The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows
LUKE
“What the fuck is taking so long?”
Zeke rolls his eyes, surely growing tired of the same question.
Good.
Until the ball gets rolling, I’ll keep asking. Victoria is in Hell with Nolda and demons so much worse than him. How do these idiots expect me to just sit here on my hands not going insane with worry? With every day that passes I question why I made a deal with them in the first place.
I was able to make contact with Victoria, but something has happened. I’ve been blocked, and if I had to guess, I’d say Lilith is behind the blockage.
“You know exactly what’s taking so long. You’ve allowed a full-fledged coup to occur, and Heaven had to intervene. You don’t have control anymore, Lucifer.”
“Nolda would not have won.”
He laughs. “You know Nolda isn’t the reason Heaven has intervened. This has everything to do with the woman you supposedly—what, love?”
My eyes narrow. “You know I do. But I’ve yet to be told what Heaven wants with her.”
“Join the club.” Zeke’s head falls back with a groan. “Did you know that every high demon in Hell plans to aid Nolda in turning you out? With you gone, it will make it easier for one of them to take the throne. Nolda may be dumb, but he’s the only one who has balls.”
“I don’t buy that. Elion will side with me.”
He grunts. “Elion has already given Nolda his backing. You can be sure that as soon as you’re out of the picture, Elion will challenge Nolda, and he will win with the help of the Osborne coven.”
Rage courses through me and I have to push it down. Deep down. I want to burn this whole place to the ground with my anger. Elion, my right hand, has given his alliance to Nolda?
“I will tear that place apart and end the existence of anyone—demon or otherwise—that gets in my way.”
Zeke scoffs. “Enough of the dramatics, Lucifer. Your broody attitude is doing nothing but driving me nuts. I’m ready to kick your ass.”
I spin on him. “Please. I’d love for you to take a swing. Just one, Ezekiel,” I goad, getting into his face. “You throw the first punch and Heaven can’t renege on our deal.”
“Knock it off, you two. It’s getting old.” Leeanna glides in, looking regal with her brilliant white wings extended. When her feet touch ground, she sheaths her wings and turns to Zeke. “What’s wrong with him today?”
Zeke huffs, taking a seat. “Same old song and dance. Guilt will do that to a person. Satan included, so it would seem.”
I grind my teeth and ball my fists. “It’s been two weeks, Lee. I’m not waiting another damn day.”
“You will, because you don’t have a choice. That’s all there is to it,” she says, as though my current state of distress is of no concern to her in the slightest.
Zeke has the fucking audacity to chuckle, and I itch to wipe the grin from his face.
“Our people are in place. They have their eyes on her,” Leeanna continues. “The doors will be open when it’s time.”
“Who are your people?” I grit through my teeth, pissed off at only knowing half of the plan.
I might’ve struck a deal with Heaven, but they aren’t holding up their end. They want me to share all my secrets, yet they don’t return the favor.
“You need to give me something, Leeanna. Or this temporary agreement is over.”
She raises two dainty hands and motions toward chairs in the opposite direction of Zeke. I follow her, hoping she doesn’t force my hand.
I will act if she gives me nothing this time.
We take a seat facing each other and I wait for her to start talking. Her eyes narrow to slits as if trying to decide how best to start. She takes a deep breath and spits out the one thing I wasn’t expecting.
“Heaven has engaged the help of witches to infiltrate Hell. Nolda believes they are there to hear his plan and join his war.”
My mouth drops open. I shouldn’t be surprised. Heaven is notoriously hypocritical when it comes to their dealings.
Hell is bad in their eyes because of our unsavory practices and alliances, yet when it benefits Heaven, they have no problems doing the same things. The sanctimonious arrogance of it all just further pisses me off.
“Witches? Isn’t that against your moral code, Leeanna?”
“Mock me all you like, Lucifer, but sacrifices must be made for the greater good.”
“Whose greater good? Yours? Heaven’s?”
“Everyone’s,” she snaps, taking a deep breath. “The balance is in jeopardy, and she is the key to restoring that balance.”
A humorless laugh bubbles up in my chest. “A fallen angel is the key? Oh, what a twisted web.”
Zeke grunts again but does the smart thing for once and doesn’t say a word.
“Apparently, she is.” She shrugs her shoulders. “You’re frustrated because you don’t have all the information. Well, neither do I, Lucifer. We’re on a need-to-know basis and Michael holds all the cards. I’m simply doing his bidding.”
“Fuck Michael. And fuck this half-assed plan. You’re going to get her killed. She isn’t safe even with your witches watching over her. Not in Hell. Not with Lilith running around unchecked.”
