Still upset about Abe, I wasn’t in the mood to give a damn about Lucifer’s bullshit. It wouldn’t be going away anytime soon, so why bother? In the mood for a beer, I went to the kitchen and pulled open the refrigerator. A couple of cold Budweisers stared back at me from inside. I pulled one out and realized I couldn’t open the damn thing with Lucifer’s tome still in my hand. Not up for a jaunt to Hell just yet, wanting to call Karra first, I needed someplace safe to stick the stupid thing. The first place that came to mind was rather rude, but then I glanced down at the crisper drawer, full of old and wilted vegetables, and it hit me that was the perfect place for it. No one would dig through my shriveled tomatoes and brown lettuce looking for anything, let alone a book no one in the universe even knew existed.

I yanked the drawer open and dropped the book inside, rearranging all the plastic bags of fruits and vegetables so they completely covered the book. Not even sure why I had the damn things to begin with, I topped the wilted mess off with a hairy plum just for the ambiance. Once that was done, I shut the fridge and popped the top off the beer. The first sip was cold and refreshing and made me want a dozen more. Given all that had happened lately, a good and sloppy fifteen minute drunk was in order. A two minute liaison with a gorgeous blond certainly wouldn’t ruin my mood any either.

Thunder rumbled as I made my way back to the living room, and I heard the patter of rain striking the roof. It’d been coming down pretty steadily since the Tree of Life started its recovery from Gabriel’s assault on Heaven, nature doing its best to repair the damage it had wrought. As I turned into the foyer, I could smell the moisture in the air. It’s thick, musky scent was a huge difference from the normally dry, desert air of El Paseo. It was a pleasant change from the oppressive, summer heat.