Reign of Night (Thorne Hill #7) - Emily Goodwin Page 0,20

wind.

We all bundle up, Lucas gives me a kiss goodbye, and we set out, walking through the woods to get to the door. Kristy informed our tight-knit group of what happened, and now that we’re out of the house and away from the distraction of my intense Christmas-ing, tension hangs above us. I didn’t want anyone to treat me differently when they found out I’m a Nephilim, and I don’t want them to treat me any differently now that I’m technically the new Devil.

Nicole and Naomi walk behind Kristy and me, and I can hear them whispering something back and forth to each other. I know they have so many questions, and along with finding out that I’m the Queen of Hell, I also dropped the bomb on everyone that Lucifer is roaming the earth and that I’ve been talking to him for a while now…which makes things a little awkward, I know.

“Are you having your annual Christmas party?” Kristy asks, though she knows I am. We talked about it yesterday. Bless her for trying to make me feel normal, and to talk about anything to fill the silence.

“Yeah. I’ll see what days work the best for Tabatha and Evander today. I’m hoping Abby can come, but since she didn’t work on Thanksgiving, I think she either works Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I have no idea when Phil works, but it’s possible they could both have shifts at the same time on holidays, though I think his schedule is more Monday through Friday than Abby’s.”

“Does he know we used to call him the Penis Doctor?” Kristy laughs.

“I’ve never mentioned it, but I think I should tell him.”

“Penis Doctor?” Nicole echoes. “Is your brother-in-law in porn?”

“No,” I say with a laugh. “He’s a urologist. He doesn’t only work with men, but back when I saw Abby’s engagement photos and no one had bothered to invite me to her bridal shower, let alone tell me she was getting married, I started calling him that. I misjudged him, and I’ll happily admit I did.”

“He does seem rather accepting,” Naomi notes.

“Oh, he’s still scared of Lucas,” I tell them. “But he tries, and I think he’s finally accepting that Lucas isn’t going to hurt anyone because it would piss me off.”

“And it would be wrong,” Kristy adds slowly.

“That, too,” I say, though we all know Lucas wouldn’t hesitate to rip someone’s heart out—literally—if they crossed me. He’s wanted to kill Scott since the moment he met him, and he’s only holding back for my sake.

We talk about Christmas and the Yule celebration the rest of the way to the Covenstead. The coven gathers for a big celebration on Samhain, but the Yuletide celebrations are much lower key, as most members of the coven prefer to spend the solstice at home with their family. I loved it growing up, once I moved in with the Greystones, that is. Tabatha wasn’t the High Priestess yet, but the headmaster of Grim Gate Academy, and Evander and I got to help decorate the halls every December fifth, both for the upcoming holidays and to keep Krampus warded away. Most nonmagical people don’t realize how what they consider traditional Christmas decor was actually used as protective charms. People still hang mistletoe today because our ancestors strung it up every December as a safeguard against evil. It’s helpful in keeping the spirits of the Yule Lads away, which might have been summoned a time or two during my stay at Grim Gate. And it wasn’t me who summoned them, shocking, I know.

But I did help get rid of them after Ruby blamed me for the mischief they caused. My Defensive Magic professor said the banishment of the Yule Lads counted as extra credit, and Ruby hated me even more for it. We were neck and neck for the highest grade in the class, and those extra twenty-five points made it impossible for her to catch up.

Thinking of that reminds me just how much things have changed and how much I’ve grown up in the last year. From making amends and forgiving Abby, to becoming friends with Ruby, I’ve realized how much I’d rather have good relationships with people than to hold grudges. I never knew just how important it was to let go and forgive people, either. Holding onto all that anger exhausted me in a way I wasn’t even aware of.

“I definitely think you need those horses,” Kristy says, zipping her coat up all the way and burying