“Duncan?” I ask. This didn’t happen to Lucifer. Shit, I should have read the fine print.
Bernard pushes past me and clasps Duncan’s shoulders. “Listen, Duncan, you have taken the life of a Prince of Hell, and ingested his power. Your body is going to fight you, your soul is going to try to reject the power. If it succeeds, you will die. Let it in.”
Duncan grips Bernard’s forearms just as the doors clang open and a flood of demons spill into the room surrounding us. I point my trident at them. “Stay back,” I warn.
“They are with me and wish you no harm, Pandora. It wouldn’t be worth their lives to touch you when the King of Hell has a strict hand’s off policy for you.”
I study the demons, their entire focus on my best friend. I drop the trident to the floor and kneel behind Duncan. Floods of pain emanate from his body as I wrap my arms around his waist and hold him through the tremors. What have I done? Tears stream down my cheeks and as I enfold him in my arms and Bernard tries to brace him through the pain. “I love you,” I push into his mind. “Fight, Duncan, I can’t do this without you.” I draw up the memories of us. From the day he rescued me, to the training, the support, the friendship, the warmth and comfort I always feel in his presence. I let it wash over me and into him. The tremors lessen as he sinks further to the floor.
Someone tugs on my arm. I look up at Bernard, his expression tight. “Natia, stand, he’s accepted the fate you’ve forced on him.”
I peel myself from Duncan’s back and stand on shaky legs. Duncan shudders, then raises inch by inch like the weight of the world is on his shoulders.
Bernard drops to one knee and bows his head, the other demons following. Duncan spins towards me, his chocolate brown gaze swallowed by obsidian. Power skitters over his flesh. He glares at me and I swallow down the lump in my throat, which hits my stomach like a lead weight.
“We pledge our loyalty to Duncan,” Bernard booms. “The new Prince of Greed.”
29
Chapter Twenty Nine
Lucifer
She may love Lucifer, but she needs to dread the Devil.
The little temptress has pulled the wool over our eyes once more, and I can’t say I’m surprised. When are we going to stop being surprised by the woman that has cheated death? What I am unclear about is what her plan is. She hasn’t had time to study and come up with some convoluted scheme that is likely to end in her suffering. She knows she can’t leave with him. I’d reassured her that Duncan would be well cared for by the prince.
“Where now?” Zee asks as we arrive on top of my skyscraper in Greed.
“What’s her plan?” Archan grits out as he paces.
An almighty clang makes us all jump. I tip my head to the stormy sky and watch as a lightning strike buries itself in the prince’s building. I shake my head. “No fucking way. She wouldn’t dare.”
I teleport to the roof of the building in question. I could teleport directly to the prince’s apartment, but the others can’t, and I don’t want the wrath of two primordial gods on top of the rage I feel. The others arrive a second behind me as I fling open the door and storm down the stairs.
“She wouldn’t dare do what?” Jed shouts behind me. Their footsteps bang on the marble as I launch through the door and stride through the master bedroom. I suck in a breath and steel myself for what fucked up disaster awaits me as I yank open the door to the main living area. Natia’s stunned turquoise gaze meets mine over the gathered demon warriors that have fallen at her feet. I let out the breath I was holding. So she hadn’t done the deed.
The figure in front of her spins and faces me.
Jed halts to my right, Archan to my left. Zee pushes past us all and strides over to Duncan.
“What the fuck did you do?” he hollers at Natia whilst gripping Duncan’s biceps.
She blinks back the tears that sit in the wells of her eyes. “I made it so he can get out of this place,” she whispers.
“You are naïve and selfish,” I grind out. “You haven’t freed him, you’ve doomed him to a life in Hell.”
She shakes her head as her eyes widen. “He can go wherever he wants now.”
I resist the urge to throttle her, although Archan is looking like he might beat me to it. “Duncan is now a Prince of Hell. He must spend at least fifty percent of his time here. His life force is now intricately woven with the fabric of Greed.”
“You couldn’t have just waited,” Zee growls. “No, Natia has to have what she wants.”
Duncan remains silent. He’s barely holding himself together. No surprise given the power he’s processing. “You fucked up the normal passing of power,” I state.
The lizard demon closest to them raises his head. Bernard. I nod at him, giving him permission to speak. “Sire, William made Duncan a soul eater less than twenty-four hours ago. Now he’s eaten the heart of William before giving him a true death.” He stares at the slumped, headless figure on the sofa. I close my eyes and pray to the only god that listens to me for the strength to not murder Natia.
“Everyone out,” I yell.
