The Ice Queen stood and straightened. “You’re more formidable than you look, I’ll grant you that.”
Lucifer cocked an eyebrow. “Oh? And how do I look?”
“Like a spoiled prince, expecting everything to be delivered to him on a silver platter,” the Ice Queen said, considering him. “And conceited.”
“Oh, he’s quite conceited,” I agreed, finding myself nodding.
Lucifer sent me an exasperated look. “Well, it’s certainly notmyfault I’m so charming and handsome.”
The Ice Queen smiled. “You also talk too much.”
As they’d been exchanging words, ice had formed on the ceiling over Lucifer. A large icicle fell, threatening to crush Lucifer beneath its weight. The icicle split in half as it neared his head, however, falling to either side in a loud crash as the pieces broke apart.
Freya finally broke free and stepped up next to me. She made quick work of my own bonds while Lucifer and the Ice Queen threatened one another, and I sighed with relief as my feet were freed of their icy prison. “Divide her attention. She can’t attack all three of us at once.”
I nodded, beginning to move around to flank the Ice Queen’s right side, while Freya took her left.
Lucifer yawned. “I assume you’ll have something impressive to show me at some point?”
The Ice Queen snarled. “Oh, yes, pretty prince. Just you wait.”
Before Lucifer could retort, everything froze. But not literally this time. Or perhaps itwasliterally. Rather, nothing became coated inice, but everything came to a standstill.
I was confused at first, trying to lift my foot to continue the tactic Freya had suggested, but I found myself immobilized by some unseen force. Only my eyes were able to move, shifting around to find the others in the same predicament. Freya was crouched low, blades in hand, sizing up her adversary, while Abigail sat placidly on a throne. Lucifer had a cocky grin on his face, even as the Ice Queen, the only one unaffected by the sudden strange phenomena, strolled up to him. Lucifer’s eyes burned as he watched her approach.
She grinned wickedly. “You, darling, are handsome, indeed. It’ll be a shame to destroy you. But, c’est la vie.” She shrugged as she lifted her arms and regarded them. “I’m even more powerful than I’d imagined. I can freeze people in place. I can probably freeze time itself if I had a mind to.” She spoke to Abigail. “Did you fathom such power?”
“I didn’t,” Abigail admitted, suddenly moving of her own accord. I tried to move my limbs, but they remained immobilized.
Abigail approached her father and smiled up at him. “And queen takes king,” Abigail said with a contended sigh. “Rather inevitable.”
Drawing on the effects of the quick step potion I’d ingested earlier, I tried vibrating my feet and found that I was able to move them. I stared down at them for a moment as I focused on vibrating my legs along with them, and then my whole body. Whatever magic had been holding me in place released me, and I breathed a sigh of relief, until I noted the Ice Queen watching me with surprise.
Abigail cocked her head at me as well. “Well, that was unexpected.”
“For me as well,” I admitted. Hopefully the Ice Queen’s hold on Lucifer and Freya wouldn’t last long, and I would have reinforcements in a moment. All I needed to do was distract them for long enough….
“What are you doing, Abigail?” I asked as the girl crossed her arms, considering me.
She smiled that sharp-toothed grin of hers, unnerving to the end. “Oh, come now. You must have pieced it together by now. The Ice Queen was meant to stop Father from giving his pawn all that power. That would have shifted the balance significantly, making him unstoppable for Gods know how long. And he’s been in power for long enough, wouldn’t you agree?” She tutted as she glanced back at Lucifer. “He would never step aside and let me run Hell. And being immortal, he just won’tdie.It’s really quite selfish of him.”
“So, you took that power meant for Erik and gave it toyourpawn,” I surmised.
“Precisely.”
“Excuse me?” the Ice Queen scoffed, hands going to her hips as she frowned down at Abigail. “Pawn?”
Abigail waved the witch’s indignance away. “Oh, come now. Who came up with this plan in the first place? Someone who can handle the running of Hell in the Devil’s absence. AnewDevil. You, my dear queen, would rule by my side, my general of war. It has a lovely ring to it, doesn’t it? With my brain and your powers, we would make for an unstoppable pair.”
“But … why would you go to the effort of having Lucifer waive the remainder of my tasks?”
“Oh, that,” Abigail nodded. “I figured you would be open to striking a similar deal with me once Father was out of the way, especially since I was the one who freed you. My terms would be much less restrictive, of course.”
“Oh?”
“Of course! I’ve always admired your work.”
“Why, thank you. It’s nice to be recognized.”
