Page 53 of Anarchy
“Did you say the Cult of the Aether Sisters?” Lilith asked. “They were after we left, but I heard about them. They summoned countless demons trying to get more powerful. The first demon refused the deal and reported back. We had to put a stop to deals until the Earth dwellers took care of them. The demon reported they had the same powers as witches, but they weren’t. They were more. The Cult of the Aether Sisters weren’t my creations.”
Ravyn frowned, and so did I. Everything passed down about them was that they were dark witches.
“How is that possible?”
“Someone must have bastardized my creation. I’m not sure, but they were extremely dangerous. If you’re getting items from them, I’d be very careful. Not a single demon would agree to make them more powerful.”
Shit. And my twin was about to get everything they kept in their secret basement. I didn’t like that in the slightest.
“Still, there’s nothing I can do until the ship gets here with the items. I’d rather be here with my twin.”
“Of course. Kaine, it was a pleasure. Get back to your young witch and take care of her. There’s still work to do. I need to leave and get in front of our government. Reyson, I’m going to make sure that it's a public ceremony when we fix the sun. Bram, you’re perfect as you are. May, what would you wear if you could put on anything you like?”
“I’ve always wanted to wear a pretty dress and makeup with my hair fixed.”
Lilith could have waved her hand and done it because I could. Instead, she wrapped her hand around May’s shoulder.
“Come with me. There’s probably something in my closet. I can do your hair and makeup. We have enough time.”
I got that on a deep emotional level. Lilith was going to spoil May because she needed it. No one had cared for her before. I dug it. Before Lilith could leave, Ravyn cleared her throat.
“Is anyone going to get mad if we go beat on Dorian while you’re gone?”
Lilith flashed her a devious smile.
“Just leave his necklace on so you don’t kill him.”
37
Bram
Iknew why this was needed. Talvath had been preparing me for my entire life for this, even if he hadn’t told me and might have changed his mind about it. I honestly just wanted to go back to Ripley and the guys from the library. I had a feeling they were going to be awful when I testified in front of parliament.
May looked absolutely terrified when she stepped out of Lilith’s bedroom. Lilith had put her in a lovely dress, done her makeup, and curled her hair. I noticed she had disappeared with two Hellhounds last night, and I was happy for her. I tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled at her.
“Solomon and Duke are going todiewhen they see how pretty you look.”
“You think? I always wanted to wear a dress, but I thought they would be uncomfortable. This one is nice.”
“You look great in it. We’re going to knock them dead. They will try to trip us up, but we just have to tell the truth and keep our cool. They will try to prod us into shifting so they can say all Hellhounds are vicious killers who must be under their feet, but we both know that’s not how it works. It’s okay to get angry about what Akul and Oscar did to you. Just don’t lose it.”
Talvath rounded the hall and looked at me with tears in his eyes. He pulled me into a hug. He was so much smaller than me. His arms barely fit around me.
“I’m so proud of you. I want you to do something for me, Bram. Ripley and Reyson make you happy. So do the rest of the people at the library. When this is over, go be with them. Keep in touch, but be with the people you love. I’ve always thought of you as more like a son, and part of having a son is letting them find their new family when they fall in love. That wasn’t an option before, but it is now.
“You too, May. I hardly know you, but I can see you have affection for Solomon and Duke and them you. I realize you’ve been fighting your entire life, and this is the big one. You can have a different life. You can have love. Demons submit saliva samples to websites and trace their ancestry. They can find fourth cousins in different parts of Hell. I know how Akul made his money. If we can pull this off, nothing is stopping Hellhounds from using it to locate their parents or any pups that were torn away from them at the breeding farms. I want Bram to have a family because I love him, but I want the rest of you to have one because you deserve it.”
Talvath had spared me the breeding farms. It wasn’t a requirement if you owned a Hellhound, but most people did it because there was money in it. I only ever had sex when I wanted to, and if I even suspected they weren’t totally into it, I called it off.
I was nervous, but Ineededto do this. Not just for every Hellhound back at Lilith’s, but every Hellhound here. Enough was enough. If Lilith needed me by her side as proof, I’d be right there with her. She came through when Ripley needed help. She could have rescued Ripley and dealt with Akul, but she decided to use this mess to free my people.
Lilith stepped out of her bedroom and gave May a gentle smile. Samael joined us.
“You really do look quite lovely. I knew my clothes would fit you. We’re almost the same size.”
They really were. They were both petite women hiding a lot of power. Talvath raised me never to think less of the opposite sex, especially since female Hellhounds were perfectly capable of kicking my ass, and none of us would be here if it weren’t for a woman, no matter who created you.
Samael kissed Lilith’s hand.
