Page 7

7

DIANA

I ate dinner with Momma and Angie in their suite to avoid seeing Desmond and dealing with his drama. Then I spent the evening training with Quelier. His magic felt different than the others. Overwhelming and heavy, like a slow rolling fog that devoured everything in its path. Yet it could also strike like a lightning bolt. Practicing with him gave me a new perspective in how to wield a magic that often overwhelmed me.

“Diana’s immense, unchecked power combined with her last name puts a target on her back…”

Desmond’s words slapped me across the face, reminding me of how far I still had to go. The task of mastering my power in such a small amount of time seemed impossible.

A zinging ball of power grazed my biceps, leaving a burn that was already starting to heal up. Q raised a brow at me. “You should have blocked such an easy shot. Where did you go just then?” he asked, pointing to my head.

“I feel like I’ll never master any of this, no matter how much training I get…” I admitted.

“You’re better than self-doubt. Your boyfriend—the rudest one by the way—says some dumb shit, and all of a sudden you forget how you won over the evil jailer and broke your crew out of Pit 13? And how you timehopped us home after fighting some dinosaurs?”

“Well, no. I remember that.” It was one of the most thrilling, scariest experiences of my life. “I thought I’d become a buy one get one free meal for a T-rex.”

“Mal told me you almost killed Red before your powers were fully unbound? Is that true?”

“Yes, we thought I had died.” It dawned on me how often I ended up in dangerous situations.

“But you didn’t. Ares told me you cracked Damon like a fucking walnut using Judas’ power, and channeled Bain’s power in a battle.”

“Yeah?” I wondered where he planned on taking this.

“You’re twenty three years old, practically a baby. You just stopped shitting your pants and barely know how to walk, but you’ve already done so much in less than a year,” he teased me. I stifled a laugh at how much he sounded like an old man. “It took almost an entire century for me to almost master my magic, and I wasn’t at your level when I finally did. Instead of focusing on how far you need to go, recognize how far you’ve come.”

I wouldn’t admit it, but he was right. Focusing on how far I’ve come would be more productive than whining about how far I still had to go.

“No need to say it. My Fae wisdom is always right,” he smirked. “I’m a genius.”

I threw a fire lasso, looping it right over him and pulling to wipe the gloating expression from his face. He ripped the lasso out of my hand and molded it into a mega ball. Lobbing it into the air, he blasted it, making little chunks of fire rain down on me. I shielded myself from it, then levitated him in the air and slammed him back down. We sparred, exchanging blows back and forth while Q made suggestions on how I could improve. He taught me how to make my magic more intense, so it had the heavy, all encompassing feeling his often did.

Every maneuver and new spell I practiced was another tool in my arsenal. As the minutes ticked by, my self doubt evaporated. Q levitated me three feet off the ground as he shut down my magic. My hands were bound, and it seemed he finally had me in a checkmate.

“How do you plan on getting out of this?” he asked, lifting me another foot off the ground. “You can’t use your hands to wield.”

I called upon my magic, willing it to strike my PA, but nothing happened. I kept trying to wield my magic nonverbally, but despite my lessons with Lucifer nothing happened. My magic built up inside me, ready to go, and I couldn’t deploy it without using my hands as a channel. My heart beat too fast. With every second I was trapped, my throat became thick with anxiety.

“Blink twice if you need a break. It’s okay to tap out, Diana,” he reminded me.

I wracked my brain for a solution, refusing to quit. The very thought of giving up was repulsive to me. Tapping out wasn’t an option in battle—it was kill or be killed.

Think! I can’t focus enough to cast spells nonverbally, so I have to manipulate him to release me…or I can manipulate the bindings around my wrists…

I closed my eyes, and tapped into my magic. All I had to do was scrounge up enough of it to make my wrists a little bit smaller, so the magical bindings loosened. When they did, I started to wriggle my wrists, until they slid off. I willed myself to lower to the ground, then put my hands up and cast a crackling fire ball. I turned it into a net, tackling him to the floor.

“Do you submit to my fiery fishnet?” I cackled.

“Who taught you how to do this?” he asked me. “This is totally something a pyro-obsessed, crazy pirate would come up with.”

“Argh!” I screamed, morphing into the kind of parrot that sat on a pirate’s shoulder in the old movies. I flew around the room, squawking just for the fun of it. I rarely felt like I let loose anymore or had fun. The feeling of the air in my feathers was just what I needed after a long day of training.

