“My father?” My muffled words were dull in my ears.

I stared at this man and tried to piece it all together. I expected a rush, a fight. I expected war…

But there was nothing.

No sound.

No movement.

I dragged my gaze from his face and felt the silence like a weight. A glass was frozen mid-air, toppled from a table in front of us, the remnants still as it spilled.

I turned my head, finding Titus mid-wince, hands over his ears, trying his best to keep out the infernal sound. I turned to Rival, top lip curled, the hint of white fangs underneath, and then Gabriel, frozen, staring at the spot where Lucifer stood. “They can’t move, can they?”

I turned to the man who called himself father and waited for an answer.

He searched my face, need roaring in his gaze as he answered. “No, not unless I want them to.”

I scanned the bar, the band, and then the swollen mob of supes across the room. “And them?”

“Not a fucking chance.”

There was a hint of cockiness in his tone. I bit the corners of my lips to stop the twitch and met those infernal eyes that raged with blue. “They came to hurt you, to send you back to Hell. They came for war.”

“You’re my daughter,” power rippled through his words. “My only daughter. So I want you to know two things about me…for now. One, there’re only two others who come close to my power, the Archangel Michael, who some say is the better warrior—but that’s debatable. And my Father, God, himself. And seeing as how I see neither standing here…the rest are of no consequence.”

And that’s it…to a fucking tee. They were of no consequence—not to him. They weren’t on his radar. But I was…I was very much on his radar. “Then why…why take so damn long to find me…why now?”

Neon blue in his eyes dulled, turning sullen and hurt, like the storm clouds above. “I waited too long…I understand that, and I’m sorry, and I’ll try not to make it an excuse. But I didn’t know, not for a long time after…that your mother was pregnant when we went our separate ways. But I want you to know…I never once stopped thinking about her. I never once stopped wanting to be part of her life, even if only as a friend.”

His words tried to pierce the void. My head was spinning. My past…the war…everything. “You didn’t know?”

His strong hand gripped mine, lifting it to the hard swell of his chest. Underneath the clothes and the flesh, his heart beat sound and true. “I swear to you, I didn’t know, and then when I found out, I had to be careful.”

His gaze slipped from mine, seeking Alma. If he was so strong and powerful…“Why?”

He shook his head, his smile sad as he crushed my hand to his chest. “That’s a story for another day. Let’s not ruin this.”

But, in a way, it was already ruined, before it even started. There were so many strange and unexpected elements to this day, I didn’t know where to begin.

Underneath the hard, cocky exterior I still wanted things…I turned and glanced to Titus. “I would’ve liked them to meet you, at least.”

“Then, let’s do it,” Lucifer murmured.

But there were too many questions, too many stupid and awkward things to think about. “What do I call you?”

Dark clouds parted in his gaze, hope where the first perfect rays showed after the storm. “Well, I am your father, or, if it’s too soon, then Lucifer.”

His gaze shifted to Gabriel as he lifted his hand. “It’s good to see my brother’s looking out for you…are you ready?”

I gave a nod and turned my head, the words echoing in my head. “Gabriel is to be my lover.”

The roar came back in a rush, like a vacuum seal was broken, as my father roared, “He is what!”

I stilled as a wave of raw, unbridled power engulfed the bar.

Chatter turned quiet, the screech of the band lessened until the heavy thud…thud…thud of the bass drum was all that was left to hear.

Titus flinched as his gaze found my father. He gripped my arm and pulled me behind him, drawing his gun in one smooth move.

Rival growled, lunging with Titus to protect me.

The mirror behind the bar cracked as Raven, Neon, and the rest of the witches rushed forward. I windmilled my arms to stop from falling as a sudden gasp came from the other side of the bar.

But it was Alma who led the onslaught, reaching over her shoulder to draw a katana blade free, and charged.

Lucifer jerked his gaze toward her and held up his hand. There was no hate in his eyes, no rage or denial, only a sadness I never expected to see. “Stop…Alma, stop this.”

Silver glinted as she swung, her panicked gaze finding me. “Get behind me, Lorn!”

“No…stop!” I screamed as she swung, arcing high only to carve the air as she came back down.

But the razor-sharp blade didn’t find its mark. Instead, it came to a stop an inch from his skin. Alma snarled and shoved, feet sliding against the floor with the effort.

