River turned to look at Magnus. “So whatdoes it all mean? What difference does it make, really?”
“It means your father is going to doeverythinghe can to get his hands on you. The good thingis, he wants you alive.”
A cold chill went down my spine when Ilifted my gaze from River’s pale countenance to look at Magnusagain. “He doesn’t just want Earth,” I realized. “He wants backinto Heaven too. That’s why he’s been waiting so long before goingabove, why he’s opening the seals. He thinks he might be able tolure the angels into a battle too if the odds become too greatlystacked against us, or that she could somehow open a gateway intoHeaven.”
“Yes, I believe he is trying to get back in,and I believe he thinks she may be the key to opening those pearlygates. As much as we would all gladly pluck an angel and use theirfeathers as stuffing, they may have no choice but to becomeinvolved if humanity’s existence, and therefore Heaven and Hell,hang in the balance.”
“Fuck!” I exploded, causing thosearound me, except for River, to jump. She remained motionlessbeside me, looking as if she were about to fall over. “I shouldhave seen this sooner.”
“He’s never shown any interest in gettingback into Heaven before,” Morax said.
“To be honest, none of us have ever knownwhat he’s wanted or planned before,” Magnus said. “We didn’tparticularly care when all we wanted was to destroy him before hedestroyed all of us. He’s also never had the key to possiblyreturning to the land he was cast from. He figured out how to opena gateway into Hell before. He may know how to open one into Heaventoo.”
“Wouldn’t he have opened a gateway intoHeaven, instead of coming here, if he could?” River asked.
“I don’t think he can, but he may know howto useyou,or at least think there is a possibility hecanuse you, to open a gateway into Heaven,” I said.
“Delightful,” River muttered. “But thejoke’s on him. I can’t open or close anything. We wouldn’t bestanding here if I could.”
“As far as you know,” Magnus said. “Justbecause you don’t know the key to doing it, doesn’t mean it’s notpossible for you to do so.”
River’s head fell into her hands, and sherubbed at her temples. Wrapping my hand around her nape, I held heragainst me as I massaged the tense muscles in her neck andshoulders.
“Even if Lucifer doesn’t plan to return toHeaven and take revenge on all of those who cast him out, he’llstill want her,” Magnus said.
“Why?” Shax inquired.
“Because she is one of the most powerfulbeings ever created, she is Kobal’s Chosen, and she is hisdaughter. He’ll do everything he can to get his hands on her andturn her to his side.”
“He knew he had a better shot at getting tome in Hell than he would on Earth, and we walked right into hishands,” River said.
“No,” Magnus said. “He was fully preparingfor you to remain on Earth and for him to have to come to you,another reason he’s been opening the seals.”
“We must get moving then,” Verin said as shebrushed back her yellow hair, “before he realizes she’s here.”
Taking hold of River’s chin, I gazed at herturbulent expression. I would not ask her again if she would preferto leave. I knew she wouldn’t change her mind. Instead, I strokedmy finger over her chin and bent to kiss her.
“When this is over, I will take yousomewhere no one can bother us for at least a month,” I murmuredagainst her lips.
Her mouth quirked into a smile against mine.“You had better.”
***
River
I stared at the illusion Magnus had createdof thousands of troops standing behind the hundred plus demons andskelleins who had entered Hell. I kept my lips pressed together asI tried not to gawk at the size of the manifested army. It was likefun house mirrors except these weren’t reflections. Granted, theillusions weren’t as detailed as the real troops, but they lookedas corporeal as the demon standing before me, the one I knew wasreal.
Amid the troops, I spotted images of myself,Kobal, and the others who would be staying with us. My skin crawledas I took in the visage Magnus had created of me as she gazedstraight ahead, unaware of her surroundings. Kobal’s image stoodbeside her, the same resolute stare in his eyes.
I turned away from the discombobulatingspectacle. “Why are we in there?” I asked Magnus.
“To distract Lucifer. He’ll think we’recoming at him head-on and not trying to stop the falling of theseals first,” Magnus replied. “These will keep him busy for awhile.”
“How will we know when these troops engagewith Lucifer’s?”
“Morax will let me know,” Kobal answered.“He’ll also let me know if something goes wrong, or if they walkinto a trap.”
Kobal’s gaze slid toward Magnus who assumedan innocent expression that made my eyes roll. “And if thathappens,” Kobal growled, “it will be the end of you, Magnus.”
