Page 77 of She Who Holds My Wrath

I stroll down the aisle between rows of silent onlookers, the delicious scent of fear clinging to me as I keep my eyes locked on Daisy. Not a single person or creature dare moves.

I have never once bowed to anyone before. Not kings, not gods, not even Lucifer himself. But the woman standing before me deserves every bit of my devotion. So, without even a second thought, I drop to one knee before her, lowering my head in a show of devotion.

“Maelkar,” she whispers. “What are you doing?”

I slowly turn my head, letting my gaze drag across the crowd behind me. A snarl curls my lip as my shadows stir, then writhe in warning. One by one, they crumble. Knees hit stone in a staggered ripple through the room as heads bow, and bodies lower. No one dares defy it. Only when every single one of them is beneath her, do I turn back.

I lift my gaze to hers, something fierce and unwavering settling in my chest. “This war, this universe—it’s yours, Daisy. I’m showing you exactly how worthy you are.”

Chapter 30

DAISY

Iwatch as Maelkar rises from his knees and comes to stand beside me.

His hand finds mine, intertwining our fingers and giving me a soft, but reassuring squeeze as we face the people of Aurora’s Veil together. The small gesture steadies something in me that’s been threatening to crack wide open since the moment Selunea’s breath stilled. His thumb presses lightly against my knuckles in a silent, I’ve got you.

I lift my chin and force my spine to lock, letting my voice carry through the hall in a way that hides how close I am to breaking. “Your king was a traitor, an abuser, and a tyrant.” My voice echoes off the high ceilings and crystal-veined walls. “You are free from his grasp, and under the protection of Hell. You will not be punished for Kaelith’s wrongdoings.”

The crowd remains still. Every person silent, tense, listening. “The only people who will fall, are the followers of the Six. My council will appoint you a new ruler. One who is fair and kind, and a leader you deserve.”

My throat tightens slightly, with a mixed bag of emotions from anxiety, to exhaustion. I soften my tone, hoping they hear the genuine honesty threaded through every word. “Please, do not fear me for what I have done. Kaelith would have sold every one of you for a scrap of power. I see you as my equals, not currency to barter.”

For a heartbeat, nothing happens. And the silence of it all makes my head swim. Then— “All hail the Queen!” someone shouts from the crowd. It catches and spreads.

“All hail the Queen!” The rest of the room echoes, the sound rolling like thunder, reverberating through the stone beneath my feet, my chest, through the very air I’m breathing.

It hits me harder than I expected. I offer them a small smile, forcing softness onto my face as I try to look reassuring despite the fact their king’s freshly severed head is currently skewered to his own throne behind me. The moment barely has time to settle before a deafening bang shakes the room. The double doors slam open, and Maelkar and I instinctively snap into defensive stances—fire crackling at my fingertips, shadows swirling around his.

But standing in the doorway wasn’t an enemy. Not even close. It was my family.

Lucifer steps through first, wearing a smirk on his beautiful face, until his eyes land on Maelkar. Relief softens his expression for just a moment, before he smooths it away again. He gives Maelkar a tight nod—it’s subtle, but laced with something unspoken. Beside him, Aran looks frantic. His eyes are scanning the room like he expected to find corpses—our corpses. His gaze locks onto me, and he pales. They both rush forwards without a single glance at the people surrounding us.

“Daisy, gods, are you alright?” Aran grabs my shoulders, scanning every inch of me with wild eyes. “What the hell happened to you?”

A shaky little laugh breaks out of me. “I’m okay. I think.”

The words feel uncertain, even as I speak them. Am I alright? My body aches, my head feels too full. And my chest… it feels hollow and heavy all at once. Forever the walking contradiction.

“She’s better than alright,” Maelkar snorts beside me, his tone darkly amused. “She beheaded Kaelith.”

Aran’s eyes widen, his emerald gaze flicking between me and Maelkar, disbelief crashing into relief, and then a cringe.

Heat creeps up my neck, settling in my cheeks. It’s not shame. It’s a mixture of everything that’s overwhelming me, with an undertone of pride that has me questioning my own sanity. “I’ll explain when we get home.”

Aran glances behind me, looking at Kaelith’s decapitated head stuck on the spike of his throne. His throat works as he swallows hard. “Shit,” he mutters under his breath.

Lucifer, on the other hand, beams. A deep chuckle rumbles out of him, rich and dark and entirely too pleased, making a shiver run down my spine. “That’s my fucking queenie.”

Despite everything, I huff a laugh.

“Where’s V?” I ask quietly, turning back to Aran, not daring to say her actual name aloud when the people in this room don’t know she’s on our side.

“She’s stayed by the leyline. We didn’t want to risk her being seen just yet.” His expression hardens and my insides twist. “Daisy, we need to move. Now. The original leyline collapsed the second you crossed through. It took everything to reach you.”

The urgency in his voice has my stomach dropping. “Wait. How did you get here then?”

Aran exhales sharply, raking a hand through his dishevelled hair. “Sariya and Elyistria returned when they heard you’d gone to Aurora’s Veil. I told them what happened with the leylines, and that V went through The Gate to anchor a new one.”