His eyes narrow at me, probably thinking this is an unfair deal.
“One.You become a father.In order to imprison me, it will take a feat of unimaginable power.And you will have to do just that,trap me.Because while I go willingly tonight, no one wants to spend eternity imprisoned.”
“And the second?”
“It is the consequence of what we create.In order to harness sufficient power to actually hold me, it will need to be held inside a vessel.”
“A mortal?”
I shake my head.“No, a child born of us.Or perhaps more accurate would be to saymadefrom us.”
“And you’re just happy to be imprisoned for the rest of your exceptionally long life?You’re not going to screw me on this?”he says.
I smile.“Happy?No.But I will go willingly tonight.”
Of course, I carefully avoid answering his questions.Demons are renowned for trickery, and I have no intention of sticking to our agreement.At least not forever.I just need enough time.My hope is that his arrogance makes him sloppy.So I continue my train of thought and distract him from the question he asked.
“This child will be powerful beyond anything we have seen before.She will have the ability to rewrite fate itself.There is a reason demons and angels do not mix…”
“And how do you propose a mere demon and a fallen angel create that?”
“Simple, we give the purest pieces of ourselves and we stitch them together.”
“A piece of your soul, and my crystalline heart?”he breathes.
I nod.
He slaps the desk as he takes in the significance.
“Demons and angels aren’t supposed to merge their magic like that.”
I nod.“No, they aren’t.A being with access to raw forms of both magic would be… unstoppable.But that is what it will take to trap me.”
He scratches a hand over his beard.“The child will need to be controlled.No one should possess that much power.If it were to find out… it could ruin both our realms.Control all three, even.”
I nod.“That will be on you.I will have no influence once I am imprisoned.Does that appeal to you?”
“The fact a being stronger than both of us will be undermyinfluence?Yeah, Architecti, it makes me feel a lot fucking better.”
“Good.Then let us begin.”
“Wait…” Ignatius says and tilts his head at me, scanning my features.“What’s in it for you?”
I knew this would come, that I’d have to justify myself.He is a sensible demon, after all.I sigh.
“A family spat.A feud, if you like.Trapping me will render my sister powerless, a freedom I will willingly give if it results in her pain.”
That makes his lip curl and a glimmer appear in his eye.
“I’ll need proof,” he says.“If you’re avoiding a public trial, then I’ll need evidence that it’s actually you I’ve trapped.”
I nod.Ignatius may be ambitious, but he’s also not a fool.I stretch my hand out and take the feather that killed Gellara from my pocket, then slice my hand between my knuckle and my little finger.
The severed digit falls to the ground making a tiny thud, followed by the pitter patter of blood drops.
Ignatius’s eyes widen.“You really are deadly serious about this, aren’t you?”
“With every celestial cell in my body.Now, we must hurry, it needs to be done tonight.”
