by name during our attempted rescue mission of Logan and Tristan from Robert’s mansion. “Why would she help us?”
“According to Noel and Xavier, Peyton isn’t like the others under Lucian’s command. She reached out to Xavier a couple of years ago for help. She asked him if he could hide her and her daughter somewhere that Will couldn’t find them. Xavier wasn’t sure if she was just testing him for Lucian or not, so he refused to help her. Since then, she’s made several attempts to escape on her own, but Will always finds them and brings them back home.”
“Why would she help us?” I ask.
“Ava is one of her best friends,” Mason says. “Nina thinks she can talk Peyton into helping us by promising to rescue Ava.”
“How does Peyton have access to the room they’re being held in?”
“She’s one of the few people Ravan considers to be a friend,” Mason says.
“And is she?”
“Yes…and no,” Mason replies hesitantly. “She does genuinely seem to care for Ravan, but she’s also fully aware that opening the seals can destroy this world, one she’s made her home. Peyton doesn’t want to see that happen. All she wants is a chance to live with her daughter in peace, without having to worry about Lucian and the others using her and Dillon in their plans. She wants out, and we might be able to give that to her if she helps us.”
“We should help her get away from them, whether she helps us or not,” I argue, not liking the idea of holding the possibility of freedom over someone’s head just to make them do what we want.
“I’m sure Brand will,” Mason says in an attempt to soothe my ire. “But we have to use what little leverage we have in order to get Lucifer and Ava out of there before it’s too late.”
Mason’s words bring me up short. “What do you mean by ‘too late’?”
“Ava is scheduled to be executed in front of the other angels under Lucian’s command. He wants to make an example of her, and show everyone what can happen to them if they try to betray him.”
“When is this supposed to take place?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“It’s that soon, and Nina is still trying to convince Peyton to help us?” I ask, feeling the burden of not having enough time to do what needs to be done.
“Nina’s with her now,” Mason tells me. “I’m confident she’ll be able to convince Peyton to help us.”
Just then, Leah walks back into the kitchen with a bright smile on her face. I watch Xiulan’s expression closely as her daughter leans down and kisses her on the cheek.
“Do the birds like the solarium?” Xiulan asks.
Leah nods. “Oh, yeah. It’s the warmest room in the house. Malcolm says they should be ready to strike out on their own in a couple of weeks. I would really like it if you were here when I release them. I’ll probably become way too attached to them between now and then. I might need your help to let them go.”
Xiulan smiles wanly at her daughter. I’m sure she understands that she won’t be allowed anywhere near Leah in two weeks’ time. She’ll be driven completely insane from the torture of living inside a decomposing body if we can’t get her some help before then.
“I’ll be here if I can,” is all Xiulan can promise her only child.
Leah looks slightly confused by her mother’s answer, but doesn’t question it.
I send out a silent prayer, hoping God hears my plea for His help in rescuing Lucifer. He is the last person in the world I want to owe a favor to, but he’s also Xiulan’s best shot at an honorable death. We need him. I need him. I just have to brace myself for what he’ll ask in return for his help. I have a sneaking suspicion the price won’t be cheap, and that it will be one only I can pay.
CHAPTER SIX
Mason and I leave the kitchen to give Leah and her mother some time alone. If Lucifer is able to free Xiulan’s soul from her body, Leah won’t have much longer to spend with her mom. I feel a small sense of
“According to Noel and Xavier, Peyton isn’t like the others under Lucian’s command. She reached out to Xavier a couple of years ago for help. She asked him if he could hide her and her daughter somewhere that Will couldn’t find them. Xavier wasn’t sure if she was just testing him for Lucian or not, so he refused to help her. Since then, she’s made several attempts to escape on her own, but Will always finds them and brings them back home.”
“Why would she help us?” I ask.
“Ava is one of her best friends,” Mason says. “Nina thinks she can talk Peyton into helping us by promising to rescue Ava.”
“How does Peyton have access to the room they’re being held in?”
“She’s one of the few people Ravan considers to be a friend,” Mason says.
“And is she?”
“Yes…and no,” Mason replies hesitantly. “She does genuinely seem to care for Ravan, but she’s also fully aware that opening the seals can destroy this world, one she’s made her home. Peyton doesn’t want to see that happen. All she wants is a chance to live with her daughter in peace, without having to worry about Lucian and the others using her and Dillon in their plans. She wants out, and we might be able to give that to her if she helps us.”
“We should help her get away from them, whether she helps us or not,” I argue, not liking the idea of holding the possibility of freedom over someone’s head just to make them do what we want.
“I’m sure Brand will,” Mason says in an attempt to soothe my ire. “But we have to use what little leverage we have in order to get Lucifer and Ava out of there before it’s too late.”
Mason’s words bring me up short. “What do you mean by ‘too late’?”
“Ava is scheduled to be executed in front of the other angels under Lucian’s command. He wants to make an example of her, and show everyone what can happen to them if they try to betray him.”
“When is this supposed to take place?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“It’s that soon, and Nina is still trying to convince Peyton to help us?” I ask, feeling the burden of not having enough time to do what needs to be done.
“Nina’s with her now,” Mason tells me. “I’m confident she’ll be able to convince Peyton to help us.”
Just then, Leah walks back into the kitchen with a bright smile on her face. I watch Xiulan’s expression closely as her daughter leans down and kisses her on the cheek.
“Do the birds like the solarium?” Xiulan asks.
Leah nods. “Oh, yeah. It’s the warmest room in the house. Malcolm says they should be ready to strike out on their own in a couple of weeks. I would really like it if you were here when I release them. I’ll probably become way too attached to them between now and then. I might need your help to let them go.”
Xiulan smiles wanly at her daughter. I’m sure she understands that she won’t be allowed anywhere near Leah in two weeks’ time. She’ll be driven completely insane from the torture of living inside a decomposing body if we can’t get her some help before then.
“I’ll be here if I can,” is all Xiulan can promise her only child.
Leah looks slightly confused by her mother’s answer, but doesn’t question it.
I send out a silent prayer, hoping God hears my plea for His help in rescuing Lucifer. He is the last person in the world I want to owe a favor to, but he’s also Xiulan’s best shot at an honorable death. We need him. I need him. I just have to brace myself for what he’ll ask in return for his help. I have a sneaking suspicion the price won’t be cheap, and that it will be one only I can pay.
CHAPTER SIX
Mason and I leave the kitchen to give Leah and her mother some time alone. If Lucifer is able to free Xiulan’s soul from her body, Leah won’t have much longer to spend with her mom. I feel a small sense of
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