voice over the growing storm.
I feel the first drops of rain fall on my head as it arrives indoors, and I look up. The cloistered feeling that suddenly descends on the room makes it difficult to breathe and a wet heat makes me start to sweat.
Fanning myself, as this is most unusual inside the residence, where the scorched heat from outdoors remains there. I see my long red hair frizz up into a disgusting mess.
“Ugh!” I complain, grabbing a fistful and glaring at it.
“Are you saying that he is about to come out of the box?” Killian asks loudly, stepping closer to me and pointing at it.
“Yes,” Dad says through gritted teeth, ignoring Shax’s question. “Stay behind me,” he orders me, giving me a shove backwards with his arm outstretched.
“Erm,” I interject, stepping around his arm as I glare up at him. “I am the Devil now, thank you very much. I will deal with this.”
“Get back,” he hisses at me.
Killian’s hand snakes out and grabs mine, pulling me back as the box shatters in an explosion of fireworks that burn my eyes.
“Get Gregory out of here!” I shriek as this is happening now and I need him safe. I don’t stop to see if someone removed him, I’m just going to assume that they did.
The heat ripples out from where the box exploded. Xavi steps up next to me, flanking me as is Killian.
It kinda pisses me off.
It’s sweet, don’t get me wrong, but I can kick both of their asses along with Lucifer’s and my dad’s if I have to. Oh, and also my loser grandfather’s. I think that’s him in the tiny black box. Well, was. I’m pretty sure it will have been destroyed now.
I take a step forward when the surge of searing heat blows my hair back and dries it instantly, even though the rain is still pouring out of the roof.
It really fucks me off when Killian and Xavi move forward with me.
“Back off,” I snarl and then everything goes quiet.
The rain stops, although the thunder clouds remain hovering high above us. The heat sizzles out and then he is there.
I take an inadvertent step back.
I’d expected a massive beast, livid and foaming at the mouth.
Instead, we all eyeball a man with my twin’s father’s Angelic face.
A naked man, that is.
“Uhm,” I stammer, trying to look anywhere but down. He looks exactly like my stepfather. I just…can’t!
Speaking of my stepfather, he swoops into the room, his wings flapping wildly as he lands, with my mother and Evan a second behind and appearing next to Dad.
Dad’s eyebrows skyrocket at her pregnant appearance, but it doesn’t stop him from taking her hand tightly and kissing it before he turns back to Great-Gramps. I can see everyone is coiled as tight as a cobra ready to strike.
“Well,” Lucifer says, brushing his light blonde hair out of his forest green eyes. He steps forward and fortunately, clothes himself with a shimmer of power, choosing to dress exactly like my dad in a black shirt and black jeans. I figure it’s because when he died, clothing was a HellBear-skin smock, so he went with what he saw.
No one breathes a word as Lucifer takes another step forward. “Some of you I know,” he says icily, his gaze landing on Killian and Xavi. “Most of you are new,” he adds, casting his gaze over the assembled crowd. I can’t be grateful enough to Drescal for removing Gregory. I know it was Drescal now, because he’s just snuck back into the room and is inching closer to us. Lucifer’s surprised look lands on his twin, former Heaven’s Guardian, now sporting a pair of black wings and a surly look.
“But you,” he says, his eyes zeroing back in on me. He glides forward. I don’t move a muscle. “I have waited for you for an awfully long time, girl. What is your name?”
Girl? Girl? Who the fuck does this dick think he is?
“Annabelle,” I grit out. “The Devil, at your service.”
“Hm,” he murmurs. “We’ll see about that.”
I open my mouth to blast him to the Wastelands and back, but at my dad’s slight shake of his head, I slam it shut again. Why? Because I want to smash his face in instead. I clench my fists, ready to Shift for the fight of my life, when he speaks again and gives me pause.
“The Anti-Christ. You are perfection.” He takes my hand and kisses my palm lightly.
Killian’s hand shoots out and grips my