Asmodeus turned away from him. Forgiveness would not come on this day. "What are the choices given to me?"
"I can reinstate you as a Holy Watcher, and you can reign with myself, Gabriel, Uriel and Raphael."
Four of the original Holy Watchers. Michael offered forgiveness from the echelon. Redemption. He was offering him a purpose. "Or?"
"Brianna."
There it was. The ultimate choice. He couldn't have everything he wanted.
He remained silent. On one hand, he would have everything he'd been willing to fall for. The love of a woman. A child. A home. Yet he would still contain darkness. If he chose to be reinstated he would be whole once again, in body and spirit. But not in heart.
"There's one question you must ask yourself."
Asmodeus gripped the back of the chair, leaning his weight against it. "And that is?"
"You were willing to face the fires for her, but are you willing to give up Heaven?"
This was just another trick. Another test. "By natural law I cannot be with Brianna. You just got through reminding me. Humans and demons are not to coexist."
"No, they can't."
"Then why do you tempt me with what I cannot have?"
"Because in a few weeks' time Brianna will no longer be human."
Chapter Twenty-Two
Brianna wasn't listening to Raum blather on about the baby, or Naberius's insistence they call some vampire named Ambrose. She didn't care that Ambrose was the first vampire, or that he had once been a mighty Warrior Angel. They were talking crazy, so she had tuned them out a while ago. It was nearly two in the morning, and she was too tired to care.
It had been two days since Asmodeus had been taken to the Abyss, and all she could think about was the pain he must be in. The agony. She had failed. Replaying the events that had transpired, she was certain she could have done things differently that would have ensured a better outcome. She should have told him about the angels. Her mission. By working together they might have avoided this horrendous outcome. Perhaps if she had spoken to Michael once—
"Brianna."
She brought her head up and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say." She was so tired of listening to their bullshit. Didn't they care about Asmodeus? Why didn't they show any concern for their friend?
They had come to her house when they felt Asmodeus's absence, and had found her on the floor. She didn't remember much of what happened after that, only that she had woken up in Naberius's house, in the same bed she had shared with Asmodeus. Over the past few days they had talked to her about her possible pregnancy. She had finally taken a pregnancy test, even though Naberius and Raum had been convinced it wouldn't work.
Apparently it had. It came back positive.
"So you're willing to give it a try?"
Guess she'd missed something important. Did it really matter? "Sure."
"I'll call him now."
Naberius left the kitchen table and she went back to playing with the blue silk napkin in her lap. She had tried summoning Michael again and again. He had finally appeared, and when he did he was pissed.
He'd taken her powers from her, telling her, "I'm sick and tired of your constant pull. Now I won't be bothered by you."
So now she was without Asmodeus, her powers or her sanity.
"Brianna?"
Annoyance thrummed up her spine. "What?" Christ, she was tired of talking to them.
Raum cocked his right eyebrow. "You realize you won't be able to go out in the daytime for a long while."
She scrunched her face. "What are you talking about?"
"You weren't even listening, were you?"
She sighed. Not really. Not when they were discussing turning her into a vampire. For God's sake, a vampire? Why? So she could string her depressed ass along for centuries?
Did Xanax work for the undead?
Naberius walked back into the kitchen. He held a cordless phone out to her.
She didn't take it. "What?"
"Ambrose wants to speak with you." He thrust the phone in her hand and whispered, "Remind him of your powers. Your psychic powers are going to be a huge selling point to Ambrose." She damn near growled. Michael had taken her powers, and she wasn't sure if, or when, she would ever get them back. What was the point of this nonsense? Nothing could be done. If they were sure turning her into a vampire would save the child she carried from turning into a Nephilim, she would do it in a heartbeat. But the truth was this had never been done before. What if they made another form of creature? Some fanged, undead, drooling baby?
Hallmark didn't make cards for that occasion.