“Wait! We can’t kill him. We have to unmake him. You heard the guy,” Sin protested. “Torture it out of him. Mal, go get the book!”
Lucifer appeared mildly panicked as he shouted, “Hold your literal horses. You’re forgetting a very significant detail.Ididn't start this.”
I shoved him away with a curse. The fucker was right. The four of us knew it because we were all with the one who did.
Helene.
“We have to unmake a horsewoman,” I said. “We have to kill Hel.”
“If we’re going to unmake one of them, we have to unmake them all. They are a unit, not a single entity. The horsewomenhave never existed apart from one another. As long as one survives, the remaining mantles must be taken up,” Grim said.
“Your stern compatriot is right. We won’t be able to unmake Helene permanently unless the others are taken down as well.” Lucifer inspected his cuticles, casual and calm, as though this wasn’t a monumental undertaking.
“Great. Perfect. Wonderful,” Sin said, pacing in the opposite direction of Malice before stopping in the center of the room and throwing up his hands. “How the fuck do we do that?”
Malice made a soft humming sound before looking up. “Seems the best place to start is with Lilith’s book.”
Chapter
Sixteen
GRIM
“Ididn’t take you for a romance reader,” Lucifer said as I studiously ignored him and flipped the page of the book I’d been pretending to read.
I kept my eyes on the pages of the book I’d borrowed from Merri’s bedside table, not taking in a single word of printed prose as I continued to feign interest. How the two of us ended up alone together in this suite, I’ll never know. A cruel joke by the universe? Or more likely, an opportunity seized by Luc to poke at me.
In truth, it wasn’t actually that complicated. Merri was napping with Sin while Malice joined Chaos for a sparring session. Which left me alone babysitting the devil.
But I was far from happy about it.
“Oh, come on, your eyes aren’t even moving,” he groused.
I pointedly licked the pad of my finger and flipped another page.
“You know, for a being of your years, you’re being incredibly childish. You can’t ignore me forever.”
Fucking watch me.
“We’re family now.”
“The fuck we are,” I muttered under my breath.
“Ah-ha! I knew you were faking,” he crowed.
I had to grit my teeth together to avoid taking the bait again. I went to turn another page but dropped the book entirely when he said, “I really think it’s important we get to know each other. Not only will we be raising a child together, but at some point in, dare I say, the very near future, we’re going to get familiar with each other’s cocks?—”
“Come anywhere near my cock, and I will tear yours off and bludgeon you with it,” I growled.
Lucifer smirked. “Gotcha.”
A knock sounded at the door, sparing me from my own personal hell. Thank all the stars in the heavens.
“Come in,” I called, getting to my feet and turning my attention away from the immortal currently dancing on a knife’s edge of serious injury.
Moira popped her sapphire head in, taking in the two of us before the rest of her body followed. With her sleek bob, she reminded me of a flapper from the twenties. “Well, don’t you two look cozy.”
“Hardly,” I deadpanned.