Page 69 of All's Hell That Ends Well

Lilith had never seen it coming. In her last moments, she must have been so scared, abandoned by the very people who’d stood at her side for eons, who’d been tasked to protect her. What betrayal must she have felt? How much fear?

She’d died surrounded by enemies, failed by those whom she’d trusted…far away from Lucifer, whom she’d loved with faith that had weathered millennia.

Heat burning my eyes, I closed my hand around the hilt of the knife and stepped forward.

CHAPTER 20

Azazel

Sitting among a bunch of bickering archdemons and trying not to reveal any hint of my irritation was an exercise in patience and masking.

Well, I’d long ago learned to excel at both.

It was Abaddon’s turn to host the meeting, and we were seated around a massive round table in one of his most ostentatious gathering rooms, lounging in comfortable, throne-like chairs. Nothing less would do for the seven most powerful demons below Lucifer, of course. Hell forbid we’d have to perch our behinds on anything that didn’t scream of luxury.

Though I was indeed grateful for the plushness of the chair, given that these gatherings tended to run long, due to the contentiousness with which most of the participants discussed their issues. They ranged from border disputes to exchanges of personnel and other resources, to general gossiping of the highest level and thinly veiled insults.

Like just now, when Gadreel had offered Baal help with his little problem of a bat infestation in one of his sub-territories.That comment of hers served two purposes. One, it showed she was well informed about events deep in his domain, proving she had a healthy network of spies that had infiltrated his people. And two, it was little better than a slap to his face because her offer of help clearly signaled that she didn’t deem him capable of handling the problem on his own, which meant she considered him weak.

The worst kind of insult in Hell.

Baal now had two options. Either he could trade barbs with her and subtly discredit her in front of the others as well, or he could throw down the gauntlet and escalate this to a military conflict that would be dealt with after the meeting.

Baal’s shoulder-length burgundy hair gleamed in the light of the chandeliers as he leaned forward and flashed his teeth, a slash of white in his dark brown face. “By all means, do come over and bring your people so I can thank you for your generous offer of help. My land hasn’t been watered with blood in some time, and yours would do nicely.”

And he’d just chosen option number two.

Gadreel lifted her chin, a smirk on her lips. Her honey-colored hair framed her face in soft waves, and her porcelain complexion shimmered as the light flickered. “It will be my pleasure to teach you humility.”

“You cannot teach that which you do not know yourself,” Baal shot back.

I refrained from rolling my eyes. Barely.

And to think, I’d sacrificed spending some of the precious time available with Zoe to be here, because decorum demanded I participate in this farce, this meeting that was little more than an opportunity to posture and impress the other archdemons. Most of the topics we talked about here could and would be addressed in one-on-one meetings anyway, especially the issues that related to territory or trade.

“Are you two quite finished?” Daevi asked from her seat next to me, her mahogany eyes flicking between Gadreel and Baal. “Solve your personal quarrels later. I am tired of listening to your bickering.”

Baal sat up with the air of wanting to launch into a tirade, but Tamiel, the archdemon sitting on my other side, beat him to it. Her black hair was braided into an elaborate updo, her permanently sun-kissed-looking skin seemingly dusted with gold. Narrowing eyes of amber that were slightly tilted up at the corners, she said, “I agree. Let’s move on.”

“I concur.” This came from Ashtaroth, sprawled in her chair on the other side of the table, looking every bit the decadent queen. Her hair had a striking hue, such silver-white as to appear sparkling like woven diamond threads when the light hit it at the right angle. Her coloring would have seemed washed-out had her skin not held a warmer glow, one or two shades darker than her hair, and her eyes not been of a stunning dark red.

As remarkable as her looks were, the effect was ruined by the fact that her personality resembled that of a duplicitous snake. She’d been one of the temporary lovers that had joined Lucifer and Lilith in bed over the eons, and I was honestly surprised those unions hadn’t ended with her severing his head when he least expected it.

Might have had something to do with her sharing a son with Lucifer, though.

She’d perplexed everyone by not claiming Samael for her own court when he’d come of age, instead encouraging him to stay at Lucifer’s palace. For her not to grab on to such promising offspring to strengthen her own ranks was unusual.

Then again, she and her son seemed to have a good rapport with each other, and rumor had it she’d deliberately installed Samael at Lucifer’s court in order to use him as a connection toLucifer’s inner circle beyond her own—nowadays much cooled—relationship with the supreme ruler of Hell.

Officially, Samael’s loyalty was to Lucifer alone, but bonds of flesh and blood could scarcely be denied.

“It is of note,” Ashtaroth now said, “that our king is yet again missing from this meeting.”

Murmurs of assent from the other archdemons. I exchanged a glance with Daevi, whose slim black brows drew together.

Tamiel shrugged. “That is not news, Ash.”

“You are right.” Ashtaroth smiled grimly. “It has long been known that he has lost interest in actually ruling.”

---