“Why haven’t you been above, with theothers?” River demanded of Magnus. “If you can create things likewe saw in that carnival, why aren’t you helping to fight Lucifer?Are you on his side?”
Magnus snorted and folded his arms over hischest. “I have no loyalty to or any care for Lucifer. I’d farprefer to see him dead and his head on a spit than anythingelse.”
“Then why did you retreat from the war?”Corson demanded.
“I have my reasons,” Magnus repliedblandly.
“You don’t want him to win this,” Riversaid.
“Of course not. I’m not so foolish as tothink he’ll stop with enslaving the humans. He’ll come for thedemons once he has the weaker race licking his boot heels. Hell mayhave twisted him into the thing he has become now, but he’s alwaysbelieved demons beneath him. If he succeeds in taking over Earth,he’ll turn on everyoneof us next. Some of our brethren aretoo stupid to see that though. All they see is the power and thepossibilities he offers them.”
“Then you should fight,” Bale said. “You mayhave had your reasons for retreating here, but none of thosereasons will matter anymore when your pretty head is on aplatter.”
Magnus laughed. “We finally agree on onething, Bale, it is averypretty head, and I’d like to keepit where it is. I’ve always had faith my king could keep Lucifer atbay without me for a while.”
“Coward,” Corson hissed.
“Perhaps, or perhaps I realized centuriesago that the best way for me to help was to better learn my power.You three are aware my parents were slaughtered when I was two,before they could teach me what it is I’m fully capable of. I amthelastof the illusion demons. There was no one to teachme what I should learn, and constantly fighting Lucifer and hisfollowers was not helping me to focus, to grow, tounderstandeverything I can do. It has taken me centuries,but I have a better grasp on all I am capable of now and I am farbetter at using my abilities.”
“Why didn’t you say that when you abruptlypulled out from the war?” I demanded, not trusting anything he hadto say.
“Do you think I could risk Lucifer or any ofhis spies learning what I was doing here? We keep some of oursecrets from him, but just as many of them are revealed. I am onlylucky none of his flunkies has had a vision about the world Icreated, but then what would a vision reveal to them? A carnivalwhere I tortured souls is all they would see. They could not knowthe reality I’ve woven here. They would not see how my powers havegrown and how I have learned from them. No, it was better thateveryone believed I was a coward who was unwilling to choose a sidethan take the risk of someone finding out what I was trying todo.”
The trickle of water sliding down the wallwas the only sound in the silence following his admission. Forhundreds of years, I’d believed Magnimus to be a weakling, believedthe man I’d once counted as one of my strongest allies, shared morethan a few drinks and plans with, had proven to be nothing morethan a disappointment.
“I could have decided to kill you forleaving the way you did,” I finally said.
Magnus’s head tilted to the side as hestudied me. “I was never a traitor. I simply became someone whorefrained from fighting. I trusted you would allow me to choosethat path for myself. However, I also knew that if Lucifer evercame at me, you would not protect me. It was a risk I was willingto take to become a stronger fighter for our side, to one day beable to make a true difference in battle and not just create thingsthat briefly distracted others.”
“You should have come to the surface whenthe gateway was torn open. We could have used your help,” Balesaid.
“I was not ready then,” Magnus replied.
“Are you now?” I demanded.
Magnus looked to River. “Ready or not, Ithink we no longer have a choice in the matter. The time has come.Our chance to defeat him is here.”
“She is not a chance. She ismyChosen.”
“I intend to end this, somehow,” River said.“I was told that I might not be able to enter Hell. I have. I won’tback down until Lucifer is dead and my brothers and everyone elseis safe. No matter what it takes.”
“You may have been able to enter Hell, butyou are still mortal,” I reminded her.
Her chin lifted haughtily up. “That was yourchoice, and this is mine.”
“River—”
“So help me, Kobal, I will blast you backinto that carnival if you say this isn’t my choice. Itismine.”
Magnus’s laughter echoed through the chamberbefore it abruptly cut off when I sent him a quelling look.
“I like her,” he said to Bale andCorson.
The hounds on my arm shifted restlessly,seeking to do whatever they could to keep River protected as firecame to life on the tips of my fingers and licked over my skin.Magnus, Bale, Hawk, and Corson edged further away, but Rivercontinued to face me head-on, refusing to back down.
CHAPTER 21
Kobal
