“Just got my invitation this evening from a raven. In a few days, there will be a coronation for the half-breed princess. Ridiculous, if you ask me.” The man shook his head in disbelief. “Half demon, half angel. How is that even possible?”
Another man clucked his tongue. “We got an invitation too. I don’t know how we can support this. Angels have done nothing but wrong us. First, they took that piece of land to torture their dead, and now this. What’s next?”
“They’re saying that once the barrier is open, we can come and go to Earth as we please. I’m fine just where I’m at.”
They lowered their voices, but not enough to escape my sensitive hearing. “I think if the rumors are true and Prince Reve is back, he’s going to make his move tomorrow.”
“I heard he’s contacting old friends and organizing them.”
I looked over at Sammy, who was staring at the corner of the room where a group was gathered in a booth. They were focused on something at the head of the table, their gazes tilted up.
She grabbed my arm and squeezed so hard that I nearlyyelped. She slid off the barstool and walked quickly to the table.
I couldn’t tell what was said, but when she came back to her seat, she was frowning with tears in her eyes.
“What is it?” I took the last gulp of my beer.
“He was here. He was right here, Nico, but he left before I got to the table,” she whispered as a tear fell.
Her brother was the alpha dream demon, which meant he was someone’s literal worst nightmare; he could invade awake minds and had a phantom form. There was a reason a dream demon had ruled Inferna forever; no one could kill what they couldn’t touch. He didn’t just go invisible—it was like he wasn’t even there.
That was until Lilith came along and got to the prince before his abilities had fully developed.
“Let’s go. I think we have all the information we need.” I grabbed her hand, and we headed outside.
We had just stepped onto the road when something hit the back of my head. I stopped abruptly and turned. There was a pack of cackling coyotes, and at my feet was an unshelled walnut.
I really hated shifter villages.
There were three of them, but the odds were good for me. I rushed the group and punched the ringleader in the jaw, his head snapping to the side with force.
Before I got another swing in, Sammy yanked me away. The coyotes were making a ruckus over me punching one of them, but they didn’t come after us.
I shook out my hand as she led me back to the inn. I wasn’t too keen on the tongue-lashing she was going to give me. Sammy was a lover, not a fighter.
She was silent on the walk back, and once we were in the room, she grabbed a wet washcloth from the bathroom andtook my hand. I winced as she pressed the cold cloth to my knuckles. They were already bruising.
“I would have punched him if you hadn’t.” Her frown was deep, and sadness was in her eyes. “Is that what you always had to deal with? Hearing you tell stories about it is one thing, but seeing it up close like that...”
“It was worse. I was a scrawny thing too, and I didn’t know how to defend myself.”
She ran her thumb over my sore knuckles, and goosebumps sprang up on my arms. I was losing my resolve to stop us from taking that last step. I knew she wanted to, but I’d always maintained that last bit of distance.
I wanted to get lost in her.
“If Reve can retake the throne and we’re able to get a seat on the council, we need to make sure whoever represents us makes a stand against that shit.”
“You should be on the council.” She snorted at my suggestion, and I took her hand in mine. “You have experience with diplomacy, you’re kindhearted, you know what demons need.”
She shook her head. “I’m a woman. Plus, if they found out about what happened to me...”
They would kill her.
CHAPTER THREE
SAMARA
In the days since the Lion’s Den, it became clear that Lilith was holding Lucifer and his daughter captive. While I didn’t understand how they were connected to Lilith, I was certain that my brother and a group of angels were going to rescue them from her.
