He was joking, his tone light, but rage suddenly blasted through me, and I wanted nothing more than to stand in front of his army and command them to march. I wanted to lead them straight to the castle to finish what I’d started—burn it to the ground.
“Turns out I’m not adjusting so well to being tortured,” I said, wiping my hair away from my face.
“I would like to make a joke about that, but I’m not adjusting so well to you being tortured, either.”
“Not as well as you adjusted to Cahal being tortured?”
“You will never let that go, it seems,” he replied. “I will say, however, that he was in a day spa compared to what you endured. I’ve never seen that druid so pale as when I saw him looking down on you in that dungeon.”
“That’s really no excuse for letting your son torture someone.”
“Even the druid? I have a very hard time feeling bad about him, you must realize. The angels took pity on him—surely we’re even?”
I frowned at him, and he laughed.
“Where is he, by the way?” he asked.
I shrugged. “He took off.”
“Of course he did,” Lucifer said darkly. “And just so we’re clear, I fully expect that druid to attempt to kill me, like he tried to kill my last heir.”
I lifted my eyebrows.
His smile was cold. “Didn’t tell you that part of the story, did he? Hmm. I’ll save it for him. You’re a good enough judge of character to tell if he’s lying.” He cocked his head. “You mentioned hiding your magic earlier. You have the magic of the Underworld—why would you hide it?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because I knew you’d show up, drag me down into the Underworld, and try to trap me there…”
“Yes, that’s a pretty obvious answer. I would’ve had a much better time at keeping you down there when you were younger, though. I call that a missed opportunity. Now I have to go about it with decency. So much more hassle.”
I had to smile at that. “Way more hassle, yes. Maybe a better outcome, though.”
“Let’s hope.” He glanced at the kitchen again. “Now, should we go back in to your friends, or let them eavesdrop a little longer?”
I rose, and we re-entered the kitchen together. Darius pulled the chair out for me.
Lucifer sat and threaded his hands together on the table. “Darius, tell me more about your relationship with Vlad. I have been instructed to turn him over to you if Reagan asks. It seems there are some skeletons in his closet regarding you.”
Normal people would’ve gone unnaturally still at that word bomb, but Darius didn’t seem at all affected as he lowered into his seat. “Who has mentioned this to you?”
“That nutty fae with the red hair. We have secret dealings—I can’t tell you what they are.”
I shook my head. “Don’t listen to her. You might end up in a pickle.”
“Like you did?”
“Exactly like I did, yes.”
“I do not like their brand of magic. I can agree with you on that.” Lucifer looked around the table. “I might try the wine. I remember liking that brand of alcohol.”
Emery turned from leaning against the counter to grab a glass.
“Given you are the mate of my daughter,” Lucifer said to Darius, “I would advise you to find a way into Vlad’s closet. It doesn’t seem as though you will like whatever you find. I assume it’s no secret that I am using him for his forces—I’d like this matter resolved before long or it will interfere with my killing all the elves. Please note that I will use his forces regardless. Taking him won’t change that, not now. If he isn’t leading them, one of the others will. That’s the joy of creatures that are not at all sentimental.”
“So then…it’s all about you?” Penny said.
Lucifer grinned at her. “Of course. Did you expect the master of the Underworld to be altruistic?”
Penny frowned. I laughed at her confusion. Lucifer’s irreverence had a way of disorienting a person.
“Noted,” Darius said, and rolled the brown liquid around his snifter, his tell for when he was thinking.
“So, tell me.” Lucifer glanced around. “What did you really think of the Underworld? Pros and cons. I’m looking to make some improvements.”
It was amazing, watching Lucifer thaw the room and make everyone comfortable with his presence. Even Penny warmed up, shedding some of that rage she’d carried around like her magical cloud ever since leaving the Underworld. When he left a couple hours later, everyone was speaking like old friends. Emery hadn’t ventured any closer, but he was chuckling regularly and had even smiled a time or two. Callie huffed a good bit, of course, but I could tell her heart was no longer in it.
