Grace and Glory (The Harbinger #3) - Jennifer L. Armentrout Page 0,124

steered the conversation back to Lucifer. “Is there a way you could give us a good starting point when it comes to where we might find Lucifer? Technically, giving your best guess isn’t intervening.”

“He has a point.” Roth pushed away from the counter.

Grim snorted while Robin trotted toward me, yellow eyes wide. The toy squeaked in his mouth. “All I can say is that if I was Lucifer and looking for a one-night stand that turns into a lifetime of Hell, I would go where people are more inclined to make bad life choices.”

“The bars,” Zayne and Roth answered at the same time.

“We’re going to have to split up.” Layla sighed as she glanced down at her dress. “I need to get changed.”

“Same. I smell like Hell,” Roth said as I started to reach for Robin. “If you value your fingers, I wouldn’t do that, Trinity.”

I froze. “But Grim petted him.”

Robin clamped down on the toy, squeaking it.

“That’s because I’m Grim,” the Angel of Death replied as Roth followed Layla out of the kitchen.

Robin spit out the toy and sat, swishing his bushy tail.

“You’ll bite me if I pet you, but you want me to throw your toy?”

He let out a little yip.

“Doesn’t seem fair.” I swiped up the toy and gave it a toss toward the living room. I grinned as the fox took off. “He looks so soft. I just want to pet him. Once.”

“He is very soft.” Grim snagged my attention, having moved closer to Zayne and I. “You should be nicer to me.”

“Probably,” I admitted. “But it’s been a rough couple of days, and I ran out of being nice to scary dude cards roughly around the time Lucifer showed up and opened his mouth.”

“He often has that effect on people.” Grim gave a faint smile. “I can answer a question that both of you would like answered.”

I stilled as my heart turned over heavily.

“I’m not sure if I should be concerned that you know we are in need of answers to any questions,” Zayne stated, and I seconded that.

“I’m death. Like I said before, I’m always watching, and there is very little I don’t know.”

I held up a hand. “Please don’t make a Santa reference again. I don’t think I can handle two of them in one night.”

That faint smile turned into a lopsided grin. “I’m going to do you both a solid and clear something up for you, and I’m only doing this because you both need to focus on the mess you’ve made—”

“I would like it to go on record that I was not a part of the bringing Lucifer topside discussion,” Zayne commented.

I shot him a dark look, and one side of his lips curved up.

“And you both need to focus on the task at hand,” Grim continued, ignoring both of our comments. “There’s a reason why there’s no record of any Trueborn reproducing.”

My breath caught as Zayne’s arm slid away from my shoulders. He took my hand in his, but my fingers felt strangely numb. I was too caught off guard to really be freaked out about the fact that he was even aware of any of this.

“You know why it is forbidden for Protectors and Trueborns to fall in love. Their love interferes with their duty to protect mankind, weakens them both mentally and physically. Or so they say. I am of the belief that there are few things more empowering than love. Only the already weak would be further weakened by it. But the Alphas were of a different mind. They created that rule. The same sentiment was directed toward offspring. Most Trueborn were made sterile when they reached adulthood. The age of which varied greatly during the years Trueborns fought beside Wardens,” he explained. “It was so ingrained in both the Trueborns and the Wardens that the idea of becoming pregnant was considered taboo, nearly sacrilegious. But then a Trueborn who hadn’t yet been sterilized fell in love with her Protector, and from their forbidden union, a child was born. This was not received well.”

“This is what brought on the end of the Trueborns and Protectors.” Zayne’s hand tightened around mine. “Isn’t it?”

Grim nodded. “The Wardens demanded the pregnancy be ended before the Alphas could become aware. There were some Trueborns who agreed, but there were others who didn’t. Those who stood behind the young couple and demanded that their child be able to live. As it was, the Protector was already physically weakened by their love. Divine