Whimpered at the sight of Dev in his smaller form, prone on the floor in front of my so-called father. Eidolon held a fuckingbroadswordabove his head. I knew that sword; it sat propped against the devil's throne, but it was usually ten times as big. That it was small like the crown, sized to fitEidolonand not Dev … he really wasn't the devil anymore, was he? He wasn't the ruler of Hell.
Christian fucking Lachesi was.
"I'll tell you!" Dev croaked, and Eidolon halted the sword a fraction away from his neck.
My heart stopped with it.
"Wise choice."
My face twisted into a sneer when I stalked across the bloody floor towards them, fire coating my tongue and bleeding from my eyes. Ishookwith the force of my anger.
"You touch him, andI'll rip you apart," I growled, knocking the tip of the knife away from Dev's throat with a blast of fire. I left a trail of pink flesh on Dev's neck, but at least he was alive.
"Avie," Eidolon groaned, exasperated.
He didn't see me as a threat, did he? He didn't evenlookat me as he snapped at Dev, "Tell me where to find the sceptre. It's here in the fortress isn't it?"
My hand curled into a fist around the arrow.
Dev spat, flames landing on the floor. "It's in the black armoury."
"You're lying to me," Eidolon scoffed, putting his green, claw-toed foot on Dev's chest and putting all his weight on him until something cracked. "How about you tell me the truth?"
I sucked in a furious breath and exhaled fire, throwing myself into Eidolon's body and almost sobbing when Arkan was suddenly there, shoving shadows down Dad's throat. Rage vibrated through our mate bond so intensely that I knew he'd … left? I hadn't sensed him nearby. Not until now.
He left us like he left his post that night Eidolon killed Koa. Pain pulsed behind my ribs, weakening me as badly as any physical pain, and Dad managed to throw his elbow into my ribs and knock me aside, dragging himself free of Arkan, too.
I slapped my hand over the throbbing spot with a hiss, but my heart hurt worse. My stiff fingers had locked around the golden arrow.
"One more chance to behave, Aveline," Dad warned, his eyes flashing in his green, lizard-ish face. "Or I'll—"
I gasped when Taj leapt up off the ground and became eight feet of growling, furious monster in front of me.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," Eidolon sighed, annoyed enough that he didn't move until the last second. Taj ducked his head, double rows of vicious horns aimed forward as he charged like a bull.3
Arkan's sharp arm snapped around my middle and he dragged me back against him, hauling us out of the way. I was so stunned that I let him.
Taj barrelled into Eidolon, caught him on his horns, and tossed him across the room. The bastard skidded through the blood and gore on the floor until he came up against the corpse of a particularly big guard. He laid there for a second, growling with every breath—not hurt, butmurderous.
I shuddered, cold dripping through me—terror.
While he was down, I dared to glance at the wall where Joseph and X were pinned. My fear tripling when I saw they hadn't regained consciousness.
"Get Joseph and X out of here," I breathed to Arkan, pushing away from his side and shoving power through the circle bond.
"Avie," Arkan hissed in warning, his sharp jaw clenching. "Careful how much you give."
I shook my head, ignoring him, and pushed power at Taj. I knew when it hit his end because he roared so loudly the windows shattered in their panes, and then he charged at Eidolon as my so-called dad got back to his feet.
From the corner of my eye, I watched Arkan rush for Joseph in a storm of shadows, skeletal hands reaching for the demon holding my reaper to the wall, but I didn't dare keep my eyes off Eidolon and Taj for longer than a second. I crept closer, breathless, exhausted, shaky with adrenaline.
We could fight together, Taj at Dad's front, me at his back. We could fight like this, right? We could win? Couldn't we?
I called up as much fire as I had in me, stalking across the throne room to where Eidolon had ended up, where Taj now charged, horns dipped, a growl in his throat promising immense pain.
This will work. It will.
I threw my hand out, not giving much thought to how I wanted the fire to form, and I didn't let the sight of twenty bricks of fire stop my progress across the room. Even though surprise hit like an arrow.
