Lothar
* * *
Zenon called Roxy back within the hour. Their conversation had been brief, but he’d agreed to meet with her. If Zenon thought this whole thing was fucking strange, which he absolutely would, he didn’t let on. We’d seen him not that long ago at the bar. He knew we were on a mission for Lucifer and I was banking on him playing along when the time came.
I hadn’t had much time alone with Roxy, but she assured me the message she sent her granddaughters would’ve made them suspicious. The male wasn’t stupid, he had to know something fucked up was going on and would come prepared.
“How much longer must I wait?” Sera said, pacing back and forth in the ramshackle cottage we were now holed up in. Since Beelzebub couldn’t leave the forest and risk being seen, he’d called on the demons who lived out here and ordered them to provide us with shelter.
“He should be here any moment,” Roxy said.
The cottage was surrounded by demons. Beelzebub sat outside while they all buzzed with excitement, like he was a fucking celebrity.
I glanced at Roxy again. On the outside she appeared calm, almost serene. I knew better. It was almost as if I could feel what she was feeling. Somehow, I knew her belly was in knots and her heart was racing. I also knew she was afraid—for me.
Sera paced across the room again. If she was worried that Zenon would be suspicious by the location Roxy had asked him to meet, she hadn’t said. Maybe she was just that naive after being locked up for so long. I got the feeling she was confused by a lot of things when it came to relationships between people, but then most angels had pretty shitty people skills. She was extremely powerful, yes, but she’d been locked up a long fucking time, she said and did things that came across as gullible. Or maybe she was just blinded by her thirst for power?
A commotion came from outside.
I strode to the window as Zenon landed right in the middle of Beelzebub’s superfan gathering. His leathery batlike wings folded in, and he reached a tattooed hand back to the handle of one of his battle-axes, his yellow eyes sliding over Beelzebub. His long black hair fell forward as he tilted his head to the side and curled his lip. “You lost, Lord Beelzebub?”
Roxy rushed over and shoved the door open. “Zenon! I’m so glad you came.”
He stared at Beelzebub for several more seconds, while B sat frozen under his cold-as-fuck stare.
“Please, come in,” Roxy said.
Zenon turned to her, finally releasing the lord from that frigid gaze, and strode into the cottage. He spotted me and his head jerked up before those yellow eyes, so like Lucifer’s, landed on Seraphina.
“Zen, brother,” I said.
“Loth.” He curled his fingers tighter around the handle of his axe.
“Appreciate you coming,” I said.
“Yeah?” He looked between me and Roxy. “Someone want to tell me what the fuck’s going on?”
Sera stepped forward. “I am Seraphina.”
“I don’t give a fuck,” he said. “Start talking.”
She bristled. “I understand you are Lucifer’s grandson?”
He said nothing, just stared her down. Not that many years ago, the male avoided making eye contact. A lot had changed since he’d found his mate, Mia.
“I also understand that you don’t think very highly of him?” she said.
Zenon didn’t flinch. His gaze sliced to Roxy, then me, then back to Sera. He knew that was a lie. He also knew how much Rox loved Lucifer, how loyal she was. It would have only taken him a split second to work out where this was going. “You’re accusing me of something pretty fucked up there, Seraphina,” he said. “How about you get to the point.”
Seraphina straightened her shoulders. “I have a proposition for you.”
“No shit.”
“Roxy tells me you are resentful of Lucifer after his actions toward your father, and that you wouldn’t be unhappy if someone were to remove him from his throne…that you despise him, in fact.”
He tilted his head to the side. “Roxy’s had a lot to say, apparently.” Not denying it, playing along like I hoped he would.
“I didn’t give up that information voluntarily,” Roxy rushed out.
