Grace and Glory (The Harbinger #3) - Jennifer L. Armentrout Page 0,82

that what I’m thinking is wrong.”

The demon clapped his hands against his cheeks. “Depends on what you’re thinking.”

“There’s no way Roth is planning to get Lucifer topside. That would make no sense, right?” Zayne looked at me, and I shrunk as far as I could into the cushion. “Because wouldn’t that jump-start the biblical apocalypse and cause us to have even more problems to deal with?”

“Weeelll,” I repeated. “We’re sort of hoping that God will overlook his presence since we’re trying to save mankind and Heaven, and you know.”

“No. I do not know.” Zayne stared at me.

“What?” I threw up my hands. “We decided this when you were kind of dead.”

He blinked slowly.

“And even with you being a badass fallen angel and me being a badass Trueborn, we still need help,” I reasoned. “Look, Roth didn’t sound like he was going to be able to pull it off, anyway. So, we’ll probably have to find a different way.”

“I don’t know.” Cayman sat back, grinning. “Lucifer has one big bone to pick with Gabriel, and if he succeeds? Saves mankind and Heaven? What do you think that will do for his ego? He’ll never let it go. Pride is, after all, his favorite of all sins.”

I could think of a lot more fun sins, but whatever.

“Lucifer?” Zayne spoke his name like he’d never said it before. “What in the Hell are we supposed to do with him if he does come topside?”

“I don’t know, but he’s not staying with us,” Cayman said.

“He’s not staying with us.” I glared at him. “And you guys live in a huge mansion. You have room and you all are demons.” I paused. “Well, Layla is a half demon or whatever, but we are not demons and we live in an apartment.”

“A state isn’t enough room if you have to be sharing it with Lucifer.” Cayman rested his arm on the back of the couch. “Well, you’ll know if they’re successful. You’ll feel it.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

Cayman shrugged. “Lucifer loves to make an entrance.”

That...sounded concerning.

“You know, this also reminds me of something I need to ask.” Zayne’s ultrabright eyes focused on the demon. “What in the Hell were you thinking letting her go out there by herself? An Upper Level demon came for her tonight. Imps and Seeker demons came for her here just two days ago. Earlier that same day? Ghouls were after her.”

“Excuse me?” My head snapped toward Zayne. “I could’ve completely handled Nightcrawler and Purson, and I would’ve gotten control of the Ghouls and imps.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. You’re still recovering, and I can tell your grace isn’t up to normal,” he reminded me, and I really, really did not like this new talent of his. “The last thing you need to do is injure yourself further.”

“She needed fresh air and time alone. Everyone was crawling all over her, and in case you forgot, I was kind of running for my life. From you,” Cayman defended. “I know she can take care of herself, and I didn’t—wait. Did you say Purson?” Cayman pitched forward. “Purson came for you? And Ghouls and Seeker demons?”

I nodded. “Yeah, and Purson was walking a Nightcrawler. On a leash. It was all very odd.”

“Gabriel must have demons out looking for her,” Zayne said.

“No.” Cayman rose. “There is no way Purson’s working with Gabriel.”

“Was,” Zayne corrected. “He’s dead.”

Cayman’s jaw locked down. “Purson has always been loyal to Lucifer. And Ghouls? There is no way Gabriel would have the kind of reach to sway them to his cause. Ghouls only exist in the lowest circles of Hell.”

“If it wasn’t Gabriel, then who?” I demanded.

The demon looked a bit ill. “Lucifer.”

20

Cayman bounced out of the apartment shortly after dropping that bomb.

I’d assumed that he was going to try to reach Roth and Layla, but apparently they were most likely in an area of Hell that Cayman wouldn’t even venture into. After telling us he wanted to see if anyone knew for sure that it was Lucifer who put a hit out on me, he’d blinked out of existence.

That was another cool demon talent I wished I had.

“Lucifer,” Zayne said once Cayman was gone. “Really?”

“It was Roth’s idea.”

“Shocker.”

“But I agreed to it. We need to bring out the big guns to defeat Gabriel, and it seemed like a rational decision at the time.” I stretched my tired legs out, letting them dangle over the edge. “It still does. Hopefully Cayman’s wrong and those demons weren’t sent by Lucifer. That would be