Chapter Thirteen Charlotte
Chapter Thirteen
Charlotte
“I’m sorry, Charlotte, I tried to—”
“It’s okay, Imani.”
Azrael is at my side a moment later. Ever present. Always ready. Exactly the watchdog Lucifer planned for him to be.
But even Death can’t save me from the archangel before me.
Michael stands on the other side of the street, twirling the Holy Lance in one hand—the one that can kill any celestial and ensures he can win any battle, including Armageddon—as he grips Imani’s upper arm with the other.
He must have found her and threatened her until she and the security team were forced to reveal my exact location, since our demonic army has been on constant guard, the security team has been on high alert, and Azrael’s been using his power to obscure wherever Lucifer and I are in the ether.
A celestial stalling tactic if there ever was one.
It was only ever going to last for so long.
Michael shoves Imani aside, and my heart stops as she stumbles and falls to her knees, nearly colliding with the oncoming traffic, but the cars stop quickly from some commotion up ahead.
Imani glares at Michael, like she’s about to tear into him. “You—”
“Stay out of this, Salome,” Michael growls, speaking over her.
Salome?
Suddenly there’s a whole lot of shouting as Michael’s massive wings unfurl, and a bunch of passersby begin to lift and point their phone cameras toward him, me, and—
“Lucifer.”
My future husband leaps down from the top of one of the stalled vehicles, landing like a languid jungle cat in a half-crouch, a whole horde of his demonic legions flanking him. I recognize them by their soulless black eyes, their irises blocked out completely.
Lucifer casts a fleeting glance in my direction, the thready mental connection between us momentarily strengthening with the weight of what neither of us can say, before he faces Michael. “Brother.” He grins, his expression turning serpentine. “How lovely for you to join us this morning.”
The cruel mockery in his tone is enough to send chills down my spine.
Meanwhile, most of the humans on the street are still busy gawking.
Others are exiting the now-stopped traffic in order to flee in the opposite direction. Like they already know what’s coming.
Honestly, I can’t say I blame them.
I glance up at the skyscrapers overhead.
Even more faces press against all the buildings’ windows. More phones. More cameras. More people, which means . . .
The world is watching.
“Cute, having your little boy toy hide the two of you away like that, Lucy, but you had to have known I’d drop by for a visit eventually.” Michael grins. “The city’s only so big after all.”
Azrael snarls. “The fuck he just call me?”
The temperature in the air drops by another several degrees.
Lucifer simply stays Death with a lift of his hand.
Michael smirks.
“You wanted my attention. Well, now you have it.” Lucifer’s expression drips with so much contempt it’s terrifying.
We all knew this moment was coming.
But none of us expected it to be this soon.
There’s no time to change plans.
I told Lucifer we needed to leave the city, but where else would we go?
Hell’s overcrowded. Heaven’s empty. Lucifer’s demons are scattered throughout the globe, and I needed to stay topside in order to train and keep his siblings appeased.
“Actually, considering Father finally finished the job He started all those eons ago and you’re now fully neutered, Lucy, it’s your future bride that interests me.”
Neutered?
Something tells me Michael isn’t just referring to Lucifer’s wings.
I can’t see the expression on my fiancé’s face, but from the spark of fury barreling down our connection, I’m not sure I want to.
Michael turns his attention to me. “Time’s up, Charlotte,” he says, raising his voice as he gestures to the array of human faces around us. “The world’s watching. Time to pick a side.”
I glance at the people, at the humans who haven’t always been capable of seeing the good in me, in Lucifer, or even themselves. I look from face to face, seeing hope upon hope that I’m going to be different, that I’ll be the savior they so desperately need.
But I can’t be their savior.
I have to be every bit the vicious queen that they made me.
Lucifer turns toward me, striding to my side so that our shoulders touch as he leans down like he means to kiss me. He whispers into my ear as he presses something familiar into my palm. “I love you.”
My throat constricts painfully.
My thumb runs over the smooth leather of the token he gave me.
My training collar.
A reminder of everything he’s ever taught me, of how far we’ve come.
“I love you too,” I whisper as our eyes meet.
I’ve been trying to find out who I am without his collar, but maybe that’s the wrong question.
With one final look, he steps aside, claiming his spot at my back beside Azrael as I take the training collar into both my hands and place it around my neck.
It’s a stark reminder of who I belong to.
But this time, the choice is mine completely.
The snap closes around my neck with a finality I’m certain the entire world can hear as I look toward Michael, holding my head high and speaking loud enough for the public. Not as Lucifer’s bride, but as Hell’s vicious queen.
“I’ll open the next seal for you.”
“Good.” Michael grins wickedly. “Then your first trial starts now.”