“That’s what I was thinking too,” Liam said.
“I’m glad we’re on the same page, Trigger.” Baxter ran his hand down to Liam’s hip.
Before Liam could reply, there came a loud banging on the door of their room and the sound of Declan’s voice.
“Get dressed, you guys. Raph’s back with Iss and Tabbris, and we’re heading back to Yerevan.”
“Well, then.” Liam sat up. “We didn’t have to wait as long as I thought we would.”
Baxter rolled off the bed and grabbed up his clothes. “Yeah. I’m glad, actually. I want to go home and get this damn situated sorted out.”
“Amen to that,” Liam said as he began to get dressed. “Do you think we’ll be able to fix it?”
“Yeah. The Archangels, man. They aren’t going to let this slide for too much longer. I don’t care what Raziel said earlier—they’re impatient and if they don’t find a sneaky way in soon, then they’ll do it the other way and use all the magic and power at their disposal to blast their way in. And I think that would be the bad case scenario, so I damn well hope they get good news soon,” Baxter said.
“Can’t argue with that.” Liam finished dressing, then checked his bag to make sure that he had packed everything and not left anything behind. “Okay, I’m ready to rock and roll. How about you, babe?”
“All good,” Baxter said, picking up his carryall and slinging it over his shoulder. “Let’s go and see what’s next on our agenda.”
Liam slung his free arm around Baxter’s shoulders as they walked to the door. “Sounds like a plan.”
Chapter Eleven
GABRIEL’S EYEBROWS shot up when he answered his cell phone. He and Michael had been discussing the situation—debating how best to assault Purgatory—when the melodic chimes had rung.
“So you want us to what now?” Gabriel was incredulous. He had put the phone on speaker and now he and Michael were staring at it as if it had somehow become a foreign object.
The cultured, urbane voice that came from the speaker had a slight Russian accent and sounded more than a little amused. “Meet me on the atoll island of Aranuka in Kiribati on the Equator. From there, I will open the gate to Hell, and we will travel directly to the Castle of Black Ice where you, Lucifer Morningstar, and I will communicate discreetly with Lilitu and Agrat. Unless, of course, something has gone terribly wrong and they call us directly. As this is us, I am certain it will come to that option. You’re bad omens, Archangels.”
“Adramelek, I’m not even sure that we can go to Hell,” Gabriel objected. “And what the hell—you’re a worse omen than we are!”
“I’m a splendid omen. But let us carry on. In the past, you couldn’t, not unless you invaded. But you are invited, and so the rules of hospitality apply. You should remember that those rules began in Eden, and we all abide by them, Gabriel,” Adramelek said. His voice sounded rather tart. “We don’t have much time, and I don’t think you two want to put Shateiel’s wife in danger by not being present so that she has to make another call, now do you?”
“Stop playing, children, and cease this talk of omens.” Michael rolled his eyes and continued, “I dislike this. Yet I fear we have no other option.”
“Lightbringer won’t let you bring a bodyguard, though,” Adramelek said. “You two are all right, but if you bring anyone else, it’ll be pointless. They won’t be able to enter the Gate. Not even Uriel.”
Gabriel ground his teeth together in frustration, for he had been thinking of asking Uriel to tag along. As the Guardian of the Gates to Hell, Uriel should have been able to enter them, but Lucifer and Adramelek had obviously taken steps to prevent that from happening. He sighed heavily. “All right, have it your way.”
“Splendid. One hour.” And the line went dead.
Gabriel turned his phone off and pocketed it. “Well,” he said, looking at Michael, “it’s never dull, eh?”
“As you say.” Michael was frowning, his brows knitting together. “I am worried, however. We must alert Shateiel and the rest of our Brotherhood. If we do not return within the hour after our departure through the Gate, they must assault Hell.”
“No.” Gabriel shook his head. “No, they can’t, Mishka. It’d be a distraction from the mission. We can hold our own in Hell if necessary. We can drop our bodies and go true form and light the whole place up like the main halls of Heaven. If this ends up being a trick, then I will personally tear Adramelek apart with my dagger and my hands. The others have to deal with Naamah and the Grail and rescue Agrat.”
