“Why did Paimon capture you in the first place?” Suyin asked, showing once again how quick she was to get to the heart of the matter.
“I wasn’t always the loyal supporter of Lucifer that I am today.”
She blinked. “Is that a joke?”
“Yes, Suyin, it’s a joke, seeing as I am currently plotting to overthrow him at this very moment.”
She rolled her eyes. “So you’ve tried before.”
“I put my support behind another who did.”
“Who?”
“Her name is Naiamah, and she’s a Queen of—”
“Oh, I know who Naiamah is,” Suyin said. “When I lived in New York, I was friends with a group of witches who practice black magic and serve Naiamah. They were always trying to get me to join their coven.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“They’re big into male sacrifices. They like to catch creeps and sacrifice them for power rituals and shit. I’m not necessarily against killing rapists, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to be the one doing it.”
“Not even to have access to a formidable power source?” Murmur smiled thinly. “There’s nothing quite like the boost you get from a human sacrifice.”
She made a face. “I’m just not big into murder, okay?”
“I suppose that’s your choice to make.”
“Tell me more about Naiamah.”
“It was she who first suspected that Lucifer had an additional power source. We were long-time acquaintances—there’s no one better at procuring unusual items in Hell. She’s always despised Lucifer, so when she told me of her assumption, I was naturally curious. She asked for my help breaking into his inner sanctum to potentially uncover his secrets, and I agreed.”
“What was your beef with Lucifer?”
Murmur shrugged. “He is a colossal prick who’s been drunk on power for far too long. And, as I’ve told you before, I’d seen in visions of his fall for some time. Since I never knew when, I decided it was smart to get ahead of the game. Unfortunately, Naiamah and I were both caught. Paimon took me, and Lucifer took Naiamah. We paid a steep price for our betrayal, though I do believe Naiamah managed to escape several years before I did.”
“She didn’t come back to help you?”
“She didn’t know. My job was only to get past Lucifer’s wards, which I did. It was my own fault Paimon caught me. She sensed my magic and knew I was plotting against Lucifer, but she didn’t know how. She tried to torture it out of me, but I said nothing. As far as I know, no one ever connected me to Naiamah’s attempted break-in, and that is the way we both want to keep it.” He gave her a sharp look. “And if you value your life, you’ll keep that secret yourself.”
She shot him a look. “Obviously. Does Naiamah know what you’re planning now?”
“Of course not. I trust no one, least of all that conniving succubus. As I told you, I’ve been very careful to keep it secret,lest word reach Lucifer’s ears. I’d be dead before I ever got a chance to try my spell. Honestly, every hour that passes I’m amazed he hasn’t figured it out yet. If he were paying attention, he’d be able to sense my magic attacking his defenses. He could piece it together at any moment.”
Suyin looked rightly unsettled by that statement. The only reason Murmur didn’t have a similar reaction was because he was good at compartmentalizing. He’d sealed his fear and doubt in an inner vault where they couldn’t interfere with his progress.
“Let’s get this spell over with then,” she said.
He nodded, mentally chastising himself for feeling reluctant. It was her fault. She had bewitched him with a false sense of contentment. The sooner he got this over with and got her out of his life, the sooner things could return to normal.
“Yes,” he agreed. “I’ve drawn this out for long enough. I’m ready to be done.”
He stood, lifting Suyin with him, and then set her on her feet. She craned her neck to look into his eyes, and he smiled faintly at the sight. When had her delicate form become something he enjoyed? He distinctly remembered seeing her as weak when he first brought her here. Now, he knew she was anything but.
Just another way she had bewitched him.
“Come,” he said, leading her around the sofa toward the sigil on the floor. He picked up the freshly sharpened knife he’d laid out on the desk, turning it over in his hands. The blade was coated in the same anticoagulant potion that he used on his vials and bowls.
“That’s what you’re going to use?”
