I swallowed and shivered, tightening my shaking fingers around the two knives in my hands. Not to mention, the Archdemon must have been spying on us to know exactly when to show up and take Kayla. And if he knew that, what else did he know?
Did he know I was innocent? Was this all some sort of twisted game with me as the primary playing piece?
Anger seeped in through the cracks in my fear. I stared at the empty space in the hall where he’d been standing, wishing I could throw knives at him.
Maybe it was a product of my anxiety, maybe it was just all in my head, but it occurred to me that the gorgeous Prince of Hell might be using me somehow.
Using us all.
But for what?
Something with the balance?
Were we all just pawns in this game of truths? What was the real end game? Why me? Why had someone chosen totarget me?
I’d wasted the last however many days worrying about my fate, being sad over my decisions, and generally moping over every single incident. And not once did I sit here and think,Why me?
What had I done to deserve this?Whothought it was okay to do this to me? I nearly growled.I’m done being a damsel,I thought.I’m done just accepting this and letting it happen. I’m done beingyourpawn.
“It’s time to go,” Zane said suddenly.
“No,” I replied, my voice cold as ice. “It’s time to play bait again.”
Zane took hold of my wrist. “What the Hell are you talking about? We need to go to Zebulon’s estate. We have orders.”
Shaking off his hand, I snapped, “Screw his orders. This time, I want to be in control. I want to watch what happens. I’m tired of the damsel game. I’m not a fucking damsel, Zane.”
Remy edged past us, drawing my attention away from Zane’s thunderous face. The Portal Dweller grinned. “Hey, so, it smells great in here, by the way. Is there dinner in the kitchen? If no one’s going to eat it, I’m stealing it.”
I just stared at him, wondering how he could even think about food right now. Zane’s caustic glare pinned the demon to the wall, but Remy was unfazed.
“Sweet, I’m just gonna go…” He waved a hand at the kitchen, then vanished through the doorway at the end of the hall. Tax followed him without a word.
There wouldn’t be anything left for me when those two were done. Good thing I wasn’t hungry. Not after Zane plied me with apology food all day. And especially not after the impromptu visit from the Archdemon who might banish me to Hell.
Zane returned his attention to me. “Guinevere, we’re not playing bait again. That ship has sailed. We know the killer isn’t targeting you.”
“The killer targeted me the moment he pulled me into his plan,” I countered. “He put a bullseye on my head, and now I might spend the rest of my life in Hell for something I didn’t even do. And I’m pretty sure Prince Ashmedai knows I’m innocent, too.” It was a gut instinct, something about the way he’d tossed those words at me as though he were amused by my plight. “I’m not going to sit back and let this happen to me.”
“We aren’t just letting this happen, Guin—”
Lord Zebulon chose that exact moment to return, interrupting Zane’s retort.
The slightest hint of sulfur mixed with minty aftershave wafted around us as the Demonic Lord appeared. My skin prickled, but not in fear. Withdark interest. Last night had added some decadent new memories to go along with that scent, plying my succubus soul with intrigue and expectation at the mere hint of Lord Zebulon’s presence.
I shivered, my blood heating from his proximity as he appeared before us.
Lord Zebulon whirled on Zane, his dark eyes flashing. “Why aren’t you in Chicago?”
“We were waylaid,” Zane replied, unbothered by the Demonic Lord’s obvious ire. “Some unexpected visitors.”
Lord Zebulon paused, his nose twitching. “Ashmedai.”
“As was a Halfling,” Zane replied. “Kayla, Princess of Bael. Apparently, she wants an audience with Eve. Something about needing to deliver a message regarding the balance directly to the Divinity. Johanna, specifically. The Prince of Hell showed up and whisked her away before she could say more.”
The tension in Lord Zebulon’s shoulders seemed to disappear as he hummed a thoughtful noise beneath his breath.
It didn’t take a genius to see that the Demonic Lord knew more than he was letting on. There were secrets in the Underworld. And he’d vanished so often that anything could have happened on his end of things. Yet here I was, left in the dark. Left hoping he’d save me.
