Grace and Glory

by Armentrout, Jennifer L.

  “Anywhere.”

  A grin pulled at my lips. “I’d love to see Edinburgh and Rome with my own eyes and touch the buildings. Oh—and Sicily. I would like to visit where my family comes from—well, where my mother’s side of the family comes from. What about you?”

  “Anyplace you want to go, I’m down with.”

  I looked over at him. “But there has to be a place you’d prefer.”

  “Where you are is where I prefer.” He lifted a hand, making sure I saw it first before he cupped my cheek. “Seriously. You want to go visit the community, we can do that. You want to find a distant private beach, we can do that. You want to rent a cabin in the mountains, it’ll be my new favorite place. Rome? Sicily? I’d love to see them with you.” He smoothed his thumb along my lower lip. “Better yet, we should keep adding to the list of the places you want to see and we’ll do it. We’ll see all of the places. It doesn’t matter if it takes months or an entire year. We’ll do it and make enough memories.”

  My throat constricted with emotion. I knew what he was up to. Make enough memories so that when my vision went, I still had those to look back on instead of canvases empty of color and shape. “You’re doing it again.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Being perfect.” I leaned over, missing his mouth on the first go but finding his lips quickly after. I kissed him. “I love you.”

  He kissed me back, the touch of his lips sweet and gentle. “I love you, Trinity.”

  Squeezing my eyes shut to stop the rush of silly tears, I pressed my forehead against his. “I like this plan.”

  “So do I.” He kissed the corner of my lips. “But first...”

  “But first we need to go to the drugstore,” I told him, stomach taking a leap.

  “We do.”

  “And then swing by the compound to get your phone.”

  “Maybe we can talk them into making us dinner,” he suggested.

  I smiled against his lips. “Then see if we can draw out any demons.”

  “Don’t forget to pencil time in there for me to show you how happy I was to see my car.”

  I laughed as I slipped a hand around the back of his neck, threading my fingers through his hair. “I have not forgotten that. We can make time for that at any point.” I kissed him quickly. “And then we need to shut down the portals and kill Gabriel.”

  “I want to get back to making time for that at any point.” His hand slid from my cheek, all the way down my side. “How about now?”

  My pulse immediately skyrocketed into uncharted territories. “Anytime,” I whispered.

  “Then get over here,” he said, his voice coming out deep and rough as he curled his arm around my waist.

  And I got over there.

  Well, Zayne got me over there, because there was a whole lot of maneuvering that was beyond me in the dark interior, but he had me in his lap in a nanosecond and our bodies lined up in all the fun and very inappropriate ways. My hands moved from his shoulders toward the center of his chest.

  “Careful.” His mouth hovered against mine. “You’re going to break those sunglasses.”

  I pulled them free from the collar of his shirt and tossed them onto the back seat. “They’re safe now.”

  Zayne laughed as he steeled his hands on my hips. “We’re going to have to see about that.”

  “Later,” I insisted, brushing my nose along his.

  “Yes.” His lips glided over mine. “Later.”

  The pressure of his mouth increased against mine as I leaned into him, reveling in the feel of him. I would never grow tired—

  My phone rang, rattling from the cupholder I’d stashed it in. “We can ignore it.”

  His hand drifted up, over the swell of my breast. His touch scorched me through the thin shirt. “We should.”

  I don’t know who kissed who then. It didn’t matter. The rawness of the kiss left me breathless as need and love and a thousand other crazy, wonderful sensations pounded through me. My skin burned as his thumb swept over the center of my breast, creating a fire in me.

  My phone alerted to a text. Then another, and I pressed more fully against him, willing the phone to shut up. I wanted to be irresponsible—

  “We should see who it is.” Zayne turned his head, and I groaned as I pressed my forehead to his cheek. He fished my phone out of the cupholder.

  I kissed the underside of his jaw. “Who is it?”

  “Well, the text says, ‘Answer the phone, you trifling Trueborn.’” He paused. “Am I going to need to kill someone for sending a text like that to you?”

