We would have made a promise of power for naught.
Gods only know how long she’s been missing from the hells. The days following Vaelyn’s ascension would have been chaotic enough as cover… but I’ve no way of knowing when she left.
“This Ylara, your sister, she’s another demon?” Rowen asks as he turns away from the fireplace, swirling a glass of brandy in his hand.
“Yes,” I answer. “The daughter of Indui and Netharis.” I turn to recount my steps across the room, ensuring the balled train in my arms is well out of the way. Rowen watches me with a worried stare. “There are thirteen of us, Rowen. All borne of different gods.”
Darin scoffs. “The possibility of twelve more Death Bringers running rampant in this realm isn’t ideal.”
It certainly isn’t.
Fenryn grins. “Thought you wanted your own demon,” he teases.
Darin shoots him a flat glare.
“I doubt—aside from Ylara—any of my siblings would seek escape,” I interject into their budding bickering.
Ylara would be the only of my siblings to understand and respect mortal life. The others… they would find joy and pleasure in destruction.
“If he doesn’t want demons to leave, why leave the veil torn?” Ryc asks.
I don’t have an answer.
He sits behind his desk, arms folded across his chest. With his jacket off and slung over the back of his chair he works at the buttons of his collar, leaving them undone.
We’re all through with today.
“Maybe he can’t?” Eve offers.
I shake my head. “I’ve witnessed Netharis seal tears with a snapof his fingers. Vaelyn should be capable of the same. He’s choosing not to.”
And I don’t know why.
“There has to be more to this I’m not seeing,” I say with a sigh. “These last few weeks… Vaelyn has proven he’s as much Netharis as Netharis himself. But he’s rash, inexperienced, messy. He lacks the centuries-long patience of our father.”
Ryc’s eyes narrow. “Are you saying we do nothing?”
I slow in my pace. “I’m saying we wait. We’ve not the time to hunt her. Not with everything else. Nor do we need to.”
I’m met with several concerned stares.
“Ylara will find her way to me,” I say, slowing to a stop. “We promised.”
I’ve been placed in an impossible situation with an impossible choice. Deny the promised favor and earn the spiteful ire of a god… or kill my littlest sister.
It’s not a decision I ever want to make.
“Ves…” Lilith’s worried voice trails off.
She sits beside Fenryn on the couch, though more than a respectful distance remains between them. I’m not the only one hiding truths from the council. They’re still not ready to breathe a word of their relationship to any other Sovereign King.
“It’s fine,” I say, brushing off her concern. “I’m fine. This is nothing new for the hells. It’s simply… been some time since I’ve been involved.”
Centuries.
It’s been centuries since I was lastactivelyinvolved in these games of the hells. Though, Netharis never had me target my siblings. Layer Lords, House Patriarchs, greater demons… they were all fair game. Easy to replace.
But Netharis’ children?
