We pulled back a step and lunged at each other again.
I cleaved his left horn, and he slashed open my shoulder. Pain blared in me. I almost dropped my sword.
We circled each other and crashed in a blur. Our blades wheeled and danced and crossed brutally.
Everyone was dumbfounded that I had attacked a powerful archdemon instructor just like that. When their initial shock passed, everyone started shouting. The pureblood demons cheered for the archdemon like his little bitches.
A few voices from very brave souls supported me, including the witch’s high-pitched one. The rest of the half-bloods were obviously afraid of retaliation from the archdemon, so they kept quiet.
The archdemon brought his ax down toward my head. I stepped aside, faster than a flash. At the same time, my sword stabbed toward his side, but his second ax intercepted it.
He was just as fast as I was. I hadn’t fully recovered from my injuries, and he was more experienced since he was century-old and had probably spent most of his time on the battlefield.
I wouldn’t be able to finish him off in a swordfight.
“Stop, you crazy bitch!” he called. “You need to learn some fucking rules here if you want to live. Rule number one is to follow the order of your superiors—”
“Then you should follow my order, demon,” I said. “Go lie down and die. I outrank you. I’m the daughter of Queen Lilith, the rightful Queen of Hell. I’m also the heir to the King of the Titans, the ultimate conqueror in the universe. I’m above fucking Lucifer himself.”
I conjured my fires, trying to get my Flame of Rainbows to merge with the hellfire. When my Titan flame proved to be but a spark under ash, still bound by dark spells, I poured my hellfire toward the archdemon.
A hot wind passed, and two-toned fire intercepted mine.
Lucifer materialized in front of me. I raged and pushed my hellfire toward him, but it wouldn’t hurt the master of the Hell, where the fire had originated.
Hell’s power chose Lucifer over me.
“Pull back your fire if you don’t want me to hurt you again, Celeste,” Lucifer ordered.
I slowly withdrew my hellfire.
Everyone, including the archdemon I had set out to kill, dropped to their knees. I held my chin high as I glared at Lucifer.
“My mother will come for you eventually, dude, for what you did to her,” I said.
“I hope so,” he said softly, almost longingly. “I sincerely hope so.”
He studied my features as if seeking any trace of her on my face.
I snickered in derision.
“You’ll attend this school and obey all the rules, Celeste,” he said. “Or you’ll return to the iron box that carried you here. You’ll learn what you must and you will serve me.”
I was about to spit to in his face, but it wouldn’t do me any good. If I challenged him in front of everyone and made him lose face again, he’d punish me severely. Who was I kidding? He was the devil, king of the psychopaths.
I needed to bide my time if I wanted a chance to stay alive and overcome Lucifer. I had an edge over him. He didn’t know much about my Living Flame or that I hadn’t activated it.
He’d once stolen my mother’s powers, but I was not her. She’d fallen from heaven for the wrong guy. I wouldn’t allow my feelings, even my hatred for him, to cloud my judgment.
It was time for me to back off.
I sent a glance to the hellhound. He sat beside the black door, watching quietly. Loki had given the hellhound this job description—he would escort me to class and guard me at night, but he wouldn’t interfere with what happened in class.
To my satisfaction, Angel didn’t wag his tail at Lucifer or run to lick the devil in worship, like he’d done with Loki.
He wasn’t Lucifer’s. I’d named him right. Though I couldn’t completely trust the hellhound, I knew he was on my side until the common interests between Loki and me diverted.
I trained my eyes on Lucifer before glancing at the archdemon, then turned to the surviving half-bloods, as if I was in command. “Let the fucking class begin.”