Chapter 16 #2
“I can return any time I wish.”
“Uh-huh.”
Merri reached out and put a hand on Lucifer’s forearm, gently pulling his focus. “We need to do this now. You’ll get your vengeance on the horsewomen later.”
“If all goes according to plan, crabapple, we all will.”
While we continued to bicker amongst ourselves, Moira had manifested a pair of gloves and taken to fingerpainting a pentacle on the space she’d cleared. Once she finished, she carefully removed the gloves and tossed them into the fire before gesturing for us to each claim a point of the star.
“Uh, Moira? Where should I stand?” Merri asked.
“Smack dab in the middle.”
“It’s a succubus sandwich,” Sin said with a smile. “My favorite.”
“Is it a sandwich if there’s more than two of us?” Malice asked with a tilt of his head.
“A galette with a delicious crabapple filling,” Lucifer offered.
Merri scowled. “Now I see why you were so annoyed when I called you a taco.”
Malice’s answering smile was filled with quiet amusement.
“If you don’t mind, I need you all to shut the hell up and let me work.” Moira’s voice was firm and commanding. For such a little thing, she was strong.
“And I thought we were bad,” Alek murmured to Thorne.
“That goes for you two as well,” she snapped over her shoulder. Once we all seemed to be properly chastened, at least for the moment, she continued.
“Hang on,” Sin said. “I get why we’re doing this. But what if . . .” He offered Merri a meaningful look. “Merri, what if it is his?”
“No matter the outcome, it’s better to know so that we can prepare and keep them both safe,” Chaos answered for her.
Merri cast him a grateful look and nodded. “Exactly. Better to know one way or the other.”
“Okay, I’m going to begin. I will say the incantation once for each of you. When it’s your turn, I need you each to place a drop of your blood on your point of the star, going in the order in which you were mated to Merri.”
“What if we don’t know the order?” Sin asked.
“I do.” Merri’s admission was strong and confident.
We all looked to her, waiting for instruction.
“Sin, Chaos, Malice, Grim, and lastly—”
“Me. Of course you saved the best for last.”
I might end up punching him before this was over.
“Merri, you’ll add yours at the final incantation.”
“And then what?”
“And then we’ll have our answer. Your blood will show us who the father is.”
Malice snorted. “Just like that?”
“Just like that. Alek, be a dear and get the lights, would ya?”
He used his own magic to plunge the room into darkness. The low flame of the fireplace provided the only light, leaving us cast in menacing shadows. Exactly as I liked it. Until the candles in front of each of us blazed to life.
“Everyone ready?” Moira asked. At our nods, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and started speaking in a low, measured tone.
We each offered our blood in turn as instructed.
Every time the liquid made contact with the pentacle, the power in the room swelled, the candles burning brighter in response.
It was working. A mixture of excitement and apprehension swirled within me.
I didn’t dare hope that I was the father; that seemed like pushing my luck after all I’d already been granted, but it would be a massive relief to know for certain that Lucifer was not.
Then it was Merri’s turn.
I was sure that to those who didn’t know her well, she appeared calm, but I sensed her nerves in the slight stiffness of her shoulders. She had such an innate grace that any hint of tension was an immediate tell. At least to me.
The pentacle started to glow with the first drop of blood, and it had grown stronger with each consecutive drop. But as soon as Merri’s blood hit the ground, the light vanished and the candles went out.
“Um, was that supposed to happen?” she asked.
Moira bit her bottom lip and frowned. “No.”
“Is it because there are more of them?” Alek asked.
“Or do we need Natalie, or perhaps additional witches? There were three of you last time,” Thorne added.
Moira shook her head. “No, it’s not that the spell failed. It worked, but the answer is veiled. Something is blocking us from seeing it.”
“That doesn’t bode well,” Malice said.
“Things rarely do these days,” Sin agreed.
“What does that mean?” Chaos asked, not moving from his spot.
“It means I can’t get the answer for you. The baby has a father, one father, but I won’t be able to break through the magic keeping that information hidden.”
“So, what I’m hearing is you took my blood for nothing. Great. Just great.” With an exaggerated huff, Lucifer snapped his fingers, sending any and all objects with remnants of blood up in flames. Merri jumped back with a startled cry, prompting my brothers and I to glare at Lucifer.
“What?” he asked, feigning innocence. “She’s fine, and now all of us are protected from potential malfeasance. You’re welcome.”
“What do we do now?” Merri asked, wringing her hands together.
Chaos stepped forward and pulled her into the circle of his arms. “The plan hasn’t changed.”
“Plan? What plan? I’m pretty sure we ended our last meeting with no plan,” Moira said, gaze darting around as if she could suss out the answer.
“Our plan,” I said. “Perhaps it’s time to reconvene with the others so we can fill them in.”