Page 10 of Eternal Sacrifice
“Well, Princess,” Jasper started. “We can find some land and make a house in one of the larger rings. Or find Cole a cave near the palace. He’s old enough to take care of himself.”
“I want to make sure Cole has a cave near all our homes,” Mor said, scratching a spot near one of the dragon’s spikes.
“That’s a good idea,” Ryan said. “He will act better if he’s around you.” At least Ryan didn’t look upset that the dragon had pinned him in the corner. Guess he really was used to raising them and their temperamental mood swings.
“I’ll get him all setup,” Jasper said, reaching forward to grab Cole by one of his spikes. “Thanks for looking after him, Ryan.”
The dragon’s muscles stiffened, but he obeyed as Jasper pulled. Jasper turned and left the room, and I wondered how Cole would manage through the door until he took a step forward and seemed to shrink as he advanced. By the time he reached the threshold, the dragon was no larger than a mastiff.
“Did you know he could do that?” I asked, looking at Mor.
“Nope.”
Jasperstrodeintothewar room without Cole after being gone for over an hour. “He’s all taken care of.” Jasper sat in his chair, taking a deep breath as if it hadn’t been easy. But he smiled at Mor before a steaming coffee appeared on the table.
I looked around. We were all sitting in our unofficial official seats, waiting. My phone for the Hell realm sat on the table alongside Jax’s. Mor hadn’t bothered to get hers from her room, claiming everyone knew she was with one of us. But even without her phone, her eyes continued to glance at the screens as she waited.
Lucifer would summon us any minute.
I had the ability to stop time, at the cost of tremendous power, and only for a short period, but I wished I could speed things up. The seconds ticked, flowing as fast as blood in the snow while we waited for the inevitable call.
“You know he won’t do it as long as we wait. We need to be inconvenienced. That’s how he knows he’s in charge,” Justice muttered as he flicked a knife on the table, watching it spin. His eyes were focused on the blade, and he spoke as if inside another one of his crows.
Mor’s eyes lit up, and she vaguely looked toward the ceiling before smiling. “Spontan—”
A chorus of chimes and tones erupted around the room as we all received the message to immediately report to the throne room.
Morrigan
Myfeetmovedtowardthe great doors of the throne room while my demons followed behind me. I held my head high, my shoulders back as I approached the two black knights standing like statues. They were alive and could strike at any time. Despite being more powerful than ever, I couldn’t help the nagging feeling that they would turn on us the moment we crossed the threshold. Like they had attacked us in the pit.
I held my breath in my lungs, not daring to whisper or breathe as we made it through without incident. I doubted anyone could have spotted my nervousness as I stared straight ahead at Lucifer as he lounged on his throne. As usual, he looked like the cat who got both the canary and the cream.
“Treasure,”Lucifer purred into my mind, but his body acted like he hadn’t realized we had arrived yet.
“Luci. How’s Hell?”I kept my reply short and my tone well-controlled but otherwise pleasant. I was addressing the King of Hell, after all.
Lucifer turned his head, seeming to only now notice our arrival as the sins gathered around quieted as we approached the throne’s steps.
“Welcome. My favorites.” He beamed a smile. “Hell has continued to stand in your absence,”he said into my mind.
Internally, it just made me cringe. While Lucifer has always seemed to be on our side through his words and actions, he has also sown seeds of trouble for us. Justice’s words of caution floated around my mind, helping me to remember to be on guard.
“I trust you enjoyed yourself off realm?” He didn’t try to hide the suggestive nature of his question. It made sense. Demons weren’t shy when it came to sex.
“It was a wonderful escape,” I sighed as the recent memories floated through my mind.It was a lovely time.
“Good,” Lucifer said before clapping his hands together and creating a sharp snap of noise. Everyone jumped, and Lucifer’s grin only seemed to widen. He stood from the throne, a solid black suit covering his lean frame. “Now that you’re refreshed, I think it’s the perfect time to start another hunt.”
I saw some of the sins roll their eyes while others groaned low. I shifted my gaze around the room, noticing Jax’s dad, Beelzebub, sitting alone at his table. His hair was slicked back away from his face, a matching salt and pepper as his beard. Only there was a lot more sodium in his unique mixture. At first glance, I might have guessed he was in his fifties, but his skin was smooth. It looked like one of those photo filters came to life. In person, it felt unsettling, like something only masquerading as a person. His eyes were bright despite the overall cast of shadows that cloaked his soul, and he was staring straight at me.
“Can I ask,” I started, shifting my gaze back to Lucifer, “what’s the point of the points?”
“Nothing.” Lucifer used his hand like a plate, holding up empty air to provide a visual.
“Then why?” It bothered me that something vital to demons’ lives was pointless.
Lucifer looked confused, as if the idea of hunts and points having meaning had never occurred to him.