Footsteps from the back of the room caught my attention. Desmond and Zaz stood over Quelier, marveling at the way I weaved pure fire into a net. Zaz seemed impressed, whereas Desmond just seemed…unsettled. I didn’t even have his power to emotionally manipulate others, but I felt his disappointment and jealousy from where I soared near the vaulted ceiling.

I landed, remembering to morph my feathers back into my clothes. The last thing I needed was him critiquing my form right now.

Zaz gave me a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. “How was training?”

“Amazing, Quelier showed me some new spells, and I got to practice some magical combat maneuvers.” He seemed happy with my answers, the complete opposite vibe of Desmond’s displeased frown.

“So you sparred with him, without supervision?” he asked, pointing at Q. “He could have seriously hurt you! Or worse!”

Desmond’s finger turned into a New Years Eve party horn. Quelier took a deep breath, and as he exhaled, it flared out, then made a funny trumpeting noise. I had to stifle a laugh at how ridiculous it was.

“Good theory, but the laws of Fae deals prohibit me from harming or backstabbing someone I’m in an active deal with…so I can’t hurt or do worse to my new bestie, not that I’d even think of doing such a thing. But I can hurt you if you keep poking me, ya horny devil. See what I did there?” Q laughed as he pointed at Desmond’s horns. They popped out so fast I missed it.

I held back my laughter, barely. Okay, maybe a small chuckle slipped through. I couldn’t help it, because that was so corny, it was hilarious.

“You’ll regret threatening me,” Desmond growled. Zaz gripped his shoulder, and I could only imagine what he linked him.

“Fuck around and you shall find out,” Q cackled. “If I were you, I’d try to be my friend instead of my enemy. I’m a better ally than enemy, demon. Don’t learn the hard way.”

Desmond broke out of Zaz’s hold, and he and my PA circled each other, sizing the other one up for an attack.

For fuck’s sake, he came to apologize, Zaz linked me.

I didn’t want an apology from him, especially when I could barely stand being in his vicinity. Breaking this up would get him to leave faster.

“Is there a reason why you’re here? I’m tired and want to go to bed,” I said around a yawn, a subtle dismissal of his presence.

“Q and I are going to leave and get a snack,” Zaz announced. His gaze swung to me. To give you two some space…

“If you need me, Diana, drop me a mental notification. I’ll be wherever you are within a few seconds,” my PA reminded me before they faded away.

My sigh ran bone deep. Dealing with Desmond was the last thing I wanted to do while exhausted from a long day. And why should I? I could fade away, too. I didn’t owe him a fucking second of my time after he betrayed me in the meeting.

“Don’t fade away from me,” he ordered me in his domineering tone as he grabbed my hand. His firm grip felt like a shackle around my wrist. The stone cold glint in his eyes used to make me fall to my knees, but now it royally pissed me off.

“Don’t fucking order me around like I’m your dog. I’m sick and tired of how controlling you are. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m only into that dynamic during sex.” I glanced at his crotch, a flippant smile spreading on my face. “Your loss.”

“That can be arranged if it’ll make you shut up and take this seriously,” Desmond growled, his black horns gleaming in the training room’s fluorescent lighting.

“I take your betrayal very seriously. You’re never going to stop trying to control everything and everyone around you. Well, guess what? Not me. Not anymore.”

“Diana, it has nothing to do with control. It’s about your safety! The Princeps Council isn’t a governing body. They aren’t fair and don’t adhere to a code. They’re bullies,” he spat, his face starting to turn red. “They will feel your power, know what you’re capable of…and they’ll target you.”

“What makes you think they can? Lucifer would never let that happen!” I took my hand back, putting more space between us.

“But what if he doesn’t have a choice? What if Red infiltrated the Council? We have no clue who’s on it, or what interests they have. You may think I’m being a controlling asshole—maybe I am—but it’s to keep you safe and alive to fight another day.”

“Do you understand how much it hurts that you don’t trust me to protect myself? The way you dismissed me in that meeting, as if it was ludicrous for me to have a say in decisions that impact my life. It fucking hurt to have someone I love do that to me.”

His face fell, and he took my hand in his, rubbing the back of my palm lightly with this thumb. “I’m sure it did, but you don’t listen. You’re so headstrong, sometimes I have to act like a dick to get your attention.”

