Chapter 38
RHI
Argos’ death came as a surprise to absolutely no one.
We meet in the Council Chamber the morning following Argos’ death, a large, imposing space not far from the Throne room.
Its unwelcome atmosphere is further enhanced by the light filtering through the narrow windows and spilling across the burgundy rugs.
An expansive fireplace rests against the back wall, its mantle laden with scrolls and loose pieces of parchment.
Our small council sits at a massive dark oakwood table, firelight dancing off its glistening surface. It’s just the five of us—myself, Nick, Isadora, Baal, and of course, Belial.
He seems to be wherever Isa is these days.
“How long do you suppose it will take for Lucifer to learn of Argos’ death and high tail it back here?” Baal asks, twirling the point of a knife atop the hardwood table. Belial skewers him with a glare.
“Considering the earthly realm has been suffering from a plague of floods, earthquakes, and, rumor has it, an incurable virus, I’d say he knows and should return…” Belial glances at the nonexistent watch on his left wrist. “Any minute.”
I glance at Isa, raising a brow. “Was he that close with your father?”
Isa shakes her head. “No. He liked my father simply for his cruelty. It was how Argos controlled the ports at the Emerald Isles. No one dared stepped out of line due to fear of punishment.”
“What constitutes stepping out of line?” I ask.
Seated at the head of the table, Nick chuckles mirthlessly. “Taking a fucking sip of water when you’re thirsty.”
I crane my neck toward him. “And what were you doing about this?”
He fixes me with a burning glare. “I was a bit busy handling other things, my love.”
I can’t control the heat that burns my cheeks.
“Yes. About that,” Belial starts. “Explain again when all of this,” he waves a hand back and forth between me and Nick, “happened. Because your demand for a vote to marry your mistress shortly after I met her needs some embellishment.”
Isa glances between the two of us expectantly.
Our marriage doesn’t come as a surprise to her, because it was what she surmised when she saw the black ink tattooed on my left ring finger during the Harrowing, the same reason she thought Nick would never forgive her if she went through the Gate of One instead of me.
We had gotten married, and I was now his wife.
Nick sighs, sitting back in his chair. “It was after Rhi had drawn the black, condemning her to the Trials. We are soulmates, yet I felt the need to cement us closer, to claim her in a different way.” His gold eyes catch mine, the love and devotion swimming within them so potent, my chest constricts.
“If I was going to lose her to The Harrowing, I wanted Rhi to have my last name. Because if I would have lost her, I would have followed immediately after.”
Isa chokes, her black eyes glistening with tears. I do my best to keep mine from falling, but one slips free and dances down my cheek. Nick reaches over absentmindedly and brushes it away with his knuckle.
“Adorable,” Baal croons.
I glance at Belial, who looks unimpressed and, quite simply, bored. Still, he sneaks a glimpse at Isa, his hard features softening when his gaze falls upon the oblivious demoness.
“That is all quite touching, nephew,” Belial says, dragging his attention to my husband.
“But Lucifer isn’t going to give a flying fuck that you and your soulmate want to ride off into the sunset together.
” He leans forward, resting his forearms on the table.
“Quite the contrary. My brother is going to be enraged at the loss of Argos as well as the inconvenience of replacing him. Naturally, he will blame you and force you to stay as King. Your wife is mortal and can bear children, which doesn’t work in your favor.
If anything, Lucifer will see that as further reason to keep you on this Throne. ”
His gold eyes dart to me. “I am not saying any of this to upset you but to prepare you for what might be inevitable. So, you have to ask yourself, and you must be truthful: would you give up your mortal life on Earth to reign in Hell beside Nick?” I open my mouth to reply, but Belial holds up a hand.
“Before you answer, let me remind you, the duties of Queen go beyond sitting on the Throne and looking ornamental. You will be forced to bear children.”
“I would never force her,’ Nick growls, interrupting.
“You wouldn’t,” Belial agrees. “But Lucifer will. He will either threaten your life or hers, Nicholas.”
I sit back, drumming my fingers on the tabletop, the soft thrum helping me to sort through the scenarios in my brain, when soft fingers steady my head.
“Before you answer Belial,” Isa starts, “I would like to know your plan. Because if it is something attainable, we may not have to resort to the unpleasant circumstance of you and Nick being trapped here.”
Isa looks toward Belial with something that closely resembles permission. Belial nods his head toward Isa then defers to Nick with an expectant look.
“Isa will be Queen,” he simply states. Beside me, Isa sucks in a breath, Baal’s eyes widen in disbelief, and Belial stares at Nick in bewilderment.
“Nick, surely you can’t mean for me to reign without a husband?” Isa asks. I clock Belial clenching his jaw and suppress a smile.
“You will have a husband, should you wish,” Nick answers. My husband’s eyes swiftly sweep over his uncle, Belial’s jaw clenched so tight, I expect it to shatter any moment.
“Oh,” Isa says, her cheeks reddening as she drops her gaze.
“And that would be my uncle, Belial,” Nick continues. Isa snaps her head up, eyes narrowing first on Nick and then Belial.
“Is this your doing?” she accuses.
“I can assure you, I had no knowledge of this.” He levels Nick with a brutal glare. “Care to explain, nephew?”
Nick rests against the back of the chair with a lazy indulgence, a shit-eating grin on his beautiful face. “Actually, my wife will take over from here.”
I roll my eyes at his strange theatrics and direct my attention to Isa first. “You must know that Lucifer will not accept your reign as Queen without a husband, as useless as some of them are.” Isa smirks as Nick mouths watch it.