When it came time to leave, Lucifer gave me a hug, which somehow wasn’t awkward, and told me he’d see me on the battlefield, if not before. He also said he hoped to see me in the Underworld when I was ready.
“It is incredibly hard to hate that man,” Penny groused after he’d gone. “He was going to kill me. He was headed to the jail cell I was being held in to kill my fiancé and me, and now I kinda like him. What kind of magic is that? You’re not that cool, Reagan. I have to say it—you’re simply not that cool. I don’t trust him.”
“You shouldn’t trust him, and he was always incredibly charming,” Callie said. “And incredibly dangerous. You have to be careful to remember what he is capable of.”
“I guess that is kind of like a vampire, though,” Penny murmured.
“We’re going to see on the battlefield what he is capable of,” Emery said. “But at least we don’t have to worry about him killing us. That’s a relief. Of course, there is still Vlad, and I don’t think for one minute that Vlad will feel beholden to Lucifer’s wishes.”
“No, nor do I,” Darius said.
“Do you have any idea what Lucifer was talking about with the whole skeletons-in-Vlad’s-closet thing?” I asked him. “I assume he didn’t mean that literally. Or not just literally.”
“No. I’ll need to speak to the Red Prophet. Vlad is capable of great treachery, but I thought I’d uncovered everything in our long history. Possibly I was mistaken…”
“Great, we’re headed into battle with even more questions,” Callie said.
“The greatest question of all is for you, Reagan,” Emery said, and the room quieted down. “What will you do about the elves? Will you go Roger’s way and play nice, or Lucifer’s way and kill them all? Because if you go Roger’s way, you’ll still need to stand between your father and them.”
I got the feeling that he and Penny hadn’t come to New Orleans to “regroup” at all, as Penny had said. I got the impression Emery wasn’t sure which way the wind blew as it concerned me, and he’d wanted to come before everything started to figure it all out.
Joke was on him. I still didn’t know myself.
I shook my head and finished my glass of whiskey. “Sometimes the best plan is no plan at all.”
Six
Lucifer landed a few yards away from the circle of women called together to send him home. He didn’t want to chance going through the Realm, not even with a demon host. From the last reports he’d received, the elves were on the move, preparing to track and kill anyone in the Realm who might pose a threat to them. In all likelihood, they were also preparing to go after the fae, the shifters, and probably Reagan herself, in the Brink. Lucifer had warned her and the vampire of that probability. Meanwhile, he’d need to carefully watch his own borders.
Time was speeding by rapidly now. He wasn’t yet ready to battle, but soon he would have no choice but to rise to the occasion. He would not allow the elves to dominate him a second time. They would be beaten down, and they would pay for the pain they had caused Reagan.
“Are we ready, ladies?” he asked the collection of dark-magic practicing, devil-worshipping humans. They were grateful to serve and so good at putting together basic summoning circles.
“Will you spare us your time, my lord?” one of the women asked,
wearing a see-through chemise that showed her budded nipples.
“We would love to pleasure you, my lord,” another said, wearing a shapeless dress pulled up to her hips, where she sat with her legs crisscrossed. He could tell there was nothing on underneath.
His desire stirred—his subjects were very grateful to serve. They’d said as much.
“Next time,” he said, waiting off to the side for them to be ready. “I cannot spare a moment on this trip.”
“Yes, your grace,” the first woman said, brushing her fingertips across her chest. “We are here whenever you have need. Give us another few minutes, and the circle will be ready.”
He waited, thinking over all he had to do. His forces were being organized and outfitted for battle in the Underworld, but they’d received a lot of interest from various groups in the Brink, though they would be quite rusty. Some of them had never fought at all. They’d need a quick tutorial. Soon he’d need to bring in Vlad’s host of vampires as well, hopefully before the turmoil between Vlad and Darius boiled over.
