Devilish Mate

19

The dragon growled, but then his reptilian eyes closed, and I sensed he had given up the fight. I nodded at Zel so she’d back away. She scowled, but sheathed her daggers and gave the dragon some space. Hannah had managed to get her glowing under control by now, and the street fell silent, the area still unnaturally dark.

Valefar got to his taloned feet and shook out his wings, his gaze still on me. “This isn’t over.” With a heavy flap of his wings, he took to the skies and flew out of sight over the rows of houses. I waited until he was gone and then released the darkness, allowing the sun to shine down on the street once more through the clouds.

Hannah let out a long breath as the shadows receded, as if relieved to see the light again. “You’re letting him go?”

I smoothed the front of my suit and shrugged. “He needs to step up and become a leader to his people now. If he doesn’t, we’ll deal with it.”

I helped Hannah into the limo so we could resume our journey to the private jet that would take us home to Las Vegas. But as she slid across the black leather seats, her face was troubled.

“What is it?” I asked.

“My powers. I’m having a hard time controlling them. I think it’s because I have so many memories clambering around inside my head, it’s hard to keep them straight and sort through them all.” She leaned her head back on the leather seat, as if exhausted. “Jophiel offered to help me remember how to use them, but I don’t want anything from her.”

“I know some angels who might be able to help. The ones who helped resurrect you.” I rested a possessive hand on her knee, and though she stiffened, she didn’t move away. A small sign of progress. “I’ll take care of everything.”

Anything she needed, I’d get her. If she wanted me to go to the depths of Hell or the heights of Heaven, so be it.

I’d do whatever it took to win Hannah’s heart back.

10

Hannah

W

alking back into the penthouse was like returning to the dark depths of the underworld. Lucifer wanted me to be his queen again, the Persephone to his Hades, but how could I rule by his side when I couldn’t forgive him? Or when he didn’t treat me as an equal?

And would any demon accept me, an angel, as their queen?

I returned to the guest room, unable to share a bedroom with Lucifer for the time being. I was pleased to see someone had brought my bags up, and that my plants here were all still doing well. Oddly, this space felt more like home than any of the other places I’d visited over the last few days, especially once I began unpacking the belongings I’d brought from Brandy’s house. The green throw pillows did a nice job of touching up the otherwise bland furnishings, and on the nightstand I added a photo of me with Brandy and Jack when we went to the San Diego Zoo, which made me smile every time I looked at it.

When I stepped back into the main room of the penthouse—which had all been restored to its former glory, even the destroyed bar—the five people who’d been there when I’d been resurrected were back, sitting around the room on leather couches and black barstools. I looked at Lucifer, waiting for him to properly introduce me to them, but then my eyes landed on the dark-haired man beside him and I inhaled sharply.

Kassiel.

My son.

The knowledge hit me in the chest so hard and with such surety I was shocked I hadn’t realized it before. Rapid, brief glimpses of his childhood lit up my mind like the flash of a camera, all from my life as Lenore in the 19th century. He looked so much like his father, both as a child and now. He even wore a similar well-fitted black suit.

I stepped toward him, my heart nearly bursting out of me with the need to be with him again after all these long years. “Kassiel...”

“Hello, mother.” He gave me a warm smile, but his voice seemed reserved, and his English accent only added to the effect. I moved close and he embraced me, and now I was crying again, but for once they were tears of joy. I didn’t even care that all the other people in the room were surely staring at us. All I knew was that I had my son back after decades apart, and I wanted to savor every second with him. I reached up to touch his face as I looked him over, marveling at how he hadn’t physically changed after over a century, yet he somehow looked different. Older. Wiser. Damn, I’d missed so much of his life.

“I’m so happy to see you,” I said, unable to contain my huge smile. “I want to know every single thing that’s happened to you while I’ve been gone.”

“We’ll catch up later. I promise.” Kassiel squeezed my hand and stepped back, then gestured to the curvy brunette sitting on the sofa. “Let me introduce you to my mate, Olivia.”

She was distractingly beautiful, her eyes a clear green, her skin almost luminescent, and her curls a rich, dark brown. In the past I would have felt intimidated by her beauty, and I nearly took a step back, like I would have done as a human—but then I remembered I was an angel too. More than that, I was Eve and Persephone and so much more. Besides, I was Kassiel’s mother. If anyone should be intimidated, it was her. I stood my ground and gave her a nod in acknowledgment.