Fallen Angel

Chapter 16.1

"I'll make sure Michael gets the message," Gabriël finally said, much to her surprise.

"Excellent." Lucifer flashed a grin. "Then I will have words with our mutual friend. I shall leave you now, but we will undoubtedly meet again soon. Very soon."

His eyes met Joan's. Her heart lurched in her chest. What was he doing to her? With that last lingering gaze on her, the Devil disappeared in a swirl of black and red smoke, leaving Joan and Gabriël alone again. She exhaled slowly, realising only now that she'd been holding her breath the entire time. Her hand slipped into Gabriël's, desperately seeking support. His ocean eyes locked with hers. 

"Are you all right?" he asked, concerned. 

"No," admitted Joan. "Please, take me back inside."

He guided her into the Sanctum, a white light flashing briefly to announce their entry. None of the Nephilim appeared, though. The silence in the hall was deafening. Gabriël pulled her along, but Joan's body refused to move. He looked back at her. 

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"This doesn't feel right," she said. "He doesn't feel right."

"I had to do something, Joan. Lucifer has the power to put a stop to Borgia. There's already enough blood spilt because of that son of a bitch. Besides, we needed to be sure he wouldn't try to come after us as well. Anne isn't the only one he considers his foe."

"I know that. What I don't know is what to make of Lucifer. He's so -" 

"Tempting," finished Gabriël. "Yes, I'm aware. He has that effect on those who meet him for the first time. Lucifer was the first temptation. He draws people in with his charm and allure. Even amongst ourselves, it was very hard to say no to him. It's what made him so dangerous in the past. With the darkness of the Circles living in and around him, he's become even more of a threat."

"You... won't meet with him again, though. You don't have to stand at his side in what's to come. Right?" 

Gabriël's lips pressed into a thin line. There it was again - that turmoil inside of him. Joan felt herself go cold. Noticing her dismay, Gabriël cupped her face and leaned in to kiss her brow. She knew the tender act was meant to reassure her, yet it had the opposite effect as her thoughts once more ran wild. 

"Gabriël, please -"

"Go back to your room and get some sleep. We'll finish this conversation later, I promise. But right now, I have to send this to Michael before it's too late."

His lips brushed against hers, and then he let go. As Gabriël walked off toward the library, Joan placed a hand on the swell of her belly. For the first time since discovering she was carrying his child, she feared for them.

***

Grigori watched from a corner of the room as Katheryn Howard and Erzsebet Bathory treated Borgia's wounds. The injuries he sustained in his fight with the Frenchwoman were relatively minor, but Thomas Wyatt'd crushed his chest with magic. Grigori had heard bones crack in those few seconds he had hovered above the warrior. The Circles didn't have an infirmary, so any injured were treated wherever they lay (if they were treated at all because Hell was meant for suffering).
The Blood Countess had been tending to him for what seemed like hours. Katheryn kept washing away the blood from his battered body as she used her own magic to undo whatever harm the Nephilim mage had caused. The injured warrior howled in pain at everything she did.
Grigori felt no sympathy for the man. It was his own fault he was in this state. No one had ever gone after a Nephilim child before. It was one of those unspoken rules; only go after the Nephilim themselves, not their offspring. His further actions, though, had sealed Borgia's fate. For no demon, no matter how privileged they were, could kill a mortal.