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I shoot him an empathetic look. “It was kind of spontaneous.”
“Spontaneous?Is that what we’re calling banging the enemy’s daughter these days? Vik tells me everything.” He arches a thick blonde brow, coming closer.
“There was nobanging. She kissed me. That’s it,” I groan, setting the last candle down.
Faelor lets the subject go, looking over the salt star on the ground. “Who are we summoning?”
“Asmodeus,” I say, quickly looking away.
In the corner of my vision, Faelor’s mouth opens and closes twice, before he can form a response. “Why? I thought he forgot about all of us.”
Jesper snorts. “Yeah, I thought that, too. Except Loric didn’t completely erase his memories. He was supposed to come back and didn’t. But, crazier than that, Loric believes Calamity is Megara the Flame Keeper’s daughter. So, we need to know where the other two are, and if there’s any truth to that.”
Faelor 's face goes pale. “How? The queen is dead, isn’t she?”
“Assumed dead. Everyone thought the king killed her, but her skeleton isn’t on the bone bridge and no one else has seen her since. The mad king held her prisoner, and could’ve easily forced her into having his child. Who knows.” I take a seat in the grass as Jesper walks around the rim of a circle he drew in salt around the star.
“So, you’re going to ask Asmodeus?” Faelor asks, arms crossed over his broad chest, a piece of grass twirling in between his fingers. “Are we sure Asmodeus is still alive? He was going to deceive the king. It’s possible the king found out.”
“There's only one way to know.” Jesper gestures to the sigil.
“And if he's locked in the dungeon, your spell's not going to work. He's the dungeon master, isn't he? Even if he's just working there walking around the halls, your spell isn't going to work.”
I breathe out heavily. “Way to be optimistic. It's the only shot we got. It's worth a try.”
Jesper starts to light the candles. His lightning crackles around his fingers as he lowers them to the wicks. The candlesspring to life, the flames taking on almost a purple hue just like his magic.
They flicker in the darkness, casting an eerie glow on Jesper’s face as he takes his place at the north point of the star. He shrugs, rolling his shoulders back and cracking his knuckles. “Alright, bitches. Put your war faces on and let’s summon the Prince of Death.”
“I’m not sure he likes that title anymore,” I say, resting my arms on my knees. “I don’t think anyone has referred to him as the prince of anything since he was banished here.”
“Well, too bad. That’s what we’re going with.” Jesper closes his eyes, holding his hands out, and starts to recite the incantation. The flames of the candles flare, reaching up to lick the air in long columns. The ground in the middle of the star begins to turn, blurring as it starts to spin faster and faster, then turns pitch black, as if it was the opening to a cauldron of ink.
“I call forth the Prince of Death, Asmodeus Morningstar,” Jesper says, and the texture of the portal ripples.
A hand reaches through, followed by another, then a head as Asmo crawls out. He grunts as he struggles to get out of the portal, but none of us move to help him, fearing the possibility of getting sucked in. His skin is covered in the black goop, and it’s not until he’s completely through that it beads and runs off his body, like it was never there.
His mismatched eyes slide between us, then land on me in a scowl. “What the fuck, Loric? We agreed to never do this shit again.” Asmodeus curses, climbing to his feet.
“Call it extraordinary circumstances.” I give him a toothy grin, oddly satisfied with his struggle.
Asmodeus pauses mid-swipe, dusting off his pants, his face expressionless as he asks, “Is Calamity alright?”
“Calamity’s fine, but you forgot to tell me she’s the dragon queen’sdaughter.”Getting to my feet, I pin him with a glare.
Asmo holds his hands up in surrender, but he doesn’t deny it or look the slightest surprised. “I didn’t have much choice.”
Jesper chuckles darkly. “Oh really? How’s that? It seems pretty important when you’re the one asking us to take care of her.”
“First off, I askedLoric. Secondly, it was in Calamity’s best interest to not know. She doesn’t need the guilt that comes with knowing your parents were forced into conceiving you.”
I stand up taller, my mind going quiet. “Why would the king be forced–” The words die in my throat. “He’s not her father, is he?”
Good gods… This poor girl.She’s about to have the very ground she stands on ripped out from underneath her. Everything about her life has been a lie.
Asmo’s eyes find mine, the color draining from them. “The king gave Meg a choice. Sleep with me or do it his way. I didn’t get a say in the matter, but she chose me. I tried to make it as bearable as possible for her. When Meg found out she was pregnant, we agreed to not tell the three of them. The king had planned to claim them as his own, anyway.”
“You could’ve at least told her she was a dragon,” I say, pushing my hair out of my face. “You could’ve told me. Where are the other two, then?”
