The fighting demons disengaged, leaving the remainder of Ramiel’s host to circle Wrath, Raphael, Vexia, and Ramiel.
“We fight,” Wrath bellowed.
“Stop,” Lucifer shouted. Even with their power, this was not a fight they would win, not without heavy losses.
“Now you see,” Ashe drawled. “This is what you’re up against. All this and more.”
Raphael pressed his back to Lucifer’s. “I can summon my host.”
Lucifer shook his head. This was exactly what Ashe had said it was, a message. Losing more angels was pointless, and it appeared they were going to need every one they had. “Ashe has a message for us.”
“Indolex wants you to see his power,” Ashe said. “He is tired of waiting in the shadows and will make his move. He gives you this one chance to lay down your weapons and let what must happen take place.”
“Not a fucking chance.” Wrath growled. “What you plan will end all of us.”
Ashe studied Wrath and pursed his lips. “Will it? Do you think Indolex went to all this trouble merely for everything to end?”
The power signatures from the massive horde pressed down on Lucifer.
“He wants us to join him?” Ramiel sneered.
Ashe laughed. “No, Lord Ramiel. You have become obsolete.”
“Then why bother with a message?” Lucifer kept his gaze trained on Leona.
“It is not for me to question Indolex,” Ashe said. “He wants you to know your enemy before it destroys you.” He smiled. “This next part is an indulgence he has granted me.”
Lucifer’s hackles rose. “What next part?”
“We’re with you, brother,” Wrath murmured. “We will fight.”
“Indolex has no further use for this witch.” Ashe pressed his blade against Leona’s jugular. “I could kill her like the rest, but I thought it would be more interesting to give you a choice.”
“What choice?” Lucifer had an inkling of where Ashe was going.
“You choose the woman, and we all disappear, until next time.” Ashe clicked his fingers. “Just like that.” He stroked the blade up Leona’s neck. “Or I slit her throat, and you and I fight. One on one and to the death.” He studied Lucifer’s face. “You can have your revenge on me, or you can have the witch.”
“You know what to do,” Raphael whispered.
And Lucifer didn’t hesitate. “The woman,” he said. “I will take Leona.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
They compressed into Sophia’s audience chamber. Sophia was waiting for them and immediately gave Leona over to healing members of her host.
Rage still coursed through Lucifer. “The other witches?”
“Here and safe.” Sophia looked from him to Wrath and then Ramiel and Raphael. “What happened?”
Lucifer had no faith his haglette had come with the other witches. There was no telling what his human would do when she got a bug up her arse. “Bianca is here?”
“She’s here.” Sophia looked amused. “I’ve sent someone to let her know you have Leona, and she’s safe.”
“They were waiting for us.” Ramiel eyed his gore-splattered leathers with distaste.
Lucifer grimaced. Not only waiting for them, but according to Ashe, waiting for them to respond to their invitation. Hells, how had this gotten so bad so fast?
“Of course they were.” Raphael grimaced. “They’re always two steps ahead of us.”
Sophia looked concerned. “How bad?”
“Really fucked bad.” Wrath examined the edge of his battle axe. “The faster we carved them down, the faster more appeared. It could be this Indolex fucker has found a way not only to recruit existing demons but may be creating them as well.”
“No.” Sophia gaped at Wrath. “But only hell princes can do that.”
“Well, this fucker can do a lot of shit that only hell princes are supposed to be able to do.” Wrath scowled. “While we’ve been farting around, patting ourselves on the back for being the most unassailable and powerful beings in the universe, he’s been learning how to take us on.”
Sophia absorbed this in silence, and then nodded to a waiting seraph. “Double the guards, and increase patrols.”
“You think they’ll attack heaven?” Ramiel frowned.
“I think we’ve been complacent too long,” Sophia said. “We’ve sat back secure that whatever was going on, we could handle it. That’s not working out so well for us, now, is it?”
All the signs had been there. Lucifer shook his head at himself. The seals cracking, the horsemen rising, the fucking demon rebellion. The others could catch Sophia up on the disaster they’d witnessed. He needed to see Bianca and assure himself she was okay. They didn’t have time to fuck around with unresolved issues. He needed to sort out the situation with her and get back to the job of stopping Indolex. “Where is Bianca?”
Sophia stared at him. “She’s here, and she’s safe.” She turned back to Wrath. “Indolex? Would that make him a sloth demon?”
“Likely.” Wrath thought it over. “I’ll see what I can dig up about him.”
“I want to see her.” Lucifer persisted. Bianca was his, and she must understand that and come back with him to his demesne where he could make it his imperative to look after her.
“Lucifer.” Sophia sighed. “She doesn’t want to see you.”
Wrath whistled. “That’s gotta smart.”
“Of course she wants to see me.” He resented having to explain himself, but he didn’t fancy fighting his way past Sophia and her host. Sophia might look like the Sugar Plum Fairy, but she could hold her own. They also didn’t need to be fighting amongst themselves with everything else that was going on. “Bianca is merely angry with me. Her point is made. Take me to her.”
Sophia raised her brows, and her cerulean eyes went hard as sapphires. “That sounded an awful lot like you giving me an order.”
He’d moments ago come from a massive battle, at which he’d had to let Ashe go. For Leona, which ultimately meant for Bianca. Lucifer reached for his morsel of remaining patience. “You don’t understand how matters lie between Bianca and me. Whilst I appreciate the whole feminine power, girl squad thing you have going, I’m not leaving until I see her.”
“Fuck me,” Wrath muttered. “Just when I think you can’t get any stupider, you prove me wrong.”
“You need to leave.” Sophia’s wings sprang free. Seraphim appeared around her, armed and pissed off.
Lucifer had done it all for Bianca, brought Leona, lost Ashe. “I’m not leaving without seeing her.”