Michael looked at him for several long moments, not blinking. Gabriel met that steady gaze with his own, and finally, Michael looked away.
“All right,” Michael said. His voice was sad. “I find myself thinking more and more over your theory of late and it troubles me. I am not made for such a drastic change to our relationship with those in Hell. I am not certain I will be able to adjust to a future of nothing but peace, though my heart and Grace yearn for it. It has, after all, been a very long time that Heaven and Hell have been at war.”
Gabriel reached out and took Michael’s hand in his. “I know, solnyshko. I feel the same. But I reckon we’ll get used to it right quick. We shouldn’t make any grand pronouncements until the Grail is safe, anyway. We don’t really know how much—if at all—its absence is affecting us personally, not really, despite what Raz and Raph say.”
“That is true,” Michael agreed. “All right, Gabriel, I will try to refrain from brooding upon the idea of an alliance based on peace between Lucifer and God. I will focus solely on the problem at hand and then see how we all feel after the Grail is safe.”
“Aye, and then we get some private time, and it’ll be awesome,” Gabriel said, gently squeezing Michael’s fingers. “Also, I don’t think we should tell the others where we’re going until we get back.”
Michael’s expression conveyed his skepticism at that suggestion.
“They’ll yell,” Gabriel said. “And they won’t let us go. Okay,” he amended quickly, “they’ll try to stop us from going. Let’s postpone the argument ’til we get back from Lucifer’s.”
Michael nodded once. “As you say.” He stood and his expression became one of concentration. His form blurred and when it solidified, he was dressed in his armor: thick woolen breeches tucked into leather boots that were bound around his calves with solid leather straps, a red silk tunic covered with a sleeveless leather brigandine, and a steel shoulder plate held in place by brown leather straps buckled around his chest. His sword, the jian, was sheathed at his hip, and on the opposite hip was his dagger. His hair was held back from his face in a long braid.
“Are you not changing into armor?” Michael asked.
“Aye. I was just admiring the view, is all,” Gabriel said.
Predictably, Michael blushed and Gabriel grinned broadly as he got to his feet and concentrated, blurring into his own armor. Chain mail over a dark blue linen and wool gambeson, steel and leather greaves about his calves and over his boots, leather vambraces buckled around his wrists and lower arms. His sword, made from a fallen star, was belted at his hip, and his dagger, also made from a fallen star, was sheathed on the opposite hip. Gabriel smoothed his hair with one hand and then tugged on leather gauntlets, the back of them covered with chain mail.
“Right. Let’s go, then. Though we’re gonna drown in sweat in Kiribati,” Gabriel said.
“And probably in Hell, most likely,” Michael said. “But I would rather be armored than not.”
“Aye.” Gabriel took Michael’s hand again and moved them to Aranuka.
The humidity was like a soggy, hot slap in the face and Gabriel gasped, feeling himself immediately beginning to perspire and tasting warm, damp air. “Gah, how gross,” he muttered to himself.
Adramelek was waiting for them, wearing a light linen suit in white, with a silver-gray silk shirt; his feet were bare. Unlike Gabriel and Michael, he looked quite comfortable, though he raised his sunglasses to regard the pair with an e
xpression of bemusement. “Didn’t you realize it would be too hot for armor?”
“Shut up,” Gabriel growled. “I feel like I’m gonna suffocate in my own body fluid. Let’s go to Hell.”
“How… utterly revolting,” Adramelek said, pulling a face. He put his sunglasses back on. “This way, gentlemen.”
They followed him as Adramelek walked toward a pile of rocks not far from the beach. The sea was calm here, not like in Belle Coeur, Gabriel thought. The island home that he and Michael shared was not enjoying the clement weather of Kiribati.
“I do not trust him at all,” Michael muttered.
“Neither do I,” Gabriel said. “But we don’t have much choice in this, do we?”
“No,” Michael growled. “And I like that even less than I trust him.”
“That’s a lot of dislike.” Gabriel brushed Michael’s fingers with his own. “We’re together, though. That counts for something, yeah?”
“It does,” Michael agreed. “Yet I am still disquieted.”
