“Why?” I asked, hating the crack in my voice on that one word.
Lexi’s scowl deepened, the gold in her amber-brown eyes glinting like an inner fire. “I think you need to leave. Now.”
Chapter 10
Lilith
Peeking over the edge of the rooftop, I spotted the shadow darker than the rest. Demigod senses were easy enough to fool, but shifters were trickier. There was still so much work to be done, and working around the observant sentry was the fun part of the challenge. Carefully, quietly, I crossed the roof and dropped off the back, disappearing into the deepening night.
Salem buzzed with energy as I soaked in the chaos I’d stirred up. There were a couple unexpected twists, but my plan thus far had played out beautifully.
The little upstart bitch wouldn’t know what hit her by the time I was done.
I hadn’t expected Lucifer’s emotional reactions, however. He’d had mortal attachments in the past, but this was different in a way that made me want to rip the red right out of her hair. Even though I’d effectively driven a spike into whatever relationship they had, I feared it wouldn’t last long enough to suit my purpose.
The handsome boy brimming with the power of Apollo had played his part, at least. He’d taken the bait, invited the bitch along on his rounds. I only wished Lucifer hadn’t been so resistant to the charm he’d been more than willing to play along with in the past. I would’ve liked to have been doing much more than kissing when the little tart walked in.
As for my demons… well, apparently I’d underestimated her ability. And her own personal allies. She was hardly ever alone, so it was hard to time the attacks just right, but I’d made an assumption and it was wrong.
Rare, but it happened occasionally.
What I needed to find was a workaround for the busybody trickster. Loki was an unexpected, and unwelcome, surprise. His dislike for me spanned millenia, before his current iteration was even an idea in the minds of the powers scrambling for some semblance of godhood in a new world. Despite all the history Lucifer and I had, it seemed Loki was in a position that could possibly turn him against me. He would need to be dealt with, and soon.
I approached the edge of the sprawling town Salem had grown into since my last visit. The wards were powerful in their own right, but they weren’t meant for such feeble hands to wield. When I punched through on my first day, I left a scar, a weakness that had yet to be detected by the pitiful excuses for witches. That weakness is where I slipped out.
Lifting the borrowed shirt, I caressed the healed scar on my stomach with a grin. A couple more days and the scar would be gone, as well. It’d been worth the pain, having Abaddon implant the talismans inside me. If I hadn’t seen it for myself, I would never have believed how easily Lucifer’s ability to detect lies could be countered. He was almost mine again, and with a few tweaks to that fool’s idiotic plans, I could put Abaddon in a tight spot for Lucifer to take advantage of and take care of the witch bitch at the same time.
I almost fell for the cliché urge to laugh out loud at how well my players were playing. Letting my human form fall away, I embraced the pull of the Hellcraft amulet in my midsection, letting it whisk me away undetected. Alongside it, a third talisman had been placed, smaller but no less powerful for all that it could hide my actions from most, if not all, Sight. Any seer allies from either side would have no clue what I was getting up to, which made betrayal so much easier.
But for now, Abaddon needed my guidance. And with the trickster’s unexpected involvement, I would happily guide him toward a certain Midgard serpent, with plenty of extra distractions to go around.
My favorite kinds: chaos and destruction.
Chapter 11
Lexi
I’m not doing this again.
Lucifer had a wealth of complicated history behind him, I got that. There was no use in letting myself go nuts over every piece that was revealed. Hell, I even knew he and my dad had a bunch of history, though all I’d gotten out of them was something about a deal with a pope and some European monastery.
I shuddered. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know that story.
Regardless, I couldn’t afford to go off the deep end every time his actions clashed with what I thought I knew. It hurt to see him with Lilith—fuckingLilith—but if he insisted there was an explanation, I could be rational and hear him out. Maybe he was using his not insubstantial skills to get information.
Or maybe he really was gonna sleep with her. Maybe he already has.
The counter shuddered under my fists. I looked down and groaned. Two dozen freshly iced cupcakes were now flattened mud pies littered across the stainless steel surface.
This. This was exactly why I didn’t need to lose my head about everything.
“Everything okay, boss?”
I latched onto Kameron’s soft voice like a lifeline, spinning to meet his light blue eyes. “Not really, but thanks for asking. I’m not great at controlling my emotions, and my power has a tendency to act up when I’m…”
“Emotional?” he finished, a small smile on his face. “Do you need me to make more cookies?”
Laughing, I shook my head and started scraping the mess into the trash. “I need to find a coping mechanism that doesn’t rely on others.”