  I pulled back. “No. That has to be Cayman. Gimmie.” I wiggled my fingers, squinting at the brightness on my phone as he handed it over. I went to hit the option to call the demon back as I looked at Zayne. “And if it weren’t Cayman, would you really kill someone for calling me a trifling Trueborn?”

  His head cocked to the side. “Honest?”

  I nodded.

  “Probably.”

  “Um.” Pressing my lips together, I popped out my cheeks. “That may be an excessive reaction.”

  “I know.” His hand returned to my hip and was on the move.

  “And I am sensing that you don’t care.”

  “Correct.”

  I shook my head as I hit the number. “We’re going to need to talk about that later.”

  As close as we were, I saw his smile and my eyes narrowed. I put the phone on speaker.

  It rang twice, and Cayman answered. “I cannot believe you didn’t pick up—”

  “Careful. Zayne wanted to kill you because you called me a trifling Trueborn.”

  “Zayne sounds like he has anger management issues,” Cayman responded. “But we don’t have time for that. Roth and Layla are coming back, and they need you guys to meet them.”

  My gaze shot to Zayne’s as Cayman continued. “Well, they think they’re just meeting with you, Trinity. I didn’t exactly have a chance to tell them about you, angel boy. Cell reception in Hell is terrible.”

  I was honestly just stuck on the fact that Hell had cell phone reception at all when the corner of the bathroom in the apartment didn’t.

  “Where are we meeting them?” Zayne asked, showing off his multitasking skills as he slid his hand down my outer thigh.

  “Head to their place, but instead of stopping there, keep going down the road. You’ll come to a stop. That’s where they’ll meet you. Call me when you get there.”

  “And where are you going to be?” I asked.

  “You know, doing things,” he replied. “And stuff.”

  I frowned at the phone.

  “Call me,” he repeated, and then the phone went dead.

  “I wonder if he even found out if Lucifer really has people looking for me,” I said, wiggling out of Zayne’s lap and into the passenger seat.

  I might’ve pulled a butt muscle doing that.

  “I wonder if Roth and Layla were successful in getting Lucifer to come topside.”

  “I guess we’ll find out.” I then realized the sunglasses were on the back seat. Groaning, I half climbed between the seats and grabbed them.

  “You ready over there?” Zayne asked as the engine rumbled.

  “Yeah.” I put the glasses on. “How far are we from their place? I don’t remember.”

  “About thirty minutes once we cross the bridge,” he said, one hand resting on my knee while he used the other to steer. “More than enough time.”

  “More than enough time for what?”

  He squeezed my knee gently. “You’ll see.”

  My gaze lowered to where his hand rested. I liked that, how he liked physical contact between us. He was like that before.

  Killing someone for calling me trifling was new.

  At least, I thought it was as I placed my
hand over his, and looked out the window. When we pulled out of the garage, I realized it was near dusk.

  Staring at the blurred shapes of people and storefronts while Zayne’s thumb moved in slow circles, I tried not to get too worried about whether or not Roth and Layla were successful. I didn’t even know if I should be worried or grateful if they were.

  Thoughts of Lucifer slipped from my mind as I focused on Zayne—on his hand and his fingers. It had moved farther up my leg, and even though his fingers were just moving in slow circles along my inner thigh, every part of my being became hyperaware. I flushed hot as my chest rose with a deep breath, and I looked down. My hand still rested lightly on his. He wasn’t doing anything. Not really. I needed to get my hormones under control—

  I bit down on the inside of my lip as his fingers slowly crept upward, reaching the very center of me. My gaze shot to him as my mouth dried, my body sizzled.

  He spared a quick glance in my direction, a faint curve to his lips. “More than enough time,” he repeated.

  “For what?” My breath caught as his fingers continued to move in those slow, tight circles.

  “To show you how happy I was.” He focused on the road. “You want to find out?”