Any hopes I had of him apologizing or of us making up disappeared. He wasn’t listening to me at all, and I wanted to smack him.

“Loving you is just…” I trailed off, unable to put my feelings into words. He was so frustrating!

“I know. Sometimes I’m difficult. But so are you.”

He did not just fucking say that…

“I deal with all your control-freak bullshit. Let you push me. Forgave you. Stuck by you through everything. Please explain how I’m difficult.” He raised a brow at my incredulous reaction.

“You’re too beautiful. Too full of emotions I struggle to understand because I love and respect you too much to magically manipulate them again. You’re impulsive, can’t follow orders, headstrong, and you’re a swirling hurricane of chaos. I’m too obsessed with you—I’ve died for you, killed for you, and was inches away from destroying the world to keep you safe—and that’s dangerous for me. You are so deeply a part of me that without you…I won’t be able to carry on without you. And you don’t even give a damn about your own safety! That’s why you’re difficult, dollface.”

A tear rolled down my cheek. Fuck him.

“You red-headed bastard! You can’t just say that shit when we’re in the middle of an argument and expect everything to be okay!” I choked out as I hurled an oscillating orb of blue fire at him.

He froze it mid air. It doubled in size, then whizzed straight at me. I ducked, whipping my magic out like a lasso and curling it around his foot. Before I tugged, his shadows snapped my hold.

They rippled over the floor, chasing me for revenge as if they had a mind of their own.

I instinctively morphed into a raven, flying right under the vaulted training room ceiling. Desmond turned into his full demon form, his large red wings cracking as they spread. He flew after me, his shadows climbing the walls, reaching out as they tried to surround me. I morphed back into myself in mid air, landing in a crouch on the other side of the room.

He stayed in his demon form, landing near me. His big, sleek wings cracked as they flared out. “Birds of a feather fly together,” he quipped.

I imagined my magic weaving itself into a blanket, crashing over him like a wave. The force knocked him down, but he sprang back up.

“You have to try harder, cry baby. Why don’t you bottle up all those emotions, shake them up, and let them loose on me? If I were Red, these cheap shots wouldn’t cut it. He isn’t going to take it easy on you!”

He wanted me to lose control? If he asked for fire, he’d get the smoke. I let go of the tentative hold I had on my emotions and let them fill me, from my heart to my fingertips, through my whole body. Every ounce of rage, betrayal, and love I felt for this demon culminated into something fiercely dangerous. Something downright feral, beyond control.

I imagined Desmond trapped in a ball of pulsating light. Without raising my hands to wield, my thoughts became reality. The trap swirled, the light growing brighter. I levitated it, then threw it against the wall.

Desmond’s body slumped to the floor. He sat up against the wall, his face a mix of shock and fear.

His shadows whipped out from his hands, stampeding right toward me. I let them coil around me, because unleashing my emotions on Desmond wasn’t enough anymore. Now I wanted to toy with him. The shadows covered me from my head to my feet, like a barrier trying to hold my magic inside me. My body glowed gold, promptly dispelling the shadows.

I called on the black fog Quelier and I worked on earlier. It rolled in from the corners of the room, working its way toward us.

“Diana, what is this?” Desmond asked me.

I didn’t speak, answering him with a smile instead. I was over having to explain myself to him.

“Diana…” he lifted his hands, but any magic he threw at it was absorbed into the black void rolling toward him.

“LG, I think you made your point!” Ares yelled over to me from the stands. I hadn’t even seen him and Mal sitting there.

“Is this cheap shot enough for you?” I asked in a saccharine sweet tone.

“Yes. I tap out. Call off the fog.” For the second time in my life, I saw his fear. The first was when I almost died in the middle of JFK airport. That moment seemed so long ago…

I thought about the fog dissipating, and it evaporated.

“Where did you learn that?” he asked me. “It’s very impressive magic.”

“Your least favorite PA taught me,” I answered, stomping down the thrill buzzing through me from his approval.

“I’m not going to change your mind, am I?” The brows above his muted gold eyes furrowed, accentuating his frown.

“No. I can’t be in a relationship with someone who wants to control me.” No matter how much I loved him, this was a boundary for me.

It was time for me to spread my wings and take flight. I’d either fly or fall.

He took my hand in his, squeezing it tightly. His shadows wrapped around where we joined and slowly danced up my arm, settling around my throat. They weren’t menacing, but a comforting embrace.

“Okay,” he breathed in defeat.

