Grace and Glory (The Harbinger #3) - Jennifer L. Armentrout Page 0,133

seen people believe on social media?” Layla whispered. “Millions.”

I nodded slowly, suddenly hyperaware once more of who and what sat on the couch, watching Supernatural. People needed someone to blame, even if there was no one at fault or if the fault rested solely in their hands.

“People have already believed your words,” I said.

“They have.” Lucifer’s focus shifted once more to the television. “So, my friends, do you really need to wonder why God wouldn’t intervene?”

29

Bleary-eyed and still half-asleep, I cradled the cup of coffee like it held the answers to life, while I sat curled up on the small, thickly cushioned sofa in the sunroom of Roth and Layla’s place. Zayne’s sunglasses shielded the bright rays of sunlight streaming in from the windows and ceiling. Normally, I felt weird wearing sunglasses indoors, but I was too tired to care.

Actually, I just didn’t care. Everyone around me knew I had vision problems, but even if they didn’t, who cared if they thought I was trying to act cool. That was their problem. Not mine.

Beside me, Zayne stretched out his long legs as he took a drink from the bottled water. Even as a Fallen, he had way healthier eating and drinking habits than me and half the population of the world.

“We still have to try,” Layla said, smothering a yawn as she picked up the conversation that had ended when we all had been mere minutes from passing out. Zayne and I had ended up crashing at their place since it had been so late and they had a million rooms in their house. “Even if God punt-kicks Gabriel’s essence back down to Earth, we have to try.”

“And then what?” Roth scratched a hand through his messy, dark hair.

“Then we take care of whatever mess comes from this,” Zayne stated. “That’s all we can do.”

“We?” Roth snorted, leaning back and crossing his arms.

“Yes. We.” Layla smacked his arm. “Because I don’t want to spend the next how many hundred years living in a world descending into chaos. I also don’t want to watch a whole bunch of innocent people getting hurt or dying because of it.”

A twinge of jealousy cut through my chest. Layla and Roth had a real future—one where neither had to worry about the other growing old and dying while the other outlived them. I at least had the common sense to not blame them for what they had no control over.

“I also don’t want to spend the next how many hundred years fighting everyone and everything,” Roth replied, and I really couldn’t blame him for that.

“We really don’t have an option,” Zayne said, draping his arm along the back of our couch. “Either we deal with the possible fallout or we allow the Heavens to basically close up shop.”

“And that would be worse,” I said, my grip tightening on the mug. “Anyone who dies would be stuck here. Every square inch of Earth would turn into the high school. So we’d have that in addition to the demons to deal with, but you know—”

A burst of deep laughter from the living room interrupted me. Rolling my eyes, I took a sip of the coffee. “Do you think he even slept?”

Layla sighed as she shook her head. “I don’t think so. He’s been watching Supernatural.”

“I guess I shouldn’t complain. At least he’s obsessed with a good show.” I lowered my mug. “What I don’t understand is if Lucifer plays by the rules, why would his demons then swarm Earth if Gabriel is successful?”

“Not all of them would, but a great deal would. There are demons on the fence right now who are tired of being relegated to Hell or only allowed limited visitations topside. They listen to Lucifer, but if Gabriel succeeds, Earth would become one giant playground,” Roth explained. “That would be too hard for them to ignore.”

“And because they’re idiots.” Lucifer sauntered past the opening of the sunroom. “And I’ll be honest,” he said, his voice carrying into the room. “I won’t be too upset if it happens. Yeah, it would burn my britches to know that one of my holier-than-thou brothers succeeded where I didn’t, but the giant cesspool that Earth would become would be fun.”

I glanced at Zayne as we heard the fridge door open and the sound of a tab on a can of soda being popped open. Zayne shook his head.

“At least he’s being honest,” Layla murmured.

I giggled.

Lucifer appeared in the doorway, a can of Coke in one hand and yet