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“And I am today. I use my power to help my people.”
“I was your people once.” I could hear the wistfulness in my voice. I missed Liv. I missed my best friend, the one who knew me before I was this me.
“And now you’re not,” Liv said with a sigh. “You don’t know me anymore. I don’t know what you’re trying to do. I’m not going to break down and tell Donovan everything. You and I are strangers now. You might as well kill me because whatever this is it won’t work.”
I stared at her for a moment, that truth washing over me. I didn’t know this Liv. She still knew me. I’d been gone for a couple of weeks, but she’d lived over a decade without me. Even if she’d stayed with Casey and followed the rebels, she would be a different person. Maybe not a murderous traitor, but I could only work with what I had.
“What’s your favorite TV show right now?”
Her head tilted like that had not been what she expected me to say. “I don’t watch TV. We don’t have one in the Coven House.”
I shook my head because that was awful. “You haven’t seen the dating show where they pick dates based on design preferences?Designing Love? It sounds dumb and it totally is. It’s a big-ass train wreck. Two of the women got into a fight over a dude because they loved his use of wainscoting. They’re designing fantasy rooms next week.”
I hoped we had good reception on the Hell plane. I had high hopes since I happened to know that demons were addicted to coffee and reality TV. Eddie had told me it used to be soap operas. The Hell plane had been big fans ofDays of Our Livesuntil the Marlena demon possession plot. They felt it was too outlandish even for them.
Liv’s head shook. “That’s…ridiculous, and I wouldn’t waste my time.”
I shrugged. “You would love it. Read any good books lately?”
“Kelsey, what are you doing?”
“You said I don’t know you. I’m getting to know you again. Maybe we could ask Eddie to make you a pitcher of margaritas and we could talk.”
She sniffled, a superior sound. “I don’t pollute my body with alcohol.”
I pointed to the beer in her hand.
“I was trying to fit in with Fenrir,” she said with a shrug.
“Dude, you take demon blood. I don’t think some tequila is going to hurt you.” I realized I shouldn’t have said that when she completely closed down.
Her eyes slid away from me. “That’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“Not according to Sasha.”
Her eyes were back up and steady on me. “That Russian idiot? What would he know? Do I look like I’m jonesing for a hit?”
She didn’t. She seemed calm and in control. “You look better than you did in the beginning.”
“I would look far better if you would give me back my clothes,” she pointed out.
I had to shake my head. “I can’t let you do that. Friends don’t let friends look like they stepped out of a leather factory. I would think you would be happy to breathe. We make fun of people who wear corsets to a fight.” She simply stared, and I got the feeling she was done with my sarcasm. “Are you all right? I can try to find something to ease the pain.”
Her brows rose. “Or you could give me some demon blood.”
“I’d like to avoid that.”
She turned away and walked back to her bed. “Then I have no use for you. Keep me with you and my master’s rage will reign down on you.”
I didn’t want to tell her. It seemed cruel. But the new intelligence we had was also verified as the truth. “He’s already appointed a new Profane. He had a ceremony for his new unholy trinity three nights ago. He’s not coming for you.”
She didn’t turn, but I saw her shoulders stiffen. “He thinks I’m dead. I’m behind all these wards. He can’t find me. When I escape, he’ll know I’m alive. He’ll feel it.”
I worried he’d already forgotten her. My heart hurt despite the fact that I hated she was mourning the loss of an asshat. “Did you love him?”
“With all my heart.”
I stood because that wasn’t what I’d wanted to hear. “We’re leaving for the Hell plane in the morning.”
