“Perhaps,” Lucifer answers. “While glamoured she’s not easy to detect, and there are several hellhounds on earth daily, rounding up souls to be delivered to Hell.”
And just like that, I’m reminded once again who he really is. Lucifer Morningstar, king of Hell. He makes deals in exchange for souls. He’s not the good guy.
Yet I trust him.
Because maybe…maybe I’m not the good guy either, or at least not the one I thought I was. Life isn’t black and white.
“Are you taking her with you on vacation?” Lucifer asks as we start to head out of the strip club.
“No, a friend is watching her,” I tell him. “A vampire friend.”
“Good.”
“Can you adjust her glamour?” I ask, wincing again from my own words. I like Scarlet looking like a forever-puppy. “People are noticing that she doesn’t age.”
“Picky, picky, but I suppose that’s a fair point. I’ll tweak it.”
“Thank you.”
I keep a tight hold on Lucas’s hand as we walk back out into the night. The air is warm and humid, and few people mill about at this late hour.
“I have one more question.” I slow to a stop on the sidewalk.
“Ask away, kid.” He spreads out his arms. “I’m an open book.”
“There was a time when witches thought we got our power from you, and then we realized we were born with the powers. Satanism is illegal now within the coven because it’s dangerous. You take souls in exchange for more power.”
His eyes narrow slightly. “If there was a question in there, I missed it.”
“I’m not even sure what I’m asking.” I shake my head at myself. “Why did you trick witches into giving up their souls?”
“So that’s what they say about me? I’m a trickster?” His eyes flash red and my heart hammers in my chest. Lucas inches closer, ready to defend me to the death if need be. “I’m upfront about my deals. You want more power? It will cost you. Maybe I want something done for me in return, or maybe the cost is your soul. But the choice is always theirs to make. All I do is present an opportunity.”
I can’t really argue against that, though I know it’s not quite that simple. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and when you’re in the lowest of lows, it’s easy to be taken advantage of.
“You were mad when we realized we didn’t need you,” I add quietly. “Weren’t you?”
“Yes,” he says with no hesitation. “Wouldn’t you be? I had thousands upon thousands of people who worshipped me. Loved me. Spoke to me.”
“And now they don’t.”
He gives me a curt nod. “Now they don’t.” No wonder he’s so lonely. “Would you like to go home?” He holds out his hand.
“Is it safe for Callie to return to Thorne Hill?” Lucas asks.
“Yes, I will throw the others off her trail and make it look like it was me who got all hormonal and cranky.”
“I’m not hormonal or cranky,” I spit, feeling the energy in the air around me become electric. “Okay fine, maybe a little. I’m so fucking tired.”
“Let’s go home,” Lucas says firmly and wraps his arm around me, preparing for Lucifer to fly us out of here. He takes Lucifer’s outstretched hand and the world spins around us, going faster and faster until everything is a blur. The next thing I know, we’re on my porch in Thorne Hill.
Lucifer sets Scarlet down and holds out his hands, reading the energy. “You’re safe.”
“For now,” I huff, and Lucifer laughs. “Thank you,” I tell him, feeling emotional. I’m blaming it on hormones, but I know it goes deeper. I get emotional anytime I’m around other angels. It’s the piece I didn’t even know I was missing, finally falling into place. Yet every encounter is brought on by danger. To deliver a warning. To quickly fly me into another state so my murderous aunts and uncles can’t find me.
“You’re welcome.” His eyes meet mine and he smiles softly before shifting his gaze to Lucas. “Take care of her.”
“I always do,” Lucas tells him. Lucifer nods and then disappears in a whoosh, wind from his wings blowing back my hair.
“Tonight did not turn out like I thought it would,” I sigh and wave my hand over the door, opening it. “I thought Scott and scrapper demons were enough to make my night hell. And now weres are in Thorne Hill and I’m a ticking time bomb for signaling my demise and we sat at a strip club in Texas with the devil.”
Lucas lets out a snort of laughter. “When you say it like that it sounds fucking insane.”
“Right?”
I bring my hand to my head, rubbing my temples. Scarlet runs into the house ahead of us, still all excited from seeing her old owner. “I’ll write Evander a note and send it through the fireplace in the morning. The coven needs to know there’s a pack in our town being dumb-fucking-assholes trying to tap into the Ley line. We’ve protected it for years and I’m not in the mood to be messed with.”