Chapter 38

CHAPTER 38

A zazel and I managed to sneak out of the destroyed room and into the hallway without drawing the attention of the still battling archdemons. Their power struck and whipped at us, lashing at our clothes and precariously rocking the ruins of the walls, and I was sure that it would have melted us much like the unfortunate soldiers if we’d been of lower rank.

As it was, Azazel’s archdemon-level of power meant we got away bruised and bloodied, but with our skin still in place.

As soon as we were clear of the view of the room, we ran for a bit to put more distance between us and the archdemon fight. I was able to move just fine by now, but Azazel kept stumbling. I shot him a worried glance as we rounded a corner.

“Let’s stop here for a sec,” I whispered.

Far behind us, the sonic booms of the archdemon battle rolled through the hallway and shook the walls. From somewhere even farther away, the sound of dragons screeching reached us. This corridor seemed largely intact, with recent repairs that had been done still showing.

And thankfully, it was empty of anyone but us.

The shackles around my wrists clinked as I pulled Azazel into an alcove, my brows drawing together at his condition. He swayed a little, his face was pale underneath the dust and blood sprinkling his skin, and his eyes held pain.

“Are you hurt?” I asked, carefully feeling along his torso.

“No,” he rasped. “But this power… Zoe, I can barely hold it.” His throat muscles worked hard as he swallowed. “It’s taking all my focus just to keep it contained.” He shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment. “I can’t believe Lucifer has been carrying this for ages. No wonder he was so fucking cranky all the time.”

“I feel it, too.” I bit my lip.

At that, Azazel opened his eyes and stared at me, shock making his features slack. “The bond,” he said, and his shoulders slumped. “Fuck, I didn’t think of that.” He raised his manacled wrists and rubbed his face with both hands. “I agreed to take this on, and I didn’t even consider that it might affect you through our bond. But I should have. You’re already sharing my power through our connection, so of course this would be no different. Shit.”

“I know.” I laid my palms on his chest. “I didn’t consider it either, though it’s logical. I guess we were both a bit naive about this.”

His storm-gray eyes studied me with concern. “How are you holding up?”

“Like a dam that hasn’t had any maintenance in decades. I can feel the pressure, but I’m able to push it back. For now.” I dug my fingers into his shredded tunic. “Lucifer wanted me to use the power, but I have no idea how. He was banking on us being able to wield it.”

Azazel grimaced. “I’m not sure I can force the power to obey right now. If I let loose, I might not be able to channel only a small, targeted amount.” He paused, then added, “What happened while I was out?”

I gave him a quick rundown of the events before he’d woken up, and his expression got progressively darker as I laid it all out.

“With how we’d fixed the security recently,” he said when I’d finished, “it shouldn’t have been possible for armies this large to amass along the borders unnoticed. We should have had ample warning, not just a few scouts racing over here at the last minute.” He shook his head. “I’m sure Ashtaroth and the others have prepared this strike well in advance and were just waiting for the opportune moment to hit us, but we should have noticed those preparations. Troop movements of this magnitude usually draw attention, even across borders.”

“We can figure out the why and the how later,” I said, peeking around the corner to check the hallway. “But what are we going to do right now? Ashtaroth and the others will stop fighting at some point, and then they’ll come looking for us.”

Azazel nodded and held up his bound wrists. “First, we must get these off. We need full access to our regular power as long as we don’t dare use the new one. We have to find some of our people, and if there are seraphim among them, they can remove the shackles.”

“Lower ranks can’t?”

He shook his head. “Not enough power. Once we’re free, we’ll have to gather what’s left of our forces and leave.”

“You don’t want to wait for Daevi or Verrin?”

“How long ago did Lucifer send word to them?”

I chewed my lip and thought. “About an hour ago?”

A defeated look crossed his face. “Not even the fastest fliers will have gotten there yet. Which means neither Daevi nor Verrin will even know what’s happening here at this point, and even if they got the news right now, it would take them some time to gather their armies and fly them over here. No, we’re alone. Whatever fighters we have here is the extent of our defense, and it won’t be enough to withstand the hosts of four territories. If we’re lucky, we can round up enough of our people to beat a retreat and regroup in a safer location. As long as both of us make it out of here, anyone else’s claim to the throne is contestable.”

