“It’s okay,” I said. “I’ll be fine. And maybe you should feed. We need you at your strongest.” Especially considering our next step was literally to kill my father.
Rathiel didn’t back down easily, and his jaw was tight enough to crack, but he finally nodded, then turned and stalked off—hopefully in search of a yummy, if feisty, kitty. Levi lingered a moment longer, then touched Eliza’s hand before wandering off with Calder, Varz, and Gorr at his side. Calyx just rolled his eyes and stormed off, likely to pout. I almost felt bad for the guy. Sort of. In my eyes, Levi was a far better fit for Eliza. A good, decent…well, angel.
Once it was only the two of us left, Eliza turned on her heel and led me toward the barracks. Along the way, Vol and Purrgy joined us. My imp climbed up her side, then settled on her shoulder while Purrgy wound between my legs as we headed toward Eliza’s room.
She shoved open the door, and we stepped inside. I took a moment to look around, noting her room’s interior matched mine exactly. Stone, stone, and more stone. But there was another similarity. One I truly hadn’t expected to find. Her and Levi’s gear mingled together in the corner of the room, just like mine and Rathiel’s. And only one bed.
Were they bunking together? I suppose it made sense if they were. Not only had Eliza already confirmed they were sleeping together, but by bunking together, it freed up a room for another hellspawn.
But wow. Things really were progressing.
“Behold,” Eliza said. “My boudoir.”
I chuckled, then turned to face her, only to find her leaning against the farthest wall, her arms crossed and eyes locked on me. Vol still sat on her shoulder, and he eyed the two of us with keen interest, as though sensing the upcoming showdown. Purrgy, however, didn’t seem to care. He simply sniffed Eliza’s pack, then decided to stretch out on her stone bed, his tail casually flicking against it.
“Alright, Miss Princess of Hell,” Eliza said, drawing my attention back to her. “Start talking.”
I gave a rough laugh, rougher than intended. “About what? The weather? Because Hell’s forecast doesn’t change much. It’s all?—”
“Don’t,” she bit out, her eyes narrowing.
Vol shot her a shocked glance, then turned back to face me, his wee imp brows arched.
My smile faded, and I just…deflated. My shoulders slumped, and I sat on the bed next to Purrgy, mindlessly carding my fingers through his fur.
“That bad, huh?” Eliza quietly asked. She sat on the other side of Purrgy but didn’t pet him. Instead, she lifted Vol off her shoulder and placed him next to the cat. Vol simply shrugged and tucked himself between Purrgy’s front paws, then leaned back, hands clasped behind his head, but his eyes never left mine. He always was one to make himself comfortable.
“Talk to me, Lily,” Eliza said when I didn’t immediately speak up. “You went fullExorcistback there. I’ve seen you control shadows, but I’ve never seen your eyes turn pitch black before. And what was with those weird black veins moving under your skin? You looked demonic.”
I flinched. Had I really looked like that? I’d seen that happen many times to my father, but only when he lost control of his rage. Then again, I’d lost control of the darkness. Was it really so different? The idea that I’d looked anything like Lucifer didn’t sitwell with me. I’d borne witness to his vileness more times than I could count. I didn’t want my friends to see me that way.
“Come on. How badisit?”
“Bad,” I finally admitted, still stroking Purrgy. “But manageable.”
“Those two things don’t tend to go hand in hand.”
I ran my free hand through my hair.
When I didn’t answer, she pushed a little harder. “Is this the first time you’ve lost full control?”
For some reason, my gaze flicked to Vol. His eyes narrowed on me, apparently curious about this answer too. He had enough common sense to remain quiet, though.
I sighed. I really didn’t want to go through all the details again. I’d just gone through it all with Rathiel last night. But I also knew Eliza wouldn’t stop pushing until I answered all her questions.
“It’s been slowly happening since I first built my army,” I told her. “I…woke something within me. But I promise I’m handling it.”
“That didn’t look like you were handling it, Lil,” Eliza said. “It looked like the power was handling you.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” I asked. “I’m not off terrorizing the realm or massacring people. I saved the dragon, didn’t I? He’s alive. He’s happy.”
“Happy?” She sat straighter. “How could you possibly know that? And he?”
I shrugged. “I just do. And yes, he’s male. The other was a female. I suspect Lucifer created them expecting them to breed. A new creature for him to exploit.”
“Lily.” Eliza rubbed her brow. “You can’t just tell me you’re fine and expect me to take you at your word. We made a deal. You made me swear to end you if you turned dark. And what I saw out there…”
“But I haven’t gone dark,” I assured her, absently rubbing Purrgy’s ear. “I mean, here I am, sitting calmly, talking with you. No black eyes, no black veins, no?—”
