Chapter 42

Chapter

Forty-Two

Terror ripped my heart to shreds as the familiar figure behind the glass hunched over the cot, his head in his hands. "Hawk!" I beat on the glass to get his attention.

The raven bolted up and rushed to the glass. "Tate! What's going on? Are you involved in this?"

I swiveled to Ruin as he approached, my teeth grinding. "Let him go."

"No can do, beautiful." He wiggled his fingers at Hawk, taunting him. "He's my insurance policy."

I reached deep inside, searching for the dark power that had been silent since Fane and I claimed each other, not caring what happened to me. I had to save Hawk and stop Ruin.

The high demon lord tsked. "I wouldn't do that, Tate."

"Why?" I asked, still attempting to reach the Infernal Sol.

He jerked his chin toward Hawk. "Do you see that door in your friend's cell? It leads into the next one."

I slowly inched to the right to see the royal demon pacing in the next cell. Her flesh was ghostly pale, teeth and talons extended, and no reason in her black, impenetrable eyes. Only bloodlust and hunger.

The warmth drained from my body as I realized what Ruin would do. "You bastard."

He shrugged. "Call me what you want, but I'm trying to improve the world, and I need cooperation. If you don't comply, I'll be forced to open that door and let the demon in with Hawk." He gave a long sigh. "No weapons and a starving, crazed royal demon? The odds aren't good for your friend."

How could I have let myself believe Ruin was a good guy? His betrayal was as bad if not worse than Coltrane's. He almost had my own damn murderous father beat. Actually, maybe he was worse. The two were in cahoots, after all.

Ruin had turned out to be like so many others in my life. He only wanted to use me, and I was nothing but a means to an end.

"You're worse than Venna and Karn," I spat. "At least they didn't pretend to be my friend to get what they wanted."

He scoffed. "I am your friend, Tate, and I'm the same guy you care about. Nothing has changed."

"Everything has changed." I turned to Hawk as he leaned against the glass, listening to our conversation. He wouldn't stand a chance against the royal if Ruin let her into his cell. "I'll get you out of here, Hawk. I promise."

He frantically shook his head. "Don't do anything crazy. I'm not worth it."

A click echoed, followed by a whoosh . "Get in the cell, Wrath." When his brother didn't move, Ruin heaved a dramatic sigh. "I'll let this demon in with Hawk, and his blood will be on your hands. Is your revenge more important than an innocent's life? Warin wouldn't approve."

The venom in Wrath's snarl was potent enough to kill a hundred demons. I was surprised Ruin could bear the weight of it without hunching over. "Don't ever say his name again." Wrath walked toward the cell, never taking his eyes off his brother. "You're going to get yours one day, Ruin, and I hope I'm there when someone finally wipes that smug smile off your fucking face."

Ruin chuckled. "It's good to have hopes and dreams, Wrath, no matter how out of reach they are." As soon as Wrath was locked in the cell, Ruin held his hand out for me. "Shall we?"

I smacked his hand away and marched toward the lab, toward my possible death. "Go to hell, Ruin."

Cold metal bit into my arms and legs as I struggled against the chains binding me to the table in Ruin's lab. They were obviously imbued with magic, or I would have been able to break free. Of course, if I did that, all Ruin had to do was press one little button on his phone, and Hawk would be a dead man.

"Fane! Fane!" I tried screaming his name again but received no answer. Were we too far apart, or had Ruin done something to him? Logan could very well have played me too.

As panic rushed through my veins at the thought of Fane hurt, I searched the lab for the demon lord. "Where's Fane? Did you do something to him?"

"Of course not, beautiful. Fane's my friend," Ruin said from somewhere. "He and Logan are in Illyria to remove Kaspin's spell. I didn't lie about that. I want you two kids to finally be together."

A bitter laugh burst out. "Fane won't be friendly when he discovers the truth."

He appeared above me, his navy hair falling forward and caressing those sharp cheekbones. "I'm going to make sure all these nasty memories that paint me in a terrible light are compelled right out of you." He tapped my forehead. "Everything will return to normal, and Fane will never suspect a thing."

Not if I could get him a message before that happened.

"You won't be able to communicate with him." He motioned his hand around the room, pointing out several sigils drawn in blood on the walls. "Nadia has guaranteed that these will block your link to Fane for a while. I can't have him busting in here and ruining my plans."

My heart sank, and some of the strength leeched from my muscles. "I hate you."

"I'm loyal to my people, Tate. And if demons have another energy source to remain on Earth, that protects human lives. Don't you want that?" He leaned down again and rested his elbow near my ear. "And don't act so high and mighty. When you were in Karn's captivity, you chose to kill two humans to save your friend, or who you thought was your friend."

