“We?” Roth snorted, leaning back and crossing his arms.
“Yes. We.” Layla smacked his arm. “Because I don’t want to spend the next how many hundred years living in a world descending into chaos. I also don’t want to watch a whole bunch of innocent people getting hurt or dying because of it.”
A twinge of jealousy cut through my chest. Layla and Roth had a real future—one where neither had to worry about the other growing old and dying while the other outlived them. I at least had the common sense to not blame them for what they had no control over.
“I also don’t want to spend the next how many hundred years fighting everyone and everything,” Roth replied, and I really couldn’t blame him for that.
“We really don’t have an option,” Zayne said, draping his arm along the back of our couch. “Either we deal with the possible fallout or we allow the Heavens to basically close up shop.”
“And that would be worse,” I said, my grip tightening on the mug. “Anyone who dies would be stuck here. Every square inch of Earth would turn into the high school. So we’d have that in addition to the demons to deal with, but you know—”
A burst of deep laughter from the living room interrupted me. Rolling my eyes, I took a sip of the coffee. “Do you think he even slept?”
Layla sighed as she shook her head. “I don’t think so. He’s been watching Supernatural.”
“I guess I shouldn’t complain. At least he’s obsessed with a good show.” I lowered my mug. “What I don’t understand is if Lucifer plays by the rules, why would his demons then swarm Earth if Gabriel is successful?”
“Not all of them would, but a great deal would. There are demons on the fence right now who are tired of being relegated to Hell or only allowed limited visitations topside. They listen to Lucifer, but if Gabriel succeeds, Earth would become one giant playground,” Roth explained. “That would be too hard for them to ignore.”
“And because they’re idiots.” Lucifer sauntered past the opening of the sunroom. “And I’ll be honest,” he said, his voice carrying into the room. “I won’t be too upset if it happens. Yeah, it would burn my britches to know that one of my holier-than-thou brothers succeeded where I didn’t, but the giant cesspool that Earth would become would be fun.”
I glanced at Zayne as we heard the fridge door open and the sound of a tab on a can of soda being popped open. Zayne shook his head.
“At least he’s being honest,” Layla murmured.
I giggled.
Lucifer appeared in the doorway, a can of Coke in one hand and yet another Pop-Tart in the other. “Do you all even know where Gabriel or Bael are at?”
“We’re working on that,” I told him.
“In other words, you have no idea where he is and whatever plan you have is pretty much like playing eeny meeny miny moe?”
I frowned. “We’re trying to catch one of the demons working for him to send a message—”
“That’s all I need to hear.” Lucifer held up his hand. “I’ll have one of my minions look into it. You’re welcome.”
I lifted my brows as I stared at him. “And once we find where he is or are able to lead him out, how are you going to kill him?”
“How are we going to kill him is what you mean,” he corrected. “Two of us could get it done, but it will be a lot easier with the three of us, which is probably why they let you Fall and keep your grace.”
We already knew that was the case, but I asked, “And how do the three of us do this?”
“All I need to do is remove his heart, and then his head would need to be severed at the same moment the chamber where his heart once was is pierced with grace.”
I stared at him.
“That’s all?” Zayne repeated.
Lucifer nodded. “All three things have to be done as simultaneously as possible. You’ll have seconds to remove his head and pierce his chest before his body regenerates his heart. By the way.” Lucifer started to turn as he looked at Roth. “You’re out of Pop-Tarts. I need more.”
Roth glared at his retreating back. “I don’t even know where he got those Pop-Tarts. Neither of us bought them.”
“Cayman,” Layla said, glancing over her shoulder. Lucifer had made his way back to the living room. “His minions?”
“He likes words like that.” Roth tapped his fingers off the table. “Well, now we know how to kill Gabriel.”
We did, and it sounded a little impossible. And it sounded like completely impossible if we didn’t have Lucifer, because how in the world would Zayne and I been able to pull that off? Maybe that was why the biblical end times hadn’t kicked off...yet. God knew we needed Lucifer’s help.
“Whether any of his contacts will be useful, who knows,” Roth went on. “I’d be surprised if he can stop watching Supernatural long enough to even contact anyone.”
“I wish I had his life right now,” I murmured, placing my mug on the table. “I know God hasn’t been all that hands-on, but to think that God would allow Earth to just be contaminated?”
“Hard to believe, right?” Roth rubbed his palm along his jaw. “But free will. It’s a bitch.”
“How is that free will, though?” I reasoned. “If Gabriel’s grace and his Glory is like an infection that corrupts people, how does free will come into play?”
“Good question.” Zayne squeezed my shoulder. “That can’t be free will. It sounds like a violation of it.”
“That’s one way to look at it.” Roth leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “But infections can be beat, right? At least most of them, with medicine. God could take the stance that this infection can be beat by faith.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s stupid.”
“I don’t make the rules,” Roth replied.
“Thank God for that,” Zayne murmured.
Roth winked at him. “All I’m saying is I wouldn’t rely on God, and I’m not saying that because I’m a demon. I’m just relying on statistical, historical evidence.”
I exhaled a heavy breath as I tipped my head back against Zayne’s arm. “Either way, it doesn’t matter. We have to risk the nuclear-level Gabriel fallout. We don’t have a choice.”
* * *
It was a little after one when Zayne and I made it back to the apartment. As he hopped in the shower, I plugged my phone in to charge and headed for the dryer to retrieve clean clothing. We were going to head out in a little bit, hoping we could draw more of Gabriel’s cohorts out. I’d stepped out of the small hall when I thought I saw movement to my right. Turning sharply, I caught sight of Peanut by the TV.