Lucifer (Book 3, The Redemption Series) (6 page)

“
I have to agree with Jered on this one,” Daniel says from his chair situated between the other two. “We need to take care of the situation in a way that doesn’t turn Anna into a murderer in the eyes of the other cities.”

“
What did you guys find out?” I ask them as Malcolm and I go to sit with Jered on the sofa. I turn to Jered first and ask, “What’s happening in Alto?”

“
Baal has taken over Emperor Rafael Rossi’s body,” he tells me. “From what I gather, his wife, Bianca, suspects something is wrong with her husband.”

“
Why?” I ask. “How is he acting differently?”

“
Apparently, he’s been clamoring to share her bed,” Jered says with a small chuckle. “I guess the real Rafael didn’t appreciate what a beauty Bianca is while he was still alive, but Baal certainly does. From the information I was able to gather, he’s even gone to the extraordinary measures of trying to romance her.”

“
Baal’s romancing a human?” Malcolm asks, sounding certain Jered is talking about someone else. “I didn't think he could love anyone more than he does himself. Are there any ulterior motives on his part besides the obvious?”

“
Not that I can tell,” Jered says.

“
Well, at least mine doesn’t have a wife to be concerned about,” Brutus says. “Mammon has taken over Callum Ellis in Virga.”

“
I met him a few times at parties Auggie had,” I say, fondly remembering the young, handsome prince of Virga. “Why take over the son and not the emperor himself though?”

“
Probably because the emperor is so old,” Malcolm reasons. “Mammon's always had a healthy appetite for the ladies. If I were him, I would certainly rather be inside the body of a virile young man in his prime than an old man who could kick the bucket at any minute.”

“
I’m afraid my news won’t make you very happy, Anna,” Daniel warns. “Botis found his way to Cirro.”

“
Who is he now?”

“
The emperor.”

“
But I thought the emperor was on his death bed?”

“
With Botis in control, the Emperor of Cirro has made a miraculous recovery.”

“
And how does Empress Zhin feel about that?” I ask.

Daniel clears his throat
as if he really doesn’t want to tell me the next part of his report.

“
The empress has been taken over by Belphagor.”

“
Great,” I say, massaging my temples with the fingers of my free hand because I suddenly feel a painful headache forming. “How am I supposed to kill the emperor
and
the empress of the same cloud city?”

“
I don’t know yet,” Daniel admits. “It does present something of a problem.”

“
Well, I have some good news and some bad news,” Malcolm tells me. “The emperor of Nimbo isn’t a Prince of Hell.”

“
Was that the good news or the bad news?” I ask.

“
The good news. The bad news is he’s still a powerful demon by the name of Agaliarept.”

“
And what about Stratus?” I ask, knowing Lucifer wouldn’t leave it unscathed by his plans. “Who did Lucifer plant there?”

“
Abaddon,” Brutus says in disgust. “He’s another one of Lucifer’s high ranking generals, like Botis and Agaliarept.”

“
I assume he’s taken Lorcan over?” I ask, knowing Brutus wouldn’t be so calm if this Abaddon had taken possession of Kyna.

Brutus nods, confirming my assumption.

“Honestly,” Malcolm says, “I doubt Abaddon will be any worse of a ruler than Lorcan was. In fact, it seems as though he’s treating the down-worlders of Stratus better than Lorcan ever dreamed of doing.”

Malcolm's statement brings to mind what Desmond told us the night before about Lorcan sending supplies to the down-worlders
of Stratus. I guess that should have been our first clue that something might be going on with the leaders in the other cities.

“
I think he’s up to something,” Brutus says confidently, not willing to give Abaddon the benefit of the doubt. “He’s purposely trying to gain support from the down-worlders and the cloud city citizens. Abaddon has always been a calculating little bastard. He has to be planning something and is trying to bolster his position before he does it.”

“
Do you have any idea what that something is?” I ask.

