Desmond, Charlie, Oisín, Mal and Azazel came through the portal after us, fanning out around the room. Everyone took a moment to look around, taking in Diana’s space.
“How do we want to approach them? They’re already arguing, so emotions are heightened. It may not be a good idea to go down there and interrupt them,” Mal noted.
“I say Charlie leads them up here,” I suggested. “He’s not a stranger, so they would follow him.”
Charlie took his phone out, dialing a number and bringing it to his ear. He put it on speaker phone, and we all stared at him with wide eyes when we saw that he was calling Angela. Desmond went to grab for the phone, but he swung it away.
“This isn’t a great time Char, what’s going on?” Her clipped voice made Charlie’s eyes roll.
“Somehow, I ended up in Diana’s room. I know it sounds weird, but I fell asleep in my own bed and woke up here…please tell me you know what’s going on because I’m FREAKING OUT,” he exclaimed, faking a surprised, frantic voice. “Please come upstairs and tell me what’s going on?!”
Oh, he was smart. They didn’t know he knew about the supernatural world. I heard another, deeper female voice in the background that I assumed was Diana’s grandma. Angela whispered something to her, then muted the phone. I used my superhearing to focus on what they were saying, but they must have cast a silencing spell, because I heard nothing.
They used a silencing spell to shield their conversation. They’re suspicious,I linked Desmond, Mal, and Bash.
She unmuted the phone. “Don’t touch anything or move. We’re coming up to see what’s going on.”
I heard their footsteps as they slowly climbed the stairs. If they were truly worried about him, they’d run up. They definitely knew something was off. When they opened the door, my suspicions were confirmed. Their faces paled as they eyed the group of freakishly large, random men in their dead family member’s bedroom and immediately took a defensive stance. Nonna cast a shielding spell, and a blue fireball sprang to life in Angela’s hands. When their gazes landed on Diana, their brave facades cracked. Angela looked like she was about to burst into tears.
“Don’t go to her, this could be a trap,” Nonna said, holding her daughter back. “Charles Monroe, what the fuck is going on?! Who are all these men?” she yelled. As much as I wanted to knock her out and drag her back to Vegas, she was Diana’s family. We had toplay nice…get them to come willingly. She eyed Diana skeptically as a tear ran down her face. “My granddaughter died almost two months ago. Prove that you’re her.”
Diana frowned, so I held her hand, squeezing it so she knew I was there for her. Her aunt spied our joined hands, and glared at me.
“I’m not dead. It’s a long story, but I swear to you it’s me, Nonna. Angie, tell her it’s me. How can I prove it to you?” Diana looked to all of us for ideas.
“Tell us something only the real you would know?” Angie suggested.
“Nonna, you keep fifteen grand in cash in a locked box in your closet in case of emergencies. Angie, you used to have a matching tattoo with Cris, but you had it covered over with a giant flower. At my mother’s funeral you told me that the universe gives and takes away, but that she would never truly be gone from my heart. Our family’s secret ingredient in chili is cinnamon.Oh, right before I had to leave, Nonna, you revealed that the entire family lied to me about who I was for years–I’m a witch. Well, I’m one-third witch…it’s another long story I’ll explain later.”
“Only Diana would be petty enough to bring up an argument you feel guilty about to prove she’s herself,” Angie scoffed. She smiled, before remembering herself and crossing her arms across her chest. Her eyes jumped to each of us, like she was sizing us up.Get an eyeful, I have nothing to hide except bodies.“Can you explain why you felt the need to bring all these men with you to come home? How are you standing here if you died in a fire? Excuse our skepticism, but none of this checks out.”
“Satan put a hit on her because she’s Lucifer’s daughter. We”–Desmond said, gesturing to himself, Bash, Mal, and I– “Were supposed to carry out that hit, but Bash, who’s an incubus, had been stalking her for a while because he could smell her power signature through the block Lucifer and her other father placed on her. We decided if she was powerful and dangerous enough for Satan to go after her, we could use her to overthrow him. So we abducted her and faked her death to keep her safe. But that all went to shit, so we moved to Las Vegas. We used a summoning circle to get back here,” he finished, taking a breath before looking at Diana.
“I fell in love with her, though, so it wasn’t for nothing,” I said. “Diana is myadelphi psychi,end game.”
“I fell for her, too,” Bash agreed.
“Same,” Desmond and Azazel both said.
“I have feelings for her, but we have stuff to work through,” Mal said.
“I’m her half-brother and gay as fuck so I’m not part of her Penis Parade, in case you were curious,” Oisín added. “Lucifer is my father, too, so we’re basically family, Angie and Nonna. I’m a real blast for the holidays, so get ready.”
Angie glared at her new family member, before walking out of the shield and grabbing Diana’s face in her hands. She locked eyes with her sister, turning her head this way and that. “This whole thing is insane. Charlie, is it really Diana? This isn’t a trick?” she asked him with hope in her voice.
“One hundred percent real. I’m sorry for tricking you into coming up here, but this is an awkward situation. Diana didn’t want to leave you, but she did it for her own safety and yours,” he replied. “She’s scared you both hate her.”
Angie pulled her sister in for a bone crushing hug, her tears running like the River Styx. “Belissima, I could never hate you. I’m just so happy you’re alive, here with us. We don’t have to say goodbye.”
Nonna grabbed both her girls, hugging them and giving Diana a kiss on the forehead. “My baby girl! You need to tell us everything. How did all of this happen? How do you have two fathers? Better yet, who are thesemen?”
They both gawked at us, and I would have been lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the attention a little bit. We were a handsome crew.
“I promise, I will. But you both need to come back to Vegas with us. I have more enemies than just Satan, and it’s not safe here for either of you anymore. Can you please pack up and come with us?”
“How much danger is she in?” Nonna asked Desmond.
“Enough that NYC isn’t safe for any of us anymore. The sooner we get out of here, the better,” he replied. “When we get back to Vegas, I’ll call Diana’s other father, and we’ll debrief everyone so we’re all on the same page.”