Page 2

Wraith

A s I promised Audrey, the moment I follow Wren into the underworld, I have my phone to my ear.

The phone rings a few times before going to voicemail, and I curse. Of course he’s not going to answer.

Biting back my irritation, I wait for his voicemail to pick up. “Lucifer, it’s Wraith. There’s some shit going on that you need to know about. This is important. I need you to call me as soon as possible. This is more important than whatever you’re doing right now. I promise.”

Not trusting that he’s going to listen to his voicemail anytime soon, I also send him a quick text asking him to call me as soon as possible .

My eyes drift back to Wren, watching as she transfers the soul to Charon. He inclines his head to her before lifting his eyes to meet mine. Unlike most people, I can see beneath the hood he wears.

I know many reapers wonder why he hides his face away, thinking he must be hideous, but he’s far from it. He has his reasons for hiding beneath his hood.

The only reason I’m privy to those reasons is because he’s my friend and a damn good one at that. Which is why I’ve been known to punish anyone speaking rumors about him or coming up with crazy stories among the reaper ranks.

We should probably all get together soon. I’d like him to meet Audrey properly. That’ll have to wait, though, since there seems to be so damn much going on in my and Audrey’s lives right now.

I nod in his direction before returning my attention to my phone. I don’t want to return earth-side without having answers for Audrey. She loves me, but that doesn’t make me exempt from her wrath. If I show up without answers, she’s going to be pissed.

Hell, I want answers .

Could Michael be the Michael? Or did this angel just choose a human name so that he could live among them?

Have the angels escaped Olympus? And if they did, then why haven’t we seen more of them? What are they planning?

My head jerks down as my phone alerts me to a new message, and I grind my teeth.

LUCIFER

I’m busy.

WRAITH

Don’t give a shit. We need to meet.

NOW.

LUCIFER

I think you’ve forgotten that I’m the boss.

WRAITH

Damn it, Lucifer.

I have six words for you, and if you don’t think they’re more important than what you’re doing, then I’ll leave you alone .

LUCIFER

I hate you, but fine.

WRAITH

You’re a father. Michael says hello.

“What the fuck do you mean I’m a father?”

Lifting my eyes, I smirk when I see Lucifer standing there with his pants unbuttoned and shirtless. “I told you it was important, didn’t I?”

“Don’t fuck with me right now, Death. You don’t know what you just made me walk out on. An orgy. You made me walk out on an orgy.”

“Who’s this?” Wren asks quietly as she joins us.

Lucifer frowns, spinning toward her. “Who are—“ He goes white as a ghost when his eyes land on her.

“Luc?”

When he doesn’t answer me, I lay my hand on his arm, and his eyes jerk toward me.

“I’m a dad.” It’s not a question.

“Wren, this is Lucifer. Apparently, he is yours and Audrey’s dad—“ I cut off at the look on Lucifer’s face. “What?”

He glances at Wren. “I have two daughters? ”

I nod slowly. “Wren’s twin, Audrey, is my mate. She’s with her other mates earth-side—“

“I want to meet her.” Lucifer’s face softens as he smiles at Wren. “Hello, Wren. I wasn’t aware I had a daughter—let alone two of them.”

Tears swim in her eyes as she glances between the two of us. “If you didn’t know you had daughters, then how do you know I’m your daughter?”

Lucifer lays his hand on his chest. “I feel it here. I recognize you as mine. I’m not sure why, but the gods have always been able to recognize their offspring.

It makes it much harder for someone to lie to us about us being their child’s parent.

But I don’t understand how I have any children.

Unlike most of the other gods, I’m unable to impregnate humans or supernaturals. ”

“What about an angel?” I ask, cocking an eyebrow.

“I mean, yes…but I haven’t…I couldn’t…” Lucifer frowns. “You said Michael said hello. Michael who?”

I shrug. “All I know is he’s an angel. He was masquerading as a human and married Wren before killing Audrey and Wren both, six months apart. Is he—“

“Damn it,” Lucifer roars, the sound echoing around us as his eyes flash with hellfire.

Wren whimpers, stepping slightly behind me, and that seems to pull Lucifer straight out of his rage. “I’m sorry, Wren. I would never hurt you, but considering you just met me, you have no reason to believe me.”

When his attention turns back to me, his face is sober. “Michael, as in the archangel Michael, previously known as Hercules. Asshole and all-around troublemaker. There’s no way he should’ve been able to leave Olympus, but clearly, the angels aren’t as secure as Seph led me to believe.”

“Your mother being an angel is the only thing that makes sense.” Lucifer directs this at Wren. “That means at least two angels have been earth-side in the last…however many years you’ve been alive.”

Wren giggles. “Technically, I’m not alive anymore, but Audrey and I would’ve been twenty-nine if we hadn’t died.”

Lucifer considers her for a moment. “Which means I met your mom thirty years ago. This is going to sound terrible, and I’m sorry, but that doesn’t even narrow things down as much as it should. Also, if we’re being technical, you’re not actually dead.”

“She’s not?” I frown, trying to figure out how that’s possible.

“Obviously, her mortal side was killed by Michael, but she’s still very much alive.

