Page 30 of Trust the Fall
“Heaven has engaged the help of witches to infiltrate Hell. Nolda believes they are there to hear his plan and join his war.”
My mouth drops open. I shouldn’t be surprised. Heaven is notoriously hypocritical when it comes to their dealings.
Hell is bad in their eyes because of our unsavory practices and alliances, yet when it benefits Heaven, they have no problems doing the same things. The sanctimonious arrogance of it all just further pisses me off.
“Witches? Isn’t that against your moral code, Leeanna?”
“Mock me all you like, Lucifer, but sacrifices must be made for the greater good.”
“Whose greater good? Yours? Heaven’s?”
“Everyone’s,” she snaps, taking a deep breath. “The balance is in jeopardy, and she is the key to restoring that balance.”
A humorless laugh bubbles up in my chest. “A fallen angel is the key? Oh, what a twisted web.”
Zeke grunts again but does the smart thing for once and doesn’t say a word.
“Apparently, she is.” She shrugs her shoulders. “You’re frustrated because you don’t have all the information. Well, neither do I, Lucifer. We’re on a need-to-know basis and Michael holds all the cards. I’m simply doing his bidding.”
“Fuck Michael. And fuck this half-assed plan. You’re going to get her killed. She isn’t safe even with yourwitcheswatching over her. Not in Hell. Not with Lilith running around unchecked.”
“Your whore won’t get near her. Not with my people in place.”
“Mywhoremight be the only one there who could actually help her. I don’t trust witches under your employ. Considering you turned your back on Tori.”
“I thought she betrayed us... for you!”
“Well, we both know that’s bullshit. She fell for some master plan orchestrated by the powers that be, Leeanna. She’s been a fucking pawn for Heaven, and she still doesn’t know it,” I roar.
“I didn’t know that at the time,” she seethes. “I wasn’t allowed to know.”
“Oh, how the tables have turned. The very friend you betrayed is the key to keeping your ass safe. How ironic that you’d need her now.”
“We all need her, Lucifer,” Zeke says, garnering glares from both Leanna and me. “She has to fulfill her destiny.”
“And what destiny is that? You don’t even know, so don’t feed me that lame bullshit you’ve been fed.”
“It’s not bullshit,” Leeanna snaps. “It’s God’s direct words. He promises she’s Earth’s salvation.”
“Do you even hear yourself? Why does God need a fallen angel to save his pets?”
“They’re not his pets,” she snaps. “And she’ll come through. Victoria always does.” There’s a whimsical quality to Leeanna’s words, as though she’s playing centuries’ worth of memories over in her head. She shouldn’t get to even think about Tori.
“I hope she tells you all to go to Hell.”
Leanna shakes her head. “She won’t. Victoria will understand. She will forgive me.”
“I’m so sick of your duplicitous bullshit. You don’t care about her. Don’t pretend otherwise.”
“You have no right to point fingers, Lucifer. You’ve managed to make a mess of everything with your absence. It’s your fault she’s in Hell. So check yourself and fall in line.”
My head jerks back at the invisible slap Leeanna delivered to my face. She isn’t wrong about this being partly my fault. If I’d kept Hell in line, war wouldn’t be imminent.
“This isn’t getting us anywhere, you two. We need to work together.”
“Then you need to get Michael’s ass here to start talking. Until I know what’s going on, I’m done. I won’t play nice anymore. I’ll fucking storm Hell myself and get her.”
“Enough!” Michael’s voice blares across the room with a force that rings my eardrums. But I don’t flinch. I refuse to allow him to think he affects me at all.