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“You see, Alice… People fear what they can’t control. Earn your spot on the throne.”
“And how do you suggest I do that?” I scoff, still unsure of whether I can trust him.
“Conquer it. Show them you’re more than a pretty face. Bring Finn back alive and they’ll respect you for your valor. Spare the innocent and take the heads of anyone who doesn’t fall in line along the way. In my case, a lot of those creatures outside the boundary weren’t killable. You can rid them from this world. Use the sword. We’re at a fork in the road, Alice. We have a war to fight and it’s coming faster than we anticipated. You’re either going to become the queen we need or the reason we all die.”
“No pressure,” I say, bouncing my eyebrows.
As much as I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt, he’s the wolf in my hen house. He’s a master manipulator, and just as Asmodeus said, he’ll say anything to get his way. For all I know, he could be leading me into a trap, convincing me to run off so Kai will follow and abandon the idea of contesting him.
It’s also entirely possible he’s telling the truth, too. I don’t believe his court likes me and I doubt they’d support our marriage. I’m not privy to the specifics of their customs regarding mutiny, though. This whole ‘fight to the death’ could be made up or twisted into sounding way worse than it is. Whatever I do, I’ll need to make sure my plan is airtight. I need to outsmart the devil at his own game.
“Where are my parents?” I ask, proposing my portion of the deal.
His hand reaches to lift my chin and force my gaze from the pocket watch to his. “Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Are you sure you want to know?”
“Yes. I know they’re not in Heaven. Where are they?”
“Limbo. My son ran away as a teenager and created this place in a closet there. It’s the cabin I met you at inside your dreamscape when you were young.”
It’s been right in front of my nose this entire time. There are only two doors I haven’t been able to open in Limbo. One was the record room Kai took me to, the other next to it. I assumed it was one of the same. “Are they locked in there or something?”
“No… But they did agree that it’s best you don’t meet them. Both for their safety and your motivation, at least until after the war. They know you’re here, though.”
They’ve known… They’ve chosen to stay away, to not meet their daughter. For what? Vengeance? Did my father know what he was creating? Did he make me for the same purpose Lucifer did his sons? To become a weapon and someone else they can add to the chess board as they take on Michael?
Rage flares up inside of me and I struggle to fill my lungs and push down the power permeating the air. They knew… and still chose to stay away. My mind flashes to when we visited last, and I can picture the door. Kai stopped at it. He knew. And somehow, that hurts worse than anything my parents could’ve done. I didn’t know them, but I do know Kai. I’ve trusted him and he kept the one thing he knew I yearned for the most away from me.
He didn’t just lock me in this castle to keep me safe. He kept me here so I wouldn’t discover his secrets. My blood blisters as I meet Lucifer’s eyes. There’s no amusement, no hint of him getting a kick out of stirring up chaos. Only concern.
“How do I use it?” I ask quietly, shoving it into my pocket.
“Press the button on top. Focus your mind on him and he’ll get sucked inside. It will be a replica of our castle. He just won’t be able to leave. I’ll hold down the fort here until you return.”
“You have a deal.”
35
Alice
Returning to the room, I keep my face blank. I need a moment to adjust my plan and look for the best route, somewhere outside of Kai’s presence and away from Lucifer’s all-knowing eyes. Although, I’ve already started piecing together what to do… and trapping certain notable members of his court inside their rooms. That’s beside the point.
Lucifer gave me an opportunity, and I want to make sure I use and abuse it properly. To do so, I need to figure out what is true and what’s not. The door hinges whine as it swings closed, and Kai flutters his eyes open. The moment he registers who is standing in front of him, his body relaxes into the mattress, and his arms stretch above his head.
“You’re still here…”
“I am.” I can’t bring myself to meet his eyes, knowing the moment I do any shred of control I’ve managed to hang on to will snap. “You act as though you’re surprised. You did ask your father to alter the boundary, did you not?” I’m not sure whether he knows Lucifer didn’t. I checked before returning to the room and it was still my barrier surrounding Hell Hold.
“Well, I am bound to protect you, even if you don’t want me to. I was being proactive.”
“So much for atruce until morning.”I scoff, leaning against the door jamb.
“Do you blame me? You’re running off to certain death, Alice.Alone. Finn drove the nail in his casket. You don’t need to do the same.” He sits up on the bed, rubbing his palm over his chest as if his heart is breaking as we speak.Good. At this point, I hope it does. I’ve gone my entire life wanting nothing more than to meet my parents and he knew where they were this entire time. He could’ve taken me there, butno… Per usual, it didn’t benefit him, so he didn’t bother.
“Yeah, but at this point, being alone in a realm full of monsters sounds a lot better than staying in some stuffy castle with a liar.” His eyes widen as his head jerks toward me.
“What are you talking about? I didn’t lie. I called a truce and agreed to enjoy the night. I could’ve yelled. Fuck, I wanted to scream at you for packing up your stuff and planning to sneak out of here with zero consideration for how it would affect me. Still, I called a truce. I shoved how I felt about it down deep and enjoyed a night with you. Yes?”
“Did you know if the court doesn’t support your contestment, you’ll have to fight to the death? Were you thinking ofmy feelingswhen you made your promise to overthrow him? I don’t want the man I love to die, Kai.”
