Chapter Ten #4
“That the imp was able to save me in time isn’t that much of a surprise. He is a surprisingly powerful and tricky little guy.” I flashed him a mirthless smile. “He did get the better of you after all.”
The smile Ravenscar gave me didn’t reach his eyes either.
“You know, it was funny listening to that fur-faced old drunk speaking about fae magic like he’s got a fucking clue.
The only reason you demons believe the only source of magic we have is our wings”—his rose above our heads, blocking out the scant light—“is because that’s what we allow you to think,” he hissed.
“I knew I was in the presence of Lucifer, the hell lord of pride, the second he inhabited that beast... which is very bad news for you.”
“Me? What do I have to do with anything?” I bluffed. Sabrina was out cold on my lap. She couldn’t advise me on the right thing to say here, so I was choosing the only smart option—and denying everything. “If I was rescued by Lucifer, that’s news to me. All I saw was my imp friend—”
His hand flashed and seized my throat. “Stop making up fucking words!” he roared, dropping the calm and collected act fact. “You’re not getting out of this with demon double-speak, bitch, so for once in what will be a short life—shut up and listen!”
I gagged, terror rising when he yanked me forward and smashed his skull against mine.
“When I was taken from my royal home, my father begged—begged—Lucifer to make a deal with him. He told him he’d give him anything he wanted if Lucifer would only rescue me and bring me home. And do you know what that shat-out-of-heaven cunt-stain told my father in return?”
I didn’t know, but I could guess it wasn’t good.
“For years, he refused him because my father wasn’t desperate enough yet,” he said. “Well, ninety fucking years later, my father was plenty desperate, and he gave in to every single one of Lucifer’s disgusting, degrading, treasonous demands.”
“I’m sorry,” I said softly. “You and your father deserved better.”
“Cut the shit!” The faeman wrung my neck like a dishcloth. “I know you’re not sorry! But you, and the master holding your leash, will be.”
Again he yanked my head around, ripping a cry from my lips. If I wasn’t very concussed and very human under the glamour, I might have been able to fight back. But as it was, even the thought of moving made me dizzy.
“I don’t know what you two are getting out of killing my people and making it look like a witch did it, but whatever your plan is, it’s over,” he dropped.
“I’m telling everyone that you are the witch in disguise, and the one that made a deal to let our most dangerous enemy run loose in Abaddon—killing indiscriminately—is Lucifer, a lord of hell.
“When that gets out, it won’t matter how many deals he’s made or with who,” Iarla growled. “Hell itself will rise up and rip him from his throne of skulls.”
“Ravenscar, you listen! You’ve got it all wrong! I have nothing to do with any of this,” I cried. “I was lured here by the real killer, and if you go off spouting a bunch of lies, the wrong person will be blamed while the actual killer skips off free! Please,” I begged. “Just calm down and hear me.
“If you want revenge, get it for the five innocent faemen who were murdered by a psychopath. They gave everything to serve and protect you.”
Something flickered in Ravenscar’s eyes too fast for me to name.
“Don’t make their sacrifice worthless by putting your vengeance ahead of getting them justice.”
Iarla tipped his head to the side, studying me.
“You really are the strangest demon I’ve ever met.
And not just because you’re butt-fucking-ugly.
You talk like no one I’ve ever met before—with all your made-up words and strange ideas.
That I should repay the sacrifices of my servants by selflessly setting my own vengeance aside? ”
Iarla burst out laughing so hard, he blew my wart hairs back. “What complete and utter houndshit! Who gives a shit about those dead fuckers? They’re the fools who let themselves be bested by the likes of you and Lucifer.”
Red descended over my eyes, letting me see nothing but the frantic desperation of that poor faeman—begging me to save him. How dare this pissy brat make fun of the last horrible moments of his life?
“Well, that’s funny,” I gritted, ripping out of Ravenscar’s grip. “Because if only fools are bested by Lucifer... what does that make Daddy?”
The humor leeched from Ravenscar’s face so fast, if I blinked, I would’ve missed the moment my righteous indignation turned to regret.
Whoops. Of all the things I shouldn’t have said, I shouldn’t have said that the most.
“You’re probably wishing you hadn’t said that right about now,” he hissed, scarily reading my mind. “I’m almost sorry we’ll have to skip the part where you’re begging and pleading for my forgiveness.”
Bang!
“Is this the one?” I would’ve recognized Erlik’s voice anywhere.
“Yeah, yeah,” someone replied to him. “Prince Ponce said it was the library on the fourth floor.”
“Goodbye, worm,” Ravenscar said.
“Wait—!”
The last thing I saw was his fist flying at my face.