“Here we are,” Adramelek said then. “Next stop: Hell.” He walked into a crack between the rocks and disappeared.
Gabriel shared a long look with Michael and then shrugged. “Oh well, nothing for it, I guess,” he said and stepped after Adramelek.
He felt a tug, as if a large hook had imbedded itself just behind his navel, and then he felt himself being pulled through a tunnel of darkness and shadow. The tunnel whirled and turned, and Gabriel gritted his teeth against the surge of motion sickness that boiled in his stomach.
And then the world righted itself, and Gabriel stumbled a little as light shattered the dark. He looked around, blinking, and realized that he stood in a large book-lined study, a pair of french doors open and letting in a soft breeze.
Michael was there then, and he coughed once. Gabriel looked at him in concern, but Michael shook his head and squared his shoulders.
“Thank you for coming,” said a very familiar voice.
Gabriel turned to face Lucifer.
“It’s been a while,” he said. He was proud of himself for keeping his voice neutral.
“Indeed,” Lucifer said. “Can I offer some refreshment? Tea? Coffee? Wine?”
“No, thanks.” Gabriel looked at Lucifer closely. He looked as he had the last time they had seen each other, millennia upon millennia ago in Heaven, at the end of the war between the angels that had seen a good two-thirds of Heaven’s finest thrown down, down, into Gehenna, to follow the enraged roars of Lucifer Morningstar.
“Michael,” Lucifer said, inclining his head.
“Lightbringer,” Michael said coolly.
“I’m so glad we’re able to be civil,” Lucifer said. “Although I note that you are both dressed for war.”
“Just anticipating the worst,” Gabriel said. “How much longer until the ladies call?”
“They should be calling right about now,” Lucifer said.
As soon as the words left his mouth, there was a shimmering in the middle of the room, like a ripple of mercury. In only a few moments, the rippling had cleared and Gabriel could see Agrat and Lilith, seated side-by-side in a plain room that appeared to be a guest bedroom.
“Oh, thank God,” Agrat said as she saw who was there. “I was really worried you wouldn’t come, Gabe, Mike.”
“For you, Agrat, we would do anything,” Michael said.
She beamed at him. “I miss you. All of you. How’s Shay?” she asked, looking at Gabriel.
“Worried. Like all of us.”
She pulled a face. “He’ll probably be even more worried when he hears your report of this call.”
Gabriel frowned. “That doesn’t bode well, Agrat.”
“I know. We’ve got a lot to tell you and not much time to do it in.”
“Please,” Lucifer said, “tell us.”
Lilith looked at him thoughtfully. “Don’t leave Hell.”
“I hadn’t planned to, Lilitu, but why not?” Lucifer asked.
“Because we know how Naamah intends to corrupt the last part of the Grail,” Agrat said. Her voice was grim. “Regicide.”
Lucifer looked astonished. “She thinks she could kill me? Not even these overgrown chickens could do that!”
Beside him, Adramelek stifled a guffaw and Lilith looked amused.
“No, but I think she could do it, Lightbringer,” Agrat said. “She’s got a list. If she can’t get to you, then she’ll kill Michael.”
“No,” Gabriel said. He crossed his arms over his chest. “That ain’t happening.”
“Well of course not, Gabriel, really,” Lilith said, rolling her eyes. “But she has plans. Now all of you be still and listen.”
Lucifer mimed zipping his lips, and Lilith laughed.
“All right. This is what we know. She has a temple dedicated to herself set up underneath her mansion. We’re sending you the coordinates,” Agrat began. “The Grail is down there. Her two kids are terrified of her. They want her gone. They hate her and what she’s done; they just want to live in Purgatory in peace. They grew up here, their friends are here. Well, they were,” she corrected herself, “until Naamah killed them. Anyway, they just want to stay here and live. They want this house destroyed, though. Somehow”—her tone became wry—“I don’t think that will be a problem.”
