“I thought we said no shop talk,” I snapped. I needed Eloise relaxed to get the information I needed. Everyone looked suitably chastised and started eating again.
Lucifer’s lips twitched. “It’s rare that I am the least hated person in the room. I rather enjoy it.”
Eloise’s hand froze with a forkful of mashed potatoes near her lips. “I haven’t forgotten your last visit,” she said. “I still owe you for the scar.”
Scar? My gaze scanned my grandmother. Nothing but perfection. Where and how had he scarred her? Ugh, I didn’t care.
“How goes world domination, mother?” Dayna asked. Anita scowled at her younger sister.
“Slowly, but I’m getting there,” Eloise said.
Abaddon clamped his hand around his wineglass. “It never works out well, trust me.”
“Agreed,” Lucifer added. “Try ruling a small country first as practice. That way, you can iron out the kinks before expanding your empire.”
Life coaching by Lucifer.
My grandmother smiled. “I already have. The elementals were my testing ground. I’ve cut my teeth on ruling the strongest faction.”
There were murmurs of disagreement around the table.
“It’s not a pissing contest,” I snapped. “I said no shop talk. World domination, death, ruling, presidents, politics—none of it is welcome at my Christmas table. Don’t like it, then leave.”
Harry floated around the dining table, his eyes focused on Eloise as he circled us. “I don’t trust her.”
Rebecca smirked, but said nothing. Wise woman. It was best not to remind my grandmother about the spirits that could see and hear everything she did. This was also part of my plan, one which Harry had reluctantly agreed to. Eloise was about to be haunted.
“You have commanded quite the room of powerful allies, Granddaughter. I am proud.”
Spare me. After she had her pet torturer gut me, I no longer sought her approval. “I’m awash with giddiness at your praise,” I deadpanned. Her brows furrowed. What did she expect? “You know, we were talking about the importance of family,” I said.Careful, Cora, this was like poking a beehive and hoping to score honey instead of venom.
“Family is very important. Genetics makes you who you are,” she agreed.
Not exactly. I had ended up relatively normal, even though I had the blood of a tyrannical narcissist and the angel of death in my veins.
“Exactly. I would love to know more about my mother.”
Eloise froze for a breath and then continued to eat. The supernaturals around me knew I was asking for a good reason, even if they were clueless why.
“What in particular?”
I shrugged. “What she was like as a child, her favorite food. Which subjects she enjoyed. What books she liked to read. Did she dance? Go to concerts?” You know, normal stuff I could ask my aunts—and already had. Eloise had a blind spot, however, and I was playing into it.
She recounted the many ways she knew my mother, but also revealed so much more, like the fact she didn’t know her at all. Not a surprise, since Eloise had birthed children for power, not to nurture.
Abaddon frowned at me. “What are you up to?”
I barely suppressed the squeak. He could speak in my mind?
His lips twitched as my aunts cleared the table and dished up the apple pie. All the while, my grandmother continued her monologue about how well she knew her own blood.
“Don’t interfere.”He glanced between me and Eloise.
Raising my spoon, I pointed it at Abaddon. “I know so little about him, but he’s not exactly an open book. I’d love to know even more about the Roberts’ side to help me plug the gap.”
Abaddon pressed his lips into a thin line, and Eloise nodded like she was better than an archangel.
“Well, your great-grandmother, as you know, was an expert spell caster that altered the curse placed on our bloodline, so that the firstborn of each generation would drain their father’s magic and life force. But you seem to have found a workaround for that little problem,” she said, looking between me and Hudson. This was my opening.
