Gates of Paradise (Blue Bloods 7)

To their credit, Ted and Deming didn’t look all that surprised when they came home to find Mimi there. It was as if they’d been expecting her. Now it was just a question of figuring out how much they knew, and how to get them to do what she wanted.

“Congratulations,” Mimi said. “It must be nice to settle down and not worry that our world is ending.”

Deming appraised her coolly. She didn’t seem the least bit afraid. “After Egypt we hunted the Nephilim for months, to stanch the demon invasion. The Gates of Hell remain standing, no thanks to you. I don’t recall seeing you at the battles at the Gate of Sorrow, and the Gate of Justice when we lost Octilla and Onbasius.”

So the Nephilim continued their relentless assault. It was as Jack had worried—back when he’d still worried about this sort of thing. The Dark Prince would keep the vampires and Venators on the edge, on the brink of exhaustion, and when their forces were weak and unprepared, Lucifer would reveal his true plan: to reclaim the throne of Heaven.

“Sorry we didn’t invite you to the bonding. We’d only just moved to Paris and we seem to have lost your address,” Deming said with a shrug.

“Now, darling, I think we have Mimi to thank for bringing us together. Let’s not be rude to our uninvited guest,” Ted said with a guarded smile.

“I would have thought you’d be wondering what I’m doing here,” Mimi said.

“We’re definitely curious,” Deming said. “There are some pretty amazing stories going around about you right now. Care to tell us which ones are true?”

Oh, for the days when it was fun to think about the things people said about her. “What have you heard? Let me guess. That I’ve gone back to the Dark Prince, that Jack and I have revealed our faithless natures—just as everyone always said we would. Am I right?”

Neither one answered.

“They’ve been saying that about us for centuries. No matter what we do, no matter what we did—and it was Abbadon, after all, who turned the battle—and you forget that it was my sword that pierced Lucifer’s armor,” Mimi said. “And yet, what do we get for our efforts—nothing but suspicion and lies.…”

“So if you’re not working with the Morningstar, then have you returned to the Coven to assume your Regency?” asked Ted.

“I might be. I’m looking for Kingsley.”

“Then why did you come here?” Deming wanted to know.

“Isn’t it obvious? I find it hard to believe that he could just disappear completely and not tell you where he was going. You’re his closest friends. And maybe he’s the one who told you some of the crazy stories about me, but I have to say, I’m really worried about him.”

“Worried?” Ted asked.

Deming gave him a look. Good. Mimi was getting to him.

“You must be aware that the Knights Templar have alerted us to the loss of their most sacred treasures. The holy grails. One in Spain and another in Scotland. I have confirmed reports that it was Kingsley who stole the chalice from its hiding place. Rumor has it he stole the seed of the godsfire as well.”

The Venators were shocked. “The godsfire and the holy grails—but that would mean…”

“That he would be able to create a weapon to defeat the White Fire of Heaven. And whom do we know who would desire such a thing?” Mimi asked in a silky tone. There was only one angel who would need such a magnificent armament. Lucifer, of the Fallen. The Dark Prince of the underworld.

“Kingsley Martin is not a traitor!” Ted shouted. “You have no proof!”

“I have to agree: that’s quite a story you’re telling us. Where did you get this information? How do you know?” Deming asked.

“I have my sources.”

“He’s not here,” Ted said. Deming looked at him with disgust. Hope that marriage lasts, Mimi thought. “I mean, he’s not here anymore,” Ted added.

“But he was,” Mimi said.

Ted nodded. He turned to Deming. “We have to tell her—I don’t believe that Kingsley has betrayed us, but we have to tell her what we know.”

Mimi smiled like a cat. “Please do.”

“He first came here for a visit after you freed him from Hell. He seemed really upset—wouldn’t talk about it much. Just kept saying that he was worried about you, that something was wrong. Then he went back to London and went on a bender, from what we heard. It was only recently that he came back here, and that was to tell us he was getting an army together, to prepare to defeat Lucifer.”

So there was a plan, then. “And you believed him?”

“There didn’t seem to be any reason not to,” Ted said.