But no matter how hard she pushed, no matter how many words of magic she hurled like a weapon—all was useless against my father’s raw power.

The steel tip of the blade vibrated, trembling at first, until bone-jarring quakes tore my grandmother’s hands free.

She cried out and stumbled backwards, eyes wide as the blade flew across the room, skimmed Raven’s black robe, and buried itself hilt-deep into the wall.

But the silver haired priestess and newfound leader of the coven of the city’s most powerful witches wasn’t stopped so easily. She lifted her hands, hungry words calling the four corners, calling the Dark Huntress, Artemis herself, and tore her robe free from the blade.

“Stop this,” Lucifer snarled as the bar came alive.

The hellhound warrior, Jed, lunged forward, eyes blazing red as he took position alongside his master. My father took one glance at the blazing need in his eyes. “Protect only. There is no blood to be spilled in this bar, do you understand me?”

The hellhound could only nod as shot glasses rose from the tables and hurtled toward Lucifer like missiles.

Jed lunged, catching a glass in the chest before it hit his master. My father’s eyes widened as one glinting weapon veered off course, hurtling toward me.

He raised his hand as feathers cut through the space, surrounding me in a cocoon of white.

“Enough!” Gabriel roared and lifted a hand. Heavenly pure light rippled from his body to flood the bar.

The witches froze.

Glasses fell.

And slowly the light dulled, as Gabriel took a step to stand in front of his brother, the Lord of Hell. “Why are you here, brother?”

There was anger, cold, infernal anger as my father looked from the archangel to me. But that burn softened as he glanced at Titus, and then Rival. There was an inhale, and then a slow exhale as he answered, “I am not here to hurt my daughter, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“He’s lying,” Alma growled. “That’s what he does. He lies, and then he leaves.”

“I never lied,” my father growled with a shake of his head. “Not to you…and…not to her.”

But there was no stopping my grandmother, not when it came to my mother. “You can’t even say her name, can you?”

Lucifer stilled, his skin paled. There was a shudder…bone-crushing, heart-cleaving agony crossed his face.

I dropped my hands, finding the warm walls of my men, as Lucifer whispered, “Blaire…her name was Blaire.”

“My daughter!” Alma screamed and shoved forward. She raised gnarled, knuckled fingers into the air and stabbed his chest. “She was my goddamn daughter.”

My father reached up, careful hands caught my grandmother’s as she raged. “I never meant to hurt her, Alma. I swear on all that I am…I’d give my life, my power…anything to trade places with her.”

She looked into his eyes as sawing breaths shuddered her tiny frame. And then, like the ebb of a wave, her rage was gone. She wrenched her hands from his hold and took a step backwards. “Lorn, come to me now, child.”

An ache flared with the sound of her voice. Fingers found mine, Titus’s, and then Rival’s.

“She’s not going with you.” Gabriel shook his head as he spoke. “She stays…with us.”

Her voice trembled as she answered. “You can’t protect her. I protect her. I keep her safe.”

Gabriel turned his head, glancing at Titus, and then Rival, before he spoke. “No, but we can.”

“Gabriel,” Lucifer growled. “She’s my daughter, for Christ’s sake.”

The archangel winced with the blasphemy and took a step backwards, placing himself between me and my father. “I love her…I am in love with her. Always have, but it was my loyalty to you that kept me from voicing the words. But not anymore…not anymore. Now my loyalty is to her.”

“They’ll come...they’ll take her.”

“Who?” Titus broke in. “Who will come for her?”

“The Nine,” Alma answered. “They came before and took everything when they left.”

“Not everything,” Lucifer answered, blue flames burning like hellfire in his eyes. “They left my daughter behind.”

“Then we’ll be ready,” Titus’s hand tightened around mine. “Until then.”

I wanted to stay…I had so many questions left to ask. “How do I contact you?”

Lucifer’s eyes widened with surprise, then he glanced at Alma and answered, “Your power…that’s our connection. Look to that and you’ll find me anytime…and anyplace.”

I gave a nod, took one glance around the stunned faces in the bar, and murmured, “Then let’s go.”

“This isn’t over!” Lucifer called out. “You’re my damn child.”

“Oh, put a sock in it, you overbearing thug,” Alma growled. “She’ll be back when she’s good and ready, and then you’ll rue this day. She’s more like you than you’ll ever be prepared for.”