"First it was Cain. Now you desire a pathetic scrap of a girl. Anna Sill. You are soweak." His face twisted into a look of disgust, causing his sharp, beautiful features to turn ugly with hate.
Alarm joined the panic fluttering in my veins.How does he know about Anna?I'd always been careful, hadn't I?
A more pressing question, though: how had he become more powerful than me?
He smiled knowingly and pushed his face to within an inch of mine. "Ah yes, I see you've figured out the true dilemma facing you now." He curled his palm, and the shadows—myshadows—began forming an object in his hand.
"You have noideawhat you have started, traitor." I couldn't move my body, but I could still speak. So far. "You are not strong enough to keep the veil between the worlds in place. When God learns—"
"I have no intention of keeping our worlds separate,Lucifer." The tiny tornado of blackness dissipated, and in his hand sat a small, white key, its shape obviously meant for an old-fashioned door.
The key to Heaven's gates.Someone must've stolen it from God's vault and gave it to him. Whoever held the key, controlled the realm in which it was located. It literally opened the plane, which meant he also controlled me.
Who did he bribe to steal it? There must be a double agent working in Heaven.
So many questions swirled in my head, but I decided to concentrate on the most important thing—Anna's safety. I had to keep Malachi and Lilith distracted until I could get her safely out of this mess.
Malachi was not wrong. Plus, my powerhaddiminished over the past decade or so. The longer I stayed in a different plane, the more ether the trip leached from my bones. I'd been stupid to leave my kingdom in his hands, for trusting him.
But how he would pay for crossing me. "This little mutiny will not last, Malachi. When everyone realizes what a petty, weak fool you are, that your plan will kill them, they'll abandon you. True power cannot be held with fear alone—"
He slammed a fist into my jaw and knocked me off my feet.
Bloody fucking hell, that hurts.
"Bring her inside," Malachi boomed. "Let's let Lucian have a little insight into my plan and then see what he thinks."
I lay on my side, frozen and unable to pick myself from the floor. A lava bubble burst near my back, telling me only a few inches of solid volcanic glass kept me from rolling into the lake below.
Demon eyes widened and the crowd huddled farther away. I couldn't tell if they feared me or Malachi. Maybe both of us, but I could not place too much blame on them. After all, I'd let my subjects down as a ruler with poor choices. They were in survival mode, willing to do whatever it took to not draw Malachi's ire.
But still, their easy allegiance stung my pride.
I darted my stare around the room. Samael stayed in the shadows. Had he also forsaken me? Where were the rest of those I'd trusted so deeply? Were they in league with Malachi, too?
Had I no one I could count on?
The doors opened once more, and the little imp Marzan pranced inside, a wide smile on his ugly face. A black hole, where his ear had once been, reminded me of a few years ago, when I'd caught him selling information to Angels to break away from Hell.
I should've blasted the little creep into nothing.Malachi must've released him from his cell.How long has Malachi been a double agent?How I would enjoy torturing them both once I freed myself.
Marzen's arm, stretched out behind his body, clenched someone as he dragged their body into the room.
Curly mahogany hair trailed across the skulls of my dais.
"No," I yelled, calling on every ounce of strength, demanding the ether break my bindings.
Nothing happened.
Anna made no movements, no screams of pain, no attempts at resisting.
Please don't let her come to harm.An even worse thought overrode the last.Please, don't let her be dead.
Marzan, hopping with glee, threw Anna down the steps, where she rolled to a stop on her side, two feet from me.
Her eyelids were closed, but two black bruises had started to form around each orbit. Blood smeared her lips, and her pinky finger had been broken in at least two places judging by the way it angled to the side.
A fury like I'd never felt before rose in my blood. "I will fuckingkillyou."
