Samiel must have decided that it wasn’t worth it to try to beat Gabriel magically, so he dove for his brother and tackled him. Gabriel landed on his back in the snow and Samiel smashed a handful of it in Gabriel’s face.

I was now laughing so hard I could barely breathe.

“You think this is funny, do you?” Gabriel said menacingly.

Samiel turned and gave me an appraising look.

“Don’t even think about it,” I said, holding my hands up and backing toward the porch.

Gabriel rolled lightly to his feet and stalked toward me.

Beezle flew out of my jacket. “I’m not playing this game.”

Samiel snatched Beezle by the ankle out of the air and buried him in a pile of snow. Beezle came out spluttering and glaring.

“That’s it, nephilim boy,” Beezle snarled.

Bring it on, gargoyle.

I turned to run up the porch steps as Gabriel reached me. He grabbed me around the waist as I laughed and screamed. “No, don’t, no, don’t!”

He tossed me into the snow face-first and I got a mouthful. I rolled over as he landed on top of me.

“Well, this is nice,” I said, and kissed him.

I vaguely heard the sounds of Beezle and Samiel’s continued battle.

“We should go inside and leave them to it,” Gabriel murmured.

“Good idea,” I said.

Then a familiar voice broke into our reverie.

“Gabriel ap Ramuell, you are under arrest for defiling my daughter.”

Gabriel lifted his head, a shocked expression on his face. I twisted around in the snow.

Azazel and two of his flunkies stood in the front walk. Samiel and Beezle were frozen in place, staring.

“Let me up,” I said to Gabriel urgently.

He stood, pulling me to my feet.

“Get off my property,” I said to Azazel.

“I am here to take this thrall into custody so that he can be tried before the court of the Grigori for his crimes,” Azazel said coldly.

“Not this again,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You’re not taking him. He’s not a thrall anymore and he’s not defiling me—at least, not against my will.”

Beezle snorted.

“I have had quite enough of your insolence, daughter,” Azazel said. He waved to the two foot soldiers that stood behind him. “Take him.”

I pulled Lucifer’s sword from its sheath. “If you take one more step toward my husband, I will make sure you don’t leave here with all your limbs.”

They stopped, uncertain, and looked at Azazel.

“You cannot defy the will of the Grigori!” Azazel shouted.

“And you cannot defy the will of your lord,” I replied steadily, keeping my eyes on the two flunkies. “Lucifer freed him, Lucifer married us, Lucifer is not going to be happy that you’re still annoying me about this.”

“You are my daughter. It is my will you obey. I have betrothed you to Nathaniel ap Zerachiel, and you will marry him. The thrall will be killed for his insolence,” Azazel said. “I will take him myself if I have to.”

“No…you…will…not,” I said, and I felt the power of the Morningstar flowing through me.

I was putting on another light show for the benefit of my normal neighbors. One of these days video of me acting like a freak was going to wind up on the Internet, and then the government would be knocking at my door asking if they could use me as a weapon. I wondered if Lucifer would help me then, or if it would suit him to see me get carried away to some top-secret bunker.

“For the last time, I am your father.”

“In name only,” I spat.

“In the only way that matters. You will do as I say, or you will be punished.”

“No,” I said.

One of the foot soldiers made a sudden move toward me, but I was ready for him. I kept my right hand on the sword, and with my left I blasted him with regular fire. His designer trench was set ablaze immediately and he ran screaming for the nearest snowbank.

“Anyone else want to try?” I said innocently.

“Do you truly think your powers are superior to my own?” Azazel said softly. “I am the right hand of Lucifer, and have been for ages untold. Do you believe that you could defeat me in a fight?”

“Try me,” I said, and then, in an undertone to Gabriel, “Take out the other one before he gets any stupid ideas.”

Gabriel blasted the second soldier with nightfire. This one was a little more savvy than his friend and so managed to dodge out of the way. He threw his own spells—some kind of purple sparks—at Gabriel and the two of them dueled their way across the tiny front lawn and onto the sidewalk. I really hoped that no one decided to walk down our street at just this second.

Samiel and Beezle dodged out of the way of the other two.

“Sam, take Beezle inside,” I said.

“Why should I miss all the fun?” Beezle complained.

“You can watch from the window,” I said, keeping my eyes on Azazel.

