Gates of Paradise (a Blue Bloods Novel)

Finally he stopped and released his fangs, but now she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. He whispered in her ear, and for a moment, Schuyler thought she was safe. That he had returned to her at last.

Jack shook his head. “I’m not going to kill you,” he said softly.

“Because I am,” said an unfamiliar voice.

Schuyler looked up to the sound and saw that Lucifer and his armies were massed behind Jack. The Fallen angels, their demons and trolls; Hellhounds and every creature of Hell were ready and waiting.

For the sacrifice.

For her blood to open the gate.





FIFTY


Gabrielle


could feel him. He was calling for me. His voice, so beautiful even then. He was saying: Gabrielle. Do not fear. Do not fear me. I love you. I will not harm you.

Stop.

Stop and listen to me.

Gabrielle, my light. Stop for me.

But I knew if I stopped I was lost. I knew that he had planned this all along, from the very beginning.

As I ran away from him. I saw someone in the passages.

A girl.

She had beautiful red hair and green eyes.

My daughter. My daughter with him. I could see it in her sadness. The scar through her shirt. I knew what had put it there. I could see the remnants of your sword shattered in her soul; knew that its power had healed her.

I understood then, that this was not the end.

This was only the beginning.

But maybe there was hope.

There was a boy with her. A wolf. And I knew. I knew how to get help.

I could see the past, the present, and the future.

I brought her close to me.

I whispered in her ear.





FIFTYONE


Bliss


other.”

“Lupus Theliel. My wolfsbane.”

“What is happening to you? We can help.”

“You cannot stop this from happening. He will come for me. And it will be done.”

“No!”

“There is nothing you can do now.”

“No,” Bliss sobbed. “He will destroy you.”

“Listen—the wolves—the Praetorian Guard—they will rise here—they will help Michael defeat the demons and their king for now.…And when Lucifer returns, you must have them by your side.” Gabrielle looked at Lawson. “Fenrir, it is up to you to restore what has been broken.”

“We cannot free them. The passages are blocked. We have been unable to return to the underworld,” Lawson explained.

“This is our only chance, then,” Gabrielle said. “He will take me, and he will be distracted. When it happens, the path will be open.” She turned to Lawson. “Open the portal and it will take you where you need to go.”

“We can’t leave you here!” cried Bliss.

“It is too late for me.”

“Mother…”

“It has already happened,” Gabrielle said. “Nothing can change that.”

She turned away from them and kept running.

And they saw him.

Lucifer.

He appeared in the tunnel as his true immortal form. He was beautiful and golden, his wings stretched to their full span. He stopped Gabrielle from running, appeared right in front of her.

Took her in his arms.

“Gabrielle.”

Now!

“Lawson! The portal!” Bliss whispered.

He did not hesitate. He took her hand and Malcolm’s in his.

The passage opened before them, and they jumped through.





FIFTYTWO


Schuyler


he Prince of Darkness, the King of Hell, the Morningstar, the Lightbringer, Lucifer the Archangel of the Dawn, stood before her. He was so beautiful, just as he had been on that mountaintop in Rio, when Schuyler had first seen him. His beauty was painful to behold. His light was stronger than the sun’s. He was Heaven’s son personified.

Schuyler could not move. Jack no longer had his arms around her, but she was held by a dark enchantment, bound to the stone altar. She was so weak, she had lost too much blood, she could hardly move even without her bonds.

Lucifer smiled and caressed her hair. “As beautiful as your mother, perhaps even more so.”

“Don’t talk about my mother. You don’t know anything about my mother,” Schuyler said, finding it difficult even to speak.

“On the contrary, my dear. Your mother and I…well, let’s just say we are very, very old friends. I know Gabrielle perhaps too intimately. I finally understood this was what she was hiding from me. It was so easy to find after all. So this is what she had been planning. Salvation. Redemption. There will be no redemption today. Only revenge and triumph.”

Lucifer bent down by her neck, and Schuyler cringed away from him and closed her eyes tightly, preparing for his fangs to pierce her skin.

But he suddenly recoiled. “Abbadon! You drank from her!”

“My apologies, my lord, the temptation was too great.” Jack bowed.

“Yes, I see,” Lucifer growled. “No matter.” The Dark Prince took his sword and cut her throat, opening her jugular, and her lifeblood poured out of her, onto the stone tablet, opening the gate. A river of blood…

So this was death. Schuyler had wondered if she had inherited the immortality of her mother’s kin, and now she knew. She had not. She was mortal. She could die, and she would die now. Today.