The Simon shell cracked at the edges and disintegrated off the body underneath, drifting away like leftover ashes from a fire. In the place of the eyes, there were the Seven Deadly. Along the shoulder blades, wings cut from bone extended and flexed, creating an unearthly wind in the room.

Blake and Angela shuddered and retched at the pure death of this thing, the total evil that rippled off its body.

Iruel, Shamsiel, and Bardiel were starting to have second thoughts about coming.

And Lilith gave a shriek unparalleled in deadly, inhuman, simply demonic joy.

“שָׂטָן!”

Lucifer turned his eyes on her, and his mouth twisted in a grimacing smile.

“Lilith,” he sighed – except his mouth didn’t move. The word pounded through air molecules like they were nothing, it swelled into a deafening cacophony heard only by those who had been to the depths of misery, despair, or grim death.

And in that word, the room whirled into chasm-like darkness, Angela shrieked and fell to the ground, and Blake blacked out.