My father looked cool and stone-faced and not at all scared of me. I, on the other hand, was terrified. Not of defying Azazel—that had been a long time coming—but of the consequences if I lost. Azazel might lose status among the Grigori. I would lose the love of my life. I had to win.

Maybe some of this was on my face. Maybe Azazel saw me waver for a moment. He struck before I had time to prepare.

A bolt of lightning shot across the space between us and hit me square in the chest. Electricity sizzled all over my body and my teeth rattled in my jaw. I kept a tight grip on the sword and slashed up with it as Azazel leapt to me, another lightning bolt ready at his fingertips. The bolt bounced off the sword and into a nearby tree, which gave an ominous crack.

We have some fairly large trees on the north side, and this was a three-story catalpa. I sincerely hoped it did not crash into the street and smash my neighbors’ cars.

I jumped to my feet and swung the sword at Azazel, who looked surprised that I was actually doing it.

“You dare…” he said.

“I swear to the gods, I can live the rest of my life without hearing that phrase,” I said.

Azazel blasted me again, this time with some spell made of small gold sparkles. Wherever they touched me, they burned like acid.

“Thanks for ruining another jacket,” I said. “I’m not made of money, you know.”

I slashed down with the sword. He danced out of the way but the blade managed to slice through the arm of his coat, which was much nicer and more expensive than mine.

“Now we’re even,” I said.

Azazel narrowed his eyes at me. “You have never truly given me the respect I deserve.”

“You have never earned it,” I replied.

We stared at each other for a moment, taking each other’s measure.

“I will not yield to you,” I said.

“I gathered as much,” my father said.

I slashed forward with the sword. I wasn’t about to engage in a magical tête-à-tête with a creature who had significantly more power than I did. Azazel blocked the blow with some kind of shield spell and began shooting various forms of fire, electricity and other things that hurt me.

I grimly settled in for the long haul. Some of his spells hit me. Some of them I managed to knock away with the sword. At every opportunity I pressed forward, looking for an opening.

Azazel’s remaining flunky cried out, and Azazel’s eyes slid to left, just for a moment. I had him.

I slashed him across the face with the blade, slicing open his cheek. He staggered backward, more in shock than in pain, I believe.

“I think that will leave a mark,” I said. “Something tells me Lucifer’s sword will defy any permanent healing.”

My heart was cold. There would never be space there for Azazel. I’d wanted a father all of my life, and when he finally showed up he was interested only in obedience, not love.

Azazel stood alone. His foot soldiers were down for the count. I held the sword before me, his blood still fresh upon the blade. Gabriel moved beside me, prepared to strike.

“This is not over,” Azazel said, taking in the situation and correctly interpreting that he would have his butt kicked if he stayed any longer.

“Yes, it is,” I replied. There was no anger in my voice, only steady determination. “I renounce you as my kin. You may be a father in name, but that is all that you will ever be. I refuse the inheritance of your court and the appellation of your name. From this day forward you will have no platform from which to demand obedience from me, and I will not give it. I renounce you and everything to do with you.”

The air between us shimmered with heat, and then there was a heavy crack, as if the cord that bound that two of us by blood had been severed.

Azazel appeared stunned. Blood dripped from his cheek, the slash that ran from the top of his ear to his chin.

“You…you…cannot…” he said, spluttering.

“I just did,” I replied.

Gabriel was by my side, taking my hand. “Let’s go inside.”

We walked away from Azazel, and my heart was a fist of ice.

16

THE DAY AFTER THE INCIDENT WITH AZAZEL I CALLED J.B. to check on the progress of the victims. The first man that they’d tested had woken up disoriented but cognizant of his surroundings. They were proceeding with cautious optimism through some more people before going full-scale. J.B. was convinced the prognosis was good, but he didn’t want to call Wade to bring in the cubs until they were sure. During the same conversation I convinced him that keeping track of Amarantha’s ghost was a good idea.

“But I don’t want you to do it,” J.B. said over the phone.

He sounded distracted. I imagined he had a lot on his plate. Upper management at the Agency wouldn’t give him a break on his regular duties just because he had to deal with this other massive issue of memory stealing.

“Why not?” I said. I was a little offended that my services were being refused for a second time. “You don’t think I’m competent enough?”