Shadow gave her a lopsided grin. “Neither do I. At least not until we beat some answers out of Belial, which I relish the thought of doing. For now, lay your worries aside. Leucious and I are here to ensure nothing ill befalls you or your lord.”
She wasn’t sure why she trusted him, but she did.
Maybe because his was the one, true memory she felt and he seemed remarkably calm and kind, in spite of his words.
Nodding, she let out a relieved breath and settled down beside Valteri.
Yet in the back of her mind lay an uneasy feeling.
This wasn’t going to be as easy as Shadow made it sound. She knew it. There was something insidious about their family.
And she needed to know what.
Belial scrambled from Thorn, but Thorn wouldn’t let him get far.
“What did you do?”
“I told you, I did nothing.”
“Fine. I’ll get Michael here and you can explain to him how it is that you allowed his daughter to marry a mortal.”
Belial went cold at the threat. “You do it and I’ll summonyourfather.”
Thorn laughed. “You want me to? Been awhile since I saw old Daddykins. If you’re trying to threaten me, it won’t work. Remember that we’re the same flesh, he and I. You have failed him. I just piss him off.”
He paled with the knowledge.
“That’s right, bobbin. You, he would gut. Me…” Thorn shrugged. “I just get lectured. He’s still hoping to charm me back into his fold.” Which was why Michael and his ilk refused to trust him. They were terrified that one day he would cave in and return to his father’s loving embrace.
Kadar was the king of all evil. The lightless void that made the dark so terrifying.
And he’d rather die than ever play nice with that bastard.
Not that they made it easy on him with the vim they showed where he was concerned. Honestly, he wasn’t sure why he continued to fight for their cause. Even though he was evil incarnate, his father was much kinder to him, most days.
But then, he knew.
Damnherfor it. Women were the curse of them all, and the woman he’d given his own heart to had done a fine number on him.
And that made him want to rip the wings off Belial.
The demon put up his hands to shield himself. “She’s been cursed. Not by me. By a witch. And there’s nothing we can do. Ariel’s trapped here until the curse is met.”
“Well, that fucking reeks!”
Belial straightened and shrugged. “Only if you’re Ariel.”
He glowered at him. “And so, what? You thought if you corrupted her while she was human, you could hand over her soul to your masters?”
Belial nodded.
Thorn rolled his eyes. “My father would have laughed at you for the offer.”
“Nay, he would not!”
He snorted. “I negotiate with the bastard constantly. Do you really think that I don’t know what he’ll take and when he’ll say to piss off?”
“The soul of an Arel—”
