it’s the most raw and real he’s presented himself. “She did not sell her soul, but she did practice dark magic. Devil-worship, as it was often called back at that time.”
“Was Michael sent to save her from…from…”
“From me? Yes, he was. He was sent to save several souls, but I never made a deal with your mother, Callie, and I want you to trust me on that.”
“I do trust you,” I say honestly. “Do you know why she practiced dark magic?”
“What is dark to you wasn’t dark to your mother. She saw things differently, and that’s what drew many people in, including Michael. He fell in love with her, and she changed him. For the better, if you ask me.”
“You helped them hide me,” I say, but there’s question in my voice.
“I did.”
“Why?” I whisper.
“Because they asked me to,” Lucifer answers.
I inhale, soaking in all the information I can about my mother. “Did Michael really love her?”
“Yes, he did very much.” He holds out his hand. “Now, you want to go bust your vampire out of jail? We can play a little good cop, bad cop, and I’ll let you be the bad cop. No, that’s lame. Bad cop, worse cop is much more entertaining. Though if we’re being cops to the other cops, it loses most of its appeal.”
“I don’t really care, as long as we get Lucas back. He did nothing wrong.”
“He’s a vampire, and in the eyes of many humans, just being different makes you wrong. If I’d done what I wanted, if I’d been able to remind humans they were created in our image, kept them in their places, maybe they would treat each other better.” He points to Scott. “Being this fucking guy doesn’t make you better than any other human on the planet. But us, my dear niece, we are better. And once his soul goes to Hell, he’ll be a fun one to punish.”
I start to reach for Lucifer’s hand. “After we save Lucas, are you going back to Hell?” I cringe at my words, and my heart thumps away in my chest as desperation claws at me. “I know you don’t want to, but I can’t do this.” I rest my hand on my stomach.
“Someone needs to stay here and help you.”
“Help me?” I echo.
‘Who else is going to keep my brothers and sisters off your trail?”
“True, but I think it would be most helpful to not worry about being Queen of Hell.”
“Maybe, but I’m not ready to go back yet,” Lucifer says, looking almost pained as he admits it.
“Why?” I rush out, brows pinching together.
“Because I’m evil,” he says simply and adjusts the button on his dress shirt. He’s wearing another designer suit like usual, and it would just be weird at this point to see him dressed casually. “It’s who I am.”
“No.” I shake my head. “I don’t think you are. You’re angry and hurt and have been treated unfairly by your family, but that doesn’t make you evil. Julian told me the demons were created from darkness, and darkness is all they know. That’s evil, but you…you were created from light just like the other angels. Evil isn’t who you are. It’s a choice you make.”
He looks at me, expression softening. His eyes, which are usually more gray than blue, look a little clearer. “Your mother thought the same thing.”
“How…how do you know that?”
“Because I loved her, too.”
Chapter 21
“What?” I blink several times, pushing back the tears that were annoyingly welling in my eyes again.
“That’s a story for another time.” Lucifer extends his hand. “Let’s go.”
“Yes.” I wipe my eyes and pick up Binx, cradling him against my chest.
“Hello, old friend,” Lucifer tells Binx, whose actual name is Oberyth, a powerful spirit.
“You know him?”
“We’ve crossed paths a time or two when dealing with demons. That’s one powerful familiar you have there.”
“I know.” I nuzzle Binx’s head against me, and Lucifer closes his fingers around my hand, and he flies us out of here. Elena does flips in my belly. Maybe Lucas was onto something when he said she likes to go fast. Don’t worry, little girl, we’re going to get your daddy out.
“Good cop, bad cop?” Lucifer asks excitedly.
“Doesn’t that usually work when you’re questioning a suspect, not trying to break an innocent person out of jail?”
“Apparently only with your imagination,” he grumbles.
“Are you sure this is the right police station?” I look at the building.
“It’s the closest one.” Lucifer shrugs. “Let’s go find out.”
I set Binx down, and