Page 44 of Whiskers on Kittens

“A sacrifice of life without death?” I asked, puzzled at the phrasing.

“You throw all that you are into providing a better future for those who may have been targeted by this ring. You sacrifice your life and energy—without condemning yourself to death to do so. You give a far greater gift than merely the end of your life. You dedicate the prayer that is your life to those who cannot help themselves. This is what it means for an era of salvation and sacrifice to be born. This is the new way.”

“I’m confused,” Easton confessed.

“This time, there will be no crosses, no child who exists solely to die for the sake of others. When she comes, she will do so as a salvation for all and a sacrifice of life without death. The circle closes, and we dawn on a new age, one of mystery, life, and light. May the balance forever be held so that the End of Days becomes a memory limited to darker times and history.”

I considered the archangel’s words, considered what I knew of the Christian faith, and asked, “But what of the Antichrist?”

“Not all fables of religion are true, Kelsie. All the Antichrist was and ever will be is a scapegoat to cover human sin. He would never create such a being, and my brother would never need to. There are always dark-souled humans eager and willing to wear those shoes solely because they fit.”

What a sobering thought. “Will we find what we need tonight? To rescue the kittens?”

“Yes, that much I can promise you. No stone will go unturned, and these pieces of filth cannot hope to hide anything, not from us. You will have a long journey ahead of you, but you are pointed in the right direction and walk the path you need. Fear not. You do not sacrifice them for the sake of others.”

I nodded. “I can work with that. Who is Hibil?”

“Hibil is one of my brothers. You won’t see him; he is an echo of Lucifer’s origin, and he is rather shy. But you will know he is here. Where he goes, the light shines brighter. Belial requested Hibil because Hibil can also do the aversions they wish to place in a roundabout way. The hosts of the many hells will create the aversion to block those with ill intention from setting foot here. Hibil will turn this place into a sanctuary, a place of light and peace for those who have suffered. Gardens will grow well here, and those who live beneath his light will thrive.”

“Is Hibil Lucifer’s replacement?” I asked, my brows furrowing at the thought of somebody taking the Devil’s place in the heavens.

“No. No one can replace Lucifer. Lucifer is and always will be the Lord of the Morning. Think of Hibil as a protector of the light that Lucifer brings forth. Hibil is the one who would be bold and brave enough to descend into the utter depths of my brother’s many hells and become a guiding light for the redeemed souls to once again be born back into the world. He is a beacon and custodian, but he can never be what our brother Lucifer is and was. And before you fret, do not worry. Hibil is content with his place, and of my brothers, Hibil’s love for Lucifer is unmatched. For Lucifer, Hibil would live through any torment, for Hibil has seen Lucifer’s heart and understands its beauty far better than the rest of us do. The light is as much figurative as it is literal.”

“I grew up being told how going to hell is a bad thing, but I’m failing to understand how it’s bad,” I complained.

Gabriel’s laughter tinkled. “That is because your soul is secure; you have no fear of Lucifer for you understand that you will not be one of the fucking assholes in residence within his domain. Your soul is destined for other, better things. And as such, you sense him as the Lord of the Morning rather than the Lord of Lies. My brother does evil often, and he enjoys his dark works, but for those undeserving of his harsh hand, his presence can be a comfort. All souls handle Lucifer’s presence differently, but yours has, from the instant you stepped into his light, rejoiced. But you are a feline, and Lucifer has a way with the felines. Now, we have work to do, and we will not get it done talking.”

I took that as a hint to get back to shoveling as much as I could into the bag so the minions of hell could help us sort everything and find out what had happened to the missing kittens and where we needed to go to rescue them.

FOURTEEN

“Well, I did bark at an archangel today.”

We uncovered six bodies in the homes on the street, most of them within a day or two old. The archangels took on the burden of taking them away to be laid to proper rest, and I expected their bruised and battered faces to haunt my nightmares for a long time.

The understanding of how I pulled the caper sank in, and as we finished our work, I sat on one of the steps and failed to contain my tears. I rubbed at my eyes, angry the emotions refused to be contained. Easton crouched beside me, pressed his muzzle to my throat, and offered comforting nuzzles.

“She is as angry and frustrated as much as she grieves for those she could not help enough,” Gabriel explained, and he sat at my feet, folding the bag he’d used to send even every hint of dust in the properties to Lucifer for evaluation. “Our work here is finished. You will have a great deal of reading and learning to do. I will take care of teleporting you to Lucifer’s Manhattan residence. He will make certain you are both adequately fed before you rest. He will also make certain you do not damage your sleep schedule too terribly much.”

“We’re going to sleep all the way till tomorrow morning, aren’t we?” I asked between sniffles.

“A wise guess, but no. You will be given much coffee and kept awake until it is an acceptable time for you to rest. Your car will be driven with much care, I’m sure—unless Lucifer takes offense to it, in which case it will have a tragic accident and be replaced with something he likes.”

“But I like my Lexus,” I complained.

The archangel laughed. “All will be well, one way or another.”

Compared to Belial, Gabriel’s teleportation reminded me of a fist to the gut, hard enough to knock the breath out of me. In good news, the shock did an excellent job of bringing my tears to a halt, and I spent a few minutes cursing. Easton roared his general discontent, and then to my amusement, he barked at the archangel.

By the time we both recovered, the archangel had departed, leaving our bags nearby along with several piles of folded clothes and a dress hanging from the back of a barstool. Shaking my head, I took in my surroundings, determining that Lucifer owned one of the ridiculous mansions on the upper floor of a skyscraper. Below us, Central Park stretched through the city and the dawn made way for proper morning. On the streets below, the cars resembled ants more than anything else. I straightened, brushed myself off, and went to the window, whistling at our ridiculous height. “I should have expected something like this.” I regarded my filthy state, hissed, and grabbed my bag. “I’m exploring until I find a bath or a shower, and then I’m getting this filth off me. Make sure you wash all that shit out of your fur. If you need help, follow me around like some puppy or something.”

Easton opted to follow me around, and he insisted on taking sniffs at the back of my neck and throat.

“I smell like distressed feline,” I informed him. “We have a bunch of scent glands that help us mark our territory, and we also use them to secure our mates. Right now, though, you’re indulging in the fury of feline. This level of scent is a rare vintage. You won’t enjoy too much of it later, so get your hits in while you can. I don’t like being this angry.”

“It is a spicy scent,” Easton rumbled.

“I’d be spicy if I had anyone to beat.”