“Okay.” I pulled myself together, trying to calm my racing thoughts and soothe my anxiety about all the shit that could still go wrong. “Let’s find our people, then.”

We encountered a group of ten warriors made up of demons from Azazel’s and Daevi’s domains just a few minutes later. They were led by Shemyaza, and from the looks of it, they’d been through some fighting already.

Shemyaza’s face lit up with relief when she spotted Azazel and me. “Your Graces,” she said and fell to her knees, and her warriors followed suit.

Shit, I so wasn’t used to being addressed as queen yet.

“I am so glad you’re safe,” Shemyaza said as she got to her feet again. “We didn’t have information about what might have happened to you.”

Her gaze fell on our manacled wrists, and Azazel quickly explained what had transpired.

“And Lord Lucifer?” Shemyaza asked.

Azazel shook his head, and dejected silence fell over the group.

“I’m sure he’s still alive,” I offered. “Ashtaroth didn’t want him killed. She said she had plans for him. Our best bet is to make it out of here safely, and then when we regroup, we will try to save him in the process of getting back at whoever takes over.”

At least, that was what I’d been telling myself ever since we’d left him behind. I couldn’t contemplate the possibility that he might be dead or that we wouldn’t be able to free him at a later point.

Azazel nodded, though the look on his face was doubtful.

“For that, we need these removed.” I raised my wrists with the manacles. “Can you help us?”

Shemyaza gave me an apologetic look even as Azazel said, “She’s a cherub. We need to find someone else.”

“I saw Lord Ramiel earlier.” Shemyaza jerked her head in the direction from which they’d come. “He was covering a hallway over?—”

A wave of power hit us. Shemyaza spun to cover us, and the other warriors moved into a formation. Behind them, a group of demons ran toward us, weapons raised and magic sparking around them. Within seconds, they clashed with our soldiers. Metal clanged as their blades met, and the air vibrated with the pulses of power.

Teeth gritted, I moved back a few steps, frustration souring my blood. I couldn’t help. With the manacles still on me, I couldn’t use my power, and I didn’t even have a sword or dagger left to manually join the fight.

The same was true for Azazel. His fingers twitched as if he was trying to summon a weapon, and I realized that our summoning ability might be impaired by the shackles as well.

One of our demons fell. Struck through the neck, his head detached from his body, and he dissolved into a thousand sparks of light.

Another one of our warriors died just moments later. The group of attackers outnumbered ours nearly two to one, and they pressed their advantage without mercy.

With mounting horror, I watched as two more demons from our side were killed, bringing us down to six warriors—plus Azazel and me, useless as we were. With our backs to the wall and the enemy warriors closing in, we couldn’t even escape down the hallway.

Azazel’s frustration and despair crept along our bond, and beyond that flickered burning rage. It echoed the fury heating my blood. Goddammit, I hadn’t felt this helpless since I’d been a human ghost during the near apocalypse.

One more of ours fell to the blade of an attacker. Our decimated group—Shemyaza still at the helm—valiantly held the line to defend Azazel and me, and seeing them give their lives for us shattered some restraint deep within me.

I wasn’t without power.

That chill of death, that cold whisper of endless darkness, it writhed in me, beckoning me to use it. The scorching heat of my fury crashed into the ice of that terrifying new power, and all doubts and inhibitions evaporated in the wake of that collision.

I would not watch as more of our people died for us. I would no longer stand by helplessly.

Groaning under the strain of trying to channel the writhing power into a targeted stream, I unleashed that force. It rushed out of me as if exploding from my very pores, and I jolted under the near violence of the release.

Everything went pitch black.

All lights snuffed out in a hush of death.

Swords clattered to the ground, fabric rustled, and objects thudded.

Then, horrible silence, except for my and Azazel’s rapid breathing.

Like mist dissolving, the darkness lifted, light creeping back in from the windows facing the courtyard below. A flash from outside illuminated the scene brightly for a split second.

The hallway was deserted but for Azazel and me.

None of the warriors stood any longer. None of them had survived.

Their empty clothes littered the floor, their weapons strewn about.

I blinked at the scene, shock stealing my breath.

None of them were alive— not even our own people .

“I killed them all,” I choked out.

I met his wide-eyed gaze, and some of his dismay trickled down over the bond. He was just as rattled as I was.