I pulled him into a hug. He held me for several seconds, until his shadows swirled around us, blocking the others from view.

I love you, Desmond. Thank you.

I love you too. I’ll always be here to protect you, Dollface.

I had no doubt he would.

Lucifer decided to host the Princeps Counsel in the training facility because it was ‘a room that showed our strength and dedication to winning this war’. I think he picked this space because if shit hit the fan, it was spelled to keep the damage inside. The facility was a large enough space to have a mini showdown…and to slaughter our enemies if need be.

We set up a long table that could fit their representatives, Lucifer, Michael, Oisín, my men, Judas, and myself. If they weren’t overwhelmed by the size of the compound or how far underground we were, then hopefully our show of force at the table would show them how much of a disadvantage they were at. All of us together were a force to be reckoned with.

“I can feel them walking down the hallway with Judas,” Ares informed us all. We had erected wards to prevent fading in or out of the room and block sound from escaping.

Be careful, Diana, Desmond linked me. I nodded at him, too nervous to mentally go back and forth with him.

Judas walked into the training facility with a measured stride, his head held high. His crisp black suit and gleaming fangs gave him an air of danger. A sense of quiet confidence he’d been missing earlier today. Trailing him were three individuals in hooded, floor length robes. One black, one white, and one ocean blue. The garments covered them completely, betraying no clue of who held our fate in their hands. Their energy was dispiriting. I could feel the little conviction we all had in our plan wither and die with their arrival. Everyone shifted in their seats, waiting for the unknown to finally happen.

One by one, they took seats at the other end of the long table. The being in the white robe raised a hand, and an identical card from the emergency meeting appeared in the center. The black card with a white star—the ominous trademark symbol to prove they were really members of the Princeps Council. They skipped introductions, getting straight to business.

“We only wish to speak to the head of the Costa Coven and the Morningstars. The rest of you may leave,” the figure in white robes said. Their voice was ethereal and musical while being distinctly male sounding. I had never heard such a voice before in my life.

“With all due respect, that will not happen,” Ares replied. His deep voice was calm, betraying none of the anger I knew he felt at the idea of us being separated in such a tension-riddled environment. “I am Ares, son of Zeus, God of War and Personification of Chaos. Diana Morningstar is my Adelphi Psyche , and I will protect her at all costs.”

The rest of my men nodded their agreement.

“I claimed Diana Morningstar. Incubus law and customs dictate that our bond is eternal, and thus I will be present with her for this meeting,” Bash stated.

“The Archangel Michael, her father, blessed our soulbond. I am here to serve as her guidance in a spiritual and advisory capacity,” Azazel followed.

“My lady wants me here, and her wants outweigh your orders,” Mal sneered, donning the old, impenetrable mask of snark and sarcasm he used to wear with me before we made amends.

“As a legacy member of the Princeps Council, I am staying to ensure Diana gets as fair a trial as she can, considering your predilection toward biased rulings.” Desmond’s professional business voice was calm, but shots were fired. He basically called them crooks.

“We came to try the Morningstar family and Judas Costa,” the figure in white said.

“With the exception of Michael, Judas Costa, and my son, Oisín, the men at this table are who my daughter chooses to spend her immortal life with. For all intents and purposes they are considered members of the Morningstar family and will be present for the proceedings,” Lucifer said, his voice unrelenting.

The three figures sat in silence for several moments before nodding in unison. The figure in the black robe cocked their head to the side, staring in my direction like a predator sizing up its prey. It was unnerving that I could not see the face behind the hood, only shadow.

“Two fathers. A mother returned from the dead. Five lovers. A host of armies from all over the paranormal gamut willing to lay their lives on the line for your family’s ascension to a throne it has forsaken, including the Greek gods and monsters from other realms. How peculiar you are Diana Rossi Morningstar…” the figure in black said in a feminine, unaffected voice.

My heart sank to my stomach. They knew about Mom. I wasn’t sure if she mentioned her as a threat, or to prove the council had eyes and ears inside our army. Either way, I refused to show them my fear.

“Everything about me is extraordinary,” I quipped with an arrogance I didn’t particularly feel. But I sure as Hell would fake it until I made it.

Don’t taunt them! You’re going to make yourself a target, Desmond growled into my head.

Fuck him. I understood his reasoning—they would be put off by my power and lineage—but I refused to sit here like a church mouse while they strode in here and passed judgment for something that was not our fault. Red’s actions were not ours. They would not weaken us or hinder our cause.

