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He shakes his head, laughing. “I’ll take your word for it. But to answer your question, yes, I do live on Earth.”
“So you’re fine with demons taking over the place. You don’t care that Earth as you know it—your home—will be destroyed.”
“A house is just a house, Victoria. I have other places to go. Reapers don’t put down roots, so no, I don’t really give a shit.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“I just said I could care less about my home being destroyed. Don’t get my words twisted,” he says in a low, threatening voice. “I’ll hear out Nolda and then makemychoice.”
A pit forms in my stomach as his final words flow through me. He does plan to choose a side. The balance of the universe rests in the hands of River and his kind, and here he is, hearing out the opposition.
“I thought you said you were here at the request of your queen?”
“I am, but if I had pushed back, she would’ve followed my lead. For the record, Nolda is the only one who’s reached out. He seems to actually care about the future of Hell. It’s more than I’ve seen from Lucifer, or God for that matter. Lucifer’s absence has already caused a shift in and of itself. There has to be order, and if Nolda’s plan brings that order back, he’ll have my allegiance.”
I feel sick. He didn’t have to say the words; his intense stare said it all. This is in part my fault. If Luke’s words were true, he was absent because he was watching over me. He wanted to be close to me even when I wouldn’t allow it.
If Earth falls, I share a large part of the blame.
“Don’t shoulder the burden for someone else’s decisions, Victoria.”
I appreciate his giving me a pass, but I can’t help it. It’s hard not to blame myself.
“How can I not?”
“It’s not your fault that Lucifer couldn’t stay away from you. The reapers certainly don’t blame you.”
It’s worse than I thought. One reaper on Nolda’s side is bad. The entire race of them? Catastrophic.
“I thought you all worked alone. No?”
“There’s a hierarchy. We’re run similarly to a monarchy. Each reaper manages their own territory.”
“So you’re a duke?” I ask to clarify.
“No.”
“Ever the conversationalist,” I huff. “Is this top-secret information or are you just trying to be obtuse?”
“You’re prying into my life. If you haven’t noticed, I like my privacy and so do the other reapers. If you want to know the ways of the reapers, read a fucking history book.”
I guffaw at his sudden hostility. What did I say that has him so up in arms? And what book? There aren’t books written about reapers. When he sees my look of confusion mixed with irritation, his severe frown softens.
“Shit. I’m... I’m sorry. I forget that you were largely sheltered. There are... books written about our kind. I’m sure Lucifer has them here in the library. It’s a long history, Victoria. Too much to cover in one conversation.”
My shoulders sag a little. “I only asked about the hierarchy. You’re the one who brought it up.”
He sighs. “That topic is a bit of a sore subject at the moment.”
My eyes narrow in on him and I want to press. But something in his expression stops me.
“Let’s just say I’m at the top of the chain. Second only to the queen.”
I raise a brow, wondering what exactly this man is to the queen.
“She’s guarded well. Most have never even seen her. Many believe she’s the last of her line.”
“You don’t sound like you believe that.”
