“She’s right,” Kai said firmly. With a deep breath, Kai lowered her hands slowly but all the while kept her sights on Zemi. “Please, Zemi. Give me five minutes to explain why I brought you all here.”
“Your majesty,” Murdoch whispered. Hands raised, he was ready to fight but clearly had no interest in doing so. “I beg you. Please hear what the girl has to say.”
“You knew that he would be here and that Willow was coming?” Zemi asked without taking her furious gaze off Kai. Her mouth set in a grim line and her voice dropped to dangerous tones while she slowly lowered her hands. “I’ll deal with you later, Murdoch but right now I want to know why he has been brought into my presence.”
“Actually, I was here first, darling,” Lucifer teased. “So technically you came into my presence.”
“Shut up,” Asmodeus barked. “You’re not helping matters.”
“Typical,” Zemi simpered. She brushed her long, curly hair off her shoulders and folded her hands in front of her before turning her bright, blue eyes to Kai. “I will hear what you have to say, Kai. Unlike a demon, I am capable of controlling my urges. I realize my sister isn’t here yet but I have matters to attend in my own realm and can not dally here all day.”
“Fine. I’ll get started,” Kai said with relief. She let out a sigh and leaned against Asmodeus’ strong frame for a just a second before finding the strength to continue. “Lucifer?” Looking over her shoulder, she smiled when she saw all members of the Brotherhood had relaxed their position. Though their eyes glowed red, they weren’t poised to douse everyone with fire. “Okay, good. This is…progress.”
“Get on with it, Kai,” Satan groused.
“I’d watch the way you speak to my woman if I were you,” Asmodeus growled.
“Anyway,” Kai said, giving Asmodeus a look that pleaded for him to give the macho stuff a rest. She took his hand in hers and shifted her body so she could look easily from Zemi to the Brotherhood. “I asked you to be here so we could clear up the confusion about the Ring of Solomon and the Prophecy. This ring does not have the power to control Hell or command demons…at least, not for me.” She gave Asmodeus a small smile before continuing. “There have been several times since I put this damn ring on, that I wanted Asmodeus to do certain things and he didn’t. So, let’s put that rumor to rest.”
“I don’t buy it,” Mammon scoffed.
“Really?” Kai arched one eyebrow held up the hand with the ring and shouted, “Dance like a clown, Mammon.”
“No way.” Mammon folded his arms over his broad chest and made a sound of derision. Squaring his shoulders he looked awkwardly from Kai to his brothers and said, “I’m not fuckin’ doing that.”
“See? No commanding of demons here.” Kai looked at each of them earnestly. “I can not control you boys and I have no desire to do so.”
“I don’t get it,” Belphegor interjected. “Solomon was able to control us with it. So why can’t you?”
“I don’t know and neither do you.” Kai looked fondly at Asmodeus. “And that’s the problem. All of us have a lot of a little bit of information but none of us have the whole story. From what I understand, about three thousand years ago King Solomon suddenly had this ring one day and started controlling all of you. It didn’t stop until he got drunk, took of the ring and gave it to Asmodeus who then tossed it into the ocean. Right?”
The boys in the Brotherhood nodded and Kai didn’t miss the looks of discomfort that passed between them while recalling unpleasant memories. Asmodeus’ body tensed at the mention of it but Kai gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Zemi, however, stifled a giggle at the mention of their unfortunate experience and Kai caught Lucifer giving her a look that could kill.
“Zemi?” Kai turned her attention to the queen who’d been staring at Lucifer. “Three thousand years ago something big went down with the Fae didn’t it?”
“Yes.” Zemi lifted her chin as though she was trying to rise above the difficult memory. “That was when my sister and the others walked away from the Fae dimension to reside in the mortal world and live as witches.”
“Fine.” Kai nodded and put her hands on her hips. “I have another question. If this ring is part of the Custodian legacy then how the heck did old Solomon get his hands on it?”
“I haven’t the foggiest notion.” Zemi smiled and though she acted clueless, Kai had a sinking suspicion that she knew exactly how Solomon got it. “Just a stroke of luck, I suppose.” She winked at Lucifer. “Or bad luck, depending on how one sees it.”