The sheer horror of this new power inside me stole all further words from my lips. All except?—

“Oh, God, what if I just killed everyone ?” Stumbling away a few steps, I looked up and down the hallway in rising panic. “Azazel, what if this wasn’t just a small strike? What if this went all the way out?” Dread knotted my throat together, and my eyes filled with tears. “Did I just annihilate all living things everywhere?”

“Zoe.” He stepped up to me and grasped my bound hands, whether to soothe me or to keep me from toppling over, I didn’t know. “Slow breaths. Don’t jump to conclusions. We don’t know anything yet. Let’s walk a bit and see how far this goes.”

Half dizzy from breathing way too fast, I nodded, and together, we made our way down the hallway.

We’d just rounded a corner when the screech of dragons echoed from far away.

Relief rushed through me, though some of the horror of what I’d just done remained.

“See?” Azazel murmured, pulling me to a stop. “It’s okay. This was a contained blow. You didn’t pull a double Thanos.”

The fact that I didn’t laugh at his attempt at a joke spoke volumes of my mental health. “But I killed Shemyaza,” I whispered.

And that one really hurt. Shemyaza had been nice. A good and loyal warrior. I’d liked her.

And now she was gone. Forever. Because of me.

“It’s not your fault,” Azazel said softly. “The situation was dire, and you tried to help. Don’t blame yourse?—”

His sentence ended in a grunt and a wet gurgle. Between us, the tip of a blade protruded from his chest, right where his heart was. His eyes widened, and then he keeled over. His body hit the floor with a thud.

Shock-frozen, I looked up at the demon standing behind him.

Samael’s silver-white hair was limned in red from the light streaming in through the windows, his hawkish features twisted into a cruel smile. “Jackpot,” he whispered.

And before I could even try to unleash my death power again to hit him, he rushed forward and rammed a dagger into my chest.

I jerked, pain lancing me, and then my mind slipped into darkness.

When I came to, the first thing I noticed was the jeering and hooting of hundreds of voices, echoing in a vast room. I opened my eyes and blinked against the light until my sight had adjusted.

I was lying on a dais, looking out over the enormous throne room, at the magnificent pillars carved with scenes from demon history holding up the high ceiling—and at the space in front of the dais packed with demons. Some of them were kneeling, but most stood, and I realized the former must be the subjugated warriors of Lucifer, Azazel, and Daevi, surrounded by the invading archdemons’ soldiers.

They cheered again, and I glanced to the side, where other figures stood on the dais. Ashtaroth, Baal, Samael, and four more demons.

When Ashtaroth stepped back a little, I saw what had been hidden from my view—Lucifer, alive. I almost sobbed with relief.

He looked badly beaten up, bleeding from several injuries—which had to be fresh to not have healed already—and he was currently on his knees, with his wings out.

Or rather, one wing.

The other one rested in Ashtaroth’s hands, dripping blood onto the floor. She waved it in triumph for a moment, which had more cheers erupting from the crowd, and then gave it to one of the four demons lingering nearby.

My heart stuttered in my chest as she closed the distance to Lucifer again, laying one hand on his shoulder. The fingers of her other hand wrapped around the remaining wing, low at the base where it emerged from the back. With a mighty yank, she tore the wing off.

Lucifer jerked and grunted, but not a single scream passed his lips. His face a study in controlled rage, he took the torture with impressive stoicism.

Me, though? My stomach turned and wanted to throw up what meager content it held. I must have made a retching sound despite my best efforts to contain it, because Ashtaroth glanced over.

“Ah,” she said, her red lips pulling into a pleased smile. “She’s awake. Splendid. Here.” She handed the freshly ripped-off wing to Baal, who didn’t look affronted that she’d just treated him like her assistant.

Did that mean she’d won and he’d submitted to her? And where were the other two archdemons? I scanned the dais and the surrounding area but didn’t spot them anywhere. I had a feeling they wouldn’t miss this spectacle, so the fact that they weren’t here spoke volumes of what had probably happened to them.

During my survey of the dais, I’d noticed Azazel lying next to me, still asleep, though the blade had been removed from his chest, too. He should be waking any moment now. I sat up, my hands still shackled in front of my body, and scooted closer to him.

