Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
I barely had a moment before my feet were encased in ice, and I was stuck to the floor. Freya, in the same predicament, looked at me warily before she unsheathed one of her swords and began striking at her icy bonds. They kept growing, no matter how much progress she made, however.
The Ice Queen threw a hand up, icicles shooting in Lucifer’s direction lightning-quick, but he merely smiled and waved a hand before him.
They melted well before they reached him.
The Ice Queen might have been a formidable foe, but Lucifer was even more powerful, and this was his home.
He also likely had a good millennium or two on the ice witch.
The Ice Queen was not deterred, however, and took a deep breath, her whole body becoming coated in a layer of ice.
She sprinted across the walkways to close the distance between her and Lucifer, and as I’d imagined earlier, the Devil twisted the bridges aside to drop her into the lava below.
She’d been prepared for that, though, letting a stream of ice flow from her hands to cover the bridges, building a new ice path over the pit.
She continued over the hole easily, and before Lucifer could make a move, she slammed her fist into the ground.
I threw up my arms and crouched behind their safety as the room around me was covered in a wave of ice.
When it reached Lucifer, however, it merely melted over him.
The same for Abigail, who was grinning as she watched the proceedings like an eager child.
Freya had been spared by being positioned behind me, and I checked she had survived the volley before I sloughed the ice from my arms and straightened once more.
The Ice Queen stood and straightened. “You’re more formidable than you look, I’ll grant you that.”
Lucifer cocked an eyebrow. “Oh? And how do I look?”
“Like a spoiled prince, expecting everything to be delivered to him on a silver platter,” the Ice Queen said, considering him. “And conceited.”
“Oh, he’s quite conceited,” I agreed, finding myself nodding.
Lucifer sent me an exasperated look. “Well, it’s certainly not my fault I’m so charming and handsome.”
The Ice Queen smiled. “You also talk too much.”
As they’d been exchanging words, ice had formed on the ceiling over Lucifer. A large icicle fell, threatening to crush Lucifer beneath its weight. The icicle split in half as it neared his head, however, falling to either side in a loud crash as the pieces broke apart.
Freya finally broke free and stepped up next to me. She made quick work of my own bonds while Lucifer and the Ice Queen threatened one another, and I sighed with relief as my feet were freed of their icy prison. “Divide her attention. She can’t attack all three of us at once.”
I nodded, beginning to move around to flank the Ice Queen’s right side, while Freya took her left.
Lucifer yawned. “I assume you’ll have something impressive to show me at some point?”
The Ice Queen snarled. “Oh, yes, pretty prince. Just you wait.”
Before Lucifer could retort, everything froze. But not literally this time. Or perhaps it was literally. Rather, nothing became coated in ice, but everything came to a standstill.
I was confused at first, trying to lift my foot to continue the tactic Freya had suggested, but I found myself immobilized by some unseen force.
Only my eyes were able to move, shifting around to find the others in the same predicament.
Freya was crouched low, blades in hand, sizing up her adversary, while Abigail sat placidly on a throne.
Lucifer had a cocky grin on his face, even as the Ice Queen, the only one unaffected by the sudden strange phenomena, strolled up to him.
Lucifer’s eyes burned as he watched her approach.
She grinned wickedly. “You, darling, are handsome, indeed. It’ll be a shame to destroy you.
But, c’est la vie.” She shrugged as she lifted her arms and regarded them.
“I’m even more powerful than I’d imagined.
I can freeze people in place. I can probably freeze time itself if I had a mind to.
” She spoke to Abigail. “Did you fathom such power?”
“I didn’t,” Abigail admitted, suddenly moving of her own accord. I tried to move my limbs, but they remained immobilized.
Abigail approached her father and smiled up at him. “And queen takes king,” Abigail said with a contended sigh. “Rather inevitable.”
Drawing on the effects of the quick step potion I’d ingested earlier, I tried vibrating my feet and found that I was able to move them.
I stared down at them for a moment as I focused on vibrating my legs along with them, and then my whole body.
Whatever magic had been holding me in place released me, and I breathed a sigh of relief, until I noted the Ice Queen watching me with surprise.
Abigail cocked her head at me as well. “Well, that was unexpected.”
“For me as well,” I admitted. Hopefully the Ice Queen’s hold on Lucifer and Freya wouldn’t last long, and I would have reinforcements in a moment. All I needed to do was distract them for long enough….
“What are you doing, Abigail?” I asked as the girl crossed her arms, considering me.
She smiled that sharp-toothed grin of hers, unnerving to the end.
“Oh, come now. You must have pieced it together by now. The Ice Queen was meant to stop Father from giving his pawn all that power. That would have shifted the balance significantly, making him unstoppable for Gods know how long. And he’s been in power for long enough, wouldn’t you agree?
” She tutted as she glanced back at Lucifer.
“He would never step aside and let me run Hell. And being immortal, he just won’t die. It’s really quite selfish of him.”
“So, you took that power meant for Erik and gave it to your pawn,” I surmised.
“Precisely.”
“Excuse me?” the Ice Queen scoffed, hands going to her hips as she frowned down at Abigail. “Pawn?”
Abigail waved the witch’s indignance away.
“Oh, come now. Who came up with this plan in the first place? Someone who can handle the running of Hell in the Devil’s absence.
A new Devil. You, my dear queen, would rule by my side, my general of war.
It has a lovely ring to it, doesn’t it? With my brain and your powers, we would make for an unstoppable pair. ”
“But … why would you go to the effort of having Lucifer waive the remainder of my tasks?”