“You?” Lucifer seethed. He lifted his hands but Asmodeus countered and gave him a warning glare, which made Lucifer lower his hands. “You gave Solomon that ring. Didn’t you?”
“I don’t recall,” Zemi said while twirling a lock of hair around her finger. “It was an awfully long time ago.”
“Actually, it might not have been Zemi.” Kai looked at Lucifer and then to Satan. “Willow would have enjoyed seeing you suffer a little. Wouldn’t she, Satan?”
“Son of a bitch,” Satan spat. “How could she do that to me?”
“Witches can be bitches,” Isadora said with a wink to Satan. “But I suppose you can ask her that for yourself, if she ever gets here.”
“Anyway,” Kai said with a warning look to Isadora. “I have another question for you people. Where did the spell book come from?”
Kai extended both hands and instant later the spell book flew off the wicker table on the porch with wicked speed and landed in her hands with an audible slap.
“Be careful with that,” Zemi cautioned in an oddly gentle tone. “It possesses more power than you could possibly fathom, Halfling.”
“I’m sure it does.” Kai held it against her chest and studied Zemi closely. “I haven’t had time to read all of it but there are some spells in here that can do serious damage to every one of the members of the Brotherhood, not too mention anyone else who pisses me off. Now, I’m the one who’s losing patience, so how about you cut the crap and tell me where this book came from and who wrote this Prophecy?”
“Why?” Zemi’s voice quivered with something that sounded like fear. Her blue eyes flicked from Kai to Lucifer. “It is of no importance who wrote it or why.”
“I beg to differ,” Lucifer said in a surprisingly calm voice. “If our destruction is at stake, I’d say that the origin of this so-called Prophecy is of the highest importance.”
“Please,” Zemi whispered. Her eyes glimmered with silver tears as she stared at Lucifer. “There are some wounds that are best left alone. I’m sorry but once the Prophecy has been set in motion there is no way to stop it.”
Kai looked from Zemi to Lucifer and saw that the anger and frustration that flowed between them so freely before, was replaced with sadness and regret. Lucifer stepped away from his brothers and walked slowly toward Zemi. Asmodeus went to stop him but Kai grabbed his arm and held him back. “Let him go.”
“Zemi?” Lucifer moved closer, until he was only a few feet from the queen. “How long are you going to punish me for one foolish mistake?”
The unusually tender moment was interrupted when Murdoch, who was standing behind Zemi, started to make an odd gurgling sound and what happened next, went by in slow motion. Kai watched in horrified fascination as Murdoch’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and his body shuddered before erupting in an explosive flash of light. The look of surprise on Zemi’s face as she spun around, was swiftly replaced by rage when she saw her secretary disintegrate into nothingness.
An instant later, Kai noticed disruptions in the air around them and it became very clear that their party was getting crashed.
In a split second, chaos erupted and war came to Bliss.
Flashes of fire and white light exploded from every angle and through the smoke she saw an evil smile on a familiar face as it emerged from the light.
Ben Flaherty.
The smell of burnt flesh and smoke filled Kai’s head and made her stomach roll. Somewhere in the bac
kground, Kai heard Isadora scream but she sounded so far away that Kai wasn’t even sure that’s who was screaming. For all Kai knew, the scream may have come from her.
A blast of heat and otherworldly power knocked Kai through the air and slammed her into the trunk of the massive elm tree by the driveway. The book fell from her hands and she dropped to the ground in a gasping, writhing heap. Pain fired through her body as she struggled to get to her feet while dirt and gravel dug into her palms. Coughing and gasping to find her breath, she squinted but could only make out ghostly figures in the smoke.
Through the chaos, Kai heard a woman’s voice chanting. It was quiet at first but as it was repeated, the chant grew louder and Kai stifled a scream.
Someone was casting a spell and it wasn’t Isadora. And Kai had no idea how to stop it.
Bound and frozen, solid as stone.
Bodies fall still, blood and bone.
No sound, no breath, no whimpers or pleas.
The wicked will halt and their magic will cease.
