Devilish Mate

13

His mouth opened like he might say something more, but instead he grunted as Jack squealed and leaped off the couch, throwing his game controller in Asmodeus’s lap on the way.

“Hannah!” Jack ran the last few steps to me, his arms out before he caught me around my waist, barreling into me and nearly knocking me over with his exuberance. He was sticky, I could tell without even touching him, but I didn’t care. My heart swelled as I held him close.

“Did I hear Hannah?” I turned at the familiar voice as Brandy’s mom, Donna, walked in, her lips forming a gentle smile. “Oh, my sweet girl. Thank you for saving my daughter.”

Donna had once been a bigger woman before cancer ravaged her, but she still gave big hugs. In her arms I inhaled her familiar strong perfume, and a fresh wave of emotion threatened to overwhelm me. These people were genuinely happy to see me, and I’d missed them too. I regretted that everything had changed so much since I was last here.

But then I remembered they were happy to see Hannah. Was I even Hannah anymore? Was I perpetuating a lie by coming here?

“Let me take Jack outside for a bit before dinner,” Donna said, grabbing the boy’s hand. “I’ll let you kids talk.”

“What happened to you?” Zel asked Asmodeus once they were gone, her words abrupt and to the point—and confirmation I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed he seemed like a lesser version of his usual self.

He looked down at himself and shrugged like the next words were no big deal. “I asked my mother to make me mortal so I could be with Brandy. As Archdemon of the Lilim, she alone has that power over our kind.”

Zel snorted and gave me a look, her eyebrow raised as high as I’d ever seen it. “Lots of that going around it seems.”

Oh. My chest tightened. It was the same thing Jophiel had done to me. The difference was that he’d requested it, whereas it had been done to me unknowingly.

“That’s a big sacrifice to make,” I said, and now I understood why Brandy looked so radiant. What an amazing act of love. He gave up everything to be with her. Just like that.

“But you’re going to grow old and die now,” Zel said, sounding horrified.

“Yes.” Asmodeus took Brandy’s hand and seemed excited by the idea. “I’ve had plenty of immortality, and it was time for a change. I just hope she’ll still want me when I’m old and gray.”

Brandy looked at Asmodeus, her brown eyes full of warmth and love. “It’s more likely he won’t want me when I’m old, and will regret giving up his immortality and powers.”

He reached up to cup her face, gazing into her eyes. “I’d never feel that way. I couldn’t.”

The truth of his words ricocheted within me. Even as a human I’d always had this gut instinct about truth and knew I was a good judge of character, but now I realized that was my Ofanim powers all along. Now they’d returned in full force, and Asmodeus’s truth was strong and pure, like a shining light inside him.

“I’m so happy for you both,” I said with a faint smile. And I was, even if I was concealing shock that Asmodeus was willing to give up so much after knowing Brandy for such a short time. But I supposed when you met your fated mate, there was little that could stop you from wanting to be with them. I felt that unbreakable bond with Lucifer even now, hundreds of miles away, no matter how upset I was with him.

Zel plopped on the couch beside Asmodeus. “Mad Green Zombie? I love that game. What level are you on?”

Brandy rolled her eyes at another gamer in the house and looked at me. “Hungry?”

“I could eat.” We’d stopped for lunch briefly during our long drive, but with everything else going on in my head and the turmoil of my emotions, food had seemed like the smallest of worries.

We walked into the kitchen to find Donna had taken Jack outside into the yard, where he was riding his bike around in circles. I watched him out of the window for a moment with a pang in my chest. I’d missed this. But I knew I didn’t belong here either.

Brandy began getting some things out of the fridge as she talked. “I’ve got lasagna in the oven. Good thing I made a big one. Should be about fifteen minutes. Enough time for you to tell me what’s been going on...and why you’re here instead of with Lucifer.”

I sighed and shook my head as I registered her implied question. How could I answer her? My entire life had been upheaved in the last few days. I didn’t even know how to begin—and wasn’t sure I wanted to drag Brandy back into this dark world with me. Not now that she had gotten out of it with Asmodeus and had a chance at a happy ending. But there were definitely things I needed to tell her. Truths I couldn’t keep hidden.

“I had to get away for a while,” I finally said. “I needed to get back to my normal life, and wanted to see you.”

She threw some lettuce in a large bowl, then grabbed some croutons. “I’m really glad to see you, but I can tell something’s up with you. Spill it.”

“I found out something about myself, something that’s changed everything.” I sucked in a breath and positioned myself in the center of the kitchen so I didn’t knock anything over, before spreading my wings. “I’m an angel.”

“Oh s**t!” She dropped the salad dressing she was about to open, and the plastic bottle bounced on the floor. “You have wings! Like actual wings!”

Crap. I probably should have given her some more warning before letting the wings out. “Yeah, I do. Turns out my name is really Haniel, and the reason I couldn’t remember my past was because Jophiel kept it from me, along with my powers. But now that’s over.”