The ride back to the hotel was thick with tension. Asia was no longer with us but now Jake's face was a mix of exhaustion and irritation. The boy had been taken from me before we'd reached the car, but I could still feel his little arms around my neck. His blood, dry now still stained my thumb and there were still wet drops on my gown from his tears. I didn't care. I was in awe. I'd actually helped him…Brought back the dead…. I'd never done it before…never even known I could. But the sight of his face flushing with color…the reactions of those who'd seen it…it was more than enough proof for me to know that it had happened. I'd escorted souls back to the world of the living for Father, for my siblings, even occasionally for mortal prophets…but I'd never brought someone back myself! I felt like one of my siblings; an angel that could do more than just reap the dead. I couldn't keep the smile from spreading across my face.

Jake shot me a weird look when he noticed, sitting up in his seat, breaking the silence. "Are you crazy? You've got no idea what you've done and here you are smiling like a fool. Azrael…this is serious!"

"I can't help it! I…I gave life! I…I…I did good…even here."

He shook his head with a sigh, "Temporarily. I'm happy you're happy but you've only hurt him and damned yourself. Yes. He's alive. In Hell. He's not going to last the hour and you…The seven virtues in heaven are seven sins here. Kindness is a capital offence. Even I may not be able to save you."

"Good." I crossed my arms defiantly. "I wouldn't want to be saved for doing a good thing. I'm not just going to stop being an angel just because I'm stuck here."

"You're martyring yourself for a pointless cause. Look…Just…When we get home, just go to your room. I'm going to try to fix this, but I can't do that if you're there making things worse."

Sure enough, when we got back to Hotel Ambrosia, there was a mob of demons, many of whom had been at the "Induction" were there waiting for us. When we walked through the doors, we were swarmed, most of them yelling angrily at Jake though some hurled a few insults my way.

Looking up at him, Jake's face was void of any emotion. As if feeling my gaze, he muttered under his breath, "Don't stop moving and don't speak to anyone."

He led me by my elbow through the frenzy, his grip iron tight, the only indicator of his urgency until we reached the elevator. While we waited for its descent, the others seized their moment. They refused the offer of the office or boardroom, arguing loudly. Once filled with smug amusement and curiosity, every demon's eyes were now filled with a wrathful bloodlust that seemed to cut me like a knife. Like when I first met Jake, I felt completely exposed.

"This is a travesty! What are you going to do about this?"

"The other circles are LAUGHING at us!"

"What do you want with her anyway? Is jeopardizing our reputation worth a little private amusement?!"

"You never should have brought her here!"

"We're supposed to be bringing people IN!"

The roar was deafening. The angry voices echoed throughout the lobby, the patrons who didn't know what had happened coming out of their rooms to look down at the commotion. Jake's grip tightened with each comment until one when he released me completely to turn on the male who'd said it.

"She's upsetting the balance here! The balance of nature! You wanted a kitten to play with, now teach her the rules or give her to someone who will!"

His eyes flashed dangerously at him and his stoic expression morphed into a feral snarl. Once again, I was thankful that his anger wasn't turned on me. "Azrael isn't some pet that I can teach to perform tricks! She's an angel. My angel. And NO ONE. Is going to take her from me. Ever. She just needs more time to adjust to our ways." I thought about speaking up; correcting him like I had so many times in the past when he'd called me his…But this time, I kept my mouth shut. This was the first time I'd seen anyone openly defy him and as much as I hated to admit it, I'd rather have his protection than face this lynch mob on my own. In this moment, he was the only thing keeping me safe, so for now…I'd be silent.

"How much time does she need? She's been here for months!" The quarreling started up again.

My eyes shot to Jake as a low, feral, growl rumbled in his throat, his eyes seeming to glow. It reminded me that in spite of the sophisticated way he carried himself, underneath was a demon who was willing and able to kill. Who'd spent millennia terrorizing mankind. Who had betrayed my kind. "I do not answer to you."

"Perhaps not, but you are not the highest authority here." The same demon spoke up again, a few others nodding or shouting in agreement.

"Really? You want to disturb him? Over this?"

"No…But I will if you can't keep your little bitch under control," The demon looked directly at me when he said it, the room going so silent and still that I wondered if they were still breathing.

Jake moved me behind him protectively, "What did you just say?"

"You heard me."

"You might want to consider retracting that comment."

The elevator dinged and Jake pushed me in and pushed the button for the penthouse, stepping out of the elevator and making eye contact with me for only a brief moment. In that moment though I saw a million unsaid things. A promise to keep me safe. Worry. Perhaps even an apology. All these things and more before the doors closed and he turned to face the hoard alone.

I paced in front of the big windows patiently. I'd changed out of the gown and into a simple gray sweater and blue jeans. My makeup had been scrubbed off, (a process which I tended to enjoy) and I'd traded my heels for a pair of simple lace up boots. Jake was downstairs for what seemed like hours. While I didn't regret what I'd done, I recognized that it was putting a lot of strain on him and his position. As much as I hated it, he was right. If I kept up the way I was, eventually I'd piss off the wrong people. He couldn't protect me forever.