  “Oh,” I whispered, my heart beating so fast I thought I was going to have a heart attack. “I do.”

  I should’ve said no. I had no idea if any of the cars we passed could see inside, but I didn’t as my gaze bounced from the windshield to the passenger window as we crossed the bridge and Zayne...

  He drove me mad.

  That was how it felt with each circle and the featherlight touches and the harder ones. The leggings and the undies underneath really weren’t much of a barrier, but then his hand was slipping out from underneath mine and working its way under the band of the leggings. He stopped there, waiting for...for permission, and as I stared rather blindly out the window, I curled my hand around his forearm, urging him to continue.

  And he did.

  I don’t know what it was. If it was the touch of his fingers against my bare skin or if it was what we were doing and how delightfully wicked it felt. If it was how he was so into it or if it was all of those things, but I closed my eyes and just existed, there in the moment, with him and what he was doing with those strokes of his finger, teasing and shallow, and then relentless and deep. My head fell back and my eyes closed as my hips moved, chasing his hand. I felt out of control, pressing my thighs against his wrist as I dug my fingers into the skin of his forearm. My entire body arched as he delved deep.

  “Zayne,” I whispered, barely recognizing my voice as every part of me tensed, coiling tighter and tighter. From the muscles in my fingers, all the way down to my toes, it was like the moments before making a dangerous jump, when my feet left the ground and there was that weightless moment where the heart skipped—the very second when I felt like I was flying. I cried out, lost as my body spun and spun before liquefying. I couldn’t catch my breath as release powered through me, throbbing and pulsing. My entire body trembled as I held on to his hand, feeling the tendons moving under my fingers. The echo of soft sounds coming from me heated my cheeks as the darts of sensation slowed.

  Vaguely aware of him easing his hand away, I opened my eyes and looked down. Slowly I lifted my fingers. His skin was pinker from where I’d gripped him, but not broken. I shuddered.

  “You...” It took me a moment to remember how to speak. “You really were happy.”

  He chuckled. “Not about the car. Though it was nice being reunited with it,” he said, and I looked over at him. “You’re beautiful, Trin.” He glanced at me. “God, you’re beautiful.”

  I blushed. “Thank you. For the compliment.” The flush deepened. “And for what came before that.”

  “It was my pleasure. My honor.” He sucked his lower lip between his teeth. “We’re almost there.”

  Lazily, I turned my head just in time to see us pass the road I believed led to Roth and Layla’s house, which was a legit mansion.

  I was still holding on to Zayne’s arm as the trees around us thickened and the road came to a dead end.

  “I guess this is it,” Zayne said, turning off the car as I looked around and saw...trees. “You ready to check this out?”

  “Uh-huh.” I took the sunglasses off and placed them on the dashboard. “Can you get my phone?”

  “Already got it.”

  “Great.”

  “You got to let go of my arm, though.”

  “Oh.” I let go. Feeling a little loosey-goosey, I opened up the door and climbed out. Gravel crunched under my boots as I walked to the front of the Impala. “I could use a nap.”

  “I think you’re going to have wait on that.” Zayne joined me, dipping his head and kissing me softly.

  “Boo.” I snuggled against him for a few seconds, inhaling the winter, minty scent of his, and then pulled away. It was time to be mature and responsible or whatever. “I guess we should call Cayman.”

  The screen of my phone flared to life as Zayne called the demon. I looked out into the rapidly darkening field. It was pretty open minus a few giant oaks. The only sound other than the ringing phone was the hum of katydids or locusts or cicadas. They all were holy crap, huge flying bug to me, so I could never tell them apart.

  “We’re here,” Zayne said when Cayman answered the phone.

  “Took you guys long enough,” came the response through the speakerphone.

  Flushing, I glanced at Zayne. With nothing but the encroaching moonlight, his features were barely visible to me, but I detected a hint of a grin. “I took the scenic route,” he said, and my face burned even hotter. “We’re here, and unless they’re suddenly invisible, I don’t see Roth or Layla.”

