I studied my hands. I hadn’t known what was happening when I’d come into my new powers in the underworld. Now, I was pretty sure it was thanks to Danica’s bargain with the underworld itself. The underworld had some level of sentience. If it had given me demon fire that couldn’t be healed, I was pretty sure that meant itwantedme to kill Daimonion.
And I was more than happy to give the underworld what it wanted.
My mind flashed back to the battlefield. To the moment I’d felt Daimonion’s gaze. I’d gone still, the hair on the back of my neck standing up, and I’d known then that I was going to make him pay for killing my parents.
I pushed the thought away. I’d been cocky, arrogant, overconfident. And Ag had been the one to pay for it.
I landed outside the hangar and took a deep, steadying breath. All I wanted in this moment was Meredith. I wanted to watch her grin at me. I wanted to hear her musical voice–usually caught between humor and frustration whenever I was around. And I wanted to see her check me out when she thought I wasn’t looking.
I shoved that thought away too as I boarded the plane. That wasn’t happening.
I sat in my seat, the flight attendant ran through her spiel, and I nodded, already feeling itchy at the thought of being confined for so many hours.
“I’ll be asleep in the back after takeoff.” Every plane in Samael’s fleet was comfortable, with bedrooms to ensure his people arrived rested when they were doing business on the other side of the world.
As soon as we were in the air, I headed into the bedroom. Stripping off my clothes, I left them on an armchair near the bed and crawled beneath the covers. I didn’t need much sleep, but since I’d be stuck on this plane anyway, I may as well finish the trip rested.
This little jaunt had told me nothing. Nothing except that Daimonion was hurting. As much as it pleased me to know I’d damaged him, I needed to know where hewas.
I dropped my left shoulder, in a move Bael always cursed at me for. But he’d fallen for it more than once.
I waited. Waited. Almost grinned as Daimonion raised his sword. I added a slight stumble, showcasing just how tired I was from this battle.
Daimonion swung, and I tensed, my every muscle ready to move, to slice the assassin’s head from his body.
Ag launched himself in front of me. It took me a moment to recognize what I was seeing. Ag…
No.
Daimonion’s sword struck Ag, cutting across his shoulder. I knew my uncle, and he would shake that off. I stepped to the side, but Ag refused to move. Refused to allow Daimonion near me.
And then Ag started to burn.
I roared, coming awake to find both of my hands lit up with demon fire. The door opened, and the human flight attendant stood outside the bedroom, her face draining of color as her gaze latched on to my hands.
I snarled. “Out.”
She turned and hurried away, closing the door behind her.
I took a long, slow breath and managed to contain my fire. If Meredith were here, she would have made a smart comment about playing with fire in a confined space.
I scowled as my mood turned darker. The worst part of my situation with Mere? Most demons who were interested in humans had to deal with their natural fear of us. Mere had never been afraid of me. She’d only been afraid of the fact that I knew her deepest secret.
It had been Mere I’d wanted to turn to after I lost Ag. But I’d stayed away, and I was sure now that it was the right choice.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and buried my head in my hands. Samael’s words had played on a loop in my head since I’d left the underworld.
“He asked me to protect you. To allow you your vengeance, but to not allow the rage in your blood to make you risk everything.”Ag had risked everything to save me when I was a baby. Taking a demon so young through the portal had decimated his powers, and they had been gradually returning as I aged.
All he’d ever wanted was to see Lucifer and Daimonion pay for what they did to our family. To see Samael on the throne, to see our people thriving once more.
Instead, I’d gotten him killed.
3
MEREDITH
Istood on Roxboro Street, my hands on my hips as I took in the black SUV, which still had all four doors open. Most of the street had been closed this entire time, which was unusual, to say the least. Something told me it had a lot to do with the fact that the missing woman was high fae.
