Page 69 of Eternal Sacrifice
“Hop on up, Fox.” I pointed to the slab as I measured the right amount of potion to leave her mind under the control of my every suggestion.
She got on top of the table, scooting into the middle before lying on her back.
“Take me somewhere else for a few hours, Justice,” she said, closing her eyes.
“I’ve got you, Fox.” I pushed the needle into her neck, and the potion raced through her veins. She drifted into an unconscious state.
I breathed a sigh of relief once she was under. Using one of Jax’s fragments to anchor the illusion meant she would drive the plot inside one of his memories. Her soul would have the chance to work through some of the guilt it carried.
Her body lay perfectly still, but I moved around the slab to cuff her arms and legs. Once I was sure she was properly secured, I turned and left. The doorway shut behind me, sealing her inside while I returned to the palace.
“Whatthefuckdoyou mean you left her in your dungeon?” Jasper barely held control over his war as he sat on his throne.
The sins had scattered the moment I barged into the throne room and pointed toward the exits.
“She’s safe,” I assured him.
“Nothing feels safe,” Jasper breathed, and his hand combed through his hair. “I’m not sure if I want to hold her or strangle her.”
“She’s usually down for a bit of both.”
Jasper’s eyes narrowed before rolling as he shook his head. “I’ll never understand the simplicity of an insane mind.”
“Think we can keep her from destroying herself?” I asked.
“I don’t know, Justice. And it scares the shit out of me. We need to figure out how to minimize the effects of the withering while the elf child grows up.”
“And hope that Jace can find Jax in the meantime,” Jasper added, only he wasn’t finished. “Then convince the elf to break her mother’s curse for the people that killed her mother.”
“Ophelia doesn’t know we killed her mom,” I said, knowing that I left the child in the care of a nearby witch. She had followed a raven to the home and found Ophelia waiting for her mom’s return. No one would know what happened to Wren since we destroyed her body before we left.
“It’s still a tall order,” Jasper said, his tone finally calming. “We don’t even know what to do once we get his soul out of the veil. His soul fractured, Justice. He doesn’t even have his memories.”
“Oh, and don’t forget, we have to hope Jace’s body isn’t stumbled upon and killed, or else we might have a hell of a time answering that question twice,” I added.
“You’re missing the point,” Jasper sighed. “It’s impossible. Our lives depend on everything working in our favor.”
“We are the Kings of Hell,” I said confidently. It was fight or die, and demons were known to choose to fight over much less. “We need power. We need fractures.”
“You need the support of the realm,” Beelzebub said, stepping out from a shadowed recess. “I’m just here to help.” His hands were in the air, palms out.
“We don’t exactly trust you,” I said, in case he hadn’t connected those dots.
“Whether you trust me is your decision, not mine. But consider these facts, whatever my reasoning, I want my son alive, and I am willing to help you.”
“What is your suggestion?” Jasper looked at Beelzebub.
“Focus on collecting fragments,” Beelzebub said after internal contemplation. “I heard Marlene talking about needing more power from fragments many times when I was locked inside myself. You boys have a lot of work to do. You’re going to need all the extra power you can get.”
Jasper turned toward me. “Think we should encourage the demons to fracture the souls?”
“We’re gonna need a bigger boat,” I said in agreement, but Jasper’s black, bushy brows crawled like caterpillars toward each other.
“You should talk to your father as well, Justice,” Beelzebub said, pulling a low growl from my chest. “He might be able to help slow Morrigan’s withering. You don’t want to get them back in time to see her confined for her safety like Liberty.”
“My father is the last person I should ask if that’s what I look to avoid,” I muttered.
“You might be surprised.” Beelzebub smiled like he was a shining example of why I should give my father the time of day. “You don’t have to do anything he suggests. In fact, you don’t have to talk to him at all. You can keep sitting here asking Jasper what experiments to try on her. See how many times you fail before you ask for help.”
