Page 29 of Till Death

Amon smiled. “How is my baby brother doing these days?”

CHAPTEREIGHT

The most powerful being in all of existence was the baby brother of this…thingin front of me? Talk about a mindfuck. One I hadn’t been prepared for and wouldn’t have guessed even if I’d been told to make the wildest assumption ever.

Nope. No way. God and the Devil were not brothers, no matter who spun the narrative.

Except it kinda seemed like they were.

“You—” The longer I stared at him, the less this made sense. Why did this feel like an even bigger betrayal than everything else I’d been through to this point? “How could you? How could you play us all this way?”

I shook my head, the pain at my temples growing worse with each passing breath. Brothers. God and the demon were brothers. Running my hands through my hair, I tried to pace and stepped down too hard on my bad leg, groaning.

Cole’s growls ratcheted up a notch in response to the change in my mood.

Amon’s lips spread in another genial smile. Like we were two friends remarking about the weather over tea and scones, not like he’d rocked my world with his little revelation. “This was probably not what you wanted to hear. It’s all a bit shocking,” he said. “I understand.”

“Do you?” I snapped. Because even I didn’t understand, so him acting caring and compassionate seemed a pretty big stretch.

None of this was right. God and the demon Amon were brothers? And God was the younger one?Nope.

I tried to comb through my memory for the exact right thing to say and came up with zilch.

“Unlike the being you know as Hank, I do not have these same limitations placed on me. Which are self-imposed, might I add.” Amon strolled away from me to sit on the corner of the desk with one ankle crossed over the other. We might as well be scheduling a meeting for coffee.

He didn’t seem to care that I was in the middle of an existential crisis. No, he pointed to the empty chair opposite him, but my feet were rooted to the floor. Throwing up was still on the table too, although I swallowed those urges down deep.

“So you’re telling me that Hank is only stuck in the Void and ‘limited’ because he wants to be?” I used air quotes for that one.

Amon shrugged one shoulder, completely unbothered. “Apparently. I can see no other reason for his actions over the past millennia or so. Believe me, I’ve tried to figure him out and I can’t make sense of him.”

Another revelation. Well, not exactly arevelation; more like a reminder. The beings I dealt with now were much older than me. Or at least, older than the current me. A shiver ran through me and I purposely kept my eyes on Amon rather than looking towards Cole.

“The point being, Miss Blackwell, that I am able to not only tell you who I am, and who Hank is, but I am free to answer any other questions you may have. I’m sure you’re brimming with them,” Amon explained. He leaned a little bit closer, his nostrils widening as he breathed me in.

“I’ll try to limit them so you’re not overwhelmed.” Did my tone sound as dry as I felt? For sure. Dryer than a pack of crackers from World War II.

“Don’t worry, dear.” Amon flashed me a smile full of teeth. “I don’t tire easily.”

Oh. Yuck.

“Give me a way to cure Cole. That’s all I want,” I said, trying not to show how confused I felt. “Then I’ll get out of your hair.”And find a way to seal up Hell once and for all.I kept the last bit to myself because Amon probably wouldn’t take kindly to it, although he had to know of my purpose.

“I wish I could, Jade. I truly do. As I explained before, all is lost for poor Cole. There is simply no way to save him once the transformation has begun.” Amon sucked on his teeth. “It’s a wonder he’s managed to cling on this long. He is truly exceptional. I don’t like to play favorites, but he’s always been one of mine.”

He stared fondly at Cole, whose back bent sharply, each vertebra outlined in stark relief against his overly tight skin.

“Wow, you have a really warped way of showing favoritism,” I muttered. “Then again, you are a demon. Torture is kind of your bag, isn’t it,baby?” And I needed to actually keep my mouth shut and stop baiting him.

“I’m trying to paint a full picture of the situation we are in, Jade.” Amon spread his hands again. He had to stop doing that, or sooner or later I was going to take the invitation and pierce that thick hide of his. “I know you want to save Cole but as you can see, it’s only a matter of time before he joins his brothers and sisters. He’ll be my most powerful Halfling yet.”

I huffed out a laugh and turned to face him full on. “You’re just like your brother. Exactly the same. Hiding out in your two little opposite corners, your fingers in all of these pies while neither one of you are willing to take responsibility for the messes you helped create. You’re both cowards.”

The demon’s face did not darken the way I expected it to. The way I wanted it to, if I were honest. A large part of me wanted to press Amon’s buttons and see how far I could push him because, honestly, I’d had enough of playing mediator between the two powerhouses. Mediator and savior to all when I didn’t even have the memories promised to me.

That’s how it felt right now. I was the rope between them, with each one pulling. I just had to figure out what Amon wanted before he took it from me.

I’d passed the Trials. I’d gotten my powers as an Archangel, and for what? I couldn’t even save the man I loved.

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