Risen (Haunted Series Book 22)

had no time.”
Lucifer seemed to look down at a paper and then at Mia.  “Did you use him to enter Hell through a back door in order to assassinate Abigor?”
“No.  I thought we were square with that,” Mia said, looking for Abigor.  “I bear neither Abigor, nor anyone here any bad will.  Unless you attack me or my family, I leave you guys to do what you do.  You’re not my problem,” she stressed.
“Mia, you’ve been recently enhanced by Michael and Raphael.  You can see why this question is asked.”
Mia nodded.  “Fair enough.  I was duped into these wings by a birdwoman wanting to set up Victor.  And I had a life-threatening brain tumor caused by the imbalance that was caused when the genetic demon inside me died.”
“Mia, what was done to you?”
“As far as I know, I was mortally injured while protecting my sons from a ghost attack.  Victor brought me in.  Elizabeth broke my back and presented to me that I wouldn’t be able to walk, or frankly live, without wings being put back into me to support my back.  I learned afterwards that she broke my back in order to pressure Victor to give me a heart feather.”
“Victor gave you a heart feather?” Abigor asked, forgetting himself.  “I thought it was just a feather.”
“I don’t know too much about these things, but his intent was to give me wings strong enough to protect Varden, his godson, when needed.  Michael complied.  However, it was a setup.  I was dragged into court on lies that Victor and I had mated.”
“And you were exonerated,” Lucifer confirmed.
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell me about Raphael.”
“I have no trouble telling you, but…” she said, looking around, “I only know three others here beside you.  I’m not comfortable saying anything other than he took the tumor out.”
“You’ll tell me the rest later?” Lucifer asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“Fair enough.  Summing up: Mia Cooper Martin, you did not use the demon-with-no-name to gain entrance to Hell.”
“No, sir, I did not.”
There was hissing and whispering between the other entities on the panel, but Mia felt that they seemed to be easing back in their seats a bit.  Damn, was she that dangerous?
“Now this brings us to the demon-with-no-name and the destruction of his prison.”
“I didn’t destroy his prison.  I did bring him here,” Mia clarified.
“You left no instructions to destroy the island?”
“No, I did not.  I did leave instructions that Lamia was not to be harmed.”
“Why? She had killed innocents,” Lucifer baited.
“They were in her territory; she had the right to defend herself.  I don’t know what happened after I left.  It would have to have been life-threatening for my husband and friends to act.  Maybe the Feds?” Mia said, hunching her shoulders.
Lucifer looked at her.  Mia felt him pushing at her mind house.  She opened the door and invited him in.

Chapter Sixteen
Lucifer’s mind probe was quick.  He had been in her mind house before.  He gathered all new information and noted the rearrangement since the tumor had been extracted.  He wondered if Mia knew how vastly it had changed. There was so much more room, so much more potential.  Should he tell her?  Was this wise?
He exited and blinked his eyes.
Mia relaxed.
“You have since discovered the name of the demon-with-no-name.”
“I think I have figured it out.”
“How?”
“Proximity, and my recent study of the fallen and demon culture.”
“Have you told anyone?”
“No one who didn’t know already.”
“Good.”
There were more hisses and whispers.
Lucifer cleared his voice.  “She’s telling the truth, settle down.”
“How bad…” Mia started.
“I beg your pardon?”
“How horrible was it that I brought him here?”
“It’s not ideal but manageable.  My duty is to protect the others from his wrath.”
“How is it that he is so powerful?”
“It’s difficult to explain to a human.  Ah, have you watched any of the Star Wars series?”
“Yes.”
“Think of the characters’ acquisition of the force.”
“Yes, there are two sides, good and evil.”
“Now, think that evil has two sides too.”
Mia nodded in understanding.
“The demon-with-no-name chose a dark route that would eventually destroy all of us.”
“I’m sorry, he’s not in any of our literature.  No, actually, he is, but not his path into cannibalism.”
“Mia, we have to hear other testimony.  Can you sit still and be quiet?”
“No.  Honestly, no.”
“I appreciate your candor.  Sticks will escort you to get some nourishment.”
“Thank you,” Mia said and followed Sticks out the gate.
They walked through the tunnel and down the stairs.  For a moment, Mia thought they were going to make a break for it, and she fought with her conscience over what would happen to Sticks if they did run for it.  But it was all for not, as he escorted her to the very same café Lucifer ate at.
“Now, you may not be hungry, but you need to eat.  You’re getting bitchy.”
“Sticks!” Mia said, surprised.
“Aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
A young waitress breezed over.  “Hello, what can I get you?”
“She’ll have baked beans and a hamburger with mustard and onions.  I’ll have the walnut soufflé,” he said confidently.
“How did you know?” Mia said, sitting back, looking over at her companion.
“I asked your father lots of questions when he visited me.”
“He did?”
“Yes.  Charles walked right up to my tree and called, ‘Is there a young gentleman named Sticks about?’  His eyes got really large when I crawled out of the tree.”
“I bet they did.”
“He didn’t tell you?”
Mia shook her head slowly, trying to piece together the scant conversations she had had with her father.  “I don’t think so, but I’ve had some trauma and have forgotten some things.”
“But you remembered me.”
“How could I forget a fiancé?”
“He said that you said I was a hero.”
“You