The warmth glowing in my middle swelled and flowed through me. I had wanted this olive branch. Ever since leaving the Underworld, I’d yearned to go back.
I swallowed down the lump in my throat but didn’t respond. I wasn’t quite sure what to say.
“I invite you to return and stay for a while,” he continued. “I’ve left the borders opened. You can come and go as you please, wander wherever you may. You have no limits—no restrictions. I will offer you no warnings or advice, as you surely don’t need them. I would just ask that you treat the kingdom with respect.”
“Of course,” I managed.
“I left your vampires alone when you were last in the Underworld. They were allowed to follow you out in peace. All but the one that had been captured. He, I returned to his maker and a horrible demise. In the future, if vampires come in with you, they will be welcomed. If they are not, they will need to report to me and state their business. I hope you don’t mind, but they are cunning. Until this business with the elves is settled, I’ll want to keep my eye on them.”
So he’d let Ja go. I glanced toward the quiet kitchen, everyone clearly listening in. That was a good little tidbit for Darius. Maybe he could wrangle another favor from her or something.
“First, they aren’t my vampires. None of them. And if they aren’t Darius’s, then they are definitely up to no good. You’re right to keep your eye on them at all times.” I pointed toward the kitchen.
All of them, I thought so the others wouldn’t hear. Darius loves me, but he’s still a vampire. I’d be grateful for a heads-up if he’s wandering around down there. He doesn’t share his business as often as I’d like.
A ghost of a smile curved Lucifer’s lips. Wise. You’ll now have a network to rival his. We can easily keep tabs on him.
Cripes. I needed to remember whom I was talking to.
“I hope, someday, that you will take a position of leadership within our kingdom,” Lucifer went on. “We can work you in slowly, or throw you in the deep end and see what happens.”
“I’ll think about it,” I said, and maybe I was crazy, but I actually meant it. “There’s a war coming, though, so I really should deal with that first.”
“Yes. About that.” He adjusted himself in his seat. “The elves will be trying to kill you, you need to realize that.”
“I do, obviously.”
“And I will be trying to kill them.”
“Right. Makes sense.”
“If you get in my way, I will go around you, or kidnap you for real this time and stow you somewhere safe, but I will not go through you. You have nothing to fear from me or my people. I wanted to make that clear.”
“Are you going to ask me to join your side now? I got manipulated by a shifter earlier today, so everyone is taking their shot.”
“No. I’m done trying to manipulate you. You will go your own way. As will I. I will say this, however: I don’t need that accursed druid’s painting to know what you looked like in that dungeon. To remember the broken body lying on that cold, hard ground. To know how long it took you to recover. That is etched firmly in my memory. Either you will claim vengeance for that, or I will do it for you. I will not tolerate mistreatment like that, not to my blood. They will suffer for what they have done, and if I am not mistaken, we are not the only ones who wish to claim our vengeance.”
His eyes flicked to the kitchen. His words became thoughts.
About your hellfire-spewing friend. Make sure that she doesn’t tip too far into rage, or at least does not stay there too long. She might want to get vengeance as well, but if you value her, don’t let her. She is not like us. She can’t venture too far into the darkness and still make it back to the light. I can see how her death or insanity would affect you badly, so I offer that advice.
I shook my head and looked away. I liked this sonuva bitch more and more as I got to know him. I loved how his evil blended so well with the good, and how he was completely unabashed about either side.
“I probably would join your cause, if you weren’t working with Vlad,” I joked, huffing out a laugh.
“Hopefully you will join me after we wipe the elves from the Realm.”
He was joking, his tone light, but rage suddenly blasted through me, and I wanted nothing more than to stand in front of his army and command them to march. I wanted to lead them straight to the castle to finish what I’d started—burn it to the ground.