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Nadir admired the bit of creative honesty on his part. If they could help it, withholding their role in hiding the fallen fae from Belial might keep him from directing his irrational behavior their way.
Belial’s interest was piqued. “Oh? Do tell.”
Orias stepped forward, his face pale but determined. He relayed the sparse details of his vision, his voice steady even as the others felt a chill run down their spines. He also described seeing the fae at the Temple without specifying the location.
Belial fell silent, his gaze distant. Whether he was shocked by the fae in the land of humans, it wasn’t clear. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, the smirk gone from his face. “This portent confirms all of my fears. We must take the cleansing to the next level.”
Before any of them could respond, the room trembled, a blue light surrounding them, flickering violently. Nadir clung to Azimuth, her heart pounding in her chest. Belial stood in the center of it all, his eyes ablaze with a fierce light.
“This is our time of action, and you, Nadir, can delay swearing fealty to me no longer. You will fully commit to our cause, or you will die by my hand.”
Nadir’s eyes widened in shock. She’d avoided giving in to the prince for so long, she’d almost believed he might forget and let it go. But it was clear his patience had curdled like rotten milk. She tried to move, but Belial held her fixed in place with a single look. His voice reverberated through the cavern, echoing off the walls—an ominous sign of what was to come.
At once, the blue light intensified and grew brighter, pinning them all in place as it enveloped them. Nadir felt her body temperature rising as she was drawn toward Belial by some invisible force, a power that seemed to come from within him and course through his veins like electricity. She closed her eyes and clung tightly to Azimuth’s hand as they were all ported away from their current location.
When Nadir opened her eyes again, she stood atop a rocky ledge, looking into an abyss so vast it seemed infinite. The air was heavy with smoke and steam, making it difficult to breathe or see very far at all. Nadir recognized this place; it was one of the deepest parts of Sheol and home to some of its most powerful daemons.
Nadir shivered at the thought of facing whatever lurked beneath them in these depths. Even worse, what would become of her if she failed?
CHAPTER50
ERIN
Erin’s pulse raced as she stood beside Blaine, watching him attempt to engage the standoffish fae, Althea, in conversation. The air in the room felt charged, and the scent of magic was palpable. She caught Blaine’s glance and stepped in. “Hello. I’m Erin, the devotee of Dionysos,” she announced, hoping to find common ground with the enigmatic creature. “I summoned this Temple in his honor.”
Althea tilted her head, her silvery hair shimmering in the dim light as she took in the building. “Interesting,” she murmured. “This is a curious place. It tastes new.” The fae’s voice was melodic, yet eerie, sending shivers down Erin’s spine that felt like ice creeping over her skin.
Blaine’s eyes narrowed with determination. “Althea, why have the fae come here? Our worlds have been separate for so long,” he asked, trying to sound diplomatic.
The fae chuckled, a sound that was both enchanting and unsettling, like the tinkling of delicate glass. “Ah, the human world. So full of surprises and chaos. We find it all boring. Yet our curiosity has led us here once again. It’s as simple as that,” Althea explained, her eyes glinting with mischief.
Erin noticed Blaine’s mind racing, and she could practically feel his concern for the city radiating off him.
“So, what exactly do the fae want?” Erin asked, pushing Althea for more details.
Althea’s expression softened, and her lilac eyes sparkled with a hint of sadness as she replied. “We seek entertainment and the return of what is rightfully ours.”
Blaine took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, determination written all over his face. “I would like to negotiate an understanding between the fae and the people of this region,” he said firmly. “What can we offer to make this happen?”
Althea regarded him silently, her expression unreadable. When she spoke, her voice was low and solemn. “Humans have lied to us before,” she said. “The fae do not trust you anymore.”
“But we’re still good for entertainment?” Erin asked.
Althea’s gaze shifted from Erin to Blaine, and she smiled. “That remains to be seen.” With a slight bow of her head, Althea stepped back and faded into the shadows, leaving a lingering scent of magic in the air.
Erin watched as Althea disappeared into the night, her mind racing to make sense of everything that had just happened. She glanced at Blaine, who was standing still in shock, unable to believe what he had just heard. But before they could discuss what the fae had meant, the sound of Maria’s voice cut through the air like a knife.
“Blaine!” Maria called out, her eyes narrowing as she glimpsed Althea, just as the fae was preparing to leave. “What is the meaning of this? Are you consorting with these creatures?” Her tone dripped with disdain.
Erin watched as Blaine turned to face Maria, his face resolute. “Maria, what are you still doing skulking around here?”
“I was checking up on you and here I find fae and daemons making themselves welcome in this den of iniquity, with you rolling out the welcome for both.”
“That’s not true, Maria. I’m trying to understand what the fae want and why they’re here. It’s important for the region’s safety.”
Maria scoffed, her anger boiling over like a volcano about to erupt. “Safety? You call this safety? Allowing dangerous creatures to infiltrate our city?” She stepped closer, her eyes locked on Blaine’s like a predator sizing up its prey. “You’ve lost your focus on your job, Blaine. This is unacceptable. I demand a no-confidence vote for you before the council. It’ll be held within the hour. You might want to show up, assuming you can tear yourself away from this maenadic menace.”
Maria glared at Erin, lip curling in disgust. “Was it not enough to stir chaos with your drunken hordes? Now you consort with fae and daemons too? You are a plague upon this city, a corrupting influence poisoning our order.”
