FOUR
Aziel
Molten anger rolled through my veins as I clenched my jaw so tight my teeth shattered before healing back together. Clutching my chest, I tried to control the throbbing of my heart, knowing my beloved was with Gabriel.
“You are obligated to get off your fucking throne and go get her!” My voice shook in a palsy of rage as I stood in front of Lilith’s slimy father.
His lazy eyes flicked over me, and his body was draped across his throne, as if his daughter being alone with the same man that killed her wasn’t a big deal. “I’m not obligated to do anything, Aziel. She’s safe with Gabriel. Queen Astral won’t allow him to harm a hair on her head.”
“Safe with Gabriel? Did you forget that he killed her?” Fury raced hot in my gut, and hellfire blazed like an inferno around the outline of my body.
The vampires took a step back from me.
King Zelek raised a brow, shifting up to sit higher in his seat. “Remember who you’re speaking to, guard demon.”
“I don’t give a fuck about your title!” I roared, stepping forward.
I’d fucking make this man see reason, King of Hell or not. Lilith didn’t need to be anywhere near that damn angel. It’d been almost an hour since he took her, and I couldn’t fathom the kind of twisted shit he could have already done to her.
I swore, if he spilt a single drop of her blood or marked her in any way, I would make him bleed out slowly and beg me to end his miserable existence.
Titan’s arm shot out and hit my chest mid-stride and panic flitted through his gaze. “Don’t do something stupid, Aziel.”
I met his hard gaze with a snarl, stepping up to him. “What’re you going to do to stop me? I’m stronger than you.”
“Maybe, but he’s stronger than you.” Titan refused to move his arm and lowered his voice. “If you get on his bad side, you won’t be able to help Lilith.”
My nostrils flared, but I took a step back.
“With all due respect, King Zelek, I agree with Aziel,” Thaddeus said, running a hand through his hair. “Lilith needs to be in Hell, doesn’t she?”
Kai and Blaise nodded in agreement.
“No,” King Zelek said.
“No? What’s your sodding problem?” Blaise growled, puffing up his chest as he spoke. “Lilith just came into bloody angel powers. She needs someone familiar around her, not someone who hurt and killed her for fuck’s sake!”
“Not to mention that bracelet he put on her to control her powers somehow,” Kai stated in a low voice. His eyes were glassy, as if he were biting back tears, and his arms wrapped around his middle.
“That was a millennium and a half ago, boys.” He reached up to adjust his crown on his head. “Gabriel has repented. Queen Astral and I have been in contact. In fact, I have a meeting in just a few minutes about this...situation.”
Situation? Are you fucking joking? Unease filled my mouth, and I spat on the floor in front of his throne. King Zelek’s eyes blazed with blue hellfire, and I met his glare with my own.
“You may trust Gabriel, but we don’t.” The muscles in Thaddeus’s jaw bunched.
It was the first time they’d seen the lack of emotion the King had for his daughter, but I’d known about it for as long as I’d been alive. He didn’t create me to protect his daughter. He created me to protect his property. Another growl tore from my chest. I was seconds away from attacking him, and I didn’t give a fuck how stupid it was.
“She’ll be fine. Give them a month with her, and if she’s still not home, I’ll go myself to get her back.” King Zelek stopped messing with his crown and rested his arms on the arms of the throne.
“A month?” Kai sputtered over the time frame. “You’re leaving her with him for that long?”
He sighed, rubbing his temples. “She’s my daughter, so you really have no say.”
“She’s everything to us,” Thaddeus said. “We should have more of a say than you.”
Anger festered inside me. It was taking everything I fucking had to not completely lose it, but as much as I hated to admit it, Titan was right. She needed me, and I couldn’t help her if her father killed me. Even if that fuckwad had her at his disposal.
The thought made me sick.
