Page 171 of The Bonds of Indigo

“I said I did no such thing, woman. Did you not hear me?”

I’m beside Lucifer now, and both his parents’ attention has snapped to each other as they argue.

“Sit,” he commands.

He slides his chair back and takes my hand, but before he can guide me into his lap, I simply sit at the armrest.

“Do not command me like you own me, Lucifer.”

His eyes round.

“Got it?” I whisper.

“Got it, dollface… sorry.” He flicks his gaze to his parents, before returning them to me. “While they fight for a few minutes—” His shadows coil around my waist as if to secure me in place. “Tell me why you were attacked by a Grimhorn.”

“It’s a long story, and unless your parents are going to fight until breakfast, we don’t have enough time.”

His chest expands with a deep breath. My plate glides toward us on a trail of shadows, followed by my drink.

“Keep eating, please.”

I lean forward, take a bite, grab my cup, and do as he asks.

“You killed one?”

“No, it wasn’t me. But that’s an even longer story. Look, I know it isn’t your father sending them. But if he keeps pressing this issue, he’s going to make me stay here.”

“Why?!” he basically screams, the volume sharp enough to make me jump.

He winces. “Shit, sorry. Why do you say that?”

“Because that would mean I know who’s taking control of his creatures. You do the math.”

There’s a long beat of silence. During it, Belial and Proserpina settle from their little tiff, both taking bites of their food and sips of their drinks before turning their attention back to me.

“Alright,” Lucifer murmurs, “but you should tell me when we’re done here.”

Yeah. That’s not happening.

“My Grimhorn would not attack you unprovoked. Let alone drag you through to my realm,” Belial says.

I shrug, take another sip, and lift my chin. “A lot of your creatures are out of control these days, it seems. All the gates opening in the mortal world scream lack of management, if I do say so myself.”

Lucifer’s shadows tighten around me. “Okay, but let’s not piss him off, Amarah—bloody Beyond.”

“Quite the disrespectful thing to say at my own dinner table.”

“I don’t mean to be, but I do mean to be blunt, sir. That isn’t me being rude. I’m stating facts. Which I believe you’d prefer to me playing dumb and wasting your time.”

His eyes narrow on me, malice burning in the red glow that begins to seep outward. In the same breath, Lucifer’s hand slides up my lower back, and in the lowest part of my vision I see shadows coil over my legs. They’re ice-cold, but not painful, at least not yet.

“I can handle myself when it comes to your Grimhorn,” I continue evenly, “but maybe you should look into why your gates are opening everywhere. That might solve the problem.”

“I know damn well why my gates are opening,” he hisses. “As if I don’t know what’s happening in my own realm. My creatures would never attack without my command, never go to the mortal world without my sanction. Which means you attacked and killed one of mine for nothing.”

Keep calm. Just breathe. You’re alright. You’ve got this.

“Father,” Lucifer warns. “I don’t know where you’re going with this, but enough.”