Chapter 8 — I don’t remember ordering an Apocalypse

Lucifer:

Once I flash out of Lana’s room, I partially shift into my devil form and hone my senses until I reach the destination that Azazel instructed me to go to. The earthquake occurred in the Arcata forest. Using my night vision, I try to find the entity that caused such havoc but see nothing. I land near a corpse and look around for any signs of what it could have been until I reach a large section of the forest that looks like it was burnt to a crisp. The trees, dirt and grass around the ragged opening are scorched. Within minutes, Azazel and Mathias appear beside me.

Mathias squats down and touches the scorched ground. The dirt glows where he touches it. He turns his hand and looks at his blood-soaked fingers.

“What is it?” Mathias asks.

I frown. “It’s not a hell portal. Hell, portals are not this messy.”

Azazel shrugs. “It…it looks like blood. But how?”

Mathias moves toward one of the ashen tree trunks and touches the tree’s seared surface; this time, when he pulls back his hand, there’s blood on his fingers too.

I look at the tree and clench my jaw when I see that blood is pouring from the tree’s crevices.

Azazel looks at his mobile’s screen then back at us. “It seems that this is not the only area that has experienced the same fate,” he raises his mobile screen and shows us a media caster discussing the unexplained phenomenon.

“Let’s look at some of the other sites and see what we find,” Mathias suggests.

I nod and follow both men as they fly to other locations. For the rest of the night, we visit several other quake sites and find that they were all affected in the same manner the Arcata forest was.

On the sixth location, my head begins to spin with horrific suspicion.

“It can’t be,” I mutter gravely.

Mathias and Azazel’s heads snap up to meet mine. “What? What do you think it is?” Mathias asks.

I look at the scorched forest then back at one of the weeping trees. “The heavens and the earth will burn; fire and flame will consume all elements. The trees and grass will sweat drops like blood.”

Mathias’s expression darkens. “Are you saying that these are signs of the apocalypse?”

I shrug, unsure if what I’m seeing is on par with what I know. “I know that it’s a mad idea, but it’s the only thing that makes sense.”

Azazel looks confused. “But you’re the bloody devil. Wouldn’t you know if the end of days were here? Not just that, all of the supernatural scriptures state that you’re the pivotal figure in all of the apocalyptic prophecies. Are you planning the end of the world, mate?”

I shake my head. “Of course, I didn’t order the sodding apocalypse, you wanker. Why would I do such a stupid thing when my own son and my mate live on earth? That would be illogical.”

Mathias places his hands on his hips, “I think we’re blowing this out of proportion. This is probably just a coincidence.”

Azazel snorts. “It could bloody well have been if it wasn’t for the fact that this happened in places that have never experienced earthquakes or forest that consumed the earth within seconds before tonight.” he waves his hand around.

Feeling aggrieved, I rub the back of my neck and say, “I don’t know how this is possible, but something is stirring. I can feel it in the air.”

Azazel expels a deep breath. “You’re right. I can also feel it.”

He presses his palm on his chest and rubs it, “It feels like—”

Mathias interjects. “Like a hole has opened inside of your belly.”

Everyone nods in unison.

“So, what do we do?” Mathias asks.

I consider what steps we need to take but draw a blank. At the moment, all that is occurring is based on what we think we know. According to human and supernatural prophecy, there are more signs. Who is to say that the other signs will happen?

“There’s really nothing that we can do.”

“What do you mean there’s nothing we can do? The sodding apocalypse is occurring, and you’re telling us there’s nothing we can do?” Azazel argues.

“We don’t know if this is the apocalypse, Azazel! For all we bloody know, this might not have anything to do with the end of days! All we can do is keep our eyes open for any other signs and research to see why this is happening.”

