And if they were wearing Angelica’s ring.
The ring that could break the spell of three also allowed Gloria to place it on me.
And because I’d voluntarily bled for the spell, choosing to place it on myself, it would ensure that when Lucifer killed me, he would be weakened.
Hopefully weakened enough that the black books would help. And then Samael could kill him.
I made it close to the table before Lucifer turned. Close to where I was pretty sure the rowan arrow had dropped. The invisibility spell on the rowan was holding, so I could only hope I’d manage to snatch up one of the pieces.
“Tell them to chant,”I ordered Samael.
I felt his attention, felt the moment he could sense my resolve, when he figured out what I was about to do next.
He roared at me, his rage and pain so deep, it would have terrified me if I hadn’t seen the beautiful heart of him.
“Now,”I insisted.“They have to use the books now.”
His fury was endless. But I heard him give the order, felt it be passed on.
Lucifer’s hand wrapped around my hair as I swept my hand along the floor for one of the pieces of arrow. My palm pushed it further away, and I lunged, scalp burning, as Lucifer laughed.
Time slowed to a crawl. Keigan’s face flashed in my mind. Yusilin, dropped to the ground like trash. Kyla, at the mercy of her wolf. Samael’s parents. Ag. My father. The slaves. Everyone in this realm.
I turned and plunged the arrow into Lucifer’s thigh.
He screamed, his hand raising to hit me.
But it was too late. I’d ripped the arrow free, and I shoved the rowan into Lucifer’s own hand, squeezing his fingers tightly around it. I felt his confusion, but he was too busy focusing on the wound in his leg.
Lucifer wasn’t used to pain.
I was accustomed to constantly getting my ass kicked. To giving pain and taking it. But Lucifer? These days he was soft. And it would be his downfall.
Above the throne, the words carved into the wall blurred and changed.
“I give so you might give,” I screamed. “Do ut des.”
I threw myself at Lucifer’s hand.
And the arrow plunged into my chest.
22
SAMAEL
Nine books, held by nine creatures of power, all of them channeling the remainder of that power into the spells in the black books. I could feel each one, knew their exact location as they used the grimoires to harness that power. Could see their faces as if they were standing a few feet away.
Gemma, her old face twisted in disgust as she read from the grimoire in her hands.
Evie, tears dripping down her face in a way that told me sheknew.Knew what her sister had done, but she sobbed out the words anyway.
Aubrey, one hand absently ensuring his vines continued to hold a hellhound trapped beneath them as he chanted.
Meredith, her face covered in splattered blood, eyes on the grimoire as she screamed the words.
Next to her, Selina’s expression was almost serene as she gazed toward the palace, the words flowing off her tongue as if she was born to say them.
On the opposite side, near the palace gates, Hannah chanted, the black witch’s power streaming from her. Her face was gray with exhaustion, but her eyes were like two black coals as she spat each word.
