Page 69 of The Road to Hell

Another rustle—movement from the shadows.

Then, just as I was about to take another step, something cold and smooth slithered over my foot.

I yelped and stumbled back, heart lurching into my throat. My wings instinctively flared to keep me from falling, and I glanced down at the long, sinuous form coiling lazily around my foot.

Levi.

I let out a breath, half relief, half exasperation. “You’re going to give me a heart attack one of these days.”

The serpent lifted his head, his slitted pupils locking with mine. A moment later, his body shimmered, twisting, shifting, stretching into the form of an angel.

Levi unfolded himself before me, tall and impossibly graceful, his blue eyes gleaming in the dim light. He looked like he’d just woken from a long nap. Which, knowing him, he probably had.

“You came back,” he noted, his voice smooth and unhurried.

“Yeah, well. Plans changed.”

Levi’s gaze strayed behind me, his expression sharpening slightly as he took in Mephisar and Sable, their hulking forms silhouetted against the mouth of the cave.

His voice was softer when he spoke next. “What happened?”

Oh boy. Where to even begin? Unsure of what to say, I settled for the only thing that mattered.

“I’ll do it,” I said. “I’ll lead the rebellion.”

* * *

Mephisar descended into a hidden valley,tucking his wings in tight as he maneuvered between two towering peaks that looked less like mountains and more like the snapped-off teeth of some long-dead behemoth.

As soon as we touched down, I slid off his back, and gave his head a soft pat. Sable landed a second later, followed quickly by Levi—who hadrefusedto fly on her. He had his own wings, thank you very much. I’d chuckled at his indignation. I supposed the hellwyrms were rather imposing to those who hadn’t grown up alongside the beasts, but to me, they were my buddies. I didn’t see the slithering nightmares with dagger-sized teeth that everyone else saw.

Together, the four of us studied the camp. Some with curiosity—me. Some with mild concern—Levi. And some—specifically the two scaly ones—with what looked distinctly like hunger. Hellwyrms were known to dine on hellspawn now and then. I made a mental note to remind them that eating potential allies wasn’t great for morale.

I had to admit, I hadn’t expected the camp to be so big. Rows upon rows of patchwork tents stretched across the valley floor, their canopies stitched together from what looked like hellbeast leather, and, if I wasn’t mistaken, hellspawn hide. Macabre? You bet. Resourceful? Also yes.

Encircling the camp was a wall made of sharpened bone, twisted metal, and bits of rock fused into the gaps. They’d done what they could with their limited materials. Suffice it to say—they’d impressed me. They hadn’t just built a wall, they’d built a warning. A defiant statement to anyone stupid enough to approach.

Which was exactly what we were about to do.

Awesome.

Levi let out a slow breath. “This isn’t going to be easy.”

I raised my brows. “Really? No welcome parade? No fruit basket?”

He turned his head just enough to shoot me a look—one that all but radiated exasperation. “They don’t just hate your father, Lily. They hate you, too.”

I thought back to the little meet-and-greet I’d had with a group of demons nearly a month ago. They’d been rather vocal about their opinion of me—specifically that they intended to send me back to my father in “itty bitty pieces.” Naturally, I’d disagreed with their assessment. Strongly. So, I killed them all—with Mephisar’s help, of course. But that sort of thing didn’t exactly foster a trusting relationship.

Levi faced the camp. “They see you as an extension of him. You might as well be wearing a crown when you walk in there.”

“Good thing I left all my crowns at home then,” I teased.

He didn’t smile. Didn’t so much as blink. “This isn’t a joke, Lily. Hellspawn aren’t exactly known for thinking rationally.”

No kidding.

“They won’t hesitate. They will try to kill you the second you step inside that camp,” he continued.

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