Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 111353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 557(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 557(@200wpm)___ 445(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Of course they won’t, I thought, dread spreading through my soul. The vampires will jump at the chance to feed on humans again. The fae will beat everyone to the exit, winging fast for the sun on their faces, the wind under their wings, and the human race beneath their boots.
Not a single denizen of hell is going to join the rot-in-hell-forever side. Not even my freaking mother. So what does that mean for the sole person who thinks of standing in their way?
“I...” I squeezed my eyes shut. “Okay, yes, I get what you’re saying. Anyone who has been falsely imprisoned is going to think the one showing them the way out is the hero, but think about it,” I pressed. “Really consider if Lucifer has ever been anyone’s hero.”
The smirk melted from Ronin’s lips.
“If he gets his hands on the power to open the gates, it’ll be the same power he uses to close them whenever he wishes.” I spun on Tristan. “Why would he let all the werewolf packs just skip away to freedom, when he could hold that freedom over your heads like an anvil—extracting all the forced deals and contracts out of you that he wants?”
As much as it hurt me, I watched the hope bleed out of Tristan’s eyes too. But it had to be said.
“When he first came to hell, he subjugated the demons, right?” I swung to Ronin. “Right?”
A blank face and flashing eyes met my question.
“He tried to— No, he did rule over you all,” I cried. “It wasn’t peace, diplomacy, or cooperation on his mind; it was absolute and complete power. So why would you just shrug and walk away at the idea of him amassing the kind of power that would have you all begging and pleading at his feet?” I scoffed. “Is it because you think that in the past several centuries, Lord Lucy learned how to do all the things you guys don’t even have words for!”
“You’ve made your point,” Ronin sliced in. “Now say what you want.”
My chest heaved. I’d gotten a little worked up at the end there, but I couldn’t help it. The idea that I’d really be the only one down here trying to prevent the apocalypse was enough to get anyone’s blood pressure running.
“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “What I want is...”
Caution stole the rest off my tongue. What did I want? What exactly was Tristan or Ronin going to do to help me? Lucifer had Dora. If I was going to get her back alive, I had to give him what he wanted. So did I really just give them that whole speech just to turn around and ask them to help me give Lucifer the power I just said he can’t have?
But maybe it doesn’t have to come to that. Lucifer said the power is inside me, I just have to unlock it with the clues in the spell. Maybe if I get my hands on the power first, I can use it to stop him and get Dora back before—
Even as the thought went through my head, I knew it was useless.
According to my mother, I was born a powerful witch, but it’s been twenty-two freaking years, and I’ve yet to free a single snake from the zoo. I didn’t even know how to use whatever power I already had. Now I’m supposed to wield some incredible, legendary power to defeat Satan and turn my sister back into a human? And this is assuming Lucifer even lets me get that far.
I didn’t know exactly how angelic possession worked, but I knew he had zero problem possessing the hellhound, the crow, or the imp all those times I got in trouble and needed saving. If he was watching me that closely before—
A chill went up my spine. How much closer is he watching me now?
“What I want is...” I lowered my eyes. Covertly, I crumpled the paper in my fist and hid it under the covers. “Help. When I need it. When I ask. I just need people on my side. This is one enemy I can’t face alone.”
“Yes,” Tristan replied without hesitating. “Absolutely.”
“Hmm.” Ronin tipped his head, studying me. “Why you?”
“Pardon?”
“Why. You,” Ronin repeated. “This sister of yours is the daughter of Lucifer. Are you as well?”
I grimaced at the thought. “No, I’m not. I resemble my father right down to my flat feet, and he’s for sure not that jackass.”
“So then, again I ask, why you?” I didn’t know what unsettled me more—the intelligence in Ronin’s eyes, or the malice? “Why ask you to carry out the task of finding this supposed power? Why wouldn’t he do it himself? If he had, you wouldn’t be here spilling his plans to any and everyone who could get in the way of them?”