ONE
What prophecy could be so fucking important?
The mottled sky ranged from smoky to colorless, and the water of the swimming hole was still. There was no splashing of the fish and no woodland animals scurrying near.
Sorrow filled the blue hues of the water because of the destruction of the once quaint clearing that held memories of my human life. Tall trees that used to rise out of the earth to graze the evening sky now littered the forest grounds, broken and splintered. A distinct swampy smell of algae mixed with blood and ash, invading my senses from the death seeping into the surrounding dirt.
Boiling with fury, I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw ached. “What prophecy are you talking about?”
Dad sighed, rubbing his brow. The gray crown on top of his raven-black hair shifted a bit as his red eyes met mine. “The prophecy about the Crimson Demon, about you.”
“How do you know it’s about me?” I dug my teeth into my bottom lip to take the pressure off my jaw.
I’d been human just a few months ago, but it was no wonder I’d fallen into the supernatural role with little resistance. He literally created my soul in Hell. It was all I knew.
“An…angel had a vision about you that matches the prophecy told by the seers.”
The cool Alaskan breeze tousled the strands of my vibrant red hair into my field of vision, and I swatted it away. “What angel?”
He drew in a long breath. “Gabriel.”
“And you trust him?” An onslaught of molten heat rushed through my veins as the cunning angel’s face popped into my mind. “He pierced me with an archangel sword after he finished playing with me. He tortured me with his stupid lightning.”
His face went dark as he shifted on his feet, stepping on a stick that broke under his weight. “I know, Lilith. I pushed for his extermination, and we went to trial. They demoted him to leading the Order of the Void to keep tabs on balance in the realms.”
Gabriel weaseled his way out of a much deserved punishment, like he always did. He may be an angel, but he was more immoral than I was—and I created demons for Hell’s sake. Human perception of Heaven and Hell wasn’t close to the truth. With my memories returning, it was clear human ideology had fucked with my mind more than it should’ve. I knew something wasn’t right my entire life, but I didn’t think it was this.
Why the hell did my dad leave me with my mother and brothers when I wasn’t fucking human?
My fangs descended as hatred prickled my gums, and I tore my gaze from my dad.
He fucked everything up.
Thaddeus, Blaise, and Kai were still bowing on one knee in the dirt in front of my dad while Aziel stood with his head down.
The gaping wound from Viktor’s bite had almost fully healed on Thaddeus’s neck without him consuming blood. I’d never had fear grip my heart the way it did when I saw Viktor bite into him. When the abandoned tore into Corbin right in front of my eyes, terror clutched me. But when Viktor bit Thaddeus, my entire world crumbled. Determination flooded through me, and I was so fucking grateful for my demon powers to awaken in that moment.
I let out a quick breath of satisfaction as he lifted his head and his emerald gaze found mine, but it was short-lived. As soon as our gazes locked, something snapped inside of me, fueling my anger.
He fucking knew. They all knew, and yet, they didn’t say one word to me.
Blaise jerked his head up. Black blood stained his white, spiky hair on the ends as a glaring reminder of the battle we’d just fought, and his gray eyes pleaded with me.
Stop reading my thoughts, asshole.
Kai lifted his head with his cracked lips morphed into a frown as he met my gaze. Your anger, he mouthed. The wind blew through the thickness of his red hair, messing it up even more than it already was.
How dare he try to remind me about control?
I balled my fists together, nails cutting into the heel of my palm. I had every fucking right to be angry. Hell, I was livid. I trusted them, and they kept something this fucking significant from me. If they suspected I was the Crimson Demon, then they suspected I was a demon—and each one of them kept their mouth shut.
Every single day up to the end I had a control mini-lesson with Kai, a training session with Blaise, and a mental exercise with Thaddeus. But not one of them said a damn thing to me. All the alone time, built trust, intimacy, and feelings that simmered below the surface obviously didn’t mean as much to them as it did me.
I would’ve told them.
Hellfire erupted at my fingertips, a blue glow illuminating their faces from the flames.
Aziel leaned his head up and took a step forward, holding his hand out. “My beloved,” he murmured, “King Zelek and I fought for Gabriel’s soul to torment in Hell. We tried for decades, but we were only successful in demoting him.”