They came into our home and targeted us with an unfair trial. They would pay the price.

“The trail of the Morningstar family and Judas Costa begins henceforth. The Princeps Council holds the right to charge and try anyone suspected of breaking the three cardinal laws that govern the paranormal community. The first law: keep the paranormal community secret from humans at all costs. The second law: do not reveal a paranormal being’s magical ability to the humans as revenge. The third law: the Princeps Council—which is composed of representatives from all parts of the paranormal community—has been invested with the power to protect and govern the magical community, and has the right to bring justice to those who break the cardinal laws. Those suspected of wrongdoing will be punished as the Council sees fit, for the safety and preservation of the community,” the figure in white proclaimed, as if he was reading from a script.

The figure in black cleared her throat, turning her head toward Lucifer. “We came today to charge you with three counts of breaking our first cardinal law, regarding secrecy. The first count—your war with Red caused the exposure of the paranormal world on a mass platform. That law is necessary because it protects both us and the non-paranormals, because the latter audience is often afraid of what it does not understand. Although we are aware you did not break this law directly, we feel you hold some responsibility for it, as it was used as a tactic against you.”

Victim-blaming much? I linked Zaz. They’re ridiculous.

True, but it’s how they demonstrate the firm hand needed to rule the paranormal world, he explained.

“The second count,” black robes carried on, “is because you brought Marilyn Rossi, a deceased mortal witch, back to life. This is also a breach of secrecy, due to having to explain her existence.”

“Like mother, like daughter,” I interrupted, to the shock of everyone at the table. “I was also presumed dead, yet here I sit, with no charges brought against me. Both of your charges so far are frivolous and lack merit. Marilyn Rossi was never dead, but was kept in a state of equilibrium, thus we never brought her back to life. We didn’t break the secrecy law because she has been held at this compound, out of the public eye,” I argued.

“That is enough, Ms. Morningstar,” the figure in black spat with venom, obviously upset that I interrupted their bullshit trial.

Keep going, sis. Make these fuckers pay, Oisín shouted through our link.

“You can wait, I’m not finished. The paranormal world’s existence has already been exposed, by Red, through no fault or coercion of anyone at this table. We had nothing to do with his actions, directly or indirectly. So your first charge is wrongly brought against us. We are victims impacted by his poor decision, just like the rest of the world. Furthermore, if the paranormal world is already exposed, my mother’s reappearance is a moot point.”

Yes, LG, tell them! Ares linked me. Fucking trolls.

Even though I couldn’t see their faces, I could feel their outrage at being interrupted. They were the high law of the paranormal world, and here I was, unraveling their bullshit charges one by one. Desmond shook his head with disappointment, but I ignored him. They would not come for my mother, me, or anyone else sitting at this table.

Blue Robes, the largest figure of the three, cleared their throat before continuing. “The third charge is for Diana Morningstar alone. Due to the uncontrollable nature of her very new magic, some members of the Council feel it presents a danger to the paranormal and human communities. Her lack of control is a threat.”

The vibe of the room changed in an instant. My men and brother shifted toward me, positioning themselves to defend and attack. My heart leapt into my throat. Desmond was right. They did plan to target me. They were charging me for something completely out of my control.

“You will not execute my daughter for a bullshit, subjective charge that is out of her control. If you try, you’ll find that everyone at this table will defend her with their lives,” Michael said, his voice a deadly calm I had never heard before. His eyes were such a light shade of blue, they were almost clear and his entire body was strung like a bow, ready to lunge across the table and strangle the robed figures.

“We do not wish to kill Lucifer Morningstar’s only daughter. The punishment we have determined is that Diana Morningstar will voluntarily bind her powers to a manageable level, until she can better control them.” Blue Robe’s voice sounded familiar, but my heart was racing so fast, I couldn’t focus enough to place it.

I had to regain control of myself and the situation. Think. Think, Diana. You’re a Morningstar…

“So you wish to charge and pass judgment on me with no demonstration of how controllable my powers are? On what evidence is this charge based? It seems circumstantial and, excuse my language, like a witch hunt.”

“The Council is not required to explain themselves, the sources, or their decisions,” the figure in black snapped. “You shall treat the Council with the respect it’s due as the governing body of the paranormal community!”

“My daughter will not bind her powers, especially since we are in an active war,” Lucifer scoffed, as if they were joking.

