Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
“Go for it,” Cain invited, sounding dangerous even to him. “The outcome of any such vote won’t make an ounce of difference. No one will force me to give Wynter up.”
“You would truly prioritize her over us?” asked Ishtar.
“Yes,” he told her, unapologetic. “That said, I don’t at all feel that that is what I am doing here as, unlike you, I don’t believe that handing Wynter to the Aeons would be the answer to our problem. I also don’t believe that the majority of the people here will back you on this.” Seth and Lilith certainly wouldn’t, and he highly doubted that Azazel would either.
“Then you’re a fool. A vote will prove that I have the support I need.”
It wouldn’t matter if she had it or not. His consort wasn’t going anywhere, least of all to Aeon. “If you insist on this, all that will happen is that we’ll find ourselves divided and eventually turn on each other . . . just like the Aeons always wanted.”
“He’s right,” Seth cut in. “This isn’t the answer. And I’m not going to ask him to sacrifice his consort in any case.”
Cain’s gut unclenched at that.
Ishtar fired an impatient look at Seth. “Of course you won’t; he is your brother.”
“I won’t be asking Cain to do it either,” Azazel declared. “It would not only make me a shitty friend, it would make me stupid. Handing Wynter over to Abel wouldn’t lead to anything good.”
Ishtar frowned. “How can you even say that?”
“Because it’s true,” Azazel maintained. “It makes no sense to give up what the Aeons so desperately want when we wish to lure them here. And before you say that Eve and the twins will make juicy enough bait, consider that once Abel realizes they’re here he will make it a condition of the deal that they be relinquished along with Wynter. So long as we have Cain’s witch, there’s a chance that we can be free. To give her up would be to also say to ourselves that we’ll accept that we are forever caged.”
Exhaling a long breath, Dantalion nodded. “We’ve stayed strong and united all these years because we never lost hope that we would one day free ourselves. The moment we submit to our situation is the moment we give up the hope that has so far sustained us.”
“Exactly,” said Azazel. “It would then only be a matter of time before we actually did go insane and turn on each other.”
Inanna sighed. “Yes, it is vital we stick together.” Ignoring the “traitor” look her sister sent her, Inanna added, “I agree that our best chance of gaining freedom is still by keeping Wynter here and protecting her from the Aeons.”
Lilith nodded. “Even if it wasn’t, we could not truly hand her over to them. Not unless Cain okayed it, which he will never do, so it is pointless to argue about this.”
Relief tumbled through Cain. While the result of the vote wouldn’t have led to him giving up his consort in any case, it would have meant he was at odds with the other Ancients if they had supported Ishtar—that was something he didn’t want. As for him being at odds with Ishtar, well, that was nothing new.
“If anyone gets it in their head that they could slyly hand Wynter over to the Aeons without my knowledge”—Cain gave Ishtar a pointed look, not prepared to put it past her—“they should push that idea right back out of their mind.”
Again, Lilith nodded. “We cannot fall into the trap of betraying each other. If we do that, we will cause our own demise.”
Ishtar wrung her hands. “I just cannot stand the thought of the prison becoming smaller than it already is.”
“It won’t,” Inanna assured her.
“What if we cannot lure Abel or Adam here for us to launch an attack?” asked Ishtar, twisting her fingers. “What if they never declare war? What then?”
Then the Ancients would have to resign themselves to being imprisoned until their dying day. And Ishtar was right about one thing—that fate likely would result in them all going insane, and the whole of Devil’s Cradle would sadly pay dearly for that.
“You’re quiet this morning.”
Looking up from her cup of coffee, Wynter shrugged at Cain. “Just thinking.”
Sitting opposite her at the table in his chamber, he stared into her eyes with that laser focus that often made her scalp prickle. “Tell me you’re not stressing over what I told you last night.”
Wynter felt her nose wrinkle. “I wouldn’t say I’m ‘stressing,’ just . . . pondering.” Hearing he’d spoken with Abel had been a shock. Learning of Abel’s ultimatum had made her stomach churn. She hadn’t anticipated that the Aeon would make such a sly move, even knowing he was a cunning piece of shit.
Last night, her main concern had been Cain and how difficult it must have been for him—even if only on a subconscious level—to again be face-to-face with Abel. His jailor. His adversary. His brother who had never been a brother.