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“That would be a grave mistake,” Abaddon cut in. His tone was as cold as ice, sending a shiver up my spine. “The balance would be permanently destroyed.”
“Like it’s not already?” Candy countered in a tone that matched Abaddon’s.
“Stop. Stop it right now,” I said in my outdoor voice. “I have enough junk going down without you guys maiming each other or worse. We’re all on the same team here.” Both Immortals had the grace to looked ashamed. That was a relief and gave me a bit more confidence. I kept pushing my own agenda. “What do you know about the Tome of Dark Magic?” I asked Candy.
“Not much,” she admitted. “Heard of it, but never saw it. Why?”
“Lilith believes the secret to Pandora’s box are in the pages of the book.” My mind began to race with millions of questions. It hit me like a ton of bricks how much I didn’t know. “Do you have more toothpicks?”
Candy grinned. “Always.” She tossed me a box. I popped one in my mouth and chomped down. It was bizarrely comforting. “We need to backtrack.”
“How far?” Abaddon asked.
“Umm… unclear,” I admitted with a laugh that sounded like I was on the edge of losing it. Since I was, I went with it. “How many Demons am I in charge of?”
“Right now?” he asked, cagily.
“It’s not a trick question. Why do you sound so weird?”
He ran his hands thorough his hair and exhaled loudly. “The straight answer is, I don’t know. Most of our people are unaware of Lilith’s demise.”
“Kind of sort of demise,” Ophelia corrected him. Abaddon silenced her with a look. He was terrifying when pissed. She slunk back behind Fifi and Sushi.
He continued. “We’ll do a formal announcement. Word is most likely spreading as we speak. We’ll need to go into the Darkness and you’ll have to stake your claim.”
That didn’t sound good at all. “Will that be bloody?” I whispered.
“I hope not,” he replied.
Sometimes the truth sucked.
“More questions,” I pressed.
“Ask,” he said.
“How many are loyal to Pandora?”
“Numbers will not be helpful right now,” Abaddon shot back flatly.
I wanted to scream. I wanted to electrocute him. Instead, I turned to Fifi. “The house across the street—is anyone living in it?”
“No, my liege Bitch Goddess Cecily,” Fifi said.
“What the hell did she just call you?” Candy Vargo asked with a laugh of disbelief.
My patience was wearing thin. The feeling of drowning in the overwhelming reality of what my life had turned into was making my head spin. Yep. I knew Candy could blow me to smithereens with a wave of her hand, but I didn’t care.
“My name. You gotta problem with it?” I demanded, leveling her with a stare that was either going to earn me some respect or end me. Right now, I’d be fine with the second option.
She threw her head back and cackled. “Badass!” she bellowed. “I always said you were a badass.”
Looked like I was going to live for at least another few minutes.
“Excuse me,” I said, walking out of my house and across the street. I was well aware that everyone was watching me from the windows of my house. Didn’t matter. I’d learned from the Demons that property damage was cathartic. I’d proved the theory to myself when I’d destroyed the exercise equipment in the fight training room back at Lilith’s safehouse.
It was time to put the theory to the test again. I was so wound up, I needed to exercise a few demons. I laughed hard at the irony of my thought. My audience would think I’m crazy.
I was.
