Page 41 of Eternal Sacrifice
He turned from the rail to stride over to us. His crown was tilted to one side, but he made no move to straighten it. He smiled like this was one of the best days of his life.
Lorelei, the sin of Pride, approached the edge above the still chanting demons. She lifted a black crown into the air. The gems matched the metal, refusing to glisten as they appeared to absorb the light instead.
Mor stepped forward, and I felt a pit open in my stomach. Something… No, everything about this felt off.
“Wait,” Jax said, stepping forward. “No one touches her but us.”
He used his power to snatch the crown from Loreli’s loose grasp. She nodded as if simply accepting an order from her King before lowering her head and moving back to the other sins.
Mor looked at us with relief as she approached the railing. We moved forward together, coming to stand behind her.
“I present Morrigan, King of Hell,” I said, using my voice to cut above the excited chatter.
A chant of “All Hail the Kings” started from somewhere in the crowd, flowing through them until I wondered if the Heavenly realm could hear. The sins took up the chant, turning toward us with beaming smiles. It was unnerving, like everyone harbored a secret.
Like everyone was laughing at us rather than genuinely celebrating.
I was distracted by the thought tumbling inside my mind even as we made the trip to the throne room to receive the common demons.
Five thrones were seated on top of a short set of steps. Mor sat in the middle. Jax and Jace sat on one side of her, while Justice and I sat on the other. Justice sat closer to Mor, and I was left on the end. As soon as we were settled, the sins opened the doors to the throne room, and the procession started.
The elite demons came first since they felt their power level equated to less time standing in line. They offered tokens, gifts, and formal pledges of their loyalty.
It took hours.
By the end, I understood the elite demon’s insistence that they didn’t wait all day in line.
Thedinnerportionofthe celebration was held inside the arena. The space had been converted by the magic of Hell into a magical place large enough for us to host more than just the elite. We sat at a long table, perched above the rest of the seated guests, and protected inside one of Justice’s spells so that outsiders couldn’t eavesdrop on our conversations.
I sat to the right of Mor, putting Justice on the end. He was starting to grate on my nerves.
Justice leaned over the table, crowding the space where my food sat as he tried to capture all of Mor’s attention.
“You have to try this new drink.” He held a shot glass between his thumb and pointer. The contents looked like bubbling swamp water and smelled the same.
I knocked the glass from his hands, watching as the corrosive contents ate away at the table. “Can we have just one day without making a big deal about poison?”
“Fox likes poison too.” Justice sat back in his seat before leaning farther back. Too far back. He fell out of the chair and landed on the floor with a thump hard enough to attract the gaze of a few demons. “Wow, that one really knocks you on your ass,” he said, popping up between Mor and me this time.
“Justice, will you fuck off for a bit?” I snapped.
“Someone is a bit too full of war,” Justice said teasingly, but it just felt like mocking. “You could make the common demons fight for you,” he said before ducking his head down before I decided to fight him instead.
I was left looking into concerned green eyes. “Are you alright?”
I sighed, bringing my hand up to cup her cheek. There was something about her that grounded me. Helped to bring clarity when the constant buzzing of destruction threatened to overwhelm me.
“I’m fine, Princess.”
She scrunched her nose, wiggling it from side to side as if trying to decide if she wanted to say something. “I’m not sure if Princess is right anymore, but I don’t think I like the idea of being called your King either.”
I laughed, finding the things that occupied her mind so simple. “I will call you whatever you want, Morrigan.”
She scrunched her nose and frowned at the sound of her full name. It felt foreign across my tongue, but seeing how much she hated it almost made me want to do it again.
“I think I’ll keep Princess.”
I agreed, and I let her know with a smile. Calling her Princess wasn’t about her title, but rather the first moment we met.
