Page 52 of Anarchy
“Another thing that will change is the deals we make. Bram found us another ally. The witch Dorian kidnapped is a lover to a god who has no intention of bullying me or my creations. Reyson helped create the universe, and between the two of us, we can fix Hell’s sun so that deals are no longer necessary.
“People will always try to get out of deals because of the misinformation that has been spread about Hell. We let it sit because the balance on Earth would be skewed if everyone was supercharged with demon magic.
“This is a wake-up call. Dorian Gray’s deal seemed harmless at the time. He was human and wasn’t viewed as a threat. He didn’t care how many demons died as long as he got out of his deal. I’m not risking anyone else like that again. The cloud drive with the sigils has been destroyed by a vampire hacker Bram met on Earth.
“Hell is going to be moving into a new era. You can keep up or be left behind. The Hellhoundswillbe free. Talvath has already offered to teach as many as he can. As a result, many of you in the soul collection business will need to find a new vocation. I realize that is a scary prospect, but it doesn’t have to be. This is the perfect time to help people or follow your dreams. That is all.”
All the reported started screaming questions and waving microphones in the air. I was pretty sure some of them had shit opinions about all of this. They knewa lotmore about Lilith than I did and had more reason to fear her. I saw the look on her face, and I heard her speak. I wouldn’t be questioning a fucking thing she said, even if it was my job. I’d done some stupid shit in my life, but not that stupid.
Lilith must have the same ability to magnify her voice as Reyson did because she broke it out.
“Enough! This was a terrorist attack by a prominent demon so that he could continue profiting off the abuse of one of my creations. You don’t have to like it, but I suggest you get on board because it’s happening. So is fixing our sun. The souls were a Band-Aid to a bigger problem. We’d be stupid not to take Reyson up on his offer. I’m looking at this long-term. That is all.”
Damn. Lilith dropped a whole bomb on Hell, told them to deal with it, then just opened a door and disappeared into it with everyone she brought with her. She magically appeared in her entertainment room in a blaze of red-headed glory. Samael came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“Think the politicians are going to get it done?”
“They will if they knew Akul. He didn’t just have blackmail material he’d already used. He had backups in case he needed them in the future. Notice I never said I deleted it like what was on the cloud server. They aren’t stupid. Every politician, on any realm, no matter what century it is, is adept at reading between the lines.”
“Not to step on your toes, but why didn’t you answer their questions?” Reyson asked.
“Sometimes, creations get a little naughty and need to be spanked into obedience. If you have to play the god card, it’s best just to tell them what’s happening and not allow questions. I hate it, but it’s not the first time I’ve had to do it. They’ll hate it and complain endlessly, but it’ll get done. A few decades will pass, and it will be an unfortunate history lesson taught in schools.”
“Aren’t you worried about the Hellhounds speeding up the process by killing the demons that abused them?” Felix asked.
“Not at all because I don’t intend to give them time. There is also the worry that demons will hurt the Hellhounds. I’m meeting with the government after lunch, where theywillmake the appropriate changes. I expect some pushback. Bram and May, I’d love for you to come with me. I can tell them all day that I didn’t create Hellhounds the way they teach nowadays, but you can tell them for yourselves. You both had different upbringings, and you are both perfect.”
“I’ll do it,” May said immediately.
“So will I. That was the point of all this, wasn’t it?” Bram said.
Kaine ran his fingers through his hair.
“Not to be a bother, but we technically caught the bad guys. I’d love to stay and watch a revolution go down, but I’ve got a teenage witch at home with two broken feet and magic that was awakened early. Since her parents raised her human, they had some human friends around her. The assholes have human child protective services after me like I’m some pervert for taking my best friend’s child in. I really need to get back.”
Lilith clearly didn’t know that.
“You took in one of mine?”
Kaine puffed up his chest proudly.
“Yeah. She’s going to be a famous ballerina one day. Mark my words.”
“Why would her parents raise her human?” Lilith asked.
“I don’t pretend to know all that witch crap, but something about the stars and a tarot reading the night she was born, which is all the more reason for me to get back. If it scared her parents enough to take her birthright away, then I need to make sure she has an excellent support system.”
“Bring her to the library. Ravyn and I will teach her how to use her magic.”
“And, you know, girl stuff?” Kaine said, looking at us in a panic.
I suppressed my giggle. Kaine was perfectly happy to charge into Hell, change into his dragon, and yeet a demon forty feet in the air, but Lilith help him if he had to talk to a sixteen-year-old about tampons. It was kind of adorable how purple he was right now.
I thought about my twin. I knew how much she wanted to see Dorian Gray die. I knew she had more people at the museum than I did at the library, but I also knew they weren’t as good as she was with cursed objects. She had a good bit of them coming over from the Cult of the Aether Sisters. Maybe she needed to get back too. I put my hand on her shoulder.
“Do you need to get back to the museum? No one will get mad. I’m not in trouble anymore. You have that shipment coming in from the Cult of the Aether Sisters, and I’m worried about how dangerous the items will be.”
“It’s not coming in for another three weeks.”