Brutus shakes his head.
“No, I have no idea. But, you can bet it’s something that most people wouldn’t ordinarily agree to do considering how much effort he’s put into gaining support.”

“
Should we just go grab Kyna now and bring her here?” I suggest, knowing if Malcolm were in a similar situation I would do whatever I had to do to ensure his safety.

“
I think that’s a bad idea,” Jered is quick to say. “She could be placed in more danger if we single her out. Abaddon will know we care what happens to her, and he’ll make sure to keep her close to protect his own skin.”

“
Which is exactly why I haven’t gone there myself and taken her out of Stratus,” Brutus grumbles, obviously not liking the situation but not seeing a better way to protect Kyna.

“
We’ll think of something,” I promise Brutus.

Brutus nods at my words.
“I know we will.”

Desmond phases into the sitting room.

“How is Catherine?” I immediately ask him.

“
As well as can be expected considering what Levi did to her,” he says, sounding disgusted by Catherin's condition. “She’s going to need a lot of rest and medical care while the lash marks heal. Mentally, I'm not sure she'll ever recover. It's too soon to make a proper diagnosis.”

“
Gladson and Barlow have arranged to have her taken off world,” I tell them. “I think we should still stick to their plan. Levi knows I care about her now. If she’s somewhere he can’t find her easily, he won’t be able to use her safety against me.”

“
Agreed,” Malcolm says. “We keep to the plan Gladson has worked out and get her off-world as quickly as possible. Maybe a new set of surroundings will even help her forget what happened.”

“
I had to make a promise on your behalf to the owner of a freight company,” I tell Malcolm. “He wanted exclusive rights to transport thorium off of Mars in exchange for helping us with Catherine.”

“
Vitor?” Malcolm says knowingly, looking slightly amused.

“
Yes,” I answer hesitantly. “Should I not have made the deal?”

Malcolm shakes
his head. “No, it's fine. Vitor has been hounding me to do that for a long time now.”

“
What kept you from agreeing to do it before?”

“
I mostly just wanted to keep the price of thorium low. We can deal with him through a tariff negotiation to yield the same result. It's nothing to concern yourself about. We have bigger issues to deal with at the moment.”

“
I will arrange for a doctor to accompany Catherine to Mars,” Desmond says. “I know of one who has been looking for an excuse to get off-world.”

“
Barlow said it would take a couple of hours before Captain Vitor would be ready to leave,” I tell Desmond.

“
Good. That gives me plenty of time to make arrangements. I'll bring the doctor back here so she can do her own examination of Catherine. I'll be back soon.”

Desmond phases.

“I can't just sit here and do nothing,” Brutus says, looking frustrated by his inability to do something about Kyna’s situation. “I'm going to go to Stratus to snoop around and see if I can find out what Abaddon is up to.”

“
Make sure you're back here by this evening,” Malcolm tells him.

Brutus nods and phases away.

“I guess I should make arrangements for Linn to come tonight,” Daniel tells us before standing. “She would kill me if she missed it.”

“
Missed what?” I ask. “What's happening tonight?”

“
Our wedding,” Malcolm gently reminds me.

“
Oh,” I say, suddenly feeling stupid all of a sudden. “I'm sorry. I didn't realize we were doing it tonight.”

“
Well, I don't see any reason for us to wait,” Malcolm says. “Do you?”

“
Absolutely not,” I tell him, squeezing his hand. “The sooner the better.”

Malcolm smiles at me and returns his attention back to Daniel.

“The kids are welcome to come if you want to bring them,” Malcolm says.

“
I doubt the boys will,” Daniel chuckles, “but Bai will want to come.”

“
I would love for her and Lucas to spend some time together,” I tell Daniel, remembering what I once thought about the two of them forming a lasting friendship. It would be nice if Lucas had someone his own age who understood the world of angels and demons and who would always be a part of his life.

“
Then I'll make sure to bring her,” Daniel promises. “We'll see you both tonight.”

Daniel phases, leaving
Malcolm and me alone.

