90 years later
ZOE
The sun shining through the leaves of the mighty tree painted the ground beneath in a moving mosaic of light and shadow.
Fitting, I thought, for the final resting place of the Lightbringer, the Morningstar, the brightest angel in Heaven before his Fall—who had always carried the darkness of Death within him, unknowing. And now dapples of light and shadow played over his tombstone, intricately intertwined.
Hidden from human eyes, I stepped closer to the fresh gravesite as the last of the funeral company took their leave, my gaze on the large, beautifully carved stone that now stood sentinel over the earthly remains of the erstwhile Devil…and his beloved soulmate.
Behind me, Azazel’s wings rustled as he brushed my feathers with his in a silent display of comfort. For me, as for himself. Our power of Death was locked down tight, our control over it honed throughout decades of practice. It would hold for a little while. Long enough for this.
Throat raw, I laid two roses on the double grave, my eyes misting. The writing on the headstone blurred, but I could still make out what it said.
LUCIAN & LILIANA MORGENSTERN
Love Eternal
~ For no force in this world or beyond may keep our souls apart ~
I swiped at my eyes and sniffled. “They made it.” My voice was scratchy. “They really made it. A full, long, human life together. And they even went at the same time.”
From what we had gathered through our contacts, Lucifer and Liliana had died within minutes of each other, from old age and the inevitable decline of their human bodies. They’d gone to bed one night, holding one another, and in the morning, they’d been found by one of their daughters who’d come by for a visit. Apparently, they’d appeared as if sleeping peacefully.
At almost one hundred years old, it had simply been their time.
“I’m glad.” Azazel’s voice was a low rumble in the quiet of the cemetery. “Not even fate could be so cruel as to take just one and leave the other facing the rest of their life alone.”
“I once thought they were the most cursed star-crossed lovers.” I swallowed and blinked as a ray of sunlight hit my face. “Today, I’m relieved to say that I was wrong. They got their happy end. An entire human lifetime of love and laughter and the ups and downs of everyday living. And they left a legacy that will endure beyond their own time.” My gaze tracked to the throng of people in black attire who were slowly walking away from the fresh grave. The corners of my mouth turned up while warmth spread in my chest. “Quite the legacy.”
We’d watched the funeral from a respectable distance, even though none of the humans gathered there could have seen us courtesy of our magic. And just how many humans had been there. Dozens upon dozens. Over half of them the immediate family of Lucifer and Liliana.
They’d had seven kids together.
Seven.
My eyes threatened to cloud with tears once more, my chest aching with happiness as I remembered how Lilith had been unable to have children yet had cared with unwavering love for those Lucifer had sired with others, how Daevi had once told me that Lilith had always yearned for a babe of her own, and how the denial of this greatest wish of hers had always seemed like the cruelest punishment by fate, or God, or whoever pulled the strings.
Now, in this human life, she’d had more than half a dozen.
And those seven children had had twenty kids between them, and those had then gone on to have even more. All in all, the descendants of Lucifer and Liliana numbered nearly eighty. With more on the way.
I turned to Azazel with a grin. “How’s it feel to know you’ve got loads of cousins on good ole Earth?”
He cocked a brow. “It’s not like I’m not used to being burdened by a large family. Though I do say that I prefer these over most of the family members in Hell.”
“And what about the one in Heaven?”
Both Azazel and I pivoted at the sound of the female voice.
Limned by the radiant sunlight, Naamah stood just a pace behind us, her white wings glistening like freshly fallen snow. As always, she was beautifully dressed, this time in a salwar kameez in turquoise and bright pink, her auburn hair falling over her shoulders in loose waves.
Azazel’s face lit up, though his voice was sly when he said, “I don’t know. That one seems a bit holier than thou. Must be the influence of that archangel she keeps around.”
“Ah.” She shrugged one shoulder. “The way I see it, it’s the other way around. My plan of corrupting him is still in play. One day soon, I’ll be getting him to cross the road without waiting for green, mark my words.”
I chuckled, and Azazel grinned.
Naamah’s gaze fell on the funeral goers in the distance. “It is a bit strange, knowing that I have human half-siblings.” Her expression turned soft, her lips tilting in a smile. “Strange and wonderful.”
Azazel, too, looked over to his mortal relatives, his voice taking on a somber tone. “They’ll be protected and watched over. For as long as their bloodline lasts.”
“Protected by both sides,” Naamah added with a side-glance. “Heaven holds no grudges. Not anymore.”
I raised my brows. “Part of your influence?”
A mysterious smile. “Maybe.” All cheekiness left her expression when she glanced at the headstone, her voice turning serious, if a bit wistful. “They’re doing well, by the way.”
I startled, my lips parting in a silent gasp. “You’ve seen them?”
I hadn’t even considered that Naamah might encounter their souls, though it only made sense. They hadn’t been marked for Hell, having lived their lives with a clear conscience and a solid moral compass. Of course, that meant they would have ascended to Heaven, to join the countless other souls in their Elysian afterlife.
Naamah nodded, her gaze on the names carved into the stone. “They are in my care.” Unyielding love glinted in her eyes as she looked up, her voice steely. “They are together. They share one room, one afterlife projection.” The muscles in her throat worked as she swallowed. “Their souls will never be separated. I will make sure of it.”
Emotion cinched my chest tight. Pressing my lips together, I nodded. In acknowledgement, in gratitude.
Over the bond to Azazel, I felt his own relief, his appreciation.
“They can rest now,” Naamah said, her eyes glistening wet. “He can finally rest.”
I wiped at the fresh tears that spilled over, happiness and sadness and affection all tangled up inside me. Azazel’s hand found mine, and I twined my fingers with his, endless love pinging back and forth between us.
Deep within, the power of Death stirred.
Meeting Azazel’s gaze, I nodded.
Turning to his mother, he gave her a kiss on the cheek. “We should go.”
“Of course.” She fiddled with lapel of his tunic. “Come see me again soon, hm? Both of you.”
“Will do.” Then he turned to me, his thunderstorm eyes holding my heart and my soul. “Let’s go home.”
And even though I had wings of my own to fly, I slung my arms around his neck and hopped up to wrap my legs around his hips, counting on him to catch me.
Which he did. Always.
Holding me tight, he gave me a scorching kiss, and then he shot us up into the sky, hellbound.
***
I hope you loved reading this extra ending as much as I did writing it! I admit, I might have shed a tear or two…
I’ve received questions whether I plan to write more about Lucifer/Lilith, and the answer is yes! It will be a project further into the future because other books are scheduled first, but eventually, I’ll write an entire book telling Lucifer and Lilith’s story from beginning to end, including how he courts Liliana on Earth once she comes of age. I’ll be sure to announce the project in my newsletter when it’s time, so stay tuned!