"Don't worry Miss. He'll work everything out." Hanna sent me a reassuring smile, turning down my bed as per her usual routine.

Taylah nodded in agreement, rustling through my wardrobe. Since she joined us, she'd been helping me sus out clothing that I'd actually wear that was socially acceptable here. "Yeah. Guy's a prick but he's stubborn."

As if on cue, there was

As if on cue, there was a soft knock on the door, and we all froze. The only sound cutting through the silence was the crackling fire in the fireplace. We waited still for a moment and the knocking came again, firmer this time. Tuck stood from his spot by the fire to go look through the peephole, unlocking the door. Jake walking in, quickly walking toward me.

"Jake…"

"I'm sorry."

"What?" I spoke for all of us. Hanna and Tuck's eyes were wide and Taylah's mouth was open in shock.

"I…I'm sorry. We've got to go. Now." There was a look of desperation and panic in his eyes and perhaps even fear. It was a look I'd never seen on him before and I scared me more than his anger had. I'd seen so many emotions on his face in the time I'd known him. Smugness, defiance, lust, anger and a plethora more, but never fear. Anything that rattled him this badly…once more, I decided not to argue. He led me toward the emergency stairs instead of the elevator, looking around each corner as we quickly made our way to the bottom floor and out into an alley where the familiar black motorcycle was parked.

"The bike? Where are we going?"

He sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly, his lips pressed into a thin line, "They've called a hearing… I should have known something like this would happen…I hoped it wouldn't go this far."

"I don't think I want to go."

"Azrael, please. They'll proceed whether we're there or not. Hate me. Loathe me. But please…please trust me. Give me the chance to try to defend you. I promise I only want what's best for you." He took my hands in his, his eyes pleading. In that moment he'd never looked more familiar to me, faint memories pricking in the back of my mind. I nodded, a sigh of relief escaping his lips as he let me go to get on, turning the key making the engine roar to life.

I moved to sit in my usual place behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist as he took off through the dirty streets. Every time I got on this bike, things seemed to get worse, but through them all, Jake had been there, and whether he was the cause or the problem or not, we were in this together. The catacombs seemed much emptier than they had been. We passed the occasional soul, but we flew by them so fast they might as well have not been there at all. We passed through several tunnels, looking almost like underpasses, each with an elaborate number etched above it in the concrete. 4….5….6….7….8….9… The air quality just seemed to get worse the further we went, the smell of smoke burning my nose and lungs by the time we got to the ninth barrier.

We stopped outside what looked like a big warehouse. Getting off of the bike, broken glass and gravel crunched under my boots. It littered the ground and several of the windows were covered with wooden boards or cardboard. Graffiti in various languages and designs covered the first few yards of the ground and in the distance, I could see the foggy outline of a city. Jake hesitated only a moment, his gaze calculating before he started to walk toward the old building, taking my hand in his once more, to lead this time more so than to comfort.

"Where are we?"

"The ninth circle. This is a family matter now."

"WHAT?! You actually took me to Lucifer?!" I reeled back from him, my hands curled int fists, "Are you crazy?!"

He stopped in his tracks looking back at me. "Look. We don't have a choice. We've been summoned. If we don't go in, they're just going to be angrier."

"What…what do you think they're going to do?"

"I honestly don't know. All of this is kinda unprecedented. Just let me do the talking and don't speak unless you're spoken to."

I hesitantly followed him, every fiber of my being telling me to turn around and fly as fast as I could in the other direction. I took his wrist, holding to it tightly to keep myself moving forward. A bouncer, much like the one's in the club opened the rusty doors for us, the metal hinges making an ear piercing screech as the were forced open. I felt my heart beating quickly in my chest, my eyes taking a moment to adjust to the low light. Arranged in a half circle were nine chairs, all but one filled. Immediately, I recognized my fallen siblings, they're names slowly creeping back to my memory as I looked at them. Belphegor…Sorath…Berith…Mammon…Leviathan, Belias, and Asmodeus…And surprisingly Lilith who stood behind Asmodeus, rubbing his shoulders.

Most of them looked impatient, though some seemed smug. I wasn't sure which was worse. Each still had a faded ethereal beauty, reminding everyone of who they were. These were no failed attempts at creation that sported beautiful guises to hide grotesque features. These were fallen angels, now demons that ruled this awful place. They had the same beauty that we all had in the Kingdom. Beautiful skins, piercing eyes, chiseled or oft features depending on the gender…But each seemed empty, like there was something missing. They all radiated superiority, unsurprising since they were treated like royalty here, regarding Jake and I coldly all clearly irritated that we were here.

"C'mon closer. I don't bite." Sitting in an impressive high back tutor style chair was a taller man with a voice as smooth as whisky if not slightly graveled. He wore a white linen suit and some kind of reptile skinned boots. A bow low tie was around his throat and he twirled a long black and silver cane with an ivory top in worn hands. He emanated beauty but it was broken. Blond hair was going white, his face had lines and his eyes and cheeks were gaunt, but his eyes…the same stormy gray that Gabriel and Ivy shared. Angels didn't age, but he clearly had in his time here, a toll that evil had taken on him. My fallen brother…Lucifer.