“Oh, that,” Abigail nodded. “I figured you would be open to striking a similar deal with me once Father was out of the way, especially since I was the one who freed you. My terms would be much less restrictive, of course.”
“Oh?”
“Of course! I’ve always admired your work.”
“Why, thank you. It’s nice to be recognized.”
“I know. Father has never been good at making those in his employ feel appreciated. It’s a terrible character flaw.”
Lucifer was still frozen in place, seething. “But … he’s your father. Doesn’t that bother you?”
“Father. Pssh. You know what else he is to me? The man who killed my mother.” She shot Lucifer a murderous look.
“He chose Hell over his own family. He fought his own mate to the death to seize control of Hell, to be the last fallen angel. Well, now it won’t be his domain at all.
You understand why he must be disposed of.
He’s of the old guard. It’s time to let a new generation take over. ”
“I don’t know,” I said, nodding at the Ice Queen. “You keep questionable company.”
“And Father didn’t?”
“True. But how could anyone trust you after doing this to your own father?”
Abigail laughed. “The same way people trusted him after he killed the only other person he ever loved. If he could do that to her, he could double-cross anyone. No one ever trusts the Devil. It’s a prerequisite.”
“And yet I’ve never lied,” Lucifer said, sighing as he straightened. He smoothed down his shirt, amused as Abigail and the Ice Queen both started. “You can’t beat the Devil at chess if he can shift the rules at his whim.”
Abigail paled.
The Ice Queen drew herself up, lifting her arms, as if to launch another assault on him, but Lucifer snapped his fingers in her direction, and she stood as still as he had been a moment ago.
He approached the Ice Queen and circled her, looking her up and down. He regarded Abigail. “It appears I underestimated you.”
Abigail shrank back.
Lucifer put an arm on the Ice Queen’s shoulder and snapped the fingers of his other hand again.
Freya gasped beside me as she was free once more, falling to her knees.
The Ice Queen, also free, recoiled from Lucifer’s touch.
“Oh, come now,” Lucifer said, leering at her. “If you can’t take the heat….”
The Ice Queen grunted as her shoulder melted beneath Lucifer’s hand, like she was made of wax. Then her arm fell from her body.
“No,” she moaned, turning away from him as she continued to melt, her neck reducing to water, then the side of her face.
She opened her mouth to scream, but her mouth collapsed in upon itself as water sloshed down over what remained of her body.
Then the witch tipped over before melting into a puddle.
Lucifer wiped his hands, then smiled at me cheerfully. “Well, that was great fun!”
I lifted an eyebrow, exchanging a look with Freya. “Er, I suppose?”
A butterfly that seemed to be made of ice lifted from the puddle at Lucifer’s feet and attempted to dart away, but Lucifer snatched it out of the air before it could flee.
He brought it close to his face. “My, you’ll make a fine soul for my collection.
What do you think, Abigail? Perhaps in the Abominable Sands.
She would be the only source of water there, forever shifting from water to vapor and back again, unable to freeze.
Slurped up by the hungry mouths of the Blasphemers, then passing through them.
” He sniffed. “Doesn’t that seem perfect for the witch? ”
“Perfect,” Freya murmured uncertainly, lowering her swords. She sent me a look as if asking if we should intervene. But as far as I saw it, the Ice Queen was dangerous. She would have made millions suffer under her reign. Her punishment would be fitting.
Another butterfly rose from the puddle. It shimmered like oil on water. Lucifer reached out for it.
“Wait,” I said, throwing my hands up. My heart skipped as Lucifer did as I asked, his fingertips mere centimeters from the butterfly’s fragile-looking, ghostly wings. “He doesn’t belong here.”
Understanding flickered over Lucifer’s features. He regarded Auggie’s soul. He was even beautiful in that form, radiating warmth and goodness.
“Bah.” Lucifer waved a hand, and the butterfly floated directly to me, settling into my outstretched hands.
I stared down at it in awe, its glow warming my hands and face. It felt like I was holding home. I looked up at Lucifer. “Why?”
Lucifer’s lips twitched at the corners. “Because you’re correct.
Saints don’t belong down here, Callum. They belong to …
Him.” He scowled as he gestured heavenward.
“Besides, saints have a tendency to be rather selfless, and thus, live short lives. There will come a day, very soon, when you will meet me at the crossroads once more, asking me to intervene. There, I will draw up a new contract for you.” He paused.
“Just keep him in line until then. If he does begin to tip the balance, I will see to it that he can no longer do so.”
I believed that he was right, and felt unsure how to make sure his prediction didn’t come to pass.
Freya put a hand on my shoulder, gazing down at Auggie’s soul with interest.
“And what of me, Father?” Abigail asked, her voice small as she held her hands up to her face, as if praying. “What will be my punishment? Will I be joining the Ice Queen?” She lowered her voice. “And Mother?”
Lucifer stared at his daughter, then laughed. His laughter filled the hall, echoing off the walls. He wiped at his eyes when he was done, before clapping his daughter on the back. “You, my dear, have so much more potential than I ever would have guessed.”
Abigail shifted, gazing up at him with a question in her eyes.
Lucifer stared down at her fondly. “I’m proud of you, you diabolical little Hell spawn of mine.”
She smiled, showing off her sharp teeth once more. “I only ever wanted to make you proud.”
“Okay, no need to lay it on too thick, you wicked little thing.” But he patted her shoulder affectionately, nonetheless.
“I’d say that’s our cue,” Freya whispered. “Let’s go put your boy back together, shall we?”
I smiled down at the soul I held in my hands. “Yes. Let’s do that.”