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I suck in a breath, unsure of where to look. “You did what? You can’t…”
“Excuse me? What do you meanI can’t?”He steps backward, narrowing his eyes into slits. “The man just led his army into war, then watched them die. And he did it because in the vision my mother had where she came back, you killed my brother. Everything has been about bringing her back, Alice. I won’t let men die because of his grief.”
“No. There’s something else he needs from her. I don’t think it’s out of love. Maybe it isnow,but… I don’t know.”
He pauses, mouth opening and closing as he tries to formulate the words to respond.
Closing my eyes, I continue, forcing out the truth of what I saw. “He forced your mother into conceiving you. It’s why Asmodeus attacked him. She’s the one who spellbound your brother to protect him from Lucifer, and when he figured out what she did, he demanded another child. He didn’t go mad. Your father has been lying, Kai. Lucifer was going to kill him, so she pushed him in that prison world to keep him alive long enough for his power to manifest.”
His eyebrows tip as he slants his chin in the air, snubbing off the truth. “How do you know this?”
“Because I snuck into his room while you were gone and searched her memories. Asmodeus came to the barrier and he didn’t say much, but it was enough to make me question things. I had to find out the truth. If you try to go against Lucifer, he’ll try to kill you, too. Sure, maybe it started as him being hellbent on revenge, and maybe he did fall in love with your mom and wants to get her soul back from Michael for the right reasons, but he’s done some questionable things.”
“No… I’ve watched my father miss her every single day of his life since I was six. I watched them madly in love before that. He’s always wanted his war, and I’m not oblivious to my part in it, but he’d never hurt her. That’s one thing I’m certain of.” I reach out for him, but he shrugs me off.
He grabs a towel and beelines for the bathroom, determined to end this conversation. I get that he’s been through a lot today. We all have, but this is important. It could change the course of everything.
Kai would make a fantastic king. Even in the time I’ve known him, he’s matured and has prepared for the role that would one day become his after the war with Heaven. If he challenges it now, and Lucifer takes it as a betrayal, who knows what will happen.
“Wait,” I plead, hurrying after him. “Please wait.”
He spins around, stepping close enough to share my air. “What do you want me to say? Congratulations on your detective work? I lost someone today. Here in a bit, I get to go inform hundreds of wives and children that their husbands and fathers aren’t coming home. Do you truly think now is the time to bring up that possibility? The least I can offer them is retribution and assurance that the king who failed them is going to be removed from his throne.”
“I’d rather you hate me for telling you the truth than keep it to myself and you get hurt. I would’ve waited if you hadn’t mentioned challenging your father.”
His hand comes up, stroking a finger against my cheek. The gesture is sweet, loving even, yet the way his fingers tremble seems as if he’d rather wrap them around my throat. Still, I don’t break eye contact. I stare him down, peering deep into the sparks in his eyes.
“I made a promise. I won’t let my brother get inside my head. Have you ever even head-dived? How do you know what you saw is true?”
“That was my first time. I read about it in the books in the library.”
“Then you could’ve manifested those memories or altered them and been none the wiser. I made a promise and I keep my word, Alice. Everything else takes second fiddle.”
“Just because it’s not what you wanted to hear doesn’t mean I did it wrong. I’ve performed plenty of spells out of grimoires for the first time, with perfect results. I doubt this is different.”
Inadvertently, I lean into his touch. As dangerous as it may be, I crave it. It’s soothing, even as power reels within me. Luckily, I think I’ve burnt enough off for today that the side effects have been kept at bay.
“It doesn’t matter. I know what I’ve seen,” he says, dropping his hand and resuming his journey to the bathroom. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, most of the Lords are meeting tonight along with the village masters. I’d like to shower first. You’ll be needed downstairs soon to help. My father is going to have you re-erect the barriers.”
Fine…It’s useless to fight him on things like this. He’s stubborn as all hell and there will be no changing his mind, but at least I tried to warn him. I’ll have to live with that. Crossing my arms over my chest and stopping the bathroom door with my foot, I follow in after him.
“What’s the plan for Finn?”
“There is no plan. He knew the risks and took them. We can’t risk what’s left of our forces to go after one man. He sacrificed himself to buy us time, and I’ll honor it. Even if I don’t like it.”
“That’s it then? You’re going to let him die at the hands of a monster?”
He closes his eyes as he lets out a long, deep exhale. “Yes. I don’t have a choice.”
“You don’t have a choice….” I repeat the words as if they’re funny. “Who are you? There’s always another way.”
“I’m Malikai Morningstar, prince of Hell, and I’m about to challenge the king for his thronelike I promised,” he says, pointing to the door.
My teeth grind until the enamel screams, threatening to break. Nostrils flaring, I walk away. I’ll figure it out. There’s no way I’ll let the one person who’s had my back through thick and thin, who faced me at my worst and stuck around, get eaten or worse.
For the second time, Kai has refused to save someone I love. He’s put the realm first. It’s a mindset fit for a king, but I won’t share it. I refuse. Those I love will take priority for me every time I’m faced with a decision. Maybe that makes me ill-fit to wear a crown, but being a princess was never my thing, anyway. For now, I’ll try my best to convince his council that we need Finn alive, but if they fail to see the value I do in him, I’ll happily hand that crown over and save him myself—or die trying.
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