Mathias stops between us, his golden eyes glowing with intelligence as he sifts his fingers through his crimson-colored locks. Due to my status as The Creator’s disgraced son, I’m not very well-liked by angels, which bothers me little because I’m not too fond of them. However, the Seraphim, Mathias, has been one of the few for who I feel respect. From the moment we’ve met, he has been cordial and kept his prejudices to himself. He has also shown deference for who I am.

“I think Lucifer’s right,” he states. “There’s no certainty that this is part of a prophecy. The only way we’d be sure is if any other signs occur. For now, we should focus on any unusual activities and consult the ancient tomes in case new signs prop up.”

Azazel begrudgingly nods. However, I can see that he’s uneasy with our plan. “Very well, I’ll concede for now. But if another bloody thing happens, I’m going to kick your arse,” he states.

I nod. “I’ll consult some of my generals and see if they’ve heard anything.”

Once the males have left, I flash myself out of the scorched land.

What I told Azazel was true. There’s nothing that I can do until I figure out why these things are suddenly happening.

Fallon is waiting for me at my throne room as soon as I appear.

“I heard about the earthquakes that occurred around the world. Do you have any idea how they happened?”

I shake my head and slump down on my new throne. Last year, we discovered that Lana, Bree and Zoe were in grave danger from two powerful witches. Apparently, the two witches kept them close so that they could be sacrificed for a spell that would end the world. Lana came under my protection once they realized that the women should be separated for their own safety.

Years ago, I had several of my minions find someone who could redesign my throne room to look more modern. The once dark and menacing throne room looks more like an executive conference room, and my large throne is made of leather and chain mail and sits at the head of the seating area. It’s quite comfortable, though a bit gaudy. What can I say? The devil needs his throne.

The rest of the rooms had already been decorated tastefully by one of Earth’s top designers. The floors are light wood with white rugs, comfortable white couches, and brass coffee tables with a large glass conference table and comfortable white and brass office chairs. A large flat television screen takes up one of the walls, and several floors to ceiling bookshelves filled with books cover the rest of the textured gray walls. If Lana’s reaction to her room was anything to go by, the designer did an excellent job.

I look at my son as I settle comfortably onto my throne. “I do not know how they happened. However, I do know that they were not natural occurrences.”

He nods as he pushes a comfortable leather chair close to my throne and sits back into it. “Considering there were earthquakes around different parts of the world with zero seismic activity and no fault lines, I assumed they were supernatural.”

I rest my head back on the soft leather cushion and release a deep breath. “We did find several things that should not have been there.”

Fallon leans forward in his seat and rests his elbows on his knees. “Like what?”

I rest my ankle over my knee and settle my elbow on the armrest. “For one, the grass and trees were scorched. It looked like someone dropped a bomb in the middle of it, but there are no bomb particles or any evidence of bomb residue. Yet, the ground and the burnt remains were covered in blood.”

Fallon’s clear eyes narrow thoughtfully. “Wait, aren’t those signs of the apocalypse?”

I nod. “It seems to be. However, as I explained to Mathias and Azazel, I did not order an apocalypse. I wouldn’t do that, considering you and Lana are here. Let me also state that I have no desire to start an apocalypse.”

Fallon’s brow furrows with confusion. “Then it has to be witchcraft.”

I shake my head. “Witches are powerful, but even they have their limits. There’s no way they could have done something so coordinated without being noticed. No, only a handful of beings, including myself, could have done this. There’s no one else powerful enough to set something like this.”

“Who are the others?” he asks.

“The Creator for one. There’s also the last original archangels, Michael, Gabriel and Rafael. I can ask Michael, but I doubt he’s the one who did it.”

“How about Gabriel and Rafael?” he asks.

I shake my head, “I’m not sure. I haven’t seen either of them since my fall. Last I heard, they were still in heaven and very much loyal to The Creator. I honestly don’t see what reason they’d have for doing something like this, considering it will give me more power over Earth.”

Fallon’s scowl deepens. “And we won’t know if this is an actual apocalyptic event unless another sign appears. Are you going to speak to Michael?”