“
I guess I should have asked you first,” Malcolm says almost apologetically. “I just thought you would want to have the wedding as soon as possible.”

The look of uncertainty on Malcolm's face pushes me into action.

I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him soundly on the lips, deepening it to a point where I leave my future husband breathless. When I finally relent, I pull back and look at him.

“
Of course I want to do it as soon as possible,” I tell him. “I would do it right this minute if I could.”

Malcolm smiles and leans in to nuzzle my neck with his lips.

“Good,” he says against my throat. “Because I don't think I can wait much longer to have you in my bed.”

I giggle and reply,
“That goes both ways.”

Malcolm lifts his head and looks at me.

“I don't want you to worry about the seals anymore today,” he tells me. “It's your wedding day, Anna, and I plan to make it a day and night you won't ever forget.”

“
I plan to keep you to that promise,” I tell him, bringing his head down to mine. “Now kiss me, Malcolm, because it will be the last one we share until God officially makes you mine.”

Malcolm kisses me with an intensity that makes me wish we had already exchanged our vows. I simply keep in mind that it won't be too much longer, and I send up a silent prayer
asking that nothing happens this time to delay our union.

Chapter 5

Malcolm doesn’t release me from his kiss for a very long time. Not that I was about to complain. If it had been left up to me, I would have taken full advantage of the situation and phased us directly to the honeymoon stage of today’s events. The only reason I didn’t was because we were so close to Malcolm’s goal, and I knew how important it was to him for us to do everything properly. I wasn’t going to rush him just to satisfy my own physical needs, even if they were great…and becoming increasingly demanding for some reason.

Malcolm eventually pulls his lips away from mine but gently touches our foreheads together, keeping our physical connection to one another. His eyes remain closed, and his breathing is even and deep. He doesn’t say anything, and I don’t rush him. He’s had a rough day, and I’ve been the major cause of his worry. I would move all three planes of existence if I thought it would ease his burden.

“
Are you all right?” I ask him, taking both of his hands into mine, enjoying the comfort the warmth of his skin has always provided me.

“
I will be,” Malcolm replies, keeping his eyes closed.

“
Is there anything I can do to help you?”

Malcolm’s eyelids flutter open and he leans his face away only a fraction of an inch from mine to say,
“Stay alive.”

“
I have no intention of dying,” I assure him. “I have too much I want to do, like having your babies.”

Malcolm grins, and I see a little bit of his tension ease at the reminder of our son’s prophecy.

“Thank God for Lucas’ gift,” Malcolm says. “Otherwise, I might go completely insane with worry.”

“
Speaking of Lucas’ ability to see the future,” I say, “he had a vision while you were away.”

Malcolm sits back slightly at hearing this news and looks alert.
“What did he see?”

“
He said he saw a war,” I tell him. “He said you, me, and the others were in the middle of a fight, but that we were outnumbered.”

“
Did he see anything else? Did he see who won?”

I shake my head.
“No, he didn’t. He didn’t even know who it was we were fighting, why we were in a battle with them, or when it would happen.”

“
Well, I'm sure it will all play out the way it's meant to. There’s no reason to worry about something we can’t control,” Malcolm says in a resigned voice, but I knew I had just added something else to his list of burdens.

“
Whatever it is, we’ll face it together and win.”

“
I don’t care about winning if it means I might lose you, Anna.”

“
I thought you said we weren’t going to talk about all of that for the rest of the day?” I ask, gently reminding him about his earlier statement.

“
Is there anything you would like to do in particular today before the wedding?”

I smile at the question.
“Yes, there is, but I believe we decided that would have to wait until after we said our vows in front of God.”

Malcolm chuckles, obviously picking up on my meaning.
“Is there anything
else
you would like to do before the wedding?”

“
Nothing that would be nearly as much fun,” I admit with an exaggerated sigh. “Are we even supposed to be with each other before we get married? Isn’t it bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding?”

“
Yes it is,” a new but recognizable voice chimes in.

