“Someone you’ve probably killed at some point for annoying you?” I offered with a yawn.
He smirked. “You remind me of your father.”
My lip curled. “I think I’d rather remind you of someone you murdered.”
“You both have a quick mouth and lack of tact,” he continued. “Both you and your father are lucky I find that amusing.”
I opened my mouth, but Zayne curled his arm around my shoulders as he said, “Was there another reason?”
“Yes. I’m here to drive home the importance of you all finding Lucifer as soon as possible.”
“That’s the game plan,” Zayne said, squeezing my shoulders before I could say that with...well, with less tact.
“He’s not going to break any major rules,” Roth chimed in. “He won’t expose what he is beyond messing with people.”
“If you think that’s what he’s doing, then I overestimated your intelligence,” Grim snapped.
Roth’s brows lifted. “Ouch.”
“Lucifer is most likely out there, right now, trying to procreate a real-life, breathing son who won’t be a disappointment to him.”
My mouth dropped open.
“You’re kidding, right?” Layla asked. “Please tell me he’s not out there, trying to create the—”
“Antichrist?” Grim finished for her. “Yes, that is exactly what I’m saying, and he’s probably already well on his way to doing it.”
“And how is creating the Antichrist not breaking a rule?” Zayne demanded.
“Because that’s a part of the big plan.” Grim paused as Robin trotted into the room, the squeaky fudge bar in his mouth. “A plan that wasn’t due to start anytime soon, but then again, Lucifer wasn’t expected to roam freely among mortals anytime soon. But here we are.”
“You know how we were just talking about the Seals?” Roth looked at me. “Some theorize that the Antichrist is the first Seal.”
“Yay.” I let my head fall back. Were there seriously not enough messed-up things already going down?
“Wait. Correct me if I’m wrong, but for Lucifer to bring the worst child known to be possible into the world, he can’t use any form of manipulation, right?” Layla said, and Grim nodded. “Then how can he already be well on his way to accomplishing that?”
The corners of Grim’s lips turned down. “I’m not going to explain to you how that’s possible.”
“What?” Layla threw up her hands. “I think it’s a valid question.”
Cayman popped his head in the room, the mask having been washed from his face. “Have you not seen our darkest of dark lords? He’s a good-looking man. And he can be charming...when he wants to be. All he has to do is hook up with someone. It’s not like he has to tell them, ‘Hi, I’m Lucifer and I’m going to get you all kinds of impregnated with the Antichrist. Congrats! It’s a boy!’”
“That sounds incredibly problematic,” Zayne pointed out as Cayman disappeared back into the living room.
“He is Lucifer.” Grim bent down and scratched the top of Robin’s head without getting nipped. “His middle name is problematic.”
“God.” I dragged a hand over my face. “I really don’t want to think of procreation any more than I already have to.”
Roth’s hazy features formed a frown. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Just procreation in general,” Zayne tacked on, and then quickly steered the conversation back to Lucifer. “Is there a way you could give us a good starting point when it comes to where we might find Lucifer? Technically, giving your best guess isn’t intervening.”
“He has a point.” Roth pushed away from the counter.
Grim snorted while Robin trotted toward me, yellow eyes wide. The toy squeaked in his mouth. “All I can say is that if I was Lucifer and looking for a one-night stand that turns into a lifetime of Hell, I would go where people are more inclined to make bad life choices.”
“The bars,” Zayne and Roth answered at the same time.
“We’re going to have to split up.” Layla sighed as she glanced down at her dress. “I need to get changed.”
“Same. I smell like Hell,” Roth said as I started to reach for Robin. “If you value your fingers, I wouldn’t do that, Trinity.”
I froze. “But Grim petted him.”
Robin clamped down on the toy, squeaking it.
“That’s because I’m Grim,” the Angel of Death replied as Roth followed Layla out of the kitchen.
Robin spit out the toy and sat, swishing his bushy tail.
“You’ll bite me if I pet you, but you want me to throw your toy?”
He let out a little yip.
“Doesn’t seem fair.” I swiped up the toy and gave it a toss toward the living room. I grinned as the fox took off. “He looks so soft. I just want to pet him. Once.”
“He is very soft.” Grim snagged my attention, having moved closer to Zayne and I. “You should be nicer to me.”
“Probably,” I admitted. “But it’s been a rough couple of days, and I ran out of being nice to scary dude cards roughly around the time Lucifer showed up and opened his mouth.”