“Some feel that your war is an uprising that will only hurt the magical community,” black robes stated in her annoyingly monotone voice I was tired of hearing. “And that Lucifer Morningstar does not deserve the throne.”

“Red wants to subjugate and disenfranchise the magical community, with the long term goal of expanding into all four realms. Anyone who truly feels the way you claim is either ignorant to Red’s true intentions, so callous they do not care, or they stand to gain from his cruelty,” I fired back in a similar fashion.

She stood from the table, aiming her stark white palm at me. Before she could unleash her magic, my father erected a shield around us all. It felt like an iron wall locking into place around me.

“Diana will not bind her powers. You will do nothing about her mother’s return. I immediately order that you leave my property,” Judas ordered. “The council obviously abandoned their neutrality and has been compromised. You are no longer welcomed here.”

The other two figures stood, looking between us and black robes. I felt her signature magnify as her magic unfurled around her, but I refused to cow to it.

Before she could aim it at our shield, I pierced it, channeling my magic through the tiny slit I made and aiming it directly at the figure in black. She was obviously their ring leader and needed to be made an example of.

I unleashed a torrent of sharp electrical magic right through her. She convulsed, shaking so violently that her hood was knocked back.

She had big brown eyes, pale skin, and a shiny black bob that reached her chin. Her red lipstick was perfectly applied on her thin, sneering lips. I had never met her before, but her face looked familiar. She cried out in pain, dropping to her knees. Ares broke through the shield, winding his arm back and unleashing a spear of red flames. It pierced her heart, bringing her to the ground.

But she didn’t die. She got back up, raised her arms, and loosed a blinding blue flame right at me. Mal redirected it back at her, but it died on impact. I ducked, then morphed into a smaller version of my red dragon form. I opened my mouth and called forth a white flame. Her magic shielded her at first, but my onslaught slowly ate away at her defenses.

Blue robe threw his hood back, and my concentration faltered, breaking my flame. Poseidon. Ocean blue robes … He was a member of the Council.

Black robes took advantage of the break in my attack and slammed me with a direct burst of magic. It was weak compared to her earlier work, but strong enough to knock me over and loosen a few of my scales. I morphed into a raven, diving straight for her. My claws connected with her face, scratching her as she sputtered.

She choked as briny ocean water poured out of her mouth, nose, and ears. I looked to Poseidon, and saw him smirking at her as she died. Her corpse dropped to the ground with a resounding thud. I morphed back into my regular form, then quickly snapped my fingers, summoning a copy of the black suit I wore. Saving my clothes while I morphed was a work in progress still.

“Thank you, Poseidon,” I said before directing my palm at the figure in white robes. “Who are you and with whom does your loyalty lay?”

Desmond erected a shield around me, and the rest of my men stood at the ready to eviscerate him if need be. White robe’s deep sigh caught my attention. Everyone’s magic crackled, waiting for him to attack or reveal himself.

He pulled down his hood, and Zaz laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. “Of course you would be on the Princeps Council, Raphael. Secretive as always.”

“You could have warned us!” Michael snapped.

So he was the Archangel Raphael. I had heard of him, and Zaz and Michael mentioned him in passing, but I had never seen him before.

“God’s orders. I was to infiltrate the Council through my membership and report back. When you allied yourself with the Greeks, I revealed myself to Poseidon, and we realized that Red also had eyes and ears on the Council. We started making a plan to tear it apart from the inside.” He ran a hand through his short hair. “That’s why it took me so long to meet you a couple months ago…”

“As soon as your case came before us, Raphael and I made sure we were part of the trio that would pass judgment. Based on what we know about Lucifer and from what Ares shared about your tenacious attitude, Diana, we knew you’d all rather fight than stomach the charges brought against you.”

“So you took a risk with my Adelphi Psyche and let this woman attack her?!” Ares growled, slamming his hands on the table.

“Yes, but it was the only way. We can say that Lucifer killed Tabatha–that you’re seeking vengeance on Council members for the charges brought against your resistance. This will make the Council members on Red’s payroll flee and will force the others to join you. Win-win,” Raphael explained.

“That’s actually a great plan,” Desmond remarked. “I would have suggested that myself.”

“Who is Tabatha?” Judas asked. “I’m assuming the corpse on the floor in black?”

