Demon Angel

do not allow them to abduct more humans, until the end of the wager. I will not have you and the nosferatu kill all of his loved ones to assist Lilith, only to claim it was a separate action."
    "Why would you enter into such an agreement?" Lucifer watched the Guardian carefully.
    "I want him in the corps. As I'm certain you are aware, my ranks have been severely reduced of late. Hugh was my best warrior, the best mentor; and if he dies, it will likely be sacrificing himself to save her . He will accept the transformation again, and I will have him teach my new recruits, as I have neither the time nor inclination to do it myself, and no one else is as qualified as he is." Michael smiled coldly, and his gaze raked over Lilith's form. "And I believe I have little to lose, as I have the advantage here."
    "Seven days, and you cannot speak of our wager with anyone else—human, demon, halfling, or nosferatu—except to instruct your Guardians that they may not attack my demons or the nosferatu, unless they are breaking the agreement and have begun the ritual on a human against the human's will," Lucifer countered, and Michael's brows rose.
    "If you wish. Making Hugh aware of it won't change the outcome; he already has full knowledge of what Lilith is, and what she will try to do. And so long as your demons and the nosferatu are not instructed to perform any rituals nor abduct any humans, my Guardians will not engage them."
    Lucifer did not try to hide his triumphant smile. "It is done, then."
    "It is done," Michael agreed.
    The Doyen spared her a final glance, then disappeared. Lilith stared at the empty space, trying to comprehend what had just taken place; beside her, Lucifer began laughing.
    "He is surely not so desperate to have one man return to the Guardian corps," Lilith murmured.
    "It is an act of desperation, but not for the human's sake," Lucifer said, returning to his seat. "His hold on Caelum is tenuous; he wagers what he will lose anyway."
    "Why do you take the risk?"
    "Do you think I make rash, thoughtless decisions?"
    "No, Father," she said immediately.
    He smiled, and a shiver ran over her skin. "It would be a risk, if not for the other surprise I spoke of. For it would be stupid to think that you could bring him to suicide within a week. Do you think me stupid, Lilith?"
    Her eyes narrowed. "Only if it gives you pleasure."
    "You dare too much," he said quietly, and leaned back into his chair. "Sit. I do not like you standing above me."
    She complied, vanishing her wings. Whatever his next surprise was, she wanted to see it coming.
    A book appeared in her lap. She looked down at the embossed lettering, the now-familiar cover, and saw her doom.
    "I have overlooked the others for centuries; the poets and the playwrights whom you would have sought immortality with— is not the immortality I gave you enough?" When she did not answer, he said, "He only mentions my name three times, Lilith. Do you think you deserve such attention?"
    Instinct demanded that she flee, but she couldn't move; his magic suddenly held her frozen, motionless. But she could speak, and the words tumbled from her mouth without heed. "Do you envy me, Father?"
    His fingers clenched on the arms of the chair, and the fabric ripped under his nails. "When I made you, you swore to serve me for as long as you were a demon. You do not place yourself above me."
    "I serve. I will serve until I'm dead of it," she said bitterly.
    "Which will be sooner than you think should you fail in this new bargain." His eyes flashed. "Six days; you have six days to fulfill your bargain, to see him dead, and then I send the nosferatu to kill you."
    One day less than he'd wagered with Michael; apparently, he did not trust her to fulfill her bargain. If she failed, Lucifer would likely lead an attack against the Doyen, and attempt to kill him before the wager ended.
    "You do not destroy me yourself? Have you not the stomach for it, Father?"
    He sat forward in his seat, smiling. "Will you have the stomach to kill him !"
    "Even now, I am thinking of the best way to go about it." A lie. She could only think of escape.
    He rested his elbows on his knees and whispering conspiratonally, "I've thought of one for you." Reaching across the space between them, he grasped her wrist, his skin slithering over hers. "But first, I have to take the demon out of you. No need for him to commit suicide if you can kill him with your sword. Six days, Lilith. You or him."
    Her eyes widened,