I think about how the evening began with Lana’s beautiful body writhing beneath mine and silently curse. Though my body is temporarily sated, I still want to be close to her. Unfortunately, I will not be able to go back to her tonight.

“I am. Hopefully, Michael will have some insight on both issues.”

Fallon’s expression falters slightly as he tries to make sense of something. “You think that this might have something to do with Lana?”

He asks the question that has been running through my mind after I left the last disaster area. “To be honest, I don’t know. What I do know is that Lana is a lot more powerful than we know.”

“Have you seen her use any powers?” he asks.

“Several days ago, I found her trapped in a cave with dozens of dead Arachnia demons lying around her. She was covered in demon blood and had ordered a horde of Locusts to attack the demons.”

Fallon’s face pales with horror. “Are you saying Lana can control Locusts?”

I swallow hard at his verbalization of my own suspicions. “From what I observed, she did.”

“You know that’s also an apocalyptic sign?” he states firmly.

I want to disagree with his statement, but I know that he’s not wrong. Locusts are prominent in every apocalyptic prophecy that I’ve read.

“I know that it’s a possibility. However, Lana couldn’t have done all of those things that occurred last night.”

As soon as the words leave my lips, I want to take them back. Fallon is not foolish enough to not read between the lines.

“You bedded her?” he asks.

“Not quite,” I reply vaguely. “We didn’t have sex.”

He scoffs at my innocent tone. “But you did other things,” his expression darkens with annoyance as he sits up and stares intently into my eyes. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you say you were rejecting the mate bond between you?”

I refuse to answer, but it doesn’t stop Fallon from proving. “Answer me, Father! You know that you can’t do this. You either mate, or you don’t. There is no in-between.”

“It’s not like if I planned it, Fallon. It’s just…I can’t resist her. She’s beautiful and addicting. I don’t know what to do.”

“Then why not mate her? Obviously, you want her. Wouldn’t it be better that way?”

“I can’t,” I retort angrily.

“Why? Why can’t you be her mate, Lucifer?”

“Because it’s not that bloody easy!” I growl. “It cannot be that easy. As much as I want her, The Creator placed her in my path for a reason, and I can guarantee that it won’t be so that I may have a happy ending. You know this, Fallon!”

Fallon looks aggrieved as he processes my reasoning. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I guess, for now, we focus on what we know and investigate further.”

“Yes, that’s what we need to do.” I look at the time on my mobile. “I should go and meet Michael now. I’ll keep you updated with whatever I find.”

He gives me an encouraging smile as he rises from his seat. “While you do that, I’ll speak to the Council’s researcher and the Breija. Hopefully, they can shed some light on this whole bloody mess.”

Before he leaves, he steps close to me and places his hand on my shoulder. “We’ll figure it out, father,”

I don’t argue or affirm his encouraging words. I’ve lived too long to understand that not everyone gets a happy ending. Especially someone like me who has seen many horrors.

Jaw tight, I flash myself to Paris. Michael lives in Rue De La Paix at a Vendôme Saint Honoré neighborhood. His home is a classic Parisian with a birds-eye view of the chic Place Vendôme. When Michael fell, I offered him the use of all of the homes I owned worldwide. He lived in Greece, Italy, and the Ottoman empire for many years until he settled in Paris. Like many other fallen angels, he eventually amassed a fortune and purchased homes around the world that he could use when humans began to notice that he never aged. Most immortal beings only live in one place for thirty or so years before they have to move on. It’s easier to do this in different parts of the world. Michael has lived in Paris for about fifteen years, which means he has a bit more than a decade before leaving. Since Paris is his favorite country, he has moved to other places with a similar culture. Before Paris, he lived in Quebec, Montreal, and even Louisiana.

As I stroll through the lovely Parisian streets, I pass several boutiques until I reach the gates of his beautiful home. Though he lives in the middle of the city, he built his home in a secluded area surrounded by large gates with a winding driveway until you reach his chateau.

