squeeze. “Everything is fine with her, and she’s coming into town on Saturday to take Penny trick-or-treating.”
“Told you.” Lucas pulls me closer and kisses the top of my head. “You have something to look forward to now. The Feast and seeing your sister.”
“And you wearing a matching costume with me,” I add, smiling up at him. He’s right: we have a few days until the weekend, and I’ll be damned before I let anything get in my way of spending the time relaxing, eating, and having loud, passionate sex with my husband. It’s just a few days. The universe owes me a fucking break, and I’m going to reach out and take it this time.
Lucas unlocks his Range Rover and opens the passenger-side door for me. I take my purse off my shoulder and lift my foot to get inside. Suddenly, the air vibrates, and I turn just in time to see a bright light flash across the yard.
It’s not the first time I’ve seen the light flash like this, but it’s almost just as startling.
“Julian,” I gasp, turning and rushing over to him. He’s standing right in front of the porch, and he’s not bleeding this time, thank god.
“Callie,” he starts, brows pinched together. “Come with me. I fear you are in grave danger.”
“Son of a bitch,” I huff. So much for a fucking night off.
Chapter 8
“Slow down,” I say, pulling my hand from his before he has a chance to fly us out of here. “What are you talking about?”
Julian, who’s actually dressed in a different outfit than the last time I saw him, looks around nervously. “I may have been followed.”
“Followed?” Lucas echoes. “Why the fuck would you come here if you were being followed?”
“I wanted to get here before they did,” Julian replies and holds out his hand, conjuring his angel-dagger.
“Who?” I ask, though I already know the answers.
“Demons.”
Lucas protectively moves behind me, wrapping his arm around my middle so his large palm is splayed over my stomach.
“I intercepted a dark prophet,” Julian goes on. “Who predicted a surge in the cosmic energy, and the surge originated in this area. It’s not uncommon for Ley lines to put off unusual amounts of energy from time to time, but if they come looking…”
“They might find me.”
“Yes, and your powers extend far beyond those of a typical witch.” Julian’s face turns sullen. “And that’s not all. I have news, and maybe you should sit down for this.”
“Are you going to tell us that Lucifer is free?”
Julian’s lips part and his blue eyes go from me to Lucas and back again. “You…you know?”
“Yeah. He paid me a little visit.” A chill goes through me from my own words, and Lucas holds me a little tighter. Eliza quietly inches forward, arms crossed across her chest.
“What?” Julian shakes his head in disbelief. “What happened? Tell me everything.”
I nod and take in a breath. “The hunter who was hired by some rich old vampire figured out I spelled him and came looking for me wanting revenge. But Abby got shot instead of me, and I called for you and my dad to come help, but Lucifer showed up instead. He healed her and took the body of the hunter away.” I say that all very quickly, not easing the incredulous look on Julian’s face.
“He…he just showed up?” Julian asks slowly.
“Yeah. He said he could hear me and came to help.” Tears prick the corners of my eyes, and I look up at the starry sky, blinking them away. “I asked him if he wanted anything in return. He said no, and then looked at my stomach and said maybe I do. So now I’m scared he wants our baby.”
Julian doesn’t counter me, doesn’t tell me a baby is the last thing Lucifer would want. Instead, he swallows hard, tightening his grip on the dagger. A few painful seconds tick by, filled only by the sounds of the night.
“Let’s back up,” Julian finally says. “What makes you think he wants your baby?”
“The way he looked at me,” I answer. “And I know he doesn’t do favors for free.”
“No, he doesn’t. He requires payment, typically your soul. You didn’t sign a contract, right?”
“Right.” I blink and remember Abby lying on her foyer floor, seconds away from death. “I had no choice. It was either let him heal Abby or watch her die before my eyes.”
“I don’t think you made a bad decision,” Julian tells me, somehow knowing how badly I need to hear it