“There are some monsters here,” Lilith said, now all seriousness. “They’ve been enslaved by her. They’re innocent, so if you lot hurt them, then we’ll hurt you. We both agree on that one.” She shot a steely look at Gabriel and Michael, then at Adramelek. “So leave them alone. I promised to free them, and I intend to honor that promise. In gratitude for that, they’ve shown me a way to get into the house from outside, undetected. If you get into Purgatory, we’ll get you into the house.” She paused. “More coordinates are coming your way.”
Gabriel nodded as the telepathic link between them all channeled the information to his brain. “It’s only ’cause we’re all here in Hell right now that you can give us these coordinates, right?”
“Yes, Gabriel, very good. You’re not just a muscle male,” Lilith drawled. “Your brains aren’t in your biceps after all.”
“You’re a fucking comedian,” he growled.
“I know. I’m wonderful.” Lilith smiled sunnily at him. “Now that we’ve told you that, you should also let Raziel know that there are thousands of books and artifacts down here that he should quarantine and go through with great care before deciding what to do with them. It’s my opinion—and Aggie’s—that the information in those books and the power in those artifacts is too great to be let loose upon the world, whether that world be Earth, Purgatory, Hell, or Heaven.”
Michael hummed. “I will tell him. I am certain he will be able to deal with it.”
“Good. Agrat?”
“You need to know that Naamah is using magic from all of the realities,” Agrat said, “as well as her own. She’s damaged her soul by committing sororicide; homicide didn’t help it any. If she manages to kill you, Michael, or get any of your blood into the Grail, we are, to put it bluntly, royally fucked.”
For once, Michael did not scold for the bad language. Instead, he nodded. “As you say.”
“What’s the last part that’s corruption-free?” Adramelek asked suddenly.
“The cup,” Lilith said.
“What does it look like?” Adramelek asked. “I’ve never seen the Grail.”
“It’s made of bone,” Agrat said. “It’s a sort of cream color, weathered and old. The bowl and the trencher are made of horn and wood, but the cup is bone. It’s sort of like a squat tumbler. I think the bone came from a cow, but it’s hard to tell, it’s so old.”
“So you have seen the Grail?” Michael asked.
“We have.” Lilith shuddered. “Naamah put on a disgusting show of her power for us. We pretended to be suitably impressed and then she got drunk on some sort of monster liquor the werewolves down here brew. Everyone wants her gone. I am not certain I’m emphasizing this
enough. She is hated here, yes, but she’s also feared and the people of Purgatory just want to live, to be free in their own reality, and not forced into slavery by her hubris and her stolen power.”
“You’re certain that she does not know you are speaking with us now?” Lucifer asked.
“Oh yes, quite certain. She’s still drunk.” Lilith sneered. “She’s downstairs, having the wizards of one of the minotaur clans perform for her. She has them vivisecting selkies. They are… well. There’s a lot of anger and sorrow down there. The minotaurs and the selkies are allies. The selkies know that the minotaurs have no choice, but it’s not making things easier to bear. There’s a lot of tears down there right now.”
“We need to get there soon,” Michael said grimly. “Do you know when she plans to try to kill me?”
“The next full moon,” Agrat said.
Gabriel calculated it. “That’s three days from now.”
“Yes.”
He turned to Michael, Lucifer, and Adramelek. “I think we should make a point of getting there tomorrow night. Adramelek, can your guild be ready?”
“Yes, but don’t we have things to pick up first?”
“Like what?” Gabriel asked.
“Well, you’re waiting for information from Samael, Penemuel, Metatron, Haniel, Kokabiel, Baraqiel, and the boys, aren’t you?”
Gabriel and Michael exchanged a quick look.
“We are,” Michael said, “but how did you know of the Grigori?”
Lucifer snorted. “Do you know who you’re dealing with? I know everything that happens in my domain, Michael, and every creature who has lived here is touched by my power. I allowed them to stay free because it was better for them. And because of all the Grigori here in Hell, they were the three—Penemuel, Kokabiel, and Baraqiel—who least deserved to be here. Set your mind at rest. They have naught to fear from me.”
Michael didn’t look convinced, but he let it slide. “As you say.” He turned back to Lilith and Agrat. “Thank you both,” he said, giving them a small bow. “We will be in Purgatory at your coordinates of the way into Naamah’s house in twenty-two hours.”
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