Samiel gave Gabriel a taunting look and scooped up another handful of snow. Gabriel raised his eyebrow at Samiel but made no move to defend himself. Samiel tossed the snowball toward him and Gabriel blasted it out of the air with nightfire so that it backfired all over Samiel.

“That’s not conspicuous or anything,” Beezle said, peeking out of my jacket.

“Yeah, guys,” I said, laughing at the outraged expression on Samiel’s face. “No magic…”

Samiel threw a bolt of nightfire at Gabriel’s feet and made the snow fly up underneath Gabriel’s overcoat. Gabriel narrowed his eyes.

“Uh-oh,” I said. “Whatever you’re thinking, I don’t think it’s a good…”

Gabriel sent out a bunch of tiny nightfire pulses, almost like an automatic weapon. They surrounded Samiel’s feet and sent high shooting sprays of snow and ice onto his face and coat.

Samiel must have decided that it wasn’t worth it to try to beat Gabriel magically, so he dove for his brother and tackled him. Gabriel landed on his back in the snow and Samiel smashed a handful of it in Gabriel’s face.

I was now laughing so hard I could barely breathe.

“You think this is funny, do you?” Gabriel said menacingly.

Samiel turned and gave me an appraising look.

“Don’t even think about it,” I said, holding my hands up and backing toward the porch.

Gabriel rolled lightly to his feet and stalked toward me.

Beezle flew out of my jacket. “I’m not playing this game.”

Samiel snatched Beezle by the ankle out of the air and buried him in a pile of snow. Beezle came out spluttering and glaring.

“That’s it, nephilim boy,” Beezle snarled.

Bring it on, gargoyle.

I turned to run up the porch steps as Gabriel reached me. He grabbed me around the waist as I laughed and screamed. “No, don’t, no, don’t!”

He tossed me into the snow face-first and I got a mouthful. I rolled over as he landed on top of me.

“Well, this is nice,” I said, and kissed him.

I vaguely heard the sounds of Beezle and Samiel’s continued battle.

“We should go inside and leave them to it,” Gabriel murmured.

“Good idea,” I said.

Then a familiar voice broke into our reverie.

“Gabriel ap Ramuell, you are under arrest for defiling my daughter.”

Gabriel lifted his head, a shocked expression on his face. I twisted around in the snow.

Azazel and two of his flunkies stood in the front walk. Samiel and Beezle were frozen in place, staring.

“Let me up,” I said to Gabriel urgently.

He stood, pulling me to my feet.

“Get off my property,” I said to Azazel.

“I am here to take this thrall into custody so that he can be tried before the court of the Grigori for his crimes,” Azazel said coldly.

“Not this again,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You’re not taking him. He’s not a thrall anymore and he’s not defiling me—at least, not against my will.”

Beezle snorted.

“I have had quite enough of your insolence, daughter,” Azazel said. He waved to the two foot soldiers that stood behind him. “Take him.”

I pulled Lucifer’s sword from its sheath. “If you take one more step toward my husband, I will make sure you don’t leave here with all your limbs.”

They stopped, uncertain, and looked at Azazel.

“You cannot defy the will of the Grigori!” Azazel shouted.

“And you cannot defy the will of your lord,” I replied steadily, keeping my eyes on the two flunkies. “Lucifer freed him, Lucifer married us, Lucifer is not going to be happy that you’re still annoying me about this.”

“You are my daughter. It is my will you obey. I have betrothed you to Nathaniel ap Zerachiel, and you will marry him. The thrall will be killed for his insolence,” Azazel said. “I will take him myself if I have to.”

“No…you…will…not,” I said, and I felt the power of the Morningstar flowing through me.

I was putting on another light show for the benefit of my normal neighbors. One of these days video of me acting like a freak was going to wind up on the Internet, and then the government would be knocking at my door asking if they could use me as a weapon. I wondered if Lucifer would help me then, or if it would suit him to see me get carried away to some top-secret bunker.

“For the last time, I am your father.”

“In name only,” I spat.

“In the only way that matters. You will do as I say, or you will be punished.”

“No,” I said.

One of the foot soldiers made a sudden move toward me, but I was ready for him. I kept my right hand on the sword, and with my left I blasted him with regular fire. His designer trench was set ablaze immediately and he ran screaming for the nearest snowbank.

“Anyone else want to try?” I said innocently.

“Do you truly think your powers are superior to my own?” Azazel said softly. “I am the right hand of Lucifer, and have been for ages untold. Do you believe that you could defeat me in a fight?”

“Try me,” I said, and then, in an undertone to Gabriel, “Take out the other one before he gets any stupid ideas.”

Gabriel blasted the second soldier with nightfire. This one was a little more savvy than his friend and so managed to dodge out of the way. He threw his own spells—some kind of purple sparks—at Gabriel and the two of them dueled their way across the tiny front lawn and onto the sidewalk. I really hoped that no one decided to walk down our street at just this second.