The Envies looked at each other with green eyes.Unlike last time, they weren’t those piercing green; they looked more faded than usual, as if there was a white film over their eyes, as if they were under some kind of spell.
“I’m beginning to believe this Two-Faced Prophet is a joke.You keep talking about him, and he never shows up.”
“The Two-Faced Prophet will be here soon and will take the Crucifix from you.”
Suddenly, one of the leaders doubled over and landed on all fours.Green foam oozed out of his mouth, and his eyes turned a hazy light green.He fell onto his stomach, and his body began seizing up and down.
I stared at him with an arched brow, wondering why he thought he could just die in one of the most valuable places in my kingdom.His body stopped moving, and the green foam continued to seep from his body through his mouth, eyes, ears, nose.I didn’t want to imagine where else.When it was finished, there was a thin layer of foam on the ground in the room.
Everi screamed and backed away.I placed Dani on the bench, careful not to get her feet in the liquid.Her eyes faded back to their normal clear color.
The other Envy stepped forward.“The Two-Faced Prophet is coming.She’s coming.”He pressed his hands to his head and squeezed so tightly, like he had no control of his body.“She’s coming.”He squeezed so hard that his skull bent inward, and in a moment, his head imploded, spewing black-and-green brains all over the room.
Everi backed up until she was pressing against Dani.Dani pushed her behind her and stood directly in the ooze with green guts on her cheek.
The final man—the one I hated the most—looked me right in the eye.“She’s coming, and you can’t stop her.”He struggled against himself.“We—we tried.”
Then, as if something were in the room with us, it sliced right through his stomach, and his guts spewed out.Then it slashed across his face.It continued slicing until he was lying in pieces.
The Two-Faced Prophet was real, and shewascoming.
Thirty-One
Everi staredat me with wide eyes, and Dani stared at the bodies with wider eyes.
“What the hell was that?”she asked, wiping the goo off of her cheek with a single finger.
Everi let out another high-pitched scream and backed farther away from the scene.
I gazed at the bodies.Whatever it had been … it was strong.But we were stronger; we had to be stronger.We would defeat this utter darkness that had come from up above.We would kill each angel, each prophet, anyone who wanted to destroy us.
Those Envies were weak.They always had been and always would be.The Two-Faced Prophet could try to destroy as many weak men and women down here as she wanted.It’d help me find the strongest for my army of demons.
When we forced God’s hand and made her fall through the clouds and come to us, we would be waiting.We would be strong.We would win.
I turned to Everi, who was grasping Dani’s arm.“Find me who this prophet is.She is someone in Hell.She is someone you’ve seen with them lately.She corrupted their minds, possessed ademon.Run through everyone you can, Everi.”I grasped her wrist, pulled her closer to me, and brushed my lips against her ear.“Do whatever you have to do, and you can have it all.”
She gulped.“I’m not looking to get caught up in this mess,” she said, gazing down at her fellow Envies.“I’m not going to die that way.”
I ran a hand through her hair.“You want it all, don’t you?”
I tilted my head and stared deep into her eyes, weaving my thoughts into hers and making her want what I wanted, making her bend to my every command.Then to seal the deal, I placed my lips on her and let them linger.
She tasted like used dog shit, nothing like Dani … nothing like Eros … but I kissed her anyway.When I pulled away from her, her eyes were wide.
“Wha-what …”
“Are you going to find me that information?”
She looked as if she was resisting my command, and for a moment, I thought thatshehad already been corrupted by the Two-Faced Prophet, but then she nodded her head.
“I will go to the queen, ask around my kingdom, see if anyone has seen anyone new hanging around them.”
I drew a finger down her jaw.“Good girl.”Then I pushed her toward the door.“Now, leave.”
She walked out of the room, down the stairs, and out of my kingdom.Dani walked ahead of me, heading straight for the portal room.I followed after her, pulling my coat over her nearly bare shoulders.
“We need to call for a meeting between all of the commanders,” she said.