His thoughts drifted back to Darius. Stoic and genteel, the vampire had a very polished surface, like Vlad. Also like Vlad, he had a deep, dark, savage underbelly. Lucifer could read their kind incredibly easily. Their darker elements spoke to his violent side, and their unique set of strengths spoke to his passionate side. Darius was whip-smart, too, and incredibly cunning. Lucifer hated to admit it, especially given how close he’d come to an irrevocable error, but Darius was a good mate for Reagan. He’d protect her, strive to make her happy, and, most importantly, keep her alive through her hopefully many long years.
Her friends were well suited for her, too. The younger dual-mages were particularly powerful, thanks to the woman’s unique gift, that touch of angelic magic, and a survival instinct earned the hard way. He’d heard many things about that Rogue Natural, including how much the elves hated him. And now the man was connected with his daughter. How very sweet. Yes, those mages would make powerful allies for her.
“We are ready, my lord,” one of the women said.
Lucifer checked the circle, noting the correct use of the symbols. He stepped inside and waited while the women started to chant. The writhing was a bit dramatic, but whatever kept them answering summons…
The magic swelled and he had a brief feeling of falling. Blackness rushed in around him. Air pressed against his body. In a moment, his feet touched down on marble, driving his weight down to one knee.
He blinked and stood, glancing around his monitoring chamber. Images flickered of the various areas of his kingdom. His assistants waited to the side.
“Welcome back, Great Master,” Victoria said, its legs a little shorter than usual, likely because of all Reagan’s taunting. “How did it go?”
“Better than expected.” He started forward. He had a lot to do. “She will come back here, I have no doubt. Not until after the war, though.”
Victoria followed him closely. “Did she share her plans?”
“No, but my resolve is unchanged. If she is in any danger at all, she’ll be removed and taken to safety. I will not lose her. I can crush the elves without her, and any others foolish enough to stand in my way. Tell Vlad time is up. Get his vampires down here and whatever other creatures he is able to secure. We will get ready to move.”
“Yes, sire. I will put the plans into effect.”
* * *
Penny startled out of a deep sleep as a warning thrummed through her body. She sat up in a rush, Emery doing so a hair later. The ward!
She leapt out of bed in one of Reagan’s spare bedrooms—she had three after the latest upgrade—and hurried to the window, ripping back the blackout curtains. The morning sun glowed in her face, making her squint. Nothing moved along the side of Reagan’s property, the budding day still and quiet. On this side of the house, anyway.
Another warning blared through her, locking up her joints for a moment and slithering down her back. Someone was using magic to poke at the ward now, trying to figure out a sneaky way through.
“Are they mages?” she asked, suddenly out of breath as she pulled on sweats.
“It’s impossible to say. The elves have a lot of powerful creatures at their disposal, and they’re experienced in dealing with wards and spells. I ran from more than you can count.” Emery shrugged into a shirt and grabbed his shoes.
The warning came again, manifesting in slight physical pain. They were working at tearing down the ward.
“It’s a solid ward,” Emery said as Penny threw on a sweatshirt. “It’ll take a long time for them to get through. We should be okay.”
“It won’t take nearly as long for Reagan to burst out of here and attack whoever is on her property.”
Penny threw open the door and rushed down the hall to the master suite. Once there, she didn’t bother with theatrics—she cranked the handle and pushed the door open just as Emery swung around the top of the stairs and took them two at a time. Inky black greeted her, zero light making it into this room.
“Reagan,” she said, closing the door behind her and fumbling for the light switch.
“Yes.”
Sheets moved in the darkness. A hand slid under Penny’s, reaching the switch first, and she flinched away. The light flicked on, and there was naked Darius, much too close.
“Good God—” Penny pushed to the other side of the closed door.
Reagan pulled on her leather pants. “What do you have?”
Darius zoomed across the room, glancing at the clock before pulling on his clothes. He wouldn’t be able to do anything, though, not at this time of day.
“We don’t know. Someone’s trying to get through the ward, kind of sneaky-like.”
