Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 98961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Paimon escaped—again, but he knows now that two archangels have my back. It gives me a pretty damn good sense of relief and I feel more relaxed than I have been since Juliet was born.
“It’s not,” Eliza says with a shrug. “I mean, I’ve always known the reason Lucas turned me was because my father ordered a raid on a vampire nest. I knew one of Lucas’s friends was killed, but I never had a name, yet alone a face. And you’re right.” She looks past me at Kristy. “He is good looking, though he’s an asshole.”
“He is,” I agree. Eamon definitely got a bit of a rude awakening tonight.
The energy shifts and my dad and Lucifer appear in the living room. Smiling, I get to my feet and go over to my dad. He puts his arms around me and kisses the top of my head.
“Where is my granddaughter?” he asks. “She has grown so much since I’ve last seen her.”
“She has, though seeing her every day, I don’t notice.” I go with him into the kitchen, and Lucifer follows. I take Juliet from Lucas’s arms, snuggling her against me before handing her to Michael. Lucas has the bread out and was instructing Eamon now to put butter on it.
“What do you have to drink around here?” Lucifer asks.
“We have an amazing wine cellar full of stuff I haven’t been able to drink,” I tell him. “I’ll show you.”
“Why didn’t you say anything the last time I was here?”
I cock an eyebrow. “Really? You put a sleeping spell on me and took me to the Covenstead.”
“Yes. You’re welcome.”
Laughing, I wave for him to follow me. I catch Eamon watching again, looking shocked. Buddy, if you only knew. Lucifer comes out of the wine cellar with four bottles of wine, and he’s impressed with my hack of opening the bottle with magic. A half hour or so later, we’re all in the living room having a nice but odd family reunion. Eamon is still here, and I know part of it is Lucas not trusting him. The whole keep your enemies close thing is legit, I suppose.
Things aren’t perfect by any means. There’s still so much shit to iron out but for now, I’m happy. I’m safe. And I’m home.
With my family.
“Look,” I whisper to Lucas as I pull my shirt back into place from nursing Juliet. We’re seated next to each other on the couch and I have one arm resting on him helping to support our daughter. The weird pain between my shoulders is gone, and I haven’t felt this content in a long time. “I’d say she looks like an angel but that phrase doesn’t have the same meaning to me anymore.”
Juliet fell asleep after nursing and her little mouth is open. If anyone else showed me a picture of their baby like this, I’d have to force a smile and pretend like I cared. Yet when it comes to my own baby, she can fart and I think it’s the cutest thing in the whole damn world.
“There was another time, brother,” Lucifer starts, telling us another wild tale of when he and Michael were on Earth together. “When you—” He cuts off and Michael sits up straight, brows furrowing.
“What is it?” I ask, holding Juliet to me.
“Uriel,” Michael says right as I shift the change in the air.
“Lucifer Morningstar,” a deep voice booms, rattling the windows. “Come out at once and bring the abomination with you.”
Chapter
Forty
Uriel. No. Things were bad, then worse, and then finally good. I deserve one fucking break, god dammit.
“You should go,” I rush out.
“It’s too late for that,” Michael says calmly. “Stay in the house, Callista. This is between my brothers and I.” He looks at Lucifer and gives him a nod, letting him know that he’s got his back. Lucifer downs the full glass of wine in front of him and gets to his feet.
“Are you going to kill another sibling today, brother?”
Michael glares at him and looks at me. “I love you, my daughter.” He disappears in a rustle of feathers and I hate how that just felt like some sort of goodbye. Lucifer disappears right after and the rest of us look at each other in shocked silence.
“Uriel is your uncle?” Kristy asks, breaking the silence.
“Yeah,” I say, and it hits me just how bad this is. Uriel came here to call out Lucifer, and my father came out first instead.
And he knows I’m here.
“He’s going to attack my father,” I say and get to my feet after handing Juliet to Lucas.
“Callie,” he tries but I shake my head and hold out my hand.
“I’m the abomination,” I mumble. “He’s here for Lucifer and then me. I can’t let him do that.”
“And what are you going to do?” Lucas gets to his feet, holding Juliet with one hand and reaching out for me with the other.