Sighing dramatically, I shifted positions, trying to get more comfortable. “You have me here, bound and chained. To what end?”
“This one isn’t on us,” Michael pointed out.
“Right, if it was you, I’d be in a cage deep in the earth.”
Neither of the bastards dared to contradict me.
“Why keep me locked up here? You can’t possibly imagine this will hold me for long. You want something, so spit it out.”
“We need you to stop this. Stop the apocalypse,” Gabriel said, his tone grave.
Shock hit me square in the gut. “Me? Why me? Why can’t God stop it? He’s the end all be all.”
My brothers exchanged wary glances, their discomfort palpable.
“Just tell him,” Gabriel grumbled.
“Father has abandoned us.”
A sharp bark of laughter escaped me. “Of fucking course he did. I called that centuries ago.”
Michael glared at me. “This is hardly the time for I told you so.”
“Oh, I disagree. This is abso-fucking-lutely the time.”
“He believes in free will,” Gabriel said. “That’s always been the guiding star of creation. He wants things to play out organically without his interference.”
“So what you’re really saying is he made this mess, dumped it into his Crock-Pot, and decided to set it and forget it?”
Michael let out a low grumble. “Can you end this or not?”
“Not.”
“I told you we shouldn’t have bothered,” Michael said, making to leave.
“This has been a complete waste of time,” Gabriel huffed.
I rolled my eyes, not remotely surprised they immediately assumed the worst of me. “Not because I don’t want to, brothers. But because I can’t. There are simply some times in life when you cannot put the toothpaste back in the tube. This is a primeexample. Even without me on the throne, the apocalypse will happen.”
“Which is why, if you’re not going to stop it, we need you to fight with us.”
“Gabriel, why in heaven’s name would I do that?”
“To get the thing you most desire. Your mate.”
“I already have her.”
“Not if you don’t claim the throne. She’ll die along with all the others fighting on our side.”
“You all assume this was about me taking control. It has never been about that. I was given this position, but I never wanted to be in charge. I never wanted the throne.”
“Then who will sit on the throne if not you?” Michael asked.
“What a terrifying question.”
Chapter
Nine
