He chuckled. “She was too angelic to be effective before now. She’s been changed by what she’s seen on Earth, even if she doesn’t remember yet.”
“Are you back for now?”
“I am,” he said. “Let’s halt for today and we can all have dinner.”
I nodded, and then saw Vance nod out of the corner of my eye. He walked to the door that allowed the souls to pass into the throne room, and closed it after one more walked in.
Wren finished out those few left, and Lucifer walked to the thrones. Hers was immediately to the right of his, and he dropped down onto the seat.
“Hello, little star.” He grinned.
Wren blinked a few times and then smiled. “Hi, Luce.”
He patted her knee. “You did good, Sis. Really good.” Glancing over to the door, Vance nodded. “Looks like you cleared up the line a bit.”
She stood, suddenly and stared at the chair. “I’m glad I could help, but holy crap that’s heady.”
“What?”
“Just knowing what people have done, have thought. How they’ve acted and not acted. There’s a lot of power there.”
“Yes, there is.” He nodded and stood from his own thrown and walked them both back down to me. “Come on, Vance. Dinner.”
Vance waggled his eyebrow and walked to join us. Luce slipped his hand in mine and I felt relief and welcome at his touch. I missed being with him all the time, but we were doing well, and I didn’t want to jinx the chance that we could actually be together once again, and soon.
The kitchen smelled amazing, and Vance smiled as he walked over to the slow cookers he had on the counter.
“It’s all ready.”
Wren giggled. “You have slow cookers in Hell. I mean, does it get more ironic than that?” She stared at the two of them. “Do…do you even have to eat?”
Lucifer laughed. “I don’t, actually. Neither do you or Lily. But you have to admit, it’s a habit that’s rather enjoyable. Vance on the other hand does need to eat, and he’s so damn good at cooking, I don’t want to object.”
“I…don’t have to eat?” Her eyes were round and shocked.
“Well, you do for now,” he said. “But there may be a time when you don’t.” He pulled her to his side and hugged her. “Don’t sweat it, Wren. Just enjoy Vance’s Chili con Carne.”
“Hot chili in slow cookers in Hell.” Wren chuckled.
“How do you feel now, Wren?” I pulled some glasses out of the cabinet and put them on the table.
“Like there’s two of me,” she answered after a moment. “Me, and then After me. That throne thing was strange. It’s really, really powerful. I wouldn’t want to have to do that every day for fear it might twist me.” She glanced at her brother. “Like, the One Ring.”
My husband smiled. “Well, it could be dangerous if someone else beside you or I, or Lily sat in the proper thrones. It would twist them, eventually.”
Vance put a bowl of chili in front of me. “Do not come between the nasgul and his prey.”
I cracked up laughing, and tried to stab him with my fork. “You’re damn skippy! Where’s the crackers?”
“Oh, no, no,” Vance said, dropping a large bowl of spaghetti on the table. “We do this kind of chili Cincinnati style.”
“At least tell me there’s cheese?”
“This is Hell, there is no cheese.” Vance couldn’t keep his face straight after that, and cracked up laughing. I couldn’t help myself either, and we all had to stop what we were doing for a moment to compose ourselves.
Just as I was about to help myself to some of the pasta, there was a knock on the door we all used when we were coming from Earth.
Wren hopped up to answer it.
Miriam stood there.
I gasped and jumped to join Wren after tossing a shocked look at my husband. He seemed surprised as well.
“How did you get here?” I asked, taking the door from Wren and pushing it open. “You can’t access this part of the After until—”
My gasp was loud, and Miriam stepped into the kitchen to make room for another figure in the doorway.
A tall, handsome man with all the characteristics of a man from northern India including a lovely light amber skin, black-black eyes and long dark hair stood there, looking, for all the world, sheepish.
Lucifer gasped, and stood from his chair, walking over.
“Narayana?” He was staring. “You remembered.”
The man nodded.
“Who is this, Miriam?” Wren asked, but I could hear that she had her suspicions.
The man walked into the room and extended his hand to her. “I am Lakshmi-Narayana.”
Her jaw dropped. “Laxmi?”
…Pride has found her Temperance…