Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
And it’s only a matter of time before the rest of Heaven finds out what really happened to Remiel and Uriel.
“In my world, marriage means something. It’s what you do when you love someone.”
“Exactly,” Osiris says and I’m starting to think he really doesn’t get it. “You love your undead husband and the miracle child.”
“Of course, it’s the only reason I’m considering this at all.” I shake my head, knowing what it’ll do to Lucas if I leave the Underworld a married woman—again. I don’t want to trade love for power, but if I don’t…I could lose the ones I love.
And I’m not going to do that.
“My love,” Lucas says gently. My eyes flutter open for a second but they’re too heavy. They slam shut and Lucas’s hand lands on my shoulder. The cool comfort of his skin against mine is the first thing I notice. Then I hear Juliet fussing, and I force my eyes open to see her desperately trying to nurse against Lucas.
I stayed in the Underworld way too long, talking to Osiris about battle plans. My body was here, empty and unmoving, but it’s not the same as sleeping.
“I’ll take her,” I mumble and roll over, adjusting the pillows so I can nurse my daughter. Once I get her latched on, I let my eyes fall shut. “I talked to Osiris last night. I didn’t mean to, but it must have been on my mind so I accidentally projected there.”
“And?” Lucas asks after a minute ticks by. I’m half asleep still.
“You were right,” I say and slit my eyes open to look at my husband. “He does have a wife, and he’s very much in love with her. That’s why he wants to join forces, to show her that he’s able to keep her safe by having friends in high places, so to speak. I was able to get him to agree to helping me kill Paimon first before we talked picking a save the date.”
“Not funny, Callie.”
“It’s a little funny.”
He just growls in response.
“And the good news is, once he’s been to Hell, he can come and go as long as there’s something there to act a beacon. So if we go through the portal with Drea and I have the scarab with me—”
“He’ll be able to come and help us.”
“Yes, exactly.” I yawn and sink a little deeper into the pillows, not really able to get comfortable while nursing. “He has an interesting idea in how to defeat Paimon, but it involves you.”
“You say that like you thought you could get away with not having me involved.”
My lips curve into a smile. “I know I can’t keep you away.”
“Not even if you tried. What is this plan? You’re tired, my love, but you seem confident.”
I yawn again and this time open my eyes all the way. Adrenaline starts to replace my exhaustion and I know this is just as crazy as trusting a demon to walk us through a freaking demonic portal. “No, now that I’m thinking about it, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Lucas brushes my hair back. “What was it?”
“It, uh, was stupid.”
“Callie.”
“I don’t want to risk you,” I say, getting a little choked up. “I can’t handle losing you again.”
“You won’t.”
“How can you be sure?”
“You haven’t gotten rid of me yet.” His full lips pull into a smile. “What was the plan.”
“We need something really powerful and unexpected to get Paimon as well as walk through Hell unnoticed. You didn’t go crazy sitting on Famine, so what if we got you to ride into Hell.”
Chapter
Twenty-Three
“I’ll do it,” Lucas says with no hesitation.
“It’s crazy though,” I tell him. “What if you can’t control Famine? What if it takes over? You didn’t go insane or totally evil, but you also were in a sense of suspended time while you were in the Underworld.”
“I was,” Lucas agrees. “But I remember it all, my love. Famine wasn’t quite in control.” He shakes his head, brows pushing together as he thinks about how to explain it. “I felt as if I was waiting for an order to be given.” He moves onto his side, running his fingers over Juliet’s head. “But the demon still took over. I wasn’t able to get off the horse. You’ll have to hit me with everything you’ve got to knock me out of the saddle.”
“I remember.” Juliet falls back asleep, and I know someday soon I’m going to miss this sleepy newborn stage. She’s been a pretty easy baby overall, though at times it feels like I’m nothing more than a milk factory for her.
“Go back to sleep,” Lucas urges, kissing my forehead. “Nothing is happening today so take solace in that and rest.”
“Okay,” I tell him, feeling physically and mentally tired. The three of us cuddle in bed for a while, and Lucas says he’ll take Juliet so I can sleep without having to worry about her. I end up sleeping for three hours and wake from a nightmare where Paimon discovered the demon portal and came to visit us on earth. There’s a very good chance he could, and if not him, then any other demon could use that portal to their advantage. We have to act soon, and the longer we wait, the more dangerous the situation can become. As much as I would like to disappear to Disney World, taking advantage of Lucas‘s ability to day walk, I know this is not something we can put off any longer.