  “They should be here any minute now. They’ll come through a portal somewhere in the field.”

  I arched a brow as I carefully stepped off the asphalt and walked through the calf-high grass. “I hope they don’t take long, because I’m pretty sure I’ll be covered with ticks by the end of this night.”

  “I’ll help you check later,” Zayne offered from a few steps behind me.

  I grinned as Cayman said, “I’m sure that’s exactly what you’ll be helping her do later.”

  “You sound jealous,” Zayne said as he caught up to me, finding my hand and threading his fingers through mine. My grin increased exponentially.

  “I kinda am,” Cayman replied, and I could practically see his pout.

  “Does anyone own this land?” I asked, scanning the shadowy field and surrounding trees. “If so, just give us a warning in case someone comes out with a shotgun.”

  “Roth owns it since he didn’t want neighbors,” Cayman explained. “So he bought about a hundred acres surrounding the house.”

  I blinked. “Being a demon must pay well.”

  “Being a demon prince sure does,” Cayman said. “But in other words, there’s no one around to hear you scream.”

  Frowning, I stopped and looked at the phone Zayne held in his palm. “Well, that’s creepy.”

  “I know.” Cayman giggled, and that was even more creepy.

  Zayne shook his head as he slipped his hand free from mine, and walked a few steps ahead. “Do you know if they’re bringing back an extraspecial friend with them?”

  “No idea,” he told us. “Like I said, reception was terrible.”

  I folded my arms. “And did you happen to find out anything about Lucifer potentially sending demons after me?”

  “Since none of those who’d be in the know have been easy to find, the answer is no,” Cayman said. “And I know, I’m oh so very helpful these days.”

  “That you are.” Zayne turned his face as the sound of...running water came through the phone. “What are you doing?”

  “Taking a bath.”

  “You’re taking a bath right now?” I
asked. “While you’re on the phone with us? When Roth and Layla may or may not be showing up with Lucifer?”

  “Hey, it’s not often I get some me time,” he countered. “So when I find that time, I seize it. Also, it’s a bubble bath.”

  “You’re a mess,” I told him.

  “I know—oh, I have a text coming through. Let me check this out.” There were several moments of what sounded like...splashing and then Cayman said, “Captain? On your left.”

  Zayne glanced at me. “Did he just quote Falcon from Endgame?”

  “Kind of.” Squinting, I looked over Zayne’s shoulder. The world was stuck in those minutes where everything was sort of gray, and it wasn’t the greatest time for my eyeballs, but the space behind Zayne appeared to ripple. “It could just be my eyes, but there might be a portal opening behind you.”

  Zayne turned. “Definitely a portal, but I doubt the King of Wakanda is about to show.”

  “That would be cool, though,” I murmured.

  Red sparked in the rippling air as the scent of sulfur reached us. My grace pulsed in response, and my muscles tensed. A moment later, a series of tingles erupted along the nape of my neck.

  The Crown Prince of Hell and the daughter of the Lilith stepped out of the portal.

  As always, I was a bit dumbstruck by their contrasting appearances. Roth with his dark, messy hair and penchant for black and Layla with hers long, platinum blond and love of pastel colors, they were a striking contradiction to one another and yet they seemed to fit together perfectly, like day and night.

  Roth was inhumanly beautiful, like he’d been molded from clay by a skilled artist, but there was a trace of coldness there that made his beauty almost brutal. His attractiveness was no surprise. Upper Level demons were universally attractive, no matter their gender or the viewer’s sexuality. They were the embodiment of temptation, and Layla was just as gorgeous, but in an ethereal way. She looked more angelic than me, and she didn’t have angel blood in her... Well, except for the Fallen blood she apparently drank.

  They stepped forward, hands joined. I wasn’t sure which one saw Zayne first, but they both stopped at the same time. They were too far away for me to make out their expressions, but I was betting shock and awe were etched into their features as they stared at Zayne.