Page 9 of The Malevolent Seven

I pushed the brazier for melting the soft silver coins with my foot towards the outer circle. ‘Then we’ve got a—?’

‘Hang on,’ Tenebris said, studying me suspiciously. ‘How exactly did you come by this stuff?’

‘Who cares? These coins arehot, Tenebris.’ I touched one with my fingertip and pulled it back as if stung. ‘You can practically feel the waves of spiritual unease coming off them.’

Maybe I’d overdone it with the burning finger thing. Tenebris’ eyes narrowed to slits. ‘Yeah, only, why am I beginning to suspect that you didn’t so muchstealthese coins from the huggers as you received them in payment for some mission you performed for them? Come on, Cade, you can tell me. What, did you rescue some kidnapped nun? Recover a lost holy artefact?’

‘Why do you care?’

‘I don’t, but my customers can tell when the ecclesiasters have been tainted by generosity or self-sacrifice.’ His frown deepened. ‘Besides, why are you trying to hawk this junk, anyway? I advanced you two dozen spells for use in the Ascendant’s crusade. Don’t tell me you’ve used them up already?’

‘Lucien likes to show off. He’s got us using spells like we’re setting off fireworks at a parade because he thinks it makeshimlook powerful. Half the time it’s his own supporters we’re terrorising.’

It occurred to me that Tenebris had almost certainly predicted as much, which was why he’d been so unusually generous with the advance in the first place. The consoling look he gave me was entirely unconvincing. ‘Listen, man, I had no way of knowing Lucien was playing both sides. Maybe he’s auditioning for a position among theProfanejust in case the Aurorals turn on him?’

Now there was a disturbing thought. The Profane were those humans so attuned to the Infernal realm that the Lords Devilish would recruit them as high-ranking servants. Lucien would have been an excellent candidate for such a position, were he not destined to die tonight.

‘Tell you what,’ I said, holding up the open casket, ‘trade the ecclesiasm from these coins for the spells I need and I promise to use them in the commission of a particularly brutal murder tonight.’

Tenebris started stroking one of his horns. ‘Anyone I know?’

‘Ascendant Lucien. Give me the tools I need and I’ll make sure his suffering is the stuff of legend.’

I probably shouldn’t have made my intentions sound so vile, because this time Fidick and Galassbothgasped. Tenebris tried to peer around me to see them, but I blocked his view. ‘Who’s that hiding in the shadows?’ he asked.

‘Nobody. Let’s get back t—’

‘Forget it, Cade, no Lord Devilish is going to trade you spells so that you can murder the most bloodthirsty, homicidal Ascendant those idiot Lords Celestine ever blessed. Welikethat guy!’

‘Well, too bad, because by morning he’s going to be ashes.’

‘Then I’ll need something big in return.’ He gestured past the tent post. ‘I’m getting some very enticing vibrations off whoever you’ve got back there, Cade.’

‘Back off.Now.’

He ignored the threat. ‘Hey, little ones, why not come out and play with Uncle Tenebris?’

I’d warned the pair of them to stay out of sight, but Fidick, drawn perhaps by that Infernally seductive quality diabolics have about them, crept forward.

‘Oh, my,’ Tenebris cooed. ‘Aren’t you handsome? Positively angelic. Practically radiating ecclesiasm and spiritual purity.’ The diabolic turned back to me. ‘If the kid’s on the table, I can get you whatever you want.Anything. I mean it, Cade. I’ll give you stuff that will fuck up Lucien so bad the grandchildren he’ll never have will feel his pain.’

‘I’m not—’

‘Back to the pits with you!’ Galass shouted, striding towards the ritual circles brandishing a short but obviously sharp blade she’d probably been considering using on me earlier. ‘I’ll flay the skin from your accursed body and use your flesh as a winter coat if you so much as look at Fidick again, you devil!’

‘Diabolic,’ Tenebris corrected, then muttered to me, ‘Don’t your species have schools so young people can learn these things?’

‘I’ll take it up with the authorities,’ I said.

‘Please do.’ The diabolic began stroking one of his curved horns again. With his free hand, he pointed to Galass. ‘Now, this one I like. A lot. Not so much on the spiritual purity, but would she consider becoming one ofmyProfanes? Because if so, I can get y—’

‘The girl’s not on the table either.’

‘Are you sure?’ Tenebris asked, positivelyoozingdisappointment. ‘She’s just the type, and I’ve got a couple of Lords Devilish who are seriously sick and tired of our side getting whupped in the human-servant department. Those fucking Celestines recruit more and moreGloriansevery year, but it’s like pulling teeth for us to enlist anybody these days.’

I didn’t bother reminding him that this imbalance was because humans tended to see the Aurorals as forces of good and the Infernals as evil. He always had trouble getting his head around this fact. To be fair, I did too, sometimes.

‘Speaking of servants,’ Tenebris went on, a sly grin coming to his face, ‘I was tempting a fallen Glorian Justiciar the other day and we got to talking about you.’

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