Once I reach the gates, I flash myself to his front door.

Within moments, the front door opens, and I’m facing my brother. Though I know of Michael’s whereabouts, I have not seen him in person for several decades. It’s strange how he hasn’t really changed. We’re the same height and build, but Michael has a Grecian-style haircut that shows off his elegant curls and emerald-green eyes.

“Bonjour Lucifer,” his square jaw ticks as he nods his head and opens the door. “Veuillez entrer.” Please come in.

Subconsciously, I slide my hand down my button-down dress shirt before I step around him. As soon as I flashed to Paris, I made sure that I changed into my Armani dress shirt, which I wore without a tie and with the sleeves rolled up, along with a clean pair of Versace pressed slacks and Italian leather wingtips. Remembering how religiously Michael kept his armor and all of his belongings, I always feel the urge to dress more formally when I see him. I guess some things don’t change.

Like me, Michael is also dressed semi-formally in a navy blue v-neck sweater and black slacks. “Voulez-vous boire un verre? Would you care for a drink?

Once inside, I turn and face my brother. “No, thank you. What I have to ask is actually quite imperative. Is there somewhere private where we may speak?”

He bows his head. “Oui, how about we go to my office?”

I wave a hand, gesturing for him to lead.

“Suivez-Moi,” Follow me. He leads me past the beautiful marble alcove with a gleaming parquet floor until we reach a set of double doors. His office is spacious with large white bookcases bulging with books, ornate gray walls, an antique gold mirror, a stylish brick fireplace and a vintage wooden desk.

He waves for me to take a seat in a comfortable cream-colored chair before he settles behind his desk and places his folded hands over the table’s gleaming surface.

It’s funny how our relationship is so different from the one we had in heaven. He may have forgotten our brotherly banter and how we used to prank Gabriel and Rafael, but I haven’t. I remember all of the great moments we shared. But now, we are nothing more than familiar strangers.

I look around before I take a seat. “Where’s Lillith? I would have thought she’d pounce on me with a sharp weapon the moment I walked through the door.

Michael’s lip quirks, giving away a small glimpse of emotion. “Lillith is working at a nearby Café. I didn’t tell her you were coming because I didn’t know how she’d react. As you well know, she can be quite difficult. Thank you for that, by the way,” he mutters sarcastically, “The femme has terrorized my staff and acted horridly since she arrived. It has been quite a feat not to kill her.”

I snicker at my brother’s generous description. Yes, Lillith is quite the shrew. “I’m surprised that she works now.”

Michael shrugs. “I thought it would keep her out of my house and too busy to terrorize my people if she had a purpose. At first, she was resistant though she’s still horrid, she has adjusted better.”

“And you’re alright with that?”

He nods. “There’s not much damage she can do since she has no powers. Though she curses my existence daily, she has accepted that there’s nothing she can do for now. Do not be concerned. I have men watching over her.”

“Very well. If you’re sure.” I reply.

Michael smirks, “Oui, I believe it will be beneficial for her as it was for me. I’ve been teaching at Saint Ermitage-DeRoche college for many years, and it’s quite rewarding. As the saying goes, idle hands…” he waves airily.

I arch a brow at my brother’s use of the biblical proverb, “…are the devil’s workshop.”

Michael, snickers, “Oui,”

“I wasn’t aware that you were teaching. I guess it makes sense since you were always reading and sharing your knowledge in heaven. But I have to say, I find it amusing that you also own an illegal underground fighting arena.”

Michael tilts his head questioningly. “You know about that?”

I nod, “I’ve known about it for centuries. I have to say, I’ve visited several times and was actually impressed.”

He nods, “It was not something I planned to do, but after leaving heaven...” his mouth twists into a bitter smile.

“You needed a way to expel your rage?” I interject, understanding his emotional state. After I left heaven, I felt lost. For the first time in my existence, I didn’t have a plan. It didn’t help that hell was the epicenter of decadence. So, I fought, fucked and imbibed until I decided to be serious about my new role as the king of hell.

