She had come to see if Lucifer’s heir was worthy of being her ally. In his darkest hours, she’d been there for him, offering him hope, comfort, courage, and a future. She promised him a chance at revenge on their common enemy.
Loki worshipped my mother and would do anything for her, and she’d granted him the power to open the portal if he ever needed to flee his father.
The second time she’d visited him, she’d brought me to him so I could be raised, trained, and come to power outside the Void. I was the only one who had the power to pass back and forth between realms.
“Look at me, Loki,” I ordered.
The prince flash opened his eyes, pain shining through them with his humanity, which was why I’d chosen him. He would never destroy Earth.
“I’m sorry, Marigold. I didn’t protect you. I brought this on you.”
He hadn’t called me Celeste.
Shut up and listen,I said in his head.My mother graced you with a gift. When I call you, use it.
He snapped to focus, his whole being swirling alive like a shark smelling fresh blood. He understood what I planned to do, and he knew there was no other way.
He swallowed, staring at me intently.
Promise me that you’ll take care of my witch friend and her half-blood and mage friends who fought for us today,I demanded.And you’ll help Lisa L Kinsley’s sister.
He blinked his agreement.Anything.
I stepped back, inching toward where the portal was supposed to be.
“How can she still walk around while your chain binds her?” Ares said, studying my moves.
“She can’t break it,” Lucifer said. “That’s what matters.”
“Are you sure?” Ares said. “That little vixen is most conniving.”
Lucifer shrugged. “Let’s check, then, if you feel insecure.”
The god and the devil stalked toward me, certain I was their prey.
“Don’t come any closer,” I warned.
Ares chuckled sinisterly. “There’s no place to run, little minx. My son loved to call you minx, didn’t he? What a lovely pet name, but that little shit couldn’t save his own hide.”
My heart sank. What had the sadistic god done to my Axel before he tracked me here? I should have led them here earlier, but I was waiting for Loki to get here first.
“No one can save you, Celeste,” Lucifer said. “After I’m done with you, you’ll wish you had never been born. You shouldn’t have been born. You’re an eternal eyesore to me.”
“Leave her alone!” Loki called out.
“Shut him up already,” Ares said. “Your son’s such a weasel.”
“Let him watch,” Lucifer said. The chains on Loki yanked harder, and blood poured from his wounds. “And then he’ll truly know what fear is.”
“Wait.” I staggered backward toward the portal. “Let’s not make a rash decision that everyone will regret. Let’s not do anything stupid.”
“You’re a stupid girl,” Ares said, his golden eyes holding lust and contempt for me at the same time. “Now you’re afraid? You brought this on yourself. Even I can’t talk Lucifer out of this now. You’ve gotten him more agitated than anyone since your mother.”
I guessed he might be right since Lucifer had stayed in his true devil’s form, his crimson eyes half-mad.
“You’ve made me angry, too, Marigold,” Ares said. He was more talkative than Lucifer, fond of expressing his feelings verbally before he resorted to violence. I learned that from our first encounter. “For that, you’ll suffer my wrath. I’m not a very forgiving god, but there’re reasons for that. I didn’t have a happy childhood, and no one gave a shit about me. My father is a bad man—”
“You mean Zeus, the King of Gods?” I asked, backing up farther as they advanced on me.