before I could ask how he knew Kameron—after all the pains Lexi was taking to keep him away from our war—and what fucking seeds he was talking about. How in the nine hells had they even met?
“I thought they’d never leave.”
Lilith’s presence didn’t even register as she appeared right behind me. I turned just as my phone chimed in my pocket, but I ignored it. Anger washed over me as the betrayal went from a minor possibility to most likely.
I couldn’t kill her, but I sure as shit wanted to try.
Her demeanor shifted from flirty to anxious and she held her hands up between us. “Please, let me explain before you do anything you’ll regret.”
Crossing my arms, I waited to see what kind of bullshit she would give me now. My jaw clenched when she stepped closer, but she didn’t touch me.
“I wanted to help,” she said, her voice shaking. “I know you told me not to, but I knew there was something I could do. Getting you back on Hell’s throne is crucial after what I’ve seen. When I felt the massive power surge, even in Salem, I came straight here and saw Leviathan rampaging. I tried to break through whatever spell had him before I was thrown off.” She was in my personal space now, still not touching, but her energy brushed over mine intimately. “The girl on the wharf with you and the trickster, she was in there. I think we both got caught in the backlash when our powers met.”
