Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 144404 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144404 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
“She’s considered the highest female on the plane. She’s called the mother of demons. Basically she didn’t like the whole ‘stand by her man’ even when he’s a boring, overbearing asshole and chose to leave the Garden of Eden to join up forces with Lucifer. She gave birth to a line of demons who make up a hierarchy of Hell all on their own.”
“How did Tix end up here? Or am I not seeing how this is a high position.”
“It is among the servants,” Casey allowed. “Tix never talks about this. I had to look up records on him. He’s not a full-bred demon. He’s the product of Lilith’s affair with a reptile shifter.”
I could actually see that. His mannerisms could be reptilian, and sometimes his eyes went cold. “So why can Gray be a duke of Hell but Tix can’t?”
“Because Gray has far more power than Tix has ever thought of. Tix is thousands of years old, and his power never grew past his mental skills. Gray wasn’t supposed to take over for his father. He was supposed to serve his father. He was bred to be a focal point for his father’s needs. That all changed when he became the first dark prophet in a thousand years. He’s considered one of the most powerful creatures in Hell, but he’s also feared because he has connections to the Heaven plane and the Earth plane that bind him as well. Lucifer cannot command him away from his prophet duties. He cannot force Gray to do anything because like a satan, a dark prophet provides balance and therefore is immune to having another’s will forced upon him.”
“It’s why Lucifer had to have a contract with him rather than simply ordering him as he would any other demon,” I mused. I had to wonder if the elder Sloane had understood what he was doing the day he forced his son to take on prophecy. I would bet he’d been blinded with thoughts of how important the House of Sloane could become and not to the fact that there was now another Sloane who could take his place.
“And that’s what I’ve been thinking about. I have to ask if it wouldn’t be smarter to offer up a small contract in exchange for a single feather,” Casey said.
“It wouldn’t be a small contract.” I was surprised at how naïve he was being. From what I could tell, Casey had spent much of the last decade studying the demonic realm. He should know better. “If he gets a hint of how desperate the situation is, he’ll try to lock down Gray for eternity.”
“I still think we should consider it. There’s a lot of risk that comes with stealing from Lucifer,” Casey said.
It shouldn’t bug me, but I had to admit that I wouldn’t want that for myself. Gray had far more power outside a contract. The whole family was better protected that way. “How is Lucifer’s relationship with Lilith?”
A plan was brewing in the back of my head, but it could only work if the two weren’t close. I was betting Lucifer had a lot of pissed-off exes.
“They loathe each other.” Casey confirmed all my hopes. “After Lilith basically gave him an army, he shoved her to the side and never allowed her to take real power. What he gave her was a small kingdom she rules on her own. She’s a bit like Gray in that way. She rules the Daybreak realm that provides the plane with perfumes and oils. Lucifer doesn’t fuck with her.”
“But will she fuck with him?” If we had access to such a powerful person, we should probably use it. Shouldn’t we?
“You want to see if Lilith might help us steal what we need?” Casey asked.
“I think we should feel her out at least,” I admitted. “We need allies who know their way around. Tix is too nervous. He’ll teleport Gray out the minute he thinks his master could get a thorn in his claw. Maybe his mom is tougher.”
“She told God to fuck off, so she probably is.” Casey’s head fell back. “This is going to go sideways, you know.”
“Or you could pull this collar from my neck and I’ll see if I can help him without the feather.” I couldn’t. I hadn’t lied about that. It was the only way to create the dark light I needed to reverse the Uro curse. Only Lucifer himself could reverse it on his own.
Casey turned and suddenly he was in my space, his body up against mine. “See, when you try to not play fair with me, I want to not play fair with you.”
I found my hands up over my head, both wrists held in one of his. “You’re right. This isn’t fair.”
“Neither is lying to me.” He ran his nose over my neck, sending tendrils of sensation all over my body.