I look over by the fireplace to see Lilly standing in front of it. She’s wearing a white sleeveless summer dress, looking perfect in her part as an angel on Earth.

Malcolm and I both stand up.

“
What on earth are you doing here?” Malcolm asks, taking my hand as we walk over to greet our new guest.

“
I heard there was a wedding later on this evening,” Lilly says, smiling at us. “And I sort of doubted Anna has had a proper wedding shower considering everything that's been going on down here.”

“
No, she hasn't,” Malcolm says, looking confused by Lilly's suggestion. “What did you have in mind?”

Lilly smiles and holds out one of her hands to me.

“Something special,” she says mysteriously, waiting for me to accept her offer.

I release my hold on Malcolm's hand and place it into Lilly's grasp.

“I'll have her back in time for the wedding,” Lilly promises Malcolm. “I assume you have things to do until then to keep you occupied?”

“
Yes,” Malcolm answers. He leans into me and kisses me chastely on the lips in front of our company. “I guess I’ll see you later at the altar. Have fun with whatever they have planned.”

Before I can make a reply, Lilly phases us.

I find myself standing in front of a house surrounded by snow-capped mountains. The sun is bright in the sky and a warm breeze blows through my hair, lifting it off my shoulders. The colorful flowers planted in the boxes hanging from the front porch railing permeate the air with their sweet aroma.

As I look at my surroundings, I get an odd sensation that I don't belong where Lilly has brought me. A gentle force seems to be urging me to leave, telling me it's not time for me to be here yet.

“Where are we?” I ask, knowing exactly where we are but having a need to ask the question.

“
Heaven,” Lilly tells me. “My version of it anyway. Come on. There are some people inside who have desperately wanted to meet you for a very long time.”

I follow Lilly up the stairs to the front porch. I notice an empty, white painted swing on the right-hand side of the porch swaying gently back and forth in the breeze, making the chains creak. Before Lilly can even reach out a hand to grasp the doorknob, the door is yanked open. Two women stand in the entryway smiling at me for all they’re worth. I instantly know who they are because I've seen them in Malcolm's memories, Caylin and Jess.

Caylin walks up to me and takes me into her arms, hugging me lovingly.

“
Oh, Anna,” she says, tightening her hold even further. “I've waited so long to see you again.”

“
Stop hogging the bride, kiddo,” Jess complains good-naturedly. “I'm her ancestor too, you know.”

Caylin laughs and steps back, giving Jess room to take her place in my arms.

“It's so good to finally meet you, Anna,” Jess says before releasing me. “It's been a long time coming.”

“
It's nice to finally meet the two of you too,” I tell them.

“
Where is she?” A woman says loudly from the depths of the home’s interior.

Two beautiful black women walk up the hallway from the back of the house. One is dressed in a pair of jeans and a nice dark blue shirt while the other is dressed in an
old-fashioned dress with a black and red rose print pattern. I remember seeing the first woman in Malcolm's memory about Lilly's wedding. She was standing on the dais in the place of the Maid of Honor. The second woman is someone I don't remember ever seeing, but I instantly feel like I know her.

“
There's my baby girl,” the older of the two women says, taking me into her arms. “Oh Anna, it's been too long.”

After the woman lets me go and steps back, I look at her face and can't seem to shake a sense of déjà vu.

“How do I know you?” I ask.

“
You and I spent a great deal of time together before you were sent to Earth,” the woman says. “My name is Utha Mae, Anna.”

“
Were you the one Will and I stayed with while I was here?” I ask, remembering Will mention someone very special taking care of me while I was in Heaven.

“
Yes, I was,” Utha Mae says proudly. She begins to look me up and down with a look of pride on her face. If you didn’t know any better, you would have thought she was my mother. “I knew you would grow up to be a beautiful woman, inside and out. Malcolm sure is a lucky man. He gets someone with beauty, smarts, and the purest heart of anyone I've ever met.”

“
Has that man been treating you better?” The young black woman asks. “Cause if he isn't, I'll find me a way to get back to Earth and kick some sense into him.”

