Page 157 of The Demon's Pet

Betty gave me an odd look, then shook her head and turned back to her work, not eager to say anything more.

Nic peered at me. “He hasn’t told you much, has he?”

I shook my head.

“He will, Morningstar,” Nic said.

Betty gave him a sharp look. “You watch your mouth about that. That’s sacred. We don’t know that applies to her yet.”

I looked over at Nic. “I’m really glad you’re not dead. I’m just confused… He said he had to kill you.”

“He had to make it look that way,” Nic said. “The fae thirsted for my blood. But here I am, alive.”

I felt overwhelmed by the whole situation. Nic was sitting there in jeans and a gray tee shirt, casual as could be.

And he’d called me the Morningstar. Like he had back when he was imprisoned.

“What is this Morningstar everyone keeps talking about?” I asked.

“Very powerful demon,” Betty said in a hushed tone, still studying my collar. “The most alpha demon of all.”

“Alpha demon?”

Betty nodded. “The celestials likely stole the alpha and omega system from demons. Demon power hierarchies are innate rather than assigned at puberty. Anyway, all slayers are alphas. Some of them have even higher powers than other slayers though. Based on the color of the brimstone on your collar, you’re high-level something. I’m just not sure what.”

My jaw dropped, and my heart instantly started hammering in my chest. “High level? Alpha?” I shook my head. “What?”

“Mm-hmm,” she said. “Brimstone doesn’t lie.”

“But Sam does,” I said. “He said it was yellow, which is common.”

“Was he in front of celestials at the time?” Betty asked.

“Yes.”

“Then he couldn’t tell them,” she said. “They’ve been hunting and killing high-level demons and slayers for years, just to prevent the rise of the Morningstar.”

“The what?” I felt like I was speaking another language. Ever since we’d reached this sanctuary—since I’d left the haven, really—I’d been thrust into an entirely new world.

“The prophecy,” Nic said. “You don’t know?”

“That’s only in demon circles,” Betty said. “Only the angels at the top know about it and only because it’s in their best interest to stop the prophecy from coming true.”

“What prophecy?” I asked, frustrated.

“I’ll let Sam tell you the rest,” Betty said.

Nic looked like he wanted to say more, but with a stern look from Betty, he decided to keep his mouth shut.

He gave me an apologetic glance.

“Anyway,” Betty said. “He had to tell them you were low-level or they would have taken you and had you killed by a ninth-realm celestial, or someone who would have made sure you stayed dead. So be grateful he didn’t tell the truth.”

“But itwasyellow, which is common,” I said. “I’ve been wearing it. Isawit.”

She grinned at me. “If it were truly yellow, yes, it would be common. And that was a very clever way for Sam to get you out of that situation. He’s been incredibly smart about working with the celestials and making it work for him. Unlike Cayne.” She made atchsound and shook her head.

“So it’s not yellow?” I asked, confused.

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