I shrug. “That’s how it always is. Summons aren’t always bad.”
“The last time you were summoned was so you could go on trial. And before that, it was to warn you about a witch hunter. Your track record with summons—at least since I’ve known you—indicates they are bad news.”
“There’s only one way to find out,” I sigh and flatten my hands against Lucas’s chest. “But I could also try calling my friends too. If Kristy is home or at the store, she’ll answer.”
“Call them,” Lucas tells me. “Now.”
“That requires me getting up,” I grumble. “And I don’t know where my phone is.”
“On the nightstand.” He flips us over, moving with vampire speed, and kisses me passionately before zooming up the stairs, returning a few seconds later with my phone. I call Kristy first. There’s no cell service at the Covenstead, and the call goes right to voicemail.
I try Nicole next, and she answers, thank goodness.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Nicole. Did you get a summons from the coven?”
She hesitates for a second. “No, why?”
“I did, and I have no idea what it could be about.”
“They probably just want to talk to you about everything that happened a few days ago. I’m kinda sad I missed the action, but also very glad I didn’t see anything.”
“Yeah, it’s probably better you didn’t. Have you heard anything about how the students that were taken to the hospital are doing?”
“I did, actually. Naomi and I spent the day baking with Gran yesterday and brought it to the school. One of the students has been released, home, and is doing so much better after taking a healing potion. The others are doing well too. All stable and just waiting to go home.”
“That’s a relief,” I sigh. “I was really worried we’d be too late.”
“You weren’t.”
“Well, kind of. Not everyone made it out alive.”
“I know,” Nicole says. “But if you hadn’t shown up at all…man, I don’t even want to think about it.”
“I don’t either. I’ll let you go,” I tell her, wanting to get off the phone. I should have just texted, but this way I got an immediate answer.
“Okay. Let’s get together sometime soon. You’re still going to Florida, right?”
“Yeah, we are. Our Disney reservations are from the twenty-first to November first.”
“Damn,” she laughs. “I’m a little jealous. Have fun.”
“I’m sure I will. I’ll text the whole gang about meeting up before Lucas and I leave.”
“You better! I’ll see ya later, Cal.”
“Bye,” I say and hang up and look at Lucas. “I got nothing.”
“I heard.”
“You’re such an eavesdropper,” I tease, knowing he can’t really help it. I set my phone down and snuggle up with Lucas. “So much for a relaxing day—again. Honestly, at this point I should just stop hoping for one.”
“Are you going to tell them about Lucifer?” Lucas asks, slipping his arms around my waist and pulling me back into his lap. My heart speeds up at the thought of Lucifer, and the sick feeling in my stomach intensifies. I close my eyes and wait for the world to stop spinning.
But it doesn’t, because Lucifer is out of Hell. Somehow, someway, he broke free, and while I have no idea what he plans on doing, I know it can’t be good.
“No. I…I don’t want to worry anyone. And,” I go on, taking in a slow breath and hoping I don’t throw up on the couch. The material isn’t the easiest to clean. “What’s the point? We can’t fight the devil.”
“Can’t we?”
“Lucas, no,” I say sternly. “He’s the fucking devil.”
“And you’re my fucking wife,” he counters. “I’m not going to roll over and submit like a dog to him, Callie. He was put in Hell before, he can be put in Hell again.”
“Yeah, but other archangels!”
“Are you sure about that? Are they the ones who put him there?”
“I…I actually don’t know,” I say as a shiver makes its way down my spine. “But I don’t think I’m going out on a limb to say it took at least one of his brothers to put him there.” I bring my hand to my stomach and groan, nausea made worse from the stress. I’m close to coming unhinged, and while I impressed myself exploring my feeling about killing Ruth and Roger, I can’t go there with this.
Lucifer is free, and I think he wants our baby. I suddenly feel exposed, like he’s watching through the windows and listening to my every thought. I’ve been careful not to call out to Julian or my father, careful not to accidentally pray and have Lucas intercept it.
“Julian will be back soon enough,” Lucas says, able to sense my rising anxiety. “Until then, we should look into ways of warding against Lucifer.”
“Ruth used necromancy to get rid of Julian. She called him a fallen angel, and said the spell wasn’t strong enough to keep Lucifer away.” My throat starts to get tight. “Who knows if she was right or not, but that spell hurt. It felt like my body was ripping in two. Even if we did find a magical angel-repellent, I don’t see how I could cast it without it affecting me too.”
“You’re right, unless we can find something specific to Lucifer. All archangels have a sigil. Could you use that to narrow down your spell?”
“In theory, but…ugh.” I close my eyes, trying hard not to throw up. “Can you bring me a trash can?” I ask Lucas, doubting my ability to move right now. He gets up and hurries into the office, coming back with a little white garbage can that I use for recycling. I get it just in time, and Lucas holds my hair back as I throw up.
“It came out my nose,” I whimper, shuddering.
“What can I get you?”
“A tissue and water.”
“I’ll be right back.”
I let out another breath and lean back. The last few times I got sick, I felt better almost right away. Not this time.
“You’re so little,” I groan, looking at my stomach. “How are you making me so sick?”
Lucas returns with a box of tissues and a glass of water. I wipe my mouth and rinse out my mouth, needing another minute or two for the swirling feeling to go away. Lucas takes the trash can into the kitchen, emptying it into the large garbage under the sink, and then hurries back.
“I’ll take it outside for you once the sun sets.”
“I can get it,” I say and sip my water. “I should drop off that prescription now and then beg Tabatha for her potion.”
Lucas rubs my back. “Yes, you need it. And don’t worry about Lucifer. Not now. We’ll figure something out.”
There’s nothing like morning sickness to deflect my troubles. I stay on the couch with Lucas for another few minutes, and then get up to brush my teeth. It’s nearly eleven AM, and the summoning is at two in the afternoon, which isn’t a normal time for a gathering. Usually, we meet at night, close to—if not exactly at—the witching hour.
Taking Freya with me, I go into town and go into Hagen’s Pharmacy, a little family-owned pharmacy that’s been in Thorne Hill since the town was officially founded in the late 1800s. The Hagens are nons, but I think they know something is up in this town. I don’t see how you can’t, really.