Iarla tipped his head to the side, studying me. “You really are the strangest demon I’ve ever met. And not just because you’re butt-fucking-ugly. You talk like no one I’ve ever met before—with all your made-up words and strange ideas. That I should repay the sacrifices of my servants by selflessly setting my own vengeance aside?”
Iarla burst out laughing so hard, he blew my wart hairs back. “What complete and utter houndshit! Who gives a shit about those dead fuckers? They’re the fools who let themselves be bested by the likes of you and Lucifer.”
Red descended over my eyes, letting me see nothing but the frantic desperation of that poor faeman—begging me to save him. How dare this pissy brat make fun of the last horrible moments of his life?
“Well, that’s funny,” I gritted, ripping out of Ravenscar’s grip. “Because if only fools are bested by Lucifer... what does that make Daddy?”
The humor leeched from Ravenscar’s face so fast, if I blinked, I would’ve missed the moment my righteous indignation turned to regret.
Whoops. Of all the things I shouldn’t have said, I shouldn’t have said that the most.
“You’re probably wishing you hadn’t said that right about now,” he hissed, scarily reading my mind. “I’m almost sorry we’ll have to skip the part where you’re begging and pleading for my forgiveness.”
Bang!
“Is this the one?” I would’ve recognized Erlik’s voice anywhere.
“Yeah, yeah,” someone replied to him. “Prince Ponce said it was the library on the fourth floor.”
“Goodbye, worm,” Ravenscar said.
“Wait—!”
The last thing I saw was his fist flying at my face.
Chapter Eleven
“...do we do...”
“...stupid fairy boy... running his mouth...”
“...can’t contain this...”
Voices reached me in my dark, pain-filled space and dragged me back.
I came to on a dark, musty, old carpet—blinking to make sense of the figures and lights spinning in my vision.
“The fool has only gone and told the whole fucking school that Lord Lucifer let the witch into the school to slaughter us all,” Erlik gruffed. “Says it was obvious from the first day when the little cheat rode a hellhound through the trials. He’s even saying that we demons likely suspected the truth all along, but didn’t care because the witch was only slaying wolves, vampires, faeries, and weak demons.”
“His slander has already spread through the whole school—no doubt with the help of his winged messengers,” said a voice I didn’t recognize. “It’s too late to shut the winged brat up, but hell knows we can’t bring an accusation to a hell lord without proof.”
I craned my head to see, and immediately winced. I reached up to rub my temples, and found I couldn’t move my arms.
I was shackled and dumped on the floor of a small and oddly bare room. Truly, this space had nothing to say for itself except for four walls and a door. For some reason, three pairs of legs huddled together—facing one of the walls as if they were talking to it. But the shackles were so heavy, they kept me pinnedfacedown, stopping me from getting a proper look at who else was in the room with me.
“What are your orders, Headmistress?”
Wait, what? Did he just say Headmistress?
“You’re quite right that there’s nothing we can do to silence Ravenscar now,” replied a feminine voice. Was she the third pair of legs? “Nor would killing him solve anything. Lord Lucifer and King Ravenscar share the most favorable trade negotiations. Killing the king’s heir because he slandered Lord Lucifer, would only set off a war that Lucifer would bring down on our heads.”
Murmurs of agreement filled the room.
“Are we certain this boy isn’t a witch in disguise?”
“We’re certain,” Erlik said. “I was there for the hellhound and the imp. He did not cast a single spell, incantation, or compulsion over the creatures. Also, his whereabouts can be vouched for during the first, second, and third batch of murders. As for this morning’s, the kid’s got a battered head and no shoes on. Seems likely he was attacked, dragged out of bed, and dumped at the scene to be framed. The whole school knows he made an enemy of the fae. That’s likely why the killer thought we’d believe the bullshit lie that he’s involved.”
I could’ve cried. More than that, I could’ve jumped up and kissed Erlik. I thought he was nothing more the Supreme Douchenozzle, but here he was, the sole voice of reason—saving my life.
