“You were trying to kill her, and now you want to keep her alive? Why?”
A strong wind blew, making the dust whirl. Lash turned and saw a large mass of dust roll down the highway; then he heard a loud engine. Jeremy, on a motorcycle, shot through the dust cloud, and flying beside him was Raphael. Jeremy skidded to a stop in front of the pair, and Raphael landed by his side.
“Lucifer,” Raphael said.
“Raphael, my old friend.” Luke smiled.
Raphael narrowed his eyes at him for a moment and then turned to Lash. “Get Naomi and leave. Now.”
Lash hesitated as he looked between Raphael and Luke. He could feel that there was a familiarity between the two, more than he was comfortable admitting to himself. Whatever it was, he couldn’t dwell on it now.
“Naomi!” he yelled as he ran back to their room. He found Bear scratching at the door and scooped her up.
The door opened, and Naomi took in the wild look in his eyes. “What happened?”
“Let’s go.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room.
“Did they find—” Her eyes widened when she saw Jeremy on his motorcycle glaring at Luke. “What are Jeremy and Luke Prescott doing here?”
He shoved her into the car, and she scowled at him as he slid into the driver’s seat. “Sorry, I’ll explain later,” he said as he peeled out of the parking lot.
***
Jeremy got off the motorcycle and stood next to Raphael. He took in Luke’s expensive suit and smirked. “So this is Lucifer?”
“The name is a bit dated, don’t you think, Jeremy?” He held out a hand to him. “My friends call me Luke.”
“Lucifer,” Raphael growled. “Leave the child alone. Michael has orders to save her at all costs.”
“Michael and his guard are of no concern to me,” he scoffed. “Look at what he sent to protect her. A fallen seraph.”
“Lash is loyal to his family,” Jeremy spat.
Luke turned to him and gave him a wide smile that made him shiver. “That is exactly what I’m hoping for.”
Jeremy looked puzzled for a moment and then charged after Luke. “We’ll not fall for your trickery, Lucifer.”
Raphael held Jeremy back. “Enough, Jeremiel. Take your heavenly form and do your duty.”
“I’ll stay here and fight with you,” Jeremy said.
“My dear Jeremy. I do not wish to fight with your friend,” Luke said. “We’ll have a nice chat about the good old days and talk about the lovely woman he and I were acquainted with long ago. Perhaps you know her? Her name is—”
“That is enough!” Raphael roared, his nostrils flaring.
Jeremy was taken aback. He’d never seen Raphael this angry, even when Lash got himself into trouble with Gabrielle. He looked from Luke’s smug face to Raphael’s intense glare and knew that there was something going on between the two of them. Luke was not lying. They did know each other. He looked at Raphael with new eyes. Like Lash, he couldn’t remember anything before the first day he’d met Raphael, it was as if he’d always been there. One day he woke up and there he was.
Raphael lowered his voice. “Take your leave now, Jeremiel.”
“Raphael?” Jeremy had a million questions to ask him. Were the images Sal had shown him actual memories?
He looked at Jeremy, his eyes apologetic. “Please. Now is not the time.”
“It’s too late, Raphael. As we speak, Sal is gathering our forces, and we will take the child by force if necessary. Although, based on what I’ve seen, I’m confident that Lash and Naomi will join us willingly.”
“That will never happen. I know Lahash.”
“Do you really?” Luke shook his head and bent down. There was a tearing of fabric as he shot up into the sky and dark wings emerged from his back. Jeremy swallowed at the power represented in Luke’s wings. They were larger than even Raphael’s.
Luke circled over Raphael, taunting him. “It’s your unconditional love of others, your trust in their goodness, that will make you lose the fight. And you’ll lose Lahash and Jeremiel once again.”
Chapter 22
Lash willed the car to go faster as he pressed on the gas. So many thoughts whirled in his head, but he pushed them all away to focus on getting Naomi to the safe house. There was one thing he couldn’t get out of his head—the sight of Naomi on the hill. It was a different Naomi, yet the same. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye as she looked out the window, her face strained with worry.