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

Samael allowed his gaze to linger on her, but his eyes turned hard as they moved to her lover, the vampire Archdemon Baal. Samael and Lilith had been an item thousands of years ago, and so much history between them led to a lot of unresolved issues. Not least of which centered around their son, Asmodeus, and the fact Lilith had turned him mortal so he could be with my human friend, Brandy. I wasn’t sure Samael would ever get over that, or accept that he would absolutely lose his son one day. Even so, it was impossible to ignore the way Samael and Lilith looked at each other, and as a succubus, Lilith needed more than one lover to keep her sated. I secretly hoped the two of them could work out their issues one day, but Samael was pretty damn hard-headed sometimes.

"Thank you for coming." I leveled my gaze at each of my Archdemons, who inclined their heads slightly in return. Even though I'd been born as an angel in this life, they'd all accepted me as their queen over these last few months, and I appreciated their loyalty. With their acceptance, the other demons had fallen in line too, and no one had questioned my position so far. “Has anyone learned anything regarding the whereabouts of Pestilence?”

Romana growled a little at the mention of the man who killed her mother. Like her brother, she had black hair, stony gray eyes, and a slight French accent, and she wore a skintight bodysuit. “No, nothing. My gargoyles have been searching for him, but he must be laying low and recovering his strength after his attack on you.”

Zel leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Do you think he plans to free Famine and Death next?"

"It's unclear what he wants, other than Hannah," Lilith said with a slight shake of her head.

"I've recently learned that Fenrir and Nemesis still plan to release the other Horsemen," Baal said, as he ran a hand through his long black hair. His British accent made me think of Lucifer with a pang in my chest, though Baal's was much more formal, to go with his antiquated black suit. Baal had been spying on the imps and the shifters for us, pretending to be their ally in this conflict, even though it was risky. "Though their attempt to overthrow Lucifer was thwarted when he became War, they’ve regrouped and decided on their next steps.”

“What is their plan now?” I raised an eyebrow. Of course they had a plan B. I wouldn’t have expected anything less from Nemesis and Fenrir.

Baal turned his icy blue eyes on me. “They’re going to Faerie to release Famine in the hopes of taking you down. They have an issue with you becoming our queen, as you can probably imagine."

"No surprise there," I muttered.

"They'll have an issue with anyone sitting on the throne who isn't one of them," Zel said with a snort.

"Yes, and if somehow they did succeed, they would turn on each other next," Baal said. "They have no loyalty to each other either."

"Do you know if Belial is working with them?" I asked, though I was almost afraid to hear the answer.

Baal shook his head. "No, I haven't heard them speak of him lately. I don't think he's involved with them anymore."

That was a relief. Perhaps there was still some hope for my son.

Samael steepled his fingers. "We've already been working with High King Oberon to protect Famine's tomb in Faerie. Should Fenrir or Nemesis arrive in that realm, we'll be notified immediately."

"We must be prepared to do battle against not one, but potentially three Horsemen," Romana said with a slight growl. "And if the fourth one is freed, we are all doomed."

The thought of fighting Lucifer made my heart clench, but of course she was right. I had no idea if there was anything left of my mate in there now that War had possessed him, though I refused to give up hope. I pressed my hands against the table and addressed the others. "We're doing everything in our power to prevent that outcome. We have a tomb prepared to hold Pestilence, should he return here. War is trapped in Heaven, and all the keys to that realm have been hidden."

"What if he escapes?" Lilith asked softly, with a touch of sadness.

I swallowed hard. "I'll try to save him, however I can. And if I can't...then I'll stop him. Do not worry. I’ll do whatever has to be done.”

Silence fell upon the table as we all looked at each other with grave expressions. None of us wanted to take down Lucifer, but we all knew it might have to be done to stop War. I'd been preparing myself for the horrible possibility for months now. Would I kill Lucifer if it was the only way to stop him? Yes. But I'd do everything in my power to find another way first.

The meeting closed out with more general demon issues, and when the Archdemons left, I breathed a sigh of relief and headed back to the penthouse to relax. As I entered, my first instinct was always to wonder what Lucifer would think of the changes I’d wrought in his absence. Nothing major, just a touch of my own style here and there. A few lush plants and more color, especially greens and blues, with comfortable pillows and throws draped across the furniture. It was a lot more soothing now, which both the baby and I desperately needed during these trying times.

I trailed my fingers over the fronds of a fern as I headed straight to the library. It had long been my favorite room, but now I glanced at the huge pile of books I’d been studying each night, and even my soul sighed. It was a mammoth task, but it was for Lucifer. For him, I’d do this every night for the rest of my