“Your whore won’t get near her. Not with my people in place.”
“My whore might be the only one there who could actually help her. I don’t trust witches under your employ. Considering you turned your back on Tori.”
“I thought she betrayed us … for you!”
“Well, we both know that’s bullshit. She fell for some master plan orchestrated by the powers that be, Leeanna. She’s been a fucking pawn for Heaven, and she still doesn’t know it,” I roar.
“I didn’t know that at the time,” she seethes. “I wasn’t allowed to know.”
“Oh, how the tables have turned. The very friend you betrayed is the key to keeping your ass safe. How ironic that you’d need her now.”
“We all need her, Lucifer,” Zeke says, garnering glares from both Leanna and me. “She has to fulfill her destiny.”
“And what destiny is that? You don’t even know, so don’t feed me that lame bullshit you’ve been fed.”
“It’s not bullshit,” Leeanna snaps. “It’s God’s direct words. He promises she’s Earth’s salvation.”
“Do you even hear yourself? Why does God need a fallen angel to save his pets?”
“They’re not his pets,” she snaps. “And she’ll come through. Victoria always does.” There’s a whimsical quality to Leeanna’s words, as though she’s playing centuries’ worth of memories over in her head. She shouldn’t get to even think about Tori.
“I hope she tells you all to go to Hell.”
Leanna shakes her head. “She won’t. Victoria will understand. She will forgive me.”
“I’m so sick of your duplicitous bullshit. You don’t care about her. Don’t pretend otherwise.”
“You have no right to point fingers, Lucifer. You’ve managed to make a mess of everything with your absence. It’s your fault she’s in Hell. So check yourself and fall in line.”
My head jerks back at the invisible slap Leeanna delivered to my face. She isn’t wrong about this being partly my fault. If I’d kept Hell in line, war wouldn’t be imminent.
“This isn’t getting us anywhere, you two. We need to work together.”
“Then you need to get Michael’s ass here to start talking. Until I know what’s going on, I’m done. I won’t play nice anymore. I’ll fucking storm Hell myself and get her.”
“Enough!” Michael’s voice blares across the room with a force that rings my eardrums. But I don’t flinch. I refuse to allow him to think he affects me at all.
“Michael,” Leeanna springs to her feet, bowing her head in a show of respect.
I smack my lips and blink several times, feigning absolute boredom. He might be something special in Heaven, but I’m the king of Hell. He has no power over me.
“Glad you found fit to grace us with your presence, Michael. To what do we owe the honor?” I spit honor like it’s a joke, disrespect oozing from every pore.
“You want answers, serpent? I came to deliver.”
“Michael, I must insist that you elaborate on this. As much as I hate to admit it, Lucifer is right. We’re running out of time.”
Michael’s jaw clenches, likely to keep from snapping at Leeanna for showing disrespect, but he surprises me by putting his ego aside for once.
My hands sweep out in a motion for him to get on with it. “By all means, start talking.”
Michael stalks across the room, taking a seat next to Leeanna.
“There’s trouble. Our contacts in Hell have been captured and are currently being held by Nolda. Victoria is no longer safe. It’s time to act.” Sighing heavily, he continues. “Victoria is special. She’s the first of her kind. Born of two angels.”
My eyes widen and Leanna gasps. “Two angels? How is that possible?”
He ignores her questions, continuing. “She was born from love but sacrificed for a greater good.”
“Stop with the fucking riddles, Michael. Get to the point,” I bark.
“She’s the sole heir to the reaper kingdom.”
Fuck.
Leeanna and Zeke gasp at the same time. “What?”
“How is that possible, Michael?” Leeanna’s eyes are wide, and I know she’s not faking surprise. She had no idea.
“I was just informed myself,” he says, hands raised in a surrendering motion. “I was as speechless as the two of you.”
“Who is her father?” Zeke asks the question I’d just been wondering myself.
Michael’s head drops. “I don’t know. God didn’t tell me.” He takes a deep breath. “This is all …”
“Fucked?” I offer.
“I guess that’s one way to put it,” Leeanna huffs.
Zeke steps forward. “What now?”
“God is going to open the doors soon. We wait, and then we go to war. Are you with us, Lucifer?”
I suck on my teeth, taking in all that’s been said.
Victoria is the reaper princess. She’s tasked with taking the throne when the current queen steps down.
“Does she know yet?”
“She doesn’t,” Michaels answers.
“If you enter my head one more time, I’ll kill you,” I warn, and I mean it.
“Are you with us?” he repeats.
Inhaling deep and blowing out the breath in a rush of air, I nod.
“If it means getting to her, I’m with you.”