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“Maybe if you visited more often, I wouldn’t be bored enough to cause chaos.”
Apparently, it was her turn to sputter and fume, because she huffed and didn’t bother replying to him.
“Since we’ve done what you wanted,” Aria started, and her fingers brushed through my hair. “When can we leave?”
I pulled away from her just in time to see Lucifer’s eyes sparkle. He was obviously plotting something.
It made me pull her into my embrace again, clinging to her to stay grounded. She was here, in my arms, and nobody could take her from me again.
“I’m not quite sure when I’ll have the time to send you back,” he said, sounding apologetic enough, even though we all knew it was a flick of his wrist to do it. “But don’t worry, I’ll put you up in my guest suite until I can.”
Cosette rolled her eyes and then elbowed Michael, giving him a look.
“I think that’s unnecessary, Lucifer, I can send them back,” he begrudgingly argued after a silent stare-off with his mate, getting a scoff for his efforts.
“Absolutelynot,” Lucifer stated imperiously. “They’re my guests, and I will see to them.”
“Lucifer—” Cosette groaned, but he swiftly interrupted.
“You are more than welcome to stay as well, darling, if you want to make sure I’m not mistreating them, but I will not send them back untilIam ready to do so.”
The tone was so final, even I felt resigned.
Aria was seething again, but with no other options and Michael’s shrug of indifference when his mate turned to him, we were forced to go along with Lucifer’s scheme.
20
STORMING THE GATES
ARIA
“Please,” Sariel spoke, the sound startling me. “Let us leave. We need to get back to our lives.”
Lucifer sneered, unimpressed with my mate’s begging, and I sent soft, soothing feelings down the bond to combat the instant panic.
He would have never been this scared before—what had theydoneto him?
Stupid question, actually. I knew that they’d kept him in one of those magic suppression cages and replaced him with Barimuz,andhe’d admitted to being tortured, so I guess a better question would be: Whathadn’tthey done to him?
My heart broke for him, crumbling to bits in my chest.
Lucifer was giving him an odd look; it took a moment before I realized that my mate was as naked as the day he was born.
Thankfully, nobody commented, and with a waggle of Lucifer’s fingers, I felt clothes flutter into place on him. It was a weird sensation to be so upset with someone and yet also grateful.
“If you can convince your darling mate to trade me her soul, I could be persuaded to make time,” Lucifer said mockingly, his cackle grating.
Sariel immediately snarled at the thought. “Never.”
He was so vehement that it gave everyone pause, and even I had to glance back at him with a confused frown.
When I turned back to the others, Cosette was looking at us with expressions thatscreamedpity before she spun on Lucifer again. “Don’t be ridiculous; she’s not giving you her soul. Ask them for something reasonable if you’re going to keep being a bastard about it!”
Lucifer shrugged in the face of her ire, looking nonplussed.
I once again wondered about their dynamic—who was this woman to him that she was comfortable enough to try not only bossing him around but berating him for his behavior? She was obviously important to him, or he’d have just thrown her out. Or worse.
“If they’re really ready to go home, they’ll take the deal,” he said, eyeing us both.