“Kai!” Asmodeus screamed her name but she couldn’t see him. He started to call her name again but was cut off and horrid silence followed.
“Asmodeus! Lucifer….Isadora?” She called and called but no one answered.
The world around her was burning. Blinded by smoke and submerged in darkness, Kai stumbled forward, held up her hand with the ring and though the power swirled violently in her chest, she was terrified to use it because she had no idea who she might hit.
Then, as suddenly as it began, the explosions and the chanting stopped. A haunting, unnatural quiet fell over the property and Kai shuddered with blood curdling fear. Hands raised, the ring glowed, while she held her ground and tried to calm her rapid breathing.
A gust of wind came along and in one fell swoop, all of the smoke was sucked away but a pall of darkness covered the sky, blotting out the sun. Kai’s hands flew to her mouth in horror when she saw the scene before her.
All of them were frozen. Everyone. Zemi, Isadora, all of the Brotherhood…and Asmodeus. Frozen in time and space.
Isadora was standing with her arms in the air attempting to call up a spell and her long, black hair whipped around her, suspended in mid air. Five members of the Brotherhood were in various positions but all of them were charging toward a perceived enemy with trails of fire shooting from their hands but they were frozen, like a snapshot in time.
Asmodeus was just a few feet from Kai and was immobilized. Rage stamped into his features, he was reaching toward her, trying to protect her, no doubt. Zemi and Lucifer were back to back and looked as though they were fighting a common enemy as opposed to each other.
Kai looked back at Asmodeus and when she captured his gaze with hers, she stifled a cry. He may have been frozen but he was totally aware of what was going on. Bodies frozen but minds alert, she could only imagine how tortured they all were and the cruelty of it fueled Kai’s rage because in the middle of it all were two frighteningly familiar faces. Ben Flaherty wasn’t alone. Standing next to him was one of the secretaries to the Witches Council—Rosalyn.
Chapter Twenty
Asmodeus watched in helpless fury as Kai threw her light toward their two attackers. However, Ben and Rosalyn matched Kai’s magic with their own, creating a mid air explosion that was almost as deafening as it was blinding. Kai staggered backward as the power bounced back into her and when she found her feet again, Rosalyn was standing in front of her with a jagged, ancient looking dagger pointed at Kai’s throat.
Kai had been visibly weakened by the exchange of magic and Asmodeus watched her attempt to call up her light but nothing happened. The ring’s light sputtered and Rosalyn laughed cruelly at Kai’s failure to rejuvenate her power.
“Seems you shot your load,” Rosalyn laughed. She leaned close and grabbed Kai’s jaw, while pressing the knife against her throat. “I’m not surprised to see you out of gas so quickly. An inexperienced half-breed like you doesn’t deserve the power of the ring or the glories hidden within the spell book.”
Kai’s body shook with obvious fear and she looked at Asmodeus through wide frightened eyes. Rosalyn was going to kill Kai and there wasn’t a damn thing Asmodeus could do to help her. A scream echoed through his head but wouldn’t escape his lips. All he could do was watch the scene play out in front of him.
“Now, I know you can’t remove the ring,” Rosalyn hissed. “But I could cut off that pretty little finger, couldn’t I? I was wondering if my immobility spell would work on you but that damn ring seems to be protecting you somehow.”
“Quit fucking around, Rosalyn,” Ben shouted. He was behind Asmodeus and most likely right next to Zemi and Lucifer. “I’ve got the queen, kill that girl and get the damn ring off her hand. Don’t forget to grab the spell book. We have to get out of here and take Zemi to the others before your damn spell wears off or her magic rejuvenates.”
“Fine.” Rosalyn moved with the speed of an ancient witch, and in a blur, had Kai pinned up against the tree. “I never liked you much anyway.”
Asmodeus, his body burning from the inside out, watched with disbelief as Rosalyn raised the knife high in the air. Kai’s frightened gaze met his, and as the scene unfolded, a fire erupted inside of him. With a bone shattering bellow of outrage, Asmodeus burst free from the constraints of the spell and charged toward Rosalyn.