“Yes, exactement. However, I no longer fight; I manage the ring instead. But that is not why you’re here, is it? What did you wish to speak about, Lucifer?” his r rolls, making my name sound like he’s saying Lucy Fair.

Though Michael has lived in many places worldwide, his accent seems to veer toward French. Whereas I chose to make England my Earth base, and over time, adopted the British tongue.

“I’m here because you might be the only person who might know how it’s possible that I have a mate.”

Michael’s expression instantly shutters, and all color drains from his face. “But it’s not possible. Apolliana is dead—”

Before he can utter another word, I flash over to him, wrap my hand around his neck and lift him to his toes. Michael grips my wrist with an angry growl, and his jaw tightens as he struggles within my hold.

“What the fuck did you just say?” I grit out angrily.

“Libére Moi, Lucifer!” Let me go. he chokes out. “I’ll give you answers, but you must release me.”

My chest heaves with rage as I carelessly release my brother.

Michael stumbles back, his eyes glowing with fury as he stares me down. “Je devrais te tuer pour ca!” I should kill you for that. He rubs his neck with a growl.

“And I can rip your bloody throat off for what you just said. Now, you better explain everything before I change my mind and tear you limb from limb.”

At first, I think he’s going to tell me to sod off or at least kick my arse. But to my surprise, he gruffly takes his seat and begins to speak. “You did have a mate, but she’s dead. After your fall, Le Créateur locked her away, but she went mad, and she was put down,”

“How do you know this?” I ask through the drumming in my ears.

Michaels glowing eyes go back to their emerald sheen as he thinks through what he’s going to say. “I know this because I’m the one who ended her.”

My jaw pops, and my breathing becomes labored as I wrap my claws around the arms rests. “Alright, let’s wind back. Tell me everything from the beginning.”

His brow furrows. “After your fall, Le Créateur took me to a room where he introduced me to a female archangel. Merde, I was so shocked since I had never seen a female angel. She was quite a belle with long golden hair and honey-colored eyes. I was surprised when The Creator told me that she was yours. Her sweet personality was endearing, and I will admit I became attached to her. She seemed well for several years until she slowly began to change. Because I knew she was yours, I cared for her as best as possible, but we could tell that something was wrong. It was petite choses au début,” Little things at first. “Sometimes, she’d grow quiet and look off into the distance. Other times I’d find her crying as if her heart was broken. I tried to keep her spirits up, but she continued to decline. When I asked, Le Créateur seemed unsure why she was acting so strangely. It was all new territory for us because she was the first female. It was only after Le Créateur spoke to the fates that we realized what was occurring.” His eyes darken with emotion when they meet mine. “It seems that because her destiny was tied to yours and you weren’t there, her soul was dying. We tried to find a way to cut her ties to you, but there was nothing we could do.”

His nostrils flare, “Unfortunately, her madness reached a pivotal point when she massacred over a dozen angels. Le Créateur stopped her before she could murder us all and imprisoned her,” he looks down at his hands and swallows deeply. “We thought that we could help her, but it had the opposite effect. She was insensée.” Insane. “There was no reasoning or bargaining with her. When we’d try, she’d attack us or spout nonsense. Sometimes we’d find her bruised and bloodied because she’d harm herself. I even observed her die and réincarner several times. Seeing that she was not getting better, I begged Le Créateur to give her respite but was refused. Instead, he put her in stasis. After a couple of centuries, Le Créateur called me back to her cell,” his eyes mist and his voice crack as he tries to continue. “What I saw was no longer the belle I knew.” He gulps as if trying to retain all emotion inside. “J’ai Pénse…” I thought. “…that Le Créateur finally decided to put an end to her suffering, but that was not the case.”

