Page 48 of The Morning Star
This was bad. There didn’t seem to be any room for negotiation in Samael’s scorched-earth program. And there was a fervor in Doriel’s voice that I didn’t exactly like. “Did you convey my message? Tell him what I have planned for the future? Ask him to hold back until I could negotiate some mutually agreeable sharing of the human world?”
“Yes, I delivered your message. Samael says no. He cares not for the humans and their world, he only cares for revenge. He will proceed as he has planned.”
That was no surprise. “Then you delivered my second message?”
She nodded. “I told him that as the Iblis, you commanded him to hold his invasion and await further instructions from you.”
I’m sure his response to that wouldn’t be a surprise either. “And?”
“He said to go fuck yourself. He’s the Iblis, not you.” Doriel eyed me with sympathy. “You’re too young to know the pain we’ve gone through. This is a matter of sacred revenge, a family matter between him and his brothers. It would be best that you not interfere.”
I noticed she was no longer addressing me as the Iblis.
“And you? What do you intend to do, Doriel?”
Could I count on her to back me up? Could I count on any of the other Ancients to back me up, or would they return to Samael’s side, to support him. Was I just an imp with a sword, or was I truly the Iblis in their eyes?
“I will be sad to see the playground of the human world laid to waste.” Doriel took a breath and looked me straight in the eyes. “But Samael will always be my Iblis. If he is bent on this revenge, then so am I.”
I felt as if my world were crashing down around me. All I’d worked for was falling apart. All the progress I’d made with Infernal Mates, the pairing of angels and demons, the future I’d imagined where we’d all slowly make amends for the past, where we’d reunite and have our happily ever after—it was all crumbling before my eyes.
Then I thought of my beloved angel, of Dar and Asta, of Rafi and Ahia, of Gabe and Nyalla, of Snip and Beatrix. Of Lux. No. I wouldn’t let this go. Not without a fight.
I wasn’t just an imp with a sword. I was the Iblis. And I was going to defend everything I loved with my last breath. But first I needed to see which side Remiel would be on, make sure he wasn’t going to try to take his kid back, and try to survive the meeting with him.
Chapter 15
“I appreciate your prompt response to my request.”
I winced at the cool sarcasm in Remiel’s tone. Yeah, it had only been a few days, but for an Ancient like Remiel who was used to being immediately obeyed, that was a few days too many.
“Been a bit busy the other side of the gates lately, but I’m happy to adjust my schedule to accommodate you, Remiel.” There. Flattering, but not making it seem as though I felt the need to drop everything and rush to his side.
The Ancient lowered his massive, red-skinned body into a chair barely sized for the purpose and blew a puff of smoke out of his bovine nostrils. “I can imagine you are busy. I was approached last night by an Ancient claiming to be Samael, who delivered a quite intriguing proposal.”
Fuck. Was Remiel going over to the dark side as well? If I lost him, I pretty much lost the war. I tried to remain calm and shrugged as if I really didn’t care.
“Yes, evidently he’s been making the rounds. Interesting how someone claiming to be the former Iblis needs to campaign for support.”
Remiel smirked. “Isn’t that what you’re doing? Campaigning for support? I don’t flatter myself that the imp who holds the Iblis sword, is here for anything other than what I may be able to do for her.” He shifted in the tiny chair, which squawked alarmingly. “And I can do something for you, if you agree to return something I want.”
I felt sick. Give up Lux, and Remiel would support me. Hel would be mine. Countless angel, demon, and human lives would be saved. Just one little angel. It’s not like Gregory and I couldn’t make one of our own. It’s what a demon would do, but I wasn’t really a demon anymore.
“So tell me about Samael’s proposal,” I urged. “Tell me what he wants you to do, and what he is planning.”
Tell me what’s at stake, so I know how backed into a corner I am when you ask for Lux back.
“Upon his signal, he wants us to go through an assigned gateway into the human world with our strongest demons, then kill the angels protecting the gates. After that, we are to lead our respective households through and join his as an army. It will be just as it was before—us against the angels. Only this time, we’ll win.”
Just what Caramort had said. I hesitated, wondering how I could prevent this war, how I could stop the whole thing before it started. If only I could just fucking kill Samael….
“But I’m not thrilled at the prospect of another war, this time for revenge and the pleasure of holding the human world.” He reached up and rubbed a long, glistening horn thoughtfully. “There was a time when revenge weighed heavily upon my mind, but even then all I really wanted was Aaru. Foremost, I wished to return to the bosom of my homeland, and retire from a corporeal form for the rest of all eternity. If I needed to fight to achieve that, I was willing to fight. I’m not so sure I’m willing to fight for a world of humans.”
“But Samael…” My voice was husky, and I cleared my throat to try for a more authoritative tone. “Do you truly believe this is Samael, or some imposter?”
He shrugged. “It truly doesn’t matter what I believe. If this is Samael, then he clearly isn’t the Iblis he once was. Other Ancients believe it is he. Other Ancients will follow him and join his army.”
“But you?” I held my breath.
