“I don’t know what bothers me more,” said Seth. “That she’s playing stupid games again, or that she thinks they’re going to work.” His amber eyes narrowed at the expression that crossed Azazel’s face. “Wait,youthought they might work?”
“She’s exceptionally good at getting under your skin,” Azazel defended. “Ishtar knows you too well. She knows what buttons to push. And you’re a sickeningly forgiving person.”
Yes, but Seth was … different from the other Ancients. Good. Noble. And brave enough to side with Cain and the others while the rest of their family fought them head-on and drove them out of their own home.
“Idoforgive her,” Seth confirmed, slumping onto the sofa beside Cain. “But when I forgave her, I also let her go and chose to move on. I wasn’t pining for her while she was Resting. It’s been centuries since I’ve touched her. She talks like it was last week. That’s when she’s not flirting with Solomon in the hope of getting a reaction out of me,” Seth added, referring to a mage in her service who’d never gotten along with Seth.
Cain braced his glass on his thigh. “She’s probably hoping you’ll both compete for her.” Anyone who didn’t know Ishtar would think she was a typical attention junkie. Shedidlove to be admired and fawned over, but it wasn’t about attention. It was about power. She craved the feeling of power she got from having others yearn for and fight over her.
Seth looked at him. “She came onto you as well, didn’t she?”
Cain only nodded. He hadn’t slept with Ishtar in over eight centuries and yet, like with Seth, she’d spoken of their time together as if it had been recent.
Azazel linked his fingers behind his head. “Well, she didn’t hit on me.”
“She would have done if you didn’t loathe her,” said Seth.
Azazel’s brow creased. “I don’t hate her. I just like to pretend she’s dead.”
Seth sighed. “I have to say, that sounds like hate to me.”
Azazel gave an indifferent shrug. “It’s a weird point of pride for her that she’s had two brothers, you know. It’s like she thinks you two broke some kind of bro-code for her.”
Holding back a snort, Cain downed more of his whiskey. In truth, Seth had spoken with him before getting involved with Ishtar, wanting to be sure that Cain would be fine with it. Cain’s only worry had been that she’d shit all over Seth.
“Really, I brought all this on myself.” Seth skimmed a hand over his close-cropped, dark-blond hair. “I saw how she was with Cain; I ignored the red flags. But it was like with Lilith and Dantalion. When they were together, Lilith came across as a shrew, but it was simply that they didn’tfit.They weren’t good for each other.”
“You were good for Ishtar,” Cain told him as he returned to the liquor cabinet to top up his glass. “You’re steady. Patient. You’re the kind of man she needs. But Ishtar’s more about what she wants than what she needs.” That had always been her problem.
“Yeah.” Seth let out a long sigh. “So, what were you two talking about? Anything interesting?”
Azazel beamed. “Actually, it’s fuckingfascinating.”
Seth blinked. “Oh? What?”
The clock chimed, and Azazel softly swore. “Gotta go. Walk with me, I’ll tell you everything,” he said to Seth. The two stood upright as Azazel began, “So I spoke to my source at Aeon—”
A knock came at the door.
“Yes?” Cain called out.
Maxim stepped inside the parlor. “There’s a coven here requesting to see an Ancient. They want residency.”
“All right,” said Cain. “Bring them to me.”
Hearing footfalls, Wynter turned away from the painting she’d been admiring to see the gargoyle coming toward her.
He swept his gaze over her and the others. “Follow me.”
Wynter raised anAre you ready for this?brow at her crew, who all nodded. “Let me do the talking, please.” Because Christ knew what kind of shit they’d blurt out, and they didnotneed to be offending an Ancient.
Trailing after their guide, she asked, “Who has agreed to see us?”
“Cain,” he replied.
Her heartbeat stuttered.Notthe best news, considering he’d been described as a mental sadist, but it was better than being turned away.
Wynter passed through many ornamental arches and glanced into various rooms, noting several people lingering around.