She snorts again and squirms even more. I sink my teeth into her shoulder and she moans, tilting her head to give me more access to her delicious skin. As much as I want to keep going, we need to finish this conversation. I need to know what she wants to do from here—if she wants to stay with me.
I brush my lips against her temple. “What was your fight about?”
“She kept talking about our family history. It’s not something I like to think about. Despite growing up in the same house, we had wildly different upbringings. We were still as thick as thieves, but part of me always resented her. When she wouldn’t drop the topic of the family lore, I got mad. I said shit I didn’t mean and then she wouldn’t call me back.” She pulls in a deep breath, then exhales slowly. “When she vanished, I knew she was still alive. I just couldn’t find her. I figure she’s punishing me for not helping her.”
I don’t know what to say. It’s not like I can give her much comfort. Others don’t usually open up to me like this. I have to drag Omen’s problems from him since he’s so locked in his own head. Everyone else seems to think I’m not capable of being serious—of helping them with their problems.
“I’m sure she’s not punishing you. She probably just didn’t want you to worry. Especially if you didn’t want to talk about your family history.”
She shakes her head and swirls her hand through her water, sending ripples across the surface. “No, she’s punishing me. I know it. One of those things.”
“What things? Do witches have some telepathic connection I don’t know about?” I’m only half joking, but maybe it’s a sister thing. Except Omen has a sister, and he doesn’t have that type of link with Providence. Karma and I do, but we’re twins. It’s different for us.
“You should understand. You have a twin,” she mumbles.
I jolt and water sloshes over the side. She sits up and glances over her shoulder, a concerned look stamped on her face. Something’s sliding into place, pieces fitting into a puzzle I didn’t even know was in my head. It’s there, yet not quite clear. I bite the inside of my cheek, trying to force the image to focus.
“Are you okay?”
I swallow hard and shake my head. “How did you get to Hell?”
“I told you, I don’t know.” She slips around to face me. “One minute the book was trying to magically eat me and the next I was here.”
“Where?” My hands land on her shoulders, and her eyes widen. “Where in Hell did you land? The cage?”
“Dimitri, you’re worrying me. What’s the cage?”
“Just answer the damn question, Mari.”
“I don’t know what the cage is. I ended up in your bed, fighting the book.”
My breath catches in my throat and my vision swims. “I know where your sister is.”
“What?” She explodes out of the water, almost slipping as she scrambles out of the tub. She searches for clothes or maybe a towel.
I stand slowly and my body sways. Magic tugs in my gut, and I reach for Mari, her name on my lips. She turns and yells just as I’m whisked away. I swear to fucking gods I’m going to kill Karma this time. It takes longer than usual to flit around the void, and I’m cussing my sister the entire time. I need to get to the cage, help reunite Mari and her sister.
My feet slam into an obsidian floor, and I glance around. This place is familiar, yet not. It looks exactly like the main halls of Hell where Omen and I work, but completely empty. It’s never free of demons. Silence stretches around me, then snaps like a whip cracking through the air.
Ludovic appears in front of me, a look of disgust stamped on his face. “Dimitrius. You’ve become quite the problem. Shirking your duties, neglecting your paperwork, and intervening in my plans. It’s become too irksome to keep you around. We’re going to have to let you go.”
My mouth parts as I stare at him. “Are you firing me? While I’m naked?”
He lets out a derisive laugh. “Oh no. Not firing. I’m going to need you to cease to exist, unfortunately. If you’d rather be clothed, though…”
He snaps his fingers, and a potato sack drops over my head. Fucking bastard. He might be a level higher than me, but it doesn’t mean he can erase me from history. He doesn’t have that kind of power. I narrow my eyes while probing for my magic. It’d better not fail me now, but I’d rather he not know. I’m stronger than him. He lost his muscle mass long ago, settling into mediocrity with his promotion. He’s also neglected his magic, at least as far as I’ve seen. I’m healthier, stronger, and better equipped. I’d rather not fight him, though.
“Want to tell me what plans I’m apparently interrupting?”
“You expect me to give some grand speech? Fine, I suppose you can extend your life just a bit longer.” A replica of the long ornate table kept in our main conference room appears, and he settles at the head. I take the other side, hissing at the cold chair on my ass, and he chuckles. “Do you know how to enter the upper gates?”
“No. They’re for deities, not demons.”
He smirks and wags his fingers at me. “That’s where you’re wrong. Demons are capable of becoming deities if they’ve performed certain tasks…I’ll keep the details to myself, if you so please.”
He’s usually a hothead, flying off the handle at the drop of a hat. If I can push him hard enough, he’ll make a mistake—he’ll attack, and I’ll be able to send him to the cages until his fate can be decided. Clearly, the power of his position, which isn’t all that great to be honest, has gone to his head. I doubt they’ll rehabilitate him.
“Going to give me a hint?” I lean back in my chair and smirk.
