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The three?
Most would wonder how he knew about the vial, but even I could smell blood through walls. As close as I was, he’d likely smelled it on me. How he knew it was demon blood is anyone’s guess. Probably a powerful demon thing.
That’s a trick I’d like to learn.
“Wait a sec, you mean the actual Devil is involved in all this? Whoa, what sort of sins did I have to commit to be the target of the Dark Lord of the Underworld himself?”
Guess Lucifer wasn’t happy I was out here punishing his low-level demon minions. Can’t say it bothered me much that even the Devil knew my name.
I’m basically a dark underworld celebrity now.
Nova’s lips tilted with sarcasm. “I’d ignore all that biblical nonsense. Not one bit of it’s true. First and foremost, Lucifer is a woman.”
Bitch on a stick!
“Andshe’s…after me?”
Nova reached out to me, but I quickly smacked his hand away. With another amused smile, he went on, “Not exactly. Rather, her aim is me, and she knows what our partnership could mean for her. So, as any intelligent, powerful being would, she seeks to destroy any and every advantage I’d have to defeat her one day.”
Sounded like half the story. It didn’t add up. But as with anything, he was probably only telling me what would ultimately benefit him and his agenda. I could work with that. If I had the Devil herself after me, then nowhere was safe.
“Is it true she rules Hell?”
Nova’s green eyes flashed for a second, and the glint wasn’t lost on me. It was the same one I projected when my desire for revenge was at its greatest. “That part is true. However, she isn’t the first to rule. She can be ousted, same as in the human world of kings and queens. All it requires is a stronger demon to defeat her. But no demon has managed to do it in the last several millennia.”
I’d grown bored and moved away from the history lesson. All I cared about was Nova’s interest in her and why he wanted me. The last thing I needed was to join him, only to make him the next ruler and essentially become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
“I’m sensing past lover revenge vibes,” I commented offhandedly. But when his eyes gleamed and bled to red, I knew it wasn’t far off the mark. “If I do this, it’s on my terms. I won’t hesitate to kill you if I feel like you’re doing it for any other reason but to give me free reign to do what I want. I’m not your toy or weapon, demon.”
His smile was breathtakingly gorgeous, and I damned him for being just as captivating in person as he was in his illusions. “It’s a deal. Though I must admit, the idea of you punishing me isn’t as threatening as you may think.”
I rolled my eyes, not amused. All the men around me seemed to be secret or not-so-secret masochists. Still, I was in no mood to make jokes after an entire group of good people had been destroyed over what, a leg up?
I had revenge on the brain.
My eyes traveled over his body, and the flash of a memory made me speak up. “That scarred mark on your chest…” I’d seen it on the lackeys sent after us on our vacation. It was the same mark, but his was marred by burnt flesh and corrupted ink. “Is that hers?”
He seemed surprised I’d concluded as much, smile dropping for a half second before broadening. “I underestimated your cleverness yet again,” was all he said.
It wasn’t really an answer, but it was clear I’d been right about the mark. At some stage, he bore the same mark as the people coming after me—the mark of Lucifer. It intrigued me, but not enough to ask more than I already had. If anything, it confirmed his entire reason for wanting her dethroned.
Clearly there was a past between them, and I’d be smart to tread carefully with this demon. Especially if he was powerful enough to count the Devil among his exes.
Talk about a bitch of an ex.
But Nova’s reasons weren’t exactly an obstacle. If anything, I’d just use him and his selfish agenda to achieve my own goals until there wasn’t anything left he could do. Then I’d kill his sorry ass.
And live happily, bloodily ever after...
“So where to? I assume you have a plan?”
Nova seemed to glow in moonlight before he gestured to a nearby luxury car. “First, I think a better wash and change of clothes is in order.”
With my eyebrow raised, I offered my body a brief onceover. “What the hell’s wrong with my clothes?”
Instead of responding, Nova pivoted on the balls of his feet and headed for the car. I gripped my bat, taking a moment as the mere image of him disappearing into darkness made me rethink all my choices, but then followed him over to the car without another heartbeat of hesitation.
7
