Page 9 of The Dark Rises
A goddess and scientist, she’s taken on the task of building The Underworld’s first university. It’s a monumental project,but she’s the most qualified to do it. Her ideas and knowledge will make it first class.
Typically regal in public, today she’s leaning over the desk arguing with Lucifer. Her voice is loud and passionate as she basically calls him a cheapskate for not automatically giving her the funding she needs to add another building to the plan.
I smother the laugh threatening to escape my lips. It’s not good to piss off a goddess who could end my immortality with a wave of her finger.
Lucifer folds his arms and shakes his head. “I’m not saying you can’t have the funding. Finish the plan first, then we can talk about what needs to be added.” The stubborn glint in his eyes tells me he’s not backing down.
Evren must realize it too, because she flips him off.
Clearing my throat, I ask them, “Should I come back later?”
Evren huffs and turns around. “Hello, Cormal. It’s good to see you. Please excuse my bad manners, but I can’t stay in the same room with someone who refuses to use his common sense.” She strides out of the room, red hair streaming behind her, and slams the door behind her.
I wince. “Why don’t you just give her the money?”
Lucifer laughs. “She takes on too much. If I gave her the money, she’d work night and day to get it all done before the semester starts.” A wicked smile stretches across his face. “She’s magnificent when she’s pissed off, isn’t she?”
“No comment,” I murmur. It’s a rhetorical question. “Word on the streets is Callyx is hunting a monster?”
Lucifer smile turns into a scowl. “Damn thing must have escaped when I put Gabriel down there.”
Uneasy with the idea of Lorn escaping, I question him. “How? There are no doors.”
Dark eyes turn toward me, full of speculation. “Is there any place in my kingdom you haven’t been?” A second later, heholds up a hand. “Don’t answer that. It would only piss me off. No doors, but there is a long tunnel. It’s how we feed them.” He heaves an aggravated sigh. “Gabriel came back without his wings. He must have bartered them away.”
“The monster flew out?” I ask incredulously. Unbelievable, but at least it means Lorn isn’t escaping any time soon. “I know you’re aware I added one to your collection.”
I give him an overall synopsis of what went happened with the light Fae. “Lorn deserved a punishment befitting his crime against Solandis, and I wanted to be sure Meri would be safe from his retaliation.”
“Callyx informed me, or I would’ve hunted you down and demanded an explanation,” Lucifer tells me with a note of warning in his voice. “Next time, I suggest you get here a little faster and tell me yourself.”
I give him a curt nod. “Meri’s safety comes first, but I’ll do my best.” It’s an easy concession to make to someone who has my respect.
Lucifer leans back in his chair. “What’s next?”
“Leandra,” I say shortly. “We might have a way to track her.”
He pauses, as if waiting for me to explain, but when I say nothing, he nods. “She does seem to have eyes and ears everywhere. Good luck.”
Reaching out a hand to shake his, I stand and stride to the door. “I’ll keep you informed.” I stop and turn. “Do you have a copy of the photograph Callyx is showing everyone? You never know when I might turn up some intel.”
He waves a hand, and a photograph appears in front of my face. “We don’t have images of the monsters themselves, but this is the brand the Devil put on them when he placed them there.”
I pluck it from the air and study it. A pentagram with the devil’s pitchfork in the center. Crude, but effective. “Thanks.”
Minutes later, I’m back at the market, buying clothes for Meri and Madoc. Part of me wants him to freeze his ass off, but in the end, I grudgingly get him a few items. Only because she asked me to do it.
After shopping, I head back to my office to spend the rest of the day working. With several missions in play, I need to check on their progress. One in particular—a lead on Ri´—has my hopes up. It doesn’t matter how many I have to chase down; I refuse to give up on her. Besides, I have the manpower to do it.
Minutes after returning, the demon I sent to follow the latest lead arrives. Over the years, I’ve sent different demons, typically those who are the fiercest or have the ability to slide into the darkest of places. This time, I sent a demon of greed. I don’t know why. Either my seer ability or gut instinct told me he was the one to send.
Tall, with auburn hair, he strides in with a cocky smile on his face. “I believe she’s alive.” He places a photo on my desk.
Unable to believe it, but unable to stop hoping as well, I slowly pick up the photo. Dark hair, blue eyes the same color as mine, the woman is either Ri´ or her doppelganger. But this woman’s spirit is nothing like my sister. Her eyes were always sparkling with life. The ones in the photo are blank. Not dead, but as if hope is lost. Blank like there’s nobody inside.
Shoving aside the thought for a second, I quickly realize the photo is of her portrait. A painting. Maybe that is why her eyes are blank. She’s sitting, back straight, hands in her lap, with a small smile on her face, and she’s dressed in a black silk gown. Something she would never have worn in her previous life. Ri´ loved color.
I open my top drawer and grab my magnifying glass. Holding it over the photo, I focus on the glint of gold around her neck. It’s a torque. A clear sign of possession, and given our Druid past, also something she would never willingly wear.
