grinned. Kagan hit the main light switch then pulled off his shirt and boots before stretching out on the couch. “Goodnight,
piccola
.”
“What the hell does
piccola
mean anyway?”
“Little one, in Italian.” He smiled, remembering the way she swam inside his clothes.
“Umph!” He heard her punch the pillow on his bed. Soon, Mira’s soft snores filled the room. Kagan laughed out loud before settling into sleep.
Chapter 4
Divinity waited in the chilly morning air, foot tapping beneath the small café table, a cup of dark Sumatran brew steaming before her.
“Where is he?” She glanced at her precision Swiss timepiece, her irritation mounting.
“’Ello, dearie. Miss me?”
She snapped around, staking him to the ground with a perturbed glare. “About time you arrived. I’ve been waiting here for over an hour, Devil. I’m extremely busy, and you’re beyond late!”
“Tsk, tsk.” The man set his mug on the table. “Anger doesn’t become you. And you know I prefer the ancient names.”
Divinity couldn’t care less about his preferences. “We have things to discuss, Devil.”
She looked over the latest transformation of her nemesis and frowned. His latest choice of façade was a dapper young man with wavy dark hair, although Lucifer’s eyes remained unchanged. Wicked eyes filled with the fire of damnation. Which human had he corrupted to possess such an innocent face?
“Like it?” He glanced up, catching her mid-perusal. “Little bugger hardly fought at the end, only wailed like an infant. Abject surrender ruins the enjoyment, you know?” Lucifer smirked, his low whisper full of mock disappointment as he surveyed her with an impassive glance. “You look the same as always, dearie. The eternal mother of all, only sexier.”
She glared, leaning across the table, her temper sizzling. “I want your word you’ll adhere to the Agreement.”
“Ah, the Agreement. I’d forgotten.” He watched her over the rim of his mug, his obsidian gaze sardonic. “What was I was supposed to do again?”
Her glacial fury would have frozen a lesser being solid. As it was, the edges of his three-piece ensemble merely steamed a bit. Divinity allowed her anger to dissipate before she continued, her tone a perfect, placid lake of serenity. “You’re not
to open the Seals. Not yet. Not until everything is in place. Remember?”
“Oh, right.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Yes, yes. I remember. What makes you think I’m going to break the Agreement?”
Quick as perdition, her ire returned. “Dammit, Devil! Don’t treat me as
anything
less than the omnipotent being I am. You do so at your own peril!”
His deep growl rumbled forth in answer. “Did you call me here to provoke me, woman? If so, mission accomplished.”
“Why is your demon stalking the girl?”
He met her level gaze, a red flame firing to life in his pupils. Lucifer slammed his mug on the table and a small tremor shook the ground. The humans around them scampered.
“Control yourself, Devil. Look what you did!” She gestured toward the trash and debris scattered everywhere. The once peaceful street now resembled a war zone. “I can’t take you anywhere.”
“You can’t survive without me, and you know it.” He managed to look affronted, blinking his eyes in fake innocence. “Besides, who else makes your life as much fun as me?”
She regarded him like something disgusting she’d discovered on the bottom of her shoe. “What are you going to do about Argus?”
He grinned, his chin resting atop his steepled fingers. “Missing your prodigal son?”
“Argus made his own choices a long time ago. Now he must live with the consequences.” She studied him, unable to resist the pleasure of a well-placed taunt. “You of all people should understand missed opportunities, Devil.”
They stared for several long moments, neither blinking nor looking away.
At last, he picked up his coffee, his hand twitching while he brought the
piccola
.”
“What the hell does
piccola
mean anyway?”
“Little one, in Italian.” He smiled, remembering the way she swam inside his clothes.
“Umph!” He heard her punch the pillow on his bed. Soon, Mira’s soft snores filled the room. Kagan laughed out loud before settling into sleep.
Chapter 4
Divinity waited in the chilly morning air, foot tapping beneath the small café table, a cup of dark Sumatran brew steaming before her.
“Where is he?” She glanced at her precision Swiss timepiece, her irritation mounting.
“’Ello, dearie. Miss me?”
She snapped around, staking him to the ground with a perturbed glare. “About time you arrived. I’ve been waiting here for over an hour, Devil. I’m extremely busy, and you’re beyond late!”
“Tsk, tsk.” The man set his mug on the table. “Anger doesn’t become you. And you know I prefer the ancient names.”
Divinity couldn’t care less about his preferences. “We have things to discuss, Devil.”
She looked over the latest transformation of her nemesis and frowned. His latest choice of façade was a dapper young man with wavy dark hair, although Lucifer’s eyes remained unchanged. Wicked eyes filled with the fire of damnation. Which human had he corrupted to possess such an innocent face?
“Like it?” He glanced up, catching her mid-perusal. “Little bugger hardly fought at the end, only wailed like an infant. Abject surrender ruins the enjoyment, you know?” Lucifer smirked, his low whisper full of mock disappointment as he surveyed her with an impassive glance. “You look the same as always, dearie. The eternal mother of all, only sexier.”
She glared, leaning across the table, her temper sizzling. “I want your word you’ll adhere to the Agreement.”
“Ah, the Agreement. I’d forgotten.” He watched her over the rim of his mug, his obsidian gaze sardonic. “What was I was supposed to do again?”
Her glacial fury would have frozen a lesser being solid. As it was, the edges of his three-piece ensemble merely steamed a bit. Divinity allowed her anger to dissipate before she continued, her tone a perfect, placid lake of serenity. “You’re not
to open the Seals. Not yet. Not until everything is in place. Remember?”
“Oh, right.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Yes, yes. I remember. What makes you think I’m going to break the Agreement?”
Quick as perdition, her ire returned. “Dammit, Devil! Don’t treat me as
anything
less than the omnipotent being I am. You do so at your own peril!”
His deep growl rumbled forth in answer. “Did you call me here to provoke me, woman? If so, mission accomplished.”
“Why is your demon stalking the girl?”
He met her level gaze, a red flame firing to life in his pupils. Lucifer slammed his mug on the table and a small tremor shook the ground. The humans around them scampered.
“Control yourself, Devil. Look what you did!” She gestured toward the trash and debris scattered everywhere. The once peaceful street now resembled a war zone. “I can’t take you anywhere.”
“You can’t survive without me, and you know it.” He managed to look affronted, blinking his eyes in fake innocence. “Besides, who else makes your life as much fun as me?”
She regarded him like something disgusting she’d discovered on the bottom of her shoe. “What are you going to do about Argus?”
He grinned, his chin resting atop his steepled fingers. “Missing your prodigal son?”
“Argus made his own choices a long time ago. Now he must live with the consequences.” She studied him, unable to resist the pleasure of a well-placed taunt. “You of all people should understand missed opportunities, Devil.”
They stared for several long moments, neither blinking nor looking away.
At last, he picked up his coffee, his hand twitching while he brought the
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