Lucifer turned back to the scroll and read.
“The Nephilim Prophecy.”
That’s what this was about? I’d already read the prophecy, but Lucifer obviously wanted to do his song and dance, so who was I to stop him?
“When the Morning Star goes to war with the Nephilim of his bloodline, only one shall survive,” Lucifer intoned.
But then he kept reading.
“On the night of a hundred thousand stars, the Morning Star will drink of its bloodline, until even kings will bow to greatness.”
I went very still. Lucifer’s eyes had taken on a crazed light as he turned back to me.
“We’re not at war, granddaughter. You’re in my home, and will bond with my heir. You’ll be loyal tome, and I will reward that loyalty by not killing the mongrel in my dungeons. By not sending my people to slaughter your sister.”
I met his eyes. He now looked almost bored. “You have two choices. You will either submit and give me your powers on the night of one hundred thousand stars, and take Pischiel as your bondmate, or I will take your power by force and slaughter you directly after.”
“Why even give me a choice?”
“My people have been pleased to have their princess back where they can see her. They enjoy that you were taken from Samael and look forward to seeing you bond with the demon I have chosen as my heir. There are bets on when you will have the ceremony, which color dress you will wear, even the sex of your first child.” Lucifer looked hopelessly amused at the thought.
It was good PR. That was what it came down to. Lucifer didn’t care one way or another whether I lived, but if I did happen to stick around, he’d keep me powerless, prance me around in uncomfortable dresses, and ensure Pischiel was keeping an eye on me at every turn.
“Wow, you must be really desperate at this point, huh?”
Lucifer went still, his expression warning me not to continue. “What, exactly, do you mean by that?”
“Sounds like popular opinion is swaying toward Samael. Loyalty is hard to hold on to when you’re a blood-crazed despot. So, you figure you can keep me around long enough to kill him and retain your tenuous grip on power.”
“Tenuous?” He laughed, his hand lashing out to grab my wrist. He pulled me to my feet and dragged me back through the throne room, the guards jumping into action to open the balcony doors for him.
Fresh air hit my face, and within a moment, Lucifer had snatched me into his arms, his wings unfurling. We rose above the palace, and I held on for dear life, terror making my head spin. If he dropped me now, I’d be impaled by one of the pointed turrets.
Lucifer soared through the air, and I breathed through my mouth as my stomach swam. I was used to flying with Samael, but I trustedhimnot to suddenly drop me. Within a few minutes. we left the green fields surrounding the palace behind.
“Where are you taking me?”
Lucifer ignored that, clearly deep in thought. I had a feeling he was contemplating my death, anyway, weighing up whether it was worth keeping me around.
We flew over a town, then a few minutes later a larger city, the spires of the temples below us glowing in the sunrise. Demons flew through the air, using some kind of traffic system known only to them. All of them darted out of the way as Lucifer approached, and I dropped my gaze to the buildings below us. Narrow alleys, bustling streets, courtyards packed with vendors selling their wares.
And in the distance, to the west, emerald meadows stretched out until they met a chain of mountains, the peaks jutting high into the sky.
If the metal cuff around my wrist hadn’t prevented me from talking to Samael, I would’ve told him just how beautiful his realm was.
Of course, Lucifer didn’t head toward the meadows. Or toward the scent of salt in the air, which told me we were approaching an ocean.
No, he turned east, and the entrancing scenery below us…changed.
The grass turned yellow and dry. Then it disappeared completely, revealing nothing but mud and dust.
He continued to fly for another five minutes or so, and ugly wooden buildings appeared below us, caged by tall fences with barbed wire, guards stationed every twenty feet or so.
People shuffled along, one after the other, moving away from the entrance of the… mine. This was a mine. All of the people here wore metal around their wrists. Just like the prisoners who were currently rotting in Lucifer’s dungeon. And most of them had nothing but stubs where their wings had once been.
Demon wings were made up of feathers, tendons, and muscles. Having them removed must be like losing an arm or a leg. Bile flooded my mouth.
It was dark, and from what I could see, most of the prisoners were walking toward the buildings where they must sleep. But ten or fifteen of them had been lined up near the entrance to the facility, all of them still had their wings.
