Infernal God (Claimed By Lucifer Book 3) by Elizabeth Briggs (summer reads TXT) 📕

Just when I thought Adam might actually break free, Lucifer rushed in and tackled him, knocking him backward.

“Get in that tomb, you bastard.” Lucifer's face twisted with rage—fury created by all the times Adam had wronged us over the years. He shoved Adam hard, and they both fell into the tomb and began wrestling. Lucifer launched himself out a second later, his body covered in boils from Pestilence's magic, and then blasted Adam with bright blue hellfire. Belial joined in with his own hellfire from the other side of the cave, and I used a combination of vines and air to lift the lid of the tomb and use it to cover Adam.

The second it was closed, Damien spilled his fae blood on top of it, and the runes began to glow. The lid buckled and nearly came off as Pestilence struggled, and Belial rushed forward to add his own. I created a blade of darkness and sliced my own hand, then Lucifer did the same. Angel, demon, human, fae—all represented in our family line. As soon as all the blood mingled, the runes flashed bright, and the tomb sealed. Then it all went dark in the cave.

"Is it done?" Belial asked.

"Yes, but the seal won't last for thousands of years like the previous one did," Damien said. "And I think anyone powerful enough could open it, if they tried."

"But it will hold for now, right?" I asked.

Damien inspected the runes. "Yes, I believe it will hold for at least a decade or two, assuming no one tampers with it."

"That's enough time for us to find a better solution." Lucifer wrapped an arm around me. "An excellent plan, my love."

"Thank you, but it wouldn't have worked without everyone doing their part." My shoulders sagged in relief as I leaned against him. Adam was locked away, and couldn't harm me anymore—or my daughter. We might actually be able to have something akin to a normal life.

For a while, anyway.

18

Hannah

The next morning I sat in my garden on my bench, gathering my thoughts. We'd cleaned up everything from Pestilence's attack, and the angels had been able to heal most of the hotel guests. Unfortunately, many others were killed during the attack, and Lucifer had to use his persuasive powers to cover it up so it wasn't all over the news. We planned to offer compensation to each family that had lost someone, since it was our fault they'd been attacked at all. It definitely pushed me more in favor of moving out of the city to somewhere more remote, where we wouldn't put so many innocent lives in danger.

The good news was that our plan worked, and Pestilence was securely locked away beneath the waterfall. I felt his power emanating softly throughout the area, and I was certain the humans did too, because it seemed to draw them to The Celestial—and to the garden. His ancient power lured them in without harming them, just as it had done when he was under Stonehenge. A strange benefit of him being locked there, since it would only bring us more business. About time Adam did something that helped us after all these years.

My horse suddenly appeared and approached me. I held my hand out to her and stroked over her face. The horse harrumphed softly, blowing warm air from her nostrils.

“Misery,” I murmured, as I took in her black velvet coat, inky with a darkness I almost couldn’t define. “One day we’ll ride.”

Lucifer had ridden his horse all over Heaven and much of Earth, too. Part of me longed to experience that freedom for myself, and I patted Misery again. The two of us were stuck with each other for the rest of eternity it seemed, so I'd better get used to her.

I tiled my head as I stared into her dark eyes. "I think we need a better name for you. Something not quite so dreary."

Misery whinnied softly at that, and I felt something like approval through our strange connection. I didn't get words from her, nothing like that, just a little hint of her thoughts and emotions.

"Blackie? Midnight? Ghost?"

She didn't like any of those. I was pondering some others, when a movement from the nearby olive trees drew my attention. I rose to my feet, but I wasn’t worried. Security had been increased even more since Pestilence had been locked up in the garden, and I was well guarded today.

I smiled as Damien strode from the olive trees, something I'd planted because they reminded me of our home in Faerie. My handsome middle son was a perfect mix of fae and Fallen, and I desperately wanted to spend some time with him after all these years.

"Hello, Mother," he said as he approached with a sad smile.

I stood and held out my hands to him. "Is everything all right?"

"It's been nice being here with all of you, but I must return to Faerie to continue my work. I think I’ve done all I can here.” His gaze drifted to the waterfall and the cave beyond.

"I understand, and I appreciate everything you've done. Before you go, can you sit for a while?" I dropped as gracefully as I could back on the stone bench and patted the space next to me. “It’s been a long time since we’ve caught up properly, and I’ve only just found you again.”

My chest tightened a little at the thought. Thanks to the curse, and then Jophiel hiding who I was for so long, I hadn't seen Damien in years. I'd managed to reconnect with my other sons a little, but it was always a bit awkward. They weren’t the men I remembered, and I wasn’t the mother they knew. But it was important for me to try, especially with a new addition to our family on the way. I didn’t want to be a stranger to any of my sons ever again.

"Yes, I have some time." He sat beside me