“Yes, but surely that doesn’t excuse the fact that he let Cain into your kingdom.”
“Doesn’t it?” The demon raised a brow. “Pacts made with gods are binding. If you agreed to the contract knowing the repercussions if you failed to deliver, then you are to blame for the results.”
My stomach dropped. Apparently, the demon king took promises pretty seriously. Time for some fast thinking. I cleared my throat. “Sir, actually, Asclepius isn’t telling the truth about our contract. When I agreed to his demands, he said he would tell Cain our location if I failed to kill Nyx. He never said that he would allow Cain into Irkalla.”
Asmodeus pursed his lips and looked at Asclepius. “Is this true?”
“Yes, but she tricked me! She decided to go into Irkalla early so Cain couldn’t reach her first.”
“So she bested you at your own game,” Nyx said. “Not the first time that’s happened, is it, Asclepius?”
“Shut up, bloodsucker!” Asclepius snapped at Nyx. “If you hadn’t ignored the blood promise you made to me in the first place, none of this would have happened!”
“Enough!” Asmodeus said. He turned to Nyx. “Is it true that you made a blood oath to the god?”
She sighed. “It’s true. I asked him to make me a vest that would protect me from both magical and mundane weapons. Once I put it on, I knew he wouldn’t be able to find me so he could demand payment.”
Asmodeus was silent for a moment. Then he threw his head back and laughed. “So she was right. Your own hubris resulted in being outsmarted not once, but twice.”
Asclepius glared at the king. “They still broke their promises. I demand satisfaction!”
The demon sobered instantly. “You dare make demands in my court?”
Asclepius cowered. “I apologize, but the fact remains that sending Cain after those two was the only way to ensure I was paid for their insults.”
“And what of the insult you delivered to me?” the king said. “You helped an enemy enter my kingdom. That I cannot overlook.”
The god didn’t have a response to that. His face fell and his shoulders slumped.
“In addition, without Sabina and Nyx, Cain would have succeeded in kidnapping my wife. If that had happened, I would have torn your immortal body apart and posted your living body parts on spikes for all to see and taunt for eternity. So you should be thanking them for saving your sorry hide.”
“So what are you going to do to me instead?” the god asked. His posture was defeated.
Asmodeus sighed and pursed his lips. “I am tempted to strip you of your powers and force you to live among humans for the rest of your short days.”
Asclepius gasped.
“However, since Cain was stopped and now my love is free of her responsibilities to the children she sired with him, I’d say everything worked out for the best. I’m willing to overlook your poor judgment if you agree to forgive the debts these two females owe you.”
Hope ignited in Asclepius’s eyes. “Done!”
“In addition, you are banned from making deals with any of the dark race beings ruled by Sabina on earth without her permission.”
Asclepius frowned. No doubt the idea of having to come to me for permission rubbed his ego raw, but what choice did he have? Surely that was better than becoming a mortal. “I agree to those terms.”
Asmodeus nodded. “Now leave my sight. If you know what’s good for you, you will avoid me for a few centuries until I have forgotten about this. Because I assure you I won’t be so forgiving next time you screw up.”
The god nodded jerkily. Sweat coated his upper lip and his skin had the pallor of a man who’d just gotten a reprieve from the gallows. “I understand.”
“Be gone with you.” Asmodeus cracked his whip again. The cloud rose up around Asclepius and when it cleared, the god was gone.
Nyx slumped with relief. “Thank the gods.”
I put an arm around her. “In this case, I think it’s more appropriate to thank the demon.”
Before anyone could comment further on Asclepius’s punishment, the sound of stilettos pounding on the marble filled the room.
“Sugar buns!” Valva cried. She pushed Asmodeus out of the way and launched herself at Giguhl. Unlike the first time they’d seen each other at the villa, Giguhl accepted her affection with gusto. He wrapped her legs around his waist and proceeded to kiss her with lots of forked tongue.
“Ahem!” Asmodeus didn’t sound amused to be watching his daughter make out with a Mischief. “Valva, aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?”
Chapter 41
The Vanity squeaked and climbed down off Giguhl. My minion blushed like a virgin on her wedding night. “Mom, Dad, this is my boyfriend, Giguhl.”
Lilith pursed her lips. “A Mischief demon? Really, Valva?”Asmodeus stepped forward, his cloven hoofs cracking the marble with each step. “What are your intentions?”
