“Stop this madness,” he snarled at himself, spinning back around and forcing his feet forward. “This isn’t the time to entertain delusions.”
The spies could be there. Lurking in the shadows, watching you right now.
“They’re not and you know it.”
Lucifer could already be onto you. He could know everything you’re doing.
“Be quiet, you incessant nag.”
Well aware that he was insulting himself, he reached the grand entrance to the castle and gripped the ring handles, throwing the towering doors wide. Before him was the grand hall where Paimon had once sat upon her throne, her demon camel steed by her side.
Now it was empty.
Murmur had no desire to sit upon a throne or throw torture parties and delight in the humiliation of the disobedient. The disobedient were disposed of and forgotten. He didn’t have time to spare with them. The hall had been empty since his takeover, and Paimon’s vacant throne upon the dais did nothing but collect dust.
He bypassed the entire room, heading down a runner rug toward the exit at the far end.
“Master,” the gargoyles guarding the doors greeted as he approached. He’d placed a rotating shift at every entrance since that angel had infiltrated his lair to liberate Raum from the dungeons.
The demons bowed deeply, and he paused before passing through. “Anything from the scouts to report?” he asked. These guards were also tasked with collecting information from all the others in order to update him.
“Nothing, Master. The territory is quiet.”
Murmur’s mouth twisted as he accepted this response.If Lucifer’s spies were there, some measly scouts wouldn’t detect them.
“But my souls would,” he muttered.
Would they?
Silencing the mental voice with a shake of his head, he pushed open the doors and continued down another long hall. Offshoots led to passages underground and to the other towers in the castle.
Many of his minions roomed in those towers, and he neverdisturbed their spaces. He had no desire to witness whatever slovenly hovels they occupied. So long as they obeyed orders when he gave them, he was content to leave them to their own devices. If he had his way, he wouldn’t have legions at all. He preferred to be alone.
He took a turn and finally reached the entrance to his tower, the doors to which were guarded by another two gargoyles. They greeted him with subservient bows.
He stopped. The demons he entrusted with his tower security were ones who had managed to impress him with mild competency. It was well known throughout the lair that no one was to enter the master’s tower, and those he entrusted with sentry duty knew never to abuse their privilege and encroach on his privacy.
The only demons allowed regular access to the tower were his cleaning staff, who came to change the linens, launder his clothes, and bring water to wash. But even they were forbidden from entering the library and were always careful to leave firewood and lantern fuel outside the door.
“Is there something you need, Master?” one of the guards asked as they straightened from their bows. Murmur usually blasted past them without a second glance, so he forgave them their question.
He couldn’t believe he was about to do this.
“Which one of you went to Earth the first time to procure food and water?”
One of the demons straightened. A red-skinned gargoyle a good two feet shorter than Murmur. “It was I, sir.”
Demons were only allowed to visit Earth when a King or Queen of Hell assigned them a human to influence, whose soul was ripe for corruption and thus claimable for the Nine Rings upon their death. Failure to comply with the rules resulted in punishment from Heaven.
The entire rivalry between Heaven and Hell struck Murmur as a complete waste of time, and he wanted no part in it. Hedidn’t give a flying fuck about humans and their precious immortal souls.
And he’d stopped giving a flying fuck about the rules a while ago, too. After seeing Belial and his brothers make a life for themselves outside of the system, he’d become less wary of being caught. He could get away with a few short trips, and so could his minions.
“You will return to Earth and gather more food,” he told the gargoyle. “And you will procure … clothing.” He winced. Just speaking it aloud was embarrassing.
The demon blinked. “Clothing, sir?”
“Clothing for a human female roughly this size.” He held his hand up to just below his chest, where the top of Suyin’s head was when she stood beside him. Why he remembered that precise detail when he could scarcely remember to dress himself properly was a mystery.
