Page 55 of The Road to Hell

Rathiel nodded. “Lucifer has to sever the vow himself.”

Calyx’s face twisted with frustration. His fingers curled into a fist like he wanted to hit something. “That’s not a damn solution. You told us you can free us.”

“I can,” Rathiel said evenly. “By killing Lucifer.”

Calyx clenched his teeth so hard I saw the muscle in his jaw jump. He dragged a hand through his hair and asked, “You really think you can take him down?”

Rathiel didn’t blink. “Yes.”

Calyx laughed. “Right. Because that worked outso wellthe first time.” He gestured around at the desolate wasteland surrounding us. As though to remind of us of our past failures.

Rathiel’s expression didn’t change, but something in his stance tightened.

“You forget, brother,” Calyx said, “Isawyou in Lucifer’s dungeons. I saw what he did to you. How he treated you.” His voice was quieter now, almost contemplative, but it carried weight. “He made us watch as he flayed the skin from you over and over. As he shattered your bones, then healed you, only to shatter them again. We saw him burn and break you. And you want to risk going through that again? For what? Her?”

Rathiel’s body tensed.

Calyx scoffed, shaking his head. “Tell me—what’s different this time? How are you going to win?”

Rathiel didn’t answer. Neither did I.

Calyx might have claimed he wanted out, but that didn’t make him an ally. He was still one of Lucifer’s fallen, and as far as I was concerned, that meant he was still a threat. I wasn’t about to hand him our plans on a silver platter.

Instead, I held his gaze, let the silence stretch, let it turn uncomfortable.

He waited.

And when neither of us spoke, he shook his head. “Right,” he muttered. “Of course. I ask a simple question, and you two clam up like I just asked for the keys to the kingdom.”

I arched a brow. “Maybe because you’re stilltechnicallythe enemy.”

Calyx’s expression darkened, his smugness finally slipping.

“And you’retechnicallyinsane,” he shot back. “Do you honestly think you can get anywhere near Lucifer without him ripping you apart? Because Iknowyou remember how this ended last time.” He tapped his head again. “Thanks to me.”

I froze, my stomach suddenly twisting. Rathiel and I had suspected Calyx was responsible for returning the memory of the final battle to me, but we hadn’t known for sure. Now we did. I filed that away for later.

For now, I just smiled. “That’s the thing, Calyx. You don’t get to know what we’re planning.” I tilted my head, watching his every move. “You know why?”

His nostrils flared, but that was the only sign of his annoyance. “Enlighten me.”

“Because I don’t trust you.”

His eerie pale eyes locked onto mine. Then he laughed. Not the slow, lazy chuckle from before, but something harder.

“Yeah,” he muttered, mostly to himself. “That makes sense. And what about you?” he asked Rathiel. “Do you trust me even a little?”

Rathiel was still as stone. “No.”

Calyx growled and dragged his fingers through his hair like he was trying to rein in his frustration. “Then what the hell am I supposed to do?” His voice was low and tight. “If Lucifer has to release me himself, which weallknow will never happen, then how the hell do I even begin to break free?”

Still, neither of us answered.

And this time, it seemed to piss him off, if his murderous experience was evidence of anything.

“You know what? Fine,” he snapped. “Forget it. Enjoy your little rebellion while it lasts.”

He turned on his heel, moving to leave.

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