Fiza smiled, her lips peeled back to reveal razor-sharp teeth. “It’s beenawfulplaying the part of your maid. I hated every minute of servitude,” Fiza confessed. “We bow to no mortal. Being servants here was … degrading to the extreme … but not without its uses.”
Elizabeth jerked on her bonds, her heart hammering against her ribs. Fiza wouldn’t be telling her this if she thought there was any chance of her getting away.
“Fiza…” she pleaded. “Fiza, we were friends…”
“Were we?” Fiza scoffed. “I am a mid-level demon of the Leviathan house. Mortals are nothing to us. You thought so highly of yourself, coming from a noble house, when truthfully, your kind are below us. Should bow tous.” Fiza sounded mad.
“Butyou? Not Finnigan?”
This had to be some foul joke.
“Finnigan? That undemonic do-gooder? If it weren’t for him being hopelessly smitten with my sister, he would have told Betsael of his suspicions long ago. He long suspected where our true loyalties were.”
Elizabeth’s tone was pleading. “I don’t understand.”
“He’s been trying to convince us to stop, to abandon the vision we have for what is best for our race.”
“But I saw him! I saw him plotting in the garden. Talking about some foul plan he was trying to hatch.”
“I do not know what you saw, but hate him if you will. I care not.”
Maud prowled closer. “Fizalind, let’s get this over with.”
Fiza held out a hand, silencing her. “Too long. Too long have I waited for this moment. Years and years of playing the nice little maid to gain entry into this house and serving all his stupidwhores. Forgive me, sister, if I savour the moment of our triumph.”
“How?” Elizabeth asked. She was desperate to keep her talking. To prolong whatever they had planned for her.
“There was an alliance formed with an angel who is sympathetic to our cause.”
“An angel? But you’re a demon,” she said slowly. “I thought you hated angels. You told me so on our ride that day.”
Fiza laughed coldly. “I don’t trust angels. And neither should you. That much was true.”
“But … you’re in Caspian’s house,” she protested, desperately searching for a way to free herself. She wrenched at her bonds again, but they held firm.
She felt for the well of magic within her, but it was gone. She had exhausted herself from the previous day.
“So, if you’re in Caspian’s house … aren’t you loyal to him?”
“I am awater demon, stupid mortal. Maud and I are here on loan from Leviathan. We are inhishouse.Heis the demon prince we obey. Leviathan formed an alliance with Raziel. Soon, our Master will be the supreme ruler of the Underworld and stand poised to conquer the mortal lands as well. Water demons have always stood a cut below the rest, but no longer. Now, the humans will treat us like gods, and we will take over.
“Your seas are full of demons already,” she pointed out. “Sea serpents, banshees, kelpies, mermaids, water imps, sprites. All are preparing to strike.”
“How did they get through the portal?” Elizabeth asked, desperate to keep her talking. Maybe if she played for time, there was a chance Asmodeus would return, or she regained some of her powers so she could break free and run.
“How do you think?” Maud cut in with a hateful smirk. “It took us years to plumb the depths and secrets of this castle. To sneak in our brothers and sisters when the castle was quiet, and the Master was out. One by one.”
“And now, you. The final piece to the puzzle, and something that will save us an immense amount of time,” sneered Fiza. “You know where the amulet is. We’ve seen it in your thoughts. We know you’ve seen it, touched it.”
She recoiled at the admission. Fiza had been reading her thoughts?
“Someone asked you to tell them about the amulet. He said, ‘Lying to me would be a very bad idea.’ He even insisted that we give you more time to soften and open up. He didn’t want to hurt anyone unless there was no other choice. But you refused to be reasonable.”
“Ambriel?” Elizabeth asked, startled.
“Yes. Ambriel,” Fiza said, slinking closer to her. “Patron angel of the Gemini. Notoriously two-faced. I did warn you.”
Elizabeth’s heart sank. All those walks in the fields and kind words and offers of protection. It had all been a lie. He had just been using her.