“So, we propose Belial step in as your husband to placate Lucifer, with the caveat that he defer all rulings and decisions pertaining to this Court to you, as Queen.”
I turn to Belial. “You never wanted to be King, but you are the next in line for the Throne after Nick. Marry Isa to solidify her claim. You wouldn’t have to lift a finger to rule—you can leave that all up to her.”
Belial shifts his attention to Isa. “Is that your wish, Hellfire? To have me rule by your side yet remain silent?”
I hide my shock at Belial’s pet name for her.
Judging from Isa’s body language, it wouldn’t appear the two have gotten close enough for him to bestow her one, though I’m not sure it’s possible for Isa to blush more than she is right now.
Yet, the fire that blazes in her eyes as she challenges Belial’s gaze earns her the moniker.
“I do not wish to take a husband at all, Belial. But since the dogma of the court is both archaic and misogynistic, I suppose you’ll have to do.
” A muscle in Belial’s jaw twitches, and it’s clear he’s fighting a smirk.
“If you agree to allow me to rule as Queen and make your presence as King as insignificant as Baal’s presence in this meeting. ”
“Hey!” Baal protests. I smother a laugh while Nick’s eyes sparkle at the jest. Belial allows his mouth to part in his own rakish grin.
“Do elaborate on my duties as your King, Hellfire.”
Isa continues to hold Belial’s stare. “Only the people in this room and Lucifer will know you as my King. The rest of the Court will understand a Queen now rules them. A woman.”
Belial quirks a brow. “That might take some convincing. There are many who would not bend the knee to a woman.”
“I’ll make them,” Isa fires back.
Belial proudly smiles. “Very well. My title as King shall not be spoken of outside this Council room.”
“Thank—” Isa starts, only to get cut off by Belial.
“Provided you marry me immediately following this meeting, and, if any threats are made on your life once you announce your title as Queen, I unveil my title as King and use it to protect you.”
The room falls deadly silent. Isa clenches her fists, her knuckles turning white. Her eyes dance around the room, looking for aid against Belial’s ultimatum.
“Isa,” Nick says gently. “My uncle’s request is not unreasonable. The sooner you are married, the sooner we can announce you as Queen. We can all breathe a bit easier knowing you will have Belial’s protection.”
“I don’t want to answer to a man ever again. I did not escape my father just to be under another tyrant’s thumb,” she rants, again locking eyes with Belial.
“I would never do that to you, Hellfire.” His voice is absent its usual sharp edges, and an unrecognizable emotion flickers over his face.
“Fine,” Isa relents. “But the minute you try to subdue me, I’ll kill you myself.
” With that, she pushes away from the table, head held high on a slender neck, shoulders drawn back as she sweeps from the room.
Each step of hers is light yet purposeful, her posturing radiating an elegance I can only dream of attaining.
Everything about her screams Queen.
“Well,” Baal blows out a breath. “That was eventful.”
“Now that we’ve made some headway into your plan,” Belial addresses me and Nick, ignoring Baal completely. “I’d like to circle back to my question.”
“I forgot what your question was, frankly.” Baal yawns.
I recall Belial’s question vividly, the idea of the plan we just surmised not coming to fruition and me being faced with the prospect of staying here indefinitely.
“I won’t leave without Nick,” I begin.
“But?” Belial raises a brow, picking up on my hesitation.
I blow out a breath. “I don’t know what it takes to be Queen.
I haven’t had the upbringing and I’m not well-versed in the politics of this Court and the culture of its people.
My fear isn’t being trapped here with the man I love and bearing his children.
My fear is not being a Queen worthy of the people.
” I gesture toward the doors Isa just exited from. “Not in the way she would be.”
Nick squares his shoulders. “Rhi, what are you implying?”
I lick my lips, my stomach dipping at what I am about to suggest. “Marry Isa.”
“Abso-fucking-lutely not,” Nick says immediately. Belial bristles across from me.
“Nick, listen to me. Marry Isa. She can rule just as we planned. I remain your mistress. We have our children—”
The hard oak splinters beneath his grip. “Are you listening to yourself? I am not marrying her.”
“Why not?”
“Because I am married to you. Because you are my wife. Because we didn’t come this fucking far to end up right back where we started!”
Being at the receiving end of Nick’s wrath is like standing at the mouth of an erupting volcano: nothing but scorching heat and fire and chaos. His stare is lasered on me, so much so, the room narrows so it feels like it is only us.
“It would be in name only,” I say quietly. “Just like the arrangement you and Isa had before I arrived. Everything for appearances—”
“No.” He cuts me off again with finality, the word leaving his lips in a growl.
I slam my hands on the table. “Damn it, Nick! Why are you being so fucking stubborn?”
Nick rises so fast, had I blinked, I would have missed it. He looms above me with all the sinister power and ferocity of the Devil, caging me with his upper body, hands gripping the arms of the chair.
“Let me make something perfectly clear, sorceress: I will marry no one but you. I will fuck no one but you. No one else will bear my children. And if I have to sit on that fucking Throne, no one else will sit beside me with the title of Queen except for you. I don’t give a fuck if Lucifer himself tells me to marry Isa, because I will tell him to go fuck himself. ”
A chilling, dark voice chuckles from the shadowy corner. It skitters down my spine like a nest of spiders, raising the hair on the back of my neck. “Well, son, what are you waiting for?”