Anger burned through me as shock zapped down my spine. I glanced down and glared at the fucking thing. No wonder I'd felt so weak, it wasn't just blocking off my powers; it was killing me. "And what are you going to do once you have it?"
"Oh, I'm so glad you asked!" She bounced back on her heels and twirled around. "I'm going to bring back the blood witch coven so we can destroy balance once and for all."
"Destroy balance?"
"Why, yes. Balance is just too much work." She waved her hand back and forth as she stopped twirling. "I'd much rather do what I want, when I want, without worrying about the realms imploding."
"And what about the people who get hurt when the balance tips to evil?"
She lifted her shoulders and arms in a shrug. "Collateral damage."
"Does Gabriel know all of this?"
"Of course not." She scoffed as her eyes narrowed in on me. "He would've never agreed to help if he knew his precious Lilith would die."
"Precious." I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, right."
"He loves you. Obsessed rather. That angel has eyes only for you." She tsked. "But there is a werewolf who adores him. I told him to give her a shot, but no. He only wants you."
"But he knows I won't ever—"
"I told him you would love him if he just listened to me," she bragged. "And like a fool, he followed me blindly."
"He's not stupid, you know? He's already suspicious of you, and you just exposed your plan." I stepped forward, refusing to let myself be afraid of a bitch like her. "I'll make sure to let him know."
"That's fine. You're helpless to stop it anyway. It's too late for anyone to intervene."
My heartbeat pounded in my skull, and my vision blurred. "If all you wanted was my power, why go through all the shit you did to help create me?"
"Haven't you heard the prophecy?" She stepped forward, meeting me toe-to-toe as her heels clicked on the resin floor. "You had to become the Crimson Demon to house the powers, and now, I will have those powers." She let out an excited squeal.
I squeezed my fists together, nails biting into my palm. "Does King Zelek know of your plans?"
"No," she spat, her demeanor changing from frolic in a meadow psycho to rip out your intestines to wear as a shawl psycho. "I don't have your powers yet, so I can't go against a King of Hell."
Anger surged through my body like a tsunami, and I wanted to blast her with it. But with this bracelet, I couldn't do that. "You better hope your spell kills me, because if it doesn't, I'll kill you instead."
She threw her arms out and spun around again; her menacing laughter bouncing off the walls and slinking over my skin like the warning I knew it was.
"What about Viktor? Was he just a pawn or was he really offsetting balance?"
She stopped, facing me with that evil glint in her eyes. "Oh, Viktor. He was a generous lover. But to answer your question, he offset balance. He was working with me, but unfortunately, sacrifices needed to be made."
Lover? I squirmed in discomfort at the thought of the semi-normal witch being intimate with a half-abandoned.
"Judging me, are you?" Her eyes flickered down at me. "You're intimate with four men. Three vampires and a demon."
"I'm not just intimate with them. I love them." My heart ached. It was as if my soul was shattered into a million pieces with the most important ones missing.
"Too bad you won't see them before you die." She leaned in, twirling a lock of my hair around her finger as she sniffed me. "Make sure you tell Gabriel to pass along anything you may want to tell them."
"You fucking bitch." A wave of nausea rippled through me and I covered my mouth.
"Witch, actually." She snubbed her nose in the air before stepping back. "Enjoy your last three-ish weeks of life. I'll take fantastic care of your power, Crimson Demon."
And with that, she puffed out of the room, leaving a thick red residue that looked a lot like blood. I stumbled back, smacking against the wall and sliding down it.
Fuck. It’s worse than I thought.