“Sneaky-like, huh?” Reagan said with a little grin. That meant terrible things. “I wonder if it could be a coincidence that this is coming so soon after Lucifer visited…”
She pulled down a sports bra and shrugged into a tank top. She didn’t bother with weapons, just snapped her fanny pack into place and headed for the door.
“Should I call someone in?” Darius asked, dressed and in the middle of the room, probably feeling helpless.
Grateful not to be in that position for once, Penny pulled the door open a crack and stepped into the still-dark hallway.
“Nah,” Reagan said, following her out. “If they’re trying to be sneaky, that means they’re not ready for a serious altercation. Surprise! I’m always ready for a serious altercation.”
Penny hurried down the stairs, Reagan behind her. The feeling of the ward being tampered with dug between her shoulder blades—someone was pouring substantial power into breaking the spell.
Emery stood in the hallway by the back door, looking their way. He pointed, his gaze on Reagan. She nodded, and Penny had a feeling he was silently communicating something.
Reagan flattened her back against the door, looking to her right at the curtain covering the thin back window. Emery stepped up to Penny and leaned in close, his lips to the shell of her ear.
“On the back porch. Four of them. They look humanoid from what little I could glimpse, but it’s an illusion. I can see the magic shrouding them.”
“What’s the end game?” Penny asked as Reagan leaned closer, trying to look through the gap between the wall and the material.
“They might think Reagan is alone and the four of them can take her,” he whispered.
Reagan shook her head and straightened back up, her voice low. “They must know I’d be with Darius, and if they asked around at all they’d know you guys were also around. You always stay here when you’re in town. Plus, they’re trying to come in, not draw me out, away from Darius.” She shook her head again. “They’ve been sent to gauge my preparedness. If they make it back, great. If not…” She shrugged, anger burning hot in her eyes. Penny had a flash of how good it had felt to release that hellfire. “The elves don’t care about their underlings. They won’t lose any sleep if they don’t come back.”
; “The elves in charge, at any rate,” Penny said, knowing her mother kept Seeing that Reagan should spare the majority of the elves at all costs. That she must prevent Lucifer from mass killing.
She hadn’t brought that up to Reagan yet, though. She knew it wouldn’t be received well, what with how the last batch of Seeing had turned out, not that Penny could blame her. She probably shouldn’t have said anything about Roger manipulating her. Given what she knew, that had been shortsighted. Though Reagan likely would’ve clued in eventually.
“Sure,” Reagan murmured, stepping away from the door and then turning. “Should we come up with a plan?”
“Run out there and kill them?” Emery suggested, magic curling around him.
“I like the way you think.” Reagan pushed her palm against the wood, leaning in close, reaching down to the lock. She paused, and then everything happened all at once.
Seven
I flipped the lock and yanked open the door, pulling it wide. Large hands curled around my upper arms and pulled me back a moment before I was about to burst out of the door. A jet of magic zipped by my face and slammed against the doorframe, blistering the wood.
These fools were trying to fight Lucifer’s daughter with fire. Clearly they hadn’t been prepared for this mission. They were probably mercenaries or hired goons.
I’d just thought the word “goon.” What was happening to me?
“Thanks,” I murmured to Emery, just so he wouldn’t think I was ungrateful. He couldn’t have known that spell would’ve done nothing but strip my eyebrows.
I bent and dove, rolling out onto the porch and popping up. I slammed air into the strange-looking old-man forms, all exactly the same, with balding heads, white whiskers, and disproportionate bodies. If I couldn’t feel the difference, I’d have thought they were demons.
The short bodies, half my height, flew backward, their magic dying on their fingers. I ran forward immediately, but Penny’s and Emery’s magic got there first. A vicious spell ripped at the creatures’ skin and tore at the magical illusion. Orange trousers and plaid shirts disintegrated. Underneath, brown and black spots speckled pasty white skin, like some sort of very ugly animal. Long, pinched faces with large mouths full of sharp teeth hissed at us as the creatures fell to their hands and feet and scrabbled to face us in pairs.
Battle With Fire Page 8
