Page 198 of The Bonds of Indigo

When I look up at him, he’s got his glowing purple eyes hyper-focused behind me. I can only imagine that is where his father stands.

“I am a direct descendant of the first Yldarwright to ever exist on Earth.” That pulls his gaze down to me. “Vendra is deeply rooted into my very blood. Going against my God means far worse than whatever your father could do to me. I’d rather him kill me.”

“Son. It’s about time you and I revisited a previous deal.”

His lips part as his hold on me slackens. “I’m sorry. I’ve made my last deal. And it was with Kayn… To bring him to you, in exchange for him killing someone for me.”

“Who was he meant to kill?”

“Me. I was going to command him to kill me, Lucifer.”

“Son!” Belial shouts.

“What?!” The space around us drops into ice, and as shadows burst outward from him, the immediate area drains of all color. Power—more than I’ve ever felt—pours off Lucifer. He seethes, “You’ve taken enough from me. I’ll make no deal with you.”

“No?”

I turn slightly, staring at the monster who’s grown in size since I last saw him. His deep red skin glows faintly, his eyes swallowed in onyx, and the dual set of horns, a pair reminiscent to that of a goat, curl around his skull in a deliberate crown.

“You have no idea what I’ll offer you.”

“What for? The girl?” Lucifer snaps. “It’s not happening, regardless of what you⁠—”

“The boy?”

My jaw locks, every muscle in my body going rigid as all the oxygen leaves my lungs at once.

“Take it”, I say quickly through the link, eyes squeezing shut so I don’t have to see his reaction.

“I could’ve sworn you weren’t stupid.” I don’t know how I find the strength not to cry. “Even if I trusted that he’d allow me to have Kayn…” Lucifer steps to my side, pulling me fully behind him, shielding me with his body. “There’s no part of me that wants to let you go.”

“You don’t even know me…” I whisper. The sound feels fragile, like I truly am the porcelain doll ready to crack.

“Then give me time to.”

Shadows crawl up my sides, rising like a cage to protect me.

“The answer is no,” Lucifer growls. “You may ask your request to her, but there will be no deal between us.”

Belial sighs, dropping his head to the side with utter boredom, and a wash of fear floods through me.

Boredom is so much worse than anger.

It means he regards all of this as a minor inconvenience. And I know I’m nothing more than a bug here. It’s exactly why I needed Lucifer to take me back to the mortal world if I have any chance of fighting.

“It isn’t as though I need your permission, anyway.” He looks away from his son and directly into my eyes as I peek around Luce. “I hadn’t known the love Vendra has for your kind until the Night of Emethye.”

I grip Lucifer’s bicep and press myself against his back.

“Or should I say, love for her conduit.”

“What do you want from Vendra?” I ask far more harshly than I probably should.

“So smart.” His smile is not friendly. It holds a wickedness that makes my skin crawl. “I need her to remove the protection spell your kind and she cast after the war.”

So many of my people died for that spell. Vendra herself was reduced to a voice in the wind, unable to return to the Vayl. No matter how much she loves me, my life would never be worth undoing that sacrifice.

“I can’t ask that of her,” I say, voice steadying. “Nor would my life be worth undoing what was done.”