She—and her sister, I guess—are…” Lucifer snorts.

“I have no idea what they are. Gods and humans together make a demigod. Two gods, another god. In the history of time, there’s never been a demigod and a god who had a child together.

There’s no name for what you and your twin are.

But dying earth-side sent you to the underworld, where your other powers should’ve kicked in. ”

Wren scoffs. “Maybe for Audrey, but not for me. I can’t do half of what she can.”

“And what can she do?” he asks, sounding truly interested.

I hold up my hand when Wren goes to answer him.

“Why don’t I just take you to meet her? I promised her I would return to her with her sister and some answers—answers that I think only you and their mom can answer.

And I think I’m going to need some answers about how their souls were sent to the academy if they’re not actually dead. ”

Lucifer’s eyes narrow. “Where did you say my other daughter—Audrey, was it—was?”

I flush as I mutter, “Earth-side.”

“With her other mates, isn’t that what you said? And she attended the academy, which means she’s a reaper. So would you like to explain to me why a reaper is earth-side if they’re not reaping?”

I shake my head slowly. “No, I don’t think I would like to at all. Surely, meeting your daughters is more important than why we were there in the first place, right?”

“Wraith, it seems there’s been a lot of shit going on that I haven’t been made aware of. I’m more than a little annoyed about it. It might be in your best interests to tell me what I want to know.” Lucifer’s eyes flash with hellfire again. “Being my friend won’t protect you from my wrath.”

“Damn. Audrey’s definitely his daughter,” Wren muses as she nods her head slowly. “Which means I am too. We really are the daughters of the devil.”

Lucifer nods at her without taking his eyes off me. “Yes, you are. Wraith?”

With a sigh, I fill him in on the entire story—starting from the moment Audrey appeared at the academy until now.

Lucifer might be my friend, but he’s also a god, and I’m nothing more than his creation.

I’ve seen him pissed before, and I don’t want to be on the other side of it if I don’t have to be.

Although, based on the look on his face when I finish, I still am.

“That’s…interesting,” Lucifer finally says, clenching his jaw. “We’ll be discussing this in more detail later, Wraith. Do you understand?”

“I understand. Can’t say I’m looking forward to it, but I understand.”

Wren’s eyes narrow on her dad. “You know he’s Audrey’s mate, right? You can’t hurt him. If you do, she’s going to be pissed. Since you’re the ruler of hell or the underworld or whatever, I’m sure you’re scary, but you haven’t seen my sister on the warpath before. Just something to keep in mind.”

“I’m sure I can deal with any blowback that might come from Wraith being punished.” Lucifer smirks, rolling his eyes, and I bite back a laugh.

Poor Lucifer. He has no idea what he’s getting himself into with Audrey. Wren’s the quieter twin. I don’t think things will be quite so chill when he meets my mate, but I know he can take care of himself. He might be a little surprised by his prodigy, though.

Even if she’s not completely herself right now, that’s not something to worry about right now.

It really does make sense that Audrey’s his daughter. The two of them are a lot alike—something that never would’ve crossed my mind because why would it? It explains her ability to use hellfire and probably the whole ripping a soul out of a living person’s body. I’ve never seen that before.

I can’t even do that, and I’m death incarnate.

There wasn’t time to bring it up before having to rush off so Wren could reap her first soul, but we will be talking about that when I see her next. She didn’t seem surprised by the power.

It makes me wonder if she already knew about it, and if she did, how?

If she’s been keeping things from me, I’m going to turn her hot little ass pink.

“Okay.” Wren shrugs, a smirk pulling at her lips. “It’s your funeral.”

Lucifer narrows his eyes on his daughter before shaking his head and brushing off her words. “Where are we going, Wraith? ”

“Just grab hold, and I’ll get all three of us there,” I tell him, biting my lip to hide my smirk when he rolls his nose up in disgust. “I’d rather you arrive with us and not ahead of us.

Audrey…well, she can be a little reactive, and she’s likely freaking out right now.

The last thing I want is for her to try to take your head off during your first meeting. ”

He scoffs. “I can take whatever she can dish out. Just tell me where we’re going.”

I exchange an amused glance with Wren as I tell him the address. As soon as he’s gone, Wren breaks out into giggles.

“Is it bad that I’m kind of glad he went ahead of us? I get that he’s our dad or whatever, but if he’s going to underestimate Audrey like that, he kind of deserves it.” She shrugs. “It’s probably best that he learns it now. If she was standing here when he brushed off my warnings?”

I snort. “I almost wish I could see her react to that,” I admit. “But we should probably follow him so she doesn’t get into too much trouble.”

“I guess.” Wren hesitates, her hand hovering over my arm. “Will we still get to go see Mom?”

“I don’t see why not. The two of you are his kids. If you want something, then you stand a better chance of getting a yes than the rest of us. Even if we can’t do it today, I’ll make sure you and your sister get to see her.” I make a face. “No matter how much trouble I end up in with Luc.”

She offers me a soft smile and a nod as she lowers her hand to my arm. I pull us into the shadows, wondering what we’ll find when we make it back earth-side.