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Another Epilogue
Lucifer tracked the lingering essence of Ashe to a small village over his border in Ava’s demesne. The slippery fucker was long gone, the tavern all but deserted except for a table of low order demons who eyed him with suspicion.
“I’m looking for a high order demon,” he said to the tavern keeper.
The tavern keeper spread his hands on the counter and eyed Lucifer from beneath the overdeveloped ridge of bone over his eyes. “You might be lost. We don’t get many of those in here.”
Lucifer reached for whatever claim on patience he could manage. It had never been much, and his long hunt had whittled it down to a nub. “Which is why you would have remembered one.”
“Begging your pardon, your lordship.” The tavern keeper’s knuckles whitened under the nervous press of his hands into the bar counter. “But we don’t get many of your kind either. Unless you’re here by invitation of our prince.”
Not many demons would challenge a hell prince, and Lucifer gave the demon points for courage. Or was that stupidity? The two were remarkably intertwined, with the difference often lying in the outcome of said courageous or stupid act.
The barkeeper was clearly loyal to Avarice and was questioning his right to be in this demesne. Lucifer had ripped demons apart for lesser offences, but with Ashe’s betrayal burning a hole in his belly, he had to admire the keeper’s loyalty to Ava. “Mammon would have no issue with me being here. I am on business that affects all of us.”
The keeper nodded and licked his lips, no doubt relieved that Lucifer had decided not to hand him his ass.
The lower order demons at the table had stopped their dice game and were watching the conversation with avid interest.
A mahogany woodland gnome raised his hand. “Excuse me, Lord Lucifer.” He swallowed, his huge black eyes darting around his companions as if waiting for support. “But would that be Ashe you were looking for?”
The name surged through Lucifer on a wave of victory. At fucking last, he was getting somewhere. Stalking over to their table, he loomed over the quaking demons. “Tell me what you know of Ashe.”
Looking like he regretted opening his mouth, the gnome quivered and squeaked. “Uh…er…um…I don’t know much, my lord.”
Weeks of frustration from hunting down his traitorous second gripped Lucifer as he thundered, “Tell me.”
The gnome’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he slid off his chair and dropped in a dead faint. His body hit the floor with a thud.
Fuck!
The gnome’s imp companion squealed and made a dash for the door.
“Not so fast.” Lucifer caught the imp by the pink horn and dragged him back. “It appears that your friend is unable to answer my questions at the minute. Why don’t you tell me what you know?” It was not a request.
“Lord Lucifer.” The troll lumbered to her feet. “Leafrot knows him best.” She indicated the still unconscious gnome. And Blot over there don’t know anything.”
“She’s right.” The imp wriggled. “Nothing. I know nothing.”
“You’re also an imp.” Lucifer gave Blot a small shake. “You could be lying.”
Blot grimaced. “You got me there, my lord.” Then he brightened. “But I’m telling the truth. This time.”
Lucifer stared at the downed Leafrot and ground his teeth. The gnome could stay that way for weeks, and he didn’t have days, let alone weeks. With the horsemen waking, the rebellion spreading across hell, and the seals weakening, he needed answers now. And he was very much looking forward to extracting them from Ashe.
“I know a little something,” the troll said.
Lucifer’s bad mood hovered on the edge of a slight improvement. “Tell me.”
“Ashe has folk near here,” she said. “Or, at least, he used to have.” She nudged Leafrot with an enormous, dirt-caked toe. “Leafrot was friends with one of the family.”
Ashe had come to Lucifer fully formed, and not as one of the demons he’d raised. He’d never thought to ask where the fucker hailed from. There was a lot he’d never thought to ask the lying shit, and he was paying for that oversight now. “You said Ashe’s folk used to be from around here? Where are they now?”
The troll shrugged. “Don’t know. They was three females and two males as far as I remember. Leafrot could tell you for sure, but they aren’t here no more.”
This would be going so much better if Leafrot would wake the fuck up. He made a mental note to remove the gnome’s ability to go dormant and asked, “So if they’re not here, where did they go?”
“Dunno.” She flinched in anticipation of him not liking her answer.