“Diana, meet your sister, Tabitha,” Lucifer drawled while he gestured at said corpse on the floor. “She’s dead to me because she tried to kill me and take my throne centuries ago. Then she murdered Oisín’s lover. Instead of punishing her for eternity, I allowed him to seek the vengeance he was due. He killed her, or so we thought…”

I wasn’t sure why I was so shocked. Lucifer did tell me I was his only surviving daughter once. I just didn’t think she’d ever resurface. Or that she’d be such a cunt. Or that I’d have a hand in her actual death. My men were locking eyes with each other, no doubt talking amongst themselves about what to do next. It stung that I wasn’t included in the conversation.

“Don’t you dare feel guilty about this. She was worse than our brother. I killed her because she was living garbage and the world is a better place without her. Technically Poseidon killed her…” Oisín assured me.

“I had no clue Tabitha was your kin, but I’d do it again. She was targeting magical communities for decades on Red’s behalf, slowly poisoning the Council and turning people against you. As soon as she caught wind of Marilyn, Raphael and I knew we had to adjust our plan.” Poseidon snapped his fingers, magically changing from his blue robe to an ocean blue suit with a crisp white shirt and a light pink tie.

“Does anyone ever stay dead?” I asked. It always felt like everyone came back from the dead around here.

“Not for long,” Q quipped from behind me. He snuck up on me again . “Figured you needed a clean up crew?”

“Um, yes. But please have someone discreet take care of it.” I didn’t want it getting out around the compound where we killed a member of the Council.

Q gave me a hold my mead look, and laughed to himself. A bright opalescent white light streamed from his hands, surrounding Tabitha’s body until it wrapped around her completely. The light pulsated, moving like a living, breathing thing as her body shrank. The light got brighter the smaller her body became. When the light snuffed out, she was gone.

“You’re welcome,” he quipped.

“Fae PA to the rescue,” Michael exclaimed. It sounded like a tagline in the making.

“Diana, it’s good to see you again,” Raphael said, offering his hand to me.

As I shook it, I said “We haven’t met.”

“I was there when your soulbond with Azazel was formed. My magic forged the bond with Michael’s. If you ever need me, say the words.”

I wasn’t sure what to make of the archangel. He was only my height, with brown hair and eyes. He was average looking to a fault, but he had a very casual, inviting air to him. It was hard to believe that this was the man who voted for Zaz to be disgraced. Did his undercover mission mean that God was on our side? Maybe they weren’t as neutral as Zaz and Michael thought they were.

“This is further proof that someone on the inside is feeding information to Red. I think it’s time we move. Until we know more about Red’s whereabouts, this compound isn’t safe,” Judas suggested.

“We need to make a battle plan. Do recon. Train. Get on the offensive,” Ares thought aloud as he paced. “But where would we go? And how would we keep the rat from broadcasting our whereabouts?”

“We’d need a place that was concealed, or magically protected to keep outsiders away,” Mal added as he paced with Ares.

“Or a place that’s so secure, no one can leave…” Q suggested, a smirk blooming across his sharp face. “Lucifer…”

“Absolutely not,” my father barked. “Don’t you dare say?—”

“Pit 13?” Michael filled in the blank. “That would be a great idea, if it wasn’t a one way in with no escape kind of pit.”

“Yeah, and it’s a barren torture wasteland down there,” Mal said as he took my hand. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with Diana, or any of us, being down there again…”

“Lucifer and I made the place, so we can alter the magic and build an escape. Red was able to trap you in there, but even he can’t come inside—I’d know if he was in my pit. But unless anyone has other suggestions, it’s the only place I know about with the kind of security we need,” Q said. He had a point. Pit 13 was practically a fortress.

“What about the prisoners that are already down there?” Oisín asked. “They’re not going to like the man who put them in there suddenly setting up shop.”

“I didn’t put many of them in there, actually. I made Pit 13 toward the end of my time as Satan.” Lucifer scratched his beard in thought. “Quelier, can you show me the stats on who sent the most prisoners to the pit?”

His tablet appeared in his hand, and a few swipes later he announced, “Red!”

“I was telling Desmond that we should try to convert the prisoners down there to our army. We can give them a deal—they join our forces for a commuted sentence. Any misconduct on their part, and they’re destroyed.”

Lucifer looked to Judas, a few moments of silence passing between them before saying, “We’ll take the rest of the night to decide. Either way, spread the word for everyone to pack their things and be on high alert.”