Revelation by Erica Hayes Read Free Book Online

him, knocking him to the floor with blood spraying from his lips. Zuul groaned in a heap, his eyes glowing red with pleasure and pain.
    “You enjoyed that, didn’t you?” Michael laughed, indulgent. “Afraid? Of Satan? Please. I’d back myself and a sharp flaming sword over that skanky he-trollop any day of the week. It’ll be the first decent fight I’ve had in years.” His wings flexed, aroused. “Bring it on.”
    “Forgive me, Master.” Zuul crawled forwards, neck chain dragging, his face almost scraping the floor. “I thought…Master and the Lord of Lies are brothers?”
    “That monkeyslime is
not
my brother.” Contempt soured Michael’s mouth, and he spat snowflakes. He and Lucifer had loathed each other since the beginning. Too alike.
    “But—”
    “It’s way above your pay scale, scumbag, so I don’t expect you to understand, but the whole Lucifer-thrown-out-of-heaven thing?” Michael scowled. “Trust me, Zuul. I was there, and it wasn’t romantic or tragic. Satan didn’t get evicted because he was proud or clever or questioned Himself’s will. Any angel worth his feathers does that every day.”
    “If you say so, Master. Then…why?”
    Michael relapsed onto the sofa, twitching his feathers to soothe them. Just remembering that fateful night itched his wrath trigger. He’d argued with the boss until his tongue bled razors, but He wouldn’t relent. “Satan got evicted, my precious hellbaby, because he’s a vicious, sadistic, selfish little motherfucker with shit for a conscience who wants it all for himself. My only regret about the whole sordid episode is that I didn’t get to eviscerate him on the spot.”
    Zuul licked bleeding lips, hopeful. “Master is most wonderfully wrathful.”
    “Am I? We’ll see.” Michael smiled, cold. “Enough chitchat. Here’s what you’ll do, Zuul. Take a leave pass. Get your whimpering ass to Babylon and find me whoever’s doing this. On the sly, you understand. Don’t tell him I want to talk to him. Just find out who it is, and report back to me.”
    “Yes, Master.” Zuul bowed again, obedient, crimson hair nearly brushing his knees. “Your vaguest whim is my command.”
    Whatever. Michael knew the psychopathic little bastard would run screeching to his demon lord the moment he got free. But that was okay. If the lords of hell interfered with Dashiel and his Tainted friends on their fact-finding mission, so much the better.
    What Michael needed was time. Time to analyze, figure the best way forward. And he wouldn’t get it with Luniel chasing after Ithiel’s killer like a jealous lover. The demons would only accelerate their plans if Lune pissed them off.
    Stopping a Dark Apocalypse was probably a good idea. Then again, what was the rush? So long as the right side won in the end, and Michael got his glory. Why wait around for God to pull the plug, when a bunch of demons would do the job for him?
    He’d wait and see. Bait a few demon traps, see what crawled in. And if it meant a few Tainted angels got slaughtered, so be it. Dashiel, by choice. Too clever and uppity for his own good. And Dash already suspected something wasn’t right. If Dash interfered—went over Michael’s head and called Gabriel, for example…
    Michael grimaced. That’d never do. Gabe always insisted on doing everything according to the Plan. Perhaps it was time Dash met with an unlucky accident.
    He fidgeted, his blood stirring. He was getting antsy again. Using that girl’s body hadn’t calmed his nerves one whit. That was the downside of earth-shattering power and longevity that spanned the eons—everything was old news. Nothing quite hit the spot anymore. And when nothing truly sated your appetite, you were always hungry.
    Always.
    By the pool, no doubt the orgy still lingered on, but he’d been there, done that with all of them. A new club had just opened by the beach. Maybe he’d go cruising, enthrall some new disciples.Party boys and girls liked the idea of