Valva stood straighter and faced down the dark goddess that mortals feared more than Lucifer and her demon husband who could destroy empires with a passing thought. “Stop it, Dad. And seriously, Mother, this isn’t like the time I went slumming with that Gluttony demon.” She shuddered. “Giguhl and I are in love.”
I raised my brows and shot Giguhl a get-the-fuck-out-of-town look. He shifted uncomfortably but eventually nodded. “It’s true. I love her.”
Lilith sighed and looked at me with a martyred expression. “Kids? What are you going to do?”
“I forbid you to see him!” Asmodeus roared.
A cold sweat broke out on my chest. Adam paled. We wanted Giguhl to be happy, but even we weren’t dumb enough to challenge the King of Irkalla.
Giguhl, however, puffed up and approached his king. The Mischief had to look up, way up, to glare at Asmodeus. “With all due respect, Your Horribleness, that’s bullshit.”
I shot Adam a wide-eyed look. He shook his head, telling me not to interfere.
“Oh really? You’re nothing but a fifth-level Gizal dweller. You don’t deserve to look at my daughter, much less declare your love for her.”
Giguhl raised his chin and looked the massive demon in the eye. “I not only love her, but I also want to marry her.” He turned and looked at Valva with his heart in his eyes. “That is, if you’ll have me.”
The Vanity demon melted visibly and moved toward Giguhl. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
“Enough!” Asmodeus shouted. “I forbid it!”
Valva stepped forward with an irritated flick of her tail. “That is enough, Dad. I have been a good daughter. Well, mostly good,” she amended when Asmodeus raised a brow.
“Where will you live?” Lilith asked.
“Not under my roof,” Asmodeus grumbled.
Giguhl glanced at me. “Red, can we live with you guys?”
I paused, knowing I had to be careful with my words. “Are you asking because you want to or because you don’t have another choice? You need to really be sure because if you come back to the mortal realm, you’ll still be bound to me but Valva won’t. But if you stay here, you’ll both be free.”
Giguhl watched me with narrowed eyes for a moment. In truth, I was praying he’d still want to be my unofficial minion for a long time to come. But I couldn’t not give him an out clause. He deserved to be his own demon for a change. To build his own life. I’d miss him like hell, but it was the right thing to do.
“I grew up in Irkalla. I have some friends here. Some good memories.” The Mischief crossed his arms. “But you guys are my family. If it’s okay with Valva, we’ll live on earth.”
The Vanity clapped her hands. “Please, I’ve been dying to live in the mortal realm. Irkalla is sooo boring. There’s not one decent shopping mall.”
“I won’t have it!” Asmodeus roared.
Valva stuck out her bottom lip and glared at her father. “Daddy, I’m four thousand years old. It’s time you cut the cord and let me make my own decisions.”
Lilith sighed. “She has a point, dear. Besides, you know how rebellious adolescent demons are. If we say no, she’ll just run off anyway.”
Asmodeus pursed his lips. His fire wings twitched. We all held our breaths. I’m not sure what everyone else was thinking, but I was terrified he was about to turn Giguhl into Mischief flambé. “All right, fine,” he said finally. “But I’ll expect you to come home for a visit every now and then. Your mother worries.”
Valva ran forward to hug her parents. Giguhl hung back, grinning like a loon, until his love called him forward to formally meet his future in-laws, the Great Mother and the King of Irkalla.
“All righty, then,” Adam said, clapping his hands together. His tone was high-pitched and a thin sheen of sweat coated his brow. “Now that that’s settled, I really want to get the fuck out of here.”
I heartily agreed, but the thought of leaving Maisie left me torn. I walked up to my twin. “Are you okay?”
She smiled a wobbly smile and nodded. “I think so.”
“So, I guess this means you were wrong.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“You said I was the Chosen. But it’s both of us, together.”
She chuckled a little, but her eyes were shadowed. “I’ve never been happier to be wrong in my life. It feels… right this way.”
“I’m just sorry you’re going to be stuck down here.”
She shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll have Orpheus and Ameritat with me. Plus, now after Tristan ordered the vamp spirits to rebel against the Domina, I’m pretty sure I won’t be bored.”
I cringed. “Sorry about that.”
“He was right to do it. There’s no reason there can’t be peace in the dark race realms of Irkalla, too. Besides, we can visit each other, right?”