Michaels emotionless façade cracks at that moment. A tear falls from his eye as he leans his elbows on the table and slides his fingers through his hair. His lips quiver as he croaks out, “Je n’oublierai jamais.” I will never forget. “She was curled up on the floor rocking back and kept repeating Le Créateur’s prophetic wisdom over and over again...so will it be with the resurrection of the dead? The sown body is perishable; it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power, and it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”

Michael wipes his eye and gives me a mournful expression. “Le Créateur offered to make her human and made it sound like she’d finally be free of your bond if she balanced the scales that you disrupted. He made her believe that destiny would grant her a human life without her angel tethering itself to her, and in the process, her madness would fade. But I knew that it was not possible. Angels cannot be human. The repercussions were too great. In her mad state, she attacked me, and we struggled. Seeing that I had no choice, I ran her through with my sacred sword, and she…” he stifles a sob as he tries to control his emotions. “…she died in my arms.”

Guilt assails me as Michael relays Lana’s tragic past. Yet, I can’t help but be puzzled by Michael’s revelation. “But she didn’t die.”

Michael grimaces. “She did. I saw her body fall to my sacred sword.”

I shake my head. “No, she didn’t, Michael. The Creator did what he said he’d do. But Lana—Apolliana is alive. I’ve met her and touched her. My son, Fallon’s mate, is her sister.”

His eyes widen with shock. “But Le Créateur told me she died.” His lip curls with contempt. “I should have known it wasn’t that simple.”

I shake my head. “I don’t know how or why The Creator lied to you, but Lana is alive and in human form. But as you said, her angel lives inside of her, and from what I have observed, is still quite insane.”

Michael snaps up from his seat and begins to pace in place. “Ce n’est pas bon.” That’s not good. “If Apolliana is indeed alive, then the world is in a great deal of danger.”

I wince at his choice of words. “Why would you say that?”

He shakes his head and retorts. “Because Apolliana is Abaddon.”

I reel back as if I was slapped in the face. “What the bloody hell are you talking about, Michael? Lana is not Abaddon. The scriptures all say that I am Abaddon.”

“They are wrong, Lucifer. The fates confirmed it after we imprisoned her. Apolliana is Abaddon. She is the destroyer. She had already shown signs of her immense power. That is why we couldn’t risk letting her out of her prison. Once you forfeited your place in heaven, you damned her as well. Rapelles toi,” Remember. “It’s all about balance. She is the second half of your soul, but her soul was dying, killing all of the good inside her. The fates state that her soulless angel form would eventually overpower her human side, giving rise to her power, which will bring forth the end of days.”

“Is that why The Creator put her in human form? Was The Creator hoping her angel would somehow be stifled if it held a human soul?”

Michael shrugs. “You know that Le Créateur does things based on whims. It could be that Le Créateur wanted her angel to grow weak, or it could be that he wanted her to fulfill her fate. Jene sais pas.” I don’t know.

I persist. “If that is the case, Abaddon would bring hell on earth. I doubt The Creator would want that considering it disturbs the balance?”

Michael leans forward and steadily replies, “But what if there was no hell on earth? Abaddon has the power to destroy humans and supernaturals. Le Créateur might not want you to have more power, but it would be different if all life seized to exist. Pensez-y,” Think about it. “If Apolliana would create a clean slate, free of all corruption, Le Créateur can rebuild the world without hell. He can recreate a new paradise using your mate as a catharsis.”

I slump back in my seat, deflated by the devastating news. If Lana’s humanity dies, Abaddon will rise and destroy the world.

“You said the fates told you Lana’s angel kept reviving after she’d die. Did they say anything else?”

He gives me a wary nod. “Oui, while the scales are unbalanced, her angel and human would be reincarnated together. Once the scales are balanced, Apolliana’s human will no longer be reincarnated. Which means that her angel would live.”

Dazed, I look at my brother and sputter out, “That has to be it. I think you should also know that the scales have already been balanced. The Eru’s prophecy already came to pass, and Azazel managed to circumvent my punishment.”

