Page 66 of Sorrow & Strangers

“You must be the light fae.”

I shift, subtly getting into a better position to defend Rafe if needed. I know he’s enrolled in the school, but I would be foolish not to doubt the power of the Avalon bond when it comes to the devil.

Lucifer slowly looks me up and down, his dark gaze coating me with unease. “And what exactly are you planning here?” he asks, his expression bored. “Are you thinking of attacking me?”

“Whoever you are, get out of this house, or you’ll discover how quick I am to kill first, ask questions never,” Alice growls softly, and while I don’t take my eyes from the threat in front of me, I feel her move closer to Rafe.

“What are you planning, Lucifer?” I ask, lifting my chin a little.

Alice tenses beside me as she gains an understanding of the situation.

Lucifer’s onyx eyes sparkle a little. “Me? I’m here to retrieve my nephew and take him home where he belongs.” Something about his tone alludes to the threat, to the danger we will be in if we impede him from obtaining what he wants, but I will not back down. He will not take my brother.

“He is home,” I say as calmly as I can manage.

Lucifer’s eyes narrow a little, and he tilts his head, jet-black hair falling over his forehead. “His home is with his own kind. His blood. Me.”

“You are not his kind. We are his family,” I say, my fists clenching as I try to think of ways to get out of this situation. He’s blocked the doorway of this room, and even if he didn’t, we’d never leave Rafe alone with him.

Lucifer takes a step toward us, and somehow he seems to get taller, more looming. “Oh?” A cruel smile graces his lips. “Didn’t you kill the last one?”

I flinch, his words battering me painfully.

Lucifer lifts his hand and waves it casually, but the power from it blasts Alice and me back. We collide hard with the wall, knocking the air from both of us.

Lucifer moves toward Rafe, but he is stopped by an invisible wall. He snarls and looks around the room. One of the runes the headmaster painted on the wall has reappeared and is glowing.

“Meddling sorcerer,” he snarls, and then in a flash of red and orange hellfire, he is gone.

Alice and I scramble up and hurry to check on Rafe. He is still unconscious, his breathing even.

Alice stretches, wincing a little at the pain in her back. “Ow. What a prick.”

“Indeed. Will you notify the headmaster? I need to go to the library.”

Alice nods and pulls her phone out of her pocket. “What do you need from the library?”

“I need more demonology books. A lot of the stuff in this one is too advanced. I need to start at the beginning. Plus, it’s for demons, so it makes little sense to a non-demon.” Also, I want to check out that book about prophecies to refresh my memory, but I’m not telling Alice that until I have to.

“And ways to fight the devil?”

“I’m not sure there will be a book on that, but one thing at a time.” The runes worked for now, so we have a little breathing room. “You’ll be okay?” I ask, anxious about leaving them alone.

Alice grins, and it isn’t a nice grin. “I got my guns,” she says, pulling a set of pistols out of the bedside table. The barrels of each are etched with runes that glow with a faint blue sheen. I don’t even want to know where she got them, or why she was keeping them in Zach’s old room. No doubt they have been runed to wound immortals. The guns that I’m familiar with from the mortal realm would have been ineffectual on anyone with even the slightest skill in healing.

“Right.” I exhale. “Call me if you need anything.”

I leave the house, and no sooner have I stepped off the porch than I feel him materialize next to me.

“You had a visitor,” he says, and I hate the way his voice sends an awareness throughout my body. My heart launches into action, but I just keep walking.

He grabs my hand. “Are you all right?” he asks.

I yank my hand free, that delicious anger surging through my veins. “Leave me alone.” I walk faster, but he grabs my arm, stopping me and pulling me around to face him. His shadowy, barely there figure is broad, tall, muscular, and⁠—

“Lucifer is not to be trifled with. You need to be careful.”

I lean into the anger. “Why the fuck do you care?”