Page 132 of Hell Bound

“Thank you.” There was something smarmy about him, so it was difficult not to swipe the back of my hand against my dress. “Were you a friend of my mother’s?”

He looked to Asmodeus, eyes wide. “You were serious? Her memory is truly gone?”

“See for yourself.” Asmodeus grinned evilly. “Ask her who you are.”

“Do you know me, Lilith?” He searched my face. “Do you remember who I am?”

I didn’t. He looked to be forty at most, midnight hair and brown eyes tinged with orange. With his high forehead and a sharp jaw, women would have been all over him back home.

The thought disgusted me.

“No, I’m sorry. I don’t think we’ve ever met before.”

He chuckled. “Your father would be broken-hearted to learn that you’d forgotten his favorite older brother.”

Holy… this was myuncle?

“Allow me to reintroduce you to Duke Sorath, wife. Ruler of the Illicit Court, and the last living member of your family.”

Suddenly, I wasn’t nearly as steady on my towering heels as I’d been a moment before. Family. My true family here in Hell.

And he was besties with the literal bane of my existence.

A strange joy had arisen hearing that I had a family member again, a true connection to this world beyond a life I couldn’t remember. But the connection between him and Asmodeus was undeniable.

Duke Sorath thought it was funny that my memories were gone, an interesting little joke that he and Asmodeus could laugh about together.

Fuck. Him.

It made sense why being attracted to him had been so heinous to me. Add our blood relation to the fact that he was still laughing in the face of my obvious reeling from the information, and he was thoroughly disgusting.

“You know, I was certain that she would realize who I was when she recognized my court regalia.”

“She knows nearly nothing of our lands, Sorath. It has unfortunately become an embarrassment to have her as my queen.” He watched me closely, looking for the indignation he wanted, but I simply arched a brow.

Kiss my ass.

I hoped he was fluent in Eyebrow.

“It doesn’t help that you only have that sad whelp here to represent my kind. The day we rid our kingdom of him was the best in decades. Would you believe his father dared to suggest him as regent?” Sorath turned his head and spat on the floor.

Gross.

“Yes, I recall. I tried to make something of him, but he’s nearly as pathetic a wolf as she is a queen.”

Asmodeus’s words clicked through my confusion, and my blood began to boil. This asshole, my own blood, had sentenced Deasley to this life.

Now he had the audacity to stand here and run his mouth about my friend—myrealfamily—as if he was nothing.

Keep it together. It won’t help either of you to lose your temper.

“I’m cutting my losses,” Asmodeus continued. “Akeldama had promised to supply me with several new recruits to join my wolves, so it’s time to cull the pack.”

“While I wish I could apologize for having him sent here, that waste of an incubus was a stain upon my court, and I’ll be glad when he’s finally no longer a living, breathing representation of my people.” Duke Sorath smiled smugly after his tirade.

Rage flared to life in me, a molten deluge that couldn’t be held back.

I bared my teeth at him. “I may not have any memory of you, and frankly, it’s a fucking blessing. What kind of shit demon would wish death on someone like Deasley? He’s ten times the demon you could ever hope to be, because he actually cares about others. You protect the throne of a court that stagnates, awash in misogyny and backward ideas.”

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