“So good of you to join us in the land of the conscious,” Ashtaroth purred and sauntered over to me. “I’ve been having fun with our dear Lucifer in the meantime, but I am eager to finish this. And it wouldn’t do to cut off your heads while you’re knocked out, now would it? No”—she leaned down and grabbed my chin in a bruising grip—“I want both of you to see the blade swinging for your neck. I want you to realize the moment of your death before you dissolve into nothing.”

That cold power inside me pulsed. It felt like the icy breath of some mighty creature from before the spawning of light and life.

“You can’t kill us,” I choked out, dread numbing my arms and legs. “You mustn’t .”

“Oh,” she said with false sweetness, “and why is that?”

I had to warn her. “Because we carry the power of death in us, and when you kill us, it will be unleashed and destroy life everywhere .”

She paused briefly before a laugh erupted out of her. “Oh, that’s precious. You get extra points for being creative, though it won’t save your neck.”

“No, it’s the truth.” I wrung my hands and lowered my voice so my words would reach only her. “Lucifer used to carry this power, but he transferred it to Azazel and me.” And then I gave her a quick recap of the entire story, because she had to understand .

When I finished, she glared down at me with a haughty expression. “I hate to admit it, but you do make a good demon. That talent for lying and manipulation would have taken you far. Pity you have to die for me to take the throne.”

No . My shoulders slumped. If she didn’t believe me?—

Power streamed into me, and I gasped. Beside me, Azazel stirred, coming out of unconsciousness.

“Perfect,” Ashtaroth said. “Now that you’re both awake, we can begin.”

With a flourish, she turned to the crowd, who’d been watching with eager eyes.

“It is time!” Ashtaroth raised both her hands, her face glowing with excitement, her voice projecting strong and loud across the throne room. “You are about to witness the first ousting of rulers of Hell, and the dawn of a new age. Long have we withered in the shadow of a king whose sentimental attachment to a human has denied us the fulfillment of our true potential. Those days are over . I will lead us into a new world order, one where we rule supreme over humans, no longer bound by arbitrary restrictions.”

Fear gripped me tight, and I turned to look at Azazel, who’d sat up as well. He met my gaze with the same concern shining in his eyes that had seized my heart.

Ashtaroth now waved her hand at Samael. “It is thanks to the ingenious work of my dear son that we could capitalize on the weaknesses of our former king. He made sure to sabotage the lines of communication and the security outposts to pave the way for our armies to advance on the palace. His efforts will be royally rewarded.” She smiled at Samael, who stood up straighter with the kind of smug expression on his face that I wanted to remove with a shovel.

When I glanced at Azazel, his features were harsh, his eyes promising murder as he glared at Samael.

He’d wondered about how it had been possible for the archdemons to amass their troops unseen, and now he had his answer. Samael had worked behind the scenes to undermine the security fixes Azazel and Daevi had tried to install.

Ashtaroth turned to the crowd once more. “And Samael’s impressive work right under Lucifer’s nose is more proof of our former king’s decline and negligence.” She bared her teeth, her crimson eyes sparking. “How feeble must he have been, how blind and complacent, that he would be oblivious to such subterfuge happening within his own palace’s walls?” Stepping closer to Lucifer again, she casually spat at him.

Fury roared through me, and I jerked, wanting to jump to my feet. Azazel grabbed me by the elbow and held me back.

“Zoe,” he hissed, his voice so hushed only I would hear. “Stop. You won’t help him.”

“Then what can we do?” I replied in an equally low tone while Ashtaroth continued deriding Lucifer in front of the crowd. “I told her about the power. I explained why she mustn’t kill us, and she laughed in my face. I thought maybe she’d see reason, but she thinks I made it all up to save ourselves.”

“Of course she’d think that,” Azazel muttered. “She only deals in lies and manipulation, so that’s what she expects from everybody else. And even if she considered the possibility that there’s some truth to your words, she can’t change course now. She’s riled up the crowd. She’s tied the legitimacy of her claim to the throne to her executing us. There’s too much pressure now to deviate from her plan. She needs to follow through.”

“We need to stall her,” I whispered, despair and panic gripping me tight. “Maybe Daevi and Verrin will get here soon. They’ll only be facing two archdemons now, so the odds are evened out a bit.”

“No.” Azazel shook his head, his face hard. “They won’t be here fast enough. Ashtaroth will not allow a further delay. There’s only one thing left to do.” Black bled into his storm-colored eyes. “We use the power.”