“Get away from her you crazy bitch.” Asmodeus called up the power of fire and incinerated Rosalyn when she turned around to charge him. Rosalyn’s body exploded in a flash of fire and smoke.
Weakened from breaking through the spell, Asmodeus stumbled and fell to the ground at Kai’s feet. She immediately squatted next to him and rained kisses over his face. He couldn’t help but smile because even in the midst of all the death and destruction, she still smelled like ivory soap and lavender.
“No!” Ben, red faced, screamed with indignation while he watched Rosalyn’s ashes rain down like snow. He stalked slowly toward Kai and Asmodeus with ashes covering his face he whispered, “I will avenge you, my love.”
The look in his eyes was nothing short of ice, cold, revenge.
“Why are you doing this?” Kai huddled behind Asmodeus and wrapped her arms around him protectively. “The ring won’t do you any good, Ben. You’re not a Custodian or a Chosen One and good luck opening that book. It won’t even let you near it, let alone allow you to open it.”
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve been searching for that ring? I spent countless hours, weeks, tearing this shit hole upside down and you come in here after a few days and find it.”
“It wasn’t yours to find,” Asmodeus said between halting breaths. Heat flickered along his arms but still his powers remained just outside his reach. “It’s not your place.”
“My place?” He seethed. “My place is on the throne not being her advisor. The woman never listened to a damn thing anyway. She has driven our people to the edge of extinction with her obsession over this Prophecy and her ridiculous infatuation with that demon.” He gestured toward Lucifer who was still frozen next to Zemi. “She’s had the finest Fae women breeding with half-warlock humans in an effort to create the Chosen One. She doesn’t deserve to rule our people and now she rules no longer.”
“You’re Bentley?” Kai asked quietly. “Zemi’s advisor.”
“Her advisor?” He let out a sound of disgust and threw another bolt of light above their heads, which made the leaves of the tree burst into flames. “I’m her son and her dirty little secret. A witch-Fae offspring who just didn’t fit the bill for her precious Prophecy. She prohibits the Fae from having contact with the Witches so how would it look if the queen herself mated with one and had little half-breed boy? I made the mistake of being born with a dick and we all know the Chosen One had to be a girl.”
“Listen,” Kai laughed and clung to Asmodeus tightly. “I don’t want to be the Chosen One and I’d gladly pass the baton to you or anyone else but I can’t.”
“You can if you’re
dead.” Ben’s body shook with unbridled rage and he stalked toward them, throwing rippling bolts of power one after the other but he wasn’t aiming at Asmodeus…he was aiming at Kai. Yet every strike of light he threw landed inches on either side of them, always close but never hitting their mark. Kai’s body shivered against Asmodeus as Ben toyed with them time and time again.
He stopped when he was just a couple of feet away and leveled a deadly glare at Asmodeus.
“Say good-bye to your girlfriend,” Ben leered.
Ben roared with fury and raised his hands for the final, deadly blow. Asmodeus, with his last shred of strength, scrambled to his feet, pushed Kai back and took the strike of lightning point blank in the chest. Agonizing pain seared Asmodeus’ torso and his arms flew out to his side as every muscle in his body hummed with white-hot agony. The entire world seemed to explode around him in a luminous blaze before the darkness closed in.
***
Asmodeus was dead.
That was the first thought that ran through Kai’s mind when she watched Ben’s light slam into his broad chest. Asmodeus sacrificed himself for Kai and while she watched his immortal body shake with otherworldly power, her heart shattered in a million tiny pieces.
The only man she’d ever truly loved---was dying before her eyes.
And that’s when it happened.
Ben’s light consumed Asmodeus’ body in an incandescent flash just before it ricocheted out and slammed back into Ben. The power threw him head over heels through the air across the property. Kai watched as his limp body landed with a sickening thud before it skidded to a halt at Zemi’s feet. Kai held her breath while she witnessed his aura sputter violently before finally going dark.
Shaking and sweating from fear, relief and pure adrenaline, Kai scrambled over to Asmodeus’ unmoving body. At first glance, someone else might think he was dead but Kai knew better.
ASMODEUS: Demon of Lust--BUNDLE Parts 1-4 (Princes of Hell) Page 23
