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“I consider it evil.”
A brilliant smile lit his face. “Thank you so much. I do as well. It’s the little things I never get credit for. Anyway, if the young Sarah Day had believed she didn’t deserve Hell, the contract couldn’t have been enforced. Intent is important when it comes to a legacy.”
“So Gray never had to descend?”
He shook his head. “That’s an entirely different thing. Gray is a royal. There is no question what plane he belongs to. And yet, there’s still a piece of him that thinks being here is punishment for his sins. I often worry what would happen if humans got over their shame and guilt. I worry this plane might wink from existence.” He threw back his head and laughed. “And then I remember we’re talking about humans. Like that will ever happen. My asshole father really fucked them over.” The smile faded. “He should have stuck with his perfect creations. Human souls are overly complicated.”
It struck me that he was being quite talkative, at least this aspect of him was. It looked like the one hanging with Trent just wanted to eat and drink some beer. If he was talking, I had some questions. “I’ve been thinking a lot about the nature of souls.”
“Oh, no you haven’t, Lady Sloane. You’ve been looking for one. Or rather a piece of one. Isn’t that why you sent the young royals all over the planes asking about purchasing one? Yes, I heard about that. I have eyes everywhere.”
That was what I was afraid of. “All right, yes, I’m looking for one. A piece of one, actually.”
“Your sad witch friend. Not happy with her bargain? Or you don’t like her makeover.”
“I don’t think she bargained at all. I think she was forced.”
“Well, that can happen,” Lucifer returned as though we were talking about the weather and not someone’s soul. “There are some fools who think they can steal a soul. It never works the way they want it to. For all we like to say we’re going to devour a soul, it can’t happen. The soul is the heart of creation. It can transform, but you can’t destroy it. I should know. I’ve been trying for millennia. If you come across a way, tell me, sister. I’ll pay for that knowledge.”
“She thinks he used it in a spell.”
Lucifer snorted, letting me know how ridiculous he found that. “If that were true, no one would have a soul left. Witches can be greedy bitches. No. Your friend’s soul is hanging about somewhere, probably wondering what the hell happened. A lost child whose mother forgot them at the store. Don’t worry about it. When the body she’s using dies, the soul will come right back together. No harm. No foul.”
I totally hated him. “I’m not going to wait until she dies.”
“So she’s looking for the piece that was taken from her?” the Lord of Hell asked as though surprised.
“Not exactly. She thinks she’s better off without it.”
“Well, I’ve met her, and she’s a sad little thing, isn’t she? Thinks she’s so strong, but she’s only filled with what he decided to put into her. He stripped her bare and rebuilt her. Quite smart of him, really. If he’d left that part of her, she wouldn’t have been effective as an enforcer. That whole free-will thing is rather overhyped, if you ask me. Give me a worker bee any day of the week.”
“So Myrddin gets to go around ripping out pieces of people’s souls?” I tried to temper my anger.
“If the divine creator had a problem with it, wouldn’t it stop? Your friend should have protected it better.” His eyes lit with malicious glee. “What was she wearing when it happened? Was it a mini skirt? Was she walking alone after dark? In a bad part of the city? She really should have been more careful.”
“You’re an ass.”
“Again, you give the sweetest compliments, Lady Sloane. You and I are going to get along quite well,” he said. “And that’s important because we’re going to spend a lot of time together, your husband and I.”
A cold chill went down my spine because what I’d feared was right here. “You don’t know that.”
“I can’t be entirely sure, but I know I’m the only one who can cure that wizard you think is going to save the Earth plane.” He looked out over his kingdom. “I’m not so sure about that because Gray’s last contract ended entirely too soon. I was about to see how it all played out when… He was free. I was lucky someone decided to try to take out the baby vampire king.”
There was a scenario I hadn’t thought of. “Did you do it?”
An elegant hand waved off that question. “Of course not. Though I don’t have a problem using what I have. It’s a bit of a miracle, isn’t it? I need a hold over the dark prophet and Myrddin provides. He’s lucky he did since he hasn’t provided anything else.”
It was good to know our intel was correct. “There are other ways.”
“Not really. I suppose Myrddin could reverse it if he had…say, one of the feathers from my heavenly wings.” There was an anticipation in Lucifer’s tone that sent that chill I’d felt to an absolute freeze.
What did he know? Was Lee already in custody? Was he already dead?
“But other than that, it has to be me,” Lucifer continued. “I don’t heal people for the fun of it. I do have a reputation to uphold. And I like to make sure I’m getting the absolute best deal possible. Ah, our final guest is here. We can let the bidding begin.”
He gestured to the doors, and I watched as a tall man walked through, dressed in red robes that cinched around his body.
Myrddin Emrys gave me a smile that sent my heart into a tailspin. “Hello, Lady Sloane. Lord Lucifer, shall we begin?”
