“Thank god,” I whispered, wiping the sweat off my forehead. I may have seemed a little frantic, but at least I got out of there. Now, Az could save those souls.
After I caught my breath, I pushed away from the door and reached for the window. It was shut. Frowning, I tugged at the bottom, wondering how that had happened. Phenex had said he’d left it open so that I could get out as quickly as possible.
The window didn’t budge an inch.
Heart racing, I curled my fingers tightly around the wood and pushed with all my might. Nothing happened. The window wouldn’t move. It was almost like…it had been nailed shut. With a gasp, I pushed up onto my toes and saw the nails. Six in a row. Ensuring this window would never open again.
I stumbled back just as a wave of nausea rolled through my head. Catching myself on the sink, I tried to think. Someone had nailed the window shut. After Phenex had been here.
Someone must have found out.
Another wave of nausea tore through me. I stumbled to the side and tried to blink the dark spots out of my eyes.
Maybe I could break the window and climb out that way.
Pain flared through my skull. My body buckled beneath me.
The world tipped sideways, and then shadows filled my mind.
33
Cotton balls filled my mouth. Or maybe it was an old dishrag. Whatever it was, it tasted like dirty socks. Sputtering, I sucked in air and flipped open my eyes. Candlelight flickered all around me in a ring that surrounded the bloody demon seal on the floor. My heart flipped over as I glanced around, finding half a dozen more bound humans surrounding me.
They’d caught me. Az hadn’t been able to stop them. And now, we were all going to be sacrificed to Hell.
Shit!
Frantically, I gazed past the flickering flames to find shadowed faces peering back at us. Eisheth was there in the front. Beside her stood that creepy vampire from the lobby. But on her other side…my stomach twisted as a new wave of pain ripped through me. Asmodeus was there. Alive and well. Doing nothing to stop this.
What?!
My mind raged against me, trying to understand what I saw. It seemed like an impossibility. This couldn’t be right. Whatever had knocked me out—poison in the champagne most likely—was playing tricks on my mind. Az couldn’t be part of this. He just couldn’t.
I’d put my trust in him. He’d tried to protect me from all of this. The new contract. The job, the name, the fake passport, and the secret apartment in Brooklyn. All of that had been his idea. Because he’d wanted to save me from Lucifer.
So, why wasn’t he doing anything?
This didn’t make sense.
I tried to meet his gaze, but he avoided my eyes. His jaw rippled as he stared straight ahead, listening to an intense chant spilling from the mouths of a few robed figures in the crowd.
And then Eisheth stepped out from the shadows, her hooded eyes gleaming in the light. She motioned toward Az, who strode forward with a determined set to his shoulders.
“Asmodeus, Commander of the First Legion of Hell, first Prince in line to the throne.” Eisheth smiled. “The fallen angels Rafael and Michael have brought accusations against you. They believe you are working against our King. This is your opportunity to prove they’re wrong. Sacrifice this human’s soul, and all will be forgiven.”
Eyes flying wide, I screamed against the cotton dishrag in my mouth, but only a muffled whimper came out. Heart rattling beneath my ribcage, I tried to scuttle back, but my bound ankles and wrists didn’t let me get far. Suddenly, I understood everything. They’d trapped Az in an impossible situation. This was his chance to show them they were wrong, to prevent Lucifer from finding out the truth, and to save his Legion, but…surely he wouldn’t go through with it.
Surely he was just playing along until he found an opportunity to rebel against them.
He wouldn’t actually sacrifice my soul…
Would he?
His words rang in my ears.
I will do anything to get what I want.
Just because I am helping humans doesn’t mean I am good.