“That explains why we’re seeing the signs now. It was always meant to happen. Le Créateur must have known Apolliana couldn’t truly die. I thought the only reason I would see her revive before was that she wasn’t killed by a sacred sword. But if she’s alive, it means that she’s too powerful to kill. It explains why Le Créateur didn’t punish me when I ran her through.” He muses.

“I agree. The Creator wanted her to be in human form so her human could die and Abaddon could be unleashed into the world. I just don’t understand why The Creator didn’t just let her destroy the world then.”

Michael shrugs. “I imagine Le Créateur couldn’t do it because she would continuously die and weaken while she was in heaven. Le Créateur must have needed the balance restored so she could gain her full powers. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

I look at my brother as my resolve to save my soul mate strengthens. “I can’t lose her, Michael. I know that you hate me, but I need you to help me save her.”

Michael’s eyes flinch, and his lips curl into a grimace. “Tu penses que je te deteste?” You think that I hate you?

I nod. “You stood by as I fell. You let The Creator lead me out of heaven and haven’t spoken to me since.”

His expression grows somber. “You are juste,” Right. “I did not really speak to you after my fall. But it wasn’t because I hated you. I never hated you. Je ne savais pas te dire.” I was unsure of what to say to you. “I assumed you were angry at me, and I did not fight you. You do not know how much I regret my inaction. If anything, I hated myself for being too stubborn to protest when you chose to fall. I always thought you hated me.”

I shake my head. “I will admit that I was angry at you, but I never hated you. I just hated who we let ourselves become because of our rivalry.”

His eyes are sincere as he approaches me and settles his hand on my shoulder. “I was a fool, frère. I should have put my prejudices aside and protected you. I thought that if I protected your mate, I’d somehow make it up to you. But I failed her too, and I couldn’t recover from it, which is why I fell.”

“You fell because of her?”

Michael gives me a hesitant nod. “There’s something else you should know, Lucifer.”

I clench my teeth and nod because I know what he’s going to say. “I…I…”

I interject, “You were in love with Apolliana.”

He swallows and nods, “I didn’t want to kill her, but I couldn’t bear seeing her that way. Killing her nearly destroyed me. Before her madness, we’d talk for hours about everything. It pained me greatly because I knew she was yours. But I reasoned that it didn’t matter because you weren’t there. She was everything to me. So much that I asked Le Créateur to make her my soulmate instead. Unfortunately, Le Créateur was unable to undo what was already done. Je suis désolé.” I’m sorry. “Falling in love with her was wrong, but I couldn’t help myself.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Michael,” I mutter. “I’m glad you were there to care for her when I couldn’t. And I cannot judge you considering that I had a child with another woman. Let’s just put it all in the past.”

His eyes brighten as he continues, “You said she is alive. I would like to see her.”

My jaw clenches with jealousy. Though I’m willing to put it behind me, it still stings to know that my brother knew her so well and that he held affection for her. “With all of the things that are occurring, I would have to see if it’s possible.” I continue to explain when I see that he’s about to argue, “Her human side seems to be unaware of the havoc her angel is reaping and meeting you might make things worse. Right now, I’m keeping a close eye on her in case anything changes.”

Seeing his crestfallen expression, I try to soften the blow. “But Lana is as you described her and more. She loves her sister and friends dearly, she’s passionate, and she can be quite prickly when angered.”

He snickers at my tone, his mood lightening slightly. “Your Lana must be angry with you all of the time?”

I chuckle, “I’ve only spent a small amount of time with her, but when we’re together, she seems to become quite vexed with me.”

His eyes gleam with amusement as he rises from his seat and rounds the table until he’s standing in front of me. “It seems that Lana and I have that in common.” He extends his hand out, “I will help you however you need me. All you have to do is call me, and I’ll be there, frère.” Bother.

I snicker as I rise from my own seat and take his hand. “Thank you, brother.”

Giving him one last nod, I flash myself back to hell and continue with my research.