The blood drained from my cheeks. "That's not the same thing."

He twisted a lock of my hair around his long finger. "I want to help my people."

"What do you get out of it?" Fane had been right all along. Ruin wasn't doing this out of the goodness of his heart. He had a much more nefarious and selfish reason. No doubt about it.

"The satisfaction of being a hero to demons. And maybe a little something else."

A commotion erupted across the lab, and footsteps echoed on the stairs. "Out of my way, or I will rip your throat out."

Every cell in my body went into hyperfocus as another enemy entered the room, his presence pressing against my sternum like an invisible weight.

"I told you not to come." Ruin pushed to a standing position, folding his arms over his chest. "We've already discussed this matter, and I'm not budging."

Murder pulsated around Barric as his glare drilled into me. "I want her dead."

"And I told you that wasn't happening." Ruin spoke calmly as if they weren't discussing my imminent demise. "That was never part of the deal."

Alpha power flowed out of the shifter, attempting to suffocate me. "That was before I knew she was my cursed offspring." His sharp teeth flashed. "She never should have been born."

"Well, she was." Ruin brushed the hair back from my face, his touch making my skin crawl. "You should be proud to have a daughter as strong as Tate. And she's a shifter now. What's the problem?"

Barric's shoulders shook, threatening to tear out of his burgundy button-down shirt. "Being bitten doesn't make her a real shifter. If anything, she's even more of an abomination. And she's the reason my mate is dead."

"Fuck you, Barric!" I snapped. "My mother is dead because you killed her, you psycho, delusional asshole."

The head alpha's hand darted out, his claws extended to rake down my throat, but Ruin caught his wrist before he could touch me.

"Don't test me, Barric." The high demon's voice dropped so low that it rattled my bones. "Tate being your daughter doesn't change our deal. You kept her safe these last few months, so I appreciate that, but you have no say in her fate."

That was why Barric had insisted that I stay in Silver Ridge. Ruin wanted him to protect me—and the Infernal Sol.

"I should have every say in the matter, Ruin." He yanked out of the high demon's grasp. "I held up my end of the bargain and provided you with names of the shifters you could take while hiding your secret. Once you get that demon amulet out of her, she belongs to me."

The atmosphere around Ruin thickened as his eyes blackened, and his flesh paled and stretched over those sharpening cheekbones. His true face emerged from behind his beautiful mask. "You're not in charge, Barric. I am. All you did was give me names to help cleanse your shifters, but I've been the one moving the chess pieces. I'm the one who ensured Tate would be here in my lab now, ready to hand over this amulet. I've done everything to reach this moment, and I won't have you ruin my plans for your prejudiced Collective Hunt bullshit."

As Ruin's words sank in, a realization dawned on me, and the lab spun in a sickening whirlwind of white and silver. A bitter taste coated the back of my mouth, and I had to swallow quickly to keep from puking.

The demon attack at Kesa's house was no coincidence.

"You sent those demons, didn't you?" I mumbled through numb lips. "You orchestrated the whole thing."

Ruin tore his attention from Barric, some of the darkness clearing from his gaze. "Unfortunately, it was a necessary evil. I knew if you were on the brink of losing all control, Fane would do anything to help you. I needed him to claim you to break the amulet's hold enough to do this spell."

"Dylan almost died." Blood pounded in my ears as a cold sweat beaded my forehead.

"But you saved him like I knew you would." He gave a casual shrug. "No harm, no foul."

No harm, no foul?

He was out of his mind.

I thrashed against the chains as fury inundated my veins. "You're a dead demon, Ruin! When I get out of this, I'm going to rip your throat out for everything you've done. "

Barric gave a disgusted laugh, his mouth curling in derision. "Do you see her? She needs to be put down after you get the amulet out. She'll tell everyone what you've done. You can't trust her."

"She'll be compelled to forget." Ruin pressed his hand against my chest to hold me down. "I'll make sure she doesn't remember that you're her father or any of your dirty secrets."

"Will compulsion even affect her?"

"Once the amulet is out, she won't be this powerful." Ruin beckoned someone closer. "Stay out of the way, Barric. Attempt to kill her, and I'll imprison you and have you tortured for the rest of your long life."

Barric bared his teeth in a snarl that would have most creatures cowering in fear, but it didn't faze Ruin. My father gave me one more repulsed look and backed out of my line of vision. This wouldn't be the end, though. Bloodlust swirled in the air around him. The head alpha wasn't one to give up, and he wanted me dead.