“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” she said. “If Lucifer is gone, nothing is stopping the gate from opening wide. His power is what’s keeping it shut.”
I whirled toward Caim, who gave me a slight nod. “That’s true, but we really don’t have to worry about that happening. Lucifer is stronger than you can even imagine, and there aren’t any pesky witches in Hell to cast spells that will dull his power. He’s ruled over the underworld for centuries upon centuries and has never had any trouble controlling the demons down there. It’s fine.”
His words were firm. He sounded confident. But there was a flicker in his eyes that told a different story. The witch’s words had gotten to him, too. He was starting to doubt the protection on that gate. Which meant this world really could be screwed.
“I don’t know whether I need to sit down or run around in circles screaming,” I said.
“Maybe don’t do the screaming option,” the witch said with a slight smile. “There’s no telling what’s out there watching this place. I have wards on my doors, but I don’t know how well they’d hold up in an all-out assault.”
A shiver stole down my spine. “You think someone is watching you?”
“I told you. My ex-friend is the one who’s been helping the Cult of Lilith, and they want more witches on their side. There’s no doubt in my mind they know who I am and where I live. She’ll have told them all about me.”
“Wonderful,” Caim muttered before shoving up from the chair. He paced over to the window and peeked through the thick curtain. I watched him, my heart in my throat. “Have they ever come by here?”
“A few times,” she said as she leaned against the wall. “Or, at least, I think it was them. Definitely saw some weirdos skulking around outside, and I could sense something off about them. Didn’t get close enough to feel if they were the newborn demons or not.”
Caim scowled and strode back across the room. “Someone is out there. I’d fight them off, but....” He trailed off as he glanced at me. “They want Eva. For her blood. So they can make more demons. That’s one reason why we’re here for the cure. We heard the new fae court hides out in Central Park. Do you know anything more than that?”
“They won’t give it up so easily. Rumor has it, they want to use the cure on Lucifer. They want to trick him into taking it. Then, they can kill him once and for all, and someone else can sit on the throne.”
“I thought you said the hellbeasts would destroy Lucifer,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “That’s how they’d get the gate open. This whole plan depends on them being able to do that. Otherwise, they can’t even get the cure near him.”
“Maybe not. Or maybe they’re hoping the Cult of Lilith can find a way to blast through it on this side, just for a moment. It would only have to be open long enough to shove the cure through.”
I glanced at Caim. Shit. We’d been wrong about thisentirething.
“Can they even do that?” Caim asked, his eyes widening. “Lucifer controls the gate. He always has. Centuries have passed, and no one has been able to create another.”
The witch held up her hands and shook her head. “Honestly, I have no idea. It seems crazy, but it wouldn’t be the first time witches and fae have done things I never would have thought possible.” She nodded toward me. “Her entire existence goes against everything I thought I knew.”
My lips flattened. Because I was some sort of weird hybrid. A walking contradiction. Halfway demon. Halfway dying human. Even though the transformation had changed everyone else within minutes, it hadn’t fully worked on me. Maybe it never would. I’d gotten all the terrible parts of being a demon—the hunger, the darkness, the blinding rage—and none of the benefits. Like everlasting life and the ability to heal myself.
It was probably my stupid bones. They were rejecting even this. Magic didn’t stand a chance against what was wrong with me.
“Okay, we need to do everything we can to stop this.” Caim pulled out his phone and tapped a few keys. “We need a location where we can find this new fae court, and any more information you might have that can help us infiltrate it.”
The witch cast another furtive glance at the window, and then gave us the information we needed. As she spoke, her cheeks grew more and more pale until she hurriedly ushered us to the back door of her apartment and flung it wide. “You need to go. I can sense the others growing close. Just be careful when you visit the court. The fae are vicious.”
20
Caim
“There’s far more to this than we thought.” I paced in front of the gathered Legion. We’d all packed into my loft after Eva and I had returned from our trip to visit the witch. The others had been out hunting for any sign of the cult, but they’d come up empty. Sarah and Anya had taken a break from the supernatural insanity to have a few drinks at a bar on the corner—staffed with a shifter we trusted. He’d contact us if any demons unexpectedly showed up. “It isn’t just about gaining immortality. It’s not about Lilith either. Not really. It’s about getting Lucifer off the throne because he has a soul now.”
“Asmodeus is going to freak the fuck out,” Phenex said with a scowl. He folded his arms and leaned back in the sofa, sandwiched between Bael and Stolas. “He and Mia thought they were saving the fucking world.”
“They did save the world,” I argued. “There’s just been some unexpected consequences of that.”
To put it mildly. Putting an end to the soul game had saved so many innocent lives. It had prevented thousands of humans from an eternal life of torment in the underworld. Which was the very crux of the issue, it turned out. Without those humans, the hellbeasts were getting hungry.
“Or,” Stolas said slowly, “this new fae court is wrong about Hell. We have no way to contact Lucifer, so we have no idea what is happening there or how everyone is feeling. It could be fine.”
“You’re right,” I said. “Everythingcouldbe fine. Like the witch said, it’s only been a few months since the gate shut. But just imagine how those beasts are going to feel when it’s been a hundred years, or two. You really think they’ll be satisfied after all that time? You’re telling me they don’t eventually try to revolt?”
Phenex grunted his agreement.
Stolas sighed. “Sure, I could see that happening. But it’s the worst case scenario. I’m sure Lucifer has considered this himself, and he’ll have put assurances into place. Love the guy or not, he isn’t stupid. He knows how to play the game of supernatural chess.”
