“Okay,” I said, and let him kiss my hand. It seemed like the thing to do. I nodded at Azazel and Lucifer and stepped backward into the portal, more than ready to go home.
Just as the portal was about to close, I saw a flash of movement in the cavern. For a moment I thought I saw green eyes lashed with fury.
Samiel, I thought, and then he was gone, and the portal closed.
We stepped out of the portal into the intersection at Clark and Belmont, and I realized that Lucifer had somehow known exactly where I wanted to be at that moment. It made me wonder about the full extent of his powers and, therefore, about the full extent of mine.
Most of the intersection was still roped off with yellow crime scene tape, and it was almost eerily quiet. There was still a faint and lingering stink of sulfur in the air.
“Why are we here and not at your home?” Gabriel asked, frowning.
“There’s something I forgot to do,” I said, and flapped my arms at him. “Go stand over there.”
“I am not to leave your side,” Gabriel said.
“Just go stand over on that corner,” I said. “I’m going to sit on this bench right here. You’ll be able to see me the whole time.”
“I am not certain that Lord Lucifer ...” he began.
“Look, can we just follow the spirit of the law right now? I need to be alone for a minute.”
Indecision warred in his eyes, and then he relented. “All right, Madeline. For now.”
I plopped on a bench in front of the donut shop and waved at Gabriel as he took up a post directly across the street. My wings emerged, and I winked out of sight.
I had to wait only a few moments. He’d been expecting me.
“Hello, James,” I said, as a young man with floppy blond bangs and almond-shaped eyes sat down beside me.
“You said you wouldn’t let the monster eat me,” he said.
“And I didn’t.”
“It almost ate you.”
I thought of staring into Ramuell’s gaping maw, hearing the cries of the dead souls inside him. “Yes.”
He shivered and rubbed his ectoplasmic hands over his ectoplasmic arms. “I don’t think I want to stay here. Too many bad memories.”
I smiled at him. “I know just the place to take you.”
Beezle was furious with me for going on an adventure without telling him. He also had a cut above his eye. It turned out that Nathaniel had knocked Beezle around a little in order to get him to reveal that Gabriel and I had gone to Greenwitch’s. Nathaniel’s treatment of Beezle killed any pity I had briefly felt for the angel. I redoubled my vow not to marry the jerk under any circumstance whatsoever. Then I popped a double batch of popcorn for Beezle and spent some time cuddling with him on the couch while he ate.
Gabriel disappeared downstairs as soon as we got home. A couple of hours later, after Beezle had returned to his nest on the roof, the half angel knocked on the back door and walked in through the kitchen. I got up from the sofa and put my arms around him, breathing in the apple pie smell of him and wishing he could stay with me forever.
“I am so happy that you’re alive,” I said into his shoulder.
“As am I,” Gabriel murmured. “My heart nearly stopped when you told the tale of your battle with Ramuell.”
I held on tight for a few more moments, trying to stretch it out. I knew what was coming. He pulled away from me and kissed my forehead.
“Madeline, we cannot pretend anymore,” he began, and I covered his mouth with my fingers.
“Don’t,” I said lightly. “Just don’t say it. I’m Lucifer’s granddaughter, after all. Who knows what might change in the future?”
His look told me that he didn’t think very much would change at all, but he gave a little shrug and released me, stepping back to the door.
“I’m not giving up on you,” I called after him.
“And I,” he said, giving me a very small smile, “would not be so foolish as to bet against you.”
J.B. came by a few hours later, after I’d showered and napped and was standing in the kitchen contemplating take-out menus. He looked like he’d been through hell. He collapsed in my comfiest chair and tilted his head back, closing his eyes.
“What’s the deal?” I said.
“The upper brass don’t know what to think. I didn’t want to tell them about you and your mission ...”
“Thanks,” I said.
“. . . but I did tell them I thought the creatures that attacked the office were demons. They had no other explanation so they accepted it. They’ve been rushing around researching demons and trying to rebuild the wards.”
“J.B., why weren’t any of the deaths at the Agency presaged? I figured out why Ramuell’s murders weren’t, but what about Antares and the other demons? We should have known that Antares and his pals would attack.”
He shrugged. “The big guys at the top have been pretty close-lipped about that. Best I can figure is that since our system didn’t know about or recognize demons, then the seers couldn’t either. I’m not really sure how that works.
“The cleanup has been a total nightmare. We’ve convinced the city and the press that there was a gas leak that caused hallucinations and explosions, and that it was related to a similar incident on the north side at Clark and Belmont. On the positive side, I’ve been promoted. It seems the regional manager was eaten by some kind of glob monster, and several of the survivors credited me with heroism during the battle.” He smiled grimly, his eyes still closed.