Reign of Night (Thorne Hill #7) - Emily Goodwin Page 0,4

Hearing the boy’s pleas and prayer gave me a momentary short reprieve from my harsh reality, but Lucifer is right: we can’t stay here on the beach and pretend things are okay.

They’re far from it.

My pulse quickens and my throat gets tight. What the hell are we supposed to do? Getting rid of Roger’s body caused me enough stress and anxiety, and no human will find it in Hell. But Remiel…there’s nowhere we can hide him where the other angels can’t go. I got away with murder once. There’s no way we’re going to get away with it again.

“We do need to go.” Michael holds out his hand and I reach for it, but right before my fingers touch his, a sharp, red-hot pain stabs me right in the chest, searing its way through me, right down to my stomach.

Chapter 2

I double over, hand landing on my abdomen. My entire middle feels like a rope is wrapped around me, and something is pulling it tight, squeezing me until I’m going to be cut in half. The pain intensifies, and I’m only half aware of Michael taking me to a shaded spot on the beach and helping me down onto the soft, warm sand.

“Breathe,” he tells me, making me aware that I’m holding my breath. My lips part and I let out a sigh, leaning back and resting on my elbows. Lucifer stands above me, brows furrowed with worry.

“What happened to her?” he asks my father.

“Her body isn’t used to using that much divinity.” Michael puts his hand on my forehead, and the pain starts to fade. “And her child is more human than she is.” He slowly shakes his head back and forth and glances up at Lucifer. He doesn’t say anything, but I know: he has no idea what to do. I’m the first ever offspring of a witch and an archangel, and I’m the only Nephilim to get knocked up myself. “Are you feeling better?” he asks me.

“Yeah,” I say, though I’m a little shaky. “Is my baby okay?”

Michael moves his hand down, hovering it over my stomach. “She’s strong, just like you.”

“She?” I let out another breath, and the pain subsides. “It’s a girl?”

“Biologically,” Michael says with a smile. “Yes.”

“I’m going to have a daughter,” I whisper to myself. I was under the assumption the baby was a girl, back when I thought I heard Michael tell me to do it for her, but Lucas and I couldn’t know for sure. I already felt bonded with my unborn child, but knowing that I’m going to have a daughter makes things seem even more real, and everything that happened weighs on me. “Can I go home now?”

“Yes,” Michael tells me and helps me to my feet. He pulls me into a one-armed hug, and I reach out for Lucifer’s hand.

“No one will see us disappear?” I ask when Lucifer takes my hand.

“They might,” my father says. “But they won’t remember it.” With that, he flies out of here, landing us right back where we were. Remiel’s body is still motionless on the ground, with dark red blood seeping out from the wound in his chest. I break away from Michael and look around the forest. Everything is silent and still—too still. It’s eerie, and the feeling of being watched creeps over me.

“Lucas?” I call, and my breath clouds around me. I shiver, having just come from the bright and sunny beach. “Kristy?” Frost-covered leaves crunch under my feet as I take several quick steps toward my house. “Lucas?” I call again a little louder. If he’s close, then he heard me.

A dog barks in the distance, and right as the glow of the back porch lights come into view, Lucas speeds through the woods, stopping right in front of me. His eyes are wide, and he runs his eyes up and down me, making sure I’m okay before pulling me into a tight hug.

“I’m sorry,” I breathe, wrapping my arms around his muscular body.

“It’s okay, my love.” Lucas kisses my forehead and runs his hand over my hair. Scarlet barks again as she plods over, followed by my familiars who stayed by Kristy as she ran from the house.

“You’re back,” my best friend pants, winded from running.

“I am,” I say, and Lucas loosens his hold on me but doesn’t let me go. I think he’s afraid Michael will fly me away if he does.

“Where did you go?” Kristy asks, stopping short when she sees Michael and Lucifer just