“
Get in line, Tara,” Jess says. “If anyone gets to kick Malcolm's ass, it's me.”

“
Uh,” I say, trying not to laugh at their eagerness to do bodily harm to Malcolm. “He's treating me very well. There isn't any need for a Heavenly intervention.”

Jess groans
her disappointment. “Man, I was really hoping you would say something different. I've been waiting for a good reason to ask God to send me back to Earth for a visit.”

“
You're just jealous that we can go back anytime we want,” Caylin teases.

“
I'm totally jealous!” Jess admits. “But I bet if I have a good enough reason, God won't deny me the chance to go back. At least he better not if he wants Heaven to remain peaceful or in one piece.”

I look at the women standing before me and can’t help but notice someone very important missing from the greeting party.

I look over at Lilly and ask, “Is my mother here?”

I can tell Lilly was waiting for me to ask this particular question and feel a slight tension enter the merriment of the moment.

“No,” Lilly answers, “Amalie isn’t here.”

“
Why?” I ask, feeling my heart drop inside my chest at the possibility that my own mother doesn’t want to see me.

Lilly seems at a loss to know how to answer my question.

So, Utha Mae tries.

“
I’m sure she just needs some time, baby girl,” Utha Mae tells me. “Let’s be patient. She still has a while yet to show up.”

I hold back my tears of disappointment and try to preserve the joy of the moment.
But, why wouldn’t my own mother want to see me? Did she feel like my birth cheated her out of a real life? Did she regret not doing what Lucifer suggested and abort me so they could be together? There really wasn’t any way for me to ask these questions to those present. How could they know what my mother was thinking?

“
Who’s ready to eat?” Tara says in what I can only assume is an attempt to quickly change the subject.

“
Leave it to you to bring up food at a time like this,” Jess says with a roll of her eyes at Tara.

Tara places a hand on
a cocked hip. “And what is that supposed to mean, Jess Collier?”

“
That you’ve been eating since you got here, Tara!” Jess answers with a smile.

“
And why wouldn’t I?” Tara says. “I can eat all I want and not gain a bit of weight. Pretty much sounds like Heaven to me!”

It sounds like a very justifiable reason to me also.

“Come on, baby girl,” Utha Mae says, looping an arm around one of mine. “I’ll bet you anything you haven’t had a meal on Earth like me and Tara made for you today.”

“
I made dinner for eight people last night,” I say proudly. “All by myself.”

Everyone stops walking and stares at me
as if I just grew a second head.

“
You can cook?” Caylin asks, looking sure I must have meant something else.

I nod my head.
“Yes. Malcolm taught me.”

“
Oh my God,” Jess says, her eyes wide in wonder as she looks at me. “You
are
the chosen one.”

“
Oh stop teasing her,” Lilly tells Jess with a laugh.

“
Seriously, Lilly, this is monumental!” Jess professes. “No descendant of yours and Caylin’s could boil water much less cook a meal for a dinner party. What exactly
did
you cook, Anna?”

I tell them what I prepared for everyone the night before.

“Yep, miracle child,” Jess says as if my words were confirmation of the fact. “But, I guess we all knew that already. This just puts proof in the pudding.”

“
Quit picking on my baby,” Utha Mae says, gently tugging on my arm so we can continue our walk to the back of the house.

When we enter the kitchen,
a mixture of aromas that make me feel more at home welcomes me.

“
It smells so good in here,” I say, breathing in deeply. Just like with Utha Mae, the scent of the food makes me feel a sense of déjà vu. “Did you cook this kind of food when I stayed with you?”

Utha Mae smiles at me.
“Well of course I did, child. And I want you to let Malcolm know I taught you how to cook before he did.”

I can’t help but smile at this new bit of information.

“He thinks he worked a miracle with me,” I tell her.

“
Well, we can’t let him take all the credit now, can we?” Utha Mae says, letting go of my arm. “Otherwise, he might get a little too big for his britches.”