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Luce ree Caed to Daniel She caught flashes of Molly’s place before the Throne, and Steven’s, too--though they were not Archangels, but angels who adored happily from the Meadow

At last, she saw Lucifer’s and her places, their s tingled It was all so clear

The other fallen angels--Roland, Cam, Steven, Daniel, and Lucifer--did not step forward to adore the Throne Luce felt torn Adoring the Throne came naturally; it hat Lucinda was made for But somehow she couldn’t move The Throne looked neither disappointed nor surprised

"Where is the Fall, Lucifer?" The voice made Luce want to fall on her knees and pray

"Only God can tell," Lucifer growled "It doesn’t matter Perhaps I didn’t want it after all" The Throne twirled her silver staff in her hands, worrying a muddy recess into the soil where its endup, lashing in a spiral around the staff The Throne didn’t seem to notice; she fixed her blue eyes on Lucifer until his blue eyes twitched up to lock with hers

"I believe the first two statements," the Throne said,

"and soon you will be convinced of the last My indul-gence has very famous limits"

Lucifer started to speak, but the Throne’s gaze passed from him, and he kicked the earth in frustration It opened up beneath hiround, a personal volcano

With the slightest gesture of her hand, the Throne brought them back to attention "We must deal with the curse of Lucinda and Daniel," she said

Luce sed hard, feeling terror edge along her stomach

But the Throne’s phosphorescent eyes were kind when she tucked a silver-gold strand of hair behind her ear, leaned back in her throne, and surveyed the gathering before her "As you know, the tiain ask these two a question"

Everyone quieted, even the wind

"Lucinda, we’ll begin with you"

Luce nodded The cal heart It was a strangelycalled before the principal at school She approached the Throne, head bowed

"You have paid your debt of suffering over these past six-odd ," Luce said "There were difficult times, but"--she looked around her at the friends she’d made, at Daniel, even at Lucifer--"there was a lot of beauty, too"

The Throne gave Luce a curious s your nature without help--of being true to yourself Would you say that you have come to know your soul?"

"Yes," Luce said "Deeply"

"You are now more fully Lucinda than you ever have been Any decision you el, but also the weight of seven thousand years of life lessons in every state of hu"

"I a words that didn’t sound anything like Luce Price, but, she realized, sounded everything like Lucinda, her true soul

"You may have heard it said that in this lifetirabs’?"

"Yes I’ve heard that"

"And you els of Heaven and the forces of Lucifer?"

Luce nodded slowly

"And so the question falls to you once more: Will it be Heaven, or will it be Hell? You have learned your lessons and are now four hundred lives the wiser, so we ask you again: Where do you wish to spend eternity? If it is to be Heaven, allow me to say that elcome you home and see that the transition is made easy" God cast her eyes on Lucifer, but Luce didn’t follow suit "If Hell is your choice, I hazard to guess that Lucifer will accept you?"

Lucifer did not respond Luce heard heavy shuffling behind her She swiveled around to see the backs of his wings twisted into a knot

It had not been easy inside the Fall to tell Lucifer she did not love him, would not choose hi to the Throne Luce stood before the power that created her and had never felt more like a child

"Lucinda?" The Throne’s stare bore down on her "It falls to you to tip the scale"

The conversation she’d had with Arriane in the Vegas IHOP ca to co a side When that happenned, the scale would finally tip

"It falls to me?"

The Throne nodded as if Luce should have known this all along "The last time you refused to choose"

"No, that isn’t true," Luce said "I chose love! Just now, you asked whether I knew my soul, and I do I hest of all" Daniel reached for her hand "We chose love then and ill make the same choice today"

"And if you curse us for it now," Luce said, "the outcome will be the same We found each other over and over for seven thousand years You are all witnesses We will do it again"

"Lucifer?" the Throne asked "What do you say to this?"

He looked at Luce with blazing eyes, his pain obvious to everyone there